Author - boothby

Warhammer Skulls Event Set for May 25th

2023/05/18

World renowned Games Workshop (this year celebrating 40 years of Warhammer), in conjunction with several of their licensed partners, today announce that the much-anticipated Warhammer Skulls event is returning for its seventh year on May 25th, starting 5pm BST / 9am PST.

The ultimate festival of Warhammer video games will kick off with a showcase hosted by Rahul Kohli. Fans can expect new world premieres, reveals, and behind the scenes looks for some of the biggest and best titles, including last year’s world premiere Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, which launches on May 23rd on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch as well as Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, Total War: Warhammer III, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader – plus exciting news coming from Frontier Developments.

“The celebration of Warhammer video games, Skulls, is kicking off next week, Thursday, May 25th at 5pm UK time, 9am Pacific, which I’m delighted to announce I’ll be hosting,” said Rahul Kohli. “So, get ready for exciting announcements and world premieres as well as a weeklong discount across a wide range of Warhammer video games.”

After the showcase, players will then be able to enjoy week-long offers and freebies, including up to 80% off Warhammer titles; as well as new content and free updates across multiple platforms, including Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, Epic Games Store, Prime Gaming, Apple App Store and many, many more.

You can already get in on Warhammer Skulls festival action with World of Tanks: Modern Armor with their inspired by Warhammer 40,000 in-game event now available on consoles.

Anyone wanting to watch the action live and keep up to date with all things Skulls can follow Warhammer on Twitch at twitch.tv/warhammer and use the hashtag #WarhammerSkulls to be part of the conversation across all social media platforms. After the livestream, head over to warhammer-community.com/skulls to get all the details – including links to sales. In China, the launch will be broadcast simultaneously on bilibili, via the official bilibili Warhammer channel.

Review of Kingston’s FURY Beast DDR5 RGB Memory

2023/05/09

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Geek News, Hardware News, Hardware Reviews, News, Reviews

The Kingston FURY Beast DDR5 memory with the heat spreader is an outstanding upgrade option for system builders and DIY PC enthusiasts who want to maximize the performance of their next-gen DDR5 platforms. The FURY Beast DDR5 and Renegade DDR5 offer superior speed and low latency solutions to take your experience to the next level of performance.

The Kingston FURY Beast DDR5 line offers speeds up to 6000MT/s, making it one of the fastest DDR5 memories in the market. It is available in single module capacities of 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB, and kits of 2 up to 64GB, with kits of 4 coming next month. What sets the FURY Beast DDR5 apart from other DDR5 memories is its low-profile heat spreader design in white, which combines outstanding cooling functionality and bold styling. The heat spreader design enhances the memory’s cooling performance and makes it look great in any system build.

Thanks to its Plug N Play feature, installing the FURY Beast DDR5 memory is a breeze. Users can easily upgrade their system’s memory to 4800MT/s without the need for manual configuration. Alternatively, users can select an Intel® XMP 3.0 or AMD EXPO™ Certified kit for even better performance.

The Kingston FURY Beast DDR5 RGB memory is an excellent option for users wanting to personalize their system further. It features 18 built-in, vibrant, and stunning RGB lighting effects that can be customized using the Kingston FURY CTRL™ RGB tool. The RGB lighting effects are smooth and in unison with Kingston’s patented Infrared Sync Technology, which ensures that the RGB lighting is synchronized across all modules. It’s such an eye catchingly beautiful RGB light system that you will find yourself just staring at it occasionally.

Fury Beast DDR5 in Black Color Scheme

The Kingston FURY Renegade DDR5 memory is another outstanding option for users with extreme overclocking potential and aggressive low latencies. The Renegade DDR5 memory offers speeds up to 7200MT/s, making it one of the fastest DDR5 memories in the market. It is available in 16GB and 32GB single module capacities and dual-channel kits of 2 with capacities up to 64GB. The Renegade DDR5 memory features sleek, aluminum heat spreaders highlighting its aggressive low latencies and extreme speeds. The heat spreaders are available in white & silver, making them a great addition to any system build.

The Kingston FURY CTRL™ RGB tool can also be used to customize the lighting effects on the Renegade DDR5 memory. Users can select from 18 customizable lighting effects highlighting the sleek aluminum heat spreaders. The Renegade DDR5 memory is 100% tested at speed and backed by a limited lifetime warranty and legendary Kingston reliability.

Fury Beast DDR5 in White with Package

In conclusion, the Kingston FURY DDR5 memory with the heat spreader is an outstanding upgrade option for system builders and DIY PC enthusiasts who want to maximize the performance of their next-gen DDR5 platforms. The FURY Beast DDR5 and Renegade DDR5 offer superior speed and low latency solutions, and their heat spreader designs make them look great in any system build. The RGB lighting effects and Kingston FURY CTRL™ RGB tool also offer users a personalized touch to their system build. With a limited lifetime warranty and legendary Kingston reliability, the FURY DDR5 memory is an excellent investment for any PC enthusiast.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Loupedeck Live Review

2023/05/01

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Geek News, News, Reviews, Tech News, Tech Review, Trailers / Videos

The Loupedeck Live is a powerful, versatile, and customizable tool that can streamline workflows for content creators, photographers, and video editors. It’s a compact console that features 6 customizable LCD displays, 8 touch-sensitive dials, and 12 backlit buttons, and it can be easily integrated with a wide range of popular software applications.

At first glance, the Loupedeck Live looks sleek and professional, with a matte black finish and well-lit controls that are easy to read in various lighting conditions. Its compact size (154mm x 83mm x 28mm) and lightweight construction (only 290g) make it portable and easy to take on the go.

The Loupedeck Live connects to your computer via USB-C, and the setup is relatively straightforward. Once you’ve downloaded the appropriate software (which is available for both Mac and Windows), you can start customizing your controls to suit your needs.

One of the standout features of the Loupedeck Live is its ability to be integrated with a wide range of software applications. At the time of writing, it can be used with popular programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere Pro, and After Effects, as well as Final Cut Pro, Ableton Live, and Streamlabs OBS. This means that no matter what kind of content you’re creating, there’s a good chance that the Loupedeck Live can help you streamline your workflow and get things done more efficiently.

Customization is one of the key strengths of the Loupedeck Live. Each button’s LCD display can be customized to show different information or controls depending on the software you’re using. For example, if you’re working in Lightroom, you might choose to display your most-used adjustment tools on the LCD screens, while in Premiere Pro, you might choose to display your most-used keyboard shortcuts.

The 6 rotary dials on the Loupedeck Live are also highly customizable. You can assign different functions to each dial depending on the software you’re using, and you can even create different profiles that you can switch between depending on your needs. This means that you can use the Loupedeck Live to control a wide range of settings and parameters, from adjusting exposure and color balance in Lightroom to controlling the volume and EQ of a track in Ableton Live.

Another useful feature of the Loupedeck Live is its ability to support macros and hotkeys. This means that you can program the console to execute a series of commands with a single button press. For example, you might set up a macro that imports, renames, and applies a preset to a batch of images in Lightroom, or you might create a hotkey that toggles between different views in Premiere Pro.

Setting up the Loupedeck Live is done through Loupedeck’s software suite. Thankfully, the Loupedeck software is very easy to use thanks to its drag-and-drop interface. Loupedeck should be commended on how user-friendly the software is.

Overall, Loupedeck Live is an excellent tool for content creators, photographers, and video editors who want to streamline their workflows and get more done in less time. Its compact size, customizable controls, and wide range of software integrations make it a versatile and powerful tool that can help you take your work to the next level. While it’s not the cheapest option on the market, it’s certainly worth considering if you’re looking for a high-quality, customizable control surface that can help you work more efficiently and creatively.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Pros

Top-notch quality
The vast amount of functionality

Cons

A little on the pricey side of the market

The Pioneers: Surviving Desolation Early Access Date Announced

2022/12/14

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Geek News, News, Windows PC News

Indie studio Supercube have announced that their debut survival space sim, The Pioneers: Surviving Desolation, will be coming to Steam Early Access in January 2023. After crash landing on Io, the Galilean moon of Jupiter, players must command three randomly selected crew on a mission to survive.

In command of the crew of Io-1, players will have to overcome the cold harsh realities of surviving in a hostile environment. Low gravity, volcanos, seismic activity and magnetic storms will put constant pressure on your crew and their ability to survive. Carefully monitoring beacons because of sulfur wind will be critical to survival in the toxic atmosphere.

Every playthrough of The Pioneers will contain different crew members selected from a pool of fifteen. Each member of the surviving crew will have different specialties and players will have to adapt to the strengths and weaknesses of each. Exploration will also be a key part of the game, with players able to experience varied biomes in search of resources to stay alive.

The Pioneers: Surviving Desolation is coming to Steam Early Access January 2023. Players can wishlist on Steam now.

Thrustmaster T.Flight Full Kit X for PC and Xbox Review

2022/09/23

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Geek News, News, Peripherals News, Reviews, Windows PC Review, Xbox One Review, Xbox Series X Review

Getting the right controller setup for your favorite flight, space, or driving sims can be a challenge. Full HOTAS kits, consisting of pedals, stick, and throttle quadrant can cost quite a lot of money. Thankfully, Thrustmaster has come to the rescue with the T.Flight Full Kit X. The Thrustmaster T.Flight Full Kit X is an all in one box containing everything you need to start flying – all for a very inexpensive price point.

The T.Flight Full Kit X consists of three main parts – the flight stick and throttle units as well as a set of rudder pedals. Those with a keen eye might recognize the stick and throttle as the Thrustmaster T.Flight HOTAS One unit. This stick and throttle setup can link together in a jigsaw like fashion, essentially becoming one peripheral. It can also be separated out into to individual components to be better integrated into your desktop cockpit arrangement. The T.Flight HOTAS One is not modeled after any particular aircraft or spacecraft – it is a generic, ergonomic design by Thrustmaster. The feel of the stick and throttle is comfortable, with the body of each being mostly plastic. It doesn’t feel anywhere near as realistic as the Thrustmaster Warthog but it isn’t meant to – it also doesn’t have the Warthog’s much steeper price point. The T.Flight HOTAS One has enough buttons to assign essential functions to your sim or game but probably not enough to get a true “hands on throttle and stick” experience in something like DCS World. One very interesting feature of the T.Flight HOTAS One is that it has two built-in rudder controls. One is in the stick itself, which can be unlocked to twist clockwise and counter clockwise. I haven’t seen a rotating stick since the old Microsoft Force Feedback 2 (loved that venerable flight stick) and it is a welcome option. You can also utilize the rudder via a lever underneath the throttle grip. It’s ingenious and also very welcome. However, having a rudder feature on the stick or throttle don’t mean too much when considering that the T.Flight Full Kit X comes with dedicated rudder pedals.

The TFRP (T.Flight Rudder Pedals) rudder pedals kit is solidly built using the S.M.A R.T – Sliding Motion Advanced Rail Tracks system for smooth sliding. I was very impressed by how smoothly the pedals would press – even with very small movements. A lot of cheap rudder pedals provide jarring, inelegant spasms when performing small corrections but not the TFRP. It also features independent brakes on each pedal which is a must for flight sims. The only real drawback with the TFRP is that the pedals are very close together – more resembling a racing pedal kit in spacing. This is most likely to save on cost as larger pedals need more materials and bigger packaging – but, I digress. Also, the pedals are not the biggest set ever and if you have Size 12+ (US sizing) feet you may need to remove the heel of the pedals to accommodate your clod hoppers.

I tested out this combo kit with both DCS World and Microsoft Flight Simulator. DCS World required a bit more decision-making as to which button to assign to which control. This is exacerbated by the fact that each aircraft in DCS World can have different controls. So you will probably need to rely on your keyboards quite a bit – however, once you have programmed all of that the actual functionality of the T.Flight Full Kit X in the sim is outstanding. The stick and throttle are smooth and provide for a very fun gaming experience. In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the setup was far easier but the end result was the same – this is a great all-in-one flight sim peripheral boxed set.

Overall, the Thrustmaster T.Flight Full Kit X for PC and Xbox is an outstanding value well worth your hard-earned cash. It is available now for $199.99 and will let anyone get flying on your Xbox or PC gaming platform.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Corsair M65 RGB ULTRA WIRELESS Tunable FPS Gaming Mouse Review

2022/04/05

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Geek News, News, Peripheral Review, Peripherals News, Reviews

Gaming mice are a dime a dozen these days, with models ranging from $10 all the way to $200 dollars, so it takes technical knowhow and something… special to make a new mouse stand out from the crowd. They are a key component to a PC gamer’s arsenal and can give someone a leg up on the competition depending on its features. Corsair has been making gaming mice for a long while and we finally got the chance to try out their M65 RGB Ultra Wireless Tunable FPS Gaming Mouse. It is said to feature a blazing-fast Corsair Slipstream wireless technology, gesture controls, tunable weights, and much more. Will the M65 RGB Ultra Wireless Tunable Gaming Mouse live up to its potential? Will it really provide a lag-free wireless experience? Is there a place in gaming for tilt-based gesture control? All of these questions and more will be answered. Read on, dear reader!

The Corsair M65 RGB Ultra Wireless Tunable FPS Gaming Mouse features the “Marksman” optical sensor with a maximum DPI of 26,000! That’s a great deal more sensitivity than I think any human can really use – at least anyone I know. However, what that means is that you have a huge range of flexibility when it comes to how much sensitivity you want in your gaming mouse. Having bounced around from laser to optical sensors throughout my gaming career, I have to say the Marksman sensor is crisp and precise. There was not an ounce of acceleration effect here, it provided consistent mouse response our testing.

Initially, I never really understood the need for making a mouse heavier or lighter. As I matured as a gamer, so did my understanding and experience. That’s when I realized that a heavier mouse can provide a smoother, less jumpy experience. However, some gamers like to be able to fling their mice about – mostly in those fast/twitch movement based games – at the end of the day, it’s all about preference. So, the M65 RGB Ultra Wireless Tunable FPS Gaming Mouse features six removable weights which allow you not only to make the mouse heavier overall (110-128g heavier) but also adjust its center of gravity by intentionally placing more or less weight at one of the three weight tuning areas of the mouse. This makes it extremely customizable for your needs. The weights are extremely easy to insert and remove from the underside of the mouse, and I found I liked the mouse a bit on the heavier side – again, your mileage may vary based on preference.

Wirelessly connecting the M65 RGB ULTRA WIRELESS Tunable FPS Gaming Mouse to your PC can be done in two ways – the first is via the Corsair Slipstream dongle. This proprietary technology offers up to 2,000Hz hyper-polling and touts a lag-free experience. It can also connect via Bluetooth and, while Bluetooth is not as gamer-focused of a technology, it is widely adopted and can allow the M65 to be used with systems that otherwise might not be able to do so. As mentioned earlier, this mouse was super-responsive and I never experienced any signal interruption or lag while utilizing the Corsair Slipstream dongle. Additionally, it had amazing battery life. The specs say up to 90 hours of continuous use while in Slipstream mode! In practice, my M.O. is to charge the mouse at the end of each day. With this mouse, I would instead feel comfortable doing that every few days.

The mouse also features something I have never seen in another gaming mouse – tilt-based gesture control. Inside the mouse is a 6-axis gyroscope that allows you to program various tilt gestures to mean whatever command you desire via the iCUE software. I personally liked having my right-tilt gesture set to the letter “R” which would reload my weapon in the FPS title I have been playing, but you can also set the gestures to macros instead of one key clicks. Corsair’s iCUE software provides you the ability to adjust and customize the mouse’s various functions and settings. Initially, iCUE was a software suite I had reservations about but, it has become an exceptional peripheral control suite that I enjoy using to setup my mouse and keyboard. It has, perhaps, the most full-featured mouse configuration toolset I have ever seen.

Now… For some things that could have been better in my experience with the mouse. First is that it seems to be designed for a “claw” gamer, meaning someone who grips the mouse with more of a claw like hand position. I am a “palm” gamer, meaning I prefer to set the palm of my hand on the mouse when using it. The mouse is a little smaller than I would like for a palm style mouse – it lends itself a lot better to the claw gaming experience. Of course, it depends on the size of your hands as well, and mine are fairly average in size. Also, if you are a fan of a lot of RGB lighting in your peripherals, you’ll probably be disappointed in the M65 RGB Ultra. Despite having “RGB” in its title, there is really just one point of RGB in the mouse and that is in the Corsair logo that your hand covers up while in use. I don’t know if this was done to squeeze out even more battery life from an already-impressive amount or what – but its worth noting.

Overall, Corsair’s M65 RGB ULTRA WIRELESS Tunable FPS Gaming Mouse is an outstanding performer for those gamers out there needing a responsive, claw-grip mouse. The mouse is available now for $129.99 at Corsair’s official website.

The Wonderful Winter of Mickey Mouse Official Trailer

2022/01/21

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Geek News, Movie News, News, Trailers / Videos

Today, Disney+ announced the premiere date and released the trailer and key art for “The Wonderful Winter of Mickey Mouse,” launching the second season of “The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse.” The second installment consists of four extended-length specials that are themed to each season – winter, spring, summer, and autumn. “The Wonderful Winter of Mickey Mouse,” premieres February 18, exclusively on Disney+.

“The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse” spotlights the endearing, adventurous and comedic antics of Mickey Mouse, Disney’s #1 star, and is geared towards kids, families, and fans of all ages. The series is produced by Disney Television Animation with Emmy Award-winning artist and director Paul Rudish serving as executive producer and supervising director. Christopher Willis, the Emmy Award-nominated composer of the “Mickey Mouse” shorts, also provides the music for this series. Philip Cohen is the series producer.

Dovetail Games and Amtrak Collaborate to Celebrate 50th Amtrak Anniversary

2021/12/13

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Geek News, News, Windows PC News

Dovetail Games today announced that they have collaborated with famed railroad company, Amtrak, to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the American passenger rail carrier. To celebrate the milestone, Amtrak has wrapped one of their modern ACS-64 electric locomotives in a custom version of the historic Phase III livery as applied to AEM-7 locomotives throughout the 1980s. The wrap is sponsored by Train Sim World 2 and is on locomotive #662, running on services in the Northeast Corridor, which includes stops in Boston, MA and Providence, RI throughout the rest of its Anniversary year.

”This year we painted six diesel locomotives to commemorate our fifty years of service as America’s Railroad,” said Doug Duvall, Amtrak’s Assistant Vice President of Corporate Communications, “We are honored to collaborate with Train Sim World 2 to bring a special livery to an electric locomotive that fans, employees and passengers in the Northeast can enjoy.”

Additionally, Dovetail Games will be releasing an update for Train Sim World 2 on PC via Steam and the Epic Game Store, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. The Boston Sprinter route, part of the Rush Hour series, will receive a free update allowing players to operate the ACS-64 with this custom 50th Anniversary livery in-game as they traverse the Northeast Corridor.

“Amtrak is one of the most iconic American passenger services and it’s exciting to be able to realize a long-term dream of ours to collaborate with them on a real world livery,” said Dovetail Games VP of Marketing Keith Anderson, “Railfans can enjoy seeing this both as they travel in the real world on the locomotive and virtual with Train Sim World 2.”

For more information on Train Sim World 2, visit www.trainsimworld.com and follow the game on Twitter @trainsimworld, Instagram @trainsim, and Facebook @trainsimworld. Keep up with all the latest simulation news from Dovetail Games at https://live.dovetailgames.com/. This title is rated “E for Everyone” by the ESRB.

This Is The President Official Launch Trailer

2021/12/06

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Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

Today is the day. Time to take command and become the next President of the United States of America. For the greater good? More like, for your own good. Don’t forget, you’ll need to get the 28th Amendment to the Constitution ratified, no matter the cost. To do so, you’ll need to maintain a good approval rating, so you’ll have to work on creating some popular policies. Maybe regulating those nasty video games to protect the children? Or create a legal framework on the harmonious coexistence of Man and Robot? How about running a campaign to increase the birthrate by encouraging the citizens to … uhm, reproduce more?

How you run the office is in your hands – but make sure the amendment gets ratified before your time in the Oval Office is up, or the next room where you’ll spend time in will be neither oval nor an office.

The dark and gritty political thriller This Is the President launches today, December 6th, 2021 on PC for an SRP at $ 14.99 | € 14.99 | £ 11.99.
This Is the President on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/730430

Dovetail Games and Asmodee Entertainment Partner to Bring CATAN to Consoles

2021/11/10

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Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Xbox One News

Dovetail Games and Asmodee Entertainment are delighted to announce a partnership to bring CATAN to the PlayStation®4 home computer entertainment system and the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X.

The island of Catan emerges on the screen for an immersive game experience like no other. Barter for resources, place roads and settlements to claim single or multiplayer victory in the digital version of the world-famous award-winning tabletop game.

The digital tabletop version of CATAN will bring the power and functionality of games consoles and combine that with the mechanics and themes of one of the world’s greatest board games.

“I have been a board game enthusiast and a committed CATAN player for many years, so it’s a personal thrill for me to be able to bring this much-loved experience to the Xbox and PlayStation platforms,” said Jon Rissik, Dovetail Games CEO. “Creatively, we are working with the team at Nomad Games who bring a wealth of experience in crafting high-quality digital board game experiences. We can’t wait to be able to bring the world of CATAN to life in a way that hasn’t been seen before on digital platforms.”

“We are very excited that CATAN will be adapted for PlayStation and Xbox and are looking forward to working Dovetail and their developers at Nomad on this version,” said Benjamin Teuber, Managing Director of CATAN GmbH.

Andy Jones, Managing Director of Asmodee Entertainment said “Bringing CATAN to the two major console platforms was a top priority for us and to be working with Dovetail gives us huge confidence that this will be an amazing game for both CATAN aficionados and new players alike.”