There are many web hosts vying for your dollar, so it takes a special service to stand out from the crowded field and prove itself worthy of your investment. Hosting.com (formerly A2 Hosting) distinguishes itself in the competitive web hosting market with terrific customer service and several feature-rich hosting packages. Notably, Hosting's high-quality WordPress plans rival those from our Editors' Choice winner, Bluehost. However, its lack of cloud, dedicated, and Windows server plans prevents it from seizing the crown as one of our top picks overall.Shared Web HostingIf you want to launch a site without spending a lot of money, check out shared hosting. A shared package places your site on a server with many other sites, so you literally share resources and lower your overall hosting costs. It's practical and cheap, but it isn't particularly powerful. The main drawback is that the other sites sharing the server can slow your site's load speed with a crash or traffic spike.(Credit: Hosting.com/PCMag)Hosting.com offers four tiers of Linux-based shared web hosting: Startup, Plus, Pro, and Max. Starter (starting at $7.99 per month with an annual contract) has 15GB of storage, unlimited monthly data transfers, and five email addresses, but you're limited to a single domain. Plus (starting at $9.99 per month with an annual contract) builds on Startup with 30GB of storage,10 email accounts, and two websites. Pro (starting at $12.99 per month with an annual contract) ups the ante with its 50GB of storage, 20 email accounts, and 10 websites. Finally, there's Max (starting at $15.99 per month with an annual contract), which offers 100GB of storage, 40 email accounts, and 50 websites. Each plan includes free domain registration for the first year when committing to an annual contract. These are respectable shared plans, but they're a step behind HostGator. HostGator features free domain registration, unlimited monthly data transfers, and unlimited email addresses with each shared hosting plan. If you want to explore shared hosting, HostGator is the place to start.VPS Web HostingAs with its shared hosting plans, Hosting.com has multiple Linux-based virtual private server (VPS) packages. VPS hosting is like shared hosting in that multiple sites exist on the same server. The difference? VPS hosting offers more resources per site. There are far fewer sites on each server, and each is isolated from its server mates. Hosting.com offers managed and unmanaged VPS servers. With managed servers, Hosting.com takes care of all aspects of server management, including setup, configuration, security, backups, and maintenance. On the other hand, unmanaged servers require you to handle all these tasks yourself for a more hands-on experience.Unmanaged VPS XS (starting at $9.99 per month with an annual contract) starts with 4GB of virtual memory, 80GB of storage, and unlimited monthly data transfers. The next tier up, VPS S (starting at $15.99 per month with an annual contract), increases the virtual memory to 8GB and storage to 160GB. VPS M ($24.99 per month with an annual contract) lets you work with 16GB of virtual memory and 320GB of storage. Lastly, VPS L ($60.99 per month with an annual contract) is a plan with a hefty 32TB of virtual memory and 640GB of storage.Managed VPS plans use the same naming structure and offer the same configurations, but include managed server support. As expected, that white glove treatment comes at a much higher cost than unmanaged VPS. Managed VPS XS starts at $65.99 per month for a one-year commitment, while the highest tier, Managed VPS L, costs you $110.99 per month for the year. The upside is that Hosting.com’s team handles your site's backend, so you can focus on website content without stressing about site maintenance.All VPS plans come with a free SSL certificate and cPanel. It's worth noting that both managed and unmanaged VPS have root access options for complete website control; it's standard on unmanaged VPS plans, and an option for managed ones. (Credit: Hosting.com/PCMag)Hostwinds tops Hosting.com in VPS hosting. It has you covered with multiple tiers of managed or unmanaged VPS, plus Linux- or Windows-based hosting, something that Hosting's VPS services lack. Hostwinds even features Minecraft (yes, the video game) VPS server hosting. Like the standard VPS hosting, Minecraft VPS hosting has a slider that lets you quickly select a pre-configured server. The entry-level tier ($4.99 per month) is designed for 10 people; the high-end tier ($328.99 per month) can host 350 people.Dedicated Web HostingDedicated servers are the most powerful web hosting type, as your website shares zero resources with other sites. If you expect a large amount of website traffic, you should spring for dedicated hosting.However, Hosting.com lacks dedicated servers. The transition from A2 to Hosting.com has left some plans in limbo, with dedicated servers being the most glaring omission. That said, my conversation with a customer support representative confirmed that dedicated servers are coming in the future. If your operation requires dedicated servers, take a look at the feature-packed AccuWeb. AccuWeb offers customizable or prefab Linux—or Windows-based dedicated servers, starting at $123 per month for 8GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and 20TB of monthly data transfers. These servers also scale considerably if you need more power.Recommended by Our EditorsCloud Web HostingCloud hosting differs from traditional hosting in that it spreads resources across multiple servers, whereas traditional hosting pulls power from a single server. Unfortunately, Hosting.com doesn't currently offer cloud hosting. Instead, consider DreamHost. DreamHost's Linux-based packages start at $0.0075 per hour (for 512MB of RAM, 80GB of storage, and unlimited monthly data transfers) and top out at $0.0800 per hour (for 8GB of RAM, 80GB of storage, and unlimited monthly data transfers). Liquid Web is another notable host with cloud options, and it has an array of Windows servers, unlike Hosting.com.(Credit: Hosting.com/PCMag)WordPress Web HostingWordPress is synonymous with web hosting and a service that powers more than 40% of the web. It's easy to see why: WordPress is easy to use and has a rich theme and plug-in ecosystem that lets you tweak the content management system as you see fit.If you want to use WordPress, Hosting.com has many noteworthy packages. Its four shared WordPress hosting plans—Starter, Plus, Pro, and Max—are identical to the company's shared web hosting plans, though marginally more expensive. The low-end and high-end packages cost $8.99 per month and $17.99 per month, respectively, with an annual contract.If you require something a bit more hands-off, Hosting.com lets you sign up for managed WordPress servers. With a managed WordPress server, the company handles updates. If you're focused on one website, the Starter plan starts at $27.99 per month per year as a managed WordPress package. That scales up to the Max plan, which starts at $59.99 per month per year. These server plans otherwise have the same features as Hosting.com's shared and WordPress plans. Bluehost has Editors' Choice-worthy WordPress plans, starting at $15.99 per month for 10 websites, 10GB of