A new Spotify app update is now available to all Xbox One Update Preview rings! (Preview Alpha – Skip Ahead, Preview Alpha, Preview Beta, Preview Delta, and Preview Omega)
Check out the latest update for the Spotify app! New features include:
• New and improved look and feel!
• Enhanced background music—in conjunction with Guide changes, the Spotify app now advertises up to 20 additional playlists under the media controls on the in-game page. Users can select and start new playlists, or show details of tracks in a playlist.
• Cortana voice activation support.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
On your Xbox One console enrolled in the Xbox One Update Preview, navigate to My Games & Apps > Updates > Spotify and select Update.
OR on your Xbox One console enrolled in the Xbox One Update Preview, navigate to the Xbox Store, search for and select Spotify, and select Update from the Spotify Store page.
NOTE: The version of this Spotify app update will be 2.0.58.70 or greater. It may take up to two hours or require a hard reset of your Xbox One console for the Spotify app update to appear in My Games & Apps > Updates or on the Spotify Store page.
If you encounter any issues with this Spotify app update, please submit feedback via Report a problem (hold down the Xbox button on your controller and select Report a problem from the power menu).
Thanks for participating in the Xbox One Update Preview!
The Abyss, the latest big update for No Man’s Sky, is out today on PlayStation 4. It brings a load of improvements to the game, and focuses on underwater habitats as well as aquatic alien life. You can expect new story stuff, new building structures, new creatures, and even overhauled swimming and diving controls. Very nice.
Anyway, you can find all of the details in the launch trailer, which we’ve embedded above. Needless to say, we’re happy to see that No Man’s Sky is still expanding and building upon its ideas. At this point it really is a different game to the divisive title that released back in 2016.
God Eater 3 is heading West next year, Bandai Namco has confirmed. The action role-playing game sequel is due to release in Japan this December, but thankfully, in North America and Europe, the title will only be a couple of months behind.
The 8th February is the date that you’ll want to mark on your calendar, adding to an already packed first few months of PlayStation 4 gaming in 2019. Oh, and if you didn’t already know, God Eater 3 will feature dual audio here in the West, meaning that you can switch between English and Japanese voices whenever you like.
Everyone remembers the PSone differently, and that’s perhaps the beauty of it. While the Nintendo 64 was defined by Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and the Xbox was defined by Halo: Combat Evolved and, well, Halo 2, Sony has always cast its net so wide that you rarely get the same answers twice. There are recurring names – Crash Bandicoot! Spyro the Dragon! Tomb Raider! Metal Gear Solid! Final Fantasy VII! – but so eclectic was the Japanese giant’s first console that it was never going to please absolutely everyone with its upcoming PlayStation Classic mini-console. Just take a look at Twitter right now, as social media inferno rages over… Brave Fencer Musashi?
For me the PlayStation was all about Dino Crisis and Theme Hospital; for others it’s Final Fantasy Tactics, Suikoden, and Chrono Cross. And I think this is the underlying point: the PlayStation Classic, with just 20 games available in its roster, was never going to please absolutely everyone. There are high-profile absentees, of that there’s no doubt – but Gran Turismo, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and WipEout were never going to make the grade due to licensing issues, and honestly I never expected Crash or Spyro given the existence of the PlayStation 4 remakes.
Sony’s announced the PlayStation Classic’s full games lineup, a pint-sized PSone console with a bunch of games pre-loaded. The mini machine is set to release on 3rd December 2018, and pre-order pages are beginning to pop up across the web. But where can you buy the PlayStation Classic? Here’s a quick guide on the mini machine and how to pre-order one.
What is the PlayStation Classic?
PlayStation Classic is a miniaturised version of the original PlayStation — 45% smaller, to be precise. Rather than functioning as a full-blown console, the system has been pre-loaded with 20 of the best PSone games. You can’t play your own games on PlayStation Classic, as the disc drive doesn’t function and is too small to carry CDs. Instead, you simply plug the console into your TV and a USB power supply, and you’ll have access to the 20 on-board games. It also comes with two full-size, original style PSone controllers for that extra retro feel.
