Sony’s “Play at Home” initiative continues with a huge stack of excellent games, including Astro Bot Rescue Mission and Subnautica, that are free to own for a limited time. No PlayStation Plus membership is required, meaning you can keep these games forever.
From now through April 22nd at 11:59PM PT, the following titles will be free to claim for PS4 and PS5 users: ABZÛ,Enter the Gungeon, Rez Infinite, Subnautica,Astro Bot Rescue Mission, Moss, Thumper, and Paper Beast. The last four games require a PSVR headset to play. PS5 owners will need a PlayStation Camera adapter to use the headset with the console.
Sony plans to offer more games as part of the initiative until sometime in June. Currently, Sony is offering Ratchet & Clank, which PS4 and PS5 owners can redeem at no cost until March 31st. The company is also planning to give away Horizon Zero Dawn for free beginning on April 19th.
YouTuber Shane Luis has tweeted some amazing photos of a new-in-box game development kit for the Nintendo 64’s Disk Drive (64DD), a very rare peripheral never released outside of Japan that played games off proprietary floppy disks. You can (and should!) read look through the whole thread starting with this tweet, but I’m going to share some of the photos here in this article.
Here’s what the box looks like — nothing flashy.
I was asked to verify and photograph a Nintendo 64 Disk Drive (64DD) Development Kit from a private video game collector. The system was new in box and needed to be carefully documented.
This is what it looks like to unbox one. pic.twitter.com/X2PflhtemW
— Shane Luis (@RerezTV) March 24, 2021
Inside that dark blue box on the top right were five 64DD Development Disks, which were a dark blue instead of the gray used for retail games.
The development kit also included a special adapter to let developers plug in two N64 cartridges at once instead of just one. When everything was connected together, here’s what that looked like:
Here’s the 64DD itself, which has a blue trim around the disk slot used to signify it as a development device that matches the color used for the development disks:
The top of the unit is designed to sit directly under a Nintendo 64 console. They connect through the port you can see on the top. On the bottom you’ll find a fastener designed to lock the two together. pic.twitter.com/792Vy8GYZY
— Shane Luis (@RerezTV) March 24, 2021
And here’s the whole 64DD development system connected together and attached to a Nintendo 64. It’s huge! (Though seemingly not as huge as the PS5.)
When combined all together you’re ready to start developing 64DD games!
Unfortunately this system was never used and the 64DD platform failed to take off. If the 64DD was a success who knows what might have happened! pic.twitter.com/GWDjC2J3GA
— Shane Luis (@RerezTV) March 24, 2021
I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to see a 64DD myself since the peripheral wasn’t much of a success (only nine games were released for it), and it only came out in Japan. But these photos might be the next best thing and are just a plain interesting look at something from Nintendo’s past.
Again, I strongly recommend scrolling through the whole thread in full or checking out his album of photos on the Internet Archive.
As reported by PCMag, GameStop has undertaken a new business venture. The renowned video game retailer has started selling computer hardware on its online store, including Nvidia’s elusive GeForce RTX 3000 (Ampere) offerings that are among the best graphics cards that money can buy — or rather cannot buy.
When a company has spent a lifetime doing the same thing, it’s difficult for it to leave its comfort zone. In fact, many companies end up going out of business if they don’t get with the times. It’s commendable that GameStop is taking a crack at being a computer hardware retailer, especially in these difficult times. With this new endeavor, GameStop will be joining the ranks of seasoned veterans, such as Newegg, Micro Center, Best Buy and Amazon – just to name some.
GameStop won’t just stop at selling computer hardware either. In its Q4 2020 earnings call, CEO George Sherman reaffirmed the company’s commitment to expand its catalog of products to cover a wide variety of other gaming-oriented products, including laptops, routers and monitors.
“We are continuing the work to expand our addressable market by growing GameStop’s product catalog. This includes growing our product offerings across PC gaming, computers, monitors, game tables, mobile gaming and gaming TVs, to name only a few. These categories represent natural extensions that our customers would expect to buy from us, expanding our addressable market size by over five times, and over time, will reduce our reliance on the cyclicality of the console-based gaming market.”
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3000 Graphics Cards
Graphics Card
Pricing
Newegg Pricing
Availability
MSI GeForce RTX 3090 Suprim X 24G
$2,339.99
$2,269.99
?
