After a couple of slower weeks, we're now back to a more normal week of new game releases and this week's big release comes courtesy of Bandai Namco for all of the JRPG fans here. As for the rest of this week's releases, we start with a sports management game of sorts, followed by a peculiar mix of vampires and farming, a "Choose your own adventure" game, a remake of a 2013 pirate game and we round the week off with a new take on old school action RTS games.

Echoes of Aincrad / This week's major release / Friday 10 July
Step into the floating castle of Aincrad, a world of breathtaking beauty and danger where every battle could be your last. Enter a mysterious, vibrant world and shape your fate. Create your hero, choose your gear, and master combat through your special skills and reflexes. Build synergy with the partner of your choice, level up, and unlock powerful abilities as your horizon expands with every victory. Will you rise and claim your destiny or fall to foes stronger than you imagined? Steam link

TrendForce's latest memory pricing survey reveals that the DRAM market will remain extremely tight in the third quarter of 2026. However, weaker demand from consumer applications and the impact of a higher comparison base are expected to moderate contract price increases to 13-18% QoQ.

Demand for NAND Flash will continue to be driven primarily by AI inference and large-scale data center deployments. Yet, with contract prices already at record highs and consumer demand slowing, price tolerance among consumer customers has reached its limit. As a result, NAND Flash contract prices are projected to increase by 10-15% QoQ—a noticeably slower pace than in previous quarters.

Longsys announced the establishment of a stable monthly production and delivery capacity of one million mSSD (Micro SSD) units, marking a major milestone for its high speed mSSD storage solutions. The new production capacity is designed to meet growing market demand while providing room for future expansion.

The first mSSD samples rolled off the production line at Longsys' Suzhou packaging and testing manufacturing base in October 2025. Following production line optimization, process refinement and manufacturing ramp-up, Longsys established a stable monthly production capacity of one million units in June 2026. Leveraging SiP (System-in-Package) integration and packaging technology to innovate and evolve traditional storage form factors, the product's performance, quality and functionality have been validated through real-world customer applications, and the company is now working with leading industry customers, including Lenovo and ASUS.

Philips Evnia has launched the New M4 gaming lineup built with revolutionary Triple-Mode technology. It offers three switchable high Hz-and-resolution presets tailored for different gaming scenarios, bringing unprecedented flexibility to players. The range includes Philips Evnia 27M4N3500PT and 27M4N5500PT, features Fast IPS panel and delivers HDR gaming across three selectable display modes, each optimized for a different play style. Innovative industrial design achieves perfect integration of appearance, structural rigidity and practical usability, bringing futuristic visual flair to modern gaming setups.

Triple Resolution Mode Delivers Greater Gaming Flexibility
In QHD (2560×1440) mode, the panel hits an overclocked 275 Hz with HDR enabled, delivering rich details and fluid visuals for immersive AAA gaming. Esports competitors can shift to HD (1280×720) mode and unlock a blazing 540 Hz overclocked refresh rate to secure ultra-low latency and instant in-game response. Sitting between the two is the balanced Full HD (1920×1080) mode running at 360 Hz, striking a perfect balance between picture fidelity and competitive speed.

MSI, a global leader in gaming, AI PC, and high-performance computing, proudly announces its standing as one of the world's first brands to become an EPEAT 2.0 Launch Partner. This milestone underscores MSI's core commitment to sustainability within the IT industry, advancing its goals in environmental protection and corporate social responsibility (CSR). In a concrete execution of this commitment, the MSI Prestige 13 AI+ Evo A2VMG business laptop has officially achieved EPEAT 2.0 Silver certification on June 20, 2026, after successfully passing the comprehensive new EPEAT 2.0 evaluation comprising over 80 criteria across four major sustainability pillars.

