The actual new game, Sonic Frontiers, is still a while off - so up steps Sonic Origins, a collection of the truly good Sonic games - which is to say, the 2D ones, the first four entries in the series. That’s Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, and Sonic & Knuckles from the Mega Drive/Genesis, plus Sonic CD from the Sega CD. Yes, that’s five and I said four games - but the latter two Mega Drive games are really two halves of the same game, and in this collection are presented as one title, Sonic 3 & Knuckles....

According to sources speaking with BusinessInsider, Sony is currently testing with adtech partners to help developers insert ads in free-to-play games as a way for studios to monetize titles. Currently, the ads are limited to in-menu, and Sony intends to put the plan into place by the end of 2022. The ads would eventually be inserted into PlayStation games, but they would appear as part of the game, similar to a digital billboard....

The company has brought back its register to buy program in order for folks to have a chance at finally getting a PS5. With Sony’s program, you will have the opportunity to purchase one of the limited numbers of PS5s available this coming Holiday season in the US which can be purchased directly from PlayStation. These consoles will be purchasable to those selected. The selection process is aimed toward users’ previous interests and PlayStation activities....

As part of Sony’s PS5 Showcase, where we learned the price and launch dates of PS5, the company also confirmed all the games that will be available on day one. With that, came confirmation of the new prices for these next-gen games. Games coming from Worldwide Studios will cost $70/£70/€80, the platform holder said. This goes for Demon’s Souls, Destruction All Stars, and Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition. There are exceptions to this, and it’s the standard edition of Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which is instead priced $50/£52/€60, and Sackboy A Big Adventure, which costs the standard $60/£60/€70....

Per VGC, a patent was recently filed by Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Japanese branch, and the document details hardware that would fit onto either side of your device, using its screen as the display in the middle. It sort of looks a bit like a Nintendo Switch, or the Backbone One that’s been so popular with iPhone users. The patent suggests Sony is looking at a DualShock-inspired design, rather than something based on the PS5’s DualSense....

The plight of Bloodborne fans is quite the sad predicament, and one that I’ve always found amusing from the sidelines. The way in which Sony continually disappoints fans of the soulslike title is almost comical. After yesterday’s tweet, it almost feels like Sony is winding its fans up on purpose. Yesterday evening, Sony posted a rather illusive tweet. A tweet that could very easily be read as some sort of teaser for an announcement; will Bloodborne be remastered?...

During tonight’s PS5 showcase, Sony showed off a brief trailer for the second instalment in Insomniac’s smash-hit Spider-Man series, this time featuring Miles Morales in the title role. Rumors of the next game in the Marvel series started popping up in December 2019, where it was stated the game would be released during holiday 2021. Another rumor from earlier this year also stated the game would arrive during that timeframe....

Spoilers follow… When you’re playing The Last of Us: Part 2 as Abby, there’s a point where you have to travel to the hospital to get some supplies for an injured Yara. To get the supplies you have to delve into Ground Zero, the place where the cordyceps infection first broke out. It’s dark down here and there’s a particularly tough enemy waiting in the shadows: The Rat King. Watch us take out both of its forms in the video below: Before you fight The Rat King properly, you have to run....

Sony has detailed the next State of Play presentation. Taking place this Thursday, July 8, the showcase will primarily focus on Arkane’s Deathloop, with a nine-minute gameplay demo. The 30-minute livestream kicks off at 2pm PT, 5pm ET, 10pm UK, and will also feature news from some indie games, as well as other third-party titles. Don’t expect first-party content there, however, as Sony said it won’t feature God of War, or Horizon Forbidden West....

Today’s update specifically optimizes Stellaris: Console Edition for Xbox Series X/S hardware. You can expect higher frame rates, faster simulation speed, and lower load times along with supporting the Smart Delivery feature. View a side-by-side breakdown of current and new-generation Xbox consoles below. Also avaiable today is the Lithoids Species Pack for console, which introduces new empire mechanics as well as rock-based species portraits and ship models and a new voice pack....

The internet loves Craig the Brute - we already know that. He’s even been branded as the official Xbox mascot. But I’m not here to talk about Craig the Brute. I’m here to talk about Steve the Flood, who has laid down his weapons and decided to follow Master Chief around in Halo: Combat Evolved while giving him loads of hugs for moral support. Check out the Reddit post below, which features some footage of Steve the Flood being a total legend....

Just one day after hackers leaked the first CD Projekt Red game source code for Gwent, an auction was held where they could offer the entirety of the stolen data to the highest bidder. The auction was held on a popular hacking forum on the dark web, and the bidding started at $1 million, according to Vx-underground. The auction concluded shortly after, once hackers received a satisfying bid, per KELA Research....

One of the very first things you’ll find on the farm is a broken-down chicken coop and a wild chicken nearby. Using the materials you have directly to hand and a few tools donated to you by the Mayor of Olive Town, you’ll soon have restored the coop and tamed the chicken. Before your chicken can begin to lay valuable eggs, though, you’ll need to feed her. You do this by loading up the feeding bin inside the chicken coop with fodder....

The first maker machine you’re likely to encounter is the Lumber Maker. It’s used for refining logs into lumber, and is essential for performing the many repairs to your grandfather’s broken-down farm that are necessary right from the start of the game. How to unlock the Lumber Maker in Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town How to craft the Lumber Maker in Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town Using the Lumber Maker Upgrading the Lumber Maker...

Home of the bombs sounds like a rough place for a nice, easy, starter tutorial level, but it’s more friendly than it seems. Like all levels in Mario 64, there are 7 stars to grab here - six mission stars and one for gathering a whole bunch of coins. Most of these can be nabbed right away, but for one you’ll need to pop back later once you have a certain power-up....

To reach Dire Dire Docks and begin searching for its power stars, you’ll need to pass through the large star door in the castle basement area and jump into the huge wall of water. After completing the first star, the water wall will shift back a little to allow you access to a pit that leads to the second Bowser boss encounter. If you need assistance with another level, check out our Super Mario 64 Ultimate Guide, which has all courses and even the Castle Secret Stars....

To gather Ecto Mist, you’ll need to create the Graveyard Biome, which you can do by laying out some Tombstones. Ecto Mist floats just above the ground and the more Tombstones are added the thicker it gets. Eventually, you’ll spawn Ghosts, Zombies, Demon Eyes and Maggot Zombies will spawn and if you place six Tombstones, an NPC will appear with some unique loot. You can also send NPCs there and it won’t affect their overall happiness, though some items may disappear from their inventory....

Naturally, this can only be achieved through the tried-and-true TN panel technology. Nvidia claims this is a new form of TN it’s calling E-TN (esports TN). TN is a very mature tech, which makes it relatively cheap. It doesn’t have the best colour accuracy, vibrancy or view angles, but it can consistently be driven to produce ultra-low latency and high refresh rates. The ROG Swift 500Hz, unsurprisingly, only comes in 24" running at 1080p....

News of the impending information came from Glen Schofield, founder, and CEO of developer Striking Distance Studios. Unveiled at The Game Awards 2020, all we’ve seen so far is the cinematic trailer, so hopefully, we’ll get to see some gameplay next week. Created by the team behind the survival horror franchise Dead Space, The Callisto Protocol is an all-new take on the genre and is slated for PC and console release sometime this year....

This time, the story will revolve less around supernatural elements, and more around things that are a little bit more grounded in reality. In The Devil in Me, a group of documentary filmmakers receive a mysterious invite to a replica of the ‘Murder Castle’ of H.H. Holmes – America’s first serial killer. The crew – who you’ll no doubt be able to play as from a multi-protagonist perspective – soon discover that they’re being watched, and there is much more at stake than their viewing figures....