It’s CES time, folks. This year’s iteration of the show has well and truly kicked off with new hardware reveals - many of which you won’t be able to afford, new gimmicks, flashy presentations, and far too many mentions of AI. CES is also a time for new chip reveals, and AMD tends to bring the goods each year.
]]>2024 is almost over. In the final throes of what has been a terrible year for the games industry and the media that covers it, but a good one in terms of the number of quality games that were released, we can finally look back at some raw data about our favourite hobby.
]]>Those of you still using Windows 7 and 8 that avidly play Steam games might want to consider finally upgrading.
]]>Valve has just updated Steam's policy when it comes to developers selling Season Passes for games, making it clear that it's the duty of the party selling the thing to "clearly communicate" to players what any DLC included in a pass will be, and when it'll be arriving.
]]>Crikey, Half-Life 2 just turned 20 this week, but despite that, and even thanks to that, it's just hit a new concurrent player count peak.
]]>Two decades on from the release of Half-Life 2, Valve has shown off some of what Half-Life 2: Episode 3 could have looked like.
]]>Valve's not planning on doing yearly updates to its Steam Deck, the handheld's developers have reiterated. Instead, they're planning on waiting for a proper "generational leap" in teach to arrive before putting out what'll be the next generation of Deck.
]]>Ideas around digital game ownership are certainly about to change, as Steam is making it clear the games you pay for are actually just licences to play them.
]]>Right, so, Deadlock. That Valve shooter which an entire village worth of people were already playing before it was officially announced as being a thing. It's now letting players choose to turn those detected as having cheated into frogs before the ban hammer comes down.
]]>PC gaming appears to continue to be as popular as ever, as Steam just hit a new concurrent user count record.
]]>Deadlock is still early in development, so some players have been able to play however they like without any kind of punishment - but the newest update should stop that.
Valve is working on a brand new shooter, one of the hero variety, if you hadn't heard, but it being still in the testing phase means that Deadlock doesn't quite have all the kinks worked out yet. However, when it comes to things like players just abandoning matches for no good reason, there wasn't a system that disincentivized such behaviour. As part of the game's September update, this has now been changed, with some punishments coming into effect in certain instances. For example, if a player has exhibited bad behaviour or abandons games too often, they can now be placed in a secondary queue that's less likely to find a match.
If they want to be freed from this low priority queue, they'll have to play a few rounds before being put back into normal matchmaking. On top of this, it's now possible for players to also lose access to matchmaking altogether, as well as being able to talk in voice and text chat, pausing, or reporting other players for abuse. It's incredibly important for online games to have punishments in place to discourage players with bad behaviours from doing things that cause other grief, as shooters aren't exactly always known for their kind and welcoming communities.
]]>If a game is online, it's bound to get cheaters eventually, and it looks like Deadlock has them before it's officially been released.
]]>Deadlock is doing ridiculously well despite not being officially out yet, and now a much earlier look at the game has been shared online.
]]>As I write this, Black Myth: Wukong, the action adventure from China’s Game Science studio, is the most played game on Steam by player count. There are currently 1,400,932 players in-game (with a peak of 1,443,570), surpassing the likes of Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, PUBG and all the usual games that occupy Steam’s top five.
]]>Steam has undergone some serious changes today, and one change in particular spells success for both the games that you pay for, and the free-to-play games that are soaring up the Steam charts. When combined together, both categories can step on each others' toes, but they're now separated, allowing for ease of browsing.
]]>That's right Half-Life fans, you've got a new reason to believe that the long-awaited third entry is definitely, for sure this time, absolutely happening.
]]>Hello. Remember Splitgate? Well, its sequel, Splitgate 2, has just been revealed and is set to arrive in 2025.
]]>This is not a drill, nor a joke. Dota 2 now has a fighting game mode included as part of the recent Crownfall update. Included within the battle pass, it has five characters, dedicated move lists for each fighter, alternative skins, frame data, and more. It's a little cheap sure, and not quite a fully-fledged fighting game, but it's real. Fun too!
]]>The Esports World Cup has begun, bringing many of the most popular competitive games under one roof in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This kicks off an almost two month-long battle over ridiculous amounts of prize money, which a vast majority of esports teams and competitors are fighting for.
]]>Later this year, Bloober Team's remake of Silent Hill 2 will finally grace our screens, for better or worse (probably the latter, in my opinion). A 13 minute-long gameplay demonstration was shown off last week, which looks… ok, but to be honest if you ask it's going to have a tough time going up against Hollowbody, a Silent Hill 2, Ghost in the Shell, and Blade Runner inspired survival horror game with the scariest setting anyone has ever faced: Britain.
]]>It's not like it was hard to deny that Valve is working on a game called Deadlock before, but now that it's trademarked the name, it's extra impossible.
]]>Sorry, it seems like you won't be able to leave your bloated Steam library to anyone in your will - it's against Valve's terms of service.
]]>Word on the street is Valve has been testing a title it’s had in the works since 2018, and it’s called Deadlock.
]]>Ever since Bethesda took a certain little-known isometric RPG for neckbeards and turned it into a huge mainstream phenomenon (thank you Bethesda), the Fallout brand has done Big Business. And so it has been roped into numerous cross-promotional schemes over the years, lending its iconic branding to all sorts of pointless adornments you can get for other games.
]]>Left handed people, you get a win today, as Counter-Strike 2 has added in the ability to switch which hand you're using in its latest update.
]]>Steam’s refund policy remains the best in the industry, and today, Valve made a small change to how it considers a certain tier of games. In recent years, more and more major releases have started allowing customers to play early.
]]>Playing video games with your family is definitely never a recipe for arguments, and Steam’s just introduced an improved way to definitely not get into such arguments. Steam Families, now available in beta, will let you do a bunch of stuff with your loved ones, including play very mid games at the same time.
]]>Counter Strike 2 has recently gotten an amazing update for those of you out there who love a little bit of customization in their tactical first person shooter. However, while some are innocently slapping stickers on their favourite weapons as Gaben intended, others have gone down a darker path.
]]>Steam Next Fest: February 2024 Edition has kicked off, and for its duration, we're highlighting a small taste of the thousands of demos you can try out.
]]>Portal 64, a very cool-looking Nintendo 64-inspired Portal demake, was cancelled earlier this week because of Valve, but its dev doesn't want you to be mad at anyone.
]]>It's the first weekend of the year, and everyone's playing games it seems, as Steam has just seen a new all-time user peak.
]]>Those that are craving a whole new Portal adventure will probably be interested in Portal: Revolution, a big new mod filled with new puzzles and original voice acting.
]]>Big news for those of you out there looking to jump into specific games next year, without the world knowing about it. Private games have been launched into Steam's beta client today, which allows you to set games as private on purchase so you can keep them all to yourself.
]]>Dota 2 is celebrating Frostivus 2023 by handing out goodies to all.
]]>Valve has announced the nominees for this year's Steam Awards, based on your nominations during the Steam Autumn Sale.
]]>Valve is a liar. A filthy, filthy liar. The company positioned the Steam Deck OLED as a minor incremental upgrade to their successful handheld gaming PC. A minor refresh. But, honestly: there’s nothing minor about this. It’s amazing.
]]>Valve has released Steam Link on Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro headsets. Steam Link is a free app that lets you stream games from your Steam library to another device. In this case, you'll be able to stream SteamVR games to your Meta Quest headset wirelessly.
]]>Wuh-oh, for some reason, an "extremely early" Left 4 Dead prototype has been found thanks to a recent Counter-Strike: CZ update.
]]>Valve has announced the Steam Autumn Sale will go live on Tuesday, November 21.
]]>The fifteenth anniversary of Left 4 Dead arrives this weekend, no doubt firing up countless hazy dorm room memories and making a lot of us feel very old. It gave me a pause of disbelief earlier, as I think it’s the first time I’ve properly realised that I’m now old enough to have still been an adult with a job and children 15 years ago. That seems impossible. In my head, my age minus 15 is “around fifteen”, not “mid twenties”.
]]>Named Game of the Year by over 50 publications, Valve's debut title, Half-Life is celebrating its 25th Anniversary, and to commemorate it, Valve has unexpectedly released an update.
]]>Valve has announced Steam Deck OLED, and it will launch on November 16.
]]>In a development that would no doubt be welcomed by those who keep being gifted bizarre titles by their friends, it seems Valve is working on allowing Steam users to obscure specific games they own from prying eyes.
]]>I’ve spoken about GeForce Now before. It’s brilliant. Beyond platitudes, even. So good I wonder why more people aren’t talking about it. Nvidia’s cloud gaming platform – which, at its premium ‘Ultimate’ level gets you 4K ray-traced gaming on a high-end PC beamed flawlessly to your home – answers the question of whether cloud gaming can be the future. It can... at least for some people. I’ve got a very beefy Full Fibre internet setup, which helps, and I’ve been taking advantage of GeForce Now’s recent addition of Game Pass titles. Let’s just say that my Steam Deck has never felt more incredible.
]]>Steam Next Fest: October 2023 Edition has kicked off, and there are so many demos available and it's a bit overwhelming.
]]>Counter Strike 2 has launched and proven tremendously popular, hitting almost 1.2 million concurrent players following the much-teased release. However, while a staggering number of people are jumping in and trying it out, a portion are mourning the loss of various features, maps, and game modes.
]]>Just in case the initial tease, and subsequent Twitter account banner change didn't give you enough of a hint, Counter-Strike 2 has indeed arrived on Wednesday, September 27.
]]>Valve has announced the dates for its 2024 Steam Sales and Fests, giving you time to plan ahead on saving money towards big games and indies all year long, with many sales and events to choose from.
]]>Valve has explained why you shouldn't expect a successor to the Steam Deck anytime soon. The company revealed a little bit of the decision-making process behind releasing new hardware.
]]>Valve looks to be teasing the imminent release of Counter-Strike 2, if we're reading this cheeky Tweet correctly. The game has been in limited, closed beta testing since March, when it was initially announced.
]]>The Steam 20th Anniversary Sale is in full swing, and if you are in the market for a Steam Deck, you can save some money through the duration of the sale.
]]>Steam turns 20 today, and Valve is celebrating by hosting a sale on all its titles.
]]>While Steam generally has excellent controller support, games don't always make it clear which brand of controller they support. Most players use Xbox controllers, which are much more widely supported - but what about PlayStation controllers?
]]>The Steam Strategy Fest is currently live, offering discounts on everything strategy.
]]>Half-Life 2 is getting some revamped visuals thanks to modders using Nvidia's RTX Remix.
]]>It's really not been a great launch for Overwatch 2 on Steam, as it is now the worst rated game on Steam of all time.
]]>Valve has announced it is now selling certified refurbished Steam Decks.
]]>The Xbox 360 first launched in 2005, and if you were fortunate enough to not encounter the ‘Red Ring of Death’ that the earlier consoles suffered from, then you were set for a good few years of gaming.
]]>The Wii U was a strange console. The wild success of the original Wii was never going to be an easy act to follow, but it’s pretty plain to see how this oddball console was the foundation of Nintendo’s latest bit of hardware, the Switch.
]]>Turtle Rock, the team made up of veteran Left 4 Dead developers, specialises in creating co-op shooters. Its first project, Evolve, wasn't the big success it hoped it would be, but the studio bounced back with the excellent Back 4 Blood.
]]>The best story-based games are ageless. While gameplay can become clunky with the passing of time, an enthralling narrative is just as gripping whether it came out in 2004 or 2024.
]]>After a developer's game was rejected for using AI-generated art, Valve has clarified its stance on whether it will allow it on the platform.
]]>Around 40 CS:GO trader accounts have been banned by Valve, which has essentially removed £1.5 million worth of in-game items from the game entirely.
]]>Steam Next Fest returns next week with tons of demos to try.
]]>After several weeks in testing, Valve has officially rolled out a significant new update to the Steam desktop client. It brings the look more in line with the UI of the Steam Deck, and updates Big Picture mode to also follow the same aesthetics.
]]>Dark and Darker developer Ironmace Games' lawyers have sent a letter to Valve regarding the game being delisted on Steam.
]]>Naughty Dog has announced over the weekend upcoming patches that should address the technical issues with The Last of Us Part 1's PC port. With that being said, Steam Deck users are going to have to wait a little longer to get a version of the game that works well on their hardware.
]]>Welcome to VG247's Best Games Ever Podcast: Episode 44: The best game where you'd swap places with the main character.
]]>Counter-Strike 2 was officially revealed just this week, and with that CS:GO has recently broken a record for highest number of concurrent players.
]]>An improved tick-rate, responsive smokes, and a levelled-up world. Those awaiting the rumoured Counter-Strike 2 have something to rejoice over, as we have finally received our first glimpse of the new game from Valve.
]]>Counter Strike: Global Offensive fans are going all in on a new logo shared to Twitter in the hopes of uncovering a release date. What does ‘going all in’ entail, however? Trigonometry. Too much of it for my liking.
]]>First reported by the folk over at PCGamer, it appears that Steam users may be able to take ‘game notes’ via the gaming platform in future. SteamDB Creator and dataminer Pavel Djundik shared the discovery to Twitter, saying that game notes “will be available in the Steam library, and on the web.”
]]>Steam Deck, Valve’s rather brilliant handheld gaming PC, is one year old and it’s also currently 10% off – the first time it’s ever dropped in price. The temptation you are currently feeling to buy a Steam Deck at this lower price is no doubt very strong (I have been there and understand), but as a big Steam Deck advocate I must share some thoughts to prepare you for what’s to come. As wonderful as this device is, it has its limitations.
]]>The Steam Spring Sale is live, and along with discounts on various titles across the service, Valve's Steam Deck is also on sale.
]]>Following reports of CSGO 2 being both real and playable in the near future, people online have been using their imagination (and sense of humour) to imagine what the future of map, Dust 2, may look like.
]]>It sounds like Counter-Strike 2 might be on the way, with a surprise release possibly as imminent as this month.
]]>Valve has provided a schedule for all sales and Fests coming to Steam in 2023.
]]>After years of speculation, Sony’s PlayStation VR2 finally arrived during the beginning of 2023. Boasting twin-OLED screens, 4K visuals and updated and redesigned controllers alongside intelligent eye-tracking and 3D audio, it's the most advanced console VR yet.
]]>Team Fortress 2 didn’t exactly go anywhere, but I couldn’t tell you the last time myself or someone I knew actually played it. What was once at the height of popularity on Steam slowly faded into obscurity, became plagued with bots, and later was bereft of any major updates.
]]>Steam Next Fest kicked off earlier this week, and there are tons of indie demos ready for you to download and play.
]]>The Steam Base Builder Fest is still going on, and you have a couple of days left to take advantage of deals on select city-building simulation games.
]]>If you log into Steam right now, you’ll find that the Lunar New Year sale is currently underway. This is despite Valve having said that it would be cancelled and replaced with a later, spring sale in March.
]]>A whole bunch of Valve assets have leaked, as well as some cut content for classics like Team Fortress 2 and Half-Life 2.
]]>There are so many sub-genres of shooter that the best FPS games you can play right now vary wildly based on your preferences. After all, there’s no concrete formula when it comes to developing a first-person shooter: there are multiplayer battle royales, action-adventure shoot ‘em ups, and innovative takes on the genre which blend unique mechanics into the mix.
]]>It's a new year, and a new opportunity for Steam to break some records, which it did when it had over 10 million active players over the weekend.
]]>Your votes have been tallied, and the time has come to announce the winners of the 2022 Steam Awards.
]]>We’ve seen our PlayStation 2022 Wrap-Up, and our Nintendo Year-in-Reviews. Now, it’s time for PC gamers and Steam Deck aficionados to take to the stage with their gaming feats and achievements, as the Steam Replay 2022 has now finally arrived.
]]>Steam sales often slash the price of many games on our wish lists in half, spurring us to commit to purchases we aren’t necessarily sure of.
]]>Portal 3 isn't happening (yet), but in a recent interview the series' writer Erik Wolpaw did say he knows how it would start.
]]>Nvidia has shared release details for its reimagining of Portal, containing advanced graphics features such as full ray tracing, DLSS 3, and more.
]]>The Steam Autumn Sale has kicked off and as usual, there are all sorts of discounts to be had.
]]>In a brilliantly on-brand move, Oculus VR headset creator Palmer Luckey has created an explosive headset designed to kill the wearer if they die in a video game.The famous VR engineer has not worn the helmet himself, of course, as he's scared that it may accidentally trigger and blow his head off. However, we believe there’s some merit to this idea in the modern world of video games.
]]>I've owned a Steam Deck for about a month now. As a device that costs more or less the same as an OLED Switch, it's absolutely incredible – at times rather magical in a way only proper high-end tech can be. I love being able to play most PC games from the comfort of anywhere in my house, even if the battery takes a bit of a beating in more demanding titles, and my decision to cheap out on SD card storage size bites me on the arse practically every day.
]]>What were you doing this weekend? If you were in the UK, like us, you may have found yourself stuck in the house enduring a pretty nasty storm that covered most of our islands for some 48 hours. If you were in the US, you may have been looking on in horror as our political establishment fell apart, like a poorly-erected fence in a stormy Belfast garden.
]]>Valve rolled out a major update to the Steam mobile app, reworking it entirely for the better. The update is available on iOS and Android, and it follows Steam's modern design language.
]]>Valve has released an updated video for Steam Deck after the company realized the original trailer featured an icon for the Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu.
]]>The Steam Deck has been out in the wild for a while now, and slowly but surely, Valve has ramped up production of the handheld system. The long wait to purchase a Steam Deck has all but diminished, with people now, finally, able to order the system without a reservation.
]]>If, like me, you wait patiently for the Steam sale to arrive before purchasing anything from your wishlist, then you’re in luck. Valve has now listed its Steam sale dates for autumn, winter, and spring, and we can all prepare ahead of time.
]]>Valve has finally released a shiny new revamp of their old stats page, so that us data nerds can track the most popular, most financially lucrative, and most played PC games on Steam in one new webpage. Available for anyone and everyone right now, you no longer have to check out a dated site or third party alternatives.
]]>Gaming is a pricey hobby, but not every game comes with an up-front cost — and indeed, the best free-to-play games never require you to spend a single penny of your own cash in order to enjoy them to the fullest.
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