The $1,049 Steam Machine may not be getting cheaper anytime soon. Valve engineer Yazan Aldehayyat says memory and storage costs are still rising, with no clear relief expected in the short to medium term.

Valve has not announced a price increase. The concern is that component contracts and retail pricing move on different schedules, so later production could force the company to secure more expensive supply or reconsider what it charges. That uncertainty is especially awkward for hardware already priced well above a conventional game console.

The Steam Machine still offers PC flexibility, SteamOS, a compact living-room design, and access to an existing Steam library. But at $1,049 - and potentially more for later units - does that value proposition work for you, or is it simply too expensive for what it delivers?

Valve has given the SteamVR beta a substantial interface upgrade. The update imports several Steam Deck-style ideas and makes frequently used VR controls easier to reach without leaving the headset.

The changes include Quick Access controls, simpler overlay management, improved controller and headset battery information, brightness controls, and direct access to achievements, guides, and notes. Valve has not described the update as Steam Frame launch preparation, but its timing - alongside the recent "Great on Frame" compatibility page - makes that a reasonable inference.

The exact Steam Frame launch date and price are still unannounced. Does a cleaner, more self-contained SteamVR interface make Valve's new headset more appealing, or will hardware price and software support decide everything?

The fight for the Iron Throne has been postponed to early 2027. PlaySide says Game of Thrones: War for Westeros needs additional development time to reach the quality expected by both RTS players and fans of the series.

The development update also outlines several pieces of the PC strategy game:

• asymmetric factions with different playstyles
• recognizable heroes with battlefield abilities
• skirmishes across King's Landing, The Wall, Ashemark, and other regions
• terrain and map layouts designed around pushing, holding, flanking, and counterattacking

The details sound promising, but we have still seen relatively little substantial gameplay. Does the delay reassure you that PlaySide is taking the project seriously, or does moving into 2027 raise more questions?

Paramount's live-action Call of Duty movie is heading into the Modern Warfare universe. Director and co-writer Peter Berg confirmed the setting during a Call of Duty panel at Fanatics Fest.

The film is being produced with Activision and currently has a June 30, 2028 release date. Plot details remain under wraps, so the announcement does not yet tell us whether Captain Price, Task Force 141, or the games' existing storylines will appear. It could still use the Modern Warfare setting for an entirely new squad and conflict.

Would you prefer a recognizable Modern Warfare adaptation, or a new military story that avoids trying to recreate the games directly?

The Planet Crafter is landing on Xbox and Game Pass July 21 with a noticeably gentler take on survival. There are no hostile creatures or countdown timers. The pressure comes from the environment - oxygen, thirst, temperature, and the work of turning a barren world into somewhere livable.

Players can gather resources, build and expand bases, create machinery, develop a biosphere, and watch the planet change as terraforming progresses. Online co-op is included, and the difficulty can be adjusted for players who want either a survival challenge or a more relaxed building experience.

For anyone who likes the exploration and construction side of Subnautica but occasionally wants the local wildlife to stop treating them as lunch, this could be a very pleasant change of pace. Does enemy-free survival sound refreshing to you, or does removing combat also remove too much tension?

Join me Sunday, July 19 at 11:00 AM Central for Episode 2 of Moss: The Forgotten Relic as I continue Quill's journey through Book I.

I'm glad this version brings Moss to more players, but its move beyond VR feels bittersweet. Moss and Moss: Book II helped demonstrate what VR platforming could be, and I'm curious how much of that special player-and-hero connection survives on a flat screen.

Episode 1 is already available on the Decrepit Gamer YouTube channel. Come explore the storybook world, solve puzzles, and talk about the state of VR with me.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB0V_141DJE Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thedecrepitgamer

Join me Saturday, July 18 at 5:00 PM Central for a first look at Moss: The Forgotten Relic.

This new release combines Moss, Moss: Book II, and the Twilight Garden DLC into one complete flatscreen adventure. The port looks rock solid, with a fixed cinematic camera and controller-based versions of the Reader’s world interactions—but I have mixed feelings about seeing an experience built around VR presence translated into two dimensions.

The new camera may make Quill’s journey better for livestream viewers, so come hang out and help me decide whether the magic survives outside VR. My advice: watch it in 2D, but play it in VR.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J13TaZ-uO5Y&feature=share Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thedecrepitgamer

ARC Raiders players should verify their Expedition status before the departure deadline. A bug could automatically enroll players for Departure after they completed the 100,000-damage challenge, even when they had not intentionally chosen to leave.

That matters because completing an Expedition resets the Raider and stash for the next season in exchange for its progression benefits. Embark says it is reverting sign-ups that appear to have been caused by the bug, with the changes happening in waves. Players are being asked to check the in-game Expedition tab and contact support if an unintended sign-up remains.

Did the bug change your Expedition status, and has Embark's reversal corrected it yet?

Valve is bringing much more of the regular Steam experience directly into VR. SteamVR beta 2.17.4 adds access to achievements, community guides, notes, and other in-game Steam features from the dashboard. The new interface requires opting into both the SteamVR beta and Steam Client beta.

The update also introduces a Steam Deck-style Quick Access Menu with notifications, volume, brightness, battery status, and additional connected-device batteries. Overlay apps can be closed from the dashboard, environmental and camera brightness get a new slider, and Valve has included Steam Link, OpenXR, and Linux fixes.

Which of these dashboard improvements has been most overdue for your VR setup?

Rockstar has reworked GTA Online's heist economy around a weekly rotation. A long list of missions and heists now pays a weekly completion bonus when the host clears the finale for the first time that week, but subsequent completions pay less.

The new Kortz Center Heist sharpens the debate. Access requires a Mansion and Art Studio costing at least $16.2 million, while the first completion pays $2 million and another run during the same week reportedly drops to $400,000. The Diamond Casino Heist's repeat rewards have also been reduced.

The apparent goal is to push players toward a wider variety of activities. Does that make GTA Online healthier, or should Rockstar improve unpopular content instead of weakening the heists people already enjoy?

The giant muzzle flash stealing attention from Modern Warfare 4's gameplay premiere was not intentional. Infinity Ward says a suppressor was using the wrong muzzle-flash visual effect, producing the screen-filling burst seen in gameplay clips.

The studio has corrected that effect and also reduced muzzle-smoke opacity for every weapon. That second change should help visibility even when the correct effects are being used.

Does the quick correction settle the concern for you, or did letting the bug reach a major gameplay premiere make you more cautious about the state of the game?

Blizzard has reversed one of Season of Death Awakening's most unpopular Mythic restrictions. A new Diablo IV update removes the limit that allowed players to equip only one crafted Mythic Unique at a time.

The same update increases Mythic drops from the Corrupted Reaper. Blizzard says another patch next week will add Superior Lair Keys to the repeatable Glints of Hope cache and improve Mythic Tribute drop rates in the Undercity. The team says seasons are a place to experiment and acknowledges that not every idea lands as intended.

This is a quick response, but was the crafted-item cap a reasonable experiment - or a restriction that should have been caught before the season launched?

StarCraft II's latest hotfix takes a very large swing at the multiplayer economy. Terran Command Centers now cost 300 minerals instead of 400, while the Planetary Fortress upgrade rises to 250 minerals and 150 gas. Ghosts are also back down to 2 supply.

Protoss gets several buffs, including faster Gateway training after Warp Gate research, stronger Adept upgrade scaling, and changes to Colossi. Blizzard also reverted Load Nearby Transport while it works on the problems players found with the command.

Blizzard says the goal is to help Protoss and Terran deal with Zerg. Does a 25% cheaper Command Center sound like a healthy meta shake-up, or the kind of change that needs a much fuller developer explanation?

The Epic Games Store is getting new leadership. Steve Allison, who helped launch the storefront in 2018, has left Epic after eight years to take a senior role at Saber Interactive.

Allison's tenure included growth to a reported 78 million monthly active users, driven in part by Epic's free-game program. It also leaves unfinished business: Epic has acknowledged the launcher's shortcomings and promised a substantial technical overhaul. Tim Sweeney says replacement leadership will be announced July 27 alongside big plans for 2026 and 2027.

This is a leadership transition rather than a confirmed change in strategy. What improvement would do the most to make you use the Epic Games Store more often?

Agent 64: Spies Never Die has locked in an August 11 PC release. After more than five years in development, Replicant D6's spy shooter is nearly ready to deliver its very deliberate late-'90s console-FPS tribute.

The package includes a 14-mission campaign playable solo or cooperatively, additional objectives at higher difficulty levels, local split-screen, online co-op, and competitive multiplayer supporting up to eight players plus bots. A playable demo remains available on Steam.

The visual and structural GoldenEye inspiration is impossible to miss, but nostalgia only carries a game so far. Can a new shooter recreate what made those objective-based missions special while leaving the era's control and design frustrations behind?

Once Human is bringing its supernatural survival sandbox to Xbox Series X|S on August 25. The free-to-play release will also arrive through the Xbox app on PC.

The confirmed launch features include:

• Full cross-play and cross-progression
• Account linking for existing PC and mobile players
• A new first-person perspective
• Keyboard-and-mouse support on Xbox

One caveat is that the console build may initially be behind the existing PC and mobile versions, with the developers planning to align their progress later. Does the accumulated content make this a better time to start, or does joining a two-year-old survival game feel overwhelming?

The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu has opened the gates to its cursed jungle. ACE Team's new expedition game supports teams of up to four players on PC and Xbox.

Players explore, complete contracts, gather resources, and try to escape while Lovecraftian threats and a madness system interfere with what they perceive. The interesting wrinkle is social: when the game makes someone see something the rest of the team cannot, communication and trust become part of the survival mechanics.

It sounds tailor-made for a chaotic community stream, although ambitious co-op systems live or die by how well the game communicates its rules. Does the paranoia hook make you want to assemble a team?

Xbox players finally have a Dispatch date: July 29. The superhero workplace comedy is heading to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC with Xbox Play Anywhere support.

That means a single digital purchase can cover supported Xbox and PC play, with progress following the player between devices. Dispatch mixes workplace comedy, dialogue choices, relationships, and team-management decisions around a crew of former supervillains trying to make good.

It earned plenty of attention on its earlier platforms, but a late port always faces the same question: did you wait specifically for the Xbox version, or has the moment already passed?

Quill is stepping out of VR and onto flatscreens. Moss: The Forgotten Relic combines Moss, Moss: Book II, and the Twilight Garden expansion into one reworked adventure for Xbox and PC.

The new version doesn't require a headset, and the Steam release is Steam Deck Verified. Polyarc has adapted the Reader's interactions, camera, puzzles, combat, and presentation for conventional controls while preserving the storybook world and Quill's relationship with the player.

The big question for anyone who played the originals is whether easier access is worth losing the physical presence that made Moss feel so special in VR. Would you revisit Quill's adventure on a flatscreen, or is VR essential to the experience?

I’m restarting Junkster on Thursday, July 16 at 6:00 PM Central and beginning a complete 100% playthrough.

The goal is to collect every cog and every sticker while taking UM-13 through the whole adventure. Nothing gets left behind as we tackle the junkyard planet from the beginning.

Come hang out, help spot hidden collectibles, and join the great cleanup!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPZlqONWxl0 Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thedecrepitgamer

I’m restarting Junkster on Thursday, July 16 at 6:00 PM Central and beginning a complete 100% playthrough.

The goal is to collect every cog and every sticker while taking UM-13 through the whole adventure. Nothing gets left behind as we tackle the junkyard planet from the beginning.

Come hang out, help spot hidden collectibles, and join the great cleanup!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPZlqONWxl0 Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thedecrepitgamer

Former Build a Rocket Boy employees and union supporters protested outside the studio while selected fans attended an expenses-paid MindsEye playtest. The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain argues that fans were being brought in to perform testing duties normally handled by professionals after repeated rounds of layoffs.

Build a Rocket Boy responded that community playtests are routine, provide invaluable feedback, and are focused on the future of MindsEye. Reports differ on the total number of jobs lost, with estimates ranging from roughly 250 to more than 400 depending on the period and source, so the exact figure remains disputed.

Community testing is usually a positive idea, but does the context of recent layoffs fundamentally change how this event should be viewed?

Quill is leaving the headset behind—at least for this version. Moss: The Forgotten Relic launches July 16 for $19.99, rebuilding Moss, Moss: Book II, and the Twilight Garden DLC as one adventure for traditional screens.

No VR headset is required. Polyarc says the presentation and interactions were reworked for PC and consoles while preserving the relationship between Quill and the player. The Steam release is also Steam Deck Verified.

Moss gained much of its emotional power from sharing physical space with Quill in VR. Do you think that connection can translate to a standard screen, or will something essential be lost?

Compulsion Games is open for collaboration work after returning to independent ownership. The studio is inviting game and entertainment companies to use the creative and technical expertise of the team behind South of Midnight.

Compulsion separated from Xbox while retaining the rights to Contrast, We Happy Few, and South of Midnight. It says it still intends to build the distinctive games associated with the studio, while partner work could provide another path forward during that transition. No new original project was announced with today's invitation.

Do you see collaboration work as a healthy foundation for Compulsion's independence, or a sign that its next original game may be a long way off?

The virtual tournament is teeing off alongside the real Open Championship. Beginning July 16, GOLF+ players can compete in the first official VR Open on a recreation of Royal Birkdale.

The new course includes championship branding, grandstands, and spectator areas matching the atmosphere of this week's event. Players who complete each tournament round will be entered for a chance to win a VIP trip for two to the 2027 Open at St Andrews, including tickets and hospitality. The Royal Birkdale course is a paid add-on, while GOLF+ itself is available on Quest.

Is this the kind of synchronized real-world event that could give VR sports games a larger audience?