Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts with the label PC

Sony grows PC porting capabilities by acquiring Nixxes Software

Rapid-fire growth. What you need to know Nixxes Software is a team known for its work on PC ports. Sony Worldwide Studios head Hermen Hulst announced that Sony is acquiriing Nixxes Software for PlayStation Studios. This comes shortly after the acquisition of Housemarque, the development team behind titles such as Returnal. Just days after announcing the acquisition of Returnal developer Housemarque , Head of Sony Worldwide Studios Hermen Hulst announced via Twitter on Thursday that Nixxes Software is also joining the PlayStation first-party family. Nixxes is primarily a PC port developer, having worked on ports of titles like Marvel's Avengers and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. The price of the acquisition was not disclosed. "I highly respect Nixxes and am excited for this very experienced team to become part of the world-class development community at SIE," said Hermen Hulst. "They have a passion for improving games and for delivering the best possible experi

Oculus Air Link now supports 120Hz wireless PC VR gaming on Quest 2

It's the smoothest mobile VR has ever been...if your PC can handle it. What you need to know The May v29 Quest 2 update silently added the ability to run PC VR games at 120Hz through Oculus Air Link. This refresh rate was previously made available via wired Oculus Link or wirelessly via the 3rd-party Virtual Desktop software in April. Gamers will need to toggle the option in the Oculus desktop software to see the change on their Quest 2. Oculus Air Link has only been around for about a month now and it's already seeing its first big upgrade on the Oculus Quest 2 . UploadVR spotted a post on Reddit that showed 120Hz availability for Oculus Link on the PC side of the equation. Turns out, that May v29 Quest update silently enabled the feature without any mention or fanfare from Oculus. Oculus Air Link was already one of the best ways to play SteamVR on Quest , as well as the only way to play certain Oculus-exclusive PC VR games wirelessly — like Minecraft, for instance

The Ascent is officially heading to Xbox and PC on July 29

Te Ascent could be another RPG hit, and it's hitting Xbox and PC in only a few months. What you need to know The Ascent is a gorgeous isometric RPG from studio Neon Giant and publisher Curve Digital. The game is planned to launch on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Xbox Game Pass simultaneously. Today, it was revealed that The Ascent is officially launching for Xbox and PC on July 29, 2021. We recently previewed The Ascent, and it's set to be "one of the best independently released games of 2021." The Ascent may not grab headlines like larger "AAA" games, but it's still an incredibly exciting isometric RPG that could scratch a big itch for lots of players. We previously knew that  The Ascent had been delayed until sometime in 2021 , but we now have an exact release date.  The Ascent  launches on  July 29, 2021  for  Xbox Series X ,  Xbox Series S , Xbox One, and PC. Oh, and it's launching into  Xbox Game Pass  day one, granting millions of players

AMD is about to upend the Chromebook market just like it did for PCs

Acer is doing Ryzen right with its new Chromebook Spin 514. It's the middle of the afternoon on a Friday and I'm typing this out on my back deck using a Chromebook . I love the darn things and any time I can get away from a desk during the workday I try to do it, and always with a Chromebook in tow. To me, a really well-built mid-range Chromebook with plenty of power and plenty of storage is just right. No one Chromebook is perfect for everyone. Of course, the best Chromebook for me might not be the best Chromebook for you. But if you're like me and want a modestly priced Chromebook that outperforms and out delivers, I think Acer has just what you're looking for in 2021 with the new Chromebook Spin 514 . It's not sleek and light as a feather. Not all of them have a backlit keyboard, nor do any have a glass-covered trackpad. But what it does have makes up for it — a beautiful 14-inch display, a very tough build of anodized aluminum, the best hinge system you&

Fortnite now supports Houseparty video chat on PC and PlayStation

"Beginning today, connect with your friends in Fortnite like never before." What you need to know Epic Games has just announced new Houseparty integration for Fortnite. It means that players will be able to video chat with their friends live whilst playing the game. Epic Games has announced that Fortnite now supports integration with Houseparty, enabling players to video chat with their friends live in-game. In a press release Wednesday the company stated: Beginning today, connect with your friends in Fortnite like never before. Whether you're enjoying the latest in-game event or chasing an elusive Victory Royale, the new integration with the Houseparty app brings revolutionary video chat technology so that you can video chat with friends while playing Fortnite. The new feature will be available on PC, PS5 , and PS4 (but not Xbox currently), and players will need Houseparty installed on an iOS or Android device. Players will need to connect their Houseparty

What are Mixer Sparks and how do I use them?

Best answer: Sparks are a currency of sorts that you can use in Mixer. There are two ways to get them: by streaming or by watching others stream. With Sparks, you can support partnered streamers, create Teams, launch Skills, and more. Premium experience: Mixer Pro ($8/month at Mixer) Start streaming: Elgato HD60 S ($180 at Best Buy) What are Mixer Sparks? Mixer Sparks are the basic currency used for interactions on Mixer, Microsoft's streaming platform. You earn Sparks for streaming games or for watching other streamers' channels. The base rate you'll earn Sparks at is 50 per minute for watching or streaming. If you subscribe to Mixer Pro, you'll earn 100 Sparks per minute while watching, and if you subscribe to a particular channel, you'll earn 250 Sparks per minute watching that channel. How do I use Mixer Sparks? Sparks can be used on a variety of different things. One of the primary uses is for Skills, which are divided into Stickers, Effects, and

Best Xbox game deals for April: Call of Duty, Monster Hunter, and more

Check out these great deals on Xbox One games. Every week Microsoft and certain publishers discount numerous games for Xbox Live users. Some deals are available only to Xbox Live Gold members and others are available to anyone who utilizes the service through a Spotlight sale. A wide variety of titles, ranging from small experiences to massive blockbusters, are available for substantially less. This week, prominent games from the Call of Duty and Monster Hunter franchises are on sale. Here's a look at some popular discounted titles. You can check out last week's deals here for comparison. See at Microsoft Store Xbox One games Blair Witch Inspired by the cinematic lore of Blair Witch, experience a new story-driven psychological horror game that studies your reactions to fear and stress. Blair Witch costs $17.99 on Xbox One. You can purchase it on the Microsoft Store . The game is Xbox One X Enhanced. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Battle Pass Edition Buy the B

Store unlimited files on the free tier of OneDrive Personal Vault

Although the free version of OneDrive limits you to three files in the Personal Vault folder, you can use this workaround to store as many files as you want. As part of the OneDrive experience, you can also use "Personal Vault," which is a feature designed specifically to store files (such as documents, personal records, pictures, etc.) with sensitive information. The data upload to this area is protected with encryption and using more robust security with two-factor authentication , in addition to the typical sign-in process. The only caveat is that Personal Vault is a freemium feature of OneDrive , which means that anyone can use it, but you'll need a Microsoft 365 subscription to store more than three files. However, if you're up to the challenge of using some extra steps, there's a workaround using a zip container that allows you to upload unlimited files (but limited to your OneDrive storage space) to the vault area using the free version of the Micros

Should you get the touch or non-touch Dell XPS 13?

Best answer: If you're looking to get a 4K display, then you'll want a touch-enabled XPS 13, but without official pen support, the regular non-touch will be better value for most people. People who want to use touch or a pen should get the XPS 13 2-in-1 instead. Touch or not: Dell XPS 13 (From $1,200 at Dell) For inking: Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (From $980 at Dell) Touch adds more to the price It shouldn't be any surprise, but having the XPS 13 with a touchscreen will cost you more than if you go for one without it. The standard choice is the 1080p non-touch display, but this can be configured to a 1080p touch version for an additional $100. The 4K display with touch is also an option now for an extra $300, but it comes standard on the higher-end models in the range, though you can opt to spec it down to a 1080p on some models. The quality of Dell's displays is excellent, whichever you go for, with great brightness and color reproduction across the board. Howev

Protect your Fortnite account, add two-factor authentication

Fortnite is one of the most popular games on the planet and compromised accounts and scams are sadly, a thing. Here's how to protect your Epic account as best you can. Usually, if something looks too good to be true, it is. And this is exactly what's been known to happen with Fortnite, Epic Games' smash-hit with its free-to-play Battle Royale mode. The Fortnite in-game currency, Vbucks, is the only way to buy the cosmetic items, such as outfits, gliders, pickaxes and emotes. But Vbucks cost real money for the most part. What you earn in the game doesn't go that far. Enter the unscrupulous people of the internet and multiple "free-Vbucks, click-here" scams, or nefarious people just flat out hacking and stealing from accounts. Here's an important thing to remember: There are no free Vbucks. Epic Games has confirmed this. Unless you're winning some in a competition from, say, a well-known streamer, or being rewarded directly by Epic Games, the fre

How to remove and replace the Surface Pen's battery

The Surface Pen is an incredibly useful tool and accessory for the Surface Pro, Surface Studio, Surface Laptop, and Surface Book. It's a battery-powered peripheral, meaning at some point the Surface Pen will stop working unless the battery is replaced. Don't worry because changing it is easy. Here's our step-by-step guide to help you along. Note: Make sure you have the correct batteries before you begin. A single AAAA battery is required for replacement, meaning you may have to find replacement batteries online rather than in stores. Products used in this guide Premium inking experience: Surface Pen ($99 at Microsoft) Power that lasts: AAAA Battery ($6 at Amazon) How to remove the Surface Pen battery To remove the Surface Pen battery, follow these simple steps: Pull the top of the pen away from the body of the Pen (you may have to use some force). Pull out the AAAA battery from the body of the Pen. How to insert a new battery in your Surface Pen

Sea of Thieves redefines social gaming in a time of social distancing

A game chat can be scary, but in Sea of Thieves, you kind of need it. It's no secret that Rare's pirate-themed games-as-service title, Sea of Thieves, launched in a rather polarizing state. For many, there just wasn't quite enough content to keep them coming back. Many newcomers had grown accustomed to games telling them precisely what they needed to do and how they needed to play to "have fun." Sea of Thieves, on the other hand, is a social-driven experience quite the contrary. With an emphasis on what the dev team lovingly describes as "tools not rules," it's up to the player to dive into this world and craft their own story, adventure, and ultimately, fun. In the world of Sea of Thieves, traditional content takes a backseat to the thrill of interacting with other players online and how everybody creates an experience. This bold ideology goes against a lot of core principles (or cliches in many cases) of modern game design and forces a certa