SSPAI

Category: Game

  • Best Games to Play in May 2026: 007 First Light, Forza Horizon 6, Mixtape & ZERO PARADES

    Best Games to Play in May 2026: 007 First Light, Forza Horizon 6, Mixtape & ZERO PARADES

    Mixtape

    A single cassette tape preserves the final night of three teenagers’ high school lives—and captures a carefully curated soundtrack of the era from the creators themselves.

    • Release Date: May 7, 2026
    • Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC

    Developed by Australian indie studio Beethoven & Dinosaur and published by Annapurna Interactive, Mixtape carries the musical DNA that has long defined the team. The studio’s creative director—and the creative director of this project—Johnny Galvatron is himself a musician, having previously served as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the band The Galvatrons. Beethoven & Dinosaur’s previous title was 2021’s The Artful Escape, a psychedelic music-themed platformer heavily inspired by David Bowie and his stage persona Ziggy Stardust.

    Mixtape is set in Northern California in the late 1990s. Players take on the role of Stacy Rockford, a teenage girl who has dreamed of becoming a music supervisor since she was eight years old. Together with her friends Van Slater and Cassandra “Cass” Morino, she spends the final night of high school on the way to a party, reminiscing about the years they spent growing up together. In terms of gameplay, I feel the core experience lies in following the creators’ cinematic direction and immersing yourself in the narrative. Despite its musical theme, this is not a rhythm game. Instead, the journey is punctuated by a handful of light simulation-style minigames. Overall, the action elements are minimal, and players are unlikely to encounter traditional failure states. The entire experience lasts around three hours, and its cinematic presentation naturally reduces the emphasis on player input. This has drawn some criticism, but instinctively I find it perfectly acceptable—after all, the story takes place over the course of a single night. Why shouldn’t it be told in a concise and focused way?

    Built with Unreal Engine 5, the game’s audiovisual style is particularly striking. You can clearly see the influence of stop-motion animation techniques, and the deliberately reduced frame rate occasionally evokes the look and feel of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. According to Galvatron himself, as well as numerous media reviews, Mixtape pays extensive tribute—both in tone and visual design—to the coming-of-age films of 1980s filmmaker John Hughes. One major sequence even serves as a direct homage to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The trailers already showcase plenty of playful visual touches. One moment, which I personally suspect references the music video for “What Is Love,” features a clearly 3D-modeled car driving through a cityscape rendered in the fuzzy aesthetic of an old VHS recording rather than pristine high-definition imagery. It makes me eager to discover just how many thoughtful details like this are hidden throughout the full game.

    The audio side is even more distinctive. Mixtape grows almost entirely out of Galvatron’s personal memories, placing music at the center of every aspect of its storytelling. In interviews with outlets such as Kotaku, Galvatron explained that the entire project originally began with what he considers his all-time favorite song: “That’s Good” by Devo. The team ultimately secured licenses for more than twenty tracks from artists including Devo, Roxy Music, Smashing Pumpkins, Iggy Pop, Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, and Lush. During development, the team genuinely approached the game as if they were assembling a mixtape. They treated the entire experience as a playlist, repeatedly playing through it from beginning to end, feeling the emotional rise and fall, and adjusting songs, scenes, and moods accordingly.

    The soundtrack choices reflect Galvatron’s own experience growing up in Australia during the 1990s. Silverchair dominated his life from the age of thirteen. Smashing Pumpkins’ “Love” entered his world as a gift from a relative when he was fifteen. Roxy Music’s “More Than This,” meanwhile, came from the musical education his father had been giving him since childhood. In an interview with ScreenRant, Galvatron spoke about his fascination with stories that exist “on the edge of a cliff where everything is about to change and there’s no going back.” He also encourages players to “become obnoxious about the things you love.” I deeply admire and appreciate that kind of sincerity.

    To be honest, I’ve never been a particularly serious music listener. When friends bring up a famous song, I often feel as though I’ve heard it somewhere before but can never quite place it. My exposure to Western popular music between the 1990s and 2010s was especially limited. It’s only in recent years that I’ve begun to spend more time appreciating classic artists such as Queen and Arctic Monkeys. So, somewhat embarrassingly, the youthful era that Mixtape lovingly revisits and celebrates feels, for me, like a reunion that arrived long after the fact. Yet that is precisely why I connect so strongly with its approach to nostalgia. Great music is like a preserved fragment of a beautiful moment in time. Even if you never lived through it yourself, it can still touch that part of you that longs for nostalgia. And besides, I really did grow up during a period—the 1990s and the turn of the millennium—that was worth remembering.

    007 First Light

    The studio behind Hitman has taken on the challenge of adapting James Bond. How will Agent 47’s creators differentiate Bond from their iconic assassin? The question has captured everyone’s attention.

    • Release Date: May 27, 2026
    • Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC

    Developed by Danish studio IO Interactive, the creators of the Hitman series, 007 First Light is built using the company’s proprietary Glacier engine. Following the critical and commercial failure of 007 Legends in 2012—which ultimately led to Activision losing the Bond license—this marks the first major, fully fledged James Bond game in many years.

    IO began dedicating its full development efforts to the project after the completion of Hitman 3. The game tells a completely original Bond origin story inspired by Ian Fleming’s novels and decades of classic Bond films. The protagonist’s youthful and inexperienced characterization is deliberately designed to distinguish him from the Bond audiences know from the movies. Players step into the shoes of a 26-year-old James Bond, still green and unpolished as an MI6 operative, undertaking a mission that could earn him the coveted “00” designation—and the license to kill. In an interview with Game Informer, narrative and cinematic director Martin Emborg explained that the studio wanted a young man with rough edges. Meanwhile, familiar figures such as M and Q have been intentionally given traits that audiences recognize as quintessentially Bond-like, gradually guiding the protagonist toward becoming the Bond we know.

    Like many players, I was particularly curious about one question: after spending so many years perfecting Hitman, would IO simply build 007 on top of the same framework, or attempt something entirely new? And if it chose the latter, could the studio pull it off? Based on what we have seen so far, First Light clearly carries over many of the design philosophies that defined Hitman, including broad-linear sandbox levels and objectives that remain fixed while solutions are left up to the player. However, IO has repeatedly emphasized that First Light is not merely a Bond-themed reskin of Hitman:

    • First, pacing. Hitman can be slow, methodical, and puzzle-like, allowing players to study a situation and carefully orchestrate the perfect assassination—though charging in guns blazing has always been an option. While First Light still supports both stealth and direct-combat approaches, the game is much more inclined to keep players moving forward.
    • Second, identity. According to IO, you are playing a spy, not an assassin. As a result, infiltration, investigation, and eavesdropping on conversations play a much larger role, while executing the perfect kill is no longer the central objective.
    • Third, action. In the Hitman series, open combat is generally treated as a last resort. Here, players are no longer meant to feel punished or “ashamed” for engaging in large-scale fights. Drawing inspiration from Batman, the game expands hand-to-hand combat with more elaborate combo systems, incorporates blockbuster set pieces reminiscent of Uncharted, and even introduces drivable vehicles. That may sound like a small step for the action genre, but it is a giant leap for IO Interactive itself—the studio even hired specialists in vehicle gameplay specifically for the project.

    ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies

    The post-Disco Elysium era of ZA/UM officially begins.

    • Release Date: May 21, 2026
    • Platform: PC

    This new espionage-themed title comes from ZA/UM, the studio behind Disco Elysium. Around 2022, many of the game’s core creators departed from ZA/UM, including producer Robert Kurvitz, art director Aleksander Rostov, and writer Helen Hindpere, none of whom remain at the studio today. The driving force behind ZERO PARADES is arguably the most prominent figure among those who stayed: Siim “Kosmos” Sinamäe, a producer on Disco Elysium, serves as the lead writer. He is joined by co-writer Honey Watson, a novelist who joined the studio more recently.

    ZA/UM has repeatedly stressed that this is neither a sequel nor a spiritual successor to Disco Elysium. Even so, the game clearly inherits much of its predecessor’s DNA in both gameplay and visual design. Players take on the role of female agent Hershel Wilk, codenamed CASCADE. Five years after a disastrous intelligence operation, she is released from confinement and sent on a covert mission to the city-state of Portofiro—the very place where an intelligence network was exposed and where she, as the person in charge, was forced to flee. In practice, the game is an isometric, combat-free narrative RPG. Players explore Portofiro’s districts, converse with residents, investigate objects, and gather clues through a series of skill checks that gradually advance the story. Like the protagonist of Disco Elysium, Wilk possesses a highly active mind, and many of the game’s checks are tied to different aspects of her psyche. At first glance, it may sound like more of the same.

    In terms of subject matter, however, this is a spy story. According to interviews with outlets such as Polygon, the developers believe that the world of espionage inherently lacks clear-cut notions of right and wrong, making it a natural fit for this type of system. The spies they envision are nothing like the 007-style agents mentioned earlier. In fact, they joke that the best spies are middle-ranking civil servants, while James Bond is perhaps the worst spy imaginable—“you can spot him from miles away, and everything around him is on fire.” Both writers have stated that the game draws its primary inspiration from the spy novels of John le Carré. Watson argues that compared with Bond, le Carré’s work contains far more rationality and introspection, which aligns perfectly with what ZERO PARADES hopes to explore: an ordinary person committing “petty, ugly deeds” in the name of intelligence work.

    It is also worth revisiting the personnel earthquake that shook ZA/UM. The studio was founded in 2016 by Estonian novelist Robert Kurvitz, and Disco Elysium itself was adapted from his literary work. After the game launched, it swept up numerous Game of the Year awards and secured its place on countless “greatest games of all time” lists. Success, however, was followed by a tangle of legal disputes involving studio members and stakeholders. In 2022, Kurvitz and several other key creators left the company involuntarily (thank you, PC Gamer). Plans for both a prequel and a sequel to Disco Elysium were subsequently canceled, while ZA/UM underwent multiple rounds of layoffs. Those who left went on to form their own studios—such as Longdue and Summer Eternal—each developing its own contender for the title of “heir to Disco Elysium.”

    Faced with this heavy and complicated history, the current developers appear surprisingly at peace. In an interview with RPG Site at GDC 2026, when asked why players should not dismiss the game simply because several key creative figures had departed, both writers responded with variations of “a good game speaks for itself.” Watson expanded on the thought: “Rather than spending our energy proving we can make a good game, we’d rather just make one.” I have to admit, that response genuinely piqued my interest, because I have an endless appetite for CRPGs like this.

    For me, Disco Elysium was once my number one “game of a lifetime” (until I encountered Phantom Liberty). So when I first heard about everything that had happened to ZA/UM, my feelings were complicated. On one hand, I mourned the hardships endured by the original creators and worried about the uncertain future of any successor projects. On the other hand, I felt a strange sense of acceptance. Perhaps works with this kind of spirit really do require a touch of obsession, a touch of madness. For a while, I even thought I might deliberately avoid ZA/UM’s so-called “official spiritual successor.” But now that so much time has passed since the original team underwent its creative mitosis, that sense of acceptance has ultimately won out.

    [Empathy — 10] I’m ready.

    Forza Horizon 6

    The Horizon Festival has finally arrived in Japan—a destination fans of the series have been calling for for years.

    • Release Date: May 19, 2026
    • Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC

    Developed by Playground Games and published by Xbox Game Studios, Forza Horizon 6 was officially unveiled during Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2025. A PS5 version has also been confirmed and is being developed collaboratively by Playground Games and Turn 10 Studios, with release planned for later this year.

    After years of fan requests, the winds of the Horizon Festival have finally blown across Japan. Now free from the technical constraints imposed by the Xbox One generation, Playground Games decided the time had come to deliver a world that distills Japan’s most iconic elements into a single, highly concentrated experience. Centered around Tokyo and surrounded by dramatic mountain landscapes, the game features the largest map in the series’ history. According to the developers, the area of “Tokyo City” in Forza Horizon 6 is five times larger than Guanajuato, the main city from the previous game. It recreates landmarks such as the Shuto Expressway C1 Loop, Shinjuku Gyoen, and the famous ginkgo-lined avenue outside Meiji Jingu Gaien. Beyond the city lie the Japanese Alps, Mount Haruna (the real-world inspiration for Mount Akina), the Hakone mountain roads, Arashiyama, and numerous scenic routes that conveniently pass by breathtaking sights—including locations reminiscent of Kinkaku-ji. The result is a map that condenses a remarkable number of Japanese destinations into one space, creating what may be the series’ densest and most vertically layered world to date.

    In the game, players arrive in Japan as visitors. After demonstrating their driving skills, they are welcomed into the Horizon Festival, opening up the franchise’s signature open-world formula. Players are free to roam the map, discover new locations, enjoy scenic views, participate in races and activities encountered along the way, smash bonus boards, and visit photo spots. These activities reward points that can be used to upgrade vehicles, expand garages, and unlock new opportunities. One of my favorite aspects of the Horizon series has always been its ability to offer “virtual tourism,” and the developers continue to push the visual experience further with each installment. Alongside the larger map and expanded scenery, the dynamic seasonal system that returned in Forza Horizon 4 has been further enhanced. Special attention has been given to iconic locations featuring cherry blossoms and golden ginkgo leaves. According to a developer Q&A published on Xbox Wire, the team placed enormous emphasis on authenticity, obsessing over details ranging from the sounds of city streets at dusk to the meanings behind shop signs and color choices. Their goal was to create an atmosphere convincing enough even for people deeply familiar with Japan.

