You can get all 700 NES games on your NES Classic with this hack scheduleJan 30, 2017 The NES Classic is a great piece of nostalgia, but it launched with only a handful of games. A group of hackers have teamed up to rectify that, releasing a new tool called Hakchi. The latest release of Hakchi 2.11 now has the ability to create a folder system to support a much wider variety of games. This turns it into a true emulator. The team behind the tool say that this new release is now capable of running games from within zipped files, which will save a lot of space when loading games onto the 300MB storage space that’s allotted in the NES Classic. There’s a very active modding community around turning the NES Classic into a viable emulator and if you want to participate, you can check out the major threads here.
Nintendo Switch game cases are beautiful scheduleJan 30, 2017 With Japanese retailers now receiving display copies of Nintendo Switch games, gamers in the land of the rising sun have discovered something about the game cases: they’re really artistic, at least in Japan. The outside of each case seems to be the standard box art routine with game and platform logos, some cover art, and a game rating adorning the front of the box. The back also includes the usual information you’d expect from theses things. Nothing of note here. However, opening the case is where things start to get interesting. Because of the transparent design of the case, some developers have decided to get creative by making additional art you can see on either door of the game case. This is more of an artistic take on reversible covers, although these aren’t necessarily meant to be displayed front and center. We suppose you could do this if you wanted to, though. These aren’t just artistic add-ons to the game cases. No, they also include additional information about each game and how you’ll play it. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, for instance, shows art for the game, the three play modes, and in-game screenshots with text in little boxes. 1-2-Switch does something similar with comedic showcases of a small selection of the minigames included in the title. Whether or not we’ll see a similar effort from developers and publishers outside of Japan or even past the Switch’s first few games is anyone’s guess. Hopefully this becomes a trend. We’ve posted the cases in the gallery below for your viewing pleasure. [via NeoGAF, Twitter]
Ni No Kuni’s familiars have been replaced scheduleJan 27, 2017 A new preview for Level 5’s upcoming PS4 and PC exclusive JRPG, Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom, has revealed the fate of familiars in this entry in the series. According to IGN, familiars won’t be in Revenant Kingdom. Instead, you’ll battle using one of the three party members – Evan, Roland, or Tani – in real-time, similar to what you would find from something like Tales of Berseria or Final Fantasy XV, to an extent. The familiars aren’t without a replacement, though. New to the series are little creatures called Higgledies. Level 5 CEO Akihiro Hino says that Higgledies were introduced to “refresh the battle system” of Ni No Kuni. By pressing L1 on the DualShock 4, you can send Higgledies to attack an enemy in a dungeon. Higgledies can even distract bosses, affording you the time needed to heal or launch a few more attacks. You can equip four Higgledies, each with an elemental endowment, at one time. Like most games with elemental systems, certain Higgledies will be more effective against certain enemy types. Similar to Oliver’s spells from the original Ni No Kuni, Higgledies can be used outside of combat to access new areas. One example provided in IGN’s preview is using a green Higgledie to cast a wind spell, activating a bouncepad to jump to a new area. Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom will be out later this year for PS4 and PC. The game runs at a 60 fps on a regular PS4.
