By continuing to use the site or forum, you agree to the use of cookies, find out more by reading our GDPR policy

Microsoft has unveiled the Xbox Series X, its flagship next-generation console succeeding Xbox One, promising leading performance at up to 8K or 120Hz. While formerly teased under the Project Scarlett moniker, it closes the year with an early glimpse of its top-tier SKU on track for late 2020. That includes a sleek all-black tower-style casing, with a refined Xbox controller characterized by a fresh look and share button. The Xbox Series X is expected to go head-to-head with the Sony PlayStation 5 next holiday, kicking off a new hardware cycle scrambling for performance. Microsoft has detailed sizeable CPU and GPU upgrades under the hood, backing our previously-reported Xbox Series X specifications, looking to support improved resolutions, framerates, and overall graphical fidelity. And while pledging to deliver Xbox Series X in 2020, Microsoft is yet to open preorders for the console. With a formal price yet to be unveiled, we're yet to receive the opportunity to lock down a payment – assumedly on hold until closer to launch. While some third-party retailers allow buyers to "register" interest and subscribe to future updates, there's no official option to preorder in late 2019. With the Xbox Series X reveal, GameSpot sat down with Xbox partner director of program management, Jason Ronald, discussing the team's current stance of preorders. "We think, in the end, what people want from us is ... to put a controller [in their] hand," Ronald told GameSpot. "People tell me, 'Hey, I want to pre-order right now,' and we definitely love that--like it's great to have those fans--but I also know that these investments aren't trivial for families. I want to be transparent about what our design goals are." So, when will Xbox Series X preorders go live? That's currently unclear, with Microsoft remaining coy on plans and when future updates are expected. Redmond is still locking down the final hardware configuration planned for the console, which makes sense given the full year before launch. When preorders do go live, expect Amazon, GameStop, Best Buy, and all other major retailers to stock the device. Pricing for the Xbox Series X also remains a mystery, although with both Xbox One and Xbox One X positioned at $500 from launch, expect a somewhat similar ballpark for the next console. Whether the Xbox Series X sees a dedicated reveal event next spring, similar to the original Xbox One, or Microsoft shelves the device until E3 in June, expect to more on pricing, and how to place your order in 2020. Follow this thread by visiting OUR FORUM.

The seven-year cycle of the Sony PS4 will come to an end next year, which means that the Next-Gen game console is in full development. In the meantime, the Japanese manufacturer has officially announced that the Sony PlayStation 5 will be launched before Christmas 2020. The PS5 is expected to be officially announced in February, during PlayStation Meeting 2020. Update 26/11: Samsung has announced a Solid State Drive (SSD) for PCs and game consoles. Chances are that this NVMe SSD is intended for the PlayStation 5. Possibly the same memory is also used by the developing Microsoft Xbox Two, finally, this game console will also have SSD memory. Update 20/11: The possible introduction date, price, and release date have been leaked. According to the latest information, the PS5 will not be announced in February 2020, but in June during the E3 2020. The game console will receive a prize of $ 499 / € 499 and will be released on November 20, 2020, with a 2TB SSD. It remains to be seen whether Europe will also immediately belong to the first batch. The previous PlayStation game console was first released in America, followed by the European launch two weeks later. If Sony opts for the same strategy this time (which is certainly not inconceivable), this means that in the Netherlands we can also buy the Sony PS5 around the New Year. At least, you can actually buy the new game console. Because with Game Mania you can place a PS5 pre-order since October 2019. If you decide to make a reservation, you must make a deposit of € 50. As soon as the sale price is announced by Sony, this down payment amount will be deducted as a discount, so that you will not have to pay anything extra for your ultimate game system. Regarding the design, with every new generation of PlayStation, it has been decided to totally revise the design. It is expected that the five-generation will get a totally new design. In August 2019, LetsGoDigital was able to discover the design of the Sony PS5 Development Kit, which is used by game developers to develop PS5 games. A Dev Kit usually looks different from the consumer version, so it is still unclear what the PS5 will look like that we can buy in the stores later. Although Sony has not yet released information about the price and design, the manufacturer has already revealed several new features over time. The new PlayStation 5 thus becomes an 8K game console, and it will also be possible to play in 4K @ 60fps. Please visit OUR FORUM for more.

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recommends making sure that Internet of Things (IoT) devices and smart TVs in your home are properly configured to protect them and your other devices from potential attackers. FBI's recommendations come after a long stream of malicious campaigns targeting such devices that usually are unsecured, to either add them to large botnets or use them as a stepping stone in multi-stage attacks aiming for other devices like smartphones and personal computers. This advice aims to help you build a digital defense around your smart TV and IoT devices to protect your sensitive personal and financial information, seeing that they are easily reachable as they usually come with an Internet connection enabled by default. "Unsecured devices can allow hackers a path into your router, giving the bad guy access to everything else on your home network that you thought was secure," the FBI Portland Office says. "59.7% of routers have weak credentials or some vulnerabilities" and "59.1% of users worldwide have never logged into their router or have never updated its firmware," said Avast in its 2019 Smart Home Security Report published in February — the stats were extracted from data collected from 16 million different home networks and 56 million devices all over the world. The easiest way to protect your data from a hacker that manages to compromise one of your IoT devices is to secure your home network by segregating them on a separate network. "Your fridge and your laptop should not be on the same network," the FBI says. "Keep your most private, sensitive data on a separate system from your other IoT devices." The US federal law enforcement agency also advises changing the devices' default password with unique and hard to crack passwords, thus blocking any hacking attempts trying to use known passwords set with factory settings. Making sure that mobile apps paired with such devices don't have permissions that would allow them to harvest your information is also recommended, as is always keeping all your IoT devices up to date by enabling automatic updates whenever possible. "Beyond the risk that your TV manufacturer and app developers may be listening and watching you, that television can also be a gateway for hackers to come into your home," the FBI states. "A bad cyber actor may not be able to access your locked-down computer directly, but it is possible that your unsecured TV can give him or her an easy way in the backdoor through your router." Following a successful attack, hackers can take control of the smart TV in your living room or bedroom to spy on you using the built-in microphone and camera. For recommendations please visit OUR FORUM.