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PlayStation Showcase 2026: A Roundup of All New Titles
Genshin Impact 5.3 Press Conference
PUBG Global Championship: Malaysian team makes historic progress to the quarterfinals
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1.PlayStation 2026: Why is this year's launch event making players look forward to console gaming again?
This year’s PlayStation Showcase was arguably the most “decent” one in the past two years. While the entire gaming industry is saying that mobile games and gacha mechanics are the future, this event reminded us that console gaming still has its magic.
The biggest highlight was undoubtedly the long-rumored new IP. Although the official trailer was only 40 seconds long, it was enough to cause a sensation online. The visuals weren’t the most important thing; that feeling of “soul and ambition” has finally returned—console manufacturers haven’t given us this feeling for far too long.
The pacing of the presentations has also noticeably improved. The awkwardness of the past, with “one CGI animation every ten minutes,” has largely disappeared. Now, it feels more like the players are truly being treated as an audience, not as advertisers.
Many players share the sentiment:
“Not all games need to be open-world, not all games need to be over 100 hours long; I just want fun games.”
And this year, PlayStation has indeed demonstrated this direction.
It’s not about piling on CG, not about competing on budget, but about returning to the game itself.
Of course, the development cycle for large-scale AAA games is getting longer and longer, and whether they can actually be released on time remains to be seen. But at least this presentation tells everyone: PlayStation isn’t going to give up, and console games haven’t been eliminated by the mobile era.
Many players shared the same sentiment after watching:
“I’m already looking forward to next year’s games again.”
2.Honkai Impact: Star Railway 2.5 Version Review: The main storyline is a bit different this time.
To be honest, I didn’t have high expectations for version 2.5 before playing it. Previous versions had a slow pace, with some players even feeling it was “dragging out” the story. But the main storyline in version 2.5 is surprisingly solid and smooth, with several scenes handled more maturely than before.
First, the story doesn’t force grand scenes; instead, it progresses through interactions closely related to the characters’ relationships.
While the story isn’t massive in scale, the emotional impact is sufficient.
The new characters are also a pleasant surprise. Their skill mechanics don’t feel oppressive like “you have to pull to get strong,” but rather…
“If you like her feel, you’ll feel it’s worth it; if you don’t, you won’t feel like you can’t play without her.”
This is a balance that many games struggle to achieve.
Regarding the map, the details are more refined than previous versions. For example, interactive objects, NPC dialogues, and hidden quest designs are all smoother than before. Players won’t feel like they’re just following a quest list, but rather genuinely exploring.
Of course, it’s not without its problems. The stamina system still makes it easy to get stuck, and some quest steps are slightly repetitive. But overall, this version rekindled the experience I had when I first started playing: fast-paced, substantial content, and motivating to keep playing.
If you slowed down your gameplay due to certain versions, feel free to come back and check it out.
Version 2.5 is better than you think.
Why are mobile games in 2026 becoming more and more like console games?
For the past few years, mobile games have been labeled as “pay-to-win,” “gacha-style,” and “reskinned.”
But starting in 2026, this trend is changing, and changing faster than many people expected.
Firstly, the production scale is getting larger and larger.
It’s hard to imagine that even new mobile games now often involve hundreds of people developing them, with international teams collaborating.
Some game maps are even comparable in quality to those of the PS4 generation.
Secondly, player expectations have changed.
Mobile game players are no longer satisfied with simple monster-slaying and leveling up; more and more people want “story,” “character depth,” and “high-quality graphics.”
This has forced development teams to change their strategies; they can no longer rely on quickly launching a few systems to make money.
Thirdly, and most importantly: the generation of players who grew up in the console era has now become the main force in the mobile game market.
They want more than just easy gameplay; they want to experience “console-level” content anytime, anywhere.
This is why we’re seeing more and more of these features now:
Open-world mobile games
Cinematic storytelling
High-frame-rate combat
Souls-like combat experiences
Console ports to mobile
This isn’t a coincidence, but rather a natural evolution of the market.
Many people say that console and mobile games will compete with each other, but I actually think the future will be:
“Mobile is a miniaturized extension of the console experience.”
Want to play at home on your TV? Sure.
Want to play the same game in bed? Sure.
The experience is shifting from “device determines gameplay” to “playability determines device.”
This is something that has never happened before, but it is happening right before our eyes now.