The post Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone Season 04 Reloaded – Full Debriefing appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Website: LINK
Schlagwort: PC
-
FragPunk Season 2 Brings Transformative Updates, Including a New Lancer
Reading Time: 6 minutesSummary
- Introducing FragPunk Season 2: Rising Tempest, a transformative update surging into the free-to-play 5v5 hero shooter today.
- Season 2 includes a new Lancer, Hurricane, new maps, new Shard Cards, game mode and gameplay updates, and more.
- Stay tuned for this summer’s FragPunk Music Festival!
Season 2 of FragPunk, Rising Tempest, is available now – and it’s going to transform how you play. A brand new Lancer, Hurricane, will join the Lancer team alongside two new maps, Itzamna and Xibalba, which will provide players with unique gameplay experiences and tactical depth.
FragPunk’s Shard Card system remains a core feature, and the design of the Season 2 cards will not only introduce new and interesting options for you to play with, but will also further optimize the card update mechanism. The card pool will now be updated every two weeks, increasing the probability of new cards appearing.
Furthermore, in terms of gameplay, the rotating arcade mode will be updated to a selectable arcade mode – freely queue for any mode without rotation restrictions! And as if that wasn’t enough we’ll also see the grand opening of the FragPunk Music Festival this summer! Find out more by reading on.
New Lancer: Meet Hurricane
In Season 2, get ready to welcome a brand-new lancer – Hurricane. Hailing from the Arctic Fragment, he loves adventure. After saving an Arctic bear research team in distress during a storm, using equipment he crafted with his own hands, he became a Lancer to save more people.
With a robust physique, his first skill is a Tornado used to split the battlefield, while his second skill, Lightning Orb, explodes upon collision, blinding enemies. His third skill allows Hurricane to enhance himself with electric charge, granting him extra speed and increasing the damage taken by nearby enemies. Just imagine the sheer intimidation of a massive Arctic bear charging out of the smoke.
Hurricane’s Tornado skill His powerful rushing ability also pairs perfectly with other Lancers, such as performing a rapid dual advance with Corona, or executing a smoke-and-flash rush with Axon.
More Cards, More Fun
In Season 2, FragPunk brings even more fun and exciting cards, coming to both Shard Clash and Outbreak Mode. We also now we have themed card pools: Shard Clash and Outbreak will both see the debut of groups of cards with mode-specific abilities.
Let’s look at some of your new options. The Kindred Spirits card makes allies and enemies of the same color unable to attack one another! No melee combat – but hey, you can still slap a same-color enemy if you want!
Kindred Spirits Love showing off your sharpshooting skills under the spotlight but tired of waiting for a final-round tiebreaker? Rigged Duels will help your dream come true. Challenge an enemy to a 1v1 with your teammates cheering you on—victory is guaranteed!
Rigged Duels And the heavyweight champion of rule-breaking: Converter Thievery! Are you on defense, gotten stuck with a dropped bomb and been forced to guard it? Why not just pick it up, plant it yourself, and then defuse it? Completely shatter the bomb-defusal meta!
Meanwhile, our new cards will updated every 2 weeks with temporary drop-rate increases, meaning the pool will always be changing.
Choose Your Favorite Modes
The Arcade Modes in FragPunk offer a rich variety of options, but every player has their personal favorites. To give everyone more freedom in their gameplay experience, the existing rotation system will be replaced with free access to all modes.
Additionally, Chaos Duel Mode will now be permanently available, alongside the return of Mirror Duel Mode, further enriching the Arcade Mode lineup. With so many gameplay options to choose from, there’s something for everyone! In the near future, even more fun and exciting casual modes will be added – we hope every player can find their own comfort zone!
Mayan & Greek Mythology Maps: Itzamna & Xibalba
Itzamna is a map inspired by the Mayan civilization – but unlike the typical Mayan aesthetic, this one is set in a skyport, a brand new Shard Clash arena. The map features interactive ziplines, allowing Lancers to adopt different strategies and expand their tactical options. Get creative! But watch your step—it’s a long way down…
Itzamna Meanwhile, Xibalba is a fresh addition to the Outbreak map pool. Compared to previous Outbreak maps, it offers higher connectivity, encouraging players to experience not just classic holdout battles but also thrilling chases and escapes. And stay tuned – more Outbreak maps are coming soon!
Xibalba FragPunk Music Festival
What does summer mean? Parties and celebrations! The world of FragPunk is about to host a grand music festival – this is just a tease, we’ll tell you more soon.
FragPunk is available now for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC, with Season 2 launching tomorrow, June 26. Stay in the know by joining our Discord, or following us on X, YouTube, and Instagram.
FragPunk
Bad Guitar Studio
Bend the rules with Shard Cards!
No two rounds of FragPunk are ever the same. Discover over 100 Shard Cards with an activatable selection that changes every round creating new and unique combinations that create infinite possibilities! Cards can amplify your jump height, reverse the roles of attackers and defenders, engulf your bullets in flame or turn them into chain lightning, and even may resurrect you and your team! Frantic 5v5 Hero Shooter!
Each round lasts about 2.5 minutes, so get a move on! The short TTK means you have to aim well and react fast to win the fight. Pick between 12 heroes with diverse abilities, customize your weapon combination, choose your cards and get ready for a fight! Variety that fuels replayability
Pick your favorite hero from a selection of 12, each with their own unique abilities. Find your favorite guns among the 17 available, some which have special abilities, like shooting faster over time, bursts and more! Discover new hero, weapon and card combinations and develop your personal combat style! Immersive Maps & Vibrant Visuals!
Prepare for rich map designs and mixed visual effects including collages, graffiti and a blend of realistic and stylized textures. Feast your eyes on bold colors, sharp shapes and dynamic lines to provide you with diverse visual experiences while the bullets fly.The post FragPunk Season 2 Brings Transformative Updates, Including a New Lancer appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Website: LINK
-
Build the Ultimate Media Centre in Raspberry Pi Official Magazine
Reading Time: 3 minutesTake control of your home video, television and music, with a media centre build based on Raspberry Pi. Your film collection deserves the best!
Trees are brilliant! They capture carbon, they keep urban streets cool, their roots slow down erosion, they provide habitat for millions of other life forms, and loads more. Meet the intelligent garden system that’s using Raspberry Pi and AI to monitor the health of trees, bees and other garden visitors.
Take a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W, a couple of H-bridges, motors and a servo, and you too can build a remote-controlled car. Many have done it, but to our knowledge only Eugene Tkachenko has 3D printed everything else, from the wheels to the chassis through to the mechanical parts such as the drive train and gears. It’s a beautiful bit of work.
If you like to take your music out and about, and you yearn for the days when we used to respect proper album artwork, you’ll like the PiPod, a mobile MP3 player that adorns the wearer’s upper limb like a viking arm ring. A viking arm ring that uses a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W and a 4-inch screen to let those around you know that you’re listening to David Bowie.
Fancy a go at stop-motion animation? How about time-lapse photography? Or building a photo booth, or a nature cam, or even getting into face recognition using AI? You can do all this, and more, with Raspberry Pi and one of its range of camera modules. Rob Zwetsloot has been snapping away.
And that’s not all: we’ve hacked a toy robot arm to obey Micropython on a Raspberry Pi Pico, built a Raspberry Pi Pico drum machine, and blended the ancient art of origami with the much more recent innovation of an RGB LED, and loads more besides. Find out for yourself in the latest issue of Raspberry Pi Official Magazine, on sale now!
-
Win! One of five Sense HAT V2 bundles
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSony Watchman cyberdeck
From 1982 to 2000 Sony also made a line of pocket TVs, which didn’t catch on as much in the UK (who wants to walk around glued to a tiny portable screen, eh?). These devices, collectively called the Sony Watchman, came in many, many variants as screen technology evolved over 18 years of production. What’s […]
-
Digging Deeper: The Inspirations Behind Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest
Reading Time: 6 minutes Digging Deeper: The Inspirations Behind Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest
Summary
- Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest arrives today for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC.
- The DLC expansion is set 11 years after the original game, with a new main character.
- Learn about the new inspirations behind this haunting new story.
Back in 2023, we shared some of the inspirations behind our narrative horror Still Wakes the Deep, which inspired its themes and structure, both in its grounded ’70s setting and its more fantastical horror elements. We took inspiration from a wide variety of sources, from classic horror films like The Thing and Annihilation to more unusual sources like Kes and Rosemary’s Baby.
For our new story expansion, Siren’s Rest, we wanted to explore the Beira D oil rig in a whole new setting, which comes with its own set of inspirations. Set in 1986, 11 years after the events of the original game, you’ll play as saturation diver Mhairi, who sets off on a journey beneath the North Sea to discover what happened on the Beira D. The ocean is a rich vein for exploring all kinds of tales, and these are just a few things that helped us craft this new story:
Thalassophobia
The fear of deep water is the origin of the entire psychological palette of Siren’s Rest. And for any players who haven’t felt this… we hope that Siren’s Rest will give them a chance to get a taste of this phobia.
We trawled through hundreds of articles of people experiencing this condition, people creating art about it, portraying it in a variety of thrilling and sensual ways. One thing that struck us: many thalassophobic photographs juxtapose a human with some yawning abyss or some looming form. The feeling you have isn’t just that this is a scary setting – rather, you feel a sense of enveloping dread for the person. Whoever that person is in that photograph, no matter how nonchalant they appear… you feel that they are in way over their heads (literally). They are facing their doom. That sense of overconfidence against the unknowable depths is something we wanted to capture in the game.
Even just an image like this we found on Reddit of an oceanic abyss gets the creative juices flowing. Also, did you know that a thick mysterious cloud called a brine pool can form in the bottom of the sea that creates these strange images? We wanted to hold that tension, between beauty and dread, at the heart of every visual design choice.
‘Last Breath’ (2018) and Saturation Diving
Saturation diving – named for the technique used to extend how long a diver can remain underwater – is an extraordinary profession. Dangerous, meticulous, weirdly poetic – everything deserving art to be made about it. It’s as dangerous as an astronaut going on a spacewalk… but far darker and far less well known. You are under tremendous pressure, literally, that messes with your mental state. You see things. You hear things. And all you are is a tiny flickering flame amid the everdark. This tension, loneliness, and thrill are all portrayed beautifully in the documentary ‘Last Breath’.
And for a more day-to-day explanation, just check out this Reddit AMA that was done a few years ago. Understanding what it means to live and work under such extreme conditions helped ground our narrative in real human stakes, even as the story veers into the surreal.
‘Blue Planet II –The Deep’
This episode of ‘Blue Planet II’ served as a powerful entry point for us into the mystery and otherworldliness of the ocean’s most unreachable places. Nature’s own level design and art design is off the charts! The strange colours, mysterious beings. Our wonderful Earth with its impossible underwater geographies provided us with a visual vocabulary for portraying the bottom of the sea not as some strange spectacle, but with this all-consuming silent awe…
Dante’s ‘Inferno’
As clear a metaphor as it gets, right? Dante’s descent through Hell, in gripping 14th Century poetic language, of increasing delusion as one moves further into tender darkness – influenced how we approached the structure of Siren’s Rest.
“Love, which quickly arrests the gentle heart,
Seized him with my beautiful form
That was taken from me, in a manner which still grieves me.”‘The Descent’ (2005)
This film is two decades old and still stands up incredibly well. It’s a Dante’s ‘Inferno’ story brought up to the modern-day. Definitely not for the faint-hearted, for sure! Its classic structure and masterful rhythm of making tense progress in unfamiliar, claustrophobic physical spaces is a huge inspiration.
Submerged corridors, the pitch-black crevices of the story’s setting, technical, sophisticated characters whose psyches are run ragged, the mix of terror and hope and dread – it’s all there.
‘The Lighthouse’ (2019)
A recent dark masterclass in isolation, yearning, and the mind tricks that these feelings can conjure up. The film portrays two men (played by Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe) unravelling under the weight of routine, myths, and their own strange company. Those parallel the emotional current running beneath Siren’s Rest – a deep, almost delirious human longing – for connection, for redemption, for closure…
A central relationship between two characters who are equally isolated, equally alone with their thoughts and expectations – that stuck with us. The surreal juxtaposition between the raw, unforgiving environment, the arcane chores needed for survival, and the distantly warm conjuring of lost memories… we certainly hoped to capture that.
The Unexplained Ocean Sound, “Julia”
Sometimes even just a sonic phenomena can serve as an inspiration. A low-frequency sound, recorded by NOAA on March 1st 1999 and dubbed “Julia”, remains unexplained. The sound was loud enough to be detected across the Pacific Ocean and lasted for about two minutes and 43 seconds. An absolute treasure trove of strange explanations exists, spanning from giant sea creatures to aliens, naturally.
Julia’s inclusion in our early discussions around Siren’s Rest served as a symbol of the unknown – the uncanny idea that something might be out there, massive or silent, beyond our comprehension…
Màiri Mhòr nan Òran
The Hebridean poet Màiri Mhòr nan Òran shares a name with our protagonist, and her work comprises much of the emotional tone of Siren’s Rest. Her verses, rooted in exile, land, and longing, speak to the cultural and personal ruptures at the heart of this new story. They anchor the narrative in a Scottish identity that feels both deeply local and profoundly mythic – a legacy we feel incredibly privileged to portray.
The Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest DLC expansion arrives today for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC.
The post Digging Deeper: The Inspirations Behind Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Website: LINK
-
Coming to Game Pass: Rematch, Warcraft I & II: Remastered, Warcraft III: Reforged, Call of Duty: WWII, and More
Reading Time: 7 minutesHope you all completed your bingo card for the Xbox Games Showcase and Outer Worlds 2 Direct – between Xbox Play Anywhere, Game Pass, and World Premieres, that was almost a full row there! We’re on a roll and have more games for you to prep your download queue, so let’s get to them.
Available Today
FBC: Firebreak (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game PassAvailable on day one with Game Pass! A cooperative first-person shooter set within a mysterious federal agency under assault by otherworldly forces. As a years-long siege on the agency’s headquarters reaches its boiling point, only Firebreak – the Bureau’s most versatile unit – has the gear and the guts to plunge into the building’s strangest crises, restore order, contain the chaos, and fight to reclaim control.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time (Console and PC)
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass StandardCrash fourward into a time-shattered adventure with your favorite marsupials. Neo Cortex and N. Tropy are back at it again and launching an all-out assault on not just this universe, but the entire multiverse! Crash and Coco are here to save the day by reuniting the four Quantum Masks and bending the rules of reality.
