Apple's Vision Pro was meant to usher in a new era for headsets. However, its high price and somewhat limited utility resulted in what may be the company's biggest flop in years. Now it's time for Samsung to give things a go with the Galaxy XR. It's a fresh take on modern mixed reality goggles developed through deep partnerships with Qualcomm and Google and it attempts to address some of the Vision Pro's biggest shortcomings. While both Apple and Samsung's headsets have a lot of similarities (like their basic design and support for features such as hand and eye tracking), there are also some very important differences. First, at $1,800, the Galaxy XR is essentially half the price of the Vision Pro (including the new M5-powered model). Second, instead of Apple’s homegrown OS, Samsung's headset is the first to run Google's new Android XR platform, which combines a lot of familiar elements from its mobile counterpart but with a bigger emphasis on AI and Gemini-based voice controls. And third, because Samsung relied more on partners like Google and Qualcomm, the Galaxy XR feels like it's built around a larger, more open ecosystem that plays nicely with a wider range of third-party devices and software. The Galaxy XR fundamentally doesn't look that much different from the Vision Pro. It features a large visor in front with an assortment of 13 different exterior sensors to support inside-out tracking, passthrough vision and hand recognition. There are some additional sensors inside for eye and face tracking. There's also a connector for the wire that leads to its external clip-on battery pack alongside built-in speakers with spatial audio. The one big departure is that unlike the Vision Pro, the Galaxy XR doesn't have an outward-facing display, so it won't be able to project your face onto the outside of the headset, which is just fine by me. However, the devil is in the details because while the original Vision Pro weighed between 600 and 650 grams (around 1.3 to 1.4 pounds) depending on the configuration (not including its battery pack), the Galaxy XR is significantly lighter at 545 grams (1.2 pounds). And that's before you consider the new M5 Vision Pro, which has somehow gone backwards by being even heavier at 750-800 grams (around 1.6 pounds). Furthermore, it seems Samsung learned a lot from its rivals by including a much larger and thicker head cushion that helps distribute the weight of the headset more evenly. Granted, during a longer session, I still noticed a bit of pressure and felt relief after taking off the Galaxy XR, but it's nothing like the Vision Pro, which in my experience gets uncomfortable almost immediately. Finally, around back, there's a simple strap with a knob that you can twist to tighten or loosen the headband as necessary. So even without extra support running across the top of your head, getting in and out of the Galaxy XR is much easier and comfier than the Vision Pro. On the inside, the Galaxy XR is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip with dual micro OLED displays that deliver 4K resolution (3,552 x 3,840) to each eye at up to 90Hz. I wish Samsung was able to go up to a 120Hz refresh rate like on the Vision Pro, but considering the Galaxy XR's slightly higher overall resolution, I'm not that bothered. And I must say, the image quality from this headset is seriously sharp. It's even better than Apple's goggles and it might be the best I've ever used, particularly outside of $10,000+ enterprise-only setups. Once again, when you consider that this thing costs half the price of a Vision Pro, this headset feels like a real accomplishment by Samsung to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if the company is losing money on every unit it sells. In terms of longevity, Samsung says that for general use the Galaxy XR should last around two hours. If you're only watching videos though, that figure is more like two and a half. Thankfully, if you do need to be in mixed reality for longer, you can charge the headset while it's being used. As for security, the Galaxy XR uses iris recognition to skip traditional passwords, which is nice. Sometimes, trying out a new software platform can be a little jarring. But that's not really the case for Android XR, which shouldn't present much of a learning curve for anyone who has used other headsets or Google's ubiquitous mobile OS. After putting the goggles on, you can summon a home menu with an app launcher by facing your palm up and touching your index finger and thumb together. From there, you can open apps and menus by moving your hands and pinching icons or rearranging virtual windows by grabbing the anchor point along the bottom and putting them where you want. In Maps, you start out with a view of the world before using hand gestures to move and zoom in wherever you want or voice commands to laser in on a specific location. The neat new trick for this app is that if you find bubbles over