When Nintendo Switch 2 preorders opened on April 24, some interested buyers undoubtedly found themselves searching Amazon, wondering why in the world the biggest online retailer in the US seemed to forget about a new Nintendo console. But the Switch 2's absence from Amazon was an expected continuation of a story that has been unfolding over the past year. Amazon simply doesn't carry first-party Nintendo products these days, which means you'll only find third-party games and accessories for the upcoming console on Amazon's storefront.

No Switch 2 preorders at Amazon? No surprise there.

If you regularly buy first-party Nintendo Switch games, the Switch 2's absence on Amazon's US storefront probably wasn't too surprising. To be clear, this article is specifically about Amazon in the US. Amazon UK, for instance, still carries Nintendo products, including the Switch 2.

Last spring, Amazon "sold out" of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door preorders. But when the retailer never restocked the remastered version of the GameCube classic, it became clear something else was happening. From that point forward, Nintendo's 2024 and 2025 Switch games weren't listed on Amazon. The list of absences included numerous notable releases: Luigi's Mansion 2 HD, Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Mario & Luigi: Brothership, Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, Super Mario Party Jamboree, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, and Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition. Amazon also stopped restocking older Nintendo Switch exclusives that were previously available. You also can't buy digital games, eShop gift cards, or Switch Online subscriptions from Amazon.

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Hearing footsteps in Call of Duty can feel vital to success, especially in the game's more competitive modes. Thankfully, the latest system software update for PlayStation 5 makes hearing footsteps much easier in those crucial moments on Black Ops 6 and Warzone. Here, we guide you through the new setting and provide recommendations for using the Audio Focus feature on PS5.

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• What is PS5 Audio Focus?

What is PS5 Audio Focus?

Sony's latest system software update arrived to PlayStation 5 on April 24, 2025, and this included the addition of Audio Focus, which is an accessibility feature that lets you amplify and more clearly hear certain parts of game audio.

PS5's Audio Focus works similar to the Loudness Equalization setting that Call of Duty PC players use. Loudness EQ levels out the game's high and low audio, minimizing loud and unnecessary sounds while amplifying quieter ones, such as enemy footsteps. This has kept console players at an audio disadvantage for the last several years.

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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 developer Sandfall Interactive has announced that the game has already sold 500,000 copies, just after launch. In a social media post, the studio said the game reached this sales milestone "sooner than we'd ever imagined."

Expedition 33 is also on Game Pass, and presumably the 500,000 figure does not include people playing via the subscription service. Expedition 33 is the No. 2 best-selling game on Steam right now, only behind Oblivion Remastered, and it's reached more than 70,000 concurrent players. The game is also on PS5.

Some industry observers theorized that Expedition 33 might have had its lunch eaten by Oblivion Remastered, as it surprise-launched just two days before Expedition 33. Both are Game Pass titles, but clearly, there is enough room for multiple success stories this week. Both Bethesda and Sandfall shared congratulatory messages with each other regarding their respective game launches this week.

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La Quimera, the story-driven FPS from the developers formerly known as 4A Games Ukraine, has been delayed--just after reviews for the game went live.

Dmytro Lymar, co-founder and CEO of developer Reburn, said in a statement that the studio ran into "some unforeseen challenges" related to La Quimera being the company's first title as an independent studio.

"We are trying our best to address the matters as quickly as possible, while also navigating the circumstances we’re faced with here in the Ukraine," the developer said, acknowledging the ongoing Russian offensive into Ukraine.

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Do you want to rewatch old CCTV footage or cutscenes in Blue Prince? There's actually a method that unlocks this particular feature using terminals. Of course, you also need to gather a few clues along the way. Oh, and before we continue, please be reminded that this article contains minor spoilers.

How to replay cutscenes in Blue Prince - CCTV footage password guide

To replay cutscenes and watch CCTV footage, you must input a specific password based on clues found in the estate. Similar to our other guides, we look at the hints first just in case you want to discover these on your own. Then, we talk about the actual solution.

Where to find the clues for the CCTV recordings?

