Digital Foundry (who I'm sure need no introduction, but I'll give them one anyway) are content creators focused on game performance and all things technical. Whether it's deep dives into frame rates, graphics settings, console comparisons, or breaking down the latest gaming hardware, they've built a reputation as one of the most respected technical voices in the industry.

Interestingly, during a recent podcast, the team decided to tackle a question that I'm sure many have debated: Did the Xbox Series S actually help pave the way for Nintendo's Switch 2? According to Digital Foundry, the answer appears to be yes, at least to some extent.

So, let's take a look at what they had to say and just how beneficial Xbox's lower-powered console may have been for developers bringing modern games to Switch 2.

Within the podcast, the Digital Foundry team argued that yes, the Xbox Series S has helped prepare developers for Nintendo's Switch 2. Oliver Mackenzie explained that many of the compromises developers had to make for the Series S have translated surprisingly well to Nintendo's latest hardware.

He pointed to Final Fantasy VII as an example, noting that the Series S and Switch 2 versions use very similar settings and visual trade-offs. In fact, Digital Foundry admitted that it often looks at Series S versions of games when estimating how a Switch 2 port might perform.

However, it's not quite a one-to-one comparison. Thanks to NVIDIA's DLSS upscaling technology, there are instances where the Switch 2 can actually deliver better image quality than its Xbox counterpart despite its more limited hardware.

One example highlighted by the team was Resident Evil Requiem. According to Digital Foundry, the game looks better on Switch 2 from an image quality perspective, although the Series S version ultimately delivers stronger performance.

People often like to poke fun at the plucky Series S, but without it, we may have seen a very different outcome for Nintendo's Switch 2. If Digital Foundry is right, Xbox’s lower-powered console may have done more to prepare developers for Nintendo's hardware than many people realize.

Of course, it's not just Digital Foundry that sees the benefits. Over the years, several developers have praised the Series S for pushing them to optimize their games, which has only improved performance across other consoles and hardware.

As for me, I've always had a soft spot for the Series S. In fact, I like it enough that I currently have two of them scattered around the house.

But enough about me. Are you thankful for the Xbox Series S, or do you think the industry would be better off without it? Let me know in the comments, and be sure to take part in our poll below:

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Back when Nintendo and The Pokémon Company first launched their aggressive legal crusade against Palworld creator Pocketpair, it felt like quite the David vs Goliath story. Nintendo is historically incredibly successful in the courtroom, and what chance did an indie hit like Palworld have to deflect the patent infringement claims?

Fast forward to today, as Palworld 1.0 is about to launch on July 10, a report from patent litigation experts at GamesFray reveals that the stakes in Nintendo's case have practically shrunk to nothing ahead of the Tokyo District Court hearing on October 1, 2026. At this point, Nintendo has little to no chance of halting Palworld in its tracks, and even if they win any of the remaining technical arguments, the maximum payout is capped at a measly $30k (equivalent to JPY 5 million). This chump change is hardly a victory for Nintendo.

A fresh start with 1.0?

This legal implosion couldn't come at a better time for Pocketpair. As announced at Summer Games Fest 2026, Palworld 1.0 is officially locked in for a massive full launch on July 10, completely leaving its Early Access era behind.

Pocketpair is going all-in for the 1.0 launch, promising the biggest content drop in the game's history, including access to the mysterious World Tree and more brand-new Pals than any single previous update.

This full release should hopefully be the fresh start the studio needs. And thanks to Nintendo’s crumbling legal pressure, it’s launching without a single dark cloud hanging over it.

How Pocketpair patched Palworld to minimise the damage

Gamesfray's report states that the case is all but over, pending the hearing in October. "The public record strongly suggests that the parties have completed their written pleadings and the submission of evidence." And due to Nintendo having to significantly narrow their lawsuit so that it only applies to old, outdated versions of Palworld, they can't touch the current iteration of the game, and certainly not the 1.0 release.

From the offset, Pocketpair addressed Nintendo's claims of ownership over certain game mechanics like the gliding with Pals and throwing Pals into battle by simply changing them in subsequent versions of the game. Because of subsequent patches, Nintendo continued narrowing its own lawsuit, effectively boxing itself into a corner.

The whole farce, which included filing patents months after Palworld gameplay was first shown, was already a gross misuse of the patent system. For a patent to actually mean anything, it needs to be a genuine leap forward, not just a remix of things games have been doing for years. You don’t get to own a gameplay loop just because you tweaked a menu.

Nintendo, however, tried to do exactly that. They rushed to file "divisional" patents after Palworld became a monster hit for Xbox Game Pass in January 2024, trying to retroactively claim ownership over basic mechanics like aiming a ball and summoning a creature. By the time those patents were actually granted, Pocketpair had already patched the game to remove patent exposure.

That left Nintendo with a tiny window of time to claim damages, which amount to the 5 million yen (30k USD). Given that a Japanese patent applies only to sales made in Japan, Nintendo has completely cut itself off from Palworld’s massive global revenue. That being said, they are still attempting to gather patents in US territory.

A $30K win vs. a $40 million loss?

I'm sure you already know how tiny $30k must be to Nintendo, but to add insult to injury, Nintendo’s own annual report recently noted a staggering $40 million loss from patent litigation expenses elsewhere.

The court will express its formal opinion on November 9, 2026, but the war is practically already over. Palworld 1.0 is launching safely; the game cannot be banned, and Pocketpair is stepping into a massive new era. Nintendo could still walk away from this feeling successful, though. By forcing Pocketpair to alter its code and step away from specific gameplay implementations, Nintendo has effectively defended its "parent" mechanics (originally filed back in 2021). For a giant like Nintendo, spending millions on lawyers to secure a tiny, symbolic $30k judgment is just the cost of enforcing their line in the sand.

Reflecting on the industry-wide impact, however, I'd personally say this is a win-win. Nintendo has flexed some muscle, and Pocketpair has proved that indie studios can pivot quickly enough to survive a legal challenge from a Goliath-esque corporation.

Now that Palworld 1.0 is safely launching on July 10 and Nintendo's lawsuit has shrunk to a $30,000 IOU, what's your take on this drama?

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Nestled in the shadow of stunning AAA graphics, custom PC builds that cost as much as a used car, and throbbing RGB lighting is a growing collective of retro PC gaming enthusiasts who want nothing more than to keep the world of 8-bit, 16-bit, and early 3D games not just alive, but thriving.

While the retro gaming scene has been quietly growing for years, it certainly seems like 2026 has been a tipping point, especially with how expensive PC components have become.

Online communities like r/RetroGaming and r/CRTGaming are busy centers. Retro arcades are packed on weekends. And searches for "retro PC gaming builds" have skyrocketed in recent months. People are digging out old hardware, firing up emulators, and building dedicated retro rigs for some good ol' couch co-op in the living room.

So what's driving this resurgence? And how do you actually get started? Here's what you need to know.

Why are so many PC gamers interested in retro games?

The answer to why so many gamers are interested in older titles from bygone eras is multi-layered.

One of the biggest drivers, at least for my own retro gaming ambition, is nostalgia. The games I grew up on helped form the preferences I still carry today, and there's nothing quite like going back to a game I used to love, even if it's not perfect.

There are plenty of games being developed today that resemble older titles, using pixel art and time-tested mechanics. Although older more experienced gamers can often point out a newer game's influential origins, younger gamers are increasingly searching out original games to see why their influence remains so strong today.

The nostalgia factor goes hand-in-hand with game preservation. Without the support of enthusiasts, many games would be forgotten, unable to be played because their associated hardware is no longer produced or maintained, and their software lost to time.

This is well encapsulated by the r/CRTGaming Reddit community I covered in a separate piece. The community's passions are focused on the preservation of CRT displays, but the games played on those screens are almost always of the retro variety.

Newer isn't always better

For the younger readers, games used to launch in a working state. What was put onto a cartridge or disc and shipped was the final version of the game; no patches, no updates, and no second chances.

The best retro games still hold up today, with crisp mechanics, clear goals, and no scope creep after launch. You can sit down today or thirty years from now and know exactly what you're getting.

Compare that to today's modern mainstream gaming landscape. Early access titles that may or may not ever complete development. Billion-dollar AAA studios that pump out absolute crap year after year. Paid battle passes that get you cringy AI-generated cosmetics. Always-online multiplayer that doesn't work. Unfinished launches and ineffective patches. I could go on, but I'm sure you get the point.

With the cost of PC gaming hardware always on the rise, I don't doubt that a lot of retro gamers also arrived at their destination thanks to a much lower cost of entry.

Buying and restoring your own retro consoles is one route, although prices can add up quickly for collector items. Relatively affordable handheld devices like the Anbernic RG351V are another option; I use it to recapture early Game Boy magic first experienced in the '90s.

This being Windows Central, I'm focusing more on the PC and retro gaming mashup that's probably the easiest way to enjoy your favorite titles from generations gone by.

You don't need a powerful GPU. You don't even need a powerful CPU. High-resolution display with fast refresh rate? Forget about it. All you need to get started is a potato PC with some emulator software and ROMs.

How do I get into retro gaming in 2026?

Let me preface this by stating that I'm not suggesting you break any laws. Emulators, aka the software that emulates a specific console's hardware, are usually legal, or at minimum exist in a grey area.

ROMs, aka the software that holds a specific game, are a different story. If you own a physical copy of the game, a ROM technically isn't illegal. If you don't own the game, downloading it is illegal. Do with that information what you will.

Hardware requirements for retro game emulation

The best resource I've yet to discover for help with building your own retro gaming setup is RetroTechLab.com. Among the countless guides and reviews, there's an entire section on how to set up practically any old PC as a retro gaming centerpiece.

For 8-bit and 16-bit games from the NES, SNES, and Genesis generations, you'll want at least an Intel Pentium 4 chip running at 2.0GHz and 2GB of RAM. Considering this chip is now 25 years old, that shouldn't be a problem.

If you're going for 32-bit games from PlayStation and Nintendo 64 generations, something like a dual-core Intel Core 2 Duo at 2.0GHz should do the trick, as long as it has at least 4GB of RAM. The same goes for handhelds like Game Boy and PSP.

Once you get into the PS2, GameCube, and Dreamcast eras with 128-bit graphics, emulation demands rise considerably. A more modern Intel Core i3 chip at 3.0GHz and 8GB of RAM are recommended, although a Core i5 is better.

As for a GPU, something discrete is always better, especially if you're dealing with more demanding features like shaders and filters. However, most emulators offer software rendering that makes them work quite well on integrated graphics.

What are the best retro game emulators to run on PC?

RetroArch is one of the most popular emulators because it supports a wide variety of console generations. It has a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, you probably won't want to try anything else.

For older arcade titles, MAME is the go-to program for many golden age classics.

If you're more interested in GameCube and Wii emulation, Dolphin is a solid choice. Many gamers have success emulating OG Xbox titles with Xemu, and for PlayStation, I recommend DuckStation.

Using more than one emulator is common practice, and something like EmulationStation is designed to pull everything together into one manageable package. It's what I use on my Steam Deck, but it'll also work on Windows.

How do I build my own retro gaming PC?

I mostly use my Steam Deck as a platform for retro game emulation, but I've been toying with the idea of building a cheap little PC to keep connected to my living room PC. Once again, RetroTechLab comes in clutch.

One of the most practical routes is with a single-board PC. A Raspberry Pi 4 Model B with 4GB of RAM is available for about $110 at Amazon, and it can run the specialized RetroPie OS made for emulation right out of the box. Add a controller and an HDMI cable, and you're ready to go.

If you're targeting some of the more demanding emulators, a new or used mini PC with more powerful hardware is a stellar option. Or, as I outlined above, try your hand at repurposing an old laptop or PC that's otherwise collecting dust in a closet.

Over to you

I'm really only scratching the surface of retro gaming here; it's a deep subject that resonates with a lot of people, and the resulting projects often reveal the ingenuity and engineering prowess of enthusiastic gamers.

Have you built a retro gaming PC solely for running emulators? Have you repurposed an old laptop for the task? Do you run emulators on your gaming handheld?

I'm certain that more than a few of our readers here at Windows Central have something interesting to share on the subject of retro gaming, and I urge you to let us know in the comments section below!

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Whether it was done to directly annoy Nintendo or simply bait haters, @YellingMadman on X has taken to showcasing Mario Kart Wii running at 4K60 on the Xbox Series X.

The user later followed it up by demonstrating PS2 emulation on the console, which went quite viral on X. It is all possible thanks to a feature not many people talk about, yet it remains one of the more compelling reasons to own an Xbox Series console, provided you can find one at a reasonable price.

The overlooked reason to own an Xbox Series?

Xbox Developer Mode is a feature that allows you to turn your console into a development kit for free as of late 2025, but prior to this it cost $20. It lets users install and run unapproved applications that are not available in the standard retail environment.

In this case, users are installing Universal Windows Platform apps onto Xbox. That has led to popular emulators being ported over to the console.

As of now, players using Dev Mode can install emulators for:

• Nintendo GameCube
• Nintendo Wii
• Nintendo 3DS
• PlayStation 1
• PlayStation 2
• PlayStation Portable
• Xbox 360

There are others as well, but most of them are much older systems.

Nintendo Wii emulation

@YellingMadman first took to X to showcase Mario Kart Wii running at an impressive 4K60 on the console. It highlights just how well emulation can perform on modern Xbox hardware.

Given Nintendo’s track record with emulation, including recent action against GitHub repositories hosting Switch emulators, it is a risky move from the self-proclaimed madman.

That said, emulators themselves are legal. Legal issues usually stem from how ROMs are obtained. If someone legally sources their game backups, the act of emulation is generally lawful.

It's also worth pointing out that while it's the Series X is being showcased here, the Series S also performs extremely well. It may not always hit native 4K, but it remains one of the cheapest ways to emulate multiple systems at strong performance levels.

There may also be a Nintendo Switch emulator for Xbox Series consoles, if Xbox Emulation Hub is to be believed. If that becomes viable, it will almost certainly attract attention from Nintendo.

PlayStation 2 emulation

In a more viral clip, @YellingMadman appeared to showcase Vice City Stories, if the selected ROM is accurate, despite the post itself referencing Liberty City Stories. The PlayStation 2 title was shown running at 4K60 on Xbox Series X, attracting more than 19k likes and over 2 million views on X.

If you can legally source your titles, Xbox Series can actually play more PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2, and PSP titles than Sony’s own console, all thanks to emulation.

Hopefully neither Sony nor Nintendo chooses to lash out here. Emulators can play an important role in preserving games that are now resold at inflated collector prices, while the original developers see none of that resale revenue.

Over to you

Will platform specific charms influence where you play Marathon, or does it not matter to you? Let us know in the comments and make sure to take part in our poll below:

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

If you weren’t already aware, Xbox consoles, particularly the Xbox Series X|S, are surprisingly capable emulation machines. Through Xbox Dev Mode, they can already emulate platforms such as the Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 1, and PSP.

That capability exists largely thanks to work from Xbox Emulation Hub. The group focuses on porting popular emulators to UWP, Microsoft’s Universal Windows Platform. UWP allows developers to build apps that run across Windows 10, Windows 11, and Xbox, making it possible for these emulators to function on console hardware at all.

It seems the team is now setting its eyes on the Nintendo Switch, as a recent poll in its Discord server asked what should be released next, with Ryujinx, the popular Nintendo Switch emulator, winning the poll.

Xbox is no stranger to emulation. Microsoft itself uses emulation to enable original Xbox and Xbox 360 games to run on newer hardware through backward compatibility.

Beyond that, users who place their console into Xbox Dev Mode can run UWP apps, including emulators. This opens the door to a wide range of systems already being emulated on Xbox through community-maintained UWP ports.

Despite popular belief, emulation itself is not illegal. Legal issues typically arise around how software is distributed, particularly when copyrighted games or system files are shared, or when access to emulators is monetised in ways that violate licensing terms. Something that Nintendo have sought legal action over in the past, when popular Switch emulators were locked behind a paywall.

Attention has now turned to the Nintendo Switch. Recent activity from the Xbox emulation discord indicates that work on the Nintendo Switch is underway, although nothing has been formally released yet. The team have also teased a Nintendo 3DS emulator too, which I’m sure could ruffle some feathers at Nintendo.

Of course, any progress remains dependent on development hurdles and if it does release, usage will depend on whether users can legally source their own games…

For now, it's an ambitious goal, and the main developers motivation seems tied more on testing themselves on whether it can actually be achieved or not.

Would you use Nintendo Switch emulation on Xbox if it became available through Dev Mode? Let me know in the comments and make sure to take part in our poll below:

Game prices were a hot topic this year, and you've probably heard the same thing on repeat (and not just about gaming). Everything is getting more expensive.

From Nintendo's $80 Switch 2 games, to Xbox trying (and later walking back) Outer Worlds 2 pricing, it's easy to feel like the industry is moving towards a future where only the most financially comfortable get to play new releases at launch.

In 2026, many believe GTA 6 will hit the triple digits, and this conversation was dominating even before the RAMpocalypse started squeezing hardware budgets. Regardless of the rising price of gaming, it looks like many of the most successful titles this year were actually on the cheaper end of the spectrum.

This year's top-selling Steam releases weren't back-to-back AAA blockbusters

My own personal favorite games this year, and those of my friend group, have all been on the budget-friendly side. I wrote earlier this year that I'd be voting with my wallet on rising game prices, and I did just that.

When Game Pass prices skyrocketed, I also shared that, because the titles I've enjoyed are mostly of lower value, the subscription over the year isn't worth it for me anymore.

That all said, that's my personal anecdotal experience with a year of titles like Expedition 33, Ball x Pit, Blue Prince, and Vampire Survivors (and special shout out to Megabonk) taking up my rotation. Not a $80 game in sight, I even let Diablo 4 slide this year!

Own experience aside, I was bolstered by a recent read over the top-selling Steam games. There are plenty of heavy bank balance hitters here, but you'll notice a bunch of cheaper titles taking up space in the charts for 2025.

Confusingly, Steam has listed the games alphabetically rather than by revenue, but shows the top earners in a Platinum tier, next in Gold, and next Silver... you get the idea. Here are some of the top earners in the Platinum category, along with their release prices.

• Arc Raiders - $39.99
• Borderlands 4 - $69.99
• Elden Ring Nightreign - $39.99
• Hollow Knight SilkSong - $19.99
• Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered - $49.99
• EA FC26 - $69.99
• Schedule I - $19.99
• Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 - $29.99
• Civilization VII - $69.99
• Battlefield 6 - $69.99
• Monster Hunter Wilds - $69.99
• Dune Awakening - $49.99

There's a bunch of sub-$50 goodness in that line-up, and the Gold Tier includes Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ($49.99), Split Fiction ($49.99), and Dispatch ($29.99).

Silver Tier gets even more interesting with top revenue winners R.E.P.O ($9.99), Grounded 2 ($29.99), Escape from Duckov ($17.99), Rematch ($29.99), and PEAK ($7.99) to name a few.

Many of my own favorites got a mention in the Bronze tier like Megabonk ($9.99), Cloverpit ($9.99) and Ball X Pit ($14.99).

Many of the top sellers here actually hit somewhere between $10 and $20, with cheaper games hitting multi-million sales and reaching new heights in 2025. Schedule I, for example, reported over 8 million copies sold in May of this year, and PEAK hit 15 million players, as announced just last week.

So while publishers are trying to justify $80 price tags, theres plenty out there to play at half the cost and many are doing like me and voting with their wallets.

2025 was also the year of "Friendslop"

I'm deeply sorry to have to introduce this term to my lexicon (and yours, if you haven't heard it yet), but I only recently noticed the rise of "friendslop" in gaming news. It's basically a catch-all term for those cheap, janky, and often co-operative games like Lethal Company, R.E.P.O., etc., of which the main appeal is silly, dorky gameplay with your friends rather than groundbreaking graphics or AAA polish.

Most of the games my teenage son and his friends enjoyed this year on PC fall into this category, and many of them ranked among the top revenue on Steam, I'm sure, much to the frustration of many a AAA studio with its multi-million-dollar budget.

Big action epic RPGs still thrived, however, such as Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, so the art of creating fantastic-looking games isn't totally lost. Mid-priced titles like Clair Obscur, Split Fiction, Dispatch, and Silksong all made waves, too, but neither are they $70-$80 blockbusters.

They were all creative and priced well enough for gamers to feel comfortable taking a chance on them (and I've no doubt that a couple of these titles being on Xbox Game Pass helped their virality).

