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Microsoft is preparing for its E3 2019 presentation and has promised to “go big” for Xbox this year. The company has added another intriguing teaser to the mix, although it’s so open-ended it could mean just about anything.

In a tweet from the official Xbox account, the company said, “We invited something new to #XboxE3 this year.” Of course E3 presentations are often full of new announcements, but this one was conspicuous. This something seems bigger than most E3 surprises, and the mention of an invitation could imply it is bringing in something from outside its own company.

So what could it all mean? The curious wording could hint at something big–in which case, it might be teasing the reveal of its next-gen Xbox, Scarlett. While that isn’t expected to launch until next year at the earliest, Sony has already been talking a great deal about the still-unnamed PS5, so Microsoft may want to follow suit and outline its vision for next-generation hardware.

Beyond that, we know Microsoft will be talking about its xCloud streaming service coming later this year. It has also been hinting at expanding Xbox services to other platforms, including the recent announcement of Xbox Game Pass on PC. It is also planning to show off 14 Xbox Studios games, including some from its spate of new acquisitions.

Altogether, this could be anything ranging from a surprising partnership to new hardware or services. We’ll have to watch the Xbox E3 press conference to be sure. That will begin on June 9 at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET / 9 PM BST (6 AM AET on June 10). Be sure to check our full press conference schedule for more dates and times.

Just ahead of E3, publisher THQ Nordic has promised a series of three game announcements over the next few days. The first of these has been revealed, with the company announcing SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated is coming to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC at some point in the future.

The brief 20-second trailer doesn’t give away much of anything, but we do know this is a remake of a cult classic platformer originally released back in October of 2003. Purple Lamp Studios–who previously developed The Guild 3–is handling development, and the game’s official description has revealed there will be an all-new multiplayer mode beyond the single-player hijinks of SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy.

The announcement goes on to say, “The cult classic is back, faithfully remade in spongetastic splendor! Play as SpongeBob, Patrick and Sandy and show the evil Plankton that crime pays even less than Mr. Krabs. Want to save Bikini Bottom from lots of rampant robots? Of course you do! Want to underpants bungee jump? Why wouldn’t you! Want to join forces in a brand new multiplayer mode? The battle is on!”

This is the first of three new game announcements THQ Nordic has promised for this week. The second will be unveiled June 6 at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET / 7 PM BST, while the third will arrive on June 7 at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET / 7 PM BST.

Rumours have been swirling after an e-mail sent to press regarding E3 appointments gave away some scarce details that point to the possibility of new games in the Destroy All Humans and Darksiders franchises. An E3 panel certainly seems to point to the latter, with Darksiders: Action Adventure Evolved set to discuss “the inception of the Darksiders universe and where it’s headed next.”

Black Mirror Season 5’s release date has finally arrived, with three new episodes of the hit anthology series arriving on Netflix worldwide. As always, the new episodes deal with some of the darker interpretations of futurism and technology.

Here, we take a look at Smithereens, which stars Andrew Scott (Sherlock, Spectre), Damson Idris (Snowfall), and Topher Grace (Spider-Man 3, Interstellar, BlacKkKlansman). It’s directed by James Hawes (Doctor Who, Black Mirror: Hated in the Nation) and was written by series creator Charlie Brooker.

The official plot synopsis reads: “A cab driver with an agenda becomes the center of attention on a day that rapidly spirals out of control.” We won’t say more than this so we don’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen the episode yet!

Once you have watched the show, watch the video above, in which Lucy James and Tamoor Hussain uncover all the Easter eggs and secrets they can find and break down the plot.

Black Mirror Season 5 is the first release from the show since the interactive special Bandersnatch, which came to Netflix in December 2018. Prior to that, Season 4 was released in December 2017. For more on the sci-fi series, check out our comprehensive breakdown of the Black Mirror universe’s timeline. For more on Season 5, meanwhile, you can watch our breakdowns of Black Mirror: Striking Vipers and of Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too.

We learned a wealth of new details about Switch’s upcoming Pokemon Sword and Shield games during the latest Pokemon Direct broadcast, from the pair’s release date to their new Dynamax mechanic and more. One topic the presentation didn’t touch on was your Pokedex, but we’ve now gotten our first details about that as well thanks to the official Pokemon Sword and Shield website.

Just as in Pokemon Sun and Moon, your Pokedex in Sword and Shield contains a Rotom, a Ghost/Electric Pokemon that is capable of inhabiting electronics. However, rather than being its own dedicated device, it appears your Pokedex this time will be part of your character’s smartphone, which is fittingly dubbed the Rotom Phone. You can see how it looks below.

Interestingly, it appears the Rotom Phone has more functions than simply logging the Pokemon you encounter. According to the website, you’ll also be able to attach it to your bicycle, which will allow you to move faster and even cross water. During the games’ latest trailer, we can briefly see the player character pedaling across a lake using a water bike. It wasn’t clear if that bike was a separate item you needed to acquire or if it worked similarly to Sun/Moon’s Poke Ride feature, but the website makes it seem it’s a form your regular bicycle can take thanks to the Rotom Phone.

If that’s indeed the case, then it appears the Rotom Phone will effectively replace HMs, the special moves you needed to teach Pokemon in the past to navigate the region. Recent titles have been doing away with HMs, and it appears Sword and Shield will be continuing that trend. One of the new Gen 8 Pokemon, Corviknight, acts as a sort of taxi service and can ferry players back to towns they’ve previously visiting, much like the old Fly HM did.

Pokemon Sword and Shield launch for Nintendo Switch on November 15. You can catch up on all the other big news about the games in our Pokemon Direct recap. For more, be sure to check out our Pokemon Sword and Shield pre-order guide.

Black Mirror Season 5’s release date has finally arrived, with three new episodes of the hit anthology series arriving on Netflix worldwide. As always, the new episodes deal with some of the darker interpretations of futurism and technology.

Here, we take a look at the peculiarly named Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too, which stars Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana, Bolt), Madison Davenport (From Dusk Till Dawn), and Angourie Rice (Spider-Man: Homecoming). It’s helmed by Norwegian director Anne Sewitsky and was written by series creator Charlie Brooker.

The official plot synopsis reads: “A lonely teenager yearns to connect with her favorite pop star – whose charmed existence isn’t quite as rosy it appears.” We won’t say more than this so we don’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen the episode yet!

Once you have watched the show, watch the video above, in which Lucy James and Tamoor Hussain uncover all the Easter eggs and secrets they can find and break down the plot.

Black Mirror Season 5 is the first release from the show since the interactive special Bandersnatch, which came to Netflix in December 2018. Prior to that, Season 4 was released in December 2017. For more on the sci-fi series, check out our comprehensive breakdown of the Black Mirror universe’s timeline. For more on Season 5, meanwhile, you can watch our breakdowns of Black Mirror: Striking Vipers and of Smithereens.