Gaming

Laptops tend to get thinner every year, but is this really a good thing for a gaming system? We are not sure and the new Alienware x14 shows that a thin chassis requires compromises in terms of performance.

AMD made great progress in reigniting the CPU wars with its impressive and ongoing Ryzen series of processors. Intel finally caught back up with the release of its 12th Gen Alder Lake parts; however, recent leaks suggest that AMD's Zen 4 Raphael processors could give Alder Lake more than a serious run for the money.

A comprehensive comparison video analyzes the graphical and technical upgrades of Grand Theft Auto 5 on Sony's PS5, and illustrates that even the PC version of Rockstar's iconic open-world game can look worse in certain regards.

Elden Ring has just received a huge update that has left fans with mixed feelings due to the typical jumble of nerfs and buffs. While gamers get to grips with the latest additional elements provided by Bandai Namco, others have taken to hammering the walls repeatedly in the hope of discovering new hidden rooms. Elden Ring has sold over 12 million copies already.

Dell has announced the availability of new G-series monitors in the US and Canada. They include 32-inch variants with "fast IPS" panels, one of which is 4K/UHD and the other QHD and USB type-C enabled. They both support AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and fast refresh rates, although only one of them features HDMI 2.1.

FSR 2.0 offers temporal upscaling just like Nvidia's DLSS 2.0, but does not require neural network training so the technology remains open source and compatible with all GPUs on the market. As far as image quality is concerned, FSR 2.0 can be better than native resolution in some cases, but Nvidia's DLSS 2.0 still appears better overall. FSR 2.0 can also boost fps counts significantly (up to 2X compared to native resolution in performance mode).

Ubisoft has reportedly been hacked by the same group that was behind the recent attack on Nvidia - a group known as LAPSUS$. The game company has stated that no personal information was stolen; however, Ubisoft has also carried out a "company-wide password reset" as a measure of caution against the incident.

A new rumor about the Navi 33 GPU from AMD claims that the next-gen entry-level graphics processor will be able to match, and even outperform, the flagship Navi 21 chip from the Radeon RX 6000 series. In addition, the Radeon RX 7000 series will likely require much lower power draws than the GeForce RTX 40 lineup for high-performance usage.

NVMe storage has been around for 11 years now, but its raw performance is barely utilized in applications today. Microsoft intends to change this by introducing DirectStorage - a technology that is already doing wonders on the latest Xbox consoles. The first DirectStorage API version is now available for game developers and we should see the first compatible games in the near future.

Hisense has launched the Gaming TV Ace 2023 65E55H in China, a 65-inch TV aimed at gamers. Not only is the TV compatible with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X via HDMI 2.1, it can also play games at up to 240 FPS with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3000 or AMD Radeon RX 6000 series graphics card.

Reportedly, AMD is hoping to launch Radeon Super Resolution (RSR) this week. The technology is similar to FidelityFX Super Resolution 1.0 but is open to all games. FidelityFX Super Resolution 2.0 is on its way too and will debut simultaneously alongside Radeon Super Resolution.

The Total Graphics Power (TGP) figure for the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 has supposedly been confirmed. Apparently, it stands at a toasty 600 W, considerably higher than its Ampere counterpart. In addition, an astonishing figure of 800 W or more for the potential GeForce RTX 4090 Ti has also been suggested.

The Razer Blade 15 series has been utilizing the same chassis design for almost five years running. Despite the lack of any major physical changes between yearly models, the internal updates have nonetheless added up over time. If you have the original 2018 model, would it be worth upgrading to the 2022 model even though they look almost identical?

A refreshed Lenovo Legion 7i gaming notebook has turned up on a retailer site sporting big-budget specs for an unsurprisingly high price. The 2022 Legion 7i retains its predecessor's 16-inch form while updating the CPU and GPU components, bringing in Intel’s 12th Gen Core i9-12900HX processor and Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop chip.

Valve has shared most of the drivers necessary to run Windows 10 on a Steam Deck. Additionally, the company has confirmed that Windows 11 and dual-boot support are also in the pipeline, but neither officially work at present.

QD Display is one of Samsung's latest technologies that is starting to become available in the form of Dell's new Alienware AW3423DW 34-inch monitor, rated for ultra-low response times and high refresh rates. Now, SGS has endorsed these specs by conferring its Pro Gaming Verified certification on hardware with this new panel component.

The latest results of AMD's research in the domain of next-generation image upscaling technology for games will be presented at this year's GDC event. Is Team Red including dedicated hardware for image upscaling functions in the upcoming RDNA3 GPUs?

Philips has unveiled the Momentum 5000 27M1N5200PA, a 27-inch gaming monitor that launches alongside the Momentum 5000 32M1N5800A. Designed for 'fast-paced competitive gaming, the Momentum 5000 27M1N5200PA supports up to 240 Hz refresh rates at 1080p and 0.5 ms MPRT response times. The gaming monitor also features AMD FreeSync Premium to minimise image tearing and retails for £320.

