Off The Console

Join @HiTechLoLife , @games_revealed , and @gardiner_bryant as we discuss this week’s hottest gaming and tech news. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/dVkKcZH2Qy Get ready for a massive episode as we dive deep into one of gaming’s biggest events of the year! The Game Awards! 📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and follow us on your favorite podcast app. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole/home

Valve’s NEW Hardware… ANNOUNCED Link: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/steammachine https://store.steampowered.com/sale/steamcontroller https://store.steampowered.com/sale/steamframe Valve announced a TRIO of devices. A TRIO. THREE. DEVICES. A new Steam Controller, THE Steam Machine, and finally, The Steam Frame which was once called the Valve Deckard. The Steam Controller is an evolved Steam Controller featuring all of the inputs the Steam Deck has, but in a controller form, and with some additional bells and whistles. The Steam Machine is Valve’s return to bringing Steam to the living room… this time with more confidence in their work on Linux and Proton. The landscape’s changed drastically since their first attempt over a decade ago with Proton existing as a core part of Steam on Linux. The Steam Frame is Valve’s standalone VR headset. Not quite a true successor to the Index but it’s something more. A standalone ARM headset designed to play full fat PCVR games, with the ability to sideload Android APKs. What’s more interesting too is SteamOS on ARM. It includes FEX-EMU, a translation layer designed to run x86 binaries on ARM on TOP of Proton translating Windows calls to Linux calls. One has to wonder how performant games will run on the Frame. :::info Let’s play a game… how much do YOU think ALL of the new Steam Hardware will be? Whoever’s closest to the real MSRP of the devices will win eternal glory. ::: The real reason we’ve yet to get a Steam Deck 2 Link: https://www.ign.com/articles/valve-says-it-has-a-pretty-good-idea-of-what-steam-deck-2-is-going-to-be-explains-why-its-holding-off-for-now The Steam Deck 2 is still happening, it just isn’t happening now because as valve claims “there’s no offerings in that landscape”. Valve apparently isn’t interested in performance gains as low as 50% at the same battery level. They want more. More more more. Battery life is a major consideration, otherwise we’d have extremely powerful handhelds without the battery to keep them alive for long. SteamOS on ARM? Link: http://pcgamer.com/hardware/vr-hardware/steamos-launching-for-arm-fex-translation-layer/ https://www.theverge.com/news/818672/valve-android-apps-steam-frame Valve states that with the release of the Steam Frame, they will also release an updated SteamOS with ARM support. Now I doubt you would be able to run this on just any ARM based system, like a modern smartphone, but there may be a place for SteamOS on various Snapdragon based handhelds, such as the AYN Thor and whatnot. More testing required but SteamOS for ARM will include FEX-EMU for running games. Word has it that you’ll just be able to run Android apps on here and even sideload Android APKs too. Who will be nominated at The Game Awards? Find out 11/17 Link: https://www.thegameawards.com/news/nominations-live-on-monday https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Game_Awards#Video_games_and_media We won’t have nominees announced by the time this podcast releases, but we’re gonna take our best shot at predicting who’s gonna be nominated, and later on we’re gonna predict who’s gonna win. Should we live stream this? :::info Who will win GOTY? Take our bets now! Also announce the live stream ::: Sony’s Bungie Acquisition not going as expected. ~$204M impairment loss Link: https://thegamepost.com/sony-destiny-2-sales-user-engagement-not-reached-bungie/ Destiny 2 was in a good spot before the Sony buyout, which is why Sony bought the studio for a big sum of cash… but Destiny 2 is now in dire straits. The lowest player count it’s ever seen and Marathon isn’t looking too good for prospective players either. All of Bungie hinges on the upcoming Star Wars themed expansion for Destiny 2… Renegades. The Grand Theft Layoff Saga - Hundreds of Rockstar employees furious Link: https://www.eurogamer.net/this-is-a-blatant-unapologetic-act-of-vicious-union-busting-hundreds-of-rockstar-employees-sign-letter-to-management-demanding-fired-colleagues-get-reinstated A number of employees had their employment grand thefted in what appears to be union busting. Hundreds of Rockstar employees PISSED and signed a letter to management demanding they get reinstated. Somehow… Concord Returned Link: https://thegamepost.com/sony-concord-playable-again-custom-servers/ Concord, the catastrophic live service failure, has returned thanks to a community made server. Concord released last year and lasted only two weeks before shutting down and all purchasers were issued refunds, with the studio itself going under soon after. Of course it’s work in progress but there is evidence of the return of Concord, at least not by Sony. 📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and follow us on your favorite podcast app. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole/home

We talk GTA VI’s new release date, Rockstar’s alleged union-busting, Soulja Boy’s questionable new handhelds, and Square Enix’s AI-powered QA plans—plus we break down if Steam’s dominance is turning into a real-world monopoly. It’s chaos, caffeine, and consoles as always. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/dVkKcZH2Qy #OffTheConsole #GamingPodcast #GTAVI #RockstarGames #SteamDeck #SouljaBoy #SquareEnix #GameNews #VideoGames #PCGaming #GamingHardware #AIinGaming #GameDev #GamerTalk #Podcast #TechNews #FutureOfGaming #Th3Brink #GardinerBryant #HiTechLoLife 📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and follow us on your favorite podcast app. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole/home

