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Anniversary Edition restock

(Image credit: Future/Sony/PlayStation)

1. PS5 Slim quick links
2. DualSense quick links
3. PS5 Pro quick links
4. 30th Anniversary pre-orders
5. Live updates

In exciting news, we're expecting a PS5 Slim Anniversary and DualSense restock at PlayStation Direct today!

This is excellent for anyone who missed out the last two times at PS Direct in September and at other retailers earlier this month, and with it being direct at the source, we're hopeful of it being a sizeable restock.

Chances of bagging a PS5 Slim 30th Anniversary Edition pre-order or a PS5 30th Anniversary DualSense pre-order have been few and far between, particularly in the US, so I'm thrilled folks are getting another chance.

While this restock looks to only be for the PS5 Slim Digital Edition console and the PS5 DualSense controller from the wider PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection pre-orders and only in the US, we'll be keeping tabs across the other products as well as stock in the UK too, just in case.

Below we've gathered all the best quick links and information for this stock drop and will be covering it live to get you where you need to be quickly.

PS5 Slim Quick links

• PS5 Slim 30th Anniversary Digital Edition: $499.99 at PS Direct (check stock)
• PS5 Slim 30th Anniversary Digital Edition: $499 at Walmart (check stock)
• PS5 Slim 30th Anniversary Digital Edition: $499.99 at Amazon (check stock)
• PS5 Slim 30th Anniversary Digital Edition: $499.99 at Best Buy (check stock)
• PS5 Slim 30th Anniversary Digital Edition: $499.99 at Target (check stock)

DualSense quick links

• 30th Anniversary DualSense: $79.99 at PS Direct (check stock)
• 30th Anniversary DualSense: $79.99 at Amazon (check stock)
• 30th Anniversary DualSense: $79 at Walmart (check stock)
• 30th Anniversary DualSense: $79.99 at Best Buy (check stock)
• 30th Anniversary DualSense: $79.99 at Target (check stock)
• 30th Anniversary DualSense: $79.99 at GameStop (check stock)

PS5 Pro quick links

• PS5 Pro pre-order: $699.99 at Amazon
• PS5 Pro pre-order: $699.99 at Walmart
• PS5 Pro pre-order: $699.99 at Best Buy
• PS5 Pro pre-order: $699.99 at Target
• PS5 Pro pre-order: $699.99 at PlayStation Direct
• PS5 Pro pre-order: $699.99 at GameStop

30th Anniversary pre-orders

PS5 Slim Digital Edition 30th Anniversary Edition bundle: $499.99 at PlayStation Direct (out of stock)
The PS5 Slim 30th Anniversary Digital Edition is what we're all here for today at PS Direct, and we're expecting stock to drop at 9am PT!

Check stock: $499.99 at Amazon | $499.99 at Best Buy | $499.99 at Target | $499.99 at WalmartView Deal

DualSense 30th Anniversary Edition: $79 at PlayStation Direct (out of stock)
We're also expecting to see a restock of the 30th Anniversary DualSense controller today at 9am PT, so strap, get ready on this page and get your details in order.

Check stock: $79.99 at Amazon | $79.99 at Best Buy | $79.99 at GameStop | $79.99 at WalmartView Deal

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the imminent PS5 Slim 30th Anniversary stock drop and 30th Anniversary DualSense restock at PlayStation Direct.

The team and I will be bringing the latest links and stock information to you right here as it happens to hopefully give you a great chance of scoring a limited edition console or DualSense.

So strap in, check out all the links on this page, and bookmark PS Direct's pages, as this could be an intense ride.

The upcoming AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D gaming CPU has been sighted on several different retailer sites ahead of its confirmed November 7 release - it’s not looking positive for gamers in terms of pricing.

Wccftech spotted one of the listings on a French retailer, PC21, that reveals the retail price of the processor in France will reportedly be €556.27 (€463.56 without tax) - a little over $600 / £460 / AU$910. A Lithuanian retailer, Inida, also listed the chip at €557.31, and this listing is still live at the time of writing (though it lacks an image, meaning that it’s almost certainly a mistake).

