Tag Archives: Video Games

Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer arrives early, but the game won’t until 2025

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Rockstar has released the trailer of Grand Theft Auto VI, the next game in the blockbuster video game franchise a day earlier than expected. Unfortunately you'll have to wait until at least some point in 2025 to play it. 

It's been a decade since Rockstar Games released Grand Theft Auto V. While fans have been more than able to keep themselves busy with GTA Online and a few re-releases, they've been waiting patiently (or impatiently) for more single-player action. The wait now has a theoretical end with Rockstar revealing the first official look at the game and a 2025 release window.

As indicated by a recent teaser image, leaks and various rumors, GTA VI will be set in Leonida, Rockstar's take on Florida, and largely centered on Vice City, the series' stand in for Miami. Given that the trailer features a ton of Instagram-style live streaming, GTA VI seems to be a contemporary game, rather than one set in the '80s like 2002's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. It remains to be seen if those streams are an integral game mechanic, purely narrative tool or just an aesthetic choice for the trailer, though.

It also appears that the game will have a playable female character, Lucia, for the first time in the modern incarnation of the franchise, just as the rumors predicted. Other highlights of the trailer include Florida's swampy Everglades National Park, an airboat, some wildlife and, of course, a strip club. 

There's almost zero detail about the broader story of GTA VI, other than Lucia being in prison, presumably at the start of the game. But there are plenty of glimpses of the kind of shenanigans you'll be able to get up to, including your usual robberies and car chases. There's also brief shot of an alligator wandering into gas station store — gut instinct says your character might be behind that. Unfortunately it'll be over a year before we know for sure. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/rockstar-just-released-a-trailer-for-grand-theft-auto-vi-233306692.html?src=rss

The Game Awards raises an old question: What does indie mean?

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The Game Awards got it wrong this year. One of the titles nominated for Best Independent Game, Dave the Diver, was produced by Nexon, one of the largest video game studios in South Korea. No matter how hard you squint, it is not indie. Dave the Diver is an excellent pixel-art game about deep-sea fishing and restaurant management, but it was commissioned and bankrolled by Nexon subsidiary Mintrocket, with billions of dollars and decades of experience at its back.

When The Game Awards nominees were announced on November 13, fans were quick to point out the error, and the recurring debate over what “indie” means was reignited. Taehwan Kim, Nexon’s overseer of Mintrocket, weighed in on November 14, saying Dave the Diver “may look like an indie, but it's not necessarily the case.” The official tweet listing the nominees for Best Independent Game now carries a reader-generated context tag reading, “Dave the Diver is not an indie game. Mintrocket, the game's developer, is a subsidiary of Korea's biggest game company Nexon. They are not independent in any sense of the word.”

Dave the Diver
Nexon

A discussion around the definition of “indie” bubbled up throughout November, but it raised more questions than it answered. One common conclusion was that the media outlets who voted Dave the Diver into the independent category were fooled by its pixel art, a style that’s associated with indie games. During a live Q&A on Twitch on November 26, The Game Awards organizer Geoff Keighley argued that “independent” was a broad term with an unknowable definition, before essentially saying Dave the Diver’s inclusion in the indie category was the jury’s fault.

Specifically, Keighley said the following: “It’s independent in spirit and [it’s] a small game with a, I don’t know what the budget is, but it's probably a relatively small-budget game. But it is from a larger entity, whereas there are other games on that list that are from much smaller studios. Even like Dredge I think is published by Team17, so is that independent or not because you have a publisher? It’s a really complicated thing to figure out and come up with strict rules around it, so kinda we let people use their best judgment. And you can agree or disagree with the choices, but the fact that Dave the Diver was on that list meant that, out of all the independent games the jury looked at, or what they thought were independent games, that was one of the top five they looked at this year.”

The jury comprises 120 media outlets (Engadget has traditionally been one of these, but we did not participate in voting this year and look what happened), so Keighley is chalking the mistake up to mass hysteria and moving on. Meanwhile, there’s still little consensus on what constitutes an indie game, at The Game Awards or elsewhere.

Dave the Diver
Nexon

I’ve reported on video games for 13 years and indies are a central theme of my coverage. I ran The Joystiq Indie Pitch back in the day, and I’ve made a concerted effort to write about smaller games from creators working outside of the mainstream machine, because these are the experiences that speak to me personally. The indie scene is the source of the industry’s magic. This isn’t just a debate about language — “indie” is a distinction that identifies which games and teams need outside support to survive and expand on their innovations. Understanding the label can help players make decisions about where to spend their money, the lifeblood of any game-development studio.

All that to say, the debate over the definition of “indie” is not new, but it is constantly changing, and it’s something I’ve spent a lot of time contemplating. So, I’m here to offer guidance on the question of what makes an indie game or studio indie. It is a weirdly complicated topic and my approach is one of many, but the loose framework I use could help resolve some common, recurring arguments. 

Basically — it’s all about the system, man.

I’m joking, but also I’m not. Generally, when I’m trying to decide whether something is actually indie, I rotate through three questions:

  1. Is the team on the mainstream system’s payroll?

  2. Is the game or team owned by a platform holder?

  3. Do the artists have creative control?

The first question is about identifying where a studio’s money is coming from and what kind of support a game has outside of sales. If a team is wholly owned by another company of any size, it is not indie. We’re not talking about publishing deals; this opening question is about acquisitions or subsidiaries of bigger studios. Dave the Diver is a prime example here — it’s developed by Mintrocket, a subsidiary of Nexon that was created just to develop more contained, experimental games for the publisher. Dave the Diver is definitely not indie, and we’re only on question one.

