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Odd, funny, and charming rhythm game Trombone Champ has gotten a lot of attention this week, spiraling into the viral stratosphere of the Steam charts as the latest example of how an indie can get real big, real fast on the platform. Its even made its way into that top 100 games by revenue chart Steam introduced earlier this week, sitting popular stuff like Madden 23 and PlateUp. So, naturally, it is inevitable that someone immediately put Megalovania in it. Megalovania, but as a custom modded chart in Trombone ChampI am sorry pic.twitter.com/TdoQGyqYZDSeptember 23, 2022 See more Megalovania is perhaps the most famous, most memed piece of music from 2015 game Undertale, which everyone loves. Trombone champ is the just-released indie rhythm game form Holy Wow, and is definitely one of those games that the developer was not prepared for to be as big as it is. The custom chart for the song was made by NyxTheShield, a game composer, developer, and modder and posted on Twitter. "I am sorry," they said. What's weird and bonkers is that the developer thinks this is probably the first custom chart for Trombone Champ... and that it's probably been made faster than the dev is making tracks. "If you made this this quickly, it's possible you've created a level editor that's faster than what we've been using to actually build the game," said HolyWowStudios on Twitter. Our Chris Livingston called Trombone Champ an instant game of the year contender when he emerged from the wilds of Steam earlier this week, chased by crazed baboons. It inspired such a fervor in him that he immediately interviewed the creator of Trombone Champ in search of more nuggets of precious trombone insight. Nuggets of insight like, for example, that the creator prefers Goku over Vegeta. Megalovania, meanwhile, is perhaps one of the most meme'd upon songs in gaming's vast musical oeuvre. Since its appearance as Sans' theme in the 2015 game Undertale, Megalovania has made its way into players' hearts via games like Overwatch, Warframe, and Genshin Impact. Earlier this year some circus performers played Megalovania for the Catholic Pope, and no that is not a sentence I ever expected to type. View the full article

August Dean Ayala will be the new design director on League of Legends, after his departure from Blizzard on September 16th. Ayala was previously the game director on Hearthstone and had worked at Blizzard for 11 years. He announced the job change via Twitter. In a little over a week, I'll be starting at @riotgames as the design director for @LeagueOfLegends.Looking forward to working with a new team and immersing myself into the League community. HYPED! pic.twitter.com/1tOHKSZyoASeptember 24, 2022 See more While the position of game director on Hearthstone was a prestigious one, Ayala's departure wasn't particularly high-profile: He'd only held the job for three months, having started in June after the departure of previous game director Ben Lee for another position within Blizzard. Ayala started in quality assurance at Blizzard and made his way into the Hearthstone team after he ranked top in North America in competitive play. He was previously responsible for a significant amount of internal playtesting, and was design lead on Hearthstone since 2016. As design director on League of Legends, Ayala will have senior members of testing, game design, and narrative teams reporting to him, among many others. A quick scroll of his twitter shows that while League and Hearthstone are very different things, Ayala's interests run to a very broad array of games. The last few years have been times of change at both Blizzard and Riot, with a large number of high-profile departures from both companies. League of Legends has had two design directors in as many years at Riot. The Hearthstone team at Blizzard has been fairly stable, relatively insulated from otherwise-scandalous events at the company's higher levels of leadership, but has still suffered in the eyes of the public since the departure of founding team members in 2018, followed by a broader scandal around a player from Hong Kong. View the full article

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At Netflix's Tudum live stream, the company gave us a release window for the Witcher season three, coming Summer 2023. There wasn't a full trailer or much new information on display, although the company did provide a look at Freya Allen as Ciri filming a fun-looking action scene on a boat, so we've got that to look forward to. It's a much shorter wait than the gap between seasons one and two of the Witcher, which was a full two years. The shorter gap here makes sense, as season two's production took place during the early days of covid-19, and it's impressive they were able to get it done at all despite strict quarantine measures and occasional outbreaks. Season three looks to broadly follow the events of the Witcher saga's book two, Time of Contempt, though there are already pretty significant divergences from the source material⁠—Yenn and Geralt are on the outs at the beginning of the book, while in the show Geralt, Ciri, and Yenn finished season two ready to tackle the world together. A previously released synopsis from Netflix describes the trio returning to the mage stronghold of Aretuza and getting mired in political conflict, all but confirming the presence of the Thanedd Coup in Season 3. Don't look that one up if you haven't read the books yet, but the real ones know. It'll be interesting to see how the show handles or streamlines the remaining three books after Contempt: Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow, and The Lady of the Lake. If you're interested in dipping a toe in Sapkowski's series and getting ahead of the show, be sure to check out our guide to Witcher reading order. You can also catch up on everything we know about CD Projekt's next Witcher game. View the full article

Netflix announced the release date of the Witcher prequel series, Blood Origin, at its Tudum livestream earlier today. Cast members Michelle Yeoh, Sophia Brown, Minnie Driver, and Laurence O'Fuarain briefly discussed their characters, and revealed the series' premier date of December 25, 2022. Blood Origin is set 1,200 years before the main Witcher saga, and presents the origin story of the titular order. It looks to be an interesting divergence from the lore of the books and games where the monster hunters are created with the anachronistic genetic engineering of ancient humans after the dimension-rending Conjunction of the Spheres. Blood Origin seems to attribute the Witchers' creation to the elves, with the series focusing on three fey people played by Yeoh, Brown, and O'Fuarain. The Witcher on Netflix has had great success with its additions and changes to the Witcher story in the past, and Blood Origin does have an ace up its sleeve in Michelle Yeoh as the elf Scian. Yeoh's received renewed attention in recent years for her performances in Everything Everywhere All at Once and Star Trek: Discovery, but she has a career spanning decades of stellar dramatic performances like her role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as well as fantastic stunt work like in the 1992 Jackie Chan action-comedy, Supercop. Also exciting for me is the presence of Irish actor and comedian, Dylan Moran, perhaps most famous for the short-lived BBC Channel 4 sitcom, Black Books. IMDB says he'll be playing a character named "Uthrok One-Nut," so the show's looking like it's in pretty good shape already. I've got high hopes for Blood Origin then, and it's nice to get more Witcher stuff as we wait for Season 3 of the main show (coming Summer 2023) and CD Projekt's distant new game series. View the full article

G2 esports CEO Carlos Rodriguez has stepped down from his position a week after sharing a video of himself partying with men's rights influencer and alleged human trafficker, Andrew Tate. Rodriguez shared a three minute video explaining the decision to Twitter, and the official G2 account released a statement on the matter shortly thereafter. "I take full responsibility over everything that went on in the last few days," Rodriguez stated in his video announcement, later thanking fans and collaborators, and concluding, "Remember, we're samurai, we thrive not because we win, but because we always get back up." "We want to underline that we do not support any form of misogyny," G2's statement on Rodriguez stepping down reads. "We continue to prioritize fostering inclusivity and supporting a diverse gaming community." Last week, Rodriguez apologized and took two weeks of unpaid leave following the outcry over his association with Tate. Tate, a former kickboxer, gained notoriety in recent months as a "manosphere" internet personality, before subsequently getting banned off most major social media platforms. According to the Romanian newspaper, Gândul, Tate and his brother's home in the country was raided by police in April in connection to a rape and human trafficking investigation. G2 is a major esports organization, with professional teams competing in games like Valorant, League of Legends, and Counter-Strike. The video at the heart of the controversy was of Rodriguez's celebration of G2 qualifying for worlds in League of Legends. According to Dexerto, G2 was denied a coveted franchise spot in the coming Valorant league this past week, but there has been no direct confirmation from Riot that this was in response to Rodriguez's actions. View the full article

Hints for today's Wordle, tips to make every puzzle just that little bit more successful, and even the answer to the September 24 (462) puzzle are all just a short scroll away. Need more help? No problem. You'll also find links to our Wordle guides, as well as our extensive Wordle archive here too. After what feels like a week of finding a few yellows if I'm lucky, I finally landed a really strong green-speckled opener today. Thanks to this I was able to solve the puzzle on the second guess with little trouble—what a great way to start the weekend. Wordle hint Today's Wordle: A hint for Saturday, September 24 There are a few meanings for today's answer. In some cases this word's used to describe metal bars or a grid covering an opening, in others some sort of irritating noise or behaviour. It can even be used in food preparation—when shredding cheese or other food against a specific tool to create small pieces. There are two vowels to find today. Wordle help: 3 tips for beating Wordle every day If there's one thing better than playing Wordle, it's playing Wordle well, which is why I'm going to share a few quick tips to help set you on the path to success: A good opener contains a balanced mix of unique vowels and consonants. A tactical second guess helps to narrow down the pool of letters quickly.The solution may contain repeat letters. There's no time pressure beyond making sure it's done by midnight. So there's no reason to not treat the game like a casual newspaper crossword and come back to it later if you're coming up blank. Wordle answer (Image credit: Josh Wardle) What is the Wordle 462 answer? Let's start the weekend with a win. The answer to the September 24 (462) Wordle is GRATE. Previous answers Wordle archive: Which words have been used The more past Wordle answers you can cram into your memory banks, the better your chances of guessing today's Wordle answer without accidentally picking a solution that's already been used. Past Wordle answers can also give you some excellent ideas for fun starting words that keep your daily puzzle solving fresh. Here are some recent Wordle solutions: September 23: GLORYSeptember 22: SAINTSeptember 21: RECAPSeptember 20: ALIKESeptember 19: TRICESeptember 18: STICKSeptember 17: CHUTESeptember 16: PARERSeptember 15: DOUBTSeptember 14: THYME Learn more about Wordle Every day Wordle presents you with six rows of five boxes, and it's up to you to work out which secret five-letter word is hiding inside them. You'll want to start with a strong word like ALERT—something containing multiple vowels, common consonants, and no repeat letters. Hit Enter and the boxes will show you which letters you've got right or wrong. If a box turns ️, it means that letter isn't in the secret word at all. means the letter is in the word, but not in that position. means you've got the right letter in the right spot. You'll want your second go to compliment the first, using another "good" word to cover any common letters you missed last time while also trying to avoid any letter you now know for a fact isn't present in today's answer. After that it's just a case of using what you've learned to narrow your guesses down to the right word. You have six tries in total and can only use real words (so no filling the boxes with EEEEE to see if there's an E). Don't forget letters can repeat too (ex: BOOKS). If you need any further advice feel free to check out our Wordle tips, and if you'd like to find out which words have already been used you'll find those below. Originally, Wordle was dreamed up by software engineer Josh Wardle, as a surprise for his partner who loves word games. From there it spread to his family, and finally got released to the public. The word puzzle game has since inspired tons of games like Wordle, refocusing the daily gimmick around music or math or geography. It wasn't long before Wordle became so popular it was sold to the New York Times for seven figures. Surely it's only a matter of time before we all solely communicate in tricolor boxes. View the full article

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The writing is on the walls. Call of Duty is going through a change, and it may actually stick this time. You can roughly map out the evolution of first-person shooters over the last 1.5 decades with the yearly Call of Duty releases. There was the era where everyone was super-into modern military shooters, followed by a few years when our boots lifted off the ground and started wallrunning or jetpacking. When hero shooters hit big, Treyarch responded with Black Ops 3's unique characters and ultimates. That was fun for a bit, but then the clock reset and Activision thought, hey, maybe World War 2 would be fun again. It wasn't. This brings us to our current era, the one I believe is on its way out the door: battle royale. Activision committed to battle royale early and captured a huge audience with its standalone, free-to-play Call of Duty: Warzone. The most popular way to play CoD in 2022 is in a lobby with 149 other people, something I never imagined in 2007. But now almost three years in, I've noticed a waning interest in the same ol' battle royale and I think Activision has too. Infinity Ward is bringing back battle royale in Warzone 2.0, but at the same time it's going big on its next bet: AI and PvPvE. If you haven't noticed, there are AI combatants all over Modern Warfare 2. In fact, literally every tentpole mode in Modern Warfare 2 is implementing AI in some way: Multiplayer: AI grunts join the battle in the 20v20 Ground War modesWarzone 2.0: AI are littered across the new Al Mazrah in strongholds protecting rare lootSpec Ops: 2-player co-op missions against AIRaids: Destiny-style co-op missions with complex AI encounters and combat puzzlesDMZ: Warzone's mysterious new PvPvE extraction mode launching alongside battle royale We're getting our first taste of CoD's AI push during this weekend's Modern Warfare 2 beta. In new mode Invasion, a take on Titanfall's Attrition mode, nameless grunts join a large-scale 20v20 team deathmatch where AI kills are worth fewer points than players. I didn't expect much out of Invasion, but it's actually my favorite mode of the beta so far. Moment-to-moment it's still TDM, but the extra bodies running around saturate the map such that it gives the illusion of a grand, almost Battlefield-scale conflict in a much smaller space. It's also just satisfying to mess up a whole gang of AI that go down in one or two bullets. I'm very interested in how Modern Warfare 2 will tackle raids. Infinity Ward is deliberately drawing comparisons to Destiny 2 in its description of raids as "cooperative engagement requiring teamwork and strategic, puzzle-solving thinking in-between bouts of intense combat." Destiny's raids are almost universally regarded as the best parts of those games, yet only a fraction of the people who play it ever see them because of level requirements. Infinity Ward seems to be expediting that process by simply making raid missions that anyone can play. Beyond Warzone I think the true test of Call of Duty's AI experiment will have to wait until Warzone 2.0, though. I'm skeptical that the nameless grunts wandering around the map in battle royale will add anything more than target practice. Infinity Ward says AI enemies have a "variety of lethality levels" and "defend their territory like a CDL pro," but the grunts content streamers encountered during the live Warzone 2.0 reveal were pushovers. I've yet to see any AI that truly threatens players in the way that, say, Hunt: Showdown's slug monsters, bug assassins, and aquatic tentacle freaks do. If AI is little more than a distraction in battle royale, I hope it takes center stage in DMZ. My newfound love of extraction shooters may be coloring this a bit, but I get the sense DMZ is a big deal for Infinity Ward. There's a growing interest in the format that splits the difference between high-risk survival shooters and battle royale. Many extraction shooters—characterized by the freedom to roam the map, fight players, complete objectives, and leave whenever you want—have been popping up lately. The burgeoning genre has been dominated by stealthy cowboy shooter Hunt: Showdown and milsim Escape From Tarkov, but newer challengers include the diesel-punk shooter Marauders and The Cycle: Frontier. Battlefield 2042 even gave the extraction format a spin last year with Hazard Zone, though it didn't catch on there. The Warzone 2.0 announcement blog post describes DMZ as a "passion project" inside Infinity Ward and contributing studios, language it doesn't use for Modern Warfare 2's two hundred other modes. It's also the only mode with its own logo, completely separate from the Warzone branding. (Image credit: Activision) To make DMZ feel distinct from Warzone, Infinity Ward should really consider getting creative with AI. Think bigger than grunts: one of Hunt's greatest strengths is how the unique behaviors of its monsters force you to change up your strategy (like the Human Torch-like Immolators who explode if you pierce their skin with anything sharp). There should be environmental hazards and other things to do than run from place to place and shoot other players. Think too small with extraction shooters and you end up with Battlefield 2042's ill-fated Hazard Zone. If Infinity Ward can do for extraction shooters what it did for battle royale, it could really be something special (and even beat Fortnite to the punch this time). I can see this being the proper kickoff of a PvPvE trend where all the battle royale games slowly creep closer to Escape From Tarkov or Hunt. I hope it pays off, because I'm definitely done with shrinking circles. View the full article

Nerd parody music group, The Chalkeaters, released a new music video today, "A Songus Amongus" celebrating the indie hit, Among Us. The group is the latest in a long line of voices declaring for all to hear that things are "sus," that they see developer InnerSloth's little space man everywhere, and other things of that nature. Whether you play it or not, Among Us has joined Fortnite and Five Nights at Freddy's in the pantheon of Games for Nephews, Baby Cousins, and Little Brothers. I just want to be left alone with my immersive sims and CRPGs like the weird old man I am, but everything is "sus" now, and kids are finding the game's little space men in innocuous everyday objects like someone's grandma seeing Jesus' face in toast. I'm with what isn't it and what is it seems weird and scary. Indeed, I found my sense of paranoia around this youth phenomenon (itself about paranoia) reflected in the video for "A Songus Amongus." In a world where everything is "sus," what can one put their faith in anymore? The Chalkeaters' protagonist is haunted by "Amogus," much as I am, catching glimpses of the game's implacable little space men everywhere from a chicken nuggie to the written form of Sinhalese, one of the official languages of Sri Lanka. It's a really cute music video, is what I'm saying, just kinda nice. It reminds me of the Harry Partridge Skyrim songs from way back in 2011, real cheeky and sincere and a good laugh. I definitely appreciated the genre switchups in "A Songus Amongus," you've got the pop-y throughline but also a more funky dance section and some metal thrown in as well. If you're interested in more from the Chalkeaters, like an ode to Animal Crossing and Doom crossing over, you can check out their YouTube channel and Patreon. View the full article

Since I drifted away from Wordle and Knotwords earlier this year I've been looking for a new game to play in short sessions every morning or evening: Just a little something to puzzle over during coffee and again to unwind with at the end of the day. I wouldn't have expected to find what I was looking for in a solitaire game, but Zachtronics proved me wrong. Part of The Zachtronics Solitaire Collection, which contains eight different solitaire games, Fortune's Foundation is a bit like Freecell… but without the free cells. In addition to the expected 52 playing cards there are also 22 tarot cards mixed in. Thanks to a few interesting rules and the fact that it's a heck of a challenging game—I've been playing a few times each morning and night this week, and I've only won a total of three times—Fortune's Foundation has quickly become my new daily jam. The playing cards have new medieval suits to replace the traditional spades, clubs, hearts, and diamonds: I'm not sure what they're really called, but I mentally refer to them as cups, stars, swords, and thorns. Otherwise they're standard playing cards, with the goal of getting them to the four foundation piles at the top right, suited, in ace through king order. The tarot cards, meanwhile, are numbered 0 through 21, and they have their own two foundation piles at the top left. The 0 goes in the first spot, and the 21 goes on the second, and you can build on either pile until they meet in the middle. Meaning, you can place the 1 card on the zero, followed by the 2, but you can also place the 20 on the 21, and then the 19 on the 20. I know none of this sounds especially tricky yet, but remember that there aren't four free cells at the top to park cards in while you're playing, like in FreeCell. And with those tarot cards mixed into the deck, you're starting off with 70 cards in 10 columns (and one empty column in the middle). If you want to uncover a 2 and it's buried beneath a bunch of other cards, you're in for a lot of work. Here's the rest of the rules: You can only move one card at a timeYou can build up or down on the main columns, so a 5 of cups can go on a 4 of cups or a 6 of cups.You can 'park' a single card on the main foundation piles, but it will block any cards from being added there until it's removedYou can undo your most recent move by clicking the "scrying mirror" It's really tricky! With so many cards, and so few places to safely move them, I spend most of my time just planning ahead to future moves, unwilling to actually drag and drop a card until I'm sure it will work out. It feels a bit like chess, really, thinking six or seven moves ahead to see what the outcome will be before actually trying something. Parking a card on the foundation is always tempting, just to temporarily get it out of the way to uncover other cards, but it's dangerous. If you can't find a spot in the main columns to put it back, it can really muck up your whole game. When you win you get a tarot reading based on the final card. Now I am not a tarot enthusiast or believer, and I would find a cascade of cards like the win-state of the old solitaire game far more satisfying—but it's still nice to get a little fortune. The card art is excellent, and there's a soothing soundtrack, too. I am digging it, even when I don't win. Which is almost always. If you like Solitaire, a healthy challenge, and tarot (or even if you don't like tarot), I really recommend it. You have to buy the entire Zachtronics Solitaire Collection to get it, but it's only $10 and there are 7 other games included. Which, admittedly, I haven't tried yet. I'm too hooked on Fortune's Foundation. (Image credit: Zachtronics) View the full article

The Netflix anime series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is the first thing that's made me a little bit interested in playing Cyberpunk 2077 since its rough launch in late 2020. And it seems like I'm not the only one who dug the anime's interpretation of Night City. Cyberpunk 2077's player count has jumped up to an impressive million people per day. And for the last two weeks, the Cyberpunk 2077 Nexusmods page has increasingly been populated with Edgerunners-inspired mods. I've counted about 30 so far, released since September 15. There are quite a few character presets and customization options: David's haircut lets you get your spiky hairdo on, or you could download a facial preset to recreate the character, though a lot of the personality's lost in the transition from 2D. This face preset for Lucy—one of several—looks a bit better, and has racked up almost 8,000 downloads so far. There are a few other cool aesthetic mods, like Rebecca's pistols, but most are inspired by the show's music or general aesthetic. There are multiple menu replacement or music replacement mods: this radio station adds 13 tracks from the show into the game, for example. This tracks if you've seen the show: the pop soundtrack is excellently curated and really elevates some of the action scenes and character moments. So far none of the Edgerunners mods are particularly big, but since CD Projekt Red recently released some more powerful modding tools, maybe there's a chance we'll see NPCs or even quests based on the show make their way into the game. I'd definitely be down to do a heist with David's crew if given the chance. View the full article

In the race to cover every single available body part that can game in their gear, HyperX continues to release a flood of peripherals for all sorts of gamers. It's not just headsets and mice anymore—a month ago, the company released its first-ever gaming monitors. At this rate, HyperX is going to start making prescription glasses or those questionably useful gaming sleeves I see esports players swear by. The HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 is almost inconsequential to how much other stuff HyperX has out there; legitimately good stuff like its wireless Cloud Alpha headset too. But the budget $50 price puts it in competition with headsets like the Razer Kraken X, the SteelSeries Arctis 1 and 3, and, frankly, its own predecessor, the Cloud Stinger (which retails for around $30). The Cloud Stinger 2 is nearly identical in features to the first version of the headset. It's a black, all-plastic headset with a fairly lightweight microphone. It has a 10Hz to 28kHz frequency response, dynamic 50mm drivers with neodymium magnets, a 3.5mm headset jack, and an included splitter. It's the kind of $50 headset you pick up off of Amazon or a retail shelf because it's there and will get the job done but might leave you wishing you had done a little more research. The worst part about the Cloud Stinger 2 is the headphone design, which nullifies many of its strengths in audio quality. It's a flimsy headset; the cheap plastic feel is normal at this price range—and probably not a worry if you've never owned headphones priced over $150—but this headset has bigger problems. The rotating earcups are intended to allow you to flatten it down so you can slip it into a bag, but they're attached to the thinnest part of the headband and are so loose that I'm afraid they'll break with a wrong move. They flap back and forth whenever I take them off and make grabbing them with one hand a pain. Nothing catastrophic has happened to me, but some clumsy handling, and I worry the headbands could snap or crack with a particularly violent drop or twist. The thought of spending the next several years with them seems like more of a risk than it should be for this price. HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 Specs (Image credit: Future)Drivers: Dynamic, 50mm neodymium Connectivity: 3.5mm wired Style: Over-ear Frequency response: 10Hz-28,000Hz Features: Bi-directional, noise cancelling mic, audio dial Weight: 275g Price: $50 Otherwise the fit on these is great. They're snug enough to stay on my head as I move them around and slide off easily if, say, you're holding a burger in one hand. I'm a glasses wearer too, and it never got uncomfortable after hours of use, which I can't always say the same for my usual pair of Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pros, not far from the DT 900 Pro X. It has leatherette pads which feel a little thin and could wear or tear with time, but at this price range, I'm not sure you'll find much better. The audio quality is impressive, especially if you have the included DTS Headphone X spatial audio codec turned on (a code for two years is included). It's a little gimmicky at first, but with music, I liked how it raised the mid-tones and made a lot of instrumental music sound dynamic, or like it was being played on a stage. It's probably not for everyone. The effect in games didn't stand out to me. In a game like Overwatch where audio is essential and mixed with that in mind, it doesn't sound different with the feature on or off. Elden Ring sounded bigger, but not noticeably different than it would in normal stereo mode. The fact that after two years you have to pay for DTS Headphone X is a bummer too, as without it, the headphones are fairly neutral with highs pulling through more than anything else. They're fine for games, but might sound a little dull for everything else. Image 1 of 4 (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 4 (Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 4 (Image credit: Future)Image 4 of 4 (Image credit: Future) The microphone is about as serviceable as any other headset microphone in this price range. It sounds a little distant but has enough clarity and volume to come through over game audio. The noise-canceling kept out my mechanical keyboard taps and mouse clicks even while I was actively talking. The microphone arm swivels up and automatically mutes, which is always a nice feature, and it's small, so even when it's in front of your face, it's not a nuisance. It's a little tragic that a solid audio package is held in such a crummy frame. The Cloud Stinger 2 would be a competent headset and an excellent choice for a budget pick, but I can't get over how fragile it looks and feels. There are older and cheaper headsets out there that are built with a thicker frame—the original Cloud Stinger, to name one. The Stinger 2 might work for someone who treats their headset like a delicate flower, but for $50, you can get something that won't potentially be ruined after an accidental drop or twist. The Cloud Stinger 2, despite its strengths in the price range, is just too much of a risk for me to recommend. View the full article

Rick Sanchez, the abusive alcoholic mega-genius who forms the trouble-causing half of Adult Swim's animated duo Rick and Morty, will very soon be taking his place in Warner's cartoon fighting game MultiVersus. We already knew Rick was coming thanks to a July confirmation, not to mention the fact that his grandson Morty is already in the game, having been added in August. Mr. Meeseeks, a bizarre, short-lived vessel of chaos who's made numerous appearances on the show (and turns up briefly in today's teaser), is also in the game as a throwable item. Rick will be a "mage/ranged" character according to his character bio, which would seem to be a good fit: Rick isn't the most physical character ever (he's a substance-abusing grandfather, remember), but he always has an assortment of weird weaponry at his fingertips when he's off on an adventure. The style also matches up well with Rick's trickster character archetype—the other mage/ranged characters in MultiVersus are Bugs Bunny and Tom and Jerry—and makes an interesting counterpoint to Morty's character, who like Batman, Taz, and Lebron James, is a bruiser. An arrival date for Rick hasn't been announced, but MultiVersus game director Tony Huynh said on Twitter that he's coming "very soon." While you wait for that to happen, you can get the lowdown on all of the current MultiVersus characters courtesy of our handy (and very thorough) tier list. View the full article

Meta's Quest 2 VR is getting some competition in the form of the Pico 4, a lightweight VR headset the company is calling "its best yet." The lighter, thinner wireless headset is sporting good horsepower and has already nabbed an exclusive game release from Ubisoft. Unfortunately, US VR enthusiasts might have to wait a bit to get their hands on one of these headsets. The Pico 4 is powered by a 2.84Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 CPU and sports a 4K resolution display with a refresh rate up to 90Hz on a pair of 2.56 LCD screens. It comes with a pair of controllers and will launch with what they are calling a "diverse and inclusive" library of games and software. Bytedance, the company that owns TikTok, acquired Pico last year and is poised to take a big slice of the VR headset market in Europe and Asia away from Meta. Meta has gone to strange lengths to combat the growing popularity of TikTok in the US. Pico has been making VR headsets for a while, though if you're from North America, this is probably your time hearing about them since their products, like the Neo3, primarily sell in Europe and Asia. Pico is promoting the weight and comfort of the wireless headset. It comes at 295g without the strap and is a smaller, thinner headset than the Quest 2. Pico claims that the 5300mAh battery that rests behind the head should last around 3 hours. The headset includes a glasses spacer, so four-eyed people like me can wear the damn thing. The haptic motion controllers have everything you'd expect to see for gaming, like a couple of face buttons, triggers, and a thumbstick. The design of the controllers allows for your hands to be closer together, and built-in sensors give a wide degree of movement. Interestingly enough, the Pico 4 will support hand tracking, so you can use some apps and games without controllers. Steam in your hands (Image credit: Future, FromSoftware)Steam Deck review: Our verdict on Valve's handheld PC. Steam Deck availability: How to get one. Steam Deck battery life: What's the real battery life of the new device? How loud is the Steam Deck? And will it pass the Significant Other test? Steam Deck - The emulation dream machine: Using Valve's handheld hardware as the ultimate emulator. Games on the VR headset will be available through the Pico Store and support games through Steam VR. However, Pico announced a partnership with Ubisoft, which will be releasing Just Dance VR exclusively on Pico 4. There will be something called Pico Worlds that's launching in 2023, which seems to be its version of Horizon Worlds, where you can create an avatar and take part in metaverse hijinx. The Pico 4 starts at £429 and is available for preorder in parts of Europe and Asia. The VR headset doesn't seem like it will make its way to the US anytime soon. According to some recent job postings, Pico has hinted at releasing its products in the States. Folks who are Pico Neo3 Link beta program members can preorder starting today. Pico tells us to expect more information about the Pico 4 Pro: it's more expensive, premium headset with eye-tracking tech, which should be out later in October during AWE Lisbon. View the full article

As reported by GamesRadar, Slime Rancher 2, the sequel to 2017's first-person goop creature farming simulator, just launched in early access to massive sales success. Posting on Twitter, the game's director, Nick Popovich, characterized the game's success as being beyond the team's wildest expectations. "I had a pipe dream in my head that we could sell 100k copies of Slime Rancher 2 in the first 24 hours if the stars aligned," Popovich wrote. "We did that in less than 6 hours." In a different tweet, Popovich revealed that a single hour of sales beat Monomi Park's previous best day by "a literal order of magnitude." Slime Rancher 2 takes the first game's protagonist, Beatrix, to a new locale, the Rainbow Island, and expands on its lineup of goopy guys while also letting players build a fancy new conservatory. The community on Steam is responding very well to developer Monomi Park's changes. The game has maintained an "Overwhelmingly Positive" score across 2,900 reviews and counting. My favorite takeaway was from user god gamer xchad, who simply stated, "The voices in my head are quiet again thank you monomi park." Damn, Slime Rancher 2 must be really good, maybe it could help me with my issues. To see if Monomi Park's latest quieted the voices in our heads, be sure to check out our in-depth Slime Rancher 2 impressions. You can wishlist the game now or purchase it yourself for $30 on Steam. View the full article

The rollout of the Diablo 2: Resurrected 2.5 patch yesterday seems to have kicked off an ARG that has players working to decode numeric strings hidden in the game's chat lobby. The fun began with the announcement that the 2.5 patch had gone live, which included an odd image way down at the very bottom, accompanied by the message, "We were flipping through the old Diablo 2 manual [PDF format] and found this confounding inscription... What does it all mean?" (Image credit: Blizzard) The full image is very high resolution, so everything in it is clearly visible. The scribbled strings of text in the notebook are the obvious highlight but Reddit—because it's always Reddit—quickly noticed that one coin in the image is different from all the rest. It bears the words "Keep the Core—Resurrected—???? - 2021," and is also physically identical to the chat gem in the Diablo 2: Resurrected lobby. From there, they figured out that it's a Vigenère cipher, and that by using "resurrected" as the key the three lines of text scrawled in the notebook translate to, "so many gems what do these orange numbers mean." That doesn't make much sense in itself, but of course that wasn't the end of the chase. Pop into the Diablo 2: Resurrected chat lobby and start clicking the chat gem to activate and deactivate it, and eventually (it might take awhile) you'll be given an orange number. It looks like this. (Image credit: Blizzard) It took me a solid three minutes of clicking like a fiend before that number popped; more industrious fans have put together macros that auto-click multiple times per second, saving wear and tear on both mouse and finger. Like old book-based DRM, those numbers—and again, this is entirely Reddit figuring it out, I am terrible at ARGs and can claim no credit—translate to specific words in the Diablo 2 instruction manual. The first three numbers in the strung represent where the word will be in the hidden message; the next two are the page number in the manual; the next two are the line number; and the final two are the number of the word. So in my case, for instance, 558 13 06 15 translates to the word "new." These words are being shared in threads on the Diablo, Diablo 2, and Diablo 2: Resurrected subreddits, as well as a couple of Discord servers, and from there into a large Google Docs spreadsheet, where a detailed record of work progress is being tracked and a (somewhat) coherent secret message is beginning to coalesce. A large part of the message has already been decoded, and it's filled with passages like "It drives east, east to be released by the other two dark stones," and "The shadow of a past light carrying within it the spark of evil brothers." The verbiage is difficult to parse because it's incomplete and possibly out of order, but it's definitely very Diablo. Interestingly, this doesn't appear to be entirely new. PCGamesN recalled a 2021 tweet from original Diablo co-creator David Brevik asking if "the special code for the chat gem [will] still be in Resurrected?" The obvious implication is that some sort of hidden funkiness was also present in the original Diablo 2, which was released in June 2000—more than 20 years ago. That's an awfully long time for a secret to go undiscovered, but such things aren't unprecedented in computer software: This Windows 1.0 Easter egg went unfound for almost twice as long before being uncovered earlier this year. Perhaps the most important question of the day. Will the special code for the chat gem still be in Resurrected? https://t.co/ORFQtKTzWJFebruary 19, 2021 See more The Diablo Fan Wiki also refers to secrets hidden within the chat gem in the original Diablo 2, although not numeric codes specifically. It's possible that Blizzard is simply building on that legend with a new ARG. Whatever the case, at this point nobody knows where it's all headed. It could be a stealth reveal of a new feature—Blizzard does that sort of thing once in a while—or it might be some deep lore that's been lying undiscovered for the past couple of decades. As a more long-shot guess, maybe there's a big Diablo 4 reveal that's about to spring forth, although to me that seems extremely unlikely. It's also possible that the message will not be the end at all, but just the next step toward even more, deeper mysteries. Whatever's going on, we'll likely have the answer soon: The Diablo fan base is working hard, and the hidden message is being decoded quickly. View the full article

I'm running around at top speed vacuuming up cartoon apples so I can fire them into the mouth of a giant grinning blob with the feverish desperation of someone trying to take down an enemy APC with a grenade launcher. Why? I have no idea. All I know is, there's an enormous slime blocking the opening of a cave, and it likes eating fruit, and maybe if I feed it enough something will happen so I can enter the cave. Yeah, but why? I don't know! I really don't know. There's a cave I can't enter because the blob is in the way. There might be something cool in the cave. I will spend as long as it takes to find out. Like Disney's Dreamlight Valley, Slime Rancher 2 excels at compelling you to do things because you might get to do more things once you've done those other things. Armed with a vacuum gun, you begin in a base with just enough of a tutorial to let you know that sucking up slimes, expelling them into a holding pen, and feeding them their favorite snacks will result in them pooting out gems. Suck up the gems and fire them into the stock market to earn coins, or fling them into your fabricator to print out gear upgrades. That's about all the game tells you. While Dreamlight Valley spells everything out for you with an infinite to-do list, Slime Rancher 2 mostly lets you figure things out for yourself after the first 90 seconds, which is kinda nice, actually. Early on while sucking up slimes, carrots, and gems, I came across a weird little geyser spewing some kind of inky fluid that I couldn't vacuum up. But looking at my fabricator's menu, I saw an upgrade I could craft that would allow me to gather "science resources" from "nodes in the environment." Inky geyser fluid feels sciencey and loosely qualifies as a node, so I figured that's what I needed. Sure enough I was soon slurping up those geyers and other new resources I could use to build more upgrades. Slime Rancher 2 knows just how to keep me motivated. While dashing around hoovering up carrots and chickens to feed my imprisoned slimes, I could spy barely visible objects on the top of distant cliffs or archways and immediately wanted to find a way up to collect them. With my base at the center of the map, most of the world is gated off in three directions, covered in the 'fog of more' (I simply can't call it 'fog of war' in this cheerful place) making me anxious to unlock it and see what the rest of the map looks like. The spacious base makes me wonder what else I can build inside it, like gardens, silos, and ponds, with an underground annex promising still more room to build. I only have four slots on my vacuum gun, each capable of holding stacks of one item, so I already have an ongoing quest to add more slots and storage capacity. That's all the reason I need to keep sucking up everything I find. (Image credit: Monomi Park) Even without the to-do list growing in my head, Slime Rancher 2 is a beautiful, colorful world to spend time in. Slimes are plump and adorable (though a bit gross when they leave a smear of goo on the ground or walls) and everything looks so darn fluffy. Even rocks and boulders look comfy enough to curl up on and take a nap. There be monsters, though: scary Tar blobs appear at night in droves, consuming everything in their path and happy to take a bite out of you (though they can be disabled in the menu if you want a completely gentle experience). I only briefly played Monomi Park's original Slime Rancher, so I can't really make a comparison between the games, but Early access or not, Slime Rancher 2 feels polished and fun and wholesome, unless you think too long about putting cute blobs in jail and watching them go feral if you don't feed them enough. (Image credit: Monomi Park) I do have a couple small complaints: the sprint meter feels completely unnecessary in a game like this (just let me run at top speed at all times, because what's the harm?) I also wouldn't mind an on-screen compass so I know which direction I'm facing without having to open my map. But despite those little objections, I can already feel my impending weekend being sucked into Slime Rancher 2 the same way I'm sucking slimes up into my vacuum. There was something cool in the cave the giant slime was blocking, by the way. Several somethings, actually, but best of all a cute kitty slime that I promptly vacuumed up and who now lives at my base, an adorable new prisoner. See, all that time spent shooting fruit into a giant blob's mouth was worth it. I knew it would be, even though I didn't know why. View the full article

2014’s Freedom Planet changed the Sonic The Hedgehog fan scene. It was one of the first big projects to shed its borrowed Sega branding and become its own thing—not just in terms of aesthetics and setting, but mechanically, too. Channeling the spirit of Japanese studio Treasure (Gunstar Heroes, Ikaruga, etc), Freedom Planet blended Sonic’s speedy platforming with playful, expressive aerial movement and satisfying boss-bludgeoning combat. It was great fun, but the indie developers behind it had bigger plans. After seven long years in development, the sequel is now available, and it was worth the wait. Need To KnowWhat is it?: A speedy platformer with crunchy combat and dozens of bosses. Expect to pay: $24.99/£19.99 Release date: September 13th, 2022 Developer: GalaxyTrail Publisher: GalaxyTrail Played on: Windows 11, Nvidia 2080 Ti, Intel i9-9900k @ 4.9ghz, 32GB RAM Multiplayer: None Store page: Steam, Itch.io For newcomers, I’d recommend starting with the first game. It’s still a gem, and the story won’t make much sense without it. The sequel is a loosely Sonic-inspired platformer starring a cast of cute kung-fu animals in a broadly Asian sci-fi world. While there are opportunities to go really fast, ride rails and run on walls and ceilings in classic Sonic style, the focus here is more on playful, agile navigation. Several levels are exploration- and even puzzle-focused, and even the faster stages reward climbing into weird corners with hidden areas and collectibles. As well as the physics being more forgiving of slowpokery (you can just power your way up vertical walls from a near-stop) each of the four playable characters has additional air mobility options, from double jumps to glides and combat moves like air dashes and uppercuts that extend air time - they’re essential to reach the more unusual routes. Everybody’s kung fu fighting Combat is as fundamental as movement here. Smaller enemies can just be blitzed through, and larger ones take only one or two hits from your bigger attacks, maintaining flow. Combat slows down during the (many) boss fights, but these are almost all a joy, thanks to their clear attack patterns, eye-catching designs (often featuring dozens of moving sprites, letting bosses shake, rattle, roll and shapeshift) and sheer scale. Combat channels Treasure classics like Gunstar Heroes: fights range from one-on-one brawls with similarly scaled characters to titanic robots several screens high, putting those platforming skills to the test. FP2 also adds an extremely powerful block button that lets you negate almost all damage if properly timed. With it, it’s possible to win every single fight without taking a hit. If Freedom Planet felt like a Mega Drive game, Freedom Planet 2 is the snazzier Sega Saturn sequel: Sprites are bigger and more animated, and there’s plenty of rotation and zoom effects used. While the basics of movement feel familiar, there’s more control given to all characters. Main heroine Lilac can now chain double-jumps and air-dashes to give huge mobility even without platforms, and Carol the wildcat is now untethered, able to wall-jump and place her own jump-boosters. It’s liberating stuff, and missing a jump can easily be recovered from in style, making FP2 a very forgiving game; It wants you to have fun on your own terms. On top of difficulty settings and a range of accessibility options, there are unlockable items that can greatly reduce or increase difficulty in interesting ways. Want to race against the dev’s par times or clear stages with a single hit point? Do it. Or you can start each stage with powerups, bonus lives, or extra powers like health-leeching attacks. While the vanilla experience is excellently tuned, you’re invited to tweak those dials if you feel the need. Fast platforming, slow-cooked to perfection It’s easy to see how this took seven years to create. Every level is visually and mechanically distinct, often with a shift in aesthetic around the mid-way point. Between levels, there’s a world map to wander with multiple towns, packed with interesting characters that have new things to say after every major plot beat. Every NPC has a distinct sprite animated as cleanly as any of the main cast, too. These are the kind of details that only come from a truly passionate development team. You can feel it in the writing and voice work, too. Freedom Planet could get wrapped up in itself, leaving cutscenes running overlong, and some of the cast clearly had better recording equipment than others. That’s all fixed here, and they’ve roped in some familiar anime talent, including Chris Sabat (Vegeta and Piccolo from Dragon Ball Z’s dub) who delivers a great performance as burly brawler Askal—a performance aided by some cheeky Dragon Ball-esque sound effects. Image 1 of 13 (Image credit: GalaxyTrail)Image 2 of 13 (Image credit: GalaxyTrail)Image 3 of 13 (Image credit: GalaxyTrail)Image 4 of 13 (Image credit: GalaxyTrail)Image 5 of 13 (Image credit: GalaxyTrail)Image 6 of 13 (Image credit: GalaxyTrail)Image 7 of 13 (Image credit: GalaxyTrail)Image 8 of 13 (Image credit: GalaxyTrail)Image 9 of 13 (Image credit: GalaxyTrail)Image 10 of 13 (Image credit: GalaxyTrail)Image 11 of 13 (Image credit: GalaxyTrail)Image 12 of 13 (Image credit: GalaxyTrail)Image 13 of 13 (Image credit: GalaxyTrail) Even Freedom Planet 2’s setting feels heartfelt and rich. Picking up several years after the first game, FP2 blends a mixture of anime tropes, western Saturday morning cartoon dialogue and voicework, and an interesting mix of Chinese and Philippine culture, myth and design. Despite its cartoon energy, the story tackles some heavy topics, including the long-lasting fallout of colonialism and the erasure of indigenous cultures. I know that sounds dicey for a platformer inspired by Sonic the Hedgehog but it somehow sticks the landing. My first run through FP2 took a solid eight hours, and there are three other characters with their own gameplay mechanics, cutscenes and dialogue I still want to play with. There’s not much to nitpick here. While FP2 nicely supports high refresh monitors (great for a fast-moving game like this), it renders at an intentionally low resolution to maintain its Saturn-esque aesthetic. While usually fine, when the camera zooms out to show larger areas or keep up with a speeding player, things get a bit rough and pixely. There’s also a couple boss fights that are a bit weaker than the rest, but two or three mediocre fights out of around forty is still a fantastic batting average. Freedom Planet 2 is already one of my favorite games of 2022. While I’d recommend playing the two games in order, if you only have time for one speedy 2D platformer this year, this is the one you want. View the full article

Respawn Entertainment took to Twitter this week with a statement condemning the “increased harassment” its employees have faced over the variety of issues plaguing the popular battle royale shooter Apex Legends. Read more... View the full article

The World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Classic release is almost here, so it's a good time to make sure you truly are prepared for your adventure to Northrend. The second-ever WoW expansion is arguably the most popular—as the server queues will testify—and will see us travelling to the northern continent where the Lich King has made his home. So what time can you expect to play the new (old?) expansion? In this Wrath Classic release guide, I'll go through the launch times for each region, broken down by time zone. That way, you can get in the snacks and start your journey in Howling Fjord or Borean Tundra as soon as it goes live. (Image credit: Blizzard) Wrath Classic release times Wrath of the Lich King Classic will launch globally on September 26 or 27, depending on your time zone. You can check out the screenshot above for the launch map, though I've listed many of the locations below for easy reference. Here are the release times for Wrath Classic: Los Angeles: 3 pm PDT New York: 6 pm EDTLondon: 11 pm BSTParis: 12 am CEST (Sept 27)Korea: 7 am KST (Sept 27)Sydney: 8 am AEST (Sept 27) Your Battle.net launcher should automatically download any updates required ahead of time, so you'll be ready to go once Wrath Classic goes live. View the full article

Recent times have seen some gaming companies, and most notably Bungie, step up their efforts to shield staff from the more unpleasant elements of fandom. In Bungie's case the studio's taking action against not only cheaters, but serial harassers of its staff who have issued violent threats. Now Respawn, the Vince Zampella-led studio behind Apex Legends and Titanfall, has felt it necessary to warn elements of its community about their behaviour. "Recently, we have seen increased harassment towards members of our development team," reads a statement posted to social media. "We welcome community input, however, the line between constructive feedback and the harassment of our dev team cannot be crossed." The studio goes on to basically say: chat 'frack', get banged. "We want to remind our players that we have a zero tolerance policy for threats and the harassment of our developers. We will take appropriate action to ensure the health and safety of our team. "We love hearing feedback and will continue to work alongside our community to foster a respectful, collaborative environment, and uphold the competitive integrity of our game." There's no indication of what specifically triggered this (yet), though it says everything that Respawn decided to go public with such a statement. It is of course ridiculous that anyone involved in the making of videogames should be subject to harassment or threats, but unfortunately we live in a world where a substantial number of folks take games—and it does seem particularly acute when it comes to live service games—far too seriously indeed. Shortly after the statement was posted, good old Bungie came in with a message of support: Standing against toxicity and harassment takes all of us working together to build healthier communities. We are with you in that effort @respawn.September 22, 2022 See more In an almost perfectly comic illustration of the way the internet works, Respawn replying to this with an orange heart emoji instantly had some random speculating "Collaboration in the works?!?!?!" I sincerely doubt that Bungie and Respawn have chosen to announce a collaboration over statements saying 'don't harass our staff', but that's the kind of over-analysing obsessiveness so common online (albeit in this case with no bad intent). In any event, we all love games but some folk maybe love them a bit too much: Respawn really shouldn't have ever had to issue a statement like this, that should go without saying. Sadly, it had to. View the full article

The best audiophile headphones for gaming make your games pop. You might think it's overkill to use high-end headphones for gaming, but they can transform your experience. They can simply make your games sound so much better than a cheap headset ever can. Great audio is a staple of PC gaming, and your PC is very likely set up to deliver everything that excellent audio has to offer. You might want to look into picking up a sound card or a DAC/Amp down the line, but they're not essential, at least not straight away. These audiophile headphones are the sort that offer impeccable sound quality out of the box without fancy greebles like RGB lighting. The headphones we've had cradling our ears will produce stellar sound and stand out from the best gaming headsets in our testing. Few audiophile headphones have microphones, but that's less of an issue than it has been in the past. Not because we believe in solo gaming as the only way to play, but because cheap gaming microphones are fantastic these days. Headsets like the Nuraphone have microphone attachments you can order to convert your set of cans into a gaming headset. Don't expect to see that many gaming-related features mind, such as 7.1 surround or fancy RGB illumination, as these are built for the purest aural experience. Which also means they tend to be a lot more expensive, too. Especially when the focus is comfort and sound. The audiophile rabbit hole is something it's all too easy to fall down when you start chasing a sound that can't be caught, but can you really put a price on total audio immersion? No. And yet, we've tested and ranked the headsets below with pricing in mind, so you can better understand which will suit your audiophilic needs. Best audiophile headphones for gaming Image 1 of 5 (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 5 (Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 5 (Image credit: Future)Image 4 of 5 (Image credit: Future)Image 5 of 5 (Image credit: Future) 1. Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X The best audiophile headphones for gaming Wireless: No | Driver-type: STELLAR.45 | Connectivity: 3.5mm & 6.35mm adapter for mini-XLR | Frequency response: 5–40,000Hz | Operating principle: Open back | Features: Velour earpads | Weight: 345g Incredible audio performanceSupremely comfortableHandsome and solid constructionWorks with just about anythingNo detachable or in-line micInitial clamping is too tight The very same qualities that make the Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X perfect for long hours of critical listening, mixing, and mastering of audio are perfect when gaming. And you get everything needed in a set of headphones for gaming. Let’s start with the build and comfort. These are extremely well-built headphones with a level of comfort that is hard to beat. Forget even lambskin leather, these pads wrap your ears with heavenly comfort. The huge circular velour pads completely cover the ears and fellow bespectacled gamers won't face any discomfort either. I don't know how long they'll last but thankfully, they are replaceable. The spring steel headband has memory foam padding and keeps those muffs well clamped to your head which gives the excellent sound seal despite the open back nature. While you can hear your environment, it's not as transparent as something like my Drop PC38X. Initially, the clamping force was way too strong that I couldn’t comfortably wear them for longer than an hour. I had to manually stretch them out over a few days and now they're perfect for me. Beyerdynamic includes two different cable lengths cables; 3m and a shorter 1.8m for console gamepads, Nintendo Switch. or smart devices. These cables didn't make any noise, which was something that was present on the MMX 100. The low power requirement of 48 ohms allows you to use the DT 900 Pro X on almost anything without needing an amplifier too. The DT 900 Pro X is almost surgical in precision, allowing me to hear layers of bass that hits just right. As an open-back style headset, the DT 900 Pro X surprised me with how punchy the audio is unlike the somewhat anaemic, airy audio I've experienced in other open backs. The STELLAR.45 driver employed here is perfectly tuned for a flat profile that slaps whatever you're listening to. From classical sonnets to Snoop Dogg bass hits, nothing sounded bad. Forget your typical bloated gamer bass. The DT 900 Pro X is almost surgical in precision, allowing me to hear layers of bass that hits just right without ever dominating and muddying the equally sharp highs. Beyer really wasn’t kidding when they said these cans are for critical listening. You hear everything. I've only recently started playing the exceptional Ghost of Tsushima and these headphones bring the game world to life in a way that's just hard to describe. From the Samurai inspired soundtrack to the guttural sounds of a dying Mongol to the gentle sounds of wind chimes moving in the wind. You hear everything with a level of clarity and liveliness better than any set of headphones I’ve ever used. Being open-back, the audio has room to breathe giving it a more natural sound that has you stopping to check if what you're hearing is in the game or the real world. Listening to the sounds of rushing streams, birds chirping, and oh boy, the guiding winds blowing through the gorgeous forests and fields truly made me feel like I was in the world. Turning to competitive shooters like CoD Warzone and Apex Legends, the impressive clarity and fantastic audio positioning make it easy to identify the location and relative distance of opponents. Every bullet sings and whines, explosions boom and shake and environments come to life. With all the qualities mentioned above, it goes without saying that if you are into content creation, the DT 900 Pro X will help you create the most accurate audio for your audience. Since a lot of us are now dabbling in some form of creation be it streaming, podcasting or YouTube, these are a no brainer. Read our full Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X review. Image 1 of 4 (Image credit: Audeze)Image 2 of 4 (Image credit: Audeze)Image 3 of 4 (Image credit: Audeze)Image 4 of 4 (Image credit: Audeze) 2. Audeze LCD-1 The best planar magnetic headphones for gaming Wireless: No | Driver-type: 90mm Planar Magnetic | Connectivity: 3.5mm wired | Frequency response: 10–50,000Hz | Operating principle: Open back | Features: Detachable cables | Weight: 250g Stunning audioOpen back design is less tiring over long sessionsTakes a while to warm upOpen back sound leakage I will make no apologies about the fact that I love planar magnetic drivers. My first taste of them came with my beloved Oppo PM-3 headphones, which are sadly no longer available. But they were closed back cans, while the Audeze LCD-1 headphones use an open back design, which perfectly complements the ultra-detailed audio of a planar magnetic driver. Sadly it's looking like the LCD-1s are close to end of life now, too. They are still available from a few dedicated outlets, and so still have my recommendation if you can find them. But availability is tight, and with that you have to watch out for inflated pricing. But they are outstanding headphones, though they can be almost painfully detailed out of the box. That's because planar magnetic drivers take a while to warm up—in general I've found that to take maybe 16-20 hours of use—and until then the sound can be a little... pointy. But they age like a fine wine, and once you've bedded in the LCD-1 cans the audio becomes beautifully warm and rich, though still just as detailed and accurate. And if you want to experience genuine aural immersion in your favorite game worlds the combination of an expansive open back design and such great-sounding drivers becomes unbeatable. I switch between the wireless Razer BlackShark V2 Pro and these wired beauties during my gaming time, and though I think Razer's latest drivers are excellent, they cannot compare with the audio fidelity the LCD-1 drivers are able to produce. They're simply stunning when it comes to kicking back and listening to some high-res audio, but equally when you're seeking total immersion in your chosen game. Sometimes the broad soundscape can be too good, however. I've had instances where it's all but impossible to tell whether that faint noise at the edge of my hearing has actually come from the game or someone creeping around my house late at night. The only downside is that because of the open back principle it means your game audio can be heard by anyone sitting near you, and they don't have any form of passive noise cancelling. These are headphones to be used on your own, in perfect gaming isolation. And they're utter audio bliss. Image 1 of 4 (Image credit: Sennhiesser)Image 2 of 4 (Image credit: Sennheiser)Image 3 of 4 (Image credit: Sennheiser)Image 4 of 4 (Image credit: Sennheiser) 3. Sennheiser HD 650 The classic audiophile 'phones from Sennheiser are still great Wireless: No | Driver-type: 42mm Dynamic | Connectivity: 6.3mm wired | Frequency response: 10–41,000Hz | Operating principle: Open back | Features: 6.3mm to 3.5mm adapter | Weight: 260g Excellent high-end responseClearly defined audioOpen soundstageMaybe a little light on the bass tones Sennheiser has made a mighty name for itself in the audio equipment game. That's primarily built on headphones like these: the Sennheiser HD 650. This quality pair of cans sets the standard for high-end home audio thanks to highly detailed drivers and a gorgeous open sound. The HD 650 is a prime advocate of the so-called "Sennheiser sound". That means it excels at the high-end and delivers superb clarity and definition right the way through the frequency range. I've found it is definitely lighter on the bass response compared to most gaming headsets and planar magnetics, though, and whether that flatter sound works will have to be up to you . But you could say that lighter bass is because this pair of headphones isn't trying to augment your audio—only delivering something close to the real digital deal. For that reason, I think this is a great headset if you want to chase spotless audio delivered impeccably through a wide soundstage. That's also why it's a shoo-in for every aural experience, be that gaming or listening to music. For me, its a great fit for pretty much everything. And if you balk at the price, the Sennheiser HD 650 are very well built and the second-hand market is a great place to find a slightly cheaper pair. Just don't expect any massive discounts (unless you're lucky); these headphones really hold their value. One thing to note: Sennheiser recently sold off its audiophile headphone business to hearing aid company, Sonova. We don't suspect much to change in the short-term as a result of the acquisition, but it wouldn't be surprising to see prices spike for second-hand Sennheiser pairs once the deal is signed off, which is meant to happen before the year's up. Image 1 of 8 (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 8 (Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 8 (Image credit: Future)Image 4 of 8 (Image credit: Future)Image 5 of 8 (Image credit: Nura)Image 6 of 8 (Image credit: Nura)Image 7 of 8 (Image credit: Nura)Image 8 of 8 (Image credit: Nura) 4. Nuraphone The best noise cancelling headphones Wireless: Yes | Driver-type: Dynamic inner ear: 15mm, outer ear: 40mm | Connectivity: Bluetooth, 3.5mm wired | Frequency response: 10–40,000Hz | Operating principle: Closed back | Features: Digital noise cancelling, Alexa compatibility, built-on touch controls, ambient sound function, USB-C fast charging, 30-hour battery life | Weight: 300g Beautiful designExcellent personalized soundTop-notch active noise controlGaming mic is $50 extraAurally invasive I've heard about the Nuraphone from folks who've backed it on Kickstarter for years now. As it turns out, people who like Nuraphone headphones really like Nuraphone headphones. The Nuraphones have already gone through a handful of significant updates since their successful Kickstarter launch three years ago. Most notably, the introduction of active noise cancellation (ANC) software update and a gaming microphone attachment ($50) attempt to rival even the most premium gaming headsets. You'll notice something slightly different about the Nuraphones from the images below, and I'm sure you're already asking, 'what's the point of those things on the inside?' Aside from giving you two layers to block outside noise, the twinned design also offers parallel drivers on each ear. The uvula-like in-ears offer the upper-frequency goods and leave the low-tones and deep bass to the better-suited over-the-ear portion. It's like having a pair of speakers for both left and right channels. The Nuraphones have already gone through a handful of significant updates since their successful Kickstarter launch three years ago. Most notably, the introduction of active noise cancellation (ANC) and a gaming microphone attachment ($50) attempt to rival even the most premium gaming headsets. The Nuraphone is, simply put, a beautifully designed headset with a lovely compromise of silicone and stainless steel. It's simple, modern, and isn't embarrassing to wear in public. The minimalist design gives me plenty of Bose NC Headphones 700 vibes with its slim headband and roomy ear cups. As much as I dig the look of Nuraphones, there are limitations in the design that affect day-to-day use. The lack of controls or knobs puts you in this weird position of choosing what sort of headset controls matter to you the most. Each side of the headphones has one touch-sensitive button that relegates things to single and double-tap controls. I wear glasses, so whenever I fiddle around with the headphones to get the right fit, I accidentally tap the capacitive buttons. I find myself skipping tracks or suddenly playing music in the middle of a work call more often than I appreciate. Despite these issues, the Nuraphone offers incredible sound. The personalized audio tuning feels like the headphones provide the 'right sound' for my ears. The Nuraphone is an excellent set of wireless headphones, and the gaming microphone attachment makes it a decent gaming headset. It's one of the best-looking pairs of cans you find right now, and custom sound profiles offer rich and detailed soundscapes like no other thing out there. If you're looking for a headset for just gaming, the Nuraphones aren't it, though—$450 (adding in the microphone, which is a must for gaming) is simply too huge an ask if you are mostly looking for gaming-centric features. Read our full Nuraphone headset review. Image 1 of 4 (Image credit: VMODA)Image 2 of 4 (Image credit: V-Moda)Image 3 of 4 (Image credit: V-Moda)Image 4 of 4 (Image credit: V-Moda) 5. V-Moda M-200 The best headphones for music and gaming Wireless: No | Driver-type: 50mm | Connectivity: 3.5mm wired | Frequency response: 5–40,000Hz | Features: Foldable stainless steel headband, noise isolating earpads | Operating principle: Closed back | Weight: 290g Great Compact DesignLightweightClean, accurate soundCustom platesNot so great micFit a little too tightNo lightning or USB Type-C adapter These pro-grade cans feature large 50mm drivers and have a wide frequency response of 5Hz to 40kHz. They are excellent for music and, more importantly, gaming. My favorite thing about the M-200 is the light, compact design. At only 290 grams, it’s a great candidate for commute, work, and play. But these are absolutely reference headphones, and that means you are getting a flatter EQ than a standard gaming headset. That's exactly what you want when you're trying to master a music track or edit the audio on your latest video, but such a neutral aural experience find can sometimes feel lackluster when it comes to a gaming experience. If you're after purity of sound, however, the V-Moda M-200 headphones really do deliver, and their closed-back design means you get good audio and decent noise canceling too. The aim is to get you "closer to perfection," and they certainly do get mighty close. My only gripes are that the headset can be a tight fit for those with big noggings (like myself) and the surprising lack of a Lightning/USB Type-C adaptor. V-Moda sells a Lightning cable for $100, which is pricey considering the headset already costs $350. Best gaming laptop | Best gaming monitor Best PC controller | Best capture card | Best SSD for gaming Are audiophile headphones good for gaming?If you want the best sound in your games, then picking a pair of headphones designed to deliver perfect aural clarity and defined, accurate audio is going to deliver a great gaming experience. Throw in an open back pair design, and you'll hear the most natural reproduction of your chosen gameworld that you can possibly achieve. The downside is that audiophile headphones are expensive, benefit from good sound hardware inside your PC—yes, there are still soundcards out there, people—and the open operating principle means there can be a fair bit of sound leakage and no passive noise cancelling. You also don't get a microphone on most audiophile headphones, but such is the wealth of great budget gaming mics, that's not an issue. Are open back headphones good for gaming?An open back headphone design will give you the most natural soundscape for your games, which is especially immersive in large, open-world games. It's also less fatiguing on the ears for a long gaming session, too, because the sound waves don't just bounce around your lugholes. Closed back headphones, however, are good for noise canceling and if you game in a room where other people might be affected by the sounds leaking from your cans. But the closed design can affect the sound itself, as it interacts with the ear cups. View the full article

After the recent reveal of Nvidia's 40-series graphics cards, you're probably one of many scrunching your nose up over the pricing. Well, the company's CEO, Jensen Huang has some words of wisdom to share with you and perhaps ease your wallet into opening just that little bit wider. In a press conference, Gordon Ong of PC world asked, "Is there anything you would like to say to the community regarding pricing on the new generation of parts, as well as, can they expect to see better pricing at some point and basically address all the loud screams that I'm seeing everywhere?" After complimenting the guy on his choice of R2D2 background (seconded), Jensen had this to say: "Moore's law is dead. And the ability for Moore's Law to deliver twice the performance at the same cost, or the same performance at half the cost every year and a half is over. It's completely over. "And so the idea that the chip is going to go down in cost over time, unfortunately, is a story of the past." These are bold words from the green team, reflected in the price difference we've been presented with between the previous generation's RTX 3080/RTX 3090 cards and their respective successors in the RTX 40-series. Nvidia RTX 40-series specs RTX 3080 (10GB)RTX 3080 (12GB)RTX 4080 (12GB)RTX 4080 (16GB)GPUGA102-200-KD-A1GA102-220-A1AD104-400AD103-300CUDA Cores8,7048,9607,6809,728Base Clock1,440MHz1,260MHz2,310MHz2,210MHzBoost Clock1,710MHz1,710MHz2,610MHz2,510MHzMemory Bus320-bit384-bit192-bit256-bitMemory Type10GB GDDR6X12GB GDDR6X12GB GDDR6X16GB GDDR6XMemory Speed19Gbps19Gbps21Gbps23GbpsGraphics Card Power (W)320W350W285W320WRequired System power (W)750W750W700W750WLaunch Price$699$799$899$1,199 Looking at the $200 uptick from our beloved 10GB RTX 3080 to its 12GB RTX 40-series successor likely gave you a bit of a shock. There may be an increase in clock and memory speeds, but the numbers are almost negligible, especially when you spot the reduction in memory bandwidth. The pricing vs. specification here has had a good deal of people wondering whether the RTX 4080 12GB should go under an entirely different name. And the decision is made even more confusing when you consider just how massively cut back the newer cards are from their respective 90-tier sisters. Nvidia RTX 40-series specs RTX 3090 TiRTX 4090 GPUGA102-350-A1AD102-300CUDA Cores10,75216,384Base Clock1,560MHz2,230MHzBoost Clock1,860MHz2,520MHzMemory Bus384-bit384-bitMemory Type24GB GDDR6X24GB GDDR6XMemory Speed21Gbps21GbpsGraphics Card Power (W)450W450WRequired System power (W)850W850WLaunch Price$1,999$1,599 The difference between the RTX 3090 Ti and the RTX 4090 perhaps gives the story a little more context. While there's been an exceptional increase in the number of CUDA cores, as well as improvements to the base and boost clock speeds between the Hopper and Ada Lovelace flagships, Nvidia has still managed to bring the successor in at $400 less than its predecessor. That evens everything out a little, and it's clear there's never an absolute correlation between specs and price. As our Jeremy points out, the numbers are not as clear-cut as they seem. To be fair to Nvidia, we are looking at a complete switch in chip supplier—from Samsung to TSMC—between the 30-series and 40-series cards. Jensen points out that "a 12-inch wafer is a lot more expensive today than it was yesterday. And it's not a little bit more expensive; it is a tonne more expensive." Your next upgrade (Image credit: Future)Best CPU for gaming: The top chips from Intel and AMD Best gaming motherboard: The right boards Best graphics card: Your perfect pixel-pusher awaits Best SSD for gaming: Get into the game ahead of the rest Since TSMC's 4nm production capacity is highly sought after right now, we can only speculate just how much Nvidia is being charged for manufacturing the Ada Lovelace processors. Ultimately, we can't expect Nvidia to swallow all the extra manufacturing costs if that's been the case; some of it will inevitably trickle down to the consumer. The question remains, are users willing to spend what Nvidia is asking for an RTX 4080 card? The recent scramble for the RTX 30-series cards would suggest it's possible, but then we've got less to contend with this time around, thanks to the Ethereum merge all but killing GPU mining. Only time will tell, but our bet is the cards will still sell out pretty darn fast. View the full article

UK police have arrested a 17-year-old in Oxfordshire as part of an ongoing police hacking investigation. According to sources spoken to by ex-Reuters journalist Matt Keys, the arrest is directly related to the recent hack on Rockstar Games and subsequent historic leak of GTA 6 materials, and possibly last week's intrusion on Uber, too. UPDATE: @CityPolice confirm 17-year-old arrested over hacking incident; source says the crime is related to intrusion on Rockstar Games and possibly Uber Technologies. https://t.co/lLHX2cpGfA $UBERSeptember 23, 2022 See more The news comes a few days after Uber revealed that the hack on its systems—which the Rockstar hacker also took credit for—was being investigated by the FBI. Keys reports that the 17-year-old's arrest by the City of London Police was "done in concert with an investigation conducted by the FBI". He adds that the police are expected to release more information on the arrest later today, and that a statement from the FBI is also possible. Earlier this week, Uber said it believed the hack on its systems was carried out by an individual or group "affiliated with a hacking group called Lapsus$," which has also been tied to attacks on companies as big as Microsoft, Samsung, and Cisco. Those suspicions may have been well-founded: Keys' source says that the suspect in custody is "believed to be connected to a group identifying itself as 'Lapsus$'". There's a pre-existing history between Lapsus$ and teen hackers. It was only this March that a 16-year-old was arrested on suspicion of being a "multi-millionaire cyber-criminal" and leader of the group. Whether that arrest is related to this one is still unclear at this point. Those are all the details that have been made public, pending the release of further statements by the UK authorities or the FBI, but it's of course notable how closely the details of the arrest echo suspicions and allegations turned up by previous reporting on the Rockstar hack. Although it's tempting to jump to conclusions, details remain scant and the arrested teen has yet to be charged with anything. It's also unknown whether these hacks were the result of a lone wolf or a group of hackers. Someone claiming—fairly convincingly—to be behind the Uber hacks (which the GTA leaker also took credit for) said they were 18 years old, according to the NYT. It's hardly beyond belief that a teenager could lie about their age (or about being responsible for things they didn't do), but it highlights that many details remain murky at such an early stage. View the full article