The age of new Xbox hardware is over. At least, according to a former executive at Xbox.

Laura Fryer, a member of the founding team for Xbox, says Xbox hardware may be on the way out, despite what Microsoft's marketing suggests.

In the aftermath of the unveiling of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally, Fryer shared her thoughts on the future of the Xbox as someone who helped get the brand off the ground.

Unfortunately for console fans, she has offered a harsh verdict.

Here's a look at what Fryer had to say about the future of the Xbox and how the ROG Xbox Ally could shape it.

See also: This month's best gaming laptop deals

"They are betting their entire business on Game Pass"

Fryer has been a leader in the video game industry for decades. While she is no longer affiliated with Microsoft, she shared her expert opinion on the future of Xbox hardware in a video posted on Sunday on her YouTube channel.

Unfortunately for console fans, in light of Microsoft's announcement of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally, Fryer thinks Xbox may be leaving the hardware market entirely, and it's part of a bigger shift across the brand that's leaning more and more on Game Pass and Xbox Anywhere.

Fryer called out the state of things at Xbox right now, saying, "They are betting their entire business on Game Pass and leaving the hardware innovation to their partners at Asus."

She went on to add, "I'll admit, it's a great message for gamers. Who doesn't want to play their games with their family and friends on any device and any platform? But that's all it is -- it's marketing."

While Fryer admitted that Game Pass "has a lot of value," she also pointed out the confusion surrounding which games can be played on Game Pass and Xbox Anywhere.

For instance, the ROG Xbox Ally is a Windows device, so it can't play native Xbox games; only native PC games are supported. The line between those is blurring, but it's still worth noting.

Similarly, the Core and Standard Game Pass subscription tiers for console specifically don't include the day-one releases that are one of the service's most significant selling points. In contrast, the PC version of the Standard Game Pass subscription does include day-one releases.

Fryer also called out confusing moves like this in her video, stating, "From my perspective, the Xbox strategy has been chaotic. So, it's hard to say what they'll do next."

Her prediction for the console's future was grim, to say the least: "Obviously, as one of the founding members of the Xbox team, I'm not pleased with where things are today.

"I don't love watching all of the value that I helped create slowly get eroded away. I'm sad because, from my perspective, it looks like Xbox has no desire or literally can't ship hardware anymore. So, this partnership [with Asus] is about a slow exit from the hardware business completely."

"Personally, I think Xbox hardware is dead."

Is the "future of Xbox" just... PC gaming?

Fryer's perspective on the state of things at Xbox doesn't bode well for gamers who prefer their console to a PC. While Fryer mentioned how cost-effective PC gaming can be when you build your own PC, she also praised the ease that comes with consoles.

They're often less expensive than a gaming PC and, at least historically, easier to use since you don't need to worry about things like driver updates.

With Xbox seemingly abandoning hardware, gamers who want the convenience of a console will likely switch to a PlayStation or even the Nintendo Switch 2.

Even if those gamers want to keep playing their Xbox games, Microsoft has, ironically, made it exceptionally easy for them to abandon Xbox hardware without losing access to their games.

Fryer pointed this out, too, saying, "Here's the problem: Xbox doesn't do exclusives anymore. Even if Xbox delivers a crazy great game, Xbox Anywhere means that I can play that game on any platform."

If the ROG Xbox Ally is any indicator of Microsoft's plans for the Xbox brand, we could be looking at a future where "Xbox hardware" is just... Windows gaming PCs. Of course, there are some phenomenal gaming laptops out there for those who want to get into PC gaming.

However, it's not the same as a console and it's easy to see why long-time Xbox fans may be disappointed to see Xbox consoles ride off into the sunset.

As Laura Fryer said, "It's one year from the 25th anniversary of the [original] Xbox and it looks like they're abandoning pretty much everything that made the Xbox brand great in the first place."

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Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference in early June brought plenty of news about the company’s latest operating system updates across its devices. One device that received minimal attention, even though it's the newest product from the company, was the Apple Vision Pro.

The VR headset is just over a year old, and it has yet to catch on with the public thanks to its expensive price tag and lack of functionality. While the Apple Vision Pro inspired the company to introduce Liquid Glass across all upcoming software updates, the company had few features to reveal for the headset. It does appear, however, that Apple is coming for everyone's head, literally.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo posted about Apple's plans for the future, and it appears the company is going to focus on both eyewear and headsets. He says, "Apple views head-mounted devices as the next major trend in consumer electronics" and predicts the company will release multiple products for this trend starting in 2027.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

It's going to be a busy 2027 for Apple

According to Kuo, Apple will release a lighter version of its Apple Vision Pro in 2027, which he refers to as Vision Air. This new VR headset will be more than 40% lighter. This new lighter headset would also come at a much lower price.

Before the release of the Vision Air, Kuo predicts Apple will release another Vision Pro with the same design but an upgraded M5 processor replacing the current M2 chip.

Then, in 2028, Kuo says Apple will release its second generation of the Vision Pro. This new headset will have a different design, lighter weight, and a lower price than the original, with a Mac-grade processor.

For smart glasses, Kuo predicts Apple will release its smart glasses in 2027, with projected shipments to be 3 to 5 million units. Apple has "made progress" on a specialty chip designed for smart glasses, which could include versions with and without AR functionality. These glasses would compete directly with Meta, the current market leader, and its Ray-Ban and upcoming Oakley models.

The smart glasses will offer multiple frame and material options, along with voice control and gesture recognition, according to Kuo. The glasses will also have audio playback, camera, video recording, and AI environmental sensing features.

The glasses don't stop there. Kuo predicts Apple will begin production of a pair of XR glasses in 2028. These will have the same voice control and gesture recognition as the smart glasses while also having a color display. Kuo also says Apple is working on another "display accessory" that could return to development. This accessory would tether to an Apple device, such as an iPhone, and display content.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has been out for almost a week, and it's won over both fans and critics. It currently sits at a 90% Critic Rating and 100% Player Rating on OpenCritic, and is setting itself up to be one of the contenders for this year's Game of the Year.

The PS5 exclusive from Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima is a follow-up to his 2019 game, telling the story of Sam Porter, who is trying to reconnect the United States of America after the world was decimated by the souls of the dead roaming the Earth. Death Stranding 2 improves on many aspects of the original, but it appears that some players are having issues with the game, causing their PS5s to shut off.

A Reddit thread on the Death Stranding subreddit asked if other players were having their PS5s overheat while playing the game.

Death Stranding 2 – PS5 Overheats Only on Map Screen? from r/DeathStranding

"I’ve been playing the game on a base PS5 and overall it runs great—the graphics are stunning and I’ve had no issues during regular gameplay," the poster wrote. "But as soon as I pause the game and the map screen comes up, the fan suddenly goes into overdrive, and I get an overheat warning. It’s strange because everything else runs smoothly, even during long gameplay sessions. But the moment I bring up the map and start planning a route, the fan suddenly goes crazy and I get an overheating warning."

Kojima Productions didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about this problem.

Players on the thread who experienced this problem mentioned it came when they pulled up the map in the game. One poster suggests that because the map screen has an unlocked framerate, it causes the system to go into overdrive, thus raising the internal temperature. According to the comments, it appears to be affecting only the standard PS5, not the PS5 Pro or PS5 Slim, and it doesn't seem to matter if the PS5 is vertical or horizontal.

Some individuals suggested not leaving the map screen up for that long, as the longer it stays up, the more likely the PS5 will overheat.

One of the key designs for the PS5 was to address cooling, as the PS4 was notorious for having loud fans kick on whenever the console started to heat up. Sony made use of a double-sided fan, a sizable heatsink with heat pipes, and liquid metal between the heatsink and the SoC to make sure the heat is transferred properly.

The PS5 normally runs between 65°C and 75°C (149°F and 167°F) for most games. There is a point where the system determines that the temperature is too hot and will bring up the overheat warning.

A PS5 overheating can lead to a number of problems if it's not addressed, according to tech care firm Asurion. It can slow down the console, wear down components, and even lead to the PS5's breakdown.

A couple of easy tips to help prevent a PS5 from overheating include making sure the console is in a well-ventilated area, adding a cooling accessory, or opening it up to do some light cleaning.

When the Steam Deck came out in 2022, one of the big surprises was how well it ran video games. Other companies took note of the Steam Deck's success and came out with their own portable consoles, but with improved components so they could run games at higher graphics settings with the same quality or better quality. However, that ended up not being the case.

Handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and MSI Claw came after the release of the Steam Deck, and yet none have provided a better gaming experience, even though they all seemingly have better components. New testing shows that the biggest culprit is likely the operating system these devices are running.

Ars Technica released its findings from a test showing how different high-end games performed on a Lenovo Legion Go S using Windows 11 and the same device using SteamOS. The results showed that games running at the same resolution and graphics settings saw improved FPS with SteamOS instead of Windows, with some instances of nearly doubling performance.

In one particular case, Returnal improved from 18 FPS with Windows to 33 FPS with SteamOS. The Lenovo Legion Go’s performance improved after installing Asus drivers instead of Lenovo’s, but across the board, SteamOS outperformed Windows 11.

Who will beat Steam Deck?

The key reason why SteamOS performs so well is due to Valve's constant tinkering with the operating system over the years, unlike what other companies are doing, which is putting their own layer over Windows 11. This results in Windows 11 portable devices being bogged down with so much bloat, while the SteamOS is light and dedicated to just running video games.

This means companies have two choices if they want to compete with Steam Deck: Allow the optional installation of the SteamOS, like what Lenovo did with the Legion Go, or come up with a better alternative.

Microsoft and Asus are going for the latter with the ROG Xbox Ally X. The companies unveiled their device earlier in June, with Microsoft intending to create an Xbox-like experience with Steam Deck-level performance.

If the update to the Xbox PC app is any indication, the Xbox Ally will be able to run Xbox games as well as games for other platforms, such as Steam and Battle.net, which is something SteamOS can't officially support out of the box, although there are workarounds.

Being able to play more games that perform better than on a Steam Deck could be the right formula to take the top spot for portable consoles. That is, until the Steam Deck 2 comes out.

When Nintendo revealed the Switch 2 in early April, a new kind of memory card was unveiled to go along with the Switch successor.

The MicroSD Express card is the latest generation of storage cards with read speeds up to 800 MB/s and write speeds of 700 MB/s. These Express cards are so new that only a few companies make them: Lexar, SanDisk, Samsung, and Walmart's Onn brand.

TeamGroup is the latest company to announce that it will offer MicroSD Express cards. It will make 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB cards, however, TeamGroup didn't provide a date when they would become available or a price.

Even though the Switch 2 is not even a month old, storage is a big problem looming for console owners that can only be treated with more companies making more MicroSD Express cards to drive the price down.

The Switch 2 storage problem

While the 256 GB built-in storage for the Switch 2 might be plenty for storing games for the original Switch, it will likely fall short in the coming months or year. It comes down to the sizing of the third-party games.

For example, it would only take four Switch 2 launch titles to fill up the built-in storage: Split Fiction (69 GB), Cyberpunk 2077 (59 GB), Hitman World of Assassination: Signature Edition (59 GB), and Yakuza 0 Director's Cut (53 GB). Other games planned for later this year will likely have similar or even larger file sizes, such as Madden NFL 26, Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition, Borderlands 4, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Integrade, and Star Wars Outlaws.

Games from Nintendo, however, don't appear to take up as much space as the third-party titles. Mario Kart World comes in at just about 22 GB, and the upcoming Donkey Kong Bananza sits at 8.5 GB.

This means Switch 2 owners will likely have to get themselves a MicroSD Express card sooner rather than later, and they aren't cheap. Doubling the Switch 2 storage can cost $70-75, and a 1 TB card is around $200 if you decide to go with a Lexar, SanDisk, or Samsung card. Walmart's Onn brand, however, does come in at about half the price of the other brands. As mentioned earlier, card tests posted on Reddit suggest that the Onn cards appear to be rebranded Lexar cards.

Valve has opened the floodgates on this year's Steam Summer Sale, unleashing thousands of gaming deals onto the unsuspecting bank accounts of gamers worldwide. Including mine, after I accidentally purchased roughly $300 worth of games after testing my luck during our live coverage of the platform's recent service issues.

Yes, we're all guilty of the occasional impulse buy, but if you were to cast your eyes across the vast expanse of my Steam game library, then you'd assume I was less prone to caving to the occasional guilty pleasure, and more inclined to commit war crimes against my wallet.

On the plus side, I now have a fresh new bundle of games to enjoy. Though, countering that, I am left wondering where I'll find the time to play them, and how I'm going to make rent. Still, I regret mostly nothing, and I'm here to share some of the games I'd recommend you could 'accidentally' buy also, with many available for under $10.

Top picks from Steam's Summer Sale

You don't have to be as careless with your cash as I was during Steam's Summer Sale. In fact, you can grab plenty of top titles that offer hours of content for less than $10 or $20.

Let's take a closer look at some of the better deals available right now through July 10, 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT).

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Not all gaming handhelds are created equal.

If they were, there would be little purpose in our identifying the best handheld gaming PCs.

Thanks to Microsoft, we have two additional handheld gaming PCs arriving later this year. And the two highly anticipated Xbox handhelds are, actually, Asus ROG Ally handhelds with a twist.

We've already taken a look at whether you should go for the ROG Xbox Ally X or Asus ROG Ally X, so it's now time to take a look at the more affordable versions: The ROG Xbox Ally and the ROG Ally.

So, which should you be saving up for? The new ROG Xbox Ally or our old favorite ROG Ally? Or should you just go for Valve's Steam Deck OLED?

Asus ROG Xbox Ally vs Asus ROG Ally: Specs

Asus ROG Xbox Ally vs Asus ROG Ally: Pricing and configurations

Microsoft hasn't yet released the pricing on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally or the Xbox Ally X. But there will be just one configuration of the Xbox Ally, featuring an AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, a 7-inch, 1920 x 1080, 120Hz IPS display, and a 60 watt-hour battery.

The Asus ROG Ally is available in two price variations, featuring either AMD's Ryzen Z1 or Ryzen Z1 Extreme chipset. Both variations come with 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, 7-inch, 1920 x 1080, 120Hz IPS display, and a 40 watt-hour battery. The Ryzen Z1 version is just $499, while the Z1 Extreme edition is $649.

If you're wondering which ROG Ally is the best choice, we've done a rundown of the two models' strengths and weaknesses, and found that the Z1 Ally is often the better bargain.

For context, the Steam Deck OLED starts at $549 and comes with a custom 6nm Zen 2 AMD APU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 7-inch, 1280 x 800, 90Hz OLED display, plus a 50-watt-hour battery. You can upgrade your Steam Deck OLED storage to 1TB for an additional $100.

Asus ROG Xbox Ally vs Asus ROG Ally: Design and comfort

Look, the Asus ROG Ally looks incredibly cool. It features a sleek white aluminum chassis with RGB lighting on the joysticks. If you imagined an ROG Zephyrus laptop in handheld form, you'd get the original ROG Ally design.

Unfortunately, that also means its sharp angles and flat profile can make it rather uncomfortable to hold onto for long periods of time. Users have reported pain and numbness in their hands or fingers after long gaming sessions with the Ally, thanks to its unconventional design.

Asus took that into account when redesigning the chassis for the Ally X, which has a rounder design and thicker hand grips. For the ROG Xbox Ally, Asus went the extra mile and seems to have grafted standard Xbox controller handgrips onto the bottom of the Xbox Ally.

This looks a little lame in comparison to the classic Ally, but it also appears to be a lot more comfortable. The Xbox Ally retains the RGB ring around the joysticks and features the same angled, front-facing vents. It's mostly the grip that's changed between the two handhelds in terms of design. And while I don't love the aesthetics of the Xbox Ally, I'd have to say comfort matters more when gaming than pure looks.

Asus ROG Xbox Ally vs Asus ROG Ally: Performance and battery life

The ROG Ally with the Ryzen Z1 Extreme is the most powerful of the Ally handhelds, with an 8-core Zen 4 CPU. The ROG Ally Z1 model was a little less powerful with its 6-core Zen 4 CPU. Both ROG Ally handhelds operate at the same 30-watt max power threshold.

The ROG Xbox Ally will likely underperform both, as its Ryzen Z2 A CPU features just 4-cores of AMD's Zen 2 architecture, and operates at a TDP of 20-watts. It's a slightly more powerful variant of the Steam Deck's custom Zen 2 Van Goh APU.

The Steam Deck circumvents its hardware limitations by only offering a max resolution of 800p, while the Xbox Ally has a full 1080p display. So the extra 5-watts of power are likely necessary to keep the Xbox Ally at about 30fps in most games.

As for battery life, well. None of the AMD-powered handhelds have been super power-efficient. Our recommendation for the gaming handheld with the best battery life is the MSI Claw 8 AI+ for good reason.

One of the biggest flaws of the ROG Ally was its battery life. Particularly with the Ryzen Z1 Extreme model, but neither handheld lasted very long when gaming. The ROG Ally Z1 achieved a total of 1 hour and 46 minutes on the PCMark 10 Gaming battery test, while the Z1 Extreme managed 1 hour and 43 minutes.

This is largely due to the Ally's 30W TDP power profile compared to its small 40-watt-hour battery.

The ROG Xbox Ally operates at a lower 20W power profile and features a larger 60-watt-hour battery, which should result in longer battery life compared to either of the ROG Ally models. However, that extended battery life will come at the expense of performance.

Outlook

If you want a gaming handheld that's comfortable and can last through long unplugged gaming sessions, the Asus ROG Xbox Ally is likely the better choice. Especially if you're willing to take a performance hit in favor of battery life and comfort.

If you want the more powerful Ally handheld, the OG Ally is the way to go. And it's been out long enough now there are some tips and tricks to keep you hands from going completely numb on you after a few hours of gaming.

Unfortunately, we don't know the price of the ROG Xbox Ally, so we can't say which is the better bargain. We should know more about the Xbox handheld pricing as we get closer to the expected October launch date.

However, if you've got the cash to spare and you want a more powerful handheld, you might be better off opting for the Asus Xbox Ally X or the ROG Ally X.

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I’ve praised the Switch 2 for its 120Hz display — it has finally caught up with the rest of the industry, allowing modern games to run as smoothly as they were designed to. But apparently, its 60Hz mode is slow.

On June 13, Yaka Mochi’s blog, Chimolog.co, reported that the Switch 2 display’s response time is an average of 17.06 milliseconds at 60Hz. That may not seem like much, but to put it into context, we’ve seen gaming monitors with a response time as fast as 0.03 milliseconds.

Let’s talk about why that significantly slow response time matters and what it means for the Switch 2’s future.

The Switch 2’s response time doesn’t bode well for fast-paced games

Response times that are off by even a few milliseconds can make a significant difference in competitive games or even your average shooter, which may be why playing Cyberpunk 2077 felt a bit sluggish during my original testing. And for all my rhythm game lovers out there… sorry, you’re off beat.

Yaka Mochi clocked the Switch 2’s fastest response time at 8.88ms and the slowest at 27.46ms. All of the testing was done on the 60Hz mode, however. Unfortunately, the reviewer was unable to determine how to adjust the Switch 2’s refresh rate for the purpose of testing. Typically, however, at higher refresh rates, display response times are higher. But there’s no guarantee that the Switch 2’s 120Hz mode would mitigate the already super slow response time.

Yaka Mochi compared the Switch 2’s display to dozens of other displays clocked at 60Hz, and the slowest among them was 11.06ms, whereas the fastest hit 0.18ms. Nintendo isn’t going to be pushing out another Switch anytime soon, so this is going to have a long-lasting negative effect on fast-paced games that make their way to the Nintendo Switch 2.

What does this look like in reality? Well, you'll not only feel it when you’re interacting with the controller, but you’ll also see it with your eyes. Games may appear noticeably blurry due to the time it takes for the image to transition between frames.

Unfortunately, this may have been a choice. If the display isn’t working as hard to refresh, that means the battery won’t be under as much strain. It’s unclear how much it would affect the battery life, however, so it’s tough to give Nintendo some grace here.

As I’ve complained about before, I wish the Switch 2 had an OLED display. In fact, OLED displays typically support faster response times, so this issue might not have been present if Nintendo outfitted the Switch 2 with an OLED display. We don’t have display testing for the original Switch OLED, but in theory, it could have a faster response time.

Well, the world may never know… until we get the Switch 2 OLED (yes, I’m still waiting).

In ages long past, I was a long-time subscriber to Humble Choice, getting a slew of renowned AAA games and hidden indie gems every month for just $11.99. But it got too pricey for me after a while, especially for games I didn’t really play. And now, it’s getting more expensive.

Starting in July, Humble is upping the price of its Humble Choice from $11.99 to $14.99 per month ($129 to $154 per year). I stopped subscribing a long time ago because I just couldn’t justify the expense, so this price increase doesn’t exactly scream “deal-worthy” to me.

But that's just me, let’s break down what you’re getting for those $15 per month, and how it compares to alternative subscriptions like Game Pass.

