Next-Gen Console Watch

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week Max is in the host's seat, and is joined by Ryan McCaffrey from Podcast Unlocked, and Logan Plant from Nintendo Voice Chat. With the holidays fast approaching, we take a look at the end of year and early 2027 lineups from each of the major consoles. Nintendo had their big reveal of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake gameplay, while PlayStation and Xbox are kicking things off sooner with Wolverine and Gears of War: E-Day, respectively. And next year sees God of War: Laufey and Fable dropping practically on top of each other, while Nintendo just announced a huge open-world Kirby game and Metroid Ravenous for the Spring. Who will you be supporting with your dollars this holiday season? Vote on our poll on IGN.com, Spotify, and Discord. Join us on Discord https://discord.gg/uRvkrfAws Offer available through participating retailers only. 18+ only.Following purchase, product must be installed on system where coupon code will be redeemed. Void where prohibited. Residency and additional limitations apply. Full offer terms at www.amdrewards.com/terms. For more info on the game bundle go here: https://www.amd.com/en/where-to-buy/bundles/onimusha-game-bundle.html https://www.microcenter.com/product/708178/hp-omen-max-45l-gt23-0170-gaming-pc Presented by AMD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week Max, Daemon, and Ryan take a look at what last week's huge GTA 6 gameplay footage didn't tell us. Everyone is marveling at how amazing the game looks and runs on a regular PS5, we can't help but wonder how it'll look and play on a PS5 Pro, and probably more importantly, how it'll perform on an Xbox Series S. There's also the GTA Online component—of which Rockstar has said very little—and who is taking over for Lazlow Jones on Chatterbox FM? Plus we have last week's poll result and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com, Spotify, and Discord. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week Daemon and Ryan are joined by Game Scoop's Sam Claiborn, and the trio look ahead to next week's gamescom trade show. The biggest gaming trade show in the world is set to feature looks at Gears of War: E-Day, Fable, Final Fantasy 7: Revelation, Control: Resonant, and more. But there could be some surprises, such as maybe, HOPEFULLY, a look at Grand Theft Auto 6 to coincide with the Netflix preview also dropping next week, and although it's not officially announced, Nintendo's Ocarina of Time remake is being released later this year, so maybe we'll see a new teaser. Plus we have last week's poll results and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com, Spotify, and Discord. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week Daemon, Max, and Ryan look foward to Fall 2026, and some of the biggest gaming questions we will we'll have some answers to. With console prices up across all three major systems, will retailers offer any kind of holiday discount? Is there room for any other game after GTA 6 drops? Will the Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake be the next $80 game from Nintendo? And can Gears of War: E-Day be the first-party hit Xbox desparately needs? Plus we have last week's poll results, and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com and Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week Daemon, Max, and Bo break down Bo's recent op-ed about the death of the $500 console. With RAM shortages, supply chain issues, and general inflation wreaking havoc on the games industry, is it time to consider $1,000 or more for a gaming console the new normal? And if that's the case, can we expect an industry crash similar to what befell video games in the 1980s? Plus we have last week's poll results and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com and Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week we look at a first-party showdown that hasn't ocurred in many moons: two major games, God of War: Laufey from Sony, and the Fable reboot from Xbox, will drop within about a week from each other. This is all thanks to GTA 6's shuffling of release dates, which had every publisher scrambling to either avoid that game's date, or fill a void left by its vacancy. Plus we have last week's poll results, and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com and Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This Daemon is joined by Ryan McCaffrey from Podcast Unlocked, and Brian Altano from Beyond! to discuss the continued criticism they've faced since announcing the end of physical game media production. The fans have been letting them know how they feel in the comments of every YouTube video and social media post made since the announcement. But despite the anger, Sony will likely stay the course, and will stop producing games on disc in 2028. And though gamers may gain shelf space, they lose in something more intangible. Plus we have last week's poll results, and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com and Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week Daemon, Max, and Ryan assess the dumpster fire that is this current generation of gaming consoles. With the 1-2 gut punch of PlayStation not supporting physical media in a couple of years, and Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announcing yet another round of layoffs that will stretch into next year, things have never truly looked so bleak for the games industry. But is all hope lost? Plus we have a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com and Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we got the surprise announcement from Sony that it is ending production of PlayStation discs in early 2028. So in 18 months, going forward PlayStation will be an all-digital ecosystem. Your existing discs will work in your PS5 if it has a disc drive, but the PlayStation 6 will presumably not play discs at all. We expect Xbox's Project Helix to go the same way. And so, it falls to Nintendo to carry the torch for physical media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All three platforms have held their big summer showcases. They’ve laid out their plans for the rest of the year and into 2027. So it’s time to survey the results. Who had the best showcase? Who has the best game lineup? On this epsiode of Next-Gen Console Watch, we dive into the Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo showcases. Which one did you like the best? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week Epic Games unveiled the sixth generation of Unreal, appropriately titled Unreal Engine 6. Rocket League will be the first game to get the UE6 makeover, but certainly not the last. Daemon, Ryan, and Max take a look at some of the biggest franchises that will very likely make the jump to UE6—even if many games haven't taken full advantage of Unreal Engine 5 yet. Plus we have last week's poll results, and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com and Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week, Daemon and Max are joined by Nintendo Voice Chat's Logan Plant and Podcast Unlocked's Miranda Sanchez to give their predictions on the summer's big gaming showcases. Both Xbox and PlayStation have showcases in June, and Nintendo can't be too far behind with a new Nintendo Direct. So what do we think will be there? Some real Wolverine gameplay? A closer look at Halo: Campaign Evolved or Gears of War: E-Day? Or maybe Nintendo will make our dreams come true and confirm the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake. Plus we have last episode's poll and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com and Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week we dive into recent reports saying Nintendo's shareholders want the company to raise the Switch 2 price. It's no secret that Nintendo's stock price has plunged in the year since they've released the Switch 2, despite their new console having a stellar launch and strong, if slow, holiday sales numbers. Current economic conditions have made the Switch 2 even mor expensive to produce than before, and Nintendo has so far been eating the extra cost, which in turn has been eating into their profits. But can a price hike really be beneficial for Nintendo? Should they hold the line with price in hopes that software sales pick up the slack? And has it really worked out for Sony and Microsoft, who have also raised their hardware prices in the five years since the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S have launched? Plus we have last week's poll results, and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com and Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! Xbox's new CEO is already making moves to course-correct the company's direction. Last week's leaked memo from CEO Asha Sharma has been proven true, with Xbox dropping the price of the Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass plans. Daemon, Ryan, and Max go over what's different with the new plans, what led the company to this decision, and what changes could be next. Plus we have last week's poll results and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com and Spotify. IGN YouTube Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week we discuss the leaked memo from Xbox CEO Asha Sharma regarding Game Pass' price. She agrees that Game Pass has become too expensive and Xbox must find some way to make it a real value for players. But what does that mean? Take away features? Plus we have last week's poll results and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com and Spotify. YouTube Spotify IGN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week Ryan is joined by IGN's Community Lead, Jada Griffin, and the host of Nintendo Voice Chat, Logan Plant. The crew looks ahead to the rest of 2026 to see if there are any more surprises left from the big three console makers. Recent rumors and leaks about a Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake and a new Star Fox game have given us pause to think that there's more up their sleeves than they've announced. Is it time for a new Persona game? Is the next Uncharted on the way? How about a follow-up to Halo Infinite? Plus we have last week's poll results and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com and Spotify. IGN YouTube Spotify Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week Daemon, Max, and Ryan peer into the future of gaming, only to see the same consoles we're playing today being used possibly years from now. With all models of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox having received several price hikes over the years, and with world events and economic factors keeping the prices of nearly all goods high, it looks like true next-generation gaming maybe delayed for the forseeable future. What can Sony do to bring costs down? And is this an opportunity for Xbox to gain relevance with gamers, now that the base PS5 and Xbox Series X are roughly the same price? Plus we have last week's poll results, and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com and Spotify. IGN Spotify YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week Ryan and Max are joined by Logan Plant, host of IGN's Nintendo Voice Chat podcast to talk about the Nintendo Switch 2's Year 1, and what we're expecting for Year 2. The Switch 2 has become not only Nintendo's fastest-selling console, but the fastest-selling console of all-time, with more than 17 million units sold in less than a year. Mario Kart World has a nearly 1:1 attachment rate with the Switch 2, Donkey Kong Bananza was a hit with critics and fans, and Pokémon Pokopia is having an Animal Crossing-esque viral moment. But none of these are Nintendo's major marquee franchises, but does the Switch 2 even need them right now? Plus we have last week's poll results, and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com and Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week Daemon, Max, and Ryan are joined by IGN's senior tech manager, Bo Moore, to discuss Nvidia's reveal of their controversial DLSS 5 update. The footage caused a stir on the internet as the tech clearly is doing more than just enhancing