Gaming

There have been heightened concerns recently following a discovery that standing PS5s may be prone to liquid metal leakage and eventual console failure. However, the original report has been now retracted as it was a misunderstanding of tweets from French repair shops. The problem can occur only if the PS5 has been manually dismantled affecting the liquid metal barrier and normal use in any position should pose no issues.

The Pulse GL76 excels in the big three: CPU, GPU, and display all for a reasonable price. A lot of extras features are missing, but they're not deal breakers for most gamers on a budget.

The powerful RTX 3070 Ti configuration of the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro comes with a decent 165Hz QHD display and a quick AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU, which arguably makes this 16-inch gaming laptop a good purchase at US$1,439.

New details about the supposed modular PS5, which could end up being some sort of PlayStation 5 Slim console, have been shared by Tom Henderson. Unfortunately, the latest information about the potential 2023 PlayStation 5 revision with a detachable disc drive (PS5 Gen 2) is likely not going to please fans.

ComputerBase tested AMD's Adrenalin 22.12.2 drivers to see if power efficiency has improved in any way. As mentioned in the driver notes, 4K video playback now draws less power, but it is still higher compared to RDNA 2 cards, or even RTX 4000-series cards. A pleasant surprise, though is the significantly reduced power draw for games running at fixed frame rates.

The RedMagic 8 Pro is on track to become the only Android smartphone with a truly edge-to-edge display and the new top-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC on the international market in 2023. It is also touted to offer an improved design and advanced cooling on its late-January debut. It also ships with a relatively huge battery - albeit, as its latest teaser reveals, with caveats.

Amazon has reduced a popular ASUS TUF Gaming F15 configuration, taking the machine below US$1,000. The TUF Gaming F15 combines a Core i7-11800H with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, plus a 90 Wh battery and a 15.6-inch display.

WB Games has revealed the minimum system requirements for Hogwarts Legacy, which include a Core i5-6500/Ryzen 5 1400, GeForce GTX 960/Radeon RX 470, 16 GB RAM and 85 GB hard drive space. The game is up for pre-order now and will be playable on February 10.

Released back in March 2019, Tom Clancy's The Division 2 allows the player to lead a team of elite agents against the forces of evil in a fight taking place in a post-pandemic Washington DC. The 70% deal brings the Standard Edition of the game down to US$9, while the Warlords of New York Ultimate Edition is now available for US$24.

The next major PlayStation 5 update version 7.00 will finally bring the highly-anticipated Discord integration, according to sources familiar with the matter. It will also let PS Plus Premium subscribers save precious hard drive space by allowing them to stream PS5 games off the cloud. The update should roll out to consoles worldwide in March 2023.

Thanks to the ongoing "MIDWEEK MADNESS" deal, NBA 2k23 is now available on Steam for just US$20.99. However, those also interested in playing golf can (allegedly) take advantage of the PGA Tour 2K23 X NBA 2k23 Bundle, which is available for US$79.99. Lastly, NBA 2K23 Michael Jordan Edition is now US$49.99 (50% off).

Razer's extremely sensitive wireless gaming mouse, the Basilisk Ultimate, comes with RGB illumination, a practical charging dock and a significantly discounted price tag of currently US$69 at the reputable US retailer Best Buy.

With the introduction of the IMG DXT GPUs, Imagination wants to enable ray-traced graphics for all smartphone users, regardless of budget. The updated Photon ray tracing architecture can scale from half a ray acceleration cluster for entry-level mobile SoCs to a 4-cluster design for the premium handhelds.

With an Amazon list price of US$2,599, the MSI Raider GE77 HX 12UGS-004 carries a lower US$2,199.99 price tag on MSI's website. Thankfully, this 17.3-inch gaming laptop with i7-12800H X and 3070 Ti inside can be acquired now from both locations for US$1,999.99, which translates to a generous 23% discount for Amazon users.

Some hints in the Xbox store suggest Microsoft could bring Ubisoft Plus to Xbox consoles in the next few days. It comes nearly a year after Ubisoft said the subscription service would be available on Xbox.

The gigantic 48-inch display from LG is arguably one of the prettiest OLED gaming monitors on the market, and thanks to a current deal, the UltraGear 48GQ900 can now be ordered for one of its lowest sale prices to date.

No less than 48 unrepairable RX 6800 / 6900 graphics cards popped up over the past 3 weeks at a German GPU repair service. All these cards were running on the latest Adrenalin driver, but the driver alone is probably not the culprit here, as some of the cards also exhibit a cracked GPU die.

Microsoft has announced Developer Direct, an event where it will show off various titles coming to Xbox/PC and Game Pass in 2023. Starfield will not be a part of the demo as the company plans to showcase it at a different time.

AMD's official product page for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, Ryzen 9 7900X3D and Ryzen 9 7950X3D confirms the processors will be launched on February 14. Unfortunately, their prices continue to remain unknown. Update: An AMD spokesperson has confirmed the processors will not launch on February 14, but at an unspecified date in the same month.

Asus will be moving away from the awkward soldered and removable hybrid approach on some Zephyrus models moving forward. The new Zephyrus M16 models will instead have 2x SODIMM slots for more freedom in end-user upgradeability.

Prices for the XMG NEO 16 (E23) GPU upgrade options have been revealed, and those wanting an RTX 4080 or RTX 4090 laptop need to be prepared to pay a small fortune. The NEO 16, which is so powerful it comes with a liquid metal cooling system, starts at a price of €2,199 (US$2,362) for a system with an RTX 4060 GPU and Intel Core i9-13900HX CPU.

