Electronic Arts is "all-in on Battlefield" as it tries to bolster the first-person shooter series. To that end, it has shifted Need for Speed developer Criterion Games over from its sports division to the EA Entertainment unit. Most of Criterion's team will be working with DICE, Ripple Effect and Ridgeline on Battlefield games, while "a core group" will continue with Need for Speed. 

Criterion already has experience with Battlefield after working on vehicles for those games over the years. As such, the studio is a logical fit to help out with the franchise. "Criterion’s experience with Battlefield, our technology and building engaging experiences will have an immediate positive impact as we continue to work on Battlefield 2042, and as we continue pre-production on a connected Battlefield Universe," Vince Zampella — who leads the Apex Legends, Star Wars Jedi, Battlefield and Need for Speed teams — wrote in a memo.

Battlefield 2042 wasn't exactly received well. It had a buggy launch and it took DICE several months to fix some of the core issues before the game's first season started. Soon after it released Battlefield 2042, EA added Battlefield to the portfolio of franchises that Zampella (a FPS veteran who previously worked on Titanfall and Medal of Honor) oversees.

EA is arguably in need of another majorly successful franchise it can rely on in the long run alongside EA FC, Madden, Apex Legends and The Sims. Battlefield is one of its best bets for that, given the series' mostly strong track record. Competing with the likes of Call of Duty will remain a tall order. However, it seems like EA has a clearer plan for how to do that and it's beefing up the ranks of developers to help it get there.

During its fall hardware event on Wednesday, Amazon showed off a new way for folks to control all of their compatible smart home products. It's called Map View and it will first be available on select phones in the US later this year.

You'll be able to create a digital floor plan of your home using your phone. Map View will display all the devices you add to it. Rather than using Alexa or another app to manage a device, you can see its location in your home and tap on it to switch on a light, bump up the volume of an Echo speaker or change the temperature. It looks like a fairly straightforward and intuitive user interface.

Amazon says it's an opt-in experience — you'll have control over which rooms of your home to add to the floor plan and which devices to include. You can delete your floor plan at any time soon.

On a related note, Amazon is attempting to buy iRobot. Several Roomba devices are capable of mapping out your home to help with cleaning them. It's not difficult to imagine how that might integrate into Map View.

Follow all of the news live from Amazon’s 2023 Devices event right here.

Apple’s iPhone 15 lineup isn’t even out yet, but you can already save on the company's cases and other accessories for the devices, as well as earlier models. While there aren't enormous discounts in this sale on Amazon, you'll be able to save a few bucks if you prefer to go the first-party route with iPhone cases (though there are cheaper third-party options). For instance, the Apple iPhone 15 Plus FineWoven Case with MagSafe has dropped by five percent to $56, which marks an early record low for the product.

FineWoven is a new material Apple is using in place of leather, which it is no longer employing in its accessories in order to make them more sustainable. FineWoven uses 68 percent post-consumer recycled content. The material looks fairly similar to leather in images that we're seen so far. Here's hoping it's just as durable. Meanwhile, MagSafe compatibility gives you more options for charging the device.

If you're going to pick up an iPhone 15 Pro, you might like to consider a clear case with MagSafe functionality. That will run you $47, which is six percent off the usual $50.

There's now a FineWoven version of the iPhone wallet with MagSafe support. This attaches to the back of any iPhone with MagSafe (iPhone 12 or later) and you can store your cards and ID in it. It works when you have a MagSafe case installed too. The wallet has Find My compatibility, which should make it easier to find if it's separated from your phone. The wallet costs $56, or five percent off the usual price.

Elsewhere, you might need a new adapter to charge your iPhone. Apple has ditched the Lightning port in favor of USB-C charging in the iPhone 15 lineup. However, it's not including a USB-C adapter in the iPhone's box. If you need one, you can opt for Apple's 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter. You can use this to charge two devices at once (say, your iPhone and iPad or MacBook). The prongs can fold back into the body when you're not using the adapter for easier storage. The accessory currently costs $45, or 25 percent off the usual price.

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Ahead of dropping the paid Phantom Liberty expansion next week, CD Projekt Red will release a major update for Cyberpunk 2077 on September 21. The patch will overhaul a lot of the game's systems, switch up the skill trees and make other sweeping changes. There should be a significant visual upgrade for many PC players as well. As of Thursday, Cyberpunk 2077 will be the first game to support DLSS 3.5, the latest version of NVIDIA's upscaling tech.

