Early hands-on tests suggest that Valve’s new controller can, in some cases, serve as a viable alternative to traditional PC controls. It performs particularly well in strategy and building games thanks to its touchpads and gyro sensor. However, in fast-paced combat scenarios, classic mouse-and-keyboard setups still come out on top.

HBO’s Harry Potter series is expected to make up for many book moments that were cut from the films. On Reddit, fans are currently discussing emotional scenes that absolutely need to be included, among them moments with Molly Weasley and Neville Longbottom.

Pokémon HOME is distributing Shiny Volcanion for the first time, an extremely rare Fire/Water-type Mythical Pokémon. For many fans, however, the excitement has quickly turned into frustration, as the gift is out of reach without a lot of grinding and the Mega Dimension expansion.

Deal | Dave the Diver was one of Steam’s biggest surprise hits of 2023. The quirky mix of diving adventure and sushi restaurant management is currently 45% off again, bringing it back to its lowest price of around $11.

Deal | Valfaris: Mecha Therion is currently cheaper than ever. For $3.99 instead of $19.99, Steam players get brutal mech action backed by a fitting heavy metal soundtrack. The title currently has 92% positive reviews on Steam.

The Unitree R1 is set to launch internationally via AliExpress soon and costs the equivalent of around $4,000 in China. While the humanoid robot is hardly suited to household chores or everyday assistance, it could be an interesting option for robotics fans and developers.

A new leak for Pokémon Winds & Waves suggests a Komodo dragon Pokémon with the rare Dragon/Poison type combination could play an important role in the story. Fans are already speculating whether it could be a Gym Leader’s signature Pokémon or even a pseudo-legendary Pokémon.

YouTuber Lecctron tested how much gaming performance can be squeezed out of a tiny $15 PC. The Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W handles Minecraft and many PS1 classics surprisingly well, but clearly reaches its limits with N64 and PSP games.

HardwareDealz wanted to find out how much gaming performance is possible with used components for €500 (around $535). The result of the experiment is a build with a Ryzen 5 5600X, RTX 3070 Ti and 32 GB of RAM. However, the low price target was only possible thanks to a good bundle deal. Buying used hardware also remains a risk.

HBO’s Harry Potter series is set to retell the books, but many Reddit users are asking whether that is even necessary. The community sees the remake as commercially logical, but questions its creative value. The deciding factor could be whether HBO makes meaningful use of scenes from the books that were left out of the films.

Deal | Fight Knight is an unusual first-person dungeon crawler focused on hand-to-hand combat and packed with indie charm. Its original story also helped the RPG earn very strong reviews. Thanks to the current 95% discount, it has now dropped below $1 for the first time.

Deal | Kingdom: New Lands blends base-building, survival and strategy from a side-scrolling perspective. Its defining twist: the game explains almost nothing. Those willing to take on the challenge can currently pick it up on Steam for around $1.50, once again matching its lowest price to date.

Nocturnal is a 2D action-adventure that stands out thanks to its atmospheric world and original fire mechanics. The game has 91% positive user reviews and is available completely free on Steam until April 26.

Deal | Drova – Forsaken Kin is an action RPG clearly inspired by Gothic and has been very well received on Steam, with 94% positive user reviews. The game is 34% off until April 30, bringing it down to a new all-time low of $16.49.

Toei Company is building a new foothold in the video game industry with Toei Games. Instead of immediately drawing on well-known brands such as Dragon Ball, One Piece, Kamen Rider or Super Sentai, the Japanese entertainment group is initially focusing on entirely new original IPs.

Sony’s AI division has developed a table tennis robot called Ace that can beat elite players. In a Nature study, the system is described as a milestone for physical AI. However, comparisons with human players are not entirely without controversy, as Ace is not a humanoid robot.

SK Hynix is making billions from the AI-driven memory boom. While RAM and SSDs could become more expensive for consumers, employees could receive extremely high bonuses through a profit-sharing model.

Xpeng plans to start series production of a two-part “flying car” system from 2027, consisting of a carrier vehicle and an eVTOL. According to the company, more than 7,000 orders have already been placed. Whether this ambitious timeline can be met, however, will depend largely on approval from China’s aviation authorities.

Deal | I Am Your Beast is a first-person shooter for record chasers. The goal is to eliminate enemies as quickly as possible, complete levels in the shortest possible time, and keep setting new records. Steam users have given the game a 98% positive rating. It is currently available at 40% off for $11.99 – its lowest price to date.

In the US, Amazon is facing a class action lawsuit over older Fire TV sticks. The allegation is that the end of software support was not disclosed clearly enough, causing apps and features to stop working properly and leaving some devices barely usable.

After nearly 15 years, Tim Cook is handing over the reins at Apple to John Ternus – and Ternus is already outlining major AI plans, saying the company is about to “change the world again.” Smart glasses, AirPods with cameras, and new connected gadgets could bring AI more deeply into everyday life in the future.

With the Smart Fish Tank 2S Ultra, Dangbei is introducing an AI-powered aquarium designed to take over much of the work involved in fish care. Using AI-based image recognition, it is intended to identify the species, number and size of the fish in order to adjust feeding, lighting and water quality accordingly.

Five leaked images from the London set of the Elden Ring film are fueling speculation. Fans believe they may show not only Leyndell, but also a young Marika, an Omen child and even a reference to the Dung Eater.

GTA 6 fans have analyzed all the cars seen in the first two trailers that could potentially appear in the game. The result is a list of 50 vehicles – and one of them is currently generating even more buzz in the community than the green Lamborghini Aventador.

Deal | If you still haven’t had the chance to play the remastered version of the original Dark Souls, now might be a great time to do so. Dark Souls: Remastered is currently available on Steam for around $20 at half price – a discount of this size has been relatively rare over the past year.

With ReSTIR PT Enhanced, Nvidia has introduced a new technique aimed at making path tracing in games significantly more efficient. According to the accompanying research paper, performance gains of up to 2.74× are possible, while visual artifacts are reduced and overall stability is improved. The announcement has already generated considerable excitement in the community, although it remains unclear when and in which games the technology will actually be used.

Clear signs that the series will remain much closer to the books have given many fans hope for a strong adaptation. But side-by-side comparisons with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone suggest that the noticeably colder visual tone of the first trailer has not gone down well. Many fans now fear the series could lose some of Harry Potter’s magical charm.

Deal | Ember Knights may draw clear inspiration from Hades, but it brings plenty of its own ideas to the table – most notably four-player co-op. Until April 23, the roguelite is 60% off on Steam, dropping to its lowest price yet at $7.99.

Deal | Willow Guard blends dark fantasy, detective work and tactical combat into an unusual genre mix. Until April 27, the atmospheric fantasy RPG is 70% off on Steam, dropping to its lowest price yet at just under $4.80.

The Elden Ring adaptation is starting to take shape: Bandai Namco has not only revealed the cast, but also confirmed the US theatrical release date. With Alex Garland set to write and direct and a high-profile cast on board, many fans are hoping for a video game adaptation that rises above the usual standard.

Ubisoft is sending fresh signals that it may be placing a stronger focus on AI. Current job listings suggest that generative AI could play a larger role at the French publisher going forward – and that is already sparking debate within the gaming community.

Deal | A largely overlooked sci-fi adventure with 89% positive Steam reviews is currently available for free. Anyone in the mood for a philosophical story, meaningful choices and multiple endings should take a closer look before April 23.

After the failure of Skull and Bones, Windrose is emerging as a new hope for pirate fans. Here’s what sets the game apart from its competitors – and why abandoning the MMO model was probably the right decision.

The 3D dungeon crawler Cralon marks the debut of Pithead Studio, founded by former Gothic developers Jennifer and Björn Pankratz. So far, however, the game has received a mixed response on Steam – and technical issues are only part of the problem.

