Category: Games

Seems like putting a PS5 into rest mode while Spider-Man Remastered is running crashes the whole system, forcing that “repair your external drive” process when you start back up. At least that’s how it’s been for me the few times I’ve done that today.

— Jeff Gerstmann (@jeffgerstmann) November 11, 2020

Quick note on the PS5. Apparently sleep mode makes the system unreliable and rando crash. Had Godfall crash the system 3 times within in the span of an hour.
The fix, give a fresh restart from the main menu and then don’t let it go into sleep mode until it’s patched.
👍👍

— Tefty (@teft) November 14, 2020

Put my PS5 into rest mode, and when I booted it up, the console had completely shut off, and lost 2 hours of progress in Demon’s Souls (including the Tower Knight fight), and there was an error syncing my cloud save. I’m not mad.

— KURT INDOVINA (@KURT_INDOVINA) November 14, 2020

When discussing what the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X do better at launch compared to one another, there’s one feature Microsoft’s next-gen consoles have that’s absent on Sony’s: the Quick Resume ability to hop between games without fully exiting them. But the PS5’s Activities Cards may be the next best thing for getting you into games faster than ever before on a PlayStation console.

We’ve known since their introduction that these new Cards would allow you to jump into parts of a game nearly instantly, but as noted in a now-viral tweet by @TheAP99, specifically using the Cards from the PS5’s main UI offers a lot more flexibility in jumping to specific points in various games.

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In TheAP99’s video, you can see the use of the Cards in a way that’s always been an option but one not made as apparent by PlayStation. In the original showcase of the PS5’s new UI, the focus on Cards was primarily around their use while in-game, such as with Sackboy: A Big Adventure, as players could hop around to different levels via the Cards in the PS5’s new Control Center.

However, as the video points out, each game will also have Activities Cards living on their respective PS5 dashboard pages, you just need to navigate below the play and Trophies buttons (a region that many may not dare enter given how slowly everything below the fold could run on PS4). By pressing “Resume” on any of these cards, you can bypass main menus, intro screens, and more and get directly to the action. That’s certainly been an advertised feature of the Cards – to get you to different parts of your games quicker than ever before. But for players looking to make that jump from one game to the next, that functionality is there, it’s just not the most immediately obvious option, as most of your interactions with Cards are likely to be via the Control Center.

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Again, it’s worth noting that this is not an exact function compared to Quick Resume – you’re still exiting a game, and loading into another, but if you’re open to jumping into the PS5’s UI, you can get directly to the moment in a game you’re looking for more quickly than just starting up the game by pressing “play” on its page. But, for example, I right now on my PS5 am playing Demon’s Souls, and can navigate to the PS5 dashboard to pick Cards for Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered on its page, or to different levels via Cards on Sackboy: A Big Adventure’s page.

Of course, you can continue to access games as you do traditionally, and even use the PS5’s Game Switcher feature on the Control Center to shift from one game to the next. But if you want to know more about the PS5’s hidden features and other functionality, be sure to check out our comprehensive PS5 wiki guide.

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Jonathon Dornbush is IGN’s Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

PlayStation 5 is now available in select regions, with a global launch following shortly on November 19. Those lucky enough to secure a preorder finally have their hands on the excellent DualSense controller and are getting their first taste of the next generation with Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, or one of several other launch games.

Many others, unfortunately, are stuck waiting for a restock. Rather than sit around refreshing retail websites, we’re entertaining ourselves by building our dream PS5 setup and calculating how much it’d cost to “max out” our next-gen experience.

To do this, we’ve compiled a list of all Sony’s official PS5-compatible hardware and accessories (no software or subscriptions) and noted the cost for the U.S., U.K., and Australian markets.

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PlayStation 5 – $500 USD / £450 / AU$750

PlayStation 5 is available in two versions, one with a disc drive and one without. The PlayStation 5 Digital Edition costs $100 USD less, but for the sake of “maxing out” our console, we’re choosing the more expensive, disc-based option.

See it on Amazon

DualSense Controller (x3) – $210 USD / £180 / AU$330 

One DualSense controller is included with the PS5. For the ultimate local co-op experience, we’ll need to tack on three more.

See it on Amazon

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DualSense Charging Station (x2) – $60 USD / £50 / AU$100 

The DualSense Charging Station holds two controllers at a time, so we’re adding two to ensure all four of our controllers stay charged and ready to go.

See it on Amazon

Pulse 3D Wireless Headset – $100 USD / £90 / AU$160

Sony’s official PS5 headset is designed to take advantage of the console’s new Tempest 3D positional audio. IGN’s Pulse 3D Wireless Headset review says it gives games “a sense of space and place that most other systems do not have, even with surround sound,” making it a must-have for our setup.

See it on Amazon

PS5 Media Remote – $30 USD / £25 / AU$50 

Of course we’ll need a way to conveniently navigate PS5’s entertainment apps, such as Disney+, Netflix, and Twitch.

See it on Amazon

PS5 HD Camera – $60 USD / £50 / AU$100 

If we’re going to hypothetically spend this much on our setup, we might as well hypothetically record ourselves enjoying it.

See it on Amazon

PSVR Bundle – $350 USD* / £260** / AU$420**

For the full PlayStation experience, we’re going to need a PSVR headset. While availability and bundle contents vary based on region, these appear to be the lowest introductory prices as of November 2020.

*Includes PSVR, PlayStation Camera, a camera adapter, two PlayStation Move controllers, and Marvel’s Iron Man VR.

**Includes PSVR, PlayStation Camera, and PlayStation VR Worlds. (These bundles don’t include a camera adapter, which is required for PSVR on PS5; they’re available for free through Sony.)

See it on Amazon

Grand Total: $1,310 / £1,105 / AU$1,910

Our “maxed out” PS5 — a console, three extra controllers, two charging stations, a Pulse 3D headset, one media remote, the HD Camera, and PSVR — comes in at $1,310 USD / £1,105 / AU$1,910, which is only slightly more than you’d pay for just a PS5 on the resale market.

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Were you able to secure a PS5 on launch day? If so, which accessories did you opt for? Let us know in the comments!

Those who’ve yet to find a console can keep an eye on our PS5 buying guide, where we’ll continue to update you on availability. In the meantime, check out IGN’s PS5 review for our in-depth thoughts on Sony’s new console.

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Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.

Bluepoint’s Demon’s Souls remake debuted on the PS5 November 12 and players are now able to discover Boletaria on the newest console generation, whether it’s again or for the very first time. But there’s one question that still needs to be answered as players head into their respective journeys: how long is it?

The answer to this question depends on several factors, including how much you’re focusing on mainline story content vs side missions, your experience with the series, and your overall ability to get a feel for it. Of course, everyone’s play style is also different, so your mileage will vary, but after playing in a variety of styles, here’s what we found.

How Long Is Demon’s Souls?

• Critical path: 30 hours
• Completionist: 40 hours
• Lore Hunter: 50 hours

Folks who focus mostly on story content will probably wrap up their runs at around the 30 hour mark. Those looking to thoroughly explore both the main story and side content will likely finish at closer to 40 hours. Players who are more intimately familiar with the Souls series can expect an easier go of it, clocking in at around 20 hours. And, if you, like me, suck at Souls games, your clear time is looking to be somewhere around 50 hours. Don’t worry, slow and steady wins the race.

No matter your skill level or how long it takes you to get through Demon’s Souls, we’ve got your back as you battle your way through Boletaria, a journey our review called “a gripping gameplay experience that oscillates between exhilarating, nerve-wracking, and downright heartbreaking; and a faithful recreation of the seminal title that birthed the Souls-like subgenre.” Check out our beginner’s guide to help you through the start of the game, and get the skinny on the best spots to farm souls so you can save up for your dream gear.

Halo Infinite was one of the most anticipated games of 2020, until a controversial Xbox Series X showcase caused fans to question the game’s visual fidelity and creative direction, which led Microsoft to delay the game to 2021. However, fans hoping for an update on the series reboot will have to wait beyond The Game Awards, as a representative has stated that the game will not appear there.

“Right now we’re still going through the huge cascade of implications and ramifications to the release shift and the team is heads down working through nearly every facet of the game,” 343 community director Brian Jarrard wrote on Reddit. “Full disclosure: we don’t have anything planned for the VGAs, but are hoping to offer at least a high level update within the next few weeks so we can kind of restart this journey together after the holidays. Pulling together something like a demo or big beat for the VGAs is an enormous amount of work and would cause challenges with current milestones of the holidays.”

Recently, game director Chris Lee left the Halo Infinite project, prompting concern among fans. He is the second director to leave the project in the last two years. However, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said that the turnover is nothing to worry about in our interview. Back in October, a Halo community manager responded to a fan who accused Microsoft of “turtling up” on Halo Infinite, saying that he disagrees. However, if you’re curious to see how 343 recorded weapon sounds for the new game, check out their video.

Pokemon Go‘s Electabuzz Community Day has ended, but there’s still one more event planned for this month. Niantic is holding a second November Community Day this Saturday, November 21, giving players everywhere another chance to catch a rare Pokemon, learn an event-exclusive move, and take advantage of other bonuses. To get you up to speed ahead of the event, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about Pokemon Go’s second November 2020 Community Day below.

November 2020 Featured Pokemon: Magmar

While Electabuzz was featured during November’s first Community Day, this weekend’s event will revolve around Magmar. The Fire-type Pokemon will appear in the wild more frequently than normal throughout the Community Day, and you’ll be able to catch Shiny Magmar with enough persistence (and a little luck). On top of that, Magmar’s baby form, Magby, will be hatching from 2 km eggs throughout the event.

If you evolve a Magmar into Magmortar up to two hours after this weekend’s Community Day ends, the Fire Pokemon will know the Electric-type Charged attack Thunderbolt. This marks the only way that Magmortar can learn this attack in Pokemon Go, so you don’t want to miss your opportunity to get it. Any Magmar that evolves during the designated time frame will learn the move, even if you caught it prior to the Community Day.

As was the case with this month’s first Community Day, the Magmar Community Day will run for six hours instead of the traditional three, from 11 AM to 5 PM local time. This means you’ll have until 7 PM local time to evolve Magmar into a Magmortar that knows Thunderbolt.

As part of this weekend’s Community Day, Niantic will offer a event-exclusive Special Research story called No Match for Magmar. Tickets to access the story can be purchased through Pokemon Go’s in-game shop for $1 USD. There will also be event-exclusive Timed Research and Field Research tasks to complete during the Community Day. These will net you various rewards including Sinnoh Stones, which are required to evolve Magmar into Magmortar.

Other Bonuses

Beyond the new Research tasks and increased Magmar spawns, Niantic will offer a few other bonuses during this weekend’s Magmar Community Day. First, any eggs that you place in an incubator during the event will hatch at a quarter of the distance they typically require. Additionally, any Incense you use will remain active for three hours. Last but not least, Niantic will be selling another special Community Day bundle in Pokemon Go’s in-game shop. The box costs 1,280 Poke Coins and contains the following items:

• 30 Ultra Balls
• 1 Elite Charged TM
• 3 Super Incubators
• 3 Lucky Eggs

Mojang has released a pretty big Minecraft Star Wars DLC. Before you ask: Yes, Baby Yoda is in it. Other content from The Mandalorian is also part of the expansion pack, as well as material from A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi.

Players will receive a map, a skin pack, a full texture set, mobs and items reskins, UI treatment, and a licensed soundtrack. As the trailer states, the items included in the Star Wars DLC is enough to recreate scenes from the original trilogy, as well as the moments in relatively newer lore like The Mandalorian.

The DLC also gives players 12 different planet dioramas. For the first time, Minecraft will let players use flyable starfighters and hyperspace fast-travel between those multiple settings. 36 character skins are also part of the pack. To name a few, the characters include Jabba the Hutt, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Darth Vader, Baby Yoda, and The Mandalorian.

Minecraft has previously released four Star Wars packs, but those were mostly skin packs and not at the scale of this big DLC. Recently, the sandbox game has also crossed over with another popular franchise, Super Smash Bros. Steve from Minecraft is now a playable character in the fighting game. He wields a pickaxe and depending on the arena and can craft using material gathered from the walls or ground.

You can get the Star Wars DLC at the Marketplace for 1340 minecoins (roughly $8).

Ubisoft has confirmed that Ghost Recon: Breakpoint will be playable on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S / Series X thanks to backwards compatibility. Alongside the announcement, the company outlined the enhancements the tactical shooter will see on next-gen hardware.

Ghost Recon: Breakpoint on next-gen consoles will be playable in two modes: Performance and Resolution. As the titles suggest, Performance favors a higher frame rate while Resolution is all about visuals. As such, Performance mode on PS5 and Series X run at 1080P and 60fps. Resolution mode, on the other hand, pushes Ghost Recon: Breakpoint to 4K and 30fps on both consoles, with PS5’s 4K graphical setting being an upscaled version. Instead of the enhancements Ubisoft made with Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Watch Dogs Legion, these Ghost Recon: Breakpoint settings are similar to what the game sees on PS4 Pro and Xbox One X.

Ghost Recon Breakpoint Next-Gen Performance Breakdown

PlayStation 5

• Performance Mode: 1080P at 60fps
• Resolution Mode: 4K at 30fps (upscaled 4K)

Xbox Series S

One Setting:

• 1440P
• 30fps

Xbox Series X

• Performance Mode: 1080P at 60fps
• Resolution Mode: 4K at 30fps

Ubisoft also said that Ghost Recon: Breakpoint owers will get immediate access to all of their purchases, including items associated with their profile, on the corresponding next-gen system at no additional charge. PlayStation 4 players can access their content on PlayStation 5 and Xbox One users can do the same on the Xbox Series S / Series X.

Ghost Recon: Breakpoint has seen a number of inclusions this year following its tumultuous October 2019 launch. Ubisoft added the highly requested AI Squadmates back in July 2020 and folded in a brand-new Pathfinder class alongside the Red Patriot Adventure event. And the game recently saw the implementation of Title Update 3.0, a massive patch that adds more customization options, and tweaking the Gunsmith, among other things.