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‘Many’ Xbox Series X/S games will be playable on Xbox One

(Image credit: Microsoft)

The Xbox Series X and S might be Microsoft’s newest consoles, but you won’t need them to play the latest games. That’s because new titles are coming to Xbox One consoles, Microsoft has announced.

Now, there are a few caveats to this announcement. Not all games will be playable on the older consoles, as Microsoft has only said that “many” will. They will be playable through Xbox Cloud Gaming, rather than arriving on disc. And there’s not a lot of detail to dive into – the announcement was relegated to a single sentence in a blog post following Microsoft’s showcase at the E3 gaming conference.

Here’s the announcement in full:

“For the millions of people who play on Xbox One consoles today, we are looking forward to sharing more about how we will bring many of these next-gen games, such as Microsoft Flight Simulator, to your console through Xbox Cloud Gaming, just like we do with mobile devices, tablets, and browsers.”

That mention of Microsoft Flight Simulator as an example doesn’t exactly set our hearts aflutter either.

Still, it’s confirmation of what Microsoft had only hinted at before, and means anyone still struggling where to find an Xbox Series X (which is most of us) can get an idea of what all the fuss is about. Last week, Microsoft revealed it was working on bringing an Xbox app direct to smart TVs, as well as producing streaming devices, letting gamers play without the need for a console. Which, given the chip shortages that will continue until at least the end of this month, has to be good news.

We look forward to hearing more details soon.

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The PlayStation 5 is available through Sony’s store

More than six months after its initial debut, the PlayStation 5 remains as elusive as ever. Sony also expects console shortages to stretch into 2022, however, at 5:15PM ET / 2:15PM PT, both the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition will be available at Sony’s store. You can head to that site right now, and the page will automatically toss you into the queue to (hopefully) secure a PS5 from the batch being released into the wild today.

Sony says that you don’t need to refresh the page, but make sure that you stick around once the queue begins because it’ll likely ask you at some point to verify that you’re still present, or else you might be booted from the queue. If it’s your first time, welcome to the needless drama involved with buying a PS5.

So, what’s the difference between the two models?

The standard PS5 ($499.99) and the Digital Edition ($399.99) are nearly identical, aside from the obvious. The standard console features a UHD Blu-ray disc drive whereas the latter does not, meaning you’ll need to download or stream anything you want to watch or play. The Digital Edition also features a slimmer, lighter build because of this, however, keep in that the size difference is slight. Both consoles also sport an 825GB SSD.

PlayStation 5

Sony’s flagship next-gen console, which includes a disc drive, allowing you to play both digital and physical games on the PS4 and PS5.

$500

at Sony

If you do manage to purchase a PS5, there are a few games and additional accessories we suggest you pick up, including Sony’s Pulse 3D Headset, the forthcoming midnight black DualSense controller, and the best PS5 exclusive released thus far: Returnal.

In addition to the accessories above, we also recommend buying an annual membership to PlayStation Plus. Doing so gives you access to online multiplayer, a selection of free monthly titles, and the PlayStation Plus Collection, which allows you to play a host of PlayStation 4 classics on your PS5 at no additional cost.

GTA Online is shutting down for PS3 and Xbox 360 later this year

Rockstar Games announced that the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of GTA Online, the online multiplayer component of Grand Theft Auto V, will no longer be accessible starting December 16th, 2021. Shark Cash Cards, which unlock the in-game currency for GTA Online, will no longer be purchasable on these consoles after September 15th, 2021.

The company said in a press release that shutting down GTA Online for these consoles will “have no impact on access to, or progress within, the Grand Theft Auto V story mode.” You simply won’t be able to go online with the game.

Additionally, website stat tracking for GTA Online will cease operation on December 16th, 2021. Web stat tracking for some of the studio’s other PS3 and Xbox 360 games that have Social Club integration, including Max Payne 3 and L.A. Noire, will be shut down earlier on September 16th, 2021.

It speaks to the popularity of GTA Online and the massive install base of both PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles that Rockstar Games kept the lights on, so to speak, for so long. These consoles saw the initial release of Grand Theft Auto V almost eight years ago, and its highly anticipated online open-world multiplayer mode debuted a month after launch. All in all, the service has spanned entire console generations.

