Zachary Boddy

Best answer: Despite an early technical preview of the Xbox Series X showcasing Minecraft with ray tracing, there’s simply no confirmation when or even if Minecraft is going to receive a next-gen upgrade for the Xbox Series X|S. It stands to reason that it’ll happen at some point in the future, but additional work will be needed. Xbox Series X|S handle ray tracing differently than Minecraft with RTX on Windows 10.

Master Minecraft: Minecraft Master Collection ($50 at Microsoft)
Getting Started: Minecraft Starter Collection ($30 at Microsoft)

Setting the stage

The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are here, and a whole suite of notable games have already been optimized for Microsoft’s next-gen consoles, many with included ray-tracing support! These powerful consoles can handle a lot more than previous gens and support a wide range of new gaming technologies. However, one significant omission from Microsoft’s recent bombardment of next-gen upgrade announcements has been Minecraft. M…

The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S may become available at Walmart later today, thanks to a report from the Verge.

Walmart’s landing pages for the Xbox Series X shows a restock available at 3 pm ET, January 21, 2021, giving interested shoppers another chance to nab one of Microsoft’s elusive consoles. This is just for the base console, which will include one controller. You can find the Xbox Series X at Walmart for $499, and the Xbox Series S at Walmart for $299.

If you’re looking for the PS5, you can find the PS5 at Walmart at the same time for $499 as well. The Digital PS5 at Walmart for $399 will also have new stock.

The Xbox Series X|S has been very hard to find ever since its launch, and stock shortages are expected to continue for another few months. However, we keep track of where to buy the Xbox Series X|S to make it as simple as possible for shoppers.

Xbox Series X

See at Walmart
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Xbox Series X is Microsoft’s new flagship, as its most …

The Razer Naga X adds new optical switches and weighs much less.

What you need to know

Razer is a leading manufacturer of gaming peripherals like mice, keyboards, headsets, and more.
Their latest mouse is the Razer Naga X, the newest entry in the Naga lineup that’s popular with MMO gamers.
The Razer Naga X keeps the plethora of programmable buttons but adds new optical switches and further reduces the weight.
Interested gamers can purchase the Razer Naga X right now from Razer and other authorized retailers.

Razer is widely known for its vast selection of excellently designed gaming peripherals, including mice, keyboards, headsets, and more. The Razer Naga lineup, in particular, is a series of gaming mice focused towards MMO games, which typically feature a ton of controls and shortcuts that players can master. Today, Razer has announced and released the latest in the popular Naga lineup with the Razer Naga X.

The brand-new Razer Naga X looks to appeal to gamers who desire all …

The Xbox One may still see Microsoft Flight Simulator one day.

What you need to know

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a superb flight sim that is notorious for pushing gaming PCs to the max.
The game has already been confirmed for a release on the Xbox Series X|S later this year, but the rumored Xbox One version is nowhere to be seen.
In a recent interview, Microsoft Flight Simulator head Jorg Neumann suggests that an Xbox One version is not off the tables yet.
After Microsoft Flight Simulator launches on Xbox Series X|S and VR, and Xbox One version could be considered later on.

One of the games most sought-after on Xbox is Microsoft Flight Simulator, a fantastic flight sim from Microsoft’s long-dormant franchise that combines powerful modern gaming hardware, new technologies, and Microsoft’s advanced cloud tech to create an absolutely gorgeous showcase of the entire world. Recently, Microsoft confirmed that Microsoft Flight Simulator is coming to Xbox Series X|S later this year, b…

Four areas, retro items, zany illnesses, and much more.

What you need to know

Two Point Hospital is a delightful hospital management simulator that combines satisfying mechanics with quirky humor.
The game has successfully translated to consoles, but has a ton of additional expansions and content packs on PC.
Now, Two Point Studios is releasing Two Point Hospital JUMBO Edition, which bundles all of this content into one game.
The JUMBO Edition will be available on Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch starting March 5, 2021.

Two Point Hospital is the successful revival of the hospital management sim genre, and combines wonderful humor with clever and engaging mechanics to create an overall fantastic game. Unlike some other games in similar genres, Two Point Hospital also translated well to consoles like Xbox, PlayStation, and the Switch. While the base game still contains plenty to do, Two Point Hospital has been missing some of the expansions and content packs that is present on PC. Tw…

Players are trying to log-in to Hitman 3 to no avail.