Asus ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3090
$2,299.99
$2,239.99
?
EVGA GeForce RTX 3090 FTW3 Ultra Gaming
$1,979.99
$1,919.99
?
MSI GeForce RTX 3090 Gaming X Trio
$1,969.99
$2,169.99
?
MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Suprim X 10G
$1,059.99
$1,139.99
?
Asus ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3080
$1,049.99
$1,119.99
?
MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio
$979.99
$1,109.99
?
Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3080
$979.99
$874.99
?
EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 FTW3 Ultra Gaming
$929.99
$899.99
?
MSI GeForce RTX 3070 Suprim X 8G
$879.99
$829.99
?
MSI GeForce RTX 3070 Gaming X Trio
$819.99
$779.99
04/16/2021
EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 FTW3 Ultra Gaming
$719.99
$699.99
?
MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Gaming X Trio
$689.99
$649.99
04/16/2021
EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming
$529.99
N/A
?
EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti XC Gaming
$409.99
N/A
?
When it comes to Ampere, GameStop will be selling almost every SKU from the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti to the flagship GeForce RTX 3090. The retailer’s current collection is made up of big-name brands, like Asus, EVGA and MSI. The majority of the graphics cards are unavailable for purchase as GameStop probably doesn’t have stock yet. It’s likely that the retailer is still preparing the product pages so more models may appear down the line. However, some of the graphics cards are labelled with an expectance date for April 16.
The product pages show that GameStop will allow online purchases as the retailer offers the option to send the product to your home or customers can go pick it up at one of GameStop’s brick-and-mortar stores. It remains to be seen whether GameStop’s business model will include physically selling the products at their stores. For example, Micro Center typically sells processors for below their MSRP, but the retailer limits the orders to in-store purchases only. GameStop will certainly earn brownie points with enthusiasts if the store offers a similar option as it would help crackdown on the scalpers.
Taking into account the current situation that we’re living in, it’d be foolish to think that you can find a custom Ampere graphics cards at the manufacturer’s MSRP. With all things considered, GameStop’s pricing looks competitive though. There’s a price variation up to 13% between GameStop and Newegg. Some models are cheaper at the first, while others are more affordable at the latter. Unfortunately, we’ve reached the point where the winning retailer isn’t the one who sells the same graphics card for cheaper, but the one who actually has it in stock.
If you have been looking to play Rocket League on the go but don’t own a Nintendo Switch, Psyonix’s massively popular vehicular soccer game is finally coming to mobile devices. The developer announced a new free-to-play version called Sideswipe that will arrive on iOS and Android later this year.
Rocket League Sideswipe looks to be largely the same as the main version of Rocket League, but it will bring a new perspective that accommodates mobile devices. According to the press release, players will compete in two-minute 1v1 or 2v2 matches. Another big change to Sideswipe is a switch to touch controls.
Sideswipe will be free to play, just like the main version, which switched to this model last year. Before the game releases, Psyonix announced that a limited alpha test will be available on Android via Google Play to players in Australia and New Zealand today. More betas will be available in the coming months, according to Psyonix.
Rocket League coming to mobile devices is no surprise, as it joins other popular PC and console games that have been ported to iOS and Android in recent years to largely great success. Most notably, Call of Dutyand PUBG’s mobile versions have grown substantially by releasing mobile versions, with PUBG Mobile hitting 1 billion downloads worldwide earlier this week. Next week will see League of Legends expand to mobile as well, with the open beta of a spinoff called Wild Rift.
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Sega’s latest retro gaming machine, the Astro City Mini, comes on the back of two very different products: the excellent, crowd-pleasing Genesis Mini and the baffling but adorable Game Gear Micro. The former was an obvious mainstream play, the latter a full-blown swing for esoterica.
The Astro City Mini manages to straddle both approaches. An all-in-one miniature re-creation of a specific type of arcade cabinet with 37 games preloaded, it probably wasn’t on many people’s retro console bingo cards. But the finished product is very well-executed and should be considered essential for Sega fans.
I got my Astro City Mini a few months ago when it was released here in Japan. I kept meaning to write about it, but I always found excuses to delve further into its catalog first. Well, now’s the time. Limited Run Games just announced that it’ll be selling, well, a limited run of the system for the US with localized packaging. Just 3,500 units will go on sale on Friday for $129.99.
Unlike the various consoles that have recently been re-created in miniature form, the Astro City wasn’t a specific system that anyone ever designed games for. It was a cabinet that Sega sold with the intention of letting arcade proprietors fit with various game boards, and it turned out to be one of the most popular and iconic cabinets ever produced. You can still find units today in many Japanese arcades playing host to any number of games.
That meant Sega had a lot of freedom when it came to choosing which titles to include on the Astro City Mini. Ultimately, it settled on 37 games that represent an idiosyncratic, diverse selection of the company’s arcade history, from big hitters like Virtua Fighter to lesser-known titles like Dark Edge that have never received home releases before.
The Mini hardware is chunky and solid, with Sega’s typical attention to detail. You can even buy a $39.99 “style kit” that includes a customizable marquee, a little stool, and a riser with a coin slot so that it can be used as a money bank. If there’s one thing Sega has been very good at lately (other than pumping out Yakuza games), it’s crafting cute replicas from its hardware heyday. The Astro City Mini is no different.
There are a couple of quirks, however. For some reason, Sega saw fit to use a 16:9 display even though none of the games run in widescreen; most of them are 4:3, and some are vertically oriented shooters. The only content that actually fills the screen is the main menus. You can fill in the pillarboxes with some themed borders, but the choice of panel feels like a big compromise. There’s clearly space for a 4:3 screen here, as SNK’s similar but much smaller Neo Geo Mini has a decent 4:3 panel with more vertical height than what you get on the Astro City Mini.
The Neo Geo Mini had terrible HDMI output, however, while the Astro City Mini looks far better on a TV screen. The image quality is much cleaner, and you do at least get some benefit from the wider menus, which let you shuffle through some screenshots and read some basic information about each game before launching it. (I’ll note here that while most of the games on the Astro City Mini are in Japanese, the text in most of them is fairly minimal, and the system menus can be fully switched to English.)
One element that the Astro City Mini does, unfortunately, share with the Neo Geo Mini is its lack of built-in battery, which is a bummer for a system with its own screen. It’d be a lot more convenient and practical if you could use it without tethering it to a wall or a USB battery pack. The situation is actually worse than with the Neo Geo Mini because Sega decided to go with Micro USB instead of USB-C.
But there is one area where the Astro City Mini obliterates the Neo Geo Mini, and it’s far more important to the overall success of the product: the built-in controls are fantastic. While SNK inexplicably used an analog-style stick for its 2D arcade cabinet, Sega has outfitted the Astro City Mini with a small but gloriously clicky stick along with hyper-responsive, tactile buttons. It feels like a high-quality arcade stick that’s been hit with a shrink ray, and in combination with the riser, it instantly elevates the Astro City Mini from “fun desk toy” to “legitimately good way to play these games.”
If you plan to play the Astro City Mini mostly on your TV, you might want to pick up a $27.99 extra controller — not least because the regular USB pads I tried didn’t work. Fortunately, the Astro City-themed ones that Sega designed are very good, with a smooth, circular D-pad and an arcade-style six-button layout. There’s also a full-size Astro City arcade stick that Sega released in Japan, though Limited Run Games isn’t selling it.
The Astro City Mini’s game selection isn’t necessarily what I was expecting, not least because most of the titles were released before the cabinet actually made its debut in 1993. The oldest game here is Flicky, which came out in 1984 on Sega’s System 1 board, and the newest is 1994’s Puyo Puyo 2 for the C2. Other than 1993’s polygonal Virtua Fighter, the lineup can basically be seen as a well-curated journey through Sega’s pre-3D arcade history. There are notable omissions like OutRun, though that probably has as much to do with the stick-based control scheme as anything else.
All of the games included are the original arcade versions rather than the generally inferior ports seen on the Master System and Genesis. That means that, unlike most re-releases, you’re getting canonical versions of big Sega games like Space Harrier, Fantasy Zone, Shinobi, and more. The emulation generally seems to be good. The only game that stood out to me otherwise was Virtua Fighter, which has a little lag and runs at a higher resolution than I expected.
For me, the main selling point of the Astro City Mini is the games that got limited or nonexistent home releases. Dark Edge is a boundary-pushing pre-polygon proto-3D fighting game that looks and plays like nothing else. Cotton is a great scrolling shooter that only came out on the TurboGrafx-CD and the Neo Geo Pocket Color in the West. Arabian Fight is a technically impressive beat-em-up that never left the arcades. Rad Mobile is Sega’s first 32-bit game and the first to feature Sonic the Hedgehog (albeit as a toy dangling from your car’s mirror), but its only home release was for the Sega Saturn and never left Japan. The Revenge of Death Adder is the most advanced entry in the Golden Axe series, yet it was arcade-exclusive until now.
The Astro City Mini’s lineup isn’t comprehensive, but it never really could have been. It’s easy to wonder about titles that were left out. If Virtua Fighter made it on, why not Virtua Racing, for example? And were three Columns games really necessary? What’s here, though, is a strong collection that combines major names with deep cuts and should keep any fan of arcade games occupied for a long time.
The Astro City Mini is an odd, niche product with some weird flaws, but I can’t help but love it. The games are great, and the hardware is fun to play with, which is ultimately what really matters. I think it lands in a nice middle ground between the nostalgic appeal of the Genesis Mini and the obscure charms of the Game Gear Micro, while making for a better coin bank than either.
That’s why I’m glad it’s getting a US release, however low-key. If you’re a certain kind of Sega fan, or a fan of arcade gaming in general, you’ll want to pick one up.
With cinemas closed, many of us are looking for ways to create a big-screen cinema experience at home. Step forward the Hisense L5F Laser Cinema, a new ultra-short throw projector that can throw a 120-inch 4K image when placed just 14-inches from a vertical surface.
The H5F – the latest addition to the Chinese tech firm’s L5 series of 4K projectors – launched in the US this week and carries an MSRP of $5000 (around £3700, AU$6600). Built-in Android TV brings support for a plethora of popular streaming apps such as Netflix and Hulu, and there’s a voice remote for using Google Assistant.
The DLP projector uses a single X-Fusion blue laser light source and phosphor colour filter for a claimed brightness of almost 2700 lumens and more than a billion colours. Indeed, Hisense claims the the L5F “delivers up to 83% of the DCI-P3 color gamut” – not bad for a projector that can be stowed away neatly between uses.
According to Hisense, the L5F delivers “true-to-life picture quality” with HDR support coming in the form of HDR10 and HLG. The company’s MEMC smooth motion technology should help deliver on the promise of crisp images during fast-moving scenes.
The projector has two 15-watt built-in speakers, so it’s technically an all-in-one entertainment solution. That said, you’d do well to upgrade to a separate soundbar or surround sound speakers if you want an audio experience worthy of the silver screen.
Those with a next-gen gaming console (here’s where to buy a PS5 and Xbox Series X, if you’re struggling to find one) will be pleased to note that you can connect a gaming system via the L5F’s four HDMI ports.
There’s no word on when the L5F will be available in the UK, but last year’s 100-inch L5F launched at AO.com for £5000 (it’s now dropped to £3000).
Looking for a more affordable way to get a big picture without a huge TV cluttering up your living room? Take a spin around our guide to the best projectors.
MORE:
Our pick of the best projectors: Full HD, 4K, portable, short throw
Hisense launches new TriChroma laser TVs at CES 2021
Expert advice: How to set up your projector and get the best picture
Qualcomm is reportedly working on an Android-powered, handheld gaming console that’s similar to a Nintendo Switch, according to Android Police and XDA’s editor-in-chief Mishaal Rahman. The device would be powered by Qualcomm’s silicon, and could hit store shelves by next year — if it ends up being a real product at all.
According to the article, which cites images seen by Android Police, the device would feature detachable, Joy-Con-like controllers, an SD card slot, Android 12, and (of course) 5G. Also noted, and corroborated by Rahman, is a huge 6,000mAh battery. While the physical dimensions aren’t clear, Rahman tweeted that the screen could be 6.65-inches, with a resolution of at least 1080p (the Switch’s screen is 6.2-inches and runs at 720p). He also indicated that it could have a fan.
In other words, the device sounds like a big smartphone with attached controllers and active cooling, though that may not be a bad thing — the Switch kind of looks like a giant phone too. But it also has a library of great games that only it can play, which is its biggest draw. While there are plenty of good gaming experiences to be had on Android, from retro emulators to games like Fortnite and Genshin Impact, Qualcomm would have to give customers a reason why they should play those games on a separate device, rather than on their Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered gaming phones with built-in buttons or controller accessories (or on their regular phones).
The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate with a controller accessory. Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge
Or at least, it will if it’s trying to sell the device to people — the Android Police article indicates that Qualcomm does want it to be commercially available, potentially at carrier retail stores. It also says that the price target for the device is $300, the same as a full-sized Switch. Currently, the cheapest phone I found with Qualcomm’s flagship 888 processor, the Realme GT 5G, costs roughly $430 (and is only sold in China).
However, Rahman notes that his source believed the product was closer to a reference design than something that would ever see store shelves. Chipmakers, including Qualcomm, often build sample devices to help other manufacturers design around their SOCs or radios. Sometimes, these reference products even end up being sold by other companies under different brands, known as whitelabeling.
It is worth noting that the disagreement between the sources could be due to uncertainty from Qualcomm itself — AP believes this project is almost a year from being finished, so the company may not yet know for sure what it wants this to become.
Whether the device ends up as a product or not (it could easily get canceled before it makes a public appearance), it seems like Qualcomm is actually designing and building a dedicated Android gaming device. It’s understandable why the company would be eying the handheld gaming market: it’s been heating up since Nvidia’s handheld Shield idea turned into the Nintendo Switch, with high-powered gaming phones, Windows PCs with Switch-like form factors, and a variety of mods, classic handheld redesigns, and novelty pocket gaming systems.
With the number of leaks concerning Nintendo’s upgraded Switch console over the past few months, we can be almost certain that the Japanese gaming company is indeed preparing to launch an update to the Switch. This morning Bloomberg added some more details to the picture. As it turns out, Nintendo’s upgraded console will be powered by a new system-on-chip designed by Nvidia. Interestingly, the new SoC will even support some of Nvidia’s latest graphics technologies.
The upgraded version of Nintendo’s Switch console is expected to come with a 7-inch OLED screen, an upgrade from a 6.2-inch 720p LCD screen used on the currently available model. A higher resolution display automatically requires a significant upgrade of the graphics subsystem of a console, so it is not particularly surprising that the revamped Switch will use an all-new Nvidia SoC that can handle 4K graphics when docked to an external TV.
The original Nintendo Switch is powered by Nvidia’s Tegra X1 SoC featuring four Arm Cortex-A57 general-purpose cores as well as GM20B GPU with 256 CUDA cores featuring the Maxwell architecture (note that Nintendo’s Switch does not use four low-power Cortex-A53 cores also found in the X1). This processor was introduced in early 2015 and by now it is completely out of date.
The new system-on-chip from Nvidia will feature new general-purpose CPU cores as well as a new GPU that will support Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) that enhances graphics quality in games that support it, reports Bloomberg citing sources familiar with the matter. The console will also most likely come with more memory featuring higher bandwidth (think LPDDR4X or LPDDR5).
It is hard to say exactly what the new Nvidia SoC for Nintendo’s upgraded Switch will pack, but DLSS requires Tensor cores, so we are definitely talking about Volta, Turing or Ampere here architectures. The exact configuration of the GPU is unknown, but if Nintendo wants proper 4K graphics both on internal and external screens, it should not skimp on graphics performance.
The information about the new SoCs of course comes from an unofficial source and has to be taken with a grain of salt. For obvious reasons, neither Nintendo nor Nvidia commented on the matter.
Meanwhile, in a bid to maintain backwards compatibility with games for Switch, Nintendo had to use an SoC with Nvidia’s graphics, so a new chip from the green giant seems perfectly reasonable. Nvidia has experience integrating its latest GPU architectures into SoCs for automobiles, so it should not be a problem for the company to design a new processor for Nintendo’s upcoming game console.
We have some more news on the much-rumoured Nintendo Switch Pro. According to Bloomberg, the console will use a new Nvidia chip that allows for 4K upscaling.
The chip allows for something called DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), which is a cutting-edge way of upscaling graphics. This will allow the picture quality for games for Nintendo’s new console to be improved, without having ridiculously large file sizes.
DLSS uses an artificial intelligence technology called deep learning neural networks to boost frame rates and generally tidy up graphics. The tech debuted in Nvidia’s GeForce RTX graphics chips.
The original Switch console used an Nvidia chip, so Nintendo would be continuing the partnership. The Tegra X1 used in the current Switch is apparently being retired, according to recent reports, which would pave the way for Nintendo to use this new one.
The Bloomberg report also repeats claims that the new OLED Nintendo Switch, complete with its 7in OLED screen will launch this holiday season. Stay tuned to What Hi-Fi? and we’ll bring you all the latest news on the console as and when it drops.
MORE:
Nintendo Switch Pro: everything we know so far about the OLED Nintendo Switch 2
Did you know that you could mute all system audio by simply holding the mute button on the DualSense for about one second? I’ve had a PS5 for months, yet I only now realized this hidden feature exists after watching a YouTube video that the algorithm served me. You’ll know it’s working when the orange mute light strobes softly, then you won’t hear any system sounds.
Apparently, this trick works to disable all audio, no matter the audio source, be it your speakers, headphones wired into the controller’s 3.5mm jack, a wireless gaming headset, or one plugged in via one of the console’s USB ports. Even though the DualSense has some limited PC support, this feature is exclusive to PS5, it seems.
This video isn’t the exclusive source for this information, and it doesn’t appear to have been the first to crack that the function exists. A Google search for this feature shows a steady stream of gamers are accidentally stumbling upon it on a rolling basis, perhaps as more PS5 consoles become available to buy.
Given that the console is still difficult to buy, let alone find in stock, I figured it’d be useful for anyone reading this who’s trying their luck at getting one. I’m not sure I would have ever figured it out myself if I hadn’t been served that one video, either.
It’s a handy feature, though it might take a little practice for me to take advantage of this feature versus my usual muting method, which is just to yank my headphones off.
(Pocket-lint) – It was back in 2015 when we drove then then-brand-new-generation Audi Q7. How things have changed since. The world is accelerating towards a more electric-based automotive future – indeed, Audi has since launched the all-electric e-tron – and, in a step-change for the series, the Q7 is also following suit.
Say hello to the Audi Q7 TFSi e – that ‘e’ a nod to ‘electric’ component – which is the plug-in hybrid variant. There’s still a V6 engine under the hood, but that’s mated with an electric motor, which can be recharged by plugging in (and, to some degree, through regenerative braking).
That’s not all, though. Audi’s technology has advanced in the years since the latest-gen Q7’s launch, going for a more hands-on touch-based approach, as you’ll also find inside here. Outside there are nips and tucks to bring the design even more up to date.
So if you’re looking for some big wheels with all the space for a full family, some off-road capabilities when out in the country, plus all the creature comforts of modern tech and that feel-good factor of electrification (plus some tax savings), is the Q7 hybrid the most viable option?
Design & Interior
The Q7 is the biggest Audi on the road. Well, it’s the tallest anyway, as it shares the MLB Evo platform with plenty of other cars – even the Bentley Bentayga – which is why its five-metre-plus length offers a lot of space inside. However, it’s five seats as standard on account of the battery needing to live somewhere – not seven seats as per the non-electrified versions.
Visually speaking the Q7 is similar to how it’s looked for a number of years: less ‘station wagon’ than the previous generation model, inherently tall (adjustably so thanks to Audi Drive Select’s raise/lower suspension adjustments), with Audi’s muscular-style plating giving the exterior added shape to its hulking frame.
While all SUVs which look fairly big and burly from the outside, the Q7 PHEV is a different beast on the inside. Behind the wheel it feels like sitting high-up on a road-worthy magic carpet, nothing like the nuts-‘n’-bolts harshness of the new Land Rover Discovery, for example.
But it’s the abundance of tech on board that really helps to sell the Q7 as a premium vehicle. The otherwise sizeable interior somewhat melts away as, when glancing down, you’re naturally drawn into the featured screens – there’s a pair to the centre console, while another features behind the driver’s wheel, in the staple Audi Virtual Cockpit arrangement.
Virtual Cockpit – which is 12.3-inch screen – comprises a digital speedo and an abundance of other information, accessed through scrolling the thumbwheel that’s on the main steering wheel. So whether you want a full-on satnav display or fuel consumption to see your economy or remaining miles on electric-only power, the choice is yours.
Pocket-lint
Thankfully there’s no screen positioned high up on the dash, like there was with the five-year-old Q7, so no distractions here – just a gloriously large (and of course high up) view onto the road.
Drive & Range
The Q7 is quiet – except for the hum of the electric mode’s sound output – to the point that you can pull away in near silence. It’s all-wheel drive – that’s the Quattro part of the equation – so for great adhesion, whether on or off the road. Not that we’ve done more than drive through some fields in Knole Park in Kent.
Pocket-lint
There are two variants available: the ’55’, as reviewed, and the ’60’. Both feature a V6 TFSi petrol engine, paired with a 94kW electric motor, and 8-speed auto box. There’s no difference in terms of range potential between the two, just that the 60 is a little quicker off the mark – although the 5.9-seconds (for the 55 model) is great for an SUV that’s over the two-and-a-half tonne mark, indeed it’s faster than the fuel-only version.
But the big reason you’ll be considering the PHEV version of the Q7 is for the electric part of the equation. Just how far does that battery – at 17.3kWh – get you? Audi’s rating is up to 27 miles. But you’ll need to be rather economical in your driving approach on flat roads to get that figure. Force the Q7 into the upper levels of its speedo (which for electric-only goes to ‘boost’ – its redline equivalent, really) too often and you’ll knock a mile off in well under half the distance.
Let’s say you could eke out 20 miles in electric-only mode – which is still called e-tron mode, perhaps unsurprisingly – and that’s still pretty good innings for those shorter runs. The shopping trips. The school runs. The drive to your sports club. While not ‘free’ – you’ve got the pay the electric, after all – it’s going to keep your bill much lower than refuelling often, without compromising on speed and control, as the Q7 still goes some when it’s in e-tron mode.
For longer journeys, or if you can’t help but pull the auto box back into ‘S’ mode (that’s Sport), you can rely on that power of the engine. Or, in Hybrid mode, you can get the clout of both electric and petrol rolled into one, which is when the Q7 plug-in is at its best really. So there’s certainly versatility. This isn’t the kind of electrified hybrid that’ll go half a mile and call it a day, it’s got usable range – just not quite as extensive as some other (admittedly smaller) vehicles.
Pocket-lint
Opting for the plug-in model will cut emissions – so better than the 26ish mpg of the Q7 we drove back in 2015, potentially by a lot if you don’t use any actual fuel for your journeys! – but there’s an inevitable price jump too. This S Line model – Sport is positioned below this; Black Edition, Competition, Vorsprung all feature above – starts at £69,150 on the road, which is around £9K more than a seven-seat fuel-only model with the same interior/exterior setup. You’ll need to do some totting up of figures in your head to configure whether that’s longer-term value for your needs.
New Nest Hub, Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, and more – Pocket-lint Podcast 95
By Rik Henderson
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Verdict
So is the Audi Q7 TFSi e the plug-in hybrid to beat all others? It’s got some big plus points for sure – the interior space, the suite of tech – but it’s not entirely rosy.
After all, the Q7, being the biggest SUV in Audi’s range, is known for being a 7-seater. As a PHEV version, however, it loses the back row to become a 5-seater – which somewhat cuts back on its unique appeal, and therefore you might instead opt for the smaller Q5 e (or even incoming Q3 e) and save on the bulk and even some cash.
Plus the Q7 PHEV’s claimed 27 mile range on electric only – and we didn’t manage to achieved that claim over a week of use, including recharges – is only just about OK.
Still, as a big and burly SUV goes, the Q7 plug-in glides along the road with ease, it’s got more pep than its base fuel-only equivalents, and with the benefit of electrification it’ll deliver far better economy for a certain group of short-haul drivers too.
Mustafa Mahmoud 1 day ago Featured Tech News, PC, Software & Gaming
Recently, The Evil Within was added to Xbox Game Pass. In a surprising discovery however, on PC it would appear as though The Evil Within received an entirely new port which includes new features, quality of life updates, and more.
As discovered by YouTuber Jigzaw_Killer, the Game Pass version of The Evil Within appears to be a new PC port, which brings with it a number of improvements over the original release. This new version includes:
First person mode
FOV option
Infinite ammo mode
Icons for lantern/sneaking in first person view
Low/Medium options for Camera Bob
Adjusted stamina where you can now run for 5 seconds at default stamina (as opposed to the original’s 3 seconds)
All DLC Included
Separate Achievement List from Xbox
Less janky and more smooth overall
As can be seen, the changes are not insignificant, and make for a much better playing experience. The Evil Within wasn’t the only game to be improved however. The Game Pass release of NieR: Automata on PC is reportedly also an improved port. While the changes don’t appear to be as significant as The Evil Within’s, many of the PC specific performance problems have seemingly been fixed.
Microsoft’s decision to improve these older Game Pass titles is an interesting one. It will be curious to see whether the console Manufacturer speaks on these improvements and its strategy for future Game Pass games.
KitGuru says: What do you think of this new port? Will you replay The Evil Within? What do you think Microsoft’s strategy is? Let us know down below.
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Mustafa Mahmoud 2 days ago Console, Featured Tech News, Software & Gaming
Back during the PlayStation 5 reveal event, Sony showed off a game by the name of Project Athia. Published by Square Enix, this PS5 console exclusive showed off very little, but what was shown was intriguing. Now, Square Enix has given fans a second look at the game, as well as announcing the official name and release year.
During the Square Enix Presents Spring 2021, the publisher showed off a new trailer for Project Athia, revealing that the PS5 and PC game will in fact be called Forspoken. At the original reveal event, no release date was given for Forspoken, and while we still don’t have a full date, the publisher confirmed that it will release some time in 2022.
“Introducing Forspoken, The New Narrative-Driven Adventure Set in a Beautiful Yet Cruel World. Play as Frey Holland, a young woman who must harness her magical abilities to survive in a fantastical yet dangerous world of Athia,” reads the description for the game.
While the original trailer showed off a world that appeared to be very traditional in nature, this latest trailer injected much more personality, with the protagonist seemingly hailing from a modern era, and somehow ending up in the mythical world of Athia – though we will have to wait to find out more.
Though not too much was shown, enough was revealed to keep fans hungering for more. Hopefully much more of this promising game will be shown off between now and its release in 2022.
KitGuru says: What do you think of the trailer? Are you interested in Forspoken? Do you think it will hit 2022? Let us know down below.
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Mustafa Mahmoud 2 days ago Console, Featured Tech News, Online, Software & Gaming
With video games getting larger and larger in file size, and the industry moving towards an all-digital future, the need for a fast and stable internet connection is becoming more necessary by the day. In order to help this along somewhat, Microsoft has now added an option to increase download speeds of games at the expense of multitasking.
As reported by Eurogamer, the latest update as part of Xbox’s Insider Program has added the option to increase the download speeds of games and updates. The drawback to this increase in speed is that players will not be able to play any games while this is occurring. Fortunately, while you will not be able to play other games, the titles will remain suspended and will not need to be closed down completely – meaning that once the download has ended, you can pick right back up where you left off.
The reason for this trade-off is that “Xbox keeps a portion of your connection reserved for any potential online connectivity, which quitting or suspending games will then unlock”. Xbox has marketed itself on offering as much player choice as possible, and this update just adds another feather to this cap. Hopefully those with slow internet speeds can take advantage of this new feature.
KitGuru says: What do you think of this update? Will you use this feature? Is the trade-off worth it? Let us know down below.
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Mustafa Mahmoud 2 days ago Console, Featured Tech News, Software & Gaming
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order was well received by most Star Wars fans following its initial release in 2019. Since then, the game has gone on to sell over 10 million copies. While Respawn Entertainment released a next-gen patch for the game, Jedi Fallen Order may soon receive a bespoke next-gen version.
As discovered by Gematsu, the German USK ratings board recently rated Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order for the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. While releasing next-gen versions of older games is not uncommon, this move is interesting as the game was already patched with PS5 and Series X|S improvements back in January.
The patch in question added higher resolutions, improved frame rates, and better post processing. As such, it is curious to see what other improvements Respawn Entertainment would have planned for this native next-gen experience. It is possible that PS5 may benefit from the improved haptics and adaptive triggers, but with no further details currently, it is anyone’s guess.
Of course, while seeing further improvements on PS5 and Series X|S would be welcome, it is also possible that this may simply be a repackaged version of the already ‘enhanced’ Fallen Order with no other improvements. Hopefully this is not the case however. We will have to wait and see.
KitGuru says: What do you think of this new rating? What improvements would you like to see added to the game? Would you be disappointed by a simple repackaging of the same game? Let us know down below.
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