DLSS 3.5 has a feature called Ray Reconstruction, which uses AI to upgrade the ray-traced elements of a game. According to NVIDIA, it "replaces hand-tuned denoisers, which resolve sampled rays in a scene, with an NVIDIA supercomputer-trained AI network that generates higher-quality pixels in between sampled rays."

The company trained DLSS 3.5 on five times the volume of data it fed into DLSS 3. NVIDIA claims the latest version can pinpoint different ray-traced effects to both make more intelligent decisions about factoring in temporal and spatial data, and to "retain high frequency information for superior-quality upscaling."

You don't necessarily need to have a 40-series GeForce RTX GPU to see the benefit. While only those graphics cards support DLSS 3, the latest version of the tech will be available on all RTX GPUs.

In the case of Cyberpunk 2077, Ray Reconstruction will help to deliver "an even better, more immersive, more realistic experience," NVIDIA claims. That's due to upgraded quality and clarity of reflections, more accurate global illumination and more dynamically responsive lighting, the company says.

You'll be able to try out DLSS 3.5 in more games this fall. Along with Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, it will be soon available in the likes of Portal RTX and Alan Wake 2.

If you thought we were done learning juicy details about the internal workings of Xbox after this summer's Federal Trade Commission-Microsoft trial wrapped up, hoo boy, you can guess again. A jaw-dropping court document leak has revealed a ton of information about recent goings on within the Microsoft Gaming division, as well as critical details about its future plans. Perhaps the biggest nugget concerned a major Xbox Series X refresh that Microsoft has lined up for next year.

All-digital Xbox Series X refresh

Microsoft via FTC

Over the last few console generations, we’ve seen the likes of Sony and Microsoft release updated hardware midway through the cycle (the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X spring to mind). And while there are always rumors in the lead up to those new versions, we’ve never seen legitimate leaks of this magnitude before.

Codenamed "Brooklin," a refreshed Series X will have double the internal storage at 2TB, lower power usage, Wi-Fi 6E connectivity and other tech updates, according to a leaked document. This model will have a cylindrical design, compared with the boxy original Series X.

Critically, Microsoft is planning to ditch the console's disc drive. It's not yet clear as to whether there will be an external disc drive available (as is rumored to be the case for a PlayStation 5 refresh). It would mark a significant shift for Xbox to no longer offer a disc drive as standard and perhaps accelerate the death of physical game discs. What's more, Microsoft plans to sell the updated Series X for $499, the same price as the current console.

Microsoft via FTC

Microsoft is planning to release an updated Xbox controller next year as well, per the unredacted filing. Codenamed "Sebile," the peripheral is slated to have "precision haptic feedback" (perhaps to better compete with Sony's DualSense), quieter inputs and, like some premium controllers, modular thumbsticks. There's said to be support for "seamless" pairing and switching between devices with the help of new mobile app features.

Intriguingly, a "direct-to-cloud" feature is mentioned in a slide. That suggests Microsoft is focusing on reducing input latency for games streamed from the cloud, like Google tried with the Stadia Controller (RIP).

Sebile is slated to arrive in May, according to the documents. Microsoft is then expected to announce the new Series X (and a Series S refresh) in June, likely at its annual summer showcase. The $299 Series S refresh is now expected to go on sale around August or September 2024, with the beefed-up Series X scheduled to land a couple months later. It seems Microsoft is planning a clearance sale on the current Series S too, as a slide mentions a $199 offer for Black Friday 2024.

The next-gen Xbox could be a 'cloud-hybrid' console

Xbox

It seems we're not yet midway through the current console generation, but of course Microsoft is thinking about what's ahead. The next-gen Xbox, slated to arrive in 2028, is expected to support "cloud hybrid games."

There's not much detail available on that, but it's clear the company has been moving in this direction for a while. Microsoft Flight Simulator, for instance, incorporates real-time weather data that it pulls from the cloud (that's not a pun, I swear). Xbox has been making a major push into cloud gaming over the last few years too.

There's an implication that the next-generation Xbox will have an always-online requirement for certain games. It's entirely plausible that there will still be a sizable digital divide by 2028, which could prevent some folks in rural areas or other regions with poor internet access from properly being able to play games on Microsoft's next major console.

Xbox head Phil Spencer really wants to buy Nintendo

Lucy Nicholson / Reuters

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer thinks it would be, like, super cool if the company bought Nintendo. Spencer suggested in an internal 2020 email discussing acquisition targets that he saw Nintendo as a white whale for the company, and one that he was personally invested in snapping up. He saw that as a potential "career moment," per the email.

The document nods toward other possible acquisition targets, including another highly ambitious one in Valve. Spencer mentioned that his team was in active talks with Warner Bros. Interactive and Bethesda parent ZeniMax Media. Both of those were seemingly open to a deal and while the WB talks didn't work out in Microsoft's favor, the company did scoop up ZeniMax for $7.5 billion.

It seems highly unlikely that Microsoft would ever actually buy Nintendo. Antitrust regulators would surely have a lot to say about that, particularly after Microsoft’s ZeniMax purchase and its pending $68.7 billion deal for Activision Blizzard (which could close any day now). It’s not hard to imagine that Japanese officials in particular would be none too happy about an American business buying one of the country’s best-known brands. Still, it’s nice to have dreams, eh, Phil?

Upcoming games

The leak also shed some light on Xbox's plans for upcoming games. It seems that new Doom and Dishonored games are in the pipeline. The latter would see Arkane returning to a successful series after Redfall — its most recent attempt to branch out into fresh IP — faceplanted this year. Fallout 3 Remaster, Oblivion Remaster and a Ghostwire: Tokyo sequel were also mentioned in the leaked documents.

It's worth noting, however, that this Bethesda roadmap ran from fiscal years 2020 through 2024. A lot has changed since then, including Microsoft buying the publisher. Games get canceled all the time, so it's unclear whether any of these unannounced projects will actually come to light. Still, it's hard to imagine that there isn't some kind of Doom title in development.

Aaron Souppouris/Engadget

This is all the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the leaked documents. There are details on everything from Game Pass revenue to Microsoft leaders' reactions to the PlayStation 5 announcement and Spencer revealing he bought his own PS5 (he had to plump for a bundle with Horizon Forbidden West included).

The timing of this leak could not have been worse for Microsoft, as we're going into the critical holiday period. The company was banking on Starfield being a must-have game (it isn’t, unfortunately) to help it shift consoles and Game Pass subscriptions in the last few months of the year. This news won’t help convince people who were on the fence to buy an Xbox soon either. Knowing that a revamped Series X is on the way next year will surely put some people off of buying one now (raises hand). That could result in Microsoft losing more ground against Sony and Nintendo, which appears set to debut a brand new console in 2024.

The FTC, which still has a lawsuit in the works in an attempt to block the Microsoft-Activision deal, has claimed it's not to blame for the leak. "Microsoft was responsible for the error in uploading these documents to the court," Douglas Farrar, director of the FTC's office of public affairs, told NBC News. However all of this information got out there, some heads are surely rolling at Microsoft HQ today.

Opera has unveiled custom versions of its desktop and Android browser that fans of one of the world's most enduring games might appreciate. It has teamed up with Chess.com to integrate chess directly into the browser.

A chess-themed version of the desktop browser includes a Chess.com icon in the sidebar. So, rather than having a dedicated tab for the website open, you can pin the panel and plot your next moves as you browse the web. You'll have swift access to puzzles, streamers and ongoing games. 

On Android, there's a whole new version of the browser available, Opera says. Opt in to the custom build, and you'll see a bunch of chess-related content on the home page, including articles and videos.

Opera has integrated other services into its browser's sidebar over the years, including TikTok, WhatsApp and Instagram. The company also recently released its Opera One browser, which is infused with its generative AI and supports other GPT-based services.

It's a big day for Apple users as the company is rolling out major operating system updates for most of its devices (Mac users need to wait a bit longer). Just ahead of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 arriving later this week, the company has released watchOS 10. If you have an Apple Watch Series 4 or above, you can install it now.

The biggest change is the introduction of widgets (which are a bit like Glances from Apple's original wearable) for every watch face, which include two new ones. You'll be able to use the Digital Crown to cycle through your widgets and see access features like timers, stopwatches and podcasts when those are active. 

The World Clock app should make it easier to understand the time of day in different parts of the world at a glimpse thanks to the addition of dynamic background colors. for various timezones. In the Activity app, you'll be able to rotate the crown to see more data via corner shortcuts. There's the option to connect to Bluetook bike sensors to help cyclists track more data too. The Compass, Mindfulness and Medications apps are all getting updates as well. 

Perhaps two of the biggest updates for most people are related to FaceTime. You can view a FaceTime video message on your Watch and join Group FaceTime audio calls.

The Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 will get some exclusive features powered by the new S9 SiP, including Siri requests that are processed on-device rather than through Apple's servers. They also support a new Double Tap feature Apple designed to make it easier to carry out the main action in each app. Both devices will be available on September 22.

Just like X (formerly Twitter), would-be competitor T2 Social has a new name, and it’s one that might ring a bell. Starting today, the service is called Pebble. And no, it's not a revival of the e-ink smartwatch company of yore.

Pebble said in an email to users that T2, which is run by former X/Twitter employees, was a placeholder name. It opted for Pebble after reviewing more than 60 options. The team plumped for that one because “a tiny stone can cause ripples across a whole pond. Just like sharing your stories and insights can create waves in our community.”

It’s certainly an interesting choice. Pebble (the smartwatch) blew up on Kickstarter, only to go out of business a few short years later. Fitbit snapped up its intellectual property and Google later bought that business. That certainly doesn’t seem ominous for the prospects of Pebble (the social media platform). 

The latest entity to go by Pebble hasn’t taken off in the same way as Bluesky (which recently passed a million users), Post (440,000 registered users as of June) or Threads (more than 100 million users in less than a week). Pebble has somewhere north of 15,000 registered users. In fairness, the service limited signups and opted for an invite system, which is also changing today as anyone with an X account can now join.

In addition, Pebble has rolled out a new tab called Ideas. Here, you can see a list of AI-generated suggestions for your next post or reply. Pebble CEO Gabor Cselle suggested this will help foster a kinder, safer and more enjoyable environment for everyone, though some might suggest that could lead to a more boring experience all around. As Wired, which first reported on the GAI feature, put it, "the Ideas feature’s sometimes peppy or stilted prose could easily leave one’s social feed feeling artificial and dull."

Ascendant Studios, the developer of the first-person-shooter-but-with-magic title Immortals of Aveum, is laying off nearly half of its team only a few weeks after releasing the game. CEO Bret Robbins confirmed that the company would be letting go of around 45 percent of its workers. According to Polygon, which first reported the news, that's around 40 people.

"This was a painfully difficult, but necessary decision that was not made lightly; nevertheless, we have to make this adjustment now that Immortals of Aveum has shipped," Robbins wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Ascendant will offer the laid-off workers severance packages and help with finding a job elsewhere. The remaining team members will continue to support the game for the time being.

Immortals of Aveum is the first game from Ascendant, which is an independent studio with experienced developers at the helm. However, publisher EA likely didn't do the game any favors with its release date. 

After a delay pushed back the game by a month to August 22, Immortals of Aveum arrived at around the same time as Baldur’s Gate III,Armored Core VI and Starfield. Delaying Immortals of Aveum by an extra few weeks probably wouldn't have helped either, given that we're going into one of the busiest spells of major game releases for several years.

Reports suggest that Immortals of Aveum (which largely garnered middling reviews) didn't sell well, and low player counts on Steam indicate that's the case. It had a peak player count of just 751 on that platform, according to SteamDB. Starfield's peak player count on Steam alone is more than 440 times that number.

These days, you don't need to break the bank to add a smart speaker to your home setup. Thanks to one of Amazon's current deals, you can snap up such a device for less than usual too. The Echo Pop, Amazon's latest addition to its lineup of Alexa-powered audio devices, has dropped from $40 to $23 as long as you opt for the teal or lavender color options. While that's not quite the lowest price we've seen for it yet (it dipped to $18 for Prime Day), it's a solid discount all the same.

The Echo Pop is now Amazon's entry-level smart speaker. At the standard price, it's $10 less than the $50 Echo Dot. It has a half-globe look and borrows two key features from the most recent Echo Dot: a AZ2 Neural Edge processor that can handle machine learning tasks on-device and the ability to act as a WiFi extender for those with an Eero mesh router system. Amazon says the Echo Pop can extend the range of your home network by as much as 1,000 square feet. There's Bluetooth connectivity too.

Of course, you can ask Alexa to play audio from a range of services on the Echo Dot, including Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora and Sirius XM. You'll be able to ask Alexa for information and use it to control your smart home devices. There's a blue light bar on top of the Echo Dot that only turns on when Alexa is listening, which is a good visual indicator of whether the voice assistant is paying attention to you. There's also the option to switch off the speaker's microphone.

The Echo Pop could be an intriguing option for anyone looking to dip their toes into the world of smart speakers or those who are interested in expanding their current setup with low-cost devices. Thanks to this discount, you'll be able to add the Echo Pop to your home for less than usual, which could make the decision whether to pick one up somewhat easier.

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