Category: Games

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

The PlayStation 5 is a very large console, but it was originally envisioned as an even bigger machine. The person who designed the look of the console, Yujin Morisawa, told The Washington Post that his initial drawings of the console were even larger than the final product.

“When I started drawing, it was much larger even though I didn’t know what engineering was going to do,” Morisawa said. “It’s kind of funny that engineering actually told me it’s too big. So, I actually had to shrink it down a little bit from the first drawing.”

At the onset of designing the machine, Morisawa said he knew the PS5 had to be physically larger than the PS4 because of its internals and the need to create space for air flow and the heat sink.

“We wanted to get it much smaller, so it’s the perfect size right now,” Morisawa said. “If I made it thinner, there would be less air flow to it. It would disturb the player while they are playing. Form-factor wise, I drew a perfect line around it and tried [to] hit the perfect size.”

The full interview is well worth a read, as it offers informative and entertaining insight on the thinking behind the design of the PS5–go read it here.

For more on the size of the PS5, check out GameSpot’s video above where we compare it to the size of every other PlayStation console that came before it. You can also see side-by-side comparison images here.

GameSpot’s PS5 review said the console represents a promising start to the next generation.

A little over a year after the release of Devil May Cry 5, Capcom has delivered Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition, an updated version that positions itself as a great next-gen launch title showcasing the power of the PS5. Along with the increased technical performance, the Special Edition sees the return of a few gameplay modes, a host of performance options, and the return of fan-favorite edgelord Vergil.

Like with previous Vergil campaigns, don’t expect much in the way of new story content outside of new cutscenes at the beginning and end. You’ll be running through the same scenarios as the other characters, minus any story and dialogue. The result is a lean campaign where the star of the show is Vergil’s moveset, which is fantastic. Those who played him in Devil May Cry 4’s Special Edition will feel right at home, as pretty much all of Vergil’s moves have been carried over. His biggest new tricks include a doppelganger he can summon to help with crowd control, as well as the ability to temporarily transform himself into V, which allows you to regain health while dealing some damage.

Vergil may be familiar, but as someone who just enjoys how DMC5 feels to play, I still had a blast blazing through his campaign. Vergil is incredibly fun to control, and that carries over here as you pit him against the demon horde. It also helps that his battle theme, Bury the Light, whips and I will never tire of hearing it.

Aside from Vergil, there’s the inclusion of the staple Turbo mode, which runs the game 20% faster, and Legendary Dark Knight, which ups the chaos by throwing a ridiculous number of enemies on the screen. Both are welcome additions, particularly Legendary Dark Knight, which, like how it was in DMC4 Special Edition, makes for a great way to re-experience the original campaign. Even as the game throws countless demons at you, gameplay remains smooth on PS5.

Perhaps the most exciting thing about DMC 5 Special Edition is the new graphics and performance options made available thanks to the power of next-gen consoles. You can run the game with ray tracing at 4K 30fps or at 1080p at 60fps. You can also turn ray tracing off if you want to play at 4k 60fps. It’s a nice set of options, and I appreciate the ability to prioritize gameplay performance over visuals to suit my needs. That said, DMC 5 doesn’t feel like it benefits all that much from the inclusion of ray tracing. The wet pavement and window reflections do look nice, but I didn’t really notice their visual flourishes until I stopped to admire them–and even then, it quickly faded into the back of my mind as I focused more on slicing up demons. In a game all about combat, the trade-off of a lower frame rate didn’t feel worth it, and I preferred using the modes that offered a higher one.

Speaking of which, if you have a TV that can support it, you can turn on high frame rate mode, which pushes the game past 60fps. It doesn’t quite hit the ceiling of 120fps, but the increased frame rate delivers the smoothest DMC experience you can get on console, and it became my preferred way to play. It is worth noting that you can’t use high frame rate or ray tracing when playing on Turbo or Legendary Dark Knight due to the high performance demand those modes put on the game.

Another benefit of the PS5’s improved performance is fast loading thanks to its SSD. Loading times in the original DMC5 were by no means the worst, but having to wait did slow things down at times and feel at odds with the pacing, which encourages you to spend as much time kicking demon ass. Reducing the multiple loading screens it takes to go from launch into a mission to only a few seconds each feels great, and it’s no longer a pain waiting to load into the void to try out a move before you buy it. Fast loading might eventually stop feeling incredible as it becomes more common, but seeing the experience of DMC dramatically improve because of it still makes it feel magical.

Overall, these are great additions to Devil May Cry 5. Vergil feels fantastic to play, and it’s great getting to go through the original campaign with Legendary Dark Knight difficulty. The real winner, though, is the improvements enabled by next-gen consoles. The result is an experience that brings enough new to the table for returning fans while being the definitive Devil May Cry 5 experience for those looking to pick it up for the first time.

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Microsoft has partnered with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for a new charity campaign that will see the actor deliver special edition Xbox Series X consoles to children’s hospitals across the US.

Microsoft created 20 unique “Rock Xbox Series X” consoles for this campaign, and The Rock will deliver them to the hospitals where they will reach an estimated 50,000 children who are suffering from illnesses.

Microsoft and The Rock are working with the charity Gamers Outreach on this. The new consoles will be installed through the charity’s “Go Karts,” which are portable gaming kiosks made specifically for hospitals.

“These kids are battling through their illnesses with incredible bravery and I’m thrilled Microsoft, Gamers Outreach, and myself can provide some joy and smiles. You kids show me and the world, what real strength means. Stay strong & Keep smilin … and stuff like this will always be the best part of my fame.”

Microsoft and The Rock go way back, as The Rock appeared on stage with Bill Gates to announce the original Xbox back at CES in 2001. Getting him on board for this new charity campaign should go a long way to helping the visibility of the endeavor and the charity, as The Rock has more than 200 million followers on Instagram.

For more, check out GameSpot’s Xbox Series X review and our review of launch title Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.

Johnny Depp has been ousted from Fantastic Beasts 3 as villain dark wizard Gellert Grindelward as a result of and in connection with the actor losing a libel case against his ex-wife. Both these decisions happened in quick succession parallel to lots of other events taking place in the United States last week, and The Hollywood Reporter has filed a report digging deeper into Warner Bros. decision to sever ties with the iconic actor.

One head-turning revelation that’s come out as the dust is still settling on the decision is that the studio will reportedly be paying a full eight-figure salary to Depp for the work he had done so far since production started on September 20 in London–a total of one scene. What’s more, many publications have already been speculating and even recommending actors who should step in to take on the role. It will likely be a while before that or any related decisions come out–unnamed sources at Warner Bros. told The Hollywood Reporter that they “want due process to take its course” before major decisions involving the film are made.

JK Rowling, the author of the Fantastic Beasts series who is no stranger to controversy herself, reportedly “did not push back on Warners’ move to cut the actor from the franchise.” Depp was expected in the upcoming film to have an equal share of screen time with Jude Law (Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events) and Eddie Redmayne (The Trial of the Chicago 7). It is hardly a silver lining for Depp, but an eight-figure salary for one scene is likely an unusual record set for any actor–and at the very least, an unusual bit of trivia.

On November 6, Depp responded to the recent developments on Instagram, thanking fans for their support and loyalty while also clarifying that when asked to resign from the movie, he “respected and agreed to that request.” It’s still unclear how this change will affect production.

The Xbox Series X and Series S release tomorrow, November 10, and if you haven’t secured your preorder yet, you’ll have an opportunity to snag one at GameStop. The retailer announced on Twitter that it will have Xbox Series X and Series S bundles available for purchase online tonight. Unfortunately, a specific time wasn’t provided, so it looks like you’ll have to constantly monitor the Series X and Series S product pages.

GameStop said a “very limited number” of console bundles will be available. We imagine stock will sell out in minutes, so you’ll have to be quick (and a little lucky). GameStop hasn’t revealed the contents of the bundles, but the retailer previously offered three different Series X bundles ranging from $770 to $905 and one Series S bundle for $505.

GameStop will also have consoles available for purchase in stores tomorrow, which makes the company the only retailer to confirm in-store availability at launch. In fact, Best Buy has already said it won’t have any next-gen consoles in stores until 2021. If you plan on heading to your local GameStop, you’ll probably want to arrive before they open and call ahead of time to check availability and see what protocols are in place to keep people safe (wear a mask, please).

If you don’t secure a console at GameStop, you’ll have an opportunity at multiple other retailers. Walmart will have a restock available online at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET tomorrow, and Target will also have consoles–though a specific time hasn’t been provided. Make sure to check out our Xbox Series X/S buying guide for more details on purchasing a console on launch day.

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