Teaming with 343 Industries, Seagate today announced the latest addition to its popular line of storage for gamers - Game Drive for Xbox Halo: Master Chief Limited Edition. Celebrating the legendary Master Chief from the Halo video game franchise, this limited edition Game Drive features a one-of-a-kind sleek case design that celebrates the Master Chief John-117. A limited Master Chief vinyl die-cut sticker set also comes in the box for fans to collect. The new drive is available in 2 TB and 5 TB capacities so gamers can install more games and downloadable game content by balancing their gaming workload between console and external HDD.

Gamers can easily begin their Halo journey as the Game Drive is compatible with and automatically recognized by the full family of Xbox One devices, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S consoles, and easily installed in under two minutes through Xbox OS. It is USB 3.2 Gen 1 bus powered and does not need a separate power cord to play so fans can unite in their mission from anywhere. Users can play legacy games and archive next generation games on the Game Drive which can store more than 502 downloaded games.

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced the Kaira Pro Designed for Xbox, a high-performance wireless gaming headset for Xbox Series X|S featuring Razer's latest award-winning audio technologies, delivering a next level audio experience on the next generation of Xbox consoles. Using Razer's TriForce Titanium 50 mm Drivers and HyperClear Supercardioid Mic, and with Xbox Wireless and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, the Kaira Pro provides stunning audio and clear voice comms for both Xbox Series X|S and cloud gaming players.

Today, gamers can access more than 100 game titles on Xbox consoles, PCs and - with the advent of cloud gaming - Android devices with a membership to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. But a lack of cross-platform compatibility left gamers using different headsets to play the same game on different devices, often compromising on performance and features. With the Razer Kaira Pro, gamers can use the same high-quality, feature-rich headset on their Xbox Series X|S, PC and Android phone or tablet, to enjoy the rich, immersive sound and crackle free comms for that perfect gaming experience, whether at home or on the go.

CORSAIR, a world leader in high-performance gaming peripherals and enthusiast components, today launched the CORSAIR HS70 BLUETOOTH Wired Gaming Headset with Bluetooth, the latest addition to the award-winning HS Series of gaming headsets. With two wired connection options - high-fidelity 24-bit / 96 kHz USB and 3.5 mm - along with Bluetooth, the HS70 BLUETOOTH simultaneously mixes wired gaming audio on Switch, PS4/PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/Series S, or PC and wireless Bluetooth audio from a mobile device, enabling clear voice chat with your team or incoming phone calls, while still hearing everything you need on the battlefield. Constructed with high-quality 50 mm neodymium audio drivers and plush memory foam ear cups, the HS70 BLUETOOTH puts you comfortably in command.

The HS70 BLUETOOTH combines wired gaming audio from a console or PC with wireless Bluetooth audio on your mobile device, enabling seamless connection with voice chat apps, music, or phone calls without interrupting gameplay. Bluetooth connectivity enables a comprehensive audio experience with apps such as the Switch mobile app, integrated seamlessly alongside wired game audio from the Switch console. A detachable noise-cancelling uni-directional microphone reduces ambient noise for superb vocal clarity, and a rechargeable battery lasts up to 30 hours on a single charge so you can play long into the night.

Microsoft has today published another article on its Xbox Wire blog, dedicated to all the news regarding the Xbox consoles and its ecosystem. In the light of yesterday's launch of AMD Radeon RDNA 2 graphics cards, Microsoft has congratulated its partner and provider of processors SoCs for their next-generation consoles. Besides the celebrations and congratulations, Microsoft has proceeded to show off what the Xbox Series X and Series S consoles are capable of, and how they integrate the RDNA 2 architecture. The company notes that there are hardware accelerated DirectX Raytracing, Mesh Shaders, Sampler Feedback, and Variable Rate Shading units built-in, so game developers can take advantage of it.

Another interesting point Microsoft made was that "Xbox Series X|S are the only next-generation consoles with full hardware support for all the RDNA 2 capabilities AMD showcased today." What this translates into is that Microsoft is the only console maker that uses the full RDNA 2 potential. This could leave Sony out in the dark with its PlayStation 5 console, meaning that it does not support all the features of AMD's new GPU architecture. There are not any specific points, however, we have to wait and see what Sony has left out, if anything.

