Xbox Reveals Modular Proteus Controller For Gamers With Disabilities
As part of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Microsoft announced the modular $300 Proteus Controller, a Designed for Xbox controller created by peripherals company ByoWave. The controller comes as a kit with multiple “snap and play” parts that can be configured to fit disabled gamers’ needs.
The kit comes with a number of pieces that can be connected in various configurations, with ByoWave’s store page claiming over 100 million variations can be achieved on the controller. Each kit comes with two Power Cubes–the building blocks of a controller that each house a battery and allow for Bluetooth connectivity–and two Analog Cubes, which provide the left and right analog sticks.
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The controller is designed to work out of the box with the Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows 10 and 11. The Proteus is expected to start shipping in Fall 2024, and is retailing for $300, though ByoWave is offering a discount to $255 for a limited number of preorders.
In the same blog post for Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Microsoft also announced it would be releasing an firmware update for its Adaptive Controller to add support for more accessibility peripherals. “Each port now supports up to 12 buttons, a second stick, and a hat switch,” Xbox says of the update, which will start rolling out to Xbox Insiders soon, with a general release over the next few months.
Hades 2’s First Patch Adds Major Quality-Of-Life Improvement
Hades 2 released in early access last week, and now has received its first patch. Supergiant Games is already proving the utility of its early-access period, with a majority of Patch 1’s changes implemented as a result of player feedback–including one major quality-of-life change.
The first patch makes resource-gathering far less of a chore, which will be a relief to everyone who found the original process too grindy. “You now can gather from any resource point once you have unlocked the corresponding Gathering Tool,” the patch notes read. “You now can Prioritize any available Tool in the Training Grounds to make its resources appear as often as before, while resources for Tools you do not Prioritize will appear far less often.”
Now Playing: Hades II – Official Early Access Release Gameplay Showcase Trailer
The update should go a long way towards solving players’ frustrations with resource gathering, making it easier to target the resources you really need from any given run.
The update has also made a number of changes to the player’s Dash and Sprint. “Your Sprint is innately faster and turning is more responsive,” the patch notes read, also noting that abilities that boost the Sprint have also been re-scaled. The Swift Runner tarot card has also received a new bonus, and will now make your Dash immediate as well.
The standard Dash has also gotten an overall upgrade, with it now being more reliable to Dash out of many attack-recovery animations. Supergiant has also tweaked the Dash to make it easier to cross chasms in a certain biome of the game.
The patch includes a handful of other small quality-of-life fixes and balance tweaks in response to players’ early feedback, such as being able to see your current Gold amount from a Well of Charon without having to check your Boon Info. A number of bugs have also been fixed up in Patch 1.
Check out the full patch notes below, though beware they do contain some spoilers. If you’re looking for help on your journey through the Underworld, check out our Hades 2 guides hub.
Hades II: Early Access Patch 1
Note:📢 indicates a change inspired by community feedback! (Almost everything in this case…!)
General Gameplay
📢 Your Sprint is innately faster and turning is more responsive; re-scaled abilities that boost this
📢 You now can Dash out of many attack recovery animations more reliably
📢 You now can gather from any resource point once you have unlocked the corresponding Gathering Tool; you now can Prioritize any available Tool in the Training Grounds to make its resources appear as often as before, while resources for Tools you do not Prioritize will appear far less often
Altar of Ashes
📢The Swift Runner: now also makes your Dash immediate (note the faster speed means you are invulnerable for very slightly less time); re-scaled Sprint speed bonus since Sprint is innately faster now
Level Design & Environments
📢 It is easier to Dash across chasms in Oceanus
📢 Driftwood resources are more common in the Rift of Thessaly
Menus & UI
📢 Using a Well of Charon displays your current Gold without the need to check your Boon Info
📢 The Grasp Upgrade Tutorial in the Altar of Ashes will repeat if ignored
📢 Added Patch Notes option to the Main Menu (where you can read this!)
