Apple : Equinix closes some European data centers as coronavirus crisis hits |
- Equinix closes some European data centers as coronavirus crisis hits
- Where to buy a webcam: these retailers still have stock
- Best Buy's online sales: cheap deals on 4K TVs, Beats headphones, laptops, and more
- Remote working: five steps to getting the best from remote teams
- Best webcams 2020: top picks for working from home
- Making secure login accessible to all: Q&A with Yubico
- iFixit is crowdsourcing repair information for hospital equipment
- Xbox Series X release date, specs, design and launch titles for the next Xbox
- This iPhone 11 Pro Max deal offers unlimited EE data at a surprisingly low price
- PS5 release date, specs, news and features for Sony’s PlayStation 5
- AMD Navi release date, news and rumors
- AMD Ryzen 4000 release date, laptops and specs: everything we know about AMD's next CPUs
- Best home printer 2020: top versatile printers for use at home
- Intel Comet Lake release date, news and features
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 release date, price and specs: all the RTX 3080 rumors
- Get a Now TV stick with three different passes for just £29.99 - courtesy of Very
- Intel Ice Lake release date, news and features
- Best monitor 2020: the top 10 monitors and displays we’ve reviewed
- Get the cheapest broadband deal in the UK, courtesy of the Post Office
- Half-Life: Alyx is a watershed moment for virtual reality
| Equinix closes some European data centers as coronavirus crisis hits Posted: 23 Mar 2020 02:39 PM PDT To prevent the coronavirus from spreading at its facilities, Equinix has decided to close its data centers in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. As part of the company's coronavirus protection measures, “visitors, customers, customer contractors and non-critical Equinix Vendors will not be permitted to enter the IBX facilities” in those European countries. At Equinix's other data centers around the world, entry will be by appointment only though customers have been asked to “limit appointment requests during this unprecedented situation for only the most urgent and critical work”.
President and CEO of Equinix, Charles Meyers reassured customers that its data centers will remain operational in a letter to customers, saying: “We have activated our business continuity plans with the goal of ensuring seamless operations throughout this situation, including provisions for ensuring all data centers remain staffed and fully operational and that our IBXs are equipped with the necessary equipment and supplies.” Smart HandsInstead of having customers come in and move their own equipment around its data centers, Equinix's “Smart Hands” service has its employees install customer equipment instead. While the service comes at an additional cost, the company “will evaluate fee waivers for our Smart Hands service on a case-by-case basis” for business-critical requests that customers cannot afford. Equinix's warehouses will also be closed and customers will not be allowed to pick up any incoming equipment. Instead, the company's staff will do the job and move any new equipment to customers' racks or to a holding bay. In its advisory on the matter, the company explained that “secure cabinet customers will also be able to continue to receive shipments at the IBX”. This is good news as hyperscale clouds, such as AWS, rent secure areas in Equinix's data centers. The company's conference rooms will also be off-limits due to these measures and no more than five people per party are welcome to visit its data centers. Everything these visitors touch, such as door handles, will be disinfected to prevent the virus from spreading.
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| Where to buy a webcam: these retailers still have stock Posted: 23 Mar 2020 01:58 PM PDT When you have to work from home, the capability to have an effective video conference is extremely important. And, while a lot of folks may have laptops that have a built-in camera, the best webcams can boost video quality so much that they're essential for anyone having regular video calls. However, now that the Covid-19 crisis has driven so many people to work from home, supply is running out. Understandably, a lot of people are scrambling to get their hands on a solid webcam so they can keep doing their jobs, even if they have to be remote. If you're scrambling to get your hands on a solid webcam, however, don't worry – they're definitely still out there, even if they're not quite as easy to find. Luckily, we here at TechRadar are online shopping pros, and we've found the retailers that still have solid webcams on sale and gathered them all up down below. Just keep in mind that because webcams are moving so fast, there are certain models that may sell out super quickly. We’re currently updating this for the UK market as well, as we’re seeing stocks move super quickly. Check our our best webcams piece to see the current range and find out which are still in stock in your areas. Where to buy a webcamWe scoured the web to find the webcams that still have stock available to buy right now. Because the nature of online shopping, however, we'll likely see some of these sell out in the meantime. Some of these webcams are on backorder right now, but if you do buy one that's affected you should still be able to get it in about a week. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best Buy's online sales: cheap deals on 4K TVs, Beats headphones, laptops, and more Posted: 23 Mar 2020 01:32 PM PDT If you're looking for the latest Best Buy online sales, then we've got you covered. We've rounded up Best Buy's top deals which include price cuts on 4K TVs, headphones, laptops, appliances, and more.
Best Buy deals:You can also see more of the best cheap TVs: great 4K TV deals and sales that are happening online and the best cheap laptop deals. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Remote working: five steps to getting the best from remote teams Posted: 23 Mar 2020 01:00 PM PDT For a number of years remote working has been on the rise, particularly as people have embraced the freedoms provided by technology to roam across the globe whilst staying connected back home. However, for the majority of office-based workers, the option to work remotely has been an occasional, and mostly voluntary, treat. In light of recent global events, and the possibility of millions of staff now being asked to work remotely, it’s critical that businesses understand how to keep a newly isolated workforce safe, engaged, and able to succeed in their roles. As we begin to tackle the challenges emerging each day, here are some tips to manage your teams effectively from day one: Communicate, communicate, communicateCommunication should always be at the heart of your management strategy, but this takes on a particular importance in times of uncertainty. It’s vital that remote workers feel connected and informed; whether that’s your CEO hosting a weekly video briefing for the whole company, or one-to-one line manager catch-ups over the phone. Along with providing updates on business and strategy-related matters, it’s also worthwhile communicating positives to your team wherever you can. Perhaps it's a team member’s work anniversary, or the successful completion of an ongoing project. During these testing times it’s more important than ever to recognise success and to uplift team spirit where you can. Business as (mostly) usualOne of the biggest challenges to supporting a remote workforce can be the change in routine and lack of organisational structure. For many people, the disruption caused by extended periods of remote working can prove unsettling, and it’s important that team leaders retain as much normality as possible. Where appropriate, regular meetings should go ahead as planned, and the day-to-day schedule kept largely the same. For those with 9 to 5 hours, retaining the usual working patterns and setting clear boundaries can help to ensure that employees know when they can switch off, and feel less pressure to be constantly available and on the clock. Remote working shouldn’t be allowed to drift into 24/7 working, so it is important to keep to structured work hours as much as is practical. Offer increased flexibilityThat said, businesses will also need to adjust for the fact that people may have new commitments on their time, whether it’s childcare, caring for a sick relative, or other priorities. Remote working can allow managers to offer bespoke hours for those who need it, and this can be a huge weight off the shoulders of an already stressed employee. For some people, flexible remote working actually plays to their strengths, with remote working participants in one US study reporting a 78% increase in productivity and focus. Agree parameters to your teams’ flexible work schedules so that everyone knows when their colleagues are working and when they’re not, which will help to ensure people don’t feel pressured into presenteeism. Adjust expectationsConsidering the current events, it’s completely understandable for employees to be performing at a suboptimal level. The new challenges thrown up by remote working, along with added financial and emotional pressures are likely to result in reduced performances and stress. Leaders must remember this when scheduling reviews and performance management during this time. The onus for success lies with both team members and managers, and leaders must reassure staff that they have their complete support for whatever they need to succeed. This could be by offering meditation sessions, a personalised work plan and extended deadlines, or a session with a coach or mentor to discuss next steps and increase confidence. However you choose to rate progress, taking a compassionate and measured approach will help you to get the best out of your staff and to ensure their ongoing wellbeing. The human touchAs an increasing number of countries go into various stages of lockdown and quarantine, it’s crucial to help staff who may be struggling with feelings of isolation and loneliness. A quick call instead of an email or instant message can help to alleviate these feelings, whilst reducing issues stemming from the lack of social cues we rely on each day, such as tone of voice and body language. We live in a world filled with technologies that help us to stay in touch with each other, and it’s important to remind ourselves that at the end of every email sits a real person at a computer, with the same worries, fears, and emotional needs as us. Where possible, businesses should encourage video calls over phone calls, and phone calls over instant messages. Digitalised HR resources, such as digital coaching and employee feedback solutions, can help manage employee well-being and mentoring processes in difficult, or remote, situations. Tech products can be the answer to so many problems, but there is often no substitute for adding a human touch. The most important thing for businesses to remember in this unprecedented context is that there is much more to life than the bottom line. Employees are people, with their own individual needs, concerns, and situations, and we must all remember to show kindness in our common humanity. While remote working can feel impersonal and isolating, with the right kind of tailored and personalised approach we can make sure that staff continue to feel supported, engaged, and able to go on with their jobs in a safe and considerate environment. Juliane Sterzl is Vice President UK&I at CoachHub This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best webcams 2020: top picks for working from home Posted: 23 Mar 2020 12:55 PM PDT The best webcams are some of the most vital tools of the trade when you work from home and have a PC setup. They’re not just for video conferencing with clients and colleagues; they’re great for connecting with loved ones, broadcasting your games and producing content. While the laptops or all-in-one PCs already come equipped with fairly good cameras, the desktop users out there still require a great webcam. With our help, you’ll find one of the best webcams to fit your needs, whether you’re a content creator, a YouTuber or simply a remote worker who needs to be in touch with your team. Since there are plenty out there, we made a list of the best webcams 2020 has to offer, complete with a variety of models to choose from. Whether you want something with 4K resolution, can swivel around 360 degrees, or comes equipped with a quality mic, you’ll find something to fit your needs. We've listed the best webcams that are still in stock first, and then our usual best webcam list is underneath.
The Microsoft LifeCam Studio is one of the best webcams out there. Aimed at pro users with large displays, it features a familiar configuration of 1080p recording and 720p live video calling. It rotates 360 degrees, and can be mounted on a tripod with autofocus. The wideband mic delivers crystal clear audio, and Microsoft’s TrueColor system will shift the exposure dynamically to keep you well lit, making it a great choice for business conferencing and presentations.
It isn’t the most attractive webcam, but the LifeCam Studio isn’t really designed to be attractive. Instead, it’s made for business conferencing and presentations, with its 1080p recording, 720p live video calling and wideband mic to deliver crystal clear sound. This is a serious peripheral – one that requires a powerful PC for max settings – but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking bells and whistles. For instance, it comes with 360-degree rotating capabilities and Microsoft’s TrueColor system, which will shift the exposure dynamically to keep you well lit. Read the full review: Microsoft LifeCam Studio
Logitech StreamCam has many tools to offer for your content creation needs. Our top pick for the best webcams is more than just a webcam. The Logitech StreamCam won’t just have your back when you’re video conferencing, video chatting with families and friends, and live streaming your games. This feature-rich 1080p webcam has many tools to offer for your content creation needs as well, including auto-focusing, smart exposure, facial tracking, up to 60fps frame rate, and a flippable design so you can take photos and videos in 9:16 format. You can even mount it on a tripod, and it uses USB Type-C for fast and more efficient video transfer speeds.
The Microsoft LifeCam Studio is one of the best webcams out there. (Image Credit: Microsoft) The Microsoft LifeCam Studio is one of the best webcams out there. Aimed at pro users with large displays, it features a familiar configuration of 1080p recording and 720p live video calling. It rotates 360 degrees, and can be mounted on a tripod with autofocus. The wideband mic delivers crystal clear audio, and Microsoft’s TrueColor system will shift the exposure dynamically to keep you well lit, making it a great choice for business conferencing and presentations.
Razer Kiyo focuses on what matters most to game streamers and YouTube vloggers. (Image Credit: Razer) The Razer Kiyo might look weird, a testament to Razer’s unique designs, but it’s still one of the best webcams out there for streaming – which is unbelievably popular in this day and age. With the Razer Kiyo, Razer has stripped away a lot of the bells and whistles that more premium webcams offer, focusing instead on what matters most to game streamers and YouTube vloggers – good image quality and lighting through a “Light Ring”. You don’t need to spend a ton of time configuring the stream – just plug in the Razer Kiyo and get to work.
The Logitech C922 Pro Stream features the same classy design as its predecessor, but with something interesting for gamers. The Logitech G922 Pro Stream features the same classy design as its predecessor, the C920, but it’s especially interesting for gamers this time around. The C922 still boasts excellent 1080p video quality, great for hosting video calls, and its automatic low-light correction makes it a fantastic cam for streaming with the lights off. It also supports background removal, making it ideal for budding YouTubers. Should you buy the Logitech G922 Pro Stream?
Mevo allows you to capture footage live, no matter where you are in the world. (Image Credit: Mevo) If you’re an aspiring journalist, or even if you’re just trying to capture footage in the wild, Mevo might be one of the best webcams for you. Either the Mevo or Mevo Plus will allow you to capture footage live, no matter where you are in the world – as long as you can connect to a mobile network. Plus, because Mevo is small and inconspicuous, it won’t distract your subject during an interview.
