• Sony will reportedly release a black version of the PlayStation Portal "soon"
• The new model will seemingly cost the same as the white version
• The first quantities will be "limited"

Sony is reportedly planning to release a black version of the PlayStation Portal.

That's according to the reliable data miner 'billbil-kun' of the French blog Dealabs - who previously accurately leaked the first look at the PS5 Pro - which now claims that the publisher will release a new colorway for the handheld "soon" as part of a new accessory refresh launch.

It's unclear when it will launch, but the blog claims that the first quantities available will be "limited", meaning it could lead to a stock shortage from the pre-order phase, like the original white remote player.

The new PlayStation Portal model is expected to be available in Europe, North America, and "other regions of the world", and will seemingly cost the same as the original PlayStation Portal at $199.99 / £199.99 / €219.99.

A white version and a limited edition design included in the 30th Anniversary Edition Collection have only ever been released.

The latest leak of a black PlayStation Portal seems to be related to an upcoming relaunch. Earlier this week, Dealabs also reported that Sony is going to release black versions of several PlayStation accessories, including the DualSense Edge Controller, Pulse Elite headphones, and Pulse Explore earbuds.

Again, there's no estimated release for the new models, but the outlet claims they will be announced "within a month" and that they will cost the same as the original white versions.

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• Call of Duty has ramped up AI with code optimizations to catch cheaters
• Since ranked play launched a week ago, 19,000 bans have been enacted
• But cheating still remains a thorny problem with Black Ops 6

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has been out for a month, and multiplayer is, of course, where cheaters are doing their best to ruin everyone else’s fun – but Activision is doing its best to catch them with an increasing emphasis on using AI.

Call of Duty games use an in-house anti-cheat (at the kernel level) called Ricochet, and on X, the developer has outlined the latest achievements in terms of taking out cheaters.

Apparently, Ricochet has facilitated the ban of over 19,000 cheaters in ranked play since that mode launched (a week ago).

As you can see from the post on X, there are “hourly sweeps” to eject cheaters from the ranked play mode (and leaderboard), and we’re told that AI systems are being ramped up with “code optimizations” to better achieve this goal.

Analysis: The war on cheats

Fewer cheaters is good news for everyone, of course – except the offenders themselves, naturally. However, as someone replying to the above post on X points out, all cheaters do after they are banned is create another account. Or, we should clarify, persistent or dedicated cheaters do this.

So, should Activision just give up and not bother? Obviously not, and some more casual cheaters might be put off by a ban (or repeated bans, certainly). But what about the more hardcore cheats out there? The workarounds to obtain a new account (including buying a hacked one) aren’t expensive or that difficult to do, sadly.

While AI is likely to very much help to police cheating, especially as these systems get honed more and more, it’ll have to be doing so in a really timely manner to start putting proper roadblocks in the way of those who want to break the rules in Black Ops 6 (or other games).

Meanwhile, the arguments continue as to the best way to deal with determined Call of Duty cheaters, including forcing two-factor authentication for accounts to at least help combat the number of accounts getting stolen – but there are thorny issues whichever way you look at this.

Via Neowin

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• Black Ops 6 is "the biggest Call of Duty ever", Activision claims
• Within its first month of launch, it's gained the number one total number of players out of any game in the series
• The game also set a record last month for for day one players on Xbox Game Pass

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's launch month was the "biggest ever" in series history, according to Activision.

In a recent X / Twitter post, the publisher shared new milestones for the latest Call of Duty game, revealing that since launching on October 25 Black Ops 6 now has the number one total number of players, hours played, and total matches of any title in the series. However, Activision stopped short of actually offering some real meaty statistics for comparison.

Activision also stated that within its first 30 days of launch, Black Ops 6 is "the biggest Call of Duty ever".

During Microsoft's first quarter earnings call on October 30, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced that Black Ops 6 set a record for day-one players and Xbox Game Pass members as the first Call of Duty game to be added to the subscription service.

"Last week’s launch of Black Ops 6 was the biggest Call of Duty release ever, setting a record for day one players as well as Game Pass subscriber adds on launch day," Nadella said.

