Ars Technica Gaming

1. New official 30th anniversary Quake mission pack adds new maps and mechanics

   19 new maps continue the story from MachineGames' other campaign additions.

2. Sony acknowledges backlash, “cautiously” moves ahead with end of PlayStation discs

   Sony doesn't think the move will hurt it financially.

3. Pathogenic review: Damn, it feels good to be a virus

   The hot new roguelite twin-stick shooter lives up to the hype.

4. Just because a game is on disc doesn’t mean it will work in the future

   DoesItPlay tracks the many "physical" games that don't work without the Internet.

5. New AMD Linux patch boosts low-end gaming performance on Steam Deck

   Improved efficiency in EPP mode leads to ~32% jump in "1% low" frame rates.

6. Sony's decision to ditch discs was practically inevitable, data shows

   Circana numbers show US gamers overwhelmingly voting with their wallets.

7. Microsoft brings original Xbox backward compatibility to Windows PCs

   First four compatible titles can be run with an 11-year-old graphics card.

8. Sales of Valve's Steam Deck crater after recent price hike

   Analysis of bestseller charts shows an 80 percent dip from 2025's sales rate.

9. RIP bargain bin: The price impact of Sony's disc-free PlayStation plan

   Used discs are often cheaper than even deep digital discounts.

10. Hundreds rally at Bethesda HQ to protest Xbox layoffs, and Ars was there

    Union wants to halt a "perpetual cycle" of layoffs, get back to contract bargaining.

11. Hackers quickly prove that Neo Geo Doom ports are not "impossible"

    Clever coding and graphical compromises get a classic game on more classic hardware.

12. Valve's new Steam Machine verification system is silent on these Steam Deck-busters

    Dozens of titles too taxing for Steam Deck are still unrated for the new hardware.

13. Bethesda, id Software reportedly hit hard by Microsoft layoffs

    As much as 50 percent of some teams affected by reductions, and more could be coming.

14. The Nintendo Switch's days are numbered—but what is that number?

    Ars analysis suggests the 9-year-old console could keep selling for years.

15. The incredible shrinking Xbox: Five studios, 3,200 employees let go

    Move affects ~20% of the gaming division, which will refocus on its biggest franchises.

16. Wing Commander IV and the FMV future that never quite was

    C:\ArsGames takes a look at the time Chris Roberts more or less made a whole movie.

17. Sony announces end of PlayStation discs, parts of digital store in the same day

    “We will own nothing, it's truly sad.”

18. Hotly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI will cost more than other AAA games

    GTA6 might be an outlier, though—at least for now.

19. Valve's Steam Machine ships June 29 for $1,049, but you probably won't be able to buy one yet

    Valve says it's using a randomized purchase queue to make the experience "less frustrating and more fair."

20. Pokémon Go players unwittingly contributed to tech with military drone uses

    The repurposing of Pokémon Go data for AI training continues to draw scrutiny.