Price: £92.99

Cheapest Place to Buy: Amazon UK

Type of Headphones: Open Back – Over Ear

My Rating: 10/10

Sennheiser HD 598SR Overview

In the past, my choice of sound with computers were always in the form of cheap gaming headsets, and the occasional external speaker set; I never went with headphones because I liked the added microphone that came with headsets… even though I didn’t use them.

That was the case until a friend of mine recommended me to a company who make some excellent sounding headphones called Sennheiser.

And with that, while shopping for Christmas presents for the 2017 season, I bumped into a pair of some of the best valued Sennheiser headphones I could find on Amazon… the HD 598SR headphones.

They had quite a lot of positive reviews on their Amazon page, and were on a discount sale when I found them… they were about £90 when I brought them, but their original price was well over £200…

Naturally, I thought was a very good deal, especially how highly rated they were both in Amazon and in other parts of the internet, so I decided to gift myself with them for Christmas.

Overall, I think these headphones rock, and I would like to share some of the things I adore about them with you in this review.

I also believe you should highly consider these headphones the next time you’re out looking for a new sound device to use with your PC as I think they will vastly improve your audio experience with both music and your PC games.

I shan’t dwell any more… let’s get on with the show with my review of Sennheiser’s 598SR headphones!

Sennheiser Make VERY Durable Headphones, and their 598SR’s Are NO Exception…

Let me start off this review by saying that Sennheiser headphones are perhaps one of the most durable audio peripherals I think I have ever had the pleasure of wearing and using…

For example, my friend has had their Sennheiser headphones for about a few years or so, and they still work as well as the day they brought them second hand… that’s right,
they had a previous owner before my friend got them… and they still work to this day…

While they don’t have the 598SR headphones, this durability characteristic stretches out to all headphones of Sennheiser; I wouldn’t be able to count the amount of times I’ve accidentally dropped my 598s onto the ground, but they still work a charm.

Because of their durability, you won’t have to worry too much about dropping them on the ground or putting them inside your bag while you go travelling. Of course, you should always try and treat your items with tender loving care, but just know that they won’t break as easily as other headphones on the market.

These Headphones Feel like Clouds When You Put Them on Your
Head

And I’m not exaggerating when I say it, they really do feel like clouds when you put them on! In all my life, I’ve never worn any audio device as light as these ones, and for the first time my ears don’t ache when I wear them for hours on end (yeah, I use my computer a lot )

They barely weigh a thing, and are super easy to carry around and readjust on your head if they are lopsided. You will easily be able to carry them around with you whenever you go too, and they won’t make your bag heavier to carry if you happen to place them inside.

They would be perfect headphones for the summer as their ear cups are very light and thinly layered; your ears won’t get hot and stuffy after a while of wearing them. If you’re worried about the winter season, don’t be; these headphones managed to keep my ears warm during the winter season when I brought them, and I’m the type of person with very sensitive ears.

While the Price May Be High, the Sound Quality from These Headphones Are Amazing

These are open back headphones, which means that sound will be more free and open than it would be from closed back headphones; I made a post about this which you can check out here.

But to give you an idea, these headphones will allow you to hear instruments and voices in your favourite songs which you may not have heard with other choices of sound; more specifically with closed-back headphones and/or headsets.

You will also be able to hear stuff in video games that may not be as easily picked up by closed-back devices too…

This may give you an advantage against your enemies, especially if footsteps are an essential part in finding out where your foes are; the 598SR’s will have no problem picking them up, and you will easily have the upper hand… unless they’re wearing Sennheiser headphones as well.

Of course, these headphones come with a very high price, so if you’re looking for a budget-oriented sound device, it’s probably for the best that you don’t side towards these headphones as they’re pretty expensive.

Here Are Some Pros and Cons to Recap

Before we conclude this review, I’m going to simplify what we’ve learnt about the Sennheiser 598SR headphones to help you understand their pros and cons more easily in case my rambling may have confused you in any way.

Pros

• They are very durable and will be hard to break.
• They are very light in weight and will quite literally feel like clouds on your headphone.
• Your ears won’t hurt after excessive use of them.
• They will keep your ears cool in the summer.
• The sound quality that comes from them is unmatched by many other headphones and headsets on the market.

Cons

• May not keep your ears warm during the winter.
• These headphones are pretty expensive and absolutely not budget-oriented.
• If you want a microphone with these headphones, you will need to get an external mic.

In the End, Sennheiser’s 598SRs Are Positively a Great Set of Headphones

While its cost may draw a lot of people away, and the lack of a microphone port may leave others wanting more, the build quality, quality of sound and the feather-like weight of the 598SRs are excellent in my honest opinion, and something I fully recommend you look into if you want a brand new device to listen to music and sound with either on your PC or with your smartphone or tablet.

There are many people who absolutely love their 598SR headphones, and I’m sure you will love them too if you decide to get a pair for yourself.

Thank you so much for reading this little review of mine, and if you have any questions about the 598SR headphones, please feel free to comment down below in the comments section.

Happy gaming!

Jamie – the PC Gaming Nerd

4k resolution is basically 4 times the resolution of 1080p, or more specifically 4 times the pixels which a 1080p picture would show. As you can tell, this is a HUGE improvement in picture quality, and will make the final image look very crystal clear and crisp.

However, there is something else related to the overall image of video games alongside resolution which I feel needs to be taken into consideration when talking about video games on both consoles and the PC platform… refresh rates.

What Is a Refresh Rate and What Problems Can They Have?

To put it simply, a refresh rate is the maximum amount of frames a monitor or television can show on the screen in a single second. 2 of the most popular refresh rates available for PC monitors is 60hz and 144hz. Sadly, only PC monitors are able to have insanely high refresh rates… but some people usually play their console games on PC monitors, incidently…

So, you may be wondering what happens if not enough frames are able to be shown on the monitor during your gameplay?

Nothing… nothing at all…

Anti-climatic, I know, but it’s true… the frames will still be shown with no hassle at all as long as they stay below the monitor’s refresh rate.

So, how about if your game pumps out more frames than what your monitor’s refresh rate allows? What happens then? Well, this is where things get a little bit more problematic…

The picture will still show on the monitor, but if you look very carefully you will see that the screen appears to “tear” with each movement that either your character or the video game world makes… this is called “screen tearing” and it can be very annoying if you’re somebody who can easily notice it.

Thankfully, there’s a wonderful setting called V-Sync (Vertical Synchronization) that many games have which matches up the frame rate with your monitor’s refresh rate which prevents the nuisance that is screen tearing.

While this sounds great, it also introduces input lag with can throw some off people with their gameplay, especially if it requires pin-point precision. As such, some people prefer to leave V-Sync off and endure the pesky screen tearing.

