Articles about Gaming

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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If you want a Windows gaming laptop, there are many from which to choose. If you want a thin Windows 10 gaming laptop, however, your options are much more limited.

One of the more popular maker of such svelte gaming laptops is Razer, and today, it upgrades the Blade Pro 17 with an eye-popping new feature -- a 17.3-inch 4K, 3840 x 2160 display with 400 nits brightness! Yes, seriously.

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Do you play those hardcore massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPG) like World of Warcraft? If so, you have probably encountered those wild-looking mice with multiple thumb buttons. These types of mice are great, because you can customize the many buttons to perform various functions of the game. This can be used for any game, really, including, say, a first person shooter -- you can program macros or key-presses into the buttons, essentially giving you an edge.

Today, Logitech unveils its latest such mouse, and it is a beast. Called "G604," we have been testing it in the BetaNews labs with great success. It has both Bluetooth and LIGHTSPEED for connectivity, with the latter utilizing a USB-A dongle. You can then switch between the two by pressing a button -- helpful for working with two computers or operating systems.

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Following complaints from a number of users about problems with audio in games, Microsoft has acknowledged that the KB4515384 update for Windows 10 version 1903 is to blame.

The company is working on a proper fix, which it says should be released later this month. In the meantime,  however, it has suggested temporary workarounds for anyone irritated by the sound issues.

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Microsoft recently released the KB4515384 update for Windows 10 version 1903, and this was supposed -- among other things -- address the high CPU usage problem caused by the earlier KB4512941 update. Unfortunately, this cumulative update was found to cause issues with the Start menu and searching for some users, and Microsoft is currently looking into addressing these problems.

But these are not the only issues with KB4515384. Complaints are also mounting about problems with audio in games after installing this particular update. [UPDATE: Microsoft has acknowledged the issue and suggested a workaround]

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Launching Thursday September 19, Apple Arcade is the iPhone-maker's new game subscription service. Dubbed the Netflix for games, it will set subscribers back $4.99 (or £4.99) each month, and will provide unlimited access to a library of games.

Apple Arcade is compatible with iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV, and at launch there are more than 100 games available through the service, and many of these will be exclusives. The service will compete with Google Play Pass when it eventually launches.

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When it comes to choosing a phone case there’s no shortage of options. Some offer high quality protection, some just look good. Others offer gimmicks, like a built-in stand, or signal boosting abilities, and some keep your phone charged with a built-in battery.

The 'Game phone case' offers something very different -- an enclosure for your iPhone that turns the back of it into a working 'Game Boy Color'.

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