Gaming

Now Playing: Street Fighter 6 on Switch 2

Definitely a win

Published

July 9, 2025

Street Fighter 6 by Capcom is one of the more notable third-party titles to be available for the Nintendo Switch 2 within its launch month. Many can argue that it’s an important title. Versus fighting games have been experiencing quite a high in recent years and being available in as many consoles as possible is one way to keep the momentum going.

The Street Fighter franchise should be near and dear to Nintendo users. I imagine many experienced their first taste of this game on the Famicom and/or NES – consoles made by Nintendo.

Now, SF6 – the latest from the franchise – arrives on the latest console by Nintendo.

So, how has the experience been so far playing SF6 – well, it’s certainly a win.

Arcade Mode

I quickly jumped in on Arcade mode to get a feel of SF6 on the Switch 2. Generally, the fights felt fluid and the graphics looked better than we expected.

There was some input delay especially when you’re using the Modern controls. Some commands didn’t register as quickly as we would have liked. That’s key when it comes to fighting games. Thankfully, it didn’t happen too often that it affected our overall experience.

In the visuals department, there are some elements that are naturally different from the PlayStation 5 version. For context, we’ve mostly played SF6 on the PS5 prior to this playthrough.

The models naturally don’t look as detailed and crisp. But on an 8-inch display in a handheld console, it’s something most people probably won’t notice. It also improves a little bit when docked, but the PS5 version, as expected, is just on another level visually.

Although, most of it is just ‘gravy’ or what you can consider visual enhancements that don’t necessarily affect the gameplay. Nice-to-have but not musts.

In fact, some of it I only really noticed after checking out the highly technical comparison by Digital Foundry.

The mode is perfect for quickly competing 5-stage story lines of characters, especially when you’re on the plane trying to burn some travel hours.

World Tour

This is the game mode I spent most of my time on. Like the game’s other console versions, the battles in World Tour noticeably drop to 30fps. It can be a little jarring especially when you’ve spent significant time in Arcade Mode.

However, you do get used to it eventually. And the game mode itself is fun and diverse enough that you end up just ‘enduring’ the capped frame rate.

Overall, it still looked fine. We played both in handheld and docked mode and the experience generally felt seamless. We also encountered the delayed input issue here. But like in Arcade Mode, it’s not to the level that will sour the overall experience.

Unique to Switch 2

The modes unique to Switch 2 I haven’t been able to try as much. I am generally a solo player and don’t really have that many friends lol.

The modes are:

Local Wireless Match – 1v1 matches with friends nearby.
Avatar Battles – Throw down using your custom World Tour fighter.
Tabletop Mode – Joy-Con 2 matches, anytime, anywhere.
Gyro Battle – Motion-controlled mayhem for extra spice.
Calorie Contest Mode – Burn calories with your punches? Why not.

Of these, I tried Tabletop Mode and Gyro Battle. With Tabletop Mode, you get to play locally with someone else using the joy cons as standalone controllers. Here, the Modern controls are used by default.

I’m a first time Switch user with stubby hands. I didn’t particularly enjoy using tiny controllers. However, this is a nice little way to share the SF6 on Switch 2 experience without bringing in any extra peripherals.

The Gyro was, well, let’s just say I was never good at anything with gyro controls. It’s a novel feature but one I’ll only likely revisit if I’m trying to show what the Switch 2 can do.

Should you play Street Fighter 6 on the Switch 2?

Fighting games aren’t for everyone. But if you dabble even just a little bit and you’re looking for something to play on your brand spanking new Nintendo Switch 2, the pickings are rather slim but you won’t go wrong with Street Fighter 6.

It brings over the latest title from Capcom’s flagship fighting game with plenty of potential hours of play even if you’re a solo player. That’s thanks to the rich World Tour mode, always fun Arcade Mode, and even their cool collaborations like the one they have with KPop girl group aespa.

Gaming

Steam Machine was supposed to be much, much cheaper

Was the price increase justified?

Published

June 23, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

The Steam Machine is the most anticipated gaming device this year. Valve’s upcoming machine aims to deliver a PC gaming experience in a convenient package. Today, the price of the Steam Machine was finally unveiled, and it’s a doozy. But did you know that it was supposed to be much, much cheaper?

Now, we already know that the Steam Machine was cheaper before, but we didn’t really know how much cheaper. Speaking to IGN, Valve essentially confirmed the Machine followed the same price hikes as the Steam Deck, which experienced an increase of over US$ 200.

After doing a bit of algebra, it can be assumed that the Steam Machine was supposed to start at around US$ 750. That’s a huge jump, considering that the more expensive variant currently costs almost US$ 1,500, almost double the price of the original.

