The Electronic Software Association (ESA) had high hopes for this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) event. It was supposed to be a return to gaming’s most high-profile in-person event following the pandemic slowdown. Unfortunately, this year’s event has been completely cancelled.

And while ReedPop, the company that was taking the organisational reigns of the event this year, is making positive noises about possible future events, it doesn’t look like this gaming institution is coming back.

E3 – you sank my gaming event

ReedPop’s global vice president of gaming, Kyle Marsden-Kish, said in a statement, “We appreciate and understand that interested companies wouldn’t have playable demos ready and that resourcing challenges made being at E3 this summer an obstacle they couldn’t overcome. For those who did commit to [the event], we’re sorry we can’t put on the showcase you deserve and that you’ve come to expect from ReedPop’s event experiences.”

But that statement didn’t address that gaming’s heaviest hitters — Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo — wouldn’t have a presence at the event this year. The ESA did say that this year’s event “simply did not garner the sustained interest necessary to execute it in a way that would showcase the size, strength, and impact of our industry.”

Read More: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom gameplay is as glorious as it is strange

Many major publishers — Ubisoft was the latest to bail on the Los Angeles event — made it clear that they see more value in going it alone. Every major company that declined to participate in E3 is planning showcase events where they will show off what’s coming next.

Unfortunately, while ReedPop and the ESA apparently plan to collaborate on “future E3 events”, it’s hard to see how gaming’s former crown jewel will regain any of its shine. Logistically, the Los Angeles convention is a huge and expensive collaborative effort. Some companies are experiencing better results from cheaper online events, or are only willing to foot the bill for their own extravaganza. Still, an event announcement for 2024 before the end of this year wouldn’t surprise us. Whether it takes place is another matter entirely.

Source: IGN

The post E3 2023 has officially been cancelled and the event may be dead forever appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

Sky islands. Constructs. The fusing of anything and everything. Mr Aonuma’s delightful voice being covered by perhaps the most annoying English dub of all time. For anyone that forwent the chance to see the first gameplay session of Nintendo’s upcoming title The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – you’re probably a bit confused as to what the heck we’re talking about.

Tears of the Kingdom

If you are one of the few that didn’t watch, You should correct that. Like… now. Go on, we’ll wait.

We’re only 44 days away from the release of the game informally known as The Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Breath of the Wild 2. In celebration of that fact – and with the game officially going ‘gold’ – Nintendo gave fans roughly ten minutes of Tears of the Kingdom gameplay. We caught a glimpse of the floating sky islands, Link’s new powers (and glossy, flowing hair) and the confirmation of the ‘Zonai Tribe’ – something theorists have bandied on about for years.

Besides showcasing some new abilities (which we’ll get to in a second), the video confirmed that the sky islands won’t be a separate entity from the overworld, and that weapon durability is here to stay. And how glad we are. We’re part of the minority camp that loves weapon durability and welcome it back with open arms.

A handful of new abilities

If you were hopeful that Nintendo would spoil some of Tears of the Kingdom’s story, you’ll be sorely disappointed. This was pure gameplay, through and through. First, we got a look at Recall, the ability to rewind an object’s path – which Mr Aonuma used to rewind a falling piece of a sky island, allowing Link to climb atop and enjoy the ride.

Recall immediately took a backseat to the Fuse ability whereby Link can take ordinary, mundane objects such as rocks and logs and fuse them to regular weapons, creating entirely new tools for mass destruction. A long stick and a pitchfork? Link is suddenly wielding an extra-long weapon that combines the durability and strength of each of its parts. That’s… cool enough on its own.

Somehow, Nintendo took it a step further with the Ultrahand ability. Here, players will fuse objects together to create a new mode of transport. Within a few seconds, Link had constructed a basic raft of logs, complete with fans to propel himself across some water.

Read More: The biggest video games to look out for in Q2 2023

Climbing – one of the first game’s biggest mechanics isn’t going away in Tears of the Kingdom, not by a long shot. The Ascend ability seems to be lessening some of that pain, giving Link the power to crawl through any ceiling he’s able to find. There are limitations according to Mr Aonuma, though we didn’t see any restrictions in the video.

And… that’s about it. This is likely to be the last bit of gameplay we see until Tears of the Kingdom is physically in our hands – with the possibility of yet another cutscene trailer to hold us over until the game’s launch on 12 May.

The post The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom gameplay is as glorious as it is strange appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

Still don’t have one of the three current-gen gaming consoles? You’re probably not alone. When the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles launched in November 2020, the improvements over the PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X|S made them rather popular. The state of the world at the time certainly didn’t make getting your hands on one any easier.

If you still have a PS5- or Xbox Series X-shaped gap on your shelf and were hesitant to pull the trigger, this is the sign you’ve been waiting for.

How much is that console in the window?

Starting tomorrow, 29 March 2023, the Xbox Series X|S consoles will have R1,000 slashed from their prices if you buy yours from one of the participating retailers. This special will run until 10 April 2023 so don’t feel like you have to blow off work and camp outside. Although, there’s probably fine print somewhere that says “while stocks last” so it’s not like you’re guaranteed to get one either.

This price cut means the Xbox Series X console will cost R11,000 instead of the usual R12,000 for the duration of the promotion. On the cheaper side of things, the Xbox Series S’s new price will be R6,000. Don’t believe us? Here’s the math:

Xbox Series X: old price – price cut = new price (R12,000 – R1,000 = R11,000)
Xbox Series S: old price – price cut = new price (R7,000 – R1,000 = R6,000)

Aspiring PlayStation 5 owners aren’t being left in the lurch, that console will also receive a price cut. Future PS5 buyers will have to wait a little longer to cash in as their sale kicks off on 31 March 2023 and runs until 10 April 2023. This puts prices for the standalone digital and physical disc consoles at R9,300 and R11,500 respectively. That makes the digital console even cheaper than it was before it received a price hike towards the end of last year, along with the disc unit. Here are the formulae for those:

PS5 digital edition (1TB): OP – PC = NP (R10,300 – R1,000 = R9,300)
PS5 disc edition: OP – PC = NP (R12,500 – R1,000 = R11,500)

Both promotions are available from the following South African retailers for their duration:

• BT Games
• Computer Mania
• Checkers Tech X
• FNB Connect
• Game
• Game4U
• Hi-Fi Corp
• House & Home
• Incredible Connection
• Koodoo
• Makro
• Nexus Hub
• Pick `n Pay
• Sportscene
• TFG | Bash
• Totalsports
• Zapa Gaming

The post The ‘Big 3’ gaming consoles get R1,000 price cuts in South Africa appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

It’s official. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is finally within our grasp. The team behind Dolphin – regarded as the best GameCube, Wii and Wii U emulator – has announced that the service is “coming soon” to Steam. It will be released as an ‘early access game’ in due course, though the store page is already live. Add it to your wishlist, and you’ll be notified as soon as the ‘game’ goes live.

Steam always wins

For the uninitiated, Dolphin is an emulator, specifically designed to run games from “the big N’s cube-shaped and motion-controlled consoles.” It’s entirely open-source, only requires a PC (so you’re not spending preposterous amounts on a console released twenty-plus years ago), and supports modern controllers and 4K visuals.

There are a few caveats to contend with. The first is “the big N’s” (note Dolphin’s unwillingness to mention our Nintendo dictators) hatred of its twenty-year-old hardware being emulated. While downloading Dolphin is completely within your rights you’ll need to own the games you’re hoping to emulate. There are ways around this, though the process of downloading or uploading ROMs is illegal. Nintendo will come down on you faster than you can say ‘lawyer’. Just… keep that in mind.

Read More: Nintendo is resurrecting the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance (sort of)

Sure, the service has a downside or two. But the pros outweigh the cons. Massively. For one, just using a higher-end PC can net better visuals and performance. The modding community for older Nintendo games is alive and well, with community-made patches increasing resolution, frame rates, and textures to boost the overall experience. There’s even an option for some local multiplayer games that use “Dolphin’s built-in netplay”.

An official date has yet to be announced, though we know it’s coming sometime in Q2 (April, May, and June), courtesy of the emulator’s Steam page.

