A major selling point of the Xbox Ally and Ally X is that they ship with a full screen version of Windows that plays nice with handheld PCs. As part of the company's recent Xbox Partner Showcase, Microsoft has announced that the Windows "full screen experience" or FSE is finally rolling out to all other Windows 11 handhelds starting November 21.
For the most part, FSE lets you live inside a touch and controller-friendly version of the Xbox PC app, rather than the normal Windows desktop. The launcher collects games from a multitude of game marketplaces like Steam and the Epic Games Store, and gives you easy access to Game Pass, if you subscribe. As part of Microsoft's customizations, FSE also uses less resources, and offers simpler ways to switch between apps and setup Windows for the first time.
All of these tweaks are supposed to make using Windows easier without a mouse and keyboard, and closer to what you'd get from a console. In comparison to SteamOS, which has gone through countless updates since Valve launched it alongside the Steam Deck in 2022, FSE still has a long way to go, but pushing the software to more devices could force Microsoft to iterate quickly.
While PC handheld owners will reap the benefits of these improvements first, Microsoft's announcement also mentions the company plans to bring the experience "to more Windows 11 PC form factors through the Xbox and Windows Insider programs soon." That could lend further credence to reports that the company plans to make the next Xbox an expensive PC rather than a traditional game console.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/microsoft-brings-the-xbox-ally-xs-full-screen-experience-to-other-handhelds-211500288.html?src=rss
If you’ve been waiting to grab a PlayStation 5, this Black Friday gaming deal is worth noting. Sony’s latest consoles are getting a $100 discount across the board, dropping the PS5 Digital Edition to $399, the standard PS5 to $449 and the PS5 Pro to $649. That’s one of the best prices we’ve seen on Sony’s hardware this year. You'll find the deals direct at Sony and from other retailers including Amazon and Walmart.
Sony’s flagship console remains one of the most popular gaming systems available, and this Black Friday discount makes it even easier to jump in if you haven’t already. The standard PS5 and the slimmer PS5 Digital Edition both offer fast load times, smooth frame rates and crisp visuals powered by the custom AMD Zen 2 processor and RDNA 2 GPU. The difference between them comes down to the disc drive — the standard model includes one, while the Digital Edition relies entirely on digital downloads.
For those who want top-tier performance, the PS5 Pro is also getting a rare $100 discount. It features upgraded specs and enhanced ray tracing for sharper graphics, along with improved cooling to handle more demanding titles. Whether you play cinematic single-player hits or fast-paced competitive games, the PS5 lineup remains one of the strongest options on the market for next-gen gaming.
Each console supports 4K output, 3D audio and access to PlayStation Plus, which unlocks online multiplayer and a rotating library of free games. The DualSense controller remains a highlight, with adaptive triggers and haptic feedback that make everything from racing to combat feel more immersive.
If you’re already set with a console, there are also a few solid accessory deals to consider for Black Friday. The DualSense Wireless Controller is down to $55, a $25 discount available in multiple colors. The premium DualSense Edge controller, which adds customizable buttons and replaceable stick modules, drops to $169 during Black Friday. Meanwhile, the PlayStation Portal — Sony’s portable Remote Player that lets you stream games from your PS5 — gets discounted to $179.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/black-friday-playstation-deals-that-are-still-live-ps5-consoles-are-100-off-plus-discounts-on-games-accessories-and-more-145622627.html?src=rss
The PlayStation Portal is the rare product that launched as a truly baffling device, but has evolved into something genuinely useful. At first, it could only stream games from your PlayStation 5, it lacked core features for a handheld like Bluetooth audio and it felt a bit overpriced at $200 for such a limited product. Add on the fact that home streaming can be notoriously unreliable, since it depends entirely on your ISP and home networking setup, and the Portal simply didn't make much sense. But in 2024 Sony finally added limited cloud streaming for PS Plus titles, and last week it went even further by letting you stream games you own directly from the cloud. All of a sudden, the PlayStation Portal doesn't seem so crazy after all.
It also helps that the Portal is still $200 (or less at Gamestop and other retailers), while the cheapest Digital Edition PlayStation 5 has jumped to $500 (up from $400 at launch). Sure, it's still far from a perfect device, but at least it's more functional and significantly less than the PS5 today. Just be aware you'll need to subscribe to the $18 a month (or $160 a year) PlayStation Plus Premium plan to access the cloud streaming features.