    I wouldn’t consider myself a car enthusiast, but I have experienced quite a few works associated with both “Japan” and “street racing,” and they all left a strong impression on me. Initial D hardly needs mentioning. Even now, I can vividly remember the nighttime Tokyo race sequence from Cars 2, as well as The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Having traveled in Japan myself, I naturally developed a set of expectations for Forza Horizon 6’s version of the country—expectations built, admittedly, on a fair amount of stereotype and imagination.

    I have not yet had a chance to play the game myself, but judging from the trailers, its depiction of Japan feels slightly different from what I had envisioned. Compared with Forza Horizon 3, 4, and 5, I expected debates over whether Japan felt “authentic” to be particularly intense. Yet after browsing through various reports and reactions, I realized the situation is more complicated than that.

    Questions of authenticity have been a recurring challenge for every Forza Horizon game. Accusations that the series resembles a “tourism brochure” have followed Horizon 3, 4, and 5. Ironically, Forza Horizon 4—the entry I personally liked the most—received some of the harshest criticism. Polygon mocked it as “theme park England,” while Top Gear described it as a postcard version of Britain that exists only in older generations’ memories. The reception to Forza Horizon 6, by comparison, feels far more divided. Japanese outlets such as Game*Spark and 4Gamer have praised its level of authenticity, while many communities outside Japan have criticized aspects such as the radio language options, the perceived lack of urban depth in Tokyo, and the relatively sparse traffic and pedestrian density.

    Thinking about it again, perhaps what many people really want from Forza Horizon 6 is not Japan as it actually is, but rather the Japan that exists in their imagination—the stereotypical version they have always dreamed of driving through.

    Yoshi and the Curious Codex / ヨッシーとフカシギの図鑑

    After seven years, Yoshi is finally back as the star of a brand-new adventure.

    • Release Date: May 21, 2026
    • Platform: Nintendo Switch 2

    Developed by Good-Feel and published by Nintendo, this marks the studio’s latest Yoshi-led title following Yoshi’s Woolly World (ヨッシーウールワールド) in 2015 and Yoshi’s Crafted World (ヨッシークラフトワールド) in 2019. The game was unveiled during Nintendo Direct in September 2025 as part of the Super Mario Bros. (スーパーマリオブラザーズ) 40th Anniversary celebration and is exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2.

    The gameplay continues the series’ long-standing side-scrolling platforming formula, though this time the familiar recipe comes with a fresh twist. Yoshi accidentally finds himself inside a talking “living encyclopedia” known as Mr. E—a playful pun on the word “mystery.” Players explore levels built entirely from the pages of this magical book, using Yoshi’s signature abilities—swallowing enemies, throwing eggs, ground pounding, and tail attacks—to interact with the many creatures documented within its pages. By observing and understanding their behaviors, players can solve puzzles, progress through stages, and gradually complete the in-game bestiary. The game adopts a hand-drawn colored-pencil art style, widely seen as a tribute to the illustrated aesthetic of the original Yoshi’s Island.

    Coffee Talk Tokyo

    The same late-night café returns—this time in a Tokyo where humans and yokai share the city.

    • Release Date: May 21, 2026
    • Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2

    Coffee Talk Tokyo is the third entry in the Coffee Talk series. While the first two games were developed by Indonesian studio Toge Productions, development duties for this installment have largely shifted to Chorus Worldwide, with Toge continuing to collaborate. The setting has also changed, moving away from the alternate Seattle where humans and fantasy races coexist to a near-future Tokyo infused with elements of both science fiction and folklore.

    The new game continues the series’ familiar formula. Players once again step into the role of a late-night café barista, serving a diverse mix of humans and supernatural beings during an unbearably hot summer. As customers come and go, they share their thoughts on love, loss, identity, second chances, and the many struggles of everyday life. Gameplay remains centered around preparing hot and cold drinks, creating latte art, and serving the right beverage at the right moment. Through these seemingly simple actions, players subtly influence conversations and, ultimately, the fates of the characters themselves. This installment introduces an entirely new cast of eleven characters, alongside an updated version of the dynamic social-media system, “Tomodachill 2.0,” which offers richer interactions and a stronger sense of connection. Music is once again composed by Andrew “AJ” Jeremy, whose signature tracks continue to define the series’ comforting lo-fi atmosphere.

    As for why the setting was moved to Tokyo, an interview conducted by 80 Level with lead writer Anna Winterstein revealed that the team felt the world and characters of the first two games deserved a chance to “catch their breath” after their stories had concluded. Tokyo, meanwhile, was seen as the perfect example of a modern metropolis—perhaps even more suited than Seattle to capturing the tension between opportunity and loneliness. As Japan’s capital, the city also brings with it a distinctive cultural identity, along with a rich tradition of yokai folklore. In short, Tokyo offered the team a way to preserve the core themes of the series while exploring entirely new perspectives. Since many members of the development team are either Japanese or have spent significant time living in or traveling through Japan, they also felt confident in their ability to portray the setting authentically.

    Winterstein also noted that, in some ways, the move represents a return to the series’ roots. After all, the original Coffee Talk was itself inspired by the Japanese television drama Midnight Diner.

    Wax Heads

    A deeply personal work, and a love letter to record-store culture.

    • Release Date: May 5, 2026
    • Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch

    Developed by the two-person indie team Patattie Games and published by Curve Games, the project brings together artist Murray Somerwolff and programmer Rocío “Rothio” Tomé.

    This small-scale title blends narrative storytelling with light management-simulation elements. The story takes place in a record shop called Repeater Records, where players step into the shoes of a newly hired employee. Each day, a wide variety of customers walk through the door, describing—sometimes clearly, sometimes vaguely—the kind of music they are looking for. Players must search through the store’s inventory, examine information associated with each record—social media posts, magazine articles, reviews, song titles, and other clues—and ultimately recommend the vinyl that best matches the customer’s needs. Whether your recommendation is correct or not, the customer will leave carrying the record you chose.

    The game features more than 80 hand-drawn records, over 60 hand-drawn characters, and more than 30 original songs. Beyond recommending music, players will also solve organization and storage puzzles, design posters for live performances, care for a virtual pet, and take on various other small tasks around the shop.

    A major narrative thread centers on the unsolved breakup of a fictional band. In the 1980s, a group called Becoming Violet was formed by sisters Morgan and Willow. The band eventually fell apart after Willow launched a solo career, a producer became entangled in a romantic relationship, and Morgan disappeared without explanation—everyone seemed to contribute to the chaos in their own way. As it happens, the record store where the player works is owned by Morgan herself. Players will gradually uncover the truth behind the sisters’ falling-out and discover whether they can reunite for a charity performance.

    In an interview with TheGamer, creator Murray Somerwolff—a passionate vinyl collector—revealed that the game’s original inspiration came while playing Wilmot’s Warehouse. He remembered thinking, “What if all these shelves were filled with records instead?” He emphasized that the project had to be deeply personal, because only then could it genuinely carry the creators’ passion.

    Somerwolff also shared his concerns about what he sees as a growing trend of treating art as disposable. He admitted that he “hates Spotify,” arguing that albums are carefully structured works. Listening to a record from beginning to end offers a complete experience with its own themes, flow, and storytelling, whereas listening only to individual songs strips away their context. He hopes Wax Heads can serve as a metaphor—and a reminder of that idea.

  • Best New Games of Early 2026: Pokémon Pokopia, Fatal Frame Remake, and a Viral AI Experiment Worth Trying

    Best New Games of Early 2026: Pokémon Pokopia, Fatal Frame Remake, and a Viral AI Experiment Worth Trying

    Lost Starship: Marathon / Marathon

    Bungie revives this 1990s IP with a colorful, avant-garde approach, shifting the gameplay toward a PvPvE-focused extraction shooter.

    • Release date: 2026.03.05
    • Platforms: PS5, XS X|S, PC

    From Bungie—the renowned developer behind Halo and Destiny—this is also the studio’s first new project after being acquired by Sony. The team has chosen to revive its original 1996 first-person shooter IP, Marathon. While continuing the narrative lineage and retaining first-person action mechanics, the game adopts a bold sci-fi visual style and introduces an extraction shooter framework: players spawn in teams on a large map, search for gear and loot within a time limit, evade or defeat both human and AI enemies, and ultimately either extract successfully with their haul or be eliminated and leave empty-handed.

    I’ve never been particularly drawn to extraction shooters, a genre that has carved out a firm niche in the live-service market in recent years. I’ve tried well-known titles like Escape from Tarkov and Delta Force, mostly playing the latter with friends. I consider my FPS aiming skills to be below average, and the genre’s defining trait—“you don’t just lose your life, you lose your inventory too”—only amplifies the frustration. On top of that, I’ve grown somewhat fatigued with realistic settings (and their associated art styles) in recent years—perhaps Cyberpunk 2077 is to blame—so I’ve never fully committed to any major title in the genre, even ones like Arc Raiders that initially caught my attention with their logo and interface.

    That changed with the sudden arrival of Lost Starship: Marathon. (Unless otherwise specified, “Marathon” below refers to this game.)

    In the original Marathon trilogy, humanity sends a colony ship named “Marathon” to an alien planet called Tau Ceti IV, where a series of bizarre events unfold, including AI rebellion and battles between humans and extraterrestrials. This new title advances the timeline by 99 years beyond the previous entries. The long-lost Marathon ship suddenly sends out a distress signal, sparking a scramble among various factions for the resources on Tau Ceti IV, with players entering the conflict as mercenaries. In this game, players take on the role of “Runners,” a concept reminiscent of Ghost in the Shell: a Runner’s “consciousness” is separate from their “body,” and can be transferred into specialized cybernetic bodies tailored for missions. Even if a Runner dies in action, their consciousness can safely escape and inhabit a new body—though everything collected on the previous body is lost.

    This combat-oriented, clean, and efficient setup, in my view, reflects the fast-paced nature of Marathon. After spending over a dozen hours with the game, a few impressions stand out:

    1. First, the combat density is quite high. Each match features around six teams of three players, and even if eliminated, teammates can revive you indefinitely. Neutral AI enemies are scattered across the map, and they are no pushovers—their health, damage, and behavior are all solid, and defeating them can trigger stronger reinforcements. While there’s no traditional battle royale “shrinking zone,” dynamically spawning extraction points gradually draw players together, resulting in frequent encounters.
    2. Second, the movement and combat feel are excellent. This is admittedly subjective, but compared to more realism-oriented games like Escape from Tarkov or PUBG: Battlegrounds, I personally prefer sci-fi shooters like Destiny and Apex Legends—and Marathon clearly reflects careful design in this regard. I didn’t feel like I needed any adjustment period at all.
    3. Third, progression outside of combat is relatively low-maintenance. You can pick up currency during matches that doesn’t require extraction to retain, and after extraction, the system automatically sells what needs to be sold. Various factions in the game provide a large number of permanent upgrades and mission rewards, effectively forming an out-of-match progression tech tree. According to community analysis, this system has a significant impact, helping offset the frustration of losing matches—to the point that after upgrading my storage twice, I felt much more at ease.

    What truly surprised me about Marathon is its audiovisual presentation. The color palette is striking, high-contrast, and vibrant yet cohesive, with bold use of modern, industrial, sci-fi, and geometric visual elements. The UI and interaction design incorporate ASCII, glitch effects, retro aesthetics, and complex animations, making it visually overwhelming in the best way. At the same time, electronic music tracks appear at just the right moments, further enhancing immersion. From what I’ve seen in the community, Marathon’s style hasn’t been universally embraced—its eccentric and flashy design has even been a dealbreaker for some players. But that’s often the case with avant-garde art. For me personally, it evokes nothing but excitement and admiration—it’s rare to encounter a work that aligns so perfectly with one’s own aesthetic tastes.

    According to The Guardian editor Keith Stuart, the original Marathon—first released on Apple Macintosh—was once a go-to after-work “team-building” game among the editors of Edge magazine, highlighting the IP’s significance among early FPS players. Regardless of what lies ahead, I believe the 2026 Marathon has already earned its place as a landmark in gaming history purely through its dazzling artistic vision.

    What I hope even more is that the game’s live-service operation proves to be long-lasting and engaging—that will depend on Bungie. Marathon’s debut is nothing short of stunning, but starting fast doesn’t guarantee victory, especially given the current challenges facing the gaming industry.

    Pokémon Pokopia / ぽこ あ ポケモン

    A sandbox simulation and management game that may become one of the most influential Pokémon spin-offs in recent years.

    • Release Date: March 5, 2026
    • Platform: NS2

    In recent years, mainline Pokémon titles have often been criticized for lacking innovation and refinement—and occasionally even taking steps backward—creating room for “superior alternatives” like Palworld. However, from years of observation, I’ve found that Pokémon’s spin-off titles often hide many delightful gems. Older entries like Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team and more recent ones like Pokémon Quest have both left a strong impression on me.

    This game is developed by Omega Force under Koei Tecmo, the studio behind sandbox simulation titles like Dragon Quest Builders 2. Its gameplay blends elements from classics such as Minecraft, Animal Crossing, and Story of Seasons.

    Pokopia follows a similar path, organically combining the Pokémon IP with simulation and management gameplay, resulting in another milestone among the series’ spin-offs. In the game, players take on the role of a Ditto, even customizing a humanoid form at the start. Early dialogue reveals that humans have mysteriously disappeared from the world, and Pokémon have become scarce. The Ditto you play as seems to maintain the appearance of its former trainer out of longing. Entrusted by Professor Tangrowth, the player begins restoring the post-human ecosystem, gradually attracting more Pokémon to settle in. These returning Pokémon are not only companions but also teachers—they share abilities and crafting recipes, allowing players to acquire new skills, build more complex tools, and expand interactions with the environment.

