HBO has officially announced that Kaitlyn Dever is playing Abby in Season 2 of The Last of Us. This was previously rumored, but it's now confirmed just as production on Season 2 is set to begin in mid-February.

Abby is a pivotal character in Naughty Dog's The Last of Us: Part II, and she's expected to play a similarly significant role in the TV adaptation. Laura Bailey played Abby in the video game, and she has spoken about the death threats and other hateful messages she received.

Bailey congratulated Dever on landing the role on social media, saying she is "excited to see Abby's evolution" in Dever's performance. She also invited Dever to reach out if she wants some help in the gym if she's planning to get buff like Abby is in the game.

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Unity is reportedly going to cut 25% of its workforce, or 1,800 positions, which comes several months after its CEO stepped down.

According to Reuters, Unity said in a regulatory filing and internal company memo that it would be cutting jobs. "We are … reducing the number of things we are doing in order to focus on our core business and drive our long-term success and profitability,” said interim CEO Jim Whitehurst in the Unity memo.

The company also told Reuters that the layoffs will impact all of its teams, regions, and business areas, and said there are additional changes coming.

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After three seasons--and a few guest appearances in other Star Wars TV shows--the next chapter of The Mandalorian will unfold on the big screen. Disney has officially announced that a Mandalorian feature film adaptation is headed to movie theaters in the future, with production kicking off later this year.

Jon Favreau will direct the film and it is officially titled The Mandalorian and Grogu. Favreau will also be a producer on the movie alongside Kathleen Kennedy and Dave Filoni.

"I have loved telling stories set in the rich world that George Lucas created," Favreau said in a statement on the official Star Wars website. "The prospect of bringing the Mandalorian and his apprentice Grogu to the big screen is extremely exciting."

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Costco is one of the best places to shop if you're looking to save money. Along with offering products in bulk at low rates, the retailer has frequent deals and discounts that are exclusive to members. Costco is also a pretty great place to shop for gaming and tech products, as members can often find exclusive deals on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC gaming hardware and games.

If you're looking to start 2024 by cutting down on your grocery bill and landing exclusive deals, consider signing up for Costco. A Costco membership isn't free, but right now you can take advantage of a promotion that gets you up to a $40 gift card free when signing up.

Costco One-Year Executive Membership + $40 Gift Card $120

A one-year Executive Membership to Costco costs $120, but this new promotion gets you a free $40 when signing up. That essentially lowers the cost to just $80, which is one of the better prices we've seen. Along with access to the usual Costco catalog, Executive Membership gets you the following perks:

• Additional discounts on select Costco Services
• Annual 2% reward on qualified purchased (up to $1,000)
• Additional benefits on select Costco Travel products

See at GameSpot Deals Costco One-Year Gold Membership + $20 Gift Card $60

If you're not convinced you'll shop enough to make the 2% annual reward worth the extra money, consider sticking with the Gold Membership. This tier costs just $60, and with the current promotion, you'll get a free $20 gift card. This membership level gets you access to all Costco locations, though you'll miss out on some deals that are exclusive to the Executive tier.

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There are a few limitations to both these offers--only new members or folks with lapsed memberships can sign up--but if you qualify, they're certainly worth a closer look. Not sure if you have a Costco near your home? Be sure to check out their location finder, as there's a good chance one is within driving distance.

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As part of Sony's Consumer Electronics Show briefing this week, the company announced a huge new milestone for the PlayStation platform. In December 2023, the entire PlayStation ecosystem reached 123 million active users, which CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said was a new record.

According to VGC, MAU is defined by Sony as the approximate number of unique accounts that logged into the PlayStation Network to use a service or play a game.

That's a lot of people

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The third season of Sonic Prime begins on January 11, which will see the hedgehog and his gang of friends attempting to save the Shatterverse from an unexpected foe. But before its release, you can finally preorder Sonic Prime Season 1--which is officially heading to Blu-ray on March 12. Better yet, preorders are currently discounted, allowing you to snag the entire first season for just $14.

Sonic Prime: Season 1 (Blu-ray) $14 (was $20)

This Blu-ray includes every episode from the first season of Sonic Prime. Clocking in at nearly 200 minutes long, you'll get to see Sonic and friends battling against Dr. Eggman, who has created a multiverse connecting disparate worlds, forcing Sonic to step in and set things back to normal.

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Episodes available on the Blu-ray include:

• Shattered
• The Yoke's On You
• Escape from New Yoke
• Unwelcome to the Jungle
• Barking Up the Wrong Tree
• Situation: Grim
• It Takes One to No Place
• There's No ARRGH in Team

The Blu-ray doesn't include many additional features, though it offers English subtitles and supports the 16:9 widescreen format. Aside from that, it doesn't seem like you'll find exclusive content like behind-the-scenes clips or additional animated shorts. But considering it costs just $14 right now, the physical release of Sonic Prime is still worth considering if you're a fan of the Blue Blur.

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The Tekken storyline goes back nearly 20 years--the first game launched in September 1994--so Bandai Namco had a dilemma: How do we catch people up before Tekken 8 launches later this month, and who can we enlist to do it? The result was a five-minute recap video starring Brian Cox, also known as Logan Roy in HBO's Succession.

The video sees Cox recant highlights of the twisting story--with a particular focus on the Mishima triumvirate of Heihachi, Kazuya, and Jin. He also delivers lines like the incredible "Why do these fathers keep throwing their sons off of cliffs?" with his typical panache.

While a partnership between the man behind Logan Roy and a 20-year-old fighting game franchise might seem outlandish, the connection becomes clear once you finish the recap. The Mishimas are defined by less-than-fatherly father figures--see "fathers throwing sons off of cliffs"--and Cox's tyrannical Logan Roy fits that description as well.

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Hold on to your potatoes, because the first gameplay footage for Bethesda's Indiana Jones title will be unveiled next week as part of a new Xbox Developer Direct. Microsoft has announced the showcase for January 18. The event will focus on Indiana Jones and Avowed, but don't expect any Activision Blizzard information at this time.

Microsoft is promising over "10 minutes of game and developer insights" for Indiana Jones, which comes from Wolfenstein: The New Order developer MachineGames. The Developer Direct will also highlight how players take control of the iconic movie character within the title. Bethesda's Todd Howard has previously called the Indiana Jones game "a mash-up," and it's planned to be an Xbox and PC exclusive.

Developer Obsidian, meanwhile, will "share the first deep dive into the gameplay experience" for Avowed. The Skyrim-like RPG is set to launch this year and takes place in the same world as Pillars of Eternity.

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PlayStation Pulse Explore Wireless Earbuds

$200

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PlayStation Pulse Elite Wireless Headset

$150

Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Best Buy

Sony Inzone Buds Wireless Earbuds

$198

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The Sony Pulse Explore Wireless Earbuds launched last November alongside the PlayStation Portal. Finding the popular earbuds (and the Portal) has been a challenge the past few months, but Amazon finally has them back on the menu. Along with the Pulse Explore, there are a few other products you may want to consider, including the Sony Inzone Buds and upcoming PlayStation Pulse Elite Headset. Here's a closer look at what each pair offers.

PlayStation Pulse Explore Wireless Earbuds $200

The premium Pulse Explore Earbuds include a charging case, PlayStation Link adapter, and six earbud tips to help you find the right fit. They support dual connections via Bluetooth and the Link USB adapter, allowing you to play on PS5, PC, and Mac. The Pulse Explore Earbuds also come with dual microphones for chat and onboard AI to improve the audio. PlayStation used a sleek white and black design, mirroring the PS5, for its first pair of wireless gaming earbuds

See at Amazon PlayStation Pulse Elite Wireless Headset $150

The Pulse Elite takes many of the features available on the Pulse Explore and bundles them into a traditional headset. They're designed for use with PlayStation Portal, though you can connect them to your PS5 with a USB adapter (which is included with your purchase). Along with lossless audio, supportive earcups, and a retractable boom mic, the Pulse Elite offers AI noise canceling and comes with a charging hanger for easy storage when not in use. It's compatible with PS5, PC, and Mac and releases on February 21. Preorders are available now.

Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Best Buy Sony Inzone Buds Wireless Earbuds $198

Alternatively, PS5 owners can opt for Sony Inzone Buds, which are designed for PC but work on PS5 with the included USB-C dongle. Offering 12 hours of battery life (24 with the included charging case), 360 Spatial Audio, and a low latency connection via a USB-C dongle, they're a well-rounded pair of earbuds. They also support the Inzone Hub customization software when playing on PC. Be sure to give them a closer look before settling on the Pulse Explore--especially if you game on both PS5 and PC. Be sure to check out our Sony Inzone Buds review for more details.

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• Spider-Man 2 And Modern Warfare 3 PS5 Slim Bundles Are Still On Sale
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• This Stunning Collector's Set Of Final Fantasy Art Books Is $70 Off At Amazon

The latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Echo, releases Tuesday, January 9, on both Disney+ and Hulu. That's a first for a Marvel Studios extension of the MCU. It's not the only first the show is achieving, though. It's also Marvel's first TV-MA program.

For those that don't track TV ratings, TV-MA technically means the show is "designed to be viewed by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for children under 17," according to the FCC. It's the Rated-R of television. Thus far, the shows have either been rated TV-PG or, in some instances like Loki, TV-14. For Echo, though, which stars Alaqua Cox in the role of the deaf leader of the Tracksuit Mafia, the boundaries are being pushed into TV-MA territory. That puts it firmly in the same territory as the Marvel/Netflix shows from a few years back.

Given that Vincent D'Onofrio is reprising his role as Kingpin from both Hawkeye and Marvel's Daredevil on Netflix, the darker and more violent tone makes sense. However, it turns out dipping into the darker side of the MDCU had less to do with Kingpin than Echo/Maya Lopez, herself.

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The cast of the James Cameron Avatar series is seemingly reuniting soon to get back to work on the franchise. Series star Sam Worthington told People that the cast gets back to work "in a month," and he said the production will be substantial.

"It's bigger than you can imagine," he said.

Avatar 3 is already in post-production ahead of its December 2025 release date. The live-action scenes for 2029's Avatar 4 that are set before a time jump have been filmed, but the rest still needs to be completed, according to Variety.

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A new challenger has entered the competitive handheld PC gaming space, as MSI is throwing its hat into the ring. Or to be more specific, its Claw. The MSI Claw was unveiled at CES 2024 this week, and on paper, it could be a solid contender to the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally.

The big selling point of the MSI Claw is that it uses Intel's new Core Ultra series processor and it packs an impressive 53Wh battery inside of its frame--larger than the ROG Ally's 40Wh battery or the 50Wh version found inside of the Steam Deck OLED. For the display, there's a seven-inch 1920 x 1080 IPS touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate, Intel Arc graphics, 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and an NVMe M2 SSD.

MSI Claw specsMSI Claw

• Processor -- Up to Intel Core Ultra 7 processor 155H
• Operating System -- Windows 11
• Chipset -- Integrated SoC
• Memory -- LPDDR5 onboard, 16GB, dual channel
• Display -- Seven-inch FHD (1920 x 1080), 120 Hz Refresh Rate, Touch Screen,
• Refresh Rate -- 120Hz
• Graphics -- Intel Arc Graphics
• Storage Slot -- 1 x NVMe M.2 2230 SSD by PCIe Gen 4 x4
• Sensor -- Six-Axis IMU Vibration Motor
• Communication -- Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 BE1750, Bluetooth v5.4
• Audio -- Two × 2W Speakers / 1× Audio combo jack / Hi-Res Audio ready
• I/O Ports -- Thunderbolt 4, MicroSD card reader, audio combo jack, and power button with fingerprint sensor
• Battery -- Six-cell Li-Polymer, 53Whr / 65W USB Type-C PD 3.0
• Dimensions -- 294 (W) x 117(D) x 21.2(H) mm
• Weight -- 675 g
• Color -- Black

MSI says that the device has a two-hour battery life under a full workload and that users can expect smooth gameplay at 1080p resolution and medium settings. Like the ROG Ally, the MSI Claw uses a Windows 11 operating system, so you'll be able to load games from multiple storefronts like Steam, the Xbox PC app, the Epic Games Store, and more. Interestingly, MSI says that its APP Player will also allow for Android games to work on the handheld, expanding its options.

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How do you set your electric vehicle apart from a crowded field of competition? Sony decided to show off its prototype vehicle in collaboration with Honda by controlling the automobile with a PS5 controller. However, this sadly won't be an actual feature and instead was just a tech demonstration at CES.

A video of Sony Honda Mobility president Izumi Kawanishi driving the company's car--called Afeela--with a DualSense wireless controller was posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) by Sawyer Merritt. In addition, the user interface for Afeela will be powered by Epic's Unreal Engine 5. Afeela will come to Gran Turismo 7 this year as part of a patch, so the video game ties are strong with this electric car.

Sony today controlled their EV at CES with a PlayStation controller. pic.twitter.com/ZnTeeGKkiw

— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) January 9, 2024

Sony and Honda foreshadowed this type of PS5 integration with its future electric cars back in late 2022. Kawanishi said at the time that "Sony has content, services, and entertainment technologies that move people. We are adapting these assets to mobility, and this is our strength against Tesla." However, keep in mind that Afeela is still a prototype at this time. Sony Honda Mobility isn't taking reservations for the vehicle and there is no release date.

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Hardware manufacturer Razer unveiled a lineup of new products it will be showing off at CES 2024, which kicks off in earnest today, January 9. The announcements include a trio of powerful gaming laptops, a new gaming chair, and multiple accessories to enhance your home office or PC gaming setup--several of which are available now.

New Razer Blade Laptops

The biggest announcement is a line of three new Razer Blade gaming laptops, including the Blade 14, Blade 16, and Blade 18. All three sport Calman-verified displays--meaning they feature professional-grade color accuracy and clarity out of the box--as well as THX audio integration via Razer Synapse and expanded Razer Chroma RGB lighting controls thanks to Windows 11. Aside from those baseline similar features, each new Razer Blade laptop offers its own specs and features.

Razer Blade 16

The Blade 16--which is the flagship model of the trio--comes with an Intel Core i9-14900HX CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090, as well as the world's first 16-inch OLED screen that can dynamically switch between UHD+ 120Hz or FHD+ 240Hz refresh rate modes. It also uses Razer's proprietary vapor chamber cooling to keep those high-end components properly cooled. The Blade 16 launches today $3000 at Razer's online store and authorized Razer retailers.

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Sony is pushing ahead with more gaming content for this TV, including God of War and Horizon shows. But what's the status of these projects?

During Sony's Consumer Electronics Show event this week, Sony Pictures Television president Katherine Pope confirmed that writing is now underway on both.

"We're delighted to have writing underway on two two new IP-based projects," Pope said.

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Samsung has revealed a new monitor in development with the working title Samsung 2D/3D Gaming Monitor, which boasts a 3D mode that doesn't require glasses. The monitor also has the ability to play VR games without a headset, with Samsung stating it's compatible with existing VR games and experiences.

The monitor is still in development, but Samsung took the opportunity to show off the new technology at its First Look event ahead of CES in Las Vegas this weekend. Built into the monitor are two cameras to track eye and head movement, which in 3D mode are used to optimize 3D effects. The 3D mode can also be used to enhance other content, and the monitor features a specialized UI for browsing in 3D.

Samsung 2D/3D Gaming Monitor

The monitor's eye-tracking technology also lends itself to playing VR games without requiring a dedicated VR headset, with the monitor able to handle "existing VR games, experiences, and content." Samsung says the monitor is compatible with Steam VR, and that it's in the process of securing partnerships for 3D gaming content from as-yet unnamed "notable gaming publishers."

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Usually, Skywalker family reunions end up with someone losing a limb or one trying to convince another to betray their friends and family. Thankfully, that wasn't the case when Mark Hamill finally met his on-screen mother, Natalie Portman.

The news comes from a photo Mark Hamill shared on X/Twitter with the two hugging backstage at the Golden Globes.

"Now I have finally met my 'mother,' thanks to the @goldenglobes."

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Last Sunday, on January 7, a Twitter user posted that they found an iPhone in a bush that had fallen from Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. On top of that, the iPhone appeared to be undamaged.

Thanks to The Verge, we know the phone flew off the plane shortly after taking off. This had happened because a section of the fuselage broke off of the aircraft, which led the pilot to make an emergency landing at Portland International Airport. When the fuselage broke off, two phones flew out of the plane. The first phone was found in a yard.

The user found the second one, and they posted a series of pictures on X/Twitter documenting what they found. The tweet reads:

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Microsoft has reportedly explored the waters of shipping Sea of Thieves on PlayStation and even Nintendo Switch. However, it's unknown if these plans are in progress or were shelved at Xbox on the Rare-made pirate game.

Game File noted that it talked with a source knowledgeable about a Sea of Thieves port for PlayStation but couldn't quite nail down whether this was still in the works. In addition, Jeff Grubb of GameSpot sister site Giant Bomb said on Game Mess Mornings that he also heard the pirate game could come to Sony's system as well as Nintendo Switch.

Sea of Thieves celebrated its five-year anniversary last March, and at that time, over 30 million people had checked out the multiplayer-centric game. It's been a cornerstone title on Xbox Game Pass for Xbox consoles and PC.

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At the Consumer Electronics Show, Nvidia announced its next wave of GPUs. The RTX 40 Super Series, as it's called, is releasing later this month. The new cards include the GeFore RTX 4080 Super, the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super, and the GeForce RTX 4070 Super; the cheapest card starts at $600.

The cards support Nvidia's AI-powered Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), as well as other features like frame generation and ray reconstruction, along with ray tracing. According to Nvidia, the new cards offer up to four times better image quality, even when seven out of eight pixels are generated by AI.

Behold, the new RTX 40 Super Series

The RTX 4080 Super releases January 31 for $1000, with the RTX 4070 Ti Super debuting January 24 for $800. The RTX 4070 Super, meanwhile, releases January 17 for $600. The cards will be available from Nvidia directly and through the normal retailers.

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