Tutorials

How to gift PlayStation Store credits and games

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The PlayStation Store is the official shop for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition consoles. You can check out this guide to see how you can gift a friend or family member PlayStation Store credits and games. 

Can you gift PlayStation Store games? 

Unfortunately, there are currently no way to purchase a game from the PlayStation Store for someone else.  

While Sony previously allowed third-party retailers to sell voucher codes that can be used to redeem for digital games, the company has restricted these types of sales a few years back.  

So, if you want to give someone a game from the PlayStation Store, then you need to get creative. One of the ways you can do so is to give your friend or family member your payment info so that they can buy the game from the PlayStation Store. You can also sign into the PlayStation Network account of your gift recipient and then use your payment method to buy the game.  

If you don’t feel like exchanging sensitive information in order to gift digital games, then you can try gifting the other person PlayStation Store credits instead. 

How to gift PlayStation Store credits 

In order to gift PlayStation Store credits, you need to take the following steps: 

1. Before we start, it is important to note that there are two types of PlayStation Store funds that you can gift as you can choose between the PlayStation Store Gift Cards and PlayStation Plus Wallet Funds. 

Aside from branding, these two are virtually identically as they will add credits to the digital wallet on the PlayStation Store. Afterwards, the friend or family member can then use the credits to purchase games, DLC, subscriptions and other digital products from the same store.  

2. Next, you need to determine whether or not you want to get a physical gift card or digital voucher code.  

A voucher code is more convenient. If you are buying online, then the code will be sent to you right away through email. It also makes it easier for the gift recipient to copy and paste the code to redeem on the official PlayStation Store website.

On the other hand, a physical card makes sense if you want to personally hand over the gift to your friend or family member.  

3. If you decide to gift a voucher code for a PlayStation Store Gift Card or PlayStation Plus Wallet Funds, then you can forward the email you received from the retailer, which should contain the voucher code, to the gift recipient.  

If you got a physical card instead, then you can simply hand the card over. If that is not possible, then you can simply copy the voucher located at the scratch off section at the back of the card and then either text the code or send a photo of the code.

4. Once the gift recipient received the voucher code, they need to redeem it in order to add credits to their PlayStation Store digital wallet or app.

How to fix Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2.0 input lag issues on Xbox

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You may experience noticeable input delay when playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 on your Xbox console.  

To see how you can reduce latency for these Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X games, you can follow the steps laid out in this tutorial at Seeking Tech. 

1. The first step you can try is to make sure that your television set has a Game Mode, Game Optimizer Mode or similarly named mode activated.  

This is the best picture setting for playing games as it will lower the input lag. 

2. You should also make sure that you aren’t using any A.I. processing on your TV screen as these features may add latency. 

3. You are able to play Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 at 120 frames per second on the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X. By doing so, you will get a much smoother experience that should also result in lower input lag.  

To enable this mode, make sure that your television set or monitor supports a 120 Hz refresh rate. Afterwards, you need to go to the Settings menu of your Series S or Series X and then go to General > TV & display options. From the General – TV & display options menu, make sure you change the Refresh Rate setting to 120 Hz. 

While enabling 120 Hz will lead to less sharpness and visual fidelity, you should end up getting a faster input response. 

4. To further reduce input lag, you should also enable Variable Refresh Rate on your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X. If your TV or monitor supports this feature, then make sure you turn it on from the screen’s settings menus.  

On your Series S or Series X, you then need to go to General > TV & display options > Video modes.

From there, you need to check the “Allow variable refresh rate” box.  

5. If you are using a wireless Xbox controller to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 than we recommend that you plug the gamepad directly into one of the USB ports of your Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X console.  

This is because a wired connection should lead to a faster response when compared to wireless. 

6. The same logic should also apply to the internet connection. So, if possible, we recommend using a wired Ethernet cable to connect your Xbox online instead of using Wi-Fi.  

7. It is a good idea that you update the games, your console, your screen, as well as your controller. The new versions may come with improvements when it comes to reducing the input latency. 

8. If you are still experiencing a lot of lag, then you can try switching to another television screen or monitor. Some screens are better equipped at reducing latency when compared to others.

How to gift Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate  

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If your friend or family member has an Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, Xbox Series S and/or Xbox Series X, then you can try gifting them Xbox Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.  

To find out how you can properly give either of these two subscriptions, you can follow the steps laid out in this guide from Seeking Tech. 

