Specifications for the unannounced PlayStation 5 Pro have leaked online, revealing the power of the console Sony reportedly plans to release during the fourth quarter of 2024.
The specs list first emerged via YouTube channel Moore’s Law Is Dead, before Insider Gaming claimed they were real, and a subsequent Insider Gaming article added further detail. IGN understands the leaked specifications are real, and emerged from Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Developer Network. Sony has yet to comment.
The headline improvements here are to the CPU, which is said to be identical to the standard PS5’s CPU but with a ‘High CPU Frequency Mode’, which amounts to a 10% increase to 3.85GHz, and the GPU, which enables faster rendering and higher quality ray tracing powered by 33.5 teraflops. The standard PS5 offers 10.28 teraflops. However, a direct PS5 to PS5 Pro comparison would work out at around 10.28 vs 16 to 17 teraflops.
Of particular interest, the PS5 Pro is said to have an upscaling/antialiasing solution called PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution Upscaling), custom machine learning architecture, and an AI accelerator. Elsewhere, PS5 Pro has a detachable disc drive and 1TB of storage space.
Sony has form when it comes to releasing a Pro version of its consoles. The PS4 Pro, for example, launched in November 2016, three years after the PS4 came out. A PS5 Pro launch this November would come four years after the PS5 launched in November 2020.
Sony has revised its PS5 sales forecast for the current financial year, down from its lofty target of 25 million consoles sold to 21 million. This comes despite a year-on-year increase in PS5 sales for the holiday 2023 quarter, from 7.1 million sold to 8.2 million.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
A number of professional Apex Legends players were hacked mid-match during the game’s Global Series, putting a stop to the tournament and sparking concern about the security of some EA games.
During the North American finals of the Apex Legends Global Series, Noyan “Genburten” Ozkose was surprised to discover the ability to see through walls, an incident you can see in the video below from X/Twitter user @Apryze_:
It didn’t stop there. Phillip “ImperialHal” Dosen was then somehow given an aimbot. Footage shows chat taken over by the words “Apex hacking global series by Destroyer2009 & R4ndom.”
So i was given Aimbot but it was just me playing on Controller all good guys. Nerf controller! pic.twitter.com/2ztHtoOnRB
Apex Legends esports was then forced to abandon the tournament. “Due to the competitive integrity of this series being compromised, we have made the decision to postpone the North American finals at this time,” the organisation said in a statement. “We will share more information soon.”
According to video game cheat prevention organization the Anti-Cheat Police Department, hackers are abusing a Remote Code Execution (RCE) exploit to gain control over EA games protected by Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC). In a tweet, the Anti-Cheat Police Department issued a warning to players: “I would advise against playing any games protected by EAC or any EA titles once they have fixed this or can comment.
“Currently, the RCE is being abused to inject cheats into streamers machines, which means they have the capabilities to do whatever, like installing ransomware software locking up your entire PC.”
please don’t play apex until this is addressed, if players at the highest level of play are affected, anybody could be https://t.co/ylgcW4tNF8
The Anti-Cheat Police Department then issued a specific recommendation to the pros who took part in the tournament, suggesting they take immediate measures to protect their personal information.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Took us a while to get our first proper good console deal of 2024, didn’t it? And just as the PS5 Slim was busy getting knocked off its RRP, it suddenly fell again. That’s right, you can pick up a PS5 Slim for just £390 if you’re an Amazon Prime Member, down from £479.99. This is an extra £20 off compared to the original discount we’ve been seeing this year, and the best deal we’ve seen on the slim model since its launch.
While maintaining the high performance and features of the original PS5, the Slim version addresses the bulkiness that was a notable aspect of its predecessor. It continues to offer super-fast loading times and the ability to play games in stunning 4K resolution, ensuring that the gaming experience remains top-notch. The PS5 Slim comes in two versions: one with a disc drive and one as a digital-only console.
If you’ve been awaiting news on the PlayStation Portal as well, we’ve got some more good news, as it’s currently in stock at Currys (see here) and PS Direct for £199.99. Stock levels on the highly sought-after device have finally evened out, so there’s never been a better time to pick one up. For even more amazing UK deals, preorders, and news, consider following @IGNUKDeals on Twitter/X.
Best PlayStation Portal Accessories for 2024
Now you’ve managed to secure the infamous PS Portal, how about some tidy accessories for the shiny new device? In case you weren’t aware, it lacks Bluetooth (sorry) so you’ll need some proprietary Sony headphones to use with the device.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t include the original Pulse 3D Headset either, so you’ll need to invest in something new if you want to play on the couch while not disturbing everyone else in the same room as you. We’ll include links to both the Pulse Elite and Pulse Explore wireless headsets which are both built to work seemlessly with the PS Portal. We’ve also thrown in some screen protectors, and handy cases to carry the device around in as well!
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
The weekend is coming to a close, and we’ve gathered up some excellent deals for you! Whether you’re searching for a new laptop or a discounted game, we’ve got you covered with the best deals for Sunday, March 17. These deals include Resident Evil 4, Apple MacBook Air M1, PlayStation 5 Slum Bundle, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, God of War Ragnarok, and more.
