Gaming

Emotional, story-driven narratives are rare in the roguelike genre – but in Dreamscaper, that is exactly what sets it apart. The action roguelike is currently 80% off on Steam until January 19, bringing the price down to around $5.

AYN has announced that it is raising the price of its dual-screen Android handheld, Thor. The brand has also released a software update for the device that addresses a heating issue, among other changes.

Hytale, the upcoming sandbox MMO from Hypixel Studios, is set to enter Early Access on January 13, 2026. Combining a Minecraft-inspired visual style with MMO and RPG elements such as dungeons, boss fights and a deep combat system, the game has been in development for over a decade. The developers expect more than one million players at launch.

The Steam free game selection has expanded once again, and like last rounds, not all the newly spotted freebies have player ratings yet. However, there are many games that already have decent overall reviews.

Asus has now confirmed the launch pricing of its ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM3 gaming monitor. Not only that, but the company has revealed the monitor's availability and full specifications, too.

Dismissed Rockstar Games workers won’t receive back pay while legal proceedings continue. A UK judge ruled that they haven’t yet proven that the GTA 6 studio engaged in union-busting. Also, gamers now know that a labor group’s Discord server contained non-workers, including a journalist.

What if the Nintendo Game Boy hadn’t been designed as a gaming handheld, but as a compact arcade machine? The engineer Christopher Fletcher now answers this question with the so-called Arcadeboy, an arcade machine that’s based on an actual Game Boy.

Mini LED TVs are a sensible choice for buyers without the perfect setup for an OLED panel. The 85-inch Sony Bravia 7 is a large flat-panel option that doesn’t compromise picture quality. Along with ample brightness, the Sony TV on sale at Amazon effortlessly adjusts settings to optimize content.

Steam continues to dominate the PC gaming market in both players and revenue, but GOG’s new owner believes its success comes down to convenience, not content quality. He says GOG plans to compete by focusing on a curated library of classic and modern titles rather than matching Steam’s scale.

Bandai Namco has released a new cinematic trailer for My Hero Academia: All’s Justice, a 3v3 fighting game based on the manga’s final arc. Developed by Byking, the game launches in February 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.

Red Bull’s quietly released, limited-edition Tetris handheld, disguised as an energy drink can and capped at 10,000 units, has already tripled in value on resale sites after selling out within days. With its quirky 1.55-inch screen, simple controls, and numbered collector’s run, the device has quickly become a sought-after oddity for retro gamers and memorabilia hunters alike.

A new homebrew port of Super Mario 64 brings Nintendo’s classic platformer natively to the Sega Dreamcast, running at full speed in crisp 480p thanks to extensive decompilation and optimization work. Developed over several years by MrNeo, jnmartin84, and Falco Girgis, the project has impressed the retro-gaming community with performance and polish that rival, and in some respects surpass, the original Nintendo 64 release.

Developers of Lords of the Fallen 2 have rejected accusations that their new Menaslide Soldier enemy plagiarizes Elden Ring: Nightreign’s Wylder, presenting internal Slack logs and production timelines to argue the design predates FromSoftware’s reveal by several months. CI Games CEO Marek Tyminski maintained that any similarities stem from common medieval fantasy tropes rather than copying, and asserted full confidence in the originality and integrity of the studio’s art team.

Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa provided clues about how the company will respond to higher memory prices. In the interview, he claims Nintendo is not immediately affected by changes in component costs. Nevertheless, the executive didn’t rule out a future Switch 2 price increase.

MSI has begun selling its 500Hz 1440p QD-OLED gaming monitor with DisplayPort 2.1 in the US. Available via Amazon, the MPG 271QR QD-OLED X50 pairs a 0.03ms response time with G-Sync VRR, DisplayHDR True Black 500, USB-C with up to 98W PD, and a proximity sensor.

If you're interested in unusual genre combinations, Masters of Anima might be worth a look. The RPG–strategy hybrid is currently discounted by 85% on Steam, reducing the price to around $1. The offer is valid until January 19.

