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■ Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand that consists of four main home video game console lines, as well as applications (video games), the streaming service Xbox Cloud Gaming, and online services such as the Xbox network and Xbox Game Pass. The brand is owned by Microsoft Gaming, a division of Microsoft.

Xbox Games Showcase 2026

Say what you will, but I’m still an Xbox fan. They’ve backpedaled a little and reduced their Game Pass. I covered this in the Xbox Disaster, pointing to the fact that $30 is just too expensive for Game Pass Ultimate (if you want the latest game day and date). They’ve heard the complaints and reduced it to $23 a month… but I think the damage’s been done. I’m not going back on Game Pass, sorry.

Anyway, Xbox Games Showcase and Gears of War: E-Day Direct will air on Sunday, June 7, at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern. I’m not sure if I will watch it live, but would rather just get the highlights, like I did last year.

Obviously, the big game on their slate of first-party games will be Gears of War… but as part of their Xbox 25th Anniversary, they are bringing back Xbox FanFest at Showcase.

To help celebrate the Xbox 25th anniversary, we’re excited to bring back Xbox FanFest at Showcase. This year’s experience will include a look back at the last 25 years, alongside a forward view of what’s next. Enter for your chance to win free tickets to attend here: https://www.xbox.com/fanfest (No purchase necessary. Open to legal U.S. residents 18+. Ends 4/12/26. Official Rules).

You can watch the live event on YouTube.com/Xbox and Twitch, if that’s your thing.

In other Xbox news, apparently Xbox is now XBOX. I probably won’t be capitalizing the name going forward, I’m just glad it’s not XBONE.

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■ PlayStation
PlayStation is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consist of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists of handhelds, online services, magazines, and other forms of media.

PlayStation Ends PC Ports

Anyone who has been paying attention to PlayStation, this will come as no surprise to you. As I have predicted, PlayStation are pulling their games off of PC (this includes Steam, GOG, and Epic Games).

Just to give you a little background on PS games on PC, for many years Sony’s strategy was to keep their games exclusive to the PSN. Then in 2020, Sony opened up and introduced their exclusive games on Steam, with the first title being Horizon Zero Dawn.

I do regret buying all the early PlayStation games on Steam, despite already playing The Last of Us on the PS3 and PS4. Recently, PlayStation introduced a 30-day online requirement, which suggests PlayStation’s need to control their games.

So, the sad thing is that, I guess going forward, is that I’ll never play new PlayStation games – because I just refuse to pay $800 for their latest console (they keep raising their prices). Plus, I don’t want to be locked into their ecosystem, which has that online check-in, and online games will require a monthly Sony fee.

I guess if you look on the bright side, I’ll be saving money by not spending on a PS game.