If you’ve made the switch from PlayStation to PC, you know there is a learning curve between the controller and the mouse and keyboard. If you are looking to stay on controller while still getting all the benefits of playing on PC, this one is for you.
Wondering how to actually connect the PS5 controller to PC? This guide has everything you need to know.
Plugging in the Controller
The fastest way to connect your PS5 controller to your PC is by grabbing a USB-C to USB-A cable. This is the cable that comes with your controller when you buy it. However, these cables can be quite short, so I recommend buying one that is slightly longer for more comfort.
Now, with the cable, you will:
Plug the USB-C end into the controller (this is at the top of the controller).
Plug the USB-A end into the PC.
There shouldn’t be any recognition issues between the PC and Windows. There’s no extra setup necessary. Just load your favorite game and get to playing.
Wireless Setup
If you don’t have a cable or don’t want to be stuck connected to the computer, you do have the option of Bluetooth connectivity if your PC supports it. If it doesn’t, you can always buy a Bluetooth adapter and solve that issue.
To connect your controller via Bluetooth:
Open your PC’s settings
Scroll to Bluetooth & Devices
Choose the option of Add Device
Select Bluetooth
You should now get your controller and hold down the PlayStation button and the Share button simultaneously. It should only take moments, and the touchpad will start flashing. This indicates that the controller is ready for pairing.
Your PC will now be able to recognize the new Bluetooth device, which is the Wireless Controller. Click it and wait for it to connect. Once it does, you are all set.
That’s It?
Yep. That’s all there is to connecting your PS5 controller to your PC. Either way you prefer, neither requires much effort or time. No matter which option you choose, you’re ready to play.
It leaked earlier, but it has now been confirmed that Need for Speed: Unbound on PS5 is part of the PS Plus January 2026 games!
Start at the bottom, race to the top in the latest entry in the iconic Need for Speed franchise. With separate single and multiplayer campaigns, this latest edition in the Need for Speed franchise from Criterion Games delivers hours of electric, adrenaline-pumping racing action. Race against time, outsmart the cops, and take on weekly qualifiers to reach The Grand, Lakeshore’s ultimate street racing challenge. Pack your garage with precision-tuned, custom rides and light up the streets with your style, exclusive fits, and a vibrant global soundtrack that bumps in every corner of the world.
Criterion developed the game and it was published in 2022 by EA, and when it was released we gave it 9/10 in our review, calling it “the best arcade racer of 2022”. Since then it has had multiple updates but support for the game ended in in 2024 when Criterion moved on to help make Battlefield 6.
Play as Mickey Mouse and embark on an epic journey through Wasteland, a realm of forgotten Disney characters. Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed brings the magic of Disney to life in a vibrant 3D platformer. This beautiful remake sends Mickey into a fantastical world where you use paint and thinner to shape your adventure and the fate of this alternate world. Every stroke of your magic brush matters! Use paint to restore beauty and harmony or thinner to alter your environment and uncover hidden secrets. Encounter iconic characters like Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney’s first creation. Collect virtual Disney pins and tackle creative challenges while exploring classic platforming levels inspired by animated films and shorts.
Your third and final game is Core Keeper on both PS4 and PS5.
Awaken as an explorer in a long-forgotten cavern teeming with untold secrets. In this award-winning, 1-8 player mining sandbox adventure, your choices shape an epic journey. Harvest relics and resources, craft advanced tools, build your base, and explore a dynamically evolving world waiting to be unearthed. Level up your skills, defeat legendary Titans, and unveil the power of the Core. Grow your garden, fish in mysterious waters, master a vast array of recipes, raise and care for animals, encounter the Cavelings, and carve out your own unique world in an enchanting underground adventure.
Need For Speed Unbound, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed and Core Keeper will be available to PlayStation Plus members from Tuesday January 6th 2026 until Monday February 2nd 2026
Sony had previously announced that from January 2026, PS4 games will no-longer be a guaranteed part of the PlayStation Plus monthly games lineup. Cross-gen games that have a PS4 version could certainly still be included – and there’s still tons of PS4 games being released – but it’s not going to be a requirement anymore.
Here’s Sony’s statement from the PS Blog:
As many of our players are currently playing on PS5 and have shifted toward redeeming and accessing PS5 titles from the Monthly Games and Game Catalog benefit, PlayStation Plus is also evolving with this trend and will focus on offering PS5 titles through the Monthly Games and Game Catalog benefit starting January 2026. As we shift to PS5, PS4 games will no longer be a key benefit and will only be occasionally offered for PlayStation Plus Monthly Games and Game Catalog starting January 2026. We may still provide titles that can be playable on both PS4 and PS5 consoles after this date.
Please note, this won’t affect the PS4 Monthly Games that you have already redeemed from PlayStation Plus. You’ll continue to have access to games you’ve already redeemed as long as you remain a member. For Game Catalog, PS4 games will still be available to play until it leaves the catalog as part of our monthly refresh.
We’ll continue to evolve the experience of PlayStation Plus and optimize the benefits you receive, including exclusive discounts, online multiplayer access, online game save storage and more. As we shift our focus to PS5, we look forward to adding new PS5 titles monthly for you to enjoy.
The PS Plus January 2026 games should be officially revealed later today on the PlayStation Blog.
What are the PS Plus December 2025 Monthly Games?
There’s a big bundle of titles for PS Plus this month, available from Tuesday, 2nd December until January 6th, 2026
PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch/Switch 2, Xbox, PC; Square-Enix This landmark role-playing game remains a revolutionary tour de force
At first glance, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, first released in 1997 and now available in newly remastered guise, does little to separate itself from other boilerplate fantasy fiction. There is a hero, Ramza – an idealistic nobleman with luscious blond hair who cavorts about the medieval-inspired realm of Ivalice in search of high adventure. But quickly, and with narrative elegance, the picture complicates: peasant revolutionaries duke it out with gilded monarchists; machiavellian plots plunge the kingdom into chaos. Ramza must navigate this knotty political matrix, all while experiencing his own ideological awakening.
There is a strong case to be made that Final Fantasy Tactics tells a better story than the landmark Final Fantasy VII (which saw Cloud Strife and a ragtag bunch of eco-terrorist pals taking on the shady megacorporation Shinra). And with our real-world political focus shifting from the looming threat of the climate crisis to the more pressing rise of fascism (though the two are inextricably linked), one can make the argument that Tactics is now also the more timely game.
New mind-bending puzzlers, landmark RPGs and furry multiverse adventures await you as the PlayStation 5 enters its sixth year
Entering its sixth year, the PlayStation 5 has built up a formidable library of epic adventures, button-pummelling shooters and even the odd cutesy platformer. So whether you’ve owned the machine for years or only just entered the current console generation, here are 15 titles we think you should have in your PlayStation collection.
For 6 years, the PlayStation 5 has been one of the most popular and successful gaming consoles on the market. While it would typically be natural for this to be the result of having strong exclusive titles with dedicated fan bases, the numbers in this case tell a different story.
British developer Playground Games will be the absolute star of the Xbox Developer Direct 2026, with the first in-depth look at the long-awaited Fable reboot and the proper reveal of Forza Horizon 6, a sequel to a massively successful game that is estimated to have been played by over 50 million users. Sure, there's also Game Freak's Beast of Reincarnation and even a rumored 'secret' fourth game, but those two games are going to be the centerpiece of the showcase due to air on January 22. Officially, both Fable and Forza Horizon 6 are only announced for PC and Xbox […]
During The Game Awards 2025, Wildlight Entertainment, comprised of former Respawn Entertainment (Titanfall, Apex Legends) developers, announced its upcoming free-to-play PvP shooter highguard, and we’ve got everything you need to know, from its release date, gameplay and latest news.
We’ll also take a look at what platforms Highguard is coming to, as well as whether Highguard supports crossplay.
Sadly, though, when looking at the game’s reception online, we may have something of another Concord situation on our hands, but hopefully not, as every game will have an audience, but it can only work if it is large enough.
But without further ado, read on for all things Highguard.
When is the Highguard release date?
The Highguard release date is 26th January 2026.
As of writing, there is no announced launch time, so we don’t know if it will release simultaneously across all regions, or will be staggered so as not to put too much strain on the servers.
Once we know more, we will update you as soon as we can!
Is Highguard free-to-play?
Yes, Highguard is free-to-play.
While the price of entry will be free, there will no doubt be in-game transactions, such as skins.
Currently, there is no word on season passes or battle passes, but we can assume that they will be a staple, too, as is the case with games such as Fortnite.
Which consoles and platforms can play Highguard?
Highguard is coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series consoles.
Currently, there is no word of a Nintendo Switch 2 version, but looking at the minimum system requirements for playing it on PC, it seems eminently doable.
Perhaps if Highguard is well received by players, developers Wildlight Entertainment will stretch to a port.
Certainly, expanding the playerbase will help it survive in the long run.
Yes, Highguard supports full cross-play and cross-progression across all launch platforms.
This means that if you play on PC, and you have friends who live in PlayStation and Xbox land, you will all be able to play together, and if you want to play on a different device, your stats will carry over.
Crossplay is crucial for free-to-play multiplayer games, as the bigger its audience, the better chance it has of sticking the landing.
Highguard gameplay details
On the surprisingly spartan Highguard Steam page, developers Wildlight Entertainment describe the game as "a PvP raid shooter where players will ride, fight, and raid as Wardens, arcane gunslingers sent to fight for control of a mythical continent".
It then goes on to say that players will "Battle rival Warden crews for possession of the Shieldbreaker, then break into and destroy the enemy base to secure territory in this all-new breed of shooter".
And that’s quite literally it, other than from what we can glean from the trailer, of which can be viewed just below!
The trailer was revealed as part of The Game Awards 2025, and, after a swathe of free-to-play games coming out in the last few years, it would seem that a sort of fatigue has set in, with many deriding the game in the comments.
As Paul Tassi for Forbes points out, every Highguard trailer has “close to a 1:10 negative like/dislike ratio”.
From the footage, Highguard appears to be a perfectly good-looking PvP shooter, with interesting mechanics, classes, weapons and a fairly unique setting.
The reaction is most likely down to how saturated the market has become. What do you think?
It’s a mixed set of results for Nintendo this year (Nintendo)
Nintendo had a good year in the UK, but the Switch 2 had a weaker than expected Christmas in the US and Europe, as consumer preferences shift across the world.
There are a lot of contributing factors to explain that, from rising prices – brought on by everything from tariffs to AI using up all the RAM needed to make new consoles – but the overall picture for the traditional games industry is a grim one.
We already know that Xbox had its worst year ever in the UK, in 2025, and now new figures suggest that, despite being the fastest-selling console ever, Switch 2 sales have now fallen behind that of the Switch 1 during its first Christmas – at least in the US.
The Switch 1 arrived in early March, whereas the Switch 2 came out in June, so this isn’t comparing like with like, but according to The Game Business US sales over November and December were down around 35% compared to 2017, when the Switch launched.
Apart from the release times, the Switch 1 had a very different launch line-up to the Switch 2, whose two best games (Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza) came out in the summer.
Over the course of its first year, the Switch 1 enjoyed a steady stream of critically acclaimed releases, culminating in Super Mario Odyssey as its big Christmas title. By comparison, the biggest Switch 2 first party release before Christmas was the controversial Metroid Prime 4.
Even if it had been critically acclaimed, Metroid Prime is a pretty niche franchise (Nintendo)
It’s important to emphasise that console sales are down across the board in the US, for every format, as that’s where rising prices are hitting hardest, but the picture is more positive elsewhere.
In the UK, Switch 2 sales for the last two months were 16% lower than the Switch 1 during the same period but if you add in Switch 1 purchases then overall Nintendo hardware sales were up 7% compared to 2017. Importantly, Switch 2 sales are overall 6% higher than the Switch 1 in 2017, despite the original hardware having 14 extra weeks.
The UK is traditionally Nintendo’s weakest major international market, while its strongest in Europe is usually France. And yet apparently French Switch 2 sales were more than 30% lower compared to the first year of the Switch 1.
Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment is no Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo)
That means the UK sold more Nintendo hardware than France over Christmas, which is highly unusual and a sign that previously accepted norms may no longer be relevant, especially if the US market does not recover.
There are no figures for the rest of Europe but The Games Business’ Chris Dring suggests that they were closer to the French results than those in the UK, with Nintendo supposedly bemoaning the lack of a major Western game launch during the period and a ‘complicated economic landscape’. Which is putting things mildly.
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Japan was the only market that performed as expected, even though sales over the last two months were down 5.5% on the Switch 1’s first year. Overall, though, Switch 2 sales were 11% higher than Switch 1 for the year – again, despite the Switch 2 having less time on shop shelves.
As Dring points out, the Switch 2 first year line-up was more attuned to Japanese tastes, especially in terms of titles like the Dynasty Warriors derived Hyrule Warriors and Kirby Air Riders, which sold well in Japan but was a flop in the UK.
How much of that is on purpose, and how much just an accident of the release schedules, is unclear but so far there are no major titles with a confirmed 2026 release date that seem likely to change the narrative, especially in terms of major Western releases.
Some of these issues are out of Nintendo’s control but if the US market continues to disappoint they, and other major publishers, may reassess their output and priorities, especially in favour of newer markets such as China and India.
However, the biggest problem for all console manufacturers at the moment is simply the rising cost of RAM and other components, which may lead to continued increases in console prices or alternatively continued decreases in profit.
Fallout: New Vegas – Obsidian finally have time in their schedule for it (Bethesda)
Xbox studio Obsidian Entertainment may finally be in the position to make a Fallout: New Vegas remaster or even a sequel, as rumours mount about their current plans.
Although it’s now taken as read that all Xbox games will also be released on PlayStation 5, Microsoft has never clarified that that’s their policy and prominent titles such as Fable are still technically Xbox exclusives.
It’s very probable that Fable will be announced as coming to PlayStation 5 in the Developer Direct this month, but Microsoft has implied that Forza Horizon 6 won’t arrive on Sony’s console until after the Xbox version.
However, that’s likely to be simply because the game wasn’t initially planned to be on PlayStation 5, so it’ll take a bit longer to make that version. That’s what happened with Indiana Jones And The Great Circle and Obsidian’s Avowed… which has now been confirmed to be coming to PlayStation 5 on February 17.
Action role-player Avowed was originally released on Xbox Series X/S and PC on February 18, 2025 but didn’t make much of an impact at the time. We didn’t think much of it but to accompany the PlayStation 5 launch all versions will be getting new content, including a New Game+ mode, new character races, new weapon types, and a photo mode.
Rather than wait for the Developer Direct at the end of the month, the news was announced at the New Game Plus showcase, where Obsidian described the so-called anniversary update as a ‘more rounded experience’ than the original game.
Apart from Grounded 2, which is still in early access, it’s currently unknown what else Obsidian is working on at the moment, and although there’ve been recent rumours of a Fallout: New Vegas remaster, there’s been nothing to suggest Obsidian themselves are making it – although presumably they’ll be involved to some degree.
Windows Central’s Jez Corden has suggested that Obsidian currently has four new projects on the go right now, although he claims not know if any of them are Fallout related.
Assuming one of them is Grounded 2 that still leaves three that are currently unknown (or possibly two, if the PlayStation 5 version of Avowed also counts). Obsidian has talked about wanting to do both a New Vegas remaster and a full sequel but have previously said that they just don’t have the time.
If their schedules have now cleared this would seem the obvious time to get back into the franchise, especially as the ongoing success of the Fallout TV show has not been supported by any new game releases. It’s been over a decade now since Fallout 4 and there seems little hope of a new mainline entry this decade.
What the other games could be is a complete mystery, but Corden suggests that some of the projects are quite small scale. Unlike most Microsoft first party studios, Obsidian has been allowed to experiment with smaller projects, such as Grounded and Pentiment, and while they’re not big sellers they have been critically acclaimed.
It seems very likely that Obsidian is working on at least one new title of a similar scale but with four new projects in development it would be surprising if at least one of them wasn’t a triple-A title.
Pentiment is one of the most critically acclaimed former Xbox exclusives (Xbox Game Studios)
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This looks very familiar (Echo Foundry Interactive)
Guitar Hero may be be dead but a new studio, founded by some of the original creators, is launching a lookalike game this year.
Back when Xbox was first courting Activision Blizzard, it was clearly implied that the acquisition would lead to the revival of the Guitar Hero series, which has been seemingly dead since 2015.
So far, nothing of the sort has come out of the arrangement. If anything, Epic Games has done more to revive the concept by enlisting Guitar Hero’s original developer Harmonix to make Fortnite Festival, a rhythm action game that’s compatible with the same plastic guitar peripherals that used to clutter peoples’ living rooms.
Now, another Guitar Hero clone has been announced, alongside a brand new guitar controller – one that’s also being created by veterans of the series.
Named simply the Sound System, the game is in development at a new studio called Echo Foundry Interactive, which was founded by Marcus Henderson and Lennon Lange.
Henderson is a musician who served as the lead guitarist on the Guitar Hero games, while Lange worked as a producer on not just that series but related spin-offs like Band Hero and DJ Hero.
The game’s already scheduled to launch on PC via Steam this summer, with plans for PlayStation 5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch versions as well.
One look at the trailer and it’s very apparent it’s just Guitar Hero again (not that that’s a bad thing), with a promise of a curated setlist of songs, frequent content updates, and the ability to create and share your own music.
The announcement coincides with a new guitar peripheral called the InfinaKore Telecaster Edition Guitar Controller, from hardware company Drakong, which will be compatible with both Sound System and Fortnite Festival.
However, the Sound System trailer also mentions ‘classic peripherals,’ which hopefully means that some of your old Guitar Hero controllers will work just fine and you won’t need to go and buy a new one.
The likes of Guitar Hero and Rock Band popularised bespoke controllers shaped like instruments, which were extremely popular in the late 2000s, before Activision oversaturated the market.
The concept fell out of favour in the 2010s, alongside rhythm action games in general, and there’s never really been a comeback since then.
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There’s clearly still a market for it though, if other companies are making such peripherals, even if it’s hard to imagine it once again becoming a mass market phenomenon.
Although Guitar Hero, and successor Rock Band, are now dead franchises Ubisoft’s Rocksmith is still going. Although that’s more of a teching tool than a normal game, not least because it uses a real electric guitar.
It was eventually succeeded by a subscription service called Rocksmith+ in 2022. Surprisingly, that’s still going and seeing updates, having since added piano and keyboard learning.
Pathologic 3 – the first proper release of the year (HypeTrain Digital)
Get the latest video game release date information for 2026 in our detailed schedule for upcoming titles, starting this week with Pathologic 3.
As usual for the start of the year, we don’t know too much about video game release dates beyond the next few months, but there are some that have already staked out a specific launch time, including 007 First Light, PlayStation 5 exclusive Saros, and Lego Batman: Legacy Of The Dark Knight.
Of course, the biggest game of the year is set to be Grand Theft Auto 6, although that’s assuming it sticks to its current release date, which is by no means guaranteed.
We’ll update this list of upcoming titles every week, usually on Thursday, and you’ll find it’ll quickly begin to fill out with new releases, especially once Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft have their first preview showcases of the year.
Friday 9 January 2026
Pathologic 3 (PC)
Saturday 10 January 2026
Code Violet (PS5)
Monday 12 January 2026
Quarantine Zone: The Last Check (PC) Big Hops (NS/PS5/PC)
Wednesday 14 January 2026
Cassette Boy (PS4/XO/NS/PS5/XSX/PC) Streetdog BMX (PC)
Thursday 15 January 2026
The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Beyond The Horizon (PS4/NS/PS5/NS2/PC) Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (NS2)
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Friday 16 January 2026
BrokenLore: Unfollow (PS5/PC)
Tuesday 20 January 2026
2XKO (XSX/PS5/PC) MIO: Memories In Orbit (NS/PS5/XSX/PC)
Thursday 22 January 2026
Sega Football Club Champions (PS4/PS5/PC/iOS/Android) Hermit And Pig (PC) Arknights: Endfield (PS5/PC/iOS/Android) Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade (XSX/NS2) Dynasty Warriors: Origins (NS2)
Friday 23 January 2026
Escape from Ever After (PS4/XO/NS/PS5/XSX/PC) Banquet For Fools (PC)
Monday 26 January 2026
Highguard (PS5/XSX/PC)
Tuesday 27 January 2026
Speedball (PS5/XSX/PC)
Wednesday 28 January 2026
The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin (PS5/PC/iOS/Android)
Thursday 29 January 2026
I Hate This Place (NS/PS5/XSX/PC) Cairn (PS5/PC) Dark Auction (NS/PS5/PC) Dusk Index: Gion (NS/PS5/XSX/PC) Dispatch (NS/NS2)
Friday 30 January 2026
Code Vein 2 (XSX/PS5/PC) The 9th Charnel (PS5/XSX/PC)
Tuesday 3 February 2026
Aces Of Thunder (PS5/PC) Unemployment Simulator 2018 (PC)
Thursday 5 February 2026
Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined (NS/XSX/PS5/NS2/PC) Deus Ex Remastered (NS/XSX/PS5/PC)
Mario Tennis Fever (NS2) Ride 6 (PS5/XSX/PC) BlazBlue Entropy Effect X (PS5) Disciples: Domination (PS5/XSX/PC) ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard (PS5/XSX/NS2/PC) Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties (PS5/XSX/NS2/PC)
Friday 13 February 2026
High On Life 2 (PS5/XSX/PC) Reanimal (XSX/PS5/NS2/PC) Rune Factory: Guardians Of Azume (PS5/XSX)
Other video game release dates 2026:
27 February – Resident Evil Requiem (XSX/PS5/NS2/PC) 27 March – 007 First Light (XSX/PS5/NS2/PC) 24 April – Pragmata (XSX/PS5/NS2/PC) 30 April – Saros (PS5) 29 May – Lego Batman: Legacy Of The Dark Knight (XSX/PS5/PC) 9 September – Phantom Blade 0 (PS5/PC) 19 November – Grand Theft Auto 6 (XSX/PS5)
Resident Evil Requiem is out relatively soon (Capcom)
A now deleted listing on the PEGI website says Chloe is coming back to the series (Square Enix)
Despite the last game being a sales flop for Square Enix, another Life Is Strange is apparently not only in the works but out this year.
When developer Deck Nine took over Life Is Strange from original creator Don’t Nod, it seemed the series was in safe hands, given the critically acclaimedBefore The Storm prequel and Life Is Strange: True Colors.
Unfortunately, after 2024’s Life Is Strange: Double Exposure, it was hard to feel optimistic about the future of both the series and the studio. Not only was the game a messy disappointment, it was also a financial flop for Square Enix.
At that point it wouldn’t have been surprising if Square Enix put the series on ice, and they certainly haven’t announced anything since, but there’s suddenly clear evidence that a new game is coming and will be out surprisingly soon.
Recently, a new listing on the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) website, which provides age ratings for all games released in Europe, was spotted for something called Life Is Strange: Reunion.
It was listed only as a PlayStation 5 release, with a release date of March 27, 2025 – which obviously can’t be accurate.
Even more interesting, is that it includes a story synopsis; one that not only mentions Max Caulfield (the protagonist of the first game and Double Exposure) but her best friend and love interest Chloe Price.
‘Chloe Price was Max Caulfield’s partner in time… Losing her is Max’s greatest regret. Now Chloe has come to Caledon University,’ it reads (Caledon University being the setting of Double Exposure).
‘Haunted by nightmares and impossible memories, Chloe needs Max’s help. But Max is already in crisis: in three days, a deadly inferno will destroy the campus.’
Could a formal announcement soon follow? (VGC/PEGI)
The listing has since been removed (no doubt because it was published early and contains an incorrect release date), but not before VGC managed to grab a screenshot for posterity. The same thing happened with the still unannounced Assassin’s Creed 4 remake, which popped up on the PEGI website last month.
Age rating boards across the word regularly leak video game information before they’re supposed to and what’s useful about that is that not only do they have no reason to lie but a game has to be fairly close to release in order for them to give it a rating.
What seems almost certain to have happened in this case is that the game’s release date is March 27, 2026. But the doofus who was entering the information got the year wrong – a common enough mistake at this time of year.
The more perplexing element of the leak is that Square Enix has never hinted at any such game and it’s very odd to be planning to launch it so soon, without any pre-publicity. Even if the March date is wrong, a release any time this year seems surprising if the game hasn’t even been annouced yet.
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If the product description is accurate, and it would be bizarre if somewhere like PEGI just made it up, the concept feels like a direct response to one of the most notable criticisms Double Exposure received: the lack of Chloe. Both the character and her relationship with Max (which can turn romantic depending on player choices) are beloved by fans and one of the highlights of the first game.
Since that story ends with you needing to choose whether to sacrifice Chloe to save the town of Arcadia Bay or vice versa, Double Exposure omits Chloe entirely. Depending on your choice, she’s either dead or alive but no longer in contact with Max.
Bringing Max back without Chloe did not go down well with fans, especially as there’s a comic book sequel all about their relationship in the ‘save Chloe’ timeline.
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Double Exposure’s ending did tease a sequel, complete with a James Bond-esque ‘Max Caulfield will return.’ But considering Double Exposure was less than two years ago, it seems too soon for a sequel to release.
However, last year, there were rumours and speculation that Deck Nine had been contracted by Square Enix to release two Life Is Strange games, with an ex-employee of Deck Nine alleging that the Double Exposure sequel was aiming for a 2026 launch, suggesting both projects were in development simultaneously.
They also added that Deck Nine was ‘laying off every department one at a time after they finish their last work.’ When combined with Double Exposure’s financial failure, none of this bodes well for both the studio and Life Is Strange itself.
Life Is Strange: Double Exposure’s lack of Chloe wasn’t its only problem (Square Enix)
MindsEye – most people haven’t played it (Build a Rocket Boy)
The Wednesday letters page asks when the next PS5 State of Play will be, as one reader sticks up for Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour.
Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk
Bad idea I’m always fascinated to read about really bad games but the problem is that, unlike a bad movie, most people never really get to play them. You can play games you don’t like, sure, but you’ve really got to be skipping your homework to end up buying the video equivalent of The Room by accident.
I don’t think even GC or most reviewers play the absolute worst games, because what would be the point? It’d just be some hentai rubbish on the Switch eShop or a broken indie game on Steam. Never anything as interesting as MindsEye, which I’d have to pay real money to experience, before presumably finding out that the reviews are truthful.
I’ve been trying to think of the worst game I’ve actually paid any money for and I think it must be The Good Life, which I bought because I really liked Deadly Premonition. I was hoping it would at least be so bad it’s good, but it was just boring and broken. There was nothing entertaining about it at all, which I guess is probably true of MindsEye too… but that thought still fascinates me. Badgerman
One to go Never mind about the first Nintendo Direct of 2026, I’m waiting to see the first State of Play. We know that Xbox has something planned for the early year but it’s always more of a mystery with Sony.
Although at least we have something to look forward with them this year, in Saros and Wolverine. Considering who’s making them I’m pretty certain they’re going to turn out good, which is instantly a far better line-up for the year, than Sony has had for a long time.
It’s probably just a hiccup, and I doubt Saros will sell that well, but two or three quality first party games a year is all I ask. Announce one more before the spring and this year’s quota will already be I the bag! Purple Ranger
Shadow drop Why are so many people saying the Prince Of Persia: Sands Of Time remake is going to come out on January 16? I’ve seen that date so many times now and everyone seems to think it’s real, but as far as I can work out Ubisoft has said nothing.
I’ll be absolutely shocked if it comes out that soon, considering we haven’t ever seen anything proper of this version of it. I’d be much less shocked if the remake never happened though. It’s been so long and I’m not sure there’s really that much demand for it.
But Ubisoft did finally get Skull And Bones out, so maybe they just like to see an idea through to its end. Here’s hoping (I think, I’m a bit worried what they’ll do to it). Demmo
GC: There was a rumour of that date before The Game Awards in December, but nothing was announced. Some people still seem to believe it though, despite the fact that it would be commerical suicide to release it in nine days, without any prior marketing.
Hallucinating madness I feel like the world has gone mad at the moment, when it comes to AI. Am I really the only one that notices that it doesn’t work? Sure, it can spit you out a picture of something, with gibberish language and three-armed people, but so what? Who actually wants that? Especially as it’s so obvious it is AI.
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Searching on Google is now much less reliable than it used to be and ChatGPT lies and hallucinates like a drunk politician. But because it’s making some fat cats rich (it doesn’t make money itself, it’s all about the investment) we suddenly have to use it for everything.
This Sony patent about having AI watch TikTok videos to ‘learn’ how to play game is madness. Ignoring the fact that it’s clearly not going to work, why doesn’t the developer just record a run themselves and use that. It’d take them what, a few hours at most? And they’d be doing it anyway for playtesting.
It’s exactly what Nintendo did for their system which, as you rightly point out, they got bored of very quickly, presumably because nobody used it. Because why buy a game just to have the console play it for you? The Bishop
Each to their own I see Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is next to bottom on Metacritic’s list of Switch 2 games.
Personally, I enjoyed the delve into the detailed workings of the Switch 2.
Yes, you do need the camera to fully explore but I had that anyway.
As a great lover of the incredible build instructions of Nintendo Labo I see Welcome Tour as a very well made insight to the Switch 2.
Nintendo Life’s review of Welcome Tour is similar to what mine would be.
Happy New Year to all. Goldenlay
Direct excitement Nintendo hasn’t had a Direct in February for the last two years, but I think that was just because the Switch 2 was coming. They had it pretty consistently before that, so I’m hopeful they’ll do one again this year.
The reader on Tuesday was right that Mario Kart World is a very sensible and suitable launch game, but I think most long term Nintendo fans would still say that it’s a bit of a disappointment and missing that classic Nintendo magic, even if it is still ‘good’.
My hope for the Direct is not anything specific, just that it not be the minimum effort we’ve seen so far. Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza felt like the only reveals at the Switch 2 unveil, even though they weren’t. Because who ever cared about Drag x Drive or Kirby Air Riders?
We need more games to get pumped about, to make the console seem like it’s worth it, but I’m afraid we’ll just get that new single-player Splatoon game and a few more unwanted spin-offs and special editions. I realise games take longer to make nowadays but I thought Nintendo were clever enough to work around that.
I’m beginning to worry that they’re not and that this is going to be a very underwhelming generation for them. Koffey PS: I just remembered that new Fire Emblem game. They’ll probably talk about that too, which doesn’t seem very exciting either.
Noisy neighbours He didn’t knock my door down, but I did have the neighbour asking if I was ‘all right’ after getting a bit overexcited with Call Of Duty a few years ago.
I hadn’t really thought of how much noise I was making, since I had my headphones on, but apparently I was ‘cussing and cursing’ and they were worried some kind of fight was going on or that I was generally just a wrong ‘un. To be honest, they were probably right. Tez
The big five Well, you weren’t lying about the list of top games being a depressing one. I wasn’t sure what to expect but having the exact five games be the most popular, in almost exactly the same order, from one year to the next is very worrying. What’s worse is that I doubt that it was any different going back at least… five years? Maybe more?
Even worse than that, I doubt it’ll be any different for at least that length of time in the future. Video games aren’t like movies anymore. They’re not something you do where you’re always looking for something new you haven’t played before. Now they’re just these five games, and maybe a few others, that have existed for a decade or more and will go on for so long as anyone of us can imagine.
Other games sill exist alongside them, obviously, but I worry that for younger gamers that fact is going to be increasingly ignored and that for a more casual younger person there’s absolutely no reason to bother seeking out other games that aren’t just one of the ones in the list.
And then to add another problem on top, you’ve got the fact that if something new does come along, it’s still a very similar type of game. Arc Raiders is probably the biggest new title in a while but it’s still an online shooter (and I don’t think anywhere close to Call Of Duty or anything).
It’s a very worrying state of affairs that I cannot see changing for any reason in the future. Cranston
Inbox also-rans I never upset a neighbour while playing a game but more than once I’ve managed to startle my cat two foot into the air when failing to beat a boss in Elden Ring. She still loves me though. Rendel
Since Konami is trying to bring back its old games, I wish they’d do a new Yie Ar Kung-Fu. No one else ever seems to have heard of it but I have very fond memories of that on the Commodore 64. Focus
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Despite years of complaints from fans, Call Of Duty is still extremely popular (Activision)
Any studio looking to release a new live service game in 2026 needs to take a long hard look at what the most played games in the US were last year.
The start of a new year should instil everyone with a sense of anticipation and the thought of new possibilities. But for the games industry at least, the last few years have brought more worries than excitement.
At the very least, it’d be nice to see publishers stop pinning all their hopes on live service games and becoming the next Fortnite, because it’s simply not going to happen. If you need further evidence of that, just take a look at what most people in the US were playing last year.
Circana analyst Mat Piscatella took to Bluesky to share the top five most played video games in the US, on both PlayStation and Xbox consoles, according to a survey of ‘active’ gamers.
On PlayStation, the top five were Fortnite, Call Of Duty, GTA 5, Minecraft, and Roblox. And on Xbox, it’s the exact same list, with the only difference being Roblox and Minecraft’s positions are swapped.
These are all long-running games with a heavy emphasis on multiplayer and have been consistently updated over the years – with only Call Of Duty being a traditional yearly release.
What’s especially telling is that, according to Piscatella, these lists are unchanged compared to 2024. The order’s slightly different for Xbox, but it’s still the same five games.
2025's top 5 most played games on US Xbox ranked by % of active panel that played:1 – Fortnite2 – Call of Duty3 – GTAV4 – Minecraft5 – RobloxSame list for 2024:1 – Call of Duty2 – Fortnite3 – Minecraft4 – GTAV5 – RobloxSource: Circana Player Engagement Tracker
Fortnite is the youngest of the bunch, having launched in 2017, which means no other games, live service ones or otherwise, have managed to come close to this list’s level of popularity in the last eight years.
Knowing this, it’s hard to imagine things being any different this time next year. Call Of Duty may drop a couple of places thanks to Black Ops 7, which only launched two months ago and has been a relative flop, at least by the series’ standards.
While there are no public figures on console, SteamDB’s data shows Call Of Duty has been bleeding players for years on PC, with even 2024’s well received Black Ops 6 bucking the trend.
Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders may be the go-to multiplayer shooters for the moment but Call Of Duty clearly has a tight stranglehold on the gaming community when it’s still among the most played games in the US despite its online reputation.
This knowledge should be a turn-off for any studio hoping to break into the live service games market, but comments from Ubisoft suggest it’s unperturbed (even after multiple failures) and the big closure of The Game Awards 2025 was a new live service shooter from the Apex Legends creators called Highguard, that’s set to launch later this month.
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Highguard has pedigree behind it, but will that be enough? (Wildlight Entertainment)
God Of War Ragnarök’s chatty cast often spoiled the game’s puzzles, but we’re not sure this AI solution is any better (Sony)
Microsoft is already testing with AI as a video game guide, and it looks like Sony is at least interested in trying something similar.
