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The Day Before Beta Only Available to Those Who ‘Volunteer’ For Developer Fntastic

The beta for highly anticipated and controversial post-apocalyptic open world MMO The Day Before will only be available to those who “volunteer” for developer Fntastic.

The Day Before received a new trailer yesterday, November 1, alongside an information drop confirming a third delay to December 7, word it would only launch in PC Early Access and not on console on that date, and a celebration from Fntastic over winning its trademark dispute over the game’s name.

The developer failed to mention the beta it announced in April, however, and when asked about it by IGN, confirmed that only Fntastic “volunteers” would be granted access.

“Volunteers” are what Fntastic calls its staff, broken into two categories: employee-volunteers (actual employees) and external volunteers. The latter are essentially unpaid workers helping develop The Day Before, a practice that was criticised by onlookers but defended by Fntastic in June 2022.

Per Fntastic’s website: “External volunteering is an opportunity for those who are willing to offer their skills and talents to improve the Fntastic community. External volunteering includes various activities, from translation to community moderation.”

Fntastic announced the beta in April, but didn’t mention that it would only be available to its “volunteers” and not general fans of the game. “As we get closer to the release date, we will be conducting a beta test for the game,” it said. “This will give players the opportunity to try out the game before it is released and provide valuable feedback that we can use to improve the final product.

“We will provide more details on the beta test as we approach the release date, so be sure to stay tuned for updates. We look forward to sharing game with you and you will enjoy playing it as much as we have enjoyed creating it.”

Fntastic hadn’t said anything about the beta officially since — outside of confirming to IGN that only “volunteers” would be able to access it — despite the game previously being intended to launch on November 10 and now December 7, and after it promised to improve communication.

The Day Before has otherwise been wrought with controversy over its development period, with once-fans even calling the game a scam amid its multiple delays, copycat accusations, miscommunication, and more. You can read about the entire strange saga of The Day Before here.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Campaign Early Access Release Times Confirmed

Activision has confirmed the global release times for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3’s campaign early access, available to those who have digitally preordered the game.

The campaign goes live across all platforms (PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, and PC via Battle.net and Steam) at the same time: 10am PT today, November 2, Activision said in a blog post.

Here are the launch times per timezone:

  • U.S. West Coast: 10am PT
  • U.S. East Coast: 1pm ET
  • UK: 5pm GMT
  • Europe: 6pm CET
  • Japan: 2am JST November 3

The Modern Warfare 3 campaign is available now to preload across all platforms.

The Modern Warfare 3 campaign was developed by Sledgehammer Games in partnership with Infinity Ward, and is the direct sequel to last year’s Modern Warfare 2. It includes 15 missions, each of which rewards players with items upon completion. These rewards can be used across Multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone.

Here are the Modern Warfare 3 campaign rewards:

  • “Breather” Calling Card
  • 30 mins Double Player XP Token & 30 mins Double Weapon XP Token
  • “Corso” Operator
  • “Ghillie Guy” Calling Card
  • 30 mins XP Token and 30m Weapon XP Token
  • “Pathfinder” Operator
  • “Toxic Drip” Calling Card
  • 1 hour Double Player XP Token and 1 hour Double Weapon XP Token
  • “Doc” Operator
  • “Skull Rhapsody” Calling Card
  • 1 hour Double Player XP Token and 1 hour Double Weapon XP Token
  • “Jabber” Operator
  • Campaign Completion Emblem
  • Campaign Completion Weapon Blueprint

Modern Warfare 3 launches proper November 10. It’s the first Call of Duty game to launch following Microsoft’s $69 billion buyout of Activision Blizzard, but don’t expect it to hit Game Pass until 2024. Check out IGN’s Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer review in progress to find out what we thought of the recent open beta.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Alan Wake 2 08 Update Makes Over 200 Improvements and Fixes to the Game

Remedy has released an update for recently launched Alan Wake 2 that makes over 200 individual improvements and fixes to the game.