Do you remember No Man's Sky? Yes, that procedurally-generated game that mostly flopped at release, promising an endless universe for you to explore. Well, the game may have launched way back in 2016, but it's become one of the most well-supported releases in the history of videogames - at least, for a release that doesn't count on a subscription-like service to generate revenue. Hello games has now announced that they will be launching a next gen version of No man's Sky for both the PS5 and Xbox Series X - and gamers who already own a PS4 or Xbox One version of the game are eligible for a free upgrade.

The new, next gen version bumps the visuals to 4K resolution running at 60 FPS; severely diminishes loading times; features cross-play support; and there's also support for 32-player multiplayer, the first time this has been implemented in the console version of the game. There will also be a measure of graphical improvement beyond the increase in resolution, such as improved shadows and volumetrics. Improvements to spatial audio have also been baked in, due to the next gen console's support for more advanced soundscapes. PC users, of course, are already entitled to the update (it's one of the positives of having machines that can always slot in alongside the current generation of consoles). Whatever your opinion on the games' release state, the amount of content and support that has been delivered after the games' release should place Hello Games at the top of your developer short list.

Developer CD Projekt Red has announced that Cyberpunk 2077 is now facing another delay - this one of just 21 days. The game is now slated for release on December 10th, which gives the developer more time to work on the launch-day patch so that everything runs as smoothly as possible when the game is out in the wild and in the hands of millions of expectant gamers.

The developer clarified that the reason for the game's delay is the need to launch it concurrently on all platforms they've committed to - current-gen, next-gen, PC, and Stadia. In total, the developer is working on polishing and testing nine different versions of the game (PS4, PS4 Pro, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PC, and Stadia). This is just mind-bogglingly complex, as you might expect. We also have to take into account that CD Projekt Red has its own shoes to fill when it comes to final quality, and we must remember that first impressions make or break a videogame's reception in the current climate (remember Mass Effect: Andromeda or any other number of games). It seems that the cautious, methodical approach may be the best one for such a high-stakes release. I, for one, would much rather enjoy a game with less chances of game-breaking bugs than a rushed release - especially considering the amount of platforms the game is shipping for.

A German website, Heise.de, has discovered a bug in HDMI 2.1 chipset that causes black screen issues on specific hardware. On AV chipsets sourced by Panasonic, and used by Denon, Marantz, and Yamaha HDMI 2.1 AV receivers, the chipset experiences a specific issue of a black screen. More specifically, the bug happens once you connect Microsoft's newest console, Xbox Series X, or NVIDIA's Ampere graphics cards. When connecting these sources at resolutions like 4K/120 Hz HDR and 8K/60 Hz HDR to Panasonic HDMI 2.1 chipsets, the black screen happens. This represents a major problem for every manufacturer planning to use the Panasonic HDMI 2.1 chipset in its AV receivers, meaning that the issue has to be addressed. The Audioholics website has reached out to Sound United and Yamaha to see what their responses were, and you can check them out below.

CORSAIR, a world leader in high-performance gaming peripherals and enthusiast components, today announced the launch of its first officially licensed headset for Microsoft Xbox, the HS75 XB WIRELESS Gaming Headset. Compatible with Xbox One and the upcoming next-generation Xbox Series X and Series S, the HS75 XB WIRELESS delivers the fantastic sound and comfort that the CORSAIR HS Series is known for, connecting directly to your Xbox console via Xbox Wireless without the need for a wireless receiver, or to a Windows 10 PC via the Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows (sold separately). Complete with immersive Dolby Atmos for precise three-dimensional sound and a noise-cancelling uni-directional microphone, the HS75 XB WIRELESS is the perfect companion for your current or future Xbox console.

Great sound starts with great audio drivers, which is why the HS75XB WIRELESS utilizes custom-tuned 50 mm neodymium drivers with the range to hear everything you need on the battlefield. Coupled with Dolby Atmos spatial audio - a first for a CORSAIR headset - you'll feel closer to the action than ever before. To ensure clear communication with your teammates, the HS75 XB WIRELESS is equipped with a uni-directional microphone, along with on-ear game audio and chat mix controls so you can easily switch focus from hearing the action to hearing your squad, and vice versa.

Microsoft has confirmed that Halo: The Master Chief Collection will be receiving a next-generation upgrade for the Xbox Series X/S. The upgrades include 120 FPS support in Campaign & Multiplayer game modes along with split-screen improvements. These updates are similar to the improvements found in the PC version of the game which has been progressively releasing. The Xbox Series X version will also be receiving 4K support when the upgrade launches on November 17th as a free update for owners of the game. The Halo: The Master Chief Collection will also be available through Xbox Game Pass and contains Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, Halo: Reach, and Halo 4.

Microsoft is introducing some new requirements for external storage devices on the Xbox Series X/S. The new consoles feature high-speed PCIe 4.0 SSD storage which should greatly reduce loading times, with 802 GB of usable space on the Xbox Series X for games and apps. This internal SSD will allow gamers to install a handful of AAA games, for those looking to expand the storage on the new console have two options the proprietary high-speed connector or a USB based storage device.

The high-speed connector will allow for plug and play storage upgrades with high speed NVMe SSDs from Seagate however, these expansion modules will come in at a high price. For those looking to save some money, Microsoft has recently confirmed the minimum requirements for using an external storage device for game and app installations, which are USB 3.0 only and a minimum of 128 GB. This will rule out older HDDs and lower capacity USB sticks but will helpfully allow for a higher quality experience.

In the latest episode of "next-generation gaming issues", the Xbox Series X console pre-order has also seen its stock depleted from all online merchants. Following issues with both the RTX 3080 and PS5 supplies, now it's the time for Microsoft to be in the spotlight, as the question of low stock or fundamentally impressive demand arises once again. This is likely an answer we won't ever have; however, it also has to be said that there is plenty of time for stocks to be replenished for both Microsoft's Xbox Series X and Sony's PlayStation 5 before their respective launches. I wouldn't worry too much for now.

At the same time as Xbox Series X pre-orders made stock go the way of the dodo, the usual scalpers have already surfaced on the common secondhand marketplaces, looking to sell their "pre-order" confirmed consoles for prices that usually sit around at double the MSRP (set at $499 by Microsoft). Remember to not let yourself be a part of this chain; save yourself money, and be part of the solution to scalpers by not engaging with their offerings. You still have time to secure your console.

Dolby have recently announced that the Xbox Series X and Series S will support Dolby Atmos games at launch and Dolby Vision games later in 2021. This will be the first time a generation of consoles have supported the standards in-game. Dolby Vision creates the best HDR experience with a compatible screen as it offers per scene metadata adjustments and 12-bit color depth. Dolby Vision is already available through Netflix on Xbox One but this will be the first time both technologies are offered for console games. Dolby Atmos support will be included at launch, however, a 15 USD license fee will be required if you don't own Atmos speakers.

Microsoft today finalized the pricing and announced availability dates of its next-generation Xbox entertainment systems. The company has segmented its console lineup to target two price points, with the mighty Xbox Series X being priced at USD $499 (ERP), and the newly announced Xbox Series S at $299 (ERP). Both models will be available from November 10, 2020, but pre-orders for both begin from September 22. The Xbox Series X covers the complete next-generation hardware feature-set of Microsoft's next-gen console, offering 4K UHD gaming, and an optical disc drive for physical media.

The Xbox Series S, on the other hand, is an all-digital console, meaning that the games you own are downloaded onto its local storage to play, there's no optical disc drive. The Xbox Series S further offers 1440p gameplay at frame-rates of up to 120 FPS, or 4K UHD gameplay upscaled from a lower resolution, or high refresh-rate 1440p/1080p gameplay. You still do get the full DirectX 12 Ultimate feature-set. The NVMe SSD-based local storage for the Xbox Series S is 512 GB, half that of the Xbox Series X.

Microsoft today surprised us with the Xbox Series S announcement. The Xbox Series S offers "next gen performance" and is the "smallest Xbox ever." The company promised to share more details, but when it goes on sale, it will cost just USD $299 (ERP). The announcement teaser had a pretty clear image of the finished product, revealing it to be barely more than two controllers in volume. A large fan intake makes up one of its side panels. It retains the general design of the larger Xbox Series X. Microsoft stated it will share more details about the new console.

ASTRO Gaming, the leader in premium video gaming equipment, today unveiled the second generation of the studio's award-winning ASTRO A20 Wireless Gaming Headset. Professionally tuned to deliver audiophile-grade gaming performance, the ASTRO A20 is a multi-purpose headset featuring premium quality design, comfort and wireless connectivity at an accessible price point.

In addition to the A20 Gaming Headset, ASTRO Gaming is introducing the A20 Wireless Gen 2 USB Transmitter designed for Xbox consoles and PlayStation. One USB transmitter for Xbox consoles or PlayStation is included with each A20 Headset, or available for purchase separately. For multi-platform A20 gamers, adding a second USB Transmitter allows for the pairing of a single headset with multiple consoles.

Warner Bros. Games and DC today announced Gotham Knights, a brand-new open-world, third-person action RPG videogame in development from Warner Bros. Games Montréal. Gotham Knights features the Batman Family as players step into the roles of Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood and Robin, a new guard of trained DC Super Heroes who must rise up as the protectors of Gotham City in the wake of Batman's death.

Introducing an original story set in DC's Batman Universe, Gotham Knights offers a dynamic and interactive Gotham City where an exploding criminal element has swept through the streets. With the Belfry as their base of operations, this new era of heroes will solve mysteries that connect the darkest chapters in the city's history and must defeat notorious villains in epic confrontations. Players must save Gotham from a descent into chaos and reinvent themselves into their own version of the Dark Knight.

Microsoft in its Hot Chips 32 presentation detailed the SoC at the heart of the upcoming Xbox Series X entertainment system. The chip mostly uses AMD IP blocks, and is built on TSMC N7e (enhanced 7 nm) process. It is a 360.4 mm² die with a transistor count of 15.3 billion. Microsoft spoke about the nuts and bolts of the SoC, including its largest component - the GPU based on AMD's new RDNA2 graphics architecture. The GPU takes up much of the chip's die area, and has a raw SIMD throughput of 12 TFLOP/s. It meets DirectX 12 Ultimate logo requirements, supporting hardware-accelerated ray-tracing.

The RDNA2 GPU powering the Xbox Series X SoC features 52 compute units spread across 26 RDNA2 dual compute units. The silicon itself physically features two additional dual CUs (taking the total physical CU count to 56), but are disabled (possibly harvesting headroom). We've detailed first-generation RDNA architecture in the "architecture" pages of our first AMD Radeon RX 5000-series "Navi" graphics card reviews, which explains much of the SIMD-level innovations from AMD that help it drive a massive SIMD IPC gain over the previous-generation GCN architecture. This hierarchy is largely carried over to RDNA2, but with the addition of a few SIMD-level components.

Today, we announced updates to Halo Infinite's launch timing. Our vision at Xbox and 343 Industries has always been to deliver the most ambitious Halo game ever for our fans, while also balancing the team's well-being. To do that, we will need some more time to finish the critical work necessary to launch Halo Infinite, which will come in 2021.

We have plenty to keep you busy until Chief arrives: there will be thousands of games to play, spanning four generations, when Xbox Series X launches globally this November and over 100 optimized for Xbox Series X titles, built to take full advantage of our most powerful console, are planned for this year. And with brand new console features like hardware-accelerated Direct X raytracing, framerates up to 120 frames per second, faster loading times, and Quick Resume for multiple games, playing will look and feel better, no matter which games you choose to play on day one.

343 Industries have recently announced that Halo Infinite will be delayed from a November 2020 launch to a as of yet unknown 2021 launch date. This comes as a major blow to the Xbox Series X which was planned to have Halo Infinite as a headliner launch title. The team explained how COVID-19 had introduced new development challenges and that the extra time will allow them to complete critical work on the game. Hopefully this delay will bring a better, more polished Halo title.

Chris Lee 343 Industries Studio HeadThe decision to shift our release is the result of multiple factors that have contributed to development challenges, including the ongoing COVID-related impacts affecting us all this year. I want to acknowledge the hard work from our team at 343 Industries, who have remained committed to making a great game and finding solutions to development challenges. However, it is not sustainable for the well-being of our team or the overall success of the game to ship it this holiday.

We reported on rumors about the cheaper next-generation Xbox console back in June, and after this latest leak we can be sure it will be called the Xbox Series X. Twitter user Zak S has obtained images of the Xbox Series X controller and packaging, which confirm compatibility with the Xbox Series S. The packaging details that the controller will work with both Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles along with Xbox One consoles, Windows 10, Android, and IOS.

This Xbox Series S is expected to be announced by Microsoft in the coming weeks, the console is designed to complement the Xbox Series X as a cheaper alternative for casual gamers and media consumption. The console is rumored to feature 7.5 GB useable memory compared to the 13.5 GB useable on the Xbox Series X along with graphics power of 4 TFLOPs or roughly 3x worse then the Xbox Series X at 12 TFLOPs.

Gabe Newell and his family have been living in New Zealand since early March after the coronavirus epidemic broke out. The billionaire Valve co-founder recently featured on a local news program to promote his upcoming 'thanks for having us' event. Gabe Newell was asked about his opinions on the Xbox Series X vs the PlayStation 5 about 3 minutes into the interview. When asked which system was the best he quickly replied "the Xbox", following up when asked about his answer with "because it's better". Gabe Newell was likely referring to the arguably superior Xbox Series X specifications in most categories except storage. With both consoles launching later this year, it will be interesting to see which console comes out ahead.

AMD late Tuesday released its Q2-2020 financial results, which saw the company rake in revenue of $1.93 billion for the quarter, and clock a 26 percent YoY revenue growth. In both its corporate presentation targeted at the financial analysts, and its post-results conference call, AMD revealed a handful interesting bits looking into the near future. Much of the focus of AMD's presentation was in reassuring investors that [unlike Intel] it is promising a stable and predictable roadmap, that nothing has changed on its roadmap, and that it intends to execute everything on time. "Over the past couple of quarters what we've seen is that they see our performance/capability. You can count on us for a consistent roadmap. Milan point important for us, will ensure it ships later this year. Already started engaging people on Zen4/5nm. We feel customers are very open. We feel well positioned," said president and CEO Dr Lisa Su.

For starters, there was yet another confirmation from the CEO that the company will launch the "Zen 3" CPU microarchitecture across both the consumer and data-center segments before year-end, which means both Ryzen and EPYC "Milan" products based on "Zen 3." Also confirmed was the introduction of the RDNA2 graphics architecture across consumer graphics segments, and the debut of the CDNA scalar compute architecture. The company started shipping semi-custom SoCs to both Microsoft and Sony, so they could manufacture their next-generation Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 game consoles in volumes for the Holiday shopping season. Semi-custom shipments could contribute big to the company's Q3-2020 earnings. CDNA won't play a big role in 2020 for AMD, but there will be more opportunities for the datacenter GPU lineup in 2021, according to the company. CDNA2 debuts next year.

Data miners have reportedly found a new piece of information about the very popular game World of Warcraft. Inside the game code for the new Shadowlands expansion pack, few data miners spotted support for gaming controllers, which lead to rumors that WoW is coming to next-generation consoles. With PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X coming soon, it is now a hot topic to see which games are coming to the new platform. However, Blizzard has issued an official response to those rumors saying the following:

We currently have no plans to bring World of Warcraft or Shadowlands to Xbox Series X. The platform was listed on the Brazil Ministry of Justice rating website in error, and the entry has since been updated to reflect that the game is coming only to PC

The "Gaming Accessories Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2020-2025)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global gaming accessories market is expected to reach a CAGR of 9.5% during the forecast period of 2020-2025. Increasing adoption of smartphones, rapidly evolving technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) are fueling the growth of the market across the globe.

Major gaming console manufacturers like Nintendo and Microsoft have realized the potentiality of AR and are leading the charge. AR can free gamers from their world' and usher them into the real world to play. For instance, Human Pac-Man is a game that allows the users to wear goggles and chase each other in real life, just resembling the characters in Pac-Man. Such developments are aiding the development of gaming accessories to provide enhanced gaming experience to gamers.

Today, Microsoft held a long-awaited reveal for many upcoming games that the company hopes will justify bringing players into their ecosystem. Whether via their existing Xbox devices or through the next-generation Xbox Series X and gaming PC, the company put on a show showcasing the future of games as they envision them - but many more games from even Microsoft's first-party studios weren't showcased - yet.

The star of the show and opening opus was Halo Infinite, the much-awaited next installment in the Halo saga. The showcase revealed a part of the campaign, with cinematics and gameplay, and it does seem to be another step in the right direction for the franchise. The 8-minute gameplay video showcased the gorgeous environments, particle and sound effects made possible by the new Splipspace Engine in the new Halo game, with a number of impressive new weapons and game mechanics (that grappling hook does seem sweet, doesn't it?). A look at the map reveals an open-world-esque approach to game design, with 343 industries promising the game to be many times bigger than their two previous games, Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians, combined. A smooth 60-frames per second and 4K resolution is promised in what will definitely be the Xbox Series X's crown launch jewel. No multiplayer was shown - yet. We expect 343 Industries to start launching Sprint videos on the development of the game in the coming months, and also new game trailers showcasing the mechanics of the game.