Off The Console

In this episode, James and Hi-Tech Lo-Life discuss the latest trends in gaming, including the rising prices of games, the innovative features of Half-Life Alyx, and the new ROG Xbox Ally handheld console. They also delve into the Nintendo Switch 2, share their thoughts on the Summer Game Fest, and explore the diverse genres within the gaming community. In this engaging conversation, the hosts delve into various aspects of the gaming industry, discussing new game concepts, the impact of Game Pass on developers, and the challenges faced by GameStop. They also explore the success of Stellar Blade, the return of Halo, and the social commentary found in Final Fantasy Tactics. Additionally, the discussion touches on YouTube’s introduction of unskippable ads and the nostalgic anticipation for Spaceballs 2, highlighting the evolving landscape of gaming and content creation.

#GamingNews #HandheldConsoles #NintendoSwitch2 #SummerGameFest #ROGXboxAlly #GamePricing #GamingCommunity #Gaming #GameDevelopment #GamePass #Halo #StellarBlade #FinalFantasyTactics #MindSEye #HalfLifeAlyx #GameStop #YouTubeAds #Spaceballs2

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Theme song composed by Gardiner Bryant

This episode was recorded live June 6th, 2025 to coincide with the Summer Games Fest livestream.

Watch the full livestream here: https://www.youtube.com/live/iuOEk6-331w

Music by: Stranger Things - https://pixabay.com/users/music_unlimited-27600023/

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Theme song composed by Gardiner Bryant

In this episode, Join @Th3Brink, @HiTechLoLife and @GardinerBryant, as we make wild predictions on what Geoff Keighley will show off at his show! Will we FINALLY see the Deckard? Or an Xbox Handheld? Or a bunch of ok titles?

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Theme song composed by Gardiner Bryant

In this episode, Join @Th3Brink, @HiTechLoLife and @GardinerBryant, and special guest Cary (The Phawx) dive deep into everything from retro gaming setups to CRT nostalgia, NVIDIA’s ongoing controversies, the state of VR (and the elusive Deckard), and speculation around the Switch 2 vs Steam Deck 2 battle.

We also hit on highlights from Computex 2025, discuss the AI takeover of content creation, and reflect on how the gaming landscape is evolving—plus some wild talk about mimes, RPGs, cyberpunk dreams, and whether CRT filters on CRTs will destroy reality.

🔧 Topics include:

If you’re into handhelds, hardware, or heavy-handed humor—this one’s for you.

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#GamingPodcast #SteamDeck #Switch2 #Computex2025 #VRGaming #RetroGaming #GamingNews #NVIDIA #AMD #Cyberpunk #OffTheConsole #TechPodcast #PCGaming #HandheldGaming

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Theme song composed by Gardiner Bryant

We’re chatting about severe allegations towards Bungie, Valve’s supposed hack, Steam updates, Fortnite’s AI Darth Vader, and more!

#gaming #tech #podcast #fortnite #ai #valve

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Theme song composed by Gardiner Bryant

Today we have @[email protected] from @[email protected] on the show along with our regular hosts:

Link: https://heroicgameslauncher.com/

Submitter: Hi-Tech

Our Special Guest runs the Heroic Games Launcher. We should talk about that!

Link: https://www.rockstargames.com/VI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQRLujxTm3c&t=8s

Submitter: Hi-Tech

Grand Theft Auto VI is possibly one of THE most anticipated games of the year… well, was, until it was revealed to release in 2026. 05/26/26

Link: https://www.eurogamer.net/half-life-3-is-not-just-in-development-its-now-playable-end-to-end-leaker-suggests

Submitter: Hi-Tech

Another round of Half-Life 3 rumors springing up just as we got news of GTA VI.

Link: https://classic-offensive.net/#/play

Submitter: Hi-Tech

Valve has requested Classic Offensive not be released. For those who don’t know, Classic Offensive is a more classic CS experience based on CSGO assets. It was initially slated for release (for free) and greenlit on Steam. The problem then became Valve ghosting the developers when they asked questions about licensing and eventually releasing the game. But then VERY recently, Valve asked them to shut it down. It’s a very Nintendo move if I’ve ever seen one. It’s a perceived threat to their digital hegemony in CSGO / CS2 because it’s Counter Strike without all of the lootboxes.

