Gadgets 360 News, Tips, Tricks, Ideas

Star Wars Outlaws, Ubisoft's expansive open-world game set in the galaxy far, far away, was briefly known to be eyeing a ‘late 2024' release window, as per a recent Disney Parks blog. That has since been corrected to reflect a general timespan this year, with the publisher confirming to Kotaku that the timing was incorrectly displayed. First revealed during an Xbox Showcase last year, the title is set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi movies, and introduces Kay Vess, a space scoundrel with a bounty on her head after botching up a job. Joining her on the crusade is the adorable axolotl-like alien Nix, performing certain actions at your command — akin to the BD-1 droid from Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

Valve has unveiled its annual ‘Best of 2023' list on Steam, revealing which titles dominated sales on PC. The titles haven't been numerically ranked, but have been grouped into tiers — Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze — based on data collected from January 1 through December 15, 2023. The Top 12 category is populated by both free-to-play multiplayer games and the biggest launches, with the award-winning Baldur's Gate 3, Starfield, Cyberpunk 2077, and Hogwarts Legacy emerging as the best-selling titles. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which was disliked by both fans and critics alike, also made it to higher echelons, thanks to a dedicated fanbase wanting to experience its multiplayer segment.

PlayStation Plus' monthly free games for January 2024 — the new year — have been revealed. The month's offerings include narrative-focused period adventure title A Plague Tale: Requiem, top-down dungeon-crawling action RPG Nobody Saves the World, and third-person vampire-hunting shooterEvil West. The three titles will be available to members of PS Plus Essential, Extra, and Deluxe/ Premium plans, starting January 2. These games can be added to your PS4 and PS5 games library until February 5, after which you'll have to hold on to your PS Plus membership for continued access. If you enjoy any of these titles, you could purchase them for permanent access and continue from where you left off.

French videogame publisher Ubisoft Entertainment SA said it's investigating “an alleged data security incident” after reports on social media that it was hacked.

Rockstar Games has seemingly been hit with yet another leak. Several reports have tipped that the complete source code of Grand Theft Auto 5 has been leaked. Reports have also suggested the leak includes GTA 6 codes and files from a rumoured sequel to the company's 2006 game, Bully. Notably, the hacker who helped leak GTA 6 gameplays last year was sentenced to indefinite hospital prison last week. Even the GTA 6 trailer was revealed 15 hours ahead of schedule in response to a leak that had shared the trailer online.

The hacker responsible for leaking in-development videos of Grand Theft Auto VI last year has been reportedly confined to a secure hospital — for an indefinite period. As per BBC News, an 18-year-old individual named Arion Kurtaj, who was part of the notorious cybercrime group Lapsus$, was deemed unfit to stand trial due to acute autism diagnosis. So, based on a mental assessment, the jury was asked to decide whether the heinous act was committed with criminal intent — resulting in the claim that the individual was ‘highly motivated' to return to crime. As such, he has been sentenced to life in hospital indefinitely until he's deemed as no longer dangerous to people.

Resident Evil 4, the acclaimed 2023 remake of the survival horror classic from 2005, is now available on the iPhone 15 Pro and select iPad and Mac models. The game released on compatible Apple devices on Wednesday. While RE4 is listed for free on Apple's App Store, accessing the full title would require in-app purchases. RE4 remake originally release for PC and consoles on March 24 and received critical acclaim for the visual and mechanical improvements it brought to 2005's Resident Evil 4. The remake also earned three nominations at this year's The Game Awards, including the top prize for Game of the Year.

We've reached the last month of an incredible year in gaming, closing the season with a final rush of exciting titles as the Christmas holiday period fast approaches. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora — out now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X — is easily the biggest launch in December, transporting players to the never-seen-before Western Frontier of Pandora, teeming with awe-inspiring creatures and luminescent vegetation. It's a bit reminiscent of the James Cameron movies, in the sense that you awaken as a Na'vi orphan and are thrust into battle against the Resources Development Administration (RDA), the corporation looking to harvest natural resources from the beautiful alien moon planet.

Wolverine PS5 gameplay footage and internal data of countless Insomniac Games employees have leaked online. The ransomware group Rhysida has followed through on its threat to release 1.67TB of confidential data, after publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) refused to meet their demands of paying 50BTC or $2 million within a week. The group also claims to have leaked 98 percent of the data, while the remaining two percent was sold to undisclosed sellers — it's unclear what those files contain. Videos have begun circulating online, featuring raw gameplay accompanied by animated storyboards, concept art, locations, the general plot, and a targeted release window of 2026.

Leaks about iQoo's next Neo series had sprung up in the rumour mill around November with more details being made available closer to its expected December launch. After a recent design teaser reveal, which also gave out information about its December launch, the company has now revealed more details about the upcoming smartphones. It's now been confirmed that both the iQoo Neo 9 and the Neo 9 Pro will be launched in China this month and will have different processors.

Death Stranding is coming to the big screen, thanks to a partnership between indie film studio A24 and game developer Kojima Productions. The announcement comes ahead of the Hideo Kojima-helmed studio's 8th anniversary. The film adaptation will focus on the mysteries surrounding the titular apocalyptic event that brought the nightmarish creatures called BT into the living world, blurring the lines between the dead and the living through a portal. Instead of a direct translation of the divisive 2019 video game, the film will serve as a companion piece that further expands the solitary universe. The world of Death Stranding is also set to return in DS2, a sequel announced at last year's The Game Awards.

