Despite appearing in some early preview shots, the Xbox Series X will not have an S/PDIF optical audio out port. In today’s episode of Unlocked with Phil Spencer, the Xbox boss re-confirmed the absence and went into detail as to why Microsoft decided to build its next-gen console without the optical audio port. Spencer, who has a background in software development, revealed how his role in leading Xbox brought him closer to the hardware development side of the business, and how when designing a mass-produced consumer product, there are factors like price, space, and usage come into play. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/01/interview-head-of-xbox-phil-spencer-unlocked-437"] “I’m going to use kind of weird terms, but the marginal cost of everything is important,” Spencer said to IGN. “So if you look at a part on a console that’s maybe one, or two dollars and you say, ‘okay, how big of a deal is that inside of a console?’ That’s a few hundred dollars. But then you say, ‘okay, we’re going to plan to sell, you know, 100 million of these consoles.’ So you take two bucks over 100 million now you’re $200 million over the life of the program.” Spencer also revealed that there were spatial considerations, meaning getting the actual component to fit in the console but also how many people use the optical audio port. “We also, frankly, know how many people use it today on the console. So I know you do, but we see it. So we also kind of do the math of we have to put a part in every console that X percent of people use, is there a better place for us to spend that money if we can support it in different ways.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=9-new-xbox-series-x-images&captions=true"] The decision to remove the optical audio port wasn’t a surprise to Xbox’s audio partners like Astro who make third-party headsets for game consoles, and whose high-end equipment requires the port. “We had a conversation with the headset manufacturers prior to all of this. So when we stood up and said your accessories are going to work, we weren’t kind of walking a tightrope there. We’d already had the conversations.” And Astro announced that it’s working with Microsoft on a firmware update for its MixAmp Pro TR, A50, and Base Station and A20 headsets for them to be compatible with the Xbox Series X at launch through the USB. “You know there’s all of these decisions are things that we think through very deeply and try to figure out where the plans are,” said Spencer. “And I know with everything that we don’t do that we used to do, there’s going to be somebody who’s disappointed and it’s not the funnest part of the job, but I think we have a plan for the future.” Audio on the Xbox Series X will run through HDMI 2.1, which outputs both audio and video up to 8K with Dolby Atmos. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/16/microsoft-reveals-full-xbox-series-x-tech-specs"] You can check out IGN’s full interview with Spencer on the new episode of Podcast Unlocked where he reveals details about the current status of the console amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and competing with the PS5. Also, check out IGN’s full breakdown of the Xbox Series X and how it compares to the known specs of the PS5. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has said he feels "really good" about how Xbox Series X lines up against PlayStation 5, on power and price – but says Series X pricing will "stay agile" in the run up to launch. Speaking to IGN's Podcast Unlocked, Spencer was asked how he felt after watching the PS5 tech specs reveal with Mark Cerny, and how Xbox Series X stacks up against its key rival: "No doubt, I felt really good about how Series X lines up. Now, I think Mark and the team did some really good work on the audio processing that they talked about, their SSD technology is impressive, we like that. We saw the work that they did. But you know, we we took a holistic view on our platform, from CPU, to GPU, to RAM, to throughput velocity architecture, latency, back compat – you know, it took us years to get to this point. "I will definitely have respect for any platform team that's launching, it just takes a lot of work. But I will say, when we finally saw the public disclosure, I felt even better about the choices that we made on our platform. And I kind of expected that I would." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/01/interview-head-of-xbox-phil-spencer-unlocked-437"] It's a confident response, and Spencer continued that line of thinking with regard to one major unknown for both next-gen consoles – price. The Xbox boss explained that Microsoft began with a solid price target for Series X (one he doesn't disclose), and whether that could alter depending on Sony's choices: "You have to set a price target at the beginning for yourselves. And then you kind of roll in as you see the competition come in and start to go to market planning. I feel good about the price that we're going to be able to get to. I feel good about the price and the performance capabilities that we have with Series X. I feel incredibly strong about the overall package." "We're definitely going to be continuing to keep our eyes wide open as we go towards launch, looking at what the competition is doing, but you know, we have a plan and we feel very solid about our plan. We think it's a winning plan. I believe we have a plan that can win, we've got to go execute. But I feel really good about the plan that we put together." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-xbox-one-first-party-review&captions=true"] Famously, Sony was able to undercut Xbox One's price when it revealed the PS4 at E3 2013, a move many saw as calculated, perhaps even pivoted to at the event. Asked if Microsoft was able to make the same kind of moves, and be flexible about the Series X price, Spencer explained that the PS5's price point was absolutely being taken into account ahead of launch: "We're getting incredible support from Microsoft [...] they're very linked into what our plans are, and we're going to make sure we stay agile on our pricing, and that we have a good plan going into launch." [ignvideo url="https://uk.ign.com/videos/ps5-xbox-series-x-no-delay-concerns-yet-next-gen-console-watch"] You can watch the full episode of Podcast Unlocked above, where Spencer also talks about Microsoft isn't working on a Plan B for Series X's launch, and the practical reasons for why the console doesn't have an optical port. Xbox Series X is scheduled to be released during Holiday 2020. RIght now we know the Xbox Series X specs, we have an educated guess on its price based on those specs, and a full comparison with PS5. What we know far less about is Xbox Series X games, but we have a list of confirmed and rumoured titles for the next-gen console. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News, and he has intuited from this piece that Xbox has a plan. Follow him on Twitter.

Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has said he feels "really good" about how Xbox Series X lines up against PlayStation 5, on power and price – but says Series X pricing will "stay agile" in the run up to launch. Speaking to IGN's Podcast Unlocked, Spencer was asked how he felt after watching the PS5 tech specs reveal with Mark Cerny, and how Xbox Series X stacks up against its key rival: "No doubt, I felt really good about how Series X lines up. Now, I think Mark and the team did some really good work on the audio processing that they talked about, their SSD technology is impressive, we like that. We saw the work that they did. But you know, we we took a holistic view on our platform, from CPU, to GPU, to RAM, to throughput velocity architecture, latency, back compat – you know, it took us years to get to this point. "I will definitely have respect for any platform team that's launching, it just takes a lot of work. But I will say, when we finally saw the public disclosure, I felt even better about the choices that we made on our platform. And I kind of expected that I would." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/01/interview-head-of-xbox-phil-spencer-unlocked-437"] It's a confident response, and Spencer continued that line of thinking with regard to one major unknown for both next-gen consoles – price. The Xbox boss explained that Microsoft began with a solid price target for Series X (one he doesn't disclose), and whether that could alter depending on Sony's choices: "You have to set a price target at the beginning for yourselves. And then you kind of roll in as you see the competition come in and start to go to market planning. I feel good about the price that we're going to be able to get to. I feel good about the price and the performance capabilities that we have with Series X. I feel incredibly strong about the overall package." "We're definitely going to be continuing to keep our eyes wide open as we go towards launch, looking at what the competition is doing, but you know, we have a plan and we feel very solid about our plan. We think it's a winning plan. I believe we have a plan that can win, we've got to go execute. But I feel really good about the plan that we put together." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-xbox-one-first-party-review&captions=true"] Famously, Sony was able to undercut Xbox One's price when it revealed the PS4 at E3 2013, a move many saw as calculated, perhaps even pivoted to at the event. Asked if Microsoft was able to make the same kind of moves, and be flexible about the Series X price, Spencer explained that the PS5's price point was absolutely being taken into account ahead of launch: "We're getting incredible support from Microsoft [...] they're very linked into what our plans are, and we're going to make sure we stay agile on our pricing, and that we have a good plan going into launch." [ignvideo url="https://uk.ign.com/videos/ps5-xbox-series-x-no-delay-concerns-yet-next-gen-console-watch"] You can watch the full episode of Podcast Unlocked above, where Spencer also talks about Microsoft isn't working on a Plan B for Series X's launch, and the practical reasons for why the console doesn't have an optical port. Xbox Series X is scheduled to be released during Holiday 2020. RIght now we know the Xbox Series X specs, we have an educated guess on its price based on those specs, and a full comparison with PS5. What we know far less about is Xbox Series X games, but we have a list of confirmed and rumoured titles for the next-gen console. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News, and he has intuited from this piece that Xbox has a plan. Follow him on Twitter.

