Functional Gamerz

Leaked source code suggests Nintendo canceled "Pokemon Pink"

2020-04-14T07:30:00.000-07:00

A new leak has revealed a possible companion piece to Pokemon Yellow dubbed “Pokemon Pink” was scrapped by Nintendo before it could see the light of day.

The newly-unearthed source code for the series’ original games was posted on 4chan’s /vp board. In the files, there’s a header that reads: “Pocket Monsters Pink & Yellow.”

Keep in mind that at the time, Yellow was the first companion game to be released, so it’s possible that Game Freak didn’t know how to approach the title yet, and that’s why they planned Pink to accompany it.

Pokemon Pink was apparently in development.

Pokemon Yellow is more based on the anime and includes characters such as the show’s version of Team Rocket that were not featured in the original generation one titles.

Additionally, while the player can have the traditional starters of Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur join their party, the player starts out with Pikachu, hence the title of Yellow.

While it’s unclear who the “Pink” in the title refers to, it’s likely that the starter Pokemon would have been either Jigglypuff or Clefairy.

Pokemon GO players are hoping Samsung will bring this to Niantic’s attention

2020-04-14T07:21:00.000-07:00

It’s worth noting that Pokemon GO versions older than 0.170.0 seem to be working on the Galaxy S20 series without a problem, at least according to Community members. The reason why users began complaining about this issue on Samsung’s forums even though it’s not Samsung’s problem is that it’s been going on for the past couple of weeks. Niantic hasn’t yet addressed this game-breaking bug and Galaxy S20 owners are hoping that Samsung could at least ‘nudge’ the developer into fixing it.

Other Samsung flagships including the Galaxy Note 10 don’t have this problem. It only appears to affect the Galaxy S20 lineup.

Thanks for the tip, Musa!

Pokemon GO is broken on the Galaxy S20, but it’s not Samsung’s fault

2020-04-14T07:05:00.000-07:00

Pokemon GO players who happen to own the Galaxy S20, S20+, or S20 Ultra are out of luck. The mobile game (version 0.170.0 and up) is completely broken on Samsung’s latest flagship, regardless of whether you download it from the Galaxy Store or the Play Store. The problem seems to be at the developer’s end (Niantic) so there’s not much Samsung can do about it.

The issue came to light on the Samsung Community forums where numerous Galaxy S20 owners have complained about the app freezing after it finishes loading. We tested Pokemon GO on the Galaxy S20 Ultra and confirmed this unwanted behavior, as seen in the video below.

Click here to read previous news=

Brewly Fresh Content News, By Ch Hussain

Brewly Fresh Content News, By Ch Hussain

2020-04-13T10:03:00.001-07:00

The new ‘gentle’ video games are absorbing, beautiful and silly – and, says Ch Hussain, they can help keep us calm in a crisis.

By Ch Hussain

13 April 2020

Outside my window the streets are quiet, the world is weird, the future uncertain. Conspiracy theorists are bombarding my social media feed, and everyone is an armchair expert on the pandemic. But for now I am okay, because I am a moose. The game called Everything has been out for a while now. Occasionally I click on a thought bubble and the counterculture philosopher Alan Watts tells me something; sometimes I cease to be a moose and choose to be a solar system or a single-cell organism instead. I move around this game of infinite possibility, not doing much, occasionally communicating with other things with barks or tinkles. I’ve never been much of a gamer, but in recent weeks Everything – and its sister game, Mountain (equally pointless, if not more so) – have been, well, everything to me. Absorbing, still, deep, silly, beautiful, with a chorus of odd but satisfying sounds – both have calmed me and made me forget the lunacy and drama of life online and in lockdown.

Twitter launches gaming wellness campaign in Saudi Arabia

2020-04-11T09:12:00.001-07:00

Ch Hussain|10 APRIL, 2020

Gaming continues to be a key topic on the platform, in 2019 there were over 1.2bln Tweets about gaming, up nearly 20% year on year.

By Staff Writer, The Saudi Gazette

RIYADH — Twitter has launched the دايما_العبها_صح# (Always play it right) , an awareness campaign centered around wellness in gaming in Saudi Arabia. The campaign aims to highlight the importance of physical and mental wellness within the gaming community during a period when many are spending the vast majority of their time at home. Moreover discussing the significance of maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle amongst gaming enthusiasts in the MENA region.

Gaming continues to be a key topic on the platform, in 2019 there were over 1.2 billion Tweets about gaming, up nearly 20% year on year. In fact, last year gaming hashtags were amongst the most used hashtags in Saudi Arabia. Groupm recently launched new research surrounding people on Twitter with an interest in gaming.

Compiled following an online survey across Saudi Arabia, the research unveiled key insights into respondents behaviors and opinions. A key finding revealed that the top reasons the respondents use Twitter is to keep up to date with new game releases, to find reviews of new games, to find tips and tricks, and to keep up to date with gaming news.

The survey also revealed that 86% of the respondents game at home, and on average, most spend between 30 minutes to an hour in a single sitting when playing video games, with 53% agreeing that video games are a good way to relax and unwind.

“While gaming has been a key conversation on Twitter in recent years, we wanted to tackle the issues of wellness in the digital arena. By raising public awareness of the tactics gamers can implement in relation to their overall wellness, we hope people can engage in healthy conversations surrounding their interests and support each other, especially in times of uncertainty.” said Kinda Ibrahim, director of partnerships, MENA, Twitter.

Facebook now lets you organize your own gaming tournaments

2020-04-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

It has never been easier to frag your friends during self-isolation

Ch Hussain |

April 08, 2020

Facebook has added a new feature that lets gamers organize their own tournaments from home, all within Facebook’s gaming platform.

The move is to both boost Facebook’s gaming ambitions, and help those self-isolating due to COVID-19 with some entertainment.

The new feature lets gamers connect on Facebook, schedule tournament dates and times, and allocate co-hosts. You can create tournaments either privately or publicly.

Facebook has been quietly building its gaming platform for some time, however, according to Facebook gaming head engineer Mina Abouseif, it was brought the feature online early due to coronvairus:

“We noticed that there were many tournament organizers that were using Facebook events and Facebook pages and Facebook groups to try to get the word out - they were running tournaments, but the landscape was very fragmented. [...] What we set out to do was just make it easier for those tournament organizers to streamline their creation, their moderation and celebration of tournaments as part of their gaming communities."

While both Twitch and YouTube offer the option to organize tournaments, those features are mainly aimed at profesional gamers. However, these new Facebook features are aimed at casual gamers and friends.

This is just one of many recent additions to the Facebook platform geared towards gamers. Recently, the social media platform has rolled out live-stream tipping for gamers, and the ability to stream games via desktop. And those effots appear to be working.

According to Facebook, in December the platform saw a 210 per cent increase in hours watched.

Gaming has become a big deal during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s predicted that the gaming industry will rake in US$196 billion by 2022.

7 Of The Best PC Gaming Accessories

2020-04-07T01:58:00.001-07:00

If you’re stuck inside, like many of us are, you might be spending more time doing things like catching up on TV shows and playing more video games. It makes sense — PC gaming can be immersive and entertaining, and if you’re playing online, it can even help you maintain contact with other humans.

Of course, much of the time you’ll need more than just a PC to get the most out of your PC gaming experience. Devices like headsets, better controllers and more, can all make gaming more enjoyable and more immersive. There are, however, tons of PC gaming accessories on the market — and they’re not all worth spending your hard-earned cash on.

That’s exactly why we’ve put together this guide. Here are 7 of the best PC gaming accessories on the market.

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Headset

AMAZON

SteelSeries Arctis 7 Headset

125150Save $25 (17%)

Customer Rating: 4.3 stars

Features: Wireless connectivity, retractable microphone, 24-hour battery life

A decent gaming headset can make things like explosions, gunshots and anything else, sound a whole lot more realistic, while at the same time allowing you to communicate with friends and family through a built-in microphone. This particular headset offers a wireless 2.4GHz connection, which is ultra-low latency and high-quality, or a wired connection through the built-in ports. Safe to say, it versatile, sounds amazing and is simply the best gaming headset for the price out there.

Logitech G502 Hero Mouse

AMAZON

Logitech G502 HERO Gaming Mouse

4780Save $33 (41%)

Customer Rating: 4.4 stars

Features: High accuracy, programmable buttons, RGB lighting

Gamers need gaming mice that are accurate, relatively ergonomic and programmable. The Logitech G502 Hero ticks all of those boxes, along with offering a sleek, gamer-friendly design. The mouse even comes with weights that can be added or removed from an internal compartment, helping make it feel lighter or heavier depending on the user’s preference.

SteelSeries Apex Pro Keyboard

AMAZON

SteelSeries Apex Pro Gaming Keyboard

200

Customer Rating: 4.7 stars

Features: Adjustable switches, OLED display, RGB backlighting

A great mechanical keyboard can make the gaming experience a lot more comfortable, and with added features like an OLED display and RGB lighting, the SteelSeries Apex Pro keyboard will fit perfectly with the rest of your setup. The display allows you to easily see settings and information on-the-go, with a simple glance. Sure, it’s a bit expensive — but it’s safe to say that the keyboard will be a big upgrade over your current one.

Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2

B&H

Microsoft Elite Series 2 Xbox One Controller

179

Customer Rating: 4.5 stars

Features: Comfortable, lots of controls, customizable, adjustable thumbsticks

A mouse and keyboard may be the default for PC gaming, but sometimes a controller can be a whole lot more comfortable. In that case, it’s worth checking out the Microsoft Elite Series 2 Xbox One Controller, which is also compatible with your PC. The controller is a little heavy, but it’s easily the best gamepad controller out there, and the fact that it offers a ton of adjustability makes it versatile too. It even supports Bluetooth — meaning that you can use it with your mobile device.

Razer Nommo Chroma Speakers

AMAZON

Razer Nommo Chroma Speakers

142150Save $8 (5%)

Customer Rating: 4.4 stars

Features: RGB lighting, bass control, woven glass fiber drivers

You don’t necessarily have to invest in a headset to get improved sound — you can also get a decent pair of speakers. The Razer Nommo Chroma speakers offer a sleek and stylish design, along with an excellent sound quality that makes them just as good for listening to music and watching movies as for playing video games. Add in the RGB lighting touch at the bottom of the speakers, and you have a home run.

Oculus Rift S

B&H PHOTO

Oculus Rift S PC-Powered VR Gaming Headset

400

Customer Rating: 5 stars

Features: High-resolution display, PC-powered graphics, adjustable headband

A virtual reality headset will introduce you to a whole new world of PC gaming, and the Oculus Rift S is easily the one to go for. Oculus has been building its name up over the past few years as the top competitor in virtual reality, and when coupled with your compatible PC, this headset will deliver excellent graphics, great tracking and more.

ASUS ROG Swift PG279Q

AMAZON

ASUS ROG Swift PG248Q 24”

370

Customer Rating: 4.5 stars

Features: 24-inch screen, 2,560 x 1,440 resolution, G-Sync support, 165Hz refresh rate

If you’re looking for a high-resolution display with a high refresh rate, this monitor is the way to go. The monitor offers a ton of great gaming features, including G-Sync support, a relatively high resolution and more. It’s also relatively well-designed and should make for a much better gaming experience than what you’ll get from a cheaper monitor.

How to Build A Gaming PC: An Ultimate Guide

2020-04-07T01:53:00.002-07:00

With the current situation today, most people are in their homes. They may be bored; they may be looking for something to do. But thing is, there’s only so much that one can do before you run out. Well, we’re here to offer you another way to keep yourself occupied, and that’s through building a Gaming PC. Looking for a how to build a gaming PC guide? Continue down below and start creating the desktop of your dreams.

What Will You Need?

There’s a lot of components that you’ll need when making a Gaming PC. And each has an important part in playing your games. Some having more importance than others on specific titles. But first, let’s talk about what they are, and what they do. Take note though that you’ll need to ensure that the parts you’re buying are compatible with each other. After all, it’s a huge hassle to have bought a $150 Processor, only to find that it doesn’t fit your motherboard.

Processor (CPU)

Your central processing unit, or CPU, is often said to be the PC’s brain. It controls the tasks your PC can do at once and how fast it can finish said tasks. It’s the 2nd impactful component on your PC’s gaming performance. And is the big kahuna for content creation. Some games might need the CPU more for getting high FPS as well.

In addition to this, there are 3 things to know about the CPU. These are Clock Speed, Cores, and Threads.

Clock Speed

Clock Speed is how fast the CPU’s processing speed is in gigahertz (GHz). Cores are assigned to various tasks in the PC’s system, but certain apps may use multiple cores at once.

Threads

Threads are used to correspond to the cores, but a lot of high-end CPU’s now have tech called “hyperthreading”. This gives a thread per core. In short, it gives you an additional virtual core for your PC’s use.

Recommendations

A recommendation for people who are buying components of their PC is that you must always try and purchase up-to-date CPU’s. If you’re confused about a CPU’s performance in comparison to others there are tools like UserBenchmark that allow you to check and compare them in raw performance.

As for recommended CPU brands, we’ll go for Intel and AMD. These two brands offer the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to CPU’s, Most notably the Intel i5-9600KF and the AMD Ryzen 5 3400G.

The AMD Ryzen 5 3400G is another solid choice but this isn’t a CPU, more of an Accelerated Processing Unit. It’s made for lower-end builds but can still put out when it needs to. A solid choice if for those that wish for a good quality unit that’s easy on the wallet.

Motherboard

Did you pick your CPU? Good. Let’s talk about your motherboard.

One of the first things you need to do is check if your desired motherboard is compatible with your other components. Wouldn’t want to buy one and then find out it ain’t fitting in your CPU when you’re making the PC. That takes a huge chunk of your funds as well. Since you’ll need to buy SAID compatible Motherboard and just storage the incompatible one. Which is a waste, right?

The motherboard contains the parts of your gaming PC. it takes the many pieces, once attached, turns them into a harmonious orchestra of virtual harmony. Great stuff.

In addition to this, the difference between low-end and high-end motherboards is on how good they are in overclocking your PC, and on what components you’ll need to overclock them in the first place. This is only if you decide to overclock your PC though.

As for brands and products, we recommend the AMD MSI B450 Gaming Plus MAX and the Gigabyte Z390 UD.

What is Overclocking?

Now you might be wondering, the hell is Overclocking and how does that relate to my PC? Well, overclocking is you increasing a PC component’s clock rate. AKA, running said part at higher speeds than what it was designed to run in. Now usually this applies to the GPU and CPU. But the other parts can also be overclocked if you so wish.

Increasing their clock rate gives it the ability to perform more operations per second. But the drawback is that they produce additional heat. And if you’ve followed the trend, additional heat equals lots of detriments. Most notably an increased chance of fire. So if you’re planning to overclock your PC, try to invest in additional cooling.

The AMD MSI B450 is a reliable motherboard that’s built to provide the same performance power as other CPUs. A great choice if you want consistent performance from your motherboard.

Meanwhile, the Gigabyte Z390 UD is a great entry-level motherboard that gives a consistent performance. You can expect the motherboard to perform admirably. This product is something you would want inside your gaming PC.

Graphics Card (GPU)

The graphics processing unit, also known as the GPU (Also called Graphics Card and Video Card, but you do you.) is what some may say a flashy part of your PC. It impacts gaming performance the most in many titles.

Here’s an explanation: Think on a game like Dota 2, The CPU keeps track of the many player’s actions, where they are on the in-game map, what skills they’re using, if they’re attacking anyone, even if you can’t see it due to fog of war.

The GPU takes this info, and then renders the graphics you’re seeing, at the resolution and options you’ve inputted.

Do note though that while the GPU is by far the most important part of a Gaming PC build, you’ll still need a comparable CPU for it to function. This is because if the CPU isn’t at the very least comparable to the GPU, it won’t process what’s happening in the game as fast as it should be, thus bottlenecking your GPU’s visual output. Not cool.

Due to this, as a rule of thumb for most gaming PC builders, you should always try to not spend anything less than half of your GPU budget on your CPU.

When it comes to the GPU’s though, looking at their spec sheets will usually be less than helpful.

Importance of VRAM

Clock Speed, for example, is not that indicative of overall performance in a GPU. While VRAM (Video RAM) on the other hand is a more helpful measurement. Do note that not all GPU’s are created equal. And there’s a HUGE benchmark when it comes to VRAM. As a general rule:

2GB VRAM: You can expect acceptable performance in 1080p games with standard-definition textures.
4GB VRAM: You can play 1080p titles with high-def textures, and get a decent performance in a lot of 1440p titles.
6GB VRAM and Higher: You can play VR Titles, 4K titles, and 1440p titles with lots of high-def textures.

Something to keep in mind though is that it’s usually recommended to look at the benchmarks for this type of thing. For instance, if you’re looking to buy an AMD Radeon RX 550, you’ll want to search “AMD Radeon RX 550 Benchmarks” or something similar on Google.

Recommendations

As for products, go for the AMD Radeon RX 590 XFX and the EVGA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti XC Gaming.

MainGear introduces Rush Gaming Desktop Series for gamers

2020-04-07T01:46:00.000-07:00

MainGear has announced the Rush Gaming Desktop Series. This will be the perfect choice for gamers as this desktop will be used for gaming.

The new Rush Gaming Series provides amazing features and display. The desktop can configure with AMD’s high-end processors or Intel’s high-end processors.

The international sources said that this series contains a red distilled deionized non-conductive liquid if the open cooling loop option is selected in the configuration.

Sources said that gamers can install these desktops with AMD’s processors and Intel’s processors. The users can install up to a Ryzen 9 3950X or AMD’s Threadripper processor, up to a Ryzen Threadripper 3990X 64-Core processor AMD processors.

Intel CPU, Intel i9-9900 or Intel i9- 10980XE processor can combat with MainGear desktop series.

Furthermore, the user can either be up to 2 GeForce Titan RTX graphics card or up to two Radeon VII graphics card. Such features provide speedy functioning during working or gaming.

Apart from that, this series is water-cooled. The SUPERSTOCK also cools the desktops.

How British Developers Are Sending The ‘Stay At Home’ Coronavirus Message To Gamers

2020-04-07T01:35:00.001-07:00

A trio of U.K. developers has committed to combating COVID-19 by adding in-game adverts that provide coronavirus safety advice, in line with wider government messaging.

The move is being made by Rebellion, Codemasters and Activision-Blizzard’s freemium mobile game specialist King, and will see games such as Sniper Elite 4, DiRT Rally 2.0, Candy Crush Saga and Farm Heroes Saga kicking off the campaign by promoting the “Stay home. Save lives.” slogan that has come to dominate TV, radio, news and even billboards across Britain in recent weeks.

Despite the fact that Dirt Rally 2.0 is over one year old, Codemasters’ decision to add the adverts to its fantastic rally sim will coincide with the game’s inclusion on Sony's PlayStation Plus from tomorrow (April 7). The game has been an established part of Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass since last September, and with more people exploring their gaming options than usual, it’s likely to make an impact there, too.

Explaining the decision, vice president of business development at Codemasters Toby Evan-Jones said: “[W]e came to realize that technology within our games, which enables the remote updating of banners within the virtual environment, could be repurposed to assist with the coronavirus communication effort.” The company collaborated with in-game advertising platform Bidstack, which Codemasters will partner with in an upcoming game in 2020.

How To Get Free Unlimited Lives On Candy Crush While Social Distancing

2020-04-05T01:35:00.001-07:00

#PlayApartTogether

A user playing a King mobile game.

COURTESY OF KING

There’s nothing worse than losing all your lives, especially when you’re so close to beating a level. In an attempt to keep everyone occupied at home, King Digital Entertainment launched the ultimate promotion this week. The Stockholm-based company released free unlimited lives worldwide across their portfolio of social games including the beloved Candy Crush, Candy Crush Saga, Candy Crush Soda Saga, Candy Crush Jelly Saga, Candy Crush Friends Saga, Farm Heroes Saga, Bubble Witch 3 Saga and Pet Rescue Saga.

The initiative came about when King teamed up with the World Health Organization to promote their #PlayApartTogether campaign to help encourage physical distancing. Whether you’ve been a loyal candy crusher or this is your first time downloading any of these popular mobile games, there’s definitely no better time to see how far you can really go within these King sagas. However, before you get used to having infinite lives, know that it will only last until tomorrow April 5th.

At the same time, the gaming experience doesn’t have to end there. Don’t forget about King’s Play With Friends feature. Even though the mobile games are single player platforms, you can always view and compare your progress with your squad leaving you with the social mobile gaming experience everyone needs right now. For a deeper look into the campaign and how else King plans to engage their community in the near future, check out a Forbes interview below with the President of King Humam Sakhnini.

With children off school and gaming online, parents face shock bills

2020-04-05T01:29:00.002-07:00

Arguments between parents and children about screen time and online gaming are set to escalate with UK schools closed for the foreseeable future.
Concern was already growing among parents and children’s charities about the increasing monetisation of popular computer, console and video games. Almost half of parents of children aged 12 to 15 who play online games, such as Fortnite, Fifa and Minecraft, are worried about the pressure on children to make in-game purchases (up from four in 10 parents a year ago). This is according to Ofcom’s adults’ media use and attitudes report last month.
There has been an explosion of in-game purchasing over the past few years. The online gaming market, which is worth around £6bn in the UK, centres on games that players download, meaning the software can be updated at any time – and new content added during gameplay – at extra cost (known as “micro-transactions”). The games and apps are linked to the customer’s (parent’s) bank account. Even supposedly “free” apps and downloaded games have incentives for players to make in-game purchases.

Stay At Home

Read more

But the danger is that children can easily notch up a big bill on a parent’s debit or credit card – in some cases without their knowledge. It can be difficult, if not impossible, to claim back the cash and there is no arbitrator or regulator for complaints.
But who is at fault? Gaming companies point to the fact there are a wide range of parental and technological controls to block unauthorised transactions. Yet an NSPCC survey last year found just one in five parents use them.
The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment (Ukie), which represents the industry, launched its Get Smart About Play campaign in January this year after concerns were raised about the number of parents failing to use parental controls on internet-connected devices.
“Games companies do not want children racking up bills – especially without parental permission,” Ukie says. ‘The aim of our campaign is to inform parents of the parental controls available and give guidance on how to use them, and also help them have the common-sense conversations with their children about games.”
But Justine Roberts, founder of the parenting website Mumsnet, says many parents will continue to fall foul of micro-transactions. She says: “Parents know game and app developers are not altruistic; it is often made very easy for children to get sucked into games and then spend a fortune on in-game currencies, such as ‘coins’, ‘berries’ or ‘doughnuts.’”
The social enterprise ParentZone, which provides support and information to parents, children and schools about safe internet use, has called for clearer signposting.
It found three-quarters of children felt online video games tried to make them pay out as much as possible and about half said games were only fun when they spent money.
Its “Rip-Off Games” report highlighted so-called “loot boxes” as an area of big concern. Sometimes known as crates, bundles, packs or cartons) they are offered for players to buy during an online game but often the player does not know what they contain before they buy them – fuelling concerns that they are akin to gambling. There is peer pressure, too, says ParentZone, when several players are in the same game, and children feel the need to purchase the loot to “fit in” and “measure up”. It wants the government to commission further research into the overlap between gaming and gambling.

A loot box from the game Overwatch. Photograph: Blizzard Entertainment

While Google, Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony have agreed to provide the odds of receiving in-game items from “loot boxes” in all future releases, and Apple has done so since 2017, they remain a lucrative area for the industry – worth about £700m in the UK each year.
Research by the Children’s Commissioner, the public body to protect children, echoes the concerns raised by ParentZone. While it found some positives to gaming, including socialising with friends online and learning new skills, it also found bullying was a problem as well as the pressure to spend.
Simone Vibert, senior public affairs and policy analyst at the Children’s Commissioner, says: “We would like to see a cap placed on in-game spending. We are also calling on the government to look at ‘loot boxes’ as we feel they should fall under the definition of ‘gambling.’”
Juliet Jackson,* 48, a charity worker, had a shock three years ago when her son Noah* (then aged 11) ran up a £1,200 bill on her debit card on the family’s iPad. It was only when Juliet had her card declined in a restaurant and she checked thatshe realised the money had been emptied over a two-week period.
“I felt sick,” says Juliet, who lives with her husband and two teenage sons in south-east London. “Noah had been playing the Harry Potter game and Boom Beach on our iPad, which he was allowed to do. But the iPad account is linked to my bank account. It was password protected so I thought it was safe, but Noah had watched me, without me realising, and worked out the password. He had been buying coin and ‘power bundles’ at £79.99 a time, over and over again.”
Juliet says she accepted it was her fault and was resigned to taking the financial hit. But she contacted Apple, which was sympathetic.
“It could see it was unusual spending for my account and agreed to refund in full. But I was not expecting it,” says Juliet. “Noah was mortifiedand very remorseful. It has been a good learning process for the family and we expect the boys to be open with us. We have a PlayStation and the boys have their own phones, but I have alerts set up so I get a message if they try to spend on the account. In any case, Noah always asks me now!”
Ukie says it encourages game developers and platforms to give a refund where it is clear a purchase was made without parental permission. But many parents will not so it pays to discuss boundaries and rules from the outset and use parental tech controls (see below).
Pete Lewin, a lawyer with Purewal & Partners, which offers legal advice to the tech and gaming industry, says: “Responsibility lies on all sides to ensure children are gaming safely. Developers have worked hard to put strong parental controls and tools in place but there is an element on parents to engage, get the right information and use the necessary controls.”
*names have been changed.

On coronavirus lockdown, gamers seek solace and community in video games

2020-04-04T09:11:00.003-07:00

Now, as everything across the U.S. is being shut down and slowed down, the 25-year-old has her game controller in hand again. “I originally had every single weekend booked, and now I have nothing,” she said. For Kelley, an esports caster and host for games like "Pokémon," "Overwatch" and "Hearthstone," the worsening coronavirus pandemic has led to a halt in bookings and an array of cancellations for events. The Game Developer’s Conference, known as GDC, supposed to happen in March is now postponed to the summer. Big gaming convention E3 scheduled for June was called off until 2021.

A person holding a video game controller.

"Now I'm spending a lot more time just playing games for fun because I don't have the same level of commitments," said Kelley.

In her newfound free time, Kelley plays multiplayer games like Pokemon Sword and Shield and Animal Crossing on her Nintendo Switch.

Once a part-time gaming streamer, Kelley has since increased her streaming time from two to three times a week to nearly every day. "It's been an outlet for me to be creative but also to keep my mind working," she says

In the U.S., the average gamer plays for six hours and 46 minutes each week, slightly more than the global average of six hours and 20 minutes each week, according to a report on The State of Online Gaming.

And that's likely increasing amid the wave of social distancing efforts and businesses closing doors across the country, as people of all ages look to technology to connect them with the world beyond their windows.

"This isn’t just out of boredom but an intrinsic desire to be social. New gaming capabilities allow people to engage with one another virtually," said Nigel Burmeister, vice president of Limelight Networks, which helps deliver cloud-based content.

Coronavirus continues hitting Pakistan |Top Story | April 3, 2020

2020-04-03T02:34:00.002-07:00

Top Story

April 3, 2020

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LAHORE/KARACHI/PESHAWAR: Coronavirus cases on Thursday witnessed a sharp increase in Pakistan, while six deaths were also reported within 24 hours, taking the death toll in Pakistan to 35.

Pakistan has reported 35 deaths so far -- 11 each have been reported from Punjab and Sindh, nine from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, three from Gilgit-Baltistan and one from Balochistan. Out of the total 2,401 confirmed cases, 920 have been reported from Punjab, Sindh has reported 743 cases, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 311, Balochistan 169, Gilgit-Baltistan 187, Islamabad Capital Territory 62 and AJK has reported nine cases.

Sixty-nine new COVID-19 patients were reported in Punjab on Thursday, taking the number of confirmed cases to 920. Also, so far 11 people have succumbed to the coronavirus in the province including five in Lahore, four in Rawalpindi and one each in Faisalabad andRahim Yar Khan. Six patients have also gone home after complete recovery.

As per Corona Monitoring Room at Primary and Secondary Healthcare (P&SH) Department, a total of 309 corona patients, who had returned from Iran after pilgrimage, are under treatment at quarantine facilities including 213 in Dera Ghazi Khan, 91 in Multan and five in Faisalabad. As many as 199 patients were under treatment in Lahore, 142 in Raiwind, 90 in Gujrat, 53 in Rawalpindi, 28 in Jhelum, 14 each in Gujranwala and Mandi Bahauddin, 13 in Nankana Sahib, 10 in Sargodha, nine in Faisalabad, five each in DG Khan and Hafizabad, three each in Mianwali, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan, two each in Multan, Vehari, Lodhran and Narowal and one each in Attock, Bahawalpur, Kasur, Layyah and Khushab.

As per P&SH spokesperson, all patients are getting treatment at isolation wards, while serious patients are immediately being shifted to High Dependency Units. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has urged the government to allow patients to remain under self-isolation at their homes. “At the moment, the government is picking up people having mild fever or flu with the help of police,” they said while emphasising the need to stop humiliation of people and allow them to stay at their homes. “Only those needing ventilators should be shifted to hospitals,” they demanded.

Meanwhile, a village in Rajanpur district was locked down by the Punjab Health Department after suspecting that at least 10 people had contracted coronavirus, The News has learnt.

According to sources, 10 people residing in Basti Toor near Union Council Bangla Dhengan near Kotla Naseer in Rajanpur district were found suspected of coronavirus careers.

A Dubai-returned person, Sajid Hussain of the village, was infected with coronavirus. He had come back from Dubai via Karachi some days ago and was suffering from flue, cough and fever. After observing the symptoms in Sajid Hussain and his family members, the Health Department was informed.

The district administration, police and the Health Department reached the village. Doctors examined the suspected people and the village was quarantined.

According to the district administration, no one would be allowed to enter the village or leave it. Rajanpur Deputy Commissioner Zulfiqar Ali Kharal told The News that tests of all people suspected of coronavirus would be conducted. The district administration would follow all standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Health Dr Chaudhry Mohabbat Ali has deployed six doctors at the quarantine facility to look after the villagers. District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Rajanpur Medical Officer (MO) Dr Raheel would visit the village frequently. Dr Zeeshan Aziz will visit the quarantine in the evening while Dr Awais would see the suspected patients in the night. Dr Sarfraz Haidar, clinical psychologist, and Ms Sumaira Khalil, clinical psychologist, would do counselling the villagers on daily basis, while DHQ Hospital Medical Lab Technologist Muhammad Zeeshan would collect samples of suspected patients at the quarantine. Rajanpur CEO Health said that only four people were suspected of coronavirus in the district earlier. One of them was cleared and his results were found negative. “We are taking care of the people and whole village would be screened,” he added.

The health authorities in Sindh announced death of two more patients of COVID-19, while 52 more people were infected with coronavirus. These new cases included 27 in Karachi, nine in Hyderabad, eight in Sukkur, six in Nawabshah and two in Jamshoro, raising the total number of COVID-19 cases to 761 across the province.

“Two people passed away in the province due to complications of the COVID-19 on Thursday, including one at Hyderabad and the other at the Ojha campus of Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS). With these two deaths, number of people who lost lives due to coronavirus stands at 11 in Sindh,” Sindh health minister Dr Azra Pechuho said.

The health minister identified the patient dying of coronavirus at Hyderabad as 65 years old and a resident of Tando Muhammad Khan, who was brought to the hospital in Hyderabad on 28th March where he was tested positive and was being treated. “The patient was a member of the Tableeghi Jamaat. The patient had a history of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and was on ventilator,” she said. Similarly, an 86-year-old patient, who was a resident of Karachi, died at the Ojha Campus of the Dow Medical University. The patient was tested positive on April 1, 2020 and was a case of local transmission of COVID-19. He suffered from hypertension, the health minister added.

The health department said as many as 52 persons also tested positive for coronavirus in the province including 27 in Karachi while six persons were tested positive for the viral illness in Nawabshah. “Similarly, nine people were found infected with coronavirus in Hyderabad while eight pilgrims from Iran, kept at quarantine in Sukkur, tested positive for the viral disease,” an official of the Health Department said, adding that two more people were infected with the viral ailment in Jamshoro district.

On the other hand, Azra Pechuho confirmed nine people to have recovered in Sindh. Out of these nine patients, two were pilgrims from Traftan and were kept at the Sukkur Isolation facility while the remaining seven were residents of Karachi. This brings the total number of recovered patients in Sindh to 65 including 25 from Sukkur quarantine, one from Hyderabad and remaining 39 of Karachi.

Meanwhile, owing to rapid spread of coronavirus in the Gulshan-e-Hadeed area, the health authorities have ordered closure of out-patient departments at all the public and private hospitals.

Meanwhile, with 37 new positive cases of coronavirus, two more patients died in KP on Thursday, rising death toll from the COVID-19 so far in the province to nine.

Also, 121 patients, out of 261, who had arrived from Iran via Taftan in Balochistan and quarantined in Dera Ismail Khan district completed 14-day period in quarantine and were allowed to go home. Of the two patients who died on Thursday, one had tested positive for the coronavirus while result of the second one is still awaited.

According to Mohammad Asim Khan, media manager of the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), a patient Khanimullah, 69, was brought to them from the Police Services Hospital in Peshawar a few days ago and they had shifted him to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and put him on ventilator.

The official said the patient was in a critical condition when they received him and he expired on Thursday. He had tested positive for coronavirus. He belonged to the Daggar area of the Buner district and had a travel history with the Tableeghi Jamaat.

The man is the third patient who died of coronavirus in KP and had a history of Tableeghi Jamaat. Before him, a retired military officer died in Abbottabad last week and another patient died of coronavirus in Bannu who had returned from Tableeghi Ijtema in Lahore recently. At the LRH, it was second patient who died of coronavirus. Before him, a patient, Abdul Fateh, 38, who had returned from overseas and belonged to Hangu, had also died at the LRH. With the latest fatality in LRH, the number of patients who died of coronavirus has reached nine. And if the patient died in Khaleefa Gul Nawaz Hospital in Bannu was confirmed as corona positive, then death toll would climb to 10 in KP.

Though the number of suspected patients of coronavirus is increasing with each passing day, there was a positive and encouraging development when 121 people were reported to have recovered from their disease.

The KP government had received 410 zaireen from Iran via Taftan and 261 were quarantined in Dera Ismail Khan and 149 in Peshawar. Dera Ismail Khan Division Commissioner Javed Marwat said that 121 people had completed their 14-day period in quarantine and they would be sent home after they tested negative on Thursday. They belonged to 17 districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

After reaching homes, the official said these people would spend some time in isolation so that they don't develop complications. In KP, 37 more patients tested positive for coronavirus, rising the total number of positive cases to 311.

Among the Irani "zaireen", 62 patients had tested positive. And only among them had died of coronavirus and that too when an elderly woman developed complications during travel from Taftan to DI Khan.

The World Health Organization wants you to stay at home and play video games

2020-04-01T07:37:00.001-07:00

By,
Ch Hussain

(This is an official message)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has teamed up with representatives from the gaming industry to launch the #PlayApartTogether campaign to encourage people to follow social distancing and hygiene recommendations to avoid spreading the coronavirus, officially called COVID-19, for example by staying at home and playing video games online.

Representatives from some of the world’s largest games studios have signed on to the campaign. CEO of Activision Blizzard, Bobby Kotick, said, “It has never been more critical to ensure people stay safely connected to one another. Games are the perfect platform because they connect people through the lens of joy, purpose, and meaning. We are proud to participate in such a worthwhile and necessary initiative.”

And Riot Games CEO Nicolo Laurent encouraged people to stay sociable while being physically distant by playing together online. “Physical distancing shouldn’t mean social isolation!” he said. “Let’s stay physically apart — and take other public health steps such as hand hygiene — to help flatten the curve and #PlayApartTogether to help power through this crisis. For Rioters, playing games is more than just a game; it’s a meaningful life pursuit. And now, for the billions of players around the world, playing games could help the pursuit of saving lives. Let’s beat this COVID-19 boss battle together.”

It is somewhat ironic that the WHO is now promoting gaming as a pastime, as it is one of the organizations which has pushed for the recognition of “gaming disorder” as a mental health issue. While there are undoubtedly people who play video games to a degree that negatively impacts their lives, many psychologists are doubtful as to whether a model of addition based on substance misuse is appropriate to describe this behavior. The lack of research into gaming disorder and its lack of an agreed-upon definition has made it a controversial topic in the world of psychology.

In a report published in the WHO’s health journal last year, doctors worried about whether aspects of gaming from the existence of loot boxes to the collecting of virtual armor or weapons, to the existence of multiplayer, e-sports, and streaming, could contribute to gaming addiction despite the lack of strong scientific evidence to back these concerns up. It seems that WHO has changed its tune now, though, as a virus pandemic proves a more pressing concern to public health.

Niantic is updating Pokémon GO and other titles to support indoor gaming

2020-04-01T07:29:00.001-07:00

Niantic, the development company behind popular AR mobile games Pokémon GO and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, is adapting its titles to support at-home gaming in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Typically, Niantic’s games have encouraged people to go outdoors, explore their world and connect with others in real life as they played. But with government lockdowns and home quarantines under way, it’s no longer safe to play these games as originally intended.

The company says it will now prioritize making changes to its AR titles to allow people to play inside and around their own homes.

For example, Niantic’s Adventure Sync function will now track your indoor steps as you do things like run on a treadmill, clean your house or make other indoor movements and activities. It’s also enhancing the games’ social features to allow friends to stay in touch virtually, and soon take on Raid Battles together while staying at home.

Instead of discouraging virtual movement inside the game, as Niantic has in the past, players will be able to virtually visit and share memories about their favorite real-world places. And this summer, Niantic will re-imagine its plans for live events to allow players to participate without having to leave home.

These updates aren’t just those made for the consideration of players’ needs during this time of crisis — they’re also necessary changes to ensure Niantic continues to operate both during the pandemic and beyond.

Niantic’s live events have driven big business to the cities that hosted them — nearly $250 million in tourism revenue in 2019, it once said. It also served as a mechanism to drive its own revenues and keep players engaged over time. The plan had worked — Pokémon GO has continued to grow, even though it’s not the hyped-up global phenomenon it was at launch. Last year was its highest-grossing year ever, a report from Sensor Tower found, as the game pulled in nearly $900 million in player spending in 2019. Much of the revenue was due to the game’s significant updates and real-world events, the report noted.

These latest updates aren’t the first changes Niantic has made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. It had already modified gameplay in Pokémon GO to encourage users to stay inside — including by rewarding players who caught their Pokémon while inside, for example. It also just launched a new form of gameplay called the GO Battle League, which can be played from home, with reduced walking requirements and discounted select items so players wouldn’t have to walk as far to catch Pokémon, among other things.

In Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, the company increased the amount of content that’s near players on the map, so they could progress in the game without traveling far. Potions were also tuned to support people playing from home.

And in both titles, gifts were adjusted to include more helpful content throughout each day.

In Niantic’s first game, Ingress, it has made a few changes, too. Ingress Portals are now tuned to encourage at-home play and it has reduced the need to interact with multiple Portals. Several other changes make it easier to play the game without having to walk around as much.

Niantic has not yet gone so far as to fully eliminate the use of outdoor walks as a means of gameplay, however. Instead, it still encourages people to get outside — in areas where it’s permitted by local authorities to go for walks.

Though Niantic had made earlier changes to its games due to the outbreak, today’s announcement represents a more formal strategy for its business. It also lays out a detailed roadmap of what Niantic has in store. Not all its new features are live. Instead, Niantic says they’ll roll out in the “coming days and weeks,” without committing to an exact time frame.

“We created Niantic with a mission to help people get outside, exercise, and explore the world, with the ultimate goal of helping people connect with others. Today we support a global community of hundreds of millions of people who look to our games for regular entertainment and an opportunity to get outside and connect with friends,” said Niantic founder and CEO John Hanke, on the company blog.

“We have always believed that our games can include elements of indoor play that complement the outdoor, exercise and explore DNA of what we build. Now is the time for us to prioritize this work, with the key challenge of making playing indoors as exciting and innovative as our outdoor gameplay,” he added.

How can I make my gaming setup look better?

2020-02-12T23:37:00.001-08:00

SMART GAMING SETUP TIPS: CABLE MANAGEMENT

The first step to turning a messy gaming setup into a smart gaming setup is to tame the number one eyesore: wires. If you can conceal the cables running between your many gaming systems and displays, then you’ll have won the toughest part of the battle. While a rat’s nest of wires can be a tough challenge, there are a number of very useful products that will help keep those cables looking clean and tangle-free.
JOTO Cable Management Sleeve (4 pieces)
This cheap, yet very cheerful, cable management solution helps to keep your cables together inside of a single, clean-looking wrap cover.
Cable Concealer Wall Raceway
This comes in clutch for keeping wall-mounted displays looking super tidy. You can hide a power cable and a couple of HDMIs in this extremely clean cord cover.
Velcro Cable Ties (50 pieces)
While traditional zip ties can be useful, we prefer the velcro cable ties due to how they can be easily adjusted and reused. What’s more, they come in a variety of colors, though black or white are preferred when aiming for a clean look.
Under Desk Cable Management Tray
Got a mess of wires falling down from your desk onto the floor? An under desk cable management tray is the ultimate solution for taming that mess.
Cable Management Box
If the area near your wall outlets is looking like a den of snakes, consider introducing a cable management box. This should straighten out those snakey wires!

How to make your gaming setup look better?

2020-02-12T23:32:00.002-08:00

Creating a smart gaming setup isn’t just about buying the right hardware and throwing it into your room, creating a mess of wires and controllers. While stereotypes might have painted gamers out to be messy individuals, you don’t have to live that way. Thankfully, with the tips we’ve laid out below, you’ll be able to turn a potential fire and trip hazard into your own peaceful video game sanctuary. Here’s how to make your gaming setup look better (including some cheap and cheerful options)!

Can you recommend some gaming mouse mats?

2020-02-11T07:56:00.003-08:00

Sure, we have a full roundup of the best gaming mouse pads.

What options are there for left-handed PC gamers?

2020-02-11T07:56:00.001-08:00

The short answer is that most left-handed gamers survive using symmetric mice, with few true left-handed gaming mice available. We've included several of the former above, and we are looking for true left-handed mice to test and include on this list in the future.

How much DPI do I need?

2020-02-11T07:53:00.001-08:00

It depends on the games you play, but 3600 DPI is probably sufficient for most purposes. For accuracy's sake, training yourself to use a lower DPI like 400, 800 or 1200 may be beneficial.

How to find the perfect gaming mouse?

2020-02-11T07:52:00.003-08:00

Best gaming mouse 2020: DF's top wired and wireless gaming mice

2020-02-11T07:49:00.001-08:00

Recommendations for all budgets, game genres and hand sizes.

Finding the best gaming mouse is a challenge, but we're here to help. I've kept track of the various innovations over the years, so I'm pretty confident in these gaming mouse recommendations. I've also included a general guide so you can choose the right gaming mouse based on your favourite games, hand size and more at the bottom of the page.

It's also worth mentioning that unlike choosing the best graphics card, there's no clear best gaming mouse on the market - but there are definitely better and worse options based on our extensive testing. While we have taken what critics and users think when making our selections, these are still just starting points to guide your own experimentation, rather than a definitive ranking. Don't worry if your favourite mouse didn't make the list - we probably considered it, but ultimately went with a different option.

To make things easier for you, we've got quick links to our ten different picks - and to our detailed guidance on choosing the perfect mouse to suit you, including how to measure your hand size, whether wireless is worthwhile and other common questions. Click through to the topic you're interested in below, or read on for the full article!

Best gaming mouse 2020

Glorious Model O (Best gaming mouse overall)
Roccat Kain 120 Aimo (Second-best gaming mouse overall)
SteelSeries Rival 3 (Best budget gaming mouse)
HyperX Pulsefire Dart (Best wireless gaming mouse)
Logitech G Pro Wireless (Best premium gaming mouse)
Logitech G502 / G502 Lightspeed (Most comfortable mouse)
BenQ Zowie FK2 (Best gaming mouse for small hands)
Razer DeathAdder V2 (Best gaming mouse for large hands)
Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite (Best MMO mouse)
Microsoft Pro IntelliMouse (Best office mouse for gaming)

1. Glorious Model O

Best gaming mouse overall

Glorious is a newcomer to the PC gaming space, but the team has captured the zeitgeist for ultra-light gaming mice on their first attempt. The Model O weighs in at just 68 grams thanks to its honeycomb design, yet this modern gaming mouse still feels solidly built and comfortable in the hand. In our testing, the light heft of the Model O makes it noticeably easier to flick onto a target in shooters like Counter-Strike - even when compared to a svelte mouse like the 80g Logitech G Pro Wireless or the 91g SteelSeries Rival 110.

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The Model O's cable is also novel, with a super flexible paracord-like material used instead of a more usual rubber or braided cable. This makes the mouse almost feel wireless. There are surprisingly few sacrifices elsewhere too, with an industry standard PixArt 3360 optical sensor, a soft notched scroll wheel, clicky Omron buttons and RGB lighting. The software is also decent, with full access to the settings you need and little else to distract you. The Model O measures 128mm/5" long and 63mm/2.5" wide and uses a symmetric design (apart from the side buttons) so it should be suitable for almost all right and left-handed users.

Best of all, the Model O is affordably priced compared to other ultralight designs, at £50/$50 for the matte version and £5/$5 extra for a glossy design. That makes it easy to call the Model O the best gaming mouse we've ever tested.

Glorious Model O (Matte White)

$49.99

Buy Now

Glorious Model O (Glossy Black)

$59.99

Buy Now

Glorious Model O (Glossy White)

$59.99

Buy Now

Glorious Model O (Matte Black)

$49.99

Buy Now

Alternatives? Check out our roundup of the best ultra-light gaming mice for FPS!

2. Roccat Kain 120 Aimo

Second-best gaming mouse overall

Don't like lightweight mice, especially those ventilated with lots of holes? A nice alternative to our top choice is the 89 gram Kain 120 Aimo. This mouse is set apart by its smooth and comfortable shape, a top optical sensor (a modified PixArt 3389) and carefully calibrated components. The mouse buttons and scroll wheel are particular highlights, offering a satisfying click with little to no off-axis movement. That makes clicking feel tactile and predictable, and contributes to the general feeling of excellent build quality throughout.

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This mouse measures 124x65mm, making it a good choice for medium to large hands, and can support any grip style. The Kain 120 looks good too, with a metal inlay and bright RGB lighting, the latter of which is controlled in the bulky but powerful Roccat Swarm software. The only downside we identified in our testing is the relatively stiff cable; it would be great to see Roccat choose a more flexible cable in its future mice as these offer a wireless feel when used with a mouse bungee. The smooth coating offered on the mouse is also potentially divisive, and those with clammier hands and in wetter climates may prefer the (less expensive) Kain 100 Aimo, which comes with textured side grips.

A wireless version, the Kain 200, is also available. It weighs 105g, thanks to the battery and wireless transmitter, and comes with a slightly lower-spec but more power-efficient sensor.

Roccat Kain 200 Aimo Wireless

$66.70$99.99

$44.99$69.99

$49.99$69.99

Roccat Kain 202 Aimo Wireless

$64.99$99.99

Buy Now

3. SteelSeries Rival 3

Best budget gaming mouse

The Rival 3 is a top-tier budget mouse for small to medium-sized hands. It has a surprisingly low weight of 77 grams, making it technically an ultra-light, and a good shape with matte plastic that's easy to manoeuvre in claw or fingertip grip styles. The sensor is a top optical, branded as the TrueMove Core, and seems very similar to the well-respected PixArt 3330. The Rival 3 also includes RGB lighting and six buttons, which is a great haul for a budget mouse.

Now for a few negatives: while this mouse is an ambidextrous shape, there are only side buttons on the left side, and these are quite slim. The mouse's cable is also subpar, being made of rubber and staying quite inflexible, making a mouse bungee a wise move. The mouse feet are also a bit worse than those found on more premium mice. However, both of these elements can be upgraded by the user, so they're wise cost savings that don't hurt this mouse's potential in any meaningful way.

All in all, the Rival 3 is a fantastic value gaming mouse and a much-needed replacement for the Rival 110.

SteelSeries Rival 3 Gaming Mouse

$29.99

Buy Now

4. HyperX Pulsefire Dart

Best wireless gaming mouse

While wireless gaming mice have historically lagged behind their wired counterparts - at times, literally - the gaming industry of 2020 appears to have cracked the secret of reliable, low-latency wireless mousing. Our new recommendation is for the HyperX Pulsefire Dart, a solid mouse equipped with the latest PixArt 3389 optical sensor, RGB lighting and a comfortable (if slightly heavy) ergonomic design. Battery life is strong as well, with the box promising 90 hours with no lighting and 50 hours with lighting enabled - and those numbers were borne out by our testing.

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The Dart has one additional killer feature as well: it can charge from any Qi wireless charger, meaning the same charger that you use for your iPhone or Android phone can also be used to top up your mouse. These chargers are cheap as chips these days, and much more affordable than the small and super-expensive wireless charging mats from the likes of Logitech. You can even pick up a Qi charger from HyperX that charges two devices at once, which is great if your smartphone supports wireless charging but you don't currently use a wireless charger. Overall, this is a great choice if you don't need Bluetooth connectivity.

HyperX Pulsefire Dart Wireless

$99.99

Buy Now

5. Logitech G Pro Wireless

Best premium gaming mouse

The G Pro Wireless is arguably the best gaming mouse on the market, save for its sky-high cost. Wireless gaming mice may put some people off, but from months of first-hand use and from looking at input latency tests, the G Pro Wireless is just as responsive and reliable as a wired mouse. It's also very light, tipping the scales at just 80 grams, yet it lasts for about 48 hours with the RGB lights on, and nearly double that with the lighting disabled. Its long battery life is thanks to a highly power-efficient optical sensor, which also performs extremely well in games. This accuracy - combined with the mouse's streamlined shape, low weight and lack of cable drag - make the G Pro Wireless an absolute pleasure to use, even in the most demanding titles like Rainbow Six: Siege, PUBG or Apex Legends. We recommend it to most gamers, given its medium size (125mm/4.9" long, 63.5mm/2.5" wide). Even if you have never considered wireless mice before, the G Pro Wireless is good enough to make an exception.

Logitech G Pro Wireless

$149.99

Buy Now

6. Logitech G502 / G502 Lightspeed

Most comfortable gaming mouse

The Logitech G502 is a crowd favourite, thanks to its ergonomic shape, "infinite" scroll wheel and eleven programmable buttons. That makes the G502 Lightspeed, the recently released wireless version, an easy recommendation. The new G502 is every bit as reliable and responsive as its wired predecessor, thanks to Logitech's excellent Hero optical sensor and the eponymous Lightspeed wireless tech, and it even manages to be lighter than the original at 114 grams - although you can add 16g with extra weights if you prefer. This translates into a quick and comfortable mouse suited for both gaming and productivity. Battery life is good at 48 hours with lighting and 60 hours without, and you can get 2.5 hours of battery life in five minutes of charging. If you love the comfortable shape and excellent performance of the G502, the wireless version is definitely worth a try - even if it is twice the price of the wired G502 Hero.

Logitech G502 Hero Special Edition

$42.99

Buy Now

Logitech G502 Lightspeed Wireless

$149.99

Buy Now

Logitech G502 Hero

$47.99

Buy Now

If you're on a budget, another great mouse with a similar shape and features is the Dream Machines DM5 Blink. This mouse sports a convenient trigger button that rests underneath the thumb which can be used to reduce your mouse's sensitivity temporarily (e.g. when sniping in an FPS) or bound to any other function (like a melee attack or grenade throw). Two further thumb buttons are also provided. Elsewhere, the DM5 is well-equipped, with a flexible "shoelace" cable that feels almost wireless in a bungee, a medium weight of 95 grams and a top optical sensor, the PixArt 3389.

Dream Machines DM5 Blink

$32.99

Buy Now

7. BenQ Zowie FK2

Best gaming mouse for small hands (and ambidextrous!)

The Zowie FK2 is an ideal mouse to choose if you have small to medium-sized hands, thanks to its low profile design, diminutive dimensions of 124mm by 58mm and low weight of 84 grams. The side buttons appear on the both sides, making this mouse truly ambidextrous as well. The PixArt 3310 optical sensor has been superceded by newer options, but remains a favourite thanks to its accurate 1:1 tracking. In games like StarCraft 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, we found it responsive and comfortable regardless of the circumstances. If you prefer a simple design, without lighting, software or extra features, the FK2 is a strong choice.

BenQ Zowie FK2

$59.99

Buy Now

8. Razer DeathAdder V2

Best gaming mouse for large hands

The Razer DeathAdder V2 is an excellent update to one of the most popular gaming mice on the market. Learning lessons from the trend towards ultra-light mice, the DeathAdder V2 is lighter than its predecessor and uses the same super-flexible cable that debuted on the lightweight Razer Viper. It also incorporates optical switches under each button, a tech first scene in high-end mechanical keyboards, to eliminate the debounce delay normally needed to prevent accidental double clicks and thereby ensure incredible responsiveness. All of these improvements add up, and we're left with an exceptionally strong choice for anyone with medium to large hands.

Razer DeathAdder V2

$69.99

Buy Now

9. Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite

Best MMO mouse

If you like to play games that require lots of different keys for your spells and abilities, choosing a mouse with plenty of side buttons can a nice way to keep up. The Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite is our pick for the best MMO mouse, thanks to the twelve buttons arranged in a grid on its side panel. Varying textures make it easy to identify each button in tense situations, and the entire grid can be moved forward or back to suit your hand size.

The mouse is about the same length (120mm) but wider (78mm/2.9") and heavier (122g) than the other mice on this list, which aids comfort but doesn't allow for as precise mouse movements. Still, a top-notch PixArt 3391 optical sensor and nice clicky buttons make this well-suited for most game genres. Corsair's software is also extremely powerful, giving you the tools you need to set up each button with the right macros.

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Overall, we think the Scimitar RGB Elite is the best option for MMO gamers, just squeezing out our previous pick, the Razer Naga Trinity. This mouse's replaceable side panels make it better for FPS gaming, but we prefer Corsair's software and button layout.

CORSAIR Scimitar RGB Elite MMO Gaming Mouse

$79.99

Buy Now

10. Microsoft Pro IntelliMouse

Best office mouse for gaming

This category is all about gaming mice that don't look the part; professional rodents that won't attract awkward questions in the office but still have it where it counts. The Pro IntelliMouse is a perfect example, combining the legendary IntelliMouse shape with a bleeding-edge PixArt 3389 optical sensor (instead of the lacklustre BlueTrack sensor on the Classic IntelliMouse we reviewed last year). If you want a single mouse for all occasions and have medium to large mittens, this is a fine choice.

Microsoft Intellimouse Pro - White Shadow

$44.44$53.40

Buy Now

Microsoft Pro Intellimouse - Dark Shadow

$55$59.99

Buy Now

Microsoft Pro Intellimouse - Dark Shadow (Renewed)

$39.99

Buy Now

PUBG Update Increases Loot Spawns on Two Maps

2020-01-12T11:26:00.000-08:00

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds got an update this week to improve the spawning of loot on both the Erangel and Miramar maps, but the patch notes that were released at the time only covered part of the changes. The notes explained that the number of assault rifles that would spawn had increased on both maps, 20% for Erangel and 22% for Miramar, but there was more to the loot balancing story including more overall loot on one map and less of two resources on another.

PUBG Corp. shared an update with its PUBG players this week a few days after the initial patch notes went live. Included in these revised patch notes are details about the decreased spawns for gas cans and handguns on Erangel and a 22% increase to loot spawned overall on Miramar.

Combine this overall loot increase on the desert map with the already noted assault rifle buff and anybody who wants to find a weapon of that kind on Miramar should now have no problem doing so.

The full patch notes for the loot balances released in the January 7th update including all the up-to-date changes can be found below.

Loot Balance

Erangel
- Increased AR spawn amount by 20%
- Slightly decreased Gas Can and Handgun spawns
Miramar
- 22% increase to overall loot spawned
- Additional 22% increase to total number of ARs spawned
- This means the total number of ARs spawned on Miramar is now 44% higher than before

PS4 games get a makeover in awesome new PlayStation collection

2019-09-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

SONY'S exclusive new PlayStation 4 collection is a video game collector's dream come true.

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PS4 games get a makeover in awesome new PlayStation collection

SONY'S exclusive new PlayStation 4 collection is a video game collector's dream come true.

By LIAM MARTIN

PUBLISHED: 14:00, Fri, Sep 6, 2019 | UPDATED: 14:04, Fri, Sep 6, 2019

Only on PlayStation 4 collection (Image: SONY)

Sony has just released a new collection of PS4 exclusive games.

To celebrate some of Sony's best exclusives, the company has launched its special Only on PlayStation Collection of games.

Breathing new life into classic PS4 games, the Only on PlayStation Collection is likely to prove a hit with video game collectors.

Each of the ten PS4 games will be sold with a collectable sleeve featuring alternative artwork.

As you can see from the images below, this includes alternative artwork for Bloodborne, God of War and Marvel's Spider-Man.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End also gets the alternative artwork treatment, as well as Ratchet and Clank, Shadow of the Colossus and Horizon Zero Dawn.

The Last of Us Remastered, WipEout Omega Collection and The Last Guardian complete the Only on PlayStation Collection.

Scroll down the page for a complete look at all of the games featured in the collection.

Only on PlayStation Collection (Image: SONY)

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PS4 games get a makeover in awesome new PlayStation collection

SONY'S exclusive new PlayStation 4 collection is a video game collector's dream come true.