Minecraft Legends, the real-time strategy spin-off from the blocky survival game, is bringing an end to its post-release content additions with one final update later this month. The endcap to Legends comes nine months after its release.
Update: Originally releasing 11th January.
Update : Just a day before its expected release on 11th January 2024, publisher Headup has announced on Twitter that the Switch release of Laika: Aged Through Blood has been delayed.
The upcoming Motorvania, which launched on PC last year to very positive reviews, will be skidding onto the Switch eShop on a now-unspecified date. Headup has given a vague reason, saying that the team wants the game to be “in the best possible shape” for Switch.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Hey Xbox Insiders! We have a new Xbox Update Preview releasing to the Alpha ring today.
It’s important we note that some updates made in these preview OS builds include background improvements that ensure a quality and stable build for Xbox consoles. We will continue to post these release notes, even when the noticeable changes to the UI are minimal or behind the scenes, so you’re aware when updates are coming to your device.
Details can be found below!
We have exciting news! Alpha users can expect something new coming to their Xbox Update Preview.
Xbox Wireless Controller – Thumbstick Calibration
For users in the US who have independently replaced the circuit board on their Xbox Wireless Controller and Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 or users in all regions experiencing minor thumbstick issues, we now offer a user-guided self-calibration tool for thumbsticks through the Xbox Accessories App.
Thanks to all the great feedback Xbox Insiders provide and the hard work of Xbox engineers, we are happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented with this build:
System
While known issues may have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes, they are not being ignored! However, it may take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution. If you experience any of these issues, we ask that you please follow any guidance provided and file feedback with Report a Problem.
Audio
Networking
As always, be sure to use Report a problem to keep us informed of any issues you encounter. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but the data we’ll gather is crucial to finding a resolution.
If you’re an Xbox Insider looking for support, please visit the community subreddit. Official Xbox staff, moderators, and fellow Xbox Insiders are there to help with your concerns.
When posting to the subreddit, please look through the most recent posts to see if your issue has already been posted or addressed. We always recommend adding to existing threads with the same issue before posting a new one. This helps us support you the best we can! Also, don’t forget to use “Report a Problem” before posting – the information shared in both places helps us understand your issue better.
Thank you to every Xbox Insider in the subreddit today and welcome to the community if you’re just joining us! We love that it has become such a friendly and community-driven hub of conversation and support.
For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information regarding your Xbox Update Preview ring!
The post Xbox Insider Release Notes – Alpha (2402.240108-2200) appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Poncle, the studio behind the award-winning horde-defense game Vampire Survivors, has shared some of its future goals for the surprise hit in a new Steam post.
The UK-based indie studio has big plans for 2024 and beyond. Although most of what’s included in this preview of what’s to come addresses stuff we already knew about (like online co-op, cross-platform saves, the upcoming animated TV series), Poncle’s post also teases loose plans to work on other games.
After thanking players for sticking with and supporting Vampire Survivors and recapping everything Poncle accomplished in 2023, studio head Luca Galante dove into specifics about what’s down the pipeline. Details like a firm roadmap or release dates for any of these updates are pretty sparse here given Poncle’s relatively small size of 20 employees.
Galante addressed online co-op first. Although it’s been announced that developers are working on adding online co-op to the game, the post acknowledges that it’s a “huge challenge” to implement.
“We’ve got help now, and things are looking promising, but it’s still too early for us to be able to make any promises,” Galante wrote. “We’ll keep giving you tiny updates until hopefully we can confirm it’s actually going to happen.”
He then moved on to cross-platform save files, saying they’ve been in testing for a while before confirming that Poncle’s planning to launch cross-save functionality in public beta next month. At the time of writing, the public beta will only work on Steam and Android platforms but will eventually come to other platforms if all goes according to plan.
Meanwhile, following last year’s SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, it should come as no surprise that the Vampire Survivors animated adaptation is still a work in progress. Announced in April of last year, the collaboration between Poncle and Story Kitchen (a studio formed by people who’ve worked on projects like John Wick and the Sonic The Hedgehog movie), the only update here is that we’ll be getting more info at some point in 2024.
