Articles about Gaming

If you want a proper gaming PC, you need a full ATX motherboard and a massive tower full of fans, right? Actually, no. Nowadays, there are very capable mini ITX and micro ATX motherboards, making it possible to have a lot of power in a small package.

But holy cow, I never expected to see this much power crammed into such a small space! Today, MAINGEAR launches the TURBO -- a beautiful and impossibly small AMD Ryzen 3000XT gaming desktop. Just how small is it? A very impressive 7" x 14.4" x 12.3". This diminutive liquid-cooled beast can be configured with a processor ranging from the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 to the 3950X -- including the new 3000XT chips. You can choose up to 16TB of storage and up to 64GB of RAM. Graphics cards from both NVIDIA and AMD are available.

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If you are a serious PC gamer, I hope you own a mechanical keyboard. Whether gaming on a laptop or desktop, you should absolutely have a high-quality mechanical keyboard and mouse plugged in. After all, there is a good chance your competition is using these things, so why should you be at a disadvantage?

If you are in the market for a mechanical keyboard, I have good news. Kingston's gaming division, HyperX, launches a new model today. Called "Alloy Elite 2," it is the successor to the wildly popular first-gen Alloy Elite. This time, you get "pudding" keycaps, which feature translucent sides for a brighter and more colorful RGB experience. Thankfully, the volume wheel and media buttons make a return.

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Not everyone can afford the latest and greatest components for their gaming PC, and depending on the titles the gamer plays, they may not even need hardcore specs. For those that prefer high frame rate to gigantic resolution, you can get by very comfortably without breaking the bank. Look, a 1080p screen is far more affordable than a 4K monitor.

Today, MSI launches a beautiful 1080p display that focuses on eSports titles and other games you might play in FHD. Called "Optix MAG273R," this 27-inch IPS gaming monitor isn't top-of-the-line, but does have has an impressive 144Hz refresh and 1ms response. It is even compatible with AMD's FreeSync. The monitor also features thin bezels and a fun design with colorful lighting on the rear -- something PC gamers should appreciate. Best of all, it is rather affordable.

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When you think of gaming mice, your mind probably conjures images of brands such as Logitech G or HyperX, am I right? That is totally understandable. However, there are many other companies manufacturing these types of mice nowadays. Believe it or not, even ADATA is making gaming mice and keyboards under its XPG enthusiast brand.

Today, ADATA unveils its latest such pointing device. Called "XPG PRIMER," this optical gaming mouse is wired, so you don't have to worry about replacing batteries. And of course, as a gaming product, the XPG PRIMER has customizeable RGB lighting too.

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Chromebooks are wonderful computers. In fact, the underlying Linux-based Chrome OS is arguably the most secure desktop operating system on the planet. Yes, it is more secure than Windows or macOS. If you have to access a website for banking information or other sensitive data, a Chromebook is probably the safest way to do so.

With all of that said, they aren't just good for surfing the web or education, but for fun stuff too. Not only can you enjoy streaming media on a Chromebook, but you can actually do some light gaming too -- thanks to Android support and the Google Play Store. Two classic games -- DOOM and DOOM II -- are on Play Store for $5 a piece, but if you own a Chromebook, you can get both for free!

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It is never fun to buy the same game over and over again as it gets repeatedly re-released for newer and newer consoles. So naturally, backwards compatibility is a good thing. Microsoft seems to be hoping the ability to play old games will make the terribly named Xbox Series X attractive to consumers.

In fact, the company isn't just promising backwards compatibility, but the ability to make some old games look and run better on the newer hardware. You will even be able to use Quick Resume -- the ability to start playing exactly where you left off -- with these previous-gen games. While this is all undoubtedly cool, it is not the way to advertise a next-generation console. If Sony's upcoming PlayStation 5 ends up being superior for next-gen titles -- absolutely a  possibility -- the Xbox Series X's enhanced backwards compatibility won't really matter.

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If you don’t use a number pad, having one on your keyboard is a huge waste of desk real estate. It just hangs off the right side of your keyboard, mocking you. Alternatively, a tenkeyless model removes the number pad, and as a result, it will save space on your desk. Not to mention, it can allow your keyboard hand to be closer to your mouse hand while gaming — a potential benefit for comfort.

Last year, we told you about the Logitech G915 LIGHTSPEED low-profile mechanical gaming keyboard — a wireless model with RGB lighting. Today, the company unveils the G915 TKL, which is essentially the same model with the number pad removed. Number pad aside, it also loses some of the customizable buttons found on the regular G915 — a small price to pay to have more space on your desk.

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Microsoft Solitaire is often remembered both fondly and with anger -- depending on the person. For many consumers, the game came pre-loaded on their computer and provided hours of fun. Unfortunately for some employers, the game had a negative impact on productivity over the years, as workers sometimes played the card game rather than do their jobs. Whether you love or hate Microsoft Solitaire, there is certainly one thing on which everyone can agree -- the game is iconic.

