Tag: pre-order
Diablo 4 pre-order beta access, ultimate edition bonus items detailed
Following confirmation of the Diablo 4 release date at The Game Awards 2022, accompanied by a rather spectacular performance of ‘Lilith’ by singer Halsey to accompany the game’s demonic primary antagonist, Blizzard has outlined more details of the Diablo 4 pre-order beta access and other bonus items that will be offered to players who pre-order the standard, digital deluxe, or ultimate edition of the hellish RPG game.
MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Diablo 4 release date, The best games like Diablo you can play on PC, Diablo 4 classes
You no longer need a PS VR2 invite to pre-order direct from Sony
If you missed out on securing a pre-order for Sony’s PlayStation VR2 headset, you’re in luck. The PlayStation Direct store no longer requires an invitation to place a PS VR2 pre-order.
You won’t necessarily have to wait for months to get your hands on the next-gen PS5 headset either, as The Verge points out. As things stand, Sony expects to deliver the device between its February 22nd launch date and February 28th.
The initial wave of pre-orders required would-be PS VR2 owners to register their interest and hope they got an invitation from Sony. Now, you can reserve one and at least give yourself the option picking up the headset in February, especially given that it’s unclear how much stock Sony will have at launch. You could always cancel a pre-order if you change your mind.
You’ll have to dig deep into your pocket to actually buy a PS VR2. The headset costs $550 and you’ll need a PS5 to actually use the thing. Games from the original PS VR aren’t compatible with the latest model either, so you’ll need to build a fresh library of games or hope developers offer free PS VR2 upgrades. Polyarc just confirmed that it’s bringing Moss and Moss: Book II to PS VR2, while Sony’s positioning Guerrilla Games’ Horizon Call of the Mountain, a Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West VR spin-off, as the flagship launch title.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Now Available for Pre-order on the Xbox Store
Amazon Launches First Pre-Order Discount on New Apple TV 4K at $124.99
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While not a massive discount, this is still a notable deal given it’s the first pre-order discount on the 2022 Apple TV 4K. We don’t expect much steeper discounts than this to come out any time soon; for those types of deals you’ll need to shop for the 2021 models, which are as low as $99.99 today on Amazon.
The Apple TV 4K will launch on November 4, along with the 128GB Wi-Fi + Ethernet model, which is not seeing a pre-order discount on Amazon.
Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we’ve been tracking over the past week.
This article, “Amazon Launches First Pre-Order Discount on New Apple TV 4K at $124.99” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Football Manager 2023’s early access beta is live now for those who pre-order
Football Manager 2023‘s early access beta is live now. As per usual, pre-ordering the latest iteration of the long-running management sim gives you access to the beta, which is nearly-final version of the full game. It’s 20% cheaper than the full game will be when it releases on November 8th, and it’s available from Steam and the Epic Game Store.
How to pre-order Apple’s 2022 iPad, iPad Pro, and Apple TV 4K
Today, Apple introduced a new crop of iPads alongside a refreshed Apple TV 4K. The new gear was announced through a trio of press releases, not the usual pomp and circumstance of a livestreamed event. For the most part, that makes sense: the new iPad Pros and Apple TV 4K don’t bring many sweeping changes, while the all-new iPad largely takes after the existing iPad Air, albeit with a few compromises.
That said, new is new, and all of the updated devices are available to pre-order as of today through Apple’s online store. If you’re curious about upgrading to a new tablet or high-end media streamer, here’s a quick rundown of what’s new, how much everything costs and how you can pre-order everything announced today.
Apple iPad (10th gen)
The 10th-generation iPad represents the most significant revamp of the gadgets unveiled today. It’s available to order now in four finishes: blue, pink, silver, and yellow. Prices start at $449 for a 64GB model or $599 for a 256GB model. You can add cellular connectivity to those storage counts for $599 and $749, respectively. Apple says the tablet will be available in stores starting on October 26.
Pre-order iPad (10th gen) at Apple – $449
Design wise, the 10th-gen iPad follows closely in the footsteps of the iPad Air. It features a similar 10.9-inch IPS display with a sharp 2,360 x 1,640 resolution and 500 nits of rated max brightness. The design has flatter edges, slimmer bezels, no dedicated Home button, a USB-C port, and a Touch ID sensor located in the sleep/wake button. Battery life is still rated at up to 10 hours of video viewing and web browsing on WiFi.
There’s a 12MP wide camera—up from the 8MP sensor in the ninth-gen, 10.2-inch iPad—which Apple says can take 4K video and utilize the company’s “Center Stage” frame-centering feature. Notably, the front-facing camera is located along the landscape edge of the tablet, which should make it particularly accommodating for group video calls. The device supports WiFi 6, too, while the cellular version works with 5G networks. Like other new iPad models, it also ditches the 3.5mm headphone jack.
The new iPad is powered by Apple’s A14 Bionic system-on-a-chip, which was previously found in the 2020 iPad Air and the iPhone 12 family of phones. This should be a handy upgrade over the 10.2-inch iPad’s A13 Bionic chip and give more than enough post for most uses, but it’ll still be a few ticks behind the M1 chip found in the iPad Air. The new iPad’s display also remains non-laminated—so you’ll see a small air gap between the image and the glass layer covering it—and it only supports the first-generation Apple Pencil, not the second-gen stylus with more convenient magnetic charging.
Alongside the 10th-gen iPad, Apple is rolling out a $249 Magic Keyboard Folio case, which looks to work similarly to the existing Magic Keyboard for the iPad Air and Pro, but includes a 14-key function row and doesn’t let the tablet “float” over the top of the keyboard, instead relying on a built-in kickstand.
Apple says it will continue selling the 9th-generation iPad at the same $329 MSRP (but frequently less than that online) for those who want a more affordable option, albeit with an aged design.
11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros with M2
The new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pros are a bit more familiar, with the main upgrade being internal: both slates now run on Apple’s M2 SoC, which is also found in the latest MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro. Both devices are again available in either silver or space gray finishes. Like the 10th-gen iPad, the new iPad Pros are available to order now and will hit stores beginning on October 26.
Pre-order iPad Pros (2022) at Apple – $799 and $1,099
When we reviewed those M2 Macs, we found the M2 to bring a nice performance bump over the M1, though you’ll likely need to go well beyond basic tablet uses to see a major difference in real-world use. Still, for those who want a tablet for video editing and other intensive tasks, it should be more futureproof all the same.
The new Pros will also support speedier WiFi 6E networks, Bluetooth 5.3, and, according to Apple, “more 5G networks around the world.” For those with second-gen Apple Pencils, there’s also a new “hover” feature that lets the tablets detect the stylus when it’s up to 12mm away from the display, similar to past Samsung phones and tablets. Apple says this will allow you to preview of marks you can make before you actually apply the pen.
That’s about it, though. Both tablets still support up to 120 Hz refresh rates, though the 12.9-inch model remains the only one with a brighter and more vibrant Mini LED panel, while the 11-inch model has a lesser (by comparison) LED display. The ports, cameras, accessory support, and overall design is largely the same as before. Perhaps strangely, Apple has decided not to move the front camera to the landscape side on the more expensive Pro models, leaving that feature to the far cheaper 10th-gen iPad alone.
The Pros should remain the best tablets in Apple’s lineup nevertheless, though their pricing will likely keep them limited to the most involved iPad users. The 11-inch model again starts at $799 for 128GB of storage, while the 12.9-inch model will begin at $1,099 for the same amount of space.
You can also upgrade to 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage, with the 1TB and 2TB models also doubling the included RAM from 8GB to 16GB. For the 11-inch model, those’ll cost $899, $1,099, $1,499, and $1,899, respectively. For the 12.9-inch Pro, those jump to $1,199, $1,399, $1,799, and $2,199. Adding cellular connectivity to whatever option you pick costs an extra $200.
Apple TV 4K (3rd gen)
The new Apple TV 4K also gets a performance bump, jumping from 2018’s A12 Bionic SoC to the faster A15 Bionic chip introduced last year and seen in the iPhone 13 family of phones and the latest iPad Mini. The set-top box also supports HDR10+ playback in addition to the usual Dolby Vision HDR, and the included Siri Remote now charges over USB-C instead of Lightning. Physically, the box itself is 50 percent lighter and slightly thinner, too.
Pre-order Apple TV 4K (3rd gen) at Apple – $129
The rest is largely the same as before, but the most notable (and welcome) change is the price: the new Apple TV 4K now starts at $129 for 64GB of storage. That’s still a good ways more expensive than a Google Chromecast or Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max, but it’s a nice drop from the previous model’s $179 starting price and 32GB of storage either way. (Though we’ve seen a number of deals on that device in recent months.)
If you need more storage space for Apple Arcade games and the like, you can order a model with 128GB of storage for $149. This version adds a Gigabit Ethernet port and support for the Thread mesh networking protocol for certain smart home devices, too.
The new Apple TV 4K is available to order now at Apple’s online store, though Apple says it won’t be available until November 4. It’s also worth noting that, with the introduction of the new streamer, the company has also discontinued the 1080p-only Apple TV HD.
Nintendo’s new Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Edition OLED Switch is available for pre-order now
TL;DR: The Nintendo Switch – OLED Model: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Edition is available for pre-order at Amazon and Target for $359.99 as of Oct. 11. Its official release date is Nov. 4.
A buzzy fall gaming season continues with the release of a new special-edition Nintendo Switch console.
Initially announced in early September, the Nintendo Switch – OLED Model: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Edition is officially up for grabs as of Oct. 11. So far, it’s only available to pre-order at Amazon and Target, but expect to see it at Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart, and the My Nintendo Store as the official Nov. 4 release date approaches.
At the time of writing, the new Switch is going for $359.99 — that’s $10 more than the standard OLED Switch, which comes in white and Neon Blue/Neon Red.) This is Nintendo‘s second special-edition OLED Switch after the Splatoon 3-themed variant.
Inspired by Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, two new open-world RPGs that will launch on Nov. 18, the console’s dock comes decked out with images of a Poké Ball and the two games’ respective stars: the Legendary Pokémon Koraidon and Miraidon. Per the last Pokémon Presents stream, players will be able to ride these massive antennaed dragons like motorcycles and form biker gangs with up to three other friends. (Vroom vroom!)
The back of the system itself features special illustrations of Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly, your three starter options for the games, as well as symbols from elsewhere in the Pokémon series. The two Joy-Cons that come with it sport the emblems of Naranja and Uva Academies, the two schools players can attend.
Note that the Scarlet and Violet games themselves are sold separately from the special-edition console. You’ve got the option of buying them for $59.99 apiece or as part of a $119.99 double pack, which includes a download code for 200 bonus Poké Balls.
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Nintendo Switch – OLED Model: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Editio
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Forgot to Pre-Order an iPhone 14 Plus? Apple Store Pickup Available Today at Most Locations
Online orders of all iPhone 14 Plus configurations on Apple’s website have shipping estimate delays into next week, but for customers who forgot to pre-order the iPhone 14 Plus or simply decided to wait, the good news is that same-day or next-day pickup will be an option at many Apple Stores around the world.
As of writing, Apple’s online stores in the United States and Canada haven’t yet been updated to show pickup availability, but shortages aren’t expected and there is unlikely to be much variation state by state. Meanwhile across the pond, all iPhone 14 Plus colors and configurations are available for Apple Store pickup today in countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
To order a product with Apple Store pickup, add the product to your bag on Apple.com or in the Apple Store app, proceed to checkout, select the “I’ll pick it up” option, enter your ZIP or postal code, choose an available Apple Store location, select a pickup date, and select a 15-minute check-in window. Payment is completed online, and a valid government-issued photo ID and the order number may be required upon pickup.
iPhone 14 Plus models may also be available for walk-in customers at Apple Store locations with sufficient inventory, but availability can’t be guaranteed. Walk-in customers may be placed into a separate queue with lower priority upon arrival to the store.
The iPhone 14 Plus is meant for customers who want a larger iPhone without all the features of Apple’s high-end models, but pre-order demand for the new model has reportedly not reached the highs that Apple anticipated. The iPhone 14 Plus, like the iPhone 14, features the same chip as the iPhone 13 Pro, camera improvements, and other minor enhancements. Reviewers called the iPhone 14 an “iPhone 13S,” noting the little improvements and changes compared to its predecessor.
This article, “Forgot to Pre-Order an iPhone 14 Plus? Apple Store Pickup Available Today at Most Locations” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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