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A shakeup at an Xbox Game Studio suggests that AI will play a major role in Halo games like Campaign Evolved. The new Chief of Staff stresses enhancing workflows with machine learning on her resume. Other employees could use AI tools creatively rather than to improve efficiency.

After being exclusive to its website, GameSir has made its controller, the GameSir G7 Pro Zenless Zone Zero Edition Wireless Controller for Xbox available to purchase elsewhere. The controller keeps the selling price unchanged and comes with accessories and gifts.

The Fantech EOS Mini shows that an ultra-light, $13 Bluetooth gamepad can still deliver strong performance, broad platform compatibility, and up to 20 hours of battery life in a truly pocketable form factor. While its membrane face buttons may fatigue fast-action players, its responsive shoulder buttons, precise D-pad, and versatile extra features help it stand out in the growing mini-controller market.

The Brook Wingman FGC VX allows PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 users to connect and use third-party controllers with their consoles. The ultra-low-latency converter can also adapt console controllers for use with PC desktops and laptops.

CD Projekt Red is intent on launching the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel with multiplayer. A new report from a Polish investment bank reveals how this decision has influenced its release date. Also known as Cyberpunk 2 or Project Orion, the studio is adding more employees to support the undertaking.

A writer for a French website is urging gamers to keep all PlayStation Network details private. An ID number was all a hacker needed to log in twice to the journalist’s account. Even with 2FA active, PSN support requires minimal information to grant strangers access.

Final Fantasy 9 will return in 2028, but not in the form some fans had been expecting. A French company has revived The Black Mages' Legacy anime following the previous studio's bankruptcy. Square Enix has also teased gamers with merchandise, but refuses to acknowledge the Final Fantasy 9 remake.

The arrival of the next Valve and Sony gaming machines may now be in doubt. An emarketer analyst believes that high memory costs could cause the manufacturers to reconsider release dates. Declining console sales are also a factor, as steeper prices are prompting gamers to hesitate before upgrading.

Without Battlefield or Call of Duty, the Switch 2 isn’t yet an essential purchase for some gamers. However, a new leak suggests that Activision may launch its shooter franchise on the handheld in 2026. It’s unclear whether Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is on the way or if a mobile port is more likely.

Although GTA: Tokyo was a possibility, Rockstar Games has been reluctant to explore outside the U.S. A former technical director doesn’t anticipate GTA 6 to feature exotic locations either. Instead, the studio will continue to revisit settings like Vice City, which embody American pop culture.

Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) could be an asset to Switch 2 games with wavering frame rates. Unfortunately, screen tearing remains an issue, particularly with titles that run at lower than 40fps. Ubisoft solved the problem in Assassin's Creed Shadows and is now sharing its wisdom with Nintendo.

For many fans, the Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle was a no-brainer purchase. A leaked internal memo confirms that the package with the popular Switch 2 game will soon no longer be available. Nintendo hasn’t revealed a new bundle at the same price to replace it.

Veteran N64 developer and hacker Kaze Emanuar has publicly challenged Analogue 3D’s claims of cycle accuracy and “100% compatibility,” presenting side-by-side tests that show slower performance, missing hardware behaviors, and failed system checks compared to an original Nintendo 64. While he still considers the FPGA-based system a strong, affordable option for most players and notes that firmware updates may address many issues, Analogue has yet to respond to the mounting concerns from speedrunners, modders, and preservationists.

Unlike Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, gamers expected Battlefield 6 to reject AI art. Regardless, a new icon on its marketplace does not resemble the work of a human artist. The design of a weapon exhibits mistakes that are still commonly made by generative AI tools.

Physical disc owners have more reason to avoid the digital gaming age. Complaints continue about hackers compromising Microsoft accounts filled with Xbox games. Even if gamers can prove their identities, they may need to start from scratch and repurchase every title.

