After hiking the price of Xbox consoles in October 2025, Microsoft is once again increasing the cost of Xbox consoles worldwide starting August 1.

In a June 25 Xbox Wire blog post, the company confirmed that the 512 GB model will jump up by $100 while the 1 TB model will go up by $150. This puts the Series S at $500 and the Series X at $800. As a result of the price increase, Microsoft is discontinuing the 2 TB Xbox consoles.

https://bsky.app/profile/wario64.bsky.social/post/3mp4uiqibdk2z

The company explained that although it spent "the last several months working with suppliers on options," it had to enact another price hike because "console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x." It also expects another doubling by fall 2027, which could mean we'll see another price hike not long after.

"The entire consumer electronics industry is struggling with the current components crisis, but the effects are particularly hard on consoles," the company said in its Xbox Wire post. "Unlike phones, computers, speakers, and other consumer devices, consoles are typically not sold at a profit, but instead for less than they cost to make."

To assuage the price hike, however, Microsoft is implementing several programs to make buying an Xbox "more accessible." This includes a Buy Now, Pay Later option; interest-free financing plans; a Certified Refurbished Consoles program for up to $100 off; and a "previously played consoles" option, which sounds a lot like buying a used console at GameStop.

This is the third price increase Microsoft has implemented following the two that came last year. In May 2025, the company jacked up the prices of Xbox consoles between $80 and $100 (depending on the model), and then again in October 2025 between $20 and $70 (though this increase only affected those buying consoles in the US). Game consoles are really pricing themselves out of relevancy.

While everyone is debating the disc-lessness of Grand Theft Auto 6, developer Insomniac Games has confirmed that it won't follow suit with its upcoming superhero sim, Marvel's Wolverine.

Responding to a fan on X who asked if the action-adventure game will "be physical or a code in a box," Insomniac Games gave a very simple, one-line reply: There's a disc.

"The physical version will include a disc in box," the studio wrote on X on June 24.

The post racked up tens of thousands of likes, a few thousand saves and reshares, and hundreds of comments, with most folks praising the developer for committing to physical media after Rockstar Games' disc-less announcement of GTA 6 on June 24.

While preorders of GTA 6 are now live, if you attempt to buy a physical version of Rockstar Games' highly anticipated crime sim, you'll be met with a download code in the box instead of an actual disc. There is a benefit: you can have the game pre-loaded on your PlayStation or Xbox console on November 12, one week ahead of its November 19 launch. There is a drawback, however, in that losing access to your license could mean losing access to the game entirely. The same is true of physical media, though. Scratching the disc, losing it, or having slow or no internet (to download the data on the disc) all make physical media difficult to consume.

Still, contrast this with a disc—which, again, Marvel's Wolverine will ship on—where you can play the game for as long as the disc actually works. That's the real win here, especially since some retailers are refusing to carry GTA 6's "physical" release. You'll have to contend with the likely day-one patch, though, which is basically essential to playing just about any game these days.

See at Amazon

Marvel's Wolverine launches as a PlayStation exclusive on September 15, which is a stacked month as almost every release tries to dodge the juggernaut that is Grand Theft Auto 6. There are some changes to this iteration of everyone's favorite berserker, including making Logan appear less sadistic and refusing to include the X-Men proper. But you may be wondering why Wolverine even looks like it does, and we may have an answer for you.

One of the running jokes with Razer is that the gaming company will put RGB lighting in any and all of its products eventually. For the last couple of years, its line of gaming chairs was seemingly exempt from that rule, but that's all about to change with the Razer Soma Chroma. It was inevitable, but for anyone who wants their shoulders to experience 16.8 million colors, this gamer chair will light up your back like a 2013 LAN party. The price for this illuminating throne? A cool $500 ahead of its launch in July.

Preorder at Razer Store

Razer describes the Soma Chroma as its first wireless RGB gaming chair, and it features reactive lighting at the top of the chair, situated around the shoulders and head. Currently, 300+ games can sync wirelessly over PC to the chair's RGB lighting--including Borderlands 4, Battlefield 6, and 007 First Light--and it also has 10 lighting presets. In case you're a little hesitant about having a swivel chair that's plugged into the wall, you can also run the fancy light effects through a standard power bank, as the seat has a built-in USB-C connection and pocket for the power supply to rest in. You can also fine-tune the illumination via an onboard control panel that switches lighting and brightness at the touch of a button.

Razer Soma Chroma gaming chair

As for the construction, it sounds like a solid throne for extended gaming sessions. The lumbar curve is meant to help you adopt a neutral sitting position, a reinforced steel frame gives the chair an added layer of durability, and it has a dual-density cold-cured foam seat cushion.

This week seems to be a big one for gamer furniture, as Virtuix also announced the "made for Meta" Omni One full-body movement system. It's a rig that holds you in place, and the omnidirectional treadmill should help you to physically walk, run, crouch, and jump in 360 degrees--without having to worry about knocking over a TV or tripping over a curious cat. Basically, it's the closest we've come to a replica of the Virtuosity VR rig.

To complement the Soma Chroma, you can also check out all the Prime Day deals on Razer. Amazon is currently offering some big discounts on various accessories, including mechanical keyboards, gaming mice, and headsets--and yes, most of them do have RGB lighting.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is releasing on November 19, 2026 for $80, and people won't be able to get it on a disc. There is a physical version, but it comes with a code in the box. Why is GTA 6 releasing without a disc-based version? According to industry analysts, there are a number of reasons why, and releasing as a digital-exclusive is going to further enrich Rockstar and won't hurt the game's sales.

