Just a week after its last record-setting day, Steam has hit a new concurrent player peak of 42,042,778, passing the 42 million milestone for the very first time on January 11. The gaming platform has seen sustained growth in recent years, with record-setting peaks happening more and more regularly.

Although Steam has been around for over 20 years, its popularity has picked up dramatically in recent years--especially in the six years since the Covid-19 pandemic was officially declared. Steam's average concurrent users have more than doubled since pre-Covid days, and its rate of growth has also sped up.

Analysis of Steam's growth by Wccftech shows that the platform's pre-Covid growth rate was around 4.5% per year, which rocketed to a massive 31.5% in 2020 due to global lockdowns, and later leveled out to around 13% in the years since. Wccftech reports that Steam's revenue is also on an upwards trend, with December 2025 being its best December yet for revenue--no doubt driven by recent breakout games including Arc Raiders and indie hit Peak.

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Six months ago, Hytale was was canceled by Riot Games after 10 years of development. However, the game's development studio Hypixel was saved by co-founder Simon Collins-Laflamme in November 2025, and Hytale is set to hit early access today, J

According to the countdown on Hytale's official site, the game will launch on January 13, 7 AM PT/10 AM ET. For now, Hytale will only be available on PC, but Mac and Linux versions will follow.

It's important to note that Hytale will not be available on Steam. In order to get the game, players will need to download the Hytale Launcher.

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While you might be looking to reestablish your gym routine now that the festive season is over, at least you can count on your Switch 2 console having an extra layer of stability thanks to a new firmware update. Nintendo has rolled out a new system update for the Switch 2 that brings it up to version 21.2.0, and as you've probably guessed, it doesn't do much.

"General system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience," the very succinct update notes read.

Since its launch, the Switch 2 has mostly focused on small updates like this to keep the console running smoothly for users. That's not to say there haven't been any substantial updates so far, as the November firmware upgrade added better visual clarity on the home menu to indicate whether a game is owned physically or digitally. The update also added GameChat improvements, helping to fine-tune the Switch 2.

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About 15 years ago, a baby with a birthmark on her forehead was born as the third princess in Temirana, which is located at the eastern end of the country. The baby was rumored to be a 'cursed princess' and she was forced to live separately from her family in her mansion away from the castle - but then came a big turning point for her. One day, just before her 16th birthday. At the venue of the duel tournament "Helis Duelm", she saw five men emitting a strong "light" that made her dizzy. Yes, this "cursed princess" had a special fortune. When she finds herself in danger of her life, objects and places appear to glow as if to signal that she should avoid it. The princess trusts her own intuition and decides to invite her shimmering ones into her order. However, some of them have no swordsmanship experience and are not even interested in knights. With such a small order of five knights, will the princess be able to overcome the "disaster" that will arise in the future ?

A town forever blanketed in ice and snow, an inescapable time loop, and a group of travelers trapped between memory and truth. You will play as ShiMo, the amnesiac protagonist, stepping into this mysterious town known as the "Singularity." By solving a series of bizarre murder cases, you will gradually uncover the town's secrets, recover lost memories, and confront a long-buried past. But remember - in this world, kindness may lead to destruction, the truth may be crueler than lies, and the call of loneliness might just be the beginning of redemption. Are you ready to listen to the sound of 52Hz? "52 Hertz" is a futuristically apocalyptic Honkaku (authentic) mystery game. Trapped in a fog-shrouded, eerie town, you must work alongside the protagonist to solve murder cases and unmask the culprits. Through a series of puzzles, you'll seek out your own lost memories and uncover the truth about the town.

Nintendo Switch 2 JC400 Handheld Controller

$42.49 (was $54)

Get deal at Amazon

Nintendo Switch 2 players can grab a surprisingly good alternative to the Joy-Con 2 for handheld mode for only $42.49 (was $54) at Amazon. This is the lowest price yet for the Gammeefy JC400, a Bluetooth controller with a cradle designed specifically to hold the Switch 2 console. The JC400 has Hall Effect sticks with RGB light rings, two remappable back buttons, rumble with five intensity levels, six-axis motion controls, and numerous other features that make it a bargain.

You're probably wondering about the brand, right? Gammeefy? Yeah, it's not a major brand. It's one of those accessory brands you find on Amazon that happens to sell the same exact product as other brands you also haven't heard of. The JC400, for instance, is also sold by several other brands on Amazon. Additionally, the 2,700+ customer reviews (4.5/5-star average) is bolstered by an older model for the original Switch and Switch OLED on the same store page. It's worth noting the Switch/Switch OLED version of the controller is only $28 (was $40) for a limited time.

We rarely highlight off-brand accessories sold by multiple brands--a common occurrence on Amazon--but the JC400 is actually quite impressive.

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