Video Game Chat

A whopping 35 new titles will be available as part of the ID@Xbox Winter Game Fest later this week, Microsoft has declared. The event, coinciding with The Game Awards 2021, will run from 7-21 December and will offer up titles on Xbox One, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X. “These are not normal ‘game demos’,” Microsoft’s Jessica Ronnell advised. “Typically, the demos you see in our Demo channel are created after the game is completed (or nearly completed) and represent the final version. Many of these demos are early, and some are for games that won’t be out for quite some time. “Think of these as akin to ‘show floor demos,’ and not necessarily indicative of the final product. What that means is that you’ll get to experience these games early – some way early – which is awesome, but you should also note that these games will continue to evolve and be polished as they near release.” Some of the 35 titles playable include Loot River, Death Trash, Blacktail, The Tale of Bistun and Nobody Saves the World. A full list of playable titles will be shared when the event launches.

The new feature is out now across PC and Xbox consoles. Xbox game streaming just got a big quality boost thanks to a new feature. This feature, as it was first revealed earlier today on November 30, is called "Clarity Boost." As you might expect from the name, the feature gives a lot more clarity to any games streaming through the xCloud streaming service, across PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S. Over on YouTube, The Verge's Tom Warren demoed the brand new feature utilizing Forza Horizon 5. In the brief video, we can see that the streamed version of the game has some blurred scenery, particularly when a car is travelling at higher speeds. Thanks to Clarity Boost though, the whole picture comes into focus for an entirely smoother overall experience. Be aware though, that Clarity Boost is a feature you have to manually turn on within games when you're streaming them. The brand new feature from Xbox doesn't automatically activate when you're now streaming a game through a PC or Xbox console, so you'll need to head into the menus of the game you're playing to enable Clarity Boost, and achieve a better picture quality (see details below). Xbox's streaming initiative has really gone from strength to strength over the past year. Ever since it debuted first on Android devices, other platforms like iOS devices and PC have since landed game streaming through Xbox's cloud services. Additionally, Xbox One users can now even stream some Xbox Series X exclusive games to their last-gen hardware, giving them a firm foot in the new-gen door for the price of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription service. If you're eager to give this new feature a trial yourself, here's what you need to do: Download Microsoft Edge Canary. To confirm you are in Microsoft Edge Canary, navigate to edge://settings/help to make sure you are on version 96.0.1033.0 or later. To enable Clarity Boost, go to www.xbox.com/play, login and start a game. Open the more actions (…) menu. Select Enable Clarity Boost option. If this works, it could offset some long-held complaints about cloud gaming (that is, stream quality is variable at best) and we could even end up seeing other companies like Google or Nvidia adopt the tech – or try to – for their own game streaming services.

The Nintendo Switch games sale has gone live over on the eShop. The pre-Black Friday sale is brimming with deals on everything from Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition to Dark Souls Remastered. For a full list of the games on sale, head on over to the Nintendo eShop deals section of the website. The Cyber Deals Sale will see over 1,000 Nintendo Switch games receive discounts on the eShop. This includes first-party games such as Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, as well as third-party releases like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2. First-party Nintendo games will be discounted by the traditional 33%, taking many down to around £33. The Nintendo Switch Black Friday eShop sale kicks off at 2pm GMT on November 18, and runs until midnight on Tuesday, November 30.

The PlayStation Black Friday sales has begun, starting today to 29 November 2021. The usual slew of discounts is open for you to take advantage of, for purchases of select colours of the Dualshock 4 Wireless Controllers, and select PS5 and PS4 software. You can head to PlayStation Authorised Dealers and Sony Stores to check out the 2021 Black Friday offers yourself. The PlayStation Plus 12-month subscription gets a 33% discount, besides the assortment of games with up to 80% discount on the PS Store. You can check out the website here. Dualshock 4 Wireless Controllers @ RM 179 ( RM 60 discount ) Demon’s Souls PS5 @ RM229 ( Standard Price: RM299 ) Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut PS5 @ RM239 ( Standard Price: RM299 ) Final Fantasy VII Remake PS5 @ RM239 ( Standard Price: RM299 ) Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut PS4 @ RM189 ( Standard Price: RM249 ) Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales PS4 @ RM169 ( Standard Price: RM209 ) NieR Replicant ver 1.22474487139… PS4 @ RM169 ( Standard Price: RM249 ) Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time PS4 @ RM79 ( Standard Price: RM249 ) With PlayStation Plus getting a 33% discount for the 12-month subscription, now’s your chance to get or extend yours, and enjoy the monthly free PS Plus games. Some of the latest releases such as FIFA 22 (PS4/PS5), Back 4 Blood (PS4/PS5), Resident Evil Village (PS4/PS5) and FAR CRY®6 (PS4/PS5) are likewise available at up to 80% discount. https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/view/47095840-7dcf-11ea-acb6-06293b18fe04/bfa48d5d-3c09-11ec-814a-b203dbb7be10

You’ll also find discounts on hundreds of games, accessories, and more available starting November 19 through December 2. Get amazing deals on over 600 games. It’s a great time to stock up on games including those blockbusters you’ve been meaning to pick up like Far Cry 6, NBA 2K22, Back 4 Blood, Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 4, and more. Save up to 75% on select games from Xbox Game Studios Psychonauts 2, Gears 5, Gears Tactics, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Rare Replay, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 4, and many more. The following Xbox Black Friday 2021 deals are expected to expire around December 2nd, 2021. Assassin's Creed Valhalla £29.99 $23.99 Back 4 Blood £41.99 $41.99 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War £29.99 $29.99 Control Ultimate Edition £10.49 $11.99 Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time £29.99 $29.99 Cyberpunk 2077 £24.99 $29.99 Diablo 2: Resurrected £26.24 $29.99 DOOM Eternal £13.74 $14.99 F1 2021 £32.99 $29.99 Far Cry 6 £41.99 $40.19 FIFA 22 Xbox Series X|S £48.99 $48.99 Gears Triple Bundle £17.49 $19.99 Ghostrunner £9.99 $11.99 Halo: The Master Chief Collection £14.99 $19.99 Hell Let Loose £26.24 $29.99 Immortals Fenyx Rising £20.99 $19.79 It Takes Two £20.99 $23.99 Just Dance 2022 £33.49 $29.99 Life is Strange: True Colors £32.49 $38.99 Little Nightmares II £16.74 $20.09 Lost in Random £19.99 $23.99 Lost Judgment £34.99 $41.99 Mafia: Trilogy £24.99 $29.99 Marvel's Avengers £17.99 $15.99 Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy £38.99 $38.99 Mass Effect Legendary Edition £35.99 $32.99 Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate £22.49 $17.99 NBA 2K22 Xbox Series X|S £32.49 $34.99 NHL 22 Xbox Series X|S £48.99 $48.99 Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl £27.99 $34.99 Ori: The Collection £9.89 $11.54 Outriders £19.79 $19.79 Psychonauts 2 £38.49 $41.99 Red Dead Redemption 2 £21.99 $23.99 Resident Evil Village £27.49 $29.99 Riders Republic £41.99 $40.19 Scarlet Nexus £29.99 $35.99 Sea of Thieves £20.99 $23.99 Sonic Colors: Ultimate £26.24 $29.99 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order £17.99 $15.99 Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania £26.24 $29.99 Tales of Arise Cross-Gen Bundle £34.99 $41.99 Tomb Raider: Definitive Survivor Trilogy £17.99 $19.99 Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 Cross-Gen Bundle £24.99 $24.99 Watch Dogs: Legion £20.99 $14.99 Yakuza: Like a Dragon £27.49 $29.99 All 600+ Games In The Xbox Black Friday Sale 2021 (UK) All 600+ Games In The Xbox Black Friday Sale 2021 (US)

As part of the slow roll of big Xbox announcements this week, Microsoft said on Wednesday that its Cloud Gaming service is now available on Xbox One and Series X|S consoles in 25 regions, including the United States. Microsoft had previously announced that the Cloud Gaming would arrive on consoles at some point this year but had not offered a specific date. The new feature allows Game Pass Ultimate subscribers to play an assortment of games straight off of Microsoft’s cloud servers without needing to download or install anything. Cloud-compatible games— which appears to be most, but not all, of the current Game Pass lineup — are labelled in the app with a cloud icon. Xbox owners should note that the service may not be immediately available on console startup without the installation of a new 650MB system update. I found that my Series X didn’t automatically start the update on launch and I had to manually trigger it through the Settings menu. If you’re a Game Pass Ultimate subscriber and you don’t see any Cloud Gaming options, you may be in the same boat. Once that’s sorted, however, compatible games have a new Play button on their installation screen. As a useful side effect for Xbox fans who haven’t been able to secure a Series X|S yet, Cloud Gaming allows Xbox One owners to play cloud-compatible current-generation exclusives, such as The Medium and Recompile, on their old hardware at full X|S-quality resolutions. More Xbox exclusives are slated to join the Cloud Gaming roster in early 2022, including the 2021 Microsoft Flight Simulator. The other advantage to Cloud Gaming for a service like the Xbox Game Pass is the “try before you buy” aspect. Under the previous system, you still had to download local files to play titles on Game Pass, but Cloud Gaming lets you jump into a new game in under a minute. There’s an immediacy to the process that really helps the Game Pass’ intended purpose as what Xbox VP Sarah Bond calls a “discovery engine”; you can surf into and out of games in seconds. If the standard Game Pass is a restaurant, Cloud Gaming makes it an all-you-can-eat buffet. The disadvantage, as with any other cloud-based gaming initiative, is that it’s a massive bandwidth hog. Even if you deliberately dial your stream quality back to 1080p or lower, any protracted use of Xbox Cloud Gaming will smash you straight into any data caps you might have. If you’re working off of residential, unstable, or wireless internet service, Cloud Gaming is anywhere from useless to actively detrimental. That same bandwidth consumption also makes Cloud Gaming an unreliable option for games with always-online functionality, such as Outriders or State of Decay 2. You can still play them, but in my experience, lag will probably be a factor. The rollout of Cloud Gaming on Xbox consoles completes a lineup of compatible devices that includes iOS, Android, and web browsers. According to Microsoft head of product Catherine Gluckstein, Xbox Cloud Gaming is now available for more than a billion devices worldwide.

As reported by The Verge, the Xbox app for Windows will soon embrace a more open approach to game installation and file access. Much to the delight of the modder scene, this also means that games purchased via Microsoft’s storefronts are now mod-friendly. While modding was possible on some purchased games, the upcoming update will facilitate the same level of access available through the likes of Steam. According to The Verge’s inside sources, Microsoft is still testing the new Xbox app, but its arrival should alleviate some of the woes associated with current file restrictions. Naturally, this means that users will be able to save game data in other locations, something that should make transferring save files between Xbox Game Pass and Steam easier than ever. If anything, Microsoft’s willingness to remove restrictions from Xbox app install files is a testament to the company’s dedication to the gaming PC platform. While there’s currently no ETA for the update, the ability to mod games downloaded through Xbox Game Pass should help both the modding scene and the subscription service to thrive.

RESTRICTIONS Teams With the Core of your mode established, and your Modifiers set – you can now determine which Eras of Battlefield will compete in your experience. If you’re looking to sustain variety, and have the factions change across your map rotations, you can select Map Defaults by clicking on the Battlefield Portal logo, left of the tile for Battlefield 2042. This means that if you’re playing on El Alamein, the faction will default to 1942, and then rotate to Battlefield 3 if the next map was Caspian Border. If you go for this option, it will prevent you from determining any restrictions to Characters, Weapons, Attachments, Vehicles, or Gadgets. So if you’re looking to fine tune things, make sure to lock in a dedicated era specific team for use across all maps. Characters Depending on what you chose in the previous section, you’ll then be able to deselect which classes (or 2042 Specialists) are playable. You’ll also have the options to denote which factions show up in-game. The UK, US, and German factions are available for 1942, with the game appropriate versions of the USA and Russia available for the rest. Weapons In total, there are over 75 Weapons available across the entire experience of Battlefield Portal at launch. Now that you’ve chosen your factions, you’ll have the ability to manage what weapons are available. If both teams are from the same era, you can also make use of our unlink teams function to customize exactly which weapons each team is gaining access to. To make things easy, there are filters you can use to refine what’s displayed, and global switches that enable quick deselection for each of the classes of Weapon. Disable all of the Weapons, and players will spawn with melee weapons instead.* *Many of Battlefield 2042’s weapons unlock as you progress in rank, with many experiences in Battlefield Portal able to reward you with XP that help you level up, even when you’re not using 2042 Factions. If a player hasn’t unlocked a certain weapon that you’ve selected for use in your mode, you’ll also be required to select at least one default weapon so that new players can spawn with a weapon. All Battlefield Portal Weapons, Gadgets, and Attachments from our classic Battlefield games are otherwise unlocked from the start. Attachments You’ve experienced a selection of Battlefield 2042’s attachments during our Open Beta and had an early glimpse of how many more there are to unlock through progression. If you’re keen to restrict any of those attachments, and keep to a specific style of weaponry, you can choose which attachments can be enabled in gameplay. We’ve also worked to include a huge range of attachments for the weapons that we’ve carried forward from Battlefield 3, Bad Company 2, and 1942. Depending on what you selected in previous menus, the Plus Menu will also be accessible, though if you prefer this to be kept to a strictly classic experience, you can unset this option and ensure that attachments can only be changed on the Deploy Screen, or from Battlefield Portals Collection menu. As with Weapons, we’ve ensured that you can deselect classifications of attachments en masse, and work through our filter system to get through to what you’re looking for, faster. You can also run asymmetric attachments in case you want to force one team to stick with Iron Sights, and have the other team dialed in at range with scopes. Vehicles Unless you’ve previously disabled Vehicles in a prior menu, you’ll now have the option to define which vehicles are restricted from the pre-selected Era’s chosen in the steps before, leveraging the same toolsets available when defining your Weapons, and Attachments. Gadgets Your final set of decisions now lie with deciding which Gadgets are equippable in your mode. Keen to keep it to launchers only? Fancy a Dynamite vs. Claymore face off? How about the David and Goliath setup of Launchers on Team 1, vs. Helicopters on Team 2? Here’s where those dreams come alive. If you want to read up on the rules editor, and other features (kicking players, etc.) you can do so, right here.

