Winter is well and truly biting, but this fresh crop of game deals is bringing the heat. From mythological mayhem to pocket-sized platformers, there’s something here for every taste and timeframe. If your digital shelf could use a mid-year injection of chaos, charm, or challenge, this week’s offerings are primed to please.This Day in Gaming 🎂In retro news, I’m lighting a 26‑candle cake for Silent Hill, the fog‑laden survival horror fest that kept '99-era me perched on a seat with barely 2% of the surface area of one butt cheek. I still remember tentatively sweeping my flashlight across those grainy, polygonal streets, only to have the beam half illuminate some scurrying something in the dark. Though the OG Resident Evil certainly vexed me first, the unique magic of Silent Hill lay in how its graphical limitations—thick fog and encroaching darkness—became tools of terror rather than platform limitations. Every ring of static from your radio or *that* air raid siren heralding the "other plane" of this madhouse could ratchet up the dread in an instant. Lastly, I recall working game retail at launch and having to help absolutely bloody everybody with a solution to the piano puzzle.Tank controls and (hardware induced) bugger all visibility. OG Silent Hill was terrifying.Aussie bdays for notable games- Silent Hill (PS) 1999. Redux- Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (DC) 2000. Redux- The Conduit (Wii) 2009. eBay- Monster Hunter Generations (3DS) 2016. eBayContentsNice Savings for Nintendo SwitchAvailable now!Nintendo Switch 2 ConsoleNintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart WorldNintendo kicks things off with Persona 5 Royal for A$66.60, a lavishly expanded edition of the genre-defining RPG whose original director Katsura Hashino was inspired by Carl Jung’s theories of the psyche. Also worth nabbing is Bravely Default II at A$63.10, a spiritual twinner to the Final Fantasy titles that’s cheekily packed with nostalgic mechanics like turning off random encounters to power-level in peace.Persona 5 Royal (-33%) - A$66.60Bravely Default II (-21%) - A$63.10Sonic Frontiers (-53%) - A$47Sonic x Shadow Generations (-35%) - A$49NBA 2K25 (-79%) - A$19Metal Gear Col. (-50%) - A$45Expiring Recent DealsOr gift a Nintendo eShop Card.Switch Console PricesHow much to Switch it up?Switch OLED + Mario Wonder: $̶5̶3̶9̶ $538 | Switch Original: $̶4̶9̶9̶ $448 | Switch OLED Black: $̶5̶3̶9̶ $469 | Switch OLED White: $̶5̶3̶9̶ $449 ♥ | Switch Lite: $̶3̶2̶9̶ $328 | Switch Lite Hyrule: $̶3̶3̶9̶ $335See itBack to topExciting Bargains for Xbox Over on Xbox Series X, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is slashing skulls and prices at A$49.90, finally giving fans the long-awaited sequel to one of gaming’s most satisfyingly weighty shooters. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is an outrageous A$9.90, and despite its rocky reception, it’s a fascinating look at how Batman: Arkham devs tried to blend looter-shooter DNA into their universe.40K Space Marine 2 (-54%) - A$49.90Suicide Squad: KTJL (-91%) - A$9.90Wild Hearts (-83%) - A$19Avatar: Pandora Gold Ed. (-69%) - A$49.90Hogwarts Legacy (-75%) - A$27.40Xbox OneTopSpin 2K25 (-88%) - A$14.90Sunset Overdrive (-36%) - A$19.20Alan Wake Rem. (-85%) - A$6.70Expiring Recent DealsThe Witcher 3 Comp. (-56%) - A$34.80Tekken 8 (-53%) - A$39.90NBA 2K25 (-80%) - A$24Farming Simulator 25 (-32%) - A$68FC 25 (-57%) - A$34Red Dead Redemption 2 (-78%) - A$20Lies of P (-19%) - A$73Lego Jurassic World (-65%) - A$22.50Or just invest in an Xbox Card.Xbox Console PricesHow many bucks for a 'Box? Series X: $̶7̶9̶9̶ $724 👑| Series S Black: $̶5̶4̶9̶ $545 | Series S White:$̶4̶9̶9̶ $498 | Series S Starter: N/ASee itBack to topPure Scores for PlayStationFor PS5 players, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales swings down to A$39, letting you sling through Harlem while wearing everything from a Bodega Cat suit to a Spider-Verse frame-rate filter. Meanwhile, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart for A$54 is a tech marvel that started life as a PS4 title, before being fully rebuilt to show off the PS5’s SSD.PS4God of War Ragnarök (-60%) - A$44Gran Turismo 7 (-60%) - A$44Watch Dogs: Legion (-86%) - A$13.60Expiring Recent DealsPS+ Monthly FreebiesYours to keep from May 1 with this subscriptionArk: Survival Ascended (PS5)Balatro (PS5/PS4)Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun (PS5/PS4)Or purchase a PS Store Card.What you'll pay to 'Station.PS5 + Astro Bot:$̶7̶2̶4̶.9̶5̶ $699👑 | PS5 Slim Disc:$̶7̶9̶9̶ $625 | PS5 Slim Digital:6̶7̶9̶ $549 | PS5 Pro $̶1̶,1̶9̶9̶ $1,049 | PS VR2: $649.95 | PS VR2 + Horizon: $1,099 | PS Portal: $329See itBack to topPurchase Cheap for PCOn PC, Resident Evil 4 is a steal at A$29.90, a stunning remake where the developers added extra charm to Leon’s famous “Where’s everyone going, bingo?” line by letting players unlock vintage filters that emulate 2005-era graphics. Also notable is Lies of P at A$76.40, the Pinocchio-meets-Bloodborne mash-up that lets you lie in dialogue choices for combat perks.Lies of P (-15%) - A$76.40The Alters (-30%) - A$35.60Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (-18%) - A$57.30Silent Hill 2 (-40%) - A$61.50Forza Horizon 5 (-65%) - A$31.40Resident Evil 4 (-50%) - A$29.90Expiring Recent DealsOr just get a Steam Wallet CardPC Hardware PricesSlay your pile of shame.Official launch in NovSteam Deck 256GB LCD: $649 | Steam Deck 512GB OLED: $899 | Steam Deck 1TB OLED: $1,049See it at SteamLaptop DealsDesktop DealsLenovo neo 50a G5 27" AIO (-47%) – A$1,379Lenovo neo 50q G4 Tiny (-35%) – A$639Lenovo neo 50t G5 Tower (-20%) – A$871.20Legion Tower 5i G8 (-29%) – A$1,899Monitor DealsSamsung QE50T 50" (-31%) – A$596ARZOPA 16.1" 144Hz (-55%) – A$159.99Z-Edge 27" 240Hz (-15%) – A$237.99Gawfolk 34" WQHD (-28%) – A$359LG 27" Ultragear (-42%) – A$349Component DealsStorage DealsBack to topLegit LEGO DealsExpiring Recent DealsBack to topHot Headphones DealsAudiophilia for lessBose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless (-38%) – A$399.95Soundcore by Anker Q20i (-43%) – A$68.79Sony MDR7506 Professional (-30%) – A$169Technics Premium (-46%) – A$299Bose SoundLink Flex (-31%) – A$171JBL Charge 5 - Portable Speaker (-28%) – A$144JBL Flip Essential 2 Waterproof Speaker (-26%) – A$96Sony SRS-XB100 Travel Speaker (-41%) – A$84.15Ultimate Ears Boom 3 Portable Speaker (-41%) – A$134.95Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro (-26%) – A$259.29Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless (-46%) – A$275Back to topTerrific TV DealsDo right by your console, upgrade your tellyLG 43" UT80 4K (-24%) – A$635Kogan 65" QLED 4K (-50%) – A$699Kogan 55" QLED 4K (-45%) – A$549LG 55" UT80 4K (-28%) – A$866Prism+ Q75 Ultra 75" 4K QLED (-47%) – A$1,229Gaimoo Mini Projector 1080p w/ 4K (-33%) – A$119.99GooDee 4K Projector (-58%) – A$169.99VOPLLS Mini Projector 4K (-19%) – A$168.99XuanPad Mini Projector (-36%) – A$128.99LG S70TY Q Series Sound Barn*-22%) – A$546Sony HTG700 Atmos Soundbar (-15%) – A$594Yamaha NS-SW050 Subwoofer (-13%) – A$270Smart Home DealsBack to top Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube.

As the chill of June sets in, it's the perfect time to trade spreadsheets for screenplays. Instead of navigating the labyrinth of endless options across Australia's six major streaming platforms, we've curated a selection of standout films and series to warm your winter nights.Table of ContentsNew in June on Foxtel and BingeTV litter pick: Mix Tape – 12 Jun : Former teenage sweethearts reconnect decades later through shared musical memories, reigniting past emotions and questions about their future.Movie litter pick: Wicked – 26 Jun : Explores the origin story of Elphaba and Glinda, two witches whose friendship and destinies shape the Land of Oz.What notable movies are coming to Binge?Rewriting Trump – 1 JunSmile 2 – 4 JunAnora – 11 JunWicked – 26 JunWhat notable series are coming to Binge?Great Canadian Bake Off S8 – 3 JunMr Loverman – 4 JunBelow Deck S12 – 10 JunMix Tape – 12 JunRevival – 13 JunLove It Or List It NZ – 25 JunEva Longoria: Searching For Mexico – 27 JunBack to topNew in June on NetflixTV litter pick: Squid Game S03 – 27 Jun : An animated journey through Pharrell Williams' life, showcasing his musical evolution and creative milestones.Movie litter pick: Piece By Piece – 7 Jun : Contestants engage in deadly games for a cash prize, revealing human nature's darkest facets.What notable movies are coming to Netflix?Power Moves with Shaquille O’Neal – 4 JunPiece By Piece – 7 JunTitan: The Oceangate Disaster – 11 JunThe Waterfront – 19 JunKPop Demon Hunters – 20 JunWhat notable series are coming to Netflix?Ginny and Georgia S03 – 5 JunThe Survivors – 6 JunFubar S02 – 12 JunThe Fairly Oddparents: A New Wish S02 – 12 JunDallas Cowboy Cheerleaders S02 – 18 JunThe Ultimatum: Queer Love S02 – 25 JunSquid Game S03 – 27 JunBack to topNew in June on Disney+TV litter pick: The Bear S04 – 26 Jun : Chef Carmy and his team navigate the pressures of the culinary world, striving for excellence amidst chaos.Movie litter pick: Ironheart – 25 Jun : Teen genius Riri Williams builds her own advanced suit of armor, stepping into the superhero world.What notable movies are coming to Disney+?Predator: Killer of Killers – 6 JunOcean with David Attenborough – 8 JunCall Her Alex – 10 JunIronheart – 25 JunWhat notable series are coming to Disney+?Call Her Alex – 10 JunThe Bear S04 – 26 JunBack to topNew in June on Apple TV+TV litter pick: Stick – 4 Jun : A sports dramedy following a former hockey star's return to coaching, blending humor with heartfelt moments.Movie litter pick: Echo Valley – 13 Jun : A suspenseful thriller where a mother confronts dark secrets to protect her daughter from a dangerous past.What notable movies are on Apple TV+?Echo Valley – 13 JunWhat notable series are coming to Apple TV+?Stick – 4 JunThe Buccaneers S02 – 18 JunSmoke – 27 JunSign up for a free 7–day trial of Apple TV+Back to topNew in June on Amazon Prime VideoTV litter pick: Babygirl – 3 Jun : A provocative drama exploring a young woman's journey through love, betrayal, and self-discovery.Movie litter pick: Deep Cover – 12 Jun : An undercover agent infiltrates a drug cartel, facing moral dilemmas and identity crises.What notable movies are coming to Prime Video?Babygirl – 3 JunNascar to Le Mans – 12 JunDeep Cover – 12 JunBeyond After – 24 JunWhat notable series are coming to Prime Video?We Were Liars S01 – 18 JunCountdown S01 – 25 JunMarry My Husband – 27 JunBack to topNew in June on StanTV litter pick: This City Is Ours – 4 Jun : A gritty crime drama delving into power struggles and corruption within a city's law enforcement.Movie litter pick: The Surfer – 15 Jun : A psychological thriller featuring a man confronting his past while facing surreal challenges on a remote beach.What notable movies are coming to Stan?The Surfer – 15 JunJoh: The Last King of Queensland – 22 JunWhat notable series are coming to Stan?This City Is Ours – 4 JunBlack Mafia Family S04 – 6 JunThe Gold S02 – 9 JunAlone S12 – 13 JunHal and Harper – 26 JunBack to top IGN is now on Flash, live and on demand. Stream the latest and trending news for video games, interviews, videos, and wikis. Check it out here. Adam Mathew is our Aussie streaming savant. He also games on YouTube.