The post Mahi Mahi: Dolphin – the free GameCube and Wii [U] emulator – is coming to Steam appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

Popular PC gaming storefront and platform Steam will stop working on (objectively) the best version of Windows on 1 January 2024. It’ll also stop working on Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. The news isn’t that surprising — Windows 7 launched in 2009 and Microsoft killed support for the operating system in 2020. Windows 8 and its successor were always on borrowed time.

Time for a Steam clean

The reason? Valve is actually very specifically laying the blame on Google’s Chrome. Specifically, “The newest features in Steam rely on an embedded version of Google Chrome, which no longer functions on older versions of Windows. In addition, future versions of Steam will require Windows features and security updates only present in Windows 10 and above.”

There are no real workarounds planned for the platform either. Gamers will have to upgrade to a more modern Microsoft operating system in order to continue using their accounts. It doesn’t seem that users can continue to play using the last-updated version of the platform, either. “In order to continue running… any games or other products purchased… users will need to update to a more recent version of Windows.”

Read More: Logitech’s answer to the Switch and Steam Deck looks cool, but you can’t have it

If you’re still hanging onto your Windows 7 or Windows 8[.1] install for dear life, it’s time to let it go. Some 10% of Windows 7 users are still clinging to that version. Windows 8 and 8.1 account for around 3% of the entire install base. Those numbers sound tiny but that’s still around 192 million users (out of 1.6 billion Windows users in total). At least some of that number are gamers on Valve’s platform. It’s time to let it go, folks.

The post Steam will stop working on Windows 7, Windows 8, and 8.1 in 2024 appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

For whatever reason, Lego games are back. Not that we’re complaining. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. In years past, the games became shadows of their former selves, with the higher-ups pumping out as many movie tie-in games as it possibly could. The Lego Movie Videogame, really? That changed when The Skywalker Saga launched in 2022, switching out the stale formula for something fresh. That mindset is seemingly sticking around for Lego 2K Drive, releasing on; PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X. Oh, and the Nintendo Switch.

Lego 2K Drive takes a few of our favourite things; Burnout Paradise, Mario Kart and… well, Lego, and melds them into one glorious-looking game. The open world of Paradise, the power-ups (and subsequent ending of friendships) of Mario Kart, and Lego’s “unprecedented cultural impact.” Their words, not ours.

The Fast and the Furious

We’re actually rather surprised that it took the brickmaker as long as it has to bring out another fully-fledged racer. The last, Lego Racers, was released over 23 years ago. Lego has formed a partnership between 2K, bringing with it Visual Concepts, the developers behind the NBA and WWE 2K games. Why 2K? Your guess is as good as ours.

2K Drive isn’t just a racing game. There’s a main story, which pits players against other racers across the open-world map of Bricklandia’s many biomes to eventually win the Sky Cup trophy. Those looking to hone their skills or wander aimlessly throughout Bricklandia can do so, with challenges, minigames, and collectibles dotted across the seemingly vast map.

If a straight-up Mario Kart sim is what you’re after, don’t fret. It’s here, and it’s available through standard online play or local multiplayer. 2K hasn’t forgotten the lost art of couch split-screen play either. Online, local, or couch co-op are available too.

Read More: Calling all (good) Lego builders – Lego will sell fan-designed sets later this year

Whether it’s story or online racing you’re after, the game promises a “diverse customization system” that’ll allow players to build their cars using the over 1,000 unique pieces at their disposal. To drive home that fact, the trailer showed off players driving around in chickens, tortoises, and burgermobiles (we’re not joking). We’re sure that 2K’s odd designs will pale in comparison to those that the community thinks up once the game releases in a couple of months.

Speaking of which, Lego 2K Drive is coming to consoles sooner rather than later, on 19 May. Anyone that pre-orders any of the three editions available will unlock three days of early access. Each edition that stretches beyond the standard edition comes with extras that… add stuff. Whether you think it’s worth the R2,140 price tag (on PlayStation), is up to you.

The post Piecing together Burnout, Mario Kart and Lego to build Lego 2K Drive appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

Valve Corporation has finally made Counter-Strike 2 official after years of speculation and, more recently, new trademark filings, data-mined hints, and a report from veteran esports journalist Richard Lewis after speaking with anonymous sources with knowledge of the game’s development.

While a concrete release date wasn’t mentioned, some lucky players will already have the opportunity to try it out in a limited test. The rest of us will have to wait until ‘summer’ (calm down, that’s winter for us South Africans) when the full game is expected to release. And like CS:GO now, it will be free-to-play.

CS2 is finally here, sort of

Today we’re excited to announce Counter-Strike 2. Counter-Strike 2 is an overhaul to every system, every piece of content, and every part of the C-S experience. First, let’s talk about smoke grenades: pic.twitter.com/iTtguRHJ0S

— CS2 (@CounterStrike) March 22, 2023

Counter-Strike 2, or CS2, is the much-anticipated overhaul of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, or CS:GO, a tactical first-person shooter video game first launched in August 2012.

Instead of a sequel and a whole new standalone game, as is usually the case in the industry, the announcement blog post describes CS2 as an “overhaul to every system, every piece of content, and every part of the C-S experience,” and “the largest technical leap forward in Counter-Strike’s history.”

CS2, based on Valve’s Source 2 engine, includes updates to some of CS:GO’s core mechanics (like smoke grenade behaviour), a reworked audio system, vastly improved server performance, and updated visuals including HD textures, models, environment and visual effects, and enhanced lighting and reflections.

There are a vast amount of changes, too many to detail here, with potentially far-reaching consequences so if you’re at all interested, check out the blog post. Additionally, Valve has also made informative videos for the biggest of those which you can watch here.

It’s all about the Counter-Strike money

For those wondering why Valve opted for an overhaul instead of a whole new game, the answer is presumably ‘money’.

The Counter-Strike franchise has been home to competitive esports play in some form since 2001. The scene was small back then but started to grow rather quickly with Counter-Strike 1.6. However, when Counter-Strike: Source launched in 2004 it was criticized by pro players which resulted in a split player base.

The player base was eventually reunited with CS:GO but Valve will probably want to avoid anything like that from happening again, especially seeing as CS:GO has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry if you take the professional scene and cosmetic skin market into account.

The post Counter-Strike 2 is finally official, here’s what that means appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

2023 is the year of generative AI. Since ChatGPT’s launch in November, the world has been enamoured with the idea of automation, giving as many vague tasks to our soon-to-be robot overlords as possible and making them stronger by the day. First, AI conquered the art world. Then it tackled the business industry. It was only a matter of time before it began interfering with game development.

Two of videogaming’s most prominent entities – Unity and Ubisoft – have announced AI ‘tools’ designed to shorten the development progress significantly. ‘Unity AI’ is pitched as a marketplace for all facets of development – character creation, sound design, and dialogue. Ubisoft’s ‘Ghostwriter’ tool focuses solely on NPC dialogue, in the hopes of freeing up writers to focus on a game’s larger story aspects.

“Make them flying alien mushrooms”

Of the two, Unity AI seems to lean more on the side of ambitiousness. Rather than spending valuable time developing every aspect of a game, Unity wants creators to use the marketplace to auto-generate code or create new assets on the fly. “Add two seconds of thunder” or “Add a dozen NPCs… make them flying mushrooms” are two examples of how user prompts will be used to further development.

“In every video game in history, the dialogue was written by somebody,” says Unity CEO John Riccitiello in an interview with Reuters. “But now what you can do with (generative AI) is give these characters motivation, personality, and objectives and then they can spawn dialogue that doesn’t require a writer.”

Unfortunately, Unity wasn’t quite so eager to show off the marketplace in action. A vague teaser and big promises are all that was revealed, with no release date on the horizon. Interested developers can placate themselves with the beta program which can be signed up for here. There’s no guarantee you’ll get in, but there’s no harm in trying, right?

Eminem been real quiet

Writing NPC dialogue is hard. Writing good NPC dialogue is even harder. It’s also, according to game developers, an arduous process that could be better spent on a game’s main story. NPC dialogue comes in the form of “barks” with each bark being manually written and added to a game to improve the overall immersion of a game. Ubisoft’s Ghostwriter is looking to dramatically change that process.

The tool, developed by Ubisoft’s R&D department La Forge and created by Ben Swanson, was announced at this year’s Game Development Conference.

