Five Essential Tips for Your Adventure in Once Upon a Puppet

Hello, my name is Martin, and I’m the CEO and Creative Director of Flatter Than Earth, the studio behind the theatrical adventure platformer Once Upon a Puppet. Our magical, story-driven 2.5D puzzle-platformer takes place in a vibrant world of theatre, where classic platforming meets puppet-inspired gameplay in a tale of friendship, self-discovery, and redemption.

You’ll play as Drev, an ambitious Actor, and Nieve, a talented Stagehand and Tailor. Bound together by magic, they must work as one to navigate the kingdom of theatre, unravel its secrets, and face the Shadow King. But before you step onto the stage, here are five essential tips to help you on your journey.

1. Keep Your Eyes Open for Costumes – They’re More Than Just Fashion

Throughout the world, you’ll find antique sewing devices, which allow Nieve to craft unique story costumes for Drev. All of the outfits are based on important characters you will meet on your adventure. These costumes make you look cool on stage, but several play a role in the game’s storytelling. Just like in real theatre, a character’s attire is often a clue to their role in the performance. In Once Upon a Puppet, certain challenges will require you to wear a specific costume to progress. There are four of these specific costumes that are linked to the game’s progress, and they are easy to come across. However, there are more actor-like cosmetic outfits to unlock, so be on the lookout for them on your travels!

2. Pick Up Collectibles – They Reveal Hidden Stories

As you explore the world, keep an eye out for two types of collectibles: Stained Glass Pieces and Props. The Stained Glass collectibles are broken glass shards of bigger “stained colored glass windows”. Each of these “glass windows” tells a visual story of the kingdom. The Props are personal items of the lead characters in the game, such as The Queen, The King, and The Judge. These personal items always have something interesting to reveal about their owner. Collecting all of these will enhance your understanding of the world. If you’re someone who loves immersive storytelling, make sure to search every corner for these hidden gems!

3. Don’t Skip Cutscenes – They Hold Vital Clues

Each cutscene in Once Upon a Puppet is carefully crafted to deliver not just an emotional impact but also crucial hints about the world and the challenges ahead. The game features 12 rebuilding stages, and your goal is to rebuild and re-enact key moments from the king’s past. Every stage has its own unique story and emotional weight, so watching closely will help you connect the dots and fully grasp the significance of your journey.

If you rush through without paying attention to the cutscenes, you will miss important details about the mysteries behind the Shadow King, the forgotten stories, and the characters’ true destinies. So sit back, enjoy the theatrical storytelling, and let the narrative unfold like a grand stage performance!

4. Experiment with Stage Manipulation – Think Like a Theatre Director

One of the most unique mechanics in Once Upon a Puppet is the ability to rebuild and rearrange theatrical stages. Unlike traditional platformers, where the world remains static, this game allows you to move props, shift backdrops, and reposition platforms to change the scene itself.

Some puzzles require you to think like a stage director, setting up the scene in a way that allows Nieve and Drev to progress. Moving elements strategically can uncover secret paths, activate mechanisms, or create opportunities to outmanoeuvre enemies.

Once you “set the stage”, a Theatrical Cutscene, connected to the stage you just set, will emerge.

5. Spotlights aren’t just for drama

In Once Upon a Puppet, the rules of theatre guide every ray of light. The visual language of the game was built with the same care and discipline found in real stage productions. There are no accidental shadows or randomly placed beams—every light angle, silhouette, and contrast exists to serve the story, emotion, and staging.

This isn’t just lighting for aesthetics—it’s lighting with intention, rooted in the traditions of live theatre. A love letter to stagecraft, told through pixels and puppets. And quite possibly, a guide to secrets to discover.

We hope that with these tips in mind, you’ll be well-prepared to take center stage and face the challenges that await. We can’t wait for you to experience the magic firsthand. Once Upon a Puppet is out now on Xbox series X|S. Good luck!

Once Upon A Puppet

Daedalic Entertainment

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$29.99

$23.99

Get it now

The Grand Opening:
Welcome to Once Upon a Puppet, a 2.5D puzzle-platformer that unfolds within a vibrant world of theater. Take part in a magical tale that combines classic platforming with puppet-inspired gameplay, in a captivating story of friendship, self-discovery, and redemption.

Wear the glove of Nieve, a Stagehand exiled to the Understage, and wield control over Drev’s strings, a Puppet magically bound to her. As they journey to return to the Frontstage above, they will retell forgotten stories, uncover shadowy secrets, and learn their fate is interwoven with the kingdom of theater itself.

Highlights:
Become Puppet and Puppeteer: Pull the strings and master the art of puppetry in this unique approach to action, movement, and creative puzzle-solving.
A Troupe of Characters: Meet an ensemble cast of dozens of Major and supporting characters, featuring hundreds of lines of handcrafted dialogue.
Deadly Shadows: Face a horde of villainous creatures who will do all they can to snuff out the lights and bring the show to an untimely end.
A Meticulously Crafted World: Marvel at the stylized and detailed graphics that reinforce the magic of theater, with stages that fluctuate between past and present.
Set The Scene: Arrange and move props, backdrops and characters to rebuild theatrical stages, and re-enact scenes to unveil what befell the once proud World Stage.
Enchanting Soundscapes: Be captivated by a rich, theatrical soundtrack and immersive sound effects that bring the world of Once Upon a Puppet to life…

The Leading Actors:
Unwittingly bound together by spool and thread, Drev and Nieve reluctantly embark on a quest to reclaim their place in the theater, against a heartbroken King.

Nieve, a talented Weaver beset by self doubt, builds a strong bond with Drev, a naive yet ambitious Actor. With Drev’s unbridled theatrics and Nieve’s brilliance, they will conquer their deepest held fears to reveal the truth of the void harbored in their hearts.

The post Five Essential Tips for Your Adventure in Once Upon a Puppet appeared first on Xbox Wire.

New ‘AI: The Somnium Files’ Is Latest Switch 2 Game To Include Mouse Mode Support

No sleep for Mouse Mode.

With the Switch 2’s shiny new Mouse Mode, we’re not surprised lots of developers are integrating the new control scheme into their games. And Spike Chunsoft is the latest dev to jump on the mouse wagon, with its next big game, No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: The Somnium Files.

The third game in the AI: The Somnium Files series is coming to both the Switch and Switch 2 — the latter as a Game-Key Card release — on 25th July 2025. But the Switch 2 version will be bringing a number of benefits to the table, including better graphics, faster load times, and mouse control support.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

How to Become the Bloody Barbarian (and Other Game-Breaking Builds) in Soulstone Survivors

Category: Games

April 23, 2025

How to Become the Bloody Barbarian (and Other Game-Breaking Builds) in Soulstone Survivors

Allan Smith, Programmer & Game Designer, Soulstone Survivors

Soulstone Survivors is an action roguelite that rapidly transforms you from a peasant to a god. It’s kind of like if you were playing a Path of Exile character from level 1 to 99, but in about 20 minutes, and no matter what power fantasy you can dream of – from a Wizard who controls the elements, to a holy Paladin, to a nuke-hurling Engineer – you will find it in our game.

After a few years of development, listening closely to our PC community, the game is finally coming to Xbox Series X|S on June 17, 2025.

A demo is also available now on Xbox Series X|S, and we’ve pulled together some tips to inspire some build ideas, as well as how to get the most fun out of them.

The freedom to build your character exactly how you want is what sets Soulstone Survivors apart, and you’ll be able to test it against the dangers of the Void. And, if you didn’t fancy what you tried… just iterate and try again until you find the absolute perfect build.

Soulstone Survivors is designed from the ground up for you to push it to the extreme. For example, when your critical chance exceeds 100%, your attacks start landing multi-crits. We have an attribute called multicast, which allows you to launch multiple copies of the same skill (such as Chain Lightning or the dagger-hurling Flurry) at once – and guess what? As it gets higher and over 100%, you can be launching two, three, or even ten copies of the same skill at once. While many games might cap these stats, Soulstone Survivors gives you the freedom to experience what true god-like power feels like.