Ubisoft is giving away Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Trilogy for a limited time. There’s no better deal than getting something for free, which is why we’re happy to report about Ubisoft’s latest promotion for its 35th Anniversary event. On the Ubisoft Store, you can snatch up Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Trilogy for no cost whatsoever, you just have to be signed into a Ubisoft Store account to get the deal. https://store.ubi.com/uk/game?pid=57062ec488a7e316728b46a2&dwvar_57062ec488a7e316728b46a2_Platform=pcdl&edition=Trilogy&source=detail Every game in the trilogy is distinct, with each one taking you on a different adventure with a different Assassin. You will travel to three fascinating periods in history, including the Sikh Empire as it’s preparing for war, the Ming Dynasty at the start of its fall from power and the aftermath of the Red October Revolution. Anyone who’s played an Assassin’s game before will have an idea of what they’re getting into, but the Chronicles series plays slightly differently as it incorporates the classic AC gameplay into a 2D sidescrolling format. Even with the perspective change, these games still play like Assassin’s Creed titles, with players having to move between stealth and action as they try to make it to the end of each level. This deal will be running until November 12, so you have a small window to snatch up the games. Once you’ve claimed your three free games, they will be available to play on your PC via Ubisoft Connect.

Steam has once again opened its Halloween Sale doors, bringing discounts for a good chunk of its wares and putting the spotlight on spooky events games are hosting to celebrate the season. https://store.steampowered.com/sale/halloween Naturally, this sale will be focused on horror-themed games, but there are plenty of other options for those who prefer something a little less frightful. I even have a few suggestions that you might find helpful: Deathloop - $40/£33/€40 (34% off) Bulletstorm Full Clip Edition - $4/£3/€4 (90% off) Ultimate Fishing Simulator - $6/£4.49/€6 (70% off) No Man's Sky - $30/£20/€27.49 (50% off) Of course, there are plenty of horror and horror-adjacent deals to dig through too: Pathologic 2 - $15/£12/€13 (58% off) We Happy Few - $6/£4.49/€6 (90% off) Dying Light Enhanced Edition - $15/£10.49/€15 (50% off) Resident Evil Revelation 2 - $1/£1/€1 (87% off, and I don't know if it's any good but it's literally a dollar so I'm rolling the dice on it)