While my hardware frustrations with the PlayStation Portal remain (more on those later), I can't deny that it's a genuinely great handheld for streaming games from the cloud. Jumping into Ghost of Yotei typically takes between 15 to 30 seconds, and it often loads directly into the game world if I'm continuing from a recent session. The game also plays smoothly, with no noticeable stuttering or lag, and I can still choose between the graphics-heavy 30 fps modes or the smoother 60 fps performance option. It's far from the ideal way to play Ghost of Yotei, which demands an enormous screen and capable speakers, but it's fine in a pinch.
In comparison, using Remote Play to access my PlayStation 5 Pro remains as headache-inducing as it did when the PS Portal launched. The handheld can't consistently wake up the PS5 Pro from standby mode, so I'm forced to turn on the console manually if I ever plan to use the Portal. If my PS5 Pro is on, the Portal can typically connect in around five seconds, and it takes another five to ten seconds to launch Ghost of Yotei. Gameplay is typically smooth via Remote Play, but there's occasional stuttering that can interfere with intense combat sequences.
PlayStation Portal playing Ghost of Yotei.
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
My main issue with the PlayStation Portal at launch was that I simply couldn't trust it. Sometimes it would let me remotely connect to my console with no problems, and sometimes it would simply refuse. I've got a fairly robust Wi-Fi 6 networking setup and AT&T gigabit fiber, so my connectivity shouldn't be much of an issue. But clearly something about my networking configuration doesn't play well with the Portal for Remote Play, even if I connect my PS5 Pro via Ethernet.
Strangely enough, the PlayStation Portal is far more reliable at streaming games from servers thousands of miles away than it is remotely connecting to the console a few dozen feet away from me. That just goes to show how far cloud streaming has come — it practically feels like local gameplay now. I suppose that shouldn't be too surprising for Sony, since it's only pumping out 1080p streams. NVIDIA's GeForce Now has proven it's possible to stream PC games in 4K, so long as you have gobs of bandwidth to support it.
The best thing I can say about the PlayStation Portal now is that I can finally trust it — up to a point, anyway. I had no trouble signing onto its streaming servers to play Ghost of Yotei and Spider-Man 2 on my home network, and I was also able to stream games while tethering on my phone. But the Portal remains a useless device if you're stuck somewhere without decent internet access. You can forget about using it on a plane, even with fast in-flight Wi-Fi, or at hotels with crummy internet and no cellular reception.
Spider-Man 2 on the PlayStation Portal
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
Given its need for decent connectivity and its clunky design, the PlayStation Portal also remains a terrible gaming option on the go. You'll need to find a large case to fit the Portal's huge controller and delicate display, a combination that really does look like a tablet shoved between Sony's DualSense gamepads. It's simply smarter to travel with the slimmer Switch 2, and I'd argue even the massive Steam Deck is easier to stuff into a backpack. And it’s worth noting you can also use apps on the Steam Deck to Remote Play from your console, and you can install the PlayStation Plus Windows app to stream games from the cloud.
I'm also still annoyed that Sony didn't include Bluetooth connectivity in the Portal. If you want wireless audio, you'll either have to use Sony's Pulse Explore earbuds or Pulse Elite headphones. You'll have to plug in a separate Bluetooth receiver if you want to use AirPods or any other wireless headphones. You'll definitely want to invest in some sort of audio solution if you plan to game on the Portal for long sessions, since its tinny speakers simply can't do justice to Ghost of Yotei's immersive soundscape.
Not surprisingly, cloud gaming didn’t change the Portal’s battery life much. I still saw between four and five hours of play time (broken into dad-friendly chunks, of course). And if you’re on some sort of marathon session, you can always plug in to charge. Since the Portal isn’t using any local hardware to power games — it’s really just decoding video and pushing data over its network connection — you can also expect more reliable battery life than other handhelds. The Switch 2, for example, could last between two to six hours, depending on what you’re playing.