Lost in Random: The Eternal Die (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S)
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game PassAvailable on day one with Game Pass! Lost in Random: The Eternal Die blends dynamic real-time action, tactical combat, and risk-reward dice mechanics for thrilling second-to-second battles. Unravel an original stand-alone story as Queen Aleksandra, the once great ruler of Random, on a mission for vengeance and redemption.
Coming Soon
Star Trucker (Xbox Series X|S) – June 18
Now with Game Pass StandardHop into the driver’s seat of your rocket-powered big rig as you haul cargo, scavenge for salvage, and interact with an eclectic cast of star-hopping truckers in this Americana-infused journey on the ultimate open road – space!
Wildfrost (Console) – June 18
Now with Game Pass StandardTake on the elements in Wildfrost, a tactical roguelike deck builder! Collect and upgrade card companions, ready to withstand waves of deceptively cute Pengoons, Gobblers, and brutish boss monsters. Test your skills in daily challenges and build up the town of Snowdwell, unlocking more cards to aid in your fight against the everlasting frost…
Rematch (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – June 19
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game PassAvailable on day one with Game Pass! Step onto the pitch in Rematch, a third-person, team-based football game where every pass, volley, and tackle matters. Designed for 5v5 online play, Rematch puts you in full control of one athlete, with no offsides, no fouls, and no downtime. Pass smart, play with purpose, and win together.
Volcano Princess (Cloud, Console, and PC) – June 24
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game PassPrepare the next monarch by finding her hobbies, training her for battle, and befriending the citizens she’ll one day protect. Dive into an all-new parenting-simulator-RPG adventure, where every decision you make will not only affect the future of your daughter but that of an entire empire!
Against the Storm (Cloud and Console) – June 26
Game Pass UltimateCurrently available on Xbox PC and coming soon to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta)! A dark fantasy city builder where you must rebuild civilization in the face of apocalyptic rains. As the Queen’s Viceroy, lead humans, beavers, lizards, foxes, and harpies to reclaim the wilderness and secure a future for civilization’s last survivors.
Warcraft I: Remastered (PC) – June 26
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game PassExperience the inciting war between Orcs and Humans that shook Azeroth to its core. Defend the realm as the noble Alliance, or seek to conquer it as the bloodthirsty Horde, across thrilling faction campaigns or custom skirmish games. Warcraft I: Remastered features updated hand-painted art, widescreen battles, and rebalanced classic music. Enjoy modern UI tweaks, enhanced controls, and never-before-seen 1994 concept art!
Warcraft II: Remastered (PC) – June 26
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game PassCaptain your own fleet in the second Warcraft title created in 1995, now remastered with vivid, all-new visuals and modernized controls! War between orc and man rages on across the seas, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance as the great tacticians of the Horde and the Alliance clash. Only one thing is certain: winning this war will demand unprecedented cunning, courage, and nerves of steel.
Warcraft III: Reforged (PC) – June 26
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game PassWarcraft III: Reforged features a thorough visual overhaul, a suite of contemporary social and matchmaking features, and more. Command the Night Elves, Undead, Orcs, and Humans and relive epic battles, explore vast campaigns, build armies, and challenge friends in multiplayer matchmaking!
Call of Duty: WWII (Console and PC) – June 30
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass StandardCall of Duty: WWII is a thrilling experience that redefines World War II. Land in Normandy on D-Day and battle across Europe through iconic locations in history’s most monumental war. Experience classic Call of Duty combat, the bonds of camaraderie, and the unforgiving nature of war against a global power throwing the world into tyranny.
Little Nightmares II (Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 1
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass StandardReturn to a world of charming horror in Little Nightmares II, a suspense adventure game in which you play as Mono, a young boy trapped in a world that has been distorted by the humming transmission of a distant tower. Will you dare to face this collection of new, little nightmares?
Rise of the Tomb Raider (Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 1
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass StandardMaking a return to the Game Pass library! Featuring epic, high-octane action moments set in the most beautifully hostile environments on earth, Rise of the Tomb Raider delivers a cinematic survival action adventure where you will join Lara Croft on her first tomb raiding expedition.
DLC / Game Updates
Fallout 76: Gone Fission – Available now
Head over to angler’s rest to begin your angler journey. Combine different baits and rods to catch over thirty new fish and perhaps even hook a Local Legend. Enjoy your hard-earned gains by cooking up new recipes or proudly displaying trophies at your C.A.M.P.Minecraft: Chase the Skies – Available today
Experience the joy of soaring above the Overworld with Minecraft’s Chase the Skies drop! Fly with your happy ghast, build high into the clouds, leash a caravan of camels together, find wandering friends with the Player Locator bar, and more. Players on Bedrock Edition can also soak in breathtaking views with Minecraft‘s biggest official visual refresh – Vibrant Visuals.Dead by Daylight: Five Nights at Freddy’s – Available today
Dead by Daylight: Five Nights at Freddy’s brings Springtrap – once known as William Afton – into The Fog as The Animatronic. A brutally efficient new Killer featuring unique gameplay mechanics and 3 fear-inducing Perks, Springtrap specializes in map wide surveillance, unrelenting pursuit, and delivering the jump-scares you love to hate.Leaving June 30
The following games are leaving the Game Pass library soon. Be sure to check them out before they go or use your membership discount to save up to 20% on your purchase to keep them in your library.
- Arcade Paradise (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Journey to the Savage Planet (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- My Friend Peppa Pig (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Robin Hood: Sherwood Builders (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- SteamWorld Dig (Cloud and Console)
- SteamWorld Dig 2 (Console and PC)
We’re adding more games over time to the Stream Your Own Game collection for Game Pass Ultimate members. Visit Xbox.com/Play to see the list of available cloud playable games to stream on supported devices if you own them.
As always, we’ll keep you up to date with the latest reminders of when “coming soon” turns into “available today” (and will give you a virtual high five if you did get Bingo during the Xbox Games Showcase!) on @Xbox, @GamePass, and @XboxGamePassPC. Will talk to you here soon!
The post Coming to Game Pass: Rematch, Warcraft I & II: Remastered, Warcraft III: Reforged, Call of Duty: WWII, and More appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Website: LINK
-
3D printed spectacle case
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSony Watchman cyberdeck
From 1982 to 2000 Sony also made a line of pocket TVs, which didn’t catch on as much in the UK (who wants to walk around glued to a tiny portable screen, eh?). These devices, collectively called the Sony Watchman, came in many, many variants as screen technology evolved over 18 years of production. What’s […]
-
KIWI digital KVM review
Reading Time: 2 minutesPlug ‘n’ play
There is a little bit of noticeable lag when working over KIWI. The mouse cursor feels a little bit like it’s being dragged through mud, although keyboard inputs feel more responsive. It’s faster than Raspberry Pi Connect at least, but we wouldn’t want to be doing any twitch FPS gaming using it.
