PlayStation: The First 30 Years

$125 | Releases Spring 2026

Preorder at Read Only Memories

Thirty years ago, the PlayStation console kicked off a new gaming era with its launch in the US and Europe. To celebrate this milestone, Sony has announced that it'll be exploring the history of the console with PlayStation: The First 30 Years. Scheduled to ship out in 2026, you can now preorder the book for $125.

PlayStation: The First 30 Years $125 | Releases Spring 2026

Published by Read Only Memories--a British publisher specializing in producing books about the history of video games--PlayStation: The First 30 Years is a hardcover 400-page book designed to be a definitive visual chronicle of the console. The book is full of unseen images from Sony's archive of research and development materials, including prototypes, concept sketches, and development models.

Alongside the images you'll find commentary from key figures involved in the creation of the PlayStation, like Ken Kutaragi, Teiyu Goto, and Yujin Morisawa, and there are new images captured by NASA: Past and Present Dreams of the Future photographer Benedict Redgrove. Another nod to the past here is that the art direction for this book was led by Nicole Motby and Studio.Build, the graphic-design house responsible for creating the original cover art for Wipeout, Wipeout 2097, and Wipeout 3.

Preorder at Read Only Memories Gallery PlayStation: The First 30 Years Deluxe EditionPlayStation: The First 30 Years Deluxe Edition

The $325 Deluxe Edition of the book will be limited to 1,994 copies, and it comes with several extras like exposed binding, a clamshell presentation box, and exclusive prints. At the time of writing, 50 of these books have already been sold through Read Only Memories, so it looks like this will sell out very fast.

For now, it looks like this initial release might only be through Read Only Memories, but a wider release could come through another publisher. This wouldn't be unusual, as Read Only Memory's books like WipEout Futurism: The Graphic Archives, Like a Hurricane: An Unofficial Oral History of Street Fighter 2, 500 Years Later: An Oral History of Final Fantasy 7, and Videogame Atlas: Mapping Interactive Worlds have been published worldwide by Thames & Hudson and with different covers.

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Borderlands 4 may have had some performance issues in its first month of release, but Gearbox Studios is looking ahead towards the future. The studio has previously announced that the game's first DLC is coming next year. Now, it's introducing a new vault hunter named C4sh.

According to Gearbox, C4sh is an ex-casino dealer bot turned drifter who "chases the probability-breaking highs of cursed eldritch artifacts." He--or it--will debut as part of the first story pack DLC, which includes a new tale called Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned. C4ash is one of two new vault hunters teased by Gearbox, but the identity of the second one has yet to be revealed.

Claptrap voice actor Jim Foronda reacted to the announcement by sharing his own "head canon' about the relationship between his character and C4sh.

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A banner reportedly appearing at a convention in Switzerland over the weekend showed off five different Lego games with Nintendo Switch 2 branding--even though they only have original Switch versions so far. However, the Zurich Pop Con is already over with no new announcements from Nintendo, Warner Bros., or TT Games.

Spotted by Eurogamer, an X account called The LEGO Videogame Museum posted a picture from the expo that sees the Switch 2 logo above Lego City Undercover, Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, Jurassic World, Harry Potter Collection, and DC Super-Villains. All of these games are playable on Switch 2 but don't have specific updates or separate Switch 2 editions. So it's possible this ad was teasing future improvements for those five games or otherwise just noting they're still playable on Switch 2.

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Sony is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the PlayStation with a variety of promotions, including new shoes. Sony is teaming up with Reebok to make new shoes that "pay homage to the original PlayStation console." There are three different designs as part of the partnership, including:

• InstaPump Fury 94 (Japan)
• Pump Omni Zone II for the U.S. (United States)
• Workout Plus (United Kingdom)

These are just the latest PlayStation shoes. Sony previously teamed up with Nike for PS5 shoes and with Adidas for Spider-Man 2 kicks.

New PlayStation shoes are on the way.

The sneakers launch in October, and they all come in limited-edition packaging meant to evoke the console's original design. Sony did not announce pricing for the new shoes or how to get them.

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Lego Batman Sets

Save on five Batman Lego sets that are retiring soon.

See at Amazon

Batman fans can save big on a cool Lego set inspired by The Dark Knight movies at Amazon and Walmart. The 713-piece Batman Construction Figure & Bat-Pod Lego building set is discounted to $40 (was $65) at both retailers. The deal is part of Walmart's Bricktember Lego sales event, which only runs through the end of September. While it's possible this Lego Batman deal will stick around longer, we wouldn't count on it--especially since Lego is discontinuing this set.

The Batman Construction Figure & Bat-Pod Bike is one of five discounted Batman sets that Lego has marked as "retiring soon," which means retailers are unlikely to get new stock when existing inventory sells out. The other three sets aren't as steeply discounted, but you can still save 20% three of them at Amazon and Walmart. You can also save $20 on the 4,210-piece Batman: The Animated Series wall art at Amazon.

Lego Batman Sets: Retiring Soon

• Batman Construction Figure & Bat-Pod Bike (713 pieces) -- $40 ($65)
• Batman: The Animated Series Batmobile (435 pieces) -- $48 ($60)
• Batman Mech Armor (140 pieces) -- $12 ($15)
• Batman Batmobile vs. Mr. Freeze (63 pieces) -- $16 ($20)
• Batman: The Animated Series Gotham City (4,210 pieces) -- $280.62 ($300)

Lego DC Batman Construction Figure & Bat-Pod Bike (713 Pieces) $40 (was $65)

Released in 2024, this 713-piece Batman kit is a 2-in-1 bundle featuring a buildable action figure and the unique Bat-Pod Bike Christian Bale zipped around Gotham City on in The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012).

The 10-inch Batman Construction Figure can stand on its own and has numerous articulated joints, allowing you to move his arms, legs, hips, shoulders, and head. The Bat-Pod Bike has rubber wheels that turn and a pair of stud launchers.

This isn't the first Lego Batman action figure. In 2023, Lego released a Batman Returns Construction Figure. Unfortunately, this 275-piece set is out of print and sells for around $40 these days.

The Batman & Bat-Pod Bike set launched alongside the 140-piece Batman Mech Armor figure. The 4.5-inch mech has articulated joints and a cockpit for the included Batman minifigure. You can get the Lego Batman Mech Armor set for $12 (was $15). Heads up: This set is also retiring soon.

See at Amazon See at Walmart Lego DC Batman Mech Armor (140 Pieces) $12 (was $15)

The Lego Batman Mech Armor is smaller than the Batman figure that comes with the Bat-Pod Bike, but it's essentially a buildable action figure, too. The 4.5-inch mech has movable shoulders, arms, legs, and hips as well as a cockpit hatch that closes to keep the included minifigure secure. The mech has a built-in stud launcher, two Batarangs, a jetpack, and movable two-piece cape. The Batman minifigure has a fabric cape.

The 140-piece Batman Mech Armor Lego set is available for only $12 (was $15) at Amazon.

See at Amazon See at Walmart Lego DC Batman: The Animated Series Batmobile (435 Pieces) $48 (was $60)

The official name for this 435-piece set is Batman with the Batmobile vs. Harley Quinn and Mr. Freeze. Like the Batman Figure & Bat-Pod and Batman Mech, this set launched in June 2024.

The completed build is 11 inches long and includes a display stand that rotates 360 degrees. The stand combined with the included nameplate makes this set one of Lego's hybrid play-and-display builds. The build itself is recommended for kids ages eight and up, but Lego clearly recognized many fans of the show are adults.

The Batmobile has multiple interactive components, including an exhaust-flame element that rotates when the wheels turn, a pair of removable stud launchers, and a cockpit hatch that lifts up to reveal a control panel and a seat for one minifigure.

The Batman minifigure with this set has a molded cape. The two villain minifigures each come with accessories to hold. Harley Quinn has a giant hammer, and Mr. Freeze wields a stud launcher.

See at Amazon See at Walmart Lego DC Batman & Batmobile vs. Mr. Freeze (63 Pieces) $16 (was $20)

Part of Lego's lineup for kids ages four and up, this 63-piece Batman set comes with a small Batmobile and two minifigures: Batman with a Batarang and Mr. Freeze with an ice shooter. Youngsters can "freeze" the Batmobile by attaching ice diamonds to the wheels.

In addition to the small Batmobile (2 x 4 x 2 inches), this playset comes with a little ice station where Mr. Freeze can reload and grab a popsicle.

We imagine Lego has a new Batman set for preschoolers in the works, because all of the other four-and-up building sets are retired already.

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All Batman Lego sets at Amazon

The current Lego DC Batman lineup includes four different Batmobiles.

See at Amazon More Batman Lego SetsLego DC Batman: Batmobile Tumbler | Lego Technic: The Batcycle

• Batman Lego sets in stores today:
• The Dark Knight: Batmobile Tumbler (429 pieces) -- $48 ($60)
• The Dark Knight: Batman Figure & Bat-Pod Bike (713 pieces) -- $40 ($65)
• Batman Mech Armor (140 pieces) -- $12 ($15)
• Batman: The Animated Series Batmobile (435 pieces) -- $48 ($60)
• The Classic TV Series Batmobile (1,822 pieces) -- $143 ($150)
• Batman Forever Batmobile (909 pieces) -- $100
• Batman: The Animated Series Gotham City (4,210 pieces) -- $280.62 ($300)
• Batman: Arkham Asylum (2,953 pieces) -- $300
• BrickHeadz: Batman 8-in-1 Figure (325 pieces) -- $25
• Retired Batman Lego sets:
• Lego Technic: The Batcycle (641 pieces) -- $45.88 ($50) | Retired
• Batwing: Batman vs. The Joker (357 pieces) -- $43.49 | Retired
• Batmobile '89: Batman vs. Joker (438 pieces) -- $54.50 | Retired
• Batman 3-in-1 Gift Set: Batmobile, Batwing, Minifigure -- $90 | Retired
• Batman Returns Construction Figure (275 pieces) -- $40 | Retired
• Preschooler Batman Lego Sets:
• Batman Batmobile vs. Mr. Freeze (63 pieces) -- $16 ($20)
• The Batcave: Batman, Batgirl, The Joker (184 pieces) -- $39 | Retired
• Batman Bike vs. Harley Quinn (42 pieces) -- $29.75 | Retired
• Batmobile Pursuit: Batman vs. The Joker (54 pieces) -- $37 | Retired

The Dark Knight fans can also build a small model of the Batmobile Tumbler from the film trilogy by picking up the 429-piece Batman Tumbler vs. Two-Face & The Joker Lego set for $48 (was $60). This set comes with three minifigures and a Bat-Signal. It's one of five Batmobile sets you can find on store shelves today. The other two we haven't mentioned yet are larger builds. The newest addition to the lineup is the 909-piece Batman Forever Batmobile, which retails for $100 and released in August. Experienced builders and collectors should check out The Classic TV Series Batmobile, a 1,822-piece Lego display model that launched last fall.

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Fortnite continues to lean into artificial intelligence, as developer Epic Games has announced an AI-powered chatbot to help with Player Support inquiries.

The goal is for the Fortnite AI chatbot to help players find answers faster for their support questions. The chatbot is first rolling out in a test that will make it available only to 1% of players on Fortnite's English-language support site. Wider availability for the chatbot will come later, Epic said.

Earlier this year, Microsoft rolled out its own AI chatbot to help Xbox users with a variety of things.

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In 2020, Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser left the company after over two decades as one of the driving forces behind the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption franchises. While Houser has since launched a new company, Absurd Ventures, he recently shared his thoughts on Grand Theft Auto 6 and explained why Bully 2 never materialized.

During a panel appearance at Los Angeles Comic Con (via IGN), Houser was asked about how he feels regarding GTA 6, the first Grand Theft Auto game in decades that he had no involvement with.

"I think it's a great privilege to have worked on something that big--you know, I wrote the last 10 or 11 of them, so I think the world's probably had enough GTA from me ... There's always a new story, so it's not going to be a story that I wrote or a character set that I developed. I think it's going to be exciting. The game will be great, I'm sure."

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Xbox's September update is here, and it brought a bunch of changes to streamline the experience on console and PC, so you can enjoy more games with little hassle.

In a lengthy Xbox Wire post, Microsoft revealed all the new features--one of which has been in beta--available now on consoles and PC. There's a ton of stuff here.

There's the beta of the n-game AI-powered assistant, Gaming Copilot, expanding to Game Bar on Windows PC and hitting the Xbox mobile app next month. You've got a revamped Xbox PC app, which simplifies finding your apps, games, and history into a couple of easier-to-navigate menus. And then PC gamers get three specific updates: a visually cleaner Social widgets experience, a Network Quality Indicator tool designed to help you understand and troubleshoot your connection, and a feature to make game saves sync easier across devices.

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A new Lord of the Rings game is in development and is a third-person action game designed to "compete with Hogwarts Legacy," according to a new report.

Insider Gaming said it heard from sources close to the project that the unannounced and untitled game is funded, in part, by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), to the tune of around $100 million USD. A deal could be made public as soon as next week, the report said.

In addition to ADIO, the rumored new Lord of the Rings game is said to involve Embracer, which is the company that owns the rights to Lord of the Rings games (and other extensions of the fantasy series). The developer Revenge is said to be involved as well.

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A new horror-game announcement pretty much always intrigues me, but when a studio reveals a game that's said to kick off a whole new connected horror universe, that's the type of ambitious first step that really grabs me. Such is the case with ProbablyMonsters' upcoming first-person horror game, Ire: A Prologue.

As the name suggests, Ire: A Prologue is the very beginning of the Ire universe--a brand-new series led in part by CJ Cowan, who previously worked as story lead at Bungie and helped bring to life the years-long sagas of both Halo and Destiny. Cowan's expertise is in expanding worlds such as the one Ire is set to unveil, but it all starts with this first game, which, based on my hands-off demo, will intrigue fans of games like Alien: Isolation and Amnesia.

In Ire: A Prologue, players take on the role of a young girl named Emily who, in 1986, finds herself trapped in a timeloop on a boat while a monster roams the halls. Like in Alien: Isolation or the most recent Amnesia sequel, The Bunker, the monster is an AI enemy and not adherent to a script. This means every interaction can go any number of ways, and since you'll be looping through its world over and over, there's every reason to believe you'll repeatedly need to outwit the creature by hiding in lockers and vents or staying in the shadows as it lingers nearby.

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Epic Games has announced that a Fortnite emote associated with retiring WWE superstar and current movie mega-star John Cena has been disabled, maybe indefinitely, because of its possible Nazi connection.

Peaceful Hips, an emote in the popular battle royale shooter, was created in collaboration between James Gunn's DC show Peacemaker and Epic Games. The emote sees your character goofily rotate their hips before making alternating "L" shapes with their arms. If you've watched Peacemaker, then you're familiar with the dance; it's what Cena performs in the second season's opening montage. It's awkward and stiff, which is what's supposed to make it a lighthearted gaff, particularly given the character's often violent personality. However, with the show's latest episode, the quirky dance--and Fortnite emote--have taken on a whole new meaning.

Light Spoilers for Peacemaker S2, E6

Titled "Ignorance Is Chris," the September 25 episode sees Peacemaker discover that the alternate dimension he's so fond of is actually Nazi America. This version of the US shows a true Anglo state, where there are only white people, and the stars of the American flag have been replaced with swastikas. It's this fact that unlocks the new meaning behind Peacemaker's dance in the opening of Season 2; those alternating "L" shapes he's making with his arms are stand-ins for the swastika.

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The full release for Hades 2 has led to a new all-time high of concurrent players on Steam for the sequel. The roguelite game topped out at 112,947 people over the weekend, according to SteamDB. That breaks the sequel's record from its Steam Early Access debut in May 2024 with just over 103,000 players. In addition, Hades 2 has already doubled the peak of Hades, which hit 54,240 concurrent players in May 2024, too, per SteamDB.

Developer Supergiant delivered Hades 2 version 1.0 a few days ago on September 25. The full launch also included the true ending for the game, along with 50 different achievements and new artwork. So far, Hades 2 is only available on PC, Switch, and Switch 2.

Hades 2 is the first sequel that Supergiant has ever created. The studio formed in 2009 and previously made Bastion, Transistor, Pyre, and the original Hades. GameSpot's Hades 2 review rewarded the follow-up with a prestigious 10/10--the second title to earn that score this year (Split Fiction being the other).

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Battlefield 6's launch on October 10 is coming up very soon. If you're wondering precisely when you can start playing, the release times for the military shooter have now been posted online.

As confirmed previously, there is no early access for Battlefield 6, so the game will launch at the same time for everyone on October 10. The global rollout begins at 8 AM PT on October 10, which works out to 11 AM ET and 4 PM BST. You can see more global launch times below, as posted by Battlefield Bulletin. GameSpot has contacted EA in an attempt to confirm these times and get more information.

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Konami's Silent Hill series returned with Silent Hill f this month, and the game is off to a hot start. Konami reported today that the horror game exceeded 1 million sales after its first 24 hours.

This figure includes physical and digital sales across all platforms, including PC and console. By comparison, 2024's Silent Hill 2 remake sold 1 million copies after three days. Silent Hill f was available a couple days early for people who paid extra.

Silent Hill f was developed by NeoBards Entertainment, while Bloober Team made the Silent Hill 2 remake. The new game is set in 1960s Japan and follows the character Hinako Shimizu as she solves puzzles and fights horrible monsters.

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The rumors were true: Electronic Arts has announced that it's sold itself in a $55 billion deal. EA sold itself to an "investor consortium" made up of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners, and the private equity firm Silver Lake.

EA said the all-cash deal "positions EA to accelerate innovation and growth to build the future of entertainment." EA CEO Andrew Wilson is still on board as CEO.

The investor consortium will take over 100% of EA. The PIF already had a 9.9% stake in EA prior to this deal.

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American Caper #1 (Kindle edition)

$5.74

Preorder at Amazon

Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser isn't just preparing to launch a new book--titled A Better Paradise Volume One: An Aftermath--but also a new comic book series called American Caper. The first issue launches on November 12, and it follows a Mormon hitman, a gambling lawyer, and a Mexican beauty queen as their fates become tangled together after a real estate deal goes wrong. If you're interested in reading the first issue, Amazon is offering the Kindle version of it for $5.74.

American Caper #1 (Kindle edition) $5.74

Joined by Grand Theft Auto veteran Lazlow--who will also write additional material for American Caper--the first storyline of this series will run for 12 issues. Bringing it to life will be a veteran team of illustrators, including Eisner Award-winning artist David Lapham (Stray Bullets), colorist Chris Anderson (Lost Angels), Lee Loughridge (GI Joe), and letterer Nate Piekos (The Umbrella Academy). Houser describes the series as a tale of corrupt business, inept politics, bungling crime, leisure wear, and self-righteous justice, and he has teased a cast of colorful characters for American Caper, ranging from a Wall Street billionaire who has become a cowboy to a "maniac" seeking revenge.

Preorder at Amazon

"I love doing crime comedy and having done lots of stories about carjackers, or people that have to be tough, living in this moment right now. I wanted to tell a story about some degenerate criminals from a completely different perspective, in a completely different part of the world, that you could never make a GTA game in," Houser said to IGN during a panel at LA Comic-Con this month. "Men getting confused between reality and the fantasy in their heads is something a lot of stories are about, and is something I find very interesting. America, particularly the rural west, in this moment right now is something I found interesting, and thought was an interesting place to set a dark comedy."

Houser's other project, A Better Paradise, will be released on October 14, and the novel will also be available in ebook and audiobook formats. This book is adapted from an audio fiction series that aired in 2024, and it's set in the near future at a video game company. The story takes place at Daisy's Ark, an advanced video game world developed by tech startup Tyburn Industria that was eventually shut down following a pattern of "unexpected and disturbing results" that had an impact on everyone involved. A decade later, development on the project resumes.

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Artificial intelligence technologies are being adopted faster than ever before by developers in Japan, according to a newly released survey conducted by the organization behind the Tokyo Game Show. The results indicated that over 50% of Japanese video game developers are integrating AI into their production.

Automaton shared the results of the findings from the 2025 CESA Video Game Industry Report, which found that 51% of Japanese developers use AI in some capacity while creating games. The survey was conducted between June and July of this year, with 54 companies responding, including Sega, Capcom, and Level-5. Most of the companies indicated that they are using AI for visual assets, story and text creation, and programing support. There are even some developers who are using AI to help them create in-house game engines.

This matches up with global trends. A majority of game developers worldwide are known to use AI systems for game development, despite ongoing worker concerns.

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Battlefield 6 players have made it pretty clear that they don't want the game to follow in the footsteps of Call of Duty with its celebrity operators and cartoon-like skins featuring Beavis and Butt-head. Now, EA and Battlefield Studios appear to be poking fun at Call of Duty with a live-action Battlefield 6 trailer that introduces some celebrities soldiers before ruthlessly dispatching them.

Zac Efron, Jimmy Butler, Morgan Wallen, and Paddy Pimblett play themselves as the warriors who prove to be expendable in more ways than one. This video appears to be a callback to Call of Duty's "There's A Soldier In All Of Us" series of trailers that featured all manner of celebrities, including Sam Worthington, Jonah Hill, and Dwight Howard. The celebrities operators had a much easier time in that video than they did with Battlefield 6's urban chaos and destructible locations.

Battlefield 6 has already had a launch trailer for its campaign, which highlighted the extent that bringing down buildings can reshape the game. Another trailer put the spotlight on Battlefield 6's Portal mode. That's the part of the game that puts tools in the hands of players and lets them create customized maps that inject more chaos into the battles.

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Yakuza Kiwami 1-3 & Yakuza 0 Director's Cut

Physical editions for PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch 2

Preorder at Amazon

Yakuza and Like a Dragon developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has kept the franchise thriving with a constant stream of releases, and this strategy will continue through the holiday season and into 2026. Most notably, the Kiwami remake series is expanding with Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties. The remake of Yakuza 3 comes with a new spin-off game Dark Ties and features a complete overhaul of the gameplay and graphics. Yakuza Kiwami 3 is available to preorder now for $60 on PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X and PC ahead of its February 12, 2026 release.

Upcoming Yakuza Game Preorders for Console:

• Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties (PS5, Switch 2, Xbox) -- Feb. 12, 2026
• Yakuza Kiwami 1 & 2 Bundle (PS5, Xbox) -- Dec. 8
• Yakuza Kiwami / Yakuza Kiwami 2 (Switch 2) -- Nov. 13
• Yakuza 0 Director's Cut (PS5, Xbox) -- Dec. 8
  • Available now for Switch 2

Sega is also bringing Yakuza Kiwami 1 & 2 to PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch 2 this fall. A Kiwami 1 & 2 bundle for PlayStation and Xbox releases December 8 for $60, while Nintendo Switch 2 players can preorder Yakuza Kiwami and Kiwami 2 separately for $35 each. Along with the rereleases of the first two remakes, the Director's Cut of Yakuza 0 will no longer be exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 starting December 8. Check out all of the upcoming Yakuza physical editions below.

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Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles

$50 | Amazon Exclusive Edition

Preorder at Amazon

Final Fantasy Tactics makes its triumphant return this week with an awesome enhanced edition called The Ivalice Chronicles. Still one of the greatest tactical RPGs of all time nearly 30 years later, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles earned a 9/10 in our review. If you haven't preordered a copy ahead of its September 30 release, Prime members can still get release-day delivery for the Amazon Exclusive Edition on Nintendo Switch and PS5. Tactics has a free Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade with improved graphics and frame rates.

Final Fantasy Tactics Amazon Exclusive EditionFinal Fantasy Tactics - Amazon Exclusive Edition

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