    Collecting as many resident Pokémon as possible is one of Pokopia’s key objectives. The story hints early on that perhaps when all Pokémon return, humans might come back as well. To attract specific Pokémon, players must create particular environmental conditions—for example, four patches of grass arranged in a grid may attract Bulbasaur, while placing trees next to flowers might bring in Scyther. As such, the gameplay loop revolves around acquiring skills, tools, and environmental recipes, transforming the landscape, befriending new companions, and unlocking new areas—all while enjoying the charm of having Pokémon by your side.

    These are my initial impressions after recently picking up an NS2 and spending a little time with Pokopia. Overall, I really enjoy this take on the Pokémon world. By moving away from capturing and battling, and focusing instead on management and companionship, the game amplifies the sense of wonder and relaxation that defines the Pokémon universe. As a longtime Koei Tecmo fan, I once heard a joke that Omega Force—the “Musou” team—often makes their IP crossover titles more interesting than their original Dynasty Warriors series, because they excel at distilling the essence of each IP. I never expected that one day this “blessing” would extend to Pokémon—but here we are, and it’s truly a delightful surprise.

    Fatal Frame: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE / 零 ～紅い蝶～ REMAKE

    A remake of a classic Japanese-style horror game, where beauty and terror exist as two sides of the same coin.

    • Release Date: March 12, 2026
    • Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, NS2, PC

    The Fatal Frame series may not be the most mainstream name in horror gaming, but its defining traits are widely recognized: an eerie, Japanese-style narrative setting; ghostly girls that appear and vanish without warning; the “Camera Obscura,” which shifts into a first-person perspective to perceive the hidden world; and an obscure yet deeply unsettling storyline.

    This title is the second remake of the original 2003 game. The original was developed by Tecmo, while this remake is handled by Team NINJA under Koei Tecmo. As the second mainline entry in the Fatal Frame series, the original is often regarded as one of the scariest games ever made. The protagonists are a pair of twin sisters whose fate is closely tied to a cursed village and a mysterious sacrificial ritual. Players take on the role of the older sister, venturing into a village steeped in resentment to search for her missing sibling. According to official information, the remake introduces a number of modern enhancements, including refined controls, a new over-the-shoulder camera perspective, additional side content, and new endings—aimed at making the experience of fear more accessible and immersive.

    To be honest, I’m quite afraid of horror and thriller works. Without powerful weapons at hand, I rarely dare to engage with them, so the entire Fatal Frame series falls outside my usual interests. Although I’m unlikely to play it, I do resonate with the creators’ perspective on horror expressed through this series. In an interview with GamesRadar+, the development team noted that true Japanese horror doesn’t need to rely heavily on jump scares or explicit gore—“what is frightening can also be beautiful.” Elements like mist, ruins, masks, and butterflies—these subtle, symbolic images—are more than enough to weave an atmosphere of oppression and fear.

    your ai slop bores me

    Here, every question you ask a “large model” is powered by human brainpower.

    • Release Date: March 2, 2026
    • Platform: Web

    your ai slop bores me is created by indie developer Mihir Maroju. It’s not a game in the traditional sense, but more like an online social experiment wrapped in a gamified interface: when you open the webpage, you’re presented with a very cartoonish AI chat UI. You can choose to play as a “human,” asking the system questions and deciding whether you want text or images as answers—or you can play as the “large model,” receiving questions from “human” players. Answering earns you Credits, while asking questions consumes them.

    In an interview with Fast Company, the developer mentioned that the inspiration for this project came from Maroju’s fatigue with low-quality, overabundant AI-generated content: “If AI is going to take our jobs, then we’ll just take AI’s job instead.” The statement may sound a bit tongue-in-cheek, but I really enjoy this kind of fleeting idea. During my own time with the game, due to the lack of a strong matching system (everything is randomly assigned), I often found myself unsure what to ask—worried my questions might be too specific or hard to understand. On the other hand, when answering, I would struggle whenever I encountered topics outside my expertise.

    After quite a bit of head-scratching, I eventually felt a strange sense of relief. Playing your ai slop bores me feels like looking into a mirror: even though you may not type much, you gradually realize that your own thinking isn’t as sharp or active as you might have imagined. And when reading the responses you receive, you also sense that the person on the other side is just as confused. It’s oddly fun.

    From my personal experience, viral multiplayer games like this rarely maintain their popularity for long. About two weeks ago, when I first tried it, there were around 2,000 “humans” and “models” online on each side. When I checked again just now, both numbers had dropped to around 500–600. So if you’re interested, you’d better try it soon.

    The above is a roundup of some recently released games worth discussing, shared from a personal perspective for reference only. This article also features a giveaway interaction: do you enjoy “loot, shoot, extract” games, and what are your thoughts on the titles you’ve been playing recently? Thanks in advance for your sincere sharing.

  • SSPAI Morning Brief: Pentagon Pressures Anthropic as Meta Signs AI Chip Deal with AMD

    SSPAI Morning Brief: Pentagon Pressures Anthropic as Meta Signs AI Chip Deal with AMD

    Morning Brief

    1. Pentagon Issues Ultimatum to Anthropic
    2. Panasonic Outsources TV Business
    3. Ubiquiti Releases Cloud Gateway Industrial 10GbE Gateway
    4. Sigma Announces Full-Frame 35mm F1.4 DG II and APS-C 15mm F1.4 DC Lenses
    5. Meta Reaches Chip Procurement Agreement with AMD
    6. 1Password to Increase Subscription Prices
    7. Lamborghini Cancels Lanzador EV Project
    8. Blizzard Announces Overwatch Mobile Spin-Off
    9. Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    Pentagon Issues Ultimatum to Anthropic

    According to Axios, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth held a closed-door meeting with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and formally issued a Friday evening (February 27) deadline, demanding that Anthropic abandon its AI Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) restrictions on “mass domestic surveillance” and “fully autonomous lethal weapons.” Failure to comply would result in Anthropic being designated a “supply chain risk” company, after which the U.S. government could invoke the Defense Production Act (DPA) to forcibly assume control of its technology. Under the DPA, the government would have the authority to compel Anthropic to prioritize defense-related customization of model versions without safety guardrails—an approach previously used to increase production of critical materials during wartime or pandemics.

    Earlier at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei criticized the U.S. government’s decision to allow NVIDIA to export H200 processors to China, emphasizing that maintaining a computational advantage over China is crucial to preventing authoritarian regimes from leveraging AI technologies. On February 23 (local time), Anthropic also accused three Chinese firms—DeepSeek, Moonshot AI, and MiniMax—of conducting industrial-scale distillation attacks on its models via an official blog post. Claude currently remains the only advanced AI system granted IL6-level classified access by the Pentagon, yet Anthropic has refused to compromise on its usage restrictions. Military officials have emphasized that defense tools must support “all lawful uses” and should not be constrained by private companies’ “woke” policies. The Pentagon is reportedly accelerating alternative solutions and confirmed earlier this week that it has signed an agreement with Elon Musk’s xAI to allow its Grok model into classified systems for weapons development and battlefield operations, while also nearing a classified access agreement with Google’s Gemini. Source

    Panasonic Outsources TV Business

    Panasonic has announced a strategic partnership with Skyworth, transferring its television manufacturing, sales, and marketing operations. Under the agreement, Skyworth will lead sales, marketing, and logistics in North America and Europe, while Panasonic will provide technical expertise and quality assurance and jointly develop high-end OLED models with Skyworth. Panasonic has also committed to providing after-sales support for televisions sold before March 2026, as well as for new models launching from April onward.

    This business restructuring will take effect in April 2026, at which point Panasonic’s entertainment division will be integrated into Panasonic Holdings. Source

    Ubiquiti Releases Cloud Gateway Industrial 10GbE Gateway

    On February 19, Ubiquiti announced the launch of its UniFi Industrial product line, featuring fanless passive cooling designed for extreme environments. The first product in the lineup is the multifunctional 10GbE gateway, Cloud Gateway Industrial, also known as the UCG-Industrial (270W).

    The UCG-Industrial is powered by a quad-core Arm Cortex-A73 processor clocked at 2.2GHz and comes with 3GB of memory. It can manage over 50 UniFi devices and support connections for more than 500 users, with deployment options that include rack-mounted setups. In terms of connectivity, it offers one 10Gb SFP+ port, one 10GbE PoE+++ RJ45 port, four 2.5GbE RJ45 ports (two supporting PoE+++ and two supporting PoE++), and integrated BE5000 dual-band Wi-Fi 7. It also comes pre-installed with a 128GB microSD card for NVR storage and includes a SIM card slot compatible with the UniFi 5G Max Outdoor modem. The device is priced at $579. Source

    Sigma Announces Full-Frame 35mm F1.4 DG II and APS-C 15mm F1.4 DC Lenses

    On February 24, Sigma officially announced two new lenses: the 35mm F1.4 DG II and the 15mm F1.4 DC. The 35mm F1.4 DG II features a newly designed optical structure with 15 elements in 12 groups, including four high-precision aspherical elements and two SLD (Special Low Dispersion) elements. It comes with an 11-blade rounded diaphragm. The lens weighs 530g and measures 94mm in length (L-mount), and is equipped with a dual HLA floating focus system. Compared to its predecessor, it is approximately 14% shorter and 20% lighter. The lens includes AFL buttons at two positions, which can be assigned various functions via compatible camera menus. In addition to the aperture ring, it also features an aperture ring lock switch and a de-click switch. The lens is priced at $1,059.

    The 15mm F1.4 DC lens is designed for APS-C mirrorless cameras and serves as an upgrade to the previous 16mm F1.4 model. It measures 64.8mm in length and weighs 220g, offering a full-frame equivalent focal length of 22.5mm (24mm for the Canon RF mount). Compared to the previous generation, it is about 30% shorter and 50% lighter, and features a 9-blade diaphragm. It uses a stepping motor to drive a lightweight focusing group and includes an aperture ring for intuitive control. The Canon RF mount version also incorporates a customizable control ring. The lens is available in E, X, and RF mounts and is priced at $579. Source

    Meta Reaches Chip Procurement Agreement with AMD

    On February 24, Meta announced plans to procure up to $100 billion worth of chips from AMD, including MI540-series GPUs and next-generation CPUs, which are expected to power approximately 6GW of data center energy demand. As part of the multi-year agreement, AMD has granted Meta performance-based stock warrants equivalent to roughly 10% of the company’s shares, with an exercise price of $0.01 per share. The final vesting of these warrants will depend on AMD achieving milestone targets such as reaching a stock price of $600. Source

    1Password to Increase Subscription Prices

    On February 24, password management service provider 1Password announced that it will raise subscription fees for its Individual and Family plans starting March 27, 2026. According to an official email, the annual fee for the Individual plan will increase from $35.88 to $47.88—a 33% rise—while the Family plan will go from $59.88 to $71.88 annually. The new rates will take effect at the next billing cycle after March 27. Users who renew before that date can still enjoy the current pricing for one additional year.

    1Password attributed the price increase to significant investments in security technologies, including the proactive phishing protection feature introduced in January to counter AI-assisted phishing attacks, AI-driven item naming, and an enhanced Watchtower alert system. Source

    Lamborghini Cancels Lanzador EV Project

    In a recent interview, Lamborghini announced the cancellation of its Lanzador all-electric SUV project. The decision was based on limited demand for fully electric vehicles in the luxury supercar segment and the slowing pace of EV adoption. CEO Stephan Winkelmann stated that investing heavily in full electrification before the market has matured would be financially irresponsible. The brand will instead shift toward a fully plug-in hybrid (PHEV) lineup while proactively addressing the EU’s regulatory requirement for 90% zero-emission new vehicles by 2035. Lamborghini plans to convert all of its models to plug-in hybrid versions by 2030. Source

    Blizzard Announces Overwatch Mobile Spin-Off

    Blizzard Entertainment has officially revealed Overwatch Rush, a mobile spin-off based on the Overwatch IP. Rather than being a port of the mainline series, the game is a top-down shooter designed specifically for mobile devices. It is being developed by an internal mobile team separate from Team 4 and features a 4v4 competitive mode with a more cartoonish art style. The initial roster includes heroes from the main series such as Tracer, Reinhardt, and Mercy—whose abilities have been reworked into a more combat-focused medic role. The game supports dual virtual joystick controls and customizable abilities.

    The title will launch as a free-to-play (F2P) game on Android and iOS platforms. It is currently in the early stages of development, with the first round of Beta testing planned to begin soon in select regions such as the Philippines. Blizzard has also promised to provide ongoing development updates via Discord. Source

    Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    • Bloomberg has revealed the core specifications of Apple’s first touchscreen MacBook Pro, reporting that the lineup will offer both 14-inch and 16-inch versions, expected to launch in late 2026 (around October to November) alongside the M6 Pro and M6 Max chips. The devices are also said to feature a dynamic interactive interface that may address the long-standing challenge of interacting with vertical touchscreens, potentially challenging Steve Jobs’ earlier assertion that touchscreen computers are an ergonomic disaster. Source
    • Some users have claimed that Sony may revive the PlayStation Vita TV product line while developing a new handheld console. The now-discontinued PlayStation TV (also known as PlayStation Vita TV) was released in 2013 as Sony’s smallest-ever home console, capable of playing PSP and selected PS Vita titles when connected to a TV or monitor. The device also supported the now-defunct PS Now cloud gaming service and featured PS4 Remote Play functionality. Source
    • Meta AI security researcher Summer Yue recently disclosed on social media that while using OpenClaw to process emails, a data compression mechanism caused critical instructions to be skipped, resulting in the deletion of a large number of her personal emails within Meta AI. Source
  • 10 Multiplayer Games to Play During Chinese New Year Gatherings

    10 Multiplayer Games to Play During Chinese New Year Gatherings

    The much-anticipated Chinese New Year holiday is just around the corner. After a year of hard work, it’s the perfect time to finally relax—so why not invite a few friends over and liven things up with some games during your downtime?

