Thursday, November 12, 2020

Latest Tech News

UPDATE: Microsoft's Xbox Series X and Series S consoles have officially launched in Australia. While the pair are sold out almost everywhere, Telstra is offering each console as part of its Xbox All Access service. Find out more about it below!

We research the best Xbox One sales to bring you the best value bundle deals every week. We generally find opting for an Xbox One bundle instead of a console-only deal is a smart way to go as you'll most likely get more for your money, with extra games and accessories thrown in to sweeten the deal.

To make finding the best Xbox One bundle deal less tasking, we've scoured the internet for the lowest prices on bundles and best console deals and rounded them up here in one spot for you. 

As we stay indoors to self-isolate due to the threat of Covid-19, what better time to pick up a console and get stuck into some games? Below you will find the lowest prices in Australia for both the Xbox One S, Xbox One X and the newly released Xbox One S All-Digital Edition. Admittedly, it's getting tough to find consoles for sale at the moment, let alone great deals. That said, we're committed to bringing you the best Xbox One prices we can find during this difficult time. 

Xbox All Access

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Xbox All Access

As the new Xbox Series S and Series X consoles are coming up to their November 10 release date, Telstra is no longer offering the Xbox One S and One X as part of its Xbox All Access service.

Thankfully, the Aussie telco has announced that it will bring the upcoming Xbox Series S and Series X to its Xbox All Access program from launch day. Telstra's post-paid mobile or fixed broadband customers can now get an early heads up by pre-register their interest in receiving either next-gen console via Xbox All Access.

Pre-register for Xbox Series S or X

Xbox Series S (Xbox All Access) | AU$33 p/m (24-month contract) – via Telstra

Telstra is now offering the Xbox Series S console with Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass For just AU$33 per month*. That means you'll get a brand new Xbox Series S console, the ability to play online and a constantly updated roster of over 100 games to choose from.

*Must be a Telstra mobile or broadband month-to-month customers. Price after first 24 months: AU$15.95 per month. Early termination charges apply.View Deal

Xbox Series X (Xbox All Access) | AU$46 p/m (24-month contract) – via Telstra

Much like with the Series S, Telstra is now offering the more powerful Xbox Series X console as part of its Xbox All Access service. That means you'll get the Xbox Series X console with Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass For just AU$46 per month*.

*Must be a Telstra mobile or broadband month-to-month customers. Price after first 24 months: AU$15.95 per month. Early termination charges apply.View Deal

cheap xbox one s deals

Xbox One S deals

With the unveiling of the Xbox One X, the Xbox One S has seen some impressive price drops and bundle deals with Microsoft going all out to pump up the pressure on its rivals. It was already often the cheapest console of the current generation, but with some of these savings on bundles and even Xbox One controllers, the price seems right. 

At this point it's probably wiser to buy a bundle and score some wicked Xbox One games along with the unit, as some of them can come in cheaper than the standalone consoles themselves.

Xbox One S All-Digital Edition (1TB) | AU$349

It might be getting on in years, but the Xbox One S is still a great console for new gamers. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of deals around for consoles at the moment, with many retailers across Australia totally out of stock. That said, Microsoft is offering the all-digital version of Xbox One S for only AU$349 – that's with codes to download Sea of Thieves, Fortnite and Minecraft included, which is better than nothing.View Deal

At once more elegant and more powerful, the slimmed-down design of the Xbox One S ditches the external power brick and chunky looks of the original Xbox One. More importantly, it comes kitted out with 4K visual support meaning you'll be able to watch specialised Blu-Ray and Netflix content in 4K.

Xbox One X deals

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be many Xbox One X deals available at the moment – even Microsoft's online store seems to be out of stock. There have even been reports that Microsoft may have discontinued the Xbox One X in the lead up to the release of Xbox Series X. That said, we expect some units will pop up from time to time. Keep an eye on this page for more One X stock as it becomes replenished.

Xbox Game Pass

Rather than spending hundreds of dollars on new games each month, the Xbox Game Pass service allows users to access a huge number of titles, including the latest first-party releases, for a very reasonable monthly fee. 

For just AU$10.95 per month, subscribers can choose from over 100 high-quality games to play on PC. Alternatively, users can opt for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for just AU$15.95 per month, which gives members unlimited access to the service's games on both PC and Xbox One. Click on one of the links below to discover more about what Xbox Game Pass has to offer.

Games and peripherals deals

FIFA 20 (Xbox One) | now AU$24
Missing 'The Beautiful Game' as much as we are during these uncertain times? Well, playing FIFA 20 on Xbox One just might be the next best thing, as it allows you to play on the world stage, along with on the street. Amazon has a fantastic deal on FIFA 20 at the moment, with the game now available to purchase for only AU$24 – that's 76% off the game's original RRP.View Deal

Resident Evil 3 (Xbox One) | now AU$44
Following on from 2018's stellar Resident Evil 2 remake, Capcom has given a fresh coat of paint to the next title in the classic horror series with a remake of Resident Evil 3. While we've heard the game is shorter than its predecessor, this AU$55 discount on the full RRP should make up for that. Buy the Xbox One version for only AU$44 from Amazon Australia.View Deal

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Xbox One) | now AU$39
If you need a truly fantastic game to keep you occupied for a lengthy period of time, look no further than Rockstar's latest masterpiece, Red Dead Redemption 2. Right now, you can pick up a copy of the award-winning western title for Xbox One for only AU$39 from Amazon Australia.View Deal



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Latest Tech News

UPDATE: Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War has launched on next-gen consoles – find out how the Xbox Series X version stacks up below.

It's well known that the Xbox Series X's powerful hardware is capable of providing automatic improvements to a large number of titles from previous Xbox generations. 

That said, next-gen optimization is truly the powerhouse console's main attraction, delivering Series X-specific enhancements to the console's launch titles, along with a number of  games from Microsoft's back catalogue – many of which will be automatically available on the Series X via Xbox Smart Delivery, which essentially ensures you receive the best version of a game for the platform you're playing on. 

But which games have received Series X optimization so far? And what can you expect from the enhanced versions of these titles? Features like faster loading and 'Quick Resume' are a given, but the enhancements run far deeper than that.

On that subject, we've taken the liberty of testing a wide selection of Xbox Series X's available games which have already received Xbox Series X optimization, so that we can provide you with a list of the best enhanced titles so far.

While some of the titles listed below need to be purchased outright, there are a number of optimized games which you can already download and try for yourself right now on Xbox Games Pass Ultimate.

Optimized for Xbox Series X

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

(Image credit: Activision)

Perhaps through some form of wizardry, developers Treyarch and Raven Software have delivered an Xbox Series X-optimized version of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War that truly feels like the 'next-gen' we were promised.

Cold War on Xbox Series X simultaneously offers 60fps gameplay, ray tracing and a resolution that targets 4K, meaning you won't have to sacrifice any one thing to get an absolutely gorgeous and buttery smooth experience on console.

Additionally, the game offers a 120Hz refresh rate in its settings (with ray tracing disabled), however, we've been unable to switch this mode on despite having access to a capable TV with variable refresh rate (VRR) support. We'll update you as soon as we find a solution.

Forza Horizon 4

Forza Horizon 4

(Image credit: Microsoft)

One of the most beautiful Xbox titles to date, the fantastic open-world racing game Forza Horizon 4 has received a tune-up for its Xbox Series X debut.

While the Xbox One X version of the game forced players to choose between resolution and frame rate, Forza Horizon 4 now gives players the best of both worlds on Series X via Smart Delivery, offering a native 4K experience at 60fps. 

On top of this, Forza Horizon 4 now boasts better draw distances and higher fidelity graphics (including increased shadow, reflection, and particle effects quality), similar to what you'd get on a beastly gaming PC at ultra settings. Additionally, you also get Ferrari-fast loading times and Quick Resume functionality.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

As one of the biggest titles to launch alongside Xbox Series X, Assassin's Creed Valhalla feels like a true next-gen showcase.  

Taking full advantage of the console's power, Valhalla offers a native 4K resolution and 60fps frame rate – a first for any Assassin's Creed game on console. While ray tracing is not among the next-gen version's enhancements, the game still looks gorgeous even without the much-hyped tech. 

Dirt 5

Dirt 5

(Image credit: Codemasters)

Making great use of the Xbox Series X, Dirt 5 offers next-gen optimization features which don't force you to sacrifice anything significant – regardless of whether you choose to prioritize image quality or frame rate, you will still get a full 4K/60fps experience. 

Despite this, the two modes offer a fairly different experience. Image Quality mode is locked at 60fps and offers a dynamic 4K resolution, allowing for more realistic shadows, puddle reflections and terrain textures, larger crowds. In other words, you get settings equivalent to a high-end gaming PC. 

Meanwhile, the Prioritize Framerate setting allows for 120fps at reduced quality settings when your console is set to 120Hz mode. If your TV is HDMI 2.1 compliant, this mode will still target a full 4K resolution. Otherwise, it will drop down to 1080p (so long as your television supports the 120Hz refresh rate).

Gears 5

Gears 5

(Image credit: Microsoft)

On Xbox Series X, Gears 5 has received a fairly significant upgrade via Smart Delivery, with the game now displaying an equivalent experience to that of the PC version running at Ultra settings. 

That means you get deeper shadows, higher particle counts, and increased texture resolutions. Additionally, the game now runs at 4K/60fps – a step up from the Xbox One X version's 30fps limit.

Gears Tactics

Gears Tactics

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Now officially available on Xbox Series X via Smart Delivery, the upgraded version of Gears Tactics is able to offer a native 4K resolution and 60fps for gameplay, along with your choice of 60fps or 30fps for cinematics. 

In an interview with The Verge, The Coalition's technical director Cam McRae said this was done “not for any performance reason but more for just personal taste.”

Sea of Thieves

Sea of Thieves

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Along with faster load times across the board, the upgraded Xbox Series X version of Sea of Thieves provides players with a native 4K resolution and a frame rate of 60fps – twice that of the Xbox One X version. Now that's what I call smooth sailing!! 

The Touryst

The Touryst

(Image credit: Shin'en Multimedia)

As we've noted previously, The Touryst is the dark horse of the Xbox Series X launch games lineup. Not only is the game unbelievably charming, it actually makes terrific use of the next-gen console's power. 

Thanks to a simple voxel-based art style, The Touryst can internally render 4K resolution visuals at 120fps per second (if your TV allows for it) or 6K resolution at 60fps. 

This, combined with the game's gorgeous, sun-kissed color palette and stunning HDR capability, makes The Touryst a standout title among the Xbox Series X's launch lineup.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Ori and the will of the wisps

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Just like The Touryst, Ori and the Will of the Wisps has received next-gen enhancements that make full use of the Xbox Series X's immense power, such as native 4K resolution at 120fps for those with HDMI 2.1 compliant TVs. 

Additionally, players can opt to render the game in a 6K "supersampled" mode, which is then displayed at 4K resolution and 60fps. It's said that the benefit of this mode is an even higher level of visual fidelity, which outshines even that of the standard 4K mode.

NBA 2K21

NBA 2K21

(Image credit: 2K Games)

We hope you have space on your Xbox Series X's SSD, because NBA 2K21 comes it an a whopping 101GB. Luckily, the game is able to deliver a substantial amount of extras because of that install size, and they aren't just technical enhancements.

Apart from the expected 4K/60fps optimizations, NBA 2K21 offers far more convincing crowds in its new Lower Bowl presentation, including 150 AI characters adding to the realism. Expect fans interacting with each other, improved on-camera interviews with reporters, and more.

Additionally, NBA 2K21 offers modes which are exclusive to the next-gen version of the game, such as an expanded WNBA experience that includes the series' first WNBA MyPLAYER career mode, as well as The City, an open-world map with multiple districts that's much, much larger than the Neighbourhods of previous titles.



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