Microsoft LifeCam Studio is made for business conferencing and presentations. (Image Credit: Microsoft) It isn’t the most attractive webcam, but the LifeCam Studio isn’t really designed to be attractive. Instead, it’s made for business conferencing and presentations, with its 1080p recording, 720p live video calling and wideband mic to deliver crystal clear sound. This is a serious peripheral – one that requires a powerful PC for max settings – but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking bells and whistles. For instance, it comes with 360-degree rotating capabilities and Microsoft’s TrueColor system, which will shift the exposure dynamically to keep you well lit. Read the full review: Microsoft LifeCam Studio
The C930e claims to be Logitech's most advanced HD webcam yet, so it isn’t surprising that it's also one of Logitech’s most expensive offerings. However, unlike traditional webcams, which rely on the PC for all the heavy lifting, this unit does the video encoding itself, which should in turn result in better video quality. The wide, 90-degree field of view means it’s well-suited to business video conferencing and presentations. And of course, it’s Skype-certified for PC and Mac.
Logitech Brio has brought high fidelity to the world of the best webcams. (Image Credit: Logitech) Have you ever looked at a webcam in disgust because it just can’t hold up to your smartphone? Well, the Logitech Brio might be the webcam you’ve been looking for. With a 4K UHD resolution and HDR, the Logitech Brio has brought high fidelity to the world of the best webcams. If that wasn’t enough, it also boasts Windows Hello functionality and an easy to use stand, which will let you position it to capture your best side.
The Creative Labs Senz3D has more features than you can imagine. (Image Credit: Creative) Creative may not be the first company that comes to mind when you’re in the market for the best webcams, but with the Creative Labs Senz3D, that’s clearly changed. This space-age webcam has more features than you can imagine, and the high-tech 3D scanner and facial tracking tech promises to lead to some intriguing things in both AR functionality and even gaming. It isn’t exactly cheap, but you’re getting all the bells and whistles with this offering from Creative.
Logitech C930e is Logitech's most advanced HD webcam yet. (Image Credit: Logitech) The C930e claims to be Logitech's most advanced HD webcam yet, so it isn’t surprising that it's also one of Logitech’s most expensive offerings. However, unlike traditional webcams, which rely on the PC for all the heavy lifting, this unit does the video encoding itself, which should in turn result in better video quality. The wide, 90-degree field of view means it’s well-suited to business video conferencing and presentations. And of course, it’s Skype-certified for PC and Mac.
The AUSDOM 1080P HD Webcam boasts resolutions of up to 1080p HD while supporting 12MP stills. (Image Credit: Ausdom) If you’re looking for a full HD webcam without that hefty price tag, this may be one of the best webcams for you. Boasting resolutions of up to 1080p HD while supporting 12MP stills, a noise-cancelling microphone and low-light compensation, this camera is feature-rich. There’s no autofocus, and you don’t get a big bundle of software, but that bargain price more than makes up for any shortcomings, which is why it’s earned a place on our best webcams list. Bill Thomas has also contributed to this article
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| Making secure login accessible to all: Q&A with Yubico Posted: 23 Mar 2020 12:30 PM PDT Protecting yourself or your business from phishing attacks and other cyber threats has become increasingly difficult. While some have turned to two-factor authentication (2FA) as a means of protection, others have instead opted to use physical security keys to do so and with much greater success. To learn more about security keys and how they can help organizations and individuals alike keep their accounts secure, TechRadar Pro spoke with Yubico’s chief product officer, Guido Appenzeller.
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| iFixit is crowdsourcing repair information for hospital equipment Posted: 23 Mar 2020 11:22 AM PDT In an effort to help hospitals deal with the coronavirus outbreak, the popular electronics repair site iFixit has announced that it is building a database containing repair information for hospital equipment. The company's decision to put together a database stems from the fact that as the coronavirus spreads, the world's supply of ventilators will see a great deal more use and will need to be repaired quickly when they break down. iFixit is calling for repair manuals for ventilators as well as for BiPAP machines that can also be used as ventilators.
Currently finding repair manuals for medical equipment online is quite the challenge as only few resources such as Frank's Hospital Workshop exist. While some manufacturers do provide repair manuals online via their websites, others make these essential documents much harder to find. Crowdsourcing repair informationiFixit will begin its campaign by collecting manuals for a variety of different hospital equipment. However, many of these manuals will likely be quite technical which is why the company also plans to break them down into guides for individual repairs. Editor in chief at iFixit, Kyle Wiens provided more details on why it plans to break down the manuals into individual guides in a blog post, saying: “Reading complex medical service manuals is challenging. They are full of engineering jargon and biomedical terminology. What happens when the biomed gets sick and a nurse is tasked with fixing a machine that she’s never worked on before? Finding the right place to start in the service manual can be challenging. So we’re going to break them up into useful guides. We’ll keep the full service manual online, but pull out the relevant sections so that they are easy to find and access.” In addition to calling on users to upload manuals for medical equipment, iFixit is also asking the medical community to provide information on which ventilators they're currently using as well as which parts are the most likely to break. You can find iFixit's new database here and contribute to it by creating new device pages by uploading photographs and manuals. Via The Verge This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Xbox Series X release date, specs, design and launch titles for the next Xbox Posted: 23 Mar 2020 11:16 AM PDT Xbox Series X is the next-generation Xbox. Previously known by its codename 'Xbox Project Scarlett', the Xbox Series X was officially revealed at The Game Awards 2019 with a trailer that showed off the next Xbox in all its glory. So far we know when the next Xbox will release, its official name, its full list of specs and a couple of the console's launch titles, as well as information on backwards compatibility and how cross-gen game ownership will work under the new 'Smart Delivery' initiative. From what we've seen so far, it looks like the Xbox Series X will be a bit of a departure both design-wise and name-wise from its predecessors, sporting a blockier style that's similar to that of a small gaming PC. More importantly, now that we know the Series X's full specs, we know that that the new Xbox is going to be an absolute powerhouse. We were expecting to see the console fully unveiled at E3 2020 but, now that the show has been cancelled, Xbox is due to hold a digital event instead – with dates and times to be confirmed. But Xbox Series X will not be the only next-generation hardware on offer from Microsoft. The company has confirmed that the next-generation family of consoles will be called 'Xbox' and that 'Series X' is just one of the consoles within that family. Sony's PS5 may be launching in the same late 2020 window as the Series X, but Microsoft looks like it's going to put up one heck of a fight in the next-gen console wars, with the Series X apparently boasting twice the power of the Xbox One X. So what exactly has Microsoft got to offer? Let's break down everything we know about the Xbox Series X. [UPDATE: The Xbox Series X release date was November 26, then Microsoft took it back. Read on to find out more.]
Microsoft has given the release window of "Holiday 2020" - which means we'll likely see the Xbox Series X release between October and December this year. However, it's possible that the release date will be November 26, 2020 (AKA Thanksgiving in the US). An image stating the Xbox Series X is "coming Thanksgiving 2020" (shown above) appeared on a number of product pages around the world briefly before being reverted back to to the previously announced Holiday 2020 release window. A Microsoft spokesperson responded to TechRadar to clarify, saying "An Xbox product page in some regions inaccurately listed the launch date for Xbox Series X as Thanksgiving 2020. We are committed to launching Holiday 2020.”
Microsoft won't be pinned down on an Xbox Series X price point quite yet – unsurprisingly, given what a sore spot the price of the Xbox One was for fans. At launch, the original Xbox One cost a whopping $499 / £429 / AU$599, which was quickly reduced when Microsoft realized people weren't forking out. Microsoft has at the very least promised that it's learned from this pricing mistake, with Phil Spencer stating that this time "we will not be out of position on power or price.” That doesn't mean that the console will be cheap, mind you, it just means the price point will be better aligned with the console's power and the price points of the competition. After all, Jason Ronald, director of the Xbox platform, gave only a vague reassurance when speaking to Windows Central, saying that Microsoft knew "what reasonable price points are for a console and kind of what customers expect about that". When it comes to the PS5 and Xbox Series X, players see 'affordable price' as the most important factor, according to a Twitter poll by Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon. Boon asked Twitter users what the most important thing was for them when it comes to next-gen consoles. The poll received a total of 50,295 responses, with a 37.5% majority of users saying 'affordable price' was the most important factor. 'Plays last-gen games' (AKA backwards compatibility) came second with 30%, 'better graphics' received 19.2% of votes, while 'exclusive games' was the least important with just 13.2% of votes. It's worth noting that a Twitter poll isn't exactly reflective of the overall player base, especially as it's unlikely younger players will be on the platform. So, while this poll can be useful as a steer, the reality is likely to be a lot more complex. Regardless, we expect price to be a key factor in whether players pick up a PS5 or Xbox Series X - even if it's not the most important. Price will at least in part be determined by the cost of the components going into the console: Xbox Scarlett is going to be a lot more powerful than either the Xbox One S or Xbox One X, and that will likely mean we're looking at an even higher price tag on any bundles and Xbox Series X pre-orders.
Xbox Series X components. (Image credit: Microsoft)
We now know what Xbox Series X looks like and what it's packing under the hood, and it's going to be an absolute beast of a console.The next Xbox's gaming PC design is pretty apt, considering the next-gen console's internal hardware is comparable to one - so make sure you check out our Xbox Series X spec analysis. Microsoft has finally revealed the Xbox Series X specifications in full, leaving no one in doubt about how powerful its next-generation games console will be. The folks over at Eurogamer’s Digital Foundry got a close look at the hardware, and alongside Microsoft have announced the hardware that will be powering the Xbox Series X. According to Digital Foundry, the specs confirm that the Xbox Series X will indeed be twice as powerful as the Xbox Once X… in practise. Digital Foundry saw an unoptimized version of Gears 5 running on the Xbox Series X running at the equivalent of ‘Ultra’ graphics settings on PC, and it comes with enhanced shadows and ray tracing. Where the cut scenes ran at 30FPS on the Xbox One X, Digital Foundry reported that on the Xbox Series X, it runs at a ‘flawless’ 60FPS. Also, this is an early port – on release we should see even better results. As expected, the Xbox Series X processor is built into a custom Project Scarlett SoC (System on Chip), which uses an enhanced version of TSMC’s 7nm process. That seven nanometers is important. The smaller the process, the more efficient the chip can be. That means it can provide more performance for less power. Making sure the chip inside a games console can perform well without using lots of power (and getting hot) is incredibly important. The processor is a customised AMD Zen 2 CPU with eight cores and 16 threads, with a peak speed of 3.8GHz, and a base speed of 3.6GHz. As Digital Foundry reveals, these frequencies aren’t completely locked, which suggests the Xbox Series X could adjust the power of the CPU based on workload and thermals. So, if you’re playing a game that needs a lot of processing power, the Xbox Series X can give its CPU a boost, and then slow it down when you don’t need it. Meanwhile, the GPU of the Xbox Series X is revealed at a custom design with 12 teraflops of compute performance, with 3328 shaders allocated to 52 compute units, and runs at a locked 1,825 MHz. Interestingly, there’s no boost clocks for the GPU. It will always run at that speed. It also uses AMD’s RDNA 2 architecture, and offers ray tracing for photo-realistic lighting. What does this mean in the real world? It seems the Xbox Series X will have the graphical power acquirement to a gaming PC with an Nvidia RTX 2080 graphics card. So, a very capable device indeed, but maybe not able to compete with the most powerful gaming PCs. The Xbox Series X also gets 16GB of GDDR6 memory – an upgrade from the Xbox One X’s 12GB GDDR5. That won’t all be used in games, however. Games will get a total of 13.5GB – 10GB of GPU optimal memory and 3.5GB of standard memory, while the remaining 2.5GB is reserved for the operating system. The faster GDDR6 memory should also offer a big leap in performance. Match that with a super-fast NVMe SSD, and the Xbox Series X should feel very spritely when used. There’s still a lot of questions over what kind of performance we can expect from the Xbox Series X, but this is by far the best look at the hardware we’ve seen.
Microsoft is aiming to get Xbox Series X games to run at 60 FPS in 4K, calling the challenge a "design goal". The console will support up to 120 FPS too. Despite 4K being the aim, Microsoft has said the Xbox Series X has 8K capability. Phil Spencer even changed his Twitter profile photo to (what appeared to be) a picture of the next-gen Xbox Series X's processor. It said 'Project Scarlett' on it, and was marked with '8K' (pictured above), suggesting Microsoft plans on doing more than simply talking the talk when it comes to 8K. The Xbox Series X will also feature Variable Rate Shading, which prioritizes effects on different in-game characters and objects for a "more stable frame rate and higher resolution", according to Microsoft. Not only will games look better, they could be bigger. In an interview with PCGamesN, Samsung revealed that it's talking with Microsoft and pushing the gaming behemoth to adopt ultrawide support for the Xbox Series X. The Xbox Series X will make good use of having an SSD – a 'Quick Resume' feature for the console will let you "almost instantly" continue with multiple games, without the need to sit through load screens. Microsoft also aims to improve latency through features such as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR). According to Microsoft, "ALLM allows Xbox One and Xbox Series X to automatically set the connected display to its lowest latency mode". While "VRR synchronizes the display’s refresh rate to the game’s frame rate, maintaining smooth visuals without tearing". These features aim to minimize lag and make gaming more responsive. If you're less bothered about the specs and more concerned about whether you can still play physical games on the next Xbox, then you'll be pleased to know that Xbox Series X has a physical disc drive. Microsoft has also confirmed that all your current Xbox One accessories will work with Xbox Series X, including existing controllers and headsets. But we'd doubt that also includes the ill-fated Kinect motion tracker. That means that the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 will be forward compatible with Series X, but Microsoft is also launching a next-generation wireless controller to accompany the new console. But don't expect the Xbox Series X to launch with VR support as, according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer, Microsoft is waiting until VR on Xbox becomes a "no brainer". However, right now, the company doesn't see the feature as "so important" on its next-gen hardware.
