Those who redeemed Final Fantasy VII Remake on PlayStation Plus back in March 2021 will finally be able to upgrade to the PS5 version of the game at no extra cost on Wednesday, December 22.

Square Enix revealed the news on Twitter while also sharing that Final Fantasy VII Remake's Episode Intermission starring Yuffie Kisaragi will also be 25% off on the same day for a limited time.

When Final Fantasy VII Remake was announced to be joining PlayStation Plus in March 2021, many were surprised and upset to discover that it was only the PS4 version. Furthermore, those who downloaded it would not be able to upgrade to the PS5 version that came with improved textures, fog effects, better lighting, faster load times, a new photo mode, DualSense support, and more.

This also meant that players could not purchase Episode Intermission to play Yuffie's new story as it is not even available for PS4 owners.

In our review of Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intergrade - Episode Intermission, we said that it "serves as a tantalizing tease of Yuffie's inevitable meeting with Final Fantasy 7's core cast, and an excellent reason to return to Midgar to experience her new exhilarating style of combat and entertaining side activities."

This news arrives just after Final Fantasy VII Remake was released on PC. Unfortunately, the port appears to have some major issues, including limited graphics options, stuttering and framerate issues, and more.

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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

In another example of how bad the ongoing global chip shortage is, Microsoft couldn't even secure enough Xbox Series X consoles for Halo Infinite's first Halo Championship Series tournament and instead had to use a mix of retail and development consoles.

Tahir Hasandjekic, the Halo esports and viewership lead at Microsoft/343 Industries, shared the news on Twitter, saying open bracket players would be playing on Xbox Series X development consoles. Fortunately, there is no need for these players or fans to worry as they are "functionally identical" to retail Xbox Series X hardware.

"Heads up open bracket players - you'll be playing this weekend on Series X development consoles," Hasandjekic said. "They're functionally identical and will be operating in 'retail' mode so it's the exact same experience, they just look a little different. Why? Global supply chain shortage is real."

Yes, even Microsoft can't find enough consoles for the first major tournament for Halo Infinite.

For those unaware, dev kits are the systems used by game developers when creating the games we know and love. They are generally not made available to the public and it's rare to ever see one at an official tournament.

This chip shortage is impacting many beyond Microsoft, as Nintendo cut its Switch production down 20% due to it and Sony reportedly cut production of its PS5 consoles by one million. A recent report said that this shortage affecting gaming "will remain very tight" until at least September 2022.

The first Halo Infinite Halo Championship Series tournament features runs from December 17-19 and features 272 teams competing for a prize pool of $250,000 + Crowdfunding.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

In another example of how bad the ongoing global chip shortage is, Microsoft couldn't even secure enough Xbox Series X consoles for Halo Infinite's first Halo Championship Series tournament and instead had to use a mix of retail and development consoles.

Tahir Hasandjekic, the Halo esports and viewership lead at Microsoft/343 Industries, shared the news on Twitter, saying open bracket players would be playing on Xbox Series X development consoles. Fortunately, there is no need for these players or fans to worry as they are "functionally identical" to retail Xbox Series X hardware.

"Heads up open bracket players - you'll be playing this weekend on Series X development consoles," Hasandjekic said. "They're functionally identical and will be operating in 'retail' mode so it's the exact same experience, they just look a little different. Why? Global supply chain shortage is real."

Yes, even Microsoft can't find enough consoles for the first major tournament for Halo Infinite.

For those unaware, dev kits are the systems used by game developers when creating the games we know and love. They are generally not made available to the public and it's rare to ever see one at an official tournament.

This chip shortage is impacting many beyond Microsoft, as Nintendo cut its Switch production down 20% due to it and Sony reportedly cut production of its PS5 consoles by one million. A recent report said that this shortage affecting gaming "will remain very tight" until at least September 2022.

