Xbox One owners will be able to play GTA 6 when it launches on November 19, while PC players still have no official way in. In its pre-load announcement, which also confirmed a 30 FPS target on consoles, Rockstar says the game will be available through Xbox Cloud Gaming on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles, using Xbox Series S graphics settings. Xbox says streaming opens at 1 AM ET on launch day, and the game still has to be bought separately. Rockstar also warns that connection speed and other technical factors may affect performance in ways that local play would not.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma framed the news as the start of a much bigger deal with Rockstar's parent company. In a post on X, she called the Xbox One cloud launch the first step of a new 10-year strategic partnership with Take-Two, adding that GTA 6 is already the most pre-ordered game ever on the Microsoft Store. Neither company has shared the terms of that partnership so far. Xbox did confirm that GTA 5, Red Dead Redemption 2, and more Rockstar titles will join Xbox Cloud Gaming in the coming months. Back in October, Sharma reportedly told staff at an internal town hall that Xbox had something planned around GTA 6 that "no other platform holder is doing," which led to reports of exclusive streaming rights. Xbox CSO Matthew Ball shot those down shortly after, saying the game "will not be streaming exclusively or to PC."

Grand Theft Auto VI is now available for pre-load for gamers who pre-ordered the game, allowing them to start the download. With the game launching on November 19, Rockstar has confirmed that it will run at 30 frames per second on consoles, utilizing their integrated graphics for maximum visual fidelity. This means that while the studio has invested significant resources to maximize the performance of these console graphics cards, the game will be capped at 30 FPS to ensure stability and optimal visual quality. Current generation consoles are limited to 30 FPS, although some will receive additional features.

For instance, Sony's PlayStation 5 Pro will offer gamers PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) and ray-traced shadows, exclusive to that console. Although the standard PlayStation 5 supports a similar technology called Quick Spectral Super Resolution (QSSR), a simplified version of PSSR, it will not be implemented at launch. Only the more powerful PS5 Pro will feature PSSR and ray tracing.

8BitDo has officially announced the Ultimate 3C+ Wired controller for Xbox as a $39.99 Xbox controller that incorporates many of the same features as the Ultimate 3C+ Wireless launched in October, but at a much lower price. The 3C+ Wired controller has a traditional Xbox layout on both the face buttons and the offset analog sticks, but it features additional customization options that set it apart from a regular Xbox controller.

The headline features of the Ultimate 3C+ Wired controller include TMR joysticks with adjustable tension, which are supposed to resist joystick drift; remappable fast-trigger L4 and R4 buttons for additional inputs and faster trigger response times; Hall effect triggers with switchable dual-mode functionality; and a 3.5 mm audio jack at the bottom of the controller for more immersive sound. It also has two additional back paddles with an integrated paddle lock to prevent accidental activations.

Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles are finally getting machine learning-based upscaling technology with the latest FSR Upscaling 4.1.2. Microsoft's Game Development Kit (GDK) now officially includes FSR Upscaling 4.1.2 in two models. One is the full-scale upscaling model based on the INT8 data type, and the other is a new and efficient Lite INT8 model. Both models are compatible with both consoles, but the key point is that game developers have the flexibility to choose which model to implement. Depending on the demands of a game, the appropriate model can be applied to achieve optimal upscaling performance.

For Xbox handheld devices, the AMD FSR SDK 2.4 adds FSR Upscaling support for the Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme and Ryzen Z2 A processors, which power the ROG Xbox Ally, ROG Xbox Ally X, and ROG Xbox Ally X20 handhelds. This is achieved using an efficient INT8 model. Since these devices run Windows, developers can integrate FSR Upscaling 4.1.2 through the standard AMD FSR SDK.

Rockstar has moved GTA 6's pre-load up by two days. According to an updated Newswire post and support page, digital pre-orders can now start downloading on November 10, instead of the November 12 date announced back in June. The exact timing depends on the console. On PlayStation 5, the pre-load unlocks at midnight local time in the user's respective time zone. Xbox Series X|S gets a single global unlock at 12 a.m. GMT, which works out to 7 PM ET or 4 PM PT on November 9 for players in North America, while the full launch is still set for November 19.