Resident Evil 4 for $29.99
2023’s Resident Evil 4 is one of the best remakes out there on current generation consoles. Following Leon S. Kennedy, you travel to a remote village in Europe with a mission to locate the President’s missing daughter. This Resident Evil title is the perfect blend of action and horror. Right now, Amazon has the title half off for all consoles, which matches the all-time low.
MacBook Air M1 for $699
Walmart has discounted the Apple MacBook Air M1 to just $699. This is cheaper than any student discount or similar could get you. Although newer models utilize the M2 chip, the M1 is nothing to look past. It’s capable of running plenty of performance-heavy software, so you can edit videos, photoshop images, and more.
PS5 Slim Spider-Man 2 Bundle for $399.99
Amazon has a fantastic deal ongoing for the PlayStation 5 Slim Digital Edition. The console itself is $50 off, and you get Spider-Man 2 for free. In total, that’s $120 worth of savings. This is perfect if you’ve yet to pick up a PS5, as we most likely won’t see a better deal than this for a while.
Get a $25 Gift Card with Any Nintendo Switch
Even though MAR10 day has passed, an amazing Nintendo Switch deal is still live. Best Buy is offering a free $25 Best Buy gift card with the purchase of any Nintendo Switch model. This includes Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, and the Nintendo Switch OLED Model. If you’ve yet to pick up a Nintendo Switch, this is a perfect time to do so, as you can spend the $25 gift card on a new game to go alongside it!
Save On Samsung 990 EVO SSDs
Amazon has solid discounts for both the 1TB and 2TB Samsung 990 EVO SSD models. This SSD is compatible with PlayStation 5, so it’s perfect if you’re looking for a new PS5 accessory to pick up. Additionally, it’s great for any gaming PC or other device that supports a full NVME M.2 SSD.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for $39.99
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the best-selling Nintendo Switch title to date. There’s never been a better time to pick up the game, especially since the DLC recently wrapped up. A total of 96 tracks are available to race through with this title, which will keep you busy for years to come. New racers, including Diddy Kong, Pauline, and Birdo, are even available with the Booster Course Pass!
Save $20 Off An Xbox Wireless Controller
You can always use an extra Xbox controller. Not everything lasts forever, and controllers can wear down easily, especially when used frequently. This weekend, the Microsoft Store is offering $20 off an Xbox Wireless Controller. This deal applies to both the Robot White controller and the Pulse Red controller.
Save $20 Off Mario Tennis Aces
Mario Tennis Aces marked the first story mode in a Mario Sports title in quite some time. Developer Camelot looked to create an immersive new take on the Mario Tennis formula. Aces has dozens of characters to choose from, each with their own unique abilities and skillsets. The gameplay formula has been revamped with exciting new mechanics such as Zone Shot and Zone Speed, which redefine what a match of Tennis can look like.
Save 43% Off God of War Ragnarok
God of War Ragnarok is still one of the best PS5 games you can pick up. This action game acts as the sequel to 2018’s God of War, following Kratos and Atreus as Fimbulwinter looms. If you’ve yet to play this game, this is a great time to pick up Ragnarok at a discount and see why so many players love this series.
Apple AirPods Pro with USB Type-C for $189.99
Amazon has dropped the price of the 2nd gen Apple AirPods Pro truly wireless noise cancelling earbuds with the universal USB Type-C connector by $60, now only $189. With this current gen AirPods Pro, Apple has replaced the proprietary Lightning port with the more universal USB Type-C. These earbuds are perfect if you have an iPhone, iPad, or MacBook, as they seamlessly connect and provide excellent audio quality all around.
Pick Up the Dead Space Remake for $29.99
Dead Space launched last January, and this is a great time to pick up the game if you haven’t already. This remake features an impressive use of technology and a completely modernized combat system. Special attention has been put on the audio, with 3D Audio technology utilized for an immersive experience. You can expect loads of thrills and horror as you look to escape the stranded ship. The USG Ishimura has never looked better or been scarier.
Save $20 Off Luigi’s Mansion 3
Luigi’s Mansion 3 is still one of the best Nintendo Switch titles available. Luigi finds himself, Mario, Peach, and Toad on vacation at the Last Resort hotel. However, upon arriving, things aren’t as they seem. You’re quickly thrust into a wild adventure featuring new abilities, companions, and ghosts. With Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD set to release this June, today is a great opportunity to check out the latest Luigi’s Mansion title in preparation.
From becoming a staple name in the 3D platformer genre with Crash Bandicoot to creating one of the most beloved stories in video games with The Last of Us, Naughty Dog is without question one of the biggest and most respected names in game development. Jumping from genre to genre with each major franchise it creates, the team’s now-iconic paw print logo has become synonymous with huge productions, heart-wrenching storytelling, and characters that transcend the medium.
Naughty Dog’s rise from the home of colorful, light-hearted platforming to the go-to studio for gripping, mature storytelling has been lined with nearly two dozen games, ranging from fantasy RPGs to educational math games. So, let’s run through every title Naughty Dog has released through 2024.
How Many Naughty Dog Games Are There?
In total, there are 23 Naughty Dog games, with its first hitting shelves in 1985 and its most recent launching in 2022. The list below includes all game releases, standalone expansions, and remakes. Remasters (including the recent Last of Us 2 Remaster) and DLC are not included.
All Naughty Dog Games in Order
1. Math Jam – 1985
The project that paved the way for the Naughty Dog we know today, Math Jam was a collaborative project between both of the studio’s founders: Jason Rubin and Andy Gavin. Developed for the Apple II under the studio name JAM, Math Jam was self-published by the duo while they were still in high school.
It taught basic arithmetic and was purely educational. However, both Rubin and Gavin decided their next game was going to move away from teaching and venture fully into the recreational side of video games…
2. Ski Crazed – 1986
Rubin and Gavin’s second game, Ski Crazed, launched in 1986 when they were just 16 years old. Also released for the Apple II, it saw players launch their avatars down various ski slopes while avoiding hazardous obstacles and attempting to rack up high scores.
3. Dream Zone – 1987
Rubin and Gavin’s third game hit shelves in 1987 and saw the duo take on the point-and-click adventure genre. Titled Dream Zone, it sees players travel to a satirical fantasy realm based inside the protagonist’s dreams, where they must deal with the land’s range of eccentric imaginary inhabitants en route to escape.
4. Keef the Thief – 1989
Officially donning the Naughty Dog moniker for the first time and partnering with EA, Rubin and Gavin’s fourth project was another comedic point-and-click adventure game, this time titled Keef the Thief. Much as the title suggests, the main premise was to steal items, with Keef exploring a large city and its surrounding wilderness while interacting with NPCs.
5. Rings of Power – 1991
Two years after Keef the Thief, Naughty Dog partnered with EA once again to release Rings of Power on the SEGA Genesis. Putting players in the shoes of a sorcerer called Buc, the game was an isometric RPG set in the fantasy realm of Ushka Bau, where a magical staff shattered into eleven pieces that the player must seek out and collect. Along the way, they meet and recruit a party, leading to a final with a malevolent demon named Void.
6. Way of the Warrior – 1994
Taking a swing at the fighting genre, Naughty Dog’s sixth project was Way of the Warrior for the 3DO. The game had players pick a fighter and battle their way through a hellacious tournament, defeating their rivals and spreading their legend throughout the annals of history.
7. Crash Bandicoot – 1996
Naughty Dog’s first breakout success,Crash Bandicoot was the company’s seventh game and their first on a PlayStation console. It stars the titular Crash Bandicoot, a mutated science experiment that escapes the laboratory of his creator, the villainous Doctor Neo Cortex.
A colorful 3D mascot platformer that tasks players with conquering short but challenging stages and defeating Cortex’s band of mutated animal henchmen, the game sees Crash jump, slide, and spin his way through a zany world full of danger. It was a huge success for Naughty Dog and Sony, spawning a major franchise that’s still active to this day.
8. Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back – 1997
The second game in the Crash Bandicoot franchise, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back picks up a year after its predecessor, with Crash once again having to stop Neo Cortex’s villainous plans. This time around, Crash is searching for a series of magical crystals that Cortex needs to build his new outer-space Cortex Vortex vessel. Cortex Strikes Back is set over 25 stages, with each level featuring fresh mechanics, hazards, enemies, and bosses.
9. Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped – 1998
The third and final entry in Naughty Dog’s Crash Bandicoot trilogy, Crash Bandicoot: Warped is set directly after the events of Cortex Strikes Back, with Neo Cortex’s space station crashing into the Earth and giving rise to a malevolent new threat: Aku Aku’s evil brother, Uka Uka. To combat this new foe, Crash and his younger sister, Coco, travel through time, finding crystals to prevent Cortex and Uka Uka from executing their evil plans.
Much like Cortex Strikes Back, Warped includes 25 new levels as well as a host of additional hazards to overcome, enemies to conquer, and mechanics to learn. It also welcomes a brand new playable protagonist, with players able to step into the shoes of Coco.
10. Crash Team Racing – 1999
A spin-off of the mainline Crash Bandicoot series, Crash Team Racing transports the character to the world of arcade racing. You take the wheel as iconic Crash Bandicoot characters – Crash, Cortex, Coco, Doctor N.Gin, and others –and race across a selection of hazardous courses in an effort to win races in single- and multiplayer modes.
11. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy – 2001
Leaving Crash Bandicoot behind, Naughty Dog moved on to a new 3D mascot platformer franchise in 2001 with Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. Following titular best friends Jak and Daxter, the game sees the pair embark on a journey to transform Daxter back into a human after he’s submerged in a mysterious substance known as dark eco and changed into an otter-weasel hybrid.
Along the way, the pair become embroiled in a plot to save the world, with the villainous Gol and Maia hatching a plan to use dark eco to alter the realm. Unlike Crash Bandicoot’s strictly linear levels, Jak and Daxter offers players large worlds to explore, with each map containing a variety of Precursor Orbs they can collect in any order to progress.