Read More: Bard, Bing and Baidu: how big tech’s AI race will transform search – and all of computing

Ghostwriter isn’t looking to replace writers entirely. The big idea is to save time. Developers input character traits and the type of interaction they desire, with Ghostwriter spitting out two varying rough drafts of NPC barks. Developers choose which they prefer and edit them to get the desired effect, in turn training the AI to offer up better barks that suit a character more.

The tool is still in its early stages, with the biggest issue facing Ghostwriter being its lack of use. In a bid to make the product more appealing, the team included ‘Ernestine’ “which allows anyone to create their own machine learning models used in Ghostwriter.” As long as we don’t get another dumpster fire as we did with Watchdogs: Legion, any form of AI development is welcome in our books.

What either of these tools will look like in the future is a scary thought. Neither Ubisoft nor Unity will be the last to develop some sort of artificial intelligence tool to help build games faster. As we speak, game companies are lifting their heads, sniffing the air – scoping the landscape to see how their AI could be the one to change it. We reckon the game development space could look mightily different in just a few short years. Once EA figures out how to hand the reins of its varying sporting titles to AI entirely, we’re done for.

The post Even videogames aren’t safe from generative AI appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

Netflix has added a few impressive mobile titles to its stable of free games available to its subscribers just in the first couple of months of this year. The Ninja Turtles, Lara Croft, and a couple of complete newcomers have all made the grade. That’s just the start of the platform’s ambitions for this year (and the next).

Highwater, announced for the platform in February this year, launches on Netflix this month, but there’s far more to come. The streaming service has another 40 game launches planned for the rest of 2023, though it hasn’t yet revealed what all of those games will be. Gotta preserve some of the mystery, after all.

Next on Netflix

One of the upcoming games, due to launch in April this year, is called Mighty Quest Rogue Palace. It’s an offshoot of Ubisoft’s free-to-play title Mighty Quest for Epic Loot, which was a brain-consuming time-suck for a certain sort of player. Specifically, those obsessed with enemies who drop shiny objects in vast quantities. This new title is a rogue-lite game with similar game mechanics, snarky humour, and the misfortune of living in your pocket… so playing it will always be an option. We’re doomed…

Also coming is the Monument Valley series, which will get additional instalments in addition to the games already out there. Super Evil Megacorp, the developer behind the online game Vainglory, is developing something new for Netflix, and there’s also a second game coming based on Netflix’s own Too Hot to Handle TV show. The first title, according to the company, is “[o]ne of our most-played games to date”. We’ll let the horror of that statement sink in.

In addition to the 40 planned launches for 2023, Netflix also says there are more than 80 games in the works. 70 are in development by third parties and the company’s own internal studio has sixteen titles in varying stages of completion.

The post Netflix will launch another 40 mobile games in 2023 (with more than 80 titles in development) appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

When Returnal launched in 2021, shortly after the PlayStation 5 debuted, it had a lot to live up to as one of the early releases made specifically for the new generation of consoles. Although it was the first AAA title for Sony-owned developer Housemarque, it managed to do just that. It received favourable reviews, picked up several notable year-end accolades, made the shortlist for Stuff’s 2021 Game of the Year award, and hit the Stuff Top Ten Games page where it still sits.

Now, two years later, Returnal has made the jump to PC. And just like the PlayStation Studios games that came before – God of War immediately springs to mind – Returnal’s PC port is relatively well-optimised and adds more than enough graphical customisation options to satisfy PC gamers. It also implements these graphical customisation options in some of the best ways possible. We had a good time in case you couldn’t tell. Let’s unpack why.

The beginning’s a good place to start

We reviewed Returnal on PS5 at launch and since most of the story elements and core gameplay mechanics are the same, we’ll be focusing on what the PC port gets right. But we suppose a brief recap for the newcomers wouldn’t hurt.

Returnal sees players filling the space suit of Selene Vassos, a deep space scout who has just crash-landed on the alien planet Atropos. Well, it’s alien for you, the player and Selene, not for the ‘Xenotype race’ that used to live there or the creatures that await. With her ship destroyed and her objective to find the ‘White Shadow’ signal clear (to her at least), you set out only to discover your own corpse before long.

Luckily, you recorded a handy audio log before you died that gives some exposition, like the fact that you’re prone to memory loss. Not long after, you’ll meet a big tentacled creature and die rather quickly, only to relive your crash and wake up back where you started. You better get used to that.

But that’s just what’s going on at the surface level. Even though this is a two-year-old game, we aren’t going to rob you by spoiling the ending (or endings). But you should at least be aware of the subtextual themes and hidden nuances that draw you deeper into the already engaging narrative helped along by the vocal performance of Selene’s voice actor Jane Perry.

Those themes and nuances will reveal themselves to you as you progress. Although, in Returnal, that doesn’t always feel like you’re moving forward. They’re not always as obvious as the game’s nods to Greek mythology so it’s worth keeping your eyes open as they’ll help you better understand the ending(s).

Get your mouth around that

As we said in our first review, Returnal is a roguelike sci-fi psychological horror 3D bullet-hell third-person shooter. That’s a mouthful, let’s break it down.

‘Roguelike’ games usually involve (among other things) randomised environment generation, permadeath, and hack-and-slash gameplay. All of those are present here to some degree. Returnal’s ‘sci-fi psychological horror’ genre should be more familiar, especially if you enjoy films like Shutter Island, although Event Horizon might be a better comparison here.

3D bullet-hell describes pretty much what you’d expect – tons of bullets coming at you from all angles. The slight difference here is these bullets are pretty with fancy particle effects. Don’t let that draw you into a false sense of security. They still hurt. A lot. And finally, ‘third-person shooter’ should be obvious – you’re looking at yourself from over your own shoulder.

All of those descriptors combine to form the polarising core gameplay loop of Returnal. Polarising, because the game doesn’t have a difficulty setting, it’s always set to ‘hard’. This can make the constant dying, losing everything but your persistent upgrades, and starting from the beginning a little tedious and annoying. That cycle can also delay your review by a few weeks.

If you’re struggling with a particular section – and struggle you certainly will – you can bring in another player through the co-op mode carried over from the game’s PS5 post-launch updates.

If that’s not your style, you could try enabling aim assist. But using aim assist while playing on mouse and keyboard is the closest you can get to cheating without actually cheating. But hey, we can’t all be pro gamers, no judgement here (alright, maybe a little).

You do still have the option of playing with Sony’s DuelSense PS5 controller to enjoy its immersive haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. But in a game like this, a mouse’s superior aiming precision was appreciated. That being said, mouse and keyboard aren’t the only things to make this PC port stand above its console predecessor.

Graphically gorgeous, for a price

Returnal on PC is every bit as wonderful to look at as the PS5 version. If you’ve got a capable PC, it can look even better. But that’s not going to be possible for most folks. Even though the minimum PC RAM requirements were halved before the game launched – from 32GB down to 16GB – the average PC might struggle without some help.

Our test bench featured an AMD RX 5700XT GPU and an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU paired with 16GB of fast DDR4 RAM. Even with our relatively old GPU, we still managed to tweak some settings and achieve a (mostly) stable framerate of around 90fps with only minor knocks to image quality.

We did need some help to get there. If your ageing PC is in the same boat, you’ll find help from the various resolution scaling options supported. Those include Nvidia’s DLSS, AMD’s FSR, Intel’s XeSS, or generic options like variable rate shading (VSR) or dynamic super resolution (DSR).

Nvidia GPU owners should stick to DLSS, although it’s the older DLSS 2, not the new version. Unfortunately for us (and other AMD GPU owners) Returnal’s FSR implementation also uses the old version of the tech so we found better image quality and performance using VRS.

We arrived at that conclusion by playing around with Returnal’s graphics options and using its built-in benchmark tool. In the graphics menu, you’ll notice the world you’ve just paused in the background with the visual settings menu as an overlay. As you change the settings, you can see their in-game effects in real time.

For a more in-depth look at your PC’s performance, Returnal’s benchmark tool runs through several simulations that tend to weigh a little heavier on your system than standard gameplay. Each scenario is designed to test different system metrics. When it’s finished, it will display how your PC handled each test, the overall results, and what’s causing your system’s bottlenecks (if you have any).

