Gaming

New trademark details for an Xbox Series X logo have been spotted, with the filing date being recorded as 16 April. The new logo is surprisingly simple, featuring the word “SERIES” running vertically by the side of a large “X”, which has been deliberately stylized in an incomplete form. It’s not yet known if Microsoft will actually use the logo with the Xbox Series X console.

AMD has introduced two new mainstream desktop processors in the Zen 2 lineup — the Ryzen 3 3100 and the Ryzen 3 3300X alongside the new B550 mid-range chipset. These CPUs are 4C/8T 65W parts and help fill the void in the US$100 to US$150 range. However, they face competition from AMD's own Ryzen 5 1600 AF and upcoming Renoir Ryzen 4000 desktop CPUs.

Razer further upgrades its gaming Ultrabook. The 2020 version of the Razer Blade Stealth is based on the same design as the 2019 model, but it gets a stronger GPU as well as a faster FHD screen panel.

Death Stranding's PC release date has been delayed due to a Kojima Productions employee testing positive for COVID-19. The developers' office has been shut down as a precautionary measure, and employees are now working from home. The game will be available for everyone to play on July 14th.

Nubia has launched its latest smartphone, the Play, during an online event today (April 21, 2020). This Snapdragon 765G device has a 6.65-inch screen with a refresh rate of 144 hertz (Hz). It has 8GB of RAM and a solidly mid-range price.

A fantastic fan-made concept design of the still unconfirmed Microsoft Xbox Series S console, also known as Lockhart, has been pleasing the members of the popular Xbox One Reddit group. The design, which has been compared with both the GameCube and the ill-fated Ouya console, has been applauded for its small size and “cute” looks.

First teased last month, the GPD Win Max handheld gaming PC is now official. The device is a remarkable hybrid of laptop and hand-held gaming console rolled into one with some pretty decent specs to back it up.

Global hardware sales figures for major consoles have been shared online, and it appears that the PlayStation 4 is still far and away the most popular console in the world at the moment. Over 325,000 units of the PS4 were sold in the sales week starting April 11, which is almost seven times as many Xbox One units that were sold.

Based on the desk terminal from Fallout 4, the project features a 3.5-inch display and a 3D printed case. The result looks great, in our opinion.

The high-end Asus ROG Maximus line-up is rumored to be back with Z490 support this time around. Their allegedly leaked product info sheet indicates that it has multiple SKUs, which have PCI-Express 3.0, gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1. They are also DDR4-4800 memory-compatible.

The AMD-only 2020 MSI Bravo series will supplant the 2019 Alpha series. The new Renoir CPUs and thinner chassis design should attract gamers on tight budgets that may have otherwise chosen an Intel-Nvidia alternative with GTX 1650 or GTX 1660 Ti graphics instead.

PlayStation 5 consoles will apparently start being assembled as part of the mass-production process in June. With the huge E3 trade event now cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, it has been claimed that there will be next-gen console or game showcases to fill the gap. PlayStation boss Jim Ryan wants the PS5 made globally available at launch time.

Holiday 2020 is gearing up to be a true battle of the console giants: PlayStation 5 vs. Xbox Series X. Gamers have been discussing specifications, components, power, exclusive titles, backwards compatibility and more to decide which console could be classed as the better prospect. But if Sony doesn’t take a hit on the initial PS5 console run then Microsoft could utilize its superior financial strength to make sure the XSX wins the next-gen console contest.

AMD may be impressing with its Renoir architecture, but Intel still has a stranglehold over the high-end laptop market. With NVIDIA seemingly reserving its RTX 20 SUPER GPUs for Intel-powered machines, they still may be the best bet if you are in the market for a high-end gaming laptop this year.

GameStop is running a big sale on pre-owned consoles, accessories, and games. The stars of the sale are pre-owned Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro consoles, which are going for US$229.99 and $269.99, respectively.

Microsoft has announced what could be its last limited-edition Xbox One X console before the arrival of the all-new Series X console late this year. The new Cyberpunk 2077 Limited Edition bundle comes with an elaborate design including bespoke controller and a copy of the game.