12. Jak 2 – 2003
Ditching both Daxter’s name from the title and the quirky, upbeat tone, Jak 2 is a much darker reinvention of Jak and Daxter’s world. Taking place after the conclusion of the first game, it sees Jak and Daxter unwillingly flung into the far future, where they arrive in a dystopian metropolis known as Haven City. After their arrival, Jak is arrested and subjected to harrowing experiments for two years, awakening a sinister monster inside of him known as Dark Jak.
Daxter eventually rescues Jak, setting the pair off on a new adventure across Haven City, where they join forces with a local rebel militia attempting to overthrow the futuristic metropolis’ corrupt leader, Baron Praxis. Alongside switching the fantasy setting out for a futuristic sci-fi aesthetic, Jak 2 made several gameplay changes, adding guns, flying cars, and the ability to transform into Dark Jak.
13. Jak 3 – 2004
Capping off the Jak and Daxter trilogy, Jak 3 opens with its lead duo being dumped in The Wasteland beyond the walls of Haven City. Banished from their home and left to die, they take refuge in the city of Spargus hidden deep within the desert. As the pair begin to earn their keep, they learn about sinister plans unfolding in Haven City, beginning an adventure to save their home.
Jak 3 layers several new features on top of Jak 2’s gameplay, including additional vehicles to traverse the desert, new light eco powers, and a range of fresh weapons.
14. Jak X: Combat Racing – 2005
Much like Crash Team Racing, Naughty Dog decided to follow up its work on the Jak and Daxter trilogy by releasing an arcade racer tie-in. Jak X: Combat Racing is exactly what it says on the tin: You play as Jak, or one of his closest allies or enemies, and race across a series of tracks in single- or multiplayer.
15. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune – 2007
Naughty Dog’s first foray onto the PlayStation 3 and one of its most seminal releases, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was a major shift in tone for the company. Moving away from cartoon mascot platformers, Naughty Dog began to focus on cinematic blockbusters, telling the story of an Indiana Jones-esque treasure hunter named Nathan Drake.
Hunting for the lost city of El Dorado in the depths of the Amazon rainforest, Drake battles against pirates and other enemies while following in the footsteps of his ancestor, Sir Francis Drake. A third-person, cover-based shooter with platforming elements, Uncharted not only paved the way for one of gaming’s biggest modern franchises but also influenced Naughty Dog’s transformation into a studio synonymous with highly produced video game storytelling.
16. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – 2009
A sequel released two years later, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves sees Nathan Drake return to hunt for the lost city of Shambhala in the Hymalian mountains. Betrayed by an old friend during a heist, Drake teams up with Sully and newcomer Chloe to track down the Cintamani Stone, hoping to prevent war criminal Zoran Lazarevic and his private militia from accessing Shambhala.
Along the way, players are met with a healthy dose of third-person cover-based combat and platforming, as well as the kind of bombastic set pieces that make Drake blurt out a litany of expletives in quick succession.
17. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception – 2011
The third entry in the Uncharted series, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception follows Nathan Drake as he attempts to uncover The Atlantis of the Sands in the Rub’ al Khali desert. Set two years after the previous game, Drake’s Deception picks up with Drake and Sully battling against the villainous Katherine Marlowe and her private army. Learning she intends to uncover the secrets of the Atlantis of the Sands, Drake begins a race to get there first, launching into an adventure that forces him to confront demons from his past.
Drake’s Deception was the last Uncharted game of the PlayStation 3 era, offering players one more Nathan Drake adventure before Sony moved on to PlayStation 4 two years later.
18. The Last of Us – 2013
Arguably one of the most iconic video games of all time, Naughty Dog took a break from Uncharted to bring fans The Last of Us in 2013. Set in a harsh post-apocalyptic world where a parasitic fungus is transforming humans into bloodthirsty monsters, The Last of Us follows a hardened smuggler named Joel and an immune teenager named Ellie as they attempt to track down a group of survivors known as The Fireflies.
What follows is an emotionally gripping story of grief, survival, and hope, as Ellie and Joel form an unbreakable bond while battling against the monsters that plague their world, both infected and human. A third-person shooter with heavy stealth elements, The Last of Us has gone on to become Naughty Dog’s flagship franchise, even receiving its own HBO adaptation in early 2023.
19. The Last of Us: Left Behind – 2014
Initially released as DLC before becoming a standalone experience, The Last of Us: Left Behind acts as a prequel to The Last of Us. The story flits between two timelines: the first is set during the events of the main campaign, with Ellie protecting Joel while he recovers from the injuries he sustained in The University chapter. The second takes place three weeks before the events of the game, with Ellie exploring an abandoned mall with her best friend Riley.
While the modern timeline features plenty of action sequences, the flashbacks take a decidedly different approach, focusing heavily on exploration and storytelling. The expansion fleshes out Ellie’s backstory, adding additional context to her character and the story she reveals to Joel during the final scene of the main game.
20. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – 2016
The explosive finale to the Uncharted saga, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End catches up with Nathan Drake years after the events of Drake’s Deception. Now retired from treasure hunting and living a regular life with his wife Elena, Drake is dragged back into the game after his brother, Sam, arrives on his doorstep with a tantalizing offer: He’s going after Henry Avery’s lost treasure and needs the expertise of Nathan Drake to find it.
A Thief’s End wraps up Nathan Drake’s story while using the power of the PlayStation 4 to add new strings to Uncharted’s bow, including a grappling hook, non-linear levels, and vastly upgraded visuals.
21. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy – 2017
A standalone expansion for Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy passes the reins of the franchise to two new leads: Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross. Following the unlikely partners as they travel to India in search of the Tusk of Ganesh, Lost Legacy expands upon Uncharted 4’s open-ended levels, setting the game within a large map and allowing players to complete main objectives in any order they like.
You can check out our guide to the Uncharted games in order for more details about the timeline.
22 The Last of Us: Part II – 2020
The long-anticipated follow-up to the first Last of Us, The Last of Us: Part II removes Joel from the main protagonist role and hands the reins to Ellie. After settling in the small town of Jackson, Ellie’s life is sent into a downward spiral when a group of mysterious survivors arrive on the settlement’s outskirts during a snowstorm and undertake a mission that changes her life forever.
Swearing revenge, Ellie pursues the group, tailing them back to Seattle where she begins searching for their leader: a ruthless survivor by the name of Abby. Expanding the stealth mechanics and including smarter enemy AI that can track Ellie’s every move, The Last of Us: Part II upgrades and enhances the series’ gameplay in every conceivable way. While its story has been divisive, it’s undeniably a significantly enhanced post-apocalyptic survival experience.
23. The Last of Us: Part I – 2022
Released in late 2022, The Last of Us: Part I is a shot-for-shot, rebuilt-from-the-ground-up remake of the first Last of Us, including all of the original chapters and Left Behind expansion. Utilizing the power of the PlayStation 5, it offered next-generation graphics, state-of-the-art accessibility options, and improved gameplay.
Callum Williams is a freelance media writer with years of experience as a game critic, news reporter, guides writer and features writer.
The weekend is officially here, and we’ve gathered up some excellent deals for you! Whether you’re searching for a new laptop or a discounted game, we’ve got you covered with the best deals for Saturday, March 16. These deals include the Apple MacBook Air M1, PlayStation 5 Slum Bundle, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, God of War Ragnarok, and more.
MacBook Air M1 for $699
Walmart has discounted the Apple MacBook Air M1 to just $699. This is cheaper than any student discount or similar could get you. Although newer models utilize the M2 chip, the M1 is nothing to look past. It’s capable of running plenty of performance-heavy software, so you can edit videos, photoshop images, and more.
PS5 Slim Spider-Man 2 Bundle for $399.99
Amazon has a fantastic deal ongoing for the PlayStation 5 Slim Digital Edition. The console itself is $50 off, and you get Spider-Man 2 for free. In total, that’s $120 worth of savings. This is perfect if you’ve yet to pick up a PS5, as we most likely won’t see a better deal than this for a while.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for $39.99
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the best-selling Nintendo Switch title to date. There’s never been a better time to pick up the game, especially since the DLC recently wrapped up. A total of 96 tracks are available to race through with this title, which will keep you busy for years to come. New racers, including Diddy Kong, Pauline, and Birdo, are even available with the Booster Course Pass!
Save $20 Off An Xbox Wireless Controller
You can always use an extra Xbox controller. Not everything lasts forever, and controllers can wear down easily, especially when used frequently. This weekend, the Microsoft Store is offering $20 off an Xbox Wireless Controller. This deal applies to both the Robot White controller and the Pulse Red controller.
WarioWare: Move It! for $30
WarioWare: Move It! is discounted to just $30 at Walmart this weekend. If you’ve yet to pick up the latest title in the series, you can expect to find dozens of fun microgames and shenanigans. This entry utilizes features of the Joy-Con like motion tracking and HD Rumble, which adds new twists and moments to returning and new microgames.
Save 43% Off God of War Ragnarok
God of War Ragnarok is still one of the best PS5 games you can pick up. This action game acts as the sequel to 2018’s God of War, following Kratos and Atreus as Fimbulwinter looms. If you’ve yet to play this game, this is a great time to pick up Ragnarok at a discount and see why so many players love this series.
Apple AirPods Pro with USB Type-C for $189.99
Amazon has dropped the price of the 2nd gen Apple AirPods Pro truly wireless noise cancelling earbuds with the universal USB Type-C connector by $60, now only $189. With this current gen AirPods Pro, Apple has replaced the proprietary Lightning port with the more universal USB Type-C. These earbuds are perfect if you have an iPhone, iPad, or MacBook, as they seamlessly connect and provide excellent audio quality all around.
