Asus ROG Xbox Ally, ROG Xbox Ally X to Start Pre-Orders in August, Launch in October – Rumour A new report indicates that the ROG Xbox Ally will be priced at around €599, while the more powerful ROG Xbox Ally X will cost €899. Posted By Joelle Daniels | On 16th, Jun. 2025 While Microsoft and Asus have unveiled the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X handheld gaming systems, the companies have yet to confirm the prices or release dates for the two systems. While the announcement  mentioned that they will be launched later this year, a new report, courtesy of leaker Extas1s, indicates that pre-orders for both devices will be kicked off in August, with the launch then happening in October. As noted by Extas1s, the lower-powered ROG Xbox Ally is expected to be priced around €599. The leaker claims to have corroborated the pricing details for the handheld with two different Europe-based retailers. The more powerful ROG Xbox Ally X, on the other hand, is expected to be priced at €899. This would put its pricing in line with Asus’s own ROG Ally X. Previously, Asus senior manager of marketing content for gaming, Whitson Gordon, had revealed that pricing and power use were the two biggest reasons why both the ROG Xbox Ally and the ROG Xbox Ally X didn’t feature OLED displays. Rather, both systems will come equipped with 7-inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD displays with variable refresh rate capabilities. “We did some R&D and prototyping with OLED, but it’s still not where we want it to be when you factor VRR into the mix and we aren’t willing to give up VRR,” said Gordon. “I’ll draw that line in the sand right now. I am of the opinion that if a display doesn’t have variable refresh rate, it’s not a gaming display in the year 2025 as far as I’m concerned, right? That’s a must-have feature, and OLED with VRR right now draws significantly more power than the LCD that we’re currently using on the Ally and it costs more.” Explaining further that the decision ultimately also came down to keeping the pricing for both systems at reasonable levels, since buyers often tend to get handheld gaming systems as their secondary machiens, Gordon noted that both handhelds would have much higher price tags if OLED displays were used. “That’s all I’ll say about price,” said Gordon. “You have to align your expectations with the market and what we’re doing here. Adding 32GB, OLED, Z2 Extreme, and all of those extra bells and whistles would cost a lot more than the price bracket you guys are used to on the Ally, and the vast majority of users are not willing to pay that kind of price.” Shortly after its announcement, Microsoft and Asus had released a video where the two companies spoke about the various features of the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X. In the video, we also get to see an early hardware prototype of the handheld gaming system built inside a cardboard box. The ROG Xbox Ally runs on an AMD Ryzen Z2A chip, and has 16 GB of LPDDR5X-6400 RAM and 512 GB of storage. The ROG Xbox Ally X, on the other hand, runs on an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip, and has 24 GB of LPDDR5X-8000 RAM and 1 TB of storage. Both systems run on Windows. Tagged With: Elden Ring: Nightreign Publisher:Bandai Namco Developer:FromSoftware Platforms:PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, PCView More FBC: Firebreak Publisher:Remedy Entertainment Developer:Remedy 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! Summer Game Fest 2025 Saw 89 Percent Growth in Live Concurrent Viewership Since Last Year This year's Summer Game Fest has been the most successful one so far, with around 1.5 million live viewers on ... Asus ROG Xbox Ally, ROG Xbox Ally X to Start Pre-Orders in August, Launch in October – Rumour A new report indicates that the ROG Xbox Ally will be priced at around €599, while the more powerful ROG Xbo... Borderlands 4 Gets New Video Explaining the Process of Creating Vault Hunters According to the development team behind Borderlands 4, the creation of Vault Hunters is a studio-wide collabo... The Witcher 4 Team is Tapping Into the “Good Creative Chaos” From The Witcher 3’s Development Narrative director Philipp Weber says there are "new questions we want to answer because this is supposed to f... The Witcher 4 is Opting for “Console-First Development” to Ensure 60 FPS, Says VP of Tech However, CD Projekt RED's Charles Tremblay says 60 frames per second will be "extremely challenging" on the Xb... Red Dead Redemption Voice Actor Teases “Exciting News” for This Week Actor Rob Wiethoff teases an announcement, potentially the rumored release of Red Dead Redemption 2 on Xbox Se... View More