What you need to know

Hitman 3 is the latest in the long-running assassination and stealth-focused Hitman series.
Hitman 3 is officially out today, but numerous players are running into issues getting into the game.
IO Accounts, which are used to carry over progression from previous games, are failing to sign people in.
IO Interactive is working on the progression and account issue and is trying to get everyone in.

The latest game featuring everyone’s favorite bald assassin is now available, and Hitman 3 is inviting people to join on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox, PlayStation, PC, and even Switch. While the game has garnered respectable reviews, it is running into some initial launch pains that have been lasting all day. Most notably, players are having a ton of trouble signing-in and accessing their IO Account.

We’re on it.HITMAN 3 has arrived and everyone wants to play at once. We’re tracking and will have everyone in…

The art of (not) transferring your save files and characters.

Minecraft Dungeons continues the Minecraft mantra of “play anywhere with anyone” by being available on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, PC, and even Xbox Cloud Gaming (Project xCloud) as one of the Best Games for Xbox Cloud Gaming. However, since launch, it’s been missing two vital features that have been a Minecraft staple for ages: cross-play and cross-save.

Cross-play allows online multiplayer across platform lines. Cross-play was recently added to Minecraft Dungeons in a free update (here’s how to enable cross-play in Minecraft Dungeons). Cross-save lets players carry their progress and saves across platforms and devices, and that’s unfortunately still missing from Minecraft Dungeons. Support for cross-saves should come in the future, but here are all of your options right now.

Here’s how to transfer your save files and characters in Minecraft Dungeons:

Jump to:

How do I transfer save files?

PC
Xbox
PlayStation
Swi…

Experimental features activate!

What you need to know

Minecraft: Bedrock Edition is the modern and universal version of the popular creative sandbox game, Minecraft.
The game has a beta program that tests new updates and experimental features before they’re released to the public.
Minecraft is currently on ‘the Nether Update’ branch, but an experimental feature toggle allows Mojang Studios to test other things.
The latest beta, 1.16.210.56 adds new features like pointed dripstone blocks, which is part of the upcoming ‘Caves and Cliffs Update.’

Minecraft: Java Edition started the day with the first Caves and Cliffs Update snapshot of the year, and now Minecraft: Bedrock Edition is following suit with the release of the 1.16.210.56 beta for the Nether Update. Yes, this beta is still a part of the long-released Nether Update branch, but there’s still plenty to be excited about in this beta.

The experimental features toggle present in Minecraft: Bedrock Edition has gained some new …

This snapshot is positively glowing.

What you need to know

Minecraft: Java Edition is the legacy PC version of Minecraft, and tests future updates through “snapshots.”
The next major update for Minecraft is the ‘Caves and Cliffs Update,’ which is planned to release later this year.
The very first snapshot of 2021 for the ‘Caves and Cliffs Update’ is rolling out now, and adds the glow squid and more.
The glow squid was the winner of Minecraft Live’s mob vote, and was chosen by the community to be added to Minecraft.

Minecraft: Java Edition is starting today right with the very first Caves and Cliffs Update snapshot of 2021. Snapshot 21w03a is now available for Minecrafters to test, and adds a handful of experimental Caves and Cliffs Update features such as the glow squid. In case you forgot, the glow squid won the mob vote at Minecraft Live, and now you can sneak a peek in Minecraft’s latest snapshot.

The Caves and Cliffs Update, on the other hand, is the absolutely massive upda…

Some early flights of the flight update.

What you need to know

Grounded is a unique co-op survival game that shrinks players to the size of insects in a backyard.
The game is currently in early access, and therefore receives regular updates and changes.
The next major update, 0.6.0, was recently teased for release later this month.
Ahead of the official launch, Grounded is testing 0.6.0 in its Public Test ring, which is now open to interested Grounded players.

Just as Obsidian Entertainment promised last week, the Public Test ring for Grounded’s next major update is now open for dedicated Grounded players to enjoy. The 0.6.0 release, or January Content Update, is Grounded’s first release after the holidays, and adds the much-anticipated flying insects to Obsidian Entertainment’s quirky survival gem.