The Momentum 5000 32M1N5800A is one of Philips' most expensive gaming monitors, priced at £760. While much more expensive than the Momentum 5000 27M1N5200PA, the 32M1N5800A has a 4K native resolution, a 144 Hz panel and is DisplayHDR 400 certified.

Embargo dates for the GeForce RTX 3090 Ti have leaked, a graphics card that NVIDIA teased in January at CES 2022. Unlike recent GeForce RTX 30 series releases, the RTX 3090 Ti's announcement, review and on-shelf embargo all end simultaneously. As such, the RTX 3090 Ti will be orderable right after NVIDIA announces the card later this month.

8BitDo has launched a new Xbox-style controller. The controller is available in black and white, with pro paddle buttons on the back. The device comes with software that enables you to customize parts of the controller, such as the sensitivity of the trigger buttons.

Some GeForce RTX 3080 Ti laptops are faster than other laptops with the same GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. Just like with many Max-Q laptops in the past, the often overlooked TGP values shouldn't be ignored when deciding between different gaming laptops based on performance.

AOC has unveiled the AGON PRO AG275QXL, a League of Legends-themed gaming monitor. The AGON PRO AG275QXL has a unique design and should have enough features to keep gamers happy. AOC has revealed the monitor's price for the Eurozone and UK, too.

Analogue has announced when it will be shipping the Analogue Pocket for Group A pre-orders. The retro gaming handheld is still available to pre-order for US$219.99, but new orders will not arrive until next year.

MSI has introduced the MAG Trident S 5M, a gaming PC that is slightly larger than an Xbox One X. The 2.6-litre machine offers up to a Ryzen 7 5700G APU, SO-DIMM RAM and upgradable storage, among other features.

Average prices for AMD Radeon RX 6000 series cards and boards from the Nvidia GeForce RTX 30 range have hit a 12-month low according to a new report. The data was taken from numerous German and Austrian retailers and could indicate that RX 6000 and RTX 30 series graphics cards may soon hit MSRP levels.

Twitch has announced new measures to ensure the safety of its service by barring individuals who frequently post harmful misinformation on the site. The company argues that these posts can be very dangerous. However, the platform remains committed to adapt the policy according to its experts.

MSI has confusingly given two different names for two laptop models that are essentially identical from a visual standpoint. In reality, there are notable differences between them to keep in mind especially if you plan on purchasing one.

Razer has presented the Huntsman Mini Analog, a 60% keyboard with Razer's in-house analog optical switches. The Huntsman Mini Analog is the first of its kind in that regard and sells for US$149.99 in the US.

The ONEXPLAYER mini is now available with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800U processor and two screen configurations, HD (1,280 x 800) and FHD (1,920 x 1,200). Both variants ship with 16 GB of DDR4 RAM and up to 2 TB of storage. Prices start at 5,299 CNY ($840).

Best Buy has an exciting deal on Asus' high-end ROG Zephyrus G15 gaming laptop. It is now on sale for US$1,899, US$300 lower than its asking price of US$2,199. Although it is almost a year old, the laptop is still a powerhouse and can hold its own for quite some time.

A year after launching Resident Evil: Village, Capcom announced that it will be adding official ray-tracing support to Resident Evil 7, Resident Evil 2, and Resident Evil 3. These enhanced updates will arrive on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

LG has lifted the lid on the UltraGear 48GQ900, a huge gaming monitor that will be available this summer. The UltraGear 48GQ900 features a 10-bit WOLED panel, along with modern I/O and a matte finish.

A super-thin and sleek gaming laptop can only be as portable as the AC adapter that comes with it. With the power-hungry Intel Alder Lake-H series, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, and RTX 3080 Ti now available, potential buyers will want to prepare for the accompanying bulky power bricks.

Some users have experienced stick drift issues with the Steam Deck. Posting videos on the subreddit r/SteamDeck, three users reported cursors moving on their own, both in-game and in the OS. Valve has now acknowledged the issue and deployed a fix.

Valve finally shipped its Steam Deck handheld console to users in early 2022. While handheld gaming PCs have existed for quite some time, the Steam Deck is in a class of its own and is setting the example for what a mobile gaming computer can look like.

AOC has unveiled the AGON AG344UXM, an ultra-wide gaming monitor that has a 3,440 x 1,440-pixel native resolution and 1,152 local dimming zones. The 34-inch gaming monitor also contains plenty of ports and peaks at 1000 cd/m² when viewing HDR content.

You can now stream games via Amazon Luna if you live in the US. Prime members can play some games for free, with a Luna+ subscription priced at US$9.99 (~€9.01) per month.

NVIDIA's DLSS source code leak didn't just spill secrets from NVIDIA; it may have also revealed that Nintendo is indeed working on a successor to the Nintendo Switch. While it's unlikely the Japanese gaming giant is gearing up to release a brand new console, wording in the DLSS source code leak hint that a revised or "Pro" version of the Switch is in the works.