Alongside the launch of the RX 580 and RX 570 video cards, AMD released a new version its Radeon Crimson ReLive software suite. The highlights of edition 17.4.3 are simply driver support for both cards and functionality for the Windows 10 Creators Update.
The previous 17.4.2 driver addressed several issues, such as better multi-GPU performance in Battlefield 1 and improved support for SteamVR asynchronous reprojection. It was also the first driver to support Windows 10 Creators Update features like Game Mode, built-in streaming from Beam, and high dynamic range (HDR) in applications.
The following are the current known issues with the Crimson ReLive 17.4.3 software, as stated in the release notes:
Known Issues
Radeon WattMan may fail to apply settings on some Radeon R9 390 series graphics products.
Radeon Settings may crash on switching Windows user after toggling AMD CrossFire technology mode.
A small amount of apps may still experience issues with Borderless Fullscreen mode and AMD FreeSync technology if other applications or game launchers are running on the primary screen in the background.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and World of Warcraft may experience flickering or performance issues the first time the game is launched on a system boot with AMD FreeSync technology enabled. Workarounds include exiting and restarting the application or task switching (alt+tab) in and out of the game to fix the issue.
Known Issues for Radeon ReLive
The Xbox DVR application may cause conflicts with Radeon ReLive, users are suggested to disable Xbox DVR if Radeon ReLive is experiencing issues.
Radeon ReLive may fail to install on AMD APU Family products or experience a system hang or failure to record when using the recording feature on AMD APU Family products.
Radeon ReLive may intermittently fail to work after performing task switches of applications. A work around is to disable and then enable the feature in Radeon Software.
Radeon ReLive may exhibit corruption in recordings when capturing Microsoft Office applications.
Radeon ReLive may experience recording or streaming issues when task switching using ALT+TAB.
The first teaser trailer for the sequel to Kingsman has arrived, and there's a lot packed into a few short seconds.
If you're looking for a firm understanding of what Kingsman: The Golden Circle's story is all about, you'll walk away disappointed. The meat of the trailer lasts only about five seconds but is jam-packed with blink-and-you'll-miss-it glimpses of what seems like it could be every scene in the movie.
We recently got our first look at many of the film's characters, and this trailer provides another (extremely brief) peek at many of the new additions to the cast. This includes Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, Channing Tatum, and Halle Berry, with star Taron Egerton also featured prominently.
As noted in a tweet from Frank Cifaldi, who now heads up the Video Game History Foundation, it's interesting to see how each of the four handles its source material's graphics differently. These range from the Disney approach of preserving the original look to Wonderboy's completely new artwork (though you're free to switch between the new and old look, as is also the case with Full Throttle).
Cifaldi, who worked on Disney Afternoon Collection, also shared some background on its development in subsequent tweets. He explains the process of including certain box and manual art, and he highlights some additions, like new music that plays on each game's Options screen.
Full Throttle Remastered
Here's the availability for all four games:
The Disney Afternoon Collection (PC, PS4, Xbox One) -- $20
Full Throttle Remastered (PC, PS4, Vita) -- $15
Voodoo Vince Remastered (PC, Xbox One) -- $15
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap (PS4, Xbox One, Switch; PC coming this summer) -- $20
Publisher EA and developer Respawn have revealed Titanfall 2's next expansion. It's titled A Glitch in the Frontier, and it's coming on April 25.
The DLC--which is free to all players--includes two maps, a faction, another game mode, and more. Take a look at the trailer above for a glimpse at the new content.
The first new map is called Glitch, which EA describes as "a medium-sized map … inspired by Captain Lastimosa's home planet of Harmony." A second arena, named Deck, is specifically for the Live Fire game mode, which was introduced as part of last month's free update.
Also included in the update is a new faction, MRVN, plus a new game mode called Marked for Death. The MRVN could be connected to the in-game MARVIN automated assistants--usually seen as passive, unarmed NPCs--while Marked for Death returns from the first game in the series. Additionally, Pilots can now Regenerate (Titanfall's equivalent of Call of Duty's Prestige mechanic) up to Gen level 100.
Lastly, the main menu sees some cosmetic changes, there's a new Get to the Point execution, and you can now play Live Fire in Private Matches.
Today's reveal comes just hours after EA outlined its plans for Titanfall 2's next three months of updates. Coming soon is a new Titan, more executions, and more paid add-ons in the form of Prime Titans and cosmetic upgrades.
In addition to all of this, Respawn confirmed that it has plans for more Titanfall 2 free trials; the most recent free trial weekend was held in March.
Outside of the Titanfall franchise, Respawn is working on a third-person Star Wars action game that's being directed by God of War veteran Stig Asmussen.
Post-credit sequences are an expected part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, often hinting at characters and storylines from the studio's future releases. Now Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 director James Gunn has revealed that the upcoming space adventure will feature no fewer than five such scenes.
The director provided no further details about what these scenes would contain, but the movie is out in less than a month, so we'll find out soon.
In related news, Gunn also confirmed that he will be returning for a third movie in the series. "Yes, I'm returning to write and direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," he posted on Facebook. "There is a history in Hollywood of haphazard endings to trilogies, and I didn't want to become a part of that dishonorable tradition of pretending the third one doesn't exist.
"In the end, my love for [the characters] goes deeper than you guys can possibly imagine, and I feel they have more adventures to go on and things to learn about themselves and the wonderful and sometimes terrifying universe we all inhabit. And, like in both Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, we will work on creating the story that goes beyond what you expect."
Ubisoft has released a new trailer that shows off Ghost Recon: Wildlands' first expansion, Narco Road, which is out today for those who own the game's $40 season pass. Alternatively, it launches April 25 for everyone else, priced at $15 by itself.
Narco Road tasks you with infiltrating three gangs of smugglers led by kingpin El Invisible. "Players will have to go undercover and work their way up the ranks and earn the trust of the mysterious leader if they have any hope of bringing him to justice," says Ubisoft. The DLC, like the main game, is playable in solo or co-op, and you can catch a glimpse of the action in the trailer above.
There are 15 "fast-paced" missions in Narco Road, as well as four new types of side missions. You can gain fame and influence by completing these missions; earn enough and you'll get a chance to take down El Invisible.
Additionally, Narco Road comes with four outfits, nine weapons, and four vehicles types: monster trucks, muscle cars, motorcycles, and planes.
Last week, the game received a new patch in preparation for today's expansion. The update also included a bunch of bug fixes and balance tweaks, as well as a set of weekly challenges that start anew every Wednesday.
Wildlands received mixed reviews upon its release last month. Our critic called the open-world game "a middlingly safe tactical shooter and a slightly wasted opportunity," though he did praise its "seemingly boundless map" and its mission diversity. Read more in our full Ghost Recon: Wildlands review.
Code Vein is described as a "dungeon exploration-type, hard action RPG" in the latest issue of Japanese publication Famitsu (as translated by Gematsu). It's in development by the same team responsible for the God Eater series.
Set in a post-apocalyptic near future, players assume the role of a Revenant. These are superpowered vampires who have lost most of their memories and now live as part of a society called Vein. Revenant need blood in order to avoid turning into something called a Lost.
Through the Buddy system, you can take an AI-controlled companion with you as you explore and engage in combat with a variety of swords and other melee weapons.
The full game is apparently still a ways off, with Famitsu reporting it's only 30% complete at this point and is not due out until 2018. It runs on Unreal Engine 4 but does not yet have any confirmed platforms.
More details on Code Vein should arrive soon; when Bandai Namco first teased the game last week, it said to expect an announcement on April 20.
Guerrilla Games has revealed a new update for its PlayStation 4 exclusive, Horizon Zero Dawn. The patch goes live today, introducing a load of bug fixes and a couple of new features.
Most notably, you can now listen to your own music whilst playing Horizon, plus the update also adds the ability to drop chests that contain unwanted items. The remainder of the patch is made up of minor fixes; take a look at the full list below.
Horizon Zero Dawn launched on February 28 in the US before coming to Europe on March 1. The game received widespread critical acclaim, including a 9/10 from GameSpot. Reviewer Peter Brown called it "one of the best open-world games of this generation;" find out more in our full Horizon Zero Dawn review.
You can see the full patch notes below, but be aware they contain references to story chapters, in case you're worried about spoilers.
Horizon Zero Dawn Update 1.13 Patch Notes
New Features
Added support for background music playback.
Added the ability to drop treasure chests.
Fixes
Progression Fixes
Fixed an issue in The Point of the Spear where some players could escape the quest area and get stuck here, blocking progression of this quest.
Fixed an issue in A Seeker at the Gates where some players could get stuck behind the gates to All-Mother Mountain.
Fixed an issue in The City of the Sun where some players were able to exit Olin's basement during the Investigate Olin's Secret Workshop objective.
Fixed an issue in The Grave-Hoard where the objective would not update when some players fast traveled away after activating the Holo Projector.
Fixed an issue in Deep Secrets of the Earth where some players could avoid triggering a cutscene, resulting in the quest not progressing.
Fixed an issue in Fatal Inheritance where talking to Ranaman after freeing Daradi would cause Daradi to disappear for some players.
Fixed an issue in Hammer and Steel where for some players the quest objective would not update after gathering all nine Behemoth Cables.
Fixed an issue in Cauldron Xi where some players could avoid triggering a cutscene, resulting in the quest not progressing.
General Fixes
Fixed an issue in The Point of the Spear where the objective Meet Rost at the North Gate would always be marked as failed for some players in the objective log.
Fixed an issue in The Point of the Spear where the fix for duplicate spears introduced in Patch 1.12 would not solve the issue for some player if they already finished In her Mother's Footsteps.
Fixed an issue after The Proving for certain players where Aloy would not retrieve her Focus after visiting Rost. Fixed an issue where some players could permanently lose the Tearblaster in their playthrough after selling it at a merchant. The Tearblaster will now be available to purchase from certain merchants after completing Hunter's Blind.
Fixed an issue where a pile of Ancient Debris appeared to be located underground for certain players.
Fixed an issue where some players were not able to pick up their loot when it was dropped in water.
Fixed an issue in the Gatelands Bandit Camp where some players could get stuck in a rock after performing a 'Strike from below'.
Fixed an issue when certain players would try to mount during Aloy's falling animation, causing Aloy to float in midair.
Fixed the issue where some players were able to gain +10,000 XP every time they cleared hunting trials with all Blazing Suns.
Alien: Covenant hits theatres next month, and two new promotional teasers have been released. They take the form of video messages left by crew members for their families back home. The first features Katherine Waterston, playing Daniels, while the second focuses on Billy Crudup's character, Oram. Check them out below:
"There will be another one before we kind of literally and logically, clockwise, back into the rear back head of [the original] Alien," he said last month. "It will go Prometheus, Awakening, Covenant. There will be more after this. If this is successful, and then the next one, and then there will definitely be three more."
Alien: Covenant arrives in theaters on May 19 in the US and May 12 in the UK.
Rockstar has revealed the latest slate of weekly deals and bonuses in Grand Theft Auto V's Online mode and announced plans to sell previously exclusive content to all players.
When GTA V moved from last generation consoles to PS4, Xbox One, and PC, Rockstar offered returning players certain exclusives, such as the Dodo seaplane and Duke O'Death. As of today, those are now available for sale to all GTA Online players.
Here's what you can buy that you may not have been able to previously:
Marshall monster truck
Dodo seaplane
Kraken submarine
Imponte Dukes car
Declasse Stallion car
Blista Compact car
Hatchet
If you're one of those players who made the transition from a last-gen version of the game and purchased any of these, you'll receive a refund. Any money you spent on them will be returned to your in-game Maze Bank account within the next week.
Today also sees the launch of the next in-game bonus and discount event. From now through May 1, Contact missions will offer double RP and GTA$ rewards. That money will go even further than usual if you're in the market for an Executive Office or armored vehicles, which are among the things on sale:
50% off
Special Cargo Warehouses
25% off
Executive Offices
Progen Itali GTB
Truffade Nero
Dewbauchee Specter
Karin Armored Kuruma
HVY Insurgent
Karin Technical
Benefactor Turreted Limo
Benny's upgrades
Body armor
All ammo
Finally, a new Premium race has begun and will be available through April 24. This one, Surf and Turf, only allows you to use the Blazer Aqua. As usual, only the top three finishers will receive any of the large GTA$ rewards, but everyone who takes part will receive triple RP.
A new update has arrived for Torment: Tides of Numenera that purports to fix the game's performance problems, among other issues.
Numenera is the latest RPG from Wasteland 2 and The Bard's Tale developer InXile Entertainment. Numerous players have complained of bugs and performance issues since its launch earlier this year, and in March the company pledged to release a patch addressing them.
Update 1.0.2 is out now and consists of performance optimization and fixes for various freezes. It also resolves issues that would cause members of your party to talk less than they should.
Here are the full patch highlights, courtesy of InXile:
Fixes many freezes that would happen in various situations.
Numerous performance optimizations.
Addendum text now appears on item descriptions. Dozens of items have more detailed descriptions depending on your lore skills and other factors.
Fixes an issue that was preventing party members from bantering. Party members should now be much more talkative.
Updates crisis sequences to rebalance a number of enemies. In certain situations, it will make combat proceed more quickly.
Numerous fixes and improvements to movement grid, pathing, and AI. This should prevent issues where the game would hang in combat.
Several quest and conversation fixes.
Inspiring Presence and other looping sound effects have been reduced or removed.
The full patch notes can be seen on the official Numenera website, although be aware that they do consist of some potential spoilers.
Coinciding with the update's release, InXile has said to look for special offers on the game at retailers between now and April 28. That includes a one-day deal at Best Buy that drops the PS4 and Xbox One versions to $30 ($24 with Gamers Club Unlocked).
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild rewards exploration and discovery, and while speedrunners have started taking the game down in record time, there are specific payoffs for completing as many sidequents as you can. That's one of the reasons we haven't released this video until now--we unlocked this additional ending scene for the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild quite a while ago, but we wanted to make sure you had a chance to find it on your own.
Consider this a heavy spoiler warning for the end of Breath of the Wild. If you haven't beaten the game yet, or you just want to discover everything on your own, read (and watch) no further.
Seriously.
To unlock this additional ending scene, which takes place after the end credits, you simply have to unlock every hidden memory, then head back to Impa. She'll give you one more memory to unlock. Defeat Ganon, watch the credits roll, then enjoy this extended scene between Link and Zelda.
How far have you gotten in Breath of the Wild? Have you unlocked this additional ending yourself, or are you holding off to explore more of the world?
Sony has announced it's bringing the 1 TB version of its PlayStation 4 Slim to US stores "this month."
The company announced the news on Twitter, at the same time as confirming the console's price as $300. That's the same MSRP as the current 500 GB model, though it routinely sells for less. It's not yet clear if this new 1 TB version will be an alternative to the 500 GB device or if it will replace it.
The 1 TB variant had not been available in the United States until this point, despite it coming to Europe in September of last year. The original launch of the PS4 Slim came shortly after Microsoft released the slimmed-down Xbox One S, which also starts at $300. For more on the two consoles, check out GameSpot's comparison gallery.
AMD released its RX 400 series graphics cards last year, and while they couldn't match the performance of Nvidia's high-end 10-series GPUs, they arguably offered more bang for the buck. AMD's new 500 series video cards are built on the same underlying Polaris microarchitecture, but they have been refined through a more mature 14nm manufacturing process that allows them to run a bit faster.
The RX 580 leads the charge in performance this time around and supplants AMD's RX 480, which the company released last year. Alongside that, the company sent us a RX 570 to test. This card replaces AMD's RX 470, which came out last August. Like the 400 series before it, the RX 580 and RX 570 still target mainstream users with starting prices at $199 and $169, respectively.
AMD asserts that the RX 580 is competitive with Nvidia's $299 GeForce GTX 1060 and that an overclocked RX 570 is on par with the company's $240 RX 480. We'll test those claims in our review.
AMD Radeon Specs
AMD Radeon RX 580
AMD Radeon RX 570
AMD Radeon RX 480
AMD Radeon RX 470
AMD Radeon RX 460
Stream Processors
2304
2048
2304
2048
896
Texture Units
144
128
144
128
56
ROPs
32
32
32
32
16
Core Clock
1257MHz
1168MHz
1120MHz
926MHz
1090MHz
Boost Clock
1340MHz
1244MHz
1266 MHz
1206MHz
1220MHz
Memory Clock
8Gbps GDDR5
7Gbps
7/8Gbps GDDR5
7Gbps
7Gbps
Memory Bus Width
256-bit
256-bit
256-bit
256-bit
128-bit
VRAM
8GB
4GB
4/8 GB
4GB GDDR5
4GB GDDR5
Transistor Count
5.7B
5.7B
5.7B
5.7B
3B
Teraflops
6.17
5.1
5.8
3.7
2.2
TDP
185W
150W
150W
120W
75W
Manufacturing Process
14nm FinFet
14nm FinFet
14nm FinFet
14nm
14nm
Architecture
GCN
GCN
GCN
GCN 2.0
GCN 2.0
GPU
Polaris 20
Polaris 20
Polaris 10
Polaris 11
Polaris 11
Launch Date
4/18/17
4/18/17
06/29/16
8/16
8/16
Launch Price
$199/$229
$169
$200/$240
$199.99
$139.99
As you can see from the spec chart above, the RX 580 is very similar to the RX 480 before it. It features the same amount of stream processors, compute units, and video RAM. Its biggest advantage is that it offers faster core and boost clocks. With its 1340MHz boost frequency, the RX 580 is 74MHz (six percent) faster than the RX 480. This makes the RX 580 a 6.17 teraflop GPU.
On the downside, with a 185-watt TDP, the RX 580 consumes up to 35 more watts than the RX 480. This makes it slightly more power-hungry than Nvidia's high-end GTX 1080. AMD recommends at least a 500-watt PSU for the card.
The RX 570 has also received a frequency bump over the RX 470. Its 1244MHz boost speed makes it three percent faster than its predecessor. In addition, it's more power-hungry than the RX 470 and carries a 150 watt TDP, which is the same as the RX 480.
Design
AMD usually sends reference boards for reviews, but this time around, the company sent us an RX 580 from Sapphire and an RX 570 from Asus.
Pictured: Sapphire's RX 580 is on bottom. Asus' RX 570 is on top.
The Sapphire Nitro+ Radeon RX 580 Limited Edition card that we received is overclocked, but at $275, it's also $46 more than the card's starting price. Sapphire's Limited Edition variant comes with 8GB of video RAM and sports two fans in a "gun metal" finish. The GPU is overclocked by 110MHz, going from a boost speed of 1340MHz to 1450MHz. It features two DisplayPort connections, two HDMI ports, and a DVI port. In terms of power, the card requires a 500-watt or greater power supply that has an eight and six-pin power connector.
The Asus Strix RX 570 is also overclocked, and at $189, it retails for $20 more than the GPU's base price. The Strix card sports two fans and offers a modest 34MHz overclock over 1244MHz baseline models. The card also offers RGB lighting. In terms of connections, the Strix RX 570 has two DVI ports, an HDMI port, and a DisplayPort connection.
To ensure benchmarking consistency, I'm using the same system that I used to review the 1080 Ti, 1080, 1070, 1060, and RX 480. It's equipped with an Intel Core i7-5930K Haswell-E CPU clocked at 3.9GHz, coupled with 16GB of DDR4 RAM clocked at 2133MHz running in quad-channel mode.
To provide the widest data set possible, I'm going to test the card against all the aforementioned graphics cards using the same suite of synthetic, VR, and game benchmarks. These tests encompass three resolutions (1080p, 1440p, and 4K). I also ran each benchmark at their respective max settings to really put the GPUs through their paces.
1080p Benchmarks
3DMark 11 is a synthetic graphics benchmark that produces a score based on a GPU's DirectX 11 performance; the higher the score, the better the result. Sapphire's RX 580 manages to beat AMD's reference RX 480 here by 14 percent, but falls nine percent short of Nvidia's reference GTX 1060. The Strix RX 570 brings up the rear and gets within five percent of the RX 480.
Unigine Valley is another synthetic graphics benchmark. Instead of providing a score, however, it provides average frame rate data. This test echoes the results of the 3DMark 11 benchmark above with a similar performance spread.
Tomb Raider is arguably the least graphically demanding game in our suite. Sapphire's RX 580 beats Nvidia's reference GTX 1060 by 6.8 percent here. The RX 480 and RX 570 also end up in a statistical tie, coming within one frame of each other.
BioShock Infinite is roughly as graphically demanding as Tomb Raider, and here, Sapphire's RX 580 and Nvidia's reference GTX 1060 end up in a statistical tie. The RX 570 and RX 480 also end up in a statistical tie.
Shadow of Mordor is a moderately graphically demanding game. Here, the RX 580 beats the GTX 1060 by 6.7 percent. The RX 570 and RX 480 once again end up in a statistical tie.
Metro Last Light is the most graphically demanding benchmark in our suite of tests. Here, the RX 580 beats the GTX 1060. The RX 570 also narrowly edges out the RX 480 with a three percent advantage.
1080p Benchmark Conclusion
Both the RX 580 and RX 570 make fantastic graphics cards for 1080p gaming. Aside from the most graphically demanding titles, they will run games above 60 FPS on average. This also makes them great GPUs for high refresh rate panels.
1440p Benchmarks
Cranking the resolution up to 1440p, the performance spread in Unigine Valley looks very similar to how it looked at 1080p. All of AMD's cards here manage to get above the 30 average FPS threshold, but they skirt the line pretty close, making frame rate dips a concern.
Echoing what we saw in the benchmark above, increasing the resolution to 1440p in Tomb Raider keeps the spread looking very similar to how it looked at 1080p. The RX 580 continues to best the GTX 1060. Meanwhile, the RX 480 and RX 570 end up in a statistical tie. All of the cards are able to get over 60 average FPS, which is great.
The RX 580 and GTX 1060 end up in a statistical tie in BioShock Infinite at 1440p, and so do the RX 480 and RX 570 GPUs. All of the cards are able to get over 60 average FPS.
Like its 1080p counterpart, the spread continues to look the same at 1440p in Shadow of Mordor. All of the cards are able to run above 60 average FPS here.
Metro Last Light at 1440p is the benchmark to really separate the wheat from the chaff. While the RX 580 is technically able to get above the 30 average FPS threshold, it does reach a low of 21.7. This indicates that you should either run the game at a lower resolution or turn some settings down. The GTX 1060, RX 570, and RX 480 all fail to meet the 30 average FPS threshold.
1440p Benchmark Conclusion
The RX 580 and RX 570 will be able to run most games at 1440p with playable frame rates. You will most likely want to turn some settings down in the more graphically demanding games, however.
4K Benchmarks
While all the cards here are able to get above 30 average FPS, anything slower than the RX 580 isn't advisable at these settings. The GTX 1060, RX 570, and RX 480 all occasionally dip below 30 FPS in Tomb Raider at 4K.
At 4K, the GTX 1060 narrowly outperforms the RX 580 by three percent. At these modest frame rates, every little bit helps. The RX 480 and the RX 570 end up in a statistical tie, with both cards producing average frame rates in the low 30s. You'll most likely want to tweak some settings to get better performance.
All of the cards here are able to muster above 30 average FPS performance, but again, you'll probably want to turn some settings down with anything slower than the GTX 1070. The RX 580 is six percent faster than the GTX 1060 here, and the RX 570 and RX 480 end up in a statistical tie.
While the RX 580 and RX 570 beat the GTX 1060 in the Metro Last Light 4K benchmark, only the GTX 1080 Ti can make any playability claims here. Metro Last Light shows that the RX 580 and RX 570 won't be able to max out the most graphically demanding games at 4K.
4K Benchmark Conclusion
While both the RX 580 and RX 570 will be able to get over 30 average FPS in many games at 4K, they skirt the line so closely that you're better off running the game at lower resolutions to get smoother, more consistent gameplay. Really graphically demanding games like Metro Last Light will crush both cards at 2160p.
VR Benchmark
While the GTX 1060 and RX 580 have traded blows throughout my tests, the GTX 1060 definitively beats the RX 580 by 11 percent in Valve's SteamVR benchmark. The RX 580, RX 480 and RX 570 are all VR-capable cards and come within spitting distance of each other's performance.
Temperatures and Noise
The Sapphire RX 580 remained pretty quiet during all my tests. When I ran the Unigine Valley benchmark, the card recorded temps in the high 60 degrees Celsius, with the fans peaking out at around 1350 RPM.
The Asus Strix RX 570 hit similar temperatures that hovered around the mid 60 degrees C. While it never got uncomfortably loud, its fans did rev up a little higher with a 1560 RPM.
Conclusion
If you were hoping for top tier GPU performance from AMD that rivals Nvidia's best offerings, you'll have to wait for AMD to release its Vega GPUs later this year. What we have here are budget-oriented cards that punch a bit above their price.
Pictured: RX 580 on top. RX 570 on bottom.
Sapphire's slightly overclocked RX 580 trades blows with Nvidia's slightly more expensive GTX 1060. According to our benchmark data, it's really too close to declare a definitive winner. One downside to the RX 580 is that it consumes a lot of power for a mid-range card.
When you take the average of our performance benchmarks, Sapphire's RX 580 is roughly 16 percent faster than Asus' RX 570, the latter of which performs neck and neck with AMD's reference RX 480 before it.
Neither the RX 580 or RX 570 offer huge performance jumps over their respective predecessors, but they're still compelling GPUs for those who want to game at 1080p and 1440p and don't want to break the bank getting there.
The recently teased PS4closed beta for Gazillion Entertainment's action-RPG/MMO hybrid Marvel Heroes Omega is scheduled to go up this Friday, April 21. An Xbox One closed beta is confirmed to follow sometime later.
Those interested in joining the Marvel Heroes Omega closed beta on PS4 can secure a chance to play by purchasing any of the various Founder's Packs, which go up on sale on the PlayStation Store or the game's official website this Friday. PlayStation Plus members playing the closed beta receive access to added bonuses, including a free Daredevil costume, in-game currency discounts, and other limited-time exclusive access to select Heroes.
Marvel Heroes Omega is the latest iteration of Marvel Heroes, which originally launched on PC in 2013. The console version carries over much the of the content available on the PC version, including its story mode and its myriad extra modes, challenges, and difficulties.
Exclusive to the console version is the addition of local co-op, which allows you and a friend to play through the game together alongside other online players. The added functionality for the console version is a welcome gesture given the game's loose similarities to the Marvel Ultimate Alliance series.
The console version also sports other minor tweaks, such as gamepad controls and UI adjustments that better tailor the experience to the platform. The changes work well, making the game relatively easier to pick up and navigate than past action-RPGs that have made the shift from PC to consoles. For a closer look at how the game plays on PS4, watch the footage below.
The game will only feature 38 Heroes to play as at launch, as opposed to the 61 Hero roster currently available on the PC version. More characters are planned to release in the subsequent months after full release. Given the differences between the console and PC versions, Marvel Heroes Omega will not feature cross-play functionality. In addition, there are no plans for character transfers from PC to Console.
The week's only notable new release, Yooka-Laylee, debuts at No.6, meanwhile. Reviews for the Banjo-Kazooie spiritual successor have been mixed, while GameSpot's Yooka-Laylee review called the game "outdated" in parts. Critic Kallie Plagge did think the game was worthy of the "spiritual successor" title, however.
You can read the full top 10 sales chart below, via sales monitor Chart-Track. Note this table does not include digital sales data, and so should not be considered representative of all UK game sales.
Telltale's latest series, which focuses on Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, premieres today, April 18. The first episode is called Tangled Up in Blue, and with its launch virtually here, reviews have started to go live for this introductory episode.
This first chapter--which is coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, iOS, and Android--costs $5, while Episodes 2-5 will be released over the coming months. Additionally, the game is getting a physical release on May 2 (May 5 outside North America). This will be available for $30 and will include Episode One, giving you free access to the next four episodes as they launch.
Game: Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy - The Telltale Series
Developer: Telltale Games
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC, iOS, Android
Release: April 18
Price: US $5 / £5 / AU $9
GameSpot -- 7/10
"Because of that characterization, though, jokes land more often than not, and even less-important interactions serve to build out the team. That and good voice acting balance out a few rough bits of dialogue (Rocket making a 'your face' retort and following it with, 'That was terrible,' for example). Quiet, intimate moments between characters are what Telltale does best, and this episode strikes a good balance between Guardians-style snark and conversations with a little more meaning to them.
"The episode sets up an important conflict and serious questions about the galaxy going into Episode 2. Some more game-y elements can take you out of the experience a bit, but this is also a compelling introduction to the series that captures the unique charms of the Guardians--plus, there's some kickass music." -- Kallie Plagge [Full review]
IGN -- 8.5/10
"Guardians of the Galaxy is definitely starting off on the right foot, with a great script, great actors, and a universe packed with personality (and backed by catchy tunes) to explore. If it can continue to deliver the quality of dialogue and panel-perfect action over the course of the rest of the season, it may find itself seated in the upper echelons of Telltale's catalog. I just hope that now the series has introduced itself, the series gives its environments and characters just a bit more time to breathe in between speeding the plot along." -- TJ Hafer [Full review]
PC Gamer -- 58/100
"By the end of the first episode Guardians of the Galaxy sets up its overarching plot, which ties into the history of the Kree, with a new big bad and an infinity stone-esque McGuffin. Some Marvel cosmic comic experts may be giddy to see the Kree get more love--and let's be honest, the film's villain Ronan the Accuser was pretty forgettable--so I hope the series finds strength in its story as it develops. As it stands, Tangled Up in Blue is a meandering introduction to a cast I already know, leaning on a framework that doesn't play to their strengths. In about an hour and a half, Guardians of the Galaxy tops out at 'heh.'" -- Wes Fenlon [Full review]
US Gamer -- 3/5
"This is a Telltale style game through and through. If you're tired of what the studio has done in the past, this won't change your mind. Batman: The Telltale Series felt like a stronger evolution of the franchise, using the Detective Vision mechanic to solve puzzles and provide more personal combat choices. So far, Guardians of the Galaxy feels like a step back from that series. In fact, Guardians of the Galaxy just adds up to a weaker start than Telltale's previous comic adaptation. Telltale surprised me with some story decisions here, so I'd like to see where they intend to take the team, but as a first episode it didn't hit me in the gut and make me excited for the next." -- Mike Williams [Full review]
With Rogue Oneavailable to watch at home and the Han Solo movie currently in production, there is much speculation about what the third standalone Star Wars spinoff might be. Now Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy has stated that it could be announced very soon.
Speaking to MTV at this weekend's Star Wars Celebration, Kennedy wouldn't commit to a timeline, but did state that they were "very close" to an announcement. "My hope would be sometime around the summer," she said. "I never want to predict the creative process because it is its own thing, so we're in the midst of those discussions right now."
While it is unknown what the next spinoff might focus on, last year it was reported that the studio was close to announcing a Boba Fett movie in 2015. Fantastic Four director Josh Trank was initially hired to helm the film, and a teaser was even intended to be screened at 2015's Celebration. However, Trank ultimately left the project and no further announcements have been made since.
In the same MTV interview, Kennedy explained that the current storyline of the Star Wars Saga movies will wrap up after Episode IX, which is due in 2019. "There's no question that this is set up as a trilogy and that three-act structure of the set-up, the conflict, and the resolution very much is what we have planned," she said.
The first teaser for the next Saga movie, The Last Jedi, was released at Celebration. You can watch it here, or check out this trailer breakdown. The movie hits theaters on December 15, 2017.
We've teamed up with Wonacott Communications to give away 15 game codes for FlatOut 4: Total Insanityon PC. Fifteen winners will be randomly chosen on Friday, April 21st at 5:00pm PT and will receive a code to redeem on Steam.
FlatOut 4: Total Insanity brings demolition derby style racing to fans of the genre and celebrates the award-winning series with bigger, better and more outrageous stunts and collisions.
Activision today released new gameplay footage for Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, a compilation pack that includes updated versions of the first three games in the series.
This newest gameplay video shows off the first game's fifth level, Upstream, which sees Crash making his way up a river. As you'll see, new features have been added, including a more advanced water system that shows ripples in the water as a lillypad is about to sink, providing a cue for the player for when to jump. The video also spotlights the game's bonus missions. Take a look (via DualShockers):
Vicarious Visions used the original games' level geometry, but the gameplay is rebuilt from scratch. Some new features for the updated versions include a unified checkpoint and save system (including manual and auto-saving), as well as a unified menu system. There will also time trials available for each game.
This map is set in 1970s New York, featuring disco-zombies. It stars Pam Grier, who starred in Quentin Tarantino's 1997 crime thriller film Jackie Brown, as well as Paul Reubens, Seth Green, Jay Pharoah, and Sasheer Zamata. Check out the trailer above to see the map in action.
Continuum is included with Infinite Warfare's $50 DLC pass or can be purchased by itself for $15. There are two more expansions coming to the game that are included with the DLC pass, though they have yet to be formally announced.
All Infinite Warfare DLC launches first on PlayStation as part of a timed-exclusivity deal between Activision and Sony. Players on Xbox One and PC can expect Continuum to arrive on their systems in about a month.
While Continuum is only available for PS4 users, a new patch is out now for all version of Infinite Warfare. Here are the patch notes, as posted by Infinity Ward on Reddit.
General Fixes
• VPR adjustments:
Recoil and gun kick provide a little more consistency
Damage adjustments
Fixed a bug that would double up on hit markers
Increased clip/stock size
Decreased reload times
• Various map fixes
• Slide challenges: added a grace period to make slide medals and challenges easier to get
• Fix for a bug where enabling and disabling Hardcore Mode would not correctly keep Respawn Delay values in sync for the mode
• Fix for the player being damaged by their own Shockwave while using Reactive Armor
• Disabling Gestures while in Phase Shift
• CWL adjustments:
Removed grace period times for Overdrive and Active Camo. This means you will no longer be refunded the Payload even if killed just after activating the Payload
Lowered score requirements for all Payload weapons except Claw to make them more viable for use
A new system update is available now for the Nintendo Switch.
Launched today, update 2.2.0 includes "general system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience," according to the patch notes posted on Nintendo's website (via NeoGAF).
The update should apply automatically if your Switch is connected to the internet. You can also manually start the update if you need to. Once update, your current version should say 2.2.0.
It is not immediately clear what this update does specifically. If you've noticed anything different or improved, let us know in the comments below.
Respawn Entertainment has teased future content for Titanfall 2. In a blog post, the studio discussed the content coming to the game between April and June, which includes new maps, a new Titan, and more.
During that window, Respawn will add two each of general multiplayer maps (Glitch and Relic) and live fire (Traffic and Deck) maps, as well as another Titan whose name hasn't been disclosed yet. All of this content is free. In terms of paid content, Respawn is launching two new Prime Titans, including Ronin and Tone.
It's not shown in the image, but Respawn is also added more paid content in the form of camos, nose art, and warpaint, among other things.
Even more DLC is on the way, though Respawn isn't ready just yet to reveal it. "We'll let you folks speculate as to what else we could be working on…" the studio said.
In addition to the new content, Respawn plans to add a number of gameplay features, updates, and tweaks in the April-June window. This includes the following (as written by Respawn):
Gen cap increase to 100
Expanded Private Match settings including the addition of Live Fire and Coliseum to the selectable modes
A new Faction
Marked for Death game mode
More Pilot executions
Addition refinements to matchmaking like estimated wait time and more
More purchasable camos, skins, etc. from the store
In addition to all of this, Respawn confirmed that it has plans for more Titanfall 2 free trials; the most recent free trial weekend was held in March.
Outside of the Titanfall franchise, Respawn is working on a third-person Star Wars action game that's being directed by God of War veteran Stig Asmussen.
The massive Xbox Spring Sale has ended, but that doesn't mean there are no deals to be had on Xbox Live. Microsoft has now announced this week's lineup of regular weekly deals for Xbox One and Xbox 360. This week's slate of deals isn't as extensive as the Spring Sale of course, but there are some solid offers you may be interested in.
NetherRealm has released a new trailer for fighting game sequel Injustice 2. This latest gameplay video focuses on the character Poison Ivy, showcasing her moves in battles against characters like Bane and Catwoman. She shuts them down uses a number of botanical-based moves and skills.
Her finishing move looks particularly menacing, as Poison Ivy's unfortunate adversary gets snarled up by a plant and fed to a beast with mighty chompers. Here's the video:
Now, director Rian Johnson himself has weighed in on the discussion. Speaking to ABC News (via Uproxx), whose parent company is Disney, Johnson said, "In my mind, it's singular."
The interviewer then asked if Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is the last Jedi. "If you say so," Johnson replied. He went on: "They say in The Force Awakens that he's going to find the last Jedi temple, and Luke is the last Jedi."
Also in the interview, Johnson said he was surprised to see the discussion around The Last Jedi's title garner so much discussion. He said he "never even pondered" the question of singular vs. plural, and said it "seems like the most uninteresting" thing to ask about the film.
In February, a report claimed that The Last Jedi's title is meant to be plural, but it appears that is not the case. It may seem like a small detail, but if it is singular, and if Luke is indeed that last Jedi, that could have major implications on future movies and stories.
The Last Jedi opens on December 15. In addition to Hamill and Ridley, The Last Jedi stars Carrie Fisher (who completed her scenes before passing away in December), John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Gwendoline Christie, Andy Serkis, and Domhnall Gleeson. The film also adds new cast members, including Laura Dern and Benicio del Toro.
That the game exists is about all we know. However, Remedy did say that its goal for it is to release it on a "wider range of platforms," which suggests it won't be exclusive to any one system. Remedy also made a point to mention that its Northlight game engine will support PlayStation 4. This was the engine used to create Quantum Break, which was exclus
It remains to be seen if Remedy will make a sequel to Quantum Break or Alan Wake. Quantum Break "sold really well," Microsoft marketing boss Aaron Greenberg said last year. At the same time, he made it sound like there won't be a sequel. "Just like every movie, not every game needs a sequel," he said.
On the subject of Alan Wake, Remedy has said time and again that it has ideas for a new game in the series, though it looks like it's not happening soon. Additionally, any announcements about a new Max Payne would come from Rockstar, as it owns the rights to the series.
@MrXBob@deviance23 We have been really upfront about whats up with AW2. Hope to make it one day if possible, but for now it's CF2 and P7.
As for P7, this could be the game that Remedy said last year was in the early stages of development. Remedy said at the time that it was pitching the game to publishers, though none were named outright.
What would you like to see Remedy make next? Let us know in the comments below!
We finally saw more of Luke Skywalker in the new trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Now, actor Mark Hamill has discussed Luke's journey in the new movie and more. Speaking to Fandango, Hamill said Luke is a "completely different person" in the new movie.
"He had an arc [in the original trilogy], and I think [Carrie Fisher] and [Harrison Ford] admitted their characters were pretty much the same throughout, but Luke was always changing," Hamill said. "Now we have this 30-year gap between the films, so a lot of it is conjecture. It's not specifically my story-- Rey is now the protagonist."
Also in the interview, Hamill talked about how it took him some time to warm up to The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson's ideas for Luke.
"I think you'll find some things that'll surprise you," he explained. "They certainly surprised me. I said to Rian, I think I fundamentally disagree with everything you've decided for me. Now having said that, I have to accept it, get my mind around it, and do my best to realize your vision. Once I got into it, a lot of my fears went away."
Interestingly, Luke says at the end of the new trailer for The Last Jedi, "It's time for the Jedi to end." However this pays off could be one of the surprising elements of the film that Hamill spoke about. Check out GameSpot's breakdown video above to see what we thought of the new trailer.
Additionally, Hamill, along with Rey actress Daisy Ridley and Johnson, the director, shared more details and insight into The Last Jedi in an interview with ABC News. Among other things, Johnson suggests that we will finally learn who Rey's parents are in The Last Jedi.
The Last Jedi comes to theaters in December. In Star Wars video game news, Star Wars: Battlefront II comes out ahead of the film, launching for PS4, Xbox One, and PC in November.
The end is nigh for Bloodline. Netflix today released the first trailer and announced the premiere date for the show's third season, which is expected to be its last.
All 10 episodes of Season 3 will premiere on May 26, which is Memorial Day weekend in the US.
Bloodline follows the Rayburns, a family in Florida who hide horrible secrets and are continually lying to keep their deeds under wraps. Season 2 ended with a dramatic cliffhanger, so fans of the series will be happy to see the show come back and hopefully offer a satisfying conclusion.
Although this trailer makes it clear that Season 3 is expected to be Bloodline's last, series creators Todd Kessler, Glenn Kessler, and Daniel Zelman have said they had five or six seasons mapped out. A report from last year suggested that future seasons could air outside of Netflix, though nothing is confirmed.
Another element to this story is that Florida, where the show is set and where it films, cut its entertainment tax incentive programs recently. This happened before Season 3 was given the green light, making the new season a more expensive production.
Main cast members Kyle Chandler, Sissy Spacek, Ben Mendelsohn, Linda Cardellini, and Norbert Leo Butz will return for Season 3 in their Rayburn family roles.
Microsoft is now letting even more people test the Xbox Game Pass service before its public rollout later this year. A new wave of invitations for Preview members, the third overall, is now underway.
Players who are in the Preview program can join the Xbox Game Pass Alpha Preview by launching the Xbox Insider Hub and selecting Xbox Game pass Alpha Preview. The new wave of invitations were delivered by Xbox Live Messages; one was sent to GameSpot.
Xbox Game Pass, which was announced in February, is a Netflix-like service that provides subscribers with access to a catalog of 100 games (see all the confirmed titles here). Some games could drop out of the library, based on what third-party publishers want, but Xbox boss Phil Spencer has said people can subscribe with confidence.
Xbox Game Pass is expected to launch for all Xbox One owners this Spring, though a date has not been announced. Considering a new wave of alpha invitations is available now, it's clear that the testing process has not yet finished.
Are you planning to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass? Let us know in the comments below!
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