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Starting on October 3, Microsoft says Xbox consoles will be getting yet another price bump, this time ranging anywhere from a $20 increase on the company’s entry-level model to $70 for a special edition model with 2TB of storage. If all of this sounds familiar, there’s a good reason, the last time xbox prices were raised was only a few months ago in May.
The price increases breakdown as follows:
Xbox Series S (512GB): $400, up $20 from $380
Xbox Series S (1TB): $450 up $20 from $430
Xbox Series X Digital: $600, up $50 from $550
Xbox Series X: $650, up $50 from $600
Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Special Edition: $800, up $70 from $730
Those are fairly significant increases, especially when you start comparing Microsoft’s higher-end Xbox Series X consoles to the competition. For example, the Series X Digital (which doesn’t have a disc drive) now costs $50 more than a PS5 Digital Edition. For the $800 Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Special Edition, price comparisons are even worse. It’s now more expensive than the $750 PS5 Pro, and at least Sony’s console gets you better performance for its high price.
Engadget has reached out to Microsoft for more information on the price changes. We’ll update this article if we hear back.
As of right now, Microsoft credits the need to raise prices on “changes in the macroeconomic environment,” which likely has to do with the impact tariffs implemented by the Trump administration are having on importing electronics into the US. It’s worth noting, however, that the company has also been shifting its focus away from home consoles in favor of bringing the “Xbox experience” to other platforms.
Sometimes, that’s just by publishing formerly Xbox exclusive games on the PS5 and Switch, but it also includes creating the first Xbox handheld with ASUS and emphasizing Xbox game streaming wherever it makes sense. Given the frequent sales on the Xbox Series S, there’s a world where Microsoft’s entry-level console might still be worth considering. For anything else, though, streaming or waiting for games to come to other platforms increasingly seems like it makes the most financial sense.
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Last month, Battlefield 6’s open beta on PC and consoles quickly became one of the most-played games of 2025. But like any modern game hitting Xbox in 2025, BF6 is launching on both the Series X and the weaker Series S. And according to the devs behind the game, getting BF6 to run on the less powerful console was a “challenge.”
Earlier this week, Kotaku sat down with two Battlefield 6 devs to discuss the game’s console ports, and I asked if the team struggled while trying to get such a big and complicated game to run well on Xbox Series S. We’ve heard stories that the Series S can cause devs headaches. And despite Frostbite, BF6‘s engine, being very “scalable,” the Series S was still proven a tricky beast to conquer.
“I will say that the biggest thing we did that was a challenge for us was [dealing with the console’s limited] memory,” explained Christian Buhl, technical director on Battlefield 6. “Xbox Series S does have less memory than even our mid-spec PC. And so there was a point…Oh, I want to say, like, 6 to 12 months ago where we kind of realized that a lot of our levels were crashing on Xbox Series S.”
As a result, the team focused on “optimizing” memory usage in Battlefield 6. And these improvements weren’t just felt on Series S. According to Buhl, this process made the “whole game better and more stable.” However, the devs also worked on “specific optimizations” for Xbox Series S, too.
“We were doing so much testing…we were collecting all this data,” explained Buhl. “Once we kind of started running all our levels through it, and were able to see where the problems were, after a month or two, we had kind of resolved all of our memory issues on Series S.”
Buhl says Battlefield 6 is now “super solid” and “performant” on Xbox Series S and will run at a “smooth 60 frames per second.” And footage of the game’s open beta running on Series S seems to back that up.
Of course, with Frostbite being so scalable and the studio working hard to make BF6 super optimized, I wanted to ask if, theoretically, the game could run on a Switch 2. The studio is even implementing gyro controls on PS5 and PS5 Pro to let players flick around quickly or reload with the simple waggle of the gamepad.
However, when I asked if it would be possible for Battlefield 6 and Frostbite to run on a Switch 2 based on the specs, an EA rep stepped in and cut off Buhl right as he began to say something.
“Sorry, I have to step in here,” said the EA rep. “We can’t talk anything beyond, sort of, like, the consoles that Battlefield’s coming to, which is Xbox Series X/S and PS5, and PS5 Pro.”