ICE uses Halo to recruit - says to “Destroy The Flood” Link: https://www.gamefile.news/p/halo-ice-developers-react Halo may not be what it used to be, but the news of Halo’s remake sent waves across the internet… and the government has noticed. Former creators of Halo during its halcyon days have weighed in, calling the ad to “Destroy The Flood” disgusting. They’ve also clarified that the various figures in the Halo universe are NOT meant to be parallels to anything in the real world. IE: The Prophets are not Popes, Flood aren’t Illegal Immigrants, and Chief isn’t Christ. 90% of all Windows games runs on Linux, data shows Link: http://tomshardware.com/software/linux/nearly-90-percent-of-windows-games-now-run-on-linux-latest-data-shows-as-windows-10-dies-gaming-on-linux-is-more-viable-than-ever https://www.protondb.com/dashboard Historically, Gaming has been one of Linux’s sore spots. Even as recently as a decade ago, Linux was considered non-viable for most games. But things have changed due to Valve’s diligent work with Proton. Born from the ashes of the Steam Machine initiative, Proton has changed the game for Linux gamers, so to speak. Data from ProtonDB as reported by Boiling Steam shows that 90% of Windows titles runs on Linux with no issue. This chart does NOT include any performance limitations, unlike say, Steam Deck Verified, so if you have a high powered gaming PC and want to game… you can! That said this still doesn’t indicate that we’ll see anti-cheat games decide to work on Linux. Robots are here… and they’re not as cool as you think they are Link: https://www.1x.tech/ Instead of a sweet cyberpunk looking robot that looks like it could murder you, it looks like a stupid felt robot wearing a turtleneck with beady eyes. It’s a robot you can pre-order for $20K, and exists to do your household chores for you. It COULD be useful for disabled persons or the elderly, and it’s made to automate your chores. It’ll do everything from open the door for your guests, to doing your laundry, to washing your dishes and putting them away. But for any chore it doesn’t know by default, you can schedule a 1X Expert to guide the robot. It’s also AI enabled too, but rather than being hooked up to Skynet it’s hooked up to an LLM of sorts. I’ve seen no footage of this robot mowing the lawn, which is about the only task that I feel I’d want to automate. Amazon Lays Off “Significant” Portions of Gaming Division - Kills New World Link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-28/amazon-makes-significant-cuts-in-video-game-division 14,000 corporate jobs are being removed. It’s unknown how much of that is gaming, but what is known is that Amazon in an internal memo has mentioned “significant role reductions” in its San Diego, Irvine, and central publishing offices. Amazon however seems more interested in expanding their cloud gaming service, Amazon Luna, featuring more and more casual and “AI-focused” games. One particular game that is being effected is the MMORPG known as New World. Since the Irvine office has been affected, New World’s devs will halt new content rollouts effective immediately. They say servers will live through 2026, but it’s only a matter of time until this game dies. It’s even worse since it’s an MMO, and an MMO without a large enough playerbase to support its ecosystem will fall. It’s unknown if Stop Killing Games will save this game or not… sadly. “Gross Misconduct” - Take-Two as they bust a union Link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-31/-grand-theft-auto-studio-accused-of-union-busting-after-firings?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc2MTkzOTg3MSwiZXhwIjoxNzYyNTQ0NjcxLCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUNTBISEpHUFFRNkMwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJCMUVBQkI5NjQ2QUM0REZFQTJBRkI4MjI1MzgyQTJFQSJ9.9NYooKXrBMU_quRYMOSw6uACDogcIuS-E27t4GD8f2g&leadSource=reddit_wall Take-Two fires 30-40 people. Cites “gross misconduct”, but a British trade union claims T2 did this to prevent unionization. It’s being called the most blatant and ruthless acts of union busting in the entire games industry to this point. Judge allows class action lawsuit from authors against OpenAI to proceed Link: https://www.businessinsider.com/open-ai-chatgpt-microsoft-copyright-infringement-lawsuit-authors-rr-martin-2025-10 https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26204915-chatgpt-game-of-thrones-sequel-idea/?mode=document One of the first viral AI copyright situations happened when users fed ChatGPT the entire A Song of Fire and Ice book series, and had AI more or less generate unofficial sequel books, based on George R.R. Martin’s works. He was understandably not happy. Now a judge has allowed a class action lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft to proceed, denying those two companies’ motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Exhibit F showcases a prompt presented by the authors’ lawyers showcasing ChatGPT’s ability to create detailed summaries of Game of Thrones and to present an alternate third book in the series that takes the series in a different direction. The New Steam Controller, known as the “Triton” Link: https://x.com/gabefollower/status/1983330154178064856 The new Steam Controller is code named “Triton”. Of course that’s not its official product name. The Steam Deck was internally referred to as Jupiter and the OLED model was referred to as Galileo. But the controller may be closer to release than we realize. It’s only a matter of time before we get one. It may very well be the endgame controller for all games. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang eats Korean Fried Chicken, stocks jump up 30% Link: https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/korean-fried-chicken-stocks-surge-30-percent-as-nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-dines-out-on-local-delicacy-entire-industry-buoyed-by-secret-ingredient-jensanity Korean Fried Chicken might be the world’s best fried chicken, come at me. And Jensen Huang might agree. He was in Seoul meeting with top execs from Samsung and Hyundai, but photos of him eating the spicy fried chicken and having a few beers went viral. Viral to the point where stocks in Korean Fried Chicken chains jumped up anywhere between 20-30% on the KOSDAQ. Love the Korean Fried Chicken promotion, but hate that this could jack up the price of Korean chicken here. Xbox’s real competitor… not Sony or Nintendo… but TikTok Link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2025/10/29/satya-nadellas-plan-to-take-on-tiktok-with-xbox-makes-no-sense/ Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, proclaims that gaming’s true enemy isn’t other gaming systems, but shortform content like TikTok. Ex-PlayStation exec Shawn Layden said something very similar in the past… In a sense, it is true, TikTok, much like anything else, competes for your limited time. But that’s like saying going outside or work competes with your ability to game. It true in a sense, but utterly ridiculous to say. Nintendo v Palworld Update - Japan Rejects Nintendo Patent Link: https://gamesfray.com/japan-patent-office-rejects-nintendo-application-relevant-to-palworld-dispute-cites-games-like-ark-as-prior-art-after-third-party-submission/ Japan has rejected a specific patent for a monster capturing patent which was submitted by Nintendo. The specific patent (patent number 2024-031879) revolves around capturing creatures by throwing an object… IE: Throwing a Pokeball or Pal Sphere to capture the creature. It was ultimately rejected by the Japanese Patent Office as they claim the patent “lacks originality”. the JPO cites specific prior art examples, such as Monster Hunter 4, ARK: Survival Evolved, and most surprising of all, Craftopia which is also developed by the same developers as Palworld, Pocketpair. It’s specifically worth mentioning that this is NOT a final verdict. The case still rages on, but it undoubtedly strengthens Pocketpair’s case. 📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and follow us on your favorite podcast app. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole/home

Counter Strike 2 Update “Rug Pulls” Collectors out of BILLION$$$ Link: https://www.dexerto.com/counter-strike-2/cs2-skin-update-rug-pulls-collectors-as-1-billion-wiped-from-market-cap-3273322/ New CS2 update will let you trade 5 lesser value items of a covert rarity, and then trade them up for a Knife or Glove. Knifes are CS2 gold and have traditionally been worth THOUSANDS. Some creators are apparently upset because their knife collection isn’t worth nearly as much as they were before. Should’ve SOLD your knives before Valve dropped the update LMAO. Over 5000 Steam Games… fail to even make back the $100 publishing fee Link: https://www.gamesradar.com/games/over-5-000-games-released-on-steam-this-year-didnt-make-enough-money-to-recover-the-usd100-fee-to-put-a-game-on-valves-store-research-estimates/ A true nightmare for the average indie game developer. You publish a game, pay Valve $100, and then hope you can earn enough to make a living. But the horrors of game development only begin AFTER you release the game. Many indies come out and find success, but for every success, 100 must fail. But worst yet, some of these games don’t even make back the flat $100 fee Valve charges to even publish a game on Steam. One can only know the true horrors of indie game development whilst living as a starving artist during development. ChatGPT Atlas - An AI Browser Nightmare Link: https://openai.com/index/introducing-chatgpt-atlas/ It exists. James will try it out in the BONUS episode. Halo: Campaign Evolved… or Devolved? But either way, coming to PlayStation Link: https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2025/10/24/halo-campaign-evolved-answering-the-big-questions/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSjbIM0iegY To Celebrate Halo moving to Unreal Engine 5, they’re doing a full on remake of Combat Evolved, which is coming day 1 to Xbox, PlayStation 5, and Steam. They promise THIS time, 2-Player splitscreen co-op on console, with 4-Player Cross-platform online co-op. They’re also giving you a brand new set of prequel missions featuring Master Chief and Sgt. Johnson. There are some features coming from later Halo titles coming to Campaign Evolved, such as the ability to sprint (which is an option to disable), hijack vehicles, use weapons usable from later in the series such as the Energy Sword (which was not possible in Halo 1). But there are concerns about a couple of things, such as changed art designs, the move to Unreal Engine 5, and implementing features & weapons from later Halo games. Exclusive Games “Antiquated”… Next Xbox to be “Premium” and “High-End” Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/exclusive-games-are-antiquated-xbox-president-says/1100-6535625/ https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/next-xbox-wont-be-cheap-sarah-bond-teases-a-very-premium-high-end-next-gen-console-experience Sarah Bond, President of Xbox says that people are moving past the idea that games should be limited to a single platform or store. Do you agree? Given the Xbox Series X we had for years went UP in price, one can only imagine how much more a new gen Xbox would be, assuming they don’t leave the market like we think. AI Games are “Going to be Amazing” Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/s/nxDeOlYcYe https://x.com/mattshumer_/status/1981406315693187430 https://x.com/mattshumer_/status/1981798226635190641 Dead Internet “Theory” in full force here. AI Bro generates this CINEMATIC EPIC “gameplay” footage full of crazy shit no competent dev would actually leave in. It’s going for this sort of gritty realistic cinematic style but it’s full of goofier shit than most cartoony or anime games. Fedora will allow for AI-Assisted Contributions (With Disclosure) Link: https://www.phoronix.com/news/Fedora-Allows-AI-Contributions The Fedora Council has made their judgement. AI-Assisted Contributions to the project will be allowed… with proper disclosures. The big question is how will you hold anyone accountable for AI-Assisted code? And most importantly, how can you tell code is AI if someone who’s good at coding actively hides any sort of telltale signs of AI code? New Memory Standard - SOCAMM2 nearly ready for prime time Link: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ram/nvidias-homegrown-memory-design-is-nearly-complete-and-standardized-jedec-says-socamm2-will-replace-the-bespoke-socamm1-standard-that-nvidia-created SOCAMM2 is a new physical standard for memory backed by Nvidia and designed for use in next-gen AI servers. Current iterations make use of LPDDR5X memory, and are said to consume only 1/3 the power of an RDIMM module of an equivalent size while approaching the performance of memory modules soldered directly onto a motherboard, without introducing much signal loss from say a DRAM slot. This standard would also be installed parallel to the motherboard in question, rather than perpendicularly. Ideally could this be a new memory standard that PC handhelds should strive for? We buy a barebones PC handheld with no storage and memory, but then we supply our own SSD and SOCAMM2 drives? 📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and follow us on your favorite podcast app. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole/home