The second query feeds into the first, and it’s helpful in making fine distinctions about games that exist in gray areas. What about something like Cyberpunk 2077? It’s a big-budget game built by CD Projekt RED (CDPR) — a studio that, at first glance, seems like it could be indie. However, there are two factors that take it out of the running for me. First, CD Projekt, the umbrella organization that supports CDPR’s game-making, is a publicly traded company with shareholders and a board to answer to. Second, CD Projekt is the owner of GOG, a distribution hub that allows the studio to sell its own games and DLC outside of Steam and the Epic Games Store. This ability to sell directly to players at massive scale takes CD Projekt out of the indie realm. Generally, companies with the most influence and money are console makers and platform holders like Valve, Xbox, PlayStation, Epic Games, Ubisoft, EA, and, yes, CD Projekt. They are the AAA system, and anything they own is not indie.

Dave the Diver
Nexon

Lastly, on to publishers. Sorry, Keighley, but securing a publisher has very little to do with whether a game is indie nowadays. We’re blessed in 2023 to have a thriving indie industry constantly pushing against the AAA complex with different goals, more diverse voices and a broader sense of innovation — and publishing is a big part of this system. Today, indie-focused publishers (of which there are many) tend to include clauses that protect a developer’s creative vision, preventing the larger company from interfering with artistic decisions and keeping the game indie to the core. Once upon a time, it might’ve made sense to only consider self-published games indie, but that era is long gone.

The indie scene has evolved massively since the early 2010s, when games like Braid, Super Meat Boy and Fez were carving out the market’s modern form. Back then, self-publishing was all the rage for independent developers because it was often their only option, and as a result there were more distinct lines between AAA, AA and indie games. Devolver Digital found its first breakout hit as an indie publisher with Hotline Miami in 2012, and that’s around the time the floodgates opened. In 2014, as the industry’s largest companies started funding and publishing programs for them, the number of indie games skyrocketed across platforms including Steam (remember Greenlight?), the App Store, Xbox, PlayStation and Ouya (RIP).

Today, indie games come standard on every console. There are multiple indie-focused publishers, including Devolver, Annapurna Interactive, Panic, Raw Fury, Team17 and Netflix, and most of them offer complete creative freedom as a main selling point. Meanwhile, platform holders like Sony and Xbox are hungry to sign distribution deals with developers of all sizes in an effort to score exclusives and pad their streaming libraries. It’s the most stable (and crowded) the indie scene has ever been. Having a publisher has no bearing on whether a game is indie.

Being owned by a publisher, however, changes everything (see question one). This is more of a concern than ever, as platform holders like Microsoft, Sony and Epic Games have recently been buying studios they like, no matter their size. Hell, even Devolver has dipped its toes in the acquisition pond recently — which, yeah, means those teams are no longer indie.

Dave the Diver
Nexon

The “indie” label is transitory. Certain studios can be indie but an individual game may not be, and plenty of small companies flow between states as they age and take advantage of growth opportunities. Bungie, for example, started out as an independent outfit, then it was absorbed by the AAA complex under Xbox, and then it broke free and was briefly indie again, before Sony pulled it back into the mainstream system’s cold embrace.

So, yeah, that's my way of determining if a game or studio is indie. By all means, take my triplet of questions and have fun trying to break the logic — it probably won't take long. There is no perfect structure here and there are plenty of outliers within my own framework. Alan Wake II, according to my questions, would be considered an indie game — but its developer, Remedy Entertainment, is a publicly traded company, which brings shareholders and a board of directors. This pushes the studio and the game into The System for me, but honestly, I’m still unsure about those labels as I type this. That’s OK — when all else fails, look inside your game-loving soul and ask, can this team exist without my support? (Alan Wake II, for what it’s worth, is a delicious and unique experience that’s worth playing, regardless of your feelings on Remedy's shareholders).

Does Mintrocket need my support to keep Dave the Diver and its creative team going? Probably not, and definitely not in the same way as Larian Studios, the independent developer and publisher of Baldur’s Gate 3. Baldur’s Gate 3 is an excellent, expansive 3D adventure from an indie studio and it’s up for Game of the Year at The Game Awards, but it was snubbed in the Best Independent Game category. Meanwhile, Dave the Diver, a cute title backed by billions of dollars, is up for the indie award, but not Game of the Year. It seems like The Game Awards jury made the classic mistake of seeing pixel art and immediately calling it indie. That’s an unforced error, but it reveals one point where we can all agree:

Indie is not an aesthetic.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-game-awards-raises-an-old-question-what-does-indie-mean-205211035.html?src=rss

Call of Duty games start landing on NVIDIA GeForce Now

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One of the major concessions Microsoft made to regulators to get its blockbuster acquisition of Activision Blizzard over the line was agreeing to let users of third-party cloud services stream Xbox-owned games. Starting today, you can play three Call of Duty games via NVIDIA GeForce Now: Modern Warfare 3, Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone.

They're the first Activision games to land on GeForce Now since Microsoft closed the $68.7 billion Activision deal in October. Activision Blizzard games were previously available on GeForce Now but only briefly, as the publisher pulled them days after the streaming service went live for all users in early 2020.

Microsoft first made its first-party games available on GeForce Now this year, beginning with Gears 5 in May. More recently, Microsoft started allowing GeForce Now users to stream PC Game Pass titles and Microsoft Store purchases.

