Sony has made the controversial decision to axe production of physical PlayStation games going forward in 2028, sparking massive debates regarding game preservation and whether or not piracy is the only way to preserve them.

This decision has been met with universal vitriol from gamers, mocking the company for what they feel is ultimately Sony shooting themselves in the foot while making funny jokes about it on social media.

Even some of us here at Windows Central are baffled by Sony's decision, asking, "What's the point of a console without discs?" as PC gaming offers more ways to preserve games and allow players to own games they buy without DRM restrictions via GOG, for example.

In fact, it's garnered so much attention that big-brand companies in and outside of the gaming industry have started making various responses to Sony on social media, making fun of the company while supporting gamers who prefer physical media.

First off, we have Domino's Pizza, of all things, making this humorous response mocking Sony's decision on X, stating that they'll be "ceasing production of physical pizzas and shift to production of digital pizzas only" and saying that "Consumers will be able to download our full range of delicious pizza codes, and using the power of imagination, enjoy them in an entirely virtual sense."

One of Domino Pizza's biggest rivals, KFC, also made a similar response on its Spanish X account, saying via translation, "BREAKING NEWS: KFC will stop offering its physical format starting today. Its products can only be consumed through its app in fake PNG format."

The VPN company, ProtonVPN, also responded with a rather hilarious joke announcement on X by saying that it will make its services entirely physical starting April 1st, 2027.

It will send smart employees to your current location to help with FAQs and tech support, and mail encrypted letters, among other funny services meant to mock Sony's decision.

The cybersecurity firm, Malwarebytes, has made a similar joke announcement on X, by stating that starting on April 1st, 2028, it will dispatch a member of its team with an 'M' suit to a customer's house and escort them to their doctor's appointments to stay clean of viruses.

Malwarebytes also stated it will "microwave any fish in the office of any company that leaks your personal data."

Other companies within the video games industry have made similar comments online. For example, Esports Awards made fun of Sony's decision by stating that it will no longer produce physical trophies for Esports winners starting in 2028, while saying that winners will be able to download their trophies as JPEG or PNG images to be put on virtual displays.

The gaming chair manufacturer, RESPAWN, also made a similar joke announcement on X, stating that it will stop producing physical chairs and switch to making digital chairs only, which will be distributed to customers via premium chair codes.

Not all responses are entirely satirical, however. The online rental retailer, GameFly, took to X to announce its disappointment in Sony's decision to axe physical PlayStation games.

It believes in the power of physical entertainment media and will continue to support gamers and collectors who prefer physical media by proclaiming, "We are committed to renting physical media, be it games or movies until they pry the discs from our soft, moisturized hands".

The gaming collectible and vinyl retailer, iam8bit, expressed similar disappointment in Sony regarding this decision on X. iam8bit states that physical games are a vital part of game preservation, ownership, and consumer choices, values which the retailer has believed in for a decade and will continue to do so while proudly shouting "Long live physical media".

Other retailers like Evercade, which specializes in selling consoles compatible with retro games stretching back to the 1980s arcade era, made a parody video of Sony's "Used Game Sharing Instruction" advert from 2013, which has now aged incredibly poorly.

It shows Evercade's employees sharing physical retro games, while promoting their new Evercade Nexus gaming handheld, which uses physical game cartridges to play games instead of relying on digital copies, and it currently supports over 700 classic games including Banjo Kazooie, Tomb Raider, Broken Sword, and more.

There's no doubt that many more companies will respond to Sony regarding this industry-changing decision, both satirical and serious in the weeks to come.

But will these responses, as well as massive gamer backlash, cause Sony to reverse this decision as well as backpedal on its equally controversial decision to close the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita digital stores?

Stay tuned to find out as we keep on further developments regarding whether more companies make similar responses to Sony's decision and what Sony plans to do next.

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Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a fantastic game, and I’ll go one further: that’s an understatement. Now, I’m personally not too heavily invested in the Warhammer universe. Unlike my older brother, I just never really got into it; instead, I was a massive Halo fan.

Now, of course, you can absolutely be both, but my brother often reminds me that Master Chief wouldn’t survive in the Warhammer universe, something I completely refuse to believe. I’m not here to settle that debate, though. Instead, I want to highlight an incredible community-made mod by Skykiller, using Halo Reach Sangheili models gained via Draken Warlord, that lets you experience Space Marine 2 from the perspective of one of Halo's most iconic species.

The mod itself, called Sangheili Campaign, adds Halo Reach Elite models to the Space Marine 2 campaign, complete with modified textures, materials, and visual effects to better fit the game's world. In fact, it goes far beyond a simple character swap, replacing nearly every weapon with Halo Reach equivalents, including the Plasma Pistol, Carbine, Needle Rifle, Plasma Repeater, Plasma Rifle, and plenty more. And yes, before you ask, the Energy Sword is there too.

I’d like to say it’s surprising how well this all fits together, but it really isn’t. As a huge Halo fan, and I’m sure many others feel the same, I’ve long believed the franchise has been underutilized. Feel free to disagree with me, but even a former Bungie employee, Niles Sankey shared similar sentiments.

When Halo Wars launched, I was genuinely excited because it felt like the beginning of Halo expanding beyond first-person shooters. Since then, though, we’ve had very little outside of Halo Wars and Halo: Spartan Assault and Spartan Strike. I even loved the look of the canceled Halo Mega Bloks game, and seeing this mod only makes me wish we'd gotten an official Halo game in a similar vein to Space Marine 2. Sadly, we haven't, and I think that's a real shame.

Still, I’d love to hear what you think. Would you want to see Halo branch out into more genres like this, or do you think it should stick to what it knows best? Let me know in the comments, and be sure to take part in our poll above!

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Hideo Kojima, I'm sure, needs no introduction. He rose to fame as the creator of the Metal Gear Solid franchise before leaving Konami to establish his own independent studio, Kojima Productions, which has since gone on to create Death Stranding.

Another thing that needs no introduction is the long-rumored Xbox layoffs, restructuring, and everything that comes with them. While that could reportedly lead to studio closures and Microsoft pulling out of publishing agreements, as we've already seen with IO Interactive's Project Fantasy, there is at least one game that appears to have avoided the chopping block.

To say pulling funding for Kojima's OD would have been beyond idiotic is probably the understatement of the year. Then again, we live in a time where PlayStation has decided to abandon physical media, with Xbox seemingly poised to follow suit, so at this point I'm kind of at a loss and feel like just about anything could happen.

Fortunately, according to a new report from IGN, Kojima's OD is still safe. We actually heard about the game quite recently following the Xbox Games Showcase, when Entertainment Weekly published a full page of interviews and details regarding all things Xbox, and within that, it also included some words from Kojima that gave us a few fresh details. Nothing major, mind you, but enough to confirm the game is progressing well, and perhaps more importantly, that Xbox CEO Asha Sharma remains fully behind the project.

We've also heard reports that Xbox isn't actually reducing its overall investment in games. Instead, it's becoming far more selective about where that money goes. Here's what Xbox told Bloomberg:

"[Xbox is] taking a fresh look at where we invest so we're focusing on our highest priorities... We're not reducing our overall investment in games. We expect to invest about the same in content as we did last year. What's changing is where we're investing and the kinds of projects we're backing."

Despite being a bit of a wimp when it comes to horror games, I'll definitely be keeping an eye on OD. It is Kojima after all, and I'm glad it's reportedly managed to survive the Xbox funding chopping block. With that said, let me know your thoughts in the comments below, and as always, be sure to take part in our poll!

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American Truck Simulator's map keeps getting bigger, and one of the next confirmed DLC packs takes things north of the border into Canada.

It's the first time American Truck Simulator has officially left the United States, and the new British Columbia DLC will tag onto the upper-left side of the map.

There's still no confirmed release date, and it's unlikely to be soon since Illinois hasn't even been here a month. But some new information has been released by SCS Software, and it details locations that will be part of British Columbia.

American Truck Simulator: British Columbia cities listed (so far)

I'll admit the only location I expected to see was Vancouver because my geography is awful, and, well, that's not on the list. At least right now, anyway, but it more than likely will be.

Instead, based on the locations we have been given, there's a spread right across the southern part of British Columbia, from Vancouver Island in the west, all the way across close to the border with Alberta.

Here are all of the confirmed cities for American Truck Simulator's British Columbia DLC.

• Grand Forks
• Creston
• Sparwood
• Invermere
• Golden
• Princeton
• Campbell River

SCS teases on its blog post that there's more to come:

"These are just a few of the many cities and communities you'll be able to discover throughout British Columbia. Our teams are working hard to capture the unique character, industries, and landscapes that make this province such an exciting destination for truckers."

The initial selection does give us an idea of the scale, though, and how it'll integrate with the existing map. It looks like routes will be drivable into Washington, Idaho, and Montana.

Following British Columbia, the next two DLCs are already public, with South Dakota and the recently revealed Indiana.

All this comes just days after the first gameplay was shown off for "Project Road Trip," adding regular vehicles into American Truck Simulator.

In the video above you can see the work-in-progress on the Ford F150 pickup, which will be part of the upcoming, but as yet undated, Ford Car Pack DLC.

I'm a recent convert to American Truck Simulator, but right now it's one of my favorite games to play. Nothing beats hitching the trailer and hitting the open road at the end of a long, tiring day in the real world.

I'm just wondering if there will be accurate border controls when the British Columbia DLC drops. I sure hope so.

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As the dust settles after the Xbox Showcase and Summer Game Fest, I began reflecting on the games I checked out. One thing became increasingly apparent to me over the past few weeks: the game I found myself thinking about most is Remedy's upcoming Control Resonant.

The Control franchise forms the core of the 'Remedyverse,' which shares canon with Alan Wake, FBC: Firebreak, and potentially Quantum Break too (if Microsoft ever gives up the IP ...).

The original Control passed me by somewhat. I felt like it started a bit slow and for whatever reason, the game never gripped me. But after playing Resonant, I went back to Control and its DLCs, and played it religiously to completion in a single weekend.

Remedy's worldbuilding is second to none, and while Control itself wasn't perfect, Remedy is once again taking some unexpected risks with its sequel, Resonant, by completely flipping the gameplay style.

I didn't want to write this preview until I had the context of the Control universe in full. The rabbit hole runs incredibly deep in this world of parallel dimensions, quantum phenomena, and warped aberrations. Mysterious conspiracies, fourth-wall bending tropes, and hefty Twin Peaks, SCP, and X-Files inspirations made Control an unexpected hit with myself.

It's with humility that I admit I underestimated Control Resonant's potential. After going hands-on and getting myself immersed in the harrowing responsibilities of the Federal Bureau of Control, Resonant is now one of my most anticipated upcoming Xbox games.

The Hiss is spreading

The main character of Control is Jesse Faden on paper, but I would argue that really it's the Federal Bureau of Control itself in a lot of ways. The FBC is a secret U.S. organization that tracks, researches, and contains anomalies. Fans of the X-Files and SCP Foundation will find familiarity immediately here, but Control's mysteries tend to revolve around extra-dimensional phenomena and entities above all.

In the base game, Jesse arrives at the FBC headquarters to find her brother, taken by the organization when they were children. As she arrives, she finds their HQ on lockdown, with hundreds of agents driven violently insane by a mysterious extra-dimensional signal.

Without giving away too much for those who haven't played, very early on, Jesse ends up as the director of the Federal Bureau of Control, and becomes endowed with a variety of telekinetic powers and extra-dimensional weaponry. Jesse also finds her brother, Dylan, although it's hardly what you'd call a happy reunion.

Indeed, in Control Resonant, you take command of Dylan Faden, almost directly after the events of the previous game — and the threats are bigger than ever.

The mysterious signal that drove the Bureau's agents violently insane has spread beyond The Oldest House HQ and into Manhattan proper. Known as The Hiss, it turns regular folk into disturbed, murderous shadows of their former selves. And in Resonant, it seems to stronger and more deadly than ever.

CONTROL Resonant works incredibly well with action RPG elements

Change of central protagonist meets change of central gameplay style in Control Resonant.

The Faden siblings were experimented on and researched by the FBC for their Parautilitarian powers, which essentially gives them command of some of the Control universe's extra-dimensional physics. They're super heroes in short form, and their abilities make up the basis of gameplay in both titles.

The original was similar to Quantum Break with its physics-bending abilities mixed with gunplay. Resonant leans far more heavily into kinetics and melee combat, giving Dylan a variety of close-quarters capabilities that, to me, felt more intuitive in motion than Resonant's predecessor.

Dylan wields an aberrant tool which can transform into a variety of melee weapon forms. In the demo, I only had access to a couple of abilities, but more unlock as you play much like in the original. The basic hack n' slash horizontal slashery felt good, but not as good as the two-handed heavy hammer which can flatten enemies into paste — although the wind up can leave you vulnerable.

It's hard to say for sure how Control Resonant will play out across the course of its campaign. I wonder how Resonant will approach aspects of the original proved controversial with some critics. I loved getting lost in the dimension-breaking mind-fuckery that was The Oldest House, but some felt the map layout was confusing and convoluted, hurting the game's pacing.

Resonant takes place in Manhattan, warped and decimated by The Hiss signal. Dylan Faden can platform and hover from the outset, making for rapid city traversal almost reminiscent of games like InFamous or Prototype, albeit in a more linear, focused fashion. Indeed, this isn't a sandbox title, but the urban spread makes for a wider playground than its predecessor's oft-claustrophobic office-style haunts.

My demo concluded with a boss battle against a gigantic (and rather haunting) disembodied head. It wasn't quite soulsian in delivery as so many melee-oriented action games seem to want to emulate these days. It felt old school hack n' slash to me, in a good way, with well-telegraphed attack patterns that were easy to follow even on the higher difficulties. It also felt like a marked improvement from some of Remedy's previous attempts at boss battles, that's for sure. It makes me wonder just how many of them will pop up throughout the campaign.

I didn't expect Remedy to be able to pull off this type of gameplay so confidently. No guns in sight, slashing and hammering enemies into particulates felt effortlessly fun, but what really grips me about Resonant and Control in general is Remedy's painstaking approach to world-building and strong character treatment.

Dylan is an interesting character. We don't see too much of him in the original overall. But growing up as a lab rat in a nightmare-inducing Federal black hole is going to make for uniquely interesting hang-ups.

Also, Control already left several dozen (or more) unansered questions in its wake. Who or what is The Board? What is The Hiss, and what does it want? If indeed, anything at all? Jesse and Dylan's relationship doesn't seem as clear cut as being mere siblings either ... and the very nature of the Federal Bureau of Control itself is dripping with intrigue and conspiracy.