A reveal trailer for the game Observer: System Redux has been shared on YouTube highlighting “next-gen graphics”. However, a clip showing a graphics comparison between the original PC version and upcoming PlayStation 5 version has been met with mixed opinions from viewers, although there are glimpses of the PS5’s ray-tracing power on show.

Microsoft’s next major update to Windows 10 will land in May. The new update brings some useful features to users including Cloud reset as well as the much anticipated DirectX 12 Ultimate with improved raytracing support.

Lenovo's gaming brand Legion has become linked to an entry into the motherboard space. Apparently, it will kick things off in this vein with those for Intel Comet Lake and Comet Lake-S processors. This leak is based on images of boards with corresponding chipsets for both series.

On the look out for a new GPU that fits your small form factor PC? Well, the RX 5500 XT from ASRock could be your best bet. Packing 8 GB of GDDR6 VRAM running at 14 Gbps and a Navi 14 GPU that clocks up to 1,845 MHz, then RX 5500 XT Challenger ITX 8G should outperform those GDDR6 GTX 1650 refreshes.

Some PlayStation 4 consoles have reportedly been rendered inoperable by the latest software update. The 7.50 firmware allegedly forces some consoles into a boot loop. Other users state that their disk drives stopped working after installing the update.

A community project posted has turned a humble Raspberry Pi into a working Pipboy. Loosely based on the Pipboy 2000 MK VI, the project features a 3.5-inch display, a powerbank and a rotary encoder.

Say goodbye to names like the Legion Y540, Y545, Y740, or even the L340 or T490. Lenovo wants to use fewer numbers to be more comprehensible and clear-cut to potential buyers who may not be familiar with Lenovo's older naming convention.

Apparently, we now own advanced enough computers to smoothly run not only the original Crysis, but even a remastered version! Crytek will be updating the original title with new graphic elements, high-quality textures and native hardware ray tracing.

Normally, part of the object of a Raid Battle in Pokemon GO is that the player physically visits a Gym in order to take part in such an event. However, for those still under lockdown as a result of Covid-19, this is obviously impossible. Niantic will address this by rolling out new Remote Passes that can be used at home.

CD Projekt Red has once again commented on the highly anticipated Cyberpunk 2077. The company is likely to disappoint potential buyers of a next-generation console, though.

iQOO is currently setting its latest Neo-series smartphone up for launch on April 23, 2020. It has been through the AnTuTu benchmark beforehand, which reveals a decently high score as may be expected of a Snapdragon 865-powered device. It is also touted as having a 144Hz display, which may have come into play during this test.

Lenovo gets super serious with gamers by offering easy overclocking and voltage adjustments, vapor chamber cooling, surface temperature probes, 10th gen Core i9 CPUs, and the brand new GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q.

[Update: AMD Legion 5 will start at $759 USD] The AMD version will save you almost $100 over the Intel version, but it'll be missing a few GPU and display features in the process.

If the new Legion laptops are asking for too much, then the affordable IdeaPad can still net users the benefits of a 10th gen Intel CPU and the brand new GeForce GTX 1650 Ti without cracking the $1000 mark.

A new report has stated that Sony is considering a limited production run initially for the PlayStation 5. Apparently, 5-6 million units could be made available by March 2021, with the figure being affected by the cost of the console’s components that will in turn influence the eventual retail price. A high price would likely reduce demand for the PS5.

Although not a visual feast in the past, Minecraft finally gets ray-traced shadows, impressive reflective water, real-time caustics, and multiple atmospheric effects thanks to NVIDIA's RTX technology and the new levels that add a whole new level of depth and detail to the Windows version of this popular game.

NVIDIA originally launched the GeForce GT 700 series in 2013, but the Kepler architecture has returned seven years on. Released by Asus, the "new" GeForce GT 710 has 2 GB of GDDR5 VRAM, 192 CUDA cores, a 954 MHz base clock and four HDMI ports.