    In fact, 2025 saw the release of quite a few new multiplayer titles, and we’ve also rediscovered some classic games that are still well worth playing. As in previous years, SSPAI has rounded up a selection of multiplayer games perfect for group gatherings—whether you’re competing locally or teaming up online, these picks are sure to heat things up and put your friendships to the test.

    PICO PARK Classic Edition: Kick Things Off with Some Instant Fun

    • 🎮 Platforms: PC

    Last year, we recommended both titles in the PICO PARK series in this column. Although the game’s visuals may even seem a bit rudimentary, its short, simple, and fast-paced gameplay makes it easy to jump in and out at any time—making it one of the best choices for parties and breaking the ice.

    Later this year, the classic version of the series suddenly “announced” that it would become permanently free on Steam. Originally, the development team planned to add online multiplayer and a series of optimizations to this version before restoring its pre-2021 paid status. However, Steam’s policies do not allow a game that has gone free to become paid again, so the developers simply gave up on the plan and decided to let everyone enjoy PICO PARK for free.

    The Classic Edition is the original version of PICO PARK. While it offers fewer levels than Parts 1 and 2 and features relatively rough visuals, its core gameplay still revolves around cooperative puzzle-solving with cat-like characters, supporting up to 10 players on the same screen. Watching a screen full of colorful cats bouncing around while everyone shouts and laughs—does it really matter if the graphics are rough? What matters most is having fun together.

    Split Fiction: A Phenomenal Must-Play

    • 🎮 Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, PC

    This year’s breakout hit has to be Split Fiction, whose popularity rivals that of the same studio’s It Takes Two. In fact, many people have even taken to social media to look for co-op partners for this game.

    Similar to It Takes Two, Split Fiction is primarily played in a split-screen format. Players take on the roles of two novelists with distinct styles, traveling through fantasy and sci-fi worlds. Compared to the shared-environment setup in It Takes Two, this new approach feels especially fresh.

    In terms of gameplay, Split Fiction also incorporates puzzle-solving, combat, and platforming elements, with a generally faster overall pace. Some levels successfully create an intense atmosphere, but the quicker tempo also demands better coordination and more refined controls from both players. If your keyboard-and-mouse–loving friends come over and try using a controller for the first time, it’s best to “take the blame” yourself when you get stuck—just to keep the controller safe.

    The story is packed with humorous moments (such as a satirical CAPTCHA segment) and hidden Easter eggs that pay tribute to classic games. Even though it’s a two-player title, friends watching at a party can still join in the fun from the sidelines, as the game does a great job of creating an engaging atmosphere for everyone. If you haven’t tried it yet this year, make sure to give it a go at your next gathering.

    Little Nightmares III: A Controversial Multiplayer Sequel

    • 🎮 Platforms: PS4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S, Switch 1/2, PC

    The horror-themed puzzle series Little Nightmares released its sequel, Little Nightmares III, in 2025. This installment transitions into a two-player co-op experience, with two children navigating a nightmare world together as they overcome obstacles and attempt to escape. The storyline is also largely independent, with minimal connection to the first two entries.

    The game continues the visual style and perspective of its predecessors, using muted colors and grotesque figures to create a twisted, unsettling dreamscape. In terms of gameplay, the sequel introduces exclusive tools for the two protagonists—a bow and a wrench—which serve not only as weapons but also play important roles in solving puzzles, making the gameplay feel somewhat reminiscent of It Takes Two.

    However, the reception of this installment has been notably divided compared to the first two games. Many core fans of the Little Nightmares series have given it poor reviews. One reason is that development was handed over to Supermassive Games. Although the studio has experience with horror titles, some players feel that they failed to capture the psychological horror essence of the series, resulting in a loss of narrative depth.

    Another criticism is that the core gameplay relies too heavily on past formulas. Level design and puzzle mechanics show little innovation compared to earlier entries. Although new tools were introduced, their usage frequency is limited. Additionally, the shift to co-op gameplay removes the sense of loneliness that came from facing a bizarre world alone, while also introducing unnecessary technical issues.

    That said, some players have responded positively, suggesting that the criticism stems from the high bar set by previous entries. Newcomers to Little Nightmares III may still find it to be a solid experience, though it may not offer great value at full price and is best picked up during a sale. If you’ve already completed Little Nightmares III, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments—and during the holiday, let friends who haven’t played the series give it a try.

    Lethal Company: More Terrifying Than the Monsters Is Missing Your Quota

    • 🎮 Platforms: PC

    Also a co-op horror game, Lethal Company has received consistently positive reviews since its release in 2023. Although it is still in early access, it has already earned a “Very Positive” rating on Steam. The game does not currently support Chinese, so it’s recommended to familiarize yourself with the interface and controls in advance.

    In the game, up to four players take on the role of “company employees” sent to abandoned space planets to scavenge scrap in order to meet corporate quotas. Players can divide responsibilities—some venture outside to collect items and survive, while others stay inside to monitor and coordinate. Along the way, you must avoid various monsters and fight to stay alive. But if you focus too much on strategy and survival and fail to recover enough valuable items to meet the quota, you’ll be “terminated”—which makes it feel less like a horror game and more like a reflection of reality.

    One of the game’s most interesting features is its “spatial audio.” Of course, this isn’t the spatial audio we’re used to—it refers to how sound effects and voice communication change dynamically in detail. For example, if you’re too far away from a teammate, their voice becomes faint, and if they enter a distant, enclosed space, you may not hear them at all (or perhaps their character is already lying motionless). This blend of virtual and real-world uncertainty is what gives horror games their soul.

    Although the atmosphere, monster designs, and visual style are built around horror elements, the multiplayer nature of Lethal Company guarantees plenty of humorous moments. The many comedic ways to die, panicked screams over voice chat, and inexplicable piles of junk on the floor all become conversation starters during your gathering. And more absurdly, if a teammate doesn’t make it back, players may even need to find ways to retrieve their “cyber corpse”—after all, it still counts as company property.

    R.E.P.O: The More Lighthearted Version of Lethal Company

    • 🎮 Platforms: PC

    I actually came across R.E.P.O before learning about Lethal Company. Both games revolve around scavenging in a horror setting to meet performance targets. Interestingly, both are currently priced at ¥42—so if you’re indecisive, the choice may already be giving you a headache.

    From the game’s cover art and character design alone, it’s clear that R.E.P.O is the more playful experience. There are also significant differences in detail. To borrow an analogy from Steam reviews, the relationship between the two is like Call of Duty and Battlefield.

    In terms of setting, players in R.E.P.O work for an AI employer and can form teams of up to five to scavenge eerie ruins and retrieve items. The game also features a form of “spatial audio,” offering a similar sense of uncertainty when communicating with teammates. However, in this game, items follow clear physical rules: fragile objects like vases must be handled carefully, while large items like pianos require teamwork to transport—and you might accidentally crush a teammate in the process. Conversely, some items can be used as tools to fend off ghosts (some of which are genuinely hilarious).

    Additionally, R.E.P.O includes a shop and upgrade system that allows players to purchase weapons and tools or upgrade attack power and health. This makes it more suitable for longer play sessions where you can fully enjoy progression, unlike Lethal Company, where a failed mission resets everything. This RPG-like aspect might eventually make you feel unstoppable—but don’t forget, this isn’t a hack-and-slash game. You still have KPIs to meet.

    MIMESIS: AI Plants the Seed of Doubt Among Humans

    • 🎮 Platforms: PC

    This game shares a similar background with Lethal Company. Up to four players must gather materials across various locations and repair the train they’re traveling on within a limited time to avoid monsters and move on to the next area. To truly experience the game’s essence, however, using a microphone and in-game voice chat is essential—and here’s why.

    Although monsters constantly attack you, the real threat is the “cursed rain.” If you’re exposed to it while exploring or scavenging outdoors, your character becomes contaminated. Once the contamination level reaches 100%, the character mutates—and that’s when the real horror begins.

    After mutation, the character is no longer a teammate but becomes a “monster” that hunts the other players. In the early stages, however, the character still looks the same, but the player is forcibly muted, with their voice replaced by the game’s AI. The AI automatically plays back previous voice recordings, making others believe “it” is still a trustworthy teammate. Only as time passes does the mutated character begin to visibly distort—by which point it may already be too late.

    Even more chilling is that the game’s native monsters can also imitate player characters. This imitation goes beyond voice playback—the creature can replicate a player’s appearance one-to-one and gradually mimic their behavior, such as collecting resources, performing repairs, checking corners, or even suddenly stopping to “zone out.”

    Overall, the game’s Steam reviews are fairly positive, although feedback from Simplified Chinese users is less favorable. Negative comments often point to a lack of map variety and repetitive gameplay, especially when the AI repeats Chinese voice lines, which can break immersion. Nonetheless, the game is undeniably creative. If you can gather four players, it’s definitely worth a few rounds.

    Ultimate Chicken Horse / Super Raccoon Sheep: Side-Scrolling Races Where You Strategically Sabotage Each Other

    • 🎮 Ultimate Chicken Horse: PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, Android, iOS
    • 🎮 Super Raccoon Sheep: PS4/5, Xbox One/Series X|S, Switch 1/2, PC

    These two games can essentially be considered part of the same series. Ultimate Chicken Horse was released in 2016, while Super Raccoon Sheep launched at the end of 2025—nearly a decade apart—yet their core gameplay remains highly consistent. The former supports up to 4 players, while the latter allows up to 8 players to compete together.

    Before each round begins, players can select an item from the pool and place it along the race path—either to buff themselves or set traps for others in hopes of taking first place. However, the presentation differs significantly. In Ultimate Chicken Horse, the animal characters race by running and jumping, while in Super Raccoon Sheep, players ride bicycles.

    Because the latter is a bike-based racing game, players must not only control acceleration and deceleration but also manage the bike’s balance during the race, making it more difficult than its predecessor. Many players familiar with Ultimate Chicken Horse find the controls in Super Raccoon Sheep unintuitive, with less responsive character feedback and occasional racing hiccups—one of the reasons the two games have received polarized reviews on Steam (the latter’s reception is almost catching up with Little Nightmares III). Of course, part of this is also due to Super Raccoon Sheep being newly released and still prone to some bugs.

    That said, both games are excellent in their own right. The cartoon-style animal characters are cute—even a bit absurd—and whether you’re playfully sabotaging longtime friends or breaking the ice with new ones, these games offer plenty of emotional payoff. For now, however, Ultimate Chicken Horse offers better value for money, and 4-player matches are more than enough. You may want to wait for a discount before picking up Super Raccoon Sheep.

    Dunk Dunk: The Basketball Version of the Two Games Above

    • 🎮 Platforms: Switch, PC

    If you’re a basketball fan who also enjoys the lively chaos of Ultimate Chicken Horse and Super Raccoon Sheep, then Dunk Dunk might be right up your alley.

    Like the previous two titles, Dunk Dunk is also a side-scrolling platformer where players place obstacles on the field to hinder others’ progress. This time, however, the competitive setting is a magical basketball game, where the goal is to seize the ball and score points. The player with the highest score at the end wins.

    Notably, although the game only supports local multiplayer, it allows up to 16 players to join a match and supports Xbox and PS4/5 controllers. If you have enough friends, why not have everyone bring their own controller? (You’ll at least need a USB hub with plenty of ports.)

    LEGO® Voyagers: Solve Mysteries with LEGO Creativity

    • 🎮 Platforms: PS4/5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC

    When it comes to LEGO games, the most well-known are typically licensed series like Star Wars or Marvel. In the second half of 2025, however, LEGO released a deeply cooperative two-player game, LEGO® Voyagers. Players take on the role of two LEGO bricks, using the properties of LEGO pieces to overcome obstacles and rescue a rocket.

    Many people see this as the LEGO version of It Takes Two, but I find it somewhat reminiscent of Biped. The game features a shared-screen, top-down perspective, requiring close coordination between the two players—such as building staircases together to ascend, standing together to trigger pressure switches, or jointly controlling the speed and direction of a vehicle.

    Even more interestingly, the two brick characters embody the essence of LEGO itself. In some puzzle scenarios, the players must literally “snap” together to proceed, just like real LEGO pieces. Translating real-world rules into the game world to enable more creative gameplay is, in my opinion, the key differentiator between LEGO titles and other games in the same genre.

    This game was developed by the team behind LEGO® Builder’s Journey, the LEGO title that closely resembled Monument Valley. From another perspective, could these two games be considered a kind of “crossover” as well?

    The Alters: “Self-Cooperation” for Solo Players

    • 🎮 Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC

    All the games recommended above are meant to help you bond with friends and have fun—whether through teamwork or playful sabotage, the screams and laughter along the way will become lasting memories. But in the end, the person who understands you best is always yourself. So at the conclusion of this article, I’ve made a rather “unorthodox” decision to recommend a single-player game: The Alters.

    Although it’s a single-player game, that doesn’t mean it’s “lonely.” In the game, you embark on a high-risk space mission to escape real-world problems, only to become the sole survivor after your spaceship crashes. In your struggle to stay alive, you discover that a substance on the planet called “Rapidium” can create duplicates of yourself.

