Send us a text With the announcement that Xbox is changing up Xbox Game Pass and raising prices, Keith, Jordan, Karl, and Scott discuss whether Xbox Game Pass is still the best deal in gaming or if perhaps it's time to move on from it. #xboxgamepass #videogames #gamingpodcast #rogxboxally Check out some of our video game reviews Disgaea 7 Complete Review (Nintendo Switch 2)Digimon Story: Time Stranger Review (PS5)Hell is Us Review (PS5Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles Revie...
Send us a text In this episode, the crew dives into a packed week of gaming news and industry shake-ups. We kick things off with our current playthroughs before jumping into the exciting Wolverine gameplay and Dynasty Warriors 3 Remastered reveal during Sony’s State of Play. Xbox finally confirms the long-rumored ROG Ally prices, Code Vein 2 raises release date concerns, and Nintendo of America sees a major leadership change as its president retires. We also tackle the buzz around Ananta bei...
Send us a text In Episode 201 of the Spectator Mode Podcast, the crew dives into another packed week of gaming talk. Things kick off with a discussion about what everyone’s been playing and watching before shifting into deeper topics. The team debates whether Cronos: The New Dawn has what it takes to succeed, why handheld PCs still weigh more than the Switch 2, and if PC gaming should adopt baseline hardware requirements instead of the usual minimum/recommended spec lists. The conversation he...
Send us a text Episode 200 is here! We talk about the games we’ve been playing, Keith’s Rant Corner, and our big news—we’re now on Metacritic! We also cover the strange August 28th moment when Gears hit #1 on PlayStation and Helldivers 2 topped Xbox. Plus, full impressions from PAX West 2025, including the best games, highlights, and surprises from the show. #ninjagaiden4 #rogxboxally #paxwest2025 #silksong #gamingpodcast Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:36 - Games Played & Stuff Watched 21:2...
Send us a text Welcome back to Spectator Mode Podcast! In episode 199, we cover the latest in gaming and give you our unfiltered thoughts. We discuss the games we’ve been playing and the shows we’ve been watching, dive into the never-ending Silksong hype, and discuss whether it’s actually worth it. Keith shares his hands-on impressions of Pragmata, Resident Evil Requiem, and Onimusha: Way of the Sword. We also break down Sony raising the price of the PlayStation 5 in the U.S., why tariffs ar...
Send us a text This week on the Spectator Mode Podcast, we start with what we’ve been playing and watching lately, then celebrate the Dynasty Warriors 25th anniversary and its lasting impact on the hack-and-slash genre. We also dive into Itch.io’s decision to relist NSFW games — but only the free ones — and what that means for indie developers. From there, we tackle the controversial Online Safety Act, questioning why it’s needed and how it could affect online communities. Finally, we close o...
Send us a text In Episode 196 of the Spectator Mode Podcast, the crew returns to break down another wild week in gaming. We kick things off with what we've been playing and watching before diving into whether The Outer Worlds 2 is shaping up to be another case of Microsoft marketing misfires. From there, we explore the growing rumors around Sony potentially publishing games on Xbox, followed by our thoughts on Riot’s latest 2XKO update and whether it's too little too late. We also dive ...
Send us a text We're back with another episode of the Spectator Mode Podcast, where the crew dives into the latest games we've been playing, the shows we've been watching, and a few hot-button topics that got the internet talking. In Episode 195, we kick things off with a rundown of the games we've been grinding and the media that's caught our attention. We talk about Square Enix dropping Windows 10 support for Final Fantasy 14, why payment processors are going after NSFW games, and more chat...
Send us a text Welcome back to Spectator Mode Podcast, your go-to show for real talk on gaming, geek culture, and everything in between. In episode 194, the crew talks about the new Superman movie, ASUS’s ROG Xbox Ally leak, multiplayer gaming struggles in games such as Marvel Rivals and Elden Ring Nightreign, fighting game DLC, and the controversy surrounding Pirate Software. Topics: What we've been playing and watchingAsus ROG Xbox Ally price point leaked, and it's expensiveThe ...
Send us a text Welcome back to Spectator Mode Podcast, your go-to show for real talk on gaming, geek culture, and everything in between. In Episode 193, the crew dives deep into a chaotic mix of news, hot takes, and frustration. Here are our topics for this week: 00:00 – Intro 02:10 – What We Played & Watched (games, anime, shows) 31:19 – Mindseye is a mess – what’s going on with this game? 38:19 – Does the Fighting Game Community need saving? 1:02:34 – Magic: The Gathering x Sonic the ...