storage, DDoS protection, malware scanning, and 40,000 monthly visitors. They max out with the $24.99-per-month eCommerce Essentials tier, which lets you build 100 sites, store 100GB of data in fast-speed NVMe storage, allow 400,000 visitors, and use AI creation tools. Alternately, Bluehost also has an excellent website builder that integrates WordPress functionality and offers tremendous flexibility. Bluehost's multiple WordPress options give you lots of flexibility for building websites.Reseller Web HostingIf you're looking to get into the web hosting business, but don't want to deal with infrastructure matters, check out Hosting.com's reseller hosting packages. The plans start at $49.99 per month for a one-year term and scale up to $115.99 per month annually. These plans offer unlimited email and up to 250GB of storage and 3500GB of monthly data transfers. In addition, Hosting.com lets you apply your own branding to the servers you rent, and it supplies 24/7 tech support. Hosting.com's reseller packages aren't quite as robust as Hostwinds, which has a variety of packages that are sure to please anyone thinking about getting into the reseller business.Commerce and SecurityIf you plan to sell products, check out Hosting.com's many e-commerce tools. You can use PrestaShop, OpenCart, WooCommerce, or another tool to construct an online store. All offer a one-click setup that lets you get started fairly easily. Magento, a common and popular e-commerce app, lets you easily drag and drop elements to create a store.Naturally, you'll need a Secure Socket Layer certificate to accompany that store. It encrypts the data between your shop and customers' browsers for safe online transactions. Hosting.com's SSLs start at $29.99 per year for a one-year certificate and 256-bit encryption and climb to the $449.99 Organization Validation Wildcard SSL.Customer Support, Uptime Promise, and RefundsWebsite uptime is a vital element of web hosting. If your site goes down, clients or customers will be unable to find you or access your products or services. It's in your best interest to find a reliable web host that can keep your site up and running. Otherwise, customers may go elsewhere, and they might never come back. Hosting.com promises 99.9% uptime. If you're ever in need of technical assistance, Hosting.com's aptly named Guru Crew is available to lend a helping hand. Available 24/7/365 via phone or live chat, the Guru Crew is one of the best customer support teams I've encountered in the web hosting space. I contacted the team on a weekday morning to learn which plans offer Windows-based hosting (none do!) and how to install WordPress. I waited just a few seconds before a Guru Crew member fielded my questions. Hosting.com's customer service squad ranks up there with GoDaddy as the best in the business.Hosting.com's money-back guarantee grants you a full refund if you cancel your account within a 30-day window. You can cancel services directly from your account page, so you don't need to submit a ticket, the case with many other web hosts.

Photo Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge has a thickness of 5.8mm Highlights Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is currently available for pre-order Samsung's Galaxy S26 family could launch next year The Plus variant is positioned between the regular and ultra models Advertisement Samsung launched the Galaxy S25 Edge earlier this week with a 5.8mm thin design. The thinnest Galaxy S series smartphone is yet to reach the hands of customers in India, but rumours about the Galaxy S26 lineup, particularly the Galaxy S26 Edge model, are already swirling on the Web. Samsung is said to replace one of the phones in the Galaxy S26 lineup with an Edge model next year. The final decision to eliminate the Plus model will reportedly be taken after evaluating the market response of the Galaxy S25 Edge. Samsung May Add Edge Model to Galaxy S26 Series Next YearAs per a report by Korean publication The Elec, Samsung is planning to introduce an "Edge" model to its upcoming Galaxy S26 series. This new addition, expected to be named the Galaxy S26 Edge, will reportedly replace the Galaxy S26+ model from the lineup. This could be a strategic move by Samsung to streamline its flagship series.Samsung's strategic move to replace the traditional Plus variant in the lineup with a slim Edge variant will reportedly be considered based on the market response to the Galaxy S25 Edge. If the newly launched handset fails to attract consumers, Samsung may reconsider its decision and retain the Plus variant in the Galaxy S26 lineup.The report said that Samsung is targeting to ship 37.7 million units of the Galaxy S25 series this year. The company is aiming to sell just 6.7 million units of the Galaxy S25+ compared to the 13.6 million units for the Galaxy S25. It is reportedly aiming to ship 17.4 million units of the Galaxy S25 Ultra.Further, the report states that Samsung has started the development of the Galaxy S26 family, dubbed NPA. The company is said to be developing four different OLED panels for the Galaxy S26 series.Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge Price in India, Specifications The Galaxy S25 Edge is currently available for pre-order in India. The price of the phone starts at Rs. 1,09,999 for the 12GB RAM + 256GB storage option.Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge runs on Android 15 based One UI 7 and has a 6.7-inch Quad-HD+ Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen with up to 120Hz refresh rate. It runs on a custom Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip, paired with 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage.For optics, the Galaxy S25 Edge has a dual rear camera setup comprising a 200-megapixel primary camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. It boasts a 12-megapixel selfie camera. It is backed by a 3,900mAh battery with support for 25W wired charging. It measures 158.2×75.6×5.8mm and weighs 163g.  REVIEWKEY SPECSNEWSDesignDisplaySoftwarePerformanceBattery LifeCameraValue for MoneyGoodNew design is for the better Cameras deliver consistent performance Good battery life Excellent performance Smooth UIBadS-Pen is a downgrade No Dolby Vision support Low light camera performance is lacking Slow chargingRead detailed Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra reviewDisplay 6.90-inchProcessor Snapdragon 8 EliteFront Camera 12-megapixel Rear Camera 200-megapixel + 50-megapixel + 50-megapixel + 10-megapixelRAM 12GBStorage 256GB, 512GB, 1TBBattery Capacity 5000mAhOS Android 15Resolution 1400x3120 pixelsREVIEWKEY SPECSNEWSDesignDisplaySoftwarePerformanceBattery LifeCameraValue for MoneyGoodSolid build and aesthetics Excellent performance Fantastic cameras One UI 7 and extended software support Powerful speakersBadExpensive (base price) Not a huge upgrade over S24+Read detailed Samsung Galaxy S25+ reviewDisplay 6.70-inchProcessor Snapdragon 8 EliteFront Camera 12-megapixel Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 10-megapixel RAM 12GBStorage 256GB, 512GBBattery Capacity 4900mAhOS Android 15Resolution 1440x3120 pixelsREVIEWKEY SPECSNEWSDesignDisplaySoftwarePerformanceBattery LifeCameraValue for MoneyGoodCompact and excellent aesthetics Top-notch display AI features loaded One UI 7 brings nice updates Decent camerasBad25W fast-charging limit Expensive (base price)Read detailed Samsung Galaxy S25 reviewDisplay 6.20-inchProcessor Snapdragon 8 EliteFront Camera 12-megapixel Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 10-megapixel RAM 12GBStorage 256GB, 512GBBattery Capacity 4000mAhOS Android 15Resolution 1080x2340 pixelsKEY SPECSNEWSDisplay 6.70-inchProcessor Snapdragon 8 EliteFront Camera 12-megapixel Rear Camera 200-megapixel + 12-megapixel RAM 12GBStorage 256GB, 512GBBattery Capacity 3900mAhOS Android 15Resolution 1440x3120 pixels For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Further reading: Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, Samsung Galaxy S26 Edge, Samsung Galaxy S25, Samsung Galaxy S26 Series Nithya P Nair Nithya P Nair is a journalist with more than five years of experience in digital journalism. She specialises in business and technology beats. A foodie at heart, Nithya loves exploring new places (read cuisines) and sneaking in Malayalam movie dialogues to spice up conversations. More Related Stories

Whether you’re seeking adventure, mystery, or a good scare, May’s PlayStation Plus Catalog has got you covered. Explore a vast desert world filled with action in Sand Land, delve into the cyberpunk universe of Soul Hackers 2 or step into the eerie world of Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted… There’s plenty to choose from in May’s PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup*. Meanwhile, PlayStation Plus Premium welcomes PS2’s FPS simulation classic, Battle Engine Aquila. All titles will be available to play on May 20.  PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium | Game Catalog  View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Sand Land | PS4, PS5  From the creator of Dragon Ball comes a new action RPG, Sand Land! Create incredible vehicles to explore a desert world & beyond. Meet the Fiend Prince Beelzebub, his chaperone Thief, and the fearless Sheriff Rao, and follow the team on an extraordinary adventure in search of the Legendary Spring hidden in the desert. Learn how to control Beelzebub’s powers and lead your company of heroic misfits exploring the legendary world of Sand Land. Beware of the many dangers that populate it: between bandits, fierce wildlife, and the Royal Army, reaching the spring won’t be easy! Use your tact and imagination to develop tanks and other vehicles that will help you navigate this vast land, using a wide array of part combinations.  View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Soul Hackers 2 | PS5  Explore a dark, supernatural realm and investigate the world’s end in this sci-fi, neo-noir mystery. Amidst the glimmer of neon lights, technological advancement causes humans to be consumed by commercial convenience. In the shadows, a war between the Yatagarasu and the Phantom Society is brewing, Devil Summoners who harness the otherworldly powers of “Demons”. Existing in the secret sea of humanity’s data, a digital hivemind has evolved into sentience: Aion. Observing humankind from afar, Aion calculates that a world-ending disaster is imminent and creates two agents to combat against it: Ringo and Figue. Together, these agents of Aion must investigate and prevent a butterfly effect that will lead to the end of the world.  View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted – Full Time Edition | PS4, PS5  Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted is a collection of classic and original mini-games set in the Five Nights universe. Survive terrifying encounters with your favorite killer animatronics in a collection of new and classic Five Nights at Freddy’s experiences. Repair claustrophobic ventilation systems, troubleshoot broken animatronics that could activate at any moment, or spend your evenings cowering in the nighttime security guard office. Scenes from classic titles have been updated and remade for a fully immersive experience including Five Nights at Freddy’s, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, Five Nights at Freddy’s 3, Five Nights at Freddy’s 4, and Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location.   Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted – Full Time Edition is a combined version of Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted and its DLC, Curse of Dreadbear, for PS5 & PS VR2. The base version for PS4, Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted, is also available as part of Game Catalog’s May lineup. Standard non-VR and VR modes included.  View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Battlefield V | PS4  Enter mankind’s greatest conflict with Battlefield V as the series goes back to its roots in a never-before-seen portrayal of World War II. Experience all-out multiplayer with your squad in the vast Grand Operations and the cooperative Combined Arms, or take on single player War Stories. Also includes Firestorm – Battle Royale, reimagined for Battlefield.  View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy | PS4, PS5  Delve into the renowned classics of open-world survival with the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy, now upscaled and enhanced for a new generation. Investigate the Zone’s origins, taking on the roles of legendary stalkers and forging paths that can lead to different outcomes based on your actions and decisions. Test your gumption while navigating through radioactive debris and anomalies, and put your reflexes to trial during intense gunfights. Search for the answers to the darkest mysteries that could cost you your sanity in sinister catacombs filled with starved mutants.   View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising | PS4, PS5  Rise to glory in Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, a delightful fighting game experience for beginners and veterans alike. Newcomers can fully enjoy the intensity and thrills of one-on-one combat without needing to memorize complicated controls—simple inputs can be used to perform skills with the press of a single button! Embark on a journey through the vast skies of Granblue Fantasy and immerse yourself in an epic adventure while mastering the fundamentals of gameplay. As you take on more quests in this action RPG-inspired experience, you’ll continue to grow stronger.  View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Humankind | PS4, PS5  Humankind is a historical strategy game, where you’ll be re-writing the entire narrative of human history and combining cultures to create a civilization that’s as unique as you are. Combine up to 60 historical cultures as you lead your people from the Ancient to the Modern Age. Face historical events, take impactful moral decisions, and make scientific breakthroughs. Each battle in Humankind plays out like a mini turn-based board game on top of the actual world map. Unstack your armies and command each of your units, including the emblematic units of your culture and their special abilities. Construct siege weapons to besiege and occupy cities. Fight in large battles spanning multiple turns, and don’t hesitate to bring in reinforcements!  