Xbox Series X has a completely different design to its predecessors. For a start, the next-gen console has an upright tower design - similar to that of a gaming PC. However, Microsoft has confirmed Series X can sit horizontally or vertically. From what we seen in the Series X reveal trailer, the console is black with slightly indented cooling vent on the top (with what seems to be a green light inside). The Xbox logo sits small on the top left hand corner of the console and there's still a disc drive - which is placed vertically on the left hand side also. Windows Central estimates the console is 31cm x 16cm x 16cm, making it a tall cuboid. The Xbox One measures 30cm x 24cm x 6cm, making the Series X considerably larger (volume wise) than its predecessor. Unfortunately we haven't officially seen the back of the console yet so really we're taking the Series X on 'face value'. But, thanks to leaked photos that surfaced online, we may have some idea of the next-gen console's ports. Shared on forum site Neogaf, the photos seem to show a prototype of the next Xbox console, which will likely have been shared with devs working on titles for the Xbox Series X. The image below shows off the rear vents of the console, as well as ports for USB, HDMI, S/PDIF, power and Ethernet. There's also a mystery port of some sort (but we'll come back to that). While, the second leaked image shows a single USB port on the front of the console. Will this be the console's final design? It's unlikely and, like any leaked information, we're treating these images with suitable skepticism.
While these images have been circling for a while now, we still weren't entirely sure what that mystery port was - until now. Thurrott claims that sources "familiar with the company's plans" have identified the port as being for storage expansion. Microsoft hasn't confirmed it this is the case, but we wouldn't be surprised if it was seeing as external storage was supported with the Xbox One - but whether we see it included in the final Series X product is still uncertain.
Microsoft is releasing an Xbox Series X controller to accompany its next generation console. The new Xbox Wireless Controller will apparently be more accessible to everyone, as Microsoft has made an effort to refine the size and shape. This shouldn't be too surprising to anyone that's been following the tech giant, as it's been making waves for accessibility in gaming for a while now with products like the Xbox Adaptive Controller. Along with enhanced accessibility, we'll also be getting a dedicated share button (finally) that will let you share screenshots and videos with your friends. Microsoft has also revealed that it is optimizing latency in the "player-to-console pipeline" starting with our Xbox Wireless Controller, through a new feature called Dynamic Latency input. According to the company, this feature "synchronizes input immediately with what is displayed", making controls "more precise and responsive". However, apart from these details, we don't know exactly what other new features the new Xbox Wireless Controller will boast quite yet.
During the Xbox Series X's official reveal, Phil Spencer said Series X games will be "more lifelike, immersive and surprising" and that the Xbox Series X will "lead us into the future of gaming". He also stated that 15 Xbox Game Studios are building a huge next-generation library that includes Hellblade II: Senua's Saga and Halo Infinite. Not a Halo fan? Don't worry, Xbox Series X will be capable of four generations of backwards compatibility - with the feature available from launch. That means the Series X will be able to play existing Xbox One games, including backward-compatible Xbox 360 and original Xbox games. These games will apparently get more consistent frame rates, quicker load times and "improved resolution and visual fidelity", without requiring additional work from developers. Xbox One accessories will also be backwards compatible. Not only is Microsoft doubling down on backwards compatibility, but the company is also introducing a new system called Smart Delivery to the Series X that, in some respects, could be seen as forwards compatibility. With the Xbox Series X, Smart Delivery will seemingly ensure that you have the right version of a game, no matter which Xbox console you’ve bought it on. So, for instance, if you were to buy a cross-generation game on the Xbox One, you’ll have a souped-up version waiting for you as soon as you fire up the more-powerful Xbox Series X. Microsoft’s first-party titles will offer this by default, but it’s a feature that will be optional for third-party developers and publishers. In addition, Microsoft will avoid siloing by taking a cross-generation approach to its first-party games. Talking to Stevivor, Phil Spencer said Microsoft wants to create a console that utilizes Xbox Play Anywhere so you can move seamlessly between devices: "Our goal for our first-party games is that your entitlements will be cross-generation and your Achievements will move effectively with your save game because that’s where they stand.” As far as third-parties are concerned, we already have confirmation that a remake of THQ Nordic's cult classic Gothic, Gollum, WRC 9, Dying Light 2, Cyberpunk 2077 and Outriders will land on Xbox Series X. In addition, Ubisoft has confirmed that Watch Dogs: Legion, Rainbow Six Quarantine, and Gods and Monsters are all coming to Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 - with a new Assassin's Creed and Far Cry also rumored to be coming to the platforms. We also know Rainbow Six Siege will be available on Xbox Series X and PS5 from launch. In addition, not only has EA has said that Battlefield 6 will be coming to Xbox Series X, but the company has sung the praises of the incoming next-generation machines during an investor call. "The power of the new consoles is gonna be substantially greater than existing consoles," said EA CFO Blake Jorgensen. "We can do a lot more [with PS5 and Xbox Series X]. Things we’re doing will blow people’s minds." There's plenty to look forward to and now that next generation announcements are coming in, we'll be holding our breath waiting for updates from other publishers.
It seems, at least for now, that game developers are more interested in creating games for the PS5 than Series X. That's according to GDC's State of the Game Industry 2020 survey, which surveyed 4,000 game developers on a variety of industry topics ahead of GDC 2020 in March. And, of course, the next-gen consoles were top of the agenda. When asked which platform they planned to launch their next project on, 23% of those surveyed said the PlayStation 5, while 17% said the Xbox Series X and 19% said the Nintendo Switch. When it comes to the platform devs are most intrigued by, the PS5 once again leads the pack when it comes to consoles, with 38%, but the Switch only just behind on 37%. Again, the Xbox Series X is seriously lagging behind, piquing the interest of just 25% of devs. The survey also revealed that 10% of developers are currently working on a game for the next-gen consoles. While there's more interest in the PS5 now, Microsoft could potentially shift the scale as it reveals more details on Series X. Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass is also gathering more and more steam, bringing players (and devs) back to the Xbox platform. We're also hoping that, by the time Series X launches, Microsoft's game-streaming service Project xCloud may be out of public testing and we should hopefully be able to enjoy Series X games on-the-go. For those who aren't quite sold on upgrading to Series X quite yet, but still want to check out the best upcoming games, Microsoft has stated that there won't be Xbox Series X exclusive games for at least a year and, for the foreseeable future, new games are planned to work across the Xbox family of devices. That means you'll still be able to play them on Xbox One. In an interview with MCV, head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty, has said that as “content comes out over the next year, two years, all of our games, sort of like PC, will play up and down that family of devices.” The plan is that “if someone invests in Xbox between now and [Series X] that they feel that they made a good investment and that we’re committed to them with content.”
The Xbox Series X will not be the only console in Microsoft's next generation lineup. While we were all pretty excited when Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox (formerly known as Xbox Project Scarlett) at the Game Awards 2019, it appears that the upcoming console's name isn't quite what we thought - and it will belong to a family. While we assumed that the next generation console is called 'Xbox Series X', Microsoft has clarified that, in fact, the family of consoles will be called 'Xbox' and that 'Series X' is just one of the consoles within the family. We know, it's a bit confusing. Speaking to Business Insider after the reveal, a Microsoft representative tried to clear up any potential confusion. "The name we're carrying forward to the next generation is simply Xbox," the representative told Business Insider. "And at The Game Awards you saw that name come to life through the Xbox Series X." "Similar to what fans have seen with previous generations, the name 'Xbox Series X' allows room for additional consoles in the future," the representative continued. This clarification from Microsoft serves to further fuel rumors that another next generation Xbox console is on the way. Rumors have circulated for some time about a lower-cost next-gen Xbox console that would sit just below the high-end Xbox Series X. The most solid information on this (so far) had come from a report by Kotaku’s Jason Schreier, who claims there is indeed a lower-specced console in the works from Microsoft that will still play all the next-gen games. Project Lockhart will be disc-less console - a trait that it will carry forward from the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition - but Kotaku's sources believe it will be substantially more powerful than Microsoft’s current disc-less box, and will come with both a solid-state hard drive and a faster CPU than any current game console. The report goes on to say that Microsoft told developers to shoot for a 1440p resolution and 60 frames-per-second frame rate with Project Lockhart and 4K/60 with Project Scarlett, and those same developers have likened the performance of the lower-end console to the PS4 Pro. It seems Project Lockhart will primarily see use as a digital gateway for both Microsoft’s game-streaming service, Project xCloud, and its Xbox Game Pass service. From what we know, it will sit below Series X and be a less powerful - but more affordable - option.
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| This iPhone 11 Pro Max deal offers unlimited EE data at a surprisingly low price Posted: 23 Mar 2020 11:15 AM PDT iPhone 11 Pro Max deals are seriously expensive, EE contracts tend to be the priciest network and unlimited data plans are serious money drainers. So how can all three combined cost a surprisingly low cost? Well...it's surprisingly low for the iPhone 11 Pro Max, nowhere else would we consider £69 a month affordable! And yet with this handset, we would expect a way higher price for this contract. That comes in around the same price as a lot of other plans available on the Pro Max while offering a lot more than most other plans, meaning if you've got the cash to splash, this could well be the best plan out there. Of course, if this is still blindingly expensive for you, iPhone 11 deals or iPhone 11 Pro deals can drag the costs back down to reality. But if you're looking to go all out – your ideal iPhone 11 Pro Max awaits you below.
This big data iPhone 11 Pro deal in full:So what's so good about the iPhone 11 Pro Max?Yes, it's Apple's most expensive devices available but it is clear to see why. Pumping out top of the line specs, any major Apple fan will be pulled in. Whether its the market's fastest CPU, the 3969mAh battery, the stunning Super Retina XDR OLED display (very high definition in normal language) or the triple camera set-up, the iPhone 11 Pro Max really is top of the line. Read our full iPhone 11 Pro Max review
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| PS5 release date, specs, news and features for Sony’s PlayStation 5 Posted: 23 Mar 2020 10:56 AM PDT PS5 (or PlayStation 5) is the next-generation PlayStation, releasing in late 2020. Sony has remained pretty tight-lipped about its next-gen console but the company recently gave us our first official look behind the curtain during its first PS5 reveal event. PS5 lead system architect Mark Cerny provided us with a deep dive into the PS5's system architecture, revealing the technical inner workings of the PS5. And while we're still waiting to find out what the console will look like, and which games we'll be playing on it, at least we now know (almost) precisely how the console's innards will work, and how powerful they'll be. So what else do we know about the PS5 so far? News began trickling out about the console in early 2019, when Mark Cerny, confirmed that the company was working on the successor to the PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro. Since then, Sony has been feeding us tidbits such as an official PS5 release window, logo, name, specs and a few key details about features. Want all the juicy details? Here's everything we know about the PS5 so far – and what we hope will be revealed the closer we get to launch. [UPDATE: WRC 9 has been confirmed for PS5 and Xbox Series X. Read on to find out more.]
God of War (Image Credit: SIE) Sony has officially confirmed that the PS5 will release "in time for Holiday 2020" in the US, so likely some time between October and December 2020. A leak has suggested that the release date will be November 20, 2020 but that's yet to be confirmed – but it's in the right window, and it would leave time before Christmas to get those orders in. This would put the PlayStation 5 in direct competition with Microsoft's Xbox Series X (formerly Xbox Project Scarlett), which is releasing during the same period. Game on. According to a Sony PR, the PS5's release date has not been delayed by coronavirus. We're expecting to find out the PlayStation 5's official release date in the coming months, having not been revealed at the March 18 technical talk.
Death Stranding Sony hasn't officially confirmed a PS5 price yet and, according to the company, that's because it hasn't actually decided how much the next-gen console will cost. In a quarterly earnings call (via Spiel Times), Sony's chief financial officer Hiroki Totoki revealed the company still hasn't nailed down the PS5 price. "What is not very clear or visible is because we are competing in the space, so it’s very difficult to discuss anything about the price at this point of time, and depending upon the price level, we may have to determine the promotion that we are going to deploy and how much costs we are prepared to pay," Totoki explained. “First, we must absolutely control the labour cost, the personnel cost, it must be controlled, and the initial ramp up, how much can we prepare initially, we will work on the production and the sales and we will have to prepare the right volume as we launch this," Totoki continued. “It’s a balancing act it’s very difficult to say anything concrete at this point of time," Totoki said. But we do know that Sony is aiming for "the best balance so that we will be profitable in the life, during the life of this product." While Sony may not have a price nailed down, there have been rumors about how much the PS5 could cost. One such rumor has suggested that the console will cost $499 in North America when it launches. Naturally this should be treated with skepticism, but it would be welcome news if the console did launch at this price, as it's only $100 more than the launch price of the PS4 and PS4 Pro.
However, a report in Bloomberg suggests that the rising costs of DRAM and NAND flash memory parts – crucial for the smooth functioning of the console’s onboard processor, and also in high demand for new smartphone releases – makes balancing the books for the PS5 retail price difficult, and that Sony may even be putting off its pricing decision to figure out what cost to put on consumers. The report states that manufacturing costs are expected to hit $450 per console unit – around £350 / AU$670. That makes it highly likely the RRP will start above that, not lower than £470, and probably closer to the $499 price tag that the Xbox One (and Xbox One X) first launched with. Microsoft’s plans for the Xbox Series X are key here, as Sony could well decide to sell the hardware at a slight loss to stay competitive with the other console. The PS4 benefited from a lower cost than the Xbox One, and Sony likely won’t be keen to reverse that for this generation. We can expect that the console's price will be in line with the technology it uses, but Sony will also have to be aware of its competition. It's unlikely, with the Xbox Series X, that Microsoft will repeat the mistake it made by launching the Xbox One at a prohibitively high price point, so Sony will have to ensure that it doesn't make a similar mistake by making the PS5 too expensive. When it comes to the PS5 and Xbox Series X, players see 'affordable price' as the most important factor according to a Twitter poll by Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon. Boon asked Twitter users what the most important thing was for them when it comes to next-gen consoles. The poll received a total of 50,295 responses, with a 37.5% majority of users saying 'affordable price' was the most important factor. 'Plays last-gen games' (AKA backwards compatibility) came second with 30%, 'better graphics' received 19.2% of votes, while 'exclusive games' was the least important with just 13.2% of votes. It's worth noting that a Twitter poll isn't exactly reflective of the overall player base, especially as it's unlikely younger players will be on the platform. So, while this poll can be useful as a steer, the reality is likely to be a lot more complex. Regardless, we expect price to be a key factor in whether players pick up a PS5 or Xbox Series X - even if it's not the most important.
Ghost of Tsushima (Image Credit: SuckerPunch)
Sony finally lifted the hood on the PlayStation 5 during its first official PS5 reveal event, giving us a better idea of the specs the next-gen console will offer. But what do we think? What's interesting so far is Sony's commitment to custom silicon, with a full focus on raising gaming capabilities to the next level, without alienating developers now comfortable with developing on the PS4. Custom hardware in the PS3 proved to be a difficult element for devs to get their heads around, but the PS5 aims to be as developer-friendly as possible.
The importance of the SSD SSDs don’t just load faster, but allow for bigger open worlds, theoretically. Developers don’t need to make games with smaller worlds due to the limitations of mechanical hard drives, while SSDs will also allow system memory to be used more effectively. SSDs have more bandwidth, so data can be loaded from the SSD when it’s needed, rather than heaps of potentially needless data being loaded into RAM. In pure gameplay terms that means that games will suffer less from texture pop-in, while load times will be hugely reduced when using a game's fast-travel option. Booting up from standby should be generally much faster, too. As for expandable storage, Sony appears to be allowing for off-the-shelf NVMe PC drives, rather than proprietary storage systems that Xbox will primarily be relying on. However, there aren't many drives on the market right now that use the PCIe 4.0 interface required – they need to be capable of at least a 5.5GB/s transfer speed. "NVMe PC drives will work in PlayStation 5," said Cerny. "The only problem is that PC technology is significantly behind PS5. It'll take some time for the newer, PCIe 4.0-based drives with the bandwidth required to match Sony's spec to hit the market." PS4 games on the PS5 will work just fine if saved to a regular HDD, however, so you won't need to tap into that precious SSD space unnecessarily.
A custom processor and GPU – what that means for backwards compatibility Move over to the GPU, and you're looking at the AMD RDNA 2 GPU, itself customized. It makes use of 36 compute units capped at 2.23GHz. A compute performance peak of 10.28TF was stated.
What's smart is that the combination makes it simple for the PS5 to easily handle PS4 backwards compatibility – through GPU architecture rather than hours of coding. Almost all of the top 100 PS4 games will be fully compatible at launch. PS4 games will be supported natively on the GPU silicon, but here the GPU seems to be emulating PS4 and PS4 Pro graphics chips, which is a strange solution, and not as interesting as Xbox Series X's method, which will also be capable of upscaling previous Xbox generation games and adding HDR to previously HDR-less titles. Tempest 3D audio tech The example Cerny used described it in terms of rainfall. Today, the sound of rain in a game is a single audio track, but the PS5 would theoretically be capable of letting you hear individual raindrops, in relation to where the player character is. "Where we ended up is a unit with roughly the same SIMD (single instruction, multiple data) power and bandwidth as all eight Jaguar cores in the PS4 combined," said Cerny.
"If we were to use the same algorithms as PSVR, that's enough for something like five thousand sound sources – but of course we want to use more complex algorithms, and we don't need anything like that number of sounds." Perhaps best of all is the way you'll get to experience this – even a lowly pair of headphones at launch will be able to take advantage of the sense of presence and directionality Sony is promising here, with the company also committing to later support multi-speaker surround systems with the tech.
But this is an ongoing project for Sony. To accurately model surround data positioning, Sony needs to create a Head-related Transfer Function, or HRFT, map. Essentially, that's a distinct algorithm that works best if the system knows the precise shape of your ears. "Maybe you'll be sending us a photo of your ear, and we'll use a neural network to pick the closest HRTF in our library," Cerny teased. "Maybe you'll be sending us a video of your ears and your head, and we'll make a 3D model of them and synthesize the HRTF. Maybe you'll play an audio game to tune your HRTF, we'll be subtly changing it as you play, and home in on the HRTF that gives you the highest score, meaning that it matches you the best. "This is a journey we'll all be taking together over the next few years. Ultimately, we're committed to enabling everyone to experience that next level of realism."
There's still no official reveal of what the PS5 will look like. So for now, we're dealing with speculation. We've seen several leaked images of the PS5 dev kit, with each showing the same console design, along with the above render based on one of those images, courtesy of Let's Go Digital). What does the render above show us? There are a number of buttons: on/standby, reset, eject (for the double-layer 100GB-reading Blu-ray drive), system initialization and network initialization, all on the front-left. There are also a number of status lights, numbered '0' to '7', which likely relate to CPU cores engaged, but which could also be status lights for controllers connected. To the right are six USB ports (one USB 2.0 and five likely USB 3.0 ports – the final port being obscured by a cable). A small circle above could well be a camera built into the console, according to earlier patent filings. Interestingly, rubber feet appear to be on the top side of the console, suggesting that devs are being encouraged to either flip the console for stress testing and convenience, or to stack them when working on demanding games. However, these images should only really be used to speculate on what the final design of the consumer console will be, rather than considering it wholly indicative on the machine to come. If we look at older PlayStation dev kits, the final product rarely resembles the dev kit. Dev kits are specially designed to be robust, and to support a console working under extreme load so as to allow the developers to push their creations to the maximum without frying the hardware they're working on. They're also designed to help developers find any flaws in the final PS5 consumer hardware design. With Sony still several months away from the launch of the PlayStation 5, there's plenty of time for its team to create something a little less alien-looking.
While we may not know exactly what the PS5 will look like, Sony did reveal the PS5's official logo at CES 2020. It's essentially just the PlayStation 4 logo with a '5' replacing the '4'. But Sony PlayStation president, Jim Ryan, did tease during Sony's CES keynote that “there’s plenty to share about the PS5 in the months ahead. And we look forward to sharing more details, including the content that will showcase the platform and the future of gaming”. We're expecting Sony to host another PS5 reveal around June or July to reveal the console's price and design - similarly to how it did with the PS4.
The PS5 will come with a new controller, according to Sony. The PS5 controller (we don't know the official name yet, though DualShock 5 is a good guess) will include haptic feedback to replace the DualShock 4's rumble technology, designed to improve the controller's feedback and therefore player immersion. The PS5 controller will also feature adaptive triggers, which Sony says have "been incorporated into the trigger buttons (L2/R2)". These adaptive triggers will allow developers to program the resistance of the triggers to simulate actions more accurately. In an interview with Business Insider Japan (translated by Gematsu), SIE CEO Jim Ryan said: “3D audio and the haptic feedback support of the controller are also things that, when you try them, you will be surprised at how big a change they are. Even just playing the racing game Gran Turismo Sport with a PlayStation 5 controller is a completely different experience. While it runs well with the previous controller, there is no going back after you experience the detailed road surface via haptic control and play using the adaptive triggers."
The majority of the PS4 library, including PSVR games, will be supported by the PS5; that much is known. But we're now hearing more about confirmed – and rumored – PS5 games. At this point, any first-party PS4 game in the pipeline – from Ghost of Tsushima to The Last of Us 2, would be prime candidates for PS5 cross-gen upgrades. We've also heard enough chatter around a Horizon Zero Dawn sequel and new God of War game to assume we'll be seeing both land on the PS5 console. And while we don't know much about PS5 exclusives, we do know Sony will continue to focus on "strong narrative-driven, single-player games" with the PS5. But what about third-party titles? We've had confirmation that Gearbox's new IP Godfall is coming exclusively to PS5, as is a title from Bluepoint Studios that's rumored to be a Demon's Souls remake. We will also see a remake of THQ Nordic's cult classic Gothic, Gollum, WRC 9, Dying Light 2 and Outriders land on PS5. In addition, Ubisoft has confirmed that Watch Dogs: Legion, Rainbow Six Quarantine, and Gods and Monsters are all coming to Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 - with a new Assassin's Creed and Far Cry also rumored to be coming to the platforms. We also know Rainbow Six Siege will be available on PS5 and Xbox Series X from launch. It's likely that we'll see the likes of Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X, too. In addition, not only has EA has said that Battlefield 6 will be coming to Xbox Series X and PS5, but the company has sung the praises of the incoming next-generation machines during an investor call. "The power of the new consoles is gonna be substantially greater than existing consoles," said EA CFO Blake Jorgensen. "We can do a lot more [with PS5 and Xbox Series X]. Things we’re doing will blow people’s minds." While this is a good start, we're expecting plenty more third-party games to be announced in the coming months. According to a survey by GDC, when it comes to developer interest it seems the PS5 is already beating Xbox Series X – and the Nintendo Switch. That's according to GDC's State of the Game Industry 2020 survey, which surveyed 4,000 game developers on a variety of industry topics ahead of GDC 2020 in March. And, of course, the next-gen consoles were top of the agenda. When asked which platform they planned to launch their next project on, 23% of those surveyed said the PlayStation 5, while 17% said the Xbox Series X and 19% said the Nintendo Switch . When it comes to the platform devs are most intrigued by, the PS5 once again leads the pack when it comes to consoles, with 38%, but the Switch only just behind on 37%. Again, the Xbox Series X is seriously lagging behind, piquing the interest of just 25% of devs. The survey also revealed that 10% of developers are currently working on a game for the next-gen consoles. However, while we know of a few third-party games in the pipeline for the PS5, there's still no confirmation on what the PS5's launch titles will be, but we're expecting first-party games to take the lead. In addition, Sony has confirmed that the PS5 will prioritize AAA games over indie games in an effort to focus on "serious gamers".
Rumors have cropped up suggesting that Sony will double down by launching the PlayStation 5 Pro at the same time as its base-model PS5. Spotted by Wccftech, noted Japanese games journalist Zenji Nishikawa made the claim in a video on his YouTube channel, and while that kind of thing wouldn't normally be considered a rock-solid lead, Nishikawa has been proven correct in the past with his predictions about the PS4 Pro and Switch Lite. According to Nishikawa, the PS5 Pro will cost around $100-$150 more than the basic PS5 console. The report states that Sony is taking this approach because it has "acknowledged the interest in a high-end model and wants to give players what they want right from the beginning of the generation". NeoGaf user FXVeteran (via TweakTown) has since added fuel to the fire by claiming Sony plans to release two PlayStation 5 models at the same time: a PS5 Pro and a PS5, with the PS5 Pro being "top of the line" to compete with the Xbox Series X's potential iteratively more powerful versions. While a PlayStation 5 Pro is likely on the cards, we don't think it'll release at the same time as the regular PS5. In our opinion, it's more likely that Sony will wait around three years (2023) before giving the console an upgrade - usually this happens mid-cycle and the PS5 lifecycle is estimated to be around six to seven years.