And I love it.

Control represents one of the most immersive universes I've gotten into in recent years. I know I'm late to the party, and regret that my attention-addled brain couldn't push through the slower-paced early segments sooner. Control Resonant was the perfect antidote — thrown head-first into apocalyptic chaos from the outset, in a world dripping with as much mystery as it is style.

Do not sleep on CONTROL Resonant

Control Resonant is launching in a very busy month, with lots of high-profile games in its orbit. Onimusha, Blood of the Dawnwalker, Wolverine, Silent Hill: Townfall, Minecraft Dungeons 2 ... just to name a few.

I'm surprising myself to say that Control Resonant will be the first of the September heavy hitters I intend to play this year.

If you like the look of it, I implore you to give Control and its DLC expansions a real go beforehand. The world building for me is what really makes Control a standout title, even if some other aspects of it aren't quite at the level you might want from a fully priced title. As an X-Files kid, there's just so, so much to love here, and the clandestine Federal agency angle remains a timeless trope that really sparks the imagination. Whether you grew up with Twin Peaks, the X-Files, or SCP, or even creepypasta in recent years — Control is at its best when it taps into that contemporary mythos.

Resonant may give Control's industry-leading worldbuilding the gameplay it deserves to match.

CONTROL Resonant launches on September 24, 2026 on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox PC with Xbox Play Anywhere, PS5, and PC via Steam.

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Ah yes, one of Xbox's most acclaimed studios, known for games like Fallout: New Vegas, Grounded and The Outer Worlds, is shutting down... oh wait, never mind. It's just the Xbox rumor mill spinning up another baseless claim.

Forgive the sass, but it's becoming exhausting. Yes, I'm fully aware a major shake-up is underway at Xbox, and we all have every right to be on the edge of our seats. At the same time, though, I'd quite like to enjoy my hobby of gaming without feeling like the entire industry is crumbling around me every other day.

The initial rumor that Obsidian could be facing closure came from The Game Business. The rebuttal, however, came from none other than Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, whose reporting is not something to ever bet against.

Schreier took to BlueSky, stating: "Despite a report this morning, I can confirm that Obsidian is not in negotiations to avoid shutting down. Plenty of details are still up in the air surrounding the layoffs (picture will be clear on Monday), but Xbox is keeping Obsidian, according to people familiar with the situation."

For what it's worth, our sources have not once indicated that Obsidian was part of the cadre of studios facing closure or selling, but Schrier's info is all you need here to know that it's likely bogus info.

It seems we won't have to wait much longer to find out what actually happens at Xbox. On the one hand, I'm relieved that the uncertainty might finally be coming to an end. On the other, I'm already worried for my fingers as I frantically cover whatever unfolds. I might have to invest in one of those finger grip strengtheners in preparation ...

I will say, the fact so many people believed Xbox could potentially close Obsidian speaks volumes about the level of distrust currently surrounding the brand. Clearly something within Xbox needs to change. I just hope those impacted by whatever happens land on their feet, and that the damage isn't as severe as many are fearing.

With that said, do let me know your thoughts in the comments, and as always, be sure to take part in our poll below.

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The RAM Crisis has PC users gripped in fear as they're scrambling to buy as much storage space for their PCs as they can before their costs become too unaffordable for the average person, leaving many stores deprived of SSDs.

However, some SSDs have managed to slip through this shopping rush with their stock untouched, like the WD_Black SN8100 PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD.

This internal storage unit, boasting insanely fast read speeds for work and gaming, is currently on sale at Best Buy for $269.99 for its 1TB model (listing price was $528.99), $399.99 for its 2TB model (listing price was $1,057.99), and $999.00 for its 4TB model (listing price was $2,069.99).

Why buy the WD_Black SN8100 SSD?

In an age where files for games, documents, 4K videos, and other pieces of media are taking up hundreds of gigabytes' worth of space, you're going to need a massive SSD to store them in while having high read/write speeds so transferring files won't be slower than snails.

SanDisk's WD_Black SN8100 SSD is one such storage unit, as it comes with 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB models, each one being equipped with high Read Speeds up to 14,900MB/s and Write Speeds up to 11,000MB/s.

This makes the WD_Black SN8100 SSD one of the best SSDs for gaming as these models will have plenty of space to fit your precious games in while cutting down on load times for rendering graphical assets and reducing lag so they feel smoother to play.

These read and write speeds are also good for productivity tasks, as the SSD can help your PC transfer files in mere seconds, which can be handy when you need to send work documents, videos, and other important data from one machine to another.

Just make sure your computer has a heatsink attached to its motherboard before installing the WD_Black SN8100, as it can get extremely hot when taking on heavy-duty workflows.

FAQ

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Despite decades of people calling for "the year of Linux," fresh data from Steam's Hardware Survey for June 2026 suggests Windows is still firmly the norm. Linux's market share fell by 0.30 percent to 3.69%. Yes, that's a relatively small decline, but considering Linux's smaller gains have often been celebrated, I think it's only fair to mention it. To keep things balanced, though, Linux is still well ahead of where it was this time last year, when it sat at just 2.57%.

Before we jump into what we all actually care about (Windows), macOS also saw a small increase, rising by 0.05 percent to 2.21%, up from 1.76% this time last year. I know rattling off percentages can get a little mind-numbing, but there are actually some genuinely interesting trends hiding in this month's data, so let's get into the Windows side of things, because that's where things get particularly interesting.

Looking at Steam's Hardware Survey for June 2026, Windows 11 climbed by another 0.68 percent, while Windows 10 declined by 0.43 points, showing a continued shift toward Windows 11. The modern OS now accounts for 70.44% of Steam users. It's hardly a dramatic jump, but it does suggest more PC gamers are choosing to move to Windows 11 rather than one of the growing number of Linux distro alternatives.

Is anyone calling it "The year of Windows 11"? That's what I'll be calling it for the foreseeable future — I jest, of course. Windows has its fair share of issues and gets plenty of deserved flak online, but Linux has given me a bad experience every time I've had the displeasure of trying it. Despite my frustrations with Windows, it typically does just work, Copilot shenanigans aside.

I always enjoy looking at these kinds of trends across the industry. There's something interesting about seeing what operating systems, hardware, and configurations people are actually using. Somehow, despite Microsoft seemingly shooting itself in the foot several hundred times over, people are still choosing Windows 11.

But let me know your thoughts. Is this really a sign of satisfaction with Windows 11, or are people simply being forced to upgrade as Windows 10 reaches the end of its life? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and as always, be sure to take part in our poll below:

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It's been a rough week for console gamers. First, Sony announced it's putting an end to physical disc production in 2028, meaning the PlayStation 6 will be strictly digital.

Over on the Xbox side of things, our sources (via Managing Editor Jez Corden) suggest that Microsoft is also leaning away from including a disc drive in its next-gen console.

Sony didn't think gamers were unhappy enough this week, and the company also confirmed that it's shutting down the PS3 and PS Vita digital storefronts as early as August 2026 in some regions. Whatever hasn't been downloaded once the stores disappear is, for all practical purposes, gone.

What's really irking me and countless other gamers is the expected blow to game preservation.

This is exactly the sort of combo knockout that the Video Game History Foundation (VGHF) has been dreading and warning gamers about for years. The VGHF's director, Frank Cifaldi, wrote a lengthy response to the news on Bluesky.