If you're eager to replay cutscenes in Blue Prince, you might want to check a couple of areas for hints:

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Are you planning to change your room upgrades in Blue Prince? Normally, the perks that you select are set in stone. They ought to be permanent for the rest of your playthrough, at least until you discover a workaround.

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• How to change room upgrades in Blue Prince - Room upgrade reroll guide
  • Make sure you obtain all Upgrade Disks first
  How to change room upgrades in Blue Prince - Room upgrade reroll guide

  The mechanic to change or reroll room upgrades was first made known to us by Discord user Lokyndra. It involves acquiring expensive items from the Showroom and then exchanging them via the Trading Post.

  Make sure you obtain all Upgrade Disks first

  Before you decide to change room upgrades in Blue Prince, you might want to obtain all Upgrade Disks first:

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Are you looking for the Repellent in Blue Prince? It's one of the rarest items in the game, and also one of the most useful given that it allows you to alter the location of the Foundation. Our guide has all the details that you need to help you in your playthrough.

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• How to get the Repellent in Blue Prince - Foundation location guide

How to get the Repellent in Blue Prince - Foundation location guide

The Repellent has a nifty effect. When it's in your inventory, you can press "X" in a room inside the manor. Doing so removes that room from the house and your draft pool for a week.

Mind you, it won't work for every room--i.e. the Entrance Hall and Antechamber are immune to its effects. That said, it does become valuable when you consider one other permanent fixture in your mansion: The Foundation.

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The next video game movie, Until Dawn, is in theaters now, but we recently learned that director David F. Sandberg almost passed on it. He said in an interview that he considered giving up on IP-based films after the negative reaction to his superhero movie, Shazam: Fury of the Gods, over which he said he received death threats.

"I mean, to be honest, fans can get very, very crazy and very angry with you. You can get, like, death threats and everything so after Shazam 2, I was like, 'I never wanna do another IP-based movie because it's just not worth it,'" Sandberg told GamesRadar.

However, Sandberg said he read the Until Dawn script and thought it would be "so much fun to do," so he ultimately signed on to make it. Specifically, Sandberg said he latched onto the movie's core storytelling conceit, which is that the story plays out in a time loop where the survivors have to face a different horror threat each night.

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In an industry overflowing with news regarding layoffs, closures, and reduction, any example of a company withstanding the tests of time is worthy of celebration. Gameloft is one such company, and right now it's in celebration mode as it commemorates its 25th anniversary.

What started as a small mobile gaming outfit has grown into a firm that employs over 2,900 people across 10 studios. With a mix of popular original IP and licensed games in its portfolio, Gameloft is poised to stick around for the foreseeable future.

GameSpot sat down with Gameloft CEO Alexandre de Rochefort to reflect on the past 25 years of Gameloft's history. He speaks about the main reasons Gameloft has been able to persist, four essential turning points in the history of the company, and the challenges of overcoming the perceived stigmas of the mobile gaming scene.

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Pokemon fans--specifically those who adore Eevee and its Eeeveelutions--might want to to brace themselves for some good or bad news, depending on their current financial status. The good news is that The Pokemon Company has revealed a new range of life-size plushies based on the game franchise's alternative mascot Eevee, but the bad news is that these cost a whopping $400 each--Eevee on its own is $50--which is almost as much as a Switch 2 console.

Gotta buy 'em all! See on The Pokemon Center

Similar to its previous releases like Arcanine and Porygon, each one of these Pokemon are massive. Eevee is still manageable, but its popular evolutions--and Vaporeon--are much bigger in comparison. The Jolteon plushie is 32-inches long and Flareon is a little over 25-inches in length, to give you an idea of just how big they are.

The US Pokemon Center is currently offering Eevee and its original Kanto evolutions of Jolteon, Flareon, and Vaporeon, and the line will expand in summer with Espeon and Umbreon from Pokemon Gold and Silver. Later this year, Leafeon, Glaceon, and Sylveon will arrive to complete the set, if you have $3,250 to spend on all of these plushies.

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Larian Studios created one of the most beloved and acclaimed RPGs in recent times with 2024's Baldur's Gate 3, and everyone wants to know what's coming next from the studio.