The Steam Next Fest - October 2025 Edition Link: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/nextfest BIRDCAGE MOTORSLICE Hell Maiden Alabaster Dawn Slots & Daggers Insider Trading Yunyun Syndrome Rhythm Psychosis Steam’s New Record! 41+ MILLION concurrent users Link: https://www.pcgamer.com/software/platforms/steam-is-officially-bigger-than-canada-with-a-41-million-concurrent-user-record/ 41,666,455 concurrent users all at once on Steam. It’s a population that’s a bit more than the entire population of CANADA. Last time Steam had broken a record was last year when it hit 35+ Million concurrent users all at once on Steam. Many factors could be involved. Could be due to Battlefield 6’s series high, record breaking sales. Could also be due to ARC Raider’s public server slam test. Or dare I say… The Next Fest? Whatever the case is, it seems no matter how you game, whether it’s on a PC, or Steam Deck, or even that newfangled ROG Xbox Ally X, you’re bound to be on Steam, so Valve just keeps winning. The ROG Xbox Ally X reviews are IN Link: https://old.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/1o7cawu/rog_xbox_ally_review_thread/ The ROG Xbox Ally X released on October 16th, 2025. While many praise its performance and battery life, there are MANY criticisms surrounding the price and the fact that Windows is still Windows despite the FSE. And also the FSE feels somewhat incomplete. There are also criticisms that despite the fact that this is an Xbox branded device, this is NOT an Xbox that plays Xbox games, but a PC, despite MS’s marketing that everything is an Xbox. Halo Studios has AI “woven into every aspect” of development says Insider Link: https://thegamepost.com/insider-halo-studios-generative-ai-game-development/ They weren’t kidding when they said it was woven into every aspect of game development. Everything from game logic to world design to enemy behaviors and even internal workflows. It isn’t exactly surprising given game devs already use AI for stuff like vibe-coding. Call of Duty infamously sometimes uses AI generated assets for ingame assets and marketing (sometimes). The problem herein lies that AI is often being used as a substitute for human talent, not as a supplement or tool. Tighter deadlines, layoffs and Microsoft is HEAVILY invested in AI. They really want you to use AI so you can rush out games faster it seems. What a shame really. Of course this is just a rumor. Pokemon’s Embarassing Lack of Voice Acting Link: https://www.thegamer.com/pokemon-legends-z-a-voice-acting-story-characters-lumiose/ https://x.com/Dr_Scaphandre/status/1978580508465328239/video/1 https://x.com/MizukiumZ/status/1978697114793218539 Games don’t intrinsically NEED voice acting to be good… but The Pokemon Company can certainly afford voice actors. Even lower budget games from Japan can somehow secure pretty decent voice actors. The reason why the lack of voice acting is so egregious in Pokemon Legends: Z-A is because there are actual cutscenes where character mouths are animated as if they were talking, subtitles and all, but no voices come out. It’s the worst of both worlds, featuring meticulously animated cutscenes with no voices coming out of their mouths and subtitles you need to read following a cutscene’s pace rather than the old JRPG special of pressing A to progress dialogue boxes. Furthermore, there is a cutscene depicting a rock concert, with the lead singer belting out some lyrics but there are no words coming out of his mouth. What the hell? Do Gamers not buy video games anymore? Link: https://www.vice.com/en/article/us-gamers-arent-buying-video-games-anymore-new-study-reveals/? Only 4% of gamers in the US actually buy more than 1 game monthly. 30% of gamers buy one or two new games a year, and 33% not even buying new games at all. Though general survey takeaways indicate that the industry is still funded by hardcore gamers. Of course, it’s hard to state how much of this was due to Roblox/Fortnite, but it certainly could be the case. 1 in 5 High Schoolers admit to dating AI & the rise of Fictosexuality? Link: https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/high-schoolers-admit-to-dating-ai-as-romantic-relationships-grow-3267837/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akihiko_Kondo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fictosexuality The children yearn for AI companions, and I have no idea why. Life and relationships are all about compromises, not dating a sycophant machine that literally won’t tell you no for anything. Also somewhat related is this Japanese man, Akihiko Kondo, who unofficially married Hatsune Miku in a symbolic marriage. The marriage was not approved nor sanctioned by Crypton Future Media, who owns the rights to VOCALOID as a whole. 📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and follow us on your favorite podcast app. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole/home

Valve “Deckard” (or Steam Frame) to hit mass production, launching THIS YEAR. Valve anticipating 600k units shipping annually. Link: https://www.tomshardware.com/virtual-reality/valves-next-gen-deckard-vr-headset-reportedly-enters-mass-production-company-allegedly-plans-to-ship-up-to-600k-units-annually-upcoming-steam-frame-could-launch-before-the-end-of-the-year The Valve “Deckard” has been a long rumored device, and as per Chinese analyst firm “XR Research Institute”, they claim the headset will launch THIS year and has entered mass production. Previous leaks have priced the Deckard or Steam Frame at $1200. I’m not really a VR person so I don’t know what’s worth getting. $1200 for what is effectively a Half-Life Alyx machine is awfully expensive, even if the game is the best VR game we’ve gotten. [Insert Sponsor] Steam, Riot Games, and multiple OTHER services hit by major DDOS attacks Link: https://cybernews.com/security/steam-riot-gaming-services-hit-by-disruptions-ddos-suspected/ Steam & Riot Games and OTHER Services experienced widespread issues beginning around 8PM EDT, October 6th. An alleged DDOS attack appears to be the cause launched by the record breaking Aisuru botnet, reaching a record breaking 29.69 terabits per second. In addition to Steam / Riot, PSN, Epic Games, AWS, Hulu, and specific ISPs were hit by this DDOS attack as well. The Dedicated Xbox Handheld… Canceled due to AMD Link: https://insider-gaming.com/xbox-handheld-amd-10-million-units/ A supposed dedicated Xbox handheld, separate from ASUS’s Xbox products, was rumored for quite some time. Reports suggested that it would effectively be a Series S on the go. But now we know it at some point DID exist, and that it will now never come to fruition because AMD required a minimum of 10 million units in their contract. Of course to commission AMD for a custom chip does mean AMD needs a minimum guarantee that you will at least purchase X or so amount of chips from them. Jez Corden however says that this is untrue. Steam Deck is reported to have sold 4 Million as of the time of writing. Discord Hack - Worse Than We Thought? Link: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hackers-claim-discord-breach-exposed-data-of-55-million-users/ Last week, an entity that Discord uses for Age Verification was hacked, but it was unclear how many people were affected… until now. Discord claims only ~70,000 people were affected, but the hackers claim 5.5 Million Users have been affected. BleepingComputers has spoken with the alleged hackers and they claimed to have stolen 1.6TB of data, which includes 100GB of ticket transcript data and 1.5TB of attachments. The group demanded $3.5 million as a ransom from Discord, but Discord has since ceased communication with the hackers. Should their demands not be met, it’s possible that the leaked data from Discord’s ZenDesk will be leaked publicly. AMD + Sony = PS6 GPU Upgrades Link: https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/console-gaming/sony-and-amd-tease-likely-playstation-6-gpu-upgrades-radiance-cores-and-a-new-interconnect-for-boosting-ai-rendering-performance In a video from PlayStation, both Sony’s lead PS5 architect Mark Cerny and AMD’s senior VP Jack Huynh were both featured talking about upgrades to what they dubbed “Project Amethyst”. Upgrades to AI Rendering & Raytracing. There’s also discussion in the video about something called Universal Compression, which supposedly analyzes all data and compresses all data when possible. And we can expect all of these to also show up on Non-PlayStation AMD hardware, such as their GPUs and APUs. PlayStation Leak Confirms PS6 Release Date and Hardware Rumors Link https://www.vice.com/en/article/playstation-leak-confirms-ps6-release-date-and-hardware-rumors/ A new leak reported by Vice suggests that Sony is targeting a 2027 release window for the PlayStation 6, with internal manufacturing planned to begin that same year. The information comes from reliable insider KeplerL2, who claims the timeline is now set, though the final public release could slip into early 2028. While the article doesn’t confirm specific specs, it echoes previous reports that Sony is already deep in next-gen hardware development. PlayStation architect Mark Cerny has also hinted in interviews that “future consoles” are in progress, further fueling speculation that PS6 is well into production planning. Vice cautions readers to take the leak with a grain of salt—plans in the hardware world can shift due to supply chain or internal delays. Still, with the PS5 approaching its mid-cycle refresh and Sony’s typical seven-year console cadence, a late-2027 PS6 launch lines up with history and feels increasingly plausible. Synology Reverses Company Ending Decision to Restrict Hard Drives Link: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/nas/synology-walks-back-controversial-compatibility-policy-for-2025-nas-units-third-party-hdd-and-ssd-support-returns-with-diskstation-manager-7-3-update Sometime in April of this year, Synology announced that 2025 NASes they sell will REQUIRE Synology branded HDDs for use with their NAS’s full capabilities. After some months have passed and significant backlash, Synology has relented and reversed this change. This change was only reversed for HDDs however, with NVMe SSDs still needing to be a part of their hardware compatibility lists to be used for storage pools. Will they ever be forgiven? Taylor Swift copyrights portion of video for merely SAYING the Lyrics. Not even as a cover. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL_NVL3XjMc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRny-dYJ0_8 Her new album “Life of a Showgirl” is currently being considered her worst album, and as such Moist Critical aka Penguinz0 comments on it. In particular, he comments on one song, “Wood”, examining the lyrics and how it sounds like Swifty herself is… particularly fixated on something hard. And of course, following up on that, it seems portions of that first video had become copyrighted. Not even singing the song as a cover, but merely saying the lyrics. 📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and follow us on your favorite podcast app. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole/home

