VW is getting into the EV battery business

With supply chains still in disarray and the war in Ukraine wreaking havoc on EV battery component commodity prices, many forward-thinking automakers are scrambling to secure not only stocks of the valuable metals like cobalt, lithium and nickel that g…

Critically acclaimed card game ‘Inscryption’ is coming to PS4 and PS5

Inscryption, one of the most critically acclaimed games of 2021, is coming to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. So far, it’s only been available on Windows, macOS and Linux but publisher Devolver Digital is bringing it to consoles.

At its core, Inscryption is a card game that’s dripping with horror. You’ll sacrifice certain animal-based cards to play more powerful ones against your opponent. There’s so much more to it than that, though this is definitely one of those games where the less you know about it going in, the better. It’s not too much of a spoiler to say things get pretty strange. Inscryption will absolutely mess with your expectations.

The roguelike deckbuilder scooped up game of the year honors from a few publications and it received some Game Awards nominations. Inscryption has been a hit with players too. It sold more than a million copies in less than three months.

Developer Daniel Mullins is adding some extra features to the PlayStation versions, particularly for the PS5’s DualSense controller. There’ll be haptic feedback and you’ll hear audio from your companion, a talking stoat card, through your controller’s speaker. Mullins also promises to bring atmospheric lighting to the controller through the light bar. There’s no release date for PS4 and PS5 as yet, but here’s hoping it’s not too far away.

Human Horizons’ next China-only EV will come with a robotic arm and ‘light curtains’

Chinese electric vehicle maker Human Horizons unveiled its second EV model on Wednesday, dubbed the GT HiPhi Z. This four-door grand touring sedan comes packed with gadgets and intelligent systems including the world’s only “vehicle-grade” high-speed r…

Netflix starts using new Ambeo spatial audio tech from Sennheiser

Sennheiser has developed an approach to spatial audio that doesn’t require a surround sound system. The tech, called Ambeo 2-Channel Spatial Audio, will work on standard stereo speakers, Sennheiser says. The company says Ambeo will deliver “an improved audio experience wherever stereo is delivered today, be it standard TV sets, stereo systems, headphones, tablets or laptops.”

A number of Sennheiser’s partners have worked with the company to fine-tune Ambeo. One of those is Netflix, which is the first streaming service to employ the tech. The first title that used Ambeo is season four of Stranger Things. Others include Red Notice, The Witcher and the upcoming live-action Resident Evil series.

As long as your device’s audio output is set to stereo audio, you won’t have to adjust any settings to try Ambeo. Netflix is making it the default setting for two-channel setups for certain titles (you can find those by searching for “spatial audio” on Netflix). 

Ambeo renders the full immersive audio mix into two channels. It uses existing industry standard file types and it doesn’t need a separate mix. Sennheiser says the renderer offers granular control over spatialization.

​“What sets Sennheiser apart from other solutions is that the Ambeo rendering respects the original mix, tonal balance and dialog integrity, which is exactly what the re-recording mixer is looking for,” Dr Renato Pellegrini of the Ambeo team said in a statement. “The processing is in line with Sennheiser’s reputation to deliver tools that are ‘transparent’ and do not interfere with the original sound. In a nutshell: Sennheiser 2-Channel Spatial Audio seeks to translate mixer intent, not to overpower it.”

If Ambeo works as well as promised, this could be a solid solution for folks who don’t have sufficient equipment to take advantage of Dolby Atmos and other spatial audio tech.

CDPR’s single-player ‘Gwent’ spin-off is out today on PC and mobile

CD Projekt Red has released another entry in its series of The Witcher games. The studio is billingGwent: Rogue Mage as a single-player expansion for Gwent, but it’s sold separately. It’s out today on PC, iOS and Android for $10. A $20 premium edition comes with perks for Gwent.

Rogue Mage was announced earlier this year under the working title of Project Golden Nekker. It takes place hundreds of years before the birth of Witcher protagonist Geralt of Rivia. You’ll play as the mage Alzur, who is attempting to create the very first witcher to protect humanity from an onslaught of monsters.

Don’t go into it expecting a ton of details that will play into the next mainline Witcher game, though. “While we have a story to tell about Alzur’s obsession to create the first witcher, we do not treat this expansion as an official addition to The Witcher lore,” game director Vladimir Tortsov told IGN. “We hope that players will get enough immersion to complement the gameplay-first formula, but we do not expect the story to be the main reason for players to appreciate this release.”

The game is a roguelike deckbuilder. You’ll move around a procedurally generated map and take part in card battles based on mechanics from the original Gwent. You’ll be able to upgrade your army by collecting more cards and gear. There are dozens of difficulty modifiers too.

Tortsov says it will likely take players north of 30 hours to do and find everything in Rogue Mage, which is designed for gameplay sessions that take up to an hour. The game can be played entirely offline, though there are online features like leaderboards and cross-saves, so you can continue playing where you left off on other devices.

CDPR debuted the original Gwent in 2016. It’s a free-to-play multiplayer title based on a minigame in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Rogue Mage isn’t the first single-player take on Gwent, though. CDPR previously released a single-player campaign called Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales.

NBA 2K23’s $150 Championship Edition includes a year of NBA League Pass

NBA 2K23 will arrive on September 9th, and it comes with a solid perk for those who plump for the premium $150 Championship Edition. Among other things, the package includes a year of access to NBA League Pass. If you’re an avid NBA viewer who plays ea…

The Hydrow Wave is a smaller and cheaper smart rowing machine

When it debuted back in 2019, Hydrow’s creators said that they were looking to build the Peloton of smart rowing machines. Now, four years later, the company is unveiling its second-generation ergometer, Hydrow Wave, with a lower price and a smaller footprint. What hasn’t changed, however, is the computer controlled resistance that’s designed to make your rowing feel as close to being in the water as possible. 

The first and most obvious difference is the size, since Wave is about 30 percent smaller than its predecessor. In order to shrink the hardware, the Hydrow’s 22-inch screen has been slimmed down to a 16-inch HD fixed position display. Hydrow has also responded to feedback that the first model was too big to store in a small apartment by enabling this model to be wall-mounted. Granted, you’ll need to invest in a Vertical Anchor kit, but the company says the unit will occupy a 27-inch by 30-inch space when stored. 

The other benefit of all this size-reduction, is that the unit can now be shipped via UPS rather than with a dedicated delivery service. That might be one of the factors that’s helped shave some weight from the price, which is significantly cheaper than the first-generation Hydrow. Whereas the first model was an eye-watering $2,495, its replacement is an easier-to-swallow $1,495. 

‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ cements its first season with a strong finale

The following article contains really significant spoilers for ‘A Quality of Mercy.’We’re living in the age of the prequel, with studios exploiting every scrap of existing material where there’s an audience already in place to enjoy it. But the low-han…

Roku’s Streambar drops to $90 ahead of Prime Day

Now’s a good time to pick up a new Roku device while a bunch of them are on sale before Prime Day even begins. Roku has cut prices of most of its streaming devices and soundbars, including the compact Streambar, which is 31 percent off and down to $90 right now. Other noteworthy discounts include the 2022 Roku Ultra for $80, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K for $30 and the Roku Express 4K+ for $25.

Shop Roku deals at AmazonBuy Streambar at Amazon – $90

The Streambar impressed us enough to earn a score of 86 in our review. It’s a multipurpose device that’s best for those that want an updating streaming gadget that also has solid audio chops. As a soundbar, it pumps out much better audio than your aging TV does, and it even works as a Bluetooth speaker, too. And unlike most soundbars, it won’t take up too much space in your setup as it’s only about the size of a carton of eggs.

In addition to being a solid soundbar, the Streambar also has Roku’s 4K HDR streaming technology inside. That means it can be your primary gateway to services like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and others. We also like that it comes with a voice remote that you can use to ask the device to find your favorite shows and movies.

If you primarily care about getting the best streaming experience possible, the Roku Ultra is the better device to get. It supports 4K HDR10+ content and Dolby Atmos, plus it has the best WiFi speeds out of any Roku device. It also has an Ethernet port on it, so you can hardwire it into your setup if you wish. You also get an HDMI cable with it, along with a voice remote and a pair of headphones for private listening. Both the Streaming Stick 4K and the Express 4K+ are better for those on a budget, and the main differences between them are that the Streaming Stick 4K supports Dolby Vision and long-range WiFi — two features you won’t get on the Express 4K+.

Get the latest Amazon Prime Day offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter.