The highs and lows of Lionhead Looking back over 20 years of Lionhead, as Microsoft shuts down the famed British developer “After much consideration we have decided to cease development on Fable Legends, and are in discussions with employees about the proposed closure of Lionhead Studios in the UK.” That statement from Microsoft Studios Europe general manager Hanno Lemke unceremoniously marked the
LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins red brick locations guide
TABLE OF CONTENTS Cherry Tree Hills Albatross Island Auburn Fort Meadows Apollo Island Bluebell Woods Downtown The Lego games have always had a crazy amount of collectibles, and Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins is no exception. Red Bricks have been a constant in the Lego games, and they make an appearance here as well. Red Bricks are basically collectible cheat codes, ranging from stud multipliers
Konami gives Pro Evo 2016 the free-to-play treatment
The release of the "entry-level" edition of PES will mark one of the first times a studio has chosen to release a freemium version of a big-budget console title post-launch.
Konami will release a free-to-play versionof its annual football sim, Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 , exclusively for PS3 and PS4 on December 8.
When it hits shelves, players will be gain access to Pro Evo's exhibition, training, and offline/online multiplayer modes, featuring seven teams including Bayern Munich, Juventus, AS Roma, Brazil and France.
More importantly, Konami will also be giving freemium users unlimited access to the game's myClub online mode, where they'll be able to build a team by signing players using in-game currency and micro-transactions.
The free-to-play edition will be compatible with all future gameplay and content updates.
How Divinity: Original Sin almost bankrupted Larian Studios
Larian Studios has been trying to make Divinity: Original Sin , in one form or another, since 1997.
, in one form or another, since 1997. Founder Swen Vincke gave a great post-mortem on the development of one of our favorite games of 2014, focusing more on the business side of game development than the creative side. Or, more specifically, how business and creative clash and overlap. To make their dream RPGs in Divinity: Original Sin, Larian went independent, borrowed money from the bank, got outside investors, raised nearly $1 million on Kickstarter, sacrificed Divinity: Dragon Commander and still nearly ran out of funding. If Original Sin hadn’t been a serious success, that could’ve been the end for Larian.
But it was a success, which Vincke credited to Larian’s philosophy in developing the game: not compromising its vision. He recounted a history of previous games, like Divinity II, that reviewed and sold poorly because they released too early. For Original Sin, Larian built its own technology instead of relying on middleware that couldn’t support the features they wanted. Larian tried to make a co-op RPG for years, dating as far back as 1997, but inevitably cut the feature from multiple projects because it would be too difficult or time-consuming to implement.
Divinity II's premature release left Larian in debt, so the studio decided to go all-in on its next project. To keep the entire team of 30 or so developers together, they started two projects: the RPG that would become Original Sin, and strategy game Dragon Commander. Interestingly, Dragon Commander was meant to be the bigger project, while Original Sin was a smaller RPG that would be released first.
But Larian fell in love with the RPG, and decided not to release it until it was completely finished. In Vincke’s words, Larian “murdered” Dragon Commander—releasing it before it was really done—to focus on Original Sin and pull in some badly needed funds.
The talk was remarkably candid: Vincke admitted how many mistakes and desperate decisions the studio made to continue developing Divinity: OS as long as possible. They delayed tax payments to spend more on development and spent money they didn’t have to add voice acting to the game later in development. They missed releasing some languages at launch by a day, after crunching on localization for three weeks with an emergency staff of 20 translators. And when Original Sin finally hit Early Access, the developers added thousands of bug fixes to their tracker and made significant gameplay system changes based on player feedback.
Larian initially had 1.5 million Euros to spend on Divinity: Original Sin and hoped to build it on a budget of 3 million. In the end, the studio spent 4.5 million Euros. After listening to Vincke talk, it seems almost miraculous that Larian didn’t collapse, and that the game made it to release with its openness and co-op multiplayer intact.
Vincke closed the talk by mentioning that Larian is working on two new RPGs, as we reported yesterday. Original Sin’s success hopefully gives Larian the leeway to develop those games without nearly going bankrupt.
One final fun tidbit from the talk: Larian’s commitment to open-ended gameplay means you can kill every NPC in Original Sin. If you’re hankering for a replay, consider trying out the mass murderer route.
IGM Interviews – Aaron Reed and Jacob Garde (Ice-Bound) Part 2
After a brief break, we’re finally back with more from Ice-Bound creators Aaron Reed and Jacob Garde!
creators Aaron Reed and Jacob Garde! If you missed out on the first part, you can find it here, and if you still haven’t heard much about Ice-Bound itself, you can find most of the details here.
Indie Game Magazine: So, Ice-Bound is already looking awesome. Okay, so you’ve got all of the changing text where you can select what you feel is the best way to express something; did you guys write it with a specific choice in mind for each block of text, or did you just try to give as many feasible answers for each?
Aaron Reed : So — if I can jump onto that, Jacob, if you don’t mind — so yeah, so I’ve been working for awhile now with a couple of different varieties of different interactive narrative systems, and one of the things, while I was working on the game Prom Week , which is a 2012 IGF and IndieCade nominee, I was the lead writer on that game, and I sort of developed this style of writing that I called quantum authoring, which is where you’re trying to keep all of these different possible states the story could be in in your head as you’re authoring, and then write text that can work in as many of those states as possible. So it’s sort of a technique like, well, maybe there can be 10 different situations here, but I don’t have time to write ten different versions of the text, so what are the sort of “pressure points” where a few words here will make this scene work in that situation, but the rest of the action is gonna work in either situation.
So with the Shimmer Text in Ice-Bound , we’ve sort of approached that as an opportunity to find the moments in a little piece of story that will cause the most interesting change if that story fragment appears in a different situation. So initially when we started doing those – and some of them still are – just kind of, you know, synonymous, or otherwise not very interesting. But as we’ve moved forward, we tend to more and and more write them such that they’re a moment where you might change how a character feels about this situation, or change whether it’s, you know, a defining moment or a not important moment. There’s little bits like that that kind of make you read the whole scene differently, so we’re hoping – and this is still obviously all in progress, but – we’re hoping the end result will be that those little choices, even though they’re very small and only affecting a few words, are actually sort of meaningful for your interpretation of the characters and how the story is going.
IGM: So on that note, I actually did have a question out of pure curiosity: The story follows a whole bunch of people… is the story supposed to be a collection of short stories about these people, or is it a definite cast of characters that would be worked in together throughout the “book.”
Aaron : Some of each.
[laughs] Okay, that’s fair.
Aaron : Did you want us to talk about that? Jacob?
Jacob Garde : Yeah sure. So I think, speaking from a narrative standpoint, it’s kind of funny, because I’m trying to get the different levels of the story in my head… so I think that the way that we’re going for this is that it’s kind of a collection of separate stories, but they all take place in Carina Station, and Carina Station is kind of the unifying mechanic, the unifying theme of Ice-Bound as Kris Holmquist’s book. And so, in the further levels, as you’re going down, I think what’s happening is, and this plays out with the theme system, with the tagging that we have, that what we’re going for is one of these things where we have lots of separate stories that, as you’re proceeding, you see how like, no, this is building towards something, you know. Like all of these things going down are meant to sort of be building to some overwhelming conclusion. And, really, if we’re talking as if we’re inside — so like, Kris Holmquist’s novel, Ice-Bound, that’s why it’s unfinished, right, that’s the big thing: What is it building to? That’s the big question, and so with us implementing the game, that’s what gonna make the ending of it really interesting for people as they’re going through, because they’re gonna be seeing their choices, and what they think are the important stories starting to matter more, and then building to that conclusion.
Aaron : One of the things that happens as you start to get into the later chapters is — ’cause they are more or less individual short stories on each level — but as you move towards the later chapters, you start seeing characters from some of the earlier stories reappear, and also bits of Kris Holmquist’s life start being integrated into the stories, because, as Jacob – Jacob’s like, “No, don’t spoil it!” [laughs] – so as you’re sort of going deeper into the station, you’re also sort of going deeper into your relationship with KRIS, and digging more into his backstory. And this question of “What does this story mean to him,” and how connected is it to the story of his own life, becomes more and more brought to the foreground. So I think it kind of starts off as a collection of short stories, but by the end, things have melted – if you will – into more of a unified whole.
Jacob : Yeah, and that’s kind of another thing we’re working with, was the idea that you sort of bring your life, when you’re writing, you bring things from your life into your writing, and working with KRIS, he’s had things taken out of his life. And so, as you’re progressing through the book, in the Compendium are these missing pieces, but they’re corrupted pieces. And you can’t show KRIS the entire Compendium, you have to just show him little parts of it. And so what you’re seeing as you go to the end is the blending of the stories, but it’s still not a complete picture. And so, yeah, I think that’s kind of what we’re going for.
Cool! So one of the things I noticed while I was playing, I felt more like I was actually the one writing the book, instead of just KRIS or Holmquist having written it. Was this the intended feel of the game?
Aaron : Yeah, for me at least, that was definitely one of the big things I wanted to capture. So I did a project about a year ago called 18 Cadence that was really explicitly exploring that notion of, what if we make the player feel more like a writer or an editor, feel more like they have more creative control over the process. And a lot of those ideas I think have bled into Ice-Bound . We really wanted to make you feel like you were collaborating with KRIS to figure out how this book should end. So I’m really glad that came across.
IGM: Are you planning to bring Ice-Bound to anything other than the iPad?
Aaron : Yes, we’re hoping to… we’re hoping to get to the point where we can promise it on more platforms, we’re not 100% there yet, because we’re still verifying that it will work. But fortunately, the way it’s written makes it very portable. The biggest stumbling block is actually making sure the Augmented Reality’s gonna work correctly on different platforms. But we are looking into getting it running on PC and Mac using webcam. And probably one of the major Android tablets, too.
Jacob : Yeah, the big thing for us is that we have prototyped different parts of the experience on different platforms, but for the purposes of like, “Yes! We will have it on this,” we’re like “Technically, something terrible could happen,” and maybe it doesn’t, but we would hate to be in this situation where people would be disappointed, so… that’s like our number one development task right now, is working with these different versions that we have on different platforms, and sort of trying to make sure that we can confirm performance and everything else. But yeah, we definitely want to offer it outside of iPad. We are hopeful. [laughs]
Divinity: Original Sin studio is working on two new RPGs
Divinity: Original Sin was a pretty fantastic game by just about any measure, but Larian Studios boss Swen Vincke wasn't entirely happy with it.
by just about any measure, but Larian Studios boss Swen Vincke wasn't entirely happy with it. In fact, he spent a full paragraph of his most recentknocking the story, combat, interface, dialog, loot system, high-level character progression, and a number of other aspects. The problem, he said, was primarily due to a lack of "development capacity," which forced a number of compromises on the game. To avoid that in future projects, Larian is expanding.
Vincke revealed that the studio has begun work on two new RPGs, both of which will use the engine created for Divinity: Original Sin, which is one of the reasons work on that game is continuing. "It means that whatever we fix in D:OS, will automatically be present in our new RPGs. It also means that we can spend most of our resources on developing new cool stuff without having to reinvent things that worked well already," he wrote. "And it immediately gives us a rationale for putting unreasonable amounts of effort in fixing the things we didn’t do that well in D:OS, meaning our existing players will continue to get improved gameplay for as long as we can maintain compatibility."
To support that effort, Larian is increasing its headcount and opening a new office in Quebec City to take advantage of "the experience and talent that’s running around there." Vincke acknowledged being "quite apprehensive" about the move, but said, "The commercial success of D:OS has given us an opportunity to make true some of our bigger RPG ambitions and I’ll be damned if we don’t seize that chance. Going all-in paid off in the past so we might as well try again."
Vincke asked players to continue providing feedback on Original Sin, and to sound off about what they'd like to see in future games as well. He also reposted a "year in review" video that emphasizes the impact of player input on the development of the game—and that hints at at least one more big change coming in the future.
Three obstacles have long stood in the way of wireless headsets: price, latency, and batteries. They
're more expensive than wired headsets, without better sound quality. Latency over a bad wireless connection is annoying. And batteries giving out mid-match is always a game-ruiner. But wireless headsets have come a long way over the years, and if you can get over the price premium, you can buy a wireless gaming headset that solves the battery problem and exhibits not a hint of latency. Zero-hassle
Looking for a cheaper pair of cans? Check out our guide to the best (wired) gaming headsets.
. And hoo boy, it isn’t a cheap one, weighing in just below $300. We know that's a lot of cash, but there are two major considerations at play here.
First is that wireless headsets tend to be pricier than their wired counterparts in the first place, so if you’re browsing this side of the market you’ve probably set aside a reasonable chunk of money in the first place. Secondly, scrimping on wireless tech is like seeking out bargain bin dentistry—a lot more can go wrong than right. The $300 in question buys not just incredible sound, comfort and convenience, but a free pass through any potential latency and battery issues.
Specs
Price: $299 (£220) Headphone Frequency Response: 20Hz—20KHzWeight: 297g (without battery)Max Volume: 100dB* SPL @ 1kHzPorts: Wired Mode / Share Port, Chat port, mini USB FW update port Transmitter Wireless Range: 12m (40ft) straight lineLatency: Ports: Analog In, Analog Out, mini USB, Optical In, Optical Out, PowerBattery Type: Rechargeable Lithium-Ion, 1000mAhBattery Life: 20 hours per pack, typical usage Microphone Frequency Response: 100Hz—10KHzMic Pattern: UnidirectionalIndication: Red LED on mute
SteelSeries strikes gold with its Siberia 800 (formerly known as the H Wireless) by combining top-end virtual surround sound, fantastic frequency response, and comfort with a ton of extra functionality and versatility. Despite the serious financial investment, it’s a genuine one-stop shop for PC, Mac, consoles and mobile devices.
Added bonus: its manufacturer also restrained itself from overdesigning the headset like a Pimp My Ride producer’s fever dream, naming it after a Roman or Greek god, or having an e-sports gamer sheepishly endorsing it on the packaging.
The basics: the H wireless is a closed-cup, circumaural headset, which mean it totally covers your ears and seals the sound around you, using memory foam padding in this case. That’s crucial; so many manufacturers bleat about the size of their drivers, but unless the low-end frequencies those drivers generate find an enclosed space in which to resonate, that ‘thumping’ bass effect is lost. Suffice to say, these earcups have plenty of ‘thump.’
There’s also plenty of power and clarity in the mid range and precise highs. If you go in with a sound snob mindset, you will hear that the overall mix doesn’t sound as organic as high-end stereo headphones aimed at the music market, because the audio’s running through a 7.1 virtual surround sound engine. The loss in overall tonality is unnoticeable to all but those who find themselves damned to live out life on this earth as the store employees from High Fidelity, though, and those people are too busy taping Japanese import albums by the Liqorice Comfits to care.
The surround itself is excellent, in both games and movies. It’ll genuinely have you hunting down Blu-Rays with 7.1 mixes just to enjoy the flyover effects, panned ambient noises and sound cues from high above. Unlike many top-end surround cans like Creative’s Sound Blaster Recon 3D Omega, the H Wireless doesn’t come with a ‘footstep’ or ‘sniper’ mode that dulls all but the sound sources in your vicinity, but honestly we don’t feel the loss. Maybe we’re just not good enough at shooters to exploit that feature, but we find a good surround mix like this is ample assistance in locating our would-be killers by footsteps or gunshots alone.
This isn’t a particularly light headset, weighing well over 300g (more than half a pound) with one of its two rechargeable batteries fitted (more on those later). However, memory foam pads at every contact point—around both earcups and the headband—make it an exceptionally comfortable one over a long duration. There’s enough pivot and extension in the frame to accommodate any head shape and very little sound produced when doing so, which is a good indicator of build quality. The orange stitching around each cup does fray easily though, messing up an otherwise impeccable and understated aesthetic.
As with all SteelSeries models, the mic here is retractable, so you can push it back inside the left cup and out of the way when it isn’t needed, and a quick tap of the power on button on the bottom of the right cup mutes it. There’s also a volume wheel at the top of the right cup, and a rubber cover on the bottom next to the power button which conceals an aux cable connection so you can connect up your Xbox One or PS4 controller and chat if you want to use this with a console, and another connection allowing you to connect a second headset. Two-person silent gaming sessions and really low-key silent discos are go.
As odd as it sounds, it’s actually the transmitter that elevates the H Wireless above its peers. Firstly, it doubles as a battery charger. While one of its lithium ion batteries is powering the headset, another occupies a charge slot within the transmitter so you genuinely never have to stop using it, or even connect it to a charge cable. Considering what a hassle that can be, that dual battery design gives it a massive advantage over its peers. Astro’s A50 and Turtle Beach’s i60 both offer similar luxury to the H Wireless in sound and comfort, but simply can’t compete with the way it elegantly sidesteps the charging problem.
Its batteries cling to life for up to 20 hours, too. That’s the stated figure in SteelSeries’ own documentation, and it holds true in the real world too. Even extended max volume sessions have little effect on it. Speaking of the spec sheet, the proposed signal range is an enormous 12 meters (40 feet). In reality, that means the signal remains clean literally anywhere in this tester’s apartment.
There’s a plethora of connection options at the back of the transmitter (optical in/out in addition to USB) which means it’s fair game for just about any device you can throw at it, and includes a handy voice chat/game audio mixing feature called ChatMix. With this you can either manually adjust both levels, or let the transmitter boost the voice audio only when someone’s talking—essentially it’s working like a sidechain compressor, pushing the game audio down when someone talks and pushing it up again afterward.
There simply isn’t another wireless headset on the market that does everything SteelSeries’ Siberia 800can do—and with some considerable style, too. It’s certainly not cheap, but the variety of applications it can handle mitigates that to an extent. Above all, it lets you forget about all the drawbacks traditionally associated with going wireless. A class act.
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It’s an oldie, butwireless set is as strong a package now as it was at launch in late 2013, and of course a couple years before that in its earlier incarnations. And now that it’s dropped below the $100 mark, it’s kind of a no-brainer for budget buyers.
As with every peripheral Corsair puts out, the build quality on show in these cans is extraordinary. The closed-cup design features massively oversized cups, big enough to envelop any set of ears, and thus block out distracting noise while giving the bass a little chamber to resonate in. The body’s constructed using a mixture of plastics and lightweight aluminium, keeping the overall weight low enough to maximise comfort levels. Oh, and the enormous padded headband doesn’t exactly hurt on that front, either.
Specs
Price: $90 (£78) Frequency Response: 40Hz—20kHz 5/-5dB, -10dB @ 35Hz Impedance: 32 Ohms @ 1kHz Drivers: 50mm Connector: Wireless USB Microphone type: Unidirectional noise-cancelling condenser Impedance: 2.2k Ohms Frequency Response: 100Hz to 10kHzSensitivity -37dB (+/-3dB)
There’s just one on-off switch on the right cup, and a nicely textured volume roller below it, so it isn’t bursting with inline controls like our $150 pick, but the simplicity really adds to its look.
However, like our $150 pick, The H2100 is another fuss-free setup, requiring only a single USB slot to connect its receiver. Battery life is a perfectly usable ten hours—less than our other picks, and not something to brag about on the packaging, but certainly enough to get you through any one session before those beeps kick in.
It’s in the sound quality where you start to hear the difference $200 makes—the H2100’s midrange lacks a little clarity compared to our newfound favourite, the SteelSeries H Wireless, but for the money it still offers powerful low-end and convincing positional audio that’ll immerse you in your games. You’ll feel the lack of sparkle when listening to music, but them’s the breaks at the budget end.
All things considered though, $90 is practically theft for the level of quality on offer with the Corsair H2100. They’re arguably the best-looking cans in the whole roundup, and though their sound and battery life can’t compete with the upper echelon, the downside to you when using them in the real world is minimal.
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Turtle Beach has the console headset market pretty well sewn up, but its position in PC audio is of a relative outlier, particularly compared to familiar, reliable names such as Creative, Logitech… you know, the companies who were making headphones before you got your first PC. For context, then: the Turtle Beach Ear Force Z300is a wireless PC variation on its excellent PX4 and Stealth models for PS4 and Xbox One, respectively.
It boasts a specific surround technology called DTS Headphone: X, which is particularly good at tricking your ears into hearing a broad vertical space in addition to a wide stereo pan. When using these to listen to a 7.1 surround mix that makes use of that tech, the effect is wonderfully cinematic.
SPECS
Price: $160 (£127) Drivers: 50mm Noise Cancelling: No Microphone: Yes, detachable Inline Volume: Yes Battery life: 15 hours Design: circumaural
In fact it’s that surround sound quality, coupled with the Z300’s excellent construction, that has us singling it out from the crowd at the $150 mark (give or take a few bucks). The circumaural cups do a brilliant job of filtering out external noise while also minimising heat levels thanks to a breathable material cover over its cushioned pads. It’s extremely adjustable, and the wide design of the headband allays any sensation of its weight digging in to the top of your head.
Compared to our absolute top pick, the Steelseries Siberia 800, there is a noticeable difference in comfort levels during long sessions (largely down to the softer materials used in the Steelseries model’s contact points). There’s less between them in surround quality, though. Turtle Beach has been building surround cans for consoles for years now, and knows the algorithms needed to trick your ears into perceiving a wide space.
What’s more, it’s a really unfussy piece of hardware. Setup requires connecting a single, memory stick-sized USB receiver, and… that’s it. No long, dangling wires from the receiver to your PC as with so many other wireless setups. There are volume, mic volume, EQ options and compression on/off buttons on the earcups themselves, but the design doesn’t look busy or crowded.
Bonus feature: it’s Bluetooth compatible, so you can hook it up to your smartphone or tablet in addition to your PC. However, that plus point actually leads us onto a flaw in the Z300’s overall package. Wireless range using the USB receiver isn’t great—the bar’s set high enough that you expect to be able to continue listening anywhere in your home, and that wasn’t true for us in this case. Via Bluetooth it’s much better though, so if you have a Bluetooth receiver for your PC it’s a good idea to use that format.
Perhaps the above issue makes this a slightly controversial pick, but in addition to the tank-like build and surround sound chops of the Z300, there’s also a really handy 15-hour battery life to win you back over. As with the SteelSeries Siberia 800, we found the manufacturer wasn’t lying on the spec sheet, and that a fully charged pair really does last longer than you’d ever want to use them for in one session—comfortably three or four sessions, actually.
Competition is fierce at this price point; relative superiority between one manufacturer’s prize fighter and another is slim. But Turtle Beach is wise to pack its strengths in the console market into this PC headset, and though it’s not a perfect offering in terms of range, the surround experience will blow you away in-game.is the best wireless headset we've used at a mid-budget price.
Read MoreHow we test wireless headsets and others we testedFact: wired headsets hugely outnumber their wireless brethren in the PC peripherals marketplace. Why? Why hasn’t the technology that unshackles us from our machine rendered wired models obsolete? Well, historically, cable-free cans have had a number of drawbacks, some of which remain today.
One: battery charge time. Ever had a wireless headset run out of charge on you mid-game, bleating its pathetic warning tone at the exact frequency that makes you want to chew through your tongue? Then you can see why some might be put off by the idea of having to manage their charge level, and even cut sessions short if their cans drain completely.
Two: latency. Particularly in cheaper wireless audio gear, latency can fluctuate and lead to a distracting slow down, speed up auditory jerkiness in whatever you’re listening to as your hardware tries to keep pace. Distracting, and annoying.
And three: price. There’s always been a considerable premium thrown on the price tag of any wireless headset, because that receiver and rechargeable battery aren’t cheap to produce. The silver lining? Manufacturers know those first two problems are deal-breakers, and have invested a lot of resources into minimising them. So today, you mostly just have to worry about price. That hasn’t changed, because all that resource investment is expensive.
If you are prepared to pay a slight premium, some incredible, zero-hassle gaming audio equipment awaits. And we think the best of the whole bunch is the SteelSeries Siberia 800. With a retail price set at $299 (though it is available for more like $260 if you shop around), it’s certainly a serious investment. But for the money you get not only the comfort level, surround sound and audio fidelity of the very best wired headsets, but a bunch of cool extras unique to itself. Two swappable lithium ion batteries? Check. Impossibly stylish transmission unit? Double check.
Of course, you might not be inclined to part with quite so much money just for the pleasure of cable-free listening pleasure. That’s fine—we’ve got you. Looking right the way down the price list, we’ve made our picks at the $150 and under $100 mark too, to help you make the right decision however much money you want to throw at this.
Testing wireless headsetsMany of the qualities you’re looking for from a wireless headset are the same you’d hope to find in any audio equipment—tone, build quality, and reliability leading the charge. As such we listen to each review model while playing different genres of game, listening to music, and watching movies with bombastic sound effects and surround mixes—think less Werner Herzog, more Chris Nolan. We also run a simple sine wave ‘swoop’ across the stated frequency response range (almost always the full 20Hz-20KHz these days), and in the case of surround headsets we’ll listen to positional audio tests like DTS Headphone-X test. There’s also our old favorite, the Virtual Barber Shop. YouTube’s compression does limit the overall sound quality, but it’s still a great way of separating the wheat from the chaff in surround sound earphones.
There are a few wireless-specific elements we need to test for, too: battery life, charge time, range and latency. The former is pretty self-explanatory, though in addition to an ‘everyday use’ battery life test we also run the headset at full volume to discover how quickly the charge drains under those conditions. To ascertain charge time, we… well, we charge the headsets and note how long it takes.
Range and latency are trickier to test in a scientific manner. However, having a good old walk around the house gives a good indication of range, and latency ultimately comes down to perception. With all that taken into account after several days of use, we’re in a good place to make the call on a headset.
CompetitorsThe wireless market’s considerably smaller than its wired counterpart—most of the big players in USB/3.5mm gaming headsets have a wireless option, but usually just the one. As such the current market competitors list is a bit slim. The range expands when you look as far as console-specific wireless cans, but in the interest of ensuring full compatibility we’ve stuck to officially supported PC models.
Plantronics .Audio 995Oddly, Plantronics doesn’t have a bespoke wireless gaming headset; this .Audio 995 is designed for office and multimedia use but is about as close to gaming spec as the manufacturer gets sans cables. It has a good rep for comfort and sound quality, and an appealing price at around $45, but as it’s designed for use when you’re on the clock rather than on the ranked servers, it’s best to look elsewhere.
Sades Stereo 7.1 Surround ProDon’t be taken in by the sub-$30 price tag. Online customer reviews tell a woeful story involving nonexistent driver support, defective mics, and even suggestions that this is a ‘grey market’ model which isn’t authorised for sale to the United States.
Creative Sound Blaster Recon 3D OmegaEdged out of ‘best overall’ contention by a fraction. Despite fantastic surround sound and comfort levels, the Recon 3D soundcard creates a lot of cable clutter and its headset’s admittedly strong battery life can’t compete with SteelSeries elegant swappable battery solution.
Turtle Beach Ear Force i60The last word in luxury in all aspects… if you’re a Mac user. Full functionality is possible but not guaranteed on Windows, and though it’s very nearly worth the risk, there are other options of the same or higher quality which make it a moot point.
Astro Gaming A50Another candidate that missed out by a whisker for ‘best overall.’ Flawless sound, bomb-proof build quality, and a few minor niggles such as unpredictable battery life, and a strangely short charge cable.
Logitech G930Looks and feels the part, offering great surround sound too. However, many users report problems with stutter or random disconnections. Battery life isn’t great for the price, either.
Creative Sound Blaster EvoTicks the basic sound/build quality boxes, but is let down by mediocre battery life and develops noisy joints over time. Oddly, mic sound quality is extraordinarily good. Go figure.
Creative Sound Blaster Evo ZxRMore expensive than the Evo, and with more functionality to show for it. However, being built around the same basic design, it suffers the same physical problems. And, look, we don’t want to get personal, but it’s really ugly.
Razer Adaro BluetoothAs the name suggests, this is a Bluetooth-only set, and not really intended with the PC gamer at the front of the queue. Good sound quality and range, but lacking the extras we take for granted in the gaming market and if you don’t have a Bluetooth receiver on your PC—well, forget it.
Future testingFor now, the Steelseries Siberia 800is our favorite wireless gaming headset. The wireless end of PC gaming audio gear offers less choice than that of wired peripherals, but it’s still a big marketplace—what’s more, it’s populated by models with incremental improvements and price hikes from the same manufacturers. As such, we haven’t tested every single model available, but done our best to seek out the cream of the crop. And from that cream, we’ve cherry-picked a) the absolute best options available right now, and b) a really odd, food-themed mixing of metaphors.
It’s also a marketplace that moves fast—so we’ll be keeping our eye on it and updating it as promising new models are released.
A note on affiliates: some of our stories, like this one, include affiliate links to stores like Amazon. These online stores share a small amount of revenue with us if you buy something through one of these links, which helps support our work evaluating PC components.
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Shelter studio Might & Delight surprised many this week, launching a new game on Steam right out of the
blue. It turns out that, in-between building Shelter 2 , the Swedish studio has been playing around with model planes too. This is The Blue Flamingo , a shoot-em-up side-project that is made up entirely on handcrafted miniature models.
The Blue Flamingo : The 8 meter game filmed on a dolly track
, a shoot-em-up side-project that is made up entirely on handcrafted miniature models. As players zip through the game's world, shooting down enemies left and right, everything you see was filmed on an 8 meter track above a physical model.
"It is an experiment in style," Might & Delight's Bastian Leonhardt Strube tells me. "The miniature models are mostly an aesthetic choice and experiment. It was a collaboration with a model builder outside the studio and it was something we have wanted to try for a long time."
The technical set-up includes a camera travelling along a dolly track, slowly filming the entire world -- once you reach the last stretch of water, this then loops as needed, but in general the length of the video is roughly the length of a single level in the game.
The enemies are also hand-built models, mashed together from pieces of airplane model sets, toy animals and other bits and bobs. "The player [model] has been through a longer ride being both sculpted in clay, modeled in 3D then 3D-printed and then again hand painted," says Strube. "For all the ships we created normal maps created from photographs, so we can light all the ships in 3D once they're in the game."
Other incredible features include magnets on strings pulling cars along, lighted trains chugging along below, and explosions created using firecrackers. Finally, everything was greenscreened together to create what you see in the game.
"We decided to make the game itself as small and simple as we could to allow the freedom to experiment with the style," the artist adds. "All in all the project has been in production for four months in parallel with Shelter 2 , and we have learned a lot in the process. We hope it is not the last thing we do like this."
You can find The Blue Flamingo on Steam. Of course, this isn't the first time Might & Delight has brought us wonderfully unique visuals -- the studio's first Shelter game was a sight to behold.
The mouse and keyboard will always be our first choice for playing games on PC. But some games are better
suited to a controller, and as more and more console games make their way to the PC, it makes sense to have the right controller on-hand. But what controller works best on the PC? We've tested the DualShock 4, Xbox 360 controller, Xbox One controller, and a few dedicated PC pads to pick our favorite. These are the best gamepads for PC, chosen for comfort, control, and how compatible they are with PC gaming. The best controller for PC Triggers and bumpers have a more tactile feel than Xbox controllers Great analog trigger feel Sturdy construction Some users report damaged analog sticks after prolonged use Requires unofficial software tool to work on PC It isn't intended for use on the PC, but the DualShock 4 is my favorite controller anyway.
is my favorite controller anyway. I've used each of its predecessors, the two current Logitech controllers, the Mad Catz C.T.R.L.R., the Razer Sabertooth, the Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers, and just about every console controller from the NES to present day. The DualShock 4 isn't superior in every way to every one of these competitors, but it's the superior all-around choice.
It doesn't look as durable as the Xbox One controller, but it's durable. When I squeeze the handles with as much force as I can, I can barely hear the strain. I also pushed each of the buttons, triggers, bumpers, and analog sticks down with as much force as I could, and each sprang back as if untouched. Long term, I've heard reports of damaged rubber on the analog sticks and sticking triggers. The former can be fixed with GelTabs, and while the latter sounds bad, the only trigger wear I've personally experienced is a slight creaking after a lot of use. They still feel springy, and I've never had one stick.
The flat, matte face buttons, though not as pronounced as the Xbox 360's bulbous, glossy things, are easy to feel my way around. They feel firm and clicky, but their shape puts very little pressure on my thumb, which I appreciate. I find that extended sessions with the Xbox 360 controller's harder buttons are more likely to give me those calloused gamer-thumbs.
Unlike the 360's triggers, which better take after their name by being long and skinny, the DS4's triggers are short and fat. I haven't found that the design makes any difference to me when I play—both are equally easy to reach and pull. What I do prefer about the DS4's triggers is that completely pressing them down brings them to a clear halt with a click, while the Xbox 360's triggers softly recede into the housing. The same goes for the Xbox One triggers. It doesn't really affect their functionality, but it's a better tactile experience.
The DS4's bumpers also beat the 360 controller in that respect with a clear, firm action. The Xbox One bumpers are better, but I find that their placement requires me to hit them with the edge of my index fingers, which is slightly awkward, and they come down with a meek click to the outer side. The DS4 bumpers are much smaller, but move straight up and down with a more intuitive action.
The Xbox 360's wobbly circle is a functional but mediocre d-pad, and an immediate deduction. The Xbox One's d-pad is a great improvement—a clicky cross that responds well to rapid direction changes—but the DS4's is just as good with the only caveat being that I don't like how soft it is. There's very little feedback, but in practice, I've found that I don't need it. It's accurate, and when muscle memory took over I had no trouble spamming Cannon Spikes in USFIV.
After some getting used to, the DS4 is a nice fit for my hands, and I much prefer it to the smaller (and all-around awful) DS3. The triggers don't quite land on the pads of my index fingers, which I find slightly uncomfortable, but I hardly notice once I'm playing. The Share and Options buttons (Select and Start) are awkwardly placed and recede into the body a little too much, but those are the least important buttons, so that's barely a demerit.
This is a point of much debate, but I find the DS4's analog sticks to be slightly better than the Xbox One's. They're a little larger, which I like, and they have more resistance and spring back to center with more force. I only wish they were offset, as I don't find their close proximity to each other comfortable. I've found, though, that this comes down to personal preference, so it's hard to call it a design flaw.
The biggest caveat, which doubles as a positive, is that the DS4 is not designed with Windows PCs in mind. Whereas it's very easy to get an Xbox 360 or Xbox One controller working, and most PC games will use their ABYX button prompts, there are no official drivers for the DualShock 4. That said, the unofficial DS4Windowsis excellent. The software essentially tricks Windows into treating the DS4 like an Xbox 360 controller, so just about any game which supports an Xbox 360 controller (basically any game with controller support) should work with the default profile. It also allows for a ton of customization (I love messing with the LED settings), and then there's the main advantage: The DS4 can be used wirelessly via Bluetooth, whereas you'll have to buy a dongle for the Xbox One controller.
I had to fiddle with the Bluetooth pairing for about 15 minutes before it worked, but once it worked I had no issues. DS4Windows did its job perfectly, and even let me use the controller's central trackpad as a mouse. (Not a very good mouse, but still, it's cool.) If you're willing to do a little bit of setup work, the DS4 is a fantastic wireless PC controller with all the customization you could want. Yes, it's a console controller , but controllers are the domain of consoles, after all, and taking the DS4for ourselves despite its lack of official support just feels like a very PC gaming thing to do, doesn't it?
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The DualShock 4 is my favorite controller, but the Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers are still excellent choices. I've had an Xbox 360 controller since 2006 which, aside from desperately needing a cleaning, still works great. The slightly-smaller Xbox One controller feels just as well-made, and has an improved d-pad. Both have official drivers ( Xbox 360and Xbox One) and have required no troubleshooting—most PC games which support controllers are made with these controllers in mind.