    As the game progresses, you will continue to collect fragments of past memories, unlocking many “moments of regret” from your life. By choosing different paths on a quantum computer, you can create different versions of yourself. For instance, when faced with the choice of staying in the countryside or moving to the city, choosing to remain and farm will create a farmer version of yourself, while heading to the city results in a technical worker version.

    As a balancing mechanism, duplicates cannot be created freely and require careful consideration. They consume base resources, and creating too many may lead to the base collapsing. The Rapidium needed for duplication is limited and must be obtained by exploring dangerous areas. Different duplicates possess different professional skills, requiring you to make choices that best suit your current needs. Moreover, duplicates from different life paths will develop distinct personalities, so you must choose wisely to ensure harmony among all versions of yourself in the base.

    Base-building is somewhat similar to Fallout Shelter, where you construct various functional rooms connected by vertical elevators. The gameplay also features a large number of dialogues, cinematic sequences (both static and dynamic), and social feedback systems, blending narrative elements reminiscent of Quantum Break and Mass Effect, creating a strong sense of immersion. The branching structure for selecting duplicates also resembles the narrative tree in Detroit: Become Human, where each decision leads to different routes and outcomes.

    The game is developed by the same team behind Frostpunk. Although it hasn’t achieved the same phenomenal success, its overall production quality and player reception are highly praised, standing shoulder to shoulder with many AAA titles. Its innovative concept of “choosing yourself” is truly one of a kind. Perhaps after finishing the game, you’ll reflect on decisions you regret—but also come to understand that every choice in life carries a cost, and every path leaves room for regret.

    If you’d like to learn more about the game, you can read SSPAI’s in-depth article: The Alters: A Sci-Fi Survival Experiment of Multiple Lives.

    2026 Preview

    In addition to the games mentioned above, several promising multiplayer titles have already released teaser information. Let’s take a look at what’s on the horizon.

    • Subnautica 2: Finally Supporting Multiplayer

    As a platinum-level player and longtime fan of Subnautica, I’ve always loved its blend of collection, creation, and survival elements. Back then, I often thought, “If this game supported multiplayer, it would be even more fun than Minecraft.” The community eventually created multiplayer mods, but the experience was far from perfect.

    Now, Subnautica 2 finally introduces co-op gameplay for up to four players. The game will soon enter Early Access on Steam and is definitely worth adding to your wishlist.

    • Stage Fright: A Two-Player Adventure from the Overcooked Team

    Developed by the team behind Overcooked, the two-player adventure game Stage Fright was announced at TGA 2024, although its release date has yet to be confirmed. Judging from the trailer, the game focuses on a cute and quirky style, with gameplay that may resemble It Takes Two or Split Fiction. However, it may not rely entirely on split-screen, potentially switching to full-screen perspectives depending on the level.

    Since the success of It Takes Two, similar co-op titles have become a popular focus for developers—but standing out in this crowded genre remains a challenge.

    • Haunted Paws: Paw Patrol to the Rescue

    Another co-op game, this time starring two adorable dogs. Playing as dogs comes with unique advantages—you can use tools completely different from those of human characters, such as tracking scent trails with your sense of smell or quickly digging up buried items.

    One especially heartwarming feature is that when the dogs are frightened by ghosts and lose health, players can control them to “hug” each other to recover HP. What pet owner could possibly resist that?

    That brings this year’s annual roundup to a close. If you have other multiplayer game recommendations, feel free to share them in the comments. And if you happen to try any of the games mentioned here during the holiday, you’re more than welcome to leave your thoughts after the break.

    Wishing everyone prosperity in the Year of the Horse and success in all your endeavors! 🐎

  • SSPAI Morning Brief: SpaceX Acquires xAI, Adobe Ends Animate

    SSPAI Morning Brief: SpaceX Acquires xAI, Adobe Ends Animate

    Morning Brief

    1. SpaceX acquires xAI
    2. Adobe discontinues Animate
    3. Hypergryph responds to overseas payment issues in Arknights: Endfield
    4. Malicious skills found in the OpenClaw skill library
    5. ROG Kithara premium gaming headset announced and released
    6. Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    SpaceX acquires xAI

    On February 2, SpaceX announced its acquisition of Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI. The deal makes SpaceX the most valuable private company in the world, with a valuation reaching USD 1.25 trillion. In the acquisition memo, Elon Musk stated that the primary goal of this acquisition is to build space-based data centers, aiming to avoid the power consumption and cooling challenges associated with running AI in large terrestrial data centers. Source

    Adobe discontinues Animate

    On February 2, Adobe announced that it will discontinue Adobe Animate effective March 1, 2026, and remove the application from its official website, after which users will no longer be able to purchase it. Enterprise customers will be able to continue using the app, download content, and receive technical support until March 1, 2029. Other users will be able to keep using the app, download content, and access technical support until March 1, 2027. Adobe Animate was previously known as Adobe Flash Professional / Macromedia Flash and has been used to create vector graphics and animations. In its announcement, Adobe stated that due to technological advancements and the emergence of new platforms and paradigms, better applications are now available to support users’ creative needs. The company recommends After Effects or Adobe Express as alternatives. Source

    Hypergryph responds to overseas payment issues in Arknights: Endfield

    On February 1, Hypergryph responded to Southern Metropolis Daily regarding a serious PayPal payment interface error that occurred on January 22, the launch day of Arknights: Endfield, affecting overseas servers. According to Hypergryph, when the payment issue occurred, most overseas regions were outside peak gaming hours. Upon receiving user feedback, the company promptly disabled the PayPal payment option, and the overall response was considered timely. In total, 3,429 orders were affected, with the total amount involved not exceeding USD 80,000. Fewer than 1,800 users were impacted, and the highest abnormal charge for a single user reached USD 5,289. As of that day, Hypergryph had completed full refunds for all affected users. Source

    Malicious skills found in the OpenClaw skill library

    According to OpenSourceMalware, between January 27 and February 1, two waves totaling more than 230 malicious skills were published to OpenClaw (formerly ClawdBot/MoltBot) skill repositories, including ClawHub and GitHub. These malicious skills primarily target cryptocurrency traders, disguising themselves as legitimate crypto trading automation tools while stealing and exfiltrating sensitive information on Windows and macOS. All of the malicious skills share the same underlying strategy and rely on sophisticated social engineering to persuade users to execute harmful commands. Once run, these commands steal trading API tokens, wallet private keys, SSH credentials, browser passwords, and other sensitive data. Source

    ROG Kithara premium gaming headset announced and released

    On February 2, the ROG Kithara premium gaming headset was officially released and made available for purchase. Developed in collaboration with audio manufacturer HIFIMAN, the headset features a 100 mm HIFIMAN planar magnetic driver tuned by ROG, along with an open-back design. It comes with a balanced, interchangeable headphone cable, making it compatible with DACs, amplifiers, game consoles, and PCs. The headset is also equipped with a full-bandwidth inline MEMS microphone. The launch price is CNY 1,999. Source

    Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    • Tencent announced on February 2 that QQ Classic Farm will officially return on February 6, launching simultaneously on QQ and WeChat. Based on current official teasers, this new release will include a mobile version and largely retain the gameplay of QQ Farm, which first launched in 2009. Players take on the role of a farmer—planting crops, raising animals, managing agricultural products—and can visit friends’ farms to “steal crops” or “plant weeds” as mischievous interactions. Source
    • Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing service Apollo Go (Luobo Kuaipao) officially announced it will launch in Qingdao at 9:00 a.m. on February 3, with operations limited to the Hongdao area of Chengyang District. Available vehicle options include Arcfox models and the Luobo 06, featuring a “business-class ultra-spacious cabin,” 135-degree intelligent ten-point massage heated seats, and support for VIP music streaming. Users can hail rides by logging into their Baidu account via the Apollo Go app or mini program, and will receive an SMS notification when the vehicle arrives. Source
    • According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is considering shifting the production of some lower-end processors away from TSMC to another supplier. The report does not name the alternative manufacturer, though prior rumors have suggested that Intel may begin supplying chips for Apple in 2027 or 2028, potentially including processors for some Mac and iPad models. Source
    • According to DigiTimes, Apple’s rumored plan to enter the smart glasses market later this year has already begun to impact the AR optics supply chain. The report says multiple Taiwanese AR optics suppliers are investing to expand capacity and shift R&D focus. Kinko Optical has reportedly invested around USD 5.6 million to develop a new AR/VR/MR research center, while companies such as Asia Optical, MetaOptics, Chung Yang Optics, and Zhihui Innovation are also accelerating related product development. Source
    • Recently, media outlets discovered that a Google app called Desktop Camera was listed on the Google Play Store on January 28. The app description suggests a minimalist UI, closely resembling ChromeOS or the Pixel Camera interface. It is currently speculated that this app may be a system component of the previously rumored “desktop-style Android interface,” Aluminium OS. Source
  • What to Play This Month: Arknights: Endfield and Other Notable New Releases

    What to Play This Month: Arknights: Endfield and Other Notable New Releases

    Arknights: Endfield / 明日方舟：终末地

    A spin-off of Arknights, blending ARPG, open-world exploration, factory-style production lines, card elements, and more.

    • Release date: 2026.01.22
    • Platforms: PS5, PC, Mobile

    A derivative title based on Hypergryph’s Arknights IP, Endfield pushes the original timeline forward by a century. Its core combat system makes a bold leap from the main game’s top-down tower-defense gameplay to a fully 3D open-world ARPG, while also daringly incorporating automated production-line building reminiscent of Factorio.

    The story of Endfield takes place on the alien planet Talos-II. Players assume the role of the “Endministrator,” the administrator of the fictional organization Endfield Industries. Awakening from a long period of hibernation, the Endministrator has lost memories of having once led the organization—and seemingly saved the world. Yet from the moment of reawakening, it is clear that new and urgent crises await the intervention of this “chosen one.” This parallels the role of the Doctor, whom players embody in Arknights as part of the Rhodes Island organization.

    Although Endfield is launching on platforms far beyond mobile devices, its business model still follows the familiar free-to-play approach common on mobile. The game encourages players to spend in-game currency or real money on gacha pulls: characters obtained can be deployed in combat, and powerful weapons can significantly reduce combat difficulty. Both characters and weapons come with rarity tiers—higher-tier ones tend to be far stronger and more impressive audiovisually, while also being much harder to obtain.

    Automated production-line construction is also introduced as one of the core gameplay pillars. Players are required to build production, transportation, and defense facilities, gather resources in the wild, and set up manufacturing lines on designated plots of land. Ziplines, defense towers, warehouses, and other infrastructure can be placed wherever needed. You can clearly feel the influence of Factorio-style factory gameplay, as well as the asynchronous online concepts proposed by Death Stranding, both of which Endfield seems to have absorbed.

    Many of the characters in Endfield appear to be “isomorphic variants” of characters from Arknights. Within these paired, similar characters, the Endfield versions are, in lore terms, “replicas” of their Arknights counterparts, known as “Re-Travellers.” According to Hypergryph’s creative leads in an interview with Gcores, some of these new designs originate from “the fulfillment of a certain long-held wish (within the Arknights setting)” or “another self seen in a dream.” Beyond characters, the game world itself is no longer the abstract, condensed space of Arknights. We are finally able to step directly into vast wildernesses, jungles, cliffs, and urban landscapes, experiencing Hypergryph’s distinctive brand of Chinese fantasy aesthetics firsthand. As a long-time Arknights player, seeing familiar figures come alive on screen in a more grounded 3D form—and watching pavilions and terraces once glimpsed only in static CG now standing vividly before me—genuinely stirred a sense of closeness and nostalgia.

    Over the past month or so, aside from spending time clearing the fourth and fifth endings of the Arknights Integrated Strategies event themed around “Realm Within,” most of my free time has gone to Endfield, a game I had personally been anticipating for a long while. In interviews with Gcores, the core creative team mentioned that their first priority was to put into the game things they genuinely loved, and then hope that players would develop a similar affection for them. For me, this meant recognizing plenty of familiar influences—from Control, Destiny, God of War, NieR, Final Fantasy XV, and more. I like those games too. At the same time, I also see Hypergryph’s aesthetic sensibilities, cultivated since Arknights, being pushed to new heights in Endfield, especially in its interactions and architecture. So even when laying power lines and drawing conveyor belts drives me up the wall, I still feel, so far, that the game is worth savoring slowly.

    With its fully 3D presentation and open-world framework, Endfield opens the door to many more gameplay experiments. It remains to be seen what kinds of “metaverse”-like modular expansions the developers might build atop this platform in the future—but for now, we watch with anticipation.

    Cairn / 孤山独影

    A hardcore, realism-driven climbing experience.

    • Release date: 2026.01.30
    • Platforms: PS5, PC

    I previously introduced Jusant, a climbing game developed by DON’T NOD. This time, DON’T NOD’s French counterpart—the indie studio The Game Bakers—serves up a much more hardcore climbing dish with Cairn. If you’ve played The Game Bakers’ earlier titles Furi and Haven, you’ll recognize the studio’s tendency to focus intensely on a single theme or mechanic in each project, supported by strikingly stylized art direction. Furi centered on boss-rush combat, Haven on the bond between partners and its gliding mechanics, while this new work is devoted entirely to climbing and survival challenges.

    In Cairn, players take on the role of the professional climber Aava, attempting to conquer an “unclimbed peak,” with climbing segments alternating with moments of rest. On a micro level, players must precisely control the protagonist’s body, using combinations of sticks and buttons to select and extend one of the four limbs, repeating this process to move upward. On a macro level, the game grants players near-total freedom in route selection, rather than confining them to predefined “anchor points.” That freedom still demands careful planning: venture into overly dangerous terrain and the protagonist will suffer from intense stress and rapidly rising stamina costs; choose a reasonable, less taxing route and Aava can place pitons and recover stamina. After climbing for a while, players will reach overnight campsites, where they can pitch a tent, restore condition, repair gear durability, and cook food.

