If you’ve ever flown through outer space, at least while watching a documentary or a science fiction film, you’ve seen how artists turn astronomical findings into stunning visuals. But in the process of visualizing data for their latest planetarium show, a production team at New York’s American Museum of Natural History made a surprising discovery of their own: a trillion-and-a-half mile long spiral of material drifting along the edge of our solar system. “So this is a really fun thing that happened,” says Jackie Faherty, the museum’s senior scientist. Last winter, Faherty and her colleagues were beneath the dome of the museum’s Hayden Planetarium, fine-tuning a scene that featured the Oort cloud, the big, thick bubble surrounding our Sun and planets that’s filled with ice and rock and other remnants from the solar system’s infancy. The Oort cloud begins far beyond Neptune, around one and a half light years from the Sun. It has never been directly observed; its existence is inferred from the behavior of long-period comets entering the inner solar system. The cloud is so expansive that the Voyager spacecraft, our most distant probes, would need another 250 years just to reach its inner boundary; to reach the other side, they would need about 30,000 years.  The 30-minute show, Encounters in the Milky Way, narrated by Pedro Pascal, guides audiences on a trip through the galaxy across billions of years. For a section about our nascent solar system, the writing team decided “there’s going to be a fly-by” of the Oort cloud, Faherty says. “But what does our Oort cloud look like?”  To find out, the museum consulted astronomers and turned to David Nesvorný, a scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. He provided his model of the millions of particles believed to make up the Oort cloud, based on extensive observational data. “Everybody said, go talk to Nesvorný. He’s got the best model,” says Faherty. And “everybody told us, ‘There’s structure in the model,’ so we were kind of set up to look for stuff,” she says.  The museum’s technical team began using Nesvorný’s model to simulate how the cloud evolved over time. Later, as the team projected versions of the fly-by scene into the dome, with the camera looking back at the Oort cloud, they saw a familiar shape, one that appears in galaxies, Saturn’s rings, and disks around young stars. “We’re flying away from the Oort cloud and out pops this spiral, a spiral shape to the outside of our solar system,” Faherty marveled. “A huge structure, millions and millions of particles.” She emailed Nesvorný to ask for “more particles,” with a render of the scene attached. “We noticed the spiral of course,” she wrote. “And then he writes me back: ‘what are you talking about, a spiral?’”  While fine-tuning a simulation of the Oort cloud, a vast expanse of ice material leftover from the birth of our Sun, the ‘Encounters in the Milky Way’ production team noticed a very clear shape: a structure made of billions of comets and shaped like a spiral-armed galaxy, seen here in a scene from the final Space Show (curving, dusty S-shape behind the Sun) [Image: © AMNH] More simulations ensued, this time on Pleiades, a powerful NASA supercomputer. In high-performance computer simulations spanning 4.6 billion years, starting from the Solar System’s earliest days, the researchers visualized how the initial icy and rocky ingredients of the Oort cloud began circling the Sun, in the elliptical orbits that are thought to give the cloud its rough disc shape. The simulations also incorporated the physics of the Sun’s gravitational pull, the influences from our Milky Way galaxy, and the movements of the comets themselves.  In each simulation, the spiral persisted. “No one has ever seen the Oort structure like that before,” says Faherty. Nesvorný “has a great quote about this: ‘The math was all there. We just needed the visuals.’”  An illustration of the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud in relation to our solar system. [Image: NASA] As the Oort cloud grew with the early solar system, Nesvorný and his colleagues hypothesize that the galactic tide, or the gravitational force from the Milky Way, disrupted the orbits of some comets. Although the Sun pulls these objects inward, the galaxy’s gravity appears to have twisted part of the Oort cloud outward, forming a spiral tilted roughly 30 degrees from the plane of the solar system. “As the galactic tide acts to decouple bodies from the scattered disk it creates a spiral structure in physical space that is roughly 15,000 astronomical units in length,” or around 1.4 trillion miles from one end to the other, the researchers write in a paper that was published in March in the Astrophysical Journal. “The spiral is long-lived and persists in the inner Oort Cloud to the present time.” “The physics makes sense,” says Faherty. “Scientists, we’re amazing at what we do, but it doesn’t mean we can see everything right away.” It helped that the team behind the space show was primed to look for something, says Carter Emmart, the museum’s director of astrovisualization and director of Encounters. Astronomers had described Nesvorný’s model as having “a structure,” which intrigued the team’s artists. “We were also looking for structure so that it wouldn’t just be sort of like a big blob,” he says. “Other models were also revealing this—but they just hadn’t been visualized.” The museum’s attempts to simulate nature date back to its first habitat dioramas in the early 1900s, which brought visitors to places that hadn’t yet been captured by color photos, TV, or the web. The planetarium, a night sky simulator for generations of would-be scientists and astronauts, got its start after financier Charles Hayden bought the museum its first Zeiss projector. The planetarium now boasts one of the world’s few Zeiss Mark IX systems. Still, these days the star projector is rarely used, Emmart says, now that fulldome laser projectors can turn the old static starfield into 3D video running at 60 frames per second. The Hayden boasts six custom-built Christie projectors, part of what the museum’s former president called “the most advanced planetarium ever attempted.”  In about 1.3 million years, the star system Gliese 710 is set to pass directly through our Oort Cloud, an event visualized in a dramatic scene in ‘Encounters in the Milky Way.’ During its flyby, our systems will swap icy comets, flinging some out on new paths. [Image: © AMNH] Emmart recalls how in 1998, when he and other museum leaders were imagining the future of space shows at the Hayden—now with the help of digital projectors and computer graphics—there were questions over how much space they could try to show. “We’re talking about these astronomical data sets we could plot to make the galaxy and the stars,” he says. “Of course, we knew that we would have this star projector, but we really wanted to emphasize astrophysics with this dome video system. I was drawing pictures of this just to get our heads around it and noting the tip of the solar system to the Milky Way is about 60 degrees. And I said, what are we gonna do when we get outside the Milky Way?’ “Then [planetarium’s director] Neil Degrasse Tyson “goes, ‘whoa, whoa, whoa, Carter, we have enough to do. And just plotting the Milky Way, that’s hard enough.’ And I said, ‘well, when we exit the Milky Way and we don’t see any other galaxies, that’s sort of like astronomy in 1920—we thought maybe the entire universe is just a Milky Way.'” “And that kind of led to a chaotic discussion about, well, what other data sets are there for this?” Emmart adds. The museum worked with astronomer Brent Tully, who had mapped 3500 galaxies beyond the Milky Way, in collaboration with the National Center for Super Computing Applications. “That was it,” he says, “and that seemed fantastical.” By the time the first planetarium show opened at the museum’s new Rose Center for Earth and Space in 2000, Tully had broadened his survey “to an amazing” 30,000 galaxies. The Sloan Digital Sky Survey followed—it’s now at data release 18—with six million galaxies. To build the map of the universe that underlies Encounters, the team also relied on data from the European Space Agency’s space observatory, Gaia. Launched in 2013 and powered down in March of this year, Gaia brought an unprecedented precision to our astronomical map, plotting the distance between 1.7 billion stars. To visualize and render the simulated data, Jon Parker, the museum’s lead technical director, relied on Houdini, a 3D animation tool by Toronto-based SideFX. The goal is immersion, “whether it’s in front of the buffalo downstairs, and seeing what those herds were like before we decimated them, to coming in this room and being teleported to space, with an accurate foundation in the science,” Emmart says. “But the art is important, because the art is the way to the soul.”  The museum, he adds, is “a testament to wonder. And I think wonder is a gateway to inspiration, and inspiration is a gateway to motivation.” Three-D visuals aren’t just powerful tools for communicating science, but increasingly crucial for science itself. Software like OpenSpace, an open source simulation tool developed by the museum, along with the growing availability of high-performance computing, are making it easier to build highly detailed visuals of ever larger and more complex collections of data. “Anytime we look, literally, from a different angle at catalogs of astronomical positions, simulations, or exploring the phase space of a complex data set, there is great potential to discover something new,” says Brian R. Kent, an astronomer and director of science communications at National Radio Astronomy Observatory. “There is also a wealth of astronomics tatical data in archives that can be reanalyzed in new ways, leading to new discoveries.” As the instruments grow in size and sophistication, so does the data, and the challenge of understanding it. Like all scientists, astronomers are facing a deluge of data, ranging from gamma rays and X-rays to ultraviolet, optical, infrared, and radio bands. Our Oort cloud (center), a shell of icy bodies that surrounds the solar system and extends one-and-a-half light years in every direction, is shown in this scene from ‘Encounters in the Milky Way’ along with the Oort clouds of neighboring stars. The more massive the star, the larger its Oort cloud [Image: © AMNH ] “New facilities like the Next Generation Very Large Array here at NRAO or the Vera Rubin Observatory and LSST survey project will generate large volumes of data, so astronomers have to get creative with how to analyze it,” says Kent.  More data—and new instruments—will also be needed to prove the spiral itself is actually there: there’s still no known way to even observe the Oort cloud.  Instead, the paper notes, the structure will have to be measured from “detection of a large number of objects” in the radius of the inner Oort cloud or from “thermal emission from small particles in the Oort spiral.”  The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, a powerful, U.S.-funded telescope that recently began operation in Chile, could possibly observe individual icy bodies within the cloud. But researchers expect the telescope will likely discover only dozens of these objects, maybe hundreds, not enough to meaningfully visualize any shapes in the Oort cloud.  For us, here and now, the 1.4 trillion mile-long spiral will remain confined to the inside of a dark dome across the street from Central Park.

Start SlideshowStart SlideshowImage: FromSoftware / CD Projekt Red / Bethesda / KotakuWith this weekend comes the close of another month in 2025. We’ve had a few ups and downs this past week. For us fans of CD Projekt Red’s adaptation of Cyberpunk, we just got a little bit closer to its sequel. That’s exciting! But, if you were eagerly anticipating the Black Panther video game, sadly that project’s been killed and the studio has been closed. Awful stuff. But on a more positive note, there’s a new console out next week! The Switch 2 arrives on June 5, but we’ve already seen consoles hanging out in Target aisles while unboxing videos have sprung up on the internet. We even had a chat with someone who got his hands on a unit already. Until the Switch 2 arrives, however, all of us are stuck with our old consoles and PCs. Luckily, those still work, so we’ll be playing some games this weekend. If you’re looking for a few recommendations to fill up your next couple of days, why don’t you have a look?Previous SlideNext Slide2 / 8List slidesCyberpunk 2077List slidesCyberpunk 2077Image: CD Projekt RedPlay it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PCs (Steam Deck: “Verified”) and soon, Switch 2Current goal: See if Night City can seduce meGenerally, here in the Weekend Guide, we write about games we already know that we like, that we’re looking forward to spending more time with, and that we can enthusiastically recommend. But this weekend, what I’ll be doing is enthusiastically revisiting, with fresh eyes, a game I didn’t care for much the first time I finished it: Cyberpunk 2077. That experience was back around launch, and though I’ve returned to CDPR’s much-revised open-world role-playing game a few times in the years since then to replay its excellent first few hours, and I even visited the new district of Dogtown when the Phantom Liberty expansion arrived, I have not actually given the full game another proper chance. What’s compelling me to do this now, of all times? Well, the fact that it’s landing on Switch 2 next week alongside the console itself, in a version that looks mighty impressive for running on handheld hardware. There’s little doubt that Mario Kart World will absorb the bulk of my time on the new device in those first few weeks after launch, but I also have an itch to pick up another impressive game or two. And I do greatly appreciate that Cyberpunk 2077’s physical release will be an actual cart with the game on it, none of this “Game-Key Card” nonsense. But before I shell out another $70 for a game I already own elsewhere just so I have something else to play on my shiny new console, I want to be sure I actually feel Night City calling to me. There was some mystery and poetry to be found on its streets at launch, but also a lot I didn’t care for, and I don’t just mean glitches and other technical issues. Still, I’m open to being seduced by the game after all these years, and I think revisiting a game years later can often be an immensely fascinating and rewarding experience. So if you’re looking for me this weekend, look no further than The Afterlife. — Carolyn Petit Previous SlideNext Slide3 / 8List slidesElden Ring NightreignList slidesElden Ring NightreignImage: FromSoftwarePlay it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PCs (Steam Deck: Playable)Current goal: Defeat the Gaping JawI’m prepping for a gaming all-nighter with the boys tonight. I somehow convinced my Rocket League crew to go all-in on Elden Ring Nightreign, and after trying to insulate them as much as possible from all of the current criticisms swirling around about FromSoftware’s messy new multiplayer experiment, they have it installed and ready to go. It’s the first time in years we’ve managed to get everyone together for a new multiplayer launch. Even though I’ve been playing the game for review prior to release I’m excited to finally experience the magic of navigating its battle-royale-infused Elden Ring horrors with the proper level of laughter, anguish, and friendly negging. Despite its flaws, I feel an incredible rush every time I drop into a new Nightreign run, and the boss fights have the aura at times of mini-raids. I can’t wait to play it all weekend. I will not let my crew abandon Limveld before our work is done. — Ethan GachPrevious SlideNext Slide4 / 8List slidesBalatroList slidesBalatroImage: LocalThunkPlay it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Windows PCs (Steam Deck: “Verified”), MobileCurrent goal: Break 1 billion in a single handI’ve fallen back into Balatro hard. Almost every night this week I’ve snuck in a run or two before bed. Encouraged by the card-playing prowess of PS5 architect Mark Cerny I’ve decided to try to go for the platinum trophy now that it’s free with PS Plus. Progress has been decent so far. I’ve been able to complete most decks in a single run, though Ante 12 when things quickly scale into the hundreds of millions continues to elude me. Things were going decent the other night when I got a deck full of Kings, a Barron Joker that gives 1.5X for each one held, and the Blueprint Joker that mimics that effect a second time. Unfortunately, some critical miss plays left me unable to break 500,000,000 for the small blind. But the constant churn of new unlocks and achievements has me, for now at least, feeling buoyed by my obsession. — Ethan GachPrevious SlideNext Slide5 / 8List slidesProject Warlock IIList slidesProject Warlock IIImage: Buckshot SoftwarePlay it on: Windows PCs (Steam Deck: “Playable”)Current goal: Complete more levels and get more powerfulProject Warlock II is a boomer shooter that recently left early access. It is also a retro-inspired FPS that feels like it’s always terrified that you might get bored and stop playing. So the fast-paced shooter is filled with weapons to find, achievements to earn, collectibles, big fights, power-ups, stats to boost, perks to unlock, challenges to complete, things to upgrade, and much more. And I’m here for it. The combat in Warlock is punchy and satisfying, while moving around levels feels smooth and buttery. There’s something really wonderful about killing a giant horde of imps and skeletons using two super shotguns. Or mowing down a giant pig demon with a machine gun. I’m not sure Project Warlock II is going to land on my game of the year list, but I’m diggin’ it. – Zack Zwiezen Previous SlideNext Slide6 / 8List slidesBorderlands 3List slidesBorderlands 3Image: Gearbox SoftwarePlay it on: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Windows PCs (Steam Deck: Playable)Current goal: Replay the campaign ahead of Borderlands 4Yeah, yeah, I know some people don’t like Borderlands 3 as much as 2, but I’m not one of those people. I agree that 2’s Handsome Jack is a much better villain, but I prefer basically everything else in Borderlands 3 over the earlier sequel. Combat is better, moving around the world feels nicer, and the larger levels and various planets provide perfect places to explore and loot. My wife and I have jumped back in and are running through the game with new characters ahead of Borderlands 4’s arrival. I’m curious to see how many of the jokes land, and I will be very curious to see how the upcoming sequel compares. If we finish this entry with enough time, we might go back and play Pre-Sequel, which is one of my favorite games in the series. — Zack Zwiezen Previous SlideNext Slide7 / 8List slidesThe Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion RemasteredList slidesThe Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion RemasteredDid you know the horses smile??Screenshot: Bethesda / Claire Jackson / KotakuPlay it on: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PCs (Steam Deck: “Verified”)Current goal: Avoid violenceYou know, the problem I have with Bethesda games is that I usually take the premise of “play however you want” a bit further than the games are actually designed to support. Such was the case when I tried to resist violence in Starfield. While I enjoy rolling the dice on these games by developing a unique character concept and trying to see just where adhering to it will take me, the games are typically designed in favor of violent playthroughs, which means my less violently inclined characters have a really rough time. It’s a shame when an open-world game promises so much, but then it turns out I can’t just chill there and experience things other than swinging swords and using explosive spells.Apparently not having learned my lesson, I’m gonna try for yet another low-combat Bethesda run, this time in Oblivion, knowing full well that violence will show up whether I want it to or not. Maybe it’ll work in a narratively satisfying way for me this time around. Whether I’ll pivot my existing Oblivion character to this or just make a new one, I’m not sure, but the plan is to roleplay as either an alchemist or some kind of really obsessed botanist. I just wanna stroll through these fantasy landscapes, collecting herbs that I’ll use to brew potions and sometimes even sell back at market. But I’m sure there’ll be some damn dog, or fish, or demon from hell that’ll show up to wreck my day. Maybe I’ll have enough potions to make it through the forests alive. In any case, as frustrating as it can be, that challenge of trying to resist what a game wants me to do often makes it worth playing all on its own. — Claire JacksonAnd that wraps our picks. Happy gaming!

The post Starfield: New Watchtower Creation Adds Faction, Ship Attachments and More appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Next Nintendo Direct Set for June – Rumour Nintendo seems to have a new Direct presentation scheduled for the launch week of the Switch 2 or the week after, a known leaker has claimed. Posted By Shubhankar Parijat | On 24th, May. 2025 The Nintendo Switch 2 is now less than two weeks away from launch, and as a major new console, it obviously has plenty of games in the pipeline, but it’s also safe to assume that there’s plenty more that we haven’t officially heard about yet. That could be changing soon, however, with a new Nintendo Direct presentation allegedly on the horizon. That’s as per known Nintendo leaker PH Brazil, who recently claimed during a livestream on Twitch (spotted by users on Famiboards), that Nintendo has a new Direct presentation planned either for the week of the Switch 2’s worldwide launch, or the week after that. Of course, this shouldn’t come as a huge surprise, with June usually having seen Nintendo Directs most years in recent years. With the Switch 2 also launching imminently, it makes sense that Nintendo will want to build early momentum for the console with major new announcements around its release. The Nintendo Switch 2 launches on June 5. Stay tuned for more updates in the coming days and weeks. Tagged With: Elden Ring: Nightreign Publisher:Bandai Namco Developer:FromSoftware Platforms:PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, PCView More Borderlands 4 Publisher:2K Developer:Gearbox Entertainment Platforms:PS5, Xbox Series X, PCView More Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Publisher:Sony Developer:Kojima Productions Platforms:PS5View More Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out! Street Fighter 6 Hits 4.6 Million Units Sold The fighting title sold an additional 200,000 units during the year's first quarter, Capcom has revealed with ... Next Nintendo Direct Set for June – Rumour Nintendo seems to have a new Direct presentation scheduled for the launch week of the Switch 2 or the week aft... Devil May Cry 5 Crosses 10 Million Units Sold The character action game has sold a total of 10.1 million units as of March 31 across all of its versions on ... Mortal Kombat 1 Won’t Receive Any More Story DLC or Characters, NetherRealm Focused on Next Project Balance adjustments and fixes will continue, but the studio is working to make its next project "as great as w... Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon Exits Early Access, Out Now on Consoles and PC Questline's open-world action RPG is finally complete, but it looks to release patches and modding tools in th... Starfield PS5 Announcement Coming This Year, Could Launch Shortly After – Rumor The 2023 sci-fi role-playing game was allegedly slated to launch for Sony's console alongside Shattered Space,... View More

News Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon Exits Early Access, Out Now on Consoles and PC Questline's open-world action RPG is finally complete, but it looks to release patches and modding tools in the coming weeks. Posted By Rashid Sayed | On 24th, May. 2025 After over two years in Steam Early Access, Version 1.0 of Questline’s Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is now available on PC. It also marks the open-world role-playing game’s release on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Check out the release trailer below. Based on Arthurian legend, the story unfolds on Avalon, an island that King Arthur and his followers retreated to but is overwhelmed by the Red Death. A strange phenomenon known as the Wyrdness is also spreading, mutating and twisting everything it touches. The player starts in an asylum and escapes, seeking to survive and maybe unravel Avalon’s mysteries. Check out our review for Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon – we gave it a seven out of ten on PS5 due to technical issues. Questline will release “quite a lot” of patches in the coming weeks to address bugs. However, it’s also looking to share the first modding tools in “about a month,” with more to follow later. A build for Steam Deck with improved performance is also in the works, and the developer is also interested in additional content, though it’s still TBD. Tagged With: Elden Ring: Nightreign Publisher:Bandai Namco Developer:FromSoftware Platforms:PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, PCView More Borderlands 4 Publisher:2K Developer:Gearbox Entertainment Platforms:PS5, Xbox Series X, PCView More Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Publisher:Sony Developer:Kojima Productions Platforms:PS5View More Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out! Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon Exits Early Access, Out Now on Consoles and PC Questline's open-world action RPG is finally complete, but it looks to release patches and modding tools in th... Starfield PS5 Announcement Coming This Year, Could Launch Shortly After – Rumor The 2023 sci-fi role-playing game was allegedly slated to launch for Sony's console alongside Shattered Space,... Gears of War: Reloaded Beta Listing Appears on SteamDB The beta could be used to test multiplayer and may be announced in the coming weeks. The full game launches on... Splitgate 2 Open Beta is Now Live The portal-focused free-to-play shooter offers nine maps, three modes, a map creator, the beta battle pass, an... 2K is Getting Ready for a BioShock-Related Announcement “Fairly Soon” – Rumour There are no details about whether this announcement will have to do with the upcoming BioShock 4, or if it is... Death Stranding 2: On the Beach QR Code Displays Mysterious Prepper Shelter Video Out of nowhere, Kojima Productions teases something before the sequel's worldwide launch on June 26th for Play... View More

With so many Xbox Game Studios titles coming to PS5 – Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 being the most recent announcement – one has to wonder about Starfield. Bethesda has promised “a lot of exciting things” for the space-faring RPG in 2025, but outside of a recent beta update, there hasn’t been any word of releasing on other consoles. However, insider NateTheHate has reaffirmed that a PS5 version is coming and “intent should be announced this year. It’s just a matter of when the announcement will happen.” He also expected the gap between the announcement and release to be “minimal.” The Verge’s Tom Warren alleged that Starfield was meant to arrive for PS5 alongside Shattered Space, its first expansion, last year. Plans seemingly changed for some unknown reason. Then again, something similar happened to Forza Horizon 5, and it’s now available for the console. With titles like Gears of War: Reloaded and The Outer Worlds 2 launching on day one for PS5 alongside PC and Xbox Series X/S, it’s probably only a matter of time before Starfield makes the jump. Perhaps at the Xbox Games Showcase on June 8th – stay tuned for updates until then. Starfield is coming to PS5 & intent should be announced this year. It's just a matter of when will the announcement happen.— NateTheHate2 (@NateTheHate2) May 21, 2025 I would expect the gap between announcement and release to be minimal.— NateTheHate2 (@NateTheHate2) May 21, 2025

News Gears of War: Reloaded Beta Listing Appears on SteamDB The beta could be used to test multiplayer and may be announced in the coming weeks. The full game launches on June 26th. Posted By Ravi Sinha | On 23rd, May. 2025 A beta is seemingly incoming for Microsoft’s Gears of War: Reloaded. Reddit users noted the appearance of a SteamDB listing for the same, which has since changed to “PenPL,” perhaps to throw off any notice. However, it still specifies the game’s name in the parent app section, and the EULAs section outright notes a “Gears of War: Reloaded Beta EULA.” The download size is apparently 12.57 GB with the full installation requiring 15.42 GB. Assuming it’s real, the beta could be to test out the game’s multiplayer before launch. Though it features all the content from Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, Reloaded adds 120 frames per second support, cross-platform co-op and multiplayer, and cross-progression (which requires a Microsoft account). The beta may be announced at the upcoming Xbox Games Showcase on June 8th, so stay tuned for more details. Gears of War: Reloaded launches on August 26th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC and offers 4K assets and textures, improved post-processing and shadows, and more. It retails for $39.99, but those who own the Ultimate Edition can upgrade for free. Tagged With: Elden Ring: Nightreign Publisher:Bandai Namco Developer:FromSoftware Platforms:PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, PCView More Borderlands 4 Publisher:2K Developer:Gearbox Entertainment Platforms:PS5, Xbox Series X, PCView More Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Publisher:Sony Developer:Kojima Productions Platforms:PS5View More Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out! Starfield PS5 Announcement Coming This Year, Could Launch Shortly After – Rumor The 2023 sci-fi role-playing game was allegedly slated to launch for Sony's console alongside Shattered Space,... Gears of War: Reloaded Beta Listing Appears on SteamDB The beta could be used to test multiplayer and may be announced in the coming weeks. The full game launches on... Splitgate 2 Open Beta is Now Live The portal-focused free-to-play shooter offers nine maps, three modes, a map creator, the beta battle pass, an... 2K is Getting Ready for a BioShock-Related Announcement “Fairly Soon” – Rumour There are no details about whether this announcement will have to do with the upcoming BioShock 4, or if it is... Death Stranding 2: On the Beach QR Code Displays Mysterious Prepper Shelter Video Out of nowhere, Kojima Productions teases something before the sequel's worldwide launch on June 26th for Play... Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Developer Has No Plans to Allow More Than 3 Players in Co-Op Modes While Saber might not be interested, the modding community for Space Marine 2 has already figured out 12-playe... View More

Pros Impressive visual upgradeMemorable quest linesDLC is includedUnintentionally hilarious moments Cons Bugs, new and oldDungeons lack variety The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Specs ESRB Rating M for Mature Games Genre RPG Games Platform PC Games Platform PlayStation 5 Games Platform Xbox Series S Games Platform Xbox Series X All Specs It's been 14 years since Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim debuted, and since then, there have been seven unique releases of the seminal open-world RPG (including a voice-only version for Amazon Alexa). Its predecessor, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, has not been so lucky, left behind to languish in its original form on the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3—until now. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered ($49.99, tested on PlayStation 5 Pro, also available on PC and Xbox Series X/S) is a visual update of one of the most important RPGs ever made. It gives the nearly 20-year-old title a much-deserved facelift thanks to Unreal Engine 5—and for better or worse, it preserves everything that made the game iconic. Nearly two decades in, Oblivion remains a highly enjoyable RPG that appeals to newcomers and veterans alike, earning it our Editors’ Choice award. What's New in Oblivion Remastered?"Find him, and close shut the doors of Oblivion." Those were the final words uttered by Emperor Uriel Septum—played by none other than Star Trek's Patrick Stewart—before an assassin leaped out of the shadows to cut him down. That not only capped Elder Scrolls IV's tutorial and began the game in earnest, but also kick-started my Elder Scrolls love nearly 20 years ago. (Credit: Bethesda Game Studios/PCMag)At the time, open-world games were dominated by urban, Grand Theft Auto-like titles, so The Elder Scrolls IV was my first experience with a fantasy realm cut from that template. Even after hours of fast traveling, horseback riding, and slowly jogging from point A to point B, there were more quests to find, gear to loot, and havoc to wreak. Oblivion was rough around the edges, but it touched me in a way that contemporary Bethesda releases, such as Fallout 4, Skyrim, and Starfield, do not.I was surprised by how much Oblivion was ingrained in my brain when I loaded up the remaster on my PlayStation 5. I was also surprised by how much of that original title remains in the new version. From the Lord of the Rings-esque opening track to the weird, center-of-the-screen zoom that frames every conversation, it's immediately apparent that 2025's Oblivion Remastered is nearly the same game as the 2006 release, albeit wrapped in an Unreal Engine shell.(Credit: Bethesda Game Studios/PCMag)That's not to say that nothing has changed, and Oblivion Remastered's new coat of paint comes with art direction shifts that may not resonate with fans of the original. Upon stepping out of the Imperial Sewers and into the world of Cyrodiil, I immediately noticed that the high-contrast green hills I remembered were now muted and shaded more realistically. This gives Oblivion Remastered some visual inconsistencies, as some outfits and characters look noticeably dull. But for every ugly NPC, I found a gorgeous Aurora Borealis stretched across the night sky, or stared at the shadows dancing behind a burning torch illuminating a dark dungeon.I was also impressed by Oblivion Remastered's sound design, which preserves much of the original release's charm. The iconic score is just as I remember it, but most importantly, the fully voiced characters return. Performances from notable actors like Sean Bean and Patrick Stewart stand out, but the real stars are the voice actors who portray dozens of unique characters throughout Cyrodiil. (Credit: Bethesda Game Studios/PCMag)They remind me of a community theatre doing medieval impressions at the local Renaissance Fair. I mean that with love. However, bizarre line deliveries and intonations make it hard not to laugh. Couple that with bugs and the less-than-stellar AI, and you'll encounter many bizarre interactions.In one instance, as I traveled to an objective, I spotted an elf running across the plains with her fist up, punching every deer in her way. In another case, I had just closed an Oblivion Gate, and as soon as the guard captain congratulated me, he became disgruntled and told me to get out of his face. As I walked through the survivors' camp after a Daedra attack, three characters began talking over one another, spouting the same dialogue. Those moments helped solidify Oblivion as an unintended comedic masterpiece. As modern games become obsessed with movie-quality performances and hyper-realistic graphics, it's nice to step back and appreciate the jank that persists underneath Oblivion Remastered's Unreal Engine glow. That authenticity defines and elevates Oblivion for the same reasons an earnest B-movie becomes a cult classic.Recommended by Our Editors(Credit: Bethesda Game Studios/ PCMag)That said, Oblivion's open world, as new as it was at the time, wasn't the real reason I fell in love with it. Rather, I was obsessed with the idea of consequences. More so than being good or evil, Oblivion remembers your actions and responds accordingly. Killing the wrong person gets you kicked out of guilds, while other characters react to you negatively when you try to steal from them. Guards chase you down and toss you into jail. Quests become inaccessible if you take the wrong action. This made the game world feel alive in a way that many games do not. That was true in 2006, and it remains true in the 2025 remaster.GameplayThe beat-by-beat gameplay remains fun, if simple. Although Oblivion Remastered isn't as deep as Baldur’s Gate III, it has a wide variety of classes, races, and playstyles that enable player creativity. I played as a Redguard, a race that's proficient in Athletics, Blade, and Blunt weapons, and Light and Heavy Armor. Born under the Warrior sign, my character enjoyed increased strength and endurance. As a result, I approached almost every situation like a medieval Terminator.(Credit: Bethesda Game Studios/PCMag)There's room to adjust your playstyle. So, if your heart desires a Battlemage for one situation and a stealth archer for another, you can easily pivot in one direction or the other. New gameplay changes claim to improve the combat, but I didn't notice much of a difference during testing. However, the improved controls, camera, and sprint are greatly appreciated.The guilds feature some of the more memorable quest lines. The Dark Brotherhood, one of my favorites, sees you murder targets, Hitman style. Meanwhile, the Thieves Guild tasks you with outwitting guards to steal high-profile gear, but only after you've done a certain amount of independent thievery. The Oblivion Remastered includes the two expansion packs, Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles, plus additional DLC packs (yes, that includes the infamous horse armor pack). The Deluxe Edition includes a digital artbook and new quests, armor, and weapons.(Credit: Bethesda Game Studios/PCMag)The main quest line, which focuses on finding a new heir to battle the evil pouring from giant Oblivion gates, is pretty forgettable. Dungeon crawling is also fairly trite, with caverns and temples that repeat ad nauseam. Although there's much to explore in Cyrodiil, it isn’t too exciting if it's not attached to a quest.Graphics and PerformanceI spent my review time playing on the PlayStation 5 Pro (Oblivion Remastered is PS5 Pro Enhanced), and performance was mostly good. The game defaults to Performance mode and targets 60 frames per second. It didn't hit that target often, especially during large battles. However, switching to Quality mode was just awful. It tanked the frame rate and didn't add much visual fidelity. It's not worth the performance trade-off.Although I praise Oblivion Remastered's core for being authentically stuck in 2006, I must remove my nostalgia goggles for a moment to address the game's bugs and glitches. Many are funny, while others are game-breaking. Oblivion Remastered crashed multiple times during testing. In some cases, quest-giving characters refused to spawn or spawned in the wrong locations. On one occasion, I fell through the floor. A generous auto-save system prevents losing lots of progress, but it's still a pain to retread your last 20 minutes.Some may argue that glitches are part of the Oblivion experience, and in a way, they aren't wrong. However, there's no denying that annoying bugs from nearly 20 years ago should have been squashed by now.

The Nvidia RTX 5060 is based on the same GB206 silicon as the more expensive 5060 Ti series. This means the 181 mm² die contains 21.9 billion transistors – though not all are active in this model, as the core count has been reduced by 17%. Still, the RTX 5060 features 25% more cores than the previous-gen 4060. Not only that, but thanks to the use of 28 Gbps GDDR7 memory, bandwidth has increased by 65% to 448 GB/s. On paper, this is a $299 graphics card (MSRP) but we'll have to see what's the retail pricing looks like post-launch. This model is also limited to just 8 GB of VRAM, which is bad, however on the upside there is only one configuration available, making it far less of a trap for gamers compared to the more expensive 8GB RTX 5060 Ti. GeForce RTX 5060GeForce RTX 4060GeForce RTX 5060 TiGeForce RTX 4060 Ti Price MSRP $300 $300 $380 / $430 $400 / $500 Release Date May 2025 June 2023 April 2025 May 2023 Process TSMC 4N Die Size (mm2) 181 mm² 158.7 mm² 181 mm² 187.8 mm² Core Config 3840:120:48 3072:96:48 4608:144:48 4352:136:48 L2 Cache (MB) 32 MB 24 MB 32 MB 32 MB GPU Boost Clock 2497 MHz 2460 MHz 2572 MHz 2540 MHz Memory Capacity 8GB 8GB 8GB / 16GB 8GB / 16GB Memory Speed 28 Gbps 17 Gbps 28 Gbps 18 Gbps Memory Type GDDR7 GDDR6 GDDR7 GDDR6 Bus Type / Bandwidth128-bit, 448 GB/s128-bit, 272 GB/s128-bit, 448 GB/s128-bit, 288 GB/s PCIe Bus Interface PCIe 5.0 x8 PCIe 4.0 x8 PCIe 5.0 x8 PCIe 4.0 x8 Total Board Power 145 W 115 W 180 W 160 W Making the VRAM limitation even more problematic is the use of a PCIe 5.0 x8 bus interface. While not ideal even for PCIe 5.0-enabled systems, it becomes a major issue for those on older hardware, especially when restricted to PCIe 3.0. We can explore this further on a later extended review. Believe it or not, we set up an AM5 test system in our hotel room while attending Computex 2025 in Taiwan. We're using a Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor we brought along, paired with a G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5-6000 CL30 memory kit and our usual test SSD. A big thank you to MSI for providing the additional components needed to make this review possible. It's been a challenging but worthwhile process to put this together – so let's dive into the data… Benchmarks Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 First up is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, where the RTX 5060 averaged just 48 fps at 1080p. That's the same level of performance seen with the much older RTX 3060 Ti, making it only 17% faster than the RTX 4060. Increasing the resolution using the Epic preset isn't really viable. The RTX 5060 simply isn't powerful enough and, with just 8 GB of VRAM, quickly runs out of memory. For example, the 5060 Ti 16 GB model is usable here, while the 8 GB version struggles significantly. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered In Oblivion Remastered, the RTX 5060 delivered an average of 45 fps at 1080p, which is roughly on par with the RTX 4060 Ti and RTX 3070 – about 25% faster than the RTX 4060. At 1440p, VRAM limitations show up again. While 34 fps is technically playable, 1% lows drop to just 18 fps, resulting in a very choppy experience. Delta Force Performance in Delta Force looks much better, with the RTX 5060 hitting 138 fps at 1080p. However, this is still in line with the RTX 3060 Ti and actually a bit slower than the RTX 4060 Ti. At 1440p, the RTX 5060 again lands between the 3060 Ti and 3070, though this time its performance is closer to the 3070. Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl In Stalker 2, the RTX 5060 averaged 47 fps at 1080p – once again similar to the RTX 3060 Ti, and just a 9% improvement over the RTX 4060. At 1440p, the 8 GB VRAM buffer becomes a major bottleneck, dropping average frame rates to just 6 fps. In this state, the game is essentially unplayable. Counter-Strike 2 The RTX 5060 excels as an esports GPU, delivering strong performance in Counter-Strike 2 at 1080p using the medium preset. Impressively, it offers a 27% increase over the RTX 4060 and matches the performance of the older RTX 3070. At 1440p, performance remained excellent, averaging 370 fps – slightly ahead of the Radeon RX 7700 XT. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Space Marine 2 ran very well at 1080p, with the RTX 5060 averaging 100 fps, providing a smooth experience and a 23% improvement over the RTX 4060. At 1440p, performance improved by a massive 33% over the 4060, coming very close to RX 7700 XT levels. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Star Wars Jedi: Survivor also ran smoothly, with 95 fps on average at 1080p. This level of performance puts the RTX 5060 in the same range as the RTX 4060 Ti and RTX 3070. At 1440p, the trend continues: 57 fps on average matches 4060 Ti and 3070 levels and represents a 30% uplift over the RTX 4060 – an impressive result. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 saw the RTX 5060 render 75 fps at 1080p, which was only a 10% uplift over the 4060 and 7% slower than the RTX 3070 – not a great result overall. It's a similar story at 1440p, where performance is essentially on par with the RTX 3060 Ti. That's a disappointing outcome given how much time has passed since that GPU's release. A Plague Tale: Requiem In A Plague Tale: Requiem at 1080p, the RTX 5060 delivered just a 5% improvement over the RTX 3070, making it slightly slower than the 7700 XT. However, it was a significant 36% faster than the RTX 4060. At 1440p, it continued to outperform the 4060 with a 33% advantage, although it only managed to match the performance of the RTX 3070 and 4060 Ti. Starfield Starfield performance was even weaker. At 1080p, the RTX 5060 matched the RTX 3060 Ti with just 55 fps on average. At 1440p, the margin remained narrow, with the RTX 5060 averaging 44 fps – just 5% faster than the 3060 Ti. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty Performance in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p was solid. The RTX 5060 averaged 100 fps, putting it on par with the 4060 Ti and 28% ahead of the RTX 4060. At 1440p, it maintained strong performance with 66 fps on average, again delivering results similar to the 4060 Ti and RTX 3070 – 35% faster than the 4060 in this case. God of War Ragnarök The RTX 5060 delivered surprisingly strong results in God of War Ragnarök at 1080p, averaging 128 fps – an impressive 45% improvement over the RTX 4060. That margin was reduced at 1440p, but the 5060 still came in 32% faster than the 4060, again delivering performance comparable to the RTX 3070 and 4060 Ti. Dying Light 2 Stay Human In Dying Light 2, the RTX 5060 effectively matched the RTX 3070 and 4060 Ti at 1080p. At 1440p, the story remained consistent – though here, the Arc B580 also entered the performance mix. Dragon Age: The Veilguard Interestingly, Dragon Age: The Veilguard proved more difficult. At 1080p, the RTX 5060 rendered just 68 fps, making it only 11% faster than the RTX 4060 and notably slower than both the RTX 3070 and 4060 Ti. At 1440p, the performance gap narrowed, with the 5060 aligning more closely with the RTX 3070 and 4060 Ti, though average frame rates dropped to 49 fps – not exactly impressive. Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered Spider-Man Remastered posed no challenge for the RTX 5060 at 1080p. It averaged 159 fps, narrowly edging out the 4060 Ti and RTX 3070, and delivering a 25% uplift over the RTX 4060. At 1440p, performance remained strong with 110 fps on average. Relative performance was typical, closely matching the Arc B580, 4060 Ti, and RTX 3070. Hogwarts Legacy Performance in Hogwarts Legacy at 1080p was also impressive. The RTX 5060 averaged 101 fps – slightly faster than the RTX 3070, significantly ahead of the 4060 Ti, and 44% faster than the RTX 4060. This game is very memory-intensive, so the high-speed GDDR7 memory is well utilized here. At 1440p, a different bottleneck appears. The RTX 5060 only matched the 4060 Ti, resulting in a 13% performance uplift over the 4060. The Last of Us Part I In The Last of Us Part I, the RTX 5060 delivered 85 fps at 1080p, putting it on par with the 4060 Ti and 25% faster than the RTX 4060. However, at 1440p, performance fell apart. With just 8 GB of VRAM, the 5060 couldn't maintain consistent frame times using ultra-quality settings. Star Wars Outlaws Finally, in Star Wars Outlaws, the RTX 5060 struggled. At 1080p, it rendered only 42 fps – a mere 8% improvement over the RTX 4060. At 1440p, frame rates dropped further to 31 fps, making it 19% faster than the 4060 but still delivering very weak performance overall. Performance Summary 1080p Across the 18 games tested, the RTX 5060 matched the performance of the RTX 4060 Ti and RTX 3070, while coming in 6% slower than the 7700 XT. It was also 22% faster than the RTX 4060, which aligns closely with Nvidia's official claims. 1440p At 1440p, we saw several examples where 8 GB GPUs began to fall apart. In some cases, performance appeared acceptable, but the visual quality suffered due to missing textures that couldn't fit into local video memory. Overall, the RTX 5060 remained on par with the RTX 3070 and 4060 Ti, though it was just 6% faster than Intel's Arc B580 and 27% faster than the RTX 4060. Ray Tracing Performance RT - Alan Wake II As expected, achieving a high-end ray tracing experience is difficult – if not impossible – with the RTX 5060. The GPU simply doesn't have enough power, and its 8 GB of VRAM is insufficient for ray tracing in modern titles. For example, in Alan Wake II at 1080p with DLSS Quality enabled, the RTX 5060 averaged just 36 fps. That made it 20% faster than the RTX 4060, but 14% slower than the 4060 Ti. Those hoping to enable ray tracing at 1440p will be disappointed – it's simply not viable on this GPU. RT - Cyberpunk 2077 Thanks to DLSS, it's possible to approach 60 fps at 1080p in Cyberpunk 2077 using the Ultra RT preset. However, since this relies on upscaling, it's not true 1080p rendering. Performance is comparable to the Arc B580 – not a particularly strong result. At 1440p, ray tracing is off the table. We also encountered VRAM limitations during our brief testing. RT - Spider-Man Remastered Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered is a well-optimized title, and even with ray tracing maxed out, the RTX 5060 managed an impressive 112 fps on average at 1080p – similar to the 4060 Ti. At 1440p, the RTX 5060 performed even better, averaging 109 fps and pulling well ahead of the 4060 Ti. That's a solid result, nearly matching the RTX 4070. Still, you'd typically expect a product labeled "5060" to at least match the previous-generation GPU positioned one tier higher. RT - Dying Light 2 At upscaled 1080p with the high ray tracing preset, Dying Light 2 ran at 72 fps on the RTX 5060 – matching the 7700 XT and 4060 Ti. This is usable performance, though not outstanding, despite being almost 30% faster than the RTX 4060. At 1440p, the RTX 5060 struggled more, delivering just 48 fps on average. This result was still similar to the 7700 XT and 4060 Ti. Cost per Frame MSRP We know MSRP isn't always reflective of reality, especially at launch, but it's still useful for establishing a baseline. If all GPUs were sold at their suggested prices, the Arc B580 would offer the best value, followed by the RX 9070, and then the RTX 5060. At MSRP, the 5060 comes in at a cost per frame of $5.35 – a 21% improvement over the RTX 4060 and a 30% improvement over the RTX 3060. That sounds solid, or at least it would be if the card had more VRAM. We'll come back to that shortly. For now, let's take a look at real retail pricing. Real Retail Pricing (USA) At the time of writing this review, the RTX 5060 was available and in stock on Newegg for $330 – about 10% over MSRP. In the current market, that makes it relatively decent value, assuming you ignore the elephant in the room: the 8 GB VRAM buffer. Even when factoring in the poor results seen in some VRAM-limited games, particularly in titles where missing textures or inconsistent frame times become an issue, the RTX 5060 still manages to be 8% better value than the 7800 XT. That's not a strong showing considering the Radeon GPU comes with 16 GB of VRAM. Compared to the outgoing RX 7600, it's 14% better value, and 21% better value than remaining RTX 4060 stock. So, given today's market conditions, the RTX 5060 offers decent value for buyers looking to purchase a brand-new GPU. But with just 8 GB of VRAM, it's not a product we can recommend at that price. It's Not What You Think So there you have it. On the surface, the RTX 5060 appears to stack up fairly well. If you don't look too closely, you might even call it good value. But deeper analysis reveals a troubled product that will almost certainly age incredibly poorly. As we've clearly established by now, 8 GB of VRAM is simply not enough – and in 2025, it should not exist on any GPU priced above $200. As an esports card, it holds up reasonably well, though if that's your target use case, we'd suggest exploring the second-hand market instead. It's frustrating how good the RTX 5060 could have been. Even with just 12 GB of VRAM, we might have been able to tentatively recommend it at its current price. With 16 GB, it could have been a genuinely solid product. As it stands, the RTX 5060 is effectively a discounted RTX 4060 Ti – offering about 25% savings. That might sound appealing, but nearly two years after the 4060 Ti's release, it's hardly exciting. Looking further back, the 5060 essentially offers RTX 3070-like performance at a 40% discount – but nearly five years have passed since Ampere launched. In our opinion, Nvidia had a clear opportunity to deliver a meaningful upgrade here. Instead, they've recycled the same class of GPU for five years, offering incremental discounts with each release. The real challenge for Nvidia will be the incoming Radeon RX 9060 XT series. If AMD's numbers prove accurate, the RTX 5060 won't be worth considering – it's dead on arrival, at least for buyers who follow real, independent reviews. On that note, Nvidia has handled this launch very poorly. It's been a PR disaster. Ironically, Nvidia's marketing may be more effective than AMD's at convincing GeForce owners to switch to Radeon. In fact, this might be the only way that shift was ever going to happen. That's going to wrap up our review of the RTX 5060. We debated calling it a preview rather than a full review – but claiming an "RTX 5060 preview" feels like a bit of a self-own at this point. So let's call it a quick review. We'll cover more details, including ray tracing performance, power consumption, and overclocking, once we're back from Computex. Needless to say, Steve has outdone himself to deliver a comprehensive and honest look at this GPU under the circumstances. If you've found it helpful, we appreciate your support. Shopping Shortcuts: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 on Amazon Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB on Amazon Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 on Amazon AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT on Amazon AMD Radeon RX 9070 on Amazon Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti on Amazon Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 on Amazon