The first Halo Infinite Halo Championship Series tournament features runs from December 17-19 and features 272 teams competing for a prize pool of $250,000 + Crowdfunding.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

While many were very excited when Final Fantasy 7 Remake finally arrived on PC after a year and a half from its original release date, it was quickly discovered that this port has some major problems that will hopefully be addressed in a future patch.

As reported by PC Gamer, Final Fantasy 7 Remake's Graphics Settings list on PC is surprisingly bare and offers "no variable framerate option, no way to tweak anti-aliasing, toggle VSync, or control effects like motion blur." There is also no way to control resolution scaling to help balance image quality and performance.

Speaking of performance, there have also been reports of framerate drops and instability when simply moving the camera.

I never really do this, since I usually cover this in a video, but @oliemack is going to be on this when I am on holiday. But this is just one brief moment in the first 5 minutes of the game. Spinning the camera causes a sustained drop and then a big stutter. RTSS does not see it https://t.co/pvTAML3dEX pic.twitter.com/UgDWzO9Iav

— Alexander Battaglia (@Dachsjaeger) December 17, 2021

Digital Foundry's John Linneman and Alexander Battaglia noticed these issues, even when capturing using "an RTX3090 and 10900k at just 1080p." Linneman called it "a mess," saying "the smooth presentation was central to [FF7 Remake's] story telling and this version compromises it."

This was a bit of a surprise as other Square Enix PC ports, including Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts 3, all had far more options than Final Fantasy 7 Remake currently has.

There has been no word as of yet from Square Enix regarding these issues, but PCGamingWiki notes that "The game can drop fps from 120 to below 30 fps when texture settings are set to high on a GPU with 8GB of VRAM or less." While this very well may be a problem, it does not account for why Battaglia's 3090 - which has 24GB of VRAM - is still stuttering.

Fans are even more upset as Final Fantasy 7 Remake on PC is one of the first PC games to cost $70, a practice now seen in this new PS5 and Xbox Series X/S generation.

Hopefully, these issues are resolved, because Final Fantasy 7 Remake was considered by many, including IGN, to be a success in bringing FF7 to the modern era. In our review on PS4, we said that its "dull filler and convoluted additions can cause it to stumble, but it still breathes exciting new life into a classic while standing as a great RPG all its own."

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

While many were very excited when Final Fantasy 7 Remake finally arrived on PC after a year and a half from its original release date, it was quickly discovered that this port has some major problems that will hopefully be addressed in a future patch.

As reported by PC Gamer, Final Fantasy 7 Remake's Graphics Settings list on PC is surprisingly bare and offers "no variable framerate option, no way to tweak anti-aliasing, toggle VSync, or control effects like motion blur." There is also no way to control resolution scaling to help balance image quality and performance.

Speaking of performance, there have also been reports of framerate drops and instability when simply moving the camera.

I never really do this, since I usually cover this in a video, but @oliemack is going to be on this when I am on holiday. But this is just one brief moment in the first 5 minutes of the game. Spinning the camera causes a sustained drop and then a big stutter. RTSS does not see it https://t.co/pvTAML3dEX pic.twitter.com/UgDWzO9Iav

— Alexander Battaglia (@Dachsjaeger) December 17, 2021

Digital Foundry's John Linneman and Alexander Battaglia noticed these issues, even when capturing using "an RTX3090 and 10900k at just 1080p." Linneman called it "a mess," saying "the smooth presentation was central to [FF7 Remake's] story telling and this version compromises it."

This was a bit of a surprise as other Square Enix PC ports, including Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts 3, all had far more options than Final Fantasy 7 Remake currently has.

There has been no word as of yet from Square Enix regarding these issues, but PCGamingWiki notes that "The game can drop fps from 120 to below 30 fps when texture settings are set to high on a GPU with 8GB of VRAM or less." While this very well may be a problem, it does not account for why Battaglia's 3090 - which has 24GB of VRAM - is still stuttering.

Fans are even more upset as Final Fantasy 7 Remake on PC is one of the first PC games to cost $70, a practice now seen in this new PS5 and Xbox Series X/S generation.