Humble Bundle: A good deed over a digital lease

Let’s play the high ground for a second. Where is your money going when you pay for things like Game Pass ($12 for PC, $20 for Ultimate)? To some greedy shareholders.

But where is your money going when you pay for Humble Choice? Well… also some greedy shareholders, but — BUT, 5% of all profits go directly to a featured charity of the month.

This month’s charity is The Trevor Project, which is the leading organization working to protect LGBTQ+ people from the dystopian world that we live in.

Okay, now let’s talk about ownership for a second. Ignoring that digital content is just licensing and we don’t actually own anything, you get to “own” the games you get with Humble Choice. Meanwhile, the games on Game Pass will eventually disappear from the catalog.

In terms of quantity, Game Pass gives you access to hundreds of games, whereas Humble Choice gives you only a select number of games (June featured 8 games plus a 1-month subscription to Boot.dev and IGN Plus). And you also get access to “The Vault,” which features over 50 DRM-free indie games you can download.

Being DRM-free is the closest you’ll ever get to owning something digitally. But I’ll be honest, I’m not too impressed by the games in the June Humble Choice.

Is Humble Choice still worth it?

Taking a look at June's Humble Bundle offerings, we can expect to score the following games for its current $11.99 asking price ahead of a fresh curation in July:

• Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun
• Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered
• Nobody Wants to Die
• Tchia
• Sker Ritual
• Biped
• Havendock
• Dungeons of Hinterberg

At least two of those titles are decades old, and most of them I haven’t even heard of, except for Dungeons of Hinterberg, which is easily the most exciting game on the list… Although it is available on Game Pass.

However, to be fair, it's a strong selection in terms of overall reception — all of the games on this list score 84% to 94% recommended on Steam.

Considering that you’re saving over $200 on those games — which offer a combined 188 hours of gaming according to metric tracker HowLongToBeat, and you also get a discount on games in the Humble store (including up to 20% on new game releases), I think Humble Choice is worth it for some folks.

But I still don’t think it’s for me. Humble could grab my attention if there were bigger games on that list, or at least more iconic indie games. To be fair, we’ve seen some great pulls in the past, like Life is Strange: True Colors and Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical, but I’m not paying Humble Choice for months just to get games I want.

Perhaps the upcoming price hike can help Humble make that kind of quality curation consistent in the future. It'd certainly help the subscription live up to its new price tag, at least.

If you like experimenting with the games you play and trying new things, even if they look old or weird, I highly recommend Humble Choice. Otherwise, you may be better served by Game Pass.

Want to play games on your TV but don't have the budget for a pricey console? This accessory might be the solution.

Ahead of Prime Day, Amazon has dropped the price of its Amazon Luna controller to just $39, making it the perfect accessory for cloud gaming on your TV more affordable than ever.

This controller is designed for Amazon's Luna cloud gaming service, which you can try out for no extra cost with an Amazon Prime subscription. All you need to complete your setup and start streaming Fortnite, Fallout, and more directly on your TV is a Fire TV Stick, which is currently 50% off on Amazon, down to just $24.

Amazon Luna could be the perfect gaming solution for you if you don't have the cash for a console but prefer to play games on your TV, rather than streaming them on your laptop or phone.

You still have to pay for games on Luna, but you don't have to worry about pricey hardware. All you need is a stable internet connection and a good controller. Right now, you can save on at least one of those.

Save up to 85% off on Amazon Luna Games, plus play Fallout 3 for free

If you have an Amazon Prime subscription, you can play some games on Amazon Luna for no extra charge, including Fortnite, Fallout 3, and Fallout: New Vegas. Since Luna is a cloud gaming service, you can play these games anywhere, regardless of your gaming hardware, including on your phone or TV.

You can also buy games on Luna to stream through cloud gaming, many of which are currently on sale at a huge discount. Here's a look at a handful of the best deals.

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On July 1, your Netflix subscription will be worth less.

Not worthless, but you'll be getting less content for your money because nearly two dozen games are leaving Netflix Gaming next month, including hits like Hades, Death's Door, and Monument Valley.

The games getting axed will depart throughout the month, with Hades leaving on July 1 and Death's Door sticking around until July 14. Some of these games have no other mobile versions, at least not at the time of writing, so you might have just a few days left to play them.

Here's a look at all the games that are leaving, some good news, and alternatives to Netflix Gaming.

My favorite mobile gaming service just got a lot worse

A staggering 22 games are leaving Netflix Gaming next month, including nearly 20% of the service's entire game library. The titles getting axed are some of the best Netflix Gaming had to offer, too, like Hades, the Monument Valley series, Death's Door, and Katana ZERO.

Netflix subscribers were previously able to play all of these games for no extra charge on iOS and Android (with Hades being the only exception for Android users). However, in a matter of days, that will no longer be case and most of these games don't have mobile editions outside of Netflix Gaming (yet, anyway).

The full list of games being removed from Netflix Gaming includes nearly two dozen titles, as originally reported by Engadget:

• Battleship
• Braid, Anniversary Edition
• Carmen Sandiego
• CoComelon: Play with JJ
• Death’s Door
• Diner Out: Merge Cafe
• Dumb Ways to Die
• Ghost Detective
• Hades (iOS/iPadOS only)
• Katana ZERO
• LEGO Legacy: Heroes Unboxed
• Ludo King
• Monument Valley
• Monument Valley 2
• Monument Valley 3
• Rainbow Six: SMOL
• Raji: An Ancient Epic
• SpongeBob: Bubble Pop F.U.N.
• TED Tumblewords
• The Case of the Golden Idol
• The Rise of the Golden Idol
• Vineyard Valley

It's not all bad news, though. Monument Valley 3 is leaving Netflix Gaming, but it will return with a regular mobile release that doesn't require a Netflix subscription. The first two games in the series are already available as stand-alone titles.

Similarly, Devolver Digital said in a statement to The Verge that it's working to get its Netflix titles back on mobile platforms "as soon as possible," including two of my personal favorites, Death's Door and Katana ZERO.

Hopefully that will also be the case with other titles impacted by this change, particularly hits like Hades.

Best alternatives to Netflix Gaming

While I'm obviously disappointed that Netflix Gaming is losing many of its gems, including some of the best games the service had, it's not the only option for mobile gaming.

The first alternative, and possibly the best one, is the growing library of games with mobile ports outside of Netflix Gaming, including some titles that have separate "Netflix Editions." Dead Cells is a perfect example. There's a Netflix version of it, but you can also just buy the game by itself on iOS and Android.

There are also plenty of great mobile games beyond Netflix Gaming. Dredge, Stardew Valley, Prince of Persia: Lost Crown, Slay the Spire, the Kingdom series, Limbo, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Minecraft, and more are all natively available on mobile and aren't dependent on Netflix Gaming. While you have to pay for them, you're getting a full game that doesn't rely on a subscription.

It's also worth mentioning cloud gaming services, such as Nvidia GeForce Now. While it's not a perfect solution since it requires a fast internet connection, cloud gaming allows you to play PC games on your phone. I've had a great time using GeForce Now with my Nothing CMF Phone 1 and a Razer Kishi Ultra controller.

If you have a large PC library you wish you could play on the couch or while traveling, cloud gaming could be worth considering (and costs about the same as a Netflix subscription).

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Just as Steam was ready to open the floodgates on thousands of deals during its annual Summer Sale, proceedings have been thrown into turmoil after users reports spiked on outage tracker DownDetector suggesting some substantial issues with Valve's servers.

At the time of writing, users are facing connection time outs when attempting to view Wishlists or purchase items through the Steam Store, greatly disrupting both your and my plans to spend money we don't have on games we'll likely never get around to playing.

This is clearly a massive inconvenience to us all, so follow along as we chase down the cause and connection status to the world's most popular gaming platform.

According to outage tracker DownDetector, user reports have spiked over the last few hours, suggesting that Steam is encountering a service issue.

While users can seemingly browse the storefront without issue, access cloud saves, play games, and even chat to friends, almost all problems currently being encountered seem to revolve around accessing your Wishlist or making purchases.

Of course, this couldn't come at a worse time, with Steam having just launched its annual Summer Sale, one of the best times of the year to save big on AAA and indie games.

Many gamers (like myself) are thus sat staring at a stacked shopping cart and longing for the days, weeks, months, and years they can spend procrastinating on other games and telling themselves they'll eventually get around to playing new ones any day now.

It's been nearly two years since Baldur's Gate III became available. I've yet to even download it.

Still, that won't stop me, and many like me, from adding dozens more games to our libraries once issues clear.

And, when this issue is resolved, its likely that Valve will face an avalanche of digital sales that will rake in more money than most small countries.

Some key highlights tantalizingly out of reach right now, but ready to pounce on once issues clear include the following:

• DOOM (2016): $4 (80% off)
• Sea of Thieves: 2025 Edition: $14 (65% off)
• Oblivion Remastered: $40 (20% off)
• Borderlands 3: $3 (95% off)
• STAR WARS Battlefront II: $4 (90% off)
• Mass Effect Legendary Edition: $6 (90% off)

However, the most impressive deal I've witnessed so far — painfully unable to be taken advantage of right now — has been seeing RoboCop: Rogue City for only $5, a saving of 90% on an absolute sleeper hit of a game.

Meanwhile, problems persist, even though the number of reported issues through DownDetector has dropped. Personally, I'm seeing issues spread to the Steam Store search in recent moments, with timeout issues occurring infrequently.

Oh! Are we back? Wishlists are accessible once more, at the very least.

Look, I promised myself I wouldn't go werewolf during this year's Summer Sale.

I'm something of a recovering addict.

But for the sake of informing the general public about whether or not the issue has been resolved, I will, for science, attempt to buy something to be sure.

The moment of truth.

Guys. I have good news and bad news.

The good news is, that you can now make purchases through the Steam Store.

The bad news is, I may not be able to afford rent this month.

What do this graph of user-reported incidents for the Steam Store and my bank account have in common? They've both suddenly plummeted in number, and both are appearing in the red. Lord, help me.

The problems seem to have been resolved. Let the Summer Sale commence in full.

On June 5, Sony filed a notice of opposition with the United States Patent and Trademark Office against a trademark application by a small Hong Kong-based app developer. The reason? Naughty Cat Co., Limited, the App Store developer in question, was in the process of applying to trademark the name "Naughty Cat."

This otherwise simple trademark application is now subject to Sony's legal team, as the company alleges the name "Naughty Cat" is too similar to Sony's game development studio, Naughty Dog.

To Sony, the age-old debate about which pet is superior just doesn't exist (and it shouldn't; the answer is cats), because it's just too hard to spot any differences between the two. But whether that will hold up at the U.S. Patent Office or not may require a deeper look into Sony's reasoning.

Naughty Dog vs. Naughty Cat: what you need to know

Naughty Cat only has two apps listed on the App Store, and both are gambling games that promise real cash rewards. We're not talking about a AAA game developer here, just your run-of-the-mill app developer.

On the other hand, Naughty Dog is a video game developer founded in 1984 and is responsible for some of the most well-known Sony game franchises ever. From Crash Bandicoot, to Jak and Daxter, to the Uncharted series and, of course, The Last of Us, many of Sony's most enduring exclusive game titles have been created by the Naughty Dog studio.

As you'd expect, Sony is rather protective of its trademarks, Naughty Dog being one of many, especially one relating to a first-party game studio for PlayStation consoles.

Sony's argument for opposing Naughty Cat's trademark registration, according to documents reviewed by IGN, states that the "Naughty Cat trademark is 'confusingly similar to the Naughty Dog trademark' it owns in overall commercial impression and connotation.”

Sony does not have a trademark registered for the word "naughty," likely because you can't trademark random words. The US Patent and Trademark Office requires that a word or phrase has to "indicate the source of your goods and services." So you can trademark Sony, PlayStation, and Naughty Dog, but not the word "Naughty" alone.

Regardless, Sony alleges that Naughty Cat's trademark construction is too similar. "The first, dominant element of the two marks, NAUGHTY, is identical," Sony claims in its filing.

“The second elements, DOG and CAT, are highly similar in that both refer to house pets and are likely to mislead consumers into believing, mistakenly, that Naughty Cat is affiliated with SIE [Sony Interactive Entertainment] and/or Naughty Dog or that its goods are licensed or approved by SIE and/or Naughty Dog.”

What this legal dispute means for gamers

Sometimes, legal filings are absurd. This is one of those times.

Regardless of whether or not Sony wins out in this trademark opposition, it's unlikely to impact gamers much.

If you do play one of Naughty Cat's two games (Cash Trip: Solitaire & Bingo and Bubble Bravo - Win Real Cash), you probably didn't even register the name of the app developer when you downloaded the game. So if Naughty Cat has to change its name, very few people are likely to notice.

Sony's argument that the two trademarks are too similar because they use the word "naughty" before an animal name is a bit much. Not a single person has looked at my cat and said, "That's a good dog."

T.S. Elliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats even jokes about it. In the "Ad-dressing of Cats," Elliot writes, "How would you ad-dress a Cat?/ So first, your memory I'll job,/ And say: A CAT IS NOT A DOG." This joke even made it into the musical Cats, in the final song of the show.

It's beyond understatement. The comedy is that it's just facts.

Perhaps the most compelling argument Sony could form about possible confusion between the two lies in its own behaviour: claiming to be a Naughty Dog while acting so catty. Meow.

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Looking ahead, 2027 is expected to be the big year for console gamers, with the next-generation Xbox and PlayStation systems both looking to hit the market that fall.

Last week, Microsoft confirmed that the next-gen Xbox console will be powered by custom AMD hardware. On Monday, new rumors indicated Sony's next-gen PlayStation will also feature a custom AMD APU.

In fact, both consoles will reportedly have the same UDNA graphics chip.

Is this an indicator that the console wars are finally over? Will the next console you buy be less about specs and hardware, and more about design and game collection? And is all this AMD hardware actually a good thing for gamers?

Let's take a look.

AMD custom APUs are powering the next generation Xbox and PlayStation

Despite sounding unlikely, Xbox and Sony's next-gen consoles won't be the first to share a link in being powered by custom AMD APUs.

In 2013, both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 were powered by AMD's Jaguar CPU architecture.

And, in 2020, both the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 consoles were powered by custom hardware with AMD's Zen 2 architecture.

Clearly, the hardware similarities between Xbox and PlayStation haven't ended the console wars so far, meaning it's likely the console tribalism will continue even up to and beyond 2027.

After all, having the same hardware doesn't make the consoles equal in terms of performance, user interface, or game library. Both Xbox and Sony are still very much looking to go head-to-head in 2027, and keen for one of them to come out the victor, regardless of how much it may sound like the two are aiming for a hardware tie.

AMD's Ryzen Z series powers most gaming handhelds

AMD's gaming dominance isn't just in consoles. AMD's Ryzen Z series CPUs power most handheld gaming PCs, from our beloved Asus ROG Ally X to the Lenovo Legion Go 2 and upcoming Xbox handhelds.

In fact, the MSI Claw 8 is even getting an AMD variant with the Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip, making it a less unique handheld in the process.

Instead of offering a bevy of choices between various systems, the handheld gaming PC market is more like a palette swap. Choose your preferred color/aesthetic, and call it a day.

Of course, there are some other differences in optimization between the various handhelds, but with just the MSI Claw, MSI Claw 7 AI+, and MSI Claw 8 AI+ offering Intel CPUs, the handheld market feels very one-note.

Even in the more typical laptop and desktop PC space, AMD's X3D CPUs have taken over. At least as far as sales go. Things are a bit less grim for Intel on the laptop side, since there aren't as many laptops offering AMD CPUs, making a full CPU comparison difficult.

However, AMD's dominance isn't as cut and dry when looking at general laptop performance.

Is all this hardware homogeneity good for the gaming market?

On the one hand, having fewer hardware versions to optimize for makes things easier for game developers.

However, we're coming up on the third generation of home consoles with AMD APUs, and we still get games that are broken or nearly unplayable at launch. So clearly, the benefits there are not enough to counteract the gaming industry's development crunch issues.

While AMD fans are, naturally, excited to see their brand dominate the market... being at the top isn't always for the best. As competition decreases, advancements in tech tend to stagnate.

Ultimately, complacency is the death of innovation.

Intel's proven that pretty handily over the last several years, and is now playing catch-up on the PC side. Team Blue has had some recent successes, but there's still a way to go.

We can only hope AMD continues to see Intel and Nvidia as worthy competition, so gamers don't suffer from sheer entropy.

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Xbox cooking up a handheld gaming console became the best worst-kept secret in recent months, but the suspected and confirmed ROG Xbox Ally X was finally unveiled during the June 8 Xbox Games Showcase.

At first, shoving “Xbox” in the name didn’t sound so innovative. How does it compare to the Asus ROG Ally X? An Xbox button alone wouldn’t be enough to get people to upgrade. But once we got a closer look, we realized that this isn’t just a branded Ally X. This might as well be the ROG Ally X 2.

Obviously, we don’t have hands-on time with the ROG Xbox Ally X, but let's jump into how the ROG Ally X and its successor compare from afar.

ROG Ally X vs. ROG Xbox Ally X: Specs

ROG Ally X vs. ROG Xbox Ally X: Pricing and configurations

We have no idea how much the ROG Xbox Ally X is going to cost, and I’m honestly terrified. Right now, you can get the ROG Ally X for $800 on Asus’ website. Apparently, YouTube leaker Extas1s recently suggested that the ROG Xbox Ally X would be priced at $800.

That’d be sick as hell, but considering the current Ally X’s price and that the ROG Xbox Ally X features the new AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme (35W) chipset, I’m not so sure. Apart from the chipset, the rest of the specs are the same, though.

However, there will be a cheaper model, called the ROG Xbox Ally, which is outfitted with the AMD Ryzen Z2 A (20W) chipset and even offers the same ergonomic boost. The aforementioned leaker suggested this would be priced at $500, which also matches the current price of the base model of the ROG Ally on Asus’ website.

The difference in specs there, however, is that the new ROG Xbox Ally sports a 60Whr battery versus the original’s 40Whr battery.

ROG Ally X vs. ROG Xbox Ally X: Design and comfort

Yes, performance and battery life are great and all, but the design and comfort of a handheld device can absolutely make or break it.

Jumping from the Asus ROG Ally to the Ally X, we saw a major leap in ergonomics. Everything from the triggers and bumpers to the joysticks and grips became more comfortable and satisfying to use.

I’m hoping that we’ll see a similar leap going to the ROG Xbox Ally X, and it looks like we might. The biggest upgrade that we can see is that shiny Xbox button (just kidding). But seriously, it’s the grips. They look like actual controller grips.

Obviously, I can’t say for sure, but this looks way more comfortable than most handheld gaming devices, especially the Nintendo Switch 2 (don’t get me started).

Naturally, this comes at the cost of some portability. The ROG Ally X comes in at 1.5 pounds and 11 x 4.4 x 1~1.5 inches, and the ROG Xbox Ally X bumps up to 1.58 pounds and 11.4 x 4.78 x 2 inches. It’s actually not too bad, but you’ll still notice a difference when compared side by side, especially with the height.

Overall, the design and comfort improvements of the ROG Xbox Ally X look to be a more than welcome upgrade.

ROG Ally X vs. ROG Xbox Ally X: Performance and battery life

The ergonomics are exciting, but what’s getting fans of handheld gaming PCs hyped up the most is the new AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme (35W) chipset.

The ROG Xbox Ally X will be the debut for this particular AMD chipset, and while it will likely make its way into other gaming handheld devices, like the first Z1 Extreme chip, I am also clamoring to see what this baby can do. AMD also added “AI” to the name, so you know it’s going to be good (again, kidding).

For context, the ROG Ally X could run Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree at 1080p, maximum graphics (with ray tracing), and hit anywhere from 27 to 35 frames per second.

That’s pretty impressive in and of itself. I’m not expecting a miracle out of the Z2 Extreme, but it would be nice to see those numbers stay consistently above 30 fps and even dip into the mid-40s.

Playing that same game with the same settings, the Ally X survived 2 hours and 15 minutes. Considering that the ROG Xbox Ally X features the same 80Wh battery, I’m just hoping for similar numbers.

That may be more of a challenge because of the higher performance, but we’ve seen AMD pull through on battery life before, especially with gaming laptops.

Outlook

I haven’t even touched the ROG Xbox Ally X and I know it’s going to be way better. The ergonomics alone look amazing. The biggest unknown right now is the performance. It’ll be better for sure, but by how much? And how will that impact the battery life?

It may be that the ROG Xbox Ally X isn’t a worthy enough improvement to upgrade, but if it’s the same price as the Ally X, it’ll likely be the better buy if you don’t have a handheld gaming PC at all. But like I said, we’ll have to wait and see. We don’t even know the official release date yet. (Holiday 2025 could be anything in that season.)

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The last thing I expected to wake up to this morning was over 30,000 players jumping to play one of the most hated AAA games in the past decade.

If you don't already know, Star Wars Battlefront II is on sale on Steam for a measly $4. Clearly, that enticed some folks because the all-time high concurrent player count on Steam charts is over 35K, and that’s just in the last 30 days. Previously, the peak was 10K.

