Gaming News - Page 1

Star Wars Outlaws, the new open-world game from Ubisoft Massive (The Division) set in the iconic Star Wars universe, is just around the corner. It will launch on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on August 30. As part of its Ubisoft Forward event, we got our best look at the game, including a 10-minute gameplay demonstration showcasing what you'll do in the game.

It's an impressive showing because the game will include several planets to explore, start systems, and more, with secrets, side quests, and key targets to track down. And when you're in a world with a heavy Imperial presence, living the smuggler and outlaw life will attract unwanted attention. Yes, Star Wars Outlaws handles crime the same way as Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption.

Increase your notoriety, and you'll have squads of Stormtroopers looking for you, AT-ST Walkers (the iconic two-legged machines from Return of the Jedi), and even Tie Fighters. Very cool.

DOOM: The Dark Ages was announced at the big Xbox Showcase the other day, alongside an action-packed in-game trailer showcasing the new fantasy-meets-medieval setting for the franchise. Per leaks and rumors ahead of the game's reveal, DOOM: The Dark Ages is a prequel and origin story set a long, long time ago - when the DOOM Slayer was 'the ultimate super weapon of Gods and Kings.'

DOOM: The Dark Ages is described as depicting a 'medieval war against Hell,' but even as the Slayer, you'll still be armed with the Super Shotgun, in addition to weapons that fire skulls and explosive bones. The one weapon from the reveal trailer that everybody is talking about is the new 'versatile' Shield Saw that can rip and tear through demons while acting as a bullet-proof vest for incoming projectile fire.

DOOM: The Dark Ages comes from Xbox Game Studios and developer id Software and is coming to Xbox and PC Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S consoles, PC, and PlayStation 5 in 2025.

Microsoft has recently wrapped up its Xbox Games Showcase where it announced a slew of new titles it currently has in the works under its multiple labels.

One of the titles Xbox showcased during its show is a franchise that is more than 20 years old, and that is Age of Mythology (AOE). originally developed by Ensemble Studios, SkyBox Labs, and Westlake Interactive in 2002, the iconic real-time strategy game took players deep into the world of mythological stories by enabling players to embody gods that fell under different ancient pantheons.

For example, players could select from Norse gods, Thor, Odin, and Loki, while also having the option of choosing from Greek gods, Egyptian and Atlantean. Choosing a certain god gave the player a different build for the upcoming ages they would move through as their civilization advanced. For example, if a player were to choose Zeus, they may be gifted with a Pegausus, while Hades players' infantry will have higher defense and damage.

Antec is a brand best known for its cases and cooling tech. It is one of those trusted names that go back decades to the dawn of the PC gaming DIY scene. At Computex 2024, the company showed us several impressive case designs, but it also had something a little different - a PC gaming handheld called the Antec Core HS.

If it looks familiar, that's because it is a rebranded AYANEO Slide for the U.S. and European markets. It has the powerful AMD Ryzen 7840U Processor and the same floating slide-up screen that reveals a full QWERTY keyboard - adding a keyboard to a Windows 11 gaming handheld sets it apart from the ROG Ally X, MSI Claw, and Steam deck.

The Antec Core HS features a 6-inch Full HD 1080p IPS display with 368PPI pixel density, 400-nit brightness, and 100% sRGB color coverage. In addition to the full keyboard, the build incorporates an ergonomic design utilizing PC and glass fiber materials, with gamer-friendly hall-sensing analog sticks and hall effect triggers. It's a premium little unit.

Seeing AVerMedia's X'Tra Go GC515 Capture Dock at Computex 2024 was one of those products that immediately felt perfect - it filled a gap while doing it in a way that made you want to get your hands on the final product. We're huge fans of AVerMedia's external and internal capture cards, especially its recent pair of HDMI 2.1 offerings that excel in performance and features.

When it comes to handhelds like the Steam Deck from Valve and the Windows 11-based ROG Ally from ASUS, the AVerMedia X'Tra Go GC515 Capture Dock acts as a docking solution, charger, and external capture card all-in-one. With up to 4K 30fps recording, it's a fantastic device that offers simple one-button recording to an SD Card, which can also connect directly to a PC for transfer.

AVerMedia brings versatility to the table here. When you add in support for the Nintendo Switch (and its successor, the Nintendo Switch 2), we could see every Nintendo game reviewer on the planet wanting to pick one of these up as soon as possible. High-quality game capture with no additional hardware required.

With the Steam Deck, ROG Ally X, MSI Claw AI, ZOTAC ZONE, and several other PC gaming handhelds on display at Computex 2024, the prototype XPG NIA gaming handheld we saw from ADATA's gaming-focused brand impressed us with its unique (and forward-thinking) design. It can potentially change the game regarding PC gaming handhelds thanks to its exciting new "foveated rendering functionality."

First up is the display, which can tilt to offer more ergonomic options for gaming on your lap, up the air, or on a surface like a desk or a table. This plays into the ergonomics of the XPG NIA, which felt more comfortable and lightweight than other handhelds, even though the overall weight was similar. This comes down to better weight distribution and the tiltable display.

Under the hood is where it gets interesting; with the XPG NIA set to launch later this year with an ADATA S55 SSD, you can expand up to 2TB. More interestingly, the NIA will ship with expandable CAMM2 memory modules using LPDDR5X technology. There's no word on the chipset, but XPG has confirmed that the NIA will include an AMD Phoenix APU (as seen in the ROG Ally X) with "exclusive foveated rendering functionality."

Yesterday, Microsoft and Activision formally unveiled Call of Duty Black Ops 6 to gamers, but this sequel brings some big changes.

Black Ops 6 will require always-online internet connectivity in order to play, Activision has confirmed. This includes all modes of play, even the campaign. The publisher was careful to say that both PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass Core are required for online multiplayer, but the campaign can be played without these subscriptions.

The reason? Treyarch's new game uses texture streaming tech to handle Black Ops 6's in-game assets, which are indubitably large--The game clocks in at 300GB worth of data (that's over 1/3rd of a stock PS5 SSD).

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will require an absolutely bonkers amount of SSD space on the Xbox Series X/S consoles, requiring a huge 309.8GB of storage.

The news comes from an early spotting of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on the Xbox Store, showing that it requires exactly 309.8GB of space. Frankly, I'm not surprised... we saw a few years ago that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was consuming 200GB+ and then 250GB+ on the PC before some changes were made, but now we're talking about 300GB... one-third of the 1TB SSD inside of the Xbox Series X/S consoles.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is out on the PC early today, with a new PC demo being posted to Steam and playable through to June 17 at 10AM Pacific Time. Check it out:

NACON and KT Racing announced the release date of Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown last week, where it'll hit the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles and PC on September 12. We now have the PC system requirements, which are very hefty if you plan on playing the game at 4K 60FPS.

The portable PC gaming handheld has exploded in recent times, beginning with the Steam Deck from Valve and Windows-based follow ups like the ROG Ally from ASUS. Teases ahead of Computex 2024, the ZOTAC ZONE was given a full reveal on the show floor, and it's a slick little unit - thanks in part to the vibrant and tasty 7-inch AMOLED display.

Outside of the 120 Hz 800-nits of brightness OLED goodness, the ZOTAC ZONE is powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 8840U processor, which features integrated Radeon 780M graphics. This processor and the 7840U have given rise to several new Windows gaming handhelds. Other specs for the ZOTAC ZONE include 16GB of LPDDR5X memory and a full-sized M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 SSD slot that will feature at least 512GB of storage capacity.

Running Windows 11, the battery capacity of 48.5 Wh is not as high as the new flagship ROG Ally X from ASUS, but it should deliver longevity similar to the original. PRice-wise, ZOTAC is targeting around $799 USD for the handheld, so it won't be cheap, with a planned September 2024 launch.