Gaming

Microsoft’s new gaming boss said the “idea” isn’t dead, pointing onlookers to a legal brief it filed in a case. That case is Epic v. Google, and the brief is an argument that Judge Donato should stay the course and force Google to carry stores like Microsoft’s. There, Microsoft claims it’s put “significant efforts” behind “new consumer offerings” for Android.

The original Atlas is 5mm thick, but the $129.99 Atlas Pro slims that down to just 1.9mm with a 1.1 mm sheet of tempered glass atop a 0.8 mm anti-slip base. The surface of the mat features a micro-etched texture, ensuring it’s compatible with optical sensors, while the edges of the glass have been CNC-milled to create a comfortable rounded finish.

Following Nevada’s settlement on Friday, West Virginia and Alabama have settled with company to address alleged child safety issues, as reported by Bloomberg. Last week, Roblox announced a bunch of new safety updates, including dedicated Kids accounts with increased restrictions.

Valve originally promised an early 2026 launch for its Steam Controller, and it now looks like a price and release date could be imminent. A Steam Controller unboxing video has been spotted in SteamDB, which usually only happens when an announcement is about to happen.

It’s got a D-pad, dial, trackball, and number pad making it ideal for playing classic games like Missile Command, Codebreaker, and Breakout. But unfortunately, My Arcade’s new $65 wireless gamepad is only compatible with the handheld Atari Gamestation Go and Gamestation Mega mini arcade cabinet.

Microsoft just added its Xbox mode to the Release Preview version of Windows 11. That means the Xbox mode, that adds a full-screen interface to the Xbox PC app, is just days away from being available on all PCs. Microsoft did promise last month that it would roll out the Xbox mode to all PCs in April, and it looks like it’s rolling out on time.

Resurrecting 1974’s Wild Gunman isn’t a matter of extracting a ROM and firing up an emulator. The light gun game used two projectors and live-action footage spread across multiple film reels. Callan Brown managed to get his hands on them, scan them, and built a replica of the original cabinet.

And a whole lot more, including alternate versions of Acts 2 and 3, Steam Workshop support, and “experimental game modes.” The game got its first major update for all players on Thursday.

In December, we explained how Valve architected a push for Windows games on Arm — the Steam Frame is just the tip of the iceberg. Now, Valve’s released a public beta of Steam for Arm+Linux (download link) — and one person’s already got it running on a rooted Switch! Can’t play games yet, though.

Iron Galaxy Studios, which has also helped support and port dozens of games, including BioShock Infinite, Diablo III, and The Last of Us Part I, is cutting around 90 employees, according to Kotaku.

With the next batch of pre-orders, the Thor Max model with 1TB of storage is getting a $100 price hike to $549, according to a Discord announcement.

Panic detailed the changes in a policy that went into effect this month. For now, however, Panic will allow Catalog titles that “have used AI assistance in the coding process,” but those games will be flagged to note that.

The company, which is the subject of multiple state lawsuits over alleged child safety issues, will also be required to implement a “default content mode” for users who haven’t had their age verified — which is basically what Roblox announced on Monday.

Remember the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless that launched in 2022? It has swappable batteries, ANC, a wireless hub for transmitting audio from multiple sources, simultaneous 2.4GHz and Bluetooth audio — the works. So does the new Stealth Pro II that’s up for preorder now. Notably, it also supports Hi-Res Audio over wireless, an impressive feat at $349.99.

The movie, which Activision and Paramount announced last year, is scheduled to hit theaters on June 30th, 2028. It’s set to be written, directed, and produced by Peter Berg, with Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan also onboard to write and produce.

Panic’s little yellow handheld got a big boost last year with its second season of games, and now it’s confirmed that we’ll get season 3 at the end of 2026 The company also announced a new educational initiative so that the device can be used to teach game design and programming.

As shown in a 2026 roadmap video, alongside the third season in May, EA will add a reimagining of Battlefield 4’s Golmud Railway to the game, which will apparently be “the biggest map” yet. In July, season four will bring a new naval-focused map that’s even bigger.

Video game adaptations have steadily been getting better, and in that way the first trailer for the Street Fighter movie looks like a remnant from an older, simpler time. I’m just glad the bonus stage car makes an appearance.

While playing Fortnite Festival, if you want to sing along to songs, you’ll be able to use “any microphone that works in Fortnite on PC and Console,” while drummers can plug in “a Rock Band 4 or compatible MIDI drum kit,” according to Epic Games. The features launch on Thursday.

The new app is “smoother and more responsive, with up to 30% faster load times,” Roblox says. Roblox initially came to PS4 and PS5 in October 2023.

The surreal new game won the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at this year’s Independent Games Festival Awards, and now it has a release date of April 23rd on Steam. I highly recommend the demo, it’s excellent.

The InZone Buds lineup made for PS5 and PC have a third color option: Glass Purple. Next to white and black, purple is easily the most stunning choice, albeit the most fingerprint-prone. The sometimes glossy, sometimes matte-textured see-through plastic is used on every component, from the charging case and USB-C transmitter to the earbuds themselves. The gorgeous set is now available for $239.99 from Amazon, Best Buy, and Sony.