The Best PC Controllers for Gaming in 2024

Many gamers argue that PC gaming is the way to go, but some games just feel better with a controller. This is where the best PC controllers for gaming come into play, pairing the raw power of a gaming PC with a controller that can often offer a more immersive gaming experience.

TL;DR – These are the Best PC Controllers:

Using a controller with your PC can also be a great way to make the transition from console to PC gaming If you’ve just made the switch, choosing one of the best PC controllers can help ease that transition, so you don’t immediately have to master the best gaming keyboards and mice.

If you’re still not quite convinced about making the switch from keyboard and mouse to a gamepad, you can check out the range of options available to you. You never know, you might be surprised how well these PC controller scan complement your existing gaming PC setup – and find them here in the UK.

Best PC Controllers

1. Xbox Core Controller

Best PC Controller

Pros:

  • Feels good in your hands
  • Impulse trigger

Cons:

  • Requires add-on for rechargeable batteries

If you’re searching for a controller with a quality design and ample flexibility in how you use it to game on your PC, the Xbox Core Controller is a solid place to start. Microsoft has created an ergonomic controller that’s easy to hold onto thanks to added grip on the side, rear, and triggers. Of course, it has a familiar Xbox layout, while the majority of its buttons are remappable, and the D-Pad is even more tactile than the Xbox One iteration.

There’s plenty of versatility in connecting the Xbox Core Controller to your PC with a wired USB-C to eliminate input lag and Bluetooth as a wireless alternative. There’s also a low-latency wireless option available if you have an Xbox Wireless adapter for PC. It even includes a 3.5mm jack for your headset, limiting the number of wires running between you and your PC. However, it’s powered by AA batteries, which seems a bit archaic for 2024; but nonetheless it gives you gameplay usage of up to 40 hours. At the end of the day, it’s worth it.

2. PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller

Best Budget PC Controller

Pros:

  • Affordable
  • Wide choice of colors

Cons:

  • It’s wired

The PowerA Enhanced wired controller is a strong option, ditching wireless connectivity in order to hit a low price point under $40—and it’s often on sale for much less. Sure, you won’t get Bluetooth to get in some action on your gaming phone, but the removable Micro USB works great with your PC right out of the box. And since you’re tethered to your computer, you’ll never need to worry about finding batteries in your junk drawer every few months.

The controller itself doesn’t stray too far from the shape and feel of Microsoft’s own Xbox controller, though it’s slightly lighter, lacks those rubberized grips, and is a tad bit flimsier. However, you get two vibration motors to feel the action and all the buttons you need for your games. It even takes a page out of the Xbox Elite Controller’s book: on the underside of the PowerA Enhanced controller, you’ll find two small buttons that can serve as shortcuts to face buttons.

3. Logitech F310

Best Ultra Cheap PC Controller

Pros:

  • Really cheap
  • Comfortable

Cons:

  • Software installation required for customization

Are you a devout keyboard and mouse gamer who imagines yourself rarely using a gamepad? The Logitech F310 is the perfect option for you, as it only costs around $20, but it includes everything you need for your occasional cravings to use a controller. This option delivers dual joysticks, bumpers and triggers, four standard face buttons, and an eight-directional D-Pad, while ten buttons are programmable to customize the gamepad to your needs.

Now, is the Logitech F310 something you’ll want to be using all the time? Probably not, as its short, nubby grips don’t make for excellent ergonomics, and the joysticks aren’t 100 percent accurate. But that shouldn’t matter for short bursts, and the controller will make your life significantly easier when driving vehicles in games like Grand Theft Auto V or Battlefield 2042. It’s also strictly wired, connecting via USB, though it’s plug-and-play and delivers low input lag for the fastest possible actions.

4. Turtle Beach Recon Controller

Best Wired PC Controller

Pros:

  • Solid build quality
  • Good value for money

Cons:

  • Crowded audio buttons layout

The plug-and-play nature of the Turtle Beach Recon Controller is perfect for anyone looking to add a wired controller to their PC. It connects via a detachable USB-A cord, and there’s even a headset port on the controller, helping to limit the wires cluttering your PC setup. Turtle Beach takes it further by including their Super Human Hearing to enhance subtle audio cues and audio controls for volume, game and chat mix, and mic monitoring, all on the gamepad itself.

You’ll get quickly up to speed in games with the familiar X-box style layout of the Turtle Beach Recon Controller, so you’re all set for Xbox Game Pass games and the wide assortment of titles available on Steam. Two back paddles are on the gamepad for quick actions, while on-the-fly button remapping is also available with four different profiles preloaded on the Recon, which you can reconfigure to your liking. Finally, the textured finishes on most controls and rubberized grips make for a secure handhold.