The Wicked movie was only half of the story from the hit Broadway musical. The conclusion — literally the entire second act of the show — is the basis for Wicked: For Good, featuring the same cast (including Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande) and directed once again by Jon M. Chu.The first trailer for the movie features the song that gives the film its subtitle, and teases a larger role for Dorothy and the rest of her friends from The Wizard of Oz than existed in the first Wicked movie (and maybe even the Wicked stage play). It’s also got even more beautiful costumes for Glinda and Elphaba — Elphaba’s new cloak with those big lapels is really sharp.You can watch the trailer below:READ MORE: Why Are Trailers For Musicals Afraid of Their Music?There’s a new trailer for the film as well.UniversalUniversalloading...Here is the film’s official synopsis:Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), now demonized as The Wicked Witch of the West, lives in exile, hidden within the Ozian forest while continuing her fight for the freedom of Oz’s silenced Animals and desperately trying to expose the truth she knows about The Wizard (Jeff Goldblum). Glinda, meanwhile, has become the glamorous symbol of Goodness for all of Oz, living at the palace in Emerald City and reveling in the perks of fame and popularity. Under the instruction of Madame Morrible (Oscar® winner Michelle Yeoh), Glinda is deployed to serve as an effervescent comfort to Oz, reassuring the masses that all is well under the rule of The Wizard. As Glinda’s stardom expands and she prepares to marry Prince Fiyero (Olivier award winner and Emmy and SAG nominee Jonathan Bailey) in a spectacular Ozian wedding, she is haunted by her separation from Elphaba. She attempts to broker a conciliation between Elphaba and The Wizard, but those efforts will fail, driving Elphaba and Glinda only further apart. The aftershocks will transform Boq (Tony nominee Ethan Slater) and Fiyero forever, and threaten the safety of Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), when a girl from Kansas comes crashing into all their lives. As an angry mob rises against the Wicked Witch, Glinda and Elphaba will need to come together one final time. With their singular friendship now the fulcrum of their futures, they will need to truly see each other, with honesty and empathy, if they are to change themselves, and all of Oz, for good.Well that was quite extensive. Wicked: For Good is scheduled to open in theaters on November 21.Get our free mobile appThe Best Food and Drink at Epic UniverseIf you visit Universal’s Epic Universe theme park, here are the foods and drink you have to try.

Game reveals, release date confirmations, and new looks at titles coming to PlayStation in the near future: today’s State of Play packed a lot into its runtime. Whether you missed the show, want to rewatch it, or dig down into the individual announcements, this article has you covered.  Firstly, you can rewatch the full show below. Underneath that we highlight each of the games featured in the show with recaps of their announcement as well as their full trailers. We also have further details and insight by the game creators in a selection of dedicated PS Blog articles.  Play Video View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Astro Bot  New levels are coming to Astro Bot this summer! Get ready for the challenge of five new Vicious Void Galaxy levels. They’ll require every bit of skill together to complete! And of course, these new levels will introduce their own Special Bots! And that’s not all: an updated smiley version of the Astro Bot Limited Edition DualSense wireless controller is set to launch later this year. Preview both the upcoming DualSense controller and the new PS5 levels in a PS Blog post from Team Asobi Studio Head Nicolas Doucet. Play Video Baby Steps The wonderfully weird walking sim has a release date as Baby Steps toddles onto PS5 September 8. Today’s new gameplay trailer further highlights the game’s unique traversal mechanics, as well as challenges its onesie-wearing protagonist Nate faces as he attempts to answer the call of nature.  Play Video Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement  The 2.5D side-scrolling action RPG returns with a new dark chapter. Explore the massive Ethereal Castle as two new heroes – Leo and Alex – join forces to tackle its fearsome inhabitants. You’ll be able to switch between the duo at the press of a button, leveraging each adventurer’s distinct abilities in order to survive.  505 Games dives further into the sequel’s gameplay mechanics and details what you can expect when you enter the castle’s halls when it launches on PS5 next year in a PS Blog post.  