Microsoft's CEO also shared that unit sales for PlayStation and Steam were "up over 60% year-over-year".

"This speaks to our strategy of meeting gamers where they are by enabling them to play more games across the screens they spend their time on," said Nadella.

Black Ops 6 Season One officially went live on November 14, introducing all new content to one of the best FPS games of 2024, including new maps, weapons, modes, and more.

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• Naughty Dog's next game will see the return of The Last of Us star Troy Baker

• Actor Troy Baker will star in Naughty Dog's next game
• The Last of Us director Neil Druckmann has confirmed Baker's involvement
• Naughty Dog has yet to officially announce its next game

The Last of Us star Troy Baker has confirmed he will be involved in Naughty Dog's next game.

The news comes from a recent GQ interview, where the actor best known for his role as Joel Miller in The Last of Us and Sam Drake in Uncharted: A Thief's End discussed his life's work and his upcoming projects.

In terms of what next, in 2025, Baker will star in Judas, the next game from BioShock creator Ken Levine, but the actor was also able to confirm that he will be reuniting with The Last of Us director and Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann and be featured in the studio's next game.

GQ was also able to verify Baker's return with Druckmann, who said, "In a heartbeat I would always work with Troy."

At this time, we have no idea what role Baker will star in as Naughty Dog has yet to officially announce its new game.

Last month, new insider information about the secret project was reported by MinnMax founder Ben Hanson, who claimed a source "very in the know, who worked on the game" shared that fans "aren't ready" for the studio's next project and that it will feature "a lot of player freedom".

Neil Druckmann also confirmed earlier this year that there are "multiple single-player" projects are in development at Naughty Dog, saying, "I promise you, we will not be The Last of Us studio forever".

In December 2023, Naughty Dog canceled its The Last of Us Online game after concerns that it would impact the studio’s future single-player games, a project that was reportedly in development for four years.

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Black Ops 6 Season 1 Reloaded is likely right around the corner, adding new maps, a new Zombies main mission, and more.

Even without extra Season One Reloaded content, we're having a blast with Black Ops 6, landing it a place on our list of the best FPS games to play in 2024. This upcoming midseason update will freshen things up somewhat, giving players a new shotgun, and sniper rifle to work towards.

While we don't yet have a confirmed date, there has been a tease of sorts which likely places Season One Reloaded in early December.

Here's what we know about Black Ops Season 1 Reloaded so far, including a look at the rumored release date, as well as what might be added. As we hear more from Activision, this page will be updated.

Black Ops 6 Season 1 Reloaded release date prediction

The Black Ops 6 Season 1 Reloaded release date is rumored to be December 12, according to a tweet by Treyarch announcing the arrival of the new Citadelle Des Morts Zombies map.

Generally, all of the midseason content arrives at once in Call of Duty, meaning it's likely that Citadelle Des Morts will be a part of Reloaded.

Activision is yet to fully announce Black Ops 6 Season 1 Reloaded or its release date. Until then, we'll be keeping an eye out for a full blog post and will update this page once it goes live.

Black Ops 6 Season One Reloaded - what's being added?

Activision has now announced the highlights for what'll be added to Black Ops 6 as part of Season 1 Reloaded. This includes new maps, a new Zombies mission, and new weapons. Here's a brief summary of what's being added:

• Maps: Racket, Hacienda, Nuketown Holiday, Citadelle Des Mortes
• Wildcard: High Roller
• Weapons: AMR MOD 4, MAELSTROM, Cleaver
• Modes: Prop Hunt
• Bundle: Brightmare
• Warzone: BR Ranked Play

For a full breakdown of Black Ops 6 Season 1, head on over to the Call of Duty blog. This includes some content marked as in-season, which is likely to arrive as part of Season One Reloaded.

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• The DualSense Edge, Pulse Elite, and Pulse Explore are reportedly getting black versions
• They will seemingly cost the same as the original white versions
• Sony is expected to announced the new models within the month

Sony is reportedly going to release black versions of several PlayStation accessories before the end of the year.

