Google has revealed much more about its Stadia video game streaming service, including price, launch information, and a game lineup. You can get in on the ground floor by getting a Founder's Edition to launch this November. But if you do put down your money, what you can you expect right out of the box?
The Founder's Edition is the high-end version of the service and hardware rolled into one package, so if you purchase it you can expect the full functionality of the Stadia service. It will cost you $130, and it's already available for pre-order. Unlike a traditional console like Xbox or PlayStation, the Founder's Edition doesn't include a large hardware box. Instead, it will pack a relatively small Chromecast Ultra streaming dongle and a limited-edition Night Blue Stadia controller--both of which are regularly priced at $70.
Since Stadia is a streaming service, the real functionality comes through playing online. Right out of the box, the Stadia should be able to stream any game in its library, either through a direct purchase or through the three-month Stadia Pro subscription included in the Founder's bundle (regularly $10 per month). Stadia Pro allows you to stream at 4K and 60fps with 5.1 surround, and it includes a rotating library of free games. One of those games is Destiny 2, with all previous expansions and an annual pass to include the upcoming Shadowkeep expansion. If you've already started Destiny 2 elsewhere, you can import your character to Stadia.
A separate Stadia Base tier won't launch into 2020. That version will be able to play games at 1080p with stereo sound, and there is no subscription fee. You can just buy your games a la carte, similar to any other digital marketplace, and play them through the cloud. This can be done on any Chrome browser, and you can use most existing controllers or purchase a Stadia controller separately.
Any game in the Stadia launch library will be available to stream on day one. Google has already announced a partial list of its launch games, which you can see below. The company has suggested that more launch games will be announced at a later date, including some from Capcom, EA, and Rockstar.
For more on Google Stadia, check out our wrap-up of all the news out of the recent event.
We're now in Week 5 of Fortnite Season 9, which means there's a new set of challenges to complete and Battle Stars to earn in Epic's hit battle royale shooter. As usual, this week's tasks are divided up into two categories: those that are available to everyone, and a premium set reserved for players who've purchased a Season 9 Battle Pass, which runs for 950 V-Bucks (roughly $10).
As has been the trend this season, most of Week 5's challenges are fairly self-explanatory. In the free category, you'll have to deal damage to opponents with Grenades, Dynamite, or Stink Bombs; search seven chests either in Salty Springs or Frosty Flights; and eliminate an opponent in five different matches. All of these should be easy enough to complete with a little persistence.
Battle Pass holders will have to do a little more work. Their challenges involve placing a trap item in five different matches and racking up three eliminations at Sky Platforms. There's also a multi-stage challenge that first asks you to complete a lap at the desert race track, as well as one to visit five Wind Turbines in a single match. If you don't know where those can be found, we've put together a Wind Turbine locations guide.
Free
Deal damage to opponents with Grenades, Dynamite, or Stink Bombs (200) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search chests at Salty Springs or Frosty Flights (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Eliminate an opponent in different matches (5) -- 10 Battle Stars
Premium
Stage 1: Complete a lap of the desert race track -- 1 Battle Star
Place trap items in different matches (5) -- 5 Battle Stars
Visit different Wind Turbines in a single match (5) -- 10 Battle Stars
Eliminations at Sky Platforms (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Alongside Week 5's challenges, Epic has released Fortnite's 9.20 update. This week's patch introduces yet another new item to the game: the Storm Flip. As its name suggests, throwing it into a storm zone will create a temporary spherical pocket of safety, and vice versa--you can also throw it into a safe zone to create a storm zone. To make room for the Storm Flip, however, Epic has vaulted all hunting rifles. You can read more in the full patch notes on Epic's website.
Borderlands 3 is just a few months away, but fans of the looter-shooter franchise will have something to tide them over in the meantime. Just before E3, DLC for the seven-year-old Borderlands 2 has leaked and is likely to bridge the gap between Borderlands 2 and Borderlands 3, according to Game Informer.
Titled Commander Lillith and The Fight for Sanctuary, the DLC leaked via a Steam listing and is reported to launch on June 9, the same day as Microsoft's E3 presentation. The page has since been removed, as noted by Game Informer, but we managed to glean some information about the upcoming expansion. The listing said the DLC would be free and has Vault Hunters teaming up with Lilith and the Crimson Raiders to save Pandora. Check out the details below.
"Return to the award-winning shooter-looter for a new adventure that sets the stage for the upcoming Borderlands 3. Sanctuary is under siege, the Vault's map has been stolen and a toxic gas is poisoning Pandora. Fight new bosses, explore new zones, get new loot (including an entirely new tier beyond Legendary) and join up with Lilith and the Crimson Raiders to take on a deranged villain hell-bent on ruling the planet."
Lilith is the Siren in the original Borderlands. She's remained an NPC since her reintroduction in Borderlands 2, guiding Vault Hunters throughout the treacherous environments on Pandora. With her return in Borderlands 3, it's likely this DLC will have some connection between the events of Borderlands 2 and the adventure Vault Hunters will embark on this September.
Gearbox has been in hot water for a few months now. Last month, the original Claptrap voice actor levied some serious accusations against Pitchford, which includes a physical altercation at GDC back in 2017 and more. The Texas-based company has been in an ongoing legal battle with former general counsel Wade Callender over financial disputes, company information misuse, pornography, and more. Gearbox seems to be backing down for the lawsuit, retracting some claims and filing no grievances.
Borderlands 3 will land on PC, PS4, and Xbox One on September 13. It was confirmed that the upcoming looter-shooter will also launch on the Google Stadia day one as part of today's Stadia Connect Event, kicking off this year's E3.
The next chapter of Destiny 2 is seeing a whole lot of changes. There's a new content expansion called Shadowkeep, a new free-to-play version of the base game, and new cross-play support that lets you move your character around between (some) platforms. For PC players, the next chapter of Destiny 2 will take place on a new platform: Valve's Steam.
Bungie made the announcement ahead of E3 2019 during a livestream detailing all its plans for Destiny 2 going forward. Destiny 2 was previously only available on PC via Battle.net, Activision Blizzard's PC portal, when Activision published the game. But Bungie split with Activision earlier this year, and Tuesday marked the release of the Season of Opulence, the final piece of Destiny 2 content from that partnership.
Starting with the release of the Shadowkeep expansion on September 17, Destiny 2 will leave Battle.net and head to Steam. It will also support cross-saves on all platforms, which include PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Google's cloud-based Stadia platform. Bungie also laid out a new approach for how it'll sell Destiny 2 to players: each new content expansion, starting with Shadowkeep, will be standalone and sold a la carte. That means you'll be able to pick and choose which Destiny 2 expansions you buy, and you won't be required to own all previous expansions in order to get the new ones.
