Sony’s September 24 PlayStation Portal system software 7.1.7 changes the default charge limit to 80% for long-term battery health, with a manual override in Settings, plus PlayStation Link update reminders and stability fixes.
SEGA and Lizardcube’s acclaimed 2D action platformer launches on Nintendo Switch 2 in digital and physical editions from $29.99, with Switch save carry-over, 1080p handheld presentation, and Deluxe editions bundling the SEGA Villains Stage.
September 24’s Switch 2 eShop puts SEGA’s paid Shinobi port with save carry, Square Enix’s full-price Dragon Quest XI S without save conversion, and Nightdive’s free SiN Reloaded upgrade on the same shelf—proof mid-gen continuity still has no single rulebook.
CONTROL Resonant unlocks worldwide at 7:00 AM PT on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, Silent Hill: Townfall lands the same day on PS5 and PC, and Farming Camp launches across Steam and consoles with a two-week 20% digital discount.
Secret Mission Games’ 2.5D beat-’em-up roguelite Mad King Redemption is live on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and PC Game Pass as of September 23, 2026—solo or local two-player—ahead of Minecraft Dungeons II’s Sept. 29 day-one slot.
PlayStation 5 system software 26.06-14.00.00 turns Enhance PSSR Image Quality on by default for PS5 Pro—so games built on original PSSR can use Sony’s upgraded upscaler without hunting an obscure toggle—plus new voice-chat and Welcome Hub widgets.
DreadXP and Vincent Adinolfi date the lo-fi survival horror hit Heartworm for Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch—plus PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, and Xbox One—on October 1, 2026, bringing the camera-as-weapon PC favorite into spooky-season console range.
This week’s mid-gen story is not another silicon rumor—it is firmware finishing homework. PS5 Pro’s Enhance PSSR Image Quality is now on by default, Switch 2 docked VRR is live but whitelist-gated, and Xbox Game Pass is stacking dated tiles from Mad King today through Gears: E-Day in early October.
The Verge and Twisted Voxel widen CONTROL Resonant’s eve-of-launch split (VGC 5/5 vs Eurogamer 3/5), Rivage’s time-loop puzzles land mixed with a GenAI side-eye, Nighthawks opens at a PC Gamer 89, and Dune: Awakening’s console solo mode keeps scoring friendly eights.
Pure Xbox and Xbox Wire’s Wave 2 calendar confirm Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 expands onto Xbox Game Pass Premium on September 25—already on Ultimate and PC Game Pass—while Rematch hits Essential and Mad King Redemption locked in for Ultimate/Premium/PC today.