It's time to get busy bargain huntin' in the second-best time of the year—end of financial. I've scoured every store worth shopping in for the cheapest prices on the games worth caring about. I'm also all about hooking you up with the occasional free game. Check back tomorrow for yet more deals, as this list is a living one!This Day in Gaming 🎂Aussie bdays for notable games- Resident Evil – Code: Veronica (DC) 2000. Get- Monster Hunter Freedom (PSP) 2006. eBay- Rockstar Table Tennis (X360) 2006. Get- Urban Chaos: Riot Response (PS2,XB) 2006. eBay- Blur (PC,PS3,X360) 2010. eBay- Dead or Alive Dimensions (3DS) 2011. eBayContentsNintendoXboxPlayStationPCPC GearLEGOHeadphonesTVsNice Savings for Nintendo SwitchNintendo Switch players shouldn’t miss Sea of Stars (A$33.10), a love letter to SNES-era RPGs scored in part by Chrono Trigger composer Yasunori Mitsuda. Also worth grabbing is Zombie Army Trilogy (A$7.80), which lets you snipe Hitler’s undead minions. Because apparently that’s a thing.Sea of Stars (-35%) - A$33.10Rune Factory 5 (-50%) - A$37.30Sonic Colors: Ult. (-18%) - A$49.00Zombie Army Trilogy (-85%) - A$7.80Lego Harry Potter Col. (-80%) - A$8.90Expiring Recent DealsLego Skywalker Saga (-80%) - A$17.90Dead Cells (-50%) - A$18.70Jurassic World Evolution: Comp. Ed. (-80%) - A$16.90Namco Museum Archives Vol. 1 (-84%) - A$4.70Blasphemous (-75%) - A$9.30Expeditions: A MudRunner (-42%) - A$49Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.Switch Console PricesHow much to Switch it up?Back to topExciting Bargains for XboxOver on Xbox Series X, Metro 2033 Redux is gloriously free and based on a Russian novel whose author let readers vote on major plot points in its early web-published form. Wild Hearts (A$29.60), meanwhile, is EA and Koei Tecmo’s crack at a Monster Hunter-style experience, complete with buildable contraptions mid-battle.Metro 2033 Redux (-100%) - A$0.00Wild Hearts (-73%) - A$29.60Seagate Expansion 1TB (-32%) - A$209.30Star Wars Outlaws (-64%) - A$40.00Sniper Elite Resistance (-21%) - A$79.00Xbox OneCyberpunk 2077 (-60%) - A$35.90It Takes Two (-65%) - A$20.90Halo: The Master Chief Col. (-75%) - A$14.90Expiring Recent DealsDoom: The Dark Ages (-17%) - A$99Roadcraft (-18%) - A$49Hot Wheels Unleashed (-29%) - A$39UFC 5 (-65%) - A$39Halo Infinite (-67%) - A$32.90Red Dead Redemption 2 (-73%) - A$24No Man's Sky (-60%) - A$35.90Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (-60%) - A$29.90Tiny Tina's Wonderlands (-90%) - A$10Or just invest in an Xbox Card.Xbox Console PricesHow many bucks for a 'Box?Back to topPure Scores for PlayStationPlayStation 5 users can score Persona 5 Royal (A$59.90), the definitive edition of a game whose dev team spent years mapping Tokyo’s train schedules to make the daily-life sim feel real. Or opt for Epic Mickey: Rebrushed (A$59), a cult favourite originally directed by Warren Spector, best known for Deus Ex.Ghost of Yōtei (-21%) - A$99Lego Horizon Adventures (-15%) - A$93.20Dragon Age: The Veilguard (-65%) - A$38.20Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Leg. Ed. (-44%) - A$100.60Persona 5 Royal (-37%) - A$59.90Epic Mickey: Rebrushed (-41%) - A$59PS4GTA Trilogy Def. (-76%) - A$24Dark Souls Trilogy (-33%) - A$64EA Sports FC 25 (-36%) - A$69Expiring Recent DealsDualSense Chroma Indigo (-12%) - A$109.90Doom: The Dark Ages (-17%) - A$99Roadcraft (-18%) - A$49Tales of Arise (-69%) - A$31NBA 2K25 (-72%) - A$34Expeditions: A MudRunner (-42%) - A$49UFC 5 (-65%) - A$39Red Dead Redemption 2 (-73%) - A$24Red Dead Redemption (-48%) - A$39Octopath Traveler II (-32%) - A$57.70The Yakuza Rem. Col. (-26%) - A$40.30PS+ Monthly FreebiesYours to keep from May 1 with this subscriptionArk: Survival Ascended (PS5)Balatro (PS5/PS4)Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun (PS5/PS4)Or purchase a PS Store Card.What you'll pay to 'Station.Back to topPurchase Cheap for PCFinally, on PC, both Thief II: The Metal Age and 40K Gladius: Relics of War are completely free. One pioneered stealth gameplay in the year 2000, the other lets you wage unrelenting war as the Astra Militarum. Not bad for zero bucks.GOG FPS Sale (≤85%) -Thief II: The Metal Age (-100%) - FREE w/ Prime40K Gladius: Relics of War (-100%) - FREERed Dead 2 (-76%) - A$22Mafia Trilogy (-82%) - A$17.90Expiring Recent DealsSifu (-100%) - FREEGigapocalypse (-100%) - FREEDeliver At All Costs (-100%) - FREEHogwarts Legacy Del. (-79%) - A$21.20Razer Huntsman Mini keyboard (-23%) - A$137Metaphor: ReFantazio (-30%) - A$80.40Or just get a Steam Wallet CardPC Hardware PricesSlay your pile of shame.Laptop DealsLenovo ThinkPad P14s G5 (-29%) – A$1,855.23Lenovo ThinkPad P16s G2 (-29%) – A$1,946.23Lenovo ThinkPad X13 G4 (-29%) – A$1,483.46Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 16" (-28%) – A$1,539LenovoYoga Pro 7 14" AMD (-35%) – A$1,699Desktop DealsLenovo neo 50a G5 27" AIO (-47%) – A$1,379Lenovo neo 50q G4 Tiny (-35%) – A$639Lenovo neo 50t G5 Tower (-20%) – A$871.20Legion Tower 5i G8 (-29%) – A$1,899Monitor DealsSamsung QE50T 50" (-31%) – A$596ARZOPA 16.1" 144Hz (-55%) – A$159.99Z-Edge 27" 240Hz (-15%) – A$237.99Gawfolk 34" WQHD (-28%) – A$359LG 27" Ultragear (-42%) – A$349Component DealsMSI PRO B650M-A WiFi Motherboard (-41%) – A$229AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (-7%) – A$876Corsair Vengeance 32GB (-35%) – A$82Kingston FURY Beast 16GB (-30%) – A$48Storage DealsSeagate One Touch Portable HDD (-24%) – A$228Kingston 1TB USB 3.2 SSD (-17%) – A$115SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO (-63%) – A$29SanDisk 32GB Ultra SDHC (-53%) – A$9.90Back to topLegit LEGO DealsBotanticaal Cherry Blossoms (-35%) - A$15Technic Mercedes-AMG F1 (-27%) - A$219City Off-Road 4x4 (-27%) - A$22Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle (-27%) - A$22Expiring Recent DealsMario Kart – Yoshi (-25%) - A$15The Mighty Bowser (-14%) - A$345Star Wars R2-D2 (-30%) - A$139Star Wars Home One Starcruiser (-19%) - A$89Back to topHot Headphones DealsAudiophilia for lessEPOS 1061T ANC Headset (-41%) – A$446Jabra Evolve 20SE (-36%) – A$95Galaxy Buds2 Pro (-31%) – A$239Technics Wireless NC (-33%) – A$365SoundPEATS Space (-25%) – A$56.99Sony MDR7506 Pro (-18%) – A$199Back to topTerrific TV DealsDo right by your console, upgrade your tellyLG 43" UT80 4K (-24%) – A$635Kogan 65" QLED 4K (-50%) – A$699Kogan 55" QLED 4K (-45%) – A$549LG 55" UT80 4K (-28%) – A$866Back to top Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube.

