Get better multiplayer performance by changing your PS4’s NAT type

Your NAT type might well be holding you back in online multiplayer games. Here’s how to open it up.

Network Address Translation (NAT) is a big part of connectivity for online multiplayer games, deciding how incoming traffic is handled. For gamers, NAT can play a huge role in who you can play with, establishing barriers if it’s not set up right.

There are a bunch of reasons you may have a strict or even double NAT showing on your network, but with the help of port forwarding, you can easily overcome the hurdles. It’s not the only method, indeed, for many folks ensuring Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) enabled on their router will be enough.

Here’s how to set it up on the PlayStation 4.

What is port forwarding?

It doesn’t just apply to the PlayStation, in actual fact to achieve an open NAT you’ll hardly touch the console. Port forwarding is done on your router.

Our pals at Windows Central sum it up:

Ports are essentially digital channels for your router, used for sorting incoming and outgoing internet traffic. Port forwarding makes your console more accessible over the internet, allowing for traffic to be routed directly to your device. Using user-created rules to forward specific ports, connectivity can be drastically improved. More importantly, port forwarding can be configured on a per-service or per-game basis, tailoring your network setup for the best connectivity with certain experiences.

So whether you’re on PS4 or Xbox One, you can achieve an ultimately better multiplayer experience with a similar process if you need to.

How to port forward your PlayStation 4

The ports you need to open up for your PlayStation to get an open NAT are the same, but the actual process may differ from router to router. The steps are constant but you may need to dig around your router’s settings to find what you need.

Open the settings app on your PlayStation 4.

Next, scroll down and setlect network.

Select view connection status.

Note the IP address of your console. This will be required later in the port forwarding process.
Note the MAC address of your console. This may also be required for later steps.
Log into your router, a good place to start if you haven’t done it before is checking on your router as many will have the information on a sticker.
Manually assign a static IP address to your console, using the data from step four and potentially step five depending on your router. In Google Wifi, for example, you’ll find it in the advanced networking section of the companion app.
Locate the port forwarding rules for your router. Again, using the Google Wifi as an example, you find this also under advanced networking.
Add rules for TCP 80, 443, 3478, 3479, 3480 and UDP 3478, 3479. For more information on this check out Sony’s networking guide.

Now give everything a reboot to make sure it’s all kickstarted properly and you should see an improvement in your NAT type.

Follow the first three steps above to check it out. Best case for most is a Type 2 NAT on PS4 which is moderate, with Type 3 being strict and Type 1 being open. In my case, I used this method and managed to relieve the double NAT caused by using a Google Wifi with an ISP router that cannot be put into modem only mode.

Some games will be harsher on NAT types than others. Call of Duty is notorious for it, and just recently Warframe wouldn’t let me play until I had made the double NAT issues disappear. So it’s certainly worth doing something.

If you have any other tips and tricks for networking bliss on the PlayStation 4 be sure to drop them into the comments below.

How to play PlayStation 4 games on your Android phone

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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Audio-Technica headphones, Crucial SSDs, and more are 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 the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC9 headphones, Crucial’s MX500 SSD, TP-Link smart plugs, and more! Most of these prices will be gone when the day ends, so don’t miss your chance to save big!

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If you want to know about the deals as soon as they are happening, you’ll want to follow Thrifter on Twitter, and sign up for the newsletter, because missing out on a great deal stinks!

Your next great mid-range phone may have the new Snapdragon 670

Every year, flagship phones get more expensive but harder to differentiate from their mid-range and budget counterparts. It’s not that those $700+ phones are getting worse but that, as the technology inside them matures, their features get commoditized and brought down to less expensive silicon.

That’s why the Snapdragon 670 is exciting. It’s the sequel to the Snapdragon 660 we see in devices like the BlackBerry KEY2, but it’s much closer to the newly-announced Snapdragon 710, and even the 845, than any of its 600-series predecessors.

To start, it uses the same Kryo 360 cores as the Snapdragon 845, but limits the performance cores to two, running at 2.0GHz, while it falls back on a cluster of six efficiency cores, each running at 1.7GHz. It’s also the first 600 chip to use Qualcomm’s excellent Adreno 600-series GPU, specifically the Adreno 615. There’s a Spectra 250 ISP for enhanced dual camera support, and an X12 modem with support for speeds of up to 600Mbps down and 150Mbps up, as well. Finally, the Hexagon 685 DSP ensures the chip supports the latest AI platforms from Google and others.

For all intents and purposes, this is a Snapdragon 710 running at slower clock speeds. That means you’re getting support for the latest gaming, camera, and AI features at roughly half the cost of a Snapdragon 845. Except for the LTE speeds, which are limited to 600Mbps and support neither 4×4 MIMO or 4x carrier aggregation.

Given that the 670 strikes a balance between power and efficiency, it’s likely going to offer considerable battery life, especially since it’s built on the same 10nm process as the 710 and 845.

Qualcomm says that it is building this chip because of demand by manufacturers, which means there’s also demand for such handset price points by consumers. Going back to phone prices, most people don’t want to spend $1000 on a device, especially when one that costs half that much can do the job just as well. While no company has made plans for a phone running on the new Snapdragon 670, Qualcomm confirmed that such an announcement is imminent.

The Kindle Fire HD 8 is almost 50% off for a limited time only

Odds are this deal won’t last!

Amazon is running a limited time promotion that drops that price of the Fire HD 8 tablet down to $59.99, a savings of $50 from its regular price. Over the past few months, we’ve seen this tablet sell for as much as $110 but never lower than $80, and in fact, it’s never dropped this low before. It has an 8-inch display and comes equipped with 32GB of storage inside. Per charge, the tablet offers around 12 hours of usage time and it even has Alexa built right in to get your questions answered with ease.

Amazon is selling the 7-inch Fire Tablet with 8GB of storage for $49.99 right now, which means for only $10 more you get an extra inch of screen real estate and quadruple the internal storage. Odds are, at this price, this will begin selling out quickly. Be sure to grab one in black, red, blue, or yellow right now, before they are gone, and also pick up a microSD card so you can store more music, movies, and apps on it.

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Learn about Spider-Man before he slings onto PlayStation 4 later this year

Forget everything you know about Spider-Man video games. This experience is on a whole new level.

Spider-Man is one of the most iconic fictional characters ever created. The web-head has starred in countless comics, movies, TV shows, and video games but not all of them have bee super high quality. While games like Spider-Man 2 are widely regarded as one of the best superhero games of all time, Spider-Man has also been subjected to some extremely bad video games that many of us try to block out of our memory.

With that said, Ratchet and Clank, Sunset Overdrive, and Resistance developer Insomniac Games is spearheading an exciting new vision for the wall-crawler. While we haven’t played the game yet, the studio has proven themselves time and time again and all the trailers we’ve seen look incredibly promising for PlayStation 4 fans this year.

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What’s new with Marvel’s Spider-Man?

Keep up with Peter Parker if you can. The geeky webslinger is back in his most ambitious game yet, and we have all the latest details for you right here.

August 8th, 2018

Ahead of Spider-Man’s release in September, its opening hours showcase the kind of tale that Insomniac is looking to craft. While Spider-Man is, of course, the titular character, the man behind the mask is just as important.

“We wanted this to be our own universe,” explains Jon Paquette, Spider-Man’s lead writer, discussing why the company isn’t adapting a previous storyline from the comics. “And we did a couple of things at the start to hopefully make it feel like it’s different. We are not doing the 15-year-old Peter Parker in high school dealing with girl problems and working as a photographer … We wanted to start (with an older, 23-year-old Peter) because we wanted to tell the story of an experienced Spider-Man who gets to the point where his experience isn’t enough.”

This Peter Parker is no longer a Daily Bugle photographer anymore. He’s now working as a scientist, though his employer is being kept a secret from fans at this time as Insomniac doesn’t want to spoil the reveal. His maturity affects his relationships with those around him. No longer a brash, young teenager, Peter is more assured of himself.

Speaking of his relationships, he and Mary Jane are no longer a couple by the beginning of the game. Despite this, previous videos have shown that she plays an important role in Peter’s adventures. In fact, she’s a playable character.

While she doesn’t have any web-slinging abilities, she does have her wits. As an investigative journalist, she’ll utilize her own skills like her keen observation and reflexes in stealth segments to sneak around and complete her own objectives.

July 30th, 2018

Insomniac has announced that Spider-Man has gone gold. This means the game has been finalized and recorded to a master disc from which all the other copies will be made.

We are pleased to announce that #SpiderManPS4 has GONE GOLD for its worldwide release on September 7th. Thanks to @PlayStation and @MarvelGames for their support in the creation of this original Spider-Man adventure. pic.twitter.com/iD4mJmqGfK

— Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) July 30, 2018

It’s safe to say that the September 7th release date for the game will hold up and there will be plenty of copies to go around.

July 19th, 2018

What would San Diego Comic-Con be without another Spider-Man trailer? The upcoming Insomniac title just received a story trailer which gave us our best look yet at the threats that Peter and his friends will be facing, as well as introduced Osborn and Silver Sable into the mix.

On top of that, Sony revealed a Limited Edition Spider-Man PS4 Pro that will be gracing store shelves this September, launching alongside the game. As seen above, it sports a sleek glossy red color along with Spider-Man’s iconic symbol. It will be available for $399.99 USD/$499.99 CAD in the United States and Canada. The best part: Pre-orders are already available.

See at PlayStation

June 11th, 2018

As we expected, Sony’s E3 2018 show featured a heavy dosage of Marvel’s Spider-Man, the Insomniac-made game that aims to put all the previous ones to shame. We were treated to loads of new gameplay at the show, with Spidey crashing a prison riot caused by Electro’s shenanigans.

Electro is just one of the many villains present. The trailer also confirmed Rhino, Vulture, and Scorpion. That’s alongside previously-confirmed lesser criminals such as Martin Li and the Taskmaster. There’s also a brand new villain named Mr. Negative, who is making his debut in this very game.

Be sure to check out the full gameplay trailer above, which gives us our deepest look at Spider-Man’s combat yet, as well as some crazy web slinging moves we haven’t yet seen.

The Spidey classics, with a new twist

Insomniac has taken great care with Marvel’s golden boy by working closely with comic-book legends like Dan Slott and Christos Gage to craft an original story for Spider-Man. We all know how Peter Parker got his powers, how he struggles to find his footing as a superhero at first, and all that jazz so Insomniac is going to spare us the classic origin story and thrust into the prime of Spidey’s life. Peter Parker is 23, he has been Spider-Man for eight years and has pretty much gotten this whole superhero thing down to a tee.

In the game’s opening, Spider-Man will take down the infamous criminal mastermind, Wilson Fisk AKA Kingpin. Insomniac Games has noted Kingpin as Spider-Man’s greatest villain at this point in his career and it’s a massive achievement for him when he finally takes him down. Peter Parker’s apartment is also littered with various details regarding his past encounters with criminals like Shocker and Rhino meaning he has tackled some of his famous villains but the biggest baddies like Venom and Green Goblin may not have surfaced in New York yet.

On the opposite side of Peter’s life where he’s not wearing the mask, things are a bit more troublesome. His relationship with the red headed bombshell, Mary Jane Watson, is on the rocks, he’s on the verge of being evicted from his messy apartment, and Aunt May is put into danger when she becomes close with the charitable Martin Li. Li looks like a pretty swell guy on the surface but he holds a dark secret inside of him in the form of his super villain alter ego, Mister Negative. In fear that Li could hurt those closest to him, Peter begins his hunt for Li while tackling plenty of other criminals along the way such as Taskmaster.

Beyond that, it’s come to light that players will actually be able to play as Mary Jane Watson at some point during the story. Insomniac wasn’t too chatty about what sort of role she would have when playing as her, nor do we know how her gameplay mechanics will work. Another interesting character that the player may be able to take control of is Miles Morales.

More than an open outdoor world

As much as those in Peter’s life are important to a good Spider-Man story, one of the most vital characters is the city of New York City itself. As expected, there will be tons of side activities to tackle such as stopping robberies and other crimes. According to Game Informer, when they went hands-on with the game, there will actually be a good amount of interiors to go inside during these crimes so it’s not like other Spider-Man games where you have to chase after a speeding car or beat up some guys on the street.

To make the city feel more alive, Insomniac has built a Marvel universe within it. Players will be able to find the Avengers Tower, the Wakandan Embassy, and likely other major landmarks within the world to help take the worldbuilding to another level. There’s no word on if any other Marvel heroes will show up in the game but it’ll likely be kept to a minimum as they’re trying to make a Spider-Man game, not build an expansive Marvel games universe.

With a heavy focus on story and developing Peter Parker’s life and world, a lesser team could forget to develop a really solid set of gameplay systems, but Insomniac isn’t taking their eye off the ball.

Dynamic movements, killer combat

Many look to Spider-Man 2 as the best gameplay experience in a Spidey game due to the incredible attention to detail and physics based gameplay. The webs attached to walls, Spidey swung like a pendulum, and there was an incredible sense of momentum and speed building as you zipped through the city. With all of the advancements and innovations in games in the last decade and a half, Insomniac is on track to deliver the best Spider-Man game, perhaps superhero game, to date.

The most important aspect of the character is the way he moves through the world. Spider-Man will be as agile and fast as ever in this new game where he acts like a speeding train that has had the brakes ripped out. In Insomniac’s game, Spider-Man is equipped to adapt to his environment on the fly. He’ll never stop moving if you don’t want him to, the game is constantly making adjustments so you’re speeding through the world as the real experienced “masked menace” would.

It’s some of the more traditional Spider-Man combat with elements of the Batman Arkham series mixed in.

If you’re swinging but you’re about to smash right into a wall, Spider-Man will instead prepare to run along the wall in the direction you’re holding the stick. If you’re running along a rooftop with lots of vents and other objects, Spider-Man will parkour over them. If you’re running up a wall with a fire escape, he won’t awkwardly get stuck on it, he’ll bounce off each individual layer of the fire escape like stairs or propel himself through them if he’s coming at them from the side.

There’s an almost dynamic nature to the locomotion of Spidey in this game. His animations are diverse so it keeps this fun and fluid sense of rhythm, he’ll twirl, move his body in cool ways, and all sorts of other things you’d expect him to do when going from place to place. It’s safe to say that it will probably one of the most beautifully animated games to date when it drops.

As for combat, it’s some of the more traditional Spider-Man combat with elements of the Batman Arkham series mixed in. You’ll have your punching and kicking but you can also use some gadgets to help keep things fresh and make things easier on yourself. One gadget Spider-Man has is a web grenade, it detonates and then strings up any nearby enemies so you can swing in and deliver some cheap shots or pick them up and swing them around with a makeshift silk lasso.

If you’re feeling a bit playful, you can use the tripwire which is similar to the web grenade. It sits on a surface and when someone walks past it, it shoots a web out at them and slams them toward the wall. If you manage to latch the tripwire on to a person instead of a wall, it will smash two enemies together like Newton balls. If you also happen to knock an enemy off of a building, a tripwire will automatically be deployed and activated to prevent a foe from becoming a splatter on the sidewalk down below. The city is messy enough and Spider-Man doesn’t kill so the game will help you out there.

If you’re in the heat of the moment and you’re keen on doing that, players will be able to slow down time briefly and analyze the area for their next move. Is it singling out a guy? Choosing where to throw a gadget? Using an environmental object to defeat some evildoers? It’s up to you how strategic you want to be with it.

Missions, Trophies, and so many different suits

Of course, New York City is known as the city that never sleeps so there’s always something brewing on the streets whether it be petty crimes or full-blown robberies. Outside of story missions, our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man will get side activities to go clean up the streets. Crimes will play out differently each time so you’re not doing the same repetitive task over and over again so you can grind for that trophy or special in-game perk. According to Game Informer, robberies can evolve into car chases and so forth so it’s always shifting and keeping you on your toes.

If you’re a bit tired of beating people up (you’re a superhero, it’s your job, get over it), you can go and do some of the collectible missions like finding Peter Parker’s lost backpacks. As we saw in Spider-Man: Homecoming last year, Peter tends to just leave his school bag webbed up in alley ways when he has to spring into action. Of course, this can result in some bags being misplaced so you need to go and retrieve some key mementos of Peter’s. The items in the bags will serve as backstory for Peter Parker and fill in some of the blanks in the story as well as give you little trinkets such as the first pair of web-shooters he ever created.

There are other little side activities sprinkled in the world but Insomniac isn’t going to divulge all of them before launch so that there can be some surprises when you play it. Similarly, they were tight lipped on the suit customization.

While it is now officially confirmed there will be dozens of costumes for Spider-Man inspired by comics, other games, and the movies, they’re not revealing many of the suits yet. So far we know that there will be a more traditional suit that you start the game in, an upgraded one with the white spider which supposedly ties into the narrative, the Noir suit, and the Spider-Punk suit.

Each suit has a unique special ability tied to it, the Spider-Punk suit features the ability to pull out a guitar and strum it really hard to create an AOE attack. The other suits have their own benefits but Insomniac isn’t willing to talk too much about them yet.

Oh, and one last thing: they’re including a killer photo mode in the game. Considering Peter Parker is a professional freelance photographer when he isn’t donning his Spidey suit should mean we’ll have plenty of great tools to capture his musings around New York City.

Alright, when can I buy this?

If you’re as excited as we are for this game, you can pre-order the game for $59.99 at most retailers. If you want to go the extra mile, you can drop $149.99 on the Collector’s Edition which includes a nice looking statue, some digital items such as post-launch DLC missions, and a steelbook case.

Spider-Man will swing onto store shelves on September 7th, 2018 exclusively on PlayStation 4, this is NOT a timed exclusive. It will never be on anything else other than PlayStation.

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Updated August 2018: We’ve received new information on how Mary Jane’s gameplay sections will play out, as well as additional comments from the developer as to why they didn’t adapt a previous storyline.

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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Canadian bank Tangerine now supports Google Pay

Here’s what you should know about Google’s big bet to take on Apple Pay.

Gone are the days of messing with Android Pay and Google Wallet. Instead, the home of all things mobile payments on Android now rests on the shoulders of Google Pay.

Google Pay first started rolling out to handsets in early 2018, and while there’s still some work to be done, it’s clear that Google is finally ready to take on Apple Pay with everything it’s got.

From the latest news to all the important details, here’s everything you should know about Google Pay!

• The latest Google Play news
• Everything you need to know

The latest Google Pay news

August 8, 2018 — Tangerine now supports Google Pay

Tangerine, a Canada-based bank that operates entirely online, has finally confirmed that it now supports Google Pay.

The wait is over, Google Pay and Samsung Pay are here!

— Tangerine (@TangerineBank) August 8, 2018

Samsung Pay is also being added along with Google Pay, so no matter which service you prefer to use, your Tangerine card will now work with it without a hitch. Enjoy!

August 2, 2018 — Google Pay comes to Croatia; now available as a payment method in the Starbucks app

A couple Google Pay tidbits have surfaced over the last few hours, starting first with the service coming to Croatia. This is the third nation in Central Europe to get Google Pay, so be sure to keep an eye out for the app if you live in the area.

Secondly, Google Pay can now be used when reloading your card in the Starbucks app. Google Pay is added to your account automatically, and at this time, can only be used for one-time reloads.

All the big details

Google Pay has replaced Android Pay and Google Wallet

Rather than maintaining two separate services for in-store payments and sending money to friends, Google decided to replace Android Pay and Google Wallet with one new app called Google Pay.

There was an awkward transition period at first in which you had to use a separate Google Pay Send app to send/receive money, but Google’s since brought that feature over to the main Google Pay app.

As such, Google Pay is now your one-stop-shop for all things mobile payments if you’ve got an Android phone.

How to get started with Google Pay

That’s all fine and dandy, but how does one actually start using Google Pay?

Thankfully, Google’s made this fairly simple. After downloading the app, you’ll be able to quickly add credit/debit cards, gift cards, loyalty programs, and more.

Need a helping hand? Check out Marc’s how-to guide right here!

What countries are supported?

Google’s regularly adding support for more and more countries that can use Google Pay, and as it currently stands, the list of supported areas is as follows:

• Australia
• Belgium
• Brazil
• Canada
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Germany
• Hong Kong
• Ireland
• Japan
• New Zealand
• Poland
• Russia
• Singapore
• Slovakia
• Spain
• Taiwan
• Ukraine
• United Kingdom
• United States

Make sure your bank/card is compatible, too

Live in a country that supports Google Pay? Awesome! However, that’s just half the battle in ensuring you can use the service.

Even if you live in one of the above countries, you still need to have a bank and card that supports Google Pay before you can start making payments in stores with your phone. Thankfully, Google’s been building up this list for quite a few years meaning there’s a good chance you’re covered.

Major brands like AMEX, Capital One, Chase, Discover, and Wells Fargo are all on-board with Google Pay in the U.S. Along with this, you’ll also find a huge list of smaller banks/credit unions that are supported as well.

See the full list here

You can use the app to store boarding passes, event tickets, and more

In addition to your credit/debit cards, you can also use Google Pay to store gift cards, loyalty programs, and most recently, boarding passes and event tickets.

You’ll find all of these items in the Passes section of the app, and if you’ve got a lot stored in there, you can hold down on an item and move it around to make sure everything’s as organized as can be.

Support for passes/tickets is still relatively new, with brands like Southwest Airlines, Ticketmaster, and the Las Vegas Monorail being among the only ones available at the moment. Similar to what iPhone users have been treated to for years with Apple Pay, you’ll now see an “Add to G Pay” button when ordering a ticket from these brands so you can easily store everything under one single app.

Track your payment activity on the web

While you’ll likely interact with Google Pay on your phone the majority of the time, you can access it from your computer, too, by going to pay.google.com.

Here, you can see all of your Google Pay activity, send or request money, edit/add/remove payment methods, manage any active subscription services you have, edit your addresses, and more.

Google Pay is present in Android Messages and the Google Assistant

Google occasionally fails to make its various services play nicely with one another, but thankfully, Google Pay has been an exception to that rule.

While sending money to people is pretty simple through the Google Pay app, you can also do this through Android Messages and by talking to the Google Assistant on your phone.

In Android Messages, just tap the + icon at the bottom left and you’ll see two G Pay buttons for sending or requesting money from the person in your conversation. Just enter the amount you want, tap attach money, and your payment/request will be sent off just like that.

Alternatively, you can simply open the Google Assistant and say something along the lines of “Send Tom $15 for Pizza.” After confirming your identity (e.g. fingerprint or PIN), the Google Assistant will send the money for you — all without having to ever open up the Google Pay app.

New gameplay footage for Red Dead Redemption 2 is coming August 9!

The wild west has never looked this good.

Yes, it’s finally happening my fellow outlaws. Red Dead Redemption II is real and it’s coming to PlayStation 4 this year. After Rockstar Games’ massively successful open-world cowboy game set during the death of the Wild West, fans began clamoring for a follow-up that continued the story of the Marston family or embraced a new gunslinger.

