Category: Games and Gaming

EA Announces Apex Legends Will Be Released For Smartphones Later This Year

Renowned video game company EA surprised the world by launching Apex Legends; a battle royale game developed by Respawn Entertainment in the month of February. The game was originally launched for Personal Computers (PCs) and major gaming consoles including the Xbox One and PlayStation 4/4 Pro. The game primarily competes with PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) and Fortnite which are two very popular titles in the battle royale genre. While both the aforementioned games have been available on Android and iOS OS since last year, it was expected EA will also make Apex Legends available on the said platforms soon. Now, in the quarterly earnings announcement from the company, it has been revealed the game will soon be launched for mobile platforms as well.

Apex Legends Mobile

In the quarterly earnings report for EA, the publisher announced it is looking forward to bringing the Respawn developed game, Apex Legends to mobile platforms to countries like South Korea and China. While the specific details about which mobile platforms will be supported have not been revealed, it is reported the title will be available across the two most popular mobile operating systems, Android and iOS. Noteworthy, both the aforementioned OS run on more than 90 percent of the smartphones and tablets globally. Reports also state the upcoming mobile version will essentially be the same as the version already available on PC and gaming consoles. However, the non-mobile versions are graphically intensive which may be toned down to reduce the size of the game for portable devices.

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Apex Legends since its launch on the 4th of February earlier this year has seen unprecedented success. The game acquired more than 25 million players within a span of one week of release, which set a new record. Apex Legends is based on the Titanfall universe, which is a popular game series by Respawn Entertainment. Unfortunately, neither EA or Respawn have provided a launch date for the upcoming Apex Legends Mobile, but it is believed the company will launch it soon, to keep the early momentum of the title’s success going.

May 8, 2019
Playing Pokémon May Have Hardwired Your Brain As A Kid

If you are one of those people who loved playing Pokémon as a kid, chances are that your brain is wired in a certain way that enables you to respond more intuitively to cartoon characters than other pictures. As per the latest investigation performed by researchers at Stanford reveals that people who played Pokémon in their childhood exhibit preferential activation to Pokémon characters. The game may have affected the human brain after all.

Scientists found out that a certain area of the brain behind the ears responded more in case of avid Pokémon fans than those who did not play the game at all. It is already known that humans have specific areas of the brain dedicated to recognizing numbers, words, images and faces. For instance, the human brain responds differently to celebrities like Morgan Freeman, Tom Cruise than it does to other people. Scientists at Stanford decided that to confirm the same study at a younger age, Pokémon fans are the most suited options, as they were already exposed to the game when they were quite young.

The existing theory was confirmed in terms that childhood exposure is in fact necessary in order to develop the regions of brain dedicated to recognition and experiential learning. The fold behind the ear, which is called the occipitotemporal responds to images of Pokémon in the same way as it responds to images of animals. Furthermore, researchers believe that the brain acts in a certain way that enables it to decide how to respond to a specific image.

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Researchers state that the reason they chose Pokémon was not only because they are loved by kids, instead, owing to a multitude of characters associated with the universe, the Pokémon family was more suited to the same. Since the game rewards its players with in-game items, it creates a memory associated with the same that is tough to eradicate. Additionally, the researchers said that all the test subjects grew up to be very successful people. They all had PhDs, indicating that the game had no adverse effect of any kind on young brains during childhood.

May 7, 2019
Microsoft Working On An Xbox Controller For Visually Impaired Gamers

Microsoft’s Xbox gaming console is a renowned device for gaming enthusiasts. To ensure users with limited mobility can enjoy the games of their choice, the company launched the Adaptive controller for the Xbox One console last year. According to a fresh patent that Microsoft has been granted, it is revealed the company is working on another type of controller which is specifically designed for visually impaired gamers.

Xbox Braille Controller

Microsoft filed for a patent at the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) for a “Haptic Braille Output for a game controller”. The patent was published on the 2nd of May and showcases an Xbox controller with support for braille input that supports haptic feedback. Images in the patent present a special braille accessory which can be mounted on the rear of existing Xbox controllers which make it possible to input braille characters. The said accessory is comprised of six paddles and a display, which can show texts or audio in braille. So, for example, a visually impaired gamer can still participate in a chat session with other gamers. For those unaware, Braille is a tactile reading and writing language developed by Louis Braille, a French educator. The language is widely accepted as the standard for the visually impaired.