Rhys Elliott of Alinea Analytics said the "biggest and most obvious reason" for not shipping on a disc is to block the resale market.

"The whole value proposition of a physical disc, from the player’s side, is the pre-owned and rental markets: more control over your library, the ability to sell a game on or rent it cheaply. But more control for consumers means less control for the publisher," he said. "A disc can be resold or rented a hundred times, and Rockstar earns nothing after that first sale. So the entire second-hand and rental economy is value flowing to players and retailers instead of to Rockstar."

There will be no disc-based version of GTA 6.

GTA 6 launching as a code-in-the-box prevents the game from being resold or rented, and that's a better scenario for Rockstar and owner Take-Two from a sales perspective. There is enormous, unprecedented demand for GTA 6, but even so, some people might hold out for a discount. Pricing for physical, disc-based games is "more elastic" than digital, Elliott pointed out, but that won't matter for GTA 6 since the game does not ship on a disc. Rockstar may eventually choose to discount GTA 6 after a period of time, but it will decide when this occurs, and to what extent, not a retailer.

"Remove the disc and Rockstar and the platforms own the entire price curve, including how high they hold the price and how much (and when) they ever discount it," he said.

Another reason GTA 6 isn't releasing on a disc is to help prevent spoilers, Elliott said. "This is the most leak-averse studio in the industry by my count, and it won’t want physical copies 'falling off the back of a truck' ahead of the street date, which, as we know, has always been a risk with discs," he said. "I suspect that’s part of the calculus here."

The download code inside GTA 6's physical edition allows people to preload the game starting November 12, but the game doesn't actually unlock until November 19. "So even a leaked physical copy reveals nothing before release," Elliott said.

"Commercially it just makes sense"

Piers Harding-Rolls of Ampere Analysis told IGN, meanwhile that releasing GTA 6 without a disc version is a plain and simple business decision.

"Commercially it just makes sense in terms of cost of goods to go digital code only in a physical case – it’s the best of both worlds to an extent – get exposure to the retail buyer but at a lower cost," Harding-Rolls said. "I'm sure that will be disappointing for some players, but it's possible there will be a Collector's Edition to come nearer to launch."

No impact on sales

People have made a lot of noise about GTA 6 not shipping on a disc, but the reality on the ground will be that the game will perform incredibly well regardless. Rockstar opting for a digital-only release is also part of a trend that began years ago for code-in-the-box physical game releases.

“Grand Theft Auto 6 will be far from the first or only code in box on retail shelves,” Circana analyst Mat Piscatella told VGC. “It’s been a pretty common practice for several years now."

He added that PS5 and Xbox Series X|S software sales are already "heavily weighted" to digital already, and GTA 6 skipping a disc version is "just another step in a trend that has been ongoing since the early 2010s," Piscatella said.

Many people love physical media and disc-based games, and want to see it continue, but Piscatella said Rockstar's choice to make GTA 6 digital only will not have a "meaningful impact on sales potential."

"It’s Grand Theft Auto VI, after all," he said.

Daniel Ahmad of Niko Partners, meanwhile, told Aftermath that digital adoption continues to grow, and publishers want to make more money, so skipping a disc version of GTA 6 only makes sense. He said GTA 6 may need to release on multiple discs, so the decision to go digital makes even more sense.

While digital adoption is growing, not every major game is bypassing discs. Insomniac Games recently confirmed that Marvel's Wolverine will include a disc in the box for its physical edition.

Rockstar and Take-Two are catching flak for releasing GTA 6 without a disc version, and Nintendo did as well when it debuted its Game-Key Card program that puts a code in a box for select Switch 2 games.

Data continues to show that game sales push further and further into digital. For example, Sony just recently announced a record-breaking high percentage of digital game sales.

Preorder GTA 6 at Amazon

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. GTA 6 preorders are finally open on both consoles, and you can choose the $80 standard edition or $100 ultimate edition.

Dead or Alive 6 Last Round launched on June 24 and is already receiving negative reviews on Steam for a lack of new content and for making players pay more for DLC they previously bought. We don't like it very much, either.

For the most part, players can transfer DLC purchased for the original version of Dead or Alive 6 to the new Last Round edition, which has both free and $40 versions. Unfortunately, even the $40 version of Dead or Alive 6 Last Round doesn't support any previous purchases relating to The King of Fighters crossover characters.

That means players who previously spent $8 on Mai Shiranui or Kula Diamond, and even more to buy their DLC costume packs, will have to purchase all that DLC again, no matter what. That stings even more because both Koei Tecmo has increased the price of both fighters and their costume DLC. The "Unlock Key" for each character now costs $11 rather than $8, while Mai and Kula's character and costume bundles now are $21 instead of $16.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqKxb-CSR0Y

Even if you spend $40 on this new version of Dead or Alive, you'll still need to pay $42 more to access DLC you may have previously purchased. Obviously, that is not being well-received by the core community of this fighting game, although Koei Tecmo has not indicated any plans to bring Mai and Kula's prices down.

Dead or Alive 6 Last Round is now available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. A new Dead or Alive game is also in development.

