Netflix series and a Steam sale give Witcher 3: Wild Hunt a huge boost
Despite being over four years old, Witcher 3: Wild Hunt not only remains popular but is actually more popular than ever on Steam.
Yesterday, over 94,000 players were logged into the game, exceeding the previous record from the launch back in May 2015. There is no doubt that the Netflix Witcher series has helped to boost interest in the game, but Steam also has a huge sale on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt -- Game of the Year Edition (which includes the Hearts of Stone and Blood & Wine expansions), with a massive 70 percent off serving as a huge enticement for newcomers.
Microsoft's Xbox Series X has a terrible name, but it looks incredibly cool
Microsoft has never been very good at naming things. Windows 10, for instance, isn't even the tenth version of Windows. The company plans to eventually release an operating system called Windows 10X -- since X is the Roman numeral for ten, is it technically "Windows 10 10" then? Sigh. The original Xbox was followed by the Xbox 360, which was then followed by Xbox One. In other words, the third Xbox is named "One" -- what kind of craziness is that? The company confused things even further by releasing Xbox One variants dubbed "S" and "X."
And now, Microsoft has unveiled its next generation Xbox, and following tradition, it has a terrible name! What has the company named it? Xbox Series X. Yup, that's the real name. Its name is way too close to "Xbox One X," and shows Microsoft is apparently devoid of any creativity in the branding department. Name aside, however, it does look really cool -- it is a vertical tower that can be positioned horizontally if you prefer. Thankfully, it appears to have an optical drive, so physical games disks will live on for at least one more generation of game console.
AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT now available
Not everyone can afford the top of the line graphics card, and that's fine. If you are a PC gamer on a budget, there are plenty of options these days that will allow you to play the latest and greatest games, albeit with the resolution and other settings turned down a bit. For instance 4K is all the rage these days, but if you are OK with 1080p gaming, you can actually get by with some affordable gear.
Today, AMD shows some major respect for the 1080p gamers of the world with the all-new Radeon RX 5500 XT. While not the most powerful card, it should be able to play all of the newest games at 1080p. It should be positioned a bit higher than the excellent, yet aging, RX 580. Best of all, the starting price is significantly below $200.
PATRIOT launches VIPER GAMING VPR100 M.2 2280 PCIe Gen3 x4 RGB SSD
Do M.2 PCIe solid state drives need heatsinks? Need? No, but believe it or not, sticking a piece of aluminum on the drive won't only potentially extend its life, but it can make it faster too. Yes, really. You see, when these SSDs get hot, read and write performance can take a hit. And so, cooling can matter. Keep in mind though, a heatsink can prevent an SSD from being used in a laptop if there isn't enough room for it.
Today, Patriot (under its VIPER GAMING brand) is launching a new solid state drive that not only has a big aluminum heatsink, but it is very beautiful too. Called "VPR100," this M.2 2280 PCIe Gen3 x4 RGB SSD features customizable lighting and impressive read and write speeds. Does RGB lighting on an SSD really matter, though? Possibly. In some computers, the PCIe SSD can be hidden from view, making it a non-factor.
TEAMGROUP launches T-FORCE XTREEM ARGB gaming RAM with mirror design
Are all sticks of RAM the same? No. Any seasoned system builder will tell you that opting for cheap budget memory can lead to frustrating experiences of troubleshooting errors and blue screens of death in Windows. Saving a few bucks is never worth it. Take my advice and stick to reputable companies for both RAM and power supply units -- you will be thankful you did.
With all of that said, there are many reputable companies manufacturing sticks of RAM these days, making it hard to know what to select. You probably know all the typical names, such as G.SKILL, Crucial, and HyperX, but there are other lesser-known brands you can depend on too. Case in point, TEAMGROUP -- many system builders trust its memory. Today, that company announces its latest DDR4 RAM and it is absolutely gorgeous. Called "T-FORCE XTREEM ARGB," it features customizable lighting, a mirror design, and an achievable overclock of up to 4800MHz.
Database containing details of nearly half a million gamers exposed in security lapse
Wizards of the Coast -- publisher of, among other titles, Magic: The Gathering -- has confirmed a security incident that exposed information relating to 452,634 players.
The company left a backup database containing gamer information in a public Amazon Web Services storage bucket where it was accessible from early September. Specifically, the database was used to house data relating to the game's online portal, Magic: The Gathering Arena.
Seagate unveils FireCuda Thunderbolt 3 Gaming Dock and 520 PCIe 4.0 SSD
PC gamers used to turn their noses up at laptops, as they weren't capable of playing top-tier games. While most gamers still prefer desktops -- which are more powerful -- there are notebooks that are capable of running modern PC games. Thanks to Thunderbolt 3, laptop owners can even expand their machines with high-end devices, such as PCIe-based storage and even graphics cards.
Today, Seagate unveils two new products that laptop gamers will want to keep an eye on -- the FireCuda Thunderbolt 3 Gaming Dock and FireCuda 520 PCIe 4.0 SSD. What is a gaming dock? Well, it is your typical TB3 docking station, but also, it houses a 4TB HDD for storing your games. It even features adjustable RGB lighting -- something many gamers love. As an added bonus, it also has a PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD expansion slot, but it is only Gen3.
