Gamers spend hours sitting in front of their screens, and this can take a toll on their health. A good gaming chair can make a world of difference in terms of comfort, support, and overall gaming experience. There are many different gaming chairs on the market, but it can be challenging to determine which one is the best for you. In this article, we'll take a deep dive into the best gaming chairs on the market, looking at features, comfort, design, and more. Features of a Good Gaming Chair: When it comes to choosing the best gaming chair, there are several features to consider. These include the chair's adjustability, lumbar support, headrest, armrests, and overall design. Let's take a closer look at each of these features. Adjustability: A good gaming chair should be highly adjustable to fit your body and playing style. Look for chairs that allow you to adjust the height, tilt, and recline of the chair. Some chairs also have adjustable armrests and footrests, which can p
The best gaming PCs can handle the most resource-demanding and graphically intensive video games — and do so in the biggest and most elegant form factor possible. While these machines are great at what they provide, they often come with the highest price tags in the PC market. Lofty prices notwithstanding, owning a powerful gaming PC pays off in several ways.
In addition to experiencing games at blazing fast frame rates and ultra-high resolution, these premium-priced computers can also handle graphic design, animation and streaming movies in 4K on your TV. Of course, you can also use them for everyday computing such as work.
Though powerful consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X are exceptional gaming machines, they're still no match for one of the best gaming desktops. If you want fast-loading SSDs, gorgeous ray tracing, massive quantities of RAM, 4K resolution and 60+ fps frame rate, you don't have to wait for these consoles to be in stock; you can have the best gaming desktops right now.
We test all the new gaming PCs we can get our hands on to see if they pass muster for this list, and update the page as systems become available. Read on, and we'll help you find your next great gaming machine.
What are the best gaming PCs right now?Due to the ongoing chip shortage, gaming PCs are scarce and back-ordered enough that to some extent, whatever you can find for a reasonable price is the best gaming PC you can buy right now.
If it's available, the Alienware Aurora R13 is our current top recommendation for the best gaming PC overall. It offers a wide selection of configs that let you spend as much as you're willing to invest, and the components you choose come packed into a new Legend 2.0 chassis that's stylish, roomy and reasonably quiet.
If you're buying a machine for someone who's new to gaming PCs (even if that someone is you), we recommend the Acer Predator Orion 3000. This relatively affordable gaming rig can be had for under $2K, yet packs enough power to play the latest games at 1080p or even 1440p. Plus, the case is small, stylish, and easy to open, which will come in handy for upgrades down the road. Just be aware that this machine struggles with 4K gaming.
If you'd rather buy a pre-built gaming PC that looks like it belongs in an office (i.E. No flashing lights or other bells and whistles) but still packs enough power to play the latest games, consider the subtle Dell XPS 8940. It's not going to break any performance records, but it plays the latest games well and its drab, RGB-less case will blend right in with your office. visit this site
On the other hand, if you can afford it the Maingear Turbo is a beast of a machine that runs quietly and looks great on a desk. It's smaller than most full-size gaming PCs, so it's easy to squeeze into your desk or entertainment center setup.
The best gaming PCs you can buy (Image credit: Future)Best gaming PC overall
SpecificationsVR Ready: Yes
Processor: Up to an Intel Core i7-12700KF
RAM: Up to 64 GB
Graphics Card: Up to Nvidia GeForce 3090
Storage: Up to 2 TB SSD x2
Accessories: Dell Multi-Media Keyboard, Dell Optical Mouse MS116AW
Reasons to buy +Eye-catching new design
+Good performance for the price
+Plenty of ports and easy upgrades
+Stays quiet and cool
Reasons to avoid -Underwhelming Alienware software
-Weak 4K performance (as reviewed) vs. Pricier PCs
A judgment of the Aurora R13 is in large part a judgment of the new Legend 2.0 chassis since so much of Alienware's business is based on building you a PC with the specific components you want. And after spending a couple of weeks working, playing and mucking around with our review unit, we can tell you that the Aurora R13's new look is a winner.
The redesigned chassis is easy to access, offers plenty of ports and has enough ventilation that even after gaming in 4K for hours, I noticed only a mild hum and a pleasant warmth emanating from the PC. Since the computer weighs up to 35 pounds, it's a bit hefty to move around (watch those fins) or plop on a desk. But if your desk can accommodate it, the space-age design and customizable RGB lighting are sure to turn heads.
If you can afford it, Alienware will fill the Aurora R13 with top-of-the-line components that make it a top-tier gaming PC. At nearly $3,000, our review unit is far from cheap, but it's powerful enough to play the latest and greatest games in 1080p for years to come. Just don't expect blazing-fast framerates at 4K for that price -- the Aurora R13 gets as expensive as any other PC on this list if you fill it up with top-tier components.
Make sure you check our Dell coupons page to find the latest discounts.
Read our full Alienware Aurora R13 review.
Best gaming PC for customization
SpecificationsVR Ready: Yes
Processor: Up to Intel Core i9-10850K/AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
RAM: Up to 64 GB
Graphics Card: Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090
Storage: Up to two 2 TB SSDs
Accessories: None
Reasons to buy +Powerful, gaming-oriented hardware
+Flashy, customizable lighting effects
+Relatively low price
Reasons to avoid -Boxy, old-fashioned case design
-Doesn't include peripherals
The Corsair Vengeance i7200 doesn't cost nearly as much as some of its competitors, but it still gives you access to some of the most powerful hardware on the market. That's because the Vengeance i7200 comes in a plain-looking case, and doesn't include any peripherals. But if you prefer substance to style, this is probably the right gaming PC for you. With CPUs up to an Intel Core i9 and GPUs up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090, you can make a beast of a machine — if you can pay for it.
Apart from that, the Vengeance i7200 features beautiful RGB lighting, a tasteful glass side panel and extremely quiet fans. That makes it a good productivity tool in addition to a gaming powerhouse. Whether you game in QHD or 4K, there's almost certainly a Vengeance i7200 build that will work with your setup.
Read our full Corsair Vengeance i7200 review.
Best gaming PC for first-timers
SpecificationsVR Ready: Yes
Processor: Up to Intel Core i7
RAM: 16GB
Graphics Card: Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
Storage: Up to 1TB HDD, 1TB SSD
Accessories: Predator wired keyboard and gaming mouse, both w/ customizable RPGB lighting
Reasons to buy +Stylish design looks good on a desk
+Easy to open and upgrade
+Quiet, even while gaming
+Great 1080p performance
Reasons to avoid -Underwhelming performance vs. Competition
-Low-quality keyboard and mouse
The Acer Predator Orion 3000 ($829 to start, $1,949 as reviewed) is a mid-sized gaming PC that's attractive, (relatively) affordable, and great for playing games at 1080p to 1440p.
It's not a great choice if you're looking to play games at 4K, however, and its packed-in keyboard and mouse leave much to be desired. The Orion 3000 also fared slightly worse in our suite of performance tests than some similarly-priced gaming PCs, perhaps because our review unit arrived with just 16GB of RAM.
The case is well-organized and easy to open though, so it should be pretty easy to upgrade this machine with more RAM when you need it. With its sub-$2,000 price, beefy components, and stylish, accessible case, Acer's Predator Orion 3000 is a great first gaming PC for someone looking to get into the hobby.
Read our full Acer Predator Orion 3000 review.
Best compact gaming PC
SpecificationsVR Ready: Yes
Processor: Up to AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
RAM: Up to 16GB
Graphics Card: Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090
Storage: Up to 2TB SSD x 3
Accessories: None
Reasons to buy +Incredible performance in a miniscule footprint
+Whisper-quiet, even under heavy load
+Stunning design looks great on a desk
Reasons to avoid -Limited upgrade potential
-Can get very expensive, even for a gaming rig
The Maingear Turbo ($2,162 to start, $7,199 as reviewed) is a juggernaut. Blistering speeds befitting the name are coupled with a dizzying price tag, as the bespoke PC vendor has packed the most powerful (and expensive) hardware available into this singular machine.
But Maingear takes it one step further, packing top-tier components into a compact chassis that delivers performance in a fraction of the space, silently. You might get a bit better bang for your buck by looking at other options on this list or building your own. But what's exciting about the Turbo is that if you have the cash, you can get Maingear to trick one of these compact machines out with the latest and greatest components -- including the company's eye-catching APEX cooling system.
Admittedly, the Turbo's small, stylish case isn't easy to poke around in once you fill it up with a cooling system, a giant GPU and some storage drives. But if you have the cash to burn and just want a quiet, stylish compact PC that can run all the latest games at blistering-fast framerates, this is the gaming rig for you.
Read our full Maingear Turbo review.
Best mid-tower gaming PC
SpecificationsVR Ready: Yes
Processor: Intel Core i7-12700KF
RAM: 16GB DDR4-3600
Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
Storage: 2TB SSD
Accessories: Keyboard & mouse
Reasons to buy +Tempered glass case looks great
+Easy to open and work inside
+Plenty of ports
+Stays reasonably quiet
Reasons to avoid -Gets hot
-Large, unwieldy case
The iBuyPower Y60 is a great gaming PC if you want an eye-catching system that plays games well while showcasing what's inside to full effect.
Our review unit packed powerful components inside the Hyte Y60, a mid-tower case from iBuyPower's sibling brand that's nearly all tempered glass on two sides, making it look a bit like a giant fish tank. While it's a bit heavy and unwieldy to move around, once you have the case in place it's quite roomy and easy to work in—though our review unit kicks out quite a bit of heat once you start gaming with gusto.
You can order a prebuilt Y60 system from iBuyPower or have them build one to order for you, making this a great choice for someone who knows what they want and has enough desk space to showcase the Y60 to full effect.
Read our full iBuyPower Y60 review.
A well-built gaming PC that's pricey and powerful
SpecificationsVR Ready: Yes
Processor: Up to Intel i9-12900K
RAM: Up to 64GB
Graphics Card: Up to Nvidia RTX 3090
Storage: Up to 8TB SSD
Accessories: None
Reasons to buy +Powerful hardware
+Very strong performance
+Beautiful, customizable chassis
Reasons to avoid -Expensive for what you get
-Larger and louder than competitors
The Origin Millennium is a fine showcase of what Origin can do, giving you the opportunity to customize a gaming rig built into a sleek, physically imposing (if technically mid-sized) chassis. It’s not cheap, and while you can step through a configurator to build a machine that’s in line with your budget, Origin charges a premium for their services. But if you absolutely must have the latest and greatest and are willing to shell out for it, you’ll find a lot to like here.
This PC isn’t technically isn’t doing anything you couldn’t build yourself (provided you can find a graphics card), but sometimes having someone else do the legwork, and being available to offer support if something goes wrong, can be worth the price tag. And if you’ve got room in your budget, the Origin PC Millennium makes a strong case for letting someone else do the work.
Read our full Origin PC Millennium (2022) review.
Another great gaming PC for quite a bit of money
SpecificationsVR Ready: Yes
Processor: Intel Core i9-12900K
Graphics: Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti
RAM: Up to 64 GB
Storage: 2 TB SSD
Reasons to buy +Striking, compact design
+Powerful components
+Plenty of ports
+Quiet operation
Reasons to avoid -Extremely expensive
-Limited, cumbersome upgrades
The Corsair One i300 demonstrates that when it comes to the best gaming PCs, you often get what you pay for. This gorgeous machine will set you back at least $4,000 (at time of review), and if you want top-of-the-line hardware, you’ll have to pay even more than that. But in return, you’ll get a compact chassis with a striking design, a bevy of ports and hardware that’s powerful enough to run the latest and greatest games at the highest possible settings.
While the One i300 won’t be in everyone’s price range, it’s well worth thinking about if you can afford it. Otherwise, you can save some money by going for the Alienware Aurora, even though it’ll cost you some floor space instead.
Read our full Corsair One i300 review.
Best AMD gaming PC
SpecificationsVR Ready: Yes
Processor: Up to AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
RAM: Up to 128 GB
Graphics Card: AMD Radeon 6800 XT
Storage: Up to 2 TB SSD + 2 TB HDD
Accessories: Dell Multi-Media Keyboard, Dell Optical Mouse MS116AW
Reasons to buy +Good AMD componentsst
+Reasonable price
+Solid gaming performance
Reasons to avoid -Very loud
-Inconvenient design
If you want a powerful pre-built gaming PC, but want to steer clear of Intel and Nvidia components, then the Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition R10 is the way to go. This gaming PC is large and heavy, but that's because it packs top-of-the-line AMD CPUs and GPUs. It's a powerful tool for full HD, QHD or even 4K gaming, and yet it's not as obscenely expensive as these systems come.
Granted, Alienware machines tend to sound like jet engines, and the Aurora Ryzen Edition R10 is no exception. Furthermore, the R10's built-in software tends to confuse rather than enhance the experience. But when it comes to high-fidelity gaming with AMD components, the Aurora Ryzen Edition R10 is one of the most comprehensive systems currently available.
Read our full Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition R10 review.
Best gaming PC design
SpecificationsVR Ready: Yes
Processor: Up to Intel Core i9-10900K, 3.7-5.3 GHz
RAM: Up to 64 GB
Graphics Card: Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
Storage: Up to 1 TB SSD + 1 TB HDD
Accessories: MSI Clutch GM11 Mouse, MSI Vigor GK30 Keyboard
Reasons to buy +Powerful performance
+Quiet cooling
+Smart, compact design
Reasons to avoid -Expensive, can cost up to $3k+
-Subpar peripherals compared to competitors on this list
The first thing you'll notice about the MSI MEG Trident X is that it's absolutely gorgeous. This small, angular machine fits easily into just about any gaming nook, and is ideal for either desktop or living room setups. The second thing you'll notice is that it runs games absolutely beautifully, whether you want to experience them at full HD, QHD or UHD settings. With a variety of processor, GPU and RAM options from which to choose, you'll be able to customize a machine that works for your games, and for your monitor.
Just be aware that no matter how you design the MEG Trident X, it's going to be expensive. Furthermore, the accessories it comes with — the MSI Clutch GM11 Mouse and MSI Vigor GK30 Keyboard — are mediocre at best, and disappointing at worst. Still, in terms of both physical design and raw performance, the MEG Trident X is one of the most gorgeous and functional gaming PCs on the market today.
Read our full MSI MEG Trident X review.
Quietest gaming PC
SpecificationsVR Ready: Yes
Processor: Up to 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10900K
Graphics: Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090
RAM: Up to 64 GB
Storage: Up to 2 TB SSD + 2 TB HDD
Accessories: HP USB Wired Keyboard, HP USB Wired Mouse
Reasons to buy +Powerful components
+Excellent performance
+Runs quietly
+Striking design
Reasons to avoid -Expensive, confusing configurations
-Needless software and accessories
The HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop has one significant advantage over many of its competitors: It's quiet. It turns on with a gentle whirr and provides ambient white noise when you're running demanding games. Compare and contrast to the jet engine sounds of other modern gaming rigs, and the Omen 30L has a lot going for it, even just as an everyday productivity machine.
The HP Omen 30L also runs games beautifully, thanks to its powerful hardware and quiet cooling system. It's expensive, though, and packed with a lot of extraneous software and accessories. Still, the HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop is a thing of beauty: an elegant, quiet and powerful gaming PC.
Read our full HP Omen 30L Gaming Desktop review here.
The best low-key gaming PC
SpecificationsVR-Ready: Yes (if configured properly)
Processor: Up to 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10900K
RAM: Up to 128 GB
Graphics Card: Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070
Storage: Up to 2 TB SSD + 2 TB HDD
Accessories: None
Reasons to buy +Small, quiet design
+Plenty of ports
+Good performance
+Physical media drive
Reasons to avoid -No extremely powerful configurations
-Limited storage options
The Dell XPS 8940 may not look like a gaming PC, but it's got it where it counts. This subtle little Dell PC is small, quiet, straightforward, affordable, and packed with exactly the right components you'll need to play the latest games at a steady clip.
This is not the kind of machine you'll buy because it lets you crank every graphical setting up to the max. Instead, it's the kind of machine that would look perfectly at home in the most buttoned-up office, but still has enough power under the hood to tackle your favorite games after hours. The Dell XPS 8940 is the epitome of balance between work and play; you're looking for an affordable gaming PC and don't need all the flashy bells and whistles, it could be the perfect fit for you.
Read our full Dell XPS 8940 review.
Another great gaming PC for beginners
SpecificationsVR Ready: Yes
Processor: Up to 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700
RAM: Up to 64GB
Graphics Card: Up to Nvidia RTX 2080
Storage: Up to 1TB SSD + 2TB hard drive
Accessories: Dell optical mouse and multimedia keyboard
Reasons to buy +Good productivity and gaming performance
+Reasonably priced
+Great chassis
Reasons to avoid -Preinstalled software can be a pain
-Not ideal for QHD/UHD gaming
The Dell G5 5090 is one of the best gaming PCs for folks who want a solid entry-level machine that's very easy to upgrade. This fairly affordable desktop starts with a modest Core i3 processor and Nvidia GTX 1650 card but can be outfitted with up to a Core i7 CPU and RTX 2080 GPU for more intensive gaming.
One of the G5's biggest selling points is its sleek, foolproof chassis, which is incredibly easy to open up should you want to swap out components over time. We found Dell's desktop to be reliable for playing AAA games at 1080p and 60 frames per second, and like that the machine comes mostly free of bloatware. Overall, if you need a good, affordable desktop that you can make more powerful over time, the Dell G5 5090 is a great choice.
Read our full Dell G5 5090 review.
How to choose the best gaming PC for youPrice: If affordability is your concern, most decent gaming PCs start around $700 to $1,000. For that price, you're looking at specs such as Intel Core i3 and Core i5 processors, Nvidia 1660 and 1660 Ti GPUs and 8GB to 16GB of RAM.
Performance: Think about the type of gaming experience you're after. Game streaming services like Google Stadia can offer decent performance, but if its solid 1080p/60fps gaming you want, a machine with a decent Core i5 processor and GeForce 2060 or AMD Radeon RX 5600 GPU will get you there. Cards such as the Radeon RX 5700 and GeForce 2080 hit a nice sweet spot for dependable 1440p gaming. Going 4K? You'll want to spring for hardware such as an RTX 3080 or AMD RX 6800.
Upgradability: Gaming PC components are always evolving, and the best gaming PCs can be easily upgraded with new parts over time. Machines such as the Alienware Aurora and Dell G5 are easy to open up and tinker with, even for the less tech-savvy. Compact machines, such as the Corsair One, can be a bit harder to open up. So if you plan on upgrading your investment over time, keep this in mind.
VR-readiness: Want to game in VR? Requirements for headsets such as the Oculus Rift S and HTC Vive start at an Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti / AMD Radeon RX 470 GPU, an Intel Core i3 or Ryzen 3 processor, 8GB of RAM and a DisplayPort 1.2 or mini DisplayPort. Make sure your machine meets this requirement before you plunk down cash for one.
How we test the best gaming PCsIn our search to find the best gaming PC, we run every model we review through a standardized gauntlet of real-world and benchmark tests, in order to measure how each desktop stacks up as both a gaming machine and as an everyday computer.
As far as hard numbers go, we currently run the framerate benchmark utilities for Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Far Cry: New Dawn, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V at 1920 x 1080 with graphics maxed out, as well as at 2560 x 1440 and 4K if a system allows for it. On top of that, we play tons of graphics-intensive games in order to give you a sense of how these gaming desktops hold up anecdotally.
In terms of synthetic tests, we run a gamut of benchmarks that include 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra (for graphics) and Geekbench 4 and 5 (for processor performance). We also run the SteamVR Performance Test on all of our machines to evaluate how ready they are for virtual reality. To test a system's hard drive, we measure how fast each PC can copy 4.97GB worth of multimedia files.
For more information, check out our how we test page for Tom's Guide.
Round up of today's best deals
Reduced Price
Alienware Aurora R13
(opens in new tab)$1,249.99
(opens in new tab)$1,049.99
(opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab)Reduced Price
Corsair Vengeance i7200
(opens in new tab)$2,549.99
(opens in new tab)$2,299.99
(opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab)Reduced Price
Acer Predator Orion 3000
(opens in new tab)$1,069.99
(opens in new tab)$979.99
(opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab)Origin Millennium
(opens in new tab)$2,256.97
(opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab)Corsair One i300
(opens in new tab)$3,999.99
(opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab)Reduced Price
Alienware Aurora R10
(opens in new tab)$1,879.99
(opens in new tab)$1,199.99
(opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab)MSI MEG Trident X
(opens in new tab)$2,449
(opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab)HP OMEN 30L
(opens in new tab)$1,349.99
(opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab)Dell XPS Tower 8940 Special Edition
(opens in new tab)$999.99
(opens in new tab) View (opens in new tab)Best Gaming PC Deals For September 2022
You know one of the great things about a prebuilt gaming PC? Someone else did all the work for you. It's nice to be able to just click a button and have the perfect machine with all of your favorite settings already in place. Sure you might pay a little extra for that service, but then again with how hard it is to find advanced parts like graphics cards you actually might be getting a bargain. The key, of course, is to find the best gaming PC deals. Not only can you find gaming PCs that offer you advanced graphics without overcharging you, but you can actually save on the total of all those pieces together. It is essentially a discount on the cost of putting in a case for you.
Most major retailers have great deals on gaming PCs, including Amazon, Best Buy, Newegg, and others. A lot of companies that make custom PCs also sell prebuilt options through those retailers, and that includes a few big names you might recognize like iBuyPower or CyberPower PC. We'll always have an eye out for great savings from any of those locations, and whatever we find that's worth sharing will end up right here.
If you want to build your own PC, go right ahead. Just be aware of some of the difficulties with the process. If you can't be bothered with all the research and connecting of dots and just want something to game on right away, then maybe a prebuilt is more your style. Heck, if you want to play with the latest graphics you almost have to go prebuilt just to avoid how expensive modern cards are getting.
PC Gaming's Most Beloved And Most Obscure Shared Universes
We are living in the age of the franchise. The MCU has bulldozed its way through the movie-making business on the backs of supercharged mascots. HBO's Game of Thrones is rumbling back to life, and Amazon's billion-dollar Rings of Power is right behind it. To turn a profit in the entertainment industry, everything in your oeuvre must exist within the same constellation, opening the door for constant cameos to stoke Reddit conspiracies.
Where did movies learn this trick? Look no further than the games industry's long history of crossovers. After all, if you want to be outrageously generous, Mario and Zelda exist in the same universe. Link showed up in Mario Kart 8 on the back of a Hyrule chopper, and Zelda's Castle in Ocarina of Time included a few sly snapshots of the Mushroom Kingdom cast in the royal bedroom. (Maybe we can blame Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein for the modern movie industry, but it's a little funnier to point the finger at Mario).
Studios do this all the time—it's practically tradition to bake in a few references to the rest of your catalog as you're ushering players into a brand new world map. But in this list, we're trying to shy away from nods, quirks, and cutesy shoutouts. Instead, we're focusing on the sort of interdimensional continuity between video games that feel a bit more substantial than, say, Mario counting a TKO in Punch-Out. For instance, did you know the Normandy might have had a close encounter with Thedas? Or that Black Mesa and Aperture have collaborated on a few projects?
Video games were masters of the multiverse long before Elizabeth Olson donned the crown. Here's all the proof you need.
Titanfall and Apex Legends
The battered, beleaguered Titanfall community has been crying out for a formal sequel to the beloved mecha shooter for years now, but that possibility has been put on ice by the rampant success of Apex Legends. Respawn's battle royale arrived in early 2019 with a bounty of color-coded loot, a revolutionary communication system, and holdovers from the overarching Titanfall canon. The connections are everywhere: Titanfall 2's heavy, Kuban Blisk, actually founded the Apex Legends gladiatorial league, Wraith has a conspicuously familiar phase shift ability, and Ash logged plenty of warfighting shifts as a Titan pilot before jumping into the fold.
Maybe someday Apex Legends will be blessed with a suite of giant robots. Until then, we'll stay carping for Titanfall 3.
Alan Wake and ControlRemedy Entertainment has a flair for pulpy, basic-cable storytelling, so I don't think anyone is surprised that there are more than a few tendrils between Alan Wake and Control. I mean, both of these games are about normal people experiencing close encounters with an eldritch interdimensional menace, so when you're pouring through the stacks of the Federal Bureau of Control, you might come across a few documents implying that the agency did investigate the Alan Wake incident, but didn't turn up much. However, in the 2020 DLC for the game, AWE, you are literally guided around the bowels of the Bureau by an apparition of Alan Wake, which was like Nick Fury showing up at the end of Captain America for Remedy-heads like me.
An Alan Wake sequel is on the way in 2023. When it turns up, I wouldn't be surprised if these two universes are formally merged into one.
Dark Souls and BloodborneFromSoftware, by the studio's nature, leaves a lot of their lore up to our interpretation. It's been more than a decade since I started playing their games and I still barely know what it means to go "hollow." So any allusions between their various franchises should be taken with a grain of salt. That said, in the DLC for the first Dark Souls, you can find an NPC named Marvelous Chester who is dressed in a distinctly Bloodborne-ish regalia. (Top hat, trenchcoat, all black leather.) He is apparently a traveler from a distant future, which is an obvious innuendo towards the cobblestone roads and flintlock pistols of Yharnam.
Will a shared, Soulsian universe ever be totally formalized? I mean, this is From we're talking about, so probably not.
Unreal and Mortal KombatYes, this is stretching if not outright breaking the easter egg rule, but there's just enough lore behind this crossover to hang a neat shared universe on. Back in 2005, Mortal Kombat Thunder God Raiden was a playable character in Unreal Championship 2, an Xbox-only UT spin-off. Championship 2 is maybe the strangest Unreal game: it lets you switch from first-person shooting to third-person melee weapon swinging, so Raiden got to grab himself a gun and pummel aliens into giblets with an electrified staff.
You could say Raiden's appearance here was just a desperate promotional hail mary from struggling publisher Midway, but Unreal's developers really went the extra mile to ground it in Mortal Kombat's famously wild lore. Raiden's in-game character description says he "relinquished his immortal status to travel amongst the realms, gathering the support of the greatest warriors against the coming storm. And there is no better place to recruit the champions of the Galaxy than the Liandri Tournament." It's believable backstory for a guy who spent Mortal Kombat 9 completely fucking up the timeline (opens in new tab).
Commander Keen and Wolfenstein
B.J. Blazkowicz defended the world from Nazis; his grandson William J. Blazkowicz II, aka Billy Blaze, aka Commander Keen, defended it from aliens. Id Software cut its teeth on the candy colored platformer series Commander Keen before upending the entire gaming industry with Wolfenstein 3D and Doom a couple years later. There are Keen Easter eggs in a number of id's games, but the Blazkowicz family connection is about as explicit as game shared universes get. According to id veteran Tom Hall (opens in new tab), Doomguy is also a Blazkowicz descendant, which explains the alien-blasting, demon-killing pedigree. And the square jaw.
Firewatch and Gone Home
Firewatch and Gone Home have a ton in common in their aesthetics, storytelling pacing, and overwhelming ennui, but the studios behind the games—Campo Santo and Fullbright respectively—have also spindled their disparate plot threads together. During those languid days in Wyoming, Firewatch players can uncover a book, called The Accidental Savior, which is written by failed author and Gone Home patriarch Terrence L. Greenbriar. Not to be outdone, Gone Home included a Firewatch wrinkle in its console release; you can find a box of matches emblazoned with a logo for the Overlook Restaurant, with a distinctly orange, Rocky Mountain vista that immediately summons up memories of its sister game. Walking simulators, unite!
Kane & Lynch and Hitman
IO Interactive are responsible for a long line of comically grim, neo-noir crime fantasies, so it is probably not shocking that the sagas of Adam Kane, James Lynch, and Agent 47 are intertwined. In Hitman: Blood Money, the psychopathic duo can be found occupying headlines in the game's level-recapping newspapers, and in the sequel—the better-off-forgotten Hitman Absolution—Kane and Lynch actually make an appearance in a biker bar. 47 can kill them both, which honestly should be regarded as the canonical ending for their disreputable partnership.
Final Fantasy 10 and Final Fantasy 7
At the risk of rankling the Square Enix diehards out there, we need to cover this. Yes, there is nothing functionally related between the plots, characters, and overall vibe of Final Fantasy 10 and Final Fantasy 7. Yes, the founding principle of all Final Fantasy games is the idea that they are self-contained universes divorced from any overarching chronology. But that does not change the fact that, towards the end of 10-2, a boy named Shinra makes reference to the idea of siphoning off the planet's life force to power a metropolis. That, of course, is a direct reference to the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company, which is the core antagonistic force in FF7.
The 2020 Remake went a step further, as Cloud stumbles across a group photo including all of Shin-Ra's employees. Smack dab in the middle is the same boy from 10-2. If Rikku shows up in the sequel, know that you've been warned.
Dragon Age and Mass Effect
Writing this list means one must walk a fine line between games' bevy of easter eggs and in-jokes and, like, actual canonical worldbuilding. Case in point: Bioware has buried a number of inter-RPG winks in both the Dragon Age and Mass Effect series. (There's a mounted Krogan head in Orlais; a Dragon Age Ogre statue can be found in a Mass Effect 2 DLC. Hahaha.) However, those connections became a bit stronger after eagle-eyed Bioware fans noticed a distinct similarity between the moon in Dragon Age, and the moon hovering above the arid plains of a derelict, inhospitable alien world. Apparently, these elves, humans, and dwarves lived on a planet called Klendagon(!) which was once the home of a great civilization before calamity struck. Ominous! If Commander Shepard ever enters the Fade, don't say we didn't warn you.
Half-Life and Portal
Both Half-Life and Portal contain heady, semi-parodic tales of questionable scientific institutions mucking around in the dark edges of reality. So there should be no surprise that Valve's two beloved franchises have plenty of biological links. Aperture Science—the dystopian company responsible for inventing the portal gun before falling into ruin—is mentioned by name in Half-Life 2: Episode 2. The Borealis, the ship Gordon Freeman and Alyx were going to embark on in the sequel, (sigh,) was said to have been chartered by Aperture. In Portal 2, you can find some residue of the once-and-future Borealis, hinting that maybe Freeman and Alyx did make that trek off-screen.
There is a universe out there where these two games merged together, and Freeman would find himself solving puzzles with the portal gun in the best Half-Life game ever made, but alas, we do not occupy that universe. A bummer!
Saints Row and Red FactionVolition's two big series are united by a common enemy. What started as a fun nod to Ultor, the evil Mars mining company of the original Red Faction, in the first Saints Row ballooned into a generational conflict. In Saints Row 2, the Saints go up against megacorp Ultor in its bid to take back the city of Stilwater. In Red Faction Guerilla, released a year later, future Ultor has graduated to interplanetary mining operators with a fascist grip on Mars. That makes it all the more awkward when Saints Row The Third comes around and Ultor has partnered with the Saints to help sell their brand.
I enjoy that Volition, as a company, has an official villain: an evil-sounding name and logo that embodies the various ways that corporations poison the world and can be very hard to actually kill.
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