Tag: Gaming Console

Microsoft Xbox 2020 Leaked To Arrive In Two Variants

Shortly after Project Scarlett was announced at the E3 Gaming Convention 2019, leaks and rumours have shrouded Microsoft’s upcoming gaming console in mystery. The next iteration of the Xbox is expected to define a new era in console gaming. For instance, it is speculated that the upcoming Xbox will support 8K gaming, 120 fps and ray tracing technology. Microsoft has named it Project Scarlett, and more information regarding the gaming console is expected to be available soon. However, a user on social media website Reddit has revealed some key information regarding the upcoming Xbox.

The leaks state that the next generation gaming console will officially be named the Xbox V. Furthermore, the company will announce not one, but two consoles and the specced-up variant of the Xbox V will be called the Xbox VX. Where the toned down variant of Microsoft’s gaming console is speculated to be priced at US$ 400 (~INR 27,800), the Xbox VX will most likely be priced at US$ 500 (~INR 34,800).

The Xbox V will not include a disk drive, which explains the lower pricing of the same. Additionally, the console will also compromise on some other hardware specifications, implying that Microsoft wants to take on the cheaper variant of Sony’s PlayStation 5 when it will be announced. On the other hand, the more powerful Xbox VX will feature an inbuilt disk drive, 4K support, and a Blu-Ray reader. Both variants of the Xbox will have 1TB of internal storage by default. The 2TB variant of both consoles will be priced at US$ 100 more than the price of the base variants.

Also Read: AMD Ryzen 9 3950X And Radeon RX 5700XT Leaked

The leak source further states that Microsoft has some exclusive game titles that are lined up for a later release. However, the American company may not unveil any information regarding the games anytime soon since it is more focused on strengthening its current lineup of games. Lastly, the speculated Xbox V and Xbox VX are expected to be released in the month of November 2020. Going by the leaks, the project was named Scarlet but infact the code names of both the consoles are “Lockhart” and “Anaconda”. Note that the information mentioned above is solely based on a leak, so it’s wise that it should be taken with a grain of salt. Nonetheless, a clash of the consoles is apparent in 2020, so interested fans might just have to wait.

June 11, 2019
Google To Launch A Gaming Console And Streaming Service At GDC 2019

The Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2019 is scheduled to take place from the 18th of March to the 22nd of March. The world’s largest game industry event will be held in San Fransisco, California. It is often seen as a platform to showcase and experience the future of gaming. Google, a company that is not generally associated with games and gaming, has teased its presence at the event time and again. In a fresh video shared by the company, it announced that it will showcase both gaming oriented solutions on the 19th of March.

Google’s Gaming Hardware

Gather around as we unveil Google’s vision for the future of gaming at #GDC19. Join us live 3/19 at 10 a.m. PT ? https://t.co/rb6fN26PDi pic.twitter.com/Vd242KZAWO
— Google (@Google) March 12, 2019

While it is not clear what Google will announce or showcase at the event, reports claim the company is working on gaming hardware. The project has been codenamed ‘Yeti’ and has been in the works for a while. The event may see the company launching a gaming console, controllers and a streaming service. The teaser videos shared by the company include a text that reads “Gather around as we unveil Google’s vision for the future of gaming at the GDC 2019”. The video further shows hallways set in various sci-fi, fantasy, and racing-themed areas that match the gaming theme.

Google has also created a placeholder on its online store for the product that it will announce on March 19. This step seemingly confirms the presence of a hardware device at the launch as it is the only type of product the company sells on its online store. Multiple reports have asserted the Google Gaming console will just be used to connect with the game streaming service the company will announce at the event. The gaming on the device will be cloud-based and would require an internet connection to work.

Also read: Huawei P30 Pro Stops By Antutu Revealing Its Key Specifications

Interestingly, Google’s new game streaming software may not be hardware dependent. As cloud games are capable of running on devices with humble specifications, the service may also be available for non-Google devices. However, the company might launch a gaming console anyway, which will best demonstrate what Google envisions of its gaming service. Whatever Google has planned for the 19th of March, we will not have to wait for long as the date is approaching fast.

March 13, 2019
Sony Announces The Last Of Us Part II, Marvels Spider-Man And More Games At E3

The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2018 in ongoing in Los Angeles, California. After a massive Xbox press conference, the onus was on Sony to steal the spotlight. However, Sony did not announce 50 titles, instead, it had a rather short event and announced a few but, crucial titles for the Sony PlayStation. There were some follow-ups, some new titles but, no major announcements from the Japanese tech giant.

The Last of Us II

One of the most popular survival games, The Last Of Us gets a much-anticipated sequel. The Last Of Us II is gory, horrific, and spectacular. The gameplay trailer released by Sony showcases the advanced graphics that will surely grip any player. As was with the first one, we expect the Last of Us II to have a brilliant soundtrack as well.

Death Stranding

The 8-minute trailer of Death Stranding, developed by Kojima Productions has quite a few stars in it. In the trailer, you can see Norman Reedus, popular for his portrayal in The Walking Dead ripping off his toenail. The game is studded with stars like mads Mikkelsen who played Dr Hannibal Lecter in the famous TV series Hannibal. Guillermo Del Torro will also contribute his likeness to another character through facial and body scanning.

Marvels Spider-Man

We knew this announcement was coming and yet, there was a sense of excitement around it. After the roaring success of Avengers: Infinity War and the audience’s rekindled love for the friendly neighbourhood, the timing was perfect for the new Spider-Man game. The seven-minute-long trailer showcases the game’s most exciting aspect, web swinging. The trailer also shows some great actions scenes where the Spider-Man fights famous supervillains in the Marvel Universe. The game comes out in September which isn’t too far!

Resident Evil 2

In 2015, Capcom announced that it was remaking Resident Evil 2. Three years after that announcement, we finally have the first look at the gameplay of the new game. The game is already up for pre-order and goes on sale in January.

Control

https://youtu.be/euBPEYR1HSo

This is a very interesting game from Remedy. The creators are known for being the brains behind popular titles like Quantum Break and Alan Wake. The gameplay trailer has a few interesting time-control combats. The visuals are trippy and the concept is very cool.

Sony has announced a few interesting titles here. They’re not close to the quantity of Microfost’s but, the buzz around these titles will be great. Which title are you looking forward to?

June 12, 2018
Xbox One X Gets A Price Hike in India; Now Costs Rs. 48,490

Microsoft launched the Xbox One X in India in on January 23rd. At the time of the launch, it was priced at Rs. 44,990. However, it has recently received a price hike. Due to an increase in the customs duty from 10% to 20%, the console will retail now at Rs. 48,490. However, still, a few online retailers have listed the device at an older price tag, which is expected to remain the same until the arrival of the new shipments. Hence, prospective buyers have enough time to buy it before the hike kicks in.

Not only the Xbox One X, even the Sony PS4 Pro now retails at an increased price of Rs. 41,990 instead of Rs. 38,990.

Xbox One S and One X

Specifications for Xbox One X:

The Xbox One X is the most powerful gaming console from Microsoft to date. The device is powered by custom 8-core Jaguar chipset with 12 GB GDDR5 RAM and 1 TB storage. Additionally, the storage is easily swappable with a higher capacity HDD or SSD.

The console also packs in a UHD Blue-ray drive, which can play any standard Blue-ray discs. This is the first Xbox that upscales 1080p to 4K with backwards compatibility with Xbox 360 titles.

It has a library of 1,300 titles with more than 200 titles available only on this platform. To encourage the users, each new console comes with a 14-days Xbox Live Gold trail along with a month of Xbox Game pass subscription.

Conclusion:

If you are looking for a Blue-ray player or a Gaming Console, then Xbox One X might be the one. However, if you are on a tight budget, then the Xbox One S is a good choice as well, which retails for Rs. 24,990.

February 21, 2018
KFC’s Gamer’s Box Will Be Your Partner In Virtual Crime

The tech industry strives to evolve on a daily basis and it results in some of the coolest products you can get your hands on. KFC seems to have recognised that the tech industry has a huge potential for fan-engagement and innovation can get you the right publicity. Earlier, KFC teamed up with Huawei to launch a limited-edition KFC Huawei Enjoy 7 in order to celebrate its 30th anniversary in China. The smartphone was launched with a 5.5-inch screen and a Snapdragon 425 processor and a fingerprint scanner.

But, if fried chicken and FIFA 17 are your thing, then look no further than the KFC Gamer’s Box 2.0. If you are a sucker for limited edition stuff then this weird yet pretty awesome piece of tech (or food?) is just for you. Only 10 of these bad boys will be produced and you need to log on to KFC’s website or Mountain Dew’s Facebook page to try and win one of these.

KFC and Mountain Dew have teamed up for this bizarre product and we can’t help but get really excited about it because well, fried chicken! It’s a nifty little accessory to have, you can marvel at the bright red box on which you can play a few games while connected to your smartphone via Bluetooth. Yes, your food now comes with Bluetooth out-of-the-box (that has to be the most 2017 thing to say).

This is not the first time KFC turned your run-of-the-mill 5-in-1 meal box into a tech product. Back in 2016, KFC released the ‘Watt A Box’ which charged your phone after you ate all the chicken from it. The out-of-the-box thinking (get it?) has come a long way since and the gamer’s box can be your gaming companion when the touchscreen gets too redundant.

If you love either fried chicken, controllers to play games on your smartphone or a collectable piece of tech or well, all three of them then this little fried chicken meets gaming console is just what you needed.

July 27, 2017
Nintendo Looks to Release Five Smartphone Games by 2017

Nintendo, as we all know, is the world’s largest video game company that has produced several famous titles. Super Mario World, Pokemon, Legend of Zelda were a part of everyone’s childhood if they were born in the 90s. The good news is that the company is back, and will soon be releasing five smartphone games by March 2017.

On March, Nintendo joined hands with DeNA, a Japanese company that makes free games for mobile phones. The two companies intend to make new gaming applications featuring Nintendo IP, which will be developed specifically for smartphones. Nintendo and DeNA also agreed to develop cross-platform service that will run on smartphones, tablets, PCs and Nintendo’s own devices. Satoru Iwata said that a new line of games would be developed for the smartphones instead of porting existing titles.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Satoru Iwata” author_title=”CEO of Nintendo Co., Ltd”]

Regarding the number of the titles, you may want to know that we will release approximately five titles by the end of the next fiscal year, which is the end of March 2017. You may think it is a small number, but when we aim to make each title a hit, and because we want to operate every one of them for a significant amount of time after their releases thoroughly, this is not a small number at all and should demonstrate our serious commitment to the smart device business.

[/quote]

Nintendo will continue to make new games in future, and is working on a new console with codename ‘NX’. Iwata stated that the company is eyeing on smartphone gaming to generate a good amount of revenue. Seems like Nintendo will bring down the rain with these five new releases.

May 8, 2015
Here’s the List of Free Games Available for Playstation Plus Members for May

Each month, Sony releases a bunch of free goodies for its Playstation Plus users. This month is no exception. Sony will be releasing five new games for the month of May, four games for PlayStation Vita and three for PlayStation 3.

Some of the games that were up for free download in April were Aaru’s Awakening (PS 4, PS3, PS Vita), Towers Of Guns (PS 4, PS3), Never Alone (PS4), Dishonoured (PS 3), Killzone Mercenary and Monsterbag (both PS Vita).

For this month’s edition, there is Ether One (PS4), Guacamelee Super Championship Turbo Edition (PS4), Race the Sun (PS4, PS3, PS Vita), Hohokum (PS4, PS3, PS Vita), The Unfinished Swan (PS 4, PS3, PS Vita) and Murasaki Baby (PS Vita).

The game details are as follows:

Ether One:

It is a first person puzzle thriller where you have to solve complex puzzles in order to restore the minds of mentally ill patients and to put back the fragments of the person’s deranged lives.

The Unfinished Swan:

With an astounding art style and thought-provoking gameplay, the game is filled with unexpected twists and turns. It is about a boy named Monroe who has to chase a swan that has escaped through a painting. This game includes various tricking landscapes.

Race The Sun:

It is a minimalist racing game where the setting sun is your timer. Race before the sun dwells down the horizon. It is a race against time!

Hohokum:

It is a game where you play a kite-like creature and explore your surroundings. Basically, a game like the GTA franchise, except that it’s more colourful and gives a happier vibe.

Murasaki Baby:

A negatively created puzzle game where players have to guide a baby through the nightmarish landscape in search of a home.

May 1, 2015
Nvidia Unveils the Shield, a 4k Ready Android Gaming Console/Set-Top Box

Nvidia has announced an Android running 4K compatible set top box called Shield. Nvidia CEO and co-founder Jen-Hsun Huang said the hope is for the Nvidia Shield to do for gaming what services like Netflix and Spotify did for music and video.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Jen-Hsun Huang” author_title=”Nvidia CEO and Co-Founder”]

The modern living room is a smorgasbord of technology. These smart devices running applications will increasingly disrupt the dedicated devices around it.

[/quote]

The console gets powered by the company’s Tegra X1 chip, which Hang says has more gaming power and has twice the efficiency compared to the Xbox 360. At launch, the Shield will get 50 games including Doom 3 and the latest Borderlands sequel.

Huang also announced a new version of its gaming streaming service called Grid, which will be made available as an added subscription.

The device has been priced at $199 slated to launch in May alongside Grid, which allows users to stream games in full HD at 60 fps from the cloud.

The NVIDIA Shield, the company’s new Android powered set-top box https://t.co/N65aUzewro

— Karissa Bell (@karissabe) March 4, 2015

March 4, 2015
A Round Up of the Coolest Gaming Gadgets at CES 2015

CES 2015 has already some witnessed some awesome technological innovations. Apart from super slim bendable TV’s and mobile phones, we’ve seen some whacked out gaming products and accessories being flaunted at the biggest tech event of the year. These gadgets are bound to impress gamers as well as people who are not into hardcore gaming.

Here are the top gaming highlights from the largest consumer electronics tech extravaganza from Las Vegas-

1. Occulus Rift Crescent Bay

The current Occulus Rift Prototype has been spruced up with new audio enhancements, thanks to the Crescent Bay Occulus Rift headset. These brand new lightweight headphones come with inbuilt sonics similar to a surround sound system.

Occulus has promised a 2015 consumer launch though there’s no confirmation of an exact release date.

2. Razer Going VR

Razer has announced its plans to make its VR technology an open source initiative, called OSVR(Open-Source Virtual Reality). It’s an effort by the company to make this technology more accessible and is going the Toyota way, providing information and technical support to whoever wants it. The VR headset is being showcased at CES and features a gyroscope, an accelerometer and a compass. In addition, it features a surround sound codec that will allow developers to add 3D sound to their gaming titles.

3. Mad Catz L.Y.N.X

One of the snazziest gaming accessories we’ve come across in a long time, the Mad Catz L.Y.N.X looks like a ‘Transformer’ from the Hollywood blockbuster and can literally transform itself to suit your needs. It can either be used with a tablet, smartphone, QWERTY keyboard or just as a standalone controller. In addition, it also features an integrated mousepad for navigation and is compatible with Android, PC, SmartTV’s and also has Bluetooth support.

4. Dell Alienware

Dell after all hasn’t forgotten the gamers, the company showcased the Alienware 15 and 17 that feature Intel’s latest fifth-gen chipsets. The Core i7 quad-core chipsets are also bundled with Nvidia’s GTX980M GPU, which can also support desktop graphic cards via the Alienware Gaming Amplifier.

5. CyberPower’s Fang Trinity Gaming PC

Cyber Power’s Fanged gaming PC is pure eye candy. This gaming rig might be the whackiest desktop ever built.

Despite its bizarre looks, the Fang Trinity can house all standard PC components. The first one has enough room to fit in a graphic card, an intake fan and upto five solid sate drives. The second one houses the power supply along with the optical drive and hard drives. While, the third houses the processor, a compact Mini-ITX motherboard and even a liquid cooler fan.

As expected, the case alone costs about $350 while an entry-level configuration with the case will cost about $999 while a high-end gaming rig can go as high as $4000.

6. 3D Rudder

Virtual Reality is going leaps and bounds, and the 3DRudder is another such example. It is a rounded board that tracks your feet motion and then provide feedback to the controller, which then maps out different methods of control in the form of button presses or joystick motion.

The device is expected to be priced at $130 while shipping starts sometime in May.

7. Steel Series Sentry Eye Tracker and Apex M800 Keyboard

For Pro gamers, the SteelSeries Sentry Eye Tracker keeps a track of your eye movements when you’re playing. Based on the feedback, players can alter their strategy as viewers watching the live stream can see exactly where players are looking.

Meanwhile, the company also showcased their mechanical keyboard, the Steelseries Apex M800. The company touts it to be the most responsive and customisable keyboard ever built. It features a LED surface on every key, with colour choices of upto 16.8 million. The company claims the keyboard to be ultra responsive with 25 percent better response times than standard mechanical keyboards. The SteelSeries Apex M800 is priced at $245.

8. Turtle Beach Elite 800X

Turtle Beach announced a slew of headsets at CES this year, though the cream of crop was the Turtle Beach Elite 800X. It’s a brand new headset for the Xbox One which comes equipped with active noise cancellation along with an invisible microphone. It boasts off a 7.1 channel DTS surround sound including a plethora of customisable audio presets. Just like the PS4 version, it also comes with a magnetic charging stand.

9. Gaming SmartTV’s

We don’t hear this very often, but Sony and Samsung for once are collaborating to bring ‘PlayStation Now’ to Samsung’ s latest range of smart TVs. Sony plans to bring over 300 PlayStation titles to the Korean manufacturer’s latest range of Smart TVs.

10. ASUS ROG Swift PG27AQ

Asus has also announced a broad range of gaming accessories including the ROG Swift gaming monitor along with the Strix Series gaming gear. The 27 inch UHD gaming monitor features a stunning display resolution of 3840×2160 pixels 4K/UHD resolution.

It also features Nvidia’s G-Sync technology that works in conjunction with the computer’s GPU unit, eliminating stutters and screen lags to deliver one of a kind gaming experience. The monitor sports an ergonomic design with full tilt, swivel, pivot and height adjustment and has a super slim bezel.

January 9, 2015
Winner | Best Gaming Console | iGyaan Tech Awards 2014

With time, gaming consoles are getting even smaller. Each console on the list ahead was selected for its influence on the industry and the gaming culture as a whole, with special consideration for their benchmark titles, peripherals, monetary success, and total hardware sold.

Voting is now Closed! The Winner for the Best Gaming Console in the iGyaan Tech Awards 2014 is PlayStation 4.

The winner of the giveaway is announced HERE.

[button link=”https://www.igyaan.in/awards/” size=”large” text_size=”beta” newtab=”on”]Back To Awards Categories[/button]

December 27, 2014
“Mechanical Issue” Forces Nvidia Shield Delay

The Tegra 4-touting Nvidia Shield clamshell portable gaming device was supposed to debut tomorrow in North America.

But due to an unforeseen mechanical issue, the company has been forced to delay the launch until sometime next month, though specific dates were not provided.

During our final QA process, we discovered a mechanical issue that relates to a 3rd party component. We want every SHIELD to be perfect, so we have elected to shift the launch date to July. We’ll update you as soon as we have an exact date.

The issue apparently surfaced during final quality assurance checks, and are being blamed on a third-party component, the name of which was not given. The magnitude of the issue could range from recalibration and tweaking of already-made devices (many of which were likely in transit to North America already) or replacing thousands of faulty components, one by one.

The Nvidia Shield is being met with quiet optimism, as the Android gaming ecosystem has steadily improved since the launch of the TegraZone portal in 2011. Tegra 4 also promises performance up to 10x better than Tegra 3, and some three times faster than the previous-gen Tegra 3.

Nvidia has apologized to those affected, but for anyone who pre-ordered, the one day notice probably stings.

When it arrives, the Nvidia Shield will fill a unique space within the gaming industry, as it’s a portable Android handheld that’s also designed to function as a console, streaming client for PC gaming and a set-top box.

June 27, 2013
Hyperkin RetroN 5 Console Announced, Can Play Old Game Cartridges
Today, Hyperkin officially showed off their console, and it’s been renamed the RetroN 5, since it has five cartridge slots.

Announced at this weekend’s Midwest Gaming Classic, the RetroN 5 made an appearance as both a rendering, and as a shiny red prototype console, still bearing the RetroN 4 badge, and without the promised GBA slot.

According to Slashdot, the Retron 5 will support cartridges from all of the following:
- NES
- SNES
- Genesis
- Famicom
- Game Boy Advance
- Mega Drive
- Super Famicom
- Game Boy Color
- Game Boy
Rather than using emulators on a PC to play ROM copies of old classic Nintendo and Sega games, the RetroN will allow you to play from original game cartridges and with original controllers, Slashdot reports.

In addition, it will offer an HDMI output for playing games on today’s HDTVs, and a special video enhancement circuit to ensure high quality playback at resolutions up to 720p.

The RetroN 5 will also offer technology to improve the audio quality compared to what you’re used to hearing from emulators, with the ability to increase playback frequency if you so choose.

The RetroN 5 uses an ARM-based System-on-Chip. Hyperkin prefers not to reveal the exact CPU/GPU and memory chips it uses, for fear of tipping off competitors. After all, the process of locating appropriate hardware for clone systems is a tricky one.

Hyperkin hasn’t revealed the pricing or an exact release date for the RetroN 5, but they’re hoping to release the system this July – though they were clear they want to give their development team enough time to put a shiny coat of polish on the finished product, so that date isn’t carved in stone.

You can watch the launch video below :

[Via Slashdot, Technabob]
March 24, 2013