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Key Takeaways
- Beast of Reincarnation launched today from Game Freak, the Pokemon studio, and it’s day one on Game Pass for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
- The parry-based combat and audio cues mean a good headset and controller matter more than usual for a launch day session.
- The WD_BLACK SSD and PowerA charging dock are the two picks worth grabbing first if you’re only buying one or two things today.
Game Freak just dropped Beast of Reincarnation today, and if the name Game Freak sounds familiar, that’s because these are the same people who’ve been making Pokemon since I was still trading Charizards at recess. Except this isn’t Pokemon. This is a post-apocalyptic Japan, a Soulslike combat system built around parries, a girl named Emma fused with a corruption called the Blight, and a dog named Koo who might be the best video game sidekick since Dogmeat. It’s out now on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, and it’s day one on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, so there’s genuinely no excuse not to be playing this by tonight.
I’ve had a few days with it ahead of launch and I’ll be honest, I’m not some Soulslike savant. I’ve bounced off Elden Ring more than once. But the parry-heavy combat here clicked for me faster than most games in this genre, and the biome-shifting world, where a wasteland can flip into a dense forest mid-exploration, is one of the cooler tricks I’ve seen a game pull in a while. Game Freak’s most ambitious swing outside Pokemon actually landed.
Here’s the thing about a launch day session for a game like this. You’re going to be parked in front of your TV or monitor for hours, probably losing to the same boss fifteen times before you nail the parry window, and your gear matters more than you’d think. A weak headset means you miss the audio tell before an attack. A cheap chair means your back taps out before Emma does. So I put together the setup I’d actually recommend, whether you’re diving in tonight or just gearing up for whatever Soulslike run is next on your list.
1. SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X Wireless Gaming Headset
In a game built around reading audio tells before you throw a parry, a good headset stops being optional. The Arctis Nova 7X sits at 4.2 stars and it’s the one I’ve had on my head through most of my early access run. The 2.4GHz wireless connection is rock solid for a fast-twitch combat game, and the 50-plus hour battery life means you’re not scrambling for a charger mid-boss.
What actually sold me is the real-time audio presets. You can dial in footsteps and enemy tells without EQ-ing it yourself, and having simultaneous 2.4GHz plus Bluetooth means I can keep Discord running for co-op chatter while gaming audio stays crisp. It’s built for Xbox, PS5, PC, and Switch, so it travels with you if your setup changes.
Once your ears are covered, the next thing that’ll make or break a Soulslike session is what’s in your hands.
2. PlayStation DualSense Wireless Controller
Sitting at 4.7 stars with nearly six thousand ratings, the DualSense is still the best controller for parry-timing games because of the haptics. When Emma lands a perfect parry against a Blight creature, you feel it, not just hear it. The adaptive triggers add real resistance when you’re charging a heavy attack, which sounds like a gimmick until you’re twelve hours into a boss run and it’s genuinely helping you read the fight.
If your launch-day plan involves a marathon session, having a backup DualSense on hand means no dead battery interruptions right before a boss attempt. Works across PS5, PC, Mac, and mobile too, so it’s not a one-console purchase.
Now for the part nobody thinks about until their lower back is screaming three hours into a Blight-corrupted swamp.
3. Razer Iskur V2 X NewGen Ergonomic Gaming Chair
Soulslike games punish you for tapping out early, and that includes physically tapping out because your chair is garbage. The Iskur V2 X NewGen has built-in lumbar support that actually holds up over a four or five hour session, which is realistically how long a Beast of Reincarnation launch night is going to run once you hit that first real wall boss.
The CoolTouch leather is the detail I didn’t know I needed. It doesn’t turn into a sweat trap the way a lot of gaming chairs do once you’re leaning forward, tense, trying to time a dodge. At 4.3 stars, it’s not the flashiest chair out there, but it’s built for the exact scenario this game is going to put you through.
Comfort handled. Now let’s talk about the thing that’ll actually stop you from playing at all if you skip it: storage.
4. WD_BLACK SN850P 2TB NVMe SSD (Officially Licensed for PS5)
This is the pick I’d grab first if I were only buying one thing off this list. A base PS5 fills up fast once you add a big Unreal Engine 5 open-world game on top of whatever you’re already running, and this WD_BLACK drive is officially licensed by Sony, which means zero guesswork on compatibility. It’s sitting at 4.8 stars across over eleven thousand ratings, the highest rated pick in this whole roundup.
Speeds up to 7,300MB/s keep load times snappy even with the game’s biome-shifting areas streaming in real time, and the included heatsink means it won’t throttle during a long session. Two terabytes gets you roughly enough room for Beast of Reincarnation plus everything else you were already juggling.
If you’re planning on sharing any of your runs online, and after seeing Koo in action I’d bet you will be, this next one’s for you.
5. Elgato 4K X Capture Card
Elgato’s the name everybody in streaming defaults to for a reason, and the 4K X backs it up with HDMI 2.1 support and 4K at 144 frames per second. If you want to clip that first perfect parry against a Blight boss, or you’re planning to run this on Twitch while your Discord friends watch you rage, this is the card to grab. It’s rated 4.6 stars and plugs straight into OBS, Streamlabs, or whatever you’re already using.
Ultra-low latency passthrough means you’re not fighting input delay while recording, which matters a lot in a parry-timing game where a few milliseconds decides whether you dodge or eat a combo. HDR10 passthrough keeps the game’s color work intact too, and that biome-shifting visual trick looks a lot better in HDR.
Not everyone wants headphones on for a game this atmospheric, though. Sometimes you want the room to feel it too.
6. Bose Smart Ultra Dolby Atmos Soundbar
Part of what makes Beast of Reincarnation hit is how the sound design shifts the second a biome flips from wasteland to forest. That’s the kind of thing a soundbar with real Dolby Atmos does a lot more justice to than TV speakers ever will. The Bose Smart Ultra spreads sound around the room instead of just throwing it at you, and it’s sitting at 4.2 stars with over eight hundred ratings.
The A.I. Dialogue Mode is a nice touch for a story-heavy RPG like this one, keeping Emma’s dialogue crisp even when a boss fight’s sound design gets chaotic. Setup is HDMI eARC, so it’s a fifteen minute job, not a weekend project, and it doubles as your movie night upgrade once you’ve beaten the game.
Last one on the list is the cheapest, and honestly might be the one you’ll thank me for the most.
7. PowerA Twin Charging Station for DualSense Controllers
There is nothing worse than finally learning a boss’s parry window and having your controller die mid-attempt. The PowerA Twin Charging Station is officially licensed, charges two DualSense controllers at once, and it’s the highest rated pick on this whole list at 4.7 stars with nearly five thousand ratings. It’s a fifteen dollar fix for a problem that’ll ruin your night otherwise.
It also just looks clean sitting next to your setup, displaying both controllers instead of leaving cables snaking across your entertainment stand. Simple, cheap, does exactly one job well.
I’ve been covering headsets on this site for a while now, and if you want a deeper breakdown of how the Arctis Nova 7X stacks up against the competition, I covered that in my Arctis Nova 7X vs Xbox Wireless Headset comparison earlier this year. And if Beast of Reincarnation isn’t scratching the itch and you want something more traditional, I ran through what’s new on PS Plus in my PS Plus July 2026 roundup.
For more on the actual game itself, PlayStation’s own blog ran a hands-on ahead of launch that backs up what I’ve been saying about the parry-rich combat. Worth a read if you want more detail on the mechanics before you jump in: PlayStation Blog’s Beast of Reincarnation hands-on.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best gaming headset for Beast of Reincarnation?
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X is my pick because of the real-time audio presets that help you pick out enemy tells before a parry window, plus a battery that outlasts a full launch-night session.
Do I need extra storage for Beast of Reincarnation on PS5?
If your PS5 is already carrying a handful of big Unreal Engine 5 titles, yes. A 2TB expansion like the WD_BLACK SN850P gives you enough room without having to delete anything to make space for it.
Is Beast of Reincarnation on Xbox Game Pass?
Yes, it’s available day one on both Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, alongside a PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam release.
What’s the best controller for a Soulslike game like this?
The PlayStation DualSense stands out for its haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, which give you physical feedback on parries and heavy attacks that a standard controller can’t replicate.
Is Beast of Reincarnation worth playing if I’ve never finished a Soulslike?
I’d say yes. The parry-focused combat system is more forgiving to learn than something like Elden Ring, and the biome-shifting world design keeps exploration interesting even when a boss is kicking your teeth in.
