Yesterday, I mentioned how GPD is teasing the most potent handheld yet made — a GPD Win 5 that will house the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip, with AMD’s most powerful integrated graphics yet, inside a PlayStation Vita-shaped machine.

If you’ve been wondering how that huge chip could even fit, handheld expert Cary “The Phawx” Golomb now has the answer: the 7-inch handheld will apparently have no internal battery taking up space. The Win 5 is designed to either be plugged into the wall, with a gaming laptop sized 180-watt charger providing the juice — or powered by a big 80 watt-hour external battery “backpack” that will (only? additionally?) be sold separately.

We can see the full spec sheet for the new Win 5 in the Phawx’s video, and as he notes, GPD had to make its Win 5 larger than the Win 4 even before you add that backpack battery.

While the Win 4 is a compact 6-inch handheld with a 45 watt-hour pack, the Win 5 with its 7-inch screen will be narrower but thicker than the Asus ROG Ally X handheld — which is an apt comparison, considering that handheld similarly pairs a 7-inch screen with an 80 watt-hour battery pack.

Here, though, the battery will add extra girth: it’s roughly 4 inches (110mm) wide and tall, and 0.7 inches (18mm) deep; it’s not clear how it attaches yet, as GPD has only shared the one dark video of the Win 5 filmed from the front, but the spec sheet mentions a “Battery to Host Dedicated Connector” as an accessory, so it might require plugging in a cable.

If you’re curious what the handheld’s controls might look like in better light, I tried brightening it up:

Other intriguing things we can see in the full spec sheet include:

• A 120Hz variable refresh rate screen, where the Win 4 was limited to 60Hz
• Two configs: AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (16C/32T/ Radeon 8060S) or AI Max 385 (8C/16T/ Radeon 8050S)
• 32, 64, or even the full 128GB of unified memory AMD offers for these chips
• USB-4 with 100W PD charging and 8K/60 DP output
• Two fans and four heat pipes for cooling
• An optional HDMI and USB dock with a “battery charging slot,” presumably for the external battery
• No mention of any integrated keyboard, whereas previous Win devices had a hidden keyboard underneath a sliding screen

You can peruse the whole sheet at your leisure in the Phawx’s video or the screenshots we took from Phawx (with his permission) below. Be sure to tap a couple of times to make them large enough for full reading.

Julian LeFay, the man often credited as "the father of The Elder Scrolls," has died at the age of 59, his creative partners announced this week.

"It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we inform our community of the passing of Julian LeFay, our beloved Technical Director and co-founder of Once Lost Games," his colleagues wrote in a Bluesky post.

LeFay spent most of the 1990s at Bethesda Softworks, culminating in his work on The Elder Scrolls series into the late '90s.

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Amazon has solid discounts on laptops during its four-day Prime Day sales event. One of the nice things about shopping during Prime Day, even if you don’t have the requisite Prime subscription, is that Best Buy and others often follow suit with their own competing deals.

We found deals on models The Verge swears by — ones that should treat you well for years to come. A laptop purchase is extra tricky because it’s usually a multipurpose machine for a wide range of people with specific needs.

Best MacBook deals

Amazon is a great place to shop for MacBook deals, as it regularly offers discounts on MacBook Air and Pro models. The current $150 discounts on the 13-inch and 15-inch M4 MacBook Air are pretty much a no-brainer for anyone currently in the market for Apple’s thin-and-light. They’re among the best laptops you can buy for just $849 and $1,049, respectively. The 13-inch was recently $50 cheaper, but the 15-inch is matching its all-time low.

Apple MacBook Air 13 (2025, M4)

The MacBook Air is by far the laptop The Verge recommends the most frequently. The latest generation isn’t revolutionary, but it packs a speedy M4 chip, more RAM, and an improved webcam for a lower starting price of $999. Read our review.

Where to Buy:

• $999 $849 at Amazon
• $999 $849 at Best Buy
• $999 $849 at B&H Photo

Apple MacBook Air 15 (2025, M4)

The larger, 15-inch version of the M4 MacBook Air is much the same as its smaller counterpart. But it packs a bigger screen and better speakers into a compact package. Read our review.

Where to Buy:

• $1199 $1049 at Amazon
• $1199 $1049 at Best Buy
• $1199 at Apple

• If you prefer an even better value on a slightly older MacBook Air, Best Buy is selling the 13-inch M2 model from 2022 for $699 ($100 off). In addition to the M2 chip, which remains good enough for most people, it offers 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Read our original review.

2020 MacBook Air with M1 (256GB)

The 2020 MacBook Air has been discontinued but remains a great value. It comes outfitted with the company’s original M1 chip in one of three different colors (silver, space gray, and gold).

Where to Buy:

• $699 $599 at Walmart

Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2024, M4)

The entry-level MacBook Pro with M4 starts with 16GB of RAM — double that of its predecessor — and a 512GB SSD for the same starting price of $1,599. It also gets a third USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 port and comes in a new space black option.

Where to Buy:

• $1799 $1623.89 at Amazon (16GB RAM, 1TB SSD)
• $1599 $1429 at B&H Photo (16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

• The 16-inch MacBook Pro with Apple’s mid-tier M4 Pro chip, 24GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD is $2,249 ($250 off) at Amazon. Its M4 Pro has 14 CPU cores and 20 GPU cores, so it’s suited for most creative applications like photo and video editing. And it still has excellent battery life to match all that power. Read our review.

Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2024, M4 Max)

Apple’s flagship laptop has a 16-inch screen and starts with 36GB of RAM, 1TB SSD, and an M4 Max chip with 14-core CPU / 32-core GPU. Read our review.

Where to Buy:

• $3499 $3149 at Best Buy
• $3499 $3149 at Amazon
• $3499 at Apple

Best Windows laptop deals

2024 Microsoft Surface Laptop (13.8-inch)

The 13.8-inch Surface Laptop is the most affordable of Microsoft’s 2024 Copilot Plus models. The MacBook rival uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chipsets — which are said to offer substantial performance and battery life improvements — and its keyboard is the first with a dedicated Copilot key.

Where to Buy:

• $1599.99 $1109.99 at Amazon (Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD)
• $1599.99 $1199.99 at Best Buy (Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD)
• $1199.99 $889.99 at Amazon (Snapdragon X Plus, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

Microsoft Surface Pro 12-inch

Microsoft’s latest Surface Pro is smaller, with a new design and updated keyboard. It’s powered by Qualcomm’s Arm64 Snapdragon X Plus chip. Read our review.

Where to Buy:

• $799.99 $699.99 at Microsoft Store
• $799.99 $684.99 at Best Buy

• The slightly older, slightly larger Surface Pro 11 (13-inch, 2024) is selling for $869.99 ($330 off) at Amazon. The Arm-based Windows tablet convertible comes equipped with a 10-core Snapdragon X Plus chip, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD. It offers great hardware and a beautiful 120Hz screen.
• The Acer Swift 16 AI is on sale for a very low $799.99 ($450 off) at Best Buy. It’s the 16-inch version of the Swift 14 AI I recently reviewed and mostly liked. But the best part of the bigger Swift 16 over the 14 is it maintains the plethora of ports and has a much higher-quality screen, with a 2880 x 1800 OLED panel. Its other key specs include an Intel Core 7 Ultra 256V (Lunar Lake) chip, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB SSD. This is quite the spec list for 800 bucks.

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition

Lenovo’s Lunar Lake-powered laptop features a sizable 15.3-inch IPS display with crisp 2880 x 1800 resolution, as well as loud speakers and a great keyboard. It’s got far from the best trackpad, but the Core Ultra 7 256V processor inside it is a pretty snappy performer for an everyday Windows machine. Read our review.

Where to Buy:

• $1399.99 $1099.99 at Best Buy (32GB RAM)

Best gaming laptop deals

• The Asus ROG Strix G16, a stripped-down version of the Strix Scar featured in our buying guide, is on sale at Amazon for $1,274.99 ($225 off). It has an Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU, Intel Raptor Lake Core i7 14650HX processor, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB SSD.
• If you prefer the ROG Strix G16 with a little more power, the model with an RTX 5070 Ti is $1,999.99 ($400 off) at Amazon, and with an even higher-end RTX 5080 it’s $2,399.99 ($500 off) at Amazon.
• There are also a couple of deals on lower-cost Asus TUF gaming laptops with last-gen graphics. The Asus TUF A14 with RTX 4050 graphics is $899.99 ($300 off) Amazon. It’s got an AMD Ryzen 7 AI CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD — all housed in a portable 14-inch chassis. The larger 16-inch Asus TUF F16 with RTX 4050 is $849.99 ($250 off) at Amazon. It’s configured with an Intel Core 5 210H (Raptor Lake) CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD.

