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The RIAA reported that US recorded music revenue rose 6.9% in H1 2026 versus H1 2025, with physical formats up 25.9%—vinyl grew 17.7% and CDs jumped 58.6%. Streaming still dominates overall revenue at $4.9 billion, but the outsized physical growth stands out amid rising anger over digital ownership issues.
Sony's DualSense controller for the PlayStation 5 typically lasts only 6 to 12 hours on a single charge, with the exact duration depending on how heavily a game uses features like the light bar, speaker, adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. The premium DualSense Edge fares even worse, lasting just 5 to 10 hours because its 1,050mAh battery is smaller than the standard pad's 1,560mAh cell to make room for extra hardware like rear paddles and swappable stick modules.
Microsoft will end unlimited Xbox Cloud Gaming access for Game Pass subscribers, introducing monthly streaming caps of 15 hours for Ultimate, 10 hours for Premium, and 5 hours for Essential tiers. Subscribers who exceed their limit can purchase additional streaming time, though pricing hasn't been disclosed, while downloadable game access remains unaffected.
Sony unveiled limited edition DualSense controllers inspired by Grand Theft Auto 6 during its State of Play presentations. The controllers come in black and white versions featuring a gray VI logo, hot pink accents, iridescent blue lower sections, and embossed palm frond designs on the grips. Pre-orders begin September 10 at 10AM ET, priced at $85, with release set for November 19—the same day the game launches.
Dave Bautista shared his physical transformation two weeks into training for his upcoming portrayal of Kratos in the God of War adaptation. He indicated that this early stage of muscle-building is only the beginning, with more significant gains planned before filming.
Sony held two back-to-back State of Play broadcasts featuring release dates for Until Dawn 2 and Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, plus new footage from Marvel's Wolverine, Ghost of Yotei's new Most Wanted survival mode, Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, and Metro 2039 running on PS5 Pro. The shows also revealed Maneater 2, a sequel to the shark-action game, along with updates on Crimson Desert DLC and Saros.
Tom's Hardware has released a step-by-step guide explaining how to install an M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD in a PlayStation 5 to expand storage capacity in 2026. The guide notes that such upgrades are now essential as AAA games grow larger and Sony moves away from physical discs, and confirms that installation with a compatible drive will not void the console's warranty. It also recommends drives like the WD Black SN850X and Samsung 990 Pro, both rated for sequential speeds above 5,500 MB/s.
Lego has officially unveiled a buildable replica of the original PlayStation console, product number 72306, confirming an earlier online leak. The 1,911-piece kit recreates the console's grey color scheme, includes a plug-in brick controller, and hides two small dioramas referencing Gran Turismo and Ape Escape. It goes on sale October 1 for early access members and October 4 for the general public at $179.99.
Lego revealed a near 1:1 scale replica of the original 1995 PlayStation console during Sony's State of Play livestream, made up of 1,911 pieces and measuring 10.5 inches wide. The set includes a matching controller with working mechanical buttons and hidden mini dioramas based on Ape Escape and Gran Turismo. It launches October 1 for $180.
ArenaNet showed early alpha footage of Guild Wars 3, its first franchise entry built on Unreal Engine 5 and set to launch on PlayStation 5 alongside PC, marking the series' console debut. The game is set before the original Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2 chronologically, meaning new players won't need prior series knowledge, and a beta is planned for late 2027.
Rockstar's 27-minute 'Extended Look' at Grand Theft Auto VI premiered on Netflix on August 27 and racked up over 31 million views in four days, topping viewership charts in 87 of 93 countries. The clip also pulled over 20 million views on YouTube after its Netflix exclusivity window ended, while Sensor Tower data showed Netflix's website traffic jumped 125% and mobile app usage rose 50%, briefly crashing the site.
RPCS3 developers publicly criticized Nvidia's unreleased DLSS 5 technology after modders leaked and tested the DLL on games and the PS3 emulator itself, calling the results 'slop' and accusing the industry of using upscaling and frame generation to mask poor optimization. Some users pushed back, arguing that DLSS and FSR frame generation can work alongside optimization efforts, with Reflex helping offset added latency. RPCS3 says it won't adopt such techniques, noting PS3-era games lack the motion-vector data needed for modern temporal upscalers.