Category: Technology

Volvo has introduced a new seatbelt technology that can customize the protection it provides in real time. The “multi-adaptive safety belt” system, as the automaker is calling it, uses data input from both interior and exterior sensors to change protection settings based on various factors. It can take a person’s height, weight, body shape and seating position into account, as well as the direction and speed of the vehicle. The system can communicate all those information to the seatbelt “in the blink of an eye” so that it can optimize protection for the passenger. 

If the passenger is on the larger side, for instance, they will receive a higher belt load setting to reduce the risk of a head injury in the event of a serious crash. For milder crashes, someone with a smaller frame will receive a lower belt load setting to prevent rib injuries. Volvo didn’t specifically say if the system also takes the position of a seatbelt on women into account, since it doesn’t always fit right over a woman’s chest. However, the automaker explained that the system expands the number of load-limiting profiles to 11. Load limiters control how much force a seatbelt applies on the body during a crash. Typically, seatbelts only have three load-limiting profiles, but Volvo expanding them to 11 means the system can better optimize the protection a passenger gets. 

Volvo used information from five decades of safety research and from a database of over 80,000 people involved in real-life accidents to design the new safety belt. The system was also created to incorporate improvements rolled out via over the-air software updates, which the company expects to release as it gets more data and insights. 

“The world first multi-adaptive safety belt is another milestone for automotive safety and a great example of how we leverage real-time data with the ambition to help save millions of more lives,” said Åsa Haglund, head of Volvo Cars Safety Centre. “This marks a major upgrade to the modern three-point safety belt, a Volvo invention introduced in 1959, estimated to have saved over a million lives.”

Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin designed the modern three-point seatbelt and made its patent available for use by other automakers. The company didn’t say whether it’ll be as generous with the multi-adaptive safety belt, but the new system will debut in the all-electric Volvo EX60 midsize SUV sometime next year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/volvo-is-introducing-the-first-multi-adaptive-seatbelt-technology-on-the-ex60-ev-070017403.html?src=rss 

“Avengers assemble” isn’t just a call to action for superheroes; it’s also the basis for a new tag fighting game. The reveal of Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls closed out PlayStation’s State of Play presentation ahead of Summer Games Fest 2025. PlayStation Studios and Marvel Games are teaming up with Arc System Works, the studio behind the Guilty Gear fighting game series, for this project. The game is scheduled to launch some time in 2026 on PlayStation 5 and on PC through the Steam and Epic stores.

The trailer shows several members of the Marvel roster — Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Doctor Doom, Storm, Ms. Marvel, Star-Lord and Ghost Rider — cycling on screen and showing off their abilities. Team-based fighting games have a long lineage, but those are commonly trios of characters controlled by a single competitor. Marvel Tōkon ups the ante with a 4v4 team system.

The additional team member creates even more potential for flashy combination attacks. “One of the appeals of Marvel comics is seeing the vast cast of characters coming together to create all kinds of unique team-ups,” Game Director and Lead Battle Designer Kazuto Sekine said of the design choice. “With these two ideas in mind, we concluded that creating a 4v4 team VS system would be the best way to not only create those over-the-top moments, but to further evolve the tag fighting genre.”

Marvel is having a bit of a moment in gaming, with the team shooter Marvel Rivals becoming a surprise sensation in recent months despite heavy competition from established titles. (Unfortunately, that success didn’t save several members of the North American dev team from being laid off in February.) It should be fascinating to compare how the two genres interpret the iconic characters and their powers.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/marvel-tokon-fighting-souls-is-a-new-tag-fighting-game-from-the-devs-of-guilty-gear-223633976.html?src=rss 

Grasshopper Manufacture founder Suda51 made an appearance at Sony’s State of Play showcase to reveal Romeo is a Dead Man — a game that has no relation to the 2000 action masterpiece Romeo Must Die, as far as we can tell. Romeo is a Dead Man stars Romeo Stargazer, a dude who was pulled back from the brink of death, gained time-shattering powers, and became a universe-hopping special agent for the FBI. Using a sword and guns, Romeo battles various sci-fi robots and beasts across multiple universes, featuring hyper-bloody gameplay.

By the time I finished watching the debut trailer for Romeo is a Dead Man, I’d completely forgotten that it started out with a hand-drawn cartoon family enjoying a nice curry dinner. It quickly devolves into a black-, white- and red-splattered fever dream of exploding heads and doorway demons, providing the first hint that this is definitely a Suda51 project. Grasshopper Manufacture’s previous games include Killer7, No More Heroes, Lollipop Chainsaw and Killer is Dead, and its latest release seems to fit right in with these titles.

Romeo is a Dead Man is a third-person action game, and it’s due to hit PlayStation 5 in 2026.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/suda51-returns-with-a-sword-swinging-gun-slinging-sci-fi-action-game-214628508.html?src=rss 

Remasters and remakes seem like they’re a dime a dozen these days, but here’s one I’m selfishly pretty stoked for. Square Enix announced during PlayStation’s State of Play event that is revisiting the 1997 strategy RPG chapter from its famous franchise. Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles is due out on September 25, 2025 for both the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.

This updated version of the turn-based strategy game introduces some welcome additions to the original. You’ll find new graphics, an updated user interface and voiced dialogue in the enhanced version. It also brings some quality of life improvements, such as a more beginner-friendly Squire difficulty level. But if you want to immerse in the nostalgia and the challenge, you can swap back to the original graphics, gameplay and English translation. The original version also boasts a few modern upgrades, like an auto-save system.

As someone who has clocked several hundred hours in the Fire Emblem series, I’ve always had Final Fantasy Tactics hovering in my to-play queue. Whether you’re a first-timer like me or are already well versed in the political intrigues of Tactics, this fall seems like an excellent change to check out the game.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/final-fantasy-tactics-is-getting-a-remake-in-the-ivalice-chronicles-215000718.html?src=rss 

The developer of Hitman: World of Assassination, IO Interactive, is finally showing off its take on a James Bond with a new trailer that debuted during Sony’s summer State of Play on June 4. IO Interactive originally announced it was working on “Project 007” back in November 2020, and only recently shared that the game was called 007 First Light and would be a “James Bond origin story.”

Given how much of a Hitman level can be defined by 007-esque antics like using disguises, infiltrating enemy bases and using gadgets, IO Interactive seemed like a natural fit to make the next game in the franchise. IO Interactive’s first trailer is unfortunately narrative-focused, depicting early moments from this new Bond’s career, including his training in the Navy.

Many of the most memorable Bond games have hewed closely to existing plots or visual depictions from from the franchise’s over-60-year history, whether the single-player story of GoldenEye 007 adapting key moments of the film, or Pierce Brosnan’s likeness being used in James Bond 007: NightFire. IO Interactive is taking a deliberately different approach, telling a Bond origin story and creating an original version of the character that isn’t based on one of the films.

To be clear, the future of the James Bond film franchise is still a little uncertain in its own right. Longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson handed off creative control of the franchise to Amazon MGM Studios and producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman in March 2025. They’ve yet to announce a new film or recast James Bond, who was most recently played by Daniel Craig.

IO Interactive has confirmed that 007 First Light will be coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X /S and PC in 2026.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/io-interactives-james-bond-game-007-first-light-is-coming-in-2026-215517819.html?src=rss 

Cairn, a survival climbing game from The Game Bakers, is one we’ve had our eye on for a while, so it was nice to get a release date for it during Sony’s State of Play stream on Wednesday. It’s coming to PS5 and PC on November 5. But you don’t have to wait that long to try out Cairn — a demo is now available on PS5.

Looking like the more intense cousin of the enjoyably peaceful Jusant, you’ll be able to climb anywhere in Cairn. However, maintaining your balance and stamina levels will be critical. Get too tired or make a wrong move and your climber, Aava, will fall, letting out a scream of anguish as they dangle from their tethered rope. 

There’s no UI feedback to speak of, so you’ll need to pay attention to your character’s breathing and body language, as well as the controller vibrations. The developers say they kept the controls simple, so it certainly seems like the type of game that’s easy to pick up, but difficult to master. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/survival-climber-cairn-ascends-to-ps5-and-pc-on-november-5-215529242.html?src=rss 

Nioh 3 is heading to PlayStation 5 and PC in 2026 and you can get a taste of its Sengoku setting and dark samurai action on Sony’s console right now. A demo for the game is live today on PS5 and it’ll be available through June 18, courtesy of developer Team Ninja and publisher Koei Tecmo.

The game reveal was a nice surprise during Sony’s State of Play event today, and it came with a trailer showcasing big, demonic creatures and frantic action scenes. Much like its predecessors, Nioh 3 is a dark fantasy action RPG set in 15-century Japan. The original Nioh came out in 2017 and its sequel landed in 2020, with a handful of Dead or Alive installments released in between.

Nioh 3 introduces a new combat system to the series that lets players swap between two distinct fighting styles, Samurai and Ninja. Samurai is similar to previous Nioh titles with a focus on close-range martial arts, while Ninja enables quick reactions like dodging and aerial moves. Players will be able to change combat styles on the fly. Nioh 3 features an open world — Team Ninja calls it an “open field,” actually — to explore, as well.

“Aside from the new battle styles, Nioh 3 also enables players to enjoy an open field that offers a new freedom of exploration to the unique tension and confrontations that have become a defining characteristic of the Nioh series,” Team Ninja head Fumihiko Yasuda said on the PlayStation Blog. “Experience unexpected encounters with formidable yokai, explore suspicious villages riddled in violent secrets, and take on the daunting challenges of The Crucible.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/nioh-3-is-heading-to-ps5-and-pc-in-2026-complete-with-two-distinct-combat-styles-222458806.html?src=rss 

The summer State of Play presentation form PlayStation kicked off with the announcement of Lumines Arise. It’s a gorgeous puzzle game being made by the same team as Tetris Effect, Enhance, so for the many of us who fell in love that game, this is a banger development from Sony.

The trailer shows the same dynamic blend between block drops, music and visuals that were the hallmarks of Tetris Effect. However, Lumines Arise is ditching the tetriminos for the slightly different box-dropping mechanics of Lumines. Bringing a new take on the core puzzle mechanics should make this feel like a nice blend of fresh and familiar. And considering how well their first go at reimagining a spatial puzzle game went, I have high hopes for this project. 

The game is slated for release in fall 2025, but we may get a chance for a sneak peak with both single and multiplayer demos later this summer. It’s coming to the PlayStation 5 with optional PS VR2 support for those who want the ultimate immersion experience. (And yes, you really do want that.)

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/the-tetris-effect-team-is-back-with-lumines-arise-211729116.html?src=rss