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| AMD Navi release date, news and rumors Posted: 23 Mar 2020 10:55 AM PDT Not long after their reveal, the AMD Navi graphics cards have finally been unleashed, following the release of AMD Radeon VII earlier in 2019. AMD first showcased these two cards at E3 2019 as mid-range GPUs that rival Nvidia's highly popular Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 and RTX 2060. It also unveiled the much talked about Radeon RX 5500, a graphics card for 1080p players. And so far, things are going swimmingly for AMD’s most popular and most successful graphics cards to date. AMD Navi cards like the AMD Radeon RX 5700, AMD Radeon 5600 XT and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, for example, have gotten very favorable reviews from us, and many gamers have switched over to Team Red to power their gaming PCs. And, AMD isn’t done either. CEO Lisa Su pretty much confirmed that the 'high-end Navi' GPU is definitely on its way, though probably not sooner than people had hoped. Whether or not that ‘high-end Navi’ she’s alluding to is the long-rumored AMD RX 5950 XT that might (or might not) be the “Nvidia killer” people have been waiting for, we have yet to find out. We do know that Big Navi or RDNA 2 is coming, and AMD is targeting the end of 2020 for their launch. There are also the Navi 22 and Navi 23 graphics cards (GPUs) that showed in a Linux driver. When these cards will be out or whether they’ll actually see the light of day, we don’t know. But, we’ll keep this page updated with all the latest AMD Navi information that surfaces, so be sure to bookmark it. Cut to the Chase
At Computex 2019, AMD took the stage and showed a mysterious Radeon RX 5000 graphics card. AMD Navi release dateBoth the AMD Radeon RX 5700 and Radeon RX 5700 XT were released on July 7, alongside the Ryzen 3rd generation processors. These cards are now available for purchase at the AMD store. As are the AMD Radeon RX 5500, AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT and the newly unveiled AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT. The rumored “Nvidia killer” or the Big Navi graphic cards still haven’t received a release date. However, it’s highly likely that the “Nvidia killer” will also come out in 2020. As for Navi 20, the rumored lineup for 2020, it's still anyone's guess. We do know that the Xbox Project Scarlett, powered by Navi, will be out Holiday 2020, so we could see the more powerful Navi chips released around that time. In fact, we've just recently seen leaked roadmaps that suggest their successors could be hitting the streets sometime in 2020. Alongside these AMD Navi updates, AMD has also released their brand new game-developer toolkit, Fidelity FX, which has been available for free since June 10. Fidelity FX is designed to enable game developers get more detail and crispness in low contrast textures, allowing them to take full advantage of what these AMD Navi cards are capable of. On top of that, AMD already rolled out its new 19.8.2 driver for its graphics cards, expected to bring support for HDCP 2.3 to Radeon RX 5700 cards as well as deliver up to 10% better performance of the much talked about third-person shooter, Control.
Both the AMD Radeon RX 5700 and Radeon RX 5700 XT were released on July 7, after their unveiling. AMD Navi priceAt Computex 2019, AMD took the stage and showed a mysterious Radeon RX 5000 graphics card going head to head against an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 in Strange Brigade, where it performed about 10% faster. It was later revealed that was the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT. However, with E3 2019, AMD proved it’s still king when it comes to components for the masses. AMD revealed its two new graphics cards to be drastically cheaper than their competitors. The Radeon 5700 is currently priced at $349 (about £275, AU$500), a price tag that’s $50 cheaper than the RTX 2060 when it was released in January 2019. The Radeon 5700 XT, on the other hand, is $399 (about £315, AU$580). And, that’s with offering similar performance at 1440p to the new Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super at Ultra settings. The Radeon RX 5500 and the Radeon RX 5500 XT are priced at $169 (about £130, AU$240) and $199 (about £150, AU$285) respectively. Finally, the Radeon RX 5600 XT will set you back $279 (about £215, AU$400). Since AMD hasn’t so much as shared the codename for that rumored ‘Nvidia killer’ yet, we don’t know how much it will cost. However, it’s expected to compete with Nvidia’s top RTX cards and equipped with ray tracing chops so it will most certainly have a premium price tag, though perhaps competitive with Nvidia’s prices.
AMD Navi is the first mainstream AMD graphics card to break away from the aging GCN architecture. AMD Navi specsRight off the bat, we know that AMD Navi is based on the new 7nm RDNA graphics architecture, making it the first mainstream AMD graphics card to break away from the aging GCN architecture. At Computex 2019, AMD said that we’re going to see 1.25X faster performance per clock and 1.5X performance per watt over GCN. This means not just improved performance in the best PC games, but also increased power efficiency. In addition, AMD Navi is using faster GDDR6 memory, compared to the GDDR5 in the Radeon RX 500 series. The lower-end AMD Radeon RX 5700 features 36 compute units, 2,304 stream processors and a boost clock of 1,725 MHz, not to mention 8GB of 14Gbps GDDR6 VRAM on a 256-bit bus, with 65 render output units (ROPs) and 256 texture units. The mid-range AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, on the other hand, boasts 40 compute units, with 2,560 stream processors and a boost clock of 1,905MHz. This GPU also has 8GB of GDDR6 video memory (VRAM), 14Gbps GDDR6 VRAM, 64 ROPs and 256 texture units. That’s all well and good on paper, but what about their actual real-world performance? Well, AMD showed the Radeon RX 5700 XT in a demo against the RTX 2070, where it bested Nvidia's mid-range card in World War Z by about 10% at 1440p on Ultra. Indeed, during our tests of the card, we found the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT to be a 1440p monster, with no massive drops in performance, no matter how demanding the game is. The Radeon RX 5700, on the other hand, performed better against the RTX 2060 by 21% in Battlefield V and by 9% in The Division 2, also at 1440p on Ultra. In our review, we hailed the Radeon RX 5700 as an absolute powerhouse at its price point, bringing 1440p gaming at Ultra settings to the mainstream. The Radeon RX 5500 XT is very much a 1080p graphics card, with its 22 compute units, 1,408 steam processors and a boost clock of only 1,845 MHz. It's not the most powerful card out there, but based on our review, at its price point it definitely gets the job done. And, finally, the Radeon RX 5600 XT, which AMD is marking as the ultimate 1080p graphics card, will have 6GB of GDDR6 and 36 compute units. Rather than taking on the RTX 2080 Ti at the high end, AMD is looking comfortable inhabiting the mid-range where it has traditionally excelled. That is, until that high-end Navi is finally unleashed and the PS5 launches. Back in April, Sony Lead System Architect Mark Cerny revealed that the PS5 would be using a custom AMD Navi GPU, and that it would be capable of some pretty impressive things. For instance, the PS5 will likely support ray tracing, along with 8K resolutions. We think that’s a little pie-in-the-sky, and we’d take it with a grain of salt. But, AMD Navi could theoretically mark a true generational shift when the next generation of consoles hits the streets. AMD Navi GPUs will also be behind Project Scarlett – the next Xbox. We don't know the exact specs, but Microsoft made a point to talk up its capabilities, mentioning things like "real time ray tracing", 8K capabilities and up to 120 fps gameplay. Beyond that, we have heard rumors about another generation of Navi graphics cards on the high-end hitting the streets in 2020. These high-end graphics cards are rumored to be code-named Navi 20, and should feature improved performance that takes on Nvidia’s flagship. We could see AMD graphics cards capable of this in the future if these rumors are to be believed. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| AMD Ryzen 4000 release date, laptops and specs: everything we know about AMD's next CPUs Posted: 23 Mar 2020 10:48 AM PDT AMD Ryzen 4000 is coming at a time when Team Red is sitting on top of the world, selling 40% more processors than its rivals over at Intel. Finally, AMD’s processors are more popular than ever before, and it doesn't look like AMD plans to slow down any time soon. In fact, we might finally see AMD processors in big flagships for the first time in years. We've already got a sneak peek at AMD Ryzen 4000 processors for laptops at CES 2020, with AMD promising hugely improved performance across the board. Recent leaks have continued to show off compelling performance levels. Some even show that AMD Ryzen 4000 processors for laptops may be nearly as fast as their desktop counterparts. Of course, laptops aren't the entire scene. We've heard plenty of whispers about the AMD Zen 3-equipped Ryzen 4000 processors for desktop, and these will be based on a 7nm+ manufacturing process. That means that they could potentially push clock speeds high enough to really make Intel hurt, especially if Team Blue stays stuck at 14nm on desktop. There's already so much information and gossip out there about the next generation of Ryzen. And, based on product listings, we might be close to seeing them on the shelves soon. So we gathered all the most important bits right here in this article to help you stay ahead of the Ryzen 4000 curve. We'll also make sure to keep this article updated with all the latest news and information, so be sure to bookmark us so you can stay on top of it. Cut to the chase
AMD Ryzen 4000 release dateRight out of the gate, we don't know when AMD will be launching its next-generation of Ryzen processors for desktop. Right now, our money is on the Zen 3-backed processors making an appearance at Computex 2020, with more details announced at E3 2020. This is exactly the approach AMD took with its Ryzen 3rd Generation processors in 2019, but there's one crucial difference. Back at CES 2019, AMD announced Zen 2, the microarchitecture that would later be behind Ryzen 3rd Generation, Threadripper 3rd Generation and Epyc 2nd generation. We expected Team Red to follow suit by announcing Zen 3 with some vague details at CES 2020, but that didn't happen. While we might still see AMD Ryzen 4000 desktop processors make an appearance at Computex 2020 and E3, there's a firm possibility that they'll come at a later date. All we know is that Lisa Su said AMD Ryzen 4000 for desktop will be coming in 2020. We just don't know when in 2020. We did get something at CES 2020, at least, when AMD CEO Lisa Su unveiled the AMD Ryzen 4000 processors for laptops. The much-anticipated 7nm mobile processors have since shown up in product listings on Amazon for multiple Asus gaming laptops in China and Canada. These listings suggest the three laptops will be released on March 31, though that hasn’t been confirmed. What we do know for sure is that AMD Ryzen 4000 processors for laptops will be out in the very near future, and they're potentially much more interesting. There's no specific release date, which is typical for mobile processor lineups. We should start seeing laptops rocking AMD Ryzen 4000 processors by the end of Q2 2020 across both ultraportables and gaming laptops.
AMD Ryzen 4000 PriceAs far as the laptop chips, the prices of the processors themselves are not relevant to most people, as laptop manufacturers will absorb the price and repackage them. Still, we will probably see prices increase over last-generation AMD laptops, due to the fact that AMD's processors will be behind flagship-class laptops like the upcoming Lenovo Yoga Slim 7. We'll probably see Ryzen 3 laptops starting around the $600 mark, with laptops rocking the Ryzen 7 4800H or 4800U hitting the premium market above $1,000. However, we can be a bit more specific with our speculation on the desktop lineup. AMD Ryzen 3rd Generation saw higher prices than Ryzen 2000, largely due to the introduction of Ryzen 9 processors with up to 16 cores. However, the Ryzen 7 3700X did launch at the same $329 (£319, AU$519) price point as the Ryzen 7 2700X that came before it. Due to the success of chips like the Ryzen 9 3900X and 3950X, however, we fully expect AMD to follow suit with the Ryzen 4000 lineup. For reference, we included the pricing of AMD Ryzen 3000 processors below. We expect the pricing to stay roughly the same for the next generation.
AMD Ryzen 4000 SpecsRight now we know the most about the AMD Ryzen 4000 mobile lineup, so that's where we're going to start. These will be the first 7nm processors to make their way to laptops, and with that they bring some huge benefits. The biggest of these is, just like Ryzen 3000 desktop before it, core counts. Even with ultraportable laptops, which have previously been limited to 4 core/8 thread configurations, you're getting 8 cores and 16 threads. This is a huge improvement, and even though clock speeds are limited to 4.2GHz - or a bit higher with 25W configurations – users should see massive gains in productivity workloads. If recent leaks are any indication, AMD Ryzen 4000 mobile chips really won't be much slower than the desktop processors. However, what's odd is that only every other SKU has hyperthreading. For example, the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U has 8 cores and 8 threads, whereas the 4800U has 8 cores and 16 threads. Both of the announced H-Series chips for mobile have hyper-threading however, along with higher base clock speeds. One of the key features of this AMD Ryzen 4000 series for laptops is going to be the integrated graphics performance. Now, we haven't had a chance to test this yet, of course, but AMD is promising a boost of up to 28% over Intel's Ice Lake when it comes to graphics performance. These chips will not be in gaming laptops, however, but when you just want to get in a quick Overwatch match on your lunch break, it will make a major difference. We went ahead and listed the core specs of each of the laptop processors.
We know far less about desktop, however. Beyond the fact we know it'll be revealed in 2020, Zen 3 is largely an enigma wrapped in mystery. It will be based on a refinement of the 7nm process found in Zen 2, but any more specific information is purely in the realm of rumor. Benchmarks for a desktop-based variant have shown up online recently, but that chip is a Zen 2-based Renoir APU. That means that it won’t deliver the same level of performance as the high-end SKUs. There are rumors that it will be based on TSMC's new 7nm EUV (extreme ultraviolet) process, similar to what's rumored to be seen with Nvidia Ampere. If this is true, the processors could be much more power efficient, which could see clock speeds see a sizable bump - which could seriously threaten Intel's chips in the gaming scene. Another thing that could make Intel start sweating is the rumor that with Ryzen 4000, AMD may introduce more powerful hyperthreading, with each physical core having four simultaneous processing threads, as opposed to the two found on today's silicon. This is a rumor we'd definitely take with a grain of salt, but if it's true it could even further widen the gap between AMD and Intel when it comes to multi-threaded workloads. It's unlikely that we'll see huge core count bumps with this generation, like we did last year. Instead, AMD will probably use the EUV process to boost performance while cutting power consumption. This does mean that there likely won't be much of a reason to upgrade if you already have a Ryzen 3000 chip. Still, we won't know what AMD Ryzen 4th Generation processors will look like until we see them announced by Team Red. We'll be sure to update this article as soon as we hear more about AMD's next desktop chips and once we've been able to actually test the laptop models.