While I still can’t wholeheartedly recommend the PlayStation Portal to every gamer, its latest updates make it a more viable option for PlayStation diehards. Maybe you’ll have better luck with Remote Play than me. And if you’re already a PS Plus subscriber, it’s the easiest way to access Sony’s cloud infrastructure. Or, like Engadget’s Jeff Dunn, it could also be the ideal way to game while you juggle the struggles of being a new parent. At the very least, the Portal is no longer truly baffling, but it’s also still not a Vita 2.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/playstation-portal-in-2025-from-home-streaming-dud-to-cloud-streaming-star-130000144.html?src=rss
Sony had some new hardware to reveal during its State of Play Japan showcase on Tuesday. Along with a refreshed Japanese-only PS5 Digital Edition, the company unveiled an official PlayStation monitor that you can also hook your PC up to. It’s a 27-inch QHD display with a 240Hz refresh rate and support for HDR and variable refresh rate. However, the refresh rate is limited to 120Hz when you’re playing PS5 games.
What’s more, the monitor has a charging hook. It folds down from the rear of the display and you can place your DualSense controller on it, so you’re ready to play whenever the mood strikes. The monitor will be available in the US and Japan sometime next year. Sony hasn’t revealed how much it will cost.
The monitor follows the Pulse Elevate portable desktop speakers that Sony announced back in September. These will work with PC, Mac, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation Portal and are set to arrive in 2026 as well.
The new hardware seems to be part of the company’s push to become more of a player in PC gaming. For instance, the company recently made it possible to pair a DualSense controller with more than one device at a time, making it easier to switch the connection from a PS5 to a PC and vice-versa.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-made-an-official-240hz-playstation-monitor-with-a-built-in-dualsense-charging-hook-230659339.html?src=rss
It's been just over a year since Sony launched the updated PS5 Slim and PS5 Pro consoles, so how's that going given Sony's pessimistic outlook in May? Pretty well, judging by the company's latest earnings report. Sony sold more PlayStation 5s last quarter than it did a year ago (3.9 million compared to 3.8 million), boosting total PS5 sales to 84.2 million since launch. Sony also expects more revenue from its gaming (G&NS) division than it previously forecast.
Back in May, Sony predicted a ¥100 billion ($700 million) hit to revenue in fiscal year 2025 due to tariffs, given that most of its sales occur in the US. Another key blow was the delay of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto VI launch that was first pushed back to May 2026 and was recently delayed again until November 19, 2026.
However, Sony now expects to sell more hardware than it thought and make ¥4.47 trillion in gaming revenue ($29 billion) for its full year ending March 31, 2026 — up ¥150 billion ($973 million) from its last forecast. That figure, would be slightly below its full year 2024 sales of ¥4.670 trillion ($30.3 billion), but it's still impressive for a nearly five year old console that has seen multiple price hikes. .
In terms of game sales, the main highlight was Ghost of Yotei, which sold 3.3 million units as of November 2, 2025, just a month after it launched. The company sold 6.3 million first-party games across PS5 and PS4 (up one million compared to last year) and 80.3 million games total.
As for PlayStation Network, monthly active users hit 119 million, up 3 million from last year at this time. Sony doesn't break out PS Plus Premium subscribers, but that service just launched a new feature that lets you stream games you own over the cloud on the PlayStation Portal.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-has-sold-842-million-playstation-5s-since-launch-123004469.html?src=rss
Sony is bringing things home with State of Play Japan. The "special episode" will feature the same type of PlayStation gaming announcements as a typical State of Play broadcast, but with a focus solely on Japan and Asia.
While we don't know exactly what Sony will unveil, it promises 40 minutes of everything "from beloved series to distinctive indie creations, the show, hosted by voice actor Yuki Kaji, will be packed with great games, interviews, and new looks at anticipated titles." Maybe if we all think hard enough we can manifest updates on Phantom Blade Zero or Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, which we first learned about at Playstation's State of Play in June.
The whole show will air in Japanese on the PlayStation YouTube channel for Japan, but the general PlayStation YouTube channel will show State of Play Japan with English subtitles.
Catch State of Play Japan live on Tuesday, November 11 at 2PM PT / 5pm ET.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/how-to-watch-playstations-state-of-play-japan-tomorrow-140519040.html?src=rss
When it was first announced, the PlayStation Portal was sort of a joke. The Nintendo Switch was a megahit, and many PlayStation fans had long hoped Sony would respond with a new handheld of its own. It did… in the form of a $200 peripheral that can only stream games over the internet and required you to already own a PlayStation 5. Instead of a successor to the beloved yet famously neglected PlayStation Vita, we got the PlayStation version of the Wii U GamePad.
My colleague Devindra Hardawar called it “baffling” in our PlayStation Portal review, and many of his criticisms still stand two years later. I was happy to ignore the Portal as a result. Besides, I already owned a bunch of devices that covered every way I wanted to play. The PS5 and PC were for the “pretty” games I want to sit and revel in on my monitor, while the Switch and Steam Deck were for playing away from my desk. This combination worked for me.
Then, a few months ago, my wife and I had our first child. She is wonderful, and we are happy. But life pre-kids is often incongruous with life post-kids. My old routines and any pretense of personal time are gone. And while this might be the single least important aspect of my life that’s changed since becoming a father, the whiplash of going from “mid-30s man who spends too much time thinking about video games” to “mid-30s man who wants to enjoy his hobby but is now responsible for raising a kid” has completely turned me around on the Portal, which my wife gifted to me a few months prior to our baby’s birth.
To be clear, I’m not here jonesing to play games all day instead of bonding with my daughter. But every parent needs a break sometimes, and whatever “free” time I get these days is inherently staggered. It’s not just the usual changing, feeding, tummy-time monitoring and diaper pail maintenance; it’s the 20-30 minutes of prep and clean-up that often comes with each of those. Topping up the formula dispenser here, running out for more wipes and baby laundry detergent there. Spending 10 minutes pedaling her legs so she can get a fart out.
Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
All of this has been much more fun than it sounds, but for gaming purposes, it means I’ve almost exclusively switched to things I can play in short bursts. It’s been a lot of Balatro, a lot of clearly timed multiplayer games like Rocket League, plus some slower, single-player games that let you save and quit at any time. These kinds of games have always been best suited to handhelds, and are thus the ones the Portal has helped me enjoy again when we get the baby to bed.
Yes, I could just use the Switch or Steam Deck. But I dropped $500 on this damn PS5 back in 2020. I have more games in my PlayStation library than any other platform. I want to (slowly) make my way through exclusives like Ghost of Yotei. I don’t want my fancy console to collect dust, and as silly as it sounds, finding the energy to sit at my desk and give my full attention to a game is difficult after a day of work and parenting. Most nights I’d prefer to unspool on the couch with my wife, and I need to be nearby to lend a hand or change a diaper. The Portal has allowed me to do this, and it’s kept my PlayStation from turning into a funky-looking paperweight in the process.
The Portal fills this niche mostly by just being a handheld device, but it has its own benefits. The controls are fantastic, essentially splitting a normal PS5 controller in half. They give everything an “official” feel that you just can’t replicate with a smartphone controller like a Backbone. I wish the 8-inch display had a more color-rich OLED panel, but it’s still good for an LCD, roomier than my phone’s screen and sharp enough at 1080p. I’m a wired headphone guy, so I can live with its lack of Bluetooth audio, as asinine as that is. And while I’m no longer paying $160 per year for PlayStation Plus Premium, those that do can now stream certain games directly from the cloud without having to boot up their console. That worked fine in the short time I tried it.
The back of the PlayStation Portal.
Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
My experience with the Portal is entirely predicated on the fact that I live in a modest apartment with decent Wi-Fi. It’s still a streaming device, so there’ve been some hiccups here and there. Using it for shooters or fighting gamesis just asking for frustration, and things start to destabilize if we have several streams going in the house at once. But under normal conditions, I’ve been able to play competitive multiplayer games like Rematch without ruinous lag, and I just haven’t had the crushing connection issues some folks have suffered through with single-player fare. As long as I keep the PS5 in rest mode, everything turns on and eventually works as it should.
It’s a weird one: I still wouldn’t recommend the Portal to most PS5 owners, nor would I change all that much about our initial review. Of course, receiving it as a gift skews my perspective. Yet it’s made it easier to fit some games into my new life all the same. Looking after an infant has been one of my greatest joys, but it’s undeniably exhausting. With the Portal, I can still enjoy a platform I’ve heavily invested in — provided I don’t pass out first.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/the-playstation-portal-is-still-flawed-but-ive-learned-to-love-it-as-a-new-dad-120000850.html?src=rss
Nintendo has been a bit more focused on mobile apps in recent years, having released the likes of Nintendo Today! and Nintendo Music (not to mention games like Fire Emblem Shadows). Its latest one is Nintendo Store, which is out now on iOS and Android. This is a reimagining of the My Nintendo app the company debuted in Japan in 2020.
You can use the app to browse consoles, physical and digital games, accessories and merch. To complete a purchase, you’ll need to tap through to the product page on an in-app browser.