EA sold to Saudi Arabia & Jared Kushner, to owe $20 BILLION in debt Link: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250929186526/en/EA-Announces-Agreement-to-be-Acquired-by-PIF-Silver-Lake-and-Affinity-Partners-for-%2455-Billion https://news.ea.com/press-releases/press-releases-details/2025/EA-Announces-Agreement-to-be-Acquired-by-PIF-Silver-Lake-and-Affinity-Partners-for-55-Billion/default.aspx https://steamcommunity.com/id/Abdullah_Al_Saud We usually espouse the benefits and virtues of being privately owned… and in a sense EA is privately owned… by Saudi Arabia’s Private Investment Firm and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners. The reason why these two in particular are so important is due to the governmental ties. Saudi Arabia is obvious, yes, but for those who may not know Jared Kushner has ties to El Presidente due to being married to his daughter, Ivanka. This should raise serious red flags, regardless of what political party owns EA. Xbox Game Pass Price Increase Link: https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2025/10/01/xbox-game-pass-ultimate-premium-essential-plans/ https://x.com/Wario64/status/1973423496610124281 Xbox Game Pass was once touted as the best value in gaming… but that value diminishes as time goes on. The price of Game Pass Ultimate has gone up from $20/Month to $30/Month, a 50% increase in price. And previously they raised the prices from $17 to $20 a month as is. Compare that to the highest end PlayStation subscription, PlayStation Plus Premium, which is currently $160. Microsoft however has added benefits, such as Ubisoft+ (which by itself is $16/Month) and Fortnite Crew (which by itself is $12/Month) and that you can earn $100 in points a year by gaming. But gamers are furious and have been attempting to cancel Game Pass subs in droves, with Wario64 on Twitter commenting that the page for cancelling Game Pass subs has been overloaded. ROG Xbox Ally / ROG Xbox Ally X ships early due to Amazon France blunder Link: https://xboxera.com/2025/09/30/amazon-france-ships-xbox-ally-x-units-over-two-weeks-early-user-impressions-posted-on-reddit/ Over in the US, the Xbox Ally devices are sold at Best Buy, Microsoft, and ASUS’s store. But in the EU, more specifically, France, Amazon sells them. However due to a blunder, Amazon France shipped one over two weeks early. Why this happens to random people and never me, I will never know. The original Reddit post has since been deleted, but the semi-review from the Redditor suggests that that the most significant gains are at the midrange, about 17W, with good battery life. Is The World Ready for Pay-Per-View eSports Events? Capcom says YES Link: https://www.eventhubs.com/news/2025/sep/28/cc12-pay-per-view-announcement/ I only ask this because Capcom Cup 12’s top 16 brackets will be pay-per-view as if you’re paying to watch boxing or UFC. Discord Hacked Sept 20th - Over a Month after Implementing Age Verification Link: http://discord.com/press-releases/update-on-security-incident-involving-third-party-customer-service “Discord recently discovered an incident where an unauthorized party compromised one of Discord’s third-party customer service providers.” The service in question is their customer support / trust & safety agents. That said, Discord ITSELF wasn’t hacked, but given some of these inquiries had to do with age verification… it’s not a good look. A list of compromised materials… Name Government ID Discord ID Email Other Contact Info (if provided) Last 4 of Credit Card / Purchase History IP Address Messages with Customer Service Some Corporate Data (training materials & internal presentations) “Teen” threatens to kill Epic Games Employees, pleads guilty Link: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/teen-who-threatened-to-kill-epic-games-employees-pleads-guilty So this “teen” is actually 19 so legally an adult. But yeah, don’t make death threats to developers. I’m glad devs are cracking down on this shit. Rock Band 4 to be delisted by the time we release this episode, October 5th Link: https://www.gematsu.com/2025/10/rock-band-4-to-be-delisted-on-october-5 Rock Band 4 turns 10 on October 5th, 2025… just in time for Harmonix to delist the game from Xbox / PlayStation stores. The Music Licenses for Rock Band 4’s base game are expiring. If you haven’t bought the game already, it’s too late. Thankfully it’s not a live service game so you can still play your copy if you own one, and the DLCs are still downloadable if you own them too. El Presidente brings back the threat of 100% tariffs on foreign movies Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g78e809zqo 100% tariffs on movies is crazy given how global movie making really is. I noticed he brought up the threat of this happening when two big foreign movies made it. One was Ne Zha 2 a while back and now he brings this back up when Demon Slayer Infinity Castle 2 too. A lot of anime nerds want to back El Presidente but they don’t know that he’s about to send them back to the stone ages. Talent Agencies reportedly scouting AI “actress” Tilly Norward Link: https://deadline.com/2025/09/talent-agent-ai-actress-tilly-norwood-studios-1236557889/ AI Talent Studio Xicoia is reportedly in talks with multiple talent agents who want to sign on their first AI creation, an actress called “Tilly Norward”. Should this deal come to pass and some talent agency signs this AI on as an actress, it would be the first to have such an agency. Also of note is that former AI “artist” Puhm notes that all of the big studios are working on AI assisted projects, but due to the nature of NDAs, she cannot specify which ones are. Sora 2 - The Death of Video Making? Link: https://openai.com/index/sora-2/ Sora 2 makes videos using AI. There are MANY ramifications to this… but for now we should gloss over some of these examples, many of which are on Twitter. Sam Altman Steals a GPU from Target Sora 2 Anime Sora 2 Anime… but in Japanese Sora 2 Visual Novel Mario gets pulled over by the police Rick & Morty Epstein Island Toy ad Cyberpunk Gameplay completely recreated Sora 2 Pouring Water Into Glass 📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and follow us on your favorite podcast app. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole/home

In this episode of ‘Off the Console’, hosts James and Hi-Tech Lo-Life discuss the latest in gaming news, including the controversial pricing of the Xbox Ally and Ally X, Costco’s decision to remove Xbox consoles from their inventory, and Nintendo’s legal battle against the Department of Homeland Security. The conversation also delves into what the hosts have been playing recently, highlighting personal gaming experiences and preferences, while emphasizing the impact of tariffs on gaming device pricing and the importance of consumer rights in the gaming industry. In this conversation, the hosts delve into the evolving landscape of the tech and gaming industries, discussing Nvidia’s monopolistic ambitions, AMD’s competitive strategies, and the implications of EA’s potential sale. They also explore the decline of Destiny 2 and the ongoing trend of remakes in gaming, alongside Kojima’s intriguing new project involving ghosts, and much more! Find this episode’s show notes, subscribe to our RSS feed, and engage on the Fediverse at: https://podcast.subscribeto.me/@OffTheConsoleShow/episodes/gabe-the-diver-should-announce-hl3-in-front-of-congress-ep-47 Chapters: #Podcast #VideoGames #gabenewell #ConsoleGaming #MobileGaming #GamingCommunity #IndieGames #AAAGames #GamePreservation #Steam #SteamDeck #Xbox #Nintendo #GamingPlatforms #FSR4 #OpenSource #OpenSourceTech 📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and follow us on your favorite podcast app. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole/home

In this episode of Off the Console, Hi-Tech Lo-Life and James are joined by Noah Kupetsky from SteamDeck HQ for a wide-ranging talk on gaming and culture. They cover the hype around Endless Legend 2, the Steam Deck 2, FSR 4 graphics, and the Stop Killing Games movement. The crew also dives into government scrutiny of games, indie dev struggles, Nintendo’s stance on modding, and how Steam’s algorithm impacts visibility. Plus, they touch on Warner Bros., geek culture, censorship, GTA VI, Corsair’s lawsuit, open-source tech, and the future of Xbox, mobile, and gaming events. 📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and follow us on your favorite podcast app. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole/home