Hopefully, these issues are resolved, because Final Fantasy 7 Remake was considered by many, including IGN, to be a success in bringing FF7 to the modern era. In our review on PS4, we said that its "dull filler and convoluted additions can cause it to stumble, but it still breathes exciting new life into a classic while standing as a great RPG all its own."

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Spider-Man: No Way Home has swung to a record-breaking $253 million domestic weekend box office debut, and it earned another $334.2 million internationally to claim a global total of $587.2 million.

As reported by THR, Spider-Man: No Way Home has secured the third-biggest domestic opening of all time, pandemic or otherwise, and the third-best global opening ever, not adjusted for inflation.

The latest Spidey film surpassed Star Wars: The Force Awakens' $247 million domestic opening, but failed to reach the heights of Avengers: Infinity War's $257 or Avengers: Endgame's $357 million.

No Way Home was also the first film in the COVID-19 era to earn over $100 million in its domestic debut. Venom: Let There Be Carnage was the closest before this film, as it earned $90 million during its launch.

Additionally, No Way Home has already grossed more than than the entire run of any other film during the pandemic era. Previously, Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings had the highest run with $224.5 million.

“This weekend’s historic Spider-Man: No Way Home results, from all over the world and in the face of many challenges, reaffirm the unmatched cultural impact that exclusive theatrical films can have when they are made and marketed with vision and resolve," Sony Pictures' Motion Picture Group Chairman and CEO Tom Rothman said. "All of us at Sony Pictures, are deeply grateful to the fabulous talent, both in front of and behind the camera, that produced such a landmark film. Thanks to their brilliant work, this Christmas everyone can enjoy the big screen gift of 2021’s mightiest Super Hero —your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.”

Fans also flocked to IMAX theaters to see the latest MCU film, as No Way Home earned $36.2 million globally at IMAX, making it the sixth-best opening for that particular format.

No Way Home also performed considerably better than the impressive domestic weekend box office debuts of Spider-Man: Homecoming's $117 million and Spider-Man: Far From Home's $92 million.

In our Spider-Man: No Way Home review, we said that it "bounces from hilarious to hurt with ease as both the darkest and funniest MCU Spider-Man entry to date."

For more, check out our explainer of the ending and post-credits scenes, our 10 biggest WTF questions after leaving the theater, and just what No Way Home may mean for the future of Venom.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Spider-Man: No Way Home has swung to a record-breaking $253 million domestic weekend box office debut, and it earned another $334.2 million internationally to claim a global total of $587.2 million.

As reported by THR, Spider-Man: No Way Home has secured the third-biggest domestic opening of all time, pandemic or otherwise, and the third-best global opening ever, not adjusted for inflation.

The latest Spidey film surpassed Star Wars: The Force Awakens' $247 million domestic opening, but failed to reach the heights of Avengers: Infinity War's $257 or Avengers: Endgame's $357 million.

No Way Home was also the first film in the COVID-19 era to earn over $100 million in its domestic debut. Venom: Let There Be Carnage was the closest before this film, as it earned $90 million during its launch.

Additionally, No Way Home has already grossed more than than the entire run of any other film during the pandemic era. Previously, Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings had the highest run with $224.5 million.

Fans also flocked to IMAX theaters to see the latest MCU film, as No Way Home earned $36.2 million globally at IMAX, making it the sixth-best opening for that particular format.

No Way Home also performed considerably better than the impressive domestic weekend box office debuts of Spider-Man: Homecoming's $117 million and Spider-Man: Far From Home's $92 million.

In our Spider-Man: No Way Home review, we said that it "bounces from hilarious to hurt with ease as both the darkest and funniest MCU Spider-Man entry to date."

For more, check out our explainer of the ending and post-credits scenes, our 10 biggest WTF questions after leaving the theater, and just what No Way Home may mean for the future of Venom.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Spider-Man: No Way Home star Willem Dafoe had one condition when it came to returning as Norman Osborn – he wanted to do the action scenes.