A player used an exploit to experience Arc Raiders from a first-person perspective and shared a three-minute video on Reddit. While this viewpoint reportedly introduces some gameplay drawbacks, it offers a noticeably more immersive experience.

If you're into roguelikes but looking for a fresh twist, Orbital Bullet might be worth checking out. The game combines classic roguelike elements with a distinctive 360-degree perspective and is currently available on Steam for around $1.70, thanks to a 90% discount.

Asus has reportedly cancelled its first Arc B390 gaming laptop. Originally part of this year's ROG Zephyrus G14 refresh, the Intel Panther Lake-only variant was allegedly showcased by Intel as a success of its new architecture before being dropped shortly before CES.

LavaLamp launched on Steam as a new free game on January 10, 2026. Shortly after its full release, this indie freebie has made it to the "New & Trending" list, with the current position being second in the charts.

Gamblers Table hit Steam on Jan 11, 2026, peaking at 7,906 players on launch day. Despite a 78% positive rating, launch day was bumpy with cloud save bugs and a heated community debate over a rival "clone" that beat them to market.

Digital Foundry, Hardware Unboxed, and other reputable sources are singing the praises of Nvidia's latest & greatest gaming monitor advancement and its elimination of sample-and-hold blur. It's not perfect, but motion has reportedly never been clearer on a flat panel.

GameSir has released a carrying case for its G7 Pro controller. The carrying case has a nifty feature and also comes with a gift.

The RedMagic 11 series is set to see a new addition soon. As the brand has just announced, the 11 Air will launch in China on January 20, 2026, and this upcoming gaming phone is teased to sport 9 "cutting-edge" technologies.

Several customer complaints, alongside a spotlight on its poor business strategy, have forced Ayaneo to announce a plan to do better in 2026. The service improvement plan highlights several changes to be implemented by the retro handheld manufacturer to improve customer satisfaction.

HP’s Omen 16L gaming desktop, first unveiled at CES 2025, is now available with a newer Nvidia RTX 5000-series GPU at a reduced price. The compact pre-built pairs a modern Intel Core Ultra processor with updated graphics hardware, positioning it as a notable value option in its segment. With a sizeable discount currently in place, the Omen 16L stands out as an interesting choice for buyers considering a compact gaming desktop.

Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is the biggest yearly convention where companies showcase new consumer hardware like laptops, CPUs, and more. However, for AMD and Nvidia, CES 2026 was all about AI. In fact, according to calculations done by 3DCenter, AMD and Nvidia almost abandoned gaming and mentioned "AI" quite a lot.

A known leaker has shared efficiency estimates for Intel Panther Lake-based handhelds and AMD’s custom Canis APU that will power the PS6 handheld. The former are expected to hit the market this year while the latter is said to arrive late next year.

The Audeze Maxwell 2 wireless gaming headset combines the company's 90 mm planar drivers with AI background noise filtering in an over-ear design. A detachable boom mic along with wired connection options allows it to be used like conventional headphones with audio players.

Competition like the Legion Pro 5i can’t match the sub-$1200 price of the Omen Max 16. The RTX 5070 Ti graphics card elevates the HP laptop to a higher performance tier. Memory constraints sour the gaming laptop deal somewhat, but a Ryzen AI 7 350 processor provides a cost-effective solution.

Retro publisher Mega Cat Studios is ringing in 2026 with a “triple launch” of new NES and SNES cartridges, reviving classic hardware with Super Fanger, Plyuk, and Old Towers. Blending couch co-op tag, cloning-based puzzle-platforming, and frantic action-puzzling, the lineup underscores how the homebrew scene is pushing old consoles into surprisingly fresh territory.

Switch users are about to lose a convenient way to keep up to date on their favorite TV shows. Still, the Switch 2 never had the Hulu app and lacks any similar option. YouTube may come to the handheld soon, but some gamers see the lack of streaming support as a missed opportunity.