Statement from VGHF director Frank Cifaldi on the discontinuation of physical PlayStation media, and the closure of the PS3 and PSP digital storefronts.

— @gamehistoryorg.bsky.social (@gamehistoryorg.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-07-02T13:18:13.377Z

Cifaldi notes that "museums and archives have been preparing for this future for a while," and that console games pressed to discs have long been a poor way to preserve due mainly to day-one patches downloaded from the cloud (which might not always be available).

Cifaldi's frustration isn't exactly directed at Sony, but rather at the gaming industry as a whole, and what it expects comes next for institutions like the VGHF.

If platforms like PlayStation and Xbox are going to retire physical media and kill old storefronts, the least the games industry could do is help find a legal way to preserve old titles.

Instead, groups like the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) have "repeatedly opposed the efforts of cultural heritage institutions to reform digital copy protection laws to make it easier to do this work."

Alongside the Software Preservation Network (SPN), the VGHF has been putting in work in recent years to create some sort of DMCA exemption for historic archives and libraries.

👉 Subscription gaming is inching toward a world where players own nothing at all

In 2024, the US Copyright Office famously shot down an appeal to grant that sort of exemption, with lawyers stating that there was basically no way to have the correct safeguards around that sort of preservation effort. So what's the next step?

No one thinks game preservation is wrong; the disagreement is over who should be trusted to solve the problem, and so far, there's no clear answer.

What's left for game preservation but piracy?

I'm certainly not the only one who thinks that, in the face of blocked legal efforts, piracy is the only real way to preserve video games.

Responding to a post on Bluesky stating that "piracy is the only extant form of media preservation that exists in games right now," Cifaldi said, "This is accurate."

As the director of a historical video game preservation institution, and someone who has dedicated his entire adult life to this cause, this is accurate. We have attempted to work with the industry's trade organization to find a legal path forward, but they refuse to offer a meaningful alternative.

— @frankcifaldi.bsky.social (@frankcifaldi.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-07-02T13:18:13.339Z

I can see an obvious contrast here to the platform I imagine most of our Windows Central readers are already thinking about.

PC gaming has long been a digital medium, but the end of discs was more like a retirement after many years of dutiful service rather than an abrupt end as decided by industry giants.

Because of how open PC gaming has always been, it's much easier to preserve games. GOG does a great job of keeping old games alive. There are plenty of storefronts available with different and overlapping titles. Community efforts and modding revive old games all the time, and emulation is only growing.

The PC I built a few months ago can usually run the games I grew up on decades ago. Consoles, increasingly, can't promise the same thing. Nowhere close, especially with how gated everything is.

👉 As Sony revokes digital licenses and Xbox hints at a discless future — I'm saying a sad farewell to physical software, midnight launches, and second-hand game savings

With one of the biggest perks of console gaming gone, what's left? Ease of use? Sure, but PCs are quickly catching up with Windows Xbox Mode and SteamOS. Low cost? Maybe, but next-gen consoles are going to cost a lot more than I think most people can fathom.

Would you rather see older video games disappear than see them pirated? Do you agree that when there's no legal path forward, the only answer is to break the law? Let me know in the comments section below!

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A leaked video has revealed that Microsoft has explored building a dedicated AI OS powered by Microsoft Edge and a new lightweight Windows codebase called Win3. This exploration was codenamed Aion, and was built around web tech, placing Copilot at the heart of the experience.

The 3 minute video, which my sources say is real, was first leaked on Discord server BetaWiki and provides a handy walkthrough of what looks to be real (but early) working code, showcasing a new desktop UI that features a similar Taskbar along the bottom, Start menu-like interface powered by Copilot, and more.

"Aion is an example of a web-based agent OS that natively builds Copilot into the core of the shell," says the video's narrator. The entire experience is built around Copilot and a multi-modal input box, which is where users go find files, open apps, and browse the web.

The Taskbar includes a unique feature called "Spaces" that automatically groups your apps and sites into a bucket on the Taskbar that you can quickly return to at a later point. These spaces appear in the Start menu too, providing a one-click method of opening multiple things at once.

The video explains that Aion is built around the web, meaning it doesn't run native Windows apps. It only runs web apps and websites, leaning on Windows 365 to remote into a Cloud PC and stream desktop apps if the user needs access to one.

The video does mention that there's a version of Aion that also runs on top of Windows 11, which would presumably support running Windows apps natively. But the version in the video appears to be based on the Win3 version, which sources tell me is a stripped back version of the Windows codebase that does not include support for legacy Win32 apps in exchange for faster updates, longer battery life, and better security.

My sources also say this video is quite old, recorded sometime in 2024, and it's unclear if this was just a Hackathon project or something more. I understand that Aion was experimental in nature, designed to explore what a desktop UX is capable of if built from scratch around an agentic AI. That means it's unclear if Aion is something that Microsoft ever intends to ship.

With that said, it would be surprising if some of the lessons Microsoft has learned from the Aion project aren't already shaping the version of Windows shipping today. While I don't expect Aion to ship as depicted in the video above, agentic OS capabilities are already finding their way into Windows 11.

Microsoft has also recently announced Project Solara, an agentic OS experience that utilizes just-in-time UI to generate experiences as the user asks for it. It runs on both AOSP and Windows, similar to Aion. Perhaps Aion evolved into Solara?

Either way, this is a fascinating look at what what at least one team thought the future of desktop computing could be like with Copilot at the heart of the experience. Given the sheer backlash around Copilot in the last year or two, I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft is already rethinking much of this.

Windows Central reached out to Microsoft for comment, but the company declined to provide one.

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Xbox looks likely to follow PC gaming by doing away with physical media, and Sony is already taking heat for its plans to stop PlayStation disc production by 2028. Whether or not Microsoft's next-gen, PC-like "Project Helix" console ships with some kind of external disc drive option is up for debate, but we know that Xbox executives are rethinking their strategy around production and shipping, mostly thanks to the unending RAM crisis affecting Xbox console prices.

An understandable knee-jerk reaction across social media has been to quiz PC gamers on why they're comfortable with Steam's approach to digital-only game sales and its implied digital rights management, even if the executable DRM wrapper in Steam is apparently optional. Plus, the popular, if runner-up, GOG maintains its stance on DRM-free digital ownership, though it relies on a proactive backup mentality from buyers.

However, regardless of how any retailer pitches itself as supposedly being on the side of consumers, there's no denying that there's a scary implication for the future of gaming, whether that's on Windows PCs or whatever hybrid consoles come next. Sony already plans to close its digital PS3 and PS Vita store, and has withdrawn ownership of digitally purchased movies for UK gamers, due to "content licensing agreements".

The slow, miserable death of ownership

There's understandable pushback from some gamers, who ask whether physical discs serve a purpose in 2026, with many questioning whether their peers have even bought a game outside digital stores in the last few years. However, our own readers say they'll "miss buying physical games", and I'm firmly in the same boat. Still, the status quo is seemingly shifting to digital purchases (or rentable licenses, depending on who you ask), whether we like it or not.

Besides the obvious benefit of allowing a friend or family member to borrow your games with ease — something Sony is also suffering criticism for on social media, given its previous tongue-in-cheek video response to Xbox's stance at the time — other elements of physical media now feel stranger in their absence as time goes on. Midnight launches, quirky in-box booklets, and money-saving second-hand sales are relics of the past.