During an interview with Mulderville, the 66-year-old Spider-Man: No Way Home star revealed why he wanted to make sure he joined in with the action.

“To do this physical stuff was important to me,” he said. “One of the first things I said to Jon and Amy, basically when they pitched it to me, before there was even a script, was, 'Listen, I don't want to just pop in there as a cameo or just fill in in close-ups. I want to do the action because that's fun for me’.”

It sounds as though Dafoe, who played Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin in the 2002 Spider-Man movie alongside Tobey Maguire, had some doubts about picking up the iconic mask once more.

“I just was concerned about how contrived it was or whether it was just like a power cameo, a reference” he said. “I really was worried that I wouldn't have something to do.”

Ultimately, he was convinced to return. But Dafoe insisted on joining in with the action sequences and would not settle by just being the guy who stood on the side-lines.

“It's really impossible to add any integrity or any fun to the character if you don't participate in these things because all that action stuff informs your relationship to the characters and the story, and also it makes you earn your right to play the character.”

It’s certainly great to see Dafoe back in the role. And he’s not phoning it in, either – his performance is already winning over fans and critics alike.

Spider-Man: No Way Home stars Tom Holland as the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. The film is directed by Jon Watts and based on a script by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers.

Spider-Man: No Way Home opened in theaters in December 17, 2021.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Spider-Man: No Way Home star Willem Dafoe had one condition when it came to returning as Norman Osborn – he wanted to do the action scenes.

During an interview with Mulderville, the 66-year-old Spider-Man: No Way Home star revealed why he wanted to make sure he joined in with the action.

“To do this physical stuff was important to me,” he said. “One of the first things I said to Jon and Amy, basically when they pitched it to me, before there was even a script, was, 'Listen, I don't want to just pop in there as a cameo or just fill in in close-ups. I want to do the action because that's fun for me’.”

It sounds as though Dafoe, who played Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin in the 2002 Spider-Man movie alongside Tobey Maguire, had some doubts about picking up the iconic mask once more.

“I just was concerned about how contrived it was or whether it was just like a power cameo, a reference” he said. “I really was worried that I wouldn't have something to do.”

Ultimately, he was convinced to return. But Dafoe insisted on joining in with the action sequences and would not settle by just being the guy who stood on the side-lines.

“It's really impossible to add any integrity or any fun to the character if you don't participate in these things because all that action stuff informs your relationship to the characters and the story, and also it makes you earn your right to play the character.”

It’s certainly great to see Dafoe back in the role. And he’s not phoning it in, either – his performance is already winning over fans and critics alike.

Spider-Man: No Way Home stars Tom Holland as the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. The film is directed by Jon Watts and based on a script by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers.

Spider-Man: No Way Home opened in theaters in December 17, 2021.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Spider-Man producers Amy Pascal and Kevin Feige have shared more about the development of Spider-Man: No Way Home and teased that Disney/Marvel and Sony are "actively beginning to develop" Spidey's next story, which just may end up being Spider-Man 4.

In an interview with The New York Times, Pascal and Feige were asked about both the next stand-alone Spider-Man movie and the recent comments that confirmed Sony and Disney would be working together on at least three more Spider-Man films together.

"We’re producers, so we always believe everything will work out," Pascal said. "I love working with Kevin. We have a great partnership, along with Tom Rothman, who runs Sony and has been instrumental, a great leader with great ideas. I hope it lasts forever."

Feige added that not only are they working together, but that they are "actively beginning to develop" where Spider-Man's story goes next. Whether this is Spider-Man 4 or another cameo remains to be seen, but fans will be happy to know they are already hard at work on the next steps for Tom Holland's Peter Parker.

He also shared that he revealed this info because he doesn't want to have another situation similar to what happened after Spider-Man: Far From Home where Sony and Disney/Marvel almost didn't make another Spider-Man film together.

"Amy and I and Disney and Sony are talking about — yes, we’re actively beginning to develop where the story heads next, which I only say outright because I don’t want fans to go through any separation trauma like what happened after “Far From Home” [the previous Spider-Man movie, in 2019]. That will not be occurring this time," Feige said.

