🎮 Summer Game Fest 2025: Big Games, Bold Hardware, and a New Era of Gaming

Summer Game Fest 2025 kicked off this June with major announcements that thrilled fans across the globe. Hosted by Geoff Keighley at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, the two-hour main showcase was packed with game reveals, hardware drops, and surprises that made it clear: the future of gaming is coming fast—and it's looking good.

Among the biggest highlights this year were Resident Evil: Requiem (aka Resident Evil 9), Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and a powerful new handheld system born from a collaboration between Xbox and Asus: the ROG Xbox Ally.

Let’s break it all down.

🧟 Resident Evil: Requiem — A Terrifying Return to Survival Horror

Capcom is back with another terrifying installment in its flagship horror series. Resident Evil: Requiem is officially the ninth mainline entry in the saga and is set to release on February 27, 2026, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Here’s what we know so far:

• The story follows Grace Ashcroft, daughter of Alyssa Ashcroft (from Resident Evil: Outbreak), who finds herself in the midst of a new viral outbreak with ties to the fall of Raccoon City.

• The game runs on Capcom’s RE Engine, with ray tracing, enhanced environmental lighting, and grotesque detail on full display.

• For the first time in series history, players can switch between first-person and third-person perspectives at will—giving a new layer of control over how you experience the horror.

Capcom promises a return to its roots: limited resources, puzzle-solving, and relentless enemies. The game has already racked up more than a million wishlists on Steam, and fans are calling it a potential "Game of the Year" contender—months ahead of release.

🌊 Death Stranding 2: On the Beach — Kojima Returns with More Chaos

Hideo Kojima’s much-anticipated sequel, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, made a cinematic splash with a new gameplay trailer. While still drenched in the surreal and symbolic storytelling the series is known for, this sequel puts a heavier focus on combat and gameplay freedom.

Key details:

• Players can choose between stealth, combat, or delivery-focused builds, thanks to a revamped skill tree system.

• The game features dynamic day-night cycles that influence enemy behavior and terrain conditions.

• The music—featuring Woodkid and returning composer Ludvig Forssell—already has a standalone soundtrack album released in June, setting the tone for what's to come.

The subtitle “On the Beach” hints at themes of liminality, mortality, and reconnection—core to the Death Stranding universe. Kojima claims this entry is “less about walking, more about surviving,” and the trailer supports that.

🎮 Xbox + Asus Reveal the ROG Ally X — A Game-Changer in Handhelds

Perhaps the most surprising moment of the night came from Xbox and Asus, who jointly revealed a new gaming handheld: the ROG Xbox Ally and its premium version, the Ally X.

This isn’t just a rebranded PC—it's a serious contender in the handheld market.

Specs and features:

• Ally (White): AMD Ryzen Z2 APU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD

• Ally X (Black): Ryzen Z2 Extreme, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD, larger battery

• Both feature a 7-inch 1080p 120Hz VRR screen and run Windows 11, supporting Xbox Game Pass, Steam, Battle.net, and more.

What makes it uniquely Xbox? Native support for the Xbox UI, quick access to Game Pass titles, and the feel of an Xbox controller built right in—with haptic triggers, offset thumbsticks, and tight integration with cloud services.

Initial hands-on impressions from outlets like The Verge and Polygon call the Ally X "a better-feeling Steam Deck" with "surprisingly deep battery life and portability." It's scheduled to launch around Holiday 2025, priced between $599 and $899, depending on the model.

🔮 Final Thoughts — Where the Future is Headed

Summer Game Fest 2025 proved that gaming is entering a new phase:

• Narrative-driven horror is making a high-fidelity comeback with Resident Evil: Requiem.

• Auteur design and experimental gameplay are alive and well with Kojima’s Death Stranding 2.

• Portable PC gaming is becoming mainstream with the ROG Xbox Ally—blurring the lines between console, PC, and handheld gaming.

The fusion of software and hardware innovation we saw this summer paints a clear picture: the industry is leaning into choice, mobility, and cinematic immersion.

Whether you’re waiting to reconnect with the undead, cross beaches full of weird science, or take your Xbox games on the go, 2025 and beyond are looking stacked for gamers of every stripe.

 

Hot Tips for Gamers:

• Resident Evil: Requiem may have a demo at Gamescom 2025—keep your eyes open.

• Death Stranding 2’s soundtrack is already live on Spotify and Apple Music—perfect for setting the mood.

• Want the ROG Ally? Rumors suggest pre-orders open in August, so mark your calendars.