A Tasmanian devil is carried to safety by a ranger amid flooding at the Aussie Ark sanctuaryAussie Ark Conservation workers are racing to protect a precious group of Australian animals after record rainfall in New South Wales led to floods that have killed four people. Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii), brush-tailed rock wallabies (Petrogale penicillata), eastern quolls (Dasyurus viverrinus), long-nosed potoroos (Potorous tridactylus) and broad-toothed rats (Mastacomys fuscus) are all kept fenced safely away from feral predators such as cats and foxes at the 400-hectare Aussie Ark sanctuary in Barrington Tops, New South Wales. The sanctuary’s animals are considered an insurance policy for their species, in case wild populations become extinct. Advertisement Since 2010, 500 devil joeys alone have been born there and around 50 of these have been released into a specially protected wild area. In coming years, some of these animals are expected to be released outside the sanctuary to re-establish Tasmanian devil populations on mainland Australia. But this week, a severe low-pressure weather system has hit parts of New South Wales, leading to record-breaking storms. In just a few days, well over 400 millimetres of rain fell at the sanctuary. Even though it is at the top of a mountain at an altitude of 1200 metres, the park experienced flash flooding, sweeping away fencing that excludes feral animals and threatening to drown some of the breeding animals in smaller enclosures. Tim Faulkner at Aussie Ark says many of the animals in the breeding enclosures have had to be brought into a makeshift emergency centre at the complex’s vet clinic. But the bigger problem facing the sanctuary is that around a kilometre of the 10-kilometre perimeter fence has been damaged or, in some locations, totally swept away by floodwaters. Unmissable news about our planet delivered straight to your inbox every month. Sign up to newsletter “We’ve got about a kilometre of the fence that’s impacted from corner posts down, sections washed away and pushed over and strainer wires damaged,” says Faulkner. “The electrified hot wire is completely down, so we’re lucky we don’t have any Tyrannosaurus rex testing our defences.” A fence swept over by flooding at the Aussie Ark sanctuaryAussie Ark While the fences are damaged, Faulkner’s team has been camped out around the clock, keeping watch at breached sections. So far, no native species are thought to have escaped and no feral animals have entered. “There’s water seeping, squeezing, pushing, running, pouring, flooding from every single little crack up here on the mountain, and I hate to think of all the wildlife that has also been devastated by these massive floods outside the sanctuary,” says Faulkner. Topics:

Thank your own personal deity--possibly The Outer Gods--it's Friday! Winter might be creeping in, but these weekend game deals are bringing the heat. Whether you’re a Switch slasher, a PlayStation purist, an Xbox adventurer or a PC power user, there’s something worth your clicks in this mix. Stock up for the weekend and I'll catch you Monday!This Day in Gaming 🎂In retro news, I’m celebrating the 19th birthday of Metroid Prime: Hunters while remembering the mild carpal tunnel it gave me. Developed for the newly minted DS, its standout innovation was the incorporation of stylus-driven aiming paired with six-player ad-hoc wireless multiplayer, allowing us hunters to engage in fast-paced, Phazon-fueled deathmatches on the go. By blending precision touchscreen controls with diverse character-specific abilities, it instantly sold me and my mates on the concept of portable, hyper-competitive first-person shooters. We had an absolute (morph) ball with it.Aussie bdays for notable games- Def Jam Vendetta (PS2) 2003. eBay- Rise of Nations (PC) 2003. eBay- Silent Hill 3 (PS2) 2003. eBay- Metroid Prime: Hunters (DS) 2006. eBay- Resident Evil Revelations (3DS) 2013. eBayContentsNintendoXboxPlayStationPCPC GearLEGOHeadphonesTVsNice Savings for Nintendo SwitchNintendo fans should keep an eye on Dead Cells (A$18.70), the rogue-lite hit that started life as a failed Metroidvania MMORPG. Developer Motion Twin scrapped the original concept and pivoted mid-production. Meanwhile, Blasphemous (A$9.30) stabs its way onto the scene with a brutal blend of Catholic iconography and Dark Souls inspiration. Such a gem.Lego Skywalker Saga (-80%) - A$17.90Dead Cells (-50%) - A$18.70Jurassic World Evolution: Comp. Ed. (-80%) - A$16.90Namco Museum Archives Vol. 1 (-84%) - A$4.70Blasphemous (-75%) - A$9.30Expeditions: A MudRunner (-42%) - A$49Expiring Recent DealsHogwarts Legacy (-34%) - A$59Crypt of the NecroDancer (-80%) - A$6Yooka-Laylee (-80%) - A$6.50Guacamelee! Super Turbo Champ. Ed. (-75%) - A$5Lego Jurassic World (-90%) - A$5.90Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.Switch Console PricesHow much to Switch it up?Back to topExciting Bargains for XboxOver on Xbox Series X, Halo Infinite (A$32.90) continues to carve out its redemption arc.. UFC 5 (A$39.00), on the other hand, had EA scanning fighters in full 360 capture tech, making every punch and grimace feel uncomfortably lifelike.Doom: The Dark Ages (-17%) - A$99Roadcraft (-18%) - A$49Hot Wheels Unleashed (-29%) - A$39UFC 5 (-65%) - A$39Halo Infinite (-67%) - A$32.90Xbox OneRed Dead Redemption 2 (-73%) - A$24No Man's Sky (-60%) - A$35.90Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (-60%) - A$29.90Expiring Recent DealsResident Evil 4 (-47%) - A$31.40Star Wars Outlaws (-64%) - A$40.00Mass Effect Leg. Ed. (-90%) - A$9.90TB Stealth Pivot Controller (-33%) - A$168.40Hogwarts Legacy (-55%) - A$49.00TB VelocityOne Flightstick (-18%) - A$205.60Grand Theft Auto V (-52%) - A$29.00Tiny Tina's Wonderlands (-90%) - A$10.00Or just invest in an Xbox Card.Xbox Console PricesHow many bucks for a 'Box?Back to topPure Scores for PlayStationPlayStation 5 players get a win with Tales of Arise (A$31.00), which features a physics system that ensures characters' hair and capes flutter just right. Pair that with NBA 2K25 (A$34.00), where cover athlete animations were mocapped using a team of real streetballers for added flair.DualSense Chroma Indigo (-12%) - A$109.90Doom: The Dark Ages (-17%) - A$99Roadcraft (-18%) - A$49Tales of Arise (-69%) - A$31NBA 2K25 (-72%) - A$34Expeditions: A MudRunner (-42%) - A$49UFC 5 (-65%) - A$39PS4Red Dead Redemption 2 (-73%) - A$24Red Dead Redemption (-48%) - A$39Octopath Traveler II (-32%) - A$57.70The Yakuza Rem. Col. (-26%) - A$40.30Expiring Recent DealsElden Ring: Nightreign (-9%) - A$64.00Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 (-19%) - A$89.00Star Wars Outlaws (-64%) - A$40.00Cyberpunk 2077: Ult. Ed. (-20%) - A$84.00Monster Hunter Wilds (-26%) - A$89.00Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (-73%) - A$26.80Bayonetta (-75%) - A$9.40Catherine: Full Body (-80%) - A$10.90PS+ Monthly FreebiesYours to keep from May 1 with this subscriptionArk: Survival Ascended (PS5)Balatro (PS5/PS4)Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun (PS5/PS4)Or purchase a PS Store Card.What you'll pay to 'Station.Back to topPurchase Cheap for PCToday, PC players should snap up Sifu while it’s free. This martial arts revenge tale actually aged its protagonist in real-time for every failed attempt, a mechanic inspired by classic kung fu film tropes. And Hogwarts Legacy: Deluxe (A$21.20) hides an early design doc reference to a planned “wizarding gig economy” system that was mercifully scrapped.Sifu (-100%) - FREEGigapocalypse (-100%) - FREEDeliver At All Costs (-100%) - FREEHogwarts Legacy Del. (-79%) - A$21.20Razer Huntsman Mini keyboard (-23%) - A$137Metaphor: ReFantazio (-30%) - A$80.40Expiring Recent DealsRed Dead Redemption 2 (-75%) - A$22.40Hogwarts Legacy (-75%) - A$22.40Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (-50%) - A$29.90Assassin's Creed Valhalla (-75%) - A$22.40Maneater (-80%) - A$11.30Or just get a Steam Wallet CardPC Hardware PricesSlay your pile of shame.Laptop DealsHP Envy x360 16" 2-in-1 (-39%) – A$1,399HP Laptop 15.6" Ryzen (-34%) – A$1,049ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 (-35%) – A$869Lenovo Yoga 7i Gen 9 (-41%) – A$1,229Apple 2024 MacBook Air 15-inch (-16%) – A$2,094Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 (-36%) - A$879Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen7 (-27%) - A$1,018Desktop DealsLenovo neo 50q Gen 4 Tiny (-35%) – A$639Lenovo neo 50t Gen 5 Desk (-20%) – A$871.20Lenovo Legion Tower 5i (-29%) – A$1,899Monitor DealsARZOPA 16.1" 144Hz (-55%) – A$159.99Z-Edge 27" 240Hz (-15%) – A$237.99Gawfolk 34" WQHD (-28%) – A$359LG 27" Ultragear (-42%) – A$349Component DealsMSI PRO B650M-A WiFi Motherboard (-41%) – A$229AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (-7%) – A$876Corsair Vengeance 32GB (-35%) – A$82Kingston FURY Beast 16GB (-30%) – A$48Storage DealsSeagate One Touch Portable HDD (-24%) – A$228Kingston 1TB USB 3.2 SSD (-17%) – A$115SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO (-63%) – A$29SanDisk 32GB Ultra SDHC (-53%) – A$9.90Back to topLegit LEGO DealsMario Kart – Yoshi (-25%) - A$15.00The Mighty Bowser (-14%) - A$345.00Star Wars R2-D2 (-30%) - A$139.00Star Wars Home One Starcruiser (-19%) - A$89.00Expiring Recent DealsMandalorian Moff Gideon Battle (-42%) - A$35.00Space Construction Mech (-33%) - A$10.00Fountain Garden Building (-28%) - A$129.90Williams Racing & Haas F1 Race Cars (-27%) - A$22.00Back to topHot Headphones DealsAudiophilia for lessGalaxy Buds2 Pro (-31%) – A$239Technics Wireless NC (-33%) – A$365SoundPEATS Space (-25%) – A$56.99Sony MDR7506 Pro (-18%) – A$199Back to topTerrific TV DealsDo right by your console, upgrade your tellyLG 43" UT80 4K (-24%) – A$635Kogan 65" QLED 4K (-50%) – A$699Kogan 55" QLED 4K (-45%) – A$549LG 55" UT80 4K (-28%) – A$866Back to top Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube.