    To further heighten the sense of extreme challenge, The Game Bakers put considerable care into sound design, inviting Martin Stig Andersen—renowned for his work on Limbo and Control—to craft an immersive audio landscape for the game. An editor at Aftermath mentioned in their impressions that the sound effects were so enticing they often ended up overeating during rest breaks, only to find themselves short on supplies when it was time to recover stamina—an anecdote that speaks volumes about the game’s attention to detail.

    Creative director Emeric Thoa noted in interviews with outlets such as GamesRadar+ that the team hopes Cairn can become a Death Stranding of climbing-themed games: one where highly concrete, hands-on climbing mechanics form the core experience, rather than a superficial simulation. More importantly, the underlying theme they aim to explore is an “emotion”—the yearning for absolute freedom, and the willpower, endurance, and sacrifice that inevitably accompany it. Taking all of this together, I’m inclined to trust The Game Bakers’ confidence in their focused vision, and it’s enough to count myself among this game’s potential audience.

    Don’t Stop, Girlypop! / 暴走甜心

    Hello everyone—welcome to the Y2K special.

    • Release date: 2026.01.30
    • Platform: PC

    One of my personal favorites from Day of the Devs ahead of The Game Awards 2024, this is a retro FPS developed by Funny Fintan Softworks and published by Kwalee.

    The game’s framework is close to DOOM, but its audiovisual elements are completely replaced with a full-on Y2K aesthetic. The premise is delightfully absurd: guided by the great, bright, and unquestionably righteous force known as “Love,” players must take on a mining corporation called Tigris Nix, wiping out the evil company’s robots and destroying its filthy shareholder interests.

    Its wildly exaggerated, highly stylized art direction is easily one of Don’t Stop, Girlypop!’s most celebrated calling cards: ultra-saturated pinks, retro-futurism steeped in Y2K vibes, hearts and sparkles practically bursting out of the screen (the Steam page is literally filled with heart symbols)…paired with fast-paced electronic music, it becomes an unapologetic sensory assault. If you’re tired of shooters being perpetually tied to traditional war iconography—whether medieval or futuristic—or if you’ve already been swept up by the game’s infectious vibe, you’re more than welcome to jump into this high-speed shooting spree. Just remember: the faster you move, the more you heal, and the higher your damage climbs.

    Pathologic 3 / 瘟疫 3

    The same dish, cooked three times over twenty years—and each time with something new.

    • Release date: 2026.01.10
    • Platforms: PS5, XS X|S, PC

    If you’re a hardcore narrative enthusiast, seeing the name Ice-Pick Lodge might make your spine tingle—another painful artistic journey is on the way, and the only question you’ll want to ask is, “When can I get on board?” The Pathologic series debuted with its first installment in 2005. The previous entry launched more than six years ago and, by sheer coincidence, later intersected with the global outbreak of COVID-19. The series has long been known for its use of infectious-disease themes, obscure and demanding text, brutal survival mechanics, and frequent breaking of the fourth wall.

    To be clear up front, I’m not deeply familiar with the series myself. However, I’ve had friends enthusiastically recommend it to me, which sparked my interest in the IP, so I’ll offer a brief overview here. In a sense, both sequels in the Pathologic series can be considered remakes: the second and third entries respectively remake—or perhaps reimagine—two storylines that already existed in the first game. Pathologic 2 focuses on the Haruspex, while Pathologic 3 centers on the Bachelor.

    All three Pathologic games share a similar framework. Players are given just twelve days, during which they must contain the spread of the plague, converse with a large number of NPCs to gather clues, and uncover the truth hidden within the town. Each route’s protagonist has unique abilities. In Pathologic 3, the Bachelor’s powers revolve around time manipulation and logical reasoning. Players can formulate various epidemic-control policies and preview the consequences those decisions will bring, while also bearing the costs of meddling with time itself. The logic-based mechanics also lend conversations with NPCs a strong deductive flavor, making this entry the most detective-like of the three.

    While browsing the game’s Steam reviews, I came across a particularly striking comment. The reviewer noted that with the same characters, the same locations, and the same motivations, the developers somehow managed to tell the same story three times—yet each version was just as intricate and gripping as the last. I think it’s precisely this kind of logical intrigue that makes Pathologic 3 the installment I’m most eager to experience.

    One Turn Kill

    Expanding a single tactical idea into an entire game—an intriguing concept.

    • Release date: 2026.01.15
    • Platform: PC

    A deck-building roguelike developed by the indie game collective DenDen and published by Waku Waku Games. The core idea of this title is both radical and immediately compelling: players must defeat their enemy within the very first turn. If the game ever reaches the enemy’s turn, the chances of victory drop to almost zero.

    “One Turn Kill” is a term most commonly used in card games, referring to winning outright on the first turn through chained effects triggered from the opening hand. The Yu-Gi-Oh! scene, in particular, is full of such legends—I’ve seen videos where players go on an elaborate first-turn monologue, assemble all five limbs and the body in hand, activate Exodia (エクゾディア), and instantly obliterate their opponent. This game, sharing the same name as the term, turns that miraculous scenario into its central mechanic. The entire goal is to build a deck capable of winning in a single turn—kick-start the card-filtering engine the moment the match begins, and secure a deeply satisfying victory.

    I’ve always had a strong fondness for TCGs, and in recent years I’ve been especially immersed in titles like Legends of Runeterra, Magic: The Gathering, and GWENT: The Witcher Card Game. While I’ve never actually achieved the lofty feat of a true “One Turn Kill” myself (if anything, Magic probably offers the best odds), that hasn’t stopped me from fantasizing about it. According to feedback from the player community, this game appears to be relatively small in scope, which is admittedly a bit of a shame—but I’d argue that getting an explosive, high-impact experience out of a short game can be a delight in its own right.

  • SSPAI Morning Brief: Nova Launcher Acquired, Angry Birds Set to Return, and More

    SSPAI Morning Brief: Nova Launcher Acquired, Angry Birds Set to Return, and More

    Morning Brief

    1. Nova Launcher acquired by a new Swedish owner
    2. Angry Birds to make a full return to mainland China
    3. MIIT says it will expand coverage of the “secondary number refresh” program
    4. Steam now supports completing bundle purchases for friends

    Nova Launcher acquired by a new Swedish owner

    On January 21, Swedish company Instabridge announced that it has completed the acquisition of Nova Launcher. Instabridge made it clear that Nova Launcher will not be shut down, and that its current priorities are to ensure product stability, maintain compatibility with new versions of Android, and keep up regular maintenance.

    However, the company also revealed that it is evaluating the possibility of introducing ads into the free version. Tracking components for Facebook Ads and Google AdMob have already been added to the latest version of the code, and Reddit users have reported seeing ads in the app.

    Instabridge said that the paid version, Nova Launcher Prime, will remain ad-free. As for open-sourcing the project, the company noted that responsible open-sourcing involves not only the code itself, but also licensing, security, build systems, contribution workflows, and trademark management, and therefore requires careful consideration. It added that any decision will be publicly communicated once made. Source

    Angry Birds to make a full return to mainland China

    On January 21, the well-known mobile game Angry Birds announced its return to the mainland China market. Kingsoft Seasun, a subsidiary of Kingsoft Corporation, and Rovio Entertainment today announced the establishment of a strategic partnership, paving the way for the franchise’s full return to mainland China.

    As the first step in this comeback, the two companies plan to launch two Angry Birds IP titles. The flagship game, Angry Birds: Classic Returns, will be comprehensively upgraded based on the iconic slingshot gameplay, featuring a 3D engine, dynamic level design, and a brand-new magic system. Angry Birds: Dream Blast will offer a lighthearted bubble-shooter puzzle experience, inviting players to embark on a fantastical journey.

    At the same time, to energize the creative community around Angry Birds: Classic Returns, Rovio and Kingsoft Seasun are jointly launching the “Prank Workshop” creator program, inviting community creators to contribute original content, including custom levels and visual art. Source

    MIIT says it will expand coverage of the “secondary number refresh” program

    At a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on January 21, officials responsible for the “secondary number refresh” initiative said that basic telecommunications operators have already refreshed more than 250 million recycled phone numbers in batches before reissuing them, and have unlinked them from over 1 billion internet applications. The “proactive refresh” service portals in apps and mini programs support removing historical bindings with 239 commonly used internet applications, having processed more than 360 million unbinding requests for over 5.8 million users.

    Going forward, the coverage of the “secondary number refresh” program will be further expanded, with efforts to connect more internet applications closely related to everyday life. China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom began rolling out the service in May 2025, allowing users to unbind historical internet accounts with one click. Source

    Steam now supports completing bundle purchases for friends

    On January 20, third-party Steam data site SteamDB discovered that the “gift to a friend” feature on the Steam platform now supports “bundle completion,” allowing players to help friends complete game bundles they have partially purchased.

    When a player gifts a bundle containing multiple games to a friend, the system will automatically detect which titles the friend already owns and adjust the final price accordingly. For example, if a friend already has some of the games included in the bundle, the checkout price will automatically deduct the value of those owned titles. The remaining games that the friend does not yet own will still benefit from the bundle’s combined discount. The goal is to make it easier for players to help friends complete their game collections without paying again for content they already own. Source

  • SSPAI Morning Brief: Sony Announces Joint Venture with TCL, Ayaneo Releases the Konkr Fit Handheld, and More

    SSPAI Morning Brief: Sony Announces Joint Venture with TCL, Ayaneo Releases the Konkr Fit Handheld, and More

    Morning Brief

    1. Sony announces a joint venture with TCL
    2. Ayaneo releases the Konkr Fit handheld
    3. RedMagic launches the RedMagic 11 Air and multiple new products
    4. Zhipu releases and open-sources the GLM-4.7-Flash model
    5. Netflix rolls out live, real-time voting features
    6. Microsoft Copilot introduces Real Talk and video generation features
    7. Sony launches a limited-edition “Lost Starship: Marathon” game controller
    8. Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    Sony announces a joint venture with TCL

    On January 20, Sony announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with TCL Electronics to establish a joint venture focused on home entertainment. Under the agreement, TCL will hold a 51% stake in the new company, while Sony will hold 49%. The joint venture will fully take over Sony’s home entertainment business and will be responsible worldwide for the development, design, manufacturing, sales, logistics, and customer service of televisions and home audio products. The products will continue to use the Sony and BRAVIA brands.

    Sony and TCL plan to sign the final agreement by the end of March 2026, with the new company expected to begin official operations in April 2027. Source

    Ayaneo releases the Konkr Fit handheld

    On January 20, Ayaneo’s sub-brand Konkr unveiled its first Windows-based handheld, the Konkr Fit. The device is powered by the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 processor, featuring the Zen 5 architecture and RDNA 3.5 graphics cores. The display has been upgraded from the previous Android model’s 6-inch panel to a 7-inch OLED screen. It packs an 80Wh battery, larger than those in the Legion Go 2 (74Wh) and Legion Go S (55.5Wh). The control layout includes Hall-effect joysticks, adjustable triggers, and dual rear buttons. On the top are two USB-C ports, while the back features a large cooling air intake and exposed screws, and it will be available in Retro Gray and Yellow color options.

    Pricing and release date have not yet been announced. Source

    RedMagic launches the RedMagic 11 Air and multiple new products

    On January 20, RedMagic officially unveiled the RedMagic 11 Air along with several new products for its gaming ecosystem. The RedMagic 11 Air is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 “Ultimate” Edition processor and RedMagic’s in-house Red Core R4 gaming chip. It features LPDDR5X ULTRA memory and UFS 4.1 storage, and comes with a 6.85-inch 1.5K under-display camera full-screen display supporting a 144Hz refresh rate and a 2500Hz instant touch sampling rate. The display also supports 2592Hz high-frequency PWM dimming and DC dimming. The phone packs a 7000mAh battery with 120W fast charging. Its cooling system consists of an active fan spinning at up to 24,000 rpm and a 0.5mm VC vapor chamber panel. The body also integrates 520Hz gaming shoulder triggers and an X-axis linear motor.

    RedMagic 11 Air

    Several other gaming ecosystem products were also announced at the event, including the RedMagic 11 Pro+, which features a carbon-fiber body, a sapphire glass back, and a “Golden Flow” liquid cooling system, as well as the RedMagic Gaming Laptop 16 Pro Golden Saga · 3D Explorer Edition, equipped with an NVIDIA RTX 5090 GPU and supporting glasses-free 3D display technology. The RedMagic 11 Air starts at CNY 3,699, while the RedMagic 11 Pro+ Golden Saga 24GB + 1TB version is priced at CNY 9,899.

    RedMagic 11 Pro+

    In addition, the RedMagic Gaming Tablet 3 Pro Golden Saga is expected to go on sale by the end of January, with pricing yet to be announced. Source

    Zhipu releases and open-sources the GLM-4.7-Flash model

    On January 20, Zhipu officially released and open-sourced the GLM-4.7-Flash hybrid reasoning model. The model has a total of 30 billion parameters, with 3 billion active parameters, and is positioned as a lightweight deployment option that balances performance and efficiency. It is now available on Zhipu’s open platform BigModel.cn with free access. In mainstream benchmarks such as SWE-bench Verified and τ²-Bench, the model’s overall performance surpasses gpt-oss-20b and Qwen3-30B-A3B-Thinking-2507, achieving open-source SOTA scores among models of the same size class.

