Tag Archives: region|US

The key updates that make AirPods 4 block sound better — and just sound better

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The headline feature of the AirPods 4 may be active noise cancellation (ANC), but Apple has done well to improve the overall audio quality in addition to blocking environmental sounds. For the first time on the "regular" AirPods ANC is on the spec sheet, at least for one model, and there are a few key components that allow the earbuds to effectively cancel noise. And that's despite the fact that your ears aren't completely sealed off with a flexible tip. There are also specific changes to the AirPods 4 that improve overall sound quality, a feat that's impressive in its own right for open design earbuds. 

When it comes to the ANC setup on AirPods 4, the combination of a refined earbud shape, the power of the H2 chip and upgraded microphones work in unison for useful noise cancellation. Apple isn't the first to offer ANC on open-type earbuds. I've reviewed dozens of sets of earbuds over the years, and after a few minutes with the AirPods 4, I would argue the company is the first to actually employ noise cancelling in a way that's actually helpful while not fully sealing off your ears. The ANC setup here obviously blocks noise, which isn't always the case with this type of buds. 

Apple has amassed a database of thousands of ear scans and 50 million data points, both of which contributed to the tapered design and reduced proportions of the AirPods 4. Those changes mean the earbuds fit better in more people's ears. A better fit means the ANC tech is less reliant on a complete seal to do its thing, but also it means that the earbuds should be more comfortable to wear. 

The updated microphones have both a lower noise floor and higher frequency bandwidth. This means that the system can detect a wider range of sounds that it may need to block out. Plus, there's advanced computational audio at work for the ANC here, powered by the H2 chip. This component also enables the features from AirPods Pro to be available on AirPods 4, from Voice Isolation to Siri Interactions and more. 

AirPods 4 have some seriously impressive ANC chops.
Billy Steele for Engadget

The addition of ANC arrives alongside transparency mode on the regular AirPods for the first time. I want to note that while I did observe less than ideal performance in a brief trial in the busy hands-on area after the event, the sound quality here should be just as natural as what's on the AirPods Pro. There could be a number of reasons why I couldn't hear my voice come through as clearly on this new model, including the fact that the demo room was wall-to-wall with journalists all raucously vying for the same limited real estate.  

Apple also sought to drastically improve the overall sound quality on the AirPods 4, and a key way it did so is really quite simple. Rather than having the driver pointed towards the side of your ear, the company repositioned it so that the audio is pointed directly into your ear canal. That change also reduced the number of audio reflections inside the AirPods housing, which allowed the company to enhance performance at higher frequencies. The result is increased overall clarity. There's also new acoustic architecture, a new low-distortion 11 millimeter driver and a new high dynamic range amp.

The result of all of those sonic changes on the AirPods 4 is an obvious boost in overall sound quality. After a brief listening session, I can vouch for the increased clarity the company described in its announcement, as well as a deeper, fuller effect on the audio. You'll notice a big difference between these and the third-gen AirPods, even if you don't spring for the ANC version. 

Catch up on all the news from Apple’s iPhone 16 event!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/the-key-updates-that-make-airpods-4-block-sound-better--and-just-sound-better-160744010.html?src=rss

How Apple’s Hearing Aid and Hearing Test will work on AirPods Pro

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The second-generation AirPods Pro have had hearing health features for a while now. However, those tools are being expanded in iOS 18 with Hearing Test, Hearing Aid and Hearing Protection that will soon be available on the earbuds. Apple's three-prong approach to hearing health now covers awareness, assistance and prevention, but it all starts with the "clinically validated" hearing test you can take on your own. 

Apple has created its version of the hearing test we all probably took as kids. The one where you sit in a booth and raise your hand when you hear a sound. The company offers an alternative to the booth, bulky equipment and trip to the doctor with AirPods Pro and the iPhone. In any quiet environment, the earbuds and the phone can now offer a similar test to what you'd get in a physician's office. Here's how it works. 

From the Settings menu on your iPhone, you'll tap into the AirPods Pro settings to find the Hearing Health section. First, the software will check to make sure the fit of your AirPods provides a good seal for the test and that your location is quiet enough for the tech to offer reliable results. Once Hearing Test begins, active noise cancellation (ANC) will be enabled and you'll tap your iPhone screen when you hear tones on both the left and right sides. Apple employed 150,000 real-world audiograms and millions of simulations to develop a test that's quick and easy. But most importantly, the company says, it created one that's accurate. 

Once the test is completed, you'll get immediate results on your phone, telling you the level of hearing loss (if any) in each ear. If you have minimal hearing loss but could maybe benefit from help in certain frequencies, the software will recommend some tweaks in the Media Assist settings for entertainment audio and calls. If you have mild to moderate hearing loss, Hearing Test may suggest you use the AirPods Pro Hearing Aid feature to improve every day life. 

AirPods Pro will soon be able to tell you if you have some degree of hearing loss.
Apple

I got a brief walkthrough of Hearing Test following the iPhone 16 event, and it seems to be as quick and easy as Apple describes. To be clear, I didn't actually take a real test, just a simulated version with fake results, but every step in the process was accounted for in my abbreviated session. All told, you should be able to complete Hearing Test in about five minutes. 

Hearing Test results will be stored in the Health app, allowing you to see changes over time. You can retake the test as often as you want, with access to hearing health articles and the ability to download results just a tap away. I should also note that Hearing Aid is designed for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. If Hearing Test determines that you have severe hearing loss, the software will recommend that you visit an audiologist for further guidance. 

Hearing Aid is a software-based solution that boosts certain frequencies so certain sounds are enhanced on AirPods Pro. It's a first of its kind submission to the FDA, and a tool that allows you to customize the amplification, balance and tone at any time in the settings. The feature should help people with mild to moderate hearing loss better hear conversations and environmental sounds, but also improve what they hear in music, videos and calls. 

Both Hearing Aid and Hearing Test should be available this fall, pending FDA approval, as part of an iOS 18 update. 

Catch up on all the news from Apple’s iPhone 16 event!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/how-apples-hearing-aid-and-hearing-test-will-work-on-airpods-pro-154814439.html?src=rss

Amazon discounts the Apple 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro below its Prime Day price

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If you're eager to get your hands on a MacBook Pro but want to save some cash, Amazon has a good deal right now on the 14-inch MacBook Pro M3. That laptop is down to $1,300 for the model with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, which represents a $300 discount (a steeper sale than what we saw during Amazon Prime Day in July). The typical price for this version is $1,500, so you're saving a good chunk of change. Keep in mind, though, that October Prime Day is likely right around the corner — Amazon announced it would return this year, although no specific dates yet. There's a chance we could see a deeper discount during that sale event, but there's no guarantee.

This is the latest MacBook pro with an M3 chip that was released last year. It comes with a 14-inch display, an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. We loved this laptop in our official review, calling the design a “major improvement” over previous MacBook Pro releases and praising the “gorgeous” Liquid Retina XDR display, the abundant selection of ports and that speedy M3 processor.

This machine also made our list of the best MacBooks, and for good reason. We called it “the best MacBook for creatives” due to the incredibly efficient and powerful CPU. Apple silicon ain’t no joke. The battery life is on point, lasting around 24 hours per charge. That’s about three full work days.

There’s one caveat here. This is the model with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The storage is fine, as there are plenty of ports for external drives and an SD card slot. If you are going with a MacBook Pro over an Air, however, it might be a good idea to spring for a model with 16GB of RAM to get the most out of the machine. Luckily, the 1TB/16GB version is also on sale via Amazon for $1,700.

October Prime Day 2024 is around the corner, serving as Amazon’s (un)official kickoff to the holiday shopping season. If you’re eager to snag some early holiday deals for those on your list (or yourself), here’s what we know so far about the next Prime Day shopping event.

When is October Prime Day 2024?

Amazon has not announced the dates of fall Prime Day 2024 yet, but we do know it will be returning sometime in October.

What is October Prime Day?

October Prime Day is an extension of the regular Prime Day sale held annually in July. It features exclusive deals on Amazon for Prime members, although not quite on as big of a scale as the main summer Prime Day.

How long is October Prime Day?

In years past, October Prime Day has been two days long, just like Prime Day in July.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-discounts-the-apple-14-inch-m3-macbook-pro-below-its-prime-day-price-152341957.html?src=rss

Sony unveils its PS5 Pro console, which will cost you a whopping $700

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Sony has officially announced the much-anticipated PS5 Pro. You'll need to dig deep into your pocket for it, though: the new console has a price tag of $700 and it will arrive on November 7. Pre-orders start on September 26. As with the PS5 Slim, if you want a disc drive or a vertical stand, you'll have to shell out extra.

The Pro offers some notable improvements on the specs of the original PS5, which was released in 2020. Sony is hoping to narrow the gap between the fidelity and performance modes that players have become accustomed to choosing between. The idea is to offer improved graphical performance at more consistent frame rates across the board. To do that, Sony focused on three core upgrades: a larger GPU, advanced ray-tracing and AI-driven upscaling.

That GPU has 67 percent more compute units and 28 percent faster RAM than the standard PS5. As such, according to the console's lead architect Mark Cerny, the new console will be able to deliver up to 45 percent faster rendering. Ray-tracing performance could be up to three times as faster than on the PS5. Meanwhile, Sony's AI-upscaling tech (i.e. its take on the likes of NVIDIA's DLSS) is called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, or PSSR.

Of course, Sony's own studios have been updating their games to take advantage of these upgrades. Cernys presentation highlighted The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Horizon Forbidden West and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 as some of the games that will benefit from improved visual fidelity and/or frame rates. Third-party partners are planning to tap into the PS5 Pro's extra power too, with patches on the way for the likes of Alan Wake 2, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, Demon’s Souls, Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Games that have been patched or developed for the new system will have a PS5 Pro Enhanced label.

Other features include a game boost tool that could improve or stabilize the performance of more than 8,500 backward compatible PS4 games, Sony says. The feature could boost the performance of PS5 games that aren't explicitly enhanced for the Pro as well. The company adds that its Enhanced Image Quality tool will improve the resolution of certain PS4 games as well. Other features include Wi-Fi 7, variable refresh rate and support for 8K resolutions.

Sony managed to make the PS5 Pro more powerful without making it larger than the colossal original model. It has the same height as the original PS5 and the same width as the discless model. Along with a DualSense controller and the brilliant Astro's Playroom, the PS5 Pro comes with 2TB of built-in storage, which is a nice upgrade from the 1TB on earlier models. 

That $700 price may put many folks off of buying a PS5 Pro. But hey, at least Sony is offering gamers a tangible hardware upgrade. The newest Xbox systems either change the console's color, add some storage or remove the Series X disc drive.

It's hard to keep many secrets around new gaming hardware, so today's announcement is hardly a surprise. There have been several leaks this year, one from a YouTube channel in May and then again in August from a Dealabs user.

The PS5 has been a big seller for Sony, with 61.7 million units sold as of June 2024. With the PS5 Pro joining the original hardware and the PS5 Slim, Sony is in good shape to continue its dominance of this console cycle. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-unveils-its-ps5-pro-console-which-will-cost-you-a-whopping-700-151636487.html?src=rss

Analogue’s latest limited edition Pocket consoles are inspired by the Game Boy Color

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Analogue’s retro handheld console, the Pocket, now has six colors available for a limited time besides the standard black and white. They will be available on September 12 at 11AM ET and will be shipped out between 24 and 48 hours after your order is confirmed. These aren’t the only limited runs from Analogue, as the company did release aluminum, transparent and Glow in the Dark Pocket consoles in the past (just to name a few).

The six colors are based on the classic Game Boy Color’s original shell hues, being color-matched to the handheld consoles sold from 1998 to 2003. The colors are Berry, Dandelion, Gold, Grape, Kiwi and Teal. You can get one of these limited consoles for $250.

Those who prefer the regular Pocket handhelds can rejoice, as they will be restocked and available for purchase on the same day. These will ship immediately as Analogue wishes to keep the standard versions in stock “steadily as possible.” This has been something that has been a challenge since the console launched, as it often feels like they’re more concerned with building expensive limited-edition options rather than keep the main product in stock.

In addition to these two announcements, Analogue promised a software 2.3 update, but we don’t have all the details yet, aside from the fact that it’ll be available on September 12. We’ll update this post when we get more info.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/analogues-latest-limited-edition-pocket-consoles-are-inspired-by-the-game-boy-color-150048157.html?src=rss

Huawei’s first tri-fold phone starts at an eye-watering $2,800

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If you thought the price of a fully specced iPhone 16 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 was high, Huawei has a new flagship that might require some folks to pull off a bank heist to afford. The Mate XT, which the company claims is the first triple-fold phone to hit the market, will debut in China and start at 19,999 yuan (approximately $2,800). That's enough to buy an 11-inch iPad Pro, M3 MacBook Air and an iPhone 16 — and still have cash to spare.

It took Huawei five years to develop the Mate XT, according to the chairman of its consumer business, Richard Yu. As part of that process, the company is said to have made breakthroughs in screen and hinge technology. The device folds up accordion-style, with one hinge bending outward and the other inward, leaving one of the panels available to use as a 6.4-inch exterior display.

“Huawei Mate XT is the world’s first triple-fold smartphone, and the largest and thinnest foldable handset globally,” Yu said during a launch event, according to CNN. “We are the first in the world to achieve outward folding (in smartphones) and the first to create an inward-folding phone with no gaps.”

Despite the high price, the Mate XT has already caught the imagination of Chinese consumers. By early Tuesday, Huawei had received 3.7 million preorders. 

It's no surprise as to why Huawei formally revealed the device hours after Monday's iPhone event — it's looking to steal some of Apple's thunder. Given its pre-order numbers and the relatively modest iPhone hardware updates this year (Apple is banking on the delayed Apple Intelligence features as a key selling point), Huawei may have just pulled that off.

When completely unfolded, the Mate XT has a 10.2-inch 3K display with a 92 percent screen-to-body ratio. Buyers can use one, two or all three panels at once (the size of the two-panel display is 7.9 inches). It comes in red or black with a leather finish on the rear and gold trim on the edges and folds. When they're out of range of a cell network, owners will be able to communicate with the rest of the world via satellite.

As you might imagine, there are a bunch of generative AI features too, including a voice input function that can polish and translate a transcript. There's the option to have a chatbot open on one side of the screen to answer questions and summarize articles. There's an AI photo-editing tool too. On that note, Huawei says the triple-camera system (which features a periscope telephoto camera and an ultra-wide-angle camera) includes an approximate optical zoom of 5.5x.

Huawei isn't the first company to show off a tri-fold device, however. We had some hands-on time with a tri-fold TCL tablet back in 2020.

The rollout plans for the Mate XT outside China are not yet clear. The Mate XT is unlikely to officially come to the US, given sanctions that have been in place against the company over the last few years.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/huaweis-first-tri-fold-phone-starts-at-an-eye-watering-2800-145113669.html?src=rss

Apple needs to remember what the iPhone 16 is for

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There’s a meme that comes around when people are urged to see a movie on the biggest screen as the filmmaker intended. People then mock up images of them watching it on the worst, least-immersive devices possible, from iPods to Game Boys. It came to mind during the iPhones 16 launch event, Apple said its new models have CPUs that can challenge “even high-end desktop PCs” and “desktop-class GPU architecture.” And it made me wonder if anyone is actually playing AAA games on a 6-inch smartphone for any real length of time?

Look, we all know this is just Apple flexing the power of its homegrown silicon, given even its A-Series SOCs run almost as fast as a flagship Intel CPU. We also all know that if you tried to run your iPhone with the same load as you could put on a desktop, you’d quickly burn it out. (Case in point, Resident Evil Village caused GamesHub’s iPhone 15 Pro to run “uncomfortably hot” and burned through 30 percent of its battery life in an hour.) All of that power is great for the sort of tasks an iPhone needs to do which are only demanding in short bursts. Processing audio and video, or the odd blast of generative AI (when it arrives) that Apple is understandably proud of being able to do on-device.

But this emphasis on raw power suggests the company has lost sight of what the iPhone is for, and what its limitations are. Yes, I’m sure some people love playing Death Stranding on the bus into school, or work. I’m sure there are some people who will try and use the Notes app to write their term papers, and one or two filmmakers who will use the iPhone instead of a Red, but those can’t be massive constituencies of the overall user base.

It’s hard to see people using their iPhone to get the sort of Serious Work done that you’d need a better user interface to achieve. iPhones are great for photography, social media, communication, casual gaming, but they can’t be a comprehensive replacement for a laptop or games console. Well, you can use them for those purposes, but I’m not sure anyone should.

Another telling example was the demo showing a person using Voice Notes to record a new vocal over a backing track they’d previously recorded. It’s a great way to show the iPhones 16’s ability to isolate audio even when the sources are so close together. Apple added the feature to Voice Notes because it has seen user feedback that it’s become a valuable tool in a musician’s arsenal. But it’s also something of an own-goal given Apple’s own multi-track recording platform, Garageband, has been left (deservedly) ignored and unloved for the last decade.

I suspect all of this points to the fact that Apple, with its key strengths of merging hardware and software, has run out of worlds to conquer in the former. After all, as glorious as the new iPhone is, the upgrades have been incremental for a long while now. As fancy and high-tech as the new camera shutter button is, it’s not as if adding a dedicated button for capture is groundbreaking — I had one of those on my Sony Ericsson K750i. I’m also curious how many iPhone users actually harness those extra camera features (like adjusting the focal length, or shooting in RAW) when they’re snapping clips for TikTok. And if you, like me, don’t really value Apple Intelligence, or just think those features aren’t really compelling, then there’s little reason to rush out and upgrade.

It doesn’t help that I was also reminded of what Steve Jobs said in 2010, describing personal computers as “trucks” whose prominence would fall as people switched to the “cars” of phones and tablets. Trucks were go-anywhere, do-anything tools that were vital a century or more ago but were phased out when people started using more specific tools suited to their needs. The iPhone 16 launch event, however, felt like Apple showing everyone that it’d managed to cram a Big Rig engine into a Porsche.

Catch up on all the news from Apple’s iPhone 16 event!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-needs-to-remember-what-the-iphone-16-is-for-134535338.html?src=rss

Glorious Gaming’s GMMK 3 is a flagship keyboard with tons of premium features

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Glorious Gaming just released its latest flagship keyboard, the GMMK 3. The company didn’t skimp on the bells and whistles with this one. As a matter of fact, it’s calling the GMMK 3 the “world’s most customizable keyboard.”

To that end, the keyboard offers nine points of modularity, from the keycaps to the switch plates, cables, accent pieces and, well, “every aesthetic part of the keyboard, from top and bottom.” Glorious Gaming says there are so many ways to customize this model, that it’s actually “over one billion keyboards in one.”

Gaming keyboards, however, are about way more than aesthetics. Fortunately, the GMMK 3 checks all of the boxes for premium keyboard features. There are Hall Effect sensors, support for a rapid trigger feature and up to an 8,000 Hz polling rate. There’s also customizable actuation and 4:1 dynamic keystroke mapping. There’s even a modular gasket system to adjust the precise sound and feel of keystrokes.

Some of the customization comes into play during the ordering process. The online configurator lets you select the color scheme and make other adjustments. There are also a bunch of accessories available, including key capsules, badges, rotary knobs and more. Additionally, each keyboard is available in three sizes.

A keyboard.
Glorious Gaming

Beyond sizing, the keyboards are split into three different versions. There’s the standard GMMK 3, which includes everything mentioned above, but the max polling rate shoots down to 1,000 Hz. The GMMK 3 Pro ships with a durable full aluminum body, but keeps that max polling rate of 1,000 Hz. The baddest of the bunch, the GMMK 3 Pro HE, includes the advertised 8,000 Hz polling rate, along with a revamped RGB lighting system and other goodies.

Finally, there are “barebones” versions of each keyboard that don’t include switches or keycaps, so you can hit the ground running when it comes to customization. All of the keyboards come with tools to help remove switches and keycaps, but it’s nice to have that part of the job finished already.

The GMMK 3 is available now in all of its many configurations. Prices range from $120 to $260.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/glorious-gamings-gmmk-3-is-a-flagship-keyboard-with-tons-of-premium-features-130100429.html?src=rss

Apple Intelligence for iPhone, iPad and Mac arrives in October

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Apple Intelligence is coming next month. The company has revealed that its artificial intelligence platform is arriving on iPhones, iPads and MacBooks with the iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1 updates rolling out in October. It will only work on Apple's newer and more powerful devices, though, including the iPhone 15 Pro and the upcoming iPhone 16 models, as well as MacBooks and iPads running on M-series chips. In addition, the first batch of Apple Intelligence features will only be available in US English. Support for English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK will be available in December, while for other languages, including Chinese, French, Japanese and Spanish is coming next year. 

One of the first Apple Intelligence features you'll be able to use is Writing Tools, which can rewrite, proofread and summarize text for you in Mail, Notes, Pages and even in third-party apps. The Memories feature will give you a way to easily create movies in Photos when you type a description for the kind of images you're looking for. You'll even be able to search for specific photos and videos by using natural language. And if you want to quickly remove background objects in images without damaging the rest of the photo, you can use the Clean Up tool. 

There's also a feature you can use to record, transcribe and summarize audio in Notes and Phone. If you initiate a recording while on a call, for instance, Apple Intelligence will generate a summary after it ends. A new Focus feature called "Reduce Interruptions" will surface only notifications that need immediate attention, while Priority Messages in Mail will put time-sensitive messages at the top based on the contents of those emails. You'll also see summaries of an email's most important information across your inbox and then use Smart Reply, which identifies questions and suggests quick responses, to fire off a quick message. 

Apple says its AI technology will make Siri more natural and more integrated into its platforms, as well. The voice assistant will apparently be able to understand your inquiries, even if you stutter or stumble over your words, and it can follow your train of thought even if you switch between text and voice. Apple says it's releasing more AI features over the next few months, including one that can generate an image using context when you circle an empty space and another that can create original emoji (or "Genmoji") based on a description you type.

Catch up on all the news from Apple’s iPhone 16 event!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/apple-intelligence-for-iphone-ipad-and-mac-arrives-in-october-120502268.html?src=rss

Sony raises PS5 DualSense controller prices by $5

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You'll have to pay a bit more for a PS5 DualSense controller that you might be expecting if you're getting a new one. As IGN reports, Sony has raised the controllers' prices worldwide by $5, even in its own shop. The standard DualSense controllers in the basic colors will now cost you $75 instead of $70, while the more expensive metallic variants — sterling silver, cobalt blue and volcanic red — will set you back $80. Retailers selling the controllers have already changed their prices upon checking, including Amazon, Best Buy and Target. The new prices seem to have taken effect in other regions, as well, including the UK, EU countries and Australia. 

Back in August, Sony raised PlayStation 5 prices in Japan by 19 percent due to "challenging economic decisions." The company didn't elaborate, but it is expecting fewer PS5 sales in 2025, even though the console is still outselling the Xbox Series X/S. It also raised the prices of PS5 accessories in Japan at the time, and now the rest of the world has followed suit. 

Sony will hold an event today, September 10, for a PlayStation 5 Technical Presentation that will stream live on its YouTube channel starting at 11AM ET. It didn't say what the event is about, but all signs point towards the unveiling of the PS5 Pro. PS5's lead architect, Mark Cerny, will lead the event, which will focus on "PS5 and innovations in gaming technology." We'll be covering the presentation and let you know the latest PS5 news when it comes out. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-raises-ps5-dualsense-controller-prices-by-5-120030046.html?src=rss