A large PlayStation Network (PSN) outage started around 7:00 PM ET, causing disruptions for PS4 and PS5 users. Players are having trouble accessing the PlayStation Store, PlayStation Video and PlayStation Direct. Other PSN-connected services, such as PlayStation VR, PS Vita and web access, are also down.
<h2>Users express frustration on social media</h2>
Services like online gaming, account management, and digital purchases have been impacted. Many users are expressing their frustration online. A Reddit thread has over 10,000 comments from users sharing their displeasure.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We are aware some users might be currently experiencing issues with PSN. For more details: <a href="https://t.co/NJX2xGusZM">https://t.co/NJX2xGusZM</a>
&mdash; Ask PlayStation (@AskPlayStation) <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPlayStation/status/1888041723831484682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

PSN acknowledged the issue on X, but users are still unhappy with the ongoing disruption. One user posted, "Any update on why PlayStation network is down it's been down near 3 hours me and my uk friends can not get on psn and USA friends are all online is this just the uk effected."&nbsp;
Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/judge-blocks-musks-doge-from-accessing-us-treasury-department-sensitive-personal-data-8702676#google_vignette">Judge blocks Musk's DOGE from accessing US Treasury Department's sensitive personal data</a>
Another added, "Just smashed my TV in front of 30 guests at my party cause PlayStation didn&rsquo;t announce this maintenance earlier. I can't stop screaming and crying at this horrible horrible news. Sony has ruined my life and my party. Goodbye PlayStation I am no longer a fan."
Also Read |&nbsp; <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/canada-detects-malicious-activity-by-china-targeting-liberal-partys-leadership-candidate-chrystia-freeland-8703062">Canada detects 'malicious activity' by China targeting Liberal party's leadership candidate Chrystia Freeland</a>
<h2>Unclear reason for the outage</h2>
While there&rsquo;s speculation about a possible DDoS attack or server overload, Sony hasn't given an official explanation yet. The lack of a timeline for fixing the issue has left gamers frustrated and waiting for answers.
<h2>Still waiting for restoration</h2>
Sony has not yet clarified the cause of the outage or when services will be back online. PSN users remain in the dark, hoping for a quick resolution.

Trending |  Services like online gaming, account management, and digital purchases have been impacted. Many users are expressing their frustration online. A Reddit thread has over 10,000 comments from users sharing their displeasure. 


A large PlayStation Network (PSN) outage started around 7:00 PM ET, causing disruptions for PS4 and PS5 users. Players are having trouble accessing the PlayStation Store, PlayStation Video and PlayStation Direct. Other PSN-connected services, such as PlayStation VR, PS Vita and web access, are also down. Users express frustration on social media Services like online gaming, account management, and digital purchases have been impacted. Many users are expressing their frustration online. A Reddit thread has over 10,000 comments from users sharing their displeasure. We are aware some users might be currently experiencing issues with PSN. For more details: https://t.co/NJX2xGusZM — Ask PlayStation (@AskPlayStation) February 8, 2025 PSN acknowledged the issue on X, but users are still unhappy with the ongoing disruption. One user posted, "Any update on why PlayStation network is down it's been down near 3 hours me and my uk friends can not get on psn and USA friends are all online is this just the uk effected." Also Read | Judge blocks Musk's DOGE from accessing US Treasury Department's sensitive personal data Another added, "Just smashed my TV in front of 30 guests at my party cause PlayStation didn’t announce this maintenance earlier. I can't stop screaming and crying at this horrible horrible news. Sony has ruined my life and my party. Goodbye PlayStation I am no longer a fan." Also Read | Canada detects 'malicious activity' by China targeting Liberal party's leadership candidate Chrystia Freeland Unclear reason for the outage While there’s speculation about a possible DDoS attack or server overload, Sony hasn't given an official explanation yet. The lack of a timeline for fixing the issue has left gamers frustrated and waiting for answers. Still waiting for restoration Sony has not yet clarified the cause of the outage or when services will be back online. PSN users remain in the dark, hoping for a quick resolution.

PlayStation Network outage disrupts services for PS4, PS5 users; angry gamers demand answers

Sony is shifting its focus to user engagement and recurring revenue streams while PlayStation 5 hardware sales slow.<o:p></o:p>

On Thursday, Sony announced that PlayStation 5 users are spending approximately 25 per cent more compared to the PlayStation 4 era, thanks to increased spending on add-on content and subscription services like PlayStation Plus.<o:p></o:p>

"This behaviour underpins the durable, predictable nature of our revenue base," noted Hideaki Nishino, a senior gaming executive, during a strategy briefing. <o:p></o:p>

This increased engagement is crucial as Sony struggles with reduced hardware sales and other industry challenges.<o:p></o:p>

Sony has restructured its gaming business management, addressing investor concerns over weak margins. <o:p></o:p>

Starting next month, Nishino will take on the role of CEO of the platform business group. <o:p></o:p>

This restructuring comes as Sony forecasts lower PlayStation 5 sales, anticipating 18 million units in the current financial year. <o:p></o:p>

This projection follows a near miss of its revised target of 21 million units in the previous year.<o:p></o:p>

The gaming industry is facing hurdles, including high development costs for major titles and a general slowdown in growth. <o:p></o:p>

In response, companies are laying off employees and halting projects. <o:p></o:p>

Despite these challenges, Sony has found success with live service games like "Helldivers 2," which has sold over 12 million units since its February release.<o:p></o:p>

Herman Hulst, who will become CEO of Sony's studio business group, underlined the company's strategy of releasing live service games simultaneously on PS5 and PC. <o:p></o:p>

This approach aims to broaden the reach and engagement of these titles. <o:p></o:p>

Sony, traditionally known for its single-player games, has also released a PC version of the acclaimed "Ghosts of Tsushima" this month, a game that originally launched in 2020.<o:p></o:p>

Sony's emphasis on user engagement and recurring revenue is a move to stabilise its gaming business amid fluctuating hardware sales and industry volatility. <o:p></o:p>

(With inputs from Reuters)<o:p></o:p>

Sony is shifting its focus to user engagement and recurring revenue streams while PlayStation 5 hardware sales slow. On Thursday, Sony announced that PlayStation 5 users are spending approximately 25 per cent more compared to the PlayStation 4 era, thanks to increased spending on add-on content and subscription services like PlayStation Plus.

Sony is shifting its focus to user engagement and recurring revenue streams while PlayStation 5 hardware sales slow. On Thursday, Sony announced that PlayStation 5 users are spending approximately 25 per cent more compared to the PlayStation 4 era, thanks to increased spending on add-on content and subscription services like PlayStation Plus. "This behaviour underpins the durable, predictable nature of our revenue base," noted Hideaki Nishino, a senior gaming executive, during a strategy briefing. This increased engagement is crucial as Sony struggles with reduced hardware sales and other industry challenges. Sony has restructured its gaming business management, addressing investor concerns over weak margins. Starting next month, Nishino will take on the role of CEO of the platform business group. This restructuring comes as Sony forecasts lower PlayStation 5 sales, anticipating 18 million units in the current financial year. This projection follows a near miss of its revised target of 21 million units in the previous year. The gaming industry is facing hurdles, including high development costs for major titles and a general slowdown in growth. In response, companies are laying off employees and halting projects. Despite these challenges, Sony has found success with live service games like "Helldivers 2," which has sold over 12 million units since its February release. Herman Hulst, who will become CEO of Sony's studio business group, underlined the company's strategy of releasing live service games simultaneously on PS5 and PC. This approach aims to broaden the reach and engagement of these titles. Sony, traditionally known for its single-player games, has also released a PC version of the acclaimed "Ghosts of Tsushima" this month, a game that originally launched in 2020. Sony's emphasis on user engagement and recurring revenue is a move to stabilise its gaming business amid fluctuating hardware sales and industry volatility. (With inputs from Reuters)

Sony highlights strong PlayStation user engagement amid slowing PS5 sales

Japan's Sony is cutting about 900 jobs at its Playstation unit and shutting a studio in London. The job cuts come at a time when the videogame industry struggles to recover from a post-pandemic slump.

