While Nintendo has been facing quite a bit of criticism over its pricing of the Switch 2 as well as its first-party games, former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden believes that the company can ultimately get away with it. In an interview with PlayerDriven, Layden mentioned how the quality of Nintendo’s first-party titles allows the company to take bigger risks, like increased prices for its games. In the interview, which you can check out below, Layden spoke about the pricing differences between the Switch and the Switch 2 not only for the consoles themselves, but also for their games. He also brought up the $80 price tag for launch title Mario Kart World. “But right here you see, ‘wow, that’s kind of a hefty price hike from Switch 1 to Switch 2 and, wow, 80 bucks for a game?’” Layden said (transcription via IGN). “But if it’s the only place where you can play Mario, then you get your wallet out and you buy into it… and Donkey Kong and Zelda. That first-party exclusivity kind of mitigates the sticker shock, if you will, of these price hikes, because you want that content so bad.” Layden also spoke about how inflation has generally not quite affected the price of games over time. For context, games have held on to their steady price tags for quite some time. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 back in 2009 was one of the first AAA releases to jump up in price from $50 to $60 at the time, for example. Layden brings up how, in terms of inflation, $59.99 from 1999 would be the equivalent to $100 today. He also points out that, if games were to increase their price to keep pace with inflation trends, by getting $5 more expensive with each console generation, for example, they would be priced at $90 today. “In 2025 dollars, $59.99 in 1999 is equivalent to $100,” he said. “Your purchasing power compared to your cost of living, it’s much smaller now than it was before, but still companies have been reluctant to push that price up.” “I was in it at the time — probably every generation they should have baked in a $5 software price hike, and make that the typical, ‘well every generation it’s another five bucks.’ And you would have been up to $90 already by now.” Nintendo of America vice president of Product and Player Experience Bill Trinen has also spoken about the company’s pricing strategy. In another interview, Trinen spoke about how the company believes that Mario Kart World‘s quality justifies its steep $80 price tag. “I would say it’s less about the strategy of pricing Mario Kart World, it’s more just whenever we look at a given game, we just look at what is the experience, and what’s the content, and what’s the value?” said Trinen. “Mario Kart World, I think especially as you see from the Nintendo Direct, not to give you any hints or anything, but I did read your article this morning and I think you had mentioned that you didn’t find a lot to discover when roaming around. So I would say tune into our Mario Kart Direct to see what, maybe you’ll be able to find out about that.” “But honestly, this is a game that is so big and so vast and you will find so many little things in it to discover. And there’s still some other secrets remaining that I think as people end up buying and playing the game, they’re going to find this to be probably the richest Mario Kart experience they’ve ever had.” The Nintendo Switch 2 is slated to launch on June 5. While priced at $449.99, it is currently unknown if tariffs by the United States will cause its price tag to climb higher.

Neat Avenger Oct 25, 2017 1,163 New York City Right so, between the console's price, the price of Mario Kart and Bowser's subsequent comments about it, the fact that Welcome Tour isn't a pack in, the fact that the new C button is only functional with an online sub, among other things, I think it's fair to say that the Nintendo Direct didn't quite land the way Nintendo wanted. It should've been an easy slam dunk or home run or your favorite sports cliché but it wasn't. My question today is thus: to what extent could these grievances have been smoothed over by simply having more games announced for the thing that go beyond this year? Every single first party game announced at the Direct is slated for this year: Mario Kart, Welcome Tour, Donkey Kong, Kirby Air Riders, Drag x Drive, Hyrule Warriors, and the Switch 2 editions of Metroid Prime 4 and Pokemon Legends ZA. There was also Rhythm Heaven and Tomodachi Life announced in the prior Direct for 2026, and they might get a Switch 2 edition as well, but other than that we have no official information for games past 2025. They're obviously cooking stuff for 2026 and beyond but purposely chose to keep a tight lid on it, for better or worse, but was it the right play? Of course you don't want to fall in a trap of announcing games 3+ years out that will only lead to frustrating fans especially if the development process is rough, kinda like what happened with Prime 4, but we're talking about a new console generation launch here. In this specific case I can see the argument for announcing things further on the horizon. Personally, I believe announcing stuff that are 12-18 months out is a good "middle ground" of not being too far away while still giving your fans something to look forward to and make it easier for them to bite the bullet and invest in your shiny new hunk of plastic, and maybe look past the fact that games are $80 now.  Skies Member Oct 25, 2017 3,333 I don't think any game announcement would change the response to $80 games.   LinkStrikesBack One Winged Slayer Member Oct 27, 2017 18,480 No? The library is pretty packed for a first year, the primary problems people have with the console aren't really much to do with the lineup. The biggest challenges facing the console are the price points, both of the hardware and leading with a flagship game that's more expensive than anything before. That combined with a level of economic uncertainty are going to be the biggest problems for switch 2 during its life.  HibbySloth One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 6,886 Nothing was going to help that 80 dollar price tag for Mario Kart   Joeschmo Member Jul 11, 2018 465 Nah, people see the price, the preorder delays, it's a clusterfuck.   OGlol Member Jun 4, 2018 1,884 No matter how you spin it, $80 games in this economy is just very hard to swallow.   Derbel McDillet ▲ Legend ▲ Member Nov 23, 2022 22,810 Games quantity isn't the issue.   MayorSquirtle Member May 17, 2018 10,574 The reception is mostly to do with pricing, so I doubt it. More expensive games isn't distracting from the fact they're expensive. That said, I do find it bizarre they don't have a big holiday game. I assume they're hiding one, but like... why would you. They didn't hide Odyssey and that was the right move to drum up hype for the original Switch.  Dest Has seen more 10s than EA ever will Coward Jun 4, 2018 15,832 Work I haven't even seen one person mention the lack of games for the Switch 2 as being the problem with it.   Audiblee Member Mar 14, 2025 568 My reaction to it wasn't that it was lackluster. Yes the prices are high and they're charging for a tech demo, but the hardware and games look great.   --R Being sued right now, please help me find a lawyer Member Oct 25, 2017 15,224 Nobody is complaining about games or the hardware itself. It's all about game pricing.   Wyatt+ Member Jan 15, 2020 793 All they needed to do was price Mario Kart at $70 and include the Welcome Tour as a pack in. We'd be in a completely different situation.   Rosebud Two Pieces Member Apr 16, 2018 50,380 Nintendo consoles always have tons of great games, that's not a worry   Neoxon Spotlighting Black Excellence - Diversity Analyst Member Oct 25, 2017 92,710 Houston, TX Not really, plus announcing games far in advance just isn't how Nintendo operates anymore. We only got 2026 games revealed for the Switch 1 in March because that system didn't have many new experiences left in the tank.   Creator Day Member Nov 7, 2024 158 New York Didn't hear anyone complaining about game selection or the quality of them. Impressions from people who have played it are all positive. It's pricing 100%  CloseTalker Sister in the Craft Member Oct 25, 2017 37,674 It's not the games, it's the pricing, and the confunsion around things like upgrade passes, game key cards, game chat being paywalled, etc. The games are like the one thing keeping the Switch 2 exciting  inkblot Member Mar 27, 2024 990 We've got a new Mario Kart and a 3D Donkey Kong. It's the insane product pricing not the games.  Desma "This guy are sick" Member Oct 27, 2017 6,656 Nah, games are the last thing people have issues with   NookSports Member Oct 27, 2017 5,625 They should've announced the price at the original reveal; or somewhere in between. Hiding it and putting out in pieces in a bunch of places was the mistake. Put the price out ahead of time (before the switch1 direct even), and people would just focus on the games shown.  Lotus One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 122,379 The discourse has little to do with the games   logash Member Oct 27, 2017 6,011 Games were fine. The price tag is what people are complaining about and I don't think there is anything that could have distracted people from Nintendo being the first company to ask $80 for base games.   Salikawood Member Dec 26, 2024 1,108 No. I don't think the issue was the games, it was just the weirdness about price and the lack of clear communication surrounding it   DNAbro Member Oct 25, 2017 29,566 Their line up this year is good. It's the price of games. (Also like the general state of the world making this hit harder)  Lant_War Classic Anus Game The Fallen Jul 14, 2018 25,008 I was kinda surprised by how relatively few games they announced but it's true that literally all of them are coming out on the next 6 months. Revealing the first year would've improved the perception yeah   TheFormerPliskin Member Oct 26, 2017 3,686 There's no real issue with the line up of games. The only difference more games would've made is there'd be more games people would be querying the pricing/potential pricing of.   PucePikmin Member Apr 26, 2018 5,146 I don't think the reception has been "lackluster." It's all anyone can talk about. Impressions of the hardware and software has been good. I guess you could say the reception has been controversial, but even that -- it's just the way online culture is now. Oh, here's a new thing, let's find the ways to pick it apart. I don't think more games would have changed the complaining about price. That was coming regardless.  Mandos Member Nov 27, 2017 38,242 The lineup is amazing. The hardware is clean and solid. The bigger problem is preorder purgatory for NA, and then doing a gradual rollout of info in the clickbait ragebait era in the middle of massive unrest. Plus pricing but really that's only on one and that's been something they've been doing for 6 years now so it's not that shocking. Oh and physical digital gap not being big enough. If you're discounting digital make it lower, but that's an EU issue. I'd say most of it will be cleared up by launch as the PR rolls out… well barring the whole NA mess that's a dice toss right now. Heck I'd say it was already positive off online circles  jokkir Member Oct 25, 2017 8,981 No. It's the price of games and initial sticker shock of the console itself. And of course all the preorder, tariff stuff. They have a pretty decent lineup and they definitely aren't showing everything yet. I still think there's going to be an E3 Direct with more games for the Switch 2 some time in the Summer  cw_sasuke Member Oct 27, 2017 29,586 Derbel McDillet said: Games quantity isn't the issue. Click to expand... Click to shrink... .   giapel Member Oct 28, 2017 5,123 Lackluster reception isn't really the correct term. People are excited about the switch 2 and its games. It'll sell like hotcakes in the first year, probably breaking records. If software tracks worse than Switch 1, I expect Nintendo to steer clear of $80 games and have the majority at $70 or less and I'll take this as a win. But generally speaking, outside of the vocal sphere of game enthusiasts, reception is very positive.  Kenny_Blankenship Member Jun 1, 2023 2,267 Only issue with Switch 2 is $80 games and things like Welcome Tour costing money.   Mcbel Member Sep 6, 2023 1,884 > Switch 2's lackluster reception Any data to back up this statement? Sure things are pretty negative for Switch 2 in this forum, but we can't say for sure it's the same situation everywhere else.  HockeyBird Member Oct 27, 2017 13,659 Reception about the software seems pretty positive. It's pretty that you selectively picked out the negative news and deliberately ignored any positive impressions to create this flawed premise of a thread.   oakenhild Member Oct 27, 2017 2,436 My kids barely know the switch 2 is coming out let alone think there aren't enough games or the games cost too much. I would bet the vast majority of people that own a Switch are in the same boat. Switch 2 is going to be a tough sell because for many parents 'your switch/xbox/ps is working just fine' and the economy is unraveling. And most kids around me are playing service games that work on every platform (fortnite, roblox, etc etc). That's a bigger problem for Nintendo in general.  Rndom Grenadez Prophet of Truth Member Dec 7, 2017 6,037 🤷🏻‍♂️honestly no. I think in due time people will get over all the biggest hurdles. There will be a handle of $80 titles for sure and that will always ruffle feathers when it happens. But honestly for the tech inside, the amount of hours I'll get from MKW and being understanding of the affects of dumb ass tariffs, I'm unbothered and I don't think I'm the only one… therearedozensofus.gif  Universal Acclaim Member Oct 5, 2024 1,809 I saw a lot of complaints about the game lineup but only on this forum and it seems to have smoothed over now I'm glad Nintendo didn't do any funny business like Fable and Pragmata  DeanMuffin Member Oct 22, 2020 9 If we didn't have the games that have been announced for 2025 we'd have posts being created saying the opposite, that there are no games and it kills the hype. I think we can all feel pretty safe in knowing they'll have a great slate of releases every year. Also, all the negatives you shared are totally valid points and I agree with them, but the general public outside of places like this forum aren't gonna give a shit, the thing will sell like mad.  etrain911 Member Oct 27, 2017 4,613 They could have showed playable Zelda hanging out with Samus in her own brand new game and it still wouldn't have stopped the pure greed on display from being so off-putting.   MangoUltz "This guy are sick" Member Mar 24, 2019 3,868 I do think it would have taken an edge off. They did it for the Switch, they showed a few games that were some years off. It gets some extra excitement going and you have concrete things to look forward to. It certainly wouldn't have hurt them  VirtuaCider Member May 15, 2020 147 Wyatt+ said: All they needed to do was price Mario Kart at $70 and include the Welcome Tour as a pack in. We'd be in a completely different situation. Click to expand... Click to shrink... This is it. Console price is unfortunate but inflation related and in line with the market -- much moreso than Apple is with their hardware. Honestly I think the Welcome Tour is the only major mistake.   Lotus One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 122,379 Kenny_Blankenship said: and things like Welcome Tour costing money. Click to expand... Click to shrink... I don't even see this as a "real" problem, just an easy thing for people to talk about, when in reality it'll be quickly forgotten like 1-2 Switch was  2Blackcats Member Oct 26, 2017 17,350 Zero difference. Everyone knows great games are coming.   KtotheRoc One Winged Slayer Member Oct 27, 2017 59,976 The reception to the software was very good. The reception to the prices was not. There's a difference.  doemaaan Member Oct 27, 2017 2,695 No. But... I still wouldn't mind if they gave us a sliver of the next main Zelda to look forward to.. Remember when Miyamoto showed off concept art for Skyward Sword? Give me that for now.   Negatorous Member Jul 14, 2018 1,374 --R said: Nobody is complaining about games or the hardware itself. It's all about game pricing. Click to expand... Click to shrink... I think some people had a problem with the console pricing. I mean, almost 500 dollars (with tax included) and no game is a lot of money. I think it makes sense for what you're getting but I can see people thinking it's a bit higher than they wanted to pay.   Morlas Looking for a better cartoon show. Moderator Oct 25, 2017 75,425 Yeah, the console itself and the games both received very positive reception from what I've seen. It's the price and other miscellaneous things that have caused controversy.   Dog Cat Member Oct 25, 2017 13,004 It's the greed   mavericktopgun Member Oct 27, 2017 5,205 They announced many games... Compare that to Switch 1 presentation.   Lazlow Member Oct 27, 2017 1,336 All they had to do was throw in the obvious pack in game. The whole conversation would be the games are expensive but the Mario bundle is a good deal and you get a free game. Easy.   RochHoch One Winged Slayer Member May 22, 2018 21,053 The only problem with the reception is the software pricing Everyone's raving about Mario Kart and DK. People are quite happy with them on that front. 

There are very few flaws with Blue Prince, a new indie puzzle game about exploring a mansion whose room layout changes daily — with said room placement decided by the player as they explore and discover the mysterious properties of each room and the mansion as a whole. The game does have a big problem for a certain segment of players, however, which is that it has color-based puzzles in both the Billiard Room and the Utility Closet, and there’s no setting as yet to make these puzzles more accommodating for colorblind players.Polygon has reached out to the developer to learn when the color assist mode will be available, but has yet to hear back. At this time, it’s a listed option in the game’s settings, but it’s grayed out, as it has not yet been released. This screen notes that it’s a feature that’s “currently being developed and tested and will be included in a forthcoming update. This is a priority for us, so thank you for your patience.”Image: Dogubomb/Raw Fury via PolygonThere is some minor good news for colorblind folks who don’t want to wait to play this game, however, which is that you don’t need to solve these particular puzzles in order to make progress or even complete the game. [Ed. note: Minor descriptions of the puzzles follow in the next paragraph. If you don’t want to know any details at all about Blue Prince’s puzzles, don’t read on.]The Billiard Room puzzle, for example, appears every time you choose that room to be included in your daily mansion layout, but you can skip the puzzle that’s in the room and keep on walking through the rest of the mansion and solving the larger mysteries in the game. Solving the daily puzzle in the Billiard Room does reward you with great (different) items every time, but these are items that you can earn through other means. The Utility Closet puzzle is a different situation in that you only need to solve it one time, and then you’re all set, and it also isn’t a puzzle you have to solve to beat the game, but it will give you a specific permanent item-related benefit if you solve it. Asking a friend for help with it might be a good move in the meantime.See More: Why it mattersThe goal of Blue Prince is as simple as it is paradoxical. Find the 46th room in a home with 45 rooms. Bring a notepad and a pen. Create a screen capture folder, because you’ll be spamming F12. And absolutely find a friend to play alongside you, so someone understands what you’re on about.— Chris Plante, Editor-in-chief

Menu Home News Hardware Gaming Mobile Finance Deals Reviews How To Wccftech Mobile Meta Fights To Stop Potential Breakup Of Instagram And WhatsApp In A High-Stakes Trial Ezza Ijaz • Apr 11, 2025 at 04:45pm EDT The regulatory authorities are taking more stringent measures and have not been sparing any companies lately, especially the tech giants. They seem to penalize any company that violates the law. Google has been under immense pressure for almost a year amidst allegations of dominance, and the authorities are even considering a divestiture. Now, Meta seems to be under hot waters as the US Federal Trade Commission is pursuing an antitrust lawsuit against the company over its acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp. The trial is said to take place on April 14th, which could potentially completely change the future of the company. Meta is set to face FTC Trial over violations of its antitrust laws, with the authorities pushing for a breakup Over the next two months, Meta will be fighting a legal battle that could change the social media landscape and the company's future. The trial is said to kick off on Monday, as per a Bloomberg report, but this lawsuit has been ongoing for a while. FTC originally filed the case in 2020, claiming that Meta had an illegal market dominance by forming a monopoly with its acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp, which discouraged competition. Instagram was acquired in 2012, and then in 2014, Meta took over WhatsApp. FTC alleges that by taking these steps, it was eliminating any potential threats that could harm its monopoly. It further argues that the quality of Meta's app has seen a decline as a result of lower competition, and privacy protection is weaker, with more ads now showing up. The US Federal Trade Commission is persistent in ensuring that the acquisitions do not breach the antitrust laws and discourage healthy competition from sustaining. It believes that the takeover should not have been approved in the first place, and now that the harm has been done, a break up of Instagram and WhatsApp is the way to deal with the growing dominance. Meta, in its defense, contends that by acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp, it took the platform to an extended audience, which helped it reach billions globally. It also argues that it has been facing intense competition, and it does not slow down. Rather, with the takeover, it has even more players to rival. Since regulators approved the acquisitions at that time, it would also be argued whether penalizing over it now is justified. Meta also believes that the definition of FTC regarding the market is too narrow, especially with evolving technologies and every other company trying to remain agile. The trial would be heard in Washington, D.C., and is believed to last about two months. Despite Meta lobbying the Trump administration and FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson, it had little impact on the legal battle as the case proceeds. If the FTC is successful in its pursuit, it could mean that Meta would have to divest Instagram and WhatsApp, which could have a huge impact across the industry, given the tightened scrutiny of tech companies. Subscribe to get an everyday digest of the latest technology news in your inbox Follow us on Topics Sections Company Some posts on wccftech.com may contain affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com © 2025 WCCF TECH INC. 700 - 401 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Victrix Pro FS Arcade Stick for PS5, PS4, & PC (White or Purple) $220 (was $400) See at Woot Victrix Pro FS-12 Arcade Stick for PlayStation & PC (Purple) $170 (was $400) See at Woot Fighting game fans who want to upgrade from a traditional controller to a premium fight stick--or an all-button fight pad--can get the popular Victrix Pro FS or FS-12 for their all-time lowest prices. Both models retail for $400, but Woot's Spring Video Game Sale drops those prices down to $220 for the FS Arcade Stick and only $170 for the leverless FS-12. The traditional stick is up for grabs in purple and white, but the deal on the 12-button model only includes the purple edition. The white variant was previously available for $180 but has since sold out. Continue Reading at GameSpot

The two-day Trident Toss tournament has ended, and a new tournament called Harmony Hustle is now live in Monopoly GO. It kicked off on Apr 11 and will be live for one day.

Hello everyone! We just released Title Update 1.0.2 which added some key improvements to the PS5 Pro version of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, including the addition of PSSR support and the inclusion of ray traced reflections for Balanced mode. To celebrate, we wanted to give you deeper insight into the work done to bring this version – the best console version of Shadows – to life. Pushing our rendering vision As gamers, we are always excited to see new hardware. As developers, we are even more excited, and the PS5 Pro was no exception. As soon as we were briefed on the new capabilities of the console, we were excited to take advantage of it; the PS5 Pro allowed us to push our rendering vision to its full potential across all modes – Quality, Balanced and Performance. First, let’s recap the three core technological improvements. The PS5 Pro has three compared to a standard PS5: It has a faster GPU. It has new ray tracing capabilities (BVH8 support). It has PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution. Play Video Leveraging the improved GPU and ray tracing capabilities Early in the conception phase of AC Shadows, we decided to revolutionize our lighting pipeline by moving from a pre-baked global illumination1 system with limited in-game flexibility to a runtime, ray traced, one. There are several image quality benefits to this, and it allows for much more dynamism within the world, as lighting can always adapt to what happens in-game. Quality is also increased, and subtle, yet important, lighting details emerge when using ray traced global illumination (RTGI). While the PS5 allowed us to realistically target 30 and 40 FPS with its native ray tracing support, it did not entirely make it possible at 60 FPS given everything else happening on the GPU: simulations, geometry rasterization & shading, character deformation & hair rendering, etc. Play Video However, with the announcement of the PS5 Pro last year, we knew we had all the ingredients to build the ultimate console version of AC Shadows. By itself, the PS5 Pro’s faster GPU helps performance without much effort from developers, but the game changing technology is the improved ray tracing capabilities of the PS5 Pro that BVH82 (BVH stands for ‘bounding volume hierarchy’, more below) offered over BVH4. With our implementation of BVH8 support on PS5 Pro, we were able to speed up GPU tasks involving hardware ray tracing usage by about 300%. Those 2 critical upgrades, the faster GPU and support for BVH8 made it possible for us to realistically target a stable 60 FPS while showcasing our new generation ray traced lighting engine. What is global illumination? In game rendering, global illumination (GI) refers to a set of techniques used to simulate the way light interacts with surfaces in a 3D environment. Rather than just illuminating objects with direct light from a light source (like the sun or a lamp), GI accounts for indirect lighting, which is light that bounces off surfaces and contributes to the overall lighting of a scene. Think of the following scenario: If you place a red box close to a white wall in a well-lit room, the red color will “bleed” onto the nearby wall. What is a BVH ? A BVH, or bounding volume hierarchy, is an acceleration structure that is core to the use of hardware ray tracing in 3D graphics. Think of it as boxes within boxes. If you need to trace a ray, determining which big boxes intersect the ray first, then testing recursively is what makes ray tracing possible with performance matching the requirements of modern games.Typically, BVH have 4 big boxes (BVH4) meaning that each box can contain 4 other boxes. With BVH8, we have 8 boxes per box, which allows for faster traversal of the BVH when doing ray tracing GPU tasks as the tree is shallower, each node having twice as many children. Something unique to console players on PS5 Pro: ray traced reflections Ray traced global illumination at 60 FPS in an open world is a nice feat alone. However, Given AC Shadows’ delay, we had time to assess how we could push things further, and we became confident that we could implement ray traced reflections1 in time for launch. Play Video Using ray tracing reflections solves many issues encountered with classical techniques such as SSLR and cube maps. While some games on PS5 Pro had opted for a single 60 FPS mode, our approach was: if a choice between playing 30, 40 and 60 FPS was good for PS5 players, why not replicate that for PS5 Pro players, if meaningful improvements could be offered in each mode? With ray traced reflections, we believe that a significant uplift in photorealistic rendering is achieved. Again, this was possible because of the faster GPU as well as the 300% speed up in ray tracing capabilities that we were able to achieve by leveraging BVH8. At launch, we offered ray traced reflections only when playing in Quality mode, but we are happy to report that title update 1.0.2 brings ray traced reflections to the PS5 Pro Balanced mode, an improvement many of you have requested. Once again, Balanced mode offers a great compromise between quality & performance, for players with supporting TVs. Play Video In short, PS5 Pro brings: Ray traced global illumination in Performance Mode, (versus the pre-baked global illumination on the standard PS5.) Ray traced reflections in Quality and Balanced Mode (complimentary with the ray traced global illumination present on standard PS5.) What are reflections? Reflections refer to how the light reflects on surfaces that are shiny, metallic, etc. While reflections are mostly noticed on those types of surfaces, they affect most pixels on screen in a very subtle way that grounds the image. Usually, this is done using information on screen, with a technique called screen space local reflections (SSLR) or by using older techniques such as cube maps, which are pre-baked offline or dynamically rendered in-game with lots of latency and a lower resolution, because