Apple releasediOS 18.3in January, and that update brought a few bug fixes to your iPhone. But, when Apple released iOS 17in 2023, the tech giant introduced a new feature that could help you take care of your eyes calledScreen Distance. CNETThe feature warns you when you're holding your iPhone or iPad too close to your face, sort of like having a parent tell you to sit farther back from the television or computer screen. Although having a screen near your face might not harm your eyes, it could stress and irritate them, according to health care organizationCedars-Sinai. Thankfully, this iOS 17 feature aims to help reduce eyestrain, and according to Apple, it could even lower the risk of myopia, or nearsightedness.Here's how to turn Screen Distance on and give your eyes a break.Read more: Screen Time Matters When It Comes to Your Eye HealthTurn on Screen Distance1. Open Settings.2. Tap Screen Time.3. Tap Screen Distance. These screens appear the first time you access Screen Distance. Screenshot by Zach McAuliffe/CNETThen you'll see two screens explaining what Screen Distance is and how it works. Tap Continue on both screens, and Screen Distance automatically turns on after these screens. Both screens appear only the first time you go into Screen Distance.Now, after holding your iPhone too close to your face for a few minutes, your screen gets blocked by a message reading, "iPhone May Be Too Close." When you hold your iPhone too close to your face for too long, Screen Distance blocks your screen. Zach McAuliffe/CNETYour screen remains blocked until you hold your iPhone farther away. Then, your screen shows a checkmark, and you have to tap Continue to remove the block.Read more: How to Beat Eyestrain, According to OptometristsTurning off Screen DistanceScreen Distance is a useful iOS feature that may reduce eyestrain and even decrease the risk of nearsightedness. However, if you find the warnings more annoying than helpful, here's how to turn Screen Distance off.1. Open Settings.2. Tap Screen Time.3. Tap Screen Distance.4. Tap the toggle next to Screen Distance.Now you can go back to holding your iPhone as close to your face as you want without interruption from your phone -- or your parents.For more on iOS 18, here's what you need to know about iOS 18.3.1 andiOS 18.3. You can also check out ouriOS 18 cheat sheet. Watch this: Apple's Vision Pro Problem, Zoox Taxicab Confessions and more | Tech Therapy 28:24

The Philadelphia Eagles wonSuper Bowl LIX, but if you were hoping for another winner, you can take your favorite team to the big game with Madden 25 on Xbox Game Pass now. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate -- a CNET Editors' Choice award pick -- offers hundreds of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Series S, Xbox One, PC and mobile device for $20 a month. A subscription provides access to a large library of games, with new titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 added every month, plus benefits such as online multiplayer and deals on non-Game Pass titles. Read more: Microsoft's Developer Direct Proved Game Pass Is Xbox's New NormHere are all the games Microsoft plans to add to Xbox Game Pass in February. You can also check out other games Microsoft added to the service in January, like Sniper Elite: Resistance. Madden 25Available now.The Super Bowl might mark the end of football season, but you can keep it going with Madden 25. The latest installment of the popular sports franchise brings a newphysics-based tackling systemto the game, and it reengineers the Hit Stick so you can deliver bigger, more accurate hits. So get ready to play and watch some hard-hitting football all yearlong. Another Crab's Treasure (console) Available now. You know what they say: One man's trash is another crab's treasure, or something like that. Microsoft brought this game to Game Pass Ultimate subscribers in April 2024, and now the company is bringing it to Game Pass Standard subscribers. This game is like a cross between Elden Ring and the classic game Ecco the Dolphin. You play as a hermit crab who sets off on a quest to buy back your repossessed shell. You'll have to use the trash of the ocean to protect yourself against huge enemies, and you'll also learn why the ocean is so polluted with garbage to begin with. And who knows, maybe you'll see Ariel with her collection of thingamabobs down there. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (console) Available now. If you're a Game Pass Standard subscriber, get ready to gather your friends and allies for this action JRPG. You have to create a party of six heroes out of over 100 -- it's in the name, after all -- as you set off on an adventure across the war-torn continent of Allraan. You can also manage a small town and play mini-games along the way. Starfield (Xbox Series X/S) Available now. Game Pass Standard subscribers can explore this expansive sci-fi RPG from the same studio that made The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. You play as a miner who finds an alien artifact, and this sets off a chain reaction across the stars. While the main story follows you as you try to unlock the secrets of this artifact, you can go off and explore more than 1,000 planets, interact with colonies and outposts, and create your own story. Kingdom Two Crowns (cloud and console) Available now.Microsoft removed this game from Game Pass a few years ago, and now the company is bringing it back to the service. In this 2D adventure strategy game, you have to build up your kingdom during the day to secure it from a threat called the Greed that attacks at night. You'll then conquer far-off lands in order to put a stop to the Greed threat once and for all. Avowed Available: Feb. 18 From the developers of Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds comes a new adventure in a place called the Living Lands. A mysterious plague is creeping throughout the land and spreading chaos. You're sent to investigate, and what unfolds is a tale riddled with war, intrigue and ancient mysteries. Wield magic and steel as you carve your own destiny and uncover the truth. Games leaving Game Pass in February While Microsoft is adding those six games to different tiers of Xbox Game Pass, the company is also removing seven other games from the service on Feb. 15. So you still have some time to finish your campaign and any side quests in these games before you have to buy them separately. For more on Xbox, check out other games available on Game Pass Ultimate now, read our hands-on review of the gaming service and learn which Game Pass plan is right for you. Watch this: Everything We Expect in Gaming in 2025 05:01

Square Enix shuts down another Final Fantasy mobile gameCrystals chronicled.Image credit: Square Enix News by Ed Nightingale Deputy News Editor Published on Feb. 13, 2025 Square Enix has shut down the iOS version of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles due to an ongoing bug.Players had reported they were unable to access additional content purchased for the iOS game, which the publisher has stated was due to changes made to the in-app purchases model."Further investigation revealed that we are unable to completely fix the bug and implement the new changes, making it unlikely to resume service for the game," a notice from Square Enix reads. "Thus, we must regretfully announce that we will end support for the iOS version of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles."Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition - Launch TrailerWatch on YouTubePlayers who made in-app purchases in January 2024 or later will be able to request a refund via Apple Support.The game is no longer available to download. Though free-to-play, it included in-app purchases for the full version of the game ($24.99) and individual DLCs.Crystal Chronicles was first released for the GameCube in 2003, but sales suffered due to the need for a complex Game Boy Advance setup to fully enjoy. The game was then remastered for Switch, PS4, Android and iOS in 2020.Square Enix has confirmed the other versions of the game remain unaffected.The news follows other mobile games shut down by Square Enix in the past couple of years, including Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius, Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia, and Final Fantasy 7 battle royale The First Soldier.These were all shut down due to declining player numbers. While Crystal Chronicles has suffered from this purchase bug, Square Enix clearly did not deem it worthy of fully fixing, perhaps due to similarly low player numbers.In its latest financial report, Square Enix revealed net sales of its mobile games had plummeted by over 32 percent, owing to the closure of these games.However, profits from mobile games remain higher than its HD games (console and PC), and are further dwarfed by MMO profits.That's a key reason the company is developing a mobile version of Final Fantasy 14, though it's set to be free-to-play and won't include gacha mechanics.