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| Best home printer 2020: top versatile printers for use at home Posted: 23 Mar 2020 10:46 AM PDT If you don’t think you need one of the best home printers in your house, think again. Just like in the office, you need a printer in your household that can handle printing without a snag. After all, your time at home is just as important as your time at work, especially given the current situation and compulsory work from home periods. The best home printers need to be more versatile than regular printers since the modern household needs to print out a wide range of documents. You'll often find you need to print out forms and documents in your day to day. Plus, a home printer that can do an excellent job printing your holiday snaps will save you from shelling out a lot of money. And, unlike big and bulky business printers, these are all-in-one printers that take up a small bit of space. No matter what size of household and family demands you have, you’ll find the best home printer for you on this list. And, our price comparison tool makes sure you get the best deals on the one you pick as well. Best home printer - at a glance
Whether you’re trying to run a more eco-friendly household or you’re just fed up with having to run out go get ink at the most inconvenient times – in the middle of printing your important documents, for example – you might love the Epson EcoTank ET-3760. This all-in-one printer is cartridge-free and comes with refillable bottles that contain up to two years’ worth of ink instead. It doesn’t have a massive paper capacity, only 150 sheets at a time, that’s hardly a deal-breaker, especially if you’re just mostly using it for personal stuff. It’s a bit expensive, but think of all the money you’ll save not having to run to the store and get replacement cartridges all the time.
Despite its compact size, the Brother INKvestment MFC-J995DW is a monster printer. It’s incredibly efficient, being able to print for up to a year without having to change its ink cartridge. And, it’s also a feature-rich and intuitive machine perfect for any home or small business office. You can print to it from just about any device wirelessly and, for mobile, you don’t even need a network to do it, thanks to its NFC (near field communication) technology that connects directly to the printer. While interfacing with its 2.7” color display, you can even print from and scan to the cloud.
Image Credit: Kyocera This stout laser printer takes up relatively little space, given its high capacity for paper and toner. It means you can keep printing quickly and efficiently and with lower running costs than an equivalent inkjet. The display is rather fiddly, but in all other respects, this colour printer is easy to use and can be relied upon for immaculate mono and colour documents time after time. Read the full review: Kyocera Ecosys P5026cdw
Thanks to its 6-color individual ink system, the Canon Pixma TS9120 delivers exceptional photo quality results. The Canon also is very flexible with its connection capabilities, allowing for both bluetooth and wi-fi to print. And you’re not limited to any device. If you want to print from a tablet or smartphone or even from the cloud, the Canon can handle it. The printer also comes with some photo-specific features such as Photo Blue ink as part of the 6-color system and built-in creative filters to add something a little extra to your photos. Lastly, this printer comes in a choice of three different two-tone color options, giving you some cosmetic choices that you don’t really see with printers.
Image Credit: Ricoh The Brother HLL2395DW is an ideal printer for any small business that needs to do a lot of printing and to do it quickly. So while you may be limited to black and white with this printer, you’ll be able to print up to 36 pages in a minute and could probably spit out a whole book before having to reload the printer, thanks to a 250 page capacity. Like other recent Brother printers, it has an intuitive display that allows you to print from and scan to cloud services like Dropbox and Google Drive as well as its NFC “touch to connect” printing which allows you to access it from a mobile device without even needing a network connection. All-in-all, this is a pretty nifty printer.
Image Credit: Samsung Samsung’s smart-looking laser printer is equipped with both Wi-Fi and NFC for easy mobile printing and is supported by a sophisticated mobile app. It’s an easy size to accommodate at home, but you can fit a useful amount of paper and toner inside, making it good for a monthly cycle of 40,000 pages. It won’t automatically print both sides of the page, but it does have a manual duplex mode.
Image Credit: TechRadar When we tested it, this was the smallest laser printer around and likely to remain so. Being as small and inexpensive as an inkjet, yet with all the speed, economy and consistency of a laser, the LaserJet Pro M15w is in many ways the ideal home printer. It manages to hold one hundred sheets of paper and print on them at the respectable rate of 19ppm. There’s no duplex mode, sadly, and no display, but at this price it’s hard to argue. Read the full review: HP LaserJet Pro M15w
Image Credit: TechRadar This big Brother blurs the line between home and office printer by combining the fast print speed and high capacity of a laser machine with the superior photo finish of an inkjet. We would recommend it for both applications because although it is smaller than the laser equivalent MFC-L8690CDW, the inkjet MFC-J5945DW can handle A3 paper. There’s really nothing that this fully featured 4-in-1 can’t do and it carries out all tasks satisfactorily. Read the full review: Brother MFC-J5945DW
Image Credit: HP This humble all-in-one can scan and copy, but its real strength is in printing photos. Frustratingly, there’s no Ethernet port, nor a USB port for printing from a flash drive and it churns very slowly, but the results are surprisingly good for such an affordable inkjet. The supplied starter cartridges are rather light on ink, but if you replace them with high-capacity carts, then the running cost is competitive too.
Image Credit: Epson Printers aimed at the home office that can handle A3 paper are not common, but ones that can automatically print on both sides of an A3 page are downright rare. The WorkForce WF-7210DTW is one such beast and it does so quite successfully. Print quality is impressive, be that monochrome text, or a glossy photo. The long list of features includes both Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity and the two paper trays can hold 500 sheets combined. Read the full review: Epson WorkForce WF-7210DTW
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| Intel Comet Lake release date, news and features Posted: 23 Mar 2020 10:39 AM PDT Intel has taken things to a new level with its 10th-generation Comet Lake processors. Keeping track of Intel’s releases is already a pain – looking at you, Cannon Lake – and here comes Comet Lake, making things all the more confusing. First of all, the 10th-generation Comet Lake processors, announced in August 2019, have been designed alongside Intel’s Ice Lake processors for laptops. Both were also released around the same time, together making up Intel’s 10th-generation Core lineup. The major difference between these two is the manufacturing process, with Ice Lake being the first 10nm processors Intel has put out in the mainstream and part of Project Athena, and Comet Lake being yet another iteration of the 14nm Skylake architecture. But, it doesn’t end there. Besides mobile processors, we've also seen rumors about Intel's Comet Lake-S for desktop computers. If the most recent leaks are accurate, these next generation desktop range will include a 10-core flagship capable of 5.1GHz boost as well as a 6-core, 12-thread chip with a 4.5GHz boost clock speed. There’s already a mouthful of information out there, so to help you understand the Intel Comet Lake range, we’ve broken things down for you. Let’s dive into everything Comet Lake, and talk about any rumors about future desktop parts. Keep this page bookmarked, as we'll update it with any new information that comes our way. Cut to the chase
We still don't know when we'll actually see Comet Lake-S desktop chips. Intel Comet Lake release dateIntel pushed out its 10th-generation Comet Lake processors for laptops back in August, with the actual laptops filtering out over the following months. We still don't know when we'll actually see Comet Lake-S desktop chips, though their prices have already been leaked. They were previously rumored to hit the streets in the first quarter of 2020, but even at CES 2020, Intel disappointingly made no mention of them. However, there’s still a big chance we’ll see them before the year is over. We have seen some leaked product roadmaps that suggest that Intel Comet Lake-S processors will come out in 2020, so right now that's where our money is. If the Intel Core i9-9900KS release date of October 2019 was any indication, we might not see Intel launching its latest flagship mainstream desktop processors before Q4. In fact, a leaked slide points to Comet Lake-S desktop processors being delayed. Still, we’re hoping that some of the other Comet Lake-S processors will trickle out before then. We already caught a glimpse of the Intel Core i3-10300, a hyperthreaded entry-level chip from the lineup, and the Intel Core i9-10900 and Core i5-10500 processors have recently been spotted in the 3DMark database as well.
We might not see Intel launching its latest flagship mainstream desktop processors before Q4. Intel Comet Lake priceNow that the Comet Lake processors for laptops are out, the price tag for each chip is also finally available. We’ve listed them out for you below so you can decide whether or not to upgrade. These are Intel’s recommended price for every Comet Lake chip:
With laptop pricing, though, it’s important to keep in mind that these aren’t prices that consumers will ever see. Instead, it’s a suggested price that Intel gives to its distributors, which can charge above or below this price to laptop manufacturers. These prices will generally be worked into the overall price of the laptop, but these numbers can still give a decent idea of which segment of the laptop market each chip falls into. As far as Intel Comet Lake-S pricing, obviously we don’t have official information on that yet. However, Comet Lake-S prices have recently been leaked, and they are as follows:
We can also do a bit of speculation based on previous generations of desktop processors. Coffee Lake Refresh saw the prices go up a little bit from Coffee Lake, but the differences were pretty negligible – just $20 (£30, AU$135) from the Intel Core i7-8700K to the i7-9700K. Below, we went ahead and listed the pricing of Coffee Lake Refresh’s desktop offerings, but we could see prices go up or down (probably up) when Comet Lake is actually announced.
Now that the Comet Lake processors for laptops are out, the price tag for each chip is also finally available. Intel Comet Lake specsComet Lake is yet another iteration of Intel’s 14nm manufacturing process. This means that there isn’t much improvement in the way of power efficiency, and thermals will probably start to ramp up. We haven't got a chance to test each of these processors yet, but we expect the difference over 8th-generation Whiskey Lake chips to be pretty minor – aside from the Intel Core i7-10710U, of course, which boasts is a 6-core (12-thread) processor with a boost of up to 4.7GHz. We've got all the specs of the Intel Comet Lake Mobile chips here:
These may look very similar to Whiskey Lake, but with some higher clock speeds. The biggest differences here, though, are the inclusion of Wi-Fi 6 compatibility and Thunderbolt 3 on the die. As far as desktop processors go, we're far out from Intel Comet Lake-S seeing the light of day, we don’t know what it’ll actually be capable of. But, don’t worry, we have plenty of rumors to fuel some speculation. One of the most common threads among Comet Lake-S rumors is the fact that we’re going to see up to 10-core 20-thread desktop chips. We’re going to go ahead and assume that if this is true, this 10-core 20-thread processor will be the follow up to the Intel Core i9-9900K, with a 10-core single threaded chip taking over the Core i7-9700K’s slot. Most recently, some leaked slides from Intel appeared on Informatica Cero showing a broad lineup of desktop processors. Here are the Comet Lake-S processors that were leaked, along with their single-core Turbo speeds:
Beyond that, we'll just have to wait and see what 10th-generation desktop chips are going to look like. The recently-leaked specs of the Intel Core i5-10600 is already giving us a taste of how these might compare to AMD Ryzen 3000, which shows that Intel will have to offer some competitive prices for its Comet Lake-S chips to keep up with AMD. The good news is, Intel is already looking to bring out the big guns, which necessary with AMD pushing high-core count and high-performance chips. Images Credit: TechRadar
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| Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 release date, price and specs: all the RTX 3080 rumors Posted: 23 Mar 2020 10:28 AM PDT Speculation about the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 is starting to stack up. We’re now seeing a ton of leaks about Nvidia Ampere, and the popular theory is that it will be the graphics architecture behind the next lineup of Nvidia GeForce graphics processors. Not that we fully buy it, as Nvidia tends to release graphics architectures for professionals and data centers first, before the consumer-facing architecture behind GeForce. It did so when Nvidia Volta preceded the Nvidia Turing graphics cards. Still, that hasn’t stopped the internet rumor mill from spinning. The most recent of those rumors are that of a leaked benchmark for an Nvidia GPU with 33 teraflops of theoretical floating point performance and a Nvidia graphics card with 124 compute units. While this may not be the RTX 3080 we’ve been waiting for, it may still hint towards what the GPU could look like. With more next-gen Nvidia GeForce graphics emerging, we gathered all the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 rumors, gossips and hints in one spot. We'll keep this article updated with the latest speculation and information that come our way as well, so be sure to keep it bookmarked. Cut to the chase
RTX 3080 release dateIn the past, Nvidia GeForce lineups have been about two years apart. For instance, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 dropped back in May 2016, with the GeForce RTX 2080 succeeding it in August 2018. The time between the GTX 980 and GTX 1080 was a bit shorter, with the former arriving in September 2014. Still as a general rule, we've been able to historically count on there being a new lineup of graphics cards every couple of years. For a while, the rumor mill was suggesting that we're going to see the next GeForce lineup make an appearance at GTC, or the GPU Technology Conference in March. But, Nvidia has since canceled its ‘exciting’ GTC graphics card revelations. Our guess is that if Nvidia is going to announce its next-generation graphics cards for gaming, it will either take place at Computex 2020 or E3 2020, similar to how AMD handled it in 2019 with Navi. We’ve also heard that the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, which may be up to 40% faster than its predecessor, could launch by the end of 2020. With how these things typically go, we won't actually know when the RTX 3080 is on its way until Nvidia is ready for us to know. In fact, we won't know if it'll even be called the RTX 3080.
