We’re in California this week to get hands-on time with some top-secret gadgets that paid subscribers will hear about first on The Shortcut later this month and in April. What I can tell you is that new TVs are coming and you won’t be disappointed. And Sony’s PlayStation 5 Pro is coming this year, and, equally, you won’t be disappointed.
The alleged specs for the PS5 Pro mark a significant upgrade for console gaming graphics, more than what we experienced with the PS4 to PS4 Pro transition. It’ll bridge the gap between the PS5 (which will be four years old in November) and still-far-off PS6. But remember to make room in your budget for the rumored PSP 2 and Nintendo Switch 2, as those are supposed to launch in 2025. I’ll be tracking when and where they’re in stock with Adam and Kevin on The Shortcut and on X.
Today’s 10-story newsletter starts below the spotlight & calendar ⤵️
Samsung is the king of pre-sale promotions, in my opinion, and here’s what it’s offering by simply filling out this form before March 21:
Because the portable projector giveaway is in small print and requires a check box (as shown in the image above), I have seen people skip over this step (meaning, your chances could dramatically increase due to others’ oversight). No purchase is necessary for Samsung’s sweepstakes, but it does need to be filled out ASAP.
New details of the PS5 Pro’s specs have emerged, painting a promising picture of a more powerful video game console that could offer a significant upgrade over the current PlayStation 5. The PS5 Pro improves upon the existing model in almost every aspect, with 28% faster system memory, a 45% faster GPU, and a CPU that – while the same – can be boosted by up to 10%.
The PlayStation 5 Pro will also adopt a proprietary upscaling tech called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), which will be similar to Nvidia’s DLSS and AMD’s FSR upscaling solutions. Digital Foundry suggests that Full HD 1080p games could be upscaled to 4K, so even your older games could look a lot better.
Furthermore, the PS5 Pro will finally allow Sony’s console to hit 8K resolutions in certain new games and applications, but don’t expect additional storage – it will retain the 1TB SSD of the PS5 Slim.
The PS5 Pro is still expected to release towards the end of this year, with November the most likely month. In terms of price, the PS5 Pro could cost $599, which would make it the most expensive PlayStation console to date alongside the PS3.
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👀 Sony’s PS5 Pro specs have reportedly leaked
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🆚 It’s shaping up to be a significant leap over the current console
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💪 The GPU will be up to 45% faster but the CPU will be unchanged
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📆 The PS5 Pro is still on track to release later this year
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🚨 Turn on Matt’s Twitter notifications for when & where it’ll be in stock
Walmart is selling the MacBook Air M1 for $699 directly as part of a new partnership with Apple. It’s the first time we’ve seen Walmart sell Apple MacBooks instead of relying on third-party vendors within its online store, and despite releasing in 2020, the M1 MacBook Air is still a fantastic laptop – especially at this price point.
Apple recently announced its new M3 MacBook Air laptop line, which it says is 60% faster than the M1 models. But you’ll have to pay $1,099 for the entry-level model.
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😳 The Apple MacBook Air M1 is just $699 from Walmart
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👍 It’s the first time we’ve seen Walmart sell Apple laptops directly
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👏 Walmart’s deal is $200 cheaper than Best Buy (suddenly, Best Buy’s MacBook Air M1 price dropped to $649, but hasn’t been in stock for us)
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⚙️ The MacBook M1 specs include 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD
A narrative and development consultation company called Sweet Baby Inc. has been dominating the headlines in the gaming industry after an employee tried to ban a Steam Curator Group called ‘Sweet Baby Inc. Detected’. The group, which just surpassed 300,000 members today, highlights games that the diversity-focused company has worked on.
According to some gamers, Sweet Baby Inc. made stories, characters, and games worse, with its last high-profile game being Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. However, the fallout began when an SBI employee was suspended on X (formerly Twitter) for targeted harassment against the Steam group curator, something which has been omitted from the vast majority of online coverage. Read our impartial and fact-based breakdown for more.
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🍁 Sweet Baby Inc. is a narrative development and consultation studio based in Montreal, Canada
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🎮 It has worked on several high-profile titles such as God of War Ragnarok, Spider-Man 2 and Alan Wake 2
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🚫 The controversy began after a Sweet Baby Inc. employee tried to ban a Steam Curator Group that highlighted the company’s involvement with certain titles
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🤬 It’s created a huge backlash between some gamers and the gaming press
After the phenomenal success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Nintendo has revealed that a sequel is on the way. While it didn’t go as far as to call it The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2, the Kyoto-based company will once again be teaming up with Illumination Studios to bring Mario and the Mushroom Kingdom to life.
