TL;DR: When Rockstar Games revealed yesterday that the most anticipated game of the decade would cost at least $79.99, people were shocked. And, even worse, it also announced that the Grand Theft Auto VI physical editions won’t include a disc when the game releases on November 19. Both announcements could have big knock-on effects for the gaming industry.

What happened: That sound you just heard is the frustrated sigh of millions of gamers who’ve been waiting for the next GTA installment for nearly 13 years now. At $79.99, GTA VI follows Mario Kart World in charging a new high price for the standard version of a game (though it’s cheaper than some feared), and the Ultimate Edition, which comes with extra in-game content, costs a painful $99.99.

The price is one thing, but the bigger uproar comes from the lack of a real physical disc on launch day—the boxes will only have a download code, aggravating consumers who want more tangible ownership of their media. In response, Rockstar clarified that discs will follow “months” later, with an insider saying it could be in December.

The GTA effect: Part of the backlash stems from the worry that such decisions won’t just affect one game and one studio—Rockstar is a Goliath whose choices could cement existing trends for the rest of the industry. GTA V, which came out in late 2013, has shipped over 225 million copies globally, and its online multiplayer mode allegedly still rakes in over $1 million per day, according to leaked Rockstar data from April. GTA VI is expected to make such an impact that many game releases were moved specifically to avoid competing with it.

Party pooper: This news has put a damper on a release that many gamers viewed as about 100 Super Bowls rolled into one. Most game sales are now digital, but there are real benefits to owning discs over digital licenses—the latter can be revoked at any time; you can’t buy or sell on the secondary market, and modern games have huge install sizes that are inconvenient for people with slow internet or who like to keep multiple games on their device.

Bottom line: For some gamers, Rockstar’s decision to forgo discs on release is an anti-consumer move that comes at a time when other physical media is making a comeback. Still, all signs so far point to the game likely shattering sales records at a head-spinning pace. —WK

Hot and bothered

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If you’re like me and envious of all those people in Nordic countries cross-country skiing their way to better health, you’re probably sauna-curious. Regular sauna use has been linked to better heart health, cognitive health, and overall well-being. In New York, saunas are either insanely crowded, annoying to commute to, or… too fragrant. Which is why I was intrigued by the idea of a high-tech sauna blanket you can use at home.

How we tested it: For the past six weeks, I’ve been using the HigherDOSE Infrared Sauna Blanket for 15–30-minute sessions, two or three times per week. The blanket costs $699, which is roughly eight to 10 sessions at a fancy NYC bathhouse, though still cheaper than installing your own.

How to use: Instead of warming up the air around you like a regular sauna, the blanket’s infrared heating components are what generate the heat. You zip yourself inside like a sleeping bag, set the temperature (it goes up to a max of 175 degrees Fahrenheit) and timer, and bake until you’re sweating.

The Good: It gets you very hot, which I suppose is the whole point. I finished sessions feeling relaxed (subjective, I know), and according to my Oura, I did register slightly more deep sleep when I used the blanket (the most quantitative data I could get).

The Bad: Skin can’t come into contact with the blanket, so you’ll need an insert or towel barrier, which costs extra. Also worth noting: It’s a chore to wash the insert multiple times per week if you use the blanket frequently. And, as you can guess, the hygiene component is non-negotiable, since bacteria can build up easily. Finally, I struggled with storage. Even folded up, the blanket takes up space (mine currently doubles as a footstool under my desk).

The Unknown: I should also note I’m generally skeptical of any setup where you heat yourself up inside a large synthetic sleeping bag. An important caveat: I’m not a doctor. But the company says the shell is made of “non-toxic, waterproof polyurethane that exceeds VOC safety standards.”

Verdict: Noise. I think I’m too much of a germophobe, and not enough of a laundry enthusiast, to make this a regular part of my routine. But when I get a bigger apartment… —AC

If you’ve ever seen one of these super normal-looking robocops patrolling your city—well, the company that sells them isn’t doing so hot; Knightscope has seen its stock price plummet from a high of $1,070 in January 2022 to about $1.97. That might explain its recent side venture: publishing badly written, possibly AI-generated short stories about a crime-infested town where the Knightscope K5 Autonomous Security Robot (alongside a cast of other products with equally catchy names) always saves the day.

Apparently “inspired by actual events,” the Knightscope Chronicles (which the company seems to have taken down since media started reporting on it) featured such rousing literary prose as, “The K5 patrolled the parking areas 24/7, while the K1 Hemisphere monitored key entry and exit points with its always-on, live-streaming capabilities.” The later entries got more experimental, too, reading like a knockoff gritty Frank Miller monologue. An excerpt from “Case #5”: “The public never knew how close it came. But the robot knew. And would never forget.” The plots were dependably absurd, with one story starring a gargantuan murderer armed with a nail gun. And all these tales presumably existed to make a convincing case for why everyone should buy a Knightscope product. After all, who wouldn’t want an always-on hero with livestreaming capabilities? —WK

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