Retro and current gen gaming chat, with Trev and Stu, its the Console Shockcast! Join us as we take a road trip through gaming’s past and future. From Ridge Racer nostalgia and portable racing classics to soaring hardware prices and the possibility of £1,000 consoles, Trev and Stu examine the challenges and opportunities facing the gaming industry.

Why modern racing games can feel more like open-world RPGs, and whether the genre has lost sight of pure arcade fun.

A look back at Ridge Racer 7, the cancelled Ridge Racer 8 for Switch, and why Namco should bring the series back.

Hidden gems on PSP – Sega Rally, Gran Turismo, and the surprisingly strong library of portable racing games.

Rising console prices and the impact of chip shortages, AI demand, manufacturing costs, and why hardware isn’t getting cheaper.

Predictions for PS6, the next Xbox, and whether £1,000 consoles could become the norm.

The peak of console gaming? – Looking back at the PS2, Wii, Xbox 360 and PS4 eras to see if console sales have already hit their high-water mark.

How devices like the Switch, Steam Deck and future PlayStation handhelds could reshape the market.

The rise of console PCs – Could SteamOS systems and PC-based gaming devices become the budget-friendly alternative to traditional consoles? Check out Trev and Al’s other podcast where they reminisce about different episodes of the Star Trek franchise! : https://longrangesensors.com/episodes Intro/Outro Music – Title Theme – Pinball Dreams (1992) – Commodore Amiga – Composer(s): Olof Gustafsson

Retro and current gen gaming chat, with Trev and Stu, its the Console Shockcast! How did we go from games like ET and Wayne’s World to GoldenEye and Robocop: Rogue City? Trev and Stu take a nostalgic look at the strange world of movie-licensed games, from the countless cash-ins of the 8-bit and 16-bit eras to the genuinely great titles that proved a movie tie-in could be much more than a quick cash grab.

Movie tie-ins galore! We look back at the era when virtually every major film seemed to get a game, from Robocop and Rambo to Independence Day and The Phantom Menace.

Alien games — from Alien Trilogy to Alien Resurrection, we discuss why the Alien franchise has had a surprisingly strong track record when it comes to video games. Robocop vs Terminator — we revisit some of the best and worst games based on these iconic 80s action franchises, including Robocop 3 and Terminator Resistance. Star Wars and beyond — why some of the best Star Wars games weren’t actually based directly on the films, plus a look at how other franchises expanded beyond their movie stories.

The PS1/N64 movie-game explosion — Die Hard Trilogy, GoldenEye, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible and Independence Day all get a mention as we remember one of the golden eras for licensed games.

The bad stuff! Wayne’s World, Back to the Future, Batman Forever, Charlie’s Angels and plenty of other questionable tie-ins remind us that not every movie needed a video game.

Games that never happened — we pitch movies that should have received their own games, including a rather brilliant idea for a Star Trek: First Contact FPS starring Captain Picard against the Borg.

From movies to games… and back again! We finish by flipping things around and discussing which video games could make great movies, including Castlevania, Metal Gear Solid and Heavy Rain. Check out Trev and Al’s other podcast where they reminisce about different episodes of the Star Trek franchise! :

https://longrangesensors.com/episodes Intro Music – Title Theme – Pinball Dreams (1992) – Commodore Amiga – Composer(s): Olof Gustafsson Outro Music – Loading Theme – Desert Strike (1993) – Commodore Amiga – Composer(s): Jason A. S. Whitely

Retro and current gen gaming chat, with Trev and Stu, its the Console Shockcast! Gaming hardware used to get cheaper as it aged, but those days seem to be over. This week, Trev and Stu discuss Valve’s surprise Steam Deck price hike, debate whether gaming is becoming more expensive, and explore how changing buying habits could shape the future of consoles and PC gaming.

Valve shocks gamers with major Steam Deck OLED price increases.

Does the Steam Deck still offer good value, or have rivals overtaken it?

Comparing the Steam Deck against the Lenovo Legion Go S and ROG Ally.

Why modern consoles and handhelds are getting more expensive instead of cheaper.

A look back at the PS2, Nintendo 64 and the era of dramatic hardware price cuts.

Is gaming really more expensive today, or are we getting more value from longer-lasting hardware?

Budget PCs, second-hand components and why more players may be moving away from traditional consoles.

Predictions for the Steam Machine, PS6 and the future cost of gaming hardware.

Check out Trev and Al’s other podcast where they reminisce about different episodes of the Star Trek franchise! : https://longrangesensors.com/episodes Intro/Outro Music – Title Theme – Pinball Dreams (1992) – Commodore Amiga – Composer(s): Olof Gustafsson

🃏 Game Key Cards on PlayStation? – Could Nintendo's approach be the ideal compromise between physical ownership and digital convenience?

🟢 Xbox's backwards compatibility gets even better – Microsoft's original Xbox emulation on PC, Project Helix, and what it means for the future of the Xbox ecosystem.

📥 Day One patches, DLC & digital ownership – Have modern gaming practices gone too far, or are some complaints overblown?

⚽ Pro Evolution Soccer 6 lives on – The world of community mods, recreating classic seasons, and why PES still has a loyal following.

🏆 The greatest retro football games – International Superstar Soccer, Pro Evo, Sensible Soccer and which classics deserve a modern revival.

🕹️ Do retro classics always hold up? – Conker's Bad Fur Day, Banjo-Kazooie, Super Mario 64 and revisiting gaming favourites with fresh eyes.

Retro and current gen gaming chat, with Trev and Stu, its the Console Shockcast! This week we switch things up with a listener Q&A-style episode, tackling a range of topics like the ever-blurring line between PCs and consoles, and debating whether devices like Steam Deck, SteamOS, and Microsoft’s rumoured “Project Helix” represent the future of gaming. Along the way, we revisit the biggest console generation leaps of all time — from the jump to 3D on the PS1 and N64, to the HD revolution of the Xbox 360 era — before diving deep into modern graphics tech like DLSS, FSR, and frame generation.

In this episode:

PC vs console convergence – Why SteamOS has pushed Microsoft and others toward more console-like PC gaming experiences

Project Helix speculation – Will Microsoft’s future Xbox hardware behave more like a console, a PC, or something in between?

The old days of PC gaming – Remembering when installing a PC game could feel like a technical qualification

Biggest console generation leap – Why the jump from 16-bit systems to PS1, Saturn, and N64 still feels unmatched

Mario 64 & open worlds – How Nintendo’s 3D platformer changed the way games were designed forever

Metal Gear Solid & cinematic gaming – The moment games started to feel like interactive movies

The HD gaming revolution – Why the Xbox 360 and PS3 era transformed online gaming and visual clarity

DLSS, FSR & upscaling explained – Breaking down how modern games fake higher resolutions for better performance

Frame generation debate – Smooth visuals vs controller responsiveness, and where the tech works best

Steam Deck & emulator experiments – Using modern PC features to breathe new life into retro and PS3-era games Check out Trev and Al’s other podcast where they reminisce about different episodes of the Star Trek franchise! : https://longrangesensors.com/episodes Intro/Outro Music – Title Theme – Pinball Dreams (1992) – Commodore Amiga – Composer(s): Olof Gustafsson

🎮 Is the Steam Machine worth its £879 starting price, or are DIY SteamOS PCs the better option?
💻 Why SteamOS could kick-start a new generation of affordable "console PCs" from manufacturers like Asus and Lenovo.
🛠️ Can building your own SteamOS-powered gaming box deliver better performance and value than Valve's official hardware?
🔄 The hidden advantages of PC gaming, from cheaper games and free online play to backwards compatibility and upgradeability.
💿 Sony's decision to phase out physical PlayStation games—and what it means for collectors, ownership, and game preservation.
📦 Are code-in-a-box releases the future, and does physical media still have a place in modern gaming?
🔮 How Project Helix, SteamOS, and rising console prices could reshape the future of PlayStation, Xbox, and PC gaming.
🎯 Why Nintendo may be the last traditional console maker standing as PlayStation and Xbox move closer to becoming PC-like platforms.
⚽ Plus, a quick chat about the FIFA World Cup, fan culture, and why football supporters can sometimes set the perfect example.

Retro and current gen gaming chat, with Trev and Stu, its the Console Shockcast! It’s another trip to the world of Xbox, as we’re joined by special guest Lee from the EternalLee HD YouTube channel—a prolific Xbox 360 collector who knows the system inside out. Together, we dive into CEX chaos, physical media quirks, and the golden era of the 360, from reprinted covers to rare oddities. It’s a proper enthusiast’s look at what made the generation so special—and so challenging to collect for! In this episode:

CEX cover drama – Why “cover reprinted” games just don’t cut it for collectors (and shouldn’t cost the same)

The CEX lottery – Ordering multiple copies, building one perfect version, and returning the rest—chaotic, but once very real

Postage problems – How CEX’s store-to-store fulfilment model leads to inconsistent shipping costs and customer confusion

Death of the manual – The slow fade from full booklets to flimsy inserts… to nothing at all by the end of the 360 generation

Building the ultimate 360 database – A community-built database documenting every detail of Xbox 360 physical releases, from barcodes to inlays

All-time greats – Fallout: New Vegas takes centre stage, alongside heavy hitters like Modern Warfare 2 and Red Dead Redemption

Hidden gems & variety – From Blur and Split/Second to Enslaved, celebrating the sheer range of the 360 library

Weird & wonderful moments – Rare titles like Handball 16, industry stories, and even a surreal Lips performance tale to round things off Check out Lee’s YouTube channel here:‪@EternalLeeHD‬ Check out Trev and Al’s other podcast where they reminisce about different episodes of the Star Trek franchise! : https://longrangesensors.com/episodes Intro/Outro Music – Turn The Page (Tutorial Theme) – Ridge Racer Type 4 (1998) – Sony Playstation – Composer(s): Hiroshi Okubo

Retro and current gen gaming chat, with Trev and Stu, its the Console Shockcast! Not quite March—but close enough… so it’s Marchintosh time! Or maybe Appril? Either way, Trev and Stu return to the annual YouTube tradition of diving into Apple tech. This year, we’re spotlighting the machine that redefined portable computing for decades to come: the iconic Titanium PowerBook G4—the blueprint for modern laptops. Apologies for the audio issues in this episode—there’s some glitchiness on Trev’s side from the original recording.

In this episode:

DLSS 5 & AI visuals – Is NVIDIA heading toward a future of AI-generated, “yassified” game assets?

Mac portable evolution – The journey of Apple laptops leading up to 2001

Design legacy – How the Titanium G4 stacks up against modern laptops

Ahead of its time – Why it was such a leap in both performance and industrial design

First impressions – Trev’s memories of encountering the Titanium G4 in early-2000s UK, when Macs were still a rarity

Design contrast – The sleek, pro titanium look vs the playful “jellybean” iMac era Best of both worlds

– Why it’s still a perfect machine for classic Mac OS and early Mac OS X software Check out Trev and Al’s other podcast where they reminisce about a different episode of Star Trek every month! : https://longrangesensors.com/episodes Intro/Outro Music – Turn The Page (Tutorial Theme) – Ridge Racer Type 4 (1998) – Sony Playstation – Composer(s): Hiroshi Okubo