It also provides several very useful functions for this kind of screen capture – sending some basic key commands, allowing you to paste from your host computer and even do a screen recording. The interface for this is all very customisable, even allowing for a random ‘mouse jiggle’ to keep a screen alive.
Debugging a Snake game with KIWI KVM Extra functions
A fairly unique ability in its PRO version is the ability to (physically) uncover some extra GPIO ports on the device and control them via the interface, which also have UART. They’re marketed at IT professionals, allowing for debugging and control of ATX power, and there’s even an extra function of turning the input cable into a virtual serial cable. It’s quite impressive.
With the myriad ways you can connect to a Raspberry Pi from another device, we did wonder if this would be superfluous. However, due to the speed of getting it working, no need for any local networking, and its fairly small footprint, it’s a great alternative to Connect and other network-based remote connection tools. These network tools also only work once a system has fully booted up, whereas KIWI’s physical connection allows you to see the boot process, which means you can troubleshoot any misbehaving Raspberry Pi without plugging it into another monitor.
If you use Raspberry Pi a lot, this is definitely worth considering adding to your arsenal of add-ons.
Controlling the desktop of Raspberry Pi Verdict
9/10
A surprisingly functional and full-featured digital KVM and screen capture device, and much smaller than even a Raspberry Pi.
Specs
I/O: USB-C (host connection), USB-C (input connection), HDMI, 6 × GPIO (PRO version)
Dimensions: 46 × 46 × 15 mm
Connectivity: 1080p video, human input devices, virtual serial connection, UART, ATX
-
MIDI Blaster
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSony Watchman cyberdeck
From 1982 to 2000 Sony also made a line of pocket TVs, which didn’t catch on as much in the UK (who wants to walk around glued to a tiny portable screen, eh?). These devices, collectively called the Sony Watchman, came in many, many variants as screen technology evolved over 18 years of production. What’s […]
-
Raspberry Pi Pico Ticket Game
Reading Time: < 1 minuteChris emailed us a little while ago (sorry, Chris!) about his fun little Raspberry Pi Pico project which he describes as “a simple stand-alone Q&A game or ice-breaker for a party, using a Pico, a thermal printer, and a big red button” – although we’d say the button is medium-size compared to the 100 mm ones we’ve seen/used in the past.
According to the GitHub page for the project (which includes the build instructions too), it was made for a New Year’s event, and is easily modifiable. “I used a cigar box for the build, but it can fit into any suitable project box,” Chris says. Although we quite like the box ourselves.
-
F/A-18C Right Console
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTo many readers, ‘F/A-18C Right Console’ will look like a bunch of letters and numbers thrown together. To aviation enthusiasts, though, those letters and numbers clearly refer to the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, a fighter plane developed in the 1970s for the US Marines and US Navy. This replica control console by ValeNoxBona was apparently the maker’s first ever build using the Arduino microcontroller, which is used to control the addressable RGB LEDs that light this project. The build uses a 3D-printed enclosure with a laser-cut and engraved acrylic top, backlit with WS2812 addressable RGB LEDs mounted on a custom PCB and controlled by the Arduino.
The lettering is engraved into the acrylic, which makes the material thin enough for the lights underneath to shine through. Apart from the time involved, the biggest cost in building this was the switches, made by NKK of Scottsdale, Arizona.
-
South of Midnight: 6 Tips to Help You Thrive in This Dark, Fantastical World
Reading Time: 8 minutesSummary
- South of Midnight launches on April 8, or play now with the Premium Edition.
- The game arrives for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox app for Windows PC, Steam, cloud, and will be available day one with Game Pass. And with Xbox Play Anywhere, play on Xbox consoles, Windows PC, and cloud with full cross-entitlements and cross-saves.
- To celebrate release, we’ve put together 6 tips to help you in both exploration and combat.
South of Midnight invites you into a dark, fantastical world drawn from tales of the American South – and while this might look like a fairytale, both the stories it tells and the challenges it poses are far from simplistic.
Telling the tale of Hazel, who gains the magical power of Weaving after her mother is swept away by a supernatural flood, you’ll need to cross a warped take on the South in your hunt to find her mother, and answers to what exactly is going on. Along the way, you’ll battle Haints – corrupted enemies borne from the sorrow of the world – and cure the wounds of Mythical Creatures, the subjects of real-life folktales brought to life by developer Compulsion Games.
Premium Edition owners can play from today (ahead of an April 8 release date for all players), and to celebrate we’ve put together some tips that cover both exploration and combat, which will help you prepare for this very unexpected journey:
Look Everywhere
Navigating each of South of Midnight’s chapters could be as simple as following your Guiding Strand – a feature that sees magical threads guide you to your next goal. But that’s far from all there is to discover. Each location is stuffed with hidden areas – some require platforming to reach, others need you to use your spells, while others will lead you into battles you might never have otherwise had. All of them will require a keen eye to find.
Your rewards for doing this usually come in the form of Floofs – the game’s upgrade currency – and we hugely recommend you take the time to look for them. With just a bit of concerted exploration, you can add upgrades to your skill tree (more on those later) much faster than by simply running from one objective to the next.
Even better, you may also find Life Filaments as you go. Most chapters contain one of these – usually in its most hidden side area – and collecting three offers a permanent upgrade to your health bar.
Expand These Stories
South of Midnight is all about stories – from the tale of Hazel’s search to find her mother, to the tragic backstories of the Mythical Creatures you’ll find along the way. But if you want to dig really deep, make sure to search each chapter for items, notes, and more. You’ll see these marked by small circles as you approach, often in out-of-the-way locations.
Far from your regular world-building, each chapter’s hidden notes add even more detail to the characters and stories you’re learning about along the core questline. You may discover hidden motivations for why characters are the way they are, simply because you took the time to read about their lives. It’s an enriching way to add to the wider tale.
Upgrade Early and Often
As mentioned above, you can speed through the upgrade tree with a bit of exploration – and when you start hitting harder combat sequences, you’ll thank yourself for doing it. Even on its regular difficulty level, South of Midnight’s combat packs a punch, with even the most basic Haint enemies removing whole chunks of your health bar after a single hit – never mind when you come up against a Mythical Creature. Upgrades are your means of turning the tables.
Upgrades tend to focus more on offering you added perks, rather than simply buffing an ability’s existing stats. When you Unravel a downed enemy to claw back some health, for example, you can add an area of-effect blast to stagger any nearby Haints before you get back into the fray. Adding a quick double-dodge to your repertoire, meanwhile, will come in very handy when you start meeting enemies that can quick-fire multiple projectiles. Take the time to explore the skill tree, and prioritize upgrades that look like they’ll solve problems.
Use Dodges as Attack and Defence
Hazel doesn’t have the ability to block attacks – but she more than makes up for that with a powerful bonus to her dodge. Hitting the dodge button will help you escape in any direction (with some invulnerability frames thrown in) – but hitting a perfectly timed dodge, just before you’re hit, comes with a nasty surprise for whoever was trying to hurt you.
Perfect Dodges send out a blast of energy, staggering any enemy around you and doing some nice damage, too. It’s worth paying attention to not just what attacks enemies can do, but the time it takes to pull them off – pretty soon, you can be doing almost as much damage by not attacking.
