The Xbox Series X was listed for a Thanksgiving 2020 release date, but Microsoft tells IGN that the system is still on track for Holiday 2020. An update to the official Xbox Series X website for the UK, India, and Australia listed that the Series X was now coming out in Thanksgiving 2020, up from its holiday 2020 release window. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=9-new-xbox-series-x-images&captions=true"] Microsoft has issued a slight denial and reaffirmed the holiday release window. "Xbox Series X will be available Holiday 2020 alongside Halo Infinite," said a Microsoft representative to IGN when we reached out for a statement. Geoff Keighley also tweeted that, according to his sources, the Xbox Series X release date is unchanged and that there will be no announcement today about the release date.

UPDATE: Sources tell me the Xbox Series X release date is unchanged and still "Holiday 2020." There is no announcement today about a release date.

— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) March 18, 2020

Xbox's Larry 'Major Nelson' Hryb also tweeted out that the website updates listing Thanksgiving 2020 are 'inaccurate'.

An Xbox product page in some regions inaccurately listed the launch date for Xbox Series X as Thanksgiving 2020. We are committed to launching Holiday 2020

— Larry Hryb (@majornelson) March 18, 2020

A Thanksgiving release date is much more specific than Holiday 2020, but it sounds like Xbox is not yet willing to narrow that release window and lock down the Series X release date. Microsoft did reveal the full Xbox Series X specs earlier this week, which was later followed by Sony revealing the PS5 specs. While we're starting to learn more and more about the next-gen consoles, a release date for both the Series X and PS5 remains unannounced. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

If you're looking for something to do while you're holed up in your home practicing social distancing, head over to Steam right now for the Spring Game Festival. There are currently over 40 playable indie game demos that were to be featured at the 2020 Game Developers Conference, which was previously postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This is the second Game Festival featured on Steam, with the previous one taking place during last year's Game Awards. The titles included this time around would have been featured at the Indie MEGABOOTH, Day of the Devs, and The MIX during this year's GDC, which is now being hosted virtually. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=screens-coffee-talk&captions=true"] Currently, the demos available are:

• We should talk.
• Sons of Ra
• Backworlds
• Quench
• Going Under
• Superlivinal
• Mystic Pillars
• Evan's Remains
• Tunche
• Duster
• We Are The Caretakers
• HyperParasite
• Neon Noodles
• Hundred Days
• Filament
• Later Daters
• Pushy and Pully in Blockland
• Lord Winklebottom Investigates
• Heavenly Bodies
• Chicory: A Colorful Tale
• Spiritfarer
• Curious Expedition 2
• Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl
• Aeolis Tournament
• Operencia: The Stolen Sun
• Neverinth
• Divisadero
• Liberated
• Jack Axe
• Mighty Fight Federation
• Röki
• She Dreams Elsewhere
• When The Past Was Around
• Embr
• Hazel Sky
• Recompile
• Vigil: The Longest Night
• Rising Hell
• Haven
• Raji: An Ancient Epic
• A Space For The Unbound
• Eldest Souls
• Coffee Talk
• Garden Story
• KungFu Kickball
• Retrograde Arena
• Moncage
• EleMentals: Death Metal Death Match!
• Klang 2

[ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/23/15-minutes-of-spiritfarer-gameplay-gamescom-2019] Some of these titles are available to purchase immediately, while others won't be out until a later date. So, if there's something you enjoy, make sure to add it to your Steam wishlist! The Spring Game Festival is available for a limited time from March 18th at 10 AM PST to March 23rd at 10 AM PST. This is just one of the many changes we've seen in response the the COVID-19 pandemic with many companies having to change the way they make content available. For example, Universal recently announced that it will be distributing current theatrical releases on demand starting March 20th. We're keeping a close eye on everything impacted, including all movies and tv shows delayed due to the outbreak, and will continue updating you with any additional ways this impacts our society. We've also created a handy guide that explains how to help, and stay safe, during the COVID-19 pandemic. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matthew Adler is a News and Features writer for IGN who is furiously trying to get through his backlog of games and movies while he's stuck at home. You can keep him company on Twitter or watch him stream on Twitch.

