Xbox 360 spring update launches today, adds PayPal billing option, auto-standby

By Adam Rosenberg May 19, 2011

UPDATE: Slight error in the below post, it seems. I mistakenly referred to the upcoming spring update as the one that may fry your Xbox 360, as we learned yesterday. According to Major Nelson, the Xbox-frying update has happened already, which means you can stop hoping for a free replacement console now. It also totally kills this post’s running joke. Thanks a lot, Microsoft.

Show of hands: how many of you Xbox 360 owners are praying for a critical system failure once Microsoft pushes out its latest firmware update? There’s one hand up right here. The company has pledged to replace all affected consoles with a shiny, new slim model and packed-in 250 GB hard drive. Pretty sweet, right? As it turns out, however, the latest update is actually good for more than just destroying your old, RRoD-prone 360. Bonus!

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A new post from Xbox Live community overseer Major Nelson runs through the actual new features included in the latest update, as opposed to the unfortunate console-killing side effect. The chief addition for most of us is almost certainly the introduction of PayPal for the purchase of goods and services over Xbox Live Marketplace. You’ll still have to contend with those wacky Microsoft Points for Xbox Live Arcade purchases of course, but now at least you’ll be able to pay for those points by funneling your funds through PayPal.

The other new feature isn’t as flashy as PayPal support is, but using it means you’re doing your own part to save our dying world! The update also adds an auto-standby feature that puts your console into standby mode if it is left idle for more than one hour. This of course reduces power consumption, which in turn feeds your own world-saving heroism. The feature is turned on by default, but it’s easy enough to turn off in the console’s System Settings menu.

The update starts rolling out “gradually” today, and should show up for one and all “throughout the next couple weeks.”

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…

Gaming

How to revive dead companions in Baldur’s Gate 3

Withers offering services to the player in Baldur's Gate 3.

You're given a good bit of leeway during battles in Baldur's Gate 3 before you or a companion actually bites the dust for good. While in battle, if a teammate does take enough damage to drop, they aren't dead then and there. Instead, they will be downed with a chance to roll every turn to get back up. If they roll successfully three times, the battle ends, or you use another character to pick them up, they're good. If they fail that roll three times, however, they will be completely dead. That can be harsh when you've become attached to certain characters and want to further their stories, so you'll be looking for any way you can to bring them back. Thankfully you do have a few options for reviving companions in Baldur's Gate 3, but just like respeccing, they aren't so obvious.
Pay Withers to bring them back

Withers is a friendly undead you can find in a secret room in the Dank Crypt found inside the Overgrown Ruins. After finding and speaking to him in his sarcophagus, he will offer you various services, one of which is bringing back any dead companions. He won't do this out of the kindness of his heart (probably because it isn't beating) and will charge you a heavy fine of 200 gold to do so. Still, that's a small price to pay to bring back a beloved character. Once paid, that character will appear in your camp where they would normally be, so there's no need to go back to their corpse and find them.
Use a scroll of Revivfy or learn it

Gaming

Every video game delay that has happened in 2023 so far

The player skates toward the moon in Skate Story.

Few things feel as inevitable in the video game industry as delays. Ever since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, game delays have only become more and more common as developers find previously set timelines unrealistic and adjust their release plans accordingly. More than halfway through 2023, we've already seen some notable AAA games like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Skull & Bones, and Pragmata delayed pretty heavily. Because video game release date delays are so common, it can be tough to keep track of every game that has had its launch date shifted in some way.
That's why, just as we did in 2021 and 2022, Digital Trends is rounding up every game delay that's announced throughout 2023. Here are the high-profile ones that have happened so far, listed chronologically by their new intended release dates.
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Gaming

Is Remnant 2 cross-platform?

Three characters shoot at a boss in Remnant 2.

Aside from the focus on firearms and integrating some randomly generated environments, the Remnant series sets itself apart from other souls-like games mainly with its focus on co-op. Both titles encourage you to team up with two friends to fight your way through the mutated monsters that await. After so many years of progress in terms of multiplatform games incorporating full cross-platform support, you might assume Remnant 2 will follow suit and let you make a group with anyone regardless of what platform they're on. However, the truth may be a bit more disappointing. Before you make plans with your squad, here's what you need to know about Remnant 2's cross-platform support.
Is Remnant 2 cross-platform?

Unfortunately, Remnant 2 does not have cross-platform play between PS5, Xbox Series X or PC -- and there's no word about it being added in the future.