The QR code froze. The text box flickered: “ERROR – UNEXPECTED INPUT. PLEASE CONTINUE PLAYING.”

Leo knew better. He’d been warned a thousand times in school assemblies about sketchy downloads. But the phantom sound of his friends celebrating a goal he’d never score echoed in his ears. His thumb moved before his brain could stop it.

The truth was brutal: FIFA 23 Next Gen was out. All his friends were playing it on their new consoles or high-end gaming phones. Leo had a bus pass and a collection of old socks. His family couldn’t afford the real game. He couldn’t even afford the data to stream it.