HP Victus 15 (2025, RTX 4050)

The Victus 15 is a popular, budget-friendly gaming laptop that now comes with RTX 4050 graphics, more RAM, and an improved 144Hz screen.

Where to Buy:

• $899.99 $649.99 at Best Buy (AMD)
• $1149.99 at HP (Intel)

Best Chromebook deals

• Lenovo’s Chromebook Duet 5 is a little long in the tooth, but for $379 ($19 off) at Amazon, it remains one of the cheapest Chromebooks with an OLED screen. Read our review.

Best laptop / computer accessory deals

Elgato Prompter

A teleprompter is a luxury. They help you make it look effortless to look at your camera as you read from a script or a chat log. Elgato’s option includes a small screen and a mirror, the latter of which allows you to see what you need to look at without breaking eye contact with viewers.

Where to Buy:

• $299.99 $189.99 at Amazon
• $299.99 $199.99 at B&H Photo

• Razer’s Basilisk V3 Pro gaming mouse is currently on sale for $90.04 (about $38 off) at Amazon. It’s been slightly cheaper before, but this is a good price for the RGB-laden gaming mouse with a speedy sensor, ample customization, and a tiltable, fast-scrolling wheel.
• The SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless gaming mouse is down to $59.98 ($60 off) at Amazon in black, though you can also get it in white or a translucent “ghost” color for $69.99 ($50 off). It’s an ultra-light mouse with a skeletonized design that I personally own and use. It has a good sensor, tri-mode compatibility (wired, 2.4GHz, and Bluetooth), and bright, colorful RGB lighting — especially in the ghost version.
• SteelSeries’ expansive Arena 9 surround sound speaker system is selling for $449.99 ($230 off) at Amazon. The 5.1 speaker setup features a boom-y subwoofer, wireless satellite rear channels, and customizable RGB lighting. Read our initial impressions.
• Samsung’s speedy, 2TB 990 Pro SSD is selling for $149.99 ($60 off) at Amazon with a pre-installed heatsink. The NVMe drive is fast enough for a high-end PC build and also compatible with the PlayStation 5.
• A variety of Wacom drawing tablets are currently on sale at Amazon, including the Cintiq 16 with a 15.4-inch 1080p screen for $484.95 ($165 off) and the screenless Intuos Medium in a pistachio color for $84.95 ($15 off).
• The Logitech MX Master 3S wireless mouse is available for $94.99 ($25 off) at Amazon, which is one of the better prices we’ve seen since Logitech raised its pricing in the spring. The MX Masters are a popular go-to in the world of productivity mice, with two scroll wheels that are especially handy for navigating documents and spreadsheets.
• The Insta360 Link 2C webcam is available for $99.99 ($50 off) at Amazon. This is the more affordable, non-movable version of Insta360’s webcams, and while it doesn’t feature a gimbal to follow you around, it does offer 4K video and an f/1.8 aperture for low-light settings.
• If you want a cheaper webcam, the Logitech Brio 100 is on sale for just $23.74 (about $16 off) at Amazon when you clip the on-page coupon. It supports 1080p video, features a built-in sliding privacy cover, and should be compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2. Just be aware that its five-foot USB-A cable is built in, so there’s no swapping it for a different length or connector.

Update, July 9th: Updated to reflect current pricing / availability and remove several expried deals, including one for Elgato’s Stream Deck Plus.

Razer has announced a new mousepad that can wirelessly charge your wireless mouse while you’re using it. It’s not Razer’s first attempt at the idea, but the new HyperFlux V2 doesn’t require you to use a single specific mouse — it works with several models in Razer’s current lineup, charging their batteries continuously using an included adapter puck. It looks and sounds very similar to Logitech’s patented Powerplay Wireless Charging System.

The HyperFlux V2 Wireless Charging System comes in two versions for $119.99. One with a hard surface that’s available now, and one with a softer cloth surface, which is expected to launch later this year. The original Razer HyperFlux was sold as part of a $249.99 bundle that included the Mamba HyperFlux mouse. The V2 model doesn’t come with a mouse, but is compatible with the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K, Basilisk V3 Pro, Cobra Pro, and Naga V2 Pro mice, which range in price from $129.99 to $179.99.

The Mamba HyperFlux mouse that worked with the original version of the HyperFlux pad featured a supercapacitor inside that retained power for about 5 to 10 seconds when it was lifted off the pad. That was enough time to allow you to reposition the mouse without it dying, but to use it anywhere else required a USB cable.

The new HyperFlux V2 instead uses a puck inserted into the bottom of the supported mouse models that charges their batteries wirelessly while they’re on the pad, like its Logitech competitor. An LED indicator at the top of the pad indicates the battery’s charge level by changing colors.

Like the original version, the new HyperFlux V2 mouse pad also serves as a receiver, allowing Razer’s mice and keyboards to wirelessly connect to a PC (through the pad, which connects to a computer over USB) using its proprietary HyperSpeed technology that’s faster and more reliable than Bluetooth. The mouse pad is also compatible with Razer’s wireless keyboards, including the BlackWidow V3 Pro and DeathStalker V2 Pro, but it can’t charge them wirelessly.

The Verge has reached out to Logitech for comment and to Razer to clarify if its new wirelessly charging mouse pad is using a different approach than the patented Powerplay system. We will update this story if they respond.

Imagine playing Fortnite, but instead of fighting other players, all you want to do is break into houses to look for caches of slurp juice. Yes, the storm is closing in on you, and there's a bunch of enemies waiting to kill you, but all you want to do is take a walking tour of Tilted Towers. Then when the match is over, instead of queueing again, you start reading the in-game lore for Peely and Sabrina Carpenter. You can count your number of player kills on one hand meanwhile your number of deaths is in the hundreds. You've never achieved a victory royale, but you've never had more fun.

That's how I play Elden Ring Nightreign.

Nightreign is FromSoftware's first Elden Ring spinoff, and it's unlike any Souls game that the developer has done before. Nightreign has the conceit of so many battle royale games - multiplayer combat focused on acquiring resources across a large map that slowly shrinks over time - wrapped in the narrative, visual aesthetics, and combat of Elden Ring. Instead of the Tarnished, you are a Nightfarer. Instead of the expansive Lands Between, you are sent to Limveld, an island with an ever-shifting landscape. And instead of becoming the Elden Lord, your goal is …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Microsoft has announced that a new “Retro Classics” collection is now available to Game Pass subscribers. Reminiscent of the Nintendo Switch Online classic games library, the collection includes Pitfall, Grand Prix, and more than 50 other Activision titles from the 1980s and 1990s. It’s not as many titles as the 1,300 retro games that Antstream, Microsoft’s partner in the offering, has available on its streaming service, but it won’t cost Game Pass subscribers any extra.

Retro Classics, which Microsoft writes is part of its “commitment to game preservation and backwards compatibility,” is available on Xbox consoles, PC, or via Xbox cloud gaming on compatible devices like some LG and Samsung smart TVs and the Meta Quest headset. Other games included in the collection include Cosmic Ark, MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat, and Atlantis.

Based on screenshots, it looks like the collection will include titles from the original PlayStation, the SNES, MS-DOS, and more. Players will be able to collect achievements and participate in events like tournaments and community challenges as well.

Microsoft says this is only the start; the collection will expand to include more than 100 games from Activision and Blizzard eventually. Like Nintendo’s retro collection, you’re out of luck if you don’t have Microsoft’s gaming subscription, as the titles in the collection aren’t available for sale separately.

Antstream Arcade separately announced a temporary deal for Game Pass subscribers. Until June 4th, members can sign up for a year of access to Antstream’s library, which includes more than 1,300 games, for $9.99 via the Microsoft Store.

Here is the full collection of launch titles for the Retro Classics collection, which Activision’s Dustin Blackwell sent to The Verge:

