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Following the news of Microsoft's plan to cut 3,200 employees at Xbox , analysts predict that the company's next-generation console won't do as well as PlayStation's – yet again.

The new predictions come straight from S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan (as per GamesIndustry.biz ), with its analysis first looking back at the past – and current – market.

"For now, the market faces a compounding problem: hardware that is either too old or too expensive for the median consumer, a software slate that is thin outside a handful of tentpole releases, and a macro environment that keeps any meaningful price relief off the table."

That checks out. Between the RAM shortages and Sony's announcement regarding its plan to axe physical discs for all new PlayStation games starting in 2028, it's not looking great for consoles. All of this, coupled with an "unhealthy Xbox," as the Microsoft gaming brand's CEO Asha Sharma dubs it, proves as much.

Nonetheless, S&P's console forecast works out what sales Sony and Xbox might see in the future – even if they're not as impressive.

Starting with Sony, the analysis notes that the PlayStation 5's own sales have dipped, and "S&P expects shipments to decline further" this year. The recent PlayStation 5 price increase , which saw the base console rise to $650 and Pro to a whopping $900, isn't helping.

We are talking about a "six-year-old device," as S&P puts it – and the analysts aren't sure big launches like GTA 6 are enough to make up for this price gap.

"That framing does not inspire confidence for 2027 or beyond."

Still, S&P's "forecast models a potential PlayStation 6 launch in 2028, contributing four million units in its first year and scaling to 17.2 million by 2030." Those figures might not look like all that much, especially when taking the Nintendo Switch 2 and its 17 million sales into account, but they're a whole lot better than what S&P thinks Xbox might see around the same time.

The firm predicts the next Xbox console – codenamed Project Helix – will sell about two million units in its first year post-launch, rising to just 7.3 million by 2030. That's… a lot smaller a figure than the 17.2 million S&P thinks the PlayStation 6 might hit.

But, as the analysis notes, "The actual outcome could look very different. A fully open PC platform with Xbox branding would not really resemble a console and likely not be counted in this model."

It concludes: "Our forecast is functionally splitting the difference between a proper Xbox successor and an Xbox-certification program with PC OEMs, and readers should treat the post-2027 Microsoft trajectory as a range of outcomes contingent on decisions yet to be made or revealed."

That makes sense, I suppose. After all, we don't know too much about Project Helix, and Xbox has been hard on its journey to bridge the gap between console and PC.

Should the new Xbox, whatever it may look like, sell that much less than its PlayStation counterpart, though… I'm not sure how things will play out on either end.

After "incomprehensible" Xbox layoffs, id Software producer says worker-owned studios are "the only path forward."

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It's been over a month since the summer PC Gaming Show aired. I may be biased, but I loved it. We had more world premieres than ever before, some shadowdrops, and got deep dives into the mind-bending Control Resonant, galaxy-spanning Total War: Warhammer 40,000, and tactical PvP looter Arkheron. You can catch up on the entire show right here . But don't you just wish there was another show coming up soon, say, September 20? Well, there is. The PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct is coming back Sunday, September 20, 2026.

Last year we flew PC Gamer's own Midas Whittaker out to Tokyo for our first-ever Tokyo Direct, a smaller show nestled right between our summer PC Gaming Show and December's Most Wanted round-up. He had a blast and his merch became the envy of the office for the next month.

We also had a nose around the famous Tokyo Game Show floor to get a closer look at all the wonderful videogames on offer. What are we doing this year? Well, you'll have to stay tuned to learn more about what we have in store for you with this next iteration of the show.

What I can say for certain is that we'll have more awesome games for you to see. I can't let you know what any of them are because that would ruin the surprise, so you'll have to catch the show for yourself to find out. You'll be able to watch it in all the usual places, such as Steam, YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, and X. There will undoubtedly be a bunch of streamers who you can watch along with, too, if you like chatting about everything as it's announced. We'll reveal the full list of places you can go to gawk at the games closer to showtime.

In the meantime, catch up on everything revealed during our 2025 Tokyo Direct .

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The Rivelia Start is De'Longhi's smallest automatic coffee maker

It has a menu of 10 coffee drinks, including cold brew

It's on sale now in the UK for £599.99 (about $800 / AU$1,160)

De'Longhi makes some of the best espresso machines I've tested here at TechRadar, and as the owner of a small kitchen, its latest model has particularly piqued my interest. The De'Longhi Rivelia Start is the company's smallest fully automatic coffee maker.

The Rivelia Start is a successor to the 2024 De'Longhi Rivelia , which our tester Josephine Watson gave a full five stars thanks to its consistently well-extracted espresso, clever Bean Adapt technology that optimizes brew settings to suit your preferred beans, and LatteCrema Hot system, which creates thick and creamy foam for milky drinks.

The Rivelia Start offers all that in an even smaller package, and adds the ability to prepare authentic-tasting cold brew. De'Longhi promises that your cold brew will be "ready in under five minutes", which tells me that it's not just pouring a shot of hot coffee over ice, like some other machines I've tested recently. Instead, the coffee is extracted using ambient temperature water, which results in fewer bitter compounds being dissolved for a more mellow flavor.

The Rivelia Start can prepare hot milk foam, and you can upgrade it with a LatteCrema Cool kit if you want to make cold lattes and cappuccinos (Image credit: De'Longhi) The Rivelia Start's standard menu contains 10 drinks, but if you like the idea of an iced latte or cappuccino to help you stay cool in the summer months, you can upgrade your Rivelia Start with the optional LatteCrema Cool set, which lets you create chilled milk foam for six further drinks.

Personally, the feature I'm most excited about is the pair of swappable bean hoppers. My job sometimes involves drinking a lot of lattes, and I always prefer to switch to decaf in the afternoon so I can still sleep after a day testing drip and espresso machines. With the Rivelia Start, there's no need to purge one type of coffee from the hopper before refilling with another; just unscrew the whole thing and swap it for one filled with a different type of bean.

The De'Longhi Rivelia Start has a clear and simple interface with illustrated touch buttons (Image credit: De'Longhi) It's simple to operate too, with an interface of clearly-labelled buttons rather than a touchscreen, making it extra accessible for new users.

Its small size isn't the only thing that sets it apart from other coffee makers, either — it also comes in a palette of earthy colors that fit with the current trend for natural shades and textures, which makes a refreshing change from the stark black, white, and chrome that once dominated kitchen appliances.

It's available to buy now direct from De'Longhi in the UK for £599.99 (about $800 / AU$1,160) in two colors: maple brown and jade green. More hues will be available from third-party stores from September, and we're currently waiting for details of its international launch.

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Suzuki will introduce an urban EV in Europe and the UK in spring 2027.

The production version of the Vision e-Sky will start from under £20k.

Rivals include the Dacia Spring, Renault Twingo, and Honda Super-N.

Suzuki wants a piece of Europe’s affordable-EV boom, and it’s bringing the production version of the Vision e-Sky concept to do the job. The model will reportedly be sold outside Japan, reaching mainland European and UK roads in spring 2027, which puts Suzuki in direct competition with a growing field of small, affordable electric cars.

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The yet-unnamed EV will be smaller than the 3,860 mm (152.0 in) long Suzuki Swift. The concept is eligible for Japan’s kei car regulations, measuring 3,395 mm (133.7 inches) long.

More: Suzuki’s $8,400 Kei Van Still Has Crank Windows, But It Also Has A Manual

Judging from earlier Suzuki models, the styling is not expected to deviate much from the prototype. The production model will likely feature small tweaks on the bumpers and lighting units, along with conventional door handles and larger mirrors.

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David Kateley, Suzuki’s UK boss, spoke to Autocar about the car. “The A-segment BEV is vitally important. It’s an entrant in a different segment for us and I’m very excited about its prospects,” he said.

2025 Suzuki Vision e-Sky Concept

Suzuki has yet to reveal any information about the single electric motor or the size of the battery pack, but the concept had an advertised range of over 270 km (168 miles). For comparison, the rival Renault Twingo E-Tech has a WLTP range of 263 km (163 miles) while the Honda Super-N can cover 206 km (128 miles) between charges in the combined cycle.

More: Dacia’s Budget EV Is Leaving China For Europe, And It’s Getting Pricier

The same report adds the new Suzuki will slip under the £20,000 (€23k / $26k) mark, putting it right alongside the Twingo E-Tech and Super-N. Other city EVs on the way should undercut it, with the Dacia Spring starting around £16,000 (€18,800 / $21,400) and the production take on the VW ID.Every1 concept aiming for £17,000 (€20k / $22k).

Crucially, the new electric model could also help Suzuki handle the strict emissions rules across Europe and the UK. For now, the brand leans hard on mild-hybrid and hybrid powertrains, with the e Vitara standing as its only fully electric car. The latest reports say a third Suzuki EV should arrive by 2029, probably wearing a crossover body.

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Our rendering of the upcoming kei-sized EV.