When the Epic Games Store launched in December 2018, it launched in something of a feature-poor state. Epic promised to build out the store's feature set over time, but it's been a long, involved process that's still ongoing. Epic has started rolling out a rather big feature that many other digital storefronts have - achievements - but it sounds like that feature hasn't been fully implemented yet.
The impending release of the Xbox Series X has largely overshadowed another upcoming Microsoft release: Microsoft Flight Simulator. The much-loved series is finally making a comeback this year, nearly 15 years after the last major entry in the series, Microsoft Flight Simulator X, which launched way back in 2006. Microsoft Flight Simulator X also came to Steam in 2014, but beyond that port, things have been very quiet on the Flight Simulator front.
Samsung today opened pre-orders for a new version of its foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Flip. This new model doesn't change a whole lot from the original, but it is outfitted with 5G capabilities. So, if you live in a place where your carrier is already offering 5G (or will be soon at any rate), this could be worth considering assuming you can handle the phone's steep price tag.
We're quickly closing in on the release date for Marvels' Avengers from Crystal Dynamics, and today, the company has shared its plans for the upcoming beta as well as detailing what will happen after launch. As previously announced, Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix will be hosting multiple betas throughout the month of August, and while access will be limited during some of the dates, the good news is that everyone will get a chance to check the game out.
The PlayStation 5 is on the horizon, and Sony seems ready to tap into its other segments to prop up the new console. Specifically, Sony will be releasing a line of "Ready for PlayStation 5" TVs that come with a feature set centered around gaming. There will be two Ready for PS5 TVs at first, but it sounds like this line could expand in the future.
It's no secret that Spotify is the music streaming service to beat, but just how popular is it? In its latest round of financials, Spotify gives us an idea, revealing just how many monthly active users and how many Premium subscribers it has. With those numbers out in the open, it seems that Spotify is closing in on a major milestone.
Though Konami's focus on video games has been a bit wishy-washy in recent years, the company also has a long history in producing all kinds of hardware, whether that's arcade cabinets or pachinko machines. Today, Konami revealed that it's going to branch out into an entirely different line of hardware production: gaming PCs. More specifically, the company today announced a grand total of three different gaming PCs with different specifications.
Throughout 2020, Microsoft has been hosting various digital events centered around the Xbox Series X. In May, for instance, we saw a showcase of third-party games coming to the new console, while an event last week showed us a number of games that Xbox Game Studios developers are working on. Now, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has seemingly confirmed that an August event is happening, and it could be a big one.
Back in May, Spotify began testing a new feature called Group Sessions. The feature allowed Premium users to share some control over their playlists, but it only worked with other physically present Premium users. Two and a half months later, Spotify is back with an upgrade to Group Sessions that allows them to share DJ duties with users who aren't in the same location.
Yesterday, Sony revealed the PlayStation Plus free games lineup for August, and now Microsoft is following suit. Today the company revealed the Xbox Live Games with Gold for the month of August, and we've got something of a strange sight: not a single Xbox 360 game is included. It isn't often that happens, but nevertheless, August's Games with Gold lineup is comprised of two Xbox One games and two Xbox games.
PlayStation 4 owners got a nice surprise today, as Studio MDHR announced that Cuphead, its run and gun indie darling, is coming to the platform. This announcement has been a long time coming, as Cuphead is about to turn three years old. First released on Xbox One and Windows back in September 2017, the game launched on Mac in 2018 and then Switch and even Tesla cars last year. Now, it's the PlayStation 4's turn.
When Nintendo revealed the summer update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons earlier this year, it said that the update would be launching in multiple waves. The first wave is already in the books, and today, Nintendo has detailed Wave 2, which will be available in just a couple of days. On top of a few more summer-themed additions, Wave 2 will bring a long-requested feature to the game.