What’s the difference between Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate? 

As we stated above, there are two versions of the Game Pass that you can gift.  

The ultimate version gives access to cloud streaming so that you can play games on other devices. There are also more games available than the normal version thanks to the inclusion of EA Play as well as PC titles. Since it also comes with Xbox Live Gold, we recommend gifting Xbox Game Pass Ultimate over Xbox Game Pass. 

You can find the benefits for both subscriptions below: 

Xbox Game Pass: 

  • Access to over 100 Xbox, Xbox One and Xbox Series games. 
  • Access to Day One releases from Microsoft Game Studios and other publishers. 
  • Exclusive discounts and deals.  

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: 

  • Access to over 100 Xbox, Xbox One and Xbox Series games. 
  • Access to Day One releases from Microsoft Game Studios and other publishers. 
  • Exclusive discounts and deals. 
  • Access to PC games. 
  • Play games from other devices via cloud streaming. 
  • Includes Xbox Live Gold. 
  • Includes EA Play. 
  • Free perks. 

How to gift Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate digitally  

If you want a fast and convenient way to gift an Xbox Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, then you can go the digital route. 

One of the methods of doing so is by using the Microsoft Store app or website by taking the following steps: 

1. Go to the Microsoft Store app or website on your preferred device.  

2. Next, you need to search for Xbox Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. 

3. On the product page of the subscription, you then need to select the gift box icon. If you hover over the icon, it should say one of the following: 

  • “Buy Xbox Game Pass as a gift.” 
  • “Buy Xbox Game Pass Ultimate as a gift.” 

4. In the Send Gift screen, you can then enter the email address of your friend or family member. You can also enter your name to let them know that it is you who are sending the present. 

5. Afterwards, go through the checkout process to purchase Xbox Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. 

6. The gift should then be sent to the email address of your friend or family member shortly afterwards. 

You can also purchase a digital voucher from a third-party online retailer like Amazon. Once the purchase has been made, the website should then send an email, containing the voucher code and redemption instructions, that you can forward over to your loved one. 

How to gift Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate physically  

If you want to physically gift Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, then you can simply purchase a physical gift card from any local retailer. The cards come with the voucher code and redemption instructions.

How to make it easier to see in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2.0

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You may find it hard to see enemies and other objects when playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0. To see how you can spot things easier in these games, you can take a look at this tutorial from Seeking Tech.  

1. To start off, open the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II launcher if you haven’t done so already.  

2. Next, you need to press the Menu/Options button while in order to bring up a menu that appears on the right side. 

3. You then need to press the R1 or RB button a few times to switch over to the Settings tab. 

4. Once you get to the Settings tab, you need to select Graphics. 

5. In the Graphics menu, we recommend that you do the following: 

  • Enable On-Demand Texture Streaming 
  • Disable World Motion Blur 
  • Disable Weapon Motion Blur 
  • Set Film Grain to 0.00 
  • Disable Depth of Field 
  • Enable FidelityFX CAS 

For FidelityFX CAS, you can change the intensity of the sharpening effects and then test it out in game. You can then make any adjustments in the slider to cater to your preference.  

You can also increase the field of view for the first- and third-person perspective in the Graphics menu. By increasing the FoV, you will be able to see more of your surrounding areas.  

6. Return to the Settings tab and then select Interface. 

7. From the Interface menu, you will be able to change how text is display on the screen.  

Furthermore, you will be able to customize the following HUD elements: 

  • Mini Map Shape 
  • Mini Map Rotation 
  • Horizontal Compass 
  • Crosshairs 
  • Crosshair Bobbing 
  • Hit Marker Visuals 
  • Damage-Based Hit Markers 
  • Player Names 
  • Vehicle HUD Prompts

You can also choose to disable tool and gameplay tips in the same menu. 

8. Go back to the Settings back once again and then head into Accessibility.  

9. From the Accessibility menu, you can add a color filter in order to the World Color Intensity. This may help make it easier to see enemies and other objects in Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0.  

10. We also recommend that you optimize the HDR output of the game. Otherwise, it may be hard to see in certain scenes.  

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 do not have any in-game settings where you can adjust its brightness. Therefore, you need to adjust HDR from your PC or game console. You can also try adjusting the brightness of your television screen or gaming monitor.

How to prevent motion sickness in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2.0

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When playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0, you may start getting a little motion sickness. To see how you can reduce some of the visual effects in order to make your dizziness and/or nausea go away, you can follow this tutorial from Seeking Tech. 