HBO expects The Last of Us to run for four seasonsWon't Joel-ver do it.Image credit: HBO News by Victoria Kennedy News Reporter Published on Feb. 13, 2025 It seems like four seasons of HBO's The Last of Us adaptation may be on the cards.In an interview with Deadline, HBO exec Francesca Orsi said the service doesn't currently have "a complete or final plan" when it comes to The Last of Us' duration, but said "it's looking like four seasons" for the adaption."I wouldn't want to confirm that, but it's looking like this season and then two more seasons after this and we're done," Orsi told the publication.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. The Death of Console Exclusives Is Inevitable and I Don't Know How I Feel About It. Watch on YouTubeThis is in line with what showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin have previously suggested.In August 2023, Mazin confirmed the team would need more than one season to tell The Last of Us Part 2's narrative. When asked about how many seasons of The Last of Us he expected at that time, Mazin said: "It can end up being three or five. But four seems like a good number. Some seasons, because of the story we're telling, will need fewer episodes and some will need more."The second season of The Last of Us is set to debut in April, and will comprise seven episodes, with one of those episodes being "quite big" in length."The story that we're telling is much bigger than the story of season one, there's just a lot more going on, it's a lot harder to produce but we want every episode to feel like its own blockbuster to be honest with you," Mazin said in June.It remains unclear where the second season of The Last of Us will wrap up, however we do know it will feature a lot more infected than the first season.Ahead of season two's debut, a The Last of Us panel has been confirmed for SXSW 2025. Panelists include Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann, Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, and Young Mazino.Earlier this month, the showrunners revealed why actor Kaityln Dever did not have to bulk up for her role as Abby in the upcoming second season of The Last of Us, despite her counterpart in Part 2 being known for her muscular physique.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide The release date of a new Fortnite season is just around the corner! As we are quickly approaching it, Epic Games is teasing all the new content that will be released. Once again, the in-game island will go through many changes at the start of the season, and we will have a chance to grab a new Battle Pass with fresh cosmetics.Fortunately for the Fortnite community, it doesnt seem that there will be any delays with the release of a new season. Epic recently confirmed its release date while also revealing a few more things.When will the next Fortnite season come out?As previously revealed, Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2 will come out on Friday, February 21. The release date of the season has remained unchanged, and there will be no delays. This means that the current Battle Pass and quests will stay active for only one more week. After that, they will be replaced by new tasks and cosmetics. Save Up to $1,200 on the Samsung Galaxy S25! Pre-order now and save big with trade-in and Samsung credit. Limited time only! *Includes trade-in value + $300 Samsung credit. Epic confirmed the date and the theme of the next season with a post on X (formerly Twitter). The game developer also teased a couple of new skins that will come next season, including a new version of Midas. These skins will likely come with the upcoming Battle Pass, which will be available on the first day of the season.Fortnite confirmed the release date of the next season. Image by VideoGamerThe exact release time of the season hasnt been revealed yet. However, judging by previous seasons and updates, we expect it to come out at 4 AM Eastern Time. On top of this, its important to note that the season wont be available right away. Since this will one of the biggest updates, Fortnite downtime may last for at least five or six hours, making the game unplayable. Must-Listen: Publishing Manor Lords w/ Joe Robinson VideoGamer Podcast Listen Now FortnitePlatform(s):Android, iOS, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/XGenre(s):Action, Massively Multiplayer, Shooter9VideoGamerRelated TopicsFortnite Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here Contents hide Arrowhead has confirmed there is more to come from the Illuminate in Helldivers 2, but that doesnt mean other enemy factions are being forgotten about. The developer has plans for bots and bugs, although Arrowheads intentions are kept secret behind-the-scenes. While we dont know what will happen in the future, a Helldivers 2 leak shows bugs are evolving, and players are rightfully afraid.Helldivers 2 unknown Stalker unit leakProminent Helldivers 2 leaker, Iron_S1ghts, has revealed a new unknown Stalker unit. According to the dataminer, it was found after the latest hotfix from Arrowhead.Unfortunately, there is not enough information for Iron_S1ghts to identify the name or any other details about the bug. All we know is that it is assuredly a more powerful variant than what already exists in HD2. Save Up to $1,200 on the Samsung Galaxy S25! Pre-order now and save big with trade-in and Samsung credit. Limited time only! *Includes trade-in value + $300 Samsung credit. Image credit: @Iron_S1ghts on XIn a recent interview with Polygon, Helldivers 2 game director, Mikael Eriksson, alluded to more developments for bugs as well as bots. The game director said HD2 is expanding in all directions, into bug and Automaton territories, and there will also be a lot more of the Illuminate as they are more advanced than they might seem, and their intentions will unravel as the story progresses.Responding to the unknown Stalker unit leak, a lot of players are afraid. Some players are afraid because the creepy crawlies give them the heebie-jeebies, meanwhile, others just find Stalkers incredibly annoying. One comment says, I absolutely hate the stalkers, while another comment lists off all the annoyances with current existing stalkers: Must-Listen: Publishing Manor Lords w/ Joe Robinson VideoGamer Podcast Listen Now Bullet spongesInvisible at lot of the timeKnow exactly where you areThrow you around like a f****** footballAre very fastDo very high damageRequired to find its lair while being chased by thousandsSo yeah, as you can see by the above list of current annoyances, players are most certainly thrilled about facing Stalkers that are even more powerful.For more Helldivers 2, a leak has uncovered amelee weapon seemingly from Warhammer 40K. Make sure to check out our guide to thebest warbonds ranked, along with thebest stratagemsandbest throwables. We also have a guide to thebest weapons, and, if youre coming back to HD2 for the first time in a long while, we have a bunch oftips and tricksto help you get reaccustomed to the battlefield.Helldivers 2Platform(s):PC, PlayStation 5Genre(s):Action, Shooter, Third Person8VideoGamerRelated TopicsHelldivers 2 Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

Future RoarGodzilla Minus One director Takashi Yamazaki confirms that a follow-up is now in pre-production and says he's got no desire to adopt AI anytime soonOlder technology and techniques still serve him just fine.Image credit: Toho News by Fran Ruiz Contributor Published on Feb. 13, 2025 Godzilla Minus One, one of 2023's best movies, is getting a follow-up that may or may not be a direct sequel (though we're leaning towards 'yes' after that cliffhanger ending). After a relatively silent 2024, writer-director Takashi Yamazaki has now confirmed he's hard at work on pre-production for the movie and has also shared his thoughts on the matter of AI.Toho's refreshed big-screen efforts around the Godzilla franchise seem to be ramping up, all while its collaboration with Legendary Pictures leads into Monarch season 2 plus the third Godzilla x Kong event movie, set to be released in March 2027. Elsewhere, the most famous kaiju of all time has shown up even in off-beat video games like Dave the Diver.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Via Variety, we've learned about Yamazaki's new comments at the Visual Effects Society Awards. There, he confirmed he's currently working on the screenplay as well as the first storyboards for the next Godzilla movie. Moreover, he explained the budget he and his team are anticipating getting from Toho is expected to be higher than $15 million after Godzilla Minus One earned over $113 million globally just with its theatrical run and before making a splash on streaming services like Netflix. Of course, taking home an Oscar for Best VFX also helps Yamazaki's case.On the matter of AI being integrated into the VFX pipeline, he acknowledged its potential (in fact, it's already been crucial to help figure out and deliver simulations for years), but is also worried about losing "what humans can" generate. With generative AI poisoning the entire AI well, this is a discussion that's been hard to keep track of and navigate, which is why Yamazaki plans to keep things traditional while the new uses of AI are figured out and regulated: "Right now, its not in any of our pipelines because of that reason, but the speed at which AI evolves is just so immense that where it goes from here remains to be seen."He also added, quite diplomatically, that he's a bit of an old-school filmmaker who's "still shooting on film" and likes "to use miniatures," so don't expect him to embrace AI, good or not, anytime soon (if at all): "I'm probably going to be one of the later ones, because I do like working with older technology and techniques."

Let's Get It CaponKingdom Come Deliverance 2 is galloping towards two million copies sold, and you may soon be able to celebrate that by watching Hans Capon shag Hans Capon"I'm a complete f**king narcissist, for crying out loud. Obviously, I'm going to try and f**k myself!"Image credit: Warhorse Studios News by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on Feb. 13, 2025 I don't know if you've heard, but Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is a game in which you can get it on with Lord Hans Capon. Seriously. Weirdos on Twitter definitely haven't made an unnecessary fuss about it being an option, either.Anyway, Hans Capon's clearly aware that you can shag Hans Capon, and it's looking like you might get to watch Hans and Hans get their Hans on each other romantically soon. We'll have to see if it happens before or after KCD2 hits surpasses the two million copies sold mark, which it's already closing in on.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. If you're wondering what the hell's going on with this Hans on Hans action, here's a Hansdy rundown. Capon's actor, Luke Dale, has been streaming his own playthrough of the game on Twitch, and he's quite enjoying it so far.Which roleplaying choices is he making? Good question, and one of Dale's viewers asked it during his most recent playing session, specifically broaching the topic of romance options. "Who am I planning on romancing? Who do you think, Who do you think!?" the actor responded, naturally pretty peeved his dedication to getting it Capon had been doubted."I'm a complete f**king narcissist, for crying out loud," he declared, "Obviously, I'm going to try and f**k myself!" Nice. [KCD2] This man is such a treasure byu/StoovenMcStoovenson inkingdomcomeTo see this content please enable targeting cookies.We'll have to see if the universe manages to time this admirable act of self-love up perfectly with KCD2 hopping up over two million copies shifted. Everyone's favourite publisher Embracer Group has revealed that the game's homing in on that number via its latest financial results, with CEO Lars Wingefors remarking that its success makes it clear the company should, er, make good games."The success of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a reminder of our core - to bring great products to the market," the exec wrote, "High-quality teams need to have the resources and the time to execute their visions. When you have the right teams, this trust benefits everyone, including gamers, employees and shareholders. I am convinced that we will remain among the industry leaders in our core business verticals in the future."Well, those are definitely words. Are you looking forward to watching some Capon on Capon action whenever Dale gets to it? Raise your Hans via the comments below!

