Here’s how to safely download ‘Fortnite: Battle Royale’ on an Android device

The beta for one of the world’s biggest games, Fortnite: Battle Royale, is finally available for Android devices, following successful releases on consoles and iOS. Unfortunately for many players, the game opened with an exclusivity deal for Samsung’s devices as a part of the Galaxy Note 9‘s launch.

But if you’re on a non-Samsung Android device, all is not lost. While access is still restricted, you can sign up to a waiting list and pre-download the game in order to get access as soon as it’s available. Here’s how to download Fortnite: Battle Royale on Android.

A warning before we start

Slow down before you rush off to download anything called “Fortnite” from the Google Play Store. Epic Games has not released Fortnite: Battle Royale on the Google Play Store, so you won’t find it there. That’s important to note because it means no app on the Play Store is going to be the official Fortnite app — no matter how loudly it says it is.

While some are likely to be harmless clones, others may be harmful apps that seek to steal your personal data. Be aware of what you’re downloading, and if your aim is to download only the official Fortnite: Battle Royale Android app, follow this guide and we’ll make sure you get the goods.

How to get Fortnite: Battle Royale on an eligible Samsung phone

The following Samsung smartphones and tablets are able to immediately access Fortnite: Battle Royale during the exclusivity period.

• Galaxy Note 9
• Galaxy S9
• Galaxy S9 Plus
• Galaxy Note 8
• Galaxy S8
• Galaxy S8 Plus
• Galaxy S7
• Galaxy S7 Edge
• Galaxy Tab S4
• Galaxy Tab S3

So if you’re rocking one of the devices listed above, then congrats — you’re able to start playing right away. The method for getting set up on an eligible Galaxy device is easy, but it requires a couple of steps, and a lot of installing.

Start by accessing your Game Launcher app, tapping the icon marked Fortnite Installer, and then click Install & Open to install the launcher. This app isn’t the game — instead, it’s a separate app that will be used to download and update the main Fortnite app in the absence of the Google Play Store.

The first time you open the app you’ll be asked to grant it permission to access your storage. There’s nothing nefarious here; it needs access to be able to download the game. Once granted, tap the big yellow Install button and let the initial files finish installing.

Once installed, open the Fortnite Launcher and hit the yellow Launch button to start the game. This will kick off the download of the main files. Feel free to leave the game for some time while it downloads the required files — it’s a big download and can take some time. Following this, Fortnite will take a little time to optimize the content to suit your device — but once that’s finished, you’ll be able to sign into your account (or create a new one) and get playing.

How to get Fortnite: Battle Royale on another Android device

If you’re not fortunate enough to have one of the Samsung devices on the previous list, then you’re stuck waiting for now. However, you can still download the game in advance and get yourself ready.

Get started by signing up for the waiting list. It’s easy to get signed up — you can do it from your PC or mobile device, and you can speed matters up by signing into an existing Fortnite account, if you have one. The process asks you to select your Android device from a drop-down box, but don’t worry if you can’t find your particular device, as there’s an “Other Android device” option at the bottom.

After signing up you’ll be sent an email from Epic Games. You’ll need to access this from your mobile device, as it’s a direct link to the Fortnite Installer — so tap the link to download it. Tap that file once it’s done downloading, and hit Install when prompted. You may need to grant Storage permissions to complete this process.

After that, you can either tap Open at the end of the installation process, or open the Fortnite Installer app from your app drawer or home screen. Like the process for Samsung phones, you’ll be asked to confirm Storage permissions for the installation, so feel free to tap Allow when prompted. You may also need to give the app permission to install the Fortnite game, so if prompted by a system message, hit Settings, then tick the box for Allow from this source. Then hit the back button and hit Install.

When that’s done, hit Open or open the app from your apps, and Fortnite: Battle Royale will begin downloading. This can take a little while, so grab yourself a refreshment and settle down to wait. Once it’s complete, you’ll be able to sign into your account, but unless you’ve received an email confirming your access, that’s as far as you can go for now. But at least the hard part is done, and you’ll be able to get going that much faster when your account is allowed access.

That’s all we’ve got for you for the moment — but we’ll update this article when access is available for more people. Until then, brush up on your skills with our Fortnite tips & tricks article and get ready to hurl yourself out of a bus.

Editors’ Recommendations

• ‘Fortnite: Battle Royale’ review
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No, your cell phone won’t make you blind

Rommel Canlas/Shutterstock

Forget cancer: That devilishly useful smartphone in your pocket is likely to blind you before killing you – at least, if the latest round of breathless hype is to be believed.

Relax. Neither is true, despite what you might read in the headlines.

A new study from the University of Toledo reveals the process by which blue light impacts the photoreceptors in our eyes and leads to age-related macular degeneration, an incurable eye disease that can cause a loss of central vision. The fact that blue light does this is hardly revelatory, the authors state plainly, despite the headlines.