Nintendo says the app will keep you up-to-date on news about games, events and more. It can notify you when items on your wishlist go on sale too. If you go to a physical Nintendo store or event, you can use the app to check in and receive rewards.
There’s another intriguing feature here: a way to view your play time for any game across Nintendo’s last few consoles, including the 3DS and Wii U. You’ll have to link your Nintendo Network ID to your Nintendo Account to see your Wii U and 3DS data, but play activity on those systems after February 2020 isn’t factored in.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/an-official-nintendo-store-app-hits-ios-and-android-151733629.html?src=rss
Slowly but surely, Sony has been transforming the initially limited PlayStation Portal into a viable handheld for PS5 gamers, albeit only those with a solid internet connection. What launched as a strictly remote play device eventually got unlocked for cloud streaming, with PS Plus Premium members able to play select Game Catalog games without needing to connect to a PS5. And from 6am PT today, you can also stream select digital PS5 games that you own on the Portal.
Again, you’ll need to have a PS Plus Premium membership to take advantage of the new features, but once signed up to the most expensive tier of Sony’s subscription service you’ll be able to stream the likes of Astro Bot, Borderlands 4, Final Fantasy VII Rebirthand Ghost of Yotei, which are among the the thousands of games supported at launch. Naturally some of the games in your library will probably be on PS Plus as cloud-streamable games already, but newer first-party games like several of those mentioned above aren't.
You could, of course, already also play all of these games on the Portal over remote play from your PS5. But now that the device has been untethered from the main console, it gets a little bit closer to the dedicated go-anywhere PlayStation handheld everyone wants. That's provided you have a decent enough Wi-Fi connection to get a good quality stream.
Alongside the new cloud streaming functionality, the Portal has a new home screen that adds a search tab for quickly finding games that are available to stream. The latest update also adds 3D audio support for supported games on both remote play and cloud streams when using wired headphones or one of Sony’s proprietary PlayStation Link headsets. You can also now add a passcode lock to the device, while a new network status screen is available in the Quick menu.
Sony now allows you to make in-game purchases while streaming games over the cloud without leaving a session, and if you have a friend playing the same game you’re streaming, you can receive invites and join their game from the Quick menu.
Sony seems intent on the PlayStation Portal plugging the gap between now and the PS6, which could reportedly arrive in the next two years alongside a powerful complementary handheld device that might beat out the ROG Xbox Ally X in the specs department. A next-generation native PlayStation handheld remains the dream, but in the meantime, the Portal is a lot more appealing than it was a few years ago.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/you-can-now-stream-ps5-games-you-own-over-the-cloud-on-the-playstation-portal-135025829.html?src=rss
It hasn't been a good year for Xbox so far. Microsoft has released its earnings report for the quarter ending on September 30, and it has revealed that its revenue from the Xbox hardware fell by 30 percent year-over-year. Take note that the revenue decline doesn't reflect any dip in sales caused by the console's $20-to-$70 price hike, since that took effect on October 3. Similarly, Microsoft only raised the price for its Game Pass Ultimate subscription from $20 to $30 in October.
Meanwhile, revenue from Xbox content and services remained relatively unchanged from the same period last year. Microsoft says it saw growth from Xbox subscriptions and third-party content, but it was "partially offset" by the decline in first-party gaming content.
The Xbox division was one of the most affected teams when Microsoft started cutting down its global workforce earlier this year, with the company cancelling games that were being developed for the console. Microsoft scrapped the modern reimagining of Perfect Dark, a first-person shooter from the year 2000, and even closed down the Xbox studio working on it. The company also cancelled Everwild, a project that had long been in development by Xbox studio Rare, also in the midst of its mass layoffs.
Overall, Microsoft's $77.7 billion revenue was 17 percent higher compared to the same period last year, and its operating income was up by 22 percent. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella posted a few highlights about the company's earnings call on X, mostly focusing on its AI efforts. He said that the company will increase its AI capacity by 80 percent this year and will double its data center footprint over the next two.
2/ We’re building a planet-scale cloud and AI factory.
We’ll increase our AI capacity by 80% this year, and nearly double our DC footprint over the next two.
That includes Fairwater in Wisconsin, the world’s most powerful AI datacenter, which will scale to two gigawatts alone.…
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-console-revenue-fell-30-percent-year-over-year-this-summer-012245146.html?src=rss