Galante added that they’ve “received a lot of proposals to collaborate on cross-media projects, but rather than jumping the gun we have preferred to wait to find partners that felt right, especially because to make anything that isn’t a videogame out of VS requires good ideas, creativity, and that quirky knowledge of the game, that is a very difficult triplet to get 100% right!”
The post also addressed VS content, with the promise that the next update — Version 1.9 — should release on all platforms in February.
Perhaps the interesting (and the most vaguest) announcement in this long post, however, is The Vampire Survivors Experiment. Poncle is working with indie developers from outside the studio on, “[Vampire Survivors]-adjacent experiments.” Galante’s very clear here that these experiments might not see the light of day, clarifying, “We don’t know when, or even if, we’ll be happy with the final results and be ready to share them.”
You can read Poncle’s full 2024 statement here.
Remember Suika Game? The charming puzzler blew up late last year thanks to its engrossing fruit-merging gameplay and colourful theme (and the help of a load of vtubers to boot). While the original was only on Nintendo Switch – although technically even that was a port of a game included on a projector, of all things – plenty of Suika clones quickly emerged to fill its watermelon-shaped hole on PC. The latest Suika-like is stepping things up another level by taking its chill combo-a-thon to a galactic scale with colliding planets and suns.
Major actors’ union SAG-AFTRA have raised hackles among a number of voice game performers after striking a deal with a company that wants to create AI replicas of actors’ voices for use in games, among other things. While the union claim that their agreement with Replica will allow for a “fair” and “ethical” approach to creating AI voices, it’s clear that a number of actors with credits in games from Baldur’s Gate 3, Mortal Kombat and Starfield to Apex Legends, World of Warcraft and Genshin Impact don’t agree.
If you want a gaming monitor that leaves no doubt that you are a very cool gaming person, look no further than this titanic 45-incher from Lenovo, the R45w-30. It’s £100 off today, making the price of admission to the really big monitor show just £699. For about twice the price of a good 1440p 165Hz monitor, you get a monitor the size of two 1440p 165Hz monitors – but, critically, with no gap in the middle.
After less than a year.
Mojang has announced that support for Minecraft Legends, the RTS spin-off of the open-world block-building phenomenon, is ending after less than a year.
In a post shared on the official Minecraft website, senior creative writer Cristina Anderca shares details on the now “final” Lost Legends update, Snow vs Snouts. But later on in the post, the writer details just what’s happening with Minecraft Legends in the future, stating that the team at Blackbird Interactive is going to be taking “a step back from development.”
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
CES always gives us an exciting look at what’s next for hardware, and with gaming at the forefront of technological innovation, it’s no surprise that CES 2024 has revealed some truly next-generation Windows 11 gaming PCs. Microsoft and our partners are leading the way in combining traditional power with advancements in AI, and this selection of new announcements are a perfect way to future-proof your gaming experience on PC.
Every PC on this list is designed to run the latest games – including those on PC Game Pass, which will help you to jump into some of the greatest games on the platform the moment you switch on your new machine. Even better, every single computer listed below comes with at least one free month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, giving players access to hundreds of high-quality PC, console and cloud games.
Acer announced the new Predator Helios 18 gaming laptop, outfitted with Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs with DLSS 3.5 technology and Nvidia Advanced Optimus, delivering a massive boost in performance features and AI-powered graphic capabilities. It also comes with one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Gamers seeking a competitive edge will appreciate the MagKey 3.0 swappable mechanical switch for shorter key travel and response time and lightning-fast network speeds with Wi-Fi 7 compatibility.
Video game realms appear as realistic as ever, powered by up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU (MGP up to 175 W) designed with the ultra-efficient Nvidia ADA Lovelace architecture to deliver breakthrough performance and AI-enhanced graphics thanks to DLSS 3.5 technology’s full ray tracing capabilities. Acer’s advanced thermal solutions keep the devices and internals running cool but at full steam, driven by dual 5th Gen AeroBlade fans combined with liquid metal thermal grease on the CPU and vector heat pipes.
Asus ROG introduced the new ROG Zephyrus G16 as one of the first Republic of Gaming laptops to feature a Nebula Display with an OLED panel. ROG collaborated with Nvidia and Samsung Display to refine the refresh rate and sync the processes of this panel. This is the first OLED panel supporting G-sync, which means it meets the ROG Nebula standard.