It's too soon for that, however, as Larian isn't ready to pull back the curtain on its next project, codenamed Excalibur. While we wait, though, Vincke is sharing his thoughts on a wide variety of industry topics.

Speaking to GameSpot's Tamoor Hussain, Vincke discussed at a high level what's next for Larian and dug into hot-button issues like his stance on AI/machine learning. Vincke also talked about managing risk as Larian grows in size, weighed in with his take on if single-player games are dead or not, and discussed why Larian didn't release DLC for Baldur's Gate 3.

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Baldur's Gate 3 was a tour de force when it launched in 2023, garnering multiple accolades--including GameSpot's Game Of The Year--and launching developer Larian Studios into a household name. Because of that success, many assumed a DLC expansion would be coming for the megahit RPG, but that doesn't seem to be the case--and in Larian CEO Swen Vincke's opinion, that's because the studio finds making DLC "boring."

In an interview with GameSpot, Vincke mentioned that Larian is "not in the DLC business," pointing to Baldur's Gate 3's massive patches and updates as the way Larian prefers to update its games. When asked to expand further, Vincke called making DLC "boring" and said there's "no passion" in doing that at the studio.

"You want a happy player and happy business, but you also need to have a happy developer," Vincke said. "What we're doing now makes developers way more happy. We had a huge hit, and people said 'DLC this' and 'DLC that,' and we said we'd make DLC, but then when we had a moment to think, we asked ourselves, 'what are we doing?'"

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Machine-learning and artificial intelligence systems are some of the most-talked-about technologies in gaming--and across a variety of other industries. Some fear advancements to such systems might lead to negative consequences, while others predict a rosier future. Still others, like Larian Studios boss Swen Vincke, are trying to thoughtfully implement new technologies to help empower developers, not replace them. We caught up with Vincke recently, who discussed a range of subjects, including machine learning and AI. Watch the full interview below.

Tasks "Nobody Wants To Do"

Vincke said Larian currently uses machine learning systems to help automate game-development tasks that "nobody wants to do."

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Doom games have primarily been set on Earth, Hell, and the heavenly world of the Maykrs, but for Doom: The Dark Ages, developer Id Software is adding a new dimension of Lovecraftian terror. Dubbed the Cosmic Realm, this new location will see the Doom Slayer face off against brand-new foes that'll put his skills to the test, but he'll also pick up a new weapon that can help him even the odds.

In a new video, game director Hugo Martin described the Cosmic Realm as a world that has formed an unholy alliance with Hell. Thanks to that union, new enemies like the Cosmic Baron have emerged. This brute has bladed arms, and he'll pressure you with relentless melee and psionic attacks, but there will be windows of opportunity to strike back. There's also a new form of the Cacodemon to watch out for, which Martin described as a floating mass of telepathic terror that can immobilize players if they get too close to it.

Fortunately, the new Reaver Chainshot weapon can do some serious damage to these foes. A "brutal ballistic iron mace of death" according to Martin, it can unleash long-range melee strikes by charging up the Chaos Sphere inside of it. Overall, Doom fans can look forward to 22 levels across various realms, and on PS5, Martin said that the all-new idTech 8 engine will be capable of rendering impressive scenes on that platform.

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Thanks to the preservation efforts of GOG, beloved Capcom JRPG Breath of Fire 4 has gotten a new PC port. This new edition of the classic game is DRM-free and has been updated for modern PCs, as it's now compatible with Windows 10 and 11 operating systems, includes both the English and Japanese localizations, and full support for modern controllers like the Sony DualSense. If you're interested, you can pick it up for $10 on GOG.

See on GOG

Other improvements include the restoration of missing sound effects, new rendering options, and various issues that would cause hard crashes to the desktop have been addressed. Breath of Fire 4 was first released for PlayStation in Japan and the US in 2000, and the original PC port for it arrived in 2003.