At the risk of sounding like a budding applicant for a nursing home, midnight launches were a huge part of the hype surrounding games. Sure, they've been irrelevant for a few years already, but the FOMO effect of seeing hundreds of people queuing to buy a game even piqued my interest in some that I previously had no real desire to play, now replaced by refreshing web browsers to pre-order a digital GTA 6 code for $100.

Even today, after picking up a Switch 2, I'm borrowing Switch 1 cartridges from friends to catch up on Nintendo's modern era, spending a grand total of zero dollars on second-hand titles. Now, as the company moves towards Virtual Game Cards, it feels like this will likely be the last generation that lets me borrow games. Sorry to all the younger siblings out there, but you'll need to buy your own copies — no more hand-me-down goldmines.

Frankly, I rarely even spend the full amount on PC games, opting instead for discounted CD keys from Loaded or somewhere similar. I'm so regularly frustrated when I see pre-owned boxed games grow cheaper — depending on their rarity — while some digital copies remain expensive. From now on, we can only hope for sales events and pray the platform owners never shut down and take our licenses away.

Are you concerned with the disappearance of physical game discs, or are you fine with digital ownership — perhaps as long as there's a plan in place to transfer licenses in the future? I'm interested in takes from both sides, and the justifications for anything in between. Let me know in the comments, because it's certainly a turbulent time for gamers, no matter what opinion you hold.

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Capcom has announced on X that Onimusha: Way of the Sword, the long-awaited continuation of its Onimusha franchise, has changed its release date.

Instead of releasing on September 25, 2026, it will now launch on September 4, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Windows, Steam, and the Epic Games Store.

As a reminder, Onimusha: Way of the Sword is now available to pre-order on digital storefronts, with multiple editions (Standard, Deluxe, and Premium Deluxe) and pre-order bonuses up for grabs:

• Standard Edition – Will only contain the base game.
• Deluxe Edition – Will contain the base game and a Deluxe Kit featuring an alternative cosmetic outfit and gauntlet for Musashi, several charms, and cosmetic sword skins.
• Premium Deluxe Edition – Will contain the base game, Deluxe Kit, and a Premium Kit featuring new alternate costumes for Oni Lady and Okuni, alternate haori coats for Musashi, and a digital mini-soundtrack that has five songs from the game.

If you pre-order any version of the game before September 25, 2026, you will earn in-game Early Adopter Bonus items like Charms and cosmetic weapon skins for your sword.

However, as a result of the new release date, Capcom says that people who have pre-ordered the game on Nintendo Switch 2 digital storefronts will have their pre-orders canceled, so they will need to pre-order it again.

Physical versions of the game on Nintendo Switch 2, on the other hand, will not be canceled.

Windows Central's take

I have a feeling Capcom bumped up the release because the original release date would have had Onimusha: Way of the Sword competing against heavy hitters like Control: Resonant, the console version of Dune Awakening, and Silent Hill: Townfall releasing in the same week.

With its new September 4, 2026 release date, Onimusha: Way of the Sword will be going up against unproven original IPs like Orbitals and The Blood of Dawnwalker.

With this new launch date, the game won't have to worry about being ignored in a crowd of new entries from long-established franchises. That way, it can attract as many newcomers to the series and long-time fans who have been begging for Onimusha's return (along with other dormant Capcom IPs) as possible, which will hopefully help the game find financial success in the long run.

If you're a fan of samurai action games or Capcom games in general, we recommend putting this game on your radar, as it mightily impressed us at Summer Game Fest 2025 for its action-packed gameplay and dark tone.

Plus, the game has a playable demo available for all platforms so you can try it out for yourself and see if it's worth paying for the full game.

Will you be pre-ordering Onimusha: Way of the Sword? Have you had a chance to try out the playable demo yet? If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know through the poll, the comments section, or our Reddit community.

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KING Art has recently provided Warhammer 40,000 fans with an extensive gameplay demonstration of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV, the long-awaited sequel to the classic Dawn of War franchise that hasn't seen a new mainline entry since 2017's Dawn of War III.

This 15-minute-long demonstration video has two of the developers engaging in a 1v1 multiplayer skirmish mode while showing off the game's fast-paced combat and the destructive capabilities of two of the four playable factions: Space Marines and Orks.

For those unaware, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War is a series of Real-Time Strategy (RTS for short) games based on the iconic tabletop wargame.

What makes this series unique among other games in the genre is that it heavily cuts down on the resource management elements and focuses on purely building armies as fast as possible so you can get to blowing each other in gruesome and explosive grimdark fashion.

As seen in this gameplay deep dive, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 will be no different. In this game, buildings construct themselves, and gathering resources to build more units for your army is earned by taking and holding Power Nodes on the map.

As for the factions being played, Space Marines are generally a jack-of-all-trades type of army. They have a wide range of units and vehicles that are tough as nails and can hit enemies twice as hard with an array of destructive weapons built for any situation.

Orks, meanwhile, are bloodthirsty berserkers that specialize in melee combat and can't shoot straight to save their lives. Their main strategy is to build as many units as possible and overwhelm their enemies with an unstoppable "WAAAGH" of axe-wielding, grenade-spamming, Squig-riding maniacs.

Windows Central's take

The original Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War from 2004 holds a special place in my heart as it was not only one of my gateways into the Warhammer 40,000 universe, but it's also one of the few RTS games I ever enjoyed playing as a kid.

As a kid, I was bored gathering resources in games like Age of Empires and Warcraft 3, and just wanted to get to the killing parts (which I shamefully admit got me killed more often than not when playing against friends in multiplayer), so Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War was practically made for me.

So, it warms my heart to see the series retain that kind of gameplay mentality with Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV. The combat looks insanely fast-paced and gloriously brutal, and the amount of units blasting each other on-screen looks nuts (and worried if my PC can handle such chaos on display).

If this is just for the 1v1 multiplayer skirmish mode, I can't imagine how crazy the single-player campaign modes and other multiplayer modes like 2v2 and 3v3 are going to get.

I may suck at RTS games, but after seeing this gameplay demo, I'm willing to learn how to play them properly so I can relive my nostalgia for the Dawn of War series when Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War launches on September 16, 2026, for PC via Steam.

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Xbox Helix is in flux, and it's not entirely Xbox's fault, although it might be their parent company's.

The RAMageddon is here, and everything and anything with a chip in it has seen price increases. PlayStation, Xbox, even the iPhone is getting crazy price increases. The AI build-out is leading to inflated memory prices, as hyperscalers like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google race to become key players in the space.

For us, and for Xbox Helix, the downside (are there any upsides?) is price increases. The low-powered Xbox Series S has virtually hit price parity with the launch versions of the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.

It has huge RAMifications (lol, pun) for Xbox Helix, PlayStation 6, and consumer tech in general. Xbox is already supposedly rethinking the entire console business model as a result.

Rethinking Xbox Helix

So, what's going on with Xbox Helix? Recently, quotes from Xbox's new Chief Strategy Officer, Matthew Ball, specifically come from The Game Business, which has some great industry interview content you should definitely check out.

On the topic of wider hardware challenges, specifically around memory, Ball described a scenario where Xbox is effectively rethinking that Helix and the console model in general can actually be in the new economy.

"We are working very hard to rethink everything that we can about Helix, which is a console we are committed to shipping, and we are very cognizant of the ways in which we need to change as a company to make sure it is affordable, to make sure that it’s flexible."