Rockstar also put a number on the file size for the first time, saying the pre-load will need "up to 212 GB of available space depending on your device." That's a touch above the 210 GB figure a dataminer pulled from the PlayStation Store backend last week, but it's safe to say it was an accurate leak. The "depending on your device" bit suggests the PS5 and Xbox builds won't be exactly the same size, though Rockstar didn't share a per-console breakdown. That does mean that on a launch PS5 with roughly 667 GB of usable storage, GTA 6 alone would eat close to a third of the drive.

Since Valve launched the Steam Deck, there has been no question that its user-friendly UI has been one of its biggest selling points, with its openness and publisher-agnostic approach coming in a close second. A new Decky Loader plugin makes use of this openness to implement both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S home screen user interface layouts on the Steam Deck, effectively replacing the stock Steam UI. The projects are available for free on GitHub (as decky-ps5-dashboard and decky-xbox-dashboard, both from the same user. The project lead, kromossomom-debug on GitHub, is a self-described AI user, notably not self-identifying as a developer, and Claude is openly listed as a contributor in the projects, so it's safe to assume they're mostly vibe-coded.

Decky PS5 Dashboard features the rounded UI elements from the PlayStation UI, with square game tiles and a screenshot from the highlighted game as the dashboard background, and it includes info cards under the highlighted game, with detailed HowLongToBeat data shown in the card alongside user play-time, review scores, achievements, and game install size. It also implements the PS5's Media tab, accessible with L1/R1, and it implements the PS5 color scheme across the Steam UI menus.

GTA 6 could take up around 210 GB on PlayStation 5, according to PlayStation Game Size, an X account that pulls data from the PlayStation Store backend. The same post lists the $79.99 Standard Edition, pre-loading from November 12, and a midnight release on November 19. Insider Gaming has reportedly corroborated the figure. However, Rockstar hasn't confirmed anything yet, so it's best to treat 210 GB as a rough estimate for now. It's also unclear whether that's the download alone or the full install footprint, and a day-one patch could push it higher. If accurate, that's a big chunk of a base PS5's storage.

The original 825 GB model leaves roughly 667 GB for games, so GTA 6 alone would eat close to a third of it. Physical buyers aren't spared either, since the boxed edition ships with a download code instead of a disc. The Xbox Series X|S size hasn't surfaced yet. Interestingly, an earlier claim tied to leaker Cyberleek, who has threatened to release a playable build, put the game's development build at over 200 GB, though dev builds usually carry a lot of extra baggage. The PC version is reportedly due in Q1 2027, so PC players have some time before this becomes their problem. Console players, on the other hand, are advised to clear space or look into an M.2 expansion before pre-loading opens on November 12.

Ubisoft is wrapping up major content support for Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced with Title Update 1.0.8, which went live on October 27 across all platforms. The main draw is the New Game+ mode Ubisoft promised back in July and confirmed last week. It lets players restart Edward Kenway's campaign while keeping almost everything, including unlocked weapons, outfits, the Jackdaw's upgrades and pets, and the Kenway fleet. Quest items, recruited officers, and captured forts do reset, though. Difficulty climbs with each run, as Elite Soldiers appear more often and max rank ships start patrolling the seas, up to New Game+++++.

Players after a tougher fight get Nightmare Mode, where enemies deal 1.8x damage, parry timing is tighter, and the one-shot kill safety net is switched off. Stealth gets harsher too, with faster detection and enemies hearing anything quicker than a walk. A new currency called Escudos, earned from challenges and from chests that were already looted, unlocks outfits and items exclusive to the mode. The patch also restores hidden blade, unarmed, single sword, and gunblade takedown animations from the 2013 original, and Ubisoft has hidden new community chests without offering any hints.

CD Projekt RED's Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.5 went live yesterday on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Mac, with the Switch 2 and Mac App Store versions due in the coming days. The studio announced the update on October 20 with just two confirmed features, and a YouTuber's early video filled in most of the rest. The leak was mostly right, though a few things changed.

Dual-wielding isn't limited to pistols, since the Double Trouble perk also covers revolvers from the Power category and comes with four extra perks. The mystery Night City tour is called Welcome to Paradise and is narrated by Richard Night, while the Clampdown prequel quest rewards a five-piece gear set based on King. Glamdocs also handle the Monowire and Projectile Launch System, and 12 new Minor Arcana tarot cards are hidden around the city, something the leak didn't seem to mention. Mods come through mod.io as a curated selection, and the official notes list Switch 2 alongside PC, Mac, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, although the leak suggested otherwise. Modded console saves can't earn achievements or trophies.

