Items tagged with PC
2020 was a miserable time for many of us due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The loss of life, mandatory lockdowns, and not knowing when life would get back to normal weighed heavily on the minds of many people. During that time, however, the necessity of working (and learning) from home meant that PC sales soared dramatically. According to Canalys' data in early January, full-year 2020 PC sales jumped 11 percent, marking the most significant leap since 2010. Today, Canalys is back again with data from Q1 2021, and it's once again looking good for the PC market. According to the research firm, this was the fourth consecutive quarter of growth for the industry, and overall, PC shipments increased 53.1...
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High Dynamic Range (HDR) can make any video or game look infinitely better than it did before, as long as the display and content support it. To help with one half of the equation, Microsoft shipped an AutoHDR feature with the Xbox Series X and Series S consoles, which automatically upgraded backward compatible games from SDR to HDR. Now, a preview of the feature is coming to PC, which will allow for automatic “awesome HDR visuals on an additional 1,000+ DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 games.” As Microsoft explains, HDR is a technique whereby light and dark spots in a “digitally reproduced scene can be shown with more detail than before.” When it comes to video games, gamers...
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The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating affects across the globe, upending the everyday lives of nearly everyone, while at the same time resulting in the death of hundreds of thousands. Because of how COVID-19 is spread, people that can work from home along with students participating in virtual learning have resulted in a massive spike in PC sales. According to Canalys, overall PC shipments for the year 2020 hit 297 million units, which was a 11 percent increase compared to 2019. In fact, 2020 represented the biggest leap in full-year PC sales growth since 2010, and marked the highest number of unit shipments since 2014. More specifically, looking at data just for Q4 2020, we see that PC shipments...
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You can probably drive around whatever town you live in and see several places that have closed shop, either permanently or temporarily, as a result of the pandemic that is still claiming lives. Looking back, 2020 was a trying year for sure. Not surprisingly, however, the video game and interactive media industry is one of the sectors that thrived, growing to a nearly $140 billion business last year. It makes sense, when you consider that much of the country and the world at larger were in lock down. Even when businesses started to open back up, the threat of COVID-19 prompted a massive surge in working from home and remote education. Throw in layoffs, and it is easy to see why the gaming sector...
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Game development is complex, and launching a successful game even more so. Sometimes, anything that goes into development and the gamer experience can change on a dime or entirely fall apart. We can see this with the launch of Cyberpunk 2077, which could be easily described as something of a train wreck. Bugs on all platforms cropped up and the social sphere exploded with complaints. To be clear, the game is still enjoyable if you can play it aside from the current issues. No matter what, though, Cyberpunk 2077's launch was plagued with issues, developer crunch, alongside excessive hype, which was all likely driven by shareholder and consumer pushback to get the game out. The whole spectacle...
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Have you ever wanted a mini PC with the form factor of a Nintendo Switch with features that were commonplace in devices from 15 years ago? GamePad Digital (GPD) could have you covered with the recently leaked GPD Win 3, a handheld Windows 10 machine powered by an Intel Tiger Lake processor. This gaming-oriented device will also have a keyboard underneath a sliding display and two control areas reminiscent of Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons. While we only have rumored details today, we hope to see some sort of proper announcement by the end of November. GPD, founded in 2013, is a company whose focus is “developing high-quality Windows mini Laptop, UMPC, and Android handheld game consoles.”...
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The Hitman series from IO Interactive is chock full of stealthy stabbings, shootings, and stalking to take down targets around the world. Now, the new Hitman III is taking you to historical Dartmoor, England as an Epic Games Store exclusive for PC. In this second mission of the murderous series, Agent 47 is dropped into Dartmoor, England at the Thornbridge Manor. According to IO Interactive (IOI), Dartmoor “has a reputation for myths, legends and mysteries – and Thornbridge Manor lives up to that!” Aside from the standard assassin role Agent 47 takes, Hitman III brings in a detective element to take advantage of the mystery. Combining the two elements, Agent 47 “take[s]...
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When it comes to building a PC, most people turn to a modern chassis that has ample cooling, style, and lots of space inside. Others turn to alternative means to build a PC that doesn't quite look like a garden variety PC. A perfect example of someone who wanted a PC that stands out from the pack has turned up from a redditor that goes by Imacleigh, who built an AMD Ryzen 5 1600 PC and tucked it inside a vintage radio enclosure. The wooden case is an actual vintage radio that the builder says was found at an antique shop that had already been gutted. Since the radio was gutted, the builder didn't feel guilty about ruining a functioning antique. A lot of the reddit commenters were concerned...
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Dell has rolled out what is being hailed as the most powerful XPS system ever built. The new XPS Desktop is powered by 10th generation Intel Core processors up to a Core i9. Graphics options include up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER. While it's easy to think of XPS computers as aimed at gamers only, Dell says that the XPS Desktop is ideal for any hardware-intensive task, creative workflows, and virtual reality. One key feature of the new desktop is that it puts the powerful hardware into a smaller form factor than previous generations. The last XPS Desktop had a 24-liter chassis while the new desktop has a 19-liter chassis. Despite the smaller form factor, the machine still has a tool-less...
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Microsoft has long offered the Your Phone app for Windows 10 PCs, which allows smartphone users to send and receive a text message from their computer and share files, among other features. However, some of the best features available for Android users are unavailable for iPhone users. Dell updated its software last month that beat Microsoft to the punch bringing similar functionality for iPhone users, while expanding Android support. The catch is that Dell Mobile Connect was only meant to run on Dell computers. If you were using a different manufacturer's Windows 10 PC, it was possible in the past to run the app by sideloading it and manually installing drivers. Whether or not that worked varied...
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Like most PC fans and enthusiasts, we love a good custom PC around here. We particularly like it when someone goes all out on a custom build with liquid cooling and plenty of style. An extremely talented PC builder on reddit by the name of joshkroger has gone above and beyond, and fans of bourbon will particularly like the work. The builder had an actual bourbon barrel that he disassembled and cobbled into a computer case using some components from a donor computer case to secure the PC hardware inside. The build process was a long one requiring him to disassemble the barrel and shave off the sides of some of the staves to flatten them out enough to make the side panels from them. He recycled...
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Are we finally seeing a turning of the tides for PC sales? Well according to new analysis from both Gartner and IDC, it appears so given the promising sales numbers tallied for 2019. According to IDC, global PC shipments grew by 2.7 percent for 2019, taking the total tally to 266.7 million. Gartner didn't show as much growth year-over-year, but still marked down a 0.6 percent increase for 2019 for a total of 261.2 million units shipped for the year. Although the percentage increase and total shipment numbers differ, the consensus from both firms is that the global PC market witnessed its first year-over-year sales gain since 2011. So, what exactly is the reason for this uptick in sales...
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Origin PC has unveiled the 2020 edition of its "Big O", which is a hybrid gaming desktop. Inside the chassis is a liquid-cooled PC, a liquid-cooled gaming console, and an optional capture card in one system. The machine is aimed at gamers, streamers, content creators, and professional users. We visited the 2019 edition of the Big O back in July. Inside the large chassis is a liquid-cooled gaming PC on one side, and a liquid-cooled console of the user's choice on the other side. Big O can be fitted with a PS4 Pro or an Xbox One S All-Digital Edition. Both consoles include the original hardware, but there is an option to upgrade either of them to SSDs for internal storage. The console and PC each...
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ALDI is a European-based grocery store chain that is quickly expanding across the United States, and it is notable for also selling all types of random home goods, electronics, and even clothing. PC gamers can get their hands on the Medion Gaming Desktop PC from ALDI with one caveat being that it is only offered online. That means gamers can't toss it into their shopping cart along with their dinner at the physical store. Most notably, the video card is an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, which has 6GB of VRAM and is ray tracing-enabled for playing games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. The GeForce RTX 2060 video card alone is selling for around $330 right now. The other main hardware features...
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PC gamers may have had to wait for a long time for Red Dead Redemption 2 to hit the platform, but it's coming next month with new features in tow. Gamers who have already finished RDR2 on the console who are wondering if they should buy the game on PC will be glad to hear the game has new content for PC. The new features include three new Bounty Hunter missions, including Herman Zizendorf, Camille de Millemont, and Bart Cavanaugh. There will also be two new gang hideouts to fight through with new Del Lobos hideouts in Gaptooth Breach and Solomon's folly. There are two new Treasure Maps, including Landmarks of Riches and The Elemental Trail maps. A new mission called "To The Ends of The...
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Intel and AMD currently have the once of fiercest rivalry that we’ve seen in years in the CPU market right now. Intel admitted the renewed competition in a leaked memo in June. Intel had a bit of a rebound in Q2 2019 with stronger CPU availability that has pushed overall PC shipments up for the quarter. IDC says that the overall market for PCs, including desktops, notebooks, and workstations for the quarter totaled 64.9 million units. The PC market overall saw growth of 4.7% for Q2 2019, which IDC calls "noticeably higher" than expectations. The research firm says that two big reasons for the higher than expected growth in the PC market were easing supply shortages, and looming...
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Fans of games that don't fall into the MMO or shooter genres looking for something to try out will want to keep an eye on the calendar for August 30. On that day, a game called "The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan" launches from Supermassive Games. The game is said to be a horror-adventure anthology series that is a spiritual successor to "Until Dawn" that launched in 2015. The game is hosted by a voice called the Curator that hints at the grim circumstances of each episode of the game and players get to make their own decisions in the game. Player decisions control if the characters live or die. GameSpot and IGN got to spend time with the game, and it sounds like something different that will be...
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Microsoft has been very successful with its own line of Surface 2-in-1 machines that include the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Go. In May, a patent surfaced that hinted a Surface Pro 7 with a USB-C port and new type cover was in the works. Earlier this month reports indicated that Microsoft was showing off a dual-screen Surface device to employees. Now, Microsoft has teamed up with a company called Kano for a DIY computer that looks like a chunky Surface Go-style 2-in-1 aimed at kids. The Kano PC is a computer that kids build themselves and the kit can be preordered for $299.99 with shipping at the end of October 2019. The goal of the Kano PC is to allow kids to build their own computer, learn how...
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In February 2019, Logitech revived one if its iconic MX518 gaming mouse with modern internals. Logitech has announced a new gaming mouse that will slip into the line alongside the MX518 called the G502 Lightspeed. The G502 Lightspeed combines professional-grade precision and performance technology in a classic design Logitech reckons fans will love. This latest version of the G502 Lightspeed was re-engineered from the ground up while keeping the shape and features of the original. Logitech integrated its new Lightspeed and Powerplay wireless technologies. The new G502 Lightspeed is seven grams lighter than the original; to shed that weight Logitech used a thin-wall design and endoskeleton...
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Amazon has put together a desktop PC buyer's guide that has categories for just about every computing need and use case a potential customer could have. The problem is that the product recommendations Amazon makes could leave people seriously unhappy if they want to game or work in more strenuous content creation applications. For example, clicking on the gaming subcategory of the buying guide yields the first two options as iMacs. Say what? An iMac as a gaming system? No. The other options near the top of the page have not-so-great hardware for the money. And of course, any gamer worth their thermal paste knows you can build your own rig, with much better parts, for less money. The awful...
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PC gamers out there who want a smoking good deal on a new video game will be happy to hear that Steam has kicked off its Autumn Sale. Steam has a couple big sales per year; the last major sale was in June when the Steam Summer sale was underway. While some of the games available in the Autumn Sale are old; there are deals on some new games as well. Monster Hunter: World is one of the new games; it launched back in August and it can be had for a 34% discount making it $39.59 rather than the regular price of $59.99. The popular game Rocket League is part of the sale and is available for $9.99 rather than its usual $29.99. One of the older games that is still fun to play is Borderlands: The...
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Gamers haven't liked that Microsoft has seemed to turn a cold shoulder on the PC gamers out there in favor of developing games on the Xbox consoles in recent years. Microsoft has been trying to alleviate those concerns with talks of renewing its commitment to PC gaming for years, but nothing has ever come of that promise. Things are changing with Microsoft now announcing that it has purchased a pair of PC-centric game development studios that focus heavily on RPG games: Obsidian and InXile. Microsoft's acquisition announcement is not only good news for PC gamers in general, but for fans of Obsidian and InXile as both devs have been cash-strapped to the point of turning to Kickstarter for game...
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