Tausi Insider

I love PSVR . The exclusives are excellent, as is the ability to play PlayStation games on a giant floating virtual screen. But I will admit, the hardware can’t compete in the 2022 VR space. Against tech from Meta and HTC, it’ s the perfect time for PlayStation VR 2 to launch. And while we won’t see it until sometime early next year, we can start securing our spot right now (as long as we’re chosen). What’s new with PS VR2? Sony’s PS VR2 is a considerable upgrade from the original PlayStation VR . The new headset bumps the resolution from 960 x 1080 to 2000 x 2040 (4K), supports HDR, and increases the field of view from 100˚ to 110˚. It also supports eye tracking for realistic eye movements, and Tempest 3D audio. It s inside-out tracking system eliminates the need for a camera, which should make setup so much easier. Of course, the even bigger upgrade is to the controllers. While PS VR used 2010's PlayStation Move controllers, PS VR2's controllers are designed for VR, pa...

Nintendo Power is an iconic part of Nintendo history, and gaming history generally . It s 24- year, 285- issue run spanned multiple generations of gamers, and helped us finish tough games played on systems from the OG NES to the Wii U. Many of us have fond memories of flipping through it , but didn’t have the forethought to save them (or hide them from our decluttering parents before heading off to college) . But that’s OK, because in another reminder there’s no better cure for nostalgia pangs than the internet , every issue is available to download right now. As reported by Nintendo Life , a group of archivists have been working on a project dubbed “Retromags,” an endeavor to upload retro magazines to the internet for fans to peruse and reminisce. Nintendo Power is the latest magazine the archivists have targeted and finished uploading. Now, you can download each and every one of those 285 issues to your computer to enjoy at your leisure. One user, Gumball, even added the entir...

Photo : ultrafx ( Shutterstock ) It’s been two years since Microsoft released their Xbox Series S, and the price has finally come down below the $300 mark for the holidays:   Microsoft has announced that their simpler, sleeker Xbox Series S model (compared to the bigger and more powerful Series X) will be $50 off for the holiday season, for a total of $250. But there’s another deal you can take advantage of for a limited time, too. What is the Xbox Series S deal? Target is offering a $50 gift card for those who buy their Xbox Series S online before Saturday, Nov. 19. There is no delivery option, though, you must pick it up in-store. That means you can get the Xbox Series S for a net spending of $200 if you plan to spend at least $50 at Target . Target also offers the “ RedCard ” credit card that you can use to save an additional 5%. And Target has pledged that if the price of the Xbox Series S drops any lower before Dec. 24, Target will refund the difference with the...

Photo : Shuang Li ( Shutterstock ) It’s November, which means it is once again Black Friday season (the Friday after Thanksgiving now somehow lasting an entire month), and retailers across the internet—and the brick-and-mortar chains that remain—are dropping deals. Traditionally, this is the best/worst time to be a video game fan. The best, because tons of A-level games are on generous sales, some of them for the first time. And the worst, because you probably bought a lot of those games for full price when they came out and—if you’re anything like me—you have barely played them since. That’s why, in the interest of never feeling the sting of unrealized savings, I have vowed to never pay full price for a game again—and you should too. FOMO versus reality Before you rush to tell me I wrong, I’ll start with a caveat: If you are the kind of gamer who simply must play the hot new game when it’s at its newest and hottest, then by all means, do so. But be honest with yourself before yo...

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are glitchfests . In this age of post-launch updates, many games have their fair share of bugs and issues, but at $60 a pop, Scarlet and Violet’s problems are borderline impressive, struggling to run on the same console other AAA titles like Breath of the Wild and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 worked with just fine. If you’re thinking about throwing in the towel and asking for your money back, you’re not alone. Now, if you’re a long-time Nintendo fan, you might know the company does not have a generous returns policy . Anything purchased on the eShop is, by company policy, a completed sale, and ineligible for a refund. While you can return physical games, Nintendo will not accept any opened items, meaning if you’ve played the game, you can’t return it. Nintendo sticks to this policy so intently they warn you to look up reviews before buying the game. Not many companies have “do your research, idiot” as a customer service philosophy, but Nintendo is spe...

