Sony acknowledges backlash, “cautiously” moves ahead with end of PlayStation discs
Sony doesn’t think the move will hurt it financially.
Scharon Harding
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91
Gaming // Gaming & Entertainment
Pathogenic review: Damn, it feels good to be a virus
The hot new roguelite twin-stick shooter lives up to the hype.
Aaron Zimmerman
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41
Just because a game is on disc doesn’t mean it will work in the future
DoesItPlay tracks the many “physical” games that don’t work without the Internet.
Kyle Orland
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108
New AMD Linux patch boosts low-end gaming performance on Steam Deck
Improved efficiency in EPP mode leads to ~32% jump in “1% low” frame rates.
Kyle Orland
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29
Sony’s decision to ditch discs was practically inevitable, data shows
Circana numbers show US gamers overwhelmingly voting with their wallets.
Kyle Orland
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194
Microsoft brings original Xbox backward compatibility to Windows PCs
First four compatible titles can be run with an 11-year-old graphics card.
Kyle Orland
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123
Sales of Valve’s Steam Deck crater after recent price hike
Analysis of bestseller charts shows an 80 percent dip from 2025’s sales rate.
Kyle Orland
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80
RIP bargain bin: The price impact of Sony’s disc-free PlayStation plan
Used discs are often cheaper than even deep digital discounts.
Kyle Orland
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136
Most Read
Hundreds rally at Bethesda HQ to protest Xbox layoffs, and Ars was there
Union wants to halt a “perpetual cycle” of layoffs, get back to contract bargaining.
Kyle Orland
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161
Hackers quickly prove that Neo Geo Doom ports are not “impossible”
Clever coding and graphical compromises get a classic game on more classic hardware.
Kyle Orland
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97
Valve’s new Steam Machine verification system is silent on these Steam Deck-busters
Dozens of titles too taxing for Steam Deck are still unrated for the new hardware.
Kyle Orland
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61
Bethesda, id Software reportedly hit hard by Microsoft layoffs
As much as 50 percent of some teams affected by reductions, and more could be coming.
Kyle Orland
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168
The Nintendo Switch’s days are numbered—but what is that number?
Ars analysis suggests the 9-year-old console could keep selling for years.
Kyle Orland
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88
The incredible shrinking Xbox: Five studios, 3,200 employees let go
Move affects ~20% of the gaming division, which will refocus on its biggest franchises.
Kyle Orland
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269
Wing Commander IV and the FMV future that never quite was
C:\ArsGames takes a look at the time Chris Roberts more or less made a whole movie.
Lee Hutchinson
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134
Sony announces end of PlayStation discs, parts of digital store in the same day
“We will own nothing, it’s truly sad.”
Scharon Harding
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218
Hotly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI will cost more than other AAA games
GTA6 might be an outlier, though—at least for now.
Samuel Axon
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246
Valve’s Steam Machine ships June 29 for $1,049, but you probably won’t be able to buy one yet
Valve says it’s using a randomized purchase queue to make the experience “less frustrating and more fair.”
Ryan Whitwam
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268
Pokémon Go players unwittingly contributed to tech with military drone uses
The repurposing of Pokémon Go data for AI training continues to draw scrutiny.
Jeremy Hsu
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61
“This cannot continue”: Xbox leaders lay out “hard truths” behind sagging brand
Brutal self-assessment paints a picture of a Microsoft gaming division in crisis.
Kyle Orland
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317
Valve kills its retail gift card program due to scammers
Move also cuts off a massive market of legit users who buy cards with physical cash.
Kyle Orland
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94
Review: AMD’s Radeon RX 9070 GRE is a disappointing way to spend $549
The superior RX 9070 also launched for $549 just over a year ago.
Andrew Cunningham
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75
Why a Neo Geo port of Doom is functionally impossible
Sprite-based graphics architecture makes first-person 3D a challenge.
Kyle Orland
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130
AMD extends Socket AM5 support through at least 2029; AM4 refuses to die
The 5800X3D returns at $349, while the 7700X3D debuts at $329.
Andrew Cunningham
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82
ROG Xbox Ally X20 adds OLED screen, control upgrades
But the hardware refresh is tethered to a bundle with pricey AR glasses.
Kyle Orland
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36
Nvidia RTX Spark comes to Windows PCs with Arm CPU, RTX GPU, and unified memory
Nvidia’s new chips will power laptop workstations and mini desktop PCs at first.
Andrew Cunningham
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124
A respectable port of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition invades macOS
The port seems solid, and all DLC is supported—but there’s no crossplay, sadly.
Samuel Axon
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33
Intel makes a bid for handheld gaming PCs with new Arc G3 processors
Intel’s Arc B390 integrated GPU has offered impressive performance in laptops.
Andrew Cunningham
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34
Steam Deck sells out in North America within 24 hours of price hike
Europe, Australia, and Asia can still get it while the getting’s good.
Kyle Orland
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88
Mina the Hollower is the best old-school action adventure I’ve played in a while
Smooth movement, compelling combat, and tons of secrets make for an innovative throwback.
Kyle Orland
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65
Valve’s Steam Deck is back in stock after months, but you won’t like it
Four-year-old handheld is saddled with an unfortunately modern price tag.
Andrew Cunningham
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121
Nvidia kills Windows XP-era Control Panel “after 20 years of dedicated service”
Nvidia says the Control Panel’s features have been migrated to the Nvidia app.
Andrew Cunningham
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85
Windows’ classic 3D Space Cadet pinball is getting a physical re-creation
But there are some real-world constraints that virtual pinball could easily ignore.
Kyle Orland
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50
I spent years forcing myself to finish The Witcher 3—don’t repeat my mistake
Consensus and genre labels aren’t reliable predictors of what you’ll enjoy.
Samuel Axon
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245
The Steam Controller’s “drop-in” charger almost started a fire for this owner
Keep the charging puck’s exposed pins far away from anything metal.
Kyle Orland
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92
The era of 1,000 Hz gaming monitors has arrived, but why?
LG’s latest hits one frame per millisecond at a full 1080p resolution.
Kyle Orland
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160