Gaming

The $99 Prio squeezes full-size controls into a design that spins around and folds in half clamshell-style, and supports phones up to seven inches. It doesn’t look as comfortable as my Razer Kishi Ultra, but it’s definitely more portable.

Nearly a decade after it launched on the original Switch the game is getting new Switch 2 features through a free update available now. In addition to faster load times and improved visuals, up to eight players can now compete on one screen while both cameras and GameChat are now supported so you can see your opponents.

SteamDB, the website that tracks PC game prices, updates, and player numbers, is now part of Nexus Mods. The current owner of SteamDB, xPaw, has been looking for the right owner after “experiencing burnout with the project.” Nexus Mods says SteamDB will continue to exist separately to Nexus Mods, and “everything currently available for free will remain free.” The browser extension will continue to be maintained, and Nexus Mods is looking at exploring connecting the two communities to “see what is possible over time.”

Alongside a laptop / handheld hybrid concept, Acer is expanding its Predator Atlas line with a smaller 7-inch model. The Windows 11 handheld comes with up to an Intel Arc G3 Extreme CPU and Arc B390 GPU. It’s due in Q4, after the Atlas 8 releases this month. Pricing for both remains unknown.

Acer’s $1,199 Nitro XV275X P is coming Q1 2027, and it has some appealing specs. Its 27-inch matte IPS screen has 2,304-zone Mini LED backlighting (up to 1,400 nits), with support for 5K via HDMI 2.1, USB-C or DisplayPort 1.4 at 165Hz refresh rate and a fast 0.5-millisecond response time, or 330Hz at QHD. It seems just as good for productivity as for gaming with its 90W USB-C charging, KVM switch, and picture-in-picture settings.

Alienware has been on a tear with its recent OLEDs. Now, its next big monitor is the AW3226Q, a 4K 32-inch tandem OLED with 165Hz refresh and RGB stripe subpixels for clearer text — expected this fall for $699.99.

Even while developing GTA VI, Rockstar has also had an eye on popular mods and RP communities for its old game, and today it revealed this trailer for Nopixel V. Announced a year ago, it builds on GTA V Enhanced for PC with a heavily modified city and support for extensive editing by players.

The simplicity of the Arduboy is one of the platform’s biggest appeals, but its creator, Kevin Bates, is developing a color screen follow-up in an attempt to “push the boundaries of the lowest cost open-source game system.” To help fund its development he’s now selling an early version of the CHGame Rev0 for just $39.

Jsaux has launched the Elite Extender, a $39.99 accessory for the original Nintendo Switch Pro controller that reminds me a bit of Sony’s Back Button Attachment for the PS4. It adds up to four mappable buttons for your most frequently-used buttons or for macros. The accessory boasts a 1,800mAh battery, though the host controller’s Amiibo functionality won’t work while it’s attached.

Jsaux is launching the S1 Pro, a small $49.99 wireless controller that can wake the Switch 2, and connect to various other platforms via Bluetooth, 2.4GHz, or USB-C. It features Switch-like TMR sticks, gyro controls, and adjustable trigger throw distances. But its marquee feature is that it lets you connect two S1 Pros to a single 2.4GHz transmitter, and swap player assignments in local multiplayer games at will, so player two can jump in to help with a difficult part.

Nvidia originally announced DLSS 5 would come to as many as 16 specific games from a wide variety of studios… but at its September 3rd launch, 2K Games’ NBA 2K27 is going it alone. Probably a smart idea to see how gamers react first? These do look better than before.

With PlayStation Vue long gone, Sony added a new FAST package today for PlayStation 5 owners in the US and soon in Canada, available under the Media section.

During the closing ceremony of this year’s Pokémon World Championships, The Pokémon Company dropped a surprise teaser trailer for Pokémon: Wild Card — a new feature-length movie from studio CloverWorks that appears to be about the trading card game. The film’s set to release some time in 2027.

The show will kick off on YouTube and Twitch at 9AM ET / 6AM PT, followed by a State of Play Japan livestream right after.

During a recent episode of the Kinda Funny Gamescast, Andy Cortez said he asked the studio point-blank about the topics and was told there would be no in-game monetization and that there was absolutely “no AI” used in the game. So those are at least two huge controversial bullets the launch should dodge.

I was able to get hands on the special edition Pokémon Sleep Fitbit Air, which ships September 15th, at the Pokémon World Championships this weekend. Other Fitbit models can connect to Pokémon Sleep, but this one has a cute Pikachu on it, if that’s worth it to you!

First it was the Toyota Engineering Society’s Miraidon Project, a life-size version Pokémon Violet’s motorcycle-like mascot. Now it’s time for Pokémon Scarlet’s mascot: Honda has its life-size Koraidon on display at PokémonXP in San Francisco. It looks fantastic, and it blinks. Its mouth even opens!

I guest-starred on the Expedition: Handheld podcast this week and brought LOTS of show-and-tell. It’s almost like an extended version of Today I’m Toying With, though it’s on audio podcast platforms as well! Let me know what you think?

How can Xbox possibly get to a billion users per day while cutting studios? Oh, just by obtaining three more hits as big as Minecraft, Call of Duty and Candy Crush. “We’ve got three billion-dollar annual franchises every year. I think we should have six to eight in the coming years,” she tells BBC News.

Ever seen an Xbox handheld play real Super Nintendo cartridges? Today I’m toying with the $60 SN Operator and $50 GB Operator, which turn your PC, Mac, and Linux devices into classic cart-playing consoles and backup your old games and saves. I’ll have a bigger writeup in the next few days!

You’re never too old to enjoy Gundam, and sometimes it’s fun to inject your favorite hobbies into your professional life. Like this 3,300 yen (about $20) “Mobile Stationery Automatic Transformation Business Card Case,” which presents your business card with drama. Your colleagues will all be impressed and jealous (probably).

The 27-minute Grand Theft Auto VI preview is already available to stream online, but Rockstar will also let you download the video directly from its website to avoid any compression issues. Just bear in mind that the file isn’t exactly small at 14.2 GB.

I certainly didn’t expect one of Cook’s final tweets as Apple’s CEO to star Pikachu. Wonder what his favorite Pokémon game is.

A few publications and other outlets got to watch a Rockstar North co-lead play the game, and their coverage has a bunch of information about gameplay that wasn’t included in Netflix’s cinematic extended look.

The preview is scheduled to debut on Netflix at 3PM ET, though creators can stream it as long as they talk over it. Starting at 9PM ET, you’ll be able to watch the preview on YouTube and the GTA VI website.

My colleague Andrew Webster wrote that this weekend, and I’ve been thinking about it today in the leadup to the today’s 26-minute “extended look” at the game. Skipping discs? Warping the video game release calendar? Massive leaks? A Netflix special — that creators can livestream? All part of the GTA VI saga.

The $899.99 console went on sale at 10AM ET and was out of stock right after, and eBay’s sold listings show that people are paying more than $2,000 to buy confirmed preorders, Polygon reports. The console looks cool, but I wouldn’t say it’s $2,000 cool.