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The patented Xbox game controller from Microsoft is also showcased to recognise speech commands and converting them into a text input. Furthermore, the braille controller may also be capable of giving vibration feedback which can be adjusted per game. As previously mentioned, it can be attached to the back of the controller and the functions can be mapped by the convenience of the gamer using the console, smartphone or PC. While the patent for a braille Xbox controller has been granted to Microsoft, when the company actually releases it is anyone’s guess.

For those interested, you can check out Microsoft’s patent here.

May 6, 2019
Windows Solitaire Is Now A Part Of The World Video Game Hall Of Fame
Many of us know Solitaire as the game that made it easier to spend time on our Windows PCs. The game was first bundled with Microsoft Windows 3.0, and it employed the fairly simple mechanics of clicking, dragging, and dropping.

Solitaire The Game

The primary goal of Solitaire is to move all of the 52 cards in the deck up to the four foundation piles, thereby clearing the starting group of cards as quickly as possible. Players can place a card on any other card in different columns by building downward and alternating colours between black and red. Players could choose from different deck card styles. Overall, the game was a defining point in “PC Gaming” as we know it.

The game has now been inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame. In doing so, it has joined some really landmark-setting games, such as Doom, Tetris, World of Warcraft, Pac Man and Sonic The Hedgehog. The World Video Game Hall Of Fame judges various games based on the following criteria
- Icon-status: the game to be inducted is widely recognized and remembered by multiple players
- Longevity: the game is more than just a “hype train” and has enjoyed popularity over time.
- Geographical reach: the game meets the above criteria across international boundaries i.e. it is playable in the most number of places.
- Influence: the game has exerted noteworthy influence on future games, on other forms of entertainment, or on culture and society in general.
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Solitaire continued to be bundled with every consequent Windows version up to Windows 7. As per reports, the game has been installed on more than one billion PCs, and has been played by many billions of players. if it were to believed, Solitaire was originally intended to be a mouse usage tutorial for Windows. Reports say that the next game to be inducted into the World Video Game Hall Of Fame would be Minesweeper, but it’s unsure so as to when that happens.
May 4, 2019
GTA 6 Leaks Suggest The Game Will Be Set In Vice City And Liberty City

Grand Theft Auto 5 is undoubtedly a name that most gamers can relate with, as the earlier iterations of the franchise gave way to the game that shattered records worldwide. After Grand Theft Auto: Vice City became one of the most loved PC games globally, the game’s publisher, Rockstar Games won hearts with GTA San Andreas, which released in the year 2004. Notably, the latest game in the series, the Grand Theft Auto 5 was a huge success for the company.

For starters, it became the fastest video game and entertainment property to gross US$ 1 billion in sales, which is more than the gross earnings of some blockbuster movies out there. Till date, the game has sold over 90 million units and earned over US$ 6 billion in revenue. Continuing the success story of the same, Rockstar games is planning to release Grand Theft Auto 6 in the latter half of 2020. Recent leaks have revealed some key features and information regarding the upcoming game, which is sure to get gamers worked up. Note that this article may contain major spoilers, so tread at your own expense.

GTA 6 Leaked Details

Due to hardware limitations, the GTA 6 will reportedly not support any current generation gaming consoles which include the PS4 and the Xbox One. The game will most likely run on the latest-gen consoles of that time, which is most likely to be the PlayStation 5. As reported previously, the console is expected to be released in the latter half of the year 2020 or early 2021, which lines up with the release of the game.

If any gamers are familiar with the key terms “Liberty City” and “Vice City”, be prepared to hear them a lot more times. Reports suggest that GTA 6 will be set against the picturesque sunsets of Liberty City and Vice City in Miami. And this is good news since it will give gamers a chance to re-live the legacy that built the game we love today. The game is likely to have some sort of “quick travel” mechanic that would enable the player to transition between different cities. If this leak is legitimate, Grand Theft Auto fans have a huge treat waiting for them.

The protagonist of the game will lead an empire business, starting out small time and then reaching the big ranks. Or that’s what the leaks suggest. The player will be tasked to look after a business in Liberty City, following which he will become the “drug lord” of Vice City. Oh, and the 2004 San Andreas map from the company may also be included in the upcoming iteration. Fans will be elated if something of this sort happens. Having the best three maps till date in one single game? Nothing comes closer to gaming nostalgia than this.

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The landscapes of the game are hinted to be mostly countrysides and mountains, which will be linked together using beautifully carved roads and designed bridges. This is supposed to make traversing fun so that players can actually enjoy the aesthetics of the game to the maximum even while they’re not a part of an objective. Noteworthy, one of the biggest things that set GTA 5’s gameplay apart was the quality of real-time multiplayer, which is expected to be perfected in the upcoming game. Leaks suggest that Rockstar Games is working with Microsoft and Sony to enhance cloud gaming, which will provide a seamless online gaming experience to users.

May 3, 2019

Top Gaming Laptops Available In India Under Rs 70,000

Accrediting to the rising popularity of E-sports, the demand for gaming laptops has also risen. The market has boatloads of options which can be both confusing and overwhelming for a consumer. Adding further to the dilemma is a long list of technical jargon, due to which the customers can end up buying a device which might not offer the best value for money. Even worse, they could pick up a gaming laptop that has older generation components like ageing CPUs which seem better due to their model number. This guide will help you select the best gaming laptops with noteworthy recommendations across the most popular price bracket which happens to be Rs 50,000 and Rs 70,000.

ASUS TUF FX504 – Most Feature Rich

The ASUS TUF FX504 is exactly what a gaming laptop should look like. It has a chic design with Asus branding on the lid with a tactile keyboard and a whole host of connectivity options. The ASUS TUF FX504 is the most expensive option in this list and it is loaded with features. Even though other options in this list have the same CPU and alike display. It has a certain edge over them. The ASUS TUF FX504 has 128 GB SSD in addition to the 1 TB hard drive which significantly reduces the loading time of games.

CPU	Intel i5 8300h, Quad Core, 14 nm
GPU	GTX 1050, 4 GB GDDR5
RAM	8 GB, DDR4
Storage	1 TB HDD 5400 RPM + 128 GB SSD
Screen Size	15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 px resolution
Battery Capacity	48 Wh
Operating System	Windows 10
Weight	2.3 kg

MSI GF63 – Most Light Weight

The MSI GF63 also has a plastic construction with company branding on the lid and 15.6 inch that is surrounded with minimal bezels. Despite being a full-fledged gaming laptop it only weighs in at 1.86 kg which makes it the lightest device in this list. Even though the MSI GF63 misses out on an SSD, it has a 7200 rpm HDD which tries to compensate for the former. Also, it has a 51 Wh battery which is only second to the next option.

CPU	Intel i5 8300h, Quad Core, 14 nm
GPU	GTX 1050, 4 GB GDDR5
RAM	8 GB, DDR4
Storage	1 TB HDD 7200 RPM
Screen Size	15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 px resolution
Battery Capacity	51 Wh
Operating System	Windows 10
Weight	1.86 kg

HP bc406TX – Largest Battery

The HP bc406TX is the third most expensive gaming laptop in this list. Like the ASUS TUF FX504 and the MSI GF63, it also features a 15.6 inch display, Intel i5 8300h CPU and the GTX 1050 GPU with 4 GB of RAM. As previously mentioned, the Hp bc406TX gaming laptop has the largest battery pack out of all the devices in this list which is rated at 52.5 WHr. However, it is one of the heaviest options in this list and it weighs a hefty 2.7 kg.

