Tron: Catalyst, the follow-up to Tron: Identity and the next game from Bithell Games, is set to launch on June 17, 2025. The game is technically standalone, but builds on Identity’s narrative and tackles the world of Tron from a new isometric perspective.
Paired with the release date, Bithell Games and publisher Big Fan also showed off a new trailer at the ID@Xbox Showcase that offers a glimpse of how combat and narrative work in the game. You play as Exo, a program from the “Arq Grid” with an ability called “The Glitch,” that lets you exploit time loops in the game, replaying levels with new knowledge to uncover secret and shortcuts. Exo will of course be challenged by the leaders of the Grid throughout, forcing you to fight through enemies on foot or a Light Cycle. As Engadget learned in an early preview of the game, you’ll also be able to upgrade your combat abilities to suit your preferred style of play.
Tron: Identity is a visual novel, so Catalyst represents a bit of a departure in terms of gameplay, but that’s one of the things that makes the game intriguing. Some amount of narrative choice is still there based off the trailer, it’s just sandwiched between new, exciting, action-adventure bread.
Tron: Catalyst will be available on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC on June 17, 2025.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/tron-catalyst-hits-consoles-and-pc-on-june-17-205146866.html?src=rss
Monday’s ID@Xbox indie showcase included release dates for a few upcoming games we’ve been tracking. 33 Immortals, which lets you round up 32 pals to try to escape hell with, arrives next month, with the escape room mansion game Blue Prince coming in April and the quirky shooter Revenge of the Savage Planet following in May. All three will be on Game Pass on day one.
33 Immortals
Thunder Lotus Games
Get ready to run like hell in 33 Immortals, which Engadget’s Mat Smith previewed at Summer Game Fest 2023. The multiplayer roguelike top-down action game inspired by Dante’s Inferno and has charmingly retro graphics — not pixel art but more like old-school animation, a la Space Ghost. (Yes!)
It supports up to 33 players per 25-minute raid. But because developer Thunder Lotus Games isn’t scaling down the difficulty for smaller squads, you may need the help of 32 friends to get the hell out of hell.
33 Immortals arrives in Early Access on March 18 for PC, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. It will be a day-one title for Game Pass.
Blue Prince
Dogubomb
Meanwhile, Blue Prince is a puzzler that drops you into a sprawling mansion; its room configuration is up to you. You’ll explore the manor’s (changing daily!) 44 rooms with a limited number of movements, trying to find the mysterious 45th room to get your inheritance. If you can’t find it before using up your turns, then no easy money for you.
“Blue Prince feels like a build-your-own escape room wrapped up in a strategy game and tied together with home-renovation sim twine,” Engadget’s Jessica Conditt wrote in our preview. “Even though it supports a broad mix of unrelated concepts, Blue Prince feels a lot like home. And it will be, once I find that 46th room.”
Blue Prince launches on April 10. It will be available on PC (via Steam), PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. It will be a day-one title for Xbox Game Pass and the PS Plus Game Catalog.
Revenge of the Savage Planet
Raccoon Logic Studios
Arriving a bit later is Raccoon Logic’s delightfully zany Revenge of the Savage Planet. The sequel to 2020’s Journey to the Savage Planet is another satirical adventure shooter with plenty of wacky new gadgets to take down the planet’s hostile beasties.
You can use the goo cannon to create slick surfaces to trip up enemies. There’s also a whip to do your enemies like Devo. Or swing across otherwise inaccessible points with a grapple. You can also try your hand at a lasso that lets you capture creatures like Pokémon. (But hopefully, not too much like Pokémon.)
Revenge of the Savage Planet comes to PC, PS5/4 and Xbox Series X/S on March 18. It will be on Game Pass on day one.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox-showcase-gave-release-dates-for-three-indie-games-were-looking-forward-to-212015408.html?src=rss
Another week, and there’s another new AI model ready for public use. This time, it’s Anthropic with the introduction of Claude 3.7 Sonnet. The company describes its latest release as the market’s first “hybrid reasoning model,” meaning the new version of Claude can both answer a question nearly instantaneously or take its time to work through it step by step. As the user you can decide what approach Claude takes, with a dropdown menu allowing you to select the “thinking mode” you want it to take.
“We’ve developed Claude 3.7 Sonnet with a different philosophy from other reasoning models on the market. Just as humans use a single brain for both quick responses and deep reflection, we believe reasoning should be an integrated capability of frontier models rather than a separate model entirely,” writes Anthropic. “This unified approach also creates a more seamless experience for users.”