Since then, it has rereleased on the PS4 and Xbox One in 2014, on PC in 2015, and on November 11th, 2021, it’ll come to the PS5 and Xbox Series X / S consoles. There’s no end in sight for GTA Online on modern hardware. But it’s understandable that, after almost eight years of service on outdated, hard-to-buy consoles, now’s the time to pull the plug.

Sony reportedly plans PSVR successor for next holiday season

Sony’s next-gen PlayStation VR headset is likely to come out in late 2022, according to a new report. Bloomberg’s sources say Sony is “aiming to release the successor in the holiday period next year,” and that the headset will use OLED panels from Samsung Display.

A release in that timeframe wouldn’t be too surprising, since Sony has already started talking up the PS5 headset’s potential. Its existence was first confirmed in February along with some initial details, and Sony followed up by showing off the new controllers in March.

The headset itself hasn’t yet been revealed. But according to an UploadVR report from last month, it’ll have a total resolution of 4000 x 2040 and make use of eye tracking to enable foveated rendering, which should ease the processing load by using lower resolution imagery in your peripheral vision. The next-gen PSVR is also said to use inside-out tracking and include haptic feedback in the headset as well as the controllers.

Bloomberg’s report is more broadly focused on Japan Display Inc, an LCD specialist that has seen smartphone display sales slump as the market moved to OLED but now considers VR headsets “big business.” While OLED was initially the standard for VR, more recently manufacturers like Facebook and HTC have been moving to LCD panels because they’re more practical at higher resolutions, despite having lower contrast. Sony, however, appears to be sticking with OLED for the next PSVR.

CD Projekt says Cyberpunk 2077 will return to Sony’s PlayStation Store on June 21st

CD Projekt says Cyberpunk 2077 will return to Sony’s PlayStation Store on June 21st, slightly more than six months after being removed. As Polygon notes, the news came in a regulatory disclosure by Cyberpunk 2077’s developer, CD Projekt Red’s parent company, saying Sony had agreed to reinstate the game.

A CD Projekt Red spokesperson declined further comment about Cyberpunk 2077’s return, including what potential bug fixes or other updates the new version offers. In a statement to Polygon, Sony confirmed the news but said that it still doesn’t recommend playing the game on PlayStation 4. “Users will continue to experience performance issues with the PS4 edition while CD Projekt Red continues to improve stability across all platforms. [Sony Interactive Entertainment] recommends playing the title on PS4 Pro or PS5 for the best experience,” a spokesperson said.

CD Projekt executives have said they frequently updated Sony on fixes for Cyberpunk 2077’s myriad bugs and performance issues since the game was pulled from the store on December 17th, 2020. The studio has released numerous patches for its console, PC, and Google Stadia editions; in late May, joint CEO Adam Kiciński told investors there’d been “visible progress” on stabilizing the game. But Kiciński said Sony would have to make the final call.

Cyberpunk 2077 was released in December to strong sales but severe technical problems. The game struggled to run on last-generation Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles, and players faced numerous (and frequently hilarious) bugs on every platform. Microsoft and Sony both offered refunds for the game, and Microsoft added a warning label for Xbox One owners on its Xbox store. Sony took the more drastic step of pulling Cyberpunk 2077 from its PlayStation Store entirely. Console owners could still buy physical discs, but CD Projekt has said that the digital version’s absence may have slowed down sales on Xbox and PC as well as PlayStation.

CD Projekt Red spent nearly a decade designing Cyberpunk 2077, and it calls the game a long-term investment that it can sell for “years to come.” The studio has backed away from plans for a standalone multiplayer mode, saying it would focus on adding online features to all its games instead. But it’s promised downloadable content for Cyberpunk 2077’s single-player campaign, plus a major upgrade for new consoles — including the PlayStation 5 — in the second half of this year.

Update June 15th, 2:00PM ET: Added comment from Sony via Polygon and response from CD Projekt Red.

The first three Super Monkey Ball games are getting remastered

Sega on Tuesday announced Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania, a “modern HD remaster” of Super Monkey Ball, Super Monkey Ball 2, and Super Monkey Ball Deluxe that will be releasing on October 5th for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X / S, and PC. The announcement arrives ahead of the 20th anniversary of the first game’s original release on June 23rd, 2001.

The meat of the Super Monkey Ball series consists of navigating increasingly challenging mazes as adorable monkeys rolling around in transparent balls. But these three games also had some ridiculous multiplayer mini-games that I spent hours on as a kid, such as bowling, billiards, and even golf.

Soccer is one of the mini-games you can play.

Image: Sega

Sega says Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania will include more than 300 recreated levels and refined versions of the 12 multiplayer mini-games from the original games. Those 12 multiplayer games won’t be playable online, though — they’re four-player local multiplayer only, Sega tells The Verge. The remaster does have online leaderboards and an online time attack mode, however.

Razer’s updated Raptor 27 is a faster 165Hz monitor, now with optional VESA

Razer has refreshed its minimalist Raptor 27 gaming monitor with FreeSync Premium support with low frame rate compensation for smoother gameplay; a slightly faster 165Hz refresh rate (the previous model topped out at 144Hz); and THX certification claiming to deliver great color, tone, and image accuracy. Like the 2019 version, this one has Nvidia G-Sync compatibility, and its matte 27-inch QHD IPS panel covers 95 percent of the DCI-P3 color space.

This monitor will cost $799.99 when it releases in Q3 2021, which is $100 more than the previous version. The improvements make it at least worth considering if you want to game on PC with enhanced variable refresh rate tech. That, and Razer’s Raptor 27 is tough to beat when it comes to design, with its sturdy aluminum base that lets the monitor flip 90 degrees for easy cable management. It’s undoubtedly a high price to pay, though, when some 4K gaming monitors cost just a little more. For $899, Acer’s Nitro XV28 has a 28-inch 4K IPS screen with HDMI 2.1 ports that support up to fast 120Hz refresh rate gaming on PC or the PS5 and Xbox Series X.

Razer now offers a VESA adapter for this Raptor 27 and the previous model. If you want to abandon the base that comes with the monitor, this adapter (also releasing in Q3 2021) costs $100 and will let you mount the Raptor 27 to a monitor arm or some other VESA base that you might prefer. This would have been a pretty appealing accessory to include with the refreshed monitor, particularly given that the new monitor also costs $100 more, but alas. There’s a good chance you might want to use the standard Chroma LED-lined base anyway.

The optional VESA adapter will let you mount the Raptor 27 to a monitor arm or a different stand.

Outside of the tweaks I mentioned earlier, not much else is different here. The ports haven’t changed with this update. It still comes with an HDMI 2.0b port, a DisplayPort v1.4 port, a USB-C port with DisplayPort support, two USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 passthrough ports, and a headphone jack.

Charge up to four devices at once, with 130W of power to split.

Razer has another E3 announcement, but it has little to do with gaming: it’s a $179.99 GaN charger that can supply up to 130W of total power. It’s worth noting that its two USB-C ports support up to 100W (not 130W as the name might seem to suggest), and the two USB Type-A ports can pull 18W each. If you have multiple devices plugged in at once, it’ll share the wattage between them, totaling up to 130W. The charger comes with some global adapters included, so it might be a good option for traveling, depending on where you’re going.

Razer’s GaN charger isn’t the only 100W option on the market. There’s HyperJuice’s similar-looking $100 charger, for one, and that company also made these inventive 65W and 100W GaN chargers that can be stacked for more power and more ports. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a faster USB-C charger than 100W, but that could change in the future, as the new USB-C Release 2.1 spec supports up to 240W charging. Though, in the meantime, it won’t take much effort to find a more affordable GaN charger than Razer’s.

Razer’s updated Raptor 27 is a faster 165Hz monitor, now with optional VESA

The optional VESA adapter will let you mount the Raptor 27 to a monitor arm or a different stand.

Charge up to four devices at once, with 130W of power to split.

Razer’s Opus X are affordable wireless gaming headphones with low latency technology

(Image credit: Razer)

Razer has launched the Opus X, over-ear Bluetooth headphones with noise-cancelling for just £100 ($100, AU$169.95).

Best known for its gaming laptops and peripherals, Razer branched out into gaming audio last year with the THX-certified Opus headphones. The new Opus X are half the launch price of their older sibling, with a similar spec and design, while including Razer’s low-latency ‘Gaming Mode’, which reduces latency over Bluetooth 5 to 60 milliseconds. It’s a technology featured in other Razer headphones but not in the original Opus.

The Opus X has four microphones, two for voice calls and two for active noise cancellation technology. There is a multifunction button on the rim of the right ear cup that lets you quickly toggle between ANC and ‘Quick Attention’ mode to let in more ambient sound.

Each 40mm driver is housed in a rotatable circumaural ear cup with plush leatherette ear cushions for added comfort. Unlike the original Opus, there’s no auto-pause/play feature for when you remove and replace the headphones. There’s also no mini-jack connection, just a USB-C port for charging. Stated battery life is a healthy 30 hours with ANC and up to 40 hours with ANC off.

This Razer Opus X headphones are available now, come in three colours — green, quartz and mercury – and cost £100 ($100, AU$169.95).

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The six coolest games from the PC Gaming Show at E3 2021

The second day of E3 2021 has been busy with Xbox and Bethesda’s joint conference followed by Square Enix’s showcase, but plenty more game announcements came from the PC Gaming Show. If you don’t have time to catch up on the whole 90 minutes, we’ve rounded up a few of our highlights of intriguing and upcoming games that you’ll want to wishlist on Steam.

Rawmen

Basically Splatoon but with food, Rawmen is a third-person arena shooter where instead of guns, you fight with food against up to two to eight players. Sling soup at your opponents, become a human meatball by jumping into meat juice and rolling your way back home, or launch yourself in the air with doughnut bombs.

They Always Run

This space Western 2D action game sees you playing a three-armed mutant hunting dangerous bounties across the galaxy. From the visuals, the animation, the music, it’s just dripping with style, and plenty of ultra-violence as you hack and slash your way through each level.

Far: Changing Tides

Far: Lone Sails was a minimal, lonely, but powerfully meditative experience as you charted journey across a post-apocalyptic environment with nothing but yourself and a unique hunk of a junk of a vehicle. So a sequel, Far: Changing Tides comes as a lovely surprise. It looks even more beautiful, and this time you’re piloting a ship across a flooded world, while still trying to keep your machine moving forward by salvaging ship parts during your travels.

Next Space Rebels

A space rocket-building sim with a narrative, Next Space Rebels has the feel of a DIY amateur’s Kerbal Space Program, as you try to put together a rocket engine that can actually launch. Tied to this simulation however is a story conveyed through FMV cutscenes, as fictitious hacker group Next Space Rebels urge the global community to build and launch rockets themselves, and “democratize the universe.”

Soulstice

The name may imply a shameless Souls clone, but Italian developer Reply Game Studios is also taking inspiration from Japanese character-action games like Devil May Cry, as well as early ‘80s anime. Another influence may be PlatinumGames’ Astral Chain, as you’re controlling two characters simultaneously; two sisters called Briar and Lute, one possessing superhuman strength, the other a ghost with mystical powers.

Lemnis Gate

This turn-based time-looping first-person shooter tasks you to take control of each of your team members one at a time playing a round that lasts just 25 seconds. It was first announced last year but its release is just around the corner as the latest trailer has confirmed Lemnis Gate is coming on August 3rd to PC, as well as PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One. An open beta is also coming in July, so players can get their heads around just how this time-bending gameplay works.

Black Panther is coming to Marvel’s Avengers this August

Previously announced for Marvel’s Avengers, today’s Square Enix E3 Showcase gave a first proper look at Black Panther who joins the superhero roster in a brand new expansion, War For Wakanda.

A new cinematic trailer introduces the King of Wakanda himself — although his face is not shown clearly until he puts on his Black Panther mask. He will be defending Wakanda from Klaw, who has infiltrated Wakanda in order to steal Vibranium for his own plans.

The trailer page indicates that War For Wakanda will release this August. The Black Panther expansion will be free to players who already own Marvel’s Avengers on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One. The expansion had supposedly been planned for release earlier but was delayed due to the sad and sudden passing of Chadwick Boseman, who played the superhero in the Marvel film.

Elsewhere in Marvel, Square Enix also announced today that Eidos Montreal is making a Guardians of the Galaxy game, slated to launch this October.

Co-op action game Babylon’s Fall finally gets gameplay trailer

Babylon’s Fall finally has a substantial gameplay trailer, which was revealed at Square Enix’s E3 2021 Showcase. The new trailer is the first time it’s been seen since the game was first announced in 2018. Players will team up tackling challenging dungeons in an attempt to scale the titular tower.

The co-op title is developed by PlatinumGames and can be played solo or with up to four players. Besides the studio’s trademark hi-octane melee action, the new footage from the fantasy title shows that players can wield ranged weapons like magic staffs and bows. Their powers and customization is also based on a special equipment called the Gideon Coffin worn on their backs.

The developers confirmed that Babylon’s Fall is a live-service title that will feature a range of post launch game modes at no additional cost. Sign-ups are also taking place for a closed beta, which you can register via the official website.

Babylon’s Fall was first announced at Square Enix’s E3 conference in 2018, where it was confirmed for PS4 and PC. Little else has been heard about the game, apart from another teaser over a year later, while PlatinumGames assured fans last year that the game was still in development. The game is now also coming to PS5.

Square Enix announces action-heavy spinoff Final Fantasy Origin

The next Final Fantasy spinoff is heavy on the action, and certainly doesn’t skimp when it comes to giant swords. At its E3 2021 keynote, Square Enix revealed Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin — yes, that’s the actual full title — which is billed as a collaboration between Final Fantasy veterans Tetsuya Nomura and Kazushige Nojima, and renowned action game studio Team Ninja. You can get a sense of the action in the trailer above.

It’s not clear how, exactly, the game ties back to the rest of the franchise, but the description certainly sounds very Final Fantasy:

With the memory of their struggle buried deep in their hearts… Jack and his allies, Ash and Jed, burn with resolve to defeat Chaos as they throw open the gates to the Chaos Shrine. Yet doubts remain — are they truly the Warriors of Light the prophecy foretold?  Step into a world of dark fantasy and revel in the exhilarating, action-packed battles.

In a statement, Nomura said that “While it is Final Fantasy, it feels different — but there’s no doubt that the blood of Final Fantasy runs through its veins. We’ve undertaken the challenge of finding this difficult middle ground for this mature and stylish title. We need a little time until we’re able to complete it, and while the battle system is a bloody one, it does link to the story, so I hope you’ll use this opportunity to give it a try.”

The game is slated to launch in 2022 for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, though a PS5 demo will be available on June 24th.

Eidos Montreal is making a Guardians of the Galaxy game

The team behind the Deus Ex games is tackling one of Marvel’s most famous superhero groups next. At its E3 2021 keynote, publisher Square Enix revealed that Eidos Montreal, the studio behind games like Deus Ex: Human Revolution, is working on a game titled simply Guardians of the Galaxy.

The game puts players in the role of Star Lord (aka Peter Quill) in a third-person action-adventure experience. In a unique twist, Peter will be joined by the rest of the Guardians at all times, with the likes of Groot and Rocket being AI companions. The story takes place several years after some kind of intergalactic war, when the Guardians are still a relatively fresh group, having been together for less than a year.

Eidos also says that choice will play a large part: as the team’s de factor leader, you’ll have to make decisions that impact the story. During one sequence, for instance, you’ll have to decide whether to sell Rocket or Groot to some kind of monster collector. (Curiously, the Guardians were previously featured in a choice-based adventure game from Telltale back in 2017.) Early gameplay footage shows a game filled with big shooter battles, colorful worlds, plenty of ‘80s music, weird alien monsters, sleek starships, and lots of banter.

This isn’t Square Enix’s first foray into Marvel, as the publisher previously released an Avengers game primarily developed by Crystal Dynamics (Eidos Montreal also assisted on that game). Despite a well-received single-player campaign, the game was saddled with live-service elements and microtransactions that were largely criticized. Guardians of the Galaxy, meanwhile, will be entirely single-player, with no add-on DLC or microtransactions.

Marvel games don’t necessarily have the strongest track record, though that has been slowly changing. Most notably, Sony studio Insomniac released an excellent take on Spider-Man, and followed it up with an equally excellent spinoff starring Miles Morales.

Guardians of the Galaxy launches on October 26th for the PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

Diablo II: Resurrected is launching in September

The remastered take on arguably the best Diablo game is launching this fall. At E3 Blizzard announced that Diablo II: Resurrected will be available on September 23rd. It’s coming to the PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch. Blizzard says that, if you’re playing on capable hardware, the game “supports up to 4K resolution and includes fully remastered 7.1 Dolby Surround audio.” That said, you can also go retro, with an option to play in the original 800×600 resolution.

Resurrected was first announced at a virtual Blizzcon event earlier this year, but it’s also part of a bigger push for the franchise. In addition to the remaster, Diablo is also expanding to mobile, while the flagship Diablo IV is also in the works — though it’s not clear when it will launch. An open beta for Resurrected’s multiplayer will be available in August on “supporting platforms.”