While it’s easy to jump in with basic character setups, the game shines when you go deep into the different systems that play off each other to create game-breaking builds, and we are always surprised with the creativity of the community – we love it when someone posts a new build on Discord with some crazy strategy that we didn’t even think was possible!

Buffs Are Your Friends

Buffs are effects applied to your character which give you an advantage against your enemies. For example, each stack of “Prowess” (i.e. each time you gain/improve your “Prowess”) gives you 1% extra damage. Although focusing on a specific buff can be a powerful strategy, it’s a good idea to create a build with a few different buffs that play off each other. There are power-ups that will grant you a chance to gain a buff every time a different buff is applied. “Devastating Strikes”, for example, grants you a chance to gain an Aptitude stack (which increases your critical damage) for every Prowess stack you gain.

Negative Effects Are Your Friends Too

Negative effects are the counterpart to buffs. These are applied onto your enemies, weakening them in some way. These can empower you to do ten times (or even hundreds of times) more damage to your opponents, depending on what combination you get. A particularly good one is “Poison”, which will deal damage over time and, when the enemy dies, a portion of the remaining damage spreads to nearby enemies. Or there’s “Fragility”, which increases damage received by the enemy for each stack. It’s always a good idea to have at least a couple different negative effects instead of going all out in one.

Consider Your Skill Types

Each skill or attack in the game has a particular type, such as Fire or Electric. When you’re trying to maximize your power, you’ll definitely want to think about the skill types. You could do a super focused build, as some power-ups will increase the damage of all skills of a particular type, sometimes by as much as 50%.

On the other hand, you could mix and match different skill types, as there are power-ups that will chain different skill types – for example, when you cast an Electric skill, you would then have a certain chance to also cast a Fire skill. It really depends on the kind of gameplay that suits you best!

Try Out Different Stuff!

There are plenty more factors that influence your build, such as the skill tree, Runes (artifacts you equip before each run with unique effects), your weapons (which you craft as you progress through the game), your character’s ascension skill (a temporary god-like power you gain after unlocking all the core skills).

The important thing is to experiment with different elements until you find the patterns that work and the ones that don’t, finding the play style that suits you best. I don’t know if I should, but here, I’ll share with you my secret Bloody Barbarian build!

The Bloody Barbarian Build

The Barbarian is the first available character in the demo, but don’t mistake him for the weakest – far from it! He specializes in melee combat, having access to Swing, Thrust, Slam, Electric and Earth skills, and all of these are great to make some crazy buff synergies!

The key points for this build are:

Choose the Barbarian with his first weapon, the Barbaric Cleavers
Look for skills that buff you with Finesse, such as Double Slash
Make sure to get the skill Scent of Blood
Grab some popcorn, as you watch what happens!

Alright, let’s break it down. All Barbarian weapons are great, but for this build we’ll start with the Barbaric Cleavers, the first weapon available, as it comes with “Whirlwind”, which has a large damage area. More importantly, it grants you both “Bulwark” (which increases your block power) and “Finesse” (increases your multicast chance), the core of our build!

Start the game, and be on the lookout for skills with the Swing type, as many of those will also give you more “Finesse”. Earth-type skills also synergise very well with this build, since they grant you “Colossal” which increases the area of effect of your attacks, and you want to be slashing the whole world! Remember to save a skill slot for “Scent of Blood”.This is a skill unique to the Barbarian which increases your attack speed based on the number of “Finesse” stacks you have.

By now, your Swing skills will give you tons of “Finesse” stacks which increase your multicast, which in turn means all your skills are used multiple times, and they will be hitting a huge area because your Earth skills will also be launched multiple times granting you even more “Colossal”. Finally, the cherry on top is “Scent of Blood” as it uses your “Finesse” stacks to grant you even MORE attack speed, which causes your skills to be launched even faster! Do you see where I’m going with this?

The madness that ensues is glorious! You will soon be spinning like a mad man, decimating an entire screenful of enemies every second! You can even add in the skill “Subdue” into the mix as well, which deals damage based on how many stacks of “Finesse” you have, being a great finisher that will be dealing hundreds of thousands of damage in this setup!

In the full game, you can make this build even more extreme by picking up a few runes, such as the Synergetic Rune, as it increases the chances you will get power-ups that chain from one buff to another and the Multicast Mastery Rune, because it increases the effectiveness of the multicasts. Runes aren’t available in the demo, but even without them you will be slicing through enemies like butter.

And this is only one build, of one character, in the demo, without exploring runes, ascensions, skill trees… it barely scratches the surface of what you can do! You could also try the Thor Barbarian build with a bunch of Lightning skills that are great for critical strikes, the nasty Dirty Barbarian that uses Slams and Earth skill for massive damage, or experiment with the Pyromancer (also available in the demo), and bring down a fiery apocalypse onto your enemies!

I hope that this sparks your imagination and encourages you to explore all the build, buffs and power fantasies that are possible in Soulstone Survivors. Hop into the demo on Xbox Series X|S today.

The post How to Become the Bloody Barbarian (and Other Game-Breaking Builds) in Soulstone Survivors appeared first on Xbox Wire.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Includes That Iconic Line Flub From the Original Game

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered reimagines one of Bethesda’s most important games with new visuals, gameplay mechanics, and more, but that didn’t stop the team at Virtuos from including one of the original’s most iconic lines.

Most veteran Elder Scrolls fans have no doubt heard of Master Speechcraft trainer Tandilwe, a High Elf who can be found in the Temple of the One in the Imperial City. When Oblivion launched for PC and Xbox 360 more than 19 years ago, it was clear Tandilwe could use some speech training of her own. One of her voice lines is a recording of what has long been assumed to be mistakenly included audio of actress Linda Kenyon taking another stab at a line.

Begging Bethesda to keep this voice acting flub in Oblivion Remastered pic.twitter.com/rzGymRMchw
— TheNCSmaster (@TheNCSmaster) April 21, 2025

As players began their trek through a revitalized Cyrodiil yesterday, many were on the hunt to see just how faithful the ground-up remaster truly was. While so many environments, character models, and items have been given a fresh coat of paint, others have been happy to find that many of the blemishes that made 2006 Oblivion so special remain intact. Tandilwe’s infamous (and hilarious) blooper is one moment fans have been overjoyed to see return. It’s just as it was nearly 20 years ago, lack of subtitles and all.

THEY KEPT THE BLOOPER IN OBLIVION REMASTERED YESSSS#OblivionRemastered pic.twitter.com/SiwfbnF5cK
— samwise (@kojimahead) April 23, 2025

In a 2019 interview with YouTube channel Jake ‘The Voice’ Parr, Kenyon was made aware of the Oblivion blooper making it into the game and becoming internet famous, insisting: “It wasn’t my fault!”

While the thousands of players hopping into Oblivion Remastered are debating about whether the Bethesda re-release is more remake than remaster, others are just happy to see so much of its jank remain largely untouched. It’s an aspect of the original release that Bethesda and Virtuos were determined to maintain, and so far, it seems to be going over well with both new and veteran players.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion surprise launched for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S yesterday. For more, you can learn about how the modding community banned together to release dozens of mods just hours after the remaster was revealed. You can also click here to read up on why one original designer feels the remaster is more like “Oblivion 2.0.”

We’ve got a comprehensive guide to everything you’ll find in Oblivion Remastered, including an expansive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, How to Build the Perfect Character, Things to Do First, and much more.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

Xbox Game Pass Is a Ridiculously Good Deal for RPG Fans Right Now

I may have dabbled with Xbox in the early days, but at some point I made the full switch over to PC gaming. The high frequency of Steam sales has usually been enough to tide me over on newer releases. So while I knew Game Pass was out there and did occasionally offer some big name games, there was never a moment where it felt like it would be worth it for me, personally. Well, until yesterday.

Bethesda and Virtuos shadow-dropping Oblivion Remastered straight onto Game Pass? A badly kept secret, but still an insane reveal. Tomorrow, the gaming subscription will get Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the stylish debut from Sandfall Interactive that takes inspiration from the JRPG greats. I have to admit, as a die-hard RPG fan: Microsoft, you finally got me.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Both Hit Game Pass This Week

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered was revealed and released on PC, consoles, and Game Pass on April 22. Like most people, I spent most of the day downloading the game and most of the night basking in the music. Highlights from the borderline-remake include new character models, combat interactions, and remastered VFX. And while they did enlist more than five new voice actors, it seems Virtuos kept the best of the original’s janky dialogue. The base edition of the remaster launched at a price of $49.99, which includes both the original DLCs, with a deluxe edition available for $10 more.

Meanwhile, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the long-awaited debut game from French studio Sandfall Interactive. Ahead of the game’s launch (12am PST tonight in the U.S.), it holds a 92 rating on Metacritic, with IGN’s 9/10 review praising the story design and describing it “as a true modern throwback.” The game’s stylish UI reminds me of the Persona series, and early gameplay footage shows off one of the coolest turn-based combat systems I’ve ever seen. The base edition is launching at the same price as the Bethesda remaster: $49.99.

While Expedition 33 was marketed as the headline of April’s Game Pass lineup, the surprise release of Oblivion Remastered has led to some concern of a “shadow” over the indie game’s release. That said, my perspective is that we’re getting two incredible cakes, and Game Pass makes enjoying both a little easier on the wallet. Instead of spending $100 on two new games, I spent $20 on a Game Pass Ultimate subscription. Now the only question is when I’ll touch grass again.

Plenty more of 2025’s biggest games have recently made it onto the service, including Blue Prince, South of Midnight, and Avowed, which join mainstay classics like GTA V and, of course, the full spread of Call of Duty. It really does seem like there’s something for everyone.

Game Pass Is a Ridiculously Good Deal Right Now

Game Pass Ultimate starts at $19.99/month and gives you access to the full Game Pass library across console and PC as well as cloud gaming. The exclusive-to-PC Game Pass lowers that cost to $9.99/month. The Standard and Core subscription tiers are $14.99/month and $9.99/month, respectively, but don’t include day one releases. The last Game Pass price hike was in July 2024, and with these types of game launches, I wouldn’t be surprised if those prices go up again some time this year.

While there aren’t any live Game Pass deals right now, you can pick up three-month subscription that might save you from any future price hikes. For other platforms, feel free to check out our roundup of PS5, PC, and Switch deals. Speaking of, U.S. preorders for the Nintendo Switch 2 go live tonight.

Blythe (she/her) is an SEO Coordinator at IGN who spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Was the Best-Selling Game in the U.S. for March

Assassin’s Creed Shadows debuted last month to become the best-selling game in the U.S. for March 2025 in dollar sales.

This is according to analytics firm Circana, which reports that Shadows has also become the second best-selling game so far this year, trailing only Monster Hunter: Wilds and ahead of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. It was also the best-selling game on Xbox in March, and second best-selling game on PlayStation and Steam.

We reached out to Circana analyst Mat Piscatella for a bit more context on Assassin’s Creed: Shadows’ success. He told us that Shadows’ launch was the third-biggest in franchise history in the U.S., following Assassin’s Creed 3 and Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. “It’s a great start, so now we’ll have to see where it goes from here.”

Last month, Ubisoft created a subsidiary company based on its Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six brands, with a €1.16 billion (approx. $1.25 billion) investment from Chinese megacorp Tencent.

The news came after Ubisoft announced Assassin’s Creed Shadows had passed the 3 million player mark. Ubisoft suffered a number of high-profile flops, layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations in the run up to Shadows’ release, and there is enormous pressure on it to succeed after the company’s share price hit an historic low.

Other stats reported by Ubisoft were already revealed by IGN’s coverage of an internal email in which the company contextualized Shadows’ opening weekend performance, saying it was better compared to Origins and Odyssey rather than the “perfect storm” 2020’s Valhalla launched into.

Shadows saw the second highest day-one sales revenue in Assassin’s Creed franchise history, behind only Valhalla, the biggest Ubisoft day-one ever on the PlayStation Store, and has seen over 40 million hours played so far.

March was a big month for new releases, with seven of the top 20 games entering the charts for the first time, including WWE 2K24 (No.4), Split Fiction (No.5), Bleach: Rebirth of Souls (No.9), Xenoblade Chronicles X (No.17), and Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune & Dunan Unification Wars (No.18). Hello Kitty Island Adventure also ranked No. 4 on Nintendo Switch specifically in its console debut, and free-to-play game FragPunk debuted at No.8 in the Top 10 Steam charts ranked by Monthly Active Users (MAUs).

In second place this month, just behind Assassin’s Creed, was another debut title: MLB: The Show 25, which was also the best-selling game for the month on PlayStation. Its sales were 23% higher than its predecessor, MLB The Show 24, during the same debut month last year.

Other games doing well in March included Fortnite, which led all games in MAUs on both Xbox and PlayStation, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which leapt from No.103 in February to No.10 in March on PlayStation specifically thanks to being added to PS+. Co-op horror game R.E.P.O. made a similar leap from No.93 in its debut month of February to No.1 in March on the Steam MAU charts, likely due to growing social media virality over time.

Despite all these exciting new releases doing pretty well for themselves, March was actually a bit of a low month for games as a whole. Overall games spending dropped 6% year-over-year to $4.7 billion, and content spending dropped 4% year-over-year to $4.2 billion, Circana reports. Non-mobile subscriptions and digital premium downloads on console were the only content areas showing growth.

I asked Piscatella for context as to why content spend was down, and he pointed to mobile as the primary perpetrator. Mobile spending, per SensorTower’s report, was down 6% year-over-year.

“Mobile being such a big component of content means that a dip there usually means the market dips. Console full game download spending was up this March. But declines in mobile and drops in PC full game spend and a drop in digital add on content spending meant overall content fell.”

As for hardware, spending was down 25% year-over-year to $286 million, the lowest March spending total since 2019 ($279 million). PlayStation 5 was the best-selling console of the month, but its sales were still down 26% year-over-year. Xbox took second place, down 9% year-over-year, and Switch sales were down 37% from last year, likely in anticipation of the impending successor, the Nintendo Switch 2.

March 2025 U.S. Top 20 Best-Selling Games:

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows (NEW)
MLB: The Show 25* (NEW)
Monster Hunter: Wilds
WWE 2K25 (NEW)
Split Ficton (NEW)
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
PGA Tour 2K25
NBA 2K25
Bleach: Rebirth of Souls (NEW)
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Minecraft*
Grand Theft Auto V
EA Sports FC 25
Red Dead Redemption II
Madden NFL 25
Elden Ring
Xenoblade Chronicles X* (NEW)
Suikoden I & II Remaster: Gate Rune & Dunan Unificaiton Wars (NEW)
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
EA Sports College Football 25

* Indicates that some or all digital sales are not included in Circana’s data. Some publishers, including Nintendo and Take-Two, do not share certain digital data for this report.

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.

Exclusive: Shin’en Talks ‘Fast Fusion’ On Switch 2, Reveals First-Look Trailer

“This will make your hands sweaty!”.

Believe it or not, when the Nintendo Switch first launched back in March 2017, those first couple of months weren’t exactly packed to the rafters with new releases. Folks had The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to keep them busy, of course, but beyond that, big tentpole releases seemed few and far between.

As such, smaller titles were given a chance to shine, and one of them was Shin’en Multimedia’s Fast RMX, a spectacular sci-fi racer that improved upon the Wii U’s FAST Racing NEO in several ways. With crisp visuals and rock-solid 60fps performance, its F-Zero-inspired gameplay still looks and plays great over eight years later.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Xbox App Now Available on LG Smart TVs

Category: Announcements

April 23, 2025

Xbox App Now Available on LG Smart TVs

Lori WrightCorporate Vice President, Xbox Marketing, Partnerships and Business Development

Starting today, the Xbox app is available on select LG Smart TV models, making it easier than ever for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members in over 25 countries to play games directly from their TVs. This rollout includes 2022 OLED TVs, select 2023 LG Smart TVs, and newer models, along with smart monitors running webOS24 or later versions. It will soon expand to StanbyME screen.

With this update, players can enjoy hundreds of games in the Game Pass Ultimate catalog, including popular titles like Avowed, South of Midnight, and upcoming releases such as Towerborne. Game Pass Ultimate members can also conveniently stream a select catalog of Xbox games they already own, such as Assassin’s Creed Shadows, NBA 2K25 and Hogwarts Legacy, adding even greater flexibility to the gaming experience. You can find the full list here.

Getting Ready

To experience Xbox on your LG Smart TV, here is what you need:

A compatible LG Smart TV.
An Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership.
Bluetooth-enabled wireless controller such as the Xbox Wireless Controller, Xbox Adaptive Controller, Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, or the DualSense controller.

How to Access the Xbox App on LG TV’s Gaming Portal

Players with 2025 LG TVs can power on their LG Smart TV, find the Xbox app in the new LG Gaming Portal, which can be accessed from the Gaming Q-Card on the TV home page, and start gaming instantly!

For owners of LG TVs running latest webOS 24 and newer – including 2022 OLED TVs and select 2023 LG Smart TVs which received a firmware upgrade – you can download the Xbox app from the app store. Once downloaded, the Xbox app is designed to offer a smooth and seamless cloud gaming experience. Here’s how it works:

Navigate to the LG Gaming Portal from either Gaming Q-Card or LG Gaming Portal on the Home Page.
Download and launch the Xbox app.
Sign into or create your Microsoft account.
Connect a compatible Bluetooth-enabled wireless controller. Controllers like the Xbox Wireless Controller, Xbox Adaptive Controller, Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, PlayStation DualSense, or DualShock 4 controller are all compatible.
Pick a game and start playing!

We’re constantly exploring new ways to invite more people into the world gaming, and with LG Smart TVs, we can do just that. We’re excited to take this new step with LG Electronics to bring more games to more people around the world, on the devices you choose to play with. And if you are new to gaming, this is an easy way to discover the joy gaming offers.

To learn more about Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) and how you can play across TVs and browsers on supported devices like smartphones, Windows PCs, and tablets, visit xbox.com/cloudgaming.

The post Xbox App Now Available on LG Smart TVs appeared first on Xbox Wire.

New PS5 System Software update features audio focus and the return of the classic console UI customizations

We continue to work behind the scenes to bring new enhancements to the PS5 experience, and today we are excited to announce two key additions based on player feedback – audio focus and the return of the classic console designs for the PS5 UI.

The PS5 system update will roll out globally in a phased approach, starting April 24.

Here are details of the new features:

Audio Focus

Audio focus increases immersion by providing presets to amplify soft sounds to meet your hearing preferences, ensuring a clearer audio experience when using headphones or headsets. This feature supports broader accessibility in audio experiences.

When the audio focus setting is turned on, you can choose from a range of preset options which makes it easier to distinguish sounds like in-game character dialogue, subtle sound effects such as footsteps and rustling grass, as well as voices in party chats for a more immersive gaming experience.

● To enable audio focus, go to [Settings] > [Sound] > [Volume] > [Audio Focus]. This feature can also be accessed from the Control Center, so you can easily adjust the settings during gameplay.

● You can choose from four preset focus type options for which sounds to boost:

Boost Low Pitch: Amplify low-frequency sounds like roaring engines and rumbling noises.
Boost Voices: Amplify voice chats, character voices, and other middle-frequency sounds.
Boost High Pitch: Amplify high-frequency sounds like footsteps and metallic noises.
Boost Quiet Sounds: Amplify low-volume sounds in a wide range of frequencies.

● You can set the level of support for each preset type from three different levels (Weak, Medium, Strong).

● Additionally, you can also choose to adjust the level of support for the preset for Left / Right channels separately to meet your specific preferences.

● The audio focus feature is available when using headphones connected via USB or analog jack. It is not supported for HDMI connections through TV, AV receivers or soundbars.

PS5 UI screenshots showing audio focus settings menu

Classic console designs for the PS5 UI returns

During our 30th anniversary celebrations, we surprised our fans with a limited time selection of nostalgic customization features for the PS5 System UI to honor the four PlayStation consoles that paved the way for PS5: PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4.

Due to the overwhelmingly positive response from our community, we’re happy to bring back the look and feel of the four console designs for players to customize the home screen on PS5!

Classic console designs main menu customization

This feature will be called the Appearance, and can be accessed under the Settings menu.

We’re excited to bring the update to you and would love to hear your thoughts on them. Which features are you looking forward to seeing? Share your comments below!

Original The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Designer Says Bethesda’s Remaster Is So Impressive It Could Be Called ‘Oblivion 2.0’

Original The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion senior game designer Bruce Nesmith has said Bethesda and Virtuos’ Oblivion Remastered is so impressive that he’s not sure calling it a remaster “actually does it justice.”

The mastermind behind much of what made the OG 2006 RPG so special shared his thoughts about the newly announced – and released – Oblivion remaster during a recent conversation with VideoGamer. He touched on the “blood, sweat, and tears” that went into bringing every inch of Cyrodiil to life, and that’s why it’s been such a shock to see Oblivion reimagined in nearly every way.

“I was assuming this was going to be a texture update,” Nesmith said. “I didn’t really think it was going to be the complete overhaul that they’ve announced it to be… I would not have batted an eye at that. But to completely redo the animations, the animation system, put in the Unreal Engine, change the leveling system, change the user interface. I mean, that’s, you’re touching every part of the game.”

Bethesda didn’t officially mention Oblivion Remastered before its launch yesterday. Still, longtime fans have been left mostly impressed by the countless changes that range from shallow visual touchups to fundamental gameplay tweaks. Additions such as a new sprint mechanic and changes to the leveling system have many feeling like Oblivion Remastered is less of a remaster and more of a remake, and Nesmith is leaning the same way.

The closest that could come [to categorising it] is Oblivion 2.0.

“That’s a staggering amount of remastering,” he added. “It almost needs its own word, quite frankly. I’m not sure remaster actually does it justice.”

Elsewhere in his chat, he attempted to label what he’s seen from Oblivion Remastered so far: “The closest that could come [to categorising it] is Oblivion 2.0.”

As fans gather to appreciate the work that’s gone into Oblivion Remastered, Bethesda has chimed in with its own explanation for how it came up with the name for its RPG re-release. In a statement posted to social media yesterday, the studio explained that it “never wanted to remake” Oblivion. Instead, its focus was maintaining the experience players know and love while modernizing it for newcomers, warts and all.

“We know many of our longtime fans will be thrilled to revisit Oblivion and the land of Cyrodiil,” Bethesda’s statement added. “But there are also so many who have never played it. We can’t thank you enough for all the support you have given us and our games over the years. Our hope with this remaster is, that no matter who you are, when you step out of the Imperial sewer – you feel like you’re experiencing it for the first time.”

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered was revealed and released yesterday as a shadow drop from Bethesda. You can hop into its reimagined version of Cyrodiil on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S now, and if you’re an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber, it’s available at no extra cost. For more on how Oblivion Remastered has reinvigorated the Elder Scrolls community, you can check in on how the modding community responded to the surprise launch.