Gears Pop! will take fun-sized Gears of War action mobile

Gears of War is going mobile with a Funko Pop twist.

Gears of War 5 drew all of the attention from fans of the franchise at Microsoft’s E3 2018 presentation, but Microsoft’s also had something a little more fun-sized in mind for mobile phones. As part of a collaboration with Funko Pop, Microsoft took the wraps off of Gears Pop!, a new mobile title coming to Android and iOS.

There’s little to go off of for now, but Microsoft says the game will bring a “unique mobile spin” to the Gears series. And if you’re an avid collector of Funko Pop’s infectiously cute vinyl figures, then there’s a whole lot to like here.

From Microsoft:

We’re working with our friends at Funko to bring a unique mobile spin to the world of Gears. Developed in partnership with Mediatonic, Gears Pop! brings together iconic Gears characters in a cute Funko Pop! style. It’s the perfect slice of mobile mayhem. It will be available on iOS and Android in 2019.

So, mobile fans will have some Gears action to look forward to in 2019. Whether the cutesy art style will go over well with fans who are used to the Gears franchises dark tone remains to be seen, but it stands a chance of capturing some portion of the mobile market with such a major property.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider for PlayStation 4: Everything we know so far

This is one girl who will continue to kick our butts

“Everything lost
is meant to
be found.”
― Lara Croft

This September we’re going to be getting another sequel to the Tomb Raider franchise. This is the 3rd game in a rebooted series and I literally couldn’t be any more excited. This sequel takes place in the dangers of a deep jungle and, of course, a tomb with unknown dangers within. So, get your thinking caps ready for the puzzles and dangers that lie before you because it’s coming to PlayStation 4.

It all started with a mind-blowing news release. In December 2017, Square Enix took to Twitter and gave us a massive teaser about how they were in the process of making a new game.

A message to our fans! pic.twitter.com/HlDYsUtZMs

— Tomb Raider (@tombraider) December 7, 2017

They even went as far as letting us know that the release date and the official reveal wouldn’t be too far away from one another. It’s absolutely refreshing to get this hype about something and not have to wait over a year for the release date.

The first trailer we got from Square Enix in March of 2018 didn’t reveal much information on what the game will actually entail. This video gives us a taste of the setting as well as the much-improved graphics of the overall series.

So… if we’ve captivated you this far with information on the new Tomb Raider than read on to fill your brain with all the information we have to offer. Not just that, but if you want to secure your copy you can pre-order this title from the PlayStation Store for $59.99 and start playing on September 14, 2018.

See on PlayStation Store

Continuing a legacy

Created by a team of veteran Tomb Raider developers at Eidos-Montréal, in collaboration with Crystal Dynamics

Shadow of the Tomb Raider follows the tale of the lovely Lara Croft and proceeds the story from Rise of the Tomb Raider. This time around she’s faced with the task of saving the world from a Maya apocalypse that threatens to destroy it. There is a very real supernatural feeling to the dilemmas brought to us because of this. The trailer shown at E3 shows quick glances of ritual sacrifices, as well as Lara herself, explaining vivid visions of the future.

Trinity is once again the villains of the show. This terrible group of ancient and militaristic people is out to claim all the wonders of this world and lock them away from everyone. Unfortunately for our hero most of her actions of suppressing them have terrible, terrible consequences.

This year during E3 we received more information regarding this well-anticipated game along with a brand new trailer I’ve shown above. Emotions are high as the crowd is left wondering just how much of this deviation is actually Lara’s fault for perhaps taking a step too far in her efforts of preventing Trinity from getting their hands on something they never should. On the official release page Square Enix reveals one small sentence that only solidifies my estimation.

Lara must master a deadly jungle, overcome terrifying tombs, and persevere through her darkest hour.

“Darkest hour?” Oh no. Don’t do my heart like this. I can’t handle it.

Gameplay

Judging from the trailers and screenshots available currently, we can see the general premise of the game will remain the same. There will be puzzles, combat, sneaking and all sorts of hard thinking required to get through this game. We also see the usage of knives, a bow and arrow and the iconic grappling hook in play during these sneak peaks. So get ready to duck, tumble and assassinate your way through this title to help Lara prevent anyone from altering the course of humanity.

Not just that, but we were given another subtle hint into just what this game will entail:

Our team has created a diverse set of skills, combat techniques and equipment for players to master, and they’ll certainly need them if they hope to survive the deadly jungle environments and tombs.

I don’t know about you, but they’ve got my vote (and my pre-order.) And, last but not least, this title will have the option of enhanced versions for the PlayStation Pro.

Pre-order options

So far you can preorder Shadow of the Tomb Raider from the following stores.

Amazon

Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Croft Steelbook Edition)

You get a limited edition Steelbook, three art cards, and the Season Pass, featuring 7 Challenge Tombs, each with new narrative side missions, as well as 7 Weapons, 7 Outfits, and 7 Skills. The Croft Steelbook Edition also delivers 3 additional weapons, 3 additional outfits, and the Original Game Soundtrack with this $89.99 purchase from Amazon.

See on Amazon

Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Limited Steelbook Edition)

This includes a Steelbook and three art cards – while supplies last for $59.99 on Amazon.

See on Amazon

Game Stop

Shadow of The Tomb Raider Season Pass

Includes 7 challenge tombs, 7 weapons, outfits, and skills, multiple narrative side missions, 1 of each of the above will be exclusive to the Season Pass. Following a first Weapon/Outfit drop on Sep 14th, Season Pass content will release on a monthly basis starting in October 2018. This is $29.99.

See at Game Stop

Shadow of The Tomb Raider

This copy of the game is available for $59.99 at Game Stop.

See at Game Stop

Shadow of the Tomb Raider Limited Steelbook Edition

Pre-order Shadow of the Tomb Raider and receive the Limited Steelbook Edition, which includes 3 Collectible Art Cards + Steelbook Packaging for $59.99. While Supplies Last. Not Valid on Digital

See at Game Stop

Shadow of The Tomb Raider Digital Deluxe Edition

The Shadow of the Tomb Raider Digital Deluxe Edition includes an additional weapon and outfit, and the Original Game Soundtrack. Pre-Order Shadow of the Tomb Raider Digital Deluxe Edition now to receive 48 Hour early access, and an additional Skills Booster Pack. $69.99.

See at Game Stop

Shadow of the Tomb Raider Croft Steelbook Edition

The Shadow of the Tomb Raider Croft Steelbook Edition includes a limited edition Steelbook, three art cards, and the Season Pass, featuring 7 Challenge Tombs, each with new narrative side missions, as well as 7 Weapons, 7 Outfits, and 7 Skills. The Croft Steelbook Edition also delivers 3 additional weapons, 3 additional outfits, and the Original Game Soundtrack. Pre-Order Shadow of the Tomb Raider Croft Steelbook Edition now to receive 48 Hour early access, while supplies last. $89.99.

Pre-Order Shadow of the Tomb Raider at GameStop and receive an Exclusive Tomb Raider Flashlight! While Supplies Last. Not valid on Digital.

See at Game Stop

Shadow of The Tomb Raider Digital Croft Edition

The Shadow of the Tomb Raider Digital Croft Edition includes the Season Pass, featuring 7 Challenge Tombs, each with new narrative side missions, as well as 7 Weapons, 7 Outfits, and 7 Skills. The Digital Croft Edition also delivers 3 additional weapons, 3 additional outfits, and the Original Game Soundtrack. Pre-Order the Shadow of the Tomb Raider Digital Croft Edition now to receive 48 Hour early access, and an additional Skills Booster Pack. $89.99

See at GameStop

PlayStation Store

Just the game

You can always choose to just get your copy of the game right off the PlayStation Store for $59.99.

• See on PlayStation Store

Shadow of the Tomb Raider – Croft Edition

The Croft Edition is also available on the PlayStation Store for $89.99. This includes the game, additional skills,
booster Pack, a Season Pass, 3 additional weapons & outfits and a digital OST.

If you pre-order this will also come with 48H early access and a PS4™ Theme.

See on PlayStation Store

Game Guides

You can also pick up the Tomb Raider: Shadow of the Tomb Raider Collector’s Edition Guide for $39.99 at Game Stop.

See at Gamestop

PlayStation 4

• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

Amazon

BlackBerry Key2 vs. Galaxy S9, S9 Plus: Can physical keyboard trump top devices?

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

BlackBerry has done what BlackBerry does — launch a flagship phone with modest specs, a physical keyboard, and utterly stunning battery life. That’s right — the BlackBerry Key2 (rumored as the “BlackBerry KeyTwo”) has been revealed and all the other flagships must be wondering what this strange creature is doing in their backyard. While the original KeyOne played up the nostalgia factor to bring back BlackBerry fans, the Key2 is trying to capture the attention of people used to touchscreen keyboards on phones like the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus.

With your pocket space as the prize, how do these three flagships compare when put head-to-head? Let’s find out.

Specs

BlackBerry Key2

Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S9

Size

151.4 x 71.8 x 8.5 mm (5.96 x 2.82 x 0.33 inches)

157.7 x 73.8 x 8.5 mm (6.21 x 2.91 x 0.33 inches)
147.6 x 68.7 x 8.4 mm (5.81 x 2.70 x 0.33 in)

Weight
168 grams (5.92 ounces)
189 grams (6.67 ounces)
163 grams (5.75 ounces)

Screen size
4.5-inch IPS LCD
6.2-inch AMOLED display
5.8-inch AMOLED display

Screen resolution
1,620 x 1,080 pixels (434 pixels per inch)
2,960 x 1,440 pixels (531 pixels per inch)
2,960 x 1,440 pixels (568 pixels per inch)

Operating system
Android 8.1 Oreo
Android 8.0 Oreo
Android 8.0 Oreo

Storage space
64GB (U.S.), 128GB (International)
64GB, 128GB, 256GB
64GB, 128GB, 256GB

MicroSD card slot
Yes
Yes
Yes

Tap-to-pay services
Google Pay
Google Pay, Samsung Pay
Google Pay, Samsung Pay

Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845

RAM
6GB
6GB
4GB

Camera
Dual 12MP, 8MP front
Dual 12MP (with OIS) and 12MP (with OIS) rear, variable aperture, 8MP front
12MP (with OIS) rear, variable aperture, 8MP front

Video
Up to 4K @ 30 frames per second (fps)
Up to 4K @ 60 frames per second, 1,080p @ 240 fps, 720p @ 960 fps
Up to 4K @ 60 frames per second, 1,080p @ 240 fps, 720p @ 960 fps

Bluetooth version
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth 5.0

Ports
3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C
3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C
3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C

Fingerprint sensor
Yes (front)
Yes (back)
Yes (back)

Water resistance
No
IP68
IP68

Battery
3,500mAh

QuickCharge 3.0

3,500mAh

QuickCharge 2.0

Qi wireless charging

3,000mAh

QuickCharge 2.0

Qi wireless charging

App marketplace
Google Play Store
Google Play Store
Google Play Store

Network support
Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile
T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint
T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint

Colors
Black, Silver
Midnight Black, Coral Blue, Lilac Purple
Midnight Black, Coral Blue, Lilac Purple

Price
$650
$840
$720

Buy from
BlackBerry

Samsung, Amazon

Samsung, Amazon

Review score
Hands-on review
4.5 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5 stars

Performance, battery life, and charging

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

If you’re buying a flagship in 2018, you expect to find the hyper-powerful Snapdragon 845, or at the very least last year’s Snapdragon 835. BlackBerry bucks that trend with the Snapdragon 660, and while it holds up well in our tests with good, smooth performance, you’re not going to get the same sort of power the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus can deliver. Other specs are a bit more up to standard though, with the Key2 bringing 6GB of RAM to the table — matched only by the 6GB in the Galaxy S9 Plus.

The Key2 runs away with the battery tests though, and we expect the 3,500mAh battery to provide two-day battery life, much like the BlackBerry KeyOne. The S9 Plus comes with the same-sized battery, but due to extra power draw on the processor and display, it just about manages a single day. You’ll also find QuickCharge 3.0 in the Key2, which beats out the QuickCharge 2.0 in the Galaxy S9 range. The S9 phones do come with wireless charging though.

While the Snapdragon 845 will offer you top-notch performance, the Snapdragon 660 will be sufficient for most people. We think people will like the Key2’s two-day battery life, so we’re making this a tie. The win will be based on what you prefer.

Winner: Tie

Design and durability

The Key2 has learned some lessons from the KeyOne, and that has resulted in a better looking phone. The bezels have shrunk, the keyboard’s bigger, and the general design has been smoothed out and made more elegant. But is it more elegant than the sweeping curves of the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus? It’s a tough call to make, but the pure sleekness of the S9 range just pips the Key2 in our books.

Look at each phone’s durability and the needle swings slightly back toward the Key2. It might not be able to implement water-resistance due to the keyboard, but the aluminum frame and rubberized back means the Key2 should be fairly resistant to damage — or at least more than the all-glass S9 and S9 Plus. That said, both S9s come with IP68 water-resistance, and they also use Gorilla Glass 5, which is stronger than the Key2’s Gorilla Glass 3.

It’s a tough to call to make, and despite being fully covered by glass, the S9 and S9 Plus beat out the Key2 in beauty and water-resistance.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S9/Galaxy S9 Plus

Display

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Like its predecessor, the BlackBerry Key2 comes with a 4.5-inch IPS LCD that sits above the keyboard. It’s running an odd 1,620 x 1,080 resolution due to the oddly shaped screen, but it’s sharp and bright, and shouldn’t let you down. However, it can’t compare to the deep inky blacks and vibrant colors that you’ll find on the AMOLED displays of the S9 and S9 Plus. With a smaller 5.8-inch display, the Galaxy S9’s screen is slightly sharper than the S9 Plus’ 6.2-inch display when both run the same 2,960 x 1,440 resolution, but we don’t think most will be able to tell the difference. It’s a tie between the two S9 phones.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S9/Galaxy S9 Plus

Camera

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

It seems that 12-megapixels is the right amount of pixels — these phones have five 12-megapixel lenses between the three of them. The Key2 comes with the first dual-lens camera suite in BlackBerry’s long history. It consists of two 12-megapixel lenses, with an f/1.8 aperture on the main lens and an f/2.6 on the other. This should give it good performance in a variety of circumstances, but we’ll have to wait until we’ve finished testing to say that for definite. We were surprised with the camera capability on the KeyOne, and we expect to be happily surprised again with the Key2.

The Key2 will likely struggle to beat the cameras on the S9 and S9 Plus though. The S9 range uses a mechanically-changing aperture to make the most of the available light, and it’s led to the S9 having one of the best low-light cameras around. Of the two, the S9 Plus’ second lens helps boost that performance even higher. We’re confident the Key2 will struggle to beat that performance.

All three phones will record in 4K (though the S9 range does it at 60 frames per second), and the S9 range’s super slow motion video puts the nail in the coffin. The S9 Plus wins out here.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus

Special features

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

All three of these phones are packed with special features — but aimed in different ways. The S9 range is primarily an entertainment device, with support for the Gear VR and the Bixby personal assistant. There’s also the DeX Pad and Dex Station, which help turn the phone into a productivity machine (though it requires some extra investment).

The Key2, on the other hand, is clearly an enterprise-focused device, and BlackBerry’s focus on security really cements that. There’s the Locker and the Privacy Shade, which keep apps and data away from prying eyes, and the DTEK app keeps an eye on what’s accessing your systems, and allows you shut down unauthorized access. On top of that, there’s all of BlackBerry’s extra apps that long-time fans will be more than familiar with, such as BBM and BlackBerry Hub. Of course, the keyboard is just as much a feature as everything else. You can add up to 52 shortcuts to different apps through the keyboard, and the new Speed Key lets you switch between apps without having to ever go to the home screen.

These phones have loads of additional features on top of standard Android — but they’re just so different that we don’t feel we can judge. Base this on your own priorities between entertainment, security, and enterprise.

Winner: Tie

Software and updates

You’ll find the latest version of Android on all three of these phones, and since they’re 2018 flagships, you can expect them all to get Android P, and an eventual upgrade to Android Q. The Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus run Samsung’s Android skin, and while it definitely has its own style, it’s still clearly an Android-based product. BlackBerry’s software is mostly stock Android, just with the addition of a few additional widgets and a whole lot of BlackBerry apps.

In terms of update speed, we have to give this one to the Samsung phones. While the last generation of Galaxy phones have fully seen Oreo updates this year, BlackBerry is still kicking its heels on the update, with neither the KeyOne or Motion having received a promised Oreo update. The KeyOne is getting the update soon, though. It’s still disappointing, and we hope the Key2 gets faster updates.

That being said, BlackBerry does a great job at delivering monthly security updates.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S9/Galaxy S9 Plus

Price

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus are both currently available, and have support from most major carriers and can be bought from a large amount of retailers. The Galaxy S9 starts at $720 for the 64GB model, while the S9 Plus sees a bit of a price hike with the cost starting at $840.

The BlackBerry Key2 will be available in the U.S. in June, with prices starting from $650. There’s no word on which carriers will be supporting it yet, but we reckon Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are likely candidates.

Overall winner: Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus

Pound-for-pound and across our chosen categories, the Samsung S9 Plus shines as the stronger overall smartphone for most people. The Galaxy S9 comes a close second with a smaller footprint, but the extra power and camera smarts on the S9 Plus really push it to the win.

But you’ll know if you want the BlackBerry Key2, and the beauty and better cameras on the S9 range isn’t going to convince you otherwise. If you’re one of those people, be happy in the fact that the BlackBerry Key2 is a strong contender that’s worthy of your time and your pocket space, and plenty powerful enough to handle everything you throw at it.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The Galaxy S9 Plus vs. Galaxy Note 8: Samsung’s heavyweights slug it out
• Huawei P20 Pro vs. Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus: Are three better than two?
• OnePlus 6 vs. Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus: Which big phone is better?
• How to reset a Galaxy S9
• Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus: Here’s everything you need to know

‘Fallout 4’ and ‘The Division’ come to Xbox Game Pass, and that’s just the start

During Microsoft’s event at E3 2018, the company unveiled a new slate of games and features coming to its Xbox Game Pass service.

In June’s software update, Xbox Game Pass games will be receiving what Microsoft calls “Fast Start,” a method of using machine learning to figure out which parts of each game need to be downloaded first in order to get players into their games quicker than ever. How this will work in practice remains to be seen, but with the increased number of games hitting the Game Pass platform, narrowing the gap between download time and play would definitely be appreciated.

Two sets of games were announced at the Microsoft Event — first a few of games that are already hitting the Game Pass platform immediately, and a slate of upcoming titles Game Pass subscribers can look forward to in the coming year.

Those hitting Game Pass now include Fallout 4, Elder Scrolls Online, and The Division. All three will be available for Game Pass subscribers within hours, so keep an eye out if you picked up a subscription to enjoy some Sea of Thieves.

Microsoft unveiled a far longer list of games coming to the Game Pass platform, making it an even better deal for Windows and Xbox gamers. Subscribers will see Halo: The Master Chief Collection alongside Forza Horizon 4, Crackdown 3, Ashen, Warhammer: Vermintide 2, and Afterparty: XXX. And that’s in addition to Microsoft’s promise to include all first-party games on Xbox Game Pass on their respective release dates.

“In its first year, Xbox Game Pass has proven to be great for both gamers and game developers as an additive means to drive discovery and engagement of games,” said Xbox Game Pass engineering head Ashley Speicher. “The freedom to explore and play more great games is changing gaming habits in incredibly positive ways.”

The Xbox Game Pass service made a huge splash with the release of the highly anticipated Sea of Thieves. Microsoft offered access to the game on the same day as its release date for any new or current Xbox Game Pass subscribers, and has since grown alongside its list of current and upcoming games.

Editors’ Recommendations

• More than 2 million pirates have set sail in ‘Sea of Thieves’
• From ‘Anthem’ to ‘Smash Bros. on Switch,’ here are the games coming to E3 2018
• After nearly two years, ‘No Man’s Sky’ is finally coming to Xbox One
• ‘Fortnite’ is now available for free to all iOS users, coming to Android soon
• April’s free Xbox Games With Gold include ‘The Witness’ and ‘Dead Space 2’

‘Forza Horizon 4’ races onto the Xbox One, Windows 10, Xbox Game Pass in October

Forza Horizon 4 is heading to Xbox One consoles, Windows 10, and Xbox Game Pass on October 2, 2018. The news was announced by Ralph Fulton, Playground Games creative director, during Microsoft’s Xbox press event prior to the E3 2018 gaming convention. Along with the announcement, the studio also showcased live gameplay to emphasize how seasons will “change everything” in the upcoming game. 

Set in Britain, Forza Horizon 4 will consist of a shared, open world with dynamic seasons, time of day, and weather conditions synchronized across the entire player community. These changes will keep the open-world racing game fresh, with new events taking place each season and world events signaled by a blimp floating overhead. You play with not only the entire community but with the development team as well. 

During the Forza Horizon 4 reveal, members from Playground Games jumped on-stage to steer the new McLaren Cena, the Hoonigan Ford Focus starting in the streets of Scotland’s capital, an off-road buggy on Britain’s coastline, and a highly customized Nissan Silvia. The demo showcased the glorious visuals Xbox One X owners will experience with the game’s 60FPS mode, which renders a sharp, detailed world at a buttery 60 frames per second. 

The demo also revealed how players can meet new friends and join teams. Simply pull up next to a car, select the quick chat feature on the D-Pad, and seamlessly enter into co-op mode. “Hello, wanna drift?” one message bubble asks another player. If the first player is also in a group, the second player will be asked to join the “convoy” and they’ll drive off together to watch the sunset. 

According to the live demo, world events are dubbed as #Forzathon Live. While the live presentation didn’t really go into detail outside of highlighting the community-driven gameplay, it revealed the current event consisted of three stages, the first of which required players to race to the danger sign. 

In addition to showcasing how the community populates virtual Britain, a big emphasis was placed on the changing seasons. Each season brings its “unique beauty and unique gameplay,” such as the golden leaves highlighting the rolling countryside during the fall. Leaves eventually drop while ice and snow cover the ground and roads once winter arrives, providing a completely new, slippery driving dynamic. 

In the spring, the world is seemingly reborn with lush, green landscapes and new seasonal elements to completely change the driving experience. Throw in the changing time of day, and you’ll feel like you’re driving in a thriving, living world. The demo initially began in the summertime with lots of rain showers spattering on the windshields and roads. 

The first Forza Horizon game launched on the Xbox 360 in late 2012, followed by the second installment in September 2014 and the third installment in September 2016. All three are based on an open-world design, although Forza Horizon 3 was the first in the trio to implement cross-platform play multiplayer support between the Xbox console and Windows PC. 

Editors’ Recommendations

• Watch the Xbox E3 2018 press conference right here
• Long-awaited Xbox sequel ‘Crackdown 3’ delayed into 2019, Microsoft confirms
• The 20 best Xbox One games you can play right now
• ‘Fallout 4’ and ‘The Division’ come to Xbox Game Pass, and that’s just the start
• Check out the best Xbox One deals and bundles for May 2018

Kait Diaz goes AWOL to seek answers from the Locus in ‘Gears of War’ preview

Gears of War 5 (aka Gears 5) made an appearance during Microsoft’s Xbox press event prior to the E3 gaming convention. While we don’t know when in 2019 the game will arrive on the Xbox One and Windows 10, studio head Rod Fergusson from The Coalition said Gears 5 would be available on Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass subscription service on launch day. 

For this installment, the game’s protagonist will be Kait Diaz from Gears of War 4. Originally an Outsider in the post-Locus War era, she befriended James “J.D” Fenix and Delmont “Del” Walker after they strayed away from the Coalition of Ordered Governments militia. The trio teamed up to fight a new threat in the fourth installment, which pulled in “retired” Marcus Fenix for some fun father/son banter. 

Since we last saw this group, something has transpired between them. The scene begins with Kait getting ready to participate in a rescue mission in a remote village, but she’s suddenly faced with a traumatic death that sends her on an emotional rollercoaster. J.D. appears with a reassuring hand on her shoulder, looking a bit more worn than when we last saw him, with a lot more hair on his face than his head. 

The exchange is awkward and brief, and a stern J.D. turns away to hear Del thanking him for even coming. J.D. indicates that she needs to essentially mourn later, causing an altercation with Del. Kait eventually looks up and says she won’t go on the current mission, leading to an exchange of comments and looks between everyone present about her mental well-being. 

According to Kait, she’s recently endured nightmares she believes to be messages. She hands a necklace once owned by her grandmother over to Marcus Fenix, who recognizes the dangling Locus symbol. She asks for his help, and Marcus believes the answers she seeks reside up north. J.D., who now appears to be a big-shot captain, doesn’t approve and orders everyone to continue the mission. Marcus, Kait, and Del have other plans. 

Alarmed by the Locus symbol, a reluctant J.D. warns Del that he needs to keep a close eye on Kait during their unofficial mission. J.D. acknowledges that she “would never be our enemy by choice,” but what if it’s not her choice? After that, the Gears 5 clip shows bits and pieces of her journey “back to where it all began,” with a feeling that, at some point, friends could eventually become enemies. 

In the final scene of the Gears 5 reveal, we see Kait pointing a gun at Del’s face. “Why did you come here with me,” she demands. “What did J.D. tell you??“ 

Unfortunately, that’s all we know about Gears 5 outside the 2019 launch. Given Gears of War 4 is a Play Anywhere title, we expect you’ll be able to start Gears 5 on the Xbox One and pick up where you stopped on Windows 10 without having to purchase a second copy. 

Beat Saber for PlayStation VR: Everything you need to know

Time to get active in VR with some solid tunes

Developers at Hyperbolic Magnetism have brought us Beat Saber, a Virtual Reality (VR) game that gives you the experience of listening to music while getting a good workout in. Hyperbolic Magnetism originally started this project in 2016 when we didn’t really have much in the means of music punching games for VR. Heck, we still don’t. Currently, Beat Saber is still in early access on Steam we got some updates that it’s finally coming to PlayStation VR.

