Saros, the next game from Returnal developer Housemarque, launches for PS5 on March 20th, 2026, Sony announced during its September State of Play presentation on Wednesday.Based on a gameplay trailer shown during the event, it looks like Saros takes a lot of cues from Returnal, with futuristic weapons, lots of bullets and rings filling the screen, and mysterious environments that you’ll have to navigate. You’ll also get a new shield that lets you run into projectiles that you can absorb as energy and then throw back toward your enemies.Housemarque is also introducing an unlockable “Second Chance” ability that lets you come back to life after you die, which could be useful for what looks to be a very difficult game. There are other new permanent-progression systems added to the game, too.Saros was initially announced earlier this year, and at the time, Sony only provided a 2026 release date. The game will also be enhanced for PS5 Pro.

An e-bike battery featuring several smaller 18650 lithium-ion battery cells packed inside. | Image: Lumafield Lumafield has released the results of a new study of lithium-ion batteries that “reveals an enormous gap in quality between brand-name batteries and low-cost cells” that are readily available through online stores including Amazon and Temu. The company used its computed tomography (CT) scanners, capable of peering inside objects in 3D using X-rays, to analyze over 1,000 lithium-ion batteries. It found dangerous manufacturing defects in low-cost and counterfeit batteries that could potentially lead to fires and explosions.The study tested 18650 lithium-ion battery cells, which are used in various products including electric toothbrushes, power tools, e-bikes, power banks, and even electric cars. The batteries were purchased from ten different brands: three OEMs, including Samsung and Panasonic, sourced from “highly reviewed, specialized suppliers,” three vendors selling rewraps (typically OEM batteries with their plastic outer wrapping replaced) sourced from “specialized battery sites” or the brand’s own web stores, and four companies selling low-cost or counterfeit batteries sourced from “large, general online retailers such as Temu.”Lumafield scanned 1,054 batteries – around 100 from each brand – and found 33 of them had a serious manufacturing defect known as negative anode overhang. The defect “significantly increases the risk of internal short-circuiting and battery fires” and can reduce the overall life of the battery,” according to Lumafield. All 33 of the batteries with the defects came from the 424 sold by low-cost brands or brands selling counterfeits. One of the counterfeits was identified by its pink wrapper designed to match the one Samsung uses on its 30Q cells. Other low-cost brands claimed capacities of 9,900 mAh while brand-name 18650 batteries have capacities in the range of 3,000-3,450 mAh. Not only were the counterfeits’ specs overinflated, but in real-world testing Lumafield found their capacities were less than 1,300 mAh.When taking only low-cost/counterfeit batteries into consideration, there’s nearly an 8 percent chance they could have the dangerous negative anode overhang defect, based on Lumafield’s findings. For two of the counterfeit brands that were reporting impossible specs, the percentage of tested batteries from those brands that were found to have the defect were even higher – upwards of 12 and 15 percent. None of the name brand OEM batteries were found to have any problems, and while there was some deviation in anode overhang for rewrap batteries, the deviations were seven times worse for the low-end cells.When looking at other indicators of build quality, all of the batteries from the low-cost brands also had much worse edge alignment of their internal wound layers than those made by reputable OEMs, increasing the risk of short circuits and performance loss.Defects like negative anode overhang and bad edge alignment don’t mean an affected battery is guaranteed to explode or catch fire, but they can increase the risk of those incidents occurring, particularly when combined with other factors such as being left in a hot car or an accidental drop causing additional damage.The results of Lumafield’s study suggest that batteries from reputable OEMs like Samsung, Panasonic, and Murata are safer and more reliable. And while rewrap batteries fared well in Lumafield’s test, their replaced wrapping makes it difficult to know exactly where they’ve been sourced which increases risks due to a potential lack of quality control in supply chain management. Not everyone has access to an X-ray CT machine to test the quality of the cells in every battery-powered device they purchase, but the study is a reminder that purchasing devices from reputable brands can increase the chances that their batteries are free of dangerous manufacturing defects. Trying to save money with less-known brands could end up costing you a lot more in the long run.

For years, Trello was my go-to for project management. It’s simple, a card-based interface was perfect for visualizing my tasks and keeping my personal projects organized. But as my needs evolved with confidential projects, so did my desire for better control. Being a self-hosting enthusiast, with a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device running in the corner, I realized I could do better.

Microsoft is bringing another big Xbox game to PlayStation 5 later this year. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, the latest installment in the franchise, is arriving on PS5 on December 8th. Sony revealed the release date for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 during its State of Play today, and also teased that Asobo Studio is working on PSVR 2 support for Flight Simulator 2024.Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on PS5 will support the adaptive triggers found on Sony's DualSense controller, and communications from air traffic control towers can even play through the controller speaker. "Gyro controls, lightbar support, and a customizable touchpad …Read the full story at The Verge.

When you hear VSCode, programming is probably one of the first things that come to mind. That’s a fair enough reputation as developers do seem to live in the app. But I don’t code, and it’s still an app I use almost every day for various projects and tasks.

Sony has announced new Pulse Elevate wireless speakers that you can use with your PS5, PC, Mac, and even a PlayStation Portal or smartphone. The company promises that they offer “lifelike desktop audio,” a built-in mic for voice chat, and support Sony’s PlayStation Link ultra-low latency technology.The speakers have a built-in rechargeable battery, so if you want to use them in places that aren’t your computer desk, you can pick them up bring them somewhere else. When you want to charge them back up, you can use the included charging docks.The speakers are set to launch sometime in 2026, and you’ll be able to buy them in black or in white, though the white version will be available “while supplies last.” Sony is promising more details on a specific launch date in “the coming months.”The Pulse Elevate speakers join Sony’s growing lineup of Pulse-branded audio accessories for gaming, which already includes things like the Pulse Explore wireless earbuds and the Pulse Elite headset.

The Snapdragon Summit is currently underway, and our editor-in-chief, Rich Woods, has been soaking up all of the new reveals and mingling with folk at the event. The last time I checked in with him, he was drooling over the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, so it's safe to assume he's having a blast.

Podcaster Theo Von and The Pokémon Company probably don’t have a lot in common. But one thing they can apparently agree on is that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should probably stop using them to promote deportation campaigns. The DHS posted a montage of ICE raids to X on Monday accompanied by the original Pokémon theme song and the caption “Gotta Catch ‘Em All.” The clip also features images from the anime and text overlays using a sort of Temu version of the Pokémon font. A day later, the agency posted a video featuring a viral clip of Theo Von where he stares into the camera and says “heard you got deported, dude… bye,” then tacked on stats about how many people had been deported so far under President Donald Trump.Both The Pokémon Company and Theo Von objected to DHS using them to promote ICE raids. Von quickly took to X, saying, “Yooo DHS i didnt approve to be used in this. I know you know my address so send a check. And please take this down and please keep me out of your ‘banger’ deportation videos.” The statement from The Pokémon Company was, unsurprisingly, a little more diplomatic. “Our company was not involved in the creation or distribution of this content, and permission was not granted for the use of our intellectual property,” the company told the Daily Beast. Fans have taken to social media to urge The Pokémon Company and Nintendo to sue, but at least one legal expert sees that as unlikely — despite the companies’ notoriously litigious nature. The Pokémon Company’s ex-legal chief Don McGowan told IGN that “This will blow over in a couple of days and they’ll be happy to let it.”The post featuring Theo Von has since been removed, suggesting that DHS is perhaps a little wary of angering the podcaster’s fan base. The Pokémon clip remains, however, and the Customs and Border Patrol X account even replied with a GIF of Detective Pikachu under the caption “Border Patrol’s newest recruit.”

An image of Wolverine’s claws from Sony’s PS5 Wolverine game. It’s been a long wait, but we finally got to see Insomniac’s take on Wolverine in action. The studio released a new trailer showing some of the surprisingly bloody superhero gameplay at Sony’s most-recent State of Play showcase. There’s no date yet, but the game — which is called simply Wolverine — is expected to launch on the PS5 in the fall of 2026.The game was first announced in 2021 with a brief cinematic trailer. At the time, Insomniac was pretty vague on the details of the game, but today’s trailer included the following synopsis:Become a living weapon. As he searches for answers about his past, Wolverine will do whatever it takes — unleashing brutal claw combat, violent rage, and relentless determination — to cut through the mystery of the man he used to be.In-development footage of the game started making the rounds as part of a massive Insomniac Games leak in 2023.The game has been particularly anticipated after Insomniac released a trio of excellent Spider-Man games, most recently with Spider-Man 2 on the PS5 in 2023.

Better performance, bigger battery savings. Qualcomm has formally unveiled its latest flagship SoC, destined for Android flagships in the very near future: the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. The name was revealed by way of a blog post last week, and if it seems like the company skipped forward a generation or two, that’s kind of the point. It features a third-generation Oryon CPU with boosted single- and multi-core performance, as well as a faster Hexagon NPU, with an emphasis on personalized, on-device AI experiences. The updated CPU comprises two prime cores of up to 4.6GHz and six performance cores up to 3.62GHz. Qualcomm claims up to 35 percent better power efficiency from the CPU, contributing to a 16 percent improvement in overall SoC efficiency. The updated Adreno GPU claims an increase of up to 23 percent in overall gaming performance, along with a 20 percent drop in power consumption.The updated Hexagon NPU likewise claims 37 percent faster performance as well as power savings over the previous version. Qualcomm suggests these improvements — along with use of its Snapdragon Sensing Hub — could enable more personalized AI that continues to learn about the user over time. On the camera side of things, the updated ISP supports the APV (Advanced Professional Video) codec. Qualcomm also claims to enable a “computational video pipeline.” Qualcomm’s Alex Katouzian explained at the company’s announcement keynote that this allows for AI enhancements to video on a frame-by-frame level. The ISP also enables context-aware autofocus, auto exposure, and auto white balance.The 8 Elite Gen 5 uses an X85 modem, announced earlier this year, which boasts 50 percent lower gaming latency thanks to “AI-enhanced Wi-Fi.” We’ll start seeing devices with the 8 Elite Gen 5 from all the usual Android suspects soon enough.

Qualcomm has just announced its latest compute products with the Snapdragon X2 Elite lineup of processors at the Snapdragon Summit event. But that's not the only exciting news for Windows on Arm fans — Qualcomm has also announced that more important apps are coming to Windows on Arm PCs, including Cinema 4D, ZBrush, and Razer's Synapse software.

It's new CPU season, and Qualcomm is beating Intel and AMD out of the gate to be the first at announcing next-gen laptop CPUs. They're called the Snapdragon X2 Elite and Elite Extreme. As always, there are reference designs showcasing the product, and this year, they're absolute bangers.