Consoles Hub

Starting today, the US and select international markets get Doritos and Rockstar Energy Drink products in special edition packaging. These products come with the chance to win thousands of prizes consisting of exclusve downloadable content for popular Xbox and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate titles, as well as one free month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Hackers have successfully managed to jailbreak the PlayStation 5 console. Both variants (digital and disk) are vulnerable to the WebKit-based exploit. However, there are multiple stability issues, and it only works on consoles running firmware 4.03 or lower.

The recently released free update for Microsoft Flight Simulator introduces the world's second-largest country to the players. This update's list of highlights includes 12 urban regions enhanced with the latest photogrammetry data, nine missions, and no less than 87 hand-crafted points of interest.

The game streaming service will be discontinued effective January 18, 2023, but Google is at least looking to complete refunds for all hardware purchases from the Google Store, as well as game and add-on purchases from the Stadia store by mid-January.

A few months after its announcement, the PlayStation Stars loyalty program for PlayStation users is now rolling out. Japan gets it today (alongside the rest of Asia), the Americas will follow on October 5, while Europe and Australia are scheduled to gain access on October 13 (local time, in all cases).

Razer will launch a handheld gaming console at RazerCon. The Razer Edge 5G is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon G3X SoC and supports haptic feedback on the trigger buttons.

A TV advert for a new Logitech gaming headset appears to show a previously unavailable version of the Xbox Series X. Unacknowledged by the company, the unreleased model may have been received as part of Logitech's close collaboration with Microsoft. It remains to be seen whether Microsoft plans to release the Xbox Series X model shown, though.

The Sony PlayStation 5 developer kit has finally been showcased in an in-depth video. Detailing not only the dev kit's hardware, the video also showcases its software and how it differs from a retail PS5.

Nvidia and CD Projekt Red have teamed up to celebrate Cyberpunk 2077's resurgence. Players will have to find three in-game locations on three different days, take a screenshot, and submit it via Twitter. Three winners get a custom GeForce RTX 4090 with a limited-edition backplate.

Recently, Sony started delivering a new PlayStation 5 revision, the third to date. Not only is the console 300 g lighter than its predecessor, but it also features an upgraded APU based on 6 nm nodes. The die shrink should reduce fan noise, among other improvements.

Scheduled to start shipping in December, the handheld PC gaming consoles AYANEO GEEK and AYANEO 2 are now available via Indiegogo for special prices as low as US$300 less than the retail prices that start at US$949 and US$1,099. The main difference between the two is the display resolution: 800p vs. 1200p.

The competition on the budget-oriented handheld console is about to heat up as One-Netbook is preparing to launch a 6-inch screen model powered by AMD's Mendocino APUs with Zen 2 cores and RDNA2 iGPU.

The existence of the NVIDIA Tegra T239 has been more or less confirmed, with Linux kernel support added for the unreleased chipset. Expected to be a customised version of the Tegra T234, the Tegra T239 is rumoured to power a next-generation Nintendo Switch, possibly the Switch Pro or the Switch 2.

Industry insider Tom Henderson says Sony has a new PS5 model in the works. It will feature a new chassis and a detachable disc drive that interfaces with the console via a USB-C port. The console is slated for a September 2023 launch.

The massive GTA 6 gameplay leak has finally been acknowledged by Rockstar Games. It confirms the footage's legitimacy and states that it will present the game "when it is ready".

Some early GTA 6 gameplay footage has been leaked online. It highlights many key aspects of the game and confirms at least one of the locations it could be set in.

After almost three decades since it arrived on the market, the Tekken franchise is taking a major leap forward. The recently unveiled Tekken 8 game is being developed from scratch using the Unreal Engine 5 graphics engine, and promises to bring the visual area of this iconic series to a whole new level.

Released earlier today, the major update that brings War Thunder to version 2.19 includes Chinese helicopters, improved visual effects, scout and strike UAVs, as well as quite a few other pieces of military hardware. The "Drone Age" update also sports new locations and multiple minor tweaks and fixes.

Sony has shown off yet some more God of War Ragnarok gameplay and plot elements in its new trailer. It gives players a rough idea about the in-game mechanics, boss fights and more. It also heralds the arrival of a new God of War Ragnarok-themed DualSense controller.

Nintendo has announced that the latest Special Edition Switch OLED is dedicated to the latest installments of Pokémon. The console is identical to a standard SKU in terms of specs, but will ship with a dock exclusively decorated with Legendary-tier artwork, as well as appropriately Scarlet and Violet new JoyCons. This bundle and its price are official from now, although its release has been delayed.

Only available in Australia for the time being, the PlayStation 5 1200 model features a full internal redesign. In addition to the different internal layout, the new game console is also lighter and draws less power than its predecessors, namely the PlayStation 5 models 1000 and 1100.

The confirmed list of games coming to the PlayStation VR2 has grown to 15 titles as a new reveal trailer for Firewall Ultra has just been posted. Firewall: Zero Hour was praised on its release for the PlayStation VR and news of a sequel has been warmly welcomed. The Sony PlayStation VR2 promises 4K HDR visuals with four on-board external cameras for tracking.

Cyberpunk 2077 is all set to receive a major update in the form of Patch 1.6. It adds new weapons, cosmetics and several QoL improvements, many of which are not accessible on last-gen consoles. Even the Phantom Liberty DLC will be limited to the PS5, Xbox Series S|X, PC and Stadia.

Available on Amazon starting today, the GameSir X2 Pro is an Xbox licensed mobile gaming controller that was designed for Xbox cloud gaming on Android smartphones. Its features include ALPS analog joysticks and Hall Effect analog triggers, textured rubber grips, and more. The price tag reads US$79.99.

Advertised as the biggest update of the year so far, World of Tanks 1.18 is now available with a branch of Italian tank destroyers that feature a non-standard autoloader, a new map for random battles called Outpost, a few rebalanced vehicles, matchmaking changes for light vehicles and SPGs, and more.

More leaks have emerged online of Logitech's first gaming handheld. Revealed as the Logitech G Cloud, the device will rely on an older mid-range chipset with a large battery and a 1080p display, among other features.

YouTuber TeaserPlay recently outed a concept trailer for The Witcher 4 running on Unreal Engine 5. The trailer utilizes UE5 technologies including Lumen, Nanite, and Metahuman. With developer CD Projekt RED building the next Witcher game on UE5, the concept trailer offers a glimpse of what it might end up looking like.

A new PlayStation 5 console has been spotted on the shelves in Australia, with this 2022 variant apparently being lighter than both the revised PS5 from 2021 and the original launch model. Sony has also been busy in the mobile space as its new PlayStation Studios Mobile Division has acquired Savage Game Studios.

Sony has announced that the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition will cost a smidgen more in many places, but not the United States. The price changes are effective immediately in all locations except for Japan.

One of the first images of the GPD Win 4 handheld gaming console have emerged online. They showcase a largely identical design to the GPD Win 3. The console will reportedly feature a larger screen and run a current-generation processor from AMD.

Sony has now officially confirmed that PlayStation VR 2 will arrive in as little as a few months. Expected to launch with over 20 games, the next-generation VR headset will represent a technological uplift from the existing PlayStation VR and will face competition from the Meta Quest 2, plus the upcoming Meta Quest Pro.

SEGA has confirmed the release of the Mega Drive Mini 2 in Europe. The company has also outlined when the Genesis Mini 2 will be available in North America, as well as which games will be shipping with each model. For some reason, the Japanese version of the Mega Drive Mini 2 will receive different titles than its European sibling.

Sunsoft, which is widely regarded as one of the best developers for the original Nintendo Entertainment System, plans to release updated versions of three classic games later this year.

Shortly before shipping the Air Lite consoles by late August, AYA Neo decided to upgrade the specs with a fingerprint sensor, improved cooling solution and configurable APU TDP that can save some battery time. Initial pricing is not changing, regardless.