And that brings us to today, where Microsoft Solitaire is celebrating a huge milestone in 2020 -- a 30th Birthday! Yes, the digital card game has now been with us for three decades. To celebrate, the Windows-maker is asking everyone to play the free game today as a show of love for it.

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When the Apple TV 4 was first released, I was convinced it would revolutionize gaming. I even bought the SteelSeries Nimbus controller to play all these upcoming games on the device. My assumption was developers would bring all the top tier iPhone and iPad games to the Apple TV, plus more, making it a legitimate home console. Boy, was I wrong on that! Sadly, the state of gaming on Apple TV has largely stalled. With all of that said, the Nimbus controller I bought was (and still is) wonderful -- I particularly love the lightning port charging.

Today, SteelSeries launches the successor to that aforementioned controller. Called, "Nimbus+," it is compatible with iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, and Apple TV. In addition to significant improvements over its predecessor (including better battery life), the plus variant also comes with a mount for connecting your iPhone directly to it -- for a handheld gaming experience. It is worth noting the Nimbus+ looks very much like a tweaked version of the existing Stratus Duo Android controller.

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A new survey, commissioned by cybersecurity company BullGuard, has revealed that gamers are taking advantage of the social isolation to up their playing time

By doing so, 49 percent say they are alleviating lockdown anxiety, 84 percent are understandably relieving their boredom, while 60 percent are battling it out online to help block out the current situation.

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While video games on PCs and consoles can be great, the titles released for smartphones are often quite bad. On-screen controls can be inaccurate and hard to use, leading to a very frustrating experience. Alternatively, developers can "dumb down" their games for mobile with simpler controls, but this often makes them nothing more than time-wasters -- something to do while sitting on the toilet, for instance.

Today, Turn 10 Studios (a Microsoft-owned game studio) releases Forza Street for iOS and Android. The racing game is "free" to play, which is cool, but sadly, it does offer in-game purchases to try and suck some money from your wallet. I installed it on my iPhone, and from what I can tell, the game kind of stinks. In my time "racing" I didn't even get to steer the car! Seriously. Instead, you just hold down a virtual gas pedal. Around turns, you let go of the pedal when the road turns yellow and then hold it down when it turns yellow again. That's pretty much it -- that seems to be the game. Maybe it gets better later, but I won't be finding out. Does the game look good? Absolutely. Is it fun? Heavens, no!

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Video games may be more popular than ever these days, but the truth is, they simply aren’t as fun as they used to be. Sadly, game developers focus too heavily on graphics and in-game purchases than actual gameplay. And so, in 2020, a true gamer is better served by playing video game ROMs from yesteryear, from systems like NES, SNES, Genesis, and N64.

Thankfully, there’s no shortage of ways to play classic video game ROMs nowadays. You can even use inexpensive hardware like the Raspberry Pi line of computers to easily get them onto your TV screen. If you have the latest such device, the Raspberry Pi 4, I have some great news — you can finally use the Linux-based RetroPie for your classic gaming fun.

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When it comes to gaming mice, there are some very funky designs out there. Quite frankly, it isn't uncommon to have a gaming mouse resemble alien technology rather than a pointing device. Hell, some gaming mice even feature things like a dozen thumb buttons! Look, some people like crazy-looking mice with tons of buttons, while others value simplicity.

Today, Logitech unveils a "new" gaming mouse that focuses on simplicity and affordability, but at the same time, it oozes style. Called "G203 LIGHTSYNC," it appears to be nothing more than a rebrand of the existing "G203 PRODIGY" mouse. From what I can tell, specifications and designs are identical. Hell, even the price is the same. With that said, there are new model and SKU numbers, so it is technically a new product.

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Facebook is now a multi-faceted beast, and the latest weapon in the social network's growing arsenal is a dedicated gaming app.

The company is launching Facebook Gaming today, providing users with an app to livestream game content. Reports says that the app will also include "casual games and access to gaming communities". Competing with Amazon's Twitch, Google's YouTube and Microsoft's Mixer, the app lands on Android today, and is also due on iOS pending approval from Apple.

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RGB lighting rules -- it's a fact. It has the ability to make a great product even better. True, some people decry the inclusion of RGB in so many products nowadays, but to them I say, either buy a different product or simply turn the lighting off! You see, many of these products allow you to turn off the lighting effects entirely, so there is really no downside.

Today, ADATA announces its latest memory, and yes, it features RGB lighting! Called "SPECTRIX D50," these DDR4 modules carry the company's XPG branding, meaning they are intended for gaming. With that said, even non-gamers can enjoy the performance and good looks of these sticks.

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