"We are working hard to rethink what the console model can look like, not in an exclusionary way, but in an additive way. [...] But… we are working very hard to figure out the best way to navigate it for a way that works for everyone, that does not ask too much on players, but also doesn’t detract from other investments that we need to make."

So, affordability is top of mind for them. The Steam Machine recently dropped at over $1,000 despite its relatively modest power draw, lending credence to the idea that the PS6 and Xbox Helix could be even more expensive.

Memory costs are not expected to abate in the near future. Lenovo is suggesting that prices will never come down, and they may well be right, given the monopolistic nature of the industry. There's a lawsuit for price fixing going on right now, but I digress.

Previous Xbox President Sarah Bond suggested Xbox Helix would be a premium product. Xbox confirmed it would support installing games from other storefronts, like Steam. That it would also have backwards compatibility with all existing Xbox games, even if it'll be a Windows-first machine.

Herein lies the core dilemma for Xbox, in my view.

An open "Xbox" with Steam, etc. could be insanely expensive ...

How can Xbox subsidize an open "PC?" It destroys the affordability model typically associated with console gaming. Steam itself has said that, since SteamOS is "open" to other stores and isn't a closed box, they have to sell it as a PC.

Xbox is already running into this dilemma with the Xbox Series X|S to some degree. Games that are completely "free" like Fortnite are becoming increasingly prevalent as consumer spending sentiment is squeezed. Since Xbox is selling its hardware at a loss, they are subsidizing some of the biggest games in the world like Roblox and Fortnite, and not receiving a penny. More users than ever are playing free-to-play titles and not spending anything. So, Xbox selling hardware at a loss to this cohort represents effectively giving money away — so that Roblox, Fortnite, etc. can make money. That's obviously not sustainable.

This is why Microsoft and others are exploring ads to help subsidize the cost of the box, particularly when a user is defaulting to "free" games.

But extrapolating from that, what happens if, with Xbox Helix, players default away from Xbox altogether? It's unlikely casual players on Roblox and Fortnite are going to upgrade on day one anyway. But, with Steam on the box, there's a real risk here: What if users bought Xbox Helix, which Microsoft would traditionally sell at a loss, only to play via Steam or the Epic Games Store instead?

In that universe, you'd have to sell Xbox Helix for gaming PC prices. None of this seems viable if the intent is to make Helix affordable. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has previously suggested the plan is to move ahead with an open PC-like Xbox, but I have to wonder how they plan to reconcile that with gunning for affordability.

PlayStation has already suggested that its PS6 will not be sold at a loss. The volumes that PlayStation typically sells consoles allow them to cut competitive deals for components like memory, but even Apple has had trouble keeping costs down lately. Apple has an absolute iron grip over its supply chain; Xbox is comparatively a smaller, far more niche player, even if it can wield its attachment to Microsoft as a bludgeon.

We saw the consequences of being a smaller player in the component supply chain with the Steam Machine, which is far more expensive than people were hoping for.

I can foresee Helix potentially moving in a few different directions here as a result, if not a combination of several.

Here are the possibilities and speculations summarized, and definitely take them as speculation.

• Xbox Helix could be very premium, costing over $1000, due to the memory rout that will continue for years.
• Microsoft will probably use some proprietary tech via AI super resolution and so on to squeeze more juice out of a "cheaper" build to keep costs down.
• Could Xbox Helix end up not being significantly more powerful to cut costs, but instead some kind of Xbox Series X+ or Xbox Series X Pro?
• "Niche" features like the disc drive will be removed to help cut costs.
• Could Microsoft ship a "cheaper" SKU without storage at all so some could leverage their existing Xbox Series X|S CF Express storage cards? Or other existing M2 / NVME drives they have lying around?
• Now that the hardware will be too expensive, Microsoft may be exploring closing the ecosystem again, removing Steam from the equation — otherwise it'll need to be gaming PC-priced.
• Microsoft could do some kind of "deal" with Epic Games Store or other third parties to share revenue. Steam obviously wouldn't do that (it doesn't need or want to help Xbox here.)
• Could Microsoft lock third-party stores behind a paywall or ads to keep the upfront Xbox costs down? (Although this would be monstrously unpopular, I feel.)
• Perhaps Xbox Helix will be closed out of the box, but let you bring your own Windows license to open it up.
• Microsoft will revive Banjo to help sell a billion units. Okay, maybe not on that one.

Xbox's 'X' factor?

Whatever Xbox does with its platform, there needs to be some kind of X factor here. The current Gen-X / Millennial cohort of gamers is aging out of gaming to some degree, and Gen-Z and younger seem to primarily want free-to-play experiences powered by things like Fortnite and Roblox.

The traditional console players have neglected the younger cohorts chasing older, more spendy gamers, and as a result, sacrificed a generation of compound nostalgia.

With Xbox CEO Asha Sharma's social media and platform expertise, I have to wonder if there won't be some kind of "fun" innovations down the line. Under Phil Spencer, Xbox has become a bit of a boring and traditional "software as a service" platform that outsourced the joy to game developers. But historically, platforms have offered a bit more than that — Steam and Nintendo have focused a lot on making their platforms fun and social, while Xbox and PlayStation have generally fled from such things.

One thing is for sure: I don't think Xbox can "win" by simply emulating PlayStation. They need an X factor, some kind of big innovation that cannot be ignored.

Having an Xbox console with Steam support sounds great on paper, but the economics demand hardware profits upfront — will people pay a premium for an Xbox-branded Windows PC? The RAMageddon has destroyed this opportunity potentially. Game Pass never became the X factor Microsoft hoped it would be; neither did Kinect, nor Xbox Play Anywhere, nor Cloud Gaming.

It'll be interesting to see how Xbox finds its way through this incredibly challenging time, where instant gratification is demanded, cheap and affordable mobile access has become the default, and forever-platform games have become dominant. I definitely don't have the answers. I hope Xbox does.

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On Windows 11, if GIFs suddenly disappeared from the emoji panel, the problem wasn't caused by a broken update. It was caused by a service the operating system depended on quietly going away.

Starting June 30, 2026, users on versions 24H2, 25H2, and 26H1 began seeing a "GIF service is not available" message after pressing the Windows key + . (period) keyboard shortcut to open the emoji panel. Microsoft has now confirmed the issue affects devices that haven't installed its latest optional update, which replaces Google's Tenor service with GIPHY.

Why this happened

This wasn't a traditional bug with the operating system. The emoji panel relied on the Tenor API to search and display animated GIFs, but Google retired that service on June 30. Once the API was switched off, Windows 11 had nowhere to retrieve GIFs, leaving the feature effectively offline.

"Starting June 30, 2026, install the latest Windows update to continue using GIFs in the Emoji panel. If you don't update, you will see a 'GIF service is not available' error in the panel," Microsoft explains.

Instead of restoring Tenor, the company moved to GIPHY before the shutdown. Microsoft included the change in the June 23 preview update for versions 25H2 and 24H2 (KB5095093) and for version 26H1 (KB5095091), allowing updated systems to continue displaying GIFs without interruption.

Why GIFs may look different

The fix also changes the experience. Since Windows 11 now pulls results from GIPHY instead of Tenor, searches may return different animations, rankings, and content for the same keywords. The feature works the same way, but the library behind it has changed.

How to restore GIFs

If you're seeing this error, you can restore the functionality by installing the latest quality update from Settings > Windows Update. If you're doing this before the Patch Tuesday update release, then turn on the "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" toggle switch.