Anthropic doesn’t name OpenAI explicitly, but the company is clearly taking a shot at its rival. Between GPT-4, o1, o1-mini and now o3-mini, OpenAI offers many different models, but unless you follow the company closely, the number of systems on offer can be overwhelming; in fact, Sam Altman recently admitted as much. “We hate the model picker as much as you do and want to return to magic unified intelligence,” he posted on X earlier this month.
Anthropic says it also took a different approach to developing Claude’s reasoning capabilities. “We’ve optimized somewhat less for math and computer science competition problems, and instead shifted focus towards real-world tasks that better reflect how businesses actually use LLMs,” the company writes. To that point, current Claude users can look forward to “particularly strong improvements in coding and front-end web development.”
Claude 3.7 Sonnet is available to use starting today across all Claude plans, including Anthropic’s free tier. Developers, meanwhile, can access the new model through the company’s API, Amazon Bedrock and Google Cloud’s Vertex AI.
Speaking of developers, Anthropic is also introducing Claude Code, a new “agentic” tool that allows you to delegate coding tasks to Claude directly from a terminal interface. Available currently as a limited research preview, Anthropic says Claude Code can read code, edit files, write and run tests, and even push commits to GitHub.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropics-new-claude-model-can-think-both-fast-and-slow-203307140.html?src=rss
Everyone’s favorite sorta-poker game Balatro is set to cause yet another dip in global productivity levels. The roguelike — which encourages you to bend and twist the rules of poker in all kinds of wild ways — is available on Game Pass Ultimate, PC and Standard. Apple Arcade subscribers also have access to it at no extra cost.
A trailer that premiered during Monday’s ID@Xbox showcase also revealed the latest batch of cosmetic crossover card decks that are now available on all platforms. They include tie-ins with Critical Role, Dead by Daylight, Assassin’s Creed, Fallout, Bugsnaxand Rust. Those follow collabs with the likes ofCyberpunk 2077, Stardew Valley, The Witcher 3 and Vampire Survivors. Seems like everyone wants to be pals with Balatro developer LocalThunk!
Meanwhile, it emerged on Monday that PEGI, the body that runs the age rating system for games in Europe, has reclassified Balatro after determining it is suitable for players aged 12 and older. The board upped the age rating from 3+ to 18+ shortly after Balatro was released just over a year ago due to it containing “prominent gambling imagery and material that instructs about gambling,” per publisher Playstack. The game was also temporarily removed from digital console storefronts in some markets.
Playstack contended at the time that “Balatro does not allow or encourage gambling.” Following an appeal, PEGI’s complaints board has at last lowered the age rating to 12+. “Although the game explains the various hands of poker, the roguelike deck-building game contained mitigating fantastical elements that warranted a PEGI 12 rating,” the complaints board concluded.
Following that and a separate successful appeal for Luck Be A Landlord (which is also now rated 12+), PEGI plans to revise its guidelines for games that have gambling-related elements. “At this moment, any teaching or glamorization of simulated gambling automatically leads to a PEGI 18 rating,” it said in a statement on Monday. “On the basis of these appeals, the PEGI Experts Group will develop a more granular set of classification criteria to handle gambling themes and the simulation, teaching and glamorization of gambling in different age categories, which will now include 12 but also keep 18 as an age category for games that simulate gambling typically played in casinos and betting halls.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/balatro-is-about-to-hook-a-lot-more-players-now-that-its-on-game-pass-192958603.html?src=rss
Apple plans to ramp up its US hiring and investments. On Monday, the company said it will hire around 20,000 workers and spend over $500 billion in the US over the next four years.
In 2021, several months after former President Biden took office, Apple said it would invest $430 billion domestically over the following five years. Bloombergnotes today’s announcement marks an added $39 billion in spending and an extra 1,000 jobs annually over its previous numbers.
Apple said most of the 20,000 new jobs will focus on R&D, AI and machine learning, silicon engineering and software development. The company will also expand its data center capacity in North Carolina, Iowa, Oregon, Arizona and Nevada to help meet Apple Intelligence’s growing backend needs.
The company will also open an Apple Manufacturing Academy in Detroit, where its engineers will work alongside “experts from top universities such as Michigan State” to consult with small and medium-sized businesses on implementing AI and smart manufacturing techniques. Apple will also offer free in-person and online skills development courses. It already runs a Developer Academy in the Motor City.
The announcement follows a meeting between Tim Cook and President Donald Trump last week at the White House. Trump implied that Apple was making additional investments to avoid tariffs due to the iPhone maker’s heavy reliance on manufacturing in China. “They don’t want to be in the tariffs,” Trump said after the meeting.
Apple hasn’t said whether investments are related to tariffs, instead framing them as a sign of confidence in the nation’s ability to innovate. “We are bullish on the future of American innovation, and we’re proud to build on our long-standing US investments with this $500 billion commitment to our country’s future,” Cook said in a press release.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-plans-to-invest-500-billion-in-the-us-over-the-next-four-years-181217017.html?src=rss
Blendo Games’ latest installment of interactive weirdness, Skin Deep,is due to hit Steam on April 30, after nearly seven years of development. Skin Deep is a first-person sci-fi shooter, but it doesn’t look (or smell?) like any of the dramatic space operas or realistic, precision-based games that generally flood this genre.
Skin Deep takes place on a futuristic cargo starship managed by an insurance corporation and filled with its clients’ valuables, and you’re the cryogenically frozen security officer kept on board in case something goes awry. Space pirates ambush the ship, your body thaws, and a non-linear game of shooting, sneaking, sabotaging and smelling ensues, all presented in Blendo’s signature blocky 3D style.
Skin Deep features a mix of puzzles, madcap comedy and action scenes, and alongside the first-person gunplay, there’s a sneeze mechanic and a stink system that sometimes leaves little smelly clouds in your wake, alerting nearby pirates to your presence. It’s like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, but with fewer medieval peasants and way more space cats. Did we mention there are a bunch of cats that you have to save on the ship? Because there are, and some of them are dressed in little cowboy outfits.
For the odor mechanics, players become stinky only when it makes sense narratively, like when they’re expelled from the ship’s trash shoot alongside all the fish bones and rotten things. Your smell clouds subside once you figure out how to wash up. Sneezing follows a similar in-game logic.
Blendo Games
“If you’re crawling through a dusty vent your little sneezy air level will increase, then you’ll do a big sneeze noise,” Chung told Engadget in 2021. “And there’s a bag of pepper that we have. If you shoot it, a big cloud of pepper flies out. You can pick up a pepper bag and throw it at someone and they’ll start sneezing.”
Skin Deep is the most action-focused game that Blendo has ever made. The independent studio, led by Brendon Chung, has a lineup of award-winning titles under its belt, including Quadrilateral Cowboy, Gravity Bone and Thirty Flights of Loving. These titles tend to highlight clever puzzles and polygonal oddities, and Skin Deep is the first Blendo project to feature first-person shooter mechanics.
That’s not to say FPS development is a new idea for Chung. He got his start in game development by customizing levels in Doom, Quake, Half-Life, Quake 2 and Doom 3 when he was a kid, and FPS games are often what he’s drawn to as a player.
“I’ve played like a bazillion FPS games because I just really enjoy them,” Chung said in 2021, “but I feel like there’s so much that can be explored and that I wish these games would explore.” You know, like well-dressed cats and stink systems.
Blendo Games
When we talked with Chung four years ago, the Skin Deep FAQ page read, “Is Skin Deep going to take 4+ years of development time like your previous game Quadrilateral Cowboy?” And the answer was, “I hope not.” Today, there’s an “(update: oops…)” added to that response. Development on Skin Deep started around July 2018, according to the FAQ.
Skin Deep is published by Annapurna Interactive and it’s heading to Steam on April 30. A new demo is live now on Steam, as part of the Steam Next Fest hullaballoo. Steam Next Fest runs from February 24 at 1PM ET to March 3 at 1PM ET, showcasing a ton of fresh game demos and developer insights on the storefront.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/blendo-games-oddball-sci-fi-shooter-skin-deep-hits-pc-on-april-30-173010803.html?src=rss
The 8BitDo M Edition Retro Mechanical Keyboard is now 40 percent off at Woot, down to $60, the lowest it’s ever been. It’s a newer version of the Retro 108 Mechanical Keyboard (without the numpad) that ships with a pair of programmable “Super Buttons” which resemble gigantic versions of the A and B buttons on an old game controller.
This 87-key keyboard has top-mounted hot-swappable PCBs, making it perfect for enthusiasts who like to tinker with their keyboards. It boasts three connection modes: wired, wireless 2.4Ghz and Bluetooth, and you can use the top left knob to swap between them.
For users who want to do some custom key mapping, 8BitDo offers its Ultimate Software V2. However, it’s only available on Windows. You can still use this keyboard on Mac, but the software won’t work.
The sale will only last five days, or until supplies run out.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/8bitdos-m-edition-retro-mechanical-keyboard-is-40-percent-off-right-now-164852149.html?src=rss
In celebration of the 115th anniversary of the first game at Old Trafford, HONOR unveiled that its new AI photo upscaling feature on the HONOR Magic7 Pro is bringing new life and detail to Manchester United historical photos. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform, this innovative technology restored over 40 archival images from the iconic stadium, dating back to 1910. See the video here.
