My favorite game of all time and the title many consider the best Fallout entry are now seemingly merged. I assume this is another vibe-coded mashup, but honestly? It looks annoyingly cool.

Seeing Master Chief drive a Warthog around the Mojave Wasteland, or even fly a Banshee above the ruins, is genuinely bizarre. Not only that, but you can also seemingly play through the entire Fallout: New Vegas campaign with full dialogue options; only you’re playing as Master Chief, armed with an energy sword, battle rifle, grenades, and, why not, a gravity hammer.

Two completely different games, somehow running together?

It’s kind of difficult to know where to start, given what’s been happening in the space recently. We’ve seen Skate in Call of Duty, Minecraft in Elden Ring, and Mario in Halo, among all sorts of other monstrosities. I do feel a bit weird covering these things, but given Xbox’s latest venture in essentially approving of these AI mashups through Xbox Labs, I can’t feel too bad about it, I guess.

It’s genuinely unprecedented times for gaming. If this is what AI is capable of now, it’s a harrowing thought to consider what it might be capable of just a year from now. But I digress.

The Halo 3 and Fallout: New Vegas combination is cool, and I wouldn’t mind playing it myself. Of course, you can’t right now, because that would be too much fun. The developer, Reveries on YouTube, does say this about the project:

“An integration of Halo 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, allowing both games to run simultaneously and bringing Halo's original gameplay into the Mojave... Still in active development, planned for release on GitHub soon... Not a rewrite or decompilation, inspired by Chasm's SkyCraft project.”

So, unlike other AI mashups, this one isn’t available yet, but the video does a good job showcasing what you can get up to.

With that said, let me know how you feel about these AI remixes that combine games. Do you care? Is it too far? Or do you have other thoughts entirely? Let me know in the comments and be sure to take part in our poll below:

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It looks like the early-stage Halo 2 and Halo 3 remakes were planned to far exceed the bare-minimum content that Halo: Campaign Evolved offered. It’s no secret that Halo: Campaign Evolved was a polarizing remake, releasing with very little content and bonus missions that I’d describe as on par with Halo 5's level of bad storytelling.

But I’m not here to pour my heart out over that. In a new report from @Mr_Rebs_, he provides us with some insight into how vast in scope a Halo 2 and Halo 3 remake was going to be before Halo Studios was gutted and the mantle of responsibility was handed over to Activision.

Multiplayer, Forge, Firefight, and more: What could have been

According to Rebs, Halo Studios reportedly conducted a survey among select community members regarding what they wanted from a Halo 2 and a Halo 3 remake, with the studio allegedly referring to the trilogy of remakes as “Project Manihi.”

For the Halo 2 survey, Halo Studios reportedly asked the following questions:

• Bringing back dual wielding and how important it was to the experience.
• Including a full multiplayer component retaining Halo 2's classic gameplay.
• Having a complete selection of multiplayer playlists available at launch.
• Adding Firefight.
• Reusing Blur Studio's Halo 2: Anniversary cinematics.
• Potentially introducing entirely new bonus missions.

Rebs claims that participants pushed back against reusing Blur cutscenes because Halo Studios wanted to reuse assets from Campaign Evolved, creating a visual mismatch. Respondents also believed that dual wielding was essential to a Halo 2 remake, and on that, I do agree.

As for multiplayer, participants reportedly wanted the classic gameplay preserved while ensuring it remained appealing to casual and competitive players, with a full selection of playlists available from day one.

For Halo 3, however, Rebs alleges the studio's ambitions were even greater, with Halo Studios looking to take everything it had learned from Campaign Evolved and the proposed Halo 2 remake and apply it to Halo 3.

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The survey reportedly evaluated how important it was to deliver the complete experience, and participants essentially said yes to everything: multiplayer, Forge, Theater, and additional modes like Firefight.

One of Rebs' sources suggested that Halo 3 was intended to become the flagship project of the entire remake initiative, with Halo Studios apparently looking to invest more resources into making it the most complete experience of the three.

It is also reported that Halo Studios were planning to do more bonus missions similar to what we got in Campaign Evolved, and that these next two remakes would also exist alongside the next mainline Halo game.

Since the layoffs at Halo Studios, though, all these plans are pretty much dead in the water, and I can’t say I’m not happy about that. I had zero faith in Halo Studios' ability to even remotely deliver one more remake, let alone two remakes alongside a new mainline entry, but maybe that’s just me.

Let me know how you feel in the comments. Would you have been excited for the prospects of a Halo Studios crack at a Halo 2 and Halo 3 remake, or are you like me and glad we’ll never see them?

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This is all becoming very commonplace now, and I am even starting to not be surprised when something like this comes across my feeds. This time, it's Halo: Combat Evolved running on a Nintendo 64, of all things.

The project, known as Halo-64, is playable, but it does require the Nintendo 64 8MB Expansion Pack. You also need a copy of the original Xbox version of Halo: CE to get it working. The setup process seems a bit complicated if you are uncomfortable with the Command Prompt, but the project itself is really cool and appears to be working pretty well.

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We are in the midst of pretty unprecedented times, what with all the AI modding happening and Xbox itself essentially jumping on the bandwagon with Xbox Labs. However, there’s currently no indication that this project uses AI, and I thought that was important to mention before I dive into what you can expect from Halo-64.

Halo on the Nintendo 64 shouldn't be possible, yet here we are

The game supports all 13 multiplayer maps with up to four-player split-screen, including game modes we’ve all come to know and love, like Team Slayer and Capture the Flag. It also supports bots in-game, with up to 8 AI players at four different skill levels. In a nice touch, those bots take random names from a "list of about 300 Mario, Zelda, GoldenEye, and Rare N64 characters."

Most impressively, the game features a Firefight mode. For those who don’t know, Firefight is Halo’s PvE mode featuring wave-based enemies, and it’s something that Halo: Campaign Evolved, the latest remake, doesn’t even have. The port also includes Rumble Pak support, so you can feel the shots and such on your controller.

Unfortunately, there’s no campaign, and I’d be surprised if we ever did get something like that. It’s crazy enough that we get multiplayer and Firefight, but Halo: CE’s campaign on a Nintendo 64? Now I do think that would be impossible.

I do love little projects like this, and I’ve been doing my best lately to highlight community-driven Halo creations, whether it’s Halo 5 on PC, Halo 3’s resurgence thanks to a new launcher, or Campaign Evolved getting multiplayer. It’s clear now more than ever that Halo’s community is what is driving the game forward, at least until we see what Activision cooks up with the franchise.

Do let me know your thoughts on Halo-64 in the comments, and don’t forget to take part in the poll above!

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Halo 5: Guardians is, to my knowledge, the only mainline Halo title that hasn’t been ported to PC. It remains confined to consoles, with the sole exception being Halo 5: Forge, which is essentially just the custom game editor and isn’t the full experience. Fortunately, if you’ve been waiting for Halo 5 to arrive on PC, one determined fan is putting in most of the legwork.

I’ll be the first to admit that Halo 5 is probably my least liked game in the franchise, and that might even include the mobile spin-offs. In my opinion, the campaign was disastrously terrible by every metric. What wasn’t a disaster, though, was the multiplayer. While I will die on the hill that Halo 5 is a flawed game, the multiplayer was, annoyingly, pretty fun.

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Warzone was a great addition to the franchise, which makes the fact that it was missing from Halo: Infinite all the more frustrating. But alas. Now, a community-run effort is aiming to get the entire Halo 5 package working on PC, with all the PC bells and whistles you'd expect, like higher FOV, increased FPS, and more.

How 'Halo 5: Reforged' actually works on PC

Halo 5: Reforged uses a custom PC runtime built around Halo 5: Forge, adapted to work with content you supply locally. This does mean you’ll need to source your own legitimate copy of the game to extract the necessary files.

It is still a work in progress, but the campaign, multiplayer, and Warzone are all playable in development builds. All 15 campaign missions currently load into gameplay, and two-player co-op is working. On the multiplayer side, they've even managed to support up to 32 players, something Halo 5 didn't originally have. On the Warzone Firefight side of things, testing seems to be going smoothly too.

