Since it was announced at E3 2015, my interest in Media Molecule's Dreams had waxed and waned. 

Described as a "sketchbook", among many other things, Dreams had always looked promising and somewhat surreal, the ultimate creative platform that seemed potentially too ambitious to succeed. As Dreams began to gather legs and move its way into alpha testing then beta testing, my interest turned from intrigue to awe. 

I, like many others, watched the various beautiful creations the community had crafted, from full English breakfasts to sanguine beach settings, and found myself somewhat intimidated by the platform. And that's what Dreams is essentially, it is not a game, it is a creative platform. And I am not a creative. I could never make the things these people were making, so why try?

But here is the key to enjoying Dreams: you don't need to be a creative. You don't even need to be an artist. Dreams is much more than its creative mode, if you just take the time to explore.

We're not all Picasso

It's hard to deny that Dreams' creative mode, or 'Dream Shaping', can take some getting used to. At first sight, it's extremely intimidating, and developer Media Molecule's tutorials are often reminiscent of that time you bought a 'how to draw' book in school and proceeded to just draw lots of circles. 

However, the beauty of Dreams is you don't actually have to create anything at all. You can simply enjoy the games, sculptures, music and art that (more talented) others in the community have created.

"You go there and play stuff - that might be all you ever do - and that's more than enough"

"It's a place that you can go to consume and just see things that people in the PlayStation community have made," creative director Mark Healey tells me at the Dreams launch event. "Or you go there and join in the fun and start making some stuff yourself. 

"I like to compare it to YouTube, that's the best analogy I can think of. A lot of people know what YouTube is and most people go there to watch things. And I think the same happens with Dreams, you go there and play stuff -  that might be all you ever do - and that's more than enough."

While I was initially a bit cynical about Healey's comments, the more I 'Dream Surfed' through the community's creations, the more I realized how right he was. I was able to jump in and out of an abundance of varying creations, sampling a taste of someone else's creativity before jumping into something totally different. One second you're watching animals sing Auld Lang Syne and the next you're smashing up an art gallery.

Not everything is the Mona Lisa

"You don't have to create. You can just go and lose yourself searching," Healey enthuses to me. "If you love playing games, you've got such a mad range of things already. 

"But the thing that really excites me about it already is, you know obviously some people are really going for epic, releasing their little teaser trailers and things, and some people just make these really silly and wacky things. Yeah, that's the stuff that really turns me on with this."

And this is perhaps what I love about Dreams the most: not everything is perfectly polished. In fact, some of the most enjoyable games that I played were the shoddiest - in the best way. 

Take, for example, Witchy Woods. Witchy Woods is a short but memorable game that sees you playing as a Scottish man who needs to cross through a forest invested with witches to get his car, before heading back home again. But this isn't some polished, Blair Witch-style game. Instead imagine a poorly recorded (and hilarious) voice-over, some cone-bodied cartoon witches and a car that rams through a scene that looks like it's been drawn by a child. It was brilliantly rubbish and unlike anything we would likely get to experience otherwise.

As Healey points out, these aren't the types of games we see being funded by studios, but they're nevertheless brilliantly fun. And, through Dreams, we get to experience them.

Creative community

During my time with Dreams, I did not build one single thing. And I had a blast. Instead I consumed everything I could, from llama platform games to point-and-click adventures, to 3D artwork of mice, I was never at a loss for a game to try or a new piece of art to examine. 

And while I was still in awe of these creations, I felt like part of the community rather than an outsider. We can't all be Picasso, but art is nothing without people to consume it.

• PS5: release date, specs, news and rumors

There's only a few months to wait until Final Fantasy 7 Remake officially releases, but you may want to start making space on your PS4 now because, according to a new leak, the game's install will take up over 100GB of storage. 

An art cover for the physical edition of the game was leaked on Twitter (via TweakTown), showing the game's install size as being 100GB. Square Enix has already confirmed the game will be spread over two Blu-ray discs, so that's about 50GB per disc.

Check out the art cover below:

That's a huge amount of space required for one game, making it one of the biggest games (in terms of storage) to hit the PS4 - with Red Dead Redemption 2 just slightly bigger at 104GB. To put it in perspective, Uncharted 4 was 64GB and Kojima's Death Stranding was 48GB, while Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was a colossal 175GB.

Not hugely surprising

While 100GB is a huge amount of storage, and certainly a tall order for some folks still rocking subpar connection speeds, we're not overly surprised considering how detailed Final Fantasy 7 Remake appears to be - and how big the world itself is likely to be.

Plus, it's likely the game is being developed with the PS5 in mind, so we better get used to games of this size.

At least there's the option to install one disc at a time, for those who may not want to go on a game deleting spree, but remember that this is only the first episode of Final Fantasy 7 Remake - there's even more to come. And somehow we doubt they're going to get any smaller...

• Hands on: Final Fantasy 7 Remake

There have been rumors floating around for a while now that the PS5 reveal event will take place sometime in February 2020. But as we rocket through the month, this has looked less and less likely – with a March reveal seeming more probable.

However there's still a slim possibility we will see the PS5 revealed in February as Sony has suggested the PlayStation 5 will follow the release schedule of the PS4 - which was revealed at a PlayStation Meeting on February 20, 2013 before being released in November of the same year.

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In a recent earnings call (via GamesRadar),  Sony's senior executive vice president, Hiroki Totoki, suggested the PS5 reveal schedule will be similar to that of its predecessors.

"It's very difficult to really discuss this timing-wise,"Totoki said. "But as of today, we will provide the guidance at a time period which is comparable to the past. So we will not change the time schedule."

A few weeks left

According to Totoki, the PS5 will be revealed "when the time is right". 

If the PS5 is following the PS4's schedule then we're likely to see a reveal event in February - which leaves only two weeks for the console to be unveiled. Although, we don't expect it to be the exact same date of February 20. 

It's still possible that the schedule is quite loose, and the reveal event still may be pushed into March. But we can only speculate at this point. Until Sony confirms a date for the reveal, we can only make educated guesses.

• PS5 and Xbox Series X-ready TVs: enjoy next-gen console games at their stunning best

Una nueva semana, una nueva ronda de rumores sobre la PlayStation 5 con la consola a punto de ser anunciada. El furor de la cascada de presuntas filtraciones ha disminuido, pero el río sigue llevando agua.

Y aunque todos los rumores son sólo eso, rumores que no valen para nada hasta que Sony no los ponga en negro sobre blanco, merece la pena que los revisemos y los clasifiquemos en la escala de credibilidad de (casi) confirmado a improbable.

• Xbox Series X: lanzamiento, especificaciones, diseño y lanzamiento
• Sony PS5: lanzamiento, especificaciones, diseño y lanzamiento
• Xbox Series X contra PS5: los rumores dicen que gana la PS5

La PS5 correrá casi todos los juegos del la PS4: (casi) confirmado

Este rumor ha sido casi totalmente confirmado en una conferencia de resultados del CEO de Ubisoft Yves Guillemot. Según Guillemot, tanto la nueva Xbox Series X como la PS5 “podrán utilizar casi todos los juegos de la consolas anteriores”.

"Será algo nuevo en la industria," dijo Guillemot. "[La retro-compatibilidad] ayudará a que las antiguas generaciones continúen siendo grandes en los próximos años”.

Este dato ya se había filtrado como rumor/especulación, así que es una buena noticia poder confirmarlo al 99% gracias a un sello serio como Uibsoft.

Una patente apunta a una nueva manera de usar la PSVR 2: quizás

Sony ha patentado un nuevo controlador que usa el movimiento para la PSVR 2, la segunda versión del sistema de realidad virtual de la PS5. 

Publicado por la organización international de patentes  WIPO, la nueva patente describe  un nuevo controlador con una forma similar al de la Nintendo Wii pero equipado con sensores que pueden registrar el movimiento de los dedos que determina que usuario está jugando así como la distancia entre varios controladores.

"Este dispositivo de control se lleva en la mano e incluye: varios unidades sensor que detectan la dedos del usuario; y una pieza para soportar las unidades,” dice la descripción de la patente. “La pieza da soporte a los sensores sirve para cambiar la distancia entre sensores.”

¿Será esta patente indicativa de nuevos controladores Move para la PSVR2? Esperemos, aunque casi todas las patents no se materializan en productos finales.

El precio de la PS5 se va a incrementar: ¿improbable?

Un artículo de Bloomberg dice que el incremento de los costes de la memoria DRAM y NAND — que son cruciales para el funcionamiento del procesador de la consola y son componentes muy demandados por la industria del celular — hace que la posibilidad de que Sony mantenga el precio final de la PS5 por debajo de los $400 será poco menos que imposible.

De hecho, el informe dice que el coste de fabricación de cada consola será de unos $450 por unidad. Con ese precio resultaría imposible que Sony vendiera esa consola por menos de $500 a no ser que no quieran perder dinero con tal de capturar cuota de mercado. Los $499 sería el mismo que el precio original de la Xbox One y la Xbox One X. De hecho, si se añaden los costes globales de marketing, el precio de coste por unidad se podría disparar y a Sony no le quedaría otra que comerse la pérdida si no quiere que Microsoft la destroce.

Por otra parte, ya había especulación que decía que el recio final sería de $499, así que este rumor no cambia mucho los anteriores. Sin embargo, seguimos creyendo que Sony cometería un error enorme si lanzara la PS5 a $500, por lo que vamos a calificar este rumor como un dubitativo improbable.

PS5 and Xbox Series X backwards compatibility will be much better than we thought, as Ubisoft has confirmed the next-gen consoles will be able to run a lot of the best PS4 and Xbox One games. 

In a recent earnings call (via GamesRadar), Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot stated that both Microsoft and Sony's upcoming consoles "will be running almost all the back catalog of the previous consoles."

"It will be something new in the industry,"Guillemot said. "[Backwards compatibility] will help the old generations to continue to be big consoles on the market for years to come."

• PS5 vs Xbox Series X: what we know so far
• PS5 games: all the games rumored and confirmed for the PlayStation 5
• Xbox Series X: all the games rumored and confirmed for the next Xbox

Keep your games

We already knew that both the PlayStation5  and Xbox Series X will support backwards compatibility. But while Sony has been a bit more upfront about the feature, revealing that the PS5 will be backwards compatibility with PS4 games and hardware, Microsoft has held its cards closer to its chest.

It's welcome news to hear that we won't have to trade in our old PS4 and Xbox One games when we upgrade to the next-gen consoles, but we're still waiting to hear if either console's backwards compatibility stretches across more than one generation. We certainly hope so. 

For now, it's reassuring to know that we can carry our current-gen game libraries with us into the next generation.

• PS5 vs PS4 Pro: will it be worth the upgrade?

BioWare has committed to a "longer-term redesign" of Anthem, which aims to essentially reinvent the game as we know it. 

In a new blog post, BioWare general manager Casey Hudson announced the redesign and pledged that the studio is working to improve upon core aspects of the game that received negative feedback from players and critics.

"Over the last year, the team has worked hard to improve stability, performance and general quality of life while delivering three seasons of new content and features," Hudson writes. "We have also heard your feedback that Anthem needs a more satisfying loot experience, better long-term progression and a more fulfilling end game. So we recognize that there’s still more fundamental work to be done to bring out the full potential of the experience, and it will require a more substantial reinvention than an update or expansion."  

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"Over the coming months we will be focusing on a longer-term redesign of the experience, specifically working to reinvent the core gameplay loop with clear goals, motivating challenges and progression with meaningful rewards – while preserving the fun of flying and fighting in a vast science-fantasy setting. And to do that properly we’ll be doing something we’d like to have done more of the first time around – giving a focused team the time to test and iterate, focusing on gameplay first."

This reinvention means BioWare is moving away from full seasons in order to focus its attention on the redesign, but there will still be events, store refreshes and season content.

"Creating new worlds is central to our studio mission, but it’s not easy," Hudson continues. "Sometimes we get it right, sometimes we miss. What keeps us going is the support from players like you. Your feedback gives us guidance on how we can improve, and your passion inspires us with the courage to create. I look forward to working together with your involvement and feedback towards the best possible future for Anthem."

Can Anthem be revived?

It's been one year since Anthem released to a largely negative reception, with fans and media criticizing the game for its dull story, repetitive end-game and bugs – among other things. 

In our Anthem review, we said:

"It is a game of oxymorons and inconsistencies. The story is designed to be single-player but the game is clearly not. The gameplay is an absolute joy but is stifled by the repetitive nature of the end-game. The character animations are truly sublime, but most of the characters themselves are cliché and predictable. 

"Anthem is a fun game, and a stunningly pretty one, but with flaws in nearly every other aspect of its design. It will improve with patches, updates, and a strong community, but it isn’t a particularly strong foundation. This is less an anthem, and more an annoying earworm..."

While BioWare tried to implement smaller patches to improve the experience, none have been quite enough to change the perception of the game and Anthem became one of 2019's biggest disappointments. 

Maybe BioWare's redesign will breathe some much-needed new life into Anthem.

• How to make money in Anthem: your guide to earning coins and shards

Microsoft is aiming to shake things up when it comes to revealing more about the upcoming Xbox Series X, according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer.

In an interview with Gamertag Radio (via VGC), Spencer explained how the next-gen console's initial reveal at The Game Awards was something he was unsure of, but that it was the start of Microsoft's "different" approach to releasing more information on the Series X.

According to Spencer, in the lead up to Xbox Series X's release, Microsoft will continue to approach reveals "in a different way” to its previous consoles. 

• Xbox Series X games: all the games rumored and confirmed for the next Xbox
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Shaking things up

Spencer explained that the decision to unveil the Series X at The Game Awards came from a marketing lead who, correctly, pointed out that the company needs to "try new things" with the next-generation console. 

“It was cool to do it and I think the response has been great,” Spencer said. “But to be completely honest with you, I could be sitting with you today and it could’ve been a disaster. You have to make those decisions and you make them without all the knowledge of how it’s going to play out.”

Spencer hinted that we'll be seeing more "bold" moves from Microsoft when it comes to Xbox Series X reveals, in the lead up to the console's release.

“I’m really happy with the way [Game Awards] played out and the response from the fans, but every decision we make between now and launch… we’re trying to think about things in a different way,” Spencer said.

PS5 looming

With the next-generation console war looming, it's no surprise that Microsoft is considering a different approach to its marketing - especially given that the PS4 beat out the Xbox One (in terms of units sold) this generation. 

However, Sony still seems to have a few tricks up its sleeve as the company is keeping tight-lipped about its plans for the PS5. That element of surprise has kept fans on their toes, with PlayStation 5 hype at fever-pitch now that the company has confirmed it won't be at E3 2020. When will Sony reveal it? What will it look like? 

We're hoping Microsoft continues to be "bold" and "different" with its reveals leading up to release. It's going to need to.

• Xbox Series X wishlist: the most wanted specs, features and games

Many of us may be impatiently waiting for Rockstar Games to officially announce GTA 6 is in the works, but a recent earnings call, Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two Interactive hinted that we won't see a new GTA anytime soon. And, to be honest, I'm really not surprised.

