Gaming

PS5 now supports storage expansion in first major update

Also comes with new social features

Published

April 13, 2021

Rodneil Quiteles

It’s the update PlayStation 5 (PS5) users have all been waiting for. Coming in the first major update for the PS5 which will rollout April 14, 2021 is storage expansion and management along with new social features.

Storage expansion

Players can now store PS5 games on compatible USB drives. This lets you transfer installed games from your PS5 to an external storage device. Do note that you can’t boot the game up from the external drive as PS5 games are designed to take advantage of the speed and features of the Internal SSD.

The main advantage is that it’s easier and faster to re-install games to your PS5 from an external drive versus having to redownload these games. You can check PS5 storage device requirements and tips here.

Disappointed? PlayStation is still working on storage expansion via M.2 drives and this will come in a future update.

New social features

If you’re the type who likes playing with friends online, you can now play with friends even if they have yet to secure a PS5 for themselves thanks to the new update. These are:

Cross-Gen Share Play

Cross-generation Share Play gives PS5 users the option to let their friends on PS4 consoles view their screen or try out the PS5 game through Share Play. The feature works both ways.

Options include the ability to share your screen with a friend, pass your controller virtually to a friend, or pass a second controller virtually to play co-op games together.

Request to join game session

A selection of your friends’ joinable game sessions will now appear on both PS5 and PS4 consoles for more gameplay opportunities together.

The “Request to Join” option also serves as a shortcut to sending a game invite, reducing the time it takes for you to get into games with friends. Through the Privacy Settings menu, you can modify who can interact with you through parties, games and messages.

Better Personalization controls

Improved Game Base

The Game Base menu now has quicker access to important content and features. You can now easily switch between Parties and Friends to start chatting with your existing parties or see what each of your online friends is up to. You can also turn notifications on or off for each of the parties you’re in.

Disable game chat or adjust players’ volume

Is someone being unnecessarily annoying? You can now quickly disable in-game chat, which turns off your mic audio and the voice audio of other players. You can also easily adjust the individual voice chat volume of other players in the same chat so you don’t have to ask your friends to lower or increase their mic volume each time.

Game update pre-download

Once it’s enabled by developers, title updates for games will pre-download to your console if the “automatic updates” setting is enabled and your console is on or in rest mode.

Customize game library

It’s now easier to find content and personalize your view of your game library with the new search and hide functions.

Screen Zoom

Players can now adjust the magnification of the screen to suit their preference.

New Trophy settings and stats screen.

The level of trophies that results in automatic capture of a screenshot or video clip can now be customized. Players can now choose to only capture and save images/videos of moments when they earn higher-grade trophies, like Gold or Platinum. There’s also a new player Trophy Stats screen where players can check out the summary of their trophy level and status at a glance.

PlayStation App updates

Coming to the PlayStation app in the next few weeks are the following:

- Ability to join a multiplayer session on PS5 from the app
- Manage PS5 console storage
- Compare trophy collections with friends
- Sort and filter products shown in the PlayStation Store

Watch our PlayStation 5 Review

Gaming

Samsung Display’s QD-OLED panels help demos at gamescom 2026

Hundreds of gaming monitors feature company’s QD-OLED panels

Published

August 27, 2026

GadgetMatch

Samsung Display is showcasing the gaming performance advantages of QD-OLED at gamescom 2026 through hundreds of monitors helping with playable demos.

Samsung Display partnered with CAPCOM, KRAFTON, and CD PROJEKT RED, with their highly anticipated titles being showcased at gamescom 2026 (August 26 to 30, Cologne, Germany) on several gaming monitors featuring Samsung Display’s QD-OLED panels.

This demonstrates the outstanding picture quality of QD-OLED to gamers from around the world.

In addition, the company has announced that it will begin the mass production of 24.5-inch QD-OLED panels optimized for eSports and FPS games by the end of the year.

At CAPCOM’s booth, visitors can get a hands-on experience with the upcoming Onimusha: Way of the Sword and Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen.

Other playable titles include PRAGMATA, Street Fighter 6, and Mega Man: Dual Override.

Samsung Display is supplying a total of 90 QD-OLED gaming monitors, including the EVNIA 32MN8900, GIGABYTE MO32U24 and MSI MAG 321UP QD-OLED X24, for the hands-on gameplay.

Meanwhile, KRAFTON will showcase three of its five upcoming titles on 85 Alienware QD-OLED gaming monitors.

Visitors will have the opportunity to preview the multi-team tactical arena game Project ZETA, two-player coop AG Twisters, and the action RPG TARAE: The Unbound.

Lastly, at the CD PROJEKT RED booth, a trailer for Songs of the Past, the third expansion pack for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be shown on eight QD-OLED TVs.

Visitors can also watch gameplay demonstrations on monitors equipped with similar displays. This gives Samsung Display the chance to highlight the QD-OLED Penta Tandem technology.

Gaming

Stage Tour is resurrecting your Rock Band childhood

You can rock the guitar, the drums, or vocals to your favorite songs.

Published

August 26, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

A new Witcher 3 DLC, a new Final Fantasy VII, Mega Man, Rayman, and Crazy Taxi. What year is it again? With games as nostalgic as these coming out, there’s one game that can complete the circle: Rock Band. Now, resurrecting an era of rhythm games, Stage Tour will have you playing the guitar, the drums, or vocals in a star-studded game with a lot of iconic tracks.

For those who played through the classic Guitar Hero or Rock Band, Stage Tour needs no introduction. However, if you’re new to the scene, the game simply puts you into the shoes of a rock band. You can wield a guitar, a set of drums, or a microphone. And yes, the game comes with a customized controller for each instrument.

As for the soundtrack, you can rock and jam to a lot of the catchiest songs from yesteryear to today including titles from BABYMETAL, Paramore, Slipknot, The Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran, Black Eyed Peas, Blink-182, Fall Out Boy, Metallica, Walk the Moon, and Olivia Rodrigo.

Stage Tour launches on December 10 for all major platforms like PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Switch 2. You can also grab their official accessories through their site, but they do cost a pretty penny.

Gaming

HoYoverse’s Nodusfall looks like nothing they’ve ever made before

But it looks so similar to Elden Ring or Dark Souls.

Published

August 26, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

There’s a certain aesthetic you’ll always expect whenever you see HoYoverse mentioned. Touting long-standing hits like Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero, the publisher’s games often have bright and appealing aesthetics, bolstered by highly attractive characters to get you into the gacha groove. However, for the first time, HoYoverse is trying something completely different: Nodusfall, an action RPG that looks and feels like Elden Ring.

Revealed at today’s gamescom, Nodusfall teases a deeply fantastical setting focusing on Weavers taking on ferocious monsters and divine entities. Players will be able to take on these challenges with, based on the trailer, four players. Each player can wield an assortment of weapons including a greatsword, a regular sword, a bow, and magic. The trailer also teases spells that can transform the player into a divine being themselves.

As for the enemies, they have a strangely striking resemblance to other games you might have played before. One is a grizzled warrior who beheads a giant lion, something that’s shockingly identical to Hoarah Loux in Elden Ring. Another rides a dragon, similar to the Nameless King from Dark Souls 3.

Comparisons aside, Nodusfall is an impressive transformation for HoYoverse. Since forever, the publisher thrived on anime aesthetics, highlighted these days by the godly trilogy of Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero.

HoYoverse hasn’t revealed the release date of Nodusfall just yet, but we’re excited to see it in action.