5 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Games Archive

Archives for July 2026

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Meta’s Horizon Plus subscription now includes the Xbox Game Pass starter edition.

As Microsoft continues its Xbox “reset,” the pared-down Game Pass bundle that arrived recently as a benefit for Discord Nitro is now also included in the 7.99 monthly / $59.99 annually Quest subscription. The starter edition also includes 10 hours of cloud gaming access to try some of the 50-plus games it unlocks before downloading them.

Meta also said that soon its Meta Quest Touch controllers will be able to emulate the Xbox gamepad, although anyone who has a real Xbox pad can just pair that to their headset immediately.

Meta Horizon+ Adds XBOX Game Pass

[Meta]

Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
Anbernic refreshed and slimmed its Game Boy Advance SP.

Last year’s RG34XXSP added a pair of thumbsticks but Anbernic’s new RG SP looks like an update to 2024’s RG35XXSP that more closely matched the GBA SP. The new model has a “refined tactile button feel,” a smaller screen bezel, and a body that’s about 10 percent thinner

Stevie Bonifield
Stevie Bonifield
MSI’s special-edition dragon laptop costs nearly $7,000.

The Titan 18 HX Dragon Edition Draco Epic marks MSI’s 40th anniversary by maxing out the already-pricey Titan with a flashy dragon design, 96GB of DDR5 RAM, an Nvidia RTX 5090, and an Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus. At least the $6,999 price tag also includes a bundled copy of LEGO Batman.

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A photo of the MSI Titan 18 HX Dragon Edition Draco Epic with lid closed
A photo of the MSI Titan 18 HX Dragon Edition Draco Epic with lid open
A photo of the keyboard deck on the MSI Titan 18 HX Dragon Edition Draco Epic
1/3Image: MSI
The Switch 2 is $50 off at Woot for new customersThe Switch 2 is $50 off at Woot for new customers
Nintendo keeps making shooters more friendly and approachableNintendo keeps making shooters more friendly and approachable
The wireless headset that gets hot-swappable batteries rightThe wireless headset that gets hot-swappable batteries right
Jess Weatherbed
Jess Weatherbed
This gaming mouse is equipped with a teeny Noctua fan.

The Feinmann F01 Noctua Edition is made in collaboration with peripheral maker Pulsar Gaming Gears, and like other fan-equipped mice, is designed to cool sweaty palms during intense gaming sessions. It’s available starting today for $179.95, providing customizable fan speeds and a 8,000Hz polling rate.

The Feinmann F01 Noctua Edition mouse besides a Noctua fan.
His palms are sweaty, team’s weak, ping is heavy.
Image: Pulsar Gaming Gears
Stevie Bonifield
Stevie Bonifield
Ayaneo’s Next 2 handheld got a $1,000 price hike.

PC Gamer spotted a listing for the Next 2 on Ayaneo’s website with a top configuration priced at $5,299. The same configuration, with 128GB of RAM and 2TB of storage, was already pricey at $4,299 earlier this year, before Ayaneo suspended preorders, saying the handheld was “unsustainable” due to skyrocketing RAM costs.

Ayaneo's top-end handheld costs over $5,000 and comes with a simply ridiculous amount of RAM

[PC Gamer]

Get Borderlands 3, Risk of Rain 2 and 13 other great PC games for $15Get Borderlands 3, Risk of Rain 2 and 13 other great PC games for $15
The PlayStation replica ornament is an homage to a great, yet fragile consoleThe PlayStation replica ornament is an homage to a great, yet fragile console
LG’s glossy OLED gaming monitor is rare to find under $400LG’s glossy OLED gaming monitor is rare to find under $400
Andrew Liszewski
Andrew Liszewski
Turn Valve’s Steam Machine into a Companion Cube with your 3D printer.

Dbrand’s Companion Cube case is not going to happen, but you can 3D print a detailed replica of it for your Steam Machine using files shared by Printables user Jaron. A multicolor printer will make the process much easier, and they’ve shared a list of all the additional parts you’ll need like screws and magnets to assemble it.

Valve’s Steam Machine inside a 3D-printed case that looks like a Companion Cube from Portal.
Image: Printables
The future of physical games is not looking great

Players and game preservationists might need to prepare for a world without discs.

Jay Peters
More games should be on rails (literally)More games should be on rails (literally)
Jay Peters
Jay Peters
ZA/UM is laying off staff.

“Up to” 32 staffers have been served redundancy or at-risk notices, ZA/UM says. The studio has been the subject of a lot of controversy following the launch of Disco Elysium, and it released a new game this year, Zero Parades: For Dead Spies. However, the Zero Parades’ “commercial performance has not enabled us to sustain a studio of our current size.“

A message from ZA/UM about layoffs. It reads: Today, we are sharing difficult news. While ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies was released to critical acclaim, its commercial performance has not enabled us to sustain a studio of our current size. We have served redundancy or at-risk notices impacting up to 32 of our colleagues across all departments at ZA/UM Studio. Their work has made a lasting difference and left its mark on ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies, and the studio as a whole. Throughout this difficult process, we have continued to consult and work with representatives of the ZA/UM Workers’ Alliance. This changes the shape of ZA/UM, but not its purpose. Our artistic standards remain unchanged: we will persist. To anyone currently hiring, please consider the colleagues leaving ZA/UM.
Image: ZA/UM

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