There’s a healthy swarm of discounts buzzing across every platform today, from indie gems to AAA heavy-hitters. Whether you're into sword-swinging epics, musical dungeon crawlers, or cosmic cowboy chaos, there’s something here worth chucking onto your backlog. Let's dig into the weird, wonderful, and wallet-friendly highlights for this very rainy Thursday.This Day in Gaming 🎂In retro news, I'm celebrating the 28th birthday of Fighters Megamix, the Sega Saturn's answer to Smash Bros before that was even a thing. Sega of the '90s was especially 3D fightin' obsessed, so the concept here was simple—smoosh a bunch of brawlers from the Virtua Fighter series, Fighting Vipers, and other games into one punch-a-rrific package. I remember being particularly stoked with the ten weirdo unlockable characters, like some Sonic the Fighters contestants, the palm tree from AM2's logo, a gun-packing Janet from Virtua Cop, and a *double checks memory* Daytona USA NASCAR.Aussie bdays for notable games- Fighters Megamix (SAT) 1997. eBay- Planetside (PC) 2003.- Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (DS) 2008. Get- Klonoa (Wii) 2009. Remake- Ratchet & Clank: QForce (PSV) 2013. eBayContentsNintendoXboxPlayStationPCPC GearLEGOHeadphonesTVsNice Savings for Nintendo SwitchNintendo kicks things off with Hogwarts Legacy for A$59. The game includes a sly nod to the Harry Potter films with the moving staircases built from the same blueprints as the original set. Meanwhile, Crypt of the NecroDancer is just A$6.00, a steal for a rhythm-based roguelike whose composer Danny Baranowsky hid a remixed Zelda-style theme deep in the soundtrack.Hogwarts Legacy (-34%) - A$59.00Crypt of the NecroDancer (-80%) - A$6.00Yooka-Laylee (-80%) - A$6.50Guacamelee! Super Turbo Champ. Ed. (-75%) - A$5.00Lego Jurassic World (-90%) - A$5.90Expiring Recent DealsNBA 2K25 (-68%) - A$29Sea of Stars (-35%) - A$33Scribblenauts Mega Pack (-90%) - A$4Lego The Incredibles (-92%) - A$7Lego DC Super-Villains (-90%) - A$8Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.Switch Console PricesHow much to Switch it up?Back to topExciting Bargains for XboxOn Xbox Series X, Resident Evil 4 slashes its price to A$31.40. This remake revives the fan-favourite inventory “attache case” system, which was originally inspired by Tetris. Mass Effect Legendary Edition, now just A$9.90, lets players romance aliens and punch annoying reporters, something BioWare gleefully leaned into after memes flooded the fandom.Resident Evil 4 (-47%) - A$31.40Star Wars Outlaws (-64%) - A$40.00Mass Effect Leg. Ed. (-90%) - A$9.90TB Stealth Pivot Controller (-33%) - A$168.40Hogwarts Legacy (-55%) - A$49.00Xbox OneTB VelocityOne Flightstick (-18%) - A$205.60Grand Theft Auto V (-52%) - A$29.00Tiny Tina's Wonderlands (-90%) - A$10.00Expiring Recent DealsCoD: Black Ops 6 (-19%) - A$89Split Fiction (-16%) - A$59Lies of P (-35%) - A$58Crisis Core: FF VII Reunion (-46%) - A$46Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled (-26%) - A$51Burnout Paradise Rem. (-75%) - A$7Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Rem. (-80%) - A$11Or just invest in an Xbox Card.Xbox Console PricesHow many bucks for a 'Box?Back to topPure Scores for PlayStationOver on PlayStation 5, Elden Ring: Nightreign may only be 9% off at A$64.00, but it’s a fresh and massive sandbox filled with my kind of masochism and regret. Meanwhile, Star Wars Outlaws is A$40.00 and features a BD-unit droid originally designed for The Mandalorian but scrapped due to budget constraints. Elden Ring: Nightreign (-9%) - A$64.00Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 (-19%) - A$89.00Star Wars Outlaws (-64%) - A$40.00Cyberpunk 2077: Ult. Ed. (-20%) - A$84.00Monster Hunter Wilds (-26%) - A$89.00PS4Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (-73%) - A$26.80Bayonetta (-75%) - A$9.40Catherine: Full Body (-80%) - A$10.90Expiring Recent DealsDeath Stranding 2 (-21%) - A$99Gran Turismo 7 (-29%) - A$88NBA 2K25 (-68%) - A$38Final Fantasy XVI (-48%) - A$44Astro Bot (-19%) - A$89CoD: Black Ops 6 (-19%) - A$89Red Dead (-68%) - A$29Ni No Kuni: WotWW (-80%) - A$13Crysis Rem. Trilogy (-75%) - A$18PS+ Monthly FreebiesYours to keep from May 1 with this subscriptionArk: Survival Ascended (PS5)Balatro (PS5/PS4)Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun (PS5/PS4)Or purchase a PS Store Card.What you'll pay to 'Station.Back to topPurchase Cheap for PCFinally, PC players can snag Red Dead Redemption 2 for A$22.40, a game so detailed it tracks horse testicle shrinkage in cold weather (yes, really). Or saddle up with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown at A$29, a criminally under-bought platformer.Red Dead Redemption 2 (-75%) - A$22.40Hogwarts Legacy (-75%) - A$22.40Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (-50%) - A$29.90Assassin's Creed Valhalla (-75%) - A$22.40Maneater (-80%) - A$11.30Expiring Recent DealsHelldivers 2 (-31%) - A$41RoadCraft (-17%) - A$51Cyberpunk 2077: Ult. Ed. (-45%) - A$65Inside (-90%) - A$2.99Limbo (-90%) - A$1.49Or just get a Steam Wallet CardPC Hardware PricesSlay your pile of shame.Laptop DealsHP Envy x360 16" 2-in-1 (-39%) – A$1,399HP Laptop 15.6" Ryzen (-34%) – A$1,049ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 (-35%) – A$869Lenovo Yoga 7i Gen 9 (-41%) – A$1,229Apple 2024 MacBook Air 15-inch (-16%) – A$2,094Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 (-36%) - A$879Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen7 (-27%) - A$1,018Desktop DealsLenovo neo 50q Gen 4 Tiny (-35%) – A$639Lenovo neo 50t Gen 5 Desk (-20%) – A$871.20Lenovo Legion Tower 5i (-29%) – A$1,899Monitor DealsARZOPA 16.1" 144Hz (-55%) – A$159.99Z-Edge 27" 240Hz (-15%) – A$237.99Gawfolk 34" WQHD (-28%) – A$359LG 27" Ultragear (-42%) – A$349Component DealsMSI PRO B650M-A WiFi Motherboard (-41%) – A$229AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (-7%) – A$876Corsair Vengeance 32GB (-35%) – A$82Kingston FURY Beast 16GB (-30%) – A$48Storage DealsSeagate One Touch Portable HDD (-24%) – A$228Kingston 1TB USB 3.2 SSD (-17%) – A$115SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO (-63%) – A$29SanDisk 32GB Ultra SDHC (-53%) – A$9.90Back to topLegit LEGO DealsMandalorian Moff Gideon Battle (-42%) - A$35.00Space Construction Mech (-33%) - A$10.00Fountain Garden Building (-28%) - A$129.90Williams Racing & Haas F1 Race Cars (-27%) - A$22.00Expiring Recent DealsBotanicals Daffodils (-48%) - A$12Minions’ Music Party Bus (-42%) - A$35Deep-Sea Research Submarine (-33%) - A$39Construction Steamroller (-33%) - A$10Back to topHot Headphones DealsAudiophilia for lessGalaxy Buds2 Pro (-31%) – A$239Technics Wireless NC (-33%) – A$365SoundPEATS Space (-25%) – A$56.99Sony MDR7506 Pro (-18%) – A$199Back to topTerrific TV DealsDo right by your console, upgrade your tellyLG 43" UT80 4K (-24%) – A$635Kogan 65" QLED 4K (-50%) – A$699Kogan 55" QLED 4K (-45%) – A$549LG 55" UT80 4K (-28%) – A$866Back to top Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube.

MarcosBrXD Member Aug 28, 2024 1,692 I wonder if this pursuit of this in the Halo franchise has enough demand, did fans really want Halo to become a Destiny like? Did the story (or lore) make Halo Halo or was it the Multiplayer that propelled the Series to its peak in Reach...   JigglesBunny Prophet of Truth Avenger Oct 27, 2017 36,107 Chicago 343's mismanagement and sloppy direction is what caused its downfall, and that extends far beyond their tepid live service.   Forerunner Resetufologist The Fallen Oct 30, 2017 18,793 H4 was a complete package, it just wasn't a good Halo game. Both H5 and Infinite had bare bones MP and it takes them too long to get rolling, so everyone moves on. They need a complete package at launch. It's crazy that they don't have modes from previous Halos at launch and takes them months if not years to add them.  NDA-Man Member Mar 23, 2020 3,983 Tastes changed. COD was stealing Halo's lunch even during the later Bungie days. COD 4 impacted gaming so hard everyone tried to catch up, and Activision having the staff to turn it into an annual franchise after sacrificing most of it's other projects kept it always in the covnersation. Then Hero Shooters rose, then Battle Royales. Yes, poor management and dumb decisions at 343 definitely played a role--but just as big a part is that 4v4 equal starts arena shooters are quite passe. I don't think a "Halo 3 Part 2" that ignores the fact that gaming has evolved in the near two-decades since the franchise peaked in terms of cultural cachet would do any better (Reach was not it's peak. 3 was. Hell, 5, one of the "bad" ones did better at keeping players than Reach).  Pancracio17 ▲ Legend ▲ Avenger Oct 29, 2017 21,730 JigglesBunny said: 343's mismanagement and sloppy direction is what caused its downfall, and that extends far beyond their tepid live service. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Pretty much. You could go on and on about specific problems like Infinites first year of support, the dropping of plotlines after every game, Halo 5s story, etc. But it all comes down to that.   colorboy Member Apr 5, 2025 174 The definitive death for me was Halo Infinite: - not having coop campaign - nonsense open world - no game on disc These 3 combined absolutely destroyed this series and I am so sad since I loved all 4 first entries  HockeyBird Member Oct 27, 2017 13,794 Halo 2 and 3 were already dipping their toes into the live service model with paid for map packs and post launch updates. I think it was pretty natural for Halo to keep going in that direction. I don't think Halo fans exactly dislike the live service model in theory because it means a game they like can continue to get new content for years and years. Putting aside people's opinions about the campaigns, in terms of multiplayer, the 343 games were lacking a lot of the content fans had come to expect at launch. This hurt each game's momentum out of the gate. I think many fans would say that Halo Infinite currently has a ton of content but think a lot of that should have been available at launch and not take this long to get expected features back into the game.  zoodoo Member Oct 26, 2017 14,540 Montreal MS has problems evolving their franchises. Sony on the other either retire them or completely change them (God of War). Gears has the same problem. The games are great but more of the same. They timidly try to incorporate new stuff like larger areas but the changes are not drastic enough. Halo could have had a game like Destiny or Mass Effect. Gears could have had a more horror entry. The attempts they did with boths franchises were low budget or in niche genres  wwm0nkey Member Oct 25, 2017 16,795 Forerunner said: H4 was a complete package, it just wasn't a good Halo game. Both H5 and Infinite had bare bones MP and it takes them too long to get rolling, so everyone moves on. They need a complete package at launch. It's crazy that they don't have modes from previous Halos at launch and takes them months if not years to add them. Click to expand... Click to shrink... The fact Infinite launched without Forge was possibly the dumbest thing. Like they had it, they had a Halo with great gunplay with Infinite finally but didn't have the content to support it, had they had Forge the community could have at least done some heavy lifting for awhile.   Transistor The Walnut King Administrator Oct 25, 2017 41,639 Washington, D.C. 343 caused it's downfall.   PucePikmin Member Apr 26, 2018 5,346 I don't think there's any great mystery about Halo's decline. Bungie left and the games stopped coming as often or being as good.   SoftTaur Member Oct 25, 2017 671 Halo Infinite putting armor colors on a battlepass and expecting people to just accept that was wild. Map packs have fallen out of favor for obvious reasons, and they've never found monetization that worked since.   