Miscellaneous
📢 Early encounters with Eris are less likely to occur; she also drops something of value…
📢 Related, if this already occurred, look for a one-time bonus in the Crossroads while Eris is present
📢 Entries in the Book of Shadows are generally easier to reveal
📢 You can gift Echo without having to wait around as long after conversing
📢 Adjusted Animal Familiar upgrades invalidated by the Gathering Tool changes above
📢 In the Hades Flashback, a hint will eventually play for players who don’t realize they are in control
📢 Improved mouse selection in various cases
📢 Improved support for some additional controllers
• Abilities that boost Sprint speed display more-accurate numbers (generally lower than before)
• Updates and fixes to translations in some languages
Bug Fixes
📢 Fixed several issues with Dark Side (Selene)
📢 Fixed Sun Worshiper (Apollo) sometimes preventing new foes from spawning
📢 Fixed Fire Extinguisher (Hestia) not dealing damage as expected
📢 Fixed Sister Blades Omega Attack not hitting Chronos reliably from certain angles
📢 Fixed Satyr Hoplites retaining the ability to block while afflicted with Twilight Curse (Selene)
📢 Fixed various cases of foes sometimes spawning out of bounds
📢 Fixed camera zoom-in getting stuck vs. Polyphemus in certain situations
📢 Fixed cases where you could Dash out of bounds in the Crossroads
📢 Fixed Fishing Pier events in the Crossroads not passing Whiles like other similar events
📢 Fixed autolock not clearing as expected while using mouse controls
📢 Fixed keyboard inputs sometimes getting stuck unexpectedly
📢 Fixed several input issues switching from gamepad to mouse-and-keyboard controls
📢 Fixed several issues playing in ultrawide resolutions
📢 Fixed some visual effects vs. Chronos lingering between phases or after the fight
📢 Fixed a Melinoë voice line repeating unexpectedly around the City of Ephyra Bat Cages
📢 Fixed various rare crashes
📢 Fixed several text errors
📢 Other minor fixes
Bandai Namco’s Next Mecha Figure Is A Transforming Rubiks Cube
The Rubik’s Cube toy is a classic, but if it does have one major design flaw, it’s that you can’t transform it into a giant robot. Fortunately, this upcoming official Rubik’s Cube robot collectible from Bandai Namco addresses that glaring issue as you’ll be able to unleash the machine lying within this unassuming multicolor cube. It’ll probably be much easier than figuring out how to solve a Rubik’s Cube as well. It won’t be out for quite a while–it launches January 30, 2025–but you can secure a preorder at Amazon and get the cute robot in disguise for $90.
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The figure will be a new addition to Bandai Namco’s Soul of Chogokin and Tamashii Nations lines. Soul of Chogokin figures are almost exclusively famous anime, manga, and tokusatsu robots from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. The line aims to be a high-end reproduction of nostalgic mecha and robot designs like Voltron, Mecha Godzilla, Mazinger Z, and more. You can check out many of the other figures in the Soul of Chogokin collection at Amazon. For this transforming Rubik’s Cube robot, you can expect high-quality parts, vibrant colors, and a display stand to pose the little fella on.
If you’d prefer a regular Rubik’s Cube, these are readily available. An officially licensed Rubik’s Cube with its signature 3 x 3 designs is $10 at Amazon, and if you’d like some tips on solving one, you can pick up a Rubik’s Cube guide for just $8.
Or if you want to solve one of these puzzles in mere seconds, Rust-Oleum spray paint is easy to come by. There’s nothing in the Rubik’s rulebook that says you can’t solve one with a little bit of lateral thinking.
Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller Receives Massive Discount, Will Likely Sell Out
If you’re looking for the best controller for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and arguably PC, too, Microsoft’s Elite Series 2 is the answer. Though it retails for a fairly lofty $180, the Xbox Elite Series 2 is currently on sale for only $108 on Verizon’s online store. You don’t need to be a Verizon subscriber to take advantage of this deal, and it comes with free two-day shipping. Since this is the best Xbox Elite Series 2 deal we’ve seen in 2024, we don’t expect this to be available for very long.
Verizon also has great deals on the Robot White Xbox Wireless Controller ($36) and the Pulse Red edition ($39). Those controllers typically go for $60 and $65, respectively, and we rarely see them discounted to less than $45.
The Elite Series 2 offers the same great ergonomics as the standard Xbox Wireless Controller, but it has a better build quality, a textured grip, and some awesome customization features. Inside the box, you’ll find four removable back paddles, an extra D-pad, and four additional analog stick caps that can be swapped on the fly. All of the extra components are neatly stored inside the included hardshell controller carrying case.
The Elite Series 2 also has trigger locks that reduce the pull length of RT and LT, which can be useful for certain types of games like first-person shooters. You can use the Xbox Accessories App on console and PC to save profiles to your controller and remap inputs.