Unfortunately, that’s just how the industry works these days. Because of the ongoing RAM crisis, several manufacturers have already confirmed price hikes happening throughout the year. Apple, most recently, announced that price increases might come soon because of the untenability of shouldering the costs themselves.

It gets worse for the Machine, though. Despite being expensive, the price tag doesn’t really reflect the specs you’re getting. You can certainly grab a gaming laptop with better specs for around the same (or even a smaller) price tag, especially considering that Valve’s console-but-not-really-a-console doesn’t come with peripherals yet.

Gaming

Epic Games Launcher is getting a huge update to make it faster

The update will also add customizable profiles and user reviews.

Published

June 23, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Admit it; you probably have a hoard of free games languishing on the Epic Games Store. Though it’s nice that Epic gives away games every week, the overall inconvenience of using the platform sadly outweighs the freebies. Now, the company is finally redesigning the app from the ground up with a distinct focus on making it much faster.

Earlier this year, Epic admitted that “the launcher sucks.” Though the company cited a number of reasons, the number one culprit is certainly speed. Compared to its contemporaries (especially Steam), the Epic Games Launcher leaves much to be desired. The platform just doesn’t let users into their games as quickly as Steam does.

During the recent Unreal Fest, Epic, via @LuKaOnIndeed on X, confirmed that the entire launcher will be rebuilt to be “5x to 6.5x faster.”

The performance improvements will come with other new features including player profiles and user written reviews. Epic’s vision of the future looks completely different from how the launcher is today.

Though the company doesn’t have a definite timeline right now, Epic promises that the updates will come later this summer.

It does remain to be seen whether these updates will change anything about how users perceive the platform. For the longest time, gamers consider Steam as the platform of choice. Some users even repurchase their Epic games (sometimes obtained for free) on Steam just to have it on the platform they prefer.

Gaming

Steam Machine price, reservation system revealed

Reservations open now

Published

June 23, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

Valve has officially revealed pricing and availability details for the Steam Machine, its living room-focused gaming PC running SteamOS.

The company is launching the device in four configurations. Reservations open immediately through a randomized queue system designed to reduce scalping and bot purchases.

Steam Machine price

The base Steam Machine with 512GB of storage costs USD1,049. A bundle that includes the Steam Controller is priced at USD 1,128.

Meanwhile, the 2TB model costs USD 1,349, while the 2TB bundle with a Steam Controller retails for USD 1,428.

Buyers who opt for either 2TB variant will also receive two additional faceplates: a red fabric finish and a solid walnut option.

Valve says all listed prices already include VAT where applicable.

Why Steam Machine costs more than expected

The pricing announcement comes months after Valve delayed the Steam Machine’s launch.

According to the company, rising component costs and supply chain issues forced it to revisit its original pricing targets.

Valve explained that when development began in 2023, it expected hardware costs to gradually decline over time. Instead, the company encountered significant increases in RAM and storage pricing, alongside periods where some components became difficult to source altogether.

The company added that component shortages also limited the number of units it could manufacture for launch.

Steam Machine was first announced as a compact PC gaming device designed for living room setups. It runs SteamOS and is positioned as an alternative to traditional game consoles while maintaining access to the broader PC gaming ecosystem.

Reservations use randomized queue

Rather than opening direct sales, Valve is implementing a reservation system.

Interested buyers can sign up for their preferred Steam Machine model until June 25 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. After the registration window closes, Valve will randomize all entries and assign customers either a reservation slot or a waitlist position.

Customers selected for the reservation queue will receive an email confirming that a Steam Machine has been reserved in their name. Purchase invitations will begin rolling out starting June 29 as inventory becomes available.

To qualify, users must have a Steam account in good standing and must have made a Steam purchase before April 27, 2026. Valve is also limiting registrations to one entry per household.

Users may sign up for multiple models. If selected for more than one queue, Valve will automatically assign the highest-end model available and remove the user from other reservation lists.

Not a console, says Valve

Despite its console-like form factor, Valve says it does not view Steam Machine as a traditional console.

The company describes the device as an extension of PC gaming rather than a closed ecosystem. Unlike conventional consoles that often subsidize hardware through software sales and subscriptions, Valve says Steam Machine is built around the openness that has long defined PC gaming.

Valve also reiterated plans to expand SteamOS support beyond its own hardware. With the recently released SteamOS 3.8, users can already install the operating system on compatible living room PCs, although support is currently limited to AMD graphics cards.

For users in Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, orders will be handled through regional distributor Komodo. Steam Machine will not be available in South Korea.