Without a doubt the Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) of today is very much a different firm than the Microsoft of 40, or even 20, years ago. While the company’s flagship Windows business is going nowhere fast, in the last decade new divisions within Microsoft have seen rapid growth as the demands of the market shift.

It wouldn’t be a huge stretch to imagine that the Microsoft in 40 years would be a very different company than the Microsoft of today. The way we interact with computers is changing; the HoloLens might be the new paradigm for the computing input of the future much like how the mouse and touchscreen were the disruptive forces of the past.

As Microsoft celebrated its 40th anniversary on Saturday, its founder, former CEO, and now technology adviser Bill Gates sent out a memo to the company’s 100,00 employees letting them know where the company is headed. Naturally the email got leaked, and it’s a worthwhile read. Check it out in its entirety below:

Tomorrow is a special day: Microsoft’s 40th anniversary.

Early on, Paul Allen and I set the goal of a computer on every desk and in every home. It was a bold idea and a lot of people thought we were out of our minds to imagine it was possible. It is amazing to think about how far computing has come since then, and we can all be proud of the role Microsoft played in that revolution.

Today though, I am thinking much more about Microsoft’s future than its past. I believe computing will evolve faster in the next 10 years than it ever has before. We already live in a multi-platform world, and computing will become even more pervasive. We are nearing the point where computers and robots will be able to see, move, and interact naturally, unlocking many new applications and empowering people even more.

Under Satya’s leadership, Microsoft is better positioned than ever to lead these advances. We have the resources and drive to solve tough problems. We are engaged in every facet of modern computing and have the deepest commitment to research in the industry. In my role as technical advisor to Satya, I get to join product reviews and am impressed by the vision and talent I see. The result is evident in products like Cortana, Skype Translator, and HoloLens — and those are just a few of the many innovations that are on the way.

In the coming years, Microsoft has the opportunity to reach even more people and organizations around the world. Technology is still out of reach for many people, because it is complex or expensive, or they simply do not have access. So I hope you will think about what you can do to make the power of technology accessible to everyone, to connect people to each other, and make personal computing available everywhere even as the very notion of what a PC delivers makes its way into all devices.

We have accomplished a lot together during our first 40 years and empowered countless businesses and people to realize their full potential. But what matters most now is what we do next. Thank you for helping make Microsoft a fantastic company now and for decades to come.

What the Microsoft — or even computing — of 40 years in the future looks like is anyone’s guess. But with Microsoft’s enormous R&D budgets and the exceptional innovation it has shown in the last few years, its future will no doubt be exciting.

The post Read Bill Gates’ Memo to Microsoft’s Employees On its 40th Anniversary appeared first on VR World.

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has announced that it has halted production of the second-generation PC-compatible Kinect sensors, with the Xbox One variants taking their place.

In a recent post on the Kinect for Windows blog the Redmond-based tech giant has cited “unprecedented demand from the developer community for Kinect sensors” as the main reason for the decision.

The Kinect for Windows v2 model has essentially been folded into the existing Xbox One variant.

The cutoff doesn’t affect developers who already own Windows-compatible v2 Kinects. Microsoft has made it clear that “support for the Kinect for Windows v2 sensor [will] remain unchanged, and [owners] can continue to use their sensors.”

Since it was unable to meet soaring demand, Microsoft utilized a brilliant business tactic by simply nixing a product it couldn’t keep supplying and producing an adapter that effectively makes the Xbox One Kinect equal to the second-gen Kinect for Windows model.

The new adapter allows an Xbox One Kinect to be hooked up to any Windows 8.0 PC or tablet.

The Kinect for Windows adapter retails at $49.99 and allows any Xbox One Kinect to be hooked up to a PC or tablet running Windows 8.0 or 8.1. The USB 3.0 adapter basically acts as an intermediary that bridges the compatibility gap between the Xbox One sensor and PC’s.

Both Kinects are “functionally identical” so the Kinect for Windows SDK 2.0 development suite will be exactly the same.

All that’s really changed is that you now have to shell out an extra $49.99 for the adapter, plus $150 for the sensor itself.

This is a smart move considering Microsoft now has a way to move its stock of unsold Xbox One Kinects. Most gamers have been buying the $349 Kinect-less console option, leading to a surge in supply of the peripheral, and this way the company will be able to funnel that supply over to the demand for PC sensors.

In tandem with the Oculus Rift, NASA used the Kinect v2 to control a robot arm, which could revolutionize off-planet exploration.

Although the Kinect sensor is largely seen as a gimmick in the video games industry, the peripheral has been used by researchers to study asteroids and glaciers, collect forensic crime-scene data, and NASA has even used it to control robots with body movement.

The Kinect can also guide your exercise routine by tracking your heart rate, track your burned calories, and so much more. It can even bring physical therapy to patient’s homes and make PT more rewarding and entertaining.

Since the sensor has a huge potential of practical and theoretical uses, scientists and researchers across the globe are interested in trying it out for themselves.

The Kinect v2 for PC isn’t gone, it’s just been consolidated, and developers will still be able to push the boundaries even further with new techniques.

The post Microsoft Will Stop Producing Kinect For Windows appeared first on VR World.

The third generation of Microsoft’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) Surface 3 tablet, unveiled today by the company, may be its best as the slate finally ships with a full version of Windows.

Instead of shipping with a Windows RT like its predecessors, the Surface 3 ships with Windows 8.1. The base model of the Surface 3 is powered by an Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) Atom x7 processor, 2 GB of RAM, a front-facing 3.5-megapixel camera, a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera, and a micro USB charger. Microsoft says that the battery will last 10 hours under normal conditions.

“Surface 3 brings what customers love about Surface Pro 3 to more people, delivering the premium design and productivity of Surface in a more affordable device,” Panos Panay, corporate vice president of Microsoft Surface, said in a blog post. “We’ve taken everything we learned making Surface Pro 3 and poured that innovation into this newest Surface.

The Surface 3 will also have a free upgrade to Windows 10 when it becomes available.

Each Surface 3 will come with a one year subscription to Office 365 Personal, which includes full versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote as well as 1 TB of OneDrive storage.

The Surface 3 is available for pre-order today via the Microsoft store and select Microsoft retail outlets. The tablet will ship on May 7.

Pricing for the Surface 3 starts at $499 with the LTE version costing $100 more.

Microsoft finally gets it right

Microsoft’s first Surface tablet was an unmitigated disaster. Microsoft ended up taking a $900 million writedown on the first tablet, as it couldn’t convince consumers to purchase them. Consumers were skeptical of the device, as Windows RT wasn’t compatible with most regular Windows apps. In addition, Windows on tablets wasn’t just as competitive as Android and iOS. It lacked the intuitive interface both of the other platforms have.

