Is this REALLY any easier than what is currently there? I've had to change the Joycon analogue sticks often (on mine, friends, nieces and nephews and their friends' Joycons) and part of that process is either removing the battery or at least moving it out of the way. Feels very similar.
I don't REALLY believe "45% of Enthusiasts 'Seriously Considering' Leaving Sony for PC" as Push Square titled their article nor that "45% of PlayStation Gamers Are Leaving For PC". Both are clickbait.
@Simplex_ Asking people to vote just after physical games are nuked and expecting a fair result to a poll is kinda my point, tempers are flared and too many people will vote on emotions rather than what they will ACTUALLY do.
It's like another Push Square article / poll that stated "PS5 Has Put a Dampener on Gaming': 45% of Enthusiasts 'Seriously Considering' Leaving Sony for PC"
And as I commented on that article
'Seriously Considering'
I'll take that with the entire Bolivian Salt flats.
That's not to say there isn't some merit to these polls to show people are dissatisfied, that is clear, i'd just completely ignore the actual numbers as many will be protest votes while emotions are high.
@LordJitterJager I am on the waitlist even though I have little interest in the Steam Machine right now. I suspect many are in this position. It's about keeping your options open in case something changes.
E.g. If FSR4 suddenly performs MUCH better on Steam Machine that expected and it starts consistently beating PS5 for example that makes it look less bad price to performance than it does now.
@DrianCel As I said in my first comment I am pro-physical media, pro-consumer choice, I HATE that Sony are getting rid of discs.
I was just suggesting that a DF poll isn't all that relevant here. Asking a group of gaming enthusiasts on DF about the relevance of discs, is a bit like going to Xbox Fanfest and polling which console they prefer.
What I don't understand is why Sony didn't try to do what Nintendo did and just say physical media is more expensive to make and distribute; that both we and the developer see a smaller cut, therefore we are going to increase prices by £10 / $10 for discs but not digital. Yes there would be outcry, but it would at least be understandable.
Though perhaps this is part of their masterplan... "we hear you, you can have discs back, but they will cost more" and people will lap it up. The old two steps forward, one step back PR move... stranger things have happened.
@DrianCel The 15% will be accurate last quarter across ALL PS5 game sales BUT it is HEAVILY skewed in digital's favour as most indies and many AAs ONLY release digitally, even some AAA games nowadays.
When all things are even and a big tentpole AAA releases day and date on Physical and Digital it's probably nearer 50:50.
But that wasn't my point. My point was a lot of people don't seem to care, it's mostly us enthusiasts that do, we're the disproportionate minority. While it's true we play an important role in driving trends that can filter down we also can get stuck in thinking our little bubble is the be all end all and easily conflate that to think everyone feels the same. They don't.
@burndive Do you really think MOST people are going to dispose of them any differently just because they are more removable? You think they are going to open up their Switch 2's and joycons, take the batteries out and dispose of them separately. We've already seen people don't do that with other devices so why suddenly the Switch 2. It's more a societal problem.
16% smaller battery in the Pro controller? Hell no that's not good news. Frankly I'll take my chances with the battery dying, it's not happened on any controller i've owned yet.
@wsjudd They've had over 4 years since Steam Deck launched to make dual boot work officially, they keep kicking it down the road. Not doubting it's easier to not develop it, but at some point - over 4 years later - you have to start to wonder why they haven't delivered the feature they have been talking about for so long.
Likely makes sense to force people new owners to try SteamOS first before offering Dual Boot to Windows. There also isn't much hard drive space for a dual boot with windows and games on each if you have the 512GB version.
Awful news all around with id reportedly having around 50% of staff laid off (rumoured to be id Tech team), Obsidian facing major cuts and Zenimax online also rumoured to be 50%.
If there's any small sliver of a silver lining it's that Double Fine, Ninja Theory, Compulsion games & Undead Labs all have a small lifeline and aren't being closed.
We will have to wait and see about Arkane as French law is holding up an announcement there... but it doesn't sound good.
Add to that Sony ending discs, rumoured £1000 consoles, and it's been the worst week of gaming news I can remember.
I have read that Xbox has a feature on their discs that each one has a unique identifier that can be used to make this work. Can DF confirm that?
Also can they confirm if PS4 / PS5 discs have the same? Because if they don't they Sony couldn't really do the same disc to digital via your own drive.
I am pro-physical media, pro-choice for consumers, but what other result to you expect from a poll on an enthusiast gaming site and channel like DF? It's not really a fair representation of all gamers.
Personally I am gutted. But I sent a message to a group of friends who are more casual and they don't give a fig, they have been all digital for years. Only one was mildly annoyed and one pissed off like me. Unfortunately that's probably a more realistic slice of the view across the gaming landscape.
@matmartin That's the flip-side to this crisis. Selling prices are also high.
E.g. I can sell my Steam Deck for more than I bought it. Selling PS5 Pro (+ maybe the 1TB SSD) will fund a large part of the PS6 - assuming the PS6 allows me to play my PS4 & PS5 discs somehow...
Obviously would rather lower prices but it is a small silver lining.
@MattGPT I used to dual boot my PC but as I said I prefer the delineation of work and play. It's a mental thing more than anything.
I also used to have both a Steam Link, OG Steam Controller and a super-long cumbersome HDMI cable that went between rooms for if I wanted to play PC on the TV... but ultimately I just found I didn't use it. Despite gaming hard on PC in my 20s and 30s I've become accustomed to the "it just works" convenience of console and prefer to play there than endlessly tinker. Again a personal choice, not saying one is superior, it's just where I naturally gravitated. I still do a bit of PC gaming but for now will primarily stick to my consoles and leave the PC for work.
@MattGPT OLED has some pros but also some cons, there isn't a "perfect" display technology, they all have some concessions. It sounds like you made the right choices for your needs.
For me I had other needs and made different choices. I have an OLED as my laptop external monitor and don't like the text rendering at all, it's a fundamental issue with how the pixels are shown. John was talking about this in a recent DF how they have apparently, at least partially, solved this in this years models but for now that's top dollar screens only. If you don't notice this then it's not an issue for you.
I also work in a bright room and have found my OLED is a bit washed out, I prefer the brighter LCD in my setting.
Equally with burn in, I've had it on all the OLED's I've had before, both an LG TV and my laptop monitor, so I just don't trust the tech whatever others say about their personal experiences. Great for you if you haven't had it but general advice from sites like Rtings and other leaders is OLED is still not the best solution if productivity is your main driver, as it is for me, so I am happy with my choice.
Despite all that I did still considerer OLED long and hard, because I really like many of the benefits. In fact choosing a monitor was by FAR the hardest choice I found speccing my build. I even considered possibly having 2 different 1440p screens one OLED, one LCD - one for gaming spec, one for productivity and better colour accuracy - but ultimately decided on one 1440p ultrawide - again a compromise. But I know I won't really be gaming on it much.
Perhaps I won't like it, I can still return it if so and reconsider OLED... but I haven't got there yet.
@MattGPT I still think 4K (native) is just too computationally expensive for most and doesn't represent a large enough jump from 1440p. You have to have a larger monitor to really notice it, and most don't have that.
@MattGPT Ask me in a few weeks / months, I haven't set it up yet (Also building a new PC, but currently busy with projects) and will take a while to become accustomed to it. Try out Fancy Zones and other ways of multi-tasking with windows on one monitor not two.
To be clear this really isn't for gaming, it's for work. I specifically bought a monitor for productivity not gaming. It's not got a particularly fast response time (only up to 1ms), it's not OLED (because I don't want burn in from the same programs / UI panels open all day) plus I don't like how OLED renders text at all... though I hear the very latest most expensive panels potentially solve this, I didn't want to pay for that when I will barely use the other premium features.
I might still game on it a little - my one real amendment to spec for gaming was an RTX 5070 - and it should be a step up from my 1080p panels which were also for work not gaming spec. I am eager to try Cyperpunk with RT at least and maybe a few Game pass titles with great ultrawide support and lush visuals like Avatar. I also wouldn't mind playing 16:9 with bars.
But in reality after sitting in this chair all day for work I do most of my gaming on console in front of my tv. I prefer the delineation of work and pleasure. I was excited by the Steam Machine - before low specs and price - and now am waiting to see if Helix might fill that void for convenient PC under TV.
I just bought my first Ultrawide (3440 x 1440 - 3.09% of single monitors) having had 2 x 1080p (48.48% of multi-monitors) for a decade and a half. Was surprised by the proportion of single monitors at 2560 x 1600 (5.64%) as I didn't really see many of those while shopping around.
Also what's with around 4.5% of multi-monitor users having odd heights like 3840 x 1081 - 3840 x 1086... where are these extra 1-6 pixels coming from. Software error? What am I missing?
@Max_the_German At this point that is the best we can hope for. Thought to be honest if there is no way to play my physical PS4 and PS5 games on PS6 then in one fell swoop Sony have made me less interested in getting this day 1. I was going to sell my PS5 Pro to help subsidies it, but if I can't as I still need it, I may just wait.
@Pesky_wabbit Exactly. I also had to buy a 4TB SSD (I'll stick with my current 16TB HDD for colder storage for now) and the prices were mostly over £400 each. I will have to buy another in due course, but hopefully I can wait it out till prices drop... if they ever drop.
One of the reasons I jumped yesterday specifically is there were quite a few "Amazon Day" deals on the lower spec system I had put together on PC Part Picker reducing it from £2k last week to £1.6k. Usually I am quite sceptical about these "sales" but I seemed to luck out with my build. I don't think I will be "saving" almost £400 anytime soon so I pounced.
My one thing I am still trying to decide on is whether to stick with my 2 x 1080p monitors or Switch to 1440p Ultrawide 3440 x 1440 monitor. As this is for work I don't want OLED - text fringing (I tried one before and it hurt my eyes, sent it back), burn-in a reality when using the same programs all day, etc. but ideally i'd like to get something that I could game with a little as well without breaking the bank and getting super slow response times. Not found it yet.
Honestly I don't think parts prices are getting cheaper anytime soon. Steam Machine is ludicrously priced, Apple have just hiked their prices as have Xbox etc. (Not to mention that £3k 8TB m.2 drive)
With that in mind I just bought parts for a new PC yesterday, it's more modest than I was planning - the system I'd specced last year for £2k is now over £3k and I just didn't want to pay that. I've built something a little more modest with potential to upgrade later if prices come down in a few years.
It's crazy that £299 for 32GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR5-6000 RAM felt a bit like a bargain. Strange times indeed.
@wsjudd Not sure it is fixed. £69.99 is the standard AAA price right, not "a full £10 more than other triple-A titles". I certainly don't think anyone thought it would be LESS than that. Whole article and headline seem off base imo, at least for UK pricing.
@Granadico At least with a Game Key card your family and friends can play the game too once you are done with it. And if you want you can still sell it.
Code in a box? You lose ALL your rights. AWFUL ***** decision.
Such a ***** decision. I don't want to support it.
Honestly I have not pirated a game in years, but this boils my blood, and if it was releasing on PC I would.
I can understand not wanting leaks due to discs releasing early (last time a truck was hijacked IRL) and requiring an additional download might have been an understandable compromise, but just a code in a box is awful.
@kellercl Probably not part of their teams current workflows. They usually optimise their games pretty well and perhaps don't think the frame budget it worth it. It is a shame though, would like to see them try.
It's too late. As others have posited without the price of parts increasing and US Tariffs this would probably be around $599 - $699 for the base model not from $1049 for a 512GB model. It also would have come with dual channel memory meaning better performance.
Delaying it wouldn't help anything, prices aren't getting drastically cheaper any time soon - in fact many think it might get worse - and it would just put it nearer next gen consoles and newer GPUs.
@BravelyBasic At the end of the day the Steam Machine is just a little black cube (with an accent side if you pay more for a faceplate). It's not all that dissimilar to the Fractal Design Node 304 in build #3 which isn't a big PC box, but also isn't as compact and cute as the Steam Machine. But for many this will just be buried in the tv cabinet and you will basically never see it.
There are also other better looking PC case like the Fractal Design Terra, but they are more expensive.
@Darren1967 They are matching the Steam Machine with 512GB. If you want a 1TB, 2TB or more SSD you can factor that in. The advantage this has over the Steam Machine is you can build the specs you want now, or upgrade it later if prices come down.
Whoa! Enthusiast site and only 5% (so far) say they will buy at launch... that strongly suggests they haven't made a compelling offering.
For me the specs are just too weak. Between last gen and this gen consoles on paper with next-gen likely not far off... yet costing more than current systems. Feels like somewhere something went horribly wrong.
That's a bit further away than I thought. Good. Studios will still mostly still be using UE5 for the next 4+ years and slowly transition to UE6 like they did with UE5.
I hope they have addressed some of the key performance concerns with UE6 as a key pillar.
Absolute joke. SSD prices may be rising but you can get an 8TH m.2 NVMe for £899 and buy a stock heatsink for £10. Why would ANYONE pick this option? Or do they know something we don't...
XBOX can't explain it one clear sentence so what hope have we got?
They say their big multiplayer live services will be multiplatform... then make Gears exclusive. Which is it?
We infer from that statement that perhaps their single player games might be exclusive then... yet they then add PS5 and other logos to Senua, Spyro and State of Decay 3... perhaps they have to begin with an 'S'.
Afterword different Xbox execs seemed to contradict each other.
I believe the two most honest statements came from Matthew Ball and Asha Sharma. Ball effectively said they have a plan but they can't share it today. Sharma said they want to have more exclusives but the business is currently unhealthy now hence there's just one or two, but "as the business is healthy, we will look to try and do more.”
Effectively if they can turn the XBOX ship around we will see more exclusives and they might reveal what they actually want to do, but until then, it's a crapshoot. It all feels a bit chicken and egg, as it feels like they need exclusives to turn it around. But at just 3% profit margins a healthy business is a long way away. Frankly I wouldn't expect too many exclusives anytime soon based on that... until they change their plans... again.
Nintendo's was a pretty weak show for me with many low points and only a few high points saved it. PlayStation and SGF were both good in different ways, Xbox was the standout with few lulls, though it didn't nail the landing.
But we all like different things. If you ONLY have a Switch 2 it was probably a pretty good show seeing all these great, but older, games getting Switch 2 versions. For me with other more powerful hardware options there was NOTHING to get excited about until the second half. But I was very happy with a few of the later announcements.
I would argue The Finals did this years before E-day on UE5 so it's not the first, but I am still excited to see what The Coalition can do with the tech especially what they can achieve on console.
Comments 173
Re: AMD's Ryzen 7 7700X3D is the heart of my new SteamOS gaming PC
wsjudd wrote:
+1 for this!
Re: Nintendo Explains How to Replace Its New User-Serviceable Joy-Con Batteries in 12 (or 13) Easy Steps
Is this REALLY any easier than what is currently there? I've had to change the Joycon analogue sticks often (on mine, friends, nieces and nephews and their friends' Joycons) and part of that process is either removing the battery or at least moving it out of the way. Feels very similar.
Re: "PS5 Will Be My Last Console": After 45K Votes, 86% of DF Viewers Say Sony Should Reconsider Killing Physical Games
@Simplex_ It was a different article based on one of those polls.
I don't REALLY believe "45% of Enthusiasts 'Seriously Considering' Leaving Sony for PC" as Push Square titled their article nor that "45% of PlayStation Gamers Are Leaving For PC". Both are clickbait.
Re: Report: Nintendo mulling Switch 2 OLED with Samsung Display panel
Good for those that care, but my Switch is docked 99% of the time, I won't upgrade.
Re: "PS5 Will Be My Last Console": After 45K Votes, 86% of DF Viewers Say Sony Should Reconsider Killing Physical Games
@Simplex_ Asking people to vote just after physical games are nuked and expecting a fair result to a poll is kinda my point, tempers are flared and too many people will vote on emotions rather than what they will ACTUALLY do.
It's like another Push Square article / poll that stated "PS5 Has Put a Dampener on Gaming': 45% of Enthusiasts 'Seriously Considering' Leaving Sony for PC"
And as I commented on that article
That's not to say there isn't some merit to these polls to show people are dissatisfied, that is clear, i'd just completely ignore the actual numbers as many will be protest votes while emotions are high.
Re: PSU maker Seasonic adds RTX 50-Series Super graphics cards to its website - but don't expect a reveal any time soon
If priced right the 5070 Super could be great with 18GB of VRAM, 12GB being the main stumbling block on the 5070. But Nvidia and fair pricing...
Re: 7 of Our Favourite Ultrawide Experiences: Games, Genres and Even Emulation
Timely. I just bought a 1440p Ultrawide, and also just picked up Cyberpunk on PC in the Steam sale for this reason.
A few other games I am looking forward to trying for the visuals alone that reportedly have good ultrawide support (all on Game Pass)
Re: Steam Machine Windows 11 drivers are here - but there's a catch
@LordJitterJager I am on the waitlist even though I have little interest in the Steam Machine right now. I suspect many are in this position. It's about keeping your options open in case something changes.
E.g. If FSR4 suddenly performs MUCH better on Steam Machine that expected and it starts consistently beating PS5 for example that makes it look less bad price to performance than it does now.
Re: "PS5 Will Be My Last Console": After 45K Votes, 86% of DF Viewers Say Sony Should Reconsider Killing Physical Games
@DrianCel As I said in my first comment I am pro-physical media, pro-consumer choice, I HATE that Sony are getting rid of discs.
I was just suggesting that a DF poll isn't all that relevant here. Asking a group of gaming enthusiasts on DF about the relevance of discs, is a bit like going to Xbox Fanfest and polling which console they prefer.
What I don't understand is why Sony didn't try to do what Nintendo did and just say physical media is more expensive to make and distribute; that both we and the developer see a smaller cut, therefore we are going to increase prices by £10 / $10 for discs but not digital. Yes there would be outcry, but it would at least be understandable.
Though perhaps this is part of their masterplan... "we hear you, you can have discs back, but they will cost more" and people will lap it up. The old two steps forward, one step back PR move... stranger things have happened.
Re: "PS5 Will Be My Last Console": After 45K Votes, 86% of DF Viewers Say Sony Should Reconsider Killing Physical Games
@DrianCel The 15% will be accurate last quarter across ALL PS5 game sales BUT it is HEAVILY skewed in digital's favour as most indies and many AAs ONLY release digitally, even some AAA games nowadays.
When all things are even and a big tentpole AAA releases day and date on Physical and Digital it's probably nearer 50:50.
But that wasn't my point. My point was a lot of people don't seem to care, it's mostly us enthusiasts that do, we're the disproportionate minority. While it's true we play an important role in driving trends that can filter down we also can get stuck in thinking our little bubble is the be all end all and easily conflate that to think everyone feels the same. They don't.
Re: Nintendo confirm replaceable battery EU Switch 2 model, end of Switch 1 production
@burndive Do you really think MOST people are going to dispose of them any differently just because they are more removable? You think they are going to open up their Switch 2's and joycons, take the batteries out and dispose of them separately. We've already seen people don't do that with other devices so why suddenly the Switch 2. It's more a societal problem.
Re: Nintendo confirm replaceable battery EU Switch 2 model, end of Switch 1 production
16% smaller battery in the Pro controller? Hell no that's not good news. Frankly I'll take my chances with the battery dying, it's not happened on any controller i've owned yet.
Re: Steam Machine Windows 11 drivers are here - but there's a catch
@wsjudd They've had over 4 years since Steam Deck launched to make dual boot work officially, they keep kicking it down the road. Not doubting it's easier to not develop it, but at some point - over 4 years later - you have to start to wonder why they haven't delivered the feature they have been talking about for so long.
Re: Steam Machine Windows 11 drivers are here - but there's a catch
Likely makes sense to force people new owners to try SteamOS first before offering Dual Boot to Windows. There also isn't much hard drive space for a dual boot with windows and games on each if you have the 512GB version.
Re: Xbox Layoffs Announced: 1600 Now, 1600 More into 2028, Four Studios Leave and id Software Reportedly Gutted
Awful news all around with id reportedly having around 50% of staff laid off (rumoured to be id Tech team), Obsidian facing major cuts and Zenimax online also rumoured to be 50%.
If there's any small sliver of a silver lining it's that Double Fine, Ninja Theory, Compulsion games & Undead Labs all have a small lifeline and aren't being closed.
We will have to wait and see about Arkane as French law is holding up an announcement there... but it doesn't sound good.
Add to that Sony ending discs, rumoured £1000 consoles, and it's been the worst week of gaming news I can remember.
Re: Report: Xbox Disc-to-Digital Feature in Testing, Microsoft "Likely" to Stop Disc Production Too
@StooMonster If there are unique signatures are part of the each blu-ray disc spec then couldn't Sony also do this?
Re: Report: Xbox Disc-to-Digital Feature in Testing, Microsoft "Likely" to Stop Disc Production Too
@MattGPT Trade in program would be prohibitively expensive I think. PSP UMDs trade in was small fry by comparison.
External drive for BC on PS6 would make more sense, though is likely incompatible with PS6 handheld's digital library.
Mad that a decision by Xbox made for that disastrous 2013 reveal of the Xbox One could end up being a positive for Xbox over a decade later.
Re: Report: Xbox Disc-to-Digital Feature in Testing, Microsoft "Likely" to Stop Disc Production Too
I have read that Xbox has a feature on their discs that each one has a unique identifier that can be used to make this work. Can DF confirm that?
Also can they confirm if PS4 / PS5 discs have the same? Because if they don't they Sony couldn't really do the same disc to digital via your own drive.
Re: "PS5 Will Be My Last Console": After 45K Votes, 86% of DF Viewers Say Sony Should Reconsider Killing Physical Games
I am pro-physical media, pro-choice for consumers, but what other result to you expect from a poll on an enthusiast gaming site and channel like DF? It's not really a fair representation of all gamers.
Personally I am gutted. But I sent a message to a group of friends who are more casual and they don't give a fig, they have been all digital for years. Only one was mildly annoyed and one pissed off like me. Unfortunately that's probably a more realistic slice of the view across the gaming landscape.
Re: June Steam Hardware Survey Results: RAM/SSD Crisis Continues, 1440p Gains on 1080p and Windows 11 Rolls On
@matmartin That's the flip-side to this crisis. Selling prices are also high.
E.g. I can sell my Steam Deck for more than I bought it. Selling PS5 Pro (+ maybe the 1TB SSD) will fund a large part of the PS6 - assuming the PS6 allows me to play my PS4 & PS5 discs somehow...
Obviously would rather lower prices but it is a small silver lining.
Re: June Steam Hardware Survey Results: RAM/SSD Crisis Continues, 1440p Gains on 1080p and Windows 11 Rolls On
@MattGPT I used to dual boot my PC but as I said I prefer the delineation of work and play. It's a mental thing more than anything.
I also used to have both a Steam Link, OG Steam Controller and a super-long cumbersome HDMI cable that went between rooms for if I wanted to play PC on the TV... but ultimately I just found I didn't use it. Despite gaming hard on PC in my 20s and 30s I've become accustomed to the "it just works" convenience of console and prefer to play there than endlessly tinker. Again a personal choice, not saying one is superior, it's just where I naturally gravitated. I still do a bit of PC gaming but for now will primarily stick to my consoles and leave the PC for work.
Re: June Steam Hardware Survey Results: RAM/SSD Crisis Continues, 1440p Gains on 1080p and Windows 11 Rolls On
@MattGPT OLED has some pros but also some cons, there isn't a "perfect" display technology, they all have some concessions. It sounds like you made the right choices for your needs.
For me I had other needs and made different choices. I have an OLED as my laptop external monitor and don't like the text rendering at all, it's a fundamental issue with how the pixels are shown. John was talking about this in a recent DF how they have apparently, at least partially, solved this in this years models but for now that's top dollar screens only. If you don't notice this then it's not an issue for you.
I also work in a bright room and have found my OLED is a bit washed out, I prefer the brighter LCD in my setting.
Equally with burn in, I've had it on all the OLED's I've had before, both an LG TV and my laptop monitor, so I just don't trust the tech whatever others say about their personal experiences. Great for you if you haven't had it but general advice from sites like Rtings and other leaders is OLED is still not the best solution if productivity is your main driver, as it is for me, so I am happy with my choice.
Despite all that I did still considerer OLED long and hard, because I really like many of the benefits. In fact choosing a monitor was by FAR the hardest choice I found speccing my build. I even considered possibly having 2 different 1440p screens one OLED, one LCD - one for gaming spec, one for productivity and better colour accuracy - but ultimately decided on one 1440p ultrawide - again a compromise. But I know I won't really be gaming on it much.
Perhaps I won't like it, I can still return it if so and reconsider OLED... but I haven't got there yet.
Re: June Steam Hardware Survey Results: RAM/SSD Crisis Continues, 1440p Gains on 1080p and Windows 11 Rolls On
@MattGPT I still think 4K (native) is just too computationally expensive for most and doesn't represent a large enough jump from 1440p. You have to have a larger monitor to really notice it, and most don't have that.
Re: June Steam Hardware Survey Results: RAM/SSD Crisis Continues, 1440p Gains on 1080p and Windows 11 Rolls On
@MattGPT Ask me in a few weeks / months, I haven't set it up yet (Also building a new PC, but currently busy with projects) and will take a while to become accustomed to it. Try out Fancy Zones and other ways of multi-tasking with windows on one monitor not two.
To be clear this really isn't for gaming, it's for work. I specifically bought a monitor for productivity not gaming. It's not got a particularly fast response time (only up to 1ms), it's not OLED (because I don't want burn in from the same programs / UI panels open all day) plus I don't like how OLED renders text at all... though I hear the very latest most expensive panels potentially solve this, I didn't want to pay for that when I will barely use the other premium features.
I might still game on it a little - my one real amendment to spec for gaming was an RTX 5070 - and it should be a step up from my 1080p panels which were also for work not gaming spec. I am eager to try Cyperpunk with RT at least and maybe a few Game pass titles with great ultrawide support and lush visuals like Avatar. I also wouldn't mind playing 16:9 with bars.
But in reality after sitting in this chair all day for work I do most of my gaming on console in front of my tv. I prefer the delineation of work and pleasure. I was excited by the Steam Machine - before low specs and price - and now am waiting to see if Helix might fill that void for convenient PC under TV.
Re: June Steam Hardware Survey Results: RAM/SSD Crisis Continues, 1440p Gains on 1080p and Windows 11 Rolls On
I just bought my first Ultrawide (3440 x 1440 - 3.09% of single monitors) having had 2 x 1080p (48.48% of multi-monitors) for a decade and a half. Was surprised by the proportion of single monitors at 2560 x 1600 (5.64%) as I didn't really see many of those while shopping around.
Also what's with around 4.5% of multi-monitor users having odd heights like 3840 x 1081 - 3840 x 1086... where are these extra 1-6 pixels coming from. Software error? What am I missing?
Re: Sony Kills Physical PS5 Games, Starting in January 2028: A Gigantic Hint That PS6 Will Be "Adorably All-Digital"
Absolutely HORRIBLE news. I hate it.
@Max_the_German At this point that is the best we can hope for. Thought to be honest if there is no way to play my physical PS4 and PS5 games on PS6 then in one fell swoop Sony have made me less interested in getting this day 1. I was going to sell my PS5 Pro to help subsidies it, but if I can't as I still need it, I may just wait.
Re: Review: Lexar SL500 Elite Legends: A Premium Portable SSD with 2GB/S Speeds
Lionel Messi Edition.
Re: New Linux Support for Zen 6 "Low Power" Cores Lines Up with Previous PS6 Handheld Rumour
Possibly buy the handheld in addition. Depends on cost and what it does.
I do use PS Portal in bed a lot, and when away, and I am hoping - maybe foolishly - that Sony will allow us to keep using that with PS6.
Re: Will the Steam Machine Age Like Fine Wine? Anti-Cheat, FSR 4, Driver Optimisation, Remote Play and More
Doubt it. It’s just a low-spec Linux pc in a small form factor.
Re: Valve Would "Love to Make the Steam Machine More Affordable" - Just Don't Expect It "Any Time Soon"
@Pesky_wabbit Exactly. I also had to buy a 4TB SSD (I'll stick with my current 16TB HDD for colder storage for now) and the prices were mostly over £400 each. I will have to buy another in due course, but hopefully I can wait it out till prices drop... if they ever drop.
One of the reasons I jumped yesterday specifically is there were quite a few "Amazon Day" deals on the lower spec system I had put together on PC Part Picker reducing it from £2k last week to £1.6k. Usually I am quite sceptical about these "sales" but I seemed to luck out with my build. I don't think I will be "saving" almost £400 anytime soon so I pounced.
My one thing I am still trying to decide on is whether to stick with my 2 x 1080p monitors or Switch to 1440p Ultrawide 3440 x 1440 monitor. As this is for work I don't want OLED - text fringing (I tried one before and it hurt my eyes, sent it back), burn-in a reality when using the same programs all day, etc. but ideally i'd like to get something that I could game with a little as well without breaking the bank and getting super slow response times. Not found it yet.
Re: Valve Would "Love to Make the Steam Machine More Affordable" - Just Don't Expect It "Any Time Soon"
Honestly I don't think parts prices are getting cheaper anytime soon. Steam Machine is ludicrously priced, Apple have just hiked their prices as have Xbox etc. (Not to mention that £3k 8TB m.2 drive)
With that in mind I just bought parts for a new PC yesterday, it's more modest than I was planning - the system I'd specced last year for £2k is now over £3k and I just didn't want to pay that. I've built something a little more modest with potential to upgrade later if prices come down in a few years.
It's crazy that £299 for 32GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR5-6000 RAM felt a bit like a bargain. Strange times indeed.
Re: Review: Devil May Cry 5 On Switch 2 Easily Outclasses the PS4 Version, Yet Further Improvements Could Be Made
"Easily outclasses the PS4"... with all due respect, isn't that the bare minimum expectation? It would be a pretty shoddy port if it didn't.
Re: GTA 6 UK Pre-Order Price Confirmed - It's More Expensive Than We Expected
@wsjudd Not sure it is fixed. £69.99 is the standard AAA price right, not "a full £10 more than other triple-A titles". I certainly don't think anyone thought it would be LESS than that. Whole article and headline seem off base imo, at least for UK pricing.
Re: Physical Editions of GTA 6 Will Come with "A Download Code Inside the Box", Pre-Loads Begin on November 12th
@Granadico At least with a Game Key card your family and friends can play the game too once you are done with it. And if you want you can still sell it.
Code in a box? You lose ALL your rights. AWFUL ***** decision.
Re: Physical Editions of GTA 6 Will Come with "A Download Code Inside the Box", Pre-Loads Begin on November 12th
Such a ***** decision. I don't want to support it.
Honestly I have not pirated a game in years, but this boils my blood, and if it was releasing on PC I would.
I can understand not wanting leaks due to discs releasing early (last time a truck was hijacked IRL) and requiring an additional download might have been an understandable compromise, but just a code in a box is awful.
Re: Review: Star Fox On Switch 2 Is a Refined Return to an Iconic Game - and the Rail Shooter Genre
@kellercl Probably not part of their teams current workflows. They usually optimise their games pretty well and perhaps don't think the frame budget it worth it. It is a shame though, would like to see them try.
Re: Is This the Best Time to Release the Steam Machine? Valve Thinks It's "Very Timely, in Some Ways"
It's too late. As others have posited without the price of parts increasing and US Tariffs this would probably be around $599 - $699 for the base model not from $1049 for a 512GB model. It also would have come with dual channel memory meaning better performance.
Delaying it wouldn't help anything, prices aren't getting drastically cheaper any time soon - in fact many think it might get worse - and it would just put it nearer next gen consoles and newer GPUs.
Re: Valve Considered a Barebones Steam Machine - So Why Isn't There One?
I mean.... it is pretty bare bones imho.
Did they want to launch a Raspberry Pi?
Re: OneXPlayer 3 Arc G3 Extreme Tri-Mode Handheld Pre-Orders Start at $1399 on Indiegogo
What's crazy is this almost seems well priced vs some of the competition. What a time to be alive...
Re: Build Your Own Steam Machine with Four Configurations, from Budget to Premium
@BravelyBasic At the end of the day the Steam Machine is just a little black cube (with an accent side if you pay more for a faceplate). It's not all that dissimilar to the Fractal Design Node 304 in build #3 which isn't a big PC box, but also isn't as compact and cute as the Steam Machine. But for many this will just be buried in the tv cabinet and you will basically never see it.
There are also other better looking PC case like the Fractal Design Terra, but they are more expensive.
Re: Build Your Own Steam Machine with Four Configurations, from Budget to Premium
@Darren1967 They are matching the Steam Machine with 512GB. If you want a 1TB, 2TB or more SSD you can factor that in. The advantage this has over the Steam Machine is you can build the specs you want now, or upgrade it later if prices come down.
Re: Steam Machine Costs More Than $1000: Standalone and Bundle Prices for US, UK and EU Confirmed
Whoa! Enthusiast site and only 5% (so far) say they will buy at launch... that strongly suggests they haven't made a compelling offering.
For me the specs are just too weak. Between last gen and this gen consoles on paper with next-gen likely not far off... yet costing more than current systems. Feels like somewhere something went horribly wrong.
Re: Unreal Engine 6 Gets Q4 2027 "Early Access" Release Date, Full Release by Mid-2029
That's a bit further away than I thought. Good. Studios will still mostly still be using UE5 for the next 4+ years and slowly transition to UE6 like they did with UE5.
I hope they have addressed some of the key performance concerns with UE6 as a key pillar.
Re: SanDisk announces $3000 PS5 SSD as component pricing surge continues
Absolute joke. SSD prices may be rising but you can get an 8TH m.2 NVMe for £899 and buy a stock heatsink for £10. Why would ANYONE pick this option? Or do they know something we don't...
Re: Bloodborne PS5 Modded: Big Resolution Boosts, 120Hz, VRR - And It's Superb
Amazing work. Saddens me they don't have a team working on this. We can hope and pray for PS6.
Re: Gears of War: E-Day requires 130GB SSD space, RTX 2060 or better GPU
Poll: No plans to BUY E-day, but i'll play it with Game Pass. (EDIT: on XSX)
Re: Review: GameSir G7 Pro 8K: An Impressive PC Pro Controller Worth Considering at $90/£100
DualSense work great on PC with more and more games using it's features. I don't like the Xbox Dpad at all, though I used to use an X360 pad on PC.
Re: Clockwork Revolution Proves Xbox Needs a Clear Exclusivity Strategy
XBOX can't explain it one clear sentence so what hope have we got?
They say their big multiplayer live services will be multiplatform... then make Gears exclusive. Which is it?
We infer from that statement that perhaps their single player games might be exclusive then... yet they then add PS5 and other logos to Senua, Spyro and State of Decay 3... perhaps they have to begin with an 'S'.
Afterword different Xbox execs seemed to contradict each other.
I believe the two most honest statements came from Matthew Ball and Asha Sharma. Ball effectively said they have a plan but they can't share it today. Sharma said they want to have more exclusives but the business is currently unhealthy now hence there's just one or two, but "as the business is healthy, we will look to try and do more.”
Effectively if they can turn the XBOX ship around we will see more exclusives and they might reveal what they actually want to do, but until then, it's a crapshoot. It all feels a bit chicken and egg, as it feels like they need exclusives to turn it around. But at just 3% profit margins a healthy business is a long way away. Frankly I wouldn't expect too many exclusives anytime soon based on that... until they change their plans... again.
Re: Where Would You Rank Nintendo Direct vs The Other Summer Showcases?
Xbox > PlayStation = SGF >>> Nintendo.
Nintendo's was a pretty weak show for me with many low points and only a few high points saved it. PlayStation and SGF were both good in different ways, Xbox was the standout with few lulls, though it didn't nail the landing.
But we all like different things. If you ONLY have a Switch 2 it was probably a pretty good show seeing all these great, but older, games getting Switch 2 versions. For me with other more powerful hardware options there was NOTHING to get excited about until the second half. But I was very happy with a few of the later announcements.
Re: Gears of War: E-Day Could Be the First UE5 Game to Fulfil the Engine's Promise
I would argue The Finals did this years before E-day on UE5 so it's not the first, but I am still excited to see what The Coalition can do with the tech especially what they can achieve on console.