Eternals director Chloé Zhao has said the forthcoming film will have "a very big effect" on the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In a recent interview with Total Film, Zhao hinted at the importance of her upcoming Marvel blockbuster, which tells the story of a race of immortal beings with superhuman powers who have secretly lived on Earth for thousands of years. She noted how the self-contained film may leave a lasting impression on the MCU in the aftermath of its release this November.

"I think we stand alone as a film for sure," the Oscar-winning filmmaker stated before touching on the anticipated impact that her Eternals movie will have on the wider MCU. "But I do think we will have a very big effect on the future of the MCU with what happens in this film. Which, you know, as a fan, is really satisfying for me! I geek out."

Several cast members who were interviewed for the same issue of the magazine praised the LGBTQ+ representation and cultural diversity of the film's characters. Salma Hayek, who plays the role of Ajak, referred to Eternals as being "completely a game-changer" in that sense, with the film's diversity extending way "beyond the geography."

One of the film's unique individuals is portrayed by Game of Thrones' Jon Snow actor Kit Harington, who hopes it might just be the "tip of the iceberg" for his character. Harington expressed his desire for Dane Whitman (also known as Black Knight in the comics) to have "a longer trajectory" despite him being "the human character of the story" and not an Eternal.

"I've got no idea whether my character goes on or not," Harington told Total Film. "I had read up on who he could be, or might be. So there’s the possibility for a longer trajectory. And hopefully, I think this is the tip of the iceberg for my character. I hope. But I just don't know, you know? I'm as in the dark as anyone else."

Marvel's Eternals is the next Phase 4 movie on deck after Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The film is due out on November 5 and is expected to follow Shang-Chi's release model with an exclusive theatrical run before moving on to streaming platforms. Beyond that, you might want to check out our guide to every upcoming film and TV show in the MCU.

Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Valve says that its upcoming handheld PC, the Steam Deck, is nearing the end of development – and the company has begun shipping out a limited number of dev kits for testing.

In a post on the Steam Store, Valve has confirmed that its upcoming Steam Deck is "in the final stages of development" and that the studio has started rolling out a dev kit program that will see a number of partner companies receive test build versions of the hardware.

In the post, Valve says that the launch of its dev kits will allow the company the chance to "guide game developers through the process of getting their games on Steam Deck while also continuing to gather their feedback as [it] prepare[s] for the official launch at the end of the year." The company has confirmed that Steam Deck models received by parter companies as part of the dev kit program will be functionally identical to what will ship to fans later this year.

If all goes to plan, developers receiving their test build models of the handheld shouldn't run into too many issues when trying out their games on the Steam Deck.

Despite a belief in some areas of the community that the portable PC's hardware specifications sound a little on the light side, Valve has said that it is confident that the portable PC will be future-proof. Not only does this mean that future releases for some time should be playable on the handheld but that the machine shouldn't run into any major problems during the testing period with partnered developers.

To further put doubts surrounding the console's capabilities to bed, in July, Steam Deck developer Pierre-Loup Griffais confirmed that the portable hardware had managed to run a range of titles released across this year with no issues on its 800p screen. Griffais pointed toward a benchmark 30 FPS target for the Steam Deck, which he said Valve considered to be the 'floor' of what it considered playable during performance testing.

While the Steam Deck itself doesn't yet have an exact release date, Valve's launch of the dev-kit program seems to indicate that the company is on track to deliver the handheld to fans in its current December release window. One fan of the handheld who's already had his hands on the Steam Deck is Xbox Boss Phil Spencer. The Microsoft Executive praised the device's feel and controls before also saying that running Xbox games such as Halo through Xbox Cloud Gaming feels good on the handheld.

For more on Valve's upcoming Steam Deck, make sure to check out our dedicated page for the portable PC where we've got a range of articles about the device including a rundown of how it compares to the Nintendo Switch and details surrounding how the Steam Deck's trackpad and gyro controls simulate the accuracy of a mouse.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN eagerly anticipating the Steam Deck's release. You can follow him on Twitter to tell him what you think about the upcoming handheld.