1. To start off, turn on your PC or console and then open the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 launcher. 

2. In the launcher, press the Options/Menu button on your controller to bring up the in-game menu. 

3. From the in-game menu, press the RB or R1 button several times to get to the Settings tab. 

4. In the Settings tab, select Graphics. 

5. After getting to the Graphics menu, we recommend disabling the World Motion Blur and Weapon Motion Blur settings from the Post Processing Effect section. 

6. In the same Graphics menu, scroll down to the View section.  

From there, you will be able to adjust the Field of View for the first- and third-person perspective. If you are getting motion sickness from the default FoV, then you can try increasing these settings to see if you can handle the wider angle better.  

7. From the same View section, we also recommend reducing 1st Person and 3rd Person Camera Movements in order to prevent the camera from shaking too much when you are playing Modern Warfare 2 and/or Warzone 2. 

8. Next, you need to return to the Settings tab of the in-game menu and then head to Accessibility.  

9. From the Accessibility menu, select All Accessibility Settings.  

10. In the next screen, make sure you are in the Display tab. 

11. From the Display tab, you should disable the Parallax Effects from the Interface section as doing so will disable the 3D background effects of the menu, which should help with preventing motion sickness. You can also add a Center Dot to the gameplay screen as doing so will help your eyes focus.

12. In the same screen, scroll down to the Graphics section. 

While a lot of the settings from the Graphics section are the same as the previous steps, there is also a new ADS Filed of View option that you can link or unlink to your 1st person field of view angle. 

13. If your television set or monitor has a 120 Hz refresh rate and/or adaptive sync support, then we recommend enabling these features. 

By doing so, you will get a smoother experience when playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0, which should help with your dizziness and/or nausea.

How to make it easier to see in God of War Ragnarök 

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God of War Ragnarök has a lot going on when it comes to gameplay. With the camera up close, it can be very hard to see the enemy, item as well as the location you need to go next.  

To see how you can make things easier to track in this PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 videogame, you can follow the steps laid out in this tutorial at Seeking Tech.  

1. To begin, you need to go to the Settings menu of God of War Ragnarök.  

You can do so by select Settings from the title screen. Alternatively, you can also press the Options button on your gamepad when playing the game and then select Settings from the Options menu.  

2. Inside the Settings menu, you need to select Text & Color. 

3. In the Text & Contrast section of the Text & Color menu, you will be able to change the text and icon sizes as well as enable a high contrast HUD. 

4. In the Color section, you can add a color filter as well as change the color of the user interface. 

5. In the High Contrast Display section, you can select between several high contrast presets. You can also customize the following individual elements to make them easier to see: 

  • Hero Color 
  • Atreus Color 
  • Boss and Miniboss Color 
  • Enemy Color 
  • NPC Color 
  • Target Color 
  • Interact Color 
  • Hazard Color 
  • Traversal Markings Color 
  • Background Color 
  • High Contrast Cinematics

 

6. Once you are done with the Text & Color menu, go back to the front page of Settings and then select Accessibility. 

7. From the Accessibility menu, scroll down to the Visual Assists section. From there, you will be able to adjust the following: 

  • Axe Reflect Visual 
  • Color Filter 
  • Controller Visualization 
  • UI Text Size 
  • Icon Size 
  • High Contrast HUD 
  • Reduce Flashing 

8. You can also use the High Contrast Display section in the Accessibility menu although it is the same as the one in the Text & Color menu. 

9. In the Subtitles and Captions section, you will be able to change the following settings: 

  • Subtitles 
  • Captions 
  • Direction Indicators  
  • Subtitle & Caption Size 
  • Subtitle & Caption Background 
  • Subtitle & Caption Blur 

10. In the Accessibility menu, we also highly recommend that you scroll to the Navigation and Puzzles section. From there, you can enable Navigation Assist. 

By doing so, the camera will show you which direction you need to go for your next object when you press the R3 button outside of combat. This can be very helpful if you are constantly getting lost in the game.  

How to prevent motion sickness when playing God of War Ragnarök

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When playing God of War Ragnarök, you may start to feel a little dizzy or nauseous. Thankfully, the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 game comes with several graphics and accessibility options that should help with motion sickness. 

You can check out this guide from Seeking Tech to see how you can adjust these helpful settings. 