Square Enix has announced that while the launch of Final Fantasy 7 Remake is still set for April 10, those expecting physical copies of the game might not receive the game on the day of release. Announced on March 18 on Twitter, Square Enix said that due to the COVID-19 outbreak, physical copies of the game might not arrive on time. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=final-fantasy-7-remake-29-new-wall-market-screenshots&captions=true"] "Due to the extraordinary circumstances the world is facing with the COVID-19 pandemic, we want to update you on how this will impact the forthcoming release of Final Fantasy VII Remake," the tweet reads. "The worldwide release of Final Fantasy VII Remake on April 10 will go ahead. However, with the foreseeable changes in the distribution and retail landscape which caries across countries, it is increasingly likely that some of you will not get hold of your copy of the game on the release date." Square Enix said it is monitoring the situation on a daily basis and working with its partners and retailers to do everything it can to ensure as many as possible can play the game on April 10. You can check out the company's full announcement in the tweets below.

Release update information. pic.twitter.com/oZ6XXBX5hR

— FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE (@finalfantasyvii) March 18, 2020

Amazon Video Games also tweeted the following, 13 hours before the Final Fantasy 7 Remake announcement: "Some of our customers may have received a message that states the release date has changed on Final Fantasy VII Remake. The release date is still slated for April 10, 2020." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/14/final-fantasy-7-remake-opening-movie"] While that is true, it seems Square Enix is warning some customers that they might not be playing the game on its actual release date if they opt for a physical copy. While you wait for the game's release, check out these brand new areas and characters from Final Fantasy 7 Remake. You can also get a preview of the three PS4 dynamic themes coming soon based on the game. We've also got a walkthrough and secret ending breakdown of the game's demo. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.   

If it was up to Steven Spielberg, we'd be seeing Vin Diesel receive the director credit for movies more often (via SlashFilm). Yes, that Steven Spielberg, the famous filmmaker known for Jurassic Park, E.T., Jaws, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, and Indiana Jones. He apparently told Vin Diesel, the director behind 1995's Multi-Facial, 1997's Strays, and the 2009 Los Bandoleros short film based on the Fast and Furious movie universe, that he needs to direct more movies. "Speaking of Steven Spielberg, I saw him recently and he said to me, 'When I wrote the role for you in Saving Private Ryan, I was obviously employing the actor, but I was also secretly championing the director in you, and you have not directed enough'," Diesel told The National. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=from-groot-to-dominic-toretto-vin-diesels-8-best-roles&captions=true"] "That is a crime of cinema and you must get back in the directing chair," Spielberg also told Diesel, to which he responded, "I haven't directed enough." Diesel is best known for his role as Dominic Toretto in the Fast and Furious series, but with that series soon coming to an end, perhaps we'll see Diesel take the advice of Spielberg and bestow upon the world additional movies directed by him. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/12/vin-diesel-rolls-up-bloodshot-as-a-playable-dd-character"] You can check out Diesel in his latest movie, Bloodshot, a film we called ok and gave a 6 out of 10. Unfortunately, If you're excited to see Diesel in Fast 9, you'll have to wait longer than expected as the movie was recently delayed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.  

Marvel's current Star Wars series continues to fill in some major gaps in the time period between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Hot on the heels of learning how Luke's blue lightsaber was recovered, now another lingering mystery from Episode V has finally been solved regarding Luke Skywalker's X-Wing. Warning: beware of full spoilers for Star Wars #4 ahead! [poilib element="accentDivider"] [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-wars-how-marvel-continues-the-story-of-the-empire-strikes-back&captions=true"] Have you ever wondered why Luke still has his trusty X-Wing in Return of the Jedi? That ship is last seen in The Empire Strikes Back when Luke lands on Cloud City to search for his captured friends, but he never returns to retrieve the X-Wing after his battle with Darth Vader. He escapes Cloud City aboard the Millennium Falcon, presumably leaving the X-Wing to become seized property of the Empire. Yet somehow Luke is still flying his X-Wing across the galaxy in Episode VI. Up till now, there was no real explanation for this Star Wars discrepancy other than assuming Luke acquired a second, identical-looking X-Wing later on. But Star Wars #4 finally resolves this decades-old plot hole. [caption id="attachment_2321590" align="aligncenter" width="929"] Art by Jesus Saiz. (Image Credit: Marvel Comics)[/caption] In issue #4, Luke is forced to abandon the hunt for his missing saber in favor of rescuing Lando and the recently carbonite-encased Princess Leia from Cloud City's Imperial forces. Luke, Lando and Lobot track Leia down to a cargo bay, where she's moments away from being shipped off to an Imperial interrogation facility. Luke is able to reawaken his dormant connection to the Force, unfreezing Leia and her fellow captives and gaining some much-needed manpower. Leia, Lando and the other prisoners escape the city aboard a stolen Imperial shuttle. As for Luke, he takes the chance to liberate his X-Wing. So there you have it. Luke may not have successfully retrieved his saber, but he did recover another iconic piece of Star Wars equipment. And in the process, a lingering plot hole has finally been resolved. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/27/star-wars-the-high-republic-explained"] Check back with IGN Comics a bit later for a full breakdown of where Luke stands on the search for his lightsaber and how his mysterious new Jedi benefactor factors into that mission. Until then, find out all the new plot details revealed in the Rise of Skywalker novelization and learn more about the brand new Star Wars era being explored in The High Republic. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

A big portion of Marck Cerny’s tech talk today about the PlayStation 5 architecture revolved around 3D audio and its benefits to increasing realism in games. The PS5 will attempt to tune to the players’ specific audio needs to create the best soundscape, but in the future may go a step further and require players to send pictures or videos for the best audio experience. Cerny spoke at length about the benefits of 3D audio, which is audio tuned to create an immersive experience where you can hear audio directionally. Meaning sounds coming from behind you feel like it’s really coming from that direction. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ps5-specs-reveal-presentation&captions=true"] Currently, the function works best with headphones and Cerny called headphone audio on the PS5 “the gold standard.” But Sony is also working on perfecting virtual surround sound where the audio comes from two, front-facing speakers will mimic surround-sound audio so long as players are sitting in a sweet spot. There is currently work in expanding the scope of that sweet spot. Another potential hiccup is a person’s unique HRTF or Head-related Transfer Function. This is how a person’s ear receives a sound from a point in space and is unique to individuals, though there is a common level for most people. Using headphones, Cerny says the realism provided by 3D audio on the PS5 is great, and at one point thought the sounds he heard from the game were coming from the real-world. At launch, the PS5 will come with five HRTF options that players can pick from which will provide the best 3D audio experience. But some people are outliers and for them, Cerny says PS5 3D audio sounds only slightly better than standard surround sound. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/18/ps5-deep-dive-reveal"] To cater to these folks, Cerny suggested that years down the line Sony may try and create custom HRTF for users using some pretty unorthodox methods. “Maybe you’ll be sending us a photo of your ear and we’ll choose a neural network to pick the closest HRTF to pick from our library,” Cerny suggested. “Maybe you’ll be sending us a video of your ear and your head and we’ll make a 3D model of them and synthesize the HRTF. Maybe you’ll play an audio game to tune your HRTF. We’ll be subtly changing it as you play and home in on the HRTF that gives you the highest score, meaning it matches you the best.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=9-sequels-that-would-make-ps5-a-force-to-reckon-with&captions=true"] 3D audio for the PS5 is being powered by a custom system known as the Tempest Engine and the way Cerny spoke about the feature today, makes it clear that this is a big feature for PS5 games in its pursuit for added realism. We will of course reserve judgment until we get hands-on with PS5 games utilizing 3D audio. For more about today’s PS5 architecture reveal, check out the full PS5 spec list, and a complete look at all the new PS5 details revealed during the presentation. Also, check out our updated Series X and PS5 spec comparison here. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

PlayStation 5 will be able to play "almost all" of the top 100 PS4 games - as ranked by total playtime - at launch. Announced by system architect Mark Cerny in a livestream today, testing of games has to be performed title-by-title because the boost PS5 provides can be simply too powerful for older code, but results have apparently been "excellent". [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ps5-specs-reveal-presentation&captions=true"] The solution has been to allow the new PS5 chipset to switch to "legacy modes" for PS4 and PS4 Pro. It's not clear yet what those 100 games are, nor which ones haven't been able to make the jump yet. It's also not clear how many PS4 games outside of that top 100 will be available. As for when we'll see the rest, a PlayStation blog post reads: "With more than 4000 games published on PS4, we will continue the testing process and expand backwards compatibility coverage over time." You can check out everything we learned in today's lengthy livestream, and then read over the full specs for the PS5, and see why its install times won't be as long as PS4. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