During the same earnings call, Take-Two revealed that GTA Online – the online multiplayer mode of GTA 5 – delivered its "best holiday quarter ever for both audience size and net bookings".

Not only that, but third-quarter spending on micro-transactions in Grand Theft Auto Online grew a whopping 54%, partly – no doubt – due to the release of the Diamond Casino and Resort update in July, 2019.

• Best upcoming games 2020: most anticipated titles for PS4, Xbox One and Switch

"We're now on track to deliver a new record for Grand Theft Auto Online recurrent consumer spending in fiscal 2020," Strauss H. Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive, said during the earnings call. "Sales of Grand Theft Auto V also exceeded our expectations, and the title has now sold in more than 120 million units."

So, with GTA Online proving to be an ever-growing gold mine, why would Rockstar Games want (or need) to release GTA 6 anytime soon? The simple answer: it doesn't. 

Cash cow

To date, 120 million copies of GTA 5 have been sold globally. According to the earnings call, Take-Two Interactive expects GTA Online to be one of its biggest earners for fiscal year 2020, with the publisher expecting "current consumer spending to grow by approximately 10%, driven primarily by growing Grand Theft Auto Online and Red Dead Online".  

Realistically, there's no financial pressure for Rockstar to release GTA 6 anytime soon, even if fans are waiting with bated breath for an announcement. GTA 5 (and therefore GTA Online) is still a money-earner, with consumer spending continuing to grow year-on-year. Which is why it wouldn't make sense to try and shift these consumers to a new game right now, which is potentially what Rockstar would try and do.

But actually, I think there's three possible options for what Rockstar Games' approach will be for GTA Online and GTA 6 – and one seems more probable than the others.

Move everyone over as quickly as possible

The first approach would potentially be to release GTA 6 in the next few years (likely late 2021 or mid 2022) with an online mode available straight away. Rockstar would then try to transition GTA Online players to the new online mode. 

However, with players already settled and comfortable with GTA 5 and GTA Online, moving that player base to a new game is a risky move. As we've seen with Red Dead Online, online gamers aren't always keen on moving elsewhere when they've poured hours into a game. Especially when so many have sank their well-earned cash into in-game transactions that they're very likely to lose in a new iteration of the online multiplayer mode – unless Rockstar finds a way to transfer those transactions to a new game (which may alienate new players straight off the bat).

Practically, though, the studio is more likely to be focusing its efforts on the core GTA 6 game, then release an online mode later.

Waiting game

The second, and probably more likely option, is that we will see GTA 6 release in that same release window but without an online mode. This would allow players to purchase GTA 6 but still play (and spend money in) GTA Online. 

Rockstar could then implement an online mode for GTA 6 a few months or years after launch, slowly transitioning players from GTA Online to the new online mode - although it's likely this could impact the performance of Red Dead Online.

GTA 5's online mode launched within weeks of the base game, but didn't start gathering steam until a few years into the game's lifespan – making this the most likely option.

It's also worth taking into account the extra time that may be required to develop GTA 6's online mode on next-gen consoles. However, Take-Two president, Karl Slatoff, is confident that the transition of the publisher's live service titles will still be successful.

"What exactly the transition is going to be [from game to game] between the console cycles will vary," Slatoff said. "But there's no reason to believe that the success that we're experiencing with those services would be any less in the new generation that is than the old generation."

Not all players may want to move to next-gen consoles as soon as possible, as it doesn't sound like it'll be cheap. Giving them the option to slowly transition is likely to be beneficial in the long term.

Plus, launching an online mode later would allow Rockstar to continue to reap the rewards from GTA Online, while growing a base for GTA 6. Then, when that base is solid enough, try to transition players from the old to the new. It is arguably the most sensible way to do it. Unless...

GTA Online goes independent

The last, but probably least likely, option is that GTA Online goes independent. Instead of simply being a multiplayer mode for GTA 5, it could become a game in its own right, without ties to any of the core Grand Theft Auto titles.

It would be a risky, and more work intensive, move from Rockstar but would mean that players don't need to buy a whole new game to access GTA Online.

Instead, Online could be made available as a free-to-play download on consoles or through Rockstar Games Launcher on PC. 

However, this approach would likely impact the sales of the core game. It seems like a big draw of players to GTA 5 is the free online multiplayer mode, which comes free with the paid-for game. I can see the core game sales being affected if that free online mode was no longer available no matter how good it may be – and Rockstar wouldn't want that.

The truth is, we can only speculate right now about what's going to happen with GTA 6 and GTA Online. But Take-Two has said it reveal more about its pipeline plans in the coming months: let's just hope GTA 6 is among them.

• Red Dead Redemption 2 performance: you're going to need a beefy gaming PC 

We've been waiting with bated breath for news on the inevitable GTA 6, but it sounds like we won't be getting our hands on a new Grand Theft Auto anytime soon.

During a recent earnings call, Grand Theft Auto publisher (and Rockstar Games' parent company) Take-Two Interactive referred to the company's upcoming release schedule as the "most robust pipeline" in its history. 

However, while that may ignite excitement that we'll be seeing GTA 6 sometime in the near future, this pipeline apparently runs over several years and the publisher exphasized that this doesn't mean we'll be seeing a AAA release every year.