It’s no secret that Sony is experimenting with AI technology for video games in more ways than one. Footage of an AI replica of Aloy from Horizon Forbidden West, that you could theoretically talk to, leaked last year and though details are purposefully vague, AI tech will be a key part of the PlayStation 6.
As such, it’s probably only a matter of time before we see some form of AI integration in PlayStation games, such as AI generated assets, which have cropped up in the likes of Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Recently, a new patent filed by Sony was spotted and it talks about using generative AI to create a ‘ghost player’ that can essentially play video games for you.
Rather than have developers program the solutions for tricky levels or puzzles into it, the AI model will be trained on not just your own gameplay, but also footage posted to social media and streaming sites like YouTube and Twitch.
From that, the AI ghost supposedly learns how the game is played and can determine an optimal solution. The patent mentions two distinct modes: a guide mode, where the ghost shows the solution for you to copy, and a complete mode which does as the name suggests.
There’s even mention of allowing you to talk with the ghost and have them explain what you need to do, as well as having their appearance be customisable.
The patent goes as far as to suggest the ghost could take the form of characters from other games or movies, which just sounds like a legal nightmare.
Would you use such a guide? (WIPO)
While there’s certainly well-meaning intent behind the idea, this patent is ultimately offering a solution to a long since answered question. A lot of games nowadays have their own means of assisting players and not just through different difficulty options.
Some games will let you skip sections if you fail one too many times (which Insomniac does with the puzzles in its Spider-Man game) or have characters provide hints, like in God Of War: Ragnarök.
Not to mention the PlayStation 5 has a Game Help system already in place, that lets you watch videos of how other players bypassed any challenges you’re stuck on.
The act of having the game play itself isn’t even new, since Nintendo dabbled with the same idea with its Super Guide feature. For a while, Mario platformers like Super Mario Galaxy 2 and the New Super Mario Bros. games had an option where if you died enough times, you’d unlock the option for the game to autoplay itself and beat a level for you.
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It was only ever used in five games, though, before quietly vanishing, which suggests Nintendo figured out it wasn’t very popular or useful.
Considering this is only a patent, it’s entirely possible that Sony may not go through with this idea, as opposed to Microsoft which is still testing its Copilot AI as a video game guide.
A study last year showed that AI is actually quite useless for assisting players with games and often spreads misinformation – and it’s easy to see how that’s going to happen if it’s watching videos on TikTok to ‘learn’ how to play a game.
Xbox’s been more publicly enthusiastic about AI but don’t think Sony’s not keen on the tech as well (Microsoft)
If you recognise what game this is, we’re worried you’ve played too much of it (Build A Rocket Boy)
After celebrating the likes of Hades 2 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Metacritic has shared its 10 worst reviewed video games of 2025.
If you’re going purely by Metacritic scores, 2025’s best game was The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom on Nintendo Switch 2. But since that wasn’t an entirely new release, the honour really goes to Hades 2, which scored an average of 95, the same as Tears Of The Kingdom.
You already know that our pick for Game of the Year is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (which has a Metacritic score of 92), but that’s not why you’re here. You want to know about the lowest of the low – the worst games of 2025.
In reality, the literal worst games are likely to be ones no one has ever heard of; utter dreck buried somewhere in the recesses of the Steam store. But as for games people have actually played, the top (or rather bottom) pick should come as no surprise.
It was very much a shoo-in considering this was already being labelled the worst game of the year when it launched in June. No doubt developer Build A Rocket Boy and publisher IO Interactive quietly prayed a bigger embarrassment would drop in the following months, but unfortunately for them it didn’t.
For what it’s worth, if MindsEye had received more reviews than the 12 it got, its score may have averaged a bit higher if some people ended up liking it. But that’s the creators’ fault for refusing to send out review copies – which tells its own story.
For as few reviews as it got, MindsEye was a fairly prominent launch since it was directed by former GTA producer Leslie Benzies and promoted as an introduction to a new Roblox-esque platform called Everywhere, which is still in development)
Every other game on the list was far less noteworthy and was never going to be as closely scrutinised. But it’s not like regular players were any kinder to MindsEye, with its user score standing at an even worse 2.5 out of 10.
The second worst game is fairly shocking though as it’s a first party Nintendo game… the risible mobile app Fire Emblem Shadows, an awful hybrid of tactics gameplay and social deduction that was randomly dropped in the middle of the night with zero warning.
Not even the most ardent of Fire Emblem fans showed up to defend it, as it has a user score of 4.1 based on only 12 ratings.
The only other noteworthy additions on the list are Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator, which was our original pick for worst game of the year until MindsEye dethroned it, and Tamagotchi Plaza for Switch 2, which at first glance seems like a harmless kids game but was harshly criticised for its barebones content and boring minigames.
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The worst video games of 2025 according to Metacritic
MindsEye (25)
Fire Emblem Shadows (37)
Blood Of Mehran (38)
Spy Drops (39)
Gore Doctor (40)
Tamagotchi Plaza – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (43)
Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator (44)
QUByte Classics: Glover (44)
Scar-Lead Salvation (44)
Fast & Furious: Arcade Edition (45)
Yes, this thing is considered one of 2025’s worst games (Bandai Namco)