That's according to reliable data miner 'billbil-kun' of the French blog Dealabs, who recently claimed that the company is preparing to release the DualSense Edge Controller, Pulse Elite headphones, and Pulse Explore earbuds in the color black.

Although there isn't an exact date, Billbil-kun reports that these new models will be announced "within a month", meaning we could receive official confirmation ahead of Christmas.

These PS5 accessories have only ever been available in white, aside from the DualSense Edge featured in the recently released 30th Anniversary Edition Collection. However, the data miner claimed that the new black versions will reportedly be priced the same:

• DualSense Edge Wireless Controller – Black : $199.99 / £209.99 / €239.99
• Pulse Elite Wireless Headphones – Black : $149.99 / £129.99 / €149.99
• Pulse Explore Wireless Earbuds – Black : $199.99 / £199.99 / €219.99

Last week, Billbil-kun also accurately reported the leak of Sony's Black Friday deals, which have now officially gone live. Right now, a range of PlayStation accessories and consoles are now on sale to celebrate the annual event, including the Pulse Elite headphones and Pulse Explore earbuds, a collection of DualSense Wireless Controllers, the PSVR 2, PS5 console covers, and more.

To stay up to date on all the latest deals, be sure to check out our live blog for the best Black Friday PS5 and PS5 Pro deals and discounts.

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• Xbox has shared its exclusive Black Friday deals
• Save money on an Xbox Series S and a selection of Xbox controllers
• Xbox is offering up to 55% off popular Xbox Game Studios titles

Black Friday week has finally arrived and to kick off the seasonal event, Xbox has revealed a range of exclusive Black Friday deals.

Now available on the Microsoft Store, Xbox is offering discounts on select Xbox consoles, including a £40 off deal for the Xbox Series S (512GB) and the Xbox Series S Family & Friends bundle.

Refurbished consoles are on sale too, with the same £40 off deal, and consumers can also get their hands on an Xbox Series X Console Wrap - Mineral Camo thanks to a 50% discount.

Xbox is also offering 20% off on a selection of Xbox Controllers, including some from its latest collection, Sky Cipher and Ghost Cipher.

Those who purchase a standard or Elite Xbox Design Lab controller will also be treated to a free engraving on their pad while the Black Friday deal is active.

It's confirmed that hardware offers will only be available from November 21 and will run until December 2, although the free engraving will run until December 5.

For those thinking about resubscribing to Xbox Game Pass, now may be the best time, because Microsoft is now offering 14 days of PC Game Pass for just £1.

This subscription will give members access to new games on day one, including Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, which arrives on December 9. After the 14 days are up, it will cost £9.99 a month.

Finally, Xbox is also offering up to 55% off popular Xbox Game Studios releases, including Forza Horizon 5 and Forza Motorsport, Minecraft Dungeons, Minecraft Legends, and Halo Infinite.

To keep up to date on all the latest offers, be sure to check out our guide to the best Black Friday Xbox deals.

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• Valve could be working on new Steam and VR controllers
• Both are reportedly in the "later stages of production"
• The Steam Controller 2 is reportedly codenamed "Ibex"

Valve is reportedly developing another Steam Controller, as well as a new VR controller.

That's according to YouTuber Brad Lynch (via IGN) who shared insider knowledge over on X / Twitter, claiming that Valve is now working on a Steam Controller 2 codenamed "Ibex", as well as a separate product that seems to be a new VR controller codenamed "Roy".

Both controllers are reportedly "being tooled for a mass production goal in their [Valve's] factories right now" and are "in later stages of production".

The Roy controller is seemingly referenced in Valve's SteamVR code, which Brad Lynch also shared, and will apparently feature a D-pad, bumpers, group buttons, triggers, an ABXY button layout, and "some sort of strap". 

"I am confident in this info based on datamining AND sources who wished not to be named," Lynch said. "There is also an unreleased OpenXR extension for these controllers."

As for the Steam Controller 2, Lynch wasn't able to share too many specifics about the model but did respond in the X / Twitter thread saying that it will look like a standard gamepad. 

The YouTuber also claimed that "the biggest change will be the shape/size of the trackpads to get into that gamepad-y form" and will have symmetrical sticks.

Valve has yet to officially announce a new Steam Controller or a VR pad, so we can't say for certain when we can expect to see the new hardware if the claims are true. 

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• The Golden Joystick Awards 2024 airs on November 21
• The Awards is celebrating its 42nd year
• Actor Ben Starr will host the awards show

The 42nd annual Golden Joystick Awards is set to air later today, where the winners across 21 categories voted for by the public will finally be announced.

To prepare for the ceremony, here's everything you need to know about the event, including when and where to watch, as well as what to expect.

Start time

The Golden Joystick Awards 2024, which will be celebrating its 42nd year, will air today, November 21, at 8am PST / 11am EST / 4pm GMT / 5pm CEST.

Where to watch

Viewers can tune in to the ceremony by watching the livestream across multiple social channels, including YouTube, Twitch, Steam, Facebook and X / Twitter. The awards show can also be watched on Ginx TV, Future Games Show, GamesRadar, and PC Gamer.

What to expect

This year's ceremony will be hosted by Final Fantasy 16 actor Ben Starr alongside other special guests like Alex McKenna, Alix Wilton Regan, Derek Siow, Neil Newbon, Patricia Summersett, Samantha Béart, and more.

More than 125 games, studios, hardware, and TV shows will be represented across 21 categories, like Ultimate Game of the Year and Console Game of the Year.

A few new categories have also been introduced this year, including Still Playing - PC & Console and Still Playing - Mobile, Best Indie Game - Self Published, and Best Game Adaptation.

Among the games nominated in the Console Game of the Year are the critically acclaimed Astro Bot, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Dragon's Dogma 2, Helldivers 2, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.

Astro Bot and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth lead the shortlist with six nominations each, followed by Helldivers 2 with five nominations, and Balatro with four nominations.

Viewers can also expect a live musical performance during the ceremony featuring music from some of the nominated games, along with tracks from a selection of classic games that will be performed by video game composers Lucia La Rezza and Mark Choi.

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• Microsoft has finally released its "Stream your own game" feature on Xbox for Game Pass Ultimate for members
• This will allow Ultimate subscribers to stream select games on the cloud
• The feature was announced back in 2019

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members can now play "select" games they own via cloud streaming

Microsoft announced this feature in 2019 and was initially supposed to launch alongside Xbox Cloud Gaming, so it's been a long time coming. The most recent update came in October from The Verge, which reported that the company was preparing to test the new update as part of a project called "Project Lapland" where it will expand its Game Pass Ultimate offering.

The publication also claimed that the work had been "complicated by having to prepare key infrastructure for thousands of games, instead of the hundreds that currently exist on Xbox Game Pass."

Now that the feature is finally here, players subscribed to Game Pass Ultimate can stream select cloud-playable games they own on various devices, even if they're not included in the service.

This includes Samsung Smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV devices, the Meta Quest, and other browser-supported devices like PCs, smartphones, and tablets.

Microsoft has released the list of 50 available games that are available to stream, and it includes some of the biggest titles like Baldur's Gate 3, Cyberpunk 2077, Balatro, Final Fantasy 14 Online, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and more.

The company has confirmed that this list will continue to grow as it works with more studios. You can take a look at the full list below.

The 50 games available to cloud stream:

• Animal Well 
• Assassin’s Creed Mirage 
• Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora 
• Balatro 
• Baldur’s Gate 3 
• Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden 
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022) 
• The Casting of Frank Stone 
• Cyberpunk 2077 
• Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake 
• Dredge
• Dying Light 2 Stay Human 
• Farming Simulator 25 
• Fear the Spotlight 
• Final Fantasy XIV Online 
• Final Fantasy
• Final Fantasy II 
• Final Fantasy III 
• Final Fantasy IV 
• Final Fantasy V 
• Final Fantasy VI 
• Hades 
• Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions  
• High On Life 
• Hitman World of Assassination 
• Hogwarts Legacy 
• House Flipper 2 
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits 
• Lego Harry Potter Collection 
• Life is Strange: Double Exposure
• Metro Exodus 
• Mortal Kombat 1 
• NBA 2K25 
• PGA Tour 2K23 
• Phasmophobia 
• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
• Rust Console Edition 
• 7 Days to Die 
• Star Wars Outlaws
• Stray 
• The Crew Motorfest 
• The Outlast Trials 
• The Plucky Squire 
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 
• Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 
• TopSpin 2K25 
• Undertale
• Visions of Mana 
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 
• WWE 2K24  

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• PlayStation has officially announced its Black Friday 2024 sales, deals, and discounts
• They begin tomorrow (November 22) and end on Cyber Monday
• There will be big discounts for PSVR 2, DualSense controllers, PS Plus, and more

PlayStation's official Black Friday sales are starting soon, and it's arguably the company's best yet especially if you're in the market for a certain VR headset.

Announced via the official PlayStation Blog, its Black Friday sales kick off tomorrow (November 22) and will last all the way up to Cyber Monday on December 2. They'll include a wide range of savings on hardware, software, and even PS Plus subscription time. The deals also seem to line up with a Dealabs post from reliable leaker billbil-kun which went up a few days ago.

The bulk of hardware deals will be available to browse and purchase at PlayStation Direct and a number of participating retailers. That'll likely include Amazon as well as Best Buy and Walmart in the US as well as Argos and potentially Currys in the UK.

Undoubtedly the headline discount here is for PSVR 2, which the blog post confirms will receive up to a massive 40% off. If that includes the Horizon: Call of the Mountain bundle then it'll be unmissable for PlayStation stalwarts who've yet to pick up the headset for themselves.

There's also going to be up to 25% off DualSense Wireless Controller colorways, the PlayStation Pulse Elite headset, Pulse Explore buds, and even PS5 console covers. Naturally, the PlayStation Store on console will also host a tirade of excellent savings on video games. It'll likely be the best time of year to purchase some of the best PS5 games for much, much less.

PS Plus is also set to receive a huge 30% discount on 12-month memberships - massive news for anyone who's wanted to get into that Premium tier for less. Existing members can also save up to 30% when upgrading their PS Plus tier from Essential to Extra, or Extra to Premium.

At TechRadar Gaming, we'll be keeping you updated with all the best Black Friday PS5 deals and Black Friday PS5 Pro deals as they happen. We have a feeling that PSVR 2 will absolutely fly off the shelves now that it'll be available at a significantly reduced price. So be sure to keep PlayStation Direct and your favorite retailers bookmarked if you want to get your hands on one.

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• Cloud Streaming has come to the PlayStation Portal via a firmware update
• It's in beta form for now, but grants access to over 120 PS5 games
• Portal owners will also need to be PS Plus Premium subscribers

The latest PlayStation Portal firmware update has finally added a feature that many owners have wanted since launch: cloud streaming.

The update is detailed in an official PlayStation Blog post, where vice president of product management Hiromi Wakai explains that cloud streaming is available on PlayStation Portal now in beta form.

Just like on PS5, Portal owners will also need to be PS Plus Premium subscribers to take advantage of cloud streaming, which is rolling out in today's firmware update. Players will have access to over 120 games via cloud streaming, including Ghost of Tsushima, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Monster Hunter Rise, and much more.

Cloud streaming on PlayStation Portal targets 1080p 60fps, and Sony recommends internet speeds of at least 13 Mbps to achieve this. However, players on slower connections should still be able to access games in 720p with at least 7 Mbps.

The cloud streaming feature, which also includes up to 100GB of cloud storage for save data, can be enabled via the Settings menu on the PlayStation Portal. Simply toggle the 'Cloud Streaming (Beta)' option as it's going to be off by default. This should add a new cloud streaming option to your handheld's Home dashboard.

There are some limitations to note, however. Players currently can't stream PS4 or PS3 games, nor can they stream games purchased from the PlayStation Store. The same goes for party chat and PS Plus game trials, which are also unavailable. This is likely because the feature is still in beta, and these options will hopefully be implemented down the line.

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