    GLM-4.7-Flash is primarily optimized for programming scenarios, covering both front-end and back-end development tasks, and is also suitable for general-purpose use cases such as Chinese writing, translation, long-text processing, and emotional role-playing. With the release of the new version, the previous free model GLM-4.5-Flash is scheduled to be officially retired on January 30, 2026, at which time all related API requests will be automatically routed to GLM-4.7-Flash. This iteration aims to provide developers with higher-density intelligent service support by improving logical reasoning capabilities and optimizing parameter scale. Source

    Netflix rolls out live, real-time voting features

    On January 20, Netflix officially launched real-time interactive voting for live content. The feature дебuts with the talent show Star Search, allowing subscribers to participate in multiple-choice voting or star-based ratings via their TV remote controls or the mobile app. It supports real-time global vote aggregation with time-limited cutoffs, enabling viewers to directly influence the narrative progression of live broadcasts.

    Netflix said that the interactive framework was previously technically validated in August 2025 with The David Chang Live Dinner Show, and that a full rollout was confirmed at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Source

    Microsoft Copilot introduces Real Talk and video generation features

    On January 20, Microsoft Copilot rolled out the Real Talk interaction mode, which aims to deliver a more human-like and interactive conversational experience. It introduces multiple levels of depth for reasoning and writing style options, supports viewing chains of thought and reasoning paths, and offers long-context memory capabilities. During conversations, it can reference past interactions and user background, and will at times show curiosity or proactively challenge logical inconsistencies.

    In addition, Copilot is testing a video generation feature on Android, allowing users to generate video clips of up to 8 seconds with audio. The underlying model for this feature has not yet been disclosed and is currently being rolled out gradually, with no mandatory subscription requirement at this stage. Source

    Sony launches a limited-edition “Lost Starship: Marathon” game controller

    On January 19, Sony announced that alongside the March 5 release of Bungie’s Lost Starship: Marathon, it will roll out two limited-edition hardware products: a DualSense Limited Edition controller priced at USD 84.99 and a Pulse Elite Limited Edition headset priced at USD 169.99.

    The DualSense Limited Edition controller is deeply inspired by the world of Lost Starship: Marathon. Bungie’s design team said their goal was to create a “real-world object” that feels as if it were taken directly from the game itself. To reflect the title’s distinctive industrial aesthetic and environmental architecture, the controller features bold graphic elements and striking color combinations. The Lost Starship: Marathon Limited Edition Pulse Elite headset follows the same design language as the controller. Source

    Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    According to a January 19 post by LeicaRumors, Leica is planning to release its first 35mm focal-length lens in the Noctilux series, the Noctilux-M 1.2/35 ASPH., on January 29, 2026. This would mark the first time the series enters the 35mm documentary-style focal length category. Leaked spy photos show that the Noctilux-M 1.2/35 ASPH. continues Leica’s classic industrial design language, featuring a relatively compact aluminum body accented with the brand’s signature yellow scale markings. Notably, the lens is equipped with a fixed lens hood that users must extend by rotating it into position. Source

    On January 20, Samsung published and then withdrew an upgrade announcement for Bixby on its official website. According to the notice, the new version of Bixby will deeply integrate Perplexity AI to enable web-based, real-time natural language Q&A and information retrieval, while also introducing a new device agent architecture capable of recognizing non-specific user intents and automatically triggering the corresponding system settings. The updated assistant is set to enter testing as part of the One UI 8.5 Beta program and is planned to debut as a core preinstalled feature on the Galaxy S26 series. Source

  • Turning “Search, Fight, Extract” into a Tycoon Sim: How I Achieved “Financial Freedom” in Escape from Duckov

    Turning “Search, Fight, Extract” into a Tycoon Sim: How I Achieved “Financial Freedom” in Escape from Duckov

    Foreword

    Escape from Duckov is a PvE top-down shooter developed by the Soda Team and published by bilibili. Players take on the role of a duck scavenging for resources in a post-apocalyptic world, building shelters, upgrading gear, and trying to survive in a land full of danger. After launching on Steam in October 2025, it received a strong response and sold 1 million copies within a month. But this article is not about discussing or reviewing the game itself, nor is it about cataloging its memes. Instead, I want to share a story that has nothing to do with the main storyline at all: how I turned this game into a management simulator and became a millionaire.

    The “Duck Market” Mod

    In the game, players mainly earn items and weapons by entering different maps and looting chests and enemies. Aside from a few key items used for upgrades, most of them are simply hoarded or sold to NPCs. That changed when a creator named Cyerol released a mod called “Duck Market” on the Steam Workshop, enabling P2P (player-to-player) trading in the game for the first time.

    The “Duck Market” Mod

    The logic of this market is simple: after paying a transaction fee, players can list items for sale, and they become available for purchase by all other players. The greatest value of Duck Market is that it expresses the true worth of items in monetary terms—in other words, it monetizes item scarcity. As a result, players can sell items for prices higher than the NPC buyback rate, while also satisfying the needs of those who want to quickly obtain urgently needed upgrade materials or high-tier weapons. In-game currency is heavily spent on skill upgrades and buying ammunition, and it isn’t easy to earn much money early on, so this mod became very popular and saw considerable usage.

    Anyone with a bit of financial knowledge knows that in a fair market, if both buyers and sellers are rational and there is no information asymmetry, all goods will naturally settle at an equilibrium price, with actual prices fluctuating only slightly around it. At first, I assumed that since all items in this game can be obtained by players and there is a fixed system buyback price, price fluctuations wouldn’t be significant.

    But I was wrong. What I saw here were grotesque prices thousands of times higher than the system value, and even Bitcoin-style scams full of speculative bubbles. Still, I was one of the beneficiaries: through trading in this market, I achieved “millionaire” status in just a few hours and ultimately realized “financial freedom” in the game.

    So what does 1 million mean in this game?

    The main source of income is looting maps and selling the spoils to NPCs back at base. However, there are limits on both the number of items you can carry and their total weight, so the actual money you can earn per run in the early stages is quite limited. From my personal experience, it’s around 5,000 to 8,000 per run—and that doesn’t even include items kept for future upgrades or runs where you focus purely on missions without much looting.

    The Road to Becoming a Millionaire

    You Can Even Speculate on Bitcoin Here

    The producer of Escape from Duckov clearly has a great sense of humor, because the game includes a special item: 0.2 BTC (Bitcoin). By installing graphics cards into a “mining rig,” players can generate Bitcoin based on computing power. There is only one mining rig in the entire game. When all 12 GPU slots are filled, it produces one 0.2 BTC every 10 hours (real-world time).

    Bitcoin Mining Rig

    In the game, 0.2 BTC is practically useless for anything else, but NPCs will buy it for up to 8,000 in-game currency, which already makes it a high-priced item. At first, I always sold it directly to the chef (he offers the highest buyback price). But then I saw something astonishing in the Duck Market.

    Absurdly High Bitcoin Prices
    Bitcoin Prices in the Duck Market

    Yes, you’re not mistaken. An item with almost no practical use was listed here at a minimum price of over 26,000—more than three times the NPC buyback price. The highest listings even reached 500,000, and just to list one, you had to pay a 680,000 transaction fee upfront. It made absolutely no sense. Some of the high-priced Bitcoins were sold one by one. Later I found out that when there is only a single unit of an item, clicking “buy” does not require a second confirmation.

    After observing for a while, I noticed that Bitcoin prices would suddenly crash after a period of time, then be quickly pumped back up again, over and over in a cycle. All signs pointed to extremely irrational price fluctuations and huge arbitrage opportunities for Bitcoin in the Duck Market.

    In my view, someone was deliberately pumping the price and waiting for others to take over the bags, while a group of people knowingly joined in to muddy the waters—just like a Ponzi scheme.

    In real life, I would stay far away from something like this immediately. But this is a game (and perhaps this extreme irrationality is also tied to the virtual environment). So I abandoned the main storyline and started grinding the market, watching prices, buying low and selling high—turning a shooter into a management sim.

    Price Comparison in Bull and Bear Markets

    Bitcoin’s price fluctuates wildly. When the market is good, I list it for sale with a markup of ten or twenty thousand; when the market is bad, I buy in at a low price. If there’s no good opportunity, I just play a round or two of the game to pass the time. After doing this for two or three hours, my capital had multiplied several times and reached more than 500,000.

    Unlocking the Millionaire Achievement

    My funds had taken a huge leap forward, but new problems also emerged. Relative to my current capital, the profits were starting to look a bit thin, and I was worried that the Bitcoin bubble might burst and leave me holding the bag. So I decided to adjust my strategy as early as possible.

    After some analysis and observation, an item called “Space Crystal” caught my eye. Compared with Bitcoin, it has some obvious advantages:

    1. Rigid demand: it is a must-have item for upgrading skills in the late game;
    2. A certain degree of scarcity and high value: obtaining it requires killing special powerful monsters at specific times, and it’s easy to fail in the early stages, so even during downturns in the Duck Market its price stays above 30,000;
    3. Large price swings: ranging from 30,000 to 500,000, offering even greater arbitrage opportunities.

    To reduce risk, I adopted a two-pronged approach: using 80% of my funds to buy low at the right moments, while continuing to flip BTC on the side. I also discovered that once your listing gets pushed to the second page, it sells very slowly. If you take it down and relist it, you have to pay double the transaction fee, so the pricing and quantity of each listing need to be carefully considered.

    As I became more proficient with this strategy, my trading business flourished. In just over 30 minutes, my assets doubled again to reach 1,000,000, and I unlocked the “Millionaire” achievement.

    A High-Stakes Gamble

    Opportunity or Trap

    Sometimes, opportunities come to you when you least expect them. While checking the market for Space Crystals, I suddenly noticed a player listing 50 units of “Large Space Crystals” at a price of 80,000 each. It completely stunned me.

    Two Types of Space Crystals

    Because the keywords also matched, I already had some knowledge of this item. As far as I knew, it was the most expensive item on the market in terms of unit price, usually selling for over 300,000, with extremely large fluctuations—500,000 or even 800,000 each was not uncommon.

    This sudden “gift from the heavens” made me hesitate instead of rejoice. This wasn’t my main line of business. As the saying goes, stay true to yourself and don’t stray from your nature—what looks like an opportunity could also be a trap. At that point, I was holding quite a few regular Space Crystals, and my cash on hand was already limited. Yet I couldn’t bear to miss such a potentially huge profit. After much deliberation, I scraped together 160,000 and bought two. The market reacted quickly. The inventory count dropped from 50, to 30, to 15, and soon to single digits. The entire batch of Large Space Crystals, worth a total of 4 million, disappeared from the market, and everything returned to calm.

    It was my first time owning this item, and I hadn’t even had a chance to take a good look at it before something strange happened again. Another 50 Large Space Crystals, priced at 80,000 each, were listed! I was completely dumbfounded. My first thought was: this is bad, I might be stuck holding the bag—exactly what I feared. The market clearly hadn’t expected someone to continue dumping at such a low price either, and this time the entire category’s price structure was smashed. The selling speed was visibly much slower. Even after several minutes, there were still more than 30 left in stock.

    Another Wave of Turmoil

    Was this an opportunity? Was the 80,000 price just a fluke, with prices about to climb again? Or was it a trap? Was this category heading into a long-term decline, with 80,000—or even lower—becoming the new “reasonable” price?

    I don’t know what kind of mindset I was in when I made the decision, but I chose to buy as much of this batch as possible. I believed the price would definitely rise again. At worst, I’d just lose part of my principal. This was a bet worth taking.

    My cash was almost gone. To raise funds, I delisted all my Bitcoin and Space Crystals. I sold the Bitcoin directly to NPCs, and listed the Space Crystals at prices lower than the market. I went to the warehouse and sold all my spare weapons; even items that weren’t essential for late-game upgrades were sold off without exception. I practically emptied my entire inventory to gamble on this opportunity.

    Speed was everything. Every time I scraped together another hundred thousand or so, I rushed to place an order on the market, then ran back to NPCs to sell more items. I shuttled back and forth between the chef, the Duck Market, and the delivery box (items bought from the market and money received are first stored in the delivery box). Before my inventory was completely cleared out, I had managed to acquire more than twenty Large Space Crystals.

    Transfer Box

    Having Money Is a Boring Thing

    Luckily, my gamble paid off. After that batch of 80,000-priced items was cleared out, no listings that cheap ever appeared again. After waiting for a while, I started selling at 200,000 each, then gradually raised the price to 300,000, and eventually even sold some for 500,000. My assets grew from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands, quickly breaking past 1 million, then 2 million, and finally exceeding 5 million.

    The Road to Financial Freedom

    At that moment, I felt I had achieved “financial freedom.”

    This string of numbers made me lose myself, and I quickly entered full-on spending mode. Items for upgrading skills and buildings, which I used to carefully save up for, I now bought directly from the Duck Market—after all, money was no longer a concern. I also completed all those tasks that required handing in special items. For a while, I felt incredibly carefree, spending money like water. I threw away my repeatedly repaired old armor and replaced it with the highest-defense, top-tier set. I switched to the strongest weapons with all the best attachments, stocked up on various injectors and medkits, and stepped back into the wasteland.

    For the first five minutes, I was still intoxicated by the thrill of using high-end weapons. But as time went on, something felt off. More precisely, my mindset had changed drastically.