Image : Brendan Hesse Sony and Microsoft recently unveiled the first batch of new games joining their respective subscription services, and December is shaping up to be an excellent month of gaming for PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass members alike. It also looks like both companies are getting ready to cycle several beloved titles out of their free game catalogs. To help you plan out your holiday gaming, here’s a roundup of everything joining (and leaving) PS Plus and Game Pass in December 2022. Every game joining PlayStation Plus in December 2022 (so far) Image : PlayStation Blog We might only know part of PlayStation Plus’ December lineup, but Sony’s service is already stacked with some meaty new additions. Starting with the PS Plus Essentials, PS5 and PS4 players can download Mass Effect Legendary Edition this month, which includes remastered versions of Mass Effect , Mass Effect 2 , and Mass Effect 3 in a single package. Developed by BioWare, the Mass Effect trilogy is o...

Official Launch Trailer - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Widely regarded as among the best RPGs ever made, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt could easily become your life. Its open world, do-whatever-you-want style is reminiscent of pen-and-paper RPGs, except you don’t have to do any math or deal with other humans. Just completing the main plot takes around 55 hours , but a full, kill-every-monster and collect-every-weapon, run will take nearly 200 hours, if you’re playing the Game of the Year edition. Platforms : PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows https://www.tausiinsider.com/11-of-the-longest-narrative-video-games-ever-made/?feed_id=330094&_unique_id=64480e2deaf2d

Photo : DANIEL CONSTANTE ( Shutterstock ) When people talk Mario Kart in 2022, most people mean Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Switch. That’s where Nintendo puts its focus, adding new courses and game elements like customizable items , so it’s odd to see a new update to a Mario Kart game that isn’t   Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Weirder still, Nintendo’s latest news affects Mario Kart 7 , a game that launched on the Nintendo 3DS over 10 years ago. Nintendo quietly released a new patch for Mario Kart 7 on Tuesday, Dec. 13, and players don’t know what to make of it—partly because Nintendo won’t tell anyone what’s actually in the update. According to the official release notes, Mario Kart 7 version 1.2 addresses “several issues” to “improve the gameplay experience.” What that means is anybody’s guess. And guess, they have! Twitter user OatmealDome guesses the update patches a severe security vulnerability seen in other Nintendo games like Splatoon 2 and Animal Crossing , since it’s possib...

Screenshot : Joel Cunningham Spotify Wrapped is such a simple idea: It does nothing but show people a summary of what they listened to in the last year, but in a way that is loaded with fun bespoke data , and oh-so-shareable . It’s a fun way to reflect on the past 365 days , which is why more and more companies are capitalizing on the trend . The latest to do so is Nintendo, which has launched its own “Nintendo Switch Year in Review ” for 2022. Here’s how to check out yours. If you haven’t heard of Nintendo Switch Year in Review, you’re not alone. For some reason, Nintendo doesn’t make its Year in Review available directly on the Switch, which definitely hampers the number of players exposed to the fun feature. ( I, for one, only found out about it thanks to social media chatter.) To be fair, Nintendo does have a featured article in the Switch’s News tab discussing it , but that isn’t much for outreach. I had to refresh News a couple times to see it, and I only bothered to do tha...

Photo : ultrafx ( Shutterstock ) It’s not too late to get a deal on an Xbox for the holidays: Best Buy is offering the Xbox Series S right now for $250 and throwing a free wireless Xbox controller in the cart for you just in time for Christmas. The console already comes with one wireless controller, but having a second one (usually retailing for $40 to $65 ) feels extra nice . How to get the Best Buy Xbox Series S deal? When you add the Xbox Series S to your online cart, Best Buy should automatically add a free wireless Xbox controller to the order. You can pick it up at your local store or have it shipped to your home for free by Christmas. W ith Best Buy’s price- match program, you can also keep an eye out for any sweeter deals you find after the fact, such as t his Xbox Series S from BJ’s for $234.99 . The purchase will also come with free returns until Jan. 14, 2023 . How is the Series S different from the Series X? You can think of the Series S as the Series X’s younger ...