Regardless of my personal feelings toward Halo 5, I do think this is great. I genuinely believe the game’s multiplayer would have been better served on PC rather than being locked to console, and if you are interested in this project, I suggest you join their Discord here.

Will Xbox shut down this community project?

As for whether this project will get taken down, it’s sort of up in the air. Prior to Halo Studios essentially being closed down, with few staff remaining, Ske7ch, the Community Director for Halo Studios, commented on the project.

Ske7ch says that from their loose understanding, it felt potentially problematic, but after getting more context, they realized it was a wrapper of shared components with players needing their own personal copies, but they do say that they couldn't know for sure.

Now if I were to speculate, I would say that given the recent announcement of Xbox Labs and Xbox embracing all this weird and wacky game porting and mashups happening, I could see this port sticking around without much issue.

Let me know your thoughts. Are you happy PC players can get disappointed with Halo 5’s campaign and enjoy the game’s multiplayer, or are you a genuine fan of this entry? Leave a comment and be sure to take part in our poll!

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I’ll be honest, this one slipped under my radar. I didn’t even realize it had been released nearly two weeks ago, but it seems the community has taken on the mantle of responsibility for Halo lately in more ways than one.

First, there’s Project Reclaimer for Halo 3, which is everything Halo 3 on PC should have been. It features full custom server browsers, mod support, and a massive expansion to the sandbox with up to 128 players in a single match.

Not only that, but in Campaign Evolved, while it was reported that the remnants of Halo Studios are working to bring Theater and Firefight to the game in December, some community members have already taken it upon themselves to start testing Firefight within the game, to varying success, mind you.

Now onto the main attraction, Mjolnir Core, a community effort to bring multiplayer to Halo: Campaign Evolved. I must say, so far it’s pretty impressive. The project supports 19 maps, including classics like Blood Gulch, Battle Creek, and Hang ‘Em High. The mod also supports up to 16 players, pushing past the initial four-player limit it had at the start of development.

The mod itself is in alpha, but those working on it have put together a pretty hefty amount of documentation for those who wish to help and get involved. From what I can tell, the mod works pretty effortlessly.

You get the launcher, install multiplayer, and you’re ready to go. That said, I don't believe there’s any public game browser in the game yet, so you’ll need to invite friends through your fireteam to play together.

Seeing the community put this much effort in really pains me. Halo: Campaign Evolved needed some sort of multiplayer content at release, even if it were just Firefight. And whilst projects like this are great, they’ll likely sadly remain rather niche, as people have already moved on to other games like Gears of War: E-Day, which actually outperformed Halo on launch.

Regardless, I can’t stress enough how cool this is and how I hope the team behind it continues their hard work. So let me know your thoughts: is this cool, too little too late, or do you have any other thoughts? Drop them in the comments, and be sure to take part in our poll!

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What you need to know

• Vehicles with Google built-in are getting a redesigned Play Store, new apps, and improved YouTube playback over the next few weeks.
• The updated Play Store will make its catalog of apps easier to browse, with featured picks, new releases, and curated collections.
• YouTube will automatically switch to audio-only playback when drivers shift into drive, letting videos continue without distracting visuals.

Google is rolling out a more useful entertainment experience for cars with Google built-in, including a redesigned Play Store, new apps, and a YouTube upgrade that lets you keep listening after shifting into drive. Drivers will not have to do anything themselves to install it, as the changes will come automatically over the next few weeks.

The Play Store refresh is meant to make the app-finding process less painful. Google notes that there are already more than 700 available apps on compatible vehicles, but the new interface should help make browsing that catalog a lot easier. You'll see featured apps, new releases, and useful app details directly on the homepage, and curated collections will help you find options depending on whether your car is parked or moving.

Google is also moving on from one-size-fits-all interfaces. The new storefront will be able to adapt to the size, shape, and orientation of each vehicle’s infotainment display. One-tap downloads will make it easier and quicker to get new apps.

And there’s more to come. STARZ, Firefox, Ludo King, and JioHotstar are coming to the in-car app lineup, giving you more ways to stream shows, browse the web, and play games while you’re parked. These additions should make the charging stops and waiting periods more useful for passengers and drivers taking a break.

YouTube finally makes driving less annoying

The bigger improvement might be YouTube’s new background playback behavior. Previously, starting a drive would stop YouTube playback. In the new update, you can watch a video while parked and automatically switch to audio-only playback as you shift into drive.

That means podcasts, interviews, and other videos can continue to play without distracting visuals on the dashboard. The catch is, you’ll need a YouTube Premium subscription to take advantage of the feature.

Google has talked about this park-to-driving functionality before, but the latest announcement confirms it’s coming to YouTube on cars with Google built-in. Don’t confuse this with Android Auto, which shows compatible phone apps on a car’s display. Google has not said if the same automatic background playback feature is coming to Android Auto.

The updates will be pushed automatically to eligible vehicles over the next few weeks.

What you need to know

• CMF launched its first speakers: the CMF Speaker S and Speaker M in various colors in a classic milk carton design.
• The Speaker S is designed for portability, while CMF empowered the Speaker M with more in-depth audio and clarity for rooms.
• Users can take off the Speaker S and Speaker M's volume knobs and panels and 3D print their own designs.
• The Speaker S is available for $59, while the Speaker M begins at $109.

CMF recently became its own company in India, divesting from Nothing. The company is now moving quickly with a new product launch that looks like a fresh carton of milk.

This morning (Oct. 12), CMF announced its first wave of speakers: the Speaker S and Speaker M. These speakers take inspiration from classic cartons of milk, but they're packed full of sound for any occasion. CMF says it went with a design that was "something unique" and fit its brand. The Speaker S looks like the milk cartons you'd get in school for lunch. It features a custom-tuned 45 mm driver in a short form factor.

CMF states it worked to enhance the lower frequencies on the Speaker S to achieve "deeper, more resonant bass." What's more, the Speaker S is aimed at portability since it's a bit smaller than the Speaker M. If you have two of the same model (Speaker S, in this case), CMF says users can turn them into "dedicated left and right channels" with Stereo Mode. Users can fill an area with more sound, as if they were using a standard sound system.

If you're sticking with one speaker, CMF's Wide Soundstage brings more audio depth to that solo device. Adaptive Tuning handles the speaker's EQ; however, users can create custom EQs using the Nothing X app.

Party Mode leans on Android's Auracast to sync multiple speakers. CMF states this will work with its speakers and devices from other companies.

The CMF Speaker S features 18 hours of audio playback "at 50% volume with Ultra Bass on." A quick 10-minute charge reportedly delivers one hour of audio. Speaker S supports Tap to Pair, Bluetooth 6.0, and USB-C lossless audio.

The CMF Speaker S is available in white, dark grey, orange, and turquoise. Consumers can purchase the speaker for $59.

Speaker M

The CMF Speaker M retains many of the same features as the Speaker S. Consumers will find Ultra Bass, offering "controlled low-end impact for playlists that need extra weight." This feature toggles on and off, letting users fine-tune their audio experience at a moment's notice. The Speaker M also provides Party Mode, Stereo Mode, Wide Soundstage, Adaptive Tuning, and Custom EQs.

However, the primary difference lies in its design. The Speaker M is taller, with a dedicated subwoofer and tweeter. CMF wanted to up the ante with the Speaker M's audio capabilities over the Speaker S. The post states the Speaker M pushes its clarity and bass for a "balanced" experience when broadcasting in larger rooms.

The Speaker M supports USB-C lossless audio, Tap to Pair, Bluetooth 6.0, Dual Device connection, and more. Its battery will support 18 hours of audio at 50% volume with Ultra Bass enabled, similar to the Speaker S.

Consumers can pick up the CMF Speaker M today (Oct. 12) in white, dark grey, orange, and turquoise for $109.

While the CMF Speaker S and Speaker M may look like completed products, the company says consumers can change their designs. CMF states users can take off the Speaker S and Speaker M's volume knobs and panels and switch them out. You can "mix and match," or you could 3D print your own designs.

CMF has provided users with the STL files required to begin 3D printing.

What you need to know

• Samsung is reportedly developing its first Galaxy-branded over-ear headphones, which could launch as Galaxy Studio.
• The leak comes from evowizz, who previously revealed Samsung's Galaxy Buds On before their official launch.
• Samsung hasn't confirmed a launch date, although its rumored November Galaxy Glasses event could be a possibility.

Samsung could soon have a challenger to Apple's AirPods Max and Sony's flagship over-ear headphones, with the company reportedly working on a new pair called Galaxy Studio.

For years, brands like Sony, Apple, Bose, and Sennheiser have dominated the premium over-ear headphone market in the U.S. But it looks like another major brand could be joining the competition very soon. According to a new leak, Samsung is developing its own pair of over-ear headphones to complement the Galaxy Buds lineup, and they could be called Galaxy Studio.

As spotted by 9to5Google, leaker evowizz on X has shared that Samsung's upcoming over-ear headphones will carry the Galaxy Studio branding. Interestingly, this is the same leaker who first revealed details about Samsung's open-ear earbuds, which officially launched earlier this month as the Galaxy Buds On. And now, the leaker has shared the name of Samsung's next audio product as well.

There isn't much information about the Galaxy Studio headphones just yet. We don't know what they'll look like, what features they'll offer, or how Samsung plans to position them against premium headphones like the AirPods Max and Sony's WH-1000X series.

There's also no word on when Samsung plans to launch the Galaxy Studio. However, with the name now reportedly surfacing, there's a chance we could start hearing more about the headphones over the coming weeks.

Samsung still has a few major products left to unveil this year. The company is reportedly preparing to launch its first Galaxy Glasses powered by Android XR sometime in November, and it's possible Samsung could use the same event to introduce its new over-ear headphones as well.

Of course, that's just speculation for now, and Samsung hasn't officially confirmed the Galaxy Studio headphones. But it'll be interesting to see what the company comes up with, especially considering how competitive the premium headphone market already is. We'll update this article as more details about the Galaxy Studio emerge.

Google has started rolling out a new update for the Pixel Buds that brings several new features, and at the same time, the company has slashed $60 off the Pixel Buds Pro 2's price.

Last month, Google started rolling out a feature for Pixel Buds that lets users control their earbuds' settings just by asking Gemini. While you could already ask Gemini to do things like change the volume, the new integration goes much deeper, letting you adjust the EQ, enable or disable ANC, and change other Pixel Buds settings using your voice.

Alongside that, Google has now started rolling out another sizable update for the Pixel Buds Pro, Pixel Buds Pro 2, and Pixel Buds 2a. One of the biggest additions for the Pixel Buds Pro 2 is Dynamic Active Noise Cancellation.

Google previously explained that Dynamic ANC automatically adjusts the noise cancellation based on the seal of the earbuds in your ears. So, if the Pixel Buds move slightly and the seal changes, the earbuds can automatically compensate and adjust the ANC accordingly. That feature is now starting to become available on the Pixel Buds Pro 2.

✅ Recommended if: You use a Pixel phone, want strong ANC and Gemini integration, like Google's latest Pixel Buds features, or want premium wireless earbuds for under $200.

❌ Skip this deal if: You don't use Android, want the absolute best battery life, or don't care about Pixel-exclusive features and ecosystem integration.

Google has also added a new tap-to-mute and unmute gesture for calls. So, if you're in an online meeting or taking a phone call, you can simply tap the surface of your Pixel Buds to quickly mute or unmute your microphone.

The Pixel Buds can now automatically pause media playback when you fall asleep as well. This feature requires a paired Pixel Watch to detect when you've fallen asleep, after which your earbuds can pause playback, disable touch gestures, and silence notifications.

Enhanced Live Translate is also starting to roll out. You can now leave your phone in your pocket and start translating using a gesture on the earbuds. Google says the Pixel Buds now work more seamlessly with the Google Translate app to make on-the-go translations easier.

To get these features, make sure you're running the latest version of the Pixel Buds app and look for firmware version release_6.144. You can also manually check for the update by heading to More Settings > Firmware > Check for updates.

And if you've been thinking about buying the Pixel Buds Pro 2, this might be a particularly good time. Thanks to the ongoing Amazon sale, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are currently $60 off, dropping from their usual $230 price to just $170.

So, not only are you getting them for considerably less right now, but Google has also made the Pixel Buds Pro 2 noticeably more capable with the latest software update.