Week in Gaming News: May 23-29, 2026
PlayStation's Days of Play sale kicks off, PS Plus reveals June's lineup, and 007 First Light shatters launch records. Plus, Steam Deck OLED prices jump up to $300.
Sony went big this week. The Days of Play sale started, June's PS Plus games dropped, and Spider-Man 2 hit $30. But the headlines didn't stop there: 007 First Light broke records, Call of Duty announced a Nintendo platform return after 13 years, and Steam Deck OLED quietly got a lot more expensive. Here's what happened.
The Big Stories
PlayStation Days of Play 2026 Goes Live
Sony's biggest annual sale launched May 27 and runs through June 10. Hundreds of PS5 and PS4 games are up to 60% off, plus hardware deals knock as much as $100 off PS VR2, DualSense controllers, and Pulse audio gear. The Pulse Explore Wireless earbuds dropped to $149, down from $200.
The standout game deals this year include some 2024 and 2025 heavy hitters at their lowest prices yet:
| Game | Sale Price | Regular Price |
|---|---|---|
| Marvel's Spider-Man 2 | $30 | $70 |
| Death Stranding 2 | $40 | $70 |
| Ghost of Yōtei | $50 | $70 |
PlayStation Plus members get layered perks on top of the sale: bonus member-only bundles, the usual monthly games drop, and Game Catalog additions throughout the event window.
Why it matters: Days of Play is consistently the year's deepest PlayStation-exclusive sale. If you've been waiting on first-party Sony games, this is the moment they actually hit reasonable prices. Make a list before you scroll, because the storefront makes it easy to spend more than you planned.
PS Plus Reveals June Monthly Games (and a Big Catalog Drop)
Sony announced June's PlayStation Plus Essential lineup this week. All three games hit your library on June 2 if you claim them:
- Grounded: Fully Yoked Edition (PS5/PS4) — Obsidian's co-op backyard survival game, now with all post-launch content
- Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 (PS5/PS4) — platform fighter with a roguelike single-player campaign
- Warhammer 40,000: Darktide (PS5) — four-player co-op shooter from the Vermintide studio
PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers also got a big reveal: Destiny 2: Legacy Collection lands in the Game Catalog on June 9. That includes The Final Shape expansion, which is significant timing given Bungie's announcement that Destiny 2 is ending active development the same day (more on that below).
One more housekeeping note: if you didn't grab EA Sports FC 26 during May's Essential window, Sony quietly extended the deadline to June 16.
Why it matters: Darktide alone is a strong pickup for co-op groups, and the Destiny 2: Legacy Collection drop gives Extra/Premium members a no-cost path into the full Destiny 2 story right before active development ends.
007 First Light Becomes IO Interactive's Fastest-Selling Game Ever
IO Interactive's James Bond origin story launched May 27 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam and Epic), and sold 1.5 million copies in its first 24 hours. That makes it the fastest-selling title in the studio's history, beating their previous Hitman records.
Critics liked it too: an 88 on OpenCritic and 87 on Metacritic. Per Alinea Analytics, at least a third of launch sales came on PC through Steam, which lines up with how Hitman 3 and Freelancer performed for the studio.
Why it matters: A new Bond game that actually delivers is a big deal, and the strong PC numbers suggest IO is finally building a multi-platform audience beyond the Hitman faithful. If you skipped it at full price, this is exactly the kind of title that tends to land in subscription catalogs within 12 months. Worth wishlisting either way.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Lands October 23 (and Day-One on Game Pass)
Activision and Infinity Ward officially announced Modern Warfare 4 on May 28 with a release date of October 23, 2026. It launches on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and, notably, Nintendo Switch 2, the first Call of Duty on a Nintendo platform in over 13 years.
The campaign follows two protagonists: a young South Korean soldier named Private Park during a North Korean invasion, and the long-running series anchor Captain Price. The big multiplayer-side reveal is that DMZ extraction mode is back, which Activision is calling "the definitive Call of Duty extraction experience." The full DMZ deep dive is scheduled for June 7 alongside the Xbox Games Showcase.
The one thing that won't change: Modern Warfare 4 is day-one on Xbox Game Pass, just like Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7 before it.
Why it matters: Day-one Call of Duty on Game Pass continues to be the single best argument for the $19.99/month Ultimate tier. If you were already paying $70 for the new CoD every fall, Ultimate pays for itself almost immediately.
Steam Deck OLED Just Got $200 to $300 More Expensive
Valve raised Steam Deck OLED prices late this week, and the jump is substantial. The new sticker:
| Model | New Price | Old Price | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| 512GB OLED | $789 | ~$549 | ~$240 |
| 1TB OLED | $949 | ~$649 | ~$300 |
| 512GB OLED (refurbished) | $629 | — | — |
| 1TB OLED (refurbished) | $759 | — | — |
Valve blamed "rising memory and storage costs" and "the current state of component costs and other global logistical challenges." Translation: the same AI-driven RAM and NAND flash shortage that's hitting everyone. Valve has already pushed back its Steam Machine PC and Steam Frame VR headset for the same reason.
If those new prices sting, the refurbished units are the move. They come with the same one-year warranty, and you save $160 to $190 over new.
Why it matters: This is the same "RAMageddon" that drove Nintendo's Switch 2 price hike earlier this month. Expect handheld and console pricing to stay elevated through 2026. If you want a Steam Deck, the refurbished store is now the budget-conscious entry point, not new retail.
Quick Hits
- The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past expansion announced — CD Projekt Red confirmed a third Witcher 3 expansion for 2027, co-developed with Fool's Theory, starring Geralt. The reveal was accidentally leaked by CDPR's own RED Launcher. Full showcase coming at Gamescom 2026.
- Sony shuts down Destruction AllStars — Sony delisted the 2021 PS Plus launch title on May 26 with no advance warning. Multiplayer servers are already offline; single-player stays accessible until November 25, 2026. Unused Destruction Points won't be refunded.
- 5 games leaving Xbox Game Pass May 31 — Persona 4 Golden, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Crypt Custodian, Against the Storm, and Spray Paint Simulator. All are at least 20% off if you want to buy in before they leave.
- Nintendo Switch Online adds Virtual Boy games — Five Virtual Boy titles hit the Expansion Pack catalog in May, three of which never released outside Japan. BALL X PIT is also free to try for members May 26 to June 1.
- ARC Raiders sweeps Nordic Game Awards 2026 — Embark Studios' extraction shooter won Nordic Game of the Year, Best Audio, and Best Technology at the May 28 ceremony.
- Bendy Double Pack released May 29 — The cult horror compilation is now available across platforms.
What to Watch Next Week
- June 2: PlayStation Plus June monthly games (Grounded, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide) hit your library.
- June 2: Jurassic World Evolution 3 launches day-one on Xbox Game Pass.
- June 7: Xbox Games Showcase, with the full Modern Warfare 4 DMZ reveal expected.
- June 9: Destiny 2's final live-service update, Monument of Triumph, launches and ends nearly nine years of active development. The same day, Destiny 2: Legacy Collection (including The Final Shape) joins the PS Plus Extra/Premium Game Catalog.
- June 10: PlayStation Days of Play sale ends.
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News compiled May 29, 2026.