Euro Truck Simulator 2 is, outside of the well-known titles such as GTA 6, one of the most hyped upcoming console releases. We know it's coming to Xbox Series X|S and PS5, but other than that, nothing.

The lack of information is only adding to the build-up, but now, finally, there's a strong chance it might be ready for people to see for the first time.

Its maker, SCS Software, has announced it is going to Tokyo Game Show for the first time. While it means we're probably not hearing anything at Gamescom a few weeks prior, SCS is hoping to have a playable console version of Euro Truck Simulator 2 on the Tokyo Game Show floor.

"We're also doing everything we can to bring playable demonstrations of our upcoming Road Trip and Coaches projects to Tokyo Game Show, along with a PlayStation 5 version of Euro Truck Simulator 2. While we're not quite ready to make any promises, our teams are working hard behind the scenes, and we hope to give visitors an early hands-on look at these exciting new experiences."

Alright, so first up, it's the PS5 version of Euro Truck Simulator 2. Which, given it's in Tokyo, makes a lot of sense. Xbox will also be at the show, but let's face it, PS5 is the clear king in Japan of the two. There will be more players at that event that are on PS5 than on Xbox.

It's also not a guarantee, but the fact that SCS has even mentioned it at all must mean they're somewhat confident of making it stick. The other content they're hoping to show off we've at least already seen to some degree. The console version is the unicorn right now.

There are so many questions players have over how the experience will translate to console. It has to be flawless on a controller, for example, and I'm confident enough it will be. I play both Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator on my Steam Deck regularly with its built-in gamepad.

But a PC game supporting a controller is not the same as a truly controller-native console experience. It's also great news for the development of the game if SCS believes it's in a good enough state to allow members of the public to take a look.

What it very much isn't, though, is any confirmation of imminent release. For one, it's only one of the two games. American Truck Simulator isn't mentioned. Is there a chance we'll hear more about the desired timeframe? Possibly.

Either way, for console players who are waiting impatiently for the insanely popular truck simulators to finally break free of their PC exclusivity, this is the best piece of news since they were first revealed.

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The beauty of a handheld gaming PC is its size and that it's also a full PC. The downside is that, unlike a laptop, you need to accessorize in order to achieve productivity status.

A Nintendo Switch 2 may well have a 'mouse' now, but you're not going to use it to bang out some emails and spreadsheets on the train.

I've had a Steam Deck since the very beginning, and as an open fan of Linux, I'm more than happy using it as a PC as well as a handheld games machine. Razer has now released a new product to go with one of its existing products that's particularly useful for the former.

Unlike everything else Razer makes, it doesn't have some wild monicker. It's simply the Razer Travel Case Folio, and it's designed to transport your favorite portable keyboard and prop up your favorite portable device.

Nothing overly fancy, but in the case of handhelds, it's actually pretty nifty.

The keyboard part is designed primarily around the Razer Joro wireless keyboard, which I have, and is the only keyboard I ever travel with in conjunction with my Steam Deck. The box also says it's a seamless fit with Apple's Magic Keyboard, if you're so inclined.

As yes, one of the reasons you'd want to buy this case is if you're an iPad owner (other tablets are also available). It'll support up to a 13-inch tablet to use with your keyboard, as the back of the case opens up in a manner regulars in these parts will be familiar with.

The Travel Case Folio has a Surface-style kickstand on the back.

I have to say I'm surprised at how sturdy it is. It has zero struggle propping up my hefty Valve handheld, and in the same vein as a Surface kickstand, you can adjust your angle to suit.

The keyboard doesn't lock into place or anything, but it's secure when the case is closed, kept in snug by the magnetic closing flap. I also like that there's a cutout on the case to connect a charger without needing to open it up. One is for the Joro, and one is more centralized for Apple's keyboard.

One small gripe I have though, and it is only small, is that the cutout for Razer's own Joro could have been a little larger or had a secondary one for the power switch. I never remember to turn the keyboard off, and every single time I've pressed something as I've packed it away, and that translates to something happening on the screen.

So I have to get it out again, open up the case, turn off the keyboard, and pack it all back up. And no, after many, many times of doing this, I still haven't remembered.

It's a really nice product though. Spill resistant on the outside, soft and protective on the inside, and it works better than I expected as a kickstand for a handheld. Even with my Steam Deck in a case, it will still stand up just fine. Perfect for those of us who don't have a Legion Go.

At $55.99 from the Razer Store, it's not that expensive, either. Obviously, if you don't have one of the two keyboards it's built for, then it's probably not worth it, but given that the Razer Joro is a $140 portable keyboard, it's worth the investment. I think I'm more surprised it took this long.

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Xbox is legally required in some territories, such as the UK and, more recently, Australia, to verify the age of its users in order to access certain features.

Whether we like it or not, there's no way around it. Governments will always government. But what most of us objected to more was the use of faceless third-parties that were being used to verify some of our most personal information. In Xbox's case, it was Yoti, a company that's found itself in hot water before over its handling of data.

Fortunately, at long, long last, if you've held out on completing Xbox age verification, it looks like you won't have to. A message is hitting the inboxes of those accounts that haven't yet verified their age through other means but have been determined as having an "adult account" through their activity.

Our own Ben Wilson was one such holdout and got the message himself last night. Here's what it says in full:

Due to longstanding account activity, we've estimated your Xbox profile to be an adult account and updated its age verification status to "Verified." You are no longer required to complete full age verification for uninterrupted access to social features on Xbox. While no further action is required, you can update your privacy and safety settings on Xbox at any time. For more information, click "Learn more" below.

Reddit is likewise lighting up with folks who've had the same message and have been released from the requirements to verify their age for full access.

This seems to be taking place predominantly in the UK, with Australian age verification recently hitting the news as frustrated users see what us Brits were faced with at first.

