Month: January 2020

AMD’s CES 2020 briefing from Las Vegas kicked off with a fresh look at Microsoft’s next-generation console, Xbox Series X. In a sizzle reel, the back of the console was shown for the first time, and it reveals some key–but unsurprising–details about the system.

The Xbox Series X will reportedly feature two HDMI ports, two USB-C ports, S/PDIF, Ethernet, and of course Power. This is exactly the same as the Xbox One X. The Xbox Series X also has a USB port on the front of the console, close to the disc drive. The Xbox One X also has an IR Out port but it remains to be seen if Xbox Series X will have this as well.

Here is a look at the back of the Xbox Series X, as shown off during AMD’s CES briefing:

Here are the Xbox Series X ports

GameSpot has contacted Microsoft in an attempt to confirm the details of what ports the Xbox Series X will have. Keep checking back with GameSpot for more. The AMD briefing also included a new look at the Xbox Series X controller, which features a “Share” button for the first time. The controller shown in the image appears to have softer triggers.

It’s been a big day for Xbox Series X, as Microsoft also showed off the console’s CPU for the first time.

A new look at the Xbox Series X controller

The Xbox Series X launches in Holiday 2020. It might not be the only next-gen Xbox console on the way, as the Xbox Series X naming convention leaves room for other consoles as well. The Xbox Series X will also ship with a new controller that features a “Share” button, which is something that the PlayStation 4’s DualShock 4 has had since 2013. One of the launch titles for Xbox Series X is Halo Infinite, while other titles will be confirmed later.

The Xbox Series X controller’s triggers appear to be softer

For lots more on the Xbox Series X, check out GameSpot’s extended and exclusive breakdown.

Read next: Xbox Series X: Release Date, Specs, Price, And Everything We Know

Every week, Netflix puts out a lot of content. Between the movies, TV shows, and original programming, there is something for everyone on the streaming service. Here is what’s headed your way for the week of January 5, along with a few of our recommendations.

Almost everything coming to Netflix this week drops on Friday, January 10. The cult classic 1981 horror movie The Evil Dead drops on that day. Sam Raimi’s original film was never intended to be a comedy–which the franchise ultimately became–but the first movie in this series still holds up, as it is a ton of fun, even with the unintentional laughable moments. The Evil Dead follows a group of friends who go to a cabin in the woods, and they’re killed off, one by one, by a demonic force. Just a heads up: If you are ever staying in an old log cabin and find a book made of human skin, don’t read from it.

This week, the comedic series Medical Police arrives. The show stars Rob Huebel and Erinn Hayes (creators of Children’s Hospital) as two doctors who are also police officers. Does that sound stupid? Well, that’s the point. As you can see from the trailer, the show combines your typical police and medical procedural shows into one perfect-looking comedy. You can check out the show for yourself when Season 1 drops on Friday.

Below, you’ll find everything headed to Netflix this week, and if you want to know more about what’s new to streaming services, check out our lists for what’s new to Disney+ and Amazon, Hulu, and Shudder for the week of January 5.

What’s coming to Netflix this week?

Wednesday, January 8

Friday, January 10

• AJ and the Queen
• The Evil Dead
• Giri / Haji
• Harvey Girls Forever!: Season 4
• The Inbestigators: Season 2
• Medical Police
• Scissor Seven
• Until Dawn
• Zumbo’s Just Desserts: Season 2

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

It’s a big year for the Xbox brand, as Microsoft is launching its next-generation console–Xbox Series X–during the holiday season alongside the rival PlayStation 5. Now, for the first time, Microsoft has shown off the CPU for the Xbox Series X.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer updated his Twitter image to show off the next-gen CPU, which sports a copper color. As WindowCentral reports, the core component of the chip is much larger than that of the Xbox One X. It may produce more heat, which could be part of the reason why the Xbox Series X has been purposefully designed in an unusual to stay cool.

Here it is: the Xbox Series X CPU

Spencer will literally walk around with the Xbox Series X chip in his pocket, just like he did with the Xbox One X chip before the console released, he said on Twitter. Spencer also shot down speculation that he’s attending CES 2020, saying he’s staying back at Microsoft HQ in Redmond, Washington. Some people speculated that there would be Xbox Series X news during the AMD CES 2020 keynote, but as of yet, that hasn’t happened (the show is ongoing).

