Key Note Gaming

2025 finally saw the long-awaited arrival of Nintendo’s next console: the Switch 2. But now, it’s time to turn the page to 2026 and talk about what’s in store for Switch 2’s sophomore year. Nintendo already has a pretty fleshed out release calendar for both Switches, a blockbuster movie set to hit theaters, with plenty of surprises surely in store as well. Here’s what to expect from Nintendo in 2026. Nintendo in 2026: What’s Already On the Books Before we get into wild speculation, here’s a recap of what we already know is coming to Switch and Switch 2 in 2026. There’s already a lot to look forward to, as Nintendo remains very consistent in pushing something out pretty much every single month. That pattern begins this month, as we’ll all return to our weed-infested islands and face the wrath of our neglected villagers when Animal Crossing: New Horizons gets a free update on the original Switch and a Nintendo Switch 2 edition on January 15. New Horizons 3.0 is available to players...

Arc Raiders developer Embark Studios has confirmed one of the community’s biggest questions since the game came out: it does indeed feature ‘aggression-based matchmaking.’ This means that if you’re big into PvP, you’ll be matched up with players who are like-minded. Similarly, if you prefer PvE, you’ll be matchmade with players who tend to avoid conflict with other players. Arc Raiders’ player versus environment versus player gameplay has resulted in a number of viral clips showing how friendly encounters can quickly devolve into a fight to the last. Yes, you can play solo or in parties up to three, working as a team to progress through the game. However, other players are a constant threat. This has sparked a vociferous debate within the community about the etiquette that has formed in-game, with a retired pro gamer going viral for relentlessly killing casual Arc Raiders players . It turns out that Arc Raiders will lean on your playstyle when it comes to matchmaking. This ‘aggr...

We've rounded up the best deals for Saturday, January 3, below. Don't miss your chance to save on these deals! Fantasian Neo Dimension for $26.70 Fantasian Neo Dimension is the latest game from a legendary creator who needs no introduction: Hironobu Sakaguchi. This incredible turn-based RPG is a joy to play through, featuring a great story with music from the all-time great Nobuo Uematsu. Pick up a Nintendo Switch copy today and add it to your collection for only $26.70. Samsung P9 Express microSD Express Card for $32.99 If you're a Nintendo Switch 2 owner, a microSD Express Card is an absolutely essential purchase . The internal 256GB of storage is nowhere near enough for most players, especially with huge games like Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade set to take up over a third of that space later this month. You can save $20 off this 256GB microSD Express Card at Amazon and instantly double your Switch 2 storage. Tales of Graces f for $19.79 Tales of Gr...

Well, I can confidently say one thing about being “the Xbox guy” at IGN: it’s never boring. Granted, it is often frustrating , depressing , weird , and occasionally shocking . But there’s almost never a dull moment. So went Xbox’s 2025. As I looked back on last year’s version of this column , I found that I got plenty of my forecasting right, a few things wrong, and there was some stuff I could’ve never predicted . And so as I look ahead to Xbox’s 2026, I will once again expect the unexpected – but I’ll also dig into everything we can reasonably surmise about what could maybe, possibly be the last full calendar year of the Xbox Series generation before Microsoft seemingly gears up to release a console/PC hybrid . The thing is, a month ago, this piece would’ve been a heck of a lot easier to write. It would’ve been all about Microsoft’s Big Four – Halo, Gears of War, Fable, and Forza – all returning in the same year for the first time in over a decade(!) to deliver Xbox’s biggest an...

Physical copies of Star Wars Racer Revenge are suddenly selling for over $300, as word spreads that an exploit in the game can be used to jailbreak PlayStation 5 consoles. Recently-completed eBay listings for the PS4 re-release of Star Wars Racer Revenge show multiple copies selling for $300 or more over the past 24 hours — with prices only increasing. On December 31, more than a dozen copies of the game were sold through eBay priced between $80 to $166. On January 1st, a further 11 were shifted, with prices ranging between $180 and $364.50. And now, dozens more copies have been listed for sale — with prices currently around the $300-$400 mark or even higher. Why the sudden rush to buy boxed copies of a Star Wars racing game for PlayStation 4 that launched back in 2019? Well, Racer Revenge's code is reportedly crucial to fire off a new method of jailbreaking PlayStation 5 — essentially unlocking the ability to play illegally pirated games — when the game's physical disc ...

Eight hours and more than 10,000 parries later, a Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 superfan is being praised for beating one of the game's toughest bosses in frankly ridiculous conditions. Underpowered but undeterred, Reddit user Recordbreaks has posted a screenshot showing that they beat the super strong Duollistes boss after managing 10,545 successful parries — which feels like more than I've completed in the entire game. The encounter took eight hours, two minutes and 36 seconds, during which time Recordbreaks says they "took one break maybe for about 5-10 minutes" in order to go get snacks, then "went back to it." Added to Clair Obscur last month as part of the game's highly-anticipated farewell update , Duollistes is housed within the new Endless Tower location. This area hosts a series of bosses that are designed to provide some of the toughest challenges in the hit role-playing game, though they still shouldn't take the average endgame pla...