Bungie said in its press release for the new Destiny 2 changes that it wants to move away from segmenting its player base across separate platforms, which might explain why it picked the more dominant Steam as a home for Destiny 2. Then again, Bungie is doing away with all platform-exclusive content, so maybe it'll show up on the Epic store at some point in the future.
The next chapter of Destiny 2 is more than just another content expansion--it also includes a fundamental change to the way players get that content. Starting on September 17 with the release of Shadowkeep, the Destiny 2 base game will go free-to-play.
Bungie made the announcement Thursday on a livestream unveiling its fall expansion ahead of E3 2019, the first since its split with former publishing partner Activision. The free-to-play version of Destiny 2 is called Destiny 2: New Light, and it includes all of the Year One content for the game. That means the vanilla version of Destiny 2 with its original raid, plus its first two content expansions, Curse of Osiris and Warmind, are all part of the free package. (You'll still have to pay for the Forsaken expansion and the annual pass, which included three smaller content drops, that came after it.)
Here's Bungie's full description of the New Light from its press release:
"Destiny 2: New Light: Alongside Destiny 2: Shadowkeep comes a new way for players to enjoy the game. Destiny 2: New Light is a brand new entry point for newcomers that puts the worlds of Destiny 2--and all of its foundational modes, activities, and rewards--into the hands of every player, with no barrier to entry. With Destiny 2: New Light, anyone can play Destiny 2, and Destiny 2: Shadowkeep's a la carte model is the first example of how we're looking to deliver content to you in the future."
The press release also notes that Shadowkeep is a standalone expansion, meaning you won't need to own any past Destiny 2 content in order to play it. That's a big change from the model the game has previously used; each new expansion in Destiny 1 and Destiny 2 required players to own all previous expansion content as well.
The price of entry has likely turned a lot of lapsed players away from returning to the game. Bungie has tried to mitigate that fact over the last year, offering the Destiny 2 base game for free for a short time on PC and through PlayStation Plus. New Light and standalone expansions look to be a further development on the idea of making it easy for players to return to the game even if they miss some content along the way.
Bungie also announced that Destiny 2 will support cross-saves on all platforms beginning with Shadowkeep--Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Google's Stadia. It also marks the end of exclusive Destiny 2 content for certain platforms. Up until now, PlayStation 4 players have enjoyed additional weapons, missions, and multiplayer maps that haven't been available to other players, but Shadowkeep puts a stop to that. Bungie's press release said that all these changes are part of its initiative to make it possible to play Destiny 2 "anytime, anywhere."
Among the 30 games confirmed for Google, a few are brand-new titles. One title that's surprising to see is Darksiders Genesis, a new game in THQ's series about angels, demons, and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
The first trailer for the game released today, showing the horseman Strife battling demons fromh a Diablo-like camera perspective. We're likely to get more details at THQ's E3 2019 panel, scheduled for Thursday, June 13 at 10:30 AM PT / 1:30 PM ET / 6:30 PM BST. That panel address the "the inception of the Darksiders universe and where it's headed next," while also touching on "a brand-new Darksiders game that takes the franchise in a fresh direction."
Hopefully, the new direction that Genesis is embarking on is a good one, as the last Darksiders game wasn't very well-received. In our Darksiders III review, Richard Wakeling wrote, "Darksiders 3 retrogrades on its predecessors with an unfocused approach that constantly clashes with itself. There are remnants of a good game here, buried within the vivacious combos of a combat style this game doesn't want to embrace. Unfortunately, it's buried far too deep to ever salvage."
Google Stadia lets you stream games from the cloud to your computer or TV. For $130 USD / £120, you can pre-order the Stadia Founder's Edition and get a limited-edition controller, Chromecast Ultra, a three-month subscription to Stadia Pro, and a three-month Buddy Pass for a friend to try Stadia Pro. The Founder's Edition will release in November 2019.
For $10 USD / £9 a month, Stadia Pro lets you stream games in 4K HDR at 60fps, and also provides access to a free library of games, a discount in Stadia's online store, and a limited-time Destiny 2 deal. If you don't want to invest that much money just yet, Stadia Base (which offers a cheaper 1080p at 60fps alternative) will release sometime in 2020.
In its pre-E3 2019 Stadia press conference, Google outlined some of the specifics for its cloud-based game streaming service. Stadia is up for pre-order now in the Founder's Edition, which comes with several exclusive goodies, like a specially colored controller and Chromecast Ultra.
Apart from the swapped location of the d-pad and left analog stick, Stadia's controller closely resembles a Switch Pro Controller in design, but it has two unique buttons. One allows you to seamlessly share gameplay, while the other activates the controller's microphone so you can ask Google Assistant a question. Chromecast Ultra allows you to stream Stadia directly to your TV via an HDMI port, as well as several other supported apps like Netflix and HBO Go. The technical specs for both the controller and Chromecast Ultra are outlined below.
Headset jack: 3.5mm headset jack for headsets with or without a microphone
USB: USB-C port for charging, wired gameplay, and accessories such as USB-C headsets. HID-compliant
Weight: 268g
Dimensions: 163mm x 105mm x 65mm
Google Assistant: Google Assistant button to trigger the microphone
Capture button: Quick access to image and video capture
Battery: Internal rechargeable Li-Ion battery
Chromecast Ultra Technical Specs
Dimensions: 2.29in (58.20 mm) x 0.53 in (13.70 mm) x 2.29 in (58.20 mm)
WeightDevice: 1.6 oz (47 g), Adapter: 3.5 oz (101 g)
Resolution: Supports all resolutions up to 4K Ultra HD and high dynamic range (HDR) for stunning picture quality
Wireless: 802.11ac (2.4GHz/5Ghz) 1x2 MISO Wi-Fi for high-performance streaming
Power: Power supply required and included
Ports & Connectors
HDMI plugs directly into the TV Micro-USB for power and data
Ethernet port on the power adapter for hard-to-reach Wi-Fi spots in your home
Supported Operating Systems
Android 4.2 and higher
iOS 9.1 and higher
macOS X 10.9 and higher
Windows 7 and higher
Requirements
TV with an HDMI port
Wi-Fi network or Ethernet
Wi-Fi-enabled supported device
The Stadia Founder's Edition costs $130 USD / £120 and also includes a three-month subscription to Stadia Pro and a three-month Buddy Pass for a friend to try Stadia Pro. Stadia Pro is a monthly fee of $10 USD / £9, allowing you to stream your games up to 4K HDR at 60fps. The subscription also provides access to a free library of games, a discount in Stadia's online store, and a limited-time Destiny 2 deal. Stadia Base offers a cheaper alternative to Pro but only supports up to 1080p at 60fps.