Will the new Nvidia GeForce Super Max-Q GPUs be any relevant in the laptop space? There isn't a lot of room and some performance overlap could be inevitable based on our benchmarks on almost 100 different GeForce RTX laptops already in the market.

Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and Journey are now free to download, no PS Plus required. Part of the Play at Home Initiative, the two games will be free from April 15 20:00 PDT through May 5 20:00 PDT. Sony has earmarked US$10 million to support indie developers, too.

HP is bringing 45 W Renoir processors to its OMEN 15 laptops. Spotted on benchmarking websites and support documentation, the 15-en0xxx will offer at least either the Ryzen 5 4600H or Ryzen 7 4800H. Multiple NVIDIA GPUs are likely in the pipeline too, with the GTX 1660 Ti having already been confirmed.

Simply NUC is trying its hand at 15.6-inch laptop models with the latest SNUC Book lineup developed in collaboration with Intel. Users can choose to add up to 64 GB of RAM, up to 4 TB of M.2 storage and may go with either a GTX 1660 Ti or an RTX 2070 Max-Q GPU. All variants are powered by Intel's i7-9750H CPU and come with a Thunderbolt 3 connector.

The next Apple TV refresh looks set to bring with it Apple’s next-generation A14 SoC according to a fresh rumor. Also on the cards is an Apple HomePod with a display along the lines of a Google Nest Hub and Amazon Echo Show after code examinations shows that Apple has switch to tvOS for the HomePod operating system.

GPD has been slowly drip-feeding general information and technical details about the upcoming Win Max handheld console lately. Images of the device’s motherboard have just been posted online and somewhat scant updates in regard to the price and campaign release for the handheld computer have also been offered.

Rumour has it that Nintendo is developing two new Switch models, with one having been spotted in new firmware. Previously rumoured to be using a custom NVIDIA Volta GPU, the model is said to be based on the Tegra X1+ instead. The device has a secondary display of sorts too, and may feature alongside a docked-only console codenamed Calcio.

The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 is now shipping and for as little as US$999.99. The Ryzen 7 4800H-powered machine has a 15.6-inch 144 Hz panel, but there is also the 17.3-inch A17 if you would like something larger.

The latest firmware update for the Nintendo Switch (version 10.0.0) brings a bevy of new features, including the ability to completely remap the Joy-Con and Pro controllers and the ability to transfer data (including games) from the Switch's internal storage to an SD card.

The covers and cases for games for the PlayStation 5 have become the latest design aspect of the next-generation console that talented fans have decided to focus on, with some settling for square-shaped concepts and others preferring a more rectangular approach to the all-important case design. Square-shaped cases for games were common with the original PlayStation.

International pre-orders for the earlier announced Nubia RedMagic 5G — successor to the RedMagic 3 and 3S — begin on the 4th of April, with the official release date set for the 21st of April. RedMagic is running a "blueprint" buying pre-order event, granting holders the right to purchase the device on launch and providing a discount.

Razer has lined up a treat for Pokémon fans with the launch of its new themed Hammerhead variant. Targeted specifically at the Pokémon crazy Chinese market, the new headphones will undoubtedly also attract interest from die-hard fans everywhere.

Lenovo is now linked to the release of a new smartphone that will be part of its iconic Legion gaming brand. A new, allegedly official, poster that indicates an unfeasible-looking charging rate for this device has found its way onto Weibo. However, it is at odds with the speed the OEM had mentioned earlier.

Capcom is reportedly working on a remake of Resident Evil 4. While few details are known, the success of the Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes have likely spurred Capcom to continue releasing remakes of its storied survival horror series.

The OPPO Ace2 has been introduced via live-stream in China today (April 13, 2020), as promised. The new Snapdragon 865-powered phone launched alongside the AirVOOC charger, a new accessory that supports 40-watt (W) wireless power. Its OEM also debuted new TWS earbuds at this event.

Vivo's iQOO sub-brand makes the Neo series of smartphones: gaming-focused devices based on flagship-grade Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. Now, the company has announced its 3rd generation. This phone will stand alongside the Red Magic 5G at the top of the current mobile display refresh-rate charts.