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PS5 console sales in Japan have skyrocketed in the past week, as the new model designed specifically for the country enters the market. Accounting for around two to three days' worth of sales, there were exactly 23,381 purchases of the PS5 Digital Edition in Japan through until 23rd November. In comparison, PS5 sales the week before slumped to just 5,855. This means that the Japan-specific PS5 model, which has launched at a lower price and is essentially region-locked to Japan, has resulted in roughly four times as many sales upon its first few days on the market. The Switch 2 is still very comfortably outselling it, with 126,000+ purchases recorded between 17th and 23rd November, but the PS5 has at least seen a noticeable uptick in sales. The new model of PS5 for Japan comes with a price drop (from ¥72,980 (~$473) down to ¥55,000 (~$350)) and can only be used in the Japanese language, also requiring the use of a Japanese PSN account. This renders the unit almost useless outside of the country, as Sony specifically targets sales improvements in the Japanese market. Nintendo does offer a similar version of the Switch 2, and its sales successes are clear to see. Here's how the Japanese hardware sales look overall for 17th-23rd November (via Gematsu): Switch 2 – 126,953 PlayStation 5 Digital Edition – 23,381 Switch OLED Model – 12,486 PlayStation 5 Pro – 11,367 Switch Lite – 10,908 Switch – 5,976 PlayStation 5 – 2,235 Xbox Series X Digital Edition – 201 Xbox Series X – 118 Xbox Series S – 30 PlayStation 4 – 17 View full article

It's been a few months now since Dying Light: The Beast launched on Xbox and other platforms, and the game has just received its biggest update since release today - perfect timing considering it's part of the Xbox Black Friday Sale 2025! This update adds a New Game+ mode, ray tracing on PC, three new finishers and Legend Levels that provide you with the "classic Dying Light end-game progression system". Here's a bit more on the main two features on Xbox: In addition to all this, there are over 400 improvements as mentioned above, spanning the likes of environmental & navigational fixes, gameplay fixes, graphical improvements and much more. If you're interested, the full list of everything is available on the official Dying Light website. So, if you fancy grabbing Dying Light: The Beast on the Xbox Store, you'll be glad to hear it's been reduced by 20% for the Xbox Black Friday Sale, bringing it down from £59.99 / $59.99 to £47.99 / $47.99 until early December! View full article

Fancy topping up your Microsoft Rewards earnings over the next week? Well, there's a new promotion on the Microsoft Rewards dashboard that's allowing you to "double your points" until early December through Bing searches, which you can do on PC, mobile or through the Microsoft Edge browser on Xbox. To find it, you just need to head to the Microsoft Rewards dashboard and look for the relevant banner and "activate now" button that'll hopefully show up in your region. Here's what it looks like: After this, you'll get a brief explanation of what "double your points" means: For me personally, I can see that the cap of earning 90 Microsoft Rewards points through Bing searches on PC every day has now risen to 180 points, and the cap of earning 60 points on mobile every day has now risen to 120 points. If you're someone who makes these Bing searches part of their daily routine, you're set to earn a lot more Microsoft Rewards points with this! Just make sure you go and activate it first - it doesn't apply unless you specifically ask it to. View full article

Like most first-party Nintendo games, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond contains some bonus material unlocked by tapping amiibo figures onto the Switch 2's NFC spot. The new amiibo figures are Samus, Samus & Vi-O-La, and Sylux. Meanwhile, previous Metroid amiibo figures are also compatible, but other franchises – like Mario and Zelda – are not. Nintendo's Japanese amiibo website has detailed what each of these amiibo do in the game, so let's take a look at all the unlockables, shall we? Metroid Prime 4: Beyond - All amiibo UnlocksBefore we begin, please keep in mind, this information was obtained via machine translation from Nintendo's Japanese website, so there may be some minor inaccuracies. We'll update as and when we're able to confirm for ourselves. Samus Tapping the MP4 Samus amiibo into the game will unlock two key features. The first is the ability to listen to background music tracks while riding Vi-O-La in Sol Valley. Meanwhile, a shield is awarded only once daily to boost Samus' health by 99 points while also replenishing any health lost in battle. Once it's been depleted from enemy attacks, you can't use it again until the next day. Samus & Vi-O-La Tap the Samus & Vi-O-La amiibo and you'll again unlock two features: the ability to change the colour of Vi-O-La, and a daily perk to Vi-O-La's boost regeneration. You'll also see the total distance travelled in Vi-O-La upon each scan. Like Samus' shield bonus, the boost regeneration can only be activated once per day. Sylux Tapping the Sylux amiibo (available on launch day - 4th December 2025) will unlock a specific cutscene. Nintendo states that this cutscene can be viewed without the amiibo, but only once 100% of items and logbook scans have been obtained through gameplay. You'll also hear a random line from Sylux every time you tap the amiibo. Metroid Series amiiboPrevious amiibo from the Metroid series, including Ridley, Metroid, Samus, and E.M.M.I., will apparently play a simple jingle from the game. Yeah, that's it! View full article

As far as micro consoles go, The C64 Mini has been a resounding success, and, according to its manufacturer, is the best-selling 'mini computer' yet released. I can certainly believe that – The C64 Mini was one of the first devices of its kind to hit the market, and the allure of the Commodore name carries significant weight among retro gamers. Now, Retro Games Ltd. is back with a new variant of the system that sports a new colour scheme and a totally new selection of pre-loaded games. While the original beige model came with 64 titles that included the likes of Attack of the Mutant Camels, Boulder Dash, Impossible Mission, Monty Mole and Speedball 2, this new variant ships with a much smaller array of titles – and all of them are 'modern' classics that have been released in the past couple of decades. Here's the full list of games: Yeti Mountain Spinning Image Steel Ranger A Pig Quest Hessian Joe Gunn: Gold Edition Hunter's Moon Remastered It's Magic 2 Runn 'N' Gunn Guns 'N' Ghosts Metal Warrior Ultra Millie & Molly Rocky Memphis: The Legend of Atlantis Good Knight Planet Golf Nixy and the Seeds of Doom PO Snake Grid Pix Caren and the Tangled Tentacles Ooze: The Escape Sam's Journey Shadow Switcher Pains 'N' Aches Knight 'N' Grail Galencia To be fair, Retro Games Ltd. has been very clear on this point: the Black Edition is primarily about celebrating the efforts of modern-day homebrew coders, and the 25 pre-installed titles are all highly rated by the C64 community. Outside of the colour change, the Black Edition is very much the same deal as the original machine – I noticed that the Micro USB port has been upgraded to a USB-C one, but that's about the only difference I could spot. It features an HDMI output for 720p HD gaming, two USB-A ports and the welcome ability to load C64 ROMs from a USB flash drive. That latter point is essential, as it mitigates some of the sting of losing access to the 64 titles that came bundled with the original variant. The joystick bundled with the system is insanely clicky, and while it works perfectly fine with most titles, it's pretty uncomfortable to use for prolonged periods. Fortunately, you can use an alternative USB controller with the C64 Mini. Given how small The C64 Mini is, it should come as little surprise that the keyboard is only for show, which is perhaps the biggest shortcoming of this particular venture; while most C64 games are perfectly playable with a joystick, the keyboard is a major inferface method for home micro computers, so you might encounter some problems when booting up ROMs (an on-screen keyboard is a button click away, but it's not as good as using a physical one, in my opinion). If you already own the C64 Mini, then I'm not sure the Black Edition is worth a double dip – unless, of course, you really like the new colour and want to power it via USB-C. However, newcomers might want to give this a look if they haven't yet taken the plunge. View full article

The NES and Game Boy Classics apps have both now been absorbed into the new — and very tidy — 'Classics' department with the new Nintendo Switch Online app updates, making everything nice and streamlined for retro gaming fans to dive into. Besides the addition of a couple of new games for each system to boot, and the new ability to remap controls, there is another improvement lurking in the latest updates which may have flown a little more under your radar. Yes, and as you can see from our screenshots, the CRT filter in both apps has now been updated with a newer CRT filter in line with that found in the rest of the library's offerings. So, you've got rounded edges on the sides of the image itself, rather than the more abrupt, clean ones of the older filter, as well as a very subtle curve effect, the image now filling the height of the screen, and a warmer and gently crisper image. Honestly, stare long enough and you'll see it. Old vs. New Hooray for incremental improvements! Have you noticed any other improvements with the CRT update for the NES apps? Make sure to let us know.

This week, another beloved title has joined the Parthenon of decompiled titles, although this time, it's not an N64 title that made it into the decompilation milestone, but rather the first party swansong title for the Gamecube, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. In a similar instance to that of N64 titles that have previously been decompiled, once the project reaches 100% completion, all of the game assets and functions will be reproduceable in a 1:1 matching against the original game's files in their original compiled format. Like in the case of other decompilations by the team behind the Zelda decompilation projects, ZeldaRET (Zelda Reverse Engineering Team), they are not interested in pursuing a full PC port of Twilight Princess. However, having the decompilation available as a full open source project allows other groups of people to start working on said PC port for it. While the decompilation project is currently sitting at 99%, there is still some work to do reach the 100% completion status. Not only that, but as is always the case with decompilation projects that reach their completion, there might still be code that hasn't been properly documented, and as such, a further clean up might be needed. According to the Github page, other versions of the game (PAL and NTSC-J) can also be compiled, but the overall percetage for these is not currently known. This advancement in the decompilation for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess certainly ignites the spark of a PC port in the upcoming months, with ideas floating around about bugfixes, Quality of Life changes, modding support, and maybe even back-porting features from the Wii U HD version to the Gamecube version, like a Hero mode, Mirror mode (like the Wii version), bigger wallets, and the Cave of Shadows for Wolf Link. However, the decompilation has to reach 100% first, and then another group might tackle the PC port, but until then, users can already compile the project on their own and screw around with the source code to their liking. Source Zelda RET website

Over the past four years, we - the LNH team - have been working hard on a project that some of you guys may have already heard about: an open-source flashcart that supports the DS, DSi and 3DS (in DSi mode), by the name of DSpico. The project evolved from a simple flashcart, to a collection of individual components that work together. Each component has been separated in their own repositories, and can be modified to your liking. Each repository comes with their own README's and documentation.The DSpico project consists of the following components: DSpico Hardware - The hardware of the DSpico. DSpico Firmware - The firmware for the DSpico. DSpico Bootloader - Bootloader for the DSpico. DSpico DLDI - The DLDI for the DSpico. WRFUxxed exploit - Full-access DSi-mode exploit for WRFU Tester that can be used with DSpico. Pico Launcher - Front-end for Pico Loader. Pico Loader - DS(i) rom loader. Supports various flashcards, including the DSpico. Guides to build your own DSpico, as well as instructions for compiling the software are also available. We tried to make the process as friendly as possible. An overview of the features can be found on the website, although each README has much more extensive documentation. DSpico project index and guide: https://github.com/LNH-team/dspico Our website: https://www.lnh-team.org/ Here are a few images of DSpico: Images QUICK FAQ (will be updated over time)- Q:Why use micro-usb over usb-c ? - A: When we were making the hardware, using USB-C introduced more components that simply didnt fit on the board. We also had concerns of the usb-c port fitting nicely in the cartridge port, and fragility concerns with the shell. - Q:Where can I order one ? - A: Your best shot is joining a group buy, or finding a store that manufactures DSpico. We (the LNH Team) will not sell any boards. - Q:How is compatibility ? - A: Most of the DS library, as well as homebrew, should work. We do not have an official compatibility list, and we are aware of a few titles that do not work correctly at the moment. - Q:Does this plays 3ds executables ? - A: No. - Q:Am I forced to use Pico launcher ? - A: No. For instance, Wood menu and TwilightMenu++ work just fine (We are aware of an issue with nds-bootstrap however). And vice versa as well, pico launcher is usable on other flashcarts. - Q:I need assistance. Where do i go ? - A: Join the DSi hacking discord, there is a dedicated dspico channel where you can ask your questions.

When people rank their favorite Mega Man X games, the PS1 title Mega Man X6 usually winds up appearing towards the bottom of the list. Released in 2001 (or 2002 if you live in Europe), the sixth entry in the Mega Man sub-series is often viewed by many fans online as a bit of a rush job, with the game coming out a mere 12 months after Mega Man X5, which was originally envisioned by series producer Keiji Inafune to be the end of the story. Because of this tight production timeline, it ultimately ended up featuring a lot of rough edges and ideas that didn't necessarily come together (like the Nightmare System), making it one of the more challenging games to recommend to newcomers in its original form. Thankfully, over the years, we have seen some amazing fan-made hacks being produced, which have sought to give the game a much-needed overhaul (like Mega Man X6 Tweaks and Megaman X N's Edition), but it appears that there is also another option that will soon be available to players: a PC fan reimagining from the developer Cat Yard Games (thanks Rockman Corner). This PC reimagining, which is being called Mega Man X Viral Nightmare, is being developed "from the ground up" in Gamemaker Studio 2, and is Cat Yard Games' own vision of what he'd like to see in X6, as well as Mega Man games in general. The armor system, for example, has been tweaked, letting you wear armor pieces as soon as you get them (rather than having to collect all four parts) and can be mixed and matched, as in Mega Man X8. There are also new abilities for some of the less useful armor parts, to give them something to make them more desirable. In addition to that, how you acquire parts has also been changed. In the original game, parts are acquired from rescuing Reploids, with the number of parts you can equip being dependent on your Hunter rank, determined by the number of Nightmare souls you've collected. But this will apparently be the opposite in Viral Nightmare. Parts will now be bought directly from Douglas and will be paid for with Nightmare Souls, with your rank instead being determined by the number of Reploids you save. New parts will become available in the shop by completing levels, with these parts being based on the level. The plan for the game seems to be to release it in chunks, with the first volume set to contain the intro stage, and four levels (Commander Yammark, Rainy Turtloid, Blaze Heatnix, and Infinity Mijinion). Of these, 4/5 are complete, meaning the first release shouldn't be too far off (hopefully). You can watch Cat Yard Games' explainer video here for more information on the project. He's also posted a couple of videos of the game in action, including the Rainy Turtloid boss fight and Commander Yammark's stage. View full article

Well, well, well... How the tables turn. For a long time now, Atlus, and by extension, parent company SEGA, have dabbled in re-releasing their games. Typically, these re-releases feature expanded and / or improved content, and are often labelled as 'definitive' versions of the original title. Generally speaking, potential buyers have become more and more critical of this practice over the years. An increased focus on expansions, DLC, and updates has largely painted re-releases as an anti-consumer approach, as they're essentially asking fans to pay up for two versions of the same game. And according to SEGA, this once fairly common strategy could now be having a negative impact on initial sales — because too many people are just deciding to wait on the eventual 'definitive' edition. As part of the publisher's latest question and answers session with shareholders (as reported by GameBiz and translated by Automaton), the company was queried on "a sudden drop in sales of catalogue titles". Games like Metaphor: ReFantazio — which launched in previous years — seem to be the driving force behind this topic. Reportedly, numbers for such titles have fallen off, despite them receiving critical acclaim and positive feedback from players. In response, SEGA outlines a number of possible factors, including busy release schedules and competition from similar games. However, it goes one step further in actually admitting that the possibility of future definitive editions may make customers "hesitant" when a new title hits the market. Indeed, this is a sentiment that we often see expressed across social media and our own comments sections. For example, there were plenty of people around Metaphor's launch saying that they would simply hold out for the seemingly inevitable re-release. Of course, the Metaphor re-release hasn't actually happened yet, and rumours have suggested that Atlus intends for it to be a singular entity. Which, if true, could be a direct reaction to what SEGA's alluding to in this report. What do you make of this? Have you ever avoided an Atlus game while banking on a definitive edition to arrive later down the line? Don't miss out in the comments section below. View full article

It's actually mad to look back on the beginnings of Cyberpunk 2077 and compare that time to where the game is now. It's taken basically five solid years of updates — along with one hell of an expansion — to turn things around, but the open world RPG is now a colossal commercial success, with developer CD Projekt Red confirming that it's topped 35 million sales in its latest business briefing. That's a ridiculous achievement for any title, but in Cyberpunk's case, it just goes to show how things can (eventually) turn around. At this point it's worth mentioning that we're fast approaching the game's fifth anniversary. It first launched for PS4 on the 10th December, 2020. And honestly, we'd be shocked if CDPR doesn't have some kind of surprise up its sleeve. But what about the sequel, the currently named Cyberpunk 2 (previously known as Project Orion)? Well, the company's continuing to ramp up development on that one, with developer numbers increasing from 116 in July of this year, to 135 as of the 31st October. For comparison, CDPR currently has 447 employees hard at work on The Witcher 4, which is obviously targeting a release well before the next Cyberpunk. Did you ever think Cyberpunk 2077 would go on to be such a heavy hitter? What are your hopes and dreams for the sequel? Help yourself to some new chrome in the comments section below. View full article

Our good friends over at Digital Foundry have delivered their tech review of Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, which shadow dropped onto Switch 1 and 2 last week, and it's something of a mixed bag. Starting on a positive note, the Switch 2 version of the game sets out to hit 60fps, and it does so consistently. DF's Thomas Morgan notes that he noticed "barely any drops" when playing in either handheld or docked modes, so that's a big bonus for fans of smoothness. What's more, the Switch/Switch 2 'Definitive Edition' boasts many of the re-release 'pros' over the PS3 original — upgraded textures, foliage placement, colour grading, etc. — and renders at 1920x1080p resolution in docked (similarly hits 1080p in handheld). Nice. Unfortunately, there are some pretty glaring visual omissions in the Switch version to get things running at the specs outlined above. Shadow density is pulled way back, foliage thickness is reduced, the advanced TRESSFX for Lara's hair is MIA, and many of the cutscenes' cinematics are dialled down for simplicity. It falls behind the Definitive Edition's PS4 release, in this instance, but strangely, there are select points where the Switch 2 version is even a step back from the PS3 original. There are no screen-splat rain effects, the geometry is more simplistic, and even shadow coverage is a bit of a downgrade. It should be noted that these cutbacks also apply to the PS4 re-release, but, as the DF video states, "the drawbacks are disappointing, given the multi-generational divide between the systems". For those wondering about the Switch 1 version, the older system runs things at 30fps (sometimes dipping into the 20s in demanding cutscenes), with a "surprisingly respectable" 864p-900p. Many of the visuals are matched between the systems, and while Switch 1 does see a further drop in shadow quality, it "holds up much better than you might expect," according to DF. You'll find the full Digital Foundry tech review in written form, as well as our thoughts on Lara's latest, down below. View full article

An early indie hit this year was Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders, and it's taken the best part of a year to finally slalom its way onto PS5. The game finally has a release date on Sony's system; it arrives on 3rd December, which is near-perfect timing for some cosy Christmas chill time. Here's its initial release date trailer from January to get you in the mood: Despite its name, Snow Riders features co-op, allowing you to ski down the slopes with friends. The PS5 release will include all the previously added content, and the Highlanders DLC will also be available for separate purchase. As big fans of the previous game, we're quite looking forward to zipping down the mountain. Are you looking forward to Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders on PS5? Tell us in the comments section below. View full article

Opinions will always be split on the best iteration of Final Fantasy, and so it's interesting to hear that living industry legend and Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii has shared his own thoughts on the franchise. Once upon a time, Dragon Quest was in direct competition with Final Fantasy; the two properties vying for the RPG crown back in the 80s and 90s. Of course, this was before Square and Enix merged to form Square Enix, causing the two titans of the genre to fall under the same publishing umbrella. But apparently, Horii didn't actually view Final Fantasy as a threat to his creation. He explains to Game Informer: "I was definitely paying attention to it because it was something we needed to look out for." He continues: An interesting perspective, for sure, but it sounds like Horii was rather taken with Final Fantasy as it continued to evolve as a series. In particular, he heaps some very strong praise on Final Fantasy X — the franchise's first PS2 foray, which, at the time, felt like a true next-gen jump. "I do like Final Fantasy, though. When I first saw Final Fantasy X, I recall feeling this was the ultimate perfection of Final Fantasy," he says. Some would say that Dragon Quest enjoyed a similarly impressive evolutionary step with Dragon Quest 8 — another PS2 all-timer. Now that we think back on those youthful days, it really was another golden age for Japanese RPGs... Horii's comments have got us reminiscing, but do you recall being that impressed by Final Fantasy X? You can always give it your own rating in our Best Final Fantasy Games list, and then express your love in the comments section below. View full article