of memory & storage constraints. Ray traced reflection solves the main problem with SSLR, which is that it can’t reflect what is outside of the screen and has a much higher level of fidelity than cube maps. Supporting PSSR With all we’ve discussed so far, we’ve only covered two out of three key improvements that the PS5 Pro brings. What’s left is a piece of PS5 Pro technology called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, a.k.a. PSSR. First, let’s explain what PSSR is. PSSR is an AI-driven upscaler, meaning it takes an image rendered at lower resolution, say 1080p, and upscales it up to 2160p, approximating 3 out of 4 pixels in other words (upscaling isn’t anything new; we’ve been using a technique called Temporal Anti-Aliasing, or TAA (TAAU), for upscaling since Assassin’s Creed Origins.) The benefits of upscaling are great: lowering the render resolution results in higher framerate. The tradeoff is one of image clarity, and sometimes visual artefacts. TAA is an analytical technique, meaning that it is based on math & statistics, broadly speaking. Play Video Upscaling combined with dynamic resolution scaling (DRS), a technique where the render resolution changes depending on how well the GPU performed in the AI, allows us to maximize the visual fidelity of the game by lowering the pre-upscaled resolution in more demanding scenarios. Without DRS, we would need to calibrate our budgets for the worst scenario, even if those occur only in specific circumstances and once in the entire game. Therefore, a good DRS implementation paired with a great upscaler offers the best of both worlds: higher framerate and more visual fidelity. AI upscalers are typically trained with reference footage in the target resolution. Contrary to an analytical upscaler, they can work with lower pre-upscaling resolutions better, as their model encodes behaviors which are hard, if impossible, to reproduce analytically. With the delay in AC Shadows, we had valuable opportunities to explore early implementations of PSSR in other PS5 Pro enhanced titles, and to conduct our own in-depth analysis on AC Shadows. We found that PSSR provided a superior experience vs. TAA overall, and was definitely something that could benefit players. Recognizing this, we reached out to Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) for further collaboration. Sony worked closely with us, providing updated model parameters that were needed to perfect our implementation in the latest PS5 Pro firmware, which was just released.  When compared to TAA, PSSR brings a more stable image with notably less shimmering artefacts, that brings up the image quality. Play Video With this firmware being out now, we’re happy to say that official PSSR support is now available in AC Shadows through our new title update, as both the improvements made at the system software level and our work in-engine will now seamlessly work together. Players that have already played the game on PS5 Pro will need to activate the option in the video tab of the options menu, but all new players will by default play with PSSR activated. As always, we’re committed to improving our implementation in upcoming title updates as this technology continues to evolve.  Conclusion With ray traced global illumination in Performance mode (60 FPS), ray traced reflections coming to the Balanced mode (40 FPS mode) as well as Quality Mode (30 FPS) and PSSR now available in all modes, we’re very satisfied with our PS5 Pro version and believe it is the ultimate console experience for AC Shadows, one that rivals ultra-high-end PC gaming. We’ve fully leveraged all the 3 core technology pillars of the PS5 Pro, and combined, these really support our technological vision and have us really excited for the future! We hope you enjoyed this technical deep dive into the making of the PS5 Pro version of Assassin’s Creed. Thanks Nicolas Lopez, Technical Architect and Sebastien Daigneault, Project Lead Programmer – Rendering for helping contribute to this article..

There are 10 skins in the Marvel Rivals season 2 battle pass, most of which fit into a black tie gala theme. While two of these skins are available for free, the other eight require you to purchase the paid “luxury” battle pass, just like in season 1 with the Darkhold. Below, we’ll show you all skins in the Marvel Rivals season 2 battle pass, plus details about what else is in the battle pass and how many Chrono Tokens each item costs. Marvel Rivals season 2 skins list: How many skins are in the battle pass? The season 2 battle pass offers eight unique skins for those willing to purchase the paid “luxury” version. There are two free skins for all players. There are also a variety of other items in the pass, which consist of things you’d find in the skin bundles in the store, like nameplates, sprays, and emotes that go with the various skins. Here’s the full list of skins in the season 2 battle pass, and the characters they’re for: Spider-Man: Spider-Oni (page 1) Psylock: Retro X-Uniform (page 1) Squirrel Girl: Nut Rocker (page 2) Magik: Retro X-Uniform (page 3) Black Widow: Red Runway Veil (page 4) Luna Snow: Nolaehaneun Manyeo (page 5) Hellfire Gala gallery card (page 6) Bruce Banner: Joe Fixit (page 7) Captain America: Star Spangled Style (page 8) Iron Fist: Immortal Weapon of Agamotto (page 9) Cloak & Dagger: Dance Partner (page 10) At Your Service gallery card (page 11) 100 Units repeatable reward (page 12) The luxury battle pass for season 2 will run you 990 Lattice, or about $10. The number of skins are identical to the first season, so if you’re curious to see if the luxury battle pass is worth your money, you can check out our breakdown on the worth of the season 1 battle pass. Regardless of if you own the paid battle pass or the free version, you’ll need to unlock each page in the battle pass by earning Chrono Tokens via in-game missions and objectives. Once you’ve unlocked a page, you can start spending your Chrono