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The original Oculus Quest will soon be getting Air Link support, which allows for PC-based VR games to be streamed directly to the headset without a wired connection. On a Facebook post teasing Quest software update v30, CEO and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg commented that Air Link support for the first Oculus Quest headset is coming, although he did not say when. Air Link recently launched on Oculus Quest 2 in the v29 update, allowing the headset to play PC VR games that aren't available on the Oculus Quest directly through the headset, like Half-Life Alyx. This feature is a wireless solution for Oculus Link, which did the same thing but via a USB-C cable and provides official support for playing non-Oculus games. Using Air Link does require having a powerful enough PC to run the games and a good enough internet connection to stream to the headset. The feature requires a 5GHz router; Facebook recommends having your PC connected via ethernet in order to minimize latency. The original Oculus Quest was reportedly discontinued last September, right before the Oculus Quest 2 released in October. The Oculus Quest 2 outsold all of the other Oculus branded headsets as of the end of March and has exclusive Assassin's Creed and Splinter Cell games coming to the headset in the future. For anyone looking for a "Facebook free" version of the Oculus Quest 2, the business version is available but costs significantly more. View the full article

Sonic Colors: Ultimate is the upcoming remaster for the original 2010 game on Nintendo Wii. While modern Sonic games have been hit or miss, Sonic Colors was warmly regarded by critics and fans alike. It offers a solid and stylish blend of classic 2D platforming and 3D action with the use of the game's Wisps--special assist characters that help Sonic throughout the level. With the remaster of Sonic Colors: Ultimate release on September 7, we've seen more gameplay pop up. For GameSpot's Play For All, we have an exclusive gameplay video showcasing an update of the original Sweet Mountain world, a series of stages that look like an explorable land filled with candy and junk food. The world was a challenging and visually stunning setting in the original game, and it's since been updated in the new remaster, giving it much sharper visuals. The new footage looks great, and it captures what made the original Sonic Colors such a well-loved game within the Sonic fanbase. Just for this reveal, we also had a chance to chat with Sega producer Calvin Vu about the making of Sonic Colors: Ultimate. Sonic Colors: Ultimate is something of a cult favorite among fans. What was it like to revisit this game that found an audience on the Nintendo Wii, and revitalize it for modern audiences? It's been an amazing experience revisiting Colors. Since it was originally designed for the Wii, we've done quite a bit of tinkering to reimagine the gameplay experience for new consoles and PC for more of our fans to enjoy. We spent a lot of time bringing it up to the high-definition quality of today, supporting resolutions up to 4K on capable platforms, and working on several aspects of the game, including improved lighting and visuals, enhanced textures, remixed audio, and overall refined gameplay elements. We've worked incredibly hard to make Sonic Colors: Ultimate the best version of the game that it could be, and we can't wait for our new and returning fans to experience it first-hand in September. What do you think Sonic Colors offered that made it different from other modern Sonic games, and why do you think it's still held in such high regard from Sonic fans? Sonic Colors was one of several Nintendo exclusives developed by Sonic Team during the Wii/Wii U era, which was an exciting time for SEGA creatively. With the Wii we were able to introduce an all-new style of gameplay at the time that utilized Nintendo's technology that encouraged players to stand up while playing the game. Fans were incredibly receptive to the interactive elements of Colors and created lots of fun memories with family and friends playing the title on Wii. Colors also introduced Wisps and Color Powers to Sonic, which was a major gameplay addition for the series that fans enjoyed. We're super excited to bring Colors to current platforms to share these creative gameplay elements for all types of players. Along with the remastered presentation, can you talk about what sort of new content is coming to this game that sets it apart from the original? There are quite a few gameplay improvements that really make this feel like the ultimate version of Sonic Colors. We've added a new wisp to the game, the Jade Ghost. This wisp's Color Power allows Sonic fly around as a ghost and phase through objects when using his homing attack and reach new areas. There's also the "sweet spot attack," a new mechanic that rewards Sonic when he perfectly times his attacks with bonus boost energy. There are new customization options for Sonic. Players can collect Park Tokens they find throughout the game and exchange them to unlock different shoes, gloves, boosts, and auras to change how Sonic looks. We've also added a new feature called "Rival Rush" where players can race against Metal Sonic in select acts throughout the worlds. Gallery The original Sonic Colors also had a spinoff game on the Nintendo DS, which had its own set of levels and story. Was there any consideration from the early stages of this project to revisit that game as well? We mainly focused on remastering the Nintendo Wii version of Sonic Colors. It was a great game on that platform that we felt the need to modernize for the more powerful platforms we have today and reach more players. However, many of the fan-favorite environments from the Wii also appeared on the Nintendo DS version, such as the Sweet Mountain level and Aquarium Park, which fans can rediscover in Sonic Colors: Ultimate. Sega is also working with the dev Blind Squirrel Games on Sonic Colors: Ultimate, who have had experience porting and remastering other classic games. What was it like working with them on this project? It's been amazing to work with Blind Squirrel Games on Sonic Colors: Ultimate. They're experts in their craft and were able to help achieve our shared vision for the remaster. With Blind Squirrel, we were able to bring a fresh hue to some of Colors' most beloved environments and retain the great gameplay elements in a way that will ring true to longtime fans while delivering improved gameplay enhancements for current-generation platforms. View the full article

Knockout City, the competitive dodgeball game, is getting a summer-themed event called Heatwave. Announced during GameSpot's Play For All Live stream, the Heatwave event--which runs from June 22 through July 5-- will add new items, contracts, and playlists to the game. Players can earn new items by collecting Ice Pops hidden throughout the Knockout City matches, which can be used to unlock new items, like an Ice Cream Truck glider or an intro-pose where their character lounges in a beach chair. Players can also earn Heatwave tickets by playing, which can be used in the Heatwave Event shop. Lastly, anyone who completes all of the Heatwave limited-time contracts will unlock a Legendary Ultimate Hologram, the Fire Hydrant. There will also be two new playlists during the event: Party Face-Off on June 22 and Triple Team Chaos on June 29. Party Face-Off adds all special balls into the normal 1v1 setup. Triple Team Chaos sees three teams of two in a free for all, with the first team to get 15 KOs winning the match. Knockout City launched with a successful free trial period, where over 5 million players played the game. It now offers a free trial up to level 25 for new players and has had multiple updates--including a new game mode--since it launched in May. View the full article

Microsoft wants to make the Xbox App a more social experience than before, as an update arriving today adds official game stories so you can see the best clips from your favorite titles. Though not yet live when we checked on our own Xbox App, the feature will let a game post related stories similar to what you'd see on Instagram or Twitter. Pictures showcasing the game or prompts about the game will be available to followers, who can then share, like, or comment on the posts. Given the limited social interactivity available on the Xbox app, this should encourage people to use it more frequently. It remains to be seen if a similar stories feature will be available for players to post their own content or if it will be limited to official game channels forever. Right now, players can share screenshots or clips to a variety of social networks or their feed, but it's not as easy to spot them right away. There are still some features missing from the overhauled Xbox app, which replaced a previous version that had been in place for years. You can no longer redeem codes or claim Games With Gold directly within the iOS app and you can't even use it to buy games anymore. Achievements, which had been removed for several months, did eventually return, however. For more on Xbox, check out the announcements from E3 2021 and stay tuned for tomorrow's extended Xbox showcase. View the full article

The Pokemon Company has announced that on Thursday, June 17, there will be news about Pokemon Unite, the Pokemon MOBA spin-off for Nintendo Switch and mobile. While the company provided no information about what the news will be, it described it as "important." Pokemon Unite is being developed by Tencent and Timi Studios, best known for developing Call of Duty Mobile and Arena of Valor. The MOBA was announced during a Pokemon Presents last June and news has been quiet since. The 5v5 multiplayer title has had limited regional betas in the past few months but has not received an official release date. Pokemon Unite was not present during the Pokemon Presents stream in February where Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and Pokemon Legends: Arceus were announced. The main gameplay that has been shown for Pokemon Unite showed a streamlined MOBA experience, with two teams battling to capture control points so they could score points. Pokemon level up and evolve over the course of the match but it doesn't have any type advantages. The game also includes Pokemon from multiple generations, with Pikachu, Lucario, and Talonflame among the confirmed playable Pokemon. View the full article

During our Play For All livestream, we debuted a new trailer for RFM, an upcoming grid-based strategy action game. The game has a few roguelite elements as well. As seen in the trailer, RFM is a colorful game with a cel-shaded art style and retro-futurist atmosphere. The soundtrack is pretty bangin' too. More Play For All Content: Knockout City Devs Talk Game's Success, Upcoming Heat Wave Event, And Season 2 Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy: First Look & Details Pete Hines Dives Into Starfield And Redfall In RFM, you play as Morgan, a mercenary traveling through The Bast in search of a loved one. If you happen to make a little money along the way, all the better. On your journey, you'll encounter a unique cast of characters, who you can befriend. In combat, RFM uses a tactical battle system that features real-time action and time-freezing strategy elements. As a roguelite, each run into The Bast will have an element of randomness, and you'll have to decide what upgrades to work towards every time. For example, do you want to work towards improving your health or find a cool attachment for your revolver that adds an explosive AOE attack to your arsenal? The choice is yours. RFM is scheduled to launch for consoles (to be announced) and PC in 2022. View the full article

A young boy waiting at the airport received a nice surprise from charitable strangers on the internet. The six-year-old Nintendo fan received 15 Switch game codes for free after E3 host Greg Miller sent out a call for contributions. Miller tweeted that the boy noticed they both had Among Us loaded on their Switch systems at the airport. So he sent out a message asking for any spare age-appropriate Switch codes so he could hand them over and "blow his mind." Roughly 15 minutes later he followed-up asking people to please stop sending codes, because he was trying to copy them all down onto a sheet of paper before he had to board his plane. The result was roughly 15 free games, with a diverse range like Lego DC Super Villains, Nuts, and Donut County. Miller said the boy, only identified as McCoy, was "VERY happy." So the kindness of internet strangers helped crowdsource a nice surprise for a budding game fan. Sometimes, Internet, you do good. Miller was one of the main hosts for the E3 media event this week, which officially wrapped up yesterday. GameSpot's own summer game event, Play For All, is now ongoing, with charitable donations going toward the accessibility advocacy organization AbleGamers. View the full article

Microsoft has commissioned a special art print for Halo Infinite themed around one of the new skins coming to the game, and it looks fantastic. The new Yoroi Spartan from Halo Infinite is becoming a screenprint by artist @SachinTeng. It will be available to buy during Comic-Con@Home this July through Mondo. More details about how you can buy it will come later, but for now, developer 343 Industries shared a sneak peek on Twitter. Check it out below: Halo Infinite's first multiplayer season is called Heroes of Reach, and it includes the Yoroi Spartan skin that you can unlock by completing in-game challenges. 343 has yet to reveal the specifics, but that information should come in time. In other news, gaming peripherals company Hyperkin has teased a collaboration with Halo for... something. We'll have to wait a little longer to find out what this is all about, but the teaser mentions the 20th anniversary of Xbox and shows the outline of a particular character from Halo. A Halo Infinite multiplayer test is coming this summer, and you can sign up for Halo Insider for a chance to participate. Halo Infinite launches this holiday for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The campaign mode is included on Xbox Game Pass, while multiplayer is completely free-to-play with no loot boxes or pay-to-win mechanics. View the full article

PlayStation 5 owners looking for a competitive edge have a new option, as controller manufacturer HexGaming has announced the Hex Rival, a brand-new "ultimate esports controller." This marks the first elite-style controller we've seen that's designed specifically for PS5, though it comes at a hefty price: $290 USD. The Hex Rival features two back buttons that can be mapped to 15 different commands, both face buttons and directional inputs, and interchangeable thumbsticks with different height and grip designs. The Hex Rival is a top-of-the-line controller for PS5, and if you're looking for games to play with it check out Amazon Prime Day's PS5 and PS4 deals. If you're still in the market for the console itself, keep an eye on our guide to a possible Amazon Prime Day PS5 restock. View the full article

Blooming Business: Casino is an upcoming tycoon game where you put together your own casino that will be attended by an assortment of anthropomorphic animals. During a hands-off demo preview and follow-up Q&A, creative director Paul Blachère detailed how Blooming Business: Casino tells stories through its emergent narrative. "We've seen more and more, in the strategy market notably, a really emergent narrative," Blachère said. "We think this emergent narrative can really benefit from the tycoon form simply because if you look at the games that support this kind of fun, they are usually about domination and they're usually about strategy and violence--that's something that we think not everyone is necessarily trying to find in the stories they want to experience." Blooming Business: Casino isn't built to defeat the player, according to Blachère. "Players can enjoy things at their own pace and they are safe--we're not going to destroy anything and they're not going to lose everything," he said. Instead of trying to keep your business afloat, your goal in Blooming Business: Casino is to strive for maximum profits. To do this, you'll have to manage your relationships with other people, especially the high-spending VIPs that walk through your door. Blachère says that you won't connect with your dozens of employees or hundreds of clients, so the VIPs are where the emergent narrative comes into play--there are only a few VIPs in the game and they're all unique. "You're not going to form a bond with [your employees]," Blachère said. "So that's why we have VIPs, or clients, which are characters that we wrote, that we've made and you're going to interact with them through the narrative events." If all that sounds a little gross and manipulative, then yeah, that's the point that developer Homo Ludens is trying to make. When asked if there's a campaign in Blooming Business: Casino, Blachère said, "That's not going to happen for early access, for sure." However, there is an underlying message to the game: Casino owners don't have to do much to make money, but they have to be very manipulative in order to squeeze the most amount of money out of their customers' pockets. "We hope the people who come may not be familiar with casinos and will learn how casinos work," Blachère said. "And learning how casinos work should have you revolt at the manipulation and predatory practices. To us, by putting you into the shoes of the casino owner, we will have you reflect on what you're doing--that's the point. And that's also why we do want the whole narrative events to happen--they're good for taking your head out of the gameplay and realize what's happening." Blooming Business: Casino has a demo on Steam if you want to try it right now and see that narrative in action. The game will launch in Steam Early Access "soon." View the full article