Monthly Archives: June 2021

PS5 Users Can Now Sign Up to Test New Features Early

If you are one of the lucky ones that managed to get a PS5 between now and when the system launched last November, you can now sign up to become a tester in the inaugural PS5 system software beta program.

According to the latest PlayStation Blog, testers that sign up and are selected will be "among the first to put new features to the test and provide essential feedback that will help guide [Sony's] development."

That means you'll get early access to the next firmware update for the PS5 ahead of its public release, and share your thoughts on the firmware to help Sony improve on anything that needs tweaking. It's not unlike the Xbox Insider Program, which regularly tests upcoming features with a sub-set of Xbox users.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/06/11/playstations-year-in-review"]

If you are interested in beta testing the next PS5 firmware update, you can sign up now on the official PlayStation website. You must be 18 years of age and reside in the US, Canada, Japan, UK, Germany, or France to be considered. This is nothing hugely new for the company, as the PS4 also allowed people to sign up for a system software beta program to test out the software before a console update would roll out.

The PS5's last major update introduces several new features to the console, such as cross-generation Share Play and extending USB storage, allowing you to store (albeit not play) PS5 games stored on a USB external drive.

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Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

PS5 Users Can Now Sign Up to Test New Features Early

If you are one of the lucky ones that managed to get a PS5 between now and when the system launched last November, you can now sign up to become a tester in the inaugural PS5 system software beta program.

According to the latest PlayStation Blog, testers that sign up and are selected will be "among the first to put new features to the test and provide essential feedback that will help guide [Sony's] development."

That means you'll get early access to the next firmware update for the PS5 ahead of its public release, and share your thoughts on the firmware to help Sony improve on anything that needs tweaking. It's not unlike the Xbox Insider Program, which regularly tests upcoming features with a sub-set of Xbox users.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/06/11/playstations-year-in-review"]

If you are interested in beta testing the next PS5 firmware update, you can sign up now on the official PlayStation website. You must be 18 years of age and reside in the US, Canada, Japan, UK, Germany, or France to be considered. This is nothing hugely new for the company, as the PS4 also allowed people to sign up for a system software beta program to test out the software before a console update would roll out.

The PS5's last major update introduces several new features to the console, such as cross-generation Share Play and extending USB storage, allowing you to store (albeit not play) PS5 games stored on a USB external drive.

[poilib element="accentDivider"]

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Facebook Will Begin Serving Ads Directly to Oculus Quest Headsets

Oculus' parent company Facebook announced that it plans to place ads into games playable on its Oculus Quest headsets.

Within the next few weeks, ads will appear inside three games, one of them being Blaston by Resolution Games and two other games which have yet to be revealed by the tech giant.

This would not be the first time Facebook rolled out ad support to its Oculus products. Last month, ads were introduced to the Oculus mobile app, while the company has used Oculus data to target Facebook advertising since 2019.

Facebook says that the ads won't be based on any data stored locally on a users' headset, so for example, any images from the Quests' censors or images from their hands will not be factored into the ads shown.

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But a spokesperson for the tech giant told The Verge that the system plans to pull information from your Facebook profile, and various other ways, such as whether you added an Oculus app to your cart or wishlist or if you installed, activated, or subscribed to an Oculus application.

The Quest ads will also follow the same policy the social media platform follows, allowing users to have the same controls, such as hiding specific ads or hiding ads from a specific advertiser.

Facebook's latest VR headset, the Quest 2, is one of the most popular head-mounted displays right now, and it has even outsold every previous Oculus headset less than a year after its release. But it has been criticized for requiring owners to have a Facebook account that is not suspended or deactivated to make the headset functional.

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Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Facebook Will Begin Serving Ads Directly to Oculus Quest Headsets

Oculus' parent company Facebook announced that it plans to place ads into games playable on its Oculus Quest headsets.

Within the next few weeks, ads will appear inside three games, one of them being Blaston by Resolution Games and two other games which have yet to be revealed by the tech giant.

This would not be the first time Facebook rolled out ad support to its Oculus products. Last month, ads were introduced to the Oculus mobile app, while the company has used Oculus data to target Facebook advertising since 2019.

Facebook says that the ads won't be based on any data stored locally on a users' headset, so for example, any images from the Quests' censors or images from their hands will not be factored into the ads shown.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="slug=oculus-quest-2&captions=true"]

But a spokesperson for the tech giant told The Verge that the system plans to pull information from your Facebook profile, and various other ways, such as whether you added an Oculus app to your cart or wishlist or if you installed, activated, or subscribed to an Oculus application.