5 reasons why the Nintendo Switch was rushed to market scheduleJan 27, 2017 The Nintendo Switch has certainly got a lot of people talking about the device, but after the final reveal presentation, many hardcore gamers are left with the impression that Nintendo is still floundering to find its way in today’s modern console market. I know I went from being excited to see what the Switch will offer to underwhelmed once the presentation was over. YouTuber Tarmack got the same impression and he’s created a list of reasons why he feels as though the Nintendo Switch may have been rushed to market. After seeing that presentation, I feel like I’m included to agree with him. Let’s go through his points one by one. 1. Stock prices fell sharply after the Nintendo Switch reveal After the Nintendo Switch was revealed, investors seemed to react the same way that gamers did. Before the reveal Nintendo stock was up in anticipation of what the new console could bring. However, once investors saw Nintendo creating more gimmicks (HD Rumble) and the lack of solid launch titles for the system, the stock dropped rapidly. Investors are not sure about the Switch because it doesn’t feel like a fully fleshed out idea. 2. Nintendo only producing 2 million Nintendo Switch consoles Nintendo will only produce 2 million Nintendo Switch consoles for the launch window that starts March 3rd. That’s an appallingly low number of consoles considering that Sony sold around 1 million PS4 consoles during its first month, while Microsoft sold almost the same. That means even if Nintendo sells through its launch stock, it won’t have met the same goals that these established consoles did. Lack of hardware at launch suggests Nintendo hasn’t had enough time to manufacture enough to meet demand. 3. Only one major Nintendo title available at launch This point has been covered time and time again, but there’s only one major Nintendo game available at launch and that’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It’s also coming to Wii U and has been in development for over five years. Sure, 1-2-Switch is a Nintendo launch title, but it’s less of a game and more of a demo featuring 20 mini-games that showcase the Switch’s HD Rumble feature. There are no EA, Activision, or Ubisoft games in the line-up, which suggests that these big publishers didn’t have enough time to put together something for the new console. 4. Online services are handled by an app on your phone Nintendo announced this as if they’re doing everyone a favor by off-loading their online service to an app that you’ll install on your phone, but there’s nothing worse than having to keep up with TWO devices to perform one task. This also suggests the company wasn’t sure how to handle online within the Switch itself and decided to go with an app approach to have something available at launch. Not to mention, it’s only launching in North America first and not Japan. It’s free for a limited time, you get one game rental a month, and it’s official launch isn’t until later in 2017. That means no YouTube, no Twitch, no sort of apps at all on your Switch. Perhaps in the future, but not at launch. This seems to hint more and more that the launch date was definitely moved forward. 5. We’re less than a month away and there’s no UI demo We’ve gotten a glimpse at the Nintendo Switch UI in a handful of screenshots and online press material, but Nintendo hasn’t really done a lot to showcase someone sitting down to play with the thing like you would normally. There’s no walkthrough of the Switch’s system. There’s rumors that the 1-2-Switch demos shown off had to be rebooted into developer mode to witch to a different mini-game. When the console is only about a month away from launch and we still don’t have an accurate demo of how it performs in real-world use, this is a very bad sign.
Dauntless looks like Monster Hunter for PC scheduleJan 26, 2017 One of the best parts of The Game Awards 2016 is the trailer for a huge open world co-op game called Dauntless. Polygon has gotten their hands on the game as it stands now and the video they showcased seems to indicate that this game is looking to bring familiar Monster Hunter combat to a brand new setting. This should make plenty of Monster Hunter fans happy, since Capcom has decidedly stuck with the Nintendo 3DS as it’s platform of choice to develop the popular series, the graphics and controls have suffered. While the Nintendo Switch may be able to change some of that, seeing other developers experimenting with this familiar formula is doubly exciting. This video showcases two players hunting the Shrike, which is a huge owl-like beast with a series of moves that look like something you’d see any monster in Capcom’s famous series perform. The fight flow is so similar that sometimes it can take 20 minutes to kill a behemoth and you’ll fight in a huge open area while doing it. All with the goal of crafting better weapons and armor to challenge the next foe. Sound familiar?
MarI/O uses machine learning to teach AI to play Super Mario World scheduleJan 25, 2017 One of the unique things about the current reality that we live in is we’re on the cusp of the artificial intelligence revolution. AI will completely change the way humanity interacts with its world once it’s sufficiently advanced, but we haven’t reached that point yet. Machine learning is one of the ways that developers can “program” AI to perform tasks. The AI is given a set of inputs that perform specific tasks and from there, it’s left to its own devices to determine how best to complete a task. That’s no different with video games, which is where MarI/O becomes so interesting. SethBling posted the above video to his YouTube channel to showcase how machine learning can work in a video game. The result is a flawless run through the first level of Donut Plains using techniques you would only see a speedrunner use.
Turn Fallout 4 into a 90s shooter with the Revolted mod scheduleJan 23, 2017 Tired of exploring the Commonwealth in glorious 4K? Want to take the world of Fallout back to where it started? A new mod for the game called Revolted is available now on Nexus Mods that does exactly that in a certain manner of speaking. If you like the feel of the old first person shooters like Doom and Quake, then this is the mod for you, although you’ll need to be near a certain console in game to experience it. Revolted is a video game that has been added to the world of Fallout 4 to simulate how Doom played when it was first released in the early 90s. The mod’s creator says players assume the role of Overseer of Vault 102 in order to take control of the Vault back from the evil Professor. Unfortunately the mod isn’t an official demake similar to Gang Garrison 2 or any of the other popular demakes of AAA games, but even still it’s an interesting new game for you to checkout while you explore the Commonwealth. Unfortunately, it’ll only be available to PC players for now.
5 Gravity Rush 2 tips to ensure you’re the best damn Gravity Queen scheduleJan 23, 2017 I’ve pretty much been playing Gravity Rush 2 non-stop since it came out here in the states last Friday. So far, I’ve clocked in about 15 hours and completed around 20% of the game’s story. There’s a lot more to this game than the original Gravity Rush had to offer. With all the time I’ve spent thus far, I wanted to come up with something that would help out current players and maybe even entice potential buyers to hop onto the gravity train, because this game is damn good. Below, you’ll find five tips to make the game more fun and easier. Once I’ve finished the game I’ll probably do another tips article, but for now, head below and read on. 5. Gravity Kick during races I couldn’t tell you if it’s faster to kick or hit the boost button, but doing a Gravity Kick instead of boost gives you more finer control for those moments where you only need to move just a little bit while you’re speeding towards a checkpoint. Of course, you have to be weary about this method because Gravity Kicks drain the Gravity Gauge very fast, so make sure to keep an eye on that gauge and look around for refills. Speaking of looking around… 4. Stop, look, and listen Finding treasure isn’t only a fun break from playing Gravity Rush 2’s story or side quests, but it’s really easy and rewarding. Because some treasures are hidden in odd places and people might not really consider how they’re taking their picture, try listening to the environment. When you’re close to the treasure, you’ll hear a pinging noise. The closer you get, the faster the noise pings until you’re right on that little, apple-shaped box! 3. Assess the situation if you’re going mining, you know that you should have a talisman that buffs your stasis field. If you’re about to tackle a story or side mission, maybe wait until you’re in battle before you start fiddling with things. Remember: you can equip talismans on the fly. Even if it takes you awhile to find a combination that fits your situations, you’re more than free to mix and match to your heart’s content. 2. Easy Rocket Jump Perhaps the coolest thing about getting the Lunar Style powerup is finally having access to Kat’s “Rocket Jump.” This is a special move that takes advantage of Lunar’s light gravity by propelling Kat forward instead of up into the air. This can be used to create some interesting combos, or really smooth-looking gis. To almost guarantee a Rocket Jump anytime you want, press the left analog stick back, then forward before you hit X when you want to jump. This is a lot simpler than the finicky instructions the game provides during the Lunary Styles’ introduction. 1. Upgrade the Stasis Field! Most of my upgrades have gone into my Stasis Field and for good reason: It’s ridiculously over-powered. Just start chucking things at Nevi and they’ll be dead before you know it. The first thing you want to do is keep upgrading the Stasis Field until you’re able to hold at least four things at once. A lower number is fine, but four lets you take down two flying Nevi or four of the smaller ones. To really go the extra mile, try to find a Talisman that lets you hold an extra item with your Stasis Field.