CD Projekt RED's Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.5 isn't out until October 22, but most of its content has already leaked. YouTuber WesNemo apparently published a video covering the update too early, and while it has since been pulled, players on r/GamingLeaksAndRumours had already summarized it. According to WesNemo, CD Projekt gave him and other creators early access to the update ahead of its official presentation. The studio itself has only confirmed dual-wielding and cyberware customization so far, so treat the rest as unofficial until the patch notes go live.

Apparently, dual-wielding is limited to pistols and comes through a new "Double Trouble" perk in the Cool skill tree. The leak also lists a new Edgerunners 2 gig called "Clampdown," which reportedly acts as a prequel to the anime that premiered on Netflix on October 20, plus a mystery Night City tour sidequest. Glamdoc shops will let players change the look of arm cyberware like Mantis Blades and Gorilla Arms, and there are five new clothing sets, new hairstyles for both male and female V, Quadra skins through Twitch Drops, and a radio station playing Edgerunners music.

Microsoft's next-gen Xbox console could cost a lot more than anyone hoped. A new Fortune profile of Xbox CEO Asha Sharma says the Project Helix console has internally been projected to cost consumers between $1,200 and $1,800, unless Microsoft decides to subsidize it. For reference, the current Xbox Series X with a disc drive sells for $799.99, and that is after the recent price hikes. The report also says Sharma plans to release a next-gen handheld by the 2027 holiday season, followed by the console in time for the 2028 holidays. Apparently, Helix engineering deadlines have been moved up by at least several months, according to people familiar with the matter, which is putting extra pressure on development teams.

The handheld has also caused some friction inside Microsoft. Windows leaders reportedly wanted it to run a trimmed-down version of Windows Home, while Sharma's team wanted its own software for better gaming performance. It got heated enough that a senior Xbox executive reportedly threatened to scrap the handheld rather than ship the Windows build, though Xbox now seems to be steering the OS. Sharma, for her part, says the teams still work together, noting, "We can't build Helix on our own." Microsoft hasn't confirmed any pricing, and a subsidy could bring the final number down a bit. However, Fortune puts Xbox's profit margin at around 3%, which probably doesn't leave much room for one. Elsewhere, memory makers expect supply to get even tighter in 2027 and 2028, while rival Sony also struggles with rising costs, so a cheap next-gen console looks unlikely from either side.

GTA 6 has now racked up an estimated 6.45 million digital pre-orders worldwide, worth roughly $630 million net of returns, according to the latest weekly update from Sensor Tower's sales tracker. PlayStation accounts for 74% of the total, or about 4.80 million copies and $468 million, while Xbox sits at 1.66 million copies and $162 million. The tracker's October 13 figures had GTA 6 at 6.08 million pre-orders and $594 million, so around 370,000 more people locked in their copy in about a week. In the US, Sensor Tower says GTA 6's digital pre-orders are 148% ahead of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) at the same point before launch, the best performer among the big releases it tracked over the past six years.

Of course, these are third-party estimates covering digital copies only, and Take-Two hasn't confirmed any figures. CEO Strauss Zelnick did say in August that pre-orders were skewing toward the $100 Ultimate Edition, and Sensor Tower now says the vast majority of buyers went for that version. PlayStation has led since tracking began in June, and in late August Sensor Tower had it at about 77% of 4.86 million pre-orders. The firm tweaked its estimation model on October 5, however, so those older numbers aren't a perfect like-for-like comparison. Xbox's smaller share probably isn't helped by US Xbox hardware sales sitting at an all-time low this year. GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, so expect these numbers to keep climbing.

Microsoft is reportedly emailing Xbox Series X|S owners who haven't touched their consoles in a while, nudging them to trade those consoles in at Best Buy. The email, first shared by Nintendeal on X, opens with "Haven't played on your console in a while?" and tells owners who have moved to other platforms that they can get "up to $375 back." Per Gizmodo, Xbox has confirmed the email is genuine. That $375 applies to a Series X in good condition with its cables and controller, while a Series S apparently tops out at $200. Payment comes as a Best Buy eGift Card, and the campaign seems limited to the US for now.

It looks like this is the trade-in program Microsoft promised in June, when it announced another round of price hikes and said traded-in consoles would be resold at lower prices. Those hikes pushed the 1 TB Series X with a disc drive to $799.99, and the 512 GB Series S to $499.99. Unsurprisingly, Circana data later showed US Xbox hardware sales hit an all-time low through August. Stock is the other problem, as new units are reportedly scarce in mainland Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and South America, while GTA 6's November launch is expected to drain shelves even further. Owners thinking about trading in should note that used Series X consoles have recently sold for over $500 on eBay, so Best Buy's offer is more about convenience than value.

