This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on the intersection of gaming and technology, follow Sean Hollister. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started They used to be called the “console wars,” […]
In Henry Halfhead, you play through the life of a person named Henry. But there are a couple twists. Henry is only half of a head – just eyes, ears, nose, and the top of their head – meaning they move around by sliding on the floor and jumping up and down. Also, Henry can […]
Microsoft is raising the prices of its Xbox Series S / X consoles in the US next month. The Xbox Series X will be priced at $649.99 in the US starting October 3rd, up from its existing $599.99 price. The Xbox Series S will move to $399.99, up from $379.99. Microsoft blames the price hikes […]
In case it wasn’t clear, The Last of Us made it obvious: at their very best, big-budget video games should be comparable to prestige television, so much so that adapting one for HBO is a relatively straightforward affair. This bar-setting exercise is further exemplified by other PlayStation franchises marching toward adaptation: Ghost of Tsushima is […]
In the future, Intel will make CPUs with Nvidia graphics inside — among other things, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang confirmed today that Nvidia will contribute “GPU chiplets” that Intel can place alongside its x86 CPU cores instead of the Arc integrated graphics it develops in-house today. But, at least for now, Intel says that doesn’t […]
I got to try Kirby Air Riders this morning at a Nintendo holiday showcase, and I wasn’t prepared for how difficult it was – and how bad I am at it. The Switch 2-exclusive racer launches November 20th, and it’s full of modes, collectibles, and new characters to play as. To be clear, there’s absolutely […]
Microsoft only started testing its new Gaming Copilot in the Windows Game Bar last month, and it’s now starting to roll out to all Windows 11 users today. While the initial preview was limited to certain markets, Microsoft says today’s release has “regional support everywhere except mainland China.” Microsoft is also bringing its Gaming Copilot […]
Corsair wasn’t joking around when it named the new $99.99 Sabre V2 Pro Ultralight Wireless gaming mouse. At 36 grams, it weighs just a bit more than seven US nickels. Is that too light? Maybe. Most of Corsair’s competitors haven’t shipped a mouse much below 50 grams (Sony’s new Inzone mouse is 48 grams). I […]
Epic is continuing its attempts to turn Fortnite into a platform that’s bigger than just battle royale — this time by giving creators the ability to make and sell in-game items. Starting in December, Fortnite creators will be able to sell items directly from the islands they’ve built, using new tools that will be launching […]
Valve has announced that it will stop supporting 32-bit versions of Windows for its Steam app next year. Valve will continue to support 64-bit versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11 with Steam, but on January 1st 2026 it’s game over for 32-bit versions of Windows. Windows 10 is the only 32-bit version of Windows […]