Tag:

Deck

ROG Xbox Ally: Release Date, Specs, Price and How It Compares to Steam Deck

by admin August 21, 2025

The Steam Deck has yet to find a real competitor in the PC handheld gaming device battle. Other hardware companies, including Asus, Lenovo and MSI, have tried, but so far, their devices keep falling short. Asus plans to try to take another swipe at the crown, though, this time with the help of Microsoft.

In June, the two revealed their partnership for a new handheld device: the ROG Xbox Ally. This handheld will come in two variants and will attempt to bring the Xbox console experience to a portable device. Microsoft confirmed the release date for the Xbox Ally of Oct. 16 on Wednesday, but there are still some questions about the handheld.

Will the Xbox Ally outdo the Steam Deck, or will it wind up being just another wannabe?

Will you go with the Xbox Ally or Xbox Ally X?

Microsoft/Screenshot by CNET

How much will the Xbox Ally cost?

Neither Microsoft nor Asus has confirmed an official price yet. One thing for sure is that the Xbox Ally won’t be cheap.

Multiple leaks suggest the price will be 599 euros for the Xbox Ally and 899 euros for a higher-end version, the Xbox Ally X. That does leave the question of what the price will be in the US. Most likely, the price will be the same just in dollars, as that is the typical practice for gaming hardware prices.

Discount social media poster Wario64 tweeted Best Buy listings for the Xbox Ally, Xbox Ally X, charger dock, and case on Wednesday. There’s no pricing on the site for the devices, just a button to be notified when preorders become available. However, Wario64 states the pricing on the back end shows the Xbox Ally at $550 and the Xbox Ally X at $900, while the charging dock is listed on the site $100 and case for $70. The dock and case prices are on Best Buy and are accurate. It’s unclear if Microsoft changed plans at the last minute.

Best Buy has listed ROG Xbox Ally listings (no preorders yet)
Ally ($549.99) https://t.co/nmHw6Nxov3
Ally X ($899.99) https://t.co/Dts0GcUNFW
100W Charger Dock (HDMI 2.0, USB-A, USB-C) ($99.99) https://t.co/LkoKyunOE8
Case $69.99 https://t.co/jaTIBfWUXX
Confirming… pic.twitter.com/oalzcOON77

— Wario64 (@Wario64) August 20, 2025

Microsoft didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the post.

The uncertainty about the price of the Xbox Ally is likely due to tariffs. Microsoft recently increased the prices of its Xbox Series consoles and Asus has done the same with its laptops and its current ROG Ally lineup.

When does the Xbox Ally come out?

Microsoft did confirm the release date of the Xbox Ally on Oct. 16. This date was mentioned in previous leaks regarding the handheld device’s price.

When can I preorder the Xbox Ally?

Preorders are not available as of yet. In the blog post about the release date, Microsoft says preordering and pricing will be announced sometime in the future. Best Buy does have the listings for the Xbox Ally, Xbox Ally X, charging dock and case, and those interested can request to be notified when preorders become available.

What’s the difference between the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X?

There are two versions of the Xbox Ally: the lower-priced Xbox Ally and the higher-priced Xbox Ally X.

The key differences between the two are in their processors, storage and memory. The Xbox Ally will have the AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor, while the Xbox Ally X will use the faster AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme Processor. Memory will be different, with the lower-priced Xbox Ally having 16GB of LPDDR5X-6400 and the higher-cost handheld coming with 24GB LPDDR5X-8000. Both will come with SSD storage but the Xbox Ally will have 512GB and the Xbox Ally X will have 1TB. The Xbox Ally X will also come with a bigger battery but with a faster processor and more memory. It’s not clear if that difference in capacity translates to a longer battery life.

Specs for Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X

ROG Xbox AllyROG Xbox Ally X Operating System Windows 11 HomeWindows 11 HomeControls and grip Contoured grips inspired by Xbox Wireless Controllers deliver all-day comfort. ABXY buttons / D-pad / L & R Hall Effect analog triggers / L & R bumpers / Xbox button / View button / Menu button / Command Center button / Library button / 2x assignable back buttons / 2x full-size analog sticks / HD haptics / 6-axis IMUContoured grips inspired by Xbox Wireless Controllers deliver all-day comfort, complete with impulse triggers for enhanced control. ABXY buttons / D-pad / L & R impulse triggers / L & R bumpers / Xbox button / View button / Menu button / Command Center button / Library button / 2x assignable back buttons / 2x full-size analog sticks / HD haptics / 6-axis IMUProcessor AMD Ryzen Z2 A ProcessorAMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme ProcessorMemory 16GB LPDDR5X-640024GB LPDDR5X-8000Storage 512GB M.2 2280 SSD for easier upgrade1TB M.2 2280 SSD for easier upgradeDisplay 7-inch, 1080p, IPS, 500 nits, 16:9; 120Hz refresh rate, FreeSync Premium; Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection7-inch, 1080p, IPS, 500 nits, 16:9; 120Hz refresh rate, FreeSync Premium; Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-ReflectionI/O Ports 2x USB-C (2 x DP 2.1, PD 3.0), 1x microSD, 1x analog audio2x USB-C (1x USB4, 1x USB 3.2 both w/ DP 2.1, PD 3.0), 1x micro SD, 1x analog audioNetwork and Communication Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2), Bluetooth 5.4Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2), Bluetooth 5.4Dimensions 29.1×12.2×5.1 cm29.1×12.2×5.1 cmWeight 670g715gBattery 60Wh80WhIncluded ROG Xbox Ally 65W charger StandROG Xbox Ally X 65W charger Stand

What makes the Xbox Ally different from the Steam Deck?

The most notable difference between the Xbox Ally and the Steam Deck is the operating system. Like the ROG Ally, the Xbox Ally will also use Windows 11, while the Steam Deck uses Valve’s SteamOS.

Even though every PC game works with Windows, handheld gaming devices running Windows have had serious issues, as the OS implementation has been a bit buggy. Portable consoles like the ROG Ally, MSI Claw and Lenovo Legion Go simply don’t run well with full Windows because the OS is designed for laptops and desktops and not handheld devices. SteamOS, however, is designed to run almost every game on Steam without issues and regardless of device size.

The Xbox Ally changes that by giving it an Xbox interface. This would be similar to how the Xbox app on PCs works for running games. It would also be able to download Xbox games directly to it, remote play them off a console or stream them via Xbox Cloud.

Watch this: Xbox ROG Ally, the Xbox Handheld, Is Real and I Played It

04:05

Another big difference is the hardware. The Steam Deck came out in 2022 and it was the first mass-produced handheld gaming device for PC. At the time, Valve had to use custom AMD processors but since then, AMD has produced more processors for handheld devices, which are now much more powerful in just a few years. The Xbox Ally would also have faster RAM. Both the improvement in processors and RAM should significantly increase the number of games the Xbox Ally can run versus the Steam Deck, which is already struggling to run newer games at 30fps.

Externally, the Xbox Ally will come with the same size 7-inch display but it will have a higher refresh rate of 120Hz, a brighter screen at 500 nits and increased resolution at 1080p. There will also be some slight differences in the physical size of the Xbox Ally, which will be a little bigger and heavier. Another difference from the Steam Deck is that the Xbox Ally controls will be more similar to the Xbox controller.

Microsoft and Asus have a large hill to climb if they plan to have the Xbox Ally dethrone the Steam Deck. It will be especially tough if Valve decides to announce the Steam Deck 2 soon.

Source link

August 21, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

I thought Switch 2 would kill my Steam Deck, but it’s actually made me play it more

by admin June 26, 2025

In the days leading up to the Switch 2 launch I couldn’t help but feel sad for my Steam Deck. Once my pride and joy, a delight I’d take great pleasure in telling people about and even demonstrating, it had started to gather dust. I was about to enter the age of the Switch 2, and I didn’t think I needed two handhelds in my life. So certain I was of the Deck’s move down the pecking order, I even looked into how much I’d get for selling it. Goodbye my chunky boy, you served me well.

Steam Deck: Feb 2022 – June 2025.

June rolled around and I was, as predicted, Switch 2 enveloped. Mario Kart World every day, every evening, every weekend. Fast Fusion in-between, a bit of Welcome Tour, some Cyberpunk 2077. In my house the Switch 2 had quickly become the most-played console, with even my son choosing to play his mammoth Fortnite sessions on it instead of the Xbox (if you’ve not seen it on Switch 2, it’s a huge improvement over the game on OG Switch). My daughter, only four years old and not really able to play games yet, even felt the excitement, wanting to pose for a photo alongside the Switch 2 – not even the console, but the cardboard box it arrived in!

Wherever there’s a Switch 2 there’s Mario Kart World.Watch on YouTube

This kind of enamourment happens all the time, of course, but I really did get a wonderful sense of something new and exciting from the Switch 2, the kind you get when you just know you’re holding something supremely cool. Having something new that you like tends to make you want to do more with it. Something that happens to me all the time is how I might not touch a console for a while (let’s say, the PS5), but then a new game will arrive for it (Astro Bot was this game for me last year), and suddenly I’ve finished it and then find myself working through Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut and firing up whatever is on PS Plus.

With Switch 2 I experienced this but in a broader, playstyle sense. My time with the Switch 2 launch lineup had rewired my mind and I was back in handheld mode. In truth I’ve never been a huge fan of handhelds. Sure, I’ve loved and adored plenty of handheld games (Ridge Racer(s) on PSP is a standout, MotorStorm RC on Vita another gem), but I’d always opt for the console under the TV whenever I could and never felt comfortable playing ‘outside’. But Switch 2 fever has resulted in, sorry eBayers, a return of the Steam Deck.

Vampire Survivors. | Image credit: Poncle

Rather than sitting casually on the sofa with Switch 2 in hand, I started to reach for the Deck. 30 minutes of Vampire Survivors? Yes please. 20 minutes of end-game wandering in Tunic? Sure. Art of Rally before Escape to the Country and dreaming of an easier life? There’s time, the intro is generally just people repeatedly saying they want to move somewhere with more space for their dogs and somehow having a budget of £800k despite working in media. I’ve played on my Steam Deck more in the past week than I remember playing it at any moment since launch.

Tunic. | Image credit: Andrew Shouldice

I’m not going to look them all up so I’ll just assume most of these games are also on Switch and playable on Switch 2. That’s not really the point, unless you are keen for some game recommendations and only have a Switch 2 – so, OK, I did just check and all three of those games are supported on Switch 2, but aren’t necessarily any better on it compared to Switch. Great games, though. The point is that the Switch 2 has revitalised my interest in the Deck.

Thanks for that, Switch 2. I’m now back trawling through Steam sales to pick up bargains I’ll likely never play and tinkering with emulators, and still trying to fit in time with Mario Kart World. I have no idea how I’m going to cope once Donkey Kong Bananza arrives in a few weeks.

Source link

June 26, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

How To Play The FF6 Deck

by admin June 24, 2025

Few video game moments are as impactful as the second half of Final Fantasy VI. The heroes have lost, and the only one who remains is Celes, who spends the rest of the game on a quest through a destroyed world to bring her allies back together.

Blasphemous 2 Developer Interview

While Magic: the Gathering can’t replicate this exactly, the designers were clearly inspired by Terra’s journey while developing her Commander deck. So let’s go over how to use her deck to defeat Kefka (and your friends) once and for all.

Revival Trance deck basics

The commander for this FFVI themed deck is “Terra, Herald of Hope.” She is a Red-, White- and Black-cost card with a Power and Life of three each. Her two abilities are “Trance” which lets you send the top two cards from your deck to the graveyard (called milling) and in return, Terra gains “Flying”, making her much more difficult to block. Her other ability allows her to pay two mana cost whenever she deals damage to an opponent to bring a creature with Power of three or less from the Graveyard onto the Battlefield. Thanks to the ease with which she can gain Flying, she should be able to slowly bring back her decimated team.

Image: Wizards of the Coast / Square Enix

However, Terra was not the one who went searching for her friends in FF6, that was Celes, so of course she’s here too! “Celes, Rune Knight” allows you to discard any number of cards in your hand, and in return allows you to draw that many plus an additional card. This ability gives Terra ample fodder to scavenge the Graveyard to bring some powerful creatures onto the Battlefield which is even better given Celes’ secondary ability. Whenever a creature is brought from the Graveyard to the Battlefield, every creature you control gets a +1 counter to both Power and Life. Even better, this stacks so every turn not only do you increase the size of your army with Terra, but you then increase their strength with Celes.

Expedite the Revival process using these cards

Terra and Celes weren’t alone in their fight against Kefka, so there are plenty of other cards that can help restore the world from ruin. Here are a couple:

Image: Wizards of the Coast / Square Enix

Cyan: Vengeful Samurai is not an easy card to get out given his high cost of 7 Mana, but this can easily be brought down as this number is decreased by one for every creature in the Graveyard. Try to use Terra and other cards like “Gogo: Mysterious Mine, which can become a copy of Terra to quickly get his cost down by adding creatures to the graveyard. Alternatively