View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life | PS5 This reimagined version of A Wonderful Life brings all of the heart and charm of the original to a new generation as the definitive experience of one of the most cherished entries in the long-running farming series. Put down roots on your new farm in the peaceful town of Forgotten Valley. Forge precious memories as you weave your own generation-spanning tale of friendship, family, and farming. Bring life to the land by cultivating crops and raising animals, find love among the town’s friendly folk, and make lasting memories with a family of your very own in this reimagining of a beloved farming classic.  View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Gloomhaven Mercenaries Edition | PS4, PS5 Experience a tough tactical RPG and lead your band of mercenaries through an unforgiving land where every choice is crucial. Carve your way through terrifying dungeons, dreadful forests and dark caves filled with horrific monsters to reap your rewards… or die trying. Sell your sword to anyone who can afford it, may they be city officials or corrupt cultists. You are paid to get results and not ask questions. Where will you draw the line?  PlayStation Plus Premium  View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Battle Engine Aquila | PS4, PS5 The forces of the Forseti and the evil Muspell are in a fight to the death for a flooded world’s most limited resource: land. You are Hawk Winter, plucked from obscurity to pilot Battle Engine Aquila. Airborne or on land, you’ll harness Aquila’s versatile mobility and awesome fire power in guiding legions of allies to victory. By commanding a device so powerful and advanced, your battlefield decisions will shape the direction of each engagement and, ultimately, the entire war.  *PlayStation Plus Game Catalog and PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe lineups may differ by region. Please check PlayStation Store on release day. 

We’re happy to announce that we’ve launched a new technical e-book, Create modular game architecture in Unity with ScriptableObjects, which provides best practices from professional developers for deploying ScriptableObjects in production.Along with the e-book, you can download a demo project from GitHub inspired by classic ball and paddle arcade game mechanics. The demo shows how ScriptableObjects can help you create components that are testable and scalable, while also being designer-friendly. Although a game like this could be built with far fewer lines of code, this demo shows ScriptableObjects in action.This post explains the benefits of ScriptableObjects, but doesn’t cover the basics or general coding in Unity. If you’re new to programming in Unity, head over to Unity Learn, which offers helpful introductory tutorials. The first chapter in the e-book also offers a solid primer.Let’s look at six ways you can benefit from using ScriptableObjects in your projects. Want to know more? All of these examples are explored further in the e-book and demo project.Although many of the techniques shared here can also be achieved using C# classes, one of the main benefits of ScriptableObjects is the accessibility to artists and designers. They can use ScriptableObjects to configure and apply game logic in a project without having to edit the code.The Editor makes it convenient to view and edit ScriptableObjects, enabling designers to set up gameplay data without heavy support from the developer team. This also applies to game logic, such as applying behavior to an NPC by adding a ScriptableObject (explained in the patterns below).Storing data and logic on a single MonoBehaviour can result in time-consuming merge conflicts if two people change different parts of the same Prefab or scene. By breaking up shared data into smaller files and assets with ScriptableObjects, designers can build gameplay in parallel with developers, instead of having to wait for the latter to finish setting up the gameplay in code before testing it.Issues can arise when colleagues with different roles access the game code and assets at the same time. With ScriptableObjects, the programmer can control what part of the project is editable in the Editor. Additionally, using ScriptableObjects to organize your code leads naturally to a codebase that’s more modular and efficient to test.Christo Nobbs, a senior technical game designer who specializes in systems game design and Unity (C#), contributed to The Unity game designer playbook, and is the main author of a blog post series on designing game systems in Unity. His posts, “Systems that create ecosystems: Emergent game design” and “Unpredictably fun: The value of randomization in game design” provide interesting examples of how designers can use ScriptableObjects.Modularity is a general software principle which can be implemented in C# without using ScriptableObjects. But, as mentioned above, ScriptableObjects help promote clean coding practices by separating data from logic, which is a first step toward modular game code. This separation means it’s easier to make changes without causing unintended side effects, and improves testability.ScriptableObjects excel at storing static data, making them handy for configuring static gameplay values like items or NPC stats, character dialogue, and much more. Because ScriptableObjects are saved as an asset, they persist outside of game mode, making it possible to use them for loading in a static configuration that dynamically changes at runtime.While changes to ScriptableObject data do persist in the Editor, it’s important to note that they are not designed for saving game data. In that case, it’s better to use a serialization system, such as JSON, XML, or a binary solution if performance is critical.MonoBehaviours carry extra overhead since they require a GameObject – and by default a Transform – to act as a host. This means you need to create a lot of unused data before storing a single value. A ScriptableObject slims down this memory footprint and drops the GameObject and Transform. It also stores data at the project level, which is helpful if you need to access the same data from multiple scenes.It’s common to have many GameObjects which rely on duplicate data that does not need to change at runtime. Rather than having this duplicate local data on each GameObject, you can funnel it into a ScriptableObject. Each of the objects stores a reference to the shared data asset, rather than copying the data itself. This can provide significant performance improvements in projects with thousands of objects.In software design, this is an optimization known as the flyweight pattern. Restructuring your code in this way using ScriptableObjects avoids copying values and reduces your memory footprint. Check out our e-book, Level up your code with game programming patterns to learn more about using design patterns in Unity.A good example of how ScriptableObjects can simplify your code is to use them as enums for comparison operations. The ScriptableObject can represent a category or item type, such as a special damage effect – cold, heat, electrical, magic, etc.If your application requires an inventory system to equip gameplay items, ScriptableObjects can represent item types or weapon slots. The fields in the Inspector then function as a drag-and-drop interface for setting them up.Using ScriptableObjects as enums becomes more interesting when you want to extend them and add more data. Unlike normal enums, ScriptableObjects can have extra fields and methods. There’s no need to have a separate lookup table or correlate with a new array of data.While traditional enums have a fixed set of values, ScriptableObject enums can be created and modified at runtime, allowing you to add or remove values as needed.If you have a long list of enum values without explicit numbering, inserting or removing an enum can change their order. This reordering can introduce subtle bugs or unintended behavior. ScriptableObject-based enums don’t have these issues. You can delete or add to your project without having to change the code every time.Suppose you want to make an item equippable in an RPG. You could append an extra boolean field to the ScriptableObject to do that. Are certain characters not allowed to hold certain items? Are some items magical or do they have special abilities? ScriptableObject-based enums can do that.Because you can create methods on a ScriptableObject, they are as useful for containing logic or actions as they are for holding data. Moving logic from your MonoBehaviour into a ScriptableObject enables you to use the latter as a delegate object, making the behavior more modular.If you need to perform specific tasks, you can encapsulate their algorithms into their own objects. The original Gang of Four refers to this general design as the strategy pattern. The example below shows how to make the strategy pattern more useful by using an abstract class to implement EnemyAI. The result is several derived ScriptableObjects with different behavior, which then becomes a pluggable behavior since each asset is interchangeable. You just drag and drop the ScriptableObject of choice into the MonoBehaviour.For a detailed example showing how to use ScriptableObjects to drive behavior, watch the video series Pluggable AI with ScriptableObjects. These sessions demonstrate a finite state machine-based AI system that can be configured using ScriptableObjects for states, actions, and transitions between those states.A common challenge in larger projects is when multiple GameObjects need to share data or states by avoiding direct references between these objects. Managing these dependencies at scale can require significant effort and is often a source of bugs. Many developers use singletons – one global instance of a class that survives scene loading. However, singletons introduce global states and make unit testing difficult. If you’re working with a Prefab that references a singleton, you’ll end up importing all of its dependencies just to test an isolated function. This makes your code less modular and efficient to debug.One solution is to use ScriptableObject-based events to help your GameObjects communicate. In this case, you are using ScriptableObjects to implement a form of the observer design pattern, where a subject broadcasts a message to one or more loosely decoupled observers. Each observing object can react independently from the subject but is unaware of the other observers. The subject can also be referred to as the “publisher” or “broadcaster” and the observers as “subscribers” or “listeners.”You can implement the observer pattern with MonoBehaviours or C# objects. While this is already common practice in Unity development, a script-only approach means your designers will rely on the programming team for every event needed during gameplay.At first glance, it appears that you’ve added a layer of overhead to the observer pattern, but this structure offers some advantages. Since ScriptableObjects are assets, they are accessible to all objects in your hierarchy and don’t disappear on scene loading.Easy, persistent access to certain resources is why many developers use singletons. ScriptableObjects can often provide the same benefits without introducing as many unnecessary dependencies.In ScriptableObject-based events, any object can serve as publisher (which broadcasts the event), and any object can serve as a subscriber (which listens for the event). The ScriptableObject sits in the middle and helps relay the signal, acting like a centralized intermediary between the two.One way to think about this is as an “event channel.” Imagine the ScriptableObject as a radio tower that has any number of objects listening for its signals. An interested MonoBehaviour can subscribe to the event channel and respond when something happens.The demo shows how the observer pattern helps you set up game events for UI, sounds, and scoring.At runtime, you’ll often need to track a list of GameObjects or components in your scene. For example, a list of enemies is something you’d need to frequently access, but it’s also a dynamic list that changes as more enemies are spawned or defeated. The singleton offers easy global access, but it has several drawbacks. Instead of using a singleton, consider storing data on a ScriptableObject as a “Runtime Set.” The ScriptableObject instance appears at the project level, which means it can store data that’s available to any object from any scene, offering similar global access. Since the data is located on an asset, its public list of items is accessible at any time.In this use case, you get a specialized data container that maintains a public collection of elements but also provides basic methods to add to and remove from the collection. This can reduce the need for singletons and improve testability and modularity.Reading data directly from a ScriptableObject is also more optimal than searching the Scene Hierarchy with a find operation like Object.FindObjectOfType or GameObject.FindWithTag. Depending on your use case and the size of your hierarchy, these are relatively expensive methods that can be inefficient for per-frame updates.There are several ScriptableObjects frameworks which offer more use cases than these six scenarios. Some teams decide to use ScriptableObjects extensively, while others limit their use to loading in static data and separating logic from data. Ultimately, the needs of your project will determine how you use them.Create modular game architecture in Unity with ScriptableObjects is the third guide in our series for intermediate to advanced Unity programmers. Each guide, authored by experienced programmers, provides best practices for topics that are important to development teams.Create a C# style guide: Write cleaner code that scales assists you with developing a style guide to help unify your approach to creating a more cohesive codebase.Level up your code with game programming patternshighlights best practices for using the SOLID principles and common programming patterns to create scalable game code architecture in your Unity project.We created this series to provide actionable tips and inspiration to our experienced creators, but they aren’t rule books. There are many ways to structure your Unity project and what might seem like a natural fit for one application may not be for another. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each recommendation, tip, and pattern with your colleagues before deploying it.Find more advanced guides and articles on the Unity best practices hub.

Photo Credit: iQOO iQOO Neo 10 Pro+ will come in Shi Guang White, Shadow Black and Super Pixel shades Highlights iQOO Neo 10 Pro+ will launch alongside the Pad 5 series, Watch 5 and more It is confirmed to pack a 7K “Ice Vault” vapour cooling chamber The iQOO Neo 10 Pro+ will have a 2K display with 1.5mm side bezels Advertisement iQOO Neo 10 Pro+ will launch in China on May 20 alongside the iQOO Pad 5 series, iQOO Watch 5, iQOO TWS Air 3 and more devices. It is expected to join the standard iQOO Neo 10 and the Neo 10 Pro variants in the country, which were unveiled in November 2024. The upcoming Neo 10 Pro+ smartphone will be equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC and a 2K display. Now, the company has revealed the RAM, storage and a few key other details about the phone.iQOO Neo 10 Pro+ Key SpecificationsThe company previously confirmed that the iQOO Neo 10 Pro+ willl be powered by an octa core Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC. The company revealed in a Weibo post that the chipset will be optimised with iQOO's Blue Crystal technology. The post added that the handset will support LPDDR5x Ultra RAM and UFS 4.1 storage. The phone is claimed to have scored 3,311,557 points on the AnTuTu benchmark test.In another post, the brand said that the iQOO Neo 10 Pro+ will boast its largest yet 7K “Ice Vault” vapour cooling chamber for thermal management and heat dissipation, claiming to improve cooling efficiency by 15 percent.Previously, iQOO revealed that the upcoming Neo 10 Pro+ will sport a 2K display with 1.5mm side bezels and a glass back panel. It will be offered in Shi Guang White, Shadow Black, and Super Pixel (translated from Chinese) colourways. The "prism pixel design" of the latter option has been developed in collaboration with BMW M Motorsport. Older reports have suggested that the iQOO Neo 10 Pro+ will likely come with a 6.82-inch flat OLED screen. It is expected to house two 50-megapixel cameras at the back. It could pack a 7,000mAh battery with 120W fast wired charging support. The handset may feature 16GB of RAM and ship with Android 15-based OriginOS 5. KEY SPECSNEWSDisplay 6.78-inchProcessor Snapdragon 8 Gen 3Front Camera 16-megapixel Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 8-megapixel RAM 12GBStorage 256GBBattery Capacity 6100mAhOS Android 15Resolution 1260x2800 pixelsKEY SPECSNEWSDisplay 6.78-inchProcessor MediaTek Dimensity 9400Front Camera 16-megapixel Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 50-megapixel RAM 12GBStorage 256GBBattery Capacity 6100mAhOS Android 15Resolution 1260x2800 pixels For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Sucharita Ganguly Sucharita is a writer with Gadgets 360 and is mostly found playing with her cat in her free time. She has previously worked at breaking news desks across organizations. Powered by coffee, The Beatles, Bowie, and her newfound love for BTS, she aims to work towards contributing to a better media environment for women and queer folk. More Related Stories

An illustration of what the Amniote (early reptile) would look like from 350 million years ago. CREDIT: Martin Ambrozik. Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. One of the most impactful stories in evolution is getting a rewrite, thanks to the exciting discovery of the earliest known set of reptile footprints. Craig A. Eury and John Eason, two amateur paleontologists exploring the fossil-rich Snowy Plains Formation in Australia, found a rock with an intriguing set of fossilized prints. They brought the intriguing specimen to professional paleontologists, who soon discovered that the roughly 356 million-year-old fossilized claw prints likely belong to an amniote–an early reptile relative.  Though small in stature, amniotes were a large evolutionary leap forward towards land-dwelling, four-limbed animals called tetrapods. The age of these prints suggest that amniotes evolved millions of years earlier than expected, according to a study published May 14 in the journal Nature.  “I’m stunned,” Per Ahlberg, a paleontologist at Uppsala University in Sweden who coordinated the study, said in a statement. “A single track-bearing slab, which one person can lift, calls into question everything we thought we knew about when modern tetrapods evolved.” When fish grew legs Tetrapods include all vertebrates with four limbs that primarily live on land, including everything from frogs to turtles to eagles, to tigers to humans. Their story began as fish left the water between 390 and 360 million years ago. Their descendants began to diversify into the ancestors of modern amphibians and amniotes–the group that includes birds, reptiles, and mammals. Originally, the timeline for how this massive diversification of life occurred was fairly clear-cut. The first tetrapods evolved roughly 390 million years ago during the Devonian period. Amniotoes and the earliest members of the modern groups of animals we see today followed fishapods during the Carboniferous period. Previously, the earliest amniote fossils dated back to  about 320 million years old to the late Carboniferous. Based on this new evidence, researchers concluded the start of the point on the evolutionary tree where the ancestors of amphibians and amniotes split actually happened in the earliest days of the Carboniferous or 356 million years ago.   Proof in the prints The newly discovered 356 million-year-old sandstone slab from this new study potentially changes this entire timeline by about 35 to 40 million years. The well-preserved footprints of long-toed feet with distinct claw impressions at the tips dot the stone and are the earliest known clawed footprints. Two sets of tracks were identified on the stone, seemingly from the same animal.  Footprints are important for paleontologists, as they can indicate the types of behaviors an extinct animal may have exhibited. The team compared the ancient tracks with a modern water monitor (Varanus salvator) lizard, since they have similarly shaped feet to what is seen on the footprints. They examined the spacing between the front and hind footprints against that living lizard’s feet. With these measurements, the team estimates that the ancient amniote may have been around 2.5 feet long, but that the exact proportions of the animal are still unknown. “Claws are present in all early amniotes, but almost never in other groups of tetrapods,” Ahlberg said. “The combination of the claw scratches and the shape of the feet suggests that the track maker was a primitive reptile.” If this new interpretation is correct, it pushes the origin of reptiles, and thus amniotes as a whole, back by roughly 40 million years to the earliest Carboniferous. A new set of fossil reptile footprints uncovered all the way across the globe in Poland are also detailed in the study and bolster the evidence. These European footprints are not as old as the ones from Australia, but are still older than previous specimens.  “The implications of this discovery for the early evolution of tetrapods are profound,” John Long, a study co-author and paleontologist at Flinders University in Australia, said. “All stem-tetrapod and stem-amniote lineages must have originated during the Devonian period – but tetrapod evolution proceeded much faster, and the Devonian tetrapod record is much less complete than we have believed.” A place on the evolutionary tree According to the team, this recalibration of the origin of reptiles has a ripple effect on the whole timeline of tetrapod evolution. Tetrapods must be older than even the earliest amniotes, since it has a deeper branching point on the evolutionary tree.  “It’s all about the relative length of different branches in the tree,” said Ahlberg. “In a family tree based on DNA data from living animals, branches will have different lengths reflecting the number of genetic changes along each branch segment. This does not depend on fossils, so it’s really helpful for studying phases of evolution with a poor fossil record.” The fossil trackways with the different tracks on it highlighted. CREDIT: Flinders University The team believes that amphibians and ammonites split apart further into the Devonian period and were likely a contemporary of the primitive, transitional “fishapod” called Tiktaalik. This evidence indicates that a diverse group of tetrapods existed when only transitional “fishapods” were believed to be dragging themselves around muddy shorelines and starting to explore the land.  If this new theory holds, it is likely that the evolution of tetrapods from aquatic creatures to those fully living on land may have occurred even faster than previously believed.   “The Australian footprint slab is about 50 cm [1.5 feet] across,” said Ahlberg, “and at present it represents the entire fossil record of tetrapods from the earliest Carboniferous of Gondwana – a gigantic supercontinent comprising Africa, South America, Antarctica, Australia and India. Who knows what else lived there?”   “The most interesting discoveries are yet to come and that there is still much to be found in the field,” added study co-author and paleontologist Grzegorz Niedźwiedzki. “These footprints from Australia are just one example of this.” 