The Xbox Series X launches in Holiday 2020. It might not be the only next-gen Xbox console on the way, as the Xbox Series X naming convention leaves room for other consoles as well. The Xbox Series X will also ship with a new controller that features a “Share” button, which is something that the PlayStation 4’s DualShock 4 has had since 2013.

For lots more on the Xbox Series X, check out GameSpot’s extended and exclusive breakdown.

Read next: Xbox Series X: Release Date, Specs, Price, And Everything We Know

Sonic’s sprint to theaters hasn’t exactly taken the blue hedgehog down a smooth road. After loud outcry from fans about Sonic’s original (admittedly terrible) design, the filmmakers went back to the drawing board and rebuilt the iconic video game hero from the ground up. The well-done redesign pushed the movie from late 2019 to February 14, 2020. Sonic the Hedgehog will be the perfect Valentine’s Day date movie, right?

Sonic has been a household name since the early ’90s, so there was already an endless supply of toys, plushes, and random doodads available for purchase. Nevertheless, the Sonic movie gives Sega another opportunity to push Sonic merchandise on fans both old and new. Seeing as we’re only about a month away from Sonic’s theatrical debut, you can bet movie merch is starting to pop up in stores. We have to say: The merch revealed thus far is…strange.

If you don’t believe us, check out some of the Sonic the Hedgehog movie merch below. We’ll add to this list if more bizarre Sonic movie toys are revealed in the coming weeks.

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Baby Sonic Plush

Baby Sonic plush | $10

You’re probably familiar with the phenomenon that is Baby Yoda. But have you met Baby Sonic, the cute little hedgehog that will try to steal our sweet son’s thunder? The Baby Sonic plush is decidedly less cute than his movie design. It looks like the love child of original movie design Sonic and updated Sonic.

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Spin Dash Sonic

Spin Dash Sonic | $30

There’s also “Spin Dash Sonic,” which basically turns Sonic into a Hot Wheels-type toy that launches through a gold ring. The box has a picture of the redesigned Sonic. All good, right? Nope. When you open the box, you’ll be greeted with a Sonic toy based off of the original movie design. On the bright side: When spinning towards the gold ring, all you’ll see is a blur, not the Sonic we’d all love to forget.

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Sonic Mad Libs (left), Sonic novelization (right)

Sonic Mad Libs and movie novelization

On the less strange side of things, there’s a Sonic movie novelization in the works. The middle grade novel clocks in at 144 pages and releases February 14. The cover design hasn’t been revealed, but imagine if it’s that zoomed in look at Sonic’s teeth from the original design. You can also grab an official Sonic movie version of Mad Libs at Amazon for $6.49.

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Sonic notebook

Sonic the Hedgehog “Speed Freak” notebook | $15

Meanwhile, Sega’s own storefront has a Sonic the Hedgehog spiral notebook that simply repeats the phrase “Speed Freak” over and over again in English and Japanese on the front cover. The $15 notebook is listed as movie merch, though we can’t really determine why. You can browse more Sonic movie merch at Sega.

Netflix has hundreds of original movies, TV shows, and documentaries on its streaming platform and they’re about to add a few dozen more at least. To ring in the new year, Netflix has provided a list of 29 Netflix original movies that will be released on its platform in 2020, and according to the Netflix Film account on Twitter, this is “just a taste” of what’s to come.

The list provided on Twitter includes several films that Netflix has mentioned already, from acclaimed filmmakers like Spike Lee and David Fincher–plus, a few directorial debuts.

All 29 Netflix Original Movies Coming In 2020

Find the list of Netflix original movies arriving on the streaming platform this year below.

• The Old Guard directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood
• Miss Americana directed by Lana Wilson
• Mank directed by David Fincher
• Uncorked directed by Prentice Penny
• Rebecca directed by Ben Wheatley
• Hillbilly Elegy directed by Ron Howard
• Da 5 Bloods directed by Spike Lee
• The Boys In The Band directed by Joe Mantello
• To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You directed by Michael Fimognari
• Eurovision directed by David Dobkin
• I’m Thinking Of Ending Things directed by Charlie Kaufman
• All The Bright Places directed by Brett Haley
• The Last Thing He Wanted directed by Dee Rees
• A Fall From Grace directed by Tyler Perry
• Tigertail directed by Alan Yang
• The Willoughbys directed by Kris Pearn and Cory Evans
• The Kissing Booth 2 directed by Vince Marcello
• The Half Of It directed by Alice Wu
• Dick Johnson Is Dead directed by Kirsten Johnson
• The Platform directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia
• Crip Camp directed by Nicole Newnham and Jim LeBrecht
• Spenser Confidential directed by Peter Berg
• Sergio directed by Greg Barker
• Over The Moon directed by Glen Keane
• Coffee & Kareem directed by Michael Dowse
• The Prom directed by Ryan Murphy
• Out Of The Fire directed by Sam Hargrave
• Lost Girls directed by Liz Garbus
• Jingle Jangle directed by David E. Talbert

The thread itself contained information on each movie, including director, stars, and a brief synopsis of each. Check it out below or keep reading for more on each title. If you want to know what’s new to Netflix now, check out our list of what’s coming to Netflix in January.

The Old Guard

The film adaptation of a comic written by Greg Rucka, The Old Guard stars Charlize Theron and Kiki Layne and is directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood.

Miss Americana

Miss Americana, or Taylor Swift: Miss Americana, is a documentary by filmmaker Lana Wilson about the singer-songwriter Taylor Swift’s life amid her rise to fame.

Mank

The David Fincher-directed Mank is a biographical film about Herman J. Mankiewicz, who co-wrote Citizen Kane with Orson Welles.

Uncorked

Prentice Penny’s feature directorial debut follows the story of a family BBQ joint in Memphis.

Rebecca

Ben Wheatley, the director of Kill List, is adapting the same Daphne du Marueri’s novel that was previously adapted by Alfred Hitchcock.

Hillbilly Elegy

Another novel adaptation, this time around J.D. Vance’s memoir about the struggles of a family living in rural Appalachia.

Da 5 Bloods

Spike Lee’s latest film will follow four African American veterans of the Vietnam War as they return to Vietnam in search of their deceased squad leader and buried treasure.

The Boys In The Band

An adaptation of the revolutionary play of the same name, The Boys In The Band is about a group of gay friends celebrating a birthday, and what unfolds when the uninvited ex-roommate of the host appears.

To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You

A sequel to Netflix’s 2018 romantic teen comedy To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. This one is directed by Michael Fimognari.

Eurovision

Will Ferrell writes, produces, and stars in this comedy about three aspiring musicians offered the opportunity to represent their country at the annual song competition Eurovision.

I’m Thinking Of Ending Things

A psychological drama directed by Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine) and starring Toni Collette, about a road trip gone wrong.

All The Bright Places

A romantic drama directed by Brett Haley.

The Last Thing He Wanted

Dee Rees, the director of Mudbound, directs this political thriller adapted from a Joan Didion novel, starring Anne Hathaway and Willem Dafoe, about a veteran journalist who is thrust “from byline to unwitting subject in the very story she’s trying to break.”

A Fall From Grace

The new Tyler Perry movie follows a woman who confesses to murdering her husband, but whose lawyer thinks something more is happening.

Tigertail

Tigertail is about a Taiwanese immigrant seeking new opportunities in America, written and directed by Alan Yang.

The Willoughbys

Netflix’s second animated feature film is a comedy based on a Lois Lowry book, about a crafty group of siblings.

The Kissing Booth 2

A romantic teen comedy and sequel to The Kissing Booth, directed by Vince Marcello, with a returning cast of Joey King, Joel Courtney, and Jacob Elordi.

The Half Of It

A teen comedy directed by Alice Wu, about a shy girl helping the school jock woo a girl she secretly also has a crush on.

Dick Johnson Is Dead

A documentary from filmmaker Kirsten Johnson, about her and her elderly father fictionalizing his death in various ways in order to prepare for and cope with the inevitable.

The Platform

A satirical sci-fi from director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia about a tower-like prison where food is distributed via a descending platform, which leaves more food for those at the top and less for those at the bottom.

Crip Camp

Executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, Crip Camp is a documentary about a summer camp for disabled youth in the late ’60s and early ’70s, parallel to Woodstock, which helped shape much of the modern disability rights movement.

Spenser Confidential

Mark Wahlberg plays an ex-cop rooming with an MMA fighter played by Winston Duke, who team up to solve a double murder. Directed by Peter Berg.

Sergio

The Greg Barker-directed drama follows Sergio Vieira de Mello, the U.N. representative killed in a bombing in Iraq in 2003.

Over The Moon

A young girl builds a rocket to the moon in this animated film by Glen Keane.

Coffee & Kareem

A comedy directed by Michael Dowse, about a Detroit cop who teams up with his girlfriend’s 11-year-old son to take down a criminal.

The Prom

Ryan Murphy’s upcoming musical comedy (based on a Broadway musical) follows a group of Broadway performers who go to small-town Indiana to help a gay high schooler who is being blocked from taking her girlfriend to prom.

Out Of The Fire

Chris Hemsworth plays a black market mercenary trying to save a crime lord’s kidnapped son in this thriller directed by Sam Hargrave.

Lost Girls

A mystery drama directed by Liz Garbus, about a woman whose investigation of her daughter’s disappearance leads her to uncover a serial killer.

Jingle Jangle

David E. Talbert writes and directs this holiday musical about an eccentric toymaker played by Forest Whitaker.

Hit up our list of what’s coming to Netflix in January to see which of Netflix’s original movies and TV shows you’ll be able to watch right now, plus everything new that’s being added to the platform this month.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

For many comic book fans, Christian Bale is most associated with DC, having starred in Christopher Nolan’s hugely successful Batman movies, as the Caped Crusader.. However, it looks like the actor is about to move over to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It has been reported that he is in talks to appear in the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bale will join Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman in the fourth Thor movie. No details about Bale’s character have been revealed so far. Thor: Love and Thunder will be directed by Taika Waititi, who also helmed 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok, and arrives in November 2021.

Waititi recently confirmed that the movie will start shooting in Australia this summer. Hemsworth stars as Thor, a role he last played in last year’s Avengers: Endgame, while Portman will appear as Jane Foster once more. Portman had a small cameo in Endgame, but she hasn’t played a major role in any MCU movie since 2013’s Thor: The Dark World. Her role in the new film was confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con last summer, where Portman revealed that she would be wielding Thor’s hammer Mjolnir this time around.

There are several other MCU movies set to hit theaters as part of Phase 4 before we get to Thor: Love and Thunder. Black Widow and The Eternals arrive later this year, while Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and the third Spider-man movie are scheduled for May and August 2021 respectively. In addition, Thor’s villainous half-brother will make his small screen debut in the upcoming Disney+ show Loki.

If you’re looking to add a little bit of flair to your Dungeons & Dragons game, there is a new kit featuring a bunch of items that could help you out. D&D recently announced the Laeral Silverhand Explorer’s Kit, which features a few items that can elevate your tabletop gaming.

Coming in mid-March, the new kit features dice, a dice tray, a map of the Sword Coast, and more to help add some depth to your campaign. Check out the contents below.

The map and cards can help flesh-out important details within your campaign, including the residents of the land and the cities you may visit. Costing $30, the new set features items expanding upon the world of Forgotten Realms to give your game and character some help with that oh-so-important flavor text. Here’s what’s in the box.

• 11 dice (two d20s, one d12, two d10s, one d8, four d6s, one d4).
• 20 illustrated, double-sided cards detailing Laeral’s expert insights on key characters, locations, and lore from across the Forgotten Realms.
• A durable, felt-lined box that functions as two dice trays.
• Foldout double-sided map of the Sword Coast and the city of Waterdeep.

Laeral Silverhand Explorer’s Kit

$30

Laeral Silverhand Explorer’s Kit goes on sale on March 17.

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