But since Xbox can clearly identify your age effectively using your account data, why isn't it applied automatically to everyone immediately?

I don't personally care whether I have to be verified as an adult or not, but I do care about being asked to hand over biometric data to companies I have no usual business with. I remember many years ago, being told by a local shop they wouldn't photocopy my passport for me because they wouldn't handle personal information such as this.

Now we're being asked to funnel all that into a computer somewhere, trusting that they're going to behave responsibly with it.

But a win's a win. Even if it's a win that took a little long to get here. Hopefully it can roll out quickly in any subsequent markets that require age verification.

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Sony's decision to kill physical games from 2028 is the discussion that won't go away, and we're still waiting to see what the Xbox stance will be.

But wading in today is Strauss Zenick, CEO of Take Two (via IGN), otherwise known as the company that counts Rockstar Games among its portfolio. The same Rockstar Games that recently printed a ridiculous sum of money when GTA 6 pre-orders went live.

Only this time, and for the first time in the franchise, there will be no physical version at all. If you buy it from a retailer, all you get is a download code. Naturally, Zelnick is all for this.

“Our business is well over 90% digitally distributed,” Zelnick said. “It's already a digital business. So in certain instances, especially if it's a big game, discs just — and note I said discs — don't really make sense for the consumer.

Also, most instances you have to register online to play anyhow. So if you're already connected, who cares if you download digitally? It's all the same and it's much more convenient."

Granted, I'll give Rockstar Games specifically a little more slack here. GTA V came on two discs on the Xbox 360 originally because the game was too big for one (PS3 used Blu-Ray and was a single disc). Likewise, even on the larger capacity discs for Xbox One, Red Dead Redemption 2 suffered the same fate.

Nobody wants to get up and have to change discs. Not to mention more raw materials, manufacturing costs, etc. But I take particular exception to the second part of the quote above.

It's not our fault we have to register online to play a game. It's not our fault we need to have a Microsoft or Sony account, probably also a Rockstar Games account created alongside either of those. A subscription to play online. Alongside an account for every other different publisher who says we need to have an account.

Are digital games more convenient? Of course they are. But let's not pretend that this has anything to do with making our lives easier. Without a physical copy of something in our hands, we know that at any point it could just vanish without a trace.

It's not remotely surprising GTA 6 is digital-only. Even ignoring the likely technical issues fitting much of it onto a disc, it kills the resale market stone dead. Used game stores won't have copies of GTA 6 on the shelves after players are done with it. GTA Online is the cash cow, but there are still plenty of us who will play the campaign and call it a day. Those players can't sell on or trade in their copy anymore.

Curiously, Zelnick also said that "It doesn't mean that we won't have physical additions now and then, I'm sure we will in the same way that there’s still vinyl in the recorded music business." I don't even know where he's going with that one.

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As price rises hit everything thanks to the RAMpocalypse, with SSDs, memory, graphics cards, PCs, handhelds, consoles, and literally everything getting more expensive, let's celebrate when someone beats the system.

Sure, it's only one person, but at this point, I'm so utterly depressed with the state of things that I'm ready to buy this person a beer and shake their hand.

You see the doom and gloom everywhere, so when I was browsing Reddit this morning and came across a post where someone had secured an NVIDIA RTX 3050 graphics card for just FIVE DOLLARS, I have to shout it out.

Is it the greatest deal of all time? Honestly, even before the price rises, I'd have grabbed this, thrown down a $5 bill, and run out of the store before anyone realized what they'd done putting that price tag on it.

Is the RTX 3050 a particularly good graphics card? I mean, it depends what you want to do with it. It'd be pretty good as a budget video encoding card for streaming; it'll play games at 1080p fairly well, too. Hell, I'd have absolutely put it into a machine and given it to my son.

For five bucks I would have found something to use it for. Maybe slap it inside the home server I've been wanting to build again for years to handle video transcoding. I don't care; I'd have found something to do with it.

That's assuming it works properly, of course. The post does show a Windows boot screen, so it would appear it at least gives video output, so that's a start. With a used, mystery GPU like this, you'd have to test it properly, and most definitely you'd want to strip it down, clean it up, and give it some new thermal paste.

But for $5, who cares? Worth a go, right? It's just nice to see someone have a win right now. If you were to buy a brand new RTX 3050 right now, you're looking at paying at least $250 if you went to somewhere like Best Buy. Nobody should pay $250 for a two-generation-old budget graphics card.

It also gets me thinking: What's the absolute craziest deal you've ever found on a piece of hardware? I think I've only ever been so lucky once, managing to get a Surface Go 2 LTE with a price mistake once and securing it for essentially free with an inexpensive data SIM contract.

It should have been a couple of hundred British pounds, and I got it for £8. And even though it was a mistake, it was still honored, and I got my Surface Go 2.

So jump into the comments below and let me know your personal craziest deal. Meanwhile, I'm definitely raising a glass to this person. Hopefully it all works well, and if so, you've definitely beaten the system right now.

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Five years ago back in 2021, a game was released with a famous franchise attached that initially slipped me by. I'm talking about Aliens: Fireteam Elite.

I don't really have any affinity for the movie franchise, so that's likely why I didn't even give it a look. But after catching a couple of streamers playing it, I took a punt, and boy was I in for a surprise.

To this day I think Aliens: Fireteam Elite is woefully underrated. I can't speak to whether it's a truly authentic Aliens experience, but it's a fun game with plenty of replayability, without being too serious or requiring all your time. And it's about to leave Xbox Game Pass in 9 days as I write this, so consider this your notice to check it out while you still can.

You've got various classes and loadouts to build out, perks, different weapons, and hidden caches to find to get yourself some of the better loot. It has mild elements of a looter shooter in its mechanics, but it really isn't one.

It's a run-and-gun action game where your objective primarily is slaying alien creatures. Lots and lots of alien creatures. My former colleague, Miles Dompier, summed it up perfectly in our original 2021 review.

"Aliens: Fireteam Elite genuinely caught me off guard. I was excited about the idea of playing another co-op shooter in the Aliens universe, but I wasn't confident it would be a quality title worth spending a great deal of time with. However, my squad and I are already strategizing our loadouts for the more extreme difficulties. Despite my initial reservations, I'm fully expecting to spend the next several weeks playing Aliens: Fireteam Elite with friends."

This is exactly what happened to me, though I played more solo than with others. While it's more fun with friends, it's perfectly playable solo from beginning to end.

Better still, the Pathogen expansion is currently heavily discounted, too, and I'll be honest, that passed me by. I own the game (and it has Xbox Play Anywhere, too), but with Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 coming really soon, it's as good a time as any to revisit this gem.

But seriously, if you're stuck for something to play right now and you have Xbox Game Pass Premium, Ultimate, or PC Game Pass, take it for a spin. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

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I'm just going to say it as plain as I can: Microsoft customer support really needs to improve. We have, of course, had the recent case where someone being locked out of their account went viral on social media, which seemingly magically prompted some action.

Now, over on the Steam Deck subreddit there's an exhausting tale of a player who has been locked out of playing Forza Horizon 6 for 70 days over an issue with cloud sync. And guess what? Xbox support apparently can do nothing to help.

The detailed explanation goes through the entire ordeal, but the problem boils down to an issue with Forza Horizon 6 syncing to Microsoft's servers, not Steam. The game crashed and appears to have created a server-side block on the sync completing, and now leaves the game unplayable as soon as it tries to connect.

I can already hear some that would point at the Steam Deck being the problem. But for starters, the game is Steam Deck verified, and user reports on ProtonDB for the game are pretty good. But games crash on Windows, too.

The alarming part here seems to be that what's happened could, in theory, happen to anyone who bought the game on Steam and doesn't have access to an Xbox to fix it.

Because the short end to the long story is that the final official support 'solution' is to use an Xbox console to delete the cloud save. Which is fine, if you have an Xbox console. Chances are if you bought Forza Horizon 6 on Steam, though, maybe you don't? Either that or you hate money since it's Xbox Play Anywhere through the Xbox App on Windows.

Part of the frustration seems to be that neither the Forza nor Xbox support teams can delete this data on a player's behalf. I find it very hard to believe that a company the size of Microsoft with such an intricate web of servers and cloud support wouldn't be able to do this. It is, however, more convenient to try and pass it down to us to sort out.

It also potentially highlights a weakness within the Xbox cloud system itself, but that's a discussion for another day. But it wouldn't be a stretch to hope that if a sync fails, the system just falls back to the last one that didn't rather than locking up entirely.

Reading this whole drama is just disappointing. Either there are fundamental problems with Microsoft systems that need addressing, or, and I feel like this is probably more likely, customer support just isn't up to scratch.

I've had my own issues over the years with other areas of customer support within Microsoft, so I definitely don't think it's new. And let's be real, the chances of support agents being replaced by AI loom ever larger.

Fortunately, there is a potential way out, but it's not exactly what you'd call a solution. Many on the Reddit thread have suggested signing up for Game Pass and trying to utilize Xbox Cloud Gaming to see if that can help unblock the cloud sync.

Without an Xbox console handy, this is probably the only thing that could be tried, and it sounds like it could work, but the OP hasn't yet come back with an update. Even if it does, it's still some added expense and effort that shouldn't be needed.

Trying to access the cloud storage via the Xbox web app hasn't seemed to work, either, as if the game hasn't been played through cloud streaming in the last 30 days, nothing appears. Likewise, the original poster hasn't had any joy using the Xbox App on Windows 11.

But it's yet another tale after years and years of tales of poor support from Xbox/Microsoft when it comes to technical issues blocking players from their content. It should not take someone going onto the internet and going viral to prompt action.

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The Nintendo Switch 2 is now a little over a year old, but one game that a whole bunch of owners would have been hoping for an upgraded version of hasn't yet materialised. That game is Minecraft.

The good news is that will end fairly soon, as Microsoft's behemoth is almost ready for it. The Nintendo Switch 2 Minecraft upgrade is currently confirmed for October 27, 2026.

Obviously this is good news for Switch 2 owners, which includes my own impatient son. For existing owners a "digital upgrade path" will be available, with more information to come. It also doesn't say this upgrade will be free, and the wording definitely makes me feel like there will be some kind of cost attached. But I guess we'll have to wait and see.

The Switch 2 upgrade to Minecraft will bring it more in line with other platforms, with the new Vibrant Visuals experience being enabled as default.

"Let me unfurl this metaphorical scroll a little to remind you why we’re all so excited. First, the Nintendo Switch™ 2 renders the world of Minecraft to lush life with Vibrant Visuals – set as the default visual experience. This means enhanced lighting, shadow effects and more – and you can even enjoy Vibrant Visuals* enabled content across all the supported content in Minecraft Marketplace. "

This also extends to the exclusive Super Mario pack that's only available on the Nintendo version of Minecraft. It, too, will be given some Vibrant Visuals, so have fun with it.

If anything, I'm only surprised it's taken this long. Vibrant Visuals launched around the same time as the Nintendo Switch 2, and it'll be 16 months on when the upgrade is finally made available.

Minecraft has recently been brought directly under Xbox leadership and its CEO, Asha Sharma. It's reported she feels Microsoft has underinvested in Minecraft as a platform and wants to change that in the face of increasing competition from other game-as-a-platform titles such as Roblox.

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GTA 6 + Netflix. Just completely out of nowhere. But it's not a joke.

