LG is preparing to launch its new curved phone UltraGear gaming monitor🇧🇷 taking on Samsung in a proverbial showdown of screen titans.
And “titan” is a good description because LG’s new monitor is huge. You’re looking at a 45-inch ultra-wide monitor with a 21:9 aspect ratio and 1440p resolution (3440 x 1440 pixels). This is essentially LG’s direct response to the odyssey line, but it’s lacking in certain areas when compared to Samsung’s offering. O Odyssey G9, for example, is slightly larger at 49 inches with an aspect ratio of 32:9 and a resolution of 5,120 x 1440 pixels. Nonetheless looking at the spec sheet (opens in new tab)the new UltraGear monitor has some advantages that may make it the better choice.
Features
For starters, it’s an OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screen, while the G9 is QLED (quantum dot light-emitting diode). O main difference is the OLED screens generally have better image quality, which is seen as darker blacks and brighter whites. They also feature “reduced power consumption [and] faster response times”, which is very important for high-end games. It can mean the difference between victory or defeat in certain titles. LG’s latest offering goes a step further by being one of the first OLED monitors to feature a 240Hz refresh rate and promises to have a response time of 0.03ms.
The new UltraGear also has an 800R camber, making it rounder than the G9, which has a camber of 1000R. This results in greater immersion for gamers as the monitor will cover more of their peripheral vision and at the same time reduce eye strain, according to ViewSonic. (opens in new tab)
Other notable features include anti-glare protection, Nvidia G-Sync compatibility for added performance, and support for HDR10 to ensure vivid colors. If you’re hoping to get the new UltraGear in time for Christmas, you’re sadly going to be disappointed. Pre-orders begin December 12th, but the display won’t start shipping until December 28th. And since OLED screens are typically more expensive, you’re looking at a $1,700 price tag.
LG has a sign-up page (opens in new tab) for the curved UltraGear so you can be notified when pre-orders start.
It is worth it?
One question remains: is an ultrawide monitor like this worth it? Assuming you can afford it, we say yes. having a The 45-inch curved monitor can be quite useful🇧🇷 If you play RPGs like Final Fantasy XIV or World of Warcraft, you’ll have a lot more room for various UI elements, so it’s not a confusing mess. And if you’ve got work to do, you basically have two, maybe three full-size monitors rolled into one. Ultrawide monitors are certainly expensive, but the added utility makes them a worthwhile investment.
Be sure to check out best gaming monitors list for late 2022. We cover a wide range from massive 49-inch displays to low-end 4K options.
It’s that time of year again when Spotify users gather under their favorite green app and unwrap data-driven gifts, courtesy of their year-end Wrapped review. Being a Spotify Premium user for several years, I just did the same, forcing a smile when its ‘music personality’ feature tagged me as a ‘Replayer’.
But this year I looked at Apple Music users with a little more envy than usual. Not because its feature equivalent, Apple Music Replay, is a huge improvement over Wrapped – in fact, it just seems like an outright fraud when you compare the animations it uses to summarize its users’ listening habits over the past year.
(Image credit: Apple)
Apple Music Replay, however, offers something I’d like to see in Spotify Wrapped – it actually lets you access your listening data (if not animations) all year round, not just late November.
And those are the kinds of insights that I would love to explore within the Spotify app off-season Wrapped rather than having to use third-party apps.
Not just for Christmas
There’s no doubt that Spotify has, well, wrapped up when it comes to a fancy year-end animation of your listening habits.
For starters, the Apple Music Replay equivalent is oddly only available on platform website (opens in new tab) instead of in the app. On Spotify, it will only appear in the ‘home’ section of the app (as long as you’ve updated to the latest version 8.7.78).
Spotify Wrapped’s animated summary is also more comprehensive than Apple Music Replay. Apple’s is shorter and mainly collects your song, artist, and album of the year, along with your top five genres.
(Image credit: Future)
Spotify, meanwhile, explains how many different genres you’ve delved into and what you listen to at certain times of day (apparently, I like ‘Warm Good Vibes Angst’ in the afternoon, which is probably my Myers Briggs personality type). .
But, unusually for Apple, its Music Replay is slightly less blocky than Spotify’s. if you go to web version (opens in new tab) at any time, you can see some (albeit limited) stats, such as play counts and hours listened, along with your most streamed artists and albums. Your ‘Replay’ playlist, also available in the ‘Listen Now’ tab of the app, will also be updated every week with the most listened to tracks.
Scroll down the page in the year-end Music Replay animation and you’ll also see ‘Top 10’ lists for your most played songs, artists and albums, which offer a little more depth than Spotify’s top five. Still, while Spotify Wrapped and Apple Music Replay have their own strengths, they both only scratch the surface of the kind of music data insights that are possible on other services.
supporting acts
Right now, the only way to gain year-round data insights into your Spotify listening habits is with third-party apps like Stats.fm (iOS, Android), which is currently working on adding support for Apple Music.