The Xbox Shocktober Sale 2021 has begun! This year's sale features discounts on over 200 games, and they're expected to be on offer for the next 14 days. The Resident Evil deals from earlier this week are also featured in the 2021 Shocktober Sale, along with savings for a bunch of major Xbox games - including recent releases! We've rounded up some of the most notable deals in the Xbox Shocktober Sale 2021 below, and you'll find the complete set of all 200+ games over at the official Xbox website. Check the links below in order to get the full selection: Agony £1.59 Batman: Arkham Knight Premium Edition £11.99 Biomutant £35.74 BioShock: The Collection £7.99 Black Mirror £7.99 Black The Fall £3.59 Bloodstained: Iga's Back Pack £3.99 Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night £13.99 Book of Demons £9.99 Borderlands 3: Next Level Edition £22.74 Borderlands 3: Ultimate Edition £42.49 Call of Duty®: Advanced Warfare Gold Edition £18.14 Call of Duty®: Black Ops 4 £19.79 Call of Duty®: Black Ops Cold War £29.99 Call of Duty®: Black Ops Cold War - Cross-Gen Bundle £32.49 Call of Duty®: Black Ops Cold War - Ultimate Edition £53.99 Call of Duty®: Black Ops III - Zombies Chronicles Edition £18.14 Call of Duty®: Ghosts £18.14 Call of Duty®: Infinite Warfare - Launch Edition £18.14 Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® - Digital Standard Edition £29.99 Capcom Arcade Stadium Pack 1: Dawn of the Arcade (’84 – ’88) £8.99 Capcom Arcade Stadium Pack 2: Arcade Revolution (’89 – ’92) £8.99 Capcom Arcade Stadium Pack 3: Arcade Evolution (’92 – ’01) £8.99 Capcom Arcade Stadium Packs 1, 2, and 3 £23.99 Capcom Arcade Stadium：Ghosts 'n Goblins £0.84 Carrion £10.04 Castlevania Anniversary Collection £3.99 Castlevania: Harmony of Despair £3.29 Castlevania: Lords of Shadow £6.59 Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate HD £3.29 Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 £8.74 Castlevania: SOTN £3.39 CODE VEIN Deluxe Edition £16.24 Condemned £3.74 Control £9.99 Control Expansion 1 "The Foundation" £3.99 Control Expansion 2 "AWE" £3.99 Control Season Pass £5.99 Cyberpunk 2077 £33.49 Darksiders 3 DLC Bundle £4.79 Darksiders Genesis £8.74 Darksiders III £11.24 DARQ Complete Edition £10.84 DayZ £25.04 Dead Alliance™ £4.99 Dead by Daylight £12.49 Dead by Daylight: Silent Hill Chapter £3.19 Dead by Daylight: Silent Hill Edition £26.99 Dead by Daylight: The HALLOWEEN® Chapter £3.19 Dead by Daylight: ULTIMATE EDITION £35.13 Dead Space™ £2.99 Dead Space™ 2 £2.99 Dead Space™ 3 £2.99 Deadlight: Director's Cut £2.39 Death's Door [Xbox] £13.39 Destiny 2: Beyond Light £20.99 Destiny 2: Beyond Light + 1 Season £25.79 Destiny 2: Forsaken £7.99 Destiny 2: Legendary Edition £34.99 Destiny 2: Shadowkeep £7.99 Destroy All Humans! £19.24 Diablo® Prime Evil Collection £34.99 Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins £7.49 Don't Knock Twice £4.99 DOOM £7.49 DOOM (1993) £1.99 DOOM 3 £3.99 DOOM 64 £1.99 DOOM Eternal Standard Edition £21.99 DOOM II (Classic) £1.99 Dragon Age™: Inquisition - Game of the Year Edition £6.24 DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE 2 £7.49 Eldest Souls £12.74 Evil Inside £7.51 Fade to Silence £6.24 Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted £19.99 Gears 5 £13.99 Gears 5 Game of the Year Edition £21.99 Gears of War 4 £7.49 Gears of War Ultimate Edition Deluxe Version £7.49 Gears Tactics £13.99 Gears Triple Bundle £24.49 Get Even £3.59 Ghostrunner £9.99 Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection £16.74 Goosebumps: The Game £2.99 Grim Fandango Remastered £4.99 Hello Neighbor £5.99 HORROR TALES: The Wine £8.74 Hotel Transylvania 3: Monsters Overboard £7.49 How To Survive 2 £2.39 How to Survive: Storm Warning Edition £3.19 Hunt: Showdown - Blade Hunter Bundle £6.69 Hunt: Showdown - Deluxe Edition £13.19 Hunt: Showdown - Gunslingers Bundle £5.68 Hunt: Showdown - The Companion Bundle £5.68 Injustice™ 2 - Legendary Edition £16.49 Just Cause 4 - Complete Edition £10.99 Just Cause 4 - Gold Edition £9.99 Just Cause 4 - Los Demonios £4.99 Just Cause 4: Reloaded £6.99 Killing Floor 2 £7.49 Killing Floor 2 - Armory Season Pass £16.74 Little Nightmares £3.99 Mad Max £2.99 Maid of Sker £14.99 METAL GEAR SURVIVE £11.54 Metro 2033 Redux £3.19 Metro: Last Light Redux £3.19 Middle-earth™: Shadow of Mordor™ - Game of the Year Edition £10.79 Middle-earth™: Shadow of War™ Definitive Edition £13.99 Monstrum £7.49 Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate £24.99 Mortal Kombat XL £11.99 Murdered: Soul Suspect £2.39 Necropolis £5.99 Observer: System Redux £17.49 Outbreak: Complete Collection £46.89 Overwatch® Legendary Edition £16.49 Pathologic 2 £11.69 Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare £3.59 Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville™ £4.99 Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville™ Deluxe Edition £5.24 Plants vs. Zombies™ Garden Warfare 2 £3.59 Remnant: From the Ashes £13.39 Remnant: From the Ashes - Complete Edition £20.87 Remnant: From the Ashes - Subject 2923 £4.19 Remothered: Broken Porcelain £8.24 Secret Neighbor £6.69 Sheltered £1.99 Silent Hill: HD Collection £6.24 Skelattack £3.99 Sleeping Dogs™ Definitive Edition £3.59 Swamps of Corsus £4.19 Tails Of Iron £16.39 The Addams Family: Mansion Mayhem £29.74 The BioWare Bundle £10.99 The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man Of Medan £8.24 The Escapists & The Escapists: The Walking Dead £5.19 The Escapists: The Walking Dead £3.74 The Evil Within £7.49 The Evil Within® 2 £11.54 The Forsaken - Challenge Map: £0.59 The Medium £31.30 The Medium + Observer: System Redux + DARQ: Complete Edition — Bundle £52.49 The Raven Remastered £5.99 The Sims™ 4 Deluxe Party Edition £6.74 The Sims™ 4 Plus Cats & Dogs Bundle £17.99 The Sims™ 4 Seasons £17.49 The Sims™ 4 Spooky Stuff £6.74 The Sinking City £8.34 The Sinking City – Necronomicon Edition £12.49 The Walking Dead: A New Frontier - The Complete Season (Episodes 1-5) £5.99 The Walking Dead: Michonne - The Complete Season £5.19 The Walking Dead: Season Two £5.99 The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season £5.99 The Walking Dead: The Final Season - The Complete Season £9.59 The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series £23.99 The Witcher 2 £3.74 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt £4.99 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Blood and Wine £4.79 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Game of the Year Edition £6.99 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Hearts of Stone £2.39 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Expansion Pass £5.99 Thief £2.39 Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales £5.09 Through the Darkest of Times £6.24 Twin Mirror £12.49 Underworld Ascendant £6.24 Unturned £9.99 Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York £5.02 Vampyr £8.24 World War Z - Explorer Weapon Skin Pack £3.56 World War Z: Aftermath £28.46 World War Z: Aftermath - Deluxe Edition £35.47 World War Z: Aftermath - Zeke Hunter Weapons Pack £3.56 WWZ Upgrade to Aftermath £14.22 Zombie Army 4: Dead War £11.99 Zombie Army 4: Dead War Super Deluxe Edition £19.49 Zombieland: Double Tap- Road Trip £8.37 Zombies Ate My Neighbors and Ghoul Patrol £7.53 RESIDENT EVIL FRANCHISE SALE Raccoon City Edition £26.39 Resident Evil £3.99 Resident Evil 0 £3.99 Resident Evil 2 £12.79 Resident Evil 2 Deluxe Edition £14.39 Resident Evil 3 £16.49 Resident Evil 4 £6.39 Resident Evil 5 £6.39 Resident Evil 6 £6.39 Resident Evil 7 Biohazard £7.99 Resident Evil 7 Biohazard Gold Edition £15.99 Resident Evil Revelations £6.39 Resident Evil Revelations 1 & 2 Bundle £13.99 Resident Evil Revelations 2 Deluxe Edition £9.99 Resident Evil Triple Pack £13.19 Resident Evil Village £36.84 Resident Evil Village & Resident Evil 7 Complete Bundle £56.24 Resident Evil Village Deluxe Edition £48.74 Resident Evil: Deluxe Origins Bundle £7.99 All 200+ Games In The Xbox Shocktober Sale 2021 (UK) All 200+ Games In The Xbox Shocktober Sale 2021 (US)

The Xbox October update has begun rolling out, bringing the 4K dashboard update to all Xbox Series X consoles. Announced on the Xbox Wire, the October update also includes night mode settings for Xbox Series X|S and the ability to quickly change accessibility options from the Xbox Guide. Prior to this update, the Xbox Series X dashboard was 1080p upscaled to 4K. Now, the dashboard will be rendered in native 4K resolution on the Xbox Series X when connected to a 4K display. Icons on the dashboard and Xbox Guide menu will have improved visuals, looking sharper than previously. The October update also adds a suite of night mode settings to Xbox consoles. The options allow you to customize and dim the light of the connected display, helping keep rooms dark at night or helping anyone who is sensitive to light. The night mode options also allow you to dim the light coming from the Xbox controller power button and the power button on the console itself. It includes an option to have the night mode turn on and off at a set schedule. A customizable blue light display filter is available exclusively on Xbox Series X|S consoles. To start using Xbox night mode to dim and filter your screen, as well as dim your console & controller LED brightness, go to Settings > Accessibility > Night mode or Settings > TV & display options > Night mode. Summary 4K dashboard on Xbox Series X consoles – increased sharpness and text readability. Xbox night mode – reduce and adjust light of your Xbox display, console, and controller. Quick settings – easily switch settings to have a personalized experience.

Wow. That looks fantastic. Would definitely play a longer version.

New updates to the Xbox App on Windows 10 PCs now let you stream console games from the cloud or your console. Microsoft has opened up a new way to play console games remotely on your Windows 10 or later PCs thanks to updates made to the Xbox app. This includes support for playing Xbox Game Pass games from the cloud and playing games directly from your console with Xbox remote play. With these new updates, you now can play some of your console titles on a wide range of PCs, even those that don’t have the specs required for certain PC titles. Streaming games through the Xbox App will also allow you to play a game without having to install it on your PC. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members in 22 countries can now play Game Pass games directly from the cloud in the Xbox App on Windows 10 PCs. Game Pass members have been participating in the Xbox Cloud Gaming beta via a browser on their phones, tablets, and PCs and now can reap all the benefits of gaming from the cloud directly from the Xbox app. Playing from the cloud will allow you to continue playing a game you’ve been working through or to try out something completely new before deciding if you want to download it to your console. To access games from the cloud on your Windows 10 PC, you will need an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership and a compatible controller such as an Xbox controller, Sony DualShock 4, Razer Kishi, or others. Once you open the Xbox App, you will then click the “cloud gaming” button, and select from the games in your Game Pass library to start playing right away. Microsoft also added new features to help you get started, including information on the controller and network status, Game Bar integration, social features, and the ability to invite people, even those on the cloud, to join you in a game. To learn more about cloud gaming, hit up the link. Also, this is the first time the company has enabled Xbox Remote Play on PC for Xbox Series X/S owners. Microsoft also added additional upgrades from previous iterations of Remote Play, such as general stability updates, allowing for games to stream at 1080p up to 60fps, and added the ability to play select Xbox 360 and Xbox Original games, which has been a highly-requested feature. Xbox Remote Play is available in all Xbox-supported countries and regions on Windows PC, Android phones and tablets, and iOS phones and tablets.

Sony has confirmed that the second major system software update for the PlayStation 5 is launching tomorrow (September 15), bringing with it some much-needed changes and improvements for the new-gen console. Sony has announced today that the PS5's September firmware update, which has been in beta testing for several weeks, will be available worldwide tomorrow, September 15. This is the console's second major update since its launch in November last year. The September update is PS5's most feature-rich yet. The highlight addition is the arrival of M.2 SSD support for storage expansion, allowing console owners to expand the available space by inserting a supported Gen 4 NVME SSD into the dedicated slot. Unlike traditional external USB storage solutions, attaching an SSD allows players to install PS5 games on the new storage, something not possible on USB external drives. The update also includes 3D audio support for TV speakers, a feature previously exclusive to headphones. Outside of these bigger additions, the new firmware also brings a number of customisability features, making it possible to rearrange and hide icons in the Game Center. There’s a new Trophy tracker, too, available through the Game Center. The new design displays up to five Trophies per game on the page. Finally, there's a massive quality of life tweak included in this update, and it lists PS4 and PS5 versions of the same game separately if you have both installed. It should now also be much clearer - thanks to a new tile design - which version you have.

Microsoft is bringing its Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud) service to Xbox One and Xbox Series X/SX consoles later this year, allowing you to download games and try them out before you commit to saving them to your console. Once xCloud integration kicks off on consoles, anyone using an Xbox One, Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X can simply click play on an Xbox Game Pass game and immediately start playing it via stream, effectively allowing players to try games before they downloading them (costing you both time and data). As per Microsoft, over 100 Xbox Game Pass titles will be available as part of this first wave of xCloud integration. Interestingly, you'll also be able to sample and play multiplayer games the second you get an invite from pals, without having to download the game. Fancy a co-op round of Minecraft Dungeons? You won't even need to download the game. Microsoft says it will update its Xbox dashboard on consoles to include a cloud icon that will denote which games can be played this way. The service will also allow you to play Xbox Series X/S exclusive games (such as Microsoft Flight Simulator and The Medium) on Xbox One, though the former won't be viable at launch – though it is “coming in the future.” xCloud integration will be available for Xbox Insiders in the fall, before coming to other users Holiday 2021.

Xbox has announced that it will be present at this year’s all-digital Gamescom at the end of August and has confirmed a live-streamed event on August 24, too. If you’re looking forward to hearing more news about some of the games Xbox has been working on lately, we’ve got some good news for you: Microsoft has announced that “in-depth updates from some of our previously announced Xbox Game Studios titles alongside some of our third-party partners” will be shown off at Gamescom later this month. The official Gamescom 2021 Xbox Stream will kick off at 10am PT, 1pm ET, 6pm BST Xbox points you towards its YouTube channel, where the show will be available in over 30 languages and will feature English audio descriptions, too. You can also watch the show on Twitch, Facebook Gaming, Twitter, and select regional sites like VK.com in Russia and Bilibili in China, too. Though the company has not detailed which games we’ll be likely to see, it stands to reason we could hear more about the likes of Halo Infinite, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, Forza Horizon 5, and maybe even Fable. Don’t expect anything from Bethesda at the showcase, though Bethesda Germany has announced will be live streaming some games on its Twitch channel from August 26. And that’s not all! Xbox has also suggested that Gamescom: Opening Night Live on August 25 could feature something special for Xbox fans, and encourages you to tune in and watch then, too. “You’ll get in-depth updates from some of our previously announced Xbox Game Studios titles alongside some of our third-party partners, including some of the incredible titles coming to Xbox this holiday, upcoming releases to our monthly subscription service, Xbox Game Pass, and much more,” says a press release.

Codemasters has announced Grid Legends and it’s coming to current and new-gen consoles as well as PC. Grid Legends was announced during EA Play Live 2021 today, and it’s slated for release sometime next year. Featuring the series’ renowned race handling, the game will have you racing around traditional tracks and city circuits. It also features a race creator enabling you to select mixed-class vehicles and battle it out across all circuits, including new city locations, London and Moscow. The Grid World Series returns with this entry, during which you will face “fierce personalities, internal team politics and the infamous Ravenwest Motorsport,” and featured award-winning British actor Ncuti Gatwa. You can expect unique driver personality AI, 130 routes, including real-life tracks such as Brands Hatch and Indianapolis, Grid city circuits like San Francisco, Paris, and more. You can race and upgrade over 100 vehicles from classic touring cars to big rigs, single-seaters, and even stadium trucks. “Grid Legends combines everything our players love and adds more exhilarating race features, including our new epic story mode,” said Chris Smith, game director at Codemasters. “We’re giving players more variety and choice, whether that’s creating their ultimate races using our race creator or bringing back the community-requested Drift mode. “This is just the start of the journey, and we can’t wait to reveal more in the coming months.” Grid Legends will be made available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

The Steam Summer Sale 2021 is now live, bringing with it savings for tonnes of PC games. The Steam Summer Sale 2021 went live at 6pm UK time on Thursday June 24, and will run till the same time on Thursday July 8. Games that have received big discounts for the Steam Summer Sale include Halo The Master Chief Collection, Mortal Kombat 11 and Battlefield V. While the Steam Summer Sale 2021 also features savings for the Doom, Dead Island, Dishonored, Devil May Cry and Dark Souls franchises along with many others. Announcing the latest Steam Summer Sale, Valve said: "The Steam Summer Sale is back! Now thru July 8th, browse through thousands of deeply-discounted games for savings galore. And for the first time, Forge Your Fate through fourteen themed pages featuring destiny-defining micro-adventures, each one leading to an animated sticker, and all culminating in a fate-forged badge and glory! Also, check out the Points Shop for all-new Game Profiles featuring animated backgrounds, mini-profiles, avatars, and colour schemes from your favourite games." https://store.steampowered.com/