Announced today by its creator, Rockstar Games, is "Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look" and it will be premiering on Netflix on August 27 at 3pm Eastern.

If you're still at work or you don't subscribe to Netflix, don't panic, it will be added to YouTube later.

Netflix has an exclusive on probably the hottest show of the year, but not for long. Later the very same day, August 27, the same show will be uploaded to the Rockstar YouTube channel and the GTA 6 website at 9pm Eastern.

What are we actually going to see, though? That's still a secret. But since December 2023 we've only had two actual trailers, and neither of those has shown us any gameplay. Both were full cinematics showing off some of the characters and locations we can expect to see in Vice City.

So, surely you'd expect an "extended look" to at least show us some gameplay, right?

At this point, though, any information would be good information. We know nothing official about the story, the size of the map, any online plans, gameplay. It's the most hyped game of all time and we know essentially nothing about it.

We do know that it's currently scheduled to release on November 19, 2026, and that to play at launch you'll need to be on Xbox Series X|S or PS5. And that you can pre-order GTA 6 now.

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One thing we haven't had so much of with the Xbox Series X|S compared to previous generations is limited edition consoles. There have been some, like the Halo Xbox Series X and some competition specials, but compared to the Xbox 360 and Xbox One especially, it's been a pretty dry time.

Some of the older limited editions command a pretty penny on the used market these days, and obviously there's a finite supply of them. But there are some real gems, like the Gears 5 Xbox One X (pictured above) or even the blood red Gears of War 4 Xbox One S. Later this year we'll also see the Xbox Series X25, with its classic translucent green shell. Though unfortunately, a vastly increased price, now.

But over on the Xbox subreddit there's a thread rolling right now where folks are talking about these consoles, so I thought I'd bring it on over here, too. So what's your favorite limited edition Xbox console of all time?

There are some incredible choices on the Reddit thread, from the classic Crystal Green OG Xbox through the Halo 4 Xbox 360, the Titanfall Xbox One, and some others that folks like myself based in the UK might not even have known existed.

I didn't know there was a Taco Bell Xbox One X, for example, nor a green Mountain Dew OG Xbox. Granted, neither of these were actually sold, but they still exist, and I'd definitely go for a Mountain Dew Xbox if I could get my hands on one without selling a kidney.

I've never actually owned a limited edition console myself. The closest I've come so far is the Project Scorpio launch edition Xbox One X, which I still have in my office looking pretty.

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If I had to pick, it'd be between two. The Xbox console I always coveted the most was the Crystal Green first-generation. I wish I'd chopped in my standard black console to get one, but given I'd already spent a whole paycheck from a part-time job on one at the age of 17, I decided against it lest I risk the wrath of the parents.

The other might be one most wouldn't pick given some of the wild designs, but as a massive fan of the franchise, I always wanted the blue Forza Edition Xbox One. It didn't help that a friend of mine actually had one, taunting me every time I went over.

So, those are my picks, but I'm more interested in yours. There's no shortage to choose from, so hit the comments below and share your own favorite limited edition Xbox console design from the last 25 years!

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Players of Dovetail Games' popular train simulator, Train Sim World 6, on Xbox One and PS4 have unfortunate bad news to endure.

Currently the game and all DLC content have been made available on last-gen hardware, but that is now coming to an end.

The announcement was made on the developer's blog, alongside information on exactly what it means for players on Xbox One and PS4.

"Train Sim World titles and new TSW Add-on releases developed from this date onwards will only be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC platforms (Steam, Xbox for PC and Epic Games).

This change is essential for allowing the teams that create TSW content freedom to take advantage of current-gen hardware, prioritising the best performance possible, and improving the visual quality as much as they can."

The good news is that this change doesn't affect content you've already bought up to now. It's still there, it's still playable, and it's still supported. The cancellation only applies to any further DLC content for Train Sim World 6 and for future games in the franchise. To play any of that, you'll need to be on PC, Xbox Series X|S, or PS5.

It's sad news for players still on the last-gen consoles, for sure, but credit to Dovetail Games for holding out as long as it has.

Even Xbox has finally had to take the plunge with Call of Duty, with Modern Warfare 4 not releasing on Xbox One or PS4, either. It's particularly bad timing for those still holding onto their older consoles given that both Xbox and Sony have recently increased prices on the new consoles, too.

If you are on Xbox One with Train Sim World 6, you do at least have options. It supports Xbox Play Anywhere, for one, so if you can move to PC, you can take all of your existing content with you so long as you use the Xbox App. You can't transfer your content to Steam or Epic Games. Content does transfer between Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S as you would expect, and PS4 players can also carry over to PS5.

Train Sim World 6 is also supported by Xbox Cloud Gaming, so even though your console may not be up to scratch going forward, you can still keep playing through the cloud if you're unable to move natively to supported hardware. PS4 owners don't have that luxury, as cloud streaming on PlayStation is limited to owners of the PS5 version.

While the timing might not be great, it's understandable. Games are more demanding than ever, and ultimately no experience at all is better than paying for something and having a bad experience.

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If you use a Steam Deck, then the first thing I would always recommend is to install Decky Loader. From there, one of the first plugins I'd recommend is SteamGridDB, because let's face it, the box art isn't always the best artwork you can have in your games library.

Now, though, SteamGridDB is also on Windows 11. We first covered SteamGridDB for Windows 11 a while ago, but until recently I hadn't really given it much notice.

I've started using the Xbox App on Windows 11 as my go-to launcher since I'm in there a lot for Game Pass games, anyway.

But while it's convenient having the Xbox App launch games also from Steam, Epic Games, Ubisoft, etc., one thing made me twitch; the artwork pulled in was awful. Low-res icons mostly rather than full artwork.

This is where SteamGridDB comes in. Just as on the Steam Deck, you can use it to select custom art for your games, and in this case, bring your non-Xbox titles up to the standard of those you're getting directly through the app.

SteamGridDB is not an app, as such, but instead a Game Bar widget. So to make your changes you have to go through Game Bar, but I actually think I prefer it this way. It can't hook into the Xbox App like it can hook into SteamOS, so it's probably the next best thing this way.

These days you can get it directly from the Microsoft Store, and once it's installed, you may just need to launch it from the Widgets Menu on the Game Bar.

But it's as simple as selecting a game, hitting the search icon, and compatible artwork will show up. The selections in my experience aren't quite as plentiful as they are on SteamOS, but there's not been a game I've come across where there isn't something that's a whole heck of a lot better than a crummy low-res icon.

Once you choose your artwork, the next time you go to your library in the Xbox App, it'll have been applied, and it won't make your eyes bleed any longer.

I'm using it on my desktop PC, but it's particularly useful if you're on a handheld gaming PC such as the Xbox Ally or Lenovo Legion Go series. Clean library, clean mind!

Game Bar is one of those features I use a lot without really exploring what it can do, and SteamGridDB is now a permanently pinned widget. It only takes seconds to make a change, and it's so worth it.

It's a must-have if, like me, you're using the Xbox App to launch games from elsewhere.

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Those of us old enough to have played Halo: Combat Evolved when it was first around (I think we're boomers now?) will have probably done so with the most legendary of all Xbox controllers.

The Duke.

The absolute goliath of a controller that back then, in my teenage hands, felt like a dinner plate. But what a thing. Hefty, sturdy, a real piece of equipment. I adapted pretty quickly, having been used to the equally sizable Dreamcast controller, and have many fond memories of one of Xbox's most iconic franchises.

I hadn't even thought of digging out my Hyperkin Duke for Halo: Campaign Evolved until I came across a thread on Reddit simply calling it a "nostalgia rush."

It just feels right.

The only trouble is that if you don't already have one of Hyperkin's remade controllers, they're not as plentiful as they once were.

Right now you can only buy the white Xbox 20th anniversary edition, with the original black and the crystal green ones no longer in stock (unless you hunt a used one down.)

The Hyperkin Duke is a perfect recreation of the original, except you can use it on modern Xbox consoles and your PC. The icing on the cake is the OLED panel in the giant center button that shows the OG Xbox boot-up screen when the controller is connected.

As my colleague, Jez Corden, wrote when first trying it out, this controller is built for nostalgia. Playing backwards compatible games with it just feels right. Halo: Campaign Evolved may be shiny and new, but it's as classic an Xbox game as you can get.

After all, the original incarnation of the game was the console seller back then. I'm not a massive Halo fan these days, but the original is the game that got me to buy an Xbox. The first time I played it at a friend's house with a Duke, all of my next paycheck from my part-time job was used to buy a console and a copy of Halo.

I haven't played Campaign Evolved yet, but suddenly I have the urge to dig out my green Duke from the box of many things in the attic and get to it. Better still, I guess, now we're also getting original Xbox backwards compatible games on PC, too.

Oh, and if the Duke is a little too big, you can still buy the smaller Duchess from Hyperkin, too. Same nostalgia, smaller size.

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Earlier this week, my colleague, Alex Cope, wrote a piece detailing how a surprise game had turned around his growing ill feelings towards gaming. It resonated with me because it mirrors a lot of the same feelings I've been having myself.

There's a huge selection of great games out there, don't get me wrong, but the whole state of the industry weighs heavy. Not to mention I'm really burned out on live service gaming and the constant grift.

Thanks to another of my colleagues, Ben Wilson, I finally opened up a couple of games I've had sitting in my Steam backlog for actual years: American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2.

I. Am. Hooked.

I've always known how popular these games are, but I finally get it. You're given an enormous sandbox to play in, and you can make of it what you wish. Play the game, make your own game, change it with add-ons, or play with others on community servers.

These are old games but still get new content regularly and, at some point, will finally arrive on console, too. If you look at them and think it might be a tedious gameplay loop, you couldn't be more wrong.

For me, it's all about the drive

You can pretty much make of Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator what you want. There's no campaign to speak of, and from the off you're able to drive anywhere on any of the maps you own.

For me, it's the driving that's completely sucked me in. I could easily be making money faster, buying more trucks, hiring more drivers, and building my own virtual empire, but I'm not really driven that way.

It's all about the road trips. Leveling up to open up bigger, more valuable cargo earns more monetary reward, but it also opens up longer drives. It's one of the most relaxing video games I've ever played.

Sure, AI traffic at times acts dumb and produces a bit of the old virtual road rage, but mostly it's me, my trailer, and the open road. Stick on some music from the selection of in-game but still real-world radio stations, settle in, and admire the surroundings.

It can be challenging, too. Navigating tight roads gets the brain matter working, and I'm still not very good at reversing a trailer, but it also never feels frustrating. There's a real sense of satisfaction when you do it right and don't crash into everything around you.

Hours just fly past. Thinking, "Oh, I'll just jump on and do a few short deliveries," suddenly becomes driving across the entire map. I don't even have all the DLCs for either of the games, but without consciously thinking about it, I'm accepting a 1,000-mile+ drive from New Mexico up to Oregon.

I've spent more time in American Truck Simulator than I have in Euro Truck Simulator 2 purely because I think the drives are better. I've seen plenty of real-life Europe in my years on the planet, and it's nice, but it's not quite the same as some of the spectacular scenery in the U.S.

It feels more like a real road adventure to me.

Both games have limitless potential for customization

Besides the quantity of official DLCs, both American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2 have quite ridiculous mod support. Both from the Steam Workshop and external sources.

I've barely scratched the surface of this yet, but it's mindboggling how far you can go. You can add real-life companies to replace the standard, fake ones. You can download new vehicles, including those not officially in the game. There are graphics mods, physics mods, weather mods, mods to customize your trucks, and mods to change the traffic.

If you can think of it, there's probably already a mod for it.

There are also ways to play with others. Inside the game, there are convoys that you can join in with, but there are also external options, with the most well-known being TruckersMP.

This is a mod that allows you to drive on dedicated servers alongside other real people rather than AI traffic, and there's a whole community built around it. I haven't yet dipped a toe in the multiplayer waters, so I can't speak with any authority, but the option is there.

Ultimately, you can make the experience your own. If you want to go down the hyper-realism route, you can. If you're happy just trucking by yourself using the official content, you can do that too. Or any step in between.

Both Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator play great on handhelds

Most of my time trucking so far has actually been spent on my Steam Deck, feet up on the sofa. One day I'm going to get more serious with a wheel and probably a button box, but it's perfectly enjoyable with a controller and a handheld.

Both games actually have a native Linux version you can enjoy on the Steam Deck, and both are still being kept up to date with the Windows equivalent. I've been playing it through Proton instead, and I do think it's a little better overall. But you don't have to. They're as pick-up-and-play as it can be on SteamOS.

There are limitations, and frame rate will drop in some of the newer DLCs and the bigger cities, but overall, it's superb. I'm not even playing on the lowest settings, either. Some are set to low, but most are on medium, and it's working just fine. It looks good enough to still feel impressive on those long drives through the countryside.

Both are perfect games to play on a handheld, and for me at least, I get added relaxation from moving away from my gaming PC. The one I spend all day in front of while I'm working. These two truck sims plus the Steam Deck are a perfect antidote.

Mostly, I'm wondering why I waited so long. I said the same about Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, too.

I've always loved games where you can explore, and what's better than a huge open map to drive across as you please?

If you've ever been even curious, I definitely recommend checking out at least one of them. The base games are cheap, and while there's a lot of DLC map add-ons, there's enough road in each of the base maps to help you get a feel for it.

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Technology rarely stands still, and having a job like this means seeing newer, better, faster hardware on a regular basis. But through all of the upgrades I've made in the last decade, there's one piece of tech that has been with me throughout and won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Many years ago, I bought a monitor to pair with my gaming PC of the time. You can read about it in my Dell S2417DG review, which I had to double-check the date on. I've had this monitor for 9 years now.

It's not the only PC monitor I've used in that time, of course. I've paired it with various other secondaries, and I've moved it off to use with another PC while I review other monitors.

But almost a decade after cracking open the box, it's still here. It's my primary display for work and for PC gaming, and unlike every other piece of tech I've got itchy feet over upgrading through the years, I've got no plans to get rid of the Dell S2417DG. It's still plenty good enough, even for gaming when refresh rates have gone through the roof. I absolutely adore it.

What makes the Dell S2417DG so good

When I originally bought and subsequently reviewed the Dell S2417DG, I was looking for three things in particular.

• 1440p
• High refresh rate
• NVIDIA G-Sync support

At a then-list price of $430, compared to a lot of the competition, the S2417DG represented phenomenal value. The key specs that drew me to this specific model are highlighted in the table below.

When I bought it, I'd just secured an NVIDIA GTX 1080 Ti, the beast of its time, and my previous primary monitor didn't have a refresh rate or resolution high enough to allow me to stretch its legs.

Fast forward 9 years and I'm still happy gaming at 1440p and still happy at 165Hz. Could I do 4K? Sure, I'm fortunate to be running an RTX 5090 these days. Could I do more frames? Absolutely.

I've tested laptops and monitors with higher resolution and/or refresh rates far in excess of 165Hz and never once felt I needed more in my own setup. Playing Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 at 240Hz rather than 165Hz is not going to suddenly change the game for me. It certainly won't help a gamer in his forties be any better at it.

For day-to-day use, I've long felt 120Hz is the sweet spot. I only really use 165Hz because this monitor has a factory overclock, so why not?

But it has everything I need. The color isn't the absolute greatest, but 98% sRGB is fine for my needs since I don't do any serious color accuracy work, and games still look great.

Even with an older DisplayPort standard, I haven't yet been held back, and the 1ms response has since been beaten by newer monitors, but again, it was more than enough back then for me, and it's still the same today.

In years past, I also made use of the USB 3.0 hub built into the monitor. Nowadays my desktop PC has enough USB ports that are faster than this that I don't need to. But in the early days it was extremely useful.

Only one area this monitor has started to underperform

Over the lifespan of this monitor, I've also used it hooked up to my Xbox console. It's only here, now, that it's starting to show its age.

The HDMI 1.4 port on the Dell S2417DG is hard-capped at 60Hz, even though it will still support the 1440p native resolution. Even dropping to 1080p, that 60Hz cap applies on this monitor.

It's not a total dealbreaker, since 60Hz has been fine on console for long enough, but with an Xbox Series X I'm not able to make full use of the 120Hz capabilities in supported games using this monitor anymore.

As such, the Xbox Series X has been hooked up to a more modern 1080p monitor with a newer spec HDMI connection. I'll take frame rate over resolution any day.

I don't see the point in 'upgrading' to a newer monitor

Are there better monitors out there? Of course there are. There are plenty with 4K displays, OLED, faster refresh rates, and larger panels.

But I've long felt 1440p is the sweet spot for gaming. I don't have the space for large displays, and having tested higher refresh rate panels, I don't actually feel like I'd be getting anything beneficial.

Call of Duty is the only 'competitive' game I play, and I've got enough FPS to be comfortable in that. Looking at what's out there right now at prices I'd be comfortable paying, I feel like any new monitor would be a sidegrade, less so than an upgrade.

Would I be better off with more up-to-date ports? Most likely I would, but I've been fine for 9 years now without feeling like I'm held back. The old warhorse is still pulling along as well as it ever did.

I'm also a big believer in not adding to e-waste. I could sell this on to someone else, but it works well enough still, so what's the point in that? Times are hard, everything is more expensive than ever before, and you never know when you'll need to cash in a kidney to buy another stick of RAM or an SSD.

I truly can't think of another piece of tech I still own and have used for as long as this monitor consistently. I'm just praying that writing about it doesn't hex the whole thing and I wake up tomorrow and it decides it's had enough...

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We're headed towards an all-digital future, and there's nothing we can do about it. We've only ourselves to blame, really. As more of us moved away from buying physical music, movies, and video games, it's given the platform holders the fuel they need to do away with it entirely.

PlayStation has already pulled the trigger, confirming that from 2028 there will be no new physical console games released. The next Xbox, Project Helix, is going to be some kind of PC/console mashup, and we're expecting it'll do the same. We already have the Xbox Series S and a digital-only version of the Xbox Series X.

I'm not an eggs-in-either-basket person. I have a large library of digital content, as well as physical games, music, and movies. I like buying a thing on a disc, and I appreciate the convenience of not having to do that, also.

But in less than a week we've had two major Xbox outages and one from PlayStation; living proof this all-digital future we seem to be locked into is going to be pretty awful at times.

Unfortunately, I don't really know the answer. One thing is pretty clear, though; we need more robust systems in place and we need reliable ways to enjoy our content in an offline environment when these systems go down.

Offline access needs to be guaranteed

It's not just Xbox and PlayStation catching attention for the wrong reasons in recent weeks. Ubisoft had a hit on its hands when it launched Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, only to stomp all over it when folks couldn't play it offline on PC.

A Ubisoft Connect outage somehow also stopped players playing the game offline, leading us to question whether Ubisoft even knows what an offline mode really is. Ironically there were comments about saying pirated versions of the game were working just fine

We've since found out that a licensing tool not specific within Microsoft to just Xbox is what failed and ultimately brought everything crashing down around it. Folks couldn't even see their library of 'owned' games. All these systems are in place to prove 'ownership' of our content, and it turns out that they're not necessarily up to scratch.

Steam, for all its faults, at least has a pretty robust offline mode. There are still conditions that need to be met, but assuming you keep game files up to date, there's no external connection required to launch or play, and it uses Steam's own DRM for your 'ownership' check, you're usually able to play when you don't have a connection.

I've had a Steam Deck for four years now and never once have had an issue playing a game offline on it that didn't need outside connections. The rest really do need to catch up.

The future really isn't so bright after all

I've been feeling increasingly disillusioned with gaming over the past few months, for many reasons I won't go into here. The Xbox layoffs situation certainly hasn't helped.

But I think it also carries over a little from other media. Trying to explain to my children what it was like when I was their age is like speaking a foreign language.

Going to Blockbuster to find a movie to watch at the weekend. Hitting the local games store with friends to hunt for something new to play, then being able to just put a cartridge or disc into a console and get right to playing it. No updates, no accounts, just straight into the fun.

The entertainment industry as a whole is structured now to take as much money as possible from us and give us the least in return. Instead of focusing on making good games (at least at the biggest studios), the focus is on how to ensure that a game can extract revenue for as long as possible.

We're paying more than ever with less to show for it. And it's only going to get worse.

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Sim Update 6 for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is on its way, and following the recent first beta release, there's now a newer one to try out with more new features.

In the Sim Update 6 1.8.8.0 beta there are two pieces of new content to take a look at, including the much-anticipated return of Bush Trips from Flight Simulator 2020.

It's not all of them at this point, but it sounds like a good chunk are available to try out before the public release, per the patch notes.

"As announced during FlightSimExpo 2026, bush trips are coming to MSFS 2024 and are now accessible in the Sim Update 6 Beta from the Activities menu. We have added a large amount of the bush trips from MSFS 2020 already and more will be added in the coming days."

The other fresh content concerns lighting, one of the already promised big upgrades for Sim Update 6. Generic airport lighting upgrades were made in the previous beta, while this latest one adds MastLights to those same generic airports, improving the illumination at parking spots.

This is on top of the features that came in the first Sim Update 6 beta, including DLSS 4.5, FSR 4, and the ability to skip walkarounds in Free Flight mode.

If you want to try the new beta for yourself, how you get in depends on where you're playing. Sign up to be a Flight Simulator Insider first, and then flights are managed through the XBOX Insider Hub app on console or PC.

Steam betas are managed through the game's Properties menu, and PS5 players can download the beta via the PlayStation Store.

There's no release date yet set for the public version of Sim Update 6, but the latest roadmap shows a July or August timeframe. So it's not too far away.

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The day when AI isn't completely polarizing feels like it'll never arrive, and there's a definite divide between those for and those against.

This drama has now spilled into the Linux kernel, prompting a lengthy and firm response from its creator, Linus Torvalds (via GamingOnLinux).

It emerged as a topic referencing using AI and a tool called "Sashiko" for agentic reviews of changes to the Linux kernel. Then in swoops Torvalds to firmly put his foot down.

The full transcript of his response is below:

"Yes.

And no, that's not the position of the Linux kernel. I realize that some people really dislike AI, but this is an area where I'm willing to absolutely put my foot down as the top-level maintainer.

Linux is not one of those anti-AI projects, and if somebody has issues with that, they can do the open-source thing and fork it.

Or just walk away.

AI is a tool, just like other tools we use. And it's clearly a useful one.

It may not have been that "clearly" even just a year ago, but it's no longer in question today.

There are other questions around AI (like what the economy of it will actually look like in the end), but "is it useful" is no longer one of those questions. Anybody who doubts that clearly hasn't actually used it.

Yes, it can also be a somewhat painful tool, both for maintainer workloads and just from a "it keeps finding embarrassing bugs" standpoint.

But the solution is not to put your head in the sand and sing "La La La, I can't hear you" at the top of your voice like some people seem to do.

The solution is to make sure those LLM tools _help_ maintainers instead of just causing them pain. There's no question on that side.

We're not forcing anybody to use it, but I will very loudly ignore people who try to argue against other people from using it.

And no, AI isn't perfect. But Christ, anybody who points to the problems at AI had better be looking in the mirror and pointing at themselves at the same time.

Because it's not like natural intelligence is always all that great either.

The kernel project has been and will continue to be about the technology.

Sure, the social angle of working on open source is important and often a very motivating part of the project, but in the end that's a side benefit, not the _point_ of the project.

This is *NOT* some kind of "social warrior" project, never has been, and never will be.

In the kernel community we do open source because it results in better technology, not because of religious reasons.

And so we make decisions primarily based on technical merit. Not fear of new tools.

Linus"

I can already see the pitchforks rising, but let's take a step back. While Torvalds does appear to be flexing some muscle, if you read carefully, he's also not actually advocating for AI.

"AI is a tool... And clearly a useful one." There's no ideology behind it. He's not suddenly saying that the Linux kernel is going to be built using AI. More that if it can be used to make certain parts of the process better, then it will be.

And as he says, human intelligence isn't exactly perfect, is it?

It's a sticky wicket and sure to provoke some discussion. Linux is where many of the most serious enthusiasts go, and plenty just have a fundamental opposition to AI. I'm not getting into that, because it's exhausting, and we've been round and round on the topic plenty.

I do like Torvalds' approach in addressing this, though. Unlike, say, Microsoft, there are no business interests to push and bank accounts to swell by pushing the general public into using AI. There's also an alternative; if you don't like it, you can fork it and make your own. There are already plenty of custom kernels on Linux.

He's simply being pragmatic. The genie is free from the lamp; AI is here, and ignoring it simply isn't an option. Everyone can have their own opinion, but as he states, Linux isn't a "social warrior" project. They're just trying to make the best software, and increasingly, that's going to mean folks leveraging AI. Like it or not.

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Once Human first launched two years ago, initially just on PC, with a mobile version following in 2025. Now, finally, it's coming to console after a period of beta testing.

Once Human is officially set to launch on Xbox Series X|S and PS5 on August 25, 2026. Additionally, it will be coming to the Xbox app on PC on the same date.

It's not Xbox Play Anywhere, but it doesn't need to be, since it's a free-to-play game. It does have full cross-play and cross-progression, though, including account linking if you've previously played on PC or mobile.

Additional goodies include keyboard and mouse support on console, and while it is free to play, there will be a couple of paid packs you can buy if you so wish with some premium items in to help you on your way.

"Survive in a supernatural apocalypse where reality has fallen apart. As a Meta-Human, explore a vast, Stardust-infected open world where monsters are threat and key to your survival. Every expedition is risk and resource. Gather materials and build your ultimate territory, but be prepared to defend your home against relentless sieges."

Two years is a pretty long wait, and Once Human now is not Once Human as it was. But it's an interesting idea. There are aspects of looter games mixed with survival elements and both PvE and PvP gameplay, with the latter being an opt-in rather than forced upon players.

The console version doesn't appear to be up-to-date with the existing PC and mobile versions, at least at first. A Q&A on the Once Human website states that "in the future, the console version will catch up with the progress of other platform versions, and it is expected to remain consistent."

That all seems fair, at least for launch. For one, it's more important to get it out there and make sure it's actually all working as intended. Two years is a lot of content and updates, and I think it's a smart move. It should be less overwhelming, if nothing else.

The one thing that isn't listed in the Xbox version right now is any sign of achievements. For two years this has been a frustration of the Steam release, with multiple threads referencing the fact that the developers haven't added any.

Xbox console games should have achievement support, so maybe it's just an omission from the early listing. Conversely, maybe the launch on console may finally help bring achievements to Steam. In any case, we don't have long to wait and find out.

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The Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops 2 ports for the PS4 and PS5 were received to much hype and excitement. But guess what? They're a mess. Who possibly could have guessed?

Only everyone who's ever tried playing the backward compatible versions on Xbox consoles in recent memory. Collectively, it's an "I told you so," because we knew it would happen.

The only difference is that the 'shiny new' ports on PlayStation seem to be getting some kind of active support from Activision. Because Black Ops has had some of its playlists deactivated while "issues" are investigated.

The issues are simple: hackers. You think Black Ops 7 has a bad rep for hackers? Without modern anticheat technologies, the old games are like the Wild West.

It's taken absolutely no time at all for the new ports to be compromised, which really does show just how lazy they are. We're not just talking about wallhacks, either, though those are bad enough.

Players are being inundated with lobbies packed with players running exploits. Some are instantly max prestige, everything unlocked, ridiculous statistics, and perhaps worst of all for legitimate players, it's been reported a "negative XP" hack is dropping players back to level 1.

I love both of these games, but from the get-go, I saw nothing but a quick cash grab, cashing in on player nostalgia for the old games we loved so much, especially in a year when the new Call of Duty hasn't had the best reception. But they're not 'new,' are they? They're just the same old games we've been able to play on Xbox all along.

I saw a question on Reddit where, potentially linked to the recent hype, an Xbox player was asking if it was worth them buying Black Ops 2. At full price, the only answer is no. If you want to enjoy multiplayer, I'd also say the answer is no. If you can get a cheap disc to enjoy the campaign and Zombies? Sure.

But props at least to Activision for seemingly offering support on these ports. How long it'll last and how far they'll go, I guess we'll find out. But it's more than we've seen on Xbox with the existing versions in a long time.

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