The Quest ads will also follow the same policy the social media platform follows, allowing users to have the same controls, such as hiding specific ads or hiding ads from a specific advertiser.

Facebook's latest VR headset, the Quest 2, is one of the most popular head-mounted displays right now, and it has even outsold every previous Oculus headset less than a year after its release. But it has been criticized for requiring owners to have a Facebook account that is not suspended or deactivated to make the headset functional.

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Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

The Original Oculus Quest Is Getting Air Link Support Soon

If you own an original Oculus Quest, you will soon be able to use Air Link, a feature that allows owners to wirelessly stream PC VR games and content from your gaming computer through your Quest VR without using a cable to connect the two devices. Previously, this has only been available on Quest 2.

Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg confirmed the feature was coming via a comment he added to his recent post, which teases new features that would arrive as part of the Quest software update v30.

Last month Quest v29 added an update to Air Link, which allowed Quest 2 owners to play PC wireless VR games with a refresh rate of 120hz.

Oculus released its first-generation Quest headset in 2019. It quickly became one of the more popular head-mounted displays because it was a standalone headset that did not require external sensors or multiple cables. Unfortunately, the headset would get discounted just a little over a year after following the announcement of its successor, the Oculus Quest 2, which was released on October 13th, 2020.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/14/playing-pistol-whip-in-wireless-vr-oculus-quest"][poilib element="accentDivider"]

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

The Original Oculus Quest Is Getting Air Link Support Soon

If you own an original Oculus Quest, you will soon be able to use Air Link, a feature that allows owners to wirelessly stream PC VR games and content from your gaming computer through your Quest VR without using a cable to connect the two devices. Previously, this has only been available on Quest 2.

Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg confirmed the feature was coming via a comment he added to his recent post, which teases new features that would arrive as part of the Quest software update v30.

Last month Quest v29 added an update to Air Link, which allowed Quest 2 owners to play PC wireless VR games with a refresh rate of 120hz.

Oculus released its first-generation Quest headset in 2019. It quickly became one of the more popular head-mounted displays because it was a standalone headset that did not require external sensors or multiple cables. Unfortunately, the headset would get discounted just a little over a year after following the announcement of its successor, the Oculus Quest 2, which was released on October 13th, 2020.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/14/playing-pistol-whip-in-wireless-vr-oculus-quest"][poilib element="accentDivider"]

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Razer Reveals Its New RGB Facemask, Shipping by 2021

Gaming peripheral company Razer had a surprise announcement as part of its E3 2021 keynote livestream. Where the developer announced new details on Project Hazel, its N95 smart mask that was unveiled at CES 2021, as a concept, before announcing it would actually make the mask in March.

Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan confirmed that Project Hazel would release this year, with the first "supply drop" slated for early Q4. Due to the high demand for the RGB smart mask, Tan confirmed that the company would have limited quantities of Project Hazel "from the getgo."

While no release date was confirmed, Tan did confirm that Project Hazel will be sold exclusively on its website.

[caption]Release date, but no price for Project Hazel yet.Release date, but no price for Project Hazel yet.[/caption]

Once Razer begins manufacturing the masks, the company will implement a "sales by drops," meaning that it will have a database of all the people interested in purchasing a Project Hazel mask and will inform those people when units are available for purchase.

Razer claims that Project Hazel is the world's smartest mask. It is a reusable N95 respirator that includes disc-type ventilators, Chroma RGB lighting, anti-fog coating, and voice projection.

Despite the release date a few months away, if you are interested in seeing how the mask would look on you, Razer has released a filter on Instagram, allowing you to use augmented reality to "try on" the mask.

If you want to be notified when Project Hazel is in stock, you can sign up on Razer's website right now.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="slug=razer-ces-2021-project-hazel&captions=true"]

In addition to Project Hazel updates, Razer also announced three new products during its keynote, including a Razer Blade 14 powered by AMD processors, the first THX-certified monitor, and a 130W GaN charger.

We've rounded up every event announced so far for the all-digital E3 2021, and you can watch it all with us on IGN as part of our Summer of Gaming.

[poilib element="accentDivider"]

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Razer Reveals Its New RGB Facemask, Shipping by 2021

Gaming peripheral company Razer had a surprise announcement as part of its E3 2021 keynote livestream. Where the developer announced new details on Project Hazel, its N95 smart mask that was unveiled at CES 2021, as a concept, before announcing it would actually make the mask in March.

Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan confirmed that Project Hazel would release this year, with the first "supply drop" slated for early Q4. Due to the high demand for the RGB smart mask, Tan confirmed that the company would have limited quantities of Project Hazel "from the getgo."

While no release date was confirmed, Tan did confirm that Project Hazel will be sold exclusively on its website.

[caption]Release date, but no price for Project Hazel yet.Release date, but no price for Project Hazel yet.[/caption]

Once Razer begins manufacturing the masks, the company will implement a "sales by drops," meaning that it will have a database of all the people interested in purchasing a Project Hazel mask and will inform those people when units are available for purchase.

Razer claims that Project Hazel is the world's smartest mask. It is a reusable N95 respirator that includes disc-type ventilators, Chroma RGB lighting, anti-fog coating, and voice projection.

Despite the release date a few months away, if you are interested in seeing how the mask would look on you, Razer has released a filter on Instagram, allowing you to use augmented reality to "try on" the mask.

If you want to be notified when Project Hazel is in stock, you can sign up on Razer's website right now.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="slug=razer-ces-2021-project-hazel&captions=true"]

In addition to Project Hazel updates, Razer also announced three new products during its keynote, including a Razer Blade 14 powered by AMD processors, the first THX-certified monitor, and a 130W GaN charger.

We've rounded up every event announced so far for the all-digital E3 2021, and you can watch it all with us on IGN as part of our Summer of Gaming.

[poilib element="accentDivider"]

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Inside Job: Netflix Reveals Cast for New Series from Gravity Falls’ Shion Takeuchi, Alex Hirsch

Netflix has announced the series regulars to its new adult animated series, Inside Job, which is coming from Gravity Falls' Shion Takeuchi and Alex Hirsch.

The cast was revealed as part of a sneak peek shown during Netflix's Studio Focus Panel at the Annecy International Film Festival on Monday, with Lizzy Caplan, Christian Slater, Clark Duke, Andrew Daly, Bobby Lee, John DiMaggio, Tisha Campbell, and Brett Gelman named as series regulars on the show. It officially marks the first project under Takeuchi's deal with the streaming giant.

[caption]Image credit: NetflixImage credit: Netflix[/caption]

The dysfunctional team fronting the series consists of Reagan Ridley (Lizzy Caplen) who is described as Cognito Inc's antisocial tech genius and "office weirdo." According to Netflix, Reagan would "rather disarm a nuclear bomb than engage in small talk" but believes "the world could be a better place if everyone just listened to her." This includes her father, Rand Ridley (Christian Slater), the disgraced head of Cognito Inc who "got fired after a paranoid downward spiral" and "spends his unemployment plotting revenge, starting flame wars with Richard Dawkins, and being the worst roommate ever to his daughter."

As difficult as this father-daughter relationship is, Brett Hand (Clark Duke) is sure to bring some positive energy to the workplace, as Netflix describes this "genetically handsome" character as "a deeply sweet, caring guy who just wants everyone to like him." He apparently caught the eye of the Deep State because "his Greek years trained him to fit the psychological profile of the ultimate sheep."

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/06/01/new-to-netflix-for-june-2021"]

Even in a workplace filled with reptilian humanoid shapeshifters and psychic mushrooms, there must be a CEO and J.R. Scheimpough (Andrew Daly) is the "crafty executive" behind the high-flying job. Scheimpough is described as a schmoozer, the type of person who can "breeze through any ethical quandary with his signature cheerful smile."

Scheimpough's organization is also made up of Dr. Andre (Bobby Lee), "a free-spirited biochemist whose passion is experimenting with drugs, and sometimes, making them" when he isn't out partying or using mind erasing spray on his colleagues. Hopefully, this isn't the case for Glenn Dolphman (John DiMaggio), a "half-man, half-dolphin 100% conservative war hero" who is in charge of Cognito's arsenal, and "loves America so much he willingly had his DNA spliced with a dolphin in an unwarranted military experiment."

Gigi (Tisha Campbell) and Magic Myc (Brett Gelman) round out the team. Gigi is known as Cognito's "fast-talking Head of Media Manipulation and Subliminal Messages and office gossip queen." The gossip might leak before she gets to speak though, as Myc has the ability to tap into people's minds being "a psychic subterranean mushroom creature from a hive mind deep within Hollow Earth."