I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a certain satisfaction that comes from the Tetris-like puzzle of inventory management in some games – hell, a whole game based around that idea, Save Room, became its own hit. Meanwhile the autobattler genre that has exploded in recent years hits similar notes, providing the joy of seeing your planning and preparation pay off in PvP. The bite-sized indie joint Backpack Battles combines these two ideas, pitting your organizational skills and wits in creating RPG-like character builds against others in fast-paced one-on-one matches. After a dozen hours with its Early Access release, I’ve seen the seeds of something great in that concept, with the potential to grow into something unique and impressive. But as it stands now, Backpack Battles is light on content and variety – it’s very much an Early Access game, with an emphasis on early.
The outset of Backpack Battles is quite straightforward: You select one of the four currently available classes – Berserker, Pyromancer, Reaper, or Ranger – then jump into ranked or unranked matches (the main difference being that ranked contributes to your classes’, well, rank). The goal of each run is to win 10 battles before exhausting your five lives, and you can either take your trophies and leave (the currency you earn from playing) when you do so, or go into a survival phase for an extra set of rounds for the chance to earn even more trophies and boost your class rank further. So far, this is the only mode offered, and while it is a digestible setup to let you focus on the more interesting mechanics of building your character throughout a run, it also means how you play is fairly limited.
Cramming as much gear into your bags as possible is part of the fun.
Where Backpack Battles shines is in the inventory organization mechanics that make up the bulk of what you’ll be doing. Light RPG elements blend with the self-induced puzzle of trying to fit all your best gear into limited spaces of your grid-based bags. Before every round, you have the opportunity to purchase interesting items from a randomized shop and equip them by fitting each into your backpack. That pack is constructed with several interlocking satchels and pouches you can freely reconfigure, which is important because gear comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. You can (and must) purchase backpack expansions while balancing spending on weapons, armor, food, and accessories that all contribute to you actually winning battles. But not only is cramming as much gear into your bags as possible part of the fun, several pieces also react to others based on proximity. That’s how you essentially create “builds” for your character during a run, working out how best to stack item effects relative to each other or make them evolve into much stronger ones you cannot simply buy from the shopkeeper.
For example, as a Pyromancer, you’ll earn flames that you place into your bag to improve your attacks, but placing a lump of coal in an adjacent slot will turn the coal into a flame gem the following round, which you can then attach to weapons or armor to provide buffs in combat. A more significant tactic deeper into a run would be to place flames next to a set of Holy Armor to evolve it into Sun Armor, which then stacks on more effective buffs for the Pyromancer class. Working with the limitations imposed by bag space and investing in certain item types from round to round to make yourself even stronger later on is a tricky puzzle I enjoyed working out.
Then there are a handful of subclasses for each main class that open up later in a run, which offer new ways to further strengthen your character. A favorite of mine is the Firebender subclass that gives you an equippable gear piece (which is a very cute reference to Calcifer from Howl’s Moving Castle) to amplify the attack speed and power of all fire-based items in its surrounding slots. This way, that Burning Sword and Molten Spear I upgraded in earlier rounds are further strengthened if I can figure out how to get them next to it – and with the compounding effects of other accessories that can either boost my armor rating, inflict debuffs on the enemy, or even give me a second life mid-combat, I could become nearly unstoppable.
With each run, you’ll see a ton of variations on fascinating concepts like this, which ultimately feels like a clever crafting element woven into the inventory organization challenge. This means you’ll be spending most of your time in the shop, racking your brain as you try to weasel your way into fitting a weapon that takes four linear slots alongside a shield that takes up two-by-two, then also finding room for that Y-shaped Phoenix for revives alongside healing food items like an L-shaped banana. Sometimes rotating weirdly shaped gear isn’t enough and you just need to break it all down to completely rearrange your setup. It’s an enjoyable process that tickles the part of your brain that fires off in other games like Unpacking or just neatly fitting a bunch of your stuff into a closet. I saw one Steam review refer to Backpack Battles as the best banana-flipping simulator, and you know what, there’s truth to that.
Backpack Battles currently comes up short in its incentives to keep going.
Since this is an autobattler, the actual combat is out of your hands, with attacks and abilities being fired off on their own based on what you have in your inventory. You simply jump into a matchup and watch it all unfold. How much stamina the weapons in your inventory take up, your stamina recovery rate, the way your character builds armor or heals up, the conditions for which status effects are activated, and so on can all affect who comes out on top. The more you read the item descriptions, the more you realize how deeply their granular mechanics intertwine with each other, making this a thoughtful take on choosing gear and creating builds. That prep is important too, because it’s tough to really grasp what’s going on in combat since fights go by very quickly, lasting roughly 10 to 15 seconds per round (although you can read the battle log to see a detailed breakdown), and the limited, stilted animations don’t really express what is happening.
For all its great ideas and clever execution, Backpack Battles currently comes up short in its incentives to keep going, not letting these interesting systems truly sing. Trophies can be spent on new cosmetics for each class, which is fine, but doesn’t exactly push me to keep playing once I’ve seen what the different builds have to offer. And with only ranked or unranked matches, you start to go through the same motions a little too quickly once you’ve tried out each class. Preparing for opponents isn’t as dynamic as I hoped from run to run, as you basically just build the best character you can based on the items offered to you and hope it’s good enough for whoever you face, regardless of what they are doing. After about three or four hours, I felt I had already hit the plateau of what the Early Access launch offered. That’s not so bad for a fast-paced autobattler where you can get in and out of matches quickly, but I can’t help but feel it’s lacking a larger structure to bring it all together.
