In case you didn’t know, PlayStation is officially killing physical discs. The company says this is a natural step that aligns with how most players buy and play games. Considering how 85% of PlayStation games (via PlayStation's financials) are bought digitally, this move isn’t all that surprising — though that fact doesn’t ease the concern of many who see this as a wrong move.

Tom’s Guide reached out to Ross Scott, Founder of Stop Killing Games — the campaign pushing for legal protections so games don’t disappear once publishers stop supporting them — to get their take on what this announcement means for PlayStation players and gamers as a whole.

The group’s responses were measured on some points but clear on others. While they didn’t outright call Sony’s consumer preference argument false, they argued that the bigger issue isn’t really about discs at all. Here are some highlights from their answers to our questions.

The disc isn't the problem

Ross didn’t argue about whether most people preferred digital to physical. Instead, they challenged the notion that removing physical discs is the next logical step with no downsides. In their estimation, the conversation has become too focused on the format itself rather than on what players lose when that format disappears.

“The lack of the disc is just a symptom and not the core problem in itself,” Scott told us. They see the shift away from physical media as a surface-level change that masks a deeper issue: the gradual erosion of player ownership and long-term access to games.

Having a physical disc gives players something close to real ownership. Even if a publisher decided to shut down servers or stop supporting a game, you still (in most cases) had a working copy. This hasn’t been a thing on PC for a long time, and it appears the same will happen on consoles. Stop Killing Games thinks that’s why Sony’s response is wrong. Players are losing one of the last ways to keep a game they bought.

“What customers need [is] assurances their games won't be taken from them after purchase, which large publishers sometimes have a very poor track record on,” Scott said.

Second-hand sales and publisher incentives

We also asked about the impact on the used-games market and on retail competition. Their answer was more nuanced than you might expect from an anti-DRM campaign.

“I actually am sympathetic to publishers wanting to avoid secondhand sales, as in my opinion, that has led to lower prices overall (think of all the large sale events or digital game giveaways we see nowadays), but that also assumes competition in the market,” Scott added.

They also pointed out that copyrighted works already come with certain legal monopolies, and they’re wary of companies expanding that control through technical means without going through the proper legal process in different countries.

Additionally, they noted that recent examples, such as price increases following major acquisitions, show how quickly consumer-friendly promises can shift once competition decreases.

A warning from the past

The all-digital future that many dreaded is effectively here, but the idea isn’t completely new. To that end, SKG pointed to Microsoft’s original Xbox One reveal as a cautionary example. Even though Microsoft walked back many of the most controversial features after receiving backlash, SKG sees the 2013 presentation as a sign of where parts of the industry still want to go.

“Not to pick on Microsoft in particular, but I felt like the original Xbox One reveal was a sign of where the industry would like to take things,” Scott continued.

Some of Microsoft's original plans included: mandatory daily online checks, or your games would stop working, unclear rules around used games, and no guarantees that your library would survive once support for the console ended. Gamers decried all of these, but we’ve since seen them effectively become standard for all game consoles. Not having physical discs will just make it easier for companies to enact such measures.

Stop Killing Games added that they don’t believe digital games are inherently bad. When handled responsibly, digital-only games have real benefits, such as easier ways to back up purchases by copying games to an external hard drive. The danger lies when publishers treat digital ownership as something temporary or revocable.

When “physical” doesn’t mean physical

One area where Stop Killing Games was more direct was the growing trend of retailers selling “physical editions” that contain nothing but a download code inside a box—such as GTA 6 not launching with a game disc. They described this as misleading to consumers.

“I think this does create a sense of deception among consumers, since regardless of one's opinion on digital v. physical games, the average person expects something marketed as a physical copy of something to be physical.”

This practice also raises questions about what ownership even means. If the only thing inside the box is a code that can be revoked or tied to an account that might one day disappear, then the idea of “owning” a physical copy starts to feel hollow. They see this as part of the same broader pattern where the appearance of ownership is preserved while the reality of it quietly erodes.

To be clear, Sony did not say anything about selling “physical” copies of games in the manner that GTA 6 will, so we can’t say the company will go down that route. Still, it was interesting getting SKG’s take on this, since it’s a related topic.

Outlook

While we likely can’t stop console manufacturers from reversing course, we can at least ask for assurances that our digital purchases actually belong to us. This is why Stop Killing Games’ efforts are so important, especially now.

We’ll see how things play out, but for now, it might be best to brace for what’s to come.

More from Tom's Guide

• PS6 price could be in the same stratosphere as the Steam Machine
• PS6 just tipped for huge specs upgrade to take on gaming PCs
• MacBook Neo at $699 — is it still worthwhile?

Three days ago in a sprawling interview with Entertainment Weekly, new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said, "gaming is unaffordable in many cases." Today, Xbox announced price hikes for its consoles, the third in the last year.

The increases don't go into effect until August, but it does hit 512GB models with a $100 bump, while 1TB consoles are going up $150. Xbox is also discontinuing its 2TB model.

The Xbox announcement takes a contrite tone and even says that the company "hoped another price increase would not be necessary" after last October's hike.

It all comes only a couple of weeks after a missive from Sharma and Xbox Studios head Matt Booty discussing how Xbox needed a reset, which was quickly followed by news of significant layoffs.

It's a worrisome sign that Xbox knows this will be a problem when most of the announcement is loaded with buy now, pay later and other financing options.

As with most price increase; blame AI

Since the end of 2025, the ongoing memory shortage has slowly but steadily affected every tech company in the world, from phones and laptops to gaming.

Apple, one of the last holdouts, also announced broad price increases today for every device the company makes. At the far end, one version of the flailing Vision Pro now costs $3,699. The lowest announced increase was a $70 bump for the Apple TV 4K, an aging device that many expect to be replaced this year.

Last year, it was the roller-coaster tariffs from the Trump administration that were to blame for varying increases. This year, every single price hike has blamed the memory shortage, which us and others have taken to referring to as RAMaggedon.

"Unfortunately, console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x, and we expect another doubling by the fall of 2027," Xbox's announcement reads. "The entire consumer electronics industry is struggling with the current components crisis, but the effects are particularly hard on consoles."

AI greed and the massive AI data center boom have been driving RAM and storage prices through the roof for months.

As an example, the WD Black m.2 SSD, a hard drive we recommend for upgrading your PS5's internal memory cost around $125 last June. It's on sale for Prime Day right now, but current prices have it at $250, a current low after the SSD hit nearly $300 in April.

Microsoft partly to blame

There are other companies to truly hold accountable for the memory crisis. Nvidia, OpenAI, and Google have made massive investments in what they call artificial intelligence.

But we can't absolve Microsoft (or Apple) as both companies, laggards in the headlong race toward AI, have also invested heavily in AI, with varying degrees of success.

Just this month at Microsoft Build 2026, the company spent the majority of the event discussing AI and "agentic" systems. Most of the work is business-focused, but it's clear AI is what has the company's attention right now. This is despite promises to pull back on stuffing Windows 11 with AI earlier in the year.

Gamers don't want it

Gamers on the whole are a capricious bunch, to put things nicely, but as a recent Game Oracle study found, they don't want AI. Titles with the AI-generated assets tag on Steam received 53% fewer ratings, indicating a lack of interest, and were more likely to be negatively reviewed.

Now, it's possible that AI is allowing more lazy developers to push out more slop, a veritable abyss that will seemingly never go away, AI or not.

Still, it speaks to a wider trend of consumers rejecting AI. Marketing Brew reports that 65% of respondents to a study said they never wanted to hear about AI again.

CBS News just reported today that despite humongous investments in AI, companies don't really have customers. That's both consumers and businesses that are discovering that firing workers for "AI solutions" has netted next to zero in returns.

Our friends at Tom's Hardware reported in February that two-thirds of customers reject AI on their devices.

Between increasing prices for the companies themselves and their customers rejecting their AI-focused products, there will be a breaking point. The question is, how close are we to reaching it?

More from Tom's Guide

• GTA 6's Ultimate Edition is the real full game — and the rumors of it costing $100 were true after all
• Xbox Games Showcase 2026 — all the news, reveals, and announcements at Microsoft’s biggest gaming event of the year
• Microsoft reveals new details on its Project Helix PC-console hybrid: here's all the latest on the next Xbox

It has been many years, but GTA 6 arrives on November 19, and you can pre-order it right now for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

• GTA 6 (PS5): $79 @ Best Buy
• GTA 6 (Xbox): $79 @ Amazon

There are two editions of GTA 6 to choose from: the Standard Edition ($79 / £69), which gets you the base game, alongside a nifty pre-order bonus, and the more premium Ultimate Edition ($99 / £89), which has the full game alongside a treasure trove of extras, including outfits, vehicles, weapon skins, and exclusive missions.

Since digital copies can't physically sell out, you don't have to worry about stock running out. That said, if you want to explore Vice City on launch day, you'll want to secure a copy and lock in those sweet pre-order bonuses.

We at Tom's Guide are not immune to GTA 6 hype, so we're delivering all the pre-order information to you with live coverage of what will surely be the biggest game of this generation. Here are all the links you need to secure a copy, along with other related tidbits on Rockstar's upcoming blockbuster title.

GTA 6 pre-orders - quick links

• Amazon: pre-orders LIVE
• Target: pre-orders LIVE
• Walmart: pre-orders LIVE
• Best Buy: pre-orders LIVE
• GameStop: pre-orders LIVE
• PlayStation Store: pre-orders LIVE
• Xbox Store: pre-orders LIVE

GTA 6 pre-orders - full retailer listings

Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders are now live in the US as of 12 a.m. ET on Thursday, June 25.

GTA 6 pre-orders UK - quick links

• Amazon (U.K.): pre-orders LIVE
• Very: pre-orders LIVE
• EE: pre-orders LIVE
• Argos: pre-orders LIVE
• ShopTo: pre-orders LIVE
• The Game Collection: pre-orders LIVE
• PlayStation Store: pre-orders LIVE
• Xbox Store: pre-orders LIVE
• Currys: check stock

GTA 6 pre-orders UK - full retailer listings

Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders are now live in the UK as of 12 a.m. BST on Thursday, June 25.

GTA 6 pre-orders AU - quick links

• Amazon: pre-orders LIVE
• JB Hi-Fi: pre-orders LIVE
• The Gamesmen: pre-orders LIVE

Live updates

GTA 6 pre-orders are finally here!

Hello! It's been a long road, but GTA 6 pre-orders have arrived. After a few false dawns in recent months, in the UK and Australia you can pre-order the game now, and the US isn't far behind. Stick with me, and I'll guide you through the full process to help you lock in your copy, with all the retailer links you will need.

UK gamers, you can pre-order GTA 6 right now

If you're in the UK (and still awake in the early hours of the morning), you can secure your GTA 6 pre-order right now. The game is available to pre-order on digital storefronts like PlayStation and Xbox (these are the only places at present to get the Ultimate Edition), or you can get a physical copy at Amazon and more!

• GTA 6 (PS5, Standard Edition): £69 @ Amazon
• GTA 6 (Xbox, Standard Edition): £69 @ Amazon
• GTA 6 (Ultimate Edition): £89 @ PlayStation Store
• GTA 6 (Ultimate Edition): £89 @ Xbox Store

GTA 6 pre-orders in the US are nearly here!

Any US GTA fans feeling a little jealous watching gamers in other regions secure their pre-orders don't need to worry, GTA 6 pre-orders are heading to the US very soon. Per Rockstar, Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders begin at midnight local time, so we're only a few hours away from American gamers getting in on the action!

A note on the 'physical' edition of GTA 6

One piece of news today that hasn't been so welcome is the revelation that the physical edition of GTA 6 isn't quite so...well, physical. In the boxed copy of the game, you won't find a disc, instead you just get a digital download code. It's been speculated that this due to Rockstar wanting to prevent leaks, but it's still pretty disappointing for fans of physical media. It also means that you won't be able to share the game with friends and family, or trade it in after you've completed it.

Here's the deets on the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition

The Grand Theft Auto VI Ultimate Edition is the most premium version of the game, and retails for $99. That's $20 more than the regular edition. Yes, it's a lot for a brand new game, but you are getting quite a lot for your extra money.

Here's the very long list of digital items that are exclusive to the Ultimate Edition:

• 67 Vapid Dominator Buggy and Paradise Garage
• ’95 Grotti Cheetah sports car
• Vehicles and Vapid Ganado Retro Build at Jason’s Safehouse
• Vehicle Mod Shops
• Classic Car Collection missions
• Shitzu Squalo boat
• Hawk & Little Morgan Revolver
• Stock 305 Clothing Store
• Sara’s Unisex Salon
• Personalized Weapon Variants
• PTT Youngin$ Compound and Scores
• Vice City Styles for Jason and Lucia
• Goodtime Gear
• Electric Fang Tattoo

You can see in-game screenshots of each item on the GTA 6 website, but in short, it appears if you want the full GTA 6 experience you'll need to cough up an extra $20 (naturally, some gamers aren't pleased about this). One other thing to note, it appears, there won't be a boxed version of the Ultimate Edition, in neither the UK or AU have we seen the Ultimate Edition outside of digital storefronts.

Is there a GTA 6 Collector's Edition?

Pictured above is the GTA 5 Collector's Edition, which was launched alongside the game back in September 2013, many gamers, myself included, assumed GTA 6 would also get a physical Collector's Edition stuffed with goodies, but sadly, it looks like Rockstar is going for a more streamlined approach with GTA 6.

As of now, only two version have been announced the Standard Edition and the Ultimate Edition, no Collector's Edition has been showcased, or even teased. However, don't give up all hope quite yet. There are theories that GTA 6 could get a proper physical edition next year (with a proper game disc) and perhaps if this prediction proves accurate, Rockstar will bundle it with some extra swag.

Only time will tell, but it seems at least at launch in November, collector's will be left wanting.

Rockstar offers a sweetener for pre-ordering GTA 6

Like most AAA titles, Rockstar is offering gamers who pre-order a free bonus in the form of the Vintage Vice City Pack.

This DLC pack will be given to any player who buys the game before November 20, and offers '80s-themed outfits for both protagonists, Lucia and Jason, as well as an exclusive vehicle, the 1955 Vapid Stanier. Oh, and a Tropical Pattern Weapon Skin that anybody who played the original GTA: Vice City might just recognize.

I reckon most gamers would pre-order GTA 6 even without any form of bonus, but this sweetener is pretty nice, and I know for a fact, I'm going to be rocking those '80s style outfits (pictured above) for at least half of my first playthrough.

GTA fans, tell me which edition you're going to pre-order!

If you're a US gamer patiently waiting for GTA 6 pre-orders to hit the States, let me know which edition has caught your eye most. And any night owls in the UK, feel free to also clue me in which edition you went for. I haven't made my choice yet, but I'm definitely leaning towards the Ultimate Edition, it's just very tempting!

Here's when you can pre-load GTA 6

GTA 6 launches November 19, but here's another date for your diary, November 12. That's the day that GTA 6 pre-loads will begin, letting you download the full game well in advance, so the moment it unlocks a week later, you can start playing immediately. Rather than spending half of launch day watching a download bar.

Pre-loading is increasingly important in a gaming world where major titles often demand more than 100GBs of hard drive space, and with a game the size of GTA 6, I'm confident it's install requirement will be measured in the triple digits.

Those buying a 'physical' edition won't be left out either, because the boxed game is just a download code (rather than a game disc), it's set to ship from retailers to arrive from November 12, and will allow you to pre-load the game. So, whatever edition you pick, you will be able to jump straight into the action on launch day.

Check out GTA 6 pre-orders down in Oz

GTA 6 pre-orders haven't even gone live in the US yet, but over in Australia, the game has been available to pre purchase for more than 12 hours at this point (aren't timezones fun!). If you're an Australian gamer who didn't fancy staying up till midnight, why not go ahead and lock in your GTA 6 pre-order now it's a more reasonable time of the day. Here's all the retailer links you'll need:

• JB Hi-Fi: pre-orders LIVE
• EB Games: pre-orders LIVE
• The Gamesmen: pre-orders LIVE
• Big W: pre-orders LIVE

What's the deal with GTA 6 Online?

Curiously, in all of today's GTA 6 pre-order information, one aspect that hasn't appeared is GTA Online. GTA 5's online component took on a life of its own and became a success story (and cash cow) that eclipsed the single-player campaign.

It was assumed that GTA 6 would go big on its online aspect. Yet so far, Rockstar hasn't commented on how GTA 6 will shape what's next for GTA Online. Of course, it's almost certain that there will be some form of GTA Online integration, but I did think we'd have more information on how the multiplayer would factor in by now.

Perhaps this is a sign that Rockstar plans to separate GTA 6 and whatever is next for GTA Online, launching each as a separate game. Or maybe we'll hear more about GTA 6's impact on GTA Online in the months ahead. Either way, I think it's a little unexpected that the Ultimate Edition doesn't include any GTA Online extras.

Another perk of pre-ordering GTA 6

Alongside the pre-order bonus, if you pre-order GTA 6 on digital storefronts (PlayStation and Xbox Store), you'll get an additional freebie, one month free of GTA+. This service gives you access to some GTA Online perks, and access to a library of classic Rockstar titles, includes several fan-favorite GTA games.

There is one slight catch with this freebie, after your free month of GTA+, your subscription will auto renew at the the standard price of $9 / £6 / AUS$11 per month. So, make sure you cancel after the free period, unless of course you end up enjoying the various GTA+ perks so much you want to keep your subscription.

60 minutes until GTA 6 pre-orders arrive in the US

The clock just struck 11 p.m. ET, which means we're just 60 minutes from GTA 6 pre-orders touching down in the US. Rockstar confirmed pre-orders start at "midnight (local time)," and I'm assuming this will mean the floodgates open when the east coast ticks over into Thursday, June 25. Of course, you don't need to stress, because I'll bring you all the updates and retailer links in this live blog!

Fill the time by (re)watching the GTA 6 trailers

We've still got some time to fill before GTA 6 pre-orders land in the US (but we're getting close now folks, stay with me here!). So, if you need something to get your hype flowing further, why not rewatch the GTA 6 trailers. Personally, I must have replayed Trailer 2 half-a-dozen times today, and it still gets me excited! Though it would be nice if Rockstar would drop the much requested Trailer 3 pretty soon.

Everything you need to know in one video!

You don't just need to read my guide to pre-ordering GTA 6 in this blog, as we've put together a video that covers everything you need to know about locking in your copy. Give it a watch before the pre-order floodgates open in the US!

GTA 6 confirmed price, just in case you hadn't seen it yet!

Earlier today, Rockstar announced that Grand Theft Auto VI will retail for $79 as standard, with the Ultimate Edition costing $99. The base game is a $10 increase compared to most of its contemporaries, but it's not the first game to opt for this higher MSRP. Switch 2's Mario Kart World also launched at $79 last summer.

Sorry, Switch 2 gamers (and PC players)!

If you happen to game exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 or a high-powered gaming PC, the bad news is that you'll have to sit this one out. For now, GTA 6 is only confirmed for PS5 and Xbox Series X. I suspect it will come to PC in 2027 (a Switch 2 port seems less unlikely), but on November 19, the only places you'll be able to travel to Vice City are on either the latest PlayStation or Xbox consoles.

No GTA 6 listing pages have appeared (yet)

With GTA 6 pre-orders on the horizon, I've been doing my latest sweep of all the major US retailers, and can report back there's been no change. There still aren't any listing pages at major US retailers. But this isn't unexpected. It was a similar story in the UK, but when midnight hit, the pages started to appear. I expect to see similar happen in the US at retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart.

What do you make of GTA 6's cover art?

As you may have seen, last week the official cover art for GTA 6 was showcased. Naturally it follows the series' trademark style, and includes a few teases of the characters and chaos the game will contain. Let me know in the comments what you make of the cover art. For me, it's a step up compared to GTA 5, but doesn't quite unseat my favorite GTA artwork, which belongs to Grand Theft Auto IV.

GTA 6 pre-orders are almost here!

It's nearly midnight ET, which means that GTA 6 pre-orders should be about to begin in the US (at least, on the east coast). You don't need to scramble to find the right retailer link, though. I'm here to guide you through the process and make it a breeze. Let's just hope that each retailer's website can handle the crunch!

It's almost midnight...

It's just a few minutes until midnight on the east coast, I'm expecting GTA 6 pre-orders to begin any moment in the US. I'm standing by ready to bring you all the retailer link as soon as the floodgates open...

GTA 6 pre-orders are LIVE in the US

And here we go! GTA 6 pre-orders have landed in the US with the PlayStation Store the first to press the red button and go live!

• GTA 6 (Standard Edition): $79 @ PlayStation Store
• GTA 6 (Ultimate Edition): $99 @ PlayStation Store

Xbox Store isn't far behind with GTA 6 pre-orders

Clearly, Xbox doesn't want to be outmuscled by PlayStation, GTA 6 pre-orders just dropped on its own digital storefront. You can choose between the Standard Edition or the Ultimate Edition

• GTA 6 (Standard Edition): $79 @ Xbox Store
• GTA 6 (Ultimate Edition): $99 @ Xbox Store

No signs of 'physical' copies just yet

With PlayStation and Xbox Store pre-orders live, I'm on the hunt for the "physical" edition of the game (remember, there's no disc, it's a code in the box), so far, I'm not seeing listing pages at any major retailers, but I'm checking furiously, so watch this space, I'll bring you updates the moment something changes...

Here's all the GTA 6 pre-order links we've got so far!

At present, only the PlayStation/Xbox digital storefronts have made GTA 6 available for pre-order, though I imagine that's where many gamers will want to place a pre-order. If you want a boxed copy, stick around. I'm keeping a close eye on all major retailers right now. We saw a similar trend in the UK with digital storefronts updating first, and physical copies filtering through minutes later.

• GTA 6 (Standard Edition): $79 @ PlayStation Store
• GTA 6 (Ultimate Edition): $99 @ PlayStation Store
• GTA 6 (Standard Edition): $79 @ Xbox Store
• GTA 6 (Ultimate Edition): $99 @ Xbox Store

The mysterious case of the missing 'physical' GTA 6 pre-orders!

We're now at 12:40 a.m. ET, and still no signs of boxed copies of GTA 6 at any US retailers. In other regions, such as the UK, we had listings for the "physical" copy by this point. Maybe US retailers are holding back until 12 a.m. PT? Or will they be released at a later date? I'll keep watching for now and update if I spot anything.

Amazon US has GTA 6 pre-orders at last

Whelp, I guess that's mystery solved. Just as I was grumbling about the lack of boxed copies of GTA 6 in the US, Amazon has set it's pre-order listing live, if you've been waiting, go lock in your copy now!

• GTA 6 (PS5, Standard Edition): $79 @ Amazon
• GTA 6 (Xbox, Standard Edition): $79 @ Amazon

Will Amazon's drop be alone for long?

So, now we've got GTA 6 pre-orders at the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store and Amazon, that's a good selection of retailers to pick from, but now my eyes are on the likes of Best Buy, Walmart and Target. Will Amazon going first with the "physical" edition of GTA 6 lead to it's retail rivals dropping their pre-orders soon?

• GTA 6 (PS5, Standard Edition): $79 @ Amazon
• GTA 6 (Xbox, Standard Edition): $79 @ Amazon

Welcome to the GTA 6 pre-order party, Target!

Amazon isn't alone anymore at the GTA 6 pre-order party, Target has dropped it's listings for GTA 6, you can pre-order the Standard Edition on PS5 or Xbox Series X/S for $79. If you've been waiting for the red retailer, get your copy locked in!

• GTA 6 (PS5, Standard Edition): $79 @ Target
• GTA 6 (Xbox, Standard Edition): $79 @ Target

Now we're cooking, Walmart pre-orders are LIVE

We had to wait a while for the major retailers to catch up with the digital storefronts, but now they're starting to come thick and fast, just as we got Target's GTA 6 pre-orders, Walmart has joined in on the fun. You can pre-order now!

• GTA 6 (PS5, Standard Edition): $79 @ Walmart
• GTA 6 (Xbox, Standard Edition): $79 @ Walmart

Here's a huge list of GTA 6 pre-order links!

It's been a hectic few minutes with "physical" GTA 6 pre-orders finally going live at multiple retailers, so let's take stock. Here's all the places you can pre-order GTA 6 right now, including the digital-exclusive Grand Theft Auto VI Ultimate Edition.

• GTA 6 (PS5, Standard Edition): $79 @ Amazon
• GTA 6 (Xbox, Standard Edition): $79 @ Amazon
• GTA 6 (PS5, Standard Edition): $79 @ Walmart
• GTA 6 (Xbox, Standard Edition): $79 @ Walmart
• GTA 6 (PS5, Standard Edition): $79 @ Target
• GTA 6 (Xbox, Standard Edition): $79 @ Target
• GTA 6 (Ultimate Edition): $99 @ PlayStation Store
• GTA 6 (Ultimate Edition): $99 @ Xbox Store

Have you pre-ordered GTA 6 yet?

If you've secured your GTA 6 pre-order already, let me know which edition you selected in the poll down below. I still need to secure my own copy, but I'm getting the Ultimate Edition cause all those extras look pretty darn useful.

Go digital if you want the Ultimate Edition

With pre-orders now live in the US, I think we can conclude at this point there won't be a physical edition of the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition at launch (yes, I know all boxed copies of GTA 6 are a download code, so not truly physical, but you know what I mean). If you want the $99 version with a bunch of extra DLC items, you'll need to pre-order GTA 6 at either the PlayStation Store or the Xbox Store.

• GTA 6 (Ultimate Edition): $99 @ PlayStation Store
• GTA 6 (Ultimate Edition): $99 @ Xbox Store

Better late than never, Best Buy

Best Buy is now taking GTA 6 pre-orders. The retailer made us wait, but if you'd like to lock in a copy from the electronics specialist, now is your chance. Have at it!

• GTA 6 (PS5, Standard Edition): $79 @ Best Buy
• GTA 6 (Xbox, Standard Edition): $79 @ Best Buy

Amazon has sold out of GTA 6 PS5 pre-orders!

Well, I didn't see this coming. Amazon has (for now, at least) sold out of GTA 6. For all the talk about nobody wanting a "code in box" copy on social media, it appears many people were happy to go without a game disc. Don't worry if you missed out, you can still pre-order a "physical" copy over on Best Buy. But if you do want a version of the game that you can gift or display on your shelf, action quick!

• GTA 6 (PS5, Standard Edition): $79 @ Best Buy
• GTA 6 (Xbox, Standard Edition): $79 @ Best Buy

GameStop is live, and we have a full set!

And there we have it, more than 2 hours after the pre-orders begun, GameStop has set it's GTA 6 listing pages live, and is now taking pre-orders. Remember Amazon has sold out of PS5 boxed copies, so this is a great alternative!

• GTA 6 (PS5, Standard Edition): $79 @ GameStop
• GTA 6 (Xbox, Standard Edition): $79 @ GameStop

Amazon is sold out of PS5 copies, but these retailers aren't (yet)

I'm still a little stunned that Amazon has sold out of PS5 copies of GTA 6, but I'm highly confident there will be several restocks between now and November. However, if you don't want to wait, here are the retailers that still have stock.

• GTA 6 (PS5, Standard Edition): $79 @ Best Buy
• GTA 6 (Xbox, Standard Edition): $79 @ Walmart
• GTA 6 (PS5, Standard Edition): $79 @ Target
• GTA 6 (PS5, Standard Edition): $79 @ GameStop

Argos opens pre-orders as the UK wakes up

I guess Argos was waiting till a more sensible hour to start taking GTA 6 pre-orders. After skipping the midnight drop, the retailer is now taking GTA 6 pre-orders. As per the rest, it's got the game on PS5 and Xbox Series X, retailing for £69.

• GTA 6 (PS5, Standard Edition): £69 @ Argos
• GTA 6 (Xbox, Standard Edition): £69 @ Argos

Meanwhile, Amazon UK stock is holding strong

Sticking with the UK, while Amazon in the US might have run into stock issues, that's not the case on the other side of the pond. On Amazon UK, you can still pre-order GTA 6 on PS5 without issues. Just add to cart and check out as normal.

• GTA 6 (PS5, Standard Edition): £69 @ Amazon

Still waiting on movement from Currys

Currys is one of the only major UK retailers left that isn't taking GTA 6 pre-orders (assuming it plans to stock the game, of course). I suspect it's taking a similar approach to Argos by skipping the midnight drop and will open the floodgates at some point today during a more reasonable hour. If you're holding out to pre-order GTA 6 specifically at Currys, I've put a stock checking link down below.

• Currys: check stock

Amazon PS5 copies are back!?

An hour ago it seemed like Amazon US had sold out of PS5 copies of GTA 6, but a quick look back at the retailer seems to show pre orders are available again — at least for me. Your mileage may vary but if you're also seeing the GTA 6 pre orders back in stock at Amazon, I'd move fast to secure yours.

• GTA 6 (PS5, Standard Edition): $79 @ Amazon
• GTA 6 (Xbox, Standard Edition): $79 @ Amazon

Standard Edition vs Ultimate Edition — here's what you get

There are two versions of GTA 6 to choose from: the standard edition and the ultimate edition. The former is $79 while the latter is $99.

Here's what you get if you order the standard edition:

• Digital code for the base game
• A physical box for display
• Vintage Vice City Pack
• The ability to preload from November 12

If you decide to spend a bit extra, here's what you get with the ultimate edition:

• Digital code for the base game
• A physical box for display
• Vintage Vice City Pack
• A collection of digital bonuses that Rockstar describes as "an exclusive collection of premium vehicles, weapons, apparel, and action threaded across all aspects of Jason and Lucia’s story."
• The ability to preload from November 12

Okay, so that last part about "action threaded across all aspects of Jason and Lucia's story" is probably the most important part of that rather vague description. It could mean that there's extra game content to be enjoyed with the ultimate edition that you won't get with the standard.

Either way, which one are you planning to pre-order?

GTA 6 may be the PS5 push Sony is hoping for

Since the stock levels are stable at the moment, let's just take a second to reflect on how monumental GTA 6 is likely to be when the dust settles. Its predecessor is one of the best-selling video games of all time and there's no doubt we'll see seismic sales across all the platforms over the next few months.

Nobody will be hoping for this more than Sony. The Japanese company — like every other electronics manufacturer — has recently put prices up. But once in a while a game like GTA 6 comes along that's a guaranteed system seller. A lot of people who haven't taken the plunge on a PS5 yet may be tempted to upgrade just for this game.

We'll keep an eye out for PS5 deals if you are looking to pick one up before November, but for now, here's how prices have changed:

Some retailers are refusing to stock GTA 6

While you can currently pre-order GTA 6 from a multitude of the biggest retailers in the U.S. and the U.K., not every outlet has decided to stock what's going to be 2026's biggest game.

According to a report on IGN, both Canada's Video Games Plus retailer and an independent retailer known as Loot Box Gaming won't be selling the game because it doesn't come on a physical disc. In the case of Video Game Plus (which has a policy of not selling digital codes), the retailer said it's not a reflection on the game itself but the company's goal is to preserve physical media.

A reminder of where you can pre-order

GTA 6 pre-orders may sell out in various places over the course of the day but for now it looks like all the major retailers still have stock in place. Even if all the "physical" copies are sold out over the course of today and tomorrow, I'm confident there will be plenty of restocks between now and November.

Here's a long list of links where you can pre-order the game right now.

• GTA 6 (PS5, Standard Edition): $79 @ Amazon
• GTA 6 (Xbox, Standard Edition): $79 @ Amazon
• GTA 6 (PS5, Standard Edition): $79 @ Walmart
• GTA 6 (Xbox, Standard Edition): $79 @ Walmart
• GTA 6 (PS5, Standard Edition): $79 @ Target
• GTA 6 (Xbox, Standard Edition): $79 @ Target
• GTA 6 (Ultimate Edition): $99 @ PlayStation Store
• GTA 6 (Ultimate Edition): $99 @ Xbox Store

Let's revisit the trailer

If you're anything like me, you've already watched this trailer numerous times over the last year — but here it is again just to get you even more pumped for what's coming in November!

Pre-orders are now live at EE in the UK

Phone retailer EE has joined the party, with its pre-order pages for both the Xbox and PS5 versions of GTA 6 standard edition available now. Here are the links you need:

• GTA 6 (PS5, Standard Edition): £69 @ EE
• GTA 6 (Xbox, Standard Edition): £69 @ EE

GTA 6 console bundles just dropped in the UK

I was wondering whether or not GTA 6 would spur casual gamers who hadn't yet taken the plunge on a PS5 or Xbox Series X to upgrade — and now I've just spotted some bundles that make it tempting.

These are U.K.-based deals at phone network EE, but I would expect U.S. retailers to follow through with their own bundles soon enough.

You can pick up either the PS5 Pro or the PS5 Slim with GTA 6 and save £49 in the process.

The deal is a little worse on the Xbox side, where you can grab the Series X or Series S alongside GTA 6 and save yourself £30.

