Nintendo Archives

AppWizard

July 23, 2026

Take Note, PlayStation: Xbox Brings Classic Games To PC

The gaming industry is experiencing a surge in demand for artificial intelligence, leading to increased hardware prices, such as the new Steam Machine exceeding ,000 despite its specifications. PlayStation plans to stop producing physical media for the PS5 by 2028, causing backlash from fans. Xbox has laid off 1,600 employees and anticipates more layoffs by the end of the 2027 fiscal year. Xbox has introduced backwards compatibility for PC, allowing access to four classic titles: Blinx: The Time Sweeper, Fuzion Frenzy, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Conker: Live and Reloaded, with enhanced features like customizable upscaling and resolution options. There is a growing interest in preserving gaming history, particularly for classic titles from the PS1, PS2, and PS3 eras, as the industry shifts towards an all-digital future.

AppWizard

July 22, 2026

Original Xbox Games Are Coming to PC Starting With Four Fan Favorites

Microsoft has launched its Xbox Backward Compatibility preview, enabling four original Xbox games—Blinx: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Fuzion Frenzy—to be played on PC and handheld devices. These games feature enhancements such as 4x resolution upscaling, VSync support, multiple display modes, anisotropic filtering, and improved anti-aliasing. They are available for purchase on the Xbox Store and can be accessed on PC or handhelds through Xbox Play Anywhere or Xbox Cloud Gaming. All four titles are also included in Xbox Game Pass. Minimum system requirements for playing these games include: - GPU: Nvidia GTX 950 or AMD Radeon RX 550 or Intel UHD 770 or Intel Arc A310 - CPU: Minimum 4 Cores Intel Core i3-8100 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 or AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor - RAM: 8GB - OS: Windows 11 - Drivers and Versions: Latest Version as of January 2026 Recommended specifications include: - GPU: Radeon RX 68005 or Nvidia GTX 1070 Ti or Intel Arc A770 - CPU: 6 cores and 12 threads Intel Core i5-10400 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme - DirectX Version: DirectX12 API, Hardware Feature Level 11 - GPU VRAM: 8GB - OS: Windows 11 - Drivers and Versions: Latest Version as of January 2026

BetaBeacon

July 20, 2026

Revealed: Here’s what powers these intriguing Game Boy-style handhelds

MANGMI's Air Y series Android handhelds will be powered by the Snapdragon 662 chipset for the Air Y model and the Snapdragon 865 processor for the Air Y Pro model.

AppWizard

July 17, 2026

The Best Dodo Studios Add-Ons for Minecraft Bedrock on PS5 Worth Your…

The Dodo Studios Minecraft Bedrock marketplace offers over 400 add-ons, worlds, and skin packs for the Bedrock Edition, accessible through the official Minecraft Marketplace without third-party downloads. The content supports cross-platform play on mobile, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation, allowing diverse gaming experiences. Each product page includes a rating, features, and pricing typically under a few hundred Minecoins. Notable offerings include Bed Wars for competitive matches, One Block for a unique survival challenge, and Craftable Houses and Mansions for creative building. Secret Doors and the WEAPONS++ pack enhance gameplay with innovative features. The marketplace has an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 from nearly half a million reviews, with most items priced affordably, encouraging players to purchase multiple add-ons. Players can easily choose their first purchase based on their preferred gameplay style, and Dodo Studios regularly adds new content to the marketplace.

AppWizard

July 17, 2026

‘Lord Of The Rings’ and ‘Minecraft’ inspired Au/Ra’s alt-pop debut

Alt-pop artist Au/Ra has released her debut album, ‘Heartcore,’ inspired by her childhood experiences and escapism into fantasy worlds. The album reflects her journey of healing from childhood traumas, which she began addressing through therapy. Growing up between Ibiza and Antigua, she found solace in video games and creative writing, particularly influenced by titles like Final Fantasy 15 and The Lord Of The Rings. Au/Ra debuted with the track ‘Concrete Jungle’ at age 14 and faced challenges with her label, Sony, which affected her music release. Despite these obstacles, she maintained a connection with her fans through gaming and community engagement. The first song she wrote for ‘Heartcore’ was ‘Blah,’ expressing her feelings of betrayal and abandonment, which helped her gain clarity for the album's creative process.

AppWizard

July 17, 2026

The best Mario Kart game gets free PC port, includes 200 tracks

Mario Kart Wiicompiled, an unofficial port of the original Mario Kart Wii, is set to be released next month by YouTuber Patchzy. This adaptation is designed for PC and features both controller and keyboard controls, moving away from the original's motion controls. Players will have access to all 32 classic tracks from Mario Kart Wii and over 200 additional tracks through the Retro Rewind feature. The port aims to maintain the original's graphics while allowing for potential enhancements, supporting uncapped framerate and 4K resolution. Mario Kart Wii was originally released in 2008, received a Metacritic score of 82/100, and sold over 37.38 million copies, making it one of the most successful titles on the Wii.

AppWizard

July 17, 2026

PC Gamer Repurposes Old SSDs to Create a Steam Game Cartridge System

Jibril-sama, a Redditor, has transformed old 2.5" SSDs into a new gaming cartridge system, combining nostalgia with modern technology. The SSDs, acquired for approximately each, serve as the basis for this project, which involves minor software tweaks and custom printed labels. The setup allows games stored on the SSDs to auto-navigate to their Steam pages and can auto-start games. This approach offers a practical solution for PC gamers facing rising storage costs, utilizing spare drives while maintaining SATA III speeds. The configuration requires a systemd template and a udev rule to launch scripts from the SSDs.

AppWizard

July 16, 2026

DIY Steam Cartridges Bring Physical Game Media Back To PC With SSDs

A Reddit user developed a game cartridge system for Steam using individual SATA 2.5-inch 128GB SSD drives, allowing for tangible management of game libraries. This system, created by u/Jibril-sama, directs Steam to the corresponding game page upon SSD insertion and operates on a Linux base, with Windows compatibility lacking auto-navigation. Another user, u/halcyonforeveragain, showcased repurposed SD cards for use with the Steam Deck, enhancing game transfer capabilities. However, modern titles may require SSD performance for optimal gameplay, as traditional hard drives and standard SD cards may not meet the necessary speed. The cost for a 128GB SD card and USB4 card reader is about USD, while a 128GB SATA SSD with a docking station costs approximately USD. Customizing cartridges with art or labels is also suggested for a personalized gaming library.

AppWizard

July 15, 2026

PC gamer made “physical copies” of Steam games – they launch from SSD cartridges

Sony has decided not to release PlayStation games on discs, reigniting discussions about the value of physical game copies. A tech enthusiast named Jibril-sama has created "Steam Game Cartridges," which use affordable 2.5-inch SSD drives to store game distributions. Each mini-SSD has a capacity of 128 GB and can be programmed to open and launch games on Steam automatically. Jibril-sama repurposed used cartridges, transforming them into stylish storage solutions that resemble physical game copies for the Nintendo Switch. This approach addresses limited SSD space while appealing to gamers' nostalgia for physical media.

AppWizard

July 15, 2026

The devil works hard but AI ripoffs work harder as Meccha Chameleon falls victim to hordes of copycats coming out of the woodwork

Meccha Chameleon has experienced concept appropriation, with its unique gameplay mechanics being imitated by various games, including Scribble Hunt, which features a hide-and-seek format similar to Meccha Chameleon's chameleon-inspired gameplay. Other games, such as REPO, have also faced similar challenges with ripoffs on platforms like the Nintendo eShop. Developers from Peak have expressed frustration, preferring players to pirate their original game rather than engage with what they consider inferior imitations. The indie game community is increasingly concerned about the difficulty of standing out in a saturated market, where successful games attract opportunistic imitators. Meccha Chameleon has over 15 million players, highlighting the importance of supporting original creators in the gaming industry.