During today's Road to PS5 presentation, Sony PlayStation chief architect Mark Cerny revealed some of the big changes coming to the next-gen consoles, including the switch to SSDs which among other things, will eliminate the long game installs that exist as it does today on PS4. An early portion of Cerny's PS5 tech talk revolves around the switch to SSDs, which he says will promise much faster performance on the next-gen consoles. One area in which this will become noticeable is installing new games or patches. Currently, when a PS4 game downloads a patch onto the HDD, the console will take a long time to install the patch. This is because a brand new file has to be created each time a new patch is downloaded, or else the game will add a new seek and create performance problems later on. A game with numerous patches on the PS4 will sometimes exhibit performance issues because of added Seek time, or the measure of time it takes for a computer to find a piece of data on a hard drive. "With an SSD though, no seeks. So no need to make brand-new files with the changes incorporated. Which means no installs as you know them today," Cerny revealed. With the speed Cerny is promising with the PS5 thanks to an SSD, games will load faster, developers will have more maneuverability and space to design bigger games, and thankfully, there will be fewer install times. Check out the full PS5 specs here. Developing... [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Overwatch’s 32nd hero has been revealed, an omnic named Echo.

Blizzard had teased Overwatch's next hero reveal in recent days, but made things official this morning with the drop of Echo’s story trailer, which you can watch below.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/echo-origin-story-overwatch"]

While not much else is known yet about Echo, the official trailer description describes them by saying "an evolutionary robot programmed with a rapidly adapting artificial intelligence, Echo represents the cutting edge of technology." The story trailer shows Echo as a robot made by a member of Overwatch to "help the world." One shot also shows a young Soldier 76 inviting its creator to Overwatch despite her having a hand in creating Omnics in the first place.

But this isn't even close to the first time we've seen Echo, with the Overwatch community speculating about Echo's arrival for years now – though the assumption was generally that they would be named Athena. Echo appeared in an Overwatch animated short called Reunion way back in 2018, and has technically been "in the game" the whole time as the payload on Route 66. A similar looking robot can even be seen in an extremely early piece of concept part.

Details on Echo's abilities aren't available yet, nor when they might be added (though the official YouTube channel says "Coming Soon"), but we'll be sure to update this post when we know either.

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Tom Marks is IGN's Deputy Reviews Editor and resident pie maker. You can follow him on Twitter.  

If you’ve been sitting on the fence waiting for Apple to finally update the iPad Pro, your wait is finally over. This morning the Cupertino company introduced its 2020 refresh of both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro. They don’t feature a new design or the iPhone 11 Pro’s Super Retina Display, but they have been tuned up with an A12Z Bionic chip that promises to be faster than most Windows-based laptops. Apple’s new tablet is also the first iPad to receive an Ultra-Wide camera—putting it on par with the iPhone 11—and studio-quality mics. Lastly, the new iPad Pro models feature a LiDAR Scanner for depth sensing and AR-powered apps. What’s far more impressive is the new iPad keyboard Apple has rolled out. Firstly, it features a trackpad for the first time, allowing you to use your tablet like a genuine macOS device. This new Magic Keyboard also allows you to elevate your iPad Pro at a more comfortable typing and working angle. The new 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $799 and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro runs for $999. Both base models come with 128GB of storage space. Of course, you have the option of picking the larger 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB capacities as well as adding 4G LTE cellular connectivity. Of course, the iPad Pro doesn’t come with an included keyboard, so you’ll have to pony up $129 for the Smart Folio Keyboard. And if you want Apple’s new Magic Keyboard and its attached trackpad, that’ll be $299 for the 11-inch model, or $349 for the 12.9-inch one (yes, it really costs almost half as much as an 11-inch iPad Pro).

The MacBook Air is affordable again

Apple also announced a refreshed MacBook Air as its second laptop to receive the overhauled scissor switch-based Magic Keyboard. Now that the new MacBook Air has ditched that Apple’s faulty butterfly mechanism, it should be a far more reliable typing companion. Plus, you get the same 1mm of keyboard travel as the 16-inch MacBook Pro. The MacBook Air also features Intel’s latest 10nm Ice Lake Y-series processors with Intel Iris Plus Graphics, which promise to deliver 80% improved graphics performance. Best of all Apple has dropped the price of the MacBook Air to $999—$100 less than the device's initial $1,099 starting price—while also doubling the standard storage capacity to 256GB. Speaking of doubling storage, the standard $799 configuration of the Mac Mini now comes with 256GB of storage as well. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Kevin Lee is IGN's Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam