'Friendslop' dominated 2025 by proving time and time again that graphics are overrated

If there's a single throughline for the PC gaming year that was 2025, it's finally accepting that the pursuit of fancy graphics just doesn't make sense anymore.

Tech has hit a hard graphics plateau: raw generational updates are now nuanced upgrades measured in single-digit frame gains rather than evolutions anyone with eyes can appreciate, and the subsequent pivot to AI-generated frames and experimental hair follicles aren't really revving anyone's engines when those upgrades cost a month's rent.