SPOILERS AHEAD for Spider-Man: No Way Home!!!

"At the end of the movie we just made, you see Spider-Man make a momentous decision, one that you’ve never seen him make before," Pascal added. "It’s a sacrifice. And that gives us a lot to work with for the next film."

Pascal also discussed her thoughts on the studios somehow being able to "top" Spider-Man: No Way Home, which saw the addition of a ton of actors from Spider-Man's history.

"Not every Spider-Man movie is going to be a multitude of characters," Pascal said. "That approach was right for this one. You can’t think about topping yourself in terms of spectacle. Otherwise movies just get larger and larger for no reason, and it’s not a good result. But we do want to always try and top ourselves in terms of quality and emotion.

"Kevin and I never want to lose sight of one thing: Peter Parker. That he’s a normal kid. That he is orphaned over and over again. That he’s a teenager, so everything in his life is at a heightened pitch and everything matters more than anything. That he’s fueled by goodness and guilt. That he’s striving for a greater cause, and he’s vilified by the press."

The pair went on to discuss how they managed to get all these actors back in the Spider-Man universe and, while they didn't go too much into specifics, they shared a bit about the process and how they convinced those who were a bit skeptical about the whole thing.

"That these weren’t going to be cash-grab cameos," Pascal said. "The parts were real. That I was there with them the first time and would be again, that I have too much respect for them and all the work we did together over the years."

While many rejoiced and celebrated when Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield once again became their versions of Spider-Man, there are those who were also hoping for an appearance by Spider-Man's Kirsten Dunst and Amazing Spider-Man's Emma Stone.

"When people see the movie, they will understand," Feige said. "It’s about the story. It was a big goal for all of us — Amy and Jon and our writers, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers — that Peter Parker’s senior year in high school didn’t get lost amid the insanity that ensues thanks to his encounter with Doctor Strange. That easily could have happened. And that’s the reason there’s not another 20 people in the movie."

Pascal and Feige were also asked by NYT's Brooks Barnes if we were "ever going to see a woman with superpowers alongside Spider-Man." It was then brought up that there is a story line in the comics where MJ gets to try out the Iron Spider armor. While Pascal gave a "coy smile" and simply said, "never say never," Feige revealed a bit more of their philosophy.

"We have a lot of story lines, Brooks! A lot of story lines," Feige said. "It comes down to these great, great actors. My guess is your question is less about what MJ did in the comics and more about 'Zendaya is really great. Can we see more of her?'"

Pascal and Feige have now worked together for three Spider-Man films and a few cameos in other MCU films, and they both talked about how their partnership began with a cry for help after the "rather wobbly" Amazing Spider-Man 2.

"That is the truth," Pascal revealed. "I called Kevin and said, 'Help.' And then he came over to my office for lunch and said, 'I know how to help you.' And then I threw a sandwich at him."

"She said, 'I really want you to help on this next movie. We have these great ideas for the next one. It’s amazing stuff,' Feige said. "And I said, 'I’m not good at that — giving advice and leaving. The only way I know how to help is if we just make the movie for you."

"And then Kevin called me and came over to the house and said, 'I have an idea. What if Tony Stark makes Peter’s suit?' And as soon as he said that, I understood the possibilities of what we could do together," Pascal concluded. 'To have Iron Man and Spidey in the same world, one rooted more in technological innovation — the new suit — and less in medical experimentation, which is where we were confined before, felt so much more modern."

This interview is filled with other great little details, including a confirmation that Pascal once FaceTimed with Tom Holland in a bathtub. Unfortunately, Pascal isn't one to FaceTime and tell and won't share any more of the details of that fateful bath conversation.

For more on Spider-Man: No Way Home - which has already earned $50 million from its Thursday "preview" screenings, check out our review of the film, our explainer of the ending and the post-credits scenes, and our 10 biggest WTF questions after leaving the theater.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.