I've got to wonder, is the price really all that's driving players to Battlefront II? Because previously, you literally could not pay me to play that game. Let's take a closer look at the past hate and its recent resurgence.

Why are so many people playing Battlefront II?

When Battlefront II originally launched, fans of the franchise, like myself, were upset by the absurd microtransactions, and rightfully so. However, gamers used their power for good for once and pressured EA into ditching the microtransactions, which actually worked.

Of course, microtransactions weren't the only problem. There was a disappointing single-player mode, and the overall multiplayer content was lacking. However, a few years later, Battlefront II pushed a spate of updates up until 2020, and the game felt a major improvement, at least according to David Jagneaux’s IGN review in 2019.

But if the last major update came in 2020, does that mean the sale really is what’s driving its current player count? Yes and no. It may actually be the byproduct of a slew of Star Wars-related content.

In the past month, we had May the Fourth (basically a Star Wars holiday), Andor Season 2, a Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith re-release in theaters, and even a Star Wars-themed Fortnite season.

Combine that with a steep discount, and it’s not a huge surprise that we’re seeing a massive resurgence. Even Andor actor Muhannad Ben Amor took to Instagram, hoping for a Battlefront III to happen.

Considering what happened with Star Wars Battlefront II, I severely doubted we’d see a Battlefront III anytime soon, at least until today. With this many people jumping to play Battlefront II, it’s not unreasonable to think that EA is going to see this resurgence and start planning on how to capitalize on it.

It’s kinda gross when you think about it that way, but at least people will get what they want. The question is: Will they get it how they want it?

Looking at the price and how far the game has come, maybe I’d give it a try for $4 — I’m sure that’s what 35,000 players thought as well.

AI Frame generation is a controversial GPU technology.

In some cases, frame generation and super sampling tech can make your games worse, but it can also smooth out games that are notorious for being poorly optimized, especially in high resolution.

It's also incredibly helpful on lower-spec hardware and can be a game-changer for handheld gaming PCs.

On Monday, Steam announced a new performance monitor that will let you know exactly how much better your games run with AI-generated frames. You no longer need to use a GPU-specific overlay to view accurate FPS reports with frame generation enabled.

Here's how I learned to stop hating and love GPU upscaling.

How much better is gaming with frame generation?

Gaming can be much better with frame generation enabled, but. It entirely depends on your settings.

Whether you're using Nvidia's DLSS, AMD's FSR, or Intel's XeSS upscaling, you've got a couple of different settings profiles to choose from. You can set your upscaling to the default or balanced mode, or choose to prefer graphics quality or graphics performance.

The performance-focused upscaling profile will definitely yield more frames than your eye can see, but it will also degrade image quality significantly, as it relies on AI upscaling for a greater portion of the frame.

Opting for higher quality gets you fewer frames, but will keep the more impressive graphic flourishes like ray tracing and sub-surface scattering intact.

Barring that, there are times when you won't want frame gen enabled at all. Server-based games aren't the best use for frame gen since all the AI-generated frames are on the client side, which can lead to some additional lag between what you see in your game and what the server sees.

While this isn't critical in most cooperative games, it can cause you to perform worse than you think in competitive PvP games. So I wouldn't recommend enabling frame generation for your next Marvel Rivals match, but it can absolutely improve performance in Monster Hunter Wilds.

Is frame generation really so bad?

In a lot of ways, AI frame generation is a crutch for game developers. Why optimize a game to perform well on native hardware if you can just tell players to enable AI frame generation?

There are plenty of examples of this issue, from Crysis to Cyberpunk 2077, but one of the more recent offenders is Monster Hunter Wilds, which is still being review-bombed months later for poor PC performance.

And while AI-generated frames can smooth out problematic game performance, we shouldn't need frame gen on high-end gaming rigs.

The problem there, as always, comes down to profits and shifting internal priorities, forcing developers to release unfinished games, and then launch the missing content as "DLC" or offering major performance fixes as a "Day One" patch.

But since I can't fix the game development industry, I can at least enjoy games with frame generation on. As long as I'm not playing a competitive PvP game, anyway.

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Today, Xbox announced the availability of a new limited edition Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition, a collaboration with Xbox that sees the brand take its first steps into the world of VR and mixed reality — and it's out now at meta.com and Best Buy for $399.

(A note to our friends from across the pond: Those in the U.K. can grab the limited edition Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition for £379 from Argos.)

"Never let them know your next move," appears to be the gameplan of both Meta and Xbox of late, with the former leaping into new hardware ventures with the ROG Xbox Ally and Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition, and the latter choosing to make this announcement well in advance of the company's September Meta Connect 2025 event.

The Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition doesn't include any hardware improvements over the standard Quest 3S model, but it is a bundle of impressive value, especially for those looking to take their fabled "Xbox experience" to new heights, while also dipping their toes into the immersive world of VR/AR. Why? Let's dive into things to find out.

Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition: What's new?

• All-new black and green colorway for Quest 3S headset and Touch Plus controllers, influenced by Xbox
• Includes an Xbox Wireless Controller with a unique black and green design
• Also includes 3 months of free Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Meta Horizon+ membership

If you were expecting an iterative update on the Quest 3S' hardware, then you'll be majorly disappointed to learn that the Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition is very much the same device released in late 2024.

Think of this less like a new release and more of a limited edition bundle. You get a fresh new design, and for most, a welcome into the world of VR and mixed reality.

Why should this appeal to you? Well, to put it plainly, while Xbox doesn't have any VR or mixed reality games of its own, the Quest 3S is a brilliant platform for playing flatscreen games also, thanks to its ability to generate absolutely enormous, cinema-like virtual displays absolutely anywhere in your home.

Factor in the headset's rich Dolby Digital surround sound in up to 7.1 channels, and you have all the makings of a truly immersive gaming experience.

As I've said before, if you can find me a 250-inch TV with a surround sound setup to match for only $399, I might change my tune, but until then, the Meta Quest 3S is one of the best ways to enjoy your game library around, with access to Xbox Cloud Gaming (with three free months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate included) in standalone mode, or able to physically hook up to devices using UVC and UAC-compatible capture cards.

Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition: What's in the box?

The Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition is a limited edition bundle that provides you with all of the standard Quest 3S fixtures but with the company's Meta Quest Elite Strap preinstalled, while adding a themed Xbox Wireless Controller to the mix and sweetening the deal further with a free, three-month trial of Xbox Game Pass.

And, for when you feel like exploring Meta's VR/AR titles, there's also three months of Meta Horizon+ membership included to give you a head start on the action with instant access to an expansive catalog of games to play, and allowing you to claim two curated titles each month.

Here's a look at everything included in the bundle:

• Meta Quest 3S headset (Black/Green)
• Meta Quest Elite Strap (Black, preinstalled)
• Standard Facial Interface (Black, preinstalled)
• Xbox Wireless Game Controller (Black/Green)
• 2 x Meta Quest Touch Plus controllers (Black/Green)
• 2 x wrist straps (Black/Green)
• 4 x AA batteries
• Glasses spacer
• USB-C power adapter (18W)
• USB-C charging cable
• Free three-month Xbox Game Pass, and Meta Horizon+ trial included

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Last week, I all but performed an act of journalistic necromancy, dredging up an announcement of an Xbox-branded Meta Quest VR/AR headset from over a year ago to speculate on the possibility of us finally seeing it unveiled during September's Meta Connect 2025 event.

Since then, the hornet's nest had been well and truly been kicked, and the Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition has now been officially announced, and is available to buy right now for a limited time at $399 from meta.com and Best Buy.

Still, the news seems to be confusing some, who appear to be asking why the Xbox needs a VR headset when it has no VR games. Well, the answer to that is right in front of you — literally. It's all about the screen.

Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition: A portal to a better "Xbox Experience"

Before the Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition was officially revealed, many seemed confused about this collaboration more than anything. And who could blame them? Sony's PSVR didn't exactly make a huge splash with most console owners, and Xbox doesn't even have any VR games to its name.

But this partnership isn't really about VR, it's about mixed reality. More specifically, the Quest's ability to conjure up cinema-sized displays with impressive Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital surround sound in virtual space, anywhere and everywhere you need it.

While its "Play Anywhere" mentality means you can now enjoy more Xbox titles across a range of devices, Xbox's partnership with Meta gives more gamers access to enjoy big-screen experiences with high-quality audio at a fraction of the cost of purchasing a comically sized TV and speaker setup.

Seriously, go find me a 250-inch TV and a surround sound speaker setup for less than $400 anywhere else. Virtual or not, since enjoying flatscreen content through the Meta Quest, buying physical displays feels nothing short of daylight robbery.

While Xbox's cloud gaming efforts have made it so you can access the "Xbox Experience" on more hardware than ever, its limited edition Meta Quest 3S reminds you that the "Xbox Experience" isn't just about where you can play games, but how you can.

Xbox and Meta Quest: A mutually beneficial crossover

When the Xbox One released in 2013, Microsoft re-angled its console as a do-it-all device for games, movies, apps, TV, and even the internet. The Xbox One wasn't your run-of-the-mill console; it was an entertainment center.

This generation, with the Xbox Series S|X, Microsoft has been more aware of its hardware limitations, branching into cloud gaming to make the Xbox experience feel like something less shackled to a particular piece of hardware.

It's also the reason we're seeing Xbox games make the jump to other platforms, and even Xbox-branded hardware like the Asus ROG Xbox Ally.

Similarly, with its third-generation shift into augmented reality, Meta has been pushing hard to make the Quest a one-stop hardware destination, covering everything from gaming to productivity.

Meta's real challenge has been replicating the sales success of the Quest 2 and convincing flat-screen gamers to give its platform a shot. This partnership with Xbox gives it that opportunity.

It's a chance to get regular gamers across its hardware threshold, and hopefully sway them to the spatial gaming/computing experience, all while handing Xbox users a unique way to game: plastered across enormous, mixed reality displays that truly live up to Xbox's "Play Anywhere" branding.

While its pricing seems a little high at first, besting the regular Quest 3S by $100, the Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition limited edition bundle includes an Xbox Wireless Controller, two Touch Plus controllers, a Meta Quest Elite strap, and the Quest 3S headset itself. That's a considerable serving that justifies the price, and a free, three-month helping of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Meta Horizon+ are the cherries on top.

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Not all handheld Windows gaming PCs are created equal. While there’s plenty to say about which one currently holds the top position (for a selection of reasons) as best PC gaming handheld between Valve’s Steam Deck, Lenovo’s Legion Go S, or Asus’ ROG Ally X — the heir to the throne is practically written on the wall in neon green paint for all to see: the Asus ROG Xbox Ally.

For years now, we’ve had Microsoft telling us to think outside the box on what we’d consider an Xbox, thanks to its cloud gaming platform and Xbox Anywhere. But this is the first time we’re seeing the brand truly break free from the plastic hardware beneath your TV and dive head-first into a new form factor with the official Xbox branding to its name.

So what makes the new ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X so worthwhile beyond their branding? Let’s take a closer look.

ROG Xbox Ally: Pricing and availability

While there’s plenty we know about both the standard and X models of ROG Xbox Ally, two things currently out of our grasp are solid release dates and pricing details.

That said, the community is stepping up with information they claim to be accurate, with YouTube leaker Extas1s recently suggesting that the base ROG Xbox Ally could be priced at a fairly competitive $499, with the higher-performance ROG Xbox Ally X model rocking a mighty $799 price tag.

You may be asking, “If the price is already known to certain people on the inside, why hasn’t Microsoft or Asus simply come out and announced it?” Well, that may have more to do with the timing of these handhelds’ release.

When the ROG Xbox Ally was announced, we were given a fairly vague holiday 2025 release window. That’s since been narrowed down by those in the know to October 2025 — particularly Windows Central’s Jez Corden, who “tentatively” corroborates this thinking in a recent update.

However, in the time between now and October, much could change regarding U.S. trade policy, and neither Microsoft nor Asus likely wants to deal with a hailstorm of pushback after announcing a set of prices now, only to be forced to change their tune at a later date

ROG Xbox Ally: Specifications

ROG Xbox Ally: Design and performance

While Asus ROG’s other handheld gaming PCs stick close to the winning Steam Deck formula on overall design, the ROG Xbox Ally does things a little differently, adopting more controller-like grips for better ergonomics.

The ROG Xbox Ally might look a little odd with these sizeable grips, but it’s a sure-fire case of function over form, and while chassis designs adopted by the Steam Deck and ROG Ally are comfortable in their own right, having a “proper” controller grip is going to be a welcome addition, especially when it comes to enjoying games for longer on its 7-inch, 120Hz, 1080p IPS display.

And you likely will find yourself hypnotized for hours at a time (or longer if you dock it or keep the charging cable connected), as the ROG Xbox Ally will tap into some rich gaming experiences through the power of its AMD Ryzen Z2 chipsets.

While the base model is outfitted with a less-than-stellar for the time AMD Ryzen Z2 A chip (which appears to be a varient of the Aerith APU found within the Steam Deck, potentially the mystery Aerith Plus spotted in March), the ROG Xbox Ally X will flaunt the much more impressive Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme APU — a true sequel to the processor that put the original ROG Ally ahead of the competition when it launched in 2023, and a safe bet to be positioned as the APU widely used to power the next generation of handheld gaming PCs.

The Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme’s Zen 5 architecture and RDNA 3.5 graphics promise a solid upgrade from the Ryzen Z1 Extreme that came before, all tucked neatly into a 35W envelope. While Valve may not feel the Z2 series of chips is a “generational leap” enough to consider pushing out a Steam Deck 2, handheld gaming PC owners will no doubt welcome the increased performance and power it offers.

ROG Xbox Ally: Software and games

While the ROG Xbox Ally's hardware is a solid upgrade, these handheld gaming PCs will be getting a software upgrade to match.

Teaming up with Xbox, Asus is passing on its typical Armoury Crate Special Edition software to focus on delivering a SteamOS-like full-screen Xbox experience that brings a familiar feel and look to console gamers in the PC gaming space.

However, this isn't an Xbox handheld. It's still very much a Windows handheld gaming PC like any other, and users will be able to access the usual Windows desktop interface as they choose.

Much like SteamOS, the ROG Xbox Ally simply offers a separate full-screen interface available that connects popular game storefronts for quick and easy access, and simpler navigation when using the gamepad-like controls.

Some of the other storefronts set to be featured within the Xbox full-screen experience include Steam, GOG, Battle.net, and Ubisoft. However, the new interface will also cater to cloud gaming, Game Pass, and Xbox Remote Play.

While it may not be a fully-fledged Xbox console, it's about as close as we're going to get for some time, given that following the announcement of the ROG Xbox Ally, Microsoft shelved plans for a first-party handheld console, with some insiders saying it has been effectively cancelled.

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Microsoft is making moves toward creating a more gaming-friendly Windows with the Xbox app taking on Steam in its aggregation.

We knew this was coming during the ROG Xbox Ally unveiling and Xbox’s AMD partnership announcement. But it still feels like a dream. And yet, it’s not only not a dream, it’s currently a reality for Xbox Insiders. Well, those who have Windows 11 PCs and handheld devices.

That’s right, you can jump into the Xbox PC app with Steam and Battle.net starting this week as an Xbox Insider, which you can jump into by downloading the self-named app and opting into the PC Gaming preview.

Does this mean that Xbox will become the most-used PC gaming app? That depends.

Xbox PC app + Steam + Battle.net

I think most PC Game Pass subscribers will jump over to the Xbox PC app as their primary gaming storefront if the implementation is good. It’s all about accessibility and convenience. Technically, Microsoft claims that it can be any storefront, not just Steam and Battle.net.

Unfortunately, I’m typing this article on a Windows 10 device, so my accessibility is currently gutted. But if I’m not rescued by Linux, I’ll probably sell my soul to Windows 11.

Moving to other examples, how will controllers interact with the Xbox app when aggregating games on Steam? Because the PS5 DualSense controller does not work with the Xbox app, so if that’s your primary connectivity device, the Xbox app might be out.

Sometimes games need a lot of tinkering on Steam just to get them to work, whether it’s updates, validating files, configuring controllers, and ensuring all the right DLC is downloaded. When it officially launches, will there be a Steam interface on the Xbox app, or will it simply open Steam? It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but if you can do most of the work in the Xbox app, that’d be pretty neat.

However, you can’t escape the social aspect of these apps; you will be using the Steam app itself for all of your social needs, unless Microsoft decides to aggregate that in its social section (I doubt that).

Again, depending on how the final product looks, the Xbox PC app could be the go-to app. At the very least, Microsoft is in the testing stages now before the ROG Xbox Ally officially launches. The last thing that people want is a terrible OS on the next super-powerful handheld gaming PC.

I can already see the waves of people uninstalling Windows just to use the ROG Xbox Ally on SteamOS. So, Microsoft, don’t mess this one up. It’s unclear when this week you’ll be able to access the new Xbox PC app. It might be right now, or Saturday, so keep an eye out on your Windows updates tab.

Donkey Kong Bananza wasn’t enough for you? Well, Nintendo might be cooking up another Nintendo Direct slated for July that’ll throw some more meat on the bones that is the Switch 2’s GameCube catalog, and deliver some surprises that’ll make fans go wild.

My favorite game I’ve never played is, of course, Metaphor: ReFantazio, which feels more at home on the Switch 2 than it does any other console due to its Persona roots. I am unbelievably hyped to play that game — everything about it screams me, but I just haven’t had the time. If it jumps on the Switch 2, however, I can easily squeeze in some play time wherever I go.

But Metaphor: ReFantazio isn’t the only title rumored to drop on the Nintendo Switch 2. If Donkey Kong Bananza didn’t sell you on the Switch 2, this Nintendo Direct just might.

The July Nintendo Direct and all its goodies

What most people are going to be excited for, however, is Animal Crossing.

The source of the leak is YouTuber Beatemups, who revealed it on the Nontendo Podcast (they didn’t disclose their source). Apparently, the icon Animal Crossing character Isabelle will appear and throw a “2026” at us. I cannot think of something to sell the Switch 2 faster than it already is than a new Animal Crossing game.

They also rattled off a list of titles that I’m so excited to see make their way to the Switch 2, including Death Stranding Director’s Cut and The Witcher 3 — these are a pair of peak AAA games that Nintendo fans deserve to experience.

Death Stranding feels especially great for a handheld experience — you can jog on a treadmill and play (actually, maybe don’t do that). Apparently, we’ll finally get the release date for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, as well.

Then there’s the slew of GameCube games that’ll be shadow dropping during the Nintendo Direct. One leaked title tied to this is Pokémon Colosseum. I was obsessed with the original Pokémon Stadium on the Nintendo 64, and this is a spiritual successor that adds more RPG elements on top of the standard turn-based combat. It’s more in line with the average Pokémon title, minus random encounters. You get Pokémon by stealing them instead (wild, right?).

This is a pretty meaty Nintendo Direct, although there aren't any new titles here, except for Animal Crossing. Weirdly, companies struggle to align most of their new consoles with their flagship titles. Again, the biggest thing we got for the Switch 2 was Mario Kart World. However, Donkey Kong Bananza launches just a month later, and it looks to be quite the impressive game.

I hope the rumors about the July Nintendo Direct come to fruition, especially about Metaphor: ReFantazio, but you should take everything with a healthy dose of skepticism. Even if these plans were true at one point, plans change.

Meta Quest is the best-selling VR headset, and it looks like there is going to be a new variant coming very soon.

Last year, Meta released its Meta Quest 3S, which offers a similar experience to the Meta Quest 3, but at $200 cheaper with its $299 price tag. There are expectations that Meta will release the Quest 4 sometime in 2027, but it seems this new version coming out might help fill in the gap of time.

An Xbox Meta Quest 3S will reportedly be announced on Tuesday, June 23, according to Game Sandwich. The Xbox version of the VR headset will have the color scheme of the Microsoft game console and will retail for $399.

Meta and Microsoft didn't immediately respond to a request for confirmation on the new headset.

Meta teased this Quest 3S version last year. In a blog post from April 2024, the company said it was working with Microsoft to do a limited-edition Meta Quest that was inspired by Xbox. There was no date on when it would be released, with some expecting it would have been officially unveiled at Meta Connect 2025, scheduled for Sept. 17-18.

What's in the Xbox Meta Quest 3S?

According to the report, the Xbox Quest 3S will come with a black and green headset, matching accessories, an Elite Strap, an Xbox wireless controller, and three months of Xbox Game Pass. It will reportedly have the same 128GB storage and specs, which means this does appear to be the Meta Quest 3S with just Xbox colors.

Back in 2023, Meta added the Xbox Cloud Gaming app to its Meta Quest Store. Reviews for the app have been mixed, as many cite controller issues, dealing with being unable to pair their controllers to play a game, or a severe amount of input lag. This version of the Quest 3S might address these hardware issues.

Is Microsoft jumping into VR?

Microsoft appears to be willing to try to get the Xbox brand on whatever hardware trend is in these days.