Valve says that its upcoming handheld PC, the Steam Deck, is nearing the end of development – and the company has begun shipping out a limited number of dev kits for testing.

In a post on the Steam Store, Valve has confirmed that its upcoming Steam Deck is "in the final stages of development" and that the studio has started rolling out a dev kit program that will see a number of partner companies receive test build versions of the hardware.

In the post, Valve says that the launch of its dev kits will allow the company the chance to "guide game developers through the process of getting their games on Steam Deck while also continuing to gather their feedback as [it] prepare[s] for the official launch at the end of the year." The company has confirmed that Steam Deck models received by parter companies as part of the dev kit program will be functionally identical to what will ship to fans later this year.

If all goes to plan, developers receiving their test build models of the handheld shouldn't run into too many issues when trying out their games on the Steam Deck.

Despite a belief in some areas of the community that the portable PC's hardware specifications sound a little on the light side, Valve has said that it is confident that the portable PC will be future-proof. Not only does this mean that future releases for some time should be playable on the handheld but that the machine shouldn't run into any major problems during the testing period with partnered developers.

To further put doubts surrounding the console's capabilities to bed, in July, Steam Deck developer Pierre-Loup Griffais confirmed that the portable hardware had managed to run a range of titles released across this year with no issues on its 800p screen. Griffais pointed toward a benchmark 30 FPS target for the Steam Deck, which he said Valve considered to be the 'floor' of what it considered playable during performance testing.

While the Steam Deck itself doesn't yet have an exact release date, Valve's launch of the dev-kit program seems to indicate that the company is on track to deliver the handheld to fans in its current December release window. One fan of the handheld who's already had his hands on the Steam Deck is Xbox Boss Phil Spencer. The Microsoft Executive praised the device's feel and controls before also saying that running Xbox games such as Halo through Xbox Cloud Gaming feels good on the handheld.

For more on Valve's upcoming Steam Deck, make sure to check out our dedicated page for the portable PC where we've got a range of articles about the device including a rundown of how it compares to the Nintendo Switch and details surrounding how the Steam Deck's trackpad and gyro controls simulate the accuracy of a mouse.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN eagerly anticipating the Steam Deck's release. You can follow him on Twitter to tell him what you think about the upcoming handheld.

The Nintendo Switch can now be paired with a Bluetooth audio device following the latest firmware update.

Starting today, Switch owners who update their Switch to the latest software can pair a wireless Bluetooth device to the Switch. Something the Switch was apparently able to do this entire time given the right software patch.

To do so Switch owners must download the latest firmware patch. From there, they can find a Bluetooth Audio option within the System Settings page. Once you select “Pair” the Switch will search for an available Bluetooth audio device and connect to one when found.

The Switch can only be synced to one audio device at a time but can save up to 10 devices on the system.

The latest #NintendoSwitch update is now available, including the ability to pair Bluetooth devices for audio output.

For more information, including restrictions on some features while using Bluetooth Audio, please visit the support page: https://t.co/vzAB6lZTDu pic.twitter.com/6J5xcDl5kU

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) September 15, 2021

The latest firmware update also includes the ability to update the software on the Switch dock, but only the new docks with a LAN port included with the Switch OLED model.

It should be noted that when paired to a Bluetooth audio device, only two wireless controllers can be connected to the Switch at a time. Connecting an additional wireless controller will disconnect the Bluetooth audio device. Furthermore, Bluetooth microphones are not compatible with the Switch.

The wireless controller limit could be a reason why Nintendo never enabled this audio feature on the four-year-old device. As a result, some Switch owners resorted to third-party adapters to connect their Bluetooth headphones to the Switch.

Now that the update is out, you can freely connect your Apple AirPods or whatever other Bluetooth audio device you choose.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

The Nintendo Switch can now be paired with a Bluetooth audio device following the latest firmware update.

Starting today, Switch owners who update their Switch to the latest software can pair a wireless Bluetooth device to the Switch. Something the Switch was apparently able to do this entire time given the right software patch.

To do so Switch owners must download the latest firmware patch. From there, they can find a Bluetooth Audio option within the System Settings page. Once you select “Pair” the Switch will search for an available Bluetooth audio device and connect to one when found.

The Switch can only be synced to one audio device at a time but can save up to 10 devices on the system.

The latest #NintendoSwitch update is now available, including the ability to pair Bluetooth devices for audio output.

For more information, including restrictions on some features while using Bluetooth Audio, please visit the support page: https://t.co/vzAB6lZTDu pic.twitter.com/6J5xcDl5kU

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) September 15, 2021

The latest firmware update also includes the ability to update the software on the Switch dock, but only the new docks with a LAN port included with the Switch OLED model.

It should be noted that when paired to a Bluetooth audio device, only two wireless controllers can be connected to the Switch at a time. Connecting an additional wireless controller will disconnect the Bluetooth audio device. Furthermore, Bluetooth microphones are not compatible with the Switch.

The wireless controller limit could be a reason why Nintendo never enabled this audio feature on the four-year-old device. As a result, some Switch owners resorted to third-party adapters to connect their Bluetooth headphones to the Switch.

Now that the update is out, you can freely connect your Apple AirPods or whatever other Bluetooth audio device you choose.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

​​The full Tokyo Game Show 2021 schedule was revealed last week and in it, we learned that Xbox would make a virtual appearance by way of a showcase. Now Microsoft has revealed when that showcase will air.

In a new blog post made today on Xbox Wire, the company announced that its Tokyo Game Show virtual stream will air on Thursday, September 30, at 6 p.m. JST, which is 5 a.m. EST/2 a.m. PST on September 29.

The company revealed a few details about what to expect during the stream too.

"As games close the distance between people, we invite our players to celebrate the joy and community of gaming with us," the blog post reads. "Similar to last year, this will be a show curated for our players in Japan and across Asia. Expect a celebration with our Asia community and local relevant updates, though no new global debuts should be expected."

Xbox also says to expect the "latest regionally relevant updates on previously announced games coming later this year." Basically, you probably won't be hearing "World Premiere" during the showcase.

That doesn't mean the rest of the Tokyo Game Show event won't feature premieres and the like, though. Last year's show featured the first gameplay of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, new Monster Hunter Rise gameplay, and more.

You can visit the official TGS 2021 site for the full livestream schedule if you're curious about what you can expect beyond Xbox's stream. The Xbox stream will be available as part of the main TGS 2021 show, but it can also be viewed on Xbox's social channels in Japan, Korea, and China.

While waiting for this TGS Xbox stream, check out everything announced during Xbox's latest showcase, which aired during Gamescom 2021. Read IGN's breakdown of everything announced during the Gamescom 2021 Opening Night Live showcase after that.

Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

​​The full Tokyo Game Show 2021 schedule was revealed last week and in it, we learned that Xbox would make a virtual appearance by way of a showcase. Now Microsoft has revealed when that showcase will air.

In a new blog post made today on Xbox Wire, the company announced that its Tokyo Game Show virtual stream will air on Thursday, September 30, at 6 p.m. JST, which is 5 a.m. EST/2 a.m. PST on September 29.

The company revealed a few details about what to expect during the stream too.

"As games close the distance between people, we invite our players to celebrate the joy and community of gaming with us," the blog post reads. "Similar to last year, this will be a show curated for our players in Japan and across Asia. Expect a celebration with our Asia community and local relevant updates, though no new global debuts should be expected."

Xbox also says to expect the "latest regionally relevant updates on previously announced games coming later this year." Basically, you probably won't be hearing "World Premiere" during the showcase.

That doesn't mean the rest of the Tokyo Game Show event won't feature premieres and the like, though. Last year's show featured the first gameplay of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, new Monster Hunter Rise gameplay, and more.

You can visit the official TGS 2021 site for the full livestream schedule if you're curious about what you can expect beyond Xbox's stream. The Xbox stream will be available as part of the main TGS 2021 show, but it can also be viewed on Xbox's social channels in Japan, Korea, and China.

While waiting for this TGS Xbox stream, check out everything announced during Xbox's latest showcase, which aired during Gamescom 2021. Read IGN's breakdown of everything announced during the Gamescom 2021 Opening Night Live showcase after that.

Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

With the Nintendo Switch OLED just around the corner, Nintendo recently saw fit to drop the Switch's price to £259.99 in the UK and €299.99 in Europe. It does not seem that a Switch price drop will be following suit in the U.S., at least not any time soon.

In a new statement, Nintendo told Axios reporter Stephen Totilo that there are "no plans" for a price drop in the U.S. It will remain at $299, at least for the time being.

Nintendo tells me yesterday's Switch price drop was just for Europe (and the UK):

“The trade price adjustment is for the European region only. There are no plans to change the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price for any Nintendo Switch model in the U.S.”

— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) September 14, 2021

"The trade price adjustment is for the European region only. There are no plans to change the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price for any Nintendo Switch model in the U.S," a Nintendo spokesperson said.

Earlier today, the NPD Group revealed that the Nintendo Switch was once again the best-selling console for the month of August, and remains the best-selling console of 2021. However, the PlayStation 5 currently has the Switch beat in terms of dollar sales.

With sales continuing to be strong, Nintendo clearly sees no reason to cut the price of the base model, even with the upgraded Switch OLED less than a month away.

First released in 2017, the Nintendo Switch is on pace to be one of Nintendo's most successful consoles ever. With some 89 million units sold, it has surpassed both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 — not bad considering that the Switch has been on the market for four years, while the Xbox 360 and PS3 generation lasted nearly a decade. The Switch is currently closing in on the Nintendo Wii, which sold a little more than 100 million units in its lifetime.

The Nintendo Switch continues to thrive thanks to a mix of popular indie games like Hades and Nintendo exclusives like New Pokémon Snap. The holiday season will see the release of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl as well as Shin Megami Tensei 5, with Pokémon: Legends Arceus to follow in January.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN.

With the Nintendo Switch OLED just around the corner, Nintendo recently saw fit to drop the Switch's price to £259.99 in the UK and €299.99 in Europe. It does not seem that a Switch price drop will be following suit in the U.S., at least not any time soon.

In a new statement, Nintendo told Axios reporter Stephen Totilo that there are "no plans" for a price drop in the U.S. It will remain at $299, at least for the time being.

Nintendo tells me yesterday's Switch price drop was just for Europe (and the UK):

“The trade price adjustment is for the European region only. There are no plans to change the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price for any Nintendo Switch model in the U.S.”

— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) September 14, 2021

"The trade price adjustment is for the European region only. There are no plans to change the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price for any Nintendo Switch model in the U.S," a Nintendo spokesperson said.

Earlier today, the NPD Group revealed that the Nintendo Switch was once again the best-selling console for the month of August, and remains the best-selling console of 2021. However, the PlayStation 5 currently has the Switch beat in terms of dollar sales.

With sales continuing to be strong, Nintendo clearly sees no reason to cut the price of the base model, even with the upgraded Switch OLED less than a month away.

First released in 2017, the Nintendo Switch is on pace to be one of Nintendo's most successful consoles ever. With some 89 million units sold, it has surpassed both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 — not bad considering that the Switch has been on the market for four years, while the Xbox 360 and PS3 generation lasted nearly a decade. The Switch is currently closing in on the Nintendo Wii, which sold a little more than 100 million units in its lifetime.

The Nintendo Switch continues to thrive thanks to a mix of popular indie games like Hades and Nintendo exclusives like New Pokémon Snap. The holiday season will see the release of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl as well as Shin Megami Tensei 5, with Pokémon: Legends Arceus to follow in January.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN.

A recent “leak” that occurred Monday seemed to indicate that a lot of unannounced titles and anticipated sequels were on the way and also coming to PC.

It featured word of PC ports for previously console-exclusive titles and more, too. As first spotted on Reddit, software developer Ighor July performed a datamine of Nvidia’s GeForce Now database and in doing so, discovered listings for a lot of unannounced games, sequels, ports, and more.

What Gamers Are Saying

It didn't take long for this leak to take off. The original post on Reddit has nearly 2000 comments. The top comment is "No Bloodborne? It must be legitimate," and it comes by way of redditor KingBroly. It's a fun poke at the desire many have to see Bloodborne come to PC and there are many other comments like it. However, many of the commenters are taking this leak as 100% true. There are also some, like redditor howmadstha, who note that titles like Bioshock 2022 seem fake and take away some of the credibility that this datamine found real games, though.

The most common takeaway from the commenters on that original reddit post is that if this turns out to be huge, it might be one of the biggest leaks in gaming history, but that there's a good chance this isn't what it seems. Over on Twitter, things are hovering between "THIS IS NOT A DRILL [INSERT GAME] LEAK CONFIRMED" and "ehh who knows, these might just be placeholders." There's also those taking this opportunity to make a good meme or two out of the situation.

The NVIDIA employee who probably wrote his wishlist in the placeholder GeForce Now list rn: pic.twitter.com/neyFwnCHTd

— Miss Darkness (@misstenebraealt) September 13, 2021

To be fair, the leak did appear quite believable at first glance. It wasn’t a shoddy screenshot of a game playing on a monitor or a supposed list of things to come — it was a list of game listings made within Nvidia’s GeForce Now database. GeForce Now is Nvidia’s games streaming service not unlike Google Stadia or Amazon Luna. Surely the leak must be legitimate if it’s coming by way of such a massive, prominent, and most importantly, credible company, right?

Nvidia's Response to the Datamine

On the surface, it seemed that way, but now we know that’s not necessarily the case. Nvidia responded the following day on September 14 that the list of datamined games were listings “used only for internal tracking and testing,” adding that some titles included are “speculative” and don’t constitute “confirmation nor an announcement of any game.”

Nvidia said in a statement to IGN that it took immediate action to remove access to the internal list and that “no confidential game builds or personal information were exposed.” So that’s that, right? Well, in the landscape of games, it doesn’t take much for a leak, rumor, or datamine finding to take off and this week’s Nvidia datamined listings are no different.

Why The Listings Aren't All That They Seem

However, there might be more to this. Sure, there are some listings in the datamine that quite obviously read as “no way” — looking at you Bioshock 2022, which seemingly alludes to the new Bioshock game announced in late 2019 as coming from 2K’s new Cloud Chamber studio. There’s always the chance that Bioshock 4, or whatever it’s called, could come out in 2022, but that seems extremely unlikely. Just a couple of months ago, they were hiring a writer for an open-world setting.

Let’s put some puzzle pieces together: 2K created a new studio in 2019 called Cloud Chamber to create the next Bioshock game, which was announced at the time as now in development. That game is reportedly open world and it’s also still hiring writers. Considering Bioshock’s bread and butter is often its writing, it would seem a story for Bioshock 4 is not even set in stone yet. You can see why a brand new Bioshock game that’s reportedly open world and still hiring writers for a brand new studio announced in 2019 doesn’t seem likely for 2022, right?

Perhaps that’s a placeholder, or maybe it’s a spinoff or remaster. A spinoff seems unlikely considering 2K announced Cloud Chambers as essentially the Bioshock studio. All three Bioshock games were technically remastered with 2016’s Bioshock collection by Blind Squirrel Games (a studio known for its remasters), too. However, the Nvidia datamine does mention a “Bioshock RTX Remaster” (alongside Mirror’s Edge RTX and Batman: Arkham Knight RTX remasters as well).