The game is set in a fantasy world, where two major continental powers in the sky had been cut off from each other for centuries by an expanse that ships could not sail across. First contact was eventually made, and with it, war erupted between these continental powers. Taking place a year later, the game introduces a colorful cast of characters, including the hero Ryu, who possesses the ability to transform into a powerful dragon. Teaming up with several warriors, Ryu sets off on a quest to stop an immortal emperor from attaining godhood and unleashing destruction upon the world.

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The Split Fiction film adaptation has just added some big-name talent, specifically Anyone But You star Sydney Sweeney. The actress is attached to play a leading role in the movie, as either Zoe or Mio.

Variety reports that Wicked filmmaker Jon M. Chu is set to direct Split Fiction, joining Sweeney (who will also executive produce) on the project. Chu's production company Electric Somewhere will back the game adaptation. Split Fiction also has writers lined up with Deadpool and Wolverine scribes Rhett Reeese and Paul Wernick. This wouldn't be the duo's first foray into a video game project as they helped develop Peacock's Twisted Metal TV series.

The Split Fiction movie adaptation has picked up steam quickly. It was only last month that word came out developer Hazelight was working with Story Kitchen on a film for the game, which also just launched in March. Split Fiction creator Josef Fares also seemed unsure whether a film adaptation of the game would actually get made. However, odds have definitely increased with Sweeney and Chu attached to the project.

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2023's Resident Evil 4 Remake had a lot of hype to deliver, but quickly became one of that year's best games and a huge seller. It sold so much that, in fact, that Capcom officially announced that it reached 10 million copies sold. Making it the fastest to reach that milestone than any other entry in the entire Resident Evil Franchise within just two years.

Capcom also compared the number of sales with the last few games of the series, starting with 2017's Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Both Biohazard and the Resident Evil 2 Remake, released in 2019, have achieved over 15 million cumulative units sold. 2021's Resident Evil: Village has reached over 11 million cumulative units, while 2020's Resident Evil 3 Remake sold 10 million cumulative units.

Since the series launched in 1996, the company has sold 167 million units across almost 30 years of the franchise.

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The TSA is well-known for its sometimes-questionable decision-making when it comes to what can and cannot fly. This week, one Call Of Duty fan found out the hard way that replica bombs are one of the many items that cannot be brought onto an aircraft… even if said replica looks more like a monkey than a bomb.

In a recent post on the official Transport Security Administration Facebook page, the TSA revealed it had confiscated a replica Monkey Bomb from a passenger at Boston Logan International Airport. The item in question is, of course, not a real bomb, but a replica of the amusing monkey-based grenade featured in a number of Call Of Duty titles, including Black Ops 6.

"On today's episode of #ProhibitedItemsWeek, we present Call of Duty: Baggage Ops," the TSA shared on Facebook. "Our officers at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) had a 'What the frag?!?' moment when they discovered this replica explosive device in a passenger's checked bag. This monkey may rack up points in a game, but in real life, leave the gear for your loadout screen, not your baggage. Replica weapons and explosives, no matter how cool or collectible, aren't allowed in either carry-on or checked baggage."

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Hideo Kojima has revealed a new piece of trivia about his PlayStation game Death Stranding. He said on a social media post that he offered Margaret Qualley a role in the video game after seeing her in a Kenzo perfume ad back in 2016.

The ad was directed by Oscar-winning director Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Her), and in it, Qualley dances in a variety of contorting positions. "The only note I got from my agent was that they wanted me to dance like a tree," Qualley said of the ad, which you can see below.

I saw this and offered her the role of Mama (Lockne) in Death Stranding. https://t.co/UDJa2NjbO6

— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) April 25, 2025

In Death Stranding, Qualley plays Mama and Lockne. It's unclear if Qualley is coming back for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.

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EA's upcoming free-to-play Skate game will not feature an offline mode, developer Full Circle has confirmed. In an FAQ, the developer said Skate will require a constant internet connection because of how the game was designed.

"The game and city are designed to be a living, breathing massively multiplayer skateboarding sandbox that is always online and always evolving," the studio said. "You'll see bigger things evolve, like changes to the city over time, as well as smaller things, like live events and other in-game activities."

Full Circle added: "In order to deliver on our vision of a skateboarding world, the game will always require a live connection."

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