BloodHound Member Oct 27, 2017 11,247 This forums playbook is blame everything on live service and AI. Zero critical thinking skills required.  Derbel McDillet ▲ Legend ▲ Member Nov 23, 2022 24,332 Forerunner said: H4 was a complete package, it just wasn't a good Halo game. Both H5 and Infinite had bare bones MP and it takes them too long to get rolling, so everyone moves on. They need a complete package at launch. It's crazy that they don't have modes from previous Halos at launch and takes them months if not years to add them. Click to expand... Click to shrink... I mean, it's a lot of freaking modes at this point. Halo 3 has more modes than we'll ask of any shooter except Halo.   Detective Member Oct 27, 2017 3,886 343 is the reason for the downfall from the get go.   Ascenion Prophet of Truth - One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 13,105 Mecklenburg-Strelitz 343 was a poorly led and managed studio. It remains to be seen if Halo Studios is just more of the same but 343 just sucked at management. And Halo Infinite is a fundamental failure at understanding what a live service requires.   Stat Member Oct 25, 2017 6,360 I think the other thing is that arena shooters have really dried up. The idea of a standalone arena shooter just isn't a genre that a lot of people like too and people just expect these games with live service battle passes and seasons. Which is a shame.   chickenandrofls Member Oct 27, 2017 667 People will blame 343 but COD4 changed multiplayer tastes and Halo never recovered. Reach fell off quick compared to H3 and by the time H4 came around and tried to ape COD it just came off half ass. I love halo MP to this day but it was wild seeing my entire crew and casual gaming friends all move over to COD.  MasterYoshi Member Oct 27, 2017 12,224 I couldn't believe how quickly the plug was pulled on substantial updates to Infinite's multiplayer. There was a narrative going with cutscenes that just stopped before it had even hardly began. Halo should have moved to become something like Battlefront where you could play as virtually any infantry from the game's history. All of the Covenant races, the Flood, all sorts of UNSC ranks. That's what I believe would have been a major success at reinventing Halo's wheel.  Gavalanche Prophet of Regret Member Oct 21, 2021 25,900 I think CoD contributed more to it than anything else. Halo used to be the big multiplayer shooter on console. It revolutionised that area. And then Modern Warfare came along and ate its lunch, and bit by bit the goal shifted. Exclusivity probably didn't help either; it is not a coincidence that Halos woes and console selling woes are hand in hand; now that could be simply because Halo has that big an influence that a bad Halo means that many people buy less xboes. But it also means the potential playerbase isn't as big, especially since most Halo weren't on PC at that time. Meanwhile CoD wasn't exclusive and just grew and grew and grew.   Akira86 Member Oct 25, 2017 21,203 I was content being an all Halo and No-Call of Duty ever player, and lots of people were. They fucked up. Plain and simple. Plenty of people loved Reach(the hate was vocal and online as fuck) and just wanted a similar MP experience out of H4, but it wasn't similar. at all. People accused them of kowtowing to the COD type of game play. All they had to do was fix it in Halo 5 and release it on PC with plenty of maps and great MP. that didn't happen, Shake.  VariantX Member Oct 25, 2017 18,026 Columbia, SC SoftTaur said: Halo Infinite putting armor colors on a battlepass and expecting people to just accept that was wild. Map packs have fallen out of favor for obvious reasons, and they've never found monetization that worked since. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Spartan customization was also part of progression, whether its just getting to a certain rank, playing on certain difficulties, skulls, or doing specific tasks, you did the stuff to get the customization you wanted and it kept a part of the audience playing. If you take stuff away or put it behind a monetization scheme, then you have to replace it with something else in the hopes that would keep people coming back and they frankly didn't have any thing to replace what was lost.  Kill3r7 Member Oct 25, 2017 29,044 NDA-Man said: Tastes changed. COD was stealing Halo's lunch even during the later Bungie days. COD 4 impacted gaming so hard everyone tried to catch up, and Activision having the staff to turn it into an annual franchise after sacrificing most of it's other projects kept it always in the covnersation. Then Hero Shooters rose, then Battle Royales. Yes, poor management and dumb decisions at 343 definitely played a role--but just as big a part is that 4v4 equal starts arena shooters are quite passe. I don't think a "Halo 3 Part 2" that ignores the fact that gaming has evolved in the near two-decades since the franchise peaked in terms of cultural cachet would do any better (Reach was not it's peak. 3 was. Hell, 5, one of the "bad" ones did better at keeping players than Reach). Click to expand... Click to shrink... .  inkblot Member Mar 27, 2024 1,090 JigglesBunny said: 343's mismanagement and sloppy direction is what caused its downfall, and that extends far beyond their tepid live service. Click to expand... Click to shrink... first comment  bionic77 Member Oct 25, 2017 33,370 NDA-Man said: Tastes changed. COD was stealing Halo's lunch even during the later Bungie days. COD 4 impacted gaming so hard everyone tried to catch up, and Activision having the staff to turn it into an annual franchise after sacrificing most of it's other projects kept it always in the covnersation. Then Hero Shooters rose, then Battle Royales. Yes, poor management and dumb decisions at 343 definitely played a role--but just as big a part is that 4v4 equal starts arena shooters are quite passe. I don't think a "Halo 3 Part 2" that ignores the fact that gaming has evolved in the near two-decades since the franchise peaked in terms of cultural cachet would do any better (Reach was not it's peak. 3 was. Hell, 5, one of the "bad" ones did better at keeping players than Reach). Click to expand... Click to shrink... Thats how I remember it. COD changed the game. Even on 360 that was THE multiplayer shooter for that generation.   kowhite Member May 14, 2019 7,473 I couldn't tell you what caused the downfall of Halo. Granted I barely played 5 but I liked Infinite.   Multievolution Member Jun 5, 2018 4,179 I still maintain reach was a good game, I put a fair bit of time into it, and enjoyed its lifespan. I think what finished the series off was one part a lack of direction story wise, and one part not knowing how to keep halo both relevant and unique. To the former, I enjoyed 4's story well enough, but learning where they went next put me off ever seeing it. And to the latter, halo needs to just do what it does best, avoid trying to make it into a battle royal as an example. FPS's in general haven't been interesting to me in at least a decade.  MYeager Member Oct 30, 2017 960 I don't get the op. Four wasn't a live service title and 5 wasn't either thought it had some elements. Infinite I wouldn't consider a downfall as it's the most time I've played a Halo title ever, and 3 was my second highest. Live service or not the issue is it exists at a time where arena shooters aren't the mainstream.  NDA-Man Member Mar 23, 2020 3,983 zoodoo said: Halo could have had a game like Destiny or Mass Effect. Gears could have had a more horror entry. The attempts they did with boths franchises were low budget or in niche genres Click to expand... Click to shrink... To be blunt, I don't really buy into the idea of Halo as a universe that really supports much more than an FPS (which I guessed they could've cribbed from Destiny, but I dunno. It'd tick off the old heads who just want arena, and I don't think it'd pull folks away from destiny or their live service of choice). We as fans can get uber excited about a Halo RPG or a Flood horror game, but the vast majority of the playerbase didn't read the Nylund Books or whatever. They hear Halo and don't think of a vast and rich tapestry of a sci-fi universe, they think a shooter where you kill helium space munchkins. MasterYoshi said: I couldn't believe how quickly the plug was pulled on substantial updates to Infinite's multiplayer. There was a narrative going with cutscenes that just stopped before it had even hardly began. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Playerbase dropped off a cliff well over a year before they dropped those cutscenes (game launched late 2021, cutscenes were dropped June 2023). and nobody gave a fuck about the MP story until they axed it.  Sordid Plebeian Member Oct 26, 2017 19,835 It all comes down to 343i never knowing what to do with Halo. The only reason Infinite played it so safe is because they burned all their time chasing ideas no one wanted. Don't have much faith in Halo Studios.   T0kenAussie Member Jan 15, 2020 6,019 Halos lore was never strong in game. If you just watch the cutscenes they are clearly vehicles to get to the next level and that's about it. Halos EU especially the books did a lot of the heavy lifting that people are nostalgically remembering as Bungie lore imo I think halo has done an OK job of doing halo things. H1->3 were always reinventing the wheel and adding new things to each game. But overall I'd argue that everyone remembers the sweaty LAN weekends with your mates in the garage doing a system link on blood gulch and sidewinder over the single player story. At least that's the core halo memory I have  Caiusto Member Oct 25, 2017 6,879 No, the strategy was good, the sheer incompetence of 343i is what caused its downfall.   LilScooby77 Member Dec 11, 2019 12,280 Campaign/co op mode/multiplayer/theater/forge/custom games. Halo Reach will die as the last to launch complete.  Josh5890 I'm Your Favorite Poster's Favorite Poster The Fallen Oct 25, 2017 26,480 I've always been on the outside looking in, but it always felt like things went downhill after Bungie handed off the franchise to 343.   Bishop89 What Are Ya' Selling? Member Oct 25, 2017 42,741 Melbourne, Australia JigglesBunny said: 343's mismanagement and sloppy direction is what caused its downfall, and that extends far beyond their tepid live service. Click to expand... Click to shrink... This.   Richietto One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 26,029 North Carolina 343 were just not ready to step into Bungies shoes. They were not at all as skilled as Bungie was. And in the case of Infinite? They released it too soon. It took a year to get 2 maps. That's insane. The game was not going to recover. They are not good at decision making.   Letters Prophet of Truth Avenger Oct 27, 2017 5,199 Portugal To me it was the chasing of all kinds of trends instead of leaning into all the things in the gameplay what made it special and unique. Counter-Strike or Street Fighter would also be irrelevant today if they had done the same.   Razgriz-Specter Member Oct 25, 2017 34,486 Detective said: 343 is the reason for the downfall from the get go. Click to expand... Click to shrink... I'd put some on Bungie even, Halo 3 was like the big climactic game... and then Reach(despite being good) comes out within 3 years Big main Halos needed a break after 3 imo Literally Halo 3... then Reach happened in 3 years then Halo 4 just 2 years after Reach then Halo 5 in 3..  Gunman Member Aug 19, 2020 2,220 Agree with the COD factor. Halo already felt old with 3.   