Japanese firm to cut about 900 jobs at its Playstation unit

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick appeared in court on Wednesday to defend Microsoft's intended $69 billion takeover of his video game company against a federal regulator's attempt to halt the deal.

Kotick told a federal judge in San Francisco on Wednesday that there is no basis for Microsoft to deprive Sony of the acclaimed Activision game Call of Duty. Kotick stated that making the game exclusive to Microsoft's Xbox console or offering poor versions on other systems, such as Sony's Playstation, is not in his company's best interests.

<h2>If we remove Call of Duty from Playstation, it would cause serious reputational damage to company:&nbsp;Kotick&nbsp;</h2>

He added that making a subpar version for PlayStation would cause “vitriol from gamers” and is not something Activision developers would do.

Kotick's comments were intended to undermine a key allegation made by antitrust enforcers at the United States Federal Trade Commission, who contend that the acquisition will hurt competition in the video game industry.

On the fourth day of a court hearing in San Francisco, Kotick testified before U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley. The hearings are expected to make or break what would be the most expensive technological acquisition in history. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was also set to testify on Wednesday.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/eu-greenlights-microsoft-takeover-of-activision-blizzard-592727">EU greenlights Microsoft takeover of Activision Blizzard</a>

<h2>98%&nbsp;of Activision Blizzard shareholders voted for deal</h2>

The hearing is a crucial test of the FTC's increased scrutiny of Big Tech under Chairperson Lina Khan, who has been open about her conviction that US regulators were overly permissive in previous accords that enabled giants like Amazon, Google, and Facebook to&nbsp;gain their dominance. Six months ago, the FTC brought Facebook owner Meta Platforms to court in Silicon Valley to try to prohibit a buyout of a virtual reality fitness startup, only to be turned down by the judge.

Watch |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/microsoft-activision-69bn-deal-temporarily-blocked-in-us-604191">&nbsp;Microsoft-Activision: $69bn deal temporarily blocked in US</a>

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Microsoft has praised the agreement with Activision Blizzard for making popular Activision games&nbsp;like Call of Duty more broadly available. The US Federal Trade Commission is attempting to persuade Corley to issue an order halting the takeover before a more detailed administrative trial begins on August 2 in Washington. Microsoft is battling to conclude the transaction by the July 18 deadline, which could compel it to pay a $3 billion breakup fee to Activision.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick appeared in court on Wednesday to defend Microsoft's intended $69 billion takeover of his video game company against a federal regulator's attempt to halt the deal.

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick appeared in court on Wednesday to defend Microsoft's intended $69 billion takeover of his video game company against a federal regulator's attempt to halt the deal. Kotick told a federal judge in San Francisco on Wednesday that there is no basis for Microsoft to deprive Sony of the acclaimed Activision game Call of Duty. Kotick stated that making the game exclusive to Microsoft's Xbox console or offering poor versions on other systems, such as Sony's Playstation, is not in his company's best interests. If we remove Call of Duty from Playstation, it would cause serious reputational damage to company: Kotick He added that making a subpar version for PlayStation would cause “vitriol from gamers” and is not something Activision developers would do. Kotick's comments were intended to undermine a key allegation made by antitrust enforcers at the United States Federal Trade Commission, who contend that the acquisition will hurt competition in the video game industry. On the fourth day of a court hearing in San Francisco, Kotick testified before U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley. The hearings are expected to make or break what would be the most expensive technological acquisition in history. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was also set to testify on Wednesday. Also read | EU greenlights Microsoft takeover of Activision Blizzard 98% of Activision Blizzard shareholders voted for deal The hearing is a crucial test of the FTC's increased scrutiny of Big Tech under Chairperson Lina Khan, who has been open about her conviction that US regulators were overly permissive in previous accords that enabled giants like Amazon, Google, and Facebook to gain their dominance. Six months ago, the FTC brought Facebook owner Meta Platforms to court in Silicon Valley to try to prohibit a buyout of a virtual reality fitness startup, only to be turned down by the judge. Watch | Microsoft-Activision: $69bn deal temporarily blocked in US × Microsoft has praised the agreement with Activision Blizzard for making popular Activision games like Call of Duty more broadly available. The US Federal Trade Commission is attempting to persuade Corley to issue an order halting the takeover before a more detailed administrative trial begins on August 2 in Washington. Microsoft is battling to conclude the transaction by the July 18 deadline, which could compel it to pay a $3 billion breakup fee to Activision. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick defends firm’s proposed acquisition by Microsoft in court

After Sony was accused of "ripping off" UK customers, millions of PlayStation owners may be eligible for a share of up to $5.91 billion.

According to the class action, Sony violated competition laws and abused its market position.

If successful, approximately 8.9 million UK customers could receive damages ranging from $79 to $664, not including interest.

According to the allegation, Sony sold digital games and in-game purchases at excessive prices, potentially causing customers to overpay.

It asserts that the video game industry behemoth added a 30% commission to each digital game or in-game purchase made through the PlayStation Store website.

According to consumer rights advocate Alex Neill, who is leading the claim, this ultimately affected how much customers paid for games.

Sony has not yet addressed the allegations.

Since August 19, 2016, anyone in the UK who has bought digital games or add-on content on their console or through the PlayStation Store is automatically covered by the claim.

You don't have to register in order to be eligible for a portion of the award should the claim ultimately be accepted.

By registering on playstationyouoweus.co.uk, anyone who believes they are entitled to compensation can stay informed about the claim.

You'll be informed of what to do next if Sony loses or a payout is decided.

However, even if you don't sign up for updates beforehand, you can usually still add your name after a decision has been made.

Don't delete any purchase emails you've received from Sony; you'll need them to prove you were impacted and will typically need receipts to do so.

(With inputs from agencies) 
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You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

After Sony was accused of "ripping off" UK customers, millions of PlayStation owners may be eligible for a share of up to $5.91 billion. According to the class action, Sony violated competition laws and abused its market position.

After Sony was accused of "ripping off" UK customers, millions of PlayStation owners may be eligible for a share of up to $5.91 billion. According to the class action, Sony violated competition laws and abused its market position. If successful, approximately 8.9 million UK customers could receive damages ranging from $79 to $664, not including interest. According to the allegation, Sony sold digital games and in-game purchases at excessive prices, potentially causing customers to overpay. It asserts that the video game industry behemoth added a 30% commission to each digital game or in-game purchase made through the PlayStation Store website. According to consumer rights advocate Alex Neill, who is leading the claim, this ultimately affected how much customers paid for games. Sony has not yet addressed the allegations. Since August 19, 2016, anyone in the UK who has bought digital games or add-on content on their console or through the PlayStation Store is automatically covered by the claim. You don't have to register in order to be eligible for a portion of the award should the claim ultimately be accepted. By registering on playstationyouoweus.co.uk, anyone who believes they are entitled to compensation can stay informed about the claim. You'll be informed of what to do next if Sony loses or a payout is decided. However, even if you don't sign up for updates beforehand, you can usually still add your name after a decision has been made. Don't delete any purchase emails you've received from Sony; you'll need them to prove you were impacted and will typically need receipts to do so. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Sony being sued for $5.91 billion, PlayStation owners may be owed up to $664 each

Sony Group Corp said at an investor briefing that the company plans to ramp up production PS5 (Playstation 5) console to boost sales. Strain on supply chains and low availability of parts meant that PS5 undersold its predecessor PS4.