1. To start off, make sure you turn on your console and open God of War Ragnarök if you haven’t done so already. 

2. Next, you need to go to the Settings menu in the game.  

You can do so from the start screen. If you are currently playing the game, then you need to press the Options button on the DualShock 4 or DualSense controller and then select Settings from the Options menu. 

3. Inside of Settings, select Graphics & Camera. 

4. From the Graphics & Camera menu, you will be able to reduce Motion Blur in the Graphics section. 

 

5. Furthermore, we also recommend changing the Graphics Mode to Favor Performance as the higher frame rate should make the game run smoother and potentially help reduce motion sickness. 

6. If your television or monitor set supports 120 Hz and/or Variable Refresh Rate, then we also recommend using these features to get even higher and smoother frame rates. 

7. You can reduce film grain and flashing lights as well in the Graphics section. 

8. In the Camera section of the Graphics & Camera menu, you will be able to adjust the rotation speed of the in-game camera. 

9. You can also use the Motion Reduction section in order to reduce the ambient camera sway and camera shake. 

10. Once you are done with the Graphics & Camera menu, return to the front page of Settings and then select Accessibility. 

11. Inside of the Accessibility menu, select Motion Reduction. Afterwards, you will be able to choose between the None, Some and Full presets. 

12. For further customization options, you scroll down to the Motion Reduction section of the Accessibility menu. From there, you will be able to adjust the following: 

  • Ambient Camera Sway 
  • Camera Shake 
  • Cinematic Smoothing 
  • Motion Blur 
  • Persistent Dot  

The Persistent Dot is helpful as it focuses your eyes towards the middle of the screen. You are able to change the size and color of the dot.  

13. After making any changes in the Settings menu, make sure you test it out in the game to see if additional adjustments need to be made.

How to fix Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 HDR issues on PS5

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When playing Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 on your PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 5 Digital Edition console, you may experience some issues with the HDR display. Some areas may look too dark while others may look a little too bright. The colors in general may look washed out as well. 

To see how you can get a better HDR output for this free-to-play game, you can take a look at this troubleshooting article from Seeking Tech.  

1. The first potential step you can try is to make sure that you have HDR actually enabled on your screen and console.  

On your PlayStation 5, you need to head over to the Settings menu. From there, you need to select Screen and Video, followed by Video Output. You should then make sure that you set HDR to “Always On” or “On When Supported” in the Video Output menu. 

2. On your television set, you should also make sure that you don’t have any settings enabled that may automatically dim the brightness output or change the contrast. If you do, then you need to turn them off. 

3. You can also try changing the RGB Range of your PS5’s output.  

In order to do so, go back to the aforementioned Video Output menu and then select RGB Range. This setting should be set to Automatic (Recommended) by default. You can try changing it to either Limited or Full to see if your HDR issues go away when playing Warzone 2. 

4. You should try re-calibrating the HDR Brightness on your console as well. 

To do so, head back to the Video Output menu and then select Adjust HDR. Over the next few screens, you then need to follow the instructions that appear on the screen in order to calibrate the brightness output of your console to match your television screen. 

5. There is a possibility that the HDR color and brightness output of your TV is not that good.  

If you believed that this is the case, then you can try playing Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 on a different television set or monitor with HDR support.  

If that is not possible, then you can try playing the game without HDR. In order to disable HDR on your PS5, go to the Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output menu and the set HDR to Off. 

6. Although you won’t be able to adjust the HDR brightness when playing Warzone 2, you should be able to add a color filter. To do so, you need to take the following steps: 

  • While playing the game, press the Options button on your controller. 
  • In the newly opened menu, press R1 several times to switch over to the Settings tab.  
  • From the Settings tab, press the Triangle button.  
  • After getting to the Accessibility menu, you need to select All Accessibility Settings.  
  • Next, you need to select Color Customization from the Display tab. 
  • From the Color Customization menu, select any of the available options in the Color Filter setting. 
  • In the Color Filter Target, select World. 
  • You can then adjust the World Color Intensity.  

How to refund PlayStation Plus 

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PlayStation Plus will unlock online multiplayer for paid games on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition consoles. If you need to get a full or partial refund for this subscription, then you can take a look at this tutorial from Seeking Tech to see how you can properly do so. 

PlayStation Plus refund requirements 

In order to get a full or partial refund on PlayStation Plus, you need to request one within 14 days of purchasing your subscription. Otherwise, it is likely that PlayStation will reject your request.  

Of course, the refund policy may be different depending on your region. This guide is based on the U.S. region. 

How much can you get refunded from PlayStation Plus? 

The amount you can get refunded back from a PlayStation Plus service depends on how you have been using the service. The following activities should count as usages: 

  • Playing multiplayer games that require PlayStation Plus  
  • Adding any monthly games offered by the PlayStation Plus Essential tier to your game library  
  • Adding any games offered by the PlayStation Plus Extra, Deluxe and Premium tiers to your game library 
  • Playing any games through cloud streaming from PlayStation Plus Premium tier 
  • Buying a game, DLC or other digital product that have a discount tied to being a PlayStation Plus member 
  • Using the cloud storage of PlayStation Plus 

So, if you have been using PlayStation Plus for a few days, then it is likely that you are only getting a partial amount refunded. If you haven’t used the subscription you bought yet, then you may be able to get a full refund.  

Keep in mind that, if you bought PlayStation Plus directly from the PlayStation Store and the subscription service got a discount within 14 days after your purchase, then you should be able to get a refund. The amount should be the difference between the amount you originally paid, the discounted price and how you were using the subscription before it was discounted. 

If you bought PlayStation Plus from a third-party retailer but haven’t redeem the voucher code, then you need to contact the retailer instead of Sony if you want to get a refund for your purchase. 

How to request a refund for PlayStation Plus 

In order to request a refund for PlayStation Plus, you can take the following steps: 

1. To start off, you need to visit the official PlayStation Contact Us webpage.  

2. From there, you need to select PS Store & Refunds. 

3. You then need to select PlayStation Store Refunds. 

4. Afterwards, select the Live Chat option. 

5. The customer support representative should then walk you through the rest of the refund process. 

6. If you managed to get a partial or full refund, then PlayStation will try to credit funds back to your original payment method. If that is not possible, then the company will send the refunded amount to the digital wallet of your PlayStation Network account.

How to gift PlayStation Plus

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PlayStation Plus is a subscription service. In addition to unlocking online gameplay for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, this membership will also give you full access to a select library of games. To see how you can gift PS Plus to a family or friend, you can take a look at this tutorial from Seeking Tech. 

PlayStation Plus tiers 

Before we start, it is important to note that there are four different PlayStation Plus tiers. 

PlayStation Plus Essential will give you access to a few games on a monthly basis to go along with online multiplayer. 

PlayStation Plus Extra comes with all the benefits of the Essential tier while also providing access to hundreds of additional PS4 and PS5 games. 

PlayStation Plus Premium includes all the benefits of the Essential and Extra tiers. It also features game trials, access to hundreds of classic games in addition to the ability to play over cloud streaming. 

PlayStation Plus Deluxe is only available in select regions. With this tier, you get all of the benefits of the Essential and Extra tiers. Aside from cloud streaming, you will also get the same benefits as the Premium tier.  

To learn more about these different PlayStation Plus plans that are currently available, you can check out this comparison article. 

Can you gift PlayStation Plus through the PlayStation Store? 

Unfortunately, there is currently no way that you can gift PlayStation Plus to someone directly by using the PlayStation Store. Instead, you need use a third-party retailer for gifting this subscription service.  

How to gift a physical PlayStation Plus card 

One of the ways you can gift someone a PS Plus subscription is by giving them a physical gift card.  

Sony is currently selling PlayStation Store Gift Cards and PlayStation Plus Wallet Funds at major retailers like Best Buy, GameStop, Target and Walmart. These cards should come with the voucher code and redemption instructions located at the back.  

We recommend using this method if you prefer using physical gifts instead of digital ones.  

How to gift a digital PlayStation Plus card 

If you don’t mind doing a digital gift, then you can purchase a voucher code through online retailers such as Amazon as well as the websites for the aforementioned Best Buy, GameStop, Target and Walmart. 

If you decide to use Amazon, for example, you can buy a PlayStation Store Gift Card and PlayStation Plus Wallet Fund voucher code. After the purchase, you should get an email that contains the voucher code with redemption instructions. You can then forward this email to the gift recipient.  

Both PlayStation Store Gift Card and PlayStation Plus Wallet Fund will add funds to the digital wallet of your family’s or friend’s PlayStation Network account. Once the funds have been redeemed, the gift receiver will be able to spend it on PlayStation Plus as well as other digital products (like games, DLC, microtransactions and other subscriptions) on the PlayStation Store.