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9 great reads from CNET this week: 2022 games, streaming movies, Rec Room and more

We look ahead to some of the biggest video games coming out in the next year, to a change in when streaming services debut new movies and to how the metaverse might shape up, plus a whole lot more.

CNET News staff
2 min read

We're now more than a year into the era of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and that's reflected in the games that have arrived in recent months. In 2022, we'll see lots more for those consoles -- and other platforms too, from PCs to the Switch -- including a number of titles pushed back from this year. Good luck fitting them all into your gameplay schedule.

Some of the most ardent gamers at CNET have put together their thoughts on the games they're looking forward to. Kevin Knezevic, for instance, has high hopes that Pokemon Legends: Arceus proves to be that series' "most daring departure in years," while Steph Panecasio is on pins and needles waiting for God of War: Ragnarok. Following the Elden Ring network test, Oscar Gonzalez reports that the new open-world aspect of that game appears "both exciting and terrifying."

That story is among the many in-depth features and thought-provoking commentaries that appeared on CNET this week. So here you go. These are the stories you don't want to miss.

CNET's most anticipated video games of 2022

2022 is looking stacked with big releases and other notable favorites; here are some to keep an eye on.

God of War Ragnarok
PlayStation

Matrix has resurrected, but same-day streaming movies are going extinct

Say farewell to the one year that movies actually hit streaming services the same day as the big screen.  

Keanu Reeves as Neo in a billowing trench coat, with other characters from The Matrix Resurrections
Warner Bros.

Rec Room's big plans for the metaverse: 'So much more than a game'

The social gaming platform started in VR, and has seen growth on mobile, consoles and more during the pandemic. Now it's valued at $3.5 billion. 

Rec Room racing
Rec Room

What the US could learn from China's nuclear power expansion

Commentary: China is embarking on the biggest expansion of nuclear power in human history. That could be great news.

China's Tianwan nuclear power plant
Getty Images

NASA James Webb telescope launch a make-or-break moment for anxious astronomers

After 20 years of engineering and a tricky launch, a multibillion-dollar telescope will peer into the farthest reaches of the universe. 

A technician inspects a mirror segment of the James Webb Space Telescope
NASA/MSFC/David Higginbotham

Apple's rumored iPhone 14 Max could be the big-screened phone I've been waiting for 

Commentary: Apple's largest iPhone is usually its most expensive, but that might change in 2022. 

iPhone 13 Pro Max with a cup of cappucino
Patrick Holland/CNET

How I made my own budget knockoff Nanoleaf lights 

I copied the style, but not the price, of these high-design smart lights. 

3d-printed lights in the style of Nanoleaf lights
Dan Ackerman/CNET

Microsoft is mining the Xbox 360 'Red Ring' controversy for profit, and that's not cool

Commentary: And I'm annoyed that Microsoft is selling a poster commemorating its Xbox 360 hardware failure.

Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death
Xbox

The Matrix Resurrections review: A remix with mixed results

Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss question reality in an uneven but dizzyingly playful sequel.

Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss in The Matrix Resurrections
Warner Bros