After years of rumors and silence on Rockstar’s end, they finally surprised the world on one random morning in 2016 by announcing a sequel to their critically acclaimed western. It took over a year to get any actual concrete details regarding the game and frankly, it’s still a bit of a mystery but it sounds like it could be a mix of a story of a new outlaw and also fill in a massive gap in John Marston’s story.

What’s new with Red Dead Redemption 2?

Rockstar Games has been quiet lately regarding the highly-anticipated sequel, but with Red Dead Redemption 2’s imminent launch approaching in just a few short months, the studio is starting to discuss the game some more. We’ll keep you up to date with everything you need to know as it’s released.

August 8, 2018

Rockstar has announced that we will see new gameplay for Red Dead Redemption 2 on August 9. This should be our first significant look at gameplay since the game’s announcement. The trailer will air 11AM Eastern, and can be viewed on Rockstar’s website or YouTube channel. We’ll be updating this post with details about the gameplay announcement once it arrives.

August 6, 2018

The big question on everyone’s mind: When are we finally getting gameplay? All signs point to soon. Rockstar has recently sent out Red Dead 2 care packages to members of the press, and with Gamescom taking place in just a few weeks, the developer could be gearing up for a big reveal. Red Dead II was notably absent at E3 2018, so the next biggest gaming convention seems like a good bet for it to make an appearance.

During a recent financial call, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick took the chance to hype up Red Dead 2 even more, saying, “My belief is that Red Dead Redemption 2 will shatter expectations and that the online experience also will be extraordinary, but unexpected.”

Its online aspect was a bit contentious when rumors of its existence began floating around since Red Dead’s identity was tied to its single-player, but it looks like Rockstar may have something special they’ve got cooking up if they’re hyping it up so much.

He continued by saying that Red Dead II will “redefine the industry” and “captivate audiences around the world.”

PC release?

Though Rockstar only announced PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game, there’s still hope it could come to PC. It appears that a programmer at Rockstar, who previously worked on GTA V and L.A. Noire, listed Red Dead II on his LinkedIn profile with its platforms being labelled as “PS4/Xbox1/PC.” This was eventually amended once word got out, but it’s unknown if this was a simple mistake or a PC version is indeed in the works.

The story so far…

Rockstar Games appears to be returning to the traditional one playable character route after successfully experimenting with three playable protagonists in Grand Theft Auto V but he’s not John or Jack Marston. Players will travel back to 1899 (12 years before the first game) to fill the boots and don the hat of a much less noble man that goes by the name of Arthur Morgan, a brute that’s running with Dutch van der Linde’s gang during their prime. While little is known about Arthur, we know he’s a much more sinister cowboy who doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty. In the second trailer, we see him interrogating and roughing up several people who appear to owe money to Dutch’s Gang, perhaps for protection. He’s a brutal force that is loyal to Dutch and likely only Dutch.

It’s likely we’re going to see the rise and fall of the gang, with Arthur Morgan playing a pivotal role.

The story will see Morgan and Van der Linde’s gang stealing, running, and fighting to survive the rugged and cruel world that is the Wild West. Order has not yet been established, technology is slowly beginning to evolve into something far more advanced, and people like Dutch believe it’s important that things stay the way they are. The Van der Linde gang was always viewed as a Robin Hood-type of bandits, stealing from the rich to give to the poor and resisting the government in favor of a structure where it was an “every man for himself” situation.

The gang eventually evolved into something far more dangerous and unhinged according to an anecdote provided by John Marston, leading him to realize their Robin Hood act was all a front for their evil actions and crimes. The event that likely leads to the start of the downfall of the gang seems to be a heist in Blackwater which later became known as the Blackwater Massacre. In the plot synopsis for the game provided by Rockstar, it’s revealed that the gang is being hunted after they botch a robbery in the wealthy town that is seen toward the end of the first RDR.

Within the lore of the series, the Blackwater Massacre was a massive shootout that took the lives of over 30 people. Civilians, cops, and criminals were among the casualties of the bloody shootout, actual details of why the battle took place remain a mystery to the residents of Blackwater because the officials went to great lengths to cover it up. Why? Well, we’ll likely find out in Red Dead II.

Most people involved died or were criminals who escaped but one of the few survivors was the legendary lawman, Landon Ricketts. Ricketts is in the first game and Marston teams up with him in Mexico, Marston knows him for his status but the two don’t seem to know each other. It’s entirely possible that Marston was uninvolved in the heist or was playing coy and using him to further his quest for redemption.

How does it connect to the original Red Dead Redemption?

So, what’s the connection to the first Red Dead Redemption? Well, Rockstar is being very, very careful not to say much about this game and how it connects to the first game but it will shed light on the stories John told in the first game as well as provide more depth to the men we hunt down in that same game.

John Marston is indeed in the game but Rockstar has noted that this is Arthur Morgan’s story, not John’s.

Given this game takes place long before the events of the original game and has a direct link to it via Dutch van der Linde and his gang, it’s hard to imagine Rockstar isn’t trying to expand John Marston’s story in some way. With games like Grand Theft Auto, there have been very subtle connections tying the games together but none of them are direct sequels or relate to each other in any way. With Red Dead Redemption II, Rockstar had the chance to name the game something like Red Dead Revolution, Red Dead Retribution, or something along those lines given that the series so far has gone Red Dead Revolver and then Red Dead Redemption. They purposely named it in a way that links the two games.

Marston was also a substantial part of Dutch’s Gang, he was taken in by Dutch when he ran away from the orphanage he lived in. He was raised by this gang and lived with them for a large majority of his life and in the fallout of him abandoning the gang, it all went to hell and it was more or less disbanded. John Marston is indeed the game, he’s heavily featured in new screenshots and is seen in the newest trailer once or twice but Rockstar says this is Arthur’s story, not John’s. That doesn’t mean that we can’t expand on the character, it just means he will not be the focal point of the narrative.