Of course, it’s always hard to judge a game in Early Access, as hopefully more modes, classes, and other options to shake each run up will arrive in future updates. What’s currently available is a great starting point, it just needs to be ushered in the right direction to reach its full potential. The public roadmap shows promise, and I’ve at least been convinced to keep tabs on Backpack Battles as it gets closer to its final build, but at the moment it’s probably worth waiting until it’s a little further along before really diving in.
Minecraft developer Mojang has warned players not to update the game through the official Xbox app on PC because it may delete their worlds.
The Minecraft support page on Mojang owner Microsoft’s website now opens with a stark warning for PC players. “Do not download the recent update for Minecraft through the Xbox app for PC,” it reads. “If you do, your worlds may be lost.”
Mojang said it is currently investigating the world loss issue and is blocking the update from Windows to prevent the possibility of it affecting more users.
Do not download the recent update for Minecraft through the Xbox app for PC.
“We recommend that you run the Gaming Services Repair Tool for PC in the Xbox app on PC before installing any Minecraft update,” Mojang added. “Using this tool updates the Gaming Services to version 19.87.13001.0, which will avoid the update error.”
Players can do so by launching the Xbox app on PC, clicking their profile, then support, then on Gaming Services Repair Tool, and finally on Start Troubleshooting.
Mojang also warned players that, for those not on version 1.20.70 or 1.20.71, some online services may be unavailable including cross-platform multiplayer, Realms, and Featured Servers. “We appreciate your patience while we continue to investigate and address this issue,” it added.
This costs $3.99 a month and grants Bedrock players access to a catalog of more than 150 different content packs from the Minecraft Marketplace, which is refreshed every month. Players won’t need to pay for the Marketplace Pass to continue playing Minecraft as normal.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
After spending more than a dozen hours with the Early Access version of Tribes 3: Rivals, I could really get used to skiing around at 200 miles per hour while firing a grenade launcher at weaklings with no mind for speed. Channeling all of the silliness and style the series is known for, this lethal game of capture the flag is packed with moments of satisfying exhilaration and devastating defeat, and it largely nails everything I’ve loved about the Tribes games of yore. The trouble is that it only takes a matter of minutes to see all the maps and try out all the classes and weapons currently available, with no alternate game modes or other distractions beyond an extremely long and demanding ranked skill grind for those truly dedicated to their deadly craft. I fear Tribes 3 may be fated to fizzle out as quickly as some of its predecessors due to that lack of longevity, but the potential here is at least clear from moment one, and it feels great to be reunited with the zany, high-octane action I’ve adored for many years.
Tribes 3 pits two teams against one another in a stupidly fun capture the flag to the death, giving you and your friends a pair of skis and a jetpack to help you move across its large maps lightning fast, and an arsenal of futuristic weapons to maim those who get in your way. Maintaining momentum is key to your success, as you’re rewarded for timing your landings at the edge of a slope or boosting up hills to gather speed every bit as much as you are for having good aim. Learning to shred on skis and soar through the air makes all the difference between becoming an unkillable blur and watching someone glide overhead as they take you out with heavy weaponry like the sorry mook that you are – and spending my time somewhere in between those two extremes has been a blast so far.
Classes feel pretty unique, and each has some game-changing options.
Capturing the enemy flag while protecting your own requires attackers and defenders of varying expertise, and with six playable classes (three offensive and three defensive), you’re given a solid number of options for how to approach each side of things. I have a natural affinity for throwing myself at the enemy flag and doing everything I can to break the sound barrier, so I tend to select the lightly armored and minimally armed Pathfinder class, which allows for deviously delightful teleportation and faster movement at the cost of being both short on explosive weaponry and very easy to explode. If you’re feeling lethargic, there’s also lots to do while remaining slightly more stationary as the Juggernaut, a heavily armored defender that is armed to the gills and can withstand quite a bit of punishment – they have also pretty much been the bane of my existence, all too happy to turn my squishy face into blood broth as I rush toward the flag. All six classes feel pretty unique, and each has some game-changing options, like the technician class, which can throw down defensive turrets and keep the base well-guarded alongside its pre-built protective structures.
The magic of Tribes 3 is in moments where you hit a slope just right, take out an enemy right before scooping up the enemy flag, then go flying across the map to score a point for your team. I can’t claim to be anything more than middling in this incredibly demanding twitch shooter, and even I found myself overcome with feelings of godlike might – screaming into my monitor, absolutely shocked by what I was able to pull off. There were also plenty of times where I was brought low and reminded of my mortal limitations, like when a real expert blasted me to pieces and tore through my base like a lightning bolt, making off with my treasured flag. But those humbling encounters have only pushed me to hone my skill, and are easily drowned out by the satisfaction of victory. There just aren’t many better feelings than those moments of pure PvP triumph, which are made uniquely epic by Tribes’ blazingly fast, ridiculously over-the-top style.
