12 November morning briefing: Switch 2 releases, Steam age checks and the PS Plus changes

Thursday 12 November, Brisbane. The useful distinction this morning is between something you can get now, something newly announced, and an old announcement being repeated as news. Here is the checked edition, with regional gaps left visible.

Today: two Australian listings say “Out now”

Nintendo Australia marks Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy and Metaphor: ReFantazio as out now. Its public Australian price service also reports both on sale: AUD $99.95 and AUD $59.95 respectively for the linked full-game listings at our check. These are not upgrade-pack prices or a guarantee about retailer stock. Our updated Switch 2 guide separates those checks from Sonic Pico Park’s scheduled 12 November release, whose local unlock we have not independently confirmed.

Subscriptions and PC: read the conditions

Sony’s November catalogue and PC app changes are separate announcements: the next main catalogue date is 17 November; the PC cloud-streaming app retires on 10 December. Australian Deluxe is not overseas Premium. Valve’s Australian age-assurance FAQ also lists an automatic route for qualifying older accounts, so “everyone must add a credit card” misses a material condition.

Auto SR’s supported handheld mode is available in Microsoft’s announced rollout, while Performance Mode and Auto HDR remain staged Windows-update features. Up to 120 fps is not a benchmark promise.

Game updates: a real deadline, and a future preview

Warframe’s one-time Taubound operation is still dated to end on 17 November; the Tau prologue is permanent. Check the event guide before treating both as the same deadline. Marathon’s Symbiosis preview announces 8 December and Open Play Week, not an update you can launch today.

Bungie’s June support baseline and its later Destiny restoration plans must be read together. The returning-player guide now distinguishes playable content from undated work. We have not established a new Destiny campaign release. Infinity Ward’s 11 November notes now add global hitscan-distance changes and Bombing Run disabled in X01, beyond the 10 November changes covered in our 11 November edition. GTA VI’s already-published cloud correction is unchanged.

PC free-game deadline

Epic’s Australian promotions feed lists Flotsam at a zero promotional price until 2 am AEST on Friday 13 November (12 November, 16:00 UTC). The API check is not a completed claim or checkout test; confirm the offer in your Australian account before its cutoff. The feed’s separate Idle Champions promotion is not treated as a newly free base game.

The next seven days

• 13 November: Magic’s physical Star Trek release date; regional product delays still require a local stock check. Arena is separate.
• 14 November, 2 am Brisbane: the previously verified Arena Direct opening. Read entry and eligibility details.
• 17 November: Sony’s announced catalogue wave and Warframe’s dated event ending. Neither establishes a universal midnight unlock/cutoff.
• 18 November: Nintendo’s announced Dreamlight Valley expansion date.
• 19 November: GTA VI’s announced console launch; use the existing platform/time guide for the separate cloud schedule.

Entertainment and worthwhile discoveries

Disney’s general Explore article and Spanish press announcement date Endgame: Encore for 13 November. We have not independently confirmed Australian availability or an Australian unlock hour; this is a regional lead, not an “out now in Australia” claim. Final Doomsday trailer speculation remains unverified in this edition, rather than an official release-date announcement.

For a smaller co-op discovery, Sonic Pico Park’s publisher describes 2–8-player cooperation across multiple platforms. For a larger future adventure, Obsidian’s Side Effects Guaranteed expansion is announced for 2 December, with a second part in 2027. The US price is not relabelled as Australian dollars.

Use the release calendar for source-linked dates. This edition contains confirmed announcements and explicitly labelled regional/unverified leads; no rumour has been promoted to fact.

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