“We are being exposed to blue light continuously, and the eye’s cornea and lens cannot block or reflect it,” wrote Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, in a press release about the study. “It’s no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye’s retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop.”

That’s right, he’s proposing a way to possibly prevent this problem: Alpha tocopherol, a molecule derived from Vitamin E, may prevent the cellular death everyone is fretting about. You wouldn’t know that to read the headlines, however:

“Smartphones speed up blindness,” writes U.S. News and World Report. No, that’s not what the study says (although the U of T’s press release does suggest this by using the word “speed” in their headline. I’m not sure why. “Cause” would have been far more accurate.)

“Your phone is blinding you, scientists warn,” the New York Post wrote in a typically breathless Postian headline. Not quite.

“Blue light from smartphones accelerates blindness,” frets High Snobiety. Again, that’s not the conclusion the scientists drew. It’s not accelerating blindness, it’s the potential cause for one form of macular degeneration that may lead to some loss of vision. (For what it’s worth, Daniel Pearson who wrote the Snobiety article is the “life editor,” who recently wrote about WTF hairstyles at the World Cup and the 13-year-old skateboard prodigy who won the X Games.)

Look, macular degeneration is a fact of life. Our eyes are wonderfully complex devices that aren’t built to last forever, which is why nearly all human beings need eyeglasses and experience some form of eye disease in their lives. Karunarathne’s study details exactly how that eye disease happens, and blue light is part of that. And given that cell phones and other mobile screens do give off blue light (among other colors), is he running off to pick up special polarized sunglasses? Has he tossed out his deadly iPhone before blindness robs him of his vision?

Hardly.

“When we’re in the dark, our pupils are dilated and can take a lot of light …. But when you have some ambient light in the room, that will help your pupils contract a little bit and that will reduce the amount of light entering, which may bring down the light entering below the threshold [for damage],” he told host Larry Mantle and myself during a segment on 89.3 KPCC radio yesterday afternoon.

Read that again. Karunarathne said that the actions of the pupil may be enough to prevent an egregious volume of blue light from reaching your eye, except for at night – when we now have blue light filters that should help you sleep better and may prevent your cell phone from robbing you of your sight. And part two of the press release includes a quote from another one of the study authors, Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry: “Some cell phone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea.”

That blue light filter is called Night Shift on your iPhone, Night Light on a Pixel, Comfort View on LG, and so on. Here’s how to turn it on and how to use it.

Still worried? Technology may have offered a way to put blue lights in front of us at the very worst time, and a solution to that problem in filters, but it also offers options that go even further. Consider Republic Wireless’s Relay, essentially a cell phone replacement for children that has no screen at all. Think of it as the anti-cell phone. And Light makes a phone that demand you use it as little as possible.

So don’t worry so much about light cooking your eyes — and spend your time cooking with light instead.

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

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Should you buy the Galaxy Note 9 unlocked or from a carrier?

Where you buy matters more than ever, especially when it comes to how your phone performs over time.

There are a lot of important questions when it comes to choosing a Galaxy Note 9. You need to be sure you’re ready to drop $1,000 (or $1250 if you decide to really go all out on the 512GB model) on a phone in the first place. You need to make sure you’re choosing the right color to show off your new phone to your friends. You need to find a case you’re comfortable using for a while. But it’s also important to think about where you’re going to be buying your phone, which is something that doesn’t always get as much thought as it maybe should.

Carrier controlled or unlocked, that’s the big question you should ask before dropping cash on a Note 9. And unfortunately, the answer isn’t quite as clear as it should be.

Financing a Note 9

The obvious first reason to buy a locked phone from a carrier is not needing to pay for the whole phone up front. U.S. carriers have largely moved away from making the phone purchase a direct part of a long-term contract, but plenty of folks still pay month to month for their phones through these financing plans. If you can “buy” a Note 9 from carriers for $40 per month, you may not care quite as much about that phone being locked to that carrier until you’ve paid it off, which is what happens with most U.S. carriers.

While Samsung does offer financing option on its website, you’ll find it is much easier to get a financing deal from your carrier. That means, for the most part, if you don’t want to buy your phone outright you probably want to buy from a carrier. Additionally, you can buy from Best Buy and other retailers which offer their own financing systems, but overall none are quite as openly available as what is on offer from carriers.

Updates for your Note 9

Samsung makes the updates for its phones and sends those updates to carriers for approval before they’re available on your phone. Truth be told, Samsung’s updates have never been particularly fast. That should mean Samsung phones which are not locked to a specific carrier would be easier to update, but historically that has not been the case.