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"That said, we haven't always been able to achieve our goal of having a strong frontline release schedule in every year, even in the recent past," Take-Two CEO, Strauss H. Zelnick, explained during the call. 

"Given that we're a company that depends on our creative teams to make as close to perfect products as possible, we have to be willing to live with the vagaries of product deliveries. And that means, sometimes, we will have thin frontline years. But even in those frontline years, we've been able to deliver really great financial results."

It could be a while

Zelnick's comments seem to suggest that, while Take-Two's overall release schedule will boast some strong games, these won't necessarily be releasing every year. It seems like some years will be quieter than others while the studios polish their products - and this year could be one of them. 

We weren't realistically expecting a GTA 6 release in 2020, especially with the release of next-gen consoles at the end of the year and Rockstar Games still riding on the success of GTA Online. However there's a possibility that we may hear more about the next GTA in the coming months. Well, we hope. 

"Our goal is, obviously - look, we have insight into many years into the future what the pipeline is," Take-Two president, Karl Slatoff, said. "And one thing we know for sure is that it will change. And not everything in the pipeline will see the light of day that's currently in the pipeline, and there'll be things that are not in the pipeline that will come out.

"But our goal is to share as much information as we can, to give you insight into what we see, which is a multiyear pipeline. And when exactly we do that, you'll have to wait and see, but really, it will be in the coming months, and when that information comes, you'll know it."

• Read more: GTA 5 cheats

It can be hard to keep track of all the PS5 rumors flying about right now. It seems like every day there's a leak, Reddit post or tweet claiming to have information about the upcoming PlayStation 5. 

While all rumors should be taken with a big ol' pinch of salt, there are some that are more believable than others - not to mention the legit information that sneaks in between. 

• Xbox Series X: release date, specs, design and launch titles
• PS5 games: all the games confirmed and rumored for the PlayStation 5
• PS5 vs Xbox Series X: what we know so far

With that in mind, here at TechRadar, we've decided to put together a weekly roundup of the latest PS5 rumors (and some legit news) that will hopefully make things a bit more digestible for you. We've also ranked them from the "most likely" to the "least likely", based on our own expert knowledge. 

So, what's the rumor mill churning out this week? Well, PS5 pre-orders may open as early as March, the console may be delayed by coronavirus, and a local Gamestop employee knows the ins and outs of Sony's launch plans.

The PS5 price is still undecided - confirmed

In the only confirmed news of the week, Sony has revealed that it hasn't set a price for the PlayStation 5 yet.

In an earnings call (via Spiel Times), Sony's chief financial officer Hiroki Totoki revealed the company still hasn't nailed down the PS5 price.

"What is not very clear or visible is because we are competing in the space, so it’s very difficult to discuss anything about the price at this point of time, and depending upon the price level, we may have to determine the promotion that we are going to deploy and how much costs we are prepared to pay," Totoki explained.

Check out the full story here.

PS5 official website is now live, suggesting a reveal isn't far behind - most likely

Sony has quietly launched the PS5's official website ahead of the next-gen console's release in late 2020.

Initially spotted on Reddit (via GamesRadar), the website offers fans the chance to sign-up "to be among the first to receive updates as we announce them, including news on the PS5 release date, PS5 price and the upcoming roster of PS5 launch games".

The launch of the official website suggests that an official PS5 reveal event is just around the corner. So, despite the website launch being confirmed, the idea of an imminent reveal event is a pretty likely rumor.

You can read the full story here.

PS5 pre-orders start in March - maybe

According to a tweet by @PSErebus, Sony's next-gen console will be revealed at a PlayStation Meeting in March, with pre-orders opening soon after.

The user's original tweet claiming pre-orders will start in March was posted back in December, however the user has been retweeting it and doubling down in the face of doubters who claim the PS5 reveal will be in February.

While @PSErebus previously correctly leaked The Last of Us 2's initial release date, we're still skeptical of the validity of this rumor. However, as we're rocketing through February, a reveal event this month does seem less and less likely. So maybe a March reveal is possible? Especially given that Sony hasn't given any indication of an event yet, despite us expecting a reveal to be imminent. 

You can read the full story here.

PS5 will be delayed by coronavirus - unlikely

A report claims that the PS5 and Xbox Series X release dates could be delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak. But we don't think its very likely. 

Financial services company, Jefferies Group (via Business Insider), published a note this week which claims that, because of Sony and Microsoft manufacturing their consoles and accessories in China (which has been hit hardest by the virus), the upcoming PS5 and Xbox Series X releases may be delayed. 

We didn't think this seemed likely - especially given the panic that's currently surrounding coronavirus. So we decided to ask games industry analyst, and managing director of Equity Research, Michael Pachter to weigh in on the report. 

While Pachter emphasized that it's hard to know how long the coronavirus outbreak will last, he also pointed out that, while the mobile industry may be disrupted by the outbreak, console manufacturers are a different kettle of fish.

You can read his response to the rumor, and the full story, here.

