Microsoft Continues With Xbox Game Pass For August 2021 With Psychonauts 2, 12 Minutes, And More

Like clockwork as Xbox Game Pass typically works, Microsoft at the start of August offered a sufficient number of games to the service to kick off the last month of the summer. In that welcomes titles likes Hades, Katamari Damacy: Reroll, and Art of Rally at the time. But following announcements grew more excitement for the monthly service. Later on, Microsoft in two instances announced that more anticipated releases will launch for Xbox Game Pass as well. The first being Amplitude Studios’ Humankind which is to ship for Xbox Game Pass for PC later on this month. Secondly, Surgeon Simulator 2: Access All Areas is to hit the service for consoles entering September. Now in a new announcement on Tuesday, the Xbox company unveils its next lineup of additions to Xbox Game Pass. You can read the full list below: Console Recompile – 8/19 Train Sim World 2 – 8/19 Twelve Minutes – 8/19 Psychonauts 2 – 8/25 Myst – 8/26 PC Humankind – 8/17 Recompile – 8/19 Train Sim World 2 – 8/19 Twelve Minutes – 8/19 Psychonauts 2 – 8/25 Myst – 8/26 Cloud Need for Speed Heat [EA Play] – 8/17 Star Wars Battlefront II [EA Play] – 8/17 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order [EA Play] – 8/17 Recompile – 8/19 Train Sim World 2 – 8/19 Twelve Minutes – 8/19 Psychonauts 2 – 8/25 Myst – 8/26 Additionally, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for xCloud also goes on to introduce more touch screen controls for ten more games. Those titles are: Hades, Bloodroots, Farming Simulator 19, Going Under, Need for Speed Heat (EA Play), Peggle 2 (EA Play), Psychonauts, Wasteland 2, Wasteland 3, and Wasteland Remastered. Of course, there is also a small list of games departing from Xbox Game Pass soon as well, which are: Blair Witch (Cloud; Console; PC), Double Kick Heroes (Cloud; Console; PC), NBA 2K21 (Cloud; Console), and Stranger Things 3: The Game (Cloud; Console; PC). Elsewhere recently, Microsoft held its second partnered /Twitchgaming & ID@Xbox Showcase. At the time, the firm unveiled a list of upcoming additions to arrive to Xbox Game Pass bleeding into 2022 including Stardew Valley and Evil Genius 2. You can read the full report by heading here. Which titles are you most excited to see hit Xbox Game Pass leading to August’s end? Source: Xbox Wire
PlayStation Boss Jim Ryan Clarifies His Support For Legacy Games

Despite the success that the PlayStation 5 achieved in its short run so far since launching this past November, many still hold criticisms to the lack of legacy support on its platform. In that, the opposing Xbox Series X|S support up to four generations of hardware releases on the one device. However, the PlayStation 5 does not entirely dodge the situation as at least PlayStation 4 titles are available to play natively. But, that does not leave the presumption that Sony Interactive Entertainment is not fond of the its preceding platforms. Apologetically, President & CEO Jim Ryan at launch for PlayStation 5 was upset to reveal PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 games could not be supported for the newest system. But, the PlayStation company did attempt to through discovered patents before the PlayStation 5’s announcement. However, an interview with Time Magazine in July shared Ryan’s appeared distaste for previous titles when speaking on the contrast of the original Gran Turismo releases. “The PS1 and the PS2 games, they looked ancient, like why would anybody play this?” Ryan expressed in the interview then. But when speaking to Axios Gaming, Video Game Chronicles transcribes that Ryan is a large supported for older titles. The point I was trying to make — obviously not very well — was just how great the PS4 version looked and how far the series had evolved. I certainly wasn’t trying to be disrespectful to our heritage. I guess my big learning from all of this is that when Kazunori Yamauchi unveils the next “Gran Turismo” side by side with its history, that I will keep my mouth shut. What is important to recognize when considering this question about designing a new platform, is that time, engineering resource, and money are all finite, and that important trade-offs have to be made in terms of what’s included, and what’s not. While Ryan’s comment on his original statement is understanding to be a misinterpretation for what he intended, actions from Sony Interactive Entertainment do appear to be lesser than desirable for previous generations. In that, it was attempted to dismantle the storefronts for PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita. But, the firm later retracted the decision only dismantling the PSP altogether. Although the decision to pull the digital stores from PlayStation 3 & PlayStation Vita were cancelled thanks to user outcry, Video Game Chronicles did an analysis previous to the update revealing that roughly 2,000+ titles would be gone forever if the decision was executed. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you surprised by Ryan’s statement on legacy backwards compatibility? Source: Video Game Chronicles
Nintendo 3DS & Wii U eShops To Do Away With Payment Options On January 18 Next Year, Nintendo Announces

Given how services and features are provided to hallmark systems at the time of its release and following, the same cannot be said for the same hardware when it becomes legacy unfortunately. In that, platform holders meet a threshold where its digital stores or features do not provide an efficient profit and meet with respected aspects to be discontinues altogether. On Xbox, we saw that with the OneGuide earlier this year. Additionally, Sony Interactive Entertainment tried to do that with its previous platforms. In that sense, it announced the PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita storefronts would be terminated later in the summer. However, user outcry resulted with the PlayStation company retracting the decision; everything except the PlayStation Portable unfortunately. But in a recent update on Nintendo’s support page in Japan, the firm announces that the Nintendo 3DS & Nintendo Wii U eShops are to dismantle payment methods starting next year. You can read the statement crunched through an online translator below: The use of credit cards and transportation e-money in the Nintendo 3DS series and Nintendo eShops in the Wii U will end on Tuesday, January 18, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. After the event, nintendo 3DS series and Wii U will no longer be available to add balances using credit cards and transportation electronic money. However, Nintendo elsewhere in the support page does clarify that users who still desire to make purchases can do so by prepaid cards applicable for both systems. Additionally, Nintendo clarifies that the internet browser ‘filtering function’ against harmful websites is tied to credit card authentication and those that desire to change it must do so before the feature is disabled completely later on in 2022. While on the topic of prior hardware, it was recently discovered that both the Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3 were both outsold by the Nintendo Switch in its latest financial report. That metric features the Nintendo Switch now selling 89.04 million units. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you affected by the recent decision from Nintendo? Source: Nintendo
Latest Xbox Insider Alpha Skip-Ahead Ring Updates Enhances Dashboard UI Up To 4K, Microsoft Announces For Xbox Series X

Although Xbox Series X|S consoles already come with niché features and settings that stand itself away from PlayStation 5 – such as extended backwards compatibility, FPS Boost, and Dolby Vision support – there continues to be new additions that get introduced to the sibling systems since each’s November launch last fall. Most notably came from the previous Xbox Insiders Alpha Ring Update which allowed users to suspend running apps to boost download speeds then. However, there were some other beneficial features many deem a plus for those that need the extra hand. Already, Microsoft previously pledged in pursuing multiple avenues to make its platforms more accessible than it already is for those afflicted with life-altering disabilities. So back in May, the team introduced speech-to-text support for a selection of titles. And moving forward are more general updates to the platform. In the recent Xbox Insiders Release Notes posted on Monday, the team revealed that the Xbox Series X are to receive an update towards its UI. In particular the rendered resolution is to be enhanced up to 4K: clarifying that the enhancement targets, but does not entirely hit 4K, at least for the Skip-Ahead ring for now. Alpha Skip-Ahead Insiders on Xbox Series X consoles connected to a 4K display can begin finding an increased resolution UI. This change means Home, Guide, and other areas of the UI will be displayed in a higher native resolution for increased sharpness and text readability. Jon Hood, Xbox Program Manager Notably, this feature while new to Xbox Series X is not for its Sony counterpart. Since launch last year, PlayStation 5 UI already targeted 4K resolution for supported displays. However, Microsoft’s system remained dormant on the feature as Xbox Series X met with 1080p until this week. Previously, another Xbox Series X|S update that shipped out minimized the load times for Quick Resume. While the waiting is fairly minimized thanks to the internal SSD for the current-generation consoles, the patch at the time further reduced the time queuing into a game. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you interested to see the dashboard UI in 4K on Xbox Series X? Source: Xbox Wire