November 2022

the-best-midnight-suns-characters PC Gamer

The best Midnight Suns characters

There are 12 Midnight Suns characters, and though you can make best friends with all of them through the many hangouts and conversations that punctuate the campaign, you’ll face tougher choices putting together a three-hero kickball team that can defeat Hydra.You’ll want to use each of Midnight Suns’ heroes on at least a few missions in order to unlock and upgrade some of their cards, particularly heroes like Wolverine and Ghost Rider who have less-than-great starting decks.Some of these characters are unlocked later in the campaign, so we’ve placed those in a special “spoiler” section at the end if you…

todd-howard-says-starfield-will-let-you-get-into-“more-complex-relationships” Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Todd Howard says Starfield will let you get into “more complex relationships”

Romance has never been Bethesda’s strong suit, from Skyrim‘s barebones marriage system to Fallout 4‘s bonus-XP-granting fade-to-black cutscenes. Starfield will be a little more nuanced than that, suggests executive producer Todd Howard, offering more complex romance options than Fallout’s. That’s just one detail from a nearly 3 hour-long interview Howard gave on the Lex Fridman podcast, where he also talks scrapping space strandings, and (gasp) why he prefers to play on consoles to PC. Read more

charachorder-keyboard-technology-gets-packed-into-a-usb-dongle Toms Hardware

CharaChorder Keyboard Technology Gets Packed Into a USB Dongle

The CharaChorder team has shoveled its chording keyboard text input technology into a USB dongle. The new product, dubbed the CharaChorder X (opens in new tab), has been proving extremely popular on Kickstarter and has already attracted nearly 7x the funding goal with three whole weeks to go.CharaChorder X is claimed to facilitate an increase in the average human typing speed “from 40 words per minute up to 250 words per minute ”by enabling input via text chords. Here the word ‘chords’ is used as an analog to how a musician plays on a musical keyboard, pressing multiple keys simultaneously…

the-last-of-us-hbo-posters-show-how-the-actors-look-in-their-respective-roles VG247

The Last of Us HBO posters show how the actors look in their respective roles

None look too happy. Understandably. HBO has released some promo posters for its take on The Last of Us. The posters show the various actors who have been cast in the series which airs on the premium TV channel on January 15. The Last of Us – HBO Teaser Trailer The images show Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey who is playing Ellie, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, and Gabriel Luna who will play Tommy. There’s also Anna Torv who plays Tess, Keivonn Woodard as Sam, Nick Offerman is Bill, the character Frank is played by Murray Bartlett, Lamar Johnsonn is…

overwatch-players-spend-30-hours-watching-games,-get-no-rewards Twitch

Overwatch Players Spend 30 Hours Watching Games, Get No Rewards

Some folks watch esports events for the thrill of seeing a game played at the highest possible skill level. Others tune in for promised rewards from developers. If you’re in the latter camp, and you logged a ton of hours of watching the latest Overwatch League event on YouTube, you’re probably very unhappy right now. You, like others, may be missing the skins and other cosmetics that Blizzard promised to give you for tuning in.

destiny-2-season-19:-release-date,-new-dungeon,-and-big-changes PC Gamer

Destiny 2 season 19: release date, new dungeon, and big changes

Destiny 2 season 19 is less than a week away and we still know very little about what we’ll actually be doing for the next few months before Lightfall arrives. It seems like Bungie are doing the same thing they did with the Season of Plunder, leaving us on tenterhooks until the very last minute. It’s strange, though, because we already know most of the big changes that are coming.As is pretty usual in the run-up to a content drop, Bungie has been providing details about upcoming changes and reworks in their ‘This Week at Bungie’ posts, from what’s happening…

reality-bytes:-half-life-2:-vr-mod-is-a-fantastic-adaptation-of-a-classic Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Reality Bytes: Half-Life 2: VR Mod is a fantastic adaptation of a classic

Half-Life 2 was the first game I ever played in VR. Back in the primordial days of 2013, I was lucky enough to get my ungainly sausage-mitts on an Oculus Developer’s Kit – the prototype headset that eventually led to the Oculus Rift. Understandably given the name, there were not games for the developers kit outside of a few incredibly basic demos. But there was Half-Life 2, for which Valve had implemented a hacky VR mode that you could activate with some console tomfoolery. Read more

hitman-rules,-and-ubisoft-needs-to-take-note-for-assassin’s-creed-mirage-(and-beyond) VG247

Hitman rules, and Ubisoft needs to take note for Assassin’s Creed Mirage (and beyond)

The next Assassin’s Creed entry is a golden opportunity to turn the franchise’s signature assassinations into more flexible and memorable sequences a la Hitman. I can’t wait to get murderous in ninth-century Baghdad when Assassin’s Creed Mirage arrives next year, but I fear it might be leaning a bit too hard on the first installment of the long-running franchise. As fans await the next major Assassin’s Creed release – now turned into an expansive open-world RPG saga – Ubisoft has chosen to throw veterans a bone with Mirage, which promises a refreshed take on the original, classic AC formula. Problem…

palm-sized-nanopi-r5c-pc-starts-at-just-$49 Toms Hardware

Palm-Sized NanoPi R5C PC Starts at Just $49

Friendly Elec has released its open source NanoPi R5C — an computer system housed in an extremely compact and appealingly industrial metal chassis — for the starting price of just $49. At its heart, the NanoPi R5C is powered by a Rockchip RK3568B2, which is a no-frills Arm A55 quad-core CPU. The entry-level configuration comes with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage, but an extra $10 will get you 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The NanoPi R5C supports several operating systems, including Android and a number of Linux distros. The system is built around a square PCB, with a…

what’s-better:-mantling-or-cool-swearing? Rock,Paper,Shotgun

What’s better: mantling or cool swearing?

Last time, you decided that dakka is better than overwatch (not Overwatch). It wasn’t the most overwhelming victory of this scientific process so far, but it certainly was the loudest. More dakka indeed. This week, I ask you to pick between a cool form of human movement and some cool human speech. What’s better: mantling or cool swearing? Read more

need-for-speed-finally-figured-out-what-it-wants-to-be VG247

Need for Speed finally figured out what it wants to be

It took an entire console generation, but there’s a Need for Speed game worth celebrating at last. I never imagined I would be writing this when everyone first got word of a new Need for Speed game in development. Initially revealed in the summer of 2020 with a shot of two cars, said game would not get an official title until October of this year. Months after leaks and rumours told us a lot of what EA wasn’t interested in sharing itself, and Need for Speed Unbound was revealed, with all excitement reserved for racing games that aren’t Forza. I…

where-to-start-the-shadow-of-his-wings-quest-in-wow:-dragonflight PC Gamer

Where to start The Shadow of His Wings quest in WoW: Dragonflight

The Shadow of His Wings is a sidequest in World of Warcraft: Dragonflight and you can find it in The Waking Shores, which is the first zone you’ll visit when you arrive in the Dragon Isles. It’s part of a storyline of the same name and is required for the Sojourner of the Waking Shores achievement.As The Shadow of His Wings isn’t part of the main story campaign, you may miss it. Don’t worry though, as I’ll show you where you can start the storyline in this guide. It’s a relatively short questline too, so you’ll be back to leveling…

sabrent-rocket-4-plus-g-ssd-review:-a-directstorage-gaming-drive-for-tomorrow-(updated) Toms Hardware

Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus-G SSD Review: A DirectStorage Gaming Drive for Tomorrow (Updated)

November 30, 2022 Update 2: We’ve updated this article with new testing for the 1TB Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus-G SSD on page 2. This drive has also been added to our list of Best SSDs for the PS5.  November 9, 2022 Update 1: We’ve updated this article with new testing for the 1TB Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus-G SSD on page 3. This drive has also been added to our list of Best SSDs for the PS5.Original Review published November 7, 2022:The Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus-G is a high-end, gaming-oriented PCIe 4.0 SSD that uses a very fast controller combined with the best flash on…

overwatch-2-season-2-trailer-shows-off-new-map,-mythological-skins,-and-holiday-events VG247

Overwatch 2 season 2 trailer shows off new map, mythological skins, and holiday events

Let’s not also forget about new tank, Ramattra. Overwatch 2’s next season, which arrives on December 6, is shaping up to be equal parts exciting and festive, with plenty of new content for players to sink their teeth into. While it was already revealed during the Overwatch League Grand Finals that a new tank, Ramattra, will be added to the game, players also have new mythological skins, a map, and various returning holiday events to try out. Catch the trailer for Overwatch 2’s second season right here. Revealed via an all-new gameplay trailer, the latest battle pass for Overwatch 2…

intel-arc-graphics-drivers-are-up-19%-in-some-games-one-month-on-but-it’s-not-all-good PC Gamer

Intel Arc graphics drivers are up 19% in some games one month on but it’s not all good

Audio player loading… As we reported earlier this month, Intel has released a driver update for its Arc graphics with various performance improvement claims. But does the driver update deliver? PC World has taken a look and found some moderate, if mixed, improvements along with one game where performance actually regresses. (opens in new tab)PC World tested the top Intel Arc A770 (opens in new tab) board using both the original launch driver and the latest updated release. Staring at the top, performance in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p Ultra (we assume without ray tracing enabled) performance improves by five percent…

grab-the-excellent-intel-core-i5-12400f-six-core-cpu-for-167 Rock,Paper,Shotgun

Grab the excellent Intel Core i5 12400F six-core CPU for £167

The Core i5 12400F is a surprisingly excellent gaming CPU, offering the power of Intel’s new Alder Lake architecture in a simple six-core twelve-thread configuration. The CPU supports PCIe 5.0 and DDR5, but it also works with cheaper DDR4- and PCIe 4.0-based hardware. It’s normally £200, but it’s down to £167 on AWD-IT which is a pretty decent deal if you want to build a powerful gaming PC on a budget. Read more

today’s-wordle-answer-and-hint-for-wednesday,-november-30 PC Gamer

Today’s Wordle answer and hint for Wednesday, November 30

Audio player loading… You’ll find daily tips and hints designed to make sure today’s Wordle will be a success just below, as well as our helpful archive of past answers and, as always, the solution to the November 30 (529) puzzle if you need it.It always feels extra lucky to end the month with a quick and easy win, so I’m happy that happened to me today. The letters went in, the answer came out—job done, time for a celebratory cookie. Well, it wasn’t quite that simple, but it was close enough. Wordle hintA Wordle hint for Wednesday, November 30The answer…

this-diy-4090-glass-table-build-sees-beauty-meet-the-beast PC Gamer

This DIY 4090 glass table build sees beauty meet the beast

Audio player loading… I’m a big fan of teeny tiny mini-ITX builds (opens in new tab) that hide away your PC, but I also adore a loud and proud RGBehemoth (opens in new tab). The choice between minimalistic style vs bright lights and displayed power is one of the hardest to make, and finding middle ground is sort of besides the point. Or that’s what I thought, but it turns out there are some masters of the middle ground out there, and one such build is this simply beautiful glass desk feature.Kumag1989 posted their glorious new build on the Nvidia…

relax-and-unwind-with-this-stress-free-city-builder-sandbox PC Gamer

Relax and unwind with this stress-free city builder sandbox

Audio player loading… City builders typically present you with goals and challenges like balancing your budget, controlling your pollution levels, managing your resources, and keeping your citizens happy (or in the case of survival city builders, keeping them from dying horribly). But sometimes you just want to build for the sake of building without worrying about traffic or logistics or how much things will cost or what bonus a house will get from a nearby park. Sometimes you just want a sandbox city builder with no restrictions, objectives, or headaches.For times like those, there’s a city builder headed your way that…