Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart should now look smoother and feel more responsive if you play Sony's latest PS5 exclusive in fidelity mode on a 120Hz display. The latest patch bumps up the framerate from 30 fps to 40 fps in that mode.
The update slightly makes up for the lack of variable refresh rate (VRR) support on PS5 as things stand, though Sony plans to enable that through an update in the future. The fidelity mode prioritizes visuals over performance, offering ray tracing and up to 4K resolution, but the framerate was capped at 30 fps. The performance and performance RT modes have lower resolution, but run the game at 60 fps.
Aiming for 40 fps might seem like an odd number when we're so used to having 60Hz and 120 Hz displays. Because 40 divides neatly into 120, a 120Hz screen will show a new frame on every three refreshes. As The Verge notes, that will help ensure Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart looks smooth if you have a compatible display. It'll certainly seem slicker than a framerate that doesn't match up with how often a screen refreshes, which could cause screen tearing.
The framerate issue should become less complicated for PS5 developers once the VRR update arrives. Xbox Series X/S and many PC GPUs currently have VRR support, and more 120Hz+ monitors and TVs are hitting the market.
Sony has just bought another studio, and no it’s not Bluepoint Games. On Thursday, the company announced the acquisition of Nixxes Software, a Dutch developer best known for supporting Crystal Dynamics, IO Interactive and Eidos Montreal in porting some of their games over to PC. “We can’t wait to get to work and are so excited to bring our technical and development expertise to an IP powerhouse like PlayStation Studios,” Jurjen Katsman, founder and senior director of development at Nixxes, said in a statement.
The deal suggests Sony plans to step up its efforts to bring more of its exclusives to Windows. In the last year, the company released Horizon Zero Dawn and Days Gone to Steam and the Epic Games Store, and Sony president and CEO Jim Ryan said more of the company’s first-party games would make their way to the PC in the future. The purchase of Nixxes also follows Sony's acquisition of Returnal developer Housemarque earlier in the week.
By now, gamers are accustomed to receiving freebies through Sony's PlayStation Plus and Microsoft's Xbox Games with Gold perks. Now, Amazon is here to remind you that it offers gaming benefits for Prime members, too. From today through to September 1st, the subscription service is giving away three classic LucasArts PC games on the first of every month. The trio includes The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, followed by Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis and, finally, Sam & Max: Hit The Road.
Compared to its expedited deliveries and Prime Video streaming, Amazon's gaming goodies (including free titles and loot) inevitably feel like the lesser of its Prime perks. These certified classics should therefore help to boost its appeal with nostalgic gamers.
Since its revival in January, the Disney-owned Lucasfilm Games brand has been busy retooling its franchises for newer platforms. In honor of Monkey Island’s 30th anniversary, Limited Run Games released a comprehensive collector’s edition back in October that assembled all five games in the series, including Telltale’s Tales of Monkey Island. In June, Sam & Max: This Time It's Virtual! brought the anthropomorphic detectives to Oculus VR. While Indy is about to star in a new game from MachineGames, the studio behind the modern Wolfenstein series, with Bethesda's Todd Howard serving as an executive producer.
The Active 4 may not be the only Samsung smartwatch to feature its new OS built with Google. Android Headlines has published leaked pics of a new device it claims is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. While the fitness-focused Active 4 features a slimmer design, the Classic appears to sport a larger, rotating bezel with two noticeably bigger buttons on the side for navigation. The latter are rectangular in shape, compared to the rounded buttons on 2016's Gear S3 Classic and 2020's Galaxy Watch 3.
Android Headlines
Breaking away from tradition, Samsung will reportedly offer the new watch in three sizes: 42mm, 44mm and 46mm. Previously, the Korean company released either 42mm or 46mm or 40mm and 44mm models. As with the Active 4 leak, there's no mention of the exact screen size. But, apparently the watch will come in three colors (compared to four for the upcoming Active 4) including white, gray and black. The restrained design also reportedly extends to the cases, which will offer a silver or black option in either stainless steel or aluminum across all three sizes.
