The tech I will be purchasing in the near future

 

This year I am focusing on investing in things that are going to help me level up my content and grow my accounts how I want to rather than feeling like content etc just isn't good enough. There are a fair few upgrades I want to make over the next few years to really help me along with this journey and make my content look much better and also to help me make more content even if I am short on time like I have previously been. So here are the items I am hoping to pick up... 

iPhone 17 

I am really hoping to upgrade my phone this year to get myself a better camera as I have heard very good things about the camera on the iPhone 17. To be honest a phone upgrade is going to be an overall benefit as my current phones battery is draining pretty quickly and is generally just aging. Hopefully I will have one of these before the end of the year.

Camera

I really want a camera that will be good for video as well as photo as I plan to create more video content going forward and want some great quality content without relying on my iPhone. I am struggling to decide between a Canon or Sony camera so this might need to wait a while to be picked up so I know I am making the right decision when it comes to what I need. I think I might need to set a budget for this too so I don't go too overboard but hopefully it wont be too long until a new camera is added to the set up. 

DJI Osmo Pocket 3

My plan is to head to more events in the future and I want to document them alongside other parts of content I want to bring to the social media accounts. My plan for before the end of the year is to have my very own DJI Osmo Pocket 3, potentially the content creator bundle. Again I have heard these are great so I think it is about time I started thinking about purchasing one for myself.

iPad Pro

I don't always want to be lugging my Macbook around with me and I have had my eye on an iPad Pro for a while now so I think it is time to start putting some money to one side to actually make this purchase. I can edit on the go with this, consume content, draw some graphics and so much more so it will definitely be a worth while purchase. I will definitely be getting an Apple Pencil to go alongside this too. 

Tripod

If I am getting a more expensive camera I will be making sure I upgrade my tripod going forward too as my current one isn't the most stable and if I am attaching a more expensive camera to it I need something I can rely on. I am hoping I can find a good one at a reasonable price very soon so it can be ticked off the to buy list nice and early on. 

Photo Box

This is a bit of a random one but I would love to purchase one of these for a little project I have coming up. This would make photographing items so much easier as it is blocking light in and cutting out backgrounds for me. I have seen a few very reasonably priced ones of these so who knows it could be the first thing I end up purchasing off this list.

Monitor

The PC monitors need a huge upgrade as I plan to spend a lot more time at them so I need to do a bit of research on which is going to benefit me the most. I will be using this to edit, create content and game so I need to make sure the display quality is spot on to get the most out of it. The other question is if I stick with multiple screens or go for one that is curved? I guess I have some time to consider the options so I just need to make sure I do the correct research to make sure I am getting what is right for me.

Gaming PC

It is finally time to get myself a new gaming PC. I am using my PC set up so much more however, I am struggling to run any games on it so I will be upgrading to something that is going to be able to handle everything I throw at it. This needs to be able to handle all levels of games and editing and who knows if things go to plan it might need to be able to handle recording and streaming but we shall see on that last part. I am slowly saving towards this and hopefully it won't be much longer until I can make the purchase and upgrade the set up.

Streamdeck

The plan is when my PC gets upgraded to add a Streamdeck into the set up to help me switch between what I am doing much easier and make creating a smoother process. Granted this is a bit on the expensive side of things but it is going to become an essential piece of kit if plans start to fall into place.

PS Portal

I am hopefully going to be on the go a lot in the future so I want to make sure I can still work through my games even when I am away from home. This is where a PS Portal will come in super handy as I can still work through my PS catalog whilst away from home. This is at a reasonable price point too so I won't feel too bad purchasing this and I know I will get the use out of it as I try to beat the backlog.

ROG Xbox Ally X

Now this is a lot more expensive than the PS Portal but again it is something I have got my eye on for getting more use out of my Xbox and actually getting through the games I have on there. This is definitely something me and Liam would share but I can just imagine travelling playing on this or relaxing out of the games room chipping away at the backlog games. 

So there you have it those are the tech items I am looking at getting in the near future. For once on one of my wish lists each item actually has a purpose that is going to benefit me so I am really looking forward to seeing how each purchase helps me achieve the goals I have set myself.

I wonder what purchase number 1 is going to be...

See you soon

TNG Games

January 2026 Pay Day Wish List

Finally the first pay day of the year is here and it feels long over due. It seems like I have had to stretch December's pay forever and unlike that pay this time around I really want to think about what I am spending rather than spending for the sake of it. 2026 is definitely the year of saving to purchase the items I really want to elevate content and it is also the year of beating games from my backlog so I don't plan on buying games for the sake of it like I previously have. So with that in mind this months wish list is a bit of a mixed bag and whilst I don't think I will buy all of it I am hoping to buy a good chunk of it as these are items I have wanted for a while now and those items are...

Life is Strange Double Exposure

I have wanted this game for so long now and with me really back into my gaming I think it is finally time to make the purchase. Especially with the new game coming out in March I really want to play this one before the new one releases so it seems like the perfect time to be buying it. I am hoping I can get this for a reasonable price now it has been out a while.

SpongeBob SquarePants : Titans of the Tide

I really wanted to pick this up when it was first released however, with me not gaming back then it seemed silly to buy it and just have it sat on the shelf. Now I am making my way through games though the plan is to finally pick this up and try make my way through it nice and early on in the year. I think this will be a nice change to other games I have been playing recently and hopefully it will be a game I enjoy playing.

PlayStation Controller

Now I am gaming more I think I can justify getting a new controller and all this has come about since the announcement of the Hyperpop collection. The red one looks absolutely perfect for me and although it is on the pricey side I think I am going to treat myself to a pre-order of this with my January pay. This is probably the most expensive thing I want to buy this month but will definitely be worth it.

Lucario Plush

Recently I have found myself being pulled towards Lucario being my favourite Pokemon and I am not sure where that has come from as I was never really a fan before. I have a bit of a Pokemon plush collection going on at the moment so I think January will see a Pokemon Centre order being placed to add Lucario into the mix. 

Shrouded Fable Cards

I am back on with the Pokemon cards this year and my plan to kick start things is to complete the Shrouded Fable set which I made a start on in 2025. It is definitely going to be a challenge to see where I can actually find packs but I am determined to get this complete during this year. 

Put money into my PC Savings

Finally with this month wage I want to put some more money into my PC savings. I am determined that I will own a new gaming PC in 2026 so I really need to get on top of my money if I want it to happen as we all know these aren't cheap. The plan is to put a good chunk of money in here with January's pay and not to take any out which is what I have found myself doing from time to time. 

So there you have it those are the items I am hoping to pick up with this months wage, let's see if  I can stick to this and have plenty going into those savings rather than wasting money.

See you soon,

TNG Games

The PlayStation Plus & Game Pass games I want to play in 2026...

I am 100% getting back into gaming this year and I have already ticked two games off from the backlog which is better than the 0 games completed in 2025. I am determined to get through a good chunk of my backlog however, we are now on PlayStation Plus & Game Pass which means we have a whole host of digital games available which we have previously wanted to play but never purchased. The other day I made the mistake of sitting and looking through both catalogs of games available and let's just say there are now plenty more games added to my to be played list. So here are those games I am adding to my to play this year list...

Game Pass

Mortal Kombat 1

I have wanted to play this game for the longest time however, kept putting it off so I was super happy when I saw I could get it on Game Pass. Now I have heard this isn't a super long game so maybe it will be one I can just jump in and out of between those backlog games and it could be one that I get ticked off early in the year.

Call of Duty Black Ops 7

Call of Duty is a game where I finish the campaign then move onto something new and to be honest I have heard mixed reviews on this campaign so I want to give it a try for myself and thanks to it being on Game Pass I don't need to buy the game at a high price to work my way through it. Again this should just be a quick play between backlog games and I am looking forward to it.

Hellblade : Senua's Sacrifice

This has been a game on the wish list for so long but due to a lack of gaming I have never got around to playing it. That changes this year though as it is finally available for me to jump into straight away and won't class as a game purchased due to the backlog challenge rules. I think I am going to wait until I have a full weekend with no plans to jump into this one so I can get lost in it.

Senua's Saga : Hellblade II

Once I have done with the first game depending how hooked I get I might jump straight into the second installment or I might move onto something different then head back for number 2. Again I have seen good things about this game so I am looking forward to giving it a go for myself. It is definitely right up there for a 2026 play through. 

South Park : The Stick of Truth

I have one South Park game that I definitely want to complete this year but why not make it 2. Liam has told me in the past that he thinks I would love The Stick of Truth so I have decided that it is definitely going to be one of the games I complete in 2026 and that has been made easier thanks to it being on Game Pass. I am really looking forward to this one as I know it is going to be a game with plenty of humour. 

PlayStation Plus

Adventure Time : Pirates of the Enchiridion

I absolutely loved Adventure Time back in the day so when I saw this on PlayStation Plus it was immediately added to my to be played list. I feel like this will be a hit of nostalgia whilst also provide me with a nice relaxing game to play which will no doubt be a nice change of pace compared to what I am used to lately.

Lego Horizon Adventures

The Horizon games are on my to be played list this year as they are games I have loved the look of but just never felt I have had the time to play so when I saw that I also have Lego Horizon Adventures available to me through PlayStation Plus let's just say I got excited as I absolutely love a Lego game. Again this is apparently also on the shorter side of things so it should be the perfect filler game for me. 

Ratchet & Clank : Rift Apart

I wanted to play this one when it first released however, thanks to the lack of gaming time I never actually got around to it. That is why I am making it a number 1 priority to sit down and play this in 2026. I have never played a Ratchet & Clank game before so I am looking forward to giving this a go.

Ice Age : Scrat's Nutty Adventure

This one really caught my eye whilst I was scrolling through the catalog and I told Liam straight away I need to play this during the year. When I have looked into it though I have seen it is a very short game so I think I might just have this installed and jump in and out of it between the other games I play. This might be a good one for if my nephew is round too.

Uncharted : The Nathan Drake Collection

Uncharted is a franchise that I have been told I will enjoy but again the lack of time has led to me never giving it a go but I think I am going to get this downloaded and just slowly work through it over the course of the year. I am looking forward to this one and I hope I like it as much as Liam thinks I will.

So there you have it I think it is safe to say I am going to be checking the catalog for these more often as I have found plenty of games on these to keep me going for a while, I wonder how many of these I will roll the credits on, I guess it is time to see...

See you soon

TNG Games

What we are playing (16th January 2026)

 

Here we go another weekend with not much to do this weekend we can get on with some gaming again. After a perfect Sunday of gaming last week we are hoping to continue this into this weekend with a bit of content creating thrown into the mix. Things have certainly started on the right foot this year so let's hope it continues to provide us with a fun & productive weekend this time around. With only an early football game to attend on Saturday we should have plenty of time to get everything we want to do done for a change. So here is what we are hoping to play this weekend...

Lucy

I really enjoyed my time playing games last weekend and I am determined to have plenty of gaming time this weekend too. We have the City match nice and early this weekend which means that we will be home with plenty of the day left to play with and with a whole day at home on Sunday there is plenty of time to get on with what we need to alongside playing games. My plan is to get a big chunk of content written for here and my other sites then switch to gaming mode. I want to complete Lost Records Tape 1 this weekend and to be honest I don't think I am too far off finishing it. Once that is wrapped up I am moving onto Coffee Talk 2 after wrapping up the first installment last weekend. I am looking forward to playing this one ready for the 3rd game coming out later on this year. Finally I am hoping to play a bit more Halo 5 to make some progress through that once more.

Liam 

I am keeping it simple this weekend and just sticking to World of Warcraft. I have got hooked on this once more since the Christmas break and I can't see me stopping anytime soon. Who knows as the weekend progresses I might jump into something else but for now this is all I am planning on playing.

Let's hope we see more progress through our games of choice this weekend. What are you hoping to play this weekend?

See you soon 

TNG Games

The games releasing in 2026 I can't wait to play

 

2026 is the year I get back into gaming and after not really buying any new releases in 2025 due to not playing as much I have a fair few games I need to catch up on. Those games can wait though as I am trying to beat my backlog at long last and my plan if I do buy new games is to wait and get the games that are releasing in 2026. 

I am glad that this year is the year I am getting back into gaming as there looks to be plenty of games coming out that I could get hooked on. I am going to try stick to my 3 games complete before buying any of these games however, I think it is safe to say with a few I might need to get them on release day so we shall see if I do stick to that or not. Here are the games that I can't wait to be released.

Wolverine

I will be honest I haven't seen too much about this game however, I love Wolverine so I am going to be picking this up no matter what. With this expected in the fall time I have plenty of time to finish some of those backlog games and I can safely say I am going to be making this a day one purchase no matter what. 

Coffee Talk Tokyo

I am currently working my way through Coffee Talk 2 and I am loving the format of the games so I am already counting down to the release of Coffee Talk Tokyo which is due out nice and early in the year. With this being scheduled to release in March I have plenty of time to wrap up number 2 and a few other games before the release but I feel that once this is out everything else will be pushed to one side.

Pokemon Pokopia 

Now this game looks like it is going to be perfect to jump in and out of but also like I can get lost in it for hours. Playing as Ditto in an empty land building homes for other Pokemon it just seems too good to be true. This releases on the same day as Coffee Talk but again it is going to be a day one buy and I can see that night being spent making some good progress in the game. In fact I could see it becoming something I play every night.

007 First Light

With a few games coming out in March that I want I am quite glad this has been delayed a little. This is now releasing in May meaning I can make this a day one purchase and dive right into it. From what I have seen from this game it looks like one I am going to enjoy and also one that Liam can enjoy playing which is always a bonus when a game is something we can both play. I will be honest though I am getting more and more tempted to order a special edition of this game but we shall see which I end up getting.

GTA 6 

I think this game might be the one everyone is waiting for this year after the long gap since the release of GTA 5. I am going to try get GTA 5 finished before the release of 6 but it is same to say that no matter what this is a day one release and I may even book some time off work for it as I am looking forward to it that much. With this looking like a November release there is plenty of time for me to finish 5 and a good chunk of the backlog so that I can get straight into this.

Star Wars Zero Company

This game is down as a 2026 release however, there is no official release date yet so fingers crossed it does come out this year. Now I don't know much about this one in all honesty however, Liam has really bigged it up to me and I am definitely going to be giving it a go once it is out. This might be one that waits a little while or Liam might pick it up and I jump into it but either way we will be getting this once it is out.

There aren't many games on this list just yet however, I am sure as the year progresses more and more will be added. For now though these are the ones that are standing out the most to me and are the ones I would be likely to get on release day. 

Before any of these are released though I guess I should get playing those games I own and get reducing that backlog. I wonder how many games I will be able to complete before the release of Coffee Talk Tokyo & Pokemon Pokopia?

What games are you looking forward to in 2026?

See you soon, 

TNG Games

The games I want to play in January 2026

 

Here we are, the first month of the year and it is time to hit the ground running in terms of gaming. If I want to beat my backlog challenge and finally beat some games this year I need to start putting more time into gaming and I am hoping that this month is a productive one all round with games played and content created. So here are the games I am hoping to play throughout January...

PlayStation

The PlayStation is by far the most played console in our house and it looks like it is going to start off 2026 being the most used. I want to complete The Plucky Squire this month to have a game from my backlog challenge ticked off nice and early. Once I have wrapped that game up I want to complete a good chunk of Lost Records as this game is one I have wanted to play for a while now.

Nintendo Switch

I am determined to play on the Switch more this year so to hit the ground running I am determined to play Super Mario 3D World and get as close to completing that as possible, even a bit of time on a night before bed should help me work through this nicely. I also want to try progress through a bit more Pokemon Legends Z-A as I haven't actually picked this up since release weekend. 

XBOX

2026 will be the year I start to play on the XBOX more often and to ease me back in I am determined to put some hours into Halo 5 and let's hope I can spare enough time to complete this as it is is one of my backlog games and one of the games I have wanted to complete for a long time now. I am hoping that by mid month this will be complete so I can move onto something else.

PC

I am really hoping to start working through my Steam games this year too but for now I am going to have to stick to the less demanding games due to my PC capabilities. I have heard good things about A Short Hike and I have seen it isn't a long game so the plan is to get this out of the backlog early in the month and get the ball rolling on completed games. 

I am really looking forward to seeing what 2026 holds in gaming terms for myself so let's see how productive we can make January for working towards games completed. 

What are you hoping to play in January?

See you soon,

TNG Games

The backlog challenge is back for 2026

 

Here we go we are going to try again and hopefully the 2026 backlog challenge will go better than 2025's. It turns out 2025 was a total write off in terms of gaming due to many other factors coming into play however, I am back and ready to put plenty of time into gaming again this year. 

My goal for 2026 is to complete aka roll the credits on a total of 15 games as the backlog is now out of control thanks to a year of little gaming and I am sick of not playing what I own and there are some great games now just sat waiting to be played. The plan is to roll the credits on 15 games but make things a bit more fun whilst doing so. The plan is to get people on social media involved in helping with the challenge therefore I will be putting up poll's for people to vote on games I should bump up the playing queue. I am hoping that by doing this it will be a bit more of a challenge as it should be a mix of games I am playing not just the same style over and over which admittedly I got a bit bored of before. This should also make it a bit more of an incentive for me when it comes to the site, I can review the games people picked for me to play so that those who voted can see what I honestly thought about their choice of game. 

To kick things off I will be posting a few poll's on socials with a choice of 4 XBOX games, 4 PlayStation games and then one of 4 Switch games, once the poll has ended whichever games have the highest combined votes I will be playing. Once any of those games are complete I will then put another poll up for that platform to pick the next game. I am just hoping this spurs me on to play more games and try out different kinds of games rather than them sitting on the shelf gathering dust like they currently are. I have far too many games I actually want to roll the credits on so I am hoping this will help reduce the decision fatigue I tend to face which leads to stopping gaming for periods of time.

There are going to be 5 games I am definitely aiming to complete over the course of the year though which I pick myself as these are games I have wanted to play for a long time now so it is about time I actually sat and put some hours into them and those games are:

Nicktoons & The Dice of Destiny 

I got this game for Christmas and I actually picked it not long after it's release so I have been waiting a while for this one meaning it is being bumped to the top of my to play list. This game just looks like it is going to ease me back into gaming nicely and features some of my all time favourite characters which is an added bonus. I have heard it isn't a long game either which is an added bonus.

The Plucky Squire

This is a game I put a short amount of time into in 2025 and I really enjoyed what I played so the plan is to get the credits rolled on this nice and early in 2026 and hopefully continue to enjoy what I am playing throughout. Again this just seems like a nice paced game which doesn't require too much from me so it could be good for times I want to game but am short on time.

Halo 5

Halo 5 is another game I begun in 2025 but didn't get too far into. This is a game that is a bit of a faster pace but again I really enjoyed what I have played so far. This is a game though that has sat in the backlog for far too long so I am hoping I can fly through this and roll the credits to finally move onto something different.

Horizon Zero Dawn

This is a game I have put off playing for so long due to people saying it can take a long time to wrap up however, I think it is finally time to invest the hours into this game and finally experience it for myself as I have heard fantastic things about it. It might take me a while to get through this but I am sure it will be worth it in the end.

South Park The Fractured But Whole

Oh look another game I started a long time ago and never finished. This game has been sat on my console for the longest time as I used to dip in and out of playing it however, I am determined that in 2026 I will finally roll the credits on it and get it off the console at long last. I really want to finish this game rather than just ignoring it as I found it fun to play so let's see how long this actually takes to complete.

For this years backlog challenge I am going back to my rule of having to roll the credits on 3 games before being able to buy anything new as I am determined to finally enjoy the games I already own before spending more money however, I am allowing myself to break this rule for if it is a game to add to my Pokemon collection or if it is a game I am have waited forever for.. GTA 6 I am looking at you. 

Granted I may add in completing a few extra games from the PS Plus Catalogue or Game Pass on the XBOX as they are technically backlog games if I install them when available. 

No matter how this challenge goes throughout 2026 we will already be doing better than 2025 when gaming was massively neglected. I am really looking forward to flying through my backlog this year though and finally enjoying the gaming world once more.

Are you hoping to get a chunk of your backlog complete in 2026?

See you soon, 

TNG Games