Use Spells as Interrupts
As we mentioned, getting hit in South of Midnight can get very nasty, very quickly – and while Hazel has that handy dodge, it can sometimes be easier simply to stop an attack in the first place. Against most enemies, throwing out a spell – whether that’s a Pull, a Push, or a Weave (which incapacitates most Haints) – will break them out of an attack completely.
While it’s tempting to spam your spells as soon as they’ve cooled down, we’d recommend keeping one in reserve as an emergency interrupt – if you see an enemy winding up during your combo, simply hit them with a spell and keep thwacking.
Chain Your Spells
If you really want to keep an enemy locked down, you can use your full spell repertoire to keep attacks going without interruption. This is particularly useful once you have a few upgrades under your belt.
For example, you could Pull an enemy towards you, with an added Weave effect (which you can also upgrade to have them take more damage while tied up). As soon as they break free, Weave them again with that core spell – and when they break free again, use Push to deal some damage and keep your distance, before charging up your ranged attack to deal the killer blow.
With a bit of practice, enemies that felt like they took an age of dodging and poking to beat in the early game can begin to go down in a single combo – it’s extremely satisfying.
South of Midnight will be available on April 8, 2025, on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox App for Windows PC, Steam and cloud, and arrives on day one with Game Pass. Play from today by purchasing the Premium Edition, and get access to digital extras.
South of Midnight Premium Edition
Xbox Game Studios
$49.99
Immerse yourself into the macabre and fantastical world of South of Midnight with the Premium Edition, which includes the full game, up to 5 days early access, and digital access (in English) to: • South of Midnight Artbook • Original Soundtrack composed by Olivier Deriviere
• The Boo-Hag Comic book by Rob Guillory
• Music Video: Songs & Tales of South of Midnight • Documentary: Weaving Hazel’s Journey, Director’s Cut UNRAVEL THE PAST From the creators of Contrast and We Happy Few, South of Midnight is a spellbinding third person action-adventure game set in the American Deep South. As Hazel, you will explore the mythos and encounter creatures of Southern folklore in a macabre and fantastical world. When disaster strikes her hometown, Hazel is called to become a Weaver: a magical mender of broken bonds and spirits. Imbued with these new abilities, Hazel will confront and subdue dangerous creatures, untangle the webs of her own family’s shared past and – if she’s lucky – find her way to a place that feels like home. A DARK MODERN FOLKTALE When a hurricane rips through Prospero, Hazel is pulled into a Southern Gothic world of memory made real and must embark on a journey to rescue her mother and safeguard her hometown. In this folktale for modern times, Hazel will need to reconcile the weight of family, history, and legacy against her own identity. CONFRONT MYTHICAL CREATURES Wield an ancient power to restore creatures and uncover the traumas that consume them. Cast weaving magic to fight destructive Haints, explore the diverse regions of the South, and reweave the tears in the Grand Tapestry. HAUNTING BEAUTY OF THE GOTHIC SOUTH Discover the lush, decayed county of Prospero and its locals. Experience a crafted visual style, touching storytelling, and immersive music inspired by the complex and rich history of the South. South of Midnight
Xbox Game Studios
$39.99
From the creators of Contrast and We Happy Few, South of Midnight is a spellbinding third person action-adventure game set in the American Deep South. As Hazel, you will explore the mythos and encounter creatures of Southern folklore in a macabre and fantastical world. When disaster strikes her hometown, Hazel is called to become a Weaver: a magical mender of broken bonds and spirits. Imbued with these new abilities, Hazel will confront and subdue dangerous creatures, untangle the webs of her own family’s shared past and – if she’s lucky – find her way to a place that feels like home. A DARK MODERN FOLKTALE When a hurricane rips through Prospero, Hazel is pulled into a Southern Gothic world of memory made real and must embark on a journey to rescue her mother and safeguard her hometown. In this folktale for modern times, Hazel will need to reconcile the weight of family, history, and legacy against her own identity. CONFRONT MYTHICAL CREATURES
Wield an ancient power to restore creatures and uncover the traumas that consume them. Cast weaving magic to fight destructive Haints, explore the diverse regions of the South, and reweave the tears in the Grand Tapestry. HAUNTING BEAUTY OF THE GOTHIC SOUTH
Discover the lush, decayed county of Prospero and its locals. Experience a crafted visual style, touching storytelling, and immersive music inspired by the complex and rich history of the South.Website: LINK
-
Grand Theft Auto V Coming to Game Pass and PC Game Pass on April 15
Reading Time: 2 minutesIf you’ve been missing the streets of Los Santos, I’m excited to share that Grand Theft Auto V is making its way back to Game Pass on April 15! And for those of us who play on PC, I’m even happier to announce that GTAV Enhanced will be playable with PC Game Pass, and includes the latest features, like Hao’s Special Works Vehicles and more.
Ultimate, PC, and Standard players — keep an eye on @GamePass and @XboxGamePassPC on April 15 for our favorite “available today” reminder!
GTA Online Features
Everyone playing GTAV Enhanced on PC will have access to new vehicles and modifications, Chameleon Paints, and a bunch more all in Hao’s Special Works.
When playing GTA Online, you’ll need to make sure you and your friends are all playing in the same edition so you can squad up — the good news is that Game Pass Ultimate and Game Pass Standard players have access to all console and PC editions so you can download to play whatever your friends are on. And PC Game Pass players, both editions are available for you to download and play, even if your friends are on Steam or Epic Games.
Oscar Guzman Flies Again
No matter what version you’re playing, everyone will have access to Oscar Guzman Flies Again, the latest update where you can take to the skies — taking control of the McKenzie Field Hanger in Grapeseed. Play new arms trafficking missions, fly new aircraft, and more.
While you’re waiting for April 15, you can check out the Grand Theft Auto Radio playlists on Spotify to whet your appetite before getting back into the streets of Los Santos. Keep an eye on @GamePass and @XboxGamePassPC and we’ll talk soon!
Website: LINK
-
Coming Soon to Game Pass: South of Midnight, Blue Prince, Borderlands 3, and More
Reading Time: 7 minutesIt’s time to confront some magical creatures (or maybe just your backlog) with these games coming soon! Some surprise benefits and announcements you might have missed, day one games (with some amazing music; looking at you South of Midnight), and more. Let’s get to it!
Coming Soon
Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 3
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass StandardBorderlands 3 Ultimate Edition packs bazillions of guns and is a mayhem-fueled adventure, featuring the base game plus all four campaign add-ons, Director’s Cut content, and all cosmetic packs! Blast through worlds and enemies as one of four Vault Hunters, each with deep skill trees, abilities, and customization. Play solo or join with friends to take on insane enemies, score loads of loot, and save your home from the most ruthless cult leaders in the galaxy.
All You Need is Help (Console) – April 3
Now with Game Pass StandardDive into a quirky multiplayer co-op puzzle game where adorable, fluffy cube-shaped creatures collaborate to reach their goals. This cooperative-centric game is designed for enjoyment across generations – from children to grandparents – making it perfect for family and friends.
Still Wakes the Deep (Xbox Series X|S) – April 3
Now with Game Pass StandardFrom the award-winning developers at The Chinese Room comes a terrifying tale of isolation. You are trapped on an oil rig in the North Sea, running from an unknowable horror that has come aboard. With no escape and no way to fight back, all you can do is survive.
