Xbox Series S Design Officially Announced, Xbox Series X Pricing And Release Date Leaked

[UPDATE] Microsoft has made the Xbox Series S official. The system will cost $299, and it looks just like the leaked image. Xbox UK has also confirmed that the system will cost £250 there.

The release date has not been officially confirmed by Microsoft yet, though.

The original story follows.

The Xbox Series S has seemingly been revealed, and while it’s still unconfirmed, reports are coming in from a reporter with a solid track record. Furthermore, details of the Xbox next-gen release–including prices and a date–have also reportedly leaked.

Thurrott reporter Brad Sams has unveiled the design below, showing what the Xbox Series S will reportedly look like. Whether or not this is the actual final design remains to be seen, as Microsoft has not officially unveiled the Series S (or even, technically, announced it), but industry insider Daniel Ahmad has backed up the report, saying this is the design we should expect.

It appears to be a lot smaller, and will not feature a disc drive.

As for the price and date, Windows Central is reporting that Microsoft is set to hold a press conference soon formally announcing the Series S, as well as these details. The site reports that both the Series S and Series X will launch on November 20; the series S will cost $299 USD, and the Series X will cost $499 USD.

The piece also reports that the consoles will be available through Xbox’s All Access subscription service, with the Series S being set at $25 USD a month and the Series X at $35 USD a month. Phil Spencer has previously said that All Access is “critical” to their next-gen strategy.

We’re still waiting on official confirmation on all of this, but with November approaching, we’d expect it soon.

Xbox Series S Specs Seemingly Leak

Xbox Series S’ specs have seemingly leaked through a trailer, saying that the console will feature a 512GB SSD, run games at 1440p up to 120 frames per second, and will support raytracing.

After a series of leaks and a confirmation that the console will arrive at a $299 / £249.99 price point, a trailer posted on Twitter seems to go into some finer details:

A list of Xbox Series S details includes:

  • All-Digital
  • 1440p at up to 120FPS
  • DirectX Raytracing
  • Variable Rate Shading
  • Variable Refresh Rate
  • Ultra-Low Latency
  • Custom 512GB SSD
  • 4K Streaming Media Playback
  • 4K Upscaling for Games

The trailer also shows how the console is 60% smaller than Xbox Series X, and explains that its SSD uses the same Velocity Architecture as Xbox Series X’s equivalent – which should mean short load times and seamless game switching.

Despite all of the new information today, we still don’t know how to pre-order an Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, but Xbox says we’ll hear more “soon” – so we’ll hopefully learn about that in the not-too-distant future.

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Joe Skrebels is IGN’s Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Netflix CEO Doesn’t See Any Positives To Working From Home

While the COVID-19 pandemic has seen many companies, including Netflix, transition to allowing employees to work from home full time, Netflix founder Reed Hastings isn’t a fan. While Netflix’s work from home arrangements will continue as long as necessary to keep its employees safe from COVID-19, Hastings has said he sees no benefit to the practice.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Hastings was asked whether he saw any positives to staff working from home. “No. I don’t see any positives,” he said, “Not being able to get together in person, particularly internationally, is a pure negative.” Despite this, he predicted that most employees would continue to work at least one day from home even after the pandemic ended.

Netflix has almost 20 offices around the globe, not including the locations where Netflix-led productions are shot. On the topic of those productions, Hastings indicated that they were “up and running in much of Europe and much of Asia,” with a few productions starting up in Los Angeles as well. “The hope is that, through September and October, we can really get – with proper testing – a lot more running,” he said.

Season 2 of Netflix’s The Witcher series started production ahead of schedule in August, at Arborfield Studios outside of London. A number of photos have come out from the set showing the crew working with face shields, masks and physical barriers between them.

Now Playing: 8 Best Shows And Movies To Stream For August 2020 – Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video

Cyberpunk 2077 Chinese Localization Teases Massive Game Size

Every detail we’ve seen out of Cyberpunk 2077 so far has hammered in how massive it will be, and this behind-the-scenes look at the voice recording for the Chinese localization is no different. A sneak peek says the voice work includes 15%-20% more lines than The Witcher 3 did–including both of its huge DLC add-ons.

The statistics were tweeted by video game analyst Daniel Ahmad, along with a photo of some of the cast in the recording studio. The Chinese localization alone required “more than 150 voice actors, 100,000 lines, 4 recording studios, and 10,000 person hours,” according to Ahmad.

Interestingly, Cyberpunk 2077 won’t actually get an official release in China’s notoriously strict entertainment market, but will still be available to Chinese players through Steam. According to Ahmad, CD Projekt Red has a good reputation among players in China, and at one point it was even the top market for pre-orders of the upcoming game. You can check out what Cyberpunk sounds like in Mandarin Chinese in the demo footage below:

Ahmad has previously tracked CDPR’s popularity in China, noting its huge presence on Bilibili, a Chinese social media site with similarities to Twitch and YouTube.

Cyberpunk 2077 will launch with full voice acting in 10 different languages, a huge undertaking for a game of this size. An additional eight languages will be available in subtitles. The full list includes:

Voice and subtitles

  • English
  • German
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Italian
  • Polish
  • Brazilian Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Chinese – Simplified
  • Japanese

Subtitles only

  • Spanish–Latin American
  • Hungarian
  • Turkish
  • Czech
  • Arabic
  • Thai
  • Chinese – Traditional
  • Korean

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Doom Is Finally Playable On A Pregnancy Test

1993’s Doom has been ported to just about every device under the sun since its release, from calculators to printers to train ticket authenticators. There’s even a subreddit for funny Doom ports. But there’s been one version of Doom we’ve long cried out for, and it’s finally here–a version of Doom that will run on a slightly modified pregnancy test.

Twitter user Foone, who identifies as a “hardware / software necromancer” in their profile, has been playing around with a modified pregnancy test with a replacement OLED display. At first, he was just using it to run videos, like this one from the opening of Skyrim.

At first, Foone was struggling to get Doom running on the test, but eventually, they made it happen. Using a mini keyboard, Foone was able to control the black-and-white, low-fi version of Doom, running on a 128×32 monochrome display.

We’re excited to announce that we’re expecting (you to enjoy the videos below).

It’s maybe not the most easy-to-play version of Doom, but it’s certainly impressive.

Another exciting Doom port that has been in the works is a version for the Playdate, which makes use of the hand crank. If you want the real best version of Doom, though, the current PC/console version keeps improving.

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Dirt 5 Delayed, And PS5 And Xbox Series X Editions Still Coming In 2020

Codemasters’ racing game Dirt 5 has been delayed to November 6 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The developer confirmed the move on Twitter, acknowledging that this news “sucks.”

The delay isn’t the longest one, as Dirt 5 was originally slated for release on October 16. “It sucks, we know,” Codemasters said of the new delay. “The start line is now a little further away, but it’s still very much in sight.”

Codemasters also re-affirmed that Dirt 5 remains on schedule to release on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X in 2020, though the exact release date for the game (and the consoles) remains a mystery. The Google Stadia edition of Dirt 5 will release in early 2021.

The studio also reminded fans that people who buy Dirt 5 for PS4 or Xbox One can get a free upgrade to a “next-gen optimized” version of the game for PS5 or Xbox Series X when those consoles release at no extra charge. Upgrades must be within the same console family. Another promo to note is that the more expensive Amplified Edition of Dirt 5 unlocks on November 3, which is three days before the public release date.

Between now and launch in November, Codemasters will release more news and gameplay, including the debut of new cars and locations, as well as the full car list. Codemasters also plans to discuss more of the PS5 and Xbox Series X features for the game, along with more multiplayer details, in the time ahead.

GameSpot has gone hands-on with Dirt 5, and Michael Higham had some thoughts on its new approach. “With Dirt 5, the series isn’t all about rally racing anymore; instead, it’s embracing the chaos of off-roading, and at least that’s still staying true to its name,” he wrote.

The game will feature Troy Baker (Joel in The Last of Us) as Alex Janicek, the mentor to the player character, and Nolan North (Nathan Drake in the Uncharted series) as Bruno Durand, Janicek’s rival.

Now Playing: Dirt 5 Gameplay Trailer | Gamescom 2020

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Call Of Duty: Warzone/Modern Warfare’s Next Operator Is Played By Famous Italian Rapper

The next Operator for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone has been announced, and he’s played by a very famous Italian rapper.

The Operator is named Morte, and he is played by the Italian rapper Fabio Rovazzi. You can buy the character from the in-game store starting on September 8. Rovazzi documented his experience becoming the character in a YouTube video that you can watch below.

In a press release, Activision said Rovazzi is a “passionate gamer” and a fan of Call of Duty specifically. The character Morte is a former Italian special ops soldier who now has a Old West look that is meant to reflect Rovazzi’s love of Italian-Western films.

“Being a character in Call of Duty has always been a secret and impossible dream of mine,” he said in a release. “And there are no words to describe the excitement of the opportunity to give my voice and my appearance to an Operator. I also love the character tribute to the Italian Western tradition. When I think that millions of players will be able to play with my character, I feel flattered and satisfied beyond imagination.”

Additionally, Rolling Stone’s Italian edition wrote a feature article about Rovazzi and his involvement in Call of Duty–you can check it out here.

Rovazzi is the biggest celebrity that Activision has recruited for a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare/Warzone Operator, but he’s not the first real-life person that lent their likeness to the game. The character Ronin is based on a man named Tu Lam, who escaped from communist Vietnam in 1979, fleeing the country in a fishing boat. The Operator Lerch is based on the real-world soldier Tony Sentmanat, who served in the US Marine Corps and later as a SWAT team member.

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Super Mario 3D All-Stars Is Already Amazon’s 2nd Best-Selling Game Of 2020

Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a collection announced as part of the Super Mario 35th anniversary celebration, will bring Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy to the Nintendo Switch. The collection, which releases on September 18, is already doing pretty well–in fact, it’s one of the year’s top sellers already.

Nintendolife noticed that the physical version of the game has climbed right up the Amazon best sellers list for games in 2020, which is otherwise mostly made up of peripherals and digital codes for store credit across the PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo stores. At the time of writing, it’s the 14th best selling product on the list, and the second best-selling game.

These early sales are likely due, in part, to Nintendo’s curious decision to make the game explicitly a time-limited release, available for sale until March 31, 2021–fans don’t want to miss out.

The best-selling game for Amazon in 2020? It’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons, another Nintendo Switch exclusive. The game’s physical edition is the 4th best-selling games item, and a digital code for it is the 9th. That game has, of course, sold incredibly well. In fact, aside from wallet codes and peripherals, Nintendo Switch games dominate the top 50–the only non-Nintendo game in there is The Last of Us Part II.

The 3D All-Stars collection is an undoubtedly brilliant package, but its missing one key game–Super Mario Galaxy 2 is sadly nowhere to be seen.

If you want to make sure you get your own copy of Super Mario 3D All-Stars, check out GameSpot’s pre-order guide.

Now Playing: Super Mario 3D All-Stars – Official Announcement Trailer

The Venture Bros. Has Been Canceled

The Venture Bros., the long-running Adult Swim show about the Venture family, has been cancelled. Season 7, which aired in 2018, was the show’s final season, ending a run that began with the pilot episode’s release in 2003.

Jackson Publick, the show’s co-creator, tweeted the news, which was set in stone some time ago. “We got the highly disappointing news a few months ago, while we were writing what would have been season 8,” he said.

This comes following a tweet from Ken Plume, the author of the series’ official art book, which said that the show was cancelled a few days earlier–before the show’s creators announced it.

The critically-beloved show ran for 82 episodes and 4 specials.

The show aired alongside many other Adult Swim shows that have since ended, including Aqua Teen Hunger Force, The Brak Show, Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and Sealab 2021. The animation studio that worked on The Venture Bros., Titmouse, went on to animate The Midnight Gospel for Netflix.

There’s currently a free 24/7 stream of the show running on Adult Swim.

Now Playing: The Venture Bros. – Official Season 7 Trailer

These Nintendo Deals Are Too Good To Pass Up

The Nintendo Switch is a great little device, with tons of awesome games. The problem? Buying all those games will quickly make your bank account cry, and deals on Nintendo products are few and far between. Thankfully, this weekend was one of those rare cases where countless Nintendo games went on sale. While a few are no longer discounted, tons of them still are, so act fast on the deals below before they too return to their full price.

Nintendo Labor Day Deals

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