Update 08, which brings Alan Wake 2 on PlayStation 5 up to version 1.000.008, on Xbox Series X and S to version 1.0.0.8, and on PC to version 1.0.8, tackles everything from graphical issues to mission specific bugs. Of note: the patch makes various audio-related improvements.

Players had encountered audio problems, especially on Xbox, so hopefully this update sorts those out. Remedy apologised for one bug in particular, which caused the Oceanview Hotel Lobby Echo in Room 665 not to align correctly (“this one was really annoying; we apologize”).

Here are the Alan Wake 2 08 update patch notes in full:

Global

  • Various localization fixes, such as improved subtitle timings for all languages
  • Improved localized audio for live-action cinematics
  • Various audio-related improvements and additional polish
  • Improved lip sync in some instances
  • Fixed various graphical issues in the environments
  • Fixed various minor issues in cinematics
  • Minor improvements to image aliasing in Performance mode and Xbox Series S
  • Improved lighting
  • Fixed lighting bugs in multiple locations
  • Various UI-related fixes and additional polish
  • Various gameplay fixes and improvements
  • Minor gameplay finetuning
  • Improved auto-aim for specific circumstances
  • Fixed rare player character animation issues
  • Fixed various issues in the Case Board
  • Fixed various map issues
  • Several conversations failing to trigger and thus blocking progress later have been fixed
  • Fixed Rose’s dialogue choices, sometimes not being selectable, blocking progress
  • Fixed a rare issue with Saga’s lines not playing when going to the Sheriff’s Station, blocking progress
  • Resolved a potential problem in the player getting stuck in a Case Board Tutorial
  • Fixed exploration rewards for Lighthouse

Mission specific

INVITATION:

  • Fixed a bug where Saga could get stuck in the environment (“Crazy forest”)

CASEY:

  • Fixed potential issue with players able to get stuck when falling from ladders
  • Fixed potential issues with Dark Presence (it remains a threat)
  • Fixed a rare crash

ZANE’S FILM:

  • Fixed a bug where Alan could fall through the environment

SCRATCH:

  • Fixed a bug where Saga could fall through the world
  • Fixed a bug in where a gate could get locked after reloading a save game, causing the player to get blocked from progressing
  • Fixed an issue where, in rare circumstances, the player could end up outside of the game world when opening the map
  • Fixed an issue where, in rare cases, the Lighthouse key could not be picked up

WE SING:

  • Fixed a bug where Alan could get stuck in the environment

ROOM 665:

  • Fixed an issue that caused the Oceanview Hotel Lobby Echo not to align correctly (this one was really annoying; we apologize)

MASKS:

  • Fixed an issue where if the player performed specific tasks in an unpredictable order, the mission progress could get blocked

DEERFEST:

  • Fixed an issue (much to Rose’s chagrin) with physics-related props that could block the player in and halt progress

COME HOME:

  • Fixed an issue where the player, in rare instances, could not exit the radio, TV, or manuscript interact modules.

PC specific

  • Fixed a bug that could cause graphics settings to reset when launching the game
  • Improvements to PC Window handling logic
  • Fixed mouse cursor sometimes not appearing in menus

Alan Wake 2 is a smash hit with critics. In our 9/10 review, IGN said: “Alan Wake 2 is a superb survival horror sequel that makes the cult-classic original seem like little more than a rough first draft by comparison.”

This week, Remedy said it was too early to say whether Alan Wake 2 had been a commercial success, although its critical acclaim gives the game “a strong basis for good long-term sales”. Remedy boss CEO Tero Virtala said all four of the studio’s other projects (Max Payne 1 and 2 remakes, Control 2, Condor, and Codename Vanguard) will benefit from staff moving on from Alan Wake 2. Two expansions are due for release next year.