Once the update is installed, the emoji panel automatically switches to GIPHY, and no additional configuration is required.

This is a reminder that even built-in features increasingly depend on online services outside Microsoft's control. When one of those services disappears, a feature that looks native to the operating system can stop working overnight until Microsoft rewires it to something else.

Windows Central's Take

On Windows 11, when a core feature suddenly stops working, the default reaction is usually to assume Microsoft broke something in the latest update. However, after tracking updates for years, I've learned that the operating system is often (not always) just caught in the crossfire of third-party service changes.

In this case, the company handled the transition as smoothly as it could. Instead of leaving users stranded, they already had a replacement lined up, and installing the latest update fixes the issue immediately. Just keep in mind that since GIPHY is taking over for Tenor, your typical reaction GIFs might look a bit different from now on.

Have you noticed any changes to the GIFs in the Windows 11 emoji panel, or are you still seeing Tenor? Let me know in the comments.

More resources

Explore more in-depth how-to guides, troubleshooting advice, and essential tips to get the most out of Windows 11 and 10. Start browsing here:

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

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A new report claims that Xbox's "Positron" disc-to-digital program is a lot more seamless than expected.

A few months ago, code snippets appeared showing that Xbox is working on a disc-to-digital program, although details were thin on the ground. Now, we have a credible report detailing exactly how it could work.

It's a hot topic at present, given that PlayStation just announced it will no longer be supporting discs in any capacity from 2028, and that the PlayStation 6 will not support discs at all. For those with existing disc-based games, they're effectively sat hoping their PS5 will continue to work in perpetuity. But given that PlayStation just killed access to previously-purchased movies and is shutting down the digital stores on the PS Vita and PS3, people are more anxious than ever about forwards and backwards compatibility.

Xbox has been something of a pioneer in the console space here. Its backwards compatibility programs for the Xbox 360 and OG Xbox are industry-leading on console, and it has already pledged to bring everything that runs on Xbox Series X|S to the next-gen Xbox Helix. But a big question mark remains over disc-based games, more so than ever now.

When Positron was inadvertently revealed, many wondered if it would require some form of intermediary to function, such as taking a disc to a retailer or something. But The Verge is reporting that won't be the case.

Simply installing an Xbox game from the disc will attach it to your account and give you the full digital entitlements on your Microsoft Account. You'll be able to access it via Xbox Cloud Gaming, Play Anywhere on the Xbox Ally X, as if you fully owned the digital version of the game. You will reportedly only lose your digital entitlement on that game if you sell the disc or give it away to another Microsoft Account holder.

The Xbox One had a model similar to this in 2013, but the DRM was so aggressive that it required retailers to "unlock" the disc. It sounds like Microsoft has figured out a way to provide digitization at their end, attaching the discs' signature to your account. Although, Microsoft warned testers that some older Xbox One discs may "lack the features needed" to make the system work.

Indeed, this will only work with Xbox One discs and above, so those hoping to digitize Xbox 360 discs are out of luck. Still, if it all works as described here, that would be fantastic news for those who could be left out of digital features such as Xbox Cloud Gaming.

The Verge says that Microsoft hasn't finalized whether to include a disc drive or not on Xbox Helix, but our sources have been hinting at us for months that Microsoft is leaning away from including a disc drive in its next-gen console.

Given that PlayStation is exiting the disc-based market, I would bet money that even if Xbox hadn't already decided on dropping discs, they almost certainly have now. But Xbox's new Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball did say they're "rethinking" everything about Xbox Helix ... so maybe he's a big disc fan? Time will tell. I'm sure Xbox is also monitoring reactions to Sony's uncharacteristically pre-emptive and transparent announcement here.

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I've covered Winhanced quite a few times at this point, most recently when it added achievement support to the launcher UI for Steam, Xbox, and even PlayStation games. If you haven't heard of it, Winhanced is a complete replacement for Xbox Mode on Windows handhelds, acting as a unified launcher for your library across various digital stores, all in one easy-to-navigate interface.

Now, its feature set is expanding once again, bringing with it my most requested addition: a built-in store browser. Honestly, it's something I wasn't even sure was possible, but it's now available in testing for users supporting the project.

The store is still very much a work in progress, so don't expect a perfect experience. At the time of writing it only supports certain currencies, although regional currency support is on the way, but even in its current state it's already incredibly useful. You can browse games, compare prices across multiple storefronts, see if a title is included with Game Pass, and purchase it from whichever store offers the best deal.

So yes, if a game is cheaper on Xbox than Steam, you can simply buy it there instead. It is also worth mentioning that when you purchase games, it opens a web browser where you can complete your purchase; Winhanced does not have access to your payment details.

The launcher also personalizes recommendations, generating suggestions based on what you've been playing, and in my case, after spending plenty of time in Forza Horizon 6, it immediately recommended another racing game. If you'd rather browse for yourself, though, you can search for any game you like or explore categories to discover something new.

Winhanced is also bringing several features out of early access, including back paddle support, SteamGridDB artwork browsing, and RGB controls, meaning they're now considered ready for general use rather than experimental additions.

I've been a big fan of Winhanced for quite some time now. It makes my Xbox Ally X feel much more like a proper console than the Xbox app ever has in Xbox Mode, so if you're interested, I'd definitely recommend checking out the project's Discord and supporting it on Patreon if you can.

With that said, do let me know in the comments if this new store feature is finally enough to get you interested in giving Winhanced a try, or what other features you'd still like to see added. As always, be sure to take part in our poll below!

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The legal troubles surrounding the venerated Grand Theft Auto studio, Rockstar Games, continue to pile up.

Several Rockstar employees (who wished to remain anonymous) stated in an interview with Game Developer that they accuse the company of failing to address gender-based pay inequity, encouraging "crunch culture" in the United Kingdom, using bonus payments against its workforce, and many more issues the company fails to address.

For starters, these employees claim that their compensation packages that Rockstar Games hands out change constantly with little to no justification. This lack of consistency means Rockstar Games' payment rates usually fall below the market rate when compared to other jobs.

The employees also stated the median wages for different genders have vastly widened, and plans to correct that imbalance have been cancelled.

Plus, they say Rockstar Games regulary shift goalposts whenever someone talks to the company about getting a promotion to make it harder for them, and that night shift workers no longer receive extra benefits when working during the late hours.

The anonymous employees say that these issues combined have created an "imbalanced and unjust" environment within Rockstar Games where people aren't getting rightfully paid for their hard work, especially for an upcoming, high-budget game like Grand Theft Auto 6.

To make matters more complicated, these anonymous employees informed Game Developer that RockStar Games has been attempting to normalize crunch culture by baking it into the contracts of its UK staff, forcing them to work many overtime hours for little reward.

Combine this with the potential threat of many Rockstar Games developers being laid off after Grand Theft Auto 6 launches, and union-busting allegations, and it's no wonder that its workers are attempting to unionize to protect their jobs.

When Take-Two Interactive, Grand Theft Auto's publisher, was approached regarding these unionization attempts, one of its spokesmen replied "We strive to make the best games possible by giving our talented teams world-class work environments and ongoing career opportunities. We have fostered a culture which is focused on teamwork, excellence, and kindness, and where we support and reward the team across all levels of the business through competitive compensation and benefits policies. We are proud that as a result, our employee retention is well above the industry standard. We have received a request from a union seeking to discuss voluntary recognition. We value an open and constructive dialogue with all stakeholders and will arrange to meet."