This app is a pretty handy way to get lists of your top tracks, artists, and albums in custom time periods, assuming you’re happy to grant it some pretty broad permissions. If you’ve been on Spotify for a while, you can also get some interesting nuggets by downloading your Spotify account’s historical data from the website. privacy section and then send it to an app like Stats.fm.
Stats.fm (formerly Spotistats) can show you year-round data about your Spotify listening habits, though you’ll have to give up some big permissions and pay a one-time fee to unlock all the features. (Image credit: Future)
That kind of data opens up the potential for some pretty fascinating insights, like what you listened to the most during a given year or how much you actually listen to albums as opposed to songs. My only real issue is that the kind of music I listen to while working (which Spotify has labeled ‘mysterious and compassionate psychedelic’) can skew this data towards music that helps with concentration, rather than the kind that genuinely means more to me. .
It was really Last.fm that pioneered all the music data insights, long before the Spotify Wrapped concept was apparently triggered by an intern project in 2019🇧🇷 As one of the first social networks, it took the whole concept to the next level with its ‘neighbors’ feature, which connected you with your musical soul mates on the service based on your listening habits.
While this is perhaps a step too far for most, it does show the wide possibilities of our music listening data. For now, though, I’d be happy to see a Wrapped-style panel on Spotify year-round, even if I suspect that, like Christmas, its marketing power is all the more potent because of its rarity.
Amazon Prime members can pick up five free PC games in December, including a true first-person shooter masterpiece.
As part of Prime Gaming’s free games offer, Prime members can purchase Quake, Rose Riddle 2: Werewolf Shadow, The Amazing American Circus, Banners of Ruin, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, Spinch, Desert Child and Doors: Paradox in December 2022.
There are two specific highlights in this lineup: Quake and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons.
Even if you’ve never played the classic first-person shooter Quake, you’ve probably heard of it. id Software’s gothic shooter rocked the genre when it first released in 1996, cementing itself as an FPS icon that remains popular today. Thanks to visual enhancements, Quake looks better than it did in 1996, so you can experience the classic at its peak.
If you’re looking for something a little less bloody, I also recommend picking up Brothers while it’s free. This charming co-op game, from the developer behind It Takes Two, is quite short but super cute, and is sure to fill an afternoon with a loved one over the holiday period. However, playing solo is also an option if that’s more your style.
even more freebies
(Image credit: Amazon)
If you’re already an Amazon Prime member, it’s worth checking out Prime Gaming’s free content deals. In addition to a handful of free PC games every month, the service offers exclusive content for the likes of Apex Legends and FIFA 23, all for the price of your regular Prime membership.
If this month’s deals don’t cut it, it’s worth checking back in the future to see what’s on offer, as you can get exclusive in-game content for your favorite game.
– Not expected to release until 2023 – Launch date might be announced at CCXP 2022 – Filming wrapped in May – Key cast all set to return – New cast members’ characters announced – First footage revealed at New York Comic-Con 2022 – Showrunner teases season 2 storylines – Third season greenlit by Amazon Studios
Are we about to get a release date for The Wheel of Time season 2? With the show set to feature at Brazil Comic-Con (aka CCXP), one of the world’s biggest entertainment events, it’s certainly a possibility.
It would be about time if one was forthcoming, too. The high fantasy series – one of the best Prime Video shows, in our view – was last on our screens in December 2021, so its return is long overdue. Still, we’ve had The Rings of Power, aka Amazon’s Lord of the Rings TV adaptation, to tide us over until The Wheel of Time’s second season is released.
Anyway, you’re here to learn more about The Wheel of Time season. Below, we’ve rounded up everything worth knowing about the Prime Video series’ sophomore season, including its cast, plot details, possible release date, and brief teaser trailer. We also explore whether the show will return after its recently greenlit third season.
Full spoilers for The Wheel of Time season 1 follow. Additionally, potential cast and story spoilers for its follow-up season are incoming, so use the navigation bar to your left to skip a section if you’re avoiding spoilerific content.
The Wheel of Time season release date
The Wheel of Time season 2 isn’t coming until 2023. (Image credit: Amazon Studios)
There’s no release date for The Wheel of Time season 2 yet. However, filming wrapped in mid May, so the wait for an official announcement should be coming soon.
That’s a wrap for season 2! #TheWheelOfTime #WOTWednesday pic.twitter.com/sROnpKFzftMay 18, 2022
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Some fans hoped that season 2 would arrive before 2022 is over. But, as Amazon Studios’ Head of Global TV Vernon Sanders told TVLine (opens in new tab), that wasn’t never a possibility. Why? Because Amazon didn’t want The Wheel of Time season 2 and The Rings of Power season 1 to launch simultaneously.
