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This looks a lot like a new Forza Horizon game – excellent news, as these are my favourite racing games ever, as much because of the scenery as the cars. There’s some extreme weather on display here, with sandstorms and active volcanos. It’s set in Mexico, taking us from rainforests to deserts and through Mayan architecture (best not crash into that). It’s out November 9.
E3 2021 takes place June 12-15 as a re-imagined, all-virtual online event. Nintendo, Xbox, Bethesda, Square Enix, Sega, Bandai Namco, Ubisoft, Capcom, and others will deliver new video game announcements, trailers, release dates, and more.
Microsoft’s annual Xbox E3 press conference returns, now with 100% more Bethesda. The freshly acquired video game publisher will be sharing the stage with Xbox’s growing stable of studios on June 13 at 10 a.m. PDT/1 p.m. EDT. You can stream the entire event here, just click play on the above embed!
What do we expect to see? Halo Infinite, for sure. Master Chief will be the centerpiece of the Xbox 2021 lineup. We won’t be surprised if we also see new entries in the Fable and Forza franchises, alongside new titles like Avowed and Everwild. Microsoft says the event will run for approximately 90 minutes.
Bethesda’s various studios have a variety of projects in development, including Starfield, The Elder Scrolls 6, and whatever Arkane Austin has in the works. But are any of these games far enough along to cross the E3 stage? We’ll see soon enough.
And considering Microsoft’s embrace of streaming and subscription services, we assume Game Pass will feature prominently in the event — especially considering the service will soon stream at Xbox Series X-quality on iPhone, Android, and browsers. Maybe we’ll even get an early look at the Xbox TV app or the stand-alone streaming stick?
Galaxy S21 is Samsung’s latest and greatest Android phone, but as it turns out, this doesn’t necessarily make any difference in terms of stability and reliability as far as Android Auto is concerned.
For example, one of the most widespread glitches encountered with the S21 Ultra causes Android Auto to crash when the screen is unlocked. And according to users who turned to Google’s forums for assistance, none of the generic workarounds helped.
These include downgrading Android Auto and updating to the latest version, clearing the cache and the rest of the data, updating the head unit in the car, changing cables, and so on.
But the good news is Samsung has been working on a fix for quite some time, and the South Koreans are now ready to ship it to users. Google itself confirmed that it reached out to Samsung to provide details about the glitch, and now the next operating system update should finally fix it once and for all.
In other words, the July monthly security update projected to ship to the Galaxy S21 in a few weeks should get Android Auto up and running for everybody using Samsung’s latest flagship.
“Thanks for all the reports. We informed the Samsung team and they have applied a fix on an upcoming upgrade as part of the regular July maintenance release to resolve this issue. Please keep checking for system updates on the device,” a member of the Android Auto team announced.
The only concern right now is to get the upcoming July monthly security update in a timely manner, as these releases have always landed with a more or less substantial delay for some regions across the world. Some users, for example, are yet to get the June update, despite its rollout actually starting a couple of weeks ago.
The next iPhone may not have physical buttons.
Rumor has it that a future iPhone (iPhone 13?) might lack physical buttons. A recent US patent application spotted by Apple Insider suggests the company is investigating “capacitive sensing input devices”. Apparently these input devices, aka buttons, will be “invisible backlit holes” that appear when touched and disappear when not in use.
This approach sounds pretty slick and will no doubt add a bit of elegance if applied to any device. The big question is whether a feature like this will find its way into the next iteration of the iPhone, or if we have to wait until 2022 or beyond in order to see Apple integrate it. It’s not an entirely wild concept and fits with other possible changes Apple may make to future iPhones.
Read more: iPhone 13 release date rumors and why it might actually be called the iPhone 12S
The iPhone 13 might have a fingerprint ready embedded behind its display like the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.
For example there’s talk of the iPhone 13 regaining a fingerprint scanner. Instead of a physical reader though, the new scanner will live under the surface of the phone’s screen. It’s a tactic that certainly matches a buttonless, minimalist design aesthetic should Apple choose to go this route.
Apple already killed the headphone jack in iPhone 7 back in 2016, and rumors suggest the Lightning port might be getting the ax as well. If the iPhone 13 nixes its Lightning port and goes all-in on wireless charging, it would become Apple’s first-ever completely portless phone. Why not add buttonless to the mix?
Of course this patent application could be associated with an entirely different product than the iPhone. After all, much of what we think we know about Apple’s anticipated handset is pure conjecture. Even its product name is uncertain. However, one thing is clear: All these mysteries will be dispelled at Apple’s next iPhone launch event, likely to be held in September.
Upload VR returned to E3 with its third annual showcase of the most inventive and intriguing games coming to VR. As the medium continues to mature year after year, it continues to be a platform for developers to innovate. While not all of the games shown were brand new announcements, we picked five of our favorites from the showcase that you can look forward to immersing yourself in soon.
First announced for PSVR earlier this year, Song in the Smoke is a VR survival game and a departure for developer 17-Bit, better known for cartoony indie games like Skulls of the Shogun and Galak-Z. In a new developer diary, studio CEO Jake Kazdal explains how VR made him want to create not just a game but a fully living and breathing world. It’s coming to Oculus Rift and Quest, and PSVR, this summer.
VR is home to many terrific rhythm games, but Unplugged may have the coolest hook. It’s a game about playing air guitar, and by that, it means you really do only play with your hands thanks to hand-tracking technology on Quest and other supported PC VR. Better yet, the new trailer shows you can play The Offspring’s ‘The Kids Aren’t Alright.’ It’s coming this fall.
Who remembers playing Nerf? The reveal trailer admittedly doesn’t give too much away but it looks stylish, those Nerf guns look terrific, and it’s from Emmy-awarding winning VR studio Secret Location. It’s an Oculus exclusive coming in 2022.
This stylish cel-shaded game sees you trying to save your favorite sushi bar from going out of business. However, instead of serving up sushi, your task is actually to convince other people to come eat there, so there’s much more of a narrative focus, brought to life with some vibrant manga-style comic book panels. It’s coming in 2022.
Coming to Oculus Quest on July 15th, A Township Tale is an open world RPG designed specifically for VR, which wonderfully acknowledges how you and everyone else don’t have any legs. You’ll be able to forge a new identity, whether as a blacksmith, minter, woodcutter, warrior or archer, in an immersive fantasy world.
Devolver Digital returned to E3 2021 with another polarizing look inside its bizarre offices. Between the skits and the swears, the company showed off Demon Throttle, a new Switch game from Gato Roboto developer Doinksoft. The twist? It’s only available as a physical purchase.
Yep, you read that right. When Demon Throttle launches next year, you won’t be able to just hop on your Nintendo Switch and grab it with a few clicks in the eShop. In a decidedly old-school move, Demon Throttle will only ever be playable via a nasty-tasting Switch cartridge. The game, both by itself and part of a collector’s bundle, is currently up for reservation through Special Reserve Games, but there appears to be a bit of a wait as folks rush to grab a copy for themselves.
As for the game itself, Demon Throttle features beautiful pixel art graphics and gameplay reminiscent of classic scrolling shooters like Ikari Warriors or Pocky & Rocky. It’s goin’ real heavy on the NES aesthetic, complete with a simulated composite video filter and perfectly distorted voices.
“Demon Throttle tells the story of a beautiful vampiress and dusty gunslinger on a quest for vengeance against a demon that stole her mystical chalices and slept with his estranged wife,” Devolver Digital’s press site reads. “Now the two unlikely companions must blast their way through four monstrous generals and their wicked domains to lift the demon’s curse and exact their revenge.”
I’ll definitely play it, but it feels like the publishers are banking really hard on the gimmick to push Demon Throttle to the masses. And hey, I’m currently sitting in a queue waiting to spend money on one, so I guess it worked. I just hope the folks behind this throwback are planning on a digital version down the road, if only for preservation purposes.
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Demon Throttle is scheduled for release in 2022.
Prime Day 2021 is happening in just a little over a week, kicking off on Monday, June 21st, and lasting through Tuesday, June 22nd. In addition to keeping up with our regular deals cadence each day, we’ve been working hard behind the curtain to ensure that we’ll be able to bring you the best Prime Day coverage out there once it starts. To that end, we’re updating each of our useful deal guides, so you’ll be able to tell more easily when something that we recommend is discounted. We recently updated our guide to helping you find the best deals on wireless earbuds, for instance.
It’s going to be a busy but great week ahead for deals. If you’re looking for savings, you’ll definitely want to see what’s coming on Prime Day, whether it’s at Amazon or at other retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, and Target. Until then, I’m going to give you what you came for: the best deals of the week.
At Best Buy, you can get $700 in gift cards when you purchase Samsung’s 85-inch Q70A QLED TV. Originally $3,300, recent price cuts have reduced it to $2,800. Best Buy gifts cards obviously aren’t as good as a cash discount, but once factored in, it’s like getting this gargantuan, but very thin TV for $2,100.
This model has a 4K 120Hz refresh rate panel and it supports FreeSync, variable refresh rate and auto low-latency mode. It features an HDMI 2.1 port to allow PC and Xbox Series X to display games at up to 4K resolution at 120 frames per second.
Samsung Q70A 85-inch QLED 4K TV
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Samsung’s latest range of QLED TVs for 2021 includes the Q70A, a high-end option that has low-latency, great contrast, and an HDMI 2.1 port that enables 4K 120Hz gameplay for PC and Xbox Series X.
You can stretch $50 pretty far these days, especially on tech. One way to spend your $50 is on Amazon’s first-generation Echo Show 5 smart display. It can display the time, weather, video content, and more. You can also hop on a video chat with its built-in camera and microphones. These originally sold for $90, but you can get one for nearly half the cost right now at one of the retailers below.
Amazon Echo Show 5 (first generation)
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Amazon’s fully functional smart display that is more than just an alarm clock. It also features a camera that enables video chats.
If you’re in the market for a new streaming device that supports 4K output with Dolby Vision and HDR 10 as well as Atmos compatibility, Roku’s Ultra at $69 is a great value right now. I can’t forget to mention that the Ultra has an ethernet port, so you can get full speeds for streaming 4K content if your wireless network isn’t up to snuff.
Prices taken at time of publishing.
The Roku Ultra is the most capable of Roku’s streaming devices. It features support for 4K, HDR, and Dolby Vision, while offering up a host of other unique incentives, including a programmable remote and both a USB and ethernet port.
There’s a new free game at the Epic Games Store nearly every week, and this week’s title is Control. That info alone is enough for some people to just go ahead and click the link to grab the game. If you need a little more convincing, it’s a third-person action game in which you investigate an otherworldly presence that has taken over a fictional version of the FBI. In addition to being a fun game to play, it’s got some dollops of X-Files and Twin Peaks inspiration in there, too.
This week’s big Nintendo release is Game Builder Garage – its origins, as you might already know, stem from Nintendo Labo.
In short, you make games and you can even connect a USB mouse to enhance your experience. If you are one of the many who picked the game up on release, you might have noticed there’s a day one update for it.
So, what’s it do? According to Nintendo, it’ll make your overall experience with this new software just a little more comfortable. Here are the full patch notes, courtesy of Nintendo’s official support page:
Addressed various issues to create a more comfortable game experience.
If you’re still on the fence about this one, why not watch or read our full review. We awarded the game seven out of ten stars and said it was a toolbox of terrifying potential.
Have you downloaded this update yet? Would you like to see Nintendo support this game with some more exciting content updates in the future? Leave your thoughts down below.
It’s tough to imagine how much more the battle royale genre can expand, but with so many popular games already, it’s inevitable that new platforms like virtual reality will need their own spin on it. Population: One has managed to arrive as a breakout VR hit with its 24-person games and Fortnite-like gameplay, and now Facebook’s Oculus arm has acquired its developer, Bigbox VR.
Devindra Hardawar quickly fell in love with the game last fall, and particularly enjoyed its crossplatform VR chops. According to a blog post, Pop: One “will continue to be supported on all its current platforms,” so even if you’re on a non-Facebook headset you will still be able to play this game, which the team will continue working to expand even as it develops new projects.
As Upload VR notes, the current business model for the game also follows Fortnite and other BR hits by using a paid “battle pass” system of unlockable content. It will be interesting to see how that develops over time, and if the graphics get an upgrade to take advantage of more powerful VR hardware in the future. The last big studio Oculus acquired was Lone Echo developer Ready at Dawn in a deal announced last June, so this is also a sign that Facebook will keep spending to find interesting content for its VR platforms.
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