Those questions—and several much stranger ones—come up on AwesomeCast 794 with Sorg, Katie Dudas, and Dave Podnar.

Xbox Finds a New Use for the Game Disc

One of the episode’s biggest discussions centers on Microsoft’s Xbox Discs to Digital initiative.

The concept offers an interesting middle ground between physical and digital ownership. A supported Xbox disc can be authenticated and connected to a player’s digital library, potentially giving players digital access while the disc itself continues to function as the transferable proof of ownership.

That last part is important. If the disc is sold and authenticated by somebody else, the digital access moves with it.

For Sorg, who has stacks of Xbox One games and a console with a failed optical drive, this could solve a very practical problem. It also opens possibilities for finding inexpensive used Xbox games at stores such as GameStop and turning them into accessible digital titles.

There are still questions surrounding Xbox 360 compatibility, licensing, sports games, delisted games and publisher participation, but it is a fascinating attempt to bridge two very different eras of game ownership.

https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/08/26/your-discs-now-also-digital/?ocid=Platform_soc_omc_xbo_fb_Photo_lrn_8.26.2

Gamers Say They Want Physical Games. Are They Buying Them?

That question carries directly into this week’s ChachiSays Video Game Minute.

Chachi points to figures showing U.S. spending on physical video games falling to levels not seen since physical-game statistics began being tracked in 1995. Nintendo represented a sizable portion of the remaining physical market.

The contradiction is hard to ignore: gamers regularly criticize publishers for abandoning physical media, but those products need enough buyers to justify continuing to manufacture and distribute them.

https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/console-gaming/us-console-sales-fall-39-percent-in-july-as-memory-costs-push-average-price-to-542

Generative AI Comes to Gamescom

Chachi also discusses reports of generative AI being used during development of multiple titles connected to Gamescom 2026.

The larger concern is not simply whether AI tools exist inside game development. The segment focuses on how companies disclose that use, what work the systems replace, and whether developers are being transparent with their audiences.

Project Zeta, Aion 2, Train Sim World 7, Crimson Desert and Crazy Taxi: World Tour are among the games brought up during the discussion.

https://kotaku.com/opening-night-live-2026-genai-slop-games-geoff-keighley-2000728477

Roku City Quietly Remembers Three Entertainment Icons

Katie highlights a much more thoughtful use of technology: the little visual Easter eggs hidden inside Roku City.

The screensaver incorporated imagery referencing Dolly Parton and Tim Curry along with an Optimus Prime-inspired tribute to Peter Cullen.

That leads the crew into memories of Cullen’s massive voice-acting career and the strange experience of realizing, years later, just how many familiar childhood characters were voiced by the same small group of performers.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DcrPR8alYG3/?img_index=1

From Hubble to the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

Dave’s Awesome History segment turns toward NASA and astronomer Nancy Grace Roman.

Roman played an important role in pushing space-based astronomy forward, helping lay the groundwork for what ultimately became the Hubble Space Telescope.

The telescope carrying her name represents another enormous leap in what astronomers can observe. The hosts discuss its much wider field of view, the search for exoplanets, dark matter and dark energy, as well as the unusual orbital environments used by major observatories.

https://www.planetary.org/articles/the-nancy-grace-roman-space-telescope-launch

It's Already LEGO Advent Calendar Season

Katie has an annual public-service announcement: if you want a particular Advent Calendar, buy it when you see it.

LEGO’s 2026 calendars are already appearing, including traditional Christmas offerings alongside Star Wars, Marvel and Disney sets.

Waiting until December is how you end up frantically checking every store in town for the one calendar somebody decided they absolutely had to have.

https://www.lego.com/en-us/search?q=advent%20calendar%202026&suggestion=true

The $100,000 Keyboard

Dave then discovers a corner of technology that makes even premium mechanical keyboards look inexpensive.

A social video begins with keyboards priced in the hundreds of dollars, moves into models costing thousands, and eventually reaches one sitting around the $100,000 mark.

At that point, calling something a “computer accessory” may no longer adequately explain what is happening.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1593262308558803

Brütal Legend Honors Tim Curry for 666 Minutes

Double Fine found an extremely appropriate way to honor Tim Curry by making Brütal Legend free for 666 minutes.

The Xbox 360-era heavy-metal adventure stars Jack Black and features Curry among its memorable cast.

Sorg recently returned to the game and found that, despite showing its age in places, it remains surprisingly enjoyable.

https://www.ign.com/articles/double-fine-productions-makes-brutal-legend-free-for-666-minutes-to-honor-tim-curry?link_source=ta_first_comment&taid=6a905803b9a113000189638d&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook

Donkey Kong Country: CGI From Another Time

Speaking of things that have aged differently, Sorg rediscovers the computer-animated Donkey Kong Country television series from the late 1990s.

The show provides an incredible time capsule of early television CGI: stiff animation, questionable lip synchronization and character models that can occasionally drift into nightmare territory.

And yet there is something fascinating about seeing what creators were able to accomplish with 1990s rendering technology.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWpI4vahfIY

Sort the Nintendo eShop From Cheap to Expensive. You Have Been Warned.

There is another kind of digital archaeology available right now.

Go to the Nintendo Switch store. Sort everything from lowest price to highest. Start scrolling.

The result is a journey through inexpensive retro games, indie releases, zombie games, cat games, simulators, dating games, suspiciously AI-looking artwork and enough shovelware to keep the AwesomeCast crew entertained far longer than expected.

There are legitimate bargains hiding in the pile—but finding them is part of the adventure.

https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/sales-and-deals/#show=0&p=1&sort=pa&f=priceRangeFilter&priceRangeFilter=%240+-+%244.99

Commodore 64 Meets Cyberpunk

The episode’s final major retro-tech rabbit hole comes courtesy of a Cyberpunk-themed Commodore 64.

The unusual crossover sends Katie and Dave back into memories of the original beige Commodore machines, while Dave recalls using GEOS for word processing and schoolwork long before the modern Windows experience became standard.

https://commodore.net/store/commodore64/

Plus: Giant Medals, Slow USB-C Cables and Video Game Wrestling

Dave also shows off the giant magnetic medals earned through the Pro Football Hall of Fame virtual race series.

https://runsignup.com/Race/OH/Canton/HOFRaceSeries

Katie introduces what may become a recurring feature, “What Is Katie Labeling Now?”, after discovering one of her USB-C cables was charging her laptop dramatically slower than the others.

And before any of that, the crew revisits Sorgstock and its real-life video game wrestling match, where the performers recreated all of the awkward movement, button mashing, missed attacks and controller confusion of playing a wrestling game when nobody remembers the controls.

From the future of game ownership to 1980s computers and $100,000 keyboards, AwesomeCast 794 once again proves there is always something wonderfully strange happening in technology.

Sorg also begins downloading the iOS 27 public beta during the show, despite Katie’s warnings and a few concerns being saved for the Patreon aftertalk.

Stories and Gadgets Discussed

• A wireless microphone saves the podcast: When Dave’s regular microphone setup breaks, he switches to a compact dual wireless microphone system that connects through USB-C. The plug-and-play backup works with phones and laptops without a complicated setup.
• Omron 7 Series Bluetooth blood pressure monitor: Dave reviews a new connected blood pressure monitor after getting inconsistent readings from an older device. He highlights its larger arm cuff, support for two users, storage for multiple readings, three-reading averages, Apple Health integration and the ability to export results for a doctor. https://amzn.to/4yncwxY
• Pinwheel phones, watches and home phones for kids: Katie introduces Pinwheel’s managed technology ecosystem for children and teenagers. Parents and caregivers can control approved contacts, monitor texts, restrict social media, set bedtime schedules, review locations and gradually unlock features as a child gets older. The company also offers a standalone smartwatch and a Wi-Fi-powered corded home phone that brings back the satisfaction of dramatically hanging up. https://www.pinwheel.com
• Kennywood’s reopening and the mystery bag gamble: Sorg recounts a delayed visit to Kennywood after a water-main break interrupted opening day. His $5 mystery merchandise bag produced a Kennywood gaiter, a vintage postcard and a Jack Rabbit 100th-anniversary pin.
• Awesome Person of the Week — Rory Cooper: For Disability Pride Month, Dave profiles inventor, engineer and Paralympic medalist Rory Cooper. After becoming paralyzed while serving in the military, Cooper designed a lighter wheelchair and built a career improving mobility technology. His Pittsburgh work includes the Human Engineering Research Laboratories, a collaboration involving the University of Pittsburgh and the Department of Veterans Affairs. https://www.invent.org/inductees/rory-cooper
• WhatCable diagnoses confusing USB-C connections: Sorg tests a free Mac utility that reveals what connected USB-C cables, chargers, docks and ports can actually do. The app displays negotiated speeds, charging details, supported USB standards and potential bottlenecks—useful for anyone wondering why a drive, monitor or video device is underperforming. https://www.whatcable.uk/
• LEGO’s Fast & Furious Toyota Supra MK4: Katie finds a new LEGO Speed Champions version of Brian O’Conner’s Toyota Supra from The Fast and the Furious. The set includes the bright orange movie car and a Brian O’Conner minifigure in his signature T-shirt and jeans. https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/the-fast-and-the-furious-toyota-supra-mk4-77260
• Speed and racing technology at the Carnegie Science Center: The hosts preview an upcoming speed-focused exhibit featuring an interactive track and specialized vehicles connected to the Petersen Automotive Museum. https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1PZqTmHP4J/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Using AI to teach respectful sports camera work: The team examines guidelines designed to prevent women athletes from being sexualized through revealing angles and unnecessary slow-motion replays. Sorg discusses turning the concept into an AI-generated pro wrestling camera guide that can help videographers recognize respectful framing, understand consent and avoid exploitative shots. https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/1uwaxzx/some_of_the_new_guidelines_that_have_been/
• Instagram reverses its public-profile AI remix feature: Dave explains the backlash surrounding a Meta AI feature that could use images from public Instagram profiles in AI creations without first requiring users to opt in. The hosts discuss predictable abuse, privacy risks and why technology companies need more diverse voices involved before launching features like this. Meta subsequently disabled the feature. https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2026/07/13/meta-disables-ai-feature-instagram-backlash/90899917007/
• Jizai Arms bring Doctor Octopus technology closer to reality: A Japanese research project demonstrates wearable robotic arms that can be attached, removed and exchanged between users. The hosts debate whether the project represents meaningful cyborg research, performance art or technology created without enough consideration for how the public will interpret it. https://jizai-arms.com/ Additional commentary: https://www.instagram.com/refashionedhippie/
• Fortnite launches “Hot Bat Summer”: Batman, Harley Quinn, Catwoman and Poison Ivy receive beach-ready DC skins in Fortnite. The discussion naturally turns toward the absurdity of a game where swimsuit Batman can share a battlefield with Bugs Bunny, Homer Simpson and an armed dog in a bee costume. https://www.polygon.com/fortnite-hot-bat-summer-skins-dc-batman-harley-quinn-catwoman-poison-ivy/
• A shirtless protester attacks a Waymo vehicle: Video of a man climbing onto and damaging a Waymo in East Hollywood launches a wider conversation about autonomous vehicles, public surveillance, camera networks and the lack of privacy in modern public spaces. The hosts also discuss how easily hacked or deleted accounts can remove years of digital purchases. https://kotaku.com/shirtless-man-starts-butlerian-jihad-against-waymo-in-east-hollywood-2000715911

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