Play Video Cairn Climb like never before in survival-climber Cairn, which ascends onto PS5 November 5. Consider your path and climb anywhere on the mountain, managing your endurance and resources to survive. You’ll be able to hone your skills and test palm strength early, as a demo launches onto PlayStation Store today.  Cairn creator The Game Bakers breaks down its interactive take on alpinism in a tie-in PS Blog post.  Play Video Digimon Story: Time Stranger After being announced in the last State of Play this past February, Digimon Story: Time Stranger returns with a new trailer that digs into its story, reveals more of its vibrant characters and highlights the variety of Digimon growth and customization you can expect when the game launches October 3.  View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots  Teeing off on PS5 this September 5 is the return of the classic golfing series. Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots debuted a new gameplay trailer that revealed a surprise guest star: Pac-Man! The gaming icon will be available as an early unlockable character when you pre-order the game.  Play Video Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles Originally released in 1997 for PlayStation, Final Fantasy Tactics is known for its rich story and deep, strategic gameplay. This September 30 you can enjoy both when the strategy RPG returns on PS5 and PS4 in the form of Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles. This enhanced version adds fully voiced dialogue, optimized and updated UI, graphical improvements, and a number of other quality of life features Square Enix details what to expect, including the more accessible “Squire” difficulty setting, in a PS Blog post.  Play Video Ghost of Yōtei Today’s show announced a special State of Play episode dedicated to Ghost of Yōtei, coming your way soon.  Sucker Punch will guide you through an extended look at new and evolved gameplay mechanics, including exploration, combat, and much more. Mark your calendar: the episode airs this July.  Play Video Hirogami Hirogami is an origami-inspired 3D action platformer coming to PS5 on September 3. Explore a beautiful but fragile origami world as Hiro, a master of the art of ‘folding’, and take on animal forms to traverse the landscape, solve puzzles, overcome enemies, and save the realm from a deadly digital threat. Play Video 007 First Light IO Interactive’s third-person action-adventure game 007 First Light third-person action-adventure game unveils a new James Bond origin story. Discover the events that lead a young maverick to become the best MI6 agent and the world’s most iconic spy when the game launches on PS5 next year. IO Interactive shares first details on the game, including its story and Bond’s background in a new PS Blog post.  Play Video Lumines Arise A brand-new, built from the ground up entry into the iconic puzzle series launches later this year on PS5 and features optional PS VR2 compatibility. Lumines Arise includes 30 flow state-inducing stages, including lush jungles, oceans, to more electronic frontiers like the bustling streets of Tokyo and the endless expanse of outer space. A new Burst mechanic amps up the timeless gameplay.  Enhance discusses the debut of its new title, talks Avatars and teases an upcoming demo in a new PS Blog post.  Play Video MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls  PlayStation Studios, Arc System Works (Arc), and Marvel Games have joined forces to realize the latest in tag team fighters, MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls! Experience the Marvel Universe like never before with reimagined characters and stages, a heart-pounding soundtrack, intuitive gameplay mechanics, and jaw-dropping visuals that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Whether this is your first fighting game or you are a veteran of the genre, Arc has incorporated gameplay controls and mechanics that are easy to pick up and play, and yet still offer the depth and versatility for high level competition.  Find out more in this PS Blog post.  Play Video Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater  Today’s trailer offered a closer look at how this remake has approached the fearsome adversaries that Naked Snake will face on his mission: The Cobra Unit. The new footage doesn’t just linger on the high stakes action you’ll face during the story campaign though. Konami also shares gameplay of Snake vs Monkey, which is also making its return when the game launches on PS5 this August 28.  