Month: February 2020

Many Netflix subscribers are all annoyed by the same thing: the autopreview feature on the menus of the streaming service. At times, it can offer a helpful glimpse into a movie or show you’re about to watch, but most of the time, it’s a distracting feature while you’re scrolling through the service. Now, Netflix has a solution to that by allowing you to disable it entirely.

On February 6, Netflix revealed the control for this feature is now in the hands for the streaming service subscriber, something many people have wanted for months.

Disabling the autoplay previews feature is simple. But you can only do it through a web browser. It doesn’t matter if it’s on your phone, laptop, desktop, or tablet. You can’t do it through the app.

How to disable autoplay previews

• Using a web browser, sign into Netflix
• Go to Manage Profiles
• Select profile you want to update
• Uncheck “Autoplay previews while browsing on all devices”

Netflix notes that there may be a delay before the setting takes effect. In order to speed up the process, you can switch to another profile, then back, which will reload your profile with the updated setting.

This can also be done for autoplaying the next episode of a series you’re watching on the streaming service. Select the profile you want to update from the Manage Profiles section, and uncheck the box for “Autoplay next episode in a series on all devices.” Again, there could be a delay, so you can use the switching profiles trick in order to speed up the process.

Now, you can feel free to peruse the Netflix menus without a video playing and possibly scaring you have to death. While you’re at it, make sure to check out what’s new to Netflix in February. You can plan out your binge-watching schedule while you wait for Season 3 of Castlevania to arrive.

Google’s cloud gaming service, Stadia, arrived to a thoroughly negative reception back in November, but the tech giant isn’t quite ready to throw in the towel yet. In an interview with Protocol, Google vice president Phil Harrison said that the company is planning to launch a free version of Stadia later in 2020, titled “Stadia Base.” No other details regarding the timing of release were provided.

“The big strategic difference is that over the next few months you will be able to experience Stadia for free,” Harrison said. “No money down, without having to put a box in your home, you can just click and play amazing games straight from our data center.”

Such a move would improve upon Stadia’s current payment scheme, which asks players to pay a $10 monthly fee for a smattering of free games, in addition to the $130 Founder’s Edition–games that aren’t included in the Pro package must be purchased individually. Though our reviewers felt that the streaming tech itself is in a good place, the library of games on offer is lacking compared to traditional consoles. Recently, Google announced that it’ll be bringing 120 more games to the service in 2020, but details on most of those games are sketchy at this point.

With the recent emergence of Nvidia’s game streaming service, GeForce Now, and ongoing rumors about Amazon stepping into the space, it seems that the game streaming wars are only starting. But it’s clear that Stadia has a lot of ground to make up if they plan on winning.

Final Fantasy XIV director and producer Naoki Yoshida and global community producer Toshio Murouchi streamed another Live Letter (in Japanese) to officially detail the game’s 5.2 update. It’s subtitled Echoes of a Fallen Star and new quests that continue the main story, additional side quests, new boss battles (including Final Fantasy VII‘s famed superboss Ruby Weapon), another story dungeon, and more tweaks to the core game.

As with other 2.x, 3.x, and 4.x patches, 5.2 keeps the story moving with additional main scenario quests that will eventually lead into the next expansion (light spoilers ahead). Based on the trailer (see below), former Garlean officer Gaius van Baelsar looks to be get more screen time. And trusty Scion allies Y’shtola and Crystal Exarch go deeper into the implications of the history and lore introduced in Shadowbringers. You’ll also see the Crystarium (main home zone in Shadowbringers) consumed in clouds and a scene where Alphinaud and others witness a Calamity-like catastrophe.

Along with the new story quests is another instanced dungeon called Anamnesis Anyder, which will work with the Trust system, letting you take AI characters to fight alongside you. The dungeon takes place in Amaurot, the final zone in the Shadowbringers expansion and seems to explore more of the Ascian people’s history.

There will be new 8-player raid content with the second chapter in the Eden’s Verse raid series that’ll be playable in both normal and savage difficulties. These also act as side stories and introduces a new character named Gaia, who you can see in action in the trailer–she was also designed by famed Square Enix dev Tetsuya Nomura. Judging from what was shown, you can expect battles agains old Primals like Garuda, Ramuh, and Ifrit. New gear will be made available as well.

FFVII and FFXIV fans alike can get hyped about a new trial called Cinder Drift which stars the infamous superboss Ruby Weapon. Yoshida-san gave a preview of the fight during the stream which showed off a few its moveset. The fight will also tie into Gauis’s backstory as Ruby Weapon looks to be another trick up the Garlean empire’s sleeve. The trial will be playable on normal and extreme difficulties.

A lot more is packed into the 5.2 update like Qitari beast tribe quests, tweaks to the fishing activity, a new weapon quest series with added lore, and extra Golden Saucer changes. And Umbrellas are now a thing as a new cosmetic for your character. Subsequent 5.21 and 5.25 updates will include an Ishgardian Restoration update for crafters and gatherers and a Resistance Weapon questline tied to the Hrothgar race. Adjustments to jobs and classes are also said to be part of the 5.2 update, but Square Enix is not detailing those changes beforehand.

For more on Square Enix’s MMORPG, be sure to read our FFXIV Shadowbringers review to see what the game is all about or watch our FFXIV Extra Life 2019 segment where we held a glamour costume contest and ran a few 24-player raids. Additional information on Patch 5.2 is available on the official Square Enix website.