Lenovo may have cancelled the Legion Play, but prototypes are selling in China. The leak confirms Lenovo Legion Play specifications and that prototype units were in a near retail state.

The MSI G321Q is one of the company's latest gaming monitors. Revealed alongside the MAG321QR-QD, the MSI G321Q has a 32-inch IPS display, a 1080p native resolution and a 170 Hz refresh rate, among other features.

MSI has presented the MAG321QR-QD, a 32-inch and 1440p gaming monitor that also has a 170 Hz refresh rate. Offered with a USB hub, the MAG321QR-QD supports MSI's new console mode and is VESA DisplayHDR 400 certified.

Although it lacks height adjustment and uses a TN panel, its 1 ms response time and 75 Hz refresh rate make the BenQ GL2780 an attractive choice for gamers on a tight budget. The ongoing discount (on both Amazon and BenQ's website) brings this FHD 27-inch monitor to US$149.99, 29% down from the list price of US$209.99.

Dell has unveiled the Alienware 500Hz Gaming Monitor (AW2524H), a 24.5-inch Fast IPS monitor that outputs at up to 500 Hz. The AW2524H will do battle with the ROG Swift Pro PG248QP, which ASUS claims can reach 540 Hz. Dell will start selling the Alienware 500Hz Gaming Monitor internationally by the end of this quarter.

Released in mid-2022, the Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 is a 32-inch curved gaming monitor with 4K UHD resolution, 165 Hz refresh rate, and 1 ms response time. With a US$1,299.99 list price, it is compatible with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-Sync. After Amazon's 23% discount, its price is US$999.99.

A report from Winfuture.de says the PlayStation 5 will soon be purchasable with an extra controller in the box. The bundle is expected to hit shelves sometime in January 2023.

With an impressive refresh rate of 165 Hz and 1 ms GtG response time, the Dell G2722HS gaming monitor also sports a 99% sRGB color gamut and comes covered by a 3-year advanced exchange service and premium panel exchange limited warranty. With an estimated value of US$279.99, the G2722HS is now available from Dell US for just US$149.99.

The budget-friendly wireless gaming mouse made by the reputable periphery manufacturer Logitech has returned to its lowest sale price yet on Amazon, where the G305 Lightspeed can now be purchased for US$29.

The Steam Winter Sale is over but that doesn't mean the discounts have stopped. Steam is kicking 2023 off with a bang, offering plenty of great games at reduced rates. Here are four discounted titles that shouldn't be missed.

RedMagic has sent out a survey to gauge the interest of its fans in its hardware, its growing line of PC gaming hardware as well as its flagship Android smartphones included. The Nubia subsidiary may have let a clue as to a new addition to the former slip in the process: a first-gen TV. It may or may not be joined by new peripherals from the brand.

MSI's high-end gaming notebook impressed us with its neck-breaking CPU performance and one of the most beautiful OLED displays on the market, which makes it an easy recommendation for affluent gamers who don't like to wait for the upcoming release of RTX 4000-powered machines.

TCL has come to CES 2023 to put its latest developments on show, its potentially advantageous inkjet-printed OLED, high-PPI LCDs for VR headsets and extendable-display tablet included. It has also hinted at upcoming gaming technology in the form of a huge, high-refresh-rate 1G1D-pixel TV.

Available since late October 2016, Sid Meier's Civilization VI has received a rich set of expansion packs and updates. Even now, the game remains in active development. Those interested can grab it for an impressive 90% discount that applies to the base game while the 19-item Anthology package is available for 86% off.

After releasing NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 and RTX 3080-based Noctua Edition graphics cards, Asus and Noctua are now giving the same silent treatment to the RTX 4080. The new Asus GeForce RTX 4080 Noctua Edition integrates two Noctua NF-A12x25 fans alongside an optimized heatsink and vapor chamber.

It has been forecast that a potential Nintendo Switch 2, or next-generation Nintendo console, could be on the shelves by 2024. A global entertainment business analyst with a decent track record for game and console-related predictions believes that the current Nintendo Switch will soon be “entering the later stages of its life cycle”.

Intel may be preparing to do a refresh of the Arc Alchemist later this year according to a leaked Intel GPU roadmap posted by serial hardware leaker RedGamingTech. Additionally, Intel is apparently readying Arc Battlemage for release in Q1/Q2 next year.

December was the biggest sales month for the PlayStation 5 gaming console ever, as Sony gradually resolved the component supply chain issues that have been plaguing it since launch. According to Sony's Jim Ryan, from now on 'everyone who wants a PS5 should have a much easier time finding one at retailers globally.'

The Anbernic RG35XX is another vertical-orientated retro gaming handheld available at a relatively affordable price. The RG35XX has a 3.5-inch display, a 2,100 mAh battery and comes in three colourways.

ASUS has exhibited the ROG Swift PG32UQXR, a 32-inch gaming monitor with a few elements to set it apart from its contemporaries. Not only does the monitor rely on Mini LED backlights for high peak brightness, but also DisplayPort 2.1 connectivity, among other features.

ASUS has debuted the ROG Swift Pro PG248QP, a monitor that builds on last year's ROG Swift 500 Hz. While the ROG Swift 500 Hz will never come to fruition, the ROG Swift Pro PG248QP delivers a peak 540 Hz refresh rate across its 24-inch E-TN panel. The ROG Swift Pro PG248QP supports NVIDIA G-SYNC too, among other features.

Lenovo has announced the Legion Tower 5/5i desktop computers with AMD Zen 4 and Intel Raptor Lake processors. When they come to the market in March, the PCs will feature up to an RTX 4070 Ti, the latest desktop GPU from Nvidia which is a re-badged RTX 4080 12 GB.