IT General

The MacBook Neo made a huge splash earlier this year, giving people the premium quality of a classic MacBook for just $599 (or $699 at the time of writing, thanks, RAM shortage). It filled a gap in the market for people who could benefit from the form factor of a laptop but didn't need the extra computing power, and it threw in some cool color options as an extra.

TL;DR: The 2026 Rugby League World Cup is available to live stream for free on 7plus. Access these free livestreams from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 Rugby League World Cup is officially kicking off in Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea, and if you are looking to catch every big hit, try, and high-stakes knockout match without spending big on a subscription, you're in luck.

Fans in Australia can watch every match live and free via Channel 7 and 7plus. Fans from other countries don't have it so easy, but there are some simple steps you can take to secure access to all the action without spending anything.

If you want to watch the 2026 Rugby League World Cup for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is the Rugby League World Cup?

The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by senior men's national teams. The latest edition of the Rugby League World Cup will be jointly hosted by Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea.

The defending champions are Australia.

When is the 2026 Rugby League World Cup?

The 2026 Rugby League World Cup is the 17th edition of the competition. This year's tournament starts on Oct. 15 and runs until the final on Nov. 15.

How to watch the 2026 Rugby League World Cup for free

The 2026 Rugby League World Cup is available to live stream for free on 7plus.

7plus is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock free live streams of the Rugby League World Cup from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Australia

4. Visit 7plus

5. Watch the 2026 Rugby League World Cup for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the tournament before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 7plus?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on 7plus, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Australia

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the 2026 Rugby League World Cup for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Subscription software keeps getting more expensive, and most of us end up paying for a massive suite of features we rarely touch. The good news is that for almost every major paid desktop app, there is usually an open-source counterpart that costs nothing and runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

When you're clearing out unwanted apps from your Windows PC, uninstalling one or two is easy enough. But if you have a dozen programs you no longer use, removing them one at a time can take a while, since Windows 11's Settings app doesn't let you select multiple apps and uninstall them together.

TL;DR: The Champions League is available to live stream for free on RTÉ Player, Virgin Media, tabii, and Prime Video. Access these free live streams from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The top club competition in the world of football has to be the Champions League. There is nothing else that brings the very best teams in the world together in a battle for footballing immortality. Winning your domestic league is great, but winning the Champions League is on another level.

PSG are looking to secure an incredible third consecutive title. That's going to be a mammoth task in the face of giants like Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Barcelona, all desperate to lift the iconic trophy.

If you want to watch the 2026-27 Champions League for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is the Champions League?

The Champions League is an annual club football competition organized by UEFA and contested by top-division European clubs. This year's tournament begins with a 36-team round robin group stage to determine which sides qualify for the double-legged knockout rounds, followed by a single-leg final.

The defending champions are PSG.

When is the 2026-27 Champions League?

The 2026-27 Champions League is the 72nd edition of the competition (and the 35th since it was renamed the Champions League). This season's tournament starts on July 7 and runs until the final on June 5.

How to watch the 2026-27 Champions League for free

It is possible to live stream the 2026-27 Champions League for free on the following streaming platforms:

• Ireland — RTÉ Player and Virgin Media

• Turkey — tabii

• UK — Prime Video (free trial)

These free streaming platforms are geo-restricted, but anyone can bypass these restrictions with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other countries, meaning you can unblock free live streams of the Champions League from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2026-27 Champions League by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with free coverage of the Champions League

4. Visit RTÉ Player, Virgin Media, tabii, or Prime Video (free trial)

5. Watch Champions League fixtures for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams of the 2026-27 Champions League without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch select fixtures before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming services from around the world, the fact is you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for the Champions League?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

PREORDER NOW: Preorder the 4th generation of Apple TV 4K. Shop now for $299 so it arrives on its Nov. 19 release day.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple TV 4K $299 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon

Apple is turning its attention to the home. After last month's unveiling of new iPhones, Apple is back with tech for the home, including the HomeView smart display, the HomePod mini 2, LG smart security products, and the 4th generation of Apple TV 4K.

The latest Apple TV looks quite familiar to the previous generation, still the standard black box with silver remote. The difference is on the inside, according to Apple, as it's "supercharged by Siri AI." No longer do users need to pick up the remote to interact with the AI assistant. Instead, the new Apple TV recognizes your voice even when something is playing.

The 4th generation of Apple TV 4K is powered by the A19 chip, the same one used in the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air. It's also equipped with Find My and plays a sound to find your misplaced remote, a sweet feature for those of us with a tendency to lose our remote in the cushions (guilty).

Where to buy the Apple TV 4K

The Apple TV 4K (4th generation) is now available for preorder from Apple and Amazon. It costs $299 and will be released on Nov. 19.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple TV 4K $299 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon

SAVE $200: As of Oct. 14, the Meraki Dual Boiler Espresso Machine is down to $1,799 at Amazon when you clip the on-page coupon, down from $1,999 — a 10% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Meraki Meraki Dual Boiler Espresso Machine $1,799 at Amazon
$1,999 Save $200   Get Deal at Amazon

If you’ve been dreaming of turning your kitchen counter into a full-blown specialty cafe, now might be the time to make it happen. The Meraki Dual Boiler Espresso Machine with Grinder and Built-In Dual Scales is listed at $1,999 on Amazon, but clipping the $200 on-page coupon drops the final price at checkout to $1,799. Just keep in mind that this coupon is only valid through Oct. 16, applies to a single unit at checkout, and won't combine with other active promos.

The Meraki runs an independent dual-boiler system — a 350 ml brew boiler paired with a 550 ml steam boiler — so you can pull shots and texture milk at the exact same time. Driven by a commercial rotary pump with PID temp control and a heated grouphead, it delivers steady 9-bar extractions and controlled pre-infusion.

Built-in dual scales track both your ground coffee dose and espresso liquid output with a stated accuracy within 0.2 grams. Paired with an espresso-tailored burr grinder featuring 45 marked settings, micro-adjustments, anti-static technology, and near-zero retention, you get predictable, repeatable shots without cluttering your counter with extra scales and dosing gear.

Plus, it features a full-sized 58mm E61-compatible portafilter. Stepping up from those narrow, entry-level baskets means you're using the same size as actual coffee shops, making it super easy to add third-party accessories like precision baskets, dosing funnels, or a bottomless portafilter as your barista skills grow.

Grab the Meraki Dual Boiler Espresso Machine on Amazon with the $200 coupon clipped before the deal ends on Friday.

SAVE OVER $100: As of Oct. 14, the Shark FlexStyle has returned to its lowest-ever price of $199.99 at Amazon. That's $114.01 off its typical price of $314.

Opens in a new window Credit: Shark Shark FlexStyle $199.99 at Amazon
$314 Save $114.01   Get Deal at Amazon

If you're hoping to achieve salon-quality hair styling at home without paying the cost of actually going into the salon, the Shark FlexStyle is worth looking into. This multi-styler and dryer is our favorite Dyson Airwrap dupe, and it's currently on sale at Amazon for over $100 off.

As of Oct. 14, the Shark FlexStyle is on sale for $199.99, $114.01 off its typical price of $314 and marking a return to its lowest-ever price. Unfortunately, the copper model is the only color available at this low price.

SEE ALSO: We tested the most popular Ninja appliances, and these are our favorites

This styling tool is designed for all hair types, offering high-speed airflow to dry your hair and different attachments for styling. When it comes to the former, the FlexStyle is designed with intelligent heat control to minimize heat exposure to your hair while you're styling. And as for the attachments, it comes with auto-wrap curlers, an oval brush, and a concentrator attachment for more targeted styling.

Mashable's Bethany Allard reviewed it and wrote that while it's "not an absolute essential hair styling tool," it's worth it "if you're looking to switch to hot air styling to help your hair out for regular styling". Ultimately, she found that "You can get the Dyson Airwrap experience for a fraction of the price in the Shark FlexStyle."

Act fast to save on the Shark FlexStyle at Amazon.

Smartwatches are, well, smart, but that doesn't mean other watches are dumb. For example, mechanical watches don't require batteries at all — they operate purely through a tightly wound spring. You can give your Galaxy Watch the same vibe in a few simple steps.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Day (Espeon) and Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Night (Umbreon) are available to preorder now on Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokemon Company Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Day (Espeon) $699.89 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Night (Umbreon) $699.89 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon

If you thought Pokémon TCG collectors were already losing their minds over 30th Celebration Booster Bundles and Elite Trainer Boxes, Amazon just opened preorders for the crown jewel of the anniversary expansion: the 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collections.

Both high-end boxes are currently available for preorder at Amazon for $699.89 ahead of their official Nov. 6 release date.

As the ultimate flagship products for the 30th Celebration set, both Ultra-Premium Collections come packed with 29 30th Celebration booster packs, one Classic Collection booster pack, custom metal coins, deck boxes, card sleeves, and damage-counter dice. Of course, the real driver behind the hype comes from the exclusive promo cards:

• Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Day (Espeon): Includes the exclusive Espeon ex promo card with a Daytime Pikachu ex promo card and an Espeon playmat.

• Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Night (Umbreon): Includes the exclusive Umbreon ex promo card with a Futuristic-rarity Pikachu ex promo card and an Umbreon playmat.

The big question with buying trading cards on Amazon is whether or not you're actually getting value for money. Amazon is a reliable pick for finding stock, but you often pay above market price.

TCGplayer's market price for the Day Box is currently $561.50, so there's a decent markup from Amazon here. The market price for the Night Box is $690.23, so the convenience of Amazon actually makes sense in this case.

Elon Musk put his billion-dollar (no longer trillion-dollar) bank account and his AI agent Grok Bot to work after giving the worst financial advice ever this week.

After telling X users wanting to shop online with his AI agent to "take a picture of your credit card, drop it in the chat" to have Grok research and order items for you, despite xAI's explicit warning for users "not to include personal information in prompts," Musk showed his seemingly successful use of the feature.

SEE ALSO: Does 'Carrie' contain a sneaky dig at Elon Musk?

On Sunday, the X owner posted on his social media platform that he'd asked Grok "to research the most fun Lego Star Wars kits for young kids and order them."

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On Tuesday, Musk added an update, claiming that Lego sets bought for him by the AI agent had indeed arrived in the mail (though he posted only screenshots of his conversation with Grok, not photos of the delivered items).

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The order consisted of five Star Wars Lego sets totaling $241.34, including Smart Play items, and was placed through Lego's website with free shipping.

In screenshots of Grok's updates, it appears the Lego sets were sent via UPS, delivered to a house in Austin, then once the order was complete, Grok Bot turned off the shipping and tracking checks.

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Remember, the richest man in the world's disposable budget and ownership of the technology mean there's little risk to Musk's bank balance from providing credit card information to an AI bot, possibly within the chat itself. However, consumers should be very cautious about personal financial details online, especially in a chat with an AI agent — the memes aren't completely bonkers.

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Featured Video For You 'No Other Choice' skewers the job market. Here's why Park Chan-wook made it.

A smart home means different things to different people. Many of us want a home that takes care of itself quietly in the background, while others look at the concept as one that leverages technology to feel more like a helping hand.

SAVE $152: As of Oct. 14, the TCL 65-Inch QM6K Series QD-Mini LED 4K TV is marked down at Amazon. Snag this stunning TV for $647.99, down from $799.99 — a 19% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL 65-inch Class QM6K Series 4K HDR TV $647.99 at Amazon
$799.99 Save $152   Get Deal at Amazon

If you've been tolerating an aging flat-screen that turns dark movie scenes into a black blob, you don't have to blow thousands of dollars on a high-end OLED to get a massive upgrade. The TCL 65-Inch QM6K Series QD-Mini LED 4K Smart Google TV is marked down to $647.99 at Amazon. That shaves $152 off its regular $799.99 list price — a 19% discount on our hands-down pick for the best 65-inch TV for most people.

Earning a 4.5/5 rating and a Mashable Choice Award, the QM6K hits the absolute sweet spot for "happy medium" shoppers. It combines Quantum Dot colors with Mini LED technology, using 500 local dimming zones to deliver punchy brightness and surprisingly deep contrast. Whether you're watching afternoon college football games in a sun-drenched living room or streaming dark horror movies with the lights off, this panel punches way above its weight class.

SEE ALSO: Where to buy the new Apple TV 4K — how to preorder the 4th generation of Apple TV

In her hands-on review, Mashable shopping reporter Leah Stodart noted that the QM6K easily conquered notoriously dim content like Game of Thrones' infamous darker scenes, rendering crisp shadow details where older TVs only show muddy reflections. Gamers win here too: with a native 144Hz refresh rate, VRR, and ultra-fast response times, plugging in a PS5 or Xbox Series X gives you buttery-smooth gameplay without awkward motion blur. That's you sorted for GTA 6, then.

On the software side, Google TV is built right in for fast, painless app navigation, while Onkyo audio with Dolby Atmos support keeps the built-in sound surprisingly robust. While its screen isn't completely matte, the sheer punch of the Mini LED backlight easily overpowers ambient glare from nearby windows.

If you want a serious home theater upgrade without the steep price tag, head over to Amazon to grab this top-rated 65-inch screen while the deal lasts.

SAVE $119.01: As of Oct. 14, the 2026 Apple Mac mini (M6, 16GB, 256GB) is marked down to one of the lowest prices we've seen. Snag one from Amazon for $779.99 — a 13% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple 2026 Mac mini M6 $779.99 at Amazon
$899 Save $119.01   Get Deal at Amazon

If you’ve been eyeing Apple’s latest desktop hardware refresh, you don’t have to wait around for Black Friday to pick up a solid discount.

As of Oct. 14, the brand-new Apple 2026 Mac mini (M6 chip, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) is marked down to $779.99 at Amazon. That is a clean 13% off its usual $899 list price, and one of the best prices we've seen on this model.

Don't let the ultracompact five-by-five-inch box fool you — this tiny desktop lives large on performance. Driven by Apple's M6 chip with a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU, it delivers up to 4.8x faster AI performance thanks to a Neural Accelerator packed into each GPU core, faster unified memory, and a Dual 16-core Neural Engine.

Whether you're flying through everyday creative tasks or running demanding AI workflows, like LLMs, locally on device, everything feels super responsive on macOS. Plus, if you already use an iPhone, features like iPhone Mirroring and universal copy-paste make it feel like pure magic on your desk.

It also comes stacked with modern connectivity, so you can wire up your entire setup without needing an ugly hub. Apple kept the port selection practical: the front features two USB-C ports and a headphone jack for your everyday plug-ins, while the rear houses three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI, and a 2.5Gb Ethernet jack (supporting up to three external displays). Wireless connectivity gets a huge boost, too, thanks to the N1 chip, which brings WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6.

SEE ALSO: Surprise! New Macs Before iPhone Event — What’s Going On?

With 16GB of fast unified memory (featuring 170GB/s bandwidth) and a 256GB SSD, this M6 Mac mini is easily one of the best value-for-money entry points into Apple's ecosystem right now.

Snag the 2026 Mac mini at Amazon before the deal disappears.

SAVE $400: As of Oct. 14, the Samsung 65-Inch Class S90H OLED 4K Smart TV is down to its lowest-ever price of $1,497.99 at Amazon. That's $400 off its full price of $1,897.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 65-Inch Class S90H Series TV (2026) $1,497.99 at Amazon
$1,897.99 Save $400   Get Deal at Amazon

If you're thinking about buying a new TV ahead of the holidays, there's no need to wait for Black Friday. Amazon has plenty of offers to check out right now, including some exciting price cuts on sleek OLED screens like the Samsung 65-Inch Class S90H OLED 4K Smart TV.

As of Oct. 14, this display has dropped from $1,897.99 to $1,497.99, hitting its lowest-ever price thanks to a $400 discount. Plus, Amazon's throwing in a 90-day free trial of Amazon Music Unlimited Individual Plan. This bonus is only available if you're a new subscriber.

SEE ALSO: The 8 best 65-inch TVs to buy in 2026, from budget sets to stunning OLEDs

This 2026 model features a 65-inch OLED display. The latter helps bring out vibrant colors, contrast, and brightness, further aided by 4K resolution to capture every detail on screen. This TV's NQ4 AI Gen3 processor can even upscale everything to 4K, so there are no dips in picture quality.

On top of that, this TV also comes with Glare Free technology, which is helpful if you're putting it up in a room with windows and more light, as it eliminates reflections. Plus, those planning to play games on it can enjoy smooth, tear-free, low-latency gameplay with up to a 165Hz refresh rate alongside NVIDIA G-SYNC or AMD FreeSync Premium Pro.

Don't miss out on this deal on the Samsung 65-Inch Class S90H OLED 4K Smart TV at Amazon.

TL;DR: The Samsung 32-inch Odyssey G5 (G55C) curved gaming monitor is on sale for $189.99 at Amazon, down from its $242.08 typical price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 32-inch Odyssey G5 Curved Gaming Monitor $189.99 at Amazon
$242.08 Save $52.09 Get Deal at Amazon

Going bigger than a regular 27-inch gaming monitor can get expensive, especially if you want sharper-than-1080p visuals and a refresh rate that can keep up with the latest games like Grand Theft Auto VI — whether you’re playing on console or waiting for the PC port.

As of Oct. 14, the Samsung 32-inch Odyssey G5 (G55C) is available for just $189.99 at Amazon, $52.09 off its typical price of $242.08. This works out to a 22% saving, with Amazon selling and shipping the monitor directly.

Amazon is also including its usual 30-day return policy, along with next-day delivery for Prime members. Buyers are getting the best-ever price for this monitor (confirmed by the price tracker camelcamelcamel).

SEE ALSO: PS5 Pro stock updates: Where to buy Sony's console for 'GTA 6' without overpaying

With its 1,000R curved screen, the G5 wraps around the Odyssey G5 and combines with the 2560 x 1440 QHD resolution for even greater immersion, offering 1.7 times the pixels of HD. Plus, HDR10’s been added to flourish in extra picture detail across bright and dark scenes.

Across its 32-inch VA panel, this should make everything from the cockpit view in Forza Horizon 5 to exploring the open world of Cyberpunk 2077 feel even more jaw-droppingly fun.

It's a particularly decent fit for faster games thanks to the combination of a 165Hz refresh rate, 1ms MPRT response time, and AMD FreeSync, which reduces tearing when frame rates fluctuate. If you’re planning on a console gaming setup upgrade for GTA 6, this type of monitor is perfect for when you’re blazing across Leonida. 

At a glance:

• Grand Theft Auto VI will be a PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S console exclusive at launch, with no confirmed PC release date. Given Rockstar's history with PC ports, we originally thought gamers were in for a long wait.

• An October 2026 report from gaming business media site Gamesbeat reveals a potential PC launch in early 2027, which is sooner than we expected.

• The game likely cost $1 to $3 billion to produce, so Rockstar may be eager to recoup its costs with a faster GTA 6 PC release date.

The highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI is set to launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on Nov. 19, 2026, but PC players will have to wait. Rockstar has confirmed that the game is console-only at launch, with no PC version officially announced at this time.

Despite that, we recently got some good news: GamesBeat reports that GTA 6 will get a PC release sometime in Q1 of 2027. GamesBeat has a good track record with unannounced news like this. According to their reporting, the GTA 6 PC release window was confirmed by industry sources familiar with Rockstar's plans. They spoke with the outlet under the condition of anonymity.

Why won't GTA 6 be available on PC at launch?

Rockstar and Take-Two haven't given an official reason for skipping PC at launch, but a few factors are typically cited when publishers stagger releases this way.

Console hardware is standardized, which tends to make optimization more straightforward than building for the huge range of PC configurations. Some industry data has also indicated that consoles generate higher per-unit revenue, giving publishers an incentive to front-load console sales.

SEE ALSO: GTA 6 leaks: Map and gameplay potentially revealed

A more cynical take is that Take-Two could just be double-dipping, hoping fans who can't wait for the PC launch will buy the console first, then buy the PC version later. A PC Gamer poll found that 39 percent of respondents said they're fine waiting for a port rather than needing it on day one, suggesting a meaningful share of the PC audience isn't treating the delay as a dealbreaker.

However, there could be another, less financially motivated reason for all of this.

Speaking to YouTuber KiwiTalkz, former Rockstar producer John Ricchio explained that building for consoles first and scaling up to PC is technically easier than the reverse, since consoles have fixed, predictable hardware. According to IGN, Ricchio said it's simpler to start with tighter constraints and add polish later than to build a PC-first game and then try to trim it down to fit console limitations.

GTA 6 PC release date: Past rumors

Without an official release date, gamers have had to speculate on the most likely launch window for a GTA 6 PC version.

If you look at several past Rockstar games, you can see that there's typically a significant amount of time between the console launch and the PC port.

Grand Theft Auto 4 was released in April 2008 and didn't reach PC's until that December. Grand Theft Auto V was released in Sept. 2013, and its PC counterpart was released 19 months later in April 2015. Red Dead Redemption 2 arrived on PC roughly a year after its console release.

The one exception was Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, which launched simultaneously across platforms in 2021. Based on that track record, a GTA 6 PC port, if it follows the usual pattern, could be a year or more away.

A recent report from The Verge claimed that Xbox would have exclusive rights to stream GTA 6 via its cloud gaming service at launch. The report noted that PC gamers would be able to play GTA 6 on day one after all, despite Rockstar's lack of news about a potential release window for a PC port. Unfortunately, Xbox Gaming's Chief Strategy Officer, Matthew Ball, shot down this report. Ball wrote on his personal X account that The Verge's coverage led to some "misreporting."

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Per Ball, not only is GTA 6 not being exclusively streamed by Xbox, but it will not be available to stream on PC at launch either.

Fortunately, the report from GamesBeat indicates gamers may not have to wait a full year for a PC release, though that report remains unconfirmed.

UPDATE: Oct. 13, 2026, 11:26 a.m. EDT This article was updated to include information from Gamebeat's reporting that a 'GTA 6' PC launch will happen in Q1 of 2027.

UPDATE: Oct. 12, 2026, 2:32 p.m. EDT This article was updated to reflect information reported by The Verge about Xbox gaining streaming rights to 'Grand Theft Auto VI'

Astronomers have watched Earth-like clouds drift and shift on a cold, distant world, the first time they've seen that beyond our solar system.

The world, WISE 0855, lies 7.5 light-years away in space. Astronomers classify it as a brown dwarf, something that is too large to be a gas giant planet but too small to burn like a star.

Though WISE 0855 doesn't have much in common with our planet, it does have clouds made of water like Earth's. Using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, a team led by University of Arizona astronomer Brittany Miles observed those clouds thicken and thin in real time, while gases welled up from deep inside it. 

An atmosphere is often the only part of a distant world astronomers can study, and much of what they hope to learn depends on interpreting it correctly: what it's made of, what's happening deep beneath its clouds, and how it compares with the worlds that orbit the sun. But clouds and weather constantly reshape the light that reaches a telescope, underscoring how important it is for astronomers to understand them or risk misreading the world underneath.

"Before JWST, we only had photometry, which mixed up the effects of clouds, chemistry, and temperature all together," Miles said in a statement. "Now we can actually distinguish them."

SEE ALSO: A starquake 10 billion years ago may have just sent a flash to Earth

Photometry gauges how bright an object looks overall, so it lumps every source of change into a single number. A spectrum, on the other hand, spreads light into a rainbow-like readout that reveals which molecules the light passed through. 

For 11 straight hours, Miles' team captured a fresh spectrum every 15 minutes. The results have been accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal. 

Experts sometimes refer to brown dwarfs as 'failed stars' because they're not quite massive enough to sustain hydrogen fusion in their cores. Credit: NASA illustration

Mark Marley, director of the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory and a co-author, likens the problem of trying to study a world wrapped in an atmosphere to looking at it through a screen door. 

"We're learning about the world on either side of the screen, but we also have to understand the screen itself," he said.

Want more science and tech news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable's Light Speed newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

WISE 0855, about the size of Jupiter but double its weight, is an isolated, free-floating object in space. It doesn't orbit a star that shines light on it, but it does make its own light. Brown dwarfs radiate heat left over from their formation, and this one has cooled to about 17 degrees Fahrenheit — colder than any other known brown dwarf. 

The chill lets water condense into clouds. By contrast, hotter worlds sometimes fill their skies with clouds of molten minerals and metals instead.

WISE 0855, a brown dwarf about 7.5 light-years from Earth, exhibits water clouds and other features similar to Jupiter. Credit: Penn State University infographic

The observations also revealed a rhythmic pulse in two gases: carbon monoxide and phosphine, a compound of phosphorus and hydrogen. Heat from the brown dwarf's interior drives that pulse by hauling gases up from hotter layers below, the way a lava lamp lifts warm blobs from its base. Planetary scientists know this convection process from Jupiter and have spotted it in other brown dwarfs. 

Brown dwarfs make handy targets for research. Most worlds beyond our solar system circle stars that outshine them so badly that a telescope struggles to pick them out. WISE 0855 has no blindingly bright star nearby to wash it out. And although it's some 44 trillion miles away from Earth, it actually sits relatively close to us in terms of the galaxy — close enough for Webb to watch it for hours. 

What astronomers learn from this study may help them eventually read the atmospheres of smaller, harder-to-see planets, including ones that future telescopes could study directly. That WISE 0855 shares a behavior with Jupiter suggests that the same rules are governing worlds near and far, Miles said. 

"There is a spectrum of behaviors, not a hard line between brown dwarfs and planets," she said. "Jupiter and this object look distinctly different, but they have similar weather patterns."

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