CPU	Intel i5 8300h, Quad Core, 14 nm
GPU	GTX 1050, 4 GB GDDR5
RAM	8 GB, DDR4
Storage	1 TB HDD 5400 RPM
Screen Size	15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 px resolution
Battery Capacity	52.5 Wh
Operating System	Windows 10
Weight	2.17 kg

ASUS TUF FX505DY – Largest Display

The ASUS TUF FX505DY is the second gaming laptop from ASUS and has made its way into this list as it has the largest display. It sports a 17.3 inch display that has 1920 x 1080 px Full HD resolution. The ASUS TUF FX505DY also packs completely different CPU and GPU. The gaming laptop is kitted with the AMD Ryzen 5 3550H processor and the AMD Radeon RX 560X graphics card. Even though AMD is a less known brand for the selection of a GPU, it surely provides great value for money especially with the Ryzen lineup. Furthermore, the RX 560X GPU is also powerful enough to compete GTX 1050 found on the offerings which are listed above.

CPU	Ryzen 5 3550H, Quad Core, 12 nm
GPU	AMD RX 560X, 4 GB GDDR5
RAM	8 GB, DDR4
Storage	1 TB HDD 5400 RPM
Screen Size	17.3 inch, 1920 x 1080 px resolution
Battery Capacity	48 Wh
Operating System	Windows 10
Weight	2.7 kg

Acer Nitro 5 AN515 42 – Value For Money

The Acer Nitro Acer Nitro 5 AN515 42 is the most affordable option in this list, however, it provides excellent value for money. The gaming laptop is kitted with the Ryzen 2500U CPU which is nothing short of powerful and can easily handle non AAA gaming titles. Like the ASUS TUF FX505DY, the Acer Nitro 5 AN515 42 packs the AMD Radeon 560X GPU which has 4 GB of RAM. One shortfalling of this gaming laptop is its 37 Wh battery which, however, is not a major deal breaker.

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CPU	Ryzen 5 2500U, Quad Core, 14 nm
GPU	AMD RX 560X, 4 GB GDDR5
RAM	8 GB, DDR4
Storage	1 TB HDD 5400 RPM
Screen Size	15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 px resolution
Battery Capacity	37 Wh
Operating System	Windows 10
Weight	2.7 kg

May 2, 2019

Fortnite Can Be Now Played On The Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro

When Fortnite was first released in 2018, the game had support for only a select number of devices, which included Samsung flagships like the Note 9 and the Galaxy S9. The game is free to play, and it earlier required the user to receive an invite, without which they could not play the game. Previously, Realme CEO showed off the game running on the Realme 3 Pro, which was released on April 29, 2019. The post was a jab on the Redmi Note 7 Pro, which was barely hidden in the same image, and could not run the game previously. According to the latest Tweet shared by Company VP, the Redmi Note 7 Pro has received Fortnite support with the push of the latest update.

You asked for it.. and here it is!

The incredible #RedmiNote7Pro now comes with #Fortnite support with latest #MIUI 10.2.10.0#RedmiNote7 Pro:
?? Newly launched @Qualcomm SD 675
?? Fastest mid-premium chip
?? #48MP Sony IMX 586
?? Gorilla Glass 5 on front & back#Xiaomi ?? pic.twitter.com/RLKEHv71kb
— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) April 30, 2019

The Chinese company has released v10.2.10.0 update for the aforementioned smartphone, which runs on the Snapdragon 675 mobile chipset, comprising of the octa-core Kryo 460 CPU and the Adreno 612 GPU. It is one of the most powerful SoCs in the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6-series chipsets, and Redmi Note 7 Pro users took to Twitter to express their expectations regarding the popular Battle Royale game that has over 40 million active players on PC. The game’s number one competitor is PUBG Mobile, which dominates the mobile gaming scene. With Fortnite support now present on the Redmi Note 7 Pro, more users will be able to play the game on their respective devices.

Redmi Note 7 Pro

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As per reports, the performance of the game on the Redmi Note 7 Pro was underwhelming at most. Even after installing the latest update from the company, there was a negligible change in the performance, reports claim. Furthermore, the game runs on the lowest possible graphics settings and delivers about 20 frames per second, which is quite low for a third person shooter. It is possible that the game was not optimized for the devices running Snapdragon 675, considering the chipset is not widely used in the United States and Epic Games is a US based organization. It is expected, however, that Epic Games will push an update in the not-so-distant future which will significantly improve the performance of the game on Redmi devices.