With a bunch of VFX, music, and editing work to undertake – not to mention possible reshoots or pick ups – it’s likely we won’t see The Wheel of Time season 2 arrive on Amazon’s streaming service until mid-2023. However, key Wheel of Time cast members are set to appear at CCXP 2022 on December 3 (opens in new tab), so we could finally get a release date announcement in the very near future.
The Wheel of Time season 2 trailer
An official trailer hasn’t been released, but a first teaser for The Wheel of Time season 2 was released online in October.
The teaser opens with a fast-paced, still image-based montage of all of the first season’s key moments. It’s not until the 0:25 mark that the season 2 footage begins, but it looks suitably foreboding, action-packed, thrilling, and fantastical all the same.
We get good looks at where all of our heroes are at the beginning of season 2 – more on this in our plot section – as well as the antagonists who are set to make their debuts. It all seems like it’s become a bit too much for Moiraine, too, who’s seen verbally lashing out at Lan. We’re also introduced to the new Mat Cauthon, who’ll be played by Dónal Finn from now on after Barney Harris’ departure.
There’s only 30 seconds’ worth of footage to take in here, but it gives us a good indication of what’s at stake and what’ll play out in the show’s next entry. Color us excited.
The teaser comes three months after a behind-the-scenes look at the show’s next installment was posted online:
Their journeys are far from over. Get a behind the scenes look at #TheWheelOfTime season 2. pic.twitter.com/K3IVCyMOw3July 21, 2022
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The Wheel of Time season 2 cast
Moiraine and Lan are part of The Wheel of Time season 2’s cast. (Image credit: Amazon Studios)
We expect season 1’s main cast to return, although there is one notable exception:
Rosamund Pike as Moiraine Damodred
Daniel Henney as Lan Mandragoran
Josha Stradowski as Rand al’Thor
Zoë Robins as Nynaeve al’Meara
Madeleine Madden as Egwene al’Vere
Marcus Rutherford as Perrin Aybara
Dónal Finn as Mat Cauthon
Fares Fares as The Dark One
Johann Myers as Padan Fain
Sophie Okonedo as Siuan Sanche
The biggest casting news concerns the character of Mat Cauthon. Barney Harris won’t reprise his role from season 1, with Dónal Finn (The Witcher, Cursed) taking over. In September 2021, we reported that Harris was no longer part of the cast. No reason was given for his departure and showrunner Rafe Judkins has declined to comment on the situation (per Deadline (opens in new tab) ).
The Wheel of Time’s other main actors are all returning. That includes Fares Fares’ primary antagonist The Dark One and Sophie Okoendo’s Siuan Sanche, who are both shown in The Wheel of Time season 2’s sneak peek. Meanwhile, WOTseries.com (opens in new tab) suggests Sandy McDade’s Maigan will feature at some point.
As for who else could return, this is harder to predict. We suspect characters including Kate Fleetword’s Liandrin and Kae Alexander’s Min Farshaw will reappear. The first season’s plot, however, was pulled from multiple books in Jordan’s series. Meanwhile, Judkins took some creative liberties that led to its plot diverging from the story in the novels.
It’s unclear if The Wheel of Time season 2’s plot will differ from its source material. If it does, we may not see Liandrin or Min return, even though they have roles in the series’ second and third books, aka The Great Hunt and The Dragon Reborn.
What we do know is that new characters will be introduced – and we already know who some of those individuals will be.
Ceara Coveney has been revealed as our Elayne Trakand! What characters do you think Natasha O’Keeffe and Meera Syal are playing? (Hint: Rafe said they were “two of the most important characters”) #TheWheelofTime pic.twitter.com/zJgtVci3HhOctober 8, 2021
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Ceara Coveney – in her first major acting role – will portray a hugely significant character in Elayne Trakand. In the novels, Elayne is not only Queen of Andor and Cairhien, but she’s also one of the most powerful Aes Sedai in Robert Jordan’s fictional universe. Expect her to play a major role in proceedings in The Wheel of Time season 2.
Natasha O’Keeffe (Misfits, Filth) and Meera Syal (Paddington 2, Doctor Who) have also been cast in undisclosed roles. Rafe Judkins has teased that they’ll portray “two of the most important characters”, so place your bets now on who they’ll play.
Potential season 2 cast spoilers follow, so skip ahead if you don’t want to know which actors have reportedly joined the series.
Here’s a rundown of other confirmed and rumored characters, and the actors portraying them, as announced on The Wheel of Time’s official social channels (where Aviendha is concerned anyway) and The Wheel of Time’s Instagram fan page:
Meanwhile, Deadline (opens in new tab) claims Guy Roberts (Hanna), Arnas Fedaravicius (The Last Kingdom), and Gregg Chillingirian (A Discovery of Witches) feature in supporting roles. Roberts will reportedly play Uno Nomesta, a one-eyed soldier who served Lord Agelmar before the latter’s death in the season 1 finale. Fedaravicius will play Masema, another of Agelmar’s former charges. Finally, Chillingirian portrays Ingtar Shinowa, who Deadline describes as a warrior from war-torn lands.
In a separate (but no less speculative) WoTseries.com (opens in new tab) article, Marie-France Alvarez (Paddington 2) will portray another Aes Sedai called Celestin. Melissa James (Coronation Street) and Jessica Boone (Das Boot) have also apparently been hired (per WoTseries.com (opens in new tab)), though their roles aren’t currently known. WoTseries.com (opens in new tab) has also suggested British-born New Zealand actor Rima Te Wiata (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) is part of the cast after supposedly being spotted in The Wheel of Time season 2 production wrap video. Additionally, WoTseries.com (opens in new tab) suggests Ken Bradshaw (Eastenders, Wire in the Blood) will play Asan Sandair, a city guard who crosses paths with Rand.
WoTseries.com has also leaked a bunch of other supposed hires. Jay Duffy (Vikings, Derry Girls) has reportedly joined the cast (opens in new tab), as has iconic Disney star Hayley Mills (opens in new tab) (The Parent Trap, Pollyanna, Tiger Bay, and Forever Young among others). Darragh O’Toole (Foundation, Peaky Blinders) and Lubna Kerr (Moondogs) are also believed to have signed on (opens in new tab).
In an interview with The Press and Journal (opens in new tab), Stewart Kenneth Moore (Blood Red Sky, Carnival Row) also confirmed that he has a bit-part role. Moore refused to reveal his character’s identity, but hinted that he’ll turn up in episode 5 for a “fairly memorable scene”.
Finally, The Witcher fansite Redandian Intelligence (opens in new tab) claims that four other actors have been joined the party. Laura Crowhurst (The Last Bus) has reportedly been cast in an undisclosed role, as has Natasha J. Murley in her first major acting role. Game of Thrones’ Will Tudor will also allegedly play Barthanes Damodred, a relative of Moiraine’s, while Haruka Kuroda (Killing Eve) is set to portray one of Min Farshaw’s aunts.
The Wheel of Time season 2 plot
Will Rand and Egwene reunite in season 2? (Image credit: Amazon)
Spoilers follow for The Wheel of Time season 1.
Little is officially known about The Wheel of Time season 2’s story, but we’ve been given some indications about its central themes and narratives.
Per Prime Video’s Fanology Twitter account, the series’ second season will deal with theme of loneliness (opens in new tab). That’s not surprising, given that Amazon has pulled a Fellowship of the Ring-style move and broken up our merry band of heroes. Meanwhile, Daniel Henney told New York Comic-Con attendees that there’ll be more individual storylines in season 2 (opens in new tab).
There are also lots of plot threads that need to be picked up or resolved.
First, we need to be reunited with Rand – aka the Dragon Reborn – who, after temporarily defeating The Dark One, is continuing his journey alone. The Dragon Reborn is a prophesied, all-powerful channeler of the One Power fated to save or destroy the world, so Rand considers himself to be a danger to Moiraine, Lan, and his friends. He asks Moiraine to tell everyone he perished in battle against The Dark One so they don’t come looking for him. Josha Stradowski, who plays Rand, says the character’s season 2 arc will be built around redefining his identity (via The Wrap (opens in new tab)).
As for Moiraine, The Dark One destroys her connection to the Source, which is where Aes Sedai draw the One Power from. Unable to channel her powers anymore, the dynamic in Moiraine and Lan’s relationship is sure to shift in season 2. The two hardly feature in The Wheel of Time’s second book, but Judkins told CBR.com (opens in new tab) that their upcoming arcs will comprise wholly original content created specifically for the TV adaptation, as “you can’t sideline Rosamund Pike and Daniel Henney in a season of television”. Pike revealed at New York Comic-Con (per Entertainment Weekly (opens in new tab)) that Moiraine will return to her home city of Cairhien inThe Wheel of Time season 2.
We’ve been waiting. Ceara Coveney is Elayne Trakand #TheWheelOfTime #WoTNYCC pic.twitter.com/yiW0iAFS0oOctober 7, 2022
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The season 1 finale also teased the arrival of the Seanchan – a villainous, seafaring empire that has ambitions on conquering The Wheel of Time’s main continent. Asked by Collider (opens in new tab) how they’ll make a splash (pun intended), Judkins said: “Everything’s following this traditional fantasy format coming out of the first book. In the second book, the Seanchan come out of nowhere and slap our characters, so we really wanted to have them function the same way in the show. We get this nod to them at the end of season 1 but, in season 2, the Seanchan arrive and they affect the story.”
Elaborating on the role the Seanchan will have, Judkins told New York Comic-Con attendees (via SyFy.com (opens in new tab)): “The Seanchan come in and sideswipe every story in the show. They sideswipe the show as much as they do the books and it’s a really cool storytelling device that Robert Jordan built and I think it’s so special and I’ve been so excited to bring it to the screen.”
There are many other branching narratives and subplots that the show’s second season will need to circle back to. Judkins confirmed to Nerdist (opens in new tab) that “we’ll certainly see” more of the backstory of Lews Therin, aka the first Dragon, as the season and overall series progresses. Judkins also teased the potential introduction of Gawyn and Faile, who are important characters in Egwene and Perrin’s story arcs, and the possibility of Rand and Min interacting more down the road (per CBR (opens in new tab)). As for Mat, Judkins revealed that he was heading for the White Tower – the Aes Sedai’s stronghold – and not Shadar Logoth in the season 1 finale.
We’re also expecting to learn more about Perrin’s wolfbrother powers and we hope that our heroes will get the Horn of Valere – a key item in the final battle with The Dark One – back after Padan Fain stole it in the season 1 finale. The love triangle between Moiraine, Lan, and Nynaeve is also set to be explored in more detail, too. Daniel Henney and Zoë Robins, who play Lan and Nynaeve, teased their season 2 storylines in a chat with Inverse (opens in new tab).
Speaking about The Wheel of Time season 2’s overall theme, Judkins told EW that the show’s next entry will “peel back the surface and try to understand what balance between dark and light they’re trying to find within themselves.” So we should settle in for more internal character battles, as well as those fights that are bound to be part of season 2’s makeup.
Much like the first season, The Wheel of Time’s next entry will also cover plot elements from multiple novels, Judkins telling EW: “[Audiences] will see that some characters are diving more into their book two story in season 2, and some of them are diving more into their book three story. We have a big round-up point at the end of season 2 that reconnects everything and pushes us off in a new direction where we’ve completed all the stories we need to get through.”
Additionally, we can expect blood – and lots of it. Daniel Henney told ContentMode (opens in new tab): “It’s really hard for me to not give too much away, but I will say this: two swords, multiple Fades, blood….lots of blood.” Meanwhile, Rafe Judkins told TVLine (opens in new tab): “More characters will die in the show than in the books, because we cannot carry a cast of 2,000 actors for seven seasons!” You should prepare for your favorite characters to potentially perish at some point in the show, then.
Finally, Judkins took to Twitter to answer fans’ season 2 questions (opens in new tab) during some post-production downtime. Key details to take away from those exchanges include the introduction of the Forsaken – channelers who serve the side of Shadow in the War of Power – and that season 2 will pull from the first, second, and third books in Jordan’s beloved fantasy novel series. Fans can expect to see new locations, such as Cairhien, Tear, and Falme in The Wheel of Time season 2 as well.
Will The Wheel of Time get more seasons?
Moiraine races on horseback to locate The Wheel of Time season 2’s release date. (Image credit: Amazon Studios)
“I’m so thrilled that we’ll be making a third season of The Wheel of Time,” Judkins, said in a press release. “The Shadow Risinghas always been my favorite book in the series, so being able to bring it to television and introduce new audiences to the stories that made me fall in love with these books in the first place is such an honor, and something I’ve been working toward since I first pitched the show years and years ago.”
Interestingly, The Shadow Rising is the fourth book in Jordan’s epic fantasy book series. Given that season 2 will adapt books one through three, it makes sense that the series’ third season will pick things up with book four.
It’s unclear when principal photography will begin on season 3, but we suspect it won’t be until late 2023 at the very earliest. If The Wheel of Time season 2 launches in mid-2023 as we’ve predicted, the cast and crew will complete their press tour by summer 2023 ahead of filming beginning on the show’s next installment.
As for future seasons, much will depend on whether seasons 2 and 3 resonate with audiences, and if Amazon feels it can fund its two big fantasy properties in The Wheel of Time and The Rings of Power. The latter’s premiere was the biggest Prime Video launch of all-time so, if only one show is continually greenlit, it’s likely to be its Lord of the Rings show, which is already returning for The Rings of Power season 2.
That said, we’d still expect Amazon to renew The Wheel of Time for more seasons. Judkins has eight seasons mapped out for the show, so it would be silly for Amazon to cancel the series midway through its run (if a fourth season is also greenlit). Here’s hoping, then, that The Wheel of Time can keep rolling on until it reaches its end point.