As it did on the PS5, Returnal on PC offers ray-tracing support for some reflections and shadows. We played around with those settings on a separate PC with an Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU and an Intel 12th-gen Core i9-12900K CPU paired with 32GB of DDR5 RAM. While there’s no denying that ray-traced reflections and shadows look fantastic, we still prefer a smoother gameplay experience. So we opted to turn them off, in favour of higher fps.

Our PC experience wasn’t completely smooth sailing. We did notice persistent micro-stutters during testing on our AMD PC. They were most noticeable during the game’s most intense stages, like boss fights, perhaps the worst time for anything to go wrong.

We’d like to blame the micro-stutters for the reason it’s taken us so long with this review but most of our deaths were by our own hand (or lack of skill). Still, it’s an annoying problem that will hopefully be fixed in a patch before long. Maybe support for Nvidia and AMD’s new tech will be added as well.

Over and above the graphical improvements, Returnal on PC also offers robust audio settings (including hardware-based ray-traced audio on Nvidia GPUs), and support for 21:9 (wide) and 32:9 (super wide) aspect ratios if that’s your style.

Returnal PC verdict

Returnal remains one of Sony’s strongest titles and has greatly benefitted from PlayStation Studios’ superbly-polished port to PC. It will obviously perform best on high-end systems but even modest PCs will manage to run it thanks to internal optimisations and a wide array of video options.

If you’re already a fan of the roguelike genre, Returnal is right up your alley and if you haven’t played it already you shouldn’t think twice about the R900 pricetag. You’ll get more than your money’s worth out of it.

If you aren’t a fan of the genre (like us going in) we’d still recommend giving Returnal a try. At worst, you’ll spend two hours in a beautiful alien world before you refund it and move on to the next game. But you’re far more likely to pour hours into filling out your codex, finding collectables, and perfecting your cycle as you defy death by dodging between hundreds of beautiful killing orbs.

The post Returnal PC review: Live, die, try again appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

South Africa’s cheapest electric BMW

It’s been nine months since BMW brought the i4 to the South African market. There was just one problem – it only brought with it one model – the i4 M50, a performance-based car that comes with a R1.6 million starting price. But BMW’s stealthy drop of a new entry-level model brings the i4-series into more people’s reach. Say hello to the i4 eDrive35 M Sport, the cheapest fully electric BMW on the (South African) market. So far.

Besides looking beautiful and costing less than its performance counterpart, there are more reasons why one might choose the eDrive35 over the M50. For one – it runs further – as the lithium-ion battery under the hood has a net capacity of 67kWh, providing a range of 483km before needing a recharge. Powering the rear axle is an integrated motor that’s capable of generating 210kW and 400Nm of torque.

So, what does South Africa’s cheapest fully electric BMW cost? The starting price is set at R1,285,000, though BMW forces an R8,300 Parking Assist Plus package onto customers, meaning the actual price is R1,293,000 all-in. As ever, BMW offers a whole host of extras including a glass sunroof and larger wheels, which cost more than a month (or two) of rent for regular folk. Then there are BMW’s dubious subscription-based extras.

If EVs aren’t your thing, check out our first look at BMW’s 3 Series.

Source: cars.co.za

Oppo’s next flagship

Oppo has announced that it would unveil the next in its Find X series of flagships. This year, it’s the Find X6 we’re looking forward to, with the Chinese manufacturer announcing the reveal would take place tomorrow, 21 March, via a Weibo post.

It seems as if Oppo will be drawing all eyes towards its cameras yet again. In the teaser, Oppo states that the X6 series will “open a new era of mobile imaging” based on machine translation. And, if the leaks are true, we could be seeing Sony’s IMX989 image sensor make an appearance. Those leaks also mentioned the Find X6 could feature three 50MP rear lenses with a 32MP selfie cam on its front.

Digging deeper, we’re likely to find Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, with the Pro possibly featuring a Gen 2 or Dimensity 9200 chipset (though that may be reserved for the Chinese variant). As for when we’ll see the Find X6 hit South African markets… we couldn’t say. If it gets the same treatment as the X5, it’ll first launch in China, with a global rollout slated for a few months down the line.

Source: Android Central

Take note

We’ve all been there. While on your journey through whichever fictional world you’re exploring, whether it be Skyrim, Hyrule or Velen, you’ll forget your route. Perhaps an NPC gave you directions, that you’ve now forgotten in your quest to fulfil your brain’s dopamine receptors. Or a puzzle has a long string of code that it requires you to remember at a later date. No thank you. A piece of paper will work just fine. Or, you could use Steam’s upcoming ‘game notes’ to save you a bit of time.

“Valve is working on a ‘game notes’ system,” according to Pavel Djundik, a SteamDB creator and data miner, “which will be available in the Steam library, and on the web.” That… doesn’t tell us much. We can guess that it’ll allow gamers to jot down game-specific notes in-game, without the need for a piece of paper or a notes app.

When Steam will grace us with its ‘game notes’ presence, we don’t yet know. Djundik also gave a hint for another incoming Steam feature, saying that Valve is “also working on a notifications page, similar to the notifications page in the mobile app. The new notification system should also be used in the Steam client, once they finish replacing old vgui parts of the client (outer shell, settings, server browser, etc).”

Source: PC Gamer

Kiff, bru

Meet Kiff and Barry – a squirrel and bunny that have recently found their way into an animated children’s show – Kiff. You’re probably wondering why we’re telling you this. Well, the series – which premiered its first two episodes on Disney+, DisneyXD and the Disney Channel last week – was created by Lucy Heavens and Nic Smal – two of South Africa’s own.

Kiff was inspired by the creators’ experiences growing up in the City of Cape Town. The series follows Kiff and Barry, a squirrel and bunny living in Table Town – a place where animals and “magical oddballs” can congregate to live their lives, peacefully. Despite Kiff‘s best efforts, it doesn’t always work out that way.

Whatever your feelings on the series – bear in mind, this is for children – it’s great to see South African talent getting in with one of the largest media companies in the world. The two showrunners appeared in an interview on Animation Magazine, explaining the effort and hardships of running a show while living thousands of kilometres away. Two years later, their work has paid off, with the series’ first season containing 30 half-hour-long episodes.

The post Light Start: An entry-level BMW i4, Oppo’s next flagship, Steam takes notes and… Kiff, bru appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

NASA wants to bring humanity back to the Moon (or arrive for the first time, if you’re one of those nutcases). To do that, it needs the Artemis missions to continue succeeding. Artemis 1 – NASA’s most recent unmanned venture to the Moon – successfully concluded in 2022, with a follow-up pencilled in for a November 2024 launch.

In a bid to get the next generation of younglings (and… oldlings?) interested in space and more specifically, the Artemis missions, NASA and Minecraft Education are teaming up. The partnership between the two lets players (ages 8 and up) “build and launch a rocket, guide their Orion spacecraft, and even establish a lunar base alongside their team,” in a new set of Artemis missions.

We’re going to the Moon!

3…2…1 Lift off! The #Artemis Missions have landed in Minecraft in partnership with @NASA!

Design your own rocket and navigate the Orion space capsule on a mission to the moon! #MinecraftEdu

Explore: https://t.co/COzau1UCAb pic.twitter.com/Tsmrd2Jgie

— Minecraft Education (@PlayCraftLearn) March 7, 2023

Players unaware of Minecraft Education have some catching up to do. The Education edition is a separate game from Minecraft, allowing for less (but also more) creativity to achieve a specific goal at hand. Here, that means building a rocket and landing it on the Moon (successfully).

A total of two ‘missions’ are available on Minecraft Education; Artemis: Rocket Build and Artemis: Return to the Moon. Both can be found in the content library of Minecraft Education for free – but first, you’ll need a license to play the Education edition. A free trial is available if you aren’t convinced. Artemis: Rocket Build can also be found in the marketplace of the base game.

Strangely, NASA mentions a third mission – Artemis: Moon Base, which it claims is only available through the Education edition. We’ve been unable to find any more news of this mission at the time of writing, with Microsoft exempting it from the official blog. Our guess? We’ll be seeing Artemis: Moon Base as a future update to the Artemis editions.

