Unofficial Controller Podcast

Send us Fan Mail The future of gaming is starting to feel less like progress and more like a contract you can’t read. We’re joined by Two and a Half Gamers UK to talk through the current state of modern gaming, starting with the GTA 6 digital controversy and why preordering a digital game can feel like paying for hype instead of securing a copy. If downloads never run out, what are we really buyin...

Send us Fan Mail Nintendo is spending 121 billion yen on a brand-new R&D center in Kyoto, Sony is selling a Japan-only PS5 at a loss, and the Switch 2 is still running away with the market. That combo says a lot about where gaming is headed, so we unpack it from the perspective that actually matters: how people live, how people play, and what they can realistically fit into a busy day. We also...

Send us Fan Mail Xbox chaos, PS6 uncertainty, and a tiny handheld that keeps embarrassing the “power” conversation all collide in one week. We sit down and talk through the reports of major Xbox layoffs and studios potentially on the chopping block, and what that does to creativity when teams are building games under constant fear and shifting strategy. If you’ve ever wondered whether acquisitions...

Send us Fan Mail The Switch 2 is starting to feel less like a side console and more like the place where everything shows up, and that changes the whole mood of a gaming week. We’re coming in hot off our own playtime too: Forza Horizon 6 swallowing hours, Outbound delivering the kind of calm “camp, craft, and breathe” loop you can keep installed forever, plus early thoughts on 007 First Light and...

Send us Fan Mail Wolverine finally steps out of rumor land and into real gameplay, and it immediately raises the bar for what we expect from PS5 action. George is joined by returning Bobby and OG for a full reaction to PlayStation’s State of Play June 2026, and we don’t just list trailers. We pull apart what looks finished, what feels like smoke and mirrors, and what actually sounds fun when the c...

Send us Fan Mail Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 on Switch 2, a Steam Deck price hike that makes your wallet flinch, and a fresh rumor that Witcher 3 is getting a full-blown expansion sized like Phantom Liberty. That is the kind of week that forces a real question: are we heading into a future where gaming gets better, or just more expensive? We start with the stuff that actually fills our nights, f...

Send us Fan Mail A classic RPG throws us into court twice, Sony quietly trademarks a new PS5 name, and Embracer keeps rearranging the board like it’s playing 4D chess with the entire games industry. George and Bobby are back together and we start with the fun stuff: what we’re playing when time is tight. Bobby is grinding Hades 2 in bite-sized runs, sneaking in Nine Lives to Defend for that Vampir...

Send us Fan Mail Bobby’s back in the chair with the best kind of life update: he’s a new dad, and somehow he’s still finding time to game. We talk about what that really looks like in practice, from sleep regressions and bedtime routines to the simple strategy that keeps his hobby alive: pick the right games for the right moments, and don’t pretend you’re still living in a pre-baby schedule. From...

Send us Fan Mail A game gets a 10 out of 10 and the internet turns feral. We start with Mixtape, the “walking simulator” lightning rod, and talk through what it actually delivers: a nostalgic, music-led narrative with just enough interaction to keep you moving, plus a bigger point about why review scores get treated like verdicts instead of opinions. If you’ve ever looked at a rating and felt your...

Send us Fan Mail Microsoft Flight Simulator landing on PSVR2 is not just a curiosity, it’s a genuine “wait, why is this so good?” moment. We’re talking cockpit presence, Sense controller switch-flipping, 3D audio, and that sweaty high-stakes feeling you only get when VR turns a small mistake into a full-body panic. I walk through the messy first impressions, the key settings tweaks, and why the ca...

Send us Fan Mail Refurbished PS5 consoles just got $100 more expensive, and that single move says a lot about where console gaming is headed. We (Georgie and RGT) kick things off with what we’ve been playing, including Infamous Second Son not quite clicking, a surprisingly addictive budget zombie driving game, FIFA career mode obsession, and a first hour with Coral Island on PS Plus. If you’ve eve...

Send us Fan Mail Xbox rarely says the quiet part out loud, but this week they come close. George and RGT unpack a massive leadership statement that admits real pain points, from pricing fatigue to a fragmented console experience, plus a sharper focus on PC, cloud gaming, and what “daily active players” means for the future of the Xbox platform and Game Pass. We talk about what sounds like genuine...

Send us Fan Mail OLL 26 in Norwich hits that rare sweet spot where a retro gaming event feels both exciting and genuinely comfortable. We talk about why the Epic Studios venue gave off a GamesMaster-style studio vibe, how John and the team kept everything running smoothly, and what it’s like when listeners travel in just to hang out, talk games, and share a pint. We also break down the setups that...

Send us Fan Mail PS5 trophy hunters are getting restless, Nintendo fans are debating an $80 Elden Ring on Switch 2, and Xbox is suddenly racking up “micro wins” that feel bigger than they should. We sit down and talk through the stories behind the headlines, then pull them back to the real question: what changes actually improve your day-to-day gaming, not just the marketing bullet points? We also...

Send us Fan Mail Easter week starts with a simple message that immediately goes off the rails: share the egg. From there, we settle into what we’ve been playing across console, Switch, PS Portal, and PC handheld life, and the list is wonderfully weird. RGT finishes Bang Average Football and explains why it’s such a tight, satisfying indie sports game, then introduces Nutmeg, a retro football manag...

Send us Fan Mail PS5 prices going up this late in the generation feels wrong, and we don’t sugarcoat it. George and RGT dig into Sony’s newly announced PS5, PS5 Pro, and PS Portal price increases, what’s being blamed (tariffs, supply pressure, RAM demand), and why it lands so badly when players already feel the squeeze. If you’ve been waiting to buy a PlayStation 5 or wondering whether a PS5 Pro i...

Send us Fan Mail A game called Bang Average Football has no right to be this addictive, and yet it completely derails our week. We talk through the exact moment it clicks: the Stardew-style town loop, the light RPG quests that drip-feed stat upgrades, and the surprisingly satisfying matches that feel like a modern take on Sensible Soccer. If you’ve been craving a cozy indie that still delivers tha...

Send us Fan Mail A game can look like a glitchy mess to everyone watching and still feel amazing in your hands and Cairn is our proof. We break down why its limb-by-limb climbing, stamina management, and piton “mini-saves” create real tension and real relief, the kind of accomplishment most modern games chase but rarely earn. If you’ve been hunting for a new PS5 game that feels different, or you j...

Send us Fan Mail A horror game that makes you pause, breathe, and come back braver. A port on Switch 2 that shouldn’t look this good. And a platform holder that might be quietly ending the PC honeymoon. This week we dive into Resident Evil Requiem’s two‑minded design—high‑octane third‑person set pieces with Leon and nerve‑tightening first‑person sequences with a heroine who turns every hallway int...

Send us Fan Mail A cat-breeding tactics roguelike that plays like Fire Emblem meets house management, a physics-forward indie platformer channeling N64 energy, and a survival-strategy Star Trek game that’s equal parts engrossing and maddening—this week’s journey is a snapshot of where gaming stands in 2026. We start with the indie crown: why Big Hops feels like a smart, compact alternative to the...

Send us Fan Mail A PS3 classic gets its flowers, a remake titan goes dark, and space RPG promises meet reality. We kick off with Infamous, celebrating the late-game difficulty, clever traversal design, and that unforgettable twist that still shocks. It’s a perfect reminder that bold storytelling and tight systems can outlast any hardware cycle—and why Gen 7 games deserve more love in 2026. From th...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve been waiting for a PlayStation showcase that actually lands, this is the one. We kick off with what we’ve been playing—FF7 Rebirth, Art of Rally’s glorious adaptive triggers, and a guilty fling with Need for Speed: The Run—then dive into a State of Play that surprised us with real momentum and almost no fluff. Our rule of thumb is simple: does it feel good in the hands?...

Send us Fan Mail What if the games we finish fastest tell us the most about what we love? That question runs through this week’s ride as we finish Sleeping Dogs, return to Infamous on PS3, and unearth a shockingly good £2 ARPG on PSP. We dig into why “GTA clones” can still hit hard—when combat feels right, pacing stays lean, and the city serves the story instead of stealing the spotlight. Sleeping...

Send us Fan Mail A cozy fishing sim, a classic turned modern, and a debate that might change how you buy games this year. We kick off with Cast and Chill on Switch—the prettiest pixel art water you’ll see—then jump straight into Final Fantasy I Pixel Remaster, where party roles, fast saves, and auto-battle make retro feel fresh. From there, the stakes rise: Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 quietly teach...

Send us Fan Mail The suits were sharp, the jokes were chaotic, and the wings were hot—perfect conditions for the Ponsies, our annual Game of the Year awards engineered by Seb’s “committee” of number-crunchers. We opened the books on four very different gaming diets and found a story that spanned cozy farms, roguelike obsessions, comeback ports, and a JRPG that might define a generation. Our Switch...