PS5 became available in the market in November 2020. The console is expected to close gap with PS4 this year in terms of sales.

Beyond the initial ramp up "we're planning for heavy further increases in console production, taking us to production levels that we've never achieved before," Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan told an investor briefing.

While COVID-19 lockdowns in China continue to create supply chain uncertainty, "things are definitely improving," he added.

Sony forcasts that 18 million consoles would be sold in this business year. In last business year, the number was at 11.5 million

Outlining a shift by PlayStation away from just concentrating on single-player games exclusive to its platform, Ryan said more PC and mobile titles will be on offer in addition to live service games, which provide continuous updated play.

While PS4 and PS5 titles are expected to make up more than two-thirds of releases this year, PC and mobile titles will make up almost half of new games in 2025.

"The initiatives to broaden our audience... will have a fundamental effect on the shape of our game portfolio," Ryan said.

(With inputs from agencies)

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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Sony Group Corp said at an investor briefing that the company plans to ramp up production PS5 (Playstation 5) console to boost sales. Strain on supply chains and low availability of parts meant that PS5 undersold its predecessor PS4.

Sony Group Corp said at an investor briefing that the company plans to ramp up production PS5 (Playstation 5) console to boost sales. Strain on supply chains and low availability of parts meant that PS5 undersold its predecessor PS4. PS5 became available in the market in November 2020. The console is expected to close gap with PS4 this year in terms of sales. Beyond the initial ramp up "we're planning for heavy further increases in console production, taking us to production levels that we've never achieved before," Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan told an investor briefing. While COVID-19 lockdowns in China continue to create supply chain uncertainty, "things are definitely improving," he added. Sony forcasts that 18 million consoles would be sold in this business year. In last business year, the number was at 11.5 million Outlining a shift by PlayStation away from just concentrating on single-player games exclusive to its platform, Ryan said more PC and mobile titles will be on offer in addition to live service games, which provide continuous updated play. While PS4 and PS5 titles are expected to make up more than two-thirds of releases this year, PC and mobile titles will make up almost half of new games in 2025. "The initiatives to broaden our audience... will have a fundamental effect on the shape of our game portfolio," Ryan said. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Sony to boost PlayStation 5 production, to add more games

Sony is coming up with a new subscription plan with over 300 games across PlayStation generations but it does not quite measure up to Microsoft's game pass completely why and how, take a look.

Sony launches new PlayStation subscription service

Sony has unveiled its game pass alternative and launched a new PlayStation subscription service. This move has been viewed as Sony's response to the Xbox game pass.

Sony unveils its game pass alternative, launches new PlayStation subscription service

On getting featured in an amateur pedophilia sting video, a Sony senior vice president, who was working on the PlayStation Network, has been fired. &nbsp;

As per a video of the YouTube channel People v. Preds, which was posted on December 3, the executive George Cacioppo was allegedly trying to arrange meeting with a person, who was claiming to be a 15-year-old boy. &nbsp;

In the clip, a cameraman can be seen walking on a street towards a house at night. Outside the house, a person, who appears to be Cacioppo, is wearing a PS5 shirt. &nbsp;

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The cameraman talks to Cacioppo. A little while later, Cacioppo walks back into the house and closes the door. The cameraman keeps yelling that he will call the cops. &nbsp;

The information about the whole case has also been sent to the District Attorney's Office of San Diego County, confirmed People v. Preds. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-ceo-abruptly-terminates-over-900-employees-in-us-and-india-over-zoom-call-434583" hreflang="en">Watch | CEO abruptly terminates over 900 employees in US and India over Zoom call</a>

According to LinkedIn profile, Cacioppo was a senior vice president of engineering at Sony for last eight years. After allegedly appearing in the clip, Cacioppo lost his job. &nbsp;

In an emailed statement on Sunday, Sony said, "We are aware of the situation and the employee in question has been terminated from employment." &nbsp; &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

On getting featured in an amateur pedophilia sting video, a Sony senior vice president, who was working on the PlayStation Network, has been fired. As per a video of the YouTube channel People v.

On getting featured in an amateur pedophilia sting video, a Sony senior vice president, who was working on the PlayStation Network, has been fired. As per a video of the YouTube channel People v. Preds, which was posted on December 3, the executive George Cacioppo was allegedly trying to arrange meeting with a person, who was claiming to be a 15-year-old boy. In the clip, a cameraman can be seen walking on a street towards a house at night. Outside the house, a person, who appears to be Cacioppo, is wearing a PS5 shirt. × The cameraman talks to Cacioppo. A little while later, Cacioppo walks back into the house and closes the door. The cameraman keeps yelling that he will call the cops. The information about the whole case has also been sent to the District Attorney's Office of San Diego County, confirmed People v. Preds. Also Read: Watch | CEO abruptly terminates over 900 employees in US and India over Zoom call According to LinkedIn profile, Cacioppo was a senior vice president of engineering at Sony for last eight years. After allegedly appearing in the clip, Cacioppo lost his job. In an emailed statement on Sunday, Sony said, "We are aware of the situation and the employee in question has been terminated from employment." (With inputs from agencies)

Sony’s PlayStation executive appears in pedophile sting video, gets axed

Bots have a bad rep. Shady manipulators have used these automated computer programs on social networks to spread conspiracy theories, spew vitriol and scam people. But when bots are programmed to do good, they can help us accomplish the seemingly impossible.

Take buying a PlayStation 5. Since the Sony console was released in November, it has been hard to find in physical and online stores, partly because a global chip shortage has slowed down manufacturing of all kinds of tech products, from graphics cards to automobiles.

As a result, when the new PlayStation appears online on sites like Amazon, Target and Best Buy, it sells out in minutes — sometimes seconds. Sony has said that demand for the PlayStation 5 is unprecedented and that supply constraints could continue through next year. That makes the odds of buying the console feel as random as winning the lottery.

Someone is buying them, though, and the lucky few I’ve talked to relied on some form of automation.

“It’s really difficult to get one without any bots,” said SV Yesvanth, an information security engineer who wrote a web script to automatically scan online stores for available consoles after his own struggles to buy one in Hyderabad, India. After he succeeded in buying a PlayStation, he said, he connected his bot to a Twitter account and helped hundreds of other eager shoppers.

This month, I joined the club. I volunteered to help a friend who had been trying to buy a PlayStation for six months. After setting up several Twitter bots to blast alerts to my phone as new consoles were stocked, I managed to snag one within a week. It wasn’t easy — I failed three times on Best Buy’s website and ultimately succeeded with GameStop. But the bots gave me a necessary edge to beat thousands of others furiously refreshing their web browsers.

You can’t pick just any bot and expect to land the device. I interviewed several creators of automated tools that have helped people score PlayStations. They said there were traps to avoid, like scammy bots purporting to sell consoles. There are also some hidden tricks to speed up orders. Here’s what you need to know.

Bots can be your friend …

Dozens of bots online publish a post on Twitter whenever a retailer refreshes its inventory with more PlayStations. They all generally work the same way: They search an online store’s web code for a signal — like an “add to cart” button — indicating that the PlayStation is back in stock. As soon as they detect that the console is available, they publish an alert on Twitter.

The first step is to follow trustworthy bots. Here are some reliable Twitter accounts I vetted:

— @PS5StockAlerts, which tweets when consoles are available at Best Buy, Sam’s Club and Walmart, among others.

— @mattswider, which initially relied on information from bots for restock updates but is now curated entirely by Matt Swider, the editor-in-chief of the blog TechRadar. Swider gets a heads-up from sources at big-box retailers and some independent stores before they refresh PlayStation inventory, he said.

— @ps5_india, the account run by SV Yesvanth, has a small following focused on obtaining a PlayStation in India, where it has been especially challenging to buy the console.

— @iloveps_5, a bot hosted by Kevin Hirczy, a software developer in Austria. Hirczy’s bot focuses on PlayStation availability in Europe.

You could scan your Twitter feed for in-stock alerts from these accounts. But a more efficient route is to set up notifications to show up on your phone whenever the accounts tweet. To do that, download the Twitter mobile app and allow it to push notifications to your phone. Then follow Twitter’s instructions to set specific accounts to send notifications to your phone when they tweet.

Once you see that consoles have come back in stock, don’t hesitate: Click through and add the item to the cart as quickly as you can.

... but most bots should be avoided

The risky part about relying on bots is that more often than not, you will run into scammers. The general rule of thumb: Avoid Twitter accounts offering to sell you a PlayStation 5 directly. Once they receive your payment, you probably won’t hear from them again.

So be very careful about which Twitter accounts you follow. Some scammers use account names and avatars that closely resemble the names of legitimate accounts. It’s best to follow only accounts that post links to trusted retailers.

“The scary thing is there are so many scam accounts that try to piggyback off legitimate accounts,” Swider said. “It’s hard to tell them apart.”

Other bots to avoid are the automatic checkout tools, like browser add-ons that refresh websites and try to order the PlayStation for you. Many retailer sites have systems that detect orders placed by nonhumans, so using these tools could cause your order to fail, SV Yesvanth said.

There are hidden tricks

Beyond following some bots and setting up alerts for your phone, you can tilt the odds in your favor with a few more steps:

— On retail sites such as GameStop and Best Buy, create a membership account and fill out your mailing address and credit card information ahead of time. This will speed up checkout by valuable seconds, Swider said.

— In rare cases, PlayStation orders have failed in the middle of a credit card transaction. On some store sites, like Amazon, you can buy gift credit for yourself, which allows you to skip the credit card verification process, SV Yesvanth said. (The downside is this strategy commits you to trying to buy the console from a specific retailer.)

— Some online stores have quirks. On Best Buy, for example, you shouldn’t refresh the website after clicking the “add to cart” button — that could cause you to lose your PlayStation. Swider regularly streams live YouTube videos walking people through the different checkout processes, and SV Yesvanth and Hirczy host group chats on Discord where people discuss what’s working for them.

At the end of the day, the sheer amount of effort to buy a product may sound absurd. But in an era when frantic shoppers compete even for hand sanitizer and toilet paper, bots may lead the path to victory.

Bots have a bad rep. Shady manipulators have used these automated computer programs on social networks to spread conspiracy theories, spew vitriol and scam people.

Bots have a bad rep. Shady manipulators have used these automated computer programs on social networks to spread conspiracy theories, spew vitriol and scam people. But when bots are programmed to do good, they can help us accomplish the seemingly impossible. Take buying a PlayStation 5. Since the Sony console was released in November, it has been hard to find in physical and online stores, partly because a global chip shortage has slowed down manufacturing of all kinds of tech products, from graphics cards to automobiles. As a result, when the new PlayStation appears online on sites like Amazon, Target and Best Buy, it sells out in minutes — sometimes seconds. Sony has said that demand for the PlayStation 5 is unprecedented and that supply constraints could continue through next year. That makes the odds of buying the console feel as random as winning the lottery. Someone is buying them, though, and the lucky few I’ve talked to relied on some form of automation. “It’s really difficult to get one without any bots,” said SV Yesvanth, an information security engineer who wrote a web script to automatically scan online stores for available consoles after his own struggles to buy one in Hyderabad, India. After he succeeded in buying a PlayStation, he said, he connected his bot to a Twitter account and helped hundreds of other eager shoppers. This month, I joined the club. I volunteered to help a friend who had been trying to buy a PlayStation for six months. After setting up several Twitter bots to blast alerts to my phone as new consoles were stocked, I managed to snag one within a week. It wasn’t easy — I failed three times on Best Buy’s website and ultimately succeeded with GameStop. But the bots gave me a necessary edge to beat thousands of others furiously refreshing their web browsers. You can’t pick just any bot and expect to land the device. I interviewed several creators of automated tools that have helped people score PlayStations. They said there were traps to avoid, like scammy bots purporting to sell consoles. There are also some hidden tricks to speed up orders. Here’s what you need to know. Bots can be your friend … Dozens of bots online publish a post on Twitter whenever a retailer refreshes its inventory with more PlayStations. They all generally work the same way: They search an online store’s web code for a signal — like an “add to cart” button — indicating that the PlayStation is back in stock. As soon as they detect that the console is available, they publish an alert on Twitter. The first step is to follow trustworthy bots. Here are some reliable Twitter accounts I vetted: — @PS5StockAlerts, which tweets when consoles are available at Best Buy, Sam’s Club and Walmart, among others. — @mattswider, which initially relied on information from bots for restock updates but is now curated entirely by Matt Swider, the editor-in-chief of the blog TechRadar. Swider gets a heads-up from sources at big-box retailers and some independent stores before they refresh PlayStation inventory, he said. — @ps5_india, the account run by SV Yesvanth, has a small following focused on obtaining a PlayStation in India, where it has been especially challenging to buy the console. — @iloveps_5, a bot hosted by Kevin Hirczy, a software developer in Austria. Hirczy’s bot focuses on PlayStation availability in Europe. You could scan your Twitter feed for in-stock alerts from these accounts. But a more efficient route is to set up notifications to show up on your phone whenever the accounts tweet. To do that, download the Twitter mobile app and allow it to push notifications to your phone. Then follow Twitter’s instructions to set specific accounts to send notifications to your phone when they tweet. Once you see that consoles have come back in stock, don’t hesitate: Click through and add the item to the cart as quickly as you can. ... but most bots should be avoided The risky part about relying on bots is that more often than not, you will run into scammers. The general rule of thumb: Avoid Twitter accounts offering to sell you a PlayStation 5 directly. Once they receive your payment, you probably won’t hear from them again. So be very careful about which Twitter accounts you follow. Some scammers use account names and avatars that closely resemble the names of legitimate accounts. It’s best to follow only accounts that post links to trusted retailers. “The scary thing is there are so many scam accounts that try to piggyback off legitimate accounts,” Swider said. “It’s hard to tell them apart.” Other bots to avoid are the automatic checkout tools, like browser add-ons that refresh websites and try to order the PlayStation for you. Many retailer sites have systems that detect orders placed by nonhumans, so using these tools could cause your order to fail, SV Yesvanth said. There are hidden tricks Beyond following some bots and setting up alerts for your phone, you can tilt the odds in your favor with a few more steps: — On retail sites such as GameStop and Best Buy, create a membership account and fill out your mailing address and credit card information ahead of time. This will speed up checkout by valuable seconds, Swider said. — In rare cases, PlayStation orders have failed in the middle of a credit card transaction. On some store sites, like Amazon, you can buy gift credit for yourself, which allows you to skip the credit card verification process, SV Yesvanth said. (The downside is this strategy commits you to trying to buy the console from a specific retailer.) — Some online stores have quirks. On Best Buy, for example, you shouldn’t refresh the website after clicking the “add to cart” button — that could cause you to lose your PlayStation. Swider regularly streams live YouTube videos walking people through the different checkout processes, and SV Yesvanth and Hirczy host group chats on Discord where people discuss what’s working for them. At the end of the day, the sheer amount of effort to buy a product may sound absurd. But in an era when frantic shoppers compete even for hand sanitizer and toilet paper, bots may lead the path to victory.

Want to buy a PlayStation 5? Befriend a bot.

Microsoft unveiled Sunday a batch of new titles for Xbox at the world's premier video game trade show, including award-winning sensation "Hades" and long-time hit "Halo".

The company said it would launch&nbsp;new games on Game Pass every month through the end of the year, including titles such as PC strategy series "Age of Empires IV" and racing game "Forza Horizon&nbsp;5."

The Xbox maker showed off 30 new games coming to its console, which in November will celebrate two decades on the market.

"Our team strives to make Xbox a place where you'll find the greatest games, the most dedicated developers, and the most passionate community," unit chief Phil Spencer said during a streamed event on the second day of a virtual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).

Microsoft revealed a coming take of beloved "Halo", along with new creations such as&nbsp;science-fiction action title "Starfield" and a vampire-battling adventure called "Redfall" from Bethesda Softworks.

Microsoft recently-acquired Bethesda Softworks, the maker of hits including "Fallout" and "Elder Scrolls."

As trailers depicted tense battles and the games' rich graphics, Microsoft stressed that all but a few would be available for play at its subscription Xbox Game Pass service.

The company also highlighted titles that will be exclusive to Xbox, which competes with rival consoles Sony PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.

Award-winning "Hades" from San Francisco-based Supergiant is coming to Xbox as well as PlayStation, the independent studio said Sunday.

"Hades" has so far only been available for play on personal computers and Switch.

"Hades", which snagged five honors this year at Britain's prestigious BAFTA Games Awards, is a "dungeon crawler" that challenges players to fight their way through the underworld.

The line-up of new titles comes as Microsoft works on software and a plug-in device to let people play Xbox video games on internet-linked televisions without need of consoles.

"As a company, Microsoft is all-in on gaming," chief executive Satya Nadella said in introducing the plan last week.

Microsoft has been playing on the strength of its Xbox unit as it vies with Luna and Stadia cloud gaming services run, respectively, by Amazon and Google.

In coming weeks, cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions will be possible through internet browsers Chrome, Edge and Safari, according to Microsoft.

Many are expected to tune in on the closing day of E3 on Tuesday for a Nintendo streamed event at which it may reveal a new version of its coveted Switch consoles along with showing off new games.

Microsoft has also been developing its cloud gaming service to attract casual gamers and its own streaming devices.

Game Pass has hundreds of games playable on&nbsp;Xbox&nbsp;consoles, Android devices and PCs with a $9.99 monthly fee.

"What makes us different from a service like Netflix is that we give players both options, a subscription package and also a full retail store," said Phil Spencer, head of&nbsp;Xbox.

(With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft unveiled Sunday a batch of new titles for Xbox at the world's premier video game trade show, including award-winning sensation "Hades" and long-time hit "Halo".

Microsoft unveiled Sunday a batch of new titles for Xbox at the world's premier video game trade show, including award-winning sensation "Hades" and long-time hit "Halo". The company said it would launch new games on Game Pass every month through the end of the year, including titles such as PC strategy series "Age of Empires IV" and racing game "Forza Horizon 5." The Xbox maker showed off 30 new games coming to its console, which in November will celebrate two decades on the market. "Our team strives to make Xbox a place where you'll find the greatest games, the most dedicated developers, and the most passionate community," unit chief Phil Spencer said during a streamed event on the second day of a virtual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Microsoft revealed a coming take of beloved "Halo", along with new creations such as science-fiction action title "Starfield" and a vampire-battling adventure called "Redfall" from Bethesda Softworks. Microsoft recently-acquired Bethesda Softworks, the maker of hits including "Fallout" and "Elder Scrolls." As trailers depicted tense battles and the games' rich graphics, Microsoft stressed that all but a few would be available for play at its subscription Xbox Game Pass service. The company also highlighted titles that will be exclusive to Xbox, which competes with rival consoles Sony PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. Award-winning "Hades" from San Francisco-based Supergiant is coming to Xbox as well as PlayStation, the independent studio said Sunday. "Hades" has so far only been available for play on personal computers and Switch. "Hades", which snagged five honors this year at Britain's prestigious BAFTA Games Awards, is a "dungeon crawler" that challenges players to fight their way through the underworld. The line-up of new titles comes as Microsoft works on software and a plug-in device to let people play Xbox video games on internet-linked televisions without need of consoles. "As a company, Microsoft is all-in on gaming," chief executive Satya Nadella said in introducing the plan last week. Microsoft has been playing on the strength of its Xbox unit as it vies with Luna and Stadia cloud gaming services run, respectively, by Amazon and Google. In coming weeks, cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions will be possible through internet browsers Chrome, Edge and Safari, according to Microsoft. Many are expected to tune in on the closing day of E3 on Tuesday for a Nintendo streamed event at which it may reveal a new version of its coveted Switch consoles along with showing off new games. Microsoft has also been developing its cloud gaming service to attract casual gamers and its own streaming devices. Game Pass has hundreds of games playable on Xbox consoles, Android devices and PCs with a $9.99 monthly fee. "What makes us different from a service like Netflix is that we give players both options, a subscription package and also a full retail store," said Phil Spencer, head of Xbox. (With inputs from agencies)

Microsoft showcases upcoming games as Xbox turns 20

Twitch, the world’s largest game streaming portal on Wednesday said that it was enabling multiple new labels to videos. Now, users will be able to add a transgender label to their videos among many. The gaming company hopes this move would aid inclusion among its gamers.

Daily, 30 million gamers log on to Amazon-owned Twitch, which allows people to broadcast themselves playing video games.

Among the 350 new tags are "transgender", "bisexual", "Black" and "disabled”, Reuters reported. These tags are essentially labels which gamers can add to their clips.

"This has been one of the most popular requests we've heard, and the simple truth is that we should have done this sooner," Twitch said in a blog post last week. The news was made official to users on Wednesday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/lifestyle/news-miss-south-africa-pageant-opens-to-transgender-entrants-387603" hreflang="en">Miss South Africa pageant opens to transgender entrants</a>

Recently, tech firms are facing increased scrutiny to make their products more inclusive to represent the transgender community. Instagram and LinkedIn recently allowed users to add their pronouns to their profiles.

Data from Twitch Tracker says that 70 per cent of its users are aged between 13-34. Collectively, they watch 68-73 million hours of gameplay everyday.

But there’s still a long way to go. In the United States alone, 18 anti-LGBTQIA+ state bills were signed in 2021 which would bar trans youth from playing sports or seeking medical help.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/arkansas-becomes-first-us-state-to-ban-transgender-treatment-for-minors-375853" hreflang="en">Arkansas becomes first US state to ban transgender treatment for minors</a>

Twitch, the world’s largest game streaming portal on Wednesday said that it was enabling multiple new labels to videos. Now, users will be able to add a transgender label to their videos among many.

Twitch, the world’s largest game streaming portal on Wednesday said that it was enabling multiple new labels to videos. Now, users will be able to add a transgender label to their videos among many. The gaming company hopes this move would aid inclusion among its gamers. Daily, 30 million gamers log on to Amazon-owned Twitch, which allows people to broadcast themselves playing video games. Among the 350 new tags are "transgender", "bisexual", "Black" and "disabled”, Reuters reported. These tags are essentially labels which gamers can add to their clips. "This has been one of the most popular requests we've heard, and the simple truth is that we should have done this sooner," Twitch said in a blog post last week. The news was made official to users on Wednesday. Also read: Miss South Africa pageant opens to transgender entrants Recently, tech firms are facing increased scrutiny to make their products more inclusive to represent the transgender community. Instagram and LinkedIn recently allowed users to add their pronouns to their profiles. Data from Twitch Tracker says that 70 per cent of its users are aged between 13-34. Collectively, they watch 68-73 million hours of gameplay everyday. But there’s still a long way to go. In the United States alone, 18 anti-LGBTQIA+ state bills were signed in 2021 which would bar trans youth from playing sports or seeking medical help. Also read: Arkansas becomes first US state to ban transgender treatment for minors

Game streaming service Twitch adds 350 new 'tags' including transgender, bisexual

American fast-food restaurant chain KFC has finally introduced its gaming console called 'KFConsole' and it can do something the PS5 and Xbox Series X cannot, that is, it can also keep your chicken warm.

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The console wars are 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓. 
 
Introducing the KFConsole. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PowerYourHunger?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PowerYourHunger</a> <a href="https://t.co/k7AM6g61Ip">pic.twitter.com/k7AM6g61Ip</a>
— KFC Gaming (@kfcgaming) <a href="https://twitter.com/kfcgaming/status/1341428570388901891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
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See it for yourself. Find out more about the new <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KFConsole?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KFConsole</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CoolerMaster?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoolerMaster</a>: <a href="https://t.co/omZWuIhBG8">https://t.co/omZWuIhBG8</a> <a href="https://t.co/6n5panSJIs">pic.twitter.com/6n5panSJIs</a>
— KFC Gaming (@kfcgaming) <a href="https://twitter.com/kfcgaming/status/1341431562999631879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The shape of the&nbsp;KFConsole is fundamentally the same as the famous KFC chicken container but it has&nbsp;a matte dark and red tones, and the support itself is partitioned into two particular chambers—one where all the figuring power lives and the second being where your chicken supper can remain warm while you play.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/microsoft-launches-worlds-most-powerful-next-generation-xbox-gaming-console-342103">Microsoft launches 'world's most powerful' next-generation Xbox gaming console</a>

The KFConsole has been made in a collaboration&nbsp;with PC equipment maker Cooler Master and as of now has a one-up over every other person in this comfort battle with that underlying chicken chamber.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/G2xa7vabDkE" width="560"></iframe>

What's more, that is not all, this “bargain-bucket” shaped KFConsole can also handle the latest games. The particulars and subtleties for the KFConsole incorporate a specially fabricated Cooler Master NC100 case and is controlled by the Intel NUC 9 outrageous figuring pack, two Seagate BarraCuda 1TB PCIe NVMe SSDs and illustrations gave by Asus.

The KFConsole is evidently VR prepared, and can offer interactivity up to 240fps, upholds 4K and beam following tech. The cooling instrument is the thing that drives the warming chamber inside the support, and there is certifiably not a different grille or profound fryer component inside the comfort. Furthermore, since gaming consoles can get very warm, that should sufficiently be to keep your food warm while you do a spot of gaming.The reassure was prodded back in June this year and it is at long last here. The KFConsole is intended to keep your food hot, it has a uniquely fabricated cooling framework that concentrates heat from the support through the outside of the chicken chamber that keeps the equipment cool and the food hot.&nbsp;

KFC's gaming console is bound to give tough competition to Sony's PS5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X.

As of now, there is no information on when you will have the option to purchase the KFConsole or the amount it will cost. Protected to state that it'll be delivered ahead of schedule one year from now, best-case scenario.&nbsp;

American fast-food restaurant chain KFC has finally introduced its gaming console called 'KFConsole' and it can do something the PS5 and Xbox Series X cannot, that is, it can also keep your chicken warm.

American fast-food restaurant chain KFC has finally introduced its gaming console called 'KFConsole' and it can do something the PS5 and Xbox Series X cannot, that is, it can also keep your chicken warm. The console wars are 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓. Introducing the KFConsole. #PowerYourHunger pic.twitter.com/k7AM6g61Ip — KFC Gaming (@kfcgaming) December 22, 2020 × See it for yourself. Find out more about the new #KFConsole @CoolerMaster: https://t.co/omZWuIhBG8 pic.twitter.com/6n5panSJIs — KFC Gaming (@kfcgaming) December 22, 2020 × The shape of the KFConsole is fundamentally the same as the famous KFC chicken container but it has a matte dark and red tones, and the support itself is partitioned into two particular chambers—one where all the figuring power lives and the second being where your chicken supper can remain warm while you play. Also read: Microsoft launches 'world's most powerful' next-generation Xbox gaming console The KFConsole has been made in a collaboration with PC equipment maker Cooler Master and as of now has a one-up over every other person in this comfort battle with that underlying chicken chamber. What's more, that is not all, this “bargain-bucket” shaped KFConsole can also handle the latest games. The particulars and subtleties for the KFConsole incorporate a specially fabricated Cooler Master NC100 case and is controlled by the Intel NUC 9 outrageous figuring pack, two Seagate BarraCuda 1TB PCIe NVMe SSDs and illustrations gave by Asus. The KFConsole is evidently VR prepared, and can offer interactivity up to 240fps, upholds 4K and beam following tech. The cooling instrument is the thing that drives the warming chamber inside the support, and there is certifiably not a different grille or profound fryer component inside the comfort. Furthermore, since gaming consoles can get very warm, that should sufficiently be to keep your food warm while you do a spot of gaming.The reassure was prodded back in June this year and it is at long last here. The KFConsole is intended to keep your food hot, it has a uniquely fabricated cooling framework that concentrates heat from the support through the outside of the chicken chamber that keeps the equipment cool and the food hot. KFC's gaming console is bound to give tough competition to Sony's PS5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X. As of now, there is no information on when you will have the option to purchase the KFConsole or the amount it will cost. Protected to state that it'll be delivered ahead of schedule one year from now, best-case scenario.

How KFConsole is better than Sony's PS5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X

Tech giant&nbsp;Microsoft Corp&nbsp;on Tuesday launched two models of its Xbox gaming console,&nbsp;kicking off a holiday season battle with Sony's latest PlayStation model.

The Xbox Series X, which the company has described as the "world's most powerful console", will retail for $499.99 (379.1 pounds) and a lower-priced Xbox Series S will sell for $299.99.

The strategy offers consumers greater choice but the compact Series S faces criticism for being less powerful than the Series X, with less storage capacity and lacking advanced "ray tracing" graphics for titles like Capcom's "Devil May Cry 5."

Xbox will compete with Sony Corp's PlayStation 5, scheduled to launch on Thursday. PS5 is widely viewed as leading the console race due to its bigger fan base and a broader range of exclusive gaming titles available at launch.

The launches are well-placed to capitalise on a massive spike in demand for gaming. Rising numbers of people around the world are seeking distraction during a pandemic that has killed 1.25 million people and left at least 3 billion more in some form of lockdown since the virus appeared in late December.

But while lockdowns and restrictions may have boosted sales, they have also forced companies to move their launch events online.

Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass, a subscription service with more than 100 titles including brand new games, is seen as the company's greatest weapon for cutting in to PlayStation's dominance. Game Pass has grown rapidly to more than 15 million users since its launch.

However, Xbox is seen as lacking killer launch titles, with the latest "Halo" game in the flagship series pushed back to next year as the pandemic hit development.

"Each studio is facing unique challenges and constraints depending on its particular location, and many of our external development partners around the world are similarly affected," said Ryan Cameron, director at Xbox, EMEA.

Phil Spencer, executive vice-president of gaming at&nbsp;Microsoft, told gamers on a Facebook live event that they were taking "the first step into the next generation of gaming."

"And you will be the first in the world to experience it."

The pandemic also means no long lines of customers camped outside stores, with the pre-orders snapped up online instead more likely to be delivered to gamers' homes.

Swan song for physical consoles?

Microsoft&nbsp;is hoping its next-generation offering will help close the gap with Sony, whose PlayStation 4 sold twice as well as the Xbox One since they both were released in 2013.

Unlike the PlayStation 5, whose release will be staggered in different countries from Thursday, the Xbox Series X hit the shelves worldwide on Tuesday.

Both Sony and&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;have lined up a roster of eagerly awaited games -- headlined by the latest edition of Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed, an open-world Viking epic -- to launch with the consoles, which will offer much more powerful central and graphics processors than their predecessors.

In a competitive industry where focus is shifting to online play, this could be a swan song for physical consoles, with both firms betting on cloud servers to do the heavy processing lifting in the future.

Tech giant Microsoft Corp on Tuesday launched two models of its Xbox gaming console, kicking off a holiday season battle with Sony's latest PlayStation model. The Xbox Series X, which the company has described as the "world's most powerful console", will retail for $499.

Tech giant Microsoft Corp on Tuesday launched two models of its Xbox gaming console, kicking off a holiday season battle with Sony's latest PlayStation model. The Xbox Series X, which the company has described as the "world's most powerful console", will retail for $499.99 (379.1 pounds) and a lower-priced Xbox Series S will sell for $299.99. The strategy offers consumers greater choice but the compact Series S faces criticism for being less powerful than the Series X, with less storage capacity and lacking advanced "ray tracing" graphics for titles like Capcom's "Devil May Cry 5." Xbox will compete with Sony Corp's PlayStation 5, scheduled to launch on Thursday. PS5 is widely viewed as leading the console race due to its bigger fan base and a broader range of exclusive gaming titles available at launch. The launches are well-placed to capitalise on a massive spike in demand for gaming. Rising numbers of people around the world are seeking distraction during a pandemic that has killed 1.25 million people and left at least 3 billion more in some form of lockdown since the virus appeared in late December. But while lockdowns and restrictions may have boosted sales, they have also forced companies to move their launch events online. Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass, a subscription service with more than 100 titles including brand new games, is seen as the company's greatest weapon for cutting in to PlayStation's dominance. Game Pass has grown rapidly to more than 15 million users since its launch. However, Xbox is seen as lacking killer launch titles, with the latest "Halo" game in the flagship series pushed back to next year as the pandemic hit development. "Each studio is facing unique challenges and constraints depending on its particular location, and many of our external development partners around the world are similarly affected," said Ryan Cameron, director at Xbox, EMEA. Phil Spencer, executive vice-president of gaming at Microsoft, told gamers on a Facebook live event that they were taking "the first step into the next generation of gaming." "And you will be the first in the world to experience it." The pandemic also means no long lines of customers camped outside stores, with the pre-orders snapped up online instead more likely to be delivered to gamers' homes. Swan song for physical consoles? Microsoft is hoping its next-generation offering will help close the gap with Sony, whose PlayStation 4 sold twice as well as the Xbox One since they both were released in 2013. Unlike the PlayStation 5, whose release will be staggered in different countries from Thursday, the Xbox Series X hit the shelves worldwide on Tuesday. Both Sony and Microsoft have lined up a roster of eagerly awaited games -- headlined by the latest edition of Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed, an open-world Viking epic -- to launch with the consoles, which will offer much more powerful central and graphics processors than their predecessors. In a competitive industry where focus is shifting to online play, this could be a swan song for physical consoles, with both firms betting on cloud servers to do the heavy processing lifting in the future.

Microsoft launches 'world's most powerful' next-generation Xbox gaming console

Turns out, shooting people’s heads off in the virtual amount does not imply you will run off shooting in the streets. This revelation, which runs contrary to all previous research about gaming linking&nbsp;long-term exposure to increased violence and thoughts of violence, is based on a reanalysis of data from over 21,000 young gamers on the planet.

Fronted by Aaron Drummond from Massey University in New Zealand, the research claims playing video games is not a contributing factor to one’s aggression and/or&nbsp;violent tendencies. To reach this conclusion, Drummond reanalysed 28 meta-analytical studies that linked violence to gaming.

"Small effect"

His pursuit revealed that only a very small number of people exhibited aggression after gaming, and this positive correlation was too negligible to be taken as the primary signifier of game induced violence. The researchers claimed that it is such a small number, that it does not qualify to even producing a “small effect”.

Published in the Royal Society Open Science journal on Wednesday. 
 
Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/opinions-blogs/how-coronavirus-outbreak-is-impacting-the-gaming-industry-289481" hreflang="en">How coronavirus outbreak is impacting the gaming industry</a>

The report said that the “current research is unable to support the hypothesis that violent video games have a meaningful long-term predictive impact on youth aggression”.

The studies that were analysed by the study head went as back as 2008 showed a small positive correlation between violence and video-games. Over a quarter of the gamers were said to have been susceptible to real-life aggression. There was no concrete conclusion linking violence to gamers in any of these studies. In fact, a study from 2011 showed a negative correlation between aggression and gaming.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/world-health-organisation-officially-recognises-gaming-addiction-as-mental-disorder-221949" hreflang="en">World Health Organisation officially recognises gaming addiction as 'mental disorder'</a>

Accumulation of micro violence?

The most common argument against violent gaming is that an accumulation of micro-violence is one major negative effect of gaming. Over a long-time, this may change one’s temperament, making one susceptible to aggression. However, the study showed no evidence of such accumulation, but in fact paints a totally opposite picture.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/tambola-online-antakshari-community-gaming-on-the-rise-in-times-of-social-distancing-288528" hreflang="en">Tambola, online antakshari: Community gaming on the rise in times of social distancing</a>

The report mentions that “long-term impacts of violent games on youth aggression are near zero”.

Most scientific scholars and groups have based their violence-linked studies to negligible relationship observed between gamers and aggression.

Many studies have also attempted to map emotional behaviour linked to gaming. A research from 2018 done by the University of New South Wales found that gamers used to violence were able to ignore depictions of violence in other contexts.

Turns out, shooting people’s heads off in the virtual amount does not imply you will run off shooting in the streets. This revelation, which runs contrary to all previous research about gaming linking long-term exposure to increased violence and thoughts of violence, is based on a reanalysis of data from over 21,000 young gamers on the planet.

Turns out, shooting people’s heads off in the virtual amount does not imply you will run off shooting in the streets. This revelation, which runs contrary to all previous research about gaming linking long-term exposure to increased violence and thoughts of violence, is based on a reanalysis of data from over 21,000 young gamers on the planet. Fronted by Aaron Drummond from Massey University in New Zealand, the research claims playing video games is not a contributing factor to one’s aggression and/or violent tendencies. To reach this conclusion, Drummond reanalysed 28 meta-analytical studies that linked violence to gaming. "Small effect" His pursuit revealed that only a very small number of people exhibited aggression after gaming, and this positive correlation was too negligible to be taken as the primary signifier of game induced violence. The researchers claimed that it is such a small number, that it does not qualify to even producing a “small effect”. Published in the Royal Society Open Science journal on Wednesday. Also read: How coronavirus outbreak is impacting the gaming industry The report said that the “current research is unable to support the hypothesis that violent video games have a meaningful long-term predictive impact on youth aggression”. The studies that were analysed by the study head went as back as 2008 showed a small positive correlation between violence and video-games. Over a quarter of the gamers were said to have been susceptible to real-life aggression. There was no concrete conclusion linking violence to gamers in any of these studies. In fact, a study from 2011 showed a negative correlation between aggression and gaming. Also read: World Health Organisation officially recognises gaming addiction as 'mental disorder' Accumulation of micro violence? The most common argument against violent gaming is that an accumulation of micro-violence is one major negative effect of gaming. Over a long-time, this may change one’s temperament, making one susceptible to aggression. However, the study showed no evidence of such accumulation, but in fact paints a totally opposite picture. Also read: Tambola, online antakshari: Community gaming on the rise in times of social distancing The report mentions that “long-term impacts of violent games on youth aggression are near zero”. Most scientific scholars and groups have based their violence-linked studies to negligible relationship observed between gamers and aggression. Many studies have also attempted to map emotional behaviour linked to gaming. A research from 2018 done by the University of New South Wales found that gamers used to violence were able to ignore depictions of violence in other contexts.

