Death Stranding fans, it seems like you’ve got something really killer coming your way. The sequel game, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, is set to arrive in June and the franchise’s star, actor Norman Reedus, recently teased some of the game — as well as a key tidbit about the future film adaptation — in an interview with IGN.“If it was an option, yeah, for sure,” Reedus revealed when asked if he would consider playing himself in a future film version of the game which was announced to be in the works from Michael Sarnoski and A24 last month. “I don’t know what’s happening with it. It’s so pre pre pre right now. But yeah, of course.” @ign Norman Reedus teases Death Stranding 2 while promoting From the World of John Wick: Ballerina! #deathstranding #normanreedus #ballerina #johnwick #interview ♬ original sound - IGN Entertainment We also asked Reedus about his confusion with the first game and if he still felt that way going into the second one, but it seems he deeply trusts creator Hideo Kojima, whose reputation obviously precedes him. “As far as working with him and understanding where his head’s at, I don’t think anybody can understand where his head’s at,” the Walking Dead alum explained. “He’s just that guy, he’s out there and he’s got great ideas. But story-wise, I did know what was happening more. There’s more action in it, there’s more of a definite goal to get to.” That said, no matter what’s going on in the Death Stranding world, Reedus is happily along for the ride. “It’s always a trip working on those things,” he told IGN. “It’s great, but it’s wild.”Death Stranding 2: On The Beach will be released on June 26, 2025.Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.

When it comes to headphones, we can’t shut up about Sony’s top-tier buds and over-the-head options. In each iteration, the company adds new features, develops better technology and hones its strengths in portable audio, and three years on from the WH-1000XM5, the sixth-gen model does it yet again. Sony’s overhauled its flagship headphones in all the right ways. The WH-1000XM6 sound better, with improved active noise cancellation and convenient features that match the best-sounding and the most feature-packed rivals. You should definitely check out Billy Steele's full review. The headphones' only major challenge remains a non-clunky naming convention. — Mat Smith Get Engadget's newsletter delivered direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here! Even more tech news you might have missed Nothing teases the ‘all-in’ Phone 3 with a flagship price Mission: Impossible should never have gone full sci-fi The Lucid Gravity is the coolest three-row EV on the market DJI Mavic 4 Pro review: A new standard for consumer drones Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge hands-on: Less smartphone, more compromises Android gets a young, vibrant makeover It’s bright, it’s brash, it’s… bouncy? It’s Android 16. Google As spoiled by Google itself, Android is getting a major visual refresh. Dubbed Material 3 Expressive, it’s the latest evolution of the Material You design, adding customizable color swatches and, I guess, spicier fonts. Google says the Quick Settings menu can now fit more actions, and there is an addition of live-updating notifications, similar to Apple’s Live Activities. In Android 16 (and even Wear OS 6), expect more animation between menus and items, while notifications will jiggle and offer haptic responses to your touch. Google is basing a lot of these tweaks on research: The company claims up to 87 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds prefer expressive design — a term hard to define. There’s a lengthy post on Google’s design blog if you want to get into all that. Continue reading. The Xperia 1 VII is here, with some Walkman inspiration Sony still makes phones! Sony Sony has now folded in Hi-Fi sound from its Walkman series, as well as the company’s Bravia screen tech and Alpha camera smarts. The Xperia 1 VII has launched quietly with an array of new audio features, including high-end Walkman components. Unlike other smartphone makers, Sony has kept its headphone jack and improved wired sound via a premium-grade integrated circuit. The Xperia 1 VII supports Sony’s DSEE Ultimate AI sound upscaling technology, along with 360 Reality audio or Dolby Atmos formats. The latest Xperia also features a new 48-megapixel ultrawide camera with a good-sized 1/1.56-inch sensor, significantly improving the specs of the Xperia 1 VI’s ultrawide. That’s on top of the main 48MP 1/1.35-inch 24mm camera and a 12MP telephoto zoom. Sony is also trying to differentiate its smartphones through camera features, with improved Bokeh mode, real-time tracking, and even real-time eye autofocus. It claims low-light shooting is “in line with full-frame cameras, " which is bold! I’m wondering what other parts of Sony’s corporate machinery it will integrate next. Maybe Aibo dog ears? Continue reading. One year of Peacock Premium is on sale for only $25 The Memorial Day deal knocks off $55. Want a cheaper sub for Peacock? You’ll need a code, but if you input SPRINGSAVINGS at checkout you’ll get $55 off the standard annual price of the Premium plan. It does include ads, however. The big draw for this particular streaming service is likely the long-awaited spinoff of The Office, called The Paper. That premieres in September, so you’ll be primed and ready to watch (and rewatch). Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-123515822.html?src=rss

CBS Sunday Morning’s design issue, in which the popular TV newsmagazine profiles the culture of a different locale each year, heads down to The Big Easy for their 2025 installment. The special edition episode will unpack the role of aesthetics in the ever-vibrant New Orleans for viewers tuning into the hour-long program on Sunday, May 18, at 9 am EST. “By Design: A Weekend in New Orleans,” will explore a wide range of topics that all play a part in the Crescent City’s lively atmosphere, including arts, fashion, design, music, food, entertainment, and history. Ahead of the broadcast, AD got the inside scoop on all the spots legendary Sunday Morning anchor Jane Pauley visited this year.Among the venues she delves into on the episode are Longue Vue House and Gardens, Edgar and Edith Stern’s 1942 estate (known for its Neoclassical architecture and expansive landscape); and Jackson Square Park in the heart of the city’s bustling French Quarter. The CBS anchor also popped by Cafe Beignet, which specializes in the famous New Orleans–style pastry. Other NOLA hubs featured in the episode include the famed Garden District, Audubon Park and Zoo, St. Louis Cathedral, and the New Orleans Museum of Art Sculpture Garden.The library of Longue Vue House and Garden. Photo: Courtesy of Longue Vue House and Garden“New Orleans has a long history of drama, beauty, scandal, [and] resilience,” Pauley told AD in an exclusive video, emphasizing how the “color and the unique flavor the culture is imbued with” has influenced the design scene beyond its city limits in a massive way. She teases plenty of eye candy for design lovers to indulge in, from the historic, Creole-inspired architecture of the city to a key component of New Orleans living: porches, which remain an integral feature of social life there, signaling that New Orleanians “value the community, the passersby… life is not all interior. It’s public, and cities are a public place.”

AMD announces the Radeon RX 9060 XT unveiling date. Shares render of the reference edition, but it won't be available for purchase. Radeon RX 9060 XT Reference Card Features Dual-Fan Design and a Single 8-pin PCI-E Connector Just like the Radeon RX 9070 XT, there exists a reference design for the upcoming Radeon RX 9060 XT. However, just like the RX 9070 XT, you won't be able to buy it either. The RX 9060 XT is set to be unveiled on 21st May at Computex in Taipei, where AMD will release more of its products from the AI and gaming segments. The infographic AMD shared on its official AMD Gaming handle shows a dual-fan Radeon RX 9060 XT graphics card, which is supposedly what the reference design would look like if it existed in reality. There is a high possibility that AMD will make a few of these cards, but they won't be available for sale. We saw AMD's reference design for the RX 9070 XT as well, but it was only spotted much later than launch. Similarly, we are seeing the reference design of the Radeon RX 9060 XT, which might actually exist, but the infographic states at the bottom, "Artistic Render Not Available for Purchase". Nonetheless, what's more important is the actual release date, when AMD will reveal its full specification as well as performance numbers. From AMD's render, we can at least see and confirm that the RX 9060 XT will feature a single 8-pin PCI-E power connector, which means the TDP should be around 200W or less. Custom editions, particularly the OC ones, will be slightly power-hungrier, and AIBs may add another connector to add room for overclocking. As far as the core specs of the card are concerned, the GPU is expected to bring 2048 Stream Processors and will feature both 8 GB and 16 GB variants. AMD is supposedly focusing more on the 16 GB edition right now, but will release the 8 GB edition later. The GPU, therefore, will have a memory bus width of 128-bit and will compete directly with the RTX 5060 Ti from NVIDIA. Stay tuned as we will cover the release in full detail when Computex commences. Deal of the Day

Illumi-nother One? Helldivers 2's upcoming battle for Super Earth might be part of another big update, alleged PlayStation leak suggests, but Arrowhead's CEO is keeping his lips sealed May 20 could be another seismic day in the Galactic War, if this apparent leak turns out to be accurate. Image credit: Arrowhead News by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on May 14, 2025 Yesterday was a big day in Helldivers 2, with Arrowhead finally pulling the trigger on the massive Illuminate invasion it'd spent days building to with teases. However, it looks like there's a chance yet another big update could be just around the corner, if an alleged PlayStation leak proves on the money. If you were living under a super rock on May 12, Arrowhead deployed this fresh Illuminate push towards Super Earth alongside a bunch of new enemies and mechanics like weapon customisation. There was also a whole patch full of weapon balancing, just in case you didn't already have enough change to be getting to grips with. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Naturally, this meant the social media accounts of both the studio and its backer PlayStation were pretty busy posting about all this stuff, and some players are claiming that they spotted one of them accidentally revealing that another update is set to drop on May 20. A player with the handle xTekshi has posted an alleged screenshot of PlayStation's official Threads account for the Czech Republic sharing the game's latest trailer with a caption that a big update dubbed "Heart of Democracy" will be dropping on May 20. We've checked the timeline of the Threads account in question, and if it existed, this post has seemingly been scrubbed - which to be fair doesn't mean much as you'd expect such a move to be taken if the update had been accidentally blabbed about. NEW MAJOR UPDATE LEAKED? by u/xTekshi in Helldivers To see this content please enable targeting cookies. We've also reached out to both PlayStation and Arrowhead for comment. Naturally, players have been quick to question Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani via the game's Discord server. "SHAMS JORJANI TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT THE NEXT UPDATE AND MY LIFE IS YOURS" one of the demanded of the exec, who stood firm and simply replied: "Never!" Image credit: VG247 On a slightly tangential note, Jorjani did reply to another player asking if there's any information about a "performance update" to the game by saying: "Blog post will come on this." Potentially lending some credence to the alleged update leak is the fact that, as xTekshi points out, Helldivers 2's current major order to defend Widow's Harbor, Pilen V, and New Haven is set to finish in six days time, which would be May 20. Plus, Arrowhead's briefing about it ended with the line "battle on Super Earth is inevitable". Meanwhile, Arrowhead has tweeted as I was writing this: "Attention, Citizens of Super Earth: Remain calm. Do not spread panic. The Illuminate, in their desperation, have launched their final assault. Rest assured, our brave Helldivers are fully prepared to neutralize this threat. Stay safe, stay vigilant, and await further updates. Victory and liberty are within our grasp." No confirmation, but an advisory to look out for more updates...hmmmm. Do you think May 20 will bring a fresh update as the battle for Super Earth kicks off? Let us know below!

Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link, the GPS-based action-RPG for mobile, has been cancelled — but it's not all bad news for Kingdom Hearts fans, as Square Enix confirmed it is still "hard at work" on Kingdom Hearts 4.Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link would have taken us to the realm of Scala ad Caelum in a new, original story in the grand battle against the Heartless on mobile devices, and had been originally slated to release in 2024.However, in an unsigned statement posted to the game's X/Twitter account, Square Enix wished to "convey [its] heartfelt apologies to everyone who have been looking forward" to it, but cancelled the project because it was "determined that it would be difficult [...] to offer a service that players would find satisfactory over a long period of time." The statement did not elaborate on what, exactly, was proving difficult.Play"We wish to convey our heartfelt apologies to everyone who has been looking forward to the start of service," the statement said. "Although we worked hard on developing and adjusting the game in the hope that it would 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."We would like to take this opportunity to express our thanks to everyone who gave us their support and assistance with the multiple closed beta tests. We are truly sorry to have to make this announcement."Right at the end of the statement, however, Square Enix assured fans the "Kingdom Hearts series will continue," and hinted "we are hard at work on Kingdom Hearts 4, and hope you'll continue to support the series as you keep an eye out for further updates."PlayThis is the first official mention of the highly-anticipated sequel fans have had in months, the last being a tiny, cryptic tease for Kingdom Hearts 4 back in January. Despite being revealed in September 2022 with a full cinematic trailer, developer Square Enix has since gone incredibly quiet since and, in series tradition, left fans pining for more. Kingdom Hearts series director Tetsuya Nomura has however hinted that Kingdom Hearts 4 will, after 22 years and a whopping 18 games, finally shift the Kingdom Hearts narrative towards its conclusion.Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

News Avatar: Braving the Elements Podcast Teases Korra Revelations in Season 4 Trailer Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender rewatch podcast is set to provide a behind the scenes look at The Legend of Korra. By Alec Bojalad | May 13, 2025 | | Photo: Nickelodeon Through three seasons and well over 100 episodes, Avatar: The Last Airbender companion podcast Avatar: Braving the Elements has faithfully recapped episodes of and expanded upon the lore for the all-time classic Nickelodeon animated series. Since the show finished covering The Last Airbender‘s third and final season last October, however, it’s been radio (or podcast) silent. After all, three seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender, the TV show, means three seasons of Avatar: Braving the Elements, the podcast, right? Well, in the immortal words of Lee Corso: not so fast, my friend! Nickelodeon has now announced a May 20 release date for Avatar: Braving the Elements season 4, which will begin to delve into Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s first sequel Avatar: The Legend of Korra. Of course, Avatar: Braving the Elements moving on to Avatar: The Legend of Korra was always a part of the podcast’s long-term plan, as evidenced by the fact that Korra herself, Janet Varney, serves as the show’s co-host alongside Dante Basco. What fans couldn’t have fully anticipated though, is the lineup of Avatar stars, fans, and other luminaries that make up the guest list of this new season. Check them out below in the first trailer for Avatar: Braving the Elements season 4. The season’s first episode will feature Avatar: The Last Airbender creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko as they set the table for the four “books” of Korra to come. After that, things go in some pretty unexpected directions with Minnesota Twins pitcher Pablo López (who is boasting an impressive 2.18 Earned Run Average at press time) joining the discussion. Other guests include: Zach Tyler Eisen (voice of Aang), Steve Blum (voice of Amon), Mindy Sterling (voiced of Lin Beifong), Mick Foley (voice of the Boulder), Seychelle Gabriel (voice of Asami), Jeremy Zuckerman (music composer), Joaquim Dos Santos (director), Levon Hawke (Blink Twice, Avatarverse superfan), Maya Hawke (Stranger Things, Avatarverse superfan), and of course: the legendary cabbage merchant James Sie. While Varney should undoubtedly have a lot of compelling behind-the-scenes tidbits to share this time around, don’t sleep on Basco’s ability to crack the Korra code. The Zuko voice actor didn’t return for the sequel (with a more age-appropriate Bruce Davison taking over the role) and as such has not seen The Legend of Korra. It looks like the show will put that virginal status to good use, breaking out a “FORESHADOW REPORT” every time Basco stumbles upon something prophetic. Avatar: Braving the Elements season 4 premieres May 20 and will rollout weekly with video episodes on YouTube and audio episodes wherever podcasts are available. There is no word on how long this season will run but before you know it, Braving the Elements will be ready for its Seven Havens’ era.