Games that give me a secret workout are always my favorite because they are always so much fun you don’t realize how much you’re actually moving. Even the original music soundtrack on the game is extremely catchy and almost memorizing. If you’re looking for a few laughs with friends or just a fun game to play on your own you have to check out Beat Saber.

The line-up of information we have for you

• What’s new with Beat Saber?
• What is Beat Saber?
• See some awesome gameplay
• Finding the right difficulty level for you
• Never Fail Mode
• Understanding how scoring works
• Safety advice
• Where can I get it?

What’s new with Beat Saber?

Whenever we get updates about Beat Saber we will list them here. Be sure to check in on occasion to see if anything new is happening!

June 10th, 2018

Beat Saber previously released on the Steam Store for the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality. Today the Official PlayStation Blog released that Beat Saber was officially going to be coming to the PlayStation VR and dropped this amazing trailer video I have listed above.

What is Beat Saber?

The object of the game is to use both of your Move Controllers to slice through the objects flying at you, but there’s a twist. Instead of being able to wildly flail at the boxes you actually have to hit them in a specific direction that is determined by the illuminated sides of them. This adds an interesting dynamic to the game with an added level of difficulty, but don’t let that discourage you because there is a menu option to never fail so you can keep on keeping on!

Each box represents a beat to the music. The music is all originally made for the game and very easy to get down to. When you put on that VR headset to play this game feel free to fully immerse yourself and get jiggy with it. When that big red box comes at you it represents an area that you can’t be in. So, when you’ve got to move out of the way don’t be afraid to throw a shimmy or a wiggle in the mix.

See some awesome gameplay

Every part of the environment around you is made to make you feel the music as much as possible. From the ground shaking with each beat to the lights in the background dancing to the tunes, Beat Saber has such a profound way of making this music punching game all that more immersive. On top of this, the music itself is so baller and easy to dance to. Your score is kept track by your feet, your multiplier is shown on the right and your combo ranking is shown on the left. Everything is perfectly out of the way but just enough insight for you to still be able to keep track.

If you’re aiming for that high-score I’ve found the best method is to not pay attention to any of the scoring and just the music around you. Let it flow naturally without adding any unneeded stress to your brain.)

Finding the right difficulty level for you

Before each level, there is a song selection for you to choose what you’ll be dancing to. As soon as you make a selection the next column will show a difficulty selection for you to choose from. If you’ve never played before or haven’t played in a while it’s a good idea to always start on Easy or Normal. This way you can get a feel for the game before jumping into the harder modes that require a lot more focus and movement.

One thing you want to try and keep in mind is not focusing too hard on the arrows. I know, that sounds like weird advice, but trust me. If instead of focusing on each individual box focus on the whole picture. Removing a direct focus from an individual box and instead focusing on the discolorations from the arrows as a whole can help you pick up the pace when playing.

Never Fail mode

Sometimes you just want to have fun without worrying about failure. Most games have a super easy mode available for you to get the experience and fun of the game without it being cut short in the event of a failure. Before you start a song an option box will appear with the settings for “No Fail” and “Mirror”. Turning on the “No Fail” option will keep the game going no matter how many of the boxes you miss. This will, however, not post your score to the leaderboards. But, that’s okay! You still get a chance to have a worry-free playtime to get a feel for the pace of the song before you want to go all in and claim that spot on the leaderboard.

Understanding how scoring works

You have been asking about our scoring system a lot. Here you go! 💪 pic.twitter.com/PePYINZq12

— Beat Saber (@BeatSaber) May 5, 2018

The leaderboards on Beat Saber is an open challenge to get a higher score than other players and this can serve as an awesome motivator to keep on playing. If you’ve been actively playing the game already and never miss a box you’re probably wondering why you can’t seem to beat the people ahead of you. Thankfully the developers at Hyperbolic Magnetism released the information of how scoring works so you can improve your scores. Here is a basic rundown of what you want to keep in mind for those super high scores:

• Swinging a 90-degree angle awards70 points.
• Following through a swing with an extra 60 degrees awards you an extra 30 points.
• Slice the block as close to the center of it as you can and you can be awarded up to an extra 10 points.

This means if you do all of these things you could get 110 points per swing which can really add up if you still aren’t missing any!

Safety advice

Be mindful of your surroundings

One thing you want to keep in mind is that while you are wearing a VR headset it’s very easy to lose track of the world around you. Since this game is so interactive and requires a lot of movement it might be a good idea to extend your playspace more than usual. The game might not register you if you move out of the way, but that doesn’t mean it can stop you from shimmying your way off the radar and breaking your favorite lamp.

Prevent sliding

Make sure your feet aren’t gonna slip. If you’re on hardware floors it might be a good idea to play barefoot or in a pair of socks that have grips on the bottoms of them. This way you can ensure that electric slide move you’re gonna pull when the red box flies at you won’t cause any accidental slips.

Stay rested and hydrated

Remember, this is a game where you will be pretty active. Between each song, you should definitely take a short break to take a drink of water and give yourself a short break. Don’t push yourself too hard and keep your body’s limits in mind. Even if you’re having an amazing time if your body is screaming at you it might be a good idea to pass the headset off to someone else and sit down for a minute.

Use your wrist straps

This game involves a lot of movement and swings. Most of us don’t use our wrist straps, but you most certainly want to use them for this. In case of a swing gone wrong, you don’t want to lose the grip on your controller and have it crack your TV screen.