There are technologies in the making, more famously Nvidia’s G-Sync and AMD’s Freesync, which limits the frame rate to prevent screen tearing, but also brings the input lag down immensely… however monitors with this technology are expensive, so you will need to have the right amount of funds if you want less input lag with your tear-less image.

Why Do Refresh Rates Matter?

While me talking to you about refresh rates and what can happen if your PC pumps out a few too many for your monitor to handle, why exactly do refresh rates matter, and is there a difference between going high and going low with your monitor of choice?

Well, having a higher refresh rate means that your monitor will be able to show more frames without any annoying screen tearing, but this also means that you yourself will see more frames in your games… and more frames makes a huge difference to your games… and I know this personally as I’m currently rocking a 144hz monitor…

Basically, your gameplay will be far more smoother and cleaner looking which each movement your character or the world makes than if you were using a monitor with a lower refresh rate… you will notice how much more sluggish and blurry looking your movements will be.

This is why I must warn you if you’re planning to make a move to a monitor with a higher refresh rate than your previous one… you will not want to go back once you see the difference between the two.

I must also warn you, however, that you will need hardware powerful enough to run the frames that your 144hz refresh rate monitor will see… it wouldn’t be worth it at all if all your hardware could pull was just over 60 frames per second… then only a 60hz monitor would suffice for you.

Are 60hz and 144hz the Only Refresh Rates Available?

While there are different variants of refresh rates, 60hz and 144hz are the most common. Other refresh rates include 75hz, 120hz and even 240hz, which is an insane refresh rate… I couldn’t imagine how amazingly smooth gameplay would look on those kinds of monitors…

Of course, as the refresh rate of monitors increase, do does not only the price of the monitor but also the amount of power required in your hardware also…

If you want to go higher in refresh rate and have a more smoother game experience, you will need to make sure you have the right funds and hardware power to do so.

So, Which Refresh Rate Is the Better One to Play Video Games At?

So, we finally answer the question that’s probably been on your lips the entire time… which refresh rate out of 60hz and 144hz is the better one to play video games at?

Well, the answer isn’t quite simple because although I personally believe a higher refresh rate is always better, some people (and you might be included alongside them) don’t see a difference between the two and would only deem 60hz the necessary refresh rate for monitors alike.

I can’t fix what people agree on and believe me I really wish I could, but I can however say that if you want your gameplay to look smoother and maybe even help you out with top precision-required games like first person shooters, then maybe opt for a higher refresh rate monitor… as long as you have the right hardware and funds to do so.

Conclusion

Refresh rates matter a lot when it comes to video games, and there are many things you will need to take into consideration if you’re planning to make the move to a higher refresh rate than the one you’re currently rocking with.

Such things include the price of the monitors with the higher refresh rates, and if you have hardware powerful enough inside your PC to run games at the frames matching that of your monitor’s refresh rates.

If you have any questions about refresh rates, please don’t be afraid to jot a comment down below in the comments section.

Happy gaming!

Jamie – the PC Gaming Nerd

With the intense, fast paced action and breathtaking weapons that first person shooter games alike have graced us gamers with, it’s no surprise why the genre is as loved as it is.

The FPS genre is perhaps played the best on the PC platform. As it is in my opinion the most precision-based genre in the gaming industry, there is no other way it can be played then with a mouse and keyboard you get with a computer.

The PC platform has its fair share of awesome FPS games, and in this post I’m going to be listing some of the best first person shooter games for the PC in this current year.

So, without further ado, let’s get started!

1 – Fortnite

Let’s face it, you all knew this one was coming from the moment you first saw the title.

But nevertheless, Fortnite is a battle royale, first person shooter game created by Epic Games which has (and I’m going to say something I always say when I talk about Fortnite – see here and here for some examples ) taken the world by storm.

With its appealing cartoonish graphics and unique play style in which you have to build walls and bases to give defend yourself from your opponents and give yourself the upper hand against them Minecraft-style, it’s no surprise why it’s gained the raising popularity it currently has.

Did I also mention that it’s free-to-play?

If this is an FPS game that pleases your inner gamer, don’t hesitate to download it and add it to your PC game library.

• Get Fortnite for PC for free here

2 – Overwatch

From one globally popular and infamous FPS game you can get on PC to another, Overwatch is a marvellous FPS game full of diverse characters with gripping backstories and a load of very beautiful maps which the various game modes the game has to offer are played on.

Such game modes include Payload, Control Points; Deathmatch, King of the Hill and more.

Made by Blizzard Entertainment, who are perhaps most well known for their humongous MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) World of Warcraft, this is an excellent game to get into if you’re looking for a fresh and fairly competitive FPS filled with plenty of action.

As well as Fortnite, the graphics of Overwatch are also very cartoony, and is fairly suited for younger gamers as well – the lack of blood in this game also helps a little bit as well.

While the game does cost money rather than being free-to-play like Fortnite, it is still a great game and one that you should consider getting if you’re looking for a brand new FPS game to play on your PC.

• Get Overwatch Game of the Year Edition for PC on Amazon UK

3 – Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds

If you’d prefer your FPS games to have a more gritty and realistic look to its style, then Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds, or PUGB as it’s more commonly known as, may be the FPS game you might be looking for.

Just like Fortnite, this is a classic battle royale game where one hundred people drop on a map and battle it out to be the last soul alive. In fact, this is the game that made the battle royale game mode incredibly popular, and without it we may not have even gotten Fortnite’s super popular game mode.

While this game definitely has a more competitive environment to its name, and isn’t as easy on you as Fortnite is in terms of difficulty – you will suffer from many losses before you finally get your first ever “winner winner chicken dinner” 1st place – it is nevertheless a great PC FPS game that you should consider getting.

• Get PUBG for PC on Amazon UK

4 – Counter Strike: Global Offensive

Valve Software’s Counter Strike is a franchise which has tried to keep their guns as realistic as possible; in look, sound and the amount of recoil they have when you fire them.

Global Offensive is the latest game in the series, and while it’s been out for a number of years for the PC – since way back in 2012 – it continues to be a super popular PC FPS game, and brings about one of the most intense and breathtaking eSports events in the industry.

The game is super tactical and requires you to learn the recoil of the weapons to ensure that every bullet you fire out of the gun hits your target – in the game’s case, this will either be a terrorist or a counter terrorist.

If you want a more competitive and tactical FPS game for your PC line-up, CS: GO (as many people like to call it) is the video game for you.

