Some Xbox Series X Disc Drive Issues Reported In Launch Unit Woes

xbox series x

This week saw the launch of next generation consoles from both Sony and Microsoft. The latter launched both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S on the market last Tuesday. It's an exciting time for those who managed to snag these, but as many know (or should know, at least), there is always a degree of a gamble with any consumer product with the first batch of units that there could be problems. For instance, it seems with the Xbox Series X, some launch unit woes have seen weird oddities with the disc drive.

As initially reported by Polygon, several users have noted their new Series X consoles are having some kind of problem that seems to stem from the disc drive. Some will simply not recognize any discs, while others will make large clicking noises either when trying to insert a disc or just at random as it runs a game. It's unclear what the issue is just yet, and one of the videos at the Polygon link is actually a Series S making that same clicking noise despite not having a disc drive. We'll add a couple below just to give you an idea.

Now before you early adopters start looking at your new box in a panic and before you console warriors get your shields out, it's not that uncommon at all for any first generation launch unit to have some kinks. There is no indication, at least as of now, this is some widespread issue in the same way the dreaded red ring of death was for the 360 years ago. I have a Xbox Series X that has been functioning fine since launch, for instance. Microsoft has also been open with their support line and website, which we'll provide a link to below.

Nintendo Switch Has Best October Yet In US, Sees Second Best October Home Console Hardware Sales Ever

nintendo switch

Understandably, a lot of the focus of the gaming world has been on the release of the next gen consoles (or I guess they're current gen at this point) from Microsoft and Sony. But least you forget, Nintendo has still been burning up the place with their hybrid device, the Switch. It's now crossed nearly 70 million units worldwide, and it's showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, it's still breaking its own pace.

As reported via Business Wire, Nintendo revealed in a press release that the Switch had sold 735,926 combined units in the US for October. This marks the best October for the system yet since its launch in 2017. Not only that, that makes it the second best selling home console in the region for a October, only behind Nintendo's own Wii that managed to sell 807,000 over a decade ago in October 2008.

Some have even speculated that Nintendo's Switch could outsell the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S this holiday season due to stock issues with those consoles and the lack of diminishing demand for the Switch itself. There's also speculation that a higher-end Switch could be coming at some point next year, so Nintendo is looking to the long road.

Xbox Is Not Driven By Unit Sales, Says Phil Spencer

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This week was a big one for the video game industry with next generation system launches for both Sony and Microsoft, the latter releasing their Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. We were here 7 years ago with the launch of the PS4 and Xbox One, but nearly a decade later, we are in very different places. One of those ways is in how the two are tackling the video game business. While Sony's model has not changed and is still laser focused on their systems, Microsoft has expanded to being more software and ecosystem driven. Phil Spencer even goes as far as to say it's not about units, but the players.

Spencer did a longform interview with The Guardian and when questioned about the reasoning for why Microsoft no longer reports hardware sales numbers despite Sony and Nintendo still doing so, he said he didn't want the brand to be focused on unit sells, even going as far as to say even if the Xbox Series X/S outsells the PS5 he still wouldn't release any numbers. He says that he wants the division to be focused on the overall number of players in the ecosystem that they have steadily created as a whole.

"I know it seems manipulative and I'll apologise for that," he says, "but I don't want my team's focus on [console sales]. The primary outcome of all the work that we do is how many players we see, and how often they play. That is what drives Xbox. If I start to highlight something else, both publicly and internally, it changes our focus. Things that lack backwards compatibility become less interesting. Putting our games on PC becomes a reason that somebody doesn't have to go and buy an Xbox Series X. I'll hold fast to this. We publicly disclose player numbers. That's the thing I want us to be driven by, not how many individual pieces of plastic did we sell."

Spencer recently recalled the Xbox brands rocky times after the lackluster performance of the Xbox One launch, which most likely had a big role in this pivot to software over hardware. It was said that the launch of the Series X and Series S has been the largest in Xbox history, but considering the philosophy Phil outlines above, it's hard to know exactly what that means. Either way, it seems as if Microsoft has found a direction that works well for them.

Hades Highlights Fantastic Voice Cast In New Behind The Scenes Video

Hades

While Hades was running in early access for almost two full years, it seemed to have sneaked up on some when it released into full 1.0 this September. It's Supergiant's unique take on the rougelike genre, and is sure to be on a lot of Game of the Year lists. We were pretty huge fans of it ourselves, and it seems to be well on its way to being a massive success for the studio. Today the developer released a video to highlight one of the things that makes Hades so dang special.