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition is now available on both iOS and Android mobile platforms. It bundles three classic games — Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. For all Netflix subscribers, the games are free to play. Rockstar Games confirmed that users without a Netflix subscription can also now play the games on their smartphones. They will be required to buy the games on Play Store or App Store.

The Last of Us multiplayer game has been cancelled. In a blog post, developer Naughty Dog confirmed that the development on the promised online experience within the post-apocalyptic universe, which it was calling ‘The Last of Us Online,' has been stopped. The astonishing news comes just a month after game director Vinit Agarwal assured fans that the project was still happening despite the numerous reported setbacks, including the laying off of 25 employees. One can't simply release a live-service game into the wild and expect it to thrive. It desperately needs post-launch content for years to come, indirectly impacting a studio which is otherwise known for creating memorable single-player narratives.

After its debut in Vivo's home market, the company's camera-centric flagships have now been announced for the global market. This would mainly include Europe and Southeast Asian markets, where the company has a noticeable presence. Vivo has announced both its X100 Pro and the X100 for global markets, and they both pack in some interesting specifications. Both smartphones will compete with the likes of Samsung's Galaxy S23 series and the upcoming Galaxy S24 series, which is set to debut in January 2024.

Spider-Man 2's big post-launch update has been delayed to early 2024. In a tweet, developer Insomniac Games confirmed that the team needed more time to ensure a high-quality product, but will include a range of additional features. Originally, the patch was supposed to only include a New Game+ mode, allowing players to dive back into the game's story in an overpowered state, carrying over all unlocked abilities and gear upgrades. But having collected feedback from players, a mission replay option will be added so that you can relive some of the most cinematic boss fights in gaming this year — alongside side missions to hunt down achievements.

When competing with Samsung for vertical foldables, Oppo has always gone with more. More screen space, more cover display, more camera. While doing all of this, the Chinese smartphone brand has also gone with a more refined hinge, all of which worked in favour of the Oppo Find N2 Flip when I compared it with the Galaxy Z Flip 4 early this year—a few months on, Motorola released its Razr 40 Ultra, which offered a radical design with an edge-to-edge cover display (and embedded cameras) along with features like an IP rating and wireless charging. A few months later, Samsung launched a refreshed Galaxy Z Flip 5, which followed the trend set by Motorola and offered a large, squarish cover display but fell short on execution with badly optimised software.

Apple has revealed the year-end charts for the most popular apps and games on the App Store in over 35 countries and regions. Consequently, the iPhone maker has announced the most downloaded apps and games of 2023 in India, as well. Unsurprisingly, WhatsApp has emerged as the top free iPhone app, while the DSLR Camera app, which provides users professional-grade camera controls, is the top paid iPhone app of the year. Earlier this month, Apple also revealed its 2023 App Store Award winners.

Grand Theft Auto V leads the pack of new titles coming to the PlayStation Plus Extra and Deluxe/ Premium game catalog, this month. Starting December 19, all higher-tier PS Plus members can hop back into the lively city of Los Santos and experience a tale of perilous heists and betrayal as a street hustler, a retired bank robber, and an impulsive criminal's lives become intertwined in a twisted odyssey. While the game has been out for quite some time now, this addition perfectly lines up with the new GTA Online update ‘The Chop Shop,' which brings a salvage yard and drift racing into the mix. GTA V will be available to play on both PS4 and PS5.

E3, what was once the biggest video game expo, is officially dead. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) confirmed the news on Twitter, thanking the fans and developers who attended and supported the in-person show for over two decades. Its closure was only a matter of time, slyly signalled in March, when the 2023 edition got cancelled due to a lack of interest from several publishers including the big three — PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo — all of which pulled out. Add to that pandemic-era disruption which caused global lockdowns, competitors such as Summer Game Fest, and the general audience preferring to catch up on game reveals from the comfort of their homes, eventually leading to its demise.

Microsoft is reportedly planning to offer free game streaming in exchange for advertisements. As per TweakTown, Xbox Gaming CFO Tim Stuart suggested during the recent Wells Fargo TMT Summit that to expand geographically, it would be ideal to leverage the company's xCloud service, allowing players to cloud stream games at any ‘endpoint' via a simple Game Pass Ultimate subscription. He further added, “For models like Africa, or India, Southeast Asia, maybe places that aren't console-first, you can say, ‘Hey, do you want to watch 30 seconds of an ad and then get two hours of game streaming?'”

The Day Before, once Steam's most wish-listed open-world survival MMO, has been delisted from Valve's platform. The game launched in early access to an almost immediate flood of negative reviews last week, with most players claiming that it wasn't really an MMO but an extraction shooter reminiscent of Escape from Tarkov, combined with the post-apocalyptic threats of The Last of Us. The misleading gameplay claims were made worse by several game-breaking glitches that caused characters to clip off from the map, an incomplete and sparse world devoid of action, and inconsistent online features. Merely five days after release, the game is no longer available to buy on Steam and Fntastic, the studio behind the game, has announced it is shutting down and working on refunds for customers who bought the game.