Play Video Mortal Kombat Kollection Digital Eclipse partners with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to bring Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 later this year. With multiple playable games from the early days of this groundbreaking fighting game series as well as interactive documentaries, Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection promises to be the most comprehensive, detailed look at the franchise’s history ever assembled. In a supporting PS Blog post, Digital Eclipse outlines the games included in the collection, and shares more information on the documentaries that’ll include Mortal Kombat co-creators Ed Boon and John Tobia, developers, actors and more.  Play Video Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, the new spectacular side-scrolling entry to the acclaimed series, releases on July 31 on PS5 and PS4. Honoring the franchise’s legacy, Ragebound modernises the unforgiving action-platforming formula with the fast-paced and exhilarating action The Game Kitchen (Blasphemous I & II) is known for. Play Video Nioh 3  Koei Tecmo and developer Team Ninja announced Nioh 3 for PS5. In this dark fantasy action RPG, players can fight using two distinct combat styles: Samurai and Ninja. The Samurai style provides a gameplay experience similar to previous Nioh titles, while Ninja style excels in quick movements like dodging and aerial actions. Players will be able to switch between battle styles instantly at any time. Intrigued to know how they’ll work? You can find out today with a limited time demo that’ll be launching on PlayStation Store.  Keoi Tecmo shares more story and gameplay details about the game in an accompanying PS Blog post.  View and download image Download the image close Close Download this image PlayStation Plus  Along with Sword of the Sea coming August 19 as part of the Game Catalog lineup (more on that further down), there were new titles announced coming to PlayStation Plus. The PS2 version of immersive sci-fi sim Deus Ex joins Game Catalog June 17, Twisted Metal 3 and Twisted Metal 4 come to the PlayStation Plus Premium’s Classics range July 15. Later this summer, the original PlayStation versions of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis also come to  PlayStation Plus Premium’s Classics range. Play Video Pragmata Pragmata, Capcom’s new science fiction adventure, received a new gameplay trailer during today’s State of Play. This early peak of the game’s gameplay shows its unique twist of action and strategy, as in Pragmata, players must control its two protagonists, Hugh and Diana, at the same time to overcome the many obstacles you’ll face. Capcom shares more details of its latest IP, out 2026 on PS5, in an accompanying PS Blog post.  Play Video Project Defiant  Today State of Play saw the reveal of the first wireless fight stick custom designed by PlayStation. Codenamed Project Defiant, this new controller allows wireless play through PlayStation Link, or wired connection on PS5 or PC, and is set to launch next year.  Get your first full details on the fight stick in this PS Blog post.  Play Video Romeo is a Dead Man Romeo Stargazer is a man stuck between life and death who chases space-time’s most wanted fugitives as FBI special agent Dead Man. This newly revealed action title, created by Grasshopper Manufacture, launches on PS5 next year, and sees you use guns, swords and even enemies’ own powers against them to battle evil hordes.  How does a time paradox shattering the space-time continuum turn someone into an FBI special agent? Grasshopper Manufacture explains (kinda) in a new PS Blog post.   Play Video Sea of Remnants Meet a world of puppetfolk exploring the open sea and its secrets in oceanic action RPG Sea of Remnants, which sets sail for PS5. Form a specialised crew to answer any challenge that lies beyond the horizon, upgrade your ship to ride out any storm and return home with your spoils to Orbtopia, a pirate city that’ll evolve based on your swashbuckling decisions.   Joker Studio expands on the game’s punk aesthetic art style and delves deeper into its gameplay in an accompanying PS Blog post.  Play Video Silent Hill f Silent Hill f launches September 25 on PS5, and today’s State of Play trailer shows Shimizu Hinako’s perilous journey as the high schooler’s hometown is engulfed in fog, and the dangers within will have her fighting for her life. As a standalone spinoff, the game serves as an excellent introduction to the series.  “Find beauty in terror” – Konami explains the mission statement that shaped the game’s development in this PS Blog post.  Play Video Sword of the Sea Giant Squid is bringing its exhilarating, mythic surfing adventure Sword of the Sea to PS5 on August 19, with the game releasing as part of that month’s PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup.  