Part of the game's charm and uniqueness comes from its many characters and their incredible personalities. A behind the scenes video showcases the voice cast that help bring them to life. You'll hear plenty of familiar voices from the game (as well as one or two you're sure to recognize from the developer's other works). I think it's fair to say Hades would not have hit nearly as well without its characters, so this is definitely worth checking out.

Hades is available now for Nintendo Switch and PC.

Horizon Zero Dawn And Killzone: Shadow Fall Will Allow For PS4 To PS5 Save Transfers

horizon zero dawn

Whenever there is a new console launch there is, of course, a lot of new games to come along with it. Sony's PS5 will have a lot of options to play, even if very few are next gen only experiences and will be cross-gen, but what makes this gen different from the previous is near full backwards compatibility with its predecessor. Maybe you want to go back, or maybe you sat out Sony's offerings for the PS4. Whatever the reason, there's a lot of older titles for you to get into, including the last two games from Guerrilla Games.

The developer took to their official Twitter to confirm that both Horizon Zero Dawn and Killzone: Shadow Fall will be playable on the PS5, as suspected. Both will also allow for transfers of your saves from the PS4, too, with Shadow Fall even getting a bump to run up to 60 FPS. If you aren't familiar, Horizon Zero Dawn was the latest game from the studio, an open world adventure game that has a sequel in development now for the PS4 and PS5. Shadow Fall was the game they did before that, the fourth game in the Killzone shooter franchise, and actually served as a launch title for the PS4.

Horizon Zero Dawn and Killzone: Shadow Fall are both now available on the PS4 and PS5.

Bugsnax Invites You On A Strange Journey With Snakkolades Trailer

Bugsnax

With this week being the launch of next generation consoles from both Sony and Microsoft, it also means there's a glut of titles to come alongside them. One of the strangest is Bugsnax, a game about animals that are also food that you eat and also become food, or something. I'm not entirely sure. The game is out now and just got a goofy launch trailer not long ago. Now it's time for them to brag a bit about the game's positive reception.

The game's developer released a "Snakkolades" trailer that gathered up the game's positive reception thus far. It seems a lot were charmed by the title's food-based humor and charm, with some noting that the game goes some…interesting places.

Bugsnax is available now for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and PC. It will also be free to PS Plus users this month, but that only extends to the PS5 version. The PS4 version will still need to be purchased regularly.

Destiny 2: Beyond Light – Witherhoard, Rose Disabled Due to Issues

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It's only been a few days since Destiny 2: Beyond Light but Bungie is already working hard to patch any exploits. The Lost Sector Legendary farm was hotfixed recently and it seems that two Exotics have been outright disabled due to various issues. Exotic handcannon Rose was disabled yesterday due to an issue that caused it to go from 140 RPM to 150.

On the other hand, Witherhoard was dealing crazy amounts of damage-over-time to players in Crucible (on top of various other bugs that players are reporting). It was disabled earlier today and Bungie hasn't indicated when either will be fixed. With Trials of Osiris coming tomorrow, it seems Bungie doesn't want to risk either weapon impacting PvP activities this weekend.

Destiny 2: Beyond Light is currently available for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Google Stadia. It will launch for Xbox Series X/S and PS5 in December. More content will be coming up as part of Season of the Hunt – check out the roadmap here and stay tuned for more details.

Watch Dogs: Legion Guide – Essential Gadgets and Upgrades

Watch Dogs Legion

Watch Dogs: Legion presents a whole world of NPCs to recruit as playable characters. However, while their skill sets and perks will be useful, you'll also want to invest in different gadgets. These are unlocked with Tech Points which you gather throughout the map – head here for more details on all of their locations.

What are all the different gadgets that can be unlocked? Let's start with the Deep Profiler, which is essential when recruiting NPCs. If an NPC doesn't have a good opinion of DedSec, they can't be recruited but with the Deep Profiler, you can investigate a lead that – once completed – will allow for pursuing their recruitment. This is very useful when trying to convince Albion contractors to join DedSec, especially since their Uniformed Access perk is great.

The AR Cloak and AR Shroud are the standard tools of any stealth players kit. The former lets you turn invisible, even in broad daylight and can be upgraded for longer duration. The latter will turn you invisible after performing a takedown which is pretty useful when you're able to perform takedowns from longer range with the AR Cloak. Next up is the Spiderbot which is used for scouting, finding collectibles and other sneaky stuff. Upgrade it as soon as possible for the ability to double jump and cloak.

Riot Drones can be some of the more annoying enemies in the game. So invest in the Riot Drone Hack to temporarily throw them off and gain some breathing room. Of course, there's also the DedSec Grenade Launcher which can take down multiple drones at once – get that if you need more firepower. As for human enemies, consider investing in Gun Jam since this will stop them from utilizing any firearms. It's perfect for close combat and frontlining play-styles.

The Electro-Shock Trap is less recommended but still useful. It will knock out enemies instead of killing them and helps in dealing with patrols. If you're savvy enough, it can be used defensively as well to prevent any pursuers.

Watch Dogs: Legion is currently available for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, PC and Google Stadia. Check out our official review here along with tips on recruiting different Operatives.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure Out Now for PS5, PS4

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LittleBigPlanet's Sackboy makes his long-awaited return but this time, he's the star of his own 3D platformer. Sackboy: A Big Adventure is now available for PS4 and PS5 – a launch trailer provides the set-up for the hero's big adventure. Check it out below.

Set in Craftworld, Sackboy is in training to become a Knitted Knight until the villainous Vex appears and kidnaps his friends. It's up to Sackboy to save the day, traveling to jungles, underwater regions, snowy mountains and even space to stop Vex. Armed with a variety of moves, our hero can also utilize different power-ups like the Grappling Hook.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure takes ample advantage of the PS5's features like DualSense and Tempest 3D Audio. It also uses the console's Activity Cards for easily hopping into new levels, gathering collectibles and costumes and much more. Co-op is also supported, allowing you to play through the entire campaign with up to four players. Stay tuned for more details on the title in the coming days.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales Guide – How to Unlock All Suits

marvel's spider-man miles morales

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is out now and revisits Manhattan with a new story, new hero and much more. That means new suits as well and like its predecessor, each has its own unique ability and unlock conditions. Let's go through them below:

  • Sportswear Suit – Unlocked from the beginning.
  • Great Responsibility Suit – Finish the first main story mission with Peter Parker.
  • Winter Suit –  Unlocked by finishing the "We've Got a Lead" side mission.
  • Bodega Cat Suit – Enables use of Spider-Cat as a finisher. Unlocked by completing the "Cat's Pyjamas" mission.
  • Miles Morales 2020 Suit – Complete all Spidey Challenges along with other conditions.
  • Classic Suit – Equipped with Zap Slap mod, which generates a concussive force upon destroying weapons used by the Underground.
  • Programmable Matter – Enables use of the mechanical limbs finisher. Unlocked by completing all Underground Hideouts, Roxxon Labs and other conditions.
  • Uptown Pride Suit – Complete all requests in the FNSM App to unlock.
  • Purple Reign – Equipped with Reclaimer mod, which replenishes one gadget ammo after performing a stealth takedown.
  • Homemade Suit – Comes equipped with the Power Pitcher mod which increases damage dealt by thrown objects. Unlocked at level 5.
  • T.R.A.C.K. Suit – Equipped with the Untrackable Visor mod which provides 25 percent damage reduction from ranged attacks. Unlocked at level 6.
  • Animated Suit – Equipped with the Stronger Webs mod which sees enemies taking more time to escape from webbing. Unlocked at level 7.
  • Brooklyn Visions – Equipped with Trick Master mod which provides bonus Venom Power after performing Air Tricks. Unlocked at level 8.
  • Crimson Cowl Suit – Equipped with Strike Visor mod, which allows for completely silent Web-Strike Takedowns when camouflaged. Unlocked at level 9.
  • S.T.R.I.K.E. Suit – Equipped with Venom Overclock mod, which increases Venom Power regeneration when health is low. Unlocked at level 10.
  • The End Suit – Equipped with Steady Focus mod, which slows the depletion rate of camouflage when not moving. Unlocked at level 11.
  • Miles Morales 2099 Suit – Equipped with Venom Suppression Resistance mod, which reduces the amount of time that Roxxon Venom Suppression is active. Can also remove Roxxon bolas when activating camouflage. Unlocked at level 12.
  • Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse Suit – Equipped with Vibe the Verse Suit mod, which adds animations based on Into the Spider-verse. Also equipped with the Bam! Pow! Wham! mod Mod, which adds comic book-style captions to attacks. Unlocked at level 13 or by pre-ordering.
  • Spider Training Suit – Equipped with Power Transfer mod, which disables camouflage early and converts any remaining energy to Venom Power. Unlocked in New Game Plus.