Articles about Gaming

Twitch started out as a platform that let users stream themselves playing video games. For the most part, that is still its main focus. Since Amazon bought it, however, Twitch has wisely embraced all video streaming -- even when no video games are involved. Slowly but surely, the service is becoming a big threat to YouTube, and Google should be worried.

There are so many passionate fans of Twitch, that every year, the company has an official conference. Called "TwitchCon," This 3-day event is dedicated to content creators and their fans. Today, tickets for the aforementioned conference go on sale.

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Backtracking on what it said last year, Microsoft has announced that it has no plans to bring either virtual reality or mixed reality experiences to its Xbox console.

Back in March 2017, the company had said that it wanted to bring MR to Xbox users, but now it seems to have changed its mind. Microsoft has not really given any reason for the change of heart, but it has not given up completely on VR or MR.

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Growing up in the 80s and 90s, I remember video games being considered a "boy thing." This was just marketing -- of course girls liked gaming too. Sadly, games that were designed for girls were often terrible. It seemed like developers thought they could use, say, Barbie as a way to sell garbage games to this particular demographic. The truth is, girls enjoyed playing the same games as boys -- Super Mario Brothers, Street Fighter, etc. Ultimately, there was no need to market games based on the player's gender.

These days, the old stereotypes are largely gone, though not entirely. Seeing a girl or woman play a video game should be unremarkable, although there are still trolls that feel threatened by it and harass female gamers. In other words, there is still work to do. Thankfully, as time marches on, girls are being increasingly empowered to embrace video games. Today, wildly popular doll-seller American Girl unveils a really cool accessory kit that reinforces the fact that girls can enjoy gaming. The "Xbox Gaming Set," as it is called, lets the owner turn their doll into a gamer. How cool is that?

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Here at BetaNews, our 20th birthday cerebration is in full swing. We have several amazing giveaways running, including the Linksys Velop Dual-Band Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi System. But what if you don't need or want a mesh networking solution? What if you are a gamer that just wants a single router?

Enter the Linksys WRT32XB. Yes, we are giving away this hardcore Xbox One-optimized gaming router. Don't own Microsoft's gaming console? Don't worry. It will still function perfectly fine as a router for all of your non-gaming needs too. In other words, Xbox or not, you should enter the giveaway, as this router is a beast.

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If you are a PC gamer and you don't have a mechanical keyboard, it's time to upgrade. Not only are these models often more accurate, but some offer tactile and/or audible feedback which could improve your gaming performance. When you aren't playing games, they work brilliantly for typing too.

Today, Logitech officially unveils an all-new proprietary mechanical keyboard switch called "GX Blue." This option will provide both tactile and audible feedback. It will be available on two keyboard models -- the all-new G512 (which Logitech announces today), and the existing G513. Don't like audible feedback? Don't worry -- the new G512 will also have options for "Romer-G Tactile" and "Romer-G Linear" switches.

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During the month of June, we will be running several giveaways to celebrate the 20th birthday of BetaNews. Wow, 20 years... can you believe it? We owe our success to our loyal readers, who have stuck by us for two decades. We are happy to reward some of you with some seriously awesome prizes.

Today is our fourth hardware giveaway, and this time, it is gaming related. It is the super-premium HyperX Cloud Alpha gaming headset. It is not just for PC either -- it also works with Xbox, PS4, Switch, and mobile. Of course, you can use it for non-gaming things too, such as listening to music, watching movies, or chatting on Skype.

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Today at Computex 2018 ASUS Republic of Gamers unveiled its first gaming smartphone, the ROG Phone.

That this is a gaming smartphone is not the only "first" claimed by ASUS; it is also described as the world's first smartphone with a 3D vapor-chamber cooling system called GameCool. At the event, ASUS also revealed the ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 router with Wi-Fi speeds of over 10,000Mbps, as well as ROG Ryujin and ROG Ryuo CPU coolers, and ROG Thor 1200W Platinum power supply.

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Bluehole's PUBG -- the company behind PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds -- is taking Epic Games to court, alleging that Fortnite's Battle Royale mode violates the copyright of its own game.

Both Fortnight and PUBG have proved to be incredibly popular games, and Bluehole's PUBG has made no secret of the fact that it believes Epic has drawn a little too much inspiration from its own game.

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The phenomenon that is Fortnite will be making its way to Android, Epic Games has revealed.

An Android version of the game is something that mobile gamers have been begging for for some time now, and it seems it will not be long until these pleas are answered. While an exact release date has not been revealed, Fortnite for Android will be happening in the next few months.

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Wireless mice are more aesthetically pleasing than wired variants, but for the most part, I choose pointing devices with cables. Why? Well, nothing infuriates me more than having a mouse stop working because the battery died -- especially while in the middle of a game. At least with a wired mouse, I don't have to worry about that.

Today, Logitech unveils an affordable gaming mouse that offers an incredible 250 hours of battery life, meaning anxiety about depleted batteries should be minimal. An indicator light will alert you when power is getting low, so you won't be caught off guard. Best of all, the "G305 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Mouse," as it is called, uses a single AA battery -- easy to find and replace. And yes, the battery is included! Logitech claims the G305 can outperform wired mice too, all at a shockingly low price.

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Gaming hardware and accessories often feature very over-the-top designs, making them look like futuristic alien technology. While this is cool for some folks, others prefer more basic products with more conservative designs.

Today, Razer launches the Abyssus Essential optical gaming mouse which features a classic design. Razer calls the mouse "no-frills" and this is quite correct -- because of its ambidextrous design, there are no side buttons.

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Nintendo enjoyed great success when it nostalgically released the NES Classic and SNES Classic mini consoles. Happy to ride the retro game revival wave, SEGA is following suit and releasing its own mini console -- the Mega Drive Mini.

The original console was launched in the late 80s; it was known as the SEGA Genesis in North America, but in its home country of Japan and the rest of the world it was the Mega Drive. SEGA announced the Mega Drive Mini at an event in Japan, and while details are currently a little thin on the ground, excitement is already building about this latest mini console -- but there will certainly be disappointment that there will be no Sonic 3.

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It's less than a year since Google launched the Android Excellence program through which the company highlights the very best Android apps and games. The list is refreshed every three months, and Google has now published details of the winners of the accolade for April 2018.

The latest installment includes titles such as Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC, SoloLearn: Learn to Code for Free, and MARVEL Contest of Champions.

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Playing games online with other people is all the rage these days, and with that comes voice-based trash-talking. Insults over voice chat has become a huge part of the online gaming experience. The best way to participate in such behavior is with a gaming headset. Negativity aside, a headset can also help you to communicate with teammates to plan offenses.

Today, Logitech unveils its latest such product -- the G PRO Gaming Headset. This headset is designed for both professional eSports players and amateur gamers alike. Despite its professional branding, it is surprisingly affordable. The microphone is removable, which is great for privacy, but also lets the headset be used just as headphones so you won't look dorky wearing them out of the house. Logitech is even including replaceable faux suede leather earpads in case you don't like the more traditional "leatherette" pads.

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Google has teamed up with Girls Make Games and ESA Foundation to launch a new initiative called Change the Game. It is designed to encourage more women to get involved in playing and creating mobile games, and there's a $10,000 college scholarship and a $15,000 technology donation up for grabs.

The company is seeking game ideas from US teenagers who are invited to share details of their designs. Google asks for details of game mechanics, storylines and asks "what emotions could the player experience or feel while playing the game?"

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