performance relative to resolution, with many accusing Nvidia of using the equivalent of "AI TikTok filters" on character models. We break down what we think the tech initially set out to do, and what this means for the PS5 and Xbox. Plus we have last week's poll results, and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com and Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! Microsoft is getting a head start on next-gen by officialling announcing the next Xbox, codenamed Project Helix. Of course, we have a ton of questions, but we've pared it down to six burning questions ranging from price of games to whether or not it will ship with a disc drive. Plus, we have last week's poll results, and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com and Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! On this week's episode, the crew discusses a recent report that Sony might be rethinking PC ports in the future. Specifically, first-party single-player games like Ghost of Yōtei, Marvel's Wolverine, and others might not see PC versions. Multiplayer titles like Bungie's Marathon—published by Sony—will still see multiplatform releases. The report cites low sales for Sony's PC titles, and a possible risk to PS5 and eventually PS6 hardware. But we have another theory: with the eventual release of the Steam Machine and the possible next Xbox merging PC and console gaming, maybe Sony doesn't want their titles appearing on a rival's console platform? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! After last week's bombshell news story about Xbox's leadership shaek-up—an exclusive from our very own Ryan McCaffrey—we take this opportunity to put together five tips that might be able to win back wayward Xbox fans. The Xbox brand isn't what it used to be, but all hope is not lost, and hopefully incoming CEO Asha Sharma can right the ship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week we take a look at a few games that might have a chance of coming to the Nintendo Switch 2. It's the fastest-selling console of all time with almost 20 million units sold globally in less than a year, and other triple-A titles are already coming to the platform such as Resident Evil: Requiem and 007 First Light. Upcoming games like Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, Forza Horizon 5 (and maybe 6), Beast of Reincarnation, Silent Hill: Townfall, and others have already been announced for the PS5 and Xbox Series consoles, but publishing issues aside, what's keeping them from the Switch 2? Plus we have a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week we take a look at 13 supposed PS5 and Xbox Series games that we should have already been playing. Games like Judas, Knights of the Old Republic remake, Little Devil Inside, and Beyond Good & Evil 2 have had rocky development paths, but at this point, we're wondering if we'll even get these games at all, despite developers and publishers assuring us they're still being worked on. Plus we go over AMD's latest comments about the next-generation Xbox, and we have last week's poll results and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week Daemon, Max, and Ryan look at the possible ups and downs of a delay of the PlayStation 6. With PS5 software sales holding strong, and with prices for gaming components like RAM skyrocketing, there's a real possibility Sony will wait another few years before debuting the PS6. This could make the current generation the longest console cycle so far, with 8 or more years from the launch of the PS5 and the possibile drop of the PS6. Plus we have last week's poll results, and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch. This week Daemon, Max, and Ryan take a look at the latest Xbox Developer_Direct. Microsoft Game Studios showcased Playground Games' Forza Horizon 6 and the Fable reboot, plus Kiln from Double Fine, and Beast of Reincarnation of Game Freak. While it's shaping up to be a good year for Xbox (in terms of games), this showcase was also great news for PlayStation fans. And we have last week's poll results, plus a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch. This week we take a look at how the recent RAM shortage will affect the next generation of console games. With AI data centers demanding more and more RAM, manufacturers have pivoted to providing this growing industry with pretty much whatever it needs, thus forcing the cost of consumer RAM through the roof. What does this mean for the PlayStation 6 and next Xbox? Or for Valve's Steam Machine? Plus we look at last week's poll results, and we have a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch. This week we take a look at 12 games we think will push the current generation of consoles to their limits. Games like Marvel's Wolverine, Control: Resonant, Resident Evil: Requiem, Gears of War: E-Day, and more are going to be amazing showcases for what the PlayStation 5 (and PS5 Pro) and the Xbox Series X (and the underpowered but still capable Series S) can really do, considering we should be entering the back half of this generation's life cycle. Plus we have last week's poll results and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch. On the last NGCW of the year, we look back at 2025 and pick what we think were the "most next-gen games" of the year. We're probably past the 'halfway point' for this generation so we should be seeing some of the best-looking games the PS5 and Xbox Series X can run, and we weren't disappointed. Battlefield 6 and Death Stranding 2 showcased what photorealism can look like on current consoles, while games like Keeper and Ghost of Yōtei were highlights in creative art direction. What do you think were some of the best-looking games of the year? Let us know in the comments. And we also have last week's poll results and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! It's the day after The Game Awards and along with Sandfall's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 winning big, we received a mountain of new announcements. We're at an interesting time in this generation where any newly-announced game might