Japan’s Game Preservation Society has launched a Patreon campaign after government subsidies were slashed due to alleged regulatory violations related to its digital archiving practices. The nonprofit, which continues to expand its Tokyo operations and plans a US sister organization, aims to secure financial independence to protect its curatorial integrity and long-term preservation efforts.

MudRunner is a game in which you will have to complete various missions at the wheel of numerous vehicles. But be careful, because the terrain will be difficult and there will be many dangers to face.

According to the latest data, Steam has broken its own concurrent user record once again, crossing the 42 million mark in early 2026.

Linux-based gaming platforms such as SteamOS continue to gain attention as alternatives to Windows. To explore how they compare in real-world use, YouTuber ETA Prime tested an all-AMD desktop PC running both Windows 11 Pro and SteamOS, examining gaming performance across several titles.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 may have been one of 2025’s biggest successes, but its development was far from easy. The developers say building the game required far more work than a more experienced team would normally need.

Larian Studios has reversed its decision to use generative AI tools in the concept art pipeline for its upcoming game Divinity, following strong community backlash and widespread concerns about artistic integrity. While pledging that no AI-generated creative assets or narrative text will appear in the final product, the studio maintains that tightly controlled AI tools may still be used to accelerate internal iteration and development workflows.

GameStop plans to close an estimated 295 to 410 additional U.S. stores by early 2026, following 590 closures in fiscal 2024, as part of an ongoing “store portfolio optimization” that also includes international pullbacks. The cuts have intensified backlash after revelations that CEO Ryan Cohen could receive up to $35 billion in performance-based stock awards if the company hits aggressive market-cap and earnings targets.

The GameSir Turbo Drive was on display at CES 2026 but didn't get an official announcement. The wireless racing wheel has a yoke design and features a built-in fan that blows in a user's face in relation to the speed of their racing vehicle.

A new rumor suggests Sony may be working on an upgraded version of the PlayStation Portal. While nothing is confirmed yet, the rumor points to an OLED display with a high refresh rate.

Green Man Gaming has introduced a new game bundle called Indie Adventures. It features six indie games that are deemed "must-play." They all come with Steam Deck compatibility ratings and are well-received by players. All of them can be scored for just $16, making each cost around $2.3.

Mangmi has picked up where it left off last December by revealing new details of the Pocket Max. The latest info confirms the battery specification and also includes final design changes.

Less than a year after its release date, the Monster Hunter Wilds price has plummeted in some countries. Japanese buyers can score a used copy of the Capcom game for $3 or less. A Monster Hunter Wilds Switch 2 version may boost its popularity, but performance isn’t the only concern for players.

Whether you have a PC, Mac, or Steam Deck, the Epilogue SN Operator can turn most computers and handheld gaming devices into a Super Nintendo that can play games on original game cartridges, eliminating the need for ROM files.

2026 promises not to disappoint with a generous number of new Switch 2 games expected. Even so, podcasters Kit & Krysta don’t classify many announced titles as system-sellers. They argue that a 3D Mario or mainline Pokémon or Zelda game could rejuvenate slumping console sales.

Rogue Masters 1.0 launched Jan 10, 2026, moving to a free-to-play model. The 6-player souls-like co-op title holds a 71% positive rating but faces scrutiny over 4K support, P2P latency, and animation asset origins.

Fallout co-creator Tim Cain warns that toxic, taste-based arguments in gaming are driving both players and developers away from the medium, as online debates increasingly dismiss the legitimacy of differing priorities like frame rate, visuals, or narrative features. In response, Cain urges fans to shift focus from fighting to funding, arguing that “buy the games you want to see more of” is the most effective way to shape the industry’s future.

GreedFall is an RPG that plunges you in a mysterious world where you must forge alliances and make decisive choices. But if you have to change the history of this island, many dangers will have to be faced.