Send us a text In Episode 192 of the Spectator Mode Podcast, the crew dives into a mix of gaming chatter, tech talk, and a dash of nostalgia. We kick things off with what we’ve been playing and watching lately before moving into a bizarre discussion on putting electronics into confined spaces while they’re still powered on. We then explore the uncertain future of Xbox following a wave of layoffs and what that could mean for the brand moving forward. In the second half, we tackle the controver...
Send us a text On Episode 191 of the Spectator Mode Podcast, the crew returns to talk about the rumored pricing of the Asus ROG Xbox handhelds, the newly announced AMD and Xbox partnership (and why we think it's more PR than progress), and whether a game’s price should factor into review scores. Plus, Keith gets hit with a wave of nostalgia and shares the story of how The Outerhaven gaming outlet came to be. All that and plenty of chaotic banter in this week’s gaming and geek culture p...
Send us a text We’re back! In this episode of the Spectator Mode Podcast, we dive into our hands-on time at Summer Game Fest 2025 Play Days, talk about the state of fighting games with all the big announcements (yes, including Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls), and share what caught our attention during the Steam Next Fest – June 2025 edition. From indie bangers to AAA hype, we’ve got a lot to say! Topics: Games we’ve played, stuff we’ve watchedSummer Game Fest Play DaysState of Fighting GamesSte...
Send us a text Spectator Mode Podcast Episode 189 is finally here — yeah, we know it's a little late. Between our trip to Summer Game Fest 2025 and things got a bit chaotic. But we're back with a stacked episode! This week, we dive into our predictions for Summer Game Fest 2025 (some of which may or may not have already come true), and break down the Witcher 4 tech demo that just dropped. We also talk about what stood out in the recent PlayStation Showcase, plus the games we've been playing a...
Send us a text Ready for some spicy gaming talk? Well, that's what we have in this latest episode, as the crew discusses the frustration about the PC version of Stellar Blade and PSN woes, again. We can't forget Nintendo's recent change to its EULA and what that means for anyone who owns a Switch or the Switch 2. Finally, gamers and expensive games, and who ultimately wins when prices get hiked up. Thanks for listening, and please, if you enjoy the show, leave a rating on Spotify or App...
Send us a text In Episode 187 of the Spectator Mode Podcast, we dive into this week’s biggest stories in gaming! We talk about the shocking return of Giant Bomb, clear up the Steam hack rumors, and break down EA's controversial return-to-office policy. Sony warns of a PS5 price hike, DOOM: The Dark Ages struggles on Steam Deck, and Nintendo drops a firmware update that could mess with your virtual cards. Plus, Stellar Blade finally makes its way to PC, we give our full PAX East 2025 im...
Send us a text Spectator Mode Podcast Ep. 186 is here! This week, we break down some of the biggest topics shaking up the gaming world: – The rising cost of games: Is $80 the new norm? – GTA VI delayed to 2026 — should we be surprised? – Elden Ring Nightreign won’t support crossplay, and fans aren’t happy – Polygon and Giant Bomb shifts signal a changing media landscape Hit play and join the discussion. Let us know your thoughts in the comments! #podcast #videogames #videogamepodcast #gaming...
Send us a text In the latest episode of the Spectator Mode Podcast, the crew kicked things off by discussing the games they’ve been playing and the shows they’ve been watching. The crew then dove into their initial impressions of the highly anticipated Capcom Fighting Collection 2, exploring its gameplay mechanics and features, moving on to a lively debate about Forza Horizon 5 heading to the PS5 and how suddenly it's a great game. Of course, we didn't shy away from major headlines, cov...
Send us a text On Spectator Mode Podcast episode 184, the crew kicks things off by diving into the games they’ve been playing and the shows and movies they've been watching. One of the big highlights is the debut trailer for Tron: Ares, which has the team buzzing with mixed excitement and frustration about Disney's latest sci-fi venture. From there, the conversation shifts gears to more serious territory, touching on the impact of tariffs and how they've trickled down into consumer tech and g...
Send us a text Welcome to a very impromptu episode of the Spectator Mode Podcast. To be honest, we totally didn't expect us all to be available to watch the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, let alone have so many options about it, but nonetheless, here we are. And, well, we definitely have some stuff to say. Some were positive, some negative, but it's all in fun. Also, no damned F-Zero... C'mon, Nintendo #nintendoswitch2 #gamingpodcast #duskbloods Hosts: Keith MitchellKarl SmartJosh PiedraKevin Ke...