Gaming does not make you more aggressive, after all!

An<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-instagram-down-in-large-parts-of-the-the-world-203174"> Instagram outage </a>on Thursday left users of the Facebook-owned social network flocking to Twitter to vent frustration.

The website DownDetector.com showed a spike in reports of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-instagram-whatsapp-hit-by-outages-downdetector-210332">Instagram being unavailable</a> in the afternoon, nearly hitting 54,000 before diving back down.

"Earlier today, a technical issue caused some people to have trouble accessing their Instagram accounts. We are now fully recovered and apologise for the inconvenience," an Instagram spokesperson said in a statement.

The company did not elaborate on the cause or extent of the outage.

People using the #instagram hashtag on Twitter posted that attempts to access the service on mobile apps or computers had been met with messages such as "couldn't refresh feed" or "something went wrong."

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instagram likes to die and shut down every few weeks to remind us that we r trash and we need to get a life 😋😋
— Antonio Garza (@antoniiogarza21) <a href="https://twitter.com/antoniiogarza21/status/1139290419261583360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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everyone when instagram was acting up 😂 <a href="https://t.co/4EB5XeAIbo">pic.twitter.com/4EB5XeAIbo</a>
— 𝑴𝑨𝑹𝑰𝑬𝑳𝑨 🦋 (@marielavelasqz) <a href="https://twitter.com/marielavelasqz/status/1139321790998765574?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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When Instagram isn’t working anymore so your gonna have to go on twitter and rant to your 35 followers. <a href="https://t.co/EJ6mykDWvw">pic.twitter.com/EJ6mykDWvw</a>
— ᴀᴅᴅ ᴅᴅᴀᴇɴɢ ᴛᴏ sᴘᴏᴛɪғʏ (@hoseokwlove) <a href="https://twitter.com/hoseokwlove/status/1139329985582440450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Along with complaints and animated gifs playing on the inconvenience, some offered words of wisdom.

"Imagine if Instagram and social media closed every day at 6 pm like a shop," read a tweet from the account of @stevebartlettsc.

"We would all be forced to meet up and speak to each other in real life, to be present with our families, to work out, to go outside, to read, to make art, music... eurghhh, nevermind."

Meanwhile, some gamers trying to access the PlayStation network on Thursday were also met with error messages.

"We're aware that some users are experiencing issues logging into PSN. Thank you for your patience as we investigate," the official Ask PlayStation Twitter account said.

According to DownDetector.com, the outages were concentrated in northern Europe and Britain, as well as in several parts of the United States and Brazil.

PlayStation did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment on the outage.

An Instagram outage on Thursday left users of the Facebook-owned social network flocking to Twitter to vent frustration. The website DownDetector.com showed a spike in reports of Instagram being unavailable in the afternoon, nearly hitting 54,000 before diving back down.

An Instagram outage on Thursday left users of the Facebook-owned social network flocking to Twitter to vent frustration. The website DownDetector.com showed a spike in reports of Instagram being unavailable in the afternoon, nearly hitting 54,000 before diving back down. "Earlier today, a technical issue caused some people to have trouble accessing their Instagram accounts. We are now fully recovered and apologise for the inconvenience," an Instagram spokesperson said in a statement. The company did not elaborate on the cause or extent of the outage. People using the #instagram hashtag on Twitter posted that attempts to access the service on mobile apps or computers had been met with messages such as "couldn't refresh feed" or "something went wrong." instagram likes to die and shut down every few weeks to remind us that we r trash and we need to get a life 😋😋 — Antonio Garza (@antoniiogarza21) June 13, 2019 × everyone when instagram was acting up 😂 pic.twitter.com/4EB5XeAIbo — 𝑴𝑨𝑹𝑰𝑬𝑳𝑨 🦋 (@marielavelasqz) June 14, 2019 × When Instagram isn’t working anymore so your gonna have to go on twitter and rant to your 35 followers. pic.twitter.com/EJ6mykDWvw — ᴀᴅᴅ ᴅᴅᴀᴇɴɢ ᴛᴏ sᴘᴏᴛɪғʏ (@hoseokwlove) June 14, 2019 × Along with complaints and animated gifs playing on the inconvenience, some offered words of wisdom. "Imagine if Instagram and social media closed every day at 6 pm like a shop," read a tweet from the account of @stevebartlettsc. "We would all be forced to meet up and speak to each other in real life, to be present with our families, to work out, to go outside, to read, to make art, music... eurghhh, nevermind." Meanwhile, some gamers trying to access the PlayStation network on Thursday were also met with error messages. "We're aware that some users are experiencing issues logging into PSN. Thank you for your patience as we investigate," the official Ask PlayStation Twitter account said. According to DownDetector.com, the outages were concentrated in northern Europe and Britain, as well as in several parts of the United States and Brazil. PlayStation did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment on the outage.

Instagram, PlayStation hit with outages; users vent on Twitter

<div style="text-align: justify;">DO NOT PUBLISH 
 
Microsoft Corp unveiled &#39;Project Scorpio&#39;, a new Xbox console that will support ultra-high resolution gaming and virtual reality, while also launching a slimmer version of its Xbox One console- Xbox One S console. 
 
Project Scorpio, which will have the ability to power virtual reality experiences and 4K gaming, is expected to be available during the holiday season in 2017. 
 
The console will be compatible with Xbox One games and accessories. Details on its pricing were not disclosed. 
 
The new Xbox One S console, an updated version of the Xbox One launched in 2013, will bring new features such as streaming support for 4K videos, which provides four-times the resolution of high-definition content. 
 
The Xbox One S will be available in August and its base model will be priced at $299. 
 
Microsoft also announced a number of new games at the conference, including Gears of War 4 and Forza Horizon 3. 
 
The company also introduced Xbox Play Anywhere, that allows gamers to buy a game once and play it on both their Windows 10 PC and Xbox One console. 
 
Microsoft launched a partnership with Oculus Rift last year, which made some Xbox One games playable on Oculus&#39; virtual reality platform. 
 
Sony Corporation&nbsp;also said at the conference it would launch its virtual reality headset for PlayStation in the United States by mid-October. 
 
Sony said it would add new titles to its PlayStation console, including Marvel&#39;s Spider-Man, God of War and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.</div>

Microsoft's latest "Project Scorpio" will have the ability to use virtual reality and Xbox One S is the slimmer version of Xbox One

DO NOT PUBLISH Microsoft Corp unveiled 'Project Scorpio', a new Xbox console that will support ultra-high resolution gaming and virtual reality, while also launching a slimmer version of its Xbox One console- Xbox One S console. Project Scorpio, which will have the ability to power virtual reality experiences and 4K gaming, is expected to be available during the holiday season in 2017. The console will be compatible with Xbox One games and accessories. Details on its pricing were not disclosed. The new Xbox One S console, an updated version of the Xbox One launched in 2013, will bring new features such as streaming support for 4K videos, which provides four-times the resolution of high-definition content. The Xbox One S will be available in August and its base model will be priced at $299. Microsoft also announced a number of new games at the conference, including Gears of War 4 and Forza Horizon 3. The company also introduced Xbox Play Anywhere, that allows gamers to buy a game once and play it on both their Windows 10 PC and Xbox One console. Microsoft launched a partnership with Oculus Rift last year, which made some Xbox One games playable on Oculus' virtual reality platform. Sony Corporation also said at the conference it would launch its virtual reality headset for PlayStation in the United States by mid-October. Sony said it would add new titles to its PlayStation console, including Marvel's Spider-Man, God of War and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.

Microsoft launches slimmer Xbox and reveals latest Xbox console; Sony's VR headset to hit US in October

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