During today’s big Xbox Series X spec reveal, Microsoft confirmed that the mystery slot in the back of the upcoming console will be used to house a proprietary NVMe SSD card designed to increase the internal storage, which is currently 1TB by default. However, you’ll still be able to use USB 3.1 and external HDD for last-gen games. As detailed in a Digital Foundry report on the Xbox Series X, the next-gen console utilizes “Velocity Architecture” that turns games storage into additional memory. While internal storage for the Xbox Series X will be set at 1TB, Microsoft is offering a custom solution.

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Owners will be able to use proprietary NVMe SSD cartridges to increase the storage capacity. However, the SSD will only be necessary for Xbox Series X games specifically because of the need to optimize next-gen titles for Velocity Architecture. Microsoft’s Larry Hryb revealed in a Tweet that owners can continue to use USB3.1 and external HDD to run Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox games directly from the external device. This should mean that players who already use external storage devices to house Xbox One or older generation games can easily migrate them to the Xbox Series X. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/16/xbox-series-x-controller-has-a-new-d-pad-and-should-be-easier-to-hold-ign-now] A potential downside of the proprietary NVMe SSD, however, is that buyers will likely only be able to purchase the SSD cartridges directly from Microsoft or official partners. Meaning you likely can’t just purchase third-party alternatives that could potentially be cheaper or more readily available. With new games easily clearing 100GB of storage, space will become more valuable as game generations progress. But without an official price for the NVMe SSD, it remains to be seen what financial impact this will have on Series X owners. Check out IGN’s Next-Gen Console Watch series for the latest in next-gen console news. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter or email at mkim@ign.com

A collection of new images from Steven Spielberg's upcoming retelling of West Side Story have been released online. Vanity Fair and the 20th Century Studios Twitter account have uploaded the first images from the film. The A-list director put together a cast including Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler to fill the shoes of the original performers. Rita Moreno played Anita in the original 1961 film, but now the 88-year-old actress will play the owner of the corner store. Moreno said that this redo gives the filmmakers a chance to fix any problems with the classic film. Moreno says Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner "really wanted to right some…should I say wrongs? I don’t know if that’s…yes, that’s fair, because the [1961] film had a lot of things that were wrong with it, aside from the fact that it had a lot of things that were very right,” Moreno said. She mentioned that she was one of only a few Puerto Ricans in the cast and that white actors with brown makeup played Puerto Ricans in the original film: “[Having a diverse cast is] what they were trying to fix and ameliorate, and I think they have done an incredible job.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=steven-spielbergs-west-side-story&captions=true"] Moreno served as an executive producer on the new film and even coached the Puerto Rican actors when she didn't believe they were acting scared enough in a scene where cops come to break up a fight. "I was using bad language and all that, and I said, ‘You are f***ed! You are f***ed if they catch you! You don’t have a chance,’" Moreno said. "And they’re all looking at me with big beautiful brown eyes. I said, ‘Talk to each other before you do the scene again! Scare each other!’" Spielberg says he grew up with a mother who was a pianist playing classical music. The West Side Story soundtrack was the first mainstream music that was played in the Spielberg home. "West Side Story was actually the first piece of popular music our family ever allowed into the home. I absconded with it—this was the cast album from the 1957 Broadway musical—and just fell completely in love with it as a kid," Spielberg said. "West Side Story has been that one haunting temptation that I have finally given in to.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/10/01/baby-drivers-ansel-elgort-to-star-in-west-side-story-remake-from-steven-spielberg"] The story is a Romeo and Juliet-inspired tale that takes place post-World War II iwith a flurry of new immigrants arriving in New York. Puerto Rican native Maria (played by first-time movie actress Rachel Zegler) falls in love with Polish-descent Tony (Elgort). Tony once ran a local gang called the Jets who were enemies with the Puerto Rican gang, the Sharks, which was run by Maria's brother, Bernardo (played here by another first-time movie actor, David Alvarez). With the Jets and the Sharks violently battling against each other, Maria and Tony's love is in jeopardy. West Side Story is currently set to hit theaters on December 18. It was expected that Spielberg would direct Indiana Jones 5 after this film, but that is reportedly no longer the case. Here is a roundup of everything we know about Indiana Jones 5. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.

Pre-production on the Uncharted movie, starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, has been delayed for six weeks due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19. According to Variety, filming was poised to begin next month in Berlin and it's not known when production will resume or if it will affect the March 5, 2021, release date. The film, which is being directed by Venom's Ruben Fleischer, is said to have drawn inspiration from Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. Uncharted joins a long list of TV and movie productions that are currently on hiatus in the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] Uncharted recently added Antonio Banderas, Sophia Ali (Grey's Anatomy) and Tati Gabrielle (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) to the cast. The global scale of the film called for production to film in multiple locations worldwide. Other major productions that have shut down include The Batman, Jurassic World: Dominion, Stranger Things, and all of Disney's MCU series. In professional sports, the National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), and the National Hockey League (NHL), and UEFA Champions League have all been postponed. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/03/uncharted-mark-wahlberg-is-only-signed-for-one-movie"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

The Matrix 4 production has reportedly been shut down indefinitely due to the spread of coronavirus. The production crew was in Berlin preparing to shoot after filming in San Francisco, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It was reported that nothing was filmed in Berlin yet, but crew members were there setting up. The movie has supposedly been filming for seven weeks. No cast or crew members have been reported positive for coronavirus at this time. This comes only a few hours after it was reported that Warner Bros. shut down production on Fantastic Beasts 3. A spokesperson for Warner Bros. also confirmed to IGN that The Batman ceased production for two weeks. It's not known at this time how long production will be shut down on Matrix 4. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] The Matrix 4 is currently scheduled for May 21, 2021. Here's everything we know about Matrix 4, including potential cast members and rumored plot details. Lana Wachowski returns to direct the film and will co-write the script with her Sense8 writers David Mitchell and Aleksandar Hemon. Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are confirmed to reprise their roles while Hugo Weaving will not return. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/05/matrix-4-reportedly-enters-production-as-izombie-actor-joins-cast-in-secret-role-ign-news"] Here's a list of every entertainment production that has been shut down due to coronavirus. It's also being reported that movie theaters across New York City and Los Angeles are closing their doors starting Tuesday morning. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic forces movie theaters worldwide to shut down entirely or to limit capacity, Universal Pictures has responded by becoming the first major Hollywood studio to break the traditional window separating when a new movie release debuts in theaters to when it is available on-demand. In an announcement Monday, the studio said its upcoming animated film Trolls World Tour will be available to consumers on-demand day and date with its original theatrical release date (April 10 in the US and UK). Universal also said it will also make movies that are currently in theatrical release -- specifically, The Hunt, The Invisible Man, and Emma -- available on-demand starting as early as Friday, March 20. These titles will be available across multiple on-demand services for a 48-hour rental period at a suggested retail price of $19.99 in the U.S. and the price equivalent in international markets. The move comes days after Universal halted production on a number of its films currently in production, including Jurassic World: Dominion, due to the pandemic. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/20/trolls-world-tour-trailer-1] “Universal Pictures has a broad and diverse range of movies with 2020 being no exception. Rather than delaying these films or releasing them into a challenged distribution landscape, we wanted to provide an option for people to view these titles in the home that is both accessible and affordable,” NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell said in a statement. “We hope and believe that people will still go to the movies in theaters where available, but we understand that for people in different areas of the world that is increasingly becoming less possible.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] NBCUniversal added that it will continue to "determine the best distribution strategy in each market" as conditions evolve. For more of our coverage on how Hollywood is responding to COVID-19, here's a rundown of every film release and production that has been delayed, discover what a high-ranking studio exec and box office analysts said about its potential impact on the industry, and find out if medical experts think postponing a film's release will make a difference.

A meme based on The Simpsons repurposed for the current COVID-19 outbreak is "gross," Simpsons writer Bill Oakley told The Hollywood Reporter. The "Marge in Chains" Simpsons episode from 1993 features a sickness shown in a joke to have originated from Osaka, Japan. The scene shows an ill factory worker who coughs into boxes for juicers heading to Springfield. After many in Springfield order said juicer, weeks later, the town experiences an outbreak of illness. The illness is called the "Osaka Flu." Oakley said memes have been created using "Coronavirus" in place of "Osaka Flu" and he finds it gross. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-top-30-simpsons-episodes&captions=true"] "I don't like it being used for nefarious purposes," Oakley told THR in regard to "Marge in Chains," an episode of The Simpsons that he helped write. "The idea that anyone misappropriates it to make Coronavirus seem like an Asian plot is terrible. In terms of trying to place blame on Asia — I think that is gross." Oakley said the scene in "Marge in Chains" showing where the illness originated from was "supposed to be a quick joke about how the flu got here." "It was meant to be absurd that someone could cough into (a) box and the virus would survive for six to eight weeks in the box," Oakley said. "It is cartoonish. We intentionally made it cartoonish because we wanted it to be silly and not scary, and not carry any of these bad associations along with it, which is why the virus itself was acting like a cartoon character and behaving in extremely unrealistic ways." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/02/20/10-times-the-simpsons-predicted-the-future"] You can watch "Marge in Chains" as well as all 30 seasons of The Simpsons on Disney's streaming service, Disney+. In future episodes, don't exepct Hank Azaria to voice Simpsons character Apu anymore, as he is stepping down from the role. For more about The Simpsons, check out the show's Avengers: Endgame crossover poster and read about how composer Danny Elfman created the show's theme in just one day. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic prompted Warner Bros. to halt production of its third Fantastic Beasts film on Monday, March 16, the same day the film was to have begun filming. How long production will remain halted is currently unknown and it's also unclear whether this delay will affect the film's release date of November 12, 2021, according to Variety. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] This production halt is not Fantastic Beasts 3's first schedule setback. Filming was postponed in 2019 after it was determined additional pre-production for the movie needed. That's when the movie's new release date of November 12, 2021, was announced. The third installment in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them series sees Eddie Redmayne return as Newt Scamander and David Yates back in the director's chair. Katherine Waterston and Dan Fogler are also reprising their roles as Tina Goldstein and Jacob Kowalski respectively. This movie is expected to be the third of a five-movie series, although Fantastic Beasts was originally set to be a three-movie story. Each movie will take place in a different city too. The third is set to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/04/29/fantastic-beasts-3-will-release-in-2021"] For more about Fantastic Beasts, read about how J.K. Rowling confirmed the relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald's was in fact a "love relationship" with "sexual dimensions." You can also check out our reviews of the first two films in the series. We thought the first movie was okay, giving Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them a 6.5 out of 10, while we thought the sequel was great, giving Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald an 8 out of 10. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