One of the writers of Solo: A Star Wars Story says he doesn't think anyone is pursuing a sequel to 2018's Han Solo origin film. Jon Kasdan, who co-wrote the film with his father, Lawrence Kasdan, said he believes that a Solo sequel would be a "tough sell." "Don't think anyone's pursuing a Solo sequel at the moment," Kasdan said, responding to a fan question on Twitter. "I think a feature, at this point, would be a tough sell & the [Disney+] Star Wars slate is really...pretty packed, all shows I'm lookin forward to." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=solo-a-star-wars-story-photos&captions=true"] It's likely that Disney views Solo as a commercial disappointment at the box office, as the film fell short in its first two weekends. The numbers never recovered to match Disney's other Star Wars films, and shortly after, Disney CEO Bob Iger decided to slow down the Star Wars movie release schedule. Before the film opened in 2018, director Ron Howard said there were "no concrete plans" for a Solo sequel. However, young Han Solo actor Alden Ehrenreich did sign to appear as the smuggler in three films, so it's possible that there still are, or were at one point, plans for young Han Solo to appear in future films. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/05/23/solo-cast-takes-the-ultimate-han-solo-star-wars-quiz"] The next three Star Wars theatrical films are scheduled for release in December 2022, 2024, and 2026, but we don't know what Star Wars projects will fill those slots. As Kasdan mentioned, Disney+ does have a packed schedule of upcoming Star Wars shows, including Season 2 of The Mandalorian and a show focused on Rogue One's Cassian Andor and K-2SO. The Obi-Wan Kenobi series was put on hold earlier this year, but Ewan McGregor said the delay shouldn't impact the unannounced planned release date. Right now, the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is in progress on Disney+. Check out our review of Episode 6, "Deal No Deal." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/05/the-mandalorian-season-2-october-release-confirmed-by-disney"] Story originally reported by Slash Film. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.

One of the writers of Solo: A Star Wars Story says he doesn't think anyone is pursuing a sequel to 2018's Han Solo origin film. Jon Kasdan, who co-wrote the film with his father, Lawrence Kasdan, said he believes that a Solo sequel would be a "tough sell." "Don't think anyone's pursuing a Solo sequel at the moment," Kasdan said, responding to a fan question on Twitter. "I think a feature, at this point, would be a tough sell & the [Disney+] Star Wars slate is really...pretty packed, all shows I'm lookin forward to." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=solo-a-star-wars-story-photos&captions=true"] It's likely that Disney views Solo as a commercial disappointment at the box office, as the film fell short in its first two weekends. The numbers never recovered to match Disney's other Star Wars films, and shortly after, Disney CEO Bob Iger decided to slow down the Star Wars movie release schedule. Before the film opened in 2018, director Ron Howard said there were "no concrete plans" for a Solo sequel. However, young Han Solo actor Alden Ehrenreich did sign to appear as the smuggler in three films, so it's possible that there still are, or were at one point, plans for young Han Solo to appear in future films. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/05/23/solo-cast-takes-the-ultimate-han-solo-star-wars-quiz"] The next three Star Wars theatrical films are scheduled for release in December 2022, 2024, and 2026, but we don't know what Star Wars projects will fill those slots. As Kasdan mentioned, Disney+ does have a packed schedule of upcoming Star Wars shows, including Season 2 of The Mandalorian and a show focused on Rogue One's Cassian Andor and K-2SO. The Obi-Wan Kenobi series was put on hold earlier this year, but Ewan McGregor said the delay shouldn't impact the unannounced planned release date. Right now, the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is in progress on Disney+. Check out our review of Episode 6, "Deal No Deal." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/05/the-mandalorian-season-2-october-release-confirmed-by-disney"] Story originally reported by Slash Film. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.

One creative Animal Crossing: New Horizons player has transformed their island into a re-creation of Hyrule from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. In a series of images originally posted on Imgur, we can see a variety of iconic locations from A Link to the Past, including Kakariko Village and Hyrule Castle. Here, you can see that this villager used terraforming to create Death Mountain and the Waterfall of Wishing. The Eastern Palace is complete with dirt and stone paths, and the Desert of Mystery is decorated with a handful of dinosaur bones. There's also a re-creation of the starting point in A Link to the Past – Link's house. Finally, to get the full scale of this project, you can take a look at the entire map to see just how closely it resembles A Link to the Past's version of Hyrule, along with the original map for comparison, below. Along with video games like The Legend of Zelda, New Horizons players are re-creating tons of iconic movie moments on their deserted islands. Some players are using the washed-up sailor Gulliver to re-create a memorable scene from The Lighthouse. Other Animal Crossing players are re-creating moments from Midsommar, The Shining, The Blair Witch Project, and more. If you want to bring some Nintendo designs onto your New Horizons island, check out IGN's New Horizons custom design guide to find Design IDs for creations inspired by Mario, Zelda, Overwatch, and more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/25/how-multiplayer-works-in-animal-crossing-new-horizons"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.

One creative Animal Crossing: New Horizons player has transformed their island into a re-creation of Hyrule from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. In a series of images originally posted on Imgur, we can see a variety of iconic locations from A Link to the Past, including Kakariko Village and Hyrule Castle. Here, you can see that this villager used terraforming to create Death Mountain and the Waterfall of Wishing. The Eastern Palace is complete with dirt and stone paths, and the Desert of Mystery is decorated with a handful of dinosaur bones. There's also a re-creation of the starting point in A Link to the Past – Link's house. Finally, to get the full scale of this project, you can take a look at the entire map to see just how closely it resembles A Link to the Past's version of Hyrule, along with the original map for comparison, below. Along with video games like The Legend of Zelda, New Horizons players are re-creating tons of iconic movie moments on their deserted islands. Some players are using the washed-up sailor Gulliver to re-create a memorable scene from The Lighthouse. Other Animal Crossing players are re-creating moments from Midsommar, The Shining, The Blair Witch Project, and more. If you want to bring some Nintendo designs onto your New Horizons island, check out IGN's New Horizons custom design guide to find Design IDs for creations inspired by Mario, Zelda, Overwatch, and more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/25/how-multiplayer-works-in-animal-crossing-new-horizons"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.

While the original DuckTales animated series had a beloved video game adaptation, the new DuckTales TV series has yet to see its own game counterpart. And sadly, despite an impressive looking hint at one, there is not officially a new DuckTales game in the works. FDG Entertainment, the publisher of Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom and Blossom Tales, teased an alleged new DuckTales game on its Twitter account today, April 1, with Monster Boy dev Game Atelier allegedly developing it. Sadly, the game isn't happening according to members of the DuckTales TV show creative team, but you can check out the convincing, and beautiful, art of the would-be game in the gallery below. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=fake-ducktales-game-screenshots&captions=true"] Unfortunately, DuckTales co-executive producer Frank Angones retweeted FDG's announcement, confirming it as just an April Fools' joke, writing "I want nothing more than to will this April Fools Day joke into reality. This looks GREAT! How do I make this not a joke?!" And Angones is seemingly not alone on the DuckTales TV creative team in wanting a game to actually happen. Star Bobby Moynihan responded to Angones, saying "Was REALLY excited for a second. and DuckTales director Tanner Johnson, in response to being asked if the game was real, simply responded "I wish." So for now, it seems this DuckTales game is more of a collective dream — one shared by fans and DuckTales' creative team. In the meantime, the DuckTales Remastered, which is based on the original DuckTales game, found its way back onto digital stores after being removed from digital storefronts last year. It can currently be purchased on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Xbox One (via Backwards Compatibility), Wii U, and Steam. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/03/ducktales-glomtales-exclusive-clip"] Meanwhile, the DuckTales TV show on Disney XD is set to return on April 4 for its third season, with the previous two seasons available to stream on Disney+. And you can read why DuckTales is one of the shows we think would make a great, comforting binge. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond! and a major fan of the new DuckTales show who has talked often about why the new series would make an amazing game. Talk to him about it on Twitter @jmdornbush.

While the original DuckTales animated series had a beloved video game adaptation, the new DuckTales TV series has yet to see its own game counterpart. And sadly, despite an impressive looking hint at one, there is not officially a new DuckTales game in the works. FDG Entertainment, the publisher of Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom and Blossom Tales, teased an alleged new DuckTales game on its Twitter account today, April 1, with Monster Boy dev Game Atelier allegedly developing it. Sadly, the game isn't happening according to members of the DuckTales TV show creative team, but you can check out the convincing, and beautiful, art of the would-be game in the gallery below. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=fake-ducktales-game-screenshots&captions=true"] Unfortunately, DuckTales co-executive producer Frank Angones retweeted FDG's announcement, confirming it as just an April Fools' joke, writing "I want nothing more than to will this April Fools Day joke into reality. This looks GREAT! How do I make this not a joke?!" And Angones is seemingly not alone on the DuckTales TV creative team in wanting a game to actually happen. Star Bobby Moynihan responded to Angones, saying "Was REALLY excited for a second. and DuckTales director Tanner Johnson, in response to being asked if the game was real, simply responded "I wish." So for now, it seems this DuckTales game is more of a collective dream — one shared by fans and DuckTales' creative team. In the meantime, the DuckTales Remastered, which is based on the original DuckTales game, found its way back onto digital stores after being removed from digital storefronts last year. It can currently be purchased on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Xbox One (via Backwards Compatibility), Wii U, and Steam. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/03/ducktales-glomtales-exclusive-clip"] Meanwhile, the DuckTales TV show on Disney XD is set to return on April 4 for its third season, with the previous two seasons available to stream on Disney+. And you can read why DuckTales is one of the shows we think would make a great, comforting binge. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond! and a major fan of the new DuckTales show who has talked often about why the new series would make an amazing game. Talk to him about it on Twitter @jmdornbush.

Hot off The Daily Prophet presses: J.K. Rowling has announced the launch of Harry Potter At Home, a new online hub designed to help children, parents, carers and teachers add a touch of magic to their daily lives while in lockdown due to coronavirus (COVID-19). In a tweet on Wednesday, Rowling shared a link to a news post outlining the resources and activities that have been cumulated by the Wizarding World team in collaboration with their partners at Audible, Bloomsbury, OverDrive, Pottermore Publishing and Scholastic.

Parents, teachers and carers working to keep children amused and interested while we’re on lockdown might need a bit of magic, so I’m delighted to launch https://t.co/cPg0dZpexB pic.twitter.com/i0ZjTplVoU

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 1, 2020

Casting a Banishing Charm on boredom, these magic-makers are offering a range of exercises to fill out everyone's timetable, with everything from special activity kits and magical craft videos to fun articles, quizzes, puzzles and much, much more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/11/24/best-25-harry-potter-characters"] In addition, Audible and OverDrive are giving people unlimited access to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for free throughout April. Audible's new platform is adding the Stephen Fry edition of the audiobook to its library in six languages, while OverDrive is allowing members to borrow the book in more than 20 different languages up until April 30. A statement on the site reads: "For over twenty years now, Hogwarts has been an escape for all – for readers and fans, young and old. During the strange times we now find ourselves in, we want to welcome you back to Hogwarts, where you will find a friendly retreat for you, your family and those you are caring for." The digital hub is now live with the tagline "Bringing Hogwarts to you" on the landing page. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-harry-potter-universes-most-fantastic-beasts&captions=true"] J.K. Rowling joins a host of other celebrities offering lighter entertainment options for those living in lockdown. John Krasinski just started up a new YouTube series "dedicated entirely to good news" while Seth MacFarlane recently launched a podcast hosted by Family Guy's Stewie and Brian. Plus, Jodie Whittaker transformed into Doctor Who for an "emergency transmission" and Sir Patrick Stewart has been reading daily sonnets to his fans. For a list of recommendations on how best to help, and stay safe, during the Coronavirus pandemic, please read our resource guide. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.