Call of Duty titles are major additions, though, especially since that means Warzone fans can play the battle royale on their phone or tablet wherever they are without having to pay anything extra (free GeForce Now users are limited to one hour of gameplay per session). If you've bought MW2 or MW3 on Steam, you can play those through GeForce Now as well. NVIDIA notes that older CoD titles will be available through GeForce Now later.

Another key concession Microsoft made to appease UK regulators was to sell the cloud gaming rights for Activision Blizzard titles to Ubisoft. However, as evidenced here, Microsoft will still honor the agreements it made directly with various cloud gaming services.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/call-of-duty-games-start-landing-on-nvidia-geforce-now-195040692.html?src=rss

Super Mario 64 Reimagined as First Person VR Game for Quest 3

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Redditor yeldellmedia recently showed off footage showing what a first-person version of Super Mario 64 might look like using the Meta Quest 3 virtual reality system. It looks like a good time. Will Nintendo actually make a VR version of a Mario game? Probably not until they develop their own VR headset, and it becomes the must-have but impossible-to-get toy for like three Christmases in a row.

In the video on Reddit, you can see the player in front of Princess Peach’s castle wandering around and interacting with objects, including Mario’s hat. Unfortunately, in its current state, not all of the in-game objects are interactive yet, so it’s more just imagining what the game might look like.

Would I live in a virtual reality version of the Mushroom Kingdom? There’s no question. Of course, they would need to mod the game further to include a snack bar and toilet in every other level so I don’t forget to eat and go to the bathroom in real life. Otherwise, I might find myself crouching over a warp pipe to do my business, and knowing my luck, it would be a pipe inhabited by a piranha plant.

[via Reddit]

Netflix is adding the GTA Trilogy to its games library on December 14

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Netflix continues to bet big on gaming. The streamer just announced that Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition will hit its platform on December 14. The game will be free to play for Netflix subscribers, like the rest of its library. Each of the three titles included in the collection have been updated for mobile. These games include the iconic Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. They'll be playable via the Netflix app, but also available as standalone apps on Android and iOS.

The gameplay’s a bit dated by modern standards but Grand Theft Auto III basically invented the open-world genre, and the sequels further refined the model. Many players actually point to San Andreas as being a high watermark for the series, even outpacing more recent titles. In any event, this trilogy can hold you over until the eventual release of Grand Theft Auto VI. To that end, the forthcoming Rockstar sequel should be getting a trailer any day now.

Netflix has been snagging all kinds of games for its ever-growing library, from the massively popular roguelike Hades to the equally popular, uh, roguelike Dead Cells. The platform’s library also includes Braid, Death’s Door, Katana Zero and other hit indies.

The company’s also developing its own games, thanks to snatching up developer Night School, the team behind Oxenfree and Afterparty. This acquisition has already borne fruit, as Oxenfree II: Lost Signals released earlier this year to wide acclaim. Incidentally, the sequel isn’t stuck on Netflix, as it’s also available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5 and PC via Steam. So the streamer might not be using games as just a way to lure in new subscribers. Netflix could be in it for the long haul.

Beyond Oxenfree II, other original games to hit the platform include Slayaway Camp 2: Netflix & Kill and a whole lot of titles based on pre-existing TV shows. There’s a game based on the recently-canceled fantasy epic Shadow and Bone and forthcoming titles inspired by Money Heist and The Dragon Prince, among others.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/netflix-is-adding-the-gta-trilogy-to-its-games-library-on-december-14-190357966.html?src=rss

December’s PlayStation Plus monthly games include Sable and PowerWash Simulator

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Sony has revealed the PlayStation Plus monthly games lineup for December, and it’s a doozy. There’s no clear headliner here, but a trio of interesting games are about to drop, including the gorgeous open-world exploration game Sable and the cleaning-based tour de force Powerwash Simulator.

First up, there’s Sable, a game that was on everyone’s radar for years before an official release, thanks to the eye-catching graphical style. The "coming-of-age adventure and exploration game” casts you as the titular hero Sable as you ride a hoverbike through vast deserts and mysterious landscapes, encountering the remains of spaceships and other ancient artifacts. The art style is incredible and the soundtrack is by Japanese Breakfast, if that’s your bag (and it should be.) The game’s only available for PS5.

Powerwash Simulator, as the name suggests, is a cleaning sim that has you clearing grime from just about anything you can think of, from Back to the Future’s Delorean to Final Fantasy VII’s Midgar. Most of the game, however, takes place in the town of Muckingham and boasts plenty of upgrade options for your power washer and the ability to play with friends via online co-op. The gameplay is relaxing, though more complex than it lets on at first. It’s available for both PS4 and PS5.

Finally, there’s Lego 2K Drive. This is an open-world driving game comprised entirely of Lego vehicles. There are races just about everywhere you look and, of course, the ability to make your own vehicles by connecting virtual blocks. There’s local couch co-op and online play, with the latter allowing access to the entire game map. Both PS4 and PS5 players can access this game.

It’s also worth noting that some games are about to leave the service, so get those downloads ready. PlayStation Plus members have until December 4 to snag Mafia II: Definitive Edition, Dragon Ball: The Breakers and Aliens Fireteam Elite.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/decembers-playstation-plus-monthly-games-include-sable-and-powerwash-simulator-174319553.html?src=rss

Cyber Monday deal brings the Xbox Series X down to a record low of $400 on Amazon

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There are tons of great gaming deals floating around this Cyber Monday but few are better than one we've spotted for the Xbox Series X. After you apply a $49 coupon at Amazon, Microsoft's most powerful gaming console is available for $400. That's a record low price for the system — you could even put the savings toward a few months of Game Pass access. You'll probably need to act quickly if you're interested, though. There's no telling when this deal will vanish.

Along with the PlayStation 5 (which has its own Cyber Monday Deals), the Xbox Series X is your top choice for a current game console. There are a few factors to consider when buying a gaming system. If you need something more portable, a Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck is the way to go. If you prefer Sony's formula of polished single-player adventures like The Last of Us or Spider-Man, the PlayStation 5 is likely your best option. Still, it's hard to beat the combination of power, 4K gaming, game library and price that the Xbox Series X offers.

The value of an Xbox Series X gets even better if you have an Xbox Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate subscription. Xbox Game Pass ($11 per month) grants you access to a vast library of games on your console, including third-party titles. You'll be able to play every first-party game at no extra cost on its release day too. Game Pass Ultimate ($17 per month) adds online multiplayer and access to the PC Game Pass library, Xbox Cloud Gaming and EA Play (i.e. an extra batch of games from that publisher).

Xbox Game Pass includes hundreds of titles from major first-party games like the Halo series, Starfield, Minecraft, Doom Eternal and Forza Horizon 5 to stellar indies such as Hollow Knight, Jusant, Celeste and Cocoon. There are plenty of big-time third-party games available through the subscription too, including Assassin’s Creed Origins, Mortal Kombat 11, Madden NFL 23 and Grand Theft Auto V.

Best of all, you won't need to wait for those to download to your Xbox Series X if you have a Game Pass Ultimate subscription. You can check many of them out via cloud streaming to decide whether it's worth downloading them.

Your Cyber Monday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Cyber Monday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Cyber Monday tech deals. Learn about Cyber Monday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Cyber Monday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Cyber Monday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cyber-monday-deal-brings-the-xbox-series-x-down-to-a-record-low-of-400-on-amazon-185303684.html?src=rss

PS5 Cyber Monday sale 2023: Deals on a console bundle with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 included

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The PlayStation 5 has been around for three years, if you can believe that. If you don't already have Sony's current console, there are some solid deals that might tempt you to take the plunge. The system is $50 off at GameStop with some caveats, but if you're planning to play Marvel's Spider-Man 2 or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, there are bundles at Amazon that might make more sense for you. You can buy the new, slimmer PS5 model and either game for $499. In other words, you'll be getting a $70 game you might have already been planning to check out for free.

While many folks found it difficult to get their hands on the PS5 during the console's first couple of years, Sony has smoothed out the supply issues. Both the standard and all-digital versions of the console are readily available. Sony released updated models that are slimmer and lighter earlier this month.

The PS5 is a great console and an excellent entry point for those looking to get into modern gaming. It's certainly a worthwhile upgrade from the PlayStation 4 at this point. While we've seen many major games hit both PS4 and PS5 over the last few years, publishers and developers are making more titles exclusive to the current generation of consoles.

Sony's current system has a fantastic controller in the DualSense. When a game embraces the feature fully, the vibrations of the haptic feedback add an extra level of immersion. A high-end version of the controller is available for serious competitive players, while the highly customizable, accessibility minded Access controller will be available in December.

The PS5 is capable of delivering impressive visuals at framerates of up to 120 fps. While the library of games perhaps wasn't the most enticing at the outset, there's now a ton of great titles available for the console (nearly every PS4 game is playable on PS5 too).

On that note, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is an excellent followup to the previous games in the series, Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales. You'll switch between Peter Parker and Miles Morales as the two superheroes attempt to (what else?) stop bad guys with nefarious plans. Hot tip: don't skip the side missions. These include some truly lovely stories and they offer a nice break from the main missions.

As for Modern Warfare 3, the campaign is underbaked, but let's face it: you're probably more likely to be interested in the multiplayer and/or zombies modes. Multiplayer has a major nostalgia factor as it includes all of the launch maps from 2009's original Modern Warfare 2. In addition, for the first time in the Call of Duty series, almost all of your gear will carry over from last year's game, the rebooted Modern Warfare 2.

Meanwhile, if you'd prefer just to have a discount on the standard PS5 model, you can snap one up from GameStop for $450, or $50 off. There are a few things to keep in mind here. The discount is for the original, beefier model and it only applies if you opt for same-day delivery ($13) or in-store pick up (in which case GameStop will give you another $5 off). As such, you'll need to be close enough to a GameStop to be eligible.

Your Cyber Monday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Cyber Monday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Cyber Monday tech deals. Learn about Cyber Monday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Cyber Monday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Cyber Monday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ps5-cyber-monday-sale-2023-deals-on-a-console-bundle-with-marvels-spider-man-2-included-173911763.html?src=rss

The best Cyber Monday gaming deals for 2023 that are still live today

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Cyber Monday brought a truckload of deals on gaming gear for PCs, PS5, Xbox and Nintendo Switch — and while the big day has passed, many of those discounts are still available. If you want a hand in upgrading your setup, you still have time to do so, as there remain lower-than-usual prices on consoles, games, gaming monitors, mice, keyboards, headsets, handhelds, laptops and other accessories our gaming experts have tested, reviewed and recommended. Here are the best Cyber Monday gaming deals we could find that are still live today.

Cyber Monday gaming console deals

PlayStation 5

The PlayStation 5 remains $50 off and down to $450 at GameStop — though it still appears to require in-store pickup. This offer only applies to the older version of the PS5, not the smaller “slim” version that was announced last month. But discounts of any kind for Sony's console have been extremely rare since the device arrived in 2020, and there's no performance difference between the two models.

If stock for that deal completely runs dry, Sony is still offering a pair of bundles that do include the latest version of the console: one that comes with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and one that includes Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. You should go with the former while both are available: We called Spider-Man 2 a “perfectly balanced game” in our review, while Modern Warfare 3 has been roundly criticized as one of the most undercooked CoD entries in recent memory. Both games cost $70 on their own, so that’s what you’re saving here. 

As a refresher, Sony says the slim PS5 takes up 30 percent less volume than the original models and weighs up to three pounds less. It also has two USB-C ports instead of one. If the slim Spider-Man 2 bundle runs out of stock, Sony is running a similar deal with the older “fat” PS5 as well. That bundle is down to $480 at BJ's, while other retailers such as Amazon, Target, Best Buy, GameStop, and Walmart.

Nintendo Switch OLED

Nintendo’s main Switch OLED bundle for Cyber Monday is still live, too. As a refresher, this pairs the $350 console with a digital copy of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and a three-month individual subscription to Nintendo Switch Online for no extra cost. Smash Bros. arrived back in 2018, but it still tends to retail between $50 and $60 on its own, while the Switch Online sub normally goes for $8. This version of the console also comes with Smash Bros.-themed controllers.

We’ve seen the Switch OLED go for less in the past, so we’d have liked a more substantial discount — especially with a follow-up console reportedly on the horizon. But if you’re jumping on the Switch bandwagon late, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate remains one of the device’s best games, so there’s still value here. This bundle is available at GameStop, Walmart, Target, Best Buy and Nintendo.com.

Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite

Nintendo is selling a pair of holiday bundles for the $300 Switch and $200 Switch Lite as well: The former is available with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and the same three-month Switch Online sub as above, while the latter now comes with Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It’s really worth stepping up to the Switch OLED’s larger and more vivid display if you can swing it, but both of those games usually cost between $40 and $50 individually. Both make our roundup of the best Switch games as well.

Xbox Series X

Both Xbox consoles are still discounted as well. The Xbox Series X, for one, is still on sale for $440 at Walmart and Microsoft as part of a bundle that also includes the (divisive) action-RPG Diablo IV. That’s a rare $60 drop for the console itself, while the game goes for $70 (though it’s currently on sale for $42). Other stores like GameStop and Target have the bundle for $450. The Cyber Monday deal that brought the console down to a low of $400 no longer appears to be available, however.

Xbox Series S

As for the Xbox Series S, a “Starter Bundle” that packs the digital-only console with a three-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription is on sale for $240 at Microsoft. This isn't the lowest price we've seen for Microsoft's entry-level machine, but it's still a good $60 off its usual rate. The subscription normally costs $51 on its own. Other retailers like Walmart and Amazon have it for $250. If the bundle becomes unavailable, Microsoft has the console alone available for $60 off as well. 

Note that these offers apply to the older Series S with 512GB of storage, not the updated 1TB variant that Microsoft released earlier this year. If you're willing to pay more, Dell has that model on sale for $300. That's $50 off and one of the few discounts we've seen for the latest iteration of the device.

As a refresher, the Series S lacks a disc drive, and its lesser GPU and RAM count means it can’t hit high frame rates or a 4K resolution as consistently as the Series X. That gulf in power is starting to become more evident as time rolls on. But it can play all the same games, it’s physically smaller and, most importantly, it’s far more affordable if all you need is a cheap route into the Xbox library. 

Nintendo eShop gift card

Here's a simple one: Amazon currently has a $35 Nintendo eShop gift card on sale for $31.50, or 10 percent off. Nothing huge, then, but if you’re looking to pad your Switch game backlog or top up a Switch Online subscription anyway, it’s hard to complain about any little bit of (effectively) free money.

Cyber Monday Nintendo Switch game deals

We're still seeing some decent prices on titles we recommend in our guides to the best Switch games and best couch co-op games. The cutesy adventure game Luigi’s Mansion 3 is about $10 off at $40, for instance, while Kirby and the Forgotten Land is still available for a low of $39. Beyond that, the well-reviewed RPG Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is down to $39. The Nintendo eShop’s ongoing “Cyber Deals'' sale has several other discounts of note, including the Portal Companion Collection for a new low of $6.79. There still aren't significant discounts on newer games like Super Mario Bros. Wonder and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, though.

Cyber Monday Xbox game deals

For Xbox owners, Microsoft’s ongoing Cyber Monday sale still includes a number of picks from our guide to the best Xbox games. The rhythm-action game Hi-Fi Rush, for one, is at a low of $22.49, while the open-world racer Forza Horizon 5 is down to $29. The wonderfully written murder mystery Pentiment is about $7 off at $13.39, the Halo: Master Chief Collection is available for $10 and the third-person shooter Gears 5 is back down to $12. Older gems like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Prey are available for $3 each. And while our review wasn’t huge on Starfield, the Bethesda space RPG is now down to $56 digitally. Many of the multiplatform titles noted above are also on sale; just keep in mind that several of these games are also available with an Xbox Game Pass subscription.

Cyber Monday PS5 game deals

As for the PlayStation 5, most of the better deals we saw on Cyber Monday are no longer available, but the dramatic action-RPG Final Fantasy XVI is still down to $35, the well-reviewed turn-based RPG Octopath Traveler II is still available for $30, and Assassin's Creed Mirage remains $20 off at $40. Sony has also started an "End of Year Deals" sale with a few OK discounts on first-party games, including the wholesome action game Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and the open-world samurai game Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut for $30 each.

Cyber Monday PC game deals

PC gamers still have plenty of deals to shop through as well, albeit only for a few more hours in some cases. Steam is running its annual Autumn Sale through 1pm ET on November 28, while the Epic Games Store’s Cyber Monday sale, which includes a recurring coupon that takes 33 percent off eligible games when your cart totals $15 or more, ends at 11am ET on Tuesday. Humble and GOG are still running storewide promos as well.

These sales include literal decades of games between them, so it’s worth browsing the sales for yourself. One highlight, though, brings the trippy survival horror game Alan Wake 2 down to a new low of $33.49 when you use the aforementioned coupon at Epic. Beyond that, the action-RPG/management sim hybrid Dave the Diver is back at a low of $16, while the madcap platformer Pizza Tower is at a low of $15.

Game of the Year contender Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t discounted, sadly, but several picks from our list of the best PC games are at lower-than-usual prices. Those include the roguelike Hades for $12.49, the VR-only Half-Life: Alyx for $20, the thoughtful RPG Disco Elysium for $10, the driving sim Euro Truck Simulator 2 for $5 and Stray (aka the cat game) for $20. The 27-game Valve Complete Pack is another standout at $14.

Cyber Monday game controller deals

PS5 DualSense Wireless Controller

If you need a spare controller for your PlayStation 5, Sony’s DualSense wireless pad is still down to $49 in various colors at Amazon, Target and others. While not an absolute all-time low, that’s a nice $20 or $25 off Sony’s list price depending on which finish you choose.

Xbox Wireless Controller

If you’re after a new Xbox gamepad, official Xbox Series X/S controllers remain on sale for $40 at Microsoft. Again, the discounts apply to several different finishes. We typically see the gamepad retail between $50 and $60 depending on the color. The big caveat with the Xbox controller is that it requires a pair of AA batteries for power; we recommend grabbing a rechargeable set like the Panasonic Eneloops to mitigate that annoyance. That said, if you want a new controller for gaming on the PC, the Xbox pad is generally easier to set up and use with most Windows clients than the DualSense.

Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons bundle

Apart from the Switch console bundles, Nintendo is selling a bundle that pairs a red and blue set of Joy-Con controllers with a digital copy of Super Mario Party for $100. A pair of Joy-Cons usually goes for $80, while the game alone typically retails in the $50 range these days, so you’re saving about $30 by getting the two together. Note that this isn’t the latest Mario Party game, though — that would be Mario Party Superstars, which was released in 2021. Still, if you’re looking to play a few new Mario Party boards and need a new set of Joy-Cons anyway, it might be worth the extra cost.

Thrustmaster T300RS GT Edition

The Thrustmaster T300RS GT Edition is a PlayStation- and PC-compatible racing wheel we’ve previously recommended to sim racing fans looking to upgrade from a standard gamepad for the first time. Right now Thrustmaster has it down to $330 for Cyber Monday, which isn’t an all-time low but marks the lowest price we’ve seen over the past few years. The T300RS GT is a belt-driven wheel with a sturdy build quality and stable, responsive pedals. The latter in particular are a step up over less expensive models we’ve tested. This isn't the fastest thing to set up, and it’s been around for several years at this point, but it remains an effective way to make racers like Gran Turismo 7 more expressive.

Cyber Monday gaming handheld and VR headset deals

ASUS ROG Ally

The ASUS ROG Ally is down to $600 at Best Buy, which is $100 off the handheld gaming PC’s normal price and a rare discount. The ROG Ally is the “best Windows alternative” pick in our guide to the best gaming handhelds. As that title suggests, the ROG Ally runs Windows, which isn’t nearly as straightforward to use on a seven-inch display as the Steam Deck’s Steam OS but makes it easier to play games from other clients such as Epic, Xbox, GOG and Itch.io. The ROG Ally is physically smaller than Valve’s handheld, too, and the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip in this config gives it stronger overall performance. It also has a sharper 1080p display with a faster 120Hz refresh rate.

We’d still recommend the Steam Deck (which isn’t discounted) to most, especially after the launch of the new Steam Deck OLED. Apart from being less prone to software quirks, that machine usually lasts longer on a charge, and the new model’s OLED panel is more vivid. The ROG Ally has also had issues with malfunctioning microSD card readers, so you’ll want to stick to its built-in SSD storage (which is thankfully replaceable). But if you’re willing to brave Windows and want the wider game support, the ROG Ally does enough right to be a solid alternative to traditional gaming laptops.

The entry-level version of the ROG Ally with a less powerful AMD Ryzen Z1 chip is also on sale for $450, which is a $150 discount. That’s a decent price if you’ll stick to less-demanding games, but the Z1 Extreme model is significantly faster, so it’s worth the extra cash if you can afford it.

Meta Quest 2

Though it's no longer available with a $50 gift card as it was on Cyber Monday, Meta’s Quest 2 VR headset is still $50 off and down to $249 at Amazon, Target, Walmart, Best Buy and B&H. It’s tougher to recommend the Quest 2 after the release of the comprehensively superior Quest 3 last month; that newer model isn’t on sale as of this writing, but it’s worth the extra cash if you can stretch your budget. If you can’t, though, the Quest 2 still offers a relatively polished VR experience. While it’s designed to be used cordless, it’s still perfectly usable when tethered to a gaming PC as well. We name the Quest 2 the top headset for those on a budget in our VR headset buying guide.

Cyber Monday video game storage deals

Samsung Pro Plus

The top pick in our microSD card buying guide, the Samsung Pro Plus, is also on sale. You can grab a 128GB unit for $11, a 256GB unit for $18 and a 512GB unit for $32; the first two of those represent the lowest prices we’ve seen, while the third is within $3 of its all-time low. Despite its relatively affordable price, the Pro Plus was among the fastest cards we tested in both sequential and random performance, so it’s a dependable option if you need to add space to a Switch or Steam Deck.

Elsewhere, Samsung’s Evo Select card is down to $25 for a 512GB unit. That one was a fair bit slower in testing, but the differences aren’t hugely noticeable when it comes to load times on Nintendo’s and Valve’s handhelds, so it should do the job if you want to save a few bucks. Both cards come with 10-year warranties.

WD Black C50 Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X/S

Unlike the PS5 or Switch, the Xbox Series X/S requires you to use a proprietary expansion card if you want to add storage space for current-gen games. If your Xbox is running out of room, WD’s Black C50 is one of those cards, and its 1TB model is now on sale for an all-time low of $124 at Amazon. At Walmart, it's on sale for $1 more. This is much more expensive than a typical SSD with the same capacity, but it’s at least $26 off WD’s usual price. If you need more storage, the 2TB version of Seagate’s Storage Expansion Card is $50 off at $230, which again matches the lowest price we’ve tracked. Both cards perform just about identically.

Cyber Monday gaming mouse deals

Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite

The Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite is the “best for MMOs” pick in our gaming mouse guide, and it’s now down to $50 at Amazon. That’s $2 more than the lowest price we’ve tracked but still $10 below the mouse’s typical going rate. Like most MMO mice, the Scimitar RGB Elite is fairly bulky, but that’s because it has 12 easy-to-distinguish side buttons that you can use to access commands in games like Final Fantasy XIV or Baldur’s Gate 3. Its rounded, gently sloped shape should be comfortable to palm- and claw-grippers of most hand sizes. And while its sensor is fairly old, it’s accurate enough. Just note that its cable is somewhat stiff, and that you probably won’t want to spend much time in Corsair’s messy companion software.

HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2

The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 is an honorable mention in our gaming mouse guide, as it’s a solid alternative to the Basilisk V3 if you prefer a flatter shape or one more welcoming to lefties. It performs reliably and weighs a scant 53 grams, so it’s easy to flick around in multiplayer games. Right now it’s down to $40 at Amazon and Best Buy, which is an all-time low and roughly $15 below its average street price over the last couple of months.

Logitech G203 Lightsync

Sticking with gaming mice, the Logitech G203 Lightsync is on sale for $20 at Amazon. That's about $8 off its usual going rate. The G203 is the budget pick in our gaming mouse buying guide: It’s small, its scroll wheel is a bit mushy and its rubber cable isn’t especially flexible, but it tracks accurately, it’s built well and its light (85g) shape should suit righties and lefties. For less than $20, it’s hard to do better. If you’d rather go wireless, the Logitech G305 Lightspeed puts a newer sensor in more or less the same shape, and it’s currently discounted to $35.

Cyber Monday gaming monitor deals

LG 27GP850-B

The LG 27GP850-B gaming monitor is available for $300 at LG.com, which is $10 more than its all-time low but about $70 below its average street price. This is the “best for most” pick in our gaming monitor buying guide. It’s a 27-inch IPS panel with a 1440p resolution and a native 165Hz refresh rate — not top of the line by any means, but perfectly competent for most needs. We found it to provide clear motion and fast response times in testing, and it works with both FreeSync and G-Sync to ward off screen tearing regardless of your graphics card. It can’t deliver especially high contrast or deep black tones, but for $300 it’s still a nice value.

Cyber Monday gaming headset deals

Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X

Beyerdynamic's DT 900 Pro X headphones are down to $249 at Target from a trusted third-party seller. That’s only $20 off their usual going rate, but we haven’t seen many larger discounts over the past few months. The DT 900 Pro X is a wired pair of open-back headphones designed for critical listening at home. It’s currently the top pick in our guide to the best headphones for gaming, as its wonderfully spacious sound does well to envelop you in the fine details of any given game. Like most open-back cans, it can’t produce truly deep sub-bass, but it delivers enough low-end to give in-game explosions a powerful sense of impact. A set of soft velour earpads keep the whole thing comfortable, though it can’t fold up, and the open design means it won’t block much external noise when you’re outside of the house.

Sennheiser HD 560S

The Sennheiser HD 560S is another open-back pair of wired headphones we highlight in our gaming headset guide. It’s down to $150 at B&H — that’s not an incredible deal, as the pair often sold for the same rate earlier in the year, but it’s about $30 less than the street price we’ve seen since the summer. Regardless, the HD 560S offers a pleasingly balanced, spacious and detailed sound profile and a frame that’s comfortable to wear for extended periods. It can sometimes sound a little piercing in the treble, it’s not as sturdily built as the DT 900 Pro X and, again, it’ll leak and let in lots of noise. But if you want a pair of audio-centric gaming headphones for less than $200, this is one of the better options in the price range.

HyperX Cloud Stinger 2

If all you want is a decent gaming headset for as little as possible, the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 is worth considering at $35. Though we saw the headset briefly fall down to $30 earlier on Cyber Monday, this deal matches the best price we've seen otherwise. The Cloud Stinger 2 is the budget pick in our gaming headset guide: It sounds narrower and less balanced than the Astro A40, our top pick, but its built-in mic is great for the money and its bass-heavy profile at least makes action scenes feel a little more exciting. It’s all comfy, too, though it’s largely made of plastic.

Logitech G535

The Logitech G535 is another honorable mention in our gaming headsets guide, one that should specifically appeal to those who want a wireless option for less than $100. If that’s you, good news: It’s available for just under $80 at Amazon, B&H and Best Buy, which is about $25 off its usual street price. The G535’s noticeably light frame, relatively balanced sound and Bluetooth support all impress for the price; just note that it doesn’t work with Xbox, and that its mic sounds a bit thinner than the wired headsets highlighted above. Its battery life clocks in at 30 to 35 hours per charge, which is decent but not great.

Cyber Monday gaming keyboard deals

ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless

The ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless is down to a new low of $145 at Amazon, which is a $35 discount. This was a close second to the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless in our testing when it came to wireless gaming keyboards. Its pre-lubed ROG NX switches, superb sound dampening and PBT-coated keycaps make it a pleasure to type on, it’s hot-swappable, plus it lasts longer than SteelSeries’ model on a charge. It just lacks the custom actuation tricks we found so useful on the Apex Pro. Still, if you care about a premium typing feel more than gaming-friendly features, this is a good buy.

ASUS ROG Azoth

The ASUS ROG Azoth, meanwhile, is down to $200 at Amazon and Newegg. That matches the lowest price we’ve seen and marks a roughly $25 drop from the wireless keyboard’s average street price. The Azoth is like a smaller version of the Strix Scope II 96 Wireless with a few more enthusiast touches, including a gasket-mounted design (which gives presses a softer feel), a programmable OLED display and a toolkit for lubing switches in the box. It’s exceptionally well-made, but it probably goes without saying that it’s meant for enthusiasts only, even with this discount.

Cyber Monday gaming laptop deals

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is still available for $1,200 at Best Buy for a configuration with a Ryzen 9 7940HS processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and a GeForce RTX 4060 GPU. That matches the lowest price we’ve seen and takes $400 off ASUS’ list price. This model also has a 14-inch 1440p display with a 165Hz refresh rate. The ROG Zephyrus G14 is the top overall recommendation in our guide to the best gaming laptops. It’s a compact notebook that’s plenty capable for triple-A gaming but doesn’t totally sacrifice the “laptop” part of the phrase “gaming laptop.” It’s relatively light and portable at 3.6 pounds, and its keyboard and trackpad both work well. Its 720p webcam could stand to be sharper, though.

MSI Stealth 14 Studio

The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is another gaming laptop we like, and right now Best Buy has it for $1,100. This model includes a Core i7-13620H chip, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, an RTX 4060 GPU and a 14-inch 1,920 x 1,200 display with a 165Hz refresh rate. We gave the Stealth 14 Studio a score of 87 in our review this past June; like the ROG Zephyrus G14, it’s light for a gaming laptop (3.75 pounds) and offers capable performance for everyday gaming. This config is a lower-end model than the one we reviewed — it has a slightly slower CPU and its display isn’t as sharp or fast — but the gist is the same. Its biggest flaws are its middling 720p webcam and the fact that it can run hot under load. It’s still a gaming laptop, so battery life isn’t amazing either.

Whether you should get this config over the ROG Zephyrus G14 deal above comes down to whether you can sacrifice a higher-res display for more storage space. The G14 has more ports as well, though the Stealth 14 Studio includes a Thunderbolt 4 port, which may be important if you ever plan on connecting an external GPU.

Your Cyber Monday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Cyber Monday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Cyber Monday tech deals. Learn about Cyber Monday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Cyber Monday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Cyber Monday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-41-best-cyber-monday-gaming-deals-of-2023-pc-accessories-consoles-monitors-games-and-more-224313947.html?src=rss

Killer Instinct is going free-to-play on Xbox and Steam

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It's been 10 years since the Killer Instinct reboot debuted as an Xbox One exclusive, and soon you won't need to pay anything to try to nail a combo breaker. The third installment in the fighting game series is going free-to-play. This base version of the game will include one free weekly rotating fighter and access to the single-player, local and ranked modes. You'll be able to check it out on all platforms where Killer Instinct is available: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC.

Developer Iron Galaxy also revealed that players will be able to buy the Killer Instinct Anniversary Edition for $30. This will include every one of the 29 fighters, all premium content for the game, an XP booster, holiday accessories and more. The Anniversary Edition will replace the Definitive Edition on Xbox consoles and PC (i.e. through the Xbox app or Microsoft Store).

Of note, Iron Galaxy will drop some mature-rated content from the Anniversary Edition, namely an app that includes developer interviews and concept art, as well as access to the original two Killer Instinct games. However, folks who own a digital Definitive Edition copy will still be able to download said content after Iron Galaxy sends that version of the game riding into the sunset.

Meanwhile, owners of any version of Killer Instinct on Steam will get a free upgrade to the Anniversary Edition. As part of this shift, Iron Galaxy will stop selling individual fighters, so if you want access to the entire roster, you'll need to pony up for the Anniversary Edition — or play Killer Instinct through Game Pass, since it's a Microsoft-published game. That said, you'll still have access to everything you've previously bought.

Iron Galaxy didn't say specifically when the Anniversary Edition will arrive or the base game will go free-to-play. The studio says it's in final testing ahead of the switch. While Killer Instinct may not be a title you've thought about too much recently, it's as good a time as any to hop in given the current fighting game renaissance.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/killer-instinct-is-going-free-to-play-on-xbox-and-steam-180043575.html?src=rss