RTX 3080 priceBecause we're so far out from a potential GeForce RTX 3080 release, we obviously have no idea how much it will cost. But, that doesn't mean we can't do a bit of speculation about it. Nvidia Turing graphics cards saw a large price jump over their Pascal predecessors, and we'd almost expect the same to happen with whatever comes next. However, we have heard some rumors that suggest that the next-generation graphics cards will be more affordable. That said, this rumor revolves around another rumor that the cards will be manufactured using Samsung 7nm EUV (extreme ultraviolet) manufacturing process. We'd take that one with a grain of salt. One thing that absolutely needs to be taken into consideration when talking about RTX 3080 price is 'Big Navi'. When Nvidia Turing hit the streets it was basically completely unopposed by AMD. Even when Team Red dropped the Radeon VII in February 2019 it was totally incapable of dethroning the RTX 2080. Competition has definitely heated up since then, though. Both the Radeon RX 5700 series and the Radeon RX 5600 XT have caused Nvidia to drop prices in response, and the threat of 'Big Navi' supposedly beating the RTX 2080 Ti by 30% could force Nvidia to drop its prices to compete. Still, we won't know the RTX 3080's price until we see Nvidia lift the veil – or at least until more substantial leaks surface.
RTX 3080 specsWe have seen a lot of really vague speculation and rumors surrounding supposed RTX 3080 specs, but there are some constants: that it’ll be 7nm and will be faster than the RTX 2080. That second one should be super obvious, of course – why would Nvidia put out new graphics cards if they're not significantly faster? The other rumor, the 7nm manufacturing process, is much more interesting. If you've been following the AMD vs Intel smackdown over the last year, you're probably aware that one of the things that's kept AMD on top of the CPU world is the fact that it's been able to fully adopt 7nm while Intel, at least when it comes to desktop, being stuck at 14nm. If Nvidia is able to adopt a 7nm manufacturing process for the RTX 3080, AMD won't have such an easy time dunking on it. If these rumors are actually true, it would mean that Nvidia could significantly boost performance - up to 50% according to some rumors - while boosting power efficiency significantly. When combined with DLSS, which will absolutely be a part of whatever graphics cards Nvidia puts out next, could potentially lead to 4K graphics cards being available in the mid-range sector for the first time. Exactly how much faster and more powerful the RTX 3080 would be, it’s too early to tell. However, there’s a Nvidia GPU with a whopping 33 teraflops, 24GB of memory and 1.11GHz clock that was recently spotted in a benchmark. While this card may be too powerful to be the RTX 3080, it could also hint towards what the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 may look like. We have even seen some more specific spec leaks, notably one from hardware leaker KittyCorgi, who suggests that Nvidia's next-generation flagship could potentially come with up to 20GB of VRAM. Of course, this is a leak we'd take with a hefty dose of salt, but it could potentially prove our theory that the next graphics architecture Nvidia announces will in fact be for professionals. The Quadro RTX 6000, for instance, packs 24GB of GDDR6 - but it also costs $4,000 (£4,066, AU$6,999). Right now, if we had to put our money down, we'd suggest that these leaked specs are for an Nvidia Quadro or Tesla card, or maybe even the follow-up to the Nvidia Titan V. Whatever the GeForce RTX 3080 looks like, we seriously doubt we've seen it yet. Don't worry, though. We'll keep our eyes open for the next generation of GeForce, and we'll be sure to update this article as soon as we see any juicy RTX 3080 spec rumors. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Get a Now TV stick with three different passes for just £29.99 - courtesy of Very Posted: 23 Mar 2020 10:26 AM PDT If the extra time you're spending in front of the TV at the moment means that you've already exhausted the Netflix library and your DVD collection, then Very's Now TV deal may just be the answer. For just £29.99 you can get a Now TV stick, together with 30 days of Sky Cinema and Entertainment and a one-day Sky Sports pass. So that means you're getting access to hundreds of TV shows (every single episode of Game of Thrones anyone?) as well as plenty of recent films including Lion King, Toy Story 4 and Hot Air. Plus, there's a new movie premiere added every day - this is definitely one of the best Now TV deals we've seen in recent times. The Now TV stick is super handy too, It's extremely similar to the Amazon Amazon Fire TV Stick, but a fair bit cheaper - and it comes with a remote control that supports voice-commands and search too. And now you can finally go full HD with the streaming service by adding its Now TV Boost for an extra £3. Considering that piecing these components together separately on the Now TV website would cost over £50, you're looking at a saving of over 45%! Read more about this fabulous deal below.
This incredible Now TV deal from Very in full
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| Intel Ice Lake release date, news and features Posted: 23 Mar 2020 10:24 AM PDT When Intel Ice Lake made its way into laptops in Fall 2019, we cheered as we finally got something new from Intel. These processors for laptops marked the first time 10nm processors made their way to the mainstream – since Cannon Lake completely missed the boat. Initially revealed way back at Computex 2019, Intel Ice Lake processors are the first time an Intel processor moved away from the aging 14nm process, even if Team Blue has continued to produce Comet Lake chips that are built on the 14nm process. However, Intel Ice Lake is about to face its toughest battle yet, as AMD's Zen 2 CPU architecture is about to make its way to a laptop near you in the form of AMD Ryzen 4000. The big question when those AMD laptops hit the market is going to be whether or not Intel Ice Lake can maintain Intel's lead in the mobile space. Until then, however, Ice Lake is uniquely featured in most of the best laptops and Ultrabooks on the market, including the beloved Dell XPS 13 2-in-1, HP Spectre x360 (2020) and the Surface Pro 7. Cut to the Chase
The Intel Ice Lake is already featured in a ton of the best laptops and Ultrabooks on the market. Intel Ice Lake release dateIntel announced Ice Lake back at CES 2019, which came as a bit of a surprise, especially when Team Blue announced that it would be slated for release before the holiday season hit. Even more surprising is the fact that Intel kept its promise despite the time crunch, rolling out the Intel Ice Lake processors on August 1, 2019. The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (2019) was one of the first laptops to benefit from Intel's new tech. On the other hand, the latest Ice Lake-equipped processors to hit the streets are the new Surface devices revealed by Microsoft at its October Event. And, now it seems like every mainstream laptop coming out like the Razer Blade Stealth 13 (2019) and the HP Spectre x360 (2020) are packing these processors.
You'll probably see entry level laptops using the Intel Core i3-1005G1. (Image Credit: Intel) Intel Ice Lake priceIntel Ice Lake is a mobile platform. While that does mean that laptop manufacturers have to pay Intel for the right to use its laptops, the price of the laptops using the chips will differ depending on the product. Still, we’re looking at entry level laptops using the Intel Core i3-1005G1, while only the most powerful flagships get the Intel Core i7-1068G7.
It looks like there's going to be a significant bump in performance over Whiskey Lake. Intel Ice Lake specsThe key feature of Intel Ice Lake is, of course, the new underlying 10nm Sunny Cove architecture. What’s more, these new processors are the first chips to boast next-generation Gen11 graphics. Intel says that these processors are supposed to deliver a 2x performance increase, thanks to the smaller fabrication processes and the die shrink from 14nm. However, Ice Lake mobile processors are limited to 4-cores. On top of the chips’ main microarchitecture, Ice Lake CPUs also come with native support for Thunderbolt 3, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and DL Boost. The new graphics are a considerable improvement from the Gen9 GPU found in Intel’s previous line of CPUs. Those only had 24 EUs, or Execution Units, while these new Ice Lake chips offer up to 64 in the Intel Core i7-1068G7. One thing we did observe right away is that the boost speeds these processors have are somewhat lower than their Whiskey Lake predecessors. For example, the Intel Core i7-8565U boasts a boost clock of 4.6GHz, next to the 3.9GHz boost of the Intel Core i7-1065G7. This is somewhat disturbing, but because these chips feature higher IPC performance, we should see an increase in speed anyway – something we're sure to see once we get our hands on an Ice Lake laptop and take one of these chips out for a spin. Finally, Intel says that Ice Lake is supposed to help devices reach a battery life of over 25 hours. That’s truly impressive, and it’s mostly thanks to Team Blue performing a top-to-bottom analysis of power draw to reduce energy consumption. In addition, using AI to intelligently alter the processor's performance helps to maximize efficiency.
Ice Lake Y-Series processors:
If the early numbers and Ice Lake specs are anything to go by, it looks like there's going to be a significant bump in performance over Whiskey Lake. However, we can’t know for sure until we actually get our hands on an Ice Lake-powered laptop. We'll be sure to update this guide as soon as we have more information about these Ice Lake chips.
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| Best monitor 2020: the top 10 monitors and displays we’ve reviewed Posted: 23 Mar 2020 10:11 AM PDT The best monitor can make or break your computing experience. After all, a monitor is like a window to your computer’s soul. So, the better the monitor you’re using, the more immersive that experience will be, whether you’re just streaming videos or doing demanding creative tasks like video editing. Invest in one of the best monitors 2020 has to offer. Whatever kind of monitor you’re looking for – whether it’s one with insanely fast refresh rates that’s perfect for gaming, a massive display (an ultrawide monitor, perhaps) for real estate or a USB-C monitor to serve as the secondary screen for your Ultrabook – your computing experience will change forever and for the better. And, since these monitors will be easier on your eyes, they lessen eye fatigue and allow you to game for longer periods. We’ve put together a list of our picks for the best monitors, all tested and reviewed by us. Whether you’re a gamer, a video editor, or a casual user simply looking for a better display, you’ll find the best monitor for you below.
3D designers particularly love the BenQ PD3200U. Now that the best PCs can handle 4K easier than ever before, the best 4K monitors are all over the place. That’s why BenQ released the PD3200U, a massive 32-inch Ultra HD display, as part of its Designer Monitor range. 3D designers particularly love this display, thanks to the factory-calibrated color accuracy and CAD/CAM mode. Marketed to creatives and professionals, BenQ has designed, seemingly by mistake, a panel that gamers will enjoy as well, making it one of the best monitors all-around – so long as they can find the space for it on their desks. Read the full review: BenQ PD3200U
The AOC Agon AG352UCG6 Black Edition is one of the best monitors if you're wanting an ultra-wide display. Though the AOC Agon AG352UCG6 Black Edition is a gaming monitor through and through, it’s one of the best monitors if you’re wanting an ultra-wide display. With its exceptional color support, strong contrast ratio incredibly speedy 120Hz refresh rate, everything you do on your PC will look better and feel faster. It’s on the more expensive side, but this ultra-wide monitor can significantly boost productivity, making it totally worth the hefty price. As long as you have the hardware to drive it, it’s one of the best monitors money can buy. Read the full review: AOC Agon AG352UCG6 Black Edition
The Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ combines so many high-end features. If you’ve been searching for one of the best monitors, and you’re ready to just give up and buy the most expensive monitor you can find, you’re in luck. The Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ combines so many high-end features that it almost seems like too much. It doesn’t just feature a 4K UHD display at 144Hz, but it also rocks Nvidia G-Sync and HDR. This is simply the best monitor on the market, but it will also cost an arm and a leg. If you’re playing games, doing photo and video editing work, or even just general desktop work, you can’t go wrong with this monitor, as long as you have the cash to shell out. Read the full review: Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ
The Acer Predator X34 is a fantastic example of what an ultra-wide monitor can do. When you’re growing tired of the same old 16:9 aspect ratio, nothing hits the spot like a cinematic 21:9 display. It’s not the best for watching Netflix or YouTube, but the Acer Predator X34 is a fantastic example of what an ultra-wide monitor can do. Boasting an eye-catching aluminum bezel and polygonal stand that looks like a bird’s foot, this massive 34-inch monitor is a marvel to behold. More significantly, armed with Nvidia’s G-Sync tech, you won’t require V-Sync stressing out your graphics card. The Acer Predator X34 does all the heavy lifting for you. This is about as immersive as a gaming monitor can get, and one of the best monitors to buy this 2020. Read the full review: Acer Predator X34
The Asus Designo Curve MX38VC has a massive 3,840 x 1,600 resolution. Ultrawide monitors have been around for a while: they’ve constantly made it on folks’ the best monitors list for a few years now, in fact. These wide monitors are lifesavers when it comes to productivity, and they’re only increasing in popularity. The Asus Designo Curve MX38VC, however, takes it to the next level. Not only does this monitor have a massive 3,840 x 1,600 resolution, but with USB-C compatibility and a Qi wireless charger built into the base, it’s going to be a workplace companion you won’t want to live without. It’s a tad pricey, and doesn’t feature HDR, but that’s a worthy sacrifice, especially for professionals. Read the full review: Asus Designo Curve MX38VC
The Dell UltraSharp UP3218K's build quality and color reproduction are the best in the business as well. We don’t usually run into technology that’s so far ahead of the curve that we’re left dumbfounded, which is why the Dell UltraSharp UP3218K has impressed us even more. Finding one of the best monitors that can reach the raw gorgeousness this one can should be next to impossible. It’s not just the resolution, either. Dell went so far as to ensure that the build quality and color reproduction are the best in the business as well. The Dell UltraSharp UP3218K is aimed at professionals, obviously, so if that sounds like it’s made for you, it’s probably the best monitor you’ll ever find. Read the full review: Dell UltraSharp UP3218K
The BenQ EX3203R offers a ton of high-end features in a product that is very reasonably priced. If you’re looking for a first-rate 1440p monitor with HDR for multimedia and gaming, then the BenQ EX3203R might be the display for you. One of the best monitors this 2020, this one’s noteworthy as it offers a ton of high-end features in a product that is very reasonably priced. Sure, 32 inches might sound like a bit much for a monitor, but the 1800R curvature on this BenQ panel means that it’s easy to use, both for productivity, as well as for immersion in your games and media. Read the full review: BenQ EX203R
The Alienware 25 will all but eliminate screen tearing. If you’re on a tight budget, then this might break the bank – like any Alienware product would. Still, Dell’s 25-inch gaming monitor will all but eliminate screen tearing, and whether you’re using an AMD Radeon VII or an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080, there’s a configuration for you. With G-Sync or FreeSync taking some of the heavy lifting off the GPU that would otherwise be spent on VSync, the Alienware 25’s 120Hz refresh rate might actually be reasonable. The 1ms response time? Well, that’s just the cherry on top. Read the full review: Alienware 25
The BenQ Zowie XL2540 gives up dazzling lighting effects for a ridiculous 240Hz refresh rate. It might seem farfetched, but the BenQ Zowie XL2540 is every bit the gaming monitor that the Asus Predator X34 is. While it may not appear like it from the outside looking in, it does its job incredibly well too, giving up dazzling lighting effects for a ridiculous 240Hz refresh rate and almost-instantaneous 1ms response time. There’s no G-Sync or FreeSync, as this monitor assumes you already have a rig that’s more than capable of eliminating screen tears without any help. Instead, this monitor keeps it simple by providing you with lots of visual presets, an “S Switch” control pod for managing those presets and a pair of adjustable light screens. Read the full review: BenQ Zowie XL2540
The MSI Optix MPG341CQR has a super-wide resolution, incredibly fast response time and a viewing angle of 178 degrees. If you’re searching for a gaming monitor with a super-wide 1440p resolution, incredibly fast response time of 1ms, a viewing angle of 178 degrees and a quick refresh rate, then the MSI Optix MPG341CQR is something you should consider. If not for those, then perhaps for the fact that MSI has decided to go with a VA panel, as opposed to IPS, giving it more contrast and punchier colors. A few bonuses are included, as well: snazzy “Mystic Light” RGD LEDs, USB-C connectivity, an integrated camera and a competitive price. Read the full review: MSI Optix MPG341CQR
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| Get the cheapest broadband deal in the UK, courtesy of the Post Office Posted: 23 Mar 2020 10:08 AM PDT The Post Office may not be the name you associate with broadband deals but it currently holds, and has for a while, the cheapest broadband deal in the UK. You'll be looking at paying £15.90 a month for average speeds of 11Mb, unlimited broadband access and absolutely no upfront costs with the Post Office's ADSL broadband plan. This package is great for anyone who is looking to get the most affordable deal possible and doesn't mind that the speeds are slightly on the slower side, aimed more towards casual email use,light internet access and a bit of SD streaming. Ready to be the proud owner of this cheap broadband deal? Scroll below to see it in full. Or, if the Post Office isn't the provider for you why not check out our our fibre broadband deals guide for speedier options. You could also consider Plusnet. While its fibre plan costs £22.99 a month for speeds averaging 36Mb. It also comes with a £75 Mastercard, effectively bringing your monthly costs down to just £18.82. Whatever you do, keep reading as we have more information on some of this week's most eye-catching broadband deals further down this page.
The incredibly cheap Post Office broadband deal in full:What other broadband deals are available?When it comes to cheap ADSL broadband, this is definitely one of the best options out there, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of other awesome options too. If you're looking for something faster and don't mind paying a bit more - then Vodafone's Superfast Fibre 2 is the option for you. The provider has some of the cheapest prices around, gaining you average speeds of 63Mb at a price of £23.95. And if you're already a Vodafone customer, you'd end up paying £2 pound less per month. Or why not consider BT, with its Superfast Fibre plan you'd be looking at paying £28.99 a month to get average speeds of 50Mb and a sweet £80 Mastercard.
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| Half-Life: Alyx is a watershed moment for virtual reality Posted: 23 Mar 2020 10:00 AM PDT At some point during the 12 years that we’ve spent waiting for another Half-Life game, there came a sense of acceptance. As the hope of Half-Life 3 went from a tantalizing reality to an overwrought joke, many believed that we may never see the series again, or at least, the version we’d end up with would be a shade of the source material. That’s why some fans appear to have distanced themselves from Half-Life: Alyx - how could Valve possibly follow-up one of the most influential games of all-time through the burgeoning lens of VR? People saw it as a spin-off, a prequel no less - something that surely wouldn’t get to sit at the same table as its mythic predecessors. Well, I am delighted to inform that sect of sceptics that they need to start chewing their way through their Headcrab hats.
I’ve played all 15 hours of Half-Life: Alyx’s campaign, and, without a shadow of a doubt, this is a Half-Life game that fills the roomy shoes that Valve left behind in 2007. It is, like its forebears, a mind-bending joyride with a physics system to die for. The inventive, head-scratching scientific puzzles you’re used to from the PC games? They’re here. Tense jaunts through zombie-infested death pits that instil terror better than most ‘horror’ games? Alyx has got that in droves. It even manages to balance out the oppressive dystopia of its setting with cheek-straining charm and heaps of Wolpaw wit. I’ll skip the narrative beats to preserve their grandeur, but let’s just say this is by no means a side story… Following Freeman
Valve is not Ubisoft. The company has no interest in churning out sequels to its revered series just for the sake of it. Instead, it needs to be able to change the landscape or say something to warrant a new project - and Half-Life: Alyx is the fruit of that ambition. Valve wanted to make the first true AAA VR experience on a scale that hasn’t been attempted before and Half-Life: Alyx fits that bill. Going back to what you might call a ‘visceral’ console shooter after playing Alyx is like switching from a cocktail to a mocktail. There’s no strong aftertaste anymore - you’re just sipping on juice. To help process the experience, I spoke to Tristan Reidford and Christine Phelan from Valve once I was a few chapters into my playthrough. Reidford is an artist who worked on a lot of the environment art, weapons and interactable objects in Alyx, and Phelan is an animator who helped to choreograph and breathe life into the new and returning creatures in the game. They explain to me that, when it comes to the past decade of mysterious Half-Life experiments, some elements did survive and make their way into Alyx. “The pistol that you have [in Alyx] is eventually going to become Alyx's Gun from Half-Life 2 through upgrades - and that model was originally built for Half-Life: Episode 3 in… whenever that was,” Reidford explains. “There's a few other bits and pieces that made it into the game - 10-year-old model fragments and content models which the team found and brought back.” “I think for a lot of us in the company at large… we had a lot of ideas for Half-Life over the years, and it was really fun trying to figure out if those ideas would be a good fit for this product,” Reidford adds. Whilst working on the look of Alyx, Reidford tells me that the character design team was wary of the “uncanny valley” when striking a balance in their art direction between the old games and this new project, which makes sense given how up close and personal you are with the assets in VR. This, alongside the new lighting technology of the Source 2 engine has contributed to a softer, more Team Fortress 2 look to some of the characters, but it never feels distant from the hallmarks of Half-Life. Lambda core
In fact, it’s quite comforting how much Alyx feels like a Half-Life game, down to the paraphernalia of City 17, a somewhat Soviet society that is lost in time between the technology of the 90s and a futuristic alien invasion. One of the earliest set pieces in the game is Russel’s Lab, which is full of VHS tapes and CRTs with old-school screensavers, the brutal architecture looming outside. “It was our version of Kleiner’s Lab from Half-Life 2,” Reidford explains. “And it sets the game in a time where human technology has stopped.” “Going back to late 90s hardware also gave us an opportunity to call back to that aesthetic with big chunky things that are fun to pick up in VR,” Reidford adds. Much like its predecessors, Alyx also introduces its mechanics intuitively. It makes you learn enemy weak points and inventorial actions without breaking the immersion or holding your hand. Crucially, it manages to ground every piece of kit in Alyx’s arsenal in the narrative so that finding and using them becomes a meaningful interaction, leading to many moments that I won’t dare spoil. Phelan talks about how they realized that levels they’d design with an amount of time in mind would take players way longer than they expected to complete because of player curiosity, and this led to a focus on letting the players “marinate” in the game world to give a sense of place to soak in the surroundings. Instead of sensory overload, the team opted for big “bookmarks” where the player enters new areas to illustrate a change, like going from a populated street to the zombie-infested quarantine zone in the early hours of the game It’s also worth noting that I played the game in two to four-hour stints and never once had to take a break due to nausea. This comes from someone who is no stranger to that feeling either - half an hour of Boneworks and I have to go stand in my back garden and recompile. Luckily, there are four different movement methods if you’re prone to it, and this might be a major factor in the success of Alyx - it’s highly accessible even to users who are new to VR and functions well across low-end and high-end headsets. Anomalous materialsAfter a few hours, you soon realize that pulling items towards you with the gravity gloves is the key to the game’s dynamic combat, as it gives you power at close and long-range. You can yank life-saving syringes and ammo packs from the bodies of your enemies before darting behind and blasting them with your shotgun. I’ve found myself in all kinds of sweaty states, screaming in terror at the new zombies and wracking my brain for tactics as a swarm of manhacks tore at a glass window above me, the metallic hum of their blades ringing in my ears. The team found it a challenge to balance Alyx’s horror segments and tense moments with making sure that the player can overcome those feelings and complete the task at hand. “We found that when players are in really stressful situations, they’re able to retain maybe one piece of information,” Phelan tells me. This is why there aren’t too many confusing elements at play in combat, but what remains is functional and fun. One exciting aspect of Alyx is how it jumps between these disparate genres with remarkable grace - it knows just when to strike you with a story beat when you’re flagging from the heat of combat. This transcends to the puzzles too. In its infancy, it shows you how to trace wires through walls with your multitool and then hours later warps that cute mini-game into a feverish horror section. The game delights in toying with your expectations to make you realize the exciting potential of AAA virtual reality. As you might expect from Valve, there’s a brain-melting level of detail here, to the point where you can see through the slats in wooden crates and crush cans with the grip of your fingers. Reidford tells me this is due to the power of VR as a model viewer, and how in normal games you don’t get to use the space between the player and their monitor like you would in something like Alyx. This naturally comes with a serious commitment to making said close-up objects appear functional - as such, Reidford calls the assets in Alyx “mechanically responsible.” Unforeseen consequences
“The health display on the gravity gloves started out as a watch face, but it was too small. People could move their hand close to their face to read it, but players didn’t want to do that, especially under duress,” Reidford explains. Phelan adds that the physicality of the assets is important for suspending the disbelief of players. This taps into the pacing of the game too - Reidford mentions how the team found it difficult to get the player’s attention. “We had to work harder to give the player a chance to notice things,” Reidford tells me. “Sometimes through playtesting we’d realize that although we wanted it to be a puzzle, the player doesn’t want a puzzle here, they want theatre.” Yet it’s the moments when the game offers scale in a scene that it starts to really turn your gray matter to putty. Peering over a ledge and dropping live grenades into a den of miserly zombies is exhilarating, as is tiptoeing through a poorly lit apartment hallway, the walls crawling with Headcrabs as you lurch deeper into the atmos. The soundtrack to these moments is full of early-aughts style and shifts between pulse-pounding trance and Reznor-esque industrial music. Phelan notes that her work on some of the game’s more horrific new monsters drew from her experience of watching Jurassic Park: “We’re not necessarily trying to rebuild an exact moment - but how do I recreate the feeling I had watching that for the first time in VR?” The combat in Half-Life: Alyx eventually becomes rhythmic. It’s the only VR shooting I’ve properly stuck to and as such, it’s the only head-mounted game that I’ve binged. It’s certainly not bloated though, and can be beaten over a few days - even so, I’m itching to see what achievements I have left so I can pilfer the maps for secrets in my subsequent playthroughs. Post-game, I’ve found Alyx to be refreshing in the same way that Half-Life 2 is, and I can see myself dipping into it every so often to get lost in its dioramic playgrounds. Our benefactors
The ball is firmly in Valve’s court for the future of VR then, but I’m most excited about how the rest of the industry will react to a game like this. The high cost of entry aside, this is a bonafide game-changer that could have only been achieved in VR. As a result, it’s made the console shooters I’ve played after it feel decidedly lacklustre. “We’re definitely excited to explore more opportunities in the Half-Life universe,” Phelan tells me as we wrap up our call. Taking the game’s narrative bombshells and ambition into account, I’d love nothing more than to see Valve tool up and follow Alyx with an iterative sequel in the near future. If not Half-Life, It’d be fascinating to see what they could do to adapt Left 4 Dead or Portal with this technology. Valve has raised the bar once more, so the only thing left now is to do it again.
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