AMD and Microsoft have confirmed that FSR Upscaling 4.1 is coming to the Xbox Series X and Series S. The news came in an AMD video presentation led by Jack Huynh, joined by Xbox CTO Scott Van Vliet and ASUS. The ROG Xbox Ally handhelds are getting it too, and it looks like they will be first in line, while the consoles are only listed as "coming soon." Neither company has shared a release date or a list of supported games. Both consoles use RDNA 2 graphics, the same architecture as the Radeon RX 6000 series, which AMD also announced FSR 4.1 for today, well ahead of the early 2027 target it set in May. Here's what Van Vliet said:

With FSR 4.1 coming to Xbox. Now, we've worked very closely with AMD to optimize this technology, giving developers another powerful tool for great performance and visual quality for players. Now, whether you're playing on an Xbox Ally handheld, as well as coming soon to Xbox Series X and Series S consoles. And this is just the beginning. Our teams are continuing to work together across hardware and software, and there's even more ahead with Project Helix, leveraging FSR Diamond to power what comes next.

AMD is bringing FSR 4.1 to even more graphics cards and gaming platforms; in a major announcement today by Jack Huynh, SVP & GM, Computing & Graphics, the company announced that it is bringing FSR 4.1 to Radeon RX 6000 series graphics cards powered by the RDNA 2 graphics architecture, which date back to 2020. AMD has developed and optimized FSR 4.1 for the entire range of RX 6000 series GPUs, from the top RX 6950 XT, down to the entry-level RX 6400.

Next up, the company announced that it is bringing FSR 4.1 to the integrated graphics solutions of its APUs, spanning all Ryzen AI Max "Strix Halo" and "Gorgon Halo" APUs, Ryzen AI 9 "Strix Point" and "Gorgon Point" mobile processors. FSR 4.1 is also coming to the Ryzen Z2 series processors for gaming handhelds. Lastly, the company announced that it has worked with Microsoft to bring FSR 4.1 to Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles.

CD Projekt RED has announced Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.5, a free patch arriving on October 22 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The Switch 2 version will follow "shortly," though there's no date for it yet. The update ties into Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, which premiered all ten episodes on Netflix on October 20, and brings new items and features inspired by the anime. So far, CDPR has only teased cyberware customization and a new dual-wielding playstyle. A first look is coming during a REDstreams broadcast on October 21 at 5 PM CEST, and the official patch notes will go live the same day.

This one is quite a surprise, since Cyberpunk 2077 hasn't received an update in over a year. Update 2.3 arrived in July 2025 with FSR 4, XeSS frame generation, and VRR for consoles, and it looked like the game's final major update at the time. A smaller 2.31 patch followed in September 2025, and the studio has since put most of its focus on The Witcher 4, which has a 2028 release window. Interestingly, 2.31 launched on Switch 2 alongside the other platforms, so the staggered release this time is a bit unusual. CDPR hasn't said anything about PC-specific changes like new upscalers or ray tracing tweaks, so it's reasonable to wait for the patch notes on October 21 before expecting anything on that front.

Rebel Wolves has confirmed that Update 1.1 for The Blood of Dawnwalker arrives next week, a little later than the "early October" window the studio mentioned last month. There's no exact date yet. The biggest addition is the Draught of Mind Rebirth, an item that lets players reset their Swordmastery, Witchcraft, and Vampirism skills and get back the in-game time spent learning them, which matters a lot under the game's 30-day limit. There's also a new Story difficulty with extra combat assists, while the existing Story mode gets renamed to Forgiving. Combat targeting, lock-on, and disengaging have been improved, Shadowstep and Planeshift should feel more responsive, and the camera has been tweaked. Players can also pet dogs and cats now, using the directional combat system, of all things.

For PC players, frame generation is getting an update along with its own dedicated settings, though Rebel Wolves hasn't shared any specifics. The game already supports NVIDIA DLSS, and in a September interview, game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz said broader optimization work was still ongoing, so it's reasonable to hope some of the 1,100+ improvements and fixes target performance. The update also adds larger font sizes and subtitles for all dialogue, and it removes blood and gore censorship from the Japanese version. The Blood of Dawnwalker launched on September 3 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, and sold a million copies within days, on a budget that is reportedly just $40 million.

GTA 6 will be eligible for Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2026, though only just. The show's updated FAQ says a game has to be commercially available on or before Friday, November 20, at 9 p.m. PT to qualify. GTA 6 launches on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19, which puts it a single day inside the window, while the PC version is reportedly due in Q1 2027. The ceremony itself takes place on December 10 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Of course, being eligible and getting nominated are two different things. Nominees are picked by a jury of more than 100 media and influencer outlets. Enough jurors need to actually play the game before voting closes, and that part is a bit tricky.

Rockstar has been very guarded about leaks, going digital-only at launch, and it is currently dealing with threats from a leaker who claims to have a full build. Earlier this year, one report claimed reviewers might only get to play at a closed, in-person event. More recently, insider NateTheHate said review copies should go out before the end of October, though neither Rockstar nor Take-Two has confirmed anything about review access yet. If that pans out, jurors should have a few weeks with the game, and it's reasonable to expect GTA 6 to be a strong contender for Game of the Year.

Rockstar is planning to bring GTA 6 to PC sometime in the first quarter of 2027, according to a new report from GamesBeat. The outlet cites four industry sources familiar with the studio's plans, all of whom asked to stay anonymous. If accurate, PC players would get the game between January and March 2027, just a few months after its November 19 launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Rockstar still hasn't announced a PC version, and PC was left out of the launch plans from the start. Interestingly, if the timing pans out, that would be a much shorter wait than last time. GTA 5 hit consoles in September 2013 and only reached PC in April 2015, roughly 19 months later.

This could matter for the roleplay ecosystem too, since FiveM, the framework behind most GTA 5 roleplay servers, runs only on PC, and GTA 6's online mode is already tipped for 2027. Of course, early PC launch windows have surfaced before that haven't exactly panned out. A Corsair executive floated an early 2026 launch last year, a comment Corsair later called speculation, and VGC's Andy Robinson suggested last month that the PC version might show up sooner than people expect. A Q1 2027 release would also arrive before Take-Two's fiscal year closes on March 31, 2027. Until Rockstar says something, readers are advised to treat this as a well-sourced rumor and not a confirmed date.

Xbox and PlayStation console sales in the US are having a rough 2026, according to new Circana data that analyst Mat Piscatella shared on Bluesky. For the year 2026 through August, Xbox hardware unit sales are down 33% year over year, while PlayStation units are 25% lower. That puts Xbox at an all-time low and PlayStation at its lowest point since 2013. As one might expect, it looks like pricing is the main culprit. Buyers paid an average of $529 for a new Xbox console this year, 26% more than a year ago, and $597 for a PlayStation, up 20%. Both are record highs for the US, and Piscatella says price sensitivity is becoming a real problem.

The decline follows a string of price hikes tied to the memory and storage shortage. Sony raised the PS5 Pro to $899.99 in April, Microsoft pushed the Xbox Series X to $799.99 on August 1, and Nintendo moved the Switch 2 to $499.99 in September, a hike analysts had warned about back in January. August itself was weak, with total hardware unit sales falling 15% to 559,000, the lowest August total since 2013. The Switch 2, however, remains the best-selling console of 2026 in both units and dollars. Piscatella said the US hardware market hasn't been "in a more precarious position since the early 80s." He thinks GTA 6's big launch might ease some of these declines, although that depends on console availability and pricing.

Circana's Mat Piscatella recently published the analytics firm's 2026 gaming sales data that effectively shows reduced game and console sales, with total US market spend dropping across the board, despite rising prices of both video games and gaming hardware. More precisely, total video game hardware sales in the US for the 2026 year to date saw a YoY drop of 11%, from $2.856 billion in 2025 to $2.543 billion in 2026. Further, video game content, including physical and digital media, DLCs, microtransactions, and subscriptions, saw a 10% decline in August 2026 compared to the same month in 2025, but the year-to-date spend in the same category is down only 2%.

Perhaps expectedly, the August 2026 content spending data shows a 7% decline in US console content spending, while PC content spending increased by 13%, and subscriptions grew by 3%. Much of this PC growth is likely driven by increasing PC hardware prices caused by the ongoing AI data center demand squeeze, instead of an actual increase in PC adoption. Moreover, we are in the middle of a console generation, and the Nintendo Switch 2 launched long enough ago that its resulting bump in console sales would likely have flattened by now, although the Switch 2 was still the best-selling console in the US for both unit sales and dollar spend for August 2026 and the 2026 year to date.