Buried in the blog posts and videos that accompanied Google's The Android Show: I/O Edition announcements was a nugget of Nothing news: The Nothing Phone 3 is going to be expensive. In an Android marketing video showcasing the company's phones, Nothing CEO Carl Pei shared that the new phone will cost around £800 when it launches this summer. That new cost is thanks to Nothing's decision to go "all-in" on the new device by including "premium materials, major performance upgrades and software that really levels things up," according to Pei. The Nothing Phone 2 launched at £580 in the UK and $600 in the US, so selling the Phone 3 at £800 is a noticeable price jump. Assuming Nothing follows through on the premium upgrades it's promising, though, maybe it'll make sense that the Phone 3 costs as much as a Pixel 9 or iPhone 16. Nothing made its name on affordable phones that have unique, premium designs. For example, the company launched the Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro in March 2025, the budget and mid-range counterparts to the Phone 3. Both phones use mid-range chips and camera sensors, but feature a futuristic design and clever AI features that you'd expect out of a much more expensive device. Switching to trying to compete with Apple and Samsung in terms of price suggests Nothing is confident, at the very least. We'll have to wait until this summer when the Phone 3 is actually released to see if that confidence is justified.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/carl-pei-teases-the-all-in-nothing-phone-3-with-a-flagship-price-213023983.html?src=rss

Persona! Atlus teases something Persona 5-related with a cryptic social media post, though what it actually is remains a mystery The most likely outcome is a Western release of Persona 5: The Phantom X, which would certainly be nice! News by Connor Makar Staff Writer Published on May 13, 2025 Atlus has teased something Persona 5-related on social media, which as you've probably assumed has sent the fans' hearts aflutter. While it's not explicitly stated what this is teasing (that being the standard tease protocol), there's a solid chance it's a hint towards a Western port of Persona 5: The Phantom X The post itself, a simple image with the words "retake your desire" plastered across it beneath a top hat and distinct pair of shades, appears to keep things vague enough. But those with their finger on the Persona pulse may recognise those glasses as being very similar to the glasses worn by the protagonist of PSX. This, for many, is all the confirmation needed. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Though this is more evidence to support that theory. In the Sega 2024 financial report, the company expressed a desire to expand its IP on mobile platforms as well as its presence in the Games as a Service (GaaS) space. PSX, a free-to-play mobile game, fits this description perfectly, and an expansion to the West would certainly do wonders in expanding the SEGA's mobile output to more users. Oh, and there's a big Persona 5: The Phantom X livestream taking place on the 15th (which you can watch here) that will likely reveal its version 1.0 release date, so when you step back and look at all the clues, it's fairly clear what this announcement will be. Unless it's somehow Persona 5 Arena, in which case I'll scream. For those who aren't aware, Persona 5: The Phantom X is a spinoff game created by Perfect World, released back in April 2024 in early access for players in China, South Korea, and Hong Kong. There's been no word of a Western release since last year, but given the popularity of Persona 5 over here, it makes sense to bring that game over. It's also worth noting that the game has been recieved positively! It managed to bring various Persona staples over to the mobile platform, including dungeon delving and social mechanics. If this is Persona 5: The Phantom X, would you give it a try once it releases in the West? Let us know below!

You don't have to wait until the Google I/O keynote for a peek at the future of Android. Google is hosting a pre-I/O web show that will show off "what’s new on Android."The prerecorded online event, dubbed The Android Show: I/O Edition, starts at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET today. A 29-second teaser video Google posted to YouTube featuring Sameer Samat, Google’s Android Ecosystem president, offers no spoilers and little substance. Watch it live in the video above.“Hi, everyone, I’m Sameer, and this year we have something special for you: The Android Show: I/O Edition,” he says while standing in front of a bookshelf featuring various Android phones. “We hope you’ll all tune in on May 13 to see what’s new on Android.” Recommended by Our EditorsThe obvious subject for this production would be the upcoming Android 16 release, which hit its third beta in March and had looked primed for an introduction onstage at I/O. Google PR says that I/O itself will feature “more updates in keynotes and technical sessions for developers.”  Release notes and other hints from Android 16's beta releases and earlier developer previews indicate this update will add features like a return of lock-screen widgets,  AI-generated summaries of notifications from messaging apps, new tools to manage health data securely, and stricter security features.That description may not sound like enough change to deserve a new version number. (I'd like to see Google copy more of Apple’s app-privacy features, such as the option to limit an app’s contacts-list access to only one or a few items.) But you'll find out soon enough what fills out the rest of the Android 16 sales pitch. As Samat says at the end of the video: “Whoah, May 13, that’s coming up fast.”