just end up on the PlayStation 6 or next Xbox, so we break down what titles we think will end up on gaming's next-gen consoles. Could we see Tomb Raider: Catalyst debut on the PS6? Or maybe Larian's Divinity? Plus we go over last week's poll results and we have a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week Daemon, Max, Ryan, and Logan grade the Nintendo Switch 2's launch window. The Switch 2 broke Nintendo—and industry—records by becoming the fastest-selling console of all time. But how did it fare against the Switch 1's first six months? Did the Switch 2's lineup of Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond hold up agains the Switch 1's legendary 1-2-3 punch of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Odyssey, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild? And what can we expect next year? Plus we have last episode's poll results and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com. 00:00:21 Grading the Switch 2's launch window 00:01:13 Logan's grade 00:03:44 Ryan's grade 00:07:57 Max's grade 00:10:44 Looking ahead to 2026 00:14:27 Poll results 00:15:02 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week Max, Ryan, and Daemon dive into Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick's comments about PC gaming. Zelnick says that gaming as an industry is moving more towards PC, even with the ongoing popularity of the PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2. Valve's recent Steam, Machine announcement makes it very clear that the company is making a play for living rooms—traditionally the domain of gaming consoles—as the next frontier for PC games. What does that mean for Sony and Microsoft? And is it too late for the next Xbox, which promises to be a hybrid console/PC like the Steam Machine? Plus we have poll results from the past two weeks, and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! It's a big week for hardware news, as Valve has announced their new hardware initiative, led by the revamped Steam Machine, a new Steam controller, and a new VR headset, the Steam Frame. IGN's hardware and tech editors Michael Higham and Jackie Thomas join us this week to talk about their hands-on time with the new hardware. What does this mean for PC gaming, now that Valve is making another push to get PC games in your living room? And what does this mean for console gaming, with both Xbox and PlayStation not even requiring a dedicated console to play games anymore? Plus we have a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com. 00:00:11 Valve reveals new Steam Machine 00:08:06 What do we think it'll cost? 00:12:48 Valve's new VR headset 00:17:19 Who is this new hardware for? 00:22:16 This week's poll and outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grand Theft Auto 6 has been delayed again, this time to November 2026. That will cause problems for all sorts of fall 2026 games, such as Halo: Campaign Evolved, Gears of War: E-day, Fable, Wolverine, and more. Let's dig in on this week's Next-Gen Console Watch. This weeks show is Daemon Hatfield, Max Scoville, Ryan McCaffrey and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch. This week Daemon, Max, Logan, and Ryan discuss Halo coming to PlayStation and what seems to be the end of Xbox having any notable exclusives going forward. When you combine this with Microsoft’s current messaging that everything is an Xbox, the fact they let someone else make the first Xbox handheld, and heavy hints from leadership that the next Xbox console will basically be  a PC that can play a bunch of PlayStation games, it kind of looks like Xbox is just done competing with Sony on a hardware level. Is this the end of an era? Are the console wars actually over? Plus we have last week's poll results and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch. This week Daemon and Ryan are joined by producer Nick Maillet to talk about the ROG Xbox Ally X, which Nick had quite a bit of hands-on time with lately. The handheld PC has just launched, and though it's powerful, the $1000 price tag could be too high of a barrier to entry for most people. But is it worth the price? And who would really benefit from a handheld PC of this caliber? Plus we have last week's poll results and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week Daemon, Max, and Ryan take a look at Microsoft's recent comments committing itself to another generation of gaming console hardware. The Xbox brand had a pretty rough week recently, when they announced a price hike on their Game Pass Ultimated service, on top of the already-announced hardware price hike. Fan response was, as expected, not great, with the Game Pass membership website reportedly crashing due to the number of people logging on to unsubscribe. Does another generation of Xbox hardware make sense for Microsoft? And how can they go about fixing the Game Pass service? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! The gaming world is reeling from yet another Microsoft price hike, this one hitting Game Pass and raising the price from $19.99 to $29.99 a month for the Ultimate plan. It's a signifiant jump of 50% — the largest single increase in the service's history. While the Ultimate plan still gives subscribers access to hundreds of games and some major first-party titles on Day 1, at what point is it not really worth it? Even if you love the service and all it provides, how many games a month are you actually playing? Plus we have last week's poll results and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week Daemon, Max, and Ryan take a look at this week's big reveals, starting with the Sony State of Play that dropped on Wednesday. We have a first real look at the (very M-rated) Wolverine game, gameplay of Housemarque's Saros, and more. On the Xbox front, there's a brand new trailer for Hideo Kojima's OD starring a very scared Sophia Lillis, and a teaser for Forza Horizon 6. And speaking of Xbox, the crew give their thoughts on the second price increase for Xbox hardware this year. Plus we have last week's poll results, and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week Daemon, Logan, Max, and Ryan look back at the Nintendo Switch 2's first hundred days. The system is Nintendo's fastest-selling to date, with strong third-party support and a slate of upcoming first-party titles that should sustain the console's momentum through the holidays. But Nintendo has raised eyebrows with their game pricing strategy ($80 for Mario Kart World is nuts), and the tariff situation in the United States could threaten to slow down the Switch 2's impressive sales pace. Plus we have last week's poll results, and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Star Wars Outlaws has arrived on Nintendo Switch 2 and it’s a fantastic port. Which makes the rough shape that Elden Ring is in on Nintendo’s new console all the more confusing. We’ll dig into that plus look into some more current-gen ports on their way to the Switch 2. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week Daemon, Max, and Ryan discuss the latest PlayStation 6 rumors, which predict Sony's next gaming hardware to be a handheld like the Switch 2. Nintendo's Switch changed the gaming landscape, ushering in a wave of handheld competitors like the Valve Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and more. Now with Xbox officially jumping into the ring with the ROG Xbox Ally X, is it time for Sony to follow suit? No, the PlayStation Portal doesn't count. And what would benefit them more, a dedicated handheld like the PS Vita, or a hybrid with a dock like the Switch? Or maybe just stick with a powerful console and leave the handheld market to Nintendo? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to a special gamescom edition of Next-Gen Console Watch, our show following everything happening with the latest gaming hardware. I’m Daemon Hatfield and I’m joined by Max Scoville and Jada Griffin from Podcast Beyond. And there’s been a lot of news this week as it relates to this very show. We have the release date for the Xbox ROG Ally X handheld. It’s less than two months away but they haven’t revealed the price, yet. Not a good sign. There is apparently consensus among developers here at gamescom that they have to start making games faster. Music to my ears. But let’s start with some PlayStation news this week. PlayStation isn’t here at gamescom but it did have an announcement to make Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week Max and Daemon are joined by Nintendo Voice Chat's Logan Plant to discuss Nintendo's recent price hikes on Switch 1 hardware and some accessories. They also look at the sales race between the Switch 1 and the PlayStation 2, for the title of Most Units Sold. The PS2 currently sits at just over 160 million consoles sold over its lifetime, with the Switch 1 in second place with around 153 million. Did Nintendo fumble their chances of catching up to, or even beating Sony? Plus we have last week's poll results, and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! With Grand Theft Auto 6 now coming sometime in 2026, the gang takes a look at what else is coming this Fall, and it's still a surprisingly deep release window. Sony's Ghost of Yōtei, Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Nintendo's Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and more headline a stacked schedule. Plus we have last week's poll results, and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week the team discuss IGN's first 10 out of 10 game of the year: Donkey Kong Bananza. Nintendo Voice Chat's Logan Plant, who reviewed the game, stops by to elaborate on his glowing score. We also look on the PS5 and Xbox side to see what would be those consoles' definitive "killer app" titles. Plus we have last week's poll results, and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week Ryan and Max try and make sense of the latest round of layoffs fro Microsoft, which saw the company dismiss over 9,000 staff across multiple subsidiaries. Arkane Studios founder Raphael Collantonio recently blamed Game Pass for the megapublisher's financial belt tightening, but recent sales data suggests Game Pass isn't hurting game sales; in fact, five of the top seven best-selling games of May 2025 were Microsoft-published titles, and all available on Game Pass. This suggests that those games are selling very well on other platforms, like PlayStation. So what's really to blame? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Next-Gen Console watch, we take a look at the state of games exclusive to one console, . Between Sony’s expansion into the PC gaming space, and Microsoft putting more and more Xbox Game Studios games topping the charts on competitors’ platforms, it seems like Nintendo is the only console maker keeping its games in one place, and Donkey Kong Bananza is shaping up to be one of the Switch 2’s first killer (gorilla) apps. This week’s show is Max Scoville, Ryan McCaffrey, Logan Plant, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! This week, Daemon, Ryan, and Max analyze Xbox's recent announcement that they're partnering with AMD on multiple pieces of hardware, including the third-party ASUS ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X handhelds, and the likely successor console to the Series X and S. What does this mean for Xbox's hardware future? How does this connect to their push for cloud gaming? And how does this affect Sony's future with the PlayStation 6? Plus we go over last week's poll results and we have a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Next-Gen Console Watch! After a week off because of IGN Live, Daemon, Max, and Ryan take a look at the Nintendo Switch 2's launch and dive into what worked, and what didn't. Nintendo is touting the launch as their most succesful, outselling the original Switch over the same four-day period. Some analysts are already hailing the Switch 2 as the fastest-selling console of all time, which is great, but the common criticism, is there's not exactly a "killer app" akin to Breath of the Wild for the Switch 1. We also have last episode's poll results, and a new poll for you to vote on at IGN.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices