Netflix has debuted the final trailer for its upcoming sci-fi movie and adaptation of Lily Brooks-Dalton’s acclaimed novel Good Morning, Midnight, retitled The Midnight Sky. You can check out all the tense drama below in case you missed the first trailer.
The Midnight Sky is a post-apocalyptic tale that follows Augustine (George Clooney) and his daughter (newcomer Caoilinn Springall) as they race to stop Sully (The Crown’s Felicity Jones) and her fellow astronauts from returning home that is now an absolute frozen tundra.
The film also stars David Oyelowo (Selma), Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights), Demián Bichir (Weeds), and Tiffany Boone (Hunters).
Back in October, Clooney said this is an unfortunate timely film. “I got the script way before the pandemic, but still there were all these other elements,” Clooney says. “There’s the denying of climate change but also the idea of how hateful it’s become, how race and all these other things that are tinderboxes in our country really just require anybody to throw a match in it. That’s why I was drawn to the story because if you play that kind of hatred out over a 20-year period of time, it’s not inconceivable that we destroy ourselves.”
This is Clooney’s seventh time in the director’s chair for a feature film, another one on the way with Ben Affleck called The Tender Bar. The movie is based on J.R. Moehringer’s memoir of the same name of that chronicles his life and his time at his uncle’s bar. Clooney was previously Oscar-nominated for Best Director back in 2006, with only his second time out directing a film.
The Midnight Sky premieres on Netflix December 23.
Nintendo has revealed that the next Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC character will be revealed tonight, December 10, at The Game Awards.
In the tweet, Nintendo gave no hints as to who the character might be, instead urging fans to tune into the show to find at as soon as it happens. The Game Awards start at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET, and can be streamed right here on GameSpot.
This won’t be the first time Nintendo has used the awards show to announce a big Super Smash Bros. addition. Last year Nintendo surprised everyone with the reveal of Joker from Persona 5 for the party fighting game, who eventually released on April 17 earlier this year.
This latest fighter will be the third one included with Ultimate’s Fighter Pass 2. The DLC pack has already received Min Min from Nintendo’s other fighter, Arms, as well as Steve from Minecraft. After tonight’s reveal, the pack will still have three more unannounced fighters to reveal. Designer Masahiro Sakurai has said that all of the fighters have already been decided, so Nintendo is not open to additional suggestions.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the biggest game in the series yet, bringing together all previous inclusion from other Smash titles and continuing to grow its roster. Back in 2018, our Super Smash Bros. Ultimate review praised the game’s depth and amount of content, with critic Edmond Tran writing, “Ultimate’s diverse content is compelling, its strong mechanics are refined, and the encompassing collection is simply superb.”
Since launching back in November, the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S have sold out of stock almost immediately through online and brick-and-mortar stores. Both consoles can still be purchased, provided that you’re willing to buy them through private sellers and pay a higher price.
Reseller website StockX has seen demand for Sony’s new console climb after launch, with a global demand that has resulted in it outselling Microsoft’s Xbox Series X/S consoles at a rate of nearly two-to-one.
The average price for a $500 PS5 is $900 through the website, while the $500 Xbox Series X usually sells for around $730. According to StockX, it has overseen the sale of “more than 60,000 PlayStation and Xbox consoles globally,” as of December 8.
“Across all domestic and international versions (US, UK, and EU), the two PlayStation consoles (Blu-ray and digital) have been the more popular choice, accounting for 62% of console sales to date, compared to 38% for the Xbox (Series X/S),” StockX senior economist Jesse Einhornhe said to Business Insider.
It’s worth noting that the launch of both consoles has seen a rise in scalpers buying up all available stock as soon as it dropped, leading to shortages and a number of consoles being sold online through Ebay at a massively inflated price. It’s not known just how many Xbox Series X/S units were available for sale since the November launch, although Microsoft has claimed that the start of this generation has led to the biggest Xbox launch of all time.
If you’re looking to see when and where you can find one of the consoles for yourself at its regular recommended retail price, check out our PS5 order guide and our Xbox Series X/S order guide.
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Cyberpunk 2077 has only been out for a matter of hours at this point. Even if you’re yet to make it out of the robust character creator, developer CD Projekt Red has wasted little time in sharing some early sales figures for the highly anticipated RPG.
The company revealed on its Twitter account that Cyberpunk 2077 managed to attract over eight million preorders in the lead up its release. Even factoring in potential cancellations, those are incredibly impressive numbers, with 59% of those sales being for the PC version of the game. Appropriately enough, the RPG has also done very well digitally, as 74% of preorders were sold on Steam, GOG, and the PlayStation and Microsoft stores.
Looking at the game’s popularity on Steam, the digital/physical split isn’t all that surprising. According to Steam DB, there were 1,003,264 concurrent Cyberpunk 2077 players when the game launched last night, which easily dwarfs the peaks achieved by other massive PC titles like Grand Theft Auto V, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and Fallout 4. For as gargantuan as that number may be, however, it still isn’t enough to topple the lifetime peaks of heavyweights Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.
CD Projekt’s latest earned a score of 7/10 in GameSpot’s Cyberpunk 2077 review. “The side quests and the characters they showcase are the shining beacon through the neon-soaked bleakness of Night City, and they give you room to explore the best the core RPG mechanics have to offer. These are what carried me through an otherwise disappointing experience,” reviewer Kallie Plagge said.
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Cyberpunk 2077 finally released today after numerous delays, with its original launch date set for back in April. COVID-19 has affected nearly every facet of game development this year as studios transitioned to a work-from-home setup. For CD Projekt Red, that seems to have been exceptionally true, as the Cyberpunk 2077 team had to spend far longer on routine tasks compared to when it operated in an office.
Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, co-CEO Adam Kiciński said that doing something like placing a character or object into the game could take hours because of the reduced communication between team members–it would take minutes when they were sitting next to each other.
Kiciński also mentioned that it was “painful” for the game’s developers to have to crunch–the practice of working extremely long hours for an extended period of time as a game approaches releases– though he hoped players would be understanding after seeing the final product.
That remains to be seen, but crunch doesn’t often translate to better games. In the case of Cyberpunk 2077, it’s still littered with major bugs across the PC and console versions, including full crashes. It was one of our biggest issues with the game in our Cyberpunk 2077 review. That review was conducted on PC, and though the console versions also seem rough, CD Projekt Red said a launch-day patch should help matters.
After initially being scheduled for April, Cyberpunk 2077 was then bumped all the way to September. This was then followed by a delay to November before its final day to December 10. It’s currently available on Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Stadia, with Xbox Series X and PS5 versions coming next year as free upgrades.
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A new set of job listings from BioShock 4 developer Cloud Chamber Games–as spotted by Maruno NL3 on Twitter–has revealed that the next chapter in the series could be a big departure from previous games.
The developer is searching for a systems designer that specializes in “ambitious, narratively-driven project full of character and personality” and other developers who can flesh out the game’s dialogue systems.
Another listing for an applicant who would be responsible for “interactive world systems and non-AI systemic ecology” and “player growth systems” lists experience in RPG games as a requirement for the game that could be BioShock 4, which the studio describes as an “emergent sandbox world” that contains a “meaningful AI urban crowd system.”
These aren’t the first job listings that Cloud Chamber Games have posted since development on BioShock 4 began. In August the studio began searching for a lead environment modeler and gave away some details about the environment that the game will take place in an entirely new world.
Cloud Chamber was also on the hunt for a principle combat designer who liked “pushing boundaries and trying risky experiments that haven’t been seen before,” a cinematic artist with “Wes Anderson like precision and panache,” and a world designer who would help “create a ‘living’ world that offers players variety at every step of the game.”
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Now that 2020 is largely behind us, it’s time to look ahead at what the future holds for each of the game industry’s biggest platforms. While Sony and Microsoft both closed out the year by ushering in next-generation PlayStation and Xbox consoles, the Nintendo Switch is quickly approaching its fourth birthday, and it has quite a few big-name titles lined up for the new year and beyond.
Given how secretive Nintendo traditionally is, often announcing games only a few months before they hit the market, we’ve likely only gotten a small glimpse at Switch’s release calendar for the new year, but there are some exciting first- and third-party exclusives on the way. The first half of 2021 will see the release of Bravely Default II and Monster Hunter Rise, which will no doubt help sustain the system’s sales momentum going into the new year, while marquee blockbusters like Metroid Prime 4 and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 are slated to follow at some point in the future.
And that’s to say nothing about any potential hardware revisions coming next year. While Nintendo hasn’t announced any such plans, reports continue to circulate that the company will release a new Switch model in 2021. Whether or not that will prove true remains to be seen, but at the very least, we can take a look at all the biggest games that are coming to Switch in 2021 and beyond.
Bayonetta 3
We’ve heard very little about Bayonetta 3 since it was first announced three years ago during the 2017 Game Awards, but that long stretch of silence hasn’t diminished its standing as one of Switch’s most-anticipated exclusives. Developer Platinum Games has yet to share any concrete details about the title, but the brief announcement trailer that aired during The Game Awards featured the eponymous witch struggling in battle against a mysterious ghost-like creature. Beyond that, we know that Nintendo is once again handling publishing duties, as it did for Bayonetta 2.
Bravely Default 2
Originally slated to launch in 2020, Bravely Default II is now set to arrive on February 26, making it one of the first marquee releases to hit the Switch in 2021. Much like the original Bravely Default and its follow-up, Bravely Second, Bravely Default II is a retro-styled RPG featuring stylized visuals and a turn-based battle system. What sets combat apart from other classical RPGs is the unique Brave/Default mechanic, which lets characters skip a turn to build up Brave Points and unleash multiple attacks in one go. And despite the number in its title, Bravely Default II features an entirely new cast and setting, so you don’t need experience with the previous entries to dive in.
Hitman 3
The third entry in IO Interactive’s rebooted Hitman series is coming in 2021, and thanks to cloud streaming, Switch owners will have a chance to take part in the assassinations as well. This installment is said to be darker and more serious in tone than its predecessors, as Agent 47 travels to various locations around the globe in pursuit of his targets. Hitman 3 launches on January 20.
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 2
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The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Sequel Presentation | Nintendo Direct E3 2019
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It’s rare to see a Zelda game receive a direct follow-up, which made the announcement of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel such a genuine surprise back at E3 2019. The foreboding announcement trailer featured Link and Zelda exploring a cavernous dungeon where the pair discover what appears to be the mummified remains of Ganondorf, setting a dark tone for the story. Of course, Nintendo has been very tight-lipped about the title since its reveal, so we don’t yet know what direction the game will take or even when it will release, but it’s one of the most exciting exclusives on the horizon for Switch.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Traveller’s Tales’ Lego Star Wars titles have always offered a charming, lighthearted way to re-experience the beloved Star Wars movies, and the latest entry in the game franchise encapsulates the entire Skywalker saga, taking players through events from all nine mainline Star Wars films (depicted with the Lego series’ signature humor). Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga launches for all major platforms in Spring 2021.
Metroid Prime 4
It’s been more than three years since Nintendo first announced Metroid Prime 4 back at E3 2017, and we’ve learned very little about the title since then. The only update we’ve received came in January 2019, when Nintendo announced that it was rebooting development entirely, with Retro Studios–the team behind the original Metroid Prime trilogy–now helming the project. Since then, Retro has been quietly at work on the game, but given the studio’s sterling track record, Metroid Prime 4 remains one of the system’s most anticipated titles.
Monster Hunter Rise
Although Switch missed out on Monster Hunter: World, the hybrid system is receiving its own new Monster Hunter game next year in the form of Monster Hunter Rise. Set to launch on March 26, Rise is a traditional Monster Hunter title that introduces some unique twists to the beloved formula. Chief among these are the Palamutes, brand-new canine companions that you can ride and hunt alongside. Rise also features a new item called the Wirebug, a lasso-like creature that lets players grapple around the environment and adds a new acrobatic flair to combat.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings Of Ruin
Rise isn’t the only Monster Hunter game coming to Switch in 2021; the hybrid console is also receiving a sequel to Monster Hunter Stories, the cel-shaded RPG spin-off that was originally released for 3DS back in 2017. Rather than casting players in the role of a hunter, Monster Hunter Stories 2 places them in the role of a young Monster Rider, who can tame and form bonds with monsters. Unlike Rise, Stories 2 does not yet have a firm release date, but it’s slated to arrive sometime during the summer.
No More Heroes 3
After a brief stint inside an evil video game system, Travis Touchdown makes his triumphant return in No More Heroes 3, the next proper entry in Suda 51’s cult-favorite series. We still know very little about the title, but it’s coming exclusively to Nintendo Switch sometime in 2021.
Ruined King: A League Of Legends Story
The League of Legends universe is expanding in 2021 with the release of Ruined King, a single-player, narrative-driven, turn-based RPG developed by Airship Syndicate, the studio behind Darksiders Genesis. Featuring a cadre of well-known characters from the main game, including Braum, Yasuo, and Ahri, Ruined King promises to offer fans a different perspective on the world of Runeterra.
Shin Megami Tensei V
We’ve known that a new, mainline entry in Atlus’s Shin Megami Tensei series was coming to the Switch since before the console even launched, but Atlus officially unveiled the title this past July with a cryptic trailer. Like many of the other big Switch exclusives on this list, little is currently known about Shin Megami Tensei V, but it’s slated to launch in 2021, and its reveal trailer ended with the tagline, “The time for Creation has come.”
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
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Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury – Official Announcement Trailer
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Much of the Wii U’s catalog has been migrated over to the Switch by this point, and now the system’s best game, Super Mario 3D World, is finally coming to the hybrid console on February 12. Super Mario 3D World was renowned for its boundless creativity and ingenious level design when it first launched back in 2013, and it remains one of the best platformers of the past decade. This Switch port is also complemented by a new batch of content known as Bowser’s Fury, and while Nintendo has revealed little about that, it’s the icing on what is already a delectable cake.
The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum
There have been numerous games based on J.R.R Tolkein’s beloved fantasy series over the years, but The Lord of the Rings: Gollum looks to offer an original take on the familiar story. Little has been revealed about the title, but it pits players in the role of Smeagol/Gollum and features stealth-based gameplay. The game is slated to launch for PC and consoles sometime in 2021.
It’s not hard to get attached to animals, and that’s exactly what happened to Viggo Mortensen during the filming of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Mortensen purchased three of the horses used during filming when they went on sale, and said this week that two of the horses Mortensen adopted have passed away, the actor said in a recent interview.
Speaking to NME about his new film, Falling, Mortensen talked about the steeds when the interview touched on the trilogy.
“There were actually three horses that I bought, they were up for sale once the movies were done. There were the two I’d ridden–a chestnut and then the big bay that Aragorn rides–but I also bought the white horse that Arwen rides in The Fellowship Of The Ring when she’s being chased through the forest by the Black Riders,” Mortensen explained. The first two horses, named Uraeus and Kenny, Mortensen said, have passed away. Uraeus was credited as Brego in the films, and Kenny as Hasufel. The third horse he purchased for the stuntwoman who rode the horse in that scene, and that one is still around.
“The other two have passed away. They were of a certain age already when we were shooting and that’s 20 years ago now,” Mortensen said. Mortensen isn’t the only actor to adopt an animal they worked with; Sophie Turner adopted her Game of Thrones dire wolf, Lady, as well.
With the reveal of Apple’s brand new–and very expensive–headphones, the AirPods Max, you may be wondering if they’d make a good set for your PS5. Unfortunately, Sony’s consoles don’t let you connect Bluetooth audio devices directly. This is frustrating considering the large number of people who want to use their favorite pair of headphones with their brand-spankin’ new console, but thankfully, there is a workaround. If you’ve ever wanted to pass on a gaming headset in favor of Bluetooth headphones, this guide is for you.
How to connect Bluetooth headphones or AirPods to the PS5
First, you’ll need a pair of Bluetooth headphones, such as the AirPods Max or our personal favorite, the Creative SXFI Air. Any will work, so as long as you love them, you’re good to go. Secondly, you’ll need a Bluetooth adapter, either USB-C or the more common USB-A. With the PS5, there’s only one USB-C port, so if you’re using that for something like an external SSD or hard drive, then you’ll want to snag a USB-A adapter. Thankfully, some USB-C adapters like the Creative BT-W3 Bluetooth dongle come with USB-A converters.
Once you’ve got both of these items in order, you can connect your Bluetooth headphones to your PS5. Just insert your selected adapter into one of your PS5’s ports, then hold the sync buttons on your headphones and adapter. It may take some time to get right, but once you’re connected, you’re good to go. The PS5 will recognize the Bluetooth headphones as USB audio, and you’ll have access to the full suite of audio options, including 3D audio.
What about using Bluetooth headphones on Xbox?
Unfortunately, if you’re looking for a way to use Bluetooth headphones with the Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One, you’ll need to seek different options. Microsoft’s consoles don’t support all USB audio devices, which means you won’t be able to use any of these adapters with the console. 3.5mm adapters can work if you plug them into your Xbox controller, but they’re unwieldy, and when you can use most Bluetooth headphones with a 3.5mm cable, you’re better off just doing that.
You can see a few of our picks for the best PS5 Bluetooth adapters and headphones below. We’ve selected a variety of options, but while there are definitely some perks to certain Bluetooth adapters, you’ll be happy with any one of them.
For more audio recommendations, check out our guide to the best PS5 gaming headsets for 2020 and beyond. Bluetooth headphones are excellent when it comes to audio quality, but gaming headsets are made specifically with–you guessed it–gaming in mind. They provide you with a high-quality microphone for chatting with other players as well as dials for mixing your chat and game volume. Both Bluetooth headphones and gaming headsets are great options for the PS5, so make sure to choose the best one for you.
Creative’s USB-C Bluetooth adapter comes with everything you need to have a great audio experience on the PS5. It’s a USB-C adapter, so you can plug it into the PS5’s USB-C port, but it also comes with a USB-A converter, which makes it so you can use a USB-A port instead. It also comes with a 3.5mm microphone attachment that you can plug into the bottom of your PS5’s DualSense controller if you’d rather use this microphone than the controller’s.
If you’re looking to save some money, then the TP-Link USB Bluetooth adapter is both affordable and one of the best USB-A Bluetooth adapters. All you need to do is plug it into your PS5’s USB-A port, then connect your Bluetooth headphones.
Eveo’s Bluetooth adapter feature a small little handle that makes it much easier than its counterparts to take out of the PS5 and plug into another device. This makes it an excellent option for people who are always on the go and need to use their Bluetooth headphones with other devices.
If you’re looking for another option, the Techkey Bluetooth adapter won’t disappoint. It boasts over 11,000 user reviews on Amazon with an average rating of 4.5/5 stars.
Apple recently revealed the next version of its lauded AirPods: the AirPods Max. Ditching the earbud form factor, the AirPods Max are a premium pair of Bluetooth headphones that claim to boast great audio quality and come with a huge price tag: $549. It’s unclear how well the AirPods Max will perform, but if you’re an Apple fan, you’ll likely want to preorder a pair.
Creative’s Super X-Fi technology is among our favorite uses of virtual surround sound, providing a headphones experience that sounds like you’re listening to speakers in a room. The Creative SXFI Air are the best Bluetooth headphones we’ve tested, utilizing this technology capably while also providing incredible sound quality and a comfortable fit.
Razer’s first step into the Bluetooth headphones space is a great one. The Razer Opus are an impressive pair of premium Bluetooth headphones with a number of exciting features like active noise canceling and motion tracking that pauses your music when you take the headphones off. The audio quality is also excellent.
Tribit is one of the best brands on Amazon for products like headphones, earbuds, and speakers, and its line of audio accessories includes one of the best budget Bluetooth headphone pairs we’ve tested. The Tribit XFree Tune heaphones have impressive sound for being less than $50 and are very comfortable to boot.
If you’re looking for active noise canceling, then the Cowin E7 ANC Bluetooth headphones are a great budget option. For only $60, you get a great-sounding pair of cans that can utilize ANC to eliminate the sounds around you.