Super Mario RPG Gets Huge Discount Ahead Of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door’s Launch Next Week
Super Mario RPG for Nintendo Switch is on sale for a low price at Amazon and Walmart. You can grab a physical copy of the beloved turn-based RPG for only $43 at Amazon and Walmart. This is the lowest price we’ve seen at a major retailer since the modernized Super Nintendo hit launched last holiday. It’s also a pretty great time to dive into the world of Mario role-playing games, as the Switch version of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door releases next week.
Incredibly faithful to the beloved original, Super Mario RPG is a charming Switch game enhanced with several quality-of-life changes that make it more approachable to newcomers. Mario RPG veterans will appreciate the series of post-game fights that really test your prowess. Beyond those additions and tweaks, Super Mario RPG on Switch plays very similarly as the iconic original on Super Nintendo. The excellent turn-based combat still feels great today, the characters and writing are heartfelt and humorous, and the world design still has that classic Nintendo charm.
GameSpot’s Super Mario RPG review found the modernized version of the SNES classic to be a delight. “Super Mario RPG is one of the wildest games in Nintendo’s catalog. Loaded with eccentric characters like a Santa-esque big bad, random bouts of dark comedy–Toad cosplayers tickle as a form of torture and a four-eyed dog swallows you whole and comments on the taste–and moment-to-moment gameplay that is as raucous as it is eclectic, Super Mario RPG memorably capped off the SNES lifecycle. Fittingly, the new Switch version is one of the weirdest remasters I’ve ever played. Its surface-level appearance as a modern Mario game is merely a facade. Relentlessly faithful to the original, Super Mario RPG is a bold and largely successful experiment.”
If you haven’t preordered Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for Nintendo Switch and are interested in owning a physical copy, it’s worth noting that Amazon has been out of stock for over a month, and Walmart will only be selling the game in stores and has canceled online preorders for at least some customers. However, you can still preorder a copy of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for Switch at Best Buy, Target, and GameStop ahead of its May 23 release.
Outfit The ROG Ally With A Slick Set Of New Accessories From Dbrand.
Gaming peripherals manufacturer Dbrand has announced new gear for the ROG Ally, which it’s calling Project Killswitch. This is a new grip for the handheld gaming PC that adds a more ergonomic design and extra durability, as well as a kickstand and optional parts like grippy thumbstick covers, travel cover, and a tempered glass screen protector.
Essentially, this is a comprehensive collection of gear to make playing your ROG Ally more comfortable while also keeping it protected.
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Priced at $60 for the essentials kit–or “0.0000000085642857% of the annual defense budget,” according to Dbrand’s math–and $75 for the travel kit, this bundle also includes an optional skin for customization.
The screen protector can also be added to either bundle for $20 extra. Dbrand says the cover has a precise fit over an ROG Ally, and the kickstand comes with built-in microSD card storage. This isn’t the first time the company has made cases, as it has a line of Steam Deck accessories available as well. If you prefer console gaming, the Darkplates for PS5 consoles are also pretty great.
Now could be a good time to consider getting an ROG Ally, as with a mid-gen refresh on the horizon, prices could drop soon. The system is a pretty powerful machine–especially if you opt for the Z1 Extreme version–and can handle demanding games relatively well.
It also has a sharp 120Hz screen, 512GB of internal storage, and since it runs on Windows you can install games from a variety of storefronts on it. It doesn’t have the best battery life, and there have been reports of it ejecting microSD cards, but overall this is a good alternative to the Steam Deck.
Currently, Best Buy is offering the entry-level Asus ROG Ally Z1 for $500, while the higher-spec ROG Ally Z1 Extreme is priced at $700.
Pokemon: Ultimate Journeys, Ash Ketchum’s Last Adventure, Is Up For Preorder At Amazon
Though it’s not seeing a discount, the Ultimate Journeys DVD is now up for preorder. As mentioned, this season is particularly notable to Pokemon fans, as it brings the story of Ash and Pikachu to a close. It’s a lengthy season too, clocking in at 54 episodes. You’ll also get episodes 43-54 of Pokemon: To Be A Pokemon Master, along with clean opening and ending special features. The collection releases on July 23.
Preorder This Slick New 4K Steelbook For One of Tom Cruise’s Best Movies
Tom Cruise is one of Hollywood’s choosier stars–you’re not going to discover a huge pile of crappy direct-to-TV movies hidden in the middle of his filmography like some other well-known actors. The guy has made a lot of really quality flicks, so it’s no small praise to say that Michael Mann’s Collateral is one of the best movies in Cruise’s filmography–and it may also be Mann’s best movie, for that matter. So it’s only fitting that a film of this quality would be getting a new 4K steelbook edition later this year, which you can preorder now.
