Gaming

How to on fix Diablo 4 flickering issues on Xbox Series S

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If you are playing Diablo IV on Xbox Series S, you may end up encountering a bug where the lighting and/or shadows will flicker. It should look something like the following video (via Reddit user fond-of-hats):

Screen flickering on Series S
by u/fond-of-hats in diablo4

To see how you can fix this graphical issue, you can take a look at this troubleshooting article from Seeking Tech.

1. For the first potential fix, you can try playing the game with 4K and HDR disabled. In order to do so, you can try taking the followings steps:

  • Open the Settings menu of your Xbox Series.
  • Inside of Settings, you need to select General on the left side.
  • On the right side, you should then go to TV & display options.
  • From the General – TV & display options menu, you need to head over to Video modes.
  • Inside of the Video modes menu, make sure that the Allow 4K and Allow HDR10 settings are disabled.

Keep in mind that the game will look worse due to the lower resolution and lack of HDR if you decide to go with this method.

2. If you don’t want to remove 4K and/or HDR10, then you can try clearing the reserved space for Diablo 4. You can do so by taking the following steps:

  • Press the Xbox button to open the Guide menu. From there, move the cursor over to the Diablo IV icon and then press the Menu button. You can also do the same from the home screen of your Xbox Series S console.
  • In the pop-up window, select Manage game and add-ons.
  • From the Manage – Diablo IV menu, select Saved data.
  • In the Diablo IV- Saved data menu select Reserved Space.
  • Finally, select Clear Reserved Space.

3. The two aforementioned solutions should offer temporary reprieve. However, the flickering may still come back eventually. For a more permanent fix, the development team at Activision Blizzard will have to release a patch.

In this case, you should make sure that you have the latest version of the game downloaded as it may fix the flickering shadows and or lighting in the Xbox Series S version of Diablo 4.

How to fix Diablo 4 Untamed Thicket crashing and freezing issues

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When you try to enter Untamed Thicket for the first time in Diablo IV during Fangs of Corruption quest from Act 2: The Knife Twists Again, the game may end up crashing. This problem seems to be more common on the console versions of this action role-playing as it has been reported by players on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X systems.

To see how you can fix this freezing issue, you can take a look at this troubleshooting article from Seeking Tech.

1. When we encountered this glitch, we were able to fix it by completing another quest first by trying to go to Untamed Thicket.

So, if you have a side quest, then you can try to finish it beforehand. If you don’t have another quest available, then you should explore the surrounding areas until you can get one.

2. Disabling the cross play feature before you enter this location may stop the game from bugging out as well.

You can find this setting in the Social tab of the Options menu. If you disable crossplay from the in-game pause menu, then we recommend that you log out of your account and then log back in.

If you turned off this feature before you load your character, then go back into the game and then see if you are able to get through the entrance without any problems.

In both of these cases, you may also want to restart the game if the freezing still occurs. On the Series S or Series X, you need to quit the game from the Xbox Guide menu; otherwise, it will be put in a suspended state instead of rebooting.

Once you managed to get inside Untamed Thicket, make sure you re-enable crossplay if you want to play and trade with other players on other platforms.

To learn more about how you can disable the ability to play and trade with players on other platforms online in Diablo IV, you can take a look at this post.

3. Of course, you should also make sure you have the latest patch installed for Diablo IV as a new title update or hot fix may fix this crash. As we stated above, this is a common glitch affecting many players in the action RPG; therefore, the development team should be working on a solution as one of the top priorities.

What to do if the Diablo 4 action bar is not working

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When playing Diablo IV, you may notice that the action bar or skill bar may randomly stop working. While you may see your controller inputs being registered in the heads-up display user interface, your character may not respond to it.

To see how you can fix this specific control issue, you can take a look at this troubleshooting article from Seeking Tech.

1. The most common way to make the action bar work normally again is to try having a conversation with a non-playable character in the game that will give you multiple dialogue options.

Once you have finished your talk, the glitch should be fixed as you should be able to use your skills again.