• Get Counter Strike: Global Offensive for PC on Steam

5 – Doom (2016)

The 2016 remake of the game that made the FPS genre take off and rule the roost over the various other video game genres is, in my opinion, one of the best video game remakes that’s ever been created, and there have been a lot of various remakes made over the years…

If all the other FPS games on this list are too slow-paced for you, then oh boy are you in for a real treat with this game… this is some of the most fast-paced and explosive gameplay I think I have ever played in a video game.

If you don’t know the premise of the Doom franchise, it’s pretty much you going through various levels shooting all kinds of demons who are out to kill you. The remake to the original Doom has that, and a lot more thanks to the gory melee kills you can do to weaken demons.

This game is definitely not for youngsters, so do try to keep them away from this game if you don’t want them to have nightmares.

If you’re looking for a very gory, and fast-paced FPS game for your PC, Doom is the game for you!

• Get Doom (2016) for PC on Amazon UK

6 – Team Fortress 2

Another great game by Valve Software, Team Fortress 2 is a very old PC FPS game; it was released in October 2007, and to this day it continues to be played by thousands of people every day.

The reason why such an old game still continues to have a large fan base is simple… it’s cartoonish graphics and gameplay are super fun to engage in, and the game overall is absolutely hilarious.

Thanks to various taunts that you can do with your characters, I’ve lost count at the number of times I’ve chuckled at somebody using a taunt at the perfect possible time, specifically the infamous laughing taunt which makes your character laugh in an over-the-top manner.

Furthermore, the game became free to play forever way back in 2011, so it won’t cost you anything at all to download it from Steam and play as much as you want.

If you’re looking for a cartoonish FPS game which will make you chuckle many times, this is the one for you.

• Get Team Fortress 2 for PC for free on Steam

7 – Unreal Tournament

The Unreal Tournament franchise is another one which Fortnite developer Epic Games are well known for creating, and the latest game in the franchise is one which you definitely need to try out if you’re looking for another FPS game to add in your PC game library.

It’s a little unique as the game is still currently in development, but its free for you to download and play at any time from Epic Game’s website. The game is crowdsourced and anybody in the community is free to develop any maps, items and weapons for the game with use of the Unreal Engine, which is also free.

While the game is stilll in pre-alpha stages of development, and the team has seemingly abandoned the project for the time being to continue work on Fortnite, the game is still very fun to play, and offers breathtaking action and fast-paced gameplay.

If you want another great FPS game for your PC library, consider downloading Unreal Tournament, and who knows… maybe you’ll create a brand new map or item for it.

• Get Unreal Tournament for PC for free here

8 – Quake Champions

The final FPS PC game on this list is going to be Quake Champions from ID Software, the same guys behind the Doom franchise, and just like that one, the Quake franchise also brings fast-paced action to its gameplay.

Quake Champions is the latest in the franchise, and is available for free for you to play. However, you will only be able to play a limited amount of characters, and will have to buy a character pack in order to play the others, which is something I’m not too happy about.

Nevertheless, with the characters avalible in the free version, Quake Champions keeps the franchise’s legacy of fast-paced action and gory kills, and absolutely worth your attention if you want to add an FPS game to your PC library.

• Get Quake Champions for PC for (kinda) free here

Conclusion

And with that, we have reached the end of this post; we went through those 8 FPS games pretty quickly, didn’t we…

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this post and I sincerely hope I’ve given you some brand new FPS games to play on your PC (or other video game system entirely).

If you have any questions, or have a great FPS game for PC which I may have missed, please feel free to jot your comment down in the comment section below.

Happy gaming!

Jamie – the PC Gaming Nerd

The problem with this decision is there isn’t a straight answer. It depends on a lot of circumstances, and the type of person who will ultimately give out an answer to the question.

What I’m trying to say is there are many things you will need to take into consideration first before you are able to answer this question.

Things You Will Need to Consider

Believe it or not, there are many differences between the two which will be comfortable for some people to do, and not so comfortable for others to do.

I’m going to go through some of these differences in this post to help you decide which direction you should take when choosing your next (or maybe even first ) gaming PC.

• The Overall Price

Let’s first talk about the price because that’s probably one of the biggest differences between the two.

When it comes to buying a pre-built gaming PC, the organization (or the sole person who built the machine for you) is going to want to make a profit from it after buying the components and going through the time and hassle of building it out.

Thus, they will charge you more than what the overall components, case; gadgets and accessories, and finally the operating system – which is usually Windows in the case of pre-built PCs – had cost them.

If you do decide to build the PC out yourself and you choose the same components and gadgets as the pre-build, you will find that the overall value of your “brand spanking new” gaming PC is cheaper than what they would have charged you with.

This is perhaps the biggest aspect which draws many people away from buying a pre-built, and sheds the entire concept of building computers for other people in a bad light.

But I don’t think it deserves a spotlight of shame… people have to make a profit out of these things, right? It’s understandable if they have to charge you just slightly more for the work they did for you…

• How Much Time Do You Have?

If you have a school or college to go to to learn, or perhaps even a job to do to give yourself an income to spend on essentials and hobbies, chances are you don’t get a lot of free time on your hands.

If you want a gaming PC, but very important things occupy most of your time to the point where you don’t get any free time whatsoever, it would probably be best if you brought a pre-built PC
so that you don’t have to worry about finding the time to build one out yourself.

If, on the other hand, you have all the time in the world to build yourself a gaming PC, well, what are you waiting for?! Go do it now if you want to play games at high frame rates and with stunning graphics which thrash anything either of the next gen consoles can produce!

• Are You Willing to Build a PC?

If you want to build a gaming PC, you are going to need the motivation and willpower to do so…

Many people opt to getting a pre-built gaming PC because their either too lazy to build one themselves, or they just don’t know how to… Some might even be afraid to do so and are worried they might damage an expensive component in the process…

If you are determined to build a gaming PC for yourself, then go ahead; it’ll cost you slightly less than if you brought a pre-built version with the same components, and we all want to save a bit of money every day, don’t we?

• Customizability

One of the best things people say about building your own gaming PC is the fact that you can customize it however you want, and I definitely agree with them.

Being able to choose what kind of components you want inside your machine and what colour you want your components or accessories to be gives you a sense that the computer you’ve build is yours and nobody else’s… it ultimately becomes your baby that you want to love and protect.

When it comes to buying pre-built, you sadly don’t get to choose what goes inside the machine or what colours will be inside and around it will be either.

While there are pre-built companies that let you choose what you want inside your gaming PC – Alienware and PC Specialist are great examples of these kinds of organizations – but you won’t get as much customizability than you would if you were building one yourself.

The Pros and Cons of Both Options

To recap the things that need to be taken into consideration when choosing how to go about getting a new gaming PC, we are going to do it in a pros and cons sort of way, just to make it a bit simpler for you.