    In this “search, fight, extract” game, collecting resources, completing missions, improving yourself, and upgrading gear are a crucial source of satisfaction. But now I realized I no longer had any desire to open every chest, because I knew whatever was inside would be beneath my notice. After killing enemies, I couldn’t even be bothered to loot them, since my equipment was already the best in the game. I also lost the urge to explore the vast maps, because the ultimate rewards no longer meant anything to me.

    Back at the Duck Market, I still had goods worth over a million left in my warehouse. Reaching 10 million with a bit more time wouldn’t have been difficult. But those numbers no longer meant anything to me. In the end, I exited the game and didn’t open it again for a long time.

    Afterword

    A Small Moment of Reflection

    The basic rules of the Duck Market are very simple, yet they give rise to a variety of strategies and games of chance—almost a mirror of reality. Here, I experienced the growth of wealth, market fluctuations, and changes in mindset. It showed me how strikingly similar virtual economies are to real ones: greed, fear, speculation, risk.

    More than a month later, I opened the game again and saw that cold, emotionless 5 million. It seemed to remind me that perhaps “financial freedom” in games is only virtual, and that true happiness is not about owning infinite resources, but about finding your own enjoyment within the rules. After all, whether it’s playing games or living life, what matters most is enjoying the process.

    Thank you for reading this far. I hope it was of some help to you.

    Note:

    • I didn’t deliberately keep records in the early stages, so the specific transaction volumes, prices, and other figures mentioned in the article may differ somewhat from the actual values;
    • All events took place on November 14 and 15, 2025, and the arbitrage methods described may no longer be applicable today.
  • SSPAI Morning Brief: OpenAI announces the launch of ChatGPT Health, and More

    SSPAI Morning Brief: OpenAI announces the launch of ChatGPT Health, and More

    Morning Brief

    1. OnePlus unveils the Turbo 6 smartphone series
    2. Aqara releases the U400 smart door lock with UWB support
    3. Lenovo showcases the Legion Pro Rollable concept device
    4. RayNeo presents the X3 Pro Project AR smart glasses with eSIM support
    5. Krono launches a black-and-white e-ink phone–style e-reader
    6. Sony introduces the new Hyperpop series shells and controllers for PS5 Slim
    7. TCL releases the P50 mobile router and BE36 Wi-Fi router
    8. MSI showcases multiple new products
    9. The world’s first ultrasonic kitchen knife, the C200 Ultrasonic, makes its debut
    10. OpenAI announces the launch of ChatGPT Health
    11. Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    OnePlus unveils the Turbo 6 smartphone series

    On January 8, the OnePlus Turbo 6 series was officially released, consisting of two models: the Turbo 6 and the Turbo 6V.

    The OnePlus Turbo 6 adopts a minimalist design language with a strong emphasis on in-hand feel, and is available in silver, black, and teal color options. It is powered by the fourth-generation Snapdragon 8s processor, paired with OnePlus’s self-developed “Fengchi Gaming Kernel.” According to OnePlus, this combination can reduce gaming power consumption by around 8%, lower kernel load by approximately 15.24%, and improve scheduling efficiency by about 35.46%.

    In terms of display, the OnePlus Turbo 6 features a 1.5K-resolution 165Hz screen, supporting three refresh-rate modes at 165Hz, 144Hz, and 120Hz. Select games also support native 165 fps gameplay, including titles such as Call of Duty: Mobile and Honor of Kings. For imaging, the Turbo 6 is equipped with a Sony 50-megapixel main camera with OIS optical image stabilization, ultra-clear Live Photos, portrait algorithms, and AI-powered photo editing features.

    For battery life, the OnePlus Turbo 6 series is fitted with a 9000mAh battery, supporting 80W fast charging and bypass charging technology, as well as up to 27W wired reverse charging. In other areas, the OnePlus Turbo 6 supports IP66 / IP68 / IP69 / IP69K dust and water resistance, runs ColorOS 16, and offers features such as one-tap Flash Notes, AI real-world conversations, Game Fluid Cloud, and a variety of gaming assistance tools. It also supports interoperability with the Apple ecosystem. Pricing for the OnePlus Turbo 6 starts at RMB 2,099, or RMB 1,784.15 after national subsidies.

    OnePlus also introduced the Turbo 6V model alongside it, available in white, blue, and black. It is powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 processor and features a 144Hz eye-care display, while also packing a 9000mAh battery. The Turbo 6V starts at RMB 1,699, or RMB 1,444.15 after national subsidies. Source

    Aqara releases the U400 smart door lock with UWB support

    At CES 2026, Aqara officially unveiled the Smart Lock U400. The product supports ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, enabling hands-free automatic unlocking through high-precision positioning with an iPhone or Apple Watch. When an authorized user approaches the door from outside, the lock can automatically unlock. By combining ToF distance measurement with AoA trajectory detection, the system reduces false triggers and enhances security to guard against relay attacks. In addition to UWB, the lock also supports unlocking via Apple Home Key, passcodes, fingerprints, and physical keys. It supports Matter over Thread and carries an IP65 water-resistance rating. The Smart Lock U400 is currently available in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. Source

    Lenovo showcases the Legion Pro Rollable concept device

    At CES 2026, Lenovo unveiled the Legion Pro Rollable concept gaming laptop. Built on the Legion Pro 7i platform, the device is equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card and a high-end Intel Core Ultra processor. It features a 16-inch OLED display by default, which can be horizontally expanded via a rollable mechanism to 21.5 inches or 24 inches. Lenovo positions it as a premium mobile device for professional esports players, offering three display modes tailored to different sizes: focused training, tactical observation, and competitive play.

    According to Lenovo, the Legion Pro Rollable adopts a dual-motor tension-controlled rollable OLED solution to ensure stability and reliability during screen extension and retraction. The device also demonstrates a range of AI-powered gaming assistance features, including key visual element recognition, information magnification, cursor tracking, AI guidance, and dynamic lighting effects. The product remains in the concept stage, with no official release date or pricing announced. Source

    RayNeo presents the X3 Pro Project AR smart glasses with eSIM support

    At CES 2026, RayNeo officially unveiled the X3 Pro Project eSIM AR smart glasses. The product adopts a binocular full-color optical engine design, which the company says delivers a 3D spatial visual experience equivalent to a 43-inch display. On the hardware side, it is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 computing platform and features a built-in RayNeo AR application virtual machine, supporting apps such as WeChat, Douyin, and Bilibili.

    The X3 Pro Project eSIM AR smart glasses also integrate an eSIM communication module, allowing users to make calls, engage in real-time AI conversations, perform live translation, and stream online content without needing to connect to a smartphone or Wi-Fi network. Source

    Krono launches a black-and-white e-ink phone–style e-reader

    Dutch company DuRoBo unveiled the Krono monochrome E-Ink reader at CES 2026. The device adopts a smartphone-like form factor and features a built-in AI assistant. Krono is available in black and white color options, with dimensions of 154 × 80 × 9 mm and a weight of 173 grams. On the front, it is equipped with a 6.13-inch Carta 1200 monochrome E-Ink display, with a resolution of 824 × 1648, a pixel density of 300 PPI, and adjustable dual-tone front lighting.

    On the left side of the body, Krono includes a “smart dial” that allows users to turn pages and adjust settings through rotation or pressing. In terms of hardware, the device features built-in speakers and Bluetooth connectivity, an unspecified octa-core processor, 6 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of storage. It runs Android 15 out of the box and integrates the Libby AI assistant. The Krono is priced at €239.99. Source

    Sony introduces the new Hyperpop series shells and controllers for PS5 Slim

    Sony PlayStation unveiled a new color lineup, The Hyperpop Collection, on January 8, introducing three high-saturation color options for the DualSense controller and PS5 console covers. The collection includes Techno Red, Remix Green, and Rhythm Blue, with an overall aesthetic clearly leaning toward an RGB-inspired visual style.

    The collection will go on sale on March 12, with pre-orders opening on January 16. Sales channels include PlayStation Direct and selected partner retailers, depending on regional availability. The Hyperpop DualSense controller has a suggested retail price of USD 84.99. The Hyperpop-series PS5 console covers will be available for a limited time in select markets, with a suggested retail price of USD 74.99. It is worth noting that these covers are compatible only with the PS5 Slim, and do not support the original PS5 or the PS5 Pro. Source

    TCL releases the P50 mobile router and BE36 Wi-Fi router

    TCL unveiled two new networking products at CES 2026—the TCL 5G Mobile Wi-Fi P50 and the TCL Wi-Fi Router BE36—covering a wide range of scenarios from outdoor travel to home networking.

    The TCL 5G Mobile Wi-Fi P50 is designed for business travel and outdoor use. It supports both mmWave and Sub-6 full-band 5G, with peak download speeds of up to 3.97 Gbps, while Wi-Fi 7 delivers peak speeds of up to 5.8 Gbps. The device can connect up to 64 devices simultaneously. It features a built-in 5,000 mAh battery that provides around 12 hours of continuous use and can also function as a power bank to charge smartphones. A 2.4-inch touchscreen displays real-time data usage and network status, and a Gigabit Ethernet port is included for wired connections.

    Aimed at home users, the TCL BE36 router offers dual-band Wi-Fi 7 connectivity with speeds of up to 3.6 Gbps, using a 5 GHz 3T3R configuration to significantly improve signal coverage. It supports EasyMesh R6, making it easy to build a seamless whole-home Mesh network. With support for up to 512 connected devices, it is well suited for smart homes with a large number of IoT devices. On the security side, the router includes anti-malware, anti-tracking, and brute-force attack protection. For gamers, the BE36 integrates game acceleration features that intelligently optimize traffic to reduce latency. In terms of connectivity, it also provides a 2.5 G Ethernet port. Source

    MSI showcases multiple new products

    MSI showcased several new products at CES 2026, including the MPG CoreFrozr AP15 and AP17 dual-tower air coolers, as well as the MPG 272QRF X36 27-inch QHD 360 Hz monitor.

    Among them, the MPG CoreFrozr AP15 features a segmented digital display dubbed “Digi-Display.” The screen is divided into four sections, allowing real-time display of key system information such as CPU temperature, system load, and fan speed. The lower-left corner also integrates a weekly calendar display.

    In terms of performance, the AP15 is optimized for AMD Ryzen X3D series processors. To address heat buildup from high-performance gaming CPUs, it uses a solid copper base paired with six heat pipes. Positioned as a higher-end model, the MPG CoreFrozr AP17 is equipped with a 6-inch LCD screen that, in addition to system monitoring, supports fully customizable content, enabling users to tailor visuals to match their system’s overall aesthetic. For cooling, the AP17 uses a nickel-plated copper base and increases the number of heat pipes to eight to improve thermal conductivity. Both the AP15 and AP17 feature detachable display modules. Source

    Also on display was the MPG 272QRF X36 G-SYNC Pulsar gaming monitor. This model features a 2560 × 1440 resolution Rapid IPS panel with a 360 Hz refresh rate, a 0.5 ms GtG response time, 400 nits of SDR brightness, and 500 nits of HDR brightness, while supporting 10-bit color (8-bit + FRC). The monitor includes a built-in ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts color temperature and brightness.

    The display supports VESA 100 × 100 mm mounting and offers a range of ports, including one DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.1 ports, three USB-A 5 Gbps ports with KVM support, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. It incorporates NVIDIA G-SYNC technology, delivering variable refresh rate support and up to four times effective motion clarity, ensuring precise aiming and clear visuals even in fast-paced games. The monitor is currently available on domestic e-commerce platforms, priced at 4,999 yuan. Source

    The world’s first ultrasonic kitchen knife, the C200 Ultrasonic, makes its debut

    Seattle Ultrasonics unveiled the world’s first ultrasonic kitchen knife, the C200 Ultrasonic, at CES 2026. The core idea behind the product is to use high-frequency micro-vibrations to reduce cutting resistance, allowing the blade to penetrate ingredients more easily while also minimizing food sticking to the knife.

    The operation is straightforward: a button on the handle activates the ultrasonic vibration. Once turned on, the blade shows no visible shaking, but the user can feel a subtle buzzing sensation in the hand, similar to a faint electric current. When cutting high-density or starch-rich ingredients, its performance is noticeably superior to that of a conventional kitchen knife. The product is priced at USD 399. Source

    OpenAI announces the launch of ChatGPT Health

    OpenAI has announced the launch of ChatGPT Health, a dedicated health consultation area within ChatGPT that operates independently from the main chat experience. Users can ask health-related questions in this section and receive reference-oriented interpretations based on their personal data, but the service does not provide medical diagnoses or treatment recommendations.

    In terms of functionality, ChatGPT Health supports integration with multiple health services, including Apple Health, MyFitnessPal, and Peloton. It can read users’ exercise, sleep, and activity data, and can also incorporate medical records to help users understand lab results and prepare for medical appointments—again, without offering specific diagnostic or treatment advice. Regarding privacy and security, OpenAI states that the feature uses multi-layer encryption, runs as a separate space, and that related data is not used for model training by default.

    Currently, ChatGPT Health is available to users in select regions via a waitlist. The medical record integration feature is temporarily limited to the United States, with plans to gradually expand availability to the web and iOS platforms. Source

    Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    • According to a report by Beijing Youth Daily, China’s National Medical Products Administration has recently approved Apple’s “Mobile Pulse Rate Atrial Fibrillation Indication Recording Software” as a Class II imported medical device (registration). The software corresponds to the Atrial Fibrillation History feature on Apple Watch, which analyzes users’ pulse rate data and records potential signs of atrial fibrillation. Apple told Beijing Youth Daily reporters that it is currently advancing follow-up procedures in accordance with relevant regulations and processes, and looks forward to officially making the feature available to users in mainland China in the near future. Source