Nintendo told investors today it expects sales of the Switch, which has been the best-selling console for over two straight years even though it’s a last-gen product, to decline in fiscal year 2022 at least partly because of global component shortages.
The company said in its fiscal year 2021 earnings report that “the production of products might be affected by obstacles to the procurement of parts, including the increase in global demand for semiconductor components.” Note that chips aren’t the only thing Nintendo’s worried about—it’s also warning about parts.
That’s likely because chips aren’t the only components in short supply. They might not even be the biggest factor for the Switch, which features an Nvidia Tegra X1 system-on-a-chip made using TSMC’s 20nm and 16nm processes, depending on the iteration of the X1. (The original Switch used the T210; new models use the T214.)
Those trailing-edge processes are also in short supply, sure, but they aren‘t seeing as much demand as TSMC’s leading-edge processes. Nintendo isn’t fighting over the coveted sub-10nm processes found in the latest CPUs, GPUs, and SoCs; it’s using a two-year-old-at-best SoC that’s pretty much exclusively used by Nintendo and Nvidia.
Instead the company might be constrained by the availability of display panels, networking chips, and other Switch components affected by the semiconductor shortage. An abundance of X1s doesn’t mean much to Nintendo if they aren’t accompanied by every other part on which its hybrid game console relies.
Nintendo based its expectations for 2022 on the assumption that it could procure all those parts, however, which means it’s likely worried the Switch will finally lose steam now that it has increased competition from the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S and won’t benefit from the pandemic-induced need to play Animal Crossing.
Here’s the good news: Nintendo’s almost certainly planning to release a followup to the Switch in the near future. Reports have indicated that the new console will offer 4K gaming support, boast a 7-inch OLED display, and feature a new SoC from Nvidia that enables the company’s DLSS technology for improved graphics performance.
Nintendo Switch sales were up 44 percent percent from January to March compared to the same pandemic-impaired quarter from a year earlier. Today’s numbers bring total Switch sales to 28.83 million for the fiscal year, up 37 percent compared to the 21 million Switch consoles the company shipped the year prior, and beating the company’s own revised forecast.
In February, Nintendo raised its annual forecast to 26.5 million Switch units for the fiscal year ending March 31st on the strength of increased demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, a number that had already been raised from 19 million units at the start of the year. The lifetime-to-date sales figure now stands at 84.59 million Switch units shipped worldwide since its launch in 2017, creeping up on the Wii console’s 101.63 million lifetime sales mark.
Game sales for the year also spiked by 37 percent, selling 230.88 million units compared to 168.72 million units in the previous fiscal year, led by Animal Crossing: New Horizons with 20.85 million units sold. Other notables were Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (10.62 million units), Super Mario 3D All-Star (9.01 million units), and Ring Fit Adventure (7.38 million units). Nintendo claimed 36 million-seller titles during the fiscal year, 22 from Nintendo and 14 by other publishers. Newly released Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury sold5.59 million units.
Looking forward, Nintendo is planning to release a blue Switch Lite in May. The company is also preparing global launches for additional first-party software titles, including Miitopia in May, Mario Golf: Super Rush in June, and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD in July. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl are planned for late 2021. Nintendo says that it’s working with Niantic “to develop a new application featuring Pikmin for smart devices” that will be released in the second half of 2021.
Nintendo’s full-year revenue increased to 1.76 trillion yen, up 35 percent compared to the 1.3 trillion yen earned last year, netting a full-year profit of 480.3 billion yen (about $4.4 billion). The company is forecasting sales of 1.6 trillion yen against 25.5 million Switch consoles for the year ending March 2022.
Nintendo is rumored to be working on a new Switch with 4K output that will better compete with more powerful Xbox and PlayStation consoles. It’s said to have a larger 7-inch 720p OLED panel built by Samsung that’s set to enter mass production in June for July assembly.
Samsung is ready to launch its Galaxy A7 Lite tablet soon as evident by the several certification listings and leaks that emerged in the past months. We now have another listing for the budget tablet straight from the Google Play Console which again confirms its key specs.
Galaxy Tab A7 Lite listings on Google Play Console
There are two listings for the Tab A7 Lite as it will be available in both LTE and Wi-Fi-only trims. The specs department matches previous listings with a Helio P22T chipset at the helm paired with 3GB RAM. The display will feature an 800×1340 pixel resolution though its size is not revealed. Based on previous leaks the panel is expected to come in between 8.4 and 8.7-inches.
Galaxy Tab A7 Lite in black and silver
The tablet will pack a 5,100 mAh battery with 15W charging and boot Android 11. The Tab A7 Lite is expected to come in black and silver colors and we should see its debut as early as next month.
Mustafa Mahmoud 12 hours ago Featured Tech News, Online, Software & Gaming
2020 saw many of the industries biggest events either get cancelled outright, or translated into a digital format, due to the global pandemic caused by COVID-19. Despite many advances in moving towards combating the virus, it would seem many event organisers are not yet ready to risk in-person events. Such is the case with Gamescom, which will once again host an all-digital event in 2021.
Making the announcement in a press release, they revealed “The German Games Industry Association have decided to hold gamescom 2021 as an all-digital event. This decision was made after extensive discussions with partners and exhibitors. Thus, the organizers take into account the current situation, in which too many companies are unable to participate in physical events this year due to the still difficult development.”
They continued, “In this way, they also meet the partners’ strong need for planning security. This means that gamescom 2021 will be held exclusively digitally and free of charge for all gamescom fans.”
While the case for putting safety first is an important one, and is more than enough reason to keep the event all-digital in 2021, it would seem as though switching formats proved to be lucrative for the industry event, with statistics revealing that Gamescom 2020 managed to achieve “Over 100 million video views across all formats and channels, more than 50 million unique users from 180 countries, and 370 partners from 44 countries” – figures that would be nearly impossible in a live venue.
While it is likely that Gamescom will return to a physical venue in 2022, when COVID-19 is – hopefully – no longer a concern, it will be interesting to see whether the success of the digital show will affect future plans. Gamescom returns on the 23rd of August. The full press release can be found HERE.
KitGuru says: Are you excited for Gamescom? What did you think of last year’s event? Should industry events remain digital even beyond 2021? Let us know down below.
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SCUF announces that it is working on a PS5 controller
While each console manufacturer makes 1st party controllers which it deems to be the perfect …
Mustafa Mahmoud 13 hours ago Console, Featured Tech News, Peripheral
While each console manufacturer makes 1st party controllers which it deems to be the perfect balance between cost and functionality, 3rd party offerings are able to get much more creative with its designs and features. One of the most well known 3rd party manufacturers, SCUF, has now announced that it is working on its own PS5 controller.
In a recent financial call, the CEO of SCUF’s parent company Corsair revealed that a PS5 version of the SCUF controller is in the works. While no release date was given, they claimed that “We’re obviously working as fast as we can to get out [the] PS5 controller. We haven’t released when that will be, but I suspect we’ll be pretty early in the market compared to any of our competitors.”
3rd party controllers run the gamut in quality, from being cheap alternatives of 1st party offerings, to premium accessories which offer far greater functionality. SCUF controllers have historically taken the 1st party controllers as a base, adding features to it, while still maintaining the feel of a 1st party controller.
The DualSense PS5 controller is one of the most complicated yet, offering high quality haptics and adaptive triggers – to name a few of its new features. It will be interesting to see just how SCUF will alter the design and functionality to work with its company’s own design language – and whether the all important haptics and adaptive triggers will be kept.
KitGuru says: What do you think of 3rd party controllers? Do you use them? What is your favourite video game controller of all time? Let us know down below.
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Gamescom 2021 will once again be an all-digital event
2020 saw many of the industries biggest events either get cancelled outright, or translated into …
We’ve been hearing about Microsoft’s long-awaited Fable reboot since 2018, when Playground Games set up a second studio to take on the project. We are slowly starting to learn more about this upcoming game, with the latest piece of news revealing that Fable is being developed on the Forza Tech engine.
In a Turn 10 Studios advertisement on LinkedIn for job opportunities, it is revealed that the Forza Tech engine is being used for Fable:
“Do you want to have a major impact on 3 AAA titles in development across 2 beloved Xbox franchises? ForzaTech is the engine, tools and pipelines that drive both the Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon series of games. In addition to adding new features like raytracing to support the next console generation, we are also enriching the toolset to support an open world action RPG – Fable.”
Playground Games has been using the Forza Tech engine for years now, having used it to power the gorgeous open-world Forza Horizon games. With some new tools in place, Playground is now using this same engine to build Fable as an open-world action RPG.
The Fable reboot was officially announced by Microsoft last year, but we’ve known about its development since at least 2018. There is no word on when this game may release, but we’re hoping to see it make an appearance at E3 next month.
Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.
KitGuru Says: There were some rumours that Fable might be utilising Unreal Engine 5 but we can now put those rumours to rest. Hopefully we won’t have to wait much longer to get a good look at this game in action.
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Gamescom 2021 will once again be an all-digital event
2020 saw many of the industries biggest events either get cancelled outright, or translated into …
Matthew Wilson 2 days ago Featured Tech News, Software & Gaming
While it looked like Microsoft may acquire Discord in recent months, those negotiations unceremoniously ended and now, it looks like Discord has chosen to partner up elsewhere. In a surprising announcement last night, Sony announced that it has invested in Discord and plans to integrate the app with PlayStation consoles.
In an announcement straight from Sony Interactive Entertainment head, Jim Ryan, we learned that starting next year, Discord will integrate with PlayStation consoles, a move that will include Discord friends lists, group chats and server communities accessible on console:
“Together, our teams are already hard at work connecting Discord with your social and gaming experience on PlayStation Network. Our goal is to bring the Discord and PlayStation experiences closer together on console and mobile starting early next year, allowing friends, groups, and communities to hang out, have fun, and communicate more easily while playing games together.”
Sony also has a minority stake in Discord moving forward, although the exact investment amount has not been disclosed yet. We could be moving towards a future where Sony’s PlayStation social features are replaced by Discord.
There is no reason why these integrations couldn’t also come to Xbox. Discord already has basic integration with Xbox, allowing your account to be linked to Discord to display games being played on Xbox consoles.
Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.
KitGuru Says: Discord integration on consoles is something I’ve been hoping to see for a while. Xbox and PlayStation party chat was good enough back in the day, but nowadays, it is lacking compared to PC offerings like Discord.
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Gamescom 2021 will once again be an all-digital event
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That question was asked — implicitly and explicitly — over and over on the third day of Epic v. Apple testimony. The antitrust trial started on Monday with some heady pronunciations about Fortnite, the game and/or metaverse at the heart of the case. Yesterday, both sides argued about whether iPhones and iPads were truly locked down. And today, Apple and Epic delved into one of the biggest questions of the trial: whether saying iOS violates antitrust law would make every major game console an unlawful monopoly too.
Apple’s attorneys issued a dire warning to Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft during its opening statement, saying that their business models were all fundamentally similar. “If Epic prevails, other ecosystems will fall too,” they warned. But today, Epic called up Microsoft’s Xbox business development head Lori Wright as a sympathetic witness. In response to a line of questioning, Wright divided computing devices into “special-purpose” and “general-purpose” devices — in a way that clearly defined iPhones as the latter.
The Xbox, as Wright describes it, is a special-purpose device. “You are basically building a piece of hardware to do a specific thing,” she told a judge. “The Xbox is designed to give you a gaming experience. People buy an Xbox because they want to play games.” As a result, Microsoft keeps tight control of what content users can access — it’s a “curated, custom-built hardware/software experience.” The market is also much smaller: tens or hundreds of millions sold, compared to “billions” of Windows devices. Later in the day, Epic engineering fellow Andrew Grant gave his own, similar definition of gaming consoles in general, calling a console “a single-purpose device for entertainment.”
Windows computers, according to Wright, are “general-purpose” devices. “You’re buying it to do a wide variety of things, and that changes every day as new ideas are getting created,” she said. “It can do a bunch of things already, and it has the aperture to do a bunch more things.” These platforms can support unexpected, emergent applications across more aspects of people’s lives, particularly when it’s easy to get an app onto them in the first place.
Wright made a point of discussing all the different ways that users could get apps on Windows. That includes Microsoft’s own app store, but also Steam, the Epic Games Store, and direct downloads from a website. Microsoft recently dropped its commission on Windows apps to 12 percent to compete with Epic, while the Xbox still takes a 30 percent commission. Wright says there’s no plan to change that discrepancy. That’s despite the fact that under the hood, there’s not a massive hardware difference between an Xbox and a desktop PC.
It’s hard to call the iPhone anything but a general-purpose device under Wright’s definition. (She described a “special-purpose” Apple product as something like an iPod.) Intentionally or not, Wright also linked the distinction to one of Epic’s major talking points: profit.
Epic describes profit as one of the biggest differences between iPhones and consoles. It argues console makers have to treat app makers better because they lose money on hardware, unlike Apple, so they need to plan around attracting developers to the platform. And from Microsoft’s point of view, Wright emphasized in testimony that no Xbox console has been sold at a profit, even late in a generation’s lifespan after manufacturing costs fall. So part of that curated hardware/software experience includes planning around a specific genre of app and attracting the developers who will build it, rather than simply turning it loose and seeing what happens.
Microsoft later hedged in a statement saying that “profits are generated in game sales and online service subscriptions,” but it didn’t really contradict the claim — it just made clear, as Wright did, that the overall operation is profitable.
Will these distinctions convince the court? It’s hard to say, and Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has asked questions that appear lightly skeptical of Epic’s hard lines between consoles and iPhones and Wright’s strict delineation of “general” and “specific” devices.
Apple’s attorney didn’t spend as much time arguing over precise definitions. Apple’s strategy relied more on questioning Wright’s credibility by noting that she’d failed to produce documents that Apple requested. Later, an attorney similarly lambasted Grant for working on the hotfix that secretly introduced a new payment system into Fortnite, insisting that “you knew you were being dishonest, didn’t you?”
But Apple did push Wright to lay out in detail just how much more locked-down Xbox is than Windows, asking whether it did things like support rival game stores or streaming services. (This questioning was muddled by the fact that Microsoft refers to both its consoles and general gaming division as “Xbox,” so you can have an “Xbox store” on PC — a fact that led to some confusion during cross-examination.)
Why is this useful to Apple? Well, Epic began the trial by saying that iOS should work more like macOS. Both operating systems have a reputation for relative security and seamlessness, but only the latter allows installing software from outside the App Store. Epic’s opening statement questioned why Apple needed to lock down the iPhone when it had already created a perfectly workable but more open system. But with Wright and Microsoft, Apple has a perfect comparison point: a major computing company that offers two very different versions of a big black box.
Nike, Sony, and basketball player Paul George have collaborated on another pair of sneakers, the PG 5, with help from PS5 designer Yujin Morsawa. According to Sony, “the colors of the shoe are heavily inspired by the industrial design of the PS5” with the PlayStation’s signature circle, square, cross, and triangle shapes woven into the materials like a DualSense controller. There’s also a PlayStation logo on the tongue of the right shoe, while the left’s tongue has Paul George’s PG logo.
The release comes a little over two years after Nike and PlayStation’s last sneaker collaboration, the PG 2.5, which drew inspiration from the design of the original PlayStation console. Earlier that year, the two companies worked together on the PG2, which were inspired by the PS4.
The PG 5 shoes are going on sale in “select regions” on May 14th, and they’ll arrive in North America on May 27th priced at $120, according to Nike’s site. There’s no word on how many pairs Nike will release, but given how limited its previous run of PlayStation sneakers was, we’re expecting these to sell out fast. Fitting, given how hard it still is to find PS5 consoles in stock.
If you’re interested, Sony says you should keep your eye on the Nike SNKRS app or local Nike website for more information on release dates and availability.
Epic pushed Microsoft to open up its Xbox network for free multiplayer gaming just weeks before the Apple and Fortnite battle. In the weeks leading up to Epic Games’ decision to circumvent Apple’s 30 percent cut on Fortnite in-app purchases, CEO Tim Sweeney sent an email to Xbox chief Phil Spencer teasing something big and asking whether Microsoft could time free multiplayer with Fortnite season 14.
“Epic has certain plans for August that will provide an extraordinary opportunity to highlight the value proposition of consoles and PCs, in contrast to mobile platforms, and to onboard new console users,” said Sweeney. “While I can’t share details with any third party at this point, I give you Epic’s assurance that our efforts will be positive and supportive of Microsoft, Xbox and Windows.”
Sweeney also asked Spencer whether free Xbox Live multiplayer was coming, and whether Microsoft could time it to support Fortnite season 14, the season Epic Games launched its alternate payment method that got Fortnite kicked off the App Store.
Spencer replied that “we will get there and I want to partner with you,” and that pushing these policies was “at the highest levels” at Microsoft, but implied Xbox Live wasn’t ready to go free multiplayer just yet. “Totally understood!” said Sweeney in response. “I gather there’s a lot going on at Microsoft nowadays. Anyway, you’ll enjoy the upcoming fireworks show.”
The timing of the email is provocative, given the events that followed. Had Spencer gone along with the plan, it seems likely that Xbox could have opened up Fortnite to non-Gold subscribers at the same time that Apple was shutting out the game entirely.
The fireworks show that Sweeney promised certainly kicked off when Fortnite season 14 launched, and it has since resulted in Epic Games taking Apple to court in a trial that’s ongoing. Microsoft did eventually unlock Xbox Live free-to-play multiplayer last month, but it wasn’t as simple as Epic Games had hoped.
Microsoft’s removal of the Xbox Live Gold requirement came after the company was forced to reverse a price hike to its Xbox Live Gold subscriptions earlier this year. Microsoft had attempted to double the cost of a yearly Xbox Live Gold subscription, a move that backfired. Microsoft quickly reversed the decision and offered to remove the paywall for free-to-play multiplayer games.
It’s not an HDMI standard with much publicity right now, but HDMI QFT should be one you’re keeping an eye on if gaming is a priority. It may be one of the lesser talked about HDMI 2.1 features but this low latency technology has the potential to make your on-screen action more responsive and give your overall reaction time a head-start over the competition. So, what is HDMI QFT?
What is HDMI QFT?
(Image credit: LG / Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Sony)
The QFT in HDMI QFT stands for Quick Frame Transport and, like its name suggests, it’s a technology that speeds up the transmission of each frame on its journey from source to screen. It decreases the latency between the moment when the visual data is available in the graphics processor of your gaming device and the time when that data is then rendered on the screen as a frame. The shorter that gap, the closer your gameplay can be to the live version of the action.
This is very different to something like ALLM which simply optimises an ALLM-compatible TV to gaming. While ALLM will automatically shut down your TV’s extraneous picture processing in order to reduce what’s known as ‘input lag’, HDMI QFT actively speeds up the transport of the game data itself.
It’s so effective that it can theoretically reduce that time and lower latency by multiples of milliseconds. In the world of fast-action online gaming, with input lag for TVs already down to a matter of 20ms, those extra few milliseconds could make a very big difference.
How does HDMI QFT work?
The path of gaming data from source to screen is a lot longer than an HDMI cable. Display latency is defined as the time it takes to get a frame from the source GPU, at the moment that its ready, all the way until its painted on your TV screen.
That’s the time it takes to get through the source’s output circuits, the transfer across the cable, the processing of the video data by the TV’s chips and then finally the rendering of those frames on-screen. In real terms, that can affect things such as the delay between pressing a button on your games controller and actually seeing that action take place on the screen.
HDMI QFT can’t speed up all of that but it can accelerate things from source HDMI port to sink HDMI port, so long as both devices support the HDMI QFT standard. QFT transports each frame through the pipeline at a higher rate than normal.
HDMI QFT is an HDMI 2.1 feature, which means that it could be possible to enable it at some point on any device with an HDMI 2.1-certified port.
Which devices are HDMI QFT-certified?
At present you’ll struggle to find HDMI QFT support on any TV or games console. For the time being, neither the Xbox Series X and Series S, nor the PlayStation 5 can make use of HDMI QFT technology, and it’s unclear whether or not it can be added as a firmware update.
A clue may come from the world of AV receivers, which are often way ahead of the curve when it comes to new audio-visual technologies. All of the current Denon X Series AVRs (from the X2700H upwards) with an 8K input, and all the current Marantz AV receivers with an 8K input, support QFT. They’re also able to passthrough a QFT signal on their non-8K HDMI ports.
While older AVRs with HDMI2.0b sockets were able to add ALLM, HDMI 2.1 features such as VRR, QFT and QMS require hardware upgrades for compatibility. It seems likely that it would only take software tweaks to add QFT to any device already stocked with at least one HDMI 2.1-certified port, but we await confirmation from the manufacturers.
So, there’s a good chance that, while neither PS5 nor Xbox Series X users can benefit from the low latency gaming potential of HDMI QFT right now, that doesn’t mean they won’t be able to at some point soon. More crucial might be to have a relatively modern TV, which is likely to benefit from its own HDMI QFT update eventually at some point.
For the present, Samsung does not support HDMI QFT with its TV range nor has it any immediate plans to add it. However, with little source support and a claimed input lag of under 10ms at 60Hz and under 6ms at 120Hz on its recent QN95A TV, it doesn’t feel a pressing need.
That said, there is one manufacturer on the gaming side that is QFT-ready. Nvidia’s Ampere 30-series GPUs fully support HDMI 2.1 including HDMI QFT. So, if you’re looking to take your PC gaming to the big screen, then you’re only a TV away. We’ll keep you posted and add to this list as soon as we hear of any available.
Until then, happy, if slightly less responsive, gaming.
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Playing games on your Raspberry Pi is far easier with a good game controller. Many different game controllers can be connected to your Raspberry Pi using USB. Furthermore, some well-known console controllers can also be linked up using Bluetooth.
In theory, all controllers should work with any Raspberry Pi projects. This covers everything from generic USB joypads to the latest Bluetooth devices. So, you can expect to be able to connect an Xbox One controller and a PS4 controller to your Raspberry Pi. Controllers designed for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 will also work, as will Nintendo gamepads.
Own a PlayStation 5? The new Sony console features a major revision of the much-loved game controller. But despite being fresh out of the box in 2020, the PS5 controller will easily connect to a Raspberry Pi over Bluetooth, just like its predecessor. Meanwhile, Xbox Series S and X controllers are backward compatible, and can be used on an Xbox One console. The new controller design should also work with the Raspberry Pi.
In this tutorial, we’ll look at what you need to do to connect the most widely used game controllers to a Raspberry Pi: those intended for the Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles.
Connecting the Xbox One Controller Via USB to Raspberry Pi
The Xbox One boasts one of the most popular game controllers available. Also compatible with PC games, this is a well-designed, multi-purpose controller that can be easily connected to a Raspberry Pi, either using USB or Bluetooth.
1. Update and upgrade the software on your Raspberry Pi.
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
2. Connect the controller and launch a game such as Minecraft Pi Edition, which comes preloaded when you install Raspberry Pi OS with all the recommended software. If you can move your character with the controller then everything is ready to go. If not, go to the next step.
3. Install the Xbox One driver and then reboot your Raspberry Pi.
sudo apt install xboxdrv
4. Open your game and test that you can move around.
Connecting the Xbox One / Playstation 4 and 5 Controller Via Bluetooth
Using a wireless Xbox One controller with the Raspberry Pi is a little more complicated. Two types of wireless Xbox One controller have been released. One uses wireless, while the second requires Bluetooth. How can you tell which is which?
If you have the 1697 wireless model, you’ll need to connect the official Microsoft Xbox Wireless Adapter to your Raspberry Pi. This is a standard USB dongle that should work out of the box. Simply hold the pairing buttons on the adapter and the Xbox One controller to sync, then start playing.
To Connect the Xbox One Bluetooth Controller
1. Update and upgrade the software on your Raspberry Pi.
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
2. Install the Xbox One driver.
sudo apt install xboxdrv
3. Disable ERTM (Enhanced Re-Transmission Mode). While enabled, this Bluetooth feature blocks syncing between the Xbox One controller and your Raspberry Pi.
echo ‘options bluetooth disable_ertm=Y’ | sudo tee -a /etc/modprobe.d/bluetooth.conf
4. Reboot your Raspberry Pi.
5. Open a terminal and start the bluetooth control tool.
sudo bluetoothctl
6. At the [Bluetooth]# prompt, enable the agent and set it as default.
agent on
default-agent
7. Power up the Xbox One controller and hold the sync button. At the [Bluetooth]# prompt, scan for devices.
scan on
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The MAC address should appear, comprising six pairs of letters and numbers followed by “Xbox Wireless Controller.”
8. Use the MAC address to connect the Xbox controller.
connect [YOUR MAC ADDRESS]
9. To save time for future connections, use the trust command to automatically connect.
trust [YOUR MAC ADDRESS]
Connecting an Xbox 360 Controller to Raspberry Pi
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
If you don’t have more recent controllers (or the budget to buy them), it might be easier for you to grab a controller from an older generation of consoles, such as the Xbox 360, or PS3.
1. Update and upgrade the software on your Raspberry Pi.
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
2. Install the Xbox One driver.
sudo apt install xboxdrv
3. Connect your controller via USB and it should just work. Wireless controllers will require a dedicated wireless receiver (the type that is developed for PC use).
Connecting a Playstation 3 Controller to Raspberry Pi
Connecting a Playstation 3 controller via USB is straightforward, but Bluetooth access requires some compiling.
1. Update and upgrade the software on your Raspberry Pi.
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
2. Install the libusb-dev software. This ensures the PS3 can communicate with the Raspberry Pi over Bluetooth.
sudo apt install libusb-dev
3. Create a folder for the sixpair software, switch to that folder, and download the sixpair.c software.
mkdir ~/sixpair
cd ~/sixpair
wget http://www.pabr.org/sixlinux/sixpair.c
4. Compile the code with gcc.
gcc -o sixpair sixpair.c -lusb
5. Connect the controller to the Pi using its USB cable and run sixpair to configure the Bluetooth connection.
sudo ~/sixpair/sixpair
6. Take note of the MAC code, then disconnect the PS3 controller.
7. Open a terminal and start the bluetooth control tool.
sudo bluetoothctl
8. At the [Bluetooth]# prompt, enable the agent and set it as default.
agent on
default-agent
9. Power up the Playstation 3 controller and hold the sync button. In the [Bluetooth]# prompt scan for devices.
scan on
10. The MAC address should appear, comprising six pairs of letters and numbers. Look for your Playstation 3 controller’s MAC address. Use the MAC address to connect the controller.
connect [YOUR MAC ADDRESS]
11. To save time for future connections, use the trust command to automatically connect.
trust [YOUR MAC ADDRESS]
For other Bluetooth controllers, meanwhile, generic connections should work. This means that anything – smartphone game controllers, for example – can conceivably be connected using bluetoothctl , but some calibration may be required.
Whatever device you’re using, you may need to test it. To do this, simply use the testing tool in the Linux joystick utility.
sudo apt install joystick
To test your gamepad, ensure that it is connected and run the jstest command to check that each button is registered.
sudo jstest /dev/input/js0
This article originally appeared in an issue of Linux Format magazine.
I have some old telephones lying around – few of them fully functional anymore. I was going to throw out one of them when I realized I could replace the inner wiring with a Raspberry Pi, and have the Google Assistant running on it.
While it’s certainly easier to call “hey google” across the room, there’s something fun about picking up the phone, asking it a question, and having it immediately respond. This is how to install the Google Assistant on an old rotary telephone with a Raspberry Pi Zero.
What You’ll Need to make an old phone into a Google Assistant
A Raspberry Pi Zero with soldered GPIO pins, a memory card (with Raspberry Pi OS on it), and power adapter
An old telephone with a functional receiver (speaker and microphone), and a functioning hook switch that you don’t mind destroying
A few female jumper cables, wire strippers, and electrical tape or solder
A few types of screwdrivers depending on your phone
1 USB audio adapter compatible with linux
1 male-male 3.5mm audio cable
1 Raspberry Pi Zero micro USB to USB A female adapter
How to Install the Google Assistant on an Old Phone
This Raspberry Pi project is quite extensive and can take a bit of time, so I’ve split it up into four distinct parts:
Registering with Google
Authenticating with Google
Wiring your telephone
Setting up the assistant
Registering With Google
Before we use a Raspberry Pi as a Google Assistant, we must register the device with Google. This process can be a bit confusing if you’ve never used Google Cloud Platform before, but the steps should be easy enough to follow.
1. Clone this repository to your raspberry pi.
cd ~/
git clone https://github.com/rydercalmdown/google_assistant_telephone
2. Navigate to https://console.actions.google.com in your browser. This site allows us to manage Google Assistant Actions, as well as register custom Google Assistant devices.
3. Click “New Project” and fill in the required information. The name doesn’t matter – just pick something you can remember.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
4. In a new tab, visit this link to Google Cloud Platform, and confirm that the name of the project you just created appears in the top bar – if not, select it. Then, click the “Enable” button to turn on the API.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
5. In your original tab, scroll to the bottom of the page and click “Are you looking for device registration? Click here”
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
6. On the next page, click “Register Model”.
7. Fill in the required information and copy down the Model ID to file – you will need it later.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
8. Click Download OAuth 2.0 credentials to download the credentials file your Raspberry Pi will use to make requests.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
9. Rename the downloaded file tooauth_config_credentials.json and transfer it to your pi. Place it into the repository folder you cloned in step 1.
# Rename your downloaded file
cd ~/Downloads
mv your_unique_secret_file_name.json oauth_config_credentials.json
# Move the file into your repository
scp oauth_config_credentials.json pi@your_pis_ip_address:/home/pi/google_assistant_telephone
10. Back in the browser, after downloading and renaming the credentials, click the “Next” button.
11. On the “Specify traits” tab, click “Save Traits” without adjusting any settings to complete the setup.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Authenticating With Google
We’ve now registered a device with Google. Next, it’s time to authenticate this device so it has access to our Google account and personalized assistant.
1. Navigate to https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/credentials/consent ensuring that the project matches the name you decided in Step 3 of “Registering With Google”.
2. Select “External” and click the “Create” button.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
3. Fill in an App name. Once again, this doesn’t really matter – but to keep it simple I went with the same name as before.
4. Select your email from the dropdown in User support email. This is in case any users of your app need to contact you, but since we won’t be making the app public, there’s no need to worry.
5. Add that same email under “Developer contact information” and click “Save and Continue”.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
6. On the next page, click Add or Remove Scopes to bring up the scopes sidebar.
7. Search for “Google Assistant API” in the search bar, and check the /auth/assistant-sdk-prototype scope. Then click update, followed by “Save and Continue” at the bottom of the page.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
8. On the next page, click “Save and Continue” to skip Optional Info.
9. With the setup complete, click “OAuth Consent Screen” in the sidebar to refresh the page – then “Add User” under Test Users.
10. Add your Google account’s email, and click save.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
11. Next, on your pi navigate to the downloaded repository and run the following command:
cd ~/google_assistant_telephone
make authenticate
12. Follow the link it gives you and complete the Authentication process in your browser. Once the process is complete, copy the code and paste it back in your terminal.
13. If successful, you’ll see a message indicating “credentials saved:” followed by a path to the credentials. Use this path to move the credentials into the current directory. Transfer these credentials to your repository’s root directory
Depending on your rotary phone, this process will vary widely. These are the steps that I used, but likely this will require a fair bit of trial and error on your part. Make sure you use a phone you don’t care about, as it won’t be able to work normally after this.
1. Take the cover off the telephone. You may need to loosen a screw on the bottom.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
2. Find and strip the wires connected to the hook switch. We’ll connect these wires to the pi’s GPIO pins to determine if the receiver has been picked up or set down.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
3. Connect the hook switch wires to GPIO Board pin 18 and ground. You may need to solder the wires from the hook switch to jumper wires to connect them easier, or just attach them together with a bit of electrical tape.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
4. Connect your USB audio adapter to the raspberry pi zero. You will need a USB-micro to female USB-A adapter to do this.
5. Solder the microphone and speaker in the handset to two separate 3.5mm cables. These will carry the signal from the pi to the speaker, and from the microphone to the pi. You should be able to connect these within the phone case and use the original handset cord. This will take a bit of trial and error to determine which wires belong to the speaker, and which to the microphone.
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
6. Connect the 3.5mm cables to the USB audio adapter being mindful to connect them in the proper order.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
7. Tuck the pi into the phone, and close up the cover – or keep it open while you debug setting up the assistant. Run the power adapter connected to the pi out the back of the case where the original telephone wire would go.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Setting Up The Assistant
1. Run the installation script. It’ll take care of base and python requirements. If you have a Raspberry Pi Zero, the compilation process can take hours and will appear stuck on a step installing grpc (it just moves very slowly). I’d recommend leaving it running over night.
cd google_assistant_telephone
make install
2. Configure your USB audio by running the following command. It will take care of editing your alsamixer config, setting your USB card as your default audio output, and setting volumes for the speaker and microphone.
make configure-audio
3. Test and adjust your volumes by running the following command, speaking, and listening through your phone’s handset. If your volume is not high enough on your microphone or speaker, set it with the alsamixer command.
# Run, speak something into the microphone, and listen
make test
# Set volumes
alsamixer
4. Export your project ID to an environment variable. You can retrieve your project ID by visiting this URL, selecting your project, clicking the three dots next to your profile photo in the top right, and clicking “Project Settings”
export PROJECT_ID=your-project-id
5. Export your model ID from the Registering With Google steps to an environment variable.
6. Run the make run command. It will take care of registering this device, and saving the configuration to disk so you won’t need the environment variables in the future.
make run
7. Test your assistant by picking up the phone, and asking it a simple question, like “What is the capital of Canada?” If all goes well, you’ll see some logs in the terminal, and the assistant will respond. To ask another question, hang up the receiver and pick it up again.
8. Finally, run the following command to configure the assistant to run on boot.
At some point during my time with Disco Elysium: The Final Cut, after I read yet another minutes-long dialogue sequence to try and learn more information about the game’s murder mystery, I realized I felt like I was slowly working my way through a long novel — one that went just a little bit over my head.
In The Final Cut, an enhanced version of the 2019 cult hit role-playing game that made its console debut on PlayStation in March, you play as a cop with amnesia investigating a murder case about a hanged man. You’ll explore a fictional place called Revachol and talk to a huge cast of characters to piece together clues about the hanged man’s killer.
Almost every conversation or interaction has an extensive dialogue tree, allowing you to respond to or direct a conversation in ways that can influence other moments in the game down the line. One time, I convinced somebody to give me the jacket off their back, which I could then wear. With another person, I refused money so that my character wouldn’t feel indebted to him.
A conversation in Disco Elysium.
Occasionally, these interactions can drag on, feeling a bit like a book chapter that just won’t end. But the game’s writing is sharp and often quite funny, which usually made all of the reading worth it.
Disco Elysium takes place in what I imagine as a parallel universe to ours. Characters frequently reference countries, races, and historical figures that don’t exist in our world but who are core to the societal and ideological makeup. While Disco Elysium’s incredible depth of historical detail made Revachol feel like a real place, at times I struggled to keep facts and information straight.
You won’t just be talking to other people, though: any one of 24 different parts of your personality, like your sense of logic, composure, or authority, can butt into conversations to discuss and debate what’s going on, sometimes even with each other. It’s kind of like Pixar’s Inside Out, if it was a murder mystery.
But like the historical details packed into the game, these traits can also have their own inscrutability. During my playthrough, one attribute sometimes relayed short stories about other police officers. Another, as far as I could tell, was something like a sixth sense about Revachol itself. As each one of your personalities jumps in, you’ll have more text to read. Usually, they add useful context, but other times, I wish they wouldn’t have said anything at all so that I could get to the next part of the game sooner.
Your personalities in Disco Elysium.Image: Studio ZA/UM
You can also level up each of them as “skills” to give you advantages during the game. I put a lot of points into my empathy skill, for example, which meant that Empathy (the character) would often chime in with advice about how to respond empathetically in a situation.
Putting points into skills also helps with “checks,” where the game rolls a virtual dice to determine if you succeed at an important action. (Saying the right thing in a conversation can help with the potential success of a check, too.) You can retry most failed checks by leveling up a specific skill.
Some checks can only be attempted once, though, and I liked those the best — I always held my breath while I waited to see if I had succeeded or failed. They also felt like they had the most impact on the story itself, particularly near the end, where a dice roll can mean the difference between someone living or dying.
A check in Disco Elysium. Image: Studio ZA/UM
Overall, the game’s systems make for a fun twist on typical role-playing mechanics. Instead of leveling up external skills like magic power or speed, it really feels like you’re building your character’s personality.
Developer Studio ZA/UM added some new features to the original game, which was first released in October 2019, for The Final Cut. Every line is now fully voiced, and the acting is consistently excellent. There are some new quests that let you explore your character’s political ideologies. And The Final Cut marks the game’s first appearance on consoles, hitting PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. (It’s coming to Xbox consoles and Nintendo Switch later this year.) The game was a bit buggy for me on PS5, especially at launch, but Studio ZA/UM has released several patches that have fixed the majority of issues I ran into.
Bugs weren’t the only thing that detracted from my experience, though. The game punts you to a short loading screen every time you transition to a new area, which got annoying over the course of the 24 hours I spent with it. Getting to the quests menu takes three button presses. And the text is very small, even on the largest setting.
But if you’re willing to immerse yourself into the world of Revachol and put up with some small annoyances along the way, Disco Elysium tells a satisfying story that I really enjoyed. Like a huge, epic novel, the game can at times be enigmatic, opaque, and a little too long. But as is often the case for those kinds of stories, it’s well worth slogging through the boring stuff to see the game all the way to its fantastic end. I’m glad I read this one all the way through.
Disco Elysium: The Final Cut is available now on PS4, PS5, PC, Mac, and Stadia. It’s set to release on Xbox One, Xbox Series X / S, and Nintendo Switch later this year.
Derek Chisora and Joseph Parker will clash at the Manchester Arena this Saturday in a 12-round heavyweight bout that’s expected to be one of the biggest fights of 2021. The action will be preceded by a blockbuster bill featuring Chris Eubank Jr and Ricky Hatton’s son, Campbell. It’s a £19.95 pay-per-view event affair in the UK, but there are cheaper options elsewhere. Here’s how to get a Chisora vs Parker free live stream, from anywhere in the world.
Chisora vs Parker free live stream
Date: Saturday 1st May 2021
Start time: 7pm BST / 2pm ET / 4am AEST
Chisora vs Parker: 10pm BST / 5pm ET / 7am AEST
Venue: Manchester Arena, UK
Free stream: DAZN free trial(details below)
Watch anywhere: Try ExpressVPN
UK stream: Sky Sports Box Office (£19.95)
US stream: DAZN ($19.99)
Chisora (32-10, 23 KOs) and Parker (27-2, 21 KOs) were due to fight in 2019 but the match was abandoned after Parker was bitten by a spider. Chisora, now 37, went on to suffer a unanimous decision loss to Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk in October, while New Zealander Parker struggled to a points victory over fellow countryman Junior Fa in February.
“I’m bringing the pain!” a confident Chisora told reporters at this week’s weigh-in. His manager, ex-heavyweight David Haye, also shared a post on social media, with the words: “Always ready for battle, 2021 there will be WAR”.
With both fighters now desperate to reclaim their place in the pantheon of great boxers, this weekend’s fight could be a case of ‘bombs away’ as both men unleash hell from the bell. Ok, it’s not the Tyson Fury fight the fans want, but it’s sure to be a thrilling evening of entertainment courtesy of Matchroom promotions.
The packed undercard features two sons of former champions in Chris Eubank Jr. and Campbell Hatton. And can Natasha Jones shock Katie Taylor to become undisputed WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO lightweight champion?
The undercard starts at 7pm BST, with the Chisora vs Parker ringwalks expected at 10pm. Anyone in the UK can watch all of action on Sky for £19.95. Otherwise, here’s how to find a Chisora vs Parker free live stream from anywhere in the world.
Watch Chisora vs Parker for free on DAZN
(Image credit: DAZN)
Sky has the exclusive rights to screen Chisora vs Parker in the UK/Ireland, while Spark has the rights in New Zealand. Boxing fans in the rest of the world can stream the big fight live on DAZN.
Subscription to the sports streaming service costs just $20 a month in the USA but Canadian subscribers enjoy a FREE trial. Worth knowing, right?
UFC free live stream with DAZN free trial
DAZN has the rights to the UFC, Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, US Sports, Fightsports, and much more live and on demand in selected European countries. Try it free for one month. Cancel at anytime.
Going to be outside Canada this weekend?Simply use a VPN to access the DAZN free trial without being geo-blocked. We recommend ExpressVPN because it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and 24/7 customer support.
The headline heavyweight fight is expected at 5pm ET / 2pm PT.
Chisora vs Parker free live stream anywhere in the world using a VPN
Even if you have subscribed to the relevant Chisora vs Parker rights holders, you won’t be able to access these streaming services when outside your own country. The service will know your location based on your IP address, and will automatically block your access.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps you get around this obstacle. A VPN creates a private connection between your device and the internet, such that the servers and services you’re accessing aren’t aware of what you’re doing. All the information passing back and forth is entirely encrypted.
There are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. As a rule, we’d suggest a paid-for service such as ExpressVPN.
Try ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money back guarantee with its VPN service. You can use it to watch on your mobile, tablet, laptop, TV, games console and more. There’s 24/7 customer support and three months free when you sign-up.
UK: Chisora vs Parker live stream
(Image credit: Sky Sports)
Sky Sports has the exclusive rights to broadcast Chisora vs Parker in the UK. It’s a pay-per-view event and costs £19.95, whether you watch it on your TV or the Sky Sports Box Office website. Ouch.
Remember: Canadian boxing fans stuck outside their home country can use a VPN to access the Canadian DAZN free trial without being blocked.We recommend ExpressVPNbecause it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and 24/7 customer support.
Sky Sports Box Office is also available on BT TV. Simply tune to channel 496 or search for the event in the BT Player.
Chisora vs Parker fight card
(Image credit: Matchroom / DAZN)
Derek Chisora vs Joseph Parker (12 rounds heavyweight)
Katie Taylor vs Tasha Jonas (WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO lightweight titles)
Dmitry Bivol vs Craig Richards (WBA light-heavyweight title)
Chris Eubank Jr vs Marcus Morrison
James Tennyson vs Jovanni Straffon (IBO lightweight title)
Campbell Hatton vs Levi Dunn
Scott Fitzgerald v Gregory Trenel
Chisora vs Parker tale of the tape
Derek Chisora – Joseph Parker
Nationality: British – New Zealand
Date of birth: Dec. 29t, 1983 – Jan. 9, 1992
Height: 6’2″ – 6’4″
Reach: 74″ – 76″
Total fights: 42 – 30
Record: 32-10, 23 KOs – 28-2, 21 KOs
Splash out on the best TVs: budget to premium
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