Today, video game hardware news and some details about what Microsoft announced at its E3 2019 briefing.

Microsoft details new console, extensive game lineup

Microsoft will release a new Xbox video game console in the fall of 2020. The company made the announcement on Sunday at its annual pre-E3 press event in Los Angeles.

Codenamed Project Scarlett, the new console will have a custom-designed processor, a solid-state drive, and deliver 8K resolution and graphics with ray tracing. It will also be backwards compatible.

More importantly, Halo Infinite, the latest game in the storied franchise, will be a launch title for Project Scarlett. A story trailer seemed to suggest a return to the themes and settings of the first game, which was a launch title for the very first Xbox back in 2001.

We didn’t learn much more about Gears of War 5, in development at Vancouver game studio, the Coalition, but there is an amazing new trailer for the game that perfectly sets the tone.

Other big news at the event included the revelation that Double Fine Productions, which is led by Tim Shafer and is working on Psychonauts 2 has been acquired by Xbox Game Studios. The Psychonauts sequel will still be published for PlayStation consoles, Shafer insisted.

One of the highlights of the Xbox event was an appearance by Keanu Reeves, who is playing a character in Cyberpunk 2077, an action game being developed by CD Project Red. After he referred to the game as being, “breathtaking,” someone in the audience yelled, “You’re breathtaking,” which not only got a laugh from the actor, but a throw back, “No, you’re breathtaking.”

Other games detailed at the Xbox E3 2019 event included Elden Ring, a new game being developed by FromSoftware and Hidetaka Miyazaki (Dark Souls) that has been co-created by Game of Thrones author, George R.R. Martin.

We also got a first look at gameplay for the new Star Wars video game, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, being developed by Respawn and published by Electronic Arts. It looks positively astounding.

Sony skipping E3 for the first time

Normally, Monday night in L.A. is when all the gaming journalists head to the Sony press briefing. Not this year, as the company opted to skip E3 for the first time since the trade show began in 1995.

We do know what they’ve got in the works, though, as Sony provided high-level details of its next console, expected to be named the PS5, back in April.

It’s going to support 8K graphics, with an 8-core CPU, ray-tracing, and a solid-state drive.

It’s likely that the new PlayStation console will ship in the fall of 2020.

Google reveals launch date and pricing of its Stadia gaming service

Just days before the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo, Google got a jump on all the video game excitement with more details about its Stadia game platform.

The streaming game service launches this November, giving customers all the gaming they want for a subscription price of Cdn$12 a month.

You can play games on the service through any Chrome browser, or on a TV using a Chromecast Ultra streaming device. Bluetooth and USB controllers and mouse and keyboard are supported, but Google has designed its own controller which will retail for $89.

Google has also developed a Stadia app, which is exclusive to the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a smartphones for now. But the company expects to make it available on more smartphones.

Google has opened pre-orders for the $170 Founders Edition package which includes a limited-edition controller, a Chromecast Ultra, a three-month subscription, and all of Destiny 2, including the new Shadowkeep chapter and an annual pass.

You’ll also be able to transfer your guardian from a Destiny 2 game on PC or Xbox One to your Stadia account.

Tied with this, Bungie announced that cross-platform saves are coming to all Destiny 2 players this September.

As for other games, the online briefing opened with a reveal of Baldur’s Gate 3, in development at Larian Studio (known for the Divinity: Original Sin games).

Other launch titles include three titles from Ubisoft (Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Ghost Recon Breakpoint and The Division 2, four titles from Bethesda (Doom, Doom Eternal, The Elder Scrolls Online, Wolfenstein: Youngblood), and four titles from Square Enix (the Tomb Raider trilogy and Final Fantasy XV).

Also coming are Borderlands 3 (2K) and the “Stranger Things-esque” Gylt (Tequila Works).

You don’t have to go with a subscription, either. Next year, Google will add the Stadia Base tier with which you can purchase standalone games that you’re interested in.

Google’s Stadia service promises lag-free gaming over an internet connection, up to 4K, HDR video at 60 frames per second.

Keep in mind that the drawback to this kind of delivery is a drain on your bandwidth. PC Gamer has done the math and determined that you’ll use up 1 TB of your data in 65 hours of gaming. Not good if you’ve got an internet plan with a data cap.

