Tag: Xbox Series S

Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox is happening this year after all

Head of Larian Studios Swen Vincke said Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox will release in 2023 after all, following development issues on the Series S

Head of Larian Studios Swen Vincke said Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox will release in 2023 after all, following development issues on the Series S. Vincke made the announcement on Twitter and said the team reached an agreement with Xbox about releasing a game that didn’t have feature parity between Series X and Series S.

“Super happy to confirm that after meeting [Phil Spencer] yesterday, we’ve found a solution that allows us to bring Baldur’s Gate 3 to Xbox players this year still, something we’ve been working towards for quite some time,” Vincke said on Twitter. “All improvements will be there, with split-screen coop on Series X. Series S will not feature split-screen coop, but will also include cross-save progression between Steam and Xbox Series.”

So if the BG3 character editor launches before the end of the year, you’ll even get that on Xbox.

Earlier in 2023, Larian issued a statement addressing claims that Baldur’s Gate 3 was a PS5 exclusive and said that problems with split-screen co-op was the primary reason the team had to delay BG3’s launch on Xbox. Xbox’s 2020 guidelines for developing games on Xbox platforms require content parity between games released on consoles in the same generation.

The fourth bullet point under section XR-130 is:

  • Ensure that identical game modes are offered across console types within the generation.

In an interview with Video Games Chronicle, Xbox head Phil Spencer said parity was never a problem or even a requirement.

“In terms of parity, I don’t think you’ve heard from us or Larian, that this was about parity. I think that’s more that the community is talking about it,” Spencer said. “There are features that ship on X today that do not ship on S, even from our own games, like ray-tracing that works on X, it’s not on S in certain games.”

It’s worth noting that features and modes aren’t the same thing, though. Split-screen co-op is an actual game mode that falls under XR-130. Ray tracing is a feature that doesn’t.

Whatever the case, Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox is happening in 2023, though Larian doesn’t have a release date for it yet.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

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Bethesda finally announces a Starfield release date and showcase

After months of silence about the space game, Bethesda’s Todd Howard finally announced a Starfield release date

After months of silence about the space game, Bethesda finally announced a Starfield release date. Starfield will launch on Sep. 6, 2023, for Xbox Series X|S and PC via Windows and Steam, and producer Todd Howard said the team is planning a Starfield Direct for June 11, 2023.

Starfield, which is reportedly Bethesda’s biggest RPG ever, was originally planned for release in late 2022, before getting delayed to early 2023. It’s worth noting that the game hasn’t gone gold yet, which is when studios announce the project is completely finished, so it could be delayed again.

Xbox confirmed the Starfield Direct will air after the Xbox Games Showcase, casually announcing Xbox’s E3-but-not presentation in a retweet. 

Howard said the Direct will take viewers inside Bethesda and show off more of Starfield’s secrets. He said that, while Starfield includes many of the studio’s hallmarks that fans of Fallout and Skyrim will recognize, it’s a unique experience with plenty of surprises in store.

As for what those surprises might be, Bethesda is still keeping its cards close. In the announcement video, you can see producer and Oblivian veteran Tim Lamb playing Starfield and catch a glimpse of new environments, including a rocky canyon with scrubby undergrowth climbing up the sides of a clifface – and that’s about it. 

The last time Bethesda opened up about Starfield was during Xbox’s 2022 showcase, where Todd Howard revealed some of the massive RPG’s customization options and space flight mechanics.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF

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Set up tips for your new Xbox Series X/S

Get your new Xbox Series X/S console set up and working as quickly as possible with these essential tips.

It’s the holiday season so we’re all enjoying some brand new consoles and games – but best of all are the consoles, of course. Few things are more exciting than jumping onto a new system and enjoying a new library of games, and the Xbox Series S is the cheapest place to do it – Xbox Series X, meanwhile, is the premier place to play Xbox Game Pass titles.

If you came across a brand new Xbox this holiday season, then make sure to read through the tips in this guide for everything you need to get your console set up smoothly and quickly. 

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‘Among Us’ is coming to PlayStation and Xbox in December

Among Us will be on PlayStation and Xbox soon!

Do you want to accuse family members of murder this holiday? Well, you’re in luck, as Among Us is  coming to PlayStation and Xbox on Dec. 14!

Yes, after being on PC, mobile, and Switch for years, the hit social deduction game in space will be on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. Best of news of all? Among Us  is cross-platform, meaning you’ll be able to play with friends regardless of what device they might be playing on. So get ready to blow everyone out of the airlock into space, including uncle David who refuses to pass the mashed potatoes over during Christmas dinner. Just awful. 

If you happen to pick Among Us  up on PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5, you’ll get some exclusive cosmetics based on Ratchet & Clank  cosmetics. Finally, a chance to off that annoying Lombax for good.

Xbox doesn’t appear to be getting any exclusive cosmetics, but on the plus side, Among Us will be free on Xbox Game Pass. So you won’t even need to shell out extra cash for the game if you are already a subscriber. 

There are also a couple of big physical editions of Among Us  coming for all consoles, too: The Crewmate Edition for $29.99 USD, The Imposter Edition for $49.99, and the Ejected Edition for $89.99. They all come with a bunch of cool swag and are available for pre-order on the Maximum Games Store. 

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New story trailer for ‘Starfield’ explains its universe

Want to see what the folks behind Skyrim and Fallout are up to next?

Starfield  is the highly-anticipated RPG from Bethesda, and a new teaser trailer just came out about its backstory. Oh, and there’s plenty of beautiful concept art as well!

Set in 2327 and roughly 50 light-years beyond earth’s solar system called The Settled Systems, Starfield’s primary conflict centers around a war between the United Colonies and The Freestar Collective. Players will explore this turbulent area of the Milky Way while hopefully not getting shot up by vicious mercenaries, spacers, pirates, and all sorts of unsavory folk. Think of the Cantina scene in Star Wars: A New Hope, but (unfortunately) without Obi-Wan Kenobi watching you back.

Check out the full Starfield  Settled Systems teaser for yourself below.

Some stills of the concept art in the teaser are available for you to take a look at below.

Starfield is one of the first big Bethesda exclusives for Xbox after Microsoft bought the company last year. It’s coming out on Nov. 11, 2022, for Xbox Series X|S and PC. Oh, and it’ll be free for Xbox Game Pass subscribers to boot.

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Watch: Hilarious ‘Halo Infinite’ glitch spawns hundreds of wet floor signs

Careful not to slip if you’re in the multiplayer beta.

Halo Infinite’s multiplayer beta is in full swing right now, and players discovered an absurd glitch where wet floor signs multiply out of thin air. Yup, wet floor signs — spawning by the hundreds whenever a grenade explodes nearby.

Over on r/halo, user natdog806 was among the first to point out that something is seriously wrong with Halo Infinite’s wet floor signs. For whatever reason, tossing grenades towards these signs causes them to replicate until everyone playing is practically drowning in yellow plastic. I’ll likely never be able to spot one of these signs in the real world again without smirking a bit. 

Check out the wet floor sign glitch for yourself below.

So many floor signs from halo

It seems to be a common bug as well, considering Reddit user Rough-many-4308 encountered it as well. This clip gives you a more wide-angle shot of the absurdity.

Just got the funniest bug I’ve ever encountered, I missed Halo Infinite from halo

Anyone worried that this might be a sign of Halo Infinite’s technical polish or lack thereof needs to remember that betas exist so development teams can address bugs before a game’s final release. So, for now, enjoy the wet floor sign carnage. It likely won’t be around much longer. Unless, of course, developer 343 Industries wants everyone to know the dangers of slippery surfaces! 

Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF. 

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NBA 2K21 unveiled a stunning new next-gen gameplay video and it looks amazing

Wow, this looks great.

The next generation of gaming is only a couple weeks away with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S being released in mid-November.

It looks like NBA 2L is ready for that moment to get here. On Tuesday, new gameplay footage of NBA 2K21 on the next-gen systems was unveiled and it looks absolutely incredible down to the smallest details.

The game’s opening presentation looks exactly like an NBA game would. It feels like a real NBA ecosystem It’s filled with coaches huddling, refs congregating and players warming up. It even features Steph Curry doing his pre-game warm-up sprint.

It also loads incredibly fast and features an optional rail cam presentation that we saw in the NBA’s Disney World bubble. Here’s a look.

This all looks good visually — even the sweat.

It is fair to point out that there was very little defense being played here — shots weren’t being contested at all. And it seemed like the game was on the lowest difficulty setting, so we don’t really know exactly how it plays.

But the mechanics seem smooth and the presentation is amazing. For now, that’s good enough. We’ll learn more once gameplay reviews start rolling in the coming weeks.

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Everyone wants details on the PlayStation 5 after Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Series S reveal

Sony WYD?

Details on the Xbox Series X and S have finally arrived and they both look like absolutely incredible next gen gaming systems.

Microsoft is calling the Series X as the most powerful gaming system ever and, when you take a look at the specs, it just might be. The Series S is the smaller, cheaper console that plays all of the same games. The console’s performance lags a bit next to its bigger counterpart, but it works all the same.

On Wednesday, Microsoft dropped details on both systems. They finally revealed the price for both, the pre-order date and their actual release dates. That price for the Series X is solid. But, honestly? That Series S for $299 might be a steal.

Those are two really good prices for these systems — especially after most people thought they were going to end up paying an arm and a leg for the Series X. This is a good mark.

So, now, all eyes on the internet have turned to Sony. There’s been little to no information released about the PS5’s pre-order date, how much it’s going to cost or how accessible it will be.

Microsoft gave people a bargain — on the 25th anniversary of the PlayStation’s first release date, no less! Sony can’t let that slide, right?

The people want to know.

Hopefully, we won’t have to wait too much longer. Sony may or may not have responded to the speculation on Twitter with this Ghost of Tsushima GIF.

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What is the Xbox Series S?

After the Xbox Series S price leaked, Microsoft confirmed the budget version of its next-gen console will cost $299.

It’s been a rough summer for Microsoft’s gaming division as the launch of the new generation of consoles draws near. After an unimpressive and meme-worthy gameplay reveal of Halo: Infinite – Microsoft’s flagship title for the fall – the game was delayed to 2021, leaving Microsoft without a highly anticipated killer app for the upcoming Xbox Series X.

On Monday, an image of the Xbox Series S – Microsoft’s yet unannounced budget version of a next-gen console – was leaked online. According to the leak, the Series S will sell for $299. Microsoft acknowledged the leak on Tuesday morning, and confirmed that the Series S will launch with an estimated retail price of $299.

So, what is the Series S?

Microsoft is advertising its new flagship console, the Xbox Series X, as the most powerful console ever. The Series S, much like the Xbox One S before it, is a more affordable version of the console for people who aren’t obsessive over resolution and framerate. All next-gen Xbox games will run on both the Series S and Series X, so you’ll be able to play the new Halo on the S – you just might not get quite the same performance, especially on a 4K TV.

So far, we only have an image of the S and the pricepoint, and Microsoft is yet to reveal the full specs of the machine along with the launch date (which is expected to be in November). More leaked promotional footage for the Series S notes that the machine can get 120 frames per second at a resolution of 1440p, is DirectX Raytracing ready, and packs a 512 GB SSD.

That last point could prove to be an issue, as it does not seem like the Series S has a disc drive. If you are indeed going all-digital with the Series S, it won’t be long until that 512 GB hard drive is full. Just ask Call of Duty: Warzone players, who regularly have to install colossal patches. In the modern age, it’s possible you may only be able to fit 4 triple-A games on that SSD.

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