The Stadia Founder's Edition is scheduled to release in November 2019, while Stadia Base won't launch until 2020.
During its latest Stadia press conference, Google announced over 30 games will launch on the cloud-based gaming service on the first day. One of those games is Borderlands 3.
The long-awaited sequel to Borderlands 2 is scheduled to release for Xbox One, PS4, and PC on September 13. Though the initial trailer for the game was disappointing, our time with the game during a preview event met many of our expectations. Most notable is Gearbox's decision to take inspiration from other modern day shooters, like Titanfall 2, including the addition of sliding and climbing to implement both more speed and verticality to combat.
Stadia is Google's approach to cloud gaming, allowing users to stream their digital purchases via Wi-Fi to a computer or TV. A Stadia Founder's Edition is available for pre-order now, costing $130 USD / £120. This special edition comes with a limited-edition controller, Chromecast Ultra, a three-month subscription to Stadia Pro, and a three-month Buddy Pass to give to a friend so they can try Stadia Pro.
Chromecast Ultra allows you to stream Stadia (or many other apps, such as Netflix or HBO Go) through your TV via an HDMI port. Stadia Pro--normally a $10 USD / £9 a month fee--allows you to stream games in 4K HDR at 60fps (as opposed to Stadia Base which only goes up to 1080p at 60fps). The subscription also provides access to a free library of specific games and a discount on all titles in Stadia's store. There's also a limited-time Stadia Pro deal for Destiny 2.
Stadia Founder's Edition is currently scheduled to launch in November 2019. The free Stadia Base will not be available until sometime in 2020.
Destiny 2 is coming to Google Stadia in all its glory--and including all its content. A new version of the game called Destiny 2: The Collection is making its way to Google's cloud gaming platform, and it'll span everything that's appeared in Destiny 2, plus more content from its next chapter.
Google made the announcement as part of its Stadia Connect livestream, which ran down a bunch of details about the new platform and the games that'll be available on it. The new version of Destiny 2 will include all the content that's been in the game so far-- the base game, the Curse of Osiris and Warmind expansions from Year One, plus Forsaken and the annual pass content drops from Year Two.
Destiny 2: The Collection will also include Shadowkeep, the game's next expansion coming this fall. Shadowkeep details were previously leaked, but Stadia Connect included the first official look at the expansion, which will take players back to the Destiny 1 location of the moon.
You'll also be able to transfer your existing Destiny 2 character to Stadia from "any other platform," according to the stream--but it included a disclaimer that said save transfers from PlayStation 4 are pending approval from Sony.
Destiny 2: The Collection is part of the Stadia Pro subscription, which will run you $9.99 per month. You can also buy games piecemeal under the Stadia Base version of the platform, which doesn't include a subscription fee, but it won't launch until some time in 2020.
We've got a whole lot more Stadia coverage for you to read, including all the news from the first Stadia Connect.
Google has finally given lots more information about its upcoming streaming service, including a Google Stadia a release date, a price point, and further launch plans. Among the details was a list of launch games developers and publishers supporting Stadia, with notable names like Bethesda, Square Enix, and Ubisoft. One particularly eye-catching name on the list of developers is Rockstar.
Unlike most other listed studios, though, Rockstar's name doesn't include a mention of planned games. Instead, a footnote says that it will "announce content at their discretion." Only two other publishers share this footnote, EA and Capcom.
That leaves an open question as to just which games Rockstar plans to bring to Google Stadia. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a distinct possibility, as the studio's most recent release, but as of yet a PC version of that game hasn't been officially confirmed. Grand Theft Auto 5 would also make sense, given its availability on PC and its ongoing success. However, neither of those are confirmed, so we could be getting other games from the Rockstar catalog.
Google Stadia will launch in November, so whatever Rockstar has in store will need to be ready by then. That's when Google will release the Stadia Founder's Edition, which includes hardware in the form of a Chromecast with a controller, along with a three-month subscription to Stadia Pro. A separate Stadia Base tier, which allows a la carte game purchases at a lower resolution, will launch in 2020.
For more details on all the launch info released today, check out our Google Stadia roundup. And keep up with all the news coming out of E3 2019.
During the company's pre-E3 2019 Stadia press conference, Google revealed the subscription model version of its cloud-based game streaming service will launch later this year. For those not ready to subscribe to Stadia Pro, a free alternative called Stadia Base will release in 2020.
Stadia Base is the basic version of the service. You don't have to pay any additional fees to use it. The games themselves still cost money, but with Stadia Base you can stream the games to your PC, TV, or mobile device for free. With Stadia Base, you'll be able to stream games up to 1080p at 60fps. Google did not provide a more specific timeframe for Stadia Base's release beyond 2020, though, so it's unknown exactly how much longer we'll have to wait for it.
A much more specific release date was provided for the version of the service that does cost money, Stadia Pro. Stadia Pro will be launching alongside the Stadia Founder's Edition, which is currently scheduled to release in November 2019. Stadia Pro costs $10 USD / £9 a month, but that subscription comes with a few goodies. For one, you'll be able to stream games up to 4K HDR at 60fps. You'll also gain access to a select collection of free games and receive a discount on all titles in Stadia's online store--starting with the roster of over 30 games available on Stadia at the service's launch. For a limited-time, Stadia Pro also comes with an exclusive Destiny 2 deal, which gifts you the entire experience (including the brand-new expansion).
If you think you might go for Stadia Pro, you may want to consider pre-ordering the Founder's Edition. Costing $130 USD / £120, the Founder's Edition includes a three-month subscription to Stadia Pro, a Buddy Pass for you to gift Stadia Pro to a friend for three months, an exclusive Stadia controller you can't buy anywhere else, and a Chromecast Ultra (allowing you to stream Stadia to your TV via an HDMI port).
Google has announced its release plans for its ambitious video game streaming service, Stadia. As promised, you'll be able to try it for yourself at home this year--as long as you're willing to pay the price. The release is split into tiers, with a hardware bundle available this year and the software service itself launching separately in 2020.
First, in November 2019, Google will launch the Stadia Founder's Edition. This will include a Chromecast Ultra, a limited-edition Night Blue controller, and early dibs on your Stadia account name. It also includes three months of the Stadia Pro service, and a three-month Buddy Pass to gift Stadia Pro to a friend. That bundle will cost $130 / £120. The Founder's Edition will be available in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland.
Stadia Pro, the online service itself, will cost $10 a month, but it will only be available with Founder's Editions to start. It includes 4K and 60fps with 5.1 surround sound, access to a library of games, discounts on full game purchases, and (for a limited time) full access to Destiny 2 including its upcoming Shadowkeep expansion and annual pass.
For those who don't need all those bells and whistles, and who don't mind waiting to try Stadia for themselves, Google will launch the "Stadia Base" service for free in 2020. That version includes 1080p and 60fps with stereo sound, and the ability to play games in your Chrome browser or on your Pixel 3/3a phone. The free version of the service doesn't include any rotating games library, so you'll just purchase your games normally as you would any other game storefront.
Google also announced details surrounding the service's launch library, which includes the full Tomb Raider library, Mortal Kombat 11, Ghost Recon Breakpoint, Doom Eternal, Darksiders Genesis, and Baldur's Gate 3. The company has not specified how many games will be part of its Stadia Pro subscription.
While Google's upcoming Stadia game streaming service is packed with many of today's biggest games, there's still plenty of fun indie-like experiences as well. A notable one, in particular, announced during Google's Stadia Connect stream was a game called Get Packed.
The upcoming physics-based multiplayer party game looks to be an over-the-top, more chaotic version of Gang Beasts. Up to four players participate in what appears to be objective-based competitive mini-games where the objective seems to be to cause as much carnage as possible. The brief teaser showed numerous explosions, breakable objects, driveable cars, fireworks, and plenty more craziness.
Get Packed supports both local and online multiplayer. The game is being made by fresh-faced indie developer, Moonshine Studios. The game is expected to launch for Google Stadia sometime in 2020.
If you're eager to learn more about Google Stadia, check out our in-depth explainer feature detailing how much it costs and what the subscription model looks like. You can also check out all the Google Stadia controller colors. Otherwise, be sure to keep an eye on all of our E3 2019 coverage.
Bungie has confirmed something players have been asking for: starting this fall, Destiny 2 will offer cross-saves across all platforms, so you'll be able to play your Destiny character anywhere.
The announcement first came on Google's Stadia Connect livestream, where Google has finally provided some concrete details about what we can expect from Stadia, its upcoming cloud-based gaming service. Google revealed Stadia's price and release window, as well as the list of games launching on the platform day one. One of those games is Destiny 2, and Google confirmed you'll be able to transfer your previous saves to Stadia.
Google's stream left off one key detail: whether PS4 players would have access to cross-save. But during its livestream, Bungie confirmed that all Destiny 2 platforms would include the capability: Xbox One, PC, Stadia, and PS4.
Meanwhile, Bungie's partnership with Stadia means you'll be able to play the game in any Chrome browser and on a host of other devices. If you choose to pre-order the Stadia Founder's Edition, you'll get some exclusive perks--including a three-month subscription to Stadia Pro. Among Stadia Pro's benefits is a limited-time offer for Destiny 2. All Stadia Pro subscribers will be able to access the entire Destiny 2 experience (the main game, all previous add-ons, the annual pass, and the upcoming Shadowkeep expansion) on the day the cloud-based gaming service launches.
With Stadia Pro, you also get a few more benefits, including 4K HDR video at 60fps for streaming, a free offering of select games, and a discount on all game purchases. Other than the Stadia Pro subscription, the Founder's Edition also comes with a limited-edition controller, Chromecast Ultra, and a three-month Buddy Pass that you can give to a friend so that they can play games with you. The Founder's Edition is scheduled to release sometime in November 2019, with the basic Stadia experience (which doesn't have all the extra bells and whistles but is free) releasing in 2020.
Google shared a wealth of new information about its upcoming cloud gaming platform, Stadia, during its inaugural Stadia Connect presentation on June 6, just ahead of E3 2019. In addition to revealing pricing details, the company showcased a few of the games coming to the service, including a new exclusive title from Rime developer Tequila Works called Gylt.
Billed as a "haunting single player puzzle adventure game," Gylt places players in the role of a young girl named Sally, who must explore an unsettling world in search of her missing cousin, Emily. Few other details about the game were revealed, but we did get a look at its atmospheric gameplay in the trailer below.
There were many more announcements from the Stadia Connect broadcast. Google also revealed the Stadia Founder's Edition, which will launch this November for $130. The Founder's Edition will be the only way to play Stadia at launch, but there will also be a Stadia Pro subscription that gives you access to a library of games, as well as a free version called Stadia Base--although that won't be available until next year.
Just before E3 2019, Google has finally announced more details for Google Stadia, its video game streaming service. The service will launch this November in a limited capacity and expand next year with a two-tiered strategy. One of these tiers includes a subscription, but what is it and what does it include?
The subscription plan is called Stadia Pro, and it will cost $10 per month. It includes access to a library of games, discounts on full game purchases, and all games will run in 4K at 60fps with 5.1 surround sound. For a limited time after launch, it will also grant you full access to Destiny 2 with all of its add-ons, including the upcoming Shadowkeep expansion. Google hasn't detailed how many games will be included with a subscription, or how often they'll rotate.
At first, Stadia Pro will only be available with the Founder's Edition, but it will become available to purchase separately at a later date. The Founder's Edition also includes a three-month subscription to Stadia Pro, a Buddy Pass that gifts three months to a friend, a Chromecast Ultra and a limited-edition controller. The Founder's Edition will cost $130.
A Stadia Pro subscription will be the only way to play Stadia at first, but not forever. A separate Stadia Base service will launch in 2020. That service will be free, but games will have to be purchased a la carte. The resolution and sound quality will be slightly diminished too, at a max of 1080p and stereo sound. It won't include a Chromecast Ultra, but you can play on any Chrome browser or a Pixel 3 or 3a phone.
Coming in days before both EA Play and E3 2019's assortment of press conferences, Google's latest Stadia livestream is the first of many video game-focused shows we can expect over the next week. During the stream, Google revealed new details for Stadia, including the colors and specs of the service's controllers.
Connecting to the game being played via a WiFi signal (though they do have wired support via a USB port), the Stadia controller is shaped similarly to Switch's Pro controller. The Stadia controller has its two sticks side-by-side instead of offset from one another, and the d-pad is above the left stick as opposed to beneath it. Stadia's controller does come with two very different buttons, though: one to seamlessly capture gameplay and the other to summon Google Assistant.
As of right now, Stadia's controller comes in four different colors. Three of the four--Just Black, Clearly White, and Wasabi--can be bought at any time. Each one costs $70 USD / £60. The fourth color, Night Blue, is limited-edition and exclusively tied to the Stadia Founder's Edition, which can be pre-ordered for $130 USD / £120. All four controllers have the same technical specs, which can be seen below.
Headset jack: 3.5mm headset jack for headsets with or without a microphone
USB: USB-C port for charging, wired gameplay, and accessories such as USB-C headsets. HID-compliant
Weight: 268g
Dimensions: 163mm x 105mm x 65mm
Google Assistant: Google Assistant button to trigger the microphone
Capture button: Quick access to image and video capture
Battery: Internal rechargeable Li-Ion battery
Other than the controller, the Founder's Edition also comes with Chromecast Ultra, a three-month subscription to Stadia Pro, and a three-month Buddy Pass for a friend to try Stadia Pro. The Founder's Edition is scheduled to release in November 2019.
Costing $10 USD / £9 a month, Stadia Pro lets you stream games up to 4K HDR at 60fps and also provides access to a free library of games and a discount in Stadia's online store.
Ubisoft was one of the earliest third-party developers to have been a part of Google Stadia testing with Project Stream last Fall, so it may be unsurprising to see that it is bringing more games to the streaming service. During Google's Pre-E3 2019 presentation, it was revealed that Ghost Recon Breakpoint and The Division 2 will be among the games at launch in November.
In a statement following the Google Stadia stream, Ubisoft co-founder and CEO Yves Guillemot made clear that the publisher would be supporting the launch of the new platform with their latest titles.
"Ubisoft is bringing several fantastic gaming worlds to Stadia at launch and we cannot wait to see players experience them on this game-changing cloud technology," he said. "Starting later this year, Stadia will bring players the possibility to share and enjoy even more memorable gaming moments wherever they choose to play."
Along with Odyssey, The Division 2 has been one of Ubisoft's most active games as of late. Since its launch last March, the game has grown significantly, adding in a new a raid and endgame features. With the focus on streaming and accessibility, evolving games like Odyssey and The Division 2 could make for some exciting games to dive into with the Stadia. Allowing players without access to high-end machines to gives more games a chance.
GameSpot Editor Edmond Tran praised The Division 2 in our review, writing "The ravaged environments continue to intrigue, and sometimes they're so stunning I find myself needing to take screenshots before I move on. It might not have much to say, but The Division 2 is a perpetual cycle of tension, relief, and reward that's difficult to stay away from."
As of this time, the Google Stadia will launch November 2019. The Stadia will also release with the Stadia Founder's Edition, coming packed with a Google Chromecast with a controller, along with a three-month subscription to Stadia Pro. The standard Stadia Base pack, letting players purchase games separately and play them at a lower resolution, will release sometime in 2020.
For more details on all the launch info released today, check out our Google Stadia roundup. And keep up with all the news coming out of E3 2019.
Mortal Kombat 11 and Battle for the Grid are notable entries on that list because both are fighting games. Latency issues are one of the largest problems that cloud gaming must overcome, so Stadia's ability to effectively run both games will be a huge test as to whether Google's new service is up for the challenge.
Granted, Stadia is also launching with a library that includes Doom, Doom Eternal, and several other fast-paced first-person shooters as well. However, many of these shooters are single-player. Mortal Kombat 11 and Battle for the Grid are online multiplayer-focused titles where the game needs to read multiple button inputs in rapid succession. Any latency issues will create unfair conditions. Google's decision to launch Stadia with both Mortal Kombat 11 and Battle for the Grid available on day one is a vote of confidence on the company's part.
Google Stadia launches in November 2019 via the Stadia Founder's Edition. The Edition comes with three months of Stadia Pro--normally a $10 USD / £9 a month subscription that lets you stream games up to 4K HDR at 60fps, gives you access to a select collection of free games, and offers a discount on all titles in Stadia's online store. You'll also get a bit more goodies in the Founder's Edition. such as a Buddy Pass for you to gift Stadia Pro to a friend for three months, an exclusive Stadia controller you can't buy anywhere else, and a Chromecast Ultra (allowing you to stream Stadia to your TV via an HDMI port).
A free version of Stadia, called Stadia Base, is coming in 2020.
Theories that Baldur's Gate III might be real popped up after Larian Studios, the developer behind Divinity: Original Sin and Divinity: Original Sin II, posted a teaser to its website involving the number three. Hints in the metadata of the teaser seemed to imply the game had to do with Baldur's Gate, though, not a third Original Sin game. The official announcement was accompanied by a new trailer (which can be seen below).
In the trailer, a knight undergoes a horrifying transformation. His eyes darken, muscles and bones contort, and skin bloats into sludge as he slowly changes into a squid-like, Lovecraft-looking creature. It's a tad disturbing.
In a press release, Larian wrote, "Baldur's Gate III will push the boundaries of the RPG genre and offer a rich narrative with unparalleled player freedom, high-stakes decisions, unique companion characters and memorable combat. It is Larian Studios' biggest production ever and will be playable together with friends or as a single-player adventure."
Like its predecessors, Baldur's Gate III will also be available for PC. Larian didn't provide a specific release date for Baldur's Gate III, but given that Stadia is launching in November 2019, it stands to reason the game must come out before then. We'll probably hear more at E3 2019, most likely during The PC Game Show.
It was the safest bet going this E3, but now it's official: EA has announced FIFA 20. The publisher did not reveal much else besides the logo, but there was another strange insignia shown in the short teaser clip.
Rather than revealing more information now, EA plans on talking more about this year's football game at EA Play. The FIFA 20 portion of that livestream kicks off on Saturday, June 8 at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET / 7 PM BST (that's 4 AM AET on June 9).
Despite it having only just been confirmed, EA did share some of FIFA 20's gameplay changes just recently. Top of the list is AI defending, EA said, with a larger emphasis and incentive placed on manual defending, as opposed to letting the computer defend for you. One of the ways EA plans to do this is by increasing the likelihood a manual tackle will propel the ball to a teammate. Automatic defending will see its overall efficacy reduced and reaction times slowed.
Shooting is also being revamped, with attackers given greater accuracy during easy shooting scenarios, such as being clean through against the 'keeper. Goalkeepers' reaction times will be reduced in these situations to resolve the sometimes "superhuman" reactions players complained of. Additionally, the timing window for green timed shots is being reduced to two frames for all shots, and they'll also be "slightly less precise." EA did, however, reassure players that green timed shots will "still be more accurate than non-timed shots."
Lots of work is being done on making passing and shooting more realistic, EA says, especially when it comes to difficult strikes. Volleys will be more variable and less accurate, for example, while 180° and first-time passes will result in "slower/weaker balls." To compensate, easy situation passes will now be more accurate. Two new passing options will also be introduced: the driven pass-and-go (which will replace the current manual pass button combo) and the dinked pass, which will cease to be an automatic, contextual pass variant and instead be user-controlled only.
As part of its US Days of Play sale celebrating E3 2019, Sony is offering one year of its PlayStation Plus online service at a deep discount for $40, down from a sticker price of $60. That's one year of online play, free monthly games, and discounted purchases for fully one-third off of the usual cost. The sale runs around E3 2019, from June 7 through June 17.
In addition to PS Plus, Days of Play is also offering a $30 discount on one year of PlayStation Now, Sony's remote game streaming service that blazed the trail for Microsoft's xCloud and Google's Stadia services that are arriving within the year. The sale also includes a huge library of games for up to 70% off, as well as a selection of classics like The Last of Us and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End for just $10. Check out our roundup for details on all of the great deals available during Days of Play 2019. EU readers can also check out what Sony has in store for that region's analogous sale.
Despite the big, celebratory sale, Sony will not have a discrete presence at E3 this year, ceding its usual press conference slot to Square Enix. After the mixed reception to last year's Sony E3 presentation, which involved a somewhat overwrought walking tour through sets inspired by upcoming PS4 games, Sony is stepping back to re-evaluate how to best reach their fans. We are all eager to find out when and how Sony will be sharing more details about the rumored upcoming PS5.
While only one episode of Swamp Thing had aired on the DC Universe streaming service, it has already gotten the ax and will not be picked up for a second season.
Swamp Thing's first episode was critically acclaimed, but that doesn't matter, as GameSpot can confirm the show will not return for a second season. This was quite the shock, as the first episode of the series was horrifyingly good. "The first episode was surprisingly well put together and exceeded expectations, which is a task considering DC Universe's track record of A+ original series thus far," GameSpot said in its review of the first episode.
The new DC Universe series strayed a bit from what subscribers have seen in previous originals, as Swamp Thing was not a superhero show by any means, and it laid heavily into the horror genre. From the first two episodes we saw, the series is dark, adult, and at times, extremely violent.
This isn't the first time controversy has surrounded the show. Towards the end of filming, there were reports that the final three episodes of the series were canceled. Allegedly, Warner Brothers was deciding what to do with the subsidiary streaming service, as the company makes moves to get into the streaming game sometime in 2019. However, DC Universe's subscriber base was stronger than ever at the time, and these reports were denied.
The Swamp Thing cancellation comes as a surprise as DC Universe has been growing its service over the past few months. Aside from airing a new episode of an original series every single week, Season 2 of Titans is coming down the pipeline, and the comic book side of the service just got a major upgrade, adding thousands of newer titles. Currently, DC Universe costs $8 per month or $75 annually.
Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order is going to be a big part of EA Play--the fan-focused event just before E3 2019. Ahead of that showcase, EA has released two key pieces of artwork, showing off the standard and deluxe box covers.
The standard cover is a character medley in the identifiable Star Wars style, showing off protagonist Cal Kestis flanked by allies and enemies, along with TIE Fighters and AT walkers. The deluxe cover takes a more simplistic approach, with a close-up of Cal's face draped in shadow. Both covers notably have a light-dark motif, splitting the color scheme into two parts.
(EA has clarified that Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order is not rated E as seen in the box art above. It appears to be a placeholder.)
Jedi Fallen Order focuses on a Padawan who escaped the Jedi purge that occurred when the Emperor instructed his troopers to execute Order 66. Since it takes place in the dark times between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, Cal spends his time hiding from the Empire's agents, who have been deployed to watch for and mop up any remaining Jedi.
The game from Respawn is headlining the EA Play event, and will be the first to take the stage on Saturday, June 8 at 9:30 AM PT / 12:30 PM ET / 5:30 PM BST / 2:30 AM AET (June 9). EA isn't giving a formal press conference for E3 this year, but will be hosting a series of streams focused on its various games all Saturday morning. Others include Apex Legends, Battlefield 5, FIFA 20, Madden NFL 20, and The Sims 4.
The full trailer for Season 3 of Jessica Jones is here. The dark superhero drama was the last of Netflix's Marvel shows to be cancelled, and the final season hits the streaming service next week.
The trailer reveals that Jessica's adversary in Season 3 will be a character named Gregory Salinger. In Marvel's comics, Salinger is the alias of Foolkiller, the blue-suited enemy of the Defenders. The version in the trailer isn't wearing a costume, but seems to be a suitably scary villain, who is out to get Jessica and Trish. Check it out above.
Jessica Jones stars Krysten Ritter as troubled private detective Jessica, plus Rachael Taylor as Trish, Carrie-Anne Moss as Jeri Hogarth, and Jeremy Bobb as Salinger. This trailer follows the first teaser, which released last month. The season hits Netflix on June 14.
Jessica Jones was the second Marvel Netflix show, following Daredevil, and Season 1 was released in November 2015. Iron Fist, Luke Cage, The Punisher, and The Defenders followed, but ultimately, all were cancelled.
Of course, this is hardly the end of Marvel shows on the small screen. Disney is set to launch its own streaming service, Disney+, in the fall, and there are several Marvel shows in the works for the platform. The confirmed series include WandaVision, focusing on Vision and the Scarlet Witch, a Falcon and Winter Soldier mini-series, and shows focusing on Hawkeye and Loki. Two supernatural Marvel shows were also announced for Hulu last month--Ghost Rider and Helstrom.
E3 2019 is nearly upon us, and it's bringing a huge deluge of game news even before the show has started. Bungie rolled out all sorts of information ahead of E3 about next chapter of Destiny 2 on a livestream today, explaining what players can expect from Shadowkeep, the game's next expansion.
Things kicked off with a trailer for Shadowkeep, the new Destiny 2 expansion coming this fall, during Google's Stadia Connect livestream. As leaks suggested, it'll take players back to the moon, a Destiny 1 location we haven't seen in Destiny 2. It also centers on Eris Morn, a Destiny 1 character disappeared at the start of Destiny 2, but who has featured heavily in the lore for the last two years.
The story of Shadowkeep is all about "nightmares," which are apparently versions of villains players have defeated throughout their Destiny careers, resurrected and out for vengeance. They include major characters such as Ghaul, the final boss of Destiny 2's first story campaign, and Crota, a raid boss from Destiny 1. Figuring out how to deal with those enemies is a major part of the Shadowkeep story, from the sounds of things, because the usual "shoot everything" approach won't be enough. Developers also said that Shadowkeep will amp up the "psychological horror" aspect of the lunar setting.
The new expansion features new missions and quests to complete, as well as a new dungeon, which is a larger type of level that was first introduced to Destiny 2 in Forsaken. There's also a new raid that will return players to the Black Garden, a location that was a big part of the Destiny 1 story campaign but which hasn't featured very heavily in Destiny since.
Apart from the story details, Bungie said Shadowkeep is the start of a new initiative for the game going forward. A big part of that is the push to remove barriers between players, starting with cross-save capabilities that'll allow you to transfer your Destiny 2 character between platforms. That means you'll be able to move freely between PlayStation 4, Xbox, PC via Steam, and Google Stadia. There's also a new entry point for Destiny 2 players called Destiny 2: New Light, which is a free-to-play version of all the game's Year One content. Shadowkeep will also be a standalone piece of content that doesn't require owning any past Destiny 2 expansions to play, and going forward, all additional content will be standalone and available a la carte.
Shadowkeep will also see new changes to the way Destiny 2 plays, with a greater push on the RPG side of the game. For the first time, Bungie is referring to Destiny 2 as an MMO and embracing the connotations that term brings--although developers insisted players shouldn't expect things like a subscription model for the game.
What they can expect is a greater emphasis on customization options that allow them to create the kinds of characters they want. In its Vidoc about the expansion, Bungie mentioned Armor 2.0, a system that will let you change the perks and mods of a piece of armor. The effect is armor that's more customizable so you can wear things that look cool, not just the things that are most functional.
Player-vs.-player multiplayer is getting a rework, with some classic modes from Destiny 1 returning to Destiny 2, and Bungie revamping other playlists, developers said in the Vidoc. There weren't many details as to what that'll entail, but Bungie did show off a new gameplay aspect that's sure to be a big hit in the Crucible. That aspect is a set of finishing moves that players can execute against enemies; in the video, they sent huge monsters flying as Guardians executed them with a flourish.
Finally, of course, Shadowkeep is going to include a whole lot of new loot. The Vidoc included a few work-in-progress Exotic weapons, including a hand cannon with a scope, a trace rifle that creates critical hit spots on enemies for other players to shoot at, and a heavy combat bow that blasts groups of enemies.
Bungie's announcement included a huge amount of information, offsetting some of what was leaked in the days leading up to its livestream. According to a report from TrueAchievements, Microsoft posted Shadowkeep for preorder ahead of the announcement, which included its release date and a description of its story:
"New nightmares have emerged from the shadows of our Moon. Called forth by haunting visions, Eris Morn has returned. Join her to slay these nightmares before they reach out beyond the Moon to cast humanity back into an age of darkness."
That was more detailed than, but in keeping with, the description that appeared on Reddit from information allegedly datamined from Destiny 2's new expansion, Penumbra, which released this week. The Microsoft Store posting for Shadowkeep also provides an idea of what players can expect for Destiny 2 Year Three: basically, a similar system to Year Two. This year of Destiny 2 content saw a big expansion in Forsaken, and then three smaller "seasons" of content following it, comprising an annual pass players could purchase. From the sounds of things, you'll be able to buy Shadowkeep on Xbox One as a Digital Deluxe version, which includes four "season passes." That sounds like there will be four content seasons following Shadowkeep.
The Digital Deluxe version will also come with exclusive cosmetic items, according to the leak. Here's the store description:
"Digital Deluxe items include:
Four Season Passes, each offering a unique set of exclusive Seasonal activities, artifacts, and rewards
Exclusive Eris Morn themed items:
Exotic Emote
Exotic Ghost Shell
Emblem"
Bungie also opened preorders for a Shadowkeep collectors edition on its store. The $150 package includes the game and a host of bonuses, both physical and digital, including the Shadowkeep soundtrack, a physical journal that expands on the game's lore, and "artifacts from the Golden Age."
Fortnite carries on changing, week by week, and we're now into Season 9, Week 5. Many of this week's challenges are fairly self-explanatory, but there is one that's a little trickier.
"Visit different wind turbines in a single match," developer Epic Games asks of us. "But where are the wind turbines' locations?" I hear you respond. Don't worry, we've got you covered.
You can watch the video above to see the locations of the five wind turbines you need to visit to complete this challenge (hint: they're all pretty close to Pleasant Park). You just need to land on top of a wind turbine for it to register you as having visited it.
When you're done, you might want to read the full patch notes for Fortnite's 9.20 update, which introduces a new throwable named the storm flip. According to Epic, the throwable "explodes on impact and creates a sphere-shaped zone." This zone brings Fortnite's evil storm to any safe zone, and makes any storm zone safe. You can therefore use it in a pinch if the storm has caught up with you--or throw it at an enemy to subject them to the storm's damage-dealing abilities, even when they would normally be safe.
In other Fortnite news, players have recently spotted a giant eyeball encased in ice within the game. The eye can be found underneath Polar Peak. It's still unclear just what this means for the game, although fans are theorizing it could lead to some kind of community event or even a Godzilla: King of the Monsters tie-in, which certainly wouldn't be out of the ordinary, as Epic has previously held tie-in events for John Wick and Avengers: Endgame. You can watch some footage of the eyeball here.
To tie in with E3 2019, meanwhile, Microsoft has unveiled a new Fortnite-themed Xbox One console bundle. In addition to the console itself, which sports a stylish royal(e) purple gradient, the bundle includes a matching purple Xbox wireless controller, a copy of Fortnite, a Dark Vertex cosmetic set for the game (comprising a Legendary Outfit, Epic Glider, and Rare Pickaxe), 2000 in-game V-Bucks, and a one-month free trial Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass (the former of which is required to play Fortnite).
With E3 2019 almost in sight, Nintendo has detailed all the Switch games it's bringing to the show. We already knew about many of them, but there are one or two surprising titles we weren't aware of.
Microsoft and Sony recently made a surprise announcement that they were agreeing to a strategic partnership for gaming and cloud services, specifically using Microsoft's own Azure infrastructure. Two of the biggest console manufacturers working together was big news, but it doesn't mean the PlayStation and Xbox brands are joining forces.
In an interview with the Financial Times, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan ruled out any kind of larger merger afoot.
"There is to my knowledge... no scenario where the PlayStation and Xbox platforms combine," Ryan said. "The two platforms will remain separate with their own separate identities and brands and fans."
The deal does, however, give Sony a more robust back-end for its PlayStation Now streaming service thanks to Azure datacenters. It appears that the company is seeing competition coming between Google Stadia and Microsoft's xCloud and wants to be prepared to match with its own service.
"We are getting more confident with the [PlayStation Now] service and we are really going to start to push it hard this year and the year to follow," Ryan said. He also suggested that Sony has resolved the technical end of PlayStation Now and can focus its efforts on lining up content.
Shortly after the deal was announced, we learned that PlayStation was largely left out of the negotiations. It was a high-level deal between Microsoft and Sony, rather than between the Xbox and PlayStation divisions at the companiesm . The report even stated that managers had to calm addled nerves from employees who wondered what this meant for their next console, so fans weren't the only ones wondering about a possible console merger in the works.
Valve has been a pioneer in the PC gaming space, known for many things--Half-Life, Portal, Steam, not counting to three--and it's adding virtual reality to that list with Valve Index. It's the new VR headset that's only recently been confirmed after a series of rumors and leaks, and we've spent time with Index ahead of its June 28 release date.
While we have the final build of the hardware itself, the software is still in the process of adopting the new features that make Index unique--and we will have a full, comprehensive review of Index around its launch date. But based on our early experiences with Index's tech, like individual finger tracking, pressure-sensitive gripping, and enhanced visual capabilities, it's easy to see how Index can push VR gaming forward. However, like all enthusiastic-level platforms, it comes at a significant cost.
A frontal view of the Valve Index VR headset.
In the full Index package, which goes for $1000 USD, you get the headset with integrated audio, a pair of Index controllers (colloquially known as the Knuckles controllers), two 2.0 base station sensors, and all the necessary wires and mounts for setup. You can still use the original 1.0 base stations if you have them, and opt for the headset alone ($500) or the headset and controller bundle ($750). Index doesn't differ much when it comes to traditional PC-based VR setups since you still need the proper space to prop up sensors, outlets to power up those sensors, and your PC nearby since you have a cable running from the headset to your PC.
Getting Index to run is simple; it essentially functions like an HTC Vive since the headset interfaces similarly with the Steam VR ecosystem. You'll go through the same setup process for calibrating height and establishing your boundaries for a room-scale experience; even your in-VR home menu is the same.
Where Index starts to differ is in its display's capabilities; thanks to the high resolution of 2880x1600 (1440x1600 per eye), it delivers a crisp image that makes a noticeable difference for graphical fidelity. For reference, standard HTC Vive headsets display at 2160x1200. But Index's advantage isn't simply in visual clarity--the incorporation of higher refresh rates translates to a buttery smooth viewing experience. Every VR headset thus far has maintained a sufficient 90Hz refresh rate, but Index's display can go up to 120Hz and 144Hz, raising the cap for maximum framerate. It's worth noting that setting it to 144Hz caused a seemingly slight, automatic downscale in resolution in our case.
After spending some time in applications built for Index, it's easy to see how it lays the foundation for innovation in VR, not just in visual fidelity, but also in terms of interaction.
It's enticing to see a VR platform integrate the advantages that come with faster displays--this could help alleviate nausea that may come from extended sessions. With my longest single session being an hour and a half, I didn't come away with the same level of disorientation I usually experience after coming out of VR (though refresh rate won't help with disorientation caused by artificial locomotion). However, your mileage may vary as keeping up with these boosted refresh rates depends on the conditions of your PC.
The minimum and recommended specifications to run VR games with Index haven't changed from Vive and Rift, but it goes without saying that high-end PC specs are necessary to get the most out of Index. So far, we've been using Index on a PC equipped with an Intel Core i7-6700K CPU, an Nvidia RTX 2080 video card, and 16GB of RAM--having played Pavlov VR, Beat Saber, and Arizona Sunshine, our computer is up to the task of maintaining the necessary frame rates to take advantage of a 120Hz refresh rate.
An up-close look at the new Valve Index controllers, formerly known as the Knuckles controllers.
Another aspect in which Index is breaking new ground is with the inclusion of the "Knuckles" controllers; the Index controllers are capable of tracking individual fingers and recognizing pressure-sensitive grip. What makes this especially intuitive is that the controllers include a strap that lightly squeezes your hand against the controller, allowing you to freely gesture without having to hold on.
During this pre-launch period, however, implementations of the tracking features are limited to a handful of games and tech demos, like Aperture Hand Lab and Moondust. Most games currently recognize the Index controllers as Vive wands--for now, the pressure-sensitive grip is little more than a glorified grip button, and the difference in controller layout can cause confusion. We expect to see more developers account for Index control schemes once it's publicly available.
Aside from a few accessories and novelty controllers, Vive users have been using the same thick wands, reliant on trackpads for buttons, which certainly feel outdated at this point. Oculus has had the most sensible solution with the Touch controllers, but it's possible that--with smart implementation--the features of the Index controllers can lead to new mechanics in VR games.
As for the headset itself, Index adopts a similar approach to wearability as both the PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift S, two of the best headsets in this department. The entire headstrap moves as one unit, and adjusting the tightness is relegated to a dial on the back of the strap. The firm, dense face and headstrap pads also make long sessions possible and don't pinch or put an uneven amount of pressure in any one area. If there's one minor shortcoming here, it's that Index feels a bit front-heavy; the entire unit weighs in at 810g, close to the Vive Pro (832g), and quite a bit more than the PSVR (647g) and Rift S (600g).
The essentials in the full $1000 package for Valve Index.
Index's approach to audio is an interesting one; the headset doesn't come with on-ear headphones or an audio jack to connect your own device. Instead, Index uses attached speakers that hover over your ears without making contact. These are capable of positional 3D audio, but from a simple audio quality standpoint, they impress--songs in Beat Saber and sound effects in Arizona Sunshine come out loud and clear. Unfortunately, by design, you are limited in terms of sound isolation if you're either in a loud room or if you want to avoid disturbing others around you.
After spending some time in applications built for Index, it's easy to see how it lays the foundation for innovation in VR, not just in visual fidelity, but also in terms of interaction. For all that it's doing to change the VR landscape, the high cost of entry (coupled with the cost of a PC to get the most out of it) and the reliance on wired tech will make Index inherently prohibitive for some. Whether or not Index lives up to its potential will also depend on how developers integrate its more interesting features. We look forward to seeing more games and applications in action when Index launches on June 28.
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