5. Sony DualSense Controller

Best Bluetooth PC Controller

Pros:

  • Haptic feedback is insanely good
  • Sturdy

Cons:

  • Mic quality isn’t the best

The Sony DualSense Controller makes it simple to connect to your PC using Bluetooth, which means it’ll also be a solid option as a phone controller for mobile gaming. However, if you’re looking for a more stable connection with less latency, you can always plug it in via a USB-C for a wired option. And unlike the Xbox Core, when you use it wirelessly, you get a rechargeable battery, though the battery life leaves much to be desired.

The Sony DualSense changes the aesthetics of the DualShock, making for a sleeker, easier-to-grip gamepad that still offers a similar control scheme and symmetrical analog sticks. Steam support is on the controller, while advanced haptics and adaptive triggers work on PC using a wired connection. With more PlayStation-exclusive games ending up not so exclusive thanks to PC ports, full DualSense functionality on PC makes for the best way to play those games.

See more of the best PS5 controllers.

6. Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller

Best High-End PC Controller

Pros:

  • Highly customizable
  • Wireless charging

Cons:

  • Might be too heavy for some

If you’re after a controller that offers the familiar Xbox design but amps up its capability, you can’t go wrong with the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller. This model features four rear paddles that can have their own actions or change the function of the face buttons, while all of the buttons on the gamepad are remappable. The D-pad, back paddles, and analog sticks are also all magnetically swappable, and you still get the tunable triggers we loved on the original Elite.

The Elite Series 2 controller adds the rechargeable battery that the Xbox Core controller lacks and lasts an impressive 40 hours on each charge. In addition to Xbox Wireless, if you’ve got an adapter, there’s Bluetooth, making it easy to pair with your PC or smartphone. You’re good to go when you’d rather have a low-latency wired connection, too, with a USB-C available.

See more of the best Xbox Series Controllers.

7. 8Bitdo Pro 2

Best PC Controller for Retro Games

Pros:

  • Multiple profiles
  • Works with lots of devices

Cons:

  • Programmable macros are somewhat limited

With retro looks and modern functionality, the 8BitDo Pro 2 is an awesome option for playing classic games on PC — and new games, too. The face of this 8BitDo model gives you the sense of using a classic SNES controller, but the experience should be exponentially better thanks to a modern ergonomic design, quality buttons, and vibration. It also supports a range of platforms and can connect to your PC over a wired USB-C or Bluetooth for 20 hours.

On the 8BitDo Pro 2, you’ll find standard Nintendo-style controls, though you can remap the buttons to match in-game controls. Meanwhile, you get PlayStation-style symmetrical analog sticks and two back paddles that let you keep your thumbs on the sticks. Customization also allows you to do any necessary button remapping, swap sticks behavior and axes, or adjust the trigger actuation depth, and there are even motion controls.

8. Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra

Best Tunable PC Controller

Pros:

  • Excellent mechanical buttons
  • RGB lights

Cons:

  • No swappable thumbsticks

The Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra is a unique controller thanks to its “Connected Command Display.” It’s a compact, full-color screen directly on the controller that displays phone notifications and lets you make on-the-fly setting adjustments like swapping between ten different profiles, fine-tuning the vibration intensity, and modifying RGB lighting. You can even program the RGB lighting to change colors to indicate phone notification alerts or low battery.

Display and RGB lighting aside, the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra is one beast of a gamepad, featuring an Xbox layout with tactile micro switches and hall-effect, anti-drift thumbsticks–drifting has plagued some Turtle Beach controllers. You’ll also find trigger locks and four mappable buttons on the underside for flexibility in how you play. Turtle Beach’s offering is wireless, so there’s a 2.4GHz dongle for a lag-free connection to your PC or Xbox, and Bluetooth support is handy for your gaming phone.

9. Razer Kitsune

Best PC Fight Stick

Pros:

  • Fast input speed
  • Highly accurate

Cons:

  • Takes some getting used to

If you play a good deal of arcade or fighting games, do yourself a favor and pick up a fight stick, and for PC, the Razer Kitsune is a standout option. Rather than including a typical stick on the controller, it has a leverless design offering buttons that move in a full range of directions. Though that may take getting used to, there are advantages, including a quicker input speed–milliseconds matter in fighting games—along with better accuracy and easier execution of certain moves. Beyond the directional controls, you get all the other buttons you need to KO opponents on this PlayStation-licensed device.