It’s unclear how long the Grounded team will test the January Content update before releasing it to Grounded’s early access, but I expect the Public Test ring to be open for about a…

New games come to the service every month.

What you need to know

Xbox Game Pass is Microsoft’s gaming subscription that bundles in dozens of high quality games under one monthly cost.
Games come and go from Xbox Game Pass every month, and Microsoft reveals the newcomers and departees every few weeks.
The second half of January picks things back up a little bit after a slow start in the new year.
The arrivals to Xbox Game Pass in the second half of January include gems like the Medium, Outer Wilds, Yakuza 3, 4, and 5, and more.

We’re already over halfway through the first month of 2021, and it’s time for Microsoft to update its Xbox Game Pass games offering with a list of all the games coming and going from Xbox Game Pass in January. Things are picking up in the second half of the month, with some truly great games (and one highly anticipated title) coming to players on Xbox, PC, and Xbox Game Streaming (Project xCloud), including the powerful Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.

If…

No longer will players need two separate launchers to play.

What you need to know

Minecraft: Java Edition and Minecraft Dungeons both have their own launchers that are required on PC.
With a new update rolling out today to everyone today, the Minecraft: Java Edition launcher is now unified with Dungeons.
That means you can access and play both games from the same launcher, as well as switch between different accounts.
The old Minecraft Dungeons launcher can no longer access the game, requiring players to use the Unified Launcher.

Minecraft Dungeons is available on PC alongside other platforms like Xbox, PS4, Switch, and Xbox Cloud Gaming (Project xCloud), and can be accessed through either Xbox Game Pass for PC or its own dedicated launcher. As of today, the latter is no longer an option, as the Minecraft: Java Edition and Minecraft Dungeons launchers are being unified. The Minecraft Unified Launcher is a free update that is finishing its rollout to all players today, and allows…

No longer will players need two separate launchers to play.

What you need to know

Minecraft: Java Edition and Minecraft Dungeons both have their own launchers that are required on PC.
With a new update rolling out today to everyone today, the Minecraft: Java Edition launcher is now unified with Dungeons.
That means you can access and play both games from the same launcher, as well as switch between different accounts.
The old Minecraft Dungeons launcher can no longer access the game, requiring players to use the Unified Launcher.

Minecraft Dungeons is available on PC alongside other platforms like Xbox, PS4, Switch, and Xbox Cloud Gaming (Project xCloud), and can be accessed through either Xbox Game Pass for PC or its own dedicated launcher. As of today, the latter is no longer an option, as the Minecraft: Java Edition and Minecraft Dungeons launchers are being unified. The Minecraft Unified Launcher is a free update that is finishing its rollout to all players today, and allows…

Grounded is about to take flight.

What you need to know

Grounded is an open-world survival game that shrinks players down to the size of insects.
The game is in early access and adds new content and improvements all the time.
The next update has been teased and is set to enter a Public Test as soon as next week.
Grounded’s January Content Update will likely include flying insects, as well as lots of other additions.

The Grounded team has been short since the holidays, but now they’re returning with fresh news about the future of Obsidian Entertainment’s charming and addictive open-world survival game. Grounded’s first update since the December Content Update is coming soon, and the probable additions have been teased by Obsidian for ages. The January Content Update for Grounded is entering the Public Test ring early next week, giving dedicated Grounded players a chance to jump in even before Grounded’s early access sees the new features.

it seems that most of you want all three…

The latest update, which targets issues with servers.

What you need to know

Minecraft: Java Edition is the legacy PC version of Minecraft and often gets updates at different times than other versions.
The 1.16.5 update is the latest release and is currently rolling out to the general public everywhere.
This is a minor update that resolves two server-related critical issues that can’t be disclosed now.
Mojang Studios intends to release new ‘Caves and Cliffs Update’ snapshots next week.

Just a few days after testing the 1.16.5 Release Candidate, Minecraft: Java Edition is officially rolling out the 1.16.5 update to the public. If you’re expecting a ton of changes and fixes, then lower your expectations. This is a minor update that fixes two critical issues related to servers and is built on top of (and is compatible) with the last update, 1.16.4.

Because of the nature of the bug fixes, Mojang Studios isn’t going to disclose what they’re fixing until everyone has updated to the la…

Minecraft Earth is gone, but Minecraft can still learn from it.

Minecraft is too big to fail at this point, and sees massive success on every platform it touches, be it Xbox, PlayStation, PC, Switch, or mobile devices like Android and iOS. However, this doesn’t hold true for Minecraft’s newly emerging spin-offs, which still have to battle to hold their own in established genres.

This battle is now coming to a close for Minecraft Earth. It was a quirky Pokemon Go-like mobile AR title, but it was announced early this year that Minecraft Earth is officially closing down in June 2021 with a final update that abandons all pretense of hope.

Minecraft Earth’s failure can be attributed to many factors (not just the pandemic, as was implied by Minecraft Earth’s closing announcement), but that doesn’t mean the behemoth that is vanilla Minecraft can’t learn a thing or two from its failing little cousin. Here are three things that Minecraft could foreseeably borrow from Minecraft Earth, and a…

This live-action trailer is packed end-to-end with suspense and thrill.

What you need to know

The Medium is an exciting psychological horror game coming from industry experts Bloober Team.
The game is already set to look incredible on its own, with beautiful effects, graphics, and even ray tracing.
However, a new live-action trailer brings the game into the real-life, and the result is absolutely stunning.
The trailer was created in collaboration with Platige Image and Oscar nominee Tomasz Bagiński.

As if we weren’t already excited enough for Bloober Team’s upcoming psychological horror game, the Medium, a new live-action trailer has just dropped that ups the suspense and horror all at once. The new trailer was created in a collaboration between Bloober Team, Platige Image, and Oscar nominee Tomasz Bagiński, and it frankly looks incredible. You can check out the new trailer below and watch it as many times as you need to before you’re satisfied.

The live-action trailer sh…

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla continues to get tons of support.

What you need to know

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is the latest in the long-running Assassin’s Creed franchise.
The game was already one of the more stable entries in Ubisoft’s lineup recently, but continues to get support.
The latest patch, 1.1.1, is a sizeable update that includes dozens of fixes, improvements, and quality-of-life changes.
The update is rolling out right now for every platform Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is available on.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is the latest in Ubisoft’s biggest franchise, which sees players take up the mantle of assassin in some way or another in various places around the world. Valhalla has players take control of a viking who has set out to unite England, and is one of the better games to release in 2020. Besides some performance issues and minor bugs, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was relatively stable, but Ubisoft has still been releasing semi-frequent patches absolutely loaded with bu…

Riders Republic isn’t coming until later this year now.

What you need to know

Riders Republic is going to be an online extreme sports sandbox from gaming superpower Ubisoft.
It’s a bit of an odd ball in Ubisoft’s current lineup, and was supposed to release in February of this year.
Like most of Ubisoft’s games recently, Riders Republic has been delayed, this time until “later this year.”
A new release date, or even release window, isn’t provided at this time besides “2021.”

Riders Republic is an interesting entry in Ubisoft’s expanding game lineup, giving up the action-packed open worlds of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Watch Dogs: Legion and Far Cry 6 for a massive online multiplayer sandbox focused around extreme sports. However, Riders Republic isn’t immune to Ubisoft’s recent policy of delaying games more frequently to ensure a base level of quality, and the team just announced on Twitter that the original release date from February of this year has been pushed forward indefini…

Minecraft with RTX meets some of the most talented Minecraft builders.

What you need to know

Minecraft with RTX is an evolution of Minecraft’s graphics with real-time ray tracing powered by NVIDIA GPUs.
To celebrate the public launch of Minecraft with RTX, NVIDIA is hosting a Minecraft with RTX Build Challenge series.
The Build Challenges would see popular Minecrafters from different walks of life pair up with established Minecraft build teams.
The entire series will be powered by newly-announced NVIDIA RTX 30-series laptops, which bring NVIDIA’s latest tech to portable computers.

Minecraft has changed and evolved a lot over the years, but its visuals have remained mostly the same. Sure, there have been some tweaks and changes here and there. Texture packs can give your game a new look, while community-created shaders can have dramatic effects on PC. But none of that has been as complete an overhaul as Minecraft with RTX, which combines Minecraft with NVIDIA’s powerful RTX GPUs …