Read More: NASA unveils a new space suit design for the Artemis III mission

Artemis: Rocket Build

Unsurprisingly, this mission tackles one important task: building a rocket. Specifically, players are given tasks to help them better understand “rocket design, propulsion, and the demands of flying into space.” This is supposed to help students gain a deeper appreciation for space in general while developing “important skills like teamwork and communication.”

Artemis: Return to the Moon

Artemis: Return to the Moon is the more involved of the two. The end goal – as you’ve probably guessed – is to guide the Orion spacecraft to the Moon and perform a series of coding tasks while in the satellite’s orbit. Minecraft claims that no coding knowledge is required, as the aim is to learn the basics of coding. Python and MakeCode are the languages of choice here.

Teachers new to Minecraft Education that want to incorporate the missions into their classrooms can do so with Minecraft’s Artemis virtual workshops. You’ll need to register soon, as the program starts on 24 March and ends on 6 April.

The post NASA joins up with Minecraft Education to build rockets and fly through space appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

Say hello to Thomas Williams – South Africa’s first-ever eSports scholarship winner. Cool, right? So, what does being the best Minecrafter get you? Well, infinite bragging rights, access to arguably the best eSports arena in the country, and the love of your parents. Oh, and the R300,000 scholarship and accompanying prizes from Cooler Master and Asus are cool too, we guess.

For the uninitiated, Centennial Schools recently held a ‘tournament’ to find the three best eSports candidates between the ages of 12-15. That tournament took place on Saturday, 11 March, with Thomas Williams, Jordan Harris, and Oluseeni Olusa claiming the top three spots. Though not quite walking away with a R300,000 scholarship, second and third place still secured R200,000 and R150,000 scholarships respectively (plus Asus and Cooler Master tech to go with it).

But can they beat Crisis?

The tournament saw 30 kids battling it out in games such as Minecraft, Aim Lab, Superliminal, and Overcooked. We’re just guessing here, but we assume that last one was only thrown in – not to test the participants’ cooking skills – but rather to get a better sense of their personalities. All is revealed in a short game of Overcooked, whether you like it or not.

The final hurdle was a game of Minecraft at the school’s beautiful arena – though we aren’t entirely sure what ‘mode’ the students competed in. 12-year-old winner, Thomas Williams spoke about the final after it had concluded:

“I gave my absolute best during the competition and pushed myself to not give up. The competition was challenging, but I enjoyed every minute, and feel that I am leaving a more experienced gamer,” he said. “My grandfather used to hide barrels from me when I was young, so perhaps that gave me a slight edge in Minecraft. I am super excited to start my scholarship at Centennial Schools.”

We can only assume that the remaining participants played a spirited round of prop hunt, right? Right?

Read More: Curro to host inter-schools esports tournament

The school’s founder, Shaun Fuchs, explains why he thinks so highly of eSports in schools: “eSports is incorporated into our re-imagined approach to education as it teaches students valuable skills beyond the classroom.”

With the founder’s attitude to eSports, it’s hard to imagine this was a once-off tournament for Centennial Schools. It’s likely we’ll see something similar again next year, plus the official eSports team that the school puts together.

The post Meet South Africa’s first-ever eSports scholarship winners appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

Xbox is a no-show for E3 2023

After Nintendo’s departure from the biggest gaming show in the world, Xbox confirmed to IGN last week that it would be following in the Japanese giant’s footsteps. Kinda. While Nintendo has pulled itself from the show entirely, Xbox will still be attending in a somewhat muted manner for E3 Digital.

The confirmation came soon after Microsoft announced its own annual Xbox showcase would take place on 11 June, with a separate Starfield show still in the works. The timing of which is surely no coincidence, what with E3 taking place from 13 to 16 June.

“We can’t wait to host our Xbox Games Showcase on June 11th and will share more details later,” said an Xbox spokesperson in its statement to IGN. “We also look forward to co-streaming our event as part of E3 Digital and will not be on the E3 show floor.”

All that’s left to do is await Sony’s announcement concerning E3. Don’t get your hopes up though. Sony gave the 2019 event a miss and hasn’t looked back since. According to a January report, all signs point to Sony’s decision to give the occasion a miss, focusing instead on its own State of Play events.

Source: IGN

SpaceX’s ISS resupply

SpaceX’s 27th ISS resupply mission is set to take place this week, with the unmanned Cargo Dragon blasting off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre on Tuesday, 14 March (Wednesday morning for watching South Africans). If Florida’s weather allows the launch to happen. NASA is live-streaming the entire launch over on its YouTube channel, NASA TV. Or, you know, you could watch it via that handy video above. Just sayin’.

Besides standard supplies, the capsule is carrying a horde of scientific experiments and equipment. Once there, the Cargo Dragon will stick around in the ISS docking bay for a month, allowing the astronauts to conclude their experiments and return the equipment and their findings for the capsule’s return journey.

On board is a project – led by students – to create and test a new sort of camera clamp designed to film in space, a Japanese experiment studying microscopic life’s resistance to space and research into tissue chips.

The launch is slated to begin at 5:30 PM P.T on Tuesday, 14 March. For South Africa, that’ll be at 2:30 AM the following Wednesday, 15 March. The Cargo Dragon capsule will spend all of Wednesday travelling, arriving at the ISS sometime on Thursday. If you’re more interested in the how and why of the ISS’ resupply missions you can find more information here.

Source: Digital Trends

Vinyl is back, baby

Vinyl has returned. But you probably already knew that, didn’t you? Vinyl has been a popular medium since its inception, though it’s seen a major uprising in the past decade amongst audiophiles and hipsters alike. And now, for the first time since 1987, vinyl sales have surpassed that of its largest physical competitor, the CD.

That’s according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which recently published its year-end revenue report for the music industry, showing vinyl’s far larger unit sales compared to CDs.

Keep in mind, vinyl has been the top dog for quite some time now in terms of revenue, raking in $1.2 billion compared to CDs, which only made $483 million in 2022. But that’s just revenue. What we’re discussing are physical unit sales. CDs, due to their price and availability, held the title for most units sold until vinyl recently snatched that spot.

Whether vinyl’s resurgence is just a trend, we couldn’t say. Many claim that vinyl records’ sound quality is unmatched, while others just like the aesthetic LPs bring with them. In ten years, we could be reporting the comeback of the CD, with whichever short-form app is king at the time leading the ‘retro’ charge.

Source: Ars Technica

Audi has an electric mountain bike that costs how much?

2016 was an… odd time. The internet still fawned over Elon Musk and electric vehicles were meant to radicalise the motoring industry almost overnight. Much has changed since then. Musk is no longer the internet’s golden boy and the motoring industry is still happily chugging fuel. The biggest difference? EVs are getting stranger by the minute.

Audi is proving our point with the announcement of its first electric mountain bike, inspired by the RS Q E-tron E2 electric Dakar Rally racer. The 250W Brose motor and 720Wh battery are being built by Italian brand Fantic. Three sizes will be on offer, with the cheapest starting at £8,500 – translating to roughly R186,000. Why? We couldn’t tell you.

We imagine it has something to do with Audi’s choice of premium materials. Sure, the battery and motor make up a large chunk of the cost, but Audi’s insistence on using big-budget components like Vittoria tires and a Selle Italia saddle do plenty to drive up the price. And that’s only the beginning. Audi has used plenty of other premium brands to build their e-bike. A full list can be found here.

We’re not sure whether Audi’s e-bike will be available in South Africa or not. We’re guessing… not. Audi has described the bike as being sold in a “limited run”, with the automobile manufacturer failing to mention where it would be sold, and how many it would be making. Should the “limited run” prove to be successful, we can expect to see Audi spend more time in the e-bike industry.

Source: Engadget

The post Light Start: Xbox E3 no-show, SpaceX’s ISS resupply, vinyl resurgence and a R186,000 bike? appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

Mario Day is upon us. But that’s not why we’re here. Capcom used the plumber’s big day to unleash “Chainsaw Demo” – a playable Resident Evil 4 demo, two weeks before the game’s full release. It was announced by the game’s producer, Yoshiaki Hirabayashi, during Thursday’s Capcom Spotlight event.

The demo is free to download right now for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series S/X, and PC (Steam). Capcom hasn’t imposed any time limits, and you can play the game as many times as you’d like. Yeah, that’s our weekend sorted.

Gotta gets those green ‘erbs.

Those familiar with the original Resident Evil 4 will get an early look at the remake’s opening village, with the demo’s description calling it a “specially tuned version of the game’s opening sequence.” We’ll still get to see Leon S. Kennedy take on a horde of torch-wielding villagers before tangling with the infamous Chainsaw Man before the game stops you in your tracks. You’ll have to wait until the full release to continue with Leon’s journey.

Read More: Resident Evil: Village Review – It takes a Village…

The full Resident Evil 4 remake launches on 24 March for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series S/X, and PC. If you’re feeling too confident after defeating the demo’s Chainsaw Man, a DLC dubbed “The Mercenaries” will come to make things a little more challenging. And yes, Capcom has confirmed that the game’s day one patch will fix the unfortunate rain graphics.

The post Jump into the aptly-titled Resident Evil 4 Chainsaw demo this weekend appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

The fact that we’re nearly a quarter through the year might be troubling to some people. “Where has the year gone?” they might say. We at Stuff, on the other hand, relish the constant tick of time because it edges us closer to cool tech launches and new video game releases. Instead of having to keep track of the latter yourself, we’ve put a list together of the biggest titles releasing in 2023’s second quarter so you can add them to your calendar. You might want to use a pencil though — the possibility of a delay always lurks in the shadows.

April

Minecraft Legends – 18 April

While some video game snobs might turn their noses up at the mention of Minecraft, there’s no denying its mass appeal. It isn’t one of the best-selling video games of all time for nothing. Minecraft Legends seeks to replicate at least some of that success. The upcoming action-strategy game is set in the extended Minecraft universe and tasks players with defending the Overworld from Nether corruption and invading Piglins, either alone or with up to three friends. When it launches it will be available on pretty much everything, other than smartphones.

Dead Island 2 – 21 April

As mentioned earlier, the video game industry is intimately familiar with delays, whether that be a week, a month, or a generation. Dambuster Studio’s zombie-killing sequel to Dead Island, released in 2012, had its first announcement trailer at E3 2014. Now, nine years later, we’re set to finally receive Dead Island 2. Originally slated for a 3 February release, it was pushed back to 28 April and then brought forward a week, finally settling on 21 April. You can expect a similar first-person hack-and-slash-style zombie-slayer to the first game with a new combat system, among others. If it isn’t delayed again, you can pick it up on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S and X, and PC.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – 28 April

Cal Kestis returns from his break after Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order in 2019 to Respawn’s sequel – Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Set five years after the last game, Cal continues his struggle to save the galaxy from the deviousness of the Empire. Players will explore more of the Star Wars galaxy and dispatch their foes with the same cinematic combat system as the first game and additional lightsaber fighting styles and force abilities. Get it on PS5, Xbox Series S and X, or PC.

May

Redfall – 2 May

Discover the truth and save the town of Redfall from a legion of vampires single-handedly or with three friends in this new story-driven open-world first-person shooter by Arkane Austin, the same studio behind Prey and Dishonored. The roster of playable characters all feature unique skills to unlock and we’re sure there’ll be no shortage of methods for exterminating the blood-drinking bat people. Play it on the day of release with Xbox Games Pass on PC or Xbox Series S and X.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – 12 May

It isn’t even out yet and we’re sure it’s already on a few Game of the Year lists. Tears of the Kingdom certainly has large loafers to fill with everyone expecting something as good or better than Breath of the Wild. That could turn out to be to its own detriment. But this is Nintendo we’re talking about. If there’s one thing it’s good at, that’s making a good Legend of Zelda game. Unfortunately, you’ll need to own a Switch to play this one. No exceptions.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League – 26 May

Learning from your mistakes is widely regarded as a good idea. Learning from the mistakes of others is up there as well. From what we know of it so far, it doesn’t look like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has done that. Marvel’s Avengers sounded like a good idea at first and turned out to be a money siphon disguised as a video game that only lasted two and a bit years. But hopefully, the team from Rocksteady Studios (the same team responsible for the Batman Arkham series) proves us (and everyone else) wrong. If you want to see for yourself, it’ll have to be on PS5, Xbox Series S and X, or PC.

June

Street Fighter 6 – 2 June

Capcom’s latest entry to the Street Fighter series is nearly upon us, seven years after its predecessor launched and became a staple in fighting esports. Aside from the return of many fan favourite fighters, Street Fighter 6 will be the first next-gen fighting game which will undoubtedly give it a foot up in becoming the choice of esports fighting competitors. Behind Smash Bros, of course. Once released, it will be available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S and X.

Diablo 4 – 6 June

Ten years have passed since Blizzard released Diablo 3 and what better way to apologize for Diablo Immortal than to release what fans wanted from the start. Diablo 4 is set years after Diablo 3‘s Reaper of Souls expansion. That came out in 2014 so we won’t blame you if you need a recap. Apparently, there will be a large focus on decision-making in Diablo 4 as it opts to forego a linear story. As is usually the case these days, there’ll be an open world to explore, loot to collect, XP to gain, and skill trees to unlock. Whether you do that alone, or with a party is up to you. As long as you and your friends are playing on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, or Xbox Series S and X, you should be fine.

Final Fantasy 16 – 22 June

We could’ve sworn Square Enix already released this one what with the Final Fantasy franchise jumping all over the place between main instalments and remakes. Apparently not. The latest FF title makes the switch to real-time combat and will feature grand, cinematic boss battles. And if you are worried about a short game, don’t. According to producer Naoki Yoshida, there are eleven hours of cinematic cutscenes alone. Franchise fans will have to own a PS5 if they want to play this one in the first six months after it launches. There has been talk of a PC version releasing at some point, but that hasn’t been set in stone yet. In the video game industry, nothing is.

The post The biggest video games to look out for in Q2 2023 appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

Curro, one of South Africa’s independent school networks, has announced its first inter-school esports tournament for young Gauteng learners. If you or someone you know is aiming for a career in esports, this could be a good place to start.

The tournament, dubbed Curro Clash LAN, will take place on Friday and Saturday, 24 – 25 March at Curro Krugersdorp High School. It aims to give aspiring competitors the opportunity to hone their skills and experience a formal competitive gaming environment. Likely a first for many.

The two-day-long tournament will see teams compete in a capture-the-flag game mode within Minecraft Education, DOTA 2, Overwatch 2, and Rocket League. All teams will play the same number of games. Their scores will then be ranked to establish a winner. The team that emerges victorious will receive prizes courtesy of Acer for Education.

All esports journies begin with a single click

While schools can enter their own esports teams, the tournament is also open to independent teams looking to make a name for themselves. As long as you can get a group of willing friends together (and you’re all between the ages of 13 and 18), you can enter and win. If you’re good enough, obviously.

Read More: This Johannesburg private school is offering eSports scholarships to local youths

Registration for the tournament will cost R150 per station and closes on Monday, 13 March. That entry fee will get you a comfy chair, a spot to put your gaming PC, and power and network cables to get you going.

If you think your team has what it takes, you’ll want to register at this link (sooner rather than later) to secure your spot. You should also let your adoring fans/parents know that there will be a selection of food stalls to keep everyone fed.

“Curro has held several inter-Curro eSports tournaments over the last few years. We want to share our phenomenal experience with fellow schools in the community, as only then will we be able to collectively build a unified eSports in Education offering.” says Magdeleen de Kock, Digital Transformation Facilitator: eSports project lead.

The post Curro to host inter-schools esports tournament appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

The Nothing Phone (1) might have its own speaker to connect to soon

Nothing, makers of such devices as the Nothing Phone (1) and the Ear (1) TWS, might have something new on the horizon. According to (alleged) promotional renders, it’s looking like Nothing is gearing up for the launch of its first speaker. The news first appeared on 91Mobiles, via reliable leaker Kuba Wojciechowski.

The renders appear to be a part of the company’s marketing campaign, giving us a look at the speaker’s boxy design. The volume and power button placement is visible on the device’s side, with the Nothing logo residing on a tiny ring on the ‘front’ of the speaker. The buttons on the device’s other side are not yet known.

Underneath are what 91Mobiles believes to be two speaker cut-outs, with accompanying tweeters next to them. And those white cut-outs of the bottom? Those could be the speaker’s own built-in subwoofers.

At the time of writing, the renders are all we have to go on. There’s been no word as to when Nothing may release the speaker, and what the device’s tech specs will look like. If these images are promotional in nature, then an official announcement may be coming pretty soon. And if Nothing’s recent tweets are anything to go by, something is coming. We’ll just have to wait and see what.

Source: 91Mobiles (via Kuba Wojciechowski)

Activision could soon be a Microsoft company (according to the EU)

It may not feel like it, but Microsoft has been trying to turn Activision Blizzard into a Microsoft company for over a year now. Soon after the $70 billion deal was announced, it was noticed by the European Union – which immediately halted the deal while a long investigation took place. A year later, it looks as though Microsoft may win the battle, with three people close to the deal informing Reuters that the European Commission could award EU antitrust approval on 25 April 2023.

Microsoft will first need to agree to “other behavioural remedies to allay concerns of other parties than Sony,” before the EU can approve the purchase, according to one of Reuter’s sources. This is in addition to Microsoft’s recent agreements to sell long-term licensing deals to rival companies for some of Activision’s larger games, like the Call of Duty franchise. It’s a better deal than the one that would have seen Microsoft sell the entirety of Activision’s Call of Duty division in order to complete the deal.

While the EU’s decision isn’t all that Microsoft needs to complete the deal, it could sway other opposing governing bodies to follow in the EU’s footsteps and grant the approval Microsoft is seeking. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is set to make its official decision on 26 April.

Even if the CMA rules in Microsoft’s favour, the company still faces the USA’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approval to get the deal across the line. The FTC’s director of the Bureau of Competition, Holly Vevoda said “Microsoft has already shown that it can and will withhold content from its gaming rivals,” in a recent FTC complaint. A hearing held on 2 August between the FTC and Microsoft will determine Microsoft’s fate.

Source: Ars Technica

WhatsApp’s successful Brazilian trial run

Meta Platforms’ WhatsApp payment system breathes new life after Brazil’s central bank approved the app’s financial features launch on Thursday last week. Payments are meant for small and medium-sized businesses, making use of the app’s already-existing local peer-to-peer system.

Brazil’s WhatsApp users have had this feature for some time now, and have been able to pay each other since 2021. But now, with the central bank’s approval, business merchants will finally be able to receive payments from users.

Guilherme Horn, head of WhatsApp Latin America, shared an update via LinkedIn: “Soon, WhatsApp users will be able to pay for products and services directly in a conversation with Mastercard and Visa debit and credit cards.”

Meta has been using Brazil’s market as a sort of trial run, with the approval meaning similar features may soon as part of a much larger global rollout. Mark Zuckerberg used his Instagram broadcast channel to confirm the new features: “people will be able to pay small businesses right on WhatsApp. Excited to roll this out soon.” What that means for a South African rollout remains to be seen, though it’s likely we’ll be getting more news sooner rather than later.

Source: TechCentral

The (unofficial) Xiaomi Mi Band 8

One of the better budget fitness trackers out there (at least, in our opinion), Xiaomi’s Mi Band, might have just revealed its next Mi Band via an accidental leak. The Go Android noticed a regulatory filing in Korea for the Xiaomi Smart Band 8, with a couple of images attached for our viewing pleasure.

Besides the images, which show the watch’s straps and pill-shaped body, there isn’t much else that was revealed in the Korean filing. We did get confirmation of a 3.87-volt battery and the inclusion of Bluetooth 5.1 which is odd, considering the Mi Band 7’s Bluetooth 5.2. Everything else though seems to be under wraps at Xiaomi headquarters until the official announcement.

Which will be sometime in mid-2023, judging by the company’s 2022 release schedule for the Mi Band 7. The device hit Chinese shelves in early May 2022, with a global launch a few months later in June. It’s likely that Xiaomi will stick to a similar schedule, meaning an announcement is probably coming soon.

Source: Android Authority (via The Go Android)

The post Light Start: A Nothing speaker, Microsoft’s EU approval, WhatsApp payments, and Mi Band 8 appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

Some things can’t be improved upon. Look at The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker or Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, and tell us we’re wrong. Until recently, we counted Sony’s DualSense controller amongst that list. And then we got to see the DualSense Edge in person. We’d heard about Sony’s ‘pro’ controller for months, putting it in the back of our minds, convinced that it couldn’t topple the DualSense from its perch. How wrong we were.

While Stuff was playing around with the PSVR 2, we were offered the chance to briefly check out the DualSense Edge. There was just one problem. We couldn’t take it home with us. Despite the R4,400 price tag, these controllers are a hot commodity right now. And… we get it.

Don’t get us wrong. This is still a DualSense controller at heart, with a few extras that give it an edge over the competition. Its size, shape, buttons (besides the different colour scheme), joysticks and triggers aren’t any different from the stock DualSense as far as we can tell. There’s a minimal weight difference – it now weighs 322g – everything that’s stuck around from the previous iteration is as great here as it always was. It’s what’s been added that makes all the difference.

Brad Pitt’s favourite question

Open the box and you’ll discover a hardshell case, complete with two sets of rear paddles, and four swappable analogue sticks reminiscent of the iconic PlayStation domes. The added braided cable and accompanying cable lock were a nice touch. The controller itself comes with adaptable triggers, and physical profile selector buttons (for emergency FIFA sessions).

That’s all great – but there’s something missing. One of the Edge’s best features (arguably its best) is the ability to hot-swap analogue components should you feel matters… going adrift. The hardshell case teases owners with a slot specifically for one of those replacement modules, without actually providing one. We don’t mind buying a new module when we need it – but come on. Throw us a bone.

Does it come in black? (No)

There’s plenty to love about the Edge’s outer beauty. Sony hasn’t screwed with any of the important stuff, besides the heavier feel — something we enjoy. It’s a simple change that does a lot of the work in making the Edge feel more ‘premium’. But there are stylistic differences most will appreciate.

Instead of the plastic coating we’ve become accustomed to, the Edge is covered in a barely noticeable (but still rad) tactile coating made up of PlayStation’s iconic X, square, triangle and circle symbols. The touchpad makes use of a similar (still rad) pattern, with the symbols showing up under any sort of bright light.

Surrounding the home button and analogue sticks is a shiny plastic that we could certainly do without. We know why it’s there – for easier access to those hot-swappable analogues we mentioned earlier. It’s not the plastic itself that bothers us, but we have to ask – why is it shiny? We guess that Sony has plans to sell individual front plates – probably alongside the differently coloured controllers that we’re sure will hit the shelves any day now.

Oh, and Sony’s decision to use black symbols on all the buttons? Genius. The white colour scheme that Sony opted to use on the stock DualSense just doesn’t cut it the way these do.

Filled to the brim

Internally, the Edge can do plenty. Remapping every button? No problem. Adjusting each analogue’s dead-zone and every minute detail of the sensitivity curves. Without breaking a sweat. And the best part? You can even assign each minuscule change its own specific profile, complete with its own name and slot in the quick settings tab. Keep in mind: there are only four quick-settings slots available. Exceed that, and you’ll be forced into the settings to access your full list of controller presets every time you’re looking to make a change.

It’s a little overwhelming at a first glance. That’s more-or-less countered by the on-screen tutorial that’ll pop up when plugging it in for the first time. You’ll get a guided tour through your first profile creation that should get you up to speed.

We didn’t get a chance to dive too deeply into the controller’s mapping and analogue settings. We did see that there are several presets when it comes to the analogue settings such as quick, precise or dynamic sensitivity curves, each with its own strengths. From there, you can fiddle with the settings, making it truly yours.

Pull back a bit, and you’ll find two sets of switches, placed under the R2 and L2 buttons on the device’s rear. Each switch has three settings – adjusting the trigger’s travel distance. The highest setting will give the triggers an instant reaction, while the lowest will feel like the standard DualSense triggers. The middle setting… is somewhere in-between the two.

Below that are two small cut-outs where the additional paddles (found in that hardshell case) can slot into. One set is smaller and more rounded and the other is thin and sticks out far beyond the controller. The choice of which you want to use is completely up to you. Just slide them in, and the magnets inside the controller will automatically attach themselves to the paddles.

One thing we wish we got more time to test out was the battery life. The DualSense isn’t exactly the poster boy for great battery life and we don’t expect any difference from the Edge. According to some reports, the Edge survives for just longer than five-and-a-half hours – around the same as the DualSense’s battery life. It’s probably safest to keep that braided cable close at all times.

Sony’s DualSense Edge initial verdict

We have no qualms in saying this is the best controller we’ve ever used. It is a ‘pro’ controller through and through, made for people that only ever touch grass in Elden Ring. We aren’t in love with the R4,400 price tag, but we get it. Sony’s gotta Sony.

We’d advise those who aren’t everyday gamers to stay away. The standard DualSense is now, in our opinion, the second-best controller on the market. If you’re not out hunting for some sort of gameplay improvements, then the DualSense should suit your needs for the next few years until the price of the Edge comes down to a more affordable level.

The post Sony’s DualSense Edge: hands-on and first impression – It’s time to come out of your shell appeared first on Stuff South Africa.

Stuff recently got its hands on Sony’s latest venture into the world of virtual reality; the PSVR 2. Thanks to the PS5 accessory’s immediate popularity, we only got to play around with it for the better part of… three hours. It certainly wasn’t enough time for a full review, though it was enough time to get a sense of where Sony’s head has been at for the six years since the first PSVR was released.

We entered our three-hour playtest with somewhat muted expectations. Sure, everything about Sony’s follow-up is better than the previous iteration — on paper. It would be hard to screw up – there was plenty of room for improvement – thanks to better displays, a more comfortable fit and some of the best tracking we’ve yet seen in a VR headset. We still had some concerns, which we’re glad to say have (for the most part) been addressed.

Despite being impressed with the PSVR 2, by the end of our session one caveat stuck out to us – the price. Besides requiring a brand-new PS5, it costs more than the console itself. R13,500 will buy you the headset and accompanying Sense VR controllers without even securing a game to play. It’s not something we’d recommend emptying your bank accounts for unless you’ve got the cheddar lying around. We don’t, so we… won’t.

Sexier than ever

In terms of looks, the PSVR 2 is a stunner. Not that it needs to be. You’ll spend all of five minutes marvelling at the PSVR 2’s beauty before throwing it on and getting playing. Still, the headset does a wonderful job of keeping with the PS5’s two-tone aesthetic, making it worth sticking up on a shelf for everyone to see once you’ve had your fill.

It’s less weighty than that of the first PSVR, though only slightly at 560g. It’s definitely not light enough to forget its presence on your face, but the lesser weight lends itself well to extended game sessions. Throwing it on for the first time, we immediately noticed just how roomy it was in there. We don’t need glasses while gaming (though our brief stint with Resident Evil: Village might say otherwise), but those that do will appreciate the extra room.

And comfort? Whew. We didn’t spend loads of time inside the original PSVR, though we can see the massive improvement that the PSVR 2 has brought to the table. The fit is tight, yet still comfortable – controlled by a dial on the back that tightens fit while also acting as the unlock clasp. We weren’t able to avoid looking like we’d just stepped out of the headset, though, with a redder forehead than we usually carry around. A small price to pay for improved comfort, we guess. The headband was comfortable enough for us to barely notice it.

If you’re the fidgety sort, you may not gel well with having a massive headset on the front of your face, though that can be said for any VR headset. Here, even the slightest adjustments can cause the lenses and display to mess up the headset’s calibrations. We found that the easiest workaround was to remove the headset entirely for the odd nose scratch. The PSVR 2 allows for that, with whatever game you’re playing automatically pausing itself when the headset is off.

Don’t get square eyes

Fortunately, setup is as easy as plugging in a USB-C cable. Seriously. Gone are the days of needing a processor unit and PS4 camera (that barely worked) to get everything working. The cable (attached to the headset) measures close to 5m, which should be plenty for most households. You’re limited to playing where your PS5 is, which, again, shouldn’t be a problem. Sure, a wireless headset would have been nice but you can’t always get what you want.

Once that USB-C cable is in, you’re ready to go. The four onboard cameras do most of the hard work, asking only that you move your head to peek at your surroundings for the headset. It’ll set up a play area that you’re confined to while sitting (or standing) with the headset on. When you’re happy with the area, it’s time to give the PSVR 2 a real go.

You’ll see why it costs R13,500 once you’re actually in a game. The two OLED HDR displays are magnificent. Each brings in a 2,000 x 2,040-per-eye resolution which keeps everything as clear as can be. Pixelation is still a thing, mainly due to the larger 110-degree viewing array that’s in there. It’s something we hardly noticed and was easy to overlook in the midst of killing stuff in Resident Evil.

It’s also the first VR headset to introduce eye-tracking, and it’s as glorious as it sounds. Sony introduced something called foveated rendering here, allowing the headset to render everything that your eyes are looking at. This helps the PS5 keep the computing load to a minimum. But eye-tracking isn’t just to help the PS5 lift heavy loads. It’s used as a gameplay feature too. User’s eyes become selectors, requiring them to just look at the option they want to press, without any need for an analogue stick to do the work.

Another outstanding feature was the inclusion of haptic feedback, in both the headset and Sense VR controllers (more on those later). Having added feedback included in the headset rather than just the controllers was something we welcomed greatly. “Feeling” the cock of a gun or the attacks from whatever creatures you may encounter really gave the immersion a bump in quality.

Read More: PSVR 2 price got you down? Here are the 7 best PSVR games to keep you busy (for now)

Sensing your way around

Something that the first PSVR was desperately missing is dedicated controllers. That’s no longer a problem, with every PSVR 2 coming with a set of Sense VR inputs. Those familiar with the Quest 2 will feel right at home, though if you’re coming straight from the first edition, these will feel like the second coming of the big guy himself.

That’s mainly due to the headset’s ability to track the rings that surround the grips of the Sense controllers. The headset can track your fingers too, able to replicate a fist motion, or even your index finger, to a degree. It wasn’t able to single out each finger, though you shouldn’t ever really need that functionality in your games.

Now for the controllers themselves. Each has a couple of buttons, an analogue stick and some triggers to play around with. The ‘grab’ button is well-placed along the side of the grip, a convenient place for your index finger to press down. It won’t feel like you’re holding whatever it is, whether it be a gun or knife, but it feels like you’re holding something. It’s a small and easy feature to include, but one that has massive ramifications for the headset.

Controls take some getting used to, what with the spread-out layout of the X, triangle, square and circle buttons. But after spending some time in whatever game’s tutorial, finding the button you’re in need of starts to become second nature. At least, that was the case for us.

Not without any gripes

The PSVR 2 isn’t free from any issues. Most, though, are specific to individual gamers. For example, after spending around an hour or so in the headset, the feeling of being nauseated was back. It wasn’t something that bothered us a whole bunch, though. After a quick sip of water and a wipe down of the lenses, we were right back at it. If you’re prone to motion sickness, it’s probably best to stay away until you’re able to test it out for yourself. Preferably somewhere near a bucket and mop.

This brings us to our second issue – the need to wipe down the headset as often as we did. Sweatier folk (yours truly included) will notice a distinct rise in fog levels once that headset is on. There are extra vents in place to try and counteract this – all of which were helpful to a degree. It’s something that won’t bother most, but it’s something to consider for those that may experience the issue. Our advice? Keep a microfibre cloth handy.

PSVR 2 initial verdict

At a first glance, it’d be hard not to recommend Sony’s latest piece of hardware to fans of VR. That’s not to say causal gamers wouldn’t get a kick out of this. Especially with how easy it is to set up right out of the box. The brilliant graphics and controllers aren’t anything to scoff at either. No, we’re more worried about the R13,500 price tag that’ll scare most gamers away (and rightfully so). And that’s not including the R1,000+ price tags attached to any of the half-decent games.

If you do have the cash to spend, and a PlayStation 5 already in your arsenal, we can’t see you going wrong with the PSVR 2. It’s the closest you’ll get to PC-level quality and comfort without actually needing a PC. In our books, that’s a win.

The post Sony’s PSVR 2 – Hands-on and first impressions appeared first on Stuff South Africa.