The pirate trend in video games is showing no signs of slowing down in 2026, and it has now reached the city-building genre as well. With Corsair Cove, Limbic Entertainment has announced a new city-builder in which a pirate settlement is built upward along cliffs and rock faces. GameStar editor and YouTuber Maurice Weber has even called it “one of the most original city-building games in a long time.” The game is scheduled for release in 2026.

Deal | En Garde! combines fast-paced swordplay, a charmingly exaggerated world and a protagonist with plenty of personality. The action-adventure is available on Steam with a 90% discount until May 3, bringing the price down to just under $2.

No fewer than six My Neighbor Totoro set concepts have crossed the 10,000-supporter threshold on LEGO Ideas. Past examples suggest, however, that even strong interest offers no guarantee they will ever become official sets.

Which Harry Potter film is Daniel Radcliffe’s favorite? In a tournament-style ranking, the actor ends up choosing a film that few fans would likely have expected. But it’s not just the winner that has sparked discussion among fans.

With the couch gag, one of The Simpsons’ most recognizable trademarks is disappearing. Showrunner Matt Selman has defended the decision by citing limited runtime, changing streaming habits and the additional animation work involved. Many fans, however, see it as the loss of a key part of the show’s DNA and suspect cost-cutting and a lack of creativity instead.

Elementallis combines classic Zelda-style gameplay in the spirit of A Link to the Past with elemental powers reminiscent of Avatar: The Last Airbender. After years in development, the top-down RPG has finally received a release date – and it is now only a few days away.

With Vampire Crawlers and Kiln, Xbox Game Pass is getting two day-one releases next week. One looks like a promising roguelite spin-off from the makers of Vampire Survivors, while the other leans into a delightfully offbeat multiplayer concept built around pottery and brawling.

Deal | With Halo: The Master Chief Collection, all six games in the legendary sci-fi shooter series are currently available on Steam at 75% off. That brings the price of the bundle down to around $10 – matching its lowest price so far.

Warner Bros. has released the first teaser for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum and, along with it, revealed the film’s main cast. Jamie Dornan as Aragorn, however, is already sparking debate, as many fans still consider Viggo Mortensen’s portrayal untouchable.

Amazon is responding to mounting pressure from Temu and Shein with a new Smart Warehouse in Shenzhen. The concept is intended to make storage, customs handling and shipping via Amazon easier for Chinese retailers, while also lowering costs and speeding up supply chains.

Deal | Legend of Keepers turns the usual dungeon-crawler formula upside down: instead of fighting your way through dungeons as the hero, you build and defend them yourself. Anyone who enjoys tactical games and wants to experience the genre from a different angle may find this one well worth a look. At the moment, it is available free of charge on Steam.

Romestead combines cozy base-building with survival RPG elements: by day, players build and expand their settlement in the ruins of the Roman Empire, while undead hordes attack at night. The concept already seems to be resonating strongly, with the game appearing on more than 250,000 wishlists – and its Early Access release date has now been confirmed.

Deal | Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne is currently available at just under $2.50 thanks to a 75% discount, matching its lowest price to date. The dark third-person shooter continues to be highly rated on Steam, where 94% of user reviews are positive.

Deal | Supergiant’s first game is currently almost free on Steam. Bastion stands out above all for its narrator, who comments on nearly every action the player takes. Thanks to the current 85% discount, the action RPG is available for just $2.24 – matching its lowest price to date.

After months in beta, Google is now rolling out its desktop app globally. The app functions as a kind of control center, allowing users to search both the web and their own PC, as well as ask Gemini questions directly – all from a single search bar.

On the unofficial community website Speranza Bounties, Arc Raiders players can flag other accounts, vote each day on “Most Wanted” targets and submit confirmed eliminations. According to Insider Gaming, the platform does not just focus on aggressive PvP players, but also frequently places well-known streamers and content creators in the crosshairs.

HBO’s new Harry Potter series may be set to fill one of the most noticeable gaps left by the films: concept art suggests that Peeves the poltergeist could finally make his live-action debut in season 1.