Vampyr, the gloomy action role-playing game that launched earlier this year in June, has done very well for itself commercially, according to publisher Focus Home Interactive. The company’s latest earnings report highlights “tremendous success throughout the second quarter” for Dontnod Entertainment’s title. When it released, it managed to top the charts in the UK, France, Germany, and other countries, but it’s worth noting that it launched during a rather dry period.
We’re adding five more great games to the Xbox Game Pass catalog in November, in addition to the growing list of over 100 games already included in your membership. Starting November 1, Xbox Game Pass members can jump into Sniper Elite 4, Olli Olli 2 XL, Rise and Shone, Sheltered, and then on November 6 the same day as its debut on Xbox, Grip: Combat Racing.
But, you want more? Tune into Inside Xbox at X018 on November 10 and brace yourself for even more great games coming to Xbox Game Pass — we think you’ll like them.
Let’s dive into the new games, coming to Xbox Game Pass:
Sniper Elite 4 (November 1)
Combining complex ballistics, stealth gameplay, and third-person action, Sniper Elite 4 is the latest entry of this World War 2 combat series. This time featuring some of the largest and most diverse environments to navigate than ever before as you’re tasked to liberate wartime Italy from the iron grip of fascism.
Olli Olli 2 XL Edition (November 1)
Achieve new levels of control and expression as you skate, trick, and grind through 100 different levels with a new expanded combo system including Manuals, Reverts, Revert-Manuals, and Grind-Switching. Take on friends in Combo-Rush, a local-multiplayer mode for 2-4 players or when it’s time to chill, Free-Skate mode offers extended levels to learn the ropes, nail those tricks, or simply cruise and flow..
Sheltered (November 1)
Times are hard after an apocalypse, and your family will need all the comfort they can get to help them survive what’s to come. Sheltered is a post-apocalyptic bunker simulator where you need to keep your family of four alive for as long as possible. You’ll face many obstacles, meet crazy individuals, fight off intruders, scavenge for materials, and explore a randomly generated map on every playthrough.
Rise and Shine (November 1)
Play as the young child Rise as he embarks on an epic action-packed shooting adventure with his sacred gun Shine by his side. Together they’ll fight to take down an invading army of aliens known as Space Grunts in the hopes of saving a world where classic video game characters live. Featuring massive explosions, awesome hand drawn set pieces, and gigantic bosses to do battle with, Rise and Shine has all the ingredients of the next great shooter for you to tackle.
Grip: Combat Racing (November 6)
The return of hardcore combat racing is here and the stakes are higher than ever before. Grip: Combat Racing is packed with content. On top of the single-player campaign and Carkour stunt mode, there’s 22 breathtaking tracks spanning four planets, 15 armored combat vehicles, multiple race formats, and PVP battle arenas all with split-screen for up to four players.
Join Xbox Game Pass Today
With over 100 great games for one low monthly price, including highly-anticipated new Xbox One exclusives the day they’re released, including the highest-rated* Xbox exclusive of this generation Forza Horizon 4, plus more games added all the time, Xbox Game Pass gives you the ultimate freedom to play. If you haven’t tried Xbox Game Pass, start your 14-day free trial now, and discover your next favorite game.
For the latest Xbox Game Pass news, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and stay tuned to Xbox Wire. Until next month, game on!
Nintendo has the NES Classic Mini and SNES Classic Mini, and Sony’s not one for being left out in the cold. This December, it’s launching the PlayStation Classic, a miniaturised version of the original Sony PlayStation released in 1994 – the one that started it all for the PlayStation brand.
Preloaded with 20 games and small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, here’s everything you need to know about the PlayStation Classic.
[Update: the full list of games has been announced.]
Cut to the chase
What is it? Sony’s own retro system, packing 20 original PlayStation games
When can I play it? December 3 2018 (the 24th anniversary of the original PS1’s release)
What will it include? A miniaturised console with 20 games, two original-style PlayStation 1 controllers, HDMI cable, microUSB-to-USB cable, immense nostalgia
PlayStation Classic price and release date
The PlayStation Classic goes on sale December 3rd, though it’s unclear how many regions it will be available in on that date. It’ll cost $99.99 in the US, £89.99 in the UK and $149.99 in Australia. Read on for how to secure a PlayStation Classic at launch as well as our tips for pre-ordering the throwback console.
PlayStation Classic specs and features
Nearly half the size of the original PlayStation, the PlayStation Classic is a dead-ringer for Sony’s first games console, which first launched back in late 1994.
