Vishal Kamal has been covering video games for 7 years, writing about everything from hardware deals and new releases to esports and the business
side of the industry. He runs TheBadGamer, focused on gaming news worth your time.
AI-driven memory demand has pushed RAM and GPU prices to record highs, making 2026 the worst year in recent memory to build or buy a gaming PC. But for players who already own capable hardware, this year is shaping up to be surprisingly strong — major releases are running well on older systems, and developers are optimizing for the hardware people actually have.
The flood of Fortnite crossovers has reached a saturation point where nearly every major franchise wants a piece of the battle royale. From anime icons to luxury brands, the game has become a marketing platform first and a shooter second. This piece examines whether the endless parade of collaborations actually serves players or simply dilutes the experience.
Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu is now available on PVOD platforms following a theatrical run that grossed $344 million against a $165 million budget. The film marks the lowest-grossing live-action Star Wars movie to date and earned mixed reviews, with IGN giving it a 5/10 and Rotten Tomatoes settling at 60%.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can now stream hundreds of games directly to Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro headsets through the new Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) app. The feature launches today, letting players access titles like Starfield and Forza Horizon 5 on a virtual giant screen without a console or PC.
Former Forza Horizon 5 creative director Mike Brown says the wave of Xbox layoffs and studio closures stems directly from Game Pass failing to hit the subscriber numbers needed to justify Microsoft's $69 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has cut 1,600 staff with another 1,600 planned, while four studios are confirmed to be leaving Microsoft ownership.
Meta Horizon+ subscribers in supported regions now receive a starter edition of Xbox Game Pass at no extra cost, featuring over 50 games and 10 hours of monthly cloud gaming. The partnership between Xbox and Meta expands cloud streaming access directly to Meta Quest headsets. Eligible members can claim the benefit starting today.
Forza Horizon 5 creative director Mike Brown says Xbox Game Pass was a well-meaning idea that simply didn't attract enough subscribers to sustain its studio acquisitions. The Clutch developer believes the resulting layoffs are a direct consequence of that shortfall, not villainy from Xbox leadership.
Sony confirmed it will stop manufacturing physical discs for new PlayStation games starting January 2028, citing a dramatic shift toward digital purchases. U.S. sales data shows only seven PlayStation titles sold over 100,000 physical copies this year, while digital now accounts for nearly 80% of full-game sales on Sony consoles.
Nintendo Switch 2 is available for $399 at Woot for first-time customers using promo code GIFT26, beating the confirmed September 1 price increase from $449.99 to $499.99. The deal ends July 25 and includes refurbished bundle options with Mario Kart World.
New Circana data reveals just seven PlayStation titles have sold over 100,000 physical copies in the US this year, with only two breaking 10,000 units in a single week. The numbers arrive as Sony faces sustained backlash over its plan to end disc production by January 2028.