Where can I get it?

Beat Saber for the PlayStation VR will most certainly be available on the PlayStation Store. While there aren’t any store links currently we’ll be getting updates from E3 2018. As soon as we have more information we’ll update this article on where you can buy it so be sure to follow along and keep yourself in the loop.

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• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

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Why is it so hard to ‘root’ a smartphone?

If a phone is just a tiny computer, why is it so hard to be the admin?

Rooting, bootloader unlocking, jailbreaking; it has many different descriptions but they all mean the same thing when it comes to smartphones. It’s how you open the phone’s software so you have more control over the system features and functions.

Android users have it easier than most (which may not be a great thing all the time) because changing the Linux permission model that Android uses is as easy as placing one very small file in the system folder. But for many phones, it’s still not very easy, and that’s by design.

To get them out of the way, there are a handful of phones from companies like Google, HTC, Motorola and other lesser-known brands that let you unlock the bootloader without resorting to any chicanery. Going through the Android settings, you make the switch, agree that you know the risks, and from that point forward your phone will try to load whatever software is in the right place on the bootable partition. There are some side-effects, like Android Pay not working, but the phone is yours to install whatever you want and placing that particular file is now an option. Not always an easy option, but an option.

More: Best Phones for Rooting and Modding

Other phones don’t work this way, choosing instead only to load a signed and trusted version of the operating system from the factory it’s supposed to come from. Part of the reason is user (that’d be you and me) privacy and security. It’s impossible to hide personal data from a user with root privileges, whether that user is a real person or another piece of software that wants all your stuff. While it’d be great if the companies making our phones only thought about our privacy, but other reasons phones are locked up have nothing to do with you or me and are just as important (if not more) to those very companies.

Your phone company hates it

Take a trip in the Android Wayback machine and visit 2010 with me. The T-Mobile G1 was the coolest new phone, ran Android, and almost took an entire cellular network down.

Android back then had an app called G Chat. It was the predecessor to Hangouts and every Android phone (which was really only one) had it installed. Back then Google didn’t have much of a relationship with carriers and it seems like very little if any testing was done on how G Chat would affect T-Mobile’s shiny and new fast 3G network. The app would spam packets of data almost non-stop, which was awesome for users who wanted a really fast messenger client but crashed T-Mobile in cities like Chicago and Washington, D.C. It was a small bug, but had a big impact.

Cell networks are fragile things. So are some of the people in charge of them.

While users with root privileges didn’t cause this, it did make carriers worried about having Android phones on their networks. Phones from HTC, Motorola, and Samsung were being released and nobody wanted a repeat, so carriers started “rigorously testing” and eventually requiring approval for Android phones on their networks. Part of that was a guarantee that users wouldn’t be able to go back in and change the way things worked, which meant the software had to be locked down so these types of settings weren’t able to be fiddled with.

Fast forward to today, and carriers are equally worried that someone might be “stealing” data by using it to tether a laptop or a tablet instead of using it directly from their phone, changing APN settings to get a higher priority, or even change settings so that SMS and MMS messages can be sent for free even if they aren’t part of your ancient data plan that you should have probably changed by now.

Carriers have to worry about their network because if it breaks too often, customers will look elsewhere. We all know the honor system will never be an option when there’s a way to get more than you’ve paid for, so locking down settings and permissions is a result. It also means that the carrier gets to decide which of its apps you can uninstall or change, and pre-installed apps can mean a lot of money for them.

Chip makers hate it just as much

The company who made your phone only made parts of it. Things like processors or modems or even storage devices are bought in bulk and used in the final assembly. Even Samsung, who manufactures many of the individual parts in a lot of smartphones, uses parts from companies like Qualcomm or Broadcom or Toshiba and even LG.

These companies are afraid you’ll be able to muck around with the firmware they own and want your phone locked up tight.

There is a lot of money tied up in a company’s IP and they want to protect it.

Most people wouldn’t try to do something like alter a GPU driver, even if they could. But most is not the same as all, and tech companies are famous for doing everything they can to safeguard their intellectual property. If you get in there and crack some bytecode to reverse engineer a change, you might also be able to see how they do the things they do. There is a lot of competition among tech companies and if you did know exactly how one of them was able to do something they patented, other companies would be more than happy to talk to you about it and maybe even exchange some money or goods for that helpful information.

Knowing exactly how something works makes it very easy to do the same thing with enough tiny changes that you won’t have to pay royalties. Tech companies love royalties, which can often mean a lot more income than selling products can. It’s something they all want to protect, so they do things like not give license to distribute files and have things like software bootloaders hardened and encrypted.

Even Google doesn’t love it

Since the Nexus One, every “official” Google phone has been easy to bootloader unlock. Google gives you the tools to do it, gives you the instructions to do it, and doesn’t end your warranty once you’ve done it. But they would rather you not do it, too.

Android gets a bad reputation it doesn’t deserve. (it’s the users, not the software!)

Rooted phones can cause a lot of trouble. Trouble makes headlines when it’s serious enough or popular enough. Companies like Netflix were hesitant to release their software for use with Android because they were afraid of “trouble” in the form of us all stealing movies that were optimized for a tiny screen and buffering over a cell connection instead of the full bitrate file that every computer on the planet has access to. That’s as silly of a notion as it sounds, but it’s true because Android had a bit of a reputation as being that thing hackers used in the basement to ruin the planet or something.

Google gives Android away because their first goal is to have as many eyeballs on the internet and looking at Google ads as possible. That means Android needs to stay crazy popular, which means it needs apps like Netflix. Nobody at Google cares if you root your phone and hex edit a single player game so you can have all the coins or a million lives. They do care about people who would hack Netflix, but more importantly, they care that Netflix thinks people with Android phones will hack them. Google wants Netflix to love Android as much as you and I do.

Your privacy is part of it, too

Everyone here at Android Central wants you to have a good time with your phone but also be able to keep private things private and secured. That means we’re not very keen on rooting a phone being a trivial thing that anyone can do without knowing the risks. Google, Samsung, Motorola, LG and every other name attached to Android at any level feels the same way.

Everyone deserves privacy and some need a little help.

Corporations need to protect their bank account, but most of the time people running them and working for them want you to love using their products just as much if not more. After everything needed to protect investments and profit is done, they want you to think their product is safe to use. For Toyota, that means making a Prius or Corolla that won’t randomly accelerate. For ZTE that means making a phone that’s very hard for malware to crack into.

Some people just shouldn’t have a rooted phone. We all know at least one of those people. To protect them means things are going to be hard for you, too. We may not like the reasons why it’s so hard to root a phone, but we should be glad that the companies involved care about our privacy, even a little.

Updated June, 2018: This post was previously published, and has been updated with current information.

Amazon hardware, Xbox One X consoles, and more are all discounted today

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

We found plenty of great deals today that include big discounts on Amazon Echos, Fire TV sticks, Samsung microSD cards, Xbox One X gaming consoles, and more! Time’s running out to take advantage of these prices, so hurry!

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Battlefield V for PlayStation 4: Everything you need to know about Grand Operations Mode

Our hands-on preview of Grand Operations on the Norway map

At EA Play 2018, Battlefield V was one of the show’s highlights, and if history is any indicator (GET IT) this title will truly shine on PlayStation 4. EA DICE’s reimagining of World War II looked fantastic in its brief presentation. EA dropped details during the presentation including campaign types (Battle Royale, folks!), and hints at what was to come from the game’s War Stories mode. The highlight, though, was Grand Operations.

What is Battlefield V’s Grand Operations?

I went hands-on with Battlefield V’s Grand Operations mode at the event. Grand Operations is a massive battle that takes place over three days. Your team’s success, either as attackers or defenders, will determine your resources on subsequent days, such as troops, ammo, and medkits. On the final day, no one is able to respawn, allowing the fight to determine the ultimate victor of the battle.

I was only able to play the first two days of the battle, which took a whopping 45 minutes to complete. The Battlefield V team noted that a full three-day campaign can take up to an hour to play, or even more if the fight is close!

How does it work?

My fight took place in a snowy bay in Norway, with me joining the attackers storming the shore. I began by parachuting from an aircraft near the water, then rushing up a hill toward one of four artillery cannons dotted across the area. My squad’s goal was to escort explosives to each of the four cannons and keep them from being defused long enough to detonate. The defense, meanwhile, was building various fortifications throughout the area to keep us out.

At the end of the first day, each side received extra units and resources

I played primarily as a grenadier or a field medic, each with a unique weapon loadout and skills. The field medic was able to toss medkits for others to pick up and had weapons better suited for distance; grenadiers, predictably, belong on the frontlines. There were a total of four load-outs available during my preview, including a sniper and engineer, and even more will be available at launch. Upon death, I had the option to immediately respawn on a squad member while maintaining the same loadout, or swapping to a different one and deploying from an aircraft again.

At the end of the first day, each side received extra units and resources depending on how many points they managed to capture or defend (our side did not do spectacularly). On the second day, we began further up the snowy shore on the edge of a town with a train depot on the side. There were two points ahead of us that we were tasked with capturing and the opposing side was tasked with defending. If we captured those two, there were two points further in to capture, and two further past that. At the end of the day, similarly, resources were rewarded based on how much we had captured or defended, respectively.

What is it like to play Grand Operations?

The enormous Nordik map took some time to get adjusted to. With so much going on, it was at times difficult to get my bearings. But I did find the constant motion forward and change of scenery refreshing. After running up the same hill multiple times, it felt good to move to a new area, especially if my particular skillset or playstyle was not working well in the terrain.

Grand Operations mode looks and feels amazing to play, but the constant variety was what won me over

Those new areas often included landmarks and features such as enormous trains to hide behind, tunnels, various elevations, trees and brush, and empty houses in a town. Not only did these structures provide helpful cover, but many of them were destructable via heavy fire or vehicles such as tanks that I was able to spawn into either alone or with a squad member. This added to the constantly-changing situation and kept the battle varied and interesting.

Battlefield V’s Grand Operations mode looks and feels amazing to play, but the constant variety of loadouts, location, and obstacles was what won me over. Assuming even more unit types and locations, I could get quickly lost in this mode alone, not to mention Tides of War, War Stories, and the mysterious Battle Royale mode we’ve been promised.

When can I revisit WWII?

Battlefield V launches on October 19, 2018 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and will cost $59.99. It is not yet available for pre-order.

Any questions?

Want to know more about Battlefield V or Grand Operations? Ask me in the comments!

PlayStation 4

• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

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