Console & Tech Update Tidbits

by L.W. Barker

1. Nintendo announced a hardware price increase, and original Switch sales in Japan fell 87% week over week as buyers adjusted. Europe will also receive a revised Switch 2 model with a user-replaceable battery to meet updated regional sustainability rules.

2. Valve reaffirmed its hardware plans, confirming that both the Steam Machine and Steam Frame remain on track to ship by the end of summer 2026.

3. New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma drew attention by dropping integrated Copilot features on consoles, citing weak consumer demand. She also said that while exclusives remain central to Xbox’s identity, the company still wants to bring its games to broader audiences worldwide.

4. Future IO Interactive James Bond games—with the first being the recently released 007 First Light—are expected to be published by Amazon Game Studios rather than IO itself, following Amazon’s multi-billion-dollar acquisition of MGM.