Monthly Archives: September 2020
Emmy Winners: Watchmen, Succession, Schitt’s Creek All Win Big
The winners of the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards were announced Sunday during a virtual ceremony, with Watchmen leading with the most wins of the night (11). Its network, HBO, took home the most wins of the awards ceremony with 30. (That tally includes 19 wins during last week's Creative Arts Emmys.)
HBO's Watchmen -- which IGN named the Best TV Series of 2019 -- won limited series, while cast members Regina King and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II won the limited series category's lead actress and best supporting actor awards, respectively. This is the fourth Emmy win for Regina King.
Watchmen also won Best Writing for a Limited Series Movie or Dramatic Special for Damon Lindelof and Cord Jefferson. Lindelof dedicated his win to the victims and survivors of the 1921 Tulsa massacre, which is depicted in the series.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/17/damon-lindelof-reacts-to-watchmen-being-named-igns-tv-series-of-the-year"]
Watchmen lost, however, in the category of Best Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special where Unorthodox's Maria Schrader beat three different Watchmen helmers.
Meanwhile, Schitt's Creek enjoyed a historic sweep of all the categories in the comedy field, winning seven awards in all.
Mark Ruffalo won for lead actor in a limited series for I Know This Much Is True, where he plays twin brothers. Zendaya won best actress in a drama series for Euphoria, the youngest ever recipient in that category. Succession's Jeremy Strong won best actor in a drama series.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver won for Variety Talk Series, while RuPaul’s Drag Race won for Best Competition Program. Succession's Jesse Armstrong won for best writing in a drama series.
HBO also won best TV movie for Bad Education, starring Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney.
Billy Crudup won Apple TV+ their first-ever Emmy with a Best Supporting Actor victory for The Morning Show.
Going into the broadcast, HBO's Watchmen led the race with 26 nominations. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel follows on 20, with Ozark and Succession on 18, and The Mandalorian, Saturday Night Live, and Schitt's Creek with 15.
Last week's Creative Emmys saw The Mandalorian win Disney+ its first Emmy, while HBO's Watchmen won for cinematography and costuming.
Key winners are listed below, with a full list available on the Emmys website.
Drama Series
- Better Call Saul
- The Crown
- The Handmaid's Tale
- Killing Eve
- The Mandalorian
- Ozark
- Stranger Things
- Succession - WINNER
Comedy Series
- Curb Your Enthusiasm
- Dead to Me
- The Good Place
- Insecure
- The Kominsky Method
- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Schitt's Creek - WINNER
- What We Do in the Shadows
Limited Series
- Little Fires Everywhere
- Mrs. America
- Unbelievable
- Unorthodox
- Watchmen - WINNER
TV Movie
- American Son
- Bad Education - WINNER
- Dolly Parton's Heartstrings: These Old Bones
- El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
- Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend
Lead Actress in a Drama Series
- Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show
- Olivia Colman, The Crown
- Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
- Laura Linney, Ozark
- Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
- Zendaya, Euphoria - WINNER
Lead Actor in a Drama Series
- Jason Bateman, Ozark
- Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
- Steve Carell, The Morning Show
- Brian Cox, Succession
- Billy Porter, Pose
- Jeremy Strong, Succession - WINNER
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
- Christina Applegate, Dead To Me
- Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Linda Cardellini, Dead To Me
- Catherine O'Hara, Schitt's Creek - WINNER
- Issa Rae, Insecure
- Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
- Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
- Don Cheadle, Black Monday
- Ted Danson, The Good Place
- Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
- Eugene Levy, Schitt's Creek - WINNER
- Ramy Youssef, Ramy
Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
- Cate Blanchett, Mrs. America
- Shira Haas, Unorthodox
- Regina King, Watchmen - WINNER
- Octavia Spencer, Self Made: Inspired By The Life Of Madam C.J. Walker
- Kerry Washington, Little Fires Everywhere
Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
- Jeremy Irons, Watchmen
- Hugh Jackman, Bad Education
- Paul Mescal, Normal People
- Jeremy Pope, Hollywood
- Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True - WINNER
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
- Helena Bonham Carter The Crown
- Laura Dern Big Little Lies
- Julia Garner Ozark - WINNER
- Thandie Newton Westworld
- Fiona Shaw Killing Eve
- Sarah Snook Succession
- Meryl Streep Big Little Lies
- Samira Wiley The Handmaid's Tale
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
- Nicholas Braun, Succession
- Billy Crudup, The Morning Show - WINNER
- Kieran Culkin, Succession
- Mark Duplass, The Morning Show
- Giancarlo Esposito, Better Call Saul
- Matthew Macfadyen, Succession
- Bradley Whitford, The Handmaid's Tale
- Jeffrey Wright, Westworld
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
- Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- D'Arcy Carden, The Good Place
- Betty Gilpin, GLOW
- Marin Hinkle, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
- Annie Murphy, Schitt's Creek - WINNER
- Yvonne Orji, Insecure
- Cecily Strong, Saturday Night Live
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
- Mahershala Ali, Ramy
- Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method
- Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
- Sterling K. Brown, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- William Jackson Harper, The Good Place
- Daniel Levy, Schitt's Creek - WINNER
- Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Kenan Thompson, Saturday Night Live
Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
- Uzo Aduba, Mrs. America - WINNER
- Toni Collette, Unbelievable
- Margo Martindale, Mrs. America
- Jean Smart, Watchmen
- Holland Taylor, Hollywood
- Tracey Ullman, Mrs. America
Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Watchmen - WINNER
- Jovan Adepo, Watchmen
- Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable KimmySchmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend
- Louis Gossett Jr., Watchmen
- Dylan McDermott, Hollywood
- Jim Parsons, Hollywood
PS5 Retailers Appear to Have Fewer Digital Editions for Preorder
According to various reports, retailers appear to have fewer PS5 Digital Edition consoles than the standard, $100 more expensive PS5 with a disc drive.
Ars Technica was able to confirm the initial preorder allocations for nine GameStop locations across the U.S., discovering that "roughly 24 percent of the stock available at these locations was taken up by the Digital Edition, with the remaining 76 percent for the Standard Edition."
The ratios at individual locations varied from store-to-store, with some seeing as low as 13% of all PS5 preorders being the Digital Edition, others seeing it as high as 33%, and the most common being about 20%.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/18/ps5-prices-come-out-swinging"]
While Ars Technica notes this "doesn't exactly represent a scientific retail survey," the tested allotments of PS5 preorders did take place in different cities around the U.S., including Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Baltimore, Washington, D.C. (2 stores), Kansas City, Austin, Boston, and Dallas.
VGC previously reported that the PS5 Digital Edition stock would be much lower than the standard edition, and while Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO and President Jim Ryan responded to Japanese site AV Watch on the matter (as translated by VGC), he didn't give a confirmation as to if the report was true.
“The ratio between the Digital Edition and the disc drive model is currently something we cannot disclose at this time,” Ryan said. “We cannot give specific information on numbers, but we can say that we plan to produce the necessary number of units to meet the demand for that model type. However, we’ve never produced two different console models at the same time before so deciding on the right number and the right ratio is very hard to know. We are doing our best to predict demand.”
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-playstation-5-games&captions=true"]
The PlayStation 5 Digital Edition is $399, $100 cheaper the the standard PlayStation 5 at $499. The only difference between the two consoles is the presence of a disc drive on the standard edition. This fact may very well tempt many around the world who wish to try to secure the cheaper next-gen console that will feature all the benefits of the more expensive one.
Sony's strategy is different from Microsoft's, as the Xbox Series S is $200 cheaper than the Xbox Series X, but has a few more limitations alongside also not containing a disc drive.
If you are still hoping to secure a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S, be sure to check out our PS5 preorder guide and Xbox preorder guide for everything you need to know to help you secure one of these next-gen consoles this holiday.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/17/sony-says-it-will-have-more-ps5s-at-launch-than-the-ps4-in-2013"]
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
PS5 Retailers Appear to Have Fewer Digital Editions for Preorder
According to various reports, retailers appear to have fewer PS5 Digital Edition consoles than the standard, $100 more expensive PS5 with a disc drive.
Ars Technica was able to confirm the initial preorder allocations for nine GameStop locations across the U.S., discovering that "roughly 24 percent of the stock available at these locations was taken up by the Digital Edition, with the remaining 76 percent for the Standard Edition."
The ratios at individual locations varied from store-to-store, with some seeing as low as 13% of all PS5 preorders being the Digital Edition, others seeing it as high as 33%, and the most common being about 20%.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/18/ps5-prices-come-out-swinging"]
While Ars Technica notes this "doesn't exactly represent a scientific retail survey," the tested allotments of PS5 preorders did take place in different cities around the U.S., including Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Baltimore, Washington, D.C. (2 stores), Kansas City, Austin, Boston, and Dallas.
VGC previously reported that the PS5 Digital Edition stock would be much lower than the standard edition, and while Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO and President Jim Ryan responded to Japanese site AV Watch on the matter (as translated by VGC), he didn't give a confirmation as to if the report was true.
“The ratio between the Digital Edition and the disc drive model is currently something we cannot disclose at this time,” Ryan said. “We cannot give specific information on numbers, but we can say that we plan to produce the necessary number of units to meet the demand for that model type. However, we’ve never produced two different console models at the same time before so deciding on the right number and the right ratio is very hard to know. We are doing our best to predict demand.”
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-playstation-5-games&captions=true"]
The PlayStation 5 Digital Edition is $399, $100 cheaper the the standard PlayStation 5 at $499. The only difference between the two consoles is the presence of a disc drive on the standard edition. This fact may very well tempt many around the world who wish to try to secure the cheaper next-gen console that will feature all the benefits of the more expensive one.
Sony's strategy is different from Microsoft's, as the Xbox Series S is $200 cheaper than the Xbox Series X, but has a few more limitations alongside also not containing a disc drive.
If you are still hoping to secure a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S, be sure to check out our PS5 preorder guide and Xbox preorder guide for everything you need to know to help you secure one of these next-gen consoles this holiday.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/17/sony-says-it-will-have-more-ps5s-at-launch-than-the-ps4-in-2013"]
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Did Mulan’s VOD Sales Beat Tenet’s Global Box Office?
IGN serves a global audience, so we will be covering films that may be available theatrically in some countries but not others due to local COVID-19 restrictions. Read more on IGN's policy on movie reviews in light of COVID-19 here. IGN strongly encourages anyone considering going to a movie theater during the COVID-19 pandemic to check their local public health and safety guidelines before buying a ticket. If in doubt, stay home — keep yourself and others safe.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
If the math adds up, then the following report contains some interesting data as it pertains to U.S. movie release models.
It appears that Mulan has pulled in more money to date with its U.S. premium Disney+ VOD model (with a price tag of $29.99) than Tenet‘s entire overseas box office haul. Nothing is official here, since the Mulan VOD numbers aren't out for all to see just yet, but Yahoo is currently reporting huge numbers for Mulan, saying that "nearly 29% of U.S. Disney+ users that accessed the app between September 1st to September 12th purchased the $30 Mulan film."
Given this, it would appear that Mulan has pulled in "$261 million for U.S. markets alone." Disney reports that the streaming platform has over 60 million global subscribers. If it's assumed that U.S. households make up 50% of that total base then roughly 9 million users bought Mulan.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/21/tenet-review"]
Meanwhile, per Variety, Tenet crossed $250 million this weekend globally. It's in the U.S., with limited released and theaters at limited capacity, that the film is struggling the most as it earned $4.7 million this weekend, bringing the North American total to $36.1 million to date.
Again, it's important to note that Disney hasn't released any official Mulan numbers, though CFO Christine McCarthy said the company is “very pleased” with its performance.
Our review of Mulan called the film a "confident blend of old and new, hiding a familiar heart under action-packed armor" while our review of Tenet said Nolan's latest was a "thrilling addition" to the the director's canon, but "is slightly held back by a sense of over-familiarity."
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=mulan-biggest-differences-between-the-animated-movie-and-live-action-remake&captions=true"]
No, Mulan Didn’t Make $261 Million from Its Disney Plus Debut
UPDATE: It turns out Yahoo got the math very wrong on its claim that Mulan earned $261 million in 12 days from Disney+ alone.
While Disney has not officially shared numbers on Mulan's performance, the analytics firm used by Yahoo! misinterpreted the data and now says Mulan only made between $60-$90 million from its digital-only domestic debut.
Mulan's VOD sales then appear to have not beaten the total global box office gross of Tenet, a film which went for theatrical release only as opposed to Mulan's split release of digital at home and theatrical abroad. As The Atlantic points out, "Neither bet really paid off." As the site explains:
"Stateside, one could argue that Disney made the right gamble. Tenet is playing in mostly empty theaters and has grossed $36 million domestically; even the lower end of the estimates cited by Yahoo would suggest that Mulan made twice as much online. Because Disney released the film exclusively on its own platform, it gets to keep all of that money, as opposed to having to split it with cinemas or with companies such as Apple and Amazon. Even so, the film needs to make far more than $90 million to cover its budget, so the overseas release was crucial. But Mulan stumbled—its grosses dropped a disastrous 72 percent in its second weekend in China."
With a current global total of $251 million, Tenet could still conceivably earn $400 million worldwide by the end of the year despite many theatrical markets, especially major domestic ones like New York City and Los Angeles, remaining closed. Our original report from Sept. 20th follows. [poilib element="accentDivider"] If the math adds up, then the following report contains some interesting data as it pertains to U.S. movie release models. It appears that Mulan has pulled in more money to date with its U.S. premium Disney+ VOD model (with a price tag of $29.99) than Tenet‘s entire overseas box office haul. Nothing is official here, since the Mulan VOD numbers aren't out for all to see just yet, but Yahoo is currently reporting huge numbers for Mulan, saying that "nearly 29% of U.S. Disney+ users that accessed the app between September 1st to September 12th purchased the $30 Mulan film." Given this, it would appear that Mulan has pulled in "$261 million for U.S. markets alone." Disney reports that the streaming platform has over 60 million global subscribers. If it's assumed that U.S. households make up 50% of that total base then roughly 9 million users bought Mulan. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/21/tenet-review"] Meanwhile, per Variety, Tenet crossed $250 million this weekend globally. It's in the U.S., with limited released and theaters at limited capacity, that the film is struggling the most as it earned $4.7 million this weekend, bringing the North American total to $36.1 million to date. Again, it's important to note that Disney hasn't released any official Mulan numbers, though CFO Christine McCarthy said the company is “very pleased” with its performance. Our review of Mulan called the film a "confident blend of old and new, hiding a familiar heart under action-packed armor" while our review of Tenet said Nolan's latest was a "thrilling addition" to the the director's canon, but "is slightly held back by a sense of over-familiarity." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=mulan-biggest-differences-between-the-animated-movie-and-live-action-remake&captions=true"] IGN serves a global audience, so we will be covering films that may be available theatrically in some countries but not others due to local COVID-19 restrictions. Read more on IGN's policy on movie reviews in light of COVID-19 here. IGN strongly encourages anyone considering going to a movie theater during the COVID-19 pandemic to check their local public health and safety guidelines before buying a ticket. If in doubt, stay home — keep yourself and others safe.Jett: The Far Shore Delayed on PS5, PS4, and PC to 2021
Jett: The Far Shore developer Superbrothers has delayed the PS5, PS4, and PC game to 2021.
In a statement on Superbrothers' website, it said "Jett: The Far Shore is now fixin' to deploy in 2021 on PlayStation consoles and PC on the Epic Games Store. Hectic times, so we've revised our trajectory. It'll be stellar, when it alights."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/11/jett-the-far-shore-announcement-trailer-ps5-reveal-event"]
Jett: The Far Shore was announced at the PlayStation 5 reveal event for a Holiday 2020 release, and promises a story where you will carve out a future for humanity that is haunted by oblivion and propelled by dreams. It looks to feature space travel, exploration of strange new lands, and much more.
Superbrothers spoke to Vice recently and discussed a bit more of the game, its creation myth, how it ties to its previous game Sword & Sworcery, and more.
“So with JETT the spark is to keep the feel and fun of something like Motorstorm, with the intricate, interesting, substantial design of Monster Hunter, to say yes to the player’s instinct to go fast and take jumps and offroad, and then to try to interleave some narrative-vibe focused scenes to soak in, so the player has interesting story concepts to contemplate while skimming around.”
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=jett-the-far-shore-playstation-5-screenshots&captions=true"]
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Jett: The Far Shore Delayed on PS5, PS4, and PC to 2021
Jett: The Far Shore developer Superbrothers has delayed the PS5, PS4, and PC game to 2021.
In a statement on Superbrothers' website, it said "Jett: The Far Shore is now fixin' to deploy in 2021 on PlayStation consoles and PC on the Epic Games Store. Hectic times, so we've revised our trajectory. It'll be stellar, when it alights."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/11/jett-the-far-shore-announcement-trailer-ps5-reveal-event"]
Jett: The Far Shore was announced at the PlayStation 5 reveal event for a Holiday 2020 release, and promises a story where you will carve out a future for humanity that is haunted by oblivion and propelled by dreams. It looks to feature space travel, exploration of strange new lands, and much more.
Superbrothers spoke to Vice recently and discussed a bit more of the game, its creation myth, how it ties to its previous game Sword & Sworcery, and more.
“So with JETT the spark is to keep the feel and fun of something like Motorstorm, with the intricate, interesting, substantial design of Monster Hunter, to say yes to the player’s instinct to go fast and take jumps and offroad, and then to try to interleave some narrative-vibe focused scenes to soak in, so the player has interesting story concepts to contemplate while skimming around.”
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=jett-the-far-shore-playstation-5-screenshots&captions=true"]
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Here’s How Backwards Compatibility Will Work on Xbox Series S
Microsoft has detailed how the Xbox Series S will handle backwards compatibility for games of the original Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One S, and how this next-gen system will make those experiences even better.
As reported by Eurogamer, Digital Foundry's Richard Leadbetter spoke to Microsoft about the Xbox Series S and and how it will offer "1440p for OG Xbox and enhanced 360 titles, 2x performance on select One S titles - and more."
Original Xbox games will feature a "3x boost to resolution on both axes, meaning that titles targeting 480p on the original machine will hit a maximum of 1440p on Series S, presumably with a range of performance benefits."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/08/xbox-series-s-world-premiere-reveal-trailer"]
Xbox 360 games that were made available for Xbox One X will also be enhanced, running with a "2x2 resolution multiplier, bringing titles that ran at native 720p up to 1440p."
As was previously mentioned, Xbox Series S won't run older games with Xbox One X Enhancements, but it will have other added benefits. Xbox 360 games will benefit from the improved Zen 2 CPU architecture, which is a step up over the Xbox One X's Jaguar CPU cores.
As for Xbox One S games, there will be also be various improvements, although "a game hard-coded to run at 900p will not run any higher on Series S." However, there will be "increased resolutions in games that use dynamic resolution scaling, as well as improvements to texture filtering quality."
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-xbox-series-x-games&captions=true"]
Games will also load much faster with the new solid state storage, and Auto HDR will also be present and will make games look better than their Xbox One S counterparts. Furthermore, CPU-limited titles should also "deliver more stable performance at target frame-rates."
Speaking of frame-rates, Xbox One titles will be able to run at double the frame-rate on both the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X.
"We designed the Series S to enhance the Xbox One S games in a way that the Xbox One X can't do," system architect Andrew Goossen tells Eurogamer. "We made it easy for existing Xbox One S games to be updated to run with double the frame-rate when played on Series S as well. When games are updated, existing games can query to determine whether they're running on the new console. And in terms of the performance, the Series S provides well over double the effective CPU and GPU performance over the Xbox One, making it pretty straightforward for the games to do this. And in fact, the Series S GPU runs the Xbox One S games with better performance than the Xbox One X."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/11/why-xbox-series-s-game-pass-is-microsofts-secret-weapon-next-gen-console-watch"]
Another exciting aspect is how relatively simple it seems to enhance previous games to take advantage of the power of these next-gen systems.
"There's no real perf tuning necessary when you do this, and so often it's just as easy as changing three lines of code, and then the game works." Goossen adds. "Even when it's not that easy, the fixes are still pretty minor. We had one triple-A title where doubling the frame-rate really worked perfectly, except that the crowd animation was twice as fast as normal. And so, those sorts of fixes are typically very, very easy for developers to go fix. We're working with game developers and publishers to update [their titles]. It'll basically be select games that run at a doubled frame-rate on the Series S."
The Xbox Series S and the Xbox Series X will both be released on November 10, 2020, and will cost $299 and $499, respectively. For more on the Xbox Series S, read on about how game sizes will be smaller on the Series S, 8 new details we learned about the smaller next-gen console, and its full specs.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=xbox-series-s-and-series-x-comparison-photos&captions=true"]
Both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will be available for preorder on September 22, 2020, and you can stay up to date everything you need to know about Xbox preorders in our constantly updated guides that contain what you need to know to secure one or both!
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Here’s How Backwards Compatibility Will Work on Xbox Series S
Microsoft has detailed how the Xbox Series S will handle backwards compatibly for games of the original Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One S, and how this next-gen system will make those experiences even better.
As reported by Eurogamer, Digital Foundry's Richard Leadbetter spoke to Microsoft about the Xbox Series S and and how it will offer "1440p for OG Xbox and enhanced 360 titles, 2x performance on select One S titles - and more."
Original Xbox games will feature a "3x boost to resolution on both axes, meaning that titles targeting 480p on the original machine will hit a maximum of 1440p on Series S, presumably with a range of performance benefits."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/08/xbox-series-s-world-premiere-reveal-trailer"]
Xbox 360 games that were made available for Xbox One X will also be enhanced, running with a "2x2 resolution multiplier, bringing titles that ran at native 720p up to 1440p."
As was previously mentioned, Xbox Series S won't run older games with Xbox One X Enhancements, but it will have other added benefits. Xbox 360 games will benefit from the improved Zen 2 CPU architecture, which is a step up over the Xbox One X's Jaguar CPU cores.
As for Xbox One S games, there will be also be various improvements, although "a game hard-coded to run at 900p will not run any higher on Series S." However, there will be "increased resolutions in games that use dynamic resolution scaling, as well as improvements to texture filtering quality."
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-xbox-series-x-games&captions=true"]
Games will also load much faster with the new solid state storage, and Auto HDR will also be present and will make games look better than their Xbox One S counterparts. Furthermore, CPU-limited titles should also "deliver more stable performance at target frame-rates."
Speaking of frame-rates, Xbox One titles will be able to run at double the frame-rate on both the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X.
"We designed the Series S to enhance the Xbox One S games in a way that the Xbox One X can't do," system architect Andrew Goossen tells Eurogamer. "We made it easy for existing Xbox One S games to be updated to run with double the frame-rate when played on Series S as well. When games are updated, existing games can query to determine whether they're running on the new console. And in terms of the performance, the Series S provides well over double the effective CPU and GPU performance over the Xbox One, making it pretty straightforward for the games to do this. And in fact, the Series S GPU runs the Xbox One S games with better performance than the Xbox One X."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/11/why-xbox-series-s-game-pass-is-microsofts-secret-weapon-next-gen-console-watch"]
Another exciting aspect is how relatively simple it seems to enhance previous games to take advantage of the power of these next-gen systems.
"There's no real perf tuning necessary when you do this, and so often it's just as easy as changing three lines of code, and then the game works." Goossen adds. "Even when it's not that easy, the fixes are still pretty minor. We had one triple-A title where doubling the frame-rate really worked perfectly, except that the crowd animation was twice as fast as normal. And so, those sorts of fixes are typically very, very easy for developers to go fix. We're working with game developers and publishers to update [their titles]. It'll basically be select games that run at a doubled frame-rate on the Series S."
The Xbox Series S and the Xbox Series X will both be released on November 10, 2020, and will cost $299 and $499, respectively. For more on the Xbox Series S, read on about how game sizes will be smaller on the Series S, 8 new details we learned about the smaller next-gen console, and its full specs.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=xbox-series-s-and-series-x-comparison-photos&captions=true"]
Both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will be available for preorder on September 22, 2020, and you can stay up to date everything you need to know about Xbox preorders in our constantly updated guides that contain what you need to know to secure one or both!
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Florence Pugh Hopes Black Widow Fans Like Yelena
With MCU's Phase 4 representing a huge turning point for the decade plus-long franchise, as a few torches are being passed to the heroes who will carry the 'verse for years to come (Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson, Tatiana Maslany's She-Hulk, continued rumors about Hailee Steinfeld playing Kate Bishop, etc), one character everyone is eyeing right out of the gate is Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, who will be retroactively set up as the new Black Widow when the movie finally premieres.
Talking to GamesRader, Pugh spoke about her potential future in the MCU and if she'd be the headliner in a Black Widow 2 movie.
"If you get asked to be in a Marvel film, and it was so thrilling and fun and exciting to be in, then of course, your head goes: ‘Oh my God. If this is what it’s like, then what else is next?'" she said. "If that happens and I am lucky enough that people appreciate my character, that’s an exciting road to go on. I would be silly to not be excited by it."
"I think that being part of the Marvel club is a great honor," she added. "But we’ll just see if people like Yelena first."
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvels-black-widow-every-actor-and-character-in-the-film&captions=true"]
As of now, Marvel's Black Widow is set to be release November 6 in the U.S, though it's looking increasingly likely that it will be delayed again, perhaps into 2021.
Star Scarlett Johansson has said the movie will offer resolution for fans after the character's death in Avengers: Endgame, and said she approved of the way her story ended. Johannson also spoke about "handing the baton" to Pugh and to the character of Yelena Belova.
Taking place in between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, Black Widow will focus on wrapping up Natasha's MCU story arc. Alongside Johansson and Pugh, Black Widow features David Harbour (Stranger Things) as Red Guardian and Rachel Weisz (The Mummy) as Melina.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/09/black-widow-official-final-trailer"]
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.