In an accompanying PS Blog post, the studio outlines the game’s inspirations and merging those with its signature environmental design and atmospheric narrative style has resulted in a mythic surfing adventure unlike anything else. Play Video Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow  The legendary Thief franchise is reimagined for PlayStation VR2 in Thief VR: Legacy of Shadow, launching later this year. Play as Magpie, a cunning thief orphaned by Northcrest’s brutality and shaped by the streets and use PS VR2 mechanics to steal, evade, and outsmart the forces controlling The City. Move between shadows, and extinguish light sources with water arrows, hands or even a well-aimed breath to remain undetected.   Vertigo Games details how the franchise’s mechanics have been adapted to PS VR2 in this PS Blog post.  Play Video Tides of Tomorrow Road 96 creator DigixArt returns with an intriguing asynchronous multiplayer, oceanic adventure, coming to PS5 February 24, 2026. Tides of Tomorrow’s vibrant post-apocalyptic world interweaves your choices and a previous player’s decisions for a truly unique experience. You’ll see echoes of that player’s choices and actions, that will help you avoid traps, solve puzzles, investigate what happened before, or simply adapt based on the other player’s actions. Road 96 creator DigixArt introduces the oceanic nomads the Tidewalkers and breaks down the game’s unique mechanic in a new PS Blog post written by the studio. 

Netflix Tudum 2025 has begun and promises to reveal a ton of exciting details about the most-anticipated shows and movie heading to the streamer in the future, including Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery's release date and Squid Game's Season 3 trailer.There will be a ton of announcements during the Netflix Tudum 2025 livestream, and we'll be gathering all the big new right here as it happens, so make sure to stay tuned and refresh often!Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery Release Date RevealedRian Johnson's Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery's latest teaser trailer not only revealed more about Benoit Blanc's latest adventure, but it also shared it will arrive on Netflix on December 12, 2025.We don't know much about this new mystery yet, but Blanc himself has described this as his "most dangerous case yet." What we do know is that Daniel Craig's Blanc will be joined by Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church.Squid Game Season 3 Trailer Teases the Final GamesSquid Game Season 3 is set to debut on Netflix on June 27, and Tudum shared with the world a new trailer that showcases what these final games have in in store for Lee Jung-jae's Gi-hun and more. “The new season will focus on what Gi-hun can and will do after all his efforts fail,” series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk said. "He is in utter despair after losing everything and watching all his efforts go in vain. The story then takes an interesting turn, questioning whether Gi-hun can overcome his shame and rise again to prove that values of humanity — like conscience and kindness — can exist in the arena.” Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein Gets a Teaser Trailer That Shows Off Oscar Isaac's Victor Frankenstein and the 'Misbegotten Creature He's Created'Academy Award winner Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, which is an adaptation of Mary Shelley's iconic novel, got a new teaser trailer that shows off Oscar Isaac's Victor Frankenstein and the "misbegotten creature (Jacob Elordi) he's created." Alongside a glimpse at these film that will be released in November, fans of del Toro's work will note "plenty of familiar imagery in the new teaser, from Isaac’s Victor standing on a decaying staircase holding a candelabra (see: Crimson Peak) to a blood-red angelic figure surrounded in flames (see: the Angel of Death in Hellboy II: The Golden Army, the blue Wood Sprite and the sphinxlike Death in Pinocchio, and even the Faun in Pan’s Labyrinth). One Piece Season 2 Trailer Reveals the First Look at Tony Tony ChopperThe latest trailer for Season 2 of One Piece has arrived and it has given us our first look at Tony Tony Chopper, who is voiced by Mikaela Hoover (Beef, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Superman). For those unfamiliar, Chopper is a blue-nosed reindeer-boy hybrid and is able to treat various illnesses and wants to travel the world and cure all the diseases that pop up. “What excited me about playing Chopper is the tug of war between his standoffishness and his huge heart,” Hoover told Tudum. “He tries so hard to hide his emotions and put on a tough exterior, but underneath, he’s a big softy, and his love can’t help but come out.“I believe there is a little Chopper in all of us,” she adds. “We all want to be loved and accepted. We go to great lengths to keep the people that we love safe. There’s a purity to his nature that reminds us of what’s good in the world.”Developing...

