It looks like the end of the console-exclusive era is marching ever forward. On the one hand, more game studios are embracing simultaneous launch strategies, as was recently emphasized by both Square Enix and Ubisoft adopting multi-platform simultaneous launches for Fantasian Neo Dimension and Assassin's Creed Shadows, respectively. The latest game to join this trend is Outer Worlds 2, which will launch on all platforms—Xbox Series S|X, Windows, PlayStation 5, and even Game Pass—simultaneously in late 2025. The surprising bit about the multi-platform launch of The Outer Worlds 2 is that Microsoft purchased Obsidian Entertainment, the studio behind The Outer Worlds, leading many to believe that future games in the franchise would be Xbox/Windows-first. While the original Outer Worlds was released after Microsoft bought Obsidian, the launch contract predates the acquisition, so it also had a simultaneous launch, regardless of Microsoft's ownership.

In addition to the swathe of new games embracing multiple simultaneous platform launches, Jez Cordon, executive editor at Windows Central and well-regarded source for gaming rumors, recently also sparked rumors with a post on X suggesting that no future games developed by Microsoft or its subsidiary studios will be permanent console exclusives. In a reply to a comment criticizing Microsoft for seemingly keeping some games on Xbox and others not, Cordon said "They don't. They're all coming to PlayStation over time."

Montech Teams Up with Gear Seekers to Launch the Exclusive KING 95 ULTRA PC Case Limited to 2,024 Units Worldwide. Elevating PC case design to new heights, Montech has partnered with Gear Seekers to unveil the KING 95 ULTRA, a cutting-edge PC case that blends unparalleled performance with a sleek, refined aesthetic. This limited-edition case is a true collector's item, combining the innovation of Montech with the bold, design expertise of Gear Seekers.

KING 95 ULTRA: Where Power Meets Prestige
Designed for those who seek both top-tier functionality and high-end style, the KING 95 ULTRA is a statement piece. Dressed in a unique Space Grey finish and featuring a sleek tinted glass panel, this case offers an aura of mystery and sophistication that will enhance any setup. With only 2,024 units available worldwide, each KING 95 ULTRA is a rare masterpiece, embodying exclusivity and craftsmanship.

CORSAIR, a leading global developer and manufacturer of high-performance gear and technology for gamers, content creators, and PC enthusiasts, has announced an exclusive multi-year, full cross-brand partnership with the critically acclaimed Call of Duty franchise. This powerful new integration sees two of the world's best-known gaming brands come together for the first time. The collaboration will include several Call of Duty titles, beginning with the launch of the highly-anticipated Call of Duty : Black Ops 6, releasing on October 25. The collaboration will extend across multiple product categories at CORSAIR including Drop, Elgato, ORIGIN PC and SCUF Gaming. Specific products, additional categories and more details will be announced over time.

"Teaming up with the world-renowned Call of Duty franchise is the perfect fit for the CORSAIR family of brands and for gamers looking to achieve a complete and immersive experience," said Andy Paul, Founder and CEO of CORSAIR. "We are thrilled to have these two world-class brands come together as CORSAIR is set to deliver premium performance for Call of Duty players across all platforms - PC, console and mobile - whether playing, capturing content or streaming."

Aye Banisher!✨Focus Entertainment and DON'T NOD are excited to unveil this new emotionally charged story trailer for Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. This narrative-driven action RPG immerses you in a world teeming with supernatural threats, challenging them to grapple with love, life, death, and sacrifice. Our new trailer (viewable below) will bring the deeply enthralling and poignant story to life, providing a glimpse into the intricate lore of Banishers and the key relationship between Antea Duarte and Red mac Raith. In Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, you step into the shoes of Antea Duarte and Red mac Raith, experienced spirit hunters sent to New Eden on a harrowing mission to aid the settlers.

The stakes escalate dramatically when Antea is tragically killed during an ill-advised attack, becoming one of the very ghosts she once despised and trained her husband to destroy. This catastrophic turn of events leaves Red torn between upholding their oath to protect the living from malevolent spirits and the devastating reality of Antea's condition. The emotionally charged journey through Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden explores the complex interplay between love, sacrifice, and the struggle to reconcile one's own desires with a sense of duty.

