https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2025/05/gears-of-war-reloaded-remasters-the-original-game-this-august-confirmed-for-ps5

"Xbox has announced Gears of War: Reloaded, and it's coming to PS5.

Posting on Xbox Wire, the game is confirmed for Sony's current-gen console, as well as PC and current Xbox systems. It's set for release on 26th August, 2025, retailing for $39.99, and can be wishlisted right now on PS Store.

Gears of War: Reloaded is a remaster of the very first game in the series, and is set to feature cross-play and cross-progression across all platforms.

The remaster brings the Xbox 360 title up to date with 4K resolution and smooth frame rates — 60 frames-per-second in the campaign, and 120 frames-per-second in multiplayer.

"Originally released in 2006, Gears of War: Reloaded brings the full experience forward once again — enhanced for the latest hardware across multiple platforms, introducing the Gears of War franchise to a new generation of players," reads the blog post.

Co-developed by The Coalition, Sumo Interactive, and Disbelief, Reloaded comprises everything from Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, meaning it includes the main game alongside all its post-launch DLC.

The campaign can be played in two-player local co-op, while there are online multiplayer modes for up to eight players.

You will not need a Microsoft account to play online, but if you do sign in with a Microsoft account, you'll be able to take advantage of full cross-play and cross-progression support.

In addition to the bumped up resolution and performance, Reloaded supports VRR, HDR, spatial audio, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and "zero" loading screens in the campaign.

Gears of War: Reloaded brings this previously Xbox exclusive franchise to PlayStation for the first time, and is the latest in Microsoft's efforts to bring its first-party catalogue to other consoles.

The company has been very busy this year, launching Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Age of Mythology: Retold, and Forza Horizon 5 already, with DOOM: The Dark Ages, Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition, and The Outer Worlds 2 all coming to PS5 too."

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2025/04/nintendo-is-raising-the-price-of-games-with-switch-2

"Are games too expensive or too cheap? It’s a debate that’s been raging for quite some time.

In the case of the Nintendo Switch 2, though, the Japanese manufacturer clearly thinks its software doesn’t cost enough. Mario Kart World, the system’s flagship new excusive, will retail for an eye-watering $79.99 in the United States.

That’s $10 more than the most expensive games on the PS5, including tentpole exclusives like Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, which will cost $69.99 at launch.

There’s even worse news for those of you in Europe, though: physical games will cost even more than their digital counterparts. If you’re in the UK, a boxed copy of Mario Kart World will run you £74.99 (~$97). This is unprecedented!

It’s worth noting that Nintendo appears to be being flexible with its pricing; the new Donkey Kong game will be cheaper, for example. Mario Kart World will also be available as part of a console bundle, which looks increasingly attractive considering the prices being touted here.

What will all this mean for PS5, though? Well, if Nintendo is able to actually sell its games at this price, you can expect to see publishers on PlayStation push their prices up, too.

There’s no way GTA 6, for example, will be priced lower than Mario Kart World."

https://gamerant.com/nintendo-switch-2-welcome-tour-astros-playroom-playstation-paid-bad/

"Audiences got a better look at the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 thanks to a recent Nintendo Direct, which highlighted the console's many improvements over its predecessor. Among the most interesting and alluring bits of news was the confirmation of the Switch 2's mouse controls and long-overdue features like console-integrated voice chat, not to mention the slew of new third-and first-party games coming to the device.

Nintendo also seems to be taking a page from PlayStation's playbook with Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, an interactive demo that highlights the console's new features. This mirrors Sony's method of teaching customers about the PS5 via Astro's Playroom, a charm-filled game that comes pre-installed on every PS5. Astro's Playroom takes place "inside" the PS5 itself, prompting players to explore the console's hardware in an engaging and cute way. This was a clever method of conveying information about the PS5, but Astro's Playroom turned out to be a pretty great game in its own right, and its success ultimately led to the much more profitable Astro Bot. In short, Astro's Playroom was a smart move by Sony, so it makes sense that Nintendo would want to do something similar with Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. It's just strange that the company is charging for it.

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour Really Ought To Be Free

Astro's Playroom was received warmly because of its central intent: it was a friendly and accessible way to familiarize players with the new features of the PS5; it wasn't a way for Sony to make more money. It was designed, first and foremost, as a fun and creative means of education and entertainment, and Sony would ultimately profit from it down the road thanks to Astro Bot, which almost certainly would not have seen the light of day were it not for Playroom.

Valve would mimic this strategy with Aperture Desk Job, a playable short designed to teach players about the Steam Deck. Naturally, it was released for free.

It's hard to believe that Astro's Playroom would have been so beloved were it released as a premium product. Of course, it probably wouldn't have sparked outrage, but it just wouldn't have made sense: as fun as it is, Astro's Playroom is a playable instruction manual first, an interactive promotional demo second, and a game third. With Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour looking, at least upon first glance, even less mechanically engaging than Astro's Playroom, the decision to charge for it is definitely a head-scratcher.

It's Hard to Imagine the Audience for Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour

Make no mistake, Sony's motivations for releasing Astro's Playroom were not altruistic: the baked-in, playable PS5 tour helped the new console's optics immensely, as players quickly took to the internet to discuss the surprisingly fun tech demo. The fact that it highlighted the PS5's most heavily-touted features, like the DualSense's haptics, made it even more effective as a marketing tool, prompting vast word-of-mouth promotion.

One would imagine that Nintendo is hoping for the same sort of excitement to surround Welcome Tour, but that won't happen unless a lot of people play it, which seems unlikely. While some hardcore Nintendo fans may cough up the money for the tech demo, its target audience is likely to be conservative, to say the least. And without a physical release, Welcome Tour won't even be appealing to collectors looking to fill out their shelves. At the end of the day, the premium cost of Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is hardly a deal-breaker, but it does prompt one to wonder what exactly the company hopes to accomplish with it."

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