Google Stadia only has a dozen launch games
The Nintendo 64 is one of the greatest game consoles of all time. I remember getting one at launch as a kid after trying (and being blown away by) Super Mario 64 at Toys R Us. Believe it or not, despite ultimately becoming a successful game system, it launched with just two games in the USA. No, that is not a typo -- it literally had a pair of games at launch. There was the aforementioned Mario game, plus Pilotwings 64. Over time, there were many classic games released for the N64, but the sparse launch library was rather shocking.
That's why today's announcement by Google that its Stadia streaming game service will "only" have a dozen games at launch (less than previously promised) doesn't disappoint me. Quite frankly, 12 launch titles is actually quite respectable. Not to mention, these are high-quality games too -- there is seemingly no filler to pad the list. With that said, three of the titles are from the Tomb Raider franchise.
HyperX Cloud MIX gaming headset gets beautiful new rose gold color
A little over a year ago, HyperX launched the Cloud MIX gaming headset. What made this model particularly cool was its ability to work both wired and wireless. In other words, you could use it as a Bluetooth headset when you wanted, but also, using the included cable, you could hard-wire it into your computer or other device.
Today, HyperX launches a new "Rose Gold" edition of the Cloud MIX headset. What new features does it have? Absolutely zero. It is virtually identical to the normal Cloud MIX except it has a new rose gold color. Now, the entire headset isn't rose gold -- it is mostly white. The namesake color is more of an accent. Regardless, it looks quite pretty.
Internet Archive lets you play 2,500 more classic DOS games in your browser, including The Secret of Monkey Island and Microsoft Flight Simulator
Five years ago, the Internet Archive added 2,400 playable DOS games to its site, including 90s classics like Duke Nukem 3D, Prince of Persia, Championship Manager, The Incredible Machine, Eye of the Beholder (and its sequels), Hexen, Sim City, and Wolfenstein 3D.
Over the years, a number of additional games have been added to the collection, but the Internet Archive has made what it says is its biggest update yet, introducing another 2,500 MS-DOS titles.
Google's Stadia game streaming service launches on November 19
At this year's Game Developers Conference in March, Google took the wraps off Stadia, a new, instant-play cloud-based gaming service.
With Stadia, games are "played" on Google’s servers, and streamed to compatible devices in the home, including smartphones, tablets, desktops, laptops, TVs and more. Google claims Stadia servers are capable of providing 4K, 60 frames-per-second performance.
Razer Raion is a proper arcade fightpad for PC and Sony PlayStation 4
If you are a fan of arcade-style fighting games such as Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, or The King of Fighters, you know that modern game controllers are quite deficient when playing them. Yes, you can get by with a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One controller, but the d-pad and face buttons just aren't ideal. Fans of this genre prefer controllers such as the one that came with the Sega Saturn -- six face buttons and a proper d-pad. I fondly remember buying the ASCII Pad FT for Dreamcast to truly enjoy the great library of fighters.
Now, Razer is delivering a proper fightpad for both the PlayStation 4 and PC. Called "Raion," it features six face buttons -- four of which are labeled with PS4 shapes, such as circle and triangle. I rather like that it is wired too, as nothing is worse for a gamer than running out of battery power in the middle of playing a game.
PlayStation 5 -- Sony reveals enticing details of its next console, coming for the 2020 holiday season
Sony has revealed that the next version of its gaming console will stick to the existing pattern and be called PlayStation 5. But the company has revealed much more than the name of the device.
Sony has also announced that the PS5 will launch for the 2020 holiday season, and that it will come complete with a new controller that features haptic technology and adaptive triggers.
Logitech G PRO X mechanical gaming keyboard has swappable switches
The ability to swap keys on a mechanical keyboard is nothing new. With a key puller, you can often replace, say, the W, A, S, D keys for different colors or textures. Replaceable switches, however, are an entirely different ball game. A company would have to be mad to create such a keyboard, right? Well, Logitech may be bonkers, as it has done just that!
The all-new Logitech G PRO X mechanical gaming keyboard has swappable switches, meaning you can change out each individual switch -- linear, tactile, or clicky -- depending on your needs. Whoa! The keyboard is "tenkeyless," meaning there is no number pad on the right. Not only does this save space, but it looks nicer too. Unless you are an accountant, the top row of numbers is fine. There is also customizable RGB lighting, so you can make it your own. I love that the cable is detachable, but surprisingly, it uses a micro USB connection rather than the newer USB-C.
HyperX Pulsefire Dart wireless gaming mouse has Qi charging and RGB lighting
There are many gaming mice on the market these days, so it can be hard for a single model to stand out. I mean, look, there are only so many ways to make a mouse unique. And yet, today, HyperX launches such a product, and it is actually quite special.
Called "Pulsefire Dart," this looks like an ordinary wireless gaming mouse, but it has a pretty cool feature -- Qi charging. Yes, you can charge the mouse using one of those cool wireless charging mats -- the same ones used for Android devices and iPhones. In addition, it features RGB lighting, so you can customize the appearance to your liking.
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