Progressively the Surface tablets have been getting better. The Surface 2 righted many of the wrongs of the first Surface, and the third Surface looks as if it will continue this trend.

The post Microsoft’s Surface 3 is a $499 Laptop appeared first on VR World.

A new trailer for Halo Online gives us a brief look at the game’s built-in microtransactions, revealing an extensive pay-to-win style structure.

While the footage for 343 Industries’ brand new free-to-play PC shooter does indeed look pretty, it showcases something quite troubling that manifests as a cheap cash grab. Halo Online pay to win microtransactions are a thing, and its something I predicted in my recent editorial.

Halo Online is set up like Halo: Reach, where you earn credits from matches to spend on armor permutations and such.

But in the Russian PC shooter, players will get to customize every little thing about their Spartan: weapon loadouts, armor sets, and even equip a number of extra attachments to make your weapons stronger.

Check the upper right hand corner to see the Gold and Silver currency, and it looks like all the armor will be priced in different tiers in terms of its effectiveness in battle.

And you’ll have to pay for every little bit of it–every scope augmentation, every armor set, every little change to your Spartan will be monetized. The real balance is how much silver you can earn per match, and if that’s handled just right, the skewed ratio won’t be so bad.

But if you earn hardly any silver? You’ll be pushed and pushed to just snag the gear for cash. Plus the game has weapon rentals.

That’s right, you can rent your weapons for 30 minutes, 6 hours, or 24 hour periods.

Anyway, let’s take a look at the microtransactions and their rates.

It looks like Halo Online will have Silver, which can be earned by free players, and Gold, which is the game’s premium currency. Some of the ratios are pretty exorbitant, sometimes ranging to 50,000Silver to 50 Gold.

The trailer didn’t show us how much the premium currency will cost, but it’s a bit unsettling to know that the game embraces such an obvious pay-to-win structure.

The main Spartan hub screen showcases a variety of different sections that act as their own different marketplaces:

• Bundles
• Weapons
• Tactical Packages
• Armory
• Restock

In the footage we only ever get to see the Weapons and Armory section. The Bundles section is probably straight-forward, having a variety of pre-sorted bundles that come with weapons, tactical packages, and armor sets.

Strangely enough you can rent weapons, as well as attach a number of different upgrades to them–all of which can be bought with premium Gold currency.

The Weapons section is a tailored marketplace for all the destructive weaponry in Halo, and to the game’s benefit, there is an amazing array of guns. There’s Primary and Secondary slots that include just about every gun in the franchise, along with a slew of different grenades

But you have the opportunity to pay cash for all of them, as well as a number of different accessories. You can, of course, earn them the hard way, but you’ll be grinding for quite some time I’m sure.

The Tactical Packages is a bit worrying, considering Halo 4 had a considerable RPG structure that let gamers customize their Spartan with a number of passive abilities.

Considering the game uses the Halo 3 engine, and we see instances of Bubble Shields and the like used in-game, this might be a marketplace for Halo 3 equipment (Rengerators, Bubble Shield, Trip Mines, etc) rather than actual Halo 4-style passives, but we really don’t know.

The Armory is where you buy your stylized armor. It looks like the armor will have passive bonuses like increased melee damage or boosted shield recovery, further incentivizing the pay-to-win structure.

Restock might be where you can buy grenades, ammo and such, but again we weren’t shown this screen so there’s no telling.

Halo Online has primary, secondary and grenade slots–all of which will probably cost silver or the premium gold currency.

So far this is like Halo from hell, where combat is just abysmally skewed towards players who are willing to shell out cash for victory.

This isn’t the Halo I grew up with. Although there’s a substantial RPG presence going on here, the whole game looks like it was optimized to get you to spend as much money as possible in order to win–a concept that should be abolished in any competitive PVP space.

The Halo Online beta is scheduled to start this Spring exclusively in Russia, but 343 Industries hasn’t ruled out an expansion across the globe.

So we might see this pay-to-win shooter make its way to North America and Europe, but at this point I’m glad it’s an overseas exclusive.

The post Halo Online Pay To Win Microtransactions Revealed appeared first on VR World.

With the recent news of Dragon Age: Inquisition’s Jaws of Hakkon DLC being timed exclusive for Xbox One and PC, gamers are once again at the mercy of the strategic business tactic.

And it’s seriously aggravating the community whose paid good money for their games only to be denied content because they don’t own the competitor’s console.

If you play Dragon Age: Inquisition on PS4, then you’ll have to wait an undetermined amount of time before you get the DLC. EA’s (NASDAQ: EA) signed agreement prevents them from even delivering a timeframe, showing just how far these exclusivity deals can go.

We can not discuss when Jaws of Hakkon will be coming on other platforms

— Mark Darrah (@BioMarkDarrah) March 23, 2015

Instead of creating their own exclusive games for their respective systems, gaming titans like Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Sony (NYSE: SNE) have taken to a new game: buying out the rights to have multi-platform games and content come to their consoles first.

The unfortunate future of gaming

Timed exclusivity first manifested itself with Bungie’s huge multi-platform hit Destiny. Sony signed a major deal with Activision (NASDAQ: ATVI) that ensured specific content would be exclusive to PlayStation platforms up until a certain timeframe, punishing Xbox gamers to no end.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is a Xbox One timed exclusive, and no one’s sure when it’ll come to PS4.

Microsoft did the same thing with Rise of the Tomb Raider, snagging a deal with Square Enix (TYO: 9684) and Crystal Dynamics that ensured the game would release first on Xbox consoles. We still don’t know when Rise of the Tomb Raider will release on PlayStation 4.

Sony even went so far as to snag a timed-exclusivity deal over No Man’s Sky once it realized how popular the game is in the gaming community.

Then there’s Titanfall 2, which is coming to the PS4 now that Respawn Entertianment is free of the exclusivity deal it signed with Microsoft for the original Titanfall.

It’s a bad and confusing business tactic in terms of consumer relations, as timed exclusivity ultimately alienates your constituency while also building shaky brand loyalty.

So why do it at all?

No Man’s Sky has gained incredible momentum, and remains one of the most anticipated Sony timed exclusives.

Why embrace timed exclusivity?

Console game exclusives don’t have the big payoff they once did. Back in the days of the original Xbox and PlayStation 2, Microsoft and Sony were both able to fire off a ton of first-party exclusives that helped define their brands. And since the games couldn’t be played anywhere else, it worked.

But in today’s industry, multi-platform games reign supreme and exclusives have taken a backseat. The big AAA hits are more accessible than ever, and you often don’t have to have any one system to play them.

Now that multi-platform is a secure bet, publishers are less-inclined to take the risk of developing a game on a single platform, considering they’d be missing out on the revenue streams from sales across all systems.

Sony and Microsoft’s first-party publishers are reticent as well, as they recognize the dynamic shift for cross-platform consumption as a clear threat to their respective regimes.

Every new exclusive is a gamble, and sometimes they can be multi-million dollar bets that don’t pay off, leading to crumbling sales and over-extending projections.

The post Timed Exclusives Are The Future of Gaming appeared first on VR World.

UPDATE: The Halo 5 teaser site has been updated and reveals more details on the countdown content.

Apparently the ARG is focused on a journalist/war photographer named Benjamin Giraud who’s investigating the Master Chief’s legacy.

The update consists of a new three-minute voice recording that chronicles Giraud’s encounter with John 117, and kicks off his investigation on the legendary hero.

Below we have a transcription of Giraud’s bio that gives a brief look at the ARG:

“For decades, I’ve served the galaxy as a journalist and war photographer. I’ve covered human-interest stories on Earth and in the Inner and Outer Colonies.

“I’ve also contracted for the government, covering military affairs. I was at New Mombasa when the Master Chief first appeared to combat the Covenant attack.”

The site should be updated in the coming weeks with fresh recordings. 

Original story is as follows.

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has launched a curious new teaser Tumblr post for 343i’s Halo 5: Guardians that prompts gamers to “hunt the truth”.

The page is accompanied by a 15-second teaser trailer that looks to be symbolic war propaganda from the UNSC (or possibly the Office of Naval Intelligence) that ultimately demonizes Master Chief, labeling him a “traitor” presumably after he went rogue as a result of the events of Halo 4.

The post also has a cryptic Twitter hastag entitled #HuntTheTruth, which has seen widespread coverage.

It’s been speculated that the page is kicking off a new viral marketing campaign for Halo 5 somewhat similar to Bungie’s infamous ilovebees AR campaign for Halo 2.

This time around it looks like the viral campaign will be focused in the perspective of the game’s interplanetary military force, possibly delving into the socio-political aftermath of Earth losing one of it’s most beloved heroes.

What’s even more curious is a timer that’s counting down for Sunday, March 22 at 9:00 pm EST (6:00 pm PST) when, presumably, the page will be updated with new info or possibly a new trailer.

In other Halo news, 343i executive producer Josh Holmes confirmed that Halo 5 will have dedicated servers for online multiplayer and custom games, and peer-to-peer network will be nixed.

Also Agent Locke’s voice-over artist and mo-cap actor Mike Colter revealed that Cortana might make an appearance in Halo 5, and that Locke will be returning in future Halo games.

We’ll be sure to report on any new developments once the #HuntTheTruth page is updated, and it’ll be interesting to see what 343i has up their sleeves this time around.

Halo 5: Guardians is slated to release later this year exclusively on the Xbox One.

The post UNSC Labels Master Chief A Traitor In New Halo 5 Teaser appeared first on VR World.

Spoiler Warning: Major plot spoilers for Halo 4 are included below. If you haven’t finished the game yet be sure to turn away!

It looks like Cortana will make an appearance in 343 Industries’ new continuation of the sci-fi franchise, Halo 5: Guardians.

Mike Colter, the actor that portrays one of the game’s principal protagonists Agent Locke, name-dropped the iconic AI in a recent interview with IGN.

Although the interview was primarily focused on Colter’s Spartan hero, he mentioned that Cortana will be “involved” in Halo 5 despite the events that unfolded in Master Chief’s previous adventure:

“When he goes into Halo 5, you’ll see him transition into a Spartan, a super soldier. It’s a prominent role within the game. Obviously Master Chief will be involved, Cortana, but Locke will be one of the playable characters in Halo 5.

Now that’s just a brief tiny snippet with no actual substantial info, just what looks like a confirmation that Cortana’s in the game. We don’t know in what capacity, though, and she could easily appear in a flashback sequence on Master Chief’s side.

What we do know, though, is that gamers will see plenty of Commander James Locke during Halo 5‘s multi-faceted campaign. Colter also affirms Locke is here to stay for the forseeable future, and will return in future Halo games as well.

“He’ll have a prominent role. He’s one of the new additions that will be featured throughout the next couple of video games So you’ll see a lot of Commander James Locke.”

That last bit is kind of tricky. Does this mean Locke will replace Master Chief? Can Spartan 117 ever be replaced? Also will Halo 5 be the first game we don’t play as John 117?

I personally don’t think so, and it just won’t be the same without MC at the helm. Then again the franchise has to move forward and our old luck-infused “demon” can’t live forever…and Locke might be the next to carry the Mantle of Responsibility as Halo‘s new flagship icon.

The Halo 5 multiplayer beta test was a rousing success, generating some impressive stats and arming 343 Industries with valuable data.

In other exciting Halo news, executive producer Josh Holmes revealed that Halo 5 will have dedicated servers for everything from online matchmaking to custom games. Holmes confirmed that 343i plans to do away with the peer-to-peer style networking, eliminating the dreaded “host advantage” scenario.

“We only have dedicated servers for MP in Halo 5: Guardians,” Holmes confirmed in a post on the Beyond Entertainment forums. “That’s true for matchmaking AND customs. There is no P2P.”

No one knows exactly what’s in store for Halo fans when Guardians releases exclusively on Xbox One later this year, but everyone’s excited.

The post Cortana Might Be In Halo 5 After All appeared first on VR World.

A batch of new screenshots for Lara Croft’s next adventure Rise of the Tomb Raider have been released, showcasing a treacherous land of ice and snow.

Crystal Dynamics returns at the helm of the re-imagined iconic heroine, continuing Lara Croft’s journey with gritty realism in a brand new locale.

Originally announced at E3 2014, the game caught criticism when it was revealed that Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) snagged a timed exclusive deal for Xbox consoles.

No plans have been announced yet for a release on PlayStation consoles, but Microsoft’s own Phil Spencer affirmed that it’s not off the table since their deal is time-sensitive, much like Destiny‘s PlayStation exclusives.

Rise of the Tomb Raider will feature a number of improvements and in-game additions including dynamic weather systems–rising winds, blizzards, storms–along with day-to-night cycles, and interactive wildlife.

A new scavenging system will fuel crafting, and it appears that Lara will be able to swim in the next game.

Enigmatic puzzles, which have also been a big part of the classic Tomb Raider franchise, will be reintroduced in Rise of the Tomb Raider in full force. Fans cited that Lara Croft’s 2013 reboot had many optional side puzzles that gamers could skip altogether, but the new game will remedy this.

Speaking with Game Informer, Crystal Dynamics creative director Noah Hughes iterated that the team has learned from their past mistakes.

“Puzzles are an important part of the Tomb formula, so we’re excited to have more tombs in the game, featuring more puzzles.

“You’ll still see a spectrum of difficulty for puzzles, so some of the secret tombs are larger and in some cases might have more difficult puzzles, but we’re trying to put them in the game in a ramped kind of way.”

I for one am psyched for the new game. After the amazingly well-crafted E3 reveal trailer I’ve been looking forward to any new info on the game, and the screenshots are pretty impressive.

Hopefully we’ll get to see some gameplay footage soon, but these new images will help tide us over for the new adventure.

On a side note, Rhianna Pratchett, who just so happens to be the daughter of renown author Terry Pratchett, is writing the game’s story. She’s worked on a number of games including Mirror’s Edge, Heavenly Sword, and the original Tomb Raider reboot.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is slated to release Holiday 2015 for Xbox One and Xbox 360.

The post Frosty New Rise Of The Tomb Raider Screenshots Emerge appeared first on VR World.

Starting today the Xbox One Upload Studio video editing suite is getting a substantial update that adds in a swath of new features.

Xbox’s own spokesperson Larry Hyrb revealed that Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) will be giving users a number of new tools that allow for extensive content creation.

Chief among the new features is the increase of a clip’s max runtime to 30 minutes, with up to 15 separate segments strung together in the same clip.

Other additions include transitions, title cards, intros, effects, splash screens, templates and pretty much everything you need to make your own unique video clips. The new improved Upload Studio also affords voice overlays that are perfect for those walkthrough videos, Let’s Plays, or even mini-reviews.

As a games reviewer I find this new update to be incredibly advantageous. The prospect of being able to create my own clips and share them is quite alluring.

But screenshots are still missing in action. Phil Spencer recently showed off a brief working screenshot demo, but they’re still in the pipeline for now.

The PlayStation 4’s Share Factory has led the charge thus far as the Xbox One hasn’t really had a dynamic video editor, but now Microsoft has evened the score.

The enhanced Upload Studio represents another promise fulfilled and proves that the Redmond-based console-maker is indeed keen on community-driven feedback.

It’ll be interesting to see what new creations Xbox One owner’s will churn out in the coming weeks, especially with the new options that let everyday gamers leave their customized digital footprint over captured video.

The post Xbox One Upload Studio Gets Major Content Update appeared first on VR World.

Microsoft’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) own head of Xbox division Phil Spencer recently Tweeted a brief look at what the Xbox One’s screenshot functionality will look like, delivering a quick visual update on the feature’s development.

Nice to finally be doing this on my Xbox One dev kit. pic.twitter.com/AgDDWr3ExJ

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) February 6, 2015

The image is from a dev kit prototype and reveals that the screenshot function will be accessible as part of the quick-snap menu.

The menu itself is brought up by tapping the Xbox home button twice, and is integral for quick video captures or snapping the Game DVR app to an in-game session.

That means you’ll have to go into the overlay sub menu to save screenshots–much the same you do for quick video captures. Let’s hope the feature is as fast and fluid as the quick-save for 30-second clips, and that it’s not laggy.

Additionally we should see the ability to share Xbox One screenshots across social media networks like Twitter, Facebook and One Drive to boot.

Just last month Spencer promised that screenshots were “coming to the Xbox One in “2015”, and it looks like he’s making good on the projection.

According to Spencer, Microsoft has been working on bringing screenshot functionality to the Xbox One as far back as the console’s original release in November 2013, but it turns out that the feature was more “technically challenging” than the company thought.

The oft-requested feature has been noticeably absent for the first year of the console’s life cycle, being surpassed by the PlayStation 4’s easy sharing setup.

Spencer affirms that Microsoft is planning to deliver more updates when the feature becomes more stable, and at this point no firm release date has been set for the Xbox One function.

The post See The Xbox One’s Screenshot Function In Action appeared first on VR World.

It appears that both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One might be getting new models that support 4K video streaming, Forbes reports.

As more and more consumers make the push towards 4K-ready Ultra High Definition (UHD) TV’s, the lack of UHD support on PS4 and Xbox One becomes much more obvious.

Juggernaut streaming service Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) anticipates that Sony (NYSE: SNE) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) will include 4K video playback in the next wave of PS4’s and Xbox Ones.

Netflix is one of the leading 4K content providers out there, but there’s not very much to choose from–a trend that will reverse as the platform is embraced by consumers.

At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2015) Netflix’s Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt told Huffington Post that Sony had “promised” to make an updated 4K-ready PS4 model.

Despite assurances that the PlayStation 4 would support 4K video playback upon release, the console, like its competitor, doesn’t afford the feature.

Both systems have had to play catch-up with the growing technology sector since their release 18 months ago, featuring outdated hardware and limited capabilities across the board.

Although the PS4 has strong console hardware, it’ll need a few buffs to support 4K video playback.

Even armed with beefier RAM and heavily customized APU’s, the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 have had to rely on a slew of firmware updates to improve functionality and content–and for a while it’s worked.

But they’re still playing catch-up when it comes to 4K UHD. This is a problem that can’t be solved by software updates, and Microsoft and Sony will have to roll out new revised hardware solutions to meet the requirements of 4K video playback

A “leaked” image for a Slim PS4 model was spotted on the net, but has since been proven as a fake.

Netflix‘s CTO believes that Sony will make the necessary hardware adjustments when the company kicks off the PS4’s next revision model, which is projected to release sometime this fall (October or November).

Past trends indicate that most console makers launch an updated wave of systems two years after the initial release, and November 2015 will mark the second year for both the Xbox One and PS4 systems.

The assumption is that if Sony goes 4K with the PS4, then Microsoft will follow suit, as they’ve had to catch up with the Japanese console maker in many respects, including price. Plus it’s a bit odd that the system, touted as an “all-in-one” entertainment solution, is missing a key modern playback format.

Evidence also suggests that the systems will get the “slim” treatment for their next wave. In October of last year, an AMD employee let slip that the chipmaker had fabricated a smaller 20nm APU for the Xbox One, which paves the way for a smaller console variant.

And since AMD makes chips for both systems, the PS4 could get the same “slim” transformation as well.

The Xbox One has a definitive all-in-one presence, but it still doesn’t have 4K video, which actually goes against its entire status.

If both console-makers are indeed planning on compact revisions for their respective systems, it’d only make sense to embrace 4K playback, considering the market is starting to gravitate towards UHD.

Not everyone is ready for the bandwidth-punishing resolution, but those who have adopted the technology have few very choices. Right now 4K isn’t widely utilized but its presence continues to grow, and Sony and Microsoft could benefit from the catch-up.

The only frustrating aspect would be that current console owners would be left out, as they already are, despite promises and assurances from Sony’s own Shuhei Yoshida that the PS4 would play 4K video.

To mitigate this disappointment they could perhaps launch an accessory for UHD support on current systems, but it probably would depend on how popular the new resolution turns out to be in order to merit the effort.

Remember that 4K gaming most assuredly won’t be coming to this generation of consoles, seeing as only high-grade PC’s are capable of sustaining UHD clarity.

4K video playback is a start, but 4K gaming is currently out of the reach of consoles, and judging from the ever-widening rift between PC and consoles in terms of power, 4K gaming probably won’t be coming to the platform any time soon.

The post Rumor: 4K Ready PS4 and Xbox One Models Incoming appeared first on VR World.

During the Windows 10 showcase, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) today revealed its very own contender in VR hardware: Project HoloLens.

Project HoloLens is a headset that ultimately aims to merge projected holographic overlays with VR, with a host of practical applications.

Using the device, users can interact with projected 3D images that are “blended with your real world” and can “integrate with your physical places, spaces, and things”.

Essentially the goggle-laden headset can project semi-transparent holograms onto real-world objects, and users can create, shape and share their personalized images on a whim. This means that any environment could be a potential digital canvas for a wide variety of activities.

HoloLens opens up a veritable galaxy of possibilities, and the technology is rife with potential.

Gaming, for one, could be completely revolutionized with this technology. Imagine being able to project your favorite game via a portable screen on any surface–breaking gaming outside of the screen itself.

The new technology is powered by Windows 10, and Microsoft affirms that HoloLens is completely wireless with intuitive voice and gesture controls. Along with the holographic display, spatial sound will immerse users into their own creations for a genuine VR experience.

Project HoloLens’ images are entirely made up of specifically manipulated light particles rendered by the device’s “light engine”.

As Wired puts it in their hands-on preview, “light particles bounce around millions of times in the so-called ‘light-engine’, then the photons enter the goggles’ two lenses, where they ricochet between layers of blue, green and red glass before they reach the back of your eye.”

Exact details on Project HoloLens are scare at this point, and development on the technology is still in its early stages. VR in itself is still an early frontier, as the pioneering Oculus Rift headset is still being refined and tweaked, and it might be years before HoloLens is ready for consumer use.

We’ll likely hear more about HoloLens’ other practical applications–like gaming–during the Games Developer Conference (GDC 2015) in March.

The post Microsoft’s HoloLens Merges Holograms With VR appeared first on VR World.

During today’s Windows 10 news briefing, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) revealed that Xbox One games can be streamed to PC’s and tablets running the new Windows 10 operating system.

“Wouldn’t it be great if we could play (Xbox One games) anywhere in the house?” Xbox division head Phil Spencer said during the event. “We have to put the gamer at the center of every experience.”

Users simply have to tether their Xbox One to a nearby Windows 10-ready tablet or PC, sync up a controller, and the console will stream gameplay to the linked device. This effectively gives the Xbox One its very own “remote play” functionality.

The cross-platform integration doesn’t end there: Microsoft has plans to let PC and Xbox One gamers interact with one another via multiplayer. At the event the company showcased this feature with Fable Legends, announcing that the game will launch on PC as well.

As for its actual games presence on Windows 10, Microsoft has simply mirrored the Xbox One’s framework over to the new OS.

That means you can interact with your Xbox LIVE friends on any device running Windows 10, as well as post on Activity Feeds, share, create and view videos with the Game DVR and more. All of these functions are even compatible with Steam games, too.

Certain aspects of Windows 10 will also symbiotically harmonize into the Xbox One as well. While details are scarce at how exactly Windows 10 will affect the console, we do know that DirectX 12 will be added to the system sometime in the future.

Windows 10 borrows key features from the Xbox One including the ability to capture, create and share games with Xbox LIVE friends.

According to Spencer, DirectX 12 has “given developers more fine control over CPU and GPU interactions” and allows them to “boost performance by up to 50%.” With the new API, developers will be able to maintain consistent frame-rates even during strenuous and complex environments.

Spencer also revealed that DirectX 12 will help for mobile gaming as well, and has cut power consumption in half, letting more mobile devices run demanding games.

DirectX 12 is already being used in a number of big-name graphics engines including Unity and Unreal Engine 4.

No plans were revealed to include Windows Phone devices as part of the cross-platform action, but we might hear more from Microsoft during this year’s Game Developer’s Conference in March.

For more info be sure to check out Xbox Wire.

The post Windows 10 Lets You Stream Xbox One Games appeared first on VR World.

The long wait for the ability to take screenshots on the Xbox One might be over sooner rather than later.

In a recent update on the Xbox Wire, Xbox division head Phil Spencer says that the long-awaited screenshot function is indeed in the works and should be released “early this year”.

“Screenshots are coming early this year,” Spencer affirmed in the video below. “I know it has been a question for quite a while. We delivered themes, I think that a natural add-on to themes would be screenshots.

Spencer also hinted that gamers will be able to use the screenshots they take as personal backgrounds, much the same way that achievement pictures can set as customizable themes.

“Giving people more ability to share their great gaming moments on the platform, whether it’s just as a screenshot on their background or across many of the different social networks that we allow people to share their content through is a long-term commitment we have.”

Xbox One owners have been waiting quite some time for the ability to take screenshots on the platform, and although it seems like a simple function to add, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has hit some roadblocks along the way.

“It’s a little more technically challenging than I thought,” Phil Spencer told IGN back in October, when the company revealed that screenshots have been delayed.

“Two weeks ago, [Microsoft engineers] think they’ve found a good solution for screenshots. They’re working on it. They know people want it. The team has a path to getting it done, and now it’s just prioritizing.”

In contrast Sony’s (NYSE: SNE) PlayStation 4 has allowed users to take screenshots and share them across Twitter and Facebook since it launched back in 2013. The PS4’s screenshot interface is streamlined and easy-to-use, and remains one of the console’s strong selling points.

Let’s hope that taking screenshots on the Xbox One is just as easy. Most of the Xbox One’s functions like Snap Mode are bulky, cumbersome and confusing rather than quick and easy.

I personally hope screenshots are handled with more finesse, and that Snap Mode has nothing to do with the new feature (although it probably will).

You can still “take” screenshots with the Xbox One, although it involves uploading in-game footage and screen capturing the images via computer software.

Interestingly enough there is a way to take “screenshots” with the Xbox One, but it involves essentially uploading your in-game footage with Upload Studio and digitally “lifting” images with computer software. You can also upload your Xbox One game footage to Microsoft’s cloud-based One Drive and retrieve images that way.

I’ve done it myself–the above image of Master Chief was lifted from the Halo: Master Chief Collection with this method–and it’s a pain, but it’s a viable option.

Spencer didn’t give a concrete timeline on when screenshots will hit on Xbox One, but considering the division has been working on it for half a year, we should expect some definitive news in the coming months.

The post Xbox One To Get Screenshot Functionality “Early This Year” appeared first on VR World.

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has re-instated the Xbox One’s price drop, bringing the all-in-one console back down to an attractive $349 price point.

The news comes straight from a new post on the Xbox Wire that discusses the Xbox One’s sales record for the holidays.

“Building off a record-setting holiday, we are excited to announce a new promotion in which fans in the U.S. can buy an Xbox One at a special price of $349, starting tomorrow, January 16, from their preferred retailer,” said Mike Nichols, Corporate Vice President of Marketing for Xbox. “

Over the holidays all non-Kinect Xbox One consoles were marked down to $349 for a “limited time”, including the Assassin’s Creed and Sunset Overdrive bundles. leading to a surge in console sales over the holiday season.

The price drop led to a surge in Xbox One sales over the holidays, and for the first time the Xbox One out-sold the PS4 in the U.S. for the month of November. It’s also worth noting that the limited nature of the price drop surely motivated sales.

Breaking Sony’s (NYSE: SNE) long-standing reign in sales was a tremendous occasion for the Redmond-based console-maker, and it showed gamers were willing to buy the Xbox One for the right price.

Microsoft has since revealed the Xbox One continued its streak, outselling the PS4 in December as well.

As of January 16 Microsoft has brought back the $349 price to commemorate the two-month record over the PS4, in hopes of moving more units and revitalizing console sales. The new price is part of a “new promotion”, and it appears that details aren’t clear whether or not it’s limited to the United States or will be applied globally.

While any victory is great news, Microsoft still has a long way to go. Sony has shipped more than 10 million PS4 consoles to date, and beat the Xbox One in global sales for December. Overall the PS4 continues to dominate worldwide console sales.

Microsoft hasn’t revealed how long the Xbox One will stay at $349, but we’ll likely find out when the sales charts roll in after a month or so.

The post Xbox One Drops Back Down To $349 appeared first on VR World.

Although the Halo 5: Guardians beta is scheduled to go live tomorrow, Xbox One gamers are already able to start download process in preparation of the big event.

To get your installation underway just fire up the Halo: Master Chief Collection, navigate to the Extras section on the Main Menu, and select the Halo 5 Beta section. Since the beta download clocks in at 10.26 GB of data, it’s a good idea to let your console sit for a bit.

Just don’t get too excited when the download finishes, as 343 isn’t starting up the servers until tomorrow morning.

Remember to watch 343i’s live action Halo: Nightfall series to get in-game extras for the beta, including an exclusive armor set straight from the series.

If the episodes don’t grab your fancy, you can always fast-forward through and collect your unlockables. But you should watch them, and also check out the second stories, which add some very real depth to the franchise and give you key insights on Agent Locke’s character.

If you can’t watch Nightfall be sure to redeem the code included in the Master Chief Collection. If you’re digital, try backing out of the game a few times, resetting your console, or checking your e-mail inbox; chances are Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) e-mailed you a code.

Some gamers are also reporting that they’ve had to “force quit” out of the Master Chief Collection in order for the beta pane to pop up. Basically you’ll want to hit the Xbox button to return to the main console screen, hit the Guide button, and select quit.

A bit ago, Halo 5‘s Studio Head Josh Holmes informed eager Spartans that they’d be able to pre-download the beta to ensure smooth entry when the servers went live around 9AM PST on December 29.

If you weren’t able to get into the limited preview alpha reserved for Xbox Preview members, there are a few things you can do to prep for the beta. Be sure to become familiar with Halo 5‘s new Spartan abilities, and check out some gameplay footage to get the flow of battle.

Overall the beta looks like it incorporates a new arena-based style for competitive multiplayer, and coupled with the new abilities like Smart Scope, Sprint and Thrust, combat should be quite dynamic and interesting.

For in-depth discussions and questions, drop by the Halo Reddit, as you’ll likely meet a bunch of new like-minded players who are just as excited as you are to play the beta.

The Halo 5: Guardians beta kicks off tomorrow, Dec. 29 at 9AM PST and will last until Jan. 18, 2015.

The post Here's How To Download the Halo 5 Beta Right Now appeared first on VR World.

Halo: Combat Evolved has been added to The Master Chief Collection‘s multiplayer lineup, 343 Industries has announced.

In a new post on Halo Waypoint, 343i reveals that the dedicated Halo: CE playlist has arrived on MCC‘s matchmaking lists.

The new mode includes a mix of slayer and objective gametypes, and contains almost every multiplayer map included in the original, with the exception of the excellent CTF map Blood Gulch.

Oddly enough the studio says the Halo: CE playlist is optimized for 2v2 action.

“We have updated the Matchmaking playlist lineup to include Halo: CE. The playlist is now available. As we mentioned before launch, the Halo: CE playlist will be premiering at 2v2 based on community feedback.”

The new playlist includes eight multiplayer maps from Halo: CE (sans Blood Gulch) and includes CTF, Oddball and Slayer gametypes.

But the in-game multiplayer pane for the new playlist says otherwise, listing the max player count at 8 with gametypes including Slayer, Capture The Flag, and Oddball.

Below we have a breakdown:

Halo: Combat Evolved Matchmaking Playlist

• Max Players: 8

• Minimum Player Count: 6

• Max Party Size: 4

• Max Local Players: 4

• Team Size: 4

343i originally held the playlist back until the Master Chief Collection could be amended with various updates. Since the game has been patched with a smattering of updates rolled out by the studio, 343i deemed it the right time to bring the classic fragfest action back into play.

The most recent content update was released just two days ago and in the patch notes the studio notes that hit-registration has been tweaked for Halo: Combat Evolved multiplayer.

Many gamers have noticed the awful hit-reg in the game, making it near-unplayable for some, so hopefully this new update rolled out some fixes to ensure the playlist is actually…you know, fun.

Other improvements include tidying up party management and joining (a considerably annoying roadblock that’s kept friends from playing together in both campaign and multiplayer), stability tweaks for campaign playlists, and an array of matchmaking changes.

Below we have a copy of the full patch notes for Tuesday’s Master Chief Collection update:

MATCHMAKING

• Made improvements to the reliability of Matchmaking parties.
• Local split-screen players will now always be on the same team in Halo 2 Matchmaking.
• Made an update to allow players to use Voice Chat during loading screens in Matchmaking.
• Made an update to ensure that players are not forced into an incorrect party after encountering an issue in Matchmaking.
• Resolved an issue where the “Winning Team Won” text was shown in the Carnage Report.

ROSTER

• Made fixes to reduce the amount of time it takes to update the Roster:
  • Players will now be discovered sooner after starting the game.
  • Changes to the roster will be more immediate to better reflect friend activity.

PARTIES

• Made several improvements to party joining and management.
• Resolved an issue where players that were in a party could not join another party from the Roster.
• Made changes to ensure that parties cannot exceed the maximum party size of a playlist.
• Made an update to ensure that Party Leaders can assign a new Party Leader or Kick a player from their party.

CUSTOM GAMES

• Made a change to ensure that teams selections are correctly carried over in Custom Games.
• Made an update to ensure that player settings do not revert to a previous state after completing a Halo 2 Anniversary Multiplayer match.
• Made an update to ensure that players do not disconnect  after completing a Custom Game.
• Resolved an issue in Custom Games where parties would disband if some players were playing in Split-Screen.
• Made a change to ensure that Halo 3 Custom Game variants display correct author information.

HALO: CE

• Made various changes and improvements to Halo: CE multiplayer hit registration.

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Made an update to ensure that the “Legend Slayer” achievement unlocks when prerequisites are met.
• The “Pacifist” Achievement will no longer be awarded for resuming “Assault on the Control Room”.

STABILITY IMPROVEMENTS

• Made a variety of stability improvements across the following areas:
  • Matchmaking
  • Custom Games
  • Campaign Playlists
  • Main Menu

CONTROL SCHEMES

• Updated the Halo 2 “Green Fingers” Button Layout.
• Updated the Halo 2 Anniversary Multiplayer Recon Button Layout.

MISC.

• Made improvements to stat-tracking.
• Improved language support for Norweigan, Spanish, German and Japanese.

*Note: The team is aware that “Legacy” controls are incorrectly functioning as “Default” in Halo 2: Anniversary and Halo 4, and are working to resolve this issue in an upcoming update. We will continue to work on additional content updates to further improve the game.

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Microsoft’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) Xbox One console has broken the PlayStation 4’s standing sales streak.

According to Mike Nichols, Corporate Vice President for Xbox’s Marketing division, the Xbox One surpassed the PlayStation 4 in sales in the United States and the U.K. for the month of November.

This marks one of the first times that the all-in-one console interrupted the PS4’s impressive record, and might hint at a comeback for Microsoft.

“November set a new record for sales of Xbox One,” Nichols said in a statement to IGN, “and Xbox One was the best-selling console in the US and UK.” The Xbox exec didn’t provide any concrete sales figures, however.

Although this is a win for Microsoft, it took reducing the Xbox One’s price by $50 in order to move more units. The console’s new $349 price tag is much more attractive to buyers, especially since the system is now bundled with two hit AAA Assassin’s Creed games.

All Xbox One models, including game bundles, were discounted by Microsoft in an effort to bolster sales.

Thanksgiving sales vastly contributed to this milestone, as Black Friday sales saw even more pronounced markdowns from vendors like GameStop who sold the console for as low as $329–and, in some cases, as low as $312. Since the Xbox One will stay at $349 until early January 2015, Microsoft will no-doubt accrue more sales during the main holiday season.

Before the Black Friday rush the Xbox One had seen lackluster sales compared to Sony’s (NYSE: SNE) PlayStation 4, which remains a popular choice across the globe.

Despite growing sales, November’s total game and console sales have slowed down.

The industry analyst firm NPD Group reports that hardware and software sales for November  2014 have dropped by 11 percent as compared to last year’s sales. “Hardware declines totaled $294 million while software declined $17 million or 2 percent,” NPD Group analyst Liam Callahan wrote in the new report (via Joystiq).

Despite its abysmal campaign, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare dominates November game sales and takes the top spot.

Compared to November 2013, eighth-generation consoles made up 38% of declines for November 2014, but this isn’t so surprising given last year’s respective launches of the Xbox One and PS4.

On the software front Activision’s Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare hit the number one spot, followed up with Rockstar’s new-gen port of Grand Theft Auto V.

1. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
2. Grand Theft Auto V
3. Super Smash Bros.
4. Madden NFL 15
5. Pokemon Alpha Sapphire
6. Far Cry 4
7. Pokemon Omega Ruby
8. NBA 2K15
9. Assassin’s Creed: Unity
10. Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Nintendo’s popular brawler Super Smash Bros. took third place and has fueled growth in Wii U sales, racking up over 700,000 units sold for the platform.

The 3DS port of Super Smash Bros. has overshadowed the Wii U flavor with an estimated 3.67 million global units, cushioning Nintendo amid its financial woes while revitalizing the brand and the Wii U platform. The duo of new Pokemon games has also boosted 3DS handheld sales and has been a tremendous success for the ailing Japanese games maker.

Strangely enough Dragon Age: Inquisition isn’t on the map even though it launched in November. The stunning open-world RPG won Game of the Year at this year’s inaugural The Game Awards 2014, and has been a fan favorite since it was released.

Microsoft has been vague about Xbox One’s total sales, but VG Chartz pinpoints the PS4 has sold over 15 million units globally.

Coming back to the eighth-gen console wars, Microsoft is having a good start, but when the Xbox One goes back up to $399 we’ll likely see sales taper off. The platform doesn’t have very many exclusives and is seriously lacking on the supplemental indie front, which Sony  is dominating with its PlayStation Plus subscription model.

The Halo: Master Chief Collection was supposed to augment the smallish selection of games, but thanks to a tremendously broken launch incurred by the thrown-together nature of the game, this attempt failed.

Also the recent PlayStation Experience reminded gamers why they should pick up a PS4, showcasing a huge number of exclusives and upcoming games along with a variety of trailers and on-site panels with developers.

Despite being the second choice, the Xbox One is amazing for media playback and has a number of features not included with the PS4–and Microsoft is committed to add new capabilities via updates.

Hell even the Xbox One’s own one-year birthday party was severely eclipsed by Sony’s own 20th anniversary celebration, which kicked off a new special edition 20th Anniversary PlayStation 4.

To celebrate one year of its all-in-one console Microsoft offered a few paltry extras to Xbox LIVE members, which were nothing more than token “thank yous” for sticking with the brand. You got to try out Sunset Overdrive for 24 hours (the best part) along with two limited movie rentals, a gamer picture, and, if you were an early adopter who paid full price for your Xbox One, you got a special background image.

This was a genuine opportunity for Microsoft to actually make its mark, but instead they dropped the ball and ultimately were overshadowed once again by Sony.

In any case, in order to solidify long-lasting competition Microsoft will need to further its games campaign to once again catch up with Sony.

The Redmond-based tech giant might have caught up with the Japanese console maker in terms of one-month sales, but the gap is still very pronounced, and the company still has a lot of work ahead if it wants to turn the tables.

The post Xbox One Outsells PS4 In November appeared first on VR World.

UPDATE: Amazon has adjusted the prices of certain games on the list, so we’ve modified the prices to reflect the new listings.

Big online retailers like Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and eBay (NASDAQ: eBay) are slashing prices on some great games and hardware for the holidays, IGN reports.

Amazon has a huge offering of game sales that cut costs on some great games, including Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes for an absurdly low $10, Wolfenstein: The New Order for a steal at $15, Dragon Age: Inquisition at $40 and GTA V on Xbox One or PS4 for just $48.

Below we have a breakdown of the offers including Amazon’s big holiday game sale, listed from lowest to highest price:

Multiplatform

• Grand Theft Auto V (PlayStation 4 or Xbox One) – $48.99

• Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (PlayStation 4 or Xbox One) – $24.99

• Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360) – $29.99

PlayStation 4

• Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes  – $9.99

• Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition - $12.99

• The LEGO Movie Videogame – $14.99

• Wolfenstein: The New Order  – $14.99  adjusted to $37.69

• Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag  - $19.99  adjusted to $34.30

• Watch Dogs – $24.99

• The Evil Within – $24.99 Adjusted to $38.40

• The Last of Us: Remastered (PlayStation 4 digital download code) – $19.99, Amazon copy $29.99

• NBA 2K15 - $29.99

• DriveClub  – $34.99 adjusted to $38.90

• Rocksmith 2014 - $39.99

• Dragon Age: Inquisition - $39.99

Xbox One

• Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor - $27.99

• NBA 2K15 - $29.99

• Forza Horizon 2  – $35.99

• Halo: The Master Chief Collection – $44.99

Wii U

• Hyrule Warriors (Nintendo Wii U) – $47.99

• Just Dance 2015 – $19.99

PlayStation 3

• Lego: Marvel Super Heroes – $9.99

• Just Dance 2015 – $19.99 adjusted to $36.33

• Need for Speed Rivals Complete Edition – $19.99 adjusted to $34.98

• FIFA 15 - $24.99 adjusted to $39.96

• Persona 4 Arena Ultimax - $24.99 adjusted to $39.99

• Rocksmith 2014 Edition - $34.99 adjusted to $59.99

Xbox 360

• Need for Speed Rivals Complete Edition – $19.99 adjusted to $39.48

Nintendo 3DS

• Pokémon White Version 2 – $17.99 adjusted to $26.99

• The LEGO Movie Videogame Standard Edition – $12.99 adjusted to $14.99

On the hardware front, Amazon is offering a free game with every PlayStation 4 purchase, although the games are from a limited pre-selected group and are downloadable codes. The promo reads as follows: “buy a PlayStation 4, and receive a code redeemable for a free digital game download”. The deal expires on Jan. 3, 2015

The promotion honors your choice out of LittleBigPlanet 3, Destiny, NBA 2K15 and Far Cry 4, and Amazon affirms that the code will be sent by e-mail “upon completion of your shipment”.

You can also get $30 off on a Borderlands 2 PlayStation Vita bundle ($169.99) over at the ‘Zon, and 44% off on a PS Vita 16GB memory card ($33.33) to ensure your new Vita handheld has enough memory. 32GB and 64GB variants are also discounted by over 30%.

BestBuy has a sale on a Nintendo 3DS XL for just $149.99, available in blue, red and black flavors. This is only for the handheld itself and includes no games; the bundle isn’t discounted, sadly.

With this year’s Black Friday sales over and gone, we should see some more mark downs but it’s fair to say that most consumers have their Christmas and holiday shopping almost finished. You can never tell when sales will pop up, and it’s great to see that Dragon Age: Inquisition, one of the best games of the year, available for so cheap. Most of us who picked it up for $64 are “aww’ing”, but we’ve had our own headstart in the game.

Thanks, Gamespot.

The post GTA V On Sale For $48, Dragon Age: Inquisition Is $40 appeared first on VR World.

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) now supports Bitcoin as a payment option for its digital store, allowing users to fund their accounts with the cryptocurrency.

In a surprising move, the Redmond-based tech giant Microsoft has become the first major console maker to embrace the virtual currency known as Bitcoin, letting users add money to their Microsoft accounts via the virtual currency. Ouya, the failed Android console, added Bitcoin support some time ago.

But how does it work? Essentially the Bitcoins are “cashed in” from the user’s digital wallet and then converted into money, which is then added to the user’s balance.

The news was originally spotted on Reddit, and it appears that the funds are limited to Xbox credit. That means you can buy “apps, games, and other digital content from Windows, Windows Phone, Xbox Games, Xbox Music, or Xbox Video stores”.

Microsoft has added a detailed how-to section that has more information on the stipulations and process of the new payment feature.

According to the article, users can only use their Bitcoin funds to buy “digital goods at select Microsoft online stores”, and that you can’t use Bitcoin to “purchase Microsoft products and services directly at this time”.

So far only users in the United States can take advantage of this payment option, but we’ll likely see Microsoft add more territories as well as full Bitcoin support across all stores.

It’ll be interesting to see if Sony (NYSE: SNE) or Nintendo (TYO: 7974) adopt Bitcoin for their respective online marketplaces, and as the digital currency continues to grow in popularity and value, we’ll likely see more major retailers honor the cryptocurrency same as cash.

Thanks, Eurogamer.

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