Should Sony embrace a PC future? (Sony/Metro) The Thursday letters page is surprised that Nintendo Switch 2 stock is relatively easy to find, as one reader looks forward to Hellblade 2 on PS5. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk Box it up Hearing about the rumours of the next gen Xbox being basically an ordinary PC makes perfect sense and is not a surprise to me. I think it’s the only logical move left for Xbox, even if I’m not sure how they’re going to make any money from it if Steam and the other stores are going to be on there.PC gaming is quickly taking over, so my question is whether the PlayStation 6 could also be a ‘PC in a box’. It may sound crazy but a few years ago, so too would the idea of Sony games appearing on PC. I really don’t see what the argument would be against it, especially given how expensive the PS5 Pro already is. Making the next PlayStation, or at least the PlayStation 7, a PC means Sony don’t have to spend nearly as much on hardware R&D and can instead concentrate on making games. Something that they don’t seem to have had the time or money for this gen. I think especially as streaming starts to take off, as the preferred casual method for playing games, it will only be the PC that is left as an alternative. It’s sad in a way but, personally speaking, as long as the games are still good I don’t really care that much.Purple Ranger Doomed highlight I’ve just beaten Doom: The Dark Ages and thoroughly enjoyed it. I think your review was accurate but since I was playing it for free on Game Pass the faults didn’t really bother me. However, I have to comment on the story, or rather the fact that Bethesda chose to highlight as one of the most important new features of the game.It’s a complete non-event: boring and cliched, with no characters of any interest. Even the game seems to lose interest because there are very few proper cut scenes in the second half, not that that’s a problem. None of it is a problem, really, because who wants a story in a game like Doom? So why did Bethesda make so much of a fuss about it? If it had been good that would’ve been one thing. If there’d been a lot of cut scenes that would’ve been something else. But it was just nothing. I really don’t understand why they ever thought to mention it.James Speed of Mercury Is there a chance you will review Blades Of Fire, please? I’m very interested in MercurySteam games; I love both of their Metroid games and I’m that one person that liked all three of their Castlevania games (yes, Lords Of Shadow 2 was unfocused and padded out, but I loved what it got right so much).Your reviews are the ones I trust the most so if you do have the time I’d appreciate it, the few I’ve seen have been quite mixed. Thank you, keep up the excellent work.Beastiebat (PSN ID) Currently playing: Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition, Metroid Dread, and Elevator Action -Returns- S-TributeGC: Thank you. We’re trying to get it done but we’re a bit behind this week, due to staff holidays and press events. Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk News update There’s a couple of things I’ve not seen yourselves or any readers mention lately, so I thought I should bring them up.The Sea Of Stars DLC is out now! It’s absolutely free too, which seems crazy because it looks quite substantial. I’m looking forward to playing it this weekend when I have more time. Another thing I’ve not seen mentioned is that Hogwarts Legacy on Switch 2 can be bought at a huge discount if you own the game on Switch. Around £10 reportedly. You can even buy the game on Switch in the sale now and then buy the Switch 2 version, costing under £30 in total, it seems, which is a great deal. It’s not an upgrade as the Switch 2 game isn’t a port. Keep up the great work! I don’t write in much, but I still read every morning. I finally prefer this than the Teletext days now.Fatys Henrys GC: Thank you for your patronage. Old and new Excited to hear some actual news about the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel and that it will feature at least one whole new city. However, I hope that the game features both the whole of Night City and the new one. Strangely, I can’t think of any sequels that do that. With GTA, they don’t include the previous game and the new one, and I’m not sure anywhere else does either.Weirdly, the only example I can think of that did that is Pokémon Gold and Silver, which had the whole of the map from Red and Blue (thanks to no less than Satoru Iwata himself). I’m sure there’s technical reasons it doesn’t happen usually but while the PlayStation 5 and beyond may no longer show much of a graphical improvement perhaps there’ll be able to do things like this more easily.Kankor The end of the beginning So, after being reminded that my mother’s partner doesn’t like me very much I’ve cheered up with two lovely pieces of news. Stellar Blade is getting a sequel, very soon. It releases on PC next month. The second announcement is Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 on PlayStation 5 in the summer. This is something I was highly anticipating. Just the graphics alone makes it worth the time. So, after this and Gears Of War also releasing on PlayStation I’m not asking if Xbox is truly dead. It’s a fact that Xbox is indeed only kept afloat by Game Pass.This is only the start. Halo will release on PlayStation 5. Fable. Avowed. State Of Decay 3. Starfield. The list goes on. In hindsight this is deserved. Because of the Xbox One’s failure Microsoft lagged behind an entire generation and Sony raced ahead, never looking back. I never brought an Xbox One, actually. The PlayStation 4 was my choice in 2013 and after picking up the last one, at Argos in 2014. I never gave the Xbox One a second look. Today, Microsoft are still suffering from their malignant decisions and it is thoroughly deserved. If I was Phil Spencer I’d cancel the upcoming handheld, because that is leading up to a fail, much more so than the Xbox One. Not even ASUS can save Xbox.Shahzaib Sadiq Direct from the source I’m always fascinated by Nintendo’s Ask the Developers interviews, they’re so in-depth and genuine and I don’t think they get enough recognition. Nintendo’s reputation is of being secretive and distant, but Sony and Microsoft would never do something like this. They just have carefully worded developer quotes that were probably written by a marketing person anyway.Who would’ve guessed they’ve been planning Mario Kart World for eight years or that they were already making Switch 2 games, based on preliminary specs, in 2020? I guess that’s the sort of time you need but it’s very interesting to get exact dates and to hear it from the horse’s mouth.Onibee In stock now I’ve managed to bag myself a Switch 2 pre-order after you put your article up on where to buy it. I was going to hold off; eventually decided I can’t resist the temptation to play the new Mario Kart. But I think it will be a good long term investment and there’s no ruling out that there might be an eventual price increase of the unit, like there’s been recently with other consoles.After I managed to get my pre-order done about a week ago or so I’ve visited some of those retailers, websites just to see how lucky I got managing to pre-order it in the first place. I’ve been able to see deals every time; different deals but there’s always been at least one available with Mario Kart or the Zelda pack or camera or SD card bundle. I’ve checked out of curiosity about four or five times and could have dropped on a pre-order again and again, so does that mean Nintendo is actually beating the scalpers? Or is it too expensive or is there a lack of interest? I couldn’t for the life of me get an Xbox Series X day one, at the start of the generation because of the use of online bots, but it seems something has changed for the better with the latest Nintendo console release. That’s got to be a good thing for everyone, except the scalpers.Nick The Greek GC: It’s hard to tell but there’s no indication of a lack of demand, given analysts think Nintendo is being too cautious in its sales predictions. They always said they wanted no shortages at launch, so we guess their plan worked. It was probably helped by the fact that the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 came out at the same time, during Covid, and so were competing for manufacturing time and resources. By contrast, Switch 2 has a clear run at a quiet time of year for games. Inbox also-rans I had literally no idea that Fortnite wasn’t on mobile for the last five years. I would’ve figured that was its biggest format, but I guess you’re saying it wasn’t?MouseGC: No, it’s one of the smallest. Apparently not even Fortnite fans want to play with touchscreen controls. I would never, ever in a million years pay £80 for a video game. Even if I got it for cheap later, the fact that it was at one point that much would still put me off.Gribbly More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk The small printNew Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content. 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