Link: https://noisypixel.net/clair-obscur-expedition-33-hundred-line-creators-celebrate-promote/

Submitter: Hi-Tech

Clair Obscur has been a HUGE hit, making waves for western developed JRPGs and one of the highest rated games of the year, both reviewers and user scores. One other game that came out and potentially broke the record for the most writing/dialogue in a JRPG is The Hundred Line. Both JRPG devs have propped each other up and recommended each other after finishing one. A rare positive story in gaming.

Link: https://genshin.hoyoverse.com/en/news/detail/155805

https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2025/01/ftc-settlement-order-bans-sales-genshin-impact-loot-boxes-kids-under-16-without-their-parents

Submitter: Hi-Tech

If you recall, quite a few months ago the FTC has banned the sales of Genshin Impact lootboxes to kids under 16. This is the result of it, and US players must now verify players’ ages with verification processes rolling out on May 20th. It is currently unknown what this age verification process entails. Failure to comply by July 18, 2025 WILL result in account suspension and friend list/chat history deletion, with no further notice once you’re suspended due to legal issues. Failure to comply by July 20, 2026 will result in total account deletion, which also includes your other HoyoVerse games too. Genshin Impact is rated T for Teen (13+) in the US.

Link: https://www.computextaipei.com.tw/en/index.html

Submitter: Hi-Tech

Computex is the OTHER big tech showcase besides CES earlier this year.

Link: https://www.timeextension.com/features/we-might-be-about-to-lose-a-powerful-force-in-the-world-of-video-game-preservation

https://www.gamepres.org/en/support/

https://www.youtube.com/@gamepresorg

Submitter: Hi-Tech

The Japanese Game Preservation Society is an organization focused on the preservation of older titles from Japan. Including physical media like floppy disks, etc. They are seemingly on the verge of bankruptcy and supposedly barely have enough to pay rent.

Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjr7e2z1rxyo

Submitter: Hi-Tech

100% Tariffs on something that isn’t a physical good. Many movies we like can also be considered international. The Dark Knight can be considered British. Trump claims Hollywood is dying. Maybe there’s a VERY good reason for this?

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Theme song composed by Gardiner Bryant

🎙️ In This Episode:

Also on deck:

It’s a loaded episode packed with real talk on tech trends, industry moves, and what they mean for gamers, devs, and handheld fans alike.

⸻

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Theme song composed by Gardiner Bryant

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Theme song composed by Gardiner Bryant

Link: https://www.euronews.com/business/2025/04/14/sony-hikes-playstation-5-prices-by-25-in-uk-europe-and-australia

Link: https://old.reddit.com/r/nintendo/comments/1k24xj1/nintendo_switch_2_price_to_stay_at_449_in_the_us/

https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/nintendo-maintains-nintendo-switch-2-pricing-retail-pre-orders-to-begin-april-24-in-u-s/

https://www.eurogamer.net/switch-2-edition-zelda-games-wont-support-cloud-saves-to-backup-your-data

Link: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/nvidia-geforce-rtx-5060-ti-16gb-review

Link: https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/china-launches-hdmi-and-displayport-alternative-gpmi-boasts-up-to-192-gbps-bandwidth-480w-power-delivery

Link: https://www.the-sun.com/tech/14029069/4chan-down-updates-controversial-website-hacking/

Link: https://x.com/internetarchive/status/1912923563234898329

Yes, this is happening and may threaten the internet archive as a whole.

Link: https://automaton-media.com/en/news/almost-19-of-japanese-people-in-their-20s-have-spent-so-much-money-on-gacha-they-struggled-with-covering-living-expenses-survey-reveals/

Link: https://old.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/1k14tor/maple_story_classic_world_announced/

YouTube

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Theme song composed by Gardiner Bryant

In this episode of Off The Console, we dive deep into gaming and tech news! Special guest Bill from Nerd Nest joins us as we chat about Monster Hunter Wilds, Steam Deck prototype sold, Mac gaming setups, retro consoles like the GameCube, and exciting new indie releases from the Triple-I Initiative.

#OffTheConsole #GamingPodcast #SteamDeck #LinuxGaming #GamePreservation #IndieGames #TripleIInitiative #GamingNews #GameOwnership #Microtransactions #TechPodcast

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Theme song composed by Gardiner Bryant