Tokyo Game Show 2025 - September 24 to September 28 Link: https://events.nikkeibp.co.jp/tgs/2025/en/exhibitor/ https://www.gematsu.com/2025/07/tokyo-game-show-2025-exhibitors-list-and-main-visual-announced https://www.gematsu.com/2025/09/tgs-2025-official-live-stream-program-schedule-announced Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life Tokyo Game Show (henceforth TGS) is one of the big three gaming conventions, the other two being E3/Summer Games Fest and Gamescom. Whereas E3/Summer Games Fest is hosted in America and Gamescom in Europe, TGS is hosted in Japan, naturally. Many publishing firms are getting ready to expo their games at TGS this year. This year’s TGS is also set to be potentially the biggest one yet. Valve also showcased the Steam Deck at TGS in 2022 and 2024. Will we see Valve skip out this year, or will Valve show up with something? New Apple Event - The usual… except for one device Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/09/live-updates-apple-event-iphone17-airpods-ios26.html Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life Apple just announced the new iPhone 17 series, and new Airpods and Apple Watches slated for release September 19th. No major price hikes which is good. The big and I really do mean BIG issue here is not with the refreshes but with their newest iPhone… the iPhone Air. The thinnest smartphone potentially ever made… but has Apple completely lost the plot here? What terrible compromises would potential customers deal with, and why do we live in the timeline where everything has to be thinner at the cost of useful features… like headphone jacks? The US Grants Nintendo & The Pokemon Company new Gameplay Patent - The Ability to Summon a Character and allowing it to fight another Link: https://gamesfray.com/last-week-nintendo-and-the-pokemon-company-received-a-u-s-patent-on-summoning-a-character-and-letting-it-fight-another/ Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life In Nintendo’s crusade to completely burn down Palworld and Pocketpair, Nintendo & The Pokemon Company was granted potentially the most ridiculous patent of all. (1) There must be a PC, console or other computing device and the game is stored on a drive or similar storage medium. (2) You can move a character in a virtual space. (3) You must be able to summon a character. They call it a “sub character” by which they mean it’s not the player character, but, for example, a little monster such as a Pokémon that the player character has at its disposal. Then the logic branches out, with items (4) and (5) being mutually exclusive scenarios, before reuniting again in item (6): (4) This is about summoning the “sub character” in a place where there already is another character that it will then (when instructed to do so) fight. (5) This alternative scenario is about summoning the “sub character” at a position where there is no other character to fight immediately. (6) This final step is about sending the “sub character” in a direction and then letting an automatic battle ensue with another character. It is not clear whether this is even needed if one previously executed step (4) where the “sub character” will basically be thrown at another character. The issue naturally is how one would interpret these. While it seems to aim squarely at Palworld, Nintendo seemingly put other games potentially in their crosshairs too. Lots of other games where you can capture creatures and use them in battle. Things like of course, the new Digimon games, or Shin Megami Tensei games where you can potentially recruit demons to fight with you. Nintendo Direct - Sept 12th, 2025 Link: https://www.resetera.com/threads/nintendo-direct-announced-for-september-12-6am-pacific-9am-eastern-3pm-central-european-10pm-japan.1293483/ Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life By the time we record this episode, the direct will have already concluded. List interesting games below. Super Mario Galaxy Movie Virtual Boy Games (and an accompanying Virtual Boy accessory) Metroid Prime 4 Release Date - Dec 4 2025 Pokemon Pokopia Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave Dragon Quest VII Remake Yoshi and the Mysterious Book Numerous Ports (RE9, FFVIIR, Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2) Mega Man Star Force: Legacy Collection (only shown in the Japanese Direct) The Saudi Arabian Takeover of the Fighting Game Community - Lines being Drawn Link: https://www.eurogamer.net/the-saudi-arabian-takeover-of-fighting-games-biggest-tournament-means-players-and-the-wider-community-have-a-choice-to-make-between-its-culture-and-a-payout https://www.si.com/esports/news/fgc-sonicfox-evo-ownership-statement Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life RTS, the co-owner of EVO alongside Sony, was recently acquired by Saudi Arabia, who has become a sports powerhouse in general, encompassing both physical sports and eSports. One community in particular that is starting to show signs of resistance is the Fighting Game Community (henceforth FGC). One particular player, Sonicfox, 8-time EVO champion, has stated that they will continue to attend EVO to fight for representation of LGBTQ+ people, even in countries like Saudi Arabia where LGBTQ+ expressions are considered illegal and under Sharia Law can constitute the death penalty. Ghost of Yotei Dev Fired due to Charlie Kirk joke Link: https://kotaku.com/ghost-yotei-charlie-kirk-joke-playstation-sony-2000625478 Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life Drew Harrison, 10 year vet at Sucker Punch said quote “I hope the shooter’s name is Mario so that Luigi knows his bro got his back,”. We usually wouldn’t talk about directly political topics but this one had to be pointed out given this was directly in the games’ industry. Off The Console does not condone acts of violence pointed at anyone, for any reason, regardless of your differences. Silksong Revives Difficulty Discussion Link: https://www.ign.com/articles/criticism-isnt-hate-hollow-knight-silksong-sparks-debate-about-difficulty-runbacks-and-the-dreaded-git-gud-comments https://www.polygon.com/hollow-knight-silksong-easy-mode-mods/ https://steamcommunity.com/app/1030300/discussions/0/595159519774039622/ Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life Silksong’s been out for over a week now and players are now discovering that the game might actually be too hard for them. It’s gotten to the point where there are popular Silksong mods that make the game easier in different ways. The most downloaded mod is a mod that gives enemies health bars, including big boss health bars for important bosses. The second most downloaded mod is a mod that gets rid of most instances of double double damage. In addition to this, Team Cherry recently pushed out a patch which fixes some bugs (no pun intended), but also increases rewards from some sidequests and breakables, reduces the prices of some benches, and slightly nerfs two bosses that players seemed to be having a tough time with… namely Moorwing and Sister Splinter. Should players simply… git gud? Steam no longer lets adult games be Early Access - A change in the midst of payment processor hell Link: https://www.gamesmarket.global/business/pressure-continues-steam-denies-early-access-release-for-adult-games-ed57cc6bd4b4e60ee9663c5f90a1b797 Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life In what appears to be an ongoing effort from payment processors and collective shout, it seems Valve has made one change, and a peculiar one at that. Adult games cannot be in Early Access anymore on Steam. As per one developer, there was no official policy change. In other news it appears more and more games industry associations around the world are throwing their hat into the ring calling out the amount of power companies like Visa, MasterCard, and others have over not just Steam but basically any other gaming storefront. It’s unclear why Early Access in particular, but one theory proposed by the article is that maybe payment processors are worried about these adult games adding content that may not align with their values later in development. Lenovo Legion Go: Modder transforms popular gaming handheld into Cyberdeck with optional 190 Wh battery expansion Link: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-Legion-Go-Modder-transforms-popular-gaming-handheld-into-Cyberdeck-with-optional-190-Wh-battery-expansion.1112086.0.html Submitter: James A creative modder has transformed the Lenovo Legion Go handheld into a powerful “cyberdeck”-style device by building two custom 3D-printed docks. One version includes a massive 190 Wh battery pack made from 18650 cells, dramatically extending the device’s runtime, while also adding a wireless Lenovo keyboard and extra USB ports. The second dock is slimmer, omitting the battery for better portability, but still includes the docked functionality. Both designs allow the Legion Go to be removed easily, offering flexibility between handheld and workstation-style use. This mod showcases a growing trend of turning gaming handhelds into hybrid productivity or mobile computing setups. While it’s not yet clear if the modder will release the designs publicly, the project demonstrates the Legion Go’s versatility and appeal among DIY enthusiasts. If widely adopted, mods like this could blur the line between handheld gaming and portable PC workstations. 📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and follow us on your favorite podcast app. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole/home

The Steam Frame - Valve’s Next Hardware? Link: http://old.reddit.com/r/GamingLeaksAndRumours/comments/1n7ojk1/steam_frame_trademarked_by_valve_computer_hardware/ https://uspto.report/TM/99370857 https://uspto.report/TM/99370861 https://old.reddit.com/r/GamingLeaksAndRumours/comments/1n84pmv/steamvr_datamine_seems_to_confirm_that_steam/ Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life Valve has trademarked the name “STEAM FRAME”, which covers categories of game consoles, accessories, and controllers. We’ve talked a lot about wanting a Steam home console of sorts, more or less resurrecting the old idea of a Steam Machine, but this time being helmed by Valve with actual Valve hardware. Could a Valve hardware release be imminent? A trademark of course doesn’t actually mean that’s what the system will be called. “Neon Prime” was trademarked two years ago and the current game is named Deadlock. Of course, SadlyItsBradley noticed that all mentions of the Deckard have been renamed to… Steam Frame? So not a new traditional console so to speak but a VR Headset to challenge the Quest 3? The Legion Go Gen 2… $1000+ monstrosity? Link: https://news.lenovo.com/pressroom/press-releases/legion-gaming-devices-ai-tablets-software-best-in-customer-choice/ https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/handheld-gaming/lenovos-legion-go-2-packs-ryzen-z2-extreme-and-an-oled-display-thick-gaming-handheld-starts-at-usd1-049 Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life Lenovo’s next generation hardware is coming October 2025, and it has a more elegant name than ASUS’s. But the price point is… out of this world, with the Z2 version starting at $1,099.99 and the Z2 Extreme version starting at $1,349.99. The big question is… what the hell contributed to the massive price increase? Tariffs, OLED, VRR, the Z2E? We live in a post-Silksong world now Link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1030300/Hollow_Knigh1t_Silksong/ https://www.dexerto.com/gaming/hollow-knight-silksong-player-count-3246060/ https://www.polygon.com/steam-down-hollow-knight-silksong-release-nintendo-eshop-crash/ Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life Those of us have that played it… tell us how it is? Also let’s look at reviews. Silksong has also exceeded 500,000+ concurrent players on Day 1… as a result it seemingly crashed both Steam & the Nintendo eShop. Google v USA - Google IS a Monopoly but will continue to stay as one Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/02/google-antitrust-search-ruling.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/09/03/google-search-monopoly-remedy-ruling/a8a67e42-88f2-11f0-895c-97bd39cbdc59_story.html https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/sep/03/google-monopoly-case-ruling https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp8zdrenm1zo Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life Google was deemed an illegal monopoly by Judge Amit Mehta years ago, but Judge Mehta subsequently gave Google a win, stating that Google will NOT be forced to sell off Chrome or Android. A rare example of a AAA game abandoning Raytracing… Battlefield 6? Link: https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/battlefield-6-wont-support-ray-tracing-heres-why-ea-is-prioritizing-performance-for-all-players Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life Developer Christian Buhl of DICE has come out and actively stated that they will not have Raytracing at launch, nor will they have it in the future for Battlefield 6. I found this super interesting as Battlefield V was one of if not THE first commercially released game with Raytracing, back when it the RTX 2000 series was new. Key figure leaves the studio behind Fairgame$, another Sony live service Link: https://insider-gaming.com/another-key-fairgames-developer-quietly-leaves/ Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life Fairgame$ is another title in Sony’s mostly failed live service initiative, and arguablly the LEAST interesting of the bunch, including yes, Concord. Why is Sony so insistent on these live service games? Maybe Unreal Engine 5 ISN’T to blame after all? Tim Sweeney says devs are to blame Link: https://clawsomegamer.com/tim-sweeney-on-unreal-engine-5-optimization-issues-the-main-cause-is-order-of-development/ Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life Unreal Engine 5 has been a very hot point of contention, especially given recent games have ran kind of poorly and with some that don’t really look THAT much better than prior UE4 titles. But Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games states that developers may need to change their workflow, namely how many developers target high end first and tack on low-spec testing at the end. Optimization should be begin early. He vows to provide more support and expanding ‘developer education’ so that ‘optimize early’ becomes standard practice. God help us all, GTA 6 may be a ‘AAAAA’ game, says Devolver co-founder, and that’s why the entire industry is taking cover from it like it’s a nuclear blast Link: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/grand-theft-auto/god-help-us-all-gta-6-may-be-a-aaaaa-game-says-devolver-co-founder-and-thats-why-the-entire-industry-is-taking-cover-from-it-like-its-a-nuclear-blast/ Submitter: James  Devolver Digital co-founder Nigel Lowrie has basically declared Grand Theft Auto VI a whole new beast—calling it a “AAAAA” title. That’s gaming lingo for “beyond AAA,” like AAA but five times more intense, in both scale and cultural clout. Yeah… it’s that colossal.  Industry Impacts: It’s not just talk—some developers delayed other games to avoid being vaporized by GTA’s mega-release.  There’s ambient dread that we might be hitting peak AAA world building, and that future high-budget games will always be chasing this level of spectacle, which might not even be sustainable.  📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and follow us on your favorite podcast app. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole/home

This week on Off The Console, we’re diving deep into some of the biggest news in gaming and tech! The internet is buzzing with rumors about a brand new PlayStation 6 Portable that could be a serious competitor to the Nintendo Switch. But is Sony’s rumored handheld a Switch killer, or just a pipe dream? We’re also talking about the “Silksong Effect” and how the surprise release date for the long-awaited indie game has caused other developers to delay their own titles to avoid direct competition. Plus, in a shocking turn of events, we discuss why so many developers at Gamescom 2025 were unable to get their hands on a Switch 2 dev kit. Did Nintendo actively discourage them? Find out! Find this episode’s show notes, subscribe to our RSS feed, and engage on the Fediverse at: https://podcast.subscribeto.me/@OffTheConsoleShow/episodes/ep-44 Join @HiTechLoLife and @gardiner_bryant as we discuss this week’s hottest gaming and tech news. 00:00:00 Cold open 00:02:03 What has Hi-Tech been up to this week? 00:04:38 What has Gardiner been up to this week? 00:08:14 Silksong causing other indies to delay their game 00:22:06 How do you manage juggling games? 00:24:46 LEAK: PS6 will have a handheld variant 00:32:28 Nintendo still not providing Switch 2 devkits 00:42:25 Twitch streamers are making more money than devs are 00:50:31 Postal services around the world are refusing shipments to the US 01:03:29 Are PC handheld prices out of control? 01:26:46 Roblox has smashed its concurrent player record. 📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and follow us on your favorite podcast app. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole/home

🎮 The gang is BACK with a massive episode! We’re breaking down all the biggest news from Gamescom 2025, from the shocking Helldivers 2 x Halo crossover to the unbelievable confirmation that Silksong is actually real! 🤯 But that’s not all… Sony just dropped a bombshell, raising the price of every PlayStation 5 model. 💰 Is this the end of the sub-$500 PS5? We’ll tell you what this means for your wallet. Plus, we’ve got the scoop on Valve’s new “Fremont” device, which is showing some insane performance gains over the Steam Deck. We’re also talking about the end of Splitgate 2, the White House investing in Intel, and a lawsuit that could make ad blockers illegal in Germany. All this and more on this week’s episode! In this episode: Gamescom 2025 Wrap-up: 🎮 The biggest announcements from Opening Night Live, including Sekiro: No Defeat, a new Lego Batman, and the return of Bubsy! PS5 Price Hike: 💸 The PlayStation 5 just got more expensive. We break down the $50 price increase and its impact. Valve’s “Fremont” Revealed: 💻 A new handheld from Valve is spotted on Geekbench, with a massive performance leap over the Steam Deck. Splitgate Lives On: 🙌 The “Stop Killing Games” movement scores a win as Splitgate 1 lives on with peer-to-peer matches. Marvel Rivals’ OCs: ❓ Marvel gives Netease the green light to create original characters for Marvel Rivals. But does anyone want them? Nvidia’s Black Market: 🚫 Gamers Nexus investigates the smuggling of AI GPUs to China and gets a copyright strike from Bloomberg. Intel’s New Allies: 🇺🇸 The White House and Softbank are investing big in Intel, but what does that mean for the future of x86? The Worst Movie of 2025: 🎬 We talk about the hilarious trainwreck that is the new War of the Worlds film. Mini SSDs Arrive: 💾 Biwin unveils a tiny new SSD that’s blazing fast, and we talk about which handhelds will use it. Spigen Sues Trump: ⚖️ Trump’s new phone ad features images of other companies’ products, leading to a lawsuit from Spigen. Ad Blockers at Risk: 🇩🇪 A new lawsuit in Germany could make ad blockers illegal, threatening the way we browse the web. 📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and follow us on your favorite podcast app. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole/home

In this episode, the hosts discuss a variety of topics ranging from personal experiences in Japan to the latest in gaming technology. Hi-Tech Lo-Life shares insights from his recent trip, including cultural observations and food experiences. The conversation shifts to the future of handheld gaming devices, particularly the GPD Win 5, and the importance of online safety in gaming communities like Roblox. The hosts emphasize the need for respect in cultural interactions and engage with their audience about their experiences and feedback. In this episode, the hosts discuss various pressing issues surrounding online safety, gaming culture, and the impact of economic factors on video game purchases. They delve into the challenges faced by platforms like YouTube and Roblox, the implications of payment processors on game availability, and the decline of PC gaming in Japan. The conversation also touches on the spending habits of Gen Z and the potential future of the gaming industry, particularly the rise of indie games amidst economic pressures. Additionally, the introduction of YouTube’s AI age verification system raises questions about privacy and safety for younger users. #Gaming #TechNews #HandheldGaming #GPDWin5 #JapanTrip #CulturalInsights #FoodAdventures #RobloxSafety #OnlineSafety #YouTubeCensorship #AIAgeVerification #PCGaming #GenZGaming #VideoGameCulture #FutureOfGaming 📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and follow us on your favorite podcast app. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole/home

