PS4 Outsells Xbox One for Eighth Consecutive Month According to August NPD

Sony's PlayStation 4 continues to exert its dominance over hardware sales in the US by coming out on top once again in August.

Following the official August NPD data released earlier today, Sony followed up with their own stats. And it doesn't come as a huge surprise that the PlayStation 4 has maintained its spot as the number one console. Guy Longworth, PlayStation Marketings senior vice president, wrote in a statement: "PlayStation 4 was number one in hardware sales for the eighth consecutive month and remains the cumulative leader for next generation game consoles." He also added, "For the third consecutive month, PlayStation was number one in combined home console hardware sales (PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3). It follows that Sony also performed strong on the software side. Longworth pointed out that both Madden NFL 15 and and Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Ultimate Evil Edition "had their strongest sales on PS4." And regarding first-party, The Last of Us Remastered was the "top selling first-party title in August."

Kinect-Powered Gears of War RTS Footage Appears

Gameplay footage for the reportedly canceled real-time strategy game, Gears of War: Tactics, has emerged, showing off the popular shooter series in a totally new light.

VG Leaks has obtained a two-minute video for the game, which supposedly used Microsoft's Kinect camera to allow players to direct their troops and call in airstrikes. In this alpha version, you use your finger to draw through the air to tell your troops where to go and how to attack.

The same site obtained the first screenshots for Gears of War: Tactics back in 2013, speculating at the time that the game had shifted from Xbox 360 to Xbox One. We can't embed the video footage, so you'll need to visit VG Leaks to see the footage.

It is unclear if Gears of War: Tactics is a different name for Gears of War: Exile, another Kinect-powered game that Epic Games confirmed in 2012 was canceled.

Microsoft acquired the Gears of War franchise from Epic Games earlier this year for an undisclosed sum. Black Tusk Studios, a division of Microsoft, is currently working on a new Gears of War title, presumably for Xbox One. Veteran Gears of War producer Rod Fergusson is heading up development on the game, whichisn't anywhere near release.

Apple iPhone 6 preorders begin overnight

iPhone fanatics, take note: Apple is accepting online preorders for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus beginning at midnight Pacific time (3 a.m. Eastern) on Friday, Sept. 12, CNET reports.

Wireless carriers AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile will take preorders on their websites beginning at the same time. Major retailers are also accepting preorders on Friday, and Target is offering a trade-in discount for swapping in the iPhone 5. Details of all the options are available on CNET.

Those who don't mind holding onto their old devices a little longer can get their hands on the newest models in Apple retail stores beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 19.

Apple's New Watch

On September 9, 2014, Apple finally unveiled its long-rumored wearable device, the Apple Watch, aka Watch. While many expected the wearable to be called the "iWatch," Apple actually opted to use the Apple symbol () followed by "Watch" for the device's name.

The Apple Watch is designed to be both functional and fashionable, available in two sizes of 38mm and 42mm (1.5 and 1.7 inches), with six different casing materials and six separate interchangeable band options. Organized into three separate collections, from the simple "Sport" to the high-end luxury "Edition," the Apple Watch has been created to appeal to a wide range of tastes. Prices for the device, which will be available in early 2015, start at $349.

Designed with either an ion-strengthened or flexible sapphire display (depending on model), all of the Apple Watches include an HD Retina screen, sapphire-covered sensors built into the zirconia backing, and an NFC chip to allow the devices to work with Apple's new Apple Pay mobile payment service.

Apple Watch's interface, much like its exterior, has been created with end-user customization in mind. Apple has designed several unique watch faces that users can choose from, featuring traditional watch designs, whimsical characters, animated images, and more, all of which are "extensively customizable." According to Apple, one Apple Watch can have millions of different appearances. Apps on the device are organized into a unique cluster design for quick and easy access.

 Sony reveals new Silver Wired Headset.  

Sony has revealed a new official PlayStation headset, the Silver Wired Headset for PS4, PS3.

Due out 'this fall' (autumn) for $69.99, the unit will differ from the current range of PlayStation headphones with its wired connection and extended microphone input. 

Like other models, the Silver Wired Headset will use Sony's official 'virtual surround' software to create a claimed 7.1 surround sound effect, and is compatible with the free Headset Companion app (downloaded via the PS Store) which lets you load it with game-specific custom sound profiles.

It will also have a universal 3.5mm jack for use with the Vita and other generic audio devices.

Samsung Prices Gear VR Headset: $200 (Plus Smartphone)

Virtual reality—once that thing that you might be able to check out on a huge, bulky headset at the local arcade—is slowly transitioning to the living room, thanks to a number of headsets in the works by everyone from Oculus VR to Sony.

We've already teased what Samsung's been up to lately: partnering up with Oculus, the very makers of the Oculus Rift headset, to release its own virtual reality headset. The headset itself is built around the Galaxy Note 4 smartphone. Which is to say, it requires it—the smartphone snaps into the Samsung Gear VR and two built-in lenses focus one's vision onto the Galaxy Note 4's screen.

It's an ingenious concept for a kind-of "homemade" virtual reality setup—one that doesn't require a connection to a desktop or laptop computer to work, that is. And until today, we had no idea how much the Samsung Gear VR was going to cost, nor whether it would be sold in the U.S. (or when).