Players can sign up to become a Battlefield 6 gameplay tester in a new EA community program called Battlefield Labs. Registrations have begun for players in North America and Europe, with limited spaces. EA says that Battlefield Labs is its “most ambitious community development collaboration ever.”
In a video announcing the initiative, EA also offered an early look at the upcoming Battlefield, which vows to bring back the destruction mechanics that defines the series.
“Our community is at the heart of Battlefield; their feedback is crucial in helping us know what to prioritize, what to improve and what feels like an authentic Battlefield experience,” EA wrote.
As for who can partake, virtually anyone can sign up as long as there’s space. Battlefield Labs is available on the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass memberships are required.
Little is known about Battlefield 6 beyond its existence. Platforms have yet to be confirmed, but we doubt it’ll come to last-gen consoles. A release window has not been revealed either.
We expect to get more information when Battlefield Labs kicks off.
Opera is introducing Opera Air, a new web browser designed around mindfulness. The app has a “minimalist Scandinavian design” and frosted glass accents, which blend well with the mindfulness concept. While pretty, Opera Air has features for relaxation, concentration, resting, and more, which you normally only see in meditation apps.
There are four break modes: breathing, neck exercises, meditation and “full body scan.” Breathing exercises and meditation can help calm you down by lowering stress levels, while neck exercises help loosen sore neck muscles. The full body scan is a different type of meditation that involves focusing your attention on various body parts and the sensations that arise. These breaks can be as short as three minutes or as long as 15. Breaks can be taken voluntarily or by setting a timer.
Opera Air also incorporates binaural beats as “boosts.” Binaural beats are an audio illusion created when two slightly different frequencies are played in each ear, tricking the brain into “hearing” a third frequency. Opera Air has several boosts that improve creativity, help with focus and induce relaxation, among others. Opera even claimed that one can help users recall dreams.
According to Senior Director of Product at Opera Mohamed Salah, the web is beautiful, but the company wants to “look at science-based ways” to help users navigate chaotic (and sometimes hostile) internet content. While mindfulness apps like Headspace exist, Opera Air packs those features in the app many people use most frequently.
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Another high-profile PS5, PS4 multiplayer game is shutting down in 2025, and although this one didn’t come as a huge surprise, the announcement has left players frustrated. Following its rather strange development and release, fighting game MultiVersus eventually flopped, and just before the weekend, WB Games announced that it was pulling the plug.
MultiVersus joins XDefiant in sunsetting PS5 multiplayer servers in 2025
MultiVersus isn’t the first AAA game that’ll shut its servers down in 2025. Ubisoft previously announced that its shooter XDefiant will be sunset in June this year. However, unlike XDefiant’s closure, news about MultiVersus has resulted in backlash.
MultiVersus had a promising start when it launched in beta and early access for a year between 2022-2023. Then, it was taken offline for an entire year in preparation for a full launch. The game returned in May 2024 with incomplete and missing features, but instead of making promised improvements, WB has decided to shut MultiVersus down by May 30. It’ll only be available offline thereafter.
Players, especially those who paid for the $100 Founder’s Pack, are naturally upset. The backlash prompted a statement from game director Tony Huynh over the weekend, in which he expressed sadness over MultiVersus closure and decried threats received by developers.
Huynh’s full statement can be read below:
Hey all, I wanted to say a few words as I reflect on the recently announced news about MultiVersus. While I'm sad about the outcome, I will forever be grateful for the opportunity given to us by Warner Bros. Games and to each and every developer on the Player First Games and WB…
Following rumors of a PlayStation State of Play Febuary 2025 event, a known leaker may have narrowed down its date. Insider NateTheHate, who has a pretty good track record, has teased that the livestream will be scheduled sometime in the week ending Friday, February 14.
PlayStation State of Play February event possibly scheduled for February 13
When a follower asked NateTheHate on X if they can reveal when the next State of Play will be, the insider replied with, “What does your heart tell you?” They also doubled down on their previous claim that an event is planned for February.
Valentine’s Day, which is what NateTheHate is alluding to, falls on a Friday this year. Based on this, there is a high possibility that the State of Play will take place on Thursday, February 13.
Why Thursday? We’re glad you asked. Sony has a history of scheduling State of Play events on Thursdays, but there have been a few deviations. Some events have previously been scheduled for Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but majority of them happen to be on a Thursday.
One thing we have noticed is that Sony rarely ever schedules its livestreams on Mondays or Fridays, so February 13 is our educated guess here.
The long-awaited Powerbeats Pro 2 could make their official debut in little more than a week from now. In the Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman reports that sources have told him the $250 earbuds will arrive on February 11 and boast heart-rate monitoring on top of upgrades like an H2 chip and improvements to noise cancellation. We should also see some new colors, like orange, according to Gurman. Beats first teased the upcoming launch of the Powerbeats Pro 2 back in September, revealing only that they’d drop in 2025, and has since been posting photos on Instagram of athletes rocking them.
Apple is also reportedly working on a new event invitation service for iCloud that sounds like it could rival the likes of Partiful and Calendly. The details are scant, but Gurman reports that the iCloud-based service code-named Confetti “offers a new way to invite people to parties, functions and meetings.” It could be introduced as soon as this week, he notes. Apple recently made some updates to its Calendar app with the rollout of iOS 18, like a new month overview and finally tying in Reminders. Confetti integration could add another convenient planning feature.
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On Saturday evening, Trump signed executive orders to impose tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), with a White House fact sheet claiming the move is meant to hold the US’ largest trading partners “accountable to their promises of halting illegal immigration and stopping poisonous fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into our country.” The orders put 25 percent additional tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, the one exception being that energy products from Canada will be subject to a 10 percent tariff. Imports from China will also face a 10 percent tariff.
The broad tariffs are expected to take effect on Tuesday and could have ramifications not only for American businesses, but for consumers too. Mexico, Canada and China are the top suppliers of US goods imports, each accounting for hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of products coming into the country each year, data from the US Department of Commerce and the US International Trade Commission show. Those products span a wide range of categories, from agriculture to transportation/automotive, fuel, electronics, wood, furniture, alcohol and more.
Mexico and Canada dominate US imports of agricultural goods, with Mexico supplying items like fruits, vegetables and nuts, and the bulk of imported animal products like beef coming from Canada, according to Trading Economics and the US Department of Agriculture. The two countries have also been our top suppliers for transportation equipment, including cars and car parts, and crude oil. Canada is responsible for almost 60 percent of US crude oil imports according to the Congressional Research Service, which noted in a report last month that the new tariffs “might affect the U.S. crude oil market and consumer fuel prices.”
Imports of electronics have largely come from China, and Mexico follows closely behind. Trading Economics data also show machinery, toys and games, furniture and plastics among the top goods imported from China in recent years. The electronics sector could take an additional hit down the line, as Trump has said he also plans to impose tariffs on imported semiconductors, along with pharmaceuticals and steel.
Leaders from Canada and Mexico have both responded to the tariffs, saying they would impose their own on US goods in retaliation. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday announced a 25 percent tariff on roughly $107 billion (155 billion Canadian dollars) worth of US goods, Reuters reports.
In a statement released after the announcement of the tariffs, John Murphy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President and Head of International, warned that Trump’s new tariffs could negatively affect both consumers and the supply chains. “The President is right to focus on major problems like our broken border and the scourge of fentanyl, but the imposition of tariffs under IEEPA is unprecedented, won’t solve these problems, and will only raise prices for American families and upend supply chains,” Murphy said. “The Chamber will consult with our members, including main street businesses across the country impacted by this move, to determine next steps to prevent economic harm to Americans.”
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This week, we’ll help you hook up your PS VR2 to your PC, start strong in Sniper Elite: Resistance, and snag the best deals in Nintendo’s current Switch sale. Read on for these tips and more.
We're so used to seeing virtual reality depicted nefariously in films like The Matrix, Virtuousity (a forgotten '90s classic) and The Lawnmower Man, it's genuinely surprising to see something that treats VR in a potentially positive way. In Flora Lau's Luz, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this week, there’s no major downside to VR, it’s just another way for humans to connect. And in the case of the film's two lonely leads, art gallery worker Ren (Sandrine Pinna) and pseudo-gangster Wei (Xiaodong Guo), VR serves as a life raft of human connection, something that could help them find peace in a world where they both feel adrift.
Set in modern-day Chongqing (a city so neon-filled and futuristic it seems more sci-fi than real) and Paris, the characters in Luz live alongside technology familiar to us. Smartphones and OnlyFans-esque livestreams featuring young girls are commonplace. But the virtual reality hardware in the film — including ski mask-like goggles, pointed finger sensors that resemble a witch's nails — is both a step ahead, and slightly behind, where we are today. Luz, both the name of the film and the VR world people visit, is a fascinating artifact of the immersive reality space from several years ago. That was before we knew finger tracking could be the main input mode in a VR/AR headset like Apple's Vision Pro.
Ren and Wei experience the VR world of Luz as an escape from their real-world troubles, though that ultimately proves futile. Ren tries to connect with her stepmother Sabine (the legendary Isabelle Huppert), an emotionally distant Paris gallery owner who is avoiding any help for a potentially fatal illness. Wei, meanwhile, is trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter Fa, who he can only see anonymously via that aforementioned livestream.
The lead's storylines intersect during an in-game hunting expedition for a mysterious neon deer, which appears to be the closest thing to "winning" Luz. Wei and Ren reluctantly bond, and eventually they start to find ways to heal their emotional wounds. It's an intriguing concept, though we don't spend enough time with both characters hanging out in VR to truly sell their relationship.
Sundance Institute
Luz doesn't attempt to deliver a fully CG VR world like Ready Player One (thank god), instead we see a hyper-stylized version of the real world with an abundance of neon lights, floating particles and characters dressed as if they're about to head to Comic-Con. Obviously, it's an easier way to convey VR, but the film is also portraying a version of the technology that's practically identical to the real world. If VR were truly so immersive, why even bother with real life connections? (Stylistically, it reminds me of Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii’s forgotten Polish sci-fi film, Avalon, which also explored how people can redefine themselves in a VR simulation.)
While Lau goes to great lengths to craft gorgeous VR imagery, what the film really needs is more time for its two leads to sit down and talk to each other, instead of having us infer emotion as they stare off into the distance. At just an hour and forty two minutes, there’s plenty of room for more character exploration. But at least we get some intriguing conversations between Ren and Sabine, with Huppert being her typically charming self. (Perhaps the most unbelievable aspect of the film is that Sabine, a hip presence in the visual arts scene, hadn’t tried VR until Ren convinced her. We’ve been seeing artists adopt VR for installations since 2016, so it’s far from a new concept.)
Luz is close to being a great film, with its strong performances and confidently composed cinematography. But through either restraint or weak screenwriting, we don’t always have a sense of how the leads relate to the world, or even what they think of each other. The overall approach feels too cold and distant for a film that's ultimately about rediscovering human connection.
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Tonight, CM Punk looks to exorcise his Royal Rumble demons. In last year’s match, he tore his tricep, forcing him to miss a planned WrestleMania bout with Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship. In 2014, he suffered a concussion and wound up legitimately leaving the company the next day (and stepping away…
Google has given US employees in the Platforms and Devices team the option to exit voluntarily before it starts cutting jobs. The news was first reported by 9to5Google. Google's Platforms and Devices team has 25,000 employees and was formed when the company merged its Android and hardware teams last year. It's in charge of a bunch of Google products, including Android, Chrome, ChromeOS, Pixel, Nest and Fitbit. However, only employees based in the US who are directly reporting to the division's VP, Rick Osterloh, can leave voluntarily with a severance package.
Osterloh reportedly told the team in a memo that the "voluntary exit plan" is for those struggling to meet the demands of their role or those unhappy with the company's hybrid work setup. People have until February 20 to sign up for the exit program, and since the memo says they'll find out if they've been accepted on March 25, some people may not be able to leave the company with the severance package it's offering. Google is scheduled to release its earnings report for the fourth quarter of 2024 in a few days, and it'll be interesting to see if it reveals a decline in revenue or any other weakness that could've led to the buyout and impending layoffs.
"The Platforms & Devices team is offering a voluntary exit program that provides US-based Googlers working on this team the ability to voluntarily leave the company with a severance package," Google said in a statement. "This comes after we brought two large organizations together last year. There's tremendous momentum on this team and with so much important work ahead, we want everyone to be deeply committed to our mission and focused on building great products, with speed and efficiency."
According to CNBC, employees were pleased with Google's decision to offer voluntary exits with severance instead of going straight to job cuts. They were apparently aware of Google's future cost-cutting efforts and asked for voluntary buyouts as an option.
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Forza Horizon 5‘s PS Store page has gone live following yesterday’s announcement of the game’s PS5 port. However, the page doesn’t yet confirm if the racer will come with PS5 Pro enhancements or not. That said, players can wish list Forza Horizon 5, which will launch on the PS5 in Spring 2025.
Forza Horizon 5 PS5 announcement took some by surprise despite being rumored
“Your Ultimate Horizon Adventure awaits!” reads Forza Horizon 5’s PS Store page, which still feels a bit surreal. “Explore the vibrant and ever-evolving open world landscapes of Mexico with limitless, fun driving action in hundreds of the world’s greatest cars.”
Forza Horizon 5’s PS5 launch has been rumored for months, but many still saw it as a tentpole Xbox franchise that’s unlikely to make the jump to a rival platform. That all changed yesterday when Playground Games announced the upcoming port on the franchise’s website.
Over on the Xbox subreddit, the news hasn’t gone down well with some. “What’s the point of a next generation if all Xbox games are now going to other platforms?” quizzed one user. “Xbox is giving up just when they got good cards,” another opined.
It’s early 2025, the weather’s still cold, so it must be time for Samsung to kick off the year’s flagship smartphone race with its latest barrage of devices. This time, we’ve got three S25 phones, ranging from the $800 S25 through to the $1,300 S25 Ultra.
Let’s start with the flagship, the S25 Ultra. This year, Samsung has honed the design of the slate to closer match the rest of its family, while adding a substantially upgraded ultrawide camera sensor. There’s also a powerful 3nm Snapdragon Elite for Galaxy added, a collaboration between Samsung and Qualcomm that augments its computational photography skills and more. (Not to mention incredible battery life.)
And you know what? It’s another great phone, capable of going toe-to-toe with the iPhones and Pixels of this world. However, it also looks very similar to last year’s model, which makes the S25 Ultra a less impressive update, given its price.
Then there’s the Galaxy S25 — priced the same as the last few S-series base models. I spent over a week with it, and much of its hardware remains the same, with incremental improvements to the camera, courtesy of behind-the-scenes processing, and that incredible battery life. And it’s Samsung, so it was always going to be a solid premium phone with a gorgeous screen. But if you were thinking of upgrading from an S24 (or S23, even S22), it’s a hard pitch.
Even if it didn’t name the Chinese startup explicitly.
The big story this week is around DeepSeek AI: the open-source chatbot that reportedly requires far less computing power than competitors and was developed on a (relative) shoestring budget.
It subsequently put stocks related to AI, like NVIDIA, into a tailspin, although they have somewhat recovered. DeepSeek’s had brief success, even stimulating a response from President Trump.
Now, ChatGPT maker OpenAI says Chinese startups are cribbing the models of US AI companies. It claims rivals are persistently trying to copy the technology of existing AI companies, adding that OpenAI and its partner Microsoft have been banning accounts suspected of “distilling” its models.
The company didn’t explicitly mention DeepSeek in its statement, but… yeah. Also, let’s not forget: OpenAI admitted last year that getting its AI models up to speed was impossible without dipping its toes into copyrighted materials.
How does it feel, having your hard work repurposed and regurgitated? I couldn’t possibly relate.
Offering the biggest reason yet to install a retail store’s app, CVS says it will let select users, without needing staff, to shop for items typically locked away in its stores. If you haven’t been to a CVS, many items are locked up to prevent theft (and antagonize everyone). The feature is only available to loyalty program members and in a handful of unnamed stores. It was being trialed in just three stores but will be expanded to 10 to 15 stores. (There are over 9,000 CVS locations in the US.)
By the headline alone, this sounds terrible, but you should read Devindra’s takedown in full. So many questions: Why the name? Why even make Incention? Who wants this? Does it smell like a blockchain-scented Quibi? Yes, yes it does.
What is the best Galaxy phone under $500? Are refurb iPads worth it? My Roomba stole my girlfriend, please advise. We’re bringing back Ask Engadget, with an entirely new email address: askmat@engadget.com. Aside from spamming free trials of apps and streaming services, let’s put it to use.
Ask me something!
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A much-welcome God of War Ragnarok update will go live today, January 30, as the game joins PS Plus and sheds mandatory PSN sign-in on PC. Starting today, the Transmog feature — which allows players to edit appearance — will be available from the beginning of the game. Previously, players were required to upgrade gear to level 9 to unlock Transmog.
God of War Ragnarok January 30, 2025 update patch notes
In addition to making Transmog accessible to all players from the start, Santa Monica Studio is changing the way players can access Armor of the Black Bear set. Previously, the items required a New Game+ run.
Once the God of War Ragnarok update is live, PS4 and PS5 players can access Armor of the Black Bear set via the first available Lost Items chest regardless of their Save data status and progress. The reward includes:
Cloak of the Black Bear (Chest)
Wraps of the Black Bear (Wrist)
Belt of the Black Bear (Waist)
PC players can also snag the set, but it’s a bonus for signing into a PSN account. Those who don’t want to sign in will need a New Game+ save to access the items like they currently do.
As an incentive to get players to use PSN on PC, Santa Monica Studio is offering an additional reward in form of a resource bundle that includes 500 Hacksilver and 250 XP. This reward is only for PC players who use PSN.
Sony has rolled out PS4 system software update 12.02, the patch notes for which are brief but pretty telling. The update seems to be patching exploits that allow users to jailbreak or mod the console. The PS4 has already been jailbroken, but the exploit only works on older console firmware.
PS4 system software update 12.02 patch notes (January 30, 2025)
“We’ve made some security fixes to the system software,” the official changelog reads. This is the same wording Sony has previously used when plugging vulnerabilities. The last time we checked, current PS4 jailbreak only works up until firmware version 11.00.
Although Sony is starting to wind down support for PS4, don’t expect the company to give up on the security patches. Up until a year ago, we were still getting security patches for the PS3, which Sony has otherwise abandoned. Considering that the PS4 still has a pretty massive community and equally massive library of games, it’s unlikely that Sony will give up battling hackers.
At the time of this writing, players haven’t noticed any other discreet changes brought by PS4 update 12.02. However, we’ll keep an eye on the community and if any discoveries are made, we’ll share them with our readers.
The latest update Apple rolled out for the iPhone allows T-Mobile customers — a select few, for now — to be able to send text messages even in locations where they have no coverage. iOS 18.3 adds support for SpaceX and T-Mobile's direct-to-cell satellite service, which is currently being trialed after the companies opened signups for beta testing in December. As Bloomberg notes, the service used to be only compatible with certain Android phones, including Samsung models like the Z Fold and S24 along with select devices running Android 15. Meanwhile, Apple already has a partnership with Globalstar that provides users with texting capabilities when they're out of coverage.
Users who've signed up to participate in the fledgling service's beta trials have reportedly started receiving texts. "You can now stay connected with texting via satellite from virtually anywhere," the message reads, according to Bloomberg. And for iPhone users, it asks them to "update to iOS 18.3" to "start experiencing coverage beyond." Once they do download the update, they'll see a toggle in their cellular data settings to activate the capability.
At the moment, the direct-to-cell service only offers text messaging. If a beta tester finds themselves in rural areas and other locations that typically don't have coverage, they'll be able to use Starlink's satellite network to send a text. In the future, the plan is to add voice and data connectivity to give people more options in far-flung locations.
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Lucid's newly launched Gravity SUV will be able to access Tesla's Supercharger network across the US and Canada starting on January 31. And since the electric vehicle comes with a built-in port that supports the North American Charging Standard (NACS), it doesn't need an adapter to be able to plug into Tesla's Superchargers. The automaker says Gravity became the first non-Tesla model to be sold with a NACS charging port when its first production models were delivered to an initial batch of customers in December 2024. At the moment, only the more expensive $94,900 Grand Touring model is available for purchase, but the company plans to release the $79,900 Touring model sometime in late 2025.
Emad Dlala, VP of Powertrain at Lucid, said the automaker developed a "new, unique technology" to ensure the Gravity's full compatibility with chargers rated at 500V and 1,000V. To be exact, the Lucid Gravity has a 926V charging architecture, so charging times will differ based on the charging station it's plugged into. Dlala said that the technology the company developed allows the Gravity to "charge seamlessly at up to 400 kW on 1000V charging equipment and at sustained speeds of up to 225 kW on 500V architecture fast chargers, including Tesla V3 Superchargers."
Lucid pledged to support the North American Charging Standard back in 2023 and vowed to give its customers access to an adapter for its vehicles. The company said that the Lucid Air, its electric sedan that doesn't currently come with built-in NACS ports, will also gain access to Tesla's Supercharger network sometime this second quarter.
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Obsessed with throwing money and resources at AI in any way they can, the likes of OpenAI, NVIDIA, Google and Amazon all just got a surprise.
Out of seemingly nowhere, Chinese AI assistant DeepSeek is suddenly the top-rated free app on Apple’s App Store in the US and elsewhere, beating more familiar names, like ChatGPT. The open-source DeepSeek V3 model reportedly requires far less computing power than its competitors and, depending on who you believe, was developed for under $6 million. Shocks all around — especially for OpenAI and all the billions it has floating around.
Focusing on coding and research, DeepSeek’s models are similar to other AI assistants you’ve heard of. Its first DeepSeek-R1 release is available under an MIT license, so it can be used commercially without restrictions.
How does it compare with the far pricier US rivals now China is unable to import the most powerful AI chips? Well, to start with, DeepSeek’s founder Liang Wenfeng reportedly stockpiled NVIDIA A100 chips before the US export ban and is pairing those with less powerful chips from China. An MIT Review report also suggests the side effect of the US sanctions are innovations that focus on efficiency and collaboration.
All the attention and a small financial market wobble has put DeepSeek in the crosshairs for “large-scale malicious attacks.” Those cyberattacks mean new user registration may be slow, so if you’re intrigued, you’ll have to wait to check it out.
Device leaker Majin Bu shared on X what they claim is the new iPhone SE 4. As proof, they posted a video of the device from all angles and four photos of both a black and a white model from the back. With a single camera (gasp!) and a smaller-seeming body to current iPhones, the big twist is the return to a notch. At this point, all iPhones available from Apple’s store (aside from the iPhone 14) have a Dynamic Island cutout instead of the notch.
Traditionally, the SE series has a throwback hardware design, so this would make sense. And hey, the Pixel 8a needs some competition. While the dummy phones leaked look convincing, Majin Bu has missed with some of their predictions and leaks in the past. So pinch of salt, and all that.
As X continued to walk the plank, Bluesky experienced explosive growth last year. That meant a big ramp up in its moderation efforts. Bluesky said user numbers jumped from 2.9 million users to nearly 26 million. Its moderators received 17 times the number of user reports in 2023 — 6.48 million in 2024 compared to 358,000 the previous year. The bulk of these reports were regarding “harassment, trolling or intolerance,” spam and misleading content (including impersonation and misinformation). Moderators took down 66,308 accounts in 2024, while its automated systems took down 35,842 spam and bot profiles.
Independent book stores can now get a cut of the ebook market. Today, Bookshop.org announced the addition of ebooks to its website. As it does with physical books, the online retailer prompts shoppers to designate a local book store at checkout, then sends part of the purchase price to that store. Since it started selling physical volumes in 2020, Bookshop.org has funneled more than $35 million to indie booksellers.
During a recent chat, CEO Andy Hunter told me hundreds of stores have credited Bookshop.org with their ability to stay in business through the shutdowns caused by the pandemic. Now through the added ebook sales, those stores will have one more revenue stream — and shoppers will have another way to support neighborhood stores. "It's not a good business strategy to say, 'Come to us for your books, but when you need an ebook, go to Amazon'" he said.
The site will offer more than three million ebooks from every major publisher and the entire profit from the sale will go to the customer's chosen store. If a user doesn't designate a store, profits will partly channel into a pool for all participating bookstores and the rest will return to Bookshop.org. The company will also make money from publisher ads on its website. Because ebook prices are set by the publisher, titles will cost the same as they do from Amazon, Kobo, Google Books or elsewhere.
In addition to the new category, Bookshop.org is also introducing a new reader app for iOS and Android devices today. Through the app, readers can explore curated lists of books, search the ebook catalog, read previews and add books to their wishlist. You'll still need to head to Bookshop.org on a browser to make purchases — just as you do with other ebook sellers so they can avoid Apple and Google's steep in-app billing commissions. (Though, on tangental note, Bookshop.org's website now accepts Google and Apple Pay.)
Reading books on the app should feel familiar to anyone who's used a tablet or smartphone ereader app, offering highlights, annotations, type and font adjustments and text searches. In addition to swipeable pages, you can also set the text to a vertical endless scroll mode, an option I haven't seen in other ereader apps.
Bookshop.org
Probably the most intriguing feature is Quote Sharing. As I was talking with Hunter, he pointed out that when people share quotes from books on social media, it's often via a typed-out quote alongside a picture snapped of the physical page or the cover of the book. If you want to read that book, you're going to have to put in a little work to find it and buy it.
With Quote Sharing in the Bookshop.org app or browser reader, up to 300 characters of text can be highlighted and shared on Facebook, X, Threads, Bluesky or anywhere else you can share regular weblinks. The generated link creates a formatted post with the quote, along with the book cover image. Anyone who clicks the link will be taken to a webpage with the quote in context, above a button to buy the book. Hunter says the goal is to "make conversations around books feel like a native part of the social web."
As someone who is invested in ereaders, I asked whether Bookshop.org ebooks would be readable on Kindles or Kobos. Hunter told me his company is already working on compatibility with Kobo devices and has also been in talks with Amazon to potentially allow Kindles to display titles purchased from Bookshop.org. Integration with Kobo could come as early as this year; Amazon cooperation will likely take longer.
Another forthcoming feature allows indie booksellers to sell ebooks directly from the bookstore's own website using Bookshop.org's tech. That partnership won't be available at launch but should go live in spring of 2025.
Hunter told me a story from the initial investor phase from the print-only iteration of Bookshop.org. When potential investors learned he couldn't beat Amazon on price or speed, he was laughed out of the room. They assumed no one would be willing to pay more or wait longer for a book, no matter how worthy they thought independent bookstores might be.
Five-plus years later, not only were those investors proven wrong — the company's continued existence suggests at least some people can spare a few extra bucks and some patience to support bookstores — now with ebooks, Bookshop.org can indeed match Amazon on both price and speed, since even the largest e-retailer can't discount ebooks and delivery is instantaneous no matter where you buy from.
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A number of EA games including the Battlefield and FIFA/EA Sports FC franchises have gone offline due to servers crashing. Reports of players not being able to connect to EA Online started trickling in several hours ago on Sunday morning, with most of the complaints coming from Battlefield players.
EA Online servers down: Which games are affected?
I first noticed the issue when I tried logging into Battlefield V (great game, by the way, and super cheap in the latest PS Store sale). I was met with a message telling me that I “failed to connect to EA Online.” Having searched the web, it appears that all Battlefield games including Battlefield 1 and Battlefield 2042 are being hit with the same message at the time of this writing.
According to some reports, FIFA/EA Sports FC games are also experiencing issues with online connectivity. I haven’t spotted any reports of connectivity issues with Apex Legends or EA’s other sports franchises yet. However, if you’re unable to connect to EA’s servers all of a sudden, rest assured it’s not your internet connection that’s the problem.
It’s unfortunate that servers went down on a Sunday morning. EA has yet to acknowledge the issue, and there’s no ETA for a fix. We’ll update this article when EA Online is actually online again.
Following a report by NPR that said the Trump administration is working on a deal with Oracle and other investors to take over TikTok in the US, Trump has denied any talks with Oracle but says he has “spoken to many people about TikTok” and may make a decision in the next month, according to Reuters. Trump signed an executive order shortly after taking office on Monday that delays the enforcement of the TikTok ban by 75 days, giving the app’s parent company ByteDance more time to figure out a deal that would allow it to continue US operations.
NPR, citing sources “with direct knowledge of the talks,” originally reported that Oracle met with White House officials on Friday to discuss a deal in which Oracle and other American investors would end up with a majority stake in TikTok and oversee things like data collection. Microsoft has also been involved with the talks, according to NPR. “The goal is for Oracle to effectively monitor and provide oversight with what is going on with TikTok,” an unnamed source told NPR. “ByteDance wouldn't completely go away, but it would minimize Chinese ownership.”
When asked about a potential deal with Oracle by reporters during an Air Force One flight Saturday night, though, Trump said, per Reuters, “No, not with Oracle. Numerous people are talking to me, very substantial people, about buying it and I will make that decision probably over the next 30 days.”
Prior to the ban going into effect on January 19, ByteDance pushed back against the idea of selling TikTok to appease US lawmakers. But it changed its tune on Sunday after Trump stepped in to temporarily bring the app back online, issuing a statement on TikTok’s X account saying that the company “will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.”
It came a few hours after Trump wrote in a Truth Social post during the short-lived TikTok blackout that he “would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture.” Still, his exact plan remains unclear. According to one of the sources that spoke with NPR, “Nobody seems to know what he means with the 50 percent equity comments.”
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There was no shortage of things for us to have opinions on this week. First, we shared our picks for the games we most want to see make their way to the Nintendo Switch 2. We also shared our impressions of Assassin’s Creed Shadows after some recent hands-on time with the game, and look ahead to what seems to be a…
A new Resident Evil reboot from Barbarian writer and director Zach Cregger is in the works, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The publication reports that Cregger is on board to write and direct the movie, which will be produced by Constantin Film and PlayStation Productions, with Shay Hatten (John Wick: Chapter 4 ) as co-writer. I’m probably not the only one questioning whether we really need another Resident Evil movie after half a dozen titles in the Milla Jovovich-led series and 2021’s Welcome to Raccoon City, but as someone who loved Barbarian, I can’t say I’m not intrigued.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, “Cregger’s take is described by sources as a revamp that will take the title to its horror roots and be more faithful to the initial games.” There aren’t any details about the upcoming movie beyond that, but Warner Bros., Netflix and two other studios are reportedly in a bidding war for it.
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This week’s hodgepodge of gaming tips, helpful info, and other stuff kicks off with a look at the best deals in Steam’s first big sale of the year. We also have a look at Xbox Game Pass’s strong assortment of new additions to close out the month, a recommendation for the best way to learn Disney Lorcana, and some…
Marvel Snap was one of the unexpected casualties of the TikTok shutdown that briefly went into effect last weekend, and as a way of making things right with users, its developers at Second Dinner are now offering huge rewards packages to everyone directly and indirectly affected. As detailed in an article on X, US users will get the most substantial compensation, but even players outside the country will get a “Global Gratitude Package” for dealing with the disruptions. Second Dinner was able to bring Marvel Snap back online earlier this week, and it expects the app to be restored in the Google Play Store and App Store in the coming days.
In addition to the bonuses, Second Dinner said it’s “working to bring more services in-house and partner with a new publisher” to prevent this type of scenario from arising again. Marvel Snap’s current publisher, Nuverse, has ties to TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, which is what got it swept up in the ban. “This is the beginning of a new era in MARVEL SNAP,” Second Dinner said in the post. The bonus packages will be issued to users “sometime next week.”
The “US Downtime Package” for users who have reached Collection Level 500 or over includes 2 Spotlight Keys; 5000 Season Pass XP; 4150 Credits; 6200 Collector’s Tokens; 1000 Gold; 5 Gold Conquest Ticket; 3 Infinite Conquest Ticket; 4000 Conquest Medals; 1 Mystery Variant; 6 Premium Mystery Variants; 1 Cosmic Red Border (Super Rare); 3 Cosmic Gold Border (Super Rare); and 155 x5 Random Boosters. For those under Collection Level 500, it’ll be 6 Mystery Series 3 Cards; 5000 Season Pass XP; 7150 Credits; 1000 Gold; 1 Mystery Variant; 6 Premium Mystery Variant; 1 Cosmic Red Border (Super Rare); 3 Cosmic Gold Border (Super Rare); and 155 x5 Random Boosters
Users outside of the US and over Collection Level 500 will get 2 Spotlight Keys; 3000 Collector’s Tokens; 1500 Credits; 1 Mystery Variant; 1 Premium Mystery Variant; 1 Cosmic Gold Border (Super Rare); 1 Cosmic Red Border (Super Rare); and 155 x3 Random Boosters. Those under Collection Level 500 will get 6 Mystery Series 3 Cards; 3000 Credits; 1 Mystery Variant; 1 Premium Mystery Variant; 1 Cosmic Gold Border (Super Rare); 1 Cosmic Red Border (Super Rare) and 155 x3 Random Boosters.
Importantly, Second Dinner also notes, “A players’ usage of a VPN will not affect their eligibility. This includes players from outside the US VPN-ing into the US to try and receive the ‘US Downtime Package.’”
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This week, Microsoft held its Xbox Developer Direct which showcased four pretty promising-looking games coming out throughout the year ahead. Also, after a period of controversy surrounding his seeming lack of knowledge and skill at Path of Exile 2 in a livestream, Elon Musk admitted that he hadn’t actually leveled up…
Half of the fun of watching Severance is figuring out Severance. What exactly is Lumon making on the Severed Floor? Where do Innies go when they die? Why the fuck are there goats? But the latest episode, ominously entitled “Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig,” reveals that one of the characters we’ve been following has a secret…
It feels like CES again with a slew of tech news this week! In this episode, Devindra dives into his final thoughts on NVIDIA's $2,000 GeForce RTX 5090, a super-powered video card with a healthy dose of AI. Senior Reporter Sam Rutherford also joins to explain everything Samsung launched at its Galaxy S25 Unpacked event. And of course, we'll chat about some of the technology industry and policy changes from the new Trump administration. Stay tuned to the end of this episode for our chat with YouTube GM Jack Greenberg about some new features headed to YouTube Premium.
Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!
Players would be forgiven for overlooking the PS Store Demos section, which is sadly flooded with shovelware — something we’ve shouted into the void about before. But every now and then, those not on the PS Plus Premium tier have the opportunity to try some gems out, and while we can’t replicate that feeling of popping a demo disc into the PS2, here are a few demos that caught our attention.
PS Store Demos: What’s in store in January 2025
Do note that the demos below are just our picks. If you’re willing to wade through the shovelware, there are a lot more in there, like Slitterhead and AI Limit. Without further ado, we encourage our readers to check these demos out:
The Thaumaturge: This is an intriguing RPG set in early 20th-century, featuring some historical figures like Rasputin. Players step into the role of one Wiktor Szulski, who has the ability to read people’s hearts and minds. However, this power comes with consequences.
Evotinction: If you’ve been following PlayStation’s China Hero Project, you might remember Evotinction — a sci-fi stealth game funded by Sony back in 2019. If pure stealth is your thing, this game is worth checking out to see what Thomas Liu, an AI development lead, can do to stop a virus from spreading.
Empire of the Ants: Real-time strategy isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s not every day that players get to be an ant leading the development of its colony and conquering enemy nests. What’s more is that Empire of the Ants is PS5 Pro enhanced, so give it a shot. It’s free!
Do our readers have any demo recommendations for us? Share them below.
Sony has added another game to the growing list of third-party PS Plus Premium classics with trophies. The latest addition is LucasArts’ 2009 PS2 game, Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings, which comes with a trophy set each for PS5 and PS4.
Many publishers on board with trophies for PS Plus classics, but some disappoint
When Sony said that it was leaving trophy support up to publishers for third-party games, we weren’t expecting surprise retroactive patches to add the feature later on. The last retroactive trophy update rolled out in September 2024 for the TimeSplitter series.
Fans have welcomed trophy support for Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings, but the inclusion of the game itself in this month’s Premium lineup hasn’t exactly been well-received. Staff of Kings earned average reviews when it first released, and has several versions. Fans are puzzled by Sony’s choice here.
“You can tell it was basically Wii Shovelware converted into a PS2 game,” wrote one user on PSNProfiles. “Think yourself lucky it wasn’t the Wii version because that one is borderline unplayable,” a player responded. “I’m just grateful that we’re getting older games with trophy support,” wrote another.
We’ve got to agree that it’s nice to receive trophy support at least. Now if only we could get Bandai Namco Entertainment and Capcom on board…
The Switch 2 might not be a radical reinvention of what came before, but Nintendo’s new hardware does sport some unique quirks, distinguishing it from the original handheld hybrid that arrived back in 2017. One of these features is the bigger Joy-Con controllers which now connect to the screen via magnetic…
Ahead of the Game Developer’s Conference (GDC) in March, the organization behind the event released its latest annual survey of creators on the state of the industry. The feedback showed that gaming has been rocked by layoffs over the last 12 months, but also pointed to some silver linings for its growth and future…
PS Plus Premium / Deluxe classic Resident Evil Director’s Cut has received a stealth update to add a better version of the game. As reported by players in regions that were stuck with the inferior PAL version, the classic now has an option to switch regions, which allows us to play the NTSC version available in the Americas.
Sony continues to add region switching option to PS Plus classic games
As we explained when the issue first cropped up in 2022, PAL versions of classic games run slower and at lower frame rates than their NTSC counterparts, leading to players in certain regions having a poor experience. Sony pledged to roll out NTSC options where possible, and did make good on its promise.
Resident Evil Director’s Cut is the latest to receive a patch, as pointed out by Reddit user the_andshrew.
Those who are not PS Plus Premium members and were waiting for the NTSC update to drop can go ahead and make a standalone purchase from the PS Store. As a reminder, if you previously bought the game on classic consoles including PS3, PSP, or Vita, you’re entitled to a free upgrade where available. Make sure to check the game’s PS Store page while logged in, and you’ll automatically be notified if the game is available to download free of cost or not.
