Microsoft seems to be doing everything it can to change the paradigm of video games , especially in the console ecosystem, but according to Phil Spencer’s statements, it seems that this would have only just begun, there is a possibility that Microsoft allows to play the games of the new generation of Xbox from a console of the previous generation.
We are not talking about any type of future compatibility, but something a lot easier to get and that, according to the words of Phil, believe that it is totally possible and that equipping the Xbox One The possibility of playing Xbox Series X titles in the cloud is not something impossible, but simply work to do and, specifically, that “they know how to do it”.
So if things work out as we think Microsoft would add cloud game support to the Xbox One, allow thus allowing you to play Xbox Series X games as we could do from other devices , because once you have a robust platform in the cloud, it is only a matter to create a client compatible with the platform from which we want to play.
Without a doubt, this is great news for those who cannot update to the new generation right now , because just by purchasing the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, they could access the new titles.
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Jordi Bercial
Avid enthusiast of technology and electronics . I messed around with computer components almost since I learned to ride. I started working at Geeknetic after winning a contest on their forum for writing hardware articles. Drift, mechanics and photography lover. Don’t be shy and leave a comment on my articles if you have any questions.
After Sony released a new firmware for the PlayStation 4, all Xbox One owners can now look forward to a new update. The updated version of the operating system is available for both the Xbox One, the Xbox One X and the Xbox One S. With the introduction of the new user interface, according to Microsoft, the home menu should be just under 50% speed have won. The GUI is also the same design that can be found on the new Xbox Series. The manufacturer has largely held back with the changes. According to the company, the new design includes, among other things, an adapted tile shape and new fonts. The uniform concept can also be found in the apps and in the game pass of the PC.
In addition, the latest update from Microsoft brings new themes for the player profiles with himself. Console gamers are now able to select wallpapers from both the Xbox Series X and Series S. These themes can also be found in the Xbox app and the Windows 01 game -Bar again. An improved overview when logging in is also one of the new features of the updated firmware.
Furthermore, newcomers to the Xbox ecosystem will have it much easier in the future: Among other things, the list of the most recently used applications will already be pre-filled, which should mean that console beginners will Find your way around faster and don’t have to search for the appropriate settings in submenus. In addition, the manufacturer’s quick tips have been revised, which, however, should not be of interest to long-established Xbox users. The new update also supports the languages Czech, Greek, Hungarian and Slovak.
The war between console fans and computers is as old as the world. On the one hand, the fans argue that the PC gives more options for entertainment and work, and that repair and modernization are possible on their own. And the supporters of consoles argue that they are right to argue the lower price and simpler operation. What if both worlds could merge? Such a question, as usual, was asked by someone in China. Unique motherboards have recently appeared on the Aliexpress platform. They have a soldered APU chip in the form of AMD A9 – 9820, which probably comes from the Xbox One S console and offers performance similar to the Intel Core i5 processor – 7400, all at a much lower price.
Unique Chinese motherboard with AMD A9 chip – 9820 is available on Aliexpress. Its price is 125 dollars, which is approximately 489 zlotys.
Test Ryzen 5 3600 vs Core i5 – 10400 F on RTX 2060 SUPER and RX 5700 XT
The motherboard in question is available HERE, but its name remains unknown. We are talking about the CEB standard (305 x 267 mm), which is slightly wider than regular ATX (305 x 244 mm) On the brown laminate we find 8-core and 16 – threaded APU AMD A9 – 9820 running at clock 2, 35 GHz, paired with integrated AMD Radeon R7 graphics 350 with 512 shading units and clock rates up to 935 MHz. In addition, you can see a cooled, 6-phase power section, four slots for DDR3 memory, four SATA III connectors, one M.2 one PCI Express x1 slot. The I / O panel, although not shown directly, is two PS / 2, four USB 2.0, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 type A, HDMI, RJ – 45 and three audio connectors.
NZXT H1 Case Test – Xbox Series X better version?
You won’t find an APU chip like AMD A9 on the AMD website – 9820, but Chuwi uses them in his mini PC in the form of Chuwi AeroBox. More importantly, the Chinese manufacturer boasted some time ago that their AeroBoks use a motherboard similar to the one found in the Microsoft Xbox One S console. Thus, you can guess that AMD A9 – 9820 is actually an APU from the console, but probably the worst part of the waffle that did not meet the standards set out in the Microsoft-AMD contract. Thus, the Reds at the end of the life of the old Xbox simply decided to earn on the chips they had, which Chinese producers willingly used.
The seller on Aliexpress claims that the manufacturer of the discussed motherboard is Biostar, and the APU performance of AMD A9 – 9820 is to be comparable to the Intel Core processor i5 – 7400. While the former is quite possible, it is better to approach the latter with a distance. The question, however, is whether the price is actually 125 dollars (about 489 do we get an alternative to the Xbox One S? Theoretically? Yes. Practically? Not completely. The motherboards sold are used (but checked before shipment and in working order), in addition, the consumer needs his own RAM modules, data carrier, power supply and housing. Thus, the motherboard remains only a curiosity for DIY enthusiasts and people who are not afraid of the secondary market and
In the third Cyberpunk episode 2077 of Night City Wire events, the city of the future was presented along with the gangs ruling in it and the hardware requirements of the PC version. What has the Polish studio CD Projekt RED prepared for players in today’s show? As announced, the main theme of the fourth episode of Night City Wire were vehicles, both cars (unfortunately, we will not control flying in the game), and motorcycles straight from the manga and anime Akira. We waited a long time for such an opportunity, to be able to better look at how cars in Cyberpunk behave (and sound) 2077. In total, we got a few new video materials with gameplay fragments depicting Night City and the reign of 2077 of the year of fashion. There were some surprises.
CD Projekt RED showcased vehicles and mod styles in Cyberpunk 2077 during the fourth episode of the Night City Wire event.
Cyberpunk 2077 – hardware requirements. No Future PC Needed
Today at 18: 00, the fourth Night City Wire Show took place and featured a trailer showing selected types of vehicles in the game, from trucks to armored cars to limousines and sports carriages (they will have different versions). The representative of the studio revealed that we will “summon” them just like Roach in The Witcher 3 (there was also a reference to her jumping onto the roofs). CD Projekt also confirmed the official collaboration with Porsche and Johnny Silverhand, played by Keanu Reeves, will be driving the Porsche game 911 from 1977 years (faithfully reproduced ). Interestingly, this is not a completely random collaboration – the creators took care of fidelity to the paper original.
Cyberpunk 2077 in gold. November premiere not in danger
Not enough? This is not the end of the attractions – we’ve got behind-the-scenes videos on the subject of vehicle sounds in the game and a juicy trailer showing the fashion prevailing in Night City. The show ended unexpectedly with another, though extremely short cinematic trailer. We are not saying goodbye to Night City Wire – before the premiere of Cyberpunk 2077, which will take place 19 November 2020 on PC, Google Stadia, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles, with at least one more episode coming out.
The final beta phase of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War begins today at 19: 00 Polish time. Until Friday, players on PlayStation 4 and people who have placed a pre-order for PC and Xbox One will be able to test it, and during the period 17 – 19 October early version of the war FPS will be available to everyone. During the tests, you will be able to test a completely new multiplayer mode called Fireteam: Dirty Bomb, which was prepared for 40 players ( 20 vs 20) and extensive maps. We will also use vehicles during the clashes. A foretaste of what the Treyarch studio is preparing was presented in the latest trailer of this online gameplay module. Fireteam: Dirty Bomb will be available in the beta on two maps.
Studio Treyarch has unveiled a spectacular trailer for the new multiplayer mode from Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. You will be able to test it during the beta test, which runs until October 19.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War – beta hardware requirements
One of the locations can be seen on the short, but effective trailer of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. The action on one of the maps will take place in the forest. The clash area that will be made available to users is to be quite large. The maps can be comparable even to those in the Ground War mode from last year’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Players will have to divide into ten teams of four and fight for uranium deposits scattered on the map, eliminating enemy teams in various ways, including using vehicles (tanks or helicopters).
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War on the material from the multiplayer mode
The most important goal in Fireteam: Dirty Bomb mode, however, will be to arm the explosive with the mentioned uranium, which will contaminate the area with radioactive radiation, which it will make the game more difficult. Staying in a toxic area may result in the lack of health regeneration, slowing down the movement or death of the character. In the beta, you will also be able to check the traditional Deathmatch (6 vs 6) and Combined Arms (12 vs 12). The next few days are the last chance to test the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War multiplayer mode before the 12 November 2020 premiered.
Matthew Wilson 2 hours ago Featured Tech News, Software & Gaming
As part of Night City Wire’s fourth episode, CD Projekt Red released new footage from the studio’s upcoming game, Cyberpunk 2077, covering vehicles and styles, along with a fresh teaser trailer and behind-the-scenes video.
Kicking off Night City Wire this time around was a segment called “Rides of the Dark Future”, an in-depth look at the cars, bikes and other ways of transportation in Cyberpunk 2077. One of those cars is a Porsche 911 Turbo, based on the original 1974 model.
Alongside the in-game look at vehicles in Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt Red also released a behind-the-scenes video with the development team recording audio and bringing everything to life.
Following on from that, 2077 In Style gives us a look at the fashion of Night City, something that is always very big in Cyberpunk. Finally, the episode closes out with a new cinematic teaser called ‘The Diner’, which you can see below:
Cyberpunk 2077 is releasing on the 19th of November for PC, Xbox One, PS4 and Google Stadia. Those picking up a next-gen Xbox Series X, Series S or PS5 will be able to play the game via backwards compatibility, with a full upgrade patch coming in 2021 to fully take advantage of these newer consoles.
KitGuru Says: We are just one month away from Cyberpunk 2077’s release. Are many of you planning on picking this up on day one?
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Mustafa Mahmoud 6 hours ago Console, Featured Announcement, Featured Tech News, Software & Gaming
When Sony recently revealed its newly revamped PlayStation 5 User Interface, one of the points that it highlighted was the fact that the UI runs at a full 4K. This was expected, as so too did the PS4 Pro’s UI. That being said, it appears as though the Xbox Series X may not see similar levels of resolution dedicated to the User Interface, as according to one of the members of Digital Foundry, the Xbox Series X’s UI only runs at 1080p.
In a discussion surrounding the recently revealed PlayStation 5 UI, Digital Foundry’s John Linneman offered his thoughts on the Xbox Series X’s UI, saying “the big problem for me, more than anything, with the Xbox dash is the low resolution. I was disappointed with Xbox One X only offering 1080p UI rendering when PS4 Pro did native 4K but for 1080p UI to continue on Series X…that’s really not acceptable to me.”
The Xbox One X would have been entirely capable of running the Dashboard at 4K, and yet Microsoft opted not too. Though the Series X is still in a prerelease state, it is entirely possible that the Series X will remain at 1080p too.
According to Linneman, the reason for this limitation is that Microsoft “wanted to reserve more resources for games”. This makes sense, especially in light of the reveal that the Series X can hold multiple games in its cache for quick switching. That functionality is undoubtedly resource intensive, and a 4k Dashboard would simply eat into those resources the entire time.
Still, it is disappointing that in the age of 8K TVs and ever increasing display sizes, the Xbox’s Dashboard, which will be one of the main points of interaction for a player, is being limited to 1080p. Hopefully an update in the future offers a 4K option.
KitGuru says: What do you think of Microsoft’s decision to limit its UI to 1080p? Is blurry UI distracting to you? Or is it an economical move by the console manufacturer? Let us know down below.
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Ever since the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One first launched, fans of BioWare’s Mass Effect series have been asking for a remaster. While the trilogy remains one of the most loved across the 7th generation of consoles, many of the game’s mechanics would benefit from a remaster for modern consoles. While rumours of such a remaster have been permeating for a while, it appears as though it might finally be announced soon.
As discovered by Gematsu, a Mass Effect Legendary Edition was recently rated in Korea by the Game Rating and Administration Committee. Though no further details can be gleaned from this, the Legendary Edition is believed to be a remaster of the original Mass Effect Trilogy.
Though the remaster was originally rumoured to be releasing in 2020, more recent reports claim that the collection has been delayed to early 2021.
Still, this recent rating seems to suggest that development is progressing smoothly, and may be ready to be revealed soon. Each year, Mass Effect fans celebrate N7 Day on the 7th of November. These celebrations are often accompanied by news of new Mass Effect products, be it merch or perhaps even a much-rumoured remaster of the beloved trilogy.
With how long fans have been asking for this remaster, hopefully the final product proves to be comprehensive and significant – and though the rumours claim that the trilogy is coming to the PS4, Xbox One and PC, hopefully it receives some extra upgrades on the impending next-gen systems.
KitGuru says: Are you excited for N7 Day? What would you like to see from the remaster? What did you think of Mass Effect 3’s ending? Let us know down below.
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The much advertised RPG shooter “Cyberpunk 2077” is now also available for Google Stadia users in time for Launch on 19. November.
(Image: CD Projekt Red)
Google Stadia users don’t have to wait any longer than other platforms to play “Cyberpunk 2077”. The long-awaited RPG shooter from developer CD Project Red will be released on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and now also on Google Stadia on 19. November. So far it has only been said that the game should not be available on Stadia until some time after the release.
Shifted several times Where the game will be available on Stadia depends on the general availability of the platform, according to the official announcement – in Germany the offer has been available for almost a year. “Cyberpunk 2077” was postponed several times by the developer, most recently by 17. September to 19. November. As the studio emphasized, the game is already finished, they are only working on bug fixing and balancing certain game mechanics. The manufacturer was recently in the negative headlines because a 6-day week was introduced to get the game out on time for the release.
We already knew that vehicles were included in Cyberpunk 2077, but we didn’t know just how vast the selection would be. Sure, we imagined there would be a handful of vehicles, but our eyes were opened thanks to today’s Cyberpunk 2077 Nightwire City Livestream, and we finally have a glimpse of just how many vehicles are going to be in the game.
There’s plenty of vehicles, not just exotic ones, but also a fair share of lower vehicles. But that’s the beauty of Cyberpunk 2077, and you’ll drive whatever you can afford, find abandoned, or car-jack. Expect to see a wide variety of cars, trucks, and other vehicle types within the game.
Cyberpunk 2077 will also include multiple locations where you’ll be able to race your car and either lose it or win someone else’s vehicle. Just be sure to bring a weapon with you because this is still Cyberpunk 2077, and you may encounter a sore loser or two.
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Some of the vehicles you’ll encounter in Cyberpunk 2077 (Image credit: CD Projekt Red)
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(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)
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(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)
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(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)
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(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)
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(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)
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(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)
In the album above, we can see the wide selection of vehicles available. The developers used over 40 different cars to record actual vehicle sounds, similar to what you’d find in racing games such as Forza Motorsport or Gran Turismo. Meaning not only will you hear authentic vehicles, but you may be able to identify them just by their sounds.
Cyberpunk 2077 releases on November 19th, 2020, for the PS4, Xbox One, PC and Google Stadia. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions will be available in 2021.
The Xbox Series X is set to release this November, bringing Microsoft’s flagship console series into a new generation. It follows the original launch of the Xbox One in 2013 and the release of the Xbox One S and Xbox One X upgrades in 2016 and 2017, respectively. And as we inch closer to that deadline, we’re learning more and more about the Xbox Series X. In fact, there’s enough information to put the Xbox Series X up against the PS5 in a face-off.
Microsoft has already officially unveiled the Xbox Series X’s full specs, with a commitment towards 4K, 60+ fps frame rates and ray-tracing. However, certain details are still unknown. That’s why we’re collecting all the information we know, confirmed and rumored, into one convenient page for our readers to keep up to date on the launch of the Xbox Series X.
Xbox Series X Cheat Sheet: Key details at a glance
Release Date
November 10th, 2020
Price
$499 or $34.99 a month for 24 months
Key features
4K at 60 Fps, 8K, 120 Fps, ray-tracing, fast load times
Key games
Halo Infinite, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, Full Xbox native backwards compatibility
CPU
Custom AMD Zen 2 CPU
RAM
16GB GDDR6 memory
GPU
12 teraflop RDNA 2 GPU
Storage
1TB NVMe SSD, proprietary SSD expansion slot
Xbox Series X Release Date
Avoiding previous worries that the pandemic might delay the console’s release, Microsoft announced on August 11th that the Xbox Series X will release this November, and on September 9th that it will release on November 10th.
This marks the latest in a trend of November releases for the Xbox line, with all three previous Xbox consoles also first hitting store shelves in November as well. That’s not too surprising, since it lets the console hit the holiday rush.
1TB expansion card, external USB 3.2 hard drive support
Optical Drive
4K Blu-ray
Display Out
HDMI 2.1
Earlier this March, Microsoft announced the full specs for the Xbox Series X, revealing a commitment to bringing PC style power to the living room.
The Xbox Series X will use an AMD Zen 2 custom CPU with 8 cores and 16 threads @ 3.8 GHz, a 12 teraflops AMD RDNA 2 custom GPU with 52 CUs @ 1.825 GHz, 16GB of GDDR6 RAM running at a bandwidth of 10GB @560 GBps and 6GB @ 336 GBps, a 1 TB NVMe SSD with a slot for an optional proprietary 1TB SSD expansion card, and a 4K Blu-ray optical drive. It will also feature USB ports for accessories and external hard drives.
Most of these specs are comparable to the PS5 specs Sony announced shortly after Xbox’s post, though the Xbox Series X features a larger SSD than the PS5’s 825 GB one, a slightly more powerful CPU at 3.8GHz vs 3.5 GHz, and a generally more powerful GPU than the PS5’s 10.3 teraflop, 36 CUs at 2.23GHz card.
According to Digital Foundry’s hands-on time with the Xbox Series X, all these specs come together to make it more than “twice as powerful as Xbox One X,” with it being able to run four Xbox One S game sessions simultaneously on the same chip.
Xbox Series X Graphics Performance
The idea behind these specs is to allow the Xbox Series X to support 4K gameplay at 60 fps across all new games, as well as 8K or 120 fps gameplay for some select titles. These Xbox Series X will also support variable refresh rate technology, which allows the console to automatically change its refresh rate based on the TV or monitor it’s hooked up to so as to avoid tearing and ghosting. On a similar note, variable rate shading technology is confirmed for the new Xbox as well, which will allow developers to dedicate certain parts of the GPU to specific effects, allowing for a steadier frame rate at high resolutions.
Microsoft also stated in a July 14th blog post that the Xbox Series X GPU will allow developers to more efficiently hold back graphics data until the exact moment when the game needs it, resulting in “2.5x the effective I/O throughput and memory usage.”
However, the most impressive announced graphical feature is hardware accelerated ray tracing, a technique that allows for highly realistic lighting, shadows, and reflection. Traditionally, the rendering time for this technique has been too long for use in games, but both the Xbox Series X and PS5 are promising to bring it to real-time entertainment in the next console generation.
We saw a glimpse of what Xbox Series X ray tracing might look like when Minecraft with RTX launched for the PC earlier this April. In our testing, we found that playing Minecraft with ray tracing enabled at a reasonable 24 chunk render distance required at least an RTX 2070 Super to hit 1080p @ 60 fps gameplay. If the Xbox Series X ray-tracing promises can keep up with that kind of power, that’s a pretty good indicator of what it’ll be capable of.
Xbox Series X Storage Performance
Powering all of these features is a new 1TB SSD, which compensates for higher resolutions by allowing for faster load times. On the software side, Microsoft is also creating the “Xbox Velocity Architecture,” which will take advantage of the SSD to allow “100 GB of game assets to be instantly accessible by the developer.”
The goal here is to allow for larger worlds and fewer loading corridors (which is when a game hides load times by trapping the player in an elevator or a thin walkway while it loads the next area).
On July 14th, Microsoft released a blog post detailing the Velocity Architecture’s details, where it explained that the Xbox Series X’s SSD will feature 2.4 GB/s of I/O throughput, which is “40x the throughput of the Xbox One.” The Xbox Series X will also use a custom texture data decompression algorithm named BCPack, which Microsoft will pair with the industry standard LZ decompressor to allow developers to reduce the size of their games.
To increase speed further, Microsoft is also advertising new tools for devs to control I/O operations and latency. For operations, devs will be able to create multiple queues for how the Xbox Series X I/O handles their games’ data, which will let them prioritize certain aspects of each game to their taste. For latency, they’ll be able to reduce screen tearing by decoupling frame buffering from latency, as well as reduce input lag by using “dynamic latency input” to capture “button presses as fast as 2 ms.”
(Image credit: Microsoft)
The catch to all of these features is that the Xbox Series X will expect all new games to be running off an SSD, as well as any backwards compatible games looking to take advantage of the new technology. A traditional hard drive just won’t be able to keep up, especially when it comes to eliminating loading corridors.
Should your internal SSD fill up, then, users looking to play the most recent titles are expected to buy a $220 proprietary 1TB SSD card for the system. This will run identically to the internal SSD once plugged in, as it is structurally the same. Microsoft has confirmed that older Xbox games that don’t use the Series X’s new features can still be run off external hard drives, however. The console has no current plans to support third-party SSDs, whereas the PS5 has announced it will support some M.2 SSDs after launch.
Both the internal SSD and SSD card will also allow for multiple games to be suspended at once, using a new feature called “Quick Resume.” This will also apply to older games being played off HDDs.
VentureBeat also did a teardown on Seagate’s proprietary SSD card, which gives us some insights on its componentry and price. Inside, the publication found SK Hynix’s new 4D NAND memory, a Phison PCIe Gen 4 controller and a CFexpress (or at least CFexpress-like) circuit board. There’s also thermal paste on the controller and NAND, so expect the SSD to run hot. Which explains the metal case- it’s meant to contribute to cooling.
Microsoft’s custom architecture is also at play here, which is good, because these components aren’t necesarilly worth a $220 price tag on their own.
Xbox Series S: 1440p @ 120 fps for $300
Microsoft officially revealed the Xbox Series S, its budget next-gen Xbox, on September 8th, 2020, finally confirming its existence after months of leaks.
The reveal came in the wake of a leaked (now officially released) trailer that confirmed speculation that the console would target 1440p @ 120 fps. While the trailer didn’t reveal specs, it did clue viewers into the Series S’ features. An all digital machine, it can natively run games at 1440p and “up to 120 fps” at the same time, supports DirextX raytracing, has a 512 GB NVMe SSD and can stream media at 4K with “4K upscaling for games.” It’s also “nearly 60% smaller than Xbox Series X.”
The leaked trailer also dropped probably the biggest news for a next gen console yet- the price. All of these leaks together seemed to force Microsoft’s hand, and the company officially confirmed the budget console in a 3:13 AM EST tweet.
? Let’s make it official! Xbox Series S | Next-gen performance in the ˢᵐᵃˡˡᵉˢᵗ Xbox ever. $299 (ERP). Looking forward to sharing more! Soon. Promise. pic.twitter.com/8wIEpLPVEqSeptember 8, 2020
Looking something like a large speaker, the Xbox Series S is $299. Even with 1440p @ 120 fps specs, that’s cheap, and given that the leaked trailer heavily pushes Game Pass, it’s probably being sold at a loss to encourage subscriptions. If $299 is still too much of an upfront cost, though, you can also finance the console starting at $24.99 for 24 months (which adds up to $599.76).
Microsoft has since posted the trailer in an official capacity, officially confirming its feature list.
CPU
8-core AMD Zen 2 CPU @ 3.6 GHz (3.4 GHz w/SMT)
GPU
AMD RDNA 2 GPU 20 CUs @ 1.565 GHz
GPU Power
4 TFLOPS
SoC
Custom 7nm SoC
RAM
10GB GDDR6
RAM bandwidth
8GB @ 224GB/s, 2GB @ 56GB/s
Storage
Custom 512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
Expandable Storage
1 TB expansion card
Disc Drive
Digital Only
Display Out
HDMI 2.1
On September 9th, Microsoft followed up its Xbox Series S price and features reveals with a full list of specs. The biggest difference between the Series X and the Series S seems to be the GPU, with the Series S downgrading to a 20 CUs RDNA 2 GPU with about 4 teraflops of power. Aside from that, it uses the same CPU architecture as the Series X (though with slightly less power), and the same SSD architecture but with less capacity. It also has less memory and is digital only, but Microsoft still boasts that it “delivers 4x the processing power of an Xbox One console.”
The Xbox Series S will launch this November, alongside the Xbox Series X.
Xbox Series X Price and Payment Options
While Sony has yet to drop the price on the PS5, Microsoft announced on September 9th that the Xbox Series X would cost $499.99.
That’s the same as what the Xbox One cost at launch, and is only $100 more than the original Xbox 360’s launch price.
If $500 upfront is too steep, though, you’ll also be able to finance the Xbox Series X, starting at $34.99 a month for 24 months. Careful, though- you’ll eventually end up paying $839.76 for the console if you buy it completely through a payment plan.
Microsoft also announced last October that anyone currently financing an Xbox One who has already made at least 18 payments will be able to upgrade their plan to a Series X when it launches.
Xbox Series X Controller
(Image credit: Microsoft)
The Xbox Series X controller is set to be largely identical to the Xbox One controller, aside from a few quality of life upgrades.
In a move that will come as a relief to those of us with tiny hands, the blog post announcing the controller says that its “size and shape have been refined to accommodate an even wider range of people.” The new controller also seems to be taking notes from the PS4 controller by including a dedicated share button. The triggers and bumpers feature a new matte finish, and the bumpers include new textured dots as well. The D-pad has been redesigned to better match the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller.
If you prefer your existing stuff, the Xbox Series X is also set to work with all existing Xbox One accessories, including controllers.
Xbox Series X Backwards Compatibility
The Xbox Series X is set to include full native backwards compatibility with all Xbox One games, as well as an unspecified but seemingly wide selection of original Xbox and Xbox 360 games. Because the games are running natively, they can all expect to see some improvement from the more advanced hardware.
Some Xbox One games running on the Xbox Series X/S via SSD are also set to be “Optimized for Xbox Series X,” meaning that they will feature dramatically higher frame rates and resolution than when playing on Xbox One. This means that, aside from base-level upgrades from simply playing on more advanced hardware, the developers have gone out of their way to patch in extra features that are only available on Xbox Series X/S. For instance, Gears of War 5 is currently being optimized for Xbox Series X, with the team already hitting 4K 60 fps resolution on equivalent settings to PCs running the game on “Ultra,” as well as 100 fps at lower resolutions. Other older games like Destiny 2 will also be optimized for Xbox Series X, though curiously, all new Xbox Series X games will also have branding to indicate their optimization for the system on the box. This is presumably because these newer games are also set to be playable on the Xbox One, at least for the first few years of the console’s lifespan (more below).
Microsoft is also planning a new “Smart Delivery” feature, which will allow gamers to only buy games once and then share them across multiple consoles. No more having to buy PS3 games remade for PS4 to use the new console’s higher specs. Just buy the base game once, and it will automatically use the highest specs available depending on the system it’s being played on. In other words, like a PC, your system determines your performance more than the game.
The move to native compatibility is also a step-up from the emulation-based compatibility that the Xbox team relied on for backwards compatibility on the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. A May 28th blog post claimed the Xbox Series X will have “thousands of games at launch,” and on October 15th, Xbox confirmed that the following games will be “optimized for Xbox Series X.”
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Borderlands 3
Bright Memory 1.0
Cuisine Royale
Dead by Daylight
Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition
DIRT 5
Enlisted
Evergate
The Falconeer
Fortnite
Forza Horizon 4
Gears 5
Gears Tactics
Grounded
King Oddball
Maneater
Manifold Garden
NBA 2K21
Observer: System Redux
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Planet Coaster
Sea of Thieves
Tetris Effect: Connected
The Touryst
War Thunder
Warhammer: Chaosbane Slayer Edition
Watch Dogs: Legion
WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Yes, Your Grace
Xbox Series X Games
On July 23rd, Xbox held an event that outlined 27 games that are confirmed for Xbox Series X. These include exclusives like Halo Infinite andSenua’s Saga: Hellblade II, as well as a number of multi-platform releases like Watch Dogs Legion. Outside of the event, Xbox has also previously confirmed that games like Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla and Starfield will be coming the Xbox Series X as well.
Most of these games have trailers that help give us an idea of what the console can do. This includes Hellblade II, which is confirmed to be the first Xbox Series X game to use Epic’s impressive new Unreal Engine 5. Halo Infinite also premiered an extended gameplay demonstration during the July 23rd event.
To give you an idea of what Unreal Engine 5 on Xbox Series X means, a PS5 demo Epic released to show off UE5’s capabilities used an environment constructed from 8K cinematic assets, including a room with over 500 instances of full 33 million triangle direct ZBrush imports, with no frame drops. The Xbox Series X will no doubt target the same kind of power, so get ready for some big games.
Microsoft has also confirmed that all exclusives for the Xbox Series X will also be playable on Xbox One and PC. This mirrors the company’s recent initiative to release all of its new Xbox One games on PC as well. However, this might change in the future, as Head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty only confirmed the promise for “the next year, two years,” according to MCV. That’s probably because Microsoft doesn’t want the Xbox One to hold it back as developers get more familiar with the Series X.
Xbox has promised that the Xbox Series X will have “over 100 titles” at launch, though an August 11th announcement stated that Halo Infinite will not be one of them. Here’s a full list of games confirmed for Xbox Series X:
Dragon Quest XI
Exomecha
Watch Dogs Legion
Echo Generation
Balan Wonderland
Halo Infinite
State of Decay 3
Unnamed Forza Motorsport game
Everwild
The Outer Worlds: Peril on Gorgon
Tell Me Why
Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Optimized for Xbox Series X)
Grounded
Avowed
As Dusk Falls
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
Psychonauts II
Destiny 2 (Optimized for Xbox Series X)
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2
Warhammer 40000: Darktide
Tetris Effect Connected
The Gunk
The Medium
New Genesis: Phantasy Star Online 2
Crossfire
Unnamed Fable game
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
Cyberpunk: 2077
Starfield
Gears of War 5
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
Fortnite
Warframe
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines 2
The Ascent
Second Extinction
Scorn
Scarlet Nexus
Dirt 5
Chorus
Call of the Sea
Bright Memory Infinite
Gods and Monsters
Rainbow Six Quarantine
Rainbow Six Siege
Madden NFL 21
Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2
Xbox Series X Pre-order
On September 9th, Microsoft posted on its blog that pre-orders for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will both start on September 22nd. Xbox also told us over email that pre-orders will begin at 8:00 am PDT/11:00 am EDT, and that retailers taking pre-orders will include Amazon, Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Costco, Sam’s Club, Gamestop, Newegg and the Army and Airforce Exchange Service.
Xbox Series X Design
Yes, it still looks like a fridge.
Fridge for scale. #PowerYourDreams pic.twitter.com/2n4OEUKXUzMarch 16, 2020
The Xbox Series X focuses on a vertical orientation and a featureless black exterior with big “monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey” vibes. While it can be placed horizontally, its rectangular design resembles a computer tower more than a game console, so it’s unlikely to be thin enough to fit under a monitor. On the top is an indented cooling vent with what looks to be a green light inside, with the back housing the I/O, including the proprietary SSD expansion slot.
With the launch of Microsoft’s next-generation consoles, the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, right around the corner, Xbox has released a list of games that have been optimized for the hardware.
These titles are different from the backward compatible games, which are essentially brute-forced on the Xbox Series X|S with some enhancements being added to the games via the hardware. The optimized titles are different because the developer has provided an update that further enhances the games. In some respects, these games will run on par with their PC counterparts, or better.
Gears 5 is a good example, too, as the developer of the game, The Coalition, has confirmed that the game will use full PC Ultra settings with higher-resolution textures and volumetric fog. Also, Playground Games confirmed that Forza Horizon 4 would support a native 4K 60 frames per second, higher visual fidelity at longer distances, and faster loading times.
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Here’s a list of the games that have been optimized for play on both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
You’ll notice some of these games include upcoming titles such as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition. While titles that once graced the Xbox One and Xbox One X, including Gears 5 and Forza Horizon 4, will look and play differently on the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (Smart Delivery)
Borderlands 3 (Smart Delivery)
Bright Memory 1.0
Cuisine Royale (Smart Delivery)
Dead by Daylight (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition
DIRT 5 (Smart Delivery)
Enlisted
Evergate
The Falconeer (Smart Delivery)
Fortnite
Forza Horizon 4 (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
Gears 5 (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
Gears Tactics (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
Grounded (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
King Oddball (Smart Delivery)
Maneater (Smart Delivery)
Manifold Garden (Smart Delivery)
NBA 2K21
Observer: System Redux
Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
Planet Coaster (Smart Delivery)
Sea of Thieves (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
Tetris Effect: Connected (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
The Touryst (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
War Thunder (Smart Delivery)
Warhammer: Chaosbane Slayer Edition
Watch Dogs: Legion (Smart Delivery)
WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship (Smart Delivery)
Yakuza: Like a Dragon (Smart Delivery)
Yes, Your Grace (Smart Delivery)
(Image credit: Xbox)
The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will launch on November 10th, 2020. Did you manage to get a pre-order in? Or are you looking to test your luck by picking up either of the consoles in stores on launch day? We’d love to know in the comments.
(Pocket-lint) – If you’ve never used a headset to game with, you’ve got a revolution coming – once you step into the world of high-quality game audio it can be hard to come back.
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Whether you want it for singleplayer story-driven experiences, or to give you the edge in multiplayer deathmatches, unless you’ve got an astonishingly good home theatre setup you’re going to notice a big difference when moving to a headset.
However, many headsets don’t work with every games console, and it’s important to look into which will work best for you. We’ve spent the last few weeks exhaustively testing a wide range of headsets with our Xbox One, putting them through their paces and determining which you should consider for your own gaming setup. Happily, all the headsets we’ve featured here will also work with the Xbox Series X and Series S, so you’ll be covered for next-gen gaming, too.
How can I connect a headset to my Xbox?
It’s easy to forget but, when Microsoft released the Xbox One, its first controller didn’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack. This meant you had to use an adapter to connect a wired headset via the controller, and you might still have to if that’s the version of the controller you use.
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However, more recent editions of the controller, including the newest that comes with the Xbox Series X and Series S, have that all-important jack to let you plug in more easily. Finally, you might find that some wireless controllers use a dongle to connect without cables.
Another less common way of connecting, but arguably the ideal, is through Xbox Wireless – the same standard that Xbox’s own first-party controllers use to connect to your console. This makes for the most solid connection, the easiest reconnecting, and has the added bonus of being guaranteed to work with the new consoles when they’re out.
In case a step-by-step guide is useful, though, follow these steps to connect your headset:
If your headset is wired, plug it into either the headphone jack on your Xbox controller, or the Xbox One Stereo Headset Adapter to get game audio.
If it’s wireless, plug in any dongles provided to your Xbox and turn on the headset to pair.
If it uses Xbox Wireless, press the pairing button on the front of your Xbox and wait for its logo to flash on and off.
Put your headset into pairing mode by following the manufacturer’s instructions, then wait for the two devices to pair. When they have paired, you should see a headset logo to the top left of the Xbox dashboard, along with a battery indicator.
With that out of the way, let’s dive in and look at some of our favourite headsets.
Best overall Xbox headsets
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Steelseries Arctis 9X
Steelseries takes the top spot in our list because it nails the combination of convenience and quality that we’re looking for when it comes to a console headset. It’s a genius revision of the manufacturer’s top headset, adding in the Xbox Wireless standard to make for superb connectivity.
This means it connects directly to your console like a controller would (and that it will be able to do the same for the Xbox Series X when it releases), which makes for rock-solid connections and no perceptible lag.
Plus, the headphones are really nicely constructed and extremely comfortable to wear and, more than that, have easily the most subtle design we encountered in our testing (only Logitech’s effort comes close). The microphone even stores away for when you’re playing solo.
Finally, sound quality is superb, especially if you enable Windows Sonic or, better yet, Dolby Atmos for headphones. You’ll gain a real advantage in reaction-based multiplayer games, and be fully immersed in singleplayer adventures. We can’t really recommend this headset highly enough, to be honest.
Steelseries
Steelseries Arctis 7X
View offer on Steelseries.com
Steelseries doesn’t just have the Arctis 9X, though – its most recent addition to the Xbox lineup is the slightly more affordable (although still premium) Arctis 7X, and it’s a superb choice if your budget is a little lower.
The comfort is superb, and the headset is actually extremely similar to the 9X with a few slightly lighter and less solid design elements being the only real clue. The sound, in particular, is pretty indistinguishable, and you have the same array of on-earcup controls for quick changes.
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Razer Nari Ultimate
The USP for Razer’s humongous Nari ultimate is a relatively mad one – haptic feedback in the very earcups (which, on their own, are extraordinarily comfortable and cleverly cooling).
That manifests as subtle or violent vibrations, depending on your own tuning, which synchronise with the sound of your game, not the vibrations of your controller. Turned up to the max that meant our very footsteps in Call of Duty produced crunching sensations on sandy maps, which felt undeniably cool. Whether it’s immersive enough to still be used 20 hours into an RPG is harder to say, but it’s a pretty nifty feature.
Handily, though, the Nari Ultimate impressed us even ignoring the haptics entirely. It’s got fantastic, booming sound, and a nice microphone that collapses most of the way into the body when not in use. Plus, like the SteelSeries in top spot, it uses Xbox Wireless for super easy pairing and rock-solid connectivity. It’s a compelling package, with a premium price tag attached, although we’re not quite won over by the simply massive size of the headphones as a whole.
Interestingly, though, if you don’t fancy the haptic feedback you can get a very similar package for a lower price in the form of the Razer Thresher headset, which is worth bearing in mind.
Pocket-lint
Astro A40 TR with MixAmp
If we’re going on sound quality alone, there’s no doubt that the Astro A40s are the best headphones we’ve tested for the Xbox One – the only downside being that they’re a little more involved to set up, and are wired.
They’re at their best paired with Astro’s MixAmp Pro, which lets you easily control the master volume and voice chat balance while you play, and also amplifies your sound to let you use Dolby Atmos, and trust us when we say that you’ll hear the difference.
It brings proper directional audio to the table, and the first time we fired a revolver in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare using the A40s all hooked up, we were honestly startled by how real it sounded and felt. That said, these headphones are pretty pricey if you’re buying the MixAmp too, and the fact that it all has to be wired to your console is a bit of a hindrance, especially if you don’t sit that near it.
Still, they’re supremely comfortable, made with clear attention to detail and quality materials, and the microphone is also great – that’s a pretty comprehensive package.
One important note, though, is that the lack of optical port on the next-generation Xbox Series X and S means that you’ll need to buy an adapter direct from Astro for these to work going forward, which is an unavoidable bummer.
Pocket-lint
Logitech Pro X
Logitech’s managed a real marvel with its Pro X headset – it’s priced it at a level that’s decidedly mid-range, but specced it out like a top-class headset, with the packaging and user experience to match.
It’s the only headset we tested, for example, to come with swappable earpads in the box, not just as an optional extra (leatherette or velour finish, if you’re interested, both very comfortable). You get multiple premium cables depending on what device you’re connected it to, a detachable microphone and a design that’s frankly gorgeous, especially in the realm of gaming headsets. I mean, it even comes with a lovely carrying pouch, again unlike any others we tested.
Plus, at its heart, the sound is superb, with really excellent detail and balance that should have you hearing things you never noticed before. Literally the only slight negative we could find was that its inline controller lets you change volume and mute yourself but not adjust chat balancing, which is hardly a huge sin. For its price, this is a seriously impressive set of cans.
Pocket-lint
Corsair Virtuoso RGB
Corsair’s fancy headphones work fine on your Xbox, with one big drawback – they’re wireless on PlayStations or PC, but can only go via 3.5mm jack for Microsoft’s console. That’s far from the end of the world, to be honest, and we’re judging them as wired headphones, through which lens they still impress.
They’re really comfortable, although also pretty chunky, and the sound quality on offer is really quite superb, sure to give you an advantage regardless of your genre. They’re also pleasingly understated, especially with the RBG lighting disabled, which many people will see as a positive. They might not be console-specific, but Corsair’s premium cans are still winners.
Pocket-lint
Astro A20 Wireless
Astro might have some seriously high-end headsets, but it’s also got more mid-range options, and the A20 offers a great way to get high-quality wireless audio without breaking the bank too badly.
It uses a USB dongle to connect to your Xbox wirelessly, and is pretty easy to set up, and the audio quality you get out of the box is really impressive compared to others at this price point. The on-earcup controls let you change the game/voice balance, although we found this a little fiddly in practise, while swinging the microphone up and away from your mouth mutes you.
This is a really solid package that’s also super comfortable to wear, although we’re not totally sold on its looks.
Pocket-lint
SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless
The Arctis 1 is one of the best affordable headsets on the market, and its 3.5mm wired connection works with every console, but if you want it wireless it’s a little more complex.
SteelSeries has released a new version of the Arctis 1 Wireless which works with Xbox consoles, Switch, mobiles and PC, though, and it’s become our new favourite budget headset (although the wired version is clearly the ultimate offering from a value perspective). It’s a really lightweight headset, but in a way that makes them really nice to wear for longer sessions.
It uses a USB-C dongle to connect to your console, and works seamlessly and quickly, and while the sound is stereo-only, it’s really punchy and nicely balanced. Plus, the mic pick-up is really solid, and being able to play wirelessly is a boon. For sheer adaptability, this is as good as wireless play gets, in fact.
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Razer Kraken X
Razer’s Nari Ultimate might have the bleeding-edge features and wireless play, but don’t discount the Kraken X, its wired headset. For one thing, it’s compatible with the full range of consoles through its 3.5mm jack, making it more adaptable.
It’s also super lightweight and comfortable, and less massive than the Nari, with impressive sound performance and a really solid microphone. Its ear cushions have memory foam inserts which explains some of how easy it is to wear for long periods, while the requisite on-headset controls are present in the form of a volume dial and mute switch.
It might not be the most remarkable headset, but if you like its looks (especially the lovely white version we’ve been using), it’s a really good choice.
Pocket-lint
JBL Quantum 600
JBL’s pretty new to the gaming headset scene, but that hasn’t stopped it from launching the Quantum line at a whole bunch of different price points.
Our favourite is the Quantum 600, rather than the more expensive Quantum One, largely because we think it’s got the best bang for your buck. You get really great sound and solid, comfortable build quality, although sadly its wireless mode doesn’t work with Xbox at present. Still, this is a nice choice using a 3.5mm connection.
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Fnatic React
Fnatic’s headset is a great low-to-mid-range option that doesn’t do anything fancy, but nails the fundamentals of really good sound and solid comfort – plus, we have to say that we’re rather impressed by how nice it looks, all the more so when you consider that it’s coming from an eSports brand.
Its earcups are large and sound-blocking to give you good isolation, and its stereo sound is as good as you could hope for at its price, which makes for an entirely solid package.
Pocket-lint
Corsair HS60 Surround
Corsair’s got less expensive options than the Virtuoso RGB up above, and the HS60 surround is a good example of what it can do – it’s got a nice, premium design with those yellow accents in particular quite lovely to look at. A detachable mic is solid on the voice-comms front, and the drivers Corsair’s packed in deliver great sound.
Sadly, its surround sound is limited to PC users, but you’ll still get impressive bass and depth from your Xbox. Slight duff notes come in the form of a slightly tight fit that can feel a bit pressing over longer sessions, and a lack of chat-game balance controls on the headset itself.
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HyperX CloudX Stinger Core
HyperX has got another option for the cheaper end of the wired headset market, in the form of the CloudX Stinger Core, and while it didn’t blow us away it’s another solid option in this bracket, and manages a really impressive price.
Its build quality can’t quite match SteelSeries or Roccat’s headsets, but the sound quality is in the same ballpark, and the headset is light and comfortable (although it’s also on the flimsier side of those we’ve tried).
The microphone, which can swivel out of the way when it’s not needed, is clear and solid in use, while inline controls on the audio cable are a smart touch.
(Pocket-lint) – Larian had been cranking out solid games in the Divinity series for good few years before its reputation skyrocketed with the release of Divinity 2: Original Sin – it struck gold with its combination of role-playing fun and devilishly organic combat.
Now the developer has been given the keys to the castle so pined-after by developers around the world – an official Dungeons and Dragons license and the long-awaited third entry in the Baldur’s Gate franchise. Each bringing enormous new pressure.
But from the early access build of Baldur’s Gate 3 that we’ve been playing, it’s looking like something special once again.
A new, old start
The first two Baldur’s Gate games are straightforwardly seminal in the canon of interactive roleplaying; enormous adventures that were different for each player that played them through, with a large cast of memorable characters and storylines to sink into.
Baldur’s Gate 2 might have come out all of 20 years ago, but gamers have been awaiting a third entry that whole time since, in hope rather than expectation. Giving the rights to Larian, after the screaming success of Divinity 2, was a decision that seemed so sensible that it was almost to good to be true.
The world of Dungeons and Dragons, the Forbidden Realms in which Baldur’s Gate is in fact just one of many major cities, is clearly one that Larian has been able to slip into pretty seamlessly. Any developer of top-down role-playing games will have done its time in D&D, after all.
Story-wise, things get off to a lively start with an absolutely bombastic opening cinematic that sets the scene aboard the tentacled ship of a Mindflayer, an unambiguosly evil squid-face that’s infected the player character with a little brain tadpole of their own.
After creating a character of your own, replete with multiple races to pick from and a range of delightfully modeled faces to add to them, you’ll escape the doomed ship in a frightful crash before setting out to get said tadpole out of your cranium before you’re turned into a mindless zombie.
It doesn’t take long to assemble a cast of companions whose aims align with your own, and you’ll soon be off exploring a large coastal region in the hopes of discovering how to help yourself and, down the line, the world, by hindering the Mindflayer’s machinations.
In this early access build all of Act 1 is playable, with two more to come over the next year or so, meaning there’s going to be an absolute wealth of content to get through eventually.
Dividing your time
Much like in Divinity 2, your time is spent in a few primary ways in Baldur’s Gate 3 – exploring, talking and fighting. You’ll walk around the large areas figuring out what lies where and who you might want to talk to.
You’ll engage in dialogue with those characters, receive quests and requests from them, and find out more about how you can get closer to de-tadpoling yourself, and, of course, you’ll periodically get into scraps and fights. The conversations are as good as Larian’s best work – scripted evocatively and universally voice acted to a really high standard. Being rid of text-based mute conversations, even from the most minor side-characters, makes for a real feeling of quality.
These battles play out in turnbased style, using D&D’s initiative system to get a turn order and letting you move your party around and attack enemies in turn. There’s a good amount of synergy to explore between abilities and elements, although it’s a little less unhinged than Divinity 2’s elemental combat.
Still, it’s engaging stuff that gets more and more challenging as you progress, and the satisfaction of pulling off an unlikely victory is well worth the time it takes to do so. It might take a little getting used to how brutal D&D’s dice-based combat can be if you have a run of bad luck, but once you’re in the swing of things it’s pretty straightforward.
The levels you’ll be fighting in, meanwhile, are Larian’s finest to date on the visual side, with gorgeous colour palettes and background details selling the reality of the situation beautifully. We’re playing on the PC from our mid-range build, and its XFX AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT GPU makes the most of Ultra settings to really maximise the impact of that scenery, with details that you’ll notice constantly in the background.
Cranking down to lower settings still leaves you with a pretty game, though, if a slightly less sharp one. Character models are similarly delightful, too, with expressive and empathetic faces and detailed, grounded armours and clothing textures. The animation of those models can occasionally be a little janky, though, especially in dialogue, and that’s one area we imagine will receive some touching up as the early access build develops.
Bug squashing
It’s worth zooming in on that side of things, though – Larian is doing early access in the true spirit of the system, here. This really is an in-progress build of the game, with hotfixes coming thick and fast to tie up bugs and improve elements, and that does mean a necessary dose of breakages.
You’ll see slightly bugged animations, or odd visual glitches like models not loading into cutscenes, and sometimes movement or even entire questlines will simply break either a little or completely. This means frequent saving is your best friend, and running multiple saves in case of progress loss is sensible too.
We don’t mention this as a criticism, but more as a warning. Larian is being nice and upfront about this side of things, so we don’t think it should surprise anyone, but nonetheless if you want a fully polished and bug-free experience, you should follow Larian’s advice and wait for the full 1.0 release, which is likely to arrive in late 2021 as things stand.
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First Impressions
Until then, though, Baldur’s Gate 3 is looking like a delightful treat for PC gamers before the glut of next-gen console launches arrives. It’s got a deep adventure to offer with a range of companions that are impressivesly nuanced and fun to engage with, and combat that’ll keep you thinking.
Early access versions are a minefield, so you can’t really afford to come into Baldur’s Gate expecting a totally smooth time – that simply won’t happen. For now, though, there’s still a whole lot of adventurous fun to be had, and Larian’s world design has never looked so luminous and gorgeous.
Writing by Max Freeman-Mills. Editing by Mike Lowe.
(Pocket-lint) – Now in its 27th year, the FIFA game series is one of the most talked-about, most eagerly-anticipated when it comes to each year’s iteration – but it rarely surprises or shocks. Major generational overhauls do happen, but they are few and far between. Instead, we are mostly served minor tweaks and improvements.
And, that’s where FIFA 21 proudly sits. It is a relatively minor enhancement on FIFA 20, offering a few additional bells and whistles, kit changes, and a new colour scheme for the menu system. But then, that’s not necessarily a bad thing for its legion of fans.
Casual players will simply be happy with the latest round of kit designs and real-world transfers, while the more dedicated Ultimate Team players will be pleased that the game feels familiar but with some of the unwelcome gameplay annoyances removed. Indeed, this latter camp gets the more significant new features too, so even though this is certainly no generational leap, it is definitely an improvement on what has gone before.
Surely that’s all that’s needed? At least until PS5 and Xbox Series X/S get into their stride, anyway.
Generation game
FIFA 21 will be the first game in the franchise for the next-gen consoles, but that means it has to perform equally well on current-gen machines. That has undoubtedly hindered any major tech enhancements in the game or its engine. We haven’t seen the PS5 or Xbox Series X/S versions, reviewing the game on PS4 Pro instead. But, it is likely they will only improve in graphical fidelity – features, such as lighting – and loading times. The game is very likely the same.
EA
Thankfully, the on-pitch action is excellent anyway. We really got into Ultimate Team (and the weekly FUT Champs tournaments) last time around, so were already comfortable with the ebb and flow of matches. However, there were a few things that irked us and other community members we’ve spoken to.
Crossing from the byline, for example, was next to useless in FIFA 20. Team AI left a lot to be desired too – especially in an attacking sense.
Both have been addressed, it seems. Crossing and corners have been improved. It is now easier to score a headed goal from a curling cross, we have found, thanks to being given more manual control. Plus, a feature EA calls positioning personality helps AI players take up more intelligent positions on the pitch, based on their real-life abilities and depending on the phase of play. We have seen, for example, that wingers and left-right midfielders will cut inside more often when assigned to do so in custom tactics, but only when there is the space. Strikers will look for space more often too, while defenders seem to be less rigid in their decisions.
These might not seem like massive improvements, but they do make a difference. And, when playing a computer opponent, they help the game feel more natural – more like you are playing online against another person than before.
That is especially true for the new competitor mode, which is enabled on legendary and ultimate difficulties. This gives the AI an even more personable feel. It also rakes up the difficulty again, giving you the impression that you are playing against some of the best FIFA players out there, so is a good trainer too, should you fancy rising up the leagues in division rivals.
EA
The one caveat to the new pitch-level features is that we feel matches to be a little more considered than before – which makes the action feel slower paced. But then, seeing as we’ve switched from a 96-rated UT squad in 20 to one that’s 81-rated in the new game (and after some keen transfer wrangling, to boot), that could just be something that improves with our team strength. Certainly, if we have one tip for new players it’s to get a goalkeeper with better reflexes – reaction times are a big factor in this year’s game, leading to better responsiveness, and we’ve found goalkeepers struggle without it.
There are a few other minor issues we’ve discovered, and possible glitches, but EA Sports has always been spot on when it comes to patches and fixes so we doubt they’ll be there for long and, therefore, not worth making too big a deal over.
In the board room
Perhaps the biggest changes this time though are off rather than on the pitch. The menu system has been refined, with Ultimate Team in particular gaining a better, more streamlined layout. You can now get to the modes and stats more intuitively.
EA
There are also new stadium options, to make your team more unique. Where in FIFA 20 you could choose a real-world stadium, a tifo (a backdrop behind the goal), and a theme that changed the hoardings, you can now go much further with a whole array of different customisation options.
Seat colours, stadium colour, pitch-side trophies, even pyrotechnics when goals are scored – these are among the many flourishes you can find in packs in order to alter your homeground. Crowd noises and celebration music can also be added and swapped in and out. It all makes for a more varied aesthetic that doesn’t really change the game performance-wise, but definitely allows you to show your flair and personality.
Your stadium also grows as you do – literally. As you tick off more objectives, it expands to become bigger and represent your in-game status. There is a heck of a lot of pride having an online player visit your customised-to-the-max stadium. And now you can truncate opponent’s goal celebrations to stop the more toxic of behaviour, and they yours, and there’s something wholly satisfying in having confetti cannons and musical blasts accompanying each of your goals.
EA
The other new feature for Ultimate Team is the ability to play competitive matches in co-op. Division rivals and even FUT Champs games can be played with a friend on the same side. We haven’t been able to attempt the latter yet as the first FUT Champs weekend was yet to start as we wrote this review, but it’s fun playing with a buddy on the same team against an online opponent or two.
Management anger
Away from the competitive nature of FIFA 21 – which is by far and away the most popular mode – there have been improvements made to the career mode and Volta Football.
Volta first appeared in FIFA 20, with a brief story mode in tow. However, it’s been cut back to a tournament mode now, with your own created team – a Volta Squad – also gaining co-operative play.
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EA
There is a narrative, voice acted section that helps you get to grips with the game, but it’s more to showcase a stream of guest stars than a full story as before. Indeed, the main aim of Volta this time around is to award you swag and give you a change of pace from 11v11 action. It has new skill moves, a better dribbling system, but is essentially the same fun distraction as before.
Career mode is also similar to previous outings, although it borrows a few feature from more dedicated management games. There is the interactive match sim, for example, which allows budding managers to avoid having to play entire matches and just the highlights instead. The game will play out in front of you, in top-down style, but you can jump in at any time.
It certainly speeds up a season in career mode and, combined with improved transfer and training options, it could well be a favourite for some – especially those who just want to play as their supported team. But, for the majority of players, it’s all about Ultimate Team and, as we’ve explained already, thankfully there have been enough enhancements to make this latest purchase worthwhile.
EA
A better career mode and the return of Volta as a decent sideshow are the icing on the cake, but it’s UT where it’s really at.
Verdict
If we’re being brutally honest, EA didn’t really have to do much to make FIFA 21 a success. True FIFA and football fans would buy it regardless, even if it only added a data update – after all, football shirts are renewed yearly, cost more than £80 a pop these days, and yet still sell like hot cakes.
It might present a sequence of refinements and tweaks rather than anything groundbreaking, but it is the best FIFA game yet and that’s more than enough for us.
We suspect that next-gen developments might bring more to the party in years to come, but if you want the pinnacle of footy action on the current consoles (and PC), this is surely it.
Writing by Rik Henderson. Editing by Mike Lowe.
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