Ep. 233 - PAX West 2026 Was a Mixed Bag, Gundam Rogue Orbit is Great

Send us Fan Mail We’re back after a two-week hiatus, and after tackling PAX West 2026, we have plenty to discuss on Spectator Mode Podcast Episode 233. This week, we break down why PAX West 2026 was a disappointment from a media and convention standpoint, including empty show floors, missing hardware vendors, outdated demos, limited media access, and a growing tabletop presence that continues to push video games further into the background. Thankfully, the games delivered. We share our hands-on impressions of Gundam Rogue Orbit, Final Fantasy VII Revelation, Final Fantasy Resonance, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World, Persona 4 Revival, and several promising indie games. We also discuss PlayStation reportedly dropping Kojima’s Physint, Xbox stepping in as its new partner, PlayStation’s continued focus on live-service games, and the Nintendo Switch 2 VRR update that improves Elden Ring in docked mode. Was PAX West 2026 still worth attending, or is the convention losing what once made it special? Let us know what you think in the comments. Timestamps: 0:00 Podcast return and Gundam Rogue Orbit 1:16 Hands-on impressions and Gundam builds 4:15 Switch 2 VRR update and Elden Ring 6:10 Switch 2 handheld grip options 7:06 PlayStation drops Physint and chases live service 8:22 Xbox becomes Physint’s new partner 10:04 Why live-service games require constant investment 15:04 PlayStation’s shifting audience and ecosystem problems 21:04 PAX West’s disappointing convention setup 21:43 Empty floors and crowded indie developers 25:16 Limited media access and outdated demos 32:44 Delayed media hour and line-cutting frustrations 36:03 Dark halls, weak booths, and missing vendors 40:39 Concerns over PAX’s future after COVID 43:14 Tabletop focus leaves video games behind 47:36 Lenovo’s missing Legion Go and hardware exhibitors 53:00 Friday demos at NIS America 53:20 Gobble’s consumable scythe platforming 54:11 The Grim Reapers puzzle mechanics 55:06 Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 early build 55:37 Saturday at FURYU and Square Enix 55:45 Crime Light and Animalith previews 57:48 Square Enix’s private media presentations 58:32 Dragon Quest Monsters creature fusion impressions 1:00:01 Final Fantasy VII Revelation hands-on 1:02:30 Queen’s Blood returns with deeper story content 1:05:11 Exploring Mideel and rapid airship travel 1:06:36 Fit system jobs and party customization 1:10:40 Mai’s guidance and sensory overload concerns 1:14:41 Final Fantasy Resonance and Dragon Quest Monsters 1:15:21 Speedrunning the Wind Shrine boss 1:16:23 Resonance attacks, staggering, and party strategy 1:20:20 Interviewing Resonance’s director and producer 1:23:04 Persona 4 Revival and Sunday indie games 1:23:33 Persona 4’s dungeon and battle demos 1:24:08 New engine, expressive models, and All-Out Attacks 1:27:44 Student projects and Backyard Baseball Check out our PAX West 2026 content over at https://www.theouterhaven.net/pax-west-2026-coverage-hub/. For more gaming news, reviews, previews, interviews, and convention coverage, visit The Outerhaven: https://www.theouterhaven.net/ #PAXWest2026 #FinalFantasyVIIRevelation #GundamRogueOrbit #SpectatorModePodcast #GamingPodcast Support the show You can find the Spectator Mode podcast on the following podcast platforms. Please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcast, as it will go a long watch in more people discovering us. Thank you! Apple Podcasts YouTube Spotify Amazon Music