Google has been steadily updating YouTube to run high frame-rate (HFR) video, and the silky smooth 60 frames per second is coming to YouTube's iOS and Android mobile apps this month.
HFR was originally added to YouTube in October last year, allowing video game channels to stream videos at 720p 60fps or 1080p 60fps. The difference in the frame rate was quite astounding, compared to frame rate difference in a video game.
What an exciting time to be either a PC gamer or system builder (or both!). We are getting ever so close to a new version of Windows -- what could be the best version yet -- which is always a great excuse to upgrade hardware. Also notable, however, are the amazing new AMD 300 series graphics cards, including the Holy Grail Radeon R9 Fury X.
If you are upgrading your rig and moving to a new version of Windows, you should probably consider upgrading your monitor too. Gamers picking up a new AMD graphics card will want to consider a display with FreeSync technology for smoother gameplay. Today, Acer announces one of the most impressive such gaming monitors -- the XR341CK. This curved 34 inch QHD gaming monitor not only offers great performance, but it is totally sexy too. Feel free to drool.
Have you bought, or are you planning to buy, one of AMD's new graphics cards, like Fury X or R9 380? If so, well done my fellow PC builder; these cards are extremely powerful, while being competitively priced. Great choice.
While not the first cards to feature FreeSync, the higher end of these new cards will allow for comfortable 4K gaming too. Obviously you need a 4K FreeSync monitor. Well, need is a strong word -- you can get by without it (it is not food or water), but you do need it if you want to be the coolest PC gamer in your neighborhood (and you do). Today, Samsung announces two such monitors that will have you drooling.
Bethesda Softworks' first mobile game, Fallout Shelter, was announced at E3 2015 alongside the full gameplay trailer and release date for Fallout 4. When speaking about the game, Bethesda’s game director Todd Howard said it wasn’t meant to be a microtransaction mess, but it looks like people are spending a lot of money on it anyway.
The free mobile game involves building a vault and managing the people inside the vault, assigning them tasks. Fallout Shelter generates revenue through its Lunchbox microtransactions, gifting players four cards with at least one rare.
When it comes to mice, there are many types available. For the average consumer, using whatever came with their desktop is probably sufficient. If they do buy a new mouse, it is often because the old one broke. The replacement is frequently selected due to low price. After all, they probably just need to point and click.
Gamers, however, are an entirely different breed. These people love hardware and video games and will spend extra money to gain an edge. One of the most popular manufacturers of gaming mice is Razer. While the company has deviated a bit from its roots lately, it returns to form today by announcing an all-new version of its wildly popular Mamba. Best of all? It will be available in both wired and wireless variants.
If you've built a gaming PC lately, there is a good chance that you purchased an NVIDIA graphics card and Intel processor, and that's OK. Both of those companies make great products. Unfortunately for AMD, consumers have been ignoring its products a bit lately. This is understandable, as the company's offerings -- while solid -- have not always delivered the same value as year's past.
This year, however, AMD has been roaring back to relevance and possibly dominance. It announced the value-focused A10-7870K APU and then the awesome 6th generation A-Series notebook processors. Today, the company continues on an upward trajectory as it announces the Radeon R9 Fury, Fury X, Fury Nano and the R9 and R7 300 Series graphics cards. All are DirectX 12 capable and Windows 10-ready. If you are a hardcore gamer, these are the cards you want.
Well folks, E3 2015 is in full swing, and this year is proving to be monumental. On the console front, Microsoft stole the show with Xbox One backwards compatibility with the 360 and the amazing -- albeit pricey -- Elite controller. Sony was no slouch, however, announcing first-rights to Call of Duty DLC.
Console gaming is cool and all, but what about those of us members of the PC Master-race? You know, those of us that like to build our gaming rigs?
It has been a few months since we first heard about HoloLens, Microsoft's foray into holographic virtual reality. We've already been told that the platform will be able to run Windows apps in 3D, but -- let's be honest -- what people are really looking forward to is the potential for games. Today at E3, Mojang demoed the upcoming HoloLens version of Minecraft.
This is a game that has proved phenomenally successful, and the preview showed off today looks nothing short of incredible. This is a game that is all about the third dimension, and truly takes advantage of what HoloLens has to offer in this department.
The annual E3 video game conference gets underway properly from tomorrow, but Microsoft’s press keynote takes place today, and you’ll be able to tune into it right here as it happens.
The company’s focus will, naturally, be on the Xbox One and Windows 10, but there will also be plenty of games announcements too -- Microsoft says we can expect to see "the greatest games lineup in Xbox history" this year.
Playing video games is a very fun hobby. Hell, for some people, playing them is a job; yes, professional competitive gaming is a real thing. You know what else is cool? Watching other people play. While it was an absurd notion years ago, nowadays, people enjoy being spectators to another person's gameplay. I watch Pewdiepie, like, every day.
The most famous platform for streaming gameplay is Twitch, which is why Amazon bought the service for a ton of cheddar. Not to be outdone, however, Google today announces its own streaming service for gamers -- the unimaginatively named YouTube Gaming. While I do not expect a mass exodus from Twitch, Amazon's service will certainly lose some of its luster as a result. Interestingly, it will be run by former pro-gamer, Ryan Wyatt -- aka Fwiz -- most widely known as the former love interest of Justine Ezarik -- aka iJustine.
One of my favorite racing games of all time is Daytona USA. I remember playing it for countless hours on my Sega Saturn -- so fun. While the controller worked well, I eventually bought the official Sega steering wheel for that console. Not only was the experience more immersive, but my performance improved too.
The Sega Saturn steering wheel is a far cry from modern gaming racing wheels -- it is a toy by comparison. Modern variants make the racing experience feel extremely real. Today, Logitech announces new G Driving Force Racing Wheels -- including pedals -- for PlayStation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox One and Windows. Racing fans, are your motors running?
Oculus will be one of several names demoing virtual reality products at E3 next week, but ahead of the big games show the company is going to be taking the wraps off of the consumer model of its VR headset later today.
The Oculus Rift consumer model isn’t actually due to go on sale until early next year, but today’s special event should give us a good idea of what to expect from the device, more concrete release details, and hopefully the all-important price.
PC gaming has historically been a Windows-affair. For the most part, this works rather well. After all, Microsoft's operating system is easy to use and has incredible hardware compatibility. With that said, Windows does have a fair bit of overhead both from a performance and price perspective.
For many people, a Linux-based operating system makes more sense as it is free in cost while being lightweight from a performance perspective. In other words, the modular nature makes Linux ideal for focusing on gaming. Valve's long-promised Steam Machine concept was designed with this in mind, and after a long wait, you can finally order one.
If you are a hardcore PC gamer, you probably have a really nice desktop. While a tower is the smartest way to go for gaming, not everybody has the room for one. Hell, many people need a laptop and cannot afford a secondary desktop just for gaming. In recent years, gaming laptops have gained in popularity as a result.
Today, NVIDIA announces that it is bringing a feature to laptops, which was once exclusive to desktops -- G-SYNC. Yes, this technology will now allow notebook users to have smoother gameplay.
It seems like Intel gets all the attention in the PC hardware world lately. True, Intel makes some damn good processors, but so does AMD. Quite frankly, if you are looking for a great value and impressive game performance, AMD has some wonderful offerings.
Today, the company announces the A10-7870K APU. Not only is it a very powerful processor with a clock speed up to 4.1Ghz, but it is extremely affordable. Seriously, this value is incredible. Will this APU be powering your next build?