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.
Oh, Canada. (Image credit: SCS Software)
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.
"Experience legendary American trucks and deliver various cargoes across sunny California, sandy Nevada, and the Grand Canyon State of Arizona"
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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I, like I'm sure many others were, wanted Valve's Steam Machine to hit the market at a price that shook up the old console space, but at over $1,000 it certainly won’t be doing that.
To be fair, though, we're not really here to talk about that. Instead, we're here to discuss the Steam Machine. While Valve initially marketed it as a 4K60 gaming machine, the company has now quietly removed those claims from the product listing page, replacing them with the far softer promise of "Up to 4K gaming with FSR 4.1, thanks to a discrete semi-custom AMD desktop-class CPU and GPU."
Previously the page stated the following:
"4K gaming at 60 FPS with FSR, thanks to a discrete, semi-custom AMD desktop-class CPU and GPU."
Before vs After (Image credit: Valve | Windows Central)
I'm actually quite impressed by Valve's Steam Machine, but its 4K60fps claims were certainly short-lived once reviewers got their hands on it. Admittedly, Valve always advertised that 4K60 would be achieved with FSR, so it's not as though the company committed some cardinal sin of false advertising, more so they stretched the truth by a noticeable margin.
Based on hands-on testing from reviewers, the Steam Machine appears to have fallen quite a way short of consistently delivering that 4K60 target, even with FSR enabled.
It is, however, nice to see Valve mention FSR 4.1, which I believe is new? Don't quote me on that though. FSR4 is something I covered recently, as many people, myself included, hoped Valve's reference to it in a backend update meant it would eventually come to devices like the Steam Deck, giving its already aging hardware a little more life.
I won't be getting a Steam Machine, at least not until it reaches a price I think it deserves, around $500. At this rate, that might not happen for another decade, and I'll be pushing 40 by then, which is a slightly depressing thought.
But enough about me. What do you think about Valve quietly dropping its 4K60 claim? Let me know your thoughts in the comments, and don't forget to take part in our poll!
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In what I can only assume is one of the first of many similar projects, a 3D-printed Steam Machine clone is making the rounds online. The custom gaming PC comes from Jacob Terkelsen, an AMD AI GPU engineer who recently posted his personal creation on X.
The Terk Box v1.1, as it's known, is a compact mini-ITX build that uses a custom 3D-printed case that you, too, can download and try out if you're so inclined. It's available on Printables alongside a parts list, which was created by a user named 3DCatt.
Here she is, Terk Box v1. 1I'm working with the designer about future improvements, but for a first major revision and she's now "complete"We added more ventilation in the back so the RTX 5060 is no longer choked.HMU if you want me to build you one. pic.twitter.com/PAt0WaBXGXJune 24, 2026
The custom chassis measures 167mm x 168mm x 225mm (6.5 x 6.6 x 8.8 inches), which puts it very close to the Steam Machine's dimensions. According to the parts list, the custom gaming PC uses a mini-ITX motherboard with a 400W FlexATX power supply unit (PSU).
Jacob Terkelsen's custom Terk Box v1.1. (Image credit: Jacob Terkelsen (@theterk))
It's unclear exactly what performance hardware and cooling solution was used for the build, but, as Terkelsen points out, additional ventilation had to be added to the back of the custom PC to keep the RTX 5060 GPU from thermal throttling.
Terkelsen notes that he's working with 3DCatt to improve the design, so it's highly likely that this neat little project will continue to evolve over time.
Considering the Steam Machine's custom AMD GPU with 8GB of VRAM can be lined up with an RTX 3060, the RTX 5060 in the Terk Box represents a rather huge performance uplift. However, it's not all sunny days.
Steam Machine or a custom PC? It might be harder to choose than you think
Valve's Steam Machine certainly has a much more refined look. (Image credit: Valve)
Since Terkelsen's tweet has been receiving a lot of attention, he returned to add some context about the overall project.
He notes that the cost of this custom Steam Machine is "nowhere close to $1000," which refers to the $1,049 price that Valve set for its new PC. He adds, "People fail to grasp how difficult SFF builds are..."
1. My employer has nothing to do with this personal project.2. The cost of the build isn't close to $1000 - the site never asked for comment, which I would have declined.3. I recommend the fully-engineered solution Valve has designed, from the software to the mechanical design.… https://t.co/pDJTrVQIx6June 28, 2026
Terkelsen also clearly states that he recommends "the fully-engineered solution Valve has designed, from the software to the mechanical design."
It's not hard to see why. The Terk Box v1.1 is an interesting project that enthusiasts will get a kick out of, while the Steam Machine is a commercial product that underwent years of revisions and careful tuning. It arrives ready to play, no assembly required.
One last thing — the Terk Box v1.1 runs on Windows 11 with Xbox Full Screen Experience (FSE). In reply to some comments, Terkelsen says that "Linux is far better these days, and this build would support Bazzite or CachyOS." Let me know in the comments section below if you agree.
Valve's SteamOS so far only works with AMD GPUs, but Valve has publicly stated that it's working with NVIDIA to bring support to RTX GPUs.
It's clear that we're in the early days of Steam Machine knockoffs, and I expect there to be plenty more arriving in the near future.
Alors oui, je sais, Cyberpunk 2077 vous montre déjà votre corps quand vous baissez les yeux en plein Night City, jambes comprises. C'est d'ailleurs suffisamment rare en vue FPS pour être souligné.
Sauf que cette caméra à la première personne reste raide comme un piquet. La tête de votre personnage ne tourne pas toute seule, les reflets sont absents, les armes passent à travers le décor et la moto ne se penche jamais dans les virages. Ce sont tous ces petits détails qui chiffonnaient DigitalVixen depuis des années, et après plusieurs réécritures complètes, ce moddeur vient enfin de sortir True First Person Camera 2.0 sur Nexus Mods pour rendre cette vue à la première personne beaucoup plus réaliste.
Le principe utilisé par son mod, c'est de reconstruire entièrement la caméra FPS du jeu. Vous réglez la hauteur et la profondeur de la vue pour la poser exactement où vous voulez, et si vous jouez avec le ray tracing ou le path tracing + les reflets de joueur activés, votre tête apparaît enfin dans les miroirs et les vitres, ce que le jeu de base ne fait pas. Et surtout le mod sait doser automatiquement quand vous dégainez une arme ou quand vous regardez trop vers le bas, histoire d'éviter ce clipping cauchemardesque où vous voyez l'intérieur de votre propre mâchoire.
Et ça ne s'arrête pas au corps. Il y a un mode head look qui laisse votre tête tourner toute seule pendant que vous marchez, un système IK qui replace correctement vos armes par rapport à la nouvelle position de caméra, une cam de rechargement qui incline légèrement la vue façon ciné, et une animation de première prise en main pour bien admirer vos Mantis Blades la première fois que vous les sortez. Et sur la moto, la caméra se penche dans les virages quand vous allez à fond, et en bagnole vous avez de l'inertie qui fait tanguer la vue au freinage.
Et ces profils de caméra sont réglables par véhicule et sauvegardés en JSON. Cela vous permet donc de peaufiner les sensations, caisse par caisse.
Et la grosse nouveauté de cette v2.0 c'est surtout la configuration in-game qui permet de paramétrer des raccourcis directement pendant le jeu. Suffit de mettre en pause et vous pouvez régler chaque valeur du mod comme bon vous semble. Plus besoin de quitter le jeu donc comme c'était le cas avant.
L'autre bonne idée de DigitalVixen, ça a été aussi d'exposer tous les effets de caméra (le shake, le battement de cœur quand vous êtes à l'agonie, la vue bourrée, le tremblement de froid) au travers de l'API que n'importe quel autre mod peut piloter.
Cela veut dire que si vous branchez une météo ou un mode drogue, vous pouvez faire trembler votre caméra, en réglant évidemment tous les curseurs d'intensité comme bon vous semble. C'est cool hein ?
Certains joueurs ont fait remarquer que pencher la tête fait aussi pencher tout l'horizon du jeu et que du coup, c'était un non-sens optique parce que dans la vraie vie, ça ne fait pas ça. Mais rassurez-vous, comme tout se paramètre, ça peut se régler.
Si ça vous dit de tester ce mod sur votre install de Cyberpunk, c'est
dispo sur Nexus Mods
. Vous devrez juste installer une palanquée de dépendances.
C'est quand même très cool de voir que + de 5 ans après sa sortie chaotique, Cyberpunk continue de vivre aussi grâce aux moddeurs. Et si vous voulez voir d'autres trucs nés autour du jeu, allez mater
la veste à écran de Cyberpunk
ou
le film monté par un fan
.
If, by some miracle, you've been living on the moon in a soundproof dome for the last six months, you may not have noticed that gaming hardware has grown extremely expensive, making the hobby a mostly miserable affair for all involved. We first called it the RAM crisis, but the sad reality is that it's now spilling over into storage, and experts are predicting a grim future.
What a disaster... I'm scared to think how much Helix might cost.
Papictu, Windows Central community member
I know, I'm hardly a beacon of good news or hopeful visions of the future, but this AI bubble will presumably break at some point, and it's good to take stock of what options we actually have. The usual midsummer onslaught of sales events brought some relief with retailer discounts, and pre-built gaming PCs maintain a hint of value throughout. Still, prospective buyers will have to brace for an inevitable sting if they plan to grab something later this year (or into 2027).
If you're interested in console gaming, you're looking at a minimum of $749.99 for a digital Xbox Series X — that's the one without a disc drive — or $499.99 for a similarly discless (and less powerful) Xbox Series S. On Sony's side, a PS5 Pro is now $899.99, or at least $599.99 for a digital base PS5. That's without any games, by the way, and Grand Theft Auto VI recently confirmed a $99 price tag for a code of its Ultimate Edition with all in-game content intact.
Gamers at large are already expected to spend close to $1,000 just to get started. The entire situation is absurd and unfair, but it puts the price of handhelds like MSI's $1,799 Claw 8 EX AI+ into perspective; that's just how much this kind of ultra-enthusiast hardware costs now. The whole thing reminds me of a bygone era of crypto mining that drove up GPU prices, but this time, it's bigger and even more insulting.
So, what are you supposed to do? You can penny-pinch your way through buying discounted and second-hand hardware, or you can submit to a future of subscription-based gaming streamed from the cloud. If you don't already own an Xbox, I'd suggest picking one up before the price increase happens in August, but that's about all you can do. Stay strong, gamers.
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In case you didn't notice (I'm joking, because you definitely did), PC gaming has become a painfully expensive hobby. Amazon Prime Day is supposed to help offset that with massive discounts, but does it really count when it brings components back to near-MSRP levels? We take what we can get, I suppose.
Either way, it's difficult to recommend building your own PC from scratch right now. If you've never tried it, the anxiety of handling now-overinflated RAM will surely feel worse than ever — and that's one of the easiest parts to install. On the bright side, iBUYPOWER has some merciful discounts on pre-builts.
Never owned a gaming PC before? Start here. These are entry-level parts, but you still get 1TB of storage and enough upgradeable memory (RAM) to get you going. iBUYPOWER throws in a mouse and keyboard, as usual, so this is a great starter build!View Deal
Got some extra budget to spare? Doubling your storage memory puts you in the modern "sweet spot" of 32GB RAM, and AMD's Radeon 9060 XT with 16GB of VRAM will run modern AAA games more comfortably. For under $2,000, this is a steal.View Deal
If you're already well-versed in PC gaming and you'd rather lean on DLSS upscaling, then this RTX 5060 Ti build will be more attractive for an extra $50. As graphical demands increase, NVIDIA's tech will feel more like a cost-saving crutch.View Deal
And if we're going all-out, why not go for Intel's powerful 270K Plus CPU in a variation of the Trace X I reviewed earlier this year? The RTX 5070 Ti GPU is the perfect middle ground without burning money away, and you won't struggle to run any games. A monster.View Deal
A pre-built gaming PC is just easier
iBUYPOWER's RDY Trace X is an all-out rig with a fish tank vibe. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)
Yeah, I might get some pushback from die-hard gaming PC builders, but I don't have any qualms with a pre-built option. I've been there — installing a CPU for the first time, losing my mind about installing thermal paste correctly (just a pea-sized amount, guys), and stressed about RAM profiles alongside other BIOS options. You don't have to do any of it.
Installing and setting up Windows 11 is the same wherever you go, and iBUYPOWER's decision to ship graphics cards (GPUs) separately isn't as intimidating as it looks. They slot in just like an old-school game cartridge and hold in place with a few screws. That's really all there is to it, and each rig comes with clear instructions anyway. I'd know, I tested a Trace X PC earlier this year. Treat yourself, PC gaming is the best.
How long do these iBUYPOWER deals last?
The "4th of July Mega Sale" ends on July 6, 2026, and is already live. iBUYPOWER runs limited-time deals on coupons and extras throughout the event, but the pre-built gaming PCs should remain available while stocks last.
Are any iBUYPOWER deals in Amazon Prime Day?
iBUYPOWER has a dedicated store on Amazon, and lists a collection of its pre-built gaming PCs there, too. If you're an Amazon Prime member, it's worth checking listings on both storefronts to see which works best for you.
The Steam Machine is getting a fair amount of heat due to its $1,049 price, but no matter how you look at it, Valve's new device is a particularly powerful mini PC.
Here's the rub. Not everyone needs that much power or wants to pay that much, which is where the Windows mini PC market comes into play.
Amazon Prime Day has knocked prices down considerably on a bunch of our favorite mini PCs, and while they won't match the Steam Machine's discrete graphics, they're still fully capable of running a wide range of games AND Windows 11, no extra effort necessary. Just plug in an HDMI cord, hook it up to your TV, and start gaming.
Prime Day wraps up today, June 26, and most of these mini PC deals are expected to expire before the weekend. I'm in fact already seeing some retailers run out of stock. Translation? If you see something you can use, you should grab it before it's gone.
This is the best sub-$600 mini PC I could find that features a Ryzen 9 CPU and Radeon 780M integrated graphics. 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB M.2 SSD help sweeten the deal.
"The SER9 Pro is another all-round excellent mini PC from Beelink, now powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 H 255. The GPU is very good for an integrated one, capable of handling most games on medium to high settings at 1080p, though some really demanding games will struggle."
Those who prefer Intel can land this Core Ultra 9 185H CPU with integrated Arc graphics that closely match those of AMD's Radeon 780M. Plenty of RAM and storage are a great perk.
Extra RAM and storage plus a Ryzen 9 CPU make this mini PC particularly attractive, and the integrated Radeon 780M graphics do a decent job of running most modern games that aren't particularly demanding.
How do these discounted mini PCs compare to the Steam Machine's performance?
The Steam Machine boasts a respectable amount of gaming power thanks to a discrete AMD GPU with 8GB of VRAM. (Image credit: Valve)
The Steam Machine is causing a ruckus in the tech world, namely due to its price-to-performance ratio now that reviews have gone out into the wild. It's true that you can build a full-size gaming PC or buy a pre-built gaming PC for less money and with superior power, but what about a mini PC that's a closer match to the form factor?
Well, that's where the real genius of Valve's device comes into play. It is indeed capable of delivering quite a bit of gaming performance in a super compact form factor, something that most of the mini PCs on the market for a similar or lower price simply aren't capable of doing.
The Steam Machine's discrete custom AMD Radeon GPU with 8GB of VRAM is fairly close to a desktop-class AMD Radeon RX 7600 card, which the integrated graphics in most mini PCs can't touch.
Regardless, at $1,049, the Steam Machine isn't for everyone. There are plenty of PC users who just want a compact, capable PC that runs Windows 11 without breaking a sweat, while at the same time having capabilities to handle lighter games. That's where these great mini PCs excel.
The Beelink SER9 Pro is one of our favorite mini PCs on the market, and it's on sale during Prime Day. (Image credit: Windows Central / Zac Bowden)
The mini PCs I've highlighted in this roundup all have an integrated AMD Radeon 780M GPU or a comparable Intel Arc integrated GPU. I can't stress enough that these GPUs will not match the Steam Machine's gaming power.
However, the Radeon 780M will still do a bang-up job of gaming, and for a lot less money in a significantly smaller package, often with more RAM and storage.
Just how powerful is the integrated GPU? It will effortlessly run esports games like League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, and DOTA 2 at 1080p, hitting somewhere between 60 and 90 FPS with medium to high settings. Games like Fortnite, Minecraft, and Roblox are in the same boat.
I'd venture to say that the Radeon 780M is an indie game superstar, and those who prefer roguelikes, platformers, deck builders, puzzle games, and simulators will have no issues.
Those hoping to play demanding AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Hogwarts Legacy, Baldur's Gate 3, and others will find that the Radeon 780M can get the job done at 1080p, albeit with lower frame rates and with AMD's FSR enabled. If you're going to mainly focus on AAA games, I'd recommend checking out pre-built desktop PCs with discrete graphics.
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Sim games are getting more mainstream, and I'm happy to see it. Euro Truck Simulator 2 is one of the most (surprisingly) addictive games I've played in recent memory, and Amazon Prime Day sales are making it easier for me to recommend, alongside its American Truck Simulator sibling. It's a PC-only title for now, but Xbox and PlayStation releases have been teased for a while.
So, if you wanted to drive a virtual truck around a representation of your home state or your favorite European country, what exactly do you need to get started? Well, you can play either game with a mouse and keyboard, but any kind of controller makes it a better experience. Here's what I recommend for a basic steering wheel setup, with optional extras and higher-end alternatives.
The absolute basics: A wheel and pedals
Thrustmaster already made an entry-level wheel (T128), but its TMX regularly undercuts it with deals like this. This comes with an accelerator and brake pedal, and enough buttons to handle common truck controls.
You'll rarely see coverage of racing wheels without the G29 mentioned, and it's for a good reason. Logitech makes great wheels, and while this one is built for PlayStation, it's totally compatible with trucking on Windows.
Now we're talking. If you don't need to hear my pitch on truck simulators because you're already in the know, then MOZA's bundle of its TSW truck wheel, direct drive base, desk clamp, and pedals is the ultimate option.
Most trucks in the game offer an automatic gearbox, but there's a real sense of satisfaction when you shift through gears yourself, even if this doesn't really cover the size of a real-world truck's gearbox. It's still fun.
"Travel across Europe as king of the road, a trucker who delivers important cargo across impressive distances! With dozens of cities to explore, your endurance, skill and speed will all be pushed to their limits."
Yes, any peripheral made for the Xbox with a USB connection generally offers even more features on a Windows PC. Steering wheels are simply a set of analog and digital inputs translated to game functions with a driver from the manufacturer's website. Most games on Xbox consoles allow you to customize button functions on racing wheels, but a PC will offer even more personalization.
Yes, Amazon's rivals are running competing events, including Best Buy's "Tech Fest", Newegg's "FantasTech Sale", and Walmart's "Deals & More", which all end on June 28, 2026. Each retailer can offer its own membership perks, such as My Best Buy Plus / Total and Walmart Plus, and it's important to remember that Amazon does not always offer the best deal during Prime Day. Windows Central will compare prices across retailers, so you can choose the best fit for you.
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I recently got into playing Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, and I get it. I really do. There's a massive dedicated community around this Microsoft franchise, and even as a beginner I see why. The sky is the limit, and yes, pun intended.
You can quite happily get along and have a great time playing on PC, Xbox or PS5 with just a controller, but I guarantee the bug will catch and catch quickly. Before long you'll want to up the ante and make the experience more realistic. I'm not saying you'll build a full cockpit, not right away at least! But you'll probably be yearning for aflight stick, yoke, maybe even some rudder pedals.
If you're looking for a game to really sink some time into, this is one of the best decisions you could make, even if you've never thought it would be for you. While Amazon Prime Dayis going on, it is also a perfect time to jump in with both feet and get yourself some good hardware to get started with or upgrade an existing setup.
For those with an Xbox Series X or Series S console — the Turtle Beach VelocityOne Flight is the gateway to the best Flight Simulator experience. Turtle Beach has singlehandedly delivered a monumental leap in the quality of console gear. ~ Matt Brown, Former Senior Editor
"Compatible with Xbox consoles and Windows PC, the VelocityOne Flightstick is perfect for immersive simulations or action-packed space flights with eight high-precision axes. " ~ Ben Wilson, Senior Editor
Thrustmaster doesn't pretend that the T.Flight HOTAS One is a premium flight stick, as it carefully cuts back on any excessive features like built-in displays or unnecessary RGB, sticking instead to a no-frills shell and focusing on the responsive joystick and throttle combination. ~ Ben Wilson, Senior Editor
Honeycomb Aeronautical's award-winning Alpha Flight Controls is updated and compatible with Xbox (with the external Xbox hub accessory) and is one of the absolute best options for flight sim players when combined with the equally great Bravo Throttle Quadrant. ~ Zachary Boddy, Former Staff Writer
Part of a wider effort to simplify a yoke and throttle setup and, in turn, offer a more affordable price tag to help new players ease their way into an ultra-realistic simulation rig — you'll notice I never used the word "cheap" here, and that's for a good reason. ~ Ben Wilson, Senior Editor
The rudder can be hard to accurately control using a controller or twisting a flight stick, so these pedals from Logitech are a great addition to your setup. with self-centering, smooth action, and adjustable tension. Whether small planes or big jets, these rudder pedals will do the job fantastically well. View Deal
Flight stick FAQ
Should I buy a flight stick or a yoke?
This mostly depends on your knowledge of aircraft, as each control type varies in real life. Some small planes use a yoke, while some large airliners, notably the Airbus ones, will use a stick. It depends what you think you'll be more comfortable with, or how close to realism you're trying to get.
Do I need to buy rudder pedals?
Not necessarily. While it does offer a realistic experience and appeals to intermediate players and above, you can usually emulate these controls with flight sticks that allow twisting. Pedals are generally more useful for anyone buying a yoke, but they match up with traditional flight sticks, too. If you're a new player, don't worry about pedals.
Do all flight sticks work on Xbox and PS5?
No. While flight sticks and yokes made for consoles will generally work on PCs that meet MSFS' spec requirements, the same is not true for the opposite. Always check for explicit compatibility confirmation before buying any peripheral if that's your intended platform. Windows PC players don't have to worry as much.
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Valve's Steam Machine has finally made its way into the hands of testers, and the resulting reviews have been less than inspiring. Whether it's the high $1,049 starting price caused by a global RAM and storage crisis or the underwhelming performance, I know that a lot of PC gamers are now looking for a quality alternative.
These are the 5 best pre-built gaming PCs I could find during Prime Day that will leave you with some cash left over for new games. Only one is priced high enough to match the Steam Machine's introductory price, but in this case, you get 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.
This is a fairly compact pre-built gaming PC featuring a solid Core i5 CPU and an RTX 5060 GPU that easily beats the integrated graphics in the Steam Machine.
The NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti GPU in this model will absolutely blow away the integrated Radeon graphics in the Steam Machine, and you get full access to all of the DLSS 4.5 goodies.
What's in the Steam Machine, and how does performance compare to these discounted gaming PCs?
The Steam Machine's $1,049.99 price is rather disappointing. (Image credit: Valve)
Valve's Steam Machine runs on a custom AMD Zen 4 CPU with 6 cores, 12 threads, and a 30W TDP. Attached are integrated custom AMD RDNA 3 graphics, with 8GB of VRAM and 28 compute units.
All Steam Machine models come with 16GB of DDR5 system memory, and the introductory models start with a 512GB SSD (upgradeable to 2TB for those with deeper pockets).
Circling back to the custom graphics, testing by our friends at Tom's Hardware revealed that it fails to pull ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7600 discrete GPU while coming out just ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6600.
How does that performance compare to the GPUs in the pre-built gaming PCs I've rounded up here? Well, the RTX 5060 easily beats the AMD GPU in raw performance and ray tracing abilities.
If you're interested in a pre-built gaming PC with an Intel Arc GPU, the B570 is a closer match to the RX 7600 and the Steam Machine's custom graphics. However, it should better handle ray tracing, and it should also deliver a better experience if you're gaming at 1440p.
As for the CPU, it seems like the Intel Core i5-14400F is the chip of choice for the pre-builts I've selected here. Good news! Despite its relative age, it should absolutely crush the Steam Machine's custom AMD chip.
My advice? Skip the Steam Machine and go for a real gaming PC instead.
Get a PC with a discrete GPU for less than the Steam Machine. (Image credit: Windows Central)
At its starting $1,049.99 price, it's simply outclassed by affordable pre-built gaming PCs with true discrete graphics. It's a shame, because the Steam Machine is a great-looking device.
Unless you're absolutely beholden to the compact form factor and close ties to Steam's storefront, one of these gaming PCs I selected should be a much better value.
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The Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC has been my go-to controller since I first opened its box. Prior to this, I'd been using the regular Wolverine V3 Pro, which also has Xbox compatibility, but the 8K version is something else. The best performance you can get.
But its price was always a sticking point. After all, $200 is a lot of money for a controller. But in swoops Prime Day to knock that down by $50, so you can now (and should) buy one from Amazon for just $149.99.
The fastest possible tech inside Razer's already superb Wolverine V3 design makes this the controller to beat for competitive gamers on PC. The price is normally a big ask, but with this Prime Day discount it's a no-brainer.
I've played about 600 hours of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 with this controller (feel free to tell me how much of my life I've wasted in the comments), and I wouldn't use anything else.
For one, it's laid out like an Xbox controller, which I still find the most comfortable. I've tried using the Razer Raiju V3 Pro with the PS5 layout, which is also an excellent controller, but I come back to the Wolverine V3 Pro 8K every time.
It ticks all the boxes. It has TMR thumbsticks; it has delightfully clicky mouse switch buttons and rear paddles, and crucially, it doesn't lose performance when you use it wirelessly versus wired.
8,000Hz is the fastest you can buy on any controller right now out of the box without having to use third-party tools to overclock. For competitive games such as Call of Duty, Apex Legends, and Battlefield 6, the faster the better. It's hard to quantify, but I can feel a difference if I go back to the regular Wolverine V3 Pro at only 1,000Hz.
To get the maximum speed, you do need a beefy CPU, and you need fast enough USB ports. It's not a big drag on the CPU, but the higher the polling rate, the more work it needs to do, so you do need to ensure you have the headroom not to affect your games.
But this is still my favorite controller, and sure, it's PC only. But now it's down to $150 I can't see any good reason not to recommend you pick one up. It's that good. Prime Day only lasts the rest of this week, so take advantage of this new lowest ever price while you can.
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AI and gaming are becoming an inseparable match. Whether it's AI used in modern graphics rendering or AI used in actual game development, I've stated several times that I don't think they'll be separated anytime soon.
The rise of AI has been causing hiccups for global PC game markets like Steam from the very start. In January 2024, Steam owner Valve announced that its storefront would now contain AI disclosures from developers. If AI were used in development, you'd be able to clearly see it on the game's page.
Since then, you've probably noticed a whole lot of Steam pages sporting that little AI blurb describing how exactly AI was used during development. The phenomenon, of course, begs the question: Is the use of AI in game development hurting sales?
An example of Steam's AI disclosure for game developers. (Image credit: Valve)
Burton discovered that approximately 21% of games released on Steam in 2025 (pre-November) contained a disclosure for some sort of AI use. I can't help but assume that number has only gone up since then.
Steam's recent Next Fest event, showcasing countless new games set to arrive in the near future, was rife with games clearly created using AI, some less innocuous than others.
Deciphering Steam's numbers tell an important story
Steam doesn't share sales numbers with the public, but there are other ways to approximate figures. (Image credit: Valve)
Steam doesn't disclose how many copies specific games sell; that's up to the developer to know, and to share only if they like. However, Steam sales can be approximated by the number of reviews a title receives, and as Game Oracle points out, it's a proxy method that's used across the industry.
Game Oracle's initial research, even at a surface level, is eye-opening. It studied almost 10,000 Steam releases between January and October 2025, discovering that games disclosing AI use averaged just 4 reviews in the first post-launch month compared to 7 reviews for games without AI.
Almost 20% of games with AI disclosure received no reviews, compared to 15% for non-AI games. Scores were also biased in titles with at least 100 reviews, with AI games hitting an average score of 84.6% compared to 88.3% for non-AI games.
AI games don't receive as much attention as non-AI games
The Steam Deck displaying several games in our library. (Image credit: Jennifer Young - Windows Central)
Game Oracle built a causal statistical model to control for elements like a specific developer's prior experience, publisher backing (if any), genre, and release date. Games that fell into similar groupings were then compared to each other to prevent outside factors from interfering.
In this scenario, games that disclosed the use of AI received about 53% fewer reviews than non-AI games. So, if two games were released around the same time, from developers with similar levels of experience, with similar backing, and of a similar genre, non-AI games would theoretically receive 100 reviews while an AI game would receive 47.
That's a huge gap, and one that isn't easy to discredit.
Established studios are being punished harder for using AI in game development
The Call of Duty: Black Ops series has seen backlash caused by the use of AI-generated content. (Image credit: Activision)
There is, of course, some nuance to the study's findings. Game Oracle performed a sensitivity analysis to account for unmeasured factors like marketing costs, raw talent, and pure luck.
It was discovered that inexperienced developers with no marketing budget, who likely turned to AI simply because of a lack of other resources, saw hardly any negative impact on sales despite the AI disclosure. These games were almost certainly going to struggle even without the use of AI.
They have talent, budget, and know-how (factors that usually boost sales by 20% - 65%). They decide to experiment with AI to optimise their workflow. If this narrative is true — if "good" studios are using AI — then AI use is catastrophic (-40% to -60% drop in sales). This is evidenced by the dark blue cells at the top of our heatmap.
Ross Burton, PhD, Head of Product and Data at Game Oracle
It's a different story for the more established studios with an existing following and previous titles. Game Oracle found that the use of AI by these studios resulted in a significant 40% to 60% drop in sales.
That's a huge difference. AI stigma seems to hit competent developers with a lot to lose the hardest, and I'm not sure that game studios are ready to accept it.
What the AI stigma means for gamers
Are gamers actively boycotting games that used AI in development? Probably not. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)
I don't think that gamers are actively boycotting AI games. If I had to guess, I'd say that the majority of Steam users don't ever check for AI disclosures and instead direct their disposable income towards positive reviews.
Games like The Finals and Suck Up! are mentioned in the study as examples of successes that used AI. Those successes are counterbalanced by Black Ops 7 and Jurassic World Evolution 3 as examples of brands that were harmed by the use of AI.
The research comes to a point with Burton stating that he doesn't know exactly what is causing the negative impact on AI games.
Some might be inclined to quickly jump to conclusions and claim it's consumer backlash, with players actively rejecting games that disclose using AI. But there are plenty of other factors at play.
Ross Burton, PhD, Head of Product and Data at Game Oracle
One interesting line that stands out to me is that AI is often "correlated with other decisions that lead to a poorly crafted game." Burton suggests that the penalty for using AI might be as much about how it's used as how much it's used.
Burton wraps up the research with a reminder that AI isn't something to be avoided: "Approach AI with caution. Use it gracefully. It is not a replacement for hard work, it's just there to lighten the load."
Do you agree? Let me know in the comments section below!
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Eight months after first revealing the compact console-like Steam Machine gaming PC to the world last year, its architect Valve has finally announced the device's price and details about its release. If you were holding out hope that it would be fairly affordable and widely available, well...I have bad news.