The Razer Kitsune is an ideal size, letting both hands rest comfortably on it while being light and compact enough to carry around at tournaments. That said, the controller still feels sturdy and durable, and the buttons have responsive and surprisingly quiet optical switches. If you’d like a different feel, those buttons are hot-swappable. Razer also includes a flashy light strip around the edge of the controller and a tournament lock to prevent you from accidentally getting disqualified.

10. Gran Turismo DD Pro

Best PC Racing Wheel

Pros:

  • Highly customizable
  • Profile switching

Cons:

  • Some games required compatibility mode

PCs are the place to experience simulation racing games, letting play some very serious—and sometimes seriously obscure—racing games, and you can also connect multiple displays and ultrawide screens. For an even more immersive experience, you need a solid racing wheel, and Fanatec’s Gran Turismo DD Pro is what professional racers and enthusiast sim racers use. As the name might suggest, the direct drive wheels connect a large motor directly to the steering wheel for much better control and force feedback.

If you’re looking for performance, the Gran Turismo DD Pro delivers, giving you a whopping 5Nm of torque, but it can go up to 8Nm with the separate 180 Boost Kit. You’re bound to feel the pull of every turn and the shock of every bump! The wheel features an easy-to-use interface with familiar controls, unique 5-way directional sticks, and RevLED, while a steel two-pedal set completes this epic PC racing wheel.

11. Thrustmaster eSwap XR Pro

Best Racing Controller

Pros:

  • Eye-catching design
  • Modular

Cons:

  • Back buttons aren’t particularly great

If you’re big into driving games, then the Thrustmaster eSwap XR Pro is one of the best PC controllers you can get your hands on. That’s if you don’t plan to invest all of your hard-earned cash on a racing wheel. Fun, comfortable, and modular, this controller is far more portable than a racing wheel, and offers almost just as much satisfaction.

Heck, even if you don’t play driving games, the Thrustmaster eSwap XR Pro is still a versatile option. Compared to the Elite Series 2 controller, the back buttons aren’t much to shout about. However, the longer body compliments the bumpers and triggers to ensure accessing all the buttons you need is less effort, and you don’t have the strain of holding them down uncomfortably when playing for extended periods of time.

12. Scuf Instinct Pro

Best Customizable Controller

Pros:

  • Lots of customization options
  • Feels solid to hold

Cons:

  • Not quite as good as the Elite

Looking for a customizable controller for your PC but don’t want something from Microsoft or Sony? Enter the Scuf Instinct Pro. No, it’s not on-par with the Elite 2 controller, but it certainly gives it a run for its money. And, if you’re into customizing your controller, you can do this almost endlessly, with cosmetic and physical customizations galore!

But, aside from customization, the Scuf Instinct Pro offers a sturdy yet comfortable controller for you to enjoy. The buttons are responsively clicky, and can be used across various consoles, including Xbox Series X and PC.

Upcoming PC Controllers

The most notable PC controller due to release in 2024 is the Elite Series 3 controller. While no release date has been confirmed, it’s likely we’ll get more information towards the end of the year.

How to Pick the Best PC Controller

Choosing the best PC controller for gaming can seem like a daunting task given the options available on the market. However, it’s easier to nail down the right choice by assessing what kind of gamer you are, what types of games you play, and whether you want to use your controller across other devices.

One of the biggest factors to consider is the ergonomics and comfort of the controller. Since you’ll likely be using it for extended gaming sessions, it’s crucial to pick a controller that feels comfortable in your hands. Look for controllers with well-placed buttons, responsive triggers, and a shape that fits naturally in your hands.

Next, think about the types of games you’ll be playing. Different genres may benefit from specific controller designs. For instance, if you’re into racing or flying simulators, a controller with analog sticks and precise triggers might be ideal. On the other hand, if you’re primarily playing fighting or platformer games, a controller with a good D-pad and responsive face buttons could be more suitable.

Another important factor to consider is compatibility. While many PC controllers are designed to work seamlessly with Windows PCs, it’s always a good idea to double-check compatibility with your specific gaming setup.

Wireless vs. wired is another decision you’ll need to make. Wireless controllers offer the convenience of untethered gaming but may require batteries or frequent charging. Wired controllers, on the other hand, provide a reliable connection but can clutter your gaming space with cables.

While you’re thinking about the best PC controller, don’t forget to consider additional features and extras. Many controllers come with programmable buttons, vibration feedback, or even customizable lighting effects. While these features may not be essential, they can enhance your gaming experience and provide added value for your money.

FAQs

Is PC Gaming Better With a Controller?
Compared to a keyboard and mouse, some gamers prefer using a controller and find it easier to play games with one. However, it’s really down to personal preference. A controller, however, is definitely more versatile and easier to transport should you wish to use it on other devices.

Do All Xbox Controllers Work on PC?
Using a USB cable, you can connect an Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S controller to your PC. However, an Xbox controller with Bluetooth, providing your PC has Bluetooth, will work just as well, too.

Can I Use a PS5 Controller on PC?
Yes! The PS5 DualSense controller works wirelessly and wired on your PC (if it supports Bluetooth).

Can you play any PC game with a controller?
Not all PC games are designed to work well with a controller. If you’re playing games on Steam, you can visit the store page to see if the game is compatible with a controller before buying the game. However, other platforms, such as Epic Games, do not list if the game is compatible with a controller, but you can often find out which games support a controller with a quick Google search.

Where to Get the Best PC Controller in the UK

It is unsurprising that the Xbox controller tops the list here, but you’ve actually got a couple of options depending on whether your laptop or PC is Bluetooth enabled. If you’ve got Bluetooth to use, you won’t need the PC adapter USB, and can simply pick up an Xbox One controller, or even a PlayStation DualShock 4 to avoid the extra cost. But, if you want to consider all your options, here are the best PC controllers available in the UK. Don’t see the controllers below? Click here.

IGN’s tech freelancer Danielle Abraham contributed to this buying guide.

Tech expert Kevin Lee contributed to this guide. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam

Soapbox: Square Enix’s “Extraordinary Losses” And This Whole Xbox Mess Have Me Scared For The Future

Who wants to be a gillionaire?

Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they’ve been chewing over. Today, Alana fears for Square Enix’s smaller-budget titles and is worried about the rest of the industry as a result.


What on earth is going on with Square Enix?

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Fallout 76 Review – 2024

Editor’s Note: This review takes a fresh look at Fallout 76, replacing our previous review from 2018. You can read more about our review policies and philosophy here.

As someone who hadn’t returned to Fallout 76’s post-apocalyptic West Virginia since its troubled debut back in 2018, six years really has made quite the difference. Appalachia looks pretty dang gorgeous on modern systems, its reworked leveling and perks make for an extremely engaging grind, and in stark contrast to the lonely and depressing slog I endured last time, the world is actually filled with interesting NPCs to chat up – you know, like a Fallout game. Throw in all the new quests and activities that have been added, and you’ve got yourself a pretty robust multiplayer adventure filled with gore and silliness. That said, there’s still plenty Fallout 76 misses the mark on in 2024, whether it’s an endgame that’s fairly light on content, underwhelming jaunts into other areas of the Fallout setting, or an encumbrance and storage system that’s so irritating it’s practically a requirement to pay for a monthly subscription that eases the pain. I’ve still overwhelmingly enjoyed my time blasting ghouls into pink, irradiated meat chunks, though, and can easily recommend it to anyone who similarly felt a deep yearning for more Fallout after watching the recent TV show.

Like the other 3D Fallout games, Fallout 76 is a goofy first-person shooter RPG where you explore a radioactive wasteland stuffed with disgusting monsters, complete harebrained quests that usually involve shooting and/or dismembering said monsters, and claim loot to fuel your badass survivor’s legend. Fallout 76 mixes up that playful and gory formula by letting your friends join your quest online, which comes with most of the advantages and drawbacks you might expect. A compelling story and the ability to make major decisions that impact it certainly take a backseat, but on the other hand, you get to fight giant, flying gargoyles with your buds while you all sing along to classic bops straight out of 1934.

A compelling story and the ability to make major decisions that impact it certainly take a backseat.

As a vault dweller, you emerge from the titular Vault 76 only 25 years after atomic warfare has left the world in tatters, at which point you are vaguely told to go and rebuild it or something. Instead, you’ll spend most of your time blowing it up even further with grenades, missiles, and even the odd atomic bomb while you run around completing errands foisted upon you by survivors, computer terminals, and constant pop-ups that recommend you do things like “kill the protestors” – typical heroic Fallout stuff. There are definitely some funny gags, wacky characters, and even the occasionally interesting bit of lore along the way, but Fallout 76 largely ditches the focus on story found in its single-player siblings in favor of letting you, your friends, and strangers tell your own stories in a big sandbox filled with ridiculous nonsense. That can be a lot of fun, though, and at least now there are non-robotic NPCs to talk to out in the world to make it feel more alive. (It’s still pretty wild to me that this wasn’t always the case!)

Running around shooting things and making use of the still excellent V.A.T.S. auto-targeting mechanic as you loot everything in sight is as entertaining as ever, especially when you’ve got your favorite radio station providing the perfect backdrop for horribly mangling all manner of hideous beast and smack-talking marauder. You can go around slinging a revolver like one of them western outlaw types, or put on a massive suit of power armor and spin up a laser gatling gun to hilariously mow down everything in sight. Combine that with perks that can do wild things like make you brawnier as you’re exposed to more radiation, as well as mutations that could give you scaly skin that serves as a natural layer of armor, and you’re in for some pretty great buildcrafting that adds to the insanity. There’s really nothing quite like it, and Fallout 76 manages to retain most of the beloved moment-to-moment combat and exploration the series is known for despite pivoting to online multiplayer.

Shooting things with the still excellent V.A.T.S. is as entertaining as ever.

Although you can absolutely play alone, teaming up with others is unquestionably the better experience. You’re given additional XP for bringing along a friend, not to mention you are able to take on tougher activities with less difficulty since you’ll be firing twice the bullets. It’s also especially nice to have company since many of the quests are so light on dialogue, and interactions with NPCs are more focused on action while passive story developments come in over your Pip-Boy radio.

It’s especially cool that other players can join your crew and help out on missions and activities regardless of their level thanks to a scaling system that makes almost every activity playable for everyone. Way too many online games create barriers between players, where you’ll have to wait for a friend to catch up to a certain part of the story or force them to rush through a bunch of old content before they can join you – but Fallout 76 opts to let everyone join in on the action almost immediately. Not only are you given an option to skip some of the initial busywork by auto-leveling to 20 right after you leave the vault, there are only a few endgame activities that really require some playtime under your belt before they can be accessed. I even made one of my friends go and fight an uber-powerful enemy in a high-level area minutes after he finished making his character, which was both really convenient and hilarious to watch.

One major miss, however, is that many of the main story missions won’t progress for all players when they are completed in a group. You’ll either have to break your team apart and tackle them solo, or replay them multiple times together as you cycle each player in as the party leader until everyone gets credit for it. It’s just a bizarre limitation, and resulted in a few instances where I was playing the same mission as my friends, but in separate instances so we could all move past it at the same time.

One of the main things that’s been added in recent years are Expeditions, which pull you out of Appalachia and send you on brief tours of new and returning regions of Fallout’s post-apocalyptic America. In Atlantic City, you run around swamps and casinos shooting living plants who annoyingly regenerate their health, while in Pittsburg, you fight against psychotic raiders and disgusting mutants to help out the former steelworkers there. Unfortunately, each of these regions amount to just three short side quests that can be completed in a couple hours total and don’t have their own open-world maps to explore. Instead you just pop in, shoot new enemies in some admittedly cool regions, and are then quickly sent back to West Virginia with zero fanfare. I get that these areas were added as free DLC over a number of years, but they were disappointingly thin nonetheless, and I would have much rather just paid for a full expansion if it meant it had more meat on the bones.

Expeditions have some cool new regions, but are disappointingly thin.

The main world map, though, is still impressively large and filled with a lot more things to discover than when I last explored it. There’s a creepy and highly radioactive swamp in the northeast, a barren and deadly stretch of land filled with the toughest enemies to the southeast, and even a water park to shoot up if you’re in need of a vacation to the far north. Not only are these massive expanses beautiful in a disturbing kind of way and enjoyable to trek through with friends, they’re perfect for setting up camp and building a base on, which is a major part of Fallout 76. Every time you join a server filled with others, you’ll see their customized settlements out in the world and on your map – you can drop by to check out their creative abodes, buy some overpriced gear from them, or even steal or break their stuff if you want to get blasted apart by good samaritans hoping to claim the resulting server-wide bounty placed on your head.

More importantly, you can set up your own camps and fill them with useful workbenches, vending machines, resources, and storage containers that will make your life easier while out exploring the world. Unlocking building schematics, crafting furniture and defensive units, and making your bases bigger, better, and more impressive can be a really compelling part of the endgame, though you’ll need to collect and scrap a whole lot of junk to fuel those habits. This is a process that’s made way easier for those willing to pay real money for new schematics, some of which are are only available in an online store, but you can also just haphazardly toss a few pieces of equipment around a bonfire like a wild animal and call it a day – you do you. Either way, there’s a lot of interesting things to build and experiment with, and I spent quite a few hours just goofing around.

I spent quite a few hours just goofing around with building.

However, a lot of Fallout 76 (especially base-building) is limited by some very irritating storage capacities, both in what your character is able to carry and the maximum amount of loot you’re able to store in the global inventory of your unique stash chest. It didn’t take very long at all for me to realize my hoarding instincts were not sustainable, as I filled up all the storage available to me in just ten hours without even trying. As it turns out, the best way to combat this issue is by paying real money to subscribe to “Fallout 1st,” which gives you access to separate storage chests for your ammo and raw materials (among other things), greatly reducing the annoying capacity limits. It’s pretty silly that stocking up on valuables you need to keep your guns filled with bullets and your camps supplied isn’t feasible unless you pay what is essentially a monthly “loot toll” in addition to Fallout 76’s upfront price – especially in a game that incorporates survival mechanics where you regularly need a whole lot of junk to keep the action moving along.

Like plenty of ongoing multiplayer games, you’ll likely spend most of your time working through the endgame once you’ve completed all the main story content and reached the soft-capped max level of 50, which took me about 40 hours total. While Fallout 76 tempts you with infinitely repeatable public activities, limited time events, seasonal unlocks, and more, there isn’t a ton of content to actually chew on. Daily missions and public events, like one where the whole server is called to push back an alien invasion, provide some hilariously chaotic action, and the ability to launch nuclear bombs onto the map and then march into the mushroom cloud to take on powerful enemies and claim amazing loot is dope as heck. It’s just that there aren’t really any activities that require that loot to be beaten, and so you’d only be doing so to flex on your friends or prepare for theoretical future content that is more demanding of you.

A lot of the endgame seems to mostly be about repeating the same handful of activities indefinitely with no real purpose. I do really enjoy the ability to level up and unlock new perks endlessly, though, especially the legendary perks that only unlock once you’ve overleveled past the soft cap. Even if you’re not provided any scenarios where you’d need these perks to prevail against your foes, some legendary options have some truly awesome effects – like one that makes you generate combat-enhancing consumables out of thin air for every 40 minutes you spend playing. That makes trying to unlock them all entertaining, just not particularly compelling.

Jurassic World Evolution 3 Announced, Due Out by May 2026

Frontier Developments has announced Jurassic World Evolution 3, due out during its 2026 financial year. That means it will be out at some point between June 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026.

Frontier said it had signed a license with Universal Products & Experiences for a third Jurassic World game, which follows 2018’s Jurassic World Evolution and 2021’s Jurassic World Evolution 2. In February 2024, Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment announced an all-new Jurassic World event film currently scheduled for release on July 2, 2025, so Jurassic World Evolution 3 will aim to benefit from increased excitement in all things dinosaurs generated by the movie.

Jurassic World Evolution and Jurassic World Evolution 2 rank first and second respectively within Frontier’s game portfolio in terms of revenue generated in their first two years, the developer said, with Jurassic World Evolution being Frontier’s best-selling game to date since its release almost six years ago. IGN’s Jurassic World Evolution 2 review returned a 7/10. We said: “While park management and customization aspects are a bit shallow, Jurassic World Evolution 2 has tons of excellent dinosaurs and exciting ways to interact with them.”

Frontier has refocused on creative management simulation (CMS) games after a tough few years in which a number of high-profile games failed to meet sales expectations. In November, Frontier issued a trading update following poor launch sales of its real-time strategy game Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin. The studio has also suffered a round of layoffs. Earlier in April, Frontier sold the publishing rights to RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 to Atari for $7 million, bringing in much-needed cash. Frontier recently came under fire from Elite Dangerous players after announcing plans to sell virtual spaceships for real money.

Countering the doom and gloom, Frontier recently said sales of its games since January have been “in-line with expectations”, with Jurassic World Evolution 2 and Planet Zoo leading the charge. The recent console release of Planet Zoo saw “strong player engagement”, with total sales up to and including the day of release greater than the sales achieved by Planet Coaster when that game came out on consoles in November 2020.

Over the next three consecutive financial years, Frontier plans to release one new CMS game per year. There’s an unannounced own-IP CMS game for FY25, which Frontier said is “on track”, the third Jurassic World game confirmed today scheduled for FY26; and a third unannounced CMS game planned for FY27.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Microsoft exec calls for “smaller”, “prestige” games the day after closing Hi-Fi Rush studio Tango

Ah, it feels like only yesterday that Microsoft shut down Tango Gameworks, creators of Hi-Fi Rush, and now here’s Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, telling Microsoft staff at an internal townhall meeting that “we need smaller games that give us prestige and awards” – a sentence we might plausibly lengthen to “…like Hi-Fi Rush”.

See, these are the kinds of glacial changes of focus and ponderous shifts of strategy you often get at very large videogame publishers such as Microsoft. Trends are cyclical and corporations are sort of just these massive, sleepy hamsters, trundling around the wheel to rediscover practices and projects they once deemed bad for business. Hang on, let me go look up “yesterday” in the dictionary and fetch some sellotape – my brain appears to have exploded.

Read more

Review: Little Kitty, Big City (Switch) – Repetitive, But Oozes Charm From Every Paw

An adventure with cat-titude.

When playing through Little Kitty, Big City, it’s difficult to avoid drawing comparisons with Untitled Goose Game. Both see you play as a cute, mischievous animal, and both have you tackle a series of emergent tasks that often come at the expense of the poor humans that inhabit the surrounding area.

With Little Kitty, Big City, however, developer Double Dagger Studio has taken the opportunity to draw inspiration from the game’s feisty feline protagonist and make the experience a bit more whimsical, a bit more stylised, and a bit more ambitious. The end result is a true joy to behold and play, but one that’s also held back from true greatness by its repetitive structure.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Use Your Powers of De-duck-tion in Duck Detective: The Secret Salami

Summary

  • Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and the Windows Store.
  • Interrogate suspects and pilfer evidence to find clues and quack the case!
  • Two to three hours of light-hearted narrative adventure mystery.
  • Fully voice-acted cast of eccentric suspects to inspect and interrogate.

Solving crime is no walk in the pond.

We’re very excited to announce that Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and the Windows Store! Duck Detective is Aggretsuko meets Return of the Obra Dinn, in a cozy mystery setting where a down-on-his-luck duck is tasked with exposing a sinister sausage-based conspiracy.

DuckD screenshot

You play as Eugene McQuacklin, part-time private investigator, full-time duck. As a recent divorcee and ex-police detective, you must use your supreme powers of deduc(k)tion to save your ailing career and maybe, just maybe, pay next month’s rent.

DuckD screenshot

Our small team at Happy Broccoli Games have been greatly inspired by the classic Agatha Christie novels. While they take a darker and more suspenseful approach, we wanted to create something that would keep you guessing as much as it will make you smile. It has been fantastic fun for our team to write such an energetic and twisty tale. A pompous detective, mismatched characters, and cramped environment, all mixed together surely makes for a big hoot!

DuckD screenshot

    Justice is a dish best served at the bottom of a pond. And you’re sure to get your flippers wet when it comes to the case of The Secret Salami.

    We are very much looking forward to having all you detectives quack the case on release! We don’t have a firm date just yet, but we’ll work hard to get it in your hands as quackly as possible. Please look forward to more puns and more fun when the game launches on Xbox!

    The post Use Your Powers of De-duck-tion in Duck Detective: The Secret Salami appeared first on Xbox Wire.

    Fishbowl demo live today, filled with cozy memories and strange dreams

    Do you know the feeling of moving to a new city for a new job all by yourself?

    In Fishbowl, our main character Alo is doing just that. You experience a slice of Alo’s ordinary life, at home. Set in urban India at the onset of the pandemic, Fishbowl serves as a vignette of that time through our eyes. A new PS5 demo available today lets you get a taste of Alo’s life.

    The game follows Alo over a month during which she spends time indoors, in isolation, her phone and computer being the only connection to others. Taking care of home chores, doing her best with self care and staying on top of work-from-home are things she is still getting used to.

    Until unusual dreams and bittersweet childhood memories begin to crop up, all thanks to a package sent from home, containing a mysterious toy fish. Tumble into a story of nostalgia, melancholy and self-discovery, where the choices you make, determine the path that Alo takes, leading to multiple endings, true to how you play.


    Fishbowl demo live today, filled with cozy memories and strange dreams

    Figuring out life one day at a time

    As Alo slowly gets familiar with her new home, do care tasks like watering your plants, snacking from the fridge (samosas or idlis anyone?), make sure to stay hydrated and take moments to relax between work and chores.

    The mood at home is a reflection of Alo’s emotional state and sometimes, ordinary objects may give you an idea of a larger meaning behind them—that writing desk seems awfully dingy. We hope for everybody to tinker around and discover little hints and secrets we have planted throughout the game.

    Fishbowl prioritizes the every day—simple things and mundane acts, and how living through them mindfully is a way to understand our emotions and check in with ourselves.

    Moving through grief at your own pace

    Alo recently lost her grandmother and is uncertain about how to cope with this loss and grief. Fishbowl represents grief as an ongoing feeling and not as something to “get over” on a time limit.

    Players unpack Alo’s late grandma’s belongings and uncover memories from her childhood which help them connect the dots to her past—whether it’s time spent with friends after school, your very first sleepover or the one day you were all alone in the park.

    Each object in Fishbowl is a storyteller, celebrating the idea of how the things in our life can be little time capsules, reminders of days gone by—from an old sweater your grandma knitted to a storybook you barely remember. Some of these objects also unlock new things to do at home, like the beat-up record player which still lets you play a familiar tune from back when you were little.

    A look into the “player first” mechanics of Fishbowl

    In Fishbowl, we place importance on allowing players to experience the game as they’d like, with no time limits and no fail state. Don’t feel like doing the laundry, let it pile up, enjoy a warm shower, go for it! Much like life, we allow for players to do as much or as little as they are able and have their story unfold accordingly.

    It’s our way of showing what prioritizing people over the pressure of productivity could look like. Taking the focus away from giving value to the player for their actions, but rather simply valuing them because they are.

    Like when you work from home as a video editor, your colleagues encourage you to do your best if you fall behind and cheer you on if you get things done in time. And you support them too, whether it’s the intern who is struggling or an old-timer who doesn’t see their worth.

    Meet our characters and experience a slice of urban India

    As the game progresses you meet characters, each one with a rich, unique story of their own. You get to know them through video calls that have branching conversations where choices matter. Through these, you understand how others are managing in the lockdown, you get to delve further into Alo’s life, forge new friendships and stay in touch with those dear to you.

    We give players a window into Indian craft and culture. As fans of pixel art, we were keen to portray everyday Indian objects and diverse characters in this style. Tiny details in the backgrounds will tell you a little more about their personalities, like Zuari’s certificate for becoming one of the youngest government school teachers or how Iris’ love for DIY has her sewing and knitting her own clothes.

    Through Fishbowl we’d like to take you on a journey to feel all feelings as there are no right endings. Fishbowl’s demo is now out on PS5 and we hope you enjoy playing this one day in our month-long story made by a two-person team from Goa, India.

    Dead by Daylight Teases Dungeons and Dragons-Themed Chapter

    Behaviour Interactive is teasing its next chapter for the Dead by Daylight universe, implying a Dungeons & Dragons crossover is coming to its widely popular asymmetrical horror game.

    The Dead by Daylight X/Twitter account posted a brief teaser trailer that suggests its next licensed chapter is based on the popular tabletop game series Dungeons & Dragons. While not much was shared, Behaviour Interactive plans to hold an 8th anniversary stream for the Dead by Daylight series next week; hopefully to confirm a release date and which D&D characters will become the killers and survivors.

    A D&D-themed chapter in Dead by Daylight would be interesting, as Behaviour Interactive has yet to implement dark fantasy into its horror game. However, Behaviour has previously added sci-fi and supernatural themes, introducing licensed chapters for Alien and Ringu.

    Dead by Daylight first released in 2016 on PC before making its way onto consoles, most recently the PS5 in late 2020. Since launch, Behaviour Interactive has released a slew of original and licensed chapters from various horror franchises across gaming and entertainment, such as Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Stranger Things, and Scream. Each chapter introduces a map based on that respective franchise, in addition to familiar characters serving as new playable killers or survivors. Dead by Daylight’s popularity has surged since its release, with Behaviour Interactive reporting in 2023 that the game has amassed over 60 million players.

    2023 was a massive year for Dead by Daylight. Aside from introducing several new licensed chapters, Behaviour Interactive revealed during its 7th-anniversary stream that two spinoff games set in the Dead by Daylight universe are in development. One is a narrative-driven game developed by Supermassive Games titled The Casting of Frank Stone, which is set to release sometime this year. Atomic Monster and Blumhouse are also teaming up to adapt Dead by Daylight for the big screen.

    Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

    Helldivers 2 balancing has been “removing the fun”, Arrowhead CEO frets – “just tweaking damage numbers is a blunt tool”

    I spent this morning being pseudo-profound about Animal Well and pseudo-elegaic about Tango Gameworks, so now it’s time to get back to the Real Business – being a pseud on the subject of videogame gun balancing.

    The game in question is cheery co-op shooter Helldivers 2, over which Aunty Sony recently upended a can of furious worms by abruptly insisting that Steam players have a PSN account for security reasons and so, blocking players in regions where PSN isn’t available. Sony have subsequently walked back the requirement following a backlash of truly hellish proportions, though I understand that the game remains unavailable on Steam in certain regions. By comparison, Arrowhead CEO’s Johan Pilestedt remarks overnight that the developers might have been “removing the fun” with their gun balancing seems pretty innocuous.

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