Casual Gaming News: 11/30/20 – 12/06/20
We’re back again to break down the gaming news for this week. If you have any suggestions for news headlines we’ve missed, let us know in the comments!
First up on Casual Gaming News this week:
Xbox Series S Can Play PS2 Games While the PS5 Can’t
“Here’s something the Xbox Series S can do that the PlayStation 5 can’t: run classic PlayStation 2 games. This is all thanks to the Series S’ Developer Mode, which allows users to install software that utilizes Universal Windows Platform apps, such as the RetroArch emulator. Besides the PS2, the emulator also allows users to run games from other legacy systems, like Dreamcast, GameCube, and Wii.
YouTube channel Modern Vintage Gamer has since released a video showing the Xbox Series S running various PS2 classics and exclusives using the PCSX2 emulator through RetroArch. The games shown running on the system include the original God Of War, Silent Hill 2, Ico, and more.
It’s also likely that the Xbox Series X, the higher-end counterpart of the Series S, will also be able to run PS2 games through Developer Mode. However, Modern Vintage Gamer noted that they were unable to test that out as they do not have a Series X in their possession.”
This is quite a crazy concept. Imagine your competitor’s console being able to play your old games, but yours can’t. Shame on Sony for not making it a feature. It’s a known fact that PlayStation 2 games are some of the most loved out there!
Read more at NME here.
PlayStation Gamers Are Smarter Than Those Who Play Xbox, Study Shows
“PlayStation gamers have higher IQs than those who play Xbox, according to a new study.
The research was carried out by online casino Royal Panda, which asked 1,001 remote gamers and technology users to take a four-part test. It found that PlayStation gamers had an average result of 110.7, whilst Xbox players sat at 103.8. Both console gamers were, however, put to shame by PC players, who had an average score of 112.3. The questions tested four areas: verbal intelligence; mathematical ability; logical reasoning; and visual reasoning.
The study also found that female gamers had an average IQ of 108.4, significantly higher than the 102.3 average in men. The female participants came out on top in comparison to men in all four of these categories.”
Here’s something to make you PlayStation gamers happier. The test shows that PlayStation gamers are smarter than Xbox gamers, however, PC gamers are smarter than both. Hey, what about mobile gamers?
Read more at Unilad here.
UK Mobile Game Spending Reaches New Single-Day Record on Black Friday
“The UK’s single-day mobile gaming revenue hit a new all-time high on Black Friday, reaching a total of $6.5 million according to data shared by Sensor Tower.
This number is up 16% year-over-year from last year’s Black Friday, which saw $5.6 million in mobile player spending.
The highest-grossing game was Coin Master, followed by Roblox and Candy Crush.
Approximately 63% of this spending occurred on the App Store, with Google Play making up the rest of the total. Additionally, approximately 2.2 million new mobile game downloads occurred on Black Friday in the UK, roughly flat year-over-year with last year’s Black Friday.
November 27 also marked a new record for mobile app revenue in the UK, with $10.5 million in user spending across all categories — up 23% year-over-year.”
It seems this year people have been more likely to spend money on games in general due to the pandemic, so we think it probably has something to do with this too. With people not spending as much money going out, they’re putting their money into games.
Read more at Games Industry Biz here.
Apple Names Genshin Impact as iPhone Game of the Year
“Apple has named the App Store’s best games and apps of 2020, and Genshin Impact won the iPhone Game of the Year award. The game caused Chinese game studio MiHoYo to become recognized on a global stage — and reap an estimated $393 million in revenues in its first two months, according to measurement firm Sensor Tower.
Apple’s team of editors chose the game as its winner because it fits within the theme of “helpfulness.” In this case, it was one of those game worlds that could take our minds off the pandemic. All told, Apple honored 15 apps and games in different categories. (Wakeout! from Andres Canella won the iPhone App of the Year, and Zoom won the iPad App of the Year). The theme of “helpful” applied to the apps and games that helped us stay fit and mindful, keep our children’s education on track, fight world hunger, and otherwise distract us from an awful 2020.”
The fact Genshin Impact has only been available for just over two months and has won the iPhone game of the year is an amazing achievement. Everyone went crazy for it, including us, so it’s really no surprise this has happened.
Read more at Venture Beat here.
Nintendo Switch Update Allows Owners to Transfer Screenshots and Videos
“The biggest new feature is the ability to easily transfer captured media from the console to a smart device. By selecting “Sharing and Editing” on an image, owners will be able to scan a QR code with their phone while delivering the image straight to their device. Another method is to transfer the content via a USB cable, which the update now allows the Nintendo Switch to support. By simply hooking up the console to PC, media can easily be transferred off the console.”
In our opinion, we think this update is well overdue. It was pretty annoying only being able to get screenshots and videos from the Switch on your phone by uploading them to Twitter or Facebook first. This update is brilliant!
Read more NME here.
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