A PlayStation Blog post co-authored by PlayStation and Rockstar Games said GTA 6 leverages the PS5's SSD to allow people to experience's the game's fictional version of Miami and wider Florida with "near-instant load times."

That sounds good and exciting, but it's also bumming people out. The original version of GTA 5 that came out in 2013 for PS3 and Xbox 360 was known for its lengthy load times when booting the game up that could be minutes long.

Nice artwork from GTA 5 would cycle through as the game loaded, and in cases where the loading took longer than expected, people might see character or environment art they hadn't before.

For the 2022 launch of GTA 5's PS5 and Xbox Series X|S edition, load times were improved. The loading screens have always been a distinct element of the GTA series.

GTA 6 artwork.

People online are saying they will miss this if GTA 6 does indeed have "near-instant" load times. That being said, this is all based off one line in a blog post, so it's unclear what "near-instant" even means or if it even pertains to the main loading page when the game boots up each time or something else.

A lot of the GTA 6 artwork hosted on the game's website bears a resemblance stylistically to the art from GTA 5's loading screens, so you can at least look at it there or download for yourself. But, again, that's not the same as sitting on your couch or in your chair looking at the artwork as the game loads.

Preorder GTA 6 at Amazon

The PlayStation Blog post is titled "GTA 6 plays best on PS5," a claim that has not been independently verified and comes as part of Sony's marketing arrangement with Rockstar, which is seeking to associate the game with PlayStation first and foremost.

The game is also coming to Xbox Series X, which has similar technical capabilities to the PS5, along with the relatively less powerful Xbox Series S. GTA 6 will also play on the PS5 Pro, but Rockstar has yet to confirm any specific enhancements.

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. GTA 6 preorders are finally, at long last, open on both consoles, and you can choose the $80 standard edition or $100 ultimate edition.

One month after a report revealed plans to lay off a "significant" number of employees, Bungie has confirmed these intentions as part of a company-wide reorganization.

In a June 25 X post, the Destiny developer announced a "reduction in force" that will have a "profound impact on the people affected, their families, friends, and teammates." PlayStation Studios head Hermen Hulst posted a lengthy blog post about the situation, confirming that "most of the Destiny team" is gone, as well as "some" members of the Marathon team and the Sony Interactive Entertainment teams that supported Bungie’s operations. Shortly after these posts went live, it was reported that Bungie studio head Justin Truman will also be leaving the studio.

https://twitter.com/Bungie/status/2070149689127973265

"As the leaders of Bungie, past and present, we recognize Destiny 2 fell short of expectations these past several years," the studio wrote. "Following our final content update to Destiny 2, and with our future projects still in early incubation, we unfortunately could not continue operating at our previous size."

In his June 25 post, Hulst said Bungie's latest project, the PvEvP extraction shooter Marathon, "remains an important part" of PlayStation's portfolio. The company will continue supporting Bungie as it works on new content for the game and incubates its "future projects," which Hulst said are "too early to discuss."

Hulst continued, admitting how "painful" this news was to deliver, particularly after the "extensive discussion and careful consideration" PlayStation went through before arriving at this workforce reduction.

"Over the past several months, together with Bungie leadership, we reviewed the studio’s long-term direction, development priorities, resource needs, and role within our broader portfolio strategy," Hulst wrote. "We explored multiple alternatives before concluding that a reduction was necessary to align the studio’s resources with its current priorities and long-term goals."

On X, Bungie said it will share more about the company's future, just not today.

"Today, we wish to extend our gratitude and compassion to every member of the Bungie team who has been impacted and to those who remain," Bungie wrote. "We hope you will do the same."

Despite indications that this news might be coming, it's a stunning reality to see play out for the Destiny team, which was responsible for creating one of the most influential games ever. It also highlights ongoing issues at Sony, which acquired Bungie in 2022 for $3.6 billion amidst the publisher's emphasis on live-service games, which Bungie had ample expertise in. That live-service push at Sony has seemingly been slowed, with multiple projects canceled and several studios shut down.

GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen is trying to buy the popular auction site eBay for $56 billion. He's now laid out a new angle of his vision, and it involves video games. In a recent interview, Cohen said one previously unannounced part of his plan to help eBay return to growth--if he can successfully take it over-is by creating a marketplace for digital gaming items. eBay has already flatly rejected Cohen's proposal to buy the company, saying it was "neither credible nor attractive."

He said on the All-In Interview podcast that eBay is currently a market-leader for physical collectibles, but not digital ones. He said he's identified a gap in the market, and he believes the returns could be massive.

"I would extend that into digital collectibles. If you look at all of these in-game items from AAA titles that people are accumulating--skins, weapons, all of these things--taking eBay and building a marketplace where you can provide liquidity for in-game digital items," he said. "Essentially, it's what NFTs could have ... people thought they were. But ultimately they had no real utility. In-game items actually have real utility."

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/PeNclyAl9N4

He said physical collectibles like art and trading cards are "ego" plays. The markets for these items are massive, he said, but the items have no utility beyond telling people that you have them and owning something rare.

Video game in-game items, meanwhile, have real utility, he said.

"There is no marketplace that is providing liquidity for them. I would use eBay to provide liquidity for in-game digital items. I believe that addressable market could be much larger than eBay's marketplace on physical items. No one is doing it. This should already exist. It's crazy that it doesn't exist," he said.

Existing marketplaces like Player Auctions and Gameflip offer some of these services, but eBay has significantly larger scale and brand recognition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j9RPGLENNI

Counter-Strike skins are known to sell for huge premiums online. Meanwhile, people have been selling their high-level World of Warcraft gaming accounts on eBay for a long time already, but Cohen is seemingly talking about something else here. In the case of Counter-Strike skins, these are sold within Steam (where Valve gets a cut). If Cohen is proposing something like a marketplace where people can sell Call of Duty or Fortnite skins, that would no doubt require developers to provide permission and infrastructure to support such a thing.

Cohen did not get into specifics regarding his plan to pull this off, but there does appear to be a significant market for digital skins. The state of New York sued Valve earlier this year, and in its case, it claimed the market for Counter-Strike skins was beyond $4 billion as of 2025. The lawsuit also brought up the very kind of idea that Cohen wants to address, as New York Attorney General Letitia James specifically called out the "ease of liquidating items through third-party marketplaces."

The other two parts of Cohen's plan for eBay, should he successfully take it over, is to cut costs massively to immediately improve earnings (like he did at GameStop) and to expand further into "live commerce." Popular in Asia and on TikTok, live commerce is the term for video where a content creator or store hosts a livestream to sell their products, giving viewers the ability to purchase items without leaving the video. eBay already owns and operates eBay Live, which does some of this, but Cohen said eBay has not properly managed or invested in it.

Also in the interview, Cohen said he came up with the idea to buy eBay while he was on the toilet (he did not elaborate further) and said buying GameStop was a bad idea in hindsight. Cohen said his original strategy for growing GameStop was to make it more like his previous company, the pet food company Chewy that he sold to Petsmart for $3.35 billion.

"That was the wrong strategy," he said, noting that when he became CEO, he changed plans and went into "maniacal cost-cutting mode" and doubling down on pre-owned and collectibles.

In other news, Cohen recently canceled his $35 billion pay plan to focus on the eBay takeover. Also in the interview, Cohen revealed that he's pouring $500 million of his own money into his bid for eBay.

It looks like layoffs at Xbox have started, with a number of developers at South of Midnight developer Compulsion Games now looking for new opportunities. The layoffs come as part of a massive shakeup at Xbox under new CEO Asha Sharma, which will reportedly see multiple Xbox Game Studios either closed or going independent once more.

The fate of Compulsion as a studio is still unclear. Reports from earlier in June suggested that Xbox was preparing to close the studio, though Compulsion leadership was said to be in discussions with Xbox over potentially spinning the studio off on its own.

News of the Compulsion layoffs comes from individual developers' posts on LinkedIn announcing that they are no longer with the studio, as compiled by reporter Mr Rebs.

https://twitter.com/mr_rebs_/status/2069959570877812839?s=46

Compulsion is based in Montreal and was founded in 2009. After developing Contrast and being at work on We Happy Few, it was acquired by Microsoft in 2018 as part of a flurry of studio purchases.

The Compulsion layoffs may be only the start for Xbox, with CEO Asha Sharma lining up big changes in an attempt to get Xbox "healthy" again, promising a "reset" on the business. Bloomberg reported that layoffs would likely occur after June 30, after the end of Microsoft's fiscal year.

Alongside Compulsion, multiple other studios including Double Fine and Ninja Theory are also reportedly in negotiations with Xbox to get their studios out from under Microsoft's ownership to avoid complete closure. There's been no recent update on how those talks are going--other than a single, not-so-promising emoji posted to Double Fine's X account.

After being announced in a Nintendo Direct two weeks ago, Deltarune Chapter 5 is live now and pushing Toby Fox's episodic RPG to new levels of hype. The update saw Deltarune's Steam concurrent player count jump to 291,816, more than double the game's previous peak.

As fans check out the new chapter, Deltarune has jumped into the top 10 most played games on Steam--an unusual feat for a single-player RPG with concurrent players normally in the low five figures. The game's previous all-time peak was 133,930 players last June, when the first four chapters were released as a paid game on Steam. The jump in popularity around the Chapter 5 release has also seen Deltarune reach number 13 on Steam's top sellers list.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5y22LUfetA

Of course the Steam numbers only give part of the story--Deltarune is also available on PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Switch 2, meaning there's probably a whole lot more players getting stuck into the new chapter right now.

Deltarune's fanbase is going off on social media, as fans have been waiting a year for the new content to share their theories, secrets, guides and more. Plenty of players have also shared their praise of the new chapter through Steam reviews, where Deltarune enjoys a 98% positive rating.

Deltarune's first chapter was released for free back in 2018, with intermittent releases of new chapters in the years since. With just over a year since Chapter 3 and 4's joint release, the wait for Chapter 5 has been the shortest yet.

Toby Fox still has more chapters to release to complete Deltarune's story, signing off Chapter 5's release announcement with a promise that the team will return to to working on the next chapter. According to the game's Steam page, Chapter 6 is currently planned for a 2027 release.

Rockstar has officially announced the pricing and preorder information for Grand Theft Auto 6, and alongside this news, the studio has also shared plenty of new screenshots and artwork from the game. GameSpot's Jake Dekker broke it all down, and though Rockstar likely didn't intend to offer too much concrete information about about the Leonida setting or its story, we did uncover several tidbits.

Two of the weapons available in the $100 Ultimate Edition are the Hawk & Little Morgan Revolvers. They're "his and hers" revolvers, each etched with the name of their owner, so Lucia Caminos and Jason Duval will each get their own. The "Morgan" part of the name could very possibly be an Easter egg referring to Arthur Morgan from Red Dead Redemption 2, as well.

Speaking of Red Dead Redemption, President Hardin--who previously served in office and also appeared on a $100 bill in GTA Online--is visible in one of the images, once again on some cash.

It remains to be seen what the gameplay dynamic will be between Lucia and Jason, but we noticed the two are together in a screenshot showing off the Shitzu Squalo watercraft. Presumably you'll be able to switch between them as freely as you could between Michael, Trevor, and Franklin in GTA 5, so this may be showing a story-centric moment.

One bit tucked away in the description for the '67 Vapid Dominator Buggy mentions that the Paradise Garage location features "a secure place to deposit stolen goods to be fenced." This would be a departure from past games, which don't really focus on stealing anything but cash--could the cops break down your door and find your collection of stolen cars? We can only hope so.

For even more nitty-gritty details, check out the full video above. Grand Theft Auto 6 arrives to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19.

Microsoft released an update for Xbox Insiders today to test several new features coming to Xbox Series X|S. The update brings changes to Gamertags and more, but the most useful of these features allows players to use cloud gaming to play updating titles, fixing one of user's biggest annoyances with the console.

An Xbox Wire post broke down these new features in more detail. Typically, games that are updating on consoles become unplayable, and that wait can get quite long for large, high-fidelity AAA titles. However, this update makes it so that, if the game is part of the Game Pass catalog and you have a subscription, you'll now be able to boot it up via cloud gaming and play it while the update downloads.

If you have the internet bandwidth to support it, this update is extremely alluring. It also shows Xbox is still putting some focus on cloud gaming, even as it recenters its strategy around consoles like the upcoming Project Helix.

There are plenty of other updates for those who don't like cloud gaming to look forward to as well. Game hubs for Xbox 360 games will now show achievements, and a wishlist option will be added to game cards for ones you don't own. Those are small UI tweaks, but they do add things I'm surprised weren't already supported.

In 2019, Microsoft's last big overhaul of Xbox Gamertags limited them to 12 characters at most. Seven years later, it's finally upping the limit to 15 characters. Maybe it's finally time for me to change the Gamertag I've had since I was eight years old.

Xbox Insiders who are part of the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring are the first to have access to these updates. These updates will roll out to other Xbox Insider tiers in the future before eventually being released to all Xbox Series X|S owners.

The news that Grand Theft Auto 6 won't get a traditional physical release and will include a code in a box rather than a disc isn't sitting well with many on the internet. At least two retailers are joining the dissent, announcing their intent not to sell GTA 6.

Video Games Plus (VGP), a Toronto-based retailer, stated that it will not be offering GTA 6 under the company's policy of not selling games that only contain digital codes. VGP added that it would be "pleased" to carry and support the game should Rockstar release it on disc.

"We want to be clear that this decision is not a reflection of the game itself," VGP's statement on X reads. "We have tremendous respect for Rockstar Games and the incredible achievement that Grand Theft Auto 6 represents."

https://twitter.com/VideoGamesPlus_/status/2069773098295910714?s=20

According to VGP's official website, the retailer was founded in 1990 and entered the online marketplace through eBay before launching its own website. VGP has one brick-and-mortar location in Ontario.

Similarly, Delaware-based video game store Loot Box Gaming (LBG) said that while the company is still awaiting further details about GTA 6's release, it will not sell the game if the physical edition is just a code in a box.

"If a product can’t honor the people who pay their hard-earned money to purchase it, then we have no business trying to sell it to our customers whom we value above anything else," LBG's statement read.

LBG is an online-only retailer that also has roots in eBay, but the store's website states that it plans to expand with a retail storefront in the future.

https://twitter.com/LootBoxGamingUS/status/2069756247507624039?s=20

Both VGP and LBG emphasized game preservation in their social media posts.

These two retailers are small compared to superstores like Target and Walmart, so it's hard to imagine these developments will have much effect on GTA's launch and sales. Still, replies to their statements are largely complimentary and respectful.

Meanwhile, GameStop has been silent so far, which is somewhat surprising considering how annoyingly online its social media pages are, especially in the wake of massive games industry news such as this.

GTA 6 is scheduled for a November 19 launch, and as expected, it "features a single-player experience," leading many to wonder what the game's online plans will be.

GTA 6: 241 Screenshots To Ease The Wait View Images

After announcing the release date for the Steam Machine earlier this week, Valve sneakily also confirmed that the latest version of its Linux-based operating system, SteamOS 3.8, would be the first to be available for download for all hardware configurations, letting you turn your existing desktop into your own Steam Machine.

SteamOS 3.8 is out now, meaning you can download the official operating system image and try it out for yourself. For now, you will have to be using an AMD graphics card as Valve continues to work on Nvidia support for an official release in 2027. Your first step is creating a bootable device with a USB stick and your downloaded image of SteamOS, which you can do in the following ways:

• Windows: Use the Rufus utility. Select the SteamOS file and write it to your USB drive (this will format your USB drive).
• MacOS/ Linux: You can use Balena Etcher to write the SteamOS file to your USB drive.

When you boot into SteamOS for the first time, you'll land on a desktop environment. Navigate to the "Re-image Device" option to start the installation, after which your machine will reboot. Note that you will need to disable Secure Boot to install SteamOS, which you'll need to do in the BIOS. You can find where this is located in the documentation for your respective motherboard maker.

After those few steps you'll be up and running SteamOS, giving you an identical living-room PC experience to the Steam Machine. Valve notes that discrete AMD GPU support is still technically in beta, so expect updates to come in thick and fast after the next few weeks. But given how much work has been done to prepare for the Steam Machine, never mind the years of development on the Steam Deck, you can probably rely on it being stable enough for daily use. It is, however, always a good idea to keep a backup of your current operating system (on an entirely different drive) in case you run into issues.

The Steam Machine goes on sale on June 30 exclusively through Steam, with Valve deploying a new method for orders that should hopefully avoid the same issues that plagued the launch of the Steam Controller.

Rockstar Games confirmed the price of Grand Theft Auto 6: A trip to Vice City will cost you $80 for the standard version of the game and $100 for the Ultimate Edition.

Preorders for the highly anticipated open-world game start June 25 at midnight local time, but the retail cost is sparking chatter online. As you can imagine, people are incensed at the precedent that Rockstar is perceived to be setting (though $80 games are already a thing), but it doesn't help that the physical edition of GTA 6 is only a download code in a box.

https://bsky.app/profile/marcdachamp.bsky.social/post/3mozylucpsk2a https://bsky.app/profile/frogcass.bsky.social/post/3mozrni6yic2o https://twitter.com/winterweather/status/2069740260490351005?s=20

Many who closely follow trends in the games industry, including journalist Imran Khan, aren't surprised by the development.

https://bsky.app/profile/imrankhan.bsky.social/post/3mozysfcljk2o

Even if this outcome were predictable, the trend of rising costs has been a downer for many gaming enthusiasts.

https://twitter.com/wesleytypes/status/2069739547898880102?s=20 https://twitter.com/TheNCSmaster/status/2069743935786786994

Those who read the fine print of what's included in the Ultimate Edition seem particularly irked, arguing that the features from that version of the game (namely activities and locations) should be in the base game.

https://bsky.app/profile/darylsurat.bsky.social/post/3mp2262s2xk26

But for those who were never interested in GTA 6, the $80 price point and all of the trappings around its launch are even more justification not to buy the game. One social media user lightheartedly compared GTA 6 to the upcoming Rhythm Heaven Groove on Switch, though it's admittedly a compelling case.

https://twitter.com/IvyfulWorld/status/2069777638244434119

Grand Theft Auto 6 launches on November 19, with pre-loads available starting November 12. Physical copies with download codes will be available on that date as well to allow players to pre-load the game ahead of launch.

It remains to be seen what form GTA Online will take in the years to come, but at least initially, it will not be included with Grand Theft Auto 6. Rockstar has confirmed the upcoming game "features a single-player experience" for its November 19 launch date.

That nugget of info was shared as part of the pricing and preorder-date announcement. As it's 2026, you're still going to need the internet to play GTA 6, at least initially, as the game's "physical" edition will actually contain a download code.

Not launching with online multiplayer actually puts GTA 6 in the same boat as GTA 5, which didn't receive its GTA Online component until a few weeks after launch back in 2013. Of course, there was already a plan in place for that, whereas with GTA 6, it remains very unclear how online multiplayer will function in some future iteration of GTA Online, assuming there is one. Preorders include a free month of GTA+, which comes with GTA Online content, and Rockstar says it's "the best way to get the most out of its ever-evolving world," but we'll have to wait and see if that's still the case a year from now.

As many expected, GTA 6 will be expensive. It launches on November 19 for $80 on both PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, but the $100 Ultimate Edition contains a whole bunch of additional content, including extra story missions. Preorders open June 25.

Ahead of the preorders launching tomorrow, June 25, Rockstar has detailed the bonuses for the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition that will be available. Crucially, there will be no traditional physical copies of GTA 6, even in the shipped versions of the game. Instead, players will receive a download code. Preorders will launch at midnight local time on June 25.

Preorders will also receive a free month of GTA+, which adds $500,000 to your bank balance and gives access to a selection of classic Rockstar titles via the GTA+ Games Library.

In This Article

• How much will GTA 6 cost?
• Can you preload GTA 6?
• Ultimate Edition
  • '95 Grotti Cheetah
  • Hawk & Little Morgan Revolvers
  • Personalized Variants
  • Vice City Style
  • Jason's Safehouse Vehicles
  • Ganado Retro Build
  • Rideout Customs
  • Sara's Unisex Salon
  • Shitzu Squalo
  • Stock 305
  • '67 Vapid Dominator Buggy
  • Electric Fang Tattoo
  • One-Eyed Willie's
  • Goodtime Gear
  • Pit Youngin$ Illegal Goods Store
  • Classic Car Collection
• Vintage Vice City Pack
  • '55 Vapid Stanier
  • Outfits and Hairstyles
  • Weapon Pattern

How much will GTA 6 cost?

Via Business Wire, Rockstar Games has announced that GTA 6 will cost $79.99 for the standard version and $99.99 for the Ultimate Edition.

Can you preload GTA 6?

Yes, a preload for GTA 6 will begin on November 12, 2026. This is to "ensure [players] are able to play at launch on November 19." Physical versions will contain a download code, and will be available from November 12 to support pre-loading.

Ultimate Edition

The GTA 6 Ultimate Edition comes with an "extensive collection of premium vehicles, weapons, apparel, and action," including several bonus items. Rockstar says that those bonuses are "threaded across all aspects of Jason and Lucia's story," and that new items can be uncovered with each chapter of the game.

'95 Grotti Cheetah

A signature mid-90s sports car and an ode to Shore Drive, the '95 Grotti Cheetah has a minimalist aesthetic. It's very clearly based on the Ferrari Testarossa, with some influence from the Ferrari F12 BB and Ferrari 328. You can see the resemblance thanks to the wedge-shaped profile, side vents from the doors into the rear quarter panels, flat nose, broad rear end, and narrow rear windows. The Cheetah is present in GTA Online, but this version has slightly altered proportions and a more retro aesthetic.

Hawk & Little Morgan Revolvers

Rockstar describes this duo weapon as "his and hers" versions of a powerful revolver with classic Vice City stylings from the Vercetti Estate. It has palm trees etched into the grips, engraved detailing, and a "high-performance scope." It seems heavily inspired by the Colt Python, especially since it has engraved and custom variants.

Personalized Variants

Ultimate Edition owners will get personalized sidearms with detailed engravings for Jason's Girardi ES9 pistol and Lucia's Klose K17 pistol. Jason's is engraved with "Sue Sponte," which is Latin for "Of one's own accord," while Lucia's has a tattoo-inspired flower and her own name in script.

Vice City Style

Exclusive outfits, tattoos, and accessories will be available in an authentic Vice City aesthetic for Ultimate Edition owners. Lucia appears to sport tiger-print calf-length boots and a red double denim co-ord, while Jason has a printed shirt with lots of florals, and a horseshoe hand tattoo with tinted glasses.

Jason's Safehouse Vehicles

Ultimate Edition owners can take to the wheel of an "Army fatigue-tinged" Dinka Enduro motorcycle, or the Crest Kayak. The Dinka Enduro is returning from GTA 5 and GTA Online, and is based on the Honda XL650V Transalp. This army green version is far more authentic to the game's aesthetic than the real-world sports liveries often seen on the bike, though.

Ganado Retro Build

This mod kit allows you to add some muscle and classic stylings to Jason's Vapid Ganado pickup, and the mods are exclusive to Ultimate Edition owners.

Rideout Customs

Detailed interiors, rims, and "donk stylings" are available to Ultimate Edition holders. In the image, we can see rims with Ace of Spades-shaped cutouts, glitter paintwork, red speckled interior, and more.

Sara's Unisex Salon

This hair salon for both Jason and Lucia will include facial hair, makeup, and nails for the duo respectively. It's only open to Ultimate Edition owners--but we're unsure at the moment whether that means the entire salon, or just these specific styles.

Shitzu Squalo

The Shitzu Squalo watercraft is "perfect for casting in Gambit Bay," adding to our theories that fishing might be one of the GTA 6 activities. Its pink and blue gradient is so very Vice City, and will be docked at Washington Beach with an explosives-laden weapons crate for good measure.

Stock 305

Stockyard's premiere destination for streetwear is exclusively available for Ultimate Edition owners. You can find unique and exclusive looks there, including patterned bandanas and tracksuits for Jason, and a fetching furry spotted coat for Lucia.

'67 Vapid Dominator Buggy

This off-road vehicle can handle the back roads of Mount Kalaga and beyond. It can be stored at the Paradise Garage in Watson Bay, which also features a weapons locker and a secure place to stash your stolen goods. This looks a little less like a real-world carbon copy, but it does seem like Rockstar saw a '67 Mustang Fastback and decided to turn it into an off-road monster.

Electric Fang Tattoo

This tattoo place is open for Jason and Lucia to enjoy a series of over 50 tattoos designed by the artist collective FAILE. FAILE is a real-world Brooklyn-based collection of artists who have contributed to the tattoo designs in Electric Fang.

One-Eyed Willie's

A mod shop in Lake Leonida, exclusively for Ultimate Edition owners. The shop specialized in modifications and hand-painted custom art for off-road vehicles.

Goodtime Gear

This capsule collection of clothing and accessories is inspired by the Goodtime State's hit TV show character, Macca the Gator. Macca the Gator isn't a real character, but of course, he's an alligator considering the game's setting.

Pit Youngin$ Illegal Goods Store

Southside Vice City's "loudest and most socially active gangs" have a compound that Ultimate Edition owners can exclusively raid. Grab some special items and distinct contraband here.

Classic Car Collection

Ultimate Edition owners can also track down abandoned classic and project cars before restoring them to their former glory in a special commission from local fixer, Wyman.

Vintage Vice City Pack

Preordering will get you unique benefits that "flash back to when the neon burned brightest" in this Vintage Vice City Pack. Expect to grab a timeless '55 Vapid Stanier sedan, garage on Ocean Beach, outfits, hairstyles, and a weapon pattern. Preorder before November 20 to guarantee these items.

'55 Vapid Stanier

This classic sedan is the ideal vehicle to cruise Shore Drive, and can be stored at the Shore Court personal garage, which features a weapons locker and a secure place to store your stolen goods. It certainly looks like Vice City's take on the Ford Crown Victoria--a car regularly used as a cab in American cities.

Outfits and Hairstyles

Jason's linen suit, Lucia's red sequin mini dress and curled locks, and more can be yours as part of the preorder bonuses.

Weapon Pattern

Tommy Vercetti's icon palm-tree button-up can now be applied to most guns as a weapon pattern. Vercetti, of course, was Vice City's playable protagonist.

GTA 6 preorders will go live at midnight local time on June 25.

• Wishlist GTA 6 on Xbox Series X|S
• Wishlist GTA 6 on PS5

With the GTA 6 release date looming and preorders going live tomorrow, June 25, there are a number of fans who expect that the third trailer will release alongside the preorder launch. However, if Rockstar follows its own precedent, the third trailer may not appear this week at all.

During the marketing for the launch of GTA 5, Rockstar opened preorders on November 5, 2012. Alongside the preorders, which were a whole 10 months ahead of the release date versus GTA 6's five-month window, Rockstar announced that a new trailer for the game would be coming soon.

Nine days later, on November 14, 2012, the character trailers for protagonists Franklin, Trevor, and Michael were released.

For GTA 4, the box art was revealed on November 28, 2007, but the third trailer didn't become public until December 6, 2007, a whole eight days later.

It takes a bit of working out, but GTA 6 Trailer 3 could be a while away yet.

If Rockstar is following a similar marketing pattern for GTA 6, we may not see another official glimpse at the game until the first week of July.

There was a 378-day gap between the first and second trailers for GTA 5, and a 168-day gap between the second and third. For GTA 6, that has already been surpassed, with a huge 519-day gap between the first and second trailers. At the time of writing, it has been 414 days since the second trailer.

That's not to say that a third trailer, character trailers, or even a story trailer won't drop alongside preorders. Red Dead Redemption 2's third trailer came a whole month before preorders were available, so it seems Rockstar isn't sticking to one specific marketing approach across its portfolio.

The second season of Marathon is only a few weeks old, but Bungie is already providing players with the early word about next month's mid-season update. One of the changes coming to the game is Vault Breaker, a new experimental PvE mode.

As shared on Bungie's official site, Vault Breaker will let players explore the endgame Cryo Archive map and plunder its many "vaults" as either a crew, a duo, or solo, without the threat of running into other players. Each vault is described as "progressively challenging" and players will experience a progression that's unique to Vault Breaker as they approach "the final vault and the mysterious entity within."

To enter Vault Breaker, players need a special Sponsored Kit, and they will also have to leave behind any gear they find in the vaults when leaving, so that the new PvE mode doesn't flood the game with the high-end loot players usually have to fight each other for in Cryo Archive. Vault Breaker also introduces a new currency, Vault Data, which can be taken out of the mode and used to upgrade Vault Breaker Sponsored Kits or gear that can be used in other modes.

The mid-season update is brings the first new iteration on the Cradle Evolution system, which allows players to upgrade their characters with improvements that persist between runs. Players will be able to reset their Cradle back to zero after maxing it out in order to earn another maximum Energy point and other "unique cosmetics." Bungie notes that the cosmetics will be available later in the season, but can be earned ahead of their in-game debut. The Cradle's progression speed is also set to increase with this update.

Marathon's Season 2 mid-season update will launch on July 21, with further quality-of-life changes to be announced closer to that date. Looking even further ahead, Bungie announced that Marathon Season 3 will start on September 22. Season 3 will have "big changes to the early game experience," as well as new weapons, equipment, a fresh Runner shell, and more.

Bungie previously shared its plans to broaden the appeal of Marathon during Season 2. The game even briefly had a free trial earlier this month. Meanwhile, the impending end of Bunge's Destiny 2 has drawn even more concurrent players than Marathon for the game's final update.

The 35th anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog is arriving later this year, and one of the ways that Sega is celebrating the event is a new ARG game called Chaos Hunt. Fans have been invited to hunt for some missing Chaos Emeralds, but players should probably check out the fine print before they take part in it.

As noted by user Luna Leo on social media, the terms of service for Chaos Hunt requires players to agree to AI model training and to sharing their details with third-party AI vendors.

https://bsky.app/profile/vampsonic.bsky.social/post/3moxze67czk2l

The terms note that "We use reasonable efforts to prohibit [third-party] providers from using any of your personal information for the purposes of developing and improving their AI models." It also adds that the third-party providers have to secure and protect the data they collect from players.

As part of the event, Sega released the following video featuring Sonic Creative Officer Takashi Iizuka's in-universe announcement that the Chaos Emeralds were stolen by Sonic's nemesis Dr. Robotnik ahead of the opening of Club Chaos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSNi9KBdvz8

Three grand prize winners will win a trip to New York City to join the fun at Club Chaos. Everyone else can purchase tickets for Club Chaos starting on August 28. The other prizes in the Chaos Hunt game are listed below:

Leblon Delienne statue

Lego Sega Genesis

Sonic 35th anniversary letterman jacket

Sonic Crossbody bag

Sonic 35th anniversary plush

King Ice pendant

Signed artwork

Sonic video game bundle

Additionally, Sega is teaming with iam8bit for 35th anniversary Sega Genesis cartridges for both Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Meanwhile, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is going to feature crossover collaborations with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Godzilla, Avatar Legends, and even Neon Genesis Evangelion.