The Verge’s gaming section brings the latest video game news, reviews of the most exciting releases, and interviews with the industry’s biggest names. We cover everything from PlayStation and Xbox blockbusters, to quirky Nintendo games, to the cool indie gems on PC and Android that you might otherwise miss.
Rockstar’s latest epic is almost here, and it seems nothing can stop it.
Rising component prices and wild tariff swings are still an issue, so Mike Chi of Retrotink has designed a new hardware upscaler for retro gaming. It uses the design and framework of its more expensive 4K models, which cost $475 or more, but with a lower 2,560 x 1,440p maximum output at 300 MHz.
The new Retrotink 6X CE starts at $230 and starts shipping next week.
After going indie as part of Xbox’s recent big “reset,” Double Fine has announced a game jam that will eventually result in a “real (small) game.” 2 Player Productions, which previously worked on the Double Fine Adventure! and Double Fine PsychOdyssey documentaries, will be “filming all the fun.”
[Kickstarter]
CD Projekt Red revealed a new trailer for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, which will feature a new story and cast of characters set in the same futuristic metropolis of Night City. The 10-episode anime will premiere on Netflix on October 20th.
The Duskbloods’ network test was set to start at 6am ET, but the first session ended early while developer FromSoftware works to improve the servers. As inconvenient as this is for those trying to demo the game, a network test is of course meant to test the network.
After Ryan Hurst was forced to step away from the leading role in Amazon’s God of War TV series due to an injury, Bautista will be taking over, Variety reports. Bautista was recently rumored to be in talks for the role.
HyperX is announcing a slew of new gaming accessories for its Level Awakening livestream event — most notable is the $149.99 Cloud Alpha Air, due out in September.
The open-back headset allows users to stay more in-tune with their surroundings while gaming. The wired headphones weigh just 10.1 ounces / 287g (with detachable boom mic) and connect to PCs or consoles via 3.5mm audio jack, USB-C, or USB-A.
Hands-on with the upcoming multiplayer vampire game from Elden Ring studio FromSoftware.
The Elden Ring studio continues to chart new paths through games like The Duskbloods.
Microsoft and Ikea started teasing a collaboration earlier this month. The pair are teaming up for a co-designed collection of items, including cushions and stools that could pair well with an Xbox fridge. The items will be shown first at Microsoft’s Xbox booth at gamescom next week.
A new clip shared by the person or group identifying themselves as “CyberLeek” shows Jason Duval, one of the game’s protagonists, shooting the word “LEEK” into a wall, which suggests an actual copy of the game has escaped Rockstar Games’ containment. It’s the latest of several leaks ahead of GTA VI’s launch on November 19th.
Runs beautifully on the Canon T2i / 550D, too. But a missed opportunity for the shutter button to shoot! Not sure why it’s making the rounds now, as Doom-playing Canon DSLRs are nothing new. And have you seen it on the Kodak digicam from 1998? PowerShot pocket cams may be able to play too.
Horizon Hunters Gathering was announced earlier this year, but developer Guerrilla Games has been “working to reboot the game since June” after negative test feedback, according to Bloomberg. The live service elements are apparently being removed, marking yet another live service stumble from Sony. Jason Schreier, who reported the Hunters Gathering news for Bloomberg, has a rundown of Sony’s mostly-failed live service efforts in his video for the story.
As of late, PlayStation has been focusing more on the types of premium single-player games it’s known for. But the next single-player Horizon title “remains years away from completion,” Bloomberg says.
Update: Added Schreier’s video.
Beginning today, Xbox Insiders will be able to “view, sort, and delete local game saves that aren’t currently in use,” according to a blog post about a few new features in testing. Your saves will remain backed up in the cloud.
After releasing a buildable Xbox 360 in 2023, Mattel is back with a DIY recreation of Microsoft’s original console complete with a chonky replica of the Duke controller. The $324, 3,509-piece set is part of Mattel’s Lego-like Brick Shop line and includes gaming dioramas hidden inside plus interactive lighting and console sounds.
The changes are designed to get you playing the latest Call of Duty faster, though some of the details differ based on what platform you’re on. Activision’s blog post has the rundown.
Modern Warfare 4’s beta kicks off Friday for people who preordered, and an open beta starts the Friday after. The full game launches on October 23rd. A new multiplayer trailer debuted today ahead of the beginning of the beta.
Harvey Smith of Dishonored and Deus Ex fame has a new studio after Microsoft shuttered Arkane Austin in 2024, reports IGN. Called Black Pony Immersive, its members include fellow Arkane alum Ben Horne, and it’s continuing the tradition of Smith’s favorite genre:
I concluded by asking Smith if he felt a sense of responsibility to carry the torch for the immersive sim genre. “Always. Until I am dead,” he said.
For $189, you can upgrade one of Secretlab’s Titan Evo or Classic Series gaming chairs with the company’s new EasyFold Foldaway Armrest. As the name implies (multiple times), the upgraded armrests introduce a mechanism allowing them to be rotated backwards 90 degrees so they don’t get in the way while you’re playing an instrument or gaming.
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The Swedish flatpack furniture maker shared a video through its Instagram account today that seemingly reveals an upcoming collection inspired by the console. The video’s details are vague but it appears to show a piece of furniture inspired by an Xbox controller’s thumbstick as well as a bright green X-shaped cushion.
The company responded to Apple’s new App Store policies in a post on X, claiming the updated fees “do nothing to open up the mobile app ecosystem to competition” and “deliberately violate” the EU’s Digital Markets Act.
Few brand deals make more sense than the new Mean Girls and Clueless DLC coming to The Sims 4. The collection drops on August 27th and features a bunch of new fashion options, though sadly I don’t think Cher’s high-tech closet is included.
Spector, known for working on games like Deus Ex and System Shock, says he has three games he still wants to make. But “the game business has changed and it’s just not as much fun for me anymore” and there are new developers who “deserve their time in the sun.”
[LinkedIn]
Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls, which featured classic characters from the series and launched in 2021, will become unavailable to download on August 20th and will be fully shut down on September 3rd, Konami says.
Symphony of the Night composer Michiru Yamane worked on the game, and we interviewed her back when it came out.
[Castlevania -Grimoire of Souls- Official Website]
The digital version will still launch on September 24th, but the physical release has been moved to October 15th, Remedy says. The game has also gone gold.
Nvidia’s cloud gaming service can now stream more than 5,000 PC games directly in the Mozilla browser, joining existing support for Chrome, Safari, Edge, and Opera GX. It’s the latest effort to get GeForce Now onto as many screens as possible, following its expansions to Linux and Amazon Fire TV this year.
And Shadow, Sora, Mega Man, Pac-Man, Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, and even Joker from Persona 5. They’re joining Fortnite as part of a new gaming-themed season, Override, that launches on August 20th. You can get a preview of what’s to come in a new trailer and a slick video featuring what’s in the battle pass.