Released in 2022, the Steam Deck LCD quickly attracted a devoted following. Those fans are bemoaning the news that Valve will soon retire its cheapest gaming handheld. The Steam Deck OLED ships with improved specs, but has a price that’s on par with the ROG Xbox Ally and Legion Go S.

If the Final Fantasy 7 Remake demo is any indication, the Switch 2 game will impress fans. Even at lower resolutions, DLSS bridges the gap between the handheld and more powerful consoles. Image clarity is closer to the PS5 and Xbox Series X than expected, while looking crisper than the Series S.

A Dispatch artbook is being portrayed differently on some Nintendo eShop listings. Fans recognized that the characters on the North American page are wearing more conservative outfits. The censorship exists even though the Switch game with copious adult content is likely unaltered.

Rumors surrounding Valve’s long-absent Half-Life 3 have intensified, with industry insiders claiming the game will launch alongside the newly announced Steam Machine hardware ecosystem in Spring 2026. While component price volatility is reportedly delaying concrete pricing and announcements, multiple leaks suggest Half-Life 3 is real, playable end-to-end, and planned as the definitive conclusion to Gordon Freeman’s story.

We have more confirmation that Sony is working on a portable PlayStation 6 console. A new leak from Moore's Law Is Dead claims that Sony is pushing developers to optimize their games for different CPU configurations. This suggests that there could be multiple PS6 consoles, which gives weight to rumors that there will be a PS6 home and a PS6 handheld console.

In November, Nintendo lost ground to PlayStation, with U.S. PS5 sales claiming the number one rank. Sony’s performance ends a winning streak that began when the Switch 2 debuted in June. Regardless, total console sales are lagging behind the pace of previous years.

The only conventional physical option for Nintendo Switch 2 games is costly 64GB media. That could soon change, after reports that smaller cartridges are in the works. The decision may be a response to higher storage prices, but Game-Key Cards are likely to remain prevalent.

Some viewers were scanning trailers at The Game Awards for any signs of generative AI. However, even Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which won nine awards, used AI tools in some capacity. A past interview with the game’s producer provides more insight into how the technology benefited Sandfall.

To some Resident Evil fans, the sight of AI images is scarier than any monsters. In a new interview, a Capcom executive previewed how the tools would impact upcoming titles. Previously, a technical director approved the use of generative AI to brainstorm designs for objects.

Nintendo Switch Online on the Switch 2 offers a growing selection of classic GameCube games. Sadly, input lag often makes gameplay less enjoyable than expected. After a new update, players are reporting more responsive controls in selections like The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker.

The Analogue Pocket can now be used to digitalize an entire game collection and extract ROM files that can also be played on other devices. With a new app called MROM, save games can even be digitally backed up.

A unique Zelda experience may be on the way, with Monolith Soft leading development. The Xenoblade Chronicles studio has already assisted with Skyward Sword, Breath of the Wild, and Tears of the Kingdom. A new interview hints that Nintendo now trusts the company to build a new game from scratch.

Rockstar Games and its former workers are no closer to reaching a resolution. The GTA 6 development house is adamant that employees leaked confidential details on a Discord server. Meanwhile, a UK labor organization maintains that the firings were an attempt to stop a union from forming.

Fewer third-party studios are committing to Xbox consoles while turning down the PS5. Aniimo is bucking that trend after announcing that it’s an Xbox exclusive game. Putting a different spin on Pokémon and Palworld, the title has unique elements that have piqued curiosity ahead of its release date.

PlayStation's 30th anniversary celebration isn't over, despite beginning in 2024, as Anicorn has announced two new watches in celebration of the milestone. The two watches will be released on December 18, with one of them available in very limited quantities.

Gamers had assumed that the Steam Machine would be available by early Spring 2026. Unfortunately, there are rumors that the memory shortage may interfere with its release date. An insider has heard that, along with a higher Steam Machine price, a delay is not out of the question.

Gamers shouldn’t expect Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic to ship anytime in the near future. With its studio recently opening, development on the single-player RPG has only just started. Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier estimates a 2030 release date, with the KOTOR remake likely surfacing first.

John Romero has revealed that his cancelled, big-budget Microsoft-backed FPS has been reborn as a smaller-scale indie shooter that repurposes about $50 million worth of prior work into a radically redesigned single-player project. Now free of AAA constraints, Romero claims the game’s experimental mechanics aim to deliver a fresh experience he likens, in terms of innovation rather than genre, to the transformative impact of Elden Ring.

Even as console and Game Pass prices rise, new first-party Xbox games remain at $70 or less. In a Variety interview, a Microsoft executive explains why the company has avoided higher software prices. Xbox is exploring other ways to profit from game sales after purchases.

The Lord of Hatred expansion for Diablo 4 is off to a rough start. Multiple users across numerous platforms are unable to buy it across most platforms.

PS5 gamers without streaming access have been unable to revisit any of their favorite PS3 games. RedoEngine’s PS3 emulator has succeeded where other alternatives have failed. While the 2013 platformer Cloudberry Kingdom is releasing on the PS Store, more demanding games are problematic.

Capcom has confirmed Resident Evil Requiem will arrive on February 27. It will feature Leon Kennedy as the protagonist.

Larian has shown off its upcoming RPG at The Game Awards. It is set in the Divinity universe, and it is supposedly larger in scope than Baldur's Gate 3.

The selection of Star Wars games is diverse, even including some podracing options. A new leak suggests players may see a modern take on the 1999 Star Wars Episode I: Racer (Update: Star Wars: Galactic Racer announced). With the KOTOR remake looming, other titles have featured swoop racing as side activities.

Nintendo sold more than 10 million units of Switch 2 in its first four months, marking the most successful console launch to date. However, soaring DRAM and NAND costs have massively eroded the company’s margins – to the point that price hikes may now be on the table.

It may surprise fans to learn that Black Ops 7 still has more support than its rivals. Despite superior Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders player counts on Steam, Call of Duty boasts greater engagement on consoles. Arc Raiders dominates on PC, but that supremacy hasn’t translated to the PS5 or Xbox.

Instead of ratings boards having the final say, Sony wants to empower console gamers to censor content. Its new patent describes how AI tools could modify video based on user preferences. While parents would have more censorship options, it could allow individuals to impose their beliefs on others.

8BitDo has now released a batch of colourful new wireless controllers after their announcement earlier this week. Available in over half a dozen finishes including multiple translucent options, the new controllers all retail for $45. Unfortunately, major caveats exist for these releases, though.

Sony has confirmed details for its mid-December 2025 PlayStation Plus catalogue update. Arriving after a leak detailed that multiple triple-A games would be up for grabs, the full update spans over half a dozen titles including the remastered Soulcalibur III and Assassin's Creed Mirage.

A decade-long experiment by retro tech YouTuber Tech Tangents reveals that “retrobrighting” yellowed consoles with hydrogen peroxide and UV light can actually accelerate plastic degradation, leaving treated systems more discolored than untouched ones. His findings challenge a popular restoration practice and are pushing collectors toward gentler, less chemically aggressive methods or acceptance of inevitable aging.

A mysterious addition to the Square Enix YouTube channel is fueling more speculation about The Game Awards. A Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 trailer is one scenario, following encouraging updates. Director Naoki Hamaguchi recently discussed how the upcoming event is ideal for major announcements.

Abxylute has announced the E1 dual-OS retro game console, designed for the emulation of classic games from systems such as the Nintendo Game Boy Advance, as well as cloud gaming. The $69 handheld comes with a 640 x 480 LCD screen and dual carbon-film analog joysticks running Android and Linux OSs. Update: Specifications updated

Arc Raiders will get its much-awaited winter update in less than a week. While it is unclear what that will entail, players are excited for the new cosmetic and gameplay changes that it will bring.