The Golden Globes 2024 nominations were revealed last night, with Greta Gerwig's feminist candy-coated romp Barbie, which dominated the box office charts this year, leading the pack. It's got a whopping 10 nominations, including one for Best Musical or Comedy, alongside acting nods for stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling (supporting). The awards show has also added two new categories to recognise the best in entertainment, starting with a ‘Cinematic and Box Office Achievement' category, which honours the biggest movies of the year, having grossed $150 million (about Rs. 1,250 crore) minimum, of which $100 million must be from within the US. Eight nominees compete for that award, including Barbie, Oppenheimer, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

Fortnite maker Epic Games has prevailed in its high-profile antitrust trial over Alphabet's Google, which alleged the Play app store operated as an illegal monopoly, in a ruling that if it holds could upend the entire app store economy.

Asus ROG Phone 8 has been teased by the company, ahead of the launch of the company's next flagship phone aimed at gamers. The successor to the ROG Phone 7 is expected to make its debut soon, and the phone was recently spotted on a certification website, hinting at an imminent launch. Asus previously confirmed that the ROG Phone 8 will be powered by Qualcomm's latest flagship smartphone processor, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 that offers performance and efficiency improvements over last year's flagship chip.

PlayStation VR2, Sony's current-gen virtual reality headset, is finally available in India. The news comes nearly 10 months after its launch in the US and costs a bit more than the standard PS5 in the country. The visor and Sense controllers alone cost Rs. 57,990, albeit one could also opt for the Horizon Call of the Mountain bundle, priced at Rs. 61,999. However, it seems there's not enough stock when it comes to online retailers. At the time of writing, only Amazon and e2z Store have the headset in stock, with the latter only listing the base edition. Other notable sites have the option to pre-book or enable email notifications whenever they're ready.

The Game Awards 2023 wrapped earlier today, marking an epic conclusion to this year's video game season and celebrating the best games released in the past year. The lengthy ceremony was once again hosted by Geoff Keighley, live from Los Angeles, with Baldur's Gate 3 taking home the coveted Game of the Year award. As usual, there were a few exciting new announcements, and while some expectations were crushed, there's still a bunch to look forward to. Standout reveals this year include a collaboration between Hideo Kojima and filmmaker Jordan Peele, a free DLC for God of War Ragnarök, yet another Skull and Bones release date, and more surprises.

Baldur's Gate III took home the top honour at The Game Awards 2023, held early Friday in Los Angeles, besting its lead competitor Alan Wake II. The Dungeons & Dragons-based sprawling RPG, which was strongly revered by both fans and critics alike, bagged six trophies, including Best Community Support and Best Performance. The latter was collected by Neil Newbon, who played Astarion, the silver-haired vampire spawn, holding our attention with his melodramatic persona and the occasional high-pitched screeches. Meanwhile, Remedy's Alan Wake 2 won four awards across some of the most important categories, with co-directors Sam Lake and Kyle Rowley emerging as the best game directors of the year, alongside a writing/ narrative nod.

The Game Awards is back for its 2023 edition, signalling that time of the year when the industry and fans gather together to celebrate the best in video games. Marking the 10th iteration of the Geoff Keighley-hosted show, the annual event is held in high regard by developers worldwide, who will be competing in 31 categories that acknowledge games across genres. As usual, the ceremony will be spruced up by big announcements and trailers for upcoming titles, backed by a dedicated musical orchestra conducted by returning composer Lorne Balfe. There haven't been as many leaks this year, so anticipation is high as gamers keep their fingers crossed hoping for the biggest reveals.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and its Warzone component kicked off its Season 1 multiplayer today, marking its first major update since launch. The former gets three new maps as part of its 24/7 playlist, in addition to a 6v6 arena set in Rio, which will be available later in the season. As usual, there are some rewards for racking up kills without dying, granting players an EMP upon getting a 13 killstreak and the ability to summon mosquito swarms as cover on a 15 killstreak. There's also a new perk called the Assassin Vest, which makes players immune to UAV scans and doesn't pop skulls on the minimap upon performing an execution.

Microsoft has reportedly been developing an Xbox mobile storefront that would allow users to bypass Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store and download games off its own application. Earlier this year, Microsoft's gaming chief Phil Spencer, too, had revealed ahead of the annual Game Developer Conference that the company intended to launch its own app store for both iOS and Android. Now, Xbox is reportedly in talks with partners for the same.

The first trailer for Grand Theft Auto VI is here, finally taking the covers off of Rockstar Games' ambitious open world title. After years of leaks, rumours and speculation, we now finally have concrete official details about GTA 6, its world, characters, and tone. The trailer itself was published hastily ahead of schedule after it was leaked on X on Tuesday. Instead of waiting and putting out the reveal Wednesday at 9am ET (7:30pm IST) — as Rockstar initially planned, the studio released the trailer early Wednesday morning. “Our trailer has leaked so please watch the real thing on YouTube,” the publisher said in its post on X.