There are interesting strategies to consider outside of the flag itself.
Aside from the usual tug-of-war involved in a game of capture the flag, there are also some interesting strategies to consider, like how you can fight over smaller bases located strategically throughout levels, which give a minor edge to the controlling team by turning turrets in those areas into your allies. Each team also has a generator located in their base that, if damaged, can shut down every defensive asset on that side of the map, leaving you extremely vulnerable to getting steamrolled by the enemy’s offensive players, which gives you another thing to defend or attack if the flag proves too well-guarded. You can even destroy a radar dish located on your opponent’s side of the map, which completely disables their ability to keep track of the flow of battle on their trusty HUD.
Unfortunately, none of these optional targets have seemed to matter all that much in the larger fight, since bum-rushing the enemy flag almost always proves the best path to victory. Even sabotaging the radar dish, which you’d expect to be a major game changer, didn’t do a whole lot since opponents are pretty easy to spot on their own – especially since their names hover over them even across long distances. It takes a lot of energy to effectively attack these extra structures, and you could just as easily have stolen and scored the enemy flag a couple times to win the match instead of spending time to secure a minor edge.
The main issue with Tribes 3 is that, despite providing a very entertaining opening hours, there isn’t much to it at this time. As an Early Access game, that’s hardly surprising, and developer Prophecy Games has already announced an ambitious roadmap that aims to inject some much-needed variety into the maps and single game mode currently available – but in its current form at least, I foresee all but the most dedicated jetpackers running out of things to do in short order, as I have already). It would certainly help if some more stuff from previous Tribes games made a return, be that beloved game modes like Rabbit or Bounty, or my cherished vehicles like the Beowulf or the HAVOC. Hopefully some of this will be fleshed out in the coming months of Early Access, but for now the package is fairly thin.
Beyond the main 16v16 casual mode, there’s a ranked playlist that hosts smaller teams of 7v7, but this changes little else beyond drawing in a significantly sweatier playerbase. Still, halving the number of players does actually feel significantly different, since the reduced chaos means you can really dial in a strategy and your individual performance is more impactful while executing it . It also makes some of the less useful tactics in the casual playlist, like taking down the enemy’s base defenses, slightly more meaningful. On top of ranked, there’s a goofy time trial minigame to test your skiing and boosting ability where you move through a course of rings and try to set a high score, as well as custom matches where you’re given complete control over the inner workings and balance of the meta. That could mean decreasing the amount of damage players can take to almost nothing or increasing jetpack energy so players can fly without care – mostly stupid stuff, but can definitely make for a good time.
There are also some perplexing design decisions and a small amount of bugs that hounded my time with Tribes 3. For example, it’s very odd that I’m limited to hosting only three others in my party when the team sizes are either seven or 16. This became awkward a few times when we had more than four people online together and couldn’t join the same games, and I can’t think of a good reason for this cap. Especially in the ranked playlist, you think they’d want to encourage communication with the whole team – not just the four allowed in your party, which just seems like an odd limitation. The exception to these rules are custom matches, but then you’re left a bit shorthanded unless you’ve got a whole lot of friends or are willing to subject yourself to the ups and downs of an LFG. There’s also some irritating bugs, like one my group got hit with quite a bit where our party would randomly be split up into different matches or find ourselves otherwise separated from one another, and we’d all have to reboot to get things back in shape. I’m sure initial bumps in the road like these will be ironed out, but for now they can be a bit of an annoyance.
Among Us’s voice cast includes Randall Park (Louis Huang in Fresh Off the Boat), Ashley Johnson (Ellie in The Last of Us, Critical Role), Yvette Nicole Brown (Shirley Bennett in Community), and Elijah Wood (Frodo in Lord of the Rings).
Among Us is based on the phenomenally popular social deception game that blew up during the pandemic and became one of the most-watched games on streaming platform Twitch. It’s an animated series from CBS Studios, developer Innersloth, and creator Owen Dennis.
Here are the details of the Among Us animated series voice cast:
Randall Park will voice ‘Red’ – Captain of The Skeld
People-pleaser, blowhard
Task: leadership, confidence
Fun Fact: failed upwards
Ashley Johnson will voice ‘Purple’ – Chief of Security
Safety, suspicion, sarcasm
Task: wet blanket
Fun Fact: trust issues
Yvette Nicole Brown will voice ‘Orange’ – HR
Spineless corporate shill
Task: eliminate redundancy, redundantly
Fun Fact: fires you over email
Elijah Wood will voice ‘Green’ – Unpaid Intern
Happy to be there
Task: whatever they’re told
Fun Fact: gets paid in pizza
In January, Innersloth released the first image from the Among Us animated series, offering fans a familiar glimpse of the show. The image shows the cafeteria from Among Us’ original map, the Skeld, with pizza and plates spread across the tables along with some balloons and a blood-covered banner that visibly shows the words: “We’re Dead.”
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
