Technologies

Game Handhelds Came Back This Year. Here’s What It Means for Gaming in 2023

The Nintendo Switch got new competition, and the future of gaming looks like it’ll be in our hands

Thanks to the Nintendo Switch, iPads, phones, VR headsets, and a ton of new gaming handhelds, I’m not gaming on my TV much anymore. In fact, gaming seems to be everywhere else other than the big panel hanging on my wall. Of course, that’s been the case before 2022. But thanks to the arrival of the Steam Deck and other handheld hardware, it feels like something’s finally happening that I’ve been waiting on for years: gaming tech is starting to become Switchified. I dreamed this would happen back in 2017.

Valve’s Steam Deck was the biggest new handheld arrival by far this year, and its popularity stands out on several fronts: as a gaming PC, it shows how software is finally starting to get more flexible and mobile, hopping between screens in a way that felt well overdue. But also, as another vehicle for streaming game services, it shows how gaming tech is starting to unbundle in a lot of strange ways.

The Nintendo Switch remains an aging, but strong, console. Mobile gaming feels like it’s starting to accelerate, thanks to cloud streaming apps and more excellent game controller cases, plus developments from mobile chip manufacturers like Qualcomm and new gaming tablets like the Razer Edge. Similarly, Logitech’s G Cloud handheld, arriving recently, is another flavor of mobile: a type of Android-based mobile device, but made to lean on game streaming.

And I didn’t even mention my favorite quirky indie handhelds, the Analogue Pocket and Panic Playdate, which have helped me rediscover tons of old games and plenty of indie newbies, too.

Can we also count VR headsets as handhelds? No, not really, although future devices like the Pimax Portal show some possibility for handhelds and VR to dovetail in ways you may not have been thinking about.

Here’s why it all matters.

Steam Deck: PCs can be handhelds now

Valve’s Steam Deck did it. The handheld Steam-compatible game system seemed like an impossible dream before it launched, but the hardware really does play tons of PC games well, and has proven to be one of the biggest gaming surprises of this year.

Valve doing it shows how other manufacturers could give it a go, too: in fact, companies like Dell and Razer already have, in a sense, via previous prototype experiments. The Steam Deck lives, though, and now there’s no reason not to make more of them.

The Steam Deck’s easy sleep/wake functions and its TV docking make it feel every bit as modular as a Switch, even if its controllers don’t detach. It’s the flexibility of the Steam Deck’s OS that shows a lot more promise. Running a variety of games or even apps, and being able to stream games, gives it the possibilities that we’d hoped the Nintendo Switch might gain someday. The Switch’s older processor limits what it can do, but the Steam Deck advances those ideas five years forward. Really, we knew this already with phones in our pockets that are as powerful as laptops, but gaming handhelds can do a lot more at also being full-fledged machines to connect to a much more cross-platform world.

I’m really curious where Valve goes next: in particular, to VR. Valve’s been active in VR for years, and is expected to make its own standalone «Deckard» VR headset in the near future. Could a new Steam Deck be compatible? It seems more than likely.

Stream Machines: Games can live anywhere

In a sense, Logitech’s G Cloud handheld and the Razer Edge tablet have a lot in common. CNET didn’t love the G Cloud, but the idea of it — an Android tablet with controls and the ability to stream games — is like a custom-made version of what you can already do with a phone or tablet and a game controller. The Razer Edge feels like a more advanced version of a similar idea, building a modular tablet with controllers around a higher-powered Qualcomm processor that’s capable of running games better, but also of streaming games as well.

These both remind me of the promises made way back by the Nvidia Shield, a tablet that was way ahead of its time and began to play with game streaming back in 2014.

Streaming games have finally come of age, both in the cloud and locally from console to handhelds. You may very well be doing this already with your phone or tablet. But, between the rise of very good game controller cases like the Backbone One and Razer Kishi and these types of specific standalone devices, it looks like mobile options could be multiplying.

Analogue Pocket and Panic Playdate: Rise of the new indies

Analogue’s ultimate retro handheld, the Pocket, and Panic’s crazy crank-enabled Playdate are very different pieces of hardware. Yet, they both point to a similar trend in gaming. The Pocket plays original Game Boy, Game Boy Advance and even Sega Game Gear game cartridges (with an adapter), and can run virtual hardware cores to recreate other game platforms. The Panic Playdate has its own season of included indie games that beam onto the handheld via Wi-Fi once a week. Both, however, can also sideload indie efforts made to run specifically on these systems.

Gaming portals like itch.io have become my most-visited places, as I check to see what experimental games people make available for Pocket or Playdate. Indie game designers create amazing efforts for all sorts of platforms: you don’t need a Playdate or Pocket for them. But these systems feel like vehicles that are ready to bring more indie efforts to life, and both feel like they’re living entirely outside of the world of the big game studios and hardware manufacturers. Maybe there’s room for more experimentation like this.

Could VR and AR be a doorway to more?

Arriving soon, the Pimax Portal is a curious sign of how tech could merge. Pimax, a manufacturer of VR headsets, is making a Switch-like Android gaming handheld that can also dock into a VR headset, becoming a handheld and standalone VR system all at once. It’s a return to the «VR goggles» concepts of early phone-based hardware like the Samsung Gear VR and Google’s Daydream, but in a potentially far more optimized and advanced format. I haven’t tried the Portal yet, but am really curious to. It’s an idea I could see more companies trying out, especially if it works better than those old limited-motion phone goggles.

Many upcoming VR headsets and AR glasses will start connecting with phones and smaller puck-like processors: the Magic Leap 2 is made this way, and Qualcomm’s next wave of AR glasses are designed to work with phones. Valve’s rumored standalone VR headset, Deckard, could possibly do the same with future Steam Decks.

Maybe Apple has similar plans in mind for how its VR headset will work with its phones and iPads. As headsets get smaller, more glasses-like, and lean on passthrough cameras and AR more, handheld accessories like game systems seem like a natural fit.

Nintendo had the right idea by making those Switch controllers slide off and work as little motion-sensitive magic wands…maybe the future of mobile gaming has been right in front of us all along.

Where this leads to in 2023

We’re already overdue for a truly new Nintendo Switch, and the Steam Deck seems bound for a sequel (although maybe not in 2023). We know a new wave of stand-alone VR headsets is on its way, and new phones and tablets are perpetual givens. The success of the Steam Deck, in particular, seems to open the door in ways that should impact both PC and console gaming. The Steam Deck was announced back in the middle of 2021, which means competitors have had a long time to prepare. But I’m also excited to see where truly decoupled indie gaming hardware could go: The Pocket and Playdate show all sorts of ways handhelds could live beyond traditional app store gateways. Cloud-connected gaming opens new pathways across hardware, too. It’s time for any mobile hardware to be more aware and flexible in its gaming strategies, because all the pieces are there. Of course, the handheld game system you’re most likely to be using in 2023 is your phone, but expect more dedicated gaming hardware to push the boundaries, too.

Technologies

The Witcher 3, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Bring the Heat to Xbox Game Pass

Two amazing games will be available soon for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.

The second half of February and early March could be considered one of the best stretches in recent memory for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, widely regarded as one of the best games of the past decade, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 headline a lineup that leans heavily into sprawling, choice-driven adventures but does throw in some football to mix things up a bit.

Xbox Game Pass offers hundreds of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, smart TV, PC or mobile device, with prices starting at $10 a month. While all Game Pass tiers offer you a library of games, Game Pass Ultimate ($30 a month) gives you access to the most games, as well as Day 1 games, meaning they hit Game Pass the day they go on sale.

Here are all the latest games subscribers can play on Game Pass. You can also check out other games the company added to the service in early February, including Madden NFL 26.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition

Available on Feb. 19 for Game Pass Ultimate and Premium Game Pass subscribers.

The Witcher 3 came out 10 years ago, and it’s still being praised as one of the best games ever made. To celebrate, developer CD Projekt Red is bringing over The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition to Xbox Game Pass. Subscribers will be able to play The Witcher 3 and its expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. Players once more take on the role of monster-slayer Geralt, who goes on an epic search for his daughter, Ciri. As he pieces together what happened to her, he comes across vicious monsters, devious spirits, and the most evil of humans who seek to end his quest.

Death Howl

Available on Feb. 19 for Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers.

Death Howl is a dark fantasy tactical roguelike that blends turn-based grid combat with deck-building mechanics. Players move across compact battlefield maps, weighing positioning and card synergies to survive increasingly difficult encounters. Progression comes through incremental upgrades that reshape each run. Battles reward careful planning, as overextending or mismanaging your hand can quickly end a run.

EA Sports College Football 26

Available on Feb. 19 for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers.

EA Sports College Football 26 delivers a new take on college football gameplay with enhanced offensive and defensive mechanics, smarter AI and dynamic play-calling that reflects real strategic football systems. Featuring over 2,800 plays and more than 300 real-world coaches with distinct schemes, it offers expanded Dynasty and Road to Glory modes where team building and personnel decisions matter. On the field, dynamic substitutions, improved blocking and coverage logic make matches feel more fluid and tactical.

Dice A Million

Available on Feb. 25 for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers.

Dice A Million centers on rolling and managing dice to build toward increasingly higher scores. Each round asks players to weigh risk against reward, deciding when to bank points and when to push for bigger combinations. Progression introduces modifiers and new rules that subtly shift probabilities, making runs feel distinct while keeping the core loop focused on calculated gambling.

Towerborne

Available on Feb. 26 for Game Pass Ultimate, PC, and Premium Game Pass subscribers.

After months in preview, Towerborne will get its full release on Xbox Game Pass. The fast-paced action game blends procedural dungeons and light RPG progression, with players fighting through waves of enemies. You’ll unlock permanent upgrades between runs and equip weapons, spells and talents that change how combat feels each time. The core loop pushes risk versus reward as you dive deeper into tougher floors, adapting builds on the fly, and mastering movement and timing to survive increasingly chaotic battles.

Final Fantasy 3

Available on March 3 for Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers.

Another Final Fantasy game is coming to Xbox Game Pass. This time, it’s Final Fantasy 3, originally released on the Famicom (the Japanese version of the NES) back in 1990. Since then, Final Fantasy 3 has been ported to a slew of devices and operating systems, including the Nintendo Wii, iOS and Android. Now, you’ll be able to play on your Xbox or PC with a Game Pass subscription. A new group of heroes is once again tasked with saving the world before it’s covered in darkness. Four orphans from the village of Ur find a Crystal of Light in a secret cave, which tasks them as the new Warriors of Light. They’ll have to stop Xande, an evil wizard looking to use the power of darkness to become immortal.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Available on March 3 for Game Pass Ultimate, Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers.

Last year was stacked with amazing games, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was one of the best. Developer Warhorse Studios’ RPG series takes place in the real medieval kingdom of Bohemia, which is now the Czech Republic, and tasks players with a somewhat realistic gaming experience where you have to use the weapons, armor and items from those times. The sequel picks up right after the first game (also on Xbox Game Pass) as Henry of Skalitz is attacked by bandits, which starts a series of events that disrupts the entire country.

Games leaving Game Pass in February

For February, Microsoft is removing four games. If you’re still playing them, now’s a good time to finish up what you can before they’re gone for good on Feb. 28.

For more on Xbox, discover other games available on Game Pass now, and check out our hands-on review of the gaming service. You can also learn about recent changes to Game Pass.

Technologies

Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt Trade Blows in Latest AI Slop Video, and Hollywood Won’t Stand for It

While some Hollywood icons are feeling doom and gloom over the AI-generated clip, labor unions are fighting back with legal threats.

Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise are trading blows in a viral AI-generated clip on social media, sparking backlash from the film industry. Chinese company ByteDance’s new video generation model, Seedance 2.0, allowed people to create fictional videos of real likenesses with short prompts. Irish filmmaker Ruairi Robinson used two lines to generate the clip of Pitt and Cruise fighting.

If ByteDance sounds familiar to you, it’s because the company also owns TikTok internationally, though it recently sold its US ownership of the social media and video-sharing platform to US companies. Oracle, MGX and Silver Lake each hold a 15% stake.

The actors in this latest viral AI slop video still don’t look like perfect re-creations — close-up shots of the fake Brad Pitt’s face, especially, have an «uncanny valley,» dreamlike AI look where the cuts blend into his flesh a little too smoothly. However, a CNET survey from earlier Tuesday showed that while 94% of US adults believe they encounter AI slop on social media, just 44% say they’re confident they can tell real videos from AI-generated ones.

One of the most inflammatory parts of the Pitt-Cruise video is the dialogue, as the computerized facsimiles of the actors fight over a supposed assassination plot regarding Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who maintained ties to rich and powerful people worldwide. The two actors’ likenesses became a vehicle to push conspiracy theories that have been picking up steam as the millions of pages of redacted emails, receipts and other documents that make up the Epstein files continue to trickle out of the US Department of Justice.

Hollywood is fighting back as AI-generated content consumes and spits out actor likenesses and copyrighted content alike. Major studios and their labor forces alike have united to push back against the precedent set by the viral AI video.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Motion Picture Association demanded that ByteDance «immediately cease its infringing activity» through Seedance. SAG-AFTRA, the labor union that represents Hollywood performers, released a statement on Friday saying it «stands with the studios» in condemning the Seedance video generation model.

The Screen Actors Guild specifically pointed to Seedance’s unauthorized use of members’ faces, likenesses and voices as a threat that could put actors out of work.

«Seedance 2.0 disregards law, ethics, industry standards and basic principles of consent,» the actors’ guild said in its statement.

Representatives for the MPA and SAG-AFTRA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Similar videos generated by Seedance have depicted Star Wars characters dueling with lightsabers as well as Marvel superheroes Spider-Man and Captain America brawling. Disney issued a cease-and-desist order to ByteDance on Friday in response to these videos, which it alleges constitute copyright infringement, according to the BBC.

A representative for ByteDance didn’t immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment, but issued a statement to the BBC saying it is «taking steps to strengthen current safeguards as we work to prevent the unauthorized use of intellectual property and likeness by users.»

Following the viral incident, ByteDance updated its tool to prevent people from uploading images of real people for AI-generated content, but it remains to be seen how effective that policy will be. Certainly, it won’t curb the output of videos depicting fictional masked or anthropomorphic characters like Spider-Man or Mickey Mouse.

As AI models continue to create mediocre copies of cultural icons, this won’t be the first — or last — legal battleground for AI video generation.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Feb. 18, #983

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Feb. 18 #983.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle was great fun for me, as I’m the co-author of two pop-culture encyclopedias, one about the 1970s, and 1980s and the other about the 1990s. Two of the categories are retro-themed! Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Farrah hair.

Green group hint: Totally tubular!

Blue group hint: Bock-bock!

Purple group hint: Can refer to a dairy product or a cosmetic.