In 2026, readers can take back control of what lands in their feeds by embracing RSS again. This guide explains how to set up RSS readers to surface the news, reviews, and deals you actually want, without surrendering to opaque recommendation engines. The goal is a clean, chronological stream you curate, not one shaped by an algorithm you don’t fully control.
RSS survived the decline of Google Reader in 2013 and the broader collapse of early open-web dreams. It remains a straightforward protocol: subscribe to sites, fetch updates, and present them in a simple list. The result is a private, trackable workflow you can tune to your own rhythm. If the last decade of social feeds felt like signals you could neither pause nor edit, RSS offers a modular alternative you own.
Starting with a basic, low-friction setup is wise. On Apple devices, Reeder remains one of the most recommended clients, offered in two flavors: Reeder, a monthly subscription, and Reeder Classic, a one-time $10 purchase. Both versions let you plug in favorite sites—PC Gamer among them—and read in a clean, chronological stack. If you don’t own an Apple device, Feedly provides a solid entry point that’s broadly compatible, though it carries occasional AI-assisted suggestions and upsells you can largely ignore. For users who want a very hands-off path, Feedly remains a perfectly cromulent option to dip your toe into RSS waters.
Another commonly cited option in RSS circles is Inoreader, which offers features similar to Feedly and can serve as a bridge to more complex setups. The notes don’t vouch for it personally, but it’s frequently recommended for those who want more filters and automation without hosting data themselves.
For those who prize privacy and total control, FreshRSS is the go-to. Self-hosted on your own server, it can be tweaked to taste, maximizing privacy and customization—but it’s a bit more faff than plug-and-play. The recommended approach is to start with a more basic solution to build a routine, then graduate to a hosted or self-hosted option if you decide the effort is worth the payoff. And when you begin, be sure to add PC Gamer to your feeds so the content you care about is always within reach.
OPML export is a practical, portable bridge between services. You can export your subscriptions from one reader and import into another if you outgrow your current setup, preserving your curation and avoiding vendor lock-in. For anyone who wants to stay private while still enjoying a broad stream of content, self-hosted FreshRSS can pair with an OPML export/import routine to keep things under your own roof. And yes, PC Gamer belongs on that feed as a baseline for the channel you’re building.
The article’s author, Josh, has a long history with PC Gamer and a background that spans Vice, Fanbyte, and the Financial Times. His tastes skew toward CRPGs and immersive sims, but the underlying message is simple: RSS is a workable, moddable tool for anyone who wants agency over what they read and when they read it. The goal remains pragmatic—build a feed you actually trust, then let the rest follow.