Here are the links you'll need:

• PS5 Pro + GTA 6: was £858 now £809 @ EE
• PS5 Slim + GTA 6: was £639 now £589 @ EE
• Xbox Series X (1TB) + GTA 6: was £569 now £539 @ EE
• Xbox Series X (1TB) Digital Edition + GTA 6: was £518 now £488 @ EE
• Xbox Series X (1TB) + GTA 6: was £419 now £389 @ EE

A disc version to come later?

It sounds like the code-in-a-box release is just for the first wave of games, as an industry insider is saying that Take Two will drop a disc version of the game in December. The leak comes from the Polish site PPE.pl, which is the same one that first reported that GTA 6 wouldn't come with a disc on day one.

The report says that both the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X will get physical copies with a disc sometime in December.

This is being done to prevent pre-release leaks of the game, or at least that's the claim. The cynical part of me wonders if Rockstar and Take Two are looking to sell two copies to their most dedicated fans — one on day one, so they can play right away, and one in December so they can have a copy for their collection.

The hype is still high

Whether the game was $70, $80, or even higher, I think we can all agree we'd be ready to buy it from day one.

After more than a decade between GTA games, how can you not be excited to see what Rockstar can do with the latest technology?

I'm actually quite happy they kept the price down to $80, as I had a bad feeling it would end up selling for more. Would I rather pay less? Of course, but there has to be a certain expectation when you're talking about the biggest game of all time.

Here's my personal pick for best controller to play GTA 6 with

So chances are half the planet has already pre-ordered GTA 6 (there's still stock available on physical copies if you try the links up top), but what about getting ready to play it the right way?

Let's start with the controller. There's a lot to choose from, but my personal favorite (one I've been using the months now) is the Razer Raiju V3 Pro. It's got the far more comfortable form factor than the Dualsense (which I thought was impossible given the PS5 pads are really nice to use), as well as super precise TMR thumbsticks, high customizability and mouse-like clicky face buttons.

This will be a dream to play GTA 6 on, and its 33% off right now!

Razer Raiju V3 Pro: was $219 now $147 @ Amazon

Also worth noting, this price is for the black version. If you get it in white, it's even cheaper!

Razer Raiju V3 Pro (white): was $219 now $136 @ Amazon

Get yourself the best screen to play it on!

We'll talk about TVs to play GTA 6 on in a short while, but for the ultimate gaming setup, I'd always point you towards a monitor. Year-over-year an increasing number of console players have their hardware strapped to a monitor, and I can understand why — better refresh rates and response times, as well as all that same great color reproduction of the big screen.

That being said, you do give up the couch comforts (more on that later). But if you're going the monitor direction, we've got some stellar 4K panels that are so much cheaper this Prime Day! Plus, they're super adaptable to any setup — say plugging a laptop in or a desktop.

I've tested them all and they're great at every respective budget:

• Acer Nitro 27 (27-inch 4K 160Hz): was $349 now $208 @ Amazon
• Asus TUF VG27UQ1A (27-inch 4K 160Hz): was $379 now $255 @ Amazon
• MSI MPG 321URXW (32-inch 4K 240Hz): was $879 now $731 @ Amazon

The real GTA 6 costs $100

For months, we've heard rumors that GTA 6 would cost $100. While the Ultimate Edition certainly costs that much, the base version of the game costs $80. However, given the amount of content missing from the latter, it's safe to say that the real version of GTA 6 is indeed $100.

Here is a breakdown from our article titled, GTA 6's Ultimate Edition is the real full game:

• GTA 6 Standard Edition ($79.99): One free month of GTA+ and the Vintage Vice City Pack (this comes with this ‘55 Vapid Stanier Sedan, a garage located near Ocean Beach, additional outfits & hairstyles for Jason & Lucia and a special firearm pattern set).
• GTA 6 Ultimate Edition ($99.99): One free month of GTA+, The Vintage Vice City Pack, The ‘95 Grotti Cheetah sports car, the Hawk & Little Morgan Revolver, personalized weapon variants, Vice City Style outfits, hairstyles, tattoos & more, Jason’s Safehouse Vehicles, a Retro Build customization option for Jason’s Vapid Ganado vehicle, the Shitzu Squalo boat, the ‘67 Vapid Dominator Buggy & Garage, the Goodtime Gear capsule collection of additional apparel & accessories, a raid mission that takes players to the PTT Youngin$ Compound, a classic car collection sidequest and special destinations that offer more customization options (Rideout Customs for vehicles, Sara’s Unisex Salon for hair & nails, Stock 305 for streetwear, Electric Fang Tattoo for tattoos and One-Eyed Willie’s for off-road vehicle mods).

Just by looking at everything that comes with the Ultimate Edition, you’d be hard-pressed to think GTA 6’s Standard Edition is actually worth buying. So given that, we can say that the rumors were indeed true. GTA 6 costs $100.

Need an Xbox for GTA 6? Here's what's on sale during Prime Day

If you're looking for an Xbox console for playing GTA 6 on, you'll know that sales are few and far between. So I've scoured the internet, and here are a few places you can score an Xbox and save some money:

• Xbox Series S (512GB): was $399 now $349 @ Dell
• Xbox Series S (512GB) [Renewed Premium]: was $399 now $349 @ Amazon
• Xbox Series X (1TB): was $649 now $573 @ Target

Need a PS5 for GTA 6? Here's where you can get it at a discount

If you're looking for a PS5 or PS5 Pro for playing GTA 6, I have good news for you. While it took a bit of deep digging, I've found a few places where you can get a console and save a few dollars:

• PS5 Slim Ghost of Yotei bundle (1TB): now $599 @ GameStop
• PS5 Pro (2TB) [Refurbished]: now $819 @ GameStop (or $779 w/ Pro membership)

Not enough consoles for GTA 6?

According to The Game Business, a major games retailer has warned that there won't be enough Xbox or PlayStation consoles to meet the demand for GTA 6.

“We’ve been informed that because of the ongoing issues around hardware component availability, we won’t be getting the units we want ahead of GTA," said the anonymous retailer. They also added: “Demand will likely outstrip supply during the year-end period.”

Back in May, Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki told investors that “for calendar year 2026, the necessary volume has been secured.” Conversely, Xbox's Matthew Ball told the outlet that there were already supply issues. Perhaps this is why Xbox just announced more price hikes for the Xbox Series X/S.

Will GTA 6 break pre-order records?

While many folks have voiced their displeasure over GTA 6 costing $80 at a minimum, it's likely a safe bet that, despite that, GTA 6 will set pre-order records.

According to VGChartz, GTA V had 7 million combined pre-orders on the Xbox 360 and the PS3 (yes, it has been a long time!). This generated $815 million in worldwide revenue in the first 24 hours, surpassing $1 billion in three days, which set a Guinness World Record at the time.

Given the insane hype for GTA 6 and the game's higher asking price, don't be surprised if it shatters GTA V's impressive pre-order record.

Get the perfect gaming TV for GTA 6!

When GTA 6 finally arrives on November 19 and you've secured your copy, the last thing you want to worry about is your TV not keeping up with the action. Whether it's because it lacks VRR, a 120Hz refresh rate, or HDMI 2.1 ports, older TVs might not have what it takes to make Vice City look its best. With Prime Day sales underway, it's the perfect time to upgrade your big-screen TV.

These 5 gaming TVs are perfect for GTA 6.

• LG 48" B5 4K OLED TV: was $1,299 now $599 at Best Buy
• Samsung 48" S90F 4K OLED TV: was $1,397 now $797 at Amazon
• LG 42" C5 4K OLED TV: was $999 now $899 at Amazon
• Sony 55" XR8B 4K OLED TV: was $1,499 now $998 at Amazon
• Hisense 75" U7SF Mini-LED TV: was $1,999 now $999 at Amazon

Why is GTA 6 digital only?

Rockstar Games has not officially stated why it is only releasing GTA 6 digitally. Because of that, we can only make educated guesses as to why.

One possible reason is to prevent early leaks. This is something we've seen happen all the time i.e. when stores get discs early and sell them to customers (before they're supposed to), which invariably leads to leaks. Having a digital-only game stops that in its tracks. A digital release also prevents reselling, which is something the game industry in general hates but stores like GameStop love.

As we've posted before, it sounds like the code-in-a-box release is just for the first wave of games, as an industry insider is saying that Take Two will drop a disc version of the game in December. The leak comes from the Polish site PPE.pl, which is the same one that first reported that GTA 6 wouldn't come with a disc on day one.

We'll have to see if that claim is accurate. Regardless, if you want to play GTA 6, you can only do so digitally. At least during the initial launch.

Blame GTA 6 for the great September game flood

GTA 6 will be the biggest game launch of the year. Because of that, nearly every game is staying as far away from its November 19 launch as possible. To prove that point, here's just a handful of major games that are releasing in September:

• Blood of the Dawn Walker (Sep 3)
• Marvel's Wolverine (Sep 15)
• Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave (Sep 17)
• Control Resonant (Sep 24)
• Silent Hill: Townfall (Sep 24)
• Onimusha: Way of the Sword (Sep 25)

Again, that's only a selection of games releasing in September, as there are many others. If you're a game publisher releasing a title in September, we wish you good luck! It's going to be very crowded.

We're approaching the halfway point of 2026, and it's already shaping up to be another truly fantastic 12 months for new video games. And we haven't even got to the ludicrously crowded September/October period yet, and the small matter of the launch of Grand Theft Auto VI, either.

But before all of the exciting games to come, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate the games already released in 2026 that have seriously impressed us. Across all major platforms, there's been plenty of must-play experiences ranging from new installments in beloved franchises to original IPs, and one of the best licensed games ever made!

If you skipped any of these games when they launched, the summer months (which are a little quieter for new releases) are the time to circle back. These are the best video games we've played in 2026 so far.

Resident Evil Requiem

Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

I expected Resident Evil Requiem to be a good time, but what I didn’t expect was for it to be one of my favorite Resident Evil titles of all time. It masterfully blends the gameplay of its two protagonists to offer an experience for fans of both action and horror, and makes both characters interesting to play as (although, admittedly, I always looked forward to Leon).

Being able to catch on to things or open new paths with Leon after progressing through an area with Claire made exploring areas a second time feel interesting instead of cumbersome, and the post-game content made me replay the game not once but twice, and that is saying a lot for someone who has never replayed a game or gone for platinums before.

Whether you’re playing on PS5 Pro or Switch 2, the game runs really well, and Capcom deserves credit for this when some studios (I’m looking at you, Bethesda!) haven’t done the best job at optimizing their games.

Requiem reminded me of what makes Resident Evil one of the best horror franchises ever made, and my personal favorite series in the genre. I am really excited for future RE titles and any DLC Requiem has to offer. Just give me more Leon Kennedy, Capcom. Just give me more Leon Kennedy. — Phil Rodrigues

Read our full Resident Evil Requiem review

Pokémon Pokopia

Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2

As someone who’s never been a fan of Animal Crossing, Pokémon Pokopia was my biggest gaming surprise of 2026 — and it’s a game I can’t get enough of. It’s a cozy yet surprisingly deep life-simulation adventure where I’ve built and rebuilt habitats, restored ecosystems and created thriving communities for my favorite Pocket Monsters.

Playing as a Ditto who can craft and gain abilities to help with terraforming has been extremely fun. Each Pokémon’s personality and funny dialogue have made me fall in love with the franchise all over again. The gameplay loop is addictive, as is the creative freedom you’re given. Pokopia effortlessly blends elements of building sims, sandbox games, and classic Pokémon exploration into a seamless experience.

What perhaps surprised me the most, though, was the strong storytelling and writing revolving around a post-apocalyptic world. It’s surprisingly deep — and I certainly wasn’t expecting the scattered notes you find (or the ending) to hit that hard. Pokopia feels refreshingly new but unmistakably Pokémon at the same time. I can’t wait for the DLC! — Nikita Achanta

Read our full Pokémon Pokopia review

Pragmata

Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

It’s amazing how much a strong demo can do in making someone like me see the vision. Before I took Hugh and Diana into rooms full of rampaging robots, I followed Capcom’s brand-new IP closely. The painfully long wait for a final release date took my hype levels down a peg, but I still maintained a sliver of hope that Pragmata would pull through and deliver a quality experience.

After replaying the demo way more times than I can count, I was fully convinced that Capcom had a new smash hit on their hands. Thankfully, that sentiment of mine stayed true once I reached the end of Hugh and Diana’s emotional journey. The genius way the developers at Capcom mashed up traditional third-person gunplay with a grid-based hacking system that’s controlled by the face buttons roped me in immediately. And I was always excited to see all the new weapons and mods I could tap into to take down waves of disgruntled bots.

I was shocked to see how much post-game content Pragmata had in store for me, which gave me plenty more reasons to bring my best loadouts to ever more challenging combat scenarios. While Pragmata’s story could have been a lot stronger, I still got a ton of enjoyment out of Hugh and Diana’s warm relationship. Here’s hoping we get a sequel that expands on this game’s clever approach to shooting and hacking. — Elton Jones

Read our full Pragmata review

Forza Horizon 6

Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S (PS5 TBD)

I mean, this one’s an obvious pick, right? Easily one of the best racing games over the past decade and the greatest in the Horizon series. Forza Horizon 6 puts you in a drop-dead gorgeous recreation of Japan, gives you a ton of incredible cars to drive in, and an almost-infinite wealth of things to do from fun short storylines and stunt events (like racing a Gundam) to full-blown high-octane racing action.

And while I could go into the upgrades here to visual flair, the huge improvement in audio with a banger soundtrack and cars that sound so much more alive, the versatile driving physics giving you either arcade accessibility or sim-level immersion, or the variety of events keeping the game feeling alive for a long time to come.

But the real thing that keeps it head and shoulders above the competition is how it's the first racing title I’ve played to truly capture the essence of car culture. Every single tiny detail comes together to form a love letter to the automobile unlike anything you’ve played before. Just do yourself a favor, buy it now, and thank me later. — Jason England

Read our full Forza Horizon 6 review

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S (Switch 2, September 18)

I’m a Batman fan, and I’m a Lego fan, so I already knew I’d dig Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. However, I didn’t expect it to be such a thoroughly captivating and enjoyable experience. It’s a title I’ll absolutely have in my top 10 games of the year. Yes, it’s that good!

So what’s so special about Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight? Aside from the usual Lego charm, this game is a true love letter to various Batman media— particularly the big Hollywood movies. You play through all of the Caped Crusader’s biggest moments, from falling into a batcave as a child all the way through his rise as Gotham City’s dark avenger. Naturally, the tone is silly, but it retains enough earnestness not to be a complete joke.

Gameplay-wise, it feels like a stripped-down version of the Batman Arkham games, with similar combat and traversal mechanics in a relatively large open world. You even get those games’ versions of puzzles. The Lego parts involving building items and the slew of collectibles, including costumes, vehicles, and more, also make this game highly addictive.

If you’re looking for a game that’s pure fun, Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is a must-own title. — Tony Polanco

Read our full Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight review

007 First Light

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S (Switch 2 TBD)

007 First Light is the best James Bond video game ever made. That’s really saying something considering the pedigree of N64’s GoldenEye, and my own childhood nostalgia for 007: Nightfire on the PlayStation 2. However, First Light trumps them both by delivering a remarkable, ridiculously cinematic main campaign that had me hooked from start to end.

Rather than cast you as a Bond in his prime, you experience his origin story, playing as a fresh-faced spy (voiced/mod-capped expertly by Patrick Gibson). As any good Bond game should, your 15-hour adventure takes you all over the world, from Malta to Mauritania, and has you unraveling a villainous plot that feels highly relevant for our times.

The authentic presentation is spot on, complete with a fitting Bond tune written/performed by Lana del Rey, but none of this would matter if First Light weren’t also a joy to play. Fortunately, with Hitman developer IO at the wheel, that was never in doubt. The game’s blend of espionage exploration, and thrilling combat encounters (the melee animations are phenomenal); you really do feel like the world’s most suave secret agent.

It also packs set-piece moments that rival the best of Uncharted and the Tomb Raider reboot trilogy. And it culminates in a finale that feels fitting for such an epic Bond tale. The bar for licensed games has been raised in recent years, but 007 First Light sets a new standard. — Rory Mellon

Read our full 007 First Light review

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• I played Control Resonant — and Remedy cooked with this sequel
• 7 games I’m looking forward to this year that aren’t GTA 6
• I’ve been sim racing for 6 years, and then I tried real-life racing

The recent Xbox Games Showcase and Summer Game Fest delivered exactly what I look forward to every year: a packed stretch of reveals, trailers, and fresh gameplay footage that immediately floods my wishlist. This year was no different, with both events spotlighting some of the biggest upcoming releases across Xbox, PS5, and PC, alongside plenty of surprise announcements I didn’t see coming.

As someone who plays primarily on PC, it genuinely feels like there’s never been a better time to be a gamer and keep adding to that ever-growing backlog (future me, don’t look at your bank account).

What stood out most was how much new footage we actually got for already-anticipated titles, giving us a clearer look at what’s ahead, while also introducing new games worth tracking. But for me personally, the biggest moment was finally seeing the confirmation of The Wolf Among Us 2, a game I’ve literally been waiting 13 years for. That alone would’ve been enough, but it’s just one of five standout games I can’t wait to dive into.

Gears of War: E-Day

Few games at the Xbox Showcase made a stronger impression on me than Gears of War: E-Day. The franchise means a lot to me, as the original Gears of War was one of the first games I played growing up and something my dad and I bonded over through countless multiplayer playthroughs. So, you can imagine my excitement when the showcase delivered extended gameplay footage and a dedicated post-show deep dive, giving fans their best look yet at the next chapter in Xbox’s flagship shooter series.

Set 14 years before the original game, E-Day takes players back to the terrifying first day of the Locust invasion, following younger versions of Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago as humanity faces its greatest catastrophe. The gameplay shown at the showcase leaned heavily into what made the original trilogy so beloved: brutal cover-based combat, intense close-quarters encounters, and a darker tone.

What excites me most is that it feels like a return to the franchise’s roots while still benefiting from modern technology. Built entirely in Unreal Engine 5, the game looks seriously stunning, with detailed environments, improved movement mechanics, and some of the most impressive visuals shown during the showcase.

Gears of War: E-Day launches on October 6, 2026, on Xbox Series X|S and PC

Resident Evil: Veronica

It’s a great time to be a Resident Evil fan. Not only are we getting a movie this year, but next year we’re getting another game. At Summer Game Fest 2026, Capcom officially pulled back the curtain on the Resident Evil: Veronica remake. The reveal kicked off the event with a cinematic trailer that immediately confirmed the long-rumored remake was real, giving fans their first proper look at Claire Redfield’s return in a fully reimagined survival horror experience.

Built in Capcom’s modern RE Engine, the game is positioned as a ground-up remake rather than a simple remaster, continuing the studio’s recent run of revamps like Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4. The trailer teases the refreshed take on the story set after the events of Resident Evil 2, with Claire once again at the centre of the nightmare on Rockfort Island.

Resident Evil will always remain one of gaming’s most successful and consistent series because it constantly evolves while staying true to its survival horror roots (something clearly seen with Requiem). Claire is also my favorite character in the franchise, so it’s great to see her back in action again!

Resident Evil: Veronica launches in 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC

The Wolf Among Us 2

When I tell you my jaw was on the floor at the announcement (more like confirmation) of The Wolf Among Us 2, I really mean it. I might sound like a broken record at this point, but I have such vivid memories of the first game from when I was younger, especially as someone who was obsessed with all things Telltale (The Walking Dead being a core memory). The Wolf Among Us 2 finally re-emerged after years of silence, and perhaps the biggest takeaway is the simple fact that the project is still very much alive after a famously turbulent development cycle.

The reveal included a fresh trailer that sees Bigby Wolf back on the trail of a dark new mystery involving a string of brutal murders threatening the fragile balance between humans and “Fables.” It’s set six months after the original game, and the footage teased a more cinematic, third-person presentation alongside the series’ trademark choice-driven storytelling.

A 2027 release window was confirmed for this sequel, alongside a remaster of the original game arriving in late 2026, giving newcomers a chance to catch up. For fans who’ve waited since 2013 to dive back into this incredible world, Summer Game Fest felt like the moment the wait finally became real again. But now, it also means the wait is somehow even harder.

The Wolf Among Us 2 launches in 2027 on PS4/PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch/2

State of Decay 3

During the Xbox Showcase, State of Decay 3 finally stepped back into the spotlight with a proper gameplay reveal, and it looks like the series is evolving in all the right ways. I’m actually playing State of Decay 2 right now because it’s such an easy, fun game to drop into, making it perfect for the sandbox survival loop where you can just lose hours building up a community and taking on hordes. And that’s before even getting into my obvious love for anything zombies, apocalypse settings, or RPG-style progression systems.

State of Decay 3 is evolving the series into a much bigger, more ambitious survival experience set in a brutal post-apocalyptic world where humanity is long past the initial outbreak. Instead of just surviving the collapse, it’s now about rebuilding communities in a world that has become even more dangerous and unpredictable. The core loop is still familiar (scavenge, survive, build) but everything has been scaled up. You’ll manage settlements, recruit survivors, and expand multiple bases across a much larger open world, reportedly around four times bigger than State of Decay 2.

On top of that, new “Plague Nests” act like evolving infection hubs that spread and respond to your actions, making the world feel more reactive. I’m already excited for what’s next in this franchise, and the idea of things escalating and fighting back in smarter, more unpredictable ways just makes State of Decay 3 feel like a natural next obsession.

State of Decay 3 will launch in 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC

Alien: Isolation 2

“Alien” is my favorite movie of all time, so it’s no surprise that I fell in love with Alien: Isolation. Everything about this universe is incredibly cool, from its claustrophobic dread to the biomechanical design of the classic Xenomorph. I could honestly yap about it for hours. That’s why I practically screamed when Creative Assembly finally unveiled our first substantial look at Alien: Isolation 2. The pre-alpha trailer oozed tension and atmosphere, capturing everything that made the original one of the greatest horror games ever made.

While the original trapped players aboard the claustrophobic Sevastopol Station, the sequel appears to expand its scope to a colony world featuring both interior environments and more open outdoor locations, all while a relentless Xenomorph continues to hunt the player. Creative Assembly has also confirmed that authenticity to the original 1979 “Alien” film remains a core pillar of the game's design.

As a huge fan of the first game, this was easily one of the standout moments of Summer Game Fest. The footage looked every bit as terrifying as I hoped, and even without a firm release date, Alien: Isolation 2 has shot straight to the top of my wishlist.

Alien: Isolation 2 will launch on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2

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If there are two things I love, it’s video games and lists. My levels of joy soar above the clouds once those two factors come together for a fun way to kill some time.

Imagine how overjoyed I was when one of my closest gaming buddies linked me to the About Me: Video Games list featured on grids.fun. To put it simply, it’s a grid layout that lets you fill in each box with your preferred pick based on the descriptions featured underneath each one. I had way too much fun digging back in my mental archives and remembering all the standout video games that shaped my childhood and had a major effect on me as I entered adulthood.

My eyes are always on the lookout for fresh gaming experiences and games that somehow passed me by. So I went ahead and showed ChatGPT the full gamut of my gaming taste profile via my About Me: Video Games lineup and asked it to recommend the sort of games that would appeal to me based on those picks.

I ended up finding some worthwhile games to add to my playlist (translation: my massive backlog), thanks to ChatGPT’s analysis of my gaming tastes.

My lifelong love of gaming boiled down to 20 faves

I guess I should show you what games made it onto my About Me: Video Games list, which showcases 20 games that helped me become the immense geek I still am today:

• Favorite Game: Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes
• Best Story: Bioshock
• Favorite Art Style: Guilty Gear Strive
• Biggest Personal Impact: Tekken 2
• Best Combat: Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition
• Overhated: DmC: Devil May Cry
• Underrated: Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
• Overrated: Animal Crossing
• Needs a Remake: Dino Crisis
• Criminally Overlooked: Binary Domain
• Favorite Protagonist: Leon S. Kennedy (I picked the Resident Evil 4 box art for this pick)
• Favorite Antagonist: Sephiroth (I picked the Final Fantasy: Advent Children box art for this pick)
• Best Soundtrack: Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike
• Best Multiplayer: WWF No Mercy
• Not Usually My Thing, But…: Katamari Damacy
• Turn My Brain Off: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time
• Best With Friends: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
• Best Retro Game: Gunstar Heroes
• Nostalgic Childhood Game: L.A. Machineguns
• Game Everyone Should Play: Vanquish

Pushing me to a nice collection of gaming experiences I’ve never played before

After taking a look at my gaming preferences, ChatGPT quickly picked up on my love of stylish action combat, strong storytelling, memorable worlds, Japanese game design and character-driven experiences. It also correctly identified me as a fighting game fan with a soft spot for cult classics, overlooked gems and games that aren't afraid to get a little weird.

With that profile in mind, ChatGPT generated a lengthy list of recommendations that felt surprisingly tailored to my tastes. Several immediately earned a spot on my ever-growing "play someday" list for future PS5 and Xbox Series X gaming sessions.

These are the six recommendations that stood out most.

• Metaphor: ReFantazio: The easiest recommendation on this list. It combines stylish art direction, incredible world-building, memorable characters, and a combat system that constantly evolves. Critics widely regarded it as one of the best RPGs of 2024.
• Baldur's Gate 3: Not your usual genre based on the grid, but the storytelling, character interactions, and player freedom are so exceptional that it transcends genre preferences. It's become one of the defining RPGs of the decade.
• Mouthwashing: A smaller game, but one of the best examples of modern narrative horror.
• Still Wakes the Deep: Excellent atmosphere and storytelling with strong BioShock-esque environmental narrative.
• UFO 50: A collection of 50 retro-inspired games that feels like discovering a lost console. It has become a favorite among enthusiasts looking for something different.
• Onimusha: Way of the Sword: If I had to bet on one game becoming your favorite 2026 release, this would be it. Why? Because it has Capcom’s action combat pedigree, stylish swordplay, a dark supernatural setting and a strong single-player focus. Anyone whose grid includes Devil May Cry 3, Resident Evil 4, and Vanquish should have this near the top of their wishlist. It has been one of the most anticipated action games of the year.

Final thoughts

Major kudos to ChatGPT for taking a deep dive into my About Me: Video games profile and supplying me with a whole bunch of quality games to play, both old and new.

I’m fully prepared to spend dozens upon dozens of hours in those first two RPG picks, get fully immersed in those two follow-up selections, get exposed to something quirky with the fifth pick and enjoy the return of a classic Capcom franchise with the sixth pick. Side note: I recently played the demo for Onimusha: Way of the Sword and I’m here to confirm that it is now a Day One pickup for me.

ChatGPT did a pretty good job of becoming my digital video game tastemaker.

More from Tom’s Guide

• I saw the new Siri AI in action — what I like and what needs work
• I asked ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity to predict the 2026 World Cup winner — one team dominated their picks
• Google just supercharged NotebookLM — these are the 3 new features I'm testing first

PlayStation has had its turn, and this weekend was time for Microsoft’s Xbox to take the spotlight. The Xbox Game Showcase 2026 promises the latest looks at upcoming games from Xbox Game Studios, alongside new reveals and trailers from some of the biggest franchises around.

The live-streamed event kicked off Sunday at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. BST, and if one Xbox gaming showcase wasn’t enough, it was immediately followed by the Gears of War: E-Day Direct, with plenty of new information on the upcoming shooter, which is set to release on October 6. Don’t worry if you couldn't watch; you can check out all the biggest announcements and reveal below.

Alongside Gears, we saw more from the new Fable game, a teaser for Persona 5, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 had a presence in a big way, as well as the Halo 1 remake.

How to watch Xbox Games Showcase 2026

Xbox Games Showcase 2026 + Gears of War: E-Day Direct takes place today (Sunday, June 7) at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. BST.

You can watch the recording via YouTube or Twitch.

LIVE UPDATES

Welcome!

Good morning! Welcome to Tom's Guide's coverage of the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 + Gears of War: E-Day Direct (that's quite a mouthful). We'll have live updates covering all the new reveals and trailers in this live blog. If you're a passionate Xbox gamer, you won't want to miss this mammoth-sized live showcase.

Halo: Campaign Evolved screenshots leaked

There's been a surprising lack of leaks ahead of today's Xbox Games Showcase, but several screenshots of Halo: Campaign Evolved were captured on Xbox's official store page by some eagle-eyed Redditors before being taken down. The screenshots give us a glimpse at Cortana's redesign, along with battles in space and redesigned brutes with beards.

Persona 6 debut?

Several leakers have suggested we could get a look at Persona 6 today, though with Atlus also expected to reveal a release date for Persona 4 Revival at the Xbox Games Showcase, I'm not too optimistic. Then again, that would be peak Atlus.

Don't expect any next-gen console news

Games will be front and center at today's presentation (it is all called the Xbox Games Showcase, after all). But if you were getting your hopes up about new details on Xbox's next-gen console, codenamed Project Helix, I'm here to dash those.

"The focus here is on the games," Microsoft Studios boss Matt Booty said on the latest Xbox podcast (h/t Gamespot). "There won’t be Helix news. Helix will not be in this showcase. We want to get everything about that right."

A new era for Xbox

The showcase will be the first under new CEO of Microsoft Gaming Asha Sharma, who took over for now-retired Xbox boss Phil Spencer in February. Though I don't have high hopes given the show's focus on games, I'd love to see her outline a clearer picture on Xbox's future.

Phil's vision of Xbox's next-gen console as a powerful PC-like machine for your living room sounds tailored toward a pretty niche audience, but with rising costs of, well, everything these days, more and more gamers are getting priced out. Will Xbox pivot to court a broader crowd or double down on what's rumors suggest could be a pricey next-gen console?

Viva Piñata revival?

It's a long shot, but given the recent success of Pokopia, I'd love to see Xbox revive its Viva Piñata series. We haven't gotten a new game since Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise way back in 2008. Cozy games have only gotten more popular since then, and I say it's time to bring it back with more piñatas, bigger gardens, and modern controls.

Just an hour to go...

The Xbox Games Showcase is almost here! In a little over an hour, the livestreamed event will kick off, giving us our first look at games like State of Decay 3, Halo: Campaign Evolved, and new Fable and Call of Duty games.

The red room of death

Yesterday Xbox CEO Asha Sharma shared a snapshot on X of the in-person venue this year's showcase will take place at. It's giving off big "Twin Peaks" vibes to me.

Here we go!

The Xbox Games Showcase is about to kick off! As a refresher for anyone just joining us, you can watch along via YouTube or Twitch when the event kicks off at the top of the hour. Gears of War: E-day will front and center, with its own Direct immediately following the showcase. Also expect to hear more about RPGs like Fable, Clockwork Revolution, and the Persona series as well as a statement of intent from Xbox's new leadership.

New gameplay trailer for Gears of War: E Day

I'm not surprised to see Xbox kick things off with gameplay footage of today's main event: Gears of War: E-Day. A lengthy shot of gameplay showed off combat as chaos erupts through the street. The carnage is every bit as gritty and bloody as expected of the series, complete with chainsaws galore.

The age of Xbox exclusives continues

The new CEO of Microsoft Gaming Asha Sharma revealed Xbox isn't done with console exclusives quite yet. After showing off some gameplay footage of Gears of War: E-Day, the exec announced it would be an Xbox exclusive when it comes out on October 6, 2026. Considering how many previously exclusive Xbox games have made their way to other consoles, it was unclear whether Xbox would continue making them or instead pivot to hedging its bets with wider releases.

Fable revival looks promising

I love RPGs, but somehow never played the original Fable games so I wasn't too hyped for the series revival. After seeing the trailer, though, I'm excited. The writing made me laugh out loud, landing somewhere between Baldur's Gate 3 and Vox Machina with some well-placed F-bombs that actually landed rather than feeling forced. The combat looks stellar as well, with a weight that reminds me of the newer God of War games. Fable will hit store shelves on February 23, 2027.

Halo gets space battles

Three new missions are coming to Halo Campaign Evolved, the big remake of the first Halo, and Xbox showed off an exciting new addition in today's showcase: space flying missions and combat. The missions seem to be prequels to the original's campaign, with the voiceover promising a story "we haven't heard yet" that takes place "one year before the ring." Halo Campaign Evolved releases July 28, 2026.

Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy up next

Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy shifts the spotlight to Sophia in a prequel adventure. The combat and gameplay seems less horror and more Tomb Raider/Uncharted vibes with some of the ancient temples she's seen running through. It comes out August 27 across multiple platforms.

Persona 4 Revival takes the stage

Take a trip to The Midnight Channel with our first real look at Persona 4 Revival. In the same vein as the Persona 3 Reload remake, the PS2 original looks way more detailed this time around with animated cut scenes, vibrant colors, and more detailed models. Atlus is also bringing over the Baton Pass mechanic from P3R for flashy, Persona 5-esque battles.

It's out Feb 18, 2027!

Build your cult in Join Us

Join Us from Wolf Haus Games has the graphics and multiplayer havoc of GTA 6 with the premise of Cult of the Lamb, and I'm here for it. In either single player and 4-person co-op you build your cult and convert followers to your cause while surviving giant tentacle monsters emerging from the Earth and other apocalyptic scenarios. The voice acting is on point too: "You better evaluate your life choices."

A new Senua game on the horizon

We got a look at some of the combat and gameplay for the third game in the Senua series, simply titled Senua, that's coming out next year. The combat has always been on the floaty side, but her hits landed with a satisfying weight and there seems to be plenty of environmental tools you can use in group fights. The trailer showed her kicking over a burning effigy to scatter her opponents.

Fallout 76 gets some new goodies

Bethesda up now with a Fallout 76 update with a seriously catchy jingle. The new Infestations update, which is available now, adds plenty of new baddies to mow through with your friends. And is that new power armor I see? Nice!

Sega's Crazy Taxi revival looks sick

As soon as I heard that "yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah" I was sat up. Sega's long in development Crazy Taxi revival finally has a name and a slick new trailer. The gameplay footage showed off even more insane antics as players pick up customers and zip around the city. Crazy Taxi World Tour comes out in 2027 across PS5, Xbox, and PC.

Y'all we are so back

Xbox showed off a new Xbox model for the company's 25th anniversary, with a Y2K style I've been chomping at the bit to come back: Those colored see-through casings that were everywhere in the early aughts. The limited edition Xbox Series X25 comes out in November 2026, and while it's not clear if it'll sport any new specs, they nailed the design.

Minecraft Dungeons II gets a new trailer

Mojang Studios returns with its next Minecraft thing, showing off players fighting through dungeons together in a world of blocky, Minecraft-style visuals. Minecraft Dungeons 2 is coming September 29.

The Thieves Guild is back

Some Elder Scrolls news, though not Elder Scrolls 6. Rather, the series' MMORPG entry, The Elder Scrolls Online, is getting a thieves guild expansion that takes players to the high seas and underwater in a hunt for glorious loot. Also making an appearance was Sheogorath, the Daedric prince of madness, and it sure looks like he got transported to Skyrim. The update is coming out July 8.

Genderbent Castlevania, yes please

To celebrate Castlevania's 40th anniversary, we got a new look at Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, a new 2D entry in the series. It looks to be a substantial entry in the series, complete with a sprawling castle map and powers like gravity-flipping and jumping inside a painting. It's coming out October 15, 2026.

Persona 6 got...something

Persona 6 made an appearance at today's showcase, though hardly a substantial one. Instead of any gameplay or a look at the new cast of characters, we got another green-tinged teaser, this time of a graveyard and a couple of collages of people with cut-up pictures. I'm sure it'll all make more sense once Atlus releases the first batch of trailers, which may not be for a while considering we still don't have a release date.

Spyro, my boy!

Would you look at that, Spyro's getting a revival! I loved the games as a kid, and the trailer showed off the iconic purple dragon and some new flight-based gameplay. Spyro: A Realm Beyond takes flight in spring 2027.

Clockwork Revolution confirmed for 2027

inXile's steampunk RPG Clockwork Revolution finally has a release window, and it's 2027. In today's showcase, we got a look at some of the game's core characters and first-person environments. Also: a heist plot! All signs point to it being another Xbox exclusive.

New look at CoD MW4

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4's new DMZ looks tense as hell, and the sound design is entirely too real in replicating bullets whizzing by your head. "Extract or die trying," we're reminded. CoD MW4 is out October 23 with an upcoming playtest set for July.

Onto the Gears of War: E-Day Direct

Studio head Mike Crump welcomes us to the Coalition as the Gears of War presentation kicks off with a bloody countdown. So stay tuned to learn more about the long-awaited prequel.

'The most brutally satisfying Gears yet'

The prequel heads back to Emergence Date, the catastrophic event that forever altered humanity’s fate and set the stage for the war-torn world players first encountered in the original game back in 2006.

Crump promises "the most brutally satisfying Gears yet." With the series leap to Unreal Engine 5, developer The Coalition revisited what made the series resonate in the first place. The team looked back to the iconic "Mad World" trailer for inspiration, seeing in it many of the themes that define the franchise. With the E-Day story, they saw it as the perfect chance to recapture that atmosphere with modern tech that finally allowed them to realize it on the scale they originally envisioned.

Built from the ground up, the game showcases seamless large-scale environments, ray-traced lighting, and real-time destruction for a dramatically reimagined look at the Gears universe while staying true to its roots.

Reimagined combat and movement

The team overhauled the game's movement with smoother transitions, a larger range of cover, and the ability to jump to open up the citywide battleground. You have more choice than ever to tackle each combat puzzle, which can take place across neighborhoods and through multiple floors of buildings. The team built out an extensive tool set for making the world feel lived in too.

E holes are back

The iconic emergence loop for spawning enemies, a core part of the Gears of War combat flow, returns in Gears of War: E-Day. Chippable cover across a range of textures also makes you feel like you're influencing the world. You'll watch "the fall of Kalona" in real time, and The Coalition demonstrated this with before and after shots of the destruction as the Locus overrun the city.

A look at Gears co-op

All four characters are playable, with two-player split-screen available locally. In PvP, maps are designed to feel like classic battles, with the added bonus of new traversal modes to build on the game's revamped movement system. There's also Foreword siege, a 12-player mode that focuses on defending Kalona co-operatively.

That's a wrap!

The Xbox Games Showcase ended with a reel of everything we've seen throughout the show. What was your favorite announcement? Let us know in the comments!

Welcome to the first edition of a new weekly column I’m calling “GTA 6 Rumor Report.” It feels like the entire gaming world is desperate for any scrap of information about Grand Theft Auto VI, and with Rockstar being one of the most secretive companies around, that is the perfect environment for rumors, claimed leaks and wild speculation to thrive.

Separating the rumors with actual substance, and the ones that are just pure clickbait, can be a little difficult, so my goal with this new column is to cut through the clutter, and bring you a weekly roundup of the biggest GTA 6 updates you need to know about as we build up to its hugely anticipated launch on November 19, 2026 (please Rockstar, no more delays).

The last seven days have certainly been interesting. While there’s been no official word on GTA 6 (what else is new?), there’s been plenty of online noise to fill the void. So, without further introduction, these are the latest GTA 6 rumors. Just remember, this article is based on unsubstantiated reporting; take everything within with a healthy grain of salt.

Biggest GTA 6 rumors and updates this week

The wait could have been over

We were almost there. In some parallel universe, we could have been playing GTA 6 right now. The game was originally slated to launch on May 26, 2026. But rather cruelly, last November, Rockstar confirmed that the release was being delayed six months to November 2026.

Because this week marked what was supposed to be GTA 6’s release date, many fans assumed that Rockstar would offer a makeup of sorts by delivering new information, or perhaps even dropping the third trailer for the game. But May 26, 2026, came and went like any other day, which is to say there wasn’t even a tiny morsel of new GTA 6 details to chew over.

The GTA 6 Reddit took the lack of updates on this specific day particularly poorly, with users lamenting Rockstar’s continued silence. But it serves as another reminder that the developers of Grand Theft Auto are basically impossible to predict. I guess, for now, the long wait for Trailer 3 goes on.

Xbox post leads to a surge of speculation

One of the stranger occurrences over the past week was the official Xbox account on X posting “November 19th,” a link to wishlist GTA 6 on the Microsoft Store, and an image of the GTA 6 key art showing Jason and Lucia. This racked up more than 260,000 likes and nearly 40 million views.

It marks the first time the Xbox account has acknowledged GTA 6 in almost a full year (per The Shortcut). And naturally, it led to rampant speculation that the folks over at Xbox were subtly teasing some big GTA 6 news on the horizon. Perhaps the announcement of when fans can pre-order the game, or maybe a hint at some Xbox-exclusive GTA 6 content.

So far, this tweet hasn’t been followed up on by the Xbox account. My gut feeling is that it was merely a case of the Xbox social team jumping on the GTA 6 hype train to boost engagement and to increase the platform’s wishlist numbers. But here's hoping it's a sign of things to come.

GTA 6 reviews will be ‘important’

For months, rumors have been swirling about how exactly Rockstar (and parent company Take-Two) will handle GTA 6 reviews. There’s even been speculation that GTA 6 is such a behemoth that it might forgo the traditional reviews process entirely, with members of the gaming press not getting access to the game until launch day, along with everybody else.

However, in the most recent episode of “The Games Business” podcast, Christopher Dring (editor-in-chief of the publication) relayed comments from Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick. According to Dring, Zelnick suggested that GTA 6 reviews will be “important.” This, at least on the surface, would suggest that GTA 6 reviews are something Take-Two/Rockstar cares about.

Of course, we’re a long way off from GTA 6 reviews, and at this stage, there’s no concrete information on when (or even if) media outlets will get access to the game before release. And to be frank, GTA 6 is essentially review-proof. Very few players will make their purchase based on review scores.

More from Tom's Guide

• GTA 6 is on track for its November release date
• 007 First Light is the best Bond game ever made
• Take Two boss says AI can't create games like GTA 6

007 First Light is a rare game that had me thinking, “I cannot wait to replay this” before my first run was even over. Developer IO Interactive has created the best James Bond game of all time. And yes, I’m fully aware that N64’s GoldenEye is a juggernaut of the shooter genre.

Anchored by a younger Bond, brilliantly brought to life by Patrick Gibson, First Light is the most essential piece of 007 media in two decades. Not since Daniel Craig first donned the tuxedo in 2006’s “Casino Royale” have I been this enamored with the spy espionage series.

By combining the blockbuster spectacle of games like Uncharted and the Tomb Raider reboot trilogy with the player freedom found in IO’s own Hitman: World of Assassination series, 007 First Light offers a cinematic and gripping globe-trotting adventure. And while it modernizes the character in smart ways, it never loses classic James Bond’s soul in the process.

007 First Light is everything a Bond fan could want, and as somebody who has seen all 26 of 007’s big-screen outings, it’s something of a dream game for a longtime fan like me. There’s no question it’s a Game of the Year 2026 contender, and a game worth experiencing whether you’re a Bond veteran or a newcomer to the suave spy. Read on for my full 007 First Light review.

007 First Light: The Basics

• What is it? 007 First Light is a third-person action-adventure title that sees you play a young James Bond taking his first steps into the world of spycraft and international espionage.
• Who is it for? Bond fans couldn’t ask for more, but even newcomers looking for a thrilling and cinematic gaming experience will find themselves swept up in 007 First Light.
• What's the price? 007 First Light costs $69 at Amazon. Or you can spring for the pricy $299 Legacy Edition, which includes a prop replica of the series iconic Golden Gun and some DLC goodies.
• What other games has the developer made? 007 First Light comes from IO Interactive, the creators of the popular Hitman series. The Danish developer also made Kane & Lynch and Mini Ninjas.
• What games is this similar to? Comparison to Uncharted is obvious, but 007 First Light also takes DNA from IO’s Hitman: World of Assassination series, combining the two into a supremely strong mix.

Becoming James Bond

Unlike the recent Daniel Craig-fronted movies, which largely presented Bond as a grizzled veteran, 007 First Light casts players as a fresh-faced spy. In fact, this spin on Ian Fleming’s character is so new to the world of espionage that he hasn’t even earned the 007 title yet.

The search for the next big-screen Bond is underway, but in the gaming space, IO has nailed the casting with Patrick Gibson, who provides his voice and mocaps the protagonist. Gibson’s Bond has all the hallmarks of the character — he’s charming, headstrong, and the right amount of arrogant — but he’s also a little naive and prone to overestimating his abilities.

The narrative setup is classic Bond fiction, with rogue agents, shadowy organizations, and world-ending stakes. Plus, 007 First Light’s 15-hour campaign takes you all over the world, from Slovakia to Malta, Iceland to Mauritania, and naturally, there are several levels set in London, England. This strong diversity of locales keeps the campaign exciting throughout.

No Bond story would be complete without a suitably menacing villain, and while to reveal the ultimate big bad would be a spoiler, I’ll say First Light’s foe(s) are also excellent. Smartly, the story keeps these cards close to the chest, with the antagonist often shrouded in shadows. This makes the reveal of who is behind the conspiracy at the story's heart very satisfying.

First Light dedicates a surprising amount of time to scene-setting. After an exhilarating opening mission, you’ll spend a couple of hours with Bond in MI6 training. Rather than sap momentum, these intro sequences flesh out the supporting players (including Q, M, and Moneypenny), making me actually care about the larger cast, not just the star.

Tricks of the spy trade

Actually playing 007 First Light is a joy. Levels typically see you starting in a larger hub-style area, looking to gain the intel necessary to enter restricted zones, where you need to sneak past hordes of guards. If you’re spotted? Time to break out the fists, or if the situation is truly dire (and Bond’s life is threatened), whip out a firearm, as you’re granted a License to Kill.

It’s no surprise that the stealth gameplay is superb. 007 First Light comes from the developer of Hitman, after all. You’re given plenty of options to avoid detention. Whether it’s using your Q-Watch to make a laptop short circuit, drawing attention away from your position, or making use of nausea-inducing darts hidden within a power bank.

Before each mission, you must select your gadgets, and while I did find a few more useful than others, it’s fun to experiment with the on-brand gizmos at your disposal.

As noted, when a fight breaks out, Bond first relies on his fists, and the brawls are a blast. The combat system takes inspiration from the Batman: Arkham series, with a focus on single-button counters, and the creative ways you can use your environment never get old. For example, if you’re fighting a thug next to a glass cabinet, Bond will smash the goon into it, dealing extra damage, and maybe even making you wince just a little bit.

Firefights are no less thrilling. Ammo counts are sparse, forcing you to move around the battlefield to pick up new weapons or gain a positional advantage. Each shootout feels like a real battle for survival. And it’s a small thing in the grand scheme, but 007 First Light has some of the most satisfying headshots in any third-person action game in recent memory.

007 First Light truly comes into its own when it combines these three gameplay states across levels. You’ll leap between stealth, hand-to-hand combat, and intense shootouts in a matter of minutes, and when you survive intact, you really do feel like a world-class superspy. Throw in a few high-speed car chases and a handful of fun but simplistic boss battles, and 007 First Light plays as good as it looks. And it looks pretty darn incredible!

James Bond crossed with Agent 47

While 007 First Light often funnels you down linear paths or into restrictive cinematic set pieces, IO Interactive hasn’t abandoned the open approach to level design seen in Hitman. This spin on Bond appears to have taken a leaf out of Agent 47's book!

Throughout the campaign, you are regularly dropped into small but dense sandboxes, given a task to complete, and it’s your job, as Bond, to figure out the best route forward. These include amassing enough money to buy your way into a criminal auction at a seedy market in Mauritania or gaining access to a locked CCTV room during a swanky gala at a London museum.

Objectives can be completed in multiple ways. Take, for example, the museum instance mentioned above. You could pose as a photographer to gain access to the upper balcony, or convince the security personnel you’re their no-show colleague, or you can just opt to pickpocket a keycard and sneak in via the back door. The choice is yours, and having so many options has me already itching to replay several levels to try different strategies.

These sections allow IO to flex some of its crowd technology muscles. The first open level is set in a dingy nightclub, and I spent several minutes marveling at how many NPCs were crammed onto the dance floor. I was even more impressed when I moved across the room, and each clubber responded with vague annoyance when my Bond bumped into them.

More cinematic than a Bond movie

There’s no better way to describe 007 First Light than cinematic. Some levels ramp up the Blockbuster action to such a degree that they put Uncharted 2: Among Thieves to shame. One of my favorites feels like a winking tribute to “Casino Royale” as Bond runs along a skyscraper-sized construction crane while a rooftop sniper takes shots from down below.

Even when you think you’ve experienced the game’s biggest and best set-piece moment, another one comes along soon after. I must have declared “okay, this is my favorite level” more than half a dozen times across my playthrough. Ask me to pick the very best one, and I'd be here all day.

The game’s cinematic quality extends beyond set pieces as well. The appropriate mood is set right out of the gate with a phenomenal Bond theme performed by American singer Lana Del Rey, and that’s just the start of the epic musical score. Even the main menu gets you right into the Bond mood, with a bombastic orchestral track that is simply note-perfect.

In fact, 007 First Light is so slick that the very few clumsy moments stick all the more. Transitions between cutscenes and gameplay don’t always flow smoothly, and there are a couple of needlessly harsh cuts, like a scene where Bond is being slowly lowered into a pit of man-eating crocodiles. An awkward cut to black sucks all the tension from this particular moment.

Nevertheless, these never amount to more than extremely minor blemishes. Overall, 007 First Light looks and sounds incredible with phenomenal visuals on PS5 Pro and first-class audio design throughout.

007 First Light review: Verdict

We’re currently enjoying an era of excellent licensed games, from Hogwarts Legacy to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Even with this strong competition raising the bar, 007 First Light stands out as perhaps the finest example of a popular movie series being converted into a video game.

Almost 30 years after the release of GoldenEye on the Nintendo 64, there is finally a James Bond game to rival that legendary title. 007 First Light is a first-class spy adventure with a gripping espionage story, cinematic gameplay, and a commitment to authenticity that will delight superfans. 007 First Light might just be the best Bond has ever been.

I’ve been gaming since I was a curious toddler clutching a Sega Genesis controller, staring at the buttons with absolutely no idea what I was doing until a friend helped me figure it out.

Fast forward to today and I’m still deeply invested in video games. So invested, in fact, that I closely follow the major industry developments that impact the consoles and games I love.

So when news broke that Asha Sharma would step into the role of Xbox CEO, my jaw practically hit the floor. I honestly assumed former CEO Phil Spencer and former Xbox president Sarah Bond would remain in their roles for the foreseeable future.

Since taking over, Sharma has already made several moves that shifted the mood among Xbox fans from defeated to hopeful. Lowering the price of Game Pass, canceling development of the Copilot AI project for consoles, adding Game Pass perks to Discord Nitro subscriptions and launching a fan feedback forum all stand out as early wins.

After watching those decisions unfold — and noticing how heavily they focused on what players actually wanted — I asked ChatGPT to analyze Sharma’s leadership style and break down the mindset behind her decision-making.

Then I asked the chatbot to apply those same leadership principles to my own life. Surprisingly, the results gave me a much clearer understanding of what actually deserves my time, energy and focus.

Making sense of Sharma’s leadership mindset

After asking ChatGPT what type of leadership mindset Sharma sticks by, it sourced the comments she made during interviews, analyzed the statements she made within a company memo and the way she described herself to come up with the many factors that make up her management approach.

These are the parts of Sharma’s leadership style mentioned by ChatGPT that stood out to me the most:

• “Player-first” thinking: She repeatedly talks about protecting what makes Xbox special for fans — the games, characters, consoles, and community. Her messaging emphasizes rebuilding trust with core players and focusing on “great games” first.
• Platform-builder mentality: Sharma has described herself as “coming into gaming as a platform builder.” That means she seems less focused on just selling hardware and more focused on building an ecosystem across console, PC, cloud, subscriptions, and services.
• Community-centered execution: One recurring theme in her internal memos is that Xbox became “too inward.” She wants teams to spend more time with players and ship features faster. That reflects a product-management mindset centered around feedback loops and rapid iteration.
• Long-term innovation over nostalgia: Even when she talks about a “return to Xbox,” she frames it as reviving the company’s original spirit — boldness, creativity, and risk-taking — not simply recreating the past.

Focusing on my “core users,” staying adaptable and more

After evaluating ChatGPT’s overview of Sharma’s overall leadership mindset, I asked it to find the best ways to apply to my life/work habits and upgrade them over time. Here are the eye-opening methods the chatbot came up with in connection to its breakdown of Sharma’s leadership mentality:

• Build around your “core users”: For Xbox, that’s players. For you, it’s your energy, your goals, your relationships, your creativity and your peace of mind. Ask yourself, “What actually improves my daily experience?” The answer should not be what sounds impressive online or what other people expect. It should genuinely be what makes your life better.
• Think like a platform builder, not just a goal chaser: Instead of obsessing over one achievement, build systems that support many wins. Examples of that approach include better sleep → more focus, better focus → better writing, better writing → more opportunities and more opportunities → more freedom. A platform-builder mindset asks, “What foundations make everything else easier?” Those foundations should be your routines, health, organization, skills, network and emotional stability.
• Protect your “community”: Xbox succeeds when players feel heard. People thrive when they feel connected. That means investing in friendships, building creative circles, maintaining family relationships and finding communities tied to your interests.
• Balance innovation with identity: A big part of Sharma’s mindset is “evolve without losing what makes you you.” So don’t chase reinvention for the sake of it. Keep your core (your taste, curiosity, creative voice and passions), but update the system around them.

The takeaway

After looking through ChatGPT’s breakdown of Sharma’s leadership style — and how those ideas could apply to my own life — my biggest priorities suddenly became a lot clearer.

I realized I need to spend more time investing in the things that genuinely improve my day-to-day life, refining the systems that help me succeed and continuing to support the communities around me while still evolving as a person.

I had a lot of fun asking ChatGPT to analyze Sharma’s recent business decisions and interviews to better understand her leadership mindset. But after applying some of those principles to my own life, I walked away with something more valuable: a clearer perspective on what actually matters most to me.

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• I stopped asking ChatGPT for generic ideas and started using the MrBeast 'obsession' framework instead

Much as I enjoyed the previous four games in The Dark Pictures series, they always felt a little haunted. And I’m not talking about being haunted by the various horrific creatures, specters, and monsters housed within the series. No, The Dark Pictures has always been haunted by persistent comparisons to developer Supermassive Games’ 2015 interactive horror, Until Dawn.

I’m guilty of making this comparison as well. Even with my previous favorite Dark Pictures entry, 2021’s House of Ashes. I remember thinking, “That was pretty great, but not as good as Until Dawn.” But what makes the latest installment in the interactive horror anthology, Directive 8020, so impressive is that for the first time, I found myself not subconsciously comparing the experience to one released over a decade ago.

There’s no question in my mind that Directive 8020 is the best Dark Pictures yet. Not only does it offer the most intense and engaging narrative of the series, but Supermassive Games has made some very smart tweaks to the established formula, which make experiencing (and crucially, actually playing) this spooky sci-fi story even more enjoyable than its predecessors.

In space, no one can hear you scream

I suppose it’s not really a surprise that I took to Directive 8020 so quickly. “Alien” is my favorite movie franchise of all time, and this newest entry in the series leaves Earth behind for a sci-fi horror story set 12 light-years from Earth. However, much as I’ve seen 1979’s “Alien” theorized as an inspiration (and I’m sure it is), I actually got a bigger “Prometheus” vibe overall.

You play as several crew members onboard a colony ship, the Cassiopeia. The crew’s mission to orbit the planet Tau Ceti f, to gain critical information ahead of a second ship, the Andromeda, arriving in six months, which will terraform the planet and make it suitable for humans. Naturally, this is a horror story, so as soon as the playable crew awakens from hypersleep, everything goes to hell. Turns out there’s a shapeshifting extraterrestrial onboard (“The Thing” is clearly another inspiration), and things get even worse from there, as this monster can mimic the appearance of the crew.

In Directive 8020, the six-to eight-hour story is split into eight episodes. This is a more significant change than it might sound on paper. Previously, Dark Pictures titles were technically split into multiple “chapters,” but the narrative felt largely seamless (bar interruptions from the Curator, whose role is reworked here). Those stories were presented like a movie.

Directive 8020 instead takes inspiration from a bingeable TV show. Each episode ends with a cliffhanger and “end of episode” text. It’s not a new idea; Alan Wake used this format back in 2010, but the format works supremely well here. Far from ruining the narrative flow, the episode structure made me even more eager to consume each one as fast as possible.

The Dark Pictures, you know, but a little different

The crux of “The Dark Pictures” is the same as the interactive horror formula that Supermassive Games has been utilizing since 2015. That means you’ll spend a lot of time picking dialogue choices, making critical decisions under time pressure, and the (in)famous inclusion of QTE sequences (but you can choose how much leeway you have with these).

However, I really appreciate that this time there’s more game within Directive 8020. It’s by no means a full-on survival-horror experience, a la Dead Space, but third-person stealth sequences have been added. These see you sulking around the Cassiopeia, trying to avoid a foe. And unlike a traditional horror game, if you’re caught, you don’t get a “game over” screen and a retry. The story continues, with the effects of your failure rippling out.

Directive 8020 also introduces other smaller gameplay additions, like the ability to send messages between the crew, which lightly flesh out each character. Plus, the sections where you are in direct control of a character are significantly less clunky than previous Dark Pictures. Your characters no longer move like an unwieldy tank, which is a much-needed improvement.

Reliving the nightmare over and over (and over)

The biggest new addition to Directive 8020 is the new Turning Points. This replaces the old Butterfly effect system that originated in Until Dawn, and was rebranded as Bearings in the previous Dark Pictures titles. Like those games, you will often make plot-critical choices, ones that can have unforeseen consequences, and even result in the death of a character.

However, this time, your choices and their outcomes are all charted in a sprawling spider-web within the pause menu. It’s neat to look at the flowchart of your progressing story, but Directive 8020 goes further and lets you rewind to any previous point in the story without penalty. This enables you to redo a decision instantly if you’re unhappy with the results.

Take, for example, a moment in episode two, where I made a rash call that got a character killed. I was pretty disappointed to lose somebody so early in the story. In a previous Dark Pictures game, my only option would have been to restart, but in Directive 8020, I was able to instantly rewind the clock and make the correct decision this time, saving the captain’s life.

It’s not just about correcting mistakes either. The Turning Points system makes it easier than ever to see different outcomes. You can leap about the narrative timeline as you wish, letting you explore different story paths with ease, and without multiple full playthroughs. In a later episode, after making a decision in a tense standoff that I was happy with, I had a lot of fun exploring what might have happened if I’d chosen a different path.

However, I can see some players disliking this system, as it does rob decisions of their weight when you can simply rewind and try again with a single button press. Fortunately, Supermassive Games thought of this potential downside and has included a specific mode that locks you out of Turning Points. Pick Survivor mode, and every decision is permanent.

Should you play Directive 8020?

If you have any fondness for the previous Dark Pictures games, then you absolutely need to play Directive 8020. As somebody who’s played them all, it’s the best of the bunch. The sci-fi setting is everything I hoped it would be, the gameplay upgrades are great, some of the decisions you must make are darn difficult, and Turning Points is an awesome inclusion.

I even recommend Directive 8020 to players who haven’t clicked with The Dark Pictures. If you’re one of the many who have been patiently waiting for Supermassive Games to recapture that special sauce that made Until Dawn a fan-favorite, Directive 8020 is exactly that. It marks The Dark Picture finding its own footing and delivering a memorable interactive horror experience, unburdened by comparisons to what came before.

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Car culture — something that a lot of games try to nail, but never really quite get the feel of it.

It’s not about features, gameplay, graphics or sound alone. It’s about merging all of these in a way that becomes a genuine love letter to the automobiles. From big moments like grand races or drifts down mountainous Japanese roads, all the way down to the tiniest details like showing your motor at a car meet or the roar of your V8 engine echoing off tunnel walls, every little thing matters.

And like I said, every game I play comes close but no cigar… Until I played Forza Horizon 6 — a truly seamless, accessible celebration of real-world car enthusiasm and easily the best racing game I’ve played in years.

Now let me be abundantly clear: 5 stars does not mean perfection. There’s no such thing as a perfect game. Online multiplayer may still get you some frustrating moments of being used like a glorified wall buffer for other competitors, which the penalty system can sometimes miss in competitive racing.

But make no mistake about it, if you’re a regular racer at heart or someone who’s caught the bug and wants to experience it, there’s nothing more all-encompassing than this. Japan is truly a joy to drive and the pulse of this culture pumps hard in a way you won’t feel in any other sim racer.

Yes, I know that’s a little controversial of me — a sim racer — to say, as the Forza Horizon series definitely leans more towards the arcade than the hardcore (though there is the versatility to make it more sim-feeling).

But through removing barriers to community fun, dropping you in a gorgeously giant sandbox, being true music connoisseurs with the radio stations, giving you all the customization options (including your garage) and making everything flow oh-so fluidly, developer Turn 10 has done the one thing a lot of sim titles seem to forget about in their search for ultimate realism: focus on the fun.

Whatever you want to do, whoever you want to be, it’s all here. Welcome to a new Horizon. You’re going to be here for a while.

Forza Horizon 6: The basics

• What is it? Forza Horizon 6 is a free-roaming racing game with plenty to do in a giant Japan sandbox.
• Who is it for? This is for racing enthusiasts and those who want to explore car culture anew.
• What's the price? Forza Horizon 6 costs $69 from retailers like Amazon.
• What other games has the developer made? Turn 10 has been dedicated to the Forza franchise ever since 2005, and FH6 is co-developed with Playground Games, also currently making Fable.
• What games is it similar to? Forza Horizon 6 takes some DNA from fast-paced arcade racers like Outrun 2 and Sega Rally, throws in some sim credentials like Gran Turismo 7, and drops you into a sandbox like Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown.

The Wangan Stretch: A world of pure scale

It all starts just like any Horizon game, with a theatrical intro that has you experiencing the different core types of racing you’ll be jumping into — a full-on assault of the senses with a perfectly paired soundtrack with drops timed to each big moment and all the visual pomp and circumstance of a Horizon Festival opener.

But while this definitely establishes a real infectious vibe for car lovers, nothing quite prepares you for when the world truly opens up and you see the world for what it really is: a diverse, handcrafted work of art. From the wide-open stretches of roads and mountainous vistas to the bustling neon-lit spaghetti streets of Tokyo, this map (5X bigger than Forza Horizon 5) is a real joy to explore. And yes, that does include a legendary looping highway inspired by the Wangan.

Cars gleam with mesmerizing fidelity as you race through the world, and every finite detail can be observed up close. The faithful recreations of cars old and new give fans of anything on four wheels a lot to love right here. Then there’s the sound engineering, which brings their explosive engines to life in a way that reacts to the world around you. Hearing an engine roar while pelting through a tunnel is a jaw dropping experience.

To top it all off, Turn 10 has thrown in an absolute banger soundtrack — all your usual array of genre-driven radio stations with Japanese flair for good measure. With an all-in Gacha City Radio giving you a full suite to bands like the incredible BABYMETAL popping up in the Horizon XS, it’s all here to immerse you.

Performance-wise, you’re assured up to 60 FPS on consoles, and thanks to DLSS 4.5 support and multi-frame generation, I was easily able to get over 200 FPS at 4K max settings on my RTX 5080 rig. Oh, and shout-out to Steam Deck performance too — running at a nice 35-40 FPS average without any of that awkward rubberbanding you saw in the previous Horizon titles. My flights to and from New York flew by with hours of gameplay.

The way of the Hashiriya: A never-ending checklist

So you’re here in this living, breathing world…what now? Well, there’s a lot to do, and it’s all structured around a simple yet addictive loop of gaining new wristbands based on your way to becoming a Horizon Legend. This will have you doing road (street and now track), dirt and cross country racing, PR stunts and showcases.

Special mention here to the Horizon Rush events — purpose-built courses that feel like a late, great Ken Block Gymkhana event come to life with a true test of technical skill. Each one grabs you by the collar and pulls you into its addictive replayability to nail that best time.

And just like other Horizon games, many side quests become all-encompassing too. Whether it’s watching Japan unfold in storylines that connect you more to the world around you, photography goals to test your snapping fingers, secret aftermarket cars to buy in all kinds of locations, or even food delivery jobs that would make Peter Parker blush in “Spider-Man 2,” you won’t ever be left with an empty world with nothing to do. Oh, and of course, there are over 550 real-world cars to collect, too!

What’s most impressive about all of this is how seamlessly it all comes together — plenty of depth for the pros and maximum accessibility for the fresh players. There are plenty of menus and a lot of ways you can tweak cars for best performance, or you could just skip all that, have next-to-no menu interaction and just drive. Whatever you want to do, Forza Horizon 6 just lets you go do it in its universe.

But believe me when I say this is only half the story, as I’ve not even talked about the multiplayer yet.

Zenki to Kouki: The art of the culture

I’ll be real with you. This is all great, but what tipped it into being a five-star experience for me is how it truly captures the life source of car culture. Too many racing games feel like a sterile interpretation of this essence, and on its sixth iteration, Forza Horizon has finally cracked the code.

It’s the culmination of all of this paired with the evolution of your many, many motors from Zenki (early) to Kouki (late) and imprinting your personality onto your own personal masterpiece. Knowing you’re going to take your ride to a street race or a touge battle (a straight up 1v1 downhill race) or a car meet really encourages you to get into building a relationship with your ride.

Nothing quite felt like taking a Toyota Supra A80 and giving it that aggressive aftermarket look I know and love to match the bonkers performance I’d extracted from the engine. But as I said up at the top, Horizon 6 is not afraid to unleash some of the bonkers fun of this culture and turn it up to larger-than-reality highs.

Want to go drag racing in a limousine? Sure! Throwing your car off a 500-foot jump? Go for it! You even race a damn mech, it's such a cool moment! All these are possible and on paper, it's really silly. But in execution, it's this vibe of anything being possible that makes car culture so great.

At its core, Turn 10 has made a much more focused effort on starting you with a basic car that you turn into your own pride and joy over time with extensive customization tools (you can even customize your garage)! And throwing all this into the mix with everything up above feels almost surgical in becoming a true tastemaker of the culture. Nothing else captures that emotional grasp quite like this.

Forza Horizon 6 review: Verdict

I know you’re going to read a lot of reviews that talk extensively about the huge feature set, the gameplay mechanics, the graphical fidelity and sound production. But in my mind, the sum is far greater than its individual parts as to establish the vibe and feel that truly feels like an ongoing dopamine hit — causing me to accidentally play for 10 hours straight without even realizing.

Forza Horizon 6 is a master class in capturing car culture with technical driving and customization running through its veins, a gargantuan amount of modes to jump into, and an accessible seamlessness to it all. For seasoned veterans, it’s easily the best in the series, and for those getting their first taste of Horizon, it’ll be the best racing game you’ve jumped into in a long time.

The shake-up at Microsoft caught a lot of people off guard. When Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond both stepped away from their roles, it marked a major turning point for Xbox.

What came next was even more unexpected: Asha Sharma, formerly leading Microsoft’s CoreAI product, stepped in as the new EVP and CEO of Xbox.

Since taking over, Sharma has moved quickly to reshape the Xbox ecosystem, and early signs are giving gamers a reason to feel optimistic again. Her initial changes include lowering the price of Xbox Game Pass from $29.99 to $22.99 per month, scrapping the “This is an Xbox” campaign, and rolling out long-requested improvements to the Achievements system.

Then came another update. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sharma teased yet another change, one that pushed fan excitement even higher. And honestly, I felt it too. This was the kind of announcement that makes you start paying attention to Xbox again.

Copilot AI on consoles will no longer be a thing

Sharma made it clear that further development for Microsoft Copilot AI across mobile and consoles has officially been halted for good.

Before its cancellation on those devices, this feature was showcased as an AI assistant that could provide players with in-game tips, make game recommendations and even offer predictions for upcoming Xbox showcases. Gaming Copilot is currently available in the Xbox mobile app, on Game Bar for Windows 11 and across the ROG Xbox Ally family of handhelds.

Another major change that Sharma has enacted for the Xbox brand is her appointment of new leaders who will assist her in her mission to make Xbox a powerhouse once again. In a memo detailed by IGN, four of those new roles saw positions filled by Sharma’s colleagues from her time spent at CoreAI.

Those new Xbox leaders include:

• Jared Palmer, the new VP of Engineering at Xbox (former CoreAI VP of product)
• Tim Allen, the new CVP of Xbox Design (former CoreAI president of design)
• Jonathan McKay, the new Xbox Head of Growth (former CoreAI head of growth)
• Evan Chaki will “run a team of forward-deployed engineers that will look to simplify development and end repetitive work” (former CoreAI GM of AI innovation)
• David Schloss, the new Xbox Head of subscriptions and cloud (former Instacart senior director of product and growth)

Kotaku also discovered a bunch of other changes made to Xbox’s most important positions:

• Jason Ronald will now be "accountable for Project Helix and the Xbox platform" as the new VP of Next Generation at Xbox (former VP of Xbox gaming devices and ecosystems)
• Jason Beaumont will now lead product and also serve as interim head of engineering (former VP of Xbox experiences)
• Fatima Kardar will maintain her position as the corporate VP of gaming AI and fulfill her new responsibilities as the head of a “newly formed Personalization org” that will focus on solving player-facing issues like search and discovery.
• Jennifer Creegan will now lead Xbox’s media business (former VP of strategy, business model, and insights)

The takeaway

From my perspective, Sharma has made all the right moves so far to rebuild confidence in the Xbox brand.

As an Xbox Series X owner and long-time Xbox Game Pass subscriber, I’m genuinely optimistic about what comes next. With major titles like Forza Horizon 6, Halo: Campaign Evolved and a new Fable reportedly on the way, 2026 is shaping up to be a big year. I’m also hoping Clockwork Revolution makes the cut.

Dropping Copilot from the core gaming experience also feels like the right call. While I tested the Gaming Copilot feature on mobile and found its recommendations surprisingly useful, most players simply don’t need AI to handle tasks they can easily do themselves. The broader gaming audience hasn’t exactly been asking for it.

Instead, doubling down on first-party studios and focusing on delivering high-quality games—not forcing AI into places it doesn’t belong—looks like a smarter long-term strategy. If Sharma and her team stay on this path, Xbox could finally regain some serious momentum.

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ChatGPT Tasks has quickly become one of my favorite features from OpenAI. From a productivity standpoint, it has worked as a reliable daily reminder system for work tasks, pushed me to find more creative ways to use AI tools and even helped me build practical nightly routines to protect my mental health after each workday. After seeing how effective Tasks could be in my professional life, I started wondering what other parts of my routine could benefit from the same kind of automated help.

That led me to gaming. My video game fandom knows no bounds. I bounce between genres and love both AAA blockbusters and indie gems. As the owner of a PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X|S and a Switch, with plans to grab a Switch 2 once Splatoon Raiders launches in July , I’m always hunting for the best prices on games I want to add to my growing collection (or backlog).

So I decided to use ChatGPT Tasks to do the searching for me. By setting up daily reminders focused on game discounts, I ended up finding three deals that were actually worth jumping on.

Finding the right prompts to find the right deals

To get the process underway, I initially asked ChatGPT for help on coming up with the right prompts that I could then turn into daily Tasks. These are the seven best ones that it generated for me to use, based on its memory of my past video game-themed questions and requests:

• The 'Only Tell Me When It’s Cheap' tracker: Check daily at [time] for discounts on [names of games]. Only notify me if any drop below $30. Include platform, current price, and percentage discount.
• The 'Best Deals' digest: Every [day] at [time], send me a roundup of the 10 best video game deals across the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, and Nintendo eShop. Prioritize discounts of 50% or more and include links and prices.
• The wishlist watcher: Every [part of the day or evening] at [time], check for discounts on the following games: [insert your wishlist]. Notify me only if any are discounted by at least 40%. Include original price, sale price, and store.
• The 'Historical Low' finder: Check every [day] at [time] if any major video games (AAA titles from the last [number of years]) have reached or matched their historical lowest price. Notify me with the game name, platform, current price, and previous low.
• The platform-specific deal sniper: Every [day] at [time], check for PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, and Nintendo eShop discounts on top-rated games with a Metacritic score of 85+. Only notify me if they are discounted by at least 50%.
• The flash sale catcher: Check every 6 hours for limited-time or flash sales on the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, and Nintendo eShop. Notify me immediately if any popular or trending games are discounted by 60% or more.
• The genre-based deal finder: Every [day] at [time], find the best deals on [genres] games across all platforms. Only include games rated 80+ and discounted by at least 40%. Provide a short description for each.

After taking note of these seven usable prompts, I told Tasks to work with the Weekly “Best Deals” Digest, Platform-Specific Deal Sniper and Genre-Based Deal Finder. For the three prompts I chose, I set them for Fridays at their respective times of 5 pm, 5:15 pm and 5:25 pm.

The three biggest discounts that caught my eye

This past Friday, ChatGPT alerted me to three deals I likely never would have spotted on my own. Better yet, each discount was tied to a game I had already planned to buy once the price was right.

One prompt flagged Dark Souls Remastered on the PlayStation Store for $19.99 (down from $39.99) and INSIDE on the Microsoft Store for $3.74 (down from $24.99). Another let me know the Metro Saga Bundle, which includes all three Metro games plus the DLC for Metro Exodus, had dropped from $59.99 to just $5.99. My third prompt highlighted the FighterZ Edition of Dragon Ball FighterZ for PS5 on the PlayStation Store, discounted from $89.99 to $14.39.

What I appreciated most was that each Task included the exact details I had asked for, including the discount percentage, Metacritic scores and a quick explanation of why each deal was worth considering.

Final thoughts

With me being in the mood to finally check out an old-school “Soulslike” experience, get immersed in the unnerving vibes of a highly-rated puzzle-platformer, finally experience the Metro series before its latest entry (Metro 2039) launches and pick up the PS5 version of one my favorite fighters to try out its latest DLC character, Tasks worked like a charm in finding me the best deals for those assorted gaming experiences.

Tasks isn’t just great at generating reminders for birthdays and work-related events—it’s also amazing at bringing you up to speed on can’t-miss deals on your favorite things. In my case, it helped me find the best discounts on games that had been in my crosshairs for years now.

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Just as Xbox surprisingly lowered prices on its Game Pass Ultimate tier we have news of a new potential offering. This one comes via the Microsoft and Discord partnership that gives Discord Nitro subscribers access to a version of Game Pass dubbed Starter Edition.

The X profile Discord Previews discovered the new tier that seems to be separate from the Game Pass Ultimate deal that already exists. The Starter Edition appears to give you access to more than 50 games in the Game Pass library, plus 10 hours of Xbox Cloud streaming.

Additionally, you can earn Xbox rewards that can be put toward games, DLC, and gift cards.

It's not clear exactly what games make up the Starter Edition library. However, in the leaked art from Discord Previews you can see titles like Dishonored 2, Doom, Fallout 4, Gears 5, and Stardew Valley.

Earlier this week, new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced a new collaboration between Game Pass and Discord. She even teased that fans would "start to see some code in the wild" (per IGN).

"We're teaming up again as we continue to make Game Pass more flexible for our players. Some of you might start to see some code in the wild, and we will share more details with you all soon!" she wrote on X.

How it works

Currently, if you sign up for Game Pass Ultimate, you get a free month of Discord Nitro, which costs $10 a month. Nitro gives you perks like custom profiles, HD video streaming and different app themes in the chat service.

Per Discord Previews, the Starter Edition comes free for Nitro subscribers. It's not clear if Starter Edition will only be for Nitro subscribers or if anyone could sign up for that tier. We're also not sure if it'll be a new fourth Game Pass tier or replace one of the existing ones.

Beyond lowering the Ultimate tier price from $29.99/month to $22.99/month, this week Sharma released her vision for Xbox going forward.

Part of lowering the Game Pass price includes not putting new Call of Duty games on the service at launch. In her manifesto post, Sharma suggests "windowing" Xbox first-party games instead of putting them in Game Pass at launch. She mentioned that the company is reevaluating Xbox's approach to exclusivity, which suggests that Xbox exclusive games make a return.

The post says the goal is for Xbox to "fortify Game Pass with clear differentiation and sustainable economics."

A new Discord partnership appears to be the next step in that direction.

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When Xbox raised the price of the Game Pass Ultimate tier by 50% last October, it infuriated gamers who rushed to cancel their subscriptions. Since then a lot of changes have unfolded at Microsoft, including the ascension of new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma.

Today (Apr. 21), Sharma took to X to announce a rare price decrease for the service.

"Game Pass Ultimate has become too expensive for too many players," Sharma wrote. "Starting today, we’re dropping the price from $29.99 to $22.99/month."

It's not quite back to pre-October levels, when Game Pass Ultimate was only $19.99 a month but it's a step in the right direction.

Sharma added that the service will also no longer get future Call of Duty titles on Day One via Game Pass Ultimate. I've long speculated that Call of Duty was driving up the cost of Ultimate since it is one of Activision's cash cows, so this makes sense.

When the next Call of Duty releases, it won't join Game Pass until the "following holiday after launch" or about a year. Previously released Call of Duty games will remain available on the service.

What's next for Xbox?

From the outside Xbox has been floundering in recent years between price hikes across software and consoles a lack of exclusive Xbox titles that gamers find exciting.

Longtime CEO Phil Spencer retired in February which also led to the surprise resignation of Xbox President Sarah Bond, who was seen the heir apparent.

They were replaced by Sharma who came from an AI arm of Microsoft. Though she promised she wasn't coming into shove AI into Xbox.

From the outset, Sharma promised that she would listen to gamers and Xbox fans to figure out how to right the ship saying that she was "coming into gaming as a platform builder."

So far, Xbox has stayed quiet outside of teasing Project Helix, the rumored console/PC hybrid that is expected to launch in the next couple of years. It was rumored that Sharma spent much of the recent GDC conference selling Xbox to developers, publishers and investors.

Until a new console launches, a price decrease is a nice way for Xbox to garner some goodwill from fans even if it could have been more drastic.

We'll truly know where Xbox and Sharma stand when the Helix launches. That will tell us how Microsoft views its gaming division and the path forward.

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A new Xbox Game Pass tier may be in the works, and it could hint at the future of Xbox and Game Pass.

Tipster redphx on X posted about a new Game Pass tier codenamed 'Trion'. "Apparently this new Game Pass "TRION" (sic) program only includes games from Xbox Studios," they wrote. Redphx regularly posts about Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming by digging into the public-facing backend of the services.

The new Game Pass tier would only include first-party Xbox games and redphx revealed a few ranging from some recent titles to older ones.

• DOOM Eternal
• DOOM 64
• Dishonored 2
• Fable Anniversary
• Fallout 4
• Fallout 76
• Gears 5
• Halo 5: Guardians
• Halo Wars 2
• Hellblade
• Ori and the Blind Forest
• Psychonauts
• State Of Decay 2
• The Elder Scrolls Online
• Retro Classics

There are plenty of Xbox games in the vault that would fit nicely in this tier but the company has backed off its own titles recently even with the recent acquisitions. Many games are now cross-platform, so I'm curious what newer games would fit in this tier, if it's real.

Would anything form Activision-Blizzard go here? What about Zenimax titles?

A new Xbox direction?

If this new tier does come to be, it could be the first shakeup from new CEO Asha Sharma who has promised to get Xbox back to gaming.

During the annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco earlier this month, Xbox made a big splash with its presentation of Project Helix, the next Xbox console. Behind the scenes, Sharma was making the rounds laying out her vision for the brand to relevant parties.

One component involved making Xbox Game Pass more affordable, per The Information, which wrote that the company wants to "make future consoles and products like Game Pass more enticing to a broader range of customers."

That could include offering lower-priced tiers and changing pricing models, and Shamra is also reportedly looking into bundles with Netflix.

Affordability

Affordability will be the buzzword when it comes to gaming soon. Sony just announced another price hike for its entire hardware lineup, pushing the high-end Pro model to $900. Nintendo is expected to increase Switch 2 prices any day now even as the company reduces production of the console due to poor sales.

And all this after Xbox raised prices on its consoles twice last year including a bump to Game Pass.

Yes, the United States' ongoing war with Iran and evolving tariffs, plus the RAM crisis, are causing global supply chain issues, but it's clear that gamers are, if not already, getting priced out.

Any company that can offer lower prices will likely get gamer dollars going forward.

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The annual Game Developers' Conference (GDC) is taking place this week in San Francisco. New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma promised last week that more details about Project Helix, the next Xbox, would be revealed at GDC and Microsoft did in fact provide some new details on the upcoming device.

Helix is meant to be a hybrid console-PC. During a talk titled "Building for the Future with Xbox" VP of Next Generation Jason Ronald explained what the hybrid means. Think of Helix as akin to Valve's delayed Steam Machine as it will play both PC games and Xbox ones.

Unsurprisingly, Helix will be powered by AMD featuring the company's next-gen upscaling, frame generation and ray tracing abilities thanks to a custom chip.

Here's an overview of Project Helix features. Partnered with AMD, designed for the next generation of DirectX.

— @haydendingman.bsky.social (@haydendingman.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-03-11T23:55:07.494Z

"The days of people defining themselves as (console/PC/mobile gamer) don't really exist anymore," Ronald said in his presentation. "What we've really learned is as we look at it, PC is becoming an increasingly important part of the Xbox experience."

A summary of Ronald's speech was posted to the Xbox site.

We maybe waiting awhile

Ronald announced that alpha versions of Helix wouldn't ship to developers until 2027. Which means we might not see the console actually launch until 2028 despite hints at a 2027 reveal by AMD's Lisa Su.

Other than an AMD chip and its hybrid nature, we don't know anything else about Helix at this time.

A pushed out launch window might actually help Xbox since the ongoing memory shortage isn't supposed to even begin resolving until 2028, at the earliest. By then, new factories should be handling the demand, assuming the AI bubble doesn't pop by then.

It's part of the reason Valve has delayed the Steam Machine and is struggling to maintain Steam Deck stock. At this rate, the Steam Machine and Xbox might launch around the same time and actually go head to head a la the battle Xbox used to have PlayStation.

Xbox mode for Windows

Microsoft is apparently expanding its work on "Xbox Mode" for Windows PCs based around the work it did on the Asus Rog Xbox Ally X handheld consoles. The goal is to optimize Windows 11 to like an Xbox console with reduced background processes and a prioritization of game performance.

This would include faster boot times, better controller support and improved frame stability.

"Xbox mode lets players seamlessly switch between productivity and play, with a familiar full screen and controller optimized Xbox experience while embracing the openness of Windows," Ronald said.

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Scott Pilgrim EX plays like a leveled-up version of Ubisoft's previous Scott Pilgrim beat ‘em up — and that’s no bad thing. While I’ve never been a die-hard fan of the genre, I’ve been a long-time Scott Pilgrim aficionado. I own the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels (and other comics penned by Bryan Lee O’Malley), Edgar Wright’s movie adaptation is one of my all-time favorite films, I binge-watched "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" on Netflix, and I played Ubisoft’s original Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World 2D side-scrolling beat ‘em up to death on Xbox Live Arcade (and blasted through it again when it got ported on PS4).

Having had a chance to tear through Scott Pilgrim EX in advance of its release this week (on March 3), I’m pleased to report that this latest addition is both a ton of fun to play and a great new addition to that same universe. Granted, I’m not hugely surprised; looking at the critical response to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge (we gave it 4.5 stars back in 2022), I suspected I was in for a good time, and Scott Pilgrim EX definitely feels like it’ll be a great arcade brawler for Scott Pilgrim and beat ‘em up fans alike.

Scott Pilgrim EX is a brilliant brawler with plenty of personality

Many of the things that hooked me back on the Xbox 360 are still here. Like its predecessor, Scott Pilgrim EX is brought to life with seriously impressive pixel art (that looks even better once you slap on the in-game CRT screen filter), and another earworm soundtrack from chiptune/rock band Anamanaguchi.

The dialogue and story beats are funny, and the game's littered with references, jokes, and easter eggs, such as the riffs you'll be playing, Ocarina of Time-style, to open up parts of the map — we've swapped out discreet levels for one big map you'll unlock as you go — hidden areas you'll uncover by blowing up an obviously-cracked wall, or enemies and regions that riff on other games, like the gothic styling (and Bloodborne-inspired boss fight) of Toronto's Casa Loma, redressed as "Casa Vania."

I'm not just here to hype up appearances, though: Scott Pilgrim EX comes packing fun brawling action, too, whether you're battling through hordes of demons or going toe-to-toe with the game's many bosses. The character roster's packed with seven characters, each with their own moves. I settled on playing as Ramona, Scott, and Robot-01 for my first few runs, but after having a blast punching, parrying, and blasting my way through the game's legions of enemies and bosses, I'm keen to see every character over the line.

Even on Normal difficulty, you'll still need to string your light, heavy, and special attacks together effectively and make sure to throw in a block, parry, super attack, or make use of your assists to avoid getting KO'd. If you end up getting repeatedly beaten down, you can take the dollars you'll be hoovering up from fallen foes and splash that cash on some stat-enhancing snacks or equipment before you head back in the fray.

All in all, I've had a great time playing through the Adventure Mode several times over. The quest design may be too reliant on backtracking through areas of its map to progress, and the promise of seeing new character endings may not be enough to keep everyone satisfied.

Nevertheless, I've put in around 10 hours or so already, and I've been having a great time so far, and I can imagine it'd be even better to breeze through the game with a few friends in multiplayer. If you're a franchise fan or just in the mood for a seriously satisfying brawler, I'd definitely recommend Scott Pilgrim EX.

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Xbox's new CEO Asha Sharma has a tough job ahead as she tries to revive the 25-year old gaming brand, or as some on the internet believe, lead it gently into the good night.

After trying to prove her gaming bona fides to the unwashed masses of X, Sharma has confirmed the next-generation Xbox is in the works with a codename, Project Helix.

"Project Helix will lead in performance and play your Xbox and PC games," Sharma wrote on X. She added that she'll be discussing the console with partners and studios at GDC this month. Potentially, more details could be revealed to us then.

Sharma's post seems to confirm the rumors that Xbox is working on a hybrid console/PC. Previous rumors have suggested that Xbox will reveal its new console before the end of 2026. It's also possible the company could unveil an Xbox PC.

Previous Xbox president, Sarah Bond, hinted that the next Xbox console would be a "very premium, very high-end curated experience."

Sharma just took over the gaming division at Microsoft after longtime Xbox head Phil Spencer retired. It'll be interesting to see if she is pivoting away from the projects Spencer and Bond were working on, or if she'll stay the course based on what's already available.

Sharma has described herself as a "platform builder" in an interview, and she is committed to "being grounded in what the community is telling us."

Over the summer, a leaked "Magnus APU" suggested Microsoft was working on an upgradeable console that would get more frequent updates than your usual seven-year console lifecycle. Basically, the leak hinted that the next Xbox would be more akin to a pre-built PC.

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In case you’ve missed the news, Phil Spencer has retired from Xbox, and Sarah Bond has departed. New CEO Asha Sharma and freshly minted Chief Content Officer Matt Booty will now run Microsoft Gaming. It’s a huge shakeup, to say the least.

While this news is shocking (gotta love that late Friday news dump!), I can’t say I’m totally surprised. The Xbox brand has been in a slow-motion decline since the Xbox One’s announcement in 2013. Who can forget the always-online disaster, the Kinect fiasco, and the $399 PS4 memes?

And now the Series X/S has sold roughly 35 million units to date, compared with the PS5’s 92+ million and the original Switch’s 155 million. In 2025, Xbox console sales saw a brutal 45% drop from the previous year. Though content and services like Xbox Game Pass keep the lights on, hardware is tanking.

With new leadership at the helm, now is the time for the Xbox brand to take bold steps to ensure a viable future. Here’s how the Xbox brand can survive and thrive in the coming years.

Embrace being a third-party developer

The console business clearly isn’t working for Microsoft and hasn’t for well over a decade. The days of the Xbox 360’s dominance are in the distant past, a fact that’s abundantly clear in 2026. Though Microsoft is working on a next-gen system (as Sarah Bond stated in her farewell message to the team), that system (the rumored PC-like Project Magnus) shouldn’t be the focus for the company.

Right now, Microsoft is already the biggest third-party publisher in gaming. Between Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda, Activision Blizzard, and a slew of others, the company owns dozens of studios. With such a huge army of developers, you don’t need dedicated hardware to sell games. You can sell them on other platforms.

Going from hardware manufacturer to purely software developer wouldn’t be unheard of, either — just look at Sega. After the Dreamcast flopped, Nintendo’s former rival pulled the plug on hardware in 2001 and went full third-party. Though the transition wasn’t exactly smooth, the move benefited Sega over time. Sega stopped the bleeding, focused on delivering excellent games for all systems, and is currently one of the most respected and beloved developers in the industry.

There’s absolutely no reason why Xbox can’t do the same. The company doesn’t need to release another system with a confusing name for folks to play its games. As it’s already doing, it should keep releasing on PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch 2, and wherever else it makes sense. Focus on making awesome games and let Game Pass be the subscription hook (more on that shortly). This way, the Xbox brand can finally become the true multiplatform powerhouse Microsoft has always wanted it to be.

Quality over quantity

Though plenty of games land on Game Pass, few of them make a significant impact with gamers. Despite having a legion of AAA studios, actual blockbuster titles can sometimes feel few and far between. We see more headlines about layoffs, cancellations, and delayed projects than we do about must-play releases.

To fix that, Microsoft must do a better job of curating its output and enforcing faster, more reliable development cycles for its heavy hitters. There’s no reason players should have to wait the better part of a decade for new installments of bedrock franchises like Halo, Gears of War, and Forza. The company needs to find the right balance between quality and timely releases for the games that actually define Xbox.

The same standard should apply to the rest of the mid-tier and indie portfolio. With so many teams, there’s no excuse for inconsistent output, but that output also can’t be filler just to pad Game Pass day-one slates. Even if it means fewer releases overall, true quality titles will win players back over time. That’s how you rebuild trust and turn folks into loyal subscribers.

Expand Game Pass

I’m sure some of you are wondering what the point of Game Pass is without dedicated hardware. While the subscription service has certainly been a big reason to buy an Xbox console, it doesn’t have to live primarily on the company’s hardware. Given the poor sales of Xbox, Game Pass shouldn’t be tied to it. In fact, the subscription service can thrive outside of Xbox.

And you don’t even have to imagine this scenario. You can already stream hundreds of titles via the Xbox app on Samsung and LG smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV devices, and more. Going further, Microsoft should strike aggressive partnerships for native apps on Roku, Apple TV, every major phone carrier (bundled data plans, anyone?), and every TV manufacturer on the planet. Make Game Pass the true Netflix of gaming.

It can also become the ultimate first-party destination: day-one releases from every major Microsoft-owned studio, plus the full back catalog of legacy Xbox, Xbox 360, and original Xbox games. With that massive library, Game Pass wouldn’t need third-party day-ones from the likes of Capcom or Square Enix. Think of it like a good version of EA Play or Ubisoft+ that you actually want to subscribe to.

To address the elephant in the room, this would also mean bringing Game Pass to PlayStation and Nintendo systems. That would ultimately be up to Sony and Nintendo to approve, but if the service only features Xbox-owned titles (which players could still buy individually on those storefronts), I don’t see a strong reason for them to object, especially since EA Play and Ubisoft+ are already available on PS5. That said, I wouldn’t hold my breath for Nintendo to play ball.

Set realistic expectations

Xbox’s communication isn’t bad. We’re generally not left in the dark about what’s in the pipeline. That said, it could still use some serious restructuring to keep players informed and excited without the usual drama.

Though the company has improved over the years, we need to see an end to the overhype. Aaron Greenberg and the old hype machine loved promising the moon only to underdeliver. The new regime needs to get fans excited for what’s actually coming without setting itself up for backlash when plans change.

Games shouldn’t be announced years before they’re ready. Want an example? Look no further than Perfect Dark, announced in 2020, hyped for half a decade, and then completely cancelled in 2025 along with its entire studio. If a delay is coming, say it early instead of stringing people along.

This last point is controversial but important: Xbox needs to let fans understand the company is not their friend. I’m all for open communication and more fan-centric events to keep people invested, but execs hopping on social media and acting like your buddy is cringey as hell. It has fostered some genuinely toxic parasocial relationships on social media. Like Sony and Nintendo, let fans feel welcome without the fake intimacy that breeds toxicity when expectations aren’t met.

Outlook

Xbox isn’t in great shape today, but that doesn’t mean the 25-year-old brand is finished. With Asha Sharma’s experience as a platform builder and fresh perspective, now is the perfect time for Microsoft to take the drastic measures required to make Xbox thrive again.

Sega came back stronger after it abandoned hardware, and I don’t see why Xbox can’t follow suit. The brand can absolutely prosper without a dedicated plastic box in your living room. The console wars are over and there's no reason for Xbox to continue focusing on hardware. Microsoft can become the ultimate third-party publisher that also offers the ultimate gaming subscription service.

While that might sound absurd or even blasphemous, I think this is the best course for Xbox. After all, Microsoft is and always has been a software-first company. If it can follow through, Xbox won’t be relegated to the landfill of gaming history. By focusing on software and putting it everywhere, Xbox might just pull off the greatest comeback story in gaming.

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Microsoft shook up the leadership of its Xbox division in a late Friday news dump that revealed the retirement of longtime Xbox head Phil Spencer and the new CEO, Asha Sharma.

Sharma was previously the head of product development for Microsoft's CoreAI, and had stints at Instacart and Whatnot, a "living shopping platform." In an announcement letter, Sharma stated that her first job is to "understand what makes this work and protect it."

Since the reveal, she spent this past weekend bolstering her gaming bona fides against the tidal wave of the usual nefarious sorts you'll see on "Gaming Twitter."

Sharma is stepping into a tumultuous time in gaming. Between Xbox's lagging sales and the ongoing RAM crisis, she will need to weather a few different storms.

What Sharma is saying so far?

Sharma is stepping into some big shoes, so outside of an attempt to appease gamers, what is she saying about the future of Xbox?

We have some answers thanks to an interview she gave to Variety. In her internal memo, Sharma said that her commitment to Xbox required three things: great games, the return of Xbox, and understanding the future of play. "We are witnessing the reinvention of play," she wrote.

A great game to Sharma has "deep emotional resonance" and a "distinct point of view." She added that she wants to make stories that make players "feel something," highlighting the excellent indie game Firewatch.

“I’m coming into gaming as a platform builder,” Sharma told Variety. She added that the goal is to be consistent and earn the trust of players and developers.

She acknowledged that she has a lot to learn but is committed to "being grounded in what the community is telling us."

Sharma's background in AI has been a concern, with some backlash against the potential use of generative AI in development. Sharma said she has "no tolerance for bad AI," while adding that AI has been and will continue to be a part of gaming.

But she does note that “great stories are created by humans," echoing a similar sentiment from her announcement letter.

The future of Xbox

For now, we have platitudes, and it might take a minute for action to show up. We'll see what direction Xbox faces during the Game Developers Conference in March and an expected Xbox Games Showcase later this spring.

Meanwhile, The Verge is reporting that former president Sarah Bond was pushing the gaming division at Microsoft in a direction that employees disagreed with, from the "Xbox everywhere" strategy to pushing for multi-platform access.

Sharma's hiring is seen as a reset button, so it will be interesting to see how she pivots away from the previous strategy.

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RAMageddon is in full effect. With memory chip manufacturers prioritizing AI data centers, what we're left with is price hikes, shortages and delays on all the tech that we value the most.

Just how bad has it got? Well, before the memory shortage officially kicked into gear a few months ago, this 32GB DDR5 RAM stick could be picked up for $87. Now, it costs $484. That's just over a 450% increase, and that's still not the worst of it — DRAM and NAND storage memory prices have skyrocketed by over 600%.

For PC makers and enthusiasts, that's a tough blow. But if you're thinking you're in the clear, just because you don't buy RAM sticks yourself, I've got bad news: nothing is safe. Phones, laptops, tablets, gaming consoles and yes, even Wi-Fi routers, will all be impacted by the RAM crisis. In fact, it's already taken effect.

Companies are already scrambling to scoop a dwindling supply of memory chips, with prices set to surge even higher going forward. The problem is, there's no end in sight anytime soon, as analysts and even Micron itself are claiming we won't see any improvements until 2028. Yikes.

We're in for the long haul, and we're already seeing the consequences of the biggest memory companies (SK Hynix, Micron and Samsung) pivoting supplies for an AI future. From shortages on our favorite products today to delays on the most anticipated devices, here are the biggest victims the RAM crisis has claimed (so far).

Valve's Steam Deck (and more)

Who would have thought that a still-popular gaming handheld that released in 2022 would be so hard to get a hold of today? Valve's Steam Deck is out of stock, and it's officially due to (you guessed it) “memory and storage shortages.”

Head over to Steam in the U.S., and you'll find that the Steam Deck OLED, along with the OG Steam Deck, can't be purchased. As Valve's support page notes, stock will be out "intermittently in some regions," although we've been tracking restocks, and Valve's gaming handheld hasn't shown up yet.

At the very least, every model is still available in the U.K., but who knows when stock will dry up in other regions, or how long the drought will last in those areas already affected.

While the Steam Deck has had its moment to shine before shortages kicked in, this spells doom for everything else Valve has coming — the Steam Machine, Steam Frame and Steam Controller.

In a blog post, the gaming giant revealed that its console-like PC, VR headset and gaming controller have been delayed to the “first half of the year,” as opposed to Q1 of 2026. And yes, it's due to “memory and storage shortages.” The RAM crisis is already delaying the biggest releases from Valve in years (and maybe even the mythical Half-Life 3?), but what's even more concerning is the price.

The cost of the Steam Machine and the Steam Frame is still up in the air, and while Valve may have already had a fixed price for its upcoming tech, the company will "revisit" the price because of the memory shortage. This can only signal one thing: a price hike.

Many were already guessing the Steam Machine and Frame would be expensive, more so than the gaming consoles and VR headsets we see today. But now? We may have to add an extra $100 (or more) to what we imagined. As in, $999 for the Steam Machine and $799 for the Steam Frame. These are all just predictions, but considering the Steam Deck has already been affected by the RAM crisis, this only raises concerns about Valve's anticipated hardware.

Nvidia skips gaming GPUs

Even Nvidia, the juggernaut that is all-in on AI, is struggling with the memory shortage. For the first time in three decades, Team Green won't release a new gaming GPU this year.

There had been a lot of talk about when we'd see RTX 50 Super GPUs, with rumors even pointing to a release of the RTX 5070 Super, RTX 5070 Ti Super, and RTX 5080 Super in late 2025. That didn't happen, but even at CES 2026, when Nvidia usually makes its big announcements, there were no new GPUs to be seen.

Instead, we got a first look at Vera Rubin chips, which are gearing up to power AI data centers and the like. It's expected to use HBM4 (High Bandwidth Memory 4), which is exactly what manufacturers are prioritizing over DRAM.

So, instead of giving more previous VRAM to its anticipated set of RTX 50 Super graphics cards (which we'd love to see in the RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti), Nvidia shift gears to fuel the AI train.

As it turns out, Nvidia has indefinitely delayed "Kicker" — the code name for the incremental RTX 50-series refresh, likely the Super cards that we expected to see this year. Even though the designs were reportedly finished, the company decided that it couldn't justify the memory costs.

So, what does this mean for the inevitable RTX 60-series GPUs? Well, a leak indicated we could see these debut in early 2027, but with the ongoing memory crisis already taking its next Super-series off the list this year, there's good reason to believe we won't see these anytime soon.

PS6 pushed back?

We've already seen the price of every PS5 model increase by $50 last year, due to a "backdrop of a challenging economic environment" at the time, but so far, we haven't seen Sony's console be largely affected by the memory and storage shortage. As for its next-gen model? It could be further away than we first thought.

According to a report from Bloomberg, Sony is considering pushing the launch of its PS6 back to 2028 at the earliest, all the way to 2029. And all signs are pointing to the RAM crisis. While rumors have claimed we may see the PS6 in 2028 anyway, some indicate a late 2027 release, which would line up with AMD's hint that a next-gen Xbox is landing next year.

To put this into perspective, the PS4 launched in November 2013, while the latest PS5 arrived in November 2020. The console cycle is generally seven years, and RAMageddon appears to be disrupting the flow already — possibly by two years.

With rumors suggesting the PS6 is expected to come equipped with 32GB of DDR7 RAM to power the next generation of gaming, which is double what the PS5 has (16GB GDDR6), we can start to piece together why Sony would delay the launch of its new console.

During the Activision Blizzard trial back in 2023, documents revealed that the next Xbox and PS6 were set for 2028. But times have changed, and the scarcity of RAM to power these consoles is making it harder for companies to know when the right time is to release their fresh products.

Remember how hard it was to get a PS5 when it launched? Now imagine Sony releasing its PS6 with a limited supply of RAM; the wait for restocks would be never-ending.

Nintendo Switch 2 price hikes?

The Nintendo Switch 2 already had to deal with U.S. tariffs, and many weren't happy with its price tag. Unfortunately, the RAM crisis may make matters worse.

Despite a successful launch, becoming the fastest-selling console of all time, Nintendo is considering raising prices this year. Many had already expected this to happen, following in the footsteps of PlayStation and Xbox raising the cost of their consoles last year, but the memory shortage (and tariffs) appears to be accelerating this.

Analysts believe the Switch 2 will receive a $50 price bump, taking it from $449 to $499 (the price for the Mario Kart World bundle). And this year, during an earnings call, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa raised concerns about the "pressure" caused by surging memory prices.

"The market environment is indeed challenging. But we are engaging in long-term discussions with our suppliers to ensure we maintain a stable intake of chips,” Furukawa noted. That's a promising outlook, but many companies are vying for memory these days, so it only seems inevitable that Nintendo will eventually bump up the price of its Switch 2.

My advice? If there's a particular product you're interested in (in this case, the Switch 2), buy it now. With the RAM crisis already affecting the biggest products on the market, prices are only going to soar, and it will be a while before we see next-gen products come to shelves. Even if they do arrive, don't expect a huge supply.

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Long-time Xbox head Phil Spencer is officially retiring. IGN first reported the news, but now Xbox and Spencer himself have released statements making this a done deal. President Sarah Bond has also allegedly resigned, though that is still unofficial at time of reporting.

Spencer has been at Microsoft for over 38 years, and steps down just as Xbox is about to hit its 25th anniversary. Spencer has been with the Xbox division since the launch of the original console in 2001, becoming head of Xbox in 2014 after the poor release of the Xbox One.

"Over 38 years at Microsoft, including 12 years leading Gaming, Phil helped transform what we do and how we do it," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in an email to staff.

Current President of Microsoft's CoreAI product, Asha Sharma, will replace Spencer as CEO. Sharma has been at Microsoft since 2024, after stints at Meta and Instacart. In her own email, she made commitments to continuing the Xbox legacy and improving upon it in a "period of rapid change."

Notably, she continued the recent chorus from Xbox about the future of consoles. A new console may be coming, but Xbox looks to be going for more of an overall branding exercise than just the console.

"Gaming now lives across devices, not within the limits of any single piece of hardware," Sharma wrote. As we expand across PC, mobile, and cloud, Xbox should feel seamless, instant, and worthy of the communities we serve. We will break down barriers so developers can build once and reach players everywhere without compromise."

Despite coming from AI, Sharma also said that they will not "flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop." She added that games are art made by humans. An interesting response as the company deals with Copilot AI bugs and its alleged commitment to stop stuffing Windows 11 with AI.

Just a few weeks ago, Nadella was praising Microsoft's investments in AI during the company's most recent earnings call. Meanwhile, Xbox revenue decreased again.

There was no letter from Sarah Bond, who, according to the Spencer email, decided to leave Microsoft.

What's next for Xbox?

We're in a strange time for Xbox. AMD just hinted that the next-generation Xbox could launch in 2027, though allegedly, Microsoft was taken aback by that suggestion.

Recent rumors have suggested that an Xbox/PC hybrid is in the works and could be revealed later this year.

With the arrival of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally handheld PC gaming consoles last fall, the "Xbox Play Anywhere" branding took its first steps into reality, and as Sharma suggested, that is the future of Xbox. Xbox is becoming software as a service rather than hardware.

It's unclear how this executive shakeup will or will not alter upcoming Xbox plans. New COO Matt Booty said in his letter that no other staffing or structural changes would take place with this transition.

Meanwhile, Xbox had a disastrous holiday season, reflected in the earnings report, and gamers have not been happy with multiple price hikes across the consoles, Game Pass, and games themselves.

Xbox is on shaky ground right now, and maybe a fresh face or two will see it stabilize.

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On Tuesday, February 17, Xbox Live ran into trouble, with complaints skyrocketing after 10am ET. Microsoft itself admitted there's an issue on its status page, under "Games and gaming." This issue has now been fixed!

Some users reported not being able to login to their games with Xbox. While we haven't been able to replicate this in either the U.S. or U.K., there was definitely an issue with game save syncs — being unable to upload save data to the cloud to be synced across devices.

Ouch, that's a nasty spike

We've been keeping an eye on this Downdetector chart for the past hour or so, and so far the numbers have kept climbing. But unlike your level in an RPG or the damage output of your favorite FPS weapon, this is a number we don't want to be large.

What's Microsoft saying?

Looking at Microsoft's own Xbox Status page, we see a yellow warning sign for syncing games. So be careful if you've not backed up your saves recently - you may want to wait to try until after whatever issue we're having has passed.

Xbox on X's last transmission

There's nothing on any of Xbox's official X accounts, including Xbox Support. The most recent official message was from Xbox Game Pass, announcing the latest batch of games. It may be a coincidence, but that is around the time outage reports began to climb.

No log-in issues, but other problems?

Some users seem to be having problems logging into Xbox in the first place, but we're not having that same trouble. The most we're seeing is a save-syncing issue - when trying to save Cities: Skylines II in the screenshot above, the sync hung on 26% for a whole five minutes.

Is it over?

The Down Detector spike has quickly dropped off. But in our own testing, that game save sync is still hung on 26%. Closed and reopened the app and still issues. We're keeping a close eye on it.

Microsoft says the issues aren't over yet

Another look at the Xbox Live status page shows the issue hasn't been resolved yet.

Game save syncs still not working

No word of a joke, I've closed and reopened the Xbox app multiple times, and it's still showing 26%.

BREAKING: Game Save syncing is working

Both in the U.S. and the U.K., Xbox Live cloud game saves are working. Not only that, but logins are working both on the PC Xbox app and Xbox consoles. Based on this confirmation and our methods of analyzing outages showing the service as running, I'm happy to say the outage is resolved.

We'll keep a close eye on the situation — just in case the mitigation causes any further issues.

We are still a couple of years away from the next-generation of Xbox and PlayStation consoles, but the rumors are starting to pile up. This week, some new leaks surfaced regarding the PlayStation 6 and its rumored companion handheld, as well as Microsoft's potential plans for the next Xbox.

Starting with Sony, regular leaker KeplerL2 posted (via Videocardz) in the NEoGAF forums that the PS6 could feature 32GB of DDR7 memory, double that of the 16GB of GDDR6. Meanwhile, the rumored handheld could feature 24GB of LPDDR5X memory, which would match Windows handheld configurations for a higher-end mobile console.

Both leaks imply that Sony's next console and handheld will be able to run heavy games with no memory constraints.

It's no real surprise that the next PlayStation will be more powerful than its predecessor. The worry is that so much memory will make the PS6 extremely expensive, with the ongoing RAM crisis not expected to abate until 2028 at the earliest.

However, Sony isn't expected to launch the PS6 until 2028, maybe late 2027. Perhaps that delay will give the company time to reduce costs or for memory manufacturers to catch up to AI demand.

The nexBox

At the start of February, AMD's CEO Lisa Su surprisingly revealed that the next Xbox featuring an AMD SoC could launch in 2027. Allegedly, that was a surprise to even Microsoft, per our friends at Windows Central. It contradicted previous Microsoft comments and documents that revealed that the next Xbox was slated for 2028.

"I'm told Microsoft insiders were a little taken off-guard by Lisa Su's comments on Xbox's Gen-10 timeline," Jez Corden reported.

From our own rumor reporting and other sources, the big change between the Series X and the next generation is a focus on a hybrid console/PC. Xbox president Sarah Bond previously hinted that the new console would be "a very premium, very high-end curated experience."

The big rumor from Windows Central is that Microsoft is working with OEMs, like Asus, to build a "variety of options" that would span a wide range of price points. This hints at a gaming laptop-esque future where you could have a high-end, say Razer-built Xbox, but also a lower-end model.

The difference here is that Xbox would become more of a branding exercise and a launcher rather than hardware. Corden is reporting that Microsoft wants to make an "Xbox interface" on top of Windows, similar to how it works on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X handheld PC console, which launched this past October.

While the PS6 might be a more traditional power-step forward, the Xbox could be, as the ads say, "anything."

We'll likely find out more about both next-gen consoles soon enough, so stay tuned to Tom's Guide for the latest news, leaks and rumors.

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• AMD just hinted the next-gen Xbox could ‘launch in 2027’ — here’s why I’m not convinced
• Xbox could launch an ad-free cloud gaming tier soon — here’s what we’ve heard

It speaks to the intense anticipation surrounding all things Grand Theft Auto VI that a recent financial earnings announcement was treated with the same intense fervor as an E3 press conference. GTA 6 mania is real, even if we still know relatively little about the upcoming open-world game.

Predictions of a new GTA 6 trailer this week were wide of the mark (though this speculation always seemed a little fanciful). However, during an earnings call, Take-Two, the parent company of GTA developer Rockstar Games, dropped a few morsels of information that give us additional insight into the state of the game ahead of its November 19 release date.

Most importantly, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick noted that GTA 6’s marketing campaign is “set to begin this summer” in a follow-up comment given to IGN. The CEO also said that he feels “good” regarding the game's release date: “Any time you're getting closer to marketing beats, you're obviously in a place where your confidence level is as high as it can be.”

Typically, the timing of an upcoming game’s marketing campaign would be of little interest to everyday players, but with GTA 6, even the smallest updates are significant. Most promising about this vague “summer” date is that it suggests a high degree of confidence that the November 19 release date will stick. GTA 6 has already been delayed twice. First, from a loose “fall 2025” window, and then it was shifted from a hard date of May 26, 2026.

The downside of this update is the suggestion that we might be several months away from the next GTA 6 trailer, and in particular, getting our first look at actual gameplay. If the game’s marketing blitz begins in the summer, we could be waiting until then before we get our next proper look at the game. But here’s hoping the third GTA 6 trailer drops a bit sooner.

Assuming no further delays, GTA 6 is guaranteed to be not just the biggest video game of 2026, but one of the largest entertainment launches ever. Despite GTA 6 being set to launch in just 10 months, there’s still so much we don’t know about the game. We do know it’ll feature two playable protagonists, Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, and it will be set in Vice City, the GTA franchise’s sun-soaked satirical spin on Miami, Florida.

In the meantime, even with GTA 6 on the way, its predecessor, GTA 5, is showing no signs of slowing down. The game sold a further five million copies in the last quarter, bringing its sales to a staggering 225 million. Plus, the popular GTA Online continues to receive regular updates, ensuring that GTA fans aren’t starved of new content to pass the time till November.

More from Tom's Guide

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• I ditched my regular 'Pro' laptop for a gaming laptop for work

Something interesting happened in AMD’s earnings call, and I’m not talking about the stock price dropping significantly. CEO Lisa Su started talking about its games console chip business, and let slip that “development of Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox featuring an AMD semi-custom SoC is progressing well to support a launch in 2027.”

She also mentioned the Steam Machine is still set for “early this year” too, but it’s that Xbox comment that piqued my interest, as this conflicts with what Microsoft has said in the past. So let’s break down what I predict will be in this next console, and why I’m skeptical about the launch year.

Predicting the next Xbox specs (way too early)

So as Xbox president Sarah Bond said, this is set to be a “very premium, very high-end, curated experience.” With a higher spec ceiling to reach (and a rumored cost of $1,000), that gives Microsoft (and AMD) a lot of room to work in to create what is set to be a console/PC hybrid.

I’m going to go through the rumors I’ve seen and given them a rating out of 10 on likelihood (in my opinion of course):

• AMD Zen 6 chipset architecture (7/10): This next gen CPU architecture is set to rollout in late 2026 — moving to TSMC’s new manufacturing processes to stuff more transistors on there for improved performance. In my mind, it seems likely.
• RDNA 5 GPU (6/10): Xbox Series X sports AMD’s RDNA 2 GPU architecture, which was Team Red’s graphics tech back in 2020. While I can see the logic here (RDNA 2 launched in early 2020 for PCs and came to consoles later that year), given the GPU squeeze at the moment for AI infrastructure, I can see the current-gen RDNA 4 coming instead.
• Up to 48GB of GDDR7 RAM (5/10): Casting serious doubt on this in the current RAM price crisis. Of course, I have my (rather selfish) prayer circle that this AI bubble bursts and components are reasonably priced again. But even with that in mind, I still anticipate 16GB of VRAM.
• AI and neural rendering (10/10): AMD has pivoted hard to AI trickery using FSR Redstone, and the PS5 Pro already does this. I would be shocked if the next-gen Xbox didn’t sport this.

Why I’m pressing ‘X’ to doubt

Well, my suspicions come from what Microsoft itself said. Back in the FTC vs. Microsoft court battle, documents revealed that the next Xbox (and PS6) were set for 2028. This “hybrid game platform” is set to combine local hardware and cloud computing.

Of course, this could’ve changed over the years since this court battle happened, and the “very high-end” comments from Bond does suggest that a pivot is on the table here. But let’s go deeper.

One thing that’s clear is RAMageddon is set to impact console gaming, and with next-gen systems, companies like Microsoft and Sony have a decision to make: Stick to this expected timeline and make it hurt, or wait it out for this DRAM drought to correct.

If I were a betting man, I’d go for the latter. But I’d love to know when you think the PS6 and next-gen Xbox will launch.

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Ad-supported Xbox Cloud Gaming could be coming soon. As The Verge’s Tom Warren posted on X just before the weekend, some Xbox users started seeing notifications on the Xbox app that said: “1-hour of ad-supported play time per session.” We don’t yet know when this free tier could launch, but it could be soon.

As Warren also reported on The Verge, Microsoft has been testing ad-supported Xbox Cloud Gaming for months and is preparing to test it with Xbox Insiders. The Xbox app notification aligns with Microsoft’s testing. Warren says that, so far, the testing has been limited to one-hour play sessions, and that users will get up to five hours free per month.

The internal testing features two minutes of preroll ads before you’re able to play from a selection of games. This free version will let you stream games you own and Free Play Days games over a weekend. The report also says Xbox Retro Classics will have preroll ads.

Another report from The Verge details how Microsoft told The New York Times that it was officially testing ad-supported Xbox Cloud Gaming. So while we don’t yet have a blog post from Xbox Wire or another Microsoft blog announcing the ad-free service, it’s all but assuredly coming. According to Tom Warren, the announcement could be “in the coming weeks.”

Even if you have to deal with ads and a limited amount of play hours, an ad-free Xbox Cloud Gaming tier seems like a great way for folks without an Xbox Game Pass subscription to check the service out. Though it has been some years since I’ve used Xbox Cloud Gaming, it worked remarkably well, even with spotty hotel Wi-Fi. My colleagues say it still runs great and is a nice alternative to playing on an Xbox or PC if you’re on the road.

If this report is accurate, then we could be hearing more from Xbox very soon. To that end, make sure you come back to read our report and our hands-on take on the ad-free Xbox Cloud Gaming service. Stay tuned!

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Technology continues to become more and more accessible as the years go by, and today, you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to get one of the best PC game controllers. GameSir is a reputable brand known for creating budget-friendly peripherals that, though cheap, are powerful enough to give you a competitive edge, like the GameSir G7 Pro.

The G7 Pro, the successor to the GameSIr G7 SE, is a fantastic Xbox, PC and Android controller, featuring customizable TMR thumbsticks and Hall Effect triggers that deliver precise, powerful performance. Comfortable to hold for long periods of time thanks to rubberized grips, the G7 Pro is the ultimate Xbox Elite Series 2 alternative — especially if you’re on a budget.

Should you buy this gamepad? Find out in my full GameSir G7 Pro review.

GameSir G7 Pro review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A tri-mode connectivity controller featuring TMR thumbsticks and Hall Effect triggers for Xbox, PC and Android
• Who is it for? Xbox and PC gamers looking for a gamepad that can give them a competitive edge
• How much does it cost? The GameSir G7 Pro is available for $79 / £89
• What do we like? The ergonomic design, connectivity options, competitive price tag and excellent gaming performance across genres
• What don’t we like? Some rivals feel more “pro,” and it can’t be used wirelessly with Xbox

GameSir G7 Pro review: Specs

GameSir G7 Pro review: The ups

From its low-key and ergonomic design to its Hall Effect triggers and TMR thumbsticks, the GameSir G7 Pro is a fantastic controller for casual as well as competitive gamers.

Low-key, thoughtful design

GameSir continues to “wow” on the design front, as the GameSir G7 Pro sports an inconspicuous, low-key design. It’s available in two standard colors: Mech White and Shadow Ember. I tested the latter, a combination of red and black, and I think it looks great. The matte finish makes it look premium, too — more premium than the plasticky GameSir G7 SE — and negates the possibility of fingerprints appearing just after a few hours of use.

If you want to change up the G7 Pro’s looks, you can easily pop out the magnetic faceplate and replace it with another. GameSir sells faceplates for $11 each, and there are plenty of colors to choose from.

Included in the box is a charging dock, similar to the one you get with the GameSir Super Nova ($49). It doesn’t take up much space on my TV stand and is a great way of displaying the G7 Pro. The charging dock’s bottom is covered in rubber, which is grippy enough to ensure you don’t unintentionally knock it over.

A USB-C port is located on the dock’s back to power it and charge the G7 Pro. An LED strip lights up in white to indicate it is charging. I also love that it has a storage compartment for the USB-A 2.4GHz dongle so you don’t lose it.

Ergonomic with rubberized grips

Just because a controller looks good doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s comfortable. Thankfully, the GameSir G7 Pro checks both boxes. The controller features chunky grips similar to the ones on first-party Xbox controllers, and both sides of the gamepad are covered in texturized rubber grips. These make the G7 Pro feel grippy, especially during long gaming sessions.

The G7 Pro measures 5.98 x 4.06 x 2.28 inches, and as someone with medium-sized hands, I found it comfortable to hold. It weighs 9.6oz, so even though it’s lighter than the 11.5oz GameSir Tarantula Pro ($69), it feels substantial in your hands. I used the G7 Pro for three hours, and not once did my hands cramp up.

Tri-mode connectivity

The GameSir G7 Pro features tri-mode connectivity, which means there are three ways to connect the controller to your console or smart device. If you’re using it with an Xbox Series S, an Xbox Series X or an Xbox One, you’ll need to plug in the 3m cable. You can also plug the G7 Pro directly into your PC — as I did to test the controller.

There’s wireless connectivity at play, too. You can use Bluetooth LE to use the controller with your Android smartphone. This worked seamlessly with my Google Pixel 10 Pro XL. Then there’s the 2.4GHz USB-A dongle, which can be used with a PC.

Peerless gaming performance

The GameSir G7 Pro is a highly competent controller for the Xbox, PC and Android. It has one thing the much pricier Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 ($179) doesn’t: magnetic sensors in its thumbsticks and triggers. The G7 Pro’s thumbsticks utilize Tunnel Magneto Resistance (TMR) sensors, while its six triggers and bumpers are packed with Hall Effect sensors and clicky Micro Switch trigger stops. In comparison, the GameSir G7 SE doesn’t feature TMR, making the G7 Pro the better choice.

Analog tech feels like a relic of the past, and the G7 Pro’s triggers and sticks, together, deliver peerless and precise performance in FPS, RPGs and racing titles. The controller also has a 1000Hz polling rate on PC (Xbox limits it to 400Hz, unfortunately), and as I tested it primarily on a computer, I didn’t notice any latency issues or input lag.

In FPS titles, being able to aim extremely precisely at your enemies is one of the most important things, and the G7 Pro’s thumbsticks let me aim and change my aim in minuscule increments. This is thanks to the TMR sensors, which use weak electromagnetic waves and pick up tiny adjustments.

I noticed the boost in accuracy, especially in Cyberpunk 2077, where, during a particular mission, I had to take out enemies with a sniper. When there were two NPCs standing next to each other, I was able to rapidly take one out and then quickly move to the next target with just a short shift of the stick. The sticks come to a sudden stop if you’re panning while searching for your target and want to stop as soon as you spot them. This came in clutch in tight shootouts in Counter-Strike 2.

The G7 Pro’s triggers are just as formidable, if not more. Each trigger’s actuation distance can be shortened via the trigger stop switches, so you can keep them at either long-press or swap them to short clicky ones. In Cyberpunk 2077, I set the right trigger to a short click and the left trigger to its default setting. This made the game feel more immersive, but I also liked that I didn’t have to press the right trigger all the way down to unleash a rain of gunfire.

Two additional shoulder buttons are located next to the primary triggers, and these can be customized via the GameSir Nexus app. You can assign specific actions to these buttons, such as swapping between weapons, and execute them without having to move your fingers too much or your thumbs off the sticks — this adds to the G7 Pro’s ergonomics.

Competitively priced

Priced at $79 / £89 at Amazon, the GameSir G7 Pro is an affordable alternative to the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 ($179). The first-party Xbox controller doesn’t feature Hall Effect tech, making the G7 Pro the more “pro” gamepad. It’s priced similarly to the GameSir Tarantula Pro ($69), and it’s cheaper than the PB Tails Metal Crush Defender ($109).

There are cheaper controllers yet, such as the GameSir Cyclone 2 ($49), but if you want an Xbox-compatible gamepad with versatile connectivity, you can’t go wrong with the G7 Pro. There’s also the GameSir G7 SE ($44), but if you want best-in-class performance with TMR sticks, I’d recommend spending the extra $30 on the G7 Pro.

GameSir G7 Pro review: The downs

The GameSir G7 Pro isn’t a perfect controller. You’ll need to spend extra if you want wireless connectivity with your Xbox, and some rivals feel more “pro.”

Wired-only on Xbox

This isn’t a massive flaw or drawback, but more of a pre-purchase consideration. The GameSir G7 Pro can only be used with the Xbox if you plug the cable into the console. Thankfully, the cable is 3m long, giving you plenty of flexibility.

There is, however, a special wireless Wuchang edition — inspired by the game Wuchang: Fallen Feathers — you can buy for $148 direct from GameSir. Double the price of the standard, wired edition, yes, but still cheaper than the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2.

Some rivals feel more “pro”

For a controller that has the word “pro” in its name, I expected the GameSir G7 Pro to pack more pro-level features. For instance, there are only two back buttons. Similarly priced controllers like the Manba One ($69) and the PowerA OPS v3 Pro ($99) come with four rebindable back buttons, so it’s surprising that the G7 Pro doesn’t. In fact, at the time of writing, no GameSir controller offers four back buttons (although a GameSir rep confirmed on Reddit that this is in the works).

The G7 Pro’s face buttons and thumbsticks can’t be swapped either, limiting its customizability and modularity. If you want to be able to swap face buttons, I’d recommend the GameSir Tarantula Pro instead. The ability to swap thumbsticks is usually reserved for pricier controllers, like the Turtle Beach Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded ($209), but if you want some degree of customization, you can at least adjust the height of the PowerA OPS v3 Pro’s sticks.

GameSir G7 Pro review: Verdict

As budget controllers go, the GameSir G7 Pro is one of the best you can buy today. For under $80, you’re getting a gamepad that’s extremely comfortable to hold for long hours, thanks to an ergonomic design. The G7 Pro’s prowess lies in its gaming performance, bolstered by Hall Effect triggers with customizable trigger stops and TMR thumbsticks that are precise and accurate.

While you can use it wirelessly with PC and Android smartphones, the G7 Pro can be used wired-only with Xbox — but it comes with a 3m cable, which is plenty long. I do, however, wish the G7 Pro had more than two back buttons and swappable thumbsticks, but for the money, it’s still a formidable alternative to the first-party (and much pricier) Xbox Elite Series 2.

AI has become the go-to shortcut for recommendations — whether you’re looking for your next favorite book, discovering new music that fits your vibe or finding YouTube creators who actually match your interests. When your backlog runs dry, asking a chatbot for suggestions now feels almost automatic.

I realized the same logic applies to gaming — even though I’d been overlooking it. Like most Xbox players, I regularly open the Xbox mobile app to check in on friends, skim through the occasional salty message from a match gone wrong, and see which deals are worth grabbing. What I never did was tap on the Gaming Copilot tab sitting right there.

So I finally did.

For the uninitiated, Gaming Copilot is Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant for Xbox and PC, built directly into the Xbox mobile app, the Xbox Game Bar on PC and handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally.

Once I stopped ignoring it and actually put it to work, I was surprised by how well it understood my gaming taste — and how useful its recommendations turned out to be.

Here’s how Gaming Copilot inside the Xbox app ended up being far more helpful than I expected.

Gaming Copilot nailed my gaming taste with surprisingly good picks

As soon as I turned on Gaming Copilot, it greeted me with a warm message and made it abundantly clear that it sets out to be everyone’s new personal gaming sidekick. Its toolset includes helping gamers come up with winning strategies, recommending games, and diving into a myriad of other topics.

After reading through that brief overview, I was given the option to choose from eight vocal options that my personal Gaming Copilot would adopt from that point forward:

• Vector
• Pulse
• Echo
• Node
• Core
• Spark
• Pixel
• Matrix

I picked the “Vector” voice option mostly because it sounded cool, then asked Gaming Copilot to recommend character-driven action games similar to Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden. It immediately recognized the genre, describing it as fast-paced combat games with strong characters and cinematic flair, and returned a clean, easy-to-scan list of recommendations.

The picks were better than I expected. Gaming Copilot surfaced titles like Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Astral Chain, and Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, along with brief explanations for why each matched my taste. It even flagged games not currently available on Xbox and cited the sources behind its recommendations, factoring in my recent play history along the way.

Gaming Copilot pulls smart Game Pass picks you can download right now

Gaming Copilot didn’t stop at general recommendations — it also checked Xbox’s Game Pass library for games I could download right away. When I asked which of its suggested titles were included with my subscription, it flagged Wo Long and Hellblade. That wasn’t enough for me, so I asked for more character-driven action games available on Game Pass.

The follow-up list was even better. Gaming Copilot surfaced strong picks like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Control: Ultimate Edition and Yakuza 0, each paired with quick explanations for why they fit my taste. It also clearly noted Game Pass availability and whether I already owned the game, making the recommendations easy to act on.

Bottom line

I’ve long ignored the Gaming Copilot tab on the mobile Xbox app. But after putting it through its paces and testing it to see if its game recommendations are on point, I think I’ll be paying more attention from this point forward.

In the near future, I’ll be sure to ask it for worthwhile Game Pass picks across the fighting and arcade racing genres. Perhaps I judged you too harshly, Gaming Copilot.

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A new report from Windows Central suggests Microsoft is developing an Xbox-branded PC that could be revealed this year. The OEM computer could use the Xbox Full Screen Experience on Windows that debuted with the Asus ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X handheld consoles in October.

Windows Central argued that Xbox actually had a decent 2025, with a ton of first-party titles shipped last year, Xbox Game Pass expanding, Xbox Play Anywhere, and the Asus partnership. Unfortunately, Microsoft seems hellbent on tarnishing its image.

The company raised prices on the Xbox Series X and Series S twice last year, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is begging people not to call AI 'slop', and the Xbox closed multiple studios after its giant Activision acquisition, laying off thousands of workers. Plus, Xbox faces a growing boycott against its products due to Microsoft's affiliation with the Israeli government.

What is the Xbox PC

Windows Central says it has seen "credible rumors" that Microsoft could unveil an OEM Xbox PC. However, the report is light on details regarding what the PC could offer. They do caution that "time will tell" whether this device will actually debut.

In October of 2025, Xbox president Sarah Bond hinted that the next Xbox console would be a "very premium, very high-end curated experience" when asked if it would be more PC-like. She likened it to the ROG Xbox Ally X.

Over the summer, a leaked "Magnus APU" suggested Microsoft was working on an upgradeable console that would get more frequent updates than your usual seven-year console lifecycle. Basically, the leak hinted that the next Xbox would be more akin to a pre-built PC.

Whether or not Microsoft reveals a new Xbox this year, both it and the expected PlayStation 6 console have been tipped to launch in 2027. So we have some time for Microsoft to right the boat.

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2025 has been another fantastic year for gaming. Not only have the past 12 months offered more high-quality games than you could possibly play in a single year, but we also got new hardware in the form of the Nintendo Switch 2. Wherever you opt to play your games, across PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC gaming, there’s been a slew of must-play titles.

With so many excellent video games to play, picking out the very best games of 2025 is no easy task. However, the Tom’s Guide staff put our heads together, and after some discussion (and a few heated disagreements), we’ve put together a list of our favorite games of 2025.

Our GOTY picks cover all platforms (yes, including Switch 2), and if you missed any of them, now is the time to catch up, before the first new games of 2026 arrive. These are the 13 best games of 2025.

Best action game

Ghost of Yotei

Platform: PS5

Ghost of Yotei, the sequel to the fantastic Ghost of Tsushima, may not have the impactful narrative strengths of its predecessor, but as action/adventure games go, it’s the best release of 2025. Its peerless combat system and open-world setting set a new benchmark not just for samurai games but for action games as a whole.

Building on Tsushima’s already-fantastic and fluid swordplay, Ghost of Yotei introduces an expanded weapon set, including the addition of dual katanas, an odachi, a kusarigama… and guns! This new arsenal results in players being able to strategize better, depending on the enemy they’re facing, and enhanced parry mechanics, which make one-on-one duels feel brutal and deeply satisfying. Atsu, the protagonist, is also accompanied by a wolf who participates in standoffs and can be called to help take down enemies, adding a fresh touch to the sequel.

The world of Ghost of Yotei is stunning, with snowcapped Mount Yotei watching over you as you make your way through the lush fields of Ezo, which makes battles feel cinematic. Optional side quests see you take on different factions such as ronin, bandits, and samurai, while the new bounty system puts your exploration and combat skills through the paces. — Nikita Achanta

Runners-up: Ninja Gaiden 4, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Best RPG

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X

Sandfall Interactive’s first-ever game is a triumph, and it deserves all the accolades it has garnered this year (and more). Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is exactly what a story-driven RPG should look like, and it’s a game everyone needs to play at least once. The game’s Belle Époque-inspired dark fantasy world is not just visually stunning, but it’s highly detailed too, and every NPC you encounter is intrinsically designed.

Visually, Expedition 33’s aesthetic is unlike any other game this year, and this extends to the story, too. It’s an emotionally complex and haunting narrative revolving around you and your party trying to desperately stop the Paintress from erasing everyone of a certain age from existence — a cycle that has gone on for several years. But what makes Expedition 33 stand out is the fact that, somehow, you end up feeling heartbroken for every single character in the game, and the cinematic, classical, orchestral soundtrack moves you to tears.

Beyond visuals and storytelling, Expedition 33’s reactive turn-based combat is genius as it merges classic turn-based strategy with real-time action. Dodging, parrying and timing attacks means you’re always on guard and engaged, and it never gets old. The wide variety of enemy types makes every encounter a thrilling, hands-on challenge where you must utilize strategic foresight as well as precise execution. — Nikita Achanta

Runners-up: Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, The Outer Worlds 2

Best racing/sports game

Rematch

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

If you’d asked me if Rematch would be my vote for the best sports game of 2025 after sampling it during the beta period, I’d have laughed. I did not click with the online soccer game from Sifu developer Sloclap during this trial run. But once I got access to the full experience and started scaling the high skill barrier that makes your first couple of hours pretty daunting, I fell in love, hard. Now, with dozens of hours under my belt and the PS5 Platinum Trophy unlocked, I’m still returning to Rematch regularly for its special brand of sports action.

Best described as Rocket League but without the RC cars (I know that’s just regular soccer, but stick with me here), Rematch is the perfect antidote to the increasingly stale EA Sports FC series. Unlike the franchise formerly known as FIFA, Rematch offers a more over-the-top take on the beautiful game, and most importantly, demands more skill from its teams of up to five players per side. While it’ll take you a minute (or maybe several) to grasp the basics, when you score your first hat-trick, or pull off a clutch diving save as a goalkeeper, you’ll find yourself instantly hooked. Rematch is the soccer game I didn’t know I needed in my life. — Rory Mellon

Runners-up: Mario Kart World, Assetto Corsa Rally

Best fighting game

Fatal Fury: City of Wolves

Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves might not have a large player base compared to Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8, but it’s an easy pick for best fighting game of the year. Not only does it successfully resurrect a legendary fighting game franchise, but it does so with new gameplay mechanics that arguably make it the best Fatal Fury yet.

The innovative REV system offers numerous offensive and defensive options, while the smooth animations, flashy graphics and robust single and online modes keep you coming for more. As we head into 2026, I’m eager to see which new characters will join the roster and what updates (if any) SNK will introduce to keep this title fresh. If you want an alternative to the big fighting game franchises and a title that rewards the time you put into it, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is it. — Tony Polanco

Runners-up: Capcom Fighting Collection 2, Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection

Best shooter game

Battlefield 6

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Battlefield 6 is a back-to-basics take on the long-running franchise with snappy gunplay, restrained maps, and a perfect pick for the best shooter this year. Yes, the single player campaign is abysmal, but you play Battlefield for the chaotic, explosive multiplayer, not the solo mode. Fortunately, you can download the parts you want and exclude the ones you don’t, a lovely way of saving some space on your hard drive.

EA’s latest shooter is laser-focused on traditional classes and destructible environments. The game launched with six playable modes but has already been expanded, including a surprisingly fun battle royale option. I recommend the smaller Domination and King of the Hill modes, where the tighter maps make for more strategic and tactical gameplay. Whether you’re playing on a PS5 or an RTX 5070 PC, Battlefield 6 feels fully optimized and moves smoothly even in the most graphically intense battles. As Call of Duty flails, BF6 is an excellent option. — Scott Younker

Runners-up: Borderlands 4, Doom: The Dark Ages

Best family game

Donkey Kong Bananza

Platform: Nintendo Switch 2

Donkey Kong Bananza is a fresh 3D take on one of Nintendo's most beloved mascots. It continues to surprise you as you go from sublayer to sublayer on your journey to the planet’s core. Instead of rehashing old ideas, this game introduces you to a brand new world filled with interesting characters and a few familiar faces along the way.

Debuting on the Switch 2, it’s the perfect showcase for Nintendo’s new hybrid system. Donkey Kong Bananza’s voxel-powered visuals are a sight to behold. However, they’re also what make its destructible environments possible. You can punch through walls, smash almost everything you see and dig through the ground to your heart’s content, completely transforming levels as you go. This vertical and horizontal destruction isn’t just a gimmick, though; it’s part of Donkey Kong Bananza’s core gameplay and something you’ll have to do if you want to find all of the hidden Banandium Gems required to unlock Donkey Kong’s full set of abilities.

Speaking of which, smashing on its own would be enough, but Donkey Kong also learns various animal-themed Bananza transformations that completely change how you approach each environment and objective. The sheer level of discovery and exploration almost makes Donkey Kong Bananza feel like Switch 2's The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — Anthony Spadafora

Runners-up: Mario Kart World, Lego Voyagers

Best remake/remaster

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

I tend to scoff when I see yet another remake/remaster get released, but that’s not the case with Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. Konami pulled out all the stops with this release, and as a long-time fan of this game and franchise, I couldn’t be happier with the overall package. The Unreal Engine 5-driven graphics make the game look its absolute best, and MGS 3's already cinematic experience is now even more immersive.

But beyond the shiny new graphics, quality-of-life tweaks to controls and UI, and numerous unlockables, we get the same brilliant Metal Gear Solid 3 experience from nearly 20 years ago. The Metal Gear Solid franchise can be difficult to get into, but MGS 3 was and is still an excellent entry point since it’s a self-contained story. If you’ve ever wanted to give this series or the stealth game genre a shot, there’s no finer way to do so than with Metal Gear Solid Delta. — Tony Polanco

Runners-up: Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered

Best horror game

Silent Hill f

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

There’s something to be said for bringing Silent Hill to its first-ever Japanese setting. Dropping players into a place and time totally alien to the long-lived franchise proved rewarding, offering incredible callbacks to the originals while inciting serious promise for the future of its nightmarish lore.

The story of Hinako is a mixture of sorrow and pain. It’s Silent Hill at its purest and most electrifying, highlighted by two branching narratives, with one focusing on the physical world and another on the subconscious. Silent Hill f cleverly weaves gameplay elements into its narrative, making players feel one with the story as it unfolds around them. It’s a chilling reminder of how some horror games can make us feel right at home.

I’ve longed for a return to form for Silent Hill, and f is everything I had hoped for and much more. It offers up boundless hours of enjoyment, with several special endings for replay value (in Silent Hill fashion). Don’t let those restless dreams go to waste. — Ryan Epps

Runners-up: Cronos The New Dawn, Alien Rogue Incursion - Evolved Edition

Best narrative

Dispatch

Platforms: PC, PS5

2025 has been a great year for getting lost in a good story, but among all the gripping narratives, Dispatch stands head and shoulders above the rest for its impressively bingeable appeal. You can tell this was made by ex-Telltale veterans.

In this darkly comedic workplace drama, set in a world where humans and superheroes co-exist, you play through the redemption arc of a complex protagonist — working as a dispatcher for a hero-for-hire agency. The scenario is eye-catching, bizarre and offers real emotional depth.

And it’s funny, too. Like, actually funny. A lot of games attempt (and miss the mark) on being humorous. But peeling the spectacle away from being a superhero and focusing on the messy bureaucracy of work and life gives the comedy serious “The Office” vibes in the best way possible.

Normally, with Telltale-esque linear stories, I do the one playthrough and never think about it again. The fact that I went straight back into this memorable story to find the many other narrative paths is a testament to how well-written (and acted) Dispatch is. — Jason England

Runners-up: Clair Obscur Expedition 33, Baby Steps

Best multiplayer game

ARC Raiders

ARC Raiders is pure multiplayer gaming distilled down to its very essence. The bonds formed between random teammates are intense. On the other side, the hatred for the people who took you and your squad down and stole your goodies is very real.

More than multiplayer gaming, ARC Raiders is a look at what humans will do to each other when real-world consequences are removed. Will you shoot the person with their back turned to steal their stuff, or will you fight off the attacking robots to help them survive? Will you use your microphone to tell someone that you won’t shoot them, only to open fire when they run away? In ARC Raiders, both are completely viable options.

Capping off the multiplayer enjoyment, and feeling insignificant next to the human element the game brings to the table, is the actual shooting, which has a sense of weight to it that you won’t find in many other extraction shooters.

Even if you have a completely playerless run, the game is just fun. And the threat of a fellow Raider waiting by the extraction point means multiplayer is always at the front of your mind. — Dave LeClair

Runners-up: Battlefield 6, The Bazaar

Best independent game

Hades 2

Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, PC

“One more run.” It’s the phrase you’ll utter to yourself at midnight in the middle of the week after coming ever-so-close to clearing the final boss. It will be said again. And again. And again. Melinoë, Hades 2’s protagonist, might be the one with time-bending magical powers, but the game itself has a way of making hours of your life disappear.

What Hades 2 gets right is that, unlike Souls-like games that have a single difficulty and never get easier, you’ll grow more powerful with every run. Yes, your muscle memory and twitch reflexes will get better, but every resource you pick up on your journey enhances Melinoë’s powers — ever so slightly — until the impossible feels possible. Bosses that couldn’t be cleared in your fifth run become nothing more than a nuisance in your 15th. It’s this ever-increasing feeling of empowerment that drives both the story and you as a player forward, through embattled cityscapes and the ocean depths, in an implacable advance toward the game’s (*spoiler*) twin final bosses.

The original ending might’ve needed a mulligan, but the core rogue-like mechanics, addictive gameplay loop and well-written pantheon of gods were perfect from the jump. — Nick Pino

Runners-up: Blue Prince, Sword of the Sea

Best graphics

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Platform: PS5

Hideo Kojima’s use of the Decima engine for Death Stranding remains unchallenged in its photo realism, and that depth is only amplified twofold in the sequel. From the moment the game begins, it leaves you breathless as the camera pans toward protagonist Sam Porter Bridges. It’s totally gorgeous, which makes its devastating story all the more heartwrenching.

With Kojima’s extensive attention to detail and love for cinematic storytelling, graphical fidelity is a natural fit. It’s not a stretch to say that Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is one of the most beautiful games to come out in 2025, and potentially in a long time, which says a lot given that it takes place entirely in a post-apocalyptic world, one ravaged and decayed by time.

Graphics aren’t everything, though. Although Death Stranding 2 definitely boasts near-photorealism, it wouldn’t mean much without its slew of unforgettable characters and unique story that’s wholly Kojima-brained. — Ryan Epps

Runners-up: Ghost of Yotei, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

Game of the Year 2025

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 came out of nowhere to become the defining game of 2025. This turn-based RPG from debut developer Sandfall Interactive succeeds in nearly all areas. It’s perhaps lacking in fundamentally new ideas, but it takes the best parts of its numerous role-playing inspirations and crafts them into a masterful experience you won’t soon forget.

It’s narrative sinks its hook into you straight away, with an intriguing premise: a group of expeditors sets out to end the tyrannical reign of a deity known as The Paintress. This story is compelling from the drop, but as you progress through its 30-hour main quest, the revelations that unfold will have your jaw agape. And it’s all centered on one of the most likable and well-written casts of companions in an RPG since Baldur’s Gate 3.

It’s no slouch in the gameplay department either. The tough turn-based battles are surprisingly energetic thanks to the satisfying parry system that prevents players from putting down the controller between turns. Oh, and did I mention, the whole game is set to one of gaming’s most sonically fitting scores? I've had the soundtrack on repeat for months.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 set a bar back in April that very few video games could match, and that’s why it’s our pick for Game of the Year 2025. — Rory Mellon

Runners-up: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza

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• I’ve used the PS5 Pro for a year — here’s what I like and don't like

Every year, there are always a few excellent new games that get a little overshadowed. While the likes of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Donkey Kong Bananza and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach have enjoyed their (deserved) moment in the spotlight, plenty of great video games didn't get the same level of attention.

To ensure you don’t miss out on a must-play experiences released in 2025, I asked the Tom’s Guide staff to pick out their favorite games this year that you (probably) missed over the last 12 months. I got plenty of worthwhile suggestions from a game best described as Journey meets Tony Hawk, to an RPG that mixes a farming sim with fast-paced combat. There are games that will fit pretty much all personal tastes below.

So, if you’ve already played all the Game of the Year 2025 contenders, then make sure to check out these games that flew under the radar.

Best new game you missed in 2025

Lego Voyagers

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Much like Dark Souls birthed a new whole genre (Soulslikes) in 2010, it’s clear to see that the success of 2021’s It Takes Two is inspiring numerous developers. Did you see how many co-op games were announced at this year's The Game Awards? Of the several games inspired by Hazelight's acclaimed multiplayer title, Lego Voyagers is most definitely my favorite so far.

In this charming adventure, you and a partner (it’s a mandatory co-op experience) play as 1x1 Lego bricks with an added googly eye for extra personality. Your mission is to roll, jump and build your way through a series of gentle puzzles and breezy platforming sections. The graphics are gorgeous, giving the appearance of stepping into a plastic diorama.

However, what I enjoyed most about Lego Voyager is its accessibility. While I had a blast with It Takes Two and spiritual follow-up Split Fiction, each requires at least some degree of gaming familiarity, whereas Lego Voyager is perfect for even novice players. This allowed me to experience the game with my gaming-newbie partner, which was a real treat. — Rory Mellon

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

System Shock 2 remains one of my favorite games, and the long-awaited 25th Anniversary Remaster from Nightdive offers the best way for new and old fans to enjoy this incredible horror sci-fi experience.

Staying true to the original, System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster merely upscales visuals and polishes gameplay. The same 1999 feel is present throughout, but it’s built into the body of a 2025 experience. Nightdive went above and beyond in polishing off some of the more egregious problems still lingering within the shadows, fixing several bugs, adding controller support, and even enhancing co-op.

I know we bemoan the multitude of remakes and remasters flooding the gaming market, but if any title needed a hefty polishing, System Shock 2 would be it. If you’re a big Doom fan or love horror sci-fi like me (a la “Event Horizon” and “Pandorum”), this remaster needs to be on your radar. — Ryan Epps

Sword of the Sea

Platforms: PC, PS5

Elevator pitch: how’d you like to play a beautifully rendered narrative adventure that you could inelegantly sum up as what would happen if you crossed Journey with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater?

That’s sort of what you’re getting with Sword of the Sea, the latest title from Giant Squid (the team behind Abzu and The Pathless). This adventure arrived over the summer and casts you as the Wraith, a mysterious figure tasked with restoring the world's ocean. You do this by roving across a series of stunning landscapes astride your Hoversword, surfing at high speeds across shifting sands, snow drifts, and waterways.

Moving through the world and leaping into strings of tricks and maneuvers is satisfying enough in its own right, but the brilliance of Sword in the Sea comes with combining that satisfying movement system with the game’s gorgeous presentation and another all-time video game soundtrack from composer Austin Wintory. It also sprinkles in hidden secrets and challenges along the way.

Sword of the Sea only takes a handful of hours to see through, but those few hours are among the best of what I played this year. — Martin Shore

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance expertly melds the old and the new thanks to its classic gameplay and modern hand-drawn graphics. Levels brim with secrets to discover and hordes of enemies to slice apart. That mix of exploration and combat keeps things lively as you fight your way to one seriously tough final boss.

Though the game can be very challenging, the skills and combos you acquire as you progress make even the most daunting challenges manageable. If you like “Metroidvania” games, you’re in for a treat, as new abilities give you access to previously inaccessible areas. I always enjoyed going back to levels to see what I missed the first time around.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is yet another stellar game from developer Lizardcube, and easily in my top three games of 2025. Though it hasn’t gotten the attention that other titles received, it’s an overall phenomenal experience for fans of pure action games. If you haven’t played Art of Vengeance, you need to check it out. — Tony Polanco

Islanders: New Shores

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

One of my favorite game genres is city building, but often they’re intimidatingly complex. That’s where the "minimalist" city builder comes in, a sub-genre that strips down the mechanics to their absolute simplest and it’s what makes Islanders: New Shores a relaxing but rewarding experience.

In Islanders: New Shores, you don’t have to worry about starving villagers or running out of resources: your only action is adding one building at a time from a “hand” of buildings you slowly earn as you play. You only need to be concerned with your score since you have as much time as you need to place your structures. Each of those buildings earns or loses you points depending on what it’s placed next to: fountains and parks love being next to homes, while woodcutters are best placed next to trees and lumberjacks, etc.

You also place your buildings wherever you want. There’s no grid in this city builder. But the scoring system organically pushes you to place buildings in synergistic combinations, and it’s not long before you have a charming little village on a brightly colored island.

You can only undo your previous move, keeping focus on each building placement and then moving on to the next, and as you earn points, you’re rewarded with a new “pack” of buildings: earn enough on one island and you can move on to the next. It’s a relaxingly, chill experience but rewarding enough to play for hours, and trust me, I’ve poured nearly a hundred into my little island escapes! — Clayton Ashley

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

I put 125 hours into the farming sim/RPG Rune Factory 4 Special in 2023, and I’ve since been looking for something that would really capture my interest in the same way. I had mixed feelings towards the last entry in the Rune Factory series, but Guardians of Azuma is a true leap forward.

In addition to Rune Factory’s usual farming and action RPG combat, you also need to rebuild and repopulate entire villages; then you can assign the villagers to do some of your work for you. That gives you time to focus on whatever you find the most fun — socializing with NPCs, gathering materials or fighting monsters.

There are lots of improvements to the somewhat iffy farming experience from Rune Factory 5, too. My favorite is the ability to raise the camera overhead and freeze time while you plot the layout of your fields.

Developer Marvelous has recaptured the secret sauce that makes farming sims truly addicting. I genuinely struggle to put this game down at the end of the day! Mix that with gorgeous, colorful visuals and a memorable, fully voice-acted story to tie it all together, and you have an absolute winner. — Millie Davis-Williams

Promise Mascot Agency

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

I’ve never gotten much of a kick out of management sims, so I’m shocked by how much fun I’ve had with Promise Mascot Agency, an open-world management/crime drama with bags of personality, compelling core loops, and an intriguing, frequently hilarious story that’s had me hooked from the jump.

Conveying its charms in such a small amount of words is difficult, but you play as Michi, a disgraced yakuza lieutenant who is shipped off to a cursed, rundown town to try and turn a failing mascot agency into a lucrative business.

To do so, you’ll be driving around town in your upgradeable truck, finding and recruiting new mascots and putting your weird and wonderful roster of new pals to work. They go out, earning you cash to level up the agency, to help pay off a massive debt (no spoilers here), or to reinvest in town.

Along the way, you’ll get to know a roster of unique pals, tackle side missions, hunt down collectibles, and regularly get called up to help your employees out of on-the-job scrapes like getting stuck in a door, tripping, or knocking over poorly stacked boxes. — Martin Shore

Cronos: The New Dawn

Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S

EA broke my heart when it was reported that my beloved Dead Space franchise is effectively on ice due to the underwhelming sales of the phenomenal 2023 remake (shame on you if you skipped it). But thank you, Bloober Team, for teaching me it's okay to love again with Cronos: The New Dawn.

This original sci-fi survival horror from the team behind last year’s also excellent Silent Hill 2 remake wears its Dead Space inspiration on its sleeve, and I’m absolutely fine with that. You play as a protagonist known as The Traveler, who arrives on a ruined Earth to find their missing companion and to extract vital information that could save the future.

The survival-horror fundamentals are all here, from limited resources to grotesque enemies that can easily overwhelm you even in smaller numbers. The sense of spooky atmosphere is exquisite, and the audio design is some of the best of the year. While the bosses are a weak point — funnily enough, much like the original Dead Space — Cronos: The New Dawn is at its best when you’re faced with a horde of mutating foes and a rapidly dwindling ammo count. — Rory Mellon

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Deciding between PlayStation or Xbox might seem like a no-brainer for some, but for others, it’s a more difficult choice. From the hardware to the games, subscriptions, and accessories, there’s a lot to consider when choosing one gaming ecosystem over the other. However, there’s one key preference that immediately sets each console apart: staggered or symmetrical thumbsticks.

Since the launch of its DualShock Controller for the original PlayStation, one thing hasn’t changed with Sony’s controllers throughout the years: their symmetrical thumbsticks. On the other hand, Microsoft took a different approach with its staggered thumbsticks, which have remained a core part of the Xbox experience in the same way.

If you grew up using one layout, chances are, you likely had a difficult time getting used to the other. One of the reasons I’ve always preferred playing on my gaming PC is that you’re not limited to one controller layout and have plenty of options to choose from among the best PC game controllers.

While third-party controllers have given PS5 gamers more layout choices, the same flexibility hasn't extended to the Xbox ecosystem. For those of us who prefer symmetrical sticks, playing certain games on Xbox can feel less intuitive.

After almost a year, though, I finally had a chance to try out one of my most anticipated Xbox controllers. Unlike Hyperkin’s modern remakes of classic Xbox controllers, such as The Duke and The Xenon, The Competitor features a brand new design that gives you the look and feel of Sony’s DualSense for the PS5, but with a few pro-level features added to the mix.

Here’s why the Hyperkin Competitor is not just another symmetrical controller for Xbox but an excellent pro-level hybrid that finally convinced me to put down my 8BitDo Pro 2.

From staggered to symmetrical

If you saw the Hyperkin Competitor lying down on a table or a desk from far away, you would probably think it’s a DualSense controller for the PS5. While there’s also an all-black version, this two-tone black and white one definitely gives off DualSense vibes at first glance. However, instead of a touchpad above its symmetrical analog sticks, the black and white meet in the top center of the controller to form an “X” with an Xbox button in the middle.

In the box, you get the controller itself and a 10-foot detachable USB-C cable. You don’t get a case or swappable thumbstick caps as this is a $50 controller after all. I wouldn’t go as far as to call it a pro controller though, since it’s wired and not wireless due to Microsoft’s restrictions and extra licensing fees. Instead, the Hyperkin Competitor is a wired Xbox controller with some pro-level features like its Hall Effect joysticks to help prevent stick drift and the metal anti-friction rings around them for a smoother overall feel.

Instead of the thinner and shorter triggers on Microsoft’s Xbox controller, the Hyperkin Competitor fully leans into Sony’s wider and longer triggers. One big difference between it and the DualSense controller though is that its bumpers are smaller and are sort of a mix between Sony's and Microsoft’s respective designs. There’s a USB-C port in the middle and while it isn’t flush like the one on the DualSense, it isn’t restrictive so you can use any USB-C cable you want.

While I certainly would have preferred if this was a wireless controller, I do like that I can use any of the USB-C cables I have on hand. For instance, the Hyperkin Competitor ships with a PVC cable, so I swapped it out for a more premium-feeling braided fabric one that’s also flexible. Like basically every other Xbox controller, you can also use this one on your PC.

Around back is where things get a bit more interesting. While Hyperkin stayed true to the original design of Microsoft’s Duke controller for the original Xbox and its Xenon controller for the Xbox 360, here, the company had a chance to experiment. As such, it added two remappable back buttons on either side of the Competitor and this is a feature I’ve always wanted in a Hyperkin controller, which made waiting almost a full year for this one worth it.

You can remap these back buttons on the fly by pressing the “M” button in the middle of the controller between its two trigger lock toggles on either side. You also get a 3.5mm audio jack in the center of its handles for using one of the best gaming headsets while playing on your Xbox.

From its reveal, I was really excited to try out the Hyperkin Competitor for myself and after finally getting my hands on it, I couldn’t wait to put it to the test in my go-to Xbox game.

A PlayStation-like Xbox experience

Given that the Hyperkin Competitor is a wired controller after all, you get a plug and play experience right out of the box with no extra configuration needed. I plugged it into my white Xbox Series X, pressed the Xbox button in the center and it sprang to life. To make dealing with its wire easier, I ran it from the back of my Xbox and up from the center compartment of the Corsair Platform 4 standing desk I’m currently using for gaming in my office.

Everything felt smooth and while it’s not an exact replica of Sony’s DualSense controller, its D-pad does feel pretty much the same. In addition to having Xbox branding, its face buttons are slightly smaller and have a bit more travel to them than the ones on the DualSense. The metal anti-friction rings around the Competitor’s thumbsticks really do make a difference and when paired with the controller’s magnetic Hall Effect sensors, I preferred using it over both the DualSense and the Xbox controller as my movements felt more precise.

Despite having grown up with Nintendo, then PlayStation, and finally Xbox, and generally preferring staggered thumbsticks for shooters, RPGs and action games, there is one major exception: skateboarding games. One of the first games I picked up when I got my Xbox Series S was Skate 3 but I quickly went back to playing SkaterXL before moving on entirely to the skateboarding sim Session.

On the Xbox Series X though, Session looks even better. I have it on PlayStation and PC as well (got to support the developers when you really love a game right) but I keep coming back to playing Session on my Xbox. While Xbox fumbled the ball in the console war this generation, Quick Resume is a real innovation and one of the best new features to come to any game console since Microsoft added a hard drive to the original Xbox.

Whether I’m skating around the Brooklyn Banks or the Jerome Banks in New York City, Love Park or FDR in Philadelphia or Hollywood High and the surrounding schoolyard in LA, what I love about playing Session on Xbox is that I can jump right back in where I last left off, even after a power outage. I know most people prefer playing on the couch with a wireless controller in hand but as I often play at my desk, I don’t mind using a wired controller like the Hyperkin Competitor. Not only do I not have to worry about charging it but with Quick Resume, I can get a quick session in when I have a few minutes here and there (no pun intended).

Up until now, I had been using the 8BitDo Pro 2 to do the exact same thing on my Xbox. Like the Competitor, it also has Hall Effect thumbsticks and is a wired controller. However, compared to its more SNES-like design, I actually really prefer how the Competitor’s shape draws inspiration from the DualSense.

In a league of its own

Side by side, the Hyperkin Competitor really does look quite like a DualSense controller with just enough changes throughout its design that it’s not a one-for-one clone. Even though the DualSense is packed with more tech inside and is fully wireless, the Competitor packs in a few additions that really help it stand out. These include its Hall Effect thumbsticks, metal anti-friction rings and my favorite, the remappable buttons around back.

In a game like Session where most of its controls are mapped to the thumbsticks, I like remapping its back buttons to A and X as you use these ones to push while riding in regular or goofy stance. That way, I never have to take my thumbs off the thumbsticks and can play the game without almost ever having to reach over to its face buttons.

I know my controller preference for one game in particular is incredibly niche. However, a controller like the Competitor with symmetrical joysticks could be an easy way for PlayStation players to ease themselves into playing on Xbox. The option to have symmetrical thumbsticks on your console of choice is a valuable addition to the Xbox ecosystem, especially for gamers who rely on that layout.

Now would I call the Hyperkin Competitor a perfect controller? Probably not and the reason for that is that in 2025, the option to use it wirelessly would have been great. I know that would have driven up the price due to Microsoft’s licensing fees to use its wireless tech but still, I’d definitely pay a bit more for a Hyperkin Competitor Pro with wireless functionality.

If you’re looking for a well-built, third-party Xbox controller with symmetrical thumbsticks and a few pro-level features for just $50, which is significantly less than both the Xbox Wireless Controller and the DualSense, you can’t go wrong with the Hyperkin Competitor but take it from me, it’s better if you game at your desk instead of on the TV.

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The Game Awards 2025 are over for another year. The biggest night in gaming, hosted by Geoff Keighly, celebrated the best games of the past 12 months and was packed with new reveals and exciting trailers.

RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dominated the awards. It went into the night with a record-setting 13 nominations, and ultimately took home eight out of a possible 10, including Game of the Year. Other winners included Donkey Kong Bananza, Hades 2 and ARC Raiders.

As for the new trailers, there was plenty to get gamers hyped. From the reveal of Star Wars: Fate of The Old Republic, to that mysterious statue being revealed as a teaser for Larian's next game, Divinity. Other highlights included Control: Resonant and two new Tomb Raider games.

The Game Awards are always the biggest annual event in the gaming calendar, and if you missed any of the show, you can read through our live coverage that includes all the biggest reveals and the full winners.

How to watch The Game Awards 2025

The Game Awards 2025 took place on Thursday, December 12. While the show has now concluded. You can watch it back on demand if you missed the live broadcast or just want to relive your favorite moments.

LIVE — Latest Updates

Welcome to The Game Awards 2025 live

Hello! Welcome to our live coverage of The Game Awards 2025. I’m Rory, a Senior Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide, and I’ll be guiding you through the biggest night in gaming, with some help from my fellow gaming-obsessed colleagues. Showtime is still several hours away, but we’ve got plenty of rumors, leaks, and maybe even a prediction or two to dive into to help pass the time until the awards begin live, so let’s get started…

The secret of the desert statue may have been solved

If you've been following along with the pre-show hype surrounding The Game Awards 2025, you'll know the online gaming community has been in a frenzy trying to work out what new game a mysterious statue placed in the Mojave Desert is teasing.

There have been plenty of guesses and theories, from Saros to Lords of the Fallen 2 to Elder Scrolls Online. Then we also had theories about why it had to be for Diablo 4 DLC, or a new FromSoftware title, or even a new God of War game. And those are just the tip of the iceberg. There have been so many predictions.

However, it appears that the internet may have cracked the code, as reported by our friends over at PC Gamer, a European trademark filing might have just spoiled the surprise. Here's your spoiler warning, if you want to keep the mystery alive until it's revealed during the Game Awards 2025...

It appears that the statue is for the latest game from Larian, developer of Baldur's Gate 3. Based on the trademark filing, which includes a logo that matches up with images on the statue, it'll be a new game in the studio's long-running Divinity series. And it might be a new reboot just called Divinity.

These are the 6 games up for GOTY

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Donkey Kong Bananza
• Hades 2
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Kingdom Come Deliverance 2

Like most awards show, there is one prize that every developer wants to win most, and at The Game Awards, that is Game of the Year. The six nominees are listed above. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the bookie's favorite, and it has a record-setting 13 nominations, so the odds of it walking home empty handed are pretty remote. However, Donkey Kong Bananza looks the most likely to put off an upset, but if I was putting my own money on a winner, I'd say Clair Obscur.

Lara Croft will appear at Game Awards 2025

One of gaming's biggest icons is confirmed to make an appearance at The Game Awards 2025: Lara Croft.

The franchise's official social media accounts took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce that the show will include "a look at the future" of the Tomb Raider series. Rumors have been flying around about a new Tomb Raider game for a while, so that will likely be the announcement (though it could be an update on the upcoming Prime Video show, which stars Sophie Turner as Lara Croft).

The last mainline Tomb Raider game was Shadow of the Tomb Raider, released in 2018, which capped off the popular "survivor" reboot trilogy. Will the next Tomb Raider game be a continuation, a fresh reboot, or maybe even a remake of one of Croft's classic adventures? We've only got to wait a few hours to find out.

Did Valve finally learn to count to 3?

No bamboozle. We might actually be merely a few hours from the reveal of Half-Life 3. Since the release of Half-Life 2: Episode Two in October 2007, it's become the gaming white whale for millions of players, and part of a long-running joke that Valve can't count to three (the Portal franchise also went dormant after Portal 2).

But this year, the internet noise and unverified insider leaks that point towards Half-Life 3 being real, and maybe even coming soon, have been more prominent than ever. There was much speculation that Valve might confirm the game alongside the announcement of its new Steam Machine. That didn't happen.

However, the hardware is set to launch in 2026, and it stands to reason that Valve would want a flagship game to showcase its new machine. Could that be Half-Life 3? Fans have been burnt before, so I wouldn't place a bet on it appearing tonight, but for now, I'm dreaming of a world where Half-Life 3 is confirmed.

Resident Evil 9's big surprise may have been leaked

We know that Resident Evil Requiem is going to be showcased at The Game Awards 2025, but thanks to a PlayStation Store listing, the big surprise of this new trailer might have just been spoiled (news comes via GamesRadar).

The listing image for Resi 9 was recently updated on the PlayStation Store, and it now includes none other than Leon S. Kennedy himself. His inclusion in the upcoming survival-horror game has been rumored for a while, but this essentially confirms it. But will he be playable or just a mentor to new playable protagonist, Grace Ashcroft?

Leon is a fan-favorite character and star of arguably the most beloved installment in the series, Resident Evil 4, so I've no doubt Resi players will be pleased (after all, I'm a huge Resident Evil fan myself, and I'm certainly happy).

We don't know for sure, but it's a very safe prediction at this point that whatever Capcom has to show Game Awards viewers tonight will include Leon!

This Game Award winner looks like a complete lock

Returning to the awards part of the Game Awards, while several categories will no doubt be fiercely contested (I'm really not sure who will scoop Best Art Direction), there's one that looks very easy to predict: Most Anticipated Game.

This award looks to the future and picks an upcoming title that gamers around the world can't wait to play. The nominees include highly anticipated releases like Marvel's Wolverine and The Witcher IV, but surely, the award is Rockstar's to lose. Grand Theft Auto VI is set to be the biggest entertainment launch in history, and the launch of a new GTA is a special thing because they happen so rarely.

I will be stunned if Geoff Keighley is calling out any name other than GTA 6 when the Most Anticipated Game award is dished out.

I'm desperate to see more of The Duskbloods

Let's dive into my own personal wishlist for The Game Awards 2025. The one game that I'm really hoping is included in the numerous trailers coming us our is a new look at The Duskbloods.

This Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive comes from Dark Souls and Elden Ring developer FromSoftware, and as somebody who's fallen in love with From's work over the past three years (sorry, it took me so long to warm up to Souls), I can't wait to dive into their new PvPvE experience.

With an aesthetic that looks more than a little reminiscent of their 2015 game Bloodborne (the studio's magnum opus to many From fans), I can't wait to see more from The Duskbloods. It's confirmed to launch in 2026, so it feels like the right time to get a fresh peak at the game, maybe even a hard release date?

This Game Awards 'hype trailer' will get you... hyped

At the start of the week, Geoff Keighley posted a "hype trailer" for the Game Awards 2025, running through some of the best moments of the 2025 nominees. And kudos to Mr. Keighley because it certainly does its job, and then some.

I'm of the opinion that 2025 has been a slightly weaker year for gaming compared to the excellent few years we've recently enjoyed (2023 was a real corker), but it's a great reminder that we've been treated to some great gaming experiences over the past 12 months. Give it a watch, and let the hype build.

What time do the Game Awards 2025 start?

• 4:30 p.m. PT - U.S. (Pacific)
• 7:30 p.m. ET - U.S. (Eastern)
• 12:30 a.m. GMT (Dec. 12) - U.K.
• 9:30 a.m. JST (Dec. 12) - Japan
• 11:30 a.m. AEST (Dec. 12) - Australia

Want to make sure you don't miss a moment of The Game Awards 2025? Above I've listed the show's start time. It's well-timed for the folks in the U.S., naturally, as it's an awards show held in North America, but for those in Europe, expect a late night. I'm sure it'll be worth the lost sleep!

Dave tagging in

This is Dave LeClair, Senior News Editor, tagging in for Rory to discuss the Game Awards and bring you the latest details and rumors as we approach the event so Rory can take a breather.

And no, I personally don't see Half-Life 3 ever happening, not at the awards show tonight or in the future. But in the world of video games, you just never know.

The Game Awards temperature check

I'm curious how many of you are excited for the Game Awards and whether you plan to watch the show live, follow along but not watch, or ignore it completely.

If you'd like your voice to be heard, please vote in the poll below, and I'll let you know where everyone stands once the dust settles (or you can make a Tom's Guide account to find out the results right away).

MASSIVE breaking news from Geoff Keighley

I can't believe what I just read on X. There will be game announcements tonight at The Game Awards. I'm so glad he cleared that up; otherwise, we probably wouldn't have known this was happening.

Jokes aside, The Game Awards will most certainly have some big game news coming out of it. There's a lot of speculation regarding what games will be announced, and some big leaks like Lara Croft's presence, but we'll have to wait until the show to get confirmation of what is coming.

No matter how you slice it, it's an exciting evening to be a gamer!

Assassin's Creed at The Game Awards

I've been an Assassin's Creed fan since the first game, and I really peaked during the AC2 era with Ezio. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag was also among my favorite games in the series, as it introduced some of the best ship combat in gaming history.

Now, there's a rumor floating around that Ubisoft may rerelease Black Flag under the title "Black Flag Resynced," as shown on the PEGI ratings board. The information was deleted quickly, but once the internet got hold of it, the rumors started flying.

The board didn't specifically mention The Game Awards, but it would make sense for Ubisoft to announce the remake there, as it'll have the attention of a large portion of the gaming world.

007 did an oops?

A trailer for the upcoming 007 First Light game from Hitman developer IO hit the internet today, but was quickly deleted (the trailer above isn't the leaked one).

Clearly, someone pulled the trigger on that one before they were supposed to. But as is always the case on the internet, people noticed immediately, and word spread fast.

With the accidental trailer hitting the internet, we can assume it'll show up at The Game Awards tonight, especially because the 007 game is scheduled to hit the market in just a few months on March 27, 2026.

Spotify and The Game Awards

Spotify teamed up with The Game Awards to spotlight the composers and songs that define the gaming experience.

"To get in the game, we’ve commissioned three brand-new Spotify Singles from artists who are also avid gamers," said Spotify in a blog post. It's an interesting mix with Labrinth reimagining a Sonic song, Bilmuri playing a song from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, and Evanescence and GUNSHIP teaming up to play a track from Devil May Cry.

If you want to check it out,

Wait, a trailer costs how much?!

According to a Kotaku report, having a trailer on The Game Awards is expensive. Really expensive.

According to two of Kotaku's sources familiar with this year’s show, a one-minute trailer can cost up to $450,000 and a three-minute trailer costs over $1 million. For small developers, that three-minute trailer is probably out of reach. Even $450,000 is a lot for a developer who spends only a couple of hundred thousand on their entire development cost.

But that extra cost comes with extra eyeballs. The Game Awards continue to grow each year and have become a primary promotional platform for upcoming video games. You could even argue that the trailers are a bigger part of The Game Awards than the awards themselves.

I'm not suggesting that it should be cheaper — the video game world converging on one event is expensive. But it is unfortunate that smaller developers are left out of the event unless they can scrape together some serious money.

Wholesome excitement

We’re deeply honored that HADES II is in the running for Game of the Year and more at #TheGameAwards tonight, especially since we’re in the company of such an amazing group of wildly different and beautiful games.Congratulations to all our fellow nominees — we salute you!! 🙏👏

— @supergiantgames.bsky.social (@supergiantgames.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-12-11T21:00:28.841Z

Supergiant Games, developer of Hades 2, has shared a heartfelt message on Bluesky ahead of The Game Awards.

The developer even shared a cute image showing the characters from some of the Game of the Year nominees on the red carpet. It's adorable and wholesome, and it makes us even more excited to tune in to tonight's shows.

The company's social media post finishes off with, "Congratulations to all our fellow nominees — we salute you!! 🙏👏"

No Witcher 3 DLC... Sorry fans

The Witcher 3 is one of my favorite games of all time, and getting some new content to bridge the gap before the next game (presumably called The Witcher 4) would be nice.

Recently, a leak from a reliable industry insider, RockAlone2k, said CD Projekt Red would announce new content at The Game Awards, but that appears to be inaccurate.

During an investor call, CD Projekt Red joint CEO Michał Nowakowski said that the studio would not have any new content at this year’s show, ending the speculation.

Or does the company just want to preserve the surprise? We'll find out soon, but it's unlikely that Nowakowski would lie on an investor call about something as significant as that.

Scott swinging through

Hey, this is Scott Younker, West Coast Reporter, subbing in for Dave to talk about the Game Awards and bring you any news or rumors as we get closer to the event.

Speaking of, the livestream kicks off in less than two hours, though the show won't start until 4:30 p.m. PT/7:30 p.m. ET/12:30A UK.

A new era of Tmb Raider is supposed to be announced tonight, which I'm personally excited for even if I did burn out on the last trilogy.

Tomb Raider Catalyst leak

As mentioned in my last post, something Tomb Raider is supposed to be announced at the Game Awards.

Now we might know the title thanks to a leak: Tomb Raider Catalyst. According to a Reddit post in the Tomb Raider subreddit, two new titles are coming: a remake and an original game.

The remake titled 'Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis' appears to be a remake of the original Lara Croft game. This one is supposedly going to be a "unified" retelling that combines the original story with characters and plots from the Survivor trilogy.

Tomb Raider: Catalyst looks to be a new game following Croft through Northern India after a "mythical cataclysm."

Color me interested

Indie games strike big at the Games Awards Show

If you're looking for an interesting read before the Awards Show starts might I suggest this article from Bloomberg.

It explores how lower-budget titles are seeing big wins and acclaim from the industry and players alike. Just as major studios have been slashing jobs and closing studios left and right in an attempt to...make more money somehow.

It also features interviews with people across the industry who claim that AAA titles will decline over the next few years. We'll see.

So what awards won't Clair Obscur win

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been nominated for 11 awards at the show tonight, the most ever by one game at the Game Awards. It's expected to handily win several of them, if not all.

There are 20 awards that don't feature the popular RPG. A full list of which you can find here.

A little less than two hours to show time

We're less than two hours until show time. Pre show kicks off in less than 90 minutes.

The livestream will be available on YouTube, Twitch, Steam, Prime Video, X, TikTok, Instagram, Kick, Gamespot and IGN. The full list is here.

Or you can scroll up to the top of this nice little live blog and find the YouTube stream embedded.

Tom's Guide Awards coming soon

Did you know that Tom's Guide puts together our own Game Awards list? We do!

Gamers from across our masthead debated and chose from games that we actually played this year. That list will be launching in the coming days.

In the meantime, you should check out the winners of the best games from 2024. Plus, we also highlighted 13 games that you may have missed last year.

New Wildflower game

Wildflower Interactive is a new studio headed by Bruce Straley, formerly of Naughty Dog and the game director for the Uncharted series and The Last of Us.

The studio teased an announcement on X yesteday.

I am a big fan of Uncharted and The Last of Us, so I'm really excited to see what Straley comes up with.

I do wonder if this is a situation where he has the magic touch or if some combination of him, Amy Hennig, and Neil Druckmann helped push those Naughty Dog games to their heights. We shall see.

The Game Awards Pre-Show kicks off soon

The livestream for The Game Awards is supposed to start at 4 pm PT/7 pm PT/12 am UK. That's 10 minutes from now.

I'm not sure if it will just be a 10 minute countdown or if there will be videos or interviews beforehand. Usually, Geoff Keighley shows do feature something like that ahead of the main show so I'm expecting something similar but a schedule has not been released.

What are you interested in?

Outside of the Awards themselves, we expect to see a ton of trailers, previews and fluffy interviews.

Is there anything that you're excited to see or want to know more about? Let us know, we want to hear your opinion as well.

15 minutes until (pre)showtime!!!

Hey all, it's Rory here. I'm back online, refreshed and ready to guide you through The Game Awards 2025 from start to finish. The pre-show starts in just 30 minutes, which will give some winners in a few of the (smaller) categories, and our very first reveals and new trailers. So, if you haven't already, now is the time to get your snacks and drinks ready, as The Game Awards 2025 are about to begin...

There's time for one last prediction

Now that we're just a few minutes away from the pre-show, and the start of The Game Awards 2025, I'm throwing out one last prediction. Although, this one is more of a hopeful wish than something I'm confident will actually happen.

I have a feeling we might see something new from PlayStation Studios tonight. We already know that Saros, the spiritual follow-up to 2021's Returnal, is going to be featured with a new look, and last year Naughty Dog took to the Game Awards stage to announce its new game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

It's clear that Sony likes revealing things at this show, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed the iconic PlayStation logo pops up at the 2025 Game Awards as well.

The countdown to launch has begun

If you haven't already, now is the time to boot up your stream of The Game Awards 2025 (But if you can't watch along, you're in the right place, as I'll bring you all the news as it happens live). The Game Awards 2025 stream is LIVE, and the five minute countdown timer is underway. This year's show is almost here...

The Game Awards 2025 pre-show is LIVE

It's time, The Game Awards 2025 pre-show has just gone live. We've got 30 minutes of this, and then we dive into the main event. So let's see the first winners and the first new games revealed from Peacock Theatre, L.A.

The first announcement of the night is..

The Free Shepherd, a new indie game coming to PS5 in 2027, and it looks like you play as an adorable dog in a mysterious, somewhat spooky, open world

Winner: Donkey Kong Bananza wins Best Family Game

Right after our first new trailer, we get our first winner of the night, and it's a pretty predictable one, Donkey Kong Bananza wins Best Family Game. This one was I had in my Game Awards pool, so I'm pretty pleased to start off strong.

Another Soulslike for the pile

If you're a Souls superfan, here's a new announcement for you, Decrepit. It's a first-person action game made by a huge fan of FromSoftware's work, and that influence clearly shows.

WINNER: Doom The Dark Ages wins Best Accessibility

Accessibility is a increasingly important topic in gaming, and Doom the Dark Ages takes home this award!

Pragmata is getting a demo today

Capcom is getting the stage next as we see the latest from its upcoming sci-fi game Pragmata! It's releasing on April 24, 2026, and it's now been announced for Nintendo Switch 2. So you can save the world on your handheld device!

The first (of likely many) awards for Clair Obscur Expedition 33

It's predicted to be the big winner of the night, and Clair Obscur Expedition 33 has already scooped it's first statue of the evening, Best Independent Game. There was so controversy about it being eligible for this category, but it's not a huge surprise to see it picking up the win. I doubt it'll be it's only of the night.

Bradley the Badger looks like silly fun

Another new game, and it's Bradley the Badger. I'm getting some big Conkers vibe from this colorful looking title, and that's certainly not a bad thing.

Another new game confirmed

Stupid Never Dies! is the last reveal of the pre-show, and it looks well a little stupid, to be honest It's a zombie guy with a colorful style, not sure it's for me, but if you like the undead mixed with over the top humor, you might like it!

WINNER: The Last of Us season 2 wins Best Adaptation

The Last of Us season 2 picks up Best Adaptation, and as somebody who was very unimpressed by the HBO show's take on one of my favorite video games of all time, I'll just say, it certainly wouldn't have been mine pick of the award...

Now it's time for the REAL show

The pre-show is over, and now we're heading into the real deal, it's time for The Game Awards 2025! The show begins with a performance from one of the tracks from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's soundtrack, and it's a pretty magical moment.

Geoff has taken to the stage

The man himself, Geoff Keighley has taken to the Game Awards stage. First up he thanks all the watchers at home, including those in Europe staying up late for the showcase, and I feel seen!

I think we'll be seeing Diablo tonight...

In all the madness of the pre-show and build-up, you might have missed that the official Diablo social account took to X to tease that "death has arrived" in L.A.

I think we're going to be seeing something from Diablo over the next couple of hours!

WINNER: Hades 2 wins Best Action Game

The hellishly good (that's a term right?) Hades 2 just scooped Best Action Game in the first award of the main event. Hades 2 is also up for Game of the Year, and got perfect scores from several outlets, so this one feels very well deserved.

Our first world premiere of The Game Awards 2025

And here we go, it's time for the first reveal of The Game Awards 2025, and I'm getting a HUGE Star Wars vibe from the opening moments of this trailer...

Star Wars Knight of the Old Republic is BACK

Bingo! I was spot on, Star Wars Fate of the Old Republic has just been announced, it appears to be a follow-up to the beloved Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic RPG, and as Geoff said, "it's going to be hard to top that one".

Looks like the mystery of the statue is being revealed next

After a few ads for Capcom games, Battlefield Redsec and John Carpenter's Toxic Commando The Video Game, Geoff confirms it's time to put an end to gaming's most controversial mystery. I think this is the big statue reveal we've been waiting for. Will it be Divinity as I predicted earlier?

Well that was one INTENSE trailer for Divinity

This trailer is brutal. People are being burned at the stake, and I'm a little freaked out. But also, I definitely want to play this game! It looks like the rumors were true, it's the new game from Baldur's Gate 3 dev Larian, and it's called Divinity (as the European trademark filing spoiled, thanks European trademark board)!

WINNER: Jennifer English wins Best Performance for Clair Obscur

The second (And I'll say now, won't be last) award for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Jennifer English wins Best Performance for her incredible work as Maelle, hugely well deserved, her voice brought that compelling character to life masterfully.

4 Loop, a new game from JJ Abrams and PlayStation

I thought we might see something new from PlayStation, and it looks like I was right (pat on the back for me). The game is called 4 Loop, and JJ Abrams is involved. It appears to be an online co-op game (I think?) with a quirky sci-fi tone. I'm not super sold, but with the recent success of ARC Raiders, it too might be able to find a space in the increasingly crowded live service battlegrounds.

Coven of the Chicken Foot announced

We've already seen some quirky game titles today, but Coven of the Chicken Foot has to be the most bizarre yet. It's got a vibrant aesthetic and looks like a puzzle-action game. You can wishlist on Steam now, I might have to just for the name!

Ontos is our next new game reveal

Ontos is a spiritual successor to cult sci-fi-horror game Soma, which appears to be enough information to have sold by colleague, Ryan Epps, on playing!

WINNER: South of Midnight wins Games for Impact

The underplayed, South of Midnight just won Games for Impact. Our reviewer really enjoyed this one back at launch, so if you skipped now it is the time to circle back. And on stage the developers confirm it's heading to PS5 and Switch 2 (no dates), so you'll soon have no excuse not to check it out.

Resident Evil 9 time!

I hope you enjoy this new trailer for Resident Evil Requiem. As for me, I'm temporarily switching off my stream, because I don't want any more of Resi 9 spoiled. I'm fully sold, and don't need to see a single second more footage.

Leon confirmed as playable in Resi 9

Well, I did catch Geoff's post trailer speech, Resi 9 will have two playable characters: Grace and Leon. The former will offer a traditional survival-horror experience, while Leon's portion of the game will be more action packed.

Puzzle, puzzles and even more puzzles

Do you like puzzles? Well, this new game has over 1,400 of them, it's called Order of the Sinking Star, and promises lots of head-scratchers, and also a story to keep you attention in between having to Google the solutions when you get stuck.

Is that Matthew McConaughey?

Exodus has just been showcased from Wizards of the Coast, and I'm pretty sure I just heard the distinctive voice of a certain Matthew McConaughey. It's set to launch in early 2027 and is an epic sci-fi game, where you seemingly have to save the universe, standard stuff.

These Wizards aren't done!

If the latest look at Exodus wasn't enough, we're now getting a look at another game from Wizards of the Coast: Warlock. It'll be properly showcased in summer 2026, but it's part of the Dungeons & Dragons universe, so will no doubt be popular.

There's a cube on stage, more info when I have it

Well, there's a strange cube on stage! And I have no idea what it's all about!

Could this be Remedy?

Getting a big whiff of Remedy from this CG trailer, perhaps this is the reveal of their next game, Control 2?

Remedy announces Control Resonant

Yup, it's Remedy, and it is a follow-up to Control. Coming in 2026, it looks awesome, and the trailer promises it's "going to get weirder." I'm day one!

Gang of Dragon is the next trailer up

I thought this might be a new Like a Dragon game, but it's close enough: Gang of Dragon. Geoff says it's "deep into development" so expect to see more, maybe.

The new Street Fighter movie takes the spotlight

It might be The Game Awards, but there's still some time to tease some cinema, and in this case, it's very game related. A new Street Fighter movie is on the way, and the cast are being confirmed on stage, Jason Momoa is playing Blanka!!!

WINNER: No Man's Sky wins Best Ongoing Game

Did you forget that this is actually an awards show? After a slew of trailers and reveals, we're turning our focus back to the awards with Best Ongoing Game. And the winner is No Man's Sky, great to see one of the game's greatest redemption stories still going strong with regular free updates!

LEGO Batman interrupts the show!

Just as Geoff was getting on with hosting duties, he's got a phone call from LEGO Batman, and it's leading us into a new trailer for Legacy of the Dark Knight.

LEGO Batman arrives in May 2026

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight looks like another enjoyable Lego adventure, and it's arriving on May 26, 2026. Nice to finally have a release date.

Speeding through the awards now

I guess Geoff wants to get the awards out of the way, as we've just had four of them back-to-back announced by the host. Battlefield 6 won Best Audio, MoistCr1tikal won Best Content Creator, GTA 6 won Most Anticipated Game (duh!) and Fatal Fury: City of Wolves wins Best Fighting Game, and that takes us into another ad break (well, somebody has to foot the bill for the theatre!)

Girls Make Games wins Game Changer award

The Game Awards is taking a moment to recognize the work of organization Girls Makes Games, which is great to see, and these inspiring figures deserve their moment on the stage. More of this type of stuff please, Geoff!

Lara Croft's latest adventure is on the way

We knew we'd see Tomb Raider tonight, and Tomb Raider: Catalyst is coming in 2027. This is reportedly the next mainline entry in the series, but could we see the rumored remake of Tomb Raider 1 as well?

Yes, Tomb Raider Remake is REAL and looking stunning

Wow! Consider me impressed, Tomb Raider fans get a one-two punch of reveals, and the second is a remake of the first Tomb Raider game from 1996, it's called Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, a name I much prefer to something like Tomb Raider: Ultra Deluxe Edition. It'll launch in 2026, with Catalyst following in 2027.

Invincible VS is the next trailer up

Invincible VS is the next trailer, and pre-orders are open now. Looks pretty cool, but I'm behind on the show, so guess i'll need to catch up before playing!

Some more awards, remember this is an awards show

Geoff just remembered this is an awards show (again), so we're pausing the trailer to hand out some statues. Hollow Knight: Silksong scoops best Action/Adventure Game, Best Art Direction goes to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Best Sim/Strategy Game goes to Final Fantasy Tactics, and Best Debut Indie Game is won by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Clair Obscur is sweeping as it stands. Game of the Year looks like a lock at this point.

Diablo was promised, and Diablo delivers

Diablo fans, your time has come. The next trailer after the ad break (Which made for the perfect time to take a bathroom trip) is for Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred the latest expansion for the seriously compelling fantasy action-RPG. It's out on April 28, 2026, and will be the perfect excuse to return to the world of Diablo 4!

Deadpool is coming to Marvel Rivals

The Merc with a Mouth is heading to Marvel Rivals. Yup, Deadpool is the next playable character for the popular hero shooter. Didn't love the comedy writing in this trailer, Deadpool is surprisingly tricky character to nail, but hey, it's great to see him coming to the game, and I'm sure dedicated players will be excited.

WINNER: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 wins Best Score & Music

The most deserved award of the night as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 collected Best Music & Score. I've had this soundtrack on repeat for months, and I'd have written Geoff a strongly worded email if it didn't win. And for those keeping track, the Clair Obscur sweep continues, surely it has the GOTY in the bag?

Warframe is still going strong

A look at some new content coming to Warframe, I haven't played the game in near enough a decade now, but very cool to see it's still being updated for the dedicated players still logging into its sci-fi world.

Lords of the Fallen 2 is the next trailer, actually the third game

Let it not be forgotten that Lords of the Fallen 2 is actually the third game in the series, as the original launched in 2014, before a reboot arrived in 2023. Still, this Soulslike sequel looks epic enough to have my attention, and I'm always on board for some tough boss battles. Meanwhile, Lords of the Fallen (2023) is getting a new 2.5 update, and yes, that's the second game in the series. It's a bit confusing.

Geoff speeds through a few more awards

Best Sports/Racing Game goes to Mario Kart World, Best Community Support goes to previous GOTY winner Baldur's Gate 3, Best VR/AR Game is Midnight Walk, Best RPG is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Community Choice is Wuthering Waves. Barely a moment for these games to get their chance in the spotlight, which is a shame. But hey, Expedition 33 has to win GOTY now!

I could not be more sold on Saros

I loved Returnal in 2021, so Saros, the spiritual sequel (which are clearly the trend tonight) doesn't need to work hard to grab my interest. It's out April 30, 2026, and I'll be playing on day one. The new trailer is short and sweet!

WINNER: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 wins Best Narrative

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 wins another award, Best Narrative. Richly deserved. But I'm starting to get panicky as I'm running out of images to use for posts when it wins.

New game from the devs behind The Ascent

Spiritual sequels and sci-fi are the themes of this year's show, and the latest new game is called No Law, which comes from the developer of The Ascent. The trailer keeps the gameplay under wraps, but does a decent job setting a mood.

Musical performance time as Evanescence take the stage

Now we're being treated to a musical performance from Evanescence. Strong vocals, but I'm more partially to CHVRCHES, who have played this slot before.

WINNER: ARC Raiders wins Best Multiplayer

Milla Jovovich takes to the stage, confirms her debut in a video game as the next Elusive Target in Hitman: World of Assassination, and then announces that ARC Raiders has won Best Multiplayer game. Which always felt like the frontrunner.

Warhammer 40,000 is getting the Total War treatment

David Harbour, "Stranger Things" and "Marvel" star, takes the stage to confirm that the next Total War game will be set in the world of Warhammer 40,000. Now we're getting a trailer!

Ace Combat 8 looks pretty ace!

Ace Combat 8 is launching 2026. Looks like it'll offer the intense aerial dogfights the franchise is known for, with cinematic visuals an an emotional story. I reckon dedicated fans will be particularly pleased with the brief trailer shown here.

I reckon these developers played Split Fiction

The next trailer is for a co-op adventure called Out of Words, and it certainly looks like it's been inspired by Split Fiction and It Takes Two. Its biggest selling point might be its stop-motion-style visuals, which I'll admit are pretty darn impressive. It's out in 2026.

The Muppets are doing a musical number

We're into the odd part of the night where the Muppets are doing a musical number about all the games that have been shown already tonight. It's 3:30 a.m. my time, and I'm watching a singing pig puppet. Got to love The Game Awards!

A lengthy new look at Phantom Blade Zero

After back-to-back musical interludes, it's time for a new Phantom Blade Zero trailer. I've been on the fence about this one before, but this trailer has certainly increased my interest. And we have a release date at last, September 9, 2026.

WINNER: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 wins Best Game Direction

Todd Howards confirms that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the winner of Best Game Direction. We knew with 13 nominations, it was going to take home several awards tonight, but it's sweeping the field at this point. And I love it!

Mega Man makes a grand entrance

Geoff teased a big reveal next, and it's the return of Mega Man, starring in a brand new 2D platforming title (of course). It's Mega Man Dual Override, and it's set to launch in 2027. It looked like, well, it looked like a Mega Man game!

'Super Mario Galaxy Movie' gets a super brief sneak peek

Back to the world of cinema, and it's a quick look at "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie", and when I say "quick", I really do mean it, we got maybe a few seconds of new footage.

Another brief trailer, this time for Nioh 3

Nioh 3 drops in February 2026, and our latest look didn't really offer any fresh details, but I'm looking forward to playing this one early next year, so happy for a few seconds of extra action-RPG gameplay footage. I'm going to die, a lot.

Here we go, it's the final world premiere of the night

Geoff promises that this is the last world premiere of the night, and this one isn't "years and years away"...

The final new game is Highguard

From some of the developers behind Apex Legends, comes Highguard a new free-to-play fantasy crossed with sci-fi shooter. It drops on January 26, 2026, so less than seven weeks until we can play it for ourselves.

Time for the BIG award of the show

It's time for Game of the Year to be crowned, I think we all know where this one is going...

Game Awards Orchestra are delivering a fantastic performance

To celebrate the six games nominated for Game of the Year, a live orchestra are playing select musical highlights from each title as per tradition, it's making for great listening this year, and is the perfect way to give each game its flowers. But it seems all but certain that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will be the big winner!

Time for the winner to be crowned

An excellent performance, and now the winner....

HUGE SHOCK... not, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 wins GOTY

It was the favorite before, and after cleaning up winning 8 out of its 10 categories across the show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been crowned Game of the Year. This one looked likely before the Game Awards started, and a complete locked before the show was even a third of the way done. A worthy winner.

And that's all folks!

Geoff gets in the last word and brings The Game Awards 2025 to a close. But not before reminding us that Summer Game Fest will return on Friday, June 5, 2026.

A solid showcase with a very worthy winner

So, that's The Game Awards over for another year. It was a pretty great show overall. I was pleased with the reveals (Star Wars: FOTOR, Divinity and Control: Resonant stand out as my top announcements), and as somebody who ranks Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as their personal GOTY, I was thrilled it won the night.

Ryan Epps here, tagging in for Rory so he can get some rest!

How was it? Did the Game Awards 2025 meet your expectations? Did you get the reveal you were waiting for, or still desperately clinging to hope for a Half Life 3 tease?

Maybe next year....

The show's biggest reveals...

I've had a few minutes to digest TGA 2025, and I've got to say, while Clair Obscur did sweep, it was still a phenomenal rollercoaster of reveals! Although some of those really hot ticket items didn't make an appearance, like GTA 6, BioShock 4, or Gabe Newell's Revenge, there were still a plethora of amazing items that got teased. Here are a few that come to mind:

• Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic
• Ontos
• Phantom Blade Zero
• Divinity
• Control Resonant
• Gang of Dragon
• Lords of the Fallen 2
• Highguard
• 007 First Light
• Street Fighter movie

"Perfection is not attainable or affordable. Excellence is."

This line, quoted by David Keighley (Geoff Keighley's late father), rings true most of all in the aftermath of this year's Game Awards. Despite the odds stacked against it, Clair Obscur took home not only the prized GOTY but also eight additional awards on top of it. It's a Game Awards first, highlighting the brilliance in this medium, and the underlying truth to Mr. Keighley's message.

Excellence is everything. And Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 clearly stands the test of gaming excellence. Developed on a budget of under $10M by a team consisting of around 400 people, Sandfall Interactive's groundbreaking achievement is something game developers should always strive for, especially as we head into 2026 (and beyond).

Here's what excellence looks like:

• Game of the Year
• Best Narrative
• Best Game Direction
• Best Art Direction
• Best Score and Music
• Best Independent Game
• Best Debut Indie Game
• Best Performance (Jennifer English)
• Best RPG

Xbox Game Pass gives Xbox users access to hundreds of new and legacy games from the extensive Xbox library. However, one notable exception is Xbox Game Pass for PC, which is missing the majority of original Xbox games and many Xbox 360 titles. This has been a sore spot for years, but if a recent rumor is true, Microsoft is allegedly working on a solution.

On the ResetEra forums (via Wccftech), user Nate the Hate, who is a fairly accurate gaming insider, claims that “an effort is being made” to expand the Xbox backward compatibility to more platforms.

To be specific, getting pre-Xbox One era games on the best gaming PCs and the best handheld gaming consoles.

"There exists a hope to make legacy Xbox (OG and Xbox 360) games BC on ROG and Windows,” says Nate. “Whether they succeed is the unknown; but there is an effort being made. The other unknown would be how extensive will the initiative be in offerings. Will it be what we currently have on Series or will BC expand to add more titles across the Xbox ecosystem."

This claim isn’t that groundbreaking since we’ve heard similar rumors in the past. And to be honest, there’s no way that Xbox ’s higher-ups haven’t been discussing expanding the Xbox library to platforms like PC.

And now that we’re seeing Xbox games on PS5, it’s reasonable to assume such discussions have come up again. Of course, there will be challenges in porting older Xbox games to newer hardware.

As always, take this and any Xbox-related rumors with a grain of salt. That said, I won’t be surprised if Microsoft announces expanded backward compatibility when it reveals the next Xbox, which rumors claim will be more akin to a gaming PC than a home console. If and when that happens, the tagline “this is an Xbox” will be more substantive.

Xbox is terrified of the Steam Machine's plan to fix PC gaming, so Microsoft launched Xbox Full Screen Experience earlier than I anticipated to turn your gaming PC into more of a console. Here I was thinking it was going to be a thing just for the ROG Xbox Ally X and regular ROG Xbox Ally — giving it a unique selling point.

But timelines have shifted dramatically, and not only can you get it on any other handheld, but it’s now available to use on anything. That means you could turn your mini PC, laptop and even your full-blown gaming tower into a console-esque system.

Are there quirks? Yes. Third-party app integrations like Discord are weird and some functions require keyboard and mouse input over using the gamepad. That’s why this is only available to those on the Dev and Beta channels on Windows Insider, as part of Windows 11 version 25H2.

But if you’re keen to give this a go (I know a lot of you are like me), here’s how to get it — even if the “Full Screen Experience” toggle doesn’t show at first in settings.

How to enable Xbox Full Screen Experience on any Windows 11 PC/device

From here, you’ll see a relatively unassuming startup process going straight to desktop, but if you go into Task View, you’ll see an additional task window option to jump straight into the Xbox Full Screen Experience. At that point, you’ll switch straight over.

And that’s how you can get Xbox FSE on any Windows PC! I’m in the process of testing it to see whether there’s any kind of performance uplift beyond the improved ease of use, so check back in with me soon for the definitive numbers.

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Black Friday has turned into a goldmine for gamers. Whether you're team PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo, the discounts landing right now make upgrading your setup or grabbing that console you've been eyeing a lot easier to justify.

I've cut through the noise to find the gaming deals actually worth your money —consoles with serious price cuts, must-have accessories, and bundles that deliver genuine value. From the PS5 Pro dropping by over $100 at Amazon, to the Xbox Series S bundled with 24 months of Game Pass (which basically pays for itself), these are the offers you'll want to act on before stock runs out or prices creep back up.

Here are the 9 best Black Friday gaming deals I'd shop this weekend.

Quick links

• 🇺🇸 PS5 Pro: was $699 now $589 @ Amazon
• 🇺🇸 PS5 Dualsense controller: was $79 now $59 @ Amazon
• 🇺🇸 Nintendo Switch 2: $449 @ Amazon
• 🇬🇧 PS5 + EA Sports FC 26: was £429 now £289 @ Argos
• 🇬🇧 Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World: was £429 now £409 @ Very

US gaming deals

UK gaming deals

Shop today's best Black Friday deals

• Amazon: 50% off Ring, Ninja, AirPods and more
• Walmart Plus: 50% off @ Walmart
• REI: half-off Arc'teryx, Patagonia, more
• Dell: monitors from $69, laptops from $299
• Nectar: 50% off mattresses + bundles
• Best Buy: laptops from $149
• Lenovo: doorbuster deals from $319
• Wayfair: up to 80% off home decor
• Lululemon: top picks from $9
• Newegg: Doorbuster deals from $6
• Walmart: holiday gifts from $15
• Birkenstock: deals from $20 @ Nordstrom
• Saatva: luxury mattresses from $1,099

In a blink and you’ll miss it moment, Microsoft quietly announced that it would launch the new Xbox Full Screen Experience (FSE) to all Windows-based handheld consoles starting Friday, November 21. Plus, it could soon be coming to a PC near you.

Xbox FSE is an Xbox mode that enables users to tap into launchers like Battle.net, the Epic Game Store and Steam. The feature limits Windows 11’s power and performance overhead by not loading the full desktop or background processes which makes for smoother performance and snappier UI interactions when you’re gaming.

The full-screen mode debuted on the ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally handhelds last month. Tom’s Guide computing editor Jason England described the FSE as a “stellar UI to navigate.”

Around Halloween, MSI Claw owners who are also Windows Insiders were able to download a preview of Xbox FSE. Now, though, it will be available to all Windows-based handhelds, including some of the best handheld gaming consoles like the Lenovo Legion Go S.

Additionally, Microsoft said in a blog post that it is expanding FSE to “more Windows 11 PC form factors through the Xbox and Windows Insider programs soon.” However, the company did not share more details beyond that.

Both announcements were briefly shown during today’s Xbox partner preview. Even the recap of the event on Xbox Wire is only a couple of sentences.

Tom’s Guide has reached out to Xbox for more details on Xbox FSE and its expansion to other devices and platforms. We’ll update this story if and when we hear back from Microsoft.

How to enable Xbox Full Screen Experience

Once the update hits your handheld of choice, you can enable it by going to Settings > Gaming > Full screen experience. There, select Xbox as your home app.

Afterwards, your handheld will launch straight into the Xbox PC app upon startup. This will give you access to games from all your various libraries including the Microsoft Store, Battle.net, Steam and other gaming platforms. It also includes a Game Bar to navigate between games, launchers and a handheld-friendly task view. If you need to access Windows 11 you can back out of the app and see the desktop.

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It's quite shocking to realize that it's been five years since the last major Xbox console release, and the next wave of hardware should be arriving in the next few years. We're at the point where Microsoft is actively teasing the new console, and it sounds like the new system may be some kind of PC/Xbox hybrid — and I'm not sure how I feel about that.

Speaking with Mashable, Xbox president Sarah Bond dropped some hints about the new console, and likened it to the new ROG Xbox Ally X handheld. When asked about rumors the console would be more PC-like, Bond said that: “I can tell you you’re right, that the next-gen console is going to be a very premium, very high-end curated experience. You’re starting to see some of the thinking we have in this handheld, but I don’t want to give it all away.”

That answer is very coy, to say the least, and it doesn't give us much to work with. But if the Xbox Ally X is a template of sorts, then it could tell us something about what to expect from the next Xbox.

How could the next Xbox learn from the Xbox Ally X?

For those that don't know, the Xbox Ally X is a handheld gaming PC that runs on Windows 11. What sets it apart, aside from the Xbox-inspired controller, is the fact that it runs on an Xbox UI.

In other words, it's the closest thing we have to a handheld Xbox, especially if you still have an active Game Pass subscription and an extensive catalogue of games that support the "Xbox Play Anywhere" program.

What the handheld tells us is that it's possible to have an Xbox-like experience on a Windows machine. So it's not outside the realm of possibility that the next Xbox could be some kind of Windows machine — which would put it on a similar level to certain gaming PCs.

The question is how the console is going to differ from having your own PC? Personally, I gravitate towards console gaming for general peace of mind. I have a device that I know will be able to run the games I want to play, and I don't have to worry about anything other than making sure my controller is charged.

Yes, I could probably get a similar experience with a pre-built gaming PC and a little more research before I buy. But it's that absolutely thought-free process that makes consoles appealing. So I do have a few concerns about how that experience might change if Xbox does end up blurring the lines between console and PC.

There have been plenty of attempts to do this in the past, and offer PC gaming with a more console-like experience. Valve's Steam Machine series is one example I can think of, and that was a complete failure for a variety of reasons. Considering some of the other blunders Microsoft has made in recent years, I don't have full confidence that they won't screw things up somehow.

Or maybe I'm overthinking it. I'd like to think that Microsoft has a handle on what makes for a good games console and why people opt for consoles over PCs in the first place. Plus, with Valve supposedly trying to do something similar with the Steam Console, the pressure is on the company not to mess this up.

Then again, this is also the company that decided one of its consoles also needed to be a $500 TV box that would break if you didn't connect to the internet once a day.

There are some benefits to this

One thing we do know is that the next Xbox won't be locked into a single digital storefront. So rather than being forced to buy all your digital games from the Xbox Store, you should have the option to go elsewhere. Whether that's Steam, Epic Games, or some other store hasn't been fully confirmed. But this can only be a good thing.

The big issue with consoles has always been that you can only get your games from a single source — so Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo can usually charge whatever they like. Having PC gaming stores on the new Xbox means more choice, and hopefully access to cheaper games in the process. Plus, if Microsoft has any sense, it'll make sure modding support is available. Even if it's only for PC-made games.

These are definitely not things to complain about, especially with how expensive console games have become in recent years. Just as long as I still have the option to buy games on disc too, because I'm not ready to give up physical media just yet.

I'm torn about this whole thing, but I'll avoid making any snap decisions just yet. Yes, Microsoft has pulled off some epic blunders with the Xbox brand recently, but at the same time there could be some benefits to having more PC experiences on a console platform.

We're just going to have to wait and see what happens, and hope that Microsoft doesn't decide to charge people an absolute fortune for the privilege. It's bad enough that the Xbox Series X and Xbox Ally X cost as much as they do, without throwing another near-quadruple-digit gaming machine our way. Especially since we'd likely have to wait several years for something with better specs.

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• Can't justify the new Xbox Game Pass prices? Here's how to cancel your subscription
• ROG Xbox Ally isn't an Xbox, but it feels like the start of something big
• Battlefield 6 is the best shooter I’ve played on PS5 Pro in 2025 — 3 reasons Call of Duty has real competition this year

If you're gaming on one of the best TVs, then you're likely experiencing your games in stunning, vibrant color with high refresh rates and great audio. But there's one feature that you might not be aware of, especially if it doesn't activate automatically. Most modern TVs have a Game Mode that's designed specifically to be used when you're playing video games.

What a Game Mode actually does, however, can seem a little vague. After all, your video games probably look pretty great already – but enabling Game Mode could make your gaming experience even better. Here's what you need to know about Game Mode and whether or not you should use it.

What is Game Mode?

There are some settings and features built into your TV that are designed specifically to make gaming a better experience. Game Mode essentially tweaks these settings. For starters, when you enable game mode, your TV will prioritize a lower latency over things like image processing. To that end, it will bypass or at least limit some image processing technologies to ensure that latency is as low as possible — which means that there's less of a lag between you pressing a button on your controller and your character responding on-screen.

In some situations, the settings that are disabled are ones that you might want disabled anyway – like motion smoothing. Other settings which might be related to color depth or brightness are tweaked too. While in theory this could result in a lower image quality, in practice you're unlikely to notice much of a difference – Game Mode won’t, for example, limit HDR formats you can use. Most modern TVs can still fine-tune brightness and color accuracy perfectly well even with Game Mode enabled.

Basically, the ultimate goal of Game Mode is simply to reduce the time it takes for something to happen on the screen after you push a button on your controller.

If available on your TV, Game Mode might also enable technologies like variable refresh rate – though often these technologies will be enabled automatically when your TV detects a gaming console. It's also worth noting that Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) is a Game Mode that’s usually enabled automatically when your TV detects a gaming console – so if your TV has ALLM, you probably don’t need to worry about manually activating Game Mode.

When you should use Game Mode

Put simply, you should use Game Mode whenever you're playing a video game on your TV. This is true however you're playing, whether it be through a console like the PlayStation 5, a gaming PC, or a handheld system plugged into your TV's HDMI port.

Don't assume that Game Mode is only for ultra fast-paced games like first-person shooters either. Game mode can help your game feel more responsive even on slower story-driven games where input lag isn't as much of a factor. That, in turn, can help make games feel more immersive.

Game mode is even useful when you're not using a local console – and instead using a game streaming service like Xbox Cloud Gaming. These services introduce latency at the best of times, so minimizing that lag as much as possible can be hugely helpful.

When you shouldn’t use Game Mode

The obvious answer here is that you'll want to disable Game Mode when you're not actually playing a game. There are settings that won't be enabled in game mode, but that you might want enabled when you're watching a movie or TV show, like noise reduction and some HDR processing settings.

Game mode can also interfere with some more advanced features, like those that use brightness sensors to calibrate the TV's image based on the lighting in your environment.

Put simply, it's easy to know when you should and shouldn't use game mode. Use it when you're gaming, and don't when you're not.

How to enable Game Mode

The process for enabling Game Mode varies widely depending on your TV’s brand and model, but it’s almost always found within the picture or settings menu. On most TVs, you can access it by pressing the settings button on your remote, navigating to Picture Mode or General Settings, and selecting Game Mode or Game Optimizer. Different TVs label it differently.

Many newer TVs can automatically detect when a game console is connected and switch Game Mode on or off as needed. This feature is called Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), and it works with compatible devices like the Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and certain PCs. When you start playing, the TV automatically enables Game Mode to minimize lag, then switches back to your previous picture mode when you exit the game or switch inputs.

If your TV doesn’t support ALLM, you may need to toggle Game Mode manually, but most TVs remember your preference per input. That means you can set your console’s HDMI port to always use Game Mode.

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With the launch of the Asus-built ROG Xbox Ally X, Microsoft's Sarah Bond has been making the rounds giving interviews about the new handheld and what's next for Xbox. And most of the time she's focused on the new handheld while defending its high price.

But buried within these interviews Bond has given some hints about the next-generation Xbox console that we expect to launch in 2027 or 2028. In a talk with Variety, she confirmed that the Xbox Series X and S follow-up is in development. In addition, she suggested that an Xbox-made handheld is a possibility.

"We have our next-gen hardware in development. We’ve been looking at prototyping, designing," Bond told Variety. "We have a partnership we’ve announced with AMD around it, so that is coming."

Microsoft announced its multiyear partnership with AMD this past summer with a marketing push that "anything" can be an Xbox.

"This is all about building you a gaming platform that’s always with you, so you can play the games you want across devices anywhere you want," Bond said at the time.

This week, Bond appeared in a video interview with Mashable where she remained coy but did provide a few more hints at what's to come.

Addressing the rumors that the next Xbox would be more like a gaming PC, Bond said "the next-gen console is going to be a very premium, very high-end curated experience."

She added that with the release of the Ally X, that we're "starting to see some of the thinking that [the Xbox team] has, but I don't want to give it all away."

The new handhelds emphasize a redesigned Xbox full-screen experience UI, which allows gamers to acess other PC storefronts like Steam and Epic. Presumably, something similar on an Xbox console would make for a totally different approach compared to Nintendo or PlayStation.

The Mashable interview covers the ROG Ally X, but the relevant portion is about 6 minutes in.

It's not quite there in the ROG Xbox Ally, but that device seems to be a good first step. My colleague Jason England praised it in our review of the ROG Ally X saying that Microsoft is finally on the right track.

The question is will a new console be enough to win Xbox fans back?

What's next?

Gamers are a fickle, often backlash-ready, group, but they had a right to be upset at multiple price hikes for the aging Xbox Series X and S consoles that hit this year, alongside Game Pass price increases this October — here's how to cancel if you missed that news.

The next Xbox has been tipped to target 4K gaming at 120 frames per second. At least one rumor claimed the new console would be even more powerful than the PlayStation 6. And again, there may be an Xbox-made handheld that actually plays Xbox games, unlike the Ally handhelds.

Even though we praised the ROG Ally consoles in our reviews, we still found the prices way too high. The economy isn't getting better, and it's fair to wonder if what Xbox needs is not a premium experience but a console that suddenly budget-conscious gamers can actually afford.

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Microsoft's new pair of Xbox gaming handhelds may be a hit with reviewers but there's no getting away from the premium price of the devices. The starting price for the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X wasn't announced until very late in the day and when it did, it was an astonishing $599 and $999, respectively.

Speaking to Variety, Xbox President Sarah Bond has defended those astronomical price tags, saying: “I feel really good about the value that we’re giving gamers for the price, based off the reception to the hardware.”

Bond explained that Microsoft gave Asus, which made the hardware for the systems, free rein to set the prices.

"We looked at, how do we create multiple options for people? And it really was Asus, because this is their hardware," she said. "That is all of their insight into the market, into the feature set, into what people want, to determine the ultimate prices of the devices."

According to Bond, at least, the pricing hasn't dented the demand among early adopters with the $999 Xbox Ally X pre-orders selling out on the Xbox Store last month. Bond also said the systems are selling "really quickly at a number of other places around the world.”

Whether or not the value proposition from Asus and Xbox is enough to sustain the Xbox Ally remains to be seen. During testing, we found the gaming experience on Xbox's lesser device was similar to what you can get on a vastly cheaper Steam Deck. In fact, the two machines have almost the exact same processing power, but opting for the LCD Steam Deck is $200 cheaper.

That being said, the more expensive Xbox Ally X blew us away with its performance and ergonomics. One sore point for a handheld costing nearly a grand is the lack of an OLED screen. But if it's raw performance and intuitive controls you're after, the Xbox Ally X nails it.

Of course, Bond's comments are only one side of the story. It would be interesting to hear from Taiwanese manufacturer Asus on how the pricing was arrived at. I expect there were some intense discussions around Asus HQ on how much the Xbox branding would contribute to the final price of the device. While Asus has its own brand recognition among gamers, it's not on the same playing field as Microsoft's Xbox juggernaut.

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Your TV and game console communicate through HDMI-CEC (Consumer Electronics Control), a feature that lets devices control each other over HDMI cables. When enabled, turning on your TV can power up your console, and vice versa. This happens automatically and can be annoying if you want to watch TV without booting up your gaming system.

The feature goes by different names depending on your TV brand — HDMI Device Link, Simple Link, Anynet+ or Bravia Sync, for example — but they all do the same thing. Disabling it on either your TV or console stops the automatic power behavior.

Here's how to prevent your TV from turning on your Xbox or PS5, with options for disabling the feature on your TV, PlayStation 5, or Xbox Series X|S.

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It would be fair to say that Xbox has endured mixed fortunes in the last month. The Tokyo Game Show and the reveal of Forza Horizon 6 (not coming to PlayStation at launch, by the way) were followed by a price hike for Xbox Game Pass, which came just after Microsoft did its best to price itself out of the console market.

Then, as if to compound the issue, the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X didn’t get a price until the eleventh hour, and then dropped at an eye-watering $599 and $999. Is the legacy of Xbox to be one of pricey hardware and services, then? Not quite. I think its story runs into the next generation. Let me explain.

Is this an Xbox?

Microsoft’s biggest issue, dating back to the rollout of the Xbox One, has been how it messages its plans. That console, which should have been a slam dunk after the Xbox 360 catapulted the brand into the global consciousness, launched atop a wave of mealy-mouthed, confusion-inducing communications.

Does it need to be online? Yes. Can you share games? Yes, but also no, because people would have to be part of your family plan. Do you have to have a Kinect? Yes, and the price is higher than the PS4 because of it.

And, while that was now 12 years ago, Microsoft hasn’t really learned from those same mistakes. When it came to releasing games on PlayStation (a necessity given the cost of game development and wanting to find as wide an audience as possible, Microsoft let the rumor mill and leaks spring eternal before confirming that four games would come to Sony’s system.

That then shifted again - some games would land day-and-date on PS5, and there were no barriers to even allowing something like Halo to cross the fence.

Imagine our surprise, then, when Xbox finally hit upon a strong messaging beat. “This is an Xbox” became a memeable catchphrase in the same way “Xbox Game Pass is the best deal in gaming” was parrotted by many online (including from this writer, but more on that later).

The idea is simple: thanks to Cloud Gaming and Xbox Play Anywhere, you can play Xbox titles on your phone, tablet, PC, VR headset, and even an Amazon Fire TV stick. It’s a smart idea, albeit one that essentially removes the need to buy an Xbox console for those with a good enough PC.

But it gets you in the ecosystem that Microsoft, to its credit, has been pushing to build seemingly every year, gradually (and not without some frustrating closures along the way), since current Xbox boss Phil Spencer took over.

No, it’s not

The trouble is that, when an Xbox handheld hits shelves, even at its sky-high price, there’s now a reasonable expectation that it can play Xbox games.

And it can…sort of. But only if the game in question has Play Anywhere support which includes a PC version as well as a console one, or if you’re happy to stream your games to the system.

Despite what Good Morning America may suggest, you can’t technically play Xbox console games on it.

It’s yet another asterisk next to a handy marketing slogan - “This Is An Xbox” (that’s actually a PC) will sit alongside “Play it on Day One with Xbox Game Pass” (as long as you’ve got the right tier that has day one launches).

The discerning Tom’s Guide reader will know all this regardless, but if you’re a grandparent or parent shopping for a new console this holiday season, you could be opening a can of worms gifting a $999 Xbox console (which Microsoft itself describes as an Xbox) to an Xbox gamer only to find they don’t have anything to play natively on it.

So what next?

When Microsoft raised the price of Xbox Game Pass, it didn’t take long for discussions to turn to whether the company was abandoning the gaming space, having seen its returns seemingly diminish against Nintendo and, primarily, Sony.

It’s perhaps telling that it feels like Xbox is the only one of the three where a rumor seemingly takes on new life, pushing Microsoft to confirm that no, its billions-of-dollars investment in AMD for the next console generation isn’t being sidelined just yet.

And yet, I think if Microsoft could be onto something. The rise of handheld PCs has blurred the lines between console and more traditional PC gaming, and now more than ever, users have libraries spread across different systems and launchers.

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Six hundred dollars. Why is the ROG Xbox Ally $600? It’s a question I simply cannot answer.

That’s not to say the Xbox Ally is a terrible handheld — it’s actually fine. In the two weeks I’ve had testing it, I’ve had fun digging into indie titles at smooth frame rates and being afforded the battery life uplift that comes with it.

AAA performance is lacking, but nothing a little tweaking to 720p low settings can’t get around to afford around 40 FPS in the likes of Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite. And on top of that, I can’t ignore that the new gamer-fied Xbox Full Screen Experience of Windows 11 does eliminate my biggest bugbear of PC handhelds.

But this is a similar experience I can get in the vastly cheaper Steam Deck. In fact, it’s almost exactly the same APU with 4 cores/8 threads, and 8 RDNA 2 GPU cores. And I can snag one with an OLED screen for $50 less, or even go lower and pick up the LCD version for $200 cheaper.

And for those looking for more AAA overhead, there are more powerful Ryzen Z1 Extreme options that come in at the same price as this less powerful option — all of which will get this same power unlock with the Xbox FSE update.

Plus, there’s the Xbox Play Anywhere confusion. On paper, with more than 1,000 titles supported by this platform-agnostic move, you may not feel it. But if you’ve been an Xbox loyalist for a while, you may run into some pain points with your library just not being compatible.

So yes, the ROG Xbox Ally can be the most comfortable handheld I’ve used, with the more pronounced grips with subtle contours, and it can be a nice device for crushing Silksong on. But the price is going to leave a bad taste in your mouth. Make it $500, then we’ll be onto something.

ROG Xbox Ally: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? This is a Windows gaming handheld — the entry-level model of the two made by Asus in partnership with Xbox.
• Who is it for? This is for the indie darlings only. If you’ve racked up 50-plus hours on Silksong and you’re looking for your next great indie title, this will suit.
• What does it cost? You can pick one up for $599.
• What do we like? The ergonomics are on another level compared to other gaming handhelds — this thing is comfy. On top of that, the re-engineered Windows 11 gives you a slick Xbox UI to navigate over the desktop OS, and the low-end APU doesn’t stress the battery too much.
• What don’t we like? Why would I spend $600 on this when I could get the similarly-specced Steam Deck for less? Moreover, the Ryzen Z1 Extreme is a more powerful chip on paper, and you could get a handheld sporting this for the same price. It’s far too expensive for what it offers.

ROG Xbox Ally: Specs

ROG Xbox Ally: The ups

Given my solid playtime experience with the ROG Xbox Ally at Gamescom, where I got to tuck into a well-optimized title like Forza Horizon 5, I came in feeling pretty excited. And at first, there were elements to celebrate.

A dream in the hands

I have to give the design teams at Asus and Xbox props here — just like the ROG Xbox Ally X, this is the most comfortable handheld I’ve ever played on. The Xbox controller-inspired grips eliminate fatigue effectively and ensure you could keep playing for hours on end.

The texture on the grips ensures a firm hold, buttons and joysticks are in just the right areas for thumb placement, and the haptics inside deliver impressive enhancements to the experience with good detail.

Windows 11 gets a gaming tune up

And then there’s the work done to Windows 11 to make this feel a lot more like a console than a tiny PC (and all the awkward touchscreen problems that come with it).

It’s called Xbox Full Screen Experience, and it’s a stellar UI to navigate — both for just jumping into your games fast and having quick, easy access to all the technical settings to tweak, whether that’s display restrictions or wattage limits to preserve battery life.

Even better, Microsoft’s done the background work as well and killed off all those desktop-running background processes that come with traditional Windows 11. Of course, you can open it at will, but whenever you’re just playing, none of it is necessary. And what this does is remove those costly background processes, limiting the true potential of that Ryzen Z2A chip.

The end result is an indie handheld that is capable of lasting a while. For all intents and purposes, it’s a decent handheld.

ROG Xbox Ally: The downs

Unfortunately, the Xbox Ally is only a decent handheld when you look at it with serious tunnel vision, and not question what else you could get for that $600 investment (or less). Because when it comes to our testing, you can get much better for your money.

Feels like its 2022 all over again

To those who have already read my pieces on the build-up to the launch of the ROG Xbox Ally, you’ll know that I’ve been a little suspicious about that Ryzen Z2 A. With 4 cores/8 threads and 8 RDNA 2 GPU cores, this is pretty much identical to what the Steam Deck packs — the only difference being the Ally can get to a higher wattage.

In my benchmarking comparisons, though, you’ll be hard-pressed to spot the difference.

The more I played around with the settings, the more near-identical numbers I got — 40-ish FPS on Forza Horizon 5 at the same settings, super low frame rates when throwing more demanding (and less well-optimized) games at it.

There’s a part of me that does want to say “good job,” because Microsoft has stripped back Windows 11 to the point that it can match the Steam Deck’s performance. But then, I realize I’m paying $600 for that experience.

That’s $50 more than the cost of the Steam Deck OLED with the same amount of storage and a far superior screen. (Yes, the LCD panel on the Xbox Ally does have variable refresh rate, but you won’t really be using that much given the frame rates you can actually get.) And if price-to-performance is key, it’s $200 more than the base model.

You could get better for cheaper

So let’s take that amount of money and go shopping around a little bit, because the Steam Deck is one good example, but not the best. This Windows 11 Xbox Full Screen Experience update is coming to all handhelds in 2026. As a matter of fact, users can actually install it now.

And just like the roof being raised on performance on the Z2 Extreme-armed Ally X, this looks set to breathe new life into older handhelds sporting the Ryzen Z1 Extreme — a chip that is demonstrably faster than the Z2A in this particular Ally.

For example, the Lenovo Legion Go is regularly discounted to $599 during peak sales events, and that breezes past the Ally. The original ROG Ally with Z1 Extreme is $649 at the moment, but I’ve seen it sold for $599 as well. Once again, it might be worth waiting until Black Friday to see that price come down. If it did before for Amazon’s October Prime Day, it will again.

But that’s all before dipping into the world of refurbished tech. If you’re desperate for a handheld right now, the ROG Ally is $489 in excellent condition, and the Legion Go is $579. This is far better performance for the same price or cheaper.

If this were a $500 device, we’d be having a different conversation. But in a world where every penny matters, if you’re in the market for a handheld, you could get much more for your money.

ROG Xbox Ally: Verdict

I’ll be honest with you, after seeing the $1,000 price tag on the ROG Xbox Ally X, I was really rooting for the Ally to be the real value buster here — the Series S of handhelds that just ticked all the right boxes at a lower price.

But then, the cold, hard reality hit, and what we’re left with is a $600 system that should cost $400 based on its performance. That’s a crying shame because the Ally itself is an OK handheld, which I would’ve had a better impression of if it were more affordable.

Alas, this just feels like the base model companies make so they can say “from *INSERT LOWER PRICE HERE*” and not have to say the big number. But even at that level, this is still a big number, and you can get similar or better price-to-performance for cheaper.

Here it is. An Xbox you should actually buy… I feel bad for that unnecessary dunk, but I mean it with the best intentions — the ROG Xbox Ally X is an impressive leap forward for handheld gaming.

From the simplification of Windows 11 to boot straight into an easy-to-use Xbox UI, to the ergonomic design and the power under the hood, it’s almost like Microsoft has seen our complaints about Windows gaming handhelds and meticulously addressed each one.

The Xbox controller-inspired body is oh-so comfortable for playing for hours on end, the Ryzen Z2 AI Extreme chip delivers solid performance (further enhanced by a streamlined version of Windows 11), and the 80 Wh battery easily gave me around three hours of playtime on one charge. This is certainly one of the best gaming handhelds you can buy.

But at $999? This is a pricey purchase — one only serious gamers with dense PC libraries should pay. And notice that I said “PC,” because the “Xbox Play Anywhere” branding is sure to create some confusion amongst long time Xbox players looking to dig up their entire library. But more on that later.

Let’s actually get into my 5,000 mile round trip with the Xbox Ally X, which starts (as you’d expect) with delays at the airport.

ROG Xbox Ally X: Video review

ROG Xbox Ally X: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? This is a top-of-the-line PC gaming handheld — sporting top specs.
• Who is it for? This is for gaming enthusiasts who want to take their PC library with them.
• What does it cost? You can pick one up for $999.
• What do we like? You want the best (and are paying $999 for it)? You’re getting the best. This is a seriously great gaming handheld with the performance to boot, the power efficiency, the stellar ergonomics, and the slick new Windows 11 Xbox UI to boot.
• What don’t we like? I’m a little sad that the Ally X didn’t get the OLED treatment — especially at the high price tag, and Xbox Play Anywhere is going to cause some confusion.

ROG Xbox Ally X: Specs

ROG Xbox Ally X: The ups

So as is becoming more and more inevitable, my flight was delayed. Not only that, but at the worst possible time — when you’re sitting on the plane with seatbelts fastened and unable to go anywhere. Lucky for me, the Ally X came in clutch and made the delay fly by.

The best feeling handheld

I remember all the reactions when we shared the design leak ages ago. All the talk of it looking a bit like a toy and being too thick to be a gaming handheld. Well, I can confirm that a) it’s a sleek-looking system and b) it’s actually the most comfortable handheld I’ve ever used.

Turns out, a little thickness was the cure all along! While everyone seems to worry about thinness, Asus and Xbox have brought the best of both worlds together with an even weight distribution across the system, and those controller grips inspired by the Xbox pad.

Every other handheld I’ve tried, no matter how subtly more pronounced the grips are (like the MSI Claw A8), they all come across a slight fatigue after a while as there’s a balancing act to keep those smaller curves in your hand.

Here, however, there’s none of that. Just grip on and get playing, and I easily played through my delay and the entire flight without feeling any aches. It’s simply a compact joy to play on.

Amping up the horsepower

Now let’s talk about the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme. I’m going to go ahead and ignore that AI part, because at this point, no game is actually taking advantage of the NPU for performance gains.

But the main strength of this new chip, as I saw in the Claw A8, comes down to finding a better balance between performance and power efficiency. Because sure, when you do put it through our standard tests when plugged in (so running in a 35W Turbo Mode), the gains over the Ryzen Z1 Extreme are sort of minor.

However, as you start to head into the 17W performance mode, you see a marked difference that shows AMD has figured out a way to make more use of the wattage afforded to it.

Then of course, you can get into the settings tweaks and extract all the more performance than our standard array of benchmarks we do! For example, Cyberpunk at medium-to-high detail, 1080p with FSR resolution scaling runs at a smooth 50 FPS average.

And in turn, that leads to a strong battery life that should pass over any medium commutes, and only require the occasional boost back up to 100% if you’re on a long haul flight. When you tweak the power efficiency settings, you can easily get just over three hours on one charge. Of course, you can deplete that 80Wh battery faster, but this huge cell does have some staying power.

All-in-all, this is now the new strongest PC gaming handheld in terms of raw horsepower. And while some of that comes down to the hardware, there’s another major element that really helps it here: the software.

Windows 11 no longer sucks on a gaming handheld!

It’s been the bane of my existence for so long that it feels almost revelatory to see a gaming handheld operate like…well a gaming handheld. You can’t begin to imagine the elation I felt when I went through the setup process without once being offered a year of Microsoft Office 365 for free!

The Xbox UI you’re immediately ported into is seriously slick to navigate and really gives Steam OS a run for its money in terms of ease of use, while also ensuring you’ve got rapid access to tech settings if you want to tweak anything quickly.

But while I could wax lyrical about the fact Microsoft is finally on the right track, that’s not even the best bit in my mind. One look at a task manager, and you’ll see the desktop isn’t even running. This is one of the secrets to that additional performance headroom over other handhelds.

Running the Windows 11 desktop is a rather consuming task of background resources, and it can hamper gameplay and battery life. With that cleared out of the way, you’ll notice a nice little uplift here.

ROG Xbox Ally X: The downs

And after a few days in paradise, taking in the views (the views of in-game scenery on my Ally X of course), it was time to head back, and that’s when I really got to think about this machine and spot the weak points that many of you have talked about already.

$999 and no OLED display?

Going the LCD route is not the end of the world, and Asus’ 7-inch 1080p panel is pretty enough — good color presentation (77.9% DCI-P3 color gamut), smooth frame rate, impressive brightness at 515.8 nits in our testing, and small enough to make any textures look super crispy.

But given the cost is $999, I’m a little gutted that we’re not seeing an OLED screen here. It’s always shocking how much of a game changer an inky display with deep contrast and a flash flood of color can be for breathing new life into your games.

And speaking more in particular about that price, it’s a hard one to justify to anyone other than the hardcore gaming crowd or those who are serious about taking AAA experiences on-the-go. There’s gaming laptops that you could get for this same cost.

Is this an Xbox?

Now before I jump into this gripe, I’ll be clear in saying most of you won’t be impacted by this. Your combination of a massive Steam library and Game Pass will serve you well. I’m talking more to those who have amassed quite an Xbox console library.

You see, this is a PC gaming handheld that is part of a program called “Xbox Play Anywhere” — simply put, a platform-agnostic move to play your games on both Xbox and PC at no extra cost. So far (at the time of writing) 1,522 games are supported.

But there are some surprising omissions. For example, Battlefield 6 is not part of this program, and neither is the Xbox copy of Final Fantasy XIII I bought a while back. I can see this causing some frustration to those who have been dedicated to this platform.

This is a problem that should resolve itself over time with more developers opting in, but there’s going to be some more puzzlement heading into this new era.

ROG Xbox Ally X: Verdict

I live in a paradoxical mind. On the one hand, I sit on my lawn chair saying gaming handhelds have gotten too damn expensive. But on the other hand, I can’t lie — this is the best PC gaming handheld I’ve ever used, and I’d feel OK dropping $999 on it.

Impressive performance paired with a giant battery and power efficiency — all deeply rooted in a stripped down Windows 11 with a slick Xbox UI to navigate and a

All I’d say is just think about the library you have and the ways you play. If you’re leaning more towards indie, and you’re OK shaving off some textures in your AAA games, then a cheaper handheld is more than enough. Or if you dabble more in strategy, you can get some great gaming laptops for this price.

If you’re back here after thinking that through, you have your answer. Go play to your heart’s content!

We know that new consoles are coming, but when can we expect to be able to try and buy the PS6 and whatever the next-generation Xbox ends up being called? Well, insiders claim that both Sony and Microsoft are aiming to release their next-gen consoles at some point in 2027.

News of the PS6 release window comes from NeoGaf user KeplerL2, who has produced accurate reports on AMD hardware in the past. This prediction took place in a thread discussing PS5 lead architect Mark Cerny's recent comments on the future of PlayStation hardware — noting that the PS6 would arrive in "a few years' time."

While some speculated that this could mean a 2028 release, KeplerL2 claims that 2027 isn't just "on the table, it's the plan unless any unexpected delays happen."

Meanwhile, Moore's Law is Dead recently released a video detailing the AMD Magnus APU, which they claim will be used in the next Xbox console. The YouTuber then claimed multiple times that this console is also aiming for a 2027 release, despite previously claiming that it could arrive as soon as late 2026.

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Recently, Microsoft announced it would increase the cost of Xbox Game Pass to as much as $29.99 per month. While you can still get Xbox Game Pass discounts for a limited period of time, the higher price may be too much to swallow. Whether the new pricing doesn't fit your budget or you're simply not using the service enough to justify the cost, canceling is straightforward.

You can cancel Xbox Game Pass from either a web browser or directly on your Xbox console. The process takes just a few minutes, and you'll retain access to your subscription benefits until the end of your current paid period. Here's how to cancel your Xbox Game Pass subscription through both methods, plus what happens after you cancel.

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