Windows 11 has been plagued by a bug in its 22H2 update that affects some users, causing stuttering in games, and prompting Microsoft to block the update for those people – but the good news is that a fix has now been rolled out by the software giant. .
The solution to this annoying glitch is contained in the patch code KB5020044 (opens in new tab), a recently deployed cumulative update – but please note that this is still a preview update. In other words, the patch is still under testing, but you can get it the normal way by checking Windows Update.
You may recall that Microsoft took action against this bug recently when the software giant identified the games and apps that were problematic and suffered from stuttering and therefore lifted the block on the 22H2 update for many people, leaving only those that run a game (or games) unable to update.
With this fix complete, once applied, anyone can upgrade no matter what games they have installed on their Windows 11 PC. which was related to GPU debugging features turned on by mistake, with that debugging job consuming resources).
Review: Grab it now – or maybe wait a little longer?
It’s nice to see a fix for this bug arrive relatively quickly, as it was naturally frustrating for those who were blocked from updating to 22H2 due to the glitch.
That said, keep in mind that KB5020044 is a preview update, installing it may have unforeseen consequences as it is still in the testing phase. But that said, if you’re looking to finally upgrade to 22H2 after being locked out of a guard for some time, chances are you’ll want to give it a go.
More cautious types, however, should wait for the full release of this update. The finished version of this patch will be released in mid-December, just a few weeks from now, and if there are imperfections in the preview update, any wrinkles should be ironed out by then. (Or we certainly hope so, although from past experience we can’t take anything for granted when it comes to Windows patches).
So, the choice is yours, but even if you don’t want to risk the solution right now, you can just wait a little longer, knowing that the full version of the cure is literally right around the corner.
This cumulative update is actually pretty hefty, coming with some other big bug fixes in addition to resolving these gameplay issues. This includes several major fixes for problems with File Explorer – the beating heart of the Windows interface that lets you browse folders and the files they contain – including a bug that caused File Explorer to crash and burn out completely (a pretty disastrous situation , ushering in a full reset).
If you need help troubleshooting any issue, by the way, check out our complete guide to resolving common Windows 11 issues.
The recent release of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet has fans of the series talking – but not necessarily for the right reasons.
Scour the Twitter feeds of tech-savvy Pokémon trainers who have already begun their journey in Paldea, and you’ll find a mixed bag of reviews. Between the cute Pokemon clips and thoughtful reviews are examples of some of the most bizarre Pokemon bugs seen in the 26-year-old series to date – some of which we’ve experienced ourselves. in it Pokémon Scarlet and Violet reviewCat Bussell of TRG said the games were “riddled with frame rate drops, performance issues, and more than the occasional bug”.
Fortunately for Japanese developer Game Freak, however, many Pokemon fanatics are seeing the funny side of these bugs and glitches – in fact, some are even useful. From useful hacks to silliness, we’ve rounded up the most bizarre Pokemon Scarlet and Violet bugs and glitches we found online here for you to enjoy.
pokemon mash
Playing Pokémon is as easy as riding a bike; if you’ve done it once, you can do it again. But Scarlet and Violet has some players begging the question: what if that bike was invisible?
That’s what Twitter user OoCPokemon shows us in the clip above, where the player is seen moving around on an invisible machine that looks like a bicycle.
But wait: what if the bike they were not a bicycle, but a Legendary Pokémon called Koraidon or Miraidon? What if you could drive it through the bodies of your friends (without hurting them, of course) while growing five feet taller like some kind of horrifying, bicycle-enthusiastic Slenderman?
a thread of my favorite scarlet violet hardware performance failures starting with this one 😀 pic.twitter.com/BYaGoKe8J6November 18, 2022
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The two glitches above seem to be triggered by toggling your trusty vehicle-slash-Pokémon friend that comes with it right out of the box – Koraidon for owners of Pokémon Scarlet and Miraidon if you’ve caught Pokémon Violet. Players have encountered some really weird glitches when playing co-op, so it’s worth joining forces with a friend to see what fresh hell you poor, overworked nintendo switch evokes.
Oh, and speaking of co-op, this glitch probably left many players wide-eyed in shock when they first came across it. Kocha8164 on Twitter shared this bizarre clip from the game, where one of the two on-screen characters appears to have their physical assets totally altered, with their eyes popping out of their face like on an old Cartoon Network show.
It’s scary and funny, but we see how annoying this one can get after awhile.
What goes up…
This is probably the silliest but most useful trick in Scarlet/Violet. You can easily climb slopes you shouldn’t just by going backwards. pic.twitter.com/RRwveA1m9jNovember 20, 2022
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If you were looking for something a little more serious, however, Twitter user ZullieTheWitch has you covered with this glitch finding that is really handy.
As per the clip above, you can manipulate the game to scale high ground simply by jumping onto a wall and quickly moving backwards. This allows you to bypass areas of the map entirely, which isn’t necessarily a big deal if you’re exploring the game for the first time, but will save you a lot of time if you ever need to backtrack.
triple whammy
This character was exposed to the sun’s gravity. pic.twitter.com/k7NoG37blTNovember 20, 2022
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Finally, this last flaw gives new meaning to the term “air guitar”. Twitter user Kalhan R shared a clip where one of his characters appeared to be experiencing some, er, difficulties with his movements, with his arms and head waving comically.
nothing is missing
(Image credit: Game Freak)
It’s too early to say whether Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will rank high on the lists of best pokemon games never, but just because the game is plagued by a litany of bugs doesn’t mean it won’t be.
We can tell this by the high ranking of Pokemon Go, which has seen its fair share of bugs on and off since its launch in 2016.
While widely seen as a negative thing, the Pokemon games are notorious for their flaws. The most famous of these must be the mysterious Pokémon Red and Blue case of the 152nd Pokémon, Missing No (opens in new tab)🇧🇷
This bug created an entirely new Pokémon if the player followed a specific set of instructions, and MissingNo even allowed you to duplicate your items – which is actually another bug (opens in new tab) by itself in Scarlet and Violet.
Despite the bugs, glitches and other technical issues which are highly indicative of the Switch’s less-than-strong structure, Scarlet and Violet still raked in the coin after selling ten million copies (opens in new tab) in three days.
There’s a lot of damage control to do, but if Game Freak can compensate for users who are feeling annoyed by the bugs while still allowing us to maintain that sneaky climb maneuver, I’d be happy about that.
When it comes to the expansive open world of Starfield, you shouldn’t fear isolation in this vast universe. In fact, the solitude you might find jumping from one desolate world to another is exactly the tone that developer Bethesda is going for.
Rather than focusing on the horror of solo space travel, Bethesda wants to highlight its magnificence in Starfield. During a recent interview with Lex Fridman (opens in new tab)Todd Howard, the game’s lead director, explained how the Bethesda team embraced the “beautiful desolation” of Starfield’s massive open world.
than the official game trailer (opens in new tab) showed us, there will be “100+ systems” with “1000+ planets” in Starfield. That means the intergalactic explorer should be 20% bigger than Fallout 4 or Skyrim. While that sounds incredible, is there a game that’s too big? Considering that Starfield is slated to be a single-player game, Millions of Planets feels like a lonely job for just one person.
final frontier
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Loneliness isn’t the only problem the developers faced when creating Starfield. Such an expansive universe is not easy to develop; therefore, there was a decision to be made. Either “you can’t land on every planet you see,” or the universe you explore is a “very controlled small space world,” Howard explained during the interview.
It was decided that the latter would likely set “the wrong tone”, Howard said in the interview. Rather than focusing on the limitations, the development team chose to look for ways in which “we can say yes”. The best way to get around the complications of creating an expansive, playable, detailed open world was to focus on creating it block by block. By rendering these small landscape blocks offline, the development team was able to create a patchwork of intricate ecosystems that could be integrated into the Starfield universe.
These tiles solved the first problem of creating a universe that felt and felt like reality in Starfield, but that’s not to say it was easy to navigate from there. Having an expansive open world is one thing; making it engaging for players is an entirely different matter.
According to Howard, Bethesda had to ensure that landing on each planet was a fun experience, even if said planet was empty with only the prospect of a few resources. Ultimately, the advantage of having such a huge open world is that you’ll have some planets that “can be a lonely experience” for the explorer. But Howard noted that there’s also “a strange beauty about being the only person on a planet,” and that’s exactly what you should focus on.
Déjà vu?
(Image credit: Bethesda)
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this tone set in a Bethesda game. If you’re looking for beautiful desolation, then the Fallout series comes to mind. The whole experience of walking through a ruined wasteland is incredibly strange, but also beautiful. I loved walking through the abandoned cities of Fallout 4, not knowing what I would find and just soaking up the dead silence that surrounded the decaying city.
I can’t wait, then, to explore the vast universe that Starfield will offer when it launches in early 2023. I hope to get that same feeling once again.
It’s time for Splatoon 3 players to gather for some Salmonid splashes, as Nintendo has announced dates for its upcoming Big Run co-op event.
The Big Run will take place from December 10th to 12th and see Splatoon 3The town of Splatsville is overrun by Salmonid, the fish-hybrid creatures previously seen in the game’s existing co-op mode, Salmon Run.
While few details have been given about the special mode’s actual content, there’s a lot to be gleaned from the promotional images seen on Nintendo’s Twitter page.
We are in this together
We’re gonna need a bigger Slosher…The Salmonids come to Splatsville when Big Run, the new #Splatoon3 co-op event, runs from 12/9 to 4 pm PT to 12/11 to 4 pm PT! Gather your team of parts -timers and make some Salmon Run shifts today! pic.twitter.com/MbfrvpixrRNovember 29, 2022
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Where Salmon Run offers similar styles to a capture-the-flag scenario, pitting up to four players against hordes of Salmonid as they scramble to retrieve golden eggs, it seems Big Run’s objective is a little different.
Promotional images in Nintendo’s official announcement show a Squid King holding a golden Salmonid. This could allude to a different collectible or trophy in the game, with perhaps only one per team of four to raise the stakes by that much.
We know that Wahoo World is the first area of Splatsville you must defend from the Salmonid invasion, and players will be able to drop in with their co-op cohort starting December 10th for just a few days.
Big Run will mark the first of Splatoon 3’s Chill Season 2022 offerings, the rest of which were previewed at the next patch notes (opens in new tab)🇧🇷 Judging by this, some of the main highlights include fifty new items to be found in the shop, three new weapon types, and a new Salmon Run level titled Marooner’s Bay.
Fans of action RPGs might have another reason to celebrate this holiday season as, according to a recent leak, PlayStation Plus’ December lineup of free games includes the acclaimed Mass Effect trilogy.
The leak comes from French netizen billbil-kun, from the business tips forum Dealabs (opens in new tab)which has accurately leaked PlayStation Plus Essential free games on multiple occasions.
If the reports are true, we can expect Biomutant and Divine Knockout to accompany the complete Mass Effect remastered trilogy (available now as Mass Effect Legendary Edition) when the PS Plus free games for December arrive on December 6th.
A Christmas miracle?
(Image credit: EA)
While it’s an exciting prospect that Ps Plus subscribers could get a free copy of one of the most highly regarded action RPGs of the past two decades, it would be wise to approach this news with caution until an official announcement is made. by Sony.
However, there are many reasons to be cautiously optimistic. Billbil-kun has a strong track record of being a reliable leak source when it comes to PS Plus content. They accurately leaked the last months from the PlayStation Plus list of free games, so being correct for December’s lineup once again is certainly not out of the question.
It would make sense for the combat-based Divine Knockout to be included in the December 2022 offering. December 6 release date (opens in new tab), which confirms billbil-kun’s claim that all three games will be coming to PS Plus by that date. If that’s true, it would mark another PS Plus launch day, following in the footsteps (paw steps?) of sci-fi cat sim Stray.
Biomutant casts a similar shadow to Divine Knockout, being a heavy martial arts RPG. Originally released in 2021 for previous-gen consoles, its September 2022 debut on PS5 and Xbox Series X│S means it could use some pressure from Sony if it wants to make an impact for current-gen gamers.
The star of the show would, of course, be Mass Effect Legendary Edition. The remastered version of the award-winning action RPG trilogy, this third-person sci-fi epic has been keeping us entertained for over a decade.
With remastered visuals to truly enhance your experience across all three games, we can’t help but cross our fingers that billbil-kun’s impressive track record goes strong for another month.
Valve’s iconic Portal game is being reimagined this December courtesy of Nvidia, and we’re absolutely excited. The original Portal is widely considered one of the most iconic puzzle games of all time, and Nvidia will bring it to users complete with advanced graphics features such as full ray tracing and Nvidia DLSS 3 capabilities to give the game a fresh new look. .
Portal with RTX will be made available as free official DLC (downloadable content) to existing Portal owners on December 8th, just in time for the game’s release.15th anniversary. It’s also the perfect time for those of us who like to relax while on vacation and play video games.
The game’s new look is achieved using graphical techniques heavily dependent on Nvidia DLSS technology, with an emphasis on the use of the latest generation DLSS 3. , while Series 30 users will be able to enjoy the reimaging at a slightly lower – but still appreciable – level with DLSS 2.
You can check if your system supports Portal with RTX by referring to System specs here.
Nvidia will host a global event Portal launch party with RTX on December 6th, in which the entire Portal community is invited to join via Twitch, Youtube and Steam for behind-the-scenes access, new gameplay and – arguably the most exciting part – giveaways! Virtual participants will have a chance to win not only the Portal with RTX game codes, but also GeForce RTX 4090 and GeForce RTX 4080 graphics cards!
While the RTX 4080 may have fallen on hard times due to its high asking price and confusing naming, it’s still a powerful (if very expensive) GPU, and the RTX 4090 is obviously the big draw here. In fact, it might just be the only way to get your hands on Nvidia’s newest flagship card now, as stock is still virtually non-existent.
