Grand Theft Auto 6 Preorders Ignite Controversy
Plus you can now buy or wishlist a Steam Machine
Grand Theft Auto 6 preorders went live last week. However, nothing is simple when it comes to those games. Find out the details. The Steam Machine went up for preorder, although it is quite costly. Speaking of costly, the price of the Xbox is increasing again. Also, we have all the winners from the Origins Awards. All this and more of the latest news. Let’s go!
Grand Theft Auto 6 preorders are live!
Preorders for Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA6) went live last week, and like most things involving GTA, there was controversy.
GTA6 will sell for $80 for the standard version and $100 for the ultimate. The standard version is $10 more than most other games, raising the floor of what other developers feel like they can charge for their top titles. However, if you want the full experience, you will need to buy the ultimate edition. Rockstar has locked certain shops, cars, guns and other content into the more expensive version of the game. Many players are not thrilled that this basically makes GTA6 a $100 game, but still most plan to pay for the premium version.
For those who prefer physical editions of the game compared to digital, Rockstar had some bad news from you. Even if you order from Amazon or buy from another retailer, you will not get the content on a disc. Physical versions of the game will have a download code in the box rather than a disc. Some retailers say they will not carry the game in this state. IGN argues the digital-only release is all about security and control.
New images for GTA6
Sony is going all in on the GTA6 launch, stating in a blog post that GTA6 plays the best on PlayStation 5. They are also hyping the game and giving it special treatment on their storefront. It appears to be working, as IGN claims the PlayStation version is outselling the Xbox 8-1. Microsoft denies these claims, and says “people should wait for real data.”
Finally, Rockstar confirmed GTA6 will start out as a “single-player experience.” Those who were hoping for a new version of GTA Online will have to wait.
This brings us to our latest poll: did these announcements by Rockstar change your mind about buying GTA6? Head over to our Google Poll and let us know. If you do plan to preorder, you can do so on PlayStation or Xbox and help support our site.
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Everyone is disappointed by the Steam Machine price
Valve’s new console the Steam Machine is now available, with initial orders shipping out this week. However, the price will likely keep most players away from the new device.
Here are the prices for the various versions of the Steam Machine:
- 512GB Steam Machine - $1,049
- 512GB Steam Machine with a Steam Controller - $1,128
- 2TB Steam Machine - $1,349
- 2TB Steam Machine with a Steam Controller - $1,428
Valve acknowledges the price will likely keep people from purchasing the new console. In an interview, Valve designer Lawrence Yang said “component prices are too high, and components themselves are too rare, to make what we want, at the price that we want, when we want to.”
In a blog post about the hardware, Valve said:
Over the past year or so, that has changed quickly and significantly, most visibly for RAM and storage components. There are a variety of reasons, all of which are affecting hardware products everywhere. The overall effect is that our original goal for the price of Steam Machine is no longer viable…
Price wasn't the only thing impacted by all of this: availability was as well. There were periods where we found we couldn't source some of our components at all, at any price. More than anything else, this has impacted the number of units we've been able to produce for launch.
Analysts figure when the Steam Machine was announced, the planned price for the console was around $750. But with AI companies buying mass quantities of the components required to build consoles, the price continues to climb. Early reviews for the new hardware are mediocre, but that is mostly based on price.
There is some good news to accompany the Steam Machine release. Valve made their Steam OS downloadable and increased CPU support for the operating system, meaning if you have some old hardware laying around, you can build your own Steam computer. Of note, this currently only works with AMD graphic cards.
Origins Awards winners
The Tabletop Game Association and the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design announced the winners of the 2026 Origins Awards at Origins convention. These awards highlight the top tabletop games of the year. The 2026 winners include:
- Gateway Game of the Year: Railroad Tiles
- Party Game of the Year: Hot Streak
- Light Strategy Game of the Year: Winter Rabbit
- Heavy Strategy Game of the Year: Speakeasy
- Cooperative/Solo Game of the Year: The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship
- Roleplaying Game of The Year: Land of Eem
- Roleplaying Game Supplement of the Year: Call of Cthulhu: The Sutra of Pale Leaves - Twin Suns Rising
- Miniatures Game of the Year: Blood Bowl Third Season Edition
- Miniature of the Year: Warhammer: Age of Sigmar
- Paint/Hobby Accessory of the Year: Goblin Hobbies Stampin' Plates
- Fixed Constructible Game of the Year: Riftbound: Proving Grounds
- Randomized Constructible Game of the Year: Gudnak: Expansion Bundle
Microsoft is raising the price of Xbox…yes, again
As demand for critical computer components continues to increase, Microsoft says they are raising the price of all their Xbox models again in August, and sunsetting their 2TB model.
In a post on Xbox Wire, Microsoft justified the increase, saying “console storage and memory prices have increased by more than 2.5x and we expect another doubling by the fall of 2027.”
The entire consumer electronics industry is struggling with the current components crisis, but the effects are particularly hard on consoles.
The lowest priced Xbox will now cost $500. Here are the new prices, along with the amount they are increasing:
- Series S 512GB - $500 (increase of $100)
- Series S 1TB - $600 ($150)
- Series X 1TB (digital) - $750 ($150)
- Series X 1TB with disc drive - $800 ($150)
The price increase comes as some retailers warn there might not be enough consoles for those who want to purchase one for the holiday season (and to play GTA6) this year. For those who want a new Xbox, Microsoft says they are working to make the console more accessible by offering interest free financing and buy now, pay later options.
Side Quests (more stories worth reading)
😢 Sony laid off nearly 300 employees at Bungie, including most of the Destiny team and some of the Marathon teams.
🎤 Olivia Rodrigo is the latest musician to become a playable character in Fortnite.
🔫 Meanwhile, you can now play as Nicolas Cage in Call of Duty.
🧟 Capcom provided updates about new and current games at their 2026 Spotlight event. Check out everything announced.
⛩️ Ghost of Yotei has increased tourism in the Japanese area where the game is set.
📉 Chinese publishing company Tencent reportedly plans to sell its shares in some Japanese game studios.
🗓️ Lords Of The Fallen II has been delayed until 2027.
🦔 To celebrate its 35th Anniversary, Sega is re-releasing Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on cartridges for $100.
🚀 Spaceship shooter Wildgate is ending development after one year.
🎞️ Sony will delete and revoke access to over 550 movies purchased by PlayStation owners from their digital libraries, including Terminator 2, Evil Dead and From Dusk to Dawn.
🎥 Microsoft confirmed that a Sea of Thieves live-action movie is in development.
New Releases this week:
Check out our article on 8 games to play in June.
7/2: Hyperwired (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC)
7/2: Rhythm Heaven Groove (Switch)
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