Nintendo is also working on a live-action Zelda movie, but it’s likely the Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 will arrive before we see Link on the big screen. Nintendo said Mario will return to cinemas on April 3, 2026.
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🆕 Nintendo’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel is on the way
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📆 The April 6, 2025 release date means it’ll be three years between movies
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📈 The Super Mario Bros. Movie is one of the highest-grossing movies of all time. It even beat Disney’s Frozen 2’s opening week box office record.
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🤔 Nintendo has yet to reveal if the same cast members will return, but one actor is openly lobbying for Wario to be voiced by Pedro Pascal
Ahead of Amazon Prime Day 2024, which usually takes place around July 11, you can save on a slew of products as part of Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. Deals will be open to everyone, even if you’re not a Prime subscriber, but expect further discounts for those who are paid members.
Amazon says we can expect to see between 40% to 50% off on beauty products, sports and outdoor equipment, home products, spring apparel, and electronics. We’ll bring you the best deals on The Shortcut X account, so make sure you drop us a follow.
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📆 Amazon’s next sales event takes place from March 20 to March 25
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🙌 The discounts extend to non-Prime subscribers
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🏷️ You can save up to 50% on electronics, beauty products and spring apparel
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⌚ Deals start next Wednesday at 3am ET/12am PT
The Stealth Ultra feels like the ultimate Xbox controller, surpassing the Xbox Elite Series 2 thanks to its upgraded hall-effect thumbsticks and microswitch-equipped buttons. The controller is a joy to hold thanks to its slightly larger size and wonderfully textured grips, and its LCD screen is more than just a gimmick. Of course, there are some flaws to the Stealth Ultra, but it’s worthy of its hefty $200 price point.
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✅ Fantastic design that combines the best of the Xbox and PS5 DualSense controllers
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✅ Full-color LCD lets you customize all your controller settings
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✅ Resilient hall-effect thumbstick and triggers
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❌ PC connection is frustrating, limited phone notifications, steep price
It won’t come as a surprise to anyone that Sony is already hard at work on the next PlayStation console, the PS6. Development tends to begin as soon as the last console has launched and Sony recently admitted that the PS5 has entered the “latter half of its lifecycle.”
Console lifecycles tend to last between five to seven years, which means we could see the PlayStation 6 arrive in November 2027. Check out the full analysis of what we expect from the PS6 below.
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📆 Sony could launch the PS6 in 2027
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💰 It’s likely to cost at least $499, but it could be more
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👍 Expect it to be backward compatible with PS5 games
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😎 It could include some creative new controller features
A video game developer at Electronic Arts (EA) indie studio Cliffhanger Games can be seen on camera openly admitting to not hiring team members based on their race. That’s a big and obvious no-no, according to US labor laws.
“Sometimes it is hard to work with white people,” said team lead Dani LaLonders while working on the game ValiDate. She says she didn’t hire any white people because “I wanted to create a safe environment” and didn’t want to deal with “microaggressions.”
As outlined by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “It is illegal to discriminate against someone (applicant or employee) because of that person’s race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.”
The Shortcut reached out to EA and Disney (Cliffhanger Games is making a new Marvel game). We haven’t heard back.
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⛔ EA-owned Cliffhanger Games designer admits to race-based hiring
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🤷🏿♀️ LaLonders said it was safer to work with “people who are just like me”
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⚖️ This on-camera statement appears to have violated US employment laws
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🎮 Cliffhanger Games is working on a game based on Marvel’s Black Panther
YouTube’s UI on televisions feels disjointed, so Google is overhauling its YouTube TV app to provide a “richer experience.” The new design will let you keep the video you’re watching front and center, but access all the features that make YouTube unique.
You’ll be able to easily access video descriptions and comments, and even shop for products from your favorite creators. It’ll have a big impact: watch time on TVs has grown to more than 1 billion hours per day.
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📺 The YouTube TV app is getting a design overhaul
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👍 You’ll soon be able to access video descriptions and comments
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👏 Your video will remain front and center, giving you more features without interruption
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🛍️ You’ll even be able to shop for products that are featured
Sony’s pro controller works incredibly well in the vast majority of PC games, but it can be a little tricky to get it set up. If you’d like to know how to use the PS5 DualSense Edge on PC, this comprehensive guide will provide all the information you need in an easy-to-understand and digestible format.
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🥳 Paid subscribers can access our comprehensive guide for using the PS5 DualSense Edge on PC
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👍 We also have the best DualSense Edge settings for games like Call of Duty, Warzone, Gran Turismo 7, and God of War Ragnarok
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🎮 The DualSense Edge is a fantastic PC controller and more games are including haptic feedback and adaptive trigger support
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🙏 Our team is supported entirely by free or paid subscribers, so give us a shot
