Gadgets and Gaming

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30 Oct 2025

Xbox Hardware Sales Continue To Nosedive

SKOREA-ENTERTAINMENT-GAMING-MICROSOFT-XBOX — JUNG YEON-JE / Xbox

Given recent news about the state of the Xbox Series S and X consoles, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Xbox’s hardware sales continue to nosedive.

Microsoft shared its Q1 2026 earnings, revealing that Xbox hardware revenue was down 29 percent year over year.

This latest financial news paints a bleak picture for the hardware division, as the numbers keep getting worse rather than better. Last quarter, hardware sales were down 22 percent, down 29 percent for the first two quarters of 2025, and down 42 percent in Q4 of 2024.

Things will only get more challenging as the company also has to contend with Donald Trump and his blatant abuse of tariffs, which have forced Microsoft ot make some unpopular decisions like raising the price of the Series X console to $599.

The company has also implemented a new strategy with its “Xbox everywhere” initiative, which promotes the idea that any device that can play its games in the cloud is an Xbox.

Microsoft’s gaming division has also begun ditching the idea of exclusive games and, basically, conceded the “console wars” when it announced that Halo: Campaign Evolved, a remake of the first game in the franchise, is coming to the PlayStation 5.

Despite all the dire news about hardware sales, Microsoft is not out of the console business yet. The company just released two new handheld devices in partnership with ASUS, the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X.

Company heads like Xbox President Sarah Bond and CEO Satya Nadella have also begun teasing the next Xbox console, sharing that it will be a premium, high-powered PC/gaming console experience that will most likely include multiple storefronts, like Steam.

We shall see what the future holds for the company.

29 Oct 2025

New 3v3 Street Basketball Game ‘NBA The Run’ Announced, Gamers React

Gamers have been screaming for the return of NBA Street. Now, former developers of the long-dormant video game franchise look to answer those cries with NBA The Run.

Play By Play Studios, which is comprised of former EA Sports developers, has secured both official NBA and NBPA licenses for its new game, NBA The Run.

NBA The Run will serve as a spiritual successor to EA Sports Big’s iconic 3v3 basketball game, NBA Street, and its equally, if not more popular, sequel, NBA Street Vol . 2.

Before the game landed NBA and NBPA licenses, it was known simply as The Run: Got Next in 2024 and was only going to feature original characters. Now players can look forward to playing street-style basketball using their favorite pro hoopers like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry, Anthony Edwards, and even Cooper Flag.

Speaking with Brian Shea of Game Informer, studio founder and CEO Scott Probst touched on learning that he and his team were not alone in their love and appreciation for arcade-style streetball basketball games.

“We didn’t know; we were working in the shadows,” Probst told Game Informer. “We were making The Run: Got Next before it was licensed, and we didn’t really know. We had this sense that players would love this and players would still want it, and I think the reaction that we got was bigger and better than we actually thought it was going to be.”

NBA The Run Will Utilize Rollback Netcode

What made NBA Street so popular among gamers was its coop couch play, sparking many a battle between friends.

NBA The Run hopes to recapture that same energy, but with online crossplay, while using rollback netcode, which fighting games use to reduce the impact of ping differences in multiplayer sessions and level the playing field.

Bobbito Garcia, who handled the play-by-play in NBA Street, is in talks to return to NBA The Run when it launches on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S in 2026.

The reception to the game has been lukewarm, with many asking why not just bring NBA Street back?

We’re gonna hold judgment until we get hands-on with the game. Who knows, NBA The Run could be a banger.

Peep more reactions below.

29 Oct 2025

Electronic Arts Sales Fell 13% In Second Quarter, Suspends Earnings Calls

After being acquired and on the verge of going private, Electronic Arts saw its sales fall 13% year over year in the July-September quarter, according to its latest earnings report.

The company announced it will also stop holding quarterly Q&A calls between analysts and EA leadership, something it has done for years, and will no longer share forward-looking financial guidance.

Variety reports the company’s decisions could be tied to the $55 billion acquisition deal that will see the Saudis and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners and Silver Lake Group take control of the video game developer.

The Sept. 29 acquisition hasn’t been completed yet, but is on track to be completed by next spring.

Per Variety:

Wall Street forecast earnings per share (EPS) of 35 cents on $1.87 billion in revenue for the quarter, according to analyst consensus data provided by LSEG. EA reported non-GAAP diluted EPS of 54 cents on $1.82 billion in net bookings ($1.84 billion in revenue).

That net bookings figure was down 13% from the $2.1 billion in net bookings EA posted from July-September 2024, which EA attributes to especially strong sales for “College Football 25” at that time.

Despite sales falling, EA CEO Andrew Wilson expressed optimism in a letter sent to shareholders.

“Across our broad portfolio — from ‘EA Sports’ to ‘Battlefield,’ ‘The Sims,’ and ‘skate.’ — our teams continue to create high-quality experiences that connect and inspire players around the world,” Wilson said. “The creativity, passion, and innovation of our teams are at the heart of everything we do.”

We shall see if that optimism remains if the sales numbers don’t improve.

29 Oct 2025

Electronic Arts Sales Fell 13% In Second Quarter, Suspends Earnings Calls

After being acquired and on the verge of going private, Electronic Arts saw its sales fall 13% year over year in the July-September quarter, according to its latest earnings report.

The company announced it will also stop holding quarterly Q&A calls between analysts and EA leadership, something it has done for years, and will no longer share forward-looking financial guidance.

The Sept. 29 acquisition hasn’t been completed yet, but is on track to be completed by next spring.

Per Variety:

Despite sales falling, EA CEO Andrew Wilson expressed optimism in a letter sent to shareholders.

We shall see if that optimism remains if the sales numbers don’t improve.

29 Oct 2025

Microsoft Remains Mum Following Donald Trump’s AI-Generated ‘Halo’ Slop, White House Responds Ridiculous Statement

Microsoft Silent On White House/DHS Using 'Halo' Imagery — NICHOLAS KAMM / Microsoft / Donald Trump

Well, this isn’t surprising. Microsoft is biting its tongue following Donald Trump’s latest AI-generated slop featuring himself as Master Chiefand DHS using Halo to promote ICE.

While the country faces a wave of uncertainty amid the government shutdown that is now in day 28, the Trump administration showed how unserious it is after White House officials shared an AI-generated photo of Trump as Halo’s main protagonist, Master Chief, standing in front of the White House while saluting an American flag with only 40 stars.

Trump’s ridiculous AI-generated image managed to steal Halo Studios’ thunder, which just announced Halo: Campaign Evolved, a complete remake of the 2001 game Halo: Combat Evolved that will also mark Master Chief’s arrival on the PlayStation 5.

But that wasn’t the only disgusting post. The Department of Homeland Security also got in on the act, sharing a Halo-themed photo with the “DESTROY THE FLOOD JOIN. ICE. GOV.”

Microsoft’s silence shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone. The company’s CEO, Satya Nadella, has already kissed Trump’s ring, attended his inauguration, and Microsoft has donated to the construction of the ugly White House ballroom, plus has many federal contracts.

You know who’s not staying silent, the White House, and they responded to journalist Alyssa Mercante when she reached out for comment on the matter.

Like we said in our previous post on the image, Trump would probably take credit for ending the “console wars,” and that’s precisely what happened in the statement.

“Yet another war ended under President Trump’s watch—only one leader is fully committed to giving power to the players, and that leader is Donald J. Trump. That’s why he’s hugely popular with the American people and American Gamers.”

This administration is definitely the worst.

People Who Used To Be Involved With Halo Are Speaking Out

But some individuals who were involved with Halo at one point have expressed their displeasure with DHS/ICE’s recent posts.

Marcus Lehto, co-creator of Halo and lead designer of Master Chief, spoke with Game File’s Stephen Totilo, calling the DHS’s post “absolutely abhorrent.”

He continued, “It really makes me sick seeing Halo co-opted like this.”

Jaime Griesemer, a chief designer on several of the early games, told Game File that he found Trump’s Master Chief post funny but opposed the ICE post.

“Using Halo imagery in a call to ‘destroy’ people because of their immigration status goes way too far, and ought to offend every Halo fan, regardless of political orientation,” Griesemer said. “I personally find it despicable. The Flood are evil space zombie parasites and are not an allegory to any group of people.”

You can see more reactions below.

27 Oct 2025

Donald Trump Sticks His Orange Nose In The “Console Wars,” DHS Uses ‘Halo’ To Recruit For ICE

Donald Trump's White House Shares AI-Generated Halo Meme — Getty Images / Donald Trump / Halo: Campaign Evolved

Donald Trump and his extremely corrupt administration continue to use video games to push his divisive agenda.

Halo Studios is coming off the announcement of Halo: Campaign Evolved, the remake of the iconic first game, Halo: Combat Evolved, that will bring Master Chief to the PlayStation for the first time, and now the studio is probably big mad that Donald Trump and his administration are using their game to promote divisiveness within the country.

In what has become “I can’t believe this is really a moment,” the official White House account on social media shared more AI-generated slop of Donald Trump wearing Master Chief’s Spartan armor while saluting an American flag with a pronounced and egregious error.

The White House’s headscratching post was a response to GameStop’s latest cringeworthy post announcing the end of console wars, and finally, the announcement of Halo coming to the PlayStation 5.

Clearly, the White House intern in charge of posting on the account knows a bit about gaming, as the post’s caption read “Power To The Players,” which is GameStop’s slogan.

We have no idea why the White House would comment on this, but we assume it has to do with Trump’s unproven claims that he has “ended eight wars,” so now he thinks he can add this one to that list.

Don’t be shocked if Trump moronicaly mentions this as a war he brought to an end.

DHS Also Used A Halo-Themed Meme

But that wasn’t the only Halo-themed meme shared by this disastrous administration.

DHS (Department of Homeland Security) also got in on the act and shared a photo from Halo featuring Master Chief in a Warthog with “Destroy The Flood, Jone. ICE. GOV” written across the picture, referring not to the symbiotic alien species from the game but to undocumented immigrants.

This latest video game-themed post follows the distasteful Pokémon video putting detained undocumented immigrants’ faces on Pokémon cards, and another video using DaBaby’s music to show its new vehicles to harass law-abiding immigrants.

It remains to be seen if this tactic is actually helping with recruitment, as ICE is currently struggling to grow the numbers, and some ICE recruits are showing up without being properly vetted.

We wished we could hit reset on this trash video game immediately. All you folks had to do was vote for Kamala Harris.

Just saying.

Also, we can’t count on Microsoft to handle this because ceo Satya Nadella is one of the many who have already kissed Trump’s ring.

You can see more reactions below.

24 Oct 2025

EA Announces Partnership With Company Behind Stable Diffusion To Make Games Using AI

EA Announces Partnership With Stability Diffusion's Creator — Getty Images / EA / AI

AI (artificial intelligence) is still a boogeyman in the gaming space, but EA (Electronic Arts) is all-in on it.

After their eye-watering $65 billion buyout at the hands of the Saudis and Affinity Partners, which was founded by Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, there is more news coming out regarding the popular video game publisher that will make the stomachs of gamers turn.

Electronic Arts announced a partnership with Stability AI, the creator of the AI image generation tool Stable Diffusion.

According to EA, the main goal of the partnership is to “co-develop transformative AI models, tools, and workflows” to help game developers speed up development while maintaining quality.

“I use the term smarter paintbrushes,”Head of Technical Art for EA SPORTS, Steve Kestell, said in the announcement. “We are giving our creatives the tools to express what they want.” To start, the “smarter paintbrushes” EA and Stability AI are building are concentrated on generating textures and in-game assets. EA hopes to create “Physically Based Rendering materials” with new tools “that generate 2D textures that maintain exact color and light accuracy across any environment.”

EA also claims that its partnership with the company will allow them to use AI to “pre-visualize entire 3D environments from a series of intentional prompts, allowing artists to creatively direct the generation of game content.”

EA Wants To Cut Game Development Time With Its New Partnership

The move isn’t surprising, as the gaming industry is increasingly integrating AI into game development.

With EA on the verge of being bought out, the company will be saddled with a lot of debt, so using AI could be a cost-effective way to deliver AAA games without the bloated development costs.

Also, game development times have increased significantly, with many gamers complaining that it takes too long for these big-name titles to hit shelves, so finding a way to cut that time in half without sacrificing quality is always welcome.

BUT —and this is a huge BUT —no one wants to see humans replaced by AI to accomplish this goal.

21 Oct 2025

According To ‘NBA 2K26’, OKC Thunder Defeat New York Knicks In Finals To Repeat As Champs

According to NBA 2K26, fans of the New York Knicks are in for a season they have been longing for, but will ultimately suffer heartache.

The official 2025-26 NBA season tips off today, but NBA 2K26, which is now the unofficial start to basketball season, has predicted a wide range of outcomes that some fans will appreciate, while others will label it the purest of CAP.

Like with Madden, the folks at 2K decided to use NBA 2K26 to simulate the season to determine who would come out on top.

Unsurprisingly, coming out of the West will be last year’s champs, the Oklahoma City Thunder, who will defeat the Denver Nuggets in seven games in the Western Conference Finals to defend their title in the NBA Finals.

But what should give a lot of New Yorkers hope is that the game also predicted the New York Knicks, who have a new coach in Mike Woodson, will finally get over the Eastern Conference Finals hump, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games to face the Thunder in hopes of delivering the mecca of basketball its first NBA chip since 1973.

But for Knicks fans, their 2025-26 season will end in heartbreak because the OKC Thunder will repeat as champions, with NBA 2K26 cover athlete, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, grabbing NBA Finals MVP honors and repeating as league MVP.

Other 2K Sim Predictions

We are intrigued to see how accurate this prediction is, given that it is based solely on the NBA 2K26 stat model.

2K also used the latest installment in the popular basketball video game franchise to predict this season’s Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player of the Year, as well as other stats.

You can see those results below.

Rookie of the Year

Defensive Player of the Year

Most Improved Player

All-NBA Teams

20 Oct 2025

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite Review: Worth Every Penny!

$599 for a pair of gaming headphones is an astronomical ask, especially in Donald Trump’s economy. But if you got the coins, are serious about your video games, and how you immerse yourself in the world during your gaming sessions, then you definitely need the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite headset.

I’m not a serious audiophile, but I do appreciate a good gaming headset, and no one right now is making better headsets than SteelSeries. I’ve been a fan of the brand since I got my hands on the Arctis Nova Pro; it’s been my go-to head ever since, but that all changed once I got my hands on the Arctis Nova Elite.

With the arrival of the $599 Nova Elite headset, SteelSeries introduces a new category of luxury gaming headsets that could change the game. SteelSeries is hoping that the allure of the headset’s premium design, introduction of hi-res wireless audio, carbon fiber speaker drivers, a metal frame, and the ability to stream audio simultaneously from your PC, Xbox, PS5, and smartphone will convince you to swipe your card for the gaming headset that costs as much as a gaming console.

Based on my time with the headset, I believe they have accomplished that goal.

Premium Comfort & Design

While the Arctis Nova Pro ($290.99) and Arctis Nova Elite headsets share some similarities, the latter definitely sets itself apart from its predecessor in a number of ways.

The Nova Elite ditches the plastic, now featuring a metal frame and control wheel, and a fantastic sage-and-gold finish that helps the headset pull off a $599 look.

The memory foam cups on the Nova Pro were already comfy. Still, somehow SteelSeries made them even more comfortable on the Nova Elite, allowing me to remain cool and comfortable during extended gaming sessions.

I have pretty large ears, and wearing headsets can become cumbersome after a while, so that’s why I’m a buds person. But the Arctis Nova Pro fit perfectly over my ears, and I never felt the need to take them off to give my head and ears a break.

The fit on the Nova Elite is also improved thanks to SteelSeries’s use of aluminum and stainless steel, which give the headset a sturdier feel.

First Gaming Headset To Offer Hi-Res Wireless Audio

What really puts the Arctis Nova Elite headset in a class all by itself is that it’s the first gaming headset to offer hi-res wireless audio, allowing the wearer to stream 96kHz/24-bit audio over 2.4GHz via the GameHub DAC or the headset’s impressive Bluetooth with LC3+.

Ahead of my review, SteelSeries told me that Hi-Res audio is something I can only experience on the latest Google smartphone, the Pixel 10, or on PC, with consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X capped at 48k/16bit.

Still, the sound quality while playing games with rich audio, like Alien: Rogue Incursion, Silent Hill, or Call of Duty, was vastly improved while wearing the Nova Elite headset.

Through the Arctis smartphone companion app or Sonar on the PC, you can quickly change the sound profiles with any of the preloaded EQ Presets. For example, there is a preset designed explicitly for Armored Core IV: Fires of Rubicon, and one already loaded for Battlefield 6.

I did most of my tweaking through the Arctis app because dealing with Windows and Sonar wasn’t seamless for me, but I’ll stop short of saying it was a headache.

Omniplay Is Something I Didn’t Know I Needed

Another game-changing feature that the Nova Elite boasts that I didn’t know I needed until I experienced it is Ominplay.

What is Omniplay, you ask? Well, it allows the wearer to connect to four audio sources simultaneously. So I can be connected to my smartphone via Bluetooth, while still being connected to my PS5 and Xbox Series X via USB-C at the same time.

Unlike the previous GameHub DAC model, the one that comes with the Nova Elite features three line-in inputs instead of just two.

Omniplay lets you mix audio from four sources, so you can be in a Discord chat on your phone or PC and mix in audio from whatever console you’re playing on.

Final Verdict

I’m not going to hop on here and tell you to run out and buy a pair of $599 headphones, but I will say these bad boys are worth every single penny if you do intend to swipe the card on them.

SteelSeries has cemented its position in the luxury gaming headset space, and we won’t be surprised if other companies follow suit.

The Arctis Nova Elite checks all the boxes and then some, offering a sturdy headset built from premium materials that provide comfort, superior ANC (active noise cancellation), fully customizable and superb sound, hi-res wireless audio, and the ability to sync with up to 4 devices at once.

They can also serve as your everyday headset because they make the transition from your gaming station to the streets easy, thanks to they unique design.

SteelSeries has delivered, dare I say, the best gaming headset on the market right now. Whether you can afford a pair is another question.

If you can’t you can always scoop up a pair of Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Gen 2 which are only $199 or the very much still relevant Arctis Nova Pro which are currently on sale.

19 Jun 2025

‘Marvel Cosmic Invasion’ Sets Itself Apart From Other Beat ‘Em Up Games With ‘Cosmic Swap’ Feature

'Marvel Cosmic Invasion' Is Not Your Typical Beat 'Em Up Game

Source: DOTEMU / Tribute Games / Marvel Cosmic Invasion

We are having a beat ’em up renaissance in the video game world, and Tribute Games is leading the charge. Their latest game, Marvel Cosmic Invasion, aims to continue that trend, and based on our experience at Summer Game Fest Play Days, the studio has another hit on its hands.

Tribute Games quickly rose on our list of favorite studios after the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. They are shifting from one popular IP, the Ninja Turtles, to deliver us another game involving popular characters from Marvel Comics’ lore with Marvel Cosmic Invasion.

This game was already high on our list when it was first announced, so you can imagine we were excited to get hands-on with it at Play Days. Let’s dive into our thoughts about our experience.

Before we proceed, let’s briefly explore the game’s plot. In Marvel Cosmic Invasion, Annihilus launches an attack that spreads across the galaxy, and it’s up to you and whichever two heroes you select to travel across Earth and beyond to stop the Annihilation Wave.

If that sounds familiar, Marvel aficionados will easily point out that the game’s plot is based on the Annihilation comic book run.

Cosmic Swap Is An Instant Game-Changer In Marvel Cosmic Invasion

Source: DOTEMU / Tribute Games / Marvel Cosmic Invasion

Right off the bat, Marvel Cosmic Invasion is already on a different level with its inclusion of our favorite Marvel superheroes. Still, what truly sets this game apart from games like TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge is the new character swapping feature called “Cosmic Swap.”

Immediately, we came to appreciate it because it’s hard to choose from the list of heroes, which so far includes Storm, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Nova, She-Hulk, Rocket Raccoon, Captain America, Venom, and Phyla-Vell.

Thanks to Cosmic Swap, that decision is made easier because you get to choose two characters to run with to take out Annihulus.

Now to the game, Cosmic Invasion isn’t just a typical beat ’em up; it has its own flair to the genre with the Cosmic Swap, which is a tag team function that you would find in most modern-day fighting games.

For our run, we played as Captain America and Spider-Man, and it felt seamless as we switched between the characters during the two stages we experienced during the brief but still meaty demo.

Source: DOTEMU / Tribute Games / Marvel Cosmic Invasion

Also, unlike other beat ’em up games, there seems to be more weight behind the attacks, and we appreciated that you could perform combos by knocking your opponents in the air, allowing your secondary character or another player to finish off an enemy to add some style to the game’s combat.

Other Fun Elements In Marvel Cosmic Invasion

Source: DOTEMU / Tribute Games / Marvel Cosmic Invasion

Like Shredder’s Revenge, Cosmic Invasion is a beautifully designed 2D experience featuring gorgeous animation that brings these heroes from the comic book pages to life, while showing appreciation for a style considered dated by today’s video game graphics standards.

The soundtrack in the game also impresses, adding to the chaotic yet enjoyable gameplay. Boss bottles are also challenging, requiring players to either work together with other players or skillfully utilize their character’s special moves in conjunction with kicks and punches to take out bosses like Taskmaster, who require teamwork to break his defenses, opening him up for attacks.

Overall Thoughts

Source: DOTEMU / Tribute Games / Marvel Cosmic Invasion

Marvel Cosmic Invasion was one of the games we were already excited about before our preview. Getting hands-on with the game has only increased that anticipation.

Based on the sample size we experienced, Tribute Games and DOTEMU have another hit on their hands. With the addition of new characters, such as She-Hulk and Rocket Raccoon, this game could become one with high replayability over time.

Keep it locked on HHW Gaming for a full review of Marvel Cosmic Invasion ahead of the game’s release.

1. Marvel Cosmic Invasion

Source:Marvel Cosmic Invasion

She-Hulk and Rocket Raccoon announced as playable characters in Marvel Cosmic Invasion. marvel cosmic invasion

2. Marvel Cosmic Invasion

Source:Marvel Cosmic Invasion

She-Hulk and Rocket Raccoon announced as playable characters in Marvel Cosmic Invasion. marvel cosmic invasion