Cyberpunk 2077 is getting the last major update before developer CD Projekt Red moves on to the next project. Dubbed ‘Update 2.1,' the patch finally brings the long-requested metro system, the ability to hang out with romantic partners, radios, and a ton of quality-of-life changes. It drops alongside the Ultimate Edition on December 5 at 4:30pm IST in India/ 12pm CET in Europe. Bear in mind that this is a free downloadable update, so it won't be included natively in the physical disc versions releasing on the PS5 and Xbox Series S/X. That said, the 2.0 Update released in September will be included across all versions, entirely overhauling the perk system and adding a range of tech augmentations, which weren't present in the original 2020 version.

The Last of Us Part II is getting remastered for the PS5 with bonus content, and Naughty Dog has now dropped an overview trailer for its biggest addition. ‘No Return' is a roguelite mode that forces players into devastating situations — randomised encounters against swarms of the Infected, Clickers, and more, where each death would take you back to the starting point. There are 12 levels in total, based on memorable locations from the Seattle-set game, all building up to dramatic boss battles. As previously reported, the new version has enhancements for the PS5, including a native 4K output and unlocked framerates for displays with VRR. The Last of Part II Remastered releases January 19.

GTA 6 trailer has been officially released. The trailer was initially scheduled to go live on December 5 at 9am ET (7:30pm IST). However, it was released 15 hours ahead of schedule following a leak. Grand Theft Auto 5 was introduced in September 2013. Therefore, the anticipation surrounding the GTA 6 trailer, after 10 years of the game's last release, was already soaring. The leak and thereby the preponed release of the game's trailer has sent enthusiasts into a frenzy. The launch timeline and compatible platforms for GTA 6 were also officially announced.

Just a day away from getting our first look at Grand Theft Auto 6, a leak has surfaced that claims to show footage from the upcoming game. As per GTABase.com on Twitter, TikTok account ‘azzarossi' posted a video showing a quick panoramic view and scale of the alleged location GTA 6 is based in — a fictionalised version of Miami aka Vice City. The video also shows a Pißwasser billboard, an in-game beer brand that's been ever-present in GTA games. While the account has since gone private, there is no way to verify whether the footage is real. The important landmarks, however, match with the massive data leak from last year, which exposed over 90 in-development clips into the wild.

The Fallout TV series just got a trailer, giving us a glimpse into its irradiated post-apocalyptic world. Unveiled during the Comic-Con Expo (CCXP) event in Brazil, the show brings forth an original story set in a dilapidated Los Angeles and runs canon to the Bethesda game's universe — adding to the franchise, instead of adapting from one of its titles. However, just like the games, the tale largely follows a vault dweller who heads out into the nuclear wasteland in search of answers and in the process, meets countless eccentric characters — both good and bad — and uncovers the larger politics surrounding class divide, morality, and more. Fallout premieres April 12 on Amazon Prime Video.

Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer release date is finally upon us, as confirmed by Rockstar Games via a tweet. The first footage from the highly-anticipated crime odyssey sequel will be out on Tuesday, December 5, at 7:30pm IST in India/ 9am ET in the US, with the publisher only posting an image of a sunset and palm tree silhouettes — confirming previous claims that it's set in a fictionalised version of Miami, which franchise veterans might recognise as a return to Vice City. With that, it is clear that Geoff Keighley won't be presenting the trailer at The Game Awards 2023, though a teaser or some screenshot drops are always possible.

Xbox Game Pass is adding 12 new titles to its December catalogue, including two day-one releases. The standout here has to be the Remnant franchise — both From the Ashes and its newly launched sequel Remnant II, celebrated for its souls-like shooter experience that pits players against tough-as-nails fantastical monsters, across procedurally-generated levels. Its challenges can also be tackled in co-op, so it's best advised that you check out the sequel because it will have a larger active player base. Another major addition this month is Far Cry 6, setting you against the vibrant tropical island of Yara to topple its ruthless dictator Antón Castillo (Giancarlo Esposito), who is hellbent on using the Viviro, an unstable form of cancer treatment, to restore his land to former glory. It arrives December 14 on Xbox Game Pass.

Chinese smartphone brand iQoo is all geared up for the launch of its latest flagship smartphone called the iQoo 12. The iQoo 12 is the successor to the iQoo 11, which was launched in India at a starting price of Rs. 59,999. Ahead of the launch of its latest flagship, iQoo has now announced a new Priority Pass for its users. The pass will get interested buyers of the upcoming iQoo 12 smartphone early access to the sale, among other things. The flagship smartphone is set to launch in India on 12 December.

Over the years, Call of Duty campaigns have delivered the closest distillation of Michael Bay-style cinematic set piece action in video games. The first-person military shooter franchise, perhaps the most popular series of games in the world, has increasingly tilted in favour of its money-spinning multiplayer modes, with gradual introduction of battle passes, microtransactions, and downloadable content, but some of its single player campaigns remain a benchmark for bombastic sequences in the medium. Memorable missions from Call of Duty titles are part of gaming folklore — the raw shock of a nuclear detonation, the tense deliberations of a ghillied-up sniper, and the disturbing implications of a false flag terror attack; CoD campaigns have sustained their commitment to over-the-top, knockout moments with imaginative mission design, the “Oorah” machismo of American military might, and immersive cinematics that punctuate the action.

