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Dell's new 30-inch monitor features 16:10 aspect ratio

Anthony Garreffa | Displays | Sep 11, 2016 7:04 PM CDT

Dell has just released a new 30-inch display, which has a 16:10 aspect ratio that is aimed towards professionals and content creators.

The new UltraSharp UP3017 has a 30-inch IPS-based panel with 1.07 billion colors, covering 99% of the Adobe RGB, sRGB, and DCI-P3 color spaces. Video editors will have a sparkle in their eye seeing the sRGB and DCI-P3 support, with the DCI-P3 color space very important in digital movie projection throughout the US movie industry, on more and more Apple devices, and will eventually be rolled out into TVs and home cinemas.

Specs wise, we have the older 2560x1600 resolution (up from the usual 16:9 displays with 2560x1440), a 60Hz refresh rate, 1000:1 static contrast, 350 nits of typical brightness, W-LED backlighting, and 178-degree viewing angles. The UP3017 also rocks a 4-port USB 3.0 hub, with 1 x DP 1.2, 1 x mDP 1.2, 1 x DP 1.2 (out) with MST, and 2 x HDMI 1.4 ports for display connectivity.

Continue reading: Dell's new 30-inch monitor features 16:10 aspect ratio (full post)

Sony made PS4 Pro so gamers wouldn't move to the PC

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Sep 11, 2016 6:56 AM CDT

Imagine being in the boardroom when Sony decided to start planning the mid-cycle refresh console that started out as the PS4 Neo, and turned into the PS4 Pro. At the time, Sony reportedly decided in favor of making the PS4 Pro as they were scared that gamers who wanted the "very best graphical experience will start to migrate, because that's obviously where it's to be had".

During an interview with The Guardian directly after the recent PlayStation Meeting where Sony unveiled the PlayStation 4 Pro, Sony Interactive Entertainment's President and CEO Andrew House said: "I saw some data that really influenced me. It suggested that there's a dip mid-console lifecycle where the players who want the very best graphical experience will start to migrate to PC, because that's obviously where it's to be had".

House continued: "We wanted to keep those people within our eco-system by giving them the very best and very highest [performance quality]. So the net result of those thoughts was PlayStation 4 Pro - and, by and large, a graphical approach to game improvement".

Continue reading: Sony made PS4 Pro so gamers wouldn't move to the PC (full post)

Samsung brings back the flip phone with Galaxy Folder 2

Anthony Garreffa | Mobile Devices | Sep 10, 2016 7:25 PM CDT

Samsung has been in the headlines recently after it has recalled all of its new Galaxy Note 7 smartphones over faulty batteries that have been catching fire and causing actual mayhem and thousands of dollars of damage, but now it's here again with the announcement of a new flip phone: the Galaxy Folder 2.

Samsung's new Galaxy Folder 2 is exactly what you think it is, a smartphone in the older flip phone style from years ago when Motorola had its smash hit Razr flip phone. Well, Samsung has crammed a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor (8-core CPU at 1.4GHz), with 2GB of RAM, and a 3.8-inch TFT LCD with a native resolution of 800x480.

Inside, there's a 1950mAh battery while an 8MP rear camera and 5MP front-facing camera keep you snap happy with your new flip phone. Samsung is pushing its new Galaxy Folder 2 in China for now, but would this even be on your radar if it was available in your country?

Continue reading: Samsung brings back the flip phone with Galaxy Folder 2 (full post)

If you didn't receive the Windows 10 update, read this

Lana Jelic | Software & Apps | Sep 10, 2016 4:41 PM CDT

A recently published guide goes through a series of different reasons and solutions on how to properly address not getting the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. This update has a lot of pretty major features that Microsoft is saying significantly improve the Windows 10 experience.

Microsoft actually has their own blog that they published last month that tells you how to get the Windows 10 Anniversary Update if you haven't tried already. If you have tried to get the update, but it didn't work then this new guide might be helpful.

The potential ways that could be preventing you from getting the Windows 10 Anniversary Update include:

Continue reading: If you didn't receive the Windows 10 update, read this (full post)

Microsoft converts classic Xbox 360 games for Xbox One

Emma Tucker | Gaming | Sep 10, 2016 10:52 AM CDT

Microsoft continues to entertain its customers with their Backwards Compatibility Program for Xbox One. Another three classic Xbox 360 games have been announced to join the already established program.

The latest games to become backwards compatible include PopCap's famous puzzle teaser Bejeweled 3, Ron Gilbert 's comedy adventure game Deathspank: Thongs of Virtue and Vanguard Entertainment's Gatling Gears.

For gamers who had already purchased the Xbox 360 classics, they will be automatically available to download from the Xbox One's My Games and Apps tab. Alternatively, for those who hadn't previously purchased the titles, Xbox One owners can buy the games by visiting the Xbox website, or directly from the Xbox One store.

Continue reading: Microsoft converts classic Xbox 360 games for Xbox One (full post)

Samsung wants AMD or NVIDIA for its future GPU tech

Anthony Garreffa | Graphics Cards | Sep 10, 2016 8:52 AM CDT

Samsung has been using various Qualcomm processors in its Galaxy-branded smartphones over the years, slowly shifting its reliance to the Exynos processor, a chip that Samsung created, and manufactures itself.

There are now reports surfacing from SamMobile that tease a possible future where Samsung could be using GPU technology from either AMD or NVIDIA, which could make for an interesting upcoming change in the smartphone industry. NVIDIA has its impressive Pascal architecture on the 16nm FinFET process made by TSMC, but it has also just signed a deal for Samsung to manufacturer its second wave of Pascal GPUs on their 14nm FinFET process.

AMD has launched its new Polaris architecture made on the 14nm FinFET process over at GlobalFoundries, and have just had major semi-contract wins with the new Xbox One S and upcoming Xbox Scorpio consoles from Microsoft, as well as the new PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro consoles for Sony.

Continue reading: Samsung wants AMD or NVIDIA for its future GPU tech (full post)

Nintendo expected to reveal its NX console in October

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Sep 10, 2016 7:23 AM CDT

It looks like Nintendo could reveal details on their next-gen NX system early next month, something that was kind of hidden in a new article from The Wall Street Journal that covered Nintendo's jump into mobile gaming with Super Mario Run on iOS revealed during Apple's recent iPhone event.

Nintendo expected to reveal its NX console in October

In the report, WSJ's Takashi Mochizuki said: "The challenge now for Nintendo is leveraging all the attention into sales of the next-generation NX console, which it has said will go on sale by March. The company hasn't given any details on the NX, but people familiar with the matter say it is likely to be designed for use both as a living-room console hooked up to a television and as a portable device to carry around town. Analysts said they expect Nintendo to release NX details by early October".

That last sentence is the golden nugget, with analysts expecting Nintendo to reveal details on NX early next month - which isn't long away now. With increased competition from Microsoft in the form of the Xbox One S and the upcoming 4K-capable Project Scorpio console in 2017, and Sony's newly refreshed PS4 Slim and powerful 4K-ready PS4 Pro consoles, can Nintendo stand away from the competitors with NX?

Continue reading: Nintendo expected to reveal its NX console in October (full post)

Xbox One S outsold the PS4 in August

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Sep 10, 2016 5:39 AM CDT

Sony may have had the headlines this week with the introduction of the PlayStation 4 Pro, but there's still the console war between the current Xbox One S and the PS4 - which Microsoft finally started to get some traction this week in the US.

The new 2TB model of the Xbox One S was released on August 2 for $400, and sales of the new console are included under the Xbox One banner. This means that the Xbox One/Xbox One S have outsold the PS4 for two months in a row, but things will change with the introduction of the PS4 Pro in the coming months, and especially over the holidays.

Xbox Marketing CVP Mike Nichols told Engadget: "Thanks to our fans and their excitement for new Xbox One games and the recently launched Xbox One S, which is the only console available this holiday with built-in UHD 4K Blu-ray, 4K video streaming and HDR for video and gaming, Xbox One was the best-selling console in the U.S. in August, according to NPD Group".

Continue reading: Xbox One S outsold the PS4 in August (full post)

FOV slider, unlocked FPS coming for Halo 5: Forge

Sean Ridgeley | Gaming | Sep 9, 2016 1:34 PM CDT

Pro streamer summit1g revealed Tuesday -- just prior to the launch of Halo 5: Forge on PC -- that developer 343 Industries is planning on bringing an FOV slider and unlocking the framerate in the game. Speaking with the studio at PAX recently, he says the game will improve over time, and the addition of these key options is part of the plan.

"They want to add an FOV slider into the game. As PC players, they want to give you a bigger FOV; it's not just going to be locked like it is on Xbox. Another thing they want to work on is not having the 60 FPS cap. Those are two priority things they want to do as soon as Halo 5 comes out. So don't complain too much at the beginning, because they are aware of changes they want to make for PC."

This approach is in line with other Windows Store releases like Gears of War: Ultimate Edition and Forza Motorsport 6: Apex, which launched with framerate caps and similar issues but were steadily brought up to par.

Continue reading: FOV slider, unlocked FPS coming for Halo 5: Forge (full post)

Here's every PS4 Pro upgraded game so far

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Sep 9, 2016 11:57 AM CDT

We've gathered all the confirmed PS4 games that will be upgraded with Sony's new $399 4K-ready PlayStation 4 Pro console, offering higher-end visuals thanks to its new hardware, including 4K resolution upscaling, smoother frame rates, impressive lighting and environmental effects, anti-aliasing, super-sampling for upscaled resolutions on 1080p screens, and a swath of other options.

Here's every PS4 Pro upgraded game so far

Sony has confirmed a number of PS4 games that will see enhancements on PS4 Pro at the console's November 10 launch, including future titles like Battlefield 1, Watch Dogs 2, Resident Evil 7, Final Fantasy 15, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Skyrim: Special Edition, Persona 5, The Last Guardian, EA's new Star Wars games (including Visceral's new Star Wars Game, DICE's Battlefront 2, and Respawn's new third-person action adventure Star Wars game)--with many more titles getting support soon. Check below for a comprehensive list of PS4 Pro upgraded games, and we'll be updating this list as more games are announced.

"You may have noticed that several of these titles including Paragon, Infamous: Last Light, and Shadow of Mordor are already released. That's another aspect of the PS4 Pro experience. A number of games you already own may have been patched to play better on the console. We're referring to this upgrading of your library as Forward Compatibility. Patches for over a half dozen of our first-party titles are in the works, as well as quite a few from our third-party partners," Sony's Mark Cerny said during the event.

Continue reading: Here's every PS4 Pro upgraded game so far (full post)

Skyrim and Fallout 4 PS4 mods have been cancelled

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Sep 9, 2016 9:42 AM CDT

Sony has decided that its 40 million strong community of PS4 gamers won't get access to Skyrim: Special Edition or Fallout 4 mods.

Skyrim and Fallout 4 PS4 mods have been cancelled

In an extremely frustrating and disappointing move, Sony has officially decreed that PlayStation 4 won't have mod support for Fallout 4 or the new remastered Skyrim: Special Edition. Bethesda issued the following statement in a blog post:

Xbox One owners will be unaffected, and will see mod support on Skyrim: Special Edition and have already been enjoying mod support on Fallout 4 for months now.

Continue reading: Skyrim and Fallout 4 PS4 mods have been cancelled (full post)

Nintendo stock jumps 30% thanks to Mario mobile game

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Sep 9, 2016 9:29 AM CDT

Nintendo's stock rose by 30% following the reveal of Super Mario Run at Apple's iPhone 7 conference, showing that the company's push to mobile is paying off.

Nintendo stock jumps 30% thanks to Mario mobile game

Yesterday's Apple event was a big moment for Nintendo's legacy. The Japanese console-maker revealed Super Mario Run, its first real smartphone game based on the iconic plumber's platforming adventures that will debut first on Apple's iPad and iPhone devices in December. For the first time ever, an official Mario game is coming to non-Nintendo hardware, underlining a bit shift in content strategy at Nintendo.

Shareholders obviously see the potential in Nintendo's new mainstream-accessible smartphone endeavor: Mario's new game caused the company's stock to skyrocket by 30% in a single day, topping out at 29,195 yen ($283 USD) shortly after Apple's conference.

Continue reading: Nintendo stock jumps 30% thanks to Mario mobile game (full post)

PS4 Pro 4K upgrades of old PS4 games could cost money

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Sep 9, 2016 7:51 AM CDT

UPDATE: A Sony rep told Polygon that it "will not charge consumers for patches." Sony hasn't exactly clarified what this means exactly, and whether or not other developers will be able to charge for these updates or not. All Sony has made clear is that it won't be charging consumers for Forward Compatibility updates required to play older PS4 games at higher resolutions on PS4 Pro.

PS4 Pro 4K upgrades of old PS4 games could cost money

Devs may charge money to update old PS4 games in 4K and 1080p 60FPS on Sony's new PlayStation 4 Pro console.

Sony has just pretty much confirmed my predictions: developers have the freedom to monetize performance upgrades for old PS4 games and sell these patches as extra downloadable content on the PS4 Pro. It's true that all PS4 games will be playable on Sony's new PS4 Pro console, but not all them will actually play better. In order to enjoy enhancements like improved frame rates, 4K upscaling and HDR support, older PS4 games need to be updated with Forward Compatibility patches to leverage the PS4 Pro's new Polaris GPU. Sony says that some developers and publishers could charge money for these Forward Compatibility updates.

Continue reading: PS4 Pro 4K upgrades of old PS4 games could cost money (full post)

Sony details its new PS4 Slim bundles, starts at $300

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Sep 9, 2016 4:22 AM CDT

Sony has started detailing the various console bundles for its PS4 Slim console, with the PS4 Slim bundles including the newer, fresher console as well as the controller and usual accessories.

There will be various bundles available starting on September 15, where you can pick up the new PS4 Slim and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End for $300. A limited time Canada exclusive PS4 Slim bundle will see NHL 17 bundled, for the same $300 cost, while Europeans will have various options to choose from.

Sony will also have a Watch Dogs 2 bundle on November 15, which will include the 1TB PS4 Slim, the original Watch Dogs, and Watch Dogs 2.

Continue reading: Sony details its new PS4 Slim bundles, starts at $300 (full post)

Super Mario Run announced as timed exclusive for iOS

Emma Tucker | Gaming | Sep 9, 2016 2:26 AM CDT

An official Super Mario app has landed for smartphones, but there's a catch. The game was revealed during Apple's iPhone unveiling, where Nintendo introduced 'Super Mario Run', exclusive to iOS.

Much like the traditional, retro side-scroller Mario fans grew up playing, the Super Mario Run is considered to be a 'runner' style of game. Mario will automatically run to the right and players will jump over gaps and enemies by tapping on the screen.

In regards to Android device users not knowing if or when Super Mario Run would be released on Android, a statement to Kotaku from Nintendo was provided: "We intend to release the game on Android devices at some point in the future." Giving hope that it will eventually reach the Google Play store, though we are unsure as to how long this will take.

Continue reading: Super Mario Run announced as timed exclusive for iOS (full post)

DX12 is broken on NVIDIA cards in latest Deus Ex game

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Sep 9, 2016 12:58 AM CDT

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided had its DX12 patch launch today in beta form, with AMD releasing their new Radeon Software Crimson Edition 16.9.1 hotfix drivers ready for DX12 dominance on Radeon graphics cards.

Well, I just spent around 4 hours doing multiple FB Live streams where I thought I'd do live benchmarking between NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 1060 and the AMD Radeon RX 480, to see what the performance would be like at 1080p in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, with the new DX12 abilities enabled.

The result? NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 1060 would crash before the game would load, so I decided to try another GTX 1060 and had the same thing happened. I was using the 372.70 drivers, and even removed them and installed the older 372.54 drivers with the same issue. Every time I tried the RX 480 it was flawless, so I was able to test out DX12 with some pretty great results.

Continue reading: DX12 is broken on NVIDIA cards in latest Deus Ex game (full post)

Sony will have 'PS4 Pro Enhanced' sticker on boxes

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Sep 8, 2016 11:25 PM CDT

Sony is going to make it very easy to know which games are enhanced for the new PlayStation 4 Pro, with the company using a "PS4 Pro Enhanced" sticker or icon on the PS4 packaging.

Sony says: "You can check PlayStation Store for games that take advantage of PS4 Pro specific features, or look for the PS4 Pro Enhanced icon on software packaging. PS4 Pro Enhanced features vary by game. Select titles may have enhanced visuals, frame rate, HDR 10 support, or increases in resolution".

Some of the new games that are enhanced for the new PS4 Pro include Battlefield 1, Horizon Zero Dawn, Elder Scrolls Online, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Watch Dogs 2, Mass Effect Andromeda, and more.

Continue reading: Sony will have 'PS4 Pro Enhanced' sticker on boxes (full post)

Elder Scrolls Online will run at full 4K on PS4 Pro

Anthony Garreffa | Gaming | Sep 8, 2016 9:27 PM CDT

There will be a few games launching for the PlayStation 4 Pro that will be running in their native 4K resolution, while some other games like Horizon Zero Dawn that will get close to, but not quite 4K.

Elder Scrolls Online will be running on the PS4 Pro at its native 4K resolution, with Bethesda teasing there will be "increased graphical fidelity" on the PS4 Pro for ESO.

Bethesda added: "When the PlayStation 4 Pro launches on 10th November 2016, The Elder Scrolls Online will be immediately playable in native 4K resolution, whether purchased new, or with existing game discs. Since the game was originally designed for a wide range of PC specifications, ZeniMax Online Studios was able to scale up the presentation alongside the scaled up power of the PlayStation 4 Pro. For players, this means that if you play The Elder Scrolls Online on the PlayStation 4 Pro with a 1080p HD television, you will experience increased graphical fidelity; if a player uses a 4K monitor, the game will automatically run in 4K".

Continue reading: Elder Scrolls Online will run at full 4K on PS4 Pro (full post)

Here's why Sony nixed PS4 Pro's 4K Blu-ray player

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Sep 8, 2016 5:34 PM CDT

Sony's PS4 Pro is all about 4K...except when it comes to 4K Blu-rays. That's right, the PS4 Pro doesn't play 4K UHD Blu-rays. Why would Sony make such an obvious omission especially when its competitor's $299 console supports it? So it could push gamers to sign up for its digital 4K movie streaming service called ULTRA.

Here's why Sony nixed PS4 Pro's 4K Blu-ray player

In its own words, here's why Sony cut out the 4K UHD Blu-ray player from the PS4 Pro: "Our feeling is that while physical media continues to be a big part of the games business, we see a trend on video towards streaming. Certainly with our user base, it's the second biggest use case for people's time on the system so we place more emphasis on that area," Sony Interactive Entertainment President Andrew House told The Guardian.

In actuality, there's a few reasons Sony shaved of 4K UHD Blu-ray support from its new PlayStation 4 Pro. The most obvious reason you'd think is because of the cost of the Blu-ray player itself, but the reality is that the PS4 Pro already has the requisite hardware for 4K UHD video playback, which is the most expensive part.

Continue reading: Here's why Sony nixed PS4 Pro's 4K Blu-ray player (full post)

PS4 Pro FAQ: Sony explains the new $399 4K PS4 console

Derek Strickland | Gaming | Sep 8, 2016 4:34 PM CDT

There's been lots of confusion surrounding Sony's new 4K-ready PS4 Pro console, and in an attempt to clear things up, the Japanese console-maker has issued a massive console FAQ which you can find in its entirety below.

PS4 Pro FAQ: Sony explains the new $399 4K PS4 console

The new $399 PlayStation 4 Pro is definitely a huge improvement over the original PS4, offering an AMD Polaris-based GPU with double the power at 4.20 TFLOPs, an overclocked CPU, higher RAM bandwidth, and all kinds of embedded scaling tech. While the PS4 Pro won't have exclusive games and play all old PS4 games, the selling point is that the console will render games in up to 4K 30FPS on 4K TVs and up to native 1080p 60FPS on HDTVs, while delivering considerable performance upgrades.

On PS4 Pro, games will look and play better than they ever did on original PS4 consoles, and you won't need a 4K TV to benefit from the console.

Continue reading: PS4 Pro FAQ: Sony explains the new $399 4K PS4 console (full post)

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