Green Marine Member Oct 25, 2017 450 El Paso Transistor said: 343 caused it's downfall. Click to expand... Click to shrink... This. For multiplayer, they had already lost the team death match crowd to Call of Duty back in 2007. That leaves you with objective modes, where nobody communicates or plays the objectives. I think they missed an enormous opportunity not being "first to market" with a Helldivers II style persistent PvE mode (could have literally called it "Helljumpers"). Instead they've spent fifteen years getting their ass kicked by Call of Duty and Counter-Strike. As for the campaigns and story telling, this is an even bigger mess. Halo Reach through Halo 3 (including ODST) was five campaigns that told a very cohesive, if vaguely unoriginal story. It often came off as a mixture of Starhammer, Ringworld, and The Flood being a dumb ripoff of the The Many in System Shock 2, but it mostly worked. There 343i games were a mess. They had a great opportunity to break away from the events of the Bungie era, but they decided only four years could pass, because Cortana's story was super important, and couldn't be an aspect of what went on between games. Hilarious, considering this is precisely what they did with Halo Infinite. Then you have a really bad story with Halo 5 (The Covenant knew where to scan and dig for the Portal for the Ark, but had no idea a Forerunner super weapon was buried beneath the Elite home world the whole time? That could have won them the way). The Banished were supposedly welcoming of humans, until they're retreating the the same threat of using the Halo Array to kill everyone. Eight years passed since the Prophet of Regret was murdered, but none of the the other alien factions know it's insta kill for anyone not on a shield world or outside of the Milky Way on The Ark? Zero explanation as to why Atriox's own high ranking soldiers think he died. The Endless are worse than The Flood… for absolutely no reason whatsoever. And this is before getting in to AI a level design issues. They couldn't mimic what GTA IV did in 2008 with an AI driving you around? You could have chosen between a scenic route where you noticed high value targets, or skip to the destination to get back the story after. Outside of "The Road", the last four levels were horrible (more gondola rides… a level that so thoroughly seemed like firefight maps and two boss fights stitched together that you eventually got those levels in Firefight events). They should have focused on human factions resurfacing pre-Covenant conflicts. UNSC were essentially the bad guys before Harvest. The Banished could have been an actual "mercenary" force that worked for humans that paid them, rather than just being a drop in replacement for the Covenant. Just one missed opportunity after another. I still like firefight, but that's the only mode I play in Infinite multiplayer. I hope they turn things around, but I'm not optimistic.  Justin Iacobellis Member Oct 27, 2017 2,446 United States I think Call of Duty 4 and onwards were definitely a factor in Halo's demise. On console (360 and PS3), CoD was one of the only multiplayer-focused shooters that offered a virtually consistent 60 FPS experience without overtly compromising elsewhere. On top of that, the range of ways to earn XP and relatively brisk rate at which you would join a new match created a flow that was difficult to remove yourself from, similarly to the "just one more run" mentality of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. While technical reasons prevented Halo from going beyond a 30 FPS limit for the remainder of that console generation, 343 and Bungie attempted to replicate some of the Call of Duty experience with the introductions of armor abilities, loadouts, and the like. These changes are where I personally felt the series was beginning to lose its identity. If you are going to gradually incorporate the key elements of your competitors, why would I not just continue playing those instead?  TechnoSyndro Member May 15, 2019 3,310 Their inability to actually support a live service game is why their live service game died. Halo Infinite had a ton of players at launch but they fumbled the ball immediately.   hydruxo ▲ Legend ▲ Member Oct 25, 2017 22,716 I don't think that was the problem. I think it's more so that 343 didn't have the juice to keep people interested in Halo. Bungie was just better in every way.   callamp Member Oct 27, 2017 1,641 Trends change over time and the Halo franchise was slow to adapt to that. Industry trends were already changing when Halo 3 was at its apex, with Modern Warfare changing the game. More recently we've had the shift towards battle royale (Fortnite, PUGB, Apex) and Destiny-likes. Halo is still largely operating in the same space it did 20 years ago (although Infinite's single player tried to branch out unsuccessfully). The reality is that Microsoft and 343 were too cautious with the franchise. They delivered games that were typically fine - despite some of the hyperbole that gets thrown about - and you could legitimately argue that mechanically Infinite is the best multiplayer in the franchise. But if trends have changed and gamers aren't as enamoured with arena shooters, then that's ultimately not good enough. From Halo 1 to 3, the series was the trend setter and then after that it became a follower. In an ideal world, Bungie would have kept the franchise and it would have evolved to be similar to what they created with Destiny. Perhaps they would have noted PUGB success and pivoted into the battle royale genre. But none of that happened and so year-after-year the franchise just became a little less prominent.  daegan #REFANTAZIO SWEEP Member Oct 27, 2017 3,304 For SP: Too long between games and they got way way WAY overwritten, simultaneously pulling from deep lore but not giving you reasons to care in the games themselves. 4, 5, Infinite all basically being reboots and supposed to keep going forever and then just not having a great hook to keep people playing. 5 also just being an absolute dogshit campaign that has no business being with the rest of the series, even when the plot points could be interesting. For Multi: The larger audience they chase for multiplayer has splintered and spread out across games that more focus on what each kind of player likes and I don't know how you get that back. What itch does a future Halo scratch that nothing else does and is it an itch millions of people still have who also have the free time to plunge into it?  dotpatrick Member Oct 28, 2017 400 Definitely agree with the people referencing Call of Duty. That was the big turning point and I'm not sure anything there is anything 343 could've done short of figuring out the next big turn for the competitive multiplayer shooter. By the time even Reach came out, CoD had already supplanted it as THE console shooter. I still remember when Xbox used to post how many folks were playing a particular title on Xbox Live for a given week and Call of Duty 4 would beat or be just behind Halo 3.  HockeyBird Member Oct 27, 2017 13,794 Razgriz-Specter said: I'd put some on Bungie even, Halo 3 was like the big climactic game... and then Reach(despite being good) comes out within 3 years Big main Halos needed a break after 3 imo Literally Halo 3... then Reach happened in 3 years then Halo 4 just 2 years after Reach then Halo 5 in 3.. Click to expand... Click to shrink... 3 years as the gap between Halo 1 and 2 and from 2 to 3. So Reach coming 3 years after Halo 3 isn't all that surprising. Also, as part of their agreement to split from Microsoft, they were obligated to produce two more Halo games after 3. One was Halo 3: ODST and the other was Reach. So they were fulfilling their contractual obligation to become independent and go off to create Destiny.  De Amigo Member Dec 19, 2017 550 Halo Reach was a fine enough game but it did feel like the beginning of the franchise releases going from major events to "expect another installment every couple of years no matter what". I wonder if them doing Halo 3 then taking a break until Halo 4 as like an Xbox One launch game could've kept the franchise's event status intact.   saruboss Member Jan 26, 2025 93 If i am not wrong, didn't you make the same thread with "is halo infinite now considered a failure?" a couple of months ago.   Gestault Member Oct 26, 2017 14,690 This is admittedly myopic, but from my perspective, their big public assertion about having learned the lesson from Halo 5 that they need split-screen, effectively (literally?) promising it for future games, then totally omitting it from Infinite made clear the game wasn't being planned by serious people. I say this as someone who had a blast with Infinite overall. 

P40L0 Member Jun 12, 2018 9,588 Italy Here's the summary of latest eXtas1s' direct about verified rumors and leaks from his sources: Steam/Epic Integration into Microsoft Store A new app called "Steam DF Beta" has appeared in the Windows Microsoft Store, allowing users to install Steam directly from the official store. The Epic Games Store is already integrated in the same way. This doesn't mean current Xbox consoles (Series X/S, One) will natively run Steam, but that Windows (and future Windows-based Xboxes) will offer an easier download/install experience. Future "Console-Like" Shell on Windows Microsoft is developing a compatibility layer or "shell" to give Windows a console-like interface (similar to Steam's Big Picture mode), suitable for both PC gaming and next‑gen Xbox systems.Xbox Emulation on PC An Xbox emulator for Windows (x64 architecture) is in development, allowing users to play their Xbox library on PC by emulating the console rather than running native PC ports of the games. Saves and achievements will remain separate between Steam, Microsoft Store/Xbox and will not sync automatically. Backward Compatibility and "Pass‑Through" Titles There are no plans to add new backward‑compatible games beyond what's already available, but the emulator work will let the entire Xbox library run on PC.Evolution of Game Pass Game Pass (including PC Game Pass and Ultimate) will remain a strategic cornerstone and will not be discontinued. New tiers are coming: cloud‑only, ad‑supported, PC‑only, Ultimate, etc. A price restructuring is imminent, likely raising fees—especially for the PC tier. Handling Rumors and Q&A The creator explains their approach: freely discuss rumors ("fun speculation") but clearly flag when something isn't confirmed 100%. They answer questions on topics such as: Transferring Xbox libraries to new consoles ("Phil Spencer confirmed yes") Whether online emulation will require subscriptions (probably not, but unclear) Third‑party titles and new COD at the next showcase (expected to appear) Buying on Steam vs. Microsoft Store (personal preference for Steam) Apparently what I suspected 1 year ago is actually coming true. What do you think? UPDATE: Jez Corden mostly corroborated this  Last edited: Yesterday at 1:42 PM VIPER Member Nov 12, 2023 1,408 Interesting strategy. This is just a PC in a box. In the interest of balance all developers need to have controller only lobbies in their multiplayer games.  Sabin Member Oct 25, 2017 6,097 I highly doubt that. If everyone would just use steam on XBOX Next MS would have to pay 20 to 30% of every transaction made to Valve.   Wrexis Member Nov 4, 2017 29,387 Steam's login count would double overnight with this I guess.   --R Being sued right now, please help me find a lawyer Member Oct 25, 2017 15,548 I don't believe the emulation part would have "the entire Xbox library" running on PC. It's not doable.   