With its Xbox Cloud Gaming, the company has made a push to declare that any device is an Xbox, whether it's a phone, tablet, laptop, or portable gaming device.

This VR headset could be Microsoft dipping its toes in the VR market before it releases the next generation Xbox, which should be sometime in 2027.

Microsoft is doing a similar test out the waters, teaming up with Asus for its ROG Xbox Ally, which is a version of the ROG Ally X that makes use of the Xbox user interface. The company was reportedly developing a portable Xbox alongside its home console version for its next-generation hardware, but the portable version has reportedly been canceled.

1. Meta Quest 3 vs. Meta Quest 3S: A VR headset head-to-head
2. Meta Quest 3 review: Elite features at an affordable price
3. Meta Quest 3S is here, and I've 3 reasons for Quest 2 owners to get it
4. I tried the Meta Quest 3S: Is it game over for the Apple Vision Pro?
5. How Meta's Quest 3S could spell disaster for the Apple Vision Pro
6. Meta unveils its Quest 3S headset as the most affordable way to get a proper taste of mixed reality

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If you can't afford the Nintendo Switch 2, you're not alone, and you might already have the ultimate budget-friendly alternative.

It's not a Switch Lite or even the original Switch. It's your phone with cloud gaming. You may be scoffing at the lack of Mario Kart, but hear me out. I used to overlook my phone as a gaming device, too, until one game-changing accessory changed my mind. It might change your mind, too.

With cloud gaming and the perfect mobile controller, you can turn your phone into a surprisingly powerful handheld gaming device with better ergonomics than the Switch 2 and access to your PC game library.

See also: Best gaming laptop deals in June 2025

The Razer Kishi Ultra turns your phone into a cloud gaming beast

One of my biggest complaints about gaming on my phone used to be the awkward form factor.

Touch controls are generally a pain, phone clips on controllers are awkward, and propping up your phone to use with a controller requires you to be sitting at a table.

The Razer Kishi Ultra was the key to solving that problem and tapping into my phone's potential as the ultimate cloud gaming device.

This mobile controller connects via USB-C and snaps onto your phone in a Switch-like layout. However, unlike similar controllers like the Backbone, the Kishi Ultra features full-size, ergonomic grips equipped with tactile clicky buttons, similarly sized sticks, and even analog Hall Effect triggers. It also features haptic feedback and customizable RGB lighting strips.

The Kishi Ultra clipped onto my Nothing CMF Phone 1 is about the same size as my Switch Lite, but far more ergonomic with a larger game library and a better display.

There's a growing number of great mobile games out there, like the Netflix Gaming port of Death's Door, but you're not limited to that. I installed Nvidia GeForce Now on my phone and effectively turned it into a handheld gaming PC.

Through GeForce Now, I was able to access games from my Steam library and play them on my phone, which definitely doesn't have a secret RTX 3080 inside. You wouldn't know that from the performance I got, though.

I played Avowed on my phone with the Kishi Ultra through GeForce Now and got smooth, seamless performance with an average of 60 frames per second. That's a bit lower than what I'd get natively on my PC, but still a perfectly playable experience. The Razer Kishi Ultra worked flawlessly with GeForce Now, as well.

Cyberpunk 2077 ran great, as well. I averaged 60 fps as I roamed Night City, with smooth, vibrant graphics and responsive controls. I don't have the Switch 2 to compare it to, but at the very least, this game looks far better on my phone's AMOLED display than it would on the LCD on my Switch.

The Razer Nexus app for the Kishi Ultra makes it easy to collect all of your cloud gaming apps in one hub and access Razer's PC Remote Play feature, which uses the Razer Cortex app to stream games installed on your PC to your phone.

This isn't true cloud gaming since it still relies on your PC hardware, but it's convenient if you want to play a PC game on the couch.

Cloud gaming: Smartphone vs. PC

You can access cloud gaming services from just about any internet-connected device, but is the experience just as good on mobile devices as it is on a laptop or PC?

In my experience, yes, but there are some differences.

I noticed when I first tried cloud gaming on my phone that I got a different interface after launching games through GeForce Now. On PC, GeForce Now boots you into a virtual desktop environment, but on mobile, it actually boots you into a virtual Windows 11 handheld gaming PC. I was pleasantly surprised by that change since it made the cloud gaming interface easier to navigate on my phone without impacting performance.

Unfortunately, that interface had one quirk. When I was playing Avowed, I noticed cutscenes would re-scale to a different aspect ratio, most likely because the game wasn't designed to run on the ultra-narrow 20:9 aspect ratio on my CMF Phone 1. That didn't impact playability or performance, but it might bother some people. The game always returned to full screen after cutscenes without any issues.

That was the most significant difference, but I also noticed slightly weaker performance on my phone. It was still completely playable, I just got slightly lower framerates compared to streaming on my PC or laptop.

Overall, though, with cloud gaming and the Razer Kishi Ultra, you can have a shockingly good gaming experience on your phone. If you're on a tight budget, it could be the ultimate alternative to a Switch 2 or a handheld gaming PC.

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XREAL just launched its latest pair of smart glasses, the XREAL One Pro, which might just be the new best-in-class way to experience AR.

XREAL impressed us in the past with its Editor's Choice Air 2 glasses, but the One Pro could be even better thanks to a slew of exciting upgrades. The One Pro may also give us some hints at what to expect in XREAL's upcoming collaboration with Google on a mysterious pair of mixed reality glasses called "Project Aura."

If you've got your eye (or... eyes) on the One Pro glasses but you're still on the fence, we've got you covered.

We'll be sharing our detailed analysis of the XREAL One Pro in our full review soon, but in the meantime, here's a look at what's being said so far, including a couple of drawbacks you should keep in mind before buying.

XREAL One Pro's improved Field of View is a huge upgrade

A significantly improved field of view (FOV) is arguably the biggest win for the XREAL One Pro. All of the reviews seem to agree on this, too. XREAL increased the FOV on the One Pro to 57 degrees, over 10 degrees more than the Air 2.

PCMag's Will Greenwald highlighted this upgrade in his review, stating, "The XReal One Pro is one of the most advanced pairs of AR smart glasses available, with a record-breaking field of view for the biggest picture you can get in this category."

Greenwald also pointed out that the One Pro has a significantly wider FOV than competitor Viture's Pro XR glasses.

Laptop Mag rated the Viture Pro XR slightly higher than the XREAL Air 2, but it seems like XREAL's latest pair of glasses has at least one significant edge over Viture's offerings.

That wider field of view means you can see a larger virtual display on the XREAL One Pro compared to other AR glasses (or, alternatively, view more small displays side-by-side).

XREAL One Pro's lightweight design holds some impressive new optical tech

The XREAL One Pro has more advanced tech inside, so it might come as a surprise that it's just as thin and light (if not more so) than previous models. The design still looks like basic black sunglasses, so you might not notice the difference compared to older XREAL glasses at first, but if you look a little closer, there's some impressive new tech inside.

TechRadar's Hamish Hector pointed out the new optical tech XREAL worked into this design, explaining, "The Xreal One Pro glasses have a new shape of lens which is flatter and thinner, rather than being chunky and more triangular in shape.

This means the resulting image is disrupted by fewer reflections caused by light from the world around you, and it’s able to boast a wider field of view to boot."

Brandon Hill of Tom's Hardware touched on this in his review, as well, saying, "Not only does the flat-prism design reduce the visual heft of the glasses, but it also boosts the total field of view from 50 degrees on the One to 57 degrees on the One Pro."

XREAL Eye performance is hit or miss

While it isn't technically part of the XREAL One Pro base unit, the new XREAL Eye accessory is pitched as the perfect companion to the new glasses, adding a 12MP camera you can use to capture photos and videos.

This gives the One Pro a highly coveted feature that fans of the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses might miss if they make the switch to XREAL. Unfortunately, reviews so far have revealed that performance with the XREAL Eye has its ups and downs.

Brandon Hill of Tom's Hardware summed it up well, stating, "I didn’t find the photos or video to be particularly impressive from the Eye. In low-light conditions, photos looked drab and dark." He also added that, "Videos also looked fuzzy, more akin to something from an iPhone 4 than something more modern."

Aside from camera quality, the practicality of the XREAL Eye isn't ideal, especially if you use the glasses while tethered to a computer. So the potential advantage of taking photos and videos hands-free with the glasses is effectively cancelled out by the need to carry around some tethered device with you.

With that said, the XREAL Eye adds one major new feature that may still make it worthwhile for some people: 6 Degrees of Freedom, or 6DoF.

This feature allows you to geographically "place" your virtual displays like you can on the Apple Vision Pro. That could be useful if you want to use multiple virtual displays at once. However, the XREAL Eye doesn't come cheap at €119 (approximately $136).

The high price is a bit of a letdown on an otherwise great pair of glasses

The XREAL Eye accessory isn't the only thing that's pricey. The XREAL One Pro itself has a pretty steep asking price, which was a drawback for several reviewers.

At $649, the XREAL One Pro is more expensive than some phones and tablets, not to mention the Meta Quest 3 VR headset.

To put that into context, the XREAL Air 2 costs $299, less than half the price of the One Pro. Of course, you're getting better tech for that price, but it still puts the One Pro out of reach for some people.

While reviewers listed the price as a negative, they also acknowledged it delivers on its high price. As PCMag's Will Greenwald put it, "The One Pro is expensive at $650, but its huge field of view and all-around strong performance and feature set justify that price, resulting in a top-notch wearable display experience."

Should you buy the XREAL One Pro?

The XREAL One Pro is a pricey, but feature-packed pair of AR glasses that really shines when it comes to its top-notch field of view.

We'll have our full analysis of these glasses in our upcoming review, but at first glance, they could be a good buy for some people.

The high cost is a significant drawback and may make the XREAL Air 2 a better option for some, but if you can afford it and want the best AR experience around, the XREAL One Pro should be on your shortlist thanks to its cutting-edge optical tech, great visuals, and sleek build.

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Despite strong alternatives in the form of VR and mixed reality headsets from Apple, HTC, Pico, Pimax, and more, Meta’s Quest headsets remain the most popular and widely adopted on the market.

Since the release of the Quest 3S, the power of Meta’s third-generation headsets has become more accessible than ever, securing an ultra-competitive $299 price tag while building an audience around a considerable library of productivity and entertainment-focused apps and games.

While the Meta Quest 2 (now discontinued) still stands as Meta’s best-selling VR headset to date, the reaction to the Meta Quest 3 — along with Meta’s unflappable drive to make mixed reality mainstream — all but guarantees that a Meta Quest 4 will follow.

So, what can we expect? What do we already know? And just how far off is Meta’s next-gen headset from making an appearance? Let’s take a closer look.

Meta Quest 4: FAQs

• Has Meta announced the Meta Quest 4?
  While Meta hasn’t officially announced the Meta Quest 4 yet, several people claiming to work closely on the project at one point or another have shared details of its ongoing development.
  
• Should I buy a Meta Quest 3 or wait for the Meta Quest 4?
  At the time of writing, the Meta Quest 4 isn’t expected to release until 2027. As such, don’t hold back. If you’re interested in trying our VR or mixed reality, the Quest 3 is a fantastic option that’s easy to get the hang of.
  
  If you don’t want to spend too much, only to replace your headset in a few years, the Meta Quest 3S offers the same performance as the premium model (though lesser quality optics), starting at only $299.

Meta Quest 4: Release date rumours

It’s a pretty safe bet to assume that the Meta Quest 4 is coming. Rumors about the headset have been circulating online for some time, with initial reports suggesting that it would arrive next year, in 2026.

However, it has been claimed that Meta is willing to push back the launch of the Quest 4, with fresh reports hinting at a 2027 release. A high-end, controllerless headset without the Quest branding is currently said to release in 2026 instead.

This headset, codenamed Puffin, looks set to replace a previously canceled follow-up to the Meta Quest Pro, codenamed La Jolla, and is rumored to be a more lightweight pair of mixed-reality glasses running Horizon OS that offloads much of the processing to a separate, tethered compute puck.

Meta Quest 4: Design rumors

Word on the Quest 4’s specifications and design is still speculative, and early leaks have suggested that Meta has multiple prototypes in mind for its fourth-generation headset. That said, there are two prototypes we can likely rule out.

According to The Information, in 2024, Meta was planning budget and premium models of the Quest 4 under a new design, codenamed Prismo Low and Prismo High. However, sources revealed to UploadVR in June 2025 that these headsets (originally planned to release in 2026) have since been canceled, with Meta seemingly seeking to stick to a more traditional form factor.

With this in mind, I’d expect the return of pancake lenses alongside improved display tech that may even stretch to Micro-OLED panels, a reduced weight profile, and potentially a slight improvement in battery life.

Beyond design, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has long held goals for Quest headsets to be powered by custom silicon eventually. However, the Quest 3 and Quest 3S stuck with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 chipset, and the company maintained that partnership by using Qualcomm chips once more for the compute puck of its Orion AR glasses prototype.

Given that Meta also chose to dismantle its Facebook Agile Silicon Team (FAST) in October 2023, it’s safe to assume that Meta’s next-gen headsets will once again likely lean on Qualcomm processors. The most obvious candidates are its upcoming Snapdragon XR2 Gen 3 or Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 3 chipsets, codenamed Project Matrix — the same chips rumored to feature in Samsung’s Project Moohan XR headset.

These chips are expected to offer increased processing power — leading to better and smoother graphics, higher per-eye resolution, expanded concurrent camera counts — opening the doors to advanced tracking or scanning, and Wi-Fi 7 support.

Given Meta’s long-in-development Codec Avatars project, adding more sensors for tracking the wearer’s eyes and face seems like a no-brainer. However, high-resolution passthrough cameras for richer immersion in mixed reality mode and potentially an improved sensor for hand tracking would also be welcome upgrades.

Meta Quest 4: Price speculation

The price of VR headsets, and just about every other piece of tech right now, could be heavily impacted by U.S. tariffs over the coming years. As such, it’s going to be hard to estimate how much the Meta Quest 4 could cost when it eventually lands on store shelves.

Still, Meta is sure to want to maintain its competitive pricing, so a drastic leap in cost isn’t something we’d expect to see. It’s unclear whether Meta dropping development of the early Prismo Low and Prismo High models means we’ll miss out on a potential Meta Quest 4S this time around, which may make the headset slightly less accessible than the current catalog.

However, Meta may be able to shave some of the potential inflated costs off the headset for current Quest owners if it decides to maintain compatibility with its Touch Plus controllers and offers a headset-only option for purchase — something many speculated Meta might do to accommodate the low-cost Quest 3S’ launch in 2024.

Given the high price of Meta’s Touch Plus controllers (which Meta sells individually, not as a required pair, for $74.99), this could considerably reduce the Quest 4’s price tag, and make it a more compelling upgrade for those currently enjoying its third-generation headsets.

While we can’t say for sure what the Quest 4’s price will be at this moment, it’s probably fair to suggest that it’ll stick as close as possible to the price set by the Quest 3, with some wiggle room for pricier components or to combat any additional tariff-related costs.

Taking that into account, but keeping in mind that this is purely speculative, an early estimate of the Quest 4’s starting price could be between $499 and $599.

What's next?

With the expected release of the Meta Quest 4 still a few years out, all we can do for now is keep our ears to the ground and make sure our eyes are peeled for any new tidbits of information made available through leaks or reliable sources.

We'll be sure to upgrade this page as and when any additional information becomes available, but we can't say for sure when that might be.

In the meantime, Meta Connect 2025 is set to take place later this year, from September 17. While we don't expect to see the Quest 4 make an appearance, there's a good chance we might see another headset revealed: a limited edition Xbox-branded Meta Quest 3.

While it's not expected to vary in terms of hardware or features, it should at least tide us over while we wait to hear more about Meta's next-gen VR/AR offerings.

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It’s no surprise that more Blizzard games are arriving on Xbox Game Pass, but we’re inching closer to a crossover that many might not have expected as Xbox unveils its June Game Pass lineup.

For June, Xbox revealed various titles coming to Game Pass, including FBC: Firebreak, a co-op shooter from the famous Alan Wake developer Remedy Entertainment.

But hidden behind that in the lineup is the fully remastered version of the Warcraft trilogy, which includes Warcraft I & II: Remastered and Warcraft III: Reforged.

The trilogy will arrive on June 26 for PC Game Pass. Now, the question on my mind is: World of Warcraft when?

Will Microsoft add the biggest MMORPG in history to Xbox Game Pass? How would that even work? Let’s talk about it.

World of Warcraft on Xbox Game Pass would be a dream crossover

I’ve played World of Warcraft on and off for many years now, and while I don’t always stick with it, it’s something that my friends and I always find our way back to.

I have a visceral memory of my demon hunter soloing Kil'jaeden in his final phase after all of my friends had perished in his shadow realm.

My friends and I primarily jump in and out of World of Warcraft because it costs too much money. If you aren’t aware, you need to pay a subscription to play the game (or at least to get access to all of the features), and that costs $15 per month, or $156 per year ($13/month).

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs $20 per month and features hundreds of games. If you’re open to playing new games, you’ll get way more out of Game Pass than WoW.

But imagine if World of Warcraft came to Xbox Game Pass. That would be the sickest deal of all time. Realistically, however, I don’t see that happening at its current price point.

If Microsoft were serious about bringing WoW to Game Pass, it’d likely adjust the cost and offer a separate, unique subscription like "Xbox Game Pass World of Warcraft Ultimate," or something goofy like that.

At minimum, I could see Xbox charging $30 for that subscription, which would be a $5 discount on the monthly WoW subscription.

Maybe a new host of people who never had or cared about Game Pass would get it and start playing other games as well. That would expose more people to all of the games on there, which would help a lot of developers out there. That’s just an optimistic take on the potential of the situation.

As it stands, it’s more likely Microsoft would rather keep that $5 to maintain its steady cash flow from the billion-dollar earning MMORPG.

But if Microsoft ever did do it, you can bet that I’ll be throwing my money at it. You'd find me somewhere in Azeroth, exploring the wilderness while queuing up to get bodied by the latest Mythic dungeons.

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Amazon's annual Prime Day sale doesn't officially start until next month, but some great budget-friendly deals are already popping up.

Good phone and laptop accessories don't have to break the bank, especially when you're getting them at a discount. We hand-picked some of the best devices currently on sale for Prime Day that are under $50, making them perfect for anyone looking to save on headphones, gaming gear, chargers, and more.

For instance, the HyperX SoloCast is down to just $39, a steal for this already budget-friendly USB mic. If you're looking for an upgrade over the built-in mic on your headset or laptop, the SoloCast is a great choice. It nails all the basics you need for great sound quality and easy setup.

That's just one of many bargains we found ahead of Prime Day. Here are today's top nine under $50.

See also: Amazon's next Prime Day sale starts July 8, here's what's new this year

Top 9 early Prime Day deals under $50

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Say whatever you'd like about the predictability of Microsoft, but the Xbox brand has pivoted so wildly over the last several years that you'd assume its product roadmap was nothing but hairpin bends.

From banking heavily on Xbox Game Pass and cloud gaming, to sharing exclusive games with PlayStation, to teaming up with Asus for the ROG Xbox Ally handheld, and even suggesting third parties will build their own Xbox consoles in the future, it's increasingly hard to know where Xbox is heading next.

Except, we do know one thing: it's been a year and change since a very different kind of Xbox hardware was quietly announced — one that won't be a console in the traditional sense, but a VR/XR headset. Given its scope, we may even see it revealed as soon as this September.

Xbox's take on the Meta Quest 3: Powered by Horizon OS

In April 2024, Meta announced that it was opening the door for third-party manufacturers to adopt the Meta Quest 3's operating system, Horizon OS.

Alongside this announcement, Meta (and CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Instagram) revealed that this decision would spark a new generation of VR/MX hardware, with several partners already lined up to spearhead the move, including:

• ASUS ROG: Who were earmarked to develop a new stand-alone, high-performance headset optimized for gaming and powered by Horizon OS
• Lenovo: Tipped to use Horizon OS' mixed reality features to power headsets for education, productivity, and entertainment
• Xbox: Set to build upon its partnership with Meta following Xbox Cloud Gaming's arrival to Horizon OS by developing a limited edition Meta Quest headset

We didn't get to see any of these devices as prototypes, and we weren't offered any form of release date or pricing information. But Meta did reveal that each headset could be fine-tuned to suit its target audiences.

In Xbox's case, Zuckerberg suggested that this model could "come straight out of the box with Xbox controllers and Game Pass, so that you can immediately just start playing on a big screen anywhere you go."

How that translates to the final product remains to be seen, and just how special Xbox's limited edition Meta Quest headset is from the standard Quest 3 model is also up in the air.

However, we have seen Meta provide limited editions of other products, namely its Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, which have received new colorways and designs over the years. At the very least, this could mean that Xbox's Quest headset will visually stand out, likely opting for the black colorway that the console is primarily known for.

As a limited edition Meta Quest variant, we can likely rule out any dramatic changes to the Quest 3's current design or features. You can probably expect it to look pretty much the same as the current third-generation Quest headsets, though adopting the Xbox Wireless Controller's colored buttons would be a nice touch.

Big screen experience or fully VR ready?

That's if the Quest 3's Touch Plus controllers are included in the box, Zuckerberg did hint that the headset could come with an Xbox controller, after all. Thankfully, those who nab the headset when it launches will still be able to use its hand tracking for VR/MX content, and a lack of controllers could result in a sizeable discount on the headset's overall price.

If the limited edition Xbox Meta Quest headset adopts the Quest 3S as its baseline, instead of the more premium Quest 3 model, it could be an impressively affordable entry-level option for VR/MR first-timers.

However, many of the Quest's most popular games do require a pair of Touch Plus controllers. Which means, should you be swayed by the Quest's VR/MX game library, you would need to buy the controllers separately, which Meta sells for $74.99 — each.

When can we expect it?

Frustratingly, the last time we heard of this Xbox-branded headset was also the first time we heard about it. Since Meta's original post in April 2024, we've had pretty much radio silence.

Does this mean that the project has evaporated into thin air? Well, it wouldn't be the first time that Meta has announced something and failed to deliver (we're still waiting for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas VR).

However, with Xbox happy enough to work with third parties on Xbox-branded hardware (even to the point of cancelling its own plans) and the seemingly small scope of the collaboration, I'd say there's a strong chance that this headset is still due to release. The question is: when?

The answer to that question may be sooner than we think, with the upcoming Meta Connect 2025 event, scheduled for September 17-18, making an ideal stage to showcase a new headset, especially as the Meta Quest 4 is rumored not to make an appearance until 2027.

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Borderlands 4 won't be released until September, but we've got additional details on the game that might immediately raise your eyebrows.

Steam has published new information on Borderlands 4 ahead of its launch on September 12, including pricing and hardware specs.

And I have some thoughts.

Between steep hardware requirements to play it and an expensive deluxe edition, I've got to wonder what Borderlands 4 developer Gearbox was thinking. However, this is far from Gearbox's first controversy with its flagship loot-shooter.

But before I get too salty about these new details, let's break things down.

'Borderlands 4' hardware requirements

One of the more interesting and infuriating aspects of Gearbox's upcoming Borderlands sequel is the hardware requirements.

While Gearbox and its parent company 2K have optimized the game for older hardware going back to Intel's 9th-gen and AMD's Ryzen 2000 series, gamers on more budget-friendly 6-core CPUs will have problems. Borderlands 4 appears to require an 8-core CPU at minimum -- you're out of luck if you're running an Intel Core i5 or Ryzen 5 CPU.

The GPU specs are also on the high-end, requiring an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070, with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 recommended. On the AMD side, Gearbox requires at least a Radeon RX 5700 XT, with a Radeon RX 6800 XT recommended. Borderlands 4 requires at least 8 GB of VRAM for graphics, with 12+ GB recommended.

Currently, the most popular gaming GPU on the Steam hardware survey is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 with 8 GB of VRAM, which puts most gamers out of range for Borderlands 4's recommended specs.

The hardware specs for Borderlands 4 are:

'Borderlands 4' price tags

Assuming your gaming rig can even play Borderlands 4, you've got three purchase tiers to buy the game.

The base game alone is $69.99, which is about average for a game these days. But if you want to upgrade to the Deluxe or Super Deluxe editions, it will cost you.

The Borderlands 4 Deluxe Edition includes the base game, the Bounty Pack bundle, and Firehawk's Fury and costs $99.99.

Upgrading to the Super Deluxe Edition costs $129.99 and gets you the base game, Bounty Pack Bundle, Firehawk's Fury, Vault Hunter Pack, and Ornate Order Pack.

Pre-ordering Borderlands 4 gets you the Gilded Glory Pack for free. The Gilded Glory Pack includes a Vault Hunter skin, a weapon skin, and an Echo-4 drone skin. So it's just a free cosmetics pack.

The Bounty Pack includes four unique areas with new missions and unique bosses, plus 4 vault cards with unique challenges, new gear, new weapons, new Vault Hunter cosmetics, and four new vehicles and vehicle cosmetics.

Firehawk's Fury is just a special weapon skin.

The Ornate Order Pack includes 4 Vault Hunter skins, 4 Vault Hunter heads, and 4 Vault Hunter bodies to customize your character with additional glamour options.

Finally, the Vault Hunter Pack includes two new playable Vault Hunters, two new Story packs with new story and side missions, two new map regions, new gear and weapons, new Vault Hunter cosmetics, and Echo-4 drone cosmetics.

So, if you want all the Borderlands 4 content, including all playable missions and maps, you need to buy the Super Deluxe Edition for $129.

Outlook

As long as you meet the minimum hardware requirements, you'll be able to start shooting and looting in just about two months. If your gaming rig doesn't meet the minimum hardware specs, you've got two months to save up for a new gaming laptop or PC overhaul.

Alternatively, you could always opt to play Borderlands 4 through GeForce Now, assuming you pay for the higher-tier streaming rigs.

Borderlands 4 arrives on September 12, 2025, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The base game retails for $69.99, while the Deluxe Edition retails for $99.99, and the Super Deluxe Edition will set fans back a hefty $129.99.

But as noted above, if you want access to all of the missions and maps, you need to shell out for the Super Deluxe Edition. The Deluxe Edition locks you out of 2 map areas, while the base game is short six maps.

PC players can snag Borderlands 4 through Steam or the Epic Games Store.

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Whether you need a new game to play so you stop doom-scrolling your social media feeds or you want to build out your Steam Library to flex on your friends, we've got a solid lead on some new free games.

And these aren't just free to play for a limited time.

No, you get to keep them.

Ahead of Amazon's first-ever 96-hour Prime Day sale, gamers can take home six additional games for free thanks to Prime Gaming. That is, six games in addition to the current June free games library.

The six new games are available on Prime from June 17 through July 7, so you have some time to make sure you collect them all.

To take advantage, you need only a current Amazon Prime subscription. You don't even need to buy anything for Prime Day.

Which games are free

The six additional games include some old-time classics and indie favorites.

While it's not just a group of nostalgia picks, a couple of games in this free bundle scream "Only '90s kids." From the old school Tomb Raider games with tank controls to 1998's PC gaming classic Star Wars: Rebellion, there are plenty of reasons to ensure you snag all six additional free Prime games.

The full list of additional Prime Day games includes:

1. Saints Row IV: Re-Elected
2. Saints Row 2
3. Star Wars: Rebellion
4. TOEM
5. Dungeon of the Endless Definitive Edition
6. Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft

You get to keep them forever

All six games became available at 9 a.m. Pacific on June 17 at 9 a.m. Pacific, though redemption platforms do differ a bit between the games:

Dungeon of the Endless Definitive Edition will be available through the Amazon Games App.

Tomb Raider I-III, Saints Row 2, TOEM, Saints Row IV: Re-Elected, and Star Wars: Rebellion can be redeemed as GOG codes to add to your GOG Galaxy library. So you can play DRM-free, forever.

Prime Gaming also offers free games on Amazon Luna, the Epic Games Store, the Amazon Games App, and GOG.

In addition to the six Prime Day 2025 games, Prime Gaming's June library comes with 31 free titles, so if you already have an Amazon Prime membership, it's worth checking out.

And hey, unlike the rest of Prime Day, it's free.

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After eight long years, the Nintendo Switch 2 is here, reincarnated like Link and his forebears, but this time, Mario Kart World is paving the road.

Despite the length of time, it feels like just yesterday when the original Nintendo Switch launched — I vividly remember rushing over to a GameStop to pick up the Collector’s Edition bundle for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This launch game got me drooling to get my hands on the new experimental hardware.

But I found myself hesitant this time around. Do I want to pay $500 just to play the new Mario Kart? There’s no OLED screen, the Joy-Con 2 controllers are uncomfortable, and demanding games can struggle to run in handheld mode.

However, my doubts about the Nintendo Switch 2 gently drifted away, like listening to a lullaby from Link’s ocarina. With its smooth and sharp display, strong overall performance (both in handheld and TV modes), and revamped Joy-Con 2 controllers, the Switch 2 mostly delivers. And really, there’s nothing else like it.

Nintendo delivers much-needed improvements with the Switch 2, but there’s one thing that might stop me from getting it (more on that later). The question you might have, though: Is the Switch 2 right for you? Let’s jump into why the Nintendo Switch 2 may be the greatest gaming handheld device to date.

Nintendo Switch 2: Specs

Nintendo Switch 2: Price and value

Even if you manage to summon an eldritch god to secure an in-stock Nintendo Switch 2, can you afford it?

The Nintendo Switch 2's base price is $450, and you can get a bundle that includes Mario Kart World for $500. I imagine most folk would opt for the bundle because Mario Kart World costs a whopping $80, so getting it for an additional $50 is a steal. Well, maybe not a steal because I feel like we’re being robbed in this era of $80 games.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is scarce, but it will eventually restock and go on sale, so maybe wait a little longer unless you’re passionate about playing Mario Kart.

Nintendo Switch 2: Console

The Nintendo Switch 2 console isn’t too dissimilar from the original Nintendo Switch, although it is bigger.

At 0.88 pounds (1.18 pounds with Joy-Con 2) and 10.7 x 4.5 x 0.55~1.2 inches (Joy-Con 2 attached), there’s a lot more to hold. But with that comes a bigger 7.9-inch display, which is much welcome. There’s a small issue, however. Or rather, a big issue: The bezels are chunky. We don’t need a bigger Switch if that display real estate is better managed. Either that, or make the Switch smaller.

Thankfully, Nintendo got the message on the charging front — there are now two USB Type-C charging ports, one on the bottom and one on the top. You’ll still find the power button, volume buttons, and game cartridge slot on the top, while the speakers are located on the bottom, surrounding the charging port.

Aside from the additional Type-C port, the kickstand is the most significant upgrade to the base design. It is a simple yet sturdy bar that maneuvers roughly 150 degrees. One odd thing I noticed is that the hinges of the kickstand offer a bit of wiggle room, so the kickstand may not be 100% flat. This may be intentional, since a more rigid design could snap more easily, but it’s worth noting. (Additionally, the microSD card slot is hidden behind the kickstand.)

Nintendo Switch 2: Joy-Con 2

Are you ready for a splash of color? Well, too bad. Nintendo stripped the colors off the Switch 2. That may upset some folks, and rightfully so, but I kind of like it. Kind of.

Technically, the console is still mostly black except for the internal bits where the Joy-Con 2 controllers plug in; it sports blue on the left and red(ish) on the right. The Joy-Con 2 controllers sport the same color scheme on their internals, where you'd use them as separate controllers. The only splash of color we get outside of that is at the base of the analog sticks.

Nintendo likely chose to make the console all black because blue and red wouldn't pair well with alternative Joy-Con 2 colors. However, I would’ve liked it if the Joy-Con 2 controllers that shipped with the Switch 2 featured more accents in their respective colors, like those tiny triangles on the D-pad and even the font on the face buttons, both of which would maintain their minimalist design.

The layout is mostly the same, down to where the buttons are placed on the Joy-Con 2 controllers. The only new feature on the Switch 2 is the C button, located under the Home button on the right Joy-Con 2.

At the top, you’ve got the usual bumpers and triggers, but there’s also a new button: the release button, which you use to detach the controllers. This is one of my favorite design improvements because the Joy-Con 2 controllers seamlessly attach to the console magnetically. It is so easy to plug in that my two-year-old did it herself.

I have some slight concerns about the durability while in use (like bending it) and while docked (the connector is exposed to the elements), but we won’t know how much punishment it can take until long-term usage.

When detached, you can connect the Joy-Con 2 controllers to the included Grip or the Straps. Thanks to the magnets, connecting and disconnecting from both is surprisingly easy.

Nintendo Switch 2: Dock

Many folks, including myself, had issues with the original Nintendo Switch Dock — it was flimsy, and it had the audacity to scratch my Switch’s display.

I can’t say whether this new dock will scuff the Nintendo Switch 2, but I can say that it’s certainly more sturdy. My cats love walking behind the TV, and they’ve consistently knocked over my previous Nintendo Switch dock, but this one is as steadfast as Donkey Kong when I crash into oncoming traffic.

It stacks up to 7.9 x 4.5 x 2 inches and weighs 0.89 pounds, so it’s not too heavy, but it’s sturdy enough to counteract the weight of the HDMI cable. However, it’s a bit back-heavy, since it’s curved to allow room for the Type-C, HDMI, and Ethernet ports, so it may move when the Switch 2 isn’t docked. On the side, you’ll find two USB Type-A ports. Unfortunately, there’s no additional USB Type-C port, which seems like a miss as Type-C products take over the industry.

The back panel no longer sports hinges — it just pops right off. I don’t know how I feel about that, but something did need to change. The previous Switch had flimsy hinges, so Nintendo needed to either reinforce the hinges or take them off, and it went with the latter option. At the very least, it’s easy to snap on.

Nintendo Switch 2: Comfort

Ugh… Listen, I enjoyed my time with the original Nintendo Switch, and I’m enjoying my time with the Nintendo Switch 2, but the controllers are not comfortable.

The Joy-Con 2 controllers did next to nothing to enhance the ergonomics. They do not conform to my hands, and so the added weight on the console made me put more support into my palms. As I began dominating the world of Hyrule with a bunch of little Zol jellies in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, I found myself shifting my hands every few minutes. Not only was I uncomfortable, but I also felt my hands getting tingly from the lack of blood flow.

Like I said, I had this problem with the original Nintendo Switch, and I solved that by purchasing one of my favorite accessories, the Hori Split Pad Pro. However, the problem with the Hori Split Pad Pro was that it didn’t feature any rumble, and it couldn’t be used separately from the console. I hope that we get to see a Hori Split Pad Pro 2 or an equivalent with the same features as the Joy-Con 2 controllers.

As far as the gameplay experience goes, the controllers may be larger, but the inputs feel generally the same. However, I will say that clicking on the analog stick feels much more impactful due to its height and sturdiness.

The greatest upgrade to comfort is using the Joy-Con 2 as separate controllers. Since it’s bigger, there’s less cramping in my hands, and the bumpers on the interior are also significantly larger and easier to click. My two-year-old could not click the top buttons on the original Joy-Con, but now she can spam her items in Mario Kart World and knock me out of first place with the Joy-Con 2.

Jumping into Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty felt rough. Like the previous Switch, first-person shooters feel clunky on the Joy-Con 2 controllers. That’s mostly due to the size of the analog sticks and how the console conforms to my hands. It’s difficult to precisely take off an enemy’s head with my sniper. I’ve mostly resorted to using my katana, which is unfortunate, but fun in its own way.

When attached to the included Grip, the Joy-Con 2 controllers certainly feel better to control. The rigid layout makes them a little awkward to use, but they offer a more comfortable experience out of the box.

The Straps add more security and a bit of buffer room to fill out the individual controllers. It doesn't feel necessary per se, especially since the singular controller experience is so much better, but it's nice to have if you're using motion controls.

Nintendo Switch 2: Accessories

Speaking of comfort, you can enhance your overall Nintendo Switch 2 experience with the available accessories.

The first accessory I'd buy is the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller. Since the Pro Controller features a more traditional layout, it's leagues more ergonomic. You can technically use your old Switch Pro Controller with the Switch 2, but if you're thinking about an upgrade, the Switch 2 Pro Controller features the C button, two programmable back buttons, and Nintendo’s second-generation rumble tech. It does cost a whopping $85, however.

If you are a fan of the Grip, you could purchase the Charging Grip for $40. It charges the Joy-Con 2 controllers and offers those two additional back buttons. Unfortunately, you'll run into the aforementioned comfort issues.

Thankfully, the original Joy-Con controllers are compatible with the Switch 2. I got a group of friends together to play Mario Kart World, and the old controllers worked smoothly.

Like the original Switch, the Switch 2 still does not natively support Bluetooth for controllers. So if you want to use your PS5 DualSense controller, you'll need to buy an adapter.

Nintendo Switch 2: Mouse mode

Wow, I did not expect it to be this bad, but it is this bad.

I hopped into Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (the best game DLC around; fight me), and it quickly became unbearable. Moving the mouse felt okay. Using it for a few hours would be exhausting. And it’s not at all useful for precise aiming, so I had to ditch my sniper for a shotgun.

But the worst of it is the buttons. You need to adjust your hand every time you need to click a different button. I instantly found this problematic. Every time Songbird batted her eyelashes at me, I needed to adjust my whole hand just to click Y to select one of the dialogue prompts.

However, implementing mouse mode is objectively a good thing. You can use third-party mice with the Nintendo Switch 2 to take advantage of this with better hardware. The only hurdle, however, is getting the face buttons on the mouse. You’d need a borderline MMO mouse, but hopefully, a third-party Nintendo Switch 2 mouse will be more optimal.

Nintendo Switch 2: Battery life

It could be better, but it’s not bad.

Cozying up in my bed with 100% effort and battery, I cycled through Mario Kart World, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, and Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, and the Nintendo Switch 2 crashed to 1% in roughly 2 hours and 45 minutes. Battery life may vary depending on what you’re playing, but it does fall within Nintendo’s 2- to 6.5-hour range.

Technically, it’s just enough time to take my ridiculously long train ride from New Jersey to NYC, and then hop over to Brooklyn to meet some friends. However, it is a downgrade from the Nintendo Switch OLED model, which Nintendo rated for 4.5 to 9 hours of battery life.

Nintendo Switch 2: Display

Another slight Nintendo committed against me is removing the OLED display. I love my Nintendo Switch OLED, and it's impossible to beat that with the Switch 2’s LCD screen… at least in terms of color and contrast. The lack of an OLED screen might be the Switch 2 dealbreaker for me.

The Switch 2’s 7.9-inch, 1920 x 1080, 120Hz, HDR10 display rocks all the specs that can overshadow the Switch’s OLED display on paper. It's larger, sharper, smoother, and offers HDR support.

Following Songbird’s instructions to sneak my way into Dogtown, the Switch 2’s display captured the range of colorful chaos of the opening market in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. The bright yellow night sign and the NPC wearing a pink tank top looked accurate, but not necessarily vivid. The panel gets decently bright, too, maintaining the detail of the shadowy underground bits in the previous section.

However, due to the glossiness of the display, it catches some serious glare depending on the space you’re in. This isn’t a new issue, but it could be mitigated with higher brightness. Although, that could be problematic with LCD. In dark scenes, I saw the light of the back panel leaking brightness through the black. Moments like this are where it really feels like I’m looking at a screen, which kills the immersion a bit.

With regard to the color, I felt the same when roaming around Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. The grass and flowers were appropriately green and pink, respectively, but they didn’t jump off the screen. I also saw that when traveling the desert sands in Mario Kart World, the blue sky and yellow sand looked overexposed by the excessive backlighting from the LCD screen. The biggest difference between LCD and OLED is that, unlike the former, the latter looks like a window instead of a screen.

If I had to boil down my reasons for skipping the Switch 2 to just one, it’d be the lack of OLED. Sure, an OLED model would be much more expensive, but Nintendo can’t just tease us with the Switch OLED and then bring us back to the dark ages with LCD. I won’t have it.

Nintendo Switch 2: Audio

The Nintendo Switch 2’s bottom-firing speakers pack a punch.

Leading a small army of minions around Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, backed by cozy stringed instruments, made me feel warm inside. The string and wind instruments weaved together but remained distinct. Summoning my Zol made Zelda produce a pretty intense grunt at max volume, really channeling her inner Link. Yet, splashing around in the water sounded quieter than I expected it to.

I put my foot on the gas in Mario Kart World, which features a bombastic soundtrack, and listened to a wonderful ensemble of instruments that captured unique sounds. Unlike the Zelda track I listened to earlier, there’s a bunch of percussion here, and I noticed that it sounded rather muted. The speakers don’t do a good job of capturing low-end sounds. Despite that, it’s still satisfying to hear the tires hit the road and take off after that infuriating Wario (I’m coming for you).

I got sweet-talked by Songbird in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, and the dialogue between her and V sounded crisp and full. Even the sounds around us, like gunfire and shouting, didn’t overwhelm the primary dialogue, which is super important as someone who’s partially deaf in one ear.

The overall sound stage supports strong mids and highs, but the lows struggle to reach the spotlight.

Nintendo Switch 2: Handheld performance

The Nintendo Switch 2 includes the Nvidia T239 custom chipset. We don’t have many intense games to test its performance, but I simply must mention the most demanding game of the hour: Cyberpunk 2077.

To the Nintendo Switch 2’s credit, scoring Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is a huge deal. And that’s possible because Nvidia’s custom chipset uses AI frame generation. While some generations behind the RTX 50-series’ DLSS 4, the Nvidia T239 chipset also uses AI to generate frames based on every true frame that exists. In theory, this could double frame rates. That’s not exactly what I’ve seen in my own testing in games like Stellar Blade and Dune: Awakening, but it’s impressive nonetheless.

With Nvidia’s help, the Nintendo Switch 2 is likely going to become the home of many AAA third-party titles. Do you remember those terrible cloud games on the original Switch? Because I do. And I am sure as heck happy to see them disappear into the ether.

However, my actual experience playing Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty felt a bit… crunchy. I flipped on Performance mode so I could get a taste of how smooth the frame rates were, but I immediately noticed the loss in resolution. In the settings menu, the “R” icon for the analog stick looked like a distorted mess. Seriously, I couldn't make out that letter in an eye exam. I tried Quality mode, which looked sharper, but even walking around an enclosed space felt sluggish.

Performance mode hit or exceeded 30 frames per second, and my motorcycle ride down to Dogtown felt smooth. However, when I accidentally got into a fight with a small army of guards at the border, the system struggled to keep up, dipping below 30 fps. It's unclear if this is a limitation of the raw performance or of the AI frame generation. I imagine a firmware update could improve the performance.

Outside of demanding games, the Switch 2 offers a much welcome performance upgrade. I could make a Thanksgiving dinner before the original Switch would load up the Nintendo eShop. But the Switch 2 load times are relatively seamless.

With the Switch 2, you also get 256GB of UFS storage. That’s a nice bump from the 64GB on the Switch OLED, but that’s still not a lot for modern gaming. It also switched (pun intended) over to microSD Express cards, which means the microSD card in your original Switch is incompatible. On the bright side, the speeds are faster (up to 880 megabytes per second versus 100 MBps), which means load times will be faster.

Nintendo Switch 2: TV performance

So, how does gaming in 4K look? Better than I expected. When the Switch 2 is docked, Nvidia’s custom chipset doesn’t need to worry about conserving battery life, so it kicks into overdrive, and let me tell you that the performance difference is significant. The Switch 2 is clocked in at 60Hz when clocked at a 4K resolution, but at 1440p and lower, it’s capable of hitting 120Hz.

I double-jumped my way right back into Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty and immediately dipped into 4K, Quality mode just to see how bad the fps would be. To my surprise, it managed a smooth frame rate, and it looked good enough that I still got the chills when Space Force One came crashing down on me (best opening sequence ever). There were some frame drops when I found myself up against a large group of enemies or when I drove around a densely populated area.

However, I did not notice a significant difference when moving to Performance mode. Only when I set the Switch 2 to 1080p did I see a nice bump in frames. Carving through enemies with my mantis blades looked as fluid as their blood spatter.

However, since I’m using a 65-inch TV, I saw some fuzziness in the textures. While that’s to be expected (it’s a handheld device after all), I also noticed it on the Home screen icons, which is a bit disappointing.

In less demanding games, like Mario Kart World and Echoes of Wisdom, the textures from the asphalt to the glades looked significantly sharper. There are no performance settings in either game, so I tested both in 4K and 1080p, but the frame rates didn’t seem to look any different.

Nintendo Switch 2: HDR performance

HDR on the Nintendo Switch 2 was a bit complicated to set up because I easily missed one particular setting during setup.

First things first: You need to set your TV's Dynamic Tone Mapping to HGiG; otherwise, HDR will not work as intended.

When you’re in the HDR setup, and after you make the brightness symbol disappear, the next screen will display a rather unhelpful image. You’re actually meant to click Y here so you can adjust the brightness of the image. And you can select between a few images until you get the brightness just right.

If you want to see the difference between HDR and non-HDR content, the HDR Output setting in the Display settings isn’t helpful. You need to scroll down to HDR Output and then select “Off.” It’s only then that I noticed a significant difference while playing Echoes of Wisdom. HDR balances the contrast and brightness on screen to capture more detail. I noticed this in the shadows and sandy beach around me. The contrast looked tamer, evening out across the image. SDR still looked good, but the display is significantly darker with higher contrast. Ultimately, it’s down to preference, but I think HDR offers a truer picture of the content.

You can enable HDR for games that don’t support it, but I recommend doing some testing to see if it actually looks better.

Nintendo Switch 2: Games

Yes, $450 is a heck of a lot to pay for a console that isn’t exactly on the cutting edge of technology. However, what really makes this launch feel lackluster are the games. Sure, lots of folks love Mario Kart, but do they love it enough to buy a whole console just to play Mario Kart World? I certainly don’t. Not to mention that it, once again, costs $80!

Despite the price, I actually do enjoy Mario Kart World. There’s nothing wildly different apart from the open world, which features some decent challenges. What I actually loved about it was a more personal experience: playing with my daughter. I tried introducing her to games, but her hands are still too small, and she gets a bit frustrated with the controls. However, when the Joy-Con 2 controllers are detached, it’s more accessible for her. To top that off, Mario Kart World features settings to auto-drive and auto-steer, so even if she’s not pressing the right buttons, she can actually experience what it’s like to play, and I absolutely love that for her. Now every time she sees the Switch 2, she says “Play game with Baba!” My heart.

Still, I’m not jumping at the Switch 2 for Mario Kart. Let’s be honest here for a second, the original Nintendo Switch launched with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — this game literally redefined the entire open-world genre. If the Switch 2 offered something on that scale at launch, I’d sell a kidney to get it (not really… unless?). Regardless of my criticism, the Nintendo Switch 2 is the fastest-selling console of all time.

I’ve already played Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty on the PS5, so I am hyper-aware of the quality that this game brings to the table. As I briefly mentioned earlier, its expansion is one of the best I’ve played, even rivaling full games in the RPG genre. Needless to say, it won’t live up to the quality you’d receive on other consoles, but getting all of the unique Switch features is neat. You can use the Gyroscope mode to rotate the Joy-Con 2 to aim, touchscreen to navigate the map and menus, Motion Patterns to use physical gestures to dodge, reload, or even heal, and the Mouse mode. The touch screen is useful, but what about the rest? Let’s just say they’re not very convenient — more like a novelty to enable for a hot second and then quickly disable.

With The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Nintendo updated the resolution for both handheld and docked modes and included HDR support. While the art isn’t that detailed, it’s much more pleasant to look at than on a measly 720p display. There are quite a few Nintendo Switch games that received a free update, plenty of which are incompatible. Of course, you’ll need to buy upgrades for some games, like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, which cost $10.

There are not many exclusive launch day titles apart from Mario Kart World, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster, and Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, which isn’t even free, and it should be.

Update: Nintendo's June 18 Direct showcased Donkey Kong Bananza, and it looks just as fun as Super Mario Odyssey. I can see this being the reason that folks buy a Switch 2, including me (OLED forgive me).

Nintendo Switch 2: GameChat

Let’s talk about that fancy new C button. Do you remember when the Nintendo Switch had that weird proprietary phone app to voice chat with friends? Well, now all of that is built into the Switch 2. I would praise Nintendo if this weren’t something that should’ve already been included in the original Switch.

To get started, I only had to click the C button to open up GameChat. You do have to go through the motions of signing a Terms of Service agreement, signing in again, and attaching your phone number (weird, but likely to avoid children from randomly hopping on GameChat). Then, you can select which friends can GameChat with you (I like this feature).

I booted up GameChat to play Mario Kart World with a friend, and the experience was interesting to say the least. The mic quality is crunchy, but audible for the most part. It did seem like there was a bit of a delay while chatting because my friend and I caught ourselves talking over each other multiple times, but it didn’t feel so detached that it was unusable.

There’s no GameChat balancing per se, but you can either lower or raise the volume of the game itself, and there’s a setting enabled by default to lower the game volume when people are speaking. I was afraid that this would be redundant if the microphone kept picking up noise anyway, but it did a decent job at blocking out background noise. It avoided picking up the fan blowing behind me.

We streamed our gameplay to each other, and true to the Switch 2 trailer, the overall sharpness is decent, but it streams at sub-30 fps, so it looks janky.

You can expand the screen layout in three ways: Standard (which prioritizes GameChat), Expand Main Screen (which minimizes it but keeps it visible), and Full Screen (which does away with it entirely). In Full Screen mode, it’ll make GameChat speakers visible in one corner of the screen (your choice), or you can disable that entirely.

Overall, GameChat is decent. Will I be using it myself? Probably not. Discord is still more convenient. However, watching friends perish in The Duskbloods when it launches in 2026 will be fun.

Nintendo Switch 2: Virtual Game Card

I have a love/hate relationship with the Virtual Game Card system. I initially thought this would be a revolutionary technology because you can share games with friends for at least two weeks without the need for a physical copy. However, Nintendo had to make this system needlessly complicated.

If you own multiple Nintendo Switch consoles, you must trade your Virtual Game Cards back and forth to play the games you want. To do that, both systems need to be on. If they’re not, you can select “System Unavailable,” but all downloadable software or DLC you’ve purchased will be temporarily unavailable for other systems.

The issue is that these games are, in theory, linked to your account, but the actual ownership comes down to the physical console. There’s a lot of extra work involved to unlink a console you don’t own anymore, down to going to the Nintendo website. You can technically play games you’ve already downloaded on a console so long as you have the Use Online Licenses setting enabled (found in User Settings).

With Xbox or PlayStation, you can access your games wherever you are without issue, so long as you’re connected to the internet. Granted, you can’t share games like the Switch 2 can, but technically, you can share your entire library with at least one person on both Xbox and PlayStation.

Sharing games with yourself shouldn’t be this complex.

Nintendo Switch 2: Operating system and features

The overall operating system for the Switch 2 remains generally unchanged, apart from the addition of the new aforementioned features, like GameChat, GameShare, and Virtual Game Cards.

Nintendo Switch 2 also offers advanced parental controls, which you can control via a smartphone app. You can adjust the times system-wide or based on individual games. You can set soft or hard limits, the former being a simple indicator and the latter completely suspending the Switch (even Nintendo emphasizes this should be a last resort because your child may lose save data — and I agree). You can also restrict games based on ratings and manage who they can GameChat with.

The Nintendo eShop received an update that cleaned up a lot of the visuals, and combined with more powerful performance, it’s easier to navigate. You also get immediate access to your wish list instead of having to dig for it in your profile. However, I noticed that the Joy-Con 2 analog stick and D-pad are hyper-sensitive in the shop, occasionally skipping over a couple selections in one input. That’s likely a bug that’ll hopefully get patched.

One minor grievance I have is that the Nintendo Switch 2 ships with only the Basic Light and Basic Dark themes. I am hoping Nintendo provides some updates with more choices, but come on, it’s been eight years, Nintendo. Give us something original.

The Nintendo Switch 2 comes with a one-year limited warranty.

Bottom line

Unlike Link, I cannot silence my many thoughts about the Nintendo Switch 2. I love it and hate it at the same time, but you could argue that hate is a part of love (in some circumstances). So, do I love it enough to buy it? Well… no. Like I said earlier, the lack of OLED kills the Nintendo Switch 2 for me, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t right for you.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is an incredible device with remarkable power, thanks to Nvidia’s custom chip that provides frame generation. With that power, it can run one of the most demanding games out there. Considering the original Switch’s considerably lower performance, this is an Olympic leap forward.

Apart from the performance, the most significant update lies in the display. The Switch 2’s LCD is better than that of the original Switch. It features a sharper panel, a higher refresh rate, and an overall larger display.

If you frequently play with individual Joy-Con controllers, the Joy-Con 2 update is downright necessary for your comfort.

And to top all that off, you get some strong speakers and decent battery life.

Don’t get me wrong — I’m disappointed about more than OLED — the comfort and price are rough. And while I do praise the current performance, I think it needs a few updates to eliminate the frame drops.

Overall, though, the Nintendo Switch 2 is a hell of a gaming console, and there’s really nothing else like it. No, seriously, there’s nothing like it. Where are you going to play Mario Kart World? Or the new Zelda game? Or the new mainline Mario game? Sorry, kids, if you want to play those games, you need the Nintendo Switch 2.

But I’ll just twiddle my thumbs until the Switch 2 OLED inevitably launches.

Nintendo consoles are never the most cutting-edge hardware. Never have been.

Nintendo hasn't really cared about pure hardware power since the '90s. The Nintendo N64 may have been Nintendo's last console with high-end hardware, and even then, that's pushing it.

So, even though devices with the upcoming AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme are expected to outperform the Nintendo Switch 2, that lower performance won't slow down Nintendo's record-breaking Switch 2 sales.

And there are good reasons for that.

The Ryzen Z2 generation may have power, but it doesn't have Mario

While Nintendo doesn't traditionally compete against gaming PCs, the rise of handheld gaming devices does mean the comparisons are inevitable.

And that's a comparison Nintendo is pretty much sure to lose.

Nintendo's Switch 2 is powered by a custom Nvidia Tegra T239 processor, codenamed "Drake".

While Nvidia makes great graphics cards, the Tegra processors have never been groundbreaking. We were impressed with how great the Switch 2 looked in our early hands-on experience, but we weren't blown away by the graphics by any means.

On the other side of the line, we have gaming handhelds powered by Intel's Lunar Lake with smooth graphics even on demanding titles, though AMD's upcoming flagship Ryzen Z2 Extreme – which was unveiled at CES in January – and is expected to put AMD back on top in the handheld gaming PC chip rankings when it arrives in devices later this year.

The AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme will power the Legion Go 2, MSI Claw A8, and Asus ROG Xbox Ally X. According to one leaker, the ROG Xbox Ally X could go up for preorder in August and be released in October.

But even if the new AMD chip trounces the Nintendo Switch 2, it doesn't matter because the Switch 2 is not a high-performance machine. It's a console designed to leverage Nintendo's strong first-party IP.

In fact, when it comes to handheld gaming PCs in general, sometimes power matters, sometimes it doesn't.

We got the chance to go hands-on with the Legion Go 2 prototype with the Z2 Extreme in it back in January. While the Z2 Extreme is undoubtedly a powerful chip, performance doesn't matter as much as price for many gamers.

And if you've got a less-powerful chip, there are ways around performance constraints. For the Legion Go S and Steam Deck 2, you can get more performance by simply loading SteamOS onto the handheld rather than going for Windows 11.

With the Switch and Switch 2, Nintendo opted to leverage its powerful first-party IP and optimized all Switch games for lower-end hardware.

Games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate performed smoothly on the original Switch and anchored Switch sales with new games in well-loved franchises.

However, the Switch wasn't the first time Nintendo chose to leverage its first-party library rather than fight a losing hardware battle. Nintendo has been making that gamble since the Wii, and sales for the Wii, Wii U, Switch, and Switch 2 all indicate this is a worthy, long-term strategy for the company.

After all, the Venn diagram of handheld gaming PC power users and Nintendo fans is almost two completely separate circles.

When is the Ryzen Z2 Extreme coming anyway?

For all the chatter about AMD's high-end handheld gaming chip, we still haven't seen it out in the wild yet.

To recap:

AMD announced the Z2 Extreme at CES in January 2025 and expanded the Z2 series lineup earlier this month. And the Z2 Extreme handhelds are expected to launch sometime either this fall and in early 2026.

But regardless of the Z2 Extreme's power, Nintendo will continue to break sales records with the Switch 2. No one will be dropping Pokémon in favor of Palworld at this point.

Even if Pokémon Scarlet & Violet was a bit of a flop, I'd take Scarlet & Violet's janky performance over the terrifying moral implications of Palworld any day.

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Despite how satisfying peeling off the plastic film from a shiny new gadget can be, Nintendo was pretty clear that that’s exactly what you should not do with the Switch 2. The company even warned users about it before many even got their hands on the console.

To absolutely no one’s surprise, a YouTuber has already posted a video of themselves peeling the film off. Instead of calling it a day after that, they went several steps further by testing just how much of a beating the upcoming console can take.

The Switch 2’s protective film won’t peel off easily

JerryRigEverything, a tech YouTuber with over 9 million subscribers, posted a video titled “They told me not to…” three days ago. The title itself was a not-so-subtle hint about what was coming next. Right at the beginning of the video, he dove straight into peeling off the Switch 2’s protective layer, fully aware that it might not survive.

He mentioned that the protective film is extremely difficult to remove and “definitely won’t be falling off on its own.” If you watch the video, you’ll see him struggling to remove the protective layer — it’s essentially the opposite of a satisfying peel.

If you aren’t sure why this is a big deal in the first place, Nintendo issued a warning before the Switch 2 officially launched in the US that the protective film attached to the Switch 2’s glass panel shouldn’t be removed.

It isn’t a peel-off screen protector but a permanent “anti-scattering adhesive film” that the gaming giant deliberately applied to the Switch to prevent shards of glass from flying everywhere if the Switch 2’s screen breaks.

So naturally, the YouTuber’s next step was obvious: he tried to break it to “truly tell if the Switch 2’s screen is going to scatter into bits.”

It took 50 hits to finally break the Switch 2’s screen

After disassembling the Joy-Cons and the Switch 2 console itself and examining both’s internals (and putting them back), he used heavy channel lock pliers and went in on the screen.

The Joy-Cons popped off after 13 hits, and the YouTuber mentioned that he began to feel like the Switch 2’s screen was made of shatter-proof plastic instead of glass. After fourteen more “very solid” hits, and then fifteen more, there was still absolutely no harm to the screen.

It took fifty hits from the YouTuber’s “ridiculously large pliers” for the Switch 2’s screen to finally give in.

He added a slo-mo of the exact moment when the Switch 2’s screen shattered into “needle-like shards of glass,” and it proved Nintendo’s point that the protective film is, well, actually, protective.

Though most of the glass remained glued to the LCD, the YouTuber explained that there were still “plenty of free shards of pulverized glass that could embed themselves into little kids’ fingers and eyeballs.”

Surprisingly, even though all that beating led to a black screen of death and a completely shattered display, the Switch 2 turned right back on after a quick reset.

The Switch 2’s battery life isn’t winning most over

After going through reviews posted on sites and community forums like Reddit, one thing’s become clear: despite Switch 2 users being pretty satisfied with the overall experience, they aren’t exactly thrilled with the console’s battery life.

For instance, one Redditor mentioned that the Switch 2 only lasted 2 hours and 20 minutes when they played Zelda: Breath of the Wild (the Switch 2 edition) and kept the brightness at maximum, which isn’t exactly ideal for long gaming sessions. But the Switch 2’s durability might just make up for this shortcoming, especially if you’re the type to toss your console in a backpack or accidentally knock it off the couch.

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The new benchmark champ for Cyberpunk 2077 is not a Windows gaming PC, but a MacBook.

Last week, during WWDC, Apple and Cyberpunk developers CD Projekt Red showcased their hard work on the game's ultimate edition, with frame rates hitting 120 fps.

It's not the first time Cyberpunk 2077 has run better on macOS systems than traditional gaming hardware — we saw it in 2023. But that feat was accomplished with dev tools like macOS Sonoma's Game Porting Toolkit.

No tools were used in this achievement. So, has the MacBook become a gaming contender? That answer isn't quite clear in spite of that stunning 120 fps milestone.

CD Projekt developers said the Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition was running on a MacBook Pro with the M4 Max chip at 120 fps using Ultra settings.

Cyberpunk 2077's blazing performance and a native Steam Client indicate big changes in Mac gaming

While getting 120 fps on a MacBook with Cyberpunk 2077 doesn't come close to the 200+ fps we saw with Nvidia's DLSS 4 and Frame Gen enabled, it is still difficult to run the game natively even on high-end gaming PCs.

Cyberpunk is particularly rough at high resolution, even with the latest discrete graphics cards on desktops. On gaming laptops, even the Nvidia RTX 5090 and 5080 struggle to clear 60 fps at Ultra settings and 1080p without software support.

Apple and CDProjekt have worked hard to ensure that the Ultimate Edition runs smoothly on Macs.

Between the Cyberpunk performance benchmark and the news of a native Steam client for macOS, the Mac gaming ecosystem is starting to change.

Of course, the Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition is still in development, and the Steam client is still in beta. However, these latest developments exemplify Apple's genuine progress.

What Apple still needs to do to make Mac gaming competitive

Apple could potentially use something like Valve's Proton translation layer for SteamOS to get more Windows games running on macOS, but this solution may have additional problems.

SteamOS is usually deployed on handheld gaming PCs built with x86-architecture CPUs, such as Intel's Lunar Lake chipset in the MSI Claw 8 AI+ or AMD's Ryzen Z-series in the Asus ROG Ally X. Essentially, x86 architecture is a type of complex instruction set computer (CISC) architecture.

Apple's most recent MacBooks all use Apple Silicon's M chipsets based on the Arm architecture. This means they're an advanced version of the reduced instruction set computer (RISC) architecture, and the Arm architecture cannot handle some tasks.

There's a reason why the Snapdragon gaming ecosystem is comparatively small.

Apple usually circumvents its Arm-based limitations by working with software developers to ensure that software works well in the Mac ecosystem.

Rather than deploy a compatibility layer that may not work on Apple's new hardware, the company would be better off by creating partnerships with game developers to ensure games run on macOS. But this is a long-term solution, and it's not like Apple hasn't been working toward it.

After all, the last several iterations of macOS have included a Game Porting Toolkit and expanded developer tools.

This has led Apple to add more recent games to the App Store, including Assassin's Creed: Shadows and Resident Evil 4 Remake.

However, in the short term, Mac gamers can also employ streaming services like Nvidia's GeForce Now to play additional games on their MacBooks. It's not true Mac gaming, but it works pretty darn well.