things like restaurants and stores, you can click those to be transported inside those businesses, where Android XR will stitch together 2D photos to create a simulated 3D environment that you can move and walk around in. Granted, this doesn't have a ton of practical use for most folks unless you want to take a virtual tour of something like a wedding venue. But, the tech is impressive nonetheless. Finally in the YouTube app, the Galaxy XR did a great job of making standard 360 videos look even better. While quality will always depend on the gear that captured the content, viewing spatial clips was a great way to show off its resolution and image quality. Google says it will also put a new tab on the app to make finding 360 videos easier, though you can always watch the billions of standard flat videos as well. Interestingly, you can use and navigate the Galaxy XR entirely with hand gestures, but voice commands (via Gemini) are also a major part of the Android XR platform. Because the goggles sit on your head, unlike with mobile devices, there's no need to use a wake word every time you want to do something. You just talk and Gemini listens (though you can choose to disable this behavior if you prefer), so this makes voice interactions feel a lot more natural. Because Gemini can also do things like adjust settings or organize all the apps you have open, in addition to answering questions, it feels like Google is starting to deliver on some of those Star Trek moments where you can simply ask the computer to do something and it just happens. Yes, it's still very early, but as a platform, Android XR feels much more like a virtual playground than VisionOS does at the moment. While I didn't get to test these out myself, there are some other important features worth mentioning. In addition to apps, you can also play your standard selection of Android games like Stardew Valley or connect the headset to your PC (like with Steam Link) to play full desktop titles. Furthermore, I was told that the Galaxy XR can be tethered to a computer and used like a traditional VR headset. And while Samsung is making optional wireless controllers for the Galaxy XR (and a big carrying case), you may not need them at all as you'll also have the ability to pair the goggles with typical Bluetooth-based gamepads along with wireless mice and keyboards. Google also says it's working on a new system called Likenesses that can create personalized avatars for use in video calls and meetings that use data from interior sensors to deliver more realistic expressions. Additionally, you'll be able to use tools like Veo3 to make AI-generated videos while providing prompts using your voice. But this is just scratching the surface of the Galaxy XR's capabilities and I want to use this thing more before offering a final verdict. In many ways, the Galaxy XR looks and feels like a flagship mixed reality headset in the same vein as the Vision Pro, but for the Android crowd (and Windows users to some extent as well). On top of that, Google has done some interesting things with Android XR to make it feel like there's a much wider range of content and software to view and use. In many ways, the addition of a dedicated AI assistant in Gemini and voice controls feels much more impactful on goggles than a phone because you can't always count on having physical inputs like a mouse or keyboard. And with the Galaxy XR being half the price of the Vision Pro, Samsung and Google have done a lot to address some of the most glaring issues with Apple's rival. In case the price drop wasn't enough, it feels like all the companies involved are doing as much as possible to sweeten the deal. I actually started laughing when I first heard all the discounts and free subscriptions that come with the headset. That's because in addition to the goggles themselves, every Galaxy XR will come with what's being called the Explorer Pack: 12 months of access to Google AI Pro, 12 months of YouTube Premium (which itself includes YouTube Music), 12 months of Google Play Pass, 12 Months of NBA League Pass and a bundle of other custom XR content and apps. So on top of a slick design, top-tier optics and a new platform, Google and Samsung are basically tossing a kitchen sink of apps and memberships in with the headset. My only reservation is that when it comes to mass adoption, I think smartglasses have supplanted headsets as the next big mainstream play. Granted, there is a lot of technology and software shared between both categories of devices (Google has already teased upcoming Android XR smartglasses) that should allow Samsung or Google to pivot more easily down the line. But the idea that in the future there will be a headset in every home seems less likely every day. Still, as a showcase for the potential of mixed reality and high-end optics, the Galaxy XR is an exciting piece of tech. The Samsung Galaxy XR is available now for $1,800 on Samsung.com.