• Activision prototype #1
• Atlantis
• Atlantis II
• Barnstorming
• Baseball
• Beamrider
• Bloody Human Freeway
• Boxing
• Bridge
• Caesar II
• Checkers
• Chopper Command
• Commando
• Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood
• Cosmic Ark
• Crackpots
• Decathlon
• Demon Attack
• Dolphin
• Dragster
• Enduro
• Fathom
• Fire Fighter
• Fishing Derby
• Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist
• Freeway
• Frostbite
• Grand Prix
• H.E.R.O.
• Kaboom!
• Laser Blast
• MechWarrior
• MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat
• Megamania
• Pitfall II: Lost Caverns
• Pitfall!
• Police Quest 1
• Pressure Cooker
• Quest for Glory 1
• Riddles of the Sphinx
• River Raid
• River Raid II
• Robot Tank
• Sky Jinks
• Space Quest 2
• Space Quest 6
• Space Treat Deluxe
• Spider Fighter
• Star Voyager
• Tennis
• The Adventures of Willy Beamish
• The Adventures of Willy Beamish
• The Dagger of Amon Ra
• Thwocker
• Title Match Pro Wrestling
• Torin’s Passage
• Trick Shot
• Vault Assault
• Venetian Blinds
• Zork I
• Zork Zero

Update, May 21st: Added list of Retro Classics launch titles.

It’s a great time to catch up on some big games you might’ve missed out on recently. Epic Games is holding a Mega Sale that includes big discounts on a ton of PC games, including Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced, which is on sale for $14.99 instead of $29.99, and The Last of Us Part 1, which costs $29.99 instead of $59.99.

Here are some other highlights from the sale:

• Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered: $29.99 (down from $59.99)
• Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut: $40.19 (down from $59.99)
• God of War Ragnarök: $47.99 (down from $59.99)
• Cyberpunk 2077: $23.99 (down from $59.99, and also on sale on other platforms)
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard: $29.99 (down from $59.99)
• Alan Wake 2 Deluxe Edition: $27.99 (down from $69.99)
• Red Dead Redemption: $34.99 (down from $49.99)

If you don’t know which games you want to get yet, you have some time to decide. The Mega Sale runs from May 15th to June 12th at 11AM ET. Dead Island 2 and Happy Game are also available for free until May 22nd.

Razer has announced three new products today, including an alternative to wireless headphones called the Clio that’s designed to attach to your gaming chair and double as a head cushion.

Powered by a 5,400mAh battery that Razer says is good for up to 14 hours of use, the Clio uses adjustable straps to attach to “most high-back gaming and office chairs” so that it’s positioned directly behind your head. Inside each of the cushion’s angled wings is a near-field speaker that uses a 43-millimeter driver paired with a passive radiator that work together to deliver “crisp, clear trebles and deep, punchy bass you can hear and feel.”

The Clio speaker wirelessly connects to Bluetooth-compatible devices like smartphones, tablets, and handheld consoles, but is also compatible with Razer’s HyperSpeed Wireless protocol for a low-latency connection to a gaming PC. Support for THX Spatial Audio creates a more immersive listening experience when using the Clio on its own, but it can be paired with additional desktop speakers and used as a dedicated rear channel as part of a larger 7.1 surround sound setup.

The Razer Clio wireless speaker is available for preorder now through Razer’s online store for $229.99 with shipping expected to begin on May 16th, 2025.

Razer also announced a new lightweight Basilisk Mobile mouse and Joro wireless gaming keyboard,  which it says were created to pair with portable gaming gear “without compromising on performance.”

The Razer Basilisk Mobile mouse weighs in at 76 grams and “boasts a compact, ergonomic design” designed to slip into pockets or squeeze into a laptop sleeve along with a computer. It supports wired, Bluetooth, or a low-latency Razer HyperSpeed Wireless connection to PCs with up to 105 hours of battery life with the latter, or up to 150 hours with Bluetooth.

The mouse includes a four-way tilting scroll wheel with two scrolling modes: free-spin for more speed or tactile cycling for more precision. There’s a Razer Focus X optical sensor with up to 18,000dpi of sensitivity on the underside, while the mouse’s primary buttons use Razer’s Gen-3 optical switches boasting a 90 million click lifecycle.

The Razer Joro ultra-portable wireless gaming keyboard uses a compact 75 percent layout and measures in at 16.5-millimeters thick and 374 grams in weight. As with most Razer products, it features RGB lighting that can be animated with various effects while still offering an impressive battery life of up to 1,800 hours when using its power saving mode.

The Joro connects to devices with a USB-C cable or over Bluetooth and is not only compatible with both Windows and Apple devices including iPadOS and iOS, it also features secondary keys with macOS labels and a dedicated Microsoft Copilot Key. Laser-etched ABS keycaps help ensure longevity, and in addition to the keyboard being customizable, it can also store up to five different profiles locally, and switch between them as needed.

The Razer Joro wireless gaming keyboard is also available for purchase now for $139.99 with delivery expected in mid-May 2025, but the $89.99 Razer Basilisk MobilePortable wireless mouse is still listed as “Coming Soon” on the company’s website.

The PC gaming platform GOG is adding a bunch of classic Star Wars games to its preservation program, which aims to keep older games playable on modern systems. The games joining the program include: 

• Star Wars: Dark Forces (Classic, 1995)
• Star Wars: X-Wing Special Edition (1993)
• Star Wars: TIE Fighter Special Edition (1994)
• Star Wars: Battlefront (Classic, 2004) 
• Star Wars: Rebel Assault 1 + 2 (1993 and 1995)

First announced last November, GOG’s game preservation program includes 162 DRM-free games, such as Breath of Fire IV, Diablo, System Shock 2, and Resident Evil 1-3. GOG maintains these games so that they work on “current and future” Windows systems, and also offers tech support.

As another added benefit, preserved titles will remain accessible even if GOG removes them from its store. GOG says it hopes to have “hundreds” of games in the program by the end of this year.

You can check out the newly added Star Wars games on GOG’s game preservation webpage, and they’re all currently 75 percent off until May 6th.

Every so often, Central Computers - one of the last remaining dedicated Silicon Valley computer stores - lets subscribers know it's managed to obtain a small shipment of AMD graphics cards. Today, it informed me that I could now purchase a $600 Radeon RX 9070 XT for $850 - a $250 markup.

It's not alone. I just checked every major US retailer and street prices on eBay, and I regret to inform you: the great GPU shortage has returned. Many AMD cards are being marked up $100, $200, $250, even $280. The street price of an Nvidia RTX 5080 is now over $1,500, a full $500 higher than MSRP. And an RTX 5090, the most powerful consumer GPU? You can't even get the $2,000 card for $3,000 today.

Here, I've built tables to show you:

You shouldn't just blame tariffs for these price hikes. In early March, we found retailers were already …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Infinity Nikki’s next update will add some major new features. Bubble Season starts April 29th and will include a new area, new activities, and, of course, new (and returning) outfits. But the biggest addition is one that fans have been asking for since launch: co-op. Check out the trailer above.

In the new season you’ll be able to have dress-up adventures with a friend in two player co-op mode. You can travel the world of Infinity Nikki together, solving special co-op mode puzzle games and participating in escort missions. Players will also prove they’re the most stylish one in the group chat with a fashion runway and new interactions that players can use in all the photos they’re going to take. 

Like every new Infinity Nikki season, there will be special outfits to collect – though none of them inspire in me the kind of fanaticism that the cowgirl outfit from two seasons ago did. (Which I did get without spending any money. Hooray!) For the first time though, IN is also bringing back outfits from previous seasons for players who missed out on them and for newbies to build up their wardrobe quickly. 

Speaking of wardrobe, Infinity Nikki is catching up to the MMO girlies by implementing a new dye system. In Bubble Season, players will be able to use dyes to change the color of their outfits the same way one can in World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV. No word on exactly how dyes will work or if they will be yet more things to spend your precious currency on. But I am interested in the potential of getting new colors for my clothes without the hassle of the current system, which involves the expensive and time consuming process of collecting duplicate outfits.

Bubble Season starts April 29th and if you’re one of the folks waiting for the game to come to PC, the Steam version of Infinity Nikki launches that day too.

The creators of Halo and Destiny are finally ready to show off their next big project: Marathon. It’s a long-awaited title from Bungie and revives the classic Marathon IP in the form of a PvPvE extraction shooter. After a teaser nearly two years ago, the Sony-owned studio just spent an hour showing off Marathon gameplay and game mechanics and revealed the game will launch on September 23rd on PS5, Xbox Series S / X, and PC, with full cross-play and cross-save. There’s even an alpha test for fans to try out the game later this month, ahead of its full debut this year.

Marathon is set in a sci-fi universe in 2850, in the remains of Tau Ceti IV, which Bungie describes as a lost colony whose inhabitants disappeared without a trace. Rival factions have hired Runners to scavenge for what’s left behind, and anyone who signs up to be a Runner has given up their human form for a biosynthetic shell with unique abilities and stats.