Killing The Internet For The Sake of “Children” Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1748/text https://old.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/1mbmlz9/age_verification_in_the_uk_and_xboxs_ongoing/ https://support.spotify.com/uk/article/age-restricted-content-age-check/ https://www.tomsguide.com/ai/youtubes-new-ai-age-verification-is-coming-soon-heres-whats-going-to-chang The UK recently passed a law that effectively forces online platforms to block access to content that may be harmful to “children” where children are likely to access it, with companies being fined £18 million or 10% of their annual turnover, whichever’s highest. It also allows the UK’s Office of Communications to explicitly block any website they want. The US is re-introducing a similar law called the Kids Online Safety Act (S.1748). One common theme is this idea that they need to protect children by forcing adults to submit verification to these companies… This also affects gaming. Xbox in particular already has a blog statement about what this means for gamers in the UK. Players who claim to be over 18 will get constant nagging notifications asking them to verify. Also all social features on Xbox Live will be limited to those who actually verify their age starting next year. If you do not comply by then, then you’ll be limited to friend only interactions on Xbox. Spotify has also implemented Age Checks for content marked at 18+. YouTube has ALSO joined in on this bandwagon too, and will implement this starting August 13th in the US as well. Is YouTube Dead? Is the internet dead? Gamers Working Together to reverse Payment Processor Bans Link: https://old.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/1m9ly2j/so_i_got_a_response_from_visa/ https://www.thegamer.com/steam-gaming-industry-visa-payment-processors-adult-games-banned/ Gamers have been in a frenzy ever since Payment Processors and Collective Shout decided to go after adult games on Steam and Itch.io. Some gamers have even gotten responses from Visa, where they claim as long as said material being transacted is legal, then it’s good to go. The New Age of AI SLOP - Amazon Invests in Fable’s Showrunner AI Streaming Platform Link: https://variety.com/2025/digital/news/netflix-of-ai-amazon-invests-fable-showrunner-launch-1236471989/ https://www.showrunner.xyz/ Fable, an AI Startup has created the Showrunner service, which has been described as “Netflix for AI”, allowing users to effectively AI generate entire TV shows based on some set parameters. They are also in talks with major Hollywood studios and companies like Disney to license IP for use in this Showrunner AI platform. Some have posted clips of AI generated episodes on YouTube… and lemme tell you they do NOT look good. Sony Sues Tencent for blatant Horizon knockoff Link: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-sues-tencent-over-horizon-lookalike/1100-6533493/ Tencent’s “Light of Motriam” is VERY evocative of Sony’s Horizon franchise. From the robotic dinosaurs, to the ancient futuristic civilizations, to the juxtaposition of depicting indigenous lifestyles to said sci-fi elements. Sony is suing Tencent with claims that the game is such a blatant ripoff that it’s actually confused people into thinking that it’s the next Horizon game. What is worth mentioning is that Tencent apparently does NOT have shares in Sony in any capacity. DuckStation Dev Stenzek to cancel Linux support for the emulator Link: https://github.com/stenzek/duckstation/commit/30df16cc767297c544e1311a3de4d10da30fe00c Stenzek is fed up with Arch Users and has had it with their complaining to him even though it’s clearly user error. Step one was refusing to build in Arch environments. Step two is outright refusing to build in Linux support. Hasn’t happened just yet, but it’s highly disappointing. yd The Top 20 Japanese Game Studios by Average Salary Link: <https://www.gamerbraves.com/top-20-japanese-game-companies-revealed-based-on-employee-salaries/ | Rank | Company | Average yearly income (JPY and rough approximate in USD) | |––|––|––| | 1 | Sony Group Corporation | 11,132,231 ($75k USD) | | 2 | Bandai Namco Holdings | 10,950,000 ($74k USD) | | 3 | Nintendo | 9,626,857 ($65k USD) | | 4 | Sega Sammy Holdings | 8,791,596 ($59k USD) | | 5 | Akatsuki | 8,557,000 ($57k USD) | | 6 | DeNA | 8,540,000 ($57k USD) | | 7 | Capcom | 8,328,000 ($56k USD) | | 8 | Koei Tecmo Holdings | 8,105,686 ($54k USD) | | 9 | GungHo Online Entertaiment | 7,504,000 ($50k USD) | | 10 | Bank of Innovation | 7,421,000 ($50k USD) | | 11 | Crooz | 7,290,000 ($49k USD) | | 12 | Nexon | 7,256,000 ($49k USD) | | 13 | Drecom | 7,188,223 ($48k USD) | | 14 | Konami Group Holdings | 7,108,375 ($48k USD) | | 15 | Digital Hearts Holdings | 6,743,000 ($45k USD) | | 16 | Colopl | 6,719,000 ($45k USD) | | 17 | Imagineer | 6,528,603 ($44k USD) | | 18 | Klab | 6,449,000 ($43k USD)  | | 19 | MyNet | 6,339,917 ($42k USD) | | 20 | FuRyu | 6,231,302 ($42k USD) | 📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and follow us on your favorite podcast app. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole/home

The Great NSFW Purge of 2025 - Itch.io, Steam, and MORE Link: https://itch.io/updates/update-on-nsfw-content https://aftermath.site/waypoint-quit-steam-vice https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/australian-anti-porn-group-claims-responsibility-for-steams-new-censorship-rules-in-victory-against-porn-sick-brain-rotted-pedo-gamer-fetishists-and-things-only-get-weirder-from-there/ Unlike Steam, ALL NSFW content has been deindexed from the site, meaning it will not show up in Browse or Search. This comes at the heel of the news that Steam had removed a ton of NSFW content for not meeting the standards set by Visa/MasterCard. Itch has also removed games from libraries with no chance of a refund. Related News: Vice Writer Ana Valen published two articles about the Steam Payment Processor Controversy and who is behind it. Savage Ventures, Vice’s owner, demanded Valen remove said articles. She has since quit, alongside two OTHER writers too over what appears to be censorship of the topic. Many have suggested Valve and the like not capitulate and instead offer stablecoin payments… but can such a thing really exist? VTuber Talent Agency VShojo Implodes as EVERY VTuber leaves the company Link: https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/streaming/twitchs-most-popular-vtuber-leads-a-mass-exodus-from-her-agency-claiming-it-withheld-over-usd500k-in-charity-funds-this-entire-situation-has-broken-me/ VShojo is a VTuber Talent Agency host to some of the biggest VTubers (and Streamers) period, such as Ironmouse. And on the topic of Ironmouse, she was the first of what would be this mass exodus of talent due to VShojo withholding funds meant to go to Immune Deficiency Foundation (about $500,000+) despite Ironmouse being the one to raise all of these funds to go specifically to this charity. In solidarity, MORE and more talent has decided to leave, including some OG members too. On top of that, some talents have revealed not being paid by VShojo for MONTHS. Stop Killing Games REACHES GOAL Link: https://www.stopkillinggames.com/ They finally hit 1.4 Million! They SHOULD be safe unless a SIGNIFICANT part of the signatures are botted, which I HIGHLY doubt. As of the writing of this segment the exact count is 1,414,231 1/3 of all online teenagers use AI chatbots for “friendships” and “romantic conversations” Link: https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/one-third-of-teens-use-ai-for-friendship-and-romantic-conversations-3230725/ https://character.ai/ Common Sense Media conducted research and discovered that 1/3 of all teens use AI chatbots to replace traditional human interaction for things like romance and friendships. We should also try Character.ai for this one since that’s ONE such website where people can talk to AI facsimiles of fictional characters or real people. Destiny 2’s World’s First Raid Race FULL of Cheaters Link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2025/07/25/70-of-destiny-2s-top-contest-mode-clearing-raid-teams-cheated/ Destiny 2’s new expansion pack, The Edge of Fate, released and with every new expansion comes a new raid in the form of “The Desert Perpetual”, and with every new raid, a world’s first raid race. As per the article, of the top 100 teams to finish, 70 of those 100 were cheating in some form or another. Many of these could be gleamed by reviewing team stats, since raid completion stats are made public to everyone. 2025’s worst new game JUST came out - HunterxHunter Nen Impact Link: https://www.thegamer.com/hunter-x-hunter-nen-x-impact-worst-reviewed-game-user-score-2025/ Move over Mindseye, a new worse reviewing game just released, and it’s the Hunter x Hunter fighting game! Outer Worlds 2 Price Drop — Microsoft Backs Off $80 Games → No more $80 price tags? Microsoft’s pulling back after trying to follow Nintendo’s “charge what we want” model. 📖 Source: PC Gamer Lenovo Legion Go 2 — First Hands-On Impressions Better grips, OLED, and more RAM?! Is this finally the Steam Deck challenger we wanted? 📖 Source: PC Gamer 📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and follow us on your favorite podcast app. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole/home