• The Pros of Buying a Pre-Built Gaming PC

1. You don’t have to spend time building a gaming PC as it will be done for you.
2. You aren’t required to go through the hard work of building a gaming PC.
3. There are many platforms out there that make it easy for you to get a pre-built of your choice (Alienware, PC Specialist ect)
4. You won’t risk any of the components breaking while it is being built (and if it does, it’ll just be built again by the company or individual… hopefully. )

• The Pros of Building a Gaming PC Yourself

1. It is cheaper than buying a pre-built and thus will save you money.
2. You can choose how you want your gaming PC to be (i.e. what colour you want your components to be and what you want your fans to go inside your case.
3. It can be very rewarding to power up a gaming PC that you’ve built yourself.

A Big Problem With Pre-Built Gaming PCs

One ginormous problem that many pre-builds (not all might I add, but still it’s many…) face is the fact that individuals and companies tend to add components inside the systems which aren’t exactly powerful enough to run most games at a decent frame rate, but their description lists them as a gaming PC and they price them as such…

If you’re planning to get a pre-build, just be weary of the components inside it and if you can research them online to find out if they are actually suitable for video games or not… you might save yourself a lot of money (and hassle) by doing so.

Anyway, that’s all I had to say about that large and somewhat common problem with pre-builds… There wasn’t anywhere else I could put it in this post, so I hope you can understand.

Conclusion

And with that, we conclude this post on buying a pre-built gaming PC verses building one out yourself; thank you ever so much for reading this post!

If you have any questions, or want to share a pro or con of either option, please feel free to comment down below in the comment section.

Happy gaming!

Jamie – the PC Gaming Nerd

Some people even believe there are too many rabid Alienware fanboys / fangirls out there both in public and on the internet with the mindset that nothing else is better than Alienware, and that they verbally abuse anybody who disagrees with them…

Whatever your stance on Alienware is, there is no doubt that they are one of the most popular pre-built gaming computer companies on the planet, and many people flock to them if they’re looking for a fast way to get a powerful gaming computer, be it a desktop or a laptop.

What is Alienware?

If you aren’t in the loop of PC gaming or who Alienware are, then please allow me to bring you up to date on them.

Alienware are a company (founded in 1996 by two X-Files fanboys, which is how the company got its name Alienware) which specializes in building gaming PCs with the latest hardware and selling them to the public; they are a subsidiary to Dell since 2006 when they purchased the then small and independent Alien-themed company, believe it or not, and there’s no doubt you’ve heard of Dell before…

They have all sorts of gaming computers with different levels of power in their hardware for you to browse and purchase from them, ranging from low-end powered PCs, to mid-range and finally, to “top of the line” high-end PCs.

With each of their computers, you will be able to choose what hardware you want inside the machine; you can ultimately decide if you want your next laptop or desktop to have the most powerful graphics card on the market, or if you want to save a bit of money and only have a mid-end powered machine.

So, that’s what Alienware as a company are… how about their the cost of their machines?

What Are Their Prices?

Generally, the cheapest of their machines have the weakest hardware, and the most expensive of their machines have the most powerful hardware in the current time (it doesn’t take long at all for computer hardware to get better and more powerful…).

For example, their cheapest Aurora desktop costs around £750, but houses weak hardware such as an Intel i3 and an AMD Radeon RX 560… If you wanted to play your games in high quality with super sleek performance, you unfortunately won’t get that in most games with this hardware…

If you want to go all out on money and seek the most expensive machine they have in their store, their 17 inch Alienware laptop costs about £2,500, but it has an Intel i9 and an overclocked NVIDIA GTX 1070 graphics card; this is insane hardware packed inside a small and portable space and totally capable of running games in 4k at 60 frames per second.

Of course, you would have to be really rich in order to afford that kind of machine, but it’s there and available to you if you absolutely want it and you wish to run your games in crisp clear quality and high speed performance…

But let’s stop gushing over Alienware for a little bit and ask a very important question… would it be cheaper if you just built your own PC? Are Alienware just simply overcharging you for the hardware?

Is It Cheaper to Build Your Own PC?

Many people argue that building your own gaming PC is far cheaper than buying a pre-built PC, no matter what components may be inside it, and I for one certainly agree with them.

Individuals and companies generally overprice pre-built computers to make a profit from it; you may find this out when you count up all the components used together with their base price and find out that the final price of all the components together is much cheaper than what the pre-build was priced at.

If you are the type of person who wants to save money when getting into PC gaming, or just wanted to get another gaming PC, it would be better if you built your gaming computer yourself as there won’t be anything overpriced and all the components and software will be at their base price.

If, on the other hand, you don’t mind too much about spending extra money on a gaming PC and don’t want the hassle of building it yourself, it’s perfectly fine if you want to get buy a pre-built one, such as an Alienware machine.

So, is it cheaper to build your own PC compared to buying an Alienware PC? Well, yes, but not only does it depend on what components you get, but it also can depend on if you get extra stuff as well such as more RAM or an extra fan or two for your new and polished PC case.

If you’re worried about finding out what components to get, or which ones are compatible with others without causing any bottlenecking (when one component holds back another’s full potential), then please don’t worry; there are many websites out there which allow you to rack up a few compatible components to find out how much they are in total, such as PC Part Picker.

So, Is Alienware Worth Looking Into, and Are Their Computers Good Enough for Gaming?

So, we’ve learned about what Alienware are and what their prices are for both their cheapest and most expensive machines, but are they worth it, and should you get one of their machines for gaming?

While they may be overpricing their computers for the hardware they have inside them, they are, in my opinion, one of the best companies to go for if you want a gaming PC quickly and easily and don’t want to experience the hassle of building it up yourself and risk damaging the components in the process.

Now is a more perfect time than ever to get into PC gaming, and while building a PC is the cheapest option out there, it isn’t the easiest, and I wouldn’t recommend you doing it if you’re a beginner who simply wants to get straight into the world of PC gaming to find out what all the buzz is about.

So yes, I believe Alienware is a company that is absolutely worth your attention, especially if you want a quick and easy gaming PC to test the waters of PC gaming, or to make the switch from consoles to PC due to particular reasons.

Conclusion

Alienware are an excellent organization to go to if you want either a desktop or a laptop to play video games on at high quality and performance, but don’t want to face the hassle of building it yourself and risk damaging the expensive components while you do so.

Although their prices are pretty high, and certainly no where near friendly for budget-oriented people, it will be worth it in the long run as PC games have more frequent discounts than console games; plus, they are generally cheaper too, and your computer won’t go out of fashion in a couple years after being made, either…

I hope I have shed some light for you on Alienware with this post, and I want to thank you personally for taking the time to read this.

