Kalakshar US

Microsoft leadership has been putting a lot of weight on Game Pass, and several of its business decisions of late appear to center on getting more people into that subscription service. One of those projects was called Keystone, a dedicated streaming device that would let Game Pass customers play Xbox titles without an Xbox console. After first announcing the concept in 2021, the project was eventually deemed too expensive. That team instead shifted focus to a smart TV streaming app, leaving Keystone to disappear into the void. Today, Windows Central uncovered a patent that showed what the Keystone might have looked like.

This patent filing has more detail than we ever got from the Xbox leadership about the project. The only glimpse we’d seen before now was in a teaser image Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer shared back in 2022. But we can now see that the squat, square device would have had a circle pattern on the top and circular plate on the bottom. It also had the expected cable ports and what looks like a controller pairing button.

Microsoft has made a lot of pitches for new hardware recently, but few of them seem to be sticking the landing. Even the company’s announcement of Xbox hardware refreshes at the latest Summer Games Fest fell short of expectations after a leak had hinted at much bigger plans. Hopefully Xbox can get a big win on the hardware side soon. For now, getting a glimpse of what might have been is neat backstory to have about the company and its development process. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/check-out-what-microsofts-keystone-streaming-device-might-have-been-224031677.html?src=rss 

Capcom announced a new remaster of its 2006 zombie smasher Dead Rising. The new update, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, is currently scheduled for a release this year on “the newest generation of platforms.” We can assume that means at least the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S, though it may hit previous-gen consoles as well. Both Frank West and the Willamette Parkview Mall are looking great (although Frank seems to have a different voice in this version). This project looks like a big rebuild with completely redone assets, but we don’t have any confirmation yet about the extent of the possible changes afoot. Check out the teaser above to see the differences.

This is the second time Capcom has overhauled the look of this fan-favorite title. It received an HD remaster in 2016 that marked the original’s ten-year anniversary, with updates that brought Dead Rising, Dead Rising 2, and Dead Rising 2: Off the Record into the modern era to run at 1080p and 60 fps. But gaming hardware has made even more leaps forward since then, so the Deluxe Remaster could up the ante to 4K, or possibly add in some HDR so that those blood splatters look extra vivid. After all, Frank’s a photographer. Gotta go for the best image quality.

It’s been a quiet couple years from the Dead Rising team. After releasing DLC for Dead Rising 4, the only other big news was that Capcom had closed down the Capcom Vancouver studio responsible for the franchise. After weathering the layoffs that have been plaguing so much of the games business, it’s heartening to see some care still being given to this goofy, campy series.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/dead-rising-is-back-with-a-new-deluxe-remaster-210535941.html?src=rss 

Apple is expanding access to its web-based diagnostic tool. The software (officially called “Apple Diagnostics for Self Service Repair”) is now available in 32 European countries, including the UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands. They join the US, where the tool arrived in December.

As Apple describes it, the software “gives users the same ability as Apple Authorized Service Providers and Independent Repair Providers to test products for optimal parts functionality and performance.” It currently supports iPhone, Mac and Studio Display.

The tool can scan the device for display, camera, Face ID, software integration and audio output issues and tell you which parts may need repair. This is part of Apple’s recent push to be friendlier to self-servicing, likely to try to head off regulations.

The only catch is the diagnostics require a second Apple device. Both products need to be running iOS 17 or later or macOS Sonoma 14.1 or later. Beta software is a no-go. (Sorry, iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia early adopters.)

After initiating the process at this website from the second device, the tested one will be put into Diagnostics mode, and you can follow the prompts from there.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-self-repair-diagnostics-tool-expands-to-europe-202453216.html?src=rss