Watch the video of Google Stadia briefing below.

This week on The Shift with Drex, I talked about the changes coming to Apple’s various operating systems, the specs of the new Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR, Tor’s eBook of the Month Club picks for Pride Month, and the return of Tamagotchi.

This week, Tor celebrates Pride by giving away four digital novellas and Tamagotchis are back to tickle that nostalgic itch you’ve got. But first, news from Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, including a powerful – and expensive – new computer, Apple’s continuing privacy play, and updates to all the operating systems. Also: the death of iTunes.

Apple announces big changes to device operating systems

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is happening this week in San Francisco, and in a long media event on Monday, the company doubled down on personal privacy and announced a couple of new products.

But the biggest news was about the major changes to all of the operating systems that power Apple products, as well as a new OS to make the iPad even more useful.

tvOS 13

With Apple TV+ on the horizon, the company is creating a better experience on its Apple TV device. The new dashboard previews videos you’re browsing, and supports multiple users so each family member can have their own lists and recommendations.

Apple Music on tvOS will also display lyrics with the music, so you can have your own living room karaoke. And knowing that Apple Arcade is coming this fall, tvOS 13 will enable you to use PS4 and Xbox One controllers.

watchOS 6

Apple Watch is becoming more of an independent gadget all the time, and with watchOS 6 this is even more obvious. You’ll be able to listen to audiobooks directly from your watch, for one thing. Even better, though, is that apps will be able to run independently on Apple Watch without the need for an iPhone app. That warrants an App Store just for the Apple Watch, of course.

Perhaps the best addition, though, is the Cycle Tracking app, which allows females to track menstrual cycles.

iOS 13

Cycle Tracking is also coming to iOS 13 in the Health app.

Dark Mode is new with iOS 13, providing a more comfortable experience when you’re in low-light environments. Also new is swipe typing which, once you get the hang of it, makes it easier to communicate with speed. While third-party apps like SwiftKey have been providing this functionality, now it’s built right in to the system.

You’re also getting updates to photo editing within the Photos app and iOS will report to you on what apps are tracking your location, and apps won’t be able to use your Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connections to figure out where you are.

CarPlay, which works through iOS 13, gets an improved dashboard and Siri support for navigation apps like Waze.

iPadOS

Anyone who’s used an iPad knows that it’s different from a smartphone. Recognizing this, Apple is creating a unique operating system for the tablet device.

iPadOS brings a host of new features, including split-screen views, pop-up previews, and multiple spaces. It also adds computer-like functions like folder sharing and column view for files. You’ll be able to plug in thumb drives and use a mouse or trackpad controller.

iPadOS will work on iPads released since late 2014.

macOS Catalina

The next system update for Apple computers includes a number of updates, the most significant of which is Sidecar, which enables you to use an iPad as a second screen for your desktop or laptop. That means you can extend your desktop, or use the iPad as a drawing tablet when working with creative tools.

The more significant change that’s coming with Catalina is the removal of iTunes as an application. Apple is replacing the media manager with three separate apps: Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and Apple TV.

iTunes will still exist as a storefront for purchasing music and video, but your mobile devices will now appear on your computer desktop when you plug them in, and will be able to sync media from within each of the new apps.

This carries forward the media-specific app approach that Apple started when it split off books into the Apple Books app last year.

Mac Pro unveiled, brings power, but at a price

The redesigned Mac Pro, which we’ve been talking about for months, has finally been unveiled. It appears as though Apple pulled out all the stops.

The new desktop system can have up to 28 cores, up to 1.5 terabytes of system memory and can process three streams of 8K video. Don’t really know what those numbers mean? They mean that this is one of the most powerful off-the-shelf consumer computers ever designed.

The Mac Pro starts at USD$6,000.

A new monitor, the Pro Display XDR that was designed to work with the Mac Pro, costs USD$5,000. It’s an astonishing 32-inch display. And you’re unlikely to have one on your desk anytime soon.

Free downloads of novellas by Margaret Killjoy, Ellen Klages, Kai Ashante Wilson, and JY Yang

As part of it’s eBook of the Month Club, science fiction and fantasy publisher Tor has bundled up four novellas for readers to download for free.

“In Our Own Worlds” features “The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion” by Margaret Killjoy, “Passing Strange” by Ellen Klages, “A Taste of Honey” by Kai Ashante Wilson, and “The Black Tides of Heaven” by JY Yang.

Each features “LGBTQ+ characters and reflections of queer identity by queer authors” according to the publisher.

The books are available until midnight ET (9 p.m. PT) on June 7.

The return of Tamagotchi

First released by Japanese game and toy company Bandai in 1996, Tamagotchi was a “digital pet” that became a phenomenon in the late 1990s.

The first designs were little more than egg-shaped digital watches – tamago is Japanese for egg – with three buttons that pet owners would use to raise a creature from hatching into an adult.

It was one of the first sims, and the first models rewarded good parenting with creatures that seemed smarter and happier. Those who failed to care for their pet watched them sicken and even die.

Bandai is releasing a new version this summer, the Tamagotchi On. Retailing for US$60, the form factor is much the same, but the functionality is advanced compared to the originals.

With a colour LCD screen and Bluetooth, the new gadgets can talk to others, so your pet can meet up and even mate with others. Once it’s matured to an adult, of course.

This week on The Shift with Drex, I talked about the latest on Samsung’s Galaxy Fold, iRobot’s tag-team floor cleaners, the Training Commission narrative experiment, and Minecraft Earth, coming this summer to your Android and iOS devices.

This week, robots that will clean your floors, storytellers find new ways to thrill, and Minecraft in real life. Sort of. But first, the latest on Samsung’s Galaxy Fold.

Some Galaxy Fold preorders are being cancelled

If you had your heart set on a folding smartphone, you may want to wish for something else.

In the U.S., Best Buy has cancelled preorders for the Samsung Galaxy Fold

Samsung’s U.S. division sent emails to customers earlier in May saying that if the handsets weren’t shipped by May 31, orders would be automatically cancelled. This was done to adhere to U.S. federal regulations, Reuters learned.

And today, Korean news outlets were reporting that Samsung has decided it can’t hit the unofficial relaunch window of June.

Samsung Canada is still collecting information from customers interested in being notified about the Fold north of the 49th.

iRobot unleashes tag-team cleaners for your floors

If you thought having a robot vacuum your floors was cool, imagine a robot that will mop them, too.

You don’t have to imagine, as iRobot has made this a reality.

The company has gone even further, today revealing the latest models that work together to keep your floors clean.

After the Roomba s9+ finishes with the vacuuming, it tells the Braava jet m6 that it’s time to mop.

Both devices are equipped with the iRobot sensors that enable them to navigate and map your home to clean effectively and efficiently.

The new robots are available starting today.

The Roomba s9 sells for $1,300 and can be purchased with the Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal (as the Roomba s9+) for $1,650. The Braava jet m6 sells for $700.

Clever creators keep finding new ways to tell stories

There’s this new serialized story I’ve been reading, and it’s being delivered to me by email.

It’s called The Training Commission and it’s written by Brendan Byrne and Ingrid Burrington, and this curious narrative experiment is set in a near future United States, and imagines what society might be like if we continue down the current path of social media run amuck and personal privacy at the mercy of corporations.

The tale is told through emails that are sent by freelance journalist Aoife Tkachenko to various contacts. There’s a lot of information that is left to the audience to fill in, and the instalments so far have been setting up some great narrative moments.

When you subscribe, you get three emails a week; we’re three weeks into the eight-week story. It’s not too late to subscribe and get caught up before the story really takes off.

Minecraft augmented reality experience coming this summer

Microsoft continues to show that the $2.5 billion it paid for Mojang was money well spent.

This summer, Minecraft Earth is being released in a beta version for Android and iOS mobile devices, and will bring the experience into the real world through augmented reality.

Through your device’s screen, you’ll be able to see Minecraft structures – and creatures – in the world around you. Some of these you’ll be placing yourself, others will be placed by other players, and there will also be areas in which Minecraft staff have created spaces where multiple players can come together and interact with the AR Minecraft at the same time.

The experiences are not only going to be about building, either. Minecraft Earth will also include combat.

I’m ridiculously excited about this, as this mobile game was borne out of something that Minecraft developers were building in HoloLens. I was one of a handful of people who got to try the HoloLens Minecraft demo at E3 in 2015, and this is very similar.

Here’s where you can sign up for the closed beta.