Gaming

Steam Machine Verified medals appear on games’ store pages overnight, as if left by the Compatibility Fairy

• Steam Machine compatibility ratings are now visible on store pages.
• Ratings sit within the existing Steam Deck Compatibility section.
• Steam Frame VR headset will get its own verification programme too.

Valve has quietly switched on Steam Machine compatibility ratings on Steam store pages, roughly two weeks after the console's release. Until now, games could earn a Verified, Playable or Unsupported rating for the Steam Machine, but the results were not displayed publicly, meaning titles that had passed testing…

‘There’s a Lot of Elevating It Because It’s Old’ — The Odyssey Director Christopher Nolan Set Out to ‘Do Away’ With ‘Cultural Prejudice’ Around How We View the Ancient World

Christopher Nolan has defended his creative approach to The Odyssey, telling Channel 4's Krishnan Guru-Murthy that he deliberately set out to strip away the "cultural prejudice" that leads audiences to view the ancient world in overly formal or elevated terms. The director argued that Homer's poem is in…

Is Black Flag Resynced on Game Pass?

This GamesRadar+ article addresses whether Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, the remastered version of the 2013 pirate-themed instalment, is available on Xbox Game Pass. The question is topical because Ubisoft's remaster has drawn interest from series fans keen to revisit the naval adventure without paying full price, and…

“It was like being back in 2016” Pokémon Go celebrates 10th anniversary by recreating the original trailer’s Times Square Mewtwo raid

• Poku00e9mon Go's 10th anniversary recreated the 2016 trailer's Times Square Mewtwo raid.
• Over 1,000 players battled Mega Mewtwo Y, catchable with a Master Ball.
• Free Go Fest 2026: Global follows this weekend, 11thu201312th July.

Pokémon Go marked its 10th anniversary with a live event in New York's Times Square, fulfilling the final promise of the game's original 2016 trailer by letting players battle Mewtwo in that iconic location. The moment carried particular significance for the community, as it symbolically completed everything the…

Palworld Reaches Full 1.0 Launch After Record Early Access Run and Pokémon Trademark Disputes

• Palworld exits early access and launches version 1.0 after two years of commercial success
• Creature-collecting survival game faces ongoing Pokémon trademark disputes but maintains strong player base
• 1.0 release brings refined gameplay and player-requested improvements to controversial mechanics

Pocketpair's creature-collecting survival game Palworld has officially exited early access with its 1.0 release, marking a milestone for a title that captured massive player attention since its surprise debut in 2024. Th

All major changes and additions in Palworld 1.0

Palworld has left early access with the release of its full 1.0 version on PC and consoles, accompanied by patch notes running to more than 10,000 words. The update marks a significant milestone for developer Pocketpair, expanding the game's world, creatures and story while reworking several core systems.…

HyperMegaTech Super Pocket Rare Edition Review

• Blaze's seventh Super Pocket bundles 14 Rare games for $69.99.
• Banjo-Kazooie is rebuilt to run natively, not emulated.
• Good value, though screen, sound and some controls draw criticism.

IGN has reviewed the HyperMegaTech Super Pocket Rare Edition, the seventh Super Pocket handheld from Blaze Entertainment and part of the wider Evercade ecosystem. The device uses the same hardware as earlier models but comes preloaded with 14 classic games developed by Rare, alongside a matching colour scheme,…

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma Is Advising the Federal Reserve on the Economic Impact of AI as Part of a ‘Productivity and Jobs’ Taskforce

• Xbox CEO Asha Sharma joins a Federal Reserve taskforce on AI and jobs.
• The appointment follows 1,600 Xbox layoffs, with 1,600 more planned.
• She sits alongside Marc Andreessen and economist Charles I. Jones.

The US Federal Reserve has appointed Xbox chief executive Asha Sharma to a newly formed "Productivity and Jobs" taskforce charged with assessing the economic impact of new technologies, including artificial intelligence. The appointment is notable both for its high profile — Sharma sits alongside venture capitalist Marc Andreessen…

Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops 2 shadow drop on PS5, and you’ve got one month to get them at a good price

• Black Ops and Black Ops 2 have shadow-dropped on PS5.
• The launch was unannounced, catching fans by surprise.
• A discounted price is only available for about a month.

Activision has shadow-dropped the original Call of Duty: Black Ops and its sequel Black Ops 2 on the PlayStation 5, making the two acclaimed shooters natively available on Sony's current-generation console without any prior announcement. The move matters to fans because it brings a pair of the franchise's…

Hokubu Evolving World Car Meet location in Forza Horizon 6

Polygon has published a guide explaining where to find the Evolving World Car Meet in Forza Horizon 6, a new location tied to the game's Horizon Decades Festival Playlist series. The venue works like a standard car meet, letting players park and display their favourite vehicles, but its…