Sam Fisher has been away for too long (Ubisoft) Activity on Ubisoft’s social media channels points to a potential Splinter Cell announcement, but is it connected to the remake? It’s been four years since Ubisoft announced it was working on a remake of the first Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, and we’ve heard nothing substantial about it since. Aside from some early concept art, a report last year claimed that, despite fan fears, the project hadn’t been cancelled and that it could launch at some point in 2026. Despite years of silence from Ubisoft, it seems they might finally be gearing up to make an announcement regarding the franchise. Either that, or someone on the social media team is feeling particularly torturous towards its fans. In an X post on Friday, May 30, the official Ubisoft account shared a head shot of series protagonist Sam Fisher, with eye emojis and ‘#SplinterCell’ in the caption. Weirdly, the screenshot itself is from the sequel to Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, titled Pandora Tomorrow, which was released in 2004 on PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, and PC. While many fans are hoping this is a tease for news about the remake at Summer Game Fest on Friday, June 6, or at the Xbox showcase two days later, there’s a chance it could be connected to something else entirely. On Saturday, May 31, Netflix is holding its annual Tudum event where it shares trailers and announcements about its upcoming release slate. You might have forgotten about it entirely, but Netflix is developing an animated TV series based on Splinter Cell, called Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, which is slated to be released in late 2025. More Trending There’s a chance Ubisoft is teasing an announcement regarding the latter, but that doesn’t mean we won’t see an update about the remake at some point soon. In fact, it makes sense to line up the animated series with the launch of a remake, but that depends on whether Ubisoft is feeling logical. One potential ding against the chances of an update at Summer Game Fest is the fact Ubisoft hasn’t been listed among the event’s partners so far. This in turn suggests the company is planning its own Ubisoft Forward presentation again, like it did in June last year, but there hasn’t been an official announcement yet. The last mainline instalment in the series was 2013’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist, which continued the series’ action-orientated shift, following Splinter Cell: Conviction. Ubisoft was working on a VR spin-off, but that was was cancelled in 2022. Could we get an actual trailer soon? (Ubisoft) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

CDPR releases 37 minutes of Cyberpunk 2077 Switch 2 video - so what have we learned? Previewing the latest port vs Xbox Series S and PlayStation 4. Image credit: CD Projekt RED Face-off by Thomas Morgan Senior Staff Writer, Digital Foundry Published on May 26, 2025 Developer CD Projekt RED has uploaded a generous batch of Switch 2 Cyberpunk 2077 footage week - 37 minutes of direct 4K capture to be exact - giving us an early glimpse at the state of its docked 30fps quality mode. Since it releases on 5th June as a Switch 2 launch title, we don't really have too long to wait to see the real thing in action, though given that this footage comes with no "early build" disclaimer or suchlike it appears CDPR is confident in what it's showing in this material - and for good reason. Poring over all the assets, we have plenty to work with for some preliminary comparisons and even frame-rate analysis. In short, the prospects for this Switch 2 rendition are encouraging overall. In terms of content, CDPR is showing all manner of gameplay: driving, combat, major mission set pieces - you name it, it's included. Some clips even reveal, quite openly, the challenges Switch 2 faces in running such a complex open world game - notably for high speed car action. To its credit, frame-rate delivery at 30 frames per second is strong based on this footage overall, with drops into the 20-30fps range mainly being a problem while speeding through Night City's streets. Especially at points where multiple AI cars clog up its roads, it appears drops and traversal hitches are possible, something we're keen to re-test on its release. It's a positive showing overall, though: on-foot exploration around its markets, the bustling parade sequence teeming with NPCs, and even combat during the Phantom Liberty DLC all run at a perfect 30fps here. In performance terms, this showing is perhaps best put in the context of what's currently possible on last-gen consoles, and also Series S. In re-testing the base PS4 version today for example, it's sobering to find that open world roaming there still plays out with hitching, geometry pop-in and drops to 20-30fps - certainly more than is evident in this Switch 2 footage. Going hands-on with the final build ourselves is a must for any final word on this, but early signs point to fewer glaring issues in traversal and battle. Sit back, relax and enjoy another massive episode of DF Direct Weekly.Watch on YouTube 0:00:00 Introduction 0:00:39 News 1: 37 minutes of Cyberpunk 2077 Switch 2 footage released! 0:18:51 News 2: AMD introduces 9060 XT 0:31:43 News 3: AMD teases "FSR Redstone" 0:44:15 News 4: Doom has hidden performance metrics on Xbox 0:53:38 News 5: Mario Kart World originally planned for Switch 1 1:02:49 News 6: Hellblade 2 coming to PS5 1:11:29 Supporter Q1: What do you make of the Nvidia/Gamers Nexus controversy? 1:19:41 Supporter Q2: If Microsoft is working on an Xbox emulator for Windows, does that signal the end for traditional Xbox consoles? 1:28:56 Supporter Q3: Should Nintendo release a non-portable, home-only Switch 2? 1:35:32 Supporter Q4: Could Switch 2 become a dumping ground for last-gen games? 1:40:29 Supporter Q5: What are your hopes and concerns for Switch 2? On the other hand, Xbox Series S' performance level - in its own 30fps quality mode - is a more aspirational target for Switch 2. We described this version as 'what last-gen should have been' in our original review, thanks to it boasting a broadly rock-solid 30fps experience, and it even went on to receive a 60fps mode post-release. A question mark hovers over the viability of Switch 2's own 40fps performance mode though, where we have no recent assets. More to come on this when we get the game ourselves. In terms of comparisons, image quality is a plus point for Switch 2 when compared to the older PS4 release, and even Series S. Much of this boils down to Nvidia's DLSS upscaling technology being available to Switch 2's Tegra 239 processor. CDPR has already confirmed the use of DLSS to hit a 1080p target in docked play in this case (and a 720p target in handheld mode). However, the actual native pixel counts are typically lower than 1080p - with dynamic scaling taking us to 1280x720 at its nadir during the most extreme 20fps drop on record here while driving. More typically though, numbers like 792p, 810p and 864p crop up at less taxing points in the footage, which is a high enough base pixel count for DLSS to (usually) work its magic and reconstruct a 1080p frame. For perspective, Series S' quality mode renders at a 1296p-1440p range using AMD's FSR 2 as its upscaler (as of a late 2022 patch 1.61, following an upgrade from TAA). Meanwhile, base PS4 continues to run at a 720p-900p range using CDPR's own in-house temporal AA solution. In both cases Switch 2 has an advantage in temporal stability, at least. Even though it runs at a lower pixel count than Series S, DLSS more adeptly cleans up the game's visual noise in certain scenarios compared to FSR 2. Shimmer is minimised across the dampened floors of the market area, while during static moments, fences and character detail up-close resolve with added sharpness via Switch 2's upscaler. To see this content please enable targeting cookies. On the downside, for all its benefits, DLSS does not always hide its lower base pixel input. Driving at speed reveals blocking artefacts on Switch 2, while a later Johnny Silverhand dialogue sequence shows similar break-up around two background NPCs playing basketball. There are some limits on show, then, but it's a respectably competitive result next to Series S all things considered. In fact, it's similar to what we found with Street Fighter 6 comparisons between these two consoles, where Switch 2 pushes a sharper, less visibly noisy frame via DLSS - and despite Capcom's fightert running at a lower