As a Runner, you fight in a crew of up to three players across a variety of zones and points of interest. You can face rival runners in maps of up to 18 players, so up to six teams, in a bid to grab as much loot as possible and get out. While Marathon is designed to be played in crews, with contextual pings and shared objectives, you can also play solo instead of having to form a dedicated three-person team.

In Marathon runs, there will be what Bungie calls security forces, PvE enemies that roam the world. There are also creatures on these planets that are a threat when you’re navigating toward points on a map. You’ll have to choose whether it’s worth engaging with these enemies and risk revealing your location to rival teams or use a strategy of avoiding these threats in this PvPvE environment.

The maps are filled with bold and vibrant artwork and weapons, materials, and equipment that can be scavenged. Before a run, you build a loadout and select the Runner that fits your play style. In the alpha test, which starts on April 23rd, there will be four runners to choose from, including the stealthy Void character that can go invisible much like a Hunter from Destiny 2.

There’s also a Glitch runner that has fast-paced abilities and, like its name implies, can glitch out enemies. If you’re more of a run-and-gun type of player, Locus has a shield ability and looks similar to the slide and shotgun play of a Titan from Destiny 2. The final runner in the alpha test is Blackbird, designed for recon and scanning the area around you. While there are four runners in the alpha test, there will be six to choose from when Marathon launches in September.

During its livestream, Bungie published a nearly 20-minute video of highlights from 40 creators it says it recently invited to try the game.

If you die, you’ll drop your gear. But if you survive, your loot moves with you to future runs so you get more powerful gear and level up. Teammates can also revive you if you fail a mission.

Bungie isn’t putting a limit on team compositions, so that means everyone on a three-person team can select the same runner. There will be end-game challenges, ranked play, seasonal storytelling, community events, and more.

Bungie has even produced an original short cinematic that’s set in the Marathon universe. Written and directed by Alberto Mielgo (Love, Death, and Robots), this nearly nine-minute short will have Bungie fans poring over it for days to discover every little detail about the Marathon universe.

While Marathon is very slick-looking, there’s a lot riding on this game. It’s entering a crowded market of shooters and live-service games that have tried and failed to break through in recent years. Concord, also from a PlayStation studio, was the biggest example of a shooter that failed to take off recently, forcing Sony to take the game offline less than a month after launch and eventually shut down the studio behind it.

Spectre Divide, a Valorant-like free-to-play shooter, also shut down just months after its launch, with the developer behind the ambitious shooter shutting down, too. These high-profile failures add to the pressure that Marathon is already under on the back of Bungie’s success with Halo and Destiny and Sony’s ambitious live-service game effort that it has been scaling back recently.

The Marathon alpha test will be an opportunity for Bungie to show the world exactly how its latest game will stand out from the competition, and whether it does enough to tempt people away from hero shooters or Call of Duty and Fortnite into the extraction shooter genre that Escape from Tarkov has popularized.

The big question left for Bungie to answer is how much Marathon will cost. It’s not a free-to-play game, but the studio isn’t ready to talk about exact pricing just yet. Destiny 2 is technically free-to-play with an optional season pass, but a lot of additional content requires payment for access to raids, dungeons, and even some of the story content. It’s been a confusing model for new players over the years, so I’m hoping Bungie lands on a clear pricing structure for Marathon.

Marathon debuts on PS5, Xbox Series S / X, and PC on September 23rd. You can sign up for the Marathon closed alpha test on Bungie’s website or on Discord.

I know, I know. It’s become a bit of a faux pas to describe one game using another and yet I am compelled. After a few hours with Blue Prince, I realized this game elicits the same feelings in me as Balatro. Not because it has anything to do with cards or passive-aggressive clowns named Jimbo, but because those hours I played passed as breezily by completely unnoticed as they did when I was knee deep in the poker roguelike. Blue Prince is a time-stealer and as with Balatro, you will be happy to be robbed.

Blue Prince is an architectural puzzle mystery game from developer Dogubomb. In it you play as a young man who inherits his uncle’s magical mansion. On your first day at the house you receive a note laying out the rules by which you will earn your inheritance. This house has 45 rooms. Find the secret 46th room that’s not displayed on any of the mansion’s blueprints (get it, Blue Prince / blueprints) and the house is yours. 

To find the 46th room you must create or “draft” rooms one after the other connecting them via their doors. You start each day with 50 steps and passing into a room takes one step (or more depending on the type of room). When you run out of steps y …

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