Launched The HONOR Magic7 Pro boasts a suite of AI photography features, including AI Super Zoom, AI Enhanced Portrait, and AI Motion Sensing Capture. One of the standout features is the self-developed AI Upscale, designed to repair and clarify faded or damaged photos. By eliminating scratches and enhancing resolution, it breathes new life into old images, demonstrating the ability to preserve unique memories.
Through the collaboration between HONOR and Qualcomm Technologies, these enhanced images from Old Trafford’s archives were revealed, demonstrating the power of AI in transforming relics into polished, high-definition pictures. This partnership highlights HONOR’s commitment to delivering unique fan experiences and showcasing the latest AI photography innovations in collaboration with Manchester United.
“These restored photographs are an invaluable contribution to celebrating Manchester United’s history, offering a glimpse into the very first moments at Old Trafford,” commented Jason Leach, club historian at Manchester United. “The AI Upscale by HONOR is truly remarkable. It’s like stepping back in time, allowing us to see these scenes with amazing clarity. Some details that were lost to time are now more visible, bringing the atmosphere of that first game in 1910 to life for modern fans. It’s a fantastic way to celebrate 115 years of the Theatre of Dreams.”
“Old Trafford is a symbol of tradition and excellence, so we’re thrilled that our AI technology, powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite can play a role in preserving its legacy through Qualcomm Technologies’ sponsorship of the club,” said Wei Luo, Chief Imaging Architect at HONOR. “The HONOR Magic7 Pro’s AI Upscale isn’t just about improving photos, it’s about connecting people with magic moments from the past. We believe that AI can be a powerful tool for preserving cultural heritage, and this content is a perfect example of that potential.”
If you’re on the market for a power bank that can serve your laptop in addition to all your mobile devices, the Baseus Blade is one of our favorites. It already starts off pretty affordable at $100, but Engadget readers can get it for $47.59 thanks to an exclusive coupon code. To get the full discount, you’ll need to clip the 10 percent coupon on the store page and then use the code BGAEY8HX at checkout to bring the final price down to $47.59.
The Baseus Blade is our pick for the best budget laptop power bank. Thanks to the slim form factor and light weight (it’s just over a pound), it’s easy to slip into a bag next to your laptop. It has a decent array of ports, with two USB-C and two USB-A slots. There’s support for 100W fast charging via the USB-C ports. You can also track charging speed and time on an LED display.
The power bank has a capacity of 20,000mAh, which is enough to charge a fifth-gen iPad Air 1.5 times over or a 14-inch MacBook Pro to 80 percent, per Baseus. In our testing, we found that it could top up a 16-inch MacBook Pro’s battery from 10 percent to 62 percent in just over an hour. You can also use it to juice up a portable games console, such as a Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck.
There’s certainly a trade off compared with beefier power banks that have a larger capacity. But in terms of bang for your buck, the Baseus Blade isn’t bad at all, especially when you factor in the convenience of the slim, 0.7-inch design.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/pick-up-one-of-our-favorite-power-banks-while-its-on-sale-for-52-percent-off-160430876.html?src=rss
If you’re on the market for a power bank that can serve your laptop in addition to all your mobile devices, the Baseus Blade is one of our favorites. It already starts off pretty affordable at $100, but Engadget readers can get it for $47.59 thanks to an exclusive coupon code. To get the full discount, you’ll need to clip the 10 percent coupon on the store page and then use the code BGAEY8HX at checkout to bring the final price down to $47.59.
The Baseus Blade is our pick for the best budget laptop power bank. Thanks to the slim form factor and light weight (it’s just over a pound), it’s easy to slip into a bag next to your laptop. It has a decent array of ports, with two USB-C and two USB-A slots. There’s support for 100W fast charging via the USB-C ports. You can also track charging speed and time on an LED display.
The power bank has a capacity of 20,000mAh, which is enough to charge a fifth-gen iPad Air 1.5 times over or a 14-inch MacBook Pro to 80 percent, per Baseus. In our testing, we found that it could top up a 16-inch MacBook Pro’s battery from 10 percent to 62 percent in just over an hour. You can also use it to juice up a portable games console, such as a Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck.
There’s certainly a trade off compared with beefier power banks that have a larger capacity. But in terms of bang for your buck, the Baseus Blade isn’t bad at all, especially when you factor in the convenience of the slim, 0.7-inch design.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/pick-up-one-of-our-favorite-power-banks-while-its-on-sale-for-52-percent-off-160430876.html?src=rss
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