If you have any questions, please don’t be afraid of using the comment section down below.

Happy gaming!

Jamie – the PC Gaming Nerd

While viruses are easily avoidable with the use of effective antivirus software and sensible internet usage, hackers on the other hand are more challenging to dodge, especially ones who utilize nasty tactics to get at our personal information.

Such tactics include setting up a WiFi point in a public area, commonly a coffee shop or restaurant, and being able to spy on anybody who joins that network. The hacker will be able to see the personal information of these users, and their bank details; people’s identities will be at risk if they join a malicious person’s network.

So, how would you be able to combat this and provide yourself with a malicious-free internet experience?

One of the best ways to protect yourself online is with the use of a VPN…

What Is a VPN?

So, what on Earth is a VPN? To put it simply, a VPN (virtual private network) involves technology which adds a layer of security to both private and public networks, including broadband and internet hotspots which you may connect to with your phone or laptop while inside a coffee shop, for example.

It ultimately allows users to send and receive data publicly, and use public features, like use Netflix or BBC iPlayer, while also maintaining the secrecy of a private network. What this means is that businesses and companies alike can send valuable data securely without the risk of being spied on by anyone malicious, or even by their ISP (internet service provider).

If we want to find out if a VPN is right for you, we will need to go through the benefits and drawbacks of them…

Pros

First, we’re going to go through the pros of using a VPN while browsing the internet:

• You Won’t Be Spied on by Your Internet Provider

One of the great things about using a VPN is that you can do things and visit websites which your internet provider won’t even know about.

While doing so may sound illegal, you can easily bypass restrictions to websites and services which your internet provider placed upon. For example, there may be a website where you can download music from for free which your ISP has placed a restriction on.

Using a VPN, you will be able to sneak through this restriction and download all the music in the world that you’d want. Bear in mind, I’m absolutely not commending pirating… I’m just pointing out that it’s something you can do without getting a fine or other consequences from your ISP.

• You Can Use Country Restricted Services

When you use a VPN service, you can choose which country’s designated server you want to connect to. Because of this, you will be seen as a user from that country to the internet, ultimately allowing you to use any services that may be restricted to that country only.

For example, only UK internet users can use BBC iPlayer; if you were from the USA, for example, and there was a British show you really wanted to watch but BBC iPlayer won’t allow American users access, you can use a VPN to connect to a UK server and visit the iPlayer and watch that show with no hassle.

This is one of the biggest reasons why people generally use VPN services; and to be safe from prying eyes additionally, of course…

• Hackers Won’t Be Able to See or Interfere with Your Personal Data

If you use a VPN, your encrypted traffic data will be secure and untouchable by a lot of sources, including pesky hackers who may seek to try and find and steal your personal information and data.

Because of this, you will be able to safely connect to a public WiFi hotspot without worrying if it might be a hackers way of getting to your information by setting up a fake hotspot… it won’t matter either way as they won’t be able to access your data.

• VPNs Are Generally Cheap to Have

The good thing about many VPN services out there is that fact that they are generally pretty cheap to have for your PC; some can even be run on multiple devices at once, though this depends on the subscription you may have purchased from the VPN service.

VPN services are significantly cheaper than other forms of security solutions you can use to keep you safe online, and you won’t have to worry about obtaining any additional hardware or hiring a professional to help you set up a VPN either.

These are just a few of the total amount of benefits using a VPN will bring, but these are the main ones which I believe you should know about.

Cons

Looking through the benefits to using a VPN service, you would think there aren’t any drawbacks to them… well, unfortunately you would be wrong as there are a few you should know about…

• VPN Servers Have Slower Internet Connection Speeds

Unfortunately, using a VPN service will make your internet connection speeds slower than if you weren’t using a VPN. How much this loss is depends on a few factors, such as the distance of the VPN server you have chosen to where your location is, and the amount of load on that particular server (how many other users are connected to it).

To combat slow internet speed, it would be best if you choose a server nearest to you, and one that has the least amount of load to it as well. Thankfully, many VPN services out there choose the best server for you automatically, so it’s very rare if you have to do it manually.

When it comes to playing online video games on your PC, a slower internet connection from a poor VPN server could have an effect on your game’s ping. This in turn will make your gameplay either lag and won’t make you play as smoothly as you would do if you were either using a better server, or no VPN at all.

• VPNs Cost Different Amounts of Money Depending on Their Features

VPNs require a lot of research you have to do if you want to find the best one which fits your lifestyle online, and the features you may want also. Some VPNs cost the same with a specific set of features, while others may cost a little bit more yet still have the same features as the cheaper ones.

While you could opt to getting a free VPN, these are generally on a short trial, and the ones which are free forever don’t have the same secure features as premium ones, and it may be a risk to your privacy and security.

Do You Need One?

So, now that we’ve gone through the pros and cons of VPNs, the question that remains now is… do you need one?

Well, with how easy of a target you are online, especially if you are somebody who uses a lot of public WiFi hotspots, I would wholeheartedly recommend you to think about using a VPN service sometime in the near future.

While sensible online use can prevent the likes of viruses and other types of malware from infecting your computer, hackers are more difficult to avoid, and your valuable data and privacy may be at risk in their hands.

A lot of VPN services out there are very affordable, so they won’t cost you an arm or a leg to buy one of their subscriptions, either to pay monthly, annually or once every two years.

I don’t want to sound like I’m forcing you to buy a VPN service, but I highly recommend that you get a VPN as the internet can be a very dangerous place, and they help out a lot to combat both viruses and hackers.

Conclusion

To conclude this post, getting yourself a VPN to protect yourself online is a very good idea. Though using a VPN has its drawbacks, I hope the benefits are enough to encourage you to consider getting one in order to prevent hackers or your ISP from spying on what you do online, and to protect your privacy and security.

If you have any questions about VPNs, or about any of the pros and cons I’ve listed in this post, please don’t be afraid to type a comment down below in the comment section.

Happy gaming (and internet surfing)!

Jamie – the PC Gaming Nerd

Fortunately, many manufactures still develop mechanical keyboards alongside the more frequently used membrane keyboard, so if you wanted to grab yourself a mechanical keyboard to either relive your childhood memories or to replace your old membrane keyboard, you can do so right now.

…But should you really? Are mechanical keyboards worth it, or are they simply outdated nowadays? To find out, we’ll need to go through some pros and cons of mechanical keyboards compared to the traditional membrane keyboards to find out if you should actually use mechanical keyboards with your PC, either for gaming or general computer use.

What Are Mechanical Keyboards?

Before we go through their pros and cons however, it’s probably best to tell you what exactly is a mechanical keyboard if you aren’t too familiar with them.

Mechanical keyboards basically have switches at the bottom of their keys, which are made from separate moving parts: a stem which contains two metal contacts and a spring underneath. When a key is pressed, the stem pushes the spring down to make the two metal contacts connect with each other, ultimately registering your key press to your computer.

This is basically what makes a mechanical keyboard… well, mechanical, and not like what the other types of keyboards on the market have to offer. But are mechanical keyboards better, and should you use them?

Let’s find out right now, shall we?

What Are Their Benefits?

Let’s start off with the benefits of mechanical keyboards first of all to find out how they may be better than other types of keyboards out there on the market.

• Mechanical Keyboards Will Last Longer Than Other Keyboards

If you still have a Model M keyboard from IBM somewhere up inside your loft or attic, chances are it’ll still work without a hitch if you plug it into a computer.

Mechanical keyboards are built to last thanks to their durable key switches which incidentally have been tested to withstand up to 50 million presses, something which would be very unlikely with other types of keyboards.

If you want a keyboard that will last you a very long time, especially if you’re somebody who plays key-mashing video games frequently on your PC, then consider getting a mechanical keyboard.

• Mechanical Keyboard Keys Register Quicker Than Other Keyboard Keys

If their durability wasn’t enough to impress you about mechanical keyboards, maybe this next benefit will…

Membrane keyboards take around 4-5 milliseconds after a press of a key to register that key press to your computer, where’s mechanical keyboards would only take about 2-3 milliseconds to register a key press to your computer.

As you can probably tell, this is an incredible difference, and will serve as a huge advantage for when you might want to use a mechanical keyboard for gaming instead of a membrane one. The controls will be more precise, and may as a result make you play much better than if you were using a membrane keyboard.

And Their Cons?

With benefits, of course, comes cons; here are the unfortunate cons of mechanical keyboards which may decide whether they’re a suitable kind of keyboard for you or not.

• Mechanical Keyboards Are Incredibly Heavy

If there was a zombie apocalypse happening outside where you are right now, I’d tell you to grab the nearest mechanical keyboard as they’d be the perfect weapon against the walking corpses.

Mechanical keyboards are extremely heavy, and take a lot of effort to lug around with you; even sliding it a little across your desk takes a stupid amount of strength to do. Membrane keyboards by comparison are so much lighter and easier to move around or slide across your desk to reposition them.

If you were going to take a keyboard with you to a friend’s house or to your workplace, for example, I personally would not recommend a mechanical keyboard because you may just drop down to the floor in exhaustion on the way there.

• Mechanical Keyboards Are More Expensive

While a typical membrane keyboard would cost around £30-£40 to buy, a mechanical keyboard of the same variant – especially if it allows you to customise its LED lighting – will cost you well over £100.

If you’re on a budget and want to buy the cheapest keyboard possible, you won’t be going anywhere near a mechanical one; their durability and faster response time account for their higher price tag as well as their fancy lighting.

Whether this makes the hefty price tag worth it or not, however, is entirely up to you…

• Mechanical Keyboards Are Loud

Finally, let’s talk about the elephant in the room… mechanical keyboards are incredibly loud; good luck trying to press a key down without it making an audible click…

A membrane keyboard would be a far better option if you want to type as subtly as possible at your computer; perhaps you’re writing a secret novel and don’t want people to know about it until it’s done.

Additionally, maybe you want to do some late night work at your computer… have fun using a mechanical keyboard then because chances are you will receive a lot of complaints from the people you live with or even your neighbours…

Basically, if you don’t want to make a lot of noise while you’re at your computer, skip getting a mechanical keyboard because they are loud.

So, Should You Use a Mechanical Keyboard?

Whether you choose to purchase a mechanical keyboard for your PC all boils down to how you feel with their pros and cons. Are their pros beneficial to you and what you use your computer for? For example, if you’re a gamer, you may find the faster register time and durability of mechanical keyboards to be more suitable for you than membrane keyboards.

Of course, those pesky drawbacks should be accounted for as well as they may just very well be a big deciding factor for some people…

If you have a budget-oriented PC, a mechanical keyboard may not be the best option for you due to their hefty price tags. Alternatively, if you’re one to carry around keyboards with you in a bag wherever you go, a mechanical keyboard may give you some trouble due to their heavier weight compared to other types of keyboards.

Should you use a mechanical keyboard? It honestly depends on your circumstances, so ultimately only you can answer that question.

Conclusion

In conclusion, mechanical keyboards are entirely different to other keyboards. Their constant clicking may be music to some people’s ears, and the equivalent of scratching a chalk board to others.

Thank you for reading this post, and I hope it’s shed some light on mechanical keyboards for you. If you have any questions or personal experiences with mechanical keyboards that you would like to speak out about, please feel free to visit the comment section down below.

Happy gaming!

Jamie – the PC Gaming Nerd

With video games, you can do unique things like exacting revenge on your enemies without any repercussions, you can slay monsters and cast spells, and most importantly you will go on gripping adventures that you’ll easily lose yourself in.

The RPG (role-playing game) genre has all of that and more; it’s the perfect type of game to play if you’re looking for great adventures filled to the brim with interesting content that could very well take you days or even weeks to explore.

So, without further ado, join me as we go through 5 of the best PC role-playing games on the market in 2018.

1 – The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

With multiple system releases, a full game and expansion pack
bundle and more recently a complete VR overhaul under its belt,
Bethesda’s 5th installment in the Elder Scrolls franchise is a seriously compelling role-playing game that overshadows all others in the
genre.

Although the gameplay can be a little glitchy, and the graphics aren’t exactly groundbreaking (until the remastered Special Edition came along), the overall world is one of the most vibrant and immersive I’ve ever played in.

This is easily one of those games where you will lose track of time and not want to leave the house until an area has been discovered and explored or a quest has been completed, and believe me there are a lot of quests in store for you…

You’ve got your typical main quests and side quests, but Skyrim also gives you the option of joining different groups and carrying out unique quests within them; these quests can vary from finding collectibles to defeating bandits.

People have been known to play Skyrim for well over a year, and still haven’t managed to complete all the quests the game has to offer…

If you’re looking for one of the best role-playing games on the planet, Skyrim is for you.

• Buy The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on Amazon UK
• …Or buy the Legendary Edition containing all the DLC on Amazon UK

2 – The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

From one amazing game to another; The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt from CD Projekt is considered by many to be one of the best games ever made, and it’s easy to see why that bold claim is so popular in the world of gaming. With a seriously compelling story line and a very vibrant world full of personality and colour, this is a game I cannot recommend enough to you.

It has won many awards since its release, including a few Game of the Year awards in 2015 and 2016 from various critics and award shows, so it certainly wasn’t a commercial failure; just the soundtrack alone has netted this game with awards, too, so the sound is just as enjoyable as the game itself.

Not only is the main story one of the best single player experiences to come out of a video game for a long time, the side quests are incredibly interesting as well; it’s very rare that side quests are just as engaging as the main story, however, The Witcher 3 manages to excel in this.

Although it is also available on the PS4 and Xbox One, it is better played on the PC platform thanks to its outstanding graphics; The Witcher 3 has some of the most phenomenally realistic graphics I have ever seen in a PC game.

If you’re looking for a compelling RPG which has many hours worth of content, outstanding graphics and a marvelous narrative, The Witcher 3 is the game that has you covered.

• Buy The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt GOTY Edition on Amazon UK

3 – Fallout 4

Fallout 4 is Bethesda’s latest take on a post-apocalyptic world, and obviously the 4th installment in the Fallout franchise.

While the map size is significantly smaller than that of The Witcher 3, the Commonwealth is still a reasonably sized world full of abandoned
ruins, mutated creatures, and one where chaos prevails with the help of unlawful raiders.

One thing which separates Fallout 4 from other post-apocalyptic, nuclear holocaust games is not only surviving the aftermath of the nuclear bomb, but learning how to rebuild society as well.

Similar to Skyrim, there are factions located in the collapsed world which you can join and complete quests and tasks for in. For example, one of the factions, The Railroad, are people with technical know-how who are also very sympathetic to the individual rights of Synths in the Commonwealth. If you think robot lives matter, then this is the faction for you to join.

If you wish to join a faction that is sympathetic to robots in a post-apocalyptic world, then you should check out Fallout 4.

• Buy Fallout 4 on Amazon UK

4 – Kingdom Come: Deliverance

We return to an RPG based on medieval times, more specifically based in Bohemia in 1403, with Kingdom Come: Deliverance by Warhorse Studios. This is one of the most detailed RPGs I’ve ever seen, and as it’s the very first game from the small team which make up Warhorse Studios, that’s pretty impressive.

While the game is by no means perfect – the combat can be wonky, and game breaking bugs, while rare, can show themselves if you’re unfortunate enough (such bugs include getting stuck inside somebody’s house during a side quest) – it’s a project the team has put a lot of effort in to.

If you want an idea of how detailed this game is, look no further than the sword combat. With your weapon in hand, you can choose which direction to swing from, so if an enemy is blocking from one direction, you can swing in the opposite.

There is also a thirst and hunger system which you will need to keep on top of if you don’t want to become easily fatigued during a fight or sprint, and a crafting system which makes you work for the item you want to craft. For example, if you want to make a specific potion, you will have to collect all the ingredients for it before using medieval tools to break them down, mix them together before finally cooking them to make the potion.

If you want your medieval RPG to be a little bit more realistic than others on the market, Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a game you should consider checking out.

• Buy Kingdom Come: Deliverance on Amazon UK

5 – Mass Effect Trilogy

We finish off this list with not one, not two, but three video games in one; the Mass Effect trilogy from BioWare is a franchise filled to the brim with compelling characters, powerful weapons and mysterious aliens. One of the key components of Mass Effect, however, is its unique take of traveling long distances through space in the blink of an eye with the help of Mass Relays.

Out of the 3 games in the franchise, the 2nd one is considered the best of the bunch, and I agree with the community. The 1st game, while a fun one to play, had too much character dialogue and the action segments became old and stale very quickly; the 3rd game was better than the first one, but had a very controversial ending which upset a lot of fans.

Mass Effect 2, on the other hand, was a major improvement with more depth and lore put into the main characters, allowing you to bond with them further than you could with the first game.

While the 3 games aren’t as open world as the likes of Skyrim, Fallout 4 and The Witcher 3 – every world you visit serve as levels which only take you around 5 to 10 minutes to travel from one end to the other – the franchise is a pack of role-playing games that you cannot afford to miss out on.

If you want to find out how to easily get the Mass Effect trilogy and many more games alongside it with Origin Access, click here.

• Buy the Mass Effect Trilogy on Amazon UK

Conclusion

And thus we conclude this list of 5 of the best RPGs that you can get for your PC in 2018.

Thanks for reading this list!

I understand some people may have listed different role-playing games here, so if you don’t think any of these games deserve to be on here, raise your voice in the comment section below.

Also, if you have a game that you think is the best RPG on the market right now, down to the comment section you go.

Happy gaming!

Jamie – the PC Gaming Nerd

Price: £11.99

Cheapest Place to Buy: Amazon UK

Driver Download: Here

DPI: 1200/2400/3500/5500/7200

My Rating: 9/10

VicTsing T7 Overview

As somebody who buys things on a budget as opposed to getting the most expensive thing possible, when it was time to get myself a new gaming mouse, the T7 by VicTsing was my choice immediately thanks to its cheap price of £11.99, the list of features it has, and the large number of overwhelmingly positive reviews it has on Amazon.

The T7 has 7 programmable buttons in total – the two buttons on the side allow you to go backwards and forwards one page on a web browser – and has 5 levels of DPI (dots per inch; it’s basically the sensitivity of the mouse) which you can cycle through with a simple press of the buttons at the top of the mouse; each level of DPI has a different colour mapped into it as well, turning the mouse into the colour corresponding the level of sensitivity.

Rubber grilles on the side of the mouse helps you to grip the T7 exceptionally well, and 4 smooth feet at the bottom of the mouse helps it to grip on whatever surface you may use it on.

This mouse is sheer brilliance, and I would like to walk you through some of the things I love (and dislike) about this highly budgeted gaming mouse. So, without further ado, join me as we go through the VicTsing T7 in this review of mine!

For Such a Small Price Tag, This Mouse Has a Lot Going for It

The amount of features and possibilities you get with this mouse for the price tag it has is nothing short of brilliant; it’s not very common for cheap PC accessories to have a wide range of features or an endless amount of possibilities at its disposal…

For example, other gaming mice on the market with a price tag similar to the T7 don’t have 5 levels of DPI nor are they even adjustable… they’re usually limited to only a single DPI level with a fixed number, and there’s nothing you can do to change it.

With the T7, you have a choice of five different levels of DPI, and by using the software that comes with the driver (which you can download here; just scroll down to the T7 driver setup when you open the page) you can customize how much DPI you want each level to have.

For example, if there is a PC gaming pro player that you follow who uses a specific DPI setting with their games, you can use this mouse and software to change your DPI to what theirs are.