Wargroove 2 (Console) – April 3
Now with Game Pass StandardEmbark on an all-new adventure filled with unlikely friendships, unknown adversaries, and ugly revenge plots. Wage war against your foes with a cast of new Commanders. Design and share maps, cut-scenes, and campaigns with easy-to-use editors and in-depth customization tools.
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Edition (Console and PC) – April 8
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, Game Pass StandardThis Ultimate Evil Edition contains both Diablo III and the Reaper of Souls expansion set, together in one definitive volume. Rise as one of humanity’s last defenders – crusader, barbarian, witch doctor, demon hunter, monk, or wizard – and collect legendary loot while mastering devastating new powers and abilities.
South of Midnight (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – April 8
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game PassAvailable on day one with Game Pass! South of Midnight is a new action-adventure from Compulsion Games. Explore the mythos and confront mysterious creatures of the Deep South in this modern folktale while learning to weave an ancient power to surmount obstacles and face the pain haunting your hometown. Game Pass members can save 10% on the Premium Edition Upgrade to unlock up to 5 days early access, plus digital access to the South of Midnight Artbook, the original soundtrack, and more.
Commandos: Origins (Cloud, PC and Xbox Series X|S) – April 9
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game PassAvailable on day one with Game Pass! Commandos: Origins revisits the six iconic commandos from the original series. Witness elite stealth-tactics gameplay, use your team’s unique abilities to execute complex strategies, and combine your forces in 2-player co-op multiplayer. The battlefield is calling. Do you have what it takes?
Blue Prince (Cloud, PC and Xbox Series X|S) – April 10
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game PassAvailable on day one with Game Pass! Welcome to Mt. Holly, the mysterious manor with shifting rooms. Blue Prince is a genre-bending, atmospheric, architectural adventure where you explore an ever-changing manor of 45 shifting rooms. Discover secrets and mysteries in a house you build one room at a time. As you discover more with each passing day, the question asked is – can you find the rumored Room 46?
Hunt Showdown 1896 (PC) – April 15
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game PassAvailable now on PC and coming soon to Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) and Xbox consoles! Hunt: Showdown 1896 is a new era of the addictively unforgiving extraction shooter. In corrupted backwaters lost to history, fight back alone – or with friends – against timeless evil. Twisted monsters and other ruthless Hunters stand between you and your Bounty. Risk everything as Hunt consumes you.
In Case You Missed It
EA Sports College Football 25 (Cloud and Xbox Series X|S) – Available now
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game PassStep into iconic stadiums with unforgettable traditions and get unlimited access to EA Sports College Football 25. Members can chase college greatness with Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta), PC Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate via EA Play. Plus, score a Supercharge Pack by April 24.
More In-Game Benefits for Free-to-Play Games
For Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members, we announced we’re bringing even more benefits for select free-to-play games. You can expect in-game benefits like cosmetics, characters, in-game currency, and more with seasonal content drops. Starting today, members will get access to the following in-game benefits for Asphalt Legends Unite:
Asphalt Legends Unite (Console and PC) – link your Gameloft Club account
Speed into action with the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, 10 St. Patrick’s Card Packs, and 500,000 credits to upgrade, enhance, and dominate the track.DLC / Game Updates
Dead by Daylight: Tokyo Ghoul – Available now
From anime to the horrific realm of video game horror, Tokyo Ghoul’s Ken Kaneki has come to Dead by Daylight. Feel the tear as your gruesome Kagunes spring from your back-flesh to propel you forward, teeth gnashing in anticipation.Sea of Thieves: 2025 Edition Update – Available now
To celebrate Sea of Thieves‘ Seventh Anniversary, fresh 2025 Editions are now available. These new options contain the latest version of the full game and offer a range of choices at different price points, packed to bursting with bonuses including some of the game’s most popular items!Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 – Season 03 – Starting today
Season 03 Multiplayer and Zombies content kicks off today! Players can jump in and get locked and loaded prior to Verdansk officially launching in Call of Duty: Warzone tomorrow April 3rd. Game Pass members can save 10% and maximize their gameplay with Season 03 BlackCell which includes the standard Battle Pass with an added BlackCell Page Unlock with bonus unlockable content, 20 tier skips, 1,100 Call of Duty Points, and more. Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members, stay tuned for in-game benefits dropping soon.Age of Empires IV: Knights of Cross and Rose Expansion – April 8
Pre-order and save 15% on Age of Empires IV: Knights of Cross and Rose today and prepare to experience the stories and strategic warfare of the Knights Templar and House of Lancaster. These variant civilizations innovate upon the French and English, bringing new weapons, units, buildings, and technologies to the battlefield.Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks
New Perks are here! Check the Game Pass section on your console, Xbox mobile app, or Xbox app on Windows PC to find new in-game content, consumables, and offers included with your Game Pass Ultimate membership. Perks vary by region, platform, and over time.
The First Descendant: Beyond the Void Bundle – Available now
Enter Beyond the Void, the next chapter of Season 2 in The First Descendant! Claim the Episode 2 Bundle to gear up in style, customize your loadout, and join your fellow Descendants on new missions in the uncharted Sigma Sector!Candy Crush Solitaire (Mobile): Sweet Starter Pack – Available now
The Sweet Starter Pack gives you the perfect edge to sharpen your strategy and sweeten every move. It includes 5,000 coins, 4 undo moves, 3 Color Bomb boosters, and 1 Wild Card.Sea of Thieves: Seventh Serving Emote – Available now
For a limited time, celebrate seven years on the Sea of Thieves with this Emote and carve a slice of delicious dessert!Leaving April 15
The following games are leaving the Game Pass library soon, which means it is time to re-shuffle your play list and check these out before they go. Remember to use your 20% membership discount on your purchase if you would like to keep them in your library.
- Botany Manor
- Coral Island
- Harold Halibut
- Homestead Arcana
- Kona
- Orcs Must Die! 3
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider Definitive Edition
- Turbo Golf Racing
We’re adding more games over time to the ‘Stream your own game’ collection for Game Pass Ultimate members. Go to Xbox.com/Play to see the list of available cloud playable games to stream on supported devices if you own them.
As always, love to chat with you about what games you’re playing and what you’re downloading next! Catch us at Game Pass, PC Game Pass, or Xbox, and we’ll remind you when these “coming soon” games turn into “available today”. Cheers!
Website: LINK
-
Argon ONE V5 case review
Reading Time: 3 minutesThe first thing that strikes you is the sheer size. This is not a small case, and that’s because it has a few tricks under its tough exterior. Argon is clearly intending this case to be your powerhouse server. Removing the solid aluminium lid, we find space for your Raspberry Pi 5 along with some impressive passive heatsinking and a mounted PWM 30 mm fan. On-board ports – including the GPIO header – are exposed within the housing for projects and there’s a few millimetres of clearance for adding your own bits and pieces. Argon’s signature daughterboard design is here too, with a PCB that plugs into the USB-C and HDMI ports of your Raspberry Pi, breaking them out to full-size HDMI and an additional two front-mounted USB-A connectors. Slotting it all together onto the plastic base creates a solid unit for your next project.
Features and upgrade options
There is a very good reason this case is so much larger than standard. Alongside the Raspberry Pi, there is space for two M.2 NVMe slots for up to full-sized 2280 solid-state drives. This case then becomes a NAS with SSD RAID capability. You can purchase the add-on PCBs for each M.2 separately or pre-mounted, offering flexibility on price and future upgrade options. Then, nestling next to the front-mounted USB ports, there’s an audio-out port. This case comes with a DAC built-in, which upgrades it further to a potential media server.
Home automation enthusiasts may be tempted by the optional Zigbee add-on which plugs into the daughterboard and comes complete with an antenna which mounts to the case externally. If you’re using the case headless and want to see some info at a glance, the £9 OLED module adds a tiny screen to the top of the case for you to use as you wish. Finally, another option is to add a dedicated uninterruptible power supply (UPS), which sits neatly under the case. Argon has created an entire ecosystem around the simple concept of a case.
We were supplied with a manual, thermal pads for the various Raspberry Pi chips, and additional thermal pads for protecting the M.2 SSDs. Assembly was easy and the result was formidable. It may not look as pretty as its predecessors on your living room cabinet, but you’ll probably be able to drop it from some height without causing it much damage.
Verdict
10/10
If you are looking to build a home server for media, automation, or just data storage, this is a well-priced option that will keep your Raspberry Pi cool and protected with a wealth of upgrade options.
Specs
Ports: 6 × USB, USB-C, 2 × full-size HDMI, 3.5 mm audio
Add-ons: Up to 2 × NMVe M.2 SSD (2230, 2242, 2260, 2280), Zigbee module with antenna, OLED screen, UPS
Cooling: Passive aluminium, active 30 mm PWM fan
-
DOOM: The Dark Ages – Going Hands-on with Story, Sandboxes, Mechs, and Dragons
Reading Time: 2 minutesThis is where The Dark Ages truly breaks free from expectation. In my final (and longest) section of the demo, I’m placed into id’s take on a sandbox open zone and told to approach it however I’d like. My solitary goal is to close five demon-spewing portals, but how I do it, and what diversions I take, are entirely up to me. Over the course of an hour, I’m repeatedly reminded that I’ve never played a DOOM game like this before.
As you’d hope for, this sandbox sequence is stacked with optional goals – heavily protected artillery batteries to take out, caches of gold to spend on upgrades, and more. At one point, I’m simply running somewhere, when a cathedral-sized tentacle bursts out of the ground and begins to attack – this isn’t a scripted moment, or even an objective I’m given, it’s just another surprise hidden along the way.
But the core objectives themselves hold surprises, too. In that first story mission, closing portals was simply a case of clearing an arena, but it’s never quite the same in this case. Some portals transport me to a dungeon, requiring me to solve puzzles in order to find my way to the energy source powering them. Others introduce Leader enemies – overpowered beasts who are invulnerable to my attacks until I kill enough of their followers, and come with permanent upgrades after your victory. Along the way, I find new guns, augmenting my armory with new options. It’s restlessly, relentlessly inventive, as if id has been waiting for an opportunity to transplant new ideas into the DOOM format.
And that’s the key takeaway from my full session with DOOM: The Dark Ages – this feels like a developer brimming with enthusiasm, not just for DOOM itself, but for what DOOM could be. I was expecting a new story, new guns, and new demons – I wasn’t expecting new genres. I cannot wait to find out what else this team has in store.
DOOM: The Dark Ages launches for Xbox Series X|S, PC (via the Xbox app for Windows PC, Steam, and Battle.net), PlayStation 5, and cloud on May 15, 2025. It will be available day one with Game Pass.
Website: LINK
-
Chop saw tape dispenser
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIt’s in this spirit that Bunchowills has made the world’s smallest chop saw that is also a tape dispenser. Yes, the spinny 3D-printed blade won’t give you the same clean edge as a pair of scissors, but it looks considerably more awesome, and that’s the whole point.
This mostly 3D-printed build runs on a pair of AA batteries, and can technically be used for woodworking projects as well as stationery management (its maker claims it can cut through toothpicks). Download the STL files, fire up your printer, and make one today for the woodworker with everything in your life.
Warning! Moving parts
Be careful when handling this project because it has moving parts. Children should be supervised.
-
Practical AI in the Raspberry Pi Official Magazine
Reading Time: 2 minutesWe’ve filled the magazine with tutorials and hands-on projects – as always, a lot of these come from the fantastic Raspberry Pi user community, without which we’d be nothing. Thank you to everyone who’s ever built a project with Raspberry Pi, and special thanks to the subscribers who make this magazine possible.
Our biggest budget build this issue is the McLaren Car Play – Adam Bell has used a Raspberry Pi to fool a 90s super car into thinking that it’s an iPod, adding Apple’s in-car entertainment setup via a Raspberry Pi 5.
We have literally scoured the alphabet to bring you the A to Z of Raspberry Pi – from AI to Zero and every point in between, there’s a factoid ready for your next computing-themed pub quiz.
Feeling a little fuzzy and light-headed? Best get that checked out. But if you want to check whether the air in your office if making you drowsy, PJ Evans has built a CO2 monitor using a sensor, a Pimoroni Badger 2040 W and a smattering of Python programming. It’s getting warmer in the UK now, so take this as a cue to open the window!
Then again, sometimes a fuzzy is good… like the way video games used to blur pixels to trick the mind into thinking that their graphics were more detailed than they actually were. KG Orphanides adds a CRT emulator to a modern setup to put more beauty back in retro games.
You’ll find all this and much more in the latest edition of Raspberry Pi Official Magazine. Pick up your copy today from our store, or subscribe to get every issue delivered to your door.
-
Win one of three 26 TOPS AI HAT+
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSave 35% off the cover price with a subscription to Raspberry Pi Official Magazine. UK subscribers get three issues for just £10 and a FREE Raspberry Pi Pico W, then pay £30 every six issues. You’ll save money and get a regular supply of in-depth reviews, features, guides and other Raspberry Pi enthusiast goodness delivered directly to your door every month.
-
Forza Horizon 5: Dive into the Horizon Realms on April 25
Reading Time: 5 minutesThis April, the Horizon Festival evolves with Horizon Realms.
This brand-new feature will let players dig into Forza Horizon 5’s history of Evolving World updates. Explore 12 fantastic Evolving World locations: 11 of the best previously limited-time locations and the premiering Stadium Track.
Collect new Horizon Realms-exclusive accolades to unlock four new-to-Horizon reward cars.
Revisit your favorite environments, or discover them for the first time, in Horizon Realms available for every platform on April 25!
A Selection of the Best Evolving Worlds
Horizon Realms gives players the chance to explore a hand-picked collection of some of the community’s favorite previously released Evolving World updates.
Get ready to (re-)discover and adventure though these beloved locations while behind the wheel of your favorite cars:
-
Stunt Park
-
Ice Rink
-
Oval Track
-
Summer Party
-
Neon Airstrip
-
Día de Muertos
-
Winter Wonderland
-
Lunar Drift Arena
-
Retrowave Highway
-
Cars and Coffee
-
Stadium Maze
Along with these 11 returning environments, we are bringing the brand-new Stadium Track!
You can also race around this Evolving World with the new permanent race route coming to the game, the Horizon Stadium Circuit. You can find details further into this post.New Dedicated Accolade Tab
A new Accolade Tab exclusive to Horizon Realms will be added to the game featuring 60+ accolades. While most of them are new to this update, you will also be able to unlock previously released accolades tied to the returning Evolving Worlds that are now accessible with Horizon Realms.
Each of the Evolving World locations featured in Horizon Realms includes 5 new accolades to unlock! Find them under the Horizon Realms Accolades tab. You can also find an Accolade for the Horizon Stadium Circuit under the Road Racing tab.
Complete Horizon Realms Accolades to acquire 12 new badges coming to the game. Plus, for the first time ever, unlocking an accolade will reward the player with #Forzathon Points! Go for a 100% in every Realm and unlock rewards with your newly acquired Points.
Earning accolades will also score new cars for your garage. Complete unique challenges featured on every Realm to unlock four new-to-Horizon reward cars:
-
Lamborghini’s take on a hyper hybrid, the 2024 Lamborghini Revuelto
-
Stomp the off-road scene with the 2023 Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato
-
The mightiest version of the Exige, the 2018 Lotus Exige Cup 430
-
Ride the king of the Ice Age with the 2022 Hennessey Mammoth 6×6
Two Ways to Dive into Horizon Realms
There will be two different ways to experience Horizon Realms:
Skill Mode
Choose one of the Horizon Realms to enter and try to bank as much Skill Score as possible. Each Evolving World has its own separate Skill Score leaderboard, and there will also be a total Skill Score Leaderboard tallying up all points banked on each Realm – so try to take the top spot in all of them!
Earning enough Skill Score will also unlock new player Badges unique to Horizon Realms!
Free Mode
This mode puts the leaderboards to the side and focuses on players having a good time in their favorite Realms.
Enter on your own or with your friends in a Convoy to explore your favorite Realms, obtain Badges tied to previous content updates, unlock accolades to earn #Forzathon Points, and more!
Start Your Engines at the New Horizon Stadium Circuit
Line up at the starting line of a brand-new race route: the Horizon Stadium Circuit! Featuring corners, bends, and racing decorations, this new track will become a permanent race route in the game – complete with its own event icon on the map and Rivals leaderboard!
Score your best time on this new race route in Rivals and Horizon Open and explore the Stadium Track Realm in Horizon Realms‘ Free Mode and Skill Mode.
Explore Nissan’s Heritage with a New Car Pack
Four new cars from throughout Nissan’s automotive history will become available for purchase as Forza Horizon 5 releases for PlayStation 5 with the Nissan Retro Rides Car Pack.
This new DLC pack includes the 1989 Nissan Pao, 1991 Nissan Figaro, 1989 Nissan Scargo, and the 1987 Nissan Be-1.
Add these cars to your collection and customize them how you want!
The Nissan Retro Rides Car Pack will be available starting April 25 for $4.99/€4.99/£3.99. Players who bought the Ultimate Car Pack Collection will receive this Car Pack at no additional cost.
Pre-order Forza Horizon 5 on PlayStation 5 Today!
Forza Horizon 5 is now available for pre-order ahead of its PS5 release on April 29! Visit the PlayStation Store to pre-purchase one of Forza Horizon 5’s different editions.
Standard Edition comes with the complete base game and its free content and features like Horizon Realms.
Get access to an extra 42 cars added with Car Pass by purchasing the Deluxe Edition of Forza Horizon 5.
Upgrade your adventure to the fullest with the Premium Edition. This edition comes with both Forza Horizon 5 expansions (Rally Adventure and Hot Wheels), 42 additional cars from Car Pass, VIP Membership, and extra perks that are included in the Welcome Pack.
Pre-ordering Premium Edition also grants you Early Access to the game, starting April 25, 2025!
No matter which version of the game you choose to pre-order, you will get a special bundle completely free of charge with your purchase including:
-
Forza Horizon 5’s cover car: the 2021 Mercedes-AMG Mercedes-AMG ONE
-
5,000 #Forzathon Points which can be used to buy cars and cosmetics
-
5 Backstage Passes which can be used to unlock any hard-to-find car available in the Backstage Shop
If you’re already playing Forza Horizon 5, be sure to share the news with your PS5 friends and invite them to join us at the Horizon Festival as cross-play will be available between all platforms!
PlayStation 5 Graphics Modes
Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 features two rendering modes to choose from: Performance (60fps) and Quality (30fps).
On PS5 Pro, the Performance mode receives increased visual fidelity, while Quality mode adds ray traced car reflections to Races and Free Roam.
We hope you are looking forward to exploring Forza Horizon 5’s vast open world and features with Horizon Realms across all platforms the game is available on. Remember that you can pre-order any version of Forza Horizon 5 starting today on the PlayStation Store to receive a special bundle; pre-purchasing Premium Edition will grant you Early Access on April 25.
We’ll see you at the Horizon Festival soon!
Website: LINK
-
-
Discover the all-new Raspberry Pi Official Magazine
Reading Time: 3 minutesWe’re hugely proud of the new magazine. It’s got all the amazing features that made The MagPi such a success, but with a new design that’s easier to read, better at displaying code, and more in sync with Raspberry Pi’s amazing documentation and tutorials.
Thank you again to everybody who supports us by subscribing to the magazine or contributing to our endeavour. We really can’t do it without you.
We’ve worked incredibly hard to make this issue one to remember. Inside the inaugural Raspberry Pi Official Magazine, you will discover…
Raspberry Pi problem solving
Our lead feature this month is a huge analysis of Raspberry Pi troubleshooting. We’ve gathered a vast amount of documentation on power requirements, SD card performance, Raspberry Pi OS customisation, boot problems, audio and video fixes, and hardware enhancements.
The maker toolset
It’s incredibly important to make things. Making is rewarding, fun, and practical. In this month’s magazine, you’ll discover everything you need to set up your makerspace. Our maker toolset has the full range from simple circuits and humble sewing up to 3D printing and metalwork.
HexBoard
Raspberry Pi Official Magazine is packed with all the best projects from around the globe. Jared DeCook shares his incredible HexBoard musical instrument with us. Instead of piano-style keys, it features hexagonal buttons and RGB LEDs, all controlled by Raspberry Pi RP2040.
Raspberry Pi Chess Board
Imagine playing chess against a robot. That’s what high school student Tamerlan Goglichidze has created. With a stepper motor and magnets it moves the chess pieces around.
Sense HAT V2
Sense HAT is a great way to discover coding and data gathering. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to attach a Sense HAT to your Raspberry Pi and start controlling the LED display.
Custom CNC Machine
Jo Hinchliffe brings together various parts for a custom CNC machine that acts as a carbon filament winding machine for making custom carbon-fibre tubes.
10 Amazing Accessories
Power up your Raspberry Pi 5 with these incredible add-ons that enable extra functionality. We’ve got everything from USB sound cards to overpowered cooling systems.
You’ll find all this and much more in the latest edition of Raspberry Pi Official Magazine. Pick up your copy today from our store, or subscribe to get every issue delivered to your door.