Players can also check out IGN’s Alan Wake 2 Guide and essential tips and tricks to get the most out of playing the long-awaited survival horror sequel.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Starfield Patch Adding Native DLSS Support and Other Improvements Is Coming Soon

Starfield is about to receive a cosmic boost thanks to an upcoming patch entering Steam Beta next week, which will finally include the long-awaited official support for Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) tech.

In a new post on X/Twitter, Bethesda Game Studios confirmed that the studio has been hard at work on post-launch updates for Starfield. The next one will launch as a beta, available exclusively to Steam users before it launches more widely to all PC players, in addition to Xbox Series X/S users.

Bethesda confirmed that this next update will finally roll out official support for Nvidia DLSS in addition to HDR controls, along with some other optimizations and improvements. The biggest feature rolling out into this update, of course, is the inclusion of DLSS. In a separate post, Bethesda also revealed that it will add support for FidelityFX Super Resolution 3 in a future update.

While Bethesda was cagey about whether or not Starfield would support DLSS at launch after it was revealed that AMD was the “exclusive PC partner for Starfield.” The rumors and speculation later turned out to be true as Starfield only supported two upscaling options: FSR 2 and FidelityFX Contrast Adaptive Sharpening (CAS).

DLSS has been one of Starfield’s most requested features

DLSS quickly became one of, if not the most requested feature on PC. Although modders were quick to add DLSS into Starfield, one modder received backlash after it was revealed they paywalled a more advanced Starfield DLSS 3 mod accessible to those that paid $5 a month to their Patreon.

Shortly after Starfield’s release, Bethesda announced that it would officially add DLSS support, though the studio has yet to specify whether or not it will add DLSS 2 or DLSS 3 into Starfield. If it’s the latter, it will be rather limiting as DLSS 3 is exclusively available to the GeForce RTX 40 series graphics cards.

Despite the lack of official DLSS support, Starfield has been a major success for Bethesda, hitting 10 million players in just three weeks to become the biggest launch in Bethesda Game Studios’ history. Starfield likely played a big role in Microsoft’s Q1 2024 earnings as it was revealed last week that Xbox content and services saw a revenue increase of 13% over the previous quarter.

Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Fan-Made Bloodborne Kart Gets Official Release Date With 12 Racers, Boss Fights, and More

Bloodborne fans finally have something to look forward to, though it might not be what they expect. Lilith Walker, or PSX Bunlith (@b0tster) on X/Twitter, one of the developers behind the PSX-style Bloodborne de-make, has been teasing Bloodborne Kart, another fan project set in Yarnham with graphics inspired by the original PlayStation, for some time now.

It finally has a release date: Jan. 31, 2024. Originally revealed in early 2022, Bloodborne Kart started as a meme within the Bloodborne and Soulsborne fan communities around 2017 and caught fire as fans enamored with the idea of making a kart racer for a FromSoft game went as far as making art and mods on the subject. And now, they’re close to racing through Yarnham in a go-kart themselves.

The announcement, made in a post on X/Twitter, details some of what players can expect, including 12 racers, 16 maps, boss fights, a campaign, a battle mode, and split-screen multiplayer. It also features a gameplay trailer showing off some of these modes.

Bloodborne is eight years old now and despite mass outcry from the community, PlayStation Studios have yet to release any upgraded ports or new versions on the PlayStation 5 or PC, as they have for other first-party titles such as The Last Of Us Part 1 and God of War (2018).

There’s no indication that FromSoft’s collaboration with PlayStation will ever see another official release, but soulsborne fans can rest easy. Our friends over at IGN Japan reported that the studio behind Elden Ring and Armored Core VI is currently recruiting “large-scale development staff.”

For more on FromSoftware, check out our review of Armored Core VI. Or, if you’re interested in learning more about the Bloodborne PSX de-make, we’ve uploaded 13 minutes of gameplay from the start of the game.

