We recap a busy week in tech and gaming without Gardner, previewing topics like GTA VI leaks, Valve’s upcoming 30th anniversary, and Bazzite updates. Hi-Tech discusses finishing and publishing a Steam Machine review on YouTube and Bilibili, testing Steam Remote Play versus Moonlight, and enabling Wake-on-LAN with a caveat involving HDMI-CEC turning on TVs. James shares progress on multiple software projects, Unreal game development and Steam Deck/Steam Machine testing, and using Claude/MCP for asset management.

We continue discuss Rockstar/Take-Two responding to a GTA VI leak by subpoenaing Microsoft and Discord, debate the impact on sales, and note rumors of an active build being distributed with a contingency release. They also cover FCC dropping a nationwide gigabit goal, speculate on Valve announcements (including Steam Frame), and react to a Supreme-branded Analogue Pocket.

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Xbox PC games are coming to Linux. So is the Epic Games Store. We all built Steam Machines, and Nvidia’s edge AI hardware turned up somewhere it really shouldn’t have.

Full show notes and every episode: https://offtheconsole.com

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On this episode of Off the Console, the hosts discuss a rumored GTA VI gameplay trailer being exclusive to Netflix for six hours and what it says about industry greed, plus concerns about Take-Two’s leadership comments on physical media and streaming. They react to Xbox Series X price increases in Europe and the UK, debating the value of locked console ecosystems versus Steam and PC, and they cover reports of a Saudi-backed move to buy EA, potential asset sell-offs, and fears of layoffs and increased sports betting mechanics. The conversation also highlights a looming memory shortage with 2027 DRAM/HBM capacity reportedly booked out, Roblox’s valuation drop and calls for regulation, and day-one PC problems and SteamOS/Linux blocking for Marvel Tokon, along with Valve’s 30th anniversary and SteamOS update notes.

00:00 GTA VI’s Controversial Debut and the Future of Gaming

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Steam Frame Launch Hype, Xbox Outage Fallout, and GPU Price Chaos

Check out the show notes and bonus show here: https://www.patreon.com/OffTheConsole/posts/episode-91-show-165480644

⁨@gardiner_bryant⁩ and ⁨@HiTechLoLife⁩ discuss a week of tech and gaming news, including signs the Steam Frame headset may launch soon after receiving FCC certification, plus related updates like an ARM64 compatibility list and mentions of Valve’s Android-to-Linux layer. They compare Steam hardware value to rising console prices and debate likely Steam Frame pricing. The hosts cover a major Xbox outage lasting over 15 hours that reportedly impacted even some physical disc play, arguing it highlights risks of centralized, always-online platforms. They also talk about Nvidia and AMD GPU price hikes and AMD’s newly announced low-end RX 9050 variants, criticizing value and performance. Other topics include Sony continuing toward a disc-less future, a Redditor’s spiked, taser-equipped Steam Deck “security” build, Steam Deck frame pacing improvements from a Linux CPU patch, GOG Galaxy officially pursuing Linux support, AI companies destroying rare books for dataset scanning, and a goat-headed rescue robot concept.

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Valve’s Steam Frame headset, Xbox backwards compatibility on PC, and Sony’s disc ban threatening a $7B market! Plus, FBI busts fake Steam scammers, a WoW GM goes rogue, and Gamescom 2026 sells out. Catch the full breakdown of this week’s biggest gaming news, hardware drops, and industry scandals.

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Valve just broke the bad news to PC gamers: the massive RAM and memory shortage is getting worse, and prices are set to skyrocket through 2027. Meanwhile, Sony officially announced the death of physical PlayStation discs, but GameStop’s CEO says it’s “totally irrelevant” to their business. Is gaming physical media completely dead, or are we entering a new digital age?

Find links to all the stories in this episode here: https://www.patreon.com/OffTheConsole/posts/episode-89-show-164216197

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Xbox just dropped a 4,800-employee bomb on the industry, while Sony locks fans in 132 countries out of Marvel Tokon. From Apple suing OpenAI over corporate spies to the breakthrough PS5 emulators making rapid progress, we are breaking down a truly chaotic week in tech and gaming.

Find links to all the stories in this episode here: https://www.patreon.com/OffTheConsole/posts/163596650/

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Sony is officially killing physical discs, the PS6 might cost a fortune, and apparently… private Minecraft servers are illegal now? This week, we discuss the absolute chaos gripping the tech and gaming worlds. From Apple begging Washington for Chinese memory to a massive RAM price-fixing lawsuit, the hardware market is on fire. Plus, Godot bans “vibe coding,” Cyberpunk gets another anime, and researchers find some… uh… “disturbing” ChatGPT fanfic. Oh, and Steam Machine orders are going out—and immediately getting scalped.

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In this episode of Off the Console, we break down the rising cost of gaming and tech - from the Steam Machine’s shocking price to Xbox’s latest price hikes, GTA 6’s controversial pricing, and the ongoing RAM shortage driving everything higher. We also dig into what these changes mean for gamers, PC builders, and the future of the industry.

Find links to all the stories in this episode here:

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Show notes: https://www.patreon.com/OffTheConsole/posts/episode-86-show-161644177/edit

The video game industry is in absolute chaos this week. From massive hardware leaks to shocking studio closure rumors, we are breaking down everything you need to know.

First, leaks suggest a brand new Steam Machine could be dropping as early as NEXT week, alongside crucial updates on Steam Controller reservations. Meanwhile, Epic Games is firing back at Valve with a massive Epic Games Store V2 overhaul and AI integrations for Unreal Engine 6, but is it too little too late?

We also dive deep into the devastating rumors surrounding Xbox potentially shutting down Ninja Theory, Double Fine, and Compulsion Games, Sony’s reported “desire for revenge” against Bungie with 50% layoffs incoming, Capcom’s new stance on killing the “auteur” era of game development, and a critical malware warning for anyone using Steam’s Wallpaper Engine.

Support us on Patreon for bonus topics including deep dives into politics, our very first games, and why AAA gaming might officially be dead!

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Theme song composed by Gardiner Bryant