native res in that case. Focusing on visual quality, it's a surprise to find Switch 2 is on par with both PS4 and Series S in a great many of its core settings. Paired side-by-side with each, there is scarce evidence of any differences in recreated shots: texture quality is a match, SSR is enabled across the floors, and motion blur is engaged too. There is a difference in ambient occlusion (resulting in thicker pockets of object shading on Switch 2) that needs further investigation - and it's clear that Switch 2 also loses the lens flare effect of the Series S release. That aside, the variance in time of day and NPC placement account for a majority of the differences in the open city - whereas in confined interiors that are perfectly matched, the main difference is again DLSS' impact on image quality. It's a positive peak at CDPR's optimisation efforts so far and it appears to be an improvement on the build I played at Nintendo's Switch 2 event in London last month. We're just ten days away from what's undeniably one of the most technically challenging third party games on Switch 2, and it's certainly a big one for coverage plans at Digital Foundry. In fact as I type this, there's an ongoing effort to bank as much Cyberpunk 2077 footage on other platforms for comparison. Roll on June 5th!

Mortal Kombat 1 DLC is officially over as developer teases next project Adam Starkey Published May 26, 2025 1:08pm Updated May 26, 2025 1:09pm Finish him (Warner Bros.) NetherRealm has confirmed there will be no more DLC characters for Mortal Kombat 1 following disappointing sales. Mortal Kombat is still the best-selling fighting game franchise in the world, but the latest entry fell short of its usual sales expectations. The latest game, titled Mortal Kombat 1, was a reboot of the series set in a new timeline, where classic characters like Raiden, Sub-Zero, and Johnny Cage possessed reworked origin stories and aesthetics. While the game itself was mechanically solid, it clearly didn’t connect with fans in the same way as its predecessor, Mortal Kombat 11. The latter managed to sell over 15 million copies during its lifetime, whereas Mortal Kombat 1, as of January this year, has sold 5 million. After rumours emerged last year of an early cut to DLC support, developer NetherRealm has confirmed there will be no more extra characters or expansions for Mortal Kombat 1. ‘We are hearing players’ requests for continued game support of Mortal Kombat 1, and, while we will continue to support Mortal Kombat 1 through balance adjustments and fixes, there will not be additional DLC characters or story chapters released from this point on,’ a post on X reads. ‘We understand this will be disappointing for fans, but our team at NetherRealm needs to shift focus to the next project in order to make it as great as we possibly can.’ The last DLC character for Mortal Kombat 1 was the T-1000 from Terminator 2: Judgement Day, which rolled out in March following last year’s Khaos Reigns expansion. Earlier this month, a definitive edition combining all the DLC was released. NetherRealm hasn’t announced what its next project actually is, but a dataminer recently suggested the studio is working on the next entry in the Injustice franchise. In a post on X earlier this month, dataminer MultiverSusie, who is known for MultiVersus leaks, wrote: ‘MultiVersus shutting down is an injustice, then doing it all again is another injustice. Leaving me without any leaks is yet again another Injustice. 3.’ More Trending If true, this would be the first entry in the series since 2017’s Injustice 2. The series takes place in an alternate reality within the DC Universe, where Superman has become an evil tyrant, and features a roster of fighters ranging from Wonder Woman to Black Adam. Prior to Injustice, NetherRealm developed a DC crossover fighter titled Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, which was released in 2008 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Rumours of a new Injustice game have floated around for years, but the timing might be right for a new instalment to coincide with DC’s revamped cinematic universe, which starts with Superman this summer. Is it time for another Injustice? (Warner Bros.) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy