Latest News - Page 677

Microsoft officially confirms it is going all-out on the next Xbox console, potentially refuting claims of a lower-powered system.

Reports indicate that Microsoft's next-generation console could leverage an ARM-based SoC to improve profitability/compatibility and use a combination of local power, AI, and the cloud for next-gen gaming. No one knows for sure what the next Xbox will be, but Microsoft wants us to know that it's trying to make something monstrous.

In today's business strategy meeting, Xbox gaming president Sarah Bond shared some enticing details about the future of Xbox hardware. There's also new Xbox hardware coming in 2024, which are likely to be the leaked digital-only Xbox Series X.

Microsoft gives out a new Xbox Game Pass metrics update in its recent games business meeting.

Xbox Game Pass now has 34 million subscribers, Xbox president Sarah Bond officially confirmed in the recent Xbox strategy briefing. In the same sentence, Bond also announced that Activision Blizzard games will start to release on Game Pass next month.

"Activision Blizzard games are coming to Game Pass starting with Diablo IV on March 28. It's all part of our commitment to make Xbox, the Xbox experience, and the games that we build as widely available as possible. So now the 34 million Game Pass members can all enjoy the fantastic experience of Diablo IV," Bond said.

While Xbox games are going multi-platform, Xbox services are not.

Today, Microsoft confirmed plans to bring four unnamed games to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch (they are likely to be live games Grounded and Sea of Thieves alongside smaller titles like Pentiment and Hi-Fi Rush). Xbox wants the opportunity to sell more games and "grow communities" that are driven by online play.

Microsoft has confirmed that big AAA games like Indiana Jones and Starfield won't be coming to PlayStation, but one of Xbox's biggest businesses will stay firmly in its control: Services.

Neither Starfield nor Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are coming to PlayStation, Xbox gaming CEO Phil Spencer today confirmed.

Recent reports about Xbox breaking exclusivity have ignited fierce controversy among enthusiast gamers. It was believed that big tentpole Xbox exclusive games could cross over to rival platforms, thereby diminishing the Xbox console brand and potentially even starting a death spiral of Xbox hardware.

It turns out the reports are only half true. Some games are breaking exclusivity. Microsoft confirms that four unnamed titles are coming to PlayStation and Switch. Rumors indicate these Sea of Thieves and Hi-Fi Rush are among these games, but no titles were announced.

Microsoft plans to bring four games to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, but won't tell us what they are. We have a few ideas.

It's official: Microsoft is breaking Xbox exclusivity on four games, and will release the titles on rival PlayStation and Nintendo platforms. Rumors have shed light on three of these titles, and based on what Xbox gaming CEO Phil Spencer said during the recent business update, it seems the reports are correct.

Two of the games are community-driven. That means a large playerbase, online gameplay, live service elements, and typically microtransactions. Reports said that Sea of Thieves is coming to PlayStation, and now it seems more increasingly like that Obsidian's Grounded could be the other community-driven title.

Microsoft today confirmed it will bring four unnamed first-party Xbox games to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. The rationale? It's basically a big experiment to see what happens.

Microsoft just paid $75 billion for Activision Blizzard King, and despite making consistently strong revenues every year, Xbox gaming hasn't met its internal metric guidelines. Couple this with lukewarm reception for big first-party games like Starfield, potentially stagnant subscription growth, lower console sales, and universally rising costs, and you have a recipe for lower profits (and maybe even losses).

Now Microsoft wants to try doing something more safe: Selling games. That's why the company plans to bring four Xbox games onto PlayStation and Switch. The games haven't been announced yet, but Xbox's Phil Spencer did talk about the thought process of this decision with The Verge's Tom Warren:

Windows XP is approaching 23 years old, but there are folks out there who still use the operating system - in very niche cases obviously - but those people should be aware that MSI Afterburner no longer supports the ancient Microsoft platform.

Perhaps the biggest surprise here, though, is that the overclocking utility from MSI did still support Windows XP until its latest release.

MSI Afterburner version 4.6.6, which is in beta, made the change due to switching over to the VC++ 2022 compiler.

Microsoft plans to break Xbox game exclusivity in an effort to become the top cross-platform games company.

Gaming is changing. The industry is being hit with massive layoffs due to rising costs, and companies are still trying to deal with the aftershocks of COVID (record revenues led to ballooned investments, over-hiring) and sales misses from the glut of games released in 2023.

Subscription models may not be paying off, and Microsoft may have changed the way it sees the game sales vs services model. Platform-holders like Sony and Microsoft are now talking about the importance of multi-platform gaming. Rumors that Microsoft will break exclusivity for games like Sea of Thieves and Hi-Fi Rush to boost game sales and monetization have caused a stir; after all, exclusives sell consoles, right? So if Xbox breaks exclusivity, will gamers even buy Xbox consoles any more?

Windows 11 has a new preview build out which introduces some useful changes for the widget board and elsewhere in the interface.

This is Windows 11 preview build 26058 which has just been deployed to testers in the Canary and Dev channels.

In the usual lengthy blog post, Microsoft explains that the headline change comes on the accessibility front with a new Pointer Indicator to help those with low vision. As you might expect, this highlights where the cursor is, using a red crosshair to make that as clear as possible (check out the above screenshot).

Microsoft is still trying to talk Windows 10 users into upgrading to Windows 11 - you may have noticed the recent return of the dreaded post-update triple-nag panel - but the company is now taking a new tack with a YouTube video.

Yes, this is the kind of video clip you would have expected to see when Windows 11 launched, to explain what it's about, and to encourage those on Windows 10 to migrate.

But here we are, nearly two and a half years after the release of Windows 11, and we're seeing this kind of ad on YouTube. (First noticed by The Register - and part of a series of clips, apparently).

It has been less than a day since Aspyr and Crystal Dynamic released the highly anticipated remaster for the first three Tomb Raider games.

The iconic franchise is getting a fresh coat of paint, and upon release, the first Not-Safe-For-Work (NSFW) mod has surfaced on Nexus Mods and is available to download. The mod, as you have already probably guessed, makes Lara Croft topless, and while being quite a basic mod, it certainly achieves what it is intended to do.

According to the modder, the topless Lara replaces the TR1 original costume, and modders will have the ability to switch out the costume to whatever suits their fancy. It shouldn't be understated that the remaster for Tomb Raider games has been out for less than a day, and we have already seen the first nude mod. I'm not sure whether to be impressed, concerned, or not surprised at all, but what I do know for sure is that this won't be the last nude Tomb Raider mod and that this mod will be the least detailed.

Marvel has taken to its socials to announce the cast for the highly anticipated Fantastic Four reboot film in what could be one of the strangest ways it could.

Marvel knows just how to tug on fans' heartstrings, taking to the official Marvel X account to post a Valentine's Day card with the caption reading "Happy Valentine's Day from Marvel's First Family! Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby. Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn are The Fantastic Four."

The card depicts all four actors in their respective roles enjoying each other's company with Pascal as Marvel's Mr Fantastic Reed Richards, Kirby as Susan Storm Richards a.k.a the Invisible Woman, Moss-Bachrach as Benjamin Grim, a.k.a The Thing, and finally Quinn as The Human Torch. Also included in the picture is a robot H.E.R.B.IE, built by Mr Fantastic.

"It's not just a signal. That's a call for war." This year's Superbowl has given us a fresh look at Warner Bros and Legendary's new Godzilla King Kong crossover movie Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, showing off our favorite titans in a whirl of bright, colorful action.

The sequel to the kickass 2021 showdown Godzilla vs Kong, the New Empire is once again directed by filmmaker Adam Wingard and is set to blast into theatres towards the end of next month. The new trailer gave some potential answers to questions fans were left with after the initial teaser, such as what's going on with Kong's new power glove?

It seems our big monkey friend may be injured during an altercation with what "appears" to be the main antagonist of the film, a giant red ape but is this massive chimpanzee just a diversion? Possibly hiding the film's real threat of a "Colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world."

The Apple Vision Pro is a $3,500 headset that has been making headlines since it was released on February 2, but now we are approaching the two-week mark, and seemingly that glorious Apple shine has begun to wear off for some users.

It should be noted that Apple's policy states any of its products can be returned within 14 of purchase, which is likely why we are beginning to see an influx of buyers of the headset take to social media to announce they are returning it. So, why return the extremely impressive headset? Almost all of the buyers who stated they are now returning the headset regarded their experience with it as impressive but cited a few major problems with either its physical design or software capabilities that were dealbreakers.

One of the biggest problems floating to the top of the list is simply comfort. Apple's headset is quite weighty, with the majority of its weight falling on its front, making it difficult to wear for long periods of time. There is also several reports of users experiencing headaches while using the device, either from the two screens or the unevenly distributed weight. Another key problem is the productivity the headset provides or the lackluster amount that's currently present.

Sony wrapped its Q3 2023 earnings release, and within it, there were insights into what to expect out of PlayStation 5 sales heading into this year and next.

PS5 sales are in a gradual decline, and Sony is looking to solve one of its biggest problems at Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE): operating profit. Firstly, SIE president and CEO Jim Ryan is scheduled to step down from his position next month, with Sony decidedly putting Chief Operating Officer (COO) Hiroki Totoki as Chairman of SIE until a new CEO is obtained. Totoki has been in his position for four months, and during that time, he has noticed some major flaws within the business.

A team of researchers studied four asteroids using sensitive instruments and, for the first time, detected key molecules that are needed for life to exist.

The research was recently published in The Planetary Science Journal and details an analysis conducted on four silicate-rich asteroids. These asteroids were analyzed by the retired Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), which was a telescope equipped with a plane that was operated by NASA and the German Aerospace Center.

SOFIA's Faint Object InfraRed Camera (FORCAST) instrument provided data on the four asteroids, and researchers found evidence of the presence of water molecules on the surface of two of the space rocks. It should be noted that water molecules have previously been detected in asteroid samples that have been returned to Earth, but this is the first time scientists have detected the presence of water on the surface of an asteroid currently in space.

It's currently extremely expensive to get anything with significant weight into space, let alone travel from one space bearing to another.

For these reasons and many others, NASA is throwing money into the research and development of alternative ways of spacecraft propulsion, and the space agency just hit a critical milestone in the development of one of those alternative methods - solar sails. NASA has successfully rolled back or deployed one of the four quadrants of a massive solar sail currently being constructed at Redwire Space facility in Longmont, Colorado.

The idea behind the solar sail is similar to a sail on a boat, but instead of wind pushing the spacecraft, the solar sail absorbs and reflects sunlight, giving it energy and, therefore, propulsion. More specifically, when light from the Sun hits the solar sail, the momentum of the photons transfers a portion of their momentum onto it. This is a small transfer of momentum with a single photon, but since the Sun and the solar system are abundant with them, the solar sail, at least in theory, could travel much faster than the chemical rockets we see today.

Elon Musk, the head of SpaceX, teased when the Starship, the world's most powerful rocket, will attempt its second orbital test flight.

The SpaceX CEO took to X to share some information regarding the next time Starship will take to the skies. The new information came to light in a reply Musk made to the rapper Ye (Kanye West), who asked, "Where my rocket ship?". Musk wrote in response to Ye's tweet that SpaceX's massive rocket ship is expected to take flight "in about 3 weeks". Musk finished up his tweet by saying that despite the third orbital launch attempt being around the corner, he would recommend "waiting for a few more test flights before hopping on board".

For those who don't know, Starship is SpaceX's biggest and best rocket that is currently undergoing development with the overall goal of successfully reaching orbit. The rocket is slated to be the transportation method to the Moon and Mars, but its two orbital test flights, unfortunately, ended in the rocket exploding. However, the process of launching new technology involves explosions, and after every launch, SpaceX learns more about how the 400-foot-tall rocket handles.

A group of Tesla Cybertruck owners have taken to social platforms to share images of their Cybertruck's developing rust from what appears to be just rain.

One Cybertruck owner called Raxar took to the Cybertruckownersclub forum to say that when they picked up their Cybertruck from their respective Tesla dealership, the advisor specifically told them the vehicle is prone to developing orange rust marks on its exterior if it's exposed to the rain. According to Raxar, these orange rust marks need to be buffed out. Another Cybertruck owner took to the same forum to share some images of what appears to be corrosion developing following the vehicle being exposed to the Los Angeles rain, cold weather, and some sunlight.

The Cybertruck owner said they washed to make sure the specs weren't just dirt, and since they stayed present on the metal, the owner booked a service appointment. According to the Cybertruck owner an individual at the facility said they have a "procedure/guidance for how to fix it, but they don't have the tools on hand, nor have they done this repair before." Notably, this Cybertruck owner had only clocked 381 miles on it during the 11 days they had it their custody.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has come out with some fighting words about Apple's new Vision Pro headset, comparing it to the Meta Quest 3 and calling his headset the better of the two.

Zuckerberg claims to have tried the new Apple Vision Pro headset, comparing it directly to the Meta Quest 3, claiming that the Quest 3 is 7x cheaper -- he's right about that -- and that Meta's headset is better for gaming, playing Xbox games, watching YouTube, and more. He added: "I'm surprised how much better Quest is better for majority of things".

Apple starts things off with Vision Pro pricing at $3499, while Meta is charging $499 for its Quest 3 headset. Zuckerberg claims that the Meta Quest 3 is a more comfortable headset, but Apple has put some serious engineering into the Vision Pro, so it's one of the many things he said that just doesn't feel right at all.