Britain is facing mounting pressure to ban mercury dental fillings, one of the few countries yet to prevent the practice, as new data reveals alarming contamination levels in the nation’s fish and shellfish. The Guardian: Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that can harm the nervous, digestive and immune systems, as well as the lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes, even at low levels of exposure. Its organic form, methylmercury, is particularly dangerous to unborn babies and can move through the food chain building up in insects, fish and birds.
Britain is lagging behind the rest of the world on phasing out mercury dental fillings, with 43 countries having already banned mercury amalgam, including the EU, Sweden, Norway, Tanzania, Uganda, Indonesia and the Philippines. Northern Ireland will outlaw mercury fillings from 2035 but no such ban is planned in the rest of Britain. According to new analysis by the Rivers Trust and Wildlife and Countryside Link, more than 98% of fish and mussels tested in English rivers and coastal waters contain mercury above safety limits proposed by the EU, with more than half containing more than five times the recommended safe level.
While it’s mostly a lineup of older ports, Inside [JOB] and Enigmo excluded, we recently rounded up every Android XR game currently available that we’re aware of. Just be aware that if you own a Samsung Galaxy XR headset following last week’s launch, some games require controllers. Those are not bundled with it, cost an extra $250 RRP, and are currently delayed in shipping.
November is exceptionally busy, so we’ll update this list where possible. Our upcoming VR games list is regularly updated too, and we’ve also prepared a list of new VR Halloween games and updates. Some entries here are more sizable updates for previously released games that we’re aware of and wanted to highlight, and we’re also including playtests we’re aware of.
Now, onto the main event. Here are our highlights for new VR games this November on Quest, PC VR, PlayStation VR2, Pico, and Apple Vision Pro.
Of Lies And Rain – November 4 (PC VR, PS VR2, Quest)
Developed by Castello Inc., Of Lies and Rain is a near-future narrative-driven FPS where you fight to save humanity from near extinction, using the ability to cross between the real and digital realms. Originally released in early access back in September on Quest and Steam, it’s now entering full release soon with an accompanying PS VR2 release.
Developed by Loco Motion, Elements Divided sees you harness the power of water, earth, fire, and air as an Elementalist. Featuring solo modes alongside online PvP and co-op, you’re tasked with competing in tournaments and challenges across different arenas. Following April’s early access launch on Quest, it’s now entering full release with the same update coming to Steam.
Forefront, the latest game from Triangle Factory (Hyper Dash, Breachers), is a 32-player Battlefield-style VR FPS that’s entering early access soon. Offering 16v16 matches where you’re split into teams of four, this initial launch comes with four maps with semi-destructible environments, 20 types of weapons, 10 vehicles, and four playable classes.
Laser Dance is a mixed reality obstacle game from developer Vanbo BV (Cubism) where you dodge lasers to hit a button on the other side of your room. The early access launch features 18 levels across three stages, each stage introducing a new type of laser. Further content updates will follow during early access.
Developed by Little Cities studio Purple Yonder, Little Critters is a light-hearted action-strategy game. Promising a mixed reality twist on more traditional tower defense games, Little Critters sees you fortifying your real-world space by strategically placing traps to stop mischievous critters from attacking from every direction.
Originally launched in 2018, wingsuit racing game RUSH by The Binary Mill (Into Black, Resist) is back on PS VR2. Apex Edition includes “fully remastered” visuals and expanded multiplayer for up to 12 players, adaptive trigger support, plus haptic feedback in your headset and Sense controllers. PS5 Pro hits native 120fps performance, while the base PS5 supports 90fps.
BattleGroupVR2 by SpaceOwl Games is a sequel to 2023’s BattleGroupVR, offering a new strategic space sim where you command fleets across a galactic battlefield. Though Steam lists a November 7 launch date for early access, it’s unknown when the Quest version will follow, and a free Steam demo remains available.
Currently out on Quest, Galaxy XR, and Apple Vision Pro, Thrasher is a cosmic action racer that tasks you with controlling a space eel through obstacle-filled levels, and we named it our favorite Apple Vision Pro game of 2024. Following September’s PC VR demo, it’s getting a remastered Steam version with visual updates, a new game mode, and more.
Escape from Hadrian’s Wall – November 10 (PC VR, Quest)
Developed by Jim Gray Productions, Escape from Hadrian’s Wall is a historical puzzle game set in 402 A.D. Britannia. You play as a nameless witch’s apprentice after escaping the titular fortress, casting magical cards and wielding artifacts to solve puzzles. Free Steam and Quest demos are available.
Lumines Arise is the latest entry in the long-running series with optional VR compatibility, and it’s adopting a similar approach to Tetris Effect. Featuring a single-player campaign and online multiplayer that supports crossplay, you manipulate 2×2 blocks of two colors to create squares of the same color.
Glassbreakers: Champions Of Moss – November 13 (Apple Vision Pro, PC VR, Quest)
Glassbreakers: Champions of Moss first appeared with an open beta back in 2023, and the action-strategy multiplayer game is now getting its full release. Offering a PvP spin-off set in Polyarc’s Moss universe, you control a team of three Champions tasked with breaking through to an enemy’s ‘Glass Stronghold.’ 1v1 and 2v2 matches are both supported.
A new game from Manifold Garden creator Studio Chyr, Hotel Infinity is a surreal puzzle adventure designed for roomscale gameplay, though alternative locomotion methods are supported. You must traverse “impossible spaces” as you venture through this mysterious hotel where no two rooms are the same, navigating winding hallways while using lifts, portals, and more to reach new areas.
Developed by Green Hell VR studio Incuvo, Tracked: Shoot to Survive is a new single-player VR survival adventure designed “exclusively for the Meta Quest platform.” Having crashed in the Canadian wilderness after smugglers shot down your plane, you play as Alex Hart on a mission to rescue your kidnapped sister.
A remake of Benoît Sokal’s 2002 adventure game, Syberia VR follows the story of American lawyer Kate Walker as she finds herself sent to a remote village in the French Alps. Releasing alongside its flatscreen remake, Syberia Remastered, Syberia is coming to Quest 3 a week later.
Developed by Meta-owned Twisted Pixel Games in collaboration with Marvel Games, Marvel’s Deadpool VR is the latest first-party superhero game heading exclusively to Quest 3 and 3S. Featuring cel-shaded visuals with Neil Patrick Harris voicing the titular merc, you can check out our previouspreviews to learn more.
Following last November’s early access launch, The Thrill of the Fight 2 is now receiving its full release almost exactly one year later. This upcoming update will add a full single-player mode and expanded competitive features, though specifics on these are currently unknown.
Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked – November 20 (PC VR, PS VR2, Quest)
Four years since the co-op tabletop game Demeo first arrived, Resolution Games is releasing an official crossover game with Wizards of the Coast through Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked. This features two campaigns in the main game with more to come in the future, there’s optional VR support, and it doesn’t need a Dungeon Master (DM) like standard D&D requires.
POOLS VR is a backrooms-inspired walking simulator where you navigate maze-like aquatic environments. We had positive thoughts when it received PC VR support back in May, and that’s now heading to PS5 with optional PS VR2 support. While the Steam demo includes PC VR support, developer Tensori previously confirmed PS VR2 support will eventually be added to the PS5 demo.
Created by TitanZGames, The Amygdala Protocol is a puzzle survival game where you portray a private detective as you visit the Crestwood Institute. Tasked with finding a missing neurologist, Dr. Elias Thorne, this promises a dark conspiracy that goes from a missing persons case to investigating highly unethical experiments.
Bootstrap Island – Major Update 5: Visions – November 2025 (PC VR)
Following four major updates during its early access period, Maru VR informed UploadVR that Bootstrap Island is getting its last major update before next year’s full release, Visions, later this month. This adds a sickness and cure system where becoming ill can cause hallucinations, a story-driven tutorial that dives into your character’s past, plus new environmental additions and threats.
Exoshock Alpha Playtest – November 2025 (PC VR, Quest 3)
Developed by Polarity One and published by VRAL Games, co-op shooter Exoshock is hosting alpha playtests through a free, limited-time Playtest App, and you keep access to this across all playtest phases. This provides access to the Exoshock Staging Area hub, the first open alpha playtest event will be announced this week, and that’s accessible through the official Discord server.
Created by TAS Systems, Flight Unlimited is aiming to be the first “full-fledged” flight simulator available standalone on Quest headsets. This comes with 10 aircraft that promise “4K HD cockpits,” aiming for a wider scope than the studio’s previous story-based flight simulator, Flight 74.
A direct sequel to 2021’s Iron Guard by Xlab Digital, Iron Guard: Salvation is a tower defense game with RTS elements that sees us fending off a new threat across the solar system years after defeating Akris. Following its August launch on Quest, it’s now heading to Steam this November. PS VR2 and Pico editions were also previously confirmed, though a release window is unknown.
Maid of Sker VR – November 2025 (PC VR, PS VR2, Quest)
Released for flatscreen platforms in 2020, Maid of Sker VR by Wales Interactive is a first-person survival horror game set in the late 19th century. Drawing from Welsh folklore, it’s set in a remote hotel filled with a “gory and macabre” history. SeparateSteam pages suggest this won’t be a free upgrade for existing PC or PS5 owners, and we’re awaiting store pages to go live for PS VR2 and Quest.
Zero Caliber is one of VR’s older FPS hits, and that’s now heading to PlayStation VR2 with a remastered edition. While XREAL Games initially confirmed it’s aiming for an October launch, the studio informed UploadVR that it’s been pushed back to November. The studio also plans to bring the sequel, Zero Caliber 2, to Sony’s headset at a later date.
If you’re releasing a new VR game we should know about for this article or future monthly roundups, you can use our contact page or email tips@uploadvr.com with details.
Interested in learning about more upcoming VR games? Take a look at our complete list below, which covers upcoming Quest, PC VR, PlayStation VR2, Pico, Apple Vision Pro, and Android XR games:
It’s been around three and a half years since season four of Stranger Things premiered. We finally have an actual trailer for the fifth and final season of Netflix’s retro-soaked adventure series. It’s a good thing, as the first batch of episodes drop on November 26.
As previously mentioned, this is a real trailer with tons of footage and not a teaser. It’s over two minutes of Hawkins-based goodness. This is an action-packed affair that’s heavy on emotion and light on the type of 1980s-style humor the show has become known for. That seems right, given the stakes are higher than ever.
If you just clicked on this and don’t plan on actually watching the trailer, this is when I go into some light spoilers. It looks like the gang is trapped in Hawkins following the events of season four. There’s a military enclosure around the city and, surprise, Vecna is back and looking for vengeance.
There’s a very scary scene in which the entity looks to be controlling or torturing poor Will and we don’t even know if he has a cassette player loaded with Kate Bush just out of frame. It’s all very tense.
While the show premieres on November 26, this isn’t a one-and-done season drop like many Netflix shows. It’s being split into three installments. The first batch of episodes are set for November 26, with another batch dropping on December 25. The final episode will air on December 31 and is even coming to some movie theaters. It’s a holiday miracle.
The showrunners do promise that this season will finally tell us exactly what the upside down is, which is something to look forward to. While Stranger Things is ending, the franchise will continue on. Netflix has some spinoffs planned for the future, but they won’t have series creators the Duffer Brothers on board as showrunners. The pair recently signed a deal with Paramount.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/we-finally-have-a-real-deal-trailer-for-stranger-things-season-five-160222670.html?src=rss
This week marks fifteen months since AMD Strix Point laptops began shipping. Back at the end of July 2024 the Linux performance and support was already in good shape while since then the Linux performance has only evolved even more to make these AMD Zen 5 laptops perform even better. Here is a fresh look at how the performance has evolved since launch day and the added gains when moving to the recently released Ubuntu 25.10 and some performance advantages too if moving to the in-development Linux 6.18 kernel.
Just over a year after its initial launch, XREAL Games has brought its explosive action shooter to Steam with Zero Caliber 2 Remastered. This new, upgraded version gives PC players a chance to experience one of VR’s most cinematic military adventures in full, high-resolution glory. After spending some time with this upgraded release, I’m impressed while also being reminded of just how solid the original Quest version still is.
For those unfamiliar, Zero Caliber 2 is a narrative-driven military shooter set in a dystopian ‘not too distant future.’ While the story gives the action some grounding, it favors spectacle over plot. Zero Caliber 2’s focus has always been on big-budget firefights, explosive set pieces, and moment-to-moment intensity – and that remains true here. My Quest review praised the game for delivering some hugely cinematic set pieces with grand-scale explosions and pitched battles aplenty, and that still holds up brilliantly on PC.
Jumping back in on Steam instantly reminds me why these first three missions have stayed with me for so long. Battling through suburban streets, clearing houses, and moving tactically with your squad (AI or otherwise) remains thrilling. In my opinion, these levels rank among some of the best gun-based action sequences in VR today.
There’s an immediacy to combat that few shooters manage – every firefight feels grounded and physical. Pushing forward through the streets, hiding behind burnt-out sedans, seeing your AI comrade suddenly take a headshot and crumple to the floor next to you – it really sells the visceral fantasy of making your way through an active war zone.
The campaign beyond these opening levels maintains a high bar, but these first few hours still stand out to me as a benchmark for the genre.
The PC upgrade brings not just a substantial visual overhaul, but enhanced AI and a significant increase in enemy count. Initially playing through the first missions it all feels very familiar – and it does, because the basic mechanics are all there. However, after jumping back into the Quest version for a direct comparison, I’m impressed by how significant the Remastered version’s improvements are. Fighting through the overrun suburbs, lobbing grenades into a group of enemies, and picking off stragglers through the dust – this is Zero Caliber 2 as it’s meant to be played.
As you would expect, lighting, explosions, and large-scale effects have all received noticeable improvements. The chaos of battle is truly spectacular on a well-endowed rig. Explosions in particular are fantastic, filling the battlefield with cinematic bursts of light and debris that make the combat feel alive. There are moments in Zero Caliber 2 Remastered that genuinely make me glad that I invested in a powerful PC.
Gameplay-wise, the experience is comparable across both versions, which is good news – Zero Caliber 2 didn’t need much changing. Weapon handling, cover mechanics, and mission structure remain strong. However, with the additional body count and AI improvements in Remastered, the stakes are even higher. Watching teammates push forward, take cover, or drop from headshots hits hard. It’s an intense, boots-on-the-ground experience that nails the physicality of VR combat.
There are, however, a few small issues on PC. The pseudo ‘force-grab’ mechanic that lets you pull items or weapons toward you from a short distance feels noticeably inconsistent in the Steam version. In the heat of combat, when seconds count, having to reach for an item multiple times can be frustrating. Similarly, holster placement seems slightly off. I often found myself unintentionally grabbing the wrong weapon or blocking my view when trying to interact with objects. There is a mechanism to reposition the holsters, but all the components move as one, so it wasn’t possible to get things lined up exactly how I like them.
In addition, when I played a co-op session, we lost in-game chat about halfway through the level. While this is frustrating, and definitely something the devs should look into, it did mean that we were able to spend the rest of the game channeling our inner SWAT selves. Communicating and coordinating through a series of gestures that make us look like some bizarre kind of military mime artists. I’m sure it would have been hilarious to watch.
But these are small gripes and easy enough to adapt to, but they do slightly undercut what’s otherwise a fluid, intuitive system.
The real trade-off for this overall upgrade offered on Steam is no cross-platform multiplayer. The Steam version currently exists as a separate ecosystem, meaning players on PC can’t team up with friends on Quest. Likewise, the PvP community will now be split between platforms. It’s a shame, because Zero Caliber 2’s cooperative and competitive modes are at their best with a full squad of friends.
Ultimately, this is still Zero Caliber 2 – only bigger, bolder, and more bombastic than ever. Core gameplay remains great, and Remastered’s overhaul breathes new life into an already good quality VR shooter. As I wrote in my original review, “Whether you’re pushing through houses using smoke bombs and grenades to clear rooms or ducking behind debris as you advance down a war-torn street, everything feels exciting and consistent,” and the addition of PC-level fidelity only amplifies that intensity.
If you’re a Quest player, the standalone version is still a fantastic experience that holds its own surprisingly well. But if you’ve got the hardware to handle it, the Steam release of Zero Caliber 2 Remastered is the franchise at its cinematic best – a high-octane, action-packed firefight that is well worth your time.
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It’s impressive when new flagship TVs that came out this year drop in price months after their release, but when they also happen to be the best OLED TV your money can buy, it becomes a bargain (well, if you can afford it). The 65-inch LG G5 OLED TV is $1,996.99 (originally $2,496.99), the lowest price it has been since its recent release, according to price-tracking tools. The bigger 77-inch and 83-inch series are also at their lowest prices right now.
LG 65-Inch Evo G5 OLED TV (OLED65G5WUA)
$1,996.99 at Amazon
$2,496.99 Save $500.00
$1,996.99 at Amazon
$2,496.99 Save $500.00
LG 77-Inch Evo G5 OLED TV (OLED77G5WUA)
$3,496.99 at Amazon
$4,499.99 Save $1,003.00
$3,496.99 at Amazon
$4,499.99 Save $1,003.00
LG 83-Inch Evo G5 OLED TV (OLED83G5WUA)
$4,996.99 at Amazon
$6,499.99 Save $1,503.00
$4,996.99 at Amazon
$6,499.99 Save $1,503.00
OLED TVs offer the best colors and contrast ratio that money can buy. They don’t come cheap, though (but you can still shop for budget options). Two of the biggest downsides of OLED TVs, though, are that they can suffer from the notorious burn-in effect and that they don’t get as bright as QLED or LED TVs, so they’re better suited for dimmer or theater rooms. But when LG upgraded the G4 in 2025, they made sure to address one of these issues. For an OLED, the Evo G5 gets bright, at 1,608 nits (average for an LED). That means you can actually use this OLED TV in a bright room without getting the quality washed away.
The color accuracy is on point out of the box, and it comes with a 165Hz VRR, 12.9 ms of input lag in Game Mode, and a 120Hz native refresh rate, making it great for gaming, according to PCMag’s “outstanding” review. They also deemed it the best OLED TV of 2025. Like all LGs, you’ll get HDR-10 and Dolby Vision, but not HDR10+.
If you’re searching for the best OLED TV of 2025 at its best price, you’re looking at it.
Our Best Editor-Vetted Early Black Friday Deals Right Now
Pinterest is adding a new way to find clothes, furniture and other sources of aesthetic inspiration through its app. It’s called Pinterest Assistant, and it’s an AI-powered search and recommendation tool that uses knowledge of your Pinterest activity to tailor its responses.
Whereas other search features work best when you have a specific thing you’re looking for in mind, Pinterest says the Pinterest Assistant is meant to handle more open-ended requests. Asking for pillows that match your “living room decor” is supposed to be enough for the AI to surface interesting results. To do that, the Pinterest Assistant looks at the items you’ve saved and the boards you’ve created (for example, a board full of living room decor inspiration), compares it with the things Pinterest users with similar taste have saved and displays visual results tailored to you.
You start a search with Pinterest Assistant by tapping on the mic icon.
Pinterest
Pinterest appears to be specifically interested in the multimodal aspect of this new feature. The main way the company imagines you’ll interact with Pinterest Assistant is via a mic icon in the Pinterest app that starts a voice search. The AI assistant then takes that audio prompt and uses it to filter and analyze visual content to find the best fit. Besides surfacing items you might not have found on your own, Pinterest says the whole process should be “closer to how people shop in real life.”
Rolling out its own AI features puts Pinterest in an interesting place when it comes to AI content on its platform. Users have complained that the growing amount of AI-generated material on Pinterest has made it hard to find real things to buy or add to a board. In May, the company started labeling AI content in the app to make finding real items easier, and earlier in October it added a way to “dial down” the amount of AI generated content users see in the app. Pinterest Assistant isn’t necessarily a solution for an AI slop problem the company is struggling to solve, but it might help users who are sick of sifting through AI content anyway.
Pinterest Assistant begins rolling out in beta today to users in the US who are 18 and over, with wider availability coming in the next weeks and months.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/pinterest-has-its-own-ai-assistant-now-160000183.html?src=rss
On Wednesday, Character.AI announced it will bar anyone under the age of 18 from open-ended chats with its AI characters starting on November 25, implementing one of the most restrictive age policies yet among AI chatbot platforms. The company faces multiple lawsuits from families who say its chatbots contributed to teenager deaths by suicide.
Over the next month, Character.AI says it will ramp down chatbot use among minors by identifying them and placing a two-hour daily limit on their chatbot access. The company plans to use technology to detect underage users based on conversations and interactions on the platform, as well as information from connected social media accounts. On November 25, those users will no longer be able to create or talk to chatbots, though they can still read previous conversations. The company said it is working to build alternative features for users under the age of 18, such as the ability to create videos, stories, and streams with AI characters.
Character.AI CEO Karandeep Anand told The New York Times that the company wants to set an example for the industry. “We’re making a very bold step to say for teen users, chatbots are not the way for entertainment, but there are much better ways to serve them,” Anand said in the interview. The company also plans to establish an AI safety lab.
Social media conversations can be vastly more enjoyable when you pick and choose who you’re talking with. Today, Threads is adding more controls that let users determine who can reply to their posts.
One new feature is Reply Approvals, where the user will get a first look at responses before allowing them to appear publicly. The approval option can be turned on for individual posts rather than as a blanket policy for more granular control over replies. Threads is also adding new filters for viewing post replies. Now you can look at replies just from other Threads users you follow or sort them by mentions.
Threads has already had a busy week. Earlier this week, the social network introduced its take on ephemeral “ghost” posts, akin to the limited-time visibility features on Instagram Stories and many other platforms. According to parent company Meta’s third-quarter earnings call, Threads has grown to 150 million daily active users.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-is-making-it-easier-to-hide-replies-you-dont-like-154500456.html?src=rss
Sweet Surrender is out now on PlayStation VR2, and we went hands-on once more. Read on for our impressions.
Four years since Sweet Surrender first arrived on Quest and Steam, the cel-shaded roguelike is back with today’s PlayStation VR2 launch. Tasked with fighting your way up through different regions using one of six main playable classes, our former Senior Editor considered Salmi Games’ challenging shooter to be a solid effort with room to grow in our original 2021 review.
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Come 2025, the post-launch updates haven’t stopped. Last year’s “Resurrection” update delivered gameplay adjustments and updated visuals on Quest 3, while earlier this year saw Salmi Games release Chips Revamp: Part 1 that aimed for “better balance” across the game. A public roadmap confirms there’s more on the way.
So, how does this PlayStation VR2 edition compare? Pretty well, going by my three hours of hands-on time; there aren’t any revolutionary differences compared to other platforms, though PS VR2 comes with timed exclusive new content. I’ve not found all 20 of the new or improved upgrades yet, but double-back holstering for larger weapons is a useful addition.
There’s not much of a story to worry about here beyond some discoverable lore, and Adventure Mode sees you ascend through the game’s four main areas with randomized levels. Classes like the Medic and Sniper provide some nice variety, while Trainee offers an easier alternative that doesn’t get counted towards the online leaderboards.
Only one class is initially available; the rest are gradually unlocked through methods like killing a specific boss or healing a set amount across all of your runs. Death means a complete restart, and there aren’t any more permanent ability upgrades, though shortcuts can be unlocked for reaching higher levels faster.
PS VR2 screenshot taken by UploadVR
It’s standard stuff for roguelikes that quickly becomes challenging, and you can’t just go guns blazing into every situation. Sweet Surrender’s clean arcade-style action leaves you quickly searching for cover, as staying still is a guaranteed ticket back to your base. You can’t be too hasty either, lest you fall foul of a trip mine like I did on my first run.
Landing those kills feels rewarding with good haptic feedback in the Sense controllers, helped by a decent range of enemies from your standard troopers to exploding bots. Running through areas armed to the teeth with shotguns, various pistols, and grenades remains entertaining.
My personal highlight is the upgrade system, letting you swap out a decent variety of power-ups like health upgrades or greater damage. You’ll gradually power up your abilities through chips that are placed into both of your wrists, but said upgrades only apply if that specific hand is holding your weapon. It’s the sort of VR-specific design I appreciate.
Some aspects betray its older VR design though, namely the visual assists. You can switch off your ammo count from appearing, though you can’t turn off weapon descriptions when moving them closer to you. It’s helpful when picking up something for the first time; I don’t necessarily know what abilities that item has, and this makes perfect sense for chips. With weapons, I’d like the option to turn that off.
PS VR2 screenshots taken by UploadVR
I have some smaller gripes too. Adaptive trigger support is certainly welcome compared to Quest, though it doesn’t feel closely adapted for individual weapons, and headset haptic feedback could be more reactive. On several occasions, I’d start the game only for the menu to be nowhere in sight even if I recenter my position, only to find it 90 degrees to my right. That only syncs up if I turn left just as far and recenter.
Hardly dealbreakers by any stretch, but I’d love to see it take further advantage of PlayStation VR2 where possible. Some of my PlayStation VR2-specific complaints are already in the public roadmap, so I’m hoping these updates come through soon.
It’s worth noting that while Sweet Surrender previously confirmed it would launch with light and dynamic foveated rendering, Salmi Games ultimately disabled both after further testing. Speaking to UploadVR, CEO and founder Yacine Salmi explained this decision.
“The game looks significantly better without foveated rendering, and the performance tradeoffs were not worth the visual artifacts introduced. Our rendering style (and post-processing stack) doesn’t seem to lend itself well to foveated rendering. We will explore further performance improvements post-release to see if we can push the resolution even higher while maintaining 90fps.”
Despite this exclusion, Sweet Surrender runs smoothly even in more intense moments. I’ve only played this so far on a PS5 Pro though, so I can’t speak for a base PS5, and Salmi Games states this runs at a higher resolution on the newer model. It looks great in action, and Sweet Surrender’s low-poly art style means it’s never been the most demanding game anyway.
As someone who hasn’t played since my previous interview with Salmi Games, I enjoyed this chance to return. If roguelikes have never been for you, this isn’t likely to change your mind and while it’s not a complete clean sweep, Sweet Surrender is still a welcome addition to the PlayStation VR2 library. I’ll be jumping back in soon.
Two of Germany’s most influential cycling industry bodies have pulled out of Eurobike, signalling waning confidence in what was once the world’s leading cycling trade show.
ZIV – Die Fahrradindustrie and Zukunft Fahrrad (Future Bicycle) announced their withdrawal after failing to reach an agreement with Eurobike’s organisers on how to make the event more relevant to the trade.
The two groups – which represent most of the German cycling industry – had presented a 10-point plan aimed at strengthening Eurobike’s importance to the industry, but said their proposals weren’t met with equal commitment.
Eurobike has been the top dog trade show for the cycle industry for years, with 1,500 exhibitors travelling to Frankfurt in June this year to showcase their wares to other cycling businesses and the general public.
But Eurobike has been becoming less of a must-do event for the bike industry in recent years.
ZIV has around 140 member companies within Germany and internationally, representing the companies responsible for around 90 per cent of bikes and ebikes made in Germany each year.
Meanwhile, Zukunft Fahrrad has around 100 member companies, including retailers and suppliers, as well as manufacturers.
According to Bernhart Lange of ZIF and the managing partner of Shimano’s German distributor: “We could not see that both shareholders [ZIF and Eurobike’s organisers] were equally committed to supporting the measures that would be necessary to make the trade fair fit for the future of the bicycle industry.”
A source close to the matter claimed Shimano – one of the biggest exhibitors at the show – has cancelled all of its hotel rooms. Shimano did not immediately respond to our request for comment.
We think the greater consumer focus makes Velofollies a more attractive show. Velofollies
Posting on LinkedIn, Bastien Dietz of Leatt points to the fragmentation of bike industry trade shows, with national-level shows such as Velofollies in Belgium and the Italian Bike Festival gaining in prominence.
Eurobike’s move from Friedrichshafen to Frankfurt in 2022 and retiming from September to July, and latterly late June, have also been problematic.
For its part, Eurobike has announced changes for the 2026 show, with a one-day shorter four-day event and reduced costs for exhibitors.
It’s also splitting into sport and non-ebike electric vehicle/ecomobility segments, with the latter accommodated at a new fair called Mobifuture, a change opposed by the two German cycling industry bodies.
“The desire for an international industry summit in Europe is ubiquitous and Eurobike provides the key impetus for market stimulation,” counters Stefan Reisinger, managing director of Fairnamic, Eurobike’s parent.
“Our aim here is to be the leading meeting place and networking event in the world with Eurobike, where all international players are invited and welcome.”
Smaller and less relevant
Eurobike has been attracting fewer visitors and exhibitors since its heyday in 2013.
Eurobike’s 2025 event was smaller than previous years, with 31,720 trade visitors and 30,420 members of the public attending, against 35,080 and 33,000-plus in 2024.
Trade visitors are down even more from 2013, when 43,700 attended Eurobike in Friedrichshafen, although there’s been a compensating increase in general public attendance of around 10,000 since the move to a more accessible location.
Setting up a stand is expensive for exhibitors too, with one brand quoting an all-in cost of around $100,000.
Some large brands, such as Specialized, Scott and SRAM, had already pulled out, and other brands we spoke to last year were questioning the value of the show.
Speaking today to BikeRadar, WTB’s James Heaton says growing doubts over the viability of the show don’t come as a surprise: “With the digital world holding increasingly greater importance, I think companies are questioning whether events like Eurobike are still bringing the return on investment they once were, or whether budget is better spent elsewhere.”
Could you use a new gaming laptop? If so, there’s a great deal available on Dell’s Alienware 16 Area-51 kitted with the latest-generation CPU and GPU hardware from Intel and NVIDIA, respectively. Or you could wait for the inevitable Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts to come into view, but why wait when you can score a bargain right now?
New submitter hadleyburg writes: President Trump has directed the Department of War to restart nuclear weapons testing. The directive appears to be a counter measure to rival nations catching up with the US. The last US nuclear test was an underground test, on September 23, 1992, in Nevada.
The SanDisk 256GB microSD Express Card for the Switch 2 is down to $60 via Amazon, which is a record-low price. This model is also available in storage sizes of 128GB and 512GB, but neither version is on sale.
This particular model easily made our list of the best microSD cards for the Nintendo Switch 2. It even made our list of the best Switch 2 accessories. It just gets the job done. We loved the speed on offer here. It was the fastest of all the cards we tested when transferring games and loading games.
We also found that it performed admirably at just about every test we threw at it. The card was always consistently right near the top, thanks to outstanding sequential read and write performance. This was backed up by benchmark testing with PC tools like CrystalDiskMark.
The Switch 2 only works with SD Express cards, so this covers that. Luckily, this card isn’t just for Nintendo’s latest console. It’ll work with just about everything, if you ever find it outstays its usefulness as a storage container for Mario and friends.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/sandisks-microsd-express-card-for-the-switch-2-is-cheaper-than-ever-151331702.html?src=rss
Astronomers from the International Centre of Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), primarily based at Curtin University in Australia, have released the most detailed low-frequency radio image of the Milky Way’s galactic plane ever assembled. Rather than the starry, luminous band we’re more familiar with, the latest images show a vibrant tapestry
The Linux Vendor Firmware Service (LVFS) that goes hand-in-hand with the Fwupd open-source firmware updating utility celebrated the milestone on Wednesday of crossing 135 million firmware updates…
Even in 2025, Google.com still knows how to have fun. If you tend to rely on your browser’s address bar for Google Search, you might miss the company’s latest “Doodle.” But today, Oct. 30, if you head to the Google homepage, you’ll find a Halloween-themed surprise: a fully playable PAC-MAN game, outfitted with spooky mazes and characters.
The Halloween part makes sense, seeing as the holiday is tomorrow. But why PAC-MAN? As it happens, this year marks the game’s 45th anniversary. For this Doodle, Google says it partnered with PAC-MAN’s parent company, Bandi Namco Entertainment, to feature a celebratory PAC-MAN game on the homepage.
If you’re familiar with PAC-MAN, you won’t have any trouble getting into Google’s version. This is the core PAC-MAN experience players have navigated since 1980: You control PAC-MAN through a maze, eating all the dots along the way. If you crash into one of the four ghosts floating around the maze (Blinky, Inky, Pinky and Clyde), you die, unless you eat an “Power Pellet,” in which case you’re free to eat the ghosts. According to Google, this game has eight levels, with four haunted-house mazes.
I do appreciate the effort that went into this experience. Sure, the PAC-MAN gameplay is the same as ever, but the Halloween-themed mazes are fun. I also love the attention to detail with the graphics: The visuals have scan-lines, which sells the retro look. You won’t be getting 4K crispy pixels in this game, and that only makes it feel like you’re back at your local arcade.
Google says the game is only available today (Oct. 30) and tomorrow (Oct. 31) from the homepage, though I would hope it will be made available elsewhere (Google Doodle games are typically archived). But if you want to give it a shot, try it out now just in case.
Norton Security has some reliable products, but its VPN isn’t one of them. In my Norton VPN review, I argued that it’s only really worthwhile if you can get a discount on it as part of a Norton 360 package — and even in that case, you should only use it for non-sensitive activities due to some holes in Norton’s comprehensive privacy policy.
That’s a lot of conditions, so I’d understand if you’re here because you’ve decided Norton VPN isn’t for you. Read on to learn your options for cancelling this VPN, getting a refund and replacing it with a better provider.
How to turn off Norton VPN auto-renewal
The simplest way to cancel Norton VPN is to stop your subscription from automatically renewing. That way, you’ll have until your plan expires to look for a new VPN. Note that the steps below are the same no matter how you got Norton VPN, whether on its own or as part of Norton 360 — though they only apply if you subscribed through the Norton website, not an app store.
Sign into your account at my.norton.com. You’ll be taken to your account dashboard with your subscriptions tab visible. If it’s not, click on My Subscriptions.
On your subscriptions hub, find the plan you get Norton VPN through. Click the words Manage Renewal or Cancel Subscription Renewal.
In the window that appears, click Unsubscribe. Select a reason for cancellation (no need to be truthful) and click Next.
At this point, you’ll have to wade through several pleas for you to stay. Stand firm and keep clicking through until you can click No thanks, cancel my subscription.
Continue clicking Next until you see a confirmation that auto-renewal has been turned off. Wait 24 hours for the change to take effect.
Sam Chapman for Engadget
If you change your mind after turning auto-renewal off, you can turn it back on again anytime before the subscription expires. For those who bought through an app store, there’s no way to turn off auto-renewal; you can only cancel the subscription altogether. See the end of the next section to learn how to do that.
How to cancel Norton VPN and get a refund
You can request a refund on any annual subscription for 60 days after paying. Monthly subscriptions can only be refunded once, within 14 days of paying — if you renew a monthly plan then decide to cancel, you’re out of luck.
The only way to get a refund is to contact Norton directly. If you’re ready to go cold turkey, follow these steps.
In a browser, open support.norton.com.
Scroll down until you see nine buttons arranged in a 3×3 grid. Find the second button down in the left-hand column, Contact us, and click on it.
Enter the email address for your Norton account. Check that inbox for a verification code, then enter it in the next box and click Verify.
When the live chat asks you what you need help with, select Purchase & Billing, then Request refund. Give a reason in the dropdown menu.
As usual, be persistent until you get a message in writing that your refund will be processed. Wait at least three days for the money to appear.
Sam Chapman for Engadget
If you subscribed through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, you’ll have to cancel through the same platform where you started. Just go into the subscriptions page of the store’s mobile app, find your Norton VPN subscription and click the Cancel button beside it. After that, just follow the prompts, then request a refund using the steps above.
How to uninstall Norton VPN
To get your money back from Norton, you can’t just shut off auto-renewal. You’ll have to cancel your plan immediately and delete all Norton apps from your devices. I recommend following these steps even if you aren’t eligible for a refund, since Norton software is notoriously hard to uninstall and will crop back up if you don’t completely root it out.
On Android and iOS, uninstalling Norton VPN is relatively easy — after cancelling your subscription, delete it like you would any other app. Things are a bit trickier on the desktop OSes. On Windows, hold the Windows key and press R to make a black box appear. Type appwiz.cpl and hit Enter. A list of programs should appear; click on Norton VPN, then click Uninstall/Change and follow the instructions.
On a Mac, open your Applications folder and find Norton VPN. Click the app icon and drag it to the trash. This should start a separate program called Norton Uninstaller. Click OK, enter your password if asked, then click Uninstall. Finally, you’ll need to restart your computer to finish uninstalling.
Norton VPN alternatives
Once you’ve dispensed with Norton VPN, you can get started with a provider that fits your needs better. Proton VPN, my current top pick in our guide to the best VPNs, takes privacy more seriously than Norton and has superior app design and speeds. Surfshark is the fastest VPN, NordVPN has the best features and ExpressVPN is the friendliest for beginners.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/how-to-cancel-norton-vpn-uninstall-it-and-get-your-money-back-150000872.html?src=rss