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It's been more than a week since the Nintendo Switch 2 has come out, and it's proven to be a resounding success.

Not only did Nintendo have the biggest launch for one of its consoles, but the Switch 2 also broke the record for a console launch in the U.S. and worldwide. It also appears that Nintendo figured out how to deal with the scalper problem: flooding the market.

Nintendo announced on Tuesday that it had sold more than 3.5 million units in the first four days since the Switch 2's launch. The company says this makes the Switch successor the fastest-selling Nintendo game system ever.

But the record-breaking doesn't stop there.

Matt Piscatella, executive director and video game industry analyst at Circana, says the Switch 2 launch in the U.S., with 1.1 million consoles sold, broke the PS4's record for launch sales back in November 2013.

And Daniel Ahmad, director of research and insights at Niko Partners, says the Switch 2 is the fastest-selling home video game console of all time, again, beating out the PS4, which took six weeks to sell 4.2 million units.

As this is great news for Nintendo and gamers, it turned out to be bad news for scalpers.

Scalping doesn't pay.

The last major video game console launch was the PS5 back in 2020, and anyone who was trying to get one had to deal with scalpers. These sellers were using bots to procure dozens of consoles at one time from retailer restocks and then selling them on eBay and StockX, where prices ranged close to $2000 for the $500 system.

After the announcement of the Switch 2 in January, Nintendo said it was making preparations to make sure there are enough consoles for anyone who wants one.

Among those preparations Nintendo took was shutting down Switch 2 reseller listings in Japan, and creating a pre-order system for its Nintendo Store that required individuals to have a Nintendo Online account that was made a year prior and have recorded playtime hours on it.

While there were eBay listings for Switch 2 pre-orders prior to the June 5 launch, with some reaching more than $700, since launch, the price of those sold Switch 2 consoles has dropped considerably.

A quick look at sold Switch 2 consoles on eBay shows most sales range from $600 to $700, with the ones selling for higher amounts tending to come with free shipping, which can range from $10 to $20 depending on the buyer's location.

The reselling site StockX shows similar pricing with the current Buy Now price for a Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle sitting at $630—which, with sales tax, shipping, and processing fees—totals up to more than $700 depending on the state you live in.

While the $100 to $200 over the $500 retail price seems worth the effort for sellers, there is a matter of fees that the seller deals with. This includes sales tax, which can be zero in a few states but can reach up to $50 in others. There are also eBay and StockX seller fees that can range from 10% to 13%, although both sites do offer some discounts. This also doesn't include payment processing fees.

This means if someone bought a Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle at retail, and if they sold that system for $600, they could maybe profit around $40, depending on sales tax and other fees. That's definitely not a way to get rich as a scalper, and those listings won't go up in price as long as Nintendo keeps restocking more consoles, which it has been since the Switch 2 launch.

Xbox was once rumored to be working on its own dedicated handheld console — a direct answer to the Steam Deck and the PlayStation Portal. The device would’ve marked Microsoft’s first foray into a bespoke portable gaming console under the Xbox brand.

Now, according to a recent report, the handheld is dead. The project has been “essentially canceled,” with insiders confirming that Microsoft has shelved internal development to instead double down on third-party partnerships and software-first strategies, reports The Verge.

This marks more than the quiet death of a gadget. It’s an unexpected shift that could transform Xbox from a hardware-centric platform into something far more dynamic: A software ecosystem that thrives on alliances.

It’s not that Xbox is getting out of hardware entirely. It’s that Microsoft no longer needs to own every part of the stack to win.

The Xbox handheld lives on, just not from Microsoft

Microsoft and Asus revealed the ROG Ally and its higher-end sibling, the ROG Ally X, during Summer Game Fest 2025. They are Xbox-branded gaming handhelds that run on Windows 11 and boot directly into a custom, full-screen Xbox interface to deliver console-like simplicity with PC-grade flexibility.

The standard ROG Ally features a Ryzen Z2 APU, 16GB LPDDR5X-6400 RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 60Wh battery. The Ally X pushes the envelope with a Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD, and haptic impulse triggers, all wrapped in Xbox-styled ergonomics and a 7-inch 1080p 120Hz VRR display.

And most importantly, they are Xbox-first in experience. They launch into a full-screen Xbox UI, hide the Windows desktop, and are optimized for Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Remote Play, and more. You can also access Steam and other PC libraries — this is still Windows, after all — but Microsoft’s fingerprints are all over the interface.

According to Xbox CEO Phil Spencer, this collaboration represents “the tightest collaboration I’ve seen between the gaming organization and the Windows team in my three decades at the company.”

Why kill your own handheld?

Microsoft’s decision to cancel its handheld might seem strange. But building hardware is hard, expensive, and slow. And with companies like Asus, Lenovo, MSI, and Razer already shipping powerful gaming portables, Microsoft saw a better play: Become the ecosystem behind them.

By letting OEMs build the devices while Microsoft provides the platform, Xbox can scale faster, iterate quicker, and expand into niches that would be risky to tackle solo. Think Steam Deck-style devices, yes — but also streaming sticks, tiny PCs, modular accessories, and maybe even headsets.

Microsoft still plans a next-generation Xbox console (expected around 2027–28), but that no longer has to be the only kind of Xbox. Spencer has described a future where multiple devices from multiple companies, all certified and co-developed, coexist under the Xbox banner.

If “This is an Xbox” becomes a flexible definition, then anything from a $499 handheld to a VR headset could qualify.

VR is next, and Microsoft might beat Meta to it

That headset might already be in the works.

Microsoft is an early partner in Meta’s Horizon OS initiative, a program to open the Quest software platform to third-party headset manufacturers. Mark Zuckerberg named Asus, Lenovo, and Xbox as the first wave of partners.

And while Meta isn’t launching new hardware this year, Asus is rumored to be developing a Horizon OS-powered headset codenamed Taurus, with eye-tracking, face-tracking, and micro-OLED displays.

We’ve already seen the first crossover: A limited-edition Xbox-themed Meta Quest bundle that comes with Game Pass access and Xbox controllers. But the real prize would be a fully Xbox-integrated headset. One that offers console-quality cloud gaming and native VR in a single device.

With Meta Quest 4 delayed until 2027, Microsoft and its partners have a rare opening to define the future of hybrid gaming before Meta can dominate it again.

Xbox everywhere, for everyone

If all this sounds like Xbox is becoming a software platform that runs anywhere, well, that’s kind of the point.

From Series X consoles to Asus handhelds, from Meta headsets to browser-based Game Pass, Microsoft aims to make Xbox less about where you play and more about how you play. In a November 2024 GameSpot interview, Spencer put it best: “We want our games playable across as many screens as possible.”

That includes phones, tablets, laptops, smart TVs, future consoles, third-party handhelds, and VR. The big twist? Microsoft may have just made Xbox the most versatile gaming platform in the world, not by building more devices, but by letting others do it.

Ultimately, this means more choice for gamers. For Microsoft, more reach. And for Xbox? It might mark the beginning of its most exciting era yet.

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Woot is having a huge gaming sale this weekend and it features epic deals on a wide range of gaming essentials. Act fast to score unprecedented discounts on video games and accessories for every platform.

Nintendo fans who are into playing Fortnite will like Woot's deals on PowerA accessories. For example, you can get the Cuddle Team Leader-theme Nintendo Switch Wireless Controller for just $27 ($20 off).

Browse: Woot's entire sale

You also get a free download code for a rare On The Hook Emote which only sweetens the deal.

The PowerA manufactures some of the best officially licensed third-party controller for the Nintendo Switch. I own one and despite the modest price, I can tell you that it doesn't feel cheap.

Woot also sells the matching PowerA Slim Nintendo Switch Case for $9.99 ($6 off) for your storage and travel needs.

Another standout from Woot's sale which I'm considering getting for myself is a much-have accessory for the latest Meta Quest VR headset. I was thrilled to see the PowerA Charging Station for the Meta Quest 3 | 3S on sale for $49.99 ($30 off).

There's nothing worse than picking up your VR headset and seeing that dreadful low battery prompt. And don't get me started on the controllers.

This nifty gadget makes it easier to recharge your Meta Quest 3 or 3S VR headset and controllers. It includes two controller battery covers and two rechargeable controller batteries that last up to 30 hours on a full top up.

So if you're looking for a simple way to keep your Quest 3 headset and controllers fully powered, don't pass up this deal.

Woot's mega gaming sale ends June 15, stock permitting. See more of my favorite gaming deals Woot has going on this weekend.

Woot gaming deals — Quick links

• Shop: Woot's entire sale
• Meta Quest 3 | 3S Head Strap: was $25 now $8 at Woot
• PowerAintendo Switch Wireless Controller: was $47 now $27 at Woot
• Balatro Special Edition: was $30 now $18 at Woot
• Razer BlackShark V2 X Gaming Headset: was $50 now $40 at Woot
• SteelSeries Aerox 3: Gaming Mouse: was $115 now $40 at Woot
• Super Mario Party Jamboree: was $60 now $45 at Woot
• PowerA Meta Quest 3|3S Charging Station: was $80 now $50 at Woot
• Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons (L/R): was $80 now $65 at Woot
• 8BitDo Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard: was $120 now $75 at Woot

Woot gaming deals

Worried about those PlayStation performance downgrade rumors? Things aren't quite as grim as they appear.

Last week, reports surfaced that Sony is briefing developers on a new "low energy" mode for the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro consoles. While these rumors do appear a bit concerning for the future of Sony consoles, they could actually hint at the upcoming PlayStation 6 handheld.

As we've previously reported, the PlayStation 6 is rumored to come in a home console and a handheld variant.

Thanks to the initial report from Moore's Law is Dead and follow-up comments by veteran AMD leaker KeplerL2, we now know more about the AMD APU that will be powering the rumored PlayStation handheld. And it looks more cutting-edge than expected.

But don't just take my word for it. Here are the PS6 handheld specs we know so far.

Sony's performance "downgrade" hints at a cutting-edge handheld instead

The PlayStation handheld will be powered by an upcoming AMD APU that will have AI upscaling features, with 16GB of DDR5 onboard memory, and 4MB of L2 cache and 16MB of MALL cache on the APU's graphics tile.

The unnamed AMD APU will allegedly be based on the gfx13 (RDNA5/UDNA) architecture.

"But, Madeline", you ask, "what does that actually mean?"

AMD's current-gen Radeon RX 9000 GPUs use RDNA 4 graphics architecture. The PlayStation 6 APU's use of the next generation of AMD architecture aligns well with the console's expected launch date in fall 2027.

The AMD APU powering the current gen of PlayStation consoles (PS5 and PS5 Pro) has 4MB of L2 cache, but no MALL cache.

So, even with a constrained 16GB of memory bandwidth, the PS6 handheld would have additional graphics power, thanks to the 16MB MALL cache, which can reduce the need for a large memory bandwidth on a GPU. Essentially, it gives the PlayStation handheld more leverage over its lower RAM specs.

Based on these initial specs, it does not appear that the PS6 handheld will be powered by AMD's recently updated Ryzen AI Z2 lineup. Instead, this will likely be a next-gen chipset.

When can we expect the new PlayStation handheld console?

Earlier reports pegged the PlayStation and Xbox "Gen 10" launch to 2028, though new rumors have moved that timeline up. Currently, the PlayStation 6 console is expected to launch in September 2027.

The alleged PlayStation handheld is expected to launch in tandem with the home console.

Of course, none of this is confirmed, and we're over two years from the expected launch date, so plans can always change.

Sony could even go the same route as Microsoft and cancel its plans for a proprietary handheld console.

However, Sony is far less likely to work with a PC manufacturer like Asus on a Windows handheld, so there is a higher chance that Sony will come out with a proper handheld console.

It wouldn't be the first Sony handheld by far, after all.

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For nearly two months, a small community of diehard Nintendo fans took root on the sidewalk in Midtown Manhattan to be among the first to receive the Nintendo Switch 2.

At the center of everything for much of those two months was Rinaldy Gomez, a 33-year-old New Yorker whose marathon wait was about more than just a new console.

Nintendo unveiled the Switch 2 in April and put it up for sale in June. It quickly become the fastest-selling console in Nintendo history. Some 3.5 million units were sold globally four days after its June 5 release. Gomez began camping outside the Nintendo store on April 9, a week after the Switch 2's debut during Nintendo Direct.

During the afternoon before it went on sale, Gomez told Laptop Mag outside the Nintendo Store at Rockefeller Center that he had mixed emotions. He had been stationed outside the store since the console was unveiled in April, taking breaks here and there while assisting Chickendog, a YouTuber documenting his wait for the Switch 2 release. A few others worked in shifts and protected each other’s spots in line while people took the occasional break.

But the 57-day vigil was nearly over.

“Yesterday, on the subway, I had tears of joy because, you know, I'm at the end of the road,” Gomez said, noting as he was talking that it was his birthday. “All of the fun is coming to an end.”

For Gomez, Nintendo has been a large part of his identity since he waited outside the same store in 2012 at age 20 to buy a Nintendo Wii U. “I can’t believe this is the first time in my life I’m losing a night’s worth of sleep [to buy] a game,” he remembers thinking on that night 2012.

In the intervening years, he says he had attended nearly all the Nintendo store's events. He says he spent so much of his life around Nintendo that it began to take its toll.

“I spent all my time just attending Nintendo events, and I had no character other than attending Nintendo events,” he admits, before noting he quit the Nintendo scene cold turkey for a year. As a result, he was miserable.

“I was miserable because I refrained from playing games for a while and realized I just lay at home all day doing nothing,” he says, adding that he has “learned to accept my interest for what it is.”

Life camping out for a video game is nothing if not communal. Gomez says that about 20-25 people eventually began camping out on the sidewalk with makeshift tents they called “weather pods,” which protected them from the elements.

"Some days we were struggling because it was as few as four people during the daytime or three people during the nighttime, sometimes two," Gomez admitted. "But by some miracle, we managed to maintain all of our assets and inventories... it was pretty well guarded."

He notes that nothing was stolen, and they even found some tranquility amid the urban noise. “Surprisingly,” he says, the tent life was “pretty relaxing.”

“Believe it or not, I had peace of mind in this concrete setting, which is very hard to do. And I managed to get some sleep.”

He says the other campers bonded over their shared interests despite their differences. People came from Connecticut, Vancouver, Canada, North Carolina, Maryland, and the UK.

“Some of us even have different political views, but regardless, we all share the common goal of getting the Switch 2,” Gomez says.

In the hours before the Switch 2 went on sale, 48th Street between 5th and 6th avenues was happening: Cab drivers craned their necks, asking anybody who would listen what was going on; tourists stopped and gawked more than usual; the driver of a Tesla Cybertruck stopped to take a photo in the middle of the street. Both sides of the street were lined with Nintendo fans dressed for the occasion. Gomez was dressed as Luigi; several Marios were looking at their phones. One stood unbothered near a drain pipe.

Even though the Switch 2 wouldn’t go on sale until midnight, there were large red tents for fans to step into to play the Switch 2.

The moment was so close. And before long, it would all be over.

A few days after the fury of the release, Gomez reflected on his final campout to Laptop Mag via email. He headed home after buying his Switch 2 and fell into a deep sleep. Before the Switch 2 went on sale, a few members of the group he was camping with granted him a longer-than-normal break because he began to develop black circles around his eyes from a lack of sleep.

He explains that it was time to "touch grass" when he woke up. He walked along the Hudson River by his apartment uptown. “It’s surreal to finally be able to not follow a specific schedule,” he recalled.

When asked if he could go back in time and spend his days and nights outside the Nintendo store, Gomez says he would gladly do it again.

He also admits this will probably be the last campout for a console as Nintendo’s release cycle sees many years between console releases.

He will have to move on to something else; he's unemployed and seeking work. But he says he will always be around to help the Nintendo community on 48th Street.

“I will continue to practice this until my health declines from advanced age,” he says.

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Don’t mind me triple back-flipping into a parry with my Stellar Blade (heh). My blade in this context is an RTX 5090 gaming laptop, the question is: how well does this PlayStation exclusive hold up on PC?

If you’re nostalgic for the Devil May Cry and Bayonetta era, Stellar Blade is a similar action-adventure game with a whole lot of style and a sprinkle of Soulslike energy. But similar to that era, it also walks a questionable line between objectifying or empowering its female cast. It was written and directed by men, so take that for what you will.

I played Stellar Blade on an HP Omen Max 16 outfitted with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 24GB GPU, 32GB of RAM, and a 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz, OLED display.

Here’s how it ran.

Getting bodied by Cthulhu’s children

Stellar Blade threw me right into the action, and I found myself parrying and slashing through the borderline eldritch horrors that are the Naytiba. Then I discovered another eldritch horror… the looting system. Those tiny, unlabeled rainbow dots are way too easy to walk right past. Thankfully, you can enable auto-loot.

Good news, my fellow DualSense lovers. Stellar Blade on PC is compatible with those unique DualSense features. I didn’t know how much of it would be used, but when I got to the first city, I felt the pleasant tingle of the subtle haptic feedback simulating the rain around me. And each slash of my weapon felt unique and impactful.

As for the graphics, I hopped across dilapidated city rooftops with everything turned up to Very High at a 2560 x 1600 resolution. That applies to all of the following tests. Stellar Blade developer Shift Up included native support for Nvidia’s DLSS 4 technology, which you can access with an RTX 50-series GPU

DLSS 4 is a supersampling technology that boosts visuals and performance. We’ve seen native support in many titles at this point, from Doom: The Dark Ages to Dune: Awakening. I’m a fan and critic of the technology because I’ve seen what happens when tools like Multi-Frame Generation are relied upon too heavily, like in Monster Hunter Wilds. For those unaware, frame generation produces frames with AI that analyzes the true frames rendered on your GPU. This is dark magic at best because not everything is all sunshine and rainbows, but let’s get into it.

I took to the streets with my new perfect dodge and tried to slay those Cricket Slashers and got poisoned to death — ouch. With no help from DLSS, my RTX 5090 laptop GPU managed a strong 106 frames per second on TAA. If you want to go raw graphics with no upscaling, the RTX 5090 will take you for a smooth ride.

Now, I am a diehard advocate for making games as playable as possible without upscaling, but I cannot help but enjoy DLSS’ DLAA upscaler. This uses native resolution to enhance the overall visuals. It’s more taxing than raw performance, but it looked flawless when I gave one of those beefier Guardians a beatdown at 92 fps. But what happened when I turned frame generation on?

Frame generation is not without its trade-offs; you might see some artifacts or overall fuzziness here and there. I did see some in the windows of a building in the distance, but for the most part, Stellar Blade does a great job of keeping things smooth.

Set to DLAA, I tested 2x Frame Generation (FG) and 4x Multi-Frame Generation (MFG). I saw the immediate impact with FG when I perfectly dodged my way through a group of enemy combos, averaging a strong 141 fps. As I swam my way to the next camp, the RTX 5090 pulled through 224 fps with MFG.

If you don’t want to use frame generation to maximize your frames, you can opt for the High Performance mode. Upscaling with raw performance netted me 128 fps as I tried to navigate through this hella confusing cityscape — seriously, I’m both delighted and annoyed by the multi-directional parkour. But if you want to really go hard on frame rates, you can flip on frame generation on top of the High Performance mode. With FG, I got 211 fps when I doubled back and failed to dodge that stupid Cricket Slasher. And when I got bodied by Abaddon, the RTX 5090 managed a whopping 316 fps. I’d be impressed if I wasn’t so furious at that lightning turd.

Overall, I’m happy with how Stellar Blade performs with kitted-out hardware. And thankfully, the minimum spec requirements are quite light as well, requiring just a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB or AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB GPU. And if you’re interested in getting one of the best gaming laptops, you can expect some stellar performance, with or without DLSS 4 black magic.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is finally here, with a slew of new games and expanded Switch 2 Editions of popular Switch 1 games. Unfortunately, they can all be pretty pricey, but we're already seeing some opportunities for you to save a little hard-earned cash, gearing up for your new Switch 2.

For example, right now, Best Buy is running this promotion for My Best Buy Plus/Total members where you can get a $20 reward for every $150 spent on eligible Switch 2 and Switch 1 games and gear. Dozens of great games are included in this promo, like the Switch 2 version of Cyberpunk 2077, Donkey Kong Bonanza, Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch 2 Edition), and plenty of original Switch 1 hits.

Controllers and accessories are also included in this promo, but remember that most Switch 1 controllers won't work with the Switch 2.

If you're not a member of My Best Buy, the best place to get Switch 2 games now is Walmart, where new Switch 2 titles are $1 less than elsewhere. That's not much of a discount, but it adds up.

We're keeping our eyes peeled for bigger discounts on Switch 2 consoles, games, and accessories, so visit our main Switch 2 deals page for the latest updates.

Today's lowest prices on Switch 2 games

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Bethesda fans craving new adventures have a world of options to choose from, and a new effort from Good Old Games is making it easier than ever for Fallout fans to enjoy expansion-sized content packs like Fallout: London right now, and the much anticipated fan-made return to Cyrodiil via Skyblivion later this year.

Though most gamers love playing modded games, it’s hard to find anyone who’s a fan of actually finding and installing them. Between sketchy zip files, restarting the game you’re modding over and over to get it to work, and then the mod crashing every other minute, the process can quickly turn into a headache.

Thankfully, GOG’s most recent announcement aims to simplify the tedious process with an all-new “One-click Mods” feature.

GOG's One-click Mods simplify the modding process

For those unfamiliar, GOG (Good Old Games) is a digital storefront for video games and is owned by CD Projekt. What truly sets GOG apart from most other platforms, like Steam, is its DRM-free focus. Essentially, this means when you buy a game on GOG, you own it. You get direct access to the game files and don’t necessarily need an internet connection to play your installed games.

This open approach has also historically made GOG the go-to platform for those who enjoy creating and installing "mods," or modifications, to alter or add content to games. For instance, this Reddit user mentions that they’ve bought some games on GOG instead of Steam only because the modding experience is much easier.

During the PC Gaming Summer Showcase 2025 on Sunday, GOG announced “One-click Mods” and described the announcement as the beginning of a “new era of modding.” This means that instead of fiddling around with files, you’ll be able to browse and install “selected” mods exactly like the name suggests — with just a single click.

The Poland-based CD Projekt Red explained that its One-click Mods are baked into the base game so that you can install them with the click of a button. In other words, you won’t need to spend hours hunting down the right files or praying the mod doesn’t break your game.

In a YouTube video GOG uploaded, Alexander Grzech, who is part of the GOG team, assured that its One-click Mods are safe, since they’ve been reviewed and tested thoroughly by the company’s QA team.

Only a few mods are supported (for now)

Since this is just the beginning, the new feature currently supports a curated list of mods. Thankfully, there are already some big names in the mix.

One of the standout entries is Fallout: London – One-click Edition, a fan-made overhaul of Fallout 4 that drops players into a post-apocalyptic version of London.

One user on Reddit praised GOG for this move, saying, “One-click Fallout: London is something that should’ve been done from the start.”

Other than Fallout, here’s a list of the other mods currently available on GOG:

• "Horn of the Abyss" for Heroes of Might and Magic III: an expansion for Heroes of Might and Magic III with new factions, campaigns, creatures, artifacts, and other quality-of-life improvements.
• "Phobos" for DOOM 3: a prequel to the original game, delivering a “narrative-driven, classic-style FPS experience with modern enhancements.”
• Vampire: The Masquerade—Bloodlines Unofficial Patch fixes numerous bugs that the original game left unresolved and restores and enhances removed content, such as quests, levels, characters, and dialogue.

GOG also announced that Skyblivion for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is coming later this year. Unlike the reaction most decisions get in the gaming world, this one was met primarily with praise.

One Redditor called it a “great update” and said they were “really excited to see Skyblivion coming later this year,” while another jokingly declared that the “GOG lords are generous.”

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Well, capitalism is going to capitalism, I guess. Apparently, Xbox didn’t get the message, so it’s following Nintendo’s lead and charging a whopping $80 for The Outer Worlds 2.

If you haven’t been following the massive gaming news cycle, we just got back-to-back gaming showcases, from Summer Games Fest and PlayStation’s State of Play to the Xbox Games Showcase.

As part of the latter, we finally got a deep dive into The Outer Worlds 2, a sci-fi RPG that’s an extreme parody of our current capitalist society. Even the narrator in the trailer said, “An adventure made for capitalism by capitalism.”

Fans, including myself, were stoked when we got the deep dive. I mean, come on, Bad Knees is such a funny perk, though not as amusing as the real-life joint fatigue you'll be feeling from shouldering the weight of gaming's favorite new number.

Let’s get into this $80 nightmare.

The Outer Worlds 2: We, the people, are not happy

The Outer Worlds originally launched at $60. Granted, that was in 2019, but jumping to $80 is wild.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Obsidian Entertainment, and it doesn’t get to decide the price, but this is rough. Now, I do subscribe to Xbox Game Pass, so I won’t be paying anything outside of that subscription fee… which I think is the point.

Why pay $80 when you can play it for like $20 per month? If you beat it in three months, you’ll save money. Game Pass is even cheaper if you’re not buying Ultimate, $10 for Game Pass Core and $12 for PC Game Pass.

Reddit user Suitable_Ad6848 says, “Wait on that s**t.” Same, gamer. The worst part is that the Premium Edition costs $100, which comes with the Season Pass for the game’s eventual DLC. I loved the original’s DLC duo, and so I’ll definitely be playing that.

However, if I didn’t have Game Pass, I’d likely wait for a deep sale. The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition (includes all DLC) is currently available for $24.17 on Steam.

Don't run out of patience, exercise it.

Sure, you might need to wait a few years, but if you give in to this ridiculous pricing scheme on launch day, that’ll just prove to these game companies that we’re willing to pay anything to play.

As far as Xbox Game Pass goes… Well, unfortunately, I can’t resist that. Maybe I am part of the problem in that regard. After all, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate used to be $15. Who knows when it’ll increase again?

For Bahumat’s sake, we don’t even know how much the ROG Xbox Ally X is going to cost yet.

The truth is: If we keep buying, companies will keep selling, and eventually sell for more. But not many people can balance these wild prices with the rising cost of living and the stagnant minimum wage.

Like the narrator said, The Outer Worlds 2 is “An adventure made for capitalism by capitalism.” Unfortunately, it’s unironic.

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• This monstrous 4TB Xbox Series X Expansion Card costs $500, and I tested how fast it is

I feel like I’m always running out of storage on my Xbox Series X — I mean, of course, I do when games like Call of Duty want to eat over 300GB of space on my drive. So I was shocked and awed when Seagate sent over its new 4TB Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X, and it quickly became my favorite thing ever.

There is a problem, though. Just a tiny one. Well, maybe not so tiny. It costs $500. That’s as much as the Xbox Series X itself… when it launched, anyway (ugh, tariffs). But if that’s in your budget, the 4TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card solves a universal problem for Xbox Series X owners, and it’s available right now directly on Seagate’s website and at Best Buy.

Now, 4TB is a lot of space, but is it as good as the Xbox Series X’s internal storage? And is it worth the price? Let’s jump in.

Enough space to find myself… and Clair Obscur

Let’s get the not-so-obvious-but-obvious out of the way: It’s not 4TB. The same way that the Xbox Series X’s 1TB internal storage is not 1TB. There’s a chunk of that dedicated to the operating system or system functions. The Xbox Series X features 802GB of usable storage, and the Seagate Expansion Card offers 3.7TB of usable storage. That brings your total up to ~4.5TB.

Now to business. The 4TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card is physically the same size and weight as its siblings, coming in at 0.307 × 1.244 × 2.085 inches and 30 grams. It’s honestly adorable. It also comes with a little cap that protects the exposed internals. Although, it’s easy to lose (cut to me frantically looking for the cap in my couch cushions).

I always get a bit nervous about plugging in drives or any small pieces of tech because of how sensitive some of them can be, but the Expansion Card felt smooth to slot in, and it’s obvious which side to face up thanks to the Xbox logo on the card.

Upon plugging it in, I got a notification asking me, “Will you be using Storage Expansion Card with multiple consoles?” One neat feature is the ability to unplug the card seamlessly and slot it into another Xbox in your house or a friend’s. But how will that affect the usage? Well, if the drive isn’t going anywhere, it enables the card to check for updates automatically, whereas a drive designed to move will disable the automatic updates. You can still update your games, and even switch this setting by going to My games & apps > Manage > Storage devices.

Moving games does take more steps than I’d like, however. For individual games, head to My games & apps > Select game > Manage game and add-ons > Select game > Move or copy > Select game > Move selected. That’s too much selection for me. Thankfully, you can move all of your games and apps at once if you want to. You have to go to Settings > System > Storage devices > Internal Storage > Move or copy > Select all > Move selected. Ironically, just as many steps, which in this case is justified.

How long would that even take? First things first, let’s get into my testing.

How fast can I become disAvowed?

I tested three titles with the 4TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card, including Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Avowed, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

Jumping into my turn-based RPG parry fever dream, I tested how long it would take to load my save file in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. On the Xbox Series X’s internal storage, it took 7.33 seconds before I could start running into the first Nevron I saw. Meanwhile, the 4TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card took 7.39 seconds. That’s virtually identical, which is a great start. It took only 1 minute and 47 seconds to move over Clair Obscur (42.3GB) to the Expansion Card.

Living up to my oath, I hopped on Avowed to start blasting away at some Xaurips so I could loot their camp (it’s ethical, I swear). The Xbox Series X’s internal storage loaded my save file from the menu in 14.95 seconds. On the Expansion Card, I waited only 14.91 seconds. Virtually no change again, which is great. Transferring Avowed (76.2GB) over to the card did take 2 minutes and 49 seconds.

Becoming the best-worst archaeologist of all time, I threw on my iconic hat and started whipping people in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. This game loads saves instantly from the main menu, so I tested how long it would take to boot up directly from the Xbox Series X dashboard. You can’t skip any of the intro logos, so it makes it a fair test at the very least. With the Xbox Series X’s internal storage, I could bust out my whip in 42.07 seconds (ugh, so many logos). And on the Expansion Card, I jumped in at 42.19 seconds. That’s three for three on virtually identical load times. Indiana Jones is a bit chunkier, at 132.6GB, so it took 5 minutes and 33 seconds to transfer over.

If you plan on transferring all 802GB of data from your Xbox Series X to the 4TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card, it should take roughly 33 minutes, give or take a few minutes for overall processing between games and apps. That’s definitely a lot faster than downloading it all again.

Should you Indiana-whip the Expansion Card into your cart?

Well, the 4TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card is $500. As much as I love not needing to worry about downloading too many games from Xbox Game Pass (the card comes with a free month of Game Pass), it’s tough to justify spending as much on an expansion card as you spent on the console..

Even if you can afford Seagate’s ridiculous Expansion Card, I would hesitate to get it at this point in time. Why? The Xbox Series X is five years old in November, meaning we are likely two years away from the next generation of consoles. We don’t know if this Expansion Card will be backwards compatible with a new Xbox, if Microsoft even plans on making a traditional console with all the handheld rumors (which also seems flakey right now). And if it is backwards compatible, it likely won’t be as fast as its internal storage. If it is, that means there’s been no technological advancement in 7 years.

However, as it stands right now, the 4TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card offers the competitive performance it needs to keep up with the Xbox Series X.

So, is it worth it? That depends on what $500 means to you. Is it terribly convenient and cool? Heck yeah.

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The Nintendo Switch 2 is already out, and so far, the reviews for the new portable console have been positive. Things might change later down the line if one particular issue resurfaces.

With the original Switch, one prominent issue for the console was Joy-Cons would register some movement even though the controls were not in use. This problem, referred to as drifting, caused Nintendo to acknowledge the problem and set up a repair program to replace the Joy-Cons even if the console is out of warranty. Nintendo was even the subject of a class-action lawsuit over the issue, which it ultimately won.

It appears Nintendo is ready for this problem to resurface on the Switch 2, as its Service Request page does offer to repair or replace a Joy-Con 2 that has the drifting problem. As of the writing of this article, there has yet to be a trend of new Switch 2 consoles having this issue.

The Switch 2 comes with a 12-month manufacturer warranty from Nintendo. It's unclear if Nintendo will offer the same policy for replacing Joy-Cons 2 that begin drifting after the warranty has expired, like with the original Switch. An email was sent to Nintendo about this scenario, and this story will be updated when a response has been received.

A report from Engadget showed how prices for Switch 2 repairs have increased over the original Switch. Sending in a Switch OLED with water damage costs $139, but that same problem for the Switch 2 now runs $179. This does make sense as the Switch 2 is more expensive and uses higher-end components versus what was in the original Switch.

What's this drifting problem?

There are two main causes for the drifting issue in the Joy-Cons. The first is a buildup of dirt and debris within the controller itself. The second, and the likely more common issue, is worn-out contacts in the controller. In both cases, drifting takes time to manifest, hence the reason this problem started trending years after the console's release in 2017.

Drifting is actually a common problem with analog controllers. To counter this issue, which stems from how the analog sticks use electrical resistance to detect movement, there are Hall Effect joysticks. These particular controls use magnets and electrical conductors instead, and because this method doesn't have actual physical contact between the parts, it's less likely to wear out.

According to an interview from April with Nintendo's Nate Bihldorff, senior vice president of product development & publishing at Nintendo of America, the Joy-Con 2s would not have Hall Effect joysticks. No specific reason was given for why this method was not being used on the Switch 2.

Early reviews for the Joy-Con 2s have been positive, with reviewers feeling sturdier than the originals. It remains to be seen if this issue will come up again on the Switch 2.

After months of rumors, Microsoft's Xbox handheld is a reality, although it might not be the portable gaming machine that will dominate the market.

The ROG Xbox Ally is the new handheld made by Asus in partnership with Microsoft, and the Xbox maker made the announcement of the new gaming hardware during Sunday's Xbox Games Showcase.

There are two versions of the portable console coming: the Xbox Ally and the Xbox Ally X. The former will be the standard version, while the Ally X will be the performance version with improved specs.

This Xbox Ally, however, is not Microsoft's new next-generation hardware. The company was rumored to have a first-party handheld in development that would release along with a standard home video game console, with both of them being the successor to the Xbox Series system. That particular first-party handheld that Microsoft was reportedly working on has now been rumored to be on pause for the time being. The next console from Microsoft is expected sometime in 2027.

What's in the ROG Xbox Ally?

The Xbox Ally comes with an AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor, 16GB LPDDR5X-6400, 512GB M.2 2280 SSD, and 60Wh battery, while the Ally X has an AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor, 24GB LPDDR5X-8000, 1TB M.2 2280 SSD, and 80Wh battery. Both devices have a 7” FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9 120Hz refresh display, Xbox-inspired button layout, and Wi-Fi 6E.

Some other differences between the two are that the Xbox Ally X has a USB4 and USB 3.2 port, impulse triggers, and weighs 45 grams more.

Looking at the specs, the Xbox Ally X does have slightly better components than the ROG Ally X that came out last July. Both devices will seemingly be more powerful than the Steam Deck, but power is not everything when it comes to handhelds.

A big concern about the Xbox Ally is the Windows 11 operating system. The ROG Ally X, MSI Claw, and Lenovo Legion Go all used Windows 11, and it actually hampers the performance. The devices are essentially Windows 11 laptops, and if the system and games are not optimized, it can feel sluggish and perform poorly.

On the other hand, the operating system for the Steam Deck, SteamOS, offers a much better performance on these portable consoles. The Lenovo Legion Go S can be used with SteamOS, and there is a big performance boost when ditching Windows. It's unclear right now how optimized the Xbox UI will be on the Xbox Ally.

When does the ROG Xbox Ally come out and how much will it cost?

Microsoft says the Xbox Ally and Ally X will come out this holiday season in the U.S., U.K., and several other countries. There will be pre-orders for the portable console, although no specific date was mentioned.

As for how much it will cost, that is the big question. Microsoft says it will reveal the portable's pricing in the coming months, but it's very likely to cost more than $500 since the ROG Ally launched in 2023 with a price tag of $600.

There's also the question of tariffs. Microsoft already had to raise the price of its Xbox Series consoles due to tariffs. Asus has already raised the price of some of its products because of those tariffs, as the company is based in Taiwan. Some portable consoles have also increased in price, or their manufacturers have refused to sell them in the U.S. due to tariffs.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), where game companies would show off their upcoming titles, is a thing of the past, but taking its place are different shows, with the big event being Summer Game Fest.

Friday's showcase featured some of the big and small games coming later this year and next year, across consoles, gaming laptops, and PCs—but one game stole the show: Resident Evil Requiem, or as it can also be referred to, Resident Evil 9.

The newest addition to Capcom's franchise, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary next March, takes the franchise back to Raccoon City and brings back a lesser-known name from the game's history, as seen in the first trailer that was shown at Summer Game Fest.

Who is Grace Ashcroft?

Featured prominently in the trailer is a character named Grace Ashcroft. Grace works at the FBI and is being ordered to investigate a crime scene at the Wrenwood Hotel, which was also the place where her mom, Alyssa, was murdered.

The name Alyssa Ashcroft was one that only the most dedicated Resident Evil fans would recognize. She was one of the survivors in Resident Evil: Outbreak, which was an online-only game released in 2004 for the PS2 that had players take control of eight survivors who had to escape Raccoon City before it was destroyed. Alyssa was a newspaper reporter who canonically survived the zombie outbreak and went on to write a story about the events that happened in the city, as well as a story years later about missing people in Dulvey Parish, Louisiana, which was referenced in Resident Evil 7.

It doesn't say where the Wrenwood Hotel is located, but in the trailer, scenes of a destroyed Raccoon City were shown. This could mean that players will head back to the place where the outbreak started. The Resident Evil franchise's first three games dealt with the zombie outbreak in Raccoon City, but none of the main entries in the series have ever gone back to where it all started.

Will any other popular Resident Evil characters show up?

The last two mainline Resident Evil games—Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village—starred a brand-new protagonist, Ethan Winters. He had little ties with the events of the earlier games, but those two games did bring back one of the primary characters of the franchise, Chris Redfield.

There are rumors that another major character from the series will return in Resident Evil Requiem: Leon Kennedy. Leon made his debut in Resident Evil 2 as a rookie cop whose first day on the job was dealing with a zombie outbreak. In Resident Evil 4, Leon was sent on a mission to save the President's daughter from a religious cult located in Spain. He then showed up again in Resident Evil 6, which brought back a whole cast of characters from the franchise who worked together to take down bioterrorists.

While Leon didn't make an appearance in the trailer, he still could show up. And as is the case with any adventure featuring Leon, his romantic interest and rival, Ada Wong, could also make an appearance.

Resident Evil Requiem will be released on Feb. 27, 2026, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. There is currently no info on whether the new Resident Evil game will come to the Switch 2.

If you’re a Millennial who grew up around translucent game controllers, Jungle Green N64s, or the original Halo Xbox, Razer’s new Phantom Collection will feel like a direct hit of nostalgia.

The Phantom Collection updates Razer’s popular gear with a fresh look

Razer this week announced its new “Razer Phantom Collection," which the gaming brand describes as "a bold new colorway that redefines visual design in the gaming space.”

The collection features an all-translucent design and, in the company’s own words, “offers a bold visual departure from traditional finishes.”

Razer mentions that in addition to celebrating the engineering excellence behind its hardware, the Phantom Collection introduces an aesthetic language blending transparency, depth, and modern minimalism.

The Phantom Collection introduces refreshed versions of some of Razer’s most popular gear, just in a brand-new translucent colorway and enhanced Chroma RGB. This includes the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro, which Laptop Mag has previously reviewed and claimed is easily one of the best gaming mice in Razer’s entire lineup.

The Phantom Collection also gave the Razer BlackWidow V4 75% keyboard a design refresh, which Laptop Mag described as “one of the best gaming keyboards out there.”

Razer also gave the Barracuda X Chroma headset the Phantom Green touch and the Firefly V2 Pro mouse mat.

Phantom Collection reminds gamers of classics like the Xbox Halo edition and the Nintendo 64

Interestingly, according to gamers who have seen the new Phantom Collection so far, the Army-green tinted coloring (i.e., the Phantom Green design refresh Razer aimed for) took many gamers back to the ‘90s.

For instance, someone shared images of the Razer Phantom Green collection on the r/MouseReview subreddit, and the comment section is filled with nostalgia-struck gamers reminiscing about the good old days.

One redditor commented, “Welcome back, the 90’s,” while another chimed in and explained how the translucent finish of the Phantom Collection reminded them of the classic ‘80s water pistols and how they could almost taste the warm plastic from their childhood.

The Phantom Collection even reminded many folks of the Jungle Green Nintendo 64 and the Xbox special Halo edition, which featured a similarly rugged, translucent Army-green finish that became iconic among gamers.

The Halo edition Xbox remains a collector’s item to this day, and you can get it on eBay for $399 right now!

The Phantom Collection may also remind some of the Xbox 360 and its interface, which had an iconic green-tinted vibe that Xbox is known for.

It’s funny how certain designs can instantly transport us back to a specific gaming era. Razer’s Phantom Collection, which is already available at Razer’s website, Razer stores, and authorized retailers worldwide, is a perfect example.

More from Laptop Mag

• Razer Blade 16 (2025) review: A laptop this thin shouldn’t be this powerful
• Razer's monitor stand and USB-C hub combo is a fun reminder that you can never have too much RGB
• Razer's Blade 18 might be my favorite gaming laptop of 2025

Retailer Antonline has just stocked several bundles of Nintendo Switch 2 products, and Laptop Mag understands that stock will be replenished throughout the day to accommodate different time zones.

Five Nintendo Switch 2 bundles are available as of this writing, and all come with collectible figurines. Some have the Switch 2 Pro controller, some have digital editions of the two Legend of Zelda games, either in digital download or the physical game.

The search is over — snag up these Switch 2 bundles before they sell out.