According to North American video game retailer Video Games Plus, the EU version of the Xbox physical release for Tales of Xillia Remastered has been canceled just a week before it was supposed to hit store shelves. "Regrettably, VGP has been informed that the EU physical edition of Tales of Xillia Remastered XBSX has been canceled," reads a Bluesky announcement. "All preorders will be canceled and refunded. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but it is beyond our control." Preorder Update! Regrettably, VGP has been informed that the EU physical edition of Tales of Xillia Remastered XBSX has been canceled. All preorders will be canceled and refunded. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but it is beyond our control.— @vgp-videogamesplus.bsky.social (@vgp-videogamesplus.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-10-21T23:05:02.611Z Preorder Update! Regrettably, VGP has been informed that the EU physical edition of Tales of Xillia Remastered XBSX has been canceled. All preorders will be canceled and refunded. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but it is beyond our control. While the wording of the announcement makes it sound like there are other regions that are still getting a physical version of Tales of Xillia Remastered on Xbox, the reality is EU was the only region ever confirmed to be getting one, which means the game's physical launch on Xbox has seemingly been indefinitely shelved across the board. I don't know how you re-release a PS3 JRPG in 2025 and make it run worse, but at least on non-Nintendo platforms I'm still happy to see one of my all-time favorites get a remaster After promising more re-releases, Bandai Namco seemingly leaks a remaster of one of my all-time favorite JRPGs, which still has some of the best combat in the genre One of the best JRPGs ever may have its remaster unveiled tomorrow as Bandai Namco prepares an official announcement following months of speculation and a supposed leak It's unclear why plans have changed so close to the game's October 31 launch, but I've reached out to Bandai Namco both for confirmation and clarity for folks who were anticipating, and some cases already pre-ordered, the game. While there's a good chance Xbox wasn't even involved in this decision, as the choice to cancel a physical release of a game falls on the publisher, there's no denying Xbox PR is working overtime as of late, mostly thanks to egregious price hikes across the Xbox ecosystem. Compared to some Xboxes going up to $800, Game Pass going from $20 to $30 a month recently, and even dev kits reportedly increasing by $500, this is nuthin'. Former PlayStation boss praises Microsoft’s publishing strategy, but can’t get his head around Xbox's Game Pass price hike: "I don’t understand"

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Absolum, Borderlands 4, and hundreds of other PC games are included in the event. Fanatical's Scream Sale is now live, offering steep discounts on hundreds of PC games, including some of the year's biggest releases like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Borderlands 4, Silent Hill f, and more. Better yet, if you spend over $15, you'll unlock a free bonus game or coupon code. This offer can be stacked up to three times--so if you spend $45, you can pick three games or coupons. The list of freebies features 10 games that are perfect for Halloween, including the first-person horror game Don't Knock Twice, the creepy puzzle game In Sound Mind, the demonic boomer shooter Hellbound, and more. You can read the list of free bonuses available, and check out a round-up of our favorite discounts in the sale below. All games sold at Fanatical are official keys that unlock on other apps like Steam or the Epic Game Store. As for the game discounts in Fanatical's Scream Sale, you'll find plenty of new games, indie gems, and old-school classics. One of our favorite deals is for Absolum, an excellent beat-'em-up action RPG from the folks behind Streets of Rage 4, which is just $19.49 (was $25). You could also check out Fellowship, which is an innovative cooperative game that takes the raiding from MMORPGs and cuts out all the excess. It's seeing a slight discount to $21.24 (was $25), and even though it just entered Early Access on October 16, it's already earning praise from its playerbase. If you missed out on the quirky Cult of the Lamb, you can pick it up for just $12.49 (was $25). It’s the ideal game to play around Halloween thanks to its goofy yet spooky vibes, though you'll have to bundle it with another game to hit the $15 threshold for a freebie. For example, you could pair it with Fallout 76, which is now $7.19 (was $40) and is in a much better place today than it was years ago at launch. You could also grab the hilarious co-op climbing game Peak for $5.35 (was $8). Other notable deals include Dune: Awakening for $33.49 (was $50), Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 for $42 (was $60), and Persona 5 Royal for $19.19 (was $60). You can also save on preorders for upcoming games like Football Manager 26, which is discounted to $49.49 (was $60) ahead of its November 4 release. We didn't get a Football Manager last year, but the extra development time has led to a new user interface, the inclusion of women's football, and a bunch of other cool features. There are hundreds of other games and preorders on sale in Fanatical's Scream Sale. Be sure to check out the list below for a few more of our recommendations, or browse the full lineup at Fanatical. Latest in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Amazon-Exclusive Edition Launches Next Month Glen Powell Says He's "Very Interested" In Joining Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Movie Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Is Getting A Free Update With New Boss Battles

Final Fantasy Tactics' original director suggested adding branching paths to allow players to recruit specific characters who don't make it otherwise. This article contains spoilers for some characters' fates in Final Fantasy Tactics. Final Fantasy Tactics allows you to build your own squad through a recruitment system, either through going to a local barracks or having certain special characters join your party after specific story moments, and while you can only have four or five members out on the battlefield at once during most missions, you can amass quite an army by the end of the game. However, it sounds like there were almost more within the game's recent remake, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles. After 28 years, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles finally makes the JRPG's ending less ambiguous and leaves the door open for a sequel Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles director open to revisiting the series' Game Boy Advance sequels if the remaster does well, but thinks the strategy RPG playerbase is currently a "bit small" Final Fantasy Tactics devs originally considered making a famously powerful character weaker when he levels up because that's how getting old works: "His strength actually becomes lower" There are certain characters throughout the story who feel like they could have been excellent members of the party, and the original Final Fantasy Tactics director Yasumi Matsuno admitted he considered it for the new edition in a post on Twitter (via machine translation). A fan said to Matsuno that they think having access to Izlude's Nightblade class would've been great, to which Matsuno added, " When I was tasked with remastering this game, I suggested that we consider branching out into the game so that players could recruit characters like Miluda and Izlude." However, Matsuno explains that doing so would mean changing the game's structure, making it impossible. He adds that it may have been possible with a larger budget, "but I think that if we were to do that, we should just make a new game." Matsuno also notes that The Ivalice Chronicles director Kazutoyo Maehiro, who "was adamant about remastering the original version," which was another reason this didn't come to pass (which is also why The War of the Lions content isn't included). Final Fantasy Tactics player puts in the grind to prove once and for all that "Chocobos can believe in monster Jesus" and will "leave your party to go find God" if their Faith stat gets too high.

Starbreeze has lined up an outside studio to handle Payday 2 updates while it focuses on Payday 3. Payday 2 may predate Payday 3 by a decade, but the former still remains popular while the latter has struggled. Now, publisher Starbreeze has lined up Sidetrack Games to work on Payday 2 updates on PC and keep those players satisfied. Sidetrack was previously known as the M.U.G. Team in the Payday modding community, and the studio also worked on updates for RAID: World War 2 after that game's lifecycle came to an end. According to Starbreeze, Sidetrack's first Payday 2 update will go live on October 23, with a focus "on the stability of the game and improving the overall player experience." Future updates are planned for "quality-of-life improvements and general game fixes." Starbreeze will host a livestream on October 23 that lays out the details of the patch and invites the player community