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Now everyone can play 'Mario Kart Tour' multiplayer
At launch, Nintendo's Mario Kart for mobile devices (iOS, Android) had a major missing piece: multiplayer. Now Mario Kart Tour has kicked off the second round of its beta test for head-to-head racing, and this time it doesn't require that players purchase a $5 Gold Pass subscription for access. Being able to race your friends instead of just AI and the clock might make its touch-based controls and various free-to-play wrinkles a bit easier to stomach, but you won't know until you try. You can race random competitors, or turn on your location to race your friends -- if they're nearby. If you've unlocked at least one cup within the game, then all you'll need to do is click the menu button and switch to multiplayer to race against live competition. The only thing to note for now is that multiplayer saves won't transfer over to the proper release once the beta ends at midnight ET next Tuesday, January 28th.
'Disintegration' public multiplayer beta starts January 31st
You won't have to wait long to see if Halo veteran Marcus Lehto's Disintegration lives up to the early buzz. V1 Interactive and its publisher Private Division have revealed that a public beta of the tactical shooter will run between January 31st and February 1st on PC, PS4 and Xbox One. There will also be closed beta tests on January 28th and 29th between 11AM and 3AM Eastern each day. In both cases, you'll have access to two of the three multiplayer modes as well as seven playable teams.
‘Mario Kart Tour’ rewards Gold Pass subscribers with multiplayer beta
We knew it was coming, and now the multiplayer mode for Mario Kart Tour has arrived just in time for the holidays -- but it's only in beta and it's only available to Gold Pass holders.
Oculus Link beta is ready to turn your Quest into a PC VR headset
At last, your Oculus Quest is ready to double as a PC VR headset. Oculus has released a Link beta that lets you use Rift titles on the Quest when you're physically connected to your PC. You'll want a long, "high quality" USB 3 cable (Oculus suggests 10 feet), and the system requirements are fairly stringent. The beta currently supports only most recent NVIDIA GPUs, and it's recommended that you have the same processor and RAM specs you'd need for a decent Oculus Rift or Rift S experience. GPU support should improve toward the end of the beta.
'Mario Kart Tour' multiplayer test is coming in December
Mario Kart Tour came to Android and iOS devices last month, but unfortunately, it shipped without without Nintendo's signature multiplayer mode. Now, the company has announced that it's launching real-time multiplayer mode into beta this December -- with one caveat.
Steam's new beta takes local multiplayer games online
Valve didn't wait long to give you a chance to play local multiplayer games online. The latest Steam beta client now includes Remote Play Together support that lets friends join in multiplayer experiences that would normally require sitting on the same couch. Only the host needs a copy of the game -- everyone else just needs a controller or (with permission) access to the keyboard or mouse. You can play across computer platforms (a Mac player could join a Windows game, for instance), and voice chat lets you yell at players as if you were there.
Samsung's Android 10 beta program is now available on the Galaxy S10
Android 10 was released in September, but so far, it's only been available on Google's own Pixel devices. Usually, it takes other manufacturers some months to catch up, however, as promised, Samsung has released a beta of its Android 10-based One UI 2.0 for Galaxy S10, S10+ and S10e devices. The program is now rolling out in South Korea, Germany, and the US, according to SamMobile.
iOS 13.2 beta gives you more control over Siri recordings
Apple is acting on its promise to offer more Siri privacy controls in the wake of reports that quality control contractors were listening to sensitive info. The second beta of iOS 13.2 adds options to not only opt out of sharing Siri and Dictation audio, but to delete the entire history of interactions associated with your device. You can't scrub recordings that have already been used to improve Siri, but those are already disassociated from your hardware.
Steam's Remote Play Together brings any local multiplayer game online
Steam is set to offer a new feature that'll make multiplayer games a more communal experience. Called "Remote Play Together," the feature is designed for shared-screen and split-screen games -- it streams your screen to a friend while capturing their input and streaming it back to you. As Valve's Alden Kroll says, "You are both playing the same game, looking at the same thing." So it's like playing together in the same room, without being in the same room.
Apple's Deep Fusion photography comes to iPhone 11 in iOS 13.2 beta (updated)
You now have a chance to try Apple's machine learning-based Deep Fusion photography if you're willing to live on the bleeding edge. It's releasing an iOS 13.2 developer beta (public likely to follow soon) that makes Deep Fusion available to iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro owners. The technique uses machine learning to create highly detailed, sharper and more natural-looking photos on the primary and telephoto lenses by combining the results of multiple shots.
WhatsApp tests disappearing messages in its Android app
WhatsApp is testing disappearing messages. The feature appeared as a beta in version 2.19.275 of the Android app and was spotted by WABetaInfo. In the beta, the disappearing messages are available in group chats only, and they can be set to self-destruct in five seconds or an hour. There's no in-between, and you can't select individual messages to disappear -- they all vanish or none of them do.
Google Assistant voice controls come to Xbox One
When it launched alongside, one of the Xbox One's main selling points was voice control, delivered via an upgraded Kinect unit. Kinect was quickly phased out, though, and Alexa and Cortana voice controls eventually served as a replacement. Now, Google Assistant users will be able to yell at their Xbox One, too, thanks to a software update rolling out today.
EA's Project Atlas cloud gaming launches tonight in closed beta
You won't have to wait long to try EA's Project Atlas game streaming service -- in fact, you might get to play very shortly. EA has announced a surprise Cloud Gaming Technical Trial that will debut September 10th at 1AM Eastern as a closed beta for some people who've signed up for Community Playtesting. Those who get in will be limited to four games (FIFA 19, Need for Speed Rivals, Titanfall 2 and Unravel), but they'll get to see how Atlas' synced game progression works first-hand. Progress you make while streaming will translate to your games on Origin, no matter what device you're playing on.
Apple Music comes to browsers today with a beta web player
Apple Music is making its debut in browsers today as Apple continues to untangle its media services from the confines of iTunes. If you're a subscriber, you can check out the public beta of the web player by signing in with your Apple ID.
Early version of the new 'Plants vs. Zombies' is available today for $30
As we get closer to the October 18th launch of Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville, PopCap Games is ready to share a Founder's Edition. Today, fans can play the digital-only version of the game. New features and content will be added weekly over the next six-weeks, as PopCap polishes the title for its official launch.
'Minecraft Earth' beta is available on Android -- in five cities
Right on time, the beta test for Microsoft's augmented reality Minecraft game is ready for Android users to give it a try. Just like the beta iOS users have had access to, Minecraft Earth is still invite-only for registered testers and available in just five cities: Mexico City, London, Tokyo, Seattle and Stockholm. According to those who are already in, if you're having trouble with the invite email then try clicking the link included from your mobile device instead of on a PC.
Samsung is testing its Galaxy Home Mini speaker in South Korea
Samsung hasn't even released the original Galaxy Home over a year after its reveal, but that isn't stopping the company from offering a peek at a follow-up speaker. The company has confirmed the existence of the Galaxy Home Mini by accepting sign-ups for a public beta testing program in South Korea. Residents with Samsung phones can apply by September 1st to try a tiny version of the Bixby speaker, which matches the earlier FCC filing to a tee -- it's an AKG-tuned audio bowl with some basic controls on top.
Apple is already beta testing iOS 13.1
Apple isn't waiting for the release of iOS 13 to start testing its first big update. The tech giant has posted an iOS 13.1 developer beta (plus a corresponding iPadOS 13.1 beta) -- apparently the first time an iOS point release has been in a dev beta before its base version is available. You won't trip over yourself to install this unless you're an early adopter, but the early additions suggest this is partly about restoring features that weren't quite ready for 13.0.
'Monster Hunter World: Iceborne' beta opens this week
A big update for Monster Hunter World is on its way, with the Iceborne expansion adding new monsters, weapons and missions to the game. While the expansion won't be officially released until early September, Capcom is making part of it available for free for a few days as part of a beta.
'Minecraft Earth' beta brings AR building to Android next week
Don't worry, Android fans -- if you've been wondering when you can try the augmented reality experience of Minecraft Earth, you don't have too much longer to wait. Mojang and Microsoft have revealed that the Minecraft Earth beta will reach Google-powered devices sometime next week. It's encouraging users to sign up to get their earliest possible shot at playing.