PS5 gamers have a whole host of games to check out this month on PlayStation Plus, with Sony revealing Five Nights at Freddy's, Sand Land, and Stalker coming to the serviceTech16:56, 14 May 2025Updated 17:01, 14 May 2025Get ready for a horror adventurePlayStation fans eagerly waiting the reveal of the PS Plus Extra and Premium games for May's Game Catalog, we've got you covered.We've already had the Essential Games revealed, with a Game of the Year contender and Ark: Survival Ascended, but what of the more expensive tiers?‌Last month's lineup finally brought Hogwarts Legacy, and the critical darling Blue Prince, but this month is pretty varied, with another Battlefield title joining the ranks and plenty of anime adventures.‌Content cannot be displayed without consentHere's the full list of PS Plus Extra titles.Sand Land - PS4 and PS5Soul Hackers 2 - PS5Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted – Full Time Edition - PS5Battlefield V - PS4S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy - PS4 and PS5Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising - PS4 and PS5Humankind - PS4 and PS5Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life - PS5Gloomhaven Mercenaries Edition - PS4 and PS5Article continues belowAll the games will be available on May 20, as per the PlayStation Blog.Sand Land is a relatively recent launch, and is an adaptation of the manga from late Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama."From the creator of Dragon Ball comes a new action RPG, Sand Land! Create incredible vehicles to explore a desert world & beyond. Meet the Fiend Prince Beelzebub, his chaperone Thief, and the fearless Sheriff Rao, and follow the team on an extraordinary adventure in search of the Legendary Spring hidden in the desert," the PS blog explains.‌"Learn how to control Beelzebub’s powers and lead your company of heroic misfits exploring the legendary world of Sand Land. Beware of the many dangers that populate it: between bandits, fierce wildlife, and the Royal Army, reaching the spring won’t be easy! Use your tact and imagination to develop tanks and other vehicles that will help you navigate this vast land, using a wide array of part combinations."As for PS Plus Premium, there is one title confirmed, and it's a deep cut from the PS2 generation.Battle Engine AquilaArticle continues belowFor more on PlayStation, check out the best PS5 Pro games you can play right now.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.‌‌‌

Here are your PS Plus Catalogue additions for May Sand Land! Battlefield! Soul Hackers 2! Image credit: Sony News by Ed Nightingale Deputy News Editor Published on May 14, 2025 Sony has revealed the next round of additions to its PS Plus Catalogue for subscribers, which will be added on 20th May. The following games will be available later this month for Premium and Extra subscribers: Sand Land | PS4, PS5 Soul Hackers 2 | PS5 Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted - Full Time Edition | PS4, PS5 Battlefield 5 | PS4 STALKER: Legends of the Zone Trilogy | PS4, PS5 Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising | PS4, PS5 Humankind | PS4, PS5 Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life | PS5 Gloomhaven Mercenaries Edition | PS4, PS5 Additionally, Premium subscribers will get access to PS2 classic Battle Engine Aquila on PS4 and PS5. Action-RPG Sand Land was released last year and features designs from Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama - this was his last game before he passed away. He posthumously praised the game in a statement shared after his death: "I haven't watched through all of the gameplay yet," he said. "However, it greatly expands the worldview of the original manga with many new exciting elements. It is high-quality as a stand alone game and I can tell it is a highly satisfying action-RPG game!" Earlier today, GSC Game World announced a free Enhanced Edition upgrade for Stalker: Legends of the Zone Trilogy, which combines the first three games in the series. It includes a visual upgrade and other improvements, but it's unclear if PS Plus subscribers will have access following its inclusion here in the subscription. Elsewhere, Soul Hackers 2 is a 2022 RPG from Persona-maker Atlus that, confusingly, is the fifth installment in the Devil Summoner series, which is part of the Megami Tensei franchise. If you like anime RPGs, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising is probably also worth a shot, while Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is a more relaxed farming experience. Are you excited to play any of these? | Image credit: Sony These Catalogue games are in addition to the free monthly games also available this month to those on the Essential tier: Ark: Survival Ascended | PS5 Balatro | PS5, PS4 Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun | PS5, PS4 New additions mean some games will likely be leaving the service this month too, we'll update once we know more. More details on this month's games can be found on the PlayStation Blog. You'll find more details on what else is available in our full PlayStation Plus guide here.

Square Enix game sales down but profits up as strategic shift continues Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake was cited as a highlight of the year Image credit: Square Enix News by Samuel Roberts Editorial Director Published on May 14, 2025 Square Enix has released its financial results for the year ending March 31, 2025, with a drop in net sales attributed to the lack of comparable releases to games like last year's Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Nonetheless, the company saw an increase in operating income and profit. Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake also performed better than expected. The company is continuing its three-year plan – as revealed this time last year – to optimise its development operations and put quality over quantity for its future game releases, as well as prioritising multiformat development. The numbers Net sales: ¥324.5 billion ($2.22 billion, down 8.9% year-on-year) Digital entertainment sales: ¥206.54 billion ($1.42 billion, down 16.8% YoY) Operating income: ¥40.58 billion ($278.1 million, up 24.6% YoY) Profit attributable to owners of parent: ¥24.41 billion ($167.3 million, up 63.7%) The highlights HD-Games, a sub-segment of Square Enix's business that includes its main console and PC releases, dropped in net sales this year but turned profitable due to "lower development cost amortisation, advertising expenses, content valuation losses compared with the same period of the previous year." As noted, too, the latest Dragon Quest release also contributed to the positive result. Other new HD-Games releases this past year included Life is Strange: Double Exposure and Visions of Mana. The launch of Final Fantasy XIV's Dawntrail expansion increased net sales and operating income in the company's MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) Game sub-segment. Net sales and operating income declined for the Games for Smart Devices/PC Browser sub-segment, though, which Square Enix attributed to "weakness in existing titles and the recognition of royalty revenue in the previous fiscal year". This was despite the release of new game Emberstoria. Today, the company announced the cancellation of mobile title Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link on Twitter. HD-Games collectively made ¥33.87 million in operating income, up 33% from the previous year. The future Image credit: Square Enix Square Enix also provided an update on its three-year 'medium-term' business plan. "In FY2025, we fundamentally revamped our development organisation structure for domestic studios," the report read. "Based on the concept of integrated studio operations, we reviewed the entire process of title development progress management and changed to a system in which management and studios manage the development progress of all large-scale investment titles, promoting optimisation of the development portfolio and schedule, as well as talent mobility and development cost optimisation among in-house development personnel." The revised process has led to significant changes behind the scenes. "Under the new management structure, we reviewed all projects at our domestic studios, including HDG and [Smart Devices] titles, and decided to discontinue development of some titles and invest additional funds in titles that require refinement, thereby steadily implementing a strategy of selecting and concentrating development resources." "We will continue to control the scale of development investment in a disciplined manner," the company added. The report underlined the approach of going into FY27 and beyond by putting multiple games on multiple platforms and releasing major titles on a consistent basis. The company also called out the PC market as a highlight of the year when it came to catalogue sales, and a result of its new multiformat strategy. PC sales were responsible for more than a third of its Digital Entertainment sales in FY25, a double digit percentage increase on FY24. Square Enix released Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on PC in January 2025 following its 2024 PC release, and also brought the Kingdom Hearts franchise to Steam for the first time in June 2024. For FY26, Square Enix forecasts sales declining again to ¥280 billion, with operating income steady at ¥41 billion. Upcoming releases include Bravely Default Flying Fairy Remaster on Nintendo Switch 2 and Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake.

Square Enix has finally given up on its Pokémon GO-style mobile spin-off of Kingdom Hearts. The Final Fantasy publisher announced on Wednesday that it was cancelling Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link, which began development back in 2019, because it didn’t think it could deliver on the live-service experience over the long haul. The change of heart comes as Square Enix commits to releasing fewer but better games. Suggested ReadingI Didn’t Play Final Fantasy XVI ‘Right,’ And That’s OK Share SubtitlesOffEnglishview videoSuggested ReadingI Didn’t Play Final Fantasy XVI ‘Right,’ And That’s OK Share SubtitlesOffEnglishMissing-Link was supposed to be a GPS-based RPG that integrated the real world into the series’ familiar action combat and storytelling, and it was originally supposed to launch in 2024. “We wish to convey our heartfelt apologies to everyone who has been looking forward to the start of service,” the publisher wrote in an update. “Although we worked hard on developing and adjusting the game in the hope that it would be enjoyed by lots of players, we determined that it would be difficult for us to offer a service that players would find satisfactory over a long period of time, leading us to the decision to cancel development.” Square Enix confirmed it’s still all-in on Kingdom Hearts IV, but noted in its latest earnings briefing that it plans to be choosier about what it greenlights going forward. On the back of a $217 million drop in net sales last year despite the outsized success of Dragon Quest III HD-2D, the company revealed a three-year plan to “reboot and awaken” long-term growth. It includes “various initiatives to improve productivity by utilizing AI” as well as releasing fewer games. “Under the new management structure, we reviewed all projects at our domestic studios, including HD and SD titles, and decided to discontinue development of some titles and invest additional funds in titles that require refinement, thereby steadily implementing a strategy of selecting and concentrating development resources,” the company wrote in its presentation. It also wants to “establish a mid- to long-term pipeline to achieve a shift from quantity to quality.”Square Enix had recently been flooding the zone with a ton of games—Chocobo GP, Forspoken, Valkyrie Elysium, Foamstars, Visions of Mana—many of which either severely underperformed or just never quite hit. Under this new approach, it looks like the publisher is following in the footsteps of other big gaming companies and retreating into its biggest franchises. The Final Fantasy machine will continue with the final part of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, Final Fantasy XIV, and eventually Final Fantasy XVII. Alongside Kingdom Hearts IV, Dragon Quest XII also remains in development.It seems safe to expect that Square Enix will continue porting, remastering, or remaking other gems from its back catalog, and reportedly has a new version of cult favorite Final Fantasy Tactics in the works. But outside of its existing heavy hitters, it’s not clear where Square Enix will be pouring its resources next, and whether it still has any appetite for calculated but bold bets on new franchises. One new project might give us a clue. The publisher did reveal a partnership with Japan TV station TBS to “combine the experience and strengths they have cultivated in their respective fields to collaborate on the development of a completely new, original IP game for both domestic and international audiences.” It’ll probably be years, though, before we see what that game ends up being. .