2. If talking to the NPCs in the game does not work, then you can try logging out and then logging back into the game.

3. You can also try closing the software and then re-opening it.

If you are playing Diablo 4 on the Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X, then you should make sure that you remove it from the Quick Resume queue. Otherwise, the game will end up getting suspending instead of being closed.

In order to do so, open the Xbox Guide menu by pressing the Xbox button on your controller. Once you get there, move the cursor over to the Diablo IV icon and then press the Menu button. Finally, select the Quit option.

4. Restarting your PC or console may help as well since the control issues may be related to the operating system.

5. Make sure you have the latest patch downloaded and installed for Diablo IV. The action bar problems seem to be a pretty common bug that may likely get fixed in a future title update.

6. If you still can’t use your skills, then you can try using a different controller to see if your character will respond to your commands.

How to turn off Street Fighter 6 modern controls

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In order to be more accessible to causal players, Street Fighter 6 added Modern Controls as the default button layout. This combines kicks and punches as well as turn Dive Impact, Dive Parry and Special Moves into one button press actions instead of having to press a combination on buttons.

With that said, Modern Controls will limit the number of attacks that you can perform when compared to Classic control type. Not to mention that you will also do around 20% less damage on Special Moves.

If you find that this default layout is too limiting and/or causing you to lose matches, then you can check out this guide at Seeking Tech to see how you can disable it.

1. The controls in Street Fighter IV can only be changed outside of a match. So, if you are in a middle of the fight, you can either finish it or open the Pause Menu and then go back to the Mode Select screen.

2. Next, you need to open the Multi Menu from the Mode Select screen.

You can do so by pressing the Options button if you are using a DualSense/DualShock 4 or Menu button if you are using an Xbox One/Xbox Series controller.

3. In the Multi Menu, select Options.

4. After getting to Options, press the R1 or RB button on the controller to switch over to the Controls tab.

5. Inside the Controls tab, you can either select Player 1 Side Control Settings (Battle) or Player 2 Side Control Settings (Battle).

Select Player 1 Side Control Settings (Battle) if you prefer to start your matches on the left side of the screen or Player 2 Side Control Settings (Battle) if you prefer to start off on the right.

6. From the P1 Control Settings or P2 Control Settings menu, you should see the Control Type setting near the top.

With that setting highlighted with the cursor, you can use the directional pad or left analog stick to change to a different control type.

In addition to Modern and Classic, you can also switch over to Dynamic. For the uninformed, Dynamic offers even more simplistic controls when compared to Modern.

With that said, if you want the most roster moves and or damage potential, then we recommend changing the control type to Classic.

7. Once you are done changing the control type, press the Circle button on PlayStation or B button on Xbox to back out.

8. You should then see a Confirmation notification pop-up saying the following:

  • “End control configuration and save your changes?”

Here, you need to select the Yes option to save and apply the new controls.

If your changes weren’t applied, then you should make sure you did not mix up the Player 1 Side Control Settings (Battle) and Player 2 Side Control Settings (Battle) selection.

How to turn off commentary in Street Fighter 6

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A new feature introduced in Street Fighter 6 is audio commentary as you will hear play by play and color analyst talking about your match. This is done to mimic the eSports feel of this competitive fighting game. If you would like to turn off this setting instead, then you can take a look at this tutorial to find out how you can properly do so.

1. You can only disable the commentary from the Mode Select menu. Therefore, you should return to the title screen if you haven’t done so already.

2. In the title screen, select a mode that you want to play. In our case, we choose a “One on One” battle in the Versus tab.

3. You should then see a list of Battle Settings. At the top, you should find Commentary Settings.

4. Move the cursor over to Commentary Settings and then use the left direction pad, right directional pad, move the left analog stick to the left or move the left analog stick to the right in order to change it from On to Off.

Alternatively, you can press the Triangle button on a PlayStation controller or Y button on an Xbox controller with the cursor on Commentary Settings to open the small window menu. From there, you should to change the lineup of the play by play and color commentators. Furthermore, you can also customize the rally support volume and subtitle display.

Setting the Volume level to 0 from the Commentary Settings menu should also disable the audio comments during battles.

5. Afterwards, move the cursor down and select Next. You can then go on to start a match.

You should no longer hear any commentary when fighting a match in Street Fighter VI. The changes you made in the aforementioned Battle Settings should be applied across modes as well.

Recommended DualSense Edge settings for Diablo 4

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You can use the DualSense Edge to optimize your performance in Diablo 4. To find out how you are able to do so, you can take a look at this guide from Seeking Tech.

Custom Button Assignments

Diablo 4 features the following default layout when you are playing the action role-playing game with a DualSense Edge:

  • X: Interact or Use Basic Skill Set
  • Circle: Evade or Dismount when Mounted
  • Square: Use Core Skill Slot or Use Mount Combat Dismount when Mounted
  • Triangle: Use Skill Slot #1
  • L1: Use Potion
  • L2: Use Skill Slot #3
  • L3: Show Item Labels
  • R1: Use Skill Slot #2
  • R2: Use Skill Slot #4 or Spur Mount when Mounted
  • R3: Lock On Target
  • Up Directional Button: Open Action Wheel
  • Down Directional Button: Use Town Portal
  • Left Directional Button: Respond to Social Request
  • Right Directional Button: Use Mount
  • Touchpad: Map Screen
  • Options Button: Character Panel

Since we don’t like to press down on the left analog or right analog stick to use the L3 or R3 functions, we ended up assigning the back buttons of the DualSense Edge to L3 and R3 by using the Customize Button Assignments menu of the controller.

As a result, you can press the left back paddle to show item labels as well as the right back paddle to lock on to a target.

We also liked having our skill actions all in one place. So, we used the Controls section of the Options menu in Diablo IV to change L1 to use Skill Slot #1 and Triangle to use Potion.

Of course, you can change the button layouts in the game to your own liking.

Trigger Stops

When it comes to the L2 and R2 buttons, we recommend flicking the sliders located on the back of the DualSense Edge all the way down. By doing so, you will only need to press down on these shoulder buttons at a small distance in order to pull off the Skill Slot #3 and Skill Slot #4 actions much quicker.

To further adjust the sensitivity of these triggers, you can use the Trigger Deadzone menu of the premium controller.

Stick Sensitivity and Deadzones

If you feel that moving your character around in Diablo 4 does not feel as responsive as you would like, then you can use Stick Sensitivity/Deadzone menu of the DualSense Edge to adjust both the left and right analog sticks.

Analog Caps and Back Buttons Attachments

As for which analog caps and back button attachments you should use for Diablo IV, we recommend going with whatever combinations that make you feel the most comfortable.

For instance, you can use the larger back paddles if you have smaller hands or the smaller paddles if your hands are bigger.

Wired vs. Wireless

Finally, we recommend playing Diablo IV with your DualSense Edge connected to the system via an USB cable as this should lead to reduced input lag when compared to using wireless communication.

On the PlayStation 5 console, you should make sure that the Use USB Cable setting is enabled by going to the system’s Settings menu and then selecting Accessories > Controller (General) > Communication Method.

How to fix Street Fighter 6 screen tearing issues on consoles

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When playing Street Fighter 6, you may notice that part of the screen will start to tear. This is mainly due to the lack of a consistent frame rate. You can check out this guide at Seeking Tech to see how you can fix these graphical issues on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Digital Edition, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X consoles.

1. Based on our experience, screen tearing is really noticeable when you enable the Input Delay Reduction setting due to the lack of VSync. So, if you don’t mind the added input lag, then you can try disabling this feature.

In order to do so, you need to take the following steps:

  • To start off, you need to head over to the Options menu. You can do so in the Mode Select screen by pressing the Options/Menu button to open the Multi Menu and then select Options. Alternatively, you can select Options from the Pause Menu.
  • In the Options screen, use the L1/R1 or LB/RB buttons to change over to the Graphics tab.
  • After arriving at the Graphics tab, select Input Delay Reduction to set it from On to Off.

  • In the Confirmation screen, select the Yes option. The screen may go blank for a few seconds afterwards to apply the change.

2. If you are playing SF6 on the PS5, Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X, then you can keep the Input Delay Reduction setting enabled while also being able to remove the screen tearing problem. In order to do so, you will need a television set or gaming monitor that supports Variable Refresh Rate.

If you do, then you need to take the following steps:

  • Enable VRR support in the system menus of your TV or monitor.
  • On your PlayStation 5, open the Settings menu and then move your way towards Screen and Video > Video Output > VRR. Afterwards, set the VRR setting to Automatic.

  • On the Series X or Series S, open the Settings menu of the console and then go towards General > TV & display options > Video modes. From this screen, make sure that the “Allow Variable Refresh Rate” setting is selected.

VRR should help when it comes to small frame rate drops as it matches the screen’s refresh rate to the frame rate of Street Fighter 6.

With the PlayStation 5, the VRR range is 48 fps to 120 fps. The range is slightly wider on the Xbox Series consoles at 40 fps to 120 fps. Unfortunately, the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro do not support Variable Refresh Rate.

How to reduce Street Fighter 6 input lag on consoles

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You may notice that there is a bit of input lag when playing Street Fighter 6 on your PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Digital Edition, Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X console.

To see how you can reduce the latency in the sixth mainline installment of the iconic fighting series, you can take a look at this troubleshooting guide from Seeking Tech.

1. To start off, make sure that your console is connected directly to your television screen or monitor as the use of HDMI splitters and/or pass-through devices could end up adding extra input delay.

2. If you are playing this fighting game on a TV, then make sure you are doing so in Game Mode, Game Optimizer Mode or a similar picture settings. These modes are designed for playing videogames as they provide the lowest input lag possible.

Therefore, try to look for a way to change these settings in the system menus of your TV.

3. While you are looking at the system menus of your TV, we recommend that you turn off any settings that require A.I. and other extra processing as these may add to the latency. These could include upscaling, interpolation and auto HDR.

4. If your television set supports Variable Refresh Rate, make sure you enable it from the Settings menu.

On your PlayStation 5, you can then head over to the console’s Settings menu and then select Screen and Video > Video Output > VRR > Automatic. Unfortunately, the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 4 Pro does not support VRR.

For the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X, you need to open the system’s Settings menu and then select General > TV & display options > Video modes. From that menu, make sure that the “Allow Variable refresh rate” setting is enabled.

5. If you are playing Street Fighter VI using a wireless gamepad, then that communication method may add latency.

Therefore, you can try plugging in the controller to the console. The Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X should automatically switch over to using the wired communication method.

For the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 4 Pro, you need to go to Settings > Devices > Controllers > Communication Method and then select Use USB Cable.

On the PlayStation 5 console, you need to head over to Settings > Accessories > Controller (General) > Communication Method and then select Use USB Cable.

6. Street Fighter 6 also comes with an input lag reduction setting. You can find it by opening the Options menu and then switch over to the Graphics tab.

From there, set the Input Delay Reduction setting to On and then select Yes when the game asked if you want to continue as the screen will go blank for a few seconds.

7. The aforementioned Input Delay Reduction setting will work better if you have a television screen or monitor that supports 120 Hz.

If you do, then you need to go to the Settings menu of your PS5 and then select Screen and Video > Video Output > 120 Hz Output. Afterwards, make sure that set 120 Hz Output to Automatic.

On the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X, open the Settings menu of your console and then navigate towards General > TV & display options > Refresh rate. From the drop-down menu, select 120 Hz.

How to fix missing Street Fighter 6 Deluxe and Ultimate Edition content issues on PS5

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If you purchased the PlayStation 5 version of Street Fighter 6 Deluxe Edition or Street Fighter 6 Ultimate Edition, then you may not have received the extra contents that came with these premium versions. To see how you can fix this missing DLC issue, you can take a look at this troubleshooting guide from Seeking Tech.

1. Before we start, it is important to note that a lot of the extras include with the Deluxe Edition or Ultimate Edition won’t be available during the initial launch period.

For the uninformed, the Street Fighter VI Deluxe Edition comes with the Year 1 Character Pass, which includes four characters (Rashid, A.K.I., Ed and Akuma) and their costume color variations.

The Year 1 Ultimate Pass comes with two additional stages along with more costume customizations for the four DLC characters.

The aforementioned downloadable content will be released over the course of the first year after the initial launch of the game.

The only bonuses you should get right away during the launch of this fighting game are Drive Tickets.

To learn more about the differences between the SF6 Year 1 Character Pass and Year 1 Ultimate Pass, you can check out our comparison article.

2. If you aren’t able to unlock the Deluxe Edition or Ultimate Edition content you are supposed to get, then you can try restarting your PS5.

You can do so by pressing the PS button and then select the Power option located at the bottom of the Control Center quick menu. In the pop-up window, you can then select the Restart PS5 option.

Afterwards, open Street Fighter 6 to see if the bonuses show up.

3. If restarting your PlayStation 5 does not work, then you can try restoring the licenses of your PlayStation Network account by doing the following:

  • Go to the Settings menu of your console.
  • From there, you need to select Users and Accounts.
  • Inside the Users and Accounts sub-menu, select Other on the left column and then Restore Licenses on the right side.
  • On the Restore Licenses screen, select Restore.
  • After the restoration has been completed, open Street Fighter 6 to see if you are able to get your Deluxe Edition or Ultimate Edition extras to show up.

4. You can also try searching the PlayStation Store App on your PlayStation 5 for the Deluxe Edition or Ultimate Edition contents. Afterwards, try to download the extras and then immediately cancel it. By doing so, you may be able to get the bonuses to show up in Street Fighter 6.

5. Moreover, you can try using the PlayStation App or vising the official PlayStation Store website to see if you able to get the Deluxe Edition or Ultimate Edition contents from there.

6. If you are still having problems trying to unlock your bonuses then we suggest contacting the customer support team at either PlayStation or Capcom. They should have a record of your purchase and, therefore, be able to provide direct support for your problems with redeeming your rewards.

How to play Diablo 4 without PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold

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For the uninformed, it has been discovered that you are able to play Diablo IV with a PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold subscription after some initial confusion. To find out how to do so, you can take a look at this guide from Seeking Tech.

What can you do in Diablo 4 without PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold?

If you decide not to subscribe to PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold, you can still play through the entirety of the game by yourself as a single player or with two player via local couch co-op. You will also be able to see other players in the game.

Since Diablo 4 is an online only game, you still have to stayed logged into the game’s online server in order to keep playing. If you go offline, then you won’t be able to play at all until you are signed in again.

What can’t you do in Diablo IV without PS+ or Xbox Live Gold?

Without a PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold subscription, you won’t be able to join or create clans, form parties, online co-op, partake in player versus player battles, trade with another player as well as do other multiplayer activities.

If you want to participate in online activities, then you will need to subscribe to PlayStation Plus Essential, PlayStation Plus Extra, PlayStation Plus Deluxe or PlayStation Plus Premium on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 5 Digital Edition console.

If you have the Xbox version, then you have to subscribe to Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Live Game Pass Ultimate on the Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X.

How to play Diablo 4 without PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold

In order to play Diablo IV without a PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold subscription, boot up the game and then try to sign in.

You may see a message asking you to subscribe to PS Plus or Xbox Live Gold. Here, you need to select cancel to avoid buying a sub.

Afterwards, you may get another notification that shows the limitations of playing this game without Plus or Gold. You should then be able to continue to sign into your Battle.net account and load your save file without any issues.

Along with the PlayStation and Xbox consoles, Diablo 4 was also released for the PC platform. You do not need a subscription of any kind to gain access to the multiplayer features if you have the computer version of this action role-playing game.