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Bloodborne is free on PlayStation Plus right now
Bloodborne is currently free for PS Plus subscribers on the PlayStation Store, so grab it while it lasts.
Sony is apparently giving away Bloodborne to all PS Plus owners as a stealth freebie bonus for October's free games offering. This marks the second time Bloodborne has been free on PS Plus, and is a great game to pick up before the PlayStation 5 drops. Since it's a first-party game we expect Bloodborne will be fully backward compatible on the next-gen PS5, possibly with new updated features/FPS boosts.
Also remember Bloodborne will be free as part of the new PlayStation Plus Collection for PS5 owners. All PS Plus subscribers who grab a PS5 will get access to a pool of 18 must-play PS4 games including Bloodborne, God of War, Uncharted 4, and many others.
Continue reading: Bloodborne is free on PlayStation Plus right now (full post)
Amnesia Rebirth's mind-twisting insanity system is infectious
Frictional Games' new mind-warping psychological horror sequel links fear and insanity to
Today the macabre devs behind the new Amnesia Rebirth revealed some interesting new details about the sequel. Rebirth also features The Dark Descent's insanity system, but this time it's interwoven into the "emotionally harrowing journey." Rebirth's main character, Tasi, is infected with a strange and bizarre disease that marks her skin; as you play and encounter terrors of the Algerian desert, the corruption will spread across her body almost like a physical manifestation of fear and insanity.
Continue reading: Amnesia Rebirth's mind-twisting insanity system is infectious (full post)
AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT will 'challenge' RTX 3080: 16GB for $549-$699
We are heading into the weekend with some rather exciting news on Big Navi, with AMD's next-gen RDNA 2 graphics architecture and new Radeon RX 6000 series graphics cards right around the corner... we have a big new tease on Navi 21.
The news is coming from Moore's Law is Dead (MLID) who says that the new Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics card -- powered by the Navi 21 GPU, will "challenge" NVIDIA's new GeForce RTX 3080. MLID notes that Navi 21 and the RX 6900 XT is "unlikely to win at everything".
Tom also notes that Navi 21 will not "outright win at 4K" against the RTX 3080, but it will have more VRAM (16GB versus 10GB) and have lower power consumption than the RTX 3080. AMD will reportedly be going with GDDR6 on their new cards, and not the higher-end GDDR6X memory.
Continue reading: AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT will 'challenge' RTX 3080: 16GB for $549-$699 (full post)
Gran Turismo runs at 4K 60FPS on PlayStation 5, also has ray tracing
Sony is pumping some energy into the hype machine for Gran Turismo 7 on its next-gen PlayStation 5, teasing they're aiming for 4K 60FPS gameplay.
On the now updated Gran Turismo 7 PlayStation Store page, the company has added in some details about the "stunning visuals" the game will have. Sony teases: "Marvel at rendering quality through ray tracing, with support for 4K, HDR, and a targeted 60 FPS frame rate" for Gran Turismo 7 on the PlayStation 5.
There will also be fast loading in Gran Turismo 7 on the PS5 thanks to the ultra-fast NVMe-based SSD, where you can go to race events quickly, and then "gather in lobbies and receive friend invites extremely quickly with an ultra-high speed SSD. Select from a huge variety of cars with no load times".
Continue reading: Gran Turismo runs at 4K 60FPS on PlayStation 5, also has ray tracing (full post)
Keanu Reeves looks breathtaking in this new Cyberpunk 2077 commercial
CD PROJEKT RED decided that now is the time to deploy the latest Cyberpunk 2077 commercial, starring the ever-so-awesome Keanu Reeves. The new commercial is titled "Seize the Day", check it out:
The new commercial for Cyberpunk 2077 comes days after the developer went into "crunch" mode to finish the game, and barely 24 hours after CDPR said it would give 10% of revenues to employees as extra crunch bonus pay. Keanu Reeves is front and center in the new Seize the Day trailer for Cyberpunk 2077, while Bill & Ted Face the Music is in theaters (and kicking ass on VOD).
Cyberpunk 2077's new Seize the Day commercial debuted during the NBA Finals last night, and should bring some huge attention to the game leaving into its release on November 19.
Continue reading: Keanu Reeves looks breathtaking in this new Cyberpunk 2077 commercial (full post)
Apple's future foldable phone could have self-healing display tech
Apple will eventually enter the foldable smartphone market, which is currently kinda dominated by Samsung wtih a couple of different foldable smartphones in the Galaxy Z Flip and new Galaxy Z Fold 2 smartphones.
According to a new patent filed by Apple to the USPTO, a future foldable iPhone could "heal" itself from regular scratches. Not huge dents, but think more of the everyday use of your phone and being put inside and outside of your pocket or placed face-down onto a table, etc.
The patent is titled "Electronic Devices With Flexible Display Cover Layers" and explains: "The flexible portion of the display cover layer may be interposed between first and second rigid portions of the display cover layer. The display cover layer may also include a layer with self-healing properties. The layer of self-healing material may be formed across the entire display cover layer or may be formed only in the flexible region of the display cover layer. The display cover layer may include a layer of elastomer in the flexible region of the display cover layer for increased flexibility".
Continue reading: Apple's future foldable phone could have self-healing display tech (full post)
Foxconn developing Micro-LED smart glasses for 2023
Foxconn is reportedly developing AR smart glasses with micro-LED displays that offer a pixel density of 2000ppi. Such image clarity would be a major step forward for AR display technology, but don't get too excited yet. These won't hit the market for a few years yet.
According to Digitimes, Foxconn still has a lot of work to do. The company expects to wrap up the development of the micro-LED smart glasses in 2022. Foxconn will trial the hardware in several industries before putting the headset into full production.
The long development time is reportedly due to the optical technology needed for these smart glasses. Foxconn has access to Micro LED technology today, and building a VR headset with these displays would be trivial for a company like Foxconn. According to Digitimes' source, it "will take three years at least" to prepare the optical hardware for manufacturing.
Continue reading: Foxconn developing Micro-LED smart glasses for 2023 (full post)
Canon's new mixed reality device is smaller than a smartphone
Canon Japan is accepting applications for early access to an upcoming mixed reality device called the MREAL S1. This new device is a compact passthrough camera that allows you to see mixed reality content.
Canon has not released many details about the new MREAL headset, but the images tell us a little bit about the device. The MREAL S1 features two sets of stereoscopic cameras on the front. One pair for the passthrough image, the other pair is for depth tracking.
Canon said the MREAL S1 would be available in two form factors. You can attach it to a head strap for a full head-mounted display experience, or you can use it as a handheld viewer, which is more convenient for short demonstrations.
Continue reading: Canon's new mixed reality device is smaller than a smartphone (full post)
Forget haptic gloves, HaptX is making a full-body haptic suit
A research team comprised of members from Virginia Tech, University of Florida, and HaptX recently received a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation's National Robotics Initiative to fund the development of a full-body haptic feedback suit for use in VR and robotics applications.
The project, dubbed ForceBot, will use HaptX's microfluid touch feedback system, which HaptX developed for its HaptX Gloves product. The microfluid touch technology enables HaptX to create highly detailed haptic simulations that simulate the shape, weight, and texture of virtual objects. ForceBot will use that technology to simulate both active and passive constraints on the wearer.
"ForceBot will advance knowledge at the convergence of virtual reality, robotic control, sensory feedback, ergonomics, and human factor fields," said Dr. Alexander Leonessa, Principal Investigator, Virginia Tech. "We're excited to create a system that increases immersion for VR users in applications requiring intensive body motions like sports and industrial skills training, gaming, emergency response, and many others."
Continue reading: Forget haptic gloves, HaptX is making a full-body haptic suit (full post)
GeForce RTX 3070 mobile GPU spotted, desktop RTX 2080 Ti perf offered
It looks like NVIDIA is about to unleash Ampere into gaming laptops, with a new GPU spotted: codenamed GN20-E5-A1 (which refers to GA104 which will power GeForce RTX 3070 and GeForce RTX 3060 graphics cards in the very near future).
NVIDIA will be using GDDR6 memory on its GN20-E5-A1 chip, with the GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile packing SK Hynix mobiles labeled H56C8H24AIR. We should expect to see 8GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit memory bus on the GA104-powered GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile GPU and the upcoming gaming laptops powered by the new chip.
The full GA104 GPU packs 6144 CUDA cores while the desktop GeForce RTX 3070 will pack 5888 CUDA cores -- we should expect some more cutting down in CUDA cores. We should expect NVIDIA to debut its new GeForce RTX 30 Mobile series GPUs sometime around CES 2021 in January.
Continue reading: GeForce RTX 3070 mobile GPU spotted, desktop RTX 2080 Ti perf offered (full post)
October's free PlayStation Plus games are perfect for Halloween
This month's free PlayStation Plus games includes a must-play horror game that's perfect for Halloween.
Sony's new free PS Plus games for October offer a great way to celebrate All Hallows Eve. The two free PS4 games include Need for Speed: Payback, which obviously isn't a spooky game, but Dontnod's Vampyr, on the other hand, is among the best in its class.
I reviewed Vampyr back in 2018 and found it to be an absolutely captivating experience. It has an unnerving dark 18th Century London atmosphere set amidst the end-times threat of the Spanish Flu; London is sick and dying and strange creatures roam in the fog. You play as Dr. Reid, a vampire doctor who's beset by a rather unique dichotomous role: You can choose to heal or feed on your patients. This duality coupled with the deep, personality-driven NPC system and detective-style sleuthing frames one of the most interesting (and striking) horror games ever made.
Continue reading: October's free PlayStation Plus games are perfect for Halloween (full post)
Apex Legends embraces gaming's most important new feature on October 6
Next week, Apex Legends is getting one of the most important and transformative features: Cross-play between all platforms.
Today Respawn confirmed cross-play is coming to Apex Legends on PS4, Xbox One, and PC (via the Origin client) on October 6. The new cross-play functionality will launch in beta as part of the new Aftermarket Collection Event, which includes new cosmetics, freebies, and the new limited time Flashpoint mode.
Respawn has separated console players from PC players by default to help combat the massive advantages of mouse-and-keyboard vs controller play, but console gamers can change the setting at any time to play against PC users. Gamers can also turn off cross-play entirely, but Respawn warns this could lead to long queue times. All players will be marked with special icons that denote their platform.
Continue reading: Apex Legends embraces gaming's most important new feature on October 6 (full post)
Minecraft x Super Smash Bros. converges in epic fighter crossover
aNintendo teams up with the world's most-sold video game of all time in an epic crossover event for the ages.
Minecraft's Steve and Alex are the next fighters for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, game director Masahiro Sakurai today confirmed. Enderman and zombie mobs will also be playable via hero skins, and multiple Minecraft-themed voxel stages will be added into the game.
"Yes, that's right. Minecraft, the best-selling game in the world, is coming to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate game. Even I didn't think this day would come," Nintendo's Masahiro Sakurai said in a recent stream.
Continue reading: Minecraft x Super Smash Bros. converges in epic fighter crossover (full post)
Shadow Warrior dev teases their 'most ambitious new game to date'
Shadow Warrior developer Flying Wild Hog are working on an ambitious (and likely outrageous) new game, and it's their biggest yet.
Hot on the heels of Shadow Warrior 3, Flying Wild Hog is already planning their next game. The studio recently confirmed their new unannounced project will be their "most ambitious to date." To help fund the game and secure distribution, the studio is teaming up with Focus Home Interactive to make the dream a reality.
A recent press release announcement confirms the project will be action-based and that it'll surprise gamers:
Continue reading: Shadow Warrior dev teases their 'most ambitious new game to date' (full post)
GOG to become a universal storefront, lets you buy from other stores
CD Projekt's digital storefront doesn't just want to be a universal platform that launches your games; it wants to become a universal storefront for buying games too.
Today GOG announced an ambitious new update to its storefront that will allow users to buy games from competing platforms. The new GOG Galaxy store will host titles from other storefronts, including PC-based store exclusives like The Outer Worlds. Participation seems to be up to the store owners but Epic Games is open to the idea and we could see more timed-exclusive indies and AAA games cross over.
It'll be some time before the feature is ready for the masses, though. CD Projekt is currently holding closed internal beta tests for the new update and there's no ETA on widespread availability. There's also not a whole lot of info on the sales/revenue logistics of the new model but we're betting some interesting rev split deals have been put into place.
Continue reading: GOG to become a universal storefront, lets you buy from other stores (full post)
Secretlab announces official Rust Edition chair, also an in-game chair
If you are a huge Rust fan and are in need of a new gaming chair, then Secretlab has just manifested the perfect early Christmas present for yourself.
Secretlab has teamed with Facepunch Studios on the new Secretlab Rust Edition gaming chair, with a first-of-it-skin in-game chair skin for Rust. This is a big deal for Rust as the new Secretlab chair skin is the first-ever branded cosmetic introduced into the game.
The new Secretlab Rust Edition gaming chair is upholstered in the company's iconic black PRIME 2.0 PU leather, with "dappled rust-red accents" on the side wings and seat base -- which Secretlab says "effectively evoking the game's desolate wasteland".
Continue reading: Secretlab announces official Rust Edition chair, also an in-game chair (full post)
ISS astronauts are going to vote from space, here's how
NASA is already two steps ahead, as the space agency has a plan for how astronauts aboard the International Space Station will vote in the elections.
There is quite a lot of controversy surrounding the topic of how votes will be casted, as many people are questioning the legitimacy of mail-in ballots. CNN has reported that while many people are going to be mailing in their ballots, one ballot will be "mailed-in" from 200 miles above the Earth. That vote will come from flight engineer Kate Rubins, who is going to the ISS to research "the use of laser-cooled atoms for future quantum sensors", as well as perform cardiovascular experiments.
This won't mark the first time Rubins has casted a vote from space as the astronaut voted in the 2016 presidential election from the space station. Here's how astronauts cast votes from space, as described by NASA, "A secure electronic ballot, generated by the Harris and Brazoria County Clerk's office, is uplinked by NASA's Johnson Space Center Mission Control Center. An e-mail with crew member-specific credentials is sent from the County Clerk to the crew member. These credentials allow the crew member to access the secure ballot."
Continue reading: ISS astronauts are going to vote from space, here's how (full post)
These VR boxing gloves give you an authentic fighter feel
DeadEyeVR'S "Ultimate Boxing Gloves" might be the perfect accessory for VR boxing fans. These gloves work with Oculus Touch controllers to deepen the immersion in your favourite boxing games.
DeadEyeVR said it created the Ultimate Boxing Gloves because they weren't satisfied with the standard VR boxing experience. These gloves are supposed to enhance the simulation to make it feel more realistic.
The gloves' creator wanted them to be as realistic as possible, so they used authentic boxing gloves as the foundation. To hold the Oculus Touch controller, DeadEyeVR created a cup that straps to the palm of the gloves, which holds the controller in place while you're gaming. The gloves are thumbless so that you can use the buttons on the controllers.
Continue reading: These VR boxing gloves give you an authentic fighter feel (full post)
Gravity Lab gets Quest 2 update ahead of headset launch
Gravity Lab appears to be the first Quest game to get a Quest 2-specific update. The game developer pushed a graphics update for the game over the weekend, and the difference is impressive.
Gravity Lab is a 6DoF physics-based puzzle game for virtual reality. The title has been available for some time on PC VR, and it recently debuted on the Oculus Quest platform. In porting the game to Quest, the developer had to reduce the graphics fidelity of the game. Things like multiple light sources and reflective surfaces had to be removed to meet the performance needs.
Quest 2 is much more potent than the original Quest, allowing developers to push their titles even further than before. Mark Schramm, the creator of Gravity Lab, is lucky enough to have a Quest 2 ahead of launch, allowing him to prepare an update for his game before the hardware ships to consumer next month.
Continue reading: Gravity Lab gets Quest 2 update ahead of headset launch (full post)
HP Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition has a face camera, heart beat sensor
HP today revealed the Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition, a virtual reality headset for businesses that captures biometric data for various uses. The Omnicept headset can track your pupil movement, mouth movement, and your heart rate.
The HP Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition is based on the upcoming Reverb G2 VR headset and shares most of the core features, including the display resolution, speakers, and general form factor. The Omnicept Edition has a few upgrades that the basic model doesn't offer, including a wipeable PU leather cushion and a ratcheting adjustment system for the head strap.
The Omnicept Edtion includes eye-tracking sensors from Tobii, which enable gaze-based interactions. The headset is also compatible with NVIDIA's foveated rendering technology, improving rendering performance while enhancing localized image fidelity with supersampling.
Continue reading: HP Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition has a face camera, heart beat sensor (full post)






