The cheapest model of the living room-friendly gaming PC — one that doesn't come with Valve's new Steam Controller and only has 512GB of storage instead of 2TB — is a whopping $1,049, with more expensive options climbing to $1,128, $1,349, and $1,428 price points.
Cost isn't the only debilitating complication to contend with if you're interested in a Steam Machine, however. Supply is also a huge issue, as Valve has been forced to implement signups for a reservation queue due to very limited stock. And with Steam Controller reservations extending into 2027, it's hard to imagine fresh batches of Steam Machines will come much faster, if at all.
What's going on here — why is the Steam Machine so prohibitively expensive, and why does Valve have such a limited stock of the systems? If you've followed tech even loosely in recent months, I'm sure your assumption is that ongoing AI-driven RAM shortages are to blame. And you're right.
Valve addressed the situation in the blog post it revealed the Steam Machine's pricing and availability in, explaining that "The price at which we sell our hardware is a direct result of the cost of" the components it needs to make it, and that "our original goal for the price of Steam Machine is no longer viable" due to the scarcity and skyrocketing cost of memory and storage.
The Steam Machine uses Valve's SteamOS and a compact form factor to bring the power and versatility of PC gaming to spaces that are traditionally ideal for console gaming, though its extremely high price and low availability will make it very difficult for consumers to obtain. (Image credit: Valve)
"We felt like we had a good understanding of how those costs might change over time when we first started sourcing them for Steam Machine back in 2023. That understanding was born from the many years of data we all have about the evolution of PC hardware prices — primarily, that it tends to get cheaper over time as new technology arrives," the manufacturer wrote.
"Over the past year or so, that has changed quickly and significantly, most visibly for RAM and storage components," it continued. "The overall effect is that our original goal for the price of Steam Machine is no longer viable. So the prices we're sharing today reflect the state of the world for manufacturing; or, more accurately, it reflects the price of the components as we've secured them over the past 6 months."
Valve added that "Price wasn't the only thing impacted by all of this: availability was as well. There were periods where we found we couldn't source some of our components at all, at any price." This, it says, "has impacted the number of units we've been able to produce for launch."
In the end, I feel that both Valve and customers are in a total no-win situation here, as the former can't afford to lower prices without making selling the Steam Machine untenable, and many of the latter are unable to afford the device due to its heightened cost. I hate to say it, but the Steam Machine just seems like an awesome device that came out at the worst time possible.
Are you considering getting a Steam Machine despite how expensive it is and how hard it will be to secure an order for one? I'm curious to hear from you, so let me know in the comments and vote in our poll.
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Since Valve first announced its console-like, living room-friendly gaming PC the Steam Machine last November, the wait to find out how much it will cost and when exactly it will come out has been a long one. Before now, the manufacturer only confirmed that its launch for Summer 2026 was still planned, with the ongoing RAM crisis caused by heavy AI investment significantly complicating Valve's supply and pricing process.
At long last, however, the firm has finally announced how much the device will cost and when it will manage to start shipping it out to customers. In a new blog post, Valve revealed that there are two different Steam Machine SKUs — a 512GB unit and one with 2TB of storage — you'll be able to purchase, with each also offered in a bundle that includes the new $99 Steam Controller gamepad.
That means you have four options total, all of which I've listed below with their prices:
Note that in addition to the standard black faceplate, you also have the option of getting a red fabric or a solid walnut front cover for the 2TB version of the Steam Machine.
Valve's upcoming new Steam Machine gaming PC utilizes the company's Linux-based SteamOS operating system, and is designed with the living room and traditional console-style gaming in mind. (Image credit: Valve)
Due to memory and storage shortages severely impacting component supply, Valve won't have as many Steam Machines available for gamers to purchase as it would like to. Therefore, it's implementing a reservation system similar to the one it's using for the Steam Controller, though it's going to work a bit differently.
From now until Thursday, June 25th at 10 a.m. PT, you can sign up for the reservation list of the model you want on the Steam Machine's official store page. Then, Valve will close the list and randomize it to determine the reservation queue order.
Once the order has been finalized, you'll receive an email that either confirms you're in the reservation queue and will be emailed when there's a Steam Machine available for you to order, or that you're on the waitlist and will be notified when you're added to the queue and more units become available.
Valve says the first Steam Machine orders will begin to ship out on Monday, June 29, which is precisely one week away from the time of writing.
Some final things to note: trying to reserve a Steam Machine requires having a Steam account in good standing as well as a Steam purchase in your account history before April 27. Also, you can't change the model you reserved after signing up, though you can sign up for multiple different versions and bundles of the Steam Machine.
If you're aiming to try and get your hands on the device, good luck — I have no doubt that you're going to need it!
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The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is the new gaming handheld that I'd use as an example of how far these devices have come since the Steam Deck launched in 2022. It's a shame, then, that MSI's new device is far too expensive to reasonably recommend to most of my PC gaming pals.
Coming in at $1,799, MSI's new handheld is indeed priced out of the hands of many gamers. It's not MSI's fault, or at least not entirely. Whether it's the AI boom making components drastically more expensive, premium build quality and features, or the new Intel Arc G3 chips, $1,799 is a far cry from the Steam Deck's original $399 baseline price.
The article kicked off a lively debate in the comments section and in our subreddit, with hundreds of replies aimed directly at me and at other commenters. Here's what the Windows Central community is saying about the rising cost of gaming handhelds.
Was Nintendo already leaving PC handhelds behind?
The Nintendo Switch 2 has already sold nearly 20 million units. (Image credit: Future)
Nintendo fans are everywhere, and by far the broadest discussion about PC gaming handhelds revolves around a Switch-related comment from u/locked-in-place in our subreddit.
Nintendo was already leading in the handheld territory leaving everyone behind. Now that all competitors, especially the Steam Deck, are so much more expensive, Nintendo will not be challenged at all.
u/locked-in-place
It's true that the Switch and Switch 2 have sold incredibly well. According to official Nintendo numbers, nearly 156 million Switch units have been shipped, with another 19.86 million Switch 2 units adding to the momentum.
Although Steam hasn't offered public Steam Deck sales numbers, it's believed that somewhere around 4 million units have been sold. That's a massive difference, and even if I add in other popular handhelds like the Xbox ROG Ally/Ally X, Lenovo Legion Go family, MSI Claw 8 AI+, and practically any others with a PC flavor, Nintendo is still far in the lead.
Many of the replies to the OP suggest that the Steam Deck and the overall PC handheld market were never meant to disrupt Nintendo's sales, which are themselves being disrupted by their own price hikes.
Just before the Switch 2 went up in price in Japan on May 25, sales skyrocketed. Right after? They plummeted. A comparable price hike is notably coming to the US, Canada, and Europe on September 1.
A good point is made here by u/First-Junket124, who suggests that the Steam Deck was never meant to compete with Nintendo and was instead an alternative route for PC gamers.
Another comment by u/UberShrew says what I've always thought: that the Steam Deck is an "enthusiast device to play your PC games on the go," whereas the Switch is first-party hardware that's the only way to play the latest Nintendo games.
Switch and Switch 2 are indeed intended for a different market than something like MSI's Claw 8 EX AI+. MSI sees its device as made for on-the-go PC enthusiasts who want top-tier performance and a device that can also act as a mini PC via Thunderbolt 4 connectivity. It's like comparing a four-cylinder sedan to a heavy-duty truck.
Lord_pizzabird's comment above seems oddly prescient. The Steam Deck and the PC gaming handhelds that followed it disrupted the market, but that disruption is now struggling (albeit due to circumstances out of its control).
I can see the PC gaming handheld market retreating at least until memory and storage prices return to normal. Unfortunately, no one can say for sure when that will happen.
The PC gaming handheld market isn't over ... it's just hibernating
The Acer Predator Atlas 8 (left) and MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ (right) each feature Intel's new Arc G3 chips. (Image credit: Future)
Pulling myself out of the Nintendo weeds, there are some other comments well worth highlighting. Many of them are suggesting that the PC gaming handheld market is "over" and won't return, just as I mentioned in the original article's title.
There's an important distinction to make that doesn't fit in a title. While I do think the handheld market is frozen by the ever-increasing cost of components and the general PC sentiment that new models have to be faster and better (leading to higher costs no matter component prices), I don't think it's frozen for good.
Comparing Intel Arc G3 Extreme and AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme performance at 35W.IntelComparing Intel Arc G3 Extreme and AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme performance per watt.IntelA look at Intel Arc G3's platform tuning.IntelIntel Arc G3 has strong frame generation abilities.Intel
For those who have had a chance to test the new MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ with Intel Arc G3 chips, you know what I'm talking about. I thought AMD's Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme hardware was good, and it is, but Intel worked some magic here.
If these Arc chips were going out in handhelds not hampered by inflated component prices, we'd be having an entirely different conversation.
A market thaw will undoubtedly happen at some point, and when it does happen, I think there will be a resurgence of interest. There are still plenty of people out there waiting for the right price and the right specs.
In the meantime, I won't be surprised if MSI's new Claw 8 EX AI+ does sell out at launch. There are still plenty of PC gamers with deep pockets who don't care about prices and just want the latest and greatest device.
The real shame is that handheld PC gaming really has no chance of going mainstream under the current market conditions, a blow that's double as hardware and design hit new heights.
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For those unfamiliar, FSR is AMD's answer to Nvidia's DLSS. It's an upscaling technology that allows games to be rendered at a lower resolution, such as 720p, before being upscaled to a higher resolution like 1080p. The goal is to deliver a sharper image while reducing the workload on the GPU.
It's not just about image quality, either. Because the game is being rendered at a lower internal resolution, FSR can also improve frame rates, making demanding games run more smoothly without requiring more powerful hardware.
What's particularly exciting about the prospect of FSR4 coming to Steam Machine and, hopefully, Steam Deck is that it could address some of the most common complaints surrounding FSR3, including ghosting, shimmering, and visual artifacts, while still delivering the performance benefits that make upscaling technologies so appealing in the first place.
I have to admit, I've always been a little wary of the industry's growing reliance on upscaling technologies. Ideally, I'd prefer games to be optimized well enough to run smoothly on weaker hardware straight out of the box. That said, the reality is that modern games are becoming increasingly demanding, and tools like FSR can provide a meaningful boost to both image quality and performance.
Of all the ways AI is being integrated into gaming, upscaling is probably one of the easiest for me to get behind. If this implementation really can bring FSR4 improvements to a wider range of hardware, that's a win for players. Hopefully, it also finds its way to Steam Deck and isn't reserved solely for Valve's upcoming Steam Machine.
As always, let me know what you think in the comments below, and don't forget to take part in our poll!
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