May 1, 2019
Sony PlayStation 5 May Feature 8K Gaming And Ray Tracing

When gamers talk about gaming consoles, very few machines come to mind. One of them is the Sony PlayStation series, which has been one of the most popular gaming console lineup so far. The first PlayStation was unveiled in the year 1994, and since then, the company has released 3 more iterations of the same. The last console by Sony was the PlayStation 4, which dates back to the year 2013. As reported previously, the company seems to be working on the fifth and upcoming gaming console, the PlayStation 5. As per latest reports, the Sony PlayStation 5 may feature 8K gaming and a host of other features.

Sony PS5: Expected Features

The Japanese manufacturer previously revealed information regarding some features of the upcoming console. For instance, the PlayStation 5 is expected to sport 3D audio technology, which will enable gamers to have an immersive gaming experience. Another speculated feature of the PS5 is the incorporation of a Solid State Drive or an SSD. This will lead to visibly faster game load times and seamless switching between various applications within the console’s interface.

The Sony PlayStation 5 is expected to be the first console to sport 8K resolution gaming. Of course, to take full advantage of the same, gamers will need to plug in their console to an 8K supported panel, but Sony making a move for future-proof gaming will surely be appreciated. Last but not the least, some new PS5 games may support Ray Tracing. Ray Tracing simulates the interaction of real world light with real time objects in the game, which leads to lifelike graphic rendering. Battlefield 5 was the first game to support Ray Tracing on NIVIDA RTX powered PCs, and we can expect developers to release more titles in accordance with Ray Tracing technology if consoles start supporting it too.

Expected Price And Availability

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The PlayStation 5 is not expected to release anytime soon though, in fact, reports state that the PS5 may not see the light of day before the year 2021. However, other sources state that the PS5 might make its way into the market by the end of the year 2020. Either way, Sony is known for releasing their consoles according to a 7-year-product-cycle, so something along the aforementioned lines can be expected for sure. It is expected to be priced somewhere around US$ 550 (~INR 39,000) considering that the price of the PlayStation 4 Pro was US$ 400 (~INR 31,000). Furthermore, companies like Nintendo and Microsoft may release their gaming consoles around the same time, which may provide some solid competition to Sony’s console.

April 30, 2019
Samsung Patents PlayGalaxy Game Link Service For Galaxy Devices

The year 2019 has seen a lot of developments in terms of gaming so far, with Google releasing their cloud-based game streaming service (named Stadia) and Apple following up with their own “Apple Arcade” gaming platform. Companies like Samsung don’t plan to stay behind for a long period of time. A recent patent granted to the company showed that the South Korean Technology company is working on a platform which will enable users to play online games via Galaxy devices.

About The Patent

The patent was first filed by Samsung in America with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO. The trademark included details about a service called the PlayGalaxy Link, and was finally published on April 26 in the database of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). As per reports, the patent is categorized under Class 9 and 41. While class 9 is comprised of a broad range of trademarks for scientific, cinematographic and photographic devices, Class 41 mainly covers products which cater to entertainment purposes.

Samsung Galaxy S10e

Previously in April 2019, Samsung was reported to have partnered with Finnish organization “Hatch” to launch a new 5G cloud gaming service in Korea. Furthermore, people who buy the recently launched Galaxy S10 5G get a free three-month premium Hatch subscription. This may be the new gaming service that Samsung has been working on, but nothing can be said for sure, since the trademark for the “PlayGalaxy Link” is applied for in US, not in Korea.

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Whatever the case may be, it is clear that Samsung plans to go up against American technology mega-giant Apple and it’s latest gaming service, Apple Arcade. While it is reported that Apple Arcade may be available starting this fall, Samsung may unveil its “PlayGalaxy Link” service sooner than expected. Moreover, the company is also planning to release a smartphone which will be dedicated to gaming. Reports say that such a device may be released under the Galaxy A series branding, but nothing can be confirmed as of now.

April 29, 2019
Nubia Red Magic 3 Gaming Smartphone With Internal Cooling Fan Launched
ZTE’s subsidiary Nubia is known for launching feature laden gaming smartphones at a competitive price tag. As it was previously reported, the company was planning to unveil its latest addition to the gaming smartphone family, the Red Magic 3. In an event held in China on April 28, Nubia finally announced the aforementioned gaming smartphone with a load of exciting features, such as a 90Hz display, an internal cooling fan and a 48MP rear camera.

Nubia Red Magic 3: Features And Specifications

The specifications of the Red Magic 3 will provide some strong competition in a fast-growing space of gaming smartphones. The smartphone features a 6.65 inch FHD+ AMOLED display which also supports HDR playback. Owing to the presence of a 90Hz refresh rate in the device panel, gamers are expected to experience less screen tearing and almost negligible lag issues. The front of the device also houses DTS:X surround sound speakers. The rear panel of the Red Magic 3 houses the camera, an elongated fingerprint scanner and an LED strip which can be customized with a combination of 16.8 million colours.

Under the hood, the smartphone packs the powerful 7nm Snapdragon 855 chipset, which comprises of an octa-core CPU and the Adreno 640 GPU. The Red Magic 3 is available in four storage variants which are as fllows:
- 6 GB RAM + 64 GB ROM
- 8 GB RAM + 128 GB ROM
- 8 GB RAM + 128 GB ROM
- 12 GB RAM + 256 GB ROM
To provide for extensive gaming sessions, the Nubia Red Magic 3 packs a massive 5,000 mAh battery with 30W fast charging support. Noteworthy, it is the first time that a company has incorporated an active internal cooling system in a smartphone. The company claims that the fan present inside the device can operate at a speed of 14,000 rpm, which can also be manually tweaked.

In terms of optics, the Red Magic 3 features a single rear 48MP (f/1.7) Sony IMX586 camera sensor. While Nubia might not have gone “big” on the multi-camera setup here, the specifications of the camera are worthy in fact. Moreover, it has 8K video recording support and can record super slow videos at 1920 fps. The smartphone also has an f/2.0 aperture equipped 16MP front-facing selfie camera. It is IP55 dust and water resistant, which can even survive water jets. Furthermore, gamers can program two touch-based shoulder buttons in the smartphone in addition to the reprogrammable fingerprint scanner. The Red Magic 3 runs on Androdi 9 Pie out-of-the-box, with Nubia’s Redmagic OS 2.0 on top.

Availability And Price

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The Nubia Red Magic 3 will be available in China from the 3rd of May onwards, which will soon be followed by the US, UK, Canada and European launch. The price for different variants of the smartphone are as follows:
- 6GB+64GB: CNY 2,899 (~INR 30,100)
- 6GB+128GB: CNY 3,199 (~INR 33,200)
- 8GB+128GB: CNY 3,499 (~INR 35,300)
- 12GB+256GB: CNY 4,299 (~INR 44,650)
It is available in four colour options: Black, Red, Camouflage and Blue Gradient.
April 29, 2019
Fortnite Teams Up With Avengers: Endgame To Release Limited Time Game Mode

Avengers: Endgame is just around the corner, and the hugely popular Battle Royale game, Fortnite is celebrating the spirit of the new movie. The game has previously introduced events such as Marshmello concerts to keep the player base hooked to the game. The most recent update to the game includes a special Avengers: Endgame mode, where half the players will take up the roles of Thanos’s army, the Chitauri, or Thanos himself. The other half however, will get to play the roles of the Avengers themselves.

Avengers: Endgame Mode Details

In the new game mode, players can respawn upon being eliminated until one side wins by completing the objective. The heroes’ mission is to stop Thanos and his army from collecting all infinity stones spread throughout the map. The heroes start the game with a treasure map that has directions to a Mythic Avengers item somewhere in the map. Apart from the mythic items, the rest of the Avengers items can be collected via multiple chests scattered across the terrain.

The enemy team consists of Thanos and his minions, called the Chitauri. The Chitauri invaders start with a laser rifle, a grenade to destroy structures and a jetpack which can propel players into the air for a short amount of time. Once the first Chitauri invader gets his/her hands on an Infinity stone, he/she will be transformed into the purple Titan, Thanos himself. The abilities of Thanos includes a powerful punch attack, a strong laser attack and leaping high into the air and smashing everything when he lands back on the ground. With the acquisition of each infinity stone, Thanos will become more powerful and will gain a multitude of abilities. If Thanos dies in combat, a random Chitauri invader will take his place as the next Thanos. The game ends when Thanos and his army find all the stones to kill the Avengers or if the Avengers and other heroes eliminate Thanos and his army.

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With over 250 million registered players, Fortnite has broken a lot of records since it was released. With a peak player count of almost 10.8 million players, the game remains, by large, one of the most popular battle royale games of all time. Moreover, the company also released a patch for Fortnite on Android, which enables MSAA anti-aliasing to now function normally on the Huawei Mate 20, P30 Pro and the Mate 20X. Furthermore, the reactive animation effects on the Marshmello outfit were fixed as well.

April 25, 2019
PUBG Mobile Developer, Tencent May Launch A Gaming Smartphone

Mobile gaming has evolved a lot over the last few years, with games like PUBG Mobile and Clash Royale gaining immense popularity amongst young gamers. The company behind smash-hit games like PUBG Mobile and League Of Legends, Tencent Gaming is now setting its target towards gaming smartphones. The company is reportedly contacting smartphone brands such as ASUS, Xiaomi and Razer for a new gaming device that may be co-branded or self-branded.

Xiaomi Black Shark 2

As per reports, the company may start working on such a device soon enough. In hindsight, ASUS released the ROG gaming smartphone in the month of October 2018, whereas the Razer Phone was launched in the market in November 2017. Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Xiaomi released the first Black Shark smartphone in the early half of 2018. All of the aforementioned smartphone provided top-of-the-line specifications, which will be the case if Tencent finally releases a gaming smartphone.

Expected Specifications And Features

Razer Phone 2

Of course, no official announcement regarding such a gaming device has been made yet, but once it’s released, it is expected to feature one of the most powerful chipsets in the market, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855. The device may pack 12GB RAM for seamless multi-tasking. Since the display is a crucial factor in gaming smartphones, the Tencent gaming smartphone is speculated to have nothing short of a 90 Hz display, or even a 120 Hz display which is present in the Razer Phone. Furthermore, the gaming smartphone will probably feature an advanced thermal-optimization system that will help keep the temperature of such a device in check.

ASUS ROG Phone

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Additionally, the Tencent gaming smartphone may feature a big battery to squeeze in extra game time. Since most gaming handsets feature fast charging, the Tencent device is expected to go down the same road. It is unclear as of now whether Tencent will move ahead with its decision, but once it happens, the smartphone will apparently be optimized for games like PUBG Mobile and Fortnite. Since Tencent also has a huge 40% stake in popular game publisher Epic Games, the smartphone may have the Epic Store pre-installed. Whatever the case may be, Tencent’s gaming smartphone is expected to receive rave reviews from the gaming society if and when the device makes its way to the smartphone market.

April 18, 2019
Microsoft Announces The All Digital Xbox One S

Microsoft in a blog post has announced the newest member of the Xbox lineup of gaming console. Dubbed the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, it is the long rumoured diskless variant of the regular Xbox One S. With no disk drive in the console, users would only be able to obtain the game licenses digitally. Because of the removed component, the company has been able to reduce the price of the gaming console by a considerable margin.

Xbox One S All Digital

The new Xbox One S All-Digital Edition as mentioned above will be the regular Xbox One S not featuring a disk drive. This insinuates all the basic specifications of the regular version will remain intact. So, one could expect the regular’s 4K streaming, Spatial Audio and HDR Support on board. With the All-Digital version, Microsoft is bundling three games, namely Minecraft, Forza Horizon 3 and Sea of Thieves with the console. An additional 1TB Hard Drive is available on the Xbox One S.

To facilitate the purchase of digital gaming titles on the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, Microsoft is also promoting its Xbox Game Pass. It is a subscription service by the company which lets users play over a hundred gaming titles. A disadvantage of an all-digital version of the gaming console has over its regular variant is the missing Blueray support because of the lack of a physical disk drive.

Pricing & Availability

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Microsoft has launched the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition in the US for the price of US$ 249 (Rs. 17,300) and it is available to pre-order starting today. Unfortunately, the company hasn’t announced when the gaming console will make its way to the Indian market, however, it is unlikely to launch in India. The reason for that is cited for the abundance of the stocks of regular variant of the Xbox One S. Additionally, all digital game titles are still not as popular as physical ones in the country.

April 17, 2019
Sony PlayStation 5 With 8K Graphics Teased In An Interview

Sony’s PlayStation (PS) brand is one of the most well known when it is about gaming consoles. The last iteration, PS4 was released back in the year 2013 and was met with a great reception from fans of the brand. It has been long speculated that the company will release a successor to the console, allegedly called the PS5. In an interview with a reputed media organization, a senior Sony executive has revealed the details of the upcoming gaming console. According to the executive, the PlayStation 5 will support 8K graphics and will be backwards compatible to PS4.

PlayStation 5

According to the Sony executive, the PlayStation 5 will be more than just an incremental update to its predecessor. As mentioned above, the next-gen gaming console will support 8K graphics. However, the users will need to possess compatible display to run games and other media in 8K. Also revealed by him was the PS5 and the PS4 share similar architecture, which would lead to backwards compatibility on the former on the games made for the latter. When the new console launches eventually, the games released will be compatible with both the consoles initially and then may be made exclusive to the PlayStation 5.

PlayStation 4

More details about the Sony PlayStation 5 reveal a new CPU based on the third-gen AMD Ryzen lineup. For graphics performance, the company will make use of a custom GPU based on the AMD Radeon Navi. This is supposed to bring ray-tracing support for the first time in gaming consoles. Ray tracing is a revolutionary way to deliver better gameplay graphics. It makes use of the way light reflects off surfaces to render realistic graphics and was introduced last year by NVIDIA with its RTX 2080 graphics card.

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A monumental change with the introduction of the PlayStation 5 will be the introduction of Solid State Drives (SSDs) in the gaming console. The company claims it will improve load times of certain games drastically; and will deliver speeds never capable from a conventional Hard Drive. Sony will also be introducing a new 3D audio unit inside the console. This is expected to increase the immersive experience while playing the game on speakers or headphones. While the company hasn’t announced when the PlayStation 5 will release, it is expected to be unveiled early next year.

April 17, 2019
PUBG Mobile v0.12.0 Update Introduces New Weapons, Enhanced Zombie Mode And More

PUBG Mobile has become one of the most popular smartphone games of all times. The game is free to download and highly engrossing which has led to its wild success. A couple of months ago, the game received an update that introduced zombies which further contributed to its popularity. The company is now set to roll out another update, v0.12.0 of the game which brings new weapons, game modes and enhanced zombie mode.

PUBG Mobile v0.12.0 Changelog

Spectate Friends- As the name suggests, the feature will allow users to spectate live matches of their friends. Even though the spectating feature was previously available, it was limited only to teammates who were part of the same squad in a given match. The new update will allow users to spectate friends even if they never entered a match with them. Undoubtedly, this long demanded feature which will further boost the popularity of the game.

Survive Till Dawn- This feature is concerned with the aforementioned zombie mode which is very famous amongst players. This gaming mode will get new weapons and monsters with the latest update which will enhance its engagement factor. The new weapons that are added in this mode include the RPG-7 rocket launcher and Liquid Nitrogen grenade. The nitrogen grenade will freeze the zombies which will make them easier to kill.

Darkest Night- One noteworthy change the latest update introduces is the “Darkest Night”. In this mode, the players will not only need to survive the zombie rush but they need to stay in confined sections. As the toxic gas outside buildings will rapidly deteriorate health.

Spring Theme- As the name suggests, the new update brings the new spring theme to the gameplay. Even though this change is only cosmetic which does not alter any functionality, it is a desirable change for users whose eyes have become sore playing in the same environment continually.

Rollout Date

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The official statement from the team at PUBG states that the game will be taken offline for maintenance on April 16, from 00:00:00 to 08:00:00 (UTC). The new version of the game will be available starting the 17th of April. Players who download the update before 23rd of April will get Outfit Box III and 1,888 BP reward points.

April 16, 2019