Additionally, when it comes to the LED colours on other budget gaming mice, these cannot be adjusted at all, so if you have a PC setup that’s focused entirely on one colour (like mine for example; my gaming chair, monitor; PS4 controller, keyboard and mouse are all red and black ) and you get a mouse which is an entirely different colour, it’s going to ruin your previously perfect setup.

With the T7, on the other hand. you are free to change the colour of each DPI level via the driver software; you can choose whatever colour you’d like from the spectrum too, so you aren’t limited to a small set of colours. If there is a single colour you really want this mouse to be, you will be able to make it happen.

As Well as Having Great Features, This Mouse Handles Really Well in Gaming

The problem with cheap gaming mice is how bad they handle on a surface, particularly on a mouse mat or a desk; the optic sensors usually can’t keep up with any rapid movements you do with the mouse, and it can completely throw off your aim, which can be disasterious in games that require pin-point precision with your mouse… the T7 is a slight exception to this.

Notice that I said “slight”… while it can keep up with rapid movements better than other cheap gaming mice on the market, the sensor still has a few hiccups if you move it quickly enough, though that could just be on my end; my mouse mat gets really dirty at times, so it could just very well be a problem for me only.

Nevertheless, for the majority of the time I’m using it, the sensor never misses a flick I make across my mouse mat, and the game always manages to keep up with me.

Now, let’s talk about the weight of this mouse because for some people this is a surprisingly important factor when it comes to buying a mouse… The T7 is a pretty heavy mouse, and definitely the heaviest I’ve ever used. If you like your mice light, this might not be the best one for you.

As for me, its weight took me some time to get used to, but after a while using it now is a breeze for me… I would have preferred it to be a little bit lighter in weight however.

It’s Decided, the T7 Is a Brilliant Budget Gaming Mouse

Even though it isn’t perfect, I absolutely adore this gaming mouse, and I know many others are on the same boat as me and adore their T7 too. While dirt seems to be very attracted to this mouse, especially at the sides where dirt can easily find its way in between the side grip holes, this isn’t something a simple wipe with a wet tissue or a wet wipe can’t sort out.

With 5 levels of adjustable DPI and customizable colour changes thanks to its easy to use driver software, this is a budget gaming mouse that I highly recommend you pick up, whether you want a mouse to use for gaming or for general computer use.

Thank you ever so much for reading this review of mine; I really hope you enjoyed it and have learnt something from it. If you have any questions about VicTsing’s T7 mouse, or want to leave your own personal review, leave a comment down below in the comment section.

Happy gaming!

Jamie – the PC Gaming Nerd

Well, not even video games are safe now as 3 teams of 3 former pros of the video game Dota 2, a current pro of the game, and an eSports commentator, were beaten by AI just a few days ago; more specifically beaten by 5 AI bots created by OpenAI, a non-profit AI research company co-founded by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

If you don’t know what Dota 2 is, well it’s pretty much a PC MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) video game created by Valve; I’ve already talked about it in some detail here, so check it out if you want more information about the game, and where to download it (it’s free ).

In short though, it’s a very complicated game, and one that requires months of practice if you have any hope of competing against the pros… it’s certainly not an easy video game, and the fact that 5 AI bots defeated some of the best Dota 2 players in the world is frightening…

What This Could Mean for Esports

While the final score of the matches were 2-1 to the bots, meaning that there was a game where humans managed to beat them, this is a very scary time for eSports nonetheless.

Will human players even be able to compete in eSports any more if bots like what OpenAI have created can easily defeat humans at one of the most complex and challenging video games in the world?

What will they be like in other genres of video games, like First Person Shooters (FPS) or games like Rocket League with a mix of racing and sports? Will human players be replaced by AI in eSports?

What’s more, the developers of the bots plan to take them to Valve’s official international tournament, where they’ll go up against some of the best Dota 2 players in the world… is this the beginning of a new chapter in eSports?

Now, there’s no doubt that AI will play video games far better than humans ever would, and it would be amazing to watch too; it might possibly bring in many more viewers for the companies that host them, ultimately earning them even more money than before.

Furthermore, an eSports player usually earns an income with sponsors… and sometimes the amount can be huge; if AI were to replace them, they would be out of a job, and would have to find somewhere else to get an income from…

Maybe the world of eSports will change altogether when it comes to sponsorships and instead turn into a betting scheme where people will place bets on which AI will win a match… Maybe different companies will create different variants of AI to compete in video game tournaments, with the winning company receiving a large prize pool…

Of course, I may be just rambling and a bunch of bots beating some people at a complex video game won’t suddenly and drastically change the industry as we know it… but we’ll just have to wait and see what the future holds.

This May Have Been Just a Showcase to What AI Can Do

Until we find out what the outcome of the bots competing in the international tournament in the future will be, what happened with these 5 bots may have simply been another showcase for the things that AI can do well, and how it does stuff better than we humans can.

That was the ultimate goal of the two AI’s which went up against the champions in the infamous Chess and Go matches… this could very well have been the same goal for the 5 AI bots too…

AI has come a long way since the days of Alan Turing and the birth of computers, and what better way to show them off and get people excited for them than with the most popular form of entertainment in the world right now… video games.

The fact that these 5 bots have beaten pro Dota 2 players shows that they are a force to be reckoned with… it really makes you wonder what other video games AI developers will create bots to be better than humans at…

So, Are Gamers Becoming Obsolete?

While the future of eSports quite possibly hangs in the balance to how these bots fare in the upcoming international championship, are gamers in general becoming obsolete?

No. I don’t believe they are.

We shouldn’t be worried about AI taking over our precious video games because, let’s face it, that is something that doesn’t really need to be automated like the thousands of jobs that will be in a few decades time.

In fact, I think if proper competitive AI was developed for video games – different from the default AI in games that wouldn’t cheat at the game such as having perfect aim with hit scan weapons, like snipers or railguns – one that would act like another human being, it would make video games much more thrilling and intense, especially if it offered a lot of people a good challenge.

I believe that is the future we are looking at for video games; I may be wrong, of course, but it’s nice to try and look ahead into the future and predict what might happen… you may be very surprised if your predictions were close to the truth.

Conclusion

And that marks the end of this post. If you’ve made it this far without getting bored of my incoherent rambling, then I want to thank you ever so much for hanging in there.

I’m sorry for this post being a random buzz of words; I just wanted to share my opinion of what AI beating pros at a video game might mean for eSports and gaming in general.

If there was something you wanted to say about either this post or what your thoughts on AI and video games or eSports are, please don’t be afraid to jot down a comment below.

Happy gaming!

Jamie – the PC Gaming Nerd