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The series will follow the daily grind for these characters, including committing the world's conspiracies, "from convoluted coverups to secret societies to masked orgy etiquette." According to the synopsis, "Reagan thinks she can make a difference, if only she could manage her unhinged, manifesto-writing father, her irresponsible coworkers, and finally snag the promotion she's been dreaming about."

Inside Job comes from creator and showrunner Shion Takeuchi and executive producer Alex Hirsch. Takeuchi previously worked on Pixar's Monsters University and Inside Out. She has also staffed on several animated series, including The Regular Show, and Gravity Falls, which was created for the Disney Channel by Hirsch, who signed a multi-year deal with Netflix in 2018.

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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Inside Job: Netflix Reveals Cast for New Series from Gravity Falls’ Shion Takeuchi, Alex Hirsch

Netflix has announced the series regulars to its new adult animated series, Inside Job, which is coming from Gravity Falls' Shion Takeuchi and Alex Hirsch.

The cast was revealed as part of a sneak peek shown during Netflix's Studio Focus Panel at the Annecy International Film Festival on Monday, with Lizzy Caplan, Christian Slater, Clark Duke, Andrew Daly, Bobby Lee, John DiMaggio, Tisha Campbell, and Brett Gelman named as series regulars on the show. It officially marks the first project under Takeuchi's deal with the streaming giant.

[caption]Image credit: NetflixImage credit: Netflix[/caption]

The dysfunctional team fronting the series consists of Reagan Ridley (Lizzy Caplen) who is described as Cognito Inc's antisocial tech genius and "office weirdo." According to Netflix, Reagan would "rather disarm a nuclear bomb than engage in small talk" but believes "the world could be a better place if everyone just listened to her." This includes her father, Rand Ridley (Christian Slater), the disgraced head of Cognito Inc who "got fired after a paranoid downward spiral" and "spends his unemployment plotting revenge, starting flame wars with Richard Dawkins, and being the worst roommate ever to his daughter."

As difficult as this father-daughter relationship is, Brett Hand (Clark Duke) is sure to bring some positive energy to the workplace, as Netflix describes this "genetically handsome" character as "a deeply sweet, caring guy who just wants everyone to like him." He apparently caught the eye of the Deep State because "his Greek years trained him to fit the psychological profile of the ultimate sheep."

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/06/01/new-to-netflix-for-june-2021"]

Even in a workplace filled with reptilian humanoid shapeshifters and psychic mushrooms, there must be a CEO and J.R. Scheimpough (Andrew Daly) is the "crafty executive" behind the high-flying job. Scheimpough is described as a schmoozer, the type of person who can "breeze through any ethical quandary with his signature cheerful smile."

Scheimpough's organization is also made up of Dr. Andre (Bobby Lee), "a free-spirited biochemist whose passion is experimenting with drugs, and sometimes, making them" when he isn't out partying or using mind erasing spray on his colleagues. Hopefully, this isn't the case for Glenn Dolphman (John DiMaggio), a "half-man, half-dolphin 100% conservative war hero" who is in charge of Cognito's arsenal, and "loves America so much he willingly had his DNA spliced with a dolphin in an unwarranted military experiment."

Gigi (Tisha Campbell) and Magic Myc (Brett Gelman) round out the team. Gigi is known as Cognito's "fast-talking Head of Media Manipulation and Subliminal Messages and office gossip queen." The gossip might leak before she gets to speak though, as Myc has the ability to tap into people's minds being "a psychic subterranean mushroom creature from a hive mind deep within Hollow Earth."

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-adult-cartoon-tv-series&captions=true"]

The series will follow the daily grind for these characters, including committing the world's conspiracies, "from convoluted coverups to secret societies to masked orgy etiquette." According to the synopsis, "Reagan thinks she can make a difference, if only she could manage her unhinged, manifesto-writing father, her irresponsible coworkers, and finally snag the promotion she's been dreaming about."

Inside Job comes from creator and showrunner Shion Takeuchi and executive producer Alex Hirsch. Takeuchi previously worked on Pixar's Monsters University and Inside Out. She has also staffed on several animated series, including The Regular Show, and Gravity Falls, which was created for the Disney Channel by Hirsch, who signed a multi-year deal with Netflix in 2018.

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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.