This is fairly close to its predecessor’s (the Ryzen 7 7800X3D) price, which launched in April 2023 starting at €530. Of course, the pricing details listed here should be taken with a grain of salt until the CPU’s official launch.

Wccftech claims it will be at least 20% more expensive in Europe, with the US MSRP ranging between $450 and $500. Of course, this doesn’t account for sales tax, which will vary depending on your state, but even assuming a generational price bump - the 7800X3D cost $449 in the US at launch - it’s certainly still going to end up cheaper for Americans. Gamers outside the US who may have anticipated an affordable price could be left out in the cold on what may be (according to previous leaks) the new best gaming CPU on the market.

Is there any good news for gamers?

On a positive note, it appears that the previous spec leak may hold some truth if these listings are accurate - PC21’s listing showcases a 5.2GHz max boost clock speed, which corroborates the existing leak. As we discussed when examining previous leaks, AMD’s marketing for the 9800X3D could be led by ‘Next-Gen 3D V-Cache’ reportedly present within the new chip.

It all depends on how much of an impact this rumored Next-Gen 3D V-Cache may have on the 8-core CPU. The 7800X3D processor remains one of the best options for serious gamers and streamers, and while its successor could overtake it, this shouldn’t sway you from opting for the current AM5 CPU - although waiting until Black Friday might be a wise move at this point.

It may also be worth noting that the RTX 5000 GPU series reveal is on the horizon from Nvidia, so it’s entirely possible that gamers planning to drop some serious cash on upgrading their rigs will want to snap up the 9800X3D regardless of price, since it could be the perfect companion to a new flagship graphics card!

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Here's a costume that won't take a lot of fuss — and will earn you the title "world's scariest animal" this Halloween.

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G.Skill has set a new DDR5 RAM overclocking record with some of its memory in an Asus ROG motherboard, hitting a jaw-loosening speed of 12,112MT/s.

The feat was achieved by professional overclocker Safedisk, using G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB DDR5 memory in an Asus ROG Maximus Z890 Apex motherboard (with a new Intel Core Ultra 9 285K flagship desktop CPU).

To blaze the RAM over that 12,000MT/s mark, you won’t be surprised to learn that exotic cooling was necessary – in this case liquid nitrogen.

This is a new world record overclock for memory frequency as recorded by HWBOT, and it’s another in a fresh set of overclocking achievements which have been ushered in by Intel’s new Arrow Lake, Core Ultra 200S, family of processors.

Analysis: Overclocking potential

Far from everything about the launch of Intel’s Arrow Lake chips has been rosy, but there are certainly performance highlights with the new desktop family – gaming aside – and indeed plenty of overclocking potential with the new Z890 motherboards and Core Ultra 200 CPUs (the initial releases of which are unlocked ‘K’ models).

We’ve seen a record overclock of 7.5GHz for the Core Ultra 9 285K processor, the work of another expert overclocker, Elmor (backed by a team, again at Asus, achieved using the same ROG Maximus Z890 Apex motherboard that we see here).

As for the previous DDR5 record, that was set four days back by Kovan Yang (with Kingston RAM, in an Arrow Lake PC with an MSI MEG Z890 Unify-X motherboard), and this new record pipped it by a couple of Megahertz. There’ll doubtless be an ongoing tussle for a bit mileage as more professional overclockers try their hands with Intel’s Core Ultra 200S platform.

Naturally, you won’t ever see speeds like 12,000MT/s in the real world – they can only be reached in short bursts with exotic cooling systems as noted – but DDR5 RAM is very fast in terms of real-world overclocking too.

A recent innovation in the memory world is CUDIMMs, which are memory modules which have their own clock driver, as opposed to relying on the system clock like traditional DIMMS – and this leads to better stability and overclocks. We’ve seen this system with V-color RAM sticks which were pushed to hit 9200MT/s, no liquid nitrogen required. Impressive.

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Every year the American College of Sports Medicine publishes its survey of worldwide fitness trends for the coming year. It predicts top 20 fitness trends in the U.S. and around the world, calling on a host of professionals and stakeholders from the fitness world.

2025’s trends have just dropped, and it’s going to be another massive year for wearable technology. The best smartwatches aside, however, there are some other big movers and shakers that point to a world of personalized, data-driven fitness in your pocket, and a worrying sign for personal trainers.

So which trends are in, and which are out? What are the mainstays of fitness for 2025, and what’s new and exciting? From a survey of personal trainers, coaches, students, researchers, medical professionals, and more, here are the top takeaways from the intersection of fitness and technology.

(Image credit: Future) Wearables are still on top

Wearable technology has been the number one trend in all but two of the last 10 years, and it’s another top spot for 2025. ACSM notes the field of wearable tech “is constantly advancing” and highlights the benefits of the best fitness trackers, smart rings, and more.

But not without issuing a warning, too. ACSM warns “more work is needed to improve concerns of validity, reliability, and data privacy.” Personal training will feature later, but the trends list encourages exercise pros to use wearable tech to support their clients. Interestingly, full-time personal trainers were the only group from the exercise professionals polled in the survey who didn’t list wearable tech as the top-ranked trend.

The personal trainer in your pocket

(Image credit: Future)

Mobile exercise apps have continued their surge from 20th in 2023, seventh in 2024, to finally number two in this year’s survey. ACSM reports that some 850 million fitness apps were downloaded by some 370 million users in 2023, and speculates that wearable technology could be fuelling the rise thanks to its complementary nature.

The survey praised the flexibility of mobile training apps, especially for novice exercisers. Indeed, many of the best fitness apps on the market can help you generate an entire workout plan, track your progress, help you with your form, and more. With the advent of AI in apps like the PUSH workout app, the power of these apps to adapt and offer customized training to individuals is greater than ever before

Data: the bold newcomer

(Image credit: Oura)

New for 2024, data-driven technology appears at number seven for 2025, thanks to its power to help clients “understand the physiological responses to an exercise stimulus in real-time.”

As exercise professionals leverage metrics like sleep and heart rate variability in training and recovery, they can more readily adjust training in response to these conditions, making exercise safer, especially for people with cardiometabolic conditions.

On-demand exercise classes are back

(Image credit: Peloton)

On-demand exercise classes, which exploded during the pandemic, are back in the top 20 for the first time since 2022. Pre-recorded classes and videos like Apple Fitness Plus or Peloton provide great flexibility to their users because they can be accessed anytime, any place.

More broadly, the re-emergence of on-demand exercise classes could be a sign of the deepening desire for customers to take more control of their own fitness journey, choosing which classes to do and when on their own terms, rather than committing to a workout program at their local gym or the rigors of personal training.

Personal training slides

(Image credit: Centr)

Personal training has been a top 10 trend in the ACSM survey since 2007 but has fallen to 16 for 2025. While the body acknowledges it remains “critical” for those who want effective guidance, the proliferation of remote work and virtual fitness solutions (like those aforementioned classes) is reducing demand.

One suggested solution for personal trainers is integrating hybrid modalities, making personal training more adaptable, personalized, and effective. With the surge of data-powered, personalized, democratized fitness apps and wearables, could we be seeing a drop in the demand for one-to-one personal training? While you get the most personal experience possible from a personal trainer, it often requires significant time and financial commitments, as well as space and equipment.

There's no guarantee these trends will play out exactly as predicted by ACSM, but if they do, it could be the first wake-up call to an industry of fitness professionals who need to adapt to a changing, connected, and data-driven fitness future.

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Meta is developing an AI search engine to replace Google and Microsoft in Meta AI. The search engine would give Meta AI chatbot answers without the need for an external source.

The Information reports “Meta hopes to lower its reliance on Google Search and Microsoft’s Bing, which currently provide information about news, sports and stocks to people using Meta AI, according to a person who has spoken with the search engine team.”

This news comes off the back of Meta AI’s new partnership with Reuters which allows users to get answers about news and current events from the latest Reuters reporting without leaving Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp.

Meta wants Meta AI to be self-sufficient, without the need to rely on other technologies to provide the best user experience possible. The development of an AI-powered search engine would be a huge step in this direction.

The Information states Meta’s spokesperson declined to comment, but considering Meta AI has more than 185 million weekly users, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Meta double down on its own technology to keep all that search traffic in-house.

An AI search revolution

AI search engines are growing in popularity with options such as Perplexity and Arc Search proving to be incredibly useful tools for searching the web. AI search engines differ from a regular Google search by compiling summaries based on search results and providing the end-user with links to original sources to further their research should they require.

If Meta does develop an AI search engine, we could see a genuine rival to Google’s own search as large companies start to move into the AI search engine space. OpenAI’s SearchGPT is rumored to launch before the end of the year, and now we're wondering if we could see Meta’s alternative before 2025 too?

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Google’s Pixel Watches could be set for a major chipset upgrade to Google’s own Tensor hardware, which could pave the way for the Google wearables to get significantly better AI features.

The Google Pixel Watch 3 is currently powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Plus Gen 1, which is a fine but aging 2022 chipset. According to leaked documents seen by Android Authority, this is set to change in 2026 with the release of the Google Pixel Watch 5 which will boast a Google-made Tensor chipset.

We don’t know too much about the specifics, but we expect it won’t be as sophisticated as the Tensor G6 that Google’s flagships phones will receive that year. However, with Google at the reigns, and with AI being a major focus of its efforts, we wouldn’t be surprised if it crammed in a few NPU cores to boost the Pixel Watch line’s onboard AI capabilities.

Onboard AI is generally seen as more private than AI which needs to send your data to the cloud for processing. Their power is more limited, but for sensitive health data – like what the Pixel Watch collects – the privacy afforded by onboard AI has some major advantages.

It could also mean that the Pixel Watch 5 could provide some AI-powered workout advice and health insights without needing a wireless connection – perfect if your run or bike ride takes you through a patch with low signal.

A while to wait

(Image credit: Future/Lance Ulanoff)

Beyond AI, an updated chipset could allow for faster processing for non-AI tools with a CPU upgrade, and tools to improve power efficiency such as an on-board modem.

This could help to extend the watch’s battery life, which would be ideal for sleep tracking and reducing how often it needs a recharge. However, as with all leaks we should take this report with a pinch of salt.

While a chipset refresh makes a lot of sense, the leaked document was dated from 2023. Since then, Google’s chipset plans could have changed, and even if they haven’t yet there’s a chance there’s still time for its plans to be altered before the expected Pixel Watch 5 release in 2026.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is finally here, marking the much-anticipated return of a round-based Zombies mode. If you’ve been fighting hordes of the undead over the last few days, then this limited-edition collection from gaming peripheral maker SteelSeries is definitely worth a look

The SteelSeries Call of Duty: Zombies collection, an official collaboration with Call of Duty developer Activision, is available now. It contains the Arctis Nova 7X x Call of Duty Bundle, featuring an Arctis Nova 7X headset in addition to a Mister Peeks Edition SteelSeries Booster Pack and KontrolFreek Call of Duty Performance Thumbsticks - Deadshot Daiquiri Edition for Xbox. 

It is joined by the Arctis Nova 7P x Call of Duty Bundle, which swaps out the headset and thumbstick caps for the PlayStation-oriented versions. Both cost $239.99 and could be a worthwhile investment if you’re after a special variant of a top gaming headset that ranks among some of the best Xbox Series X headsets and best PS5 headsets respectively. 

You can also pick up the Mister Peeks Edition SteelSeries Booster Pack on its own, which costs $39.99 and contains a blue bunny headband and speaker plates. Like other Nova Booster Packs, it’s compatible with a wide range of SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro and Arctis Nova 7 series headsets.

SteelSeries also announced the QcK L Mousepad - Call of Duty Zombies Edition. Geared towards PC players, the mousepad has an eye-catching design based on the monkey bomb in-game item. It retails for $29.99. 

The items in this collection also come with a download code for an exclusive in-game weapon charm, which is definitely going to excite some collectors.

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Microsoft Deputy General Counsel Rima Alaily has slated Google’s efforts to sway European regulators with the launch of the Open Cloud Coalition – a group of 10 cloud companies campaigning for a fairer and more competitive cloud landscape across the UK, Europe and beyond.

Alaily criticized Google for forming an “astroturf” lobbying group, which she says is part of the company’s broader attempt to undermine its competitors.

Moreover, Alaily claimed Google has organized the group as a front to discredit Microsoft’s business practices in Europe, which recently came under fire from antitrust regulators.

Microsoft accuses Google of running “shadow campaigns”

Alaily alleged Google has recruited smaller European cloud providers as the coalition’s public face to obscure its involvement and to shift regulatory focus from its own business practices, noting that the company has gone to great lengths to appear as a secondary member of the Coalition.

The group consists of international companies like Centerprise International, Civo and Gigas, and domestic companies such as ControlPlane, DTP Group, Prolinx, Pulsant, Clairo and Room 101.

Google Cloud might be the only hyperscaler in the group, but this isn’t uncommon. CISPE, a group of cloud companies operating in Europe, only has one resident hyperscaler – AWS.

Alaily’s blog post also points to Google’s failed efforts to get CISPE members to sustain their case against Microsoft. Google reportedly offered €470 million in favor of this, but the group ultimately decided to opt for Microsoft’s settlement.

She wrote: “By our count, there are at least 24 antitrust investigations against Google in the leading digital markets around the world. At a time when Google should be focused on addressing legitimate questions about its business, it is instead turning its vast resources towards tearing down others.”

The blog post adds Google has attacked Microsoft through other companies previously, noting, “We understand Google is a main funder of the U.S.-based Coalition for Fair Software Licensing, which has levied attacks on our cloud computing business in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the EU… Google has also attacked us on topics ranging from cybersecurity to our business in China, pitching stories to reporters, suggesting questions to congressional offices ahead of hearings, and distributing documents in major capitals around the world.”

A Google Cloud spokesperson told TechRadar Pro in an email: “We’ve been very public about our concerns with Microsoft’s cloud licensing. We and many others believe that Microsoft’s anticompetitive practices lock-in customers and create negative downstream effects that impact cybersecurity, innovation, and choice. You can read more in our many blog posts on these issues.”

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2025 could be a bumper year for Marvel's TV division, with the comic-book giant reportedly set to release up to seven new shows on Disney Plus.

Despite previous assertions that it would release less content every year, Marvel Studios is seemingly preparing to release a new series approximately every seven weeks (if my math is correct) from next January onwards.

Indeed, according to the file names on some new logo images uploaded to Disney's press image library yesterday (October 28) – as spotted by X/Twitter account Comicodigy and users on Reddit – 2025 looks like it'll be a very busy year for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) on the small screen.

Until recently, we knew that three new Marvel shows would debut on Disney's primary streaming service. The first of those, Daredevil: Born Again, is slated to arrive on March 4, 2025. Daredevil's standalone MCU series would be joined by two more projects later in 2025, with Ironheart and What If...? season 3 also confirmed to launch on undisclosed dates.

Marvel Studios has revealed the schedule for its 2025 television lineup:Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man — January 25Daredevil: Born Again — March 4Eyes of Wakanda — August 6Ironheart — September 3Marvel Zombies — OctoberWonder Man — December pic.twitter.com/ezHcXBgkCXOctober 29, 2024

Now, it appears that trio will be joined by four more series, three of which will be animated offerings. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, an animated Spider-Man TV show that won't be canon in the MCU, is rumored to be the first of those releases, with the show due to swing onto Disney Plus on January 29, 2025. Eyes of Wakanda, a four-part Black Panther animated anthology miniseries, is then expected to debut on August 6, 2025.

Marvel Zombies, a spin-off of Marvel Studios' first animated project What If...?, will reportedly launch in October 2025, which should make for a scarily fun Halloween watch. Finally, Wonder Man, a long-gestating live-action show starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, will arrive on one of the best streaming services in December.

If those release dates don't change it'll be an incredibly stacked year for Marvel overall. The comic titan is also preparing to release the final two Marvel Phase 5 movies – Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts – in February and May 2025 respectively. They'll be joined by The Fantastic Four: First Steps in July, which will kickstart the final phase of the Marvel Multiverse Saga.

Paying the production price

Thunderbolts could be one of 10 new MCU projects that will arrive in 2025 (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

If Marvel releases all of the aforementioned films and shows next year, fans will have no less than 10 new movies and TV series to consume in just 12 months. With some industry experts and MCU fans suggesting that the superhero market is already at saturation point, that's a lot of content for diehards and casual viewers to consume.

Of course, Daredevil: Born Again aside, Marvel hasn't officially outlined its 2025 release schedule yet. It's possible, then, that the Disney subsidiary will alter one or more of its TV show launch dates to space them out, or even shift them from next year entirely.

For what it's worth, I'm not convinced that Marvel will release seven new shows in 2025. As I mentioned, it wants to rein in how many projects it releases annually, so bringing out seven new series in a 12-month period would very much go against that plan. With numerous other Disney Plus projects, including new Star Wars shows like Andor season 2, expected to debut next year, too, Disney won't want its biggest franchises to cannibalize each others' viewing figures by battling for audience attention.

Regardless, the fact that the MCU may get 10 new productions next year is a by-product of Marvel's haphazard creative approach in recent years. Rather than focus on telling a cohesive multiverse-centric story across Phases 4, 5, and 6, the studio's desire to pump out projects with little to no overarching plan has led to audience apathy and dented its reputation.

Yes, there have been extenuating circumstances, with the 2023 Hollywood strikes and a worldwide pandemic impacting development on numerous productions. Nonetheless, the disorganized nature of Marvel's Multiverse Saga plan is now coming back to bite it. If Marvel moves ahead with its apparent objective to release seven new shows in 2025, I fear viewers may get overwhelmed with the amount of options on offer, or lose interest – if they haven't already – in the MCU for good.

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One of the biggest internet service providers (ISP) in France has confirmed suffering a cyberattack that saw it lose sensitive customer data.

A threat actor alias “drusselx” opened a new thread on the infamous Breach forums, advertising a major database for sale, claiming it contains data on 19.2 million Free customers, and holds more than 5.11 million IBAN numbers.

An IBAN (International Bank Account Number) is a unique identifier for bank accounts used in international transactions to ensure accuracy and streamline cross-border payments. While an IBAN cannot be used directly to make money withdrawals, it is still a valuable piece of information that can be abused in other ways. “It affects all Free Mobile and Freebox customers, and includes the IBANs of all 5.11 million Freebox subscribers,” the ad concluded.

Smash and grab

"The affected subscribers have been or will be informed by email shortly," a Free spokesperson told BleepingComputer. "No operational impact was observed on our activities and services" the spokesperson added, stating that "all necessary measures were taken immediately to put an end to this attack and strengthen the protection of our information systems."

It seems this was a simple smash-and-grab. The company filed a criminal complaint, and notified the appropriate authorities. Free also added that the crooks did not steal passwords, bank card information, and communications content (even though drusselx did not mention it).

The ISP had almost 23 million subscribers this summer, and is considered the second-largest telecommunications company in France.

It warned customers to be vigilant of any suspicious bank transfers, noting, "If subscribers nevertheless notice an unusual direct debit, not corresponding to any date and no known invoice amount, their bank is obliged to reimburse them. They have 13 months to report the fraudulent direct debit."

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