A lady in Gamestop knows the PS5 launch plan - most unlikely

Finally, we got a 'tip off' this week that a Gamestop employee had been clued in by their Sony rep on the PS5's launch plan. Apparently the PS5 reveal event will be at the end of February. 

This feels more like an educated guess than a legit leak, so we're not inclined to believe it.

• The PS5's next-gen audio tech could transform your gaming experience – here's how

Microsoft’s Xbox Series X is due to hit shelves in late 2020 and, while we know some key details about the next-gen console like what it’ll be called and look like, there’s still plenty that we’re in the dark about. 

What exactly will the Series X be packing under its hood? What other launch games can be expected? And how much will it cost?

We know the Series X will be a powerful machine but if Sony’s victory in the PS4 Vs Xbox One war taught us anything, it’s not all about power.

So, here at TechRadar, we’ve put together a list of our most-wanted features for the Xbox Series X – however, some are definitely more likely than others.

• Xbox Series X games: every game rumored and confirmed for the next Xbox
• Thinking about the competition? Here's everything we know about the PS5
• PS5 vs Xbox Series X: what we know so far

Better Xbox exclusives
Vic Hood: Gaming Writer

When it came to competing with the PlayStation 4, the Xbox One struggled considerably due to its lack of (good) exclusives. While Sony was throwing out bigger hitters like Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War and Marvel’s Spider-Man, Microsoft has generally offered a poor selection of exclusives from seasoned, but arguably tired, franchises like Halo and Gears of War - although I am super excited for Halo Infinite.

Yes, Microsoft exclusives typically stick to be either indies, shooters or racing games but I think that if it starts making more moves into the action-adventure genre, then Microsoft could be onto a winner.

If Microsoft harnessed the power of Xbox Game Pass to create unique and narrative-drive exclusives that appeared on the game subscription service from day one, it could potentially turn the tide when it comes to Sony having the upper hand in that regard.

Run Windows 10
Bill Thomas: Computing Editor

When Microsoft announced that future Xbox exclusives would be making their way to the PC through the Play Anywhere program, I was absolutely ecstatic. I only really like playing games on PC, so having that option was simply amazing. However because Microsoft seems to be taking the Xbox in the direction of being a multi-system platform rather than a single console, I’d love to see the Xbox Series X run Windows 10. 

Now, obviously, using Windows 10 with a controller would be its own special kind of nightmare, but I’m confident Microsoft could figure it out. After all, Windows 10 works as a tablet operating system quite well. Maybe a special version of Windows 10S, so that Xbox fans that aren’t tech savvy won’t destroy their system with malware. 

I just think that giving folks the option to install different programs would be an awesome way to further bridge the gap between Xbox and PC. And, well, I kind of want to benchmark the Xbox Series X when it comes out. How would the Cinebench R20 score compare to the Ryzen 7 3700X? 

A totally redesigned controller
John McCann: Deputy Editor

Uh oh… who let the PlayStation fan in here? It’s true, when it comes to consoles, my flag is firmly planted in Sony’s camp. Always has been, likely always will be. However, the biggest blockade for me when I consider Xbox again (I flirted with a 360 for a couple of years, but it was very much second in line to my PS3) is the controller. 

Sure, Microsoft has whittled down the ungainly offering from the original Xbox, but I find it’s still fundamentally a bad choice. It’s too big, too angular and don’t even get me started on the analog stick placement.

The PlayStation controller has hardly changed since the birth of the DualShock in 1997. The difference between the original Xbox controller (in 2001), the 360 offering (2005) and then the One series gamepad (from 2013 onwards) is more marked. 

Sony got it right and has kept with a winning formula, Microsoft is still searching. Hopefully with the Xbox Series X it gets it right. Will it win me over? Probably not. But your hands will thank me.

That damn Fable open world game
Samuel Roberts: Senior Entertainment Editor

Vic summed it up with 'better exclusives' – it's Microsoft's weakness, and it knows it, hence the spate of acquisitions that have happened in the last couple of years. Playground's rumored Fable game is probably still years away, but this needs to be Microsoft's counter to Sony's array of successful open world games. 

Fable still has a lot of goodwill, even though the last proper entry was released nearly a decade ago. But tonally it's still unique. Let's hope the next one still lets you buy every single house in its world, thereby breaking the in-game economy.

Better 4K Blu-ray media playback
Nick Pino: Senior Editor, Home Entertainment

I would love nothing more than to finally retire my Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player - but in its current form, the Xbox One X just can’t compete in terms of providing quality media playback. Now sure, the Xbox One X can play 4K Blu-rays, and even supports Dolby Vision and Atmos via streaming, but it’s not quite the all-in-one ultimate home entertainment center Microsoft promised back in 2013. 

And look, before you call me out for wanting another entertainment-focused console, I don’t want these features to supercede the Series X’s ability to play games in native 4K or anything like that - I want both a great games console and a great media device. It’s 2020 and if Microsoft ends launching this at a premium price point, I think it’s totally fair to expect both. 

A reason for PC gamers to buy one
Matt Hanson: Computing Editor

I love games. My rapidly-expanding Steam and Epic Games Store libraries, along with my collection of consoles - both modern and classic - attests to this. But I have never owned an Xbox console. 

To begin with, it was because Microsoft’s exclusives simply didn’t interest me. When the original Xbox came out, I was a cash-strapped student with a PS2 - arguably the best console ever made, and with a catalog of games that meant what little money i did have was spent on classics like GTA 3, TimeSplitters, Shadow of the Colossus and God of War (as well as instant noodles).

The Xbox never tempted me. And when the Xbox 360 came out, again I wasn’t tempted - and in fact was put off by Microsoft’s decision to put online multiplayer behind a paywall. As a PC gamer, that’s a baffling and anti-consumer move.

Of course, by the time the catastrophe that was the Xbox One came about, Microsoft had no chance convincing me. The console was overpriced and underpowered, and again there were no exclusives that i wanted. And now Microsoft has made it so that all the games it publishes come out on PC and Xbox - why would I ever want an Xbox?

So I’d really like to be proven wrong with the new Xbox. I’m not sure how Microsoft could convince a PC gamer like me to buy one of its consoles. It’s not off to a good start, I’ll tell you that much. The allure of consoles is that they are compact, more affordable and simple to use - something I admit PC gaming fails at.

But the Xbox Series X looks big, bulky and ugly, will probably cost a lot, and these days consoles can be just as frustrating as PCs when it comes to having to download patches and updates. The fact that Microsoft will no doubt launch a more powerful Xbox not long after with new specs means you can’t even be sure that the console you buy this year will be able to play games well in five year’s time - another traditional benefit of consoles.

How can Microsoft win me over? Make the Xbox Series X cheaper and more powerful than any PC I could build myself. Make online free again. Make exclusive games that I can only play on the device, and make them good.

Will Microsoft do any of that? I’m not so sure.

• With the Xbox Series X name, Microsoft risks repeating Nintendo’s Wii U blunder

A recent report claims that the PS5 and Xbox Series X release dates could be delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak. But we don't think its very likely. 

Financial services company, Jefferies Group (via Business Insider), published a note this week which claims that, because of Sony and Microsoft manufacturing their consoles and accessories in China (which has been hit hardest by the virus), the upcoming PS5 and Xbox Series X releases may be delayed. 

"The video game sector is currently manufacturing, or beginning to, a once-in-several-years' product generation change for the 2020 holiday season," the note reads. "If [company] shutdowns exceed a month or so, game schedules will be delayed. New consoles may likewise suffer supply issues from a prolonged disruption, ahead of their Fall 2020 planned launches."

• PS5 vs Xbox Series X: what we know so far
• PS5 games: all the games rumored and confirmed for the PS5
• Xbox Series X: all the games rumored and confirmed for the next Xbox

Let's not panic

We didn't think this seemed likely - especially given the panic that's currently surrounding coronavirus. So we decided to ask games industry analyst, and managing director of Equity Research, Michael Pachter to weigh in on the report. 

While Pachter emphasizes that it's hard to know how long the coronavirus outbreak will last, he also points out that, while the mobile industry may be disrupted by the outbreak, console manufacturers are a different kettle of fish. 

While the likes of Apple rely on Chinese manufacturing, Microsoft and Sony are not confined to the country.

"[Apple] doesn’t really have a realistic manufacturing alternative because of the complexity of assembly (many components, very high specs, relatively high cost)," Pachter tells TechRadar. "In contrast, Xbox and PlayStation don’t have to be produced in China, but obviously that is the lowest cost country."

Pachter goes on to explain that Microsoft and Sony should be under less pressure as both companies have lower production demands, due to their release dates in late 2020, and (worst case scenario) have manufacturing alternatives in countries such as Taiwan and Vietnam. On the other hand, Apple is rumored to be releasing the iPhone 12 much sooner - in September - so any disruption could cause delays due to the tens of millions of units they're likely to try to shift - and remember, they're pretty much confined to China for that production. 

Pachter estimates that both Microsoft and Sony won't commence production on their next-gen consoles until at least June. However, when they do, they'll only be looking at producing roughly one million units per month, compared to Apple's estimated three to four million units a month.

"If Coronavirus lasts through June, it will be a problem for [Microsoft and Sony]," Pachter tells us. "It’s possible that it lasts that long, but the stock market tells you that is not the case.  If it were, the market would be tanking because of the long-term disruption of the supply chain."

"I could see Apple panicking if Coronavirus is still an issue in a month, but I think Sony and Microsoft will quietly arrange for production in Taiwan and Vietnam (at a cost of maybe $5 – 10 per unit more at most) just to be safe."

Trumps tariffs

In the worst case scenario, Pachter still speculates that Microsoft and Sony will have plans in place. And that's because of Trump's China tariff. 

President Trump had proposed a 25 percent tax on items moving from China into the US, that would have hiked up prices of the Xbox Series X and PS5, however the Phase One agreement signed by the USA and China last month means that will not go forward - at least for now.

But as Pachter points out, it's likely that both Microsoft and Sony have a back-up plan for production in case the tariffs do go ahead.

"I don’t know what they plan to do, but presume they are giving serious thought about shifting half their production to Taiwan or Vietnam to fulfill U.S. demand," Pachter tells us.

While nothing's set in stone, and we can't definitively say it won't happen, for now at least it seems unlikely that we'll see the PlayStation 5 and Series X delayed.

• The PS5's next-gen audio tech could transform your gaming experience – here's how

A new Assassin's Creed could be one of the first major releases on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, according to a new rumor.

We already knew that Ubisoft is planning on releasing five AAA games between April 2020 and March 2021, with all of these new titles boasting next-gen support. So far, Ubisoft has officially divulged three of these games: Gods and Monsters, Watch Dogs: Legion and Rainbow Six Quarantine. However, the other two games have remained a mystery.

But we may finally know what they could be, thanks to Kotaku's Jason Schreier, who claims that the two mystery games will be a new Assassin's Creed and a new Far Cry. Check out his tweet below:

While it's also worth treating rumors with skepticism, Schreier is very reliable when it comes to industry news. 

We're pretty convinced

It was almost guaranteed that Ubisoft would release new instalments for two of its biggest franchises on next-gen consoles. And it's not actually that surprising that it could be so early in the consoles' lifecycles considering it's been two years since the release of Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Far Cry 5 - making it primetime for new additions to both series.

We know that Ubisoft's five AAA games (likely including Far Cry and Assassin's Creed) will release between April 2020 and March 2021, with all games boasting next-gen support. That means some, if not all, of these games will be cross-generation titles - working with current consoles as well as the upcoming ones. 

It's unlikely they'll all release at the end of this year, to coincide with the console launch – Far Cry and Assassin's Creed games usually launch months apart (with the exception of 2012's Far Cry 3 and Assassin's Creed 3), which makes sense given that they're both time-intensive open world series from the same publisher. 

Either way, they're likely to be among the first major games on PS5 and Xbox Series X. 

• PS5 games: all the rumored and confirmed games for PlayStation 5
• Xbox Series X games: all the rumored and confirmed games for the next Xbox

The Coalition studio head Rod Fergusson has announced he's leaving the Gear of War developer to oversee the Diablo franchise at Blizzard Entertainment.

Fergusson officially made the announcement on Twitter, revealing that he will be joining Blizzard in March where he will, no doubt, join the team in developing the upcoming Diablo 4 and Diablo 4 Immortal.

Check his tweet out below:

Fergusson has been overseeing development of the Gears of War franchise since 2014, when Microsoft bought the series from Epic Games.

This move will certainly be a blow to Microsoft and the Gears franchise but with two new games on the way, this is definitely an exciting time for the industry veteran to be jumping to the Diablo franchise.

What does this mean for Diablo?

While we're not expecting to see roadie runs making an appearance in Diablo 4, someone with a wealth of experience joining the Diablo team is certainly no bad thing. Especially given that Fergusson helped steer Gears 5 to critical success last year.

And that's the kind of direction that Blizzard (arguably) could do with right now. The company has received backlash from fans a fair bit over the past few years for a variety of reasons ranging from their reaction to the Hong Kong protests to the disappointing reveal of Diablo Immortal - if we're keeping it short and simple.

The Diablo Immortal reveal also somewhat forced the company's hand, meaning it had to reveal Diablo 4 at BlizzCon 2019 - likely before it was intended. 

But regardless, we now know Blizzard is working on not one, but two Diablo games. We don't know much about either, and we're not expecting releases anytime soon, but we're hoping that, with Fergusson at the helm, both games will be worth the wait. 

• Diablo 4: here's 24 minutes of demon-maiming Barbarian class gameplay

We may be waiting for an official (and inevitable) PS5 reveal in the near future, but it seems Sony still hasn't worked out all the key details when it comes to the PlayStation 5 - in particular, how much it's going to cost.

In a recent earnings call (via Spiel Times), Sony's chief financial officer Hiroki Totoki revealed the company still hasn't nailed down the PS5 price.

"What is not very clear or visible is because we are competing in the space, so it’s very difficult to discuss anything about the price at this point of time, and depending upon the price level, we may have to determine the promotion that we are going to deploy and how much costs we are prepared to pay," Totoki explained.

• PS5 games: all the games confirmed and rumored for the PlayStation 5
• Xbox Series X: release date, specs, design and launch titles for the next Xbox
• PS5 vs Xbox Series X: everything we know so far

Balancing price

While there have been (unbelievable) rumors that the PS5 will cost over $1000, it's likely Sony will not want to give the PS5 a prohibitive price tag - particularly given the impact this strategy had on early PlayStation 3 sales. Unsurprisingly, the cost of production will likely make the next-gen console more expensive than the PlayStation 4. 

“First, we must absolutely control the labour cost, the personnel cost, it must be controlled, and the initial ramp up, how much can we prepare initially, we will work on the production and the sales and we will have to prepare the right volume as we launch this," Totoki continued.

One leak priced the PlayStation 5 at around $499 but, with Sony not even sure of the price, it could be difficult to nail down exactly how much the PS5 will cost.

“It’s a balancing act it’s very difficult to say anything concrete at this point of time," Totoki said. But we do know that Sony is aiming for "the best balance so that we will be profitable in the life, during the life of this product."

• PS Now needs a serious upgrade for PS5 to beat Xbox Game Pass