The Western Digital WD_BLACK SN850 has had its regular prices slashed on both Amazon US and Amazon UK. The superfast SSD, which is compatible for use in the PS5 console, can hit read speeds of up to 7,000 MB/s. The best deal currently on offer is for the 2 TB variant with heatsink, which is up to 53-60% off, depending on region.

Meta Quest beta version 43 is rolling out to members of Meta’s Public Test Channel or PTC, and a number of testers who opted in are already discovering features that offer a clearer idea of what to expect from Meta’s next-gen VR headset. Take a look at what’s new in v43 before it’s released to the public later next month.

Sony has announced a new beta update for the PlayStation 5. It lets the console run natively at 1440p, lets players create lists of up to 100 games, and adds the ability to add stickers/voice notes via instant message.

Expected to hit the market in Take-Two's 2024 fiscal year (April 2023 to March 2024), the next installment in the Grand Theft Auto franchise promises to bring the first playable female protagonist of the series in an open world environment that promises to move beyond what GTA 5 has to offer. However, nothing is official yet.

Dealabs, a reputable leaker for Sony leaks, has listed the games PlayStation Plus Essential subscribers get to play in August, namely Yakuza: Like A Dragon, Little Nightmares and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2.

Razer has bought all shares of the French company responsible for Interhaptics, described as a "leading development platform" for feedback in gaming, PC and extended-reality (XR) hardware. The move is slated to underpin the former's interest in the overall haptics market, although it could also allow the OEM to improve and leverage its in-house HyperSense technology to compete with similar products such as Sony DualSense going forward.

The EasySMX is very light at just 211 g compared to the 250 g Switch Pro controller. Customizing the buttons is easy but only if you can remember all the necessary button combinations as there is no UI to help.

Recently, Eurogamer's Alex Battaglia found a way to install Windows 98 on the Xbox Series X via RetroArch. Battaglia's emulated 1990s gaming machine was able to run titles like Quake and Turok with varying levels of performance.

Sony has finally officially approved an NVMe M.2 SSD for its PlayStation 5 console. The chosen unit, unsurprisingly, is the WD_BLACK SN850 from Western Digital, which offers up to 7,000 MB/s read speed. Mark Cerny, the lead architect for the PS5, previously posted about his own particular preference for the WD_BLACK SN850 back in 2021.

PSVR 2 is a virtual reality headset from Sony that is expected to feature a number of next-generation hardware features that include eye-tracking, a highly advanced lens system, an even wider field of view, and a refreshed design.

Nintendo has refreshed the Switch OLED model in time for the release of Splatoon 3. Like the cheaper Switch, the Switch OLED has received a special edition livery with colour Joy-Cons, a customised dock and a themed chassis.

Origin PC has seemingly built the ultimate gaming machine in the form of its one-off Big O V3 custom PC. The device features a customized PlayStation 5, an Xbox Series X, a GeForce RTX 3090, a separate PC system for streaming, a 16-core Ryzen 9 5950X, and it even has a removable Nintendo Switch OLED console in a dock at the front.

Sony has finally revealed God of War Ragnarok's release date. The game will be playable on the PS4 and PS5 on November 11. An upgrade from the PS4 to the PS5 version will cost players an equivalent of US$10.

GPD has announced a new Indiegogo campaign for its upcoming handheld, the GPD Win Max 2. One can choose between an Intel Core i7-1260p and an AMD Ryzen 7 6800U processor. Prices start at US$999 for the former and US$899 for the latter.

Valve's first handheld console, the Steam Deck, has proved to be a runaway success. But amidst the supply crunch of the past two years, there are still a lot of people that wanted to get their hands on one but couldn't. The situation may be changing soon as Valve has now promised to significantly up the production of the Steam Deck.

Following recent news regarding the cancellation of E3 2022, Nintendo opted to showcase a number of upcoming third-party games and one new Mario title via a short-form version of Nintendo Direct dubbed “Nintendo Direct Mini”. Take a look at these upcoming titles coming soon to the Nintendo Switch.