Like the Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch Active 2 before it, the new smartwatch will apparently feature a Gorilla Glass DX or DX+ display on the stainless steel and aluminum models, respectively. The new classic is reportedly 5ATM rated, meaning its water resistant up to 50 metres for 10 minutes, and dust-resistant thanks to its MIL-STD-810G standard.
You may not have to wait long to find out more about the new device. Samsung recently confirmed that the first One UI-based Galaxy Watch will be unveiled at its Unpacked event this summer.
In three weeks' time, you'll be able to start playing the pixel remaster versions of the first three Final Fantasy games. Square Enix has revealed that the Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy II and Final Fantasy III remasters are coming out on July 28th for PC via Steam and on July 29th for Android and iOS. You can now also pre-purchase the games individually for prices between $12 and $18, or buy the bundle with all six games for around $96. You'll get three soundtracks and two unique wallpapers for each title you pre-purchase. The gaming giant doesn't have a specific release date for the fourth to sixth installments in the franchise yet, but they're also scheduled to come out sometime this year.
The games that inspired a generation come to life once more.
The first three #FinalFantasy pixel remaster titles are now available to pre-purchase on Steam individually or as a bundle, and launch on July 28th.
Square Enix first announced that it's giving the first six games in the Final Fantasy franchise the pixel remaster treatment during its E3 presentation back in mid-June, though it barely shared any details about them. In the description box of the first installment on Steam, it says the game will feature completely new graphics, as well as "improved ease of play" with a modernized UI and auto-battle options. Its soundtrack has been rearranged, but the process was overseen by original composer Nobuo Uematsu. In addition, it will come with extra features, such as a bestiary, an illustration gallery and a music player.
While the other three games getting a remaster don't have a release date yet, Square Enix recently announced it's pulling the current versions of the fifth and sixth installments from Steam on July 27th. The developer received a lot of flak for reducing the quality of the art on the games it originally released on Steam, so it makes sense for the remasters to completely replace them.
Renault has been sending signals that it wants to accelerate its EV plans, and it's now clear just how aggressive the firm will be. The French automaker now expects 65 percent of its lineup to be electrified by 2025 — potentially the "greenest" car mix in Europe, according to the company, and much better than an earlier 30 percent target. Its plans revolve around a lineup with 10 new electric cars, including the reborn 5, the 4ever (a modern Renault 4) and a Mégane EV.
Up to 90 percent of cars in Renault's brand stable (which includes Alpine and Dacia) should be electric by 2030.
The strategy hinges in part on making EVs more accessible. Renault is prepping a new platform (CMF-BEV) that should reduce costs by a third compared to the Zoe through an interchangeable battery, a "right-sized" 100kW powertrain and borrowed components from conventional cars. Renault is also focusing on more capable and affordable components, including more efficient nickel-manganese-cobalt batteries (with 20 percent more range versus alternatives) and an all-in-one powertrain that's roughly half as large as before while costing 30 percent less.
Renault is also hoping to cut the cost of recycling EV batteries to a third of its current levels by 2030, and have its Mobilize brand reuse batteries as stationary energy storage.
You'll have to wait a while for some of these cars. The Mégane arrives in 2022, and Alpine's "dream garage" will have to wait until 2024. Still, It's evident Renault wants to earn an eco-friendly reputation much sooner than originally expected.
Whether or not Renault will lead the pack is another matter. Volkswagen, for instance, hopes to be the worldwide leader in electric vehicles by 2025 "at the latest," and wants an all-electric European lineup by 2030. There's no guarantee rivals will meet their own goals, but Renault may have to tweak its plans again if it's going to stay ahead in a rapidly changing market.
There's a lot to like about Sony's WH-1000XM4 wireless headphones, and many of them come from their predecessor, the WH-1000XM3. Sony added to the exceptional foundation of the XM3 to make the XM4 stand out even further from the competition, but as the company's latest ANC cans, the XM4s are expensive at $348. If you can bare with a slightly older model, you can get the WH-1000XM3 for a great price right now — just $190 if you go to Best Buy. That's $10 less than their previous all-time low that we saw back in March.
Just because the XM3 are not the newest cans anymore, that doesn't mean they have been made obsolete. In fact, they still have god sound quality and excellent active noise-cancellation, the latter of which is strong enough to block out most background noise from the street when you're walking to work or from an airplane when you're traveling. They also have a comfortable and relatively attractive design, plus a killer battery life. The XM3 will last about 30 hours before they need a recharge, and quick-charging capabilities will give you five hours of use after only 10 minutes of power-up.
If you're on the market for a new pair of ANC headphones, you're probably wondering what Sony added to the XM4 to make them fresh. It's really two key features: the XM4 will automatically pause when they detect that you're speaking and multi-device connectivity. With the later, you can switch between listening on two devices — like your smartphone and your computer — pretty seamlessly. Those new features, in addition to other small improvements, helped the $348 XM4 top our list of best headphones. But if you can skip them, the XM3 remain a solid pick that are made even better at this sale price.
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The big game-studio buy-up continues, and it’s Sony’s turn. Again. This time, it’s picked up Housemarque, the Helsinki-based studio behind PlayStation games including Returnal for the PS5 and arcade-style shooters like Super Stardust HD and Dead Nation.
In recent years, Sony Interactive Entertainment snapped up Ratchet and Clank developer Insomniac Games in 2019. Before that, it acquired Horizon Zero Dawn developer Guerilla Games — whose former head Hermen Hulst is now the chief of PlayStation Studios — and Sucker Punch, the studio behind Ghost of Tsushima.
Sony seems to be stepping up its studio shopping. Microsoft made waves with its acquisition of all those Bethesda wares, and we finally started to see the results at E3 2021, with exclusive games headed to Xbox.
It seems Sony isn’t stopping at Housemarque: PlayStation Japan uploaded the wrong image with their first tweet on the Housemarque news, mentioning a Bluepoint acquisition. That’s an entirely different studio, which was tasked with the Demon’s Souls PS5 remake. The spending spree continues.
Young kids who see their parents on a Peloton bike and want to join workouts will soon have another way to do that. Little Tikes has created a smart stationary bike for children aged three to seven. It's called the Pelican Explore & Fit Cycle, which does not at all sound like "Peloton." They'll have access to trainer adventure videos from Little Tikes’ YouTube channel, but I feel pretty sad about the entire concept. Continue reading.
Lenovo has managed to make a laptop with RTX 3070 graphics for several hundred dollars less than many of its competitors. With AMD’s Ryzen 7 CPU and NVIDIA’s RTX 3070 GPU, all for $1,530, it’s very compelling on paper, but Dan Cooper says you should be prepared for a couple of compromises. To start, if you run on battery alone, don’t expect it to last more than five hours. Continue reading.
You'll be ready when Dolby Vision-supported games are finally released.
Microsoft's Xbox Series X and Series S consoles both support 4K Dolby Vision at 120Hz, but there's a problem: So far, no TVs have supported all of those things at once. Now, LG has announced it's rolling out a firmware update that unlocks Dolby Vision HDR at 4K 120Hz on its latest 2021 C1 and G1 series OLED models. LG's high-end G1 and mainstream C1 series should be capable of 120Hz 4K gaming with Dolby Vision, but Xbox Series X owners have been reporting that isn’t the case, with an error message that says "your TV setup doesn't support Dolby Vision at 4K 120Hz." Continue reading.
Apple has revealed 22 special edition Watch bands to mark the summer Olympics, but this time you won't have to travel to the games to get one. There's a US band as well as straps for Australia, Greece (it did start the Olympics, after all), Japan and South Africa and many more countries. These Sports Loops also tap into App Clips, with the packaging helping you to download a matching Watch face for your new strap. They’re all priced at $49, but what price patriotism? Continue reading.
Devindra Hardawar spends a little longer putting Microsoft’s new OS through its paces. He says the company is fundamentally shifting the way many aspects of Windows work, with a centered taskbar and redesigned Start menu. But it's still Windows and still works like it always has. There's the focus on productivity, along with subtler improvements that make for a more pleasant user experience. At this point, Windows 11 feels like an OS that will please PC diehards (I think that’s probably Devindra) and mainstream users (hey, that’s me!) alike. Continue reading.
It also packs HDR and Windows Hello authentication.
Most laptops ship with a 720p or 1080p camera, so you have to purchase a separate webcam if you want higher quality video — or resort to using a compatible action cam or DSLR. Dell is offering a new 4K option, the $200 UltraSharp Webcam, which is capable of recording 4K footage at up to 30 frames per second.
Like Razer’s own Kiyo Pro webcam, Dell's 8.3-megapixel camera also features a Sony Starvis sensor (only this one is 4K), which is normally used in surveillance cameras. You might not need your influencer ring light. Continue reading.
Remedy Entertainment's excellent Control is one of the most memorable games of the past few years. The developer has some good news for fans of the mind-bending adventure: there's much more Control on the way.
The studio and 505 Games agreed to co-publish and develop a multiplayer spin-off. Condor (which is a codename) is a co-op player vs. environment game. You'll be able to team up with three friends and tackle enemies — most likely controlled by the otherworldly force called the Hiss. Condor is being developed for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
But that's not all. According to a press release, Remedy and 505 have initial plans "to further expand the Control franchise with a bigger-budget Control game, to be agreed in more detail in the future." So, it sure sounds like there's a proper Control sequel on the way too.
Don't expect to learn much more about those games anytime soon, though. "It is going to be a long time before we show off these projects," Mikael Kasurinen, game director of the Control series said. However, "there are other Remedy experiences coming from our studio that I know you will love." The studio is working on the single-player campaign for CrossfireX, which is slated to arrive this year.
"Control is an extremely successful game," said Rami and Raffi Galante, the co-CEOs of 505's parent company Digital Bros Group. It has sold more than two million copies, and it's been a freebie on PlayStation Plus and Epic Games Store. You can also play it through Xbox Game Pass too, and it's definitely worth checking out.
I’ll admit, I wasn’t impressed when Amazon added a rotating base to the new Echo Show 10. Sure, the swiveling screen is useful for following you around the room during video calls, but it also felt gimmicky and unnecessary. Plus, it needs a lot of room to move around so you’re losing a significant amount of counter space. That's why I’m glad the Echo Show 8 and 5 haven’t repeated that design. In fact, Amazon has changed very little between this edition and the last, but trust me when I say that’s a good thing.
It’s the Echo Show 8 that has seen the most changes, but most of those are under the hood: It now has a faster octa-core processor plus a much-improved 13-megapixel wide-angle camera (the previous model only had a 1-megapixel sensor). Plus, the Echo Show 8 can follow you during video calls without the need for a swiveling display. Instead, it uses digital panning and zooming, the same tech you’ll find in Facebook’s Portal devices (plus the Echo Show 10, when it’s not moving around).
This digital pan-and-zoom works well enough that I feel like there’s a cameraperson keeping my face in frame during video calls, tracking me as I move across my living room. This face-tracking feature works on every video calling platform that the Echo Show 8 supports, which includes Skype and Zoom, in addition to Amazon’s own services. (You can make video calls via the Alexa app or from Echo Show devices.) I found the video and audio quality to be generally quite good. That said, the auto-framing can be a touch glitchy; it sometimes takes a few seconds for it to kick in. Facebook’s Portal does a comparatively better job at this sort of automatic tracking, with hardly any lag.
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The Show 5, on the other hand, only brings minor changes. It now has a 2-megapixel camera, up from one megapixel, which is still pretty meager. And it comes in a light blue color in addition to the usual black or white. Its camera does not have the pan-and-zoom capabilities of the Echo Show 8, probably thanks to its significantly lower resolution. Notably, the Show 5 currently does not support Zoom. (Amazon has said that it’s working with Zoom to roll out support to more devices, so this could change.)
The rest of this review might seem like deja vu, as everything else here is very similar to previous generations. Both devices have the same minimalist design. The Echo Show 8 has a 1,280 x 800 resolution while the Show 5 settles for 960 x 480. Photos and video look good on both, though I do prefer watching videos on the Show 8 simply because the screen is bigger. Both the Echo Show 8 and 5 also have an ambient light sensor, which adjusts the screen’s brightness and color temperature according to their surroundings.
On top of both the Echo Show 8 and 5 are volume controls, a microphone mute button, plus a camera shutter for privacy. The Show 8 has a better sound system than its smaller sibling, with two speakers instead of one. It delivers surprisingly powerful bass and impressive volume, easily filling my small office. The audio from the Show 5 isn’t too bad for its size, but it just doesn’t sound as good. I should note that both the new Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 5 lack the 3.5mm headphone jack featured on their respective predecessors, which means you can’t attach them to larger speakers.
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Both the Echo Show 8 and 5 have a sunrise alarm feature, which slowly brightens up the display to mimic daylight’s arrival. However, the Show 5 is the only one that lets you tap the top to snooze. This is likely because Amazon is marketing the Show 5 as an alarm clock designed to be on your nightstand, while the Show 8 is meant more for the living room or the kitchen.
Like the new Echo Show 10, the two smart displays have Amazon’s updated home screen, which features multiple cards that let you view several topics at once, such as weather and sports next to each other. It’s contextual to the time of day as well; I saw the latest headlines during the day, for example, while at night I noticed a suggestion for a relaxing songs playlist. I like this mix of rotating screens a lot; it’s one reason why smart displays are a lot more useful than, say, a smart speaker. You can get a glance of information passively, without having to actively ask for it.
Using the Show 8 on my computer desk is a treat as well; it’s great as a digital photo frame and it displays the current time and weather conditions as well. I also found it useful in the kitchen, since it has access to a large library of recipes from sources like Food Network and Allrecipes; I can say “Alexa, how do I make chicken noodle soup?” to bring up a list of relevant results. All of the recipes have step-by-step cooking directions; some even have accompanying photos and videos for additional guidance.
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The Show 5 fits better on my bedside table. Of course, it works just fine in other areas of the home as well, but its smaller size makes it best suited as an alarm clock. That said, I’m not entirely comfortable with having devices with cameras in the bedroom (even if there is a privacy lens cover). One of the reasons I think Google’s Nest Hub and Lenovo’s Smart Clock make for ideal alarm clocks is that they don’t have cameras at all, which helps allay at least some privacy concerns.
As with other Amazon smart displays, the latest Echo Shows support video streaming from Amazon Prime, Netflix and Hulu. YouTube isn’t supported natively, though you can still access it via the built-in Silk browser. It’s definitely not as integrated of an experience as you get on Google’s smart displays. Additionally, there’s no support for Disney+, Paramount+ or HBO Max, all of which are available on Google’s smart displays.
The Echo Show 8 and 5 offer easy access to smart home controls, which you can use to adjust the temperature of your smart thermostat, control Philips Hue lights and more. As you might expect, these Echo Show displays are especially useful if you’re a frequent Amazon shopper. Adding items to your shopping cart is as easy as telling Alexa to do so. Plus, it shows a reminder when a Subscribe & Save order is about to ship, which helps avoid surprise packages.
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I didn’t get a chance to test it, but it’s also worth noting that the Echo Show 5 is available in a Kids Edition, which comes with a year’s subscription to Amazon’s Kids Plus. It features a child-friendly home screen and a two-year guarantee against damage. Also important: It lets parents control the content and features children have access to.
The closest competition to both Amazon smart displays is Google’s second-generation Nest Hub, which has a 7-inch display. It retails for $100 — a little cheaper than the Echo Show 8 ($130) and a little pricier than the Echo Show 5 ($85), but it also offers slightly different features. The Nest Hub is better for those who prefer Google Assistant to Alexa, and it also offers more video streaming options. I also tend to prefer the Google smart display software, as it’s more visually appealing and intuitive than Amazon’s. It doesn’t have a camera so you’ll miss out on video calls and the speaker system isn’t as good.
Fundamentally, however, it’s not the hardware that will dictate which smart display you buy as much as which tech giant’s ecosystem you want to be a part of. If you already have Nest home devices and you want YouTube integration, you’re much better off with a Nest Hub. But if you’re already an Alexa user, an Echo Show would be a better option.
As for which Echo Show you should pick, the Echo Show 8 delivers the most value for the money. Compared with the Echo Show 5, it has a bigger display and superior audio, which is more than worth the extra $45. And it has the same auto-framing camera as the much more expensive Echo Show 10 (even if it lacks the rotating display). If, however, you don’t care much about video calls, and prefer one that doubles as an alarm clock, the smaller Echo Show 5 could be the better bet.