Thinner and lighter than ever thanks to a complete redesign, it gives players customizable lighting patterns. It also comes with an Aura Sync keyboard, an extra-large touchpad and 90Wh long-lasting battery life. It’s also bundled with three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Find out more about these and other Asus products announced at CES 2024.
Dell’s gaming brand, Alienware, redesigned its popular m16 R2 laptop to prioritize performance, flexibility and portability. Its goal was to create a powerful notebook that could run the most demanding games yet be portable and discreet enough to take from place to place with ease. Now the 16-inch gaming notebook sports a new thermal solution that allows it to be 43% more efficient in its airflow in a footprint that is 15% smaller. Notwithstanding its smaller size, it comes with a larger palm rest and touchpad.
Another change with this newer model is Stealth Mode, a hotkey that cloaks the m16 R2, allowing it to blend into its surroundings. This handy feature was inspired by people who found RGB lighting effects to be distracting in public spaces – such as libraries, classrooms and coffee shops. Now a quick tap of the F2 shortcut key turns the keyboard backlighting white, switches off all other AlienFX lighting zones, and shifts performance mode to Quiet to reduce fan noise.
The m16 R2 also comes with one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, giving players access to hundreds of high-quality games on PC, console and cloud.
When it’s time to game, the laptop’s Intel Core Ultra H Series processors and Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 Series mobile graphics (up to an RTX 4070) pack enough power to run the latest titles at high frame rates. Competitive gamers can also utilize Nvidia’s DLSS 3.5 AI upscaling technology and Nvidia Reflex latency reduction, which deliver faster frame rates, better image quality and the lowest latency – without demanding more power.
Gamers who are looking for versatile machines that can handle the rigor of top-tier AAA games, as well as visually demanding creative endeavors, can turn to the Windows 11-powered Omen Transcend 14 and Omen Transcend 16 Gaming Laptop. The 14-inch version comes with up to an IMAX Enhanced Certified 2.8K 120Hz VRR OLED display, up to 11.5 hours of battery life and up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor and up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPUs. HP has updated the 16-inch version with up to 4K 240Hz OLED display option as well as up to the latest Intel CPUs.
The Omen Transcend 14 is available for pre-order at HP.com for a starting price of $1,599.99. The Omen Transcend 16, which can be purchased with the latest Intel processors and an OLED display, is available for pre-order on HP.com for a starting price of $1,899.99. Both include one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
Lenovo’s Legion series of laptops are made for gaming. Players will find the latest Intel Core 14th Gen i9 14900HX processors on the Lenovo Legion 7i. All Lenovo Legion Series laptops are available with up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics that feature Nvidia’s RTX AI upscaling for faster framerates, AI-powered Max-Q technology to optimize performance and efficiency, supercharging gaming as well as creative and productivity tasks.
New for this year is the Lenovo Legion Coldfront: Hyper thermal solution. The fans in the thermal solution spin in opposite directions, pushing hot air out of the rear of the chassis while pulling cold air in from the back middle. The Hyperchamber in the middle, which is hermetically sealed from open air, keeps cold and hot air separate, increasing heat exchange and keeping the laptops’ hardware cooler and the framerates higher. This results in a net increase of up to 25W TDP in Extreme Mode for a max output of 175W TDP on the Lenovo Legion 7i, while keeping the keyboard cooler and more comfortable even under heavy processor loads. All Lenovo gaming PCs come with three free months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
MSI introduced its Windows 11 handheld device, Claw. The Intel Core Ultra processors power this portable gaming powerhouse, which also features Intel XeSS technology that significantly enhances FPS, ensuring a smooth and immersive gameplay experience on AAA titles, while providing exceptional battery life. MSI Cooler Boost HyperFlow thermal technology redirects the airflow to cool the internal components, ensuring optimal performance even in the palm of your hand.
MSI also debuted an 18-inch gaming laptop family, led by the Titan 18 HX, equipped with Intel 14th Gen Core i9 processors and Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 Series graphics that are capable of running at total 270W simultaneous combined load. With four sets of expansion memory slots, it can be extended to 128 GB. If that isn’t enough, it includes three M.2 SSD slots, providing a storage capacity of up to 12TB. The 18-inch family also includes the latest gaming flagship Raider 18 HX and portable Stealth 18 AI Studio. Find out more about these and other devices MSI rolled out at CES 2024. MSI’s gaming devices come with one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
The latest line-up of Razer Blade gaming laptops powered by Microsoft Windows 11 leads off with the new Razer Blade 16, equipped with an Intel Core i9 processor. Tackle the most demanding gaming and creative tasks with 24 Cores and the ability to unlock overclocking through Razer Synapse. Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 graphics and AI-powered DLSS 3 deliver faster framerates and real-time ray tracing.
The next generation of Blade 14 is the most portable chassis in the Razer Blade line. Updated with the new AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS processor, this four-pound and .71-inches thin laptop features enhanced Ryzen AI performance to boost AI workloads such as Microsoft Windows Studio effects and Microsoft Copilot in Windows 11. These laptops also come with one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Find out more about these and other Razer announcements at CES.
Find out more about these and other new gaming PCs from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP and Lenovo that were highlighted this week on the Microsoft CES microsite.
The post CES 2024: The New Windows PC Gaming Devices Coming from Our Top Partners appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Following on from 2024’s inaugural PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup, today we can announce the first additions to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog*. Enjoy a survival horror masterclass in the shape of Resident Evil 2, fuse D&D with guns via Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, experience the daily life of a blue-collar spaceship salvager in Hardspace: Shipbreaker and get destructive in paradise with Just Cause 3. These and many more titles are playable from January 16. Let’s take a closer look at each game in turn.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands – Next-Level Edition | PS4, PS5
Bullets, magic and broadswords collide across this chaotic fantasy world brought to life by the unpredictable Tiny Tina. Blast baddies with powerful guns and devastating spells in frenetic first-person battles and delve into dangerous dungeons for a shot at epic loot! Create the perfect hero with a multiclass system that lets you mix and match six unique character skill trees, all with their own awesome abilities. Level up, refine your build, expand your arsenal and become the ultimate adventurer. Enjoy the story solo or start a party with up to three friends in seamless online multiplayer or local split-screen. Share the spoils or rush to get the shiniest loot – how you play is up to you.
The PS4 version of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands will also be available for streaming in participating countries.
Resident Evil 2 | PS4, PS5
Originally released in 1998, Resident Evil 2, one of the most iconic games of all time, returns completely reimagined for PS4 & PS5.Play individual campaigns for both Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield using an all new 3rd person view as you explore the zombie infested areas of Raccoon City, now stunningly re-built using Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine. New puzzles, storylines and areas mean both new and seasoned fans will find horrifying new surprises await them!
Hardspace: Shipbreaker | PS5
Equipped with cutting-edge salvaging tech, carve and slice spaceships in zero-g to recover valuable materials in this sci-fi physics sim, exploring a variety of ship types then upgrade your tools and gear to take on more lucrative contracts in the form of bigger and harder craft. Salvage through a compelling campaign, relax in freeplay, or compete in timed challenges.
LEGO City Undercover | PS4
In LEGO City Undercover, play as Chase McCain, a police officer who’s been tasked with going undercover to hunt down the notorious – and recently escaped – criminal Rex Fury and putting an end to his city-wide crime wave. With two-player co-op, friends can explore the sprawling open-world metropolis that is LEGO City, with more than 20 unique districts to investigate, car thieves to bust, hilarious movie references to discover, vehicles to drive, and hundreds of collectibles. LEGO City Undercover brings together witty, original storytelling with signature LEGO humor to create a fun-filled experience for players of all ages to enjoy.
Just Cause 3 | PS4
Rico Rodriguez returns to unleash chaos in the most creative and explosive ways imaginable across a Mediterranean island paradise. Arm yourself with a wide range of explosive weaponry, choose from a huge variety of different vehicles and get adventurous with dozens of challenge missions and collectibles to discover. Use your Grapple and Parachute to scale buildings, hijack vehicles, move quickly or tether objects together for creative new ways to cause Chaos, then glide through the air and swoop across mountains with your Wingsuit giving a new way to rain death from above.
Session: Skate Sim | PS4, PS5
Express yourself freely and master innovative controls in this realistic skating sim. Made by and for skaters, Session: Skate Sim is an ultra-realistic skateboard game that combines ’90s skate culture aesthetic with modern gameplay.