How much power is TOO MUCH power? Off The Console is back, and this week we get to see who has all the power! 🤪 Your hosts @gardiner_bryant , @games_revealed , and @HiTechLoLife are here to dissect the craziest news in gaming and tech! Strap in for: 🤑 Banks CONTROL Steam 🕹️ Game Industry vs. Stop Killing Games! 🥊 Is big gaming willfully ignorant? 🎮 ROG Xbox Ally X Is it EXPENSIVE???? 💀 ROBLOX DATING?! 🚨 Elon Musk’s new AI Girlfriend Experience! 🚨 Find this episode’s show notes, subscribe to our RSS feed, and engage on the Fediverse at: Join @Th3Brink, @HiTechLoLife and @GardinerBryant as we discuss this week’s hottest gaming and tech news. 📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and follow us on your favorite podcast app. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole/home

Nvidia: The First $4,000,000,000,000 (Trillion) dollar company Link: https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/nvidia-becomes-first-company-worth-4-trillion-what-to-know-rcna217721 Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life Nvidia was already one of the most valuable companies in the world and now it’s become THE most valuable company in the world thanks to its AI products. The Industry v Stop Killing Games Link: https://www.videogameseurope.eu/news/statement-on-stop-killing-games/ https://www.stopkillinggames.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5Ay%5FaOUcFw Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life We actually spoke to Ross about this last week, but Video Games Europe (the lobbying group) has put out a statement surrounding the SKG movement. VGEU is helmed by many in the games industry and is backed by many of the BIGGEST publishers in gaming. Their main points of contention are as follows: Discontinuing Live Service Games must be an option companies can take when it is no longer commercially viable. Private Servers may not always be the best option due to safety and security. Games are designed to be Online-Only from the ground up. SKG would effectively force such games to be designed differently. All of these points make sense if you maybe never read what SKG was actually about. As with any good game, the further we progress, the harder the enemies and bosses. We should also check on the petition progress during the show. Nearly Half of 2025’s Best Performing Games (on Steam) came from Indies and AA studios. Link: https://www.thegamer.com/40-percent-of-2025-top-steam-games-from-double-a-indie-studios/ Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life About half of Steam’s top 20 games this year were NOT AAA. The list is as follows. Said Indie/AA games are marked as such. | Game | Peak Playercount | |––|––| | Monster Hunter Wilds | 1384608 | | > Schedule I | 459798 | | > R.E.P.O | 271571 | | Split Fiction | 259003 | | > Kingdom Come: Deliverance II | 256206 | | > Bongo Cat | 194508 | | Stellar Blade | 192078 | | Dune: Awakening | 189333 | | > Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | 145063 | | Mecha Break | 132816 | | > Peak | 114492 | | FragPunk | 113946 | | Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond | 109246 | | > Rematch | 92841 | | InZOI | 87377 | | FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time | 65389 | | Assassin’s Creed Shadows | 64825 | | RuneScape: Dragonwilds | 52501 | | > Sultan’s Game | 46106 | | Persona5: The Phantom X | 41622 | “Gamepass is an unsustainable model” - Founder of Arkane Studios Link: https://www.resetera.com/threads/founder-of-arkane-studios-i-think-gamepass-is-an-unsustainable-model-that-has-been-increasingly-damaging-the-industry-for-a-decade-impacts-sales.1236546/ https://insider-gaming.com/game-pass-killed-by-first-party-development-costs/ Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life Arkane founder Raphael Colantonio has publicly stated that they believe Gamepass is unsustainable. Gamepass has been found to lose up to 80% “premium sales” for games on the service. Gamepass’s main selling point is that First Party Xbox games come day 1. But some contrary sources suggest that Gamepass IS sustainable. Why you (as a dev) actually give Valve the 30% Link: https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/knowing-steam-players-are-hoarders-explains-why-you-give-valve-that-30-percent-analyst-tells-devs-you-get-access-to-a-bunch-of-drunken-sailors-who-spend-money-irresponsibly/ Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life Games Industry Analyst Chris Zukowski explicitly mentions why having access to Steam is so valuable. It’s the fact that people ON steam will just, BUY games and never play them. Drunken sailors with more money than sense! You don’t have THAT on Epic! Call of Duty: WW2 removed from PC (Xbox Store) following Remote Code Execution attacks Link: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/call-of-duty/call-of-duty-ww2-pulled-from-pc-following-reports-of-remote-code-exploit-trolling-players-with-notepad-pop-ups-pc-shutdowns-and-desktop-wallpaper-of-a-lawyer/ https://x.com/wrioh75753/status/1940597447467979053 Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life Remote Code Execution attacks are considered the holy grail of hacks and arguably the worst sort of exploit outside of just having physical access to the hardware in question. CoDWW2 is not the only game to have suffered a RCE attack though. Dark Souls 3 suffered one such an exploit a few years ago, prompting Bandai Namco to shut the servers down for an extended period of time. Thankfully the exploits seem to have been fixed and the online is totally playable now. But even during then DS3 was still playable from start to finish offline. Big Companies Breaking Steam’s Rules… Will they be punished? Link: https://x.com/altersgame/status/1939707458152448118 https://www.gamespot.com/articles/blue-archive-pc-release-appears-to-break-steam-rules/1100-6533084/ https://imgur.com/a/Hd10zoJ Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life The Alters was caught with AI generated content in the game, but without a proper AI disclosure section on the Steam Page. If not enforced, this WILL cause issues especially with other devs attempting to hide the fact that some assets are AI generated. One instance was supposed to be a placeholder asset while most of the other instances of AI were AI powered localizations. Something that would DEFINTIELY warrant disclosure. The OTHER major rulebreaker is in fact Nexon with review manipulation of a gacha game we’ve already talked about once on this channel. Blue Archive was hosting a review event. Hitting 10k reviews means players get rewarded! The post about the event has since been deleted, but it is worth mentioning. I am curious if and how Valve will reprimand these developers. Capcom canceled a lecture in Japan about “Optimizing Monster Hunter Wilds” Link: https://www.ign.com/articles/capcom-cancels-lecture-on-monster-hunter-wilds-optimization-amid-harassment-concerns Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life Capcom cancels lecture about optimizing MHW at the upcoming CEDEC 2025 conference in Japan. There is no cited reason for this cancellation, but this comes amidst concerns about harassment and threats towards staff in regards to MHW’s gameplay and PC performance. I do find it kind of ironic that Capcom would host a lecture about optimizing arguably one of the most unoptimized games to release this year. But how much of it actually IS unoptimization vs being too advanced for modern hardware? Infamous Crowd Funded Sega Genesis Game “Paprium” now able to run in emulators Link: https://old.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/1lt2eog/paprium_sega_genesis_is_now_emulated/ Submitter: Hi-Tech Lo-Life Paprium is a beat-em-up released for the Sega Genesis game released in 2020, which was crowd funded all the way back in 2012. Many backers have not gotten their physical Sega Genesis copy, but arguably the worst thing about this game is its copy protection hardware built in, which is unheard of for homebrew games made for older retro systems. This is effectively DRM and has caused issues preventing you from emulating it properly with standard Emulators. It’s even caused issues with some Sega Genesis models and even FPGA recreations like the Mega SG. Thankfully the game has finally been cracked and can now be preserved for all, which still requires a special emulator core available in RetroArch. Of course, all of this could have been avoided had they released it on other consoles and PC like their prior Sega Genesis game “Pier Solar and the Great Architects”. 📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and follow us on your favorite podcast app. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole/home

In this episode, we discuss the Stop Killing Games movement, which aims to protect consumers from the practice of game publishers shutting down online services without warning. The conversation delves into the legal challenges faced by the movement, the implications of consumer rights in gaming, and the potential for future legislation to improve the preservation of digital games. The case of Anthem serves as a focal point for the discussion, highlighting the need for end-of-life policies in the gaming industry. In this conversation, the hosts discuss various topics related to the gaming industry, including the uncertain future of live service games, the de-Googling movement, and the ongoing debate between Linux and Windows for gaming. They also touch on PewDiePie’s shift towards self-hosting, the implications of recent Xbox layoffs, and the controversial use of AI in workplace settings. Additionally, they explore Crunchyroll’s AI translation issues and Nexus Mods’ new age verification requirements for adult content, highlighting the evolving landscape of gaming and technology. #gaming #StopKillingGames #Podcast #GamingPodcast #ConsumerRights #VideoGamePreservation #Anthem #GamingLegislation #OnlineGames #GameShutdowns #GamingIndustry #EUInitiative #LiveServiceGames #DeGoogling #Linux #PewDiePie #XboxLayoffs #AIInGaming #Crunchyroll #NexusMods 📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and follow us on your favorite podcast app. Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/cw/OffTheConsole/home