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube796kLast night's PlayStation 'State of Play' showcase wasn't stacked with Switch news, but one announcement that did stand out to us was Darwin's Paradox!, an upcoming stealth platformer from Konami that appears to pack more than a little Inside DNA.Developed by ZDT Studios, this one sees you play as Darwin, an octopus who's plucked from the sea and forced into the harsh industrial world of evil megacorp 'UFOOD INC. ' You'll want to help ol' eight legs escape, naturally, and to do so you'll have to sucker, swing, ink spray and blend into the dystopian surroundings, all while avoiding the ever-watchful gaze of your captors (as well as fire, nasty piranha's, deadly falls etc.).Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube796kWatch on YouTube It's difficult to watch the trailer and not be reminded of Playdead's wonderfully bleak Inside, with Darwin's threatening searchlights, underwater chases and all-around "I really don't want to be here" vibes taking us back to 2016's dread-filled delight. Sure, things don't look quite as depressing when you're playing as a bright blue octopus, but you get the picture.You can find out a little more about the game and take a look at some screenshots in the following info from the Konami website and PlayStation Blog:Embark on a grand adventure worthy of a true animated movie with Darwin, an octopus as charming as he is clever, ripped from the ocean and trapped in a massive and mysterious industrial complex. With his extraordinary intelligence and incredible abilities swimming, camouflage, and many other fascinating skills help him overcome the most formidable traps and dangers in this captivating platformer, adventure, and puzzle game.In the peaceful vastness of the ocean, Darwin, a young octopus, explores the deep sea until a strange beam of light pierces the abyss and pulls him toward the surface. Thrust out of his aquatic world, he wakes up disoriented in the middle of a gigantic junkyard, backed by a foreboding factory.But something is wrong. Between the threatening machines, strange holding tanks, and the mysterious and dangerous creatures and characters that inhabit the place, Darwin realizes he is in danger. To return to the ocean, Darwin will have to outsmart, evolve, and reveal to the players through his journey the mysteries of a conspiracy that goes beyond anything one could have imagined and which could very well seal the fate of humanity!Images: KonamiWe still don't have a precise release date for this one just yet, though Switch is included in the lineup of launch platforms, so we can look forward to playing it on the go.Aside from this interesting-looking puzzle platformer, the 'State of Play' broadcast also brought a couple of other bits of Switch news, including the reveal of SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance and the impending shadow drop of WARRIORS: Abyss. "From the creators of Streets of Rage 4""1 vs. 1,000 action with roguelite elements"Spoilers! Many spoilers!!What do you make of Darwin's Paradox? Will you be picking it up on Switch? Swim down to the comments and let us know.Related GamesSee AlsoShare:01 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Talks About Future Switch Support Ahead Of Switch 2 Launch"We would like to continue releasing new titles"Lunar Remastered Collection Physical Release Will Not Be Up For Pre-Order (North America)You'll have to wait until releaseRound Up: The Reviews Are In For Hello Kitty Island Adventure (Switch)Featuring Kuromi, Cinnamoroll, and more!

The saga continues.We have been following Nintendo's Palworld lawsuit for the best part of six months now, and while we have grown to have a better understanding of the particular patents involved, all of the infringement claims have been tied to Japan. However, in recent months, it seems that Nintendo has been preparing to bring the lawsuit stateside, with a handful of applications now appearing in the US Patent Office.As reported by Games Fray, Nintendo has had three patent applications approved in the US in recent months no. 12179111 in December 2024, 12194382 in January, and 12220638 earlier this week on 11th February. While the middle of the three doesn't appear to be all that relevant to the Palworld case (it was filed in 2022 and is all about exchanging items with other players), the remaining two were filed after Palworld's launch and specifically detail creature-catching mechanics the specifics of which appear to be integral to the lawsuit in Japan.Read the full article on nintendolife.com