to "help shape future improvements." With Payday 2 now in the hands of Sidetrack going forward, Starbreeze will primarily be working on updates for Payday 3. Payday 2 still has has tens of thousands of players at any given time, according to SteamDB. However, Payday 3 has trouble cracking 1,000 concurrent players. Earlier this month, Starbreeze canceled its Dungeons & Dragons game and laid off workers in a renewed push towards the Payday franchise and other heist games. The company also added a Payday 2 subscription service that gives players access to the DLC for a monthly charge. Starbreeze went on to apologize for raising the Payday 2 DLC bundle to $170 and subsequently reverted the price back to $118. Payday Studio Cancels D&D Game, Focusing On Payday And New Heisting Games Starbreeze Apologizes For Payday 2 DLC Price Increase Payday 2 Launches A Subscription Service That Gets You Lots Of DLC For $5/Month

Don't bother sitting down because you'll just stand up when you hear this: a ton of games were released on Steam this year. Valve's store has seen nearly 13,000 game launches since January 1, 2025, according to Steam data hound Gamalytic, and a majority of those games went straight under the couch to be forgotten for the rest of time like lost batteries. Gamalytic regularly updates its data but these particular milestones and thresholds were recently flagged on social media by Artur Smiarowski, creator of turn-based roguelike RPG Soulash and its markedly more popular sequel Soulash 2. As of today, Steam has seen an estimated 12,732 games released in 2025. It's important to call out now that Gamalytic uses relatively soft "estimation methodology" since we can only glean so much without proper access to Valve's data. In a self-assessment, Gamalytic says, "For individual games, our tests have shown that 77% of estimates were within 30% margin of error, while 98% were within 50% error margin," further claiming that, "At an aggregate level, estimates were 99% accurate." Dev says Steam bug ruined "more than 10 years" of work and tanked their game's 1.0 launch, Valve says oops and offers a Daily Deal slot "to help make up for lost visibility" Paying Valve $108,000 just to be on Steam is "totally worth it," says dev of roguelike strategy game made in 10 months which has now earned over $360,000 Solo dev spends 6 weeks making a short free game, accidentally wins the Steam algorithm and makes $4,200 in 5 days, then rushes to prepare a big update: "Seems the people liked my honesty and that I don't have any hidden costs" More popular and active games provide more data to work with, and often official reports to compare against, leading to more accurate estimations. Caveats include greater deviation for smaller and free-to-play games (sure to be many of the least profitable games on Steam), inaccurate Steam bundle sale estimations, and potential bugs. That being said, the volume of reported low-selling games, evaluated using multiple data points, does say something about the quiet masses of overlooked games on Steam. They offer less data for estimates which will lead to greater deviation, but they have less data available for a reason, in other words. And even if we assume a 50% error, well, 50% of very little is still very little. "8% of the releases are estimated to have grossed over $100k," Smiarowski said, citing Gamalytic aggregates. "40% didn't see a return on their $100 release cost." Smiarowski is referring to the $100 Steam direct product submission fee, which is not refundable but is recouped once your game (app) reaches $1,000 in adjusted gross revenue. A chart Smiarowski shared, which appears to be exclusive to premium versions of Gamalytic, shows that the bottom 30% of games by revenue averaged just $37 in apparent gross. Freely available portions of the 2025 data claim that 8,388 (or 65.9%) of 2025 Steam releases earned less than $1,000 in revenue. 47.4% are estimated to have sold under 100 copies, with 28% estimated between 100 and 1,000 copies. It goes without saying that completely free-to-play games with no internal or auxiliary monetization (like 'support the dev' DLC) aren't going to make any money, and this data shouldn't be treated as gospel. But the sheer volume of largely unnoticed games released on Steam relative to the store's huge annual volume remains a fascinating side effect of PC gaming's more open developer culture, which sees many people put hobbyist games on Steam purely for fun with no expectations of a viable business. The Steam store just added a feature I didn't know I needed until Valve pointed it out: a dedicated page for every bundle containing a game.