Maelstrom Member Apr 22, 2025 138 Sabin said: I highly doubt that. If everyone would just use steam on XBOX Next MS would have to pay 20 to 30% of every transaction made to Valve. Click to expand... Click to shrink... I mean if true, who cares? I can tell you who doesn't, it's Microsoft. Unless Steam titles will be selective, meaning you can buy THPS on Steam or MS store, or EGS. But if it's full Steam (haha) ahead with just being a PC, then fuck it, let them have it a PC.  texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,439 Indonesia No manual app install? GOG, Uplay, and Origin be like:   T0kenAussie Member Jan 15, 2020 6,019 This is the common sense endpoint for Microsoft's gaming venture Just like Nintendo merged handheld and console to make the switch. Microsoft merging the best parts of Pc and console while also allowing your library to live forever on pc is the best outcome for everyone  OP OP P40L0 Member Jun 12, 2018 9,588 Italy --R said: I don't believe the emulation part would have "the entire Xbox library" running on PC. It's not doable. Click to expand... Click to shrink... For the entire Xbox library he means current XSX|XSS library and what's currently emulated/BC   T0kenAussie Member Jan 15, 2020 6,019 Maelstrom said: I mean if true, who cares? I can tell you who doesn't, it's Microsoft. Unless Steam titles will be selective, meaning you can buy THPS on Steam or MS store, or EGS. But if it's full Steam (haha) ahead with just being a PC, then fuck it, let them have it a PC. Click to expand... Click to shrink... If the Xbox is basically a fisher price "babies first gaming pc" i can see that maintaining a market tbh   bob1001 ▲ Legend ▲ Member May 7, 2020 2,107 Maybe I'll be proven wrong, but I feel like the end result here is something that is too far away from a console to appeal to the console guys, and too far away from a PC to appeal to the PC guys. Just occupying this awkward middle ground niche.   Santar Member Oct 27, 2017 7,132 Norway --R said: I don't believe the emulation part would have "the entire Xbox library" running on PC. It's not doable. Click to expand... Click to shrink... It's probably just the games that are currently playable on the xbox series.   --R Being sued right now, please help me find a lawyer Member Oct 25, 2017 15,548 P40L0 said: For the entire Xbox library he means current XSX|XSS library and what's currently emulated/BC Click to expand... Click to shrink... I know. You still have to develop official Xbox One and Xbox Series emulators that have 100% compatibility. Not doable, and since extas1s has been way below a 50/50 recently I don't believe it.   T0kenAussie Member Jan 15, 2020 6,019 P40L0 said: For the entire Xbox library he means current XSX|XSS library and what's currently emulated/BC Click to expand... Click to shrink... I wonder if ~~r is talking about licensing because Microsoft would have to make a preeeetty big legal shenanigans to say that PCs are indeed Xbox's if they just allowed anyone to emulate the Xbox environment on pc and endorsed it   Bardeh Member Jun 15, 2018 3,840 If they can get the software down, this has the potential to be something that I would really, really love. That's a HUGE 'if' though.   Dust C H A O S Member Oct 25, 2017 41,030 Sounds about what people expected. A pricey HW with Windows that is mostly there just as an Xbox branded option on the HW marker.   Soap Member Oct 27, 2017 18,924 T0kenAussie said: This is the common sense endpoint for Microsoft's gaming venture Just like Nintendo merged handheld and console to make the switch. Microsoft merging the best parts of Pc and console while also allowing your library to live forever on pc is the best outcome for everyone Click to expand... Click to shrink... Certaily a good thing for me if it happens, but is it really good for MS? It seems like this would kill any xbox console unless the price to power ratio was vastly better than just building/buying a PC.   --R Being sued right now, please help me find a lawyer Member Oct 25, 2017 15,548 T0kenAussie said: I wonder if ~~r is talking about licensing because Microsoft would have to make a preeeetty big legal shenanigans to say that PCs are indeed Xbox's if they just allowed anyone to emulate the Xbox environment on pc and endorsed it Click to expand... Click to shrink... It's one part of my argument, yes. The other one is, simply, performance. I can see a 360 emulator working performance-wise, but this becomes way harder as you go up to One and Series. You require a lot more juice if you try to emulate a Series X.   brenobnfm Member Sep 28, 2019 2,666 Guess they gave up on fighting Steam with the Microsoft Store and will instead prevent any Steam OS takeover over Windows for PC gaming on a broader level, seems reasonable and even late that they're finally leveraging Windows.   Footos22 Member Oct 25, 2017 4,122 Killing their 30% on third party games for the cheaper steam option sure feels like a good way to fuck your whole business up. Don't believe this for a second.   MANTRA Member Feb 21, 2024 1,136 I actually think this is a fantastic path for Microsoft and could be huge if they pull it off.   Dega Member Oct 25, 2017 8,464 I'd be interested   OP OP P40L0 Member Jun 12, 2018 9,588 Italy --R said: It's one part of my argument, yes. The other one is, simply, performance. I can see a 360 emulator working performance-wise, but this becomes way harder as you go up to One and Series. You require a lot more juice if you try to emulate a Series X. Click to expand... Click to shrink... They also talk about the "biggest performance leap" they ever had from gen to gen too (possible switch to NVIDIA? don't know)   Game Fan Member Oct 25, 2017 1,208 Brazil Steam + Xbox + quick resume + Game Pass in a box under the TV. Sign me in.   Mivey Member Oct 25, 2017 20,652 Sabin said: I highly doubt that. If everyone would just use steam on XBOX Next MS would have to pay 20 to 30% of every transaction made to Valve. Click to expand... Click to shrink... This is MS, so they could probably negotiate an even smaller percentage (if they can deliver enough unit sales, and if they can't they have bigger problems anyway)   oni-link tag reference no one gets Member Oct 25, 2017 17,359 UK So I'd be able to get PS exclusives on my new Xbox from Steam, and use Game Pass, and also have Steam on my Xbox as well for indies/other games, vs the PS6 with no Game Pass and no Steam, but with MS first party games? That's interesting  Justsomeguy Member Oct 27, 2017 1,786 UK bob1001 said: Maybe I'll be proven wrong, but I feel like the end result here is something that is too far away from a console to appeal to the console guys, and too far away from a PC to appeal to the PC guys. Just occupying this awkward middle ground niche. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Steam machine vibes   Mr Evil 37 Member Mar 7, 2022 27,689 bob1001 said: something that is too far away from a console to appeal to the console guys Click to expand... Click to shrink... I don't see why this would be a concern. It seems like it can still be used as a console if that's what you want (presumably the Xbox layer + emulation will basically just make it into a console and you can ignore the non-console stuff if you want).   BasilZero Member Oct 25, 2017 39,966 Omni I'll get it if b/c is there.   --R Being sued right now, please help me find a lawyer Member Oct 25, 2017 15,548 P40L0 said: They also talk about the "biggest performance leap" they ever had from gen to gen too (possible switch to NVIDIA? don't know) Click to expand... Click to shrink... Unless they've found a way to timetravel and they're pulling hardware years from now into our timeline there is no way they're gonna emulate a Series X. I think extas1s is talking out of his ass again.   Toddhunter Member Feb 22, 2025 509 Sabin said: I highly doubt that. If everyone would just use steam on XBOX Next MS would have to pay 20 to 30% of every transaction made to Valve. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Or just make a better business deal. Anyway owning the box under the tv was always the aim, so I doubt they'd care much about gaming if they could do it. Much better to sell tv show deals.  Mr Evil 37 Member Mar 7, 2022 27,689 T0kenAussie said: I wonder if ~~r is talking about licensing because Microsoft would have to make a preeeetty big legal shenanigans to say that PCs are indeed Xbox's if they just allowed anyone to emulate the Xbox environment on pc and endorsed it Click to expand... Click to shrink... Maybe they wrote this into all of their licensing deals over the last X years if they knew they were heading in this direction.   andymoogle Member Oct 27, 2017 3,307 --R said: It's one part of my argument, yes. The other one is, simply, performance. I can see a 360 emulator working performance-wise, but this becomes way harder as you go up to One and Series. You require a lot more juice if you try to emulate a Series X. Click to expand... Click to shrink... It's all running variants of DirectX. There is no way they would need to bruteforce it as regular software emulation.   Copilot Member Jun 27, 2023 1,336 Sabin said: I highly doubt that. If everyone would just use steam on XBOX Next MS would have to pay 20 to 30% of every transaction made to Valve. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Those machines should be profitable out of box (likely 20% or more profit margins). Steam is already on Windows and Xbox PC still growing (+45% YoY).  Flame Lord Member Oct 26, 2017 3,773 Sabin said: I highly doubt that. If everyone would just use steam on XBOX Next MS would have to pay 20 to 30% of every transaction made to Valve. Click to expand... Click to shrink... They wouldn't pay anymore to Steam than they already do on PC. Presumably this isn't going to be taking a loss like consoles usually do so that won't be as big a deal.  texhnolyze Shinra Employee Member Oct 25, 2017 26,439 Indonesia bob1001 said: Maybe I'll be proven wrong, but I feel like the end result here is something that is too far away from a console to appeal to the console guys, and too far away from a PC to appeal to the PC guys. Just occupying this awkward middle ground niche. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Yeah, this doesn't interest me at all. A PC without modding capabilities is not a PC. That's like missing the whole point of PC gaming to me.   brenobnfm Member Sep 28, 2019 2,666 I just hope any of the Xbox BC isn't cloud bullshit like PS3 on PS5, if that's the case better keep a Series X for these purposes. bob1001 said: Maybe I'll be proven wrong, but I feel like the end result here is something that is too far away from a console to appeal to the console guys, and too far away from a PC to appeal to the PC guys. Just occupying this awkward middle ground niche. Click to expand... Click to shrink... It'll keep being just a Xbox for those who wants it? Especially if still has a disc drive (even if it's optional).  WhoaIsThatMars Member Oct 25, 2017 2,711 湘南 VIPER said: This is just a PC in a box. Click to expand... Click to shrink... A PC is an Xbox so it's just an Xbox in a box!  OP OP P40L0 Member Jun 12, 2018 9,588 Italy oni-link said: So I'd be able to get PS exclusives on my new Xbox from Steam, and use Game Pass, and also have Steam on my Xbox as well for indies/other games, vs the PS6 with no Game Pass and no Steam, but with MS Exclusives? That's interesting Click to expand... Click to shrink... Basically, yeah. I think the biggest part in all this is nailing down the "console user experience" which currently Windows 11 still do not offer. If they will create a good new shell on boot instead of Desktop and mimic the current Xbox Dashboard experience (also for managing OS/Drivers/Game updates in a centralized way and in the background) as much as possible it could really open a new market of devices (with the portable Xbox directly rivalling Switch 2 and Deck and the bigger, more powerful variant rivaling PS6 or even being a more user friendly and compact alternative to build and put a monster PC under the TV). They could even open for other OEMs doing beefier, more premium or more economical variants of these new "consoles" as well.  