Microsoft has reportedly signed a deal that makes Xbox Cloud Gaming the only cloud service allowed to stream Grand Theft Auto 6 at launch, according to The Verge's Tom Warren, citing sources familiar with Microsoft's plans. The claim follows an internal town hall this week where Xbox CEO Asha Sharma apparently told staff that the company has something planned around GTA 6 that "no other platform holder is doing." Sharma doesn't seem to have described the deal herself, and neither Microsoft nor Rockstar has confirmed it officially yet. It's also unclear how long the exclusivity lasts, or whether streaming will require buying the game.

If it pans out, the deal would matter most to PC players. GTA 6 is set to release on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and Rockstar hasn't announced a PC version. Xbox Cloud Gaming works on PCs, so it could be the only official way to play there at launch without owning a console. Rival services such as NVIDIA GeForce NOW and Sony's PlayStation Plus cloud streaming would presumably have to wait, though the report doesn't name them directly. Meanwhile, Microsoft is introducing monthly caps on cloud play in November, with Game Pass Ultimate limited to 15 hours, Premium to 10, and Essential to just 5. Extra hours can be bought, and a pay-as-you-go option for non-subscribers is expected the same month. Anyone hoping to finish GTA 6 over the cloud would probably burn through those hours fairly quickly.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is getting a physical edition, and it seems director Naoki Hamaguchi had to argue for it. He told Radio Times that he pushed Square Enix for a boxed release, while admitting the product lineup is the publishing team's call. On PS5 and Xbox Series X, the disc reportedly works as a key disc that holds the opening and downloads the rest, and the Switch 2 gets a game-key card. The game launches on April 8, 2027. Here's what Hamaguchi said:

In this day and age, as we've been talking about, there's a lot of pressure for disc-less editions, digital editions, and I used my position to put forth an argument for the physical version as much as possible. I completely understand there are those out there who may not really agree with that direction or approve of that direction. But I would just say that I hope you understand that I completely see where you're coming from, and that I did my best.

Take-Two has signed a new long-term Xbox Publisher License Agreement with Microsoft, according to an 8-K filing with the SEC. Signed on September 28 and effective from September 17, it gives Take-Two the right to develop, publish, manufacture, market, advertise, distribute, and sell Xbox-compatible products for "all Xbox devices." It also replaces all of the company's existing Xbox publisher agreements. The filing doesn't mention Project Helix by name, but it's probably covered under the "all devices" wording. On the commercial side, Microsoft pays Take-Two the wholesale price and/or an agreed revenue share on digital sales, and charges fees and royalties on physical media.

Microsoft keeps the right to approve each game concept, the final build, and any packaging or marketing that carries its marks. The full agreement will be attached to Take-Two's 10-Q for the quarter ending September 30. Interestingly, Take-Two's 2020 deal mentioned the Xbox One and Xbox Series X platforms specifically, while "all Xbox devices" is much broader. It looks like this is meant to cover whatever Xbox ships next, which would fit with Xbox CEO Asha Sharma saying the team is working on a "great family of devices" for Helix. Take-Two doesn't explain the change, and it could also be routine housekeeping. The first Take-Two game under this updated deal is GTA 6, which is still scheduled for November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Developer Mitchell Hynes has released a free, unofficial browser port of the original Xbox version of Halo: Combat Evolved, and it looks like the full campaign is playable. Hynes announced it on X, listing working split-screen co-op and multiplayer for up to 128 players, though he flagged the latter as untested. His post also promises "no Gearbox Master Chief," which seems to reference the Gearbox-made 2003 PC port. Hynes also warned that the port doesn't run well on iOS or Android, so PC is the recommended platform. The game reportedly saw nearly 20,000 plays in its first five hours across 115 countries, averaging 94 FPS.

Early reports say the campaign works well, although one tester had less luck with the 128-player mode. The original Xbox release topped out at 16 players in competitive multiplayer, so 128 is a big jump. The port builds on the recent decompilation of the original Xbox game. If you want to go the official route, Halo: Campaign Evolved launched on July 28 for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PS5, but it is a campaign-only remake without the original's competitive multiplayer. I would wait for more testing before getting excited about 128-player matches, but it looks like a great time to jump into the campaign while it's still up.