Month: September 2021

Aussie Deals: Up to 95% Off DiRT Titles, Half-Price COD: Cold War, and More!

Well, there’s never been a better time to get DiRT-ier. (In a video game sense—do try to wash your hands during a pandemic.) It also seems to be the season to buy a game distributed by Koch, because Terminators, Maneaters and Spongebobs are being discounted out the wazoo today. All those bargains and more await you below.

Notable Sales for Nintendo Switch

Purchase Cheaply for PC

Exciting Offers for XO/XS

Product Savings for PS4/PS5

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Adam’s an Aussie deals wrangler who spends too much of his income on the bargains he finds. You can occasionally find him @Grizwords.

Destiny 2 Shattered Realm – Forest Of Echoes Ascendant Mysteries Guide

The Shattered Realm in Destiny 2’s Season of the Lost includes a bunch of hidden secrets, and this week saw the introduction of some new ones: Ascendant Mysteries. While Trivial Mysteries are the simplest puzzles to solve in the Shattered Realm missions, and Enigmatic Mysteries take a little more effort, Ascendant Mysteries are full-on special objectives you’ll have to uncover.

The Forest of Echoes, modeled after the EDZ’s Trostland location, has two such Ascendant Mysteries hidden in it. Finding them can be tough, and you’ll want to be prepared for a fight when you finally uncover them. Here’s where you can find both Ascendant Mysteries this week and how to complete them.

This week also saw the addition of the new Exotic trace rifle, Ager’s Scepter, to Destiny 2. Check out our Ager’s Scepter guide for everything you need to know to snag it.

The Dark Ritual

The first Ascendant Mystery is right near the first beacon you need to align, hidden inside the church. Complete the beacon alignment first, then head out of the front of the church. Look for a marker for Truesight and one for Safe Passage, as you’ll need both. Activate the two markers near the statues in front of the church and then turn around and face the building. You should see platforms appear that will lead up toward the church’s roof. Follow them and jump on, then head to the back of the church and drop down to where another marker is waiting. Be careful not to fall through the floor here.

There’s another Truesight marker here that you can use to ascend to the bell tower above you for an Enigmatic Mystery. Instead, look off the back of this balcony, off the side of the island, into the abyss. You’ll see another island a little distance away with a big statue and some Taken on it. Down below you, Truesight will reveal a set of platforms leading out to the island. Jump down to get on them and follow the path out to the statue.

Climb out to the island behind the church with the statue on it to find the orb (plus a Trivial Mystery).
Climb out to the island behind the church with the statue on it to find the orb (plus a Trivial Mystery).

Clear the Taken and Mara will call you on the radio, asking you to return an orb you’ll find there to its rightful place in a crypt beneath the mausoleum. You’ve seen this building; it’s the small one that you pass on your way to the church. Grab the orb and re-up your Truesight to return to the main island. You can follow the glowing white ball here–that’s Toland, for the uninitiated–and he’ll lead you straight to the mausoleum and make your path clear.

If you already have Ager’s Scepter, there’s actually a quicker way. Head to the beacon inside the church. With the beacon behind you, check the left wall for a small hole, blocked by a rock you can destroy with Ager’s Scepter (it’s in the same place as the entrance to the Lost Sector here in Trostland). Drop down the hole and you’ll get a shortcut to the Crypt, your final destination. Don’t forget the orb.

Bring the orb down to the Crypt hidden beneath the Mausoleum, then get ready for a fight with a Taken boss.
Bring the orb down to the Crypt hidden beneath the Mausoleum, then get ready for a fight with a Taken boss.

Either way you get there, take the orb to the marked statue in the Crypt and dunk it. That’ll trigger a fight a Taken boss; this is a close-quarters location, so keep your wits about you. Fast-firing guns that are good for clearing small enemies, such as SMGs, are great here, but if you’ve got Ager’s Scepter, it’s even more effective at cleaning up the Taken.

Once you’re done, open the chest that appears in front of the statue where you left the orb to complete the Ascendant Mystery.

Born Of Darkness

You’ll need to align the second beacon in this mission to unlock the next Ascendant Mystery, so head toward it in the Ruins area. Once you’ve aligned the beacon, Taken Blights will spawn all over the area. You need to destroy them all to advance; there are several in the Ruins area with the beacon, plus a few more on the path you took to get to the beacon, on the platforms that cross the gap between islands and in the slightly woodier Outer Ruins region.

When Mara calls you on the radio again, you’ll know you’ve cleared the Blights. Head to the Ruins section and look for Toland; he’ll be floating over a small well in the corner of the area, which you might have noticed earlier as being filled with caustic Taken goo. With the Blights gone, the goo is gone, so follow Toland and jump down the well to the bottom.

Find and destroy all the Taken Blights in the area around the second beacon to clear the way into the well. Toland will mark it for you.

Your goal here is to wipe out the Taken in the area, and most specifically, the big, tough Taken Ogre boss leading them. He’s tough to deal with only because he has a huge amount of health, and because he will run after you in an attempt to punch, stomp, and laser you to death. If you’ve got a Super, this is a good place to use it; otherwise, high-damage guns like linear fusion rifles will clean him up pretty quickly.

Killing the ogre puts an end to this new Taken infection in the Forest of Echoes. Open the chest in the center of the area to complete the Ascendant Mystery.

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Nintendo Switch’s Latest Firmware Update Finally Adds Bluetooth Audio Support

The Nintendo Switch can now be paired with a Bluetooth audio device following the latest firmware update.

Starting today, Switch owners who update their Switch to the latest software can pair a wireless Bluetooth device to the Switch. Something the Switch was apparently able to do this entire time given the right software patch.

To do so Switch owners must download the latest firmware patch. From there, they can find a Bluetooth Audio option within the System Settings page. Once you select “Pair” the Switch will search for an available Bluetooth audio device and connect to one when found.

The Switch can only be synced to one audio device at a time but can save up to 10 devices on the system.

The latest firmware update also includes the ability to update the software on the Switch dock, but only the new docks with a LAN port included with the Switch OLED model.

It should be noted that when paired to a Bluetooth audio device, only two wireless controllers can be connected to the Switch at a time. Connecting an additional wireless controller will disconnect the Bluetooth audio device. Furthermore, Bluetooth microphones are not compatible with the Switch.

The wireless controller limit could be a reason why Nintendo never enabled this audio feature on the four-year-old device. As a result, some Switch owners resorted to third-party adapters to connect their Bluetooth headphones to the Switch.

Now that the update is out, you can freely connect your Apple AirPods or whatever other Bluetooth audio device you choose.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Nintendo Switch 13.0.0 Update Out Now, Adds Bluetooth Output For Audio

A new firmware update for the Nintendo Switch has landed, and one of the biggest new additions is support for Bluetooth audio. All types of audio devices–like headphones and speakers–can now be paired with the Switch.

Of note, Bluetooth microphones are not supported, while Nintendo also confirmed that up to two wireless controllers can be connected to the Switch when using Bluetooth. Additionally, Bluetooth audio won’t work when the Switch’s local wireless communication is running.

Now Playing: Who Is The Nintendo Switch OLED Model For?

The September 14 firmware update also adds an “Update Dock” option under System Settings. This applies to the standard Switch and the upcoming OLED model, Nintendo said.

The update also lets the Switch maintain its internet connection in Sleep mode. “When this setting is enabled, systems with wired internet connections will maintain internet connection even while in sleep mode. This allows for software and add-on content to download to the system while the system is in sleep mode,” Nintendo said.

What’s more, the 13.0.0 update lets you know if your Switch is connected to 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz internet under the Connection Status page. The update also changes the method to start the “calibrate control sticks” setup. “From System Settings, go to Controllers and Sensors, select Calibrate Control Sticks, then fully tilt the control stick in any one direction and keep it tilted for a few seconds to begin calibration,” Nintendo said.

The full patch notes can be seen below, as shared by Nintendo on its website.

Ver. 13.0.0 (Released September 14, 2021)

Bluetooth audio support was added.

  • Headphones, earbuds, speakers, and other audio devices that connect with Bluetooth can now be paired with Nintendo Switch family systems for audio output.
    • Bluetooth microphones are not supported.
    • Up to two compatible wireless controllers can be connected to the system while using Bluetooth audio.
    • Bluetooth audio cannot be used while local wireless communication is active.
    • For more information, see How to Pair and Manage Bluetooth Audio Devices.

“Update Dock” was added under System in System Settings for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch – OLED Model systems, allowing for software updates to Nintendo Switch docks with a LAN port.

  • Dock software updates are not available for Nintendo Switch docks without a LAN port.
  • This feature was not added to Nintendo Switch Lite.
  • For more information, see How to Update the Dock Firmware.

“Maintain Internet Connection in Sleep Mode” was added under Sleep Mode in System Settings.

  • When this setting is enabled, systems with wired internet connections will maintain internet connection even while in sleep mode. This allows for software and add-on content to download to the system while the system is in sleep mode.
    • The setting is enabled by default.
  • When this setting is disabled, the system will connect to the internet only periodically, which decreases power consumption.

Note: Systems that are not updated to version 13.0.0 or later behave as if this setting is enabled.

The method to initiate “Calibrate Control Sticks” in System Settings was changed.

  • From System Settings, go to Controllers and Sensors, select Calibrate Control Sticks, then fully tilt the control stick in any one direction and keep it tilted for a few seconds to begin calibration.

Users can now view whether their wireless internet connection is using the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz frequency band under “Connection Status” after selecting Internet in System Settings.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Free Discovery Tour DLC Arrives October 19

Ubisoft’s latest Discovery Tour DLC is coming to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla on October 19, and this time around will put a bigger emphasis on storytelling compared to Ubisoft’s previous educational experiences.

Discovery Tour: Viking Age will be a free DLC update for owners of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, similar to the Discovery Tour: Ancient Egypt DLC for Assassin’s Creed Origins and the Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. A standalone version of the DLC will be available for $20 on PC, with a standalone version coming to Xbox, PlayStation, Stadia, and Luna in early 2022.

Now Playing: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Review

Where this new Discovery Tour will differ is how Ubisoft says it has changed the formula of the educational DLC series to make the experience “more fun and informative.” Players will actually step into the shoes of various Viking and Anglo-Saxon characters to live their stories, learning details about 9th century Norway and England along the way in a non-violent, interactive educational experience.

Discovery Tour: Viking Age was created in close collaboration with historians and archaeologists, with Ubisoft partnering with a number of different museums including the Hampshire Cultural Trust, The National Museum of Denmark, and The British Library to feature real artifacts. Several of the museums, like the Hampshire Cultural Trust and the Preston Park Museum & Grounds, will incorporate elements from the Discovery Tour into special exhibits coming in 2022.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s latest DLC, The Siege of Paris, released in August, bringing with it new infiltration missions that served as a callback to the gameplay of older, stealth-focused entries in the series.

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Ren & Stimpy Join Smash Bros.-Like Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl

The iconic Ren & Stimpy are joining the roster of Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, the upcoming platform-fighting game that takes definite inspiration from Super Smash Bros.

Similar to Ice Climbers, Duck Hunt, and Banjo & Kazooie from Nintendo’s fighter, Ren and Stimpy will play as a single character in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl.

As detailed on the PlayStation Blog, the developers say Ren and Stimpy, “have a knack for using each other as weapons, which really helps the slapstick comedy of the show come to life.”

Each move is inspired by a scene from the TV show, including throwing a bouncing log, the ‘Happy Happy Joy Joy’ song, and more. During movement, Ren rides on Stimpy’s shoulders, which slows the duo down. To make up for that, they can often both attack at once, dealing higher total damage than other fighters on the roster.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl takes characters from all eras of Nick, and Ren and Stimpy definitely fit in with some of the other classic selections. The show had five seasons, airing from 1991-1995. Ren and Stimpy join a roster that includes characters from SpongeBob, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, CatDog, Danny Phantom, and more.

For more, you can watch Smash God Mango’s reactions to Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl’s gameplay. And, check out how the Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl release date may have leaked on Nintendo’s website.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Apple Announces the iPhone 13 Series

After months of rumors, Apple has finally announced the iPhone 13, succeeding the tech giant’s iPhone 12 series released last year.

The iPhone 13 has a design similar to its predecessor, but this year’s iteration offers a 20% slimmer Face ID notch on the top of the smartphone. Like the iPad Mini that was announced earlier during today’s event, the iPhone 13 is powered by the A15 Bionic chip. Apple notes that the A15 is a 5nm chip and is a 6-core CPU — two of those are high-performance, and the others are four high-efficiency cores.

The iPhone 13 Mini offers a 5.4-inch screen, while the iPhone 13 includes a 6.1-inch OLED screen. While the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max models offer 6.1 and 6.7-inch OLED screens, the Pro models also include a higher refresh rate at 120Hz. If you wanted a high refresh rate Apple device, you had to purchase the iPad Pro, which offers a 120Hz refresh rate as well.

As expected from a smartphone refresh, Apple is introducing a lot of changes and improvements to the camera. The main camera features a 12MP wide-angle lens with a larger 1.7µm that can capture 50% more light, offering better dynamic range and better low-light photography.

The Ultrawide camera features a larger f2.4 aperture, and the cameras support a new cinematic mode, allowing you to rack focus between subjects while shooting video. The iPhone 13 Pro family takes selectable focusing in video a step farther by adding a depth map, which will allow users to change focus point in their video even after they shoot it.

Separately, the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max will have the ability to film up to 4K resolution at 30 frames per second in ProRes, which is a video format of a higher quality and provides video editors more leverage on editing footage capture on the smartphone.

As far as battery life goes, Apple says the iPhone 13 is improved compared to its predecessor, though mileage may vary. iPhone 13 Mini is anticipated to have a longer run time of 90 minutes, while the regular-sized iPhone is expected to last 2.5 hours longer than the iPhone 12. Apple claims the iPhone 13 Pro will last up to one and a half hours longer than the iPhone 12 Pro, while the iPhone 13 Pro Max is expected to last two and a half hours longer than the iPhone 12 Pro Max smartphone.

As with the iPhone 12 series, the iPhone 13 line will offer 5G support. Apple promises that the 5G performance will be improved from last year’s lineup and supposedly support 200 carriers across more than 60 countries and regions by the end of 2021.

The iPhone 13 family includes four models: iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max, with a starting price of $699. The more affordable iPhone 13 models include three storage configurations: 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. If you are purchasing an iPhone 13 Pro or Pro Max model, you have the option to buy a 1TB storage configuration. The iPhone 13 line will be available for preorder beginning Friday, September 17, and will release on September 24.

The iPhone 13 was one of many reveals as part of Apple’s “California Streaming” event. Be sure to check our roundup to see everything announced during today’s event.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in the Stars Review

Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in the Stars is now showing in theaters in the United States and Canada.

Knights of Sidonia: Love Woven in the Stars is a direct sequel to the second season of the anime inspired by Tsutomu Nihei’s sci-fi epic in feature film form. It’s been six years since the anime concluded, but Love Woven in the Stars is content to pick right back up where the story left off. The result is no less than a visually dazzling spectacle that valiantly works to adapt Nihei’s unique style. Unfortunately, it’s also a rushed, somewhat messy conclusion to a series that falters when trying to offer a neat wrap-up for such a complex narrative. However, what’s here is still very much worth watching and enjoyable in its own right.

With the length of time that’s passed between the anime series’ end and the film’s release, it’s understandable that even hardcore fans may have difficulty getting back up to speed. Fortunately, there’s an attempt to ensure viewers are caught up before the movie unleashes its story at a breakneck pace, recklessly rocketing to the stars.

The ship Sidonia is finally reaching the end of its journey through outer space as it works to slip the surly bonds of Earth’s destruction, which occurred what feels like eons ago. The Sidonia is the last bastion of humanity, an ark carrying survivors to safety, but the nefarious Gauna still pose a threat. Though a decade has passed since pilot Nagate Tanikaze (Johnny Yong Bosch) and his friends defeated the Gauna in another epic battle, they’re in for the fight of their lives — the decisive battle for humanity’s legacy. But while the crew of the Sidonia prepare to defend themselves from outward threats, they’re also facing one that comes from within.

Though an uneasy peace settled in after the Gauna’s first defeat, Nagate and the rest of the Sidonia must engage in a variety of missions as the movie wears on, all illustrated with gorgeous, new and improved CGI that runs circles around what the first two series featured. These battles look great, but often feel like ways to fill the runtime up with spectacle. And that’s part of the struggle that Love Woven in the Stars faces: getting new viewers where they need to be in the story is a bit difficult, while hardcore fans will want to see explosive battles and large-scale illustrations, like Nihei is known for. The film’s pacing suffers as it tries to reconcile both types of content from the opening moments to the very end.

It can all feel very much like a rushed sprint to the finish as we’re constantly inundated with story developments, especially when a plan is devised to take out the Gauna and the movie careens toward a resolution. Thankfully, there’s one area that does slow things down a bit to let relationships percolate. Though the central narrative is focused on mankind’s battle with the Gauna, love still remains an integral part of the story, as romance blossoms between Nagate and the Gauna hybrid Tsumugi Shiraui (Stephanie Sheh).

The budding closeness between Nagate and Tsumugi is absolutely adorable, and despite Tsumugi’s size, outward appearance, and history, their relationship seems like that of any “normal” one. Tsumugi is impossibly sweet, Nagate protects her from harm, and perhaps the greatest part of all this is the fact that they can be together without anything trivial like looks or even heritage affecting their feelings for each other. Tsumugi’s infectious energy is such that it’s the perfect counterbalance for Nagate, who’d do just about anything to protect his love, even before we see any sort of confessions from the two. Their interactions are the high points of the movie, elevating it from what can easily devolve into a series of battles loosely connected by expository dialogue into a conclusion with real, true heart. This relationship is an important rumination on humanity and what it means to love — even in the midst of something horrible.

Love still remains an integral part of the story.

Outside of these moments, however, Love Woven in the Stars can move a bit too quickly, as if an entire two other films’ contents were squished down to fit within the confines of this one. One intriguing aspect of the film is that it does feature a new ending unique to this sequel that isn’t in the manga. Purists may have preferred that it followed the original work, but the film-only ending still fits what might be expected from the Knights of Sidonia universe. And in the end, perhaps some of the disappointment stems from the fact that this is a solemn goodbye to a sci-fi universe that had a lot more to give. Luckily, there’s still the manga, and that’s well worth experiencing.

Apple’s iPhone 13 Event: Everything Announced

In case you missed it the Apple “California Streaming” event happened today and it revealed a host of new Apple hardware including new iPhones, Apple Watches, and even iPads. It was a surprisingly big show with a new 9th Gen iPad, 6th Gen iPad Mini, Apple Watch Series 7, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max. If you missed the livestream, don’t worry as we’ve rounded up every major product announcement you need to know about along with all the key information around the new products.

iPad 9th Gen

Apple surprised us by kicking off its California Streaming event with a new iPad powered by a new A13 Bionic processor. According to Apple, this new chip will deliver 20% better performance, making it 3x faster than a Chromebook and 6x faster than “the best-selling Android tablet.” Additionally, these new iPads come with a 12MP, 122-degree ultrawide angle selfie camera so users can take advantage of iPadOS 15’s new center stage feature that makes video calls more dynamic by following you as you move around the room.

The iPad 9th Gen will be available for order today and ship next week. 64GB models start at $329 so you get double the storage over the last generation. Educational users will be able to purchase the latest iPad for a slight discount at $299.

iPad Mini 6th Gen

Apple also announced a new 6th Gen iPad Mini that’s basically the latest iPad Air shrunken down from an 11-inch tablet to an 8.3-inch device. It comes rocking the latest A15 Bionic processor that promises 40% faster CPU performance and 80% better graphics performance. Apple’s newest and smallest tablet also features new 12MP cameras on the front and back, the front-facing one of course powers center stage for dynamic FaceTime calls.

The iPad Mini 6th Gen starts at $499 and it’s available for order starting now with units shipping next week.

Apple Watch Series 7

The new Apple Watch Series 7 features slimmer 1.7mm bezels and a rounded screen that makes the transition between the display and casing even more seamless. What’s more, the always-on display is 70% brighter.

That new 20% larger screen area allows users to push information to the very edges of the display. It can even fit a full-on QWERTY keyboard so users can type messages from their wrist – if that’s the sort of thing you want to do that is. The larger screens also mean bigger watch sizes, so the 40mm size is now up to 41mm, and the larger 44mm size has been bumped up to 45mm.

The Apple Watch Series 7 starts at $399 and will be available later this fall.

iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini

Here’s the iPhone 13 we’ve all been waiting for and as the rumors suggested it features a 20% smaller notch. That means you get to experience more of the iPhone 13 bight and beautiful 1200-nit Super Retina XDR display.

The iPhone 13 also features Apple’s latest A15 Bionic processor equipped with a 6-core CPU (with two high performance, and four high-efficiency cores) and 4-core GPU. Apple claims its newest chip delivers 50% faster CPU and 30% faster GPU performance and than its Android competition.

The iPhone 13 also brings plenty of camera improvements. First up the main 12MP wide-angle camera features a larger 1.7µm sensor that can capture 50% more light for dramatically better dynamic range and better low-light photography. The main camera also now sports optical image stabilization.

The Ultrawide angle camera meanwhile offers a larger f2.4 aperture to let more light in. Additionally, the new cameras support a new cinematic mode so you can rack focus between subjects while shooting video.

As with last year’s iPhone models, Apple’s latest handsets will come in two sizes with a 6.1-inch iPhone 13 and a smaller 5.4-inch iPhone 13 Mini.

Lastly, the iPhone 13 series offers more battery life. Expect 90 minutes longer run time on the iPhone 13 Mini. The regular-sized iPhone 13 should last 2.5 hours longer than the iPhone 12.

The 6.1-inch iPhone 13 starts at $829 and the smaller 5.4-inch iPhone 13 Mini pricing starts at $729. Both phones are available for preorder starting later this Friday, September 17, and will ship on September 24th.

iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max

Last but not least Apple announced the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max with high refresh rate 120Hz displays, a smaller notch, and greatly improved cameras. Easily the biggest improvement to the iPhone 13 Pro line is the new ProMotion display that can go up as high as 120Hz. The iPhone 13 intelligently scales its refresh rate to match the motion of your swipes, so you’re just looking at a static image it’ll stay at 10Hz and if you swipe quickly it’ll jump to 120Hz. The iPhone 13 Pro’s display is also much brighter with a maximum 1000-nit brightness and it also gets the same 20% smaller notch as the non-Pro iPhone 13.

The iPhone 13 also features Apple’s latest A15 Bionic processor with its revised two high performance and four high-efficiency cores. Internally, Apple has also increased the maximum storage space to 1TB.

Moving onto cameras, the iPhone 13 Pro features Apple’s first-ever 3x optical zoom for a 77mm telephoto equivalent lens. Night time photographers will also love the 92% low light improvement on the ultrawide and 2.2x low light improvement on the wide-angle camera. A new macro photography mode will also allow users to shoot super up close – as close as 2cm – with the ultrawide camera. Lastly, Smart HDR 4 adds the ability to change photographic profiles for different looks.

Users will also be able to shoot in Cinematic Mode to shift focus, but the iPhone 13 Pro adds the extra ability to change focus after you’ve shot the video thanks to the way it creates a depth map while recording. The iPhone 13 Pro family also uniquely has a ProRes 4K30 video shooting mode that’s sure to chew through your phone storage but in exchange, you can minutely tune the look of your videos.

Battery improvements also come to Apple’s flagships with the iPhone 13 Pro now promising to last more than 1.5 hours longer than 12 Pro and the 13 Pro Max will run for 2.5 hours longer than the 12 Pro Max.

The 6.1-inch iPhone 13 Pro will retail for $999 and 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max starts at $1,099. Both models will be available for preorder starting Friday and release on September 24th.

iPad Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Kevin Lee is IGN’s SEO Updates Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam

Ghost of Tsushima’s Director’s Cut Release Made It One of the Best-Selling Games Last Month

In July, Ghost of Tsushima was the 110th best-selling game by dollar sales in the US — not even worth a mention in a sales roundup. In August, thanks to the Director’s Cut release, it shot up to No. 2.

According to The NPD Group, it was second only to Madden NFL 22, which took the top spot in its launch month for the 22nd year in a row and became the fourth best-selling game of the entire year so far. For the year, it’s currently sitting behind Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, MLB The Show 21, and Resident Evil: Village, though if history is any indication we’ll see Call of Duty: Vanguard blast past them all later this year.

Humankind debuted in August as the best-selling PC game and the fourth best-selling game overall, while The Last of Us Part 2 jumped from No. 23 to No. 10 thanks to various retail promotions.

On the hardware side, sales in August were up 45% from last year to $329 million — once again not a shocking increase given that this time last year everyone was holding off on buying consoles while waiting for the new ones. That said, the last time sales were that high was in 2008, a few years after the release of the Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360.

The Nintendo Switch was once again the best selling console for the month in unit sales and remains the best-selling console of the year so far, though the PS5 beat it in both categories if you look at dollar sales and remains the fastest-selling PlayStation console ever.

Accessories spending was flat at $164 million, with the Xbox Elite Series 2 Wireless controller as the best-selling accessory for the month. The PS5 DualSense Wireless Controller White remained in the top spot for the year so far.

In total, spending on all games hardware, content, and accessories in August was up 7% from last year to a total of $4.4 billion.

The following are the top ten best-selling games for August 2021 by dollar sales. As always, keep in mind that this does not include digital sales of several major game publishers, including Take-Two Interactive and Nintendo, and only counts physical sales for those games, meaning some games may have sold more than they appear to:

  1. Madden NFL 22
  2. Ghost of Tsushima
  3. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
  4. Humankind
  5. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
  6. Mario Kart 8
  7. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
  8. Minecraft
  9. Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
  10. MLB: The Show 21

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.