Gears of War Archives

AppWizard

July 10, 2026

25 Games Tested On The Steam Machine: A Good, But Pricey Device

Valve's Steam Machine, priced at ,000, was tested with a 2TB unit using default settings at 1080p resolution, upscaled to 4K. Various games were evaluated for performance, including: - Cyberpunk 2077: Smooth 60 FPS with light ray tracing; stability issues at resolutions above 1080p. - Mouse: P.I. for Hire: Ran flawlessly at 60 FPS with default settings. - Left 4 Dead 2: Performed admirably. - Borderlands 4: Had visual issues initially; became playable after adjustments. - Hades 2: Ran seamlessly at default settings. - Silent Hill 2: Struggled with performance. - Doom: The Dark Ages: Played smoothly; could use visual adjustments. - Megabonk: Performed impressively. - Spider-Man 2: Decent at default settings; improved with resolution increase. - Windrose: Struggled at default settings; medium settings improved performance. - Overwatch: Exceptional experience at default settings. - Grand Theft Auto V: Ran well after initial setup issues. - Gears of War Reloaded: Visuals improved after tweaks. - Fallout 4: Maintained solid performance without adjustments. - Control Ultimate Edition: Needed settings lowered for stable performance. - Arc Raiders: Playable but with fuzzy image quality. - Elden Ring: Performed admirably with some tweaks. - Vampire Crawlers: Provided a sharp experience. - Resident Evil 4 remake: Satisfactory but needed adjustments for better visuals. - Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart: Became playable after adjustments. - Helldivers 2: Ran well but lacked sharpness compared to PS5 Pro. - Resident Evil Requiem: Solid experience but fell short against PS5 Pro. - The Last of Us Part II Remastered: Ran exceptionally well. - Peak: Required no adjustments and performed comparably to high-end PCs. - Warhammer 40K: Darktide: Achieved stable 60 FPS after tweaks. - Halo: Master Chief Collection: Unplayable due to login issues. - Tiny Terry’s Turbo Trip: Ran smoothly at maximum settings. - Rage: Ran smoothly after adjustments. The Steam Machine is seen as intriguing but its high price limits appeal to dedicated enthusiasts. It offers access to a vast library of Steam games, particularly older or 2D titles, but may not be justifiable for non-PC gamers, especially with upcoming titles on rival consoles.

AppWizard

June 26, 2026

Steam Summer Sale 2026 Is Live: 90% Deals on PC Games as Machine Lottery Closes

Valve's Steam Summer Sale 2026 began today at 1:00 PM ET and will run until July 9, 2026, featuring discounts on over 4,000 titles. The average discount is around 45%, with reductions of up to 90% on older catalog titles. New releases like Gothic 1 Remake, Resident Evil Requiem, and Crimson Desert are included in the sale. Discounts are locked for the entire duration of the sale, and there is a minimum 30-day cooldown between promotional events for specific games, except for the four major seasonal sales. The Steam Machine lottery closed today, with invitations for winners to purchase starting the week of June 29. Those who missed the deadline will be placed on a waitlist, with processing expected by the end of 2026.

AppWizard

June 25, 2026

Steam Summer Sale 2026 is now live, and it runs until 9 July

The Steam Summer Sale 2026 runs from June 25 to July 9, 2026, offering consistent discounts throughout the event. Major titles released earlier in the year, such as Gothic 1 Remake, Resident Evil Requiem, and Crimson Desert, are now available at significant discounts, with average reductions around 45% and some games discounted by up to 90%. Previous sales featured over 4,000 titles, indicating a large selection this year. Upcoming game releases include Halo: Campaign Evolved on July 28, The Blood of Dawnwalker on September 3, and Gears of War E-Day on October 6. Grand Theft Auto 6 is set to launch on consoles on November 19, with no confirmed PC release date. The sale is live at store.steampowered.com.

AppWizard

June 18, 2026

Here’s what’s coming to your PC with Xbox Game Pass

- Gears of War: E-Day is a third-person shooter set to launch on October 6, available on Xbox and PC. - Fable is an open-world RPG scheduled for release on February 23, 2027, featuring comedians Richard Ayoade and Matt King. - Halo: Campaign Evolved is a remaster set to release on July 28, 2026, featuring updated graphics and three new prologue missions. - Minecraft Dungeons II is set for release in September and includes a four-person multiplayer mode. - State of Decay 3 is scheduled for release in 2027, with details still to be announced. - Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is a prequel set to release on August 27, 2026, focusing on combat-oriented gameplay.

Winsage

June 15, 2026

Should Xbox CEOs have term limits, and did this week show why the question matters?

Microsoft's Xbox division is facing significant challenges, including a margin crisis and the need for substantial organizational changes, as stated by the head of Xbox. The company is preparing for significant layoffs and budget cuts while emphasizing its commitment to console gaming despite the evolving landscape. Xbox is struggling to articulate its value to potential players and is dealing with the impact of rising RAM prices and recent game failures. Phil Spencer, the CEO, has been instrumental in revitalizing the brand but is also associated with the current difficulties, raising questions about leadership transitions in the future.

AppWizard

June 14, 2026

Gears of War: E-Day Demands just 12GB RAM and an RTX 2060, Defying PC Players’ Worst Fears

The Coalition is a leading developer of Unreal Engine and is set to release Gears of War: E-Day on October 6, 2026. They have showcased two Unreal Engine 5 demos: Alpha Point in 2021 and The Cavern in 2022. The minimum system requirements for the game include Windows 10 64-bit, AMD Ryzen 5 2600X or Intel i7-6850K, 12 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 or AMD Radeon RX 6600, DirectX Version 12, a broadband internet connection, and 130 GB of SSD storage. The recommended specifications are Windows 11 64-bit, AMD Ryzen 5 5600 or Intel i5-11600K, 16 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 or AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, DirectX Version 12, a broadband internet connection, and 130 GB of SSD storage. The game will feature borderless/exclusive/windowed display modes, uncapped frame rates, ultrawide support, keyboard and mouse/controller remapping, 4K Ultra HD with HDR10, hardware ray-traced lighting, and full optimization for handheld play. The game will not be available on PlayStation 5.

AppWizard

June 14, 2026

Microsoft CEO says Xbox needs to be more sustainable: “We’ve not been monetizing that entertainment”

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella discussed the evolving landscape of Xbox under new CEO Asha Sharma, who is initiating a 100-day "reset" to enhance economic sustainability amidst rising costs. Sharma's letter to employees emphasized the need for adaptation in a competitive entertainment industry and acknowledged challenges from the hardware crisis and declining revenue. Nadella highlighted the importance of innovating in both hardware and gaming content while ensuring economic viability. Xbox Chief Creative Officer Matt Booty reassured the PC gaming community that exclusivity will mainly affect Xbox consoles, with titles remaining available on multiple platforms. Nadella noted the need for a sustainable business model, pointing out that current monetization strategies have not fully leveraged Xbox's entertainment value. He acknowledged the broader trend of rising prices in tech sectors and expressed confidence in Sharma's vision for Xbox's future. Matthew Ball, the new Chief Strategy Officer, suggested ad-supported tiers for more affordable consumer access, aligning with Nadella's vision for economically relevant offerings.

Winsage

June 12, 2026

“Xbox will dissolve into Windows,” ex PlayStation boss says, which is Microsoft’s “strength”

Reports indicate that Xbox is preparing for significant company-wide layoffs expected at the end of June 2026 as part of a restructuring initiative led by new CEO Asha Sharma. The exact number of job losses and affected departments are currently uncertain. Shuhei Yoshida, a former executive at Sony Interactive Entertainment, suggested in a tweet that "Xbox will dissolve into Windows," hinting at a potential structural transformation within the company. Xbox has been experiencing declining hardware sales and has started porting flagship titles to the PlayStation 5. Additionally, there are rumors that the next generation of Xbox, referred to as Project Helix, may utilize Windows instead of the traditional Xbox operating system.

AppWizard

June 10, 2026

18 embargoes from Summer Game Fest just lifted, so let’s rank everything I saw in LA

Morgan Park attended a recent gaming showcase featuring various titles with mixed reactions from attendees. Grave Seasons had a demo focused on introducing townsfolk and watering seeds, with a plot twist involving a murderer left unexplored. Resident Evil: Veronica was presented in a Capcom theater segment that included a Q&A with producer Yoshiaki Hirabayashi, but offered little new information. Join Us combined management sim and third-person shooter mechanics, allowing players to expand a cult's influence while fending off a gang. Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 aimed for a Left 4 Dead-style co-op experience, but early impressions noted a lack of excitement in shooting mechanics. Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game impressed with its faithful recreation of the Nickelodeon show's aesthetic and attention to detail in character movesets. Gears of War: E-Day showcased visual engagement but revealed little about gameplay evolution, confirming a shift to 4v4 PvP modes. Bad Magpie featured whimsical chaos-driven gameplay, allowing players to disrupt a soccer match among mice. The Wolf Among Us 2 demonstrated smoother animations and an immersive experience through Unreal 5 and motion capture. Spyro: A Realm Beyond hinted at new gameplay mechanics, including an innovative flight system. Blood Message offered a grounded action gameplay experience set in the late Tang dynasty, blending stealth and combat. Stupid Never Dies featured a zombie protagonist who absorbs enemy powers in a roguelite format. Fable highlighted an intricate social sandbox system with various activities, though some interactions felt mechanical. Onimusha: Way of the Sword showcased exceptional combat mechanics, while N+ Infinity Times Two provided an exciting multiplayer platforming experience, particularly in its Tag mode.

AppWizard

June 10, 2026

Xbox ‘console exclusives’ are strictly about console releases, Xbox exec affirms: Games will ‘still show up on all the normal places where we sell the PC version’

During the Xbox Games Showcase, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma referred to Gears of War: E-Day as an "Xbox console exclusive." Xbox's chief content officer, Matt Booty, clarified that while the game will be exclusive to the Xbox console, it will also be available on PC and through Xbox Cloud streaming services. This strategy aims to enhance Xbox's presence in the PC gaming market, which Booty acknowledges is currently lacking. Microsoft is reassessing its approach to exclusivity, contrasting with Sony's more isolated strategy. Sharma emphasized the importance of reaching large audiences through exclusive content and services to establish Xbox as a platform.