HIGH-QUALITY INTEGRATIONS-ONLY HERE - We're proud to be the first to offer the Zoo65 as a prebuilt-in a host of configurations you won't find anywhere else. We've assembled six Zoo65 boards with our own exclusive keycap sets - DCX Jasmine, DCX Dolch and DCX Permafrost - available in either a tactile or linear switch configuration.

A ZOO OF HIGH-QUALITY CONFIGURATIONS—ONLY HERE - Originally sold as a kit, MOMOKA's Zoo65 Keyboard garnered a veritable stampede of fans with its exceptional build quality and attention to detail. Now, here on Drop, we're proud to be the first to offer the Zoo65 as a prebuilt—in a host of configurations you won't find anywhere else. That's right: we've assembled our own zoo of Zoo65 boards for a total of six typing experiences topped off with our own exclusive keycap sets.

Sony PlayStation and Square Enix are engaged in the process of hyping up blockbuster action role-player Final Fantasy XVI, set for a worldwide release on June 22, and have recently announced some visually striking accessories and interesting hardware bundles - as part of the promotional cycle and eventual release of the sixteenth (mainline) Final Fantasy game installment. Their Japanese marketing teams are collaborating on a custom design PlayStation 5 DualSense controller and console faceplate/cover bearing Final Fantasy XVI-based artwork. The controller's Midnight Black + gold accenting combo creates a very macho aesthetic, which stands in sharp contrast to some of the recent special edition Xbox controllers in terms of color and finish.

The special edition controller and console plate will be sold separately and are scheduled to launch alongside the game and related console bundles on June 22. These Final Fantasy XVI-themed accessories could be exclusive to the Japanese domestic market - Sony and Square Enix have issued information related to pricing in Yen (¥8980 & ¥7980 respectively), and their North American and European sites only make mention of the standard white PS5 console FFXVI bundle being available on the game's launch day.

Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores launches April 19 on PS5! This expansion sees Aloy pursue a sinister threat in the untamed wilds of Los Angeles, now a treacherous volcanic archipelago. Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores takes Aloy to the ruins of Los Angeles. The past millennia has seen the metropolis wracked by tectonic and volcanic activity. The result: a dangerous archipelago populated by deadly machines. Among these islands, a large settlement of Quen fight to survive.

Aloy's journey continues in Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores - an expansion which sees the fierce Nora hunter pursue a sinister threat in the untamed wilds of a far-future, volcanic Los Angeles which has been wracked by violent tectonic activity. Pre-orders for Burning Shores, which launches on the PlayStation 5 console on April 19, 2023, are available as of today.

Sony's onslaught on PC-centric gamers' wallets through the release of its critically-acclaimed exclusives shows no signs of slowing down. After porting God of War and announcing the release of the Spider Man series of video games, the company at the Summer Games Fest shared details on the upcoming PS5 remake of the original The Last of Us Part 1. With over 200 game of the year awards, it remains one of the single-player, story-driven masterpieces of gaming history. But the announcement came with its own twist: the company also confirmed a PC version is in development.

The modernized version of Last of Us Part 1 will be coming to PS5 first, with a release date set for September 2nd 2022. Development on both the PS5 and PC version being done by Naughty Dog itself. According to Sony, the modernized version will be "a total overhaul" of the original, "faithfully reproduced but incorporating modernized gameplay, improved controls and expanded accessibility options," while also offering "improved effects and enhanced exploration and combat."

Today we're excited to share something we've been making in the background for quite a while - PC Building Simulator 2. Working alongside the development team at Spiral House, and with nearly every major hardware vendor in the PC scene, announcing a sequel means a chance to step up and push the limits on virtual PC creation to new heights (and of course, add better RGB).

Sam 'Caliburn' Hills, Senior Community Manager of PC Building Simulator, explained "It's a chance for us to do a lot of the things we couldn't do before on a technical level. We're aiming to simultaneously add more depth to the simulation, increase options for customization, improve the ability to tinker, and to make a better-looking game... It's hard work but right now everyone on the team is really hyped."