This new Collateral steelbook release will land in stores on August 6, exactly 20 years to the day since its original theatrical release–a lot of movies get anniversary re-releases on home video, but most of them aren’t this exact about it. The studio hasn’t yet detailed what special features will be included, so it’s likely safe to assume that some of the extra features from past Collateral releases will be re-used here. Beyond that, you’ll get a 4K Blu-ray, a standard Blu-ray, and a Movies Anywhere digital copy with this set.
Right now you can order at Amazon for $31, or Walmart for $25. With months before this set actually comes out, you can expect the prices will come down a bit.
If you don’t want to wait and don’t need that steelbook packaging, there’s a current 4K edition of Collateral that had previously been released that you can buy right now and have in your home in no time.
Collateral, for those who haven’t seen it, tells the story of a random LA cab driver (Jamie Foxx) who is unwittingly pulled into a complicated assassination plan by a mysterious hitman (Cruise), who wants to use the driver as a scapegoat. The film was shot with a digital handicam that gives the flick a very gritty and real-ish look–this was the movie that established Mann’s glorious modern aesthetic. And now you can appreciate the visuals even more thanks to this new 4K steelbook release.
If you’re looking for more 4K Blu-ray steelbook editions to add to your collection, Amazon’s massive 4K Blu-ray sale includes a deal that gets you three 4K Blu-rays for just $33 total. You can also preorder the 4K Blu-ray steelbook edition of the latest Studio Ghibli film, The Boy and the Heron, for just $35 (down from $45) at multiple online retailers.
Bad Boys: Ride Or Die’s Final Trailer Puts A Bounty On Mike and Marcus
When Captain Conrad Howard (Joe Pantoliano) was killed off in Bad Boys for Life in 2020, few could have predicted that his death would be pivotal in the next sequel, Bad Boys: Ride or Die. But when Howard is posthumously accused of being a dirty cop, neither Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) nor Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) are going to stop before proving his innocence. But as seen in the final trailer for Bad Boys: Ride or Die, pursuing this case is only going to put targets on the backs of Mike and Marcus, as well as everyone that they love.
Poking around for answers has apparently gotten Mike and Marcus too close to the truth. So the man behind the conspiracy, Banker (Eric Dane), orders an ambush on the two before framing them for the same crimes that tarnished the legacy of their captain. On top of that, Banker has put a large bounty on Mike and Marcus’ heads that’s going to draw too much attention from the drug cartels, gangs, and even other cops. To turn up the heat even higher, the bad guys are going after Marcus and Mike’s families as well.
Fortunately, Mike and Marcus still have some friends inside the department, including Kelly (Vanessa Hudgens) and Dorn (Alexander Ludwig). However, the real wild card in their favor may be Mike’s son, Armando Aretas (Jacob Scipio), who was briefly glimpsed in the trailer. Armando was the man who pulled the trigger on Captain Howard in the last film, and it’s possible that he may have information that could lead Mike and Marcus back to Banker. Mike and Armando are also overdue for some father-and-son bonding, especially after Armando expressed his desire to redeem himself in the previous movie.
Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah directed the film from a script by Chris Bremner and Will Beall. Bad Boys: Ride or Die will hit theaters on June 7.
Snag An Xbox Wireless Controller For $36 At Verizon
If you act fast, you can grab a new Xbox wireless controller for just $36 from Verizon. Normally, a new Xbox controller costs $60, so you’re saving 40% on a new gamepad if you use this deal. The offer is available to anyone–you do not need to be a Verizon subscriber to access the discount or buy from the company’s online store. To top it off, the deal applies to the Robot White and Pulse Red controller colors.
See Xbox wireless controller at Verizon
The discounted Xbox controllers are available through Verizon’s online store, which offers free three- to five-day shipping for orders under $49, so you won’t have to wait long for your order to arrive once it ships. You’ll get free two-day shipping if you order two controllers or more. Alternatively, you can opt for in-store pick-up if the controllers are available at your local Verizon stores.
The standard Xbox controller might not have the frills of some higher-end gamepads out there, but it still ranks as one of our favorite wireless video game controllers to use on Xbox and PC, and $36 for a new one is a pretty sweet deal. Just make sure you grab Verizon’s deal soon since we expect stocks will sell out fast at this price.
If you’re looking for suggestions on other great gamepads, be sure to check out our lists for the best controllers on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