CD Projekt Red has implemented a work from home policy to adapt to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. However, the company has assured fans that Cyberpunk 2077 is still on track to be released in September. In a Tweet published on the company’s official social media account CD Projekt Red wrote, “Over the past week, we have been adapting to the situation and gradually rolling out preventative measures across our entire organization. We’ve also been upgrading equipment & infrastructure and working towards enabling our employees to work remotely, from the safety of their homes.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-2020-video-game-release&captions=true"] As a result of these efforts CD Projekt Red says that it’s switching to full remote work “for as long as it is needed.” However, the studio added that the company is “rising to the challenge and showing no signs of stopping in our effort to bring you some kick-ass role-playing action in September.” When IGN reached out for clarification, CD Projekt explained that the developers “are on track with [Cyberpunk 2077] for September 17, 2020.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/08/27/cyberpunk-2077-gameplay-demo"] Cyberpunk 2077 was originally supposed to be released in April, but the company announced earlier this year that because of the need for further playtesting, fixing, and polishing, that the launch date would be moved back to September. CD Projekt also said at the time that Cyberpunk 2077 was in a “complete and playable” state, but that didn’t necessarily mean that Cyberpunk was in a finished state. For more, check out IGN’s Cyberpunk 2077 preview for our full coverage. Also, check out our complete list of gaming events and studios impacted by COVID-19. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.

Square Enix has revealed some more screenshots from Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and they offer us first looks at some brand new characters and locations that were not seen in the original game. There are four new characters revealed in Square’s latest drop. The first is Andrea Rhodea, the owner of the Honeybee Inn. It is he who approves women for auditions with Don Corneo, the rather gross guy who is looking for a ‘bride’ each evening in the Wall Market area of Midgar’s Sector 6. Also with similar power to approve women is Madam M, who runs Wall Market’s hand-massage parlour, and Chocobo Sam, who is - as his name suggests - a Chocobo handler. As well as helping Corneo, he also runs a service called Sam’s Delivery. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=final-fantasy-7-remake-29-new-wall-market-screenshots&captions=true"] Don Corneo definitely seems to have extended his network for Remake, as alongside these two he’s also working with a young man called Leslie Kyle, who Square describes as Don’s lackey. Corneo’s Lackey is an enemy type from the original game, and so Kyle’s position is likely a reference to that. There’s no sighting of Scotch and Kotch, Don’s original henchmen, though. The screenshots show off a glowed-up Wall Market, but also reveals the Corneo Colosseum, a fighting arena where players can battle enemies to receive rewards. This sounds and looks a lot like the Battle Square from the original game’s Gold Saucer. As we won’t get to visit the Gold Saucer in the chapters covered by Remake, it makes sense why it would be added to Wall Market. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/16/inside-final-fantasy-7-remake-part-1-english-subs"] There’s also confirmation that the Beginner’s Hall from Sector 7 is back, and that it features both the ground floor weapons shop and the second floor neighborhood watch room. Not spotted in any of the screens is the many flexing dudes, though, which is a bit of a shame. There is a jukebox in Tifa’s Seventh Heaven bar, though, and you can buy music discs in the world to play on it. For more Final Fantasy 7 Remake, check out the promise that we’ll see much more of Midgar’s Upper City environments, and read our latest hands-on preview. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

Japanese students are using Minecraft to enjoy their school graduation virtually, in spite of a coronavirus lockdown. Japanese schools have been closed for over two weeks due to COVID-19 and, with the Japanese school year ending in March, it's meant many students won't have their graduation ceremonies, according to SoraNews24. However, graduates from one elementary school found they could use Minecraft to create their own ceremony. Without any school or parental oversight, kids designed their own assembly hall, and gathered on a server to play out their graduation online. SoraNews24 translated the following tweets as: "They spent all day online together playing games and laughing. I’m glad they all had fun," and "The assembly hall is also really well made."

会場もすごくよく出来ている。 pic.twitter.com/HKjVCaOmOf

— 柏原周平 (@backyennew) March 14, 2020

Minecraft continues to be a great platform for people to let their imagination run free in all sorts of ways. This is just another example of how it's more than a game for people all around the world. It's only a matter of time until more creative ideas like these arise with various game events frequently being cancelled. Many companies are already planning digital alternatives as Microsoft announced earlier this month. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-2020-video-game-release&captions=true"] Other ways people are using Minecraft as a world parallel to ours include a recently created virtual library for fighting censorship. If you're looking for more Minecraft content, be sure to check out the Nether update and our Minecraft wiki for guides. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jeffrey Lerman is a Freelance News Writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @Snakester95.