Nintendo has lined up its first showcase of the year. The next Nintendo Direct is taking place on February 5 at 9AM ET, the company has announced. It will run for around 30 minutes.

As previous reports suggested, it will focus on third-party titles from partners instead of first-party games from Nintendo itself. So if you were hoping for new Mario or Zelda announcements, that may not happen during this event. Still, you can expect to hear about new games that are coming to Switch and Switch 2. You can tune into the Direct via the YouTube video embedded above.

FromSoftware’s The Duskbloods, a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, is slated to arrive this year, so we may get another look at that (or the Switch 2 version of Elden Ring, for that matter). Meanwhile, Resident Evil Requiem will hit the console later this month, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Capcom making an appearance during this Direct.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendos-first-direct-showcase-of-2026-is-scheduled-for-february-5-141931154.html?src=rss

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Microsoft could launch the next-generation Xbox console sometime in 2027, AMD CEO Lisa Su has revealed during the semiconductor company’s latest earnings call. Valve is on track to start shipping its AMD-powered Steam Machine early this year, she said, while Microsoft’s development of an Xbox with a semi-custom SOC from AMD is “progressing well to support a launch in 2027.” While it doesn’t necessarily mean Microsoft is releasing a new Xbox console next year, that seems to be the company’s current goal.

Xbox president Sarah Bond announced Microsoft’s multi-year partnership with AMD for its consoles in mid-2025. Based on Bond’s statement back then, Microsoft is embracing the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in future Xbox games. She also said that the companies are going to “co-engineer silicon” across devices, “in your living room and in your hands,” implying the development of future handheld consoles.

Leaked documents from the FTC vs. Microsoft court battle revealed in the past that Microsoft was planning to make the next Xbox a “hybrid game platform,” which combines local hardware and cloud computing. The documents also said that Microsoft was planning to release the next Xbox in 2028. Whether the company has chosen to launch the new Xbox early remains to be seen, but it is possible when the Xbox X and S were released in 2020, and they haven’t sold as well as the Xbox One.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/amd-suggests-the-next-gen-xbox-will-arrive-in-2027-052707822.html?src=rss

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Another first-party Xbox game is making the leap to PlayStation 5. This time around, Obsidian’s Avowed — one of our favorite games of last year — is crossing the great divide. The fantasy action RPG will hit Sony’s console on February 17, one day shy of the game’s first anniversary. 

As it happens, an anniversary update is set to go live on all platforms at the same time. This includes a new game+ mode (allowing those who have beaten the RPG to replay it with all their gear and upgrades from their previous run), a photo mode, a new weapon type and more. 

Avowed is set in the same universe as Obsidian’s Pillars of Eternity games. It tasks you with investigating a fungal plague that has infested the world. “The writing is stellar throughout, though the sidequests that reveal your companions’ backstories are particularly poignant," Engadget senior reporter Jessica Conditt wrote. "Avowed is gorgeous, its combat systems are fully customizable, its characters are intriguing and its encumbrance limit is generous. There’s a real sense of magic about the entire game — and no, that’s not just the mind-altering mushrooms talking."

Microsoft has brought a string of first-party Xbox games to PS5 over the last couple of years, freeing them from console exclusivity. Forza Horizon 5, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Senua's Saga: Hellblade II and Sea of Thieves are among the games that have crossed over to PlayStation. Later this year, you’ll even be able to play a Halo game on PS5, something that was utterly unthinkable not too long ago. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/xbox-is-bringing-avowed-to-ps5-120000035.html?src=rss

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