OP OP P40L0 Member Jun 12, 2018 9,588 Italy brenobnfm said: I just hope any of the Xbox BC isn't cloud bullshit like PS3 on PS5, if that's the case better keep a Series X for these purposes. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Nope, native offline emulation it seems   Zutroy Member Oct 25, 2017 1,682 It would depend on the limitations of it, and the implementation, however full console experience with being able to get access to cheap game keys for Steam and free giveaways that Epic always does is an attractive proposition.   brenobnfm Member Sep 28, 2019 2,666 P40L0 said: Nope, native offline emulation it seems Click to expand... Click to shrink... Awesome.  OP OP P40L0 Member Jun 12, 2018 9,588 Italy --R said: Unless they've found a way to timetravel and they're pulling hardware years from now into our timeline there is no way they're gonna emulate a Series X. I think extas1s is talking out of his ass again. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Which are the XSX console-exclusive games not natively available on PC anyway? I think the last ones were from Xbox One?  Maelstrom Member Apr 22, 2025 138 T0kenAussie said: If the Xbox is basically a fisher price "babies first gaming pc" i can see that maintaining a market tbh Click to expand... Click to shrink... Well that's their problem not yours. Maybe they don't want to do that and just trying to keep the existing customers on board.  Paper Wario ▲ Legend ▲ Member Oct 27, 2017 3,146 Some other recent eXtas1s rumor threads: eXtas1s sources say one function of the C button on Switch 2 is you can use the Switch 1 as a controller and/or screen for Switch 2 games Gears Of War E-Day scheduled for a 2026 release - Gears Collection to be announced in June for PC/XSX/PS5 Tony Hawk 3+4 will be shadow dropped for PC, Xbox Series SIX and PS5 during the 2025 Xbox Games Showcase Gears of War Trilogy Collection will be announced as multiplatform, day one on PS5, remasters of all 3 games, crossplay between PS5/Xbox/PC Activision's Call of Duty: World at War and Singularity will arrive on Xbox Game Pass in May   T0kenAussie Member Jan 15, 2020 6,019 --R said: It's one part of my argument, yes. The other one is, simply, performance. I can see a 360 emulator working performance-wise, but this becomes way harder as you go up to One and Series. You require a lot more juice if you try to emulate a Series X. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Imo they probably take a middle ground and emulate a series s. The main thing it would be used for is establishing a pathways for bc games to live with your accounts on the Microsoft store Licensing is the real devil in the details I assume the last gen and this gen games would have wording in it about "Xbox devices and platforms" but the 360 and og catalogs wouldn't which makes me go hmmm at the full bc libraries being emulatable on a pc with no issues  Egida Member Oct 27, 2017 4,741 Sounds too good to be true, provided they can get a price and potency similar to the next Playstation, and if it has free online, it could really make me consider abandoning ps ecosystem.   --R Being sued right now, please help me find a lawyer Member Oct 25, 2017 15,548 P40L0 said: Which are the XSX console-exclusive games not natively available on PC anyway? I think the last ones were from Xbox One? Click to expand... Click to shrink... Your post literally says "An Xbox emulator for Windows (x64 architecture) is in development, allowing users to play their Xbox library on PC by emulating the console rather than running native PC ports of the games." T0kenAussie said: Imo they probably take a middle ground and emulate a series s. The main thing it would be used for is establishing a pathways for bc games to live with your accounts on the Microsoft store Licensing is the real devil in the details I assume the last gen and this gen games would have wording in it about "Xbox devices and platforms" but the 360 and og catalogs wouldn't which makes me go hmmm at the full bc libraries being emulatable on a pc with no issues Click to expand... Click to shrink... For real. I don't see how some of the third parties that agreed to bring the games back on BC would like to suddenly be on PC. That, or how would disc-only BC games work, because those still exist and they'd definitely not work. And now that I write this, yeah, how would disc-based games work on this?  Ruu Member Oct 28, 2017 1,310 My prediction before the Series X was announced was pretty much exactly this, guess I was just off by a generation. For real though, I think this is the only way I'd be interested in a new Xbox console. With all their games being everywhere there isn't much a reason I'd need an xbox. But if its basically a consolized PC I could see that being potentially worth it assuming its not like $1000. Though even then... A $1000 gaming pc might not be too bad. Basically I'd rather pay a lot for a pc than a dedicated console.   oni-link tag reference no one gets Member Oct 25, 2017 17,359 UK Paper Wario said: Some other recent eXtas1s rumor threads: eXtas1s sources say one function of the C button on Switch 2 is you can use the Switch 1 as a controller and/or screen for Switch 2 games Gears Of War E-Day scheduled for a 2026 release - Gears Collection to be announced in June for PC/XSX/PS5 Tony Hawk 3+4 will be shadow dropped for PC, Xbox Series SIX and PS5 during the 2025 Xbox Games Showcase Gears of War Trilogy Collection will be announced as multiplatform, day one on PS5, remasters of all 3 games, crossplay between PS5/Xbox/PC Activision's Call of Duty: World at War and Singularity will arrive on Xbox Game Pass in May Click to expand... Click to shrink... Have they gotten anything right? Are they always wrong or just wrong half the time? Lol 

Even though your pile of shame’s already teetering and your backlog is the size of a felled sequoia, who are you and I to resist yet another bargain? Today's gaming treasure trove spans mischievous birds, noir cyborgs, and wizarding wonders, all at prices that’ll have your wallet breathing a sigh of relief. Whether you’re deep in console country or loyal to your trusty PC, there’s a little something here to make your day but ruin your bandwidth.This Day in Gaming 🎂In retro news, I'm lighting a 15-candle cake for WarioWare D.I.Y., one of my favourite Nintendo DS time-wasters. Nintendo essentially handed players the keys to the microgame factory and somehow didn’t burn the place down. Armed with a stylus and too much free time, you could compose janky 8-bit music, draw unhinged sprites, and script chaotic games that lasted all of five seconds but felt like fever dreams. The tutorials starred Wario’s development crew trying (and mostly failing) to teach you game design basics without causing a workplace accident. Honestly, it was less Super Mario Maker and more Mario Paint meets GarageBand on a sugar high. It even let you upload your madness online, meaning no DS cartridge was safe from your homemade horrors. A beautiful, timeless mess.Aussie bdays for notable games- LostWinds (Wii) 2008. eBay- WarioWare D.I.Y. (DS) 2010. eBay- Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands (PS3,X360) 2010. Get- L.A. Noire (PS3,X360) 2011. Get- Transistor (PC) 2014. Get- Fire Emblem Echoes: SoV (3DS) 2017. SequelsContentsNice Savings for Nintendo SwitchPreorders openNintendo Switch 2 ConsoleRequires a free to make / cancel First Membership that provides free shipping.Nintendo players can dash into Sonic Frontiers for A$49, a sprawling open zone adventure that lets the blue blur stretch his legs like never before. Or stir up some trouble in the minimalist mayhem of Untitled Goose Game, a local Melbourne creation that nabbed a BAFTA and inspired real-life goose protest signs.Sonic Frontiers (-51%) - A$49Sifu (-70%) - A$18Lego Ninjago Movie (-45%) - A$49Shin Megami Tensei V (-32%) - A$54Dragon Ball FighterZ (-44%) - A$50Untitled Goose Game (-50%) - A$15Expiring Recent DealsThe Witcher 3 Comp. (-75%) - A$19Lego Skywalker Saga (-80%) - A$17Dead Cells (-50%) - A$18Yooka-Laylee (-80%) - A$6Blasphemous (-75%) - A$9Unicorn Overlord (-36%) - A$61Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.Switch Console PricesHow much to Switch it up?Switch OLED + Mario Wonder: $̶5̶3̶9̶ $538 | Switch Original: $̶4̶9̶9̶ $448 | Switch OLED Black: $̶5̶3̶9̶ $477 | Switch OLED White: $̶5̶3̶9̶ $476 ♥ | Switch Lite: $̶3̶2̶9̶ $328 | Switch Lite Hyrule: $̶3̶3̶9̶ $335See itBack to topExciting Bargains for XboxXbox Series X owners should absolutely look at Robocop: Rogue City - Alex Murphy Edition, now just A$10. The devs brought back Peter Weller himself to voice Robocop three decades after the original. Meanwhile, Ori and the Will of the Wisps remains one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful games of the generation, with animation influenced by Studio Ghibli.Xbox OneExpiring Recent DealsOr just invest in an Xbox Card.Xbox Console PricesHow many bucks for a 'Box? Series X: $̶7̶9̶9̶ $798 👑| Series S Black: $̶5̶4̶9̶ $545 | Series S White:$̶4̶9̶9̶ $498 | Series S Starter: N/ASee itBack to topPure Scores for PlayStationPS5 players can get a discounted trip to Night City in Cyberpunk 2077 at A$71, now finally in the form fans were promised back in 2020. Or check out The Last of Us Part II Remastered, which includes a roguelike mode originally prototyped as a testbed for stealth mechanics.PS4Expiring Recent DealsDoom: The Dark Ages (-17%) - A$99Split Fiction (-16%) - A$59Star Wars Outlaws (-64%) - A$4040K: Space Marine 2 (-27%) - A$79Judgment (-48%) - A$28UFC 5 (-65%) - A$39Octopath Traveler II (-32%) - A$57Night in the Woods (-50%) - A$14Rogue Legacy (-80%) - A$5PS+ Monthly FreebiesYours to keep from May 1 with this subscriptionArk: Survival Ascended (PS5)Balatro (PS5/PS4)Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun (PS5/PS4)Or purchase a PS Store Card.What you'll pay to 'Station.PS5 + Astro Bot:$̶7̶2̶4̶.9̶5̶ $699👑 | PS5 Slim Disc:$̶7̶9̶9̶ $798 | PS5 Slim Digital:6̶7̶9̶ $678 | PS5 Pro $1,199 | PS VR2: $649.95 | PS VR2 + Horizon: $1,099 | PS Portal: $329See itBack to topPurchase Cheap for PCOver on PC, Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition is criminally underplayed at just A$4. It’s essentially “GTA meets Hong Kong cinema” and includes an actual Bruce Lee outfit. Finally, Baldur’s Gate 3 is down to A$71, and it only took Larian Studios six years, three delays, and a player base that insists on seducing every NPC to make it one of the most beloved CRPGs of all time.Or just get a Steam Wallet CardPC Hardware PricesSlay your pile of shame.Official launch in NovSteam Deck 256GB LCD: $649 | Steam Deck 512GB OLED: $899 | Steam Deck 1TB OLED: $1,049See it at SteamLaptop DealsHP Envy x360 16" 2-in-1 (-39%) – A$1,399HP Laptop 15.6" Ryzen (-34%) – A$1,049ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 (-35%) – A$869Lenovo Yoga 7i Gen 9 (-41%) – A$1,229Apple 2024 MacBook Air 15-inch (-16%) – A$2,094Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 (-36%) - A$879Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen7 (-27%) - A$1,018Desktop DealsLenovo neo 50q Gen 4 Tiny (-35%) – A$639Lenovo neo 50t Gen 5 Desk (-20%) – A$871.20Lenovo Legion Tower 5i (-29%) – A$1,899Monitor DealsARZOPA 16.1" 144Hz (-55%) – A$159.99Z-Edge 27" 240Hz (-15%) – A$237.99Gawfolk 34" WQHD (-28%) – A$359LG 27" Ultragear (-42%) – A$349Component DealsStorage DealsBack to topLegit LEGO DealsExpiring Recent DealsBack to topHot Headphones DealsAudiophilia for lessGalaxy Buds2 Pro (-31%) – A$239Technics Wireless NC (-33%) – A$365SoundPEATS Space (-25%) – A$56.99Sony MDR7506 Pro (-18%) – A$199Back to topTerrific TV DealsDo right by your console, upgrade your tellyLG 43" UT80 4K (-24%) – A$635Kogan 65" QLED 4K (-50%) – A$699Kogan 55" QLED 4K (-45%) – A$549LG 55" UT80 4K (-28%) – A$866Back to top Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube.