1UP Vault's Big 3 of 2025
The Most Impactful Person, Studio, and Hardware of 2025
I came up with “The Big 3” last year to look at three highly influential categories in the year in gaming. We have the person who most influenced the industry, the studio that made the most impact, and the hardware that took over. Last year’s picks were Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Team Asobi, and PlayStation 5 Pro. As a reminder, much like the TIME Person of the Year, this is not an award; it’s a focus on the person who most impacted things for better or worse (something that people who follow TIME Person of the Year consistently forget).
Person of the Year
President Donald J. Trump
No one has had more impact on the world of video games than the returning President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. Trump’s comeback ascension hasn’t been seen in politics since President Grover Cleveland, who came back after losing an election to Benjamin Harrison, for whom he won the popular vote. In a twist of similarities, just as Cleveland did, Trump seems to be following his lead, not just being one of the worst men to occupy the office, but also crashing the economy. The President’s tariffs, combined with the AI frenzy, have created price hikes that we never seen in the industry before. The days of consoles going down in price are being followed by higher prices, to the point that I got my Xbox Series X at launch for less, even after inflation.
The Trump administration's policies are raising new questions about the barrier to entry for video game hardware. Unlike movies and music, hardware is a central piece of video games, and unfortunately, it’s always been pricey. As a result, children whose parents are not gamers have to work extra hard to convince their parents to buy them consoles, and most parents will brush them off, pointing to games on their iPads and phones. The long term effects of mainstream AAA gaming becoming more expensive will take time to sort out, but it doesn’t look good for consoles, which are already struggling to grow. While it is true that people have shown they’re okay with spending more for their favorite hobbies, such as the rise of PC gaming, that tends to be more the hardcore fan, not the normal everyday consumer. It’s not a pretty picture, and it all comes from the policies of the current President.
Studio of the Year
Sandfall Interactive
Coming seemingly out of nowhere, the new studio of Sandfall Interactive took the video game world by storm with its highly acclaimed game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The story of this studio has been told enough because it really sounds like a movie script. The studio's heads are former Ubisoft employees who didn’t believe the company would back such a game. The composer of the soundtrack, which has gone on to become one of the greatest video game soundtracks of all time, was found on a SoundCloud forum. They took a shot on a relatively unknown writer. It all came together when Expedition 33 launched in May of 2025 and lit the world on fire. Sandfall took a risk with turn-based combat, which has become less popular after the golden age of 1990s JRPGs. Adding new elements to combat, such as parrying and jumping, added a new flavor that I believe will attract copycats in the future. Along with a compelling story and characters that are going to stand the test of time, this new studio created the runaway Game of the Year and redefined what “AA” can be. We don’t know if it was a one-hit wonder, but we do know that in 2025, it was a special moment, and they deserve all the recognition.
Hardware of the Year
The Handhelds
I pretty much knew the Nintendo Switch 2 would be the hardware of the year before it was even revealed, because the Nintendo brand name and impact are too strong. However, I’ve decided to include all gaming handhelds because it’s now fairly obvious that the rise of gaming handhelds is here to stay and could mark the start of a new way for gamers to play. Handhelds have always been around, but they’ve always been supplemental devices. The peak of classic handheld games was during the Nintendo DS era, a system that came super close to matching the PlayStation 2’s unit sales. This time, though, we have PC gaming handhelds that can play modern AAA next-gen games, if you’re willing to take the slight graphical and performance hit. Now, these things aren't perfect; they tend to be tied to PC storefronts that aren’t as friendly to casuals, though the new Xbox handheld OS and SteamOS do help as much as possible. They are also pricey, with the Steam Deck now starting at $549 and the average gaming PC handheld sitting near $1000. But I do wonder if these devices are where many kids and casuals will eventually go if consoles do become more premium-tier.
Then we have the new Nintendo system, the Nintendo Switch 2. Much like the PS5 Pro, this one is a bit polarizing, as some feel it hasn’t given a good enough reason to own it, especially given it’s the priciest system Nintendo has released (even when inflation is taken into account), with a starting price of $449. The system (at least to my eye and best I can figure) is like a PS4 Pro in terms of graphical fidelity, even able to do things the system can’t, like some light ray tracing and AI upscaling. Still, while this will eventually age out like the original Switch, it’s enough to give us what are probably going to be some beautiful Nintendo games. I mean, Metroid Prime 4’s Switch 2 port looks surprisingly great, and that wasn’t even made from the ground up on the Switch 2. It’s early, and I think 2026 is going to be a bigger and better year for the new system, but the Switch 2 is the next step for Nintendo and marks a new era for the company.
I have to admit, when I saw the picture of Trump, I was a bit concerned where this article was going 😂 All good points in the end though