Dual stick controls emulate the feeling of your feet on a skateboard for total board and skater control. Try out real-life iconic skate spots, customise your skater and equipment with items from top skate brands.
Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun | PS4
Shadow Tactics is a hardcore tactical stealth game set in Japan around the Edo period. Take control of a team of deadly specialists and sneak in the shadows between dozens of enemies. Choose your approach when infiltrating mighty castles, snowy mountain monasteries or hidden forest camps. Set traps, poison your opponents or completely avoid enemy contact. Carefully evaluate your options in order to master the challenging missions: how will the characters behave as a team? Which one is best equipped for each task? How can they best master the given missions? Come up with your own ingenious tactics to vanquish enemies and complete missions.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong | PS4, PS5
In this narrative RPG, play as three vampires, wield their powers wisely and strike the right balance between your human and animal side in a heart-pounding story in which your choices will decide the fate of Boston. Each character has their own vampiric abilities and disciplines that you can upgrade individually to suit your preferred approach. Will you choose intimidation, seduction or stealth? It’s your decision, as long as you can sate your Hunger for blood.
Surviving the Aftermath | PS4
Survive and thrive in a post-apocalyptic future — resources are scarce, but opportunity calls! Build the ultimate disaster proof colony, protect your colonists, and restore civilization to a devastated world. Recruit over 80 unique specialists, each with their own skills and motivations, to manage your colony’s resources. Outfit your specialists with gear to defend the colony from attacking bandits and rampaging wildlife, then send them out into a procedurally generated world to gather resources, meet rival colonies, and uncover the world’s secrets.
Rally Cross | PS4, PS5
Prove your driving superiority across desert, through the lush hills of Europe, and around gigantic stadiums in Rally Cross, originally released for PS1. Mud throwing, fishtailing, and forcing wrecks are all par for the course, as you do what you have to in the heat of battle. Try out 20 different rally vehicles as you race through a season or compete in a tournament. Beware though: the powerslides, rolling crashes, and head-on collisions might look cool, but they’ll damage your vehicle for good.
Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace | PS4, PS5
Use the Force – and your wits – to overcome challenges at every turn in this adaptation of the movie, originally released on PS1. In a non-linear storyline that includes key moments from Episode I and additional side-quests, travel to the exotic locales of Episode I, battle hordes of enemies and solve dozens of challenging puzzles.
Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Collection | PS4
Celebrate Street Fighter’s historic legacy with the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection. In this massive collection of 12 Street Fighter titles, which encompass the Street Fighter I, Street Fighter II, Street Fighter III and Street Fighter Alpha series, perfect arcade balance makes it to consoles for the first time ever. Hop online and relive the arcade experience through the online Arcade Mode or play with friends in the online lobby within four of the most definitive Street Fighter titles in the collection.
Legend of Mana | PS4
Meet a colorful cast of characters, square off against fearsome monsters, and explore the vast world of Fa’Diel in this action RPG. Set off on a journey to find the mystical Mana Tree seen in a dream, before discovering… the world map is empty! During your travels, you’ll acquire special artifacts; place these wherever you’d like on the map to bring towns and dungeons to life and advance the story. This PS4 HD Remaster of the PS1 original includes new features, such as the ability to turn off enemy encounters or switch between the original soundtrack or a new rearranged version, and the never-before released mini-game “Ring Ring Land”.
Secret of Mana | PS4
The adventure of Randi, Primm, and Popoi is reborn in the new Secret of Mana! This PS4 remaster of the classic action RPG sees you battle a perilous empire to reclaim the magical power of Mana and bring the world back to order. This version of the game includes three-player local co-op.
Additionally, we’re pleased to share that select series from Crunchyroll will be available to PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe members via Sony Pictures Core in the following additional regions starting on January 15: Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe members have access to a curated catalog of 100 movies** to watch on demand from Sony Pictures Core and curated content from Crunchyroll will be included.
*PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup may differ in certain regions. Please check the PlayStation Store on launch day for your region’s lineup.
**Access requires a Sony Pictures Core app account, subject to Sony Pictures Core Terms of Service. Must be age 18+. Availability of content varies over time, region/country, format and plan. PlayStation Plus is subject to a recurring subscription fee taken automatically until cancellation. Terms apply: https://www.playstation.com/legal/ps-plus-usage-terms/