But whereas the original PlayStation ran on CDs, the PlayStation Classic’s games will run entirely on internal memory. It may look like there’s a CD tray there, but that’s just for show (and it’s about 50% too small anyway).
Likewise, where game saves were once stored on separate Memory Cards that plugged into the front of the PlayStation, the Classic will place all saves on virtual Memory Cards, emulated by the hardware itself.
What aren’t virtual or miniaturised however are the controllers. Other than the USB connections they now use, they’re identically sized to the original PlayStation pads, from the pre-analogue stick era. You’ll get two in the box, letting you enjoy multiplayer titles straight away.
Some other small changes to the hardware include power and AV ports. Audio and video is now carried by the standard HDMI connection, and power over a microUSB port. It’s worth noting that while an HDMI and microUSB-to-USB cable are in the box, it doesn’t include an AC adapter. You’re going to have to pick up your own that accepts 5 V, 1.0 A Type A USB (a wall plug included with your smartphone should be fine), or find enough power from a USB port on the side of your TV.
There are still a few details we don’t know, though. How much memory is onboard, and what processor is being used? How are the games being emulated, and will they be formatted or upscaled in any way to make the most of modern TV resolutions? And what will the interface be for accessing the library of pre-installed games, and will there be a way to add additional titles to the machine at a later date? We’ll update this piece once we have answers to these questions.
PlayStation Classic games list
The PlayStation Classic will come with 20 games pre-installed, all highly-regarded greats from the height of the PS1’s glory including Grand Theft Auto, Abe’s Oddysee and Final Fantasy VII. Here’s the full list of games:
Battle Arena Toshinden
Cool Boarders 2
Destruction Derby
Final Fantasy VII
Grand Theft Auto
Intelligent Qube
Jumping Flash
Metal Gear Solid
Mr Driller
Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee
Rayman
Resident Evil Director’s Cut
Revelations: Persona
Ridge Racer Type 4
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
Syphon Filter
Tekken 3
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6
Twisted Metal
Wild Arms
If you’re interested in picking up one of these consoles at launch, seriously consider setting up a pre-order deal. The original PlayStation sold more than 100 million units, only beaten to the best-selling spot by its successor the PS2. There will be many people looking to get on the nostalgia train, and the pricing makes this a perfect Christmas gift.
Demand will almost certainly be high, and if the response to the Nintendo retro consoles was anything to go by, could well outstrip supply. Don’t expect to see these on sale this side of Christmas, so if you’ve got your heart set on it, pick-up a pre-order from one of the retailers listed above to avoid disappointment.
Best PS4 games: see how far we’ve come with our top current PlayStation picks
In an attempt to emulate the successes of Nintendo’s NES Classic Mini and SNES Classic Mini, Sony unveiled the PlayStation Classic – a mini retro console that’s set to arrive just in time for Christmas.
Looking, playing and presumably smelling exactly the same as the original Sony PlayStation, the Classic is 45% smaller than the original and will come pre-loaded with 20 games, playable in their original format.
The full lineup of games has now been announced and it includes some absolute classics including Grand Theft Auto, Destruction Derby, Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil and Tekken 3 – full list below!
The PlayStation Classic release date is December 3rd, and it will come with two replica controllers in the box, along with an HDMI cable and a USB cable. It’ll need a USB AC adapter for power though, and this isn’t included in the box so you’ll need to get one of those separately, or use the 5V charger from a phone. or tablet
The launch price of the PlayStation Classic is $99.99 in the US, £89.99 in the UK and $149.99 in Australia, and pre-orders are already going live at various online stores. If you’re interested in picking up one of these consoles, we’d highly recommend pre-ordering as soon as possible. The original PlayStation was the first console in history to sell more than 100 million units and to this day is still the second best selling console of all time behind only the PlayStation 2 in the history books. So there are a lot of people out there who hold this console close to their hearts and will jump at the chance of taking a stroll down memory lane.
As such, demand for this thing is going to be high, and as previous retro consoles have been hard to get hold of, we’d guess the PlayStation Classic will be no different.
The countdown to Fallout 76 has begun. The next addition to the Fallout universe is only a few weeks away, and fans of the post-apocalyptic series are eager to see what the end product ends up being.
Set in post-apocalyptic West Virginia, USA, Fallout 76 acts as a prequel to the previous games in the franchise. But there’s one big difference: it’s entirely online.
Players will have the chance to build their very own settlements and team up with friends, interacting with dozens of other players on the same server along the way.
Speaking of players, servers and settlements, you can expect the game world of Fallout 76 to be four times larger than the world of Fallout 4 – making this the largest Fallout Bethesda has ever made. Also different is the way you’ll build your character.
This time through the wasteland, you’ll use S.P.E.C.I.A.L. card perks that help differentiate you character from the thousands of others online. Some perks will allow you to build with fewer resources while others give bonus damage to one-hand or laser-based weapons. You’ll trade cards to friends and your super crew can always swap cards out depending on what mutant threat you face.
All said, it’s a very different Fallout game from the usual single-player fare, but one that could serve to shakeup the series for the better.
Here’s everything we know about Fallout 76 so far.
[Update: Fallout 76 will not support cross-platform play. The beta will come to Xbox One on October 23 and PS4/PC one week later.]
Cut to the chase
What is it? A new online entry in the Fallout franchise
When can I play it? November 14, 2018
What can I play it on? Xbox One, PS4, and PC
Fallout 76 release date
Fallout 76’s teaser trailer in May didn’t give many details, but we now know the game will be shipping out from November 14 this year. This fits in with previous Fallout release windows, which have largely followed a similar pattern of mid-year announcement and October/November release.
Amazon is already accepting pre-orders for the game’s PC, Playstation 4, and Xbox One versions.
Fallout 76 trailers
A brand new live action trailer for Fallout 76 landed on October 28, showing the Appalachian wasteland brought to life with real actors. Check it out below:
The Fallout 76 official in-game intro trailer landed on September 27, giving us a look at the first steps vault dwellers will take into the wasteland.
There have been a lot of faux-educational trailers introducing you the game’s new systems and mode of play before it launches later this year.
We’ve listed the important educational trailers below: the first detailing the significance of nukes in the game, and the second showing you through the crucial building / crafting systems.
Not sold on the multiplayer component? This video might not change your mind.
The trailer from the Xbox E3 showcase gave us the revealing look at the world on offer: you can pore over it all below.
In an interview with Game Informer, game director Todd Howard clarified the general story outline, which sees the Vault 76 overseer leading players through six distinct regions of West Virginia, all distinct from each other.
“She left before everybody,” Howard says. “She left secret instructions for you, and that’s kind of the jumping-on point for what we call the main quest. At the end of it, you launch the nukes. The nukes are a game system, but they are also part of the main story.”
The story isn’t just early padding to get you used to the game’s systems, either. It requires level progression to advance to the story’s final moments, so you should have something of a combined experience between natural online encounters and preset quests.
There’ll be timed events for all players
In the true spirit of the ‘games as service’ model, Bethesda have confirmed there’ll be limited-time events at different points throughout the calendar year. Hines said that players would be able to fast-travel to live timed events, and that “when you get near one, it starts broadcasting for help. It’s like a timed multiplayer quest”.
Perks will work differently
The perk system in Fallout games usually requires you to make fixed choices about how you want your character to develop. Fallout 76 does away with that for a more flexible slot system, meaning you can customize your own S.P.E.C.I.A.L. perks through hundreds of cards that confer alterations to your character – such as percentage boosts to melee combat or enhanced stealth abilities.
Different cards become available as your progress to higher levels – and can be found in ‘card packs’ that come with four cards and a stick of gum to stave off hunger. There will also be themed cards linked to timed events.
Bethesda has not specified why it has chosen to sell Fallout 76 directly, rather than through Steam, but it’s likely to have better control over sales and to avoid paying a cut to Valve. Fallout Shelter had a similar route, with the PC version being launched exclusively on Bethesda.net and only becoming available on Steam almost a year later.
It’s a big, big game
At E3 2018 Bethesda boss Todd Howard took to the stage to tease a little more information. He confirmed the game’s West Virginia setting and told the crowd that the game is a prequel to all other Fallout titles, but will stand at around four times larger than Fallout 4. Now that’s big.
In terms of new technology, Fallout 76 will feature new rendering, lighting and landscaping technology, and “16 times the weather systems”. The game also incorporates the folklore of West Virginia into the mutants of the area (keep an eye out for a giant mutated sloth).
Todd Howard describes the game as softcore survival. Fear of overcrowded areas? “You’ll never see servers at all, and there’ll only be dozens of characters on a server, not hundreds,” Howard said on stage at Bethesda’s E3 keynote. “You can build your settlement wherever you want and then you can move that wherever you want.”
On the map, you’ll find nuclear silos that, according to Todd Howard, “you can do whatever you want with”. These weapons can be used to attack your neighbors and generally help you stay alive in the post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Howard also announced a special edition of the game that includes a glow-in-the-dark map of the game world and power armor – yes, really – that will be available alongside the base game on November 14, 2018.
So what is Vault 76?
There have been brief mentions of Vault 76 in a couple of previous Fallout games, including on a Vault-Tec terminal in Fallout 3, in that game’s Mothership Zeta expansion, and in a news broadcast played at the start of Fallout 4.
According to Fallout lore, Vault 76 was one of 17 ‘control vaults’ with standardised living conditions – i.e. not subject to social or genetic experimentation – and its community kept safe underground while the Great War obliterated much of the American landscape and population.
The vault was intended to be the first to reopen in 2097, 20 years after the atomic dust had settled on the conflict, with the intention of working to rebuild human society.
The Fallout 76 Xbox One X bundle includes the game, a controller, a 1TB console and one free month for both Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass.
We know when the game is set
The Pip-Boy wrist computer in the earliest trailer clearly tells us the year is 2102. To start, this would make it the earliest period we’ve ever seen in the Fallout series, a full 60 years earlier than the very first game, and 175 years prior to the events of Fallout 3.
The vault was decorated for a ‘Reclamation Day’ celebration, on the tercentenary of the United States and the date marked for the vault’s inhabitants to return to the outside world. A poster in the trailer, however, sets this date in 2097, meaning five years appear to have passed since the Vault doors were meant to have opened.
Here we’ll be in the world not long after the nuclear bombs devastated the nation – so it looks like we’ll be the ones building. We’ve already seen some distinct creature design in the gameplay footage so far, so it looks like there’ll be earlier iterations of the irradiated animals of other Fallout games. (We’re holding out for a tiny Deathclaw.)
There will be crafting and camps
So far, we know camps will play an integral role in your exploration of the Wasteland- offering shelter, hydration, food and the ability to treat infection. To expand, you will need to scavenge resources or mine materials.
The ability to create and expand your own settlements in Fallout 4 was one of the standout features of the game, and the positive player response has made it a central part of the upcoming game – though we’re hoping it’ll offer something more engaging than the fetch quests that Fallout 4’s settlement-building was reliant on.
In addition, there will be a lot more items and materials to work with and you’ll be able to pay to move your settlement as you please – using the C.A.M.P. workshop. The C.A.M.P. workshop also offers the ability to craft implements which can be sold for caps.
There’ll be a large focus on rebuilding civilization, with the potential to create your own settlements and communities instead of playing the lone wanderer. The first teaser trailer sums it up nicely: “When the fighting has stopped and the fallout has settled, you must rebuild.”
Yes, all the online rumors were right
In early 2018, gaming site Kotaku claimed to have heard on good authority that the upcoming entry would be an ‘online survival RPG’, built from a prototype multiplayer mode originally envisioned for Fallout 4 and utilizing the base-building mechanics that were introduced in the 2015 game – and which propelled the huge success of its tie-in mobile game, Fallout Shelter.
Bethesda had shown interest in the online space with its ongoing The Elder Scrolls Online MMO – and its acquisition of Battlecry Studios (now Bethesda Game Studios Austin), who indeed went on to assist in the online multiplayer aspect of Fallout 76. We’re sad to see a Fallout game that doesn’t use the strategic VATS shooting system, though we can’t imagine it working well for the fast-paced nature of an online shooter.
Will there be a beta for Fallout 76?
The Fallout 76 beta will arrive first on Xbox One on October 23 and one week later for PlayStation 4 and PC players on October 30. The only way to get access to the beta is to pre-order the title.
Bethesda has effectively confirmed the beta will be the full game and your progress will be carried over to the purchased version.
