Rumor: Could Xbox Series S Details Be Revealed This Month?
While pretty much all marketing for Microsoft's next-generation console has been focused specifically on the Xbox Series X, there have been rumors of another version, known from rumors as Xbox Lockhart, that's possibly going to be more budget-friendly. While nothing has actually been revealed, according to a new rumor, we could be seeing some details in the coming weeks.
According to Venture Beat's Jeff Grub, he quote RT'd a post from Wario64 regarding the recent Xbox Series X controller package being leaked showing the compatibility with the Xbox Series X|S. Jeff claims that details should be coming in the next three weeks.
I'm sorry. I looked at the calendar wrong. It's within three weeks.
— grubbsnax is back (@JeffGrubb) August 9, 2020
Back in June, Eurogamer reported that unnamed sources have pointed to August for something possibly Xbox Series S related, and in addition to that, some documents revealed some information on Lockhart. Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer last month revealed that there will be more Xbox news to come in August, but obviously what this will entail is unknown. However, if a reveal for the Xbox Series S is on the cards, I'm certainly interested in seeing what specifications have been nerfed.
The Verge suggests the Lockhart console looks to be bringing 1080p to 1440p gaming while the Xbox Series X has been confirmed to be bringing 4K gaming, At current, we know the technical specifications of the Xbox Series X which looks to be focusing on power and speed.
What do you think? Do you think the Series S will be revealed this month? Perhaps we'll see a reveal of the prices of the next-generation consoles from Microsoft?
The post Rumor: Could Xbox Series S Details Be Revealed This Month? by Ben Bayliss appeared first on DualShockers.
Playstation and Funko Collaborate for Second Wave of Figures
Less than a month ago, Sony and figure manufacturer Funko announced a collaboration that included three of the most recognisable Playstation characters. These included Kratos with the Blades of Chaos from God of War, The Hunter from Bloodborne and Jin Sakai from recently released Ghost of Tsushima.
Now, following the first line, the two companies have confirmed that a second set of figures is due for release, containing even more of our favourite characters.
Funko and PlayStation collaborate to present another line inspired by PlayStation characters. Pre-Order Ratchet & Clank 2-pack, Sam Porter Bridges from DEATH STRANDING, Joel from The Last of Us, and Sweet Tooth from Twisted Metal today! https://t.co/Yj3VUpMrA7 #PlayStation #Funko pic.twitter.com/oeHAnfBOq1
— Funko (@OriginalFunko) August 10, 2020
This time, the pair announced four brand new figures, again sharing a link to US Retailer GameStop where all four of the collectables will be exclusive. Each of the Playstation Funko's are available to pre-order from the website right now.
The designs feature more of Sony's most beloved characters from past and present. First up is a grizzled looking Joel from The Last of Us. Then, entering the line of Pop! Rides is the first crossover between Funko and PS1 classic Twisted Metal. The figure shows everyone's favourite murderous clown, Sweet Tooth, hanging out of his ice cream truck brandishing a knife.
The collaboration offers up a double pack next with one of Sony's most popular duos, Ratchet and Clank, who are returning soon on the PS5. Finally, and still waiting for final approvals, presumably from Kojima Productions, is Sam Porter Bridges, the protagonist from last year's Death Stranding. The figure shows Bridges in his traditional outfit, holding a Bridge Baby.
These latest figures join a huge range of gaming characters to be immortalised in Funko form. The company recently revealed a line of Pop! Figures from Cyberpunk 2077, that include both male and female versions of the player character V and Keanu Reeve's character Johnny Silverhand. Cyberpunk recently had the second Night City Wire event, which revealed plenty of new details about the game – including details on the three lifepaths and a variety of new weapons.
The post Playstation and Funko Collaborate for Second Wave of Figures by Sam Woods appeared first on DualShockers.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Now Has a Teaser Website
It seems Activision has launched a new teaser website for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, representing a late 19th-century workplace with an electronic device referring to August 14.
A few weeks earlier, Activision started sending out mysterious crates to some select content creators around the world, warning them not to open the box until August 10th. Yesterday, the time finally arrived for opening the crates, which included an old-time projector along with 10 different pictures to look at it. Apparently, every content creator has received a different batch of images, and after putting them together, they managed to discover a domain which is rumored to be a teaser website for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.
HOW WE SOLVED THE HARDEST EASTER EGG IN CALL OF DUTY HISTORY!
Zombies community unmatched. pic.twitter.com/lTq1vE061I
— NoahJ456 (@NoahJ456) August 10, 2020
While the name of the website doesn't sound familiar, if you look at the source code of the page, you can spot Activision's name. According to the website, something important will be happening at 12:00 (either AM or PM) on August 14. While we assume it's going to be the date for the official announcement of Call of Duty 2020, some believe that on Friday, we're going to get the next piece of the puzzle.
Raven Software and Treyarch, the teams behind Call of Duty 2020, recently revealed that we will get to know more about the next title in the series soon. Multiple insiders have already reported that Call of Duty 2020 is a reboot of the Black Ops series that will have a deep look at the real-world events over the Cold War era. The game is also said to be featuring Vietnam War on a much greater scale than before, with a darker story full of shocking moments. The name Black Ops Cold War was first spotted on a bag of Doritos, though it was already leaked by some insiders.
Aside from the crates, some mysterious messages have been spotted in Call of Duty Warzone over the last week, teasing a new announcement from Activision in the near future.
The post Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Now Has a Teaser Website by Mehrdad Khayyat appeared first on DualShockers.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Has Been Delayed to 2021
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 receives another delay in release date, this time pushing back the game's launch to an unannounced day in 2021.
Revealed earlier in 2019, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is a direct sequel to the original game of the series that was launched in 2004. As a first-person RPG set in the World of Darkness, you will find yourself in Seattle as a low-life vampire. While surviving the various threats around the city, you will have the option to choose which Vampire clan you want to join to continue your adventure in Seattle. Every clan has its own unique disciplines and abilities which will aid you in various ways to overcome the troubles.
While Hardsuit Labs and Paradox Interactive were targetting a 2020 release date at first, it seems the challenges caused by COVID-19 has forced them to launch Bloodlines 2 in 2021. As the official statement reveals, the developers are yet to reach their ambitious goals with the game's production process. As a result, they've decided to move the release of Bloodlines 2 to a later date in order to achieve their desired level of quality in the final product.
Today we have an important announcement in regards to the release date of Bloodlines 2. pic.twitter.com/M3xR5qOOpN
— Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 (@VtM_Bloodlines) August 11, 2020
Bloodlines 2 is just one of the several ongoing projects set in the World of Darkness. Later in 2019, Draw Distance studio launched Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York, a narrative-driven game with simple gameplay elements that represents the struggles between Vampire clans in New York.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong is yet another RPG being developed by Big Bad Wolf studio. The game is set to be released in 2021 for current-gen and next-gen platforms.
Aside from the titles above, there are some smaller projects based on the World of Darkness universe that target mobile phones and PC for a late launch in 2020.
Bloodlines 2 will be coming to PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
The post Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Has Been Delayed to 2021 by Mehrdad Khayyat appeared first on DualShockers.
Date A Live Ren Dystopia Showcases Its Heroines, Opening, Limited Edition, Preorder Goods
Compile Heart revealed the opening animation sequence for Date A Live Ren Dystopia, along with new gameplay. Ren Dsytopia is an ADV like all the Date A Live games so far, so the gameplay is actually reading. That's perfectly fine in my book and I'm sure you're into that too if you clicked on this article in the first place.
The gameplay sequence shows our protagonist Shido waking up and getting teased by Natsumi in her adult form, only wearing underwear. After the typical romcom cliche morning scene, we get to see some of the other girls hanging out at Shido's house. The game will be fully voiced except for Shido, as it's often the case in Galge like these.
Date A Live Ren Dystopia includes ten Heroines you can romance: Tohka Yatogami (Voiced by Marina Inoue), Origami Tobiichi (Misuzu Togashi), Yoshino (Iori Nomizu), Kurumi Tokisaki (Asami Sanada), Kotori Itsuka (Ayana Taketatsu), Kaguya Yamai (Maaya Uchida), Yuzuru Yamai (Sarah Emi Bridcutt), Miku Izayoi (Minori Chihara), and Natsumi Kyouno (Ayumi Mano). To all these Heroines we add Ren (Rie Takahashi), the new original character of Ren Dystopia.
The opening animation sequence also introduces the characters, showcasing some of the game's CG events. As usual when it comes to ADV games, it's not much of an "animation" sequence though and more like a slideshow. You should be used to it.
The opening theme song is titled Kangen Yuuwaku Receptor, sung by Iori Nomizu (Yoshino's seiyuu).
Date A Live Ren Dystopia OP, Gameplay
Date A Live is originally a Light Novel written by Koushi Tachibana and illustrated by Tsunako, published from March 2011 to March 2020. It features a world plagued by disasters known as Spirits, girls from another dimension who end up causing gigantic-scale explosions. The only way to stop them is protagonist Shido Itsuka, who can seal their powers by dating them and making them fall for him. It's a pretty interesting and original mix of romcom and politics, fantasy and mecha musume sci-fi, heartwarming and dread. DAL is definitely one of the best harem franchises of the 2010s.
Date A Live already got multiple anime adaptations, and while the original novel ended, a spin-off focusing on Kurumi is ongoing, titled Date A Live Fragmant: Date A Bullet. These novels are getting two anime movies adaptations: the first one, Date A Bullet: Dead or Bullet, is scheduled to launch this week in Japan, on August 14. The second one, Date A Bullet: Nightmare or Queen, will be releasing in Japanese theaters on November 13, 2020.
Koushi Tachibana is also working on Fantasia Rebuild, a crossover mobile game scheduled for 2020, featuring characters from novels published by Fantasia Bunko. From Full Metal Panic and Slayers to High School DxD and Hitsugi no Chaika.
Date A Live Ren Dystopia will be launching on September 24 in Japan, exclusively on PS4. You can read much more on the game and the franchise with our past coverage. When revealing Ren Dystopia's release date, Compile Heart also teased it's working on at least one PS5 game.
The game's Limited Edition and the shop specific preorder bonus samples are included in the gallery below. You can check which shop has which goods on the official site if you're planning to import.
All previous Date A Live games have been localized on PS4 and Steam through the localization of Date A Live Rio Reincarnation. That was the third game in the series, which also included remasters of the first two. As such, Idea Factory International should probably announce a localization for Date A Live Ren Dystopia in the future. We'll keep you updated.
The post Date A Live Ren Dystopia Showcases Its Heroines, Opening, Limited Edition, Preorder Goods by Iyane Agossah appeared first on DualShockers.
Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris Producer: Game Should Be Fixed In September
You already know Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris launched on PS4, Xbox One and Steam on July 10, with a lot of problems. Several patches have been released since then, but the game is still unsatisfying in multiple technical aspects. Producer Yousuke Futami held a short stream on August 7 where he talked about future patches. He's also regularly writing columns via Dengeki Online to explain everything.
Here's a quick summary of the upcoming patches and fixes.
Late August will bring ver 1.05 to the game, with further corrections to the game's stability. It'll also add a Quick Save, Quick Load system, and further fixes to the camera.
Following that, Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris will get another patch in September, ver 1.06.
This patch will bring the final adjustments to the load times, for the whole game map. The adjustments to the framerate will be finished with this patch as well, and the game should be then made fully stable with no FPS drops on all platforms.
This September patch is planned to be the "final" patch for the camera, loading, and framerate problems. Producer Futami noted this doesn't mean that they will stop and leave it at this if further problems are discovered.
In late September, the team is also planning to add a "Semi-auto Mode". This will allow inexperienced action game players to be able to easily link attacks and Sword Skills by pressing the same button. Needless to say, it'll be optional.
In late September, the team is also planning to add a "Light Mode" of sorts, where you'll be able to enjoy Alicization Lycoris' story like an ADV game (the type of games called visual novels outside Japan), without the battles or exploration. It'll be a shorter version of the game's story that you can enjoy reading.
Raid Dungeons will also get a quality of life update in September. The game will memorize the members you picked, which Raid Job you assigned them, etc. You'll be able to pick all that offline too, so once you get online for a Raid Dungeon run you can jump in right away.
As for the Steam PC version, Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris will get in September the same fixes above plus further PC-specific fixes, such as adjustments to the Keyboard + Mouse controls.
Once they're done with all that, the development team at Aquria will start focusing on the DLC content.
祝!SAOゲーム公式YouTubeチャンネル「βeater's cafe」開設!#アリリコ メディナ公式コスプレイヤーの紗雪さんから応援メッセージをいただきました!#紗雪 #SAO #メディナ https://t.co/iX8AExRv8I pic.twitter.com/2KnctEjTh5
— ソードアート・オンライン ゲーム公式情報 (@sao_gameinfo) August 7, 2020
Personally speaking, as I've said multiple times in the past, anime game adaptations often launch with framerate problems, bugs, camera problems and the like, for years now. And at the end of the day, the games themselves are always made by small teams on a small budget, so unless you're used to these anime games, not expecting much, and are a fan of the IP getting adapted, you'll be disappointed. That's regardless of the company behind the game, though it's most of the time Bandai Namco, as it's the biggest company handling games of anime and manga IPs.
With that said, Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris is the first case I've witnessed in a long while of a Japanese game getting so many patches to fix things up, and see it continue up to two months after release. The situation is exceptional seeing Covid-19 too, but SAOAL definitely shouldn't have released for full price on July 10. I'm guessing it couldn't be delayed further, for financials. The main reason behind everything happening in this world is money after all.
I don't want to play the devil's advocate, but at the very least, it's commendable Bandai Namco keeps communicating about the game, and is honest with how things won't get better until sometime in September, over four weeks from now on. And unlike Yousuke Futami, I'm sure many other Japanese game Producers would have simply ran away from Twitter at this point. I've seen many Japanese players dissatisfied with the situation, and Japanese people are really savage when it comes to negative, anonymous comments on the net. Hopefully, the whole situation will turn out to be some kind of wake-up call for future anime games, though I'm not getting my hopes up. In any case, it's always sad to see a franchise as huge as SAO get a game release like this.
Specific dates for the patches will be announced later on, first on the SAO Games Official Twitter.
The post Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris Producer: Game Should Be Fixed In September by Iyane Agossah appeared first on DualShockers.
Marvel's Avengers Will Be Scored By Composer Bobby Tahouri
In a new talk with Variety, it was revealed that composer Bobby Tahouri is taking on the scoring duties for Square Enix's Marvel's Avengers. Fans might recognize Tahouri's work in games like Rise of the Tomb Raider and Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark. He's also done film work for movies like Iron Man and the 2007 adaptation of Hitman. In short, the composer brings valuable experience to the table that should serve Square Enix well.
Exclusive: Composer Bobby Tahouri ('Rise of the Tomb Raider,' 'Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark') will score the new "Marvel's Avengers" game. @PlayAvengers https://t.co/mOYPG3BSAo
— Variety (@Variety) August 10, 2020
Tahouri spoke a little bit about how he built up the main theme and then used that to decide which instruments and sounds would fit around each character. Iron Man was his favorite to design, saying he loved developing "various guitars and bass tones to match his swagger and confidence".
Marvel's Avengers has been in the news quite a bit lately. It was recently revealed that Spider-Man is exclusive to PlayStation. As you might expect, that kicked up a storm of discussions on whether or not exclusive content should be in video games.
Additionally, members of the press recently got to sit down with a beta build of the game. Our team posted a lengthy discussion on YouTube, which you can check out. The short version is that it seems fine, but didn't knock our socks off. Hopefully, the developers at Crystal Dynamics can shore a few things up before release.
Marvel's Avengers is set to launch on September 4 for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One. Once next-gen consoles drop, the game will also make its way to PS4 and Xbox Series X.
The post Marvel's Avengers Will Be Scored By Composer Bobby Tahouri by Ricky Frech appeared first on DualShockers.
Spider-Man's Story in Marvel's Avengers Will Be Standalone
In an interview with Wccftech, developers of Marvel's Avengers have confirmed that Spider-Man's inclusion in the game will not interact with the main story in a significant way. His story DLC will be its own story entirely. As combat designer, Vince Napoli put it in the interview, Sony and Crystal Dynamics want the DLC to be seen as a "Cherry on top."
The wallcrawler's status as a PlayStation exclusive up to this point has been mired in controversy, even though we don't even know a hard date for the DLC outside of "2021." It couldn't have been worse timing on Sony's part to announce him as a platform exclusive character in the same breath as a multitude of other changes and other kinds of announcements that while not necessarily surprising, seemingly everyone but the staunchest Sony fans are calling anti-consumer.
In the interview, the devs not only make clear that Spider-Man will have a standalone story, but they also make it clear that his story will have little to no impact on the game's overarching storyline, but they also detail the logistics behind why Spider-Man is exclusive to Sony platforms. While it's already been hinted at by various people involved with the project, apparently the decision was entirely out of Crystal Dynamics' and even Square Enix's hands.
According to the interview with creative director, Shaun Escayg and combat designer, Vince Napoli, it was made clear pretty early on how and why Spider-Man was exclusive. While they were never quoted directly, the article says, "Immediately, they made it clear that the rules of the relationship between Marvel and Sony meant the Spider-Man exclusivity was completely out of the hands of Crystal Dynamics (and probably Square Enix too, for that matter)."
The PlayStation exclusive Spider-Man DLC has no details to speak of as of yet, but it'll certainly be interesting to see Crystal Dynamics' take on the world's most popular superhero.
The post Spider-Man's Story in Marvel's Avengers Will Be Standalone by Charlie Wacholz appeared first on DualShockers.
Go Back to The Past With This Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time Collector's Edition
Fans of the much anticipated Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time, based on the series of the same name by Genndy Tartakovsky, can hook themselves up with a bit of extra samurai loot courtesy of Limited Run Games.
Announced via a Tweet from Limited Run Games' earlier today, which you can find below, this edition of Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time will be available for PS4 and Switch only. The first batch of bundles will be available on August 14 starting at 10 AM EST. After that group sells out, a second batch will be available later the same day, at 6 PM EST.
Celebrate your favorite time-traveling samurai with the Collector's Edition of Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time, available Aug 14 at 10a & 6p ET for PS4 and Switch.
Each CE features a physical copy of the game, Jack's katana letter opener, Samurai Jack statue, & more! pic.twitter.com/POXB66fBob
— Limited Run Games (@LimitedRunGames) August 10, 2020
Selling at $129.99 USD, this bundle is rather costly, especially considering that the game itself is retailing for only $39.99. Besides a physical copy of the game on your preferred platform, the collector's edition of Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time comes with the following: a copy of the game's original soundtrack, a double-sided poster featuring Jack and Aku, 3 art cards depicting some of the show's standout locations, a 7-inch statue of Jack emerging from a time portal and a miniature replica of Jack's katana for opening letters.
It's worth noting that this is a limited collector's edition of Battle Through Time, so it's likely you won't find it anywhere else after August 14. Likewise, pre-orders for the collector's edition won't be happening, so you'll have to spam that F5 key if you're looking to pick the bundle up. Be sure to be quick, as there are only 1500 copies of this bundle being made available worldwide. If you're not sure where to find the store page for this collector's edition, look no further than right here.
Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time releases on PS4, Xbox One, Switch and PC on August 21.
The post Go Back to The Past With This Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time Collector's Edition by Otto Kratky appeared first on DualShockers.
The Best Phones for Xbox Game Pass and xCloud (for Every Budget)
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with its xCloud game streaming will not be heading to the iOS app store, leaving many iPhone-carrying Xbox players out in the cold. According to Statista, in the US alone, over 45% of smartphone owners are using an iteration of Apple's iPhone. At almost 50% market share, chances are that just about half of Xbox owners are likely using Apple's best selling product. This means that a good portion of people picking up Xbox Series X, will not get to enjoy what's slated to be a tent-pole service for Xbox and their larger strategy moving forward as a company.
This latest spat between the Microsoft Xbox and Apple App Store policy is leaving Xbox players (who use iPhones) in a precarious position. Do they stay in Apple's blue iMessage bubble? Or do they venture out to green(er?) Android pastures and enjoy Xbox Game Pass Ultimate streaming when it launches this fall?
If you're currently an iPhone user who's thinking of making the switch to Android, we're setting you up with what we think are the very best Android phones for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate regardless of your budget.
1. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G || Starting at $1,299.99
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's cloud gaming had its official coming-out party during Samsung's Unpacked alongside the Note 20 Ultra 5G debut. This marketing move made it the default "go-to" device to usher in the new service. For those unfamiliar, Samsung's Galaxy Note line is the tech giant's yearly "everything but the kitchen sink" device. With an annual fall release cadence, Samsung's Note line historically enhances or iterates on most features from it's "little brother" the 'Galaxy S' while tossing in the largest displays, fastest processors available, largest batteries (usually), and even a stylus (because, why not?).
This year, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G features the Snapdragon 865+ processor, 12gb of ram, 128gb of storage (which is also expandable), both sub-6 and millimeter-wave 5G radios for all US carriers, a 4,500 mAh battery, and a 6.9″ AMOLED 2X display that supports dynamic 120hz refresh rates. It definitely leads the pack with its audacious price tag, but if we're being honest, you're probably not finding another Android phone that checks as many boxes as the Note 20 Ultra 5g.
2. Samsung Galaxy S 20 || Starting at $999.99
The Galaxy S line is Samsung's annual iPhone competitor. Like the iPhone, Samsung's Galaxy S is made in various sizes, configurations, and price points in hopes of its phones finding a home in as many pockets as possible. This year's phone, the 'S 20' made a gamble on 5G by placing Qualcomm's pricier 5G radios in its entire line up. This move drove up the price of its entry model significantly. This price jump brought it up to a thousand bucks or right in line with Apple's 'Pro' offering, and a whole $300 more than 2020's best selling phone (globally) the iPhone 11.
Like it's Note 20 big brother, the S 20 is no slouch on paper. It features a Snapdragon 865 processor, 12gb of ram, 128gb of storage, sub-6 5G, a 4,000 mAh battery, and a 6.2″ AMOLED display with support of 120hz at 1080p. Also, like the Note, it's price tag will have most thinking twice before purchasing; however, with the device approaching the 6th-month mark since release, you can (usually) find reasonable offers and discounts from the various US carriers, especially if you're switching.
3. OnePlus 8 5G || Starting at $699.99
OnePlus made a name for itself among Android enthusiasts who were looking for a no-frills and no-compromise experience, without having to shell out half of a mortgage payment to get one. In its early days, OnePlus was among the first OEMs to sell phones with AMOLED displays, coupled with the latest processors, running a bloatware-free version of Android, and keeping all of that below $400. Going the route of becoming the value smartphone champion created an army of raving OnePlus fans and Android faithfuls.
While the company has shown no signs of slowing down, sometimes going as far as releasing 2 flagship devices per year, its prices have almost caught up to the Apples and Samsungs of the world. Again, they're still the value player here. But unfortunately 'value' in the world of smartphones now floats around a little over half a grand. For that much green, what do you get? The OnePlus 8 5G features a Snapdragon 865 processor, 8gb of ram, sub-6 5G, a 4,300 mAh battery, and a 6.5″ AMOLED display with a 120hz refresh rate. You might have just experienced some déjà vu, reading about the S20 before this phone and that's a good thing considering the savings between the two.
4. Google Pixel 4a || Starting at $349.99
Android needed it's own iPhone SE and Google delivered it with the Pixel 4a. Let's be crystal clear here: like the SE, this phone is not going to win any arms race. But what it lacks in horsepower, it will deliver in overall user experience. And that's not just for this year and next — like most Android phones — but it's a 3rd (and maybe/hopefully even a 4th) year as Google treats all of its Pixel phones to a minimum of 36 months of software support and updates. It's an unheard-of feat in the Android ecosystem that can make purchasers of even the most high-end Samsung phones jealous.
If you plan on using your phone for real-life things like photos of your pets and your food, then you should know that you're also getting Google's (arguably) unmatched camera with all of the computational photography software tricks found in high-end Pixel phones. At $349 this phone might be a better buy than a dedicated point and shoot camera, that's how confident I am with Google's top-notch photography software. Luckily, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's magic mostly happens in the cloud, so while the Pixel 4a will not be the snappiest of the bunch on this list, it will still get the job done. So what's under the hood? The Pixel 4a features a Snapdragon 730 processor (sorry, no 5G here folks), 6gb of ram, 128gb of storage, and a 5.8″ display. Oh right, and again, it's only $349.
There are many more Android phones to choose from but the list above is comprised of what we think are the very best phones at their given price points. If you're already an Android user, you probably already had your mindset on your next phone before you clicked through to see our list. If you're an iPhone user who was looking forward to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's game streaming you have another important decision to make before you even entertain this list of phones mentioned here.
Here's what it all boils down to: are you ready to venture away from iMessage, Facetime, (and maybe even the Apple watch you're presently wearing) to enjoy some video games on the go? While to most — a phone, is a phone, is a phone — to others, there's serious 'green bubble' shaming out there in the world and the FOMO of not having those Apple iPhone-only services like iMessage and Facetime can (unfortunately) be another burden altogether.
Project xCloud is officially being unveiled on September 15th, and anyone with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will have a front-row seat. If you haven't picked up a subscription already, you can grab it on Amazon to help support DualShockers.
The post The Best Phones for Xbox Game Pass and xCloud (for Every Budget) by Joel Taveras appeared first on DualShockers.