Bethesda announced during its E3 2019 press conference that it would be making Fallout 76free for this week, through June 17. The studio hopes to win over some people who never tried the game or those who have lapsed before the game issued its series of quality-of-life updates. The game is also offering a special E3 bundle for those who do adopt the game, or just any players who want a good deal.
The E3 Bonus Atom Bundle costs $10 and grants you 1500 Atoms, along with an Elder’s Battlecoat and 6 repair kits. This bundle will be available through July 8, giving you plenty of time after the free trial ends.
100 Atoms is usually roughly equivalent to $1. A 500 Atom bundle costs $5, for example. Some bundles have thrown in extra Atoms, but it’s usually a low number. The usual $10 bundle only gives 100 bonus Atoms rather than 500, and doesn’t include a cosmetic or any repair kits. So on the whole this is a much better deal than usually available, which is why it’s only available to purchase once.
The timing of the free trial came alongside the launch of a new Battle Royale mode, called Nuclear Winter. At its press conference the studio also announced the Wastelanders update coming this fall. It will add human NPCs, dialogue trees, and more story elements. The company was open about the struggles Fallout 76 faced at launch, but recommitted to long-term support and updates going forward.
We’ve already seen footage of the port as part of Nintendo’s Direct, and were even privy to its most infamous image being rendered on Switch thanks to CD Projekt Red’s lead PR manager, Radek Grabowski. Now, the official Twitter account for the game has spilled the beans on some of the technical details concerning Geralt of Rivia’s conversion to Nintendo’s hybrid console.
The Witcher 3 is an exhaustive open-world game that still looks incredible today, four years after its initial release. The fact that it’s coming to Switch sounds like the work of some kind of witcher magic, so compromises have been made to get it up and running as smoothly as possible on Nintendo’s machine.
540p handheld, 720p, with dynamic resolution enabled, on screen.
When asked about screen resolution on Twitter, the Witcher account replied that the game will run at 540p in handheld mode, and 720p with dynamic resolution enabled while docked. Obviously, the visual fidelity isn’t going to be quite as crisp as it is in other versions of the game, but that’s an understandable price to pay for being able to play one of the best games of the generation while sitting on a bus.
The Witcher Twitter account went on to answer more questions, including news that the Switch version will come on a 32GB cartridge–which includes everything, from the base game to its two expansions and 16 additional pieces of DLC, no downloads required–and that it will not support cross-saves.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition is being developed by Saber Interactive in close cooperation with CD Projekt Red, and is due for release at some point in 2019.
At E3 2019, Konami has announced another mini-console, this one modeled after the TurboGrafx-16. The TurboGrafx was the third competitor in the 16-bit console wars–and while it was never as big as the Super Nintendo or Sega Genesis, it had a respectable catalog of hard-to-find exclusives.
The TurboGrafx-16 Mini is the American version on the official site. Europe is getting a PC Engine Core Mini, and Japan has a PC Engine Mini. Each has its own color scheme and design to match how the consoles were released in their respective territories.
The company has also announced the first six games for each territory. So far the American and European consoles have the same library of pre-loaded games: R-Type, New Adventure Island, Ninja Spirit, Ys Book 1 & 2, Dungeon Explorer, and Alien Crush. The Japanese version also has Dungeon Explorer and Ys, but swaps the others for Bonk’s Adventure, Dracula X, The Kung Fu/China Warrior, and Super Star Soldier.
The site says more titles will be revealed over time. Bonk generally served as the TG16 mascot, akin to Mario and Sonic for their respective titles, so those games may be revealed sometime in the future.
Pricing and release details have not been announced.
With E3 2019 in full swing, it’s somewhat of a weird time for PlayStation fans, as Sony made it clear it won’t be attending. We’ll still see PS4 games there, and we recently got a new look at Death Stranding, but Sony’s first-party stuff won’t be out in full force. Luckily, Sony does still have something for PlayStation 4 owners–and prospective owners–to get excited about in June: its annual Days of Play sale, which is live now.
Days of Play began June 7 and will run through June 17, which overlaps conveniently with E3. During that time, you can snag a PS4 Pro for $350 / £350, and all DualShock 4 wireless controllers will start at $40 / £35. A limited-edition PS4 is also on sale, but unfortunately, it’s not a PS4 Pro. The steel black console features the four PlayStation shapes embossed in silver on the top and comes with a matching DualShock 4 controller. You can buy it for $300 / £280.
Limited-edition PS4 console – available for $300 / £280
If you’re considering taking the plunge and getting PlayStation VR, some bundles are considerably cheaper during the 11-day sale. PSVR bundles start at $250, a full $100 cheaper than their usual price. The bundles each come with a pair of games, such as Trover Saves the Universe and Five Nights at Freddy’s; Borderlands 2 and Beat Saber; or Everybody’s Golf and Blood & Truth. In the UK, the PSVR Starter Pack is selling for £180 and PSVR Mega Pack will sell for £210.
This is a great time to stock up on your PS Plus membership as well, as it’s currently significantly cheaper at multiple retailers (plus, June has a very nice lineup of free games to take advantage of). The cheapest option is currently at Green Man Gaming, where you can get a year-long subscription for just $37.59. Elsewhere, the 12-month membership is available for $40. In addition, you can grab a 12-month PS Now subscription for $70. As a reminder, you can stack subscriptions, even if you’re already a member.
See all the most notable deals from the Days of Play sale below; plus, check out our full list of the best E3 2019 gaming deals for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Participating retailers
Days of Play spans multiple retailers’ sites, so you have some flexibility in terms of where you want to shop.