"As the industry transitions from a computing power arms race to the widespread deployment of Agentic AI, the value of technology is no longer measured solely by performance, but by how it coexists with the environment," said Wilson Tsai, Vice President of MSI's Global Management Center. "Becoming one of the world's first EPEAT 2.0 Launch Partners signifies not only a breakthrough in our green R&D for edge devices, but also our long-term commitment to the global value chain. Moving forward, anchored by our SBTi-validated carbon reduction targets, we will integrate these new international environmental standards into the core DNA of our procurement and supply chain management. Together with our upstream and downstream partners, we aim to transition steadily, driving intelligent upgrades while co-creating a responsible, sustainable future."

Edifier International, the award-winning audio electronics designer, announces the launch of its latest innovation the G5 MAX wireless gaming headset, redefining immersive gaming audio with professional-grade acoustic performance, ultra-low latency connectivity, and industry-leading battery life. Designed for gamers, streamers, and audio enthusiasts, the G5 MAX combines advanced acoustic engineering with cutting-edge wireless and immersive audio technologies to deliver reference-quality sound, crystal-clear communication, and uncompromising all-day performance.

The HECATE G5 MAX sets a new benchmark in wireless gaming audio with powerful 53 mm titanium-coated drivers, triple Hi-Res Audio certifications, AI-enhanced voice capture, and immersive THX Spatial Audio+ with 7.1.4 virtual surround sound for enhanced positional accuracy and a realistic 360-degree soundstage. Combined with an industry-leading 305 hours of battery life, the G5 MAX is engineered for gamers and creators who demand precision, immersion, and all-day comfort in a premium next-generation wireless audio experience.

As consumer preferences and the broader entertainment industry continue to shift away from physical discs to digital, physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028. Following this date, new games will be available on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only. This transition has no impact on games that already released, or will be releasing, prior to January 2028 in disc format.

This is a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs. This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today.

LG Innotek, renowned for its optical solution business and leadership in high-performance camera modules, is quickly establishing itself as a key player in package solutions, including high-value-added semiconductor substrates.

Backed by a combination of structural growth drivers—including the rollout of 5G networks, trend toward higher-performing components in premium smartphones, ongoing recovery of the memory market, and rapid expansion of AI and big data applications—the increase in global demand for high-value-added semiconductor substrate products is accelerating.

Worldwide 300 mm fab equipment investment in the memory sector is projected to surpass $50 billion for the first time in 2026, rising 29% to $52 billion before increasing another 11% to $57 billion in 2027, SEMI reported today in its latest 300 mm Fab Outlook. The growth reflects continued AI-driven demand for advanced memory, supported by rising investment in AI infrastructure, data centers, and next-generation computing systems.

Looking further out, global 300 mm fab equipment spending in the memory sector is expected to grow at a 19% CAGR from 2024 to 2029. Worldwide 300 mm memory capacity is also projected to increase, reaching 4.1 million wafers per month in 2026 and 4.2 million wafers per month in 2027.

LG Electronics (LG) is expanding its lifestyle screen lineup with its new StanbyME 2 Max, delivering a more flexible and enjoyable entertainment experience on a larger movable 32-inch screen with 4K resolution.

First introduced in 2021, LG StanbyME pioneered the "Movable Screen" category by taking viewing experiences beyond the capabilities of stationary displays. This lineup continues its evolution with the StanbyME 2 Max, which features its largest screen yet and upgraded picture quality for more engaging and convenient user experiences.

As we're about to pass the half year mark of this year and enter the month of July, we have an even slower week for new game releases than last week. This week's major release isn't very major, but it's at least from a space opera franchise that everyone will be familiar with, combined with a board game that everyone should also be familiar with. As for the rest of this week's new releases we have a game that involves maths and science, an old school text-based detective game, an early fourth of July game for our US readers, a classic top-down arcade shooter and finally a pixel art RPG with a twist.

Monopoly: Star Wars Heroes vs. Villains / This week's major release / Tuesday 30 June
Assemble your team, build your roster of iconic Star Wars characters, and battle with your friends and family for control of the galaxy as you move across storied planets and locations. Choose from a wide array of Star Wars heroes and villains, each with their own unique abilities. Whether you're teaming up with Luke Skywalker or unleashing Darth Vader, every match is packed with team strategy, surprises, and classic Star Wars moments. Steam link