GameFans Live: Tackling the world of Gravity Rush 2 scheduleJan 20, 2017 Today’s GameFans Live does away with the laws of gravity as we fly through Gravity Rush 2. In Kat’s latest adventure, she’s been whisked away from her town of Hekesville to a new, strange place. Unfortunately, it looks like the evil creatures known as the Nevi are here too. With the help of some friends, new and old, Kat will have to find out how to return to Hekseville while saving the world again. As usual, we’ll be streaming an hour of gameplay, so sit back, relax, and take a gander at the latest PS4 exclusive. All footage seen in this stream is from a PS4 Pro.
5 games we’re excited about on Nintendo Switch scheduleJan 18, 2017 Now that Nintendo has finally revealed the Nintendo Switch, there’s a lot to be excited about for those who love Nintendo consoles. This new console will serve as Nintendo’s dedicated console and handheld in the future, once the Nintendo 3DS has started to be phased out. With that in mind, here are the top five games we’re most looking forward to seeing on the Nintendo Switch. Zelda: Breath of the Wild It feels like we’ve been waiting for a new Zelda game forever, because technically we have. What eventually became Breath of the Wild was first announced back in 2013 alongside the Wii U. We knew Nintendo would eventually milk the game due to how unpopular the Wii U itself is, but there are several differences that make Breath of the Wild worth playing on the hardware of the Switch over Nintendo’s previous console. For starters, the Switch version renders at 900p while the Wii U version only renders at 720p. You’ll also notice some audio differences with the Switch version, as it’s likely that development on the title was refocused to Nintendo Switch once Nintendo realized the Wii U wasn’t going to replace the Wii’s success. This is the number one title we’re excited about. HD Monster Hunter This was perhaps the biggest disappointment of the show for me, since Monster Hunter is a bread and butter Nintendo 3DS title. I’ve enjoyed the past two games on Nintendo’s latest handheld, so being able to see what’s coming next from Capcom would have been amazing. I have no doubts that the company is working on an HD successor to the 3DS versions of Monster Hunter we enjoyed for a handful of years, but it can’t come soon enough. If they can get the graphics anything close to that Chinese-only online version of Monster Hunter, then it will truly be a game that’s worth owning the Switch. Come on, Capcom. Show us what you’ve been working on. Splatoon 2 Splatoon was the best exclusive the Wii U had in its short lifespan, so its nice to see Nintendo focusing on the concept again. The game now features 4v4 and while the presentation during the Nintendo Switch conference wasn’t much to write home about, we’re eager to see what new weapons the Squid Labs team cooks up for this sequel. Pokemon Eclipse Pokemon Eclipse is just a rumor at this point, but a proper Pokemon RPG on the Nintendo Switch would go a long way to convincing the population they need Nintendo’s newest portable. That’s especially true when you consider the resurgance of interest that the Pokemon series has had thanks to new people getting into Pokemon Go and wanting to see what the actual Pokemon games are like. With Pokemon Sun and Moon available on Nintendo 3DS, there have been some rumors that a Diamond-esque version called Pokemon Eclipse could be in production for the Nintendo Switch. We’d love to see a proper Pokemon game on a Nintendo home console, so we’re hoping this rumor turns out to be true. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Xenoblade Chronicles was a sleeper hit for Wii U JRPG fans with a huge open world to explore and plenty of combat and mechs to fight. The game was interesting enough that it warranted a sequel and what Nintendo has showcased so far looks gorgeous. We’re glad Nintendo is investing in this series because we really like the aesthetic and hope that the company will take the feedback fans gave from the first game and implement that in the second.
GameFan’s Live: Watch us play Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Mega Battle scheduleJan 17, 2017 It’s morphin’ time! With only four days to go until the premiere of Power Rangers Ninja Steel, the 24th season in the long-running franchise, Bandai Namco Entertainment has released Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Mega Battle for the PS4 and Xbox One. To celebrate the occasion, we’ll be streaming an hour of gameplay from the PS4 version…now! Join us as we fight our way through Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd’s evil forces on our quest to save Angel Grove and the world! Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Mega Battle is a four-player, beat-em-up featuring the original team of Power Rangers. Purchasing the launch edition of the game unlocks the season two cast of rangers: Tommy (White Ranger), Adam (Black Ranger), Kat (Pink Ranger), Aisha (Yellow Ranger), and Rocky (Red Ranger).
Sony just released the cutest game ad of the year scheduleJan 12, 2017 We’re only 12 days into 2017, but I’m calling it now: Gravity Rush 2 (or Gravity Daze 2 in Japan) has the cutest ad of the year. With the game’s launch just a week away, Sony’s begun ramping up the marketing for the game by publishing this ridiculously adorable ad for Gravity Daze 2 in Japan. From what I gather, the girl was trying to do her report on Newton’s Law of Gravity, but couldn’t come up with any interesting material, so her cat decided to help out. How? Well, just as cats do: by completely messing with the established laws of gravity. Note: I don’t have a cat, but Gravity Rush tells me that’s how they work. The girl and her sister run around their small apartment trying to grab their gravity-shifting cat while it’s being all adorable and junk. It concludes with the girl saying “fuck it” and declaring her cat the new gravity denizen by retitling her paper to “Mewton’s Law of Gravity.” Cute. Gravity Rush 2 launches exclusively for the PS4 next week. You can download a demo of the game from the PlayStation Store now.
Does Microsoft have a history of killing third-party exclusives? scheduleJan 11, 2017 This week the big story in gaming is that Platinum Games’ upcoming RPG Scalebound has been canceled by Microsoft. There are a lot of rumors flying around about why the game was canceled and the state the game was in order to warrant cancellation, but I don’t want to delve into that with this article. Instead, I want to focus on the history that Microsoft has behind doing this to their third-party developers who are working on exclusives for them. Sometimes, it ends up being stand-up studios that are severely impacted by these decisions. 2012: Microsoft hires Obsidian Entertainment to work on an Xbox One exclusive called Stormlands. Microsoft later cancels the project with very little notification to the developers, leaving them in a very bad state. Once source describes “Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart called a company meeting shortly afterwards and, choking up, announced that they’d be laying off 30 employees.” Obsidian took to Kickstarter with the project and turned Stormlands into Tyranny. 2015: Indie developer Darkside Games is working on a Phantom Dust reboot for the Xbox One. Microsoft has given them a budget of $5 million, but the developers know that won’t cut it. After a terse meeting where the three top employees begged for a larger budget, Microsoft canned the project. The E3 trailer that was showcased at 2014 wasn’t even done by Darkside Games, but another studio Microsoft outsourced to do the work. As a result, Darkside Games goes out of business. 2016: This is probably the most high-profile closure on the list. Lionhead Studios wanted to make Fable 4, but Microsoft wanted to capitalize on the popularity of MOBAs and online arena games. Instead, they made Lionhead create Fable Legends. When the game didn’t test well at two different E3 events and costs started running through the rough, Microsoft canceled the project and tried to sell Lionhead. When no one was interested without the Fable IP, Lionhead Studios was shut down. 2017: Microsoft is back at it again with Scalebound. Rumors are flying about this one, but what we know so far is that Microsoft likely set milestones for the game that Platinum Games wasn’t comfortable with. Hideki Kamiya has been wanting to create Scalebound since 2006 and the first E3 trailer doesn’t indicate a four player co-op game. The last one does. These four different instances of games being canceled seems to hint that Microsoft expects too much for too little from its third-party developers, while also asking them to create projects beyond the initial scope of the developer’s original vision. I’m not surprised by these cancellations and frankly, I’m surprised to see Sunset Overdrive and Insomniac Games managed to skate by.
Here’s what Pokemon Stars might look like on Nintendo Switch scheduleJan 11, 2017 With only a day before tNintedo reveals the Nintendo Switch launch details, we can just barely contain our excitement. Just a few days ago, GameStop’s page for the Nintendo Switch let it slip that Skyrim and possibly even a new Pokemon game could be coming to Nintendo’s upcoming hybrid device. As rumors have told, this upcoming game is codenamed Pokemon Stars. Similar to Pokemon Emerald, Crystal Version, and various other titles, Stars will be the third entry in this generation’s Pokemon games, combining Sun and Moon into one game. Rumors state that this Switch exclusive title will bump up the visuals seen in the 3DS counterparts with “higher-resolution assets.” Since this is just a rumor, we’re not taking any of the aforementioned information as fact yet but that hasn’t stopped someone from making their own version of Pokemon Stars. With the help of the 3DS emulator “citra,” YouTuber TS4M was able to run Pokemon Sun and Moon in HD. The difference between the 3DS version and this is pretty jarring. Here’s a comparison shot: This certainly isn’t a 100% accurate comparison since we’re not sure what changes will be made to the game if Pokemon Stars actually exists, but being able to see what the default version look like running in HD is close enough for now.
Razer’s three-screen laptop prototype proved so popular it was stolen scheduleJan 9, 2017 This past week was the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where tons of companies showcase their upcoming products and prototypes for the year. Razer was among those who showcased several new products, not least of which was a three-screen laptop prototype called Project Valerie. The massive display features three screens that fold out from one another, providing a cinematic gaming experience while on the go. While the laptop showcased at the show was only a prototype, it appears that it was so popular that two of the prototypes were literally stolen from the Razer booth. CEO Min-Liang Tan confirmed the news via a Facebook post and let fans know that they’re looking for the culprit who made off with the two laptops. “I’ve just been informed that two of our prototypes were stolen from our booth at CES today. We have filed the necessary reports and are currently working with the show management as well as law enforcement to address this issue. At Razer, we play hard and we play fair. Our teams worked months on end to conceptualize and develop these units and we pride ourselves in pushing the envelope to deliver the latest and greatest. We treat theft/larceny, and if relevant to this case, industrial espionage, very seriously – it is cheating, and cheating doesn’t sit well with us. Penalties for such crimes are grievous and anyone who would do this clearly isn’t very smart. We were on hand at CES this year to check out what Razer was showcasing and it was unbelievable to see the prototypes up close. You’ll notice those screens are pretty thin and while the base of the laptop is mostly just a Razer Blade, when the laptop is actually folded in on itself it’s not that much thicker than older laptops. Check out our gallery of pics from CES.
Scalebound has been cancelled by Microsoft scheduleJan 9, 2017 One of the most appealing games of Microsoft’s Xbox One reveal was Scalebound, a game in development at Platinum Games and destined to be an Xbox One exclusive. Last year at E3 we were treated to the above trailer, which many critics noted lacked direction and seemed to be a re-hash of ideas seen during the 2013 reveal. Rumors have been swirling for a few months now that the project would be canned, but today Microsoft has officially announced that Scalebound is no more. The company released this statement today, admitting that it’s focusing on other exclusive titles and moving away from the game Platinum has been working on for nearly three years now. After careful deliberation, Microsoft Studios has come to the decision to end production for “Scalebound.” We’re working hard to deliver an amazing lineup of games to our fans this year, including “Halo Wars 2,” “Crackdown 3,” “State of Decay 2,” “Sea of Thieves” and other great experiences. It’s hardly surprising that this turn of events has come about, as the official Scalebound Twitter account went dark back in September and since then, rumors have been swirling about the state of development. Still, it’s unfortunate to see an exclusive title shown at the launch of a console canceled, but it’s not the first time it has happened. Perhaps we’ll see Scalebound revived on the Nintendo Switch? If Platinum is able to hold onto the licensing for the title, Nintendo is well-known for having revived the Bayonetta franchise so perhaps the two companies could work magic again.
Elite Dangerous players have discovered alien life after 2 years scheduleJan 6, 2017 Elite Dangerous has been available since 2014 on PC and Xbox One and since then, players have been scouring the galaxy looking for signs of alien life. They’ve found ruins and hints at the Thargoid race, but one Xbox One player had a close encounter that you can see below. You’ll notice the player’s ship is immediately torn from hyperspace before a flower-like vessel of the Thargoid’s appears to do a ship scan. The Thargoid seems to find nothing interesting about the player, as it quickly jettisons off into space. While that’s the jist of the first alien encounter in Elite Dangerous, the developers likely have tricks up their sleeves in the future. The next steps for Elite Dangerous players are to discover where the Thargoids come from in the galaxy and whether or not they’re spreading out or remaining where they are. So far, the developers have confirmed the legitimacy of this sighting, but they’re not talking about anything else.
Pornhub reveals the naughty ways you use your console browser scheduleJan 6, 2017 Well, I can officially say that I wrote about porn today for work! The story today is this: PlayStation users apparently love porn! Popular pornographic website Pornhub released some interesting metric today, detailing which gaming platforms players used to help them get their rocks off. As you’ve probably guessed, the PlayStation family of consoles were at the top, raking in a whopping 53%. Next up are Xbox users and at the very bottom are PS Vita users. Odd that they would separate the PS Vita from the PlayStation category, but ok. Popular pornographic website Pornhub released some interesting metric today, detailing which gaming platforms players used to help them get their rocks off. As you’ve probably guessed, PlayStation consoles were at the top, raking in a whopping 53% of users polled. Next up are Xbox users and at the very bottom are PS Vita users. Odd that they would separate the PS Vita from the PlayStation category, but ok. Also on the list are Nintendo 3DS users….we’re not too sure how that works, but whatever it takes, I guess. Head on over to the source below to see more in-depth ways of how people use their console web browser. [via NeoGAF]
Razer’s newest concept is a three-window laptop they showcased at CES scheduleJan 5, 2017 One of the most annoying things about gaming on the go is just how much smaller the screen real estate is compared to any decent desktop monitor or 4K TV. It’s just not comparable but since it’s portable, it’s what we’ve come to accept. Razer wants to do away with that notion with its latest concept, the Project Valerie laptop, which features two screens that fold out to sit next to the screen in the middle. This technically gives you three screens full of Skyrim, Call of Duty, Stardew Valley, or whatever game tickles your fancy. The concept laptop was shown off in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show, but it’s worth noting that this is a concept device with no gaurantee that it’ll ever be brought to retail market. Alongside those three gorgeous 17.3″ 4K screens, the laptop includes a built-in mechanical keyboard and the general concept builds on an existing 17-inch Razer Blade Pro. While all that screen real estate is nice, the laptop weighs a back-breaking 12lbs. That’s a pretty significant increase from the 7.8lbs of the previous generation of Razer Blade Pro. Still, it’s nice to see Razer continues to think outside of the box with its concepts, which have ranged from modular computing systems to this. Whatever this is. Would you buy one?
Look like 2017 is the year entry-level VR finally takes off scheduleJan 4, 2017 2016 was a great year for finally getting our hands on VR, but neither of the major three headsets could be considered affordable. The HTC Vive costs $800 out of the box and offers the most features for your money, while the Oculus Rift follows at $600, but without some of the bells and whistles found in the HTC Vive. PlayStation VR is arguably the most affordable option this year at $399, but that’s if you don’t could the necessary $299 machine to use it. Now that we’ve seen what the industry is capable of in the high-end, this year several manufacturers will throw their hats into the ring with cheaper offerings. Lenovo is one of the first, revealing a sub-$400 headset at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this year. While not a lot of details were reveals about the new headset, Lenovo says it will weigh about 350g which is about 100g lighter than the HTC Vive. The new headset will be equipped with a higher resolution display than both the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive, with two 1440×1440 OLED panels. All of that sounds amazing, but it should be mentioned that the prototype Lenovo brought to the show was a non-working prototype. It remains to be seen if such a device can be produced for under $400, but if Lenovo pulls it off we’ll probably see new generations of Rift and Vive that attempt to price match these headsets from “third-party” manufacturers.