Later on, when the team was talking about gyro controls, I brought up how the Switch 2 has excellent gyro sensors in its Joy-Con.
“Exactly, yeah,” was the response. So, at least I can confirm the devs working on Battlefield 6 think the Switch 2 has great gyro controls. Beyond that, nothing.
I’m very excited to play Battlefield 6 once it launches on October 10 on my PS5 Pro and high-end gaming PC. But not everyone has access to those devices, and some players are gaming on the aging and weaker Xbox Series S. So I’m happy to hear that the devs behind the game worked so hard on optimizing it and making sure all platforms get a great version of Battlefield 6. And hey, maybe Switch 2 owners will get their own solid version of BF6 in the future?
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We’re seeing an injection of fresh life into this year’s Madden thanks to the return of college football with EA Sports College Football 25’s release. The college football franchise comes off an 11-year hiatus, tying nicely into Madden 25’s pro football package. But the return of college football can only do so much for Madden 25, as this year’s experience feels more like a mechanical iteration from past entries rather than a comprehensive overhaul.
Surprisingly, the biggest innovations in this year’s Madden are found in nitty-gritty gameplay details rather than in modes or presentation. EA has been proudly campaigning its new BOOM Tech physics suite; a physics package that incorporates realistic tackles and individualized player movements. By extension, the iconic Madden Hit Stick has been re-engineered so that you can control your tackles through risk/reward hit timings. I’m a terrible tackler in these games and even I found the Hit Stick timings to be intuitive and fun to pull off, even if it sometimes resulted in the carrier breaking through a poorly timed hit.
Thanks to the new physics suite, carrying the ball finally feels like it has some depth this year. You can set up combo jukes and spins through the right stick, and the overall movement feels more nuanced thanks to the physics overhaul. AI is improved, with a carrier’s center of mass and footing determining their balance and stability. Calculations like torque and rotation angles are all formulated into the enhanced physics suite to create more varied and realistic movement. As a personal anecdote, I can’t help but chuckle at the mountain of linemen squirming around to fumble the ball out of the carrier’s hands.
Players move individual pieces of their body per these new physics calculations, and it shows by the ragdoll-like movements after every hit. These newly enhanced physics do a great job of overcoming the rigidness and predictable player movements from previous games.
Unlike tackling and running, the passing game has remained largely untouched from previous iterations. I still enjoy leading receivers with passes and influencing whether it’s a bullet or lob, though the level of control still lags behind older sim-oriented titles like ESPN NFL 2K5.
That said, this is the most skill-based Madden we’ve seen in years, thanks in part to the new Hit Stick and physics. Player stats and abilities add that role-playing element to compliment the skill-based package nicely here, with skill trees for every team member and a perk system for each role. What’s even better is you can customize just how skill-based or RPG you want the experience to be through the extensive settings. Under the Player Skill tab, you can adjust a meter from 0 to 100 governing how accurate QBs are, reaction timing of catches, and a host of other parameters to make the experience as stat-dependant or skill-based as you wish.
Of course, if you really want a role-playing experience, Franchise mode supplies that in good measure. I like the option to only play certain highlights of games, but I wish you could decide when to step in and play. Sadly, there’s still no way to watch a game play out in real-time and take control of players when you wish. You either play a full game or select highlights of said game with little manual input.
Thankfully, the strategic gameplay here has improved thanks to retooled playbooks and new pre-snap tools. You have more defensive options with disguised coverage shells, while offensively, you can lengthen route stems to crack through coverage holes. Franchise Mode still has a long way to go before it can match the depth of, say, NFL Head Coach, but it is iterating little by little to get more sim-like.
On the presentation front, Madden 25 feels just as sterile and boring as it has in the past. The underwhelming Storylines interspersed throughout Franchise and Superstar do little to add to the intended liveliness and immersiveness of being a coach or star player. Storylines in Franchise mode consist of binary yes/no questions from a stiffly animated defensive coordinator or off-screen media interviewer. There’s no voice acting, of course, with large text font with mismatched colors functioning as the ‘dialogue’ between characters.
These Storylines feel like they have the budget of a browser or mobile game and don’t add much to the experience, other than the stat boosts from your answers. If NFL 2K5 could inject personality with a fully customizable crib and voiced media segments, why can’t EA do it with Madden with today’s tech? Likewise, the menus serve a purely utilitarian purpose with a clinical and clean UI completely lacking in style and personality.
One big upgrade with this year’s presentation is the addition of two new commentary teams. Yes, that’s right, eight long years of the Gaudin/Davis duo are finally at an end, kind of. Gaudin and Davis can still be your main cast of broadcasters if you wish. The three broadcast duos can be set to shuffle or you can manually select which ones you want on or off. The two new teams consist of Mike Turico/Greg Olsen, and Kate Scott/Brock Huard, and let me tell you, it’s a huge improvement over the old ones. I still heard plenty of repeated lines throughout my time, despite the supposed 42,000 new recordings, but EA has promised to add more recordings throughout the year with updates.
Superstar Mode gets the benefit of importing your player from College Football 25. Even though Madden doesn’t do anything to specifically recognize your college career, it’s still cool to finally live through a player’s journey from college to the Super Bowl. The character creator is pretty barebones, with only a handful of head templates and hairstyles to choose from, though it is nice to see some sliders for things like jawline etc. There’s a host of Abilities and Skills that you can allocate for your Superstar player, and for the first time, you can customize starting skills and physical ratings for a more tailormade experience.
Similar to my disappointment with player Storylines, the NFL Draft and Super Bowl additions feel underwhelming and insignificant. Yes, they added a Rogel Goodell model that greets your superstar character into the NFL, and even went so far as to give your character custom-tailored suits for his media appearances. But these moments still feel too sterile and binary due to the lack of voices and boring dialogue font.
I do like the occasional live-action Maddencast videos that comment on pivotal moments throughout your superstar’s career. Sure, they don’t say your name outright, but the charisma of the crew and that feeling of being discussed on a live broadcast is a nice immersive touch. 15 new minigames join this year’s Madden, most of them carried over from EA Sports College Football 25. Even though this year’s Superstar Mode is largely untouched from previous years, I still had a blast role-playing as my rookie quarterback from college through an NFL career.
We’re at the end of the review and Ultimate Team hasn’t been mentioned yet, and that’s because there’s not much new here to comment on. You build a dream team from the ground up through a lengthy and substantial grind. There’s still a lot of depth to be had here with plenty of stats, skill trees, and training that you can do to improve each player. I still lament that Ultimate Team and Superstar remain online-only modes requiring integration with an EA account. Just as well, the monetization is as egregious as previous years. The MUT Coin virtual currency is used to purchase player cards, XP Boosters, and just about anything else they can find to nickel and dime the player.
Madden 25 offers a really solid football package for those who missed previous entries. There are a lot of smart improvements to the running and defensive game, and the physics overhaul is noticeable. These gameplay upgrades help Madden 25 stand out as one of the most mechanically impressive football games in recent memory. While I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing matches, the slight additions to each mode didn’t feel as substantial as was advertised. And the awkward voiceless ‘Storyline’ scenes ring hollow, despite their good intentions to add immersion. Madden 25 is a solid game with some much-needed mechanical improvements, but the modes feel largely the same as last year.
Madden NFL 25
Madden 25 offers a really solid football package for those who missed previous entries. There are a lot of smart improvements to the running and defensive game, and the physics overhaul is noticeable. Madden 25 is a solid game with some much-needed mechanical improvements, but the modes feel largely the same as last year.
Pros
Cons
A copy of this game was provided by the publisher for review. Reviewed on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS4, Xbox One.
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It seems like the new year has only just begun, but 2024 has already seen its fair share of video game delays. From highly-anticipated titles to indie gems, the gaming community is currently navigating an uncertain landscape as far as release dates go.
Explore the gaming industry’s many unexpected twists and turns as we dive into all the video game delays of 2024, including many 2023 titles that were pushed back into the new year!
Destiny 2 aficionados are gearing up for the impending release of The Final Shape, the eighth major expansion for the extremely popular first-person shooter. This expansion marks the seventh year of ongoing content for Destiny 2, promising a wealth of new experiences for players.
Destiny 2: The Final Shape was supposed to be released in February 2024, but its release date was unfortunately pushed back by its developers until June of the same year. Four months really isn’t a massive delay, but it still comes as a major disappointment to many eagerly-awaiting fans.
Homeworld 3 emerges as a standalone masterpiece within the Homeworld series, picking up generations after the events of Homeworld 2. The campaign of Homeworld 3 takes place in a peaceful galaxy that has enjoyed many years of uninterrupted abundance, all thanks to the Hyperspace Gate Network. But when this galaxy’s new “age of peace” becomes threatened by forces beyond its residents’ control, it’s up to you to find the key to its future!
Similar to Destiny 2: The Final Shape, Homeworld 3 was supposed to be released in February 2024 (in fact, it had already been delayed from 2023), but its release date was pushed back until March 2024 instead. This delay is honestly pretty minuscule in the grand scheme of things, but since it’s already been delayed twice now, who’s to say that it won’t be delayed yet again?
From the masterminds behind the iconic Batman: Arkham series comes the highly anticipated action-adventure shooter, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The most notorious and deadly villains in the DC Universe have been forced to unite for a mission that defies all odds: eliminating the Justice League. Immerse yourself in the chaos of Metropolis, where you become the driving force as an official member of the Suicide Squad!
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is easily one of Rocksteady Studios’ most highly anticipated games, so it’s a shame that it’s been delayed for so long. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was originally going to come out in 2023, but it was delayed until January 2024, and then it was delayed again until February 2024. At this point, no one really knows for sure when this game is going to come out, but hopefully, it’ll be worth the wait.
Avowed is an upcoming action RPG that will take place in the same universe as Obsidian Entertainment’s previous title, Pillars of Eternity. Avowed thrusts players into the mysterious world of Eora, a mysterious land “filled with adventure and danger”; to not watch your back in these lands means instant death, so make sure you’re always keeping on your toes in the lands of Avowed!
Avowed wasn’t technically delayed in 2024 (yet), but its developers did somewhat mislead fans into believing that it would be released sooner rather than later. The trailer for Avowed was released by Obsidian Entertainment back in the Summer of 2023, followed by an announcement that it would be released soon in 2024. Many fans took this to mean that it would be released very early on in the new year, but unfortunately, it now looks as though that’s not the case; we likely won’t be seeing Avowed in our e-shops anytime soon, as it’s now expected to release in either late Fall or Winter of 2024.
Embark on a supernatural journey in Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, an immersive RPG where players are thrust into a captivating narrative as two unforgettable characters. Players must navigate a world where their decisions wield dramatic consequences on the storyline, all while hunting ghosts and solving haunting cases.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden promises to be one of the best RPGs of 2024, which is why it’s such a bummer that it’s been delayed from November 2023 to February 2024. Thankfully, however, it seems like this will be the only delay that the game suffers from prior to its release.
Last Time I Saw You is a heartwarming coming-of-age tale that explores themes of love, self-acceptance, and otherworldly supernatural forces. This unique indie title promises to be one for the emotional ages; as players traverse this game’s intricately designed world, they’ll uncover the emotional depth and nuances of a narrative that captures the essence of personal growth and human connection.
According to the game’s developer, Maboroshi Artworks, Last Time I Saw You was originally supposed to be released in the Summer of 2024, though it has since been delayed to the Fall of the same year. Fans of the game are hoping that it won’t be delayed any further, but even so, there hasn’t been an official release date announced for Last Time I Saw You yet.
Embark on a chilling journey back to Derceto Manor in the 2024 remake of Alone in the Dark, a haunting reimagination of the cult classic horror game of 1992. Prepare for an immersive experience that breathes new life into the eerie corridors and mysterious atmosphere of the original, capturing the essence of fear and suspense for a whole new generation of horror enthusiasts!
As far as horror games go, it doesn’t get much scarier than Alone in the Dark. Thankfully, its delay wasn’t really all that terrible; instead of being released in January 2024, Alone in the Dark is being released a couple of months later in March.
Dive into the golden age of piracy with Skull and Bones! Players can take command as an unyielding pirate captain, navigating rich merchant trade routes and engaging in fierce battles for supremacy in the Indian Ocean. Whether sailing solo or with a crew of up to 5 players, forge your legacy as the most feared pirate in this thrilling maritime saga!
With the release of Netflix’s One Piece still fresh on everyone’s minds and the high seas becoming more popular than ever, there’s never been a better time to release a pirate game! Despite Skull and Bones being delayed multiple times in 2023 and being pushed back all the way to February 2024, it’s clear that this game will be more than worth the wait.
Prepare for a collision of gods, guns, and glory in Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, a brand-new open-world RPG! This game allows you to take command and lead humanity’s last stand against the relentless tide of the undead. With a blend of intense combat, mystical forces, and a lot of gunpowder, Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn thrusts players into an immersive experience that defines the pinnacle of mankind’s struggle in this apocalyptic siege.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is so much more than just another zombie game, anyone who gets their hands on this potential masterpiece definitely won’t be satisfied with just one playthrough. Unfortunately, fans will just have to wait a little bit longer for its release, since it was delayed from early 2023 to late 2024.
Jump headfirst into a mesmerizing, miniature journey in Hollow Knight: Silksong, the highly anticipated sequel to the award-winning action-adventure game Hollow Knight. As the formidable hunter Hornet, players must navigate a vast and haunting kingdom, discovering ancient secrets and engaging in lethal acrobatic combat against hordes of beastly bugs.
Hollow Knight: Silksong has been a priority in the gaming community for a while, and many fans are starting to lose hope regarding its release. Its impending release was first teased several years ago, and although it was initially set to release in 2023, it has been delayed numerous times and is now expected to hit the market at some point in 2024. Hopefully, this will be the year that we finally get our Silksong!
Dive into an extraordinary sci-fi journey with Pragmata, an action-adventure title unveiling a dystopian lunar world through a profoundly captivating story. Capcom, the developer behind the game, intends to establish Pragmata as one of its core franchises by utilizing next-generation features and platforms; this means that Pragmata has the potential to easily become one of the greatest releases of 2024!
Likely because of the game’s massive size and incredibly modern gameplay design, Pragmata’s release date was pushed back from 2022 to 2023, and now to 2024. Thousands of dedicated fans are eagerly awaiting this game’s arrival, so hopefully, it won’t be delayed too much longer!
Awaken on a mysterious primal world teeming with dinosaurs and humans vying for supremacy in ARK 2. In order to survive, you must unravel the mystery of your arrival, forge alliances with legendary heroes, and face formidable dark forces bent on controlling the destiny of all life. Saddle up for the ultimate next-generation survival adventure as you navigate the thrilling landscapes that define the merciless world of ARK 2!
Similar to Pragmata, Ark 2 was originally supposed to be released in 2022 but got delayed to 2023, when it was delayed again to 2024. There’s still no word from Studio Wildcard on exactly when we can expect to see this sequel hit the shelves, but with any luck, it’ll be at some point soon this year!
Step into the chilling abyss of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, a unique fusion of FPS, immersive simulation, and heart-stopping horror, all enveloped in an intensely terrifying experience that’ll have you wishing you never played it to begin with. Brace for a spine-tingling adventure that not only challenges your survival instincts, but also delves deep into the unsettling realms of horror within the heart of the Chornobyl disaster.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is widely considered to be one of the most highly anticipated video games of 2024, which, of course, also makes it one of the most disappointing video game delays of 2024. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl was originally going to be released in December 2023, but it was pushed back to early 2024 instead; thankfully, we shouldn’t have to wait too much longer to see this FPS game hit the shelves!
And that’s it for our list of all of the current video game delays of 2024, including many 2023 titles that were pushed back into the new year. If you need more game recommendations to get your mind off of these impending releases, then feel free to check out Twinfinite’s lists of the “Best Nintendo Switch Games of All Time” and “Anime Games To Have on Your Radar in 2024“!
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