And even though the DS4 is my overall winner, I'll probably still use an Xbox 360 controller often simply because I prefer the analog stick layout. I also prefer its triggers and bumpers to the Xbox One's.
Getting an Xbox 360 controller is a good way to save a bit of money compared to the DualShock 4. A wireless Xbox 360 controlleris only a few dollars cheaper. But the wired version is cheaper still.
The best thing about a wired 360 controller is that it's dead simple to use. Most PC games have button prompts based on the Xbox controller and immediately autodetect that the controller is plugged in. With DS4Windows, the DualShock 4 works just as well as the Xbox controllers, but it does require a bit more setup.
The Xbox One controller with a micro USB cable (there is no wireless option) is the most expensive of the first-party console controllers. If you're not especially concerned with the d-pad (and the 360's is workable, if not great), I'd recommend saving some money and going with a wireless Xbox 360 controller.
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The ‘Elite’ nomenclature is typically marketing nonsense, but in this one instance, I think it applies. For those who like their PCs state of the art, clean, and beautiful; for those with Swedish headphones made of volcanic glass; for those who make their PB&J from scratch, theis for you.
It’s a sturdy, configurable, and gorgeous controller for enthusiasts of fancy. The shell and button layout don’t feel distinct from the vanilla Xbox One controllers, though it feels heavier than most pads I’ve used. I like a bit of weight in my controllers and mice, but it might not feel good on tiny wrists after a long play session. The face buttons are large and still mushy, the bumpers and triggers have a responsive click and pull—they just feel identical to using an Xbox One controller.
Four metallic back paddles are easy to swap out via some light magnets. They’re easy to reach, and each pushes with a light, distinct click. The stick thumb pads snap in and out via magnets as well, offering a few sizes and convex or concave options. It’s convenient variability for different finger sizes and play preferences. The paddles are especially useful in games where taking your fingers off the right stick to hit a face button can slow down reaction time. In Dark Souls 2, I mapped the roll button to a paddle. In a few minutes, it didn’t just feel natural—it felt better.
There are two D-pad configurations, one in the traditional four-point design, and another omnidirectional disc that might find good use in fighting games. The four-point pad feels pretty similar to the vanilla Xbox One controller, but the ease of variability between the two designs is hugely beneficial for games (or players) that rely on the D-pad in different ways. They pull out with a light magnetic snap and never fell out incidentally during play.
A subtle rubber texture is layered on the back of the grips to prevent sweat slippage while the face is a smooth, sexy black rubber matte texture. Even though it feels nice, it’s not entirely necessary, which seems to define the Elite controller. It’s made for people who can afford a nicer version of the Xbox One controller with easy customization options.
The addition of some slick software that allows for tweaking of trigger min/max values, stick sensitivities, button assignments, and profile designations makes it even more attractive for PC experimentation. It has a sturdy build, and could probably withstand drop after drop, maybe an angry throw or two (but don’t do that). Everything about thefeels precise and considered, so even though its familiar design isn’t stepping outside of what’s tried and true, the configurable, sleek design makes it an easy recommendation for those who can afford it.
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Valve’s first attempt at making the living room a viable PC gaming space doesn’t feel complete yet. Sure, thecan control games, but it still feels like an awkward midpoint between gamepad and keyboard-mouse control.
The grips are huge, part of an intentional convex design meant to arch your thumbs over the touchpads comfortably. Problem is, they’re too bulbous and jut out a bit too hard into the heel of each hand. My fingers tense up after a few minutes of play, which leads to a few too many accidental back paddle presses and thumb cramps.
The circular track pads work pretty well as a mouse replacement, especially with a bit of practice. In an FPS, if the gyroscopic sensor is enabled, using the pad to look around and the acceleration to tweak cursor precision feels like a viable way to play twitch games, just maybe not competitively. For RTS games, it’s possible to assign certain macros to buttons, while using the trackpads as mice and camera substitutes, but it would take no short amount of time to acclimate to a very particular control scheme just for the sake of sitting on a couch.
Beyond the novelty of living room play, the face buttons feel too small and indistinct for big thumbs, and the bumpers and triggers don’t always have the responsive surety required for some games. In Super Hexagon, the paddles and triggers wouldn’t respond once out of every fifty or so presses because the buttons were too slow to recoil.
It’s not possible to outright recommend the Steam Controller, even though with enough tinkering and patience, it’s a completely viable way to control a ton of PC games from the couch. Give Valve a few years to iterate, and maybe they’ll nail down the design and give a bit more incentive to make the leap to the living room.
So why is it listed here, instead of at the bottom with the rest of the controllers we tested? Because the Steam Controller does ultimately occupy a unique space: it's the only gamepad specifically built to let you play games that don't support controllers out of the box. For games that do support controllers, we prefer the DualShock and Xbox pads. But if you insist on playing PC games away from your mouse and keyboard and want to replicate their functionality as closely as possible, the Steam Controller is the best game in town.
Adjusting to the Steam Controllerdoes mean a steep learning curve, but it's a cheaper gamble than the Xbox Elite or Razer Wildcat. And even if it’s not your favorite controller, maybe it’ll be your favorite midi player.
Read MoreHow we test controllers and others we testedIgnore those who seem to think every game is best with a mouse and keyboard. Grid Autosport is not best played with a keyboard. Super Meat Boy is not best played with a keyboard. Ultra Street Fighter IV is ridiculous with a keyboard. True, we play most games with a mouse and keyboard, but for PC gamers with ranging tastes, a good controller is a must.
Microsoft and Sony’s own console pads, the Xbox One controllerand the DualShock 4, set the standards by being the default, first-party options for the two most popular consoles, while third-party controllers tend to mimic them. In this case, the standard is the best: I haven't found a controller better than the DualShock 4 for PC gaming, though the wireless Xbox 360 controller is very close.
It's a slightly surprising conclusion when the Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers are the industry's accepted Windows controllers, and even contradicts a previous article I wrotein which I recommended the Xbox One controller over the DualShock 4. In that article I explain that I prefer the shape and layout of Microsoft's controllers, but after further testing I've decided that when I put aside my personal preference for offset analog sticks, the DS4 stands out. The older Xbox 360 controller is still great, but the DS4 is slightly better in a few areas, and the Xbox One controller can't currently be used wirelessly on PC, which is a major flaw.
Testing controllersMy hands are an average size for a man: 7.5 in long (from the base of the palm to the tip of my middle finger) and 3.5 inches wide across the palm. Obviously, I can’t test controllers with your hands, but I have asked around to ensure that others find the same controllers comfortable. Most notably, both women and men have told me that the DualShock 4 feels comfortable to them.
What I can test is the quality of the materials and construction, how the buttons feel and if their placement makes sense with my average man hands, the feel of their d-pads and analog sticks, and their software. I tested the three most commonly used console controllers—Xbox 360, Xbox One, and DualShock 4—as well as two Logitech controllers, a Mad Catz controller, and a Razer controller.
Though I've done some testing with first-person shooters, I've largely ignored the genre. While it may be important for console gamers, we're almost always going to use WASD for any kind of shooter. That in mind, the games I primarily used for testing are the ones I mentioned above:
Super Meat Boy : A game which requires excellent d-pad control and responsive face buttons.
Ultra Street Fighter IV : I've put a lot of hours into SFIV with both controllers and fight sticks, so I know how it ought to feel. If I can't crush an AI opponent as Cammy, something isn't right.
Grid Autosport : I chose Grid primarily to test the analog sticks, which according to my preferences need three qualities: springy enough to quickly snap back to center, sensitive and resistant enough to make slight steering adjustments, and comfortably contoured so my thumbs aren't bloody stumps at the end of a few hours.
Wrapping up: competitors and future testingI tested several controllers before choosing the DualShock 4 as the best. None were quite as good in all aspects, though Logitech's wired controller is cheap enough to make it noteworthy.
Razer Wildcat:It’s hard to recommend the Razer Wildcat specifically for gaining an advantage in competitive eSports, even though that’s the marketing message behind it. The pad feels very similar to the Xbox One’s controller design in terms of size and shape, and with optional adhesive grips, holding the controller for long periods of time is made a bit more comfortable. I can’t speak much to the build, as it looks and feels like a similar plastic to most standard controllers, which may make it more prone to damage from an accidental fall or angry throw than the denser Xbox Elite controller.
The triggers have an easy pull, which can be shortened via two sliders on the back of the controller. Every other button presses with a satisfying and super responsive click, exactly like using a mouse. A caveat: the negligible amount of pressure required for a press means accidental button bumps aren’t out of the question.
D-pad design does away with omnidirectional inputs and sticks to four buttons. That means fighting game inputs might be hit or miss, but at least the cardinal directions are harder to fudge. The addition of two inner bumper buttons and two rear-positioned trigger buttons mean you can spend more time with your thumbs on the sticks, but for smaller hands, they might be a bit awkward to reach.
The optional adhesive grip is awkward to attach, similar to putting on a decal without air bubbles or wrinkles around the edge. It feels cheap and the harsh green is a bit garish, but probably won’t bother most. It gives the controller a mushier, comfy grip, which could do wonders for those who tense up while playing games. While it feels nice, I preferred the simpler black look before throwing it on. Fashion or function? A difficult choice.
It’s not an impulse buy, but the Wildcat definitely carries the features and build to warrant a higher price point— especially when the Xbox Elite costs the same. The Wildcat has a few of the same customization options and extra buttons, but the implementation isn’t as elegant. The optional back triggers need to be unscrewed and detached with tiny switches as opposed to the Elite’s simple magnetic swap design. It’s a time consuming process, and actively discouraged me from experimenting with different controller layouts as I played. As a result, the Wildcat settled into feeling more like an expensive, slightly customizable take on Xbox controller design.
The Elite, for the same price, felt like a luxurious, highly customizable take on Xbox controller design that consistently encouraged me to play around with its bits and pieces. Its software customization took things a step further, and the Wildcat can only save trigger/bumper button mappings to a pair of profiles.
Logitech F310 Gamepad:This controller is my favorite if you're on a tight budget—say, if you want two controllers for the price of one. At half the cost of a DualShock 4, you lose the wireless capability but still get a solidly-constructed gamepad, and it worked as soon as I plugged it in. The thing is light, but feels like a tank, so I have no fear of abusing it.
That said, the d-pad is nowhere near the quality of the DS4's—it feels loose and I had trouble accurately maneuvering in Super Meat Boy. The triggers and bumpers are housed on outcroppings that the knuckles of my middle fingers rub against uncomfortably, and the analog sticks, while pleasantly springy, have a convex shape that isn't great for sweaty hands. I also found that the triggers offer too much resistance. In Grid Autosport, my finger got tired from holding down for the gas, which I didn't experience with the DS4, Xbox 360, or Xbox One controllers.
Logitech F710 Wireless Gamepad:I just can't recommend the Logitech F710 over the wireless Xbox 360 controller, which is only slightly more expensive. Aside from the batteries making it heavier, it's almost identical to the F310. It's not as comfortable as the Xbox 360 controller, and the triggers are small, shallow, and again, have too much resistance.
I absolutely love the look and design of Mad Catz's controller, which is like an Xbox One controller but with bigger analog sticks, a bigger d-pad, and better bumpers. I don't recommend this version, though, because it's immediately clear that it's targeted at Android devices. None of my testing games recognized it properly. Super Meat Boy got halfway there, accepting input from a few buttons, but I ended up having to use Mad Catz's slow-loading, minimal software to map buttons to keyboard commands. That's not what I want from a PC controller.
However, there is the Mad Catz Pro Controller for Xbox 360. It's not the one marketed for PC gaming, though as an Xbox 360 controller, it should work fine on PC—actually, it should work a lot better than the C.T.R.L.R. controller. It's expensive, but with that you get something unique: the analog stick and d-pad can be swapped. That's great, but unfortunately I wasn't able to test it this time around. Once I have one in, I'll put it through its paces.
Razer Sabertooth:This is a popular, well-reviewed third-party Xbox 360 controller, but I haven't found much to like about it. One of its big draws are two extra bumpers, which mean you can do most of the things you need to in a shooter without lifting your thumbs off the analog sticks. But that's why we have keyboards, and when you ignore the extra buttons and novel LED screen, it's a more angular Xbox 360 controller with clicker triggers (which are a little better), awkward bumpers, and individual d-pad buttons that feel designed for supplementary actions more than precise platforming control. The face buttons are my biggest issue: they barely depress and do so with a weak, pitchy click that makes me cringe the way finger nails on a chalk board do.
Future testingThere are tons of controllers out there to try, including the Mad Catz Pro I mentioned, but for now I'm very confident in recommending the DualShock 4. Sony is far from new to this game, and its years of R&D show. Meanwhile, tinkerers have made reliable tools to get it working on the PC with loads of customization options.
The Xbox 360 controller is still a great choice (and the offset analog sticks are my preferred design), as is the Xbox One controller, though I mark it down heavily for having no wireless PC support. Logitech's cheap wired controller is sturdy and comfortable enough for the price, but that's the best it can muster—it's just not as well-designed as Sony and Microsoft's controllers.
A note on affiliates: some of our stories, like this one, include affiliate links to stores like Amazon. These online stores share a small amount of revenue with us if you buy something through one of these links, which helps support our work evaluating PC components.
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Divekick, Deadly Premonition Greenlit on Steam
Steam gave its official seal of approval to Divekick , Deadly Premonition: Director's Cut , and eight other plucky titles. The titles were voted into the top of Steam's Greenlight service and will arrive on the digital distribution service in the weeks and months ahead. Divekick is a reductive take on fighting games: players Dive into the air, then Kick diagonally downward, trying to land a hit above
Defy Gravity, Touch the Sky in Piloteer
Piloteer , a new game from Fixpoint Productions , attempts to simulate the probable difficulty that one might have when trying to use a jetpack in real life.
, attempts to simulate the probable difficulty that one might have when trying to use a jetpack in real life. The main character is an inventor who is persuaded that jetpacks would be the ideal mode of transportation for most anyone; unfortunately, public sentiment does not share that opinion, and so the inventor sets out to change people’s minds.
The game takes place in a sketch-style world heavily inspired by the skyline of Chicago, which is the developer’s home base. Whitaker Trebella, the primary creator of Piloteer , was enraptured on a visit to the Chicago lakeshore, where he marveled at “the beautiful strong contrast between the nature around him and the buildings towering over him.” He sought to recreate the feelings in the world of Piloteer , “making the player feel as if they were opening a secret box and entering a fantastical environment.”
The game has deceptively simple controls, but may be more difficult than it appears. Integral to the adventure are both ragdoll physics and trick-based games, which are utilized in the sixty increasingly-challenging missions spread out over three distinct areas. The player must learn to fly with the jetpack, mastering balance, navigation, aerial stunts, and the ability to land gracefully. Failures will occur frequently as the player slowly gains aptitude. Progress is measured through rank, beginning at “Cadet” and going all the way up to full-fledged “Piloteer,” and completing the assorted missions will earn the player medals that are used to unlock new missions and areas. The missions themselves focus on things like collecting items, performing stunts, completing tasks in a time limit, and executing proper landings.
Piloteer launches today in the App Storefor all iOS devices, and is priced at $2.99 USD. The developers have plans to release it in the future for Android devices, as well as for PC gamers on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Learn more about what this developer of “truly artful products” has in store for indie gamers by looking them up on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
For PC gamers, the most important component is the graphics card we choose to jam into our machines.
But without a quality screen to go with it, we're not going to be getting the best out of that GPU. So what makes a "gaming" monitor worth the money? What makes it better than the average LCD? We tested more than a dozen monitors to find the best, with the right balance of resolution, refresh rate, color quality and viewing angles. One of the great things about displays is that, unlike graphics cards where their life span is usually a few years, a good display can keep you going for the better part of a decade.
One of the great things about displays is that, unlike graphics cards where their life span is usually a few years, a good display can keep you going for the better part of a decade. With such a long lifespan, it pays to get something you’ll be happy with for years to come. We put together a list of the technologies and features we want in a good gaming display, with choices for a variety of price points. We cover our testing criteria and 'what to look for' below.
We've updated some of our choices based on newer releases. Prices have also dropped a bit, though the best overall displays are still a long-term investment rather than an impulse buy.
The Acer XB270HU bprzis the best gaming monitor you can buy right now. For years, gamers have been forced to make a choice between picture quality and refresh rate. Cheaper, faster TN panels delivered fast refresh speeds up to 144Hz, while IPS screens offered more vibrant colors and dramatically better viewing angles, but at much slower refresh rates. Finally, with the XB270HU, that’s a problem of the past: Acer is the first company to pair an IPS screen with a 144Hz refresh rate.
They're also not the last, and in fact there are three displays that all offer the same core features and panel. Acer has their XB270HU bprz along with a new XB271HUthat has a reworked stand and an option to overclock the display to 165Hz. Asus has their similar ROG PG279Qas well, with refresh rates of 165Hz. Both displays also include an HDMI port, which might be worth the added cost if you want to connect two devices, though refresh rates are limited to 60Hz over HDMI. Unfortunately, Acer also offers the XB270HU Abprz, which uses a TN panel and knocks $100 off the price, but that's not the display we're after.
The XB270HU bprz is dangerously close to being the perfect gaming display thanks to the sheer amount of tech it has shoved into its slimline chassis. It offers a 144Hz refresh with low input lag, Nvidia G-Sync support for variable refresh, and a beautiful, vibrant IPS screen.
Specs
Panel size: 27-inch Native resolution: 2560 x 1440 Panel technology: IPS Refresh rate: 144Hz Pixel response: 1ms Inputs: 1x DisplayPort G-Sync: Yes
One note: if you're an Nvidia user, this is a great monitor for you. If you're an AMD user, however, you won't benefit from the G-Sync functionality and should consider a FreeSync monitor instead. Our pick for that is below.
The XB270HU is a 27-inch monitor with a 2560x1440 resolution, which we currently consider the sweet spot for high-end gaming. It offers substantially more pixels than 1080p without being as demanding as a 4K panel, meaning games look sharp at 27 inches but won’t bring a good GPU to its knees. Plus, you can still get higher than 60Hz refresh rates, which isn't possible on the current crop of 4K dispalys.
The best argument for the XB270HU’s dominance as a gaming monitor comes from TFTCentral’s exhaustive review. The review dives into the panel’s refresh rate, color balance, and every one of its features. Here’s the conclusion: “When you combine the high 2560x1440 resolution, fast response times, freedom from overshoot, 144Hz refresh rate support, ULMB blur reduction mode, G-sync support, and very low lag you have one hell of a gaming monitor.”
Screen sync
Nvidia's G-Sync is the first to synchronize GPU and monitor. It's a way to avoid screen tearing without the stutter or slowdown of V-Sync. The G-Sync hardware added to compatible screens allows the GPU to synchronize with the screen so that it will only deliver full frames when the screen is ready to display them. Because it's a proprietary tech and requires additional hardware installed in the monitor, there is a price premium attached.
There are a few minor drawbacks—the panel could use better presets and doesn’t quite have the build quality or style of the Asus ROG Swift. It also only has a DisplayPort input, which is the case for all monitors that use Nvidia’s G-Sync module. That’s fine for PC use, but if you want an all-around monitor for plugging in consoles, too, it’s not the best option.
The price is painful, however, at $700/£580. That's still a bit less than the slightly improved Acer XB271HUand the Asus ROG PG279Q, both of which feature better stands and support overclocking the refresh rate to 165Hz. While good displays and perhaps better in some ways than the older XB270HU, the added costs doesn't really get you a substantially better display. Truth is, depending on price, you could choose any of these three and be happy, and if prices change we may switch our primary choice to one of these others.
We consider a monitor an investment. Don’t buy something cheap you’ll want to replace in two years. Buy a great monitor that will still be going strong half a decade from now. There are 144Hz IPS monitor that's similar to Acer’s offering, only with FreeSync instead of G-Sync, but the Acer XB270HU bprzis the best choice and worth every dollar.
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Right now there's really no competition for the Asus MG279Q: this is absolutely the best monitor for AMD users who want a FreeSync display. It's a 1440p IPS screen that can refresh up to 144Hz, like our favorite monitor above. But because it uses the open FreeSync technology instead of G-Sync, it doesn't cost as much (though price differences have narrowed of late).
Thanks to that IPS screen, colors look great even from off-angles. The base is sturdy (and allows for lots of tilting, pivoting, and height adjustments) and the bezel is fairly thin, which is nice for a 27-inch monitor that’s already taking up a good deal of space. Like most other gaming displays, it also has a light anti-gloss coating, which I like; some older IPS displays went too heavy on the coating and affected image quality, but the MG279Q doesn’t have that problem.
Specs
Panel size: 27-inch Native resolution: 2560x1440 Panel technology: IPS Refresh rate: 144Hz Pixel response: 6.5ms Inputs: 2x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort, 1x Mini DP FreeSync: Yes
In TFTCentral's review of the MG279Q, they found the monitor neck-and-neck with the Acer XB270HU (our favorite monitor) in terms of performance, although the Asus is missing the blur reduction feature available on the Acer monitor. Here's a quote from their MG279Q review:
“Input lag is very comparable at the maximum 144Hz refresh rate (very low lag), but because of the scaler present in the MG279Q there is more lag at the lower refresh rates. The Acer has a wider dynamic refresh rate range between 40 and 144Hz, whereas the Asus is more limited at 35-90Hz. To be fair, it probably doesn't make much difference to normal users as that range is more than adequate, and in fact the slightly lower minimum range might be useful to a lot of people as opposed to the higher upper limit.”
The dynamic refresh ranges they mentioned are pretty standard for G-Sync and FreeSync monitors, but the most important thing to note is that performance is nearly identical, which is great for a cheaper screen. Still, it is a bit of a drawback that the MG279Q doesn't support the adaptive refresh rate all the way up to 144Hz. You have to choose between 144Hz and a lower (but still good) 90Hz cap if you want a dynamic refresh rates.
The contrast ratio is also great, and the ability to support multiple inputs makes this screen better for people who might want to connect a second system, like a gaming console. This is thanks to the presence of the internal scaler, one of the main differences you'll find between G-Sync and FreeSync offerings. With no other IPS FreeSync displays that can match the MG279Qon specs, this is a great monitor and an easy choice for anyone with an AMD graphics card.
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Sometimes you're forced to make compromises, like not being able to run at high resolutions or maxed out image quality on older graphics cards. For displays, one of the biggest compromises is often giving up features in order to save money. You don't have to lose out on everything in pursuit of lower prices, however, as the AOC G2460PFstill supports up to 144Hz refresh rates and FreeSync, all on a 24-inch 1080p TN display.
Finding a great budget gaming display is difficult, and the AOC G2460PF may prove more than a little controversial. It's not the nicest looking display, and the TN panel gives washed out colors compared to the IPS panels we've selected elsewhere, but the inclusion of 144Hz refresh rates makes this a better choice for gaming than most 60Hz 1080p displays.
Specs
Panel size: 24-inch Native resolution: 1920x1080 Panel technology: TN Refresh rate: 144Hz Pixel response: 1ms Inputs: DP, DVI, HDMI FreeSync: Yes
AMD's FreeSync has been billed as a less expensive alternative to G-Sync, and with prices on G-Sync starting at over $350, clearly AMD and their partners are succeeding on the pricing front. The AOC G2460PF is nearly half the price of the least expensive G-Sync display, and AOC's own G2460PG runs $380. So what's the catch?
Many have reported issues with FreeSync on this particular display, which is a definite concern, though versions with the latest firmware appear to be doing better. Even if FreeSync doesn't work quite properly on the display, however, you can still use the display as a fixed 144Hz refresh rate panel—yes, with Nvidia as well as AMD graphics cards. And that's exactly what we'd recommend doing if FreeSync gives you any problems.
If you want to save even more money, the 23-inch Viewsonic VX2370Smhincludes an IPS panel and is only ~$130 online, though it's not without drawbacks and is harder to find in the UK. It's still an IPS bargain, and there’s none of the washed out colors you get with a cheap 1080p TN panel.
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For the same price as the Asus Swift you can pick up the very first 4K monitor with G-Sync built in, the Acer XB280HK. Your excitement levels about such a thing are going to be entirely bound up in just how powerful a graphics array you have in your PC, and whether it’s an Nvidia-based setup. The good news is prices have come way down from the original $800 MSRP, to a current $650/£588.
One of the biggest issues with gaming on 4K monitors is that you need a colossal amount of rendering power to game at decent frame rates at such a high resolution. Even the new GeForce GTX 1080doesn't hit 60+ fps in all games at 4K, though two GTX 1080 cards should get you there.
Specs
Panel size: 28-inch Native resolution: 3840 x 2160 Panel technology: TN Refresh rate: 60Hz Pixel response: 1ms Inputs : 1x DisplayPort G-Sync: Yes
A good 1440p screen will generally offer around twice the frame rate of a 4K monitor because of the demands it puts on your graphics card (assuming you're playing at native resolution). So, is a G-Sync 4K monitor worth the money or the effort?
Most affordable 4K monitors are currently rocking TN panel tech, which allows for a 1ms pixel response. That means they’re actually pretty good receptacles for having a bit of G-Sync hardware tucked inside. However, you can pick up IPS 4K displays without G-Sync (like the Acer S277HK) for only $450/£316, making the XB280HK a $200/£140 price premium.
Thankfully, the latest TN panels used in 4K monitors are far better than most of the older TN panels we've tested. The better quality of the latest panels is shown most noticeably in the viewing angles of the Acer XB280HK. The vertical angles still aren’t on the same level as a good IPS or VA display, especially when you’re looking up at the screen, but the horizontal angles are almost indistinguishable from an 8-bit IPS monitor.
You’ll also see the difference in the white saturation levels too; this Acer screen gets almost perfect image quality in that regard, but black levels are worse than the whites. There is one other problem with 4K: size, and how it affects pixel density.
At 28 inches, the Acer XB280HKis almost too small to be a 4K display; you’ll still end up having to scale the OS to get comfortably readable text and icons at the screen’s native resolution. And Windows scaling is still not perfect. Things have improved with Windows 8 and Windows 10, but there are still problems and a whole host of third-party applications will struggle to cope or work with a scaled display.
Until our graphics hardware gets to the point where you can run a 4K display from a modestly-priced single GPU, I'd recommend sticking with a lower resolution screen like the XB270HU or MG279Q we mention above. That way you get great gaming frame rates and are better able to take advantage of the benefits of the 144Hz and G-Sync/Freesync technology.
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If the price of your display isn't a critical factor, or if you simply want the best monitor you can buy, the Asus ROG PG348Q belongs at the top of the list. It's an absolutely stunning display, with an ultrawide 3440x1440 curved IPS panel. Still not content to end there, the display also features G-Sync technology with up to 100Hz variable refresh rates. If you're looking for something to really turn heads, this is the best widescreen gaming monitor. And boy, is it wide.
The 34-inch span across its diagonal is measured with a 21:9 aspect ratio (even though it's technically 21.5:9). It's the same height as the XB270HU but almost a third again as wide. The native resolution is a nice compromise as well, since it's not as demanding as 4K. More importantly, it's a dramatic change to your gaming experience—in a good way.
Specs
Panel size: 34-inch Native resolution: 3440 x 1440 Panel technology: IPS Refresh rate: 100Hz Pixel response: 5ms Inputs: 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 1x HDMI G-Sync: Yes
Sat at your desk, the 34-inch panel will almost entirely fill your field of view. That makes a big difference in-game, adding another level of immersion that the standard 16:9 aspect ratio cannot manage. What's more, the PG348Q has an absolutely beautiful IPS panel. It’s a stunning screen, with glorious color reproduction and contrast levels, and the 1440 pixel height makes it just as effective on the Windows desktop as it is playing games.
This is something of the kitchen sink approach to displays, giving just about every feature you could possible want...unless you're using an AMD graphics card. If that's what you're after, take a look at the similarly equipped Acer XR341CK, a less expensive curved display with FreeSync support (though it's only guaranteed to support a 75Hz refresh rate; more than that requires overclocking of the display signal and may not always work). As another alternative, the Acer X34is a G-Sync display that's virtually identical to the PG348Q, other than the stand and a few minor differences; if you prefer Acer to Asus, you can safely go that route.
There is another minor drawback for ultrawide dispalys: some games don't provide native 21:9 support. This can lead to images being stretched or unsightly black bars being placed around your screen. Thankfully, the PC gaming community has come to the rescue as always with the excellent Flawless Widescreenapplication. It's a piece of third-party software that is continually being updated with to support games that don't have native 21:9.
The PG348Q is also an incredibly high-priced display, currently going for $1300/£1000). That’s a bitter pill to swallow, but the good news is the beauty of this screen will wash away the nasty taste that leaves in your mouth the instant you boot up your favorite games in its full 21:9 glory. And unlike your graphics, which will likely be replaced in two or three years, this display should keep you happy until 2025 (barring hardware failure).
Read MoreHow we test gaming monitors and others we testedThe search for the best gaming monitor is a tough challenge. There's no perfect screen, and there's a whole lot of exciting new technology being squeezed into current monitors, so finding a panel that combines everything is an impossible mission. A mission so impossible (because 70’s TV shows have taught us there are gradations of impossibility), we might need to get Leonard Nimoy and Tom Cruise on the case.
You might be reading this on a slow, dull, washed-out TN panel. Our eyeballs are lazy, and they quickly become used to whatever panel they're looking at. Why upgrade? Because a good gaming monitor will improve your gaming experience just as much as a new graphics card. And it will last longer.
Seeing Doomor Rise of the Tomb Raiderrunning on a high-res, 144Hz G-Sync or FreeSync IPS display will make you question why it's taken you so long to make the change. A great panel will likely outlast your entire PC. Possibly twice over. I've got a decade-old 2560x1600 HP LP3065 30-inch panel that's still going strong, and in some ways I prefer it to the modern 28-inch 4K and QHD displays.
panel technology
There are three main types of panel technology: twisted nematic (TN), vertical alignment (VA), and in-plane switching (IPS).
The Asus RoG Swift PG278Q has a 1ms pixel response, 144Hz refresh rate and instant-on capabilities. It’s the fastest gaming screen in existence. The 2560x1440 panel uses Nvidia’s G-Sync technology to smoothly sync the panel's refresh rate to the graphics card's. Paired with a GeForce GPU, this is the best gaming monitor around.
But the AOC U3477Pqu has a stunning IPS panel and an utterly immersive and vision-filling 21:9 aspect ratio. With a native resolution of 3440x1440, it’s crisper and more vibrant than the Swift’s weaker panel, and when you’ve got proper widescreen content it’s more dramatic than anything else. There are still some issues with ultrawide screens, however, like the need to fiddle with custom resolutions in some games.
What to look forThere are three key items of interest for any gaming monitor. First is the native resolution, but while it's tempting to simply assume that higher resolutions are better, that's not always the case, particularly outside of gaming use. 4K displays for example require seriously powerful graphics cards to run games at higher quality settings at their native resolution, and when you're at the Windows desktop, sometimes the resolution ends up looking a bit too fine. That means you'll need to use DPI scaling, which still isn't a perfect science. And sometimes it's better to step down a notch on resolution in order to get other features.
One item that you have to experience to fully appreciate is high refresh rates. 60Hz was the standard for LCDs for so long that many became blind to its drawbacks, but before the LCD switch, gamers often sought after better refresh rates. I remember owning a 21-inch 1600x1200 CRT back in the mid-90s that had an 85Hz refresh rate, and when I finally upgraded to a 1920x1200 60Hz LCD, the drop in refresh rate was immediately noticeable.
Now we have 144Hz and higher LCDs, though, and even without G-Sync or FreeSync, such displays are preferable to 60Hz panels. Even running at a static refresh rate of 144Hz, for gaming purposes the lower latency and faster updates (screen updates every 6.9ms instead of every 16.7ms) covers a multitude of sins. Gamers all know about disabling V-Sync to reduce latency, but that can cause noticeable image tearing. Here's the thing: tearing with a 144Hz refresh rate is far more difficult to detect, and the pixel response times often make it a non-issue with a 144Hz display.
That brings us back to resolutions, though. 4K generally means giving up high refresh rates...or at least, it does until the next generation displays arrive with DisplayPort 1.3 support. The best current 4K displays are going to be G-Sync or FreeSync, but we should see true 120Hz 4K panels with DP1.3 late this year or early 2017. Just don't be surprised if the price premium is massive.
The final item is the panel technology. TN panels traditionally have the fastest response times, but colors and viewing angles are the worst. IPS is at the other end of the spectrum, with great viewing angles and colors, but they cost more and response times may be slightly lower. In between those two is VA, which offers great contrast and colors, but again slower response times. We're working to do additional validation and testing of gaming displays to really see how fast they are. OLED is another panel type that we'd love to see in more gaming displays, but it can be prohibitively expensive. Dell's UP3017Q is a 4K 120Hz 30-inch OLED that should be out this year, which ticks all the right boxes. It's a real beauty, judging by CES 2016, but it will sell for $5000. We can dream, right?
Testing gaming monitorsThere are two main ways to test out our screens to determine the best gaming monitor. The first is by playing games on it, obviously. Subjectively testing the gaming performance of each panel isn’t necessarily going to give you the lowdown on the specifics of a particular screen, but it will let you test the functioning aspect ratio, native resolution, and any particular gamer-centric technologies they’re sporting.
Side-by-side comparative testing in this manner is also incredibly valuable for keying into the sometimes subtle differences between each panel. When you use a screen in isolation it’s easy to become blind to its comparative faults as you simply get used to them. Testing screens back-to-back allows us to discover and highlight specific issues between them.
Objective testing can be great, but it's also far more difficult. To do it properly, you need hardware for testing the true latency, color accuracy, and other metrics. Most gamers don't have access to any of this, but you can do a semblance of objective testing using the LCD calibration pages here. This site offers several test screens you can bring up on any web connected panel to make some qualitative assessments. The days of actual retail space for such things are dwindling, but if you can get a look at a screen before purchasing it, plugging a notebook or such into it and checking out the Lagom pages is very handy.
Future testingWe tested a huge range of monitors to get a bead on the best panels to recommend, so we can be confident in our choice of the best gaming monitor. We think a gaming monitor is a serious investment, and it's worth spending money now on a great display rather than 'getting by' with a lesser option. A good display will make your gaming experience better and still be great years from now.
Obviously this isn’t a complete list of every single monitor available—not by a long shot—but we’ve covered a wide variety of different panel technologies, sizes, aspect ratios and manufacturers. Right now the Acer XB270HU bprz/XB271HU and Asus PG279Q/MG279Q represent our top choices, depending on your graphics card, with the Asus PG348Q and Acer XR341CK right behind with their mega-wide aspect ratios. But we’re still waiting on the perfect panel.
For my money that would be a 21:9, 40-inch IPS panel, running at 144Hz with either G-Sync or FreeSync capabilities—a guy can dream, right? I like the idea of a larger (taller) display, because I used a 30-inch 2560x1600 display for years and moving to a 28-inch 4K panel actually felt a bit like a step back. And if money is no object, and I mean really no object—keep an eye out for the upcoming Dell UP3017Q, a 4K OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and DisplayPort 1.3 support. It should be out within the next few months, but try not to choke when you see the $5000 MSRP. But hey, we remember when 50-inch 720p plasma displays set you back $20,000.
The monitor landscape is moving pretty fast, and new panels will soon arrive and we’ll make sure we take a look at the very best on offer. If there are some we simply must check out, let us know in the comments. We'll be updating this guide as we game on new screens.
A note on affiliates: some of our stories, like this one, include affiliate links to stores like Amazon. These online stores share a small amount of revenue with us if you buy something through one of these links, which helps support our work evaluating PC components.
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