On multiple occasions, Samsung’s unlocked Galaxy S9 has gone months without a software update while the carrier versions of the exact same phone enjoyed regular security patches and software tweaks from Samsung. There are a couple of legal reasons for this, the first of which being that Verizon and others pay Samsung for their time to get those updates ready in a timely manner, but what it means in plain English is Samsung’s unlocked phones don’t get updates as quickly or as frequently as the locked versions.

Where should you buy the Galaxy Note 9?

There’s a certain amount of freedom you get with an unlocked phone. You don’t have to worry about consequences for switching carriers, or deal with any restrictions carriers may put in place at a later date. Your phone, out of the box, 100% belongs to you. That concept has value and is worth keeping in mind.

See at Amazon

But if you are concerned about dropping that much money up front, or if you want to make sure you get updates on your phone the day a security patch is available, Samsung’s unlocked phones are probably not for you. In those cases, it is probably best to buy directly from the carrier or from a retailer willing to sell you a carrier model on a financing agreement you are happy with.

See at Samsung

Where are you buying your Note 9? Sound off in the comments!

Where to buy the Galaxy Note 9: Best deals for your new phone

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

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Madden Overdrive brings a fresh football experience to your Android phone

Build your squad and compete on your Android phone.

With the NFL preseason well underway, the NFL’s premier mobile football game is showing life today. Madden Mobile has been updated for the 2018 season, but don’t panic if you can’t find it in your phone — it’s now called Madden Overdrive.

What it is, what’s changed, and what you can expect when you fire it up. We’ve got everything you need to know about Madden Overdrive.

What is Madden Overdrive?

Madden Overdrive is the annual NFL game made by EA designed specifically for smartphones and tablets. The series used to be called Madden Mobile, but EA is touting its biggest leaps forward yet for the series this year, so much so that there’s an edgy new name to go along with it.

While previous Madden games have tried to emulate an accurate NFL gameday experience, such as tasking you with playing a full four-quarter football game by controlling offense, defense, and special teams, Madden Overdrive aims to make a more mobile-friendly model that’ll offer quicker and more intense action. It’s also emphasizing tactics and strategy more than mechanical skill, so those whose thumbs don’t work quite as well as the next person’s will have a chance to win.

Madden Overdrive will be a free download, with in-app purchases largely driving the gameplay model.

What do you do in this game?

Madden Overdrive is all about building up a team of players and competing against others. You acquire players and coaches via several different means, and you’ll take that team into real-time head-to-head matchups against real opponents.

Players will have a variety of ways to earn in-game items, including daily and weekly events, challenges, and by acquiring players through an auction house or from player packs.

Aside from an all-new head-to-head mode, Madden Overdrive will see the return of League Play, which allows you to play a full season of games against other players’ teams. Take your team far enough and you could win the Super Bowl for big-time rewards.

How do you play?

Madden Overdrive’s head-to-head play is vastly different compared to Madden Mobile. Instead of a turn-based system where you and your opponents trade drives, you’ll be playing against them in real-time in a new game mode based on fantasy points.

The way it works is that you each get three minutes to execute an offensive drive, and within that drive you can earn fantasy points for various actions, whether that’s gaining yards, making a catch, and of course, scoring. The player with the most fantasy points wins. You won’t be able to play defense in the same way that you can control your offense, but that’s where a new mechanic called Tactics come in.

As the game progresses, the fantasy points you earn will go toward building your Overdrive meter. This meter allows you to execute a Tactic, which is a gameplay wrinkle that serves to make things more difficult or uncomfortable for your opponent. For instance, I can activate a Tactic that says you only get half of the points you normally would for scoring a rushing touchdown, which would compel my opponent to think about going for a passing touchdown instead.

The idea here is to throw them off their game. If they seem more comfortable running the ball than throwing it, that Tactic would help you tilt the game in your favor. You can activate these Tactics multiple times throughout a game, and they are separated by tiers so you could spend all of your Overdrive meter to go for a big swing or use a smaller portion of it if you’re only concerned with annoying your opponent a bit.

The Tactics you have access to are based on your coach, with each coach in the game having unique bonuses and effects. As far as which plays you can run on offense, those are also affected by your coach and the team captains on your roster. You’ll have access to four styles of offense depending on your composition:

• Smashmouth: You’ll favor running the ball, and your players will be more effective when doing a play-action pass.
• Vertical: Go deep! This style is for those who like driving the ball down the field on long passing plays.
• West Coast: It’s all about short, quick passes and letting your receivers pick up the yardage.
• Spread: Throw your opponents off balance by throwing lots of misdirections and route combinations at them.

Alongside determining your playbook, these styles will also boost choice attributes on your players. And the more you upgrade your captains, the more powerful these boosts will be.

This new style of gameplay sounds pretty exciting, but if you prefer the ways of old, you’ll be happy to know that League Play will retain the traditional turn-based style of gameplay that Madden Mobile has become known for.

EA says there’s no guarantee that this will be the case forever, as it’ll be monitoring feedback of both modes to determine whether any changes will be made down the line. That means that — for now, at least — there’s a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy with Madden Overdrive, new or returning player alike.

Are there microtransactions?

There are premium points in Madden Overdrive that you can purchase for various reasons, the biggest of which being to acquire premium player packs. Of course, these in-app purchases are entirely optional and the game can be enjoyed fully without spending a dime.

In fact, EA will offer more to start in Overdrive than in any version of Madden Mobile, with players getting a free coach and team captain from the start. You can add more players to your team by acquiring them through events or spending the non-premium in-game currency in the auction house.

To go along with that, the stamina mechanic — which limited you to a certain amount of play per hour unless you paid to recharge your stamina meter — is no longer a thing. Play as much as you want for as long as you want.

Does Madden Overdrive have anything to do with Madden NFL 19?

Madden Overdrive does not feature any interconnectivity with the Madden NFL games for consoles. You may see the two games share names for certain promotional events such as Team of the Week, but the programs are run slightly different and may feature entirely different content. As such, don’t use the events of one game to try and predict goings-on for the others. For all intents and purposes, these games are completely unrelated.

Madden 19: Everything you need to know

Download it today

Madden Overdrive is now available to download worldwide. Be sure to grab the download at Google Play here, and if you already have Madden Mobile installed on your Android phone or tablet then it should hit as an update.

Stay tuned as we’ll be diving into Madden Overdrive to experience all it has to offer and providing extended coverage accordingly. See you on the football field!

Download: Madden Overdrive (Free w/ IAP

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Did you pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Watch?

Samsung’s new wearable starts at $329.

The Galaxy Note 9 was definitely the star of the show at Samsung’s big Unpacked event last week, but even so, we’re still plenty excited about the company’s latest smartwatch — the Galaxy Watch.

The Galaxy Watch doesn’t offer anything we haven’t seen before from a Samsung wearable, but features like the circular design, rotating bezel, NFC for Samsung Pay, and robust fitness-tracking with Samsung Health still have us excited to see how the Galaxy Watch performs in day-to-day use.

Looking through the AC forums, it would appear that most people are also pretty keen on checking out the new gadget.

bhatech
08-13-2018 11:58 PM

“

Just placed the order for the 46mm Galaxy watch from Samsung direct. Should be delivered around the same time my Note 9 delivers from Amazon.

Reply

JoePa2624
08-14-2018 10:47 PM

“

Ordered 512gb blue Note, 46mm watch and wireless duo. Sold iPhone X, series 3 watch but keeping airpods

Reply

nrfitchett4
08-13-2018 04:11 PM

“

Yep. Trading in my iPhone 7+, already sold my Apple Watch and air pods to help pay for the Galaxy watch.

Reply

BIG CAT 7
08-13-2018 05:01 PM

“

No MST in the new watch so no order for me. I may head out and grab a Gear S3 though.

Reply

How about you? Did you pre-order the Galaxy Watch?

Join the conversation in the forums!

Amazon Basics sound bar is basic, and not bad

The Amazon Basics 2.1 Sound Bar. ($99 at Amazon)

An integrated subwoofer and three EQ options produce better sound than your TV, for less than $100.

The Amazon Basics 2.1 Sound Bar is a basic sound bar. From Amazon. Blessed be the tech product whose name actually describes what it is.

Here’s what else it is: A 31-inch sound bar that does what it does pretty well, and does it for $99. It’s also a “2.1” sound bar, meaning it’s got two channels of speakers (left and right), plus a subwoofer. Not a separate, external subwoofer, mind you. Instead, it’s built into the sound bar.

Plus this one has a few features you won’t find in other similarly priced sound bars.

All in all? Not a bad product for just under a hundred bucks. Still need more before buying? Read on.

See at Amazon

More basics on this basic Amazon Basics sound bar: It’s got a 2.7-inch downward-firing subwoofer. It spits out the bottom of the sound bar itself, and that explains the rather large feet that lift the body of the sound bar about three-eighths of an inch above whatever surface you place it on. Air needs room to move, and the sound needs room to escape. (Three speakers per channel make up the mids and highs on the front end.)

That brings the overall footprint of the sound bar to 31.5 inches wide, about 3.2 inches tall, and 3.5 inches deep. It’s not the most svelte sound bar in this class (that title belongs to Vizio), and it’s got a full on power brick that you’ll have to hide away somewhere. But the power cable itself has enough length to it to keep from being too big a negative. The front end is covered in that sort of speaker mesh stuff that’s fine until it’s not.

The downward-facing subwoofer on the Amazon Basics 2.1 Sound Bar.

If you prefer to do the wall mount thing, Amazon has included the proper hardware in the box. (I’m using it on a hanging mount, and the included screws work just fine for it, too.)

There are nicely placed physical controls atop the sound bar, so you don’t have to use the remote control if you don’t want to. And there’s a blue LED hidden in the front face that indicates when you’re changing volume, and it blinks if the sound is muted.

For inputs, you’ve got optical (which is preferred, of course), RCA, 3.5mm aux, and Bluetooth 2.1. There’s no HDMI, and you’re very unlikely to find it at this price point (Because lawyers and licensing). That also means there’s a pretty good chance you won’t be able to control the volume level with whatever remote control you’re using. But, hey. $99.

The remote control itself isn’t anything to write home about. It’s got buttons for all the things, allowing you to switch inputs and adjust playback on the fly. For some inexplicable reason, the Bluetooth input button is huge. I’d have preferred the mute button to get the additional real estate. But it works, and Amazon included a couple of Amazon-branded AAA batteries. Thanks for not cheaping out on that.

As for the sound, it’s about as good as you’d expect for a $99 sound bar. It’s almost certainly better than the TV to which it is attached, and louder, too. What’s interesting here is that Amazon has included three EQ presets — “Standard,” “News” and “Movie.” The latter is the only one with any real bass, and it’s where I’ve left things throughout my testing time. Standard is OK, but still somewhat hollow, and I have to question the sanity of anyone who prefers the bassless “News” setting. But options are always good, even if they won’t necessarily be used. There’s also just enough stereo separation to remind you why even a cheap sound bar is better than a TV’s internal speakers.

The bottom line

This is exactly the sort of sound bar you should expect for $99. It’s basic. It sounds better than your TV, most likely. And while it’s not quite good as Vizio’s offering regarding looks and sound quality, it definitely gets the job done.

4.5
out of 5

And the addition of three preset EQs is a nice, if not necessary, touch.

See at Amazon

BlackBerry KEYone in Canada is finally getting its official Oreo update

Now, where’s that Oreo update for the U.S.?

In mid-July, BlackBerry announced it was running an invite-only Android Oreo beta for the KEYone to trial the software update before rolling it out to all users. Starting today, August 15, that update is finally being released to all KEyone owners in Canada.

The Oreo update will start rolling out around 9:00 AM ET, and if you don’t get a notification for it, you can always manually check for the update by going to Settings -> System -> System Updates.

All of the features we’ve come to know and love from Oreo are here, including picture-in-picture, Google’s Autofill API for easier password entry, adaptive icons, and more.

Oreo’s taste might seem a bit stale at this point considering that Android Pie is already rolling out to certain handsets, but even so, a software update is still a software update.

BlackBerry KEY2 review: Just my type

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The Ultimate Guide to PlayStation VR

Let this be your extended user manual for all things PlayStation VR!

It wasn’t all that long ago VR was considered either something simple you added to a phone for a quick distraction or something amazingly complex for those who could afford the lengthy requirements of ownership. Sony created a compelling middle ground by doing what they do best — making something you actually want to have in your living room. PlayStation VR is a companion for your PlayStation 4 that elevates your current games and helps you explore an entirely new way to feel like you are the character you’re playing.

Being able to fully enjoy this experience requires more than just taking one out of the box. Here’s our complete user manual for all things PSVR! Don’t forget to stay updated with our PlayStation VR Newsfeed!

Try before you buy!

Which PlayStation 4 should I use for my VR system?

There’s more than one box named PlayStation 4, but don’t panic! They all work with PlayStation VR, but one may offer better experiences. If you’re using a PlayStation 4 Pro, you have a few more options than you would with a normal PlayStation 4. Here’s what you need to know!

• Which PlayStation 4 is the best for VR?
• How to keep HDR support when using PlayStation VR
• Every PlayStation VR game enhanced through PlayStation Pro

Meet your PlayStation VR

Now that you’ve settled on which console to run, you’re ready for the unboxing of your new piece of equipment. Sony’s first efforts in VR are incredible, and in several important ways, quite a bit ahead of the more expensive Desktop PC-based system. If you don’t already own a PlayStation VR, here are a few reasons you should seriously consider dropping everything and grabbing one today!

• I tried PlayStation VR and bought a PlayStation 4 the next day
• How to get the perfect PlayStation VR room setup
• How to get the perfect fit with your new VR headset
• PlayStation Move controllers vs HTC Vive controllers vs Oculus Touch controllers
• Why there’s no “screen-door effect” in PlayStation VR
• PlayStation VR vs Oculus Rift
• Everything you can do with a PlayStation VR besides gaming
• The true cost of PlayStation VR
• Where to buy used VR headsets

See PlayStation VR at Amazon

Getting started with your PlayStation VR

Taking PlayStation VR out of the box is step one, but there’s a lot more you should know about making sure you and whoever you share this system with have the best possible experience. You need space to move around, and you need to make sure the headset stays comfortable while you are doing so. Here are the best ways to get yourself not only set up but comfortable!

Don’t worry, we know updates can be a little scary so we even have a walkthrough of Everything different about the new PlayStation VR for those who have had their consoles a little longer!

• How to set up your PlayStation VR
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Now that you’re set up, check out some of the best gear to add to your PlayStation VR! We’ve gone through and tested quite a few products to find you the best not just in performance, but fir your wallet too!

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Getting to know Cinematic Mode

PlayStation VR isn’t just for playing virtual reality games. In fact, anything you can do through your PlayStation 4 can be done through PlayStation VR thanks to Cinematic Mode. A wide virtual screen that floats in front of you and fills your vision can free you from distractions, and maybe for some, become the only screen you use to enjoy your PlayStation.

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Gaming in PlayStation VR

This is what we’re all here for, right? Leaning over a virtual pool table to sink the perfect shot, losing your balance a little as you fling your body from tree to tree, and screaming as a demon gets a little too close before you squeeze the trigger. VR games are intense and incredibly enjoyable. The audio and video fill you and replaces the real world, letting you dive in and become someone else for a little while. Here’s what we’ve found so far!

Don’t forget, every month we update the PlayStation VR games coming out this month! So be sure to check out that list often to see what new types of experiences are coming your way!

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• PlayStation VR add-on experiences, ranked!

Available game reviews, tips, and tricks

Seeing lists of the best of the best not enough to get your blood pumping to decide which game to choose? It’s okay, we’ve got a few detailed reviews on the games you really wanna check out, complete with some Tips and Tricks as well! Don’t see a review listed here for a game you wanna know more about? Let us know in the comment section below!

• Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality Ultimate Guide
• Doom VFR: Tips, Tricks and Cheats
• Skyrim VR review: a clumsy, hilarious trip through a familiar world
• Skyrim Tips and Tricks for survival
• Monsters of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV review
• Farpoint review
• Rec Room review
• UltraWings review
• Werewolves Within review
• Star Trek Bridge Crew review
• RIGS: Mechanized Combat League review
• Battlezone review
• Eagle Flight review
• Killing Floor Incursion

Doing more with PlayStation VR

Gaming is an increasingly social experience, and that means some games are meant to be shared with everyone. That can occasionally mean sharing with others — even those who don’t have a PlayStation 4. Sharing can also be as simple as a screenshot, or maybe you’re ready to share your whole session on Twitch. Whatever your choice, know that your hardware is built to listen (unless you tell it not to). Here’s a helpful list of how-tos when it comes to your PlayStation VR!

Commands

• How to take a screenshot in PlayStation VR
• How to change the screen size in Cinematic Mode
• How to update your PlayStation VR

Equipment

• The best driving wheel for PlayStation VR
• How to turn off the microphone on your PlayStation Camera
• PlayStation VR and macOS can play together thanks to MacMorpheus!
• How to connect PlayStation VR to your PC
• How to put prescription lenses in your VR headset

Helpful Hints

• How to get the best Twitch stream with PlayStation VR
• How to buy PlayStation 4 games from the Japanese store
• How to view comments while streaming

Troubleshooting

Like anything, your PlayStation VR may not always behave exactly as it should. To help with that, we’ve assembled a troubleshooting guide to help you deal with everything that could potentially go wrong with your headset.

• How to deal with a shaking image in PlayStation VR
• Check out our PlayStation VR Troubleshooting Guide!
• Change the color hue of your room to help with tracking
• Your wireless headphones will not work with PlayStation VR
• How to prevent lens fog in any VR headset
• How to deal with Aim controller drift
• How to deal with menu stutter on PlayStation VR
• How to fix every tracking issue on PlayStation VR
• Fixing lense scratches on your VR headset
• How to get the best light calibration
• How to deal with nausea while playing PSVR
• How to deal with blurry images in PlayStation VR
• Getting your PSVR to work with a Christmas tree, or any other multi-light source!
• How to fix screen mirroring issues

Selling your PlayStation VR

Maybe you’ve decided this isn’t for you, or maybe you’re in immediate need of some cash. Whatever your reason, if you need to sell your PlayStation VR quickly there’s no need to rush out to the closest electronics shop and take their slim values. You have options, and we can help!

• How to clean your PlayStation VR
• Getting the best deal when selling your PlayStation VR

Updated August 2018 We’ve updated this Ultimate Guide with some articles to help you get started. Like how to put prescriptions lenses in your headset, or getting the perfect set up. Check it out!

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

Anker’s new $20 PowerPort Cube fits plenty of power in its compact design

Power for everything you own!

The Anker PowerPort Cube 3-outlet 3 USB port ultra compact power strip is down to $19.54. This is a brand new product from Anker and doesn’t really have much of a pricing history to speak of. It sells for $26 normally and has dropped down to just over $21 with a coupon code recently.

This is about as small a power strip you can expect to find, especially considering it manages to fit six plugs (3 AC outlets, 3 USB ports) in a compact fashion. The USB ports have a max output of 18W and the outlets have a max of 1250W, which is plenty of power for whatever you’re plugging. At less than 2.5 cubic inches, it won’t take up any space wherever you choose to put it. Anker also backs it up with an 18-month warranty.

See at Amazon

Google’s developing a fix for slow Pixel / Pixel XL charging speeds on Pie

From new gestures to extending battery life, here’s everything you need to know about Android Pie!

Following last year’s Oreo release, 2018 is the year of Android 9 Pie.

Google’s latest flavor of Android is jam-packed with all sorts of new features, including a brand-new gesture navigation system, new UI elements, and a heap of under-the-hood tweaks that aim to make this the best version of Android to date.

Without further ado, here’s everything you need to know about Pie!

The latest Android Pie news

August 15, 2018 — A fix is coming for slow-charging speeds on Pixel and Pixel XL running Pie

Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL are among the first smartphones to be treated by the Android 9 Pie update, but after getting the new software, users have been complaining about slow charging speeds with both the official charger that’s included with the phones and third-party ones. This bug’s been reported by both Pixel and Pixel XL owners, so we’re glad to hear that a fix is on the way.

According to The Verge, Google’s currently testing a software update that resolves the issue. In a statement that was sent to the publication, Google said:

We’re aware of an issue where non-Power Delivery (PD) USB-C chargers no longer rapidly charge the 2016 Pixel and Pixel XL after the upgrade to Android 9 Pie. The 18W rapid charger included in-box is a PD charger and does not exhibit this behavior. We are verifying a fix for non-PD USB-C chargers and will roll it out in the coming weeks.

A clearer timeframe than “the coming weeks” would be nice, but nonetheless, it’s great to hear that these troubles with be over with soon.

August 6, 2018 — Google releases Pie’s OTA images for Pixel and Nexus devices

If you’re eager to start using Pie ASAP, Google’s got you covered.

The full OTA images have already been released, meaning you can grab them and flash Pie onto your Pixel or Nexus phone this very second.

Go, go, go!

Grab the OTA files here

All the big details

Android P is officially Android 9 Pie

No Popsicles or Pineapples here. On August 6, 2018, Google revealed that its next version of Android is Android 9 Pie.

Along with the name change, the number this year is also slightly different. Rather than following the trend of 7.0, 8.0, etc., Pie is referred to as 9. This probably doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, but it’s still an interesting move on Google’s part.

Check out our full review!

Every new Android version builds upon the previous one, meaning that each new update is better than the last.

However, in day-to-day use, how does really Pie hold up? What’s it like using the new gestures instead of the traditional navigation buttons? How do the subtle UI tweaks compare to Oreo? What’s performance like?

All those questions and much, much more are answered in our full review, so be sure to give it a read and watch!

Android 9 Pie review: Greater than the sum of its slices

How to upgrade to Pie

We could talk about Android Pie all day long, but if you don’t know how to actually use the new software for yourself, what’s the fun in that?

Most users will likely upgrade to Pie via a simple OTA update, but if you don’t feel like waiting on Google to serve that to you, you can manually flash it on your phone, too.

Jerry’s got all the details of how to start using Pie right now, so be sure to give his guide a look.

How to install Android Pie on your Pixel right now (or downgrade to Oreo)

See what Google has to say about Pie in our interview with Android’s UX Manager

Android Pie is a big deal for Google. Between the gestures, digital wellbeing initiative, and more, there’s a lot going on all at once.

Andrew recently had the chance to talk with Android’s UX Manager, EK Chung, about all things Pie to get a better understanding of why this is such a big release for the company.

This is a longer read, but it’s absolutely worth a look if you want a deeper understanding of what all went into crafting Pie into the final build that we have today.

Interview: Google’s EK Chung on Android 9 Pie design, simplicity and digital wellbeing

It completely changes Android’s navigation system

Back in 2011 with Android 3.0 Honeycomb, Google introduced Android’s iconic three-button navigation system we’ve come to know and love – Back, Home, and Recents. Seven years later with Android Pie, these are being eliminated in favor of a gesture-based system.

Android Pie is the first time Google’s heavily relying on gestures for navigating the UI, and in their current form, they work as follows:

• Tap the Home button/pill to go home
• Swipe up to access the recent apps page
• Swipe up twice or do a long swipe for the app drawer
• The Back button only appears in certain apps/menus when it’s needed

This combination of taps and swipes can be confusing at first, but with enough practice and patience, are fairly easy to master in a short amount of time. Phones that are updated to Pie will still use the three-button nav by default, but if you want to turn them on, doing so is fairly simple.

Going forward, phones like the Pixel 3 will have gestures turned on by default with no way to revert back to them. So, while you can keep using your Back, Home, and Recents for now, you’ll need to get aclimated with the gestures sooner or later.

How to master the new Android Pie gestures

The user interface is more rounded and colorful

Android Pie isn’t as drastic of a visual change like we saw with the jump from KitKat to Lolipop, but compared to Oreo, there are some elements that are noticeably different.

At first glance, things like the colorful icons in Settings, circular Quick Settings icons, and rounded corners for just about every menu jump out like a sore thumb. These elements do take some getting used to, but I ultimately came around to liking them quite a bit.

Something else you’ll notice with Pie is just how alive it feels. Between the new gestures and updated animations, Android moves in a way that I’ve never seen before. Oreo was smooth and buttery, but Pie flies underneath your fingertips in a way that can only be experienced in-person.

There are tools for helping you use your phone less

Google talked a lot about helping people with their “digital wellbeing” at this year’s I/O conference, and a lot of those efforts are baked right into Android Pie.

Although not live quite yet, later versions of Pie will introduce a new system called Android Dashboard. Android Dashboard will offer a quick glimpse into how you’re using your phone, including stats on which apps you’re using the most, how many times you’ve turned on the screen, how many notifications you’ve received, and how much time you’ve spent on each app.

You’ll also find a feature called App Timers that’ll restrict you from using a certain app after you’ve spent x amount of time on it, as well as tools for easily turning on Do Not Disturb and switching your screen to a monochrome color palette to help you wind down for bed.

Google’s Digital Wellbeing initiative: Everything you need to know

Google’s trying to squeeze as much juice as possible out of your battery

It seems like Google’s always trying to find ways to maximize your phone’s battery life as much as possible, and with Android Pie, those efforts are present in a new Adaptive Battery mode.

Similar to how Adaptive Brightness automatically adjusts your display’s brightness level based on your environment and usage, Adaptive Battery will examine how you use your phone and limit CPU usage to apps you infrequently use.

Google notes that Adaptive Battery can lower CPU usage by as much as 30%, and thanks to the use of Machine Learning, it’ll only get better the more you use your phone.

How to save battery life on Android Pie

App shortcuts are everywhere

With Android Nougat, Google introduced us to App Shortcuts for the first time. Holding down on an app icon to quickly access certain elements of it can be genuinely useful at times, and with Android Pie, Google’s taking these to the next level with App Actions and Slices.

App Actions will try to determine what you’ll do next with your phone and give you recommend shortcuts for doing so within the app drawer, Assistant, and more. For example, if you watch Good Mythical Morning each day with breakfast, you might see an App Shortcut in your app drawer for searching Rhett and Link on YouTube during the morning.

On the other hand, Slices will allow you to perform more complex actions from the Assistant or Google Search. In the example Google gave at I/O, searching “I want to book a ride” will give you a special link to call a ride home via Lyft (assuming you’ve got the app installed).

Android Pie features you’ll love: App Actions

157 new emoji

In Android 9, Google’s added a ton of new emojis to keep your conversations bright and colorful — 157 of them, to be exact.

Although we won’t run through the entire list, some of the highlights include red hair, superhero, face with three hearts, bagel with cream cheese, mooncake, lobster, and llama.

There are also improvements to existing emoji, including two new gender-neutral family and couple designs and updated looks for the bacon, salad, turtle, and cricket emojis.

Check out all of the new emoji here!

A new standard for biometric authentication

Fingerprint sensors and face unlock systems make it easier than ever to access private information on our phones, and in Android P Developer Preview 3, Google added a brand-new standard for this called “BiometricPrompt API.”

Thanks to the new API, developers no longer have to create their own dialog for using biometric systems with their apps. This isn’t something you’ll notice in day-to-day use, but it’s an important background change we’re more than happy to see.

Android Pie features you’ll love: Better, faster biometrics

All the little things

In addition to the big changes found in Android Pie, there are a ton of smaller elements also scattered throughout the update. Some of my favorites include:

• Built-in screenshot editor
• Zoom pop-up when highlighting text
• Changing the volume now defaults to your media volume
• Volume controls appear on the right of your screen instead of the top
• Do Not Disturb is more customizable and easier to understand

Updated August 6, 2018: This article was revamped/refreshed with up-to-date content now that Android Pie is official!

Android 9 Pie

• Android 9 Pie review: Greater than the sum of its slices
• Everything you need to know about Android 9 Pie!
• Will my phone get Android Pie?
• How to get Android 9 Pie on your Pixel right now
• Join the Discussion