Pixel Parents | Video Game Podcast

Gaming feels like it's at a crossroads. This week, we react to another difficult week for the industry as Xbox announces more than 3,000 layoffs in what it calls a "reset". What does this mean for the future of gaming? Are publishers chasing impossible growth, and is the industry heading towards a wider correction? Then we ask ourselves a very different question… If we could start ou...

This week on the Pixel Parents Podcast, we're preparing for a huge life event. No, not GTA 6. Scott has become a father for the second time. Before he disappears into a haze of nappies, sleepless nights and questionable gaming decisions, we're sitting down for one final check in. In this episode: Preparing for baby number two The games secretly piling up in the backlog What gaming looks li...

This week on the Pixel Parents Podcast, we're asking a question that felt impossible just a few years ago… Has gaming become too expensive? Following the announcement of the Steam Machine and its eye-watering price tag, we're discussing whether gaming hardware has finally crossed a line. Are we entering a future where new consoles and premium hardware are becoming inaccessible for average...

We're officially past the halfway point of 2026. So what is Game of the Year... so far? This week we're building our current GOTY shortlist, debating the biggest contenders, and asking which games still have a realistic chance of being in the conversation when The Game Awards roll around in December. Will Resident Evil Requiem still be standing? Can Mixtape go all the way? And have we alre...

September and October are absolutely stacked. Publishers are racing to launch before GTA 6 arrives, and the result is one of the most crowded release windows we’ve seen in years. So how do we decide what actually deserves our time? Which games are day-one priorities? Which ones can wait for a sale? And how do we avoid destroying both our wallets and our backlogs? This week we draft our must-plays,...

This week on Pixel Reacts, we're breaking down everything announced during the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 and the Gears of War: E-Day Direct. From Gears of War and Fable to Persona 6, Spyro, Clockwork Revolution and more, Xbox delivered one of its strongest showcases in years. But the biggest talking point wasn't a single game. It was the feeling that Xbox finally has a direction again. We d...

This week on Pixel Reacts, we're breaking down Summer Game Fest 2026. Or at least we're trying to. After more than two hours, dozens of trailers, endless announcements and a whole lot of games we struggled to care about, we came away with one big question. Has Summer Game Fest become too bloated? We discuss: Resident Evil Requiem Cuphead announcements TMNT The Last Ronin Control Resonance...

The Nintendo Switch 2 is officially one year old. So… was it worth it? This week we look back at our first year with Nintendo’s latest console. What surprised us, what disappointed us, and whether it has truly earned a permanent place in our gaming lives. We break down: The standout games The surprises (and letdowns) Docked vs handheld reality What year two needs to deliver Elsewhere this week: Mo...

PlayStation came out swinging. This latest State of Play gave us our best look yet at Marvel's Wolverine, a surprise reveal for God of War: Laufey, Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, Until Dawn 2 and a whole lot more. In this special episode of Pixel REACTS , we break down the biggest announcements, our favourite moments, and whether Sony delivered one of its stronge...

Showcase season is here. This week, we’re making bold predictions for: Summer Game Fest, Sony’s State of Play, and Xbox Game Showcase What must show up? What surprise reveals are we calling now? And which platform holder has the most to prove? Plus, we have our impressions of LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight... and whether it might send parents to Arkham Asylum. And we discuss our impression...

This week, we’re going to ask the big question: has the world outgrown GTA? In our main topic, Vice Boys , we take a look back at our own history with Grand Theft Auto, from sneaking sessions as kids to watching the series evolve into a cultural juggernaut. Then we look ahead. What do we actually want from GTA VI? And how will Rockstar’s anticipated game land in a changed games media landscape? Ca...

Gaming time feels harder to come by than ever. This week we’re checking in on the hotly anticipated Mixtape , one of May’s most talked-about releases. Does it live up to the buzz? Scott also gives his verdict on Constance after spending time with its slick tether mechanics and early platforming ideas. Then we get honest! We expose the gaming habits quietly sabotaging our limited time. The distract...

This week, we take a step back from the release cycle. In 2026, what does it actually mean to cover games? The pressure to move fast is real. Day one reactions. Early impressions. Staying in the conversation. But is faster coverage actually better coverage? We talk about chasing the moment versus taking time with the games that matter. What works. What feels forced. And how smaller shows like ours...

Star Fox is back. We went live the second it dropped. This is Pixel Reacts. Our raw reaction to the first reveal of Star Fox on Nintendo Switch 2, launching June 25 2026. No script. No polish. Just real takes from Liam and Scott as it happened. The highs, the doubts, and what this comeback needs to land. Full Pixel Parents Podcast every Friday on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Follow us on...

We’re already deep into 2026, so it’s time to check in. What are we still genuinely excited for this year? What’s climbed the list? What’s cooled off? This week, we’re taking stock of our most anticipated games of 2026 so far and seeing where our hype levels really sit. Then the harder question follows: even if we’re excited… how are we actually fitting these games in? Big releases. Limited time....

This is it. After two years of weekly Pixel Picks, the list of the top 100 video games we pass on to the next generation is complete. Now every single one enters the arena. Welcome to the Pixel Picks Top 100 Games Showdown . No safe seeding. No protected favourites. Just chaos, debate and survival. One by one, the games face off until only one remains… crowned the greatest game of all time. There...

We’re going back to the drawing board. In a previous episode, we asked how to make Xbox great again. Now, with Asha Sharma stepping into the CEO role at Xbox, we’re revisiting those takes and asking the bigger question: Can she actually fix the brand? We also catch up on what we’ve been playing this week, including Liam’s continued obsession with Crimson Desert, Scott's ongoing journey through...

The PS5 price hike is here, and with a wave of new buyers jumping in before it hits, there's no better time to ask the question we've been sitting on for a while: has this generation actually delivered? This week on Pixel Parents , we dig into the full PS5 generation so far. The highs, the lows, the games that justified the purchase, and the moments that left us wondering what could have b...

The Super Mario Galaxy film is here!   So... we've gone Hollywood. This week on Pixel Parents , we're celebrating the release of Super Mario Galaxy on the big screen by doing what any self-respecting gamer parent would do: pitching the full Nintendo Cinematic Universe . We've also got a catch-up on the biggest game releases of the month, and the Pixel Picks Showdown goes full nostalgia...

We’re only a quarter into 2026 and already it feels like we’ve been served a banquet of enormous games. This week we’re discussing our journey so far with Crimson Desert. Does it live up to the hype? Does it justify the scale? And most importantly… how are we actually playing it? That leads us into this week’s main topic: Clocking In: Big Game Bonanza TIME CRUNCH The games are getting bigger. Long...

Alex from The Mimic’s Veil returns as we unpack the fallout from the DLSS 5 reveal and what it could mean for the future. Are we doomed to slop or is there hope? Then things get spicy. In our main topic, we’re planting flags and naming the gaming hills we’re willing to die on . No hedging. No soft takes. Just core beliefs about this hobby that we’re not backing down from! And in this week’s Pixel...

This week we’re covering a LOT of ground. We kick things off with our impressions of Pokémon Pokopia , why we’ve found ourselves back in that world, how it has become an obsession and what it says about how we approach gaming in 2026. We’re also reviewing Collector’s Cove and Greedfall: The Dying World , breaking down what’s landing and what isn’t. Then it’s time for The Big Next-Gen Chat (again)…...

This week we’re asking a big one: are we too old for gaming? As we get older, priorities shift, time shrinks and the industry keeps evolving. Do we ever feel like certain games aren’t “for us” anymore? Or does gaming simply grow with us? We’re breaking down what ageing in this hobby actually feels like… and whether the idea of “ageing out” is complete nonsense. We’re also giving our full review of...

It’s a special week on the Pixel Parents Podcast as we welcome Steven Mair , the Gamer In Residence at Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity. In honour of today’s Resident Evil Requiem release, we’re flipping the script with a celebration of real-world positivity this is our Resident Hero episode. Steven joins us to talk about Games for the Weans, the power of play in tough moments, and how gaming c...

We made it. 100 episodes of the Pixel Parents Podcast!!! And this week we’re celebrating everything that’s brought us here. We kick things off by looking back at our favourite moments, the guests who’ve joined us, and the chaotic highlights that helped shape the show. From early-day nerves to big interviews and everything in between, we’re building our Pixel Parents Hall of Fame . Then we look for...