Apple has announced the winners of the 2023 App Store Awards, listing the 14 best apps and games across different categories. Fitness-focussed hiking and biking app AllTrails has emerged as the best app on iPhone this year, while miHoYo's latest RPG gacha title Honkai: Star Rail has been named as the iPhone Game of the Year. Other winners include machine learning-powered editing app Photomator, souls-like action RPG Lies of P, and curated film streaming platform Mubi. Last month, Apple had announced a list of 40 finalists, based on their technical and creative achievements, for its annual App Store Awards.

December is at the door, which means so are the free PlayStation Plus monthly games. The PS Plus free games for the final month of the year have been announced. Starting Tuesday, December 5, PS Plus member will get access to open-world Lego driving adventure Lego 2K Drive, clean ‘em up sim Powerwash Simulator and indie exploration title Sable. All three titles will be available to PS Plus subscribers across Essential, Extra, and Deluxe/ Premium plans. The free games can be added to PS4 and PS5 game libraries until Monday, January 1. You'd of course have to keep your PS Plus subscription to continue playing the titles.

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, the remastered bundle that contains three iconic GTA titles from Rockstar Games, is coming to Netflix, the streamer announced Wednesday. Starting December 14, Netflix subscribers will get access to the trilogy on mobile via App Store, Google Play, and within the Netflix app. Released November 11, 2021, for PC and consoles, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition brings together three classic games — Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas — with visual, gameplay and quality of life improvements. While the original games are available on both iOS and Android, this marks the first time the remastered trilogy is heading to the mobile platform.

Samsung is the current and undisputed leader in foldables when it comes to sales in India. Whether it's the features that Samsung's foldables offer or the brand's identity as a premium smartphone brand, there's no ignoring the fact that Samsung has been consistent when it came to launching every single foldable offering, it brought to the world in India. Indeed, this also speaks volumes about Samsung's commitment to the finer details that matter when it comes to foldables, like software support and after-sales service.

Gaming, for many, relates to relaxation or entertainment, but steadily, serious gaming is also becoming an avenue for career opportunities. And, if HP's latest India Gaming Landscape Study 2023 is to be believed, then the trends are changing for good. Gadgets 360 got a chance to sit with Vickram Bedi, Senior Director (Personal Systems), HP India, to talk about the key insights from the Study.

The Lenovo Legion Go handheld gaming console was launched globally at IFA (Internationale FunkAusstellung Berlin) showcase event in September. Powered by the new AMD Ryzen Z1 series of processors, the Windows-based device is set to go on sale in EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) markets this month. While there's been no official word from Lenovo over a launch timeline for the Indian market, the Lenovo Legion India Instagram page seems to have hinted at a regional release window for the handheld. The Lenovo Legion Go handheld could release in India next year.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth features the biggest map in the Yakuza franchise. Marking the series' first venture outside of Japan, the upcoming title will transport players to the tourist hotspot of Hawaii — Honolulu City, to be exact. Developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio claims that the vast new stage is more than three times the size of Yakuza: Like a Dragon's Isezaki Ijincho, the suburb where the afro-haired Kasuga Ichiban was introduced. That means, the Hawaii map is nearly nine times the size of the Kamurocho district, the series' primary Japanese setting punctuated by shops, restaurants, and nightclubs, where we dabbled in action-packed illicit acts through the eyes of Kazuma Kiryu, the series' main protagonist who keeps getting pulled back into the life of crime.

Some Assassin's Creed Odyssey console players encountered in-game pop-up ads for Ubisoft's Black Friday Sale while playing the game. As per a Reddit video posted by u/triddell24, they stumbled upon an advertisement when toggling open the world map, filling the screen with a dismissible banner for Assassin's Creed Mirage, currently available at a 20 percent discount. Clicking the ‘Buy Now' button would presumably redirect to the store page for Mirage. Players online have understandable expressed their disappointment over the in-game advertisement that interferes with gameplay. Publisher Ubisoft has since apologised for the pop-up, in addition to stating it was a ‘technical error.'

YouTube is expanding its offerings to Premium subscribers, adding a few new experimental features for its paying members to try out. The video-hosting and streaming service already has a major presence in gaming, but now YouTube Premium members can actually play games on YouTube, without any downloads. The platform has rolled out ‘Playables,' a new collection of over 30 arcade games that can be played on the YouTube app on Android, iOS, and Web.

Rockstar has removed the Social Club branding from its website, presumably in anticipation of GTA 6. As per the news account @videotechuk_ on Twitter, the publisher has replaced the nomenclature with simply ‘Rockstar Games' and scrapped any references to ‘Social Club members.' The online gaming service is also missing the old logo now, though players can still engage in multiplayer elements and accrue member-exclusive rewards from games like Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2. For now, it's unclear whether Rockstar would launch a new platform or simply update the existing application to usher in the new era, but traces of the branding still remain in-game.

Call of Duty release in 2024 is reportedly a new entry in the Black Ops series, set around the 1990s Gulf War. As per Windows Central, the title will feature a ‘nuanced' narrative that jumps between different factions within the conflict, connecting to the Cold War. Keeping with the time period, weaponry and gadgets will bear a traditional look and feel, unlike the futuristic holographic-sited guns we've seen in recent Call of Duty games. Hopefully, Activision takes some lessons from the poorly-received Modern Warfare 3 and doubles down on the campaign aspects — otherwise, building the overarching lore seems futile, as players would simply begin skipping it for multiplayer.

PlayStation launched its annual Black Friday Sale, late last week, offering discounts of up to 70 percent on key titles on the PS4 and PS5. The promotion is live across some first, but largely third-party releases, and is slated to end November 28 on the digital storefront. God of War Ragnarök is a standout among the catalogue, available at a 38 percent discount for Rs. 3,099, tasking Kratos and Atreus on a journey to the Nine Realms to prevent the prophesied apocalypse. PS Plus Premium/ Deluxe members also get a three-hour free trial period, in case you feel like testing the waters. Those who only own an old-gen PS4, however, can opt for the dedicated version at Rs. 2,279.

Cyberpunk 2077 is getting an Ultimate Edition, which includes the latest version of the game, alongside the Phantom Liberty expansion. The complete version is set to launch December 5, across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X, with the last of them getting a full physical release. The Xbox package will come with three discs comprising all content, whereas the PS5 version will include a disc for the base version with the v2.0 overhaul and a voucher for the expansion to be downloaded from the PlayStation store. Meanwhile, the PC version serves a redeemable code on the GOG platform — no discs at all — CD Projekt Red's own gaming client, which ensures it keeps the full cut from the purchase.

Manufacturers like Samsung and Xiaomi have been playing with the idea of foldables for several years; buyers have been waiting for the various technologies that make these foldables work to become more reliable. Is 2023 that year? Well, it surely seems that way. While Samsung has dominated the foldable segment, delivering new models and upgrades year after year, it was expected that Chinese smartphone players would catch up at some point and possibly even leap ahead. Meanwhile, Apple has yet to take its first step into the brave and bold world of foldable smartphones.

The 2023 Steam Autumn Sale is now live, bringing new and returning deals on PC games. The event is live for a week, running until November 28 at 10:30pm IST, slashing prices by up to 85 percent on select titles. Blizzard's Diablo IV, which recently came to Valve's storefront, has gotten a 40 percent discount — Rs. 3,359 — tossing you into the hellish landscape of the Sanctuary to battle bloodthirsty monsters as a legendary horned demon Lilith, Queen of the Succubi comes into power. Lacklustre post-launch content has tarnished this game's reputation, so why not give it a test run with the six-day-long free trial? Bethesda's expansive space RPG Starfield has also received a first discount, setting you centuries into the future where humanity has begun thriving on other planets. It's available at Rs. 3,999 at a 20 percent discount.

Rockstar Games, makers of the incredibly popular Grand Theft Auto series, finally announced earlier this month that they would officially reveal GTA 6 in December. In a series of posts from Rockstar's X account, studio co-founder Sam Houser confirmed that the much-awaited trailer for GTA 6 would arrive in December. A new leak, however, has unearthed evidence about scrapped story DLC for Grand Theft Auto 5. First released in 2013, GTA 5 still features on best-selling charts every month a decade into its run, thanks to GTA Online's thriving success and massive player base. Despite demand from fans, the main game never received a story expansion, with Rockstar instead opting to provide regular updates to the money-spinning online mode. The leak also reveals a canned sequel to 2006's Bully, a cult favourite title from Rockstar that never received a follow-up.

The Last of Us Part II is being Remastered for the PlayStation 5, developers Naughty Dog have announced. The studio is promising a slew of technological improvements, new game modes, and other additions in a bid to make the remaster for a game, that came out on the PS4 in 2020, worth picking up on the PS5. Notably, the sequel to The Last of Us is playable on Sony's current-gen console via backwards compatibility and had already received a PS5 update in 2021 that added support for 60fps. The Last of Us Part II Remastered will be coming to the PS5 on January 19, 2024, Naughty Dog has confirmed.

The Google Pixel 7 Pro was a good smartphone overall. It packed in everything a casual smartphone user would expect from an Android smartphone including, the now standard, timely software updates. But it came up short in a few areas like battery life, charging and had its fair share of heating issues and camera-related bugs as well. With the new Pixel 8 Pro, there's a brand-new design, plenty of AI-enabled features and even a new processor. Keeping this in mind, one would naturally expect Google to have worked on some if not all of the shortcomings of its predecessor. But that's not exactly the case with Google's newest Pixel flagship.

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen leads the pack of new titles coming to the PlayStation Plus Extra and Deluxe/ Premium game catalog, this month. Starting November 21, all higher-tier PS Plus members can embark on an epic dark fantasy adventure as the Arisen, whose heart gets ripped out by a dragon early on, marking him as a warrior destined to face the mythical creature and unravel answers to a sinister conspiracy. The combat is heavily reminiscent of the Dark Souls games, albeit you've got a crew of AI companions who would assist you in tight situations. Play around with magic, ride atop griffins, slice off Hydra heads, and more when Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen comes to PS4.

Not to be harsh, but I was never fond of Assassin's Creed's little detour into the endless open world meta in recent years. A series that was once lauded for its clinical stealth-based killings had slowly morphed into a reckless RPG with greater emphasis on quest hoarding, gear system, and heavy-handed combat. The new Assassin Creed games carried such little resemblance to the early titles in the franchise that if Ubisoft were to strategically rebrand it, no one would raise questions. Sure, they fared well commercially, but with time, the formula got stale and a desperate need for a refresh was never more apparent. And so, the studio's solution is to revisit its glory days and create a familiar Assassin's Creed experience that caters to loyalists by turning a once-destined AC Valhalla DLC into a standalone experience — a throwback set in the dusty but vibrant locale of ninth-century Baghdad.

PlayStation is preparing for its Black Friday sale again, promising huge discounts on games and high-end hardware. The sale begins Friday, November 17 — a weeklong head start that lets you stock up on all your gaming needs for this winter. Sony India seems intent on exhausting its inventory of PS5 Cricket 24 Edition bundles, which were released last month in anticipation of the ICC World Cup. It will once again cost Rs. 47,990 — down from Rs. 57,990 — it was originally touted as a limited-time offer, and comes packaged with a 4K Bluray-equipped disc variant of the console and a voucher code for the titular sports game. The PlayStation Black Friday sale ends November 30.

PlayStation 5 owners can now claim up to six months of Apple Music for free, as part of a new partnership between Sony and Apple. Unlike many other promotions online, even returning customers will be able to claim five months of Apple Music for free, as part of the promotion that can be claimed within a year. The Cupertino company previously ran a promotion that granted owners of Sony's current-generation gaming console access to Apple TV+ for a six-month period.

Apple has announced the 2023 App Store Award finalists. Each year, the App Store's editorial team select and spotlight some of the best apps across categories on Apple's Storefront. Apps and games on App Store are recognised for their technical and creative achievements. This year's App Store Award finalists include over 40 app and game developers across 10 different categories. Awards are given out to apps across Apple's lineup of devices, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch. Popular apps like language learning tool Duolingo, professional video editing software DaVinci Resolve, and film streaming platform Mubi have made the cut this year.

The Last of Us season 2 will reportedly begin filming in early 2024. As per the FTIA production list, the second chapter is slated to shoot from January 7, 2024, onwards. The shooting schedule was delayed due to the Hollywood actors' and writers' strikes — both of which have ended now. Considering the show was not mentioned in HBO's 2024 slate, we can assume it will be out sometime in 2025 at the soonest. This is a bit off course from what lead Bella Ramsey — who played Ellie in season 1 — suggested, at a time when there were murmurs of a potential strike. It goes without saying that the series will adapt the events from the gory and polarising sequel, The Last of Us Part II, with plans for the arc from the video game to play out for longer than a season.

Steam Deck OLED, Valve's updated handheld gaming device, is launching later this week. Ahead of the Steam-powered console's release, Valve has unveiled release timings. The handheld gaming device will be available to purchase November 16 at 10am PST in the US, Canada, the UK, and Europe via the Steam store. To combat scalpers who purchase newly launched devices in bulk to resell them at a markup, the company has limited purchases so each customer can only buy one model per week. Additionally, the company has announced a limited-edition version, featuring a smoky translucent case, available for $679 (about Rs. 56,500). This is available only in the US and Canada.

The Game Awards 2023 nominations are now out in the wild. Two of the biggest titles this year, Baldur's Gate 3 and the more recent Alan Wake II lead the pack with a whopping eight nods each, including Game of the Year. Despite being considered one of the best years for gaming, the show host and organiser Geoff Keighley is sticking to his rule of including only six names for the prestigious award. The remaining GOTY contenders include Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Resident Evil 4 remake, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The latter two were big hits during the first half of the year, with Zelda players showing off their mechanical creations in the lands of Hyrule, while the RE4 PC players messed around with sultry mods.

Netflix Games, the streamer's game subscription service that comes bundled with a Netflix subscription, has grown over time to include nearly 90 games across different genres. The platform adds new games to the service every month, which can be played on Android phones and tablets, iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Now, Netflix Games is bringing four new titles inspired by popular films and shows on the streaming platform. As part of its ongoing Geeked Week 2023 showcase, Netflix has announced Money Heist, Shadow and Bone: Enter the Fold, Chicken Run: Eggstraction, and The Dragon Prince: Xadia — all mobile titles arriving soon for Netflix subscribers.

Dell announced the launch of its Alienware Aurora R16 gaming desktop on Thursday. It is available for purchase in two different configurations - 13th Gen and 14th Gen Intel Core processors. The desktop can be configured with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU. It is said to be 40 percent smaller in size compared to its predecessor, the Aurora R15 and also claims to offer a 20 percent quieter performance as well as enhanced heat dissipation.

Sony is gearing up to launch the PS5's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III bundle in India. The cross-gen package will be available from November 10 onwards, but unlike in the US, the publisher isn't selling the new slim version of the console here yet. Players will receive the standard 4K Blu-ray drive-equipped PS5, alongside a voucher code for Activision's upcoming marquee shooter, at Rs. 49,390. This is part of an ‘introductory offer' running until November 23, during which the bundle's price has been slashed by Rs. 10,000 — after which, it will cost Rs. 59,390, which is the base price for any PS5 game bundle.

The Amazon Great Indian Festival sale, which began 7 October for Prime Members, is in its final phase. Bringing deep discounts on wide range of products, the sale is winding down in its Finale Days phase. Amazon is offering lucrative deals on smartphones, laptops, tablets, PC accessories and more. The sale features great deals for gamers as well, bringing gaming consoles, controllers and other gaming peripherals at a discounted price. Gaming laptops from top brands like Acer, HP, Lenovo and others are also available at great prices in the sale.

Warner Bros. will be heavily veering into a live service model for its future games. During its latest Q3 earnings call, CEO David Zaslav confirmed that the company plans to transform its biggest video game franchises into long-term products, bolstered by regular content drops and heavy monetisation. In recent years, gamers have developed a distaste for such money-hungry practices, which often lock out content behind some form of paywall or a battle pass, instead of providing a complete game at launch. The idea is for players to keep playing WB-published games for months, instead of having AAA developers put out a new game every three to four years — which is the general cycle.

GTA 6 is getting a trailer in early December, Rockstar Games has confirmed. The news follows a recent report claiming that the developer was planning an announcement ‘as early as this week.' Studio co-founder Sam Houser attested to those claims, adding that next month also marks Rockstar's 25th-anniversary celebration, and thanked players for their continued support over the decades. It's been over 11 years since Grand Theft Auto V launched in 2013, which at the time of writing has sold over 190 million copies — 5 million of them were sold in Q4 2023, thanks to next-gen upgrades and the GTA Online segment still going strong.

We are a week into November and the penultimate month of the year brings another healthy lineup of game releases. This month, we're getting an eclectic lineup of games — from a throwback adaptation of an 80s cult cyberpunk film to a much-anticipated remake of a beloved Super Nintendo classic. Perhaps the biggest release of November is the next Call of Duty. On November 10, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 comes out, continuing the story of the reboot trilogy. The Activision shooter promises to bring new multiplayer modes and maps.

Unlike its latest smartwatch, which looks and feels almost identical to the model it replaces, Apple seems to have done a fine job of retaining the good stuff and improving on the sore points of last year's iPhone 14 Pro. There's a refreshed design, a more powerful telephoto camera, a class-leading processor, a new gaming experience and last but not least, a USB-C port. The brand-new Action Button is added to the long list of improvements, which replaces the iconic ringer/silent switch. Dynamic Island is very much present but not exclusive, as the regular iPhone 15 models also have it this year.

The Legend of Zelda is getting a live-action adaptation. After years of rumours, Nintendo has finally confirmed that it's working on a movie set in the enchanted lands of Hyrule, co-produced by the gaming giant and Avi Arad, who's behind the recent Spider-Man spin-off films. Wes Ball — best known for the Maze Runner trilogy — is attached to direct, which isn't being received well by fans of the franchise. Of course, Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto is deeply involved in the project in a producer capacity, just like he was for The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is reportedly set to be announced this week by publisher Rockstar Games. As per Bloomberg, the manically anticipated next entry in the GTA series will also receive a trailer next month to coincide with Rockstar's 25th anniversary celebration. While not explicitly mentioned, the footage could likely be revealed during The Game Awards on December 7, which is also where the upcoming Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree is expected to get a release date. Rockstar Games hasn't shared much about the game since disclosing that it's under development, with an earnings report from Rockstar parent Take-Two Interactive in May alluding to a launch window set in fiscal year 2025.

Microsoft is teaming up with Inworld AI to create game development tools for Xbox, enabling developers to create characters, generate entire scripts and quests, and more. The multi-year deal brings an AI design copilot and an AI character runtime engine to the forefront, both of them being totally optional to use and to varying degrees. Of course, the use of AI in art has been criticised by many for simply lacking originality, in addition to running the risk of fewer jobs for artists — a growing fear among many considering the alarming number of layoffs seen at game studios this year in an attempt to cut costs.

Lies of P, the Pinocchio-inspired soulslike title, is getting a DLC expansion and a separate sequel. Publisher Neowiz dropped a Director's Letter video, in which game director Ji Won Choi confirmed the plans and revealed two pieces of concept art from the in-development DLC. The first one appears to be a laboratory frozen all over, which could presumably be the location where the human citizens of Krat were experimented on and turned into puppets. There's no labelling on them, so for now, we can simply guess what these images could mean for future content. The second art sees our puppet protagonist strutting along an abandoned, almost ghostly ship, which could indicate some Peter Pan influence.

PlayStation Plus' monthly free games for November 2023 have been revealed. The three titles will be available to members of PS Plus Essential, Extra, and Deluxe/ Premium plans, starting November 7. PS Plus members can become a gangster and run the streets of New York City in Mafia II: Definitive Edition, take part in explosive battles against classic supervillains in Dragon Ball: The Breakers, and battle through hordes of Xenomorphs in Aliens: Fireteam Elite. These games can be added to your PS4 and PS5 games library until December 4, after which you'll have to hold on to your PS Plus membership for continued access. If you enjoy any of these titles, you could buy them for permanent access and continue from where you left off.

Sony announced a slimmer, lighter refresh of the PlayStation 5 last month, bringing new design changes that help the console shed its bulky signature. The PS5 slim, which now comes with redesigned side panels that allow you to add a detachable external Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive to the digital edition of the console, is set to release this month. While Sony has not announced an official release date, both disc and digital editions of the new PS5 slim will reportedly go on sale November 10 in the US and could arrive in a Marvel's Spider-Man 2 bundle. Now, the PS5 slim disc edition is seemingly getting bundled with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, too. According to a Call of Duty news portal, the upcoming shooter from Activision is set to be bundled for free with the console.