I think the economy will move gamers further away from AAA going forward

Looking toward 2026, my spending habits aren't changing, and I’m going to carry on being stingy. I just can’t justify blindly dropping $80 on a single game, not when that money could fill my car for the month. There are too many perfectly good games for much, MUCH cheaper. Gaming has to stay a hobby, not a financial burden. If a game isn't essential for my survival, it’s not getting a pass on a massive price hike. That’s just my reality now.

Wages have crawled to a standstill. The average gamer isn't buying five or six full-price games a year, let alone paying $80 for them. Valve's own Steam Replay data shows that the average Steam user played only four new games in 2024 and 2025.

Within the economic downturn is a silver lining, though. Smaller studios are thriving, and unique ideas are breaking through into the gaming charts. The industry is changing, whether the AAA giants like it or not. We aren't just playing cheaper games because we have to; we’re playing them because, right now, that’s where the real innovation (and the real fun) is happening.

Is the $80 game a dead end? How much are you willing to pay? Let me know in the comments and vote in the poll!

You may or may not have heard of the Nex Playground, a small Kinect-inspired, Wii-like device that has made headlines after outselling Xbox hardware in the U.S. during November. This is a particularly telling moment for console sales, given the impact of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Likely helped by weaker Xbox performance overall due to its lack of sales, Nex Playground edged past Xbox Series X|S to claim third place in units sold for the month, I’m sure in part thanks to its $250 price tag.

Devices like this serve as a stark reminder, at least to me, of how short-sighted Microsoft can sometimes be. The shutdown of Windows Phone, which could have strengthened Microsoft’s broader ecosystem efforts, and the eventual closure of Cortana, an early AI voice assistant, both stand out as missed opportunities that feel especially relevant in hindsight.

Nex CEO says Wii lessons and subscriptions are key

In an interview with The Game Business, the CEO of Nex, David Lee, said the company set out to learn from the rise of Nintendo’s Wii, but also from the challenges that followed. While Wii succeeded in bringing new audiences into gaming, Lee explained that many of those players only ever bought a handful of games, creating long-term Sustainability issues for the platform. Lee goes on to say:

Building on this, Lee added:

The Nex Playground has since found success with younger audiences, offering games based on popular IP such as Bluey, Peppa Pig, Fruit Ninja, and more.

Access to that library is handled through Play Pass, a subscription service that unlocks a growing catalogue of games for a recurring fee. The parallels with Xbox Game Pass are clear, although the focus here is firmly on families and younger players rather than a broader gaming audience.

Oh, how this could have been Kinect

As mentioned at the start, Microsoft’s ability to be short-sighted can be impressive at times. Here, it is easy to imagine an alternative reality where Microsoft repurposed Kinect toward a more family-oriented audience, expanding what an Xbox could be years before the phrase “this is an Xbox” was ever coined.

Instead, Kinect was discontinued in 2017, and we do not live in a world where Microsoft can see the future. With the benefit of hindsight, Nex Playground makes it hard not to wonder whether that decision was too hasty, and to add insult to injury, their vision aligns with just what Microsoft wants to do, with Lee adding:

As Nex’s CEO makes clear, the console’s success wasn’t an accident In an industry that often chases power over play, its Kinect‑like approach proved there’s still room for hardware that prioritizes inclusivity over specs.

Whether this strategy can be replicated in today’s market is another question entirely, but its unexpected victory over Xbox stands as a reminder that sometimes the biggest wins come from thinking outside the traditional console race.

Do you think Microsoft should have repurposed Kinect rather than discontinuing it, or did it make the right call at the time? Share your thoughts below, and let us know how you feel about Microsoft’s ongoing tendency to end support for hardware and software that later feels more relevant than ever.

It is easy to point the finger at Xbox lately, and sometimes for good reason. Online discourse often centres on the brand. November 2025, however, tells a slightly different story, with data pointing to a market-wide downturn affecting every major console platform, not just Xbox.

Circana, which regularly tracks and reports on industry sales, recently published figures showing total U.S. game spending fell 4% year over year to $5.9 billion. That decline spans hardware, software, and accessories, rather than being isolated to one segment.

While this data only reflects the U.S. market, the historical context is striking. November 2025 marked the worst November for U.S. hardware unit sales since 1995, an era dominated by systems like the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and SNES, long before the modern console landscape took shape.

The data behind the downturn

According to Circana, hardware spending dropped 27% year over year to $695 million, with unit sales falling to 1.6 million. That makes November 2025 the weakest November for U.S. hardware unit sales since 1995.

Xbox Series hardware sales declined by 70% year over year, while PlayStation 5 sales fell by more than 40%. Combined Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 unit sales were down by around 10%, which stands out as relatively resilient by comparison.

Pricing appears to be a major factor. The average price of video game hardware reached $439 per unit in November, up 11% year over year, making consoles more expensive than ever during what is usually a peak buying period.

Xbox saw average price increases of over 30%, highlighting how higher entry costs can quickly suppress demand. The Switch 2, despite being the fastest-selling console in U.S. history, still saw its November unit sales trail the original Switch’s first November, likely due to its higher price point and fewer meaningful discounts.

US video game hardware total units sold and average price paid, Nov 1995 through Nov 2025.

— @matpiscatella.bsky.social (@matpiscatella.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-12-17T17:15:43.009Z

Software trends offer little comfort. Physical game sales fell 14% year over year, making November 2025 the worst November for physical software sales since 1995, even as subscription spending rose by 16%.

Call of Duty provides a clear example of the wider slowdown. Black Ops 7 topped the monthly charts, but full game dollar sales declined by a double-digit percentage compared to the prior year, showing that even the industry’s biggest franchises are not immune.

Accessories followed the same downward trend. Spending in that category fell 13% year over year, reinforcing that consumers are pulling back across the entire ecosystem, not just on consoles themselves.

2025 Year-to-Date Top 20 Best-Selling Premium Games - U.S. (Dollar Sales, Physical and Digital from digital data sharing publishers, excludes add-on content)

— @matpiscatella.bsky.social (@matpiscatella.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-12-17T17:15:42.943Z

What’s next for the gaming industry?

November may not be a one-off either. Circana notes that December and full-year data will be critical, but current trends already point to warning signs rather than a short-term blip.

It is no secret that hardware prices continue to rise, and the era of consoles becoming cheaper as a generation matures appears to be over. These pressures show little sign of easing, and rising RAM and storage costs could create further strain across the console industry. Alumni from PlayStation, Xbox, and others have cited everything from TikTok to evolving user habits for the decline in console sales, but PC gaming continues to dominate the conversation as well. The versatility of PC is why Microsoft is increasingly investing in its Xbox PC platform with devices like the Xbox Ally. But even PC isn't safe from these issues.

DRAM prices and NVME storage ballooning in price will hit PC builders too. Valve's own gaming PC could be holding out on revealing the price of the Steam Machine due to rising costs for memory. Recent reports suggest DDR5 RAM prices are set to increase further, with Samsung already reportedly doubling the price of their DDR5 RAM for suppliers. There are new rumors that NVIDIA is going to scale back its gaming products too.

If price continue to spike for these components, it’s very likely that Xbox won’t be the only high-end "premium" priced console next generation as Sony’s stock of supplies can only last so long and as for how this will impact the Nintendo Switch 2, only time will tell.

It's hard to imagine the prices of these components not continue to increase, and therefore console prices paying the price. Especially as AI continues to consume every sector it even slightly touches as billion dollar companies, Microsoft included continue to throw money at what appears to be an infinitely deep hole with no end in sight.

Nintendo’s arsenal against Palworld is in serious trouble. In a move almost unheard of, the head of the U.S. Patent Office has personally stepped in to review one of Nintendo’s most controversial patents, the one that claims ownership of a basic game mechanic "summoning a helper and letting it fight in one of two modes."

In our previous article on Nintendo's U.S. efforts to collect anti-Palworld patents, patent 12403397 garnered quite the outcry from the gaming community as it targeted such a generic gaming mechanic used in hundreds of other games.

It looks like the outrage actually worked. Latest findings from Gamesfray show that the head of the U.S. Patent Office has stepped in to review whether this should have been granted in the first place.

Why are the U.S. Patent Office reviewing the patent?

Yesterday, USPTO Director John A. Squires ordered a "reexamination" of Nintendo’s U.S. Patent No. 12,403,397. So the patent office is taking another look at whether this patent should exist at all. Why?

Because two older patents, one from Konami (2002) and one from Nintendo itself (2019) already describe the same idea. Both show a player being able to fight in manual mode or automatic mode, which was the key feature Nintendo claimed was unique.

This is huge. The last time a USPTO Director did this was more than a decade ago. Normally, these reviews only happen when a company files a challenge. Here, the Director has acted on his own. Likely because of the backlash over this patent from gaming media and potential damage the reputation of the U.S. Patent system.

After all, the mechanic is in so many other games, it baffled many of us that those who put the patent through didn't spot this.

What happens next?

Nintendo has two months to respond to the reexamination order, and even Director ordered reexaminations can be upheld. However, it's highly likely the patent will be revoked based on its similarity to other existing patents.

Given that this comes just days after the Japan Patent Office rejected a "monster capture" patent claim from Nintendo because it wasn't original enough, it's not looking good. Two of the world's biggest patent offices are now questioning Nintendo's strategy.

Nintendo claims these patents are to protect innovation, but it does look from the outside that it's an attempt to monopolize basic game rules in their ongoing battle against Palworld.

For now, the clock is ticking on Nintendo to respond, but the fact the USPTO Director himself has stepped in shows just how controversial this "summon and fight" patent is.

FAQ

Nintendo’s ongoing legal campaign against Palworld developer Pocketpair has hit another roadblock. A key patent in Nintendo’s “monster capture” family, one that sits right between two patents, currently being asserted in the Tokyo District Court, has been rejected by the Japan Patent Office (JPO).

The decision cites a lack of inventive step, pointing directly to older games such as ARK, Monster Hunter 4, Craftopia, Kantai Collection, and Pokémon GO itself as examples of prior art.

For Xbox players following this saga (and especially fans who jumped into Palworld on Xbox Game Pass), this new twist adds even more weight to Pocketpair’s defense. It reinforces the argument that Palworld isn’t necessarily copying Nintendo, but rather is inspired by and builds upon decades of established game mechanics.

A tangled patent family tree

The latest report from Gamesfray breaks down the significance of this patent rejection in relation to the Pocketpair case. If you look at the official JPO patent family chart (shown above), you can see how interconnected these filings are.

The newly rejected 2024-031879 application descends from Nintendo’s 2023 filing (JP7505852), which has already been granted and is one of the patents cited in Nintendo’s lawsuit against Pocketpair. Meanwhile, patent 2024-123560 (JP7545191) branches off, another granted patent also being used in court.

That means this isn’t some irrelevant side filing; it’s literally sandwiched between two patents central to the litigation. If the JPO finds that one member of the patent family lacks originality, it raises questions about the others.

As GamesFray notes, this “sibling-parent” structure makes the 2024-031879 rejection potentially significant. The same reasoning (lack of inventive step, obviousness based on prior art) could easily apply to the related patents Nintendo is wielding in court.

Pocketpair’s fingerprints might be on the prior art submission

The JPO’s record shows that a third-party submission was made earlier this year, introducing prior art that led to this rejection. While the JPO doesn’t name who made it, the timing aligns with Pocketpair’s known strategy and its April 2025 court filing of similar evidence.

In fact, GamesFray’s earlier coverage revealed that Pocketpair’s legal team has already submitted an extensive list of games — from ARK and Tomb Raider to Zelda, Titanfall 2, and Rune Factory 5. All to demonstrate that Nintendo’s claimed mechanics existed long before Palworld.

You can read our breakdown of that filing here: Palworld developers challenge Nintendo's patents using examples from Zelda, ARK: Survival, Tomb Raider, Titanfall 2, and many more huge titles.

Pocketpair even cited mods like Pixelmon (for Minecraft) and NukaMon (for Fallout 4) as prior art, arguing that player-created content is also part of the shared creative ecosystem that predates Nintendo’s claims.

Interestingly, Nintendo’s own argument earlier this year tried to claim that mods shouldn’t count as prior art. An unusual position that drew criticism for trying to limit what qualifies as “publicly known” technology. (GamesFray, September 16, 2025)

Why this matters for the Palworld case

The JPO’s decision doesn’t directly determine the outcome of the Tokyo District Court case; that’s a separate process. But it could influence it. Judges often respect the technical findings of patent examiners, even if they aren’t legally bound by them.

In this case, the rejection undermines Nintendo’s claim that its patents protect truly original gameplay ideas. When Japan’s own patent authority says otherwise, that argument loses credibility fast.

The ruling also puts pressure on Nintendo’s third patent-in-suit, which, according to previous reports, has already been modified mid-litigation. A sign that Nintendo is getting desperate.

What may also be relevant is that it was recently leaked that Nintendo may be working on its own Pokémon spinoff featuring gameplay elements similar to Palworld’s survival-style. If this turns out to be true, it could explain why Nintendo is pushing so hard to secure broad control over mechanics that suddenly look marketable again.

The main lawsuit against Pocketpair continues at the Tokyo District Court, but is getting increasingly shaky. If more of Nintendo’s patents face rejections, it could drastically weaken their case.

Whatever happens, this development shows that Pocketpair’s defense strategy, built on citing prior games like ARK and Monster Hunter, is paying off.

Nintendo’s ongoing legal battle with Palworld developer Pocketpair has taken a surprising new turn in Japan. According to this latest Gamesfray report, fresh filings at the Tokyo District Court reveal that Nintendo has modified one of the patents at the heart of the case. Asking the courts not to treat mods as "prior art", a move experts are calling both extreme and dangerous.

Florian Müller, the litigation expert behind Gamesfray, calls this stance “almost insulting,” arguing that modders contribute real, incremental innovation to gaming and shouldn’t be ignored. If Nintendo’s position holds, it could set a precedent where game companies patent mechanics pioneered by mods, leaving creators vulnerable.

Why mods are relevant to the Nintendo vs Pocketpair case

As reported previously, Pocketpair's defense has amassed a bunch of examples of prior art. So, demonstrating ideas that existed before Nintendo filed its patents in 2021. In patent law, prior art refers to anything that shows an idea or invention was already out there; if proven, it can weaken or even invalidate a patent altogether.

One example Pocketpair points to is Pocket Souls, a Pokémon-themed mod for Dark Souls 3. The studio argues that mods like this demonstrate Nintendo’s claimed mechanics weren’t original at the time of filing (in 2021).

Nintendo claims that mods don't count as prior art because they depend on another game to run and, therefore, shouldn't be used to challenge patents.

Why experts are alarmed

Mueller disagrees strongly, calling this argument extreme and unnecessary. Firstly, prior art typically has a broad definition in patent law. Courts tend to consider whether creators (like developers) would look at mods for inspiration, and they often do.

If Nintendo wins on this basis, companies could patent mechanics first pioneered by mods, leaving modders exposed with no legal protection. Counter-Strike for example, started as a mod for Half-Life in 1999, becoming so popular it became its own standalone game. By Nintendo's standards, this isn't innovation, and they could patent it for themselves after the fact.

Mueller warns that this approach shows "utter disregard" for the creativity modders bring to the gaming industry. Modders would have little recourse, for example, started as a mod for Half-Life in 1999, becoming so popular that they would have to file patents themselves (something hobbyists almost never do).

Modders could become “fair game” for larger companies to exploit. "For example, in the United States, the thief would just have to file for patents within less than a year of the release of a given mod."

What else is happening in the case so far

The mod debate is just one of several issues preventing the case from concluding. Nintendo has already changed the wording in another patent relating to switching rides in mid-air, moving the goalposts for Pocketpair, and is requesting an injunction against the company, though Pocketpair argues it has already worked around any alleged infringements.

Nintendo is pushing for broad interpretations of its patents, while Pocketpair continues to highlight how Palworld differs from Pokémon’s traditional turn-based design.

Because of Nintendo’s patent amendment, little else is expected to happen this year. The court may share its preliminary view with the parties in 2026, but for now, the case is at a standstill.

Still, the precedent it could set is concerning. Nintendo's actions recently have caused raised eyebrows, only recently managing to secure a patent in the U.S for the simple mechanic of summoning a character to auto-attack in a game. Yet only last week, the Nintendo Direct featured Pokémon Pokopia, a game with base building (as featured in Palworld and Minecraft). Rip-offs for me, and not for thee indeed.

Earlier this week, with the help of a fantastic report from GamesFray, we covered the news of Nintendo securing a new U.S. patent that not only looks like part of their arsenal against Pocketpair’s Palworld, but could also send shockwaves across the wider gaming industry.

I'm of course talking about the patent for summoning other characters to fight for you in a game, otherwise known as Patent No. 12,403,397. I’ve been following the back-and-forth between Nintendo and Pocketpair since the original lawsuit in Japan, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen this much attention on a Nintendo patent filing. And with good reason: it’s insanely broad, it’s certainly not something Nintendo invented, and most people are baffled at how the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted it in the first place.

Thankfully, amid all the uproar, Florian Mueller (the patent and gaming litigation expert behind GamesFray), sat down for a podcast with FritangaPlays to break down exactly how Nintendo managed to push this patent through the USPTO. His take on the documents and the tactics involved is a fascinating listen. I highly recommend checking out the full episode, but for now I’ve pulled together the juiciest highlights below.

How Nintendo's 'summoning' patent slipped through

In the interview, Florian Mueller says that, in his opinion, the patent shouldn’t have been approved at all. “I think it should not have been granted. The patent office made a huge mistake.”

The patent’s wording from the start is deliberately vague. "Storage medium, information processing system, information processing apparatus, and game processing method” could describe virtually anything, from AI systems to self-driving car controllers or even word processors.

While Claim 1 describes a “non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a game program,” Mueller refers to this as 'boilerplate' — an attempt by Nintendo to make the patent appear as a technical invention. Simply submitting “patent this game rule” would have been rejected outright, so the language is deliberately obfuscated.

For the patent to hold legal weight, each claim, starting with Claim 1 and continuing onward, must be infringed. There is no dispute over the so-called storage medium: any video game running on a console or PC obviously satisfies that element, making the first few words essentially meaningless.

The meat of the patent lies in the broader gameplay mechanics, particularly the system for summoning characters to battle.

“If you look at how broad the language is, this is not limited to Pokémon. For example, “Performing control of moving a player character on a field in a virtual space based on a movement operation input”

The real focus is on sub-characters, summoned in response to player input. “A sub-character is distinct from the player character… basically, the player presses a button or moves a joystick, and the sub-character appears."

The patent even covers positioning relative to enemy characters: “The combination of summoning, sub-characters, and positioning is what gives the patent its potential reach.” That means mechanics in games like Final Fantasy could technically fall under the patent, even though they predate Pokémon-style summons.

Legal interpretation, Müller notes, could be messy. Courts might debate what counts as a “sub-character” or a “field,” and whether a 2D grid could qualify as a virtual space. “Even if a game is technically different, it might still risk infringement,” he warns. Yet despite the patent’s broad wording, Müller believes the actual risk to developers is limited.

“Palworld will continue mostly unaffected… the broad enforcement scenario that people fear probably won’t materialize,” he says. Awareness, he stresses, is key: monitoring patents and understanding prior art can help developers navigate the potential minefield.

This patent would fail under even mild scrutiny, but that's not the point

Even if the patent wouldn’t survive a court challenge, it has immediate consequences. “Litigation is expensive. Even if you’re right, even if you’re confident you would win, you still have to spend millions fighting the lawsuit. And for smaller developers, that’s not an option. They’d rather settle, or change their game design, than face that risk.”

In other words, Nintendo probably already knows it won't win every lawsuit, but the existence of the patent alone will deter competition. So, the question remains, how did such a broad gameplay mechanic, one that is within hundreds of other games, get through the USPTO without question?

“The examiner probably didn’t fully consider the scope of prior art in video games, or didn’t fully grasp how common summoning mechanics already were," notes Mueller.

"Patent law wasn’t originally designed with video games in mind. A lot of the terminology and concepts come from hardware or software patents. So, when game companies file something like this, it can slip through the cracks because the examiner doesn’t have deep gaming knowledge."

Nintendo’s U.S. patent has implications far beyond domestic developers. The moment a game enters the U.S. market, it becomes subject to U.S. patent law regardless of whether the developer is based in Europe, China, or Japan.

Smaller developers are the most vulnerable. Big companies like Sony or Microsoft can defend themselves with their own patent portfolios, but startups and indie studios face a chilling effect.

The future of an increasing 'litigious' gaming industry

The key to maintaining a healthy, competitive industry, Müller emphasizes, is awareness and proactive defense. “Other developers should actively monitor major players, submit prior art to patent offices, and challenge overly broad patents. That’s how you prevent these issues from becoming standard practice.”

For gamers, he advises staying informed and understanding of changes in titles like Palworld, which may be driven more by litigation than design (lest we forget the not-too-well-received update that broke the game at first).

In the end, Müller’s point is clear: broad patents can provide leverage, but they don’t have to hold back innovation in gaming so long as the industry remains informed when it comes to cases like this. The Nintendo vs. Pocketpair case will continue to be closely watched, especially if Nintendo decides to pursue it in the U.S. Whether this latest patent will actually be used in legal action is still up in the air.

As Fall arrives, Nintendo held another long-awaited Nintendo Direct to show off games coming to the recently-launched Nintendo Switch 2.

While many of these games are first-party titles exclusive to Nintendo's hardware, there are also some third-party games that multiplatform players can check out, including titles coming to Xbox and PC.

Where to watch the September 2025 Nintendo Direct

The Nintendo Direct aired live on Sept. 12, 2025 at 6:00 a.m. PT / 9:00 a.m. ET. You can watch it through the YouTube link embedded above. The show is slated to run for just about an hour.

All PC and Xbox games shown during PlayStation State of Play June 2025

Below, you'll find the games from this showcase that are also coming to Xbox and/or Windows PC.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection

We got another look at the previously-announced Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection, which is coming to Xbox, PlayStation, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2 in October.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake expands platforms next January

Final Fantasy 7 Remake is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S on Jan. 22, 2026. This retelling, long console exclusive to PlayStation hardware, was previously confirmed to finally be heading to Xbox and Nintendo Switch 2 this winter.

Hades 2's 1.0 update is coming later this month

While Supergiant Games' Hades 2 is console exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch at launch, players on PC that have been enjoying the game in early access can look forward to the 1.0 launch on Sept. 25, 2025, bringing the full story and experience of the fight against the Titans.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined announced for 2026

Square Enix is continuing the flow of remakes and remasters with Dragon Quest VII Reimagined. This reimagining of the role-playing from 2000 is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2 on Feb. 5, 2026.

PowerWash Simulator 2 is on the way

FuturLab shared another look at the team's upcoming sequel, PowerWash Simulator 2. As previously shared, this relaxing cleaning game supports a co-op campaign, meaning up to four players can hop in together.

PowerWash Simulator 2 is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2 at some point this fall. When it launches, it'll also be available day one in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake

Koei Tecmo's Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly is being remade for modern gaming platforms. Following sisters Mio and Mayu, this unique survival-horror title has players warding off ghosts using a special camera.

It's coming to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2 at some point in early 2026.

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection gets a release date

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection was previously announced for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2.

Notably, this is the first entry in the Monster Hunter Stories spinoff series to launch on Xbox platforms.

Capcom showed up to the Nintendo Direct showcase with a new trailer confirming that Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection is slated to launch on March 13, 2026.

Another look at Resident Evil Requiem

Capcom double-dipped with another trailer for its upcoming survival-horror title Resident Evil Requiem. Again focused on new protagonist Grace Ashcroft, this trailer gave more glimpses of the horrors that await, with flashes of new enemies as well as the previously-revealed towering stalker foe.

The latest in the long-running series, this new entry is slated to launch on Feb. 27, 2026 across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2.

Nintendo isn’t slowing down in its legal crusade against Palworld. While the patent infringement case against Pocketpair continues in Japan, the real story may be unfolding in the U.S.

As we’ve covered before, Nintendo isn’t just fighting one lawsuit. It's been quietly stockpiling patents and preparing for a potential American case, too. And the latest one is a big deal. The newest patent is particularly egregious and could have massive implications for the entire games industry.

Last week, Nintendo quietly secured a U.S. patent that, on paper, gives it ownership over one of the most common mechanics in gaming: summoning a character and having it fight another.

Two new patents granted to Nintendo

U.S. Patent No. 12,409,387, which was issued today, covers the “smooth switching of riding objects”, but Pocketpair already worked around this feature in Palworld, so right now that acquisition is not much of a threat.

However, as GamesFray reports in their thorough coverage of the case, Patent No. 12,403,39, which was granted over a week ago on September 2, is a much more significant concern. Not just for Palworld. The Patent '397 covers the fundamental mechanics of summoning a character to have it fight another. So yes, sounds like Pokémon. However, it also describes things that many other games do.

Unlike many patents, which often face heavy scrutiny or rejections before they’re approved, this one glided through the U.S. Patent Office without objections. It was filed in March 2023 and granted just last week.

Summoning minions in Diablo? Nintendo could own this

Patent '397 is potentially explosive for the gaming industry, because it isn't just about Palworld. If a game does all of the following, it could be challenged.

• There must be a PC, console or other computing device and the game is stored on a drive or similar storage medium.
• You can move your main character in a virtual space.
• You can summon a secondary character (called the “sub character” in the patent).
• If there’s an enemy present, the summoned character fights it (either automatically or based on your input.)
• If there isn’t, the summoned character can still move and fight when it encounters an enemy later.

If a game does those things, Nintendo now has a patent that could be used to argue infringement. I'm sure you can think of 100s of games that do this. This isn’t just a Pokémon thing. The patent language is so broad that it could arguably apply to mechanics across RPGs, action games, MMOs, and the list goes on.

Take Diablo 4, where the Necromancer class is built around summoning skeletons, golems, and other minions that fight automatically or under your direction. In World of Warcraft, warlocks summon demons, hunters summon pets. In Elden Ring, if you’re not one of those solo purists, you might summon your Mimic Tear to help in battle (or, in my case, just finish the battle for me). The list is endless.

In other words, if you’ve played games at all in the last 20 years, you’ve seen this mechanic everywhere. And now, at least in the U.S., Nintendo has a patent claim that could theoretically be pointed at any of them.

Will Nintendo actually use this against Palworld?

The obvious question is, will Nintendo actually sue other developers in the U.S. using this patent, including Palworld? Well, we really don't know. In Japan, where there is an ongoing case, Pocketpair is already making a strong defense against many of the patents with examples of prior art.

There is also clear evidence of Palworld demonstrating its mount switching mechanic, one of the patents in question, 6 months prior to Nintendo filing for the patent.

But even if Nintendo never goes that far, the threat alone is damaging. Just the existence of this patent could discourage smaller studios from experimenting with summon-style mechanics, out of fear of being dragged into court. Big companies like Nintendo can afford endless rounds of litigation. Indies can’t.

If Nintendo keeps going down this “PATENT ALL THE THINGS” road, it could trigger a full-on arms race. Imagine every big publisher rushing to slap patents on basic gameplay loops, not to protect creativity, but to keep it as potential legal ammunition. That doesn’t help push the industry forward; it stands to choke it into oblivion. Are we sliding into a future where lawyers shape the games we get to play more than the devs do?

Should something as simple as “summon a character and let it fight” even be patentable? Or is this just Nintendo flexing its legal muscles?

Drop your thoughts in the comments. This one feels too big for gamers to ignore.

It's been pretty quiet on the news front in the ongoing battle between Nintendo and PocketPair over alleged patent infringement in Palworld. However, while the mainstream audience awaits a final verdict, legal and patent experts are watching the case and digging through the documentation in impressive detail.

This latest report from Gamesfray has uncovered some rather unusual behaviour from Nintendo as they continue the fight to shut down Palworld, and it seems that the fight in Japan isn't landing the punches they'd hoped.

Nintendo is making some unusual moves, including rewriting one of its own patents mid-lawsuit, and, in the words of the experts, "It’s bizarre."

Nintendo are moving the goalposts mid-case

To quickly recap, Nintendo is suing PocketPair for patent infringement in Japan, based on the resemblance of certain mechanics in Palworld to Pokémon. There are 3 patents in total included in the suit for which Nintendo are seeking the equivalent of $66k in damages. Two about capturing monsters, and one about how you can switch between riding different creatures.

PocketPair's defense includes the use of prior art from numerous other games that also use similar mechanics, none of which Nintendo has pursued for damages. There is also clear evidence of Palworld demonstrating its mount switching mechanic, one of the patents in question, 6 months prior to Nintendo filing for the patent.

So, how has Nintendo responded to PocketPair's defense? According to this Gamesfray report Nintendo recently went to the Japan Patent Office (JPO) and asked to change the patent about switching rides in mid-air.

That’s a bold and unusual move, and one that usually only happens when the original patent looks weak. The updated version uses some bizarre language, including the phrase “even when,” which is not standard or clear in patent law.

If you want some light bedtime reading, you can read the entire claim online but it's specifically the wording changes to emphatic phrases like "even when" that are uses of language not generally seen in legal claims such as this, and it's even more telling that these amendments have been made mid-case.

It's just a phrase change, why the big deal?

Changing a patent in the middle of an ongoing case is risky, and it signals that Nintendo perhaps doesn't believe its current claims will hold up in court. Using vague language like this doesn't inspire confidence, and the new wording is so clunky in the context of the entire claim that it may do more harm to their case than good.

Gamesfray refers to the move as a "Hail Mary", and further states it's "a desperate attempt to win by doing something odd."

How about the US case?

Nintendo is still trying to build its case on US soil too, but so far they haven't actually filed a lawsuit there. They've been awarded 4 patents in the US so far, but PocketPair is continuously changing Palworld to effectively become a moving target.

For example, PocketPair removed the Pal-specific gliding mechanics, you can no longer switch between mounts on the fly, and they removed the ability to throw Pal Spheres to summon captured Pals.

The more changes Palworld implements, the more useless Nintendo's patent claims become. Though Nintendo appears to be tweaking claims in the hope of tailoring them to whatever version of the game comes next.

Could Nintendo win?

There is, of course, still every chance that Nintendo is successful with its claims. After all, it has a solid history of winning cases.

However, the company's goal may not just be impacting Palworld, but scaring off indie studios from making games that feel even remotely similar to Pokémon.

Though, as we've seen from announcements like the upcoming Aniimo, that tactic doesn't seem to be working either.

But what do you think?

Is Nintendo right to defend its patents this aggressively, or is it another case of trying to stomp out competition?

Are these kinds of legal fights protecting IP or killing creativity? Let me know in the comments!

Last week, Pocketpair, creators of Palworld, made a statement officially confirming that gliding with Pals was being removed from the game as a direct result of the Nintendo lawsuit over patent infringement currently taking place in Japan. This change would be implemented with patch v.0.5.5.

While we already know that Pocketpair isn't the first or the last to implement this mechanic, and we've reported before how Nintendo has submitted patent applications post-release of Palworld.

Nevertheless, I wanted to share this brilliant report from our friends at GameFray, who detail the exact timeline of when Palworld first revealed this mechanic in the game, and it's even earlier than I thought — a whole six months prior to Nintendo submitting its application for the patent.

Palworld showed off Pal gliding in June 2021

The GamesFray report shows that at Indie Live Expo in June 2021, Pocketpair showed off a preview of Palworld. In the clip, we see riding and flying on Pals, indicating that Pocketpair developed the mechanics independently prior to the Nintendo patent application in December 2021 for Patent No. 7528390

The patent in question, which refers to the dynamic switching of riding objects in a game, was granted to Nintendo despite them only filing for it in 2024 after Palworld's release. This is, unfortunately, perfectly legal as Nintendo can relate its 2024 claim back to the 'parent patent' from 2021. However, this video proves that Pocketpair showed off the mechanic even before the parent patent date.

Will this help Pocketpair against Nintendo?

• Watch above from 1:47:26 to see the full clip.

It remains to be seen. The video alone doesn't invalidate Nintendo's patent, as it doesn't really display the exact technical details as described by Nintendo, but it does suggest that Nintendo's version of the mechanic isn't as innovative as they would like you to believe, as any developer can figure out how to implement it.

Nintendo’s patent claims rely on a 2021 application and older filings that date back to December 22, 2021. That’s the earliest date Nintendo can use in court. The June 2021 Palworld video predates this, making it valid prior art.

It certainly weakens Nintendo's case in combination with Pocketpair's defense using examples of other games with the same mechanics, such as Zelda and ARK: Survival Evolved.

The challenges in the Japan suit haven't stopped Nintendo from applying for the same patents in the US, signifying its intent to also bring the case to US soil.

If Palworld is successful, can they bring back the mechanics they have removed?

For now, Pocketpair is playing it safe, modifying key features to avoid risk — despite showcasing these mechanics long before Nintendo’s 2024 claims.

One significant change came with patch 0.3.11, which removed the ability to throw a Pal to a chosen position as a direct response to the lawsuit. This caused temporary spawning issues, frustrating players who blamed Nintendo for the disruption.

Similarly, the gliding update is, in Pocketpair's words, "yet another compromise." If Pocketpair successfully defends its case, it’s possible these changes could be reversed, though the timeline for resolving the dispute remains uncertain.

In the meantime, these adjustments divert resources and extend development time, impacting other projects — like the anticipated Tides of Terraria update set to release this summer.

Palworld creator and publisher, Pocketpair, has recently released a news update via social media on X regarding "disappointing" changes made to the game, caused by the company's ongoing patent infringement dispute with Nintendo.

Pocketpair announced in its statement:

This isn't the first controversial change Palworld has had to implement as a result of this legal battle. A few months ago, when patch 0.3.11 launched, the game changed the animation of players catching and summoning Pal creatures via Pal Spheres to just a static animation.

However, patch 0.3.11 also introduced several UI bugs and AI behaviours that broke Palworld for a while. It was speculated that this animation was a result of the legal battle with Nintendo, but Pocketpair's most recent statement has apparently confirmed this to be true.

Being able to glide while riding your Pal is akin to using the Fly ability in the Pokémon games, so it's likely that Nintendo is forcing Palworld to remove this iconography as part of the legal dispute as well. Yet the actual flying mechanic in Palworld is seemingly unaffected by the change to gliding on Pals.

Pocketpair has been battling Nintendo for months now, with the latter securing US patents for its legal case. Pocketpair has fought back by challenging Nintendo's Patents using examples from Zelda, ARK: Survival, Tomb Raider, and more.

However, with this imposed gameplay change to Palworld, the popular Xbox Game Pass title has taken a blow to its creative identity as a casualty in this legal battle between Pocketpair and Nintendo.

Will Pocketpair be able to come out of this dispute and beat Nintendo, or will it fold and make more compromises to Palworld in order to stay in business?

Stay tuned for more information as it comes.

Hot news in the defense of Pocketpair just emerged in regards to the ongoing patent infringement dispute between the developer and Nintendo over popular Xbox Game Pass game, Palworld.

Thanks to the incredible investigative work of GamesFray, a platform specializing in gaming legal matters, we now have a detailed look at Pocketpair’s defenses in the Japan-specific patent infringement case, direct from the Tokyo District Court.

These findings shed light on Pocketpair’s strategy on countering Nintendo’s claims and could have significant ramifications for the gaming industry.

It's often argued that many of the patents Nintendo are going after Pocketpair for infringing are for game mechanics used in a plethora of other games, and this seems to be the exact tact that the Palworld developers are taking. We now have all the games so far named in the lawsuit, and some of them may surprise you.

Pocketpair’s argument involves the role of prior games

Pocketpair are challenging Nintendo’s patents by pointing to prior art — existing games and technologies that allegedly contain similar mechanics that Nintendo has not also challenged.

The argument here is that these patents should not have been granted to Nintendo in the first place, because the claimed mechanics were already in use.

Pocketpair references a wide range of games, including Craftopia (their own title), ARK: Survival Evolved, Rune Factory 5, and even Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda.

Mods like Pixelmon for Minecraft and Nukamon for Fallout 4 are also part of their defense, so even user-made mods have been listed in their defence.

Here's the full list of games stated in the case, as painstakingly listed by GamesFray.

• Craftopia, released by Pocketpair in 2021
• Pocket Souls (a Dark Souls 3 mod released in 2020)
• Ark: Survival Evolved, or ARK released by Studio Wildcard in 2017; partly in combination with a Pokémon mod
• The Legend of Zelda, published by Nintendo
• Pokémon Legends: Arceus, published by Nintendo
• Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, published by Nintendo
• Final Fantasy 14 published by Square Enix
• Tomb Raider originally created by Core Design
• Far Cry 5 published by Ubisoft
• Monster Super League, a mobile game by Smart Study Games
• Pixelmon mod for Minecraft
• Pikmin 3 Deluxe
• Rune Factory 5 by Marvelous
• Titanfall 2 by Electronic Arts
• Path of Exile by Grinding Gear Games
• Octopath Traveler by Square Enix
• Dragon Quest Builders by Square Enix
• Nexomon by VEWO Interactive
• NukaMon mod for Fallout 4
• Monster Hunter 4G/Ultimate by Capcom
• ArcheAge by XL Games
• Riders of Icarus by VALOFE

In addition to games, Pocketpair have also pointed out the Unity game engine as an example of prior art.

In the above list, Rune Factory 5, Titanfall 2 and Pikmin 3 Deluxe make it easy to see how a player character can perform an action to release a monster or a capture item (like a ball) and fire in a direction by releasing a button. Pikmin 3 Deluxe, Far Cry 5 and Tomb Raider already showed that there can be different types of throwable objects.

Games like Pocket Souls, Octopath Traveler, Monster Super League, and Final Fantasy XIV already show how players can target creatures and get an idea of their chances of capturing them.

Pocketpair argues that combining features from these games makes Nintendo’s patents seem less unique or inventive, which is a requirement under Japanese patent law.

They also point out that Pokémon games have used different success rates for capture items for over 30 years, making this idea far from new. Hey, it's old hat now right?

What is the Pocketpair vs Nintendo case all about?

Nintendo alleges that Palworld infringes on three of its patents related to gameplay mechanics, particularly in areas such as capturing creatures and the seamless transitioning between gameplay modes.

To remind you of what's in question here, it's:

• Patent No. 7545191 - This patent, owned by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, covers a mechanic for capturing creatures by throwing an object, such as a Poké Ball, in a virtual environment. It involves defining the aiming direction based on player input and determining capture success. Nintendo claims that Palworld’s creature capture system is too similar to this patented gameplay method.
• Patent No. 7493117 - This patent focuses on character movement and collision, specifically in scenarios involving character interactions and pathfinding. It also addresses a mechanic where players engage in battles by launching one creature at another. Nintendo alleges that Palworld’s mechanics around creature combat infringe on this patent.
• Patent No. 7528390 - This patent describes a dynamic mounting system for characters moving across land, air, and water, allowing seamless transitions between different types of terrain. Nintendo argues that Palworld’s use of a similar system for player-controlled creatures and mounts infringes on this patent as well.

Different genres, different mechanics at play

Pocketpair also argues in it's case, that Palworld does not directly infringe on Nintendo’s patents, even if they are deemed valid. So in relation to the following, these counterpoints have been made:

• Gameplay mechanics: Pocketpair contends that Palworld doesn’t rely on the same button operations or clear distinctions between combat and non-combat modes that Nintendo’s patents describe.
• Genre differences: While Nintendo’s Pokémon games are role-playing games with creature collection as a core mechanic, Palworld is primarily at heart a survival and crafting game.

For each patent in question, Pocketpair has provided a counter arguement referencing all the games listed here and how they use arguably similar mechanics.

The wider point here is that many games have inspired eachother since the dawn of video game creation, so if Nintendo are allowed to win this case, how will that impact creativity going forward?

This case will have wider ramifications outside of Palworld

This case centres on a critical issue in gaming: the balance between protecting true innovation within a developers own intellectual property, and balancing that to allow creative freedom.

Game development often builds on existing ideas, combining elements from past titles to create something new. Games like Binding of Isaac and Slay the Spire walked so Balatro could run for example.

I'm sure you could pick up any modern video game today and draw out many references to classics of the past.

If Nintendo’s patents are upheld, it could set a precedent that makes it harder for developers to innovate without risking legal action. While this case is ongoing in Japan only, there's also work happening behind the scenes by Nintendo to bring the case to American soil.

What’s happens next?

The Tokyo District Court are reviewing these arguments and will decide whether Nintendo’s patents are valid and if Pocketpair’s Palworld infringes on them.

GamesFray is following the case in incredible detail and providing impressive detail of each stage so I highly recommend you bookmark the website if you're remotely interested in this case. Florian Mueller behind the site has provided excellent commentary on previous gaming litigation cases, including the Microsoft and Activision Blizzard acquisition.

For now, Pocketpair has taken a firm stance, challenging both the validity of Nintendo’s patents and their applicability to Palworld.

But what do you think? Are you Team Nintendo or Team Pocketpair in this case?

Current gaming handheld prices in the U.S.

I'm specifically keeping an eye on Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, MSI Claw 8 AI+, and Nintendo Switch handhelds and how their current prices at U.S. retailers compare to their MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price).

These gaming handhelds are listed in alphabetical order.

Handheld prices updates

Since keeping track, I've already seen the MSI Claw 7 AI+ go up from $799 to $829 at Best Buy. It's also now listed as $899 at the MSI website.

Meanwhile, The Claw 8 AI+ has gone up $100 and now sells for $999.99 at the MSI website. It's very possible these increased prices will show up at other U.S. retailers in the coming days if the tariff situation doesn't change.

Additionally, the starting price of the Legion Go S (SteamOS) has also gone up by $50.

As of today, it looks like the starting ASUS ROG Ally Z1 (non-Extreme) no longer has a listing page at Best Buy. You can still purchase open box options at Best Buy, though.

Gaming handheld production locations

Many OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) have multiple production locations, sometimes in different countries around the world.

The following chart shows where the majority of production takes place for these devices, but there could be more locations other than what's listed.

By the way, imported gaming handhelds are typically classified under HS Code 95045000, as "video game consoles and machines. "

NOTE: On April 9, Trump announced a 90-day pause on most tariffs and lowered most countries' rates to 10%. However, China's 125% tariff was still in effect. The tariffs shown below are where the rates will be after the 90 days are up if nothing changes.

*The current tariff situation is very volatile and subject to change from day to day. I'll try to keep up with the latest tariffs as much as possible.

**There is a free trade agreement between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada (USMCA). However, products not covered by the agreement are affected by tariffs. Handhelds should be covered by USMCA.

What do tariffs do, anyway?

We're likely going to see significant price increases on electronics in the U.S. (including the best gaming handhelds) since the Trump Administration has greatly raised tariffs on over 70 countries, including the places where these devices are manufactured.

You can follow our live coverage of the "trade wars" for the latest on tariffs, PC, laptops, GPUs, and gaming.

But what is a tariff, anyway, and how does it affect you?

Every country has tariffs — basically a tax paid by companies importing goods into the country.

There are different tariff percentages for different products, and tariffs can also be different from one country to the next.

The higher the tariff, the more a company has to pay in order to import a product. A company will then have to figure out how to regain that tariff cost, otherwise it isn't worth it for the company to import the product.

For instance, companies could charge their customers more for imported goods, or companies could strategically swallow all or part of the tariff cost if they think they can make up the money in some other way (like with digital transactions for a gaming system).

If a company decides to have customers help pay for the tariff costs, then the price of a product goes up.

This being the case, gaming handheld prices in the U.S. will likely increase significantly due to the large tariffs on China, where most mainstream handhelds are produced.

Gaming handhelds and tariffs FAQ

Nintendo is delaying Nintendo Switch 2 preorders in the U.S, per a statement given to reporters on Friday.

According to Nintendo, preorders will no longer go live on April 9, 2025 as originally planned, as the company is assessing the current situation in the U.S. with tariffs placed on most other countries.

Nintendo has not changed the release date of the Nintendo Switch 2 for the U.S, which is still set for June 5, 2025.

Players should expect more hardware disruption, price increases, and all-around confusion for the forseeable future, as the Trump administration in the U.S. is sticking to a plan of placing heavy tariffs on countries like China and Vietnam where huge amounts of gaming consoles are manufactured.

As things stand right now, there's no reason to expect Xbox and PlayStation won't be similarly hit by tariffs.

That includes hardware like the upcoming Xbox-branded handheld from ASUS, which Windows Central previously reported on ahead of a recent tease from both companies.

Microsoft is also working on a fully in-house Xbox handheld, though this latter project is still years away.

Nintendo previously announced the Nintendo Switch 2 with a retail price of $449 in the U.S, alongside a $500 bundle that includes the otherwise-$80 Mario Kart World. We'll have to wait and see if these hardware options see price increases ahead of the system's launch.

Preorders for the Nintendo Switch 2 have not been affected for other countries.

Nintendo has strengthened its legal position against Palworld, securing two additional patents that could be used in a lawsuit against developer Pocketpair. With a total of four patents now in hand, a legal battle in the U.S. appears increasingly likely in the coming months.

According to Gamesfray,, a publication specializing in video game litigation, Nintendo has been actively acquiring patents that target Palworld’s mechanics. The company recently secured a third patent intended for use against the game, and a fourth is now on the verge of approval.

What patents did Nintendo already have in the US?

Nintendo was granted two patents before this latest development:

• On December 31, 2024, Nintendo was granted a patent (No. 12,179,111) by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This patent describes a system with two modes—one for aiming and throwing a capture item at a character, and another for battling using a previously captured character.
• On February 11, 2025, Nintendo got another patent (No. 12,220,638). This one expands on the capturing system, adding elements like an aiming mechanism, a success-rate indicator, and the action of launching an item to catch a character.

Both patents target specific gameplay mechanics that resemble elements of Palworld. However, Pocketpair seemingly anticipated these patents and modified Palworld in update v.0.3.11, which briefly caused major issues (for example, my Chillet no longer spawned underground).

Since these mechanics were changed, these two patents may not be as effective in a lawsuit as Nintendo had hoped.

What are the two new patents Nintendo just acquired?

On March 11, the USPTO granted Nintendo U.S. Patent No. 12,246,255 regarding the "smooth switching of riding objects in a game." However they also had a whopping 22 out of 23 claims rejected.

Nintendo requested a meeting with the USPTO regarding the patent 18/652,883 , which similarly deals with the switching of rideable object.

Following some modified claims again reported and downloadable via GamesFray, these changes were accepted, meaning the patent is now on track to be fully granted.

How did Nintendo get the fourth patent through the USPTO?

As mentioned, both of these patents address the same game mechanic, but in the US you cannot get two patents for the same invention.

By submitting this disclaimer, Nintendo agreed to:

• Link the new patent (18/652,883) to the existing one (12,246,255) to prevent them from being sold separately or used unfairly in lawsuits.
• Limit the duration of the new patent so it won’t last longer than the first one.

Though the patent isn’t fully granted yet, the USPTO’s website now lists it as “Allowed — Notice of Allowance Not Yet Mailed” (as of April 1, 2025).

What happens next?

Gamesfray believe this means Nintendo’s U.S. lawsuit against Pocketpair could begin "as early as late spring or summer 2025." Once the new patent is officially published in the USPTO’s patent register, Nintendo will have four patents to potentially use against Palworld.

Whether Nintendo will proceed with legal action or reconsider remains to be seen. But for now, all signs point toward an impending courtroom battle.

In case you slept in today, Nintendo held a Nintendo Direct presentation dedicated to the extremely long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2. In addition to revealing technical specifications, Nintendo revealed a bunch of games, such as the open world-esque Mario Kart World.

After the presentation, details on pricing began to come out, including the news that a copy of Mario Kart World will cost an eyebrow-raising $80 USD.

This is a first for the gaming industry in the U.S, which has previously hemmed and hawed for years before settling on $70 as the standard price for major new releases, such as PlayStation's Marvel's Spider-Man 2 or Activision's Call of Duty series.

It's worth noting that not all new Nintendo first-party games will cost $80, as Donkey Kong Bananza, a 3D platformer with an emphasis on physics and environmental destruction, was announced with a $70 retail price.

It's also important to keep in mind that there's some variance here. Prices for Nintendo Switch games in other countries consistently show the digital versions being cheaper, so it's entirely possible that pans out for the U.S. as well.

Finally, I'd be remiss not to point out that publishers have been encouraging players to spend more on higher tiers of games for a while, embracing a trend where "Premium Editions" launch first, with a couple of days of early access before the game's general launch.

Even so, there's no two ways about it: This is the first "standard edition" of a game that's launched at this price, but it won't be the last.

Other publishers are going to be watching closely, and I wouldn't be surprised if we start seeing other flagship games push an $80 price tag at launch, regardless of whether or not there's a discount on the digital version.

For Xbox players, this could mean the value of Xbox Game Pass is going to go up in the near future, though it's hard for me to imagine that the service wouldn't also see a price hike in the event it starts receiving multiple $80 games.

All of this is also made worse by the U.S. continuing to play footsie with tariff planning across the globe, and the sudden start-stop nature of these plans will wreak havok on supply chains.

By no means will this be everybody or all games at the top, but I'd keep an eye out. I doubt we'll see everybody jump on board immediately, but Grand Theft Auto 6, Marvel's Wolverine, and Perfect Dark? Don't be shocked when those games cost more than what you're already used to paying.

Unnannounced upcoming Hogwarts Legacy DLC has been canceled, according to a report from Jason Schreier at Bloomberg.

Schreier indicates that a definitive edition of Hogwarts Legacy, which would've been available as an expansion for existing players, has been canceled as part of the ongoing reorganization at WB Games.

This DLC would've included new quests for players to complete in the Wizarding World, including content that was cut from the original game, while the DLC was being co-developed by Hogwarts Legacy lead developer Avalanche Software and Suicide Squad developer Rocksteady Studios.

According to Bloomberg, this DLC was slated to launch at some point later in 2025, but was canceled partially over concerns that it wasn't going to be enough for the price that would be charged. Development is continuing on a sequel to Hogwarts Legacy, though little else is known and the game is still fairly early in development overall.

WB Games faces significant challenges

This continues a recent series of games and studios being shuttered at WB Games, which recently saw the closure of three studios including Monolith Productions, as well as the cancelation of Monolith's upcoming Wonder Woman game.

When these studios were shuttered, Warner Bros. stated at the time it was focusing more on its biggest franchises, including DC, Game of Thrones, and Harry Potter, with Schreier later noting that internally, Warner Bros. is primarily referring to Batman when discussing games based on DC heroes.

Rocksteady Studios is now early in development on a new Batman Arkham game, but the title is years away from completion.

Hogwarts Legacy first launched in 2023, and has gone on to become one of the most successful games of all time, selling over 34 million copies so far and regularly appearing in the Circana charts for the best-selling games in the U.S. month-to-month.

There's plenty of games launching in 2025, and several upcoming titles were shown off during today's Nintendo Direct presentation. While the showcase was naturally focused on the games like Metroid Prime 4 that are coming to Nintendo Switch, some of these titles are also headed over to Xbox and PC platforms.

I've rounded up the relevant games below. Here are all the PC and Xbox games featured in the Nintendo Direct March 2025 show:

Where to watch the Nintendo Direct

The latest Nintendo Direct presentation aired on Thursday, March 27, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. ET. The show ran for just over 30 minutes, giving a look at several first-party and third-party Nintendo games in the first Nintendo Direct of the year, though there was a dedicated Pokémon Presents earlier in 2025.

If you missed the show, you can find the full recording in the YouTube video above.

All PC and Xbox games shown during the Nintendo Direct

You'll find details below on all the games coming to Xbox and PC that were featured in the Nintendo Direct showcase.

Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D remake is still coming later this year

While there's still no release date, we got a new look at gameplay from the upcoming Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D remake, which is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch later in 2025.

Raidou returns with the Mystery of the Soulless Army

Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army is a remaster of the original PlayStation 2 game that first launched back in 2006.

With extensive improvements to the graphics and gameplay, players on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch can look forward to Raidou's return on June 19, 2025.

A gritty Pac-Man title is releasing this summer

First shown during the Game Awards 2024, Shadow Labyrinth is a dark, edgy reimagining of Pac-Man, and it's slated to arrive on July 18, 2025 across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.

Disney Villains Cursed Cafe is exactly what it sounds like

Serve as the Potionista for some of Disney's most iconic villains in Disney Villains Cursed Cafe. You don't have to wait long, as it's launching later today on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.

Witchbrook is a cute magical adventure

This first look at the long-awaited Witchbrook shows off a game where players can spend time together studying magic in a whimsical school. Witchbrook is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and Nintendo Switch in Winter 2025, and it'll also be available day one on Xbox Game Pass.

An extended look at the The Eternal Life of Goldman

The Eternal Life of Goldman is a platformer with hand-drawn animation. There's no release date, but we know that it's coming to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.

Gradius Origins brings together classic shmups

Gradius Origins is a collection of several classic Shoot Em' Up games, or shmups. This collection is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch on Aug. 27, 2025.

This new game from Level-5 is launching in May

We already knew that FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time was coming to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch on May 21, but we got to see a bit more of the game during this Nintendo Direct.

Monument Valley comes to new platforms

The Monument Valley games are classic mobile puzzle titles, and all three games are coming to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion arrives Holiday 2025

Dotemu, Tribute Games, and Marvel have teamed up for Marvel Cosmic Invasion, a classic-style beat-em-up that emphasizes co-op play between classic characters like Spider-Man, Storm, and Wolverine.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion is slated to launch across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch at some point in Holiday 2025.

I personally wrote our AYANEO Flip DS review and appreciate that its dual-screen design stands out from the sea of single-display handhelds.

It might be a bit niche, but I really enjoy being able to have two windows up and running at the same time.

I've even been able to have Netflix running on the bottom screen while playing a game on the top screen. It's kind of ridiculous but awesome.

As such, I'm happy that this handheld line isn't actually getting discontinued like the original AYANEO post made it sound like.

If you don't already have the Flip KB or Flip DS and are interested in getting one, it looks like you'll be able to put an order in for one sometime in the future.

The original article continues as follows:

Today, gaming handheld company AYANEO announced that it is no longer producing the Nintendo DS-like AYANEO Flip DS with its dual-screen design and the Flip KB with its full keyboard.

An official announcement on the AYANEO Flip Indiegogo page reads:

"After careful consideration and evaluation of our product roadmap and strategic priorities, we regret to announce that **there are currently no immediate plans to proceed with the production of the AYANEO FLIP**. This decision was not made lightly, but we believe it is necessary to ensure we focus on delivering exceptional experiences through our existing and upcoming product lines."

This is surprising given that the Windows 11-toting Flip DS line was successfully crowdfunded on Indiegogo last year, pulling in $867,542 from backers.

As such, if you backed the Flip DS and haven't received your handheld yet, you will not be receiving one.

I personally did our AYANEO Flip DS review and gave it four out of five stars while pointing out its many perks and a couple of tradeoffs.

It offered unique features that I haven't seen in any other handheld, so it's sad to see that production has stopped.

The company goes on to say:

"We understand this news may come as a disappointment, and we take full responsibility for any frustration caused. Our team is committed to supporting every backer through this transition. While the FLIP project is paused indefinitely, we remain dedicated to pushing boundaries in handheld gaming technology, and your feedback will continue to shape our future endeavors."

My first thought upon hearing that the Flip DS and Flip KB are not longer getting produced made me wonder if AYANEO was in trouble.

However, the fact that the company will use feedback to "continue to shape our future endeavors" indicates that AYANEO is still planning to release additional devices.

AYANEO Flip refund options

AYANEO is giving full refunds for Flip backers who have not received their handhelds.

Alternatively, unfulfilled backers can request a product exchange "to any equivalent AYANEO product currently available (price differences, if applicable, will be settled accordingly)."

To start this refund process, you'll want to email service@ayaneo.com within 30 days.

When I sent a message to this email, I got an immediate reply that told me, "If you did not receive a response from customer service after 3 days or your email is being rejected by our email server, message us through the Live chat on our website."

As such, if you are one of the backers requesting a refund, make sure to check your email and use the Livechat feature if you don't get a personal email response in the next few days. Otherwise, you might not get your refund.

It seems that there are no refund or exchange options available for backers who already received a Flip handheld.

But why is AYANEO Flip production halting?

I'm dying of curiosity to understand why AYANEO decided to indefinitely pause Flip DS and Flip KB production.

After all, the Flip Indiegogo campaign pulled in hundreds of thousands of dollars, so it's not like it wasn't successful.

If anything, this makes me wonder if there was a production issue, design flaw, or legal problem that the company ran into.

If you're familiar with AYANEO, then you know that this company historically busts out several handhelds every year. I wonder if this is the problem.

Perhaps the company spread its production too thin by offering too many models.

Offering a clamshell-design handheld with a dual-screen or keyboard is more niche than the usual handheld designs seen in the Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, ROG Ally, and Legion Go.

Maybe the company just decided there wasn't enough demand to justify keeping this handheld line in production.

Alternatively, maybe the handheld was too costly production-wise and led to a lower ROI than other AYANEO devices.

I'll keep an eye out and will update this page If we learn more about why AYANEO decided to stop producing the Flip DS and Flip KB.

Nintendo’s ongoing patent infringement lawsuit against Pocketpair, creators of Palworld, has primarily been confined to Japan so far, where they’re seeking over $66,000 in damages for three patent claims. But could this legal battle soon extend to the US? Recent developments suggest that Nintendo may be preparing for a similar fight on American soil.

It appears that Nintendo will have a much harder fight on its hands in the US though, with GamesFray reporting that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) overwhelmingly rejected 22 out of 23 of Nintendo's patent claims.

What’s happening with Nintendo’s case in the US?

While there isn’t an active lawsuit in the US just yet, Nintendo is making moves that indicate they might be laying the groundwork for future litigation. Specifically, Nintendo has been working to expand its patent portfolio in the United States, building a legal foundation that could support a future case, much like the one currently underway for patents in Japan.

One patent that has been successfully given to Nintendo is U.S. Patent No. 12,179,111 which covers the process of aiming and capturing characters. This was filed for after Palworld's launch but in patent law, companies often build "patent families" where later patents are connected to earlier filings. It's legal but isn't a good look.

In December, prior to Palworld's huge Feybreak DLC which saw the game hit concurrent highs of 200k players, the game was updated to amend these capture mechanics possibly in direct response to this patent infringement suit. The update in question caused a bunch of bugs and many blamed Nintendo for pushing Pocketpair to a quick fix.

Recent patent successes for Nintendo in the US

On February 11, GamesFray reported that Nintendo has been awarded another patent in the US. This patent is so new that it doesn't yet appear on Google Patents, but the site found it was filed on July 18, 2024. This patent covers methods of capturing characters, including aiming points, indications of the likelihood of successfully capturing a virtual character, and how to display the captured character and another virtual character starting to fight. Sound familiar?

Additionally, an attorney representing Nintendo has called a meeting with the U.S. patent examiner to discuss a patent application related to the "smooth switching of riding objects in a game." The USPTO is willing to grant only one out of 23 claims from this application if Nintendo drops the other 22 claims. Nintendo may have requested this meeting to persuade the examiner to grant more claims or to agree to separate the allowable claim from the others to get it approved more quickly.

In simple terms, all of this action shows that Nintendo is trying to strengthen their patent portfolio by negotiating with the patent office to get more of their ideas officially recognized and protected. Florian Mueller, a prominent legal expert and owner of GamesFray, has closely followed the case and commented on the challenges Nintendo faces in the US. "They're clearly trying to get there, but it looks more difficult than they might have thought at the outset." he said "For example, the fact that the USPTO is prepared to grant only one out of 23 claims of one of those patents is a setback for Nintendo. But they are fighting."

Could this lead to legal action in the US?

Though the US patent battle has yet to fully unfold, these filings suggest Nintendo is committed to ensuring that its intellectual property is protected. While the request for 66K in damages isn't a huge amount by Nintendo standards, if successful, this could have broad implications for the gaming industry, something I've discussed before in 'Why we should be concerned about Palworld's lawsuit."

The case in Japan if successful could set a worrying precedent for patent disputes involving game mechanics. Such cases might affect not only Palworld but potentially other games using similar systems, or stifling creativity in future game development. Afterall, how many other games have taken similar systems from one another to improve upon and push the gaming industry forward?

While E3 is still dead, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has a new gaming conference on the way, as shared on Thursday. Titled the Interactive Innovation Conference (iicon), this gathering is being geared toward "visionaries, thought leaders and innovators" in order to "harness the power of interactive entertainment."

iicon is being held from April 27 through April 30 in 2026 at Fontainebleau Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada in the U.S. There's a long list of big names across the gaming industry that are already confirmed to attend, including Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Take-Two Interactive, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and more.

“At Xbox, our mission is to bring the joy of gaming to players anywhere they want, while creating opportunities for the amazing creators behind them,” said Sarah Bond, president of Xbox. “We appreciate the ESA establishing iicon as a platform to deepen connections among executives and thought leaders from within gaming, and from a wide range of partner industries. Together, we will collaborate, invent and create – and together we will all grow.”

Per the press release, attendees will be taking part in workshops and keynotes with "elite networking opportunities." The conference is not open for registration, and attendees will be selected on an invite-only basis.

E3 remains long gone

While the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) was originally put together as a show focused on developers, publishers, and retailers, it opened up more and more as time went on. Many gaming companies held press conferences in conjunction with the event, revealing details on upcoming games and hardware just as much for fans as for the rest of the industry.

In the twilight years of E3, more and more publishers pulled out, choosing instead to hold their own events at their own pace in digital-only showcases like PlayStation's State of Play. The weakening of E3 also gave rise to a slate of shows hosted by Geoff Keighley, host of the Game Awards. Keighley organized Summer Game Fest, a presentation with a limited industry gathering, as a quasi-replacement for E3.

It's interesting to see the ESA again putting its weight behind a conference, but at least for now, iicon is clearly not meant to replace E3. Instead, this is a networking opportunity for executives. Truthfully, I'm not sure that was really needed, given the existence of game development industry gatherings at GDC and D.I.C.E that already allow for networking, but I'm not the target audience.

It's been such a year, and it's only January.

A couple of weeks into 2025 and nominally refreshed from my time away over the holidays, I want to take a look at gaming trends and possible stories that I'm expecting to see dominate 2025. I recently wrote about the most important gaming trends and stories in 2024, so you can think of this as something of a sequel to that piece.

From the impending arrival of one of the biggest games of all time, to new gaming hardware finally popping up, there's a lot to be curious, cautious, and excited about all at once. We'll see about revisiting this at the end of the year and seeing how I did, but for now, let's dive in.

5. The black hole games continue, but GTA 6 provides possible opportunities

I've previously talked about the problem of "black hole" games, titles that are evergreen or yearly (sometimes both). These titles include the likes of Call of Duty, Fortnite, and more, taking up a significant chunk of the time and money people are spending on games. This year, there's one heck of a shuffle coming that could shake things up.

Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive's Grand Theft Auto 6 is primed to be one of the biggest games of the year when it launches across Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 at some point this fall. If any game has a chance of pulling people away and getting them to spend time on something else and keep spending that time elsewhere, it's Grand Theft Auto 6.

Of course, there are a couple of huge asterisks attached to this. Will Grand Theft Auto 6 include any kind of online component at launch? If not, how long will it take to arrive? Most important of all, will the game actually release this year?

4. More generative AI rumblings with little payoff

Talk of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere right now, and I don't think we're escaping it in 2025. With companies openly exploring how to implement AI with user generated content, or figuring out what generative AI can do in narrative design, there's far more to come.

I'm expecting a lot of companies to make big claims about how they'll alter the gaming landscape and change game design forever, but with little to actually show for everything they're talking about, at least for this year.

3. PC gaming handhelds continue evolving, but all fall behind the Nintendo Switch 2

Fresh off of CES 2025, it's clear there are plenty of exciting new gaming handhelds on the way, with the Windows Central team particularly excited about what the Lenovo Legion Go S will bring, especially since the device will be available with a variant using SteamOS.

All of that is cool, and I'm really interested in seeing how well they'll all do. When it comes to the best-selling devices of the year, however, they're all going to need to take a huge step back. Nintendo has finally announced the Nintendo Switch 2, its long-awaited successor that seems to pack a slightly larger design and more powerful hardware.

The Nintendo Switch 2 should sell extremely well in its first year, no matter when it launches, and the only limiting factor will be how many of the consoles the company can manufacture.

Speaking of Nintendo's new hardware...

2. Xbox supercharges support for the Nintendo Switch 2

Many different publishers will have ports of their games ready for the Nintendo Switch 2, but I'm not sure any will be as eager as Xbox.

I'm fully predicting Xbox to bring every possible game to Nintendo's newest device, hitting the ground running to get people buying their games on a new platform. Rumors currently swirl of ports for games like Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and I'm also firmly expecting to see Rare's pirate adventure Sea of Thieves arrive on Nintendo's new machine.

The exact scale of the ports will depend on what kind of hardware the Nintendo Switch 2 is packing. Will it be enough to get games like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle or DOOM: The Dark Ages running? We don't know right now, but if it can be done, I expect Xbox to give the green light to ports as fast as possible.

While we're talking about ports...

1. PlayStation further dips its toes into multiplatform waters

Sony has been infinitely more cautious than Microsoft in bringing its games anywhere outside of its own console, but the times are changing, and I expect we'll see further slips later this year.

Make no mistake, it won't be anywhere remotely near the volume or cadence of what Xbox is doing, but there will be a tactical shift. While Sony currently opts to wait before bringing its single-player PlayStation Studios games to PC, the average time between ports is decreasing.

The firm also brought LEGO Horizon Adventures to Nintendo Switch last year, and it's not impossible (dare I say likely?) that the game could be ported to Xbox consoles later this year. Who knows, even something like Helldivers 2 coming to Xbox alongside a Halo: ODST crossover event doesn't seem quite so impossible anymore.

It's a new year for Xbox, and that means new games.

Just earlier this week, Microsoft revealed that its upcoming Developer_Direct stream will showcase DOOM: The Dark Ages, South of Midnight, and a mysterious fourth game that has yet to be revealed. On January 23rd, we'll catch a glimpse of what Microsoft is planning to offer its Xbox platform gamers throughout the year, which also boasts Avowed, The Outer Worlds 2, and Fable, if none end up delayed, at least.

Indeed, this year should prove to be something of a blockbuster for Microsoft, with more game launches in a single calendar year than they've ever had previously. We should also see a new Call of Duty later in the year, as well as other surprises both from first and third party publishers across Xbox and PC.

As is well-known by now, Microsoft is also making an effort to put its Xbox games onto other platforms. Today, credible tipster NateTheHate shared some rumors on his podcast (via Knoebel) for games we can expect to see hit PlayStation 5 and the unannounced Nintendo Switch 2 later this year. For Xbox fans, NateTheHate suggested that Final Fantasy 7 Remake is hitting Xbox in 2025, with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth aiming for 2026. According to Mr. Hate, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, and Halo: The Master Chief Collection are both slated for the multiplatform treatment, with each game launching on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2. I can corroborate independently with our own sources that all of the above is most likely true. It seems that Microsoft isn't stopping there, though.

As previously noted by Xbox CEO Phil Spencer, there are no "red lines" when it comes to the games Microsoft aims to bring to other platforms. I noted in an analysis late last year that any Xbox game that is capable of making a good return on investment from going multiplatform absolutely will do so. To that end, I've heard that in addition to the above Hellblade 2, Age of Mythology, and potentially Gears of War 1 Ultimate Edition are all also slated for PlayStation 5 this year too, although I'm unsure if that includes the Nintendo Switch 2. I would expect that it most likely does, if I had to guess that part.

If all of this is true — and always take rumors with a pinch of salt, as plans can change — Microsoft will probably make more money from content this year than it ever has. Microsoft has a vast mountain of first-party content in development, with further unannounced titles for 2025 slated for the Xbox Showcase which typically airs in June. The majority of Xbox's upcoming games slate, if not all of it, will at least be timed exclusive to Xbox and Windows. For most games, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch versions will either be ready to go on launch day or some months after the fact. The studios building these games will enjoy the sorts of income and investment that will help them get to the next level.

What remains to be seen is how Xbox hardware can survive no longer having exclusive games as a selling point. Xbox's unique features like Xbox Game Pass have so far not proven to be the system-seller Microsoft might have hoped for. You could argue that competition from free-to-play games and other non-gaming time sinks have reduced many people's need to own "hundreds" of games that make up the service. Microsoft has sought to offer perks like blanket access to characters in games like Valorant and League of Legends to give value even for free-to-play service game players, but I'd argue it doesn't go far enough to entice that cohort.

RELATED: Inside the risky strategy that will define Xbox's next decade

Without exclusive games, it's easy to argue that the reasons to own an Xbox console have become diminished. Xbox Cloud Gaming may be a saving grace, though, as the service recently hit new milestones according to our sources. Xbox Cloud Gaming shares a development environment with Xbox consoles after all. As the service grows, more and more developers will be able to offer content directly on devices like TVs and low-power laptops. "Buy to own" cloud games will potentially keep Xbox relevant enough to keep developers interested, even if retail console sales continue to flag.

With Microsoft's next-gen consoles currently in development, Xbox's future as a content provider has never been stronger. Big questions remain over its long-term mileage as a platform holder, though. Questions Xbox may be unable to answer.

Google Trends is a handy tool for checking popular search terms around the world, and Google has just revealed the most searched games of 2024 in its Year in Search—a summary following the trend of Spotify Wrapped and Xbox Year in Review. The list features some predictable entries and a few surprises. My biggest shock? Palworld landing at number two. And as if that wasn't enough to irk Nintendo, we also have another contender, PokéRogue, sneaking into the end of the chart. But which game claimed the top spot? Here's a rundown of the games the world was 'Googling' in 2024, and to not keep you in suspense, I'm starting from number one.

1. Connections

Following the viral sensation that was Wordle in 2021 (which is still going strong with daily Wordle solutions over at our friends at Tom's Guide), the New York Times' Connections takes the top spot on the list. While it’s not a video game, it’s still a game—one where you group items that share a common theme. And of course, everyone is searching for the answers instead of solving it themselves. Google has officially exposed all of you cheaters!

2. Palworld

Globally, Palworld is the second most searched game and the top video game on the list (it hit No. 4 on the U.S.-specific list). The game took the gaming community by storm in January this year when it launched in Early Access, becoming the biggest third-party Xbox Game Pass launch ever. I'm sure its Google ranking is purely due to people searching for guides like "Palworld how to get Pal fluids" or "best locations for a base in Palworld", and absolutely not for anything like "Palworld Lovander lewds".

In all seriousness, the popularity of the game is well-deserved. Pocketpair has continued updating it, with a Terraria collaboration on the horizon and a new island set to debut—six times the size of the earlier Sakurajima update.

Many were likely also searching for news on Nintendo’s lawsuit against Pocketpair, the creators of Palworld, for patent infringement. As the world puzzled over what the patents in question Palworld is supposedly infringing upon, this likely contributed significantly to its search traffic.

3. Infinite Craft

Infinite Craft sounds like a Minecraft Marketplace mod, but it’s a game in its own right. You combine words, and it uses AI to create a new word from those words… which you can then use to combine with other words to make even more words, and so on. Okay, you get the point.

You start with four elemental words—Water, Fire, Earth, and Wind—which you combine to create new items. It’s a surprisingly addictive loop of endless entertainment and has become a surprisingly watchable streamer game.

4. Sprunki

Sprunki is described as a "unique and interactive music creation game," which… doesn’t really tell me much. Naturally, I had to check it out for myself—or, more accurately, watch Markiplier play it—and I can confirm that if I show this game to my kid, my life is over.

The gameplay involves dragging and dropping items onto the "Sprunki" characters to create sounds and compile your own music track. But weirdly there's actual lore and even a horror mode. Yep, I can see why this game went viral.

5. Helldivers 2

Phew! Back to some video games. Helldivers 2 was the first PlayStation game to launch day and date on PC back in February, a gamble that worked well for Sony, breaking concurrent player records and hitting to over 12 million copies sold in 3 months. We'd like to think an Xbox release of Helldivers 2 is possible in the future, but developers Arrowhead have publically placed the ball in Sony's court on that one.

6. Wuthering Waves

Snagging a nomination for Best Mobile Game at The Game Awards, Wuthering Waves is a story-driven, gacha RPG live-service game. It ticks all the right boxes for success and bears a striking resemblance to the hack-and-slash combat of Genshin Impact—but with some key differences. These include a unique parry-and-dodge system, added mobility with wall-running and grappling hooks, and a smaller, more compact world.

The game also gained significant attention thanks to streamer coverage from the likes of Asmongold.

7. Black Myth: Wukong

Winner of the Golden Joystick 2024 Ultimate Game of the Year and a nominee for Game of the Year at The Game Awards, Black Myth: Wukong was a massively popular title this year—but not without controversy. Its Xbox launch was delayed, and while it has sold over 10 million copies on PC and PlayStation, alleged Xbox optimization issues—or what some speculate is a PlayStation exclusivity deal—have left Xbox players waiting.

The game's stunning visuals, set against a backdrop of Chinese mythology, have captivated gamers worldwide, sparking countless Google searches for guides like how to beat the Black Wind King.

8. Strands

Strands actually took 2nd place on the list if we narrow it down to US only, and is another entry of online games from the New York Times. Your shown a word search grid, given a category and asked to find words in that category on the grid. Simple enough, but not so simple that the world wasn't just going to Google for the answers!

9. Brawl Stars

Brawl Stars is another mobile game on the list from the same creators of Clash of Clans and Clash Royale, which you will have seen in a multitude of YouTube sponsorship segments even if you've never played. The game has fast-paced 3v3 and 5v5 battle modes and a Battle Royale for players to burn their mobile batteries on, and while it's not a new game (it launched in 2018), it's still incredibly popular with mobile gamers.

10.PokéRogue

I promised you another game that would make the Nintendo lawyers seethe, and following Palworld in popularity, PokéRogue closes out the list at No. 10. As you can probably guess by the name, PokéRogue is a roguelike adventure game that combines 'elements' of Pokémon with roguelike mechanics. And by combine, I mean it looks exactly like a Pokémon game.

Developed by Pokémon fans, the game allows you to build different teams of Pokémon depending on the challenges you face. It doesn’t require any fancy emulators and is browser-based, which contributed to its viral status and over 50,000 daily active players. As for why Nintendo has targeted Palworld and not PokéRogue specifically remains a mystery, but both games successfully take the 'pocket monster' genre to new heights in their own ways.

Honorable mentions

You can use the Google Trends tool to break down results by country, so while I've summarized the Global top 10 above, you can also see what the US top 10 was which has many similar titles but manages to see Dragon's Dogma 2 in at place 8 (no doubt due to it's ambiguous and cryptic quest chains requiring a lot of Google searching) and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 at no.10.

Some common themes

What stood out to me in this top 10 is the sheer number of browser-based games that gained popularity in the search results this year. Many of them, especially puzzle-based ones, make sense given their accessibility. It’s a reminder that free browser games are still as popular as they were when I was a teenager, sitting in my bedroom playing Inklink on Shockwave (IYKYK). You don’t need to own a $300 console to be a gamer (in fact, as we know, everything is an Xbox). But perhaps the biggest takeaway is that some of the most popular games are also the simplest. I’m already addicted to Infinite Craft and about to dive into more of that myself!

What you need to know

• Palworld just dropped version 0.3.11 which changes the behavior of player-owned pals and UI changes to the reticle.
• The update has caused some game-breaking bugs with Pals and players are unhappy, trying to roll back their game.
• Many are blaming the ongoing Nintendo patent infringement case for this hasty update.

Palworld's latest update is proving to be a controversial one,. Version 0.3.11 just rolled out for Xbox and PC, and has caused Pal-breaking issues that has inadvertently disrupted gameplay and left the community frustrated and scrambling to roll back their games to a previous version. Reddit and Discord are awash with threads on how to "downgrade your game."

As a result of this update, many are pointing fingers at Nintendo, blaming the legal battles for this latest move as it's all to do with how the Pals are deployed in the field.

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What is Palworld version 0.3.11 and why are people mad?

The patch notes for 0.3.11 are simple:

▼Player ・Changed the behaviour of summoning player-owned Pals so that they are always summoned near the player

▼UI ・The reticle will now only be displayed when aiming

Two little lines that have made a huge difference to how the game plays. Right now you can no longer throw a pal to a position of your choosing in your game, they spawn right next to you which is causing a bunch of issues with terrain.

The update today.. from r/Palworld

In fact I was able to recreate the issue myself on my first attempt, logging into the game after the update I hit LB to summon my trusty Chillet — who unfortunately found himself stuck in a rock.

The update announcement alone has been met with a swarm of choice emojis over on Discord, and it's clear players are unhappy with the change. Some even posting tutorials on how to roll the update back.

Why have Palworld implemented this change?

Not being able to 'throw' your pals into battle is a huge downgrade, though as many have already deduced, it's probably only a temporary measure placed until Pocketpair come up with a more elegant solution. As many are already aware, Pocketpair are being sued by Nintendo for patent infringement and have already lamented at the fact they will need to "allocate significant time to matters unrelated to game development due to this lawsuit."

ould this update be a direct safeguard against the patents Palworld is being accused of infringing? For example patent no.7493117 refers specifically to how players engage in launching one creature at another, and thanks to this unpopular update, we are no longer aiming and launching our Pals. Many players seem to agree this is the cause with many threads in support of Palworld imploring the community to not raise their flaming torches against Pocketpair over what is a temporary fix. "They want to bully Palworld out of business and this is just one of those steps, but don't let it happen keep supporting this game and I am sure we will get a reworked system in time."

How to roll back the Palworld update

If like some others, you aren't happy with patch 0.3.11 and want to roll back to happier times when you could throw your Pals with abandon, then there is already a solution at least for Steam players.

1. Press Win + R on your keyboard.
2. Copy and paste this into the Run box and press Enter
   steam://open/console
3. In the Steam console, paste the following command and press Enter:
   download_depot 1623730 1623731 8851472711009350092
4. The download might take some time as it’s downloading the entire game again.
5. Once the download is complete, locate the folder (usually): Steam Folder > steamapps > content > app_1623730 > depot_1623731
6. Drag and drop the downloaded files into your game folder.
7. Go to your game’s properties in Steam and disable automatic updates to avoid it updating again.
8. Play the game with the previous version and enjoy!

Some good news for Palworld, an upcoming collaboration and huge new map

Nintendo woes aside, it's not all doom and gloom in the Palworld sphere, as it's recently made not one but two huge new announcements for the future of the game. Firstly, this month we're getting the "largest, harshest and most mysterious new island" in Palworld, which developers have said will be six times the size of Sakurajima. The update will bring new species of Pals and new tower bosses.

In addition to this, 2025 brings even more exciting updates, with a teased Terraria collaboration on the horizon. We don't know anything more on this other than the issued teaser artwork, but it's clear the developers are pressing on with some huge updates for the community.

If you want to check out Palworld yourself, theres also 25% off right now on Steam.

What you need to know

• Pocketpair, the developers of Palworld, are being sued by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company for patent infringement.
• Since the lawsuit was filed in September, Pocketpair stated they were not aware of what they were being sued for, and many speculated if it was the throw and catch mechanic.
• Today Pocketpair have confirmed the 3 patents Nintendo are trying to protect, and they were filed after the games launch on January 19, 2024. Nintendo is seeking 5 million yen plus late payment damages to both them and the Pokemon Company for these infringements.
• The 3 patents are the creature capture mechanic, creature combat and movement mechanic and the dynamic mounting system.

In the weeks since Nintendo announced its lawsuit against Pocketpair for alleged copyright infringement in the popular Xbox Game Pass game Palworld, the industry has been buzzing with speculation over the specific patents involved. With confirmation that the case doesn't pertain to character designs, many have wondered what Nintendo is really targeting. Today, Pocketpair released a statement detailing the exact mechanics that Nintendo claims infringe on its patents. Notably, these patents were filed only after Palworld’s release on January 19. Nintendo is seeking 5 million yen plus late payment damages to both them and the Pokemon Company for these infringements, so 10 million in total which is equivalent to $65,548 US dollars.

The statement reads:

"Report on Patent Infringement Lawsuit

As announced on September 19, 2024, The Pokémon Company and Nintendo Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the "Plaintiffs") have filed a patent infringement lawsuit against us. We have received inquiries from various media outlets regarding the status of the lawsuit, and we would like to report the details and current status of this case as follows:

1: Details of the Lawsuit
The Plaintiffs claim that "Palworld," released by us on January 19, 2024, infringes upon the following three patents held by the Plaintiffs, and are seeking an injunction against the game and compensation for a portion of the damages incurred between the date of registration of the patents and the date of filing of this lawsuit.

2: Target Patents
Patent No. 7545191
[Patent application date: July 30, 2024]
[Patent registration date: August 27, 2024]

Patent No. 7493117
[Patent application date: February 26, 2024]
[Patent registration date: May 22, 2024]

Patent No. 7528390
[Patent application date: March 5, 2024]
[Patent registration date: July 26, 2024]

3: Summary of the Claim
An injunction against Palworld
Payment of 5 million yen plus late payment damages to The Pokémon Company
Payment of 5 million yen plus late payment damages to Nintendo Co., Ltd.

We will continue to assert our position in this case through future legal proceedings.

Please note that we will refrain from responding individually to inquiries regarding this case. If any matters arise that require public notice, we will announce them on our website, etc."

So 3 patents in total, here's what they are and why Nintendo can do this

Here’s the full breakdown of the patents in question as stated and links to where you can read them in full:

• Patent No. 7545191: This patent, owned by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, covers a mechanic for capturing creatures by throwing an object, such as a Poké Ball, in a virtual environment. It involves defining the aiming direction based on player input and determining capture success. Nintendo claims that Palworld’s creature capture system is too similar to this patented gameplay method.
• Patent No. 7493117: This patent focuses on character movement and collision, specifically in scenarios involving character interactions and pathfinding. It also addresses a mechanic where players engage in battles by launching one creature at another. Nintendo alleges that Palworld’s mechanics around creature combat infringe on this patent.
• Patent No. 7528390: This patent describes a dynamic mounting system for characters moving across land, air, and water, allowing seamless transitions between different types of terrain. Nintendo argues that Palworld’s use of a similar system for player-controlled creatures and mounts infringes on this patent as well.

As part of the legal action, Nintendo is seeking damages from Pocketpair for using these systems—despite the fact that the patents were filed after Palworld’s launch. Is this legally sound? I reached out to Florian Mueller, a patent expert and friend of Windows Central who has provided us with for insight on this case before when reaching out to experts in the field to weigh in. Mueller, author of IPFray, who explained how Nintendo are using a 'Parent Patenting' system:

"The patent laws of many countries allow filing patent applications that are derived from earlier-filed ones. In that case, the priority date is the one of the original application. In this case, Nintendo claims earlier priority dates but opportunistically filed for derivative patents that were designed to read on Palworld. Other patent holders have done similar things in their disputes. The biggest issue here is that Nintendo is not asserting patents on genuine technological inventions but trying to monopolize game rules, which the patent system was never meant to cover."

So yes, it's all legal, if not a little underhanded. What Nintendo have done here is file new patents, based on patents filed back in 2021.

Patent laws vary by country, with the U.S., for instance, offering a one-year grace period post-disclosure for filing. Japan, however, has a “first-to-file” system, granting the patent to whoever files first, regardless of when the invention was disclosed. Filing patents after a game's launch is legal as long as it's within permitted timelines. While Nintendo’s actions are technically legal, this strategy has raised questions about the ethics of its approach, with some gamers viewing it as an attempt to corner gameplay elements and 'punch down' on Palworld who have been experiencing record-breaking success on Xbox Game Pass in with the recent launch onto PlayStation (though pointedly, not in Japan).

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"A clear case of bullying"

Mueller has documented his thoughts at length on the matter over at GamesFray, the sister site to IPFray which provided commentary on gaming legal matters, for example the Activision Blizzard acquisition by Microsoft. In Mueller's breakdown he describes Nintendo's use of the parent patenting system as "a clear case of bullying. Nintendo is a far older and larger company than Pocketpair with extensive experience in patent prosecution and patent infringement litigation."

What Mueller also points out, is that Nintendo isn’t after huge damages (the amount requested is relatively small of around $66,000). The real threat to Pocketpair is Nintendo’s request for an injunction—a court order that would stop Palworld from being sold in Japan. Because Palworld achieved most of its success on Xbox (which isn’t as popular in Japan), Nintendo’s patents only target its smaller Japanese sales, but this still poses a significant threat to Pocketpair’s future.

Palworld have already stated that they regret that they will have to "allocate significant time to matters unrelated to game development due to this lawsuit." But have recently made announcements that Palworld is headed to mobile as well as launching free skins into the game for all players.

What you need to know

• TechTuber MetraByte recently managed to get Windows 95 to run on the new Nintendo 3DS.
• The modder encountered several setbacks during the process, including slow boot times, which can be attributed to the DOSBox's reliance on the system memory and x86 emulation on the new Nintendo 3DS.
• While the experiment proves its possible to run Windows 95 on the Nintendo 3DS, it struggles in several departments like running simple apps such as Paint, prompting him to abort his earlier mission of making music with the device. 

Microsoft's Windows operating system has a broad userbase but users seemingly prefer older versions like Windows 95 or Windows 10 because of their seamless user experience coupled with decent design elements. As you may know, Windows 10 is slated to hit its end of support in less than one year on October 14, 2025. The move has brewed a cocktail of emotions among users who are seemingly hell-bent on sticking to the OS despite its imminent death.

Recently, Windows 11's market share has been on an upward trajectory, indicating users are upgrading to Microsoft's latest OS for continued support and security updates. It remains unseen whether every user will upgrade to Windows 11 or switch to Linux or macOS.

Recently, a TechTuber MetraByte boldly attempted to get Windows 95 to run on the Nintendo 3DS with the aim of trying to make music. For context, the tech enthusiast used the newer version of the Nintendo 3DS which features additional RAM (256MB of RAM) and processing power (via Tom's Hardware).

Perhaps more interestingly, MetraByte leveraged the DOS tool (designed to help users run classic MS-DOS games) to boot Windows 95 on the Nintendo 3DS. And while he managed to get the operating system to run on the classic handheld, it was no walk in the park. This is especially true when he attempted to launch DOSBox and navigating through the command-line interface with a touchscreen and stylus.

The tech enthusiast attempted to install Windows 95 in the Nintendo 3DS several times, with each attempt taking up to 30 minutes. He finally managed to install the operating system in the classic handheld, it took over two hours. The process was characterized by the all-too-common Blue Screen of Death (BSoD), including multiple driver errors and a blue-and-gray interface.

MetraByte also indicated that he encountered issues when trying to run applications like the 3D Maze screensaver and Paint on the device. The operating system took what might have seemed like eons to load each color palette on the Paint app. The performance setback can be attributed to the DOSBox's reliance on the system memory and x86 emulation on the new Nintendo 3DS.

While MetraByte's experiment nostalgically proves Windows 95 can run on the Nintendo 3DS, the setup is far from ideal, which prompted him to give up on his plan to make music using the device while running Windows 95. Mostly because of poor performance coupled with Blue Screen of Death errors.

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What you need to know

• Nintendo and it's partner, The Pokémon Company, have submitted a lawsuit in Japan accusing Pocketpair (creators of Palworld) of patent infringement.
  
• Legal experts have been speculating on the case and what this could actually mean for the gaming industry in and outside of Japan.
  
• Pocketpair has also announced a delay to the PS5 version of Palworld in Japan.

Last week, news broke that Nintendo had initiated legal action against Pocketpair, the creators of Palworld, over alleged patent infringement. While initial reactions speculated that the case centered on similarities between Palworld's 'Pals' and Pokémon, deeper discussion around patent law suggests the issue may be more complex. Although the specific patent Nintendo claims were infringed upon remains unknown, concerns are already being raised about the potential impact this case could have on the gaming industry if Nintendo prevails.

Nintendo has a long history of aggressive litigation, often targeting even seemingly minor competitors to protect its intellectual property. This case could have broader implications beyond fans of creature-collecting games, potentially setting a precedent that may ripple across the industry. Experts in patent law and gaming have begun weighing in, shedding light on what could be a significant and lengthy legal battle.

What does this lawsuit mean for Palworld?

When Palworld first gained popularity, many noticed striking similarities between its characters and those from Pokémon. Some even speculated that Palworld might have copied Pokémon models and made minor alterations. However, none of these claims were ever proven, and it’s safe to say that if Nintendo had found any concrete evidence of copyright infringement, they would have already taken action. Mere visual similarities aren’t enough for a lawsuit, likely why Nintendo hasn’t pursued a copyright claim. Instead, they’ve turned to patents—arguing that Palworld may be using game mechanics, systems, or features from Pokémon that Nintendo has legally protected.

While the exact patent being contested is still unknown, experts have started investigating Nintendo’s recent patent filings to make educated guesses. For instance, Stephen Totilo highlighted a registered patent for the mechanic of 'throwing an item to catch a monster while out in the field.' In Pokémon, players throw Pokéballs to catch creatures, while in Palworld, players use 'Pal Spheres' for a similar function. This could potentially be a sticking point in the case. Totilo also pointed out that while this patent was granted and deemed valid in Japan in 2023, its status in the U.S. remains unclear.  

In the above tweet from Palworld's Japanese account, it seems the release of the game onto PS5 has been delayed. "The release date in Japan has not yet been decided. We apologize to everyone in Japan who was looking forward to it, but all of our staff will do our best to deliver it to PS5 users as soon as possible, so we hope you will wait for a little longer." Could this already be an effect of the lawsuit?

Experts weigh in on lawsuit effects outside of Japan

Although the lawsuit was initiated in Japan, its potential impact extends far beyond. This legal battle could set a dangerous precedent for using overly broad patents to suppress competition. While game mechanics themselves cannot be copyrighted, specific implementations of those mechanics can be patented, which can stifle innovation. A prime example is Warner Bros.' patent on the Nemesis system from Shadow of Mordor, a mechanic where enemies remember past encounters, enriching future confrontations. Despite its brilliance, no other game can legally use it because of Warner Bros.' patent. Unless they create another title using the Nemesis system—which hasn’t happened since Shadow of War—we won’t see similar mechanics until the patent expires in 2035.

Another case is Bandai Namco’s patent on loading screen mini-games, featured in Tekken 5 and Ridge Racer. That patent expires in 2025, but by then, technological advances have largely eliminated loading screens, rendering the concept almost obsolete by the time it became available for use.

“This could be just the first pounding of Nintendo’s giant global IP protection hammer,” says Lisa Phillips, a lawyer at Fisch Sigler LLP in Washington DC. “Japanese patent right ends at Japan’s borders, so it would not be surprising to see Nintendo bring cases in additional jurisdictions like the US or EU.”

I reached out to Florian Mueller, author of IPFray for patent commentary, and GamesFray; well known for his coverage on the Activision Blizzard acquisition case, for his take on how this could look outside of Japanese court should Nintendo win. Mueller went into detail with me about how patents only protect inventions in the country where they are registered. 

So, if Nintendo wants to stop Pocketpair from selling Palworld outside Japan, they would need to hold patents in places like the U.S. or Europe. However, these regions have stricter rules, making it easier to reject patents that don't involve something technically complex. In this case, "Nintendo does not appear to have patents outside of Japan that would cover what the patent family rumored to be at issue in the Japanese lawsuit covers."

Even if Nintendo’s lawsuit never reaches American or European courts, its effects could still ripple across the global gaming industry due to the nature of game distribution. Mueller detailed how, under certain circumstances, enforcing a patent in one country could indirectly affect other countries. For instance, if Nintendo blocked Pocketpair from exporting Palworld from Japan, Pocketpair might have to move its development out of Japan to avoid violating Nintendo’s patents. Whether they can do this depends on Japanese business regulations, not just patent law.

A recent legal dispute which in parts mirrors this issue, is between Microsoft and the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) over the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. This ultimately ended in a settlement whereby Microsoft relinquished cloud streaming rights for Activision Blizzard games in the UK to secure approval for the deal. Although this decision was made in one region, its impact has been felt globally—especially on Xbox Cloud Gaming. Many users remain confused about why titles like Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 appear on Xbox Game Pass but are absent from the cloud gaming library. A settlement Mueller says "is theoretically also possible between Nintendo and Pocketpair. In a scenario in which Nintendo would have major leverage, but the parties reach some kind of agreement that both believe is better than continuing to litigate, the agreement could also include provisions for what Pocketpair will do in other countries."

Regional rulings can have far-reaching consequences, particularly in an industry that relies on worldwide distribution platforms. If Nintendo were to succeed in its patent infringement case against Pocketpair, the repercussions could extend well beyond Japan.

Nintendo's litigation history 

Nintendo has a well-documented history of successfully winning its cases, even overturning adverse rulings.  One of the most notable examples was a case involving technology used in the 3DS. Initially, Nintendo was found guilty of infringing on a patent related to creating 3D images without the need for glasses, a technology central to the 3DS’s design. In 2014, this decision was overturned, reducing the damages Nintendo was required to pay. The case was eventually settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.

Speaking to GamesRadar, analyst Serkan Toto claims to not "remember a single lawsuit that Nintendo itself initiated in Japan that they lost." Toto recalls the Nintendo vs. Colopl case, a (Japanese mobile gaming company) where Nintendo raised 6 counts of patent infringement for the use of a joystick-like control scheme, and won. 

Specific patents, such as those related to joystick technology and others regarding game mechanics like visibility behind objects, have gone in Nintendo's favor. While these patents might seem broad and industry-standard, Nintendo has still secured legal victories or settlements.

Response from Pocketpair and Palworld fans

Pocketpair has responded to the lawsuit by regret over the time and resources they would need to divert from game development. They have emphasized their commitment to their community and their goal of ensuring that indie developers are not discouraged from pursuing creative ideas. This positions Pocketpair as a David against Nintendo’s Goliath, and everybody loves an underdog tale. 

Fans have questioned the timing of the lawsuit. Why now, and not when Palworld initially launched into Early Access and became the biggest third-party launch ever on Xbox Game Pass? Why not when Palworld trailers were revealed back in 2021?

It may not be a coincidence that Pocketpair has recently entered a joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment and Aniplex. This partnership aims to expand the Palworld IP beyond gaming into anime, music, and possibly more. This collaboration could pose a more significant threat to Nintendo in the future, as Palworld is gaining a foothold in areas that could compete with Pokémon’s dominance. Could this have been the catalyst for Nintendo's action? 

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What you need to know

• Pocketpair, the developers of Palworld, are being sued by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company for patent infringement following speculation that the 'Pals' resemble Pokémon.
• Today, Pocketpair issued a statement to fans, responding to the news and expressing regret for the time this will take away from development.
• Additionally, they claim they are unaware of the specific patents they are accused of infringing.

Hot off the back of news that Nintendo and The Pokemon Company will sue Pocketpair, developers of Palworld, for patent infringement — Pocketpair has responded.

In a blog post the statement, titled 'Regarding the Lawsuit' expresses regret over the time this lawsuit will take away from game development for Palworld, as well as Pocketpair not being aware of exactly what patents they are being accused of infringing. Here's the full statement:

"Yesterday, a lawsuit was filed against our company for patent infringement.

We have received notice of this lawsuit and will begin the appropriate legal proceedings and investigations into the claims of patent infringement.

At this moment, we are unaware of the specific patents we are accused of infringing upon, and we have not been notified of such details.

Pocketpair is a small indie game company based in Tokyo. Our goal as a company has always been to create fun games. We will continue to pursue this goal because we know that our games bring joy to millions of gamers around the world. Palworld was a surprise success this year, both for gamers and for us. We were blown away by the amazing response to the game and have been working hard to make it even better for our fans. We will continue improving Palworld and strive to create a game that our fans can be proud of.

It is truly unfortunate that we will be forced to allocate significant time to matters unrelated to game development due to this lawsuit. However, we will do our utmost for our fans, and to ensure that indie game developers are not hindered or discouraged from pursuing their creative ideas.

We apologize to our fans and supporters for any worry or discomfort that this news has caused.

As always, thank you for your continued support of Palworld and Pocketpair."

An outpour of support from Palworld fans

The blogpost, which was also shared on X, has been reposted by 'Bucky', Palworld's community manager with a thanks to fans for their kind words and messages.

Fan response has been overwhelmingly supporting of Pocketpair, as this lawsuit is shaping up to be a David vs Goliath kind of situation. Many have shared other games that can bear resemblence to the Pokemon world, such as Dragon Quest.

Business lawyer Richard Hoeg who many look to for takes on gaming industry litigation has even commented on the situation

Most responses have been utter confusion on why Nintendo is raising the lawsuit now and didn't do this when Palworld initially launched into Early Access and became the biggest third-party launch ever on Xbox Game Pass, or even back when Palworld trailers were revealed back in 2021. The Pokemon Company did make a statement earlier this year, though, not mentioning Palworld by name:

"We have received many inquiries regarding another company’s game released in January 2024. We have not granted any permission for the use of Pokémon intellectual property or assets in that game. We intend to investigate and take appropriate measures to address any acts that infringe on intellectual property rights related to the Pokémon. We will continue to cherish and nurture each and every Pokémon and its world, and work to bring the world together through Pokémon in the future."

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What are Nintendo suing Pocketpair for?

In an interview with Automaton, Palworld developer Takuro Mizobe addressed legal issues with the likeness of 'Pals' to Pokemon, and said that if anything the game more closely resembled ARK: Survival. Speaking on similarities Mizobe noted that he was a big fan and admirer of the Pokemon franchise and being "scared to compare it to Palworld" because of how good the games are.

Mizobe also noted in the interview that Palworld was developed with respect to other companies' intellectual propery, and had cleared legal reviews with no issue. So what is happening now? Why are Nintendo suing?

Well, the key is in the phrasing; Nintendo has specifically used the term 'patent infringement,' not 'copyright infringement.' In an article for Bloomberg, behind a paywall but can be seen here on Yahoo Finance, Toyo Securities analyst Hideki Yasuda had this to say, “Nintendo filing this lawsuit for patent infringement, not copyright violation, means it has given up making the case that Palworld’s characters are similar to Pokémon’s,” Yasuda continues, “But it shows Nintendo has more ways to stop games it doesn’t like. The company owns a lot of patents related to basic game mechanics that are used in many titles available today.”
 
More clues are held in Nintendo's recently submitted patents, including this particular submission to patent the mechanic of throwing an item to catch a monster.

The above patent is registered to Nintendo and The Pokemon Company and was considered valid and registered in 2023. Though this is pure speculation thus far until Nintendo confirm.

So right now, we, and by the looks of it, Pocketpair, have no idea what the lawsuit will accuse Palworld of infringing. But watch this space!

What you need to know

• Pocketpair is the developer of Palworld, a game that launched earlier in 2024 in early access to immediate commercial success. 
• Palworld gained notoriety for its "Pals" and their resemblance to Pokémon. 
• Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are suing Pocketpair for patent infringement. 
• Palworld is currently available on Xbox consoles and Windows PC. 

Buckle up, because the road is getting bumpy. 

Iconic game developer and publisher Nintendo shared on Wednesday that, together with The Pokemon Company, it is suing Palworld developer Pocketpair in Tokyo District Court for patent infringement. 

"This lawsuit seeks an injunction against infringement and compensation for damages on the grounds that Palworld, a game developed and released by the Defendant, infringes multiple patent rights," the announcement reads.

"Nintendo will continue to take necessary actions against any infringement of its intellectual property rights including the Nintendo brand itself, to protect the intellectual properties it has worked hard to establish over the years."

Palworld saw early success in 2024

Palworld launched into early access across Xbox consoles, Xbox Game Pass, and Windows PC in Jan. 19, 2024, quickly blowing up and reaching over 2 million concurrent players on Steam.

Palworld was also the biggest third-party launch ever on Xbox Game Pass, dethroning High on Life and reaching over 7 million players by the end of January 2024. By February 2024, Palworld reached over 10 million players on Xbox, while also selling over 15 million copies on Steam. 

The game quickly gained notoriety due to its inclusion of the titular "Pals," creatures bearing marked resemblances to Pokémon. These Pals could be equipped with guns, as well as used for labor or food.

Since its early access launch, the developers at Pocketpair have continued to update the game with new content, such as boss battles and additional achievements. Meanwhile, Sony has announced a joint venture with Pocketpair to form Palworld Entertainment, for the purpose of expanding the IP.

The Pokémon Company, which handles production, promotion, and distribution of all things Pokémon, is jointly owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. 

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What you need to know

• LEGO Horizon Adventures is an upcoming LEGO version of PlayStation and Guerrilla Games' Horizon franchise. 
• Co-developed by Guerrilla Games and Studio Gobo, LEGO Horizon Adventures features classic LEGO humor and shenanigans, with brick-based recreations of machines like the Tallneck and Thunderjaw. 
• LEGO Horizon Adventures is launching later in 2024 on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Nintendo Switch, but not Xbox consoles or PlayStation. 
• Speaking with Stephen Totilo for Game File, the developers stated that they "don't really have anything to announce about Xbox right now."

We have some non-answers regarding chosen platforms for one of PlayStation's upcoming games. 

LEGO Horizon Adventures, a LEGO-fied version of PlayStation' Horizon games that's being co-developed by Guerrilla Games and Studio Gobo, is currently in development for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Nintendo Switch, the latter of which is remarkably unusual for non-MLB PlayStation Studios games. Despite being far more multiplatform than normal, the game has not been announced for Xbox consoles.

Speaking with Stephen Totilo for his one-man newsletter Game File (where he also talks about the making of upcoming PlayStation 5 title Astro Bot), Guerrilla Games narrative director James Windeler noted that the game was meant to push PlayStation 5 hardware and "look as amazing as it can possibly be" on the system. 

When asked by Totilo about why it was coming to Nintendo Switch, Windeler explained that the decision helped the team to go after a "family-friendly audience and a younger audience" than would otherwise have been possible. Upon being asked about Xbox however, Windeler simply said that "You know, we don't really have anything to announce about Xbox right now."

LEGO Horizon Adventures is slated to launch later in 2024

Like other LEGO games, LEGO Horizon Adventures features co-op, with full cross-platform play on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Nintendo Switch. Players can collect LEGO versions of characters like Aloy and Varl, taking on machines such as the Thunderjaw.

There's no release date right now, but when the game was unveiled earlier in the year as part of Summer Game Fest 2024, it was announced to be coming later in the year. 

Analysis: Not too surprising, but curious all the same

While the way the non-answer is given is amusing, it seems perfectly obvious what's really going on. For PlayStation, this kind of game only really makes sense if it has a wide audience, something that can't quite be guaranteed from even PlayStation 5 and PC players, but the company also can't bring it to PlayStation 4 because it needs to push its own newer hardware. As a result, the best option to be found is through also bringing it to Nintendo Switch. 

As for Xbox, while it definitely won't be included at launch, I don't think an eventual port is completely impossible. PlayStation does already bring MLB games to Xbox, so porting games like LEGO Horizon Adventures after the initial wave of players have already been garnered elsewhere makes a degree of sense.

No matter what else happens, the list of PlayStation Studios games on Windows PC is growing faster than ever, and it's abundantly clear PlayStation (like Xbox) is no longer completely constraining itself to one piece of console hardware.

As an aside, kudos to Totilo for the work he's putting into Game File. In his most recent newsletter, he also talks with Team Asobi about the upcoming awesome-looking Astro Bot, and I encourage reading it. 

What you need to know

• Fallout 1, the original Fallout RPG made by Interplay Entertainment in 1997, is only officially playable on PC through Steam or GOG.
• However, a talented community member has ported the game to Nintendo's discontinued 3DS handheld with an impressive modding project. 
• Fallout 1 and 2 are also playable on iOS and Android devices thanks to the development of special fan-created "Community Edition" versions of the games.
• You'll find links to these ports, as well as relevant information for what you'll need for proper installation, in the text below. 
• Note that you'll need legal copies of Fallout 1 and 2 to play them on 3DS or mobile devices; GOG has both games on sale right now for 75% off. Links to these deals can be found below as well.

The original 1997 Fallout RPG may be a whopping 27 years old now, but Interplay Entertainment's hit is still an excellent game that's absolutely worth playing. These days, it's officially playable on PC through Steam and GOG, but now there's also a fan-made mod that ports it over to one of my favorite Nintendo gaming systems: the handheld Nintendo 3DS from 2011.

I first caught wind of the project this morning when I spotted a Reddit post from a player who got it working. The port itself was created by user MrHuu, and you can find it as well as relevant installation instructions over on a GBATemp thread they're running. Though it's technically been around since last September, it wasn't refined into the state it's in now until April-May.

The port reworks Fallout 1's Pip-Boy GUI and other elements so that it's compatible with the 3DS' dual screens, though the game's isometric, interactable interface is always on the bottom touchscreen. You can use the device's stylus to "click" like you would with a mouse, with the L button cycling between left and right-click inputs. All in all, it sounds fairly intuitive, though it'll likely take a bit to get used to.

Finally gonna play through and finish Fallout 1 on my 3DS from r/classicfallout

It's important to note that you'll need a legally owned copy of Fallout 1 to use the mod, as it contains files necessary for its functionality. Additionally, you'll also need to mod your 3DS and make sure you've got a 3DS-compatible SD card you can use to transfer files. Luckily, these SD cards are dirt cheap nowadays, and at the time of writing, Fallout 1 is 75% off on GOG thanks to a 24-hour deal. Nice!

Alternatively, you can also play both Fallout 1 and Fallout 2 on iOS and Android mobile devices thanks to the Fallout Community Edition and Fallout 2 Community Edition, respectively. These, too, require legal copies of the games; in case you're wondering, Fallout 2 is also 75% off on GOG until the end of the day.

If you want to avoid modding like this altogether, you could simply play Fallout 1 and 2 normally on a PC, or even on something like a Steam Deck or the ASUS ROG Ally if you're committed to gaming on the go (from what I've heard, these work decently but not great on these systems). Both games are also available through PC Game Pass (and by extension, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate).

It's cool to see fans continuing to find ways to get value out of their 3DS systems, which were discontinued in 2020 and went through a subsequent Nintendo eShop shutdown in 2023. I played mine a ton during my adolescent years in the 2010s, and I might dust it off to give this project a try when I've got the time.

Whether you're interested in playing Fallout 1 on your 3DS or not, though, the game itself is fantastic, and a must-play for Fallout fans curious to see where the franchise began. Its control scheme is a little wonky and you might find the isometric perspective a bit jarring if you're used to 3D games like Fallout 4, but it's got some of the best writing, roleplaying, and dark comedy in the series. Fallout 2 is one of the best PC games, too, so don't skip it.

What you need to know

• Someone managed to get Windows 11 to run on a Nintendo Switch.
• The Nintendo Switch running Windows 11 was jokingly called the "world's slowest PC," as it takes several seconds to respond to any input and is overall a sluggish setup.
• Putting Windows 11 onto a Nintendo Switch is a fun experiment but there will never be an official way to replicate the feat.
• Microsoft may, however, create its own Xbox handheld at some point or optimize Windows 11 for small screens.

A Nintendo Switch running Windows 11 isn't a topic I expected to cover in 2024, but that's exactly what has happened. Before you get too excited, this was a fun experiment, not an attempt to make the ultimate portable gaming PC. The feat was shown off by X (formerly Twitter) user PatRyk. The novel concept earned quite a bit of media attention, especially considering the performance of the Switch when running Windows 11.

PatRyk joked that the Switch running Windows 11 was the "world's slowest PC" and that it took around three hours to install the operating system onto the Switch. Interacting with Windows 11 is laughably sluggish, which is to be expected considering the setup.

PatRyk clarified that an ARM64 version of Windows with KVM enabled was used to get Windows 11 onto the Nintendo Switch.

Just a joke... unless?

I'd say that no one would think this setup is official or the next dream device for portable PC gaming, though that's not entirely true. Some seemed confused and called the Nintendo Switch running Steam "official." Of course, PatRyk never said that was the case and mocked those who tried to claim it was.

While the Nintendo Switch running Windows 11 is not going to be anyone's handheld console of choice, there are some hints that Microsoft wants to make its own portable console. The tech giant also seems keen to get Windows 11 to work better on handheld consoles like the Lenovo Legion Go or ASUS ROG Ally.

Microsoft recently sent out a survey asking people their opinions on gaming handhelds. Many believe an Xbox handheld is likely. Some, including our Managing Editor Jez Corden, claim such a device is "absolutely necessary" for Microsoft.

Several of the best gaming handhelds run Windows 11. The operating system isn't optimized for smaller screens, but that could change. A Microsoft hackathon project showed some ways that a Gaming Shell could work on Windows. That was just a hackathon project, but some interesting concepts were demonstrated.

I doubt we'll ever see a Nintendo Switch run Windows, but we could very well see an Xbox handheld and handheld gaming consoles running an optimized version of Windows 11 that plays nicely with small screens.

Black Friday deals are here and it's the biggest season of the year for shopping, and the best time to make savings. Every discount on those coveted items is a victory.

Amidst the flurry of deals and doorbusters, there's a secret weapon in the arsenal of the savvy saver—gift cards. Imagine not just catching the wave of Black Friday discounts but riding it to even greater heights. That's the power of strategic gift card purchases.

If you really want to squeeze every bit of value out of your dollar, the real trick is to double up on savings by purchasing gift cards from the biggest stores when they are available at a discount, it's practically awarding yourself free cash for things you were going to buy anyway. Right now Target is offering 10% off a bunch of cards from Nintendo store to Playstation so you can take full advantage of their online gaming sales, and Amazon is giving 10% off the $50 Xbox gift card, which can be used on anything on the Microsoft store. The best deal though, comes from Newegg who are offering up to $100 Xbox credit for only $88 with the use of a discount code. Read on for savings! 

More great Black Friday deals

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• More individual deals:
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What can I buy with my gift card? 

In the grand scheme of Black Friday mastery, these discounted gift cards become your secret weapon. Not only do you benefit from the initial Black Friday markdowns, but you amplify your savings by snagging discounted gift cards for the very places you planned to shop. It's like a cheat code to a hidden level of discounts.

So, buckle up for the ultimate guide to navigating Black Friday with finesse. We're diving deep into the art of double-dipping on savings, ensuring you emerge from this shopping season not just with bags full of deals but pockets brimming with extra cash.

To get even more value from your card, check out what the Xbox store already has on sale and double up on the savings. We also have a huge list of the Best Xbox Games if you want inspiration on a new title. However, if you've already got an Xbox Game Pass subscription you may just want to extend that rather than increase your ever-growing backlog.  

The Xbox store doesn't just stock Microsoft accessories; you can pick up items from Razer, Steelseries, and Corsair amongst many other brands. So you can even grab one of the best Xbox headsets, or best Xbox controllers.

If gaming isn't in your interest, you could even shave some money off the Surface laptops with this gift card or purchase an Office 365 subscription.

Of course, you could gift the credit to a family member or start your holiday shopping early, depending on how generous you feel. Whatever you decide, act fast; these deals are limited time only.

Phil Spencer made me laugh this morning harder than I've laughed in a long time. I'm usually a fan of this man, but today I'm not laughing with him, I'm laughing at him. 

Blinking the sleep from my eyes, I reached over to turn off my phone alarm only to see in my news feeds that more documents had come to light pertaining to the United States Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) lawsuit against Microsoft. Notable among these reveals was the fact that CEO of Microsoft Gaming, Phil Spencer, had stated in a company email back in August 2020 that he wanted Xbox to acquire Nintendo. This is not at all surprising given Xbox's recent acquisition spree, but the unintended hilarious part of it all was Spencer's assertion that Nintendo's "future exists off of their own hardware." A very pompous and ludicrous statement to make especially in light of the Nintendo Switch's success.

Thanks to the basic audacity of this statement combined with the same hurtles Microsoft faced during the Xbox vs FTC lawsuit, it's easy to say that Microsoft will not be acquiring Nintendo. And that's a good thing for all of us gamers as well as the gaming companies themselves.

A quick recap for those that need it

As a quick little recap, Microsoft has been on an acquisition spree over the last decade, pulling notable gaming developers like Hellblade's Ninja Theory, The Outer World's Obsidian Entertainment, Psychonauts' Double Fine, and many others under its green wing. This has allowed Microsoft to make it so that popular game series that were previously available across multiple platforms are now Xbox console exclusives going forward — A clever tactic to increase Xbox's presence and revenue in the gaming industry. 

You'll note that while some of these acquired studios are well-loved, many of them were relatively small, making the acquisitions a surprise but not a huge deal. However, things changed at the beginning of 2022 when Microsoft announced that it intended to acquire Activision Blizzard King, known for its extremely popular IPs like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Candy Crush Saga, StarCraft, Spryo, Tony Hawk, and more, for a whopping $68.7 billion. This was a historical acquisition announcement, the likes of which had never been seen in the gaming space. Obviously, this all led to the FTC's now infamously failed attempt to block the merger from happening.

So, after making such a big acquisition, why is it hilarious to think about Xbox acquiring Nintendo? The thing is, you have to remember the situations surrounding Activision Blizzard at the time of Microsoft's acquisition announcement, and it's nothing at all like Nintendo's current situation. Basically, Microsoft was able to take advantage of crappy circumstances and I'm convinced Activision Blizzard wouldn't have agreed to the merger if it hadn't been dealing with a ton of shit and looking for an easy way out.

You'll remember that Activision Blizzard was embroiled in numerous scandals and lawsuits with things looking particularly incriminating for some of the top executives (thanks, Wall Street Journal). Xbox swooping in at that moment provided an easy out for these leaders who were trying to rid themselves of culpability and distance themselves from the company's disgraces.

Meanwhile, Nintendo isn't the same. For one thing, it produces its own hardware and accessories in addition to software, which Activision Blizzard doesn't do. What's more, it isn't facing anywhere near the same dire public situation. It's actually doing very well for itself, which only makes Spencer's claim that much more ridiculous.

Microsoft's hope of acquiring Nintendo: Audacity? A joke? A wild dream? Cluelessness?

So, what exactly did Spencer say? Recently, as part of additional documents pertaining to the Xbox vs FTC lawsuit coming forward, we learned that in 2020 Spencer stated that he was not only interested in acquiring Nintendo for Xbox, but also that Nintendo's future wasn't on its own consoles.

I would have spit out my coffee and started laughing this morning if I had been drinking any. The Nintendo Switch has been an incredibly successful device. At the time of writing, its impressive 129.53 million units sold makes it the third-best-selling console of all time behind the Nintendo DS and PlayStation 2. Even back in August 2020 when Spencer sent that email, the Switch was selling incredibly well, and it was darn near impossible to find it on store shelves or online retailers. 

Spencer did specifically state that "Nintendo is sitting on a big pile of cash" and that rather than taking "a hostile action" toward the company that Xbox needs to be "playing the long game" by continuing to acquire Nintendo stock. Having a large amount of stocks can allow a shareholder to have a lot of influence over a company, but currently, Saudi Arabia's crown prince has the largest shares by far (thanks, Bloomberg). So it's not likely that Xbox could influence Nintendo that way.

Now, this isn't even the first time that Microsoft has wanted to purchase Mario's company. Back in 2021, an interview conducted by Bloomberg's Dina Bass revealed that Xbox representatives had met with Nintendo years ago to discuss a possible acquisition. One of the four people who came up with the idea of the Xbox, Kevin Bachus, explained how Nintendo representatives reportedly "laughed their asses off" at this proposal.

Obviously, no deal was struck as Nintendo and Microsoft continue to be very separate entities today. But even back then, Xbox attempted to convince Nintendo that its hardware wasn't good enough and that it should develop its software for Xbox, as explained by former Xbox head of business development, Bob Mcbreen. 

The thing is, Xbox has been very confusing when it comes to its competitive relationship with Nintendo. As another recently-brought-to-light email shows, the VP of Xbox marketing, Aaron Greenberg, wrote in August 2019 that Xbox should "try to avoid calling Switch a console, as it is really a portable gaming device." This is honestly a silly notion given that the Switch is most definitely a successful gaming console even if it offers handheld gaming as well as docked TV gaming. 

In fact, the Switch has been far more successful than any of Xbox's consoles so far. That's partially due to its different approach to the gaming space of not incorporating the latest hardware or best graphics, which in turn allows the Japanese gaming company to offer a far more affordable gaming console to the market. Granted, Nintendo does tend to experiment with console gimmicks — sometimes to disastrous effect as we saw with the failed Wii U. However, when Nintendo succeeds it really succeeds, as was the case with the hybrid Switch or the wand-waving Wii. So, the audacity of not considering Nintendo a valid gaming competitor due to its different approach is really ridiculous.

Xbox acquiring Nintendo isn't going to happen and that's a good thing for us all

It's actually thanks in part to the fact that Nintendo is too big of a competitor in the console gaming space that Xbox was able to win against the FTC. And that's also why it's safe to say that Xbox cannot acquire Nintendo.

During the Xbox vs. FTC lawsuit, the FTC specifically argued that the Switch was "very different" from other gaming consoles due to the "Nintendo Switch's pricing, performance, and content making it an improper substitute at least for purposes of its preliminary injunction motion" (thanks, IGN). The argument was that only Sony and Xbox were true competitors. However, during the proceedings, Spencer himself stated in court that it was "incorrect" to say that Nintendo "isn't a competitor." Thankfully for Xbox, Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley agreed with Spencer, and it was even pointed out that “Xbox set the price of its entry-level Series S to compete with the Switch.” 

What all of this means is that since Nintendo is seen as a true competitor against Sony and Microsoft, it's impossible for Xbox to acquire the Japanese gaming company because the whole point of the FTC's lawsuit was to say that Xbox acquiring Activision Blizzard would create unfair and harmful competition in the gaming market. Xbox acquiring Nintendo would definitely fall under anticompetitive mergers, far more so than the FTC's claim of the Activision Blizzard acquisition doing so.

But really, it's better for all of us if Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft remain separate entities. While PlayStation and Xbox compete for the best hardware and graphics, Nintendo continues to spin out creative ideas that also propel the gaming industry along in other ways. Whether or not you like the kinds of games produced by the Japanese gaming company, it's undeniable that it has a far-reaching influence and produces in-game mechanics and features that are later adopted by Sony and Microsoft. 

Plus, Nintendo does make console gaming more affordable than Sony and Microsoft, which helps reach a wider audience. Many people start with Nintendo and move on to other consoles and really, it's the beauty of all of these systems that help drive the gaming industry forward. 

The largest leak in Xbox history revealed Microsoft's plans for the future of gaming. The Xbox Series X is set to be refreshed and a new Xbox console is on the way, likely in 2028. We also learned that Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer wants the company to purchase Nintendo.

Spencer said that Microsoft purchasing Nintendo would be a "career moment." His email also explained that he believes the future of Nintendo is on non-Nintendo hardware.

"At some point, getting Nintendo would be a career moment and I honestly believe a good move for both companies," said the CEO. "It's just taking a long time for Nintendo to see that their future exists off their own hardware. A long time... :-)"

While the gaming CEO referred to Nintendo as "THE prime asset for [Microsoft]" it's difficult to see a deal happening. Microsoft had to fight tooth and nail to purchase Activision Blizzard. Buying Nintendo would likely require moving heaven and earth. Honestly, even a miraculous legal effort likely wouldn't get Microsoft the opportunity to acquire Nintendo.

Microsoft's Activision Blizzard purchase was valued at $68.7 billion. Nintendo is reportedly worth around $54 billion right now. Based solely on those figures, it may seem possible that a deal could happen. But Nintendo isn't Activision Blizzard, and I predict regulators would treat any potential acquisition of Nintendo differently.

But that's not what I'm going to focus on today. Instead, I want to know if you want Microsoft to purchase Nintendo.

Do you think it would be good for gamers if Nintendo was owned by Microsoft? What would a combined Microsoft/Nintendo look like? Is there a franchise that you're dying to play on Xbox hardware or Xbox Cloud Gaming? Let us know in the latest thread in our forums.

I'll kick things off with what I said in the thread:

"While I would enjoy being able to play Nintendo games on Microsoft hardware and Xbox Cloud Gaming, I think those benefits would be overshadowed by the negatives of a potential Nintendo that was part of Microsoft. Nintendo, for better and for worse, is willing to experiment. I don't see the Wii or the Switch coming out of a Nintendo made by Microsoft.

I'm frustrated by many things Nintendo struggles with, and I honestly think Microsoft could alleviate some of those issues, but overall, I don't think Microsoft buying Nintendo would be a good thing."

What you need to know

• Microsoft had hopes of purchasing Nintendo and may still want to buy the gaming company.
• A leaked email from Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer called "THE prime asset for us in Gaming."
• The long-term strategy mentioned in the email suggests Microsoft is likely still interested in purchasing Nintendo.
• Microsoft's last attempt approaching Nintendo for purchase didn't exactly go well, but that occurred over 20 years ago.

Well, this certainly wasn't the news we expected to see today. As part of possibly the biggest leak in Xbox history, it has been revealed through an email from Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer back in 2020 that Microsoft is still targeting an acquisition of Nintendo. 

In the email, Spencer stated that "Nintendo is THE prime asset for us in Gaming...". He continued, explaining that "gaming is our most likely path to consumer relevance."

The information comes from Tom Warren on X (formerly Twitter) who posted several leaks today. The new Xbox Series X refresh coming next year is only one of the stories that dropped today.

Spencer talked about how Microsoft is the only US-company that has a chance of acquiring Nintendo and that numerous conversations have taken place with them about having tighter collaboration.

We have seen these efforts earlier than 2020 with Xbox and Nintendo working together to push cross-platform play. Not to mention Xbox having its network on games like Minecraft meaning you can unlock Xbox achievements whilst playing on your Nintendo Switch.

Spencer also made it clear in this email that he doesn't think a hostile takeover would be a good move and that they are playing the long game.  There seems to be games at play regarding stock purchases, which he hopes will open more opportunities in the future. 

Now, those of you that know your gaming history will be aware that Microsoft approached Nintendo for purchase before they made the first Xbox. This was back in 2000 and Microsoft was "laughed out of the room". It's safe to say a lot has happened since then, such as the two companies are certainly working together much more closely than they ever have. We'll have to see how Nintendo reacts to the news from this leak.

Summer gaming event season is always a thrill; trailers for new games abound as gamers flock to events streamed live online. Big franchises like Mortal Kombat and Fable have made waves in the gaming community during these showcases, but indie games are also having their time in the sun. From oceanic souls-likes to adventure games in the afterlife, there were many great indie games playable at Summer Game Fest's Play Days demo event. This list encompasses many of the independent games playable at the event for media and influencers, but not all of them.

Games like Cocoon and Thirsty Suitors were also playable at the event, but unfortunately, there are only so many hours in the (play) day. All impressions in this piece reflect my experience playing early builds of each game, so things are subject to change between now and when these games release.

Another Crab's Treasure

Another Crab's Treasure wraps souls-like and 3D platforming gameplay into a charming nautical package that provides several clever innovations in the souls genre. In the half-hour that I played, I had the opportunity to play an early part of the game up through a boss fight, as well as a boss fight that takes place later on in the game.

Although this is pretty different from Aggro Crab's last outing, Going Under, Another Crab's Treasure maintains the same wit, charm, and socially conscious themes that made Going Under so enjoyable while delivering more challenging and methodical combat. Riffs on souls-like standards abound as you attempt to rid the ocean of pollution. For example, instead of equipping suits of armor, Kril (the hermit crab that you play as) will pick up pieces of garbage found at the bottom of the ocean floor and use them as shells.

Each shell type has its own benefits and unique properties, letting players pick and choose how they want to fight their battles. Soda cans, shot glasses, and coffee mugs are just some of the armor you might find.

Another Crab's Treasure has been confirmed to launch on Xbox and Game Pass, Steam, and Nintendo Switch next year.

Henry Halfhead

Henry Halfhead almost defies explanation; this offbeat puzzle game draws from games like Super Mario Odyssey, Katamari Damacy, and Wattam. You play as Henry, who — you guessed it — is only half a head. The twist? He can possess and control just about every object in the game. The objects are everyday things; toilets, toasters, tables, and other household objects that don't start with 'T.'

Using these powers and the magically mundane objects around you, you're tasked with completing a series of tasks assigned to you by a disembodied voice. Chaos ensues as you do your best to accomplish ordinary tasks in an extraordinary way; you might need to possess chairs, tables, and cups just to make a cup of coffee.

Playing the demo in co-op only multiplied the kooky chaos. Once we completed the demo's main objective, developers from Lululu Entertainment provided us with extra challenges, changing the game from a cooperative experience to a competitive one.

Lululu hasn't provided a target date or window, so it's likely we'll be waiting on this one for a while before it comes to PC.

Viewfinder

For most of the people I spoke to, Viewfinder was the belle of the ball thanks to its all-but magic gameplay loop and willingness to push the boundaries of what feels possible. Even in a short demo, Viewfinder blew my mind multiple times.

The premise is simple but spirals into some truly wild territory; walking around the minimalist levels, you can pick up pictures of new vistas. After a little aiming and a quick press of the right trigger, you can place that vista in front of you and walk right in. Later on, you'll pick up a camera that allows you to not only go anywhere your viewfinder can reach but to clone objects in the environment and place them in new places. The demo had me use it to place a wall section over a gap, acting as a bridge.

Not only does Viewfinder play with perspective, but art style. The possibilities that even a short demo set up lit my mind on fire. This is the nearest release, with publisher Thunderful and developer Sad Owl Studios bringing Viewfinder to Steam and PlayStation 5 on July 18. A demo's also available on both platforms if you're interested in checking it out for yourself.

Beastieball

At a glance, Beastieball sounds a bit overwhelming. It's a tactical RPG that blends Pokemon and Volleyball from the creators of Chicory: A Colorful Tale and Wandersong. Luckily, developer Wishes Unlimited expertly threads the needle, making a delightful mélange. The build I played seemed early, but the game's core is there.

The parts I played highlighted a competent, team-focused battle system built around passing, blocking, and hitting like in a normal volleyball match but set to a turn-based battle system. Like in Pokemon, different creatures have different strengths and abilities. You even start the game by choosing from one of three Beasties to go on your adventure with.

Unlike Pokemon, however, your team will grow alongside each other and develop relationships that might impact how the two work together in battle. One of the game's developers also mentioned that there would be some form of multiplayer to come.

Beastieball's set to release on PC sometime in 2024. With names like Lena Raine and Greg Lobanov attached, this is one to pay attention to.

Hauntii

Hauntii's distinct take on the underworld is as fun to look at as it is clever. The developers' backgrounds in animation and illustration shine through as you haunt different objects to solve puzzles or clear a combat encounter.

Its isometric, locked viewpoint helps to keep the detailed world of Eternity feeling alive. Each individual possession has its own distinct feel to it. Sometimes you'll take over a turret-like structure that you can use to raze down corrupted souls. Others, you'll take over a Moai head-like statue to move it into place to open a door. You can even take over a hill, which doesn't do anything, but it's very funny.

While my time with the game was short, Hauntii set a clear precedent for fun puzzle-solving and top-notch gallows humor. At the end of my demo, I ran into an Eternian, one of the NPCs that will guide the main character through the world of Eternity. The trailers indicate that they'll play a major role in the game, but my demo ended before I could see what the characters had to offer.

Hauntii is slated to hit "PC and console" sometime next year. Developer Moonoop hasn't confirmed any specific platforms in those categories yet but promised more information soon. 

Saltsea Chronicles

I wish I had an opportunity to spend more time with Saltsea Chronicles. The demo I played lasted about half an hour and gave me enough time to understand the cozy feel of Saltsea Chronicles, but the sections I played were so rich with things to see that I couldn't help but feel rushed.

Saltsea felt like a playable storybook. Instead of moving around the world in a traditional environment, you're provided with a series of places in the background to interact with. Selecting an object or room in an environment will start a conversation between two characters or an internal monologue for a character.

Very little dialogue is required to progress, but skipping out on the additional side dialogue is paramount to skipping out on the game's meat and potatoes. Every time I stopped to smell the roses in Saltsea Chronicles, I felt rewarded, not through a shiny trophy or experience points, but through a moment that revealed more about characters and their relationships and personalities.

Die Gute Fabrik hasn't confirmed a firm date, but Saltsea Chronicles is currently scheduled to release later this year for PC, Switch, and PS5.

Even though a number of these games are still a ways out, some of them have demos available now on Steam via Next Fest or on their respective platforms! 

• Xbox Series X|S consoles will not run most emulators.
• An email allegedly sent from the Xbox QA Team explains that this decision was made due to legal issues with Nintendo.
• Emulators aren't illegal in and of themselves, but they can be used to engage in illegal activities or cause security risks to sensitive information.

Update 3:30 PM ET 4/7/2023: Microsoft has responded to the report calling the information "not accurate," and saying that this policy has been "long standing," and not new. Of course, while the policy may have been in place, it's not clear if Microsoft is only now taking a heavier hand in enforcing it. The full response is provided below:

"The information currently circulating on Twitter is not accurate. Our actions are based on a long standing policy on content distributed to the Store to ensure alignment with our Microsoft Store Polices. Per 10.13.10, Products that emulate a game system or game platform are not allowed on any device family."

The Xbox Series X|S is more than capable of running emulators, more so than previous Microsoft consoles. However, according to an email cited by Nintendo Everything, it appears as though the reason for the ban "is related to legal issues with Nintendo."

The email was allegedly written by the Xbox QA Team and came to public attention thanks to Microsoft Azure’s Alyanna McKenna. It reads:

“Hi there, Thanks for getting in touch with us about the recent ban on emulators on the Xbox store front. We appreciate your interest and concerns. To answer your questions, the primary reason for the ban is related to legal issues with Nintendo. While emulating itself is not illegal, it can be used to play games from consoles that are still under copyright protection without permission, which can create issues with Nintendo and its affiliates.

Additionally, we take security seriously, and some emulators require permissions beyond what is typical for an app. This could create a potential security risk, as these permissions can be exploited by bad actors to gain access to sensitive information. For these reasons, we have made the decision to ban emulators on the Xbox store front. However, we understand that many users have dev mode enabled to run legal emulation. We don’t seek to remove this ability, as it doesn’t grant access to the retail components of the system and is considered safe. Unlike retail emulators, dev mode is limited to certain functionalities and doesn’t have system read-write functionality.

That said, we are still exploring ways to allow safe and legal emulation on Xbox. We are in talks with legitimate emulator developers to bring their software onto our platform while ensuring that all copyright laws and security protocols are followed. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work through this issue. Our goal is to provide a safe and enjoyable gaming experience for everyone, and we are committed to finding a solution that meets those goals. If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us.”

Windows Central's take

Nintendo is a very jealous gaming god. As we've seen with repeated examples in the past few years, the company launches lawsuits after pirates, hackers, and modders faster than you can say, "Princess Peach." It has even gone hard against fan creations meant to pay homage to the company. More so than other gaming companies, it wants to be completely in control of its identity, the characters it has created, and the means by which its games are accessed. 

As stated in the email, emulators aren't illegal in and of themselves, but they can be used to run copyrighted programs or hack into sensitive information without having legal permission to do so. Ensuring that emulators capable of running Nintendo games aren't brought onto Xbox Series X|S adds a measure of protection to Microsoft and keeps the company out of potential legal trouble with the Japanese gaming company. 

Thankfully, Microsoft is very conscientious about the fact that some Xbox owners use legal emulators on its current-gen consoles and has still made it possible to access dev mode for this reason. Even though the company is pursuing "safe and legal emulation on Xbox," we shouldn't expect as open access to emulators that have the potential to play Nintendo games on Xbox systems going forward. 

What you need to know

• Microsoft first announced its plans to purchase Activision Blizzard in January 2022.
• The deal has since faced scrutiny by governing bodies in the US, UK, and EU.
• Microsoft has made several announcements and deals in an effort to persuade regulators to approve the acquisition.
• Over 81% of Windows Central readers that participated in our poll predict that the deal will go through.

Microsoft announced its plans to purchase Activision Blizzard almost 14 months ago. The acquisition still has several regulatory hurdles to get over before it goes through. Microsoft has spent over a year trying to convince regulators from the US, UK, and EU to approve the deal. It seems that the tech giant has made some headway, with reports indicating that the European Union is leaning toward approving the purchase.

Even if the deal passes through EU regulators, it will still need to be approved by the UK's CMA and the US' FTC. The likelihood of that is unclear, but we wanted to get a gauge regarding if our readers believe Microsoft will be allowed to purchase Activision Blizzard.

Throughout this week we ran a poll asking if people predict the deal will go through. Over 81% of participants predicted that Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard will be approved.

Windows Central take

Just last month, Microsoft's chances of buying Activision Blizzard seemed to be dwindling. Then, the company announced that Microsoft Activision titles will be on GeForce NOW and signed a binding agreement to have Xbox games on Nintendo hardware for 10 years. Those agreements seem to have swayed the EU, at least based on recent reports.

While the FTC feel the same way? It's hard to say. The US regulatory may be looking for a way to set a new precedent when it comes to major tech deals. Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard would certainly set an example if the FTC wants to put its foot down and stop further deals of a similar size.

If the deal does not go through, Microsoft's Phil Spencer emphasized that "Xbox will exist" going forward. Our Managing Editor Jez Corden also discussed what would and could happen if the deal was not approved.

Do you agree with our readers? Reach out to me on Twitter to let me know.

News comes out quickly. With so much going on in the tech world, we gather the biggest and most important stories into one convenient piece to make it easy to catch up.

This week a Windows 11 update mistakenly offered itself to unsupported PCs, details about a Surface Studio Laptop 2 leaked, and Microsoft agree to have its games available on GeForce NOW and Nintendo hardware. We also reported on everything that will ship to PCs with the "Moment 2" feature drop for Windows 11.

Windows 11 feature drop

Microsoft has a feature drop on the way for Windows 11 that's known as "Moment 2."  The update will include the new File Explorer featuring tabs and several other improvements. Here's a quick list of the new features on the way, courtesy of our Senior Editor Zac Bowden:

• Tablet-optimized Taskbar
• Modern System Tray flyout
• New Taskbar search bar options
• Search in Task Manager
• Energy recommendations in Settings
• Tabs in Notepad
• Screen recording in Snipping Tool
• Full-screen Widgets Panel
• Third-party Widget support
• Studio Effects in Quick Settings
• Voice Access enhancements

The new features from the Moment 2 update shipped to Windows Insiders in the Release Preview Channel this week.

Windows 11 showing up for unsupported PCs

Windows 11 has a strict set of minimum requirements that PCs have to meet to install the operating system. A curious issue caused the OS to be offered to older PCs, including some devices that are 10 years old. Several reports emerged of a prompt to install Windows 11 appearing on unsupported PCs.

Following those prompts while on a PC that did not meet the minimum requirements of Windows 11 would result in failure. That said, it was still a confusing time for those with affected PCs.

Microsoft confirmed that the issue occurred and was fixed on the same day it was discovered. The company noted that the fix could take up to 48 hours to roll out completely.

Surface Laptop Studio 2 leak

Microsoft reveals new Surface hardware annually, and we usually start seeing leaks this time of year. That was the case when benchmarks appeared on Geekbench for the Surface Laptop Studio 2. Specs from early benchmarks don't always reflect what will ship to customers, but one listing for the Surface Laptop Studio 2 had an Intel Core i7-13800H, 64GB RAM, and NVIDIA RTX 4060 Laptop GPU.

If those specs do make their way to the general public, the resulting device would be the most powerful Surface to ever ship. It would also be the first to have 64GB of RAM, though again, it's hard to say if retail models with have that much memory.

As is normally the case, a range of models will likely be available, one of which has Intel Iris Xe graphics.

Our Senior Editor Zac Bowden shared that the device is codenamed "Ersa," according to his sources.

'Xbox games' on Nintendo and GeForce NOW

Microsoft is in the midst of a battle to get its purchase of Activision Blizzard approved. Some regulatory bodies and industry rivals have claimed that Microsoft will use the acquisition to make games exclusive. Specifically, Call of Duty has been brought up by Sony several times.

Addressing those concerns, Microsoft President Brad Smith announced that Xbox games will be available on NVIDIA GeForce NOW. In addition to titles such as Minecraft, Halo and Flight Simulator, Activision Blizzard games would be on NVIDIA's streaming service if Microsoft's purchase went through.

Microsoft also signed a legally binding contract to bring Xbox games to Nintendo hardware for 10 years. Smith confirmed that Nintendo players will receive access to Call of Duty on "the same day as Xbox, with full feature and content parity."

New Microsoft Teams

Microsoft is working on a new version of Teams that will perform better while using less battery. According to a report by The Verge, the new version is known internally at Microsoft as Teams 2.0 or 2.1.

The new Teams runs on Webview2 tech rather than Electron and uses React instead of JavaScript. Both of those changes factor in to why the refreshed Teams is better than its predecessor.

A preview version of the new Teams should arrive in March and general availability should come at a later date.

Reviews

Our experts take a close look at the latest gadgets, games, accessories, and PCs that come out. This week our team reviewed Atomic Heart, a flightstick that works on Xbox and PC, and a keyboard featuring Elvish keycaps.

• Review: This LOTR Elvish keycap set is easily the best $130 I spent on an accessory
• Atomic Heart review: A beautiful, fun game that often lacks focus and direction
• Microsoft Presenter+ review: Become a Teams and PowerPoint presenting pro with THIS
• Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flightstick review: Designed for Xbox, but it's better on PC

What you need to know

• Dolphin Emulator for UWP allows you to play GameCube and Wii games on the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
• The emulator rolled out in beta in December 2022 and has since received a couple of updates.
• Dolphin Emulator for UWP supports HD upscaling, works with HD texture pack mods, and can be used to play titles in their original resolution.

The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S have a vast library of games, but a new emulator expands that collection even further. It'll take some work to set up, but once you've jumped through the proper hoops, a new standalone Dolphin emulator will let you play almost any GameCube or Wii game on your Xbox console.

Dolphin Emulator for UWP first rolled out in beta on December 6, 2022. It has since received a couple of updates, bringing it to version 1.02.

It's worth noting that emulators fall into a legal gray area.

The standalone Dolphin emulator is capable of upscaling games to up to 1440p. You can also play titles at their original resolution if you prefer. With mods, you can use HD texture packs to make games look more modern and have higher resolution.

The emulator also supports a broadband adapter, but the usefulness of that varies greatly depending on the game you want to play online. For example, Mario Kart Double Dash would require tunnelling software to access online play.

Emulation isn't new the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, or other consoles but the Dolphin emulator has some advantages over other options. As highlighted by Modern Vintage Gamer, the standalone Dolphin emulator is much easier to set up and use than RetroArch (another way to emulate games on the consoles). The standalone Dolphin UWP port for Xbox also delivers better performance.

Of course, you can't just download the Dolphin emulator through the Microsoft Store. The easiest way to install the emulator is by enabling Developer Mode on your Xbox console. It's also possible to set up by using retail mode. A computer is needed to configure your Xbox controller and other parts of your system. You should also have a USB drive handy. Modern Vintage Gamer walks through the entire process in their video.

It's possible to run Dolphin Emulator for UWP on older Xbox consoles, such as the Xbox One X, but performance will see a significant drop compared to playing on the Series X or Series S.

What you need to know

• Microsoft is working to acquire Activision Blizzard for almost $69 billion. 
• Microsoft shared on Tuesday that it has entered a 10-year commitment to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms after the deal closes. 
• Microsoft is also committing to providing Call of Duty on Steam, with a commitment made to Valve.
• The deal is currently undergoing regulatory review.

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has shared even more details about how the company not only plans to keep Call of Duty on existing platforms, but wants to expand it to new ones.

"Microsoft has entered into a 10-year commitment to bring Call of Duty to @Nintendo following the merger of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard King.  Microsoft is committed to helping bring more games to more people – however they choose to play," Spencer shared on Twitter. 

In a follow-up message, Spencer added that Microsoft has committed to continuing to offer Call of Duty on Steam after the deal to acquire Activision Blizzard has finalized. Speaking with the Washington Post, Spencer noted that development on Nintendo Switch versions of the Call of Duty franchise can only begin after June 2023, when the deal is currently set to close.

"Both Xbox and Nintendo are committed to helping bring more games to more people – however they choose to play," a Microsoft spokesperson said to Windows Central. Microsoft president Brad Smith added on Twitter that "Any day @Sony wants to sit down and talk, we'll be happy to hammer out a 10-year deal for PlayStation as well."

This comes as regulators around the world are continuing to examine Microsoft's planned $69 billion purchase, which would add Activision Publishing, Blizzard Entertainment, and King to the Xbox first-party publishing group. Smith recently took out an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, noting that the FTC blocking the deal would be a "huge mistake."

It also comes as Bethesda Softworks QA employees are unionizing, with over 300 employees voting on forming the company's first union. Microsoft has committed to remaining neutral, earning it the aid of the Communication Workers of America, which has asked the FTC to allow the deal to continue.

The latest entry in the Call of Duty series, Modern Warfare 2, sold over $1 billion in its first 10 days on the market. The game is currently the second best-selling title in the U.S. for the year, according to the October 2022 NPD report.

What you need to know

• A new report from Bloomberg sheds additonal light on the challenges the original Xbox faced.
• Microsoft tried purchasing several big gaming companies to help Xbox, including Electronic Arts and Nintendo.
• These purchases obviously did not pan out.

Microsoft's original Xbox had an uphill battle in getting early support and part of the plan for getting said support involved the potential of massive purchases. In a report from Bloomberg, these early struggles are well-documented, with multiple former executives at Microsoft offering comments. Steve Ballmer, then-CEO of Microsoft, was particularly interested in major acquisitions to help Xbox out.

"Steve made us go meet with Nintendo to see if they would consider being acquired. They just laughed their asses off," said Kevin Bachus, director of third-party relations for Xbox at the time. "Like, imagine an hour of somebody just laughing at you. That was kind of how that meeting went."

Microsoft also approached EA, who simply said "No, thanks," according to Bob McBreen, head of business development. Talks were held with Midway and Square which went better but also failed to work out.

While these kinds of big purchases were scoffed at, Microsoft has been steadily building its first-party lineup through a series of acquisitions over the last couple of years. This renewed investment has seen the addition of multiple studios and Microsoft is currently acquiring ZeniMax Media, adding an entire publisher, Bethesda Softworks, to the Xbox lineup. According to Head of Xbox Phil Spencer and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft will consider buying more video game companies for Xbox in the future.

Xbox Series X/S

Main

• Xbox Series X: Everything we know
• Best games coming to Xbox Series X/S
• List of Xbox Series X specs
• What is the Xbox Series X release date?
• How much does Xbox Series X cost?
• Why you can't preorder Xbox Series X yet
• Best Xbox Series X Headsets