Major gameplay innovations are coming in the western sequel

Since Rockstar has been pretty prude about Red Dead Redemption II, we only have the word of the press who have seen the game in action to understand how the game plays. There will be more details in the future regarding what the gameplay will look like but for right now we’ll just give you the basic rundown of what we know. For starters, Rockstar seems to be creating their most realisitic world yet and abandoning some of the most video game-y aspects in their formula for something with more depth.

According to Rockstar, they’ve been developing Red Dead Redemption II for eight years, starting as they were wrapping up the first game. In that time, they’ve been handcrafting a world with lots of detail and creating systems that may be fairly unexpected from them. A large portion of the game is centered around managing the gang, Arthur is Dutch’s right-hand man and he helps keep everything running smoothly. This means you’ll help perform odd jobs for gang members, go hunting to get food for the camp or get money to line their pockets with, and so on.

Rockstar has been very clear that you don’t have to do this and you won’t be severely punished if you don’t but the gang will make comments if you leave them hanging for days on end. If you do choose to take care of your gang, you’ll be rewarded in ways that have not yet been revealed and your gang will grow stronger.

Also on tap is a new dialog system that allows you to approach situations with more options than just shoot and kill. Each NPC has their own set of branching dialog, with the player able to talk niceties or show a degree of impatience in any given encounter. And this isn’t just a black and white morality system either. Some choices will be gray areas, some will be lore-advancing, some will lead to friendships, and others will most certainly erupt into bloodbaths. It’s unclear if there will be any more to this system – such as a relationship mechanic that gauges each NPC’s level of warmth toward you – but it’s something.

If you do choose to go off and do things like hunting, you’ll be able to see the amount of depth that Rockstar has added to its hunting system since the original game and Grand Theft Auto V. You’ll find yourself stalking animals, choosing your weapon carefully so you don’t damage pelts/meat, and tracking an animal by following blood trails after you’ve hit it. Once you’ve tracked the animal down, you may find it still alive, bleeding out and yelping. Arthur will then take out his knife and stab the animal in the heart to end its suffering and take what you want from it.

You can then string up your kill on the back of your horse and take it back to camp to feed your people or sell it in town and take the money for yourself. Regardless of what you choose, your hunt will rot and decay over time so the longer you have it on the back of your horse (yes, it’s literally on your horse, not in an invisible pouch), the less valuable it’ll be. If you were to kill an animal (or even a person) behind and let it sit in the wild, vultures, coyotes, and other creatures would come and munch on the remains.

It looks as if Rockstar will be carrying over the heists from GTA V as we see Arthur Morgan robbing a bank and holding up a train in the second trailer. It’s unclear how much of a focal point these will be in the game since it was the core of GTA V’s campaign but one has to imagine it plays a similar role given you’re a gang of notorious western criminals.

We do know there will be some depth to those heists, though. Players can go loud or quiet, create distractions, choose who you bring with you (some can be done solo but isn’t recommended), and use a bunch of other different variables to create different outcomes throughout the heists. All of this will result on if and when law enforcement shows up amongst other things. It’s unclear if you can have gang members die or get critically wounded in these heists like in Grand Theft Auto V or just how dynamic these systems are. Grand Theft Auto V’s heists were heavily scripted, if you chose a certain crew member to come with, they’d always die on the same mission in the same spot because it was coordinated by Rockstar’s writing. It was more of the illusion of choices having consequences rather than them actually having any meaning at all.

Some major changes are also coming in combat with the ability to dual wield weapons like Max Payne, bows and arrows used for hunting and maybe even some stealth combat as we see Arthur Morgan taking a knife to someone’s back in the dead of night. We also see Arthur brutally beating people up in the third trailer, suggesting Rockstar has refined their melee combat to create more intense and fun brawls.

A cowboy’s best friend

A cowboy’s best friend isn’t his fellow outlaws/lawmen, it’s his horse. In the original Red Dead Redemption, your horse was almost supernatural in the sense it teleported to you and was basically immortal. You didn’t have much of a connection to it because outside of its speed and stamina, there was nothing too special about the horses. In Red Dead Redemption II, Rockstar plans on changing that.

Your horse in the sequel will be very special. Perhaps the most significant change from the first game or any Rockstar game for that matter is that you won’t be able to carry every single weapon with you. The joke of pulling an RPG out of your rear end in GTA wouldn’t apply in this game as you’ll only be carrying small weapons such as handguns on your person, rifles and other gear will travel via your horse. We’re not sure if you can sling at least one rifle over your shoulder while walking around but you can expect most of your guns to be unavailable if your horse isn’t nearby.

Your horse won’t be disposable in this game, it’ll mean a lot more to you because it has lots of value. You’ll grow a bond that effects how scared it gets when put in danger, how far it gets from you, and more. Rockstar hopes that this bond won’t just serve a gameplay effect but a personal and emotional one to. If your horse gets critically wounded, you can attempt to heal it with medical supplies, if you don’t have any you can try and run into town quickly and gather some and run back. You may come back to your horse dead, making you realize that you left that poor animal that loved you to die thinking you abandoned it in its final moments. Brutal stuff, I know. Should it die, you’ll have to start that bond all over with a new horse and presumably any gear you can’t carry off of that horse’s corpse is lost.

It adds a whole new layer to an aspect that’s iconic to westerns but doesn’t have a lot of attention paid to it.

When you can play it and when we’ll know more

The only questions remaining are when we can play the game and when we can expect more firm details from Rockstar. The game is currently scheduled to release on October 26th, 2018 for PlayStation 4 as well as Xbox One, and we can likely expect some news regarding the game in June or July via a Game Informer cover story or a new breakdown directly from Rockstar. As of right now, we’ll just have to hold our breaths and keep waiting to saddle up again.

Where to buy Red Dead Redemption 2

You can now pre-order Red Dead Redemption 2 ahead of its October 27th release date. You’re in for some nice goodies if you decide to give Rockstar your cash early. All pre-orders for Red Dead Redemption 2 come with the War Horse mount and the Outlaw Survival Kit. The former is a grey-colored steed that has better courage and stamina than others, while the Outlaw Survival Kit gives you extra health kits, Dead Eye replenishment, and more.

If you pre-order the digital copy on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, you’ll also get some extra in-game cash to start your game, as well as a treasure map, though you’ll need to pre-order the game by July 31st to get those.

There’s also a special edition of the game available. It comes with 2 extra side missions, a black thoroughbred horse, gameplay bonuses through medllian and talisman charms, in-game cash bonuses, gameplay boosts, and discounts, a gunslinger outfit, and three additional weapons. You’ll also get a real map of the game world.

If that’s not enough, the Ultimate Edition comes with everything that the Deluxe Edition does, but you can add two more in-game outfits, another black thoroughbred with an exclusive saddle, a Survivor camp theme for the game’s online mode, three additional free weapons, and XP bonuses for online play up to rank 25.

As an added bonus for Grand Theft Auto 5 players, all digital pre-orders also come with in-game currency for GTA Online. Standard Edition gets $500,000, Special Edition gets $1,000,000, and Ultimate Edition gets $2,000,000.

Then there’s the big kahuna reserved for the most die-hard Red Dead fans. It’s a full-blown Collector’s Box, a red-tinted metal tithing box with a lock and key that comes with an assortment of real world goodies. There’s a collectible coin, a double-sized puzzle, a red bandana, a treasure map, a pin set, commemorative playing cards, a real 150-page Wheeler, Rawson and Co. catalogue, and 12 collectible cigarette cards.

You can pre-order your preferred digital edition of Red Dead Redemption 2 at the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, or direct from the Rockstar Warehouse. Those opting for the Collector’s Box, however, can only get it through the Rockstar Warehouse.

Wanting to catch up and play through the original Red Dead Redemption before the sequel drops? You can find the Game of the Year Edition for $20 at Amazon

See at Amazon

Updated August 2018: Added information regarding a possible PC version, CEO Strauss Zelnick’s comments, and when we may be getting gameplay

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What’s the point of the Note’s S Pen? Samsung needs to find one or kill it

The defining feature of Samsung’s Galaxy Note phone is not the large screen, it’s the stylus. Why? Because almost no other phone has included one over the past decade. It’s a Note tradition, but as we approach the launch of the ninth version of the phone, Samsung faces a severe challenge. It has to convince not just us, but owners of Note phones everywhere, that it’s actually worth using.

The stylus remains deeply unusual in the world of phones because it’s, if you’ll forgive the pun, pointless. At this stage the S Pen feels like a tacked on gadget there for no other reason than the phone’s name is the Note. It’s time Samsung changed that.

Only the arty

If you’re reading this and anger is boiling inside — before you clutch the S Pen and scribble a heated reply — we’ll concede the stylus makes sense for artists. Drawing with your finger is best left to pre-schoolers, so when inspiration strikes, reaching for the stylus will elevate the result beyond the work of a keen five year-old. Also, if you’re using the S Pen with the Galaxy Tab S4, that’s also fine. It’s a tablet, the natural home of a stylus.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Modern phones, especially those with big screens, are designed specifically to be used with our fingers. There was a time when this wasn’t the case. Before capacitive touchscreen technology became common, we had to make do with resistive touchscreen technology. If you’ve never used one before, they’re slightly springy and require a firm prod — with a fingernail for best effect — to register an action. A stylus was a very big help. When the capacitive screen came along, the stylus became redundant.

Apple’s Steve Jobs was a famous hater. He claimed if you saw a stylus, then the manufacturer had failed, hence the use of a capacitive screen on the first iPhone. Samsung and the Galaxy Note 9, in Steve Jobs’ eyes, even before it has launched, has failed. More worryingly, in a completely unscientific Twitter poll we ran, a high percentage of Galaxy Note owners can’t find a use for the S Pen stylus either. Of the 200 people that answered, 61 percent said they don’t use the S Pen on the phone.

The S Pen feels like a tacked on gadget there for no other reason than the phone’s name is the Note.

If the majority is nonplussed by the S Pen, Samsung’s definitely failing, although not in the way Steve Jobs meant. If you’re going to include a special, almost unique feature, it’s criminal not to make it useful to everyone.

Quickly forgotten

When I used and really enjoyed the Galaxy Note 8 after its release, the stylus came out of the phone perhaps twice, and one of those was only to show it to someone else. The rest of the time, it was faster and more convenient to use my finger, as intended by the operating system. The S Pen stayed inside its sheath while I had the device.

The previously mentioned pre-schoolers have greater artistic ability than I do, therefore I never felt the need to put S Pen-to-screen and sketch my surroundings. Otherwise, the shortcut menus weren’t useful because my finger does the same thing, only faster, and while taking notes in a meeting, I quickly swapped to a pen and paper as I didn’t need to look at the screen while jotting away. Besides, scribbling on glass still feels weird due to the lack of resistance.

Even in our reviews of Note phones, we’ve either questioned why it exists at all, unsurprisingly praised it for how good it is for an artist, or summed it all up with, “styluses aren’t for everyone.” This is a feature that has been around for nearly nine generations, yet we haven’t said anything more positive, or once singled it out as a big reason to buy the Note. Even after adding new graphical features, buttons, and additional levels of pressure sensitivity, the S Pen remains an anachronism. A leftover from when screen tech was worse.

Where’s the point?

Why then, is it still there? It simply has to be Samsung being obstinate, and needs something in its ads to remind us the phone we’re looking at isn’t an S9 Plus. This is a problem, because the Galaxy Note series has become increasingly less relevant over the past few years, and it has been far harder to differentiate between it and the S Plus models. Pushing the S Pen as the Note’s unique selling point is eye-catching, despite most eventual owners not even using it. Even Samsung may know it, and there are rumors the Galaxy Note 9 may be the last of its kind. If the Galaxy Note goes, then the stylus will go with it.

The S Pen’s nemesis is the finger, and we’re giving it the middle one.

Harsh criticism? No. We complain about apps that duplicate other functions, and silly camera features like augmented reality filters all the time. They don’t add anything to the experience, and simply replicate another app or service that inevitably does it better. The S Pen’s nemesis is the finger, and we’re giving it the middle one.

Yes it makes us mad, but when features we thought were six-feet under are thoughtfully given a new lease of life, they can quickly become desirable. See the BlackBerry Key2 for proof. We don’t really want the Note’s stylus to just fade away. What it needs is a reason to exist. Not just for artists, but for every prospective Note owner.

Note 9 saves the day?

Samsung has already said it wants to improve key Note features with the Note 9, and there are few as iconic as the S Pen. Rumors talk about a new Bluetooth connection, additional features including a button to act as a remote camera shutter release, and most interestingly operating as a custom game controller.

Nintendo made the stylus work very well as a game controller on the 3DS, and provided Samsung doesn’t make it too awkward for developers it integrate it into their games, we could see this being a desirable additional feature. That’s artists and gamers covered, selfie fans, and compulsive note takers too; but there needs to be more. We need a reason to take it out, on a daily basis, rather than just using a finger.

Otherwise, just buy a cheaper but excellent Galaxy S9 Plus, or wait to see just how space-age Samsung’s foldable phone is next year. If Samsung can’t give you a reason to want a stylus, don’t pay for the pleasure of having one.

The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not reflect the beliefs of Digital Trends.

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Snapchat redesign woes drop user count by three million, but retention grows

Proof of the disruption that Snap Inc. predicted would come with a redesign of the Snapchat app is here — Snapchat’s user base fell by three million daily active users in the second quarter. The company shared the latest financial results on August 7, and while revenue grew, the camera-focused social network lost users.

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel says the change is largely from the predicted disruption after the redesign, with some users typically counted among the daily users opening the app less frequently, a statement that jives with the increase in monthly active users. The numbers fell around two percent from the previous quarter, from 191 million to 188 million. Compared to the same time in 2017, however, Snapchat is ahead by eight percent from the 173 million daily users reported last summer. The number of daily users in North America fell by one million from the first part of the year.

“It has been approximately six months since we broadly rolled out the redesign of our application, and we have been working hard to iterate and improve Snapchat based on the feedback from our community,” Spiegel said during the earnings call. “We feel that we have now addressed the biggest frustrations we’ve heard and are eager to make more progress on the tremendous opportunity we now have to show more of the right content to the right people.”

Despite the loss in daily users, the redesign has a few high points that arose from separating brands from friends. The number of users watching Stories from Publishers, including Snapchat Shows, has grown by 15 percent, with last month bringing the most views for brand Stories in the app’s history.

While the number of users opening Snapchat daily has fallen, the average time spent on the platform stayed above 30 minutes. Retention for users who are over 35 has increased by eight percent, one of the goals for the redesign.

Snap is also continuing the process of completely rewriting the Android app in a way that makes the app easier to update in the future. The rewritten Android app is already in beta testing, Speigel says, and shows speed improvements for opening the app and taking a Snap over the current version.

While the company’s user count was less than stellar, the company’s revenue jumped 44 percent from the same time in 2017 and by 14 percent from the first quarter. Growth in advertising has allowed the company to charge less for the ads while increasing ad revenue.

The financials were better than Wall Street predicted and were followed by a $250 million investment by Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal for a 2.3 percent stake in the company. While the earnings report is a positive one among the company’s struggles after going public, a report from Bloomberg suggests the company isn’t “out of the woods.”

In between announcing the redesign and actually rolling out the new app, Snap saw a five percent increase in daily active users at the end of 2017. Those numbers dropped to two-percent growth as the update rolled out, ahead of the user loss announced on Tuesday.

“With the updated redesign, we’ve been able to combine the strength of our close-friend network that brings people to Snapchat every day with an infinite scroll of personalized content,” Spiegel said. “We’re working hard to expand the long-tail of our content offering and we are making steady progress on improving personalization. Despite our DAU results this quarter, we believe that this is an important evolution of our product that will help drive future growth in engagement.”

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‘Fortnite’ for Android will reportedly be a timed Galaxy Note 9 exclusive

Epic Games previously revealed that the Android version of Fortnite would be bypassing the Google Play store in favor of the company’s own platform, but things have gotten a little more interesting. It appears the game will actually launch as a timed Samsung Galaxy Note 9 exclusive, so you might have to wait a little longer before you can get that Victory Royale on the go — but those who do have the device will get some sweet rewards.

Samsung is due to unveil the Galaxy Note 9 at a launch event on August 9, and according to 9to5Google, Fortnite will launch on Android as a timed 30-day exclusive for the phone — most likely on August 24. Pre-ordering the phone will reportedly get your account between $100 and $150 in the game’s V-Bucks.

Data-miners managed to uncover a few different skins scheduled to arrive in Fortnite in the future, and among them is a “Galaxy” skin that doesn’t look like it will be for sale to the general public. This likely means it will be available as some type of promotional goodie, which would make perfect sense if the reports about the Note 9 exclusivity turn out to be true.

The latest content update for Fortnite added the Double Barrel Shotgun to battle royale, which should be perfect for those looking to fight up close and personal, and a limited-time “Steady Storm” mode alters the map by continually shrinking and eliminating safe zones. “Playground” is also back, giving you a chance to explore the battle royale map for a full hour and disabling the storm for a full 55 minutes. It’s a great opportunity to practice strategies with friends, and you can build and test structures without having to worry about getting sniped. If you do die, however, you’ll respawn.

Fortnite is currently available on PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and iOS. All supported platforms can cross-play with each other, though the PlayStation 4 cannot connect to Nintendo Switch or Xbox One players. Those who have an Epic Games account associated with a PlayStation console are also barred from using the same account on Nintendo Switch, though Sony said it’s looking into a solution for players.

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