Tokens on the items listed there. However, know that you can only purchase a skin on the page once you’ve purchased every other item there. To help make Chrono Tokens easier to get, NetEase Games has added new, weekly quests in season 2. Here are all skins in the Marvel Rivals season 2 battle pass. Spider-Man: Spider-Oni (page 1) Spider-Oni is a Legendary skin for Spider-Man that is instantly unlocked when you purchase the luxury version of the battle pass — no Chrono Tokens required. If you want his matching MVP screen and goodies, however, you’ll need to unlock them on page 1, detailed below. Psylock: Retro X-Uniform (page 1) Found on page 1, Retro X-Uniform is a paid battle pass skin for Psylock. You can purchase it for 400 Chrono Tokens once you’ve purchased all the other items on the page. All of these items appear on page 1 alongside the Retro X-Uniform and Spider-Oni skins and cost 200 Chrono Tokens each: Rare Spider-Oni spray Rare Emma Frost nameplate Epic Dancing Petals emote Epic Spider-Oni nameplate (luxury) Legendary Spider-Man MVP screen: Ninjutsu: Veil of the Snow Spider (luxury) Squirrel Girl: Nut Rocker (page 2) Found on page 2, Nut Rocker is a paid battle pass skin for Squirrel Girl. You can purchase it for 400 Chrono Tokens once you’ve purchased all the other items on the page. You’ll unlock the ability to purchase items from page 2 once you’ve earned 1,200 Chrono Tokens during the season. All of these items appear on page 2 alongside the Nut Rocker skin and cost 200 Chrono Tokens each: Rare Squirrel Girl Emblem spray Rare Nut Rocker spray Rare Bubble Popper emote Epic Squirrel Girl MVP screen: Crack Boom Punk! (luxury) Rare Nut Rocker nameplate (luxury) 100 Lattice (luxury) Magik: Retro X-Uniform (page 3) Found on page 3, Retro X-Uniform is a free battle pass skin for Magik. You can purchase it for 400 Chrono Tokens. You’ll unlock the ability to purchase items from page 3 once you’ve earned 2,400 Chrono Tokens during the season. All of these items appear on page 3 alongside the Retro X-Uniform skin and cost 200 Chrono Tokens each: Rare Spider-Man Emblem spray Krakoa Seedlings collectible Rare Magik Emblem spray 100 Units (luxury) Rare Ultron nameplate 100 Lattice (luxury) Black Widow: Red Runway Veil (page 4) Found on page 4, Red Runway Veil is a paid battle pass skin for Black Widow. You can purchase it for 400 Chrono Tokens once you’ve purchased all the other items on the page. You’ll unlock the ability to purchase items from page 4 once you’ve earned 3,600 Chrono Tokens during the season. All of these items appear on page 4 alongside the Red Runway Veil skin and cost 200 Chrono Tokens each: Rare Black Widow Emblem spray Rare Red Runway Veil nameplate Rare Cloak & Dagger Emblem spray Epic Black Widow MVP screen: Elegance in Motion (luxury) Rare Arachnid Allure emote (luxury) Rare Red Runway Veil spray (luxury) Luna Snow: Nolaehaneun Manyeo (page 5) Found on page 5, Nolaehaneun Manyeo is a paid battle pass skin for Luna Snow. You can purchase it for 400 Chrono Tokens once you’ve purchased all the other items on the page. You’ll unlock the ability to purchase items from page 5 once you’ve earned 4,800 Chrono Tokens during the season. All of these items appear on page 5 alongside the Nolaehaneun Manyeo skin and cost 200 Chrono Tokens each: 100 Lattice Rare Captain America spray 100 Units Rare Luna Snow Emblem spray Rare Nolaehaneun Manyeo nameplate 100 Units (luxury) Hellfire Gala gallery card (page 6) There are no battle pass skins on page 6. The only item on the page, the Hellfire Gala gallery card, requires you to have earned 6,000 Chrono Tokens during the season to purchase it for 600 Chrono Tokens. Bruce Banner: Joe Fixit (page 7) Found on page 7, Joe Fixit is a paid battle pass skin for Bruce Banner. You can purchase it for 400 Chrono Tokens once you’ve purchased all the other items on the page. You’ll unlock the ability to purchase items from page 7 once you’ve earned 7,200 Chrono Tokens during the season. All of these items appear on page 7 alongside the Joe Fixit skin and cost 200 Chrono Tokens each: 100 Units Rare Hulk Emblem spray Rare Joe Fixit nameplate Rare Bruce Banner emote: Coin Trick (luxury) Epic Bruce Banner MVP screen: Sin City Showcase (luxury) Rare Joe Fixit spray (luxury) Captain America: Star Spangled Style (page 8) Found on page 8, Star Spangled Style is a paid battle pass skin for Captain America. You can purchase it for 400 Chrono Tokens once you’ve purchased all the other items on the page. You’ll unlock the ability to purchase items from page 8 once you’ve earned 8,400 Chrono Tokens during the season. All of these items appear on page 8 alongside the Star Spangled Style skin and cost 200 Chrono Tokens each: Rare Captain America emote: Dapper Defender Rare Star Spangled Style spray Flowers of Krakoa collectible Epic Captain America MVP screen: Dashing Duel (luxury) 100 Lattice (luxury) Rare Star Spangled Style nameplate (luxury) Iron Fist: Immortal Weapon of Agamotto (page 9) Found on page 9, Immortal Weapon of Agamotto is a free battle pass skin for Iron Fist. You can purchase it for 400 Chrono Tokens once you’ve purchased all the other items on the page. You’ll unlock the ability to purchase items from page 9 once you’ve earned 9,600 Chrono Tokens during the season. All of these items appear on page 9 alongside the Immortal Weapon of Agamotto skin and cost 200 Chrono Tokens each: Rare Iron Fist emote: His Will 100 Units Rare Immortal Weapon of Agamotto spray (luxury) Rare Immortal Weapon of Agamotto nameplate (luxury) Epic Iron Fist MVP screen: Shadow of Agamotto (luxury) 100 Lattice (luxury) Cloak & Dagger: Dance Partner (page 10) Found on page 10, Dance Partner is a paid battle pass skin for Cloak & Dagger. You can purchase it for 400 Chrono Tokens once you’ve purchased all the other items on the page. You’ll unlock the ability to purchase items from page 10 once you’ve earned 10,800 Chrono Tokens during the season. All of these items appear on page 10 alongside the Dance Partner skin and cost 200 Chrono Tokens each: 100 Lattice 100 Units Epic Cloak & Dagger emote: Whimsical Waltz Rare Dance Partner spray (luxury) Epic Dance Partner nameplate (luxury) Legendary Cloak & Dagger MVP screen: Duality Duet (luxury) At Your Service gallery card (page 11) There are no battle pass skins on page 11. The only item on page 11, the Ages of Ultron gallery card, requires you to have earned 12,000 Chrono Tokens during the season to purchase it for 600 Chrono Tokens. 100 Units repeatable reward (page 12) New in season 2, you’ll be able to continue grinding the battle pass once you reach the end. After unlocking all other rewards for a given battlepass, you can spend 1,000 Chrono Tokens to receive 100 Units. You can repeat this reward multiple times. For more Marvel Rivals guides, here’s everything you need to know about all known codes and a look at the game’s roadmap.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.After Consumer Electronics Show (CES) brought some exciting new tech products this January, older flagship models began to drop in price, and TVs were no exception. A Pro version of The Frame TV was introduced, which made the 2024 versions drop in price. Fast forward to April, and those prices have dropped further for some of the sizes. The 43-inch The Frame from 2024 is on sale for $797.99 (originally $997.99), the lowest price it has been, according to price-tracking tools. The biggest size, the 85-inch series, is seeing a record discount of $1,800, currently $2,497.99 (originally $4,297.99). Display Technology: QLED, Resolution: 4K, Refresh Rate: 120 Hz, Special Feature: Built-In Speaker. 43-inch The Frame QLED 4K LS03D $797.99 at Amazon $997.99 Save $200.00 Get Deal Get Deal $797.99 at Amazon $997.99 Save $200.00 Display Technology: QLED, Resolution: 4K, Refresh Rate: 120 Hz, Special Feature: Built-In Speaker. 50-inch The Frame QLED 4K LS03D $997.99 at Amazon $1,297.99 Save $300.00 Get Deal Get Deal $997.99 at Amazon $1,297.99 Save $300.00 Display Technology: QLED, Resolution: 4K, Refresh Rate: 120 Hz, Special Feature: Built-In Speaker. 55-inch The Frame QLED 4K LS03D $1,197.99 at Amazon $1,497.99 Save $300.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1,197.99 at Amazon $1,497.99 Save $300.00 Display Technology: QLED, Resolution: 4K, Refresh Rate: 120 Hz, Special Feature: Built-In Speaker. 65-inch The Frame QLED 4K LS03D $1,497.99 at Amazon $1,997.99 Save $500.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1,497.99 at Amazon $1,997.99 Save $500.00 Display Technology: QLED, Resolution: 4K, Refresh Rate: 120 Hz, Special Feature: Built-In Speaker. 75-inch The Frame QLED 4K LS03D $1,997.99 at Amazon $2,997.99 Save $1,000.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1,997.99 at Amazon $2,997.99 Save $1,000.00 Display Technology: QLED, Resolution: 4K, Refresh Rate: 120 Hz, Special Feature: Built-In Speaker. 85-inch The Frame QLED 4K LS03D $2,497.99 at Amazon $4,297.99 Save $1,800.00 Get Deal Get Deal $2,497.99 at Amazon $4,297.99 Save $1,800.00 SEE 3 MORE Samsung’s The Frame smart TVs have come a long way since their 2017 release. Launched to appeal to the crowd that wants a big TV but doesn’t want that TV to dominate their decor, its main feature is an anti-reflection matte display that took the “framed artwork” aspect to new levels—and with 4K picture quality. As the name implies, the allure of this TV is that it can double as a digital art frame, with its anti-glare matte display and customizable frame.I first saw the 2022 version up close when it was released, admittedly having been fooled by my brother into thinking it was an actual painting (it really does look like one). The matte screen does a good job of making the TV seem like a painting, and it's great for bright rooms that might otherwise get a lot of glare from the screen. That version had an "average" review from PCMag due mainly to poor contrast and its price. However, the new 2024 version is the latest generation of this series and has notable improvements.You'll get an improved refresh rate of 120Hz, the same QLED display, and 4K resolution with a Quantum 4K processor. You can buy frames separately to your taste—and even design them with a Harry Potter theme, like this guy on TikTok did.

The never-ending Trump tariff saga continues. Tesla has halted Model S and X sales in China, according to reporting by Bloomberg. These particular vehicles are imported to the country from the US so they are impacted by a 125 percent tariff on goods flowing into China. This was enacted by China in response to President Trump placing a 145 percent tariff on imported goods from the country.  This isn’t a huge deal for Tesla, as the high-end Model S and Model X are some of the company’s least-popular vehicles in the region. It’s still selling off pre-existing inventory, but the models will be unavailable after that. The more affordable Model 3 and Model Y vehicles are actually made at Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory, so they aren’t impacted by the tariffs.  Trump's tariffs on China and the ones the country has put on the US in response could seriously harm the EV industry here in the states. The European Union has been thinking about opening up its doors to more Chinese electric vehicles, which would likely ding American automakers. Many Chinese-made EVs are significantly more budget-friendly than their American-made counterparts. For instance, the BYD Seagull hatchback would cost just $9,600 in US dollars. Chinese EV manufacturers are also making strides in the world of autonomous driving. As for the tariffs, who knows what the future will bring. Maybe they’ll go away tomorrow or maybe President Trump will whip out his poison pen and increase them tenfold on a whim. What a nice predictable world we live in.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-halts-model-s-and-x-sales-in-china-due-to-tariffs-185752814.html?src=rss