Stay tuned for further updates as we continue to monitor for further developments regarding this chaotic shakeup within Rockstar Games and more news regarding Grand Theft Auto 6, which will be releasing on November 19, 2026 for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.

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HP's OmniBook lineup includes a wide range of laptops targeting a wide range of users, and the OmniBook 3 16" is one of the most affordable of the bunch.

Assuming you aren't maxing it out with RAM and storage, you can get a Snapdragon X chip and a large 16-inch screen for around $500, often less with the right discount. Unfortunately, with higher-spec'd models, the display, build quality, and features don't quite measure up to other PCs competing in the same price range.

I've been using HP's OmniBook 3 for a couple of weeks to get to know it inside and out; here's what you need to know before buying.

HP had no input, nor saw the contents of this review, prior to publication.

How much does the HP OmniBook 3 cost?

HP's OmniBook 3 16" starts as low as $699.99 without any discounts; however, HP basically designed this PC to be on sale almost all the time, and you can usually get this baseline model for a lot less.

At the time of writing this review, a model with Snapdragon X (X1-26) System-on-Chip (SoC), 16GB of LPDDR5x RAM, 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, and 2K IPS display costs $399 at Walmart.

The model I'm reviewing represents a significant upgrade in a couple of key areas. It has a 2K OLED display, 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM, and a 1TB SSD. For some reason, HP omits the OLED display as an option in its configurator, so I can only give a price for this same setup with an IPS touch display. It's regularly $1,729.99, but is down to $1,259.99 at the time of writing.

That's not exactly cheap, and as I found, this is sort of a tale of two tiers. On one hand, if you're buying the laptop for around $500, it's a great deal. On the other hand, if you're spending around $1,500, you could do better elsewhere.

Here's a look at the exact specs that are in my OmniBook 3 16" review unit.

Sleek design, but a bit creaky

The OmniBook 3 is a 16-inch laptop that's sized more like a 14-incher, and it's relatively thin at 0.58 inches (1.47cm). Thanks to a mix of aluminum and plastic, it weighs in at about 3.65 pounds (1.65kg), a respectable number for a device this size. Despite its large display, it's actually quite easy to tote around.

There's quite a bit of flex to the body, and when pressed, it creaks loudly. It's a shame, because it's really a sleek laptop. Thankfully, the lid seems to have a lot more rigidity, helping protect the OLED panel.

Port selection benefits multi-monitor setups

The thermal setup is ideal, with cool air pulling in through a large intake on the bottom and exhausting out the back edge, just behind the hinge. There's no hot air blowing on your hands, and because it's a Snapdragon chip inside, the system doesn't get particularly hot. More on that below.

On the left side of the PC is an HDMI 2.1 port for native video support, one USB-A (5Gbps), and dual USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2) ports at 10Gbps each. Of course, I wish these ports were at least USB4 — Thunderbolt 4 is generally reserved for Intel systems — for faster transfers. Still, they support DP 1.4 video if you're looking to run multiple external displays.

The right side of the laptop is home to an additional USB-A (5Gbps) port and a 3.5mm audio jack.

So-so speakers, nice webcam

Dual speakers installed on the underside of the laptop, toward the front, fail to impress. They're not particularly loud or full, and other budget laptops do a way better job of audio.

The 1080p webcam, on the other hand, offers a clear picture that only gets better with Windows Studio Effects powered by the laptop's NPU. An IR sensor allows for facial biometric security via Windows Hello, upping security.

A full keyboard and large touchpad make for easy productivity

The OmniBook 3 has a keyboard that's above average for a laptop that starts at such a low price. Key travel is excellent, the backlight is bright, and the number pad makes for easy productivity.

And although the touchpad isn't haptic, a feature reserved for premium laptops, it has a satisfying click and tracks without issue.

The only thing I'll mention is that HP doesn't offer the backlit version of the keyboard as the default in all models. For some reason, you have to manually select it when configuring. It doesn't add any costs from what I can see, and I don't know why it's not just a default feature.

Colorful OLED display struggles with glare

My review unit features a 16-inch OLED non-touch display with a 1920x1200 (FHD+) resolution. This is the screen I'd recommend everyone get, but unfortunately, it seems like touch and non-touch IPS panels at the same resolution are far more common.

The bezels are fairly thin, although they're of the raised plastic sort rather than a seamless glass covering.

Testing the OLED display with a SpyderX Pro colorimeter, I got back 100% sRGB, 92% AdobeRGB, and 99% DCI-P3 color reproduction, all excellent results, especially for a budget laptop. Color and contrast are indeed superb, and you'll be missing out on it if you're forced into the IPS options.

Brightness could be better, with the OLED screen topping out just higher than 300 nits. That seems to be the limit for the IPS panels as well. Despite an anti-glare finish, the display struggles in bright rooms.

Last-gen Snapdragon still delivers incredible battery life

There's no other way to say it; the OmniBook 3 16's battery life is incredible. Yes, my review unit has the slightly more power-efficient OLED display that seems very hard to find right now, and yes, the PC is using one of Qualcomm's most affordable chips.

Regardless, the larger chassis fits a sizable 68Wh battery, and because the Snapdragon X sips power, I was seeing full — and I mean full — days of mixed use without needing a charge.

For example, I began streaming a YouTube video at noon. That night, it was still going strong, and the battery hadn't yet dipped below 70%. I left it going, and it was still playing the next morning.

The official Windows battery report suggests about 38 hours of life from a charge, but of course, my streaming test skewed that result. I'd put it at around 25-30 hours, and that's being conservative.

Snapdragon X performance is also impressive

Qualcomm's Snapdragon X chip is indeed efficient, but it's also now a generation behind the X2 hardware released earlier this year.

For most users, that shouldn't matter. The chip competes quite well with Intel's Core Ultra 7 256V CPU in Geekbench 6, both for single- and multi-core scores. Better yet, I saw almost no performance drop when switching from AC to battery power.

Cinebench also delivered surprising results, with the Snapdragon X again coming out ahead of the Core Ultra 7 256V and Ryzen 7 8840U.

A rather quick M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD rounds out the performance hardware, hitting 7,073MB/s read and 5,705MB/s write speeds in CrystalDiskMark.

The laptop runs cool and quiet no matter what, and I don't actually recall hearing the fans kick on until I was running benchmark software.

Should you buy the HP OmniBook 3?

You should buy this if ...

✅ You can find a great deal for somewhere around $500-$700 (or less).

✅ You need a 16-inch screen and a number pad to better handle multitasking and productivity.

✅ You want a laptop with outstanding battery life.

You should not buy this if ...

❌ You're looking for a PC with a discrete graphics card.

❌ You don't often use a number pad and want a more compact PC that's easier to fit into a bag.

The OmniBook 3 16" is kind of an odd case, and it's not being helped by the ongoing RAM and storage crisis.

On one hand, you can sometimes find models with 16GB of RAM and 512GB storage for as little as $399. Such is the case at Walmart at the time of writing this review. That's an outstanding deal, and at this price, it's an easy recommendation.

On the other hand, if there aren't any discounts available, you might be looking at spending $1,500+ if you spec up the RAM and storage. I know that component prices are high, but I don't think this PC has the build or feature quality to warrant that type of price. I'd suggest looking at alternatives before making a final decision.

The fact that most models now come with an inferior IPS display that's not as bright or colorful — I really hope OLED returns as a common option when configuring — doesn't help.

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