Hi, hello, and welcome to a new edition of the overkill digest newsletter.
A little PSA before we start. Next week's newsletter will be the last of the year, as I plan to take a few weeks off from writing... well, anything. I have one more review I want done by then, but I have yet to start writing it, so wish me luck!
And in case you are taking notes, I am still using Linux, still playing with Bazzite on my Gaming PC. I have a portable machine coming my way to test for a few months, and here I plan to install Fedora KDE, and see if this experiment is actually viable. If it is, the plan is to buy a laptop and retire my MacBook. I'm currently thinking of an Intel-based ThinkPad P14s Gen 6, though I'm open for other suggestions (I'm aware of Framework already).
Anyway, let's get to this week's news. (It was a calm week!)
Big News
Steam Machine today, Steam Phones tomorrow. The Verge has an exclusive interview with Valve's Pierre-Loup Griffais, in which they talk about PC games running on Arm hardware (like your smartphone, or the AYN Thor I am currently reviewing).
It's an interview that is well worth a read, but it also made me realize something: While Dye (see below) definitely had a hand in it, Valve is the major reason I became interested in Linux in the first place.
If it weren't for the Steam Deck working as a Trojan horse for Linux, I probably would have thought that Linux is an OS I only run on servers. But with Proton, Valve made it viable to run it on a gaming machine, piquing my curiosity, and here I am going deep down a new rabbit hole (don't worry, I'll share as much as I can on overkill).
I wonder if Valve will achieve the same thing, but for Android. Of course, a switch to Android is not even remotely comparable to a switch to Linux. Android is a behemoth on smartphones, while Linux is the underdog. But I have to remind you that I was so deep in the Apple ecosystem, I ran an Apple blog for 8 years.
In either case, 2026 will be a heck of a year!
🎮 Platform Updates
Alan Dye Leaves Apple for Meta, Replaced by Longtime Designer Stephen Lemay. Alan Dye is probably one of the major reasons I've been doing this switch to Linux experiment in the first place. I seriously cannot stand what Liquid Glass looks like on macOS, and only find it tolerable on iOS.
Now the guy behind the clusterfuck is leaving Apple for Meta, of all companies. Which I find fitting, because Meta also clearly lacks taste. Gruber has another piece in which he writes down all the problems I also have with Dye. I'll be blunt: good riddance!
Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros. for a Total Enterprise Value of $82.7 Billion. We'll see if this deal gets regulatory approval, but if it does, Netflix would own franchises like Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and all DC Comics characters.
💻 Hardware & Software
The FiiO M21 completely changed how I listen to music. This might just be my longest review ever. Though, to be fair, I also review headphones and music services in the same article.
The M21 is a great device. It's not perfect, as it has some annoying flaws I share in this review, but it's a device I enjoy using. It runs Android, which allows you to install whatever music app you want.
So when I got it, I also decided to get rid of Spotify, and started trying out Apple Music and Qobuz, since both services offer lossless music (the Hi-Fi tier of Spotify didn't exist yet, but both still offer higher quality streaming).
That combo somehow led to new music discovery, and a new favorite band. But I don't want to spoil that article so much, so go and read it.
🎲 Playthings
Skyblivion's release has been delayed to 2026. I'm unfortunately not surprised. There still seems to be a bit of work to do, like finalizing the buildings inside the Imperial City, working on navmeshing, and finalizing quests. There is currently no new release date besides sometime "in 2026".
But hey, at least we can now check out this interactive map.
CD Projekt plan to release The Witcher 4, 5, & 6 within six years of one another, and oh, are those pigs flying? Yeah, nope, not going to happen. I wonder if CD Projekt Red has learned nothing from the launch fiasco of Cyberpunk2077?
There's no way they can launch The Witcher 4, 5 and 6 in six years without running into the same issues again. Well, except if The Witcher 5 and 6 are basically DLCs, they'll sell as standalone games.
📌 Quick Hits
- Linux players on Steam hit an all-time high for November 2025. The year of Linux on the Desktop is near!!!
- After nearly 30 years, Crucial will stop selling RAM to consumers. And all thanks to AI. At this point, if you were thinking of buying/building a PC, I recommend you get your RAM soon (and probably storage, too), since I don't see these prices going down until the AI bubble starts to deflate (at this point, I doubt it'll pop).
- Microsoft finally has a better looking Run dialog for Windows 11. Cute.
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🔮 Looking Ahead
- Yakuza 0 Director's Cut releases tomorrow.
- The Mega Dimensions DLC comes to Pokémon Legends: Z A on December 12.
Ok, that's all. Thanks for reading!
See you,
Kevin