Mixing the sledgehammer with a drone is producing a game-altering glitch that's infuriating Battlefield 6 players. In just a few days, the bug has gone from a neat exploit to making Breakthrough nigh-unplayable in certain maps. There are always a few problems in the first month of a release the size of Battlefield 6. People figure things out and different exploits somehow just fly under the radar - this one, quite literally, as it allows players to float upward. If you spawn a drone, standing on it while it's on the ground, then whack it with a sledgehammer, it'll buzz you upward. Keep hitting it and you can ascend ever higher, for an eagle-eye view of whatever map you’re in. The Battlefield 6 movement saga reaches new heights as players find glitch that lets you fly into the clouds on a drone, preferably with a sniper for taking out enemies from the sky Battlefield 6 players are using ladders to fly around maps in defiance of movement nerfs, and EA already says "we will" patch this out too EA is apparently playing whack-a-mole as Battlefield 6 fans keep using the FPS game's new Portal mode to set up XP farms to bypass the sluggish progression grind As funny as that may sound, it's less so if you're in the opposition, since it makes certain maps, particularly Manhattan Bridge, Cairo, and Sobek City, horrendous when in Breakthrough. The mode has one team hold the line against another, with the winners being those who've made more ground. It's such a bummer half of these maps right now are unplayable on Breakthrough due to these exploits. Two full squads just sitting above us on Manhattan Bridge. GG. pic.twitter.com/6DJpxyH3x7October 21, 2025 It's such a bummer half of these maps right now are unplayable on Breakthrough due to these exploits. Two full squads just sitting above us on Manhattan Bridge. GG. pic.twitter.com/6DJpxyH3x7October 21, 2025 It's such a bummer half of these maps right now are unplayable on Breakthrough due to these exploits. Two full squads just sitting above us on Manhattan Bridge. GG. pic.twitter.com/6DJpxyH3x7October 21, 2025 Another video creator, Stodeh, added that the drones aren’t the only issue, either, and the maps need a deeper rethink. "People are getting to the unreachable roof areas from one side and shooting down on points with no counter,” he says. "Even if drone glitch gets fixed, they can still use ladders in some areas." Meanwhile, there are calls for the glitch to get a hotfix ASAP across the community. "It is literally cheating, to get onto inaccessible roofs on game modes like Rush and Breakthrough," says one Redditor. "Actions are being taken for nicknames and chat but not for this. It does not seem logical to me." One of many. “It was funny at first but I'm starting to see it in nearly every single match of Breakthrough,” another Reddit post writes. “Full squads with respawn beacons, supports for ammo, and long-range weapons on top of buildings and bridges that you can't otherwise access, and some of them are in good enough positions that they can control fights on their own.” Their solution is simple: "Ban the sledgehammer until it's fixed." Other posters propose short-term bans of just a few days. "I expect this will get worse and worse until patched or disabled until patched," one adds. Going by current evidence, I'm inclined to agree. As we all learned from Revenge of the Sith, the high ground is everything, and EA and DICE may need to intervene to prevent more people from racing to be Obi-Wan Kenobi, leaving everyone else to be the resident Anakin Skywalkers. Former Battlefield 6 campaign lead is "disappointed" he and other devs "were not properly credited" in the new FPS after working "tirelessly for 1 to 2.5 years, building the foundation."

Asmodee has acquired the Cthulhu: Death May Die board game franchise in the wake of previous owner CMON's financial difficulties. Following an incredibly bruising year for CMON in which it announced losses of nearly $7 million, the company has been selling off IP in an attempt to halt its freefall. The incredibly popular Cthulhu: Death May Die (designed by Eric M. Lang and Rob Daviau, who have some of the best board games on their CV) is the latest casualty, sold to tabletop giant Asmodee. That means the publisher will now "fully replace CMON" in overseeing fulfillment of the franchise's latest installment, Cthulhu: Death May Die - Forbidden Reaches. Forbidden Reaches quickly reached $3.9 million in crowdfunding pledges after hitting Gamefound last year, and although CMON promises in an update that "almost nothing changes" for backers so far as pledges and rewards are concerned, "delivery will be delayed" as a result of the handover. However, "Asmodee’s top priority is to deliver the game you’ve been waiting for with the quality and care it deserves." A 13x award-winning board game is back with a fancy Special Edition, but you'll need to be quick to get it After asking for $50,000 and getting almost $4 million, the Don't Starve board game is running out of stretch goals on Kickstarter: "With a community like yours, is anything impossible?" Betrayal at House on the Hill is one of my all-time favorite board games, and it just got a massive discount for Prime Day This is not the first CMON series Asmodee has absorbed; it's already snapped up the Zombicide franchise. That came hot on the heels of the new US tariff's disastrous impact for CMON, which shut down development on new projects and let staff go in response. "While it’s bittersweet to say farewell, we can’t wait to see what the future holds and what asmodee has in store for the Elder Ones," the Gamefound post notes. It'll certainly be interesting to see, because Asmodee already lays claim to another Lovecraft-inspired franchise in Arkham Horror. Will the two be merged together, with Cthulhu: Death May Die getting an Arkham Horror label like Unfathomable? Cthulhu: Death May Die - $147.43 $117.94 at Wayland Games Cthulhu: Death May Die UK - £109.99 £87.99 at Wayland Games For something new to play, why not check out the best 2-player board games or the best adult board games?

Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined was announced at the latest Nintendo Direct, and while the series creator has hinted that the Zenithian Trilogy (that being the fourth, fifth, and sixth entries) hasn't been forgotten about, it's undeniable that Dragon Quest's remakes have been happening in a very strange order. Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake was followed up by remakes of Dragon Quest 1 and 2 (which is weird, but makes some sense given its a prequel) and now Dragon Quest 7 is next in line. Speaking to Game*Spark (translated by Automaton Media), Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined producer Takeshi Ichikawa explained why the 2000 RPG skipped the remake queue, saying that "we felt that the game’s unique atmosphere and tone would resonate especially well with players today." Ichikawa elaborated, "When it first came out, 7 was often said to have more dark and sorrowful episodes compared to other entries in the series. But nowadays, players are much more accustomed to games with darker stories." And that thanks to that the producer thinks that through this new version, modern players will be able to feel 7’s story and the emotions of the characters even more deeply.” Dragon Quest creator hints he hasn't forgotten about the Zenithian Trilogy: "There are various projects in motion, it's just that 7 happened to get completed first" Square Enix reveals another classic JRPG getting a remake: Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined announced, coming February 2026 to consoles and PC Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined takes the original JRPG's bloated story and cuts "subplots that have little or no direct relevance" to the main quest, but also adds "entirely new scenarios" Granted, Dragon Quest 7 is also well known for being pretty over-the-top and bloated, which has been addressed in the new remake by cutting "subplots that have little or no direct relevance" to the main quest. So, while it's a very strange order to release the games in, Dragon Quest 7 could probably use a big reimagining. Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake adds "numerous" new scenarios "that connect to the overall Erdrick Trilogy" as well as "encounters with people not featured in the original title."

Preseason counts in Madden, apparently. NFL football, and Madden by extension, isn't all about touchdowns, physical toughness, and Taylor Swift after all. EA wants you to care about kickers, too, and not just when they miss game-deciding kicks. The latest Madden 26 update increases the maximum distance that talented kickers with a 99 KPW, also known as Kick Power Attribute, can now kick--up to 70-yard field goals. Want us to remember this setting for all your devices? Now Playing: EA Sports Madden 26 - Official Reveal Trailer "As part of our ongoing commitment to authenticity, we’ve incorporated this record-setting event from the real NFL into the game," a development blog detailing the update reads. "The historic 70-yard field goal was an extraordinary achievement that pushed the boundaries of what’s possible on the field. We brought this into Madden, giving players the chance to recreate this iconic moment themselves." Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little set this record during the 2025 NFL preseason in an August matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers--quite the impressive accomplishment considering it was the first game of the preseason for both teams. It surpassed the previous NFL regular-season record of 66 yards. “Can’t lie, there was probably a little bit of doubt," Little told ESPN in an interview. "But I mean, we attempted a lot of long field goals in training camp. Had some 60, probably 65-pluses before [in practice]. And so, you know, I really wanted to just go out there and see what it would do.” The jersey and shoe Little wore during the kick are now on display in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, although the kick does not count toward official NFL record books since it took place in the preseason. Latest in Madden NFL 26 Battlefield 6 Proves We Need To Embrace Companion Apps Again Madden Leagues Are Vanishing Again And No One Knows Why Latest Madden 26 Ratings Sees Big Gains For Puka, Big Losses For Tua

The world of Catan is about to expand on Netflix. Popular board game Catan is getting a Netflix adaptation, as Netflix has announced that it is "developing a slate of scripted and unscripted projects" through its partnership with Asmodee and Catan Studio. Catan was created by the late Klaus Teuber in 1995, and his sons Guido and Benjamin Teuber will also be involved in these projects. "Millions of people [have been] enjoying Catan since it was created, and for many it remains a gateway to modern board gaming. I'm thrilled to see the game expanding to a larger audience who will discover the richness of its universe. I find it exciting for the future of the brand," Asmodee CEO Thomas Koegler said in a press statement. "It’s also a testament that board gaming is truly part of pop culture and a popular form of entertainment in everyone's homes, and I’m delighted to continue Asmodee’s relationship with Netflix." Originally released as The Settlers of Catan, the game has been a global hit, selling 45 million units since it was released. If you're unfamiliar with it, Catan is a multiplayer board game where players take on the role of settlers. The main goal is to establish a settlement and gain victory points by acquiring enough resources to grow your holdings. A consistent best-seller, you can try it out for yourself as the current Catan: Sixth Edition version is available alongside several expansions. Catan 6th Edition & Expansions The latest iteration of Catan released released in April. Adaptations of video games and tabletop gaming IP have begun to increase over the last few years, as Netflix and other streaming services are racing to acquire licenses for various properties. Netflix has had several hits on its hands with adaptations of Castlevania, Arcane, Devil May Cry, and Exploding Kittens, and it's also developing an Assassin's Creed series. Meanwhile, Amazon has a few heavy hitter of its own like the well-received Fallout TV series, as well as upcoming projects like God of War, Wolfenstein, Mass Effect, and Warhammer 40K.

It's no secret that Persona 3 Reload is coming to the Switch 2 on October 23, with a recent demo having landed on the eShop just last month – but following feedback, it seems Atlus has quite a few updates planned with some much-needed fixes. As Atlus and Sega gear up for the Switch 2 release of Persona 3 Reload, players have been sharing their thoughts on the port's demo – one that didn't exactly impress longtime fans, with online reports stating it "has frame pacing issues so bad it feels almost nauseating to play." Thankfully, it seems that developers are well aware of the issues, however, with port director Yoshihiro Komori revealing that they're "currently taking steps" to patch things up. Persona 3 Reload demo has frame pacing issues so bad it feels almost nauseating to play from r/NintendoSwitch2 Speaking in a new interview with Nintendo Life, the lead explains that Atlus is working to fix the frame rate drops flagged by fans playing the demo. "We are currently taking steps to improve this," admits Komori. "Since careful QA is required, it was difficult to address this in time for the main game's release, but [fixes] will be in future patches." Sadly, these patches won't address the 30 FPS Personal 3 Reload has on the Switch 2, or add 60 FPS support. Atlus considered a Persona 3 Reload port for both the OG Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, but opted for only the latter as the JRPG's devs couldn't manage both "without any significant delay" Persona 3 Reload Switch 2 excitement has been immediately dampened by Game-Key cards and the $35 expansion not being included in the $90 premium edition: "Thanks for saving my money Atlus!" Persona 3 Reload is coming to Switch 2 in October, finally confirming what we've expected since it was announced "We have also been positively considering increasing the frame rate," as Komori describes, "however, for this release, we prioritized delivering the Switch 2 version to everyone as quickly as possible." Due to the team's speedy work to get Persona 3 Reload out on the new console, the port director says, "As such, we regret to inform you that there are currently no plans to implement this kind of requested feature at this time." Although it's definitely disappointing to learn there won't be a smoother option for players hoping to up those frame rate numbers, it's nice to know fixes are coming at all – even if post-launch. Plus, this all lines up with what Atlus has previously said about working to get Persona 3 Reload out on the Switch 2 ASAP. In fact, it's why devs said they couldn't manage a port for the OG Switch on top of the one underway for Nintendo's newer system. "With our desire to deliver the game as quickly as possible, we made the decision to focus exclusively on Switch 2," as creative producer Kazuhisa Wada previously described. Here's hoping that, even if at 30 FPS, the Persona 3 Reload port on Switch 2 impresses, then. While you wait for the Switch 2 port to release, why not read through everything we know on Persona 4 Revival so far or browse through some other exciting new games underway?