NVIDIA today announced the latest in the trend of branded PC customization. Taking the form of the new "RTX On" keycaps, NVIDIA has brought brushed aluminium reflections outside the scope of virtual worlds, and straight towards gamer's (and fan's) keyboards. Built "exclusively for the NVIDIA community", the new "RTX On" keycaps don't require a powerful RTX 30-series graphics cards to enable any eye-candy, which will come as good news for the many users still looking to upgrade their GPUs in the current pricing climate.

NVIDIA's keycap is prominently shown as a replacement "Escape" key - the most common of keycap replacements. This seems like a wise decision, considering how the RTX logo is a textured affair that might otherwise interfere with frantic gaming, typing or programming scenarios. The keycaps, which NVIDIA has said won't make it into retail products, will solely be distributed via the company's social media channels throughout Spring and Summer this year. The company has seemingly been investing more and more in similar community and social-media based offers - perhaps because scalpers have a harder time running away with stocks of these limited distribution products.

At its IR Day 2021 Game & Network Services Segment, Sony themselves have spilled the cat out of the bag regarding ports from their first-party studios to the PC realm. Case in point: Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, developed by naughty Dog, will be releasing on the PC platform at some point in the future. The information is tucked away at page 26 of Sony's documentation. This comes as no surprise, considering other tidbits Sony shared regarding its PC initiative: the company achieved a 250% ROI (Return on Investment) with the port of Horizon: Zero Dawn to PC and more recently Days Gone, meaning that porting costs were more than recouped.

Of course, the ROI also has to take into account the potential decrease in value of the PlayStation brand with the relative loss of exclusivity, but this doesn't seem much different from Microsoft's strategy of delivering console exclusives that still make it onto the PC space (and the company has been doubling down on those efforts, and they surely wouldn't be doing so if they were losing money).

Microsoft's console and gaming division, Xbox, has been working closely with game studios and game developers for years now, and in return for supporting the creation of games, the company gets its platform exclusivity, where the game is only available on Xbox series of consoles. Today, Xbox has decided to unveil a hefty list composing out of AAA titles exclusive to the Xbox Series X|S consoles. Starting off, we have the Forza Horizon 5 game, which delivers the experience of the open world of Mexico, while allowing you to drive the world's greatest cars. The game is set to become available on November 9 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox Game Pass, PC via Steam on Windows, and Cloud Gaming service, which is in Beta.

Next up is a collaboration with 343 Industries game studio, which has unveiled its next-generation Halo shooter gameplay. Dubbed Halo Infinite, the game is a massive experience set in the world of Halo, which also includes a free-to-play multiplayer element aiming to bring millions of people together across Xbox consoles, cloud, and PC to join the fight. When it comes to new franchises, we have seen the announcement of Redfall, a co-op first-person shooter that sets you in a small island town of Redfall, which has now fallen to the pandemic of vampires, and your goal is to put it to the end. Coming from Arkane Austin, the developers of Prey and Dishonored, the game is sure to be a quality one.

As security and innovation collide, Denuvo by Irdeto today announces it has joined the exclusive PlayStation 5 Tools and Middleware program. Denuvo, the leader in video games protection, offers its Anti-Cheat solution through this program to publishers and developers whose games are available on PlayStation 5.

Denuvo is at the forefront of games security with over 2 billion unique game installs protected across all platforms, and over 1,000 games secured. Joining the PlayStation 5 Tools and Middleware program therefore fosters Denuvo's continued commitment to excellence and innovation in game security. It also supports Denuvo's goal of protecting the developers' investment, where approximately 70% of their revenue is earned in the first two weeks after the launch of a game.

Buy an EVGA GeForce RTX, GET Rainbow SIX ️ SIEGE GOLD EDITION. Squad up with your crew and take on new challenges with NVIDIA ️ GeForce RTX ️. Powered by an award-winning GPU, maximize your performance to get the edge over the opposing team. For a limited time, get Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege Gold Edition on PC, including early access to six new Operators and Year 5 BattlePass privileges, with a purchase of a qualifying GeForce RTX 20 Series graphics card.

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Microsoft has been praised for its continued support of previous console generations with the latest Xbox Series X maintaining compatibility with some games going back to the original Xbox along with controller and accessory inter compatibility. It seems that for the first few years most games will be released for both the Xbox One and Xbox Series X families of consoles. Sony seems to be taking a much conservative approach and hoping to take full advantage of the new PS5 features and updated DualSense controller to create iconic exclusives for the console.

In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Sony's Interactive Entertainment's CEO, Jim Ryan confirmed that the company plans to create games "that can really only be enjoyed on PS5." This approach will likely irritate PS4 users who have invested heavily in the console with controllers and other accessories, Sony believes that this approach will help the company to make the most out of their new console hardware.

A Steam page store has appeared for Guerrilla Games' PlayStation exclusive Horizon Zero Dawn. If you haven't played this game yet, I'll assume you don't have a PlayStation; and if so, boy: are you in for a treat. Horizon Zero Dawn has you playing as Aloy, a native to this alternate reality where dinosaur-like machines have taken over the wilds. As you expand on the story and go on to discover the secrets to this world - and to humanity's downfall - you'll travel across a seamless, richly-detailed open-world experience that rivals The Witcher III: Wild Hunt.

Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition will feature both the base game and its The Frozen Wilds Expansion, which adds dozens of hours, new equipment, new lands, skills, and Machines for you to hunt. This looks like Sony's way (and continued efforts) to show you, years later, what you've been missing out on in the PlayStation platform, and I bet Sony's wishing these exclusive games hitting the PC will give you the PlayStation 5 hitch. Now if only the same happened for the incredible God of War...

EPIC CEO Tim Sweeney in a veritable Tweetstorm detailed EPIC's strategy on gaming exclusivity a bit more - and to listen to the CEO, EPIC is doing this as a way to break Steam's grasp on the PC games distribution market and their 30/70 distributor's cut. Asked on games exclusivity and their usage as a digital storefront strategy, Sweeney said that EPIC "believes exclusives are the only strategy that will change the 70/30 status quo at a large enough scale to permanently affect the whole game industry." He also says that this split is a "disastrous situation for developers and publishers alike."

Sweeney says that other independent storefronts that have been launched over the years (we imagine he's speaking of GOG and Humble Bundle, just to name a few), "none seem to have reached 5% of Steam's scale." He goes on to say that "this leads to the strategy of exclusives which, though unpopular with dedicated Steam gamers, do work, as established by the major publisher storefronts and by the key Epic Games store releases compared to their former Steam revenue projections and their actual console sales." His stance is that EPIC's 12/88 split is fairer for developers (stating that a 30% cut would almost totally cut into their profits), and that this additional money that enters studios' pockets will necessarily be split among "(1) reinvestment, (2) profit, and (3) price reduction", and that in this way, EPIC's solution is both proportionate to the problem, and a move that will benefit gamers in the long run.

Update: A clarification was sent out earlier today where Epic said that they won't stop supporting Rocket League on Steam, as they never could actually do, since legions of players that had already purchased the game on that platform would pick up their pitchforks with a vengeance. However, wording on Epic's clarification leaves much to be desired, and seemingly confirms that the game will not be available on Steam:

"The PC version of Rocket League will come to the Epic Games store in late 2019. In the meantime, it will continue to be available for purchase on Steam; thereafter it will continue to be supported on Steam for all existing purchasers. (...) "Rocket League remains available for new purchasers on Steam, and long-term plans will be announced in the future."

Epic Games has announced the acquisition of Rocket League developer Psyonix, which created one of the most addictive non/Battle Royale game of recent times. The move by Epic will see the games- introduction to the Epic Games Store, with platform exclusivity confirmed for late 2019 / which means that anyone looking to purchase the game on a PC/centric digital storefront will have to go to Epic's, since Steam will be leaving the vendor equation.