Thirsty Suitors Review

I never thought I’d experience the comedically over-the-top drama of Indian serials through characters in a rural American town. Burned bridges abound and tensions run high as mountains in Timber Hills, but Thirsty Suitors cleverly uses familiar turn-based battle mechanics to let its lovable characters creatively reconcile through self-reflection. Rather than making matters worse, fighting gives them space to share their deepest feelings, smartly showing how we often need to look back in order to move forward in life. While Thirsty Suitors does try to say and do too much through its battles, leaving me wanting more out of other parts of the story, who knew therapeutically throwing hands could be this fun.

You play as Jala, a local skating legend who left Timber Hills on bad terms with both her family and more than a few exes, which puts her in a tough spot when she suddenly moves back home after a bad breakup. From there you’ll skate around town, unraveling the mystery behind a hilarious skate punk cult in an abandoned theme park while reconnecting with the important people from your past. Jala’s talks with these characters carry most of the weight in Thirsty Suitors, with cathartic conversations clearing up misunderstandings and acknowledging past mistakes in the form of fights. This turn-based RPG combat always kept me engaged thanks to how they weave precise timing into each encounter, whether that’s spamming a button to dodge or rotating the stick to in just the right way for an attack.

Thirsty Suitors dives into real issues, but it’s lively and over-the-top too.

Thirsty Suitors dives into real and serious issues, but it’s lively and over-the-top too. That could be Jala’s dad wobbling in joy after he takes a bite of food prepared by his daughter, or thirst-trapping suitors who thrust roses toward you with their thick thighs as an attack. The dialogue between Jala and her opponents can be used as a clever way of analyzing your them to learn their weaknesses as well, whether you’re talking to an ex, a vexing new suitor, or just some skateboarder kid. Your dialogue choices can inflict emotional damage and even influence how the opponent will respond – for example, a brief heart-to-heart could be enough to learn that a furious ex might fall for the Raging Taunt ability to apply a debuff.

However, you don’t really get to know most opponents before you meet them in battle. That means the dialogue can feel a bit overwhelming, with exposition often rehashing Jala’s hurtful actions and trying to make amends in the same breath. Even when the story provides closure, conversations between characters get heavy handed with morals and life lessons that quickly feel overdone. It’s a rare and appreciated sight for a game to peer into the lives of so many non-white characters like Thirsty Suitors does, so perhaps developer Outerloop Games like it needed to try and fit as much as possible into its roughly eight-hour campaign, but that doesn’t stop it from feeling a bit overstuffed. Each character has an entertaining sense of humor, but wry jokes from the narrator – the negative voice in Jala’s mind who takes on the role of her exemplar sister, Aruni – are similarly tiring. Interjecting narrators are already a pet peeve of mine, but that voice taking on a resentful personality only makes it more grating.

Confrontations are extravagant, with expressive visual design and music.

Everyone seems to have beef with Jala, from the local skater kids who follow Soundie – a radical, misunderstood guy in a bear costume – to suitors sent by her grandmother. While the combat is fun overall, I found myself rushing through those predictable battles to get to the really good ones: the fights with your exes. Battles against Jala’s exes are set in their “inner worlds,” a theatrical representation of their insecurities, culture, and personality. Confrontations are extravagant with expressive visual design and music, contrasting the quaintness of everyday life in a small town. Dodging giant, unexpected slices of cake thrown by an ex with a sweet tooth or a crystal beam shot from one who considers herself a maharani (queen) kept me delightfully on my toes.

Reconciling with Jala’s exes also unlocks cute Charms for each character on her early 2000s cellphone, which you can then equip to get buffs in battles. The Charm based on Irfan, one of the more gentle-hearted exes, was my favorite as it gave me a bonus turn after healing. However, their effects are generally more subtle, making Charms easily forgotten in a menu screen you rarely need to visit. Thirsty Suitors doesn’t always make it clear enough how damage is calculated either – but it never stopped being entertaining to call down Auntie Chandra for quick workout session or chug a banana milkshake I got from the diner whenever my health got low.

Some plotlines could feel rushed, but cooking scenes always dug deeper.

As the levels got tougher, I realized that cooking was necessary to survive battles. Food items can be used to recover health and increase a resource called Willpower that’s used to cast powerful attacks, but spend some time cooking up South Asian recipes and they’ll give you an even bigger benefit in the next fight. Cooking uses the same timed button-pressing mechanics as the battles, but critical comments from Jala’s unsatisfied mother and the pressure of getting a perfect score make it all the more intense. Snappy banter from both sides of the kitchen island heats the room, and the fast-paced tabla (drum) beat only adds to the drama as arguments unfold. Being an imperfect brown woman who doesn’t always follow the traditional path myself, this bickering hit close to home. But preparing dishes under her parents’ guidance still takes on its own form of intimacy, revealing generational trauma and being sent on guilt trips over Jala’s life decisions. With so much emphasis on fighting, some of the familial plotlines could feel pushed to the side or rushed through by the end, but cooking always dug a little deeper.

Thirsty Suitors also admirably takes on the responsibility of talking about subjects that most games (and even many people) shy away from, like families rejecting queerness, accepting oneself for not meeting the expectations of others, feeling like your efforts aren’t enough, and larger societal pressures. Fighting and cooking critically examines both culture and identity in insightful ways while remaining tailored to the respective characters involved, whether it’s your ex Diya getting kicked out of her Brahmin caste family or how laws prevent Aruni’s fiance from visiting his grandmother in Palestine. There’s a lot happening in Thirsty Suitors, but the story, activities, and characters always feel intentional in how they are presented.

Thirsty Suitors breaks boundaries in a way I hope we see more of.

There’s a lot to appreciate from a South Asian perspective, too. I loved coming across small but impactful little references I could relate to: seeing a carom board in the living room, Jala’s mom bringing out the chappal when summoned into battle, talking about Kanchipuram saris, a pervasive love of mangoes, and even a talking cat named Shah Rukh – likely named after the famous Indian actor. On top of that, voice performances for its non-white characters include accents that aren’t disparaging, with art that confidently places dark-skinned Black and Brown characters center-stage. Thirsty Suitors breaks boundaries in its eccentric storytelling and character design, but it’s a risk that pays off so well I hope we see more follow in its footsteps.

Best SSDs for Xbox Series X|S 2023

Searching for the best Xbox Series X SSDs can be a little confusing. Only a handful of the best SSDs can run Xbox Series X games, though. To expand upon the Xbox Series X’s 1TB of storage space, you’ll need a suitable SSD that is not only compatible but is also big enough to store all of your games.

TL;DR – These are the best Xbox Series X SSDs

For Archival and Backwards Compatible Games:

If you want to store a ton of older Xbox games on an SSD, there are still lots of options to consider, like external SSDs. While hard drives are also an option, SSDs are a far better investment since they boast higher transfer speeds, and don’t differ too much in price, however neither of these options will let you play current-generation games.

The Xbox Series X is advertised as offering 1TB of storage, but in reality, this is actually around 800GB, as 200GB of the SSD is dedicated to the operating system. Starfield, for example, requires around 125GB of free space to install, which is equivalent to 12.5% of the Series X’s overall storage.

The Best Xbox Series X SSDs

1. Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S

The Best Xbox Series X SSD Overall

Pros

  • Easy to install
  • Fast transfer speeds

Cons

  • Expensive

The Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S is just about as fast as the console’s internal SSD meaning you can play games optimized for Xbox Series X|S

By offering plug-and-play installation, you don’t need to be a tech wiz to gain extra Xbox Series X storage. Extra storage is available with no setup, providing you with high data transfer rates and loading times, so it will feel no different to playing an Xbox game directly from your console’s storage.

Yes, it is expensive, but that’s really the only downfall of the expansion card. If you want to increase your Xbox Series X’s limited storage the “official” way, this is how you do it. Working side-by-side with the Xbox’s Velocity Architecture and supporting Quick Resume, you can enjoy games how they were intended. You can also choose between the 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB versions depending on your requirements.

2. WD_Black 1TB C50

The Most Portable Xbox Series X SSD

Pros

  • A cheaper alternative to the Seagate Expansion Card
  • Durable and pocket-sized

Cons

  • Marginally slower boot times

While Seagate previously owned the Xbox expansion card market, there is now a Western Digital drive with the WD_Black 1TB C50. Compact in size and durable in design, this expansion card comes in 512GB and 1TB storage options and is a more affordable option than Seagate’s offering.

This expansion card easily slots into the Xbox Series X’s expansion card port, meaning no setup is required. You can transfer games to the expansion card in a matter of minutes, so you can have a variety of games at your disposal. Compared to the Series X’s internal storage, the WD_Black 1TB C50 does offer slightly slower boot times, but this is really very marginal.

If you don’t need the 2TB option that Seagate offers, then the WD_Black 1TB C50 is the next best thing at a more appealing price. It will take a couple of minutes to transfer large 80GB files, and it’s small enough that you can easily transport it from your house to your friend’s, and enjoy a large library of Xbox games.

For Archival and Backwards-Compatible Games Only

3. Samsung T7 External SSD

The Most Versatile Xbox Series X SSD

Pros

  • Lightweight and portable
  • 256-bit AES encryption for storing files

Cons

  • Cannot play Series X games directly from the SSD

When you move away from the Xbox Series X’s expansion card storage options, you’ll start to notice you get a lot more storage for your money. This SSD from Samsung, for instance, is around the same price as the WD_Black 1TB C50 but offers an additional 1TB of storage, but there’s a catch – you can’t play Xbox games directly from the SSD.

Instead, the Samsung S7 is best used for storing Xbox games that you might want to play at a later date, but don’t want to wait around installing them. For instance, you can install the latest Call of Duty game directly onto your Xbox Series X, then store the previous version on the Samsung SSD S7 and transfer it back to your console when you feel like playing it again.

Weighing a mere 2 ounces, the S7 is perfect for portability. And with 2TB of storage, you can easily store your Xbox games, photos, or work documents on the same SSD. Simply connect it to the Series X using a USB-C cable and enjoy read/write speeds of up to 1,050/1,000 MB/s. Plus, you can make the most of Samsung’s AES 256-bit encryption to secure your files.

4. Crucial X8 External SSD

The Best Value Xbox Series X SSD

Pros

  • Compact and quick
  • Storage up to 4TB

Cons

  • No encryption

No different in speed from the Samsung T7, the Crucial X8 offers exceedingly good value for money. You can purchase the X8 in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities. This portable device is great for storing Xbox Series X games, but just like the Samsung T7, you can’t run current-gen games off of it.

However, you can use the Crucial X8 for your Xbox, PC, and Mac. Whether you need to store games, files, music, photos, or more, it’s easy to carry this little SSD with you. It’s also shock-resistant and durable, so you can sling it in your backpack without it getting damaged.

With 4TB of storage space potentially at your disposal, it’s an easy sacrifice to make if you have to wait a few more minutes for your Xbox Series X games to transfer over back to your console. In fact, you could store your whole library of Xbox games on the Crucial X8 and enjoy a more affordable storage solution.

5. WD_Black 2TB P40

The Best External Xbox Series X SSD

Pros

  • Fast transfer speeds
  • Robust and stylish design

Cons

  • A little pricey still

If you want to make the external storage on your Xbox Series X stand out, you might want to consider the WD_Black 2TB P40 for its stylish design, complete with flashy RGB lighting. Granted, the RGB lights aren’t going to offer better performance, but they do look pretty awesome. Plus, the P40 can be used for your Xbox, PC, Mac, and PS5. But, because it’s an external SSD, you can’t run Xbox Series X games off of this drive.

Options start from 500GB, and include 1GB, and 2TB capacities, too. The WD_Black 2TB P40 is relatively affordable when compared to the Xbox’s official expansion card SSDs, but in the realm of external SSDs, it’s still a little pricey.

But, thanks to the USB 3.2 Gen2x2 interface, you can enjoy speeds of up to 2,000MB/s, which is faster than the Crucial X8 and Samsung T7. The SSD is also encased in a shock-resistant material, which can survive drops of up to 2m.

If you appreciate style and want the substance to go with it, the WD_Black 2TB P40 offers both, with plenty of storage to house your Xbox Series X games and other files.

How we picked the best Xbox Series X SSDs

Most Xbox Series X owners aren’t necessarily going to be familiar with in-depth technical details of the console, nor might they be keen on taking it apart to install additional hardware (which is a requirement if you want to upgrade your PS5’s SSD). Therefore, finding a fast, reliable, and easy-to-install SSD should be a priority.

Every pick on this list is compatible with the Xbox Series X and requires no installation; just plug and play (or store). The two expansion slot-compatible SSDs will both run Xbox Series X games directly from the SSD and include exclusive support for features like Quick Resume. The remaining SSDs use a USB-C connection, so can be installed by plugging them into one of the Series X’s USB-C ports.

These choices also offer plenty of storage, with a minimum of 1TB on offer, with some available up to 4TB.

FAQ

Can any SSD work with Xbox Series X?

You can only play Xbox Series X games directly from the console’s internal storage, or via a licensed external SSD, like the Seagate Expansion Card. However, you can use external SSDs to store your Xbox games so you don’t have to keep installing and uninstalling them to free up space.

Is the Xbox Series X SSD fast?

The Xbox Series X’s storage is a 1TB NVMe SSD, with an IO throughput of around 2.4GB/s.

Why does my Xbox Series X only have 800GB?

While the Xbox Series X’s advertised storage is 1TB, it uses some of this space for system software, reducing the available storage space to around 800GB.

Mario Kart 8’s Final Wave of Booster Course Pass Content Lands Next Week

Nintendo has revealed that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s sixth and final wave of Booster Course Pass DLC content will be released on Nov. 9, adding a number of classic characters and eight courses to the racing game.

Ever since the release of Wave 1 in March 2022, Nintendo’s Booster Course Pass DLC has been steadily feeding fresh tracks and fan favorite characters to Mario Kart 8. This latest release brings the grand total of DLC courses up to 48 – equalling the number of tracks that originally launched with the 2014 kart racing extravaganza.

Switch owners who have paid out for a yearly subscription to the USD $49.99 Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack will gain access to the DLC at no extra cost. Alternatively, players can opt to buy the digital content outright by purchasing the $24.99 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass from the Nintendo Store.

The sixth and final wave of content introduces the Acorn Cup and the Spiny Cup, along with a number of beloved characters including Diddy Kong (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!), Funky Kong (Mario Kart Wii), Pauline, and Peachette (Mario Kart Tour).

The Acorn Cup, meanwhile, is comprised of Tour Rome Avanti, Wii Daisy Circuit, GCN DK Mountain, and the aquatic-themed Piranha Plant Cove. Spiny Cup, on the other hand, will see the return of Tour Madrid Drive, 3DS Rosalina’s Ice World, SNES Bowser Castle 3, and Wii Rainbow Road.

The new tracks have been met with a wave of enthusiasm – and memes – by many in the Mario Kart community, while others expressed disappointment that their favorite courses didn’t make the Booster Course Pass cut.

The Nov. 9 DLC will also add 16 additional Mii racing suits to the game, along with the introduction of a new Music Player feature for all Mario Kart 8 Deluxe players, which will allow users to listen to bespoke music tracks from each course. In IGN’s 2017 Switch review, we said that “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still a gorgeous game and the overhauled Battle mode is a great reason to pick it up.”

Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video gaming news for IGN. He has over eight years experience of covering breaking developments in multiple scientific fields and absolutely no time for your shenanigans. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer

Sonic Dream Team Announced for Apple Arcade

Sega has announced Sonic Dream Team will be coming exclusively to Apple Arcade on December 5.

In Sonic’s take on the NiGHTS series, Dr. Eggman discovers an ancient device called The Reverie, which contains the power to manifest dreams in the real world — in his case, dreams of world domination. With the world turned into a twisted dream landscape, Sonic and his friends race to stop Eggman from turning his bizzare dreams into reality. Check out the surprise announcement trailer for Sonic Dream Team below.

Sonic Dream Team lets you take control of Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Rouge, and (for the first time in years) Cream, each of whom have unique abilities within three movement types to help navigate 12 levels within four dream worlds that have mind-bending environments that include wall-running and gravity changes, among other elements. Each dream world contains a boss fight that tests your skills across different movement types.

The game also introduces a new character, Ariem, a ram figure named after the zodiac sign Aries with a moon tattoo on her forehead who may help Sonic and the gang achieve their goals.

Sonic Dream Team is the second Sonic title to come to Apple Arcade after Sonic Racing and Sonic Dash+, and fifth Sega title overall after Samba de Amigo: Party-To-Go and Football Manager 2023. It’s also the first mobile Sonic title to combine mobile and cross-platform gameplay, which means fans will not only play Sonic Dream Team on iPhone and iPad, but they’ll also get to experience the game on larger screens via Mac and Apple TV.

Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.

CD Projekt Wants Cyberpunk 2077 to Undergo a ‘Similar Evolution’ to The Witcher

CD Projekt Red wants Cyberpunk 2077’s sequel, codenamed Orion, to undergo a similar evolution to that of The Witcher franchise.

Speaking to PC Gamer, narrative director Igor Sarzyński compared the growth between 2007’s The Witcher and its 2011 sequel, Assassins of Kings, with CD Projekt Red’s hopes for its sci-fi role-playing game franchise.

“Consider The Witcher games and how much they changed with each instalment. We want a similar evolution here,” Sarzyński said. “Cyberpunk 2077 was our first venture into a futuristic-sci-fi world with a ton of new gameplay mechanics, narrative tone, themes, and art direction.

“Some of the stuff worked almost right out of the box, such as the art, city design, music, interactive scene system, playstyles,” he continued. “Other aspects took more time to get right, like character progression, NPC interactivity, and optimization.

“That’s natural; it’s impossible to nail everything on your first try. Now with all the game elements iterated and working well, we’ll focus on connecting them even tighter and creating a coherent, total immersion experience.”

Little is known about Orion, though it’s to be led by Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty expansion director Gabe Amatangelo. Practically everything else, including if CD Projekt Red will make it first-person or third-person, is still up for debate.

A jump as prominent as the one between The Witcher and The Witcher 2 would certainly be ambitious, of course, as while the original 2007 game was well-received, CD Projekt made a huge leap between it and its 2011 sequel, and even more so to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which is generally considered one of the best video games of all time.

Cyberpunk 2077’s sequel is still years away, of course, as CD Projekt Red is currently focusing on the next Witcher game, Polaris, which will be released in 2025 at the earliest. Orion will be developed at the company’s new North American studios, which are still in the process of being built.

Development on Orion has officially begun, however. CD Projekt’s chief creative officer Adam Badowski said during the company’s 2023 Investor Day presentation that the sequel has entered a “conceptual design level”.

The Investor Day presentation was a relatively busy one for CD Projekt, though perhaps not as busy as 2022’s when the company announced five new games. Nevertheless, the developer did reveal a live-action Cyberpunk project, confirmed Cyberpunk 2077 had surpassed 25 million units sold, and that CEO Adam Kiciński was stepping down.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.