Kotaku has revealed an Easter egg that’s been hidden on the original Xbox for almost twenty years, after a developer who worked on the console sent in a tip. The Easter egg, which has apparently remained secret until now, can show you the Xbox Dashboard Team’s names after you follow a byzantine set of steps (as is par for the course when it comes to some video game secrets).
Kotaku was able to find someone with a working Xbox who could actually carry out those steps, which you can see in the publication’s video below. If you’ve got one of the consoles, you can try it out for yourself by ripping a CD as a soundtrack and calling it “Timmyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!” (using 26 “y”s to reach the maximum amount of characters allowed). After the rip is complete, going to the Xbox’s Settings > System Info screen will instead display the names of the people who worked on the dashboard.
The Easter egg is similar to another one that exists on Microsoft’s original console, where naming a soundtrack rip “<>” will immediately play credits thanking the console’s development partners and players.
Developers hiding their names in games and consoles is nothing new. In fact, it’s widely believed that the first video game Easter egg was created by a developer trying to get their name into their game. As the story goes, developer Warren Robinett hid his name in the 1980 game Adventure after Atari refused to give him credit.
Modern consoles also like to incorporate various winks and nods to gaming culture as well — the PS5 has PlayStation’s iconic circle, triangle, square, cross symbols molded into some of its plastic, and this Fisher-Price gamepad for literal babies incorporates the famous Konami Code.
Despite gamers being ever-vigilant for hidden secrets, it seems as if there’s still at least one hiding somewhere in the Xbox. As Kotaku points out, Seamus Blackley, the creator and designer of the Xbox tweeted in 2017 that there was still a hidden secret that no one had found. But the one revealed Friday wasn’t what he was referring to, he told Kotaku:
Thankfully, Blackley was kind enough to respond to a few queries about all of this. He confirmed that yes, the Xbox Easter egg he has in mind does in fact revolve around the Xbox’s boot animation, and is not the “Timmy” secret we’re revealing today—which he actually didn’t know about.
It seems the egg hunt can continue on for fans of the ancient console.
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It’s so, so, so much better. But the moment Apple showed off the second-generation Siri Remote, it was obvious that this would be a huge improvement over its detested predecessor. It’s easy to tell which way is right side up when you reach for it. The clickable touchpad area that dominated the upper third of the prior remote has been replaced by a more intuitive D-pad. The Siri button has been pushed to the remote’s right side, almost guaranteeing that you’ll never unintentionally trigger Apple’s voice assistant. And now there’s a proper power button for your TV.
Listing all of these “upgrades” on the new $59 Siri Remote really illustrates just how disappointing the old one that somehow lasted six years on the market was. Before this big redesign, the most Apple did in that time was to try to cure the “which side is up?” confusion by adding a white rim around one of the buttons. “Can’t innovate anymore, my ass.”
But this? This new Siri Remote is a very good remote. There’s nothing exceptional about it, but it’s functional, accessible, and painless to use. If you used those words to describe the original Siri Remote, you’d be in the minority.
It feels really nice, too. Apple makes the remote from a unibody aluminum shell that’s taller, heavier, and considerably thicker than the old Siri clicker. It’s slightly narrower than the black remote but still feels larger on the whole — and that’s a positive. The previous Siri remote was so thin that it was easily lost to the deepest reaches of the couch. I don’t see that being as much of a problem with the new, chunkier hardware.
The Siri Remote is in keeping with Apple’s renewed fondness for hard edges. With the remote gripped in hand, you never really feel the edges on the front, but you do at the back. The back metal is curved, but there’s still a hard edge at both sides. As long as you don’t squeeze the remote too tight, it should prove reasonably comfortable.
Apple has added power and mute buttons to the new Siri Remote.
Instead of putting what basically amounted to a trackpad on the top section of the remote, Apple has switched to a much more traditional directional pad. Within that circular D-pad is a touch-sensitive center button that still lets you swipe around content or move in any direction just like you could before. (And yes, you can still play with the subtle movement of app icons on the home screen by gently nudging your thumb around.) But some streaming apps didn’t work perfectly with that input method, so Apple is now including the far more precise D-pad.
This choose-your-preferred-navigation method — Apple calls it the “clickpad with touch surface” — has a very short learning curve. Initially, I would inadvertently activate the touchpad when I just meant to move my finger from down to up or vice versa on the D-pad. That didn’t last long, but if it winds up a bigger hassle for you, there’s an option in the remote’s settings menu to assign the center button to “click only,” which gives the D-pad all navigation duties.
Apple has also come up with a clever jogwheel function that lets you circle a finger around the outer ring to scrub through videos at faster or slower speeds depending on how quickly you’re thumbing around the circle. It’s a direct callback to the days of the iPod clickwheel and does a great job helping you land on an exact moment in a video.
But I must confess something: I had an embarrassing few hours where I couldn’t figure out how to make this work. Eventually, I learned the trick: after pausing a video, you’ve got to rest your finger on the D-pad momentarily before you start circling around it. An animation will pop up in the progress bar (with a little dot that indicates where your finger is) to let you know you’re in jogwheel mode. If you just pause the video and immediately start the circular movement, it doesn’t do the right thing. Don’t be like me and unnecessarily factory reset your Apple TV 4K because of this.
The buttons themselves all have a satisfying click and don’t feel the least bit mushy. The clickpad is quieter when pressed than the buttons below it, which are each significantly noisier than any other remotes I had to compare against, be it for a Roku, Chromecast, or otherwise. Again, it’s not a problem unless you’re sensitive to that sort of thing, but you’ll absolutely hear the volume rocker when you’re turning up a certain scene in a movie or show. The Siri button on the side is whisper quiet; you still have to press and hold it down whenever you’re doing a voice command.
You might also have to overcome some muscle memory challenges since the mute button is now where play / pause was situated on the old remote. The “menu” button has been rebadged as “back” but does the same functions as before, which means, in most cases, the new icon makes a ton more sense. The buttons aren’t backlit, but it’s easy enough to memorize them by feel once you’ve used the remote for a while.
There’s a circular D-pad with a touchpad in the center.
But as good as the new Siri Remote is, it feels like Apple missed some opportunities that frankly seem like low-hanging fruit. The most glaring is that there’s no way to locate the remote if you’re unable to find it. As I said earlier, the bigger dimensions should make for fewer instances where the remote gets misplaced, but some way of having it alert you to its location would’ve been nice. “Hey Siri, where’s my remote?” seems like such an easy thing to make happen, but that voice query won’t do you any good or make the remote beep. And unlike Apple’s recently introduced AirTags, there’s no ultra-wideband chip in the remote to help pinpoint its position in a room. If you’re finding that the remote goes MIA constantly, you might just have to settle for a case that combines an AirTag with the Siri Remote. But having a simple, straightforward remote locator feature is one area where Roku objectively beats out Apple.
A less impactful gripe is the lack of an input button for switching between HDMI sources; the Apple TV automatically becomes the active input when you power it on or wake it from sleep. But an input button would’ve at least made life easier for people switching between an Apple TV and an Xbox or PlayStation. As a result, I just can’t quit my LG TV’s remote, much as I wish I could. Most of my devices automatically grab the TV’s attention when they’re switched on, but a button is foolproof.
I can complain about buttons being absent, but I can also praise Apple for the same reason: there are no branded shortcut buttons whatsoever on the Siri Remote. Not even Netflix can lock down its own button, whereas you’d be hard-pressed to find another streaming box remote without that logo somewhere.
The Siri Remote still charges with Apple’s Lightning connector — despite now being thick enough to house a USB-C jack. USB seems more natural for this type of scenario, but what do I know? I’m just one man who’s elated to have a reliable, sensibly designed remote control again. Apple is going to keep doing Apple things. I was not able to test the new remote with third-party charging stands designed for the old one, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that industry catches up with the new design in the near future.
The right choice is clear.
The gyroscope and accelerometer from the previous Siri Remote are history, so you won’t be able to use this one for Apple Arcade games that rely on those sensors. But it’s unlikely many people were gaming with it to begin with; tvOS now supports many third-party gamepads, including the latest Xbox and PlayStation controllers, if you hadn’t heard.
Any way you slice it, the new Siri Remote is a win on every level. It’s inconceivable that we put up with the last one for so many years, but its time has come. And the remote control taking its place is extremely good at doing remote control things. Much as how Apple’s M1 MacBooks would have earned perfect scores if they’d had competent webcams, the Siri Remote would be flirting with perfection if it just had some way of letting you easily find the thing. Or if the buttons were backlit. My review of the new Apple TV 4K is coming soon, but if you’ve already got the last model, this is the only real must-have upgrade to go for.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart brings alternate realities to the beloved PlayStation franchise on June 11th, and along with leveraging the PlayStation 5’s SSD, Insomniac Games announced new accessibility features on Thursday that build on the studio’s recent work and address the limited options presented in the earlier PS4 Ratchet & Clank.
As an action platformer, Ratchet & Clank often requires multiple types of movement: You’ll shoot through waves of oncoming enemies while running around a level, and quickly shift to jumping across floating platforms, and using various gadgets to fly, swing, and now reality-warp through stages. Rift Apart seems to keep those core mechanics but adds even more potentially sensory-overloading visuals, from cracks in reality to exploding fragments of buildings. All of which makes the new features Insomniac is adding all the more welcome. You can get a taste of what Rift Apart actually plays like in the demo below:
That occasionally hectic gameplay of the earlier game can be fun, but without customization options for controls — as noted in this accessibility review — it could also make the game hard to play for people with disabilities that impact fine motor skills. Along with full controller remapping, Rift Apart addresses the issue in a few ways, like how you can repeatedly fire one of the game’s various weapons with a button press instead of squeezing a trigger. The game can also automatically switch between targets, and correct your aim, if for instance flying enemies give you trouble.
For movement, Rift Apart includes features to make flying in the game easier to control, automatically leveling off your glider so you don’t nose dive, and an “Off-Screen Ledge Guard” which should save you from falling off ledges you can’t see if you’re distracted while smashing robots. There’s also an option to assign all of your movement controls to a single button so you don’t have to hit jump and swing on different parts of the controller.
The various toggles in Rift Apart.Image: Insomniac Games
Visually, Rift Apart also allows you to tone down the game’s striking, but over-the-top visual effects. You can adjust all the obvious settings like contrast and field of view, but the game also smartly uses a visual shading system similar to what developer Naughty Dog used in The Last of Us Part IIto help make things legible. You can apply colored shaders to your character, any of the enemies in game, even interactable objects to make things easier to visually track and find. The game also offers a similar array of adjustments for changing the size of the in-game HUD and button prompts.
Visual shaders can help provide contrast, visibility, and make it easier to track things if you’re color blind.Image: Insomniac Games
As part of this new generation of consoles, Sony appears to be trying to be a bit more mindful of the various accessibility issues that can come up while playing. It’s been praised for offering software accessibility options on the PS5 by default, like a built-in screen reader, but the real way you can see how things are changing is by looking at the developers Sony owns, works with, and publishes.
Insomniac Games and Naughty Dog clearly seem focused on making their games more accessible. Insomniac’s been building up to this over time as well; the company took special care to add a wide range of accessibility features to Spider-Man: Miles Morales when that game launched with the PS5. The real trick with accessibility options, though, is standardizing them across the board, which seems like it might at least be starting to happen with these Sony exclusives.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart launches June 11th on PS5. You can see an exhaustive list of the accessibility options Insomniac is building into the game by visiting its website.
Sony’s elusive PlayStation 5 console is in stock at Walmart. If you’re one of the many people who has struggled to get one for yourself, today is looking good for you, and it’ll look better if more retailers jump in with stock later today. As usual, Walmart might not immediately appear to be selling consoles today, but you might be able to get one added to your cart if you refresh frequently. (Note: make sure your payment method and shipping address are entered ahead of time on each site before you try to buy a console. The faster you can checkout, the more likely your chance of success. Also, Walmart tends to release more consoles in 10-minute waves, so try again if 3:00PM ET doesn’t work, try again at 3:10PM ET.)
The PS5 with a UHD Blu-ray disc drive and 1TB of built-in SSD storage costs $499.99 and is available from Walmart. Due to the disc drive, this model is slightly thicker and heavier than the digital edition.
PlayStation 5
$500
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Sony’s flagship next-gen console, which includes a disc drive, allowing you to play both digital and physical games on the PS4 and PS5.
$500
at Walmart
If you want to save a little money (and a little space in your entertainment center), the PlayStation 5 digital edition without a disc drive is available for $399.99. Other than lacking the ability to play discs, this model is exactly the same as the more costly version.
I wish you the best of luck in getting a console today. Whether you get one today, or plan to get one when the next restocking happens, there are a few must-have accessories to accompany your purchase.
Returnal
$70
Prices taken at time of publishing.
The latest title from Housemarque is a roguelike third-person shooter that puts you in the shoes of Selene, an astronaut tormented by a seemingly never-ending time loop.
The PlayStation 5 has one of the smallest storage sizes of any console over the last decade, but it’s not as bad as it seems. Sony is reportedly using a specialized data compression technology that can shrink game file sizes by as much as 60%. This would more than compensate for 825GB of storage on the console.
Twisted Voxel reported that the survival game Subnautica has just a 5GB file size on the PS5. Compare this to 14GB on the PlayStation 4 and you’re saving more than 60% of storage space.
TechRadar reports that Control: Ultimate Edition also benefits significantly from Sony’s compression tech, coming in at just 25.79GB on the PS5 compared to 42.5GB on the Xbox Series X. That’s a 39% reduction in file size.
A lot is still unknown about Sony’s compression technology, all we know at this time is Sony’s name for the tech, so-called “Kraken”. We don’t know if all PS5 games are supported, or if games need to be optimized for this compression tech. Kraken could also extend to support PS4 games and older but we’re making educated guesses at this point.
Traditionally, compression technologies have never required game developers to optimize for compression, so technically all games running on the PS5’s built-in SSD should support Kraken.
Hopefully, PS5’s Kraken compression will expand to the console’s second M.2 SSD slot, once Sony unlocks it. We could also see Kraken coming to external USB drives, but that could be wishing for too much.
It’s great to see such massive advances in compression technology in an era where games are doubling in size every three to four years. Hopefully it means people can upgrade their storage a bit less often and keep more games on their systems.
(Pocket-lint) – Gaming is one of modern life’s great pleasures, whether you love simple and cheerful platformers, or you’re more into intense competitive multiplayer titles.
Best games console: Should you get an Xbox, PlayStation or Nintendo Switch?
It’s even better when you can enjoy them on the go, though – handheld games consoles have been hugely popular for decades now, and show no sign of stopping. We’ve gathered some of the very best you can pick up right now, here for you to check out.
Our guide to the best gaming handhelds to buy today
Pocket-lint
Nintendo Switch Lite
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Nintendo’s pared-down version of its supreme Switch is an absolutely beautiful handheld console, quite possibly the best one ever released.
You get access to a huge library of excellent games, including many from past generations, and its big screen is perfect for playing them on.
Nintendo Switch Lite review: Practically perfect in every way
Pocket-lint
New Nintendo 3DS XL
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The 3DS generation from Nintendo also holds some of the best handheld games ever released, and this version of the portable console is the best possible.
You can play any 3DS or DS game on it, and there’s a simply massive library to play through. So, while it might not be the newest, this it still a top-grade option.
New Nintendo 3DS XL review: Handheld gaming has never been so good
Pocket-lint
Nintendo Switch
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Of course, you could also opt to get the main version of the Nintendo Switch, which can very much be a handheld console first and foremost.
This way, though, you also get the option of plugging it into a TV or monitor to play it on the big screen if you fancy.
Nintendo Switch review: Redefining the games console
Pocket-lint
Nintendo Game and Watch
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A retro throwback release, Nintendo has given the old Game and Watch a fresh lick of paint and sent it back out into the world.
This one won’t last forever, though, as stock is limited, so if you’d like to enjoy some classic Nintendo games on a delightful little console, act now.
Beijue
Beijue 16 Bit Handheld Games
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Moving back to true handhelds, this device from Beijue is perfect if your favourite era of gaming was back in the 16-bit days.
There are loads of fun games to try out on it, from sports games to shooters and platformers, so you won’t get bored anytime soon.
Writing by Max Freeman-Mills. Editing by Dan Grabham.
(Pocket-lint) – The last Apple TV 4K launched in 2017. At the time it coincided with the start of the movement to embrace the growing trend of 4K content from the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime.
In 2021 watching TV hasn’t changed that much, but we are doing a lot more of it. Subscription services have boomed, we’ve now got more choice – including Apple’s own TV+ service – and therefore even more content to watch.
But does the 2021 Apple TV 4K set-top box embrace current viewing habits enough to be worth the upgrade – or even a purchase in the first place – especially given the crowded marketplace dominated by a host of other, cheaper options from Amazon, Roku, Google and the likes?
Everything feels the same
Puck-style box design, measures 98 x 98 x 35mm
Supports: 4K HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos
32GB / 64GB storage variants available
Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, AirPlay
The design of the Apple TV box itself hasn’t changed at all for the 2021 model. It’s a squarish box that’s certainly larger than the competition. It features just three inputs on the back: Ethernet, HDMI, and power.
Pocket-lint
You’ll still need a shelf or a wall-mount to put it on, and if you were hoping for a miniaturised stick to put straight into a spare HDMI socket on your telly then, well, you’re out of luck.
As has always been the case there are no buttons on the box itself, so everything is controlled via the included remote. Or you can use your iPhone, iPad, or voice control via Siri.
The Apple TV 4K’s interface hasn’t changed either, so the focus is about giving you access to all the relevant streaming services – as long as they have a supporting app.
The continued push into a central place to discover more content from supporting streaming services, rather than silo-ing everything in their respective apps, does help you discover content that’s available. However, it’s hard at times to differentiate whether that content is going to cost you above and beyond your current subscriptions. And it’s still missing Netflix within those content recommendations – which is a glaring omission.
As with the 2017 model, you get 4K resolution, high dynamic range (HDR), including Dolby Atmos object-based audio and Dolby Vision HDR support – which is great stuff if your TV and/or AV setup supports it (Apple’s AirPods Pro or AirPods Max still don’t with the Apple TV but do for the iPhone and iPad, for example).
Pocket-lint
The ability to connect game controllers (sold separately) via Bluetooth 5.0 means you can grab one of those spare Xbox or PlayStation controllers to jump in too.
Best Xbox controllers: Get the edge with these third-party and official pads
Best PlayStation controller: Pick up an extra PS4 or PS5 game pad
Apple hasn’t increased the storage options for the 2021 model either. It still comes in 32GB and 64GB capacities, but that’s not really an issue as everything is streamed these days anyway.
New, new, new
High Frame Rate (HFR) support up to 60fps
Apple A12 Bionic processor
Updated Siri remote
HDMI 2.1 port
There are some changes of course. Internally the 4K TV box now comes with a much faster processor – the one previously found in the iPhone XS – and that helps on the gaming side of things via Apple Arcade.
Pocket-lint
Why only the iPhone XS processor and not the iPhone 12 processor or the iPad Pro’s M1? It’s likely to come down to cost and need. After all, this isn’t a Mac mini nor a fully-fledged games console. Most Apple Arcade games are designed to work nicely on the provided processor – we didn’t have any trouble running NBA2K21 or other games, but the loading times could be improved.
The new box also gets better connectivity. There’s Wi-Fi 6 (ax), allowing it to better connect to your Wi-Fi in dual-band (2.4GHz/5GHz) for those high bandwidth streams you’ll be planning. There’s also HDMI 2.1 support to enable a new High Frame Rate mode that allows you to play content up to 60 frames per second (supported by the iPhone 12 Pro, for example) and any future benefits that will come from that port over time.
Apple has also added support for Thread. This fairly new smart home connectivity technology is backed by Apple, Amazon, and Google. Again, you might not find a use for it out of the box on day one, but it’s likely to become much more important in our smart home futures, so having some level of future-proofing is welcomed.
There’s a new colour-balancing mode that’s not exclusive to this model, which uses your iPhone to help ensure the Apple TV is optimised for the best colour balance in your room. It’s clever, but for us made very little difference.
A new, much needed remote
Remote measures: 136 x 35 x 9.25mm
Although you can buy the new remote on its own – which is a way to easily ‘upgrade’ the older box – the new one included in the this box is the biggest and most visible change for the 2021 Apple TV 4K. It’s one feature that removes a lot of the pain barriers (first-world problems, we know) to using the Apple set-top box on a daily basis.
The new remote is considerably bigger than its predecessor, doesn’t sport a design you’ll get the wrong way up, nor a Siri button that you’ll accidentally press by mistake all of the time.
The Menu button has been ditched, there’s a new mute button, and Apple has thankfully shifted the Siri button to the side to emulate other remotes and match the same experience found on the iPhone, iPad, and even Apple Watch.
Swiping is still available, but it’s now via a circular physical touch button d-pad with a dedicated scroll option for scrubbing through shows – reminiscent of using an iPod from days gone by. That said, you can ignore that and still swipe left to right too – which can cause some muddled responses.
Pocket-lint
There’s even a new ‘power’ button that can not only turn off your Apple TV 4K, but also your TV and AV kit. Handy.
What is a surprising omission, however, especially given the recent launch of AirTags, is that the remote doesn’t have a finding option to help you find it down the back of the sofa when lost. No Find My Support, no ‘play a sound’ option. It’s another glaring own goal.
The ecosystem shines through, but you have to pay for it
Third-party app support, including Disney+, Amazon Prime, Netflix, more
Apple TV+, Apple Fitness+, Apple Music, Apple Arcade
Support for catch-up services (including BBC iPlayer)
Against the competition the Apple TV 4K does deliver, but it can also be seen as very expensive for what you get – it’s almost four times as much as the Roku Streaming Stick+, for example. That’s a big premium to pay for just watching movies and getting access to the Apple TV store – something which you might already have if you’ve got the right TV.
Pocket-lint
Where Apple is hoping to convince you though is that the benefits to be found in being part of the Apple ecosystem. Getting started is incredibly easy thanks to a simple setup process using your iPhone. Apple Fitness+ users benefit with connectivity to the Apple Watch, and Apple Arcade subscribers get a wealth of games to play too – but that’s a lot of extra cash for features that not everyone might want or have the need to use.
Verdict
There is no denying that the 2021 Apple TV 4K delivers what it sets out to do: packaging streaming services and Apple services all in the one place. It’s the extras like Apple Arcade and Apple Fitness+ that make this a nicely rounded package that will cater for the TV viewer as well as the casual gamer and fitness fan.
Despite this, we can’t help feeling that there are better and cheaper ways to get streaming content like Disney+, Netflix, or even Apple TV+ on your television from the likes of Roku and others.
The Apple TV has always come at a premium, but the 2021 model doesn’t move things on enough to justify either an upgrade or a recommendation over the competition – unless you really believe you’ll be able to maximise on all the additional Apple services and features it offers. And if you’re a current Apple TV 4K owner then you can simply buy the updated Siri remote on its own.
If you’re looking for an inclusive package that has potential to grow over the coming years and possibly adapt to how you use your TV or enjoy content in the home, then that’s one angle. The trouble for many with the 2021 box is that you’ll have to take the hit and pay for all that potential up front – whether it’s ever fully realised or not.
Also consider
Pocket-lint
Roku Streaming Stick+
Roku is s big name in streaming, offering access to all the major services in a slim device that supports the latest 4K HDR formats. A simple remote makes it easy to control, while its asking price undercuts the majority of the competition.
Read our review
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Pocket-lint
Amazon Fire Stick 4K
Amazon’s media streamers keep getting smaller and more affordable, with features like Alexa voice control via the remote making it a no-brainer for many. Although it leans towards Amazon’s content, it does also cover all services – including Netflix – and supports 4K HDR formats and Dolby Atmos object-based audio too.
Update May 19th, 2021 1:09 PM ET: GameStop is now out of stock of the PS5 Digital Edition bundle.
GameStop has released some precious stock of the PS5 consoles, both for the $499.99 disc-based version and the disc-less model that costs $100 less. However, it’s offering them in bundles, as GameStop has been wont to do since the console launched late last year. Stock is coming in and out, as usual, so stay on the page if you want to ensure the best chance that you’ll get one.
You can get the disc-based console with Returnal, MLB The Show 21, an extra DualSense controller, and a $20 GameStop gift card for $729.99.
Alternatively, the disc-less model comes in a $599.99 bundle that includes a second DualSense controller, a $20 GameStop gift card, a $50 credit for the PlayStation Store, and a one-year subscription to PS Plus for online gaming and complimentary downloads each month.
If you want some extra games and accessories for your (hopefully) new PS5, check out some suggestions below:
The Epos H3 gaming headset thumps out crystal-clear, bassy audio with excellent range. However, the microphone makes an annoying, persistent hissing noise.
For
+ Lightweight
+ Excellent audio reproduction and thump
+ Soft earcups
Against
– Not a lot of features for the price
– No software
Editor’s Note: This review was originally published on April 20, 2021 and was updated on May 19, 2021. We retested the microphone after learning it was originally tested with a faulty 3.5mm jack.
The Epos H3 is a solid choice for those seeking the best gaming headset for their rig. They’re also cross-platform compatible with Mac, PlayStation 5 (PS5), PS4, Xbox and Nintendo Switch, allowing you to have one pair of headphones for all your gaming needs.
Combining comfort with affectionately loud drivers boasting thunderous bass and crystal-clear audio worthy of praise, it’s money well spent at $119. The H3 also features passive noise canceling, raising the bar another level; although, you may still wish for a better microphone and roomier fit.
A quick glance at the H3’s specs sheet, and you might suspect that these are bulky, heavy cans. At 1.4 pounds, they’re weightier than many other wired gaming headsets, such as the MSI Immerse GH61 (0.6 pounds) and Roccat Elo X (0.7 pounds). However, Epos managed to distribute the weight and minimize pressure in such a way that the H3 actually feels lightweight. This is partially due to the memory foam and soft leatherette included on the headband and ears for comfort that cradles the head and ears without being overbearingly cushy. The unit is so lightweight that my only concern was them getting hot, like many other over-the-ear units using leatherette that I have reviewed, but, thankfully, I was able to wear them for over 2 hours at a time without ever even getting warm.
The H3’s earcups connect to the steel headband via a dual-axis hinge and are also designed to mold to the shape of human ears. But because I’m a huge person with an obnoxiously large head and substantial, malformed ears, I initially had issues getting the H3 to sound as expected. Here, I learned of the sturdiness of the steel headband. Adjustments were easy, and I was able to get the H3 so I could listen to The Best of Johann Sebastion Bach in pure comfort.
The Epos H3’s are stylishly elegant in Onyx Black as tested but are also available in Ghost White. Each ear cup holds an Epos logo, and the right ear cup has a built-in volume control knob that is responsive and with smooth controls easily activated by my thumb. On the left ear cup is the 3.5mm audio connection jack. The microphone is also on the left ear cup and pulls down nicely into place with a solid click to let you know it’s in place and ready to go. Lifting it back up conveniently mutes the microphone, so there are no embarrassments.
Overall, with its lightweight, but quality, plastics, and steel headband, the H3 is sleek and sturdy with the feel of a much more expensive gaming headset. They also lack the sometimes gaudy RGB lighting of other gaming headsets, which is great for when you simply want to game and not also put on a light show. The plastic keeps the headset trim at 0.6 pounds overall which adds to the comfort level I mentioned previously.
Audio Performance
Epos H3 uses closed drivers that deliver satisfactory audio as soon as you plug them in, which is good news since there’s no software available with the H3. The H3 gaming headset is truly plug-and-play, coming with a 3.5mm audio cable and a 3.5mm splitter cable, should your device require a separate mic input to record audio.
I fired up Borderlands 2, and as I was following the annoying robot Claptrap around, I could discern when one of the crazy characters tried to slide up on my right and start beating on me. I side-stepped and shot him dead with my weapons, and the gunshots were wonderfully reproduced and sounded realistic. When I threw a grenade at a couple of post-apocalyptic-looking gents, the explosions were rich, full, and crisp, making for a thoroughly enjoyable battle.
While playing Batman: Arkham Knight, I could easily trace the sounds of fire shots as they petered out into the distance. They sounded just as realistic as the gunshots I heard while playing Borderlands 2. The bone-crunching sound of Batman’s punches landing on the jaws of enemies I vanquished were exquisitely reproduced in my ear. When using the jet turbine in the Batmobile to launch from one roof to another, the thunderous roar was gratifying and clear with zero distortion.
Overall, gaming with the H3 ensured I could hear moving footsteps coming from different directions, or gunfire in the distance, and I didn’t find myself missing virtual surround sound or the ability to tweak audio performance with a dedicated app. These cans are lovingly loud, so it’s a good thing the H3’s volume knob is so responsive and easy to find with a blind thumb.
To test out the cans’ music prowess I turned to Busta Rhymes’ “Dangerous”. As soon as the baseline started pumping, I was thrilled, as the H3’s delivered the bombastic bassline with lust and passion few can compete with. At a typical listening volume, I heard sweetly produced highs and mid-range tones. And when I pumped the volume to the max, they delivered the same thump and clarity.
Microphone
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
I originally published this review reporting an audible hiss with the headset’s microphone, but since then I’ve learned that this was caused by a faulty 3.5mm jack in my PC. With that issue remedied, I retested the microphone, and the hissing issue disappeared. Now, the bidirectional mic is able to catch the full range of my deep throaty voice. In recordings I could hear my voice’s natural depth and timbre beautifully and without any distracting background noise, thanks to the mic’s effective noise-cancelling.
Note that the H3 doesn’t have its own software, so microphone performance adjustments aren’t readily available. However, I didn’t miss it too much because my recordings were still very clear and of premium quality worthy of some podcasting.
Epos specs the H3’s mic as covering a frequency range of 10-18,000 Hz.
Features and Software
Although Epos does have a gaming software suite, the H3 does not work with it. But the audio quality is so good, I did not miss having software assistance.
One of my favorite features of the Epos H’3 is the responsive audio knob that is built-in to the right ear cup. It makes adjusting the volume quick and easy. Also, you will need to adjust the volume as these cans can get very loud, which I love.
Bottom Line
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
At $119, the Epos H3’s audio quality is equal to its price tag; however some may find it steep when you compare it to units that come with gaming-ready features, like RGB lighting, software for tweaking and the option for virtual surround sound. If you’re someone who doesn’t need many extras, the H3 also earns its price with strong build quality and comfort, (especially for those with smaller heads, who won’t have to fuss with adjustments).
The downside comes from the microphone, which records really clear audio but also adds a hissing noise that I couldn’t eradicate no matter what adjustments I tried or software I used. Overall the mic performance is solid but not the best in its class and certainly not a replacement for the best USB gaming microphones.
But if you’re interested in a gaming headset that sounds amazing right out of the box and can put up with the ok microphone, these are for you.
The Last of Us Part II is getting a long-awaited PlayStation 5 patch on Wednesday that lets you play the game at a targeted 60fps frame rate, Sony announced.
“Once patch 1.08 for The Last of Us Part II is installed on your PS5, you will find a toggle in the Display options that allows you to choose between a Framerate Target of 30 FPS or 60 FPS,” developer Naughty Dog said in a blog post. “This allows you to choose your preferred framerate to complement the rest of the enhancements that are part of the PS5 backward compatibility with PS4 games, such as an enhanced resolution, faster load times, and more.”
You can catch a trailer for the patch at the top of this post, and in my opinion, it looks great. I’ll definitely be checking out the patch myself just to see how the game runs. (Though, I’m not sure I’m ready to put myself through another full playthrough of the grueling but excellent game just yet.)
If you want to check out a technical deep dive about the patch, Digital Foundry has a nearly 20-minute video testing it out.
Sony is also reportedly working on another remake of The Last of Us, this one for the PS5.
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Summer Game Fest is back this year, and it will start on June 10th with an event called “Kick Off Live!” that’s billed as a “spectacular world premiere showcase” with “more than a dozen” world premieres and announcements. The show, which will begin at 2PM ET, will be hosted by Geoff Keighley, who you might also know as the host of The Game Awards.
Kick Off Live! is just the first of many events that will be part of Summer Game Fest. Some of the publishers confirmed to be participating in Summer Game Fest include 2K, Activision, Blizzard, Capcom, Epic Games, Sony PlayStation, Riot Games, Square Enix, Ubisoft, and Microsoft Xbox.
This first event will also feature a performance by Weezer, “who will debut a brand new, stream safe game soundtrack song that can be freely streamed on Twitch, YouTube and anywhere else without being blocked or losing monetization,” according to a press release. (So it seems like we won’t see a repeat of what happened with Metallica’s performance at BlizzCon.)
Summer Game Fest launched last year to let publishers showcase their upcoming games after some of the industry’s biggest events were restricted or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many gaming events have been affected by the pandemic this year as well, forcing some, like GDC and E3, to shift to digital formats.
Days Gone is an open-world action adventure zombie shooter set in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. You’re Deacon, a military veteran who’s been caught in the middle of a global zombie apocalypse. The game takes place two years after the first outbreak, and the world as we know has ended. Hordes of zombie are scattered all around the lands, lurking and hunting the last survivors who have teamed up to improve their odds of survival.
Naturally, the various factions fight over whatever resources are left in the world, and as a mercenary, you’re caught in the middle of it all. As the plot progresses, the National Emergency Restoration Organization (NERO) also plays a role in uncovering more details of what happened.
Just like similar titles, Days Gone plays in the third-person perspective. The developer Bend Studio did a great job modeling the lush American wilderness, and placed hordes of zombies into it. As you make your way through the woods, you often have the choice of sneaking or using stealth to achieve your objective. Some missions are pure stealth, though, and in others you’ll encounter a zerg rush of zombies, which requires you use the environment to survive—shooting your way through is not an option.
Originally launched in April 2019 as a PlayStation 4 exclusive, Days Gone uses Unreal Engine 4 in DirectX 11 mode on PC. Compared to the console version, a lot of polish has been added, bugs fixed, and the graphics menu improved. In this article, we test performance and hardware requirements of Days Gone on 23 graphics cards in three resolutions.
One of the bestselling games of all time is coming to next-gen consoles at the end of the year. Today, Rockstar announced that Grand Theft Auto V and its online spinoff will both be launching on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X on November 11th; the new version was previously announced at the PS5’s reveal event last year.
We don’t yet know what exactly will be changed for the next-gen iterations, but Rockstar says they will be “expanded and enhanced.” It’s also not clear what the upgrade path will look like for current owners of the game. GTA Online, meanwhile, will be available as a standalone title, and Sony previously said that it would be free for all PS5 owners during its first three months of availability.
Despite launching in 2013 — it debuted on the PS3 and Xbox 360 — GTAV has proved to be an enduring hit, one that will soon span three generations of game consoles. Publisher Take Two says the game has sold more than 140 million copies to date.
(Pocket-lint) – We couldn’t have been more excited when we heard that the original Mass Effect trilogy was to be remastered for a new collection. But must admit to feeling slightly deflated when we realised the games weren’t to be remade completely.
That means, while the graphics and gameplay have undergone extensive tweaking, they haven’t been completely reimagined for modern consoles. After experiencing what’s possible with the superb Final Fantasy VII Remake, that seemed to be a backwards step to us. Initially, at least.
However, just a couple of hours into ME1, we soon realised why the development team decided on a fresh coat of paint and refinements rather than renewal. The trio just wouldn’t be the same games otherwise – unlikely to have retained the character of the originals. Warts and all.
So, in remastering the original Mass Effect games to 4K HDR, adding all downloadable content (DLC) released over the original games’ lifespans, and slathering on some clever technical glue to match it all together, we get the original trilogy at its best. All the while retaining exactly what made them special in the first place.
Plot points
Something that didn’t need refinement is the story. BioWare has always been a master at storytelling and characterisation. Go further into its past and you can see just how well Baldur’s Gate and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic hold up today – purely thanks to their narratives and clever, interwoven scripting.
The latter game was clearly a huge influence on Mass Effect (and itself heavily rumoured for a remaster). However, free from the restraints of the Star Wars lore book, the studio managed to rebottle lightning – several times.
There are many characters you encounter in the Mass Effect games, not least Shepard him or herself – who you play as throughout – but perhaps the most impressive of all is the universe that BioWare created.
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It took a blank canvas and built its own sci-fi saga, complete with new alien species, political factions, historical mythos and much more. And there’s nary a trade dispute in sight – well, not one that any of the trilogy is hinged on. It’s so complex and involving, it has inspired comic books, fan fiction, even a whole range of cosplay enthusiasts. It will also grip you from the very start.
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That’s partly thanks to the speed at which the main story thread reveals itself – which we’ll spare you because you’ve either already played the games first time around and know it already, or want to discover for yourself and therefore avoid spoilers. But it’s mainly thanks to the superb dialogue and neatly woven nature of the games across the entire run.
Many games have adopted inter-threading plots and character development over the years, but few do it quite as well as the Mass Effect series. It enables you to take your lead character – whether created from scratch or using presets – from one game to the next after each completion, literally picking up from where you left off. In addition, actions you make in each chapter have ramifications on the next.
EA / BioWare
By the time you get to Mass Effect 3 and, specifically, the ending, you could experience several key differences to someone else’s journey. It feels organic and, for us, still represents many of the studio’s finest moments.
The same is true with character development and relationships in the game. Each main non-playable character (NPC) in the game forms bonds and relationships with your lead character, depending on your conversational and practical choices. That could end in a friendly or romantic bond, or with them keeping you at arms-length. It results in you empathising with each of your in-game team members more so than in most games – role-playing games (RPGs) or otherwise.
When those NPCs are in peril or decisions on their fate are presented you are genuinely moved or troubled. It’s what made Mass Effect so superb in the first place, and continues to resonate now.
Ch-ch-changes
Of course, that can also be said of the original trilogy releases, each of which being still available through backward compatibility (on Xbox and PC, anyway). Of perhaps more interest are the numerous changes and improvements to this collection.
EA / BioWare
As with many repackaged collections of older games, all of the original DLC from Mass Effect 1, 2 and 3 are present – bar one. Pinnacle Station from ME1 is not present, as the version available to BioWare while putting together the Legendary Edition turned out to be corrupt and it couldn’t find the original files.
Still, you get over 40 DLC packs integrated into the games (where possible). That includes promo weapons and armour.
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The games are also presented with a new launcher, with all three accessible from the same screen. On PlayStation all games are installed to be played from the off, on Xbox (the version tested here), you need to download ME2 and ME3 from the launcher itself. This allows you to save disk space when you are only playing ME1.
Once you start the games, you notice a couple of changes to the options. The first Mass Effect has perhaps the biggest alterations, in that it has the options, plus character creation and models of the subsequent titles. BioWare changed a fair bit in the three years between ME1 and ME2, so the later benefits have now been adopted.
EA / BioWare
That also includes combat. The Mass Effect series combines deep, involving dialogue-based storytelling with action combat sequences. These are third-person and generally use a duck-and-cover mechanic. The first game, however, had clunky, under-realised combat that was tricky to use. We went back to the Xbox 360 original to check for ourselves and found that aiming – especially through the sniper rifle – was a twitchy affair. It has been greatly improved now, with the lessons learned for the sequels being implemented.
The look during combat – the user interface (UI)– has also been unified across the series now. However, ME1 still has some unique foibles. There’s unlimited ammo, for starters, with cooldown times for weapons instead. That was ditched later in the series. On the whole though, it has been polished into a more playable form for sure, which is great to revisit.
Another thing that helps is higher frame rate. While the graphics have been made higher-res and new lighting effects added, to suit the 4K consoles especially, enhanced frame rates make the most difference to gameplay. It differs depending on the format, but the games are now playable in up to 60 frames-per-second on consoles thanks to a ‘favour frame-rate’ option. The Xbox Series X even gets up to 120fps.
EA / BioWare
You do have a resolution drop to get the best frame rates, but it’s very much worth it. We’ve been playing the game largely across Xbox Series S and X, which run the game in backward compatibility but somewhat optimised. We favour frame-rate on the S, which gives up to 1440p and 60fps, while we switch to ‘favour quality’ mode on the X for 4K 60fps. Both run beautifully.
If you’re a PC owner with the right spec, you can even get up to 240fps and run the game in an 21:9 aspect ratio, but we haven’t been able to test that ourselves.
Graphically speaking
In terms of the new graphics themselves, there is a marked improvement, naturally, but you will still have to put up with a lot of the shonkiness of the originals.
EA / BioWare
The artificial intelligence (AI) upscaling process used for many of the texture upgrades did a fine job of creating details that were just fuzzy before, while the manual touching-up work produces excellent character models especially.
However, don’t expect a game that looks like Returnal or Miles Morales. It must be remembered that the original games were released between 2007 and 2012 and, while highly polished, they still look dated. Animations especially are janky. But they are liveable too.
Lighting has been greatly improved through, with the first Mass Effect showing the most change. Outdoor scenes are particularly impressive, with great use of lens flare and recoloured vistas that look significantly better than before. Plus, high dynamic range (HDR) has been added for further saturation and contrast boosts.
That’s not to say it’s all good. Sometimes the picture sharpening does the game a disservice. The Normandy (your space craft) can look overlaid onto a background now, whereas its blurriness helped it blend in before.
EA / BioWare
There are also the occasional annoying bugs or glitches – some old, some new. We’ve experienced some texture pop-in when a level loads, scenery clipping, or the odd character jerking about when faced with unsteady terrain. Sometimes team members just steadfastly refuse to follow you until you save and reload. But, there’s nothing that can’t be worked around or overlooked.
In all honesty, the original games had their fair share of caveats too, but we never minded at the time.
Hit the motherload
Another of the more significant improvements that you get with the Legendary Edition is loading times. Anyone who’s had to sit through the Citadel elevator loading issues of the original Mass Effect will understand just how thrilling it is to finally run the game from an SSD (on console).
We can’t comment on loading times for Xbox One or PS4 (or even PS5, as we’ve not played that copy) – although each are meant to be greatly enhanced too – but our experience of loading on both Xbox Series consoles couldn’t have been any better.
EA / BioWare
When stepping into any of the elevators on the Citadel, it is mere seconds before you reach the next area. This used to take a minute or more. In fact, all the clever tricks BioWare added to help alleviate the loading pain – such as in-elevator conversations or tannoy announcements – are now superfluous. You can still listen to them, but a skip option is also available as they are no longer needed to paper the cracks.
The same is true with loading in other areas of each of the games. Space travel, for example, is almost instant. Even the games load superfast at the beginning, once chosen on the launcher.
There are also many other smaller, often imperceptible tweaks (like an increased number of autosave points), so we could go on and on. It’s worth stressing though, that all of these have been made to improve and existing experience, not replace it. And, as life-long game fans ourselves, there is something altogether noble in that.
Verdict
We’ve played several hours of each of the three Mass Effect games in the Legendary Edition, but haven’t yet completed them this time around (we have in the past, a couple of times). However, we think we’ve seen enough to be able to give an honest opinion.
This collection is like a masterwork or remastering of one of the great music albums. It doesn’t go completely to town, or likely far enough for some, but the subject matter has been treated with the reverence it deserves. Let’s face it, you’d be hard pushed to find better scripting or storytelling out there, even in the biggest budget, most modern games. That’s where the Mass Effect trilogy’s real heart lies – and you can slather on as much polish as you like, but that’s what will draw you back.
Newcomers might initially baulk at the in-game visuals and their many caveats, but once the story grips they’ll find themselves as enamoured as we all were first time around. As for the rest of us, this is like revisiting an old friend and regaling memorable tales – all 100 plus hours of them. Wonderful.
Writing by Rik Henderson. Editing by Mike Lowe.
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