DLC 633: Ashley Esqueda: Arc Raiders, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Dunecrawl. Nex Playground, Yakuza 0, Hades II, Asus warns of price hikes in gaming, annual Silent Hills, Breath of the Wild VR
Jan 5, 2026
Ashley Esqueda, a savvy media and games commentator, returns to share her insights on the gaming world. She discusses the potential for hardware price hikes driven by AI demands. The group explores Konami's ambitious plan for annual Silent Hill releases and debates if it can retain creativity. Ashley raves about her gaming picks, including Yakuza 0 and Hades II, while Jeff highlights the excitement around Arc Raiders and innovative mods for Breath of the Wild that enable VR gameplay. Their lively conversations mix humor with deep industry analysis.
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AI Demand Driving Hardware Price Rise
- ASUS warns component costs and AI compute demand will push hardware prices higher in 2026.
- Ashley Esqueda and Jeff Cannata link rising RAM, SSD, and manufacturing costs directly to AI-driven demand pressure.
Silent Hill's Ambitious Release Cadence
- Konami aims to keep Silent Hill releases frequent, hinting at roughly one title per year as a goal.
- Hosts caution annualizing a horror franchise risks creative fatigue unless each entry innovates.
Try Breath Of The Wild In PC VR
- If you want to play Breath of the Wild in VR, use the Better VR mod with a legal Wii U rip and a PC VR headset.
- Expect full 6DOF, hand-tracking interactions but be aware of potential Nintendo legal pushback.