The PDP Riffmaster was first released back in April 2024, and it’s a wireless guitar controller that’s reviewed well, even if it is a little on the pricey side at the £130/$150 mark.
We’ve already looked at the CRKD x Gibson Guitar Controller, which costs slightly less and does a very nice job of handling… well, there aren’t actually that many games to play with guitar controllers on Switch consoles just now, so you’re gonna have to settle for Fortnite Festival with this new one, basically.
Spray Paint Simulator Update with More Colors, Better Flow, Smoother
Katie White – media manager at Whitethorn Games
Grab your spray tool, and step back into Spatterville—there’s a new coat of polish on Spray Paint Simulator! This update focuses on player creativity, smoother gameplay, and better performance. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a new painter just learning the ropes, you’ll find this update makes your work smoother, faster, and a lot more colorful.
Paint the Bridge Your Way
Just like the three new levels, the bridge level has opened up to your full creative control! You can now paint the bridge in any combination of colors you like. Whether you want a sleek industrial gray, a sunset gradient, or a chaotic rainbow masterpiece, go wild.
Smarter Preparation and Masking
We’ve also reworked how masking and preparation steps are grouped in certain jobs. To make things flow better, we’ve streamlined these areas by combining some masking and prep steps. You’ll now spend less time fiddling with tape and more time spraying. It’s all about getting you into the action faster without losing the satisfaction of doing a professional-grade job.
Clearer Tutorials and Better Guidance
New tutorial messages have been added throughout the game to help new players understand key mechanics and progression steps. If you’ve ever wondered why a surface wasn’t taking paint, or how to perfect a tricky angle, the new tooltips and hints should keep you on track.
Nozzle Improvements – No More Getting Stuck
Some players reported trouble completing certain later jobs when using smaller nozzles or fine-detail spray guns. We’ve tweaked how completion zones and spray detection work in those cases, so you won’t get stuck trying to hit every last pixel. The smaller tools should now behave more consistently across all job types, letting you focus on technique instead of wrestling with the last stubborn patch of unpainted surface.
Performance and Memory Optimizations
Behind the scenes, we’ve been sanding down rough edges to make Spray Paint Simulator run even smoother. This update includes further optimizations to performance and memory usage, especially noticeable on longer sessions and larger levels. Expect quicker load times, steadier frame rates, and an overall more responsive feel.
Improved Network Reliability
For those who like to spray with friends, our multiplayer experience just got sturdier. The network layer has been rebuilt to better handle communication hiccups and recover gracefully from temporary issues. Fewer disconnects, faster recoveries, and smoother co-op sessions all around.
A Fresh Coat and a Better Feel
This update is all about refining the experience: more freedom in color choice, less friction in setup, and smoother play from start to finish. We’ve listened closely to player feedback and made targeted changes that should make every job, big or small, feel more satisfying.
We hope you’ll dive back in and see how much smoother it feels to paint, spray, and create. As always, we’re grateful for your feedback and support!
Bring color to the world in Spray Paint Simulator! Restore worn-out surfaces with a fresh coat of paint and watch them come back to life. Use your spray tool with precision, cover every inch, and enjoy the satisfaction of a flawless finish. Step into Spatterville, where you’ll build your own spray-painting business. Meet the locals as you restore, repair, mask, and spray paint everything—from kitchens and local landmarks to a giant robot. Buy new tools and equipment, unlock Free Spray mode, and transform the town.
PREP AND MASK-TERPIECE
You’ve got to earn your stripes before becoming the town’s top spray painter. No worries, though! There’s plenty to keep you busy! Mask surfaces to protect them from overspray, remove and repair objects, and fill damaged areas to create the perfect canvas.
SATISFATION IN EVERY SPRAY
Grab your spray tools and watch worn-out objects spring back to life with fresh, snazzy colors! Feel the thrill of transformation, groove to the soothing rhythm of spraying, and enjoy the sheer joy of rejuvenating each item. It’s all about making things look brand new and having a blast while doing it! Let’s spray, play, and make the old new again!
BUSINESS MADE EASY
Running a spray-painting business has never been more fun! Keep an eye on your consumables like paint, masking paper, and tape, because nobody likes a half-finished job. Upgrade to cooler spray tools with more paint capacity, greater coverage, and bigger batteries. Need a boost? Choose from a variety of step ladders and scaffolding to reach those pesky high spots. Managing your supplies and equipment adds just the right amount of strategy, keeping things fun and light-hearted without getting too complicated.
UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVITY
After completing jobs for customers, dive into Free Spray mode! Return to your finished projects and let your imagination run wild. Spray the job and the surrounding environment any way you please. With a rainbow of colors at your disposal, the entire town becomes your canvas. Express yourself freely and enjoy hours of creative fun. Make Spatterville your masterpiece, one spray at a time!
Hey, everybody! Sid, Tim, and Kristen are back this week to discuss this week’s State of Play Japan, which focuses on the Japanese and Asian markets, the thrill of going topside in Arc Raiders, and all the games the team has been playing and looking forward to. This episode also includes an interview with Miles Leslie, Associate Creative Director, Treyarch for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
Stuff We Talked About
Next week’s releases:
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 | PS5, PS4 (out today)
Where Winds Meet | PS5 (out today)
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl | PS5
SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide | PS5
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 | PS5
State of Play Japan — This week‘s State of Play Japan highlighted our studios in the Japanese and Asian markets. Some of the biggest announcements included:
MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls – Second closed beta coming December 5
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake revealed
Gran Turismo 7 – Power Pack DLC announced
Octopath Traveler 0 – Demo available now, full game out December 4
27″ Gaming Monitor with DualSense Charging Hook coming to U.S. and Japan
Elden Ring Nightreign – The Forsaken Hollows DLC coming December 4
Lumines Arise developer interview — Enhance Games shares tips to help you master this visually stimulating puzzler, along with delving into the game’s design philosophy. Out now on PS5 w/ optional PSVR2 mode.
Kristen Zitani – Senior Content Communications Specialist, SIE
Thanks to Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music.
[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]
Magic: The Gathering is getting yet another big Secret Lair collab with a major video game series, and this time it’s Monster Hunter.
Announced today in a very odd press release, the Monster Hunter Secret Lair Superdrop will be available from December 1 at 9am PT to December 22 at 11:59pm PT, but only while supplies last, and these things tend to sell out pretty quick.
The collaboration includes four separate drops, each priced at $29.99, with a foil edition for $39.99. All cards involved are reprints of existing cards with Monster Hunter themes, nothing mechanically unique or new. The press release includes some basic information about each of the drops, titled respectively The Hunt, The Hunters, The Monsters, and The Monsters II, but no card images as of yet.
The Hunt focuses on non-creature spells, themed around “the terrifying attacks that monsters across the Monster Hunter franchise can unleash.” There is one spell of each color:
1x Blind Obedience: Malzeno from Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak
1x Snap: Kushala Daora from Monster Hunter 2
1x Village Rites: Magnamalo and Tobi-Kadachi from Monster Hunter Rise
1x Mizzium Mortars: Yian Garuga from Monster Hunter Generations and Monster Hunter 2
1x Tooth and Nail: Azure Rathalos and Seregios from Monster Hunter 4
The Hunters is, as it sounds, about the hunters themselves, with each card depicting a different set of armor and weapons and having the human creature subtype. As before, there’s one spell of each color:
1x Grand Abolisher: Tigrex Armor with Bone Scythes from Monster Hunter Generations and Monster Hunter Freedom 2
1x Archaeomancer: Velkhana Armor with Slinger and Winged Seraphyd Greatsword from Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
1x Grim Haruspex: Nargacuga Armor with a Hidden Eye Light Bowgun from Monster Hunter P2G/MHFU
1x Imperial Recruiter: Rathalos Armor with Red Tigrex Claws; Brachydios Armor with Burning Knocker; Gore Malaga Armor and Royal Rose from Monster Hunter 4G
1x Champion of Lambholt: Astalos Armor with Verdant Lightning Shield from Monster Hunter Generations.
The Monsters and The Monsters II are similarly self-explanatory, including the following monsters as legendary creatures. These are two different sets, but the press release is unclear exactly how these nine creatures will be split between them. IGN has reached out to Wizards of the Coast for comment on this and just generally on the confusing nature of this press release:
Nezahal, Primal Tide: Lagiacrus from Monster Hunter 3
Drakuseth, Maw of Flames: Rathalos from Monster Hunter Generations
Sarulf, Realm Eater: Zinogre from Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Vaevictis Asmadi, the Dire: Nergigante from Monster Hunter World
Ziatora, the Incinerator: Fatalis from Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
Razaketh, the Foulblooded: The Gore Malaga from Monster Hunter 4
Amareth, the Lustrous: Velkhana from Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
Wasitora, Nekorus Queen: Nargacuga from Monster Hunter Portable 2nd Generation/Monster Hunter Freedom Unite
Kalamax, the Stormsire: Brachydios from Monster Hunter 3 Generations
It’s been a busy year for both Secret Lair and third-party Magic collabs in general, with some incredible Secret Lair card drops including Sonic, Final Fantasy, Deadpool, SpongeBob, The Office and more. We’re currently eagerly awaiting the release of the Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond set, following close on the heels of Marvel’s Spider-Man. Next year is looking equally stacked, with planned Universes Beyond sets featuring TMNT, The Hobbit, Marvel, and Star Trek. It’s too many cards. Please, slow down.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
As part of its early Black Friday Doorbuster Sale, Best Buy just dropped the best deals we may see this entire month on the Meta Quest 3S VR headset. Not only do you get $50-$70 off in instant discounts ($249 for the 128GB model and $329 for the 256GB model), you also get a bonus $50 Best Buy gift card with your purchase. That’s basically getting a Quest for as low as $199. This is the best deal I’ve seen this year on a Quest 3S headset with warranty. Recently we’ve seen deals on refurbished models, but in this case the advantage of buying new is that you also get a couple of free games.
Meta Quest 3S Starting at $249 Plus $50 Best Buy Gift Card
The Meta Quest 3S is the best standalone consumer-oriented VR headset under $300. It costs 40% less than the Quest 3 and yet retains most of its hardware and functionality, including the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor, Touch Plus controllers with inside-out tracking, and mixed reality passthrough. However, whereas the Quest 3 has been updated with a new pancake lens design, the Quest 3S retains the Fresnel optics of the Quest 2. Although obviously not as good as the Quest 3, the Quest 3S still very much offers an immersive visual experience that is sure to impress. I myself logged in hundreds of hours on the Quest 2 before I moved on to the Quest 3. For newcomers who want to try out VR gaming without investing tons of money, of for people who want to give this as a gift to someone who’s never tried VR, I would recommend the Quest 3S over the Quest, especially at this price.
TL;DR Quest 3S vs Quest 3:
Same Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor
Same Touch Plus controllers
Same 120Hz refresh rate
Same Mixed reality passthrough functionality
Same tetherless and tethered functionality
Quest 3 has sharper resolution (2064×2208 vs 1832×1920)
Quest 3 has better lens array (pancake vs fresnel)
Quest 3 has lower FOV (104°/96° vs 96°/90°)
Quest 3 has higher storage capacity (512GB vs 128GB)
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Woe unto people who like making smaller, prettier versions of themselves kiss: the Paralives developers are delaying their homey life sim following playtests, to fix some bugs and fill out the game’s town with activities. Paralives had been due in early access this December, but will now launch on May 25th 2026.
Manufacturers are working on updates to their docks.
Following reports that some Switch 2 owners are having issues with third-party docks, Nintendo has addressed the issue.
In a response to Tom’s Hardware and Kotaku, a representative told the outlets that “Nintendo does not have any intention to hinder or invalidate legal third-party dock compatibility.”
Building a Trusted Gaming Future: How Security Powers Fair Play
Xbox Platform and Windows Security Team
With the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, it’s a timely reminder of the responsibility we share to uphold the integrity of play. We put together this guide on the latest security features and actions players can take to make sure they’re ready to jump into Call of Duty today.
We’re focused on creating environments where competition thrives. At the heart of every great game is a simple promise: everyone deserves an equal shot at victory. Cheating breaks that promise, undermining the excitement and integrity of the experience for players and developers alike. Through close collaboration with game developers, anti-cheat technology providers, and players, we’re committed to protecting fair play and ensuring everyone can enjoy a level playing field.
Why Security Features Matter for Fair Play
Cheat software isn’t like traditional malware that sneaks in unnoticed; it’s installed and run by players who deliberately disable and circumvent built-in protections to gain an unfair edge. That’s why Microsoft’s security features alone can’t stop cheating if someone turns them off. The real value comes when these protections stay enabled by all – they create a trusted state that developers can count on. Using that state, developers can better safeguard their games and their players, by reliably distinguishing systems that are more likely to have cheaters vs. systems that are configured for trust and security.
Cheating has grown increasingly sophisticated, moving from simple memory hacks to exploits that try to compromise a system before it even verifies your PC is in a trusted state through the hardware and Windows boot process. While most modern PCs include essential security features for gaming, Windows 11 takes protection a step further with advanced defenses tailored for players and developers. Working closely with hardware providers and anti-cheat providers, we have established a set of standards for hardware and software security, creating a root of trust. These technologies work together to make your PC ready for gaming, making it harder for cheats to take hold:
Trusted Platform Module (TPM)2.0: Creates a modern, hardware-based secure key storage and root of trust, from which the system and Windows can generate information that can be trusted with cryptographic keys.
Secure Boot: Ensures only trusted software loads during the boot process. So, when it is enabled, developers can have confidence that cheats weren’t inserted into the system early to evade detection by the anti-cheat providers. Plus, it extends the root of trust from the TPM all the way through the hardware initialization process to the time that Windows begins to boot.
Virtualization-based Security (VBS): Provides another layer of protection, strengthening security by creating a secure, isolated environment within your system where it is difficult to run unauthorized code that could interfere with your game or anti-cheat software. Like secure boot, when it is enabled, developers can have greater certainty that cheats are not interfering with fair game play.
Remote Attestation: Provides a well-documented and industry wide approach for remotely validating every important step of both the hardware and Windows boot process by leveraging the TPM and creating cryptographically secure evidence that verifies your PC in a trusted state as it initializes and boots into Windows.
These same technologies sit at the heart of Xbox console security, a proven and trusted model, and we’re excited to see anti-cheat providers leveraging them on Windows 11 today.
How You Can Help Game Developers Build Trusted Communities
We’re working with partners to build the tools and standards that make gaming safer, but players have an important role too. By keeping your firmware and security features up to date, you’re helping developers maintain a trusted environment for everyone. Enabling these protections sends a signal that you value fair play.
That signal matters because developers increasingly rely on these standards when designing multiplayer experiences. When security features stay on, it becomes easier for developers to differentiate genuine gameplay from cheating and keep the community competitive and fun.
Here’s how you can help ensure your PC is ready for secure, fair play:
Keep Windows Up to Date: Make sure to regularly install Windows 11 updates. These updates are delivered automatically through Windows Update and provide essential security enhancements to help safeguard your gaming experience.
Stay Current with Firmware/BIOS Patches: Be proactive about checking for and installing firmware/BIOS updates from your PC manufacturer. Firmware/BIOS patches aren’t always automatic, so reviewing your manufacturer’s support site or tools ensures your device receives the latest protections against emerging threats. We’ve included some links below for many of the top manufacturers to help get you started.
Enable TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot: Most modern gaming PCs come with these features enabled by default. If you’ve built your own system or use an older device, check your firmware/BIOS settings and manufacturer’s or Windows’ instructions to activate them.
Review Security Requirements: Major titles such as Call of Duty and Valorant provide dedicated pages that outline the necessary protections needed for secure and fair gameplay. Check the official website for your favorite game to find its recommended security requirements before you play to ensure your system complies with the latest standards.
Stay Informed: Follow Microsoft’s official channels for guidance on best practices and the latest news. Bookmark the Security blog to keep up with our expert coverage on security matters. Also, follow us on LinkedIn (Microsoft Security) and X (@MSFTSecurity) for the latest news and updates on cybersecurity. We’ll keep you updated so you can focus on playing, not worrying.
The fight against cheating is always evolving, and so are the tools we use to protect the gaming community. As new games and anti-cheat solutions adopt modern security technologies, you’ll see more titles requiring features like TPM, Secure Boot, and advanced protections such as VBS.
We’re here to listen to your feedback as we work toward our shared goal of fair play for all. Together, we can build a gaming ecosystem that’s secure, fair, and fun for everyone. See you in-game!
This week marks PS5’s fifth anniversary! To celebrate, we asked you to share unforgettable moments from the last five years using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here’s this week’s highlights:
Dande_Lion55shares the iconic fight between Kratos and Thor in God of War Ragnarōk
PattyGnandshares pixel-level celebration in Astro Bot
FrameCaptureVPshares Ellie swinging an axe through the shadows in The Last of Us Part II Remastered
ibis_monkshares Aloy taking to the skies in Horizon Forbidden West
secondcaptureshares an epic armor set in Demon’s Souls
sorathlunashares Higgs playing his battle guitar atop a pillar with a gigantic BT in the background
Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme, or be inspired by other great games featuring Photo Mode. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?
THEME: Side Quests SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on November 19, 2025
Next week, we’re headed on a side quest. Share moments that transpire when you venture off the golden path in the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launches on November 14, and we’re hosting a launch day livestream to celebrate. The latest entry in the long-running FPS franchise is set in 2035, 44 years after the events of Black Ops 6. Omnimovement is back, but there are added movement options and new game modes in both multiplayer and Zombies.
The livestream is presented by Xfinity, where you can get reliable Wi-Fi at a reliable price for five years. And with Unlimited Data, you won’t miss a moment of action. It’s powerful and secure with fast downloads. Gaming is better with Xfinity.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Livestream Date, Time, and Where to Watch
The livestream will start on Friday, November 14 at 5 p.m. Pacific / 7 p.m. Central / 8 p.m. Eastern. It will stream across IGN’s channels, and you’ll be able to watch it at any of these places:
If you’re not able to watch it live, that’s alright. You can still watch it in its entirety on our YouTube page after it’s over.
What to Expect in the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Livestream
The stream will run for an extended period, but we don’t have a specific amount of time in mind. We’ll feature as much as we can during the stream. You’ll see extended gameplay, get a look at what’s new in Black Ops 7, and different game modes to get a sense of everything on offer. See you there!