Maybe that’s what “Bioshock 2022” in Nvidia’s listings is supposed to be, but that also seems unlikely because “Bioshock 2022” and “Bioshock RTX Remaster” are separate listings.

Making Sense of What's Probably Not Real

There are a lot of other titles in the datamine that seem more like guesses akin to Bioshock 2022 than actual titles we can expect to see anytime soon. “Kingdom Hearts IV '' is another title in the datamine that reeks of a guess. Kingdom Hearts 3, the latest numbered title in the series, was first announced in 2013. It didn’t release until 2019. A fourth sequel doesn’t seem like something happening anytime soon given the franchise’s track record either. There are spinoffs to be had first, after all.

Other titles we deem a guess include Titanfall 3 (that one might even be wishful thinking on Nvidia’s behalf because Respawn said last year that no new Titanfall games are in development), Metro Next, which seems to be a reference to a possible sequel in the Metro series, Crysis 4, likely added to the list by Nvidia due to the recent Crysis trilogy remaster announcement, and Gears 6.

Making Sense of What's Probably Real

Elsewhere in the datamine, there are games that we already know are happening so a listing in Nvidia GeForce Now for internal use makes sense. Titles in the datamine we’re going to categorize under “games we already know are coming” include GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas remasters (reportedly coming together in a single trilogy remaster), Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves collection, which PlayStation announced is coming to PS5 and PC in its most recent showcase, Payday 3, which was announced years ago, and Resident Evil 4 Remake, which is reportedly in the works, amongst others.

Then there’s the titles whose inclusion in the Nvidia GeForce Now list is what we’ll call questionable. For example, Dragon’s Dogma 2 was revealed through a massive Capcom leak that occurred in 2020. Nvidia likely added that title to its list as a result rather than actual knowledge the public is not currently privy to.

Another title that’s questionable is Final Fantasy 7 Remake — a recent datamine of Epic Games Store backend data revealed that the PC storefront will add this game to its offerings.

That hasn’t been confirmed yet but that same backend datamine revealed a potential Alan Wake Remaster and that has since been confirmed. That confirmation makes a PC version of Final Fantasy 7 Remake seem much more likely and there’s a chance Nvidia is already aware of such a version. Nvidia might also have simply created a placeholder after the Epic Games Store datamine though.

The PlayStation Effect

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this entire Nvidia GeForce Now leak is the mention of God of War (2018), Returnal, and Demon’s Souls for PC. None of those games have been announced as coming to PC, but it wouldn’t be surprising if such an announcement occurred. That’s because Sony has been slowly but steadily bringing its previously exclusive-to-PlayStation titles to PC.

Horizon Zero Dawn was added to PC last year and Days Gone was added to PC this year. We know Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: Lost Legacy are coming to PC next year and on top of all of this, PlayStation recently announced that it had purchased Nixxes, a studio that specializes in PC ports.

Put all of this together and God of War, Returnal, and Demon’s Souls coming to PC doesn’t seem all that unlikely. To add fuel to this datamine fire, the leak says there’s no mention of Insomniac’s Spider-Man or Bloodborne.

If Nvidia was just taking guesses, it seems odd to not include Spider-Man and Bloodborne, right? What makes Nvidia think God of War, Returnal, and Demon’s Souls would be coming to PC but that Spider-Man and Bloodborne would not join them. Purely speculating, perhaps Nvidia knows that the three aforementioned titles are, in fact, coming to PC.

Making Sense Of It All

Speculation, leaks, and datamined info aside, all of this adds up to one murky conclusion though: Nvidia might know some things not currently public and some of these games, be it ports, sequels, or brand new IP, might be real. It’s just as probable that Nvidia is guessing based on what it’s seen and heard, much like this piece speculates on things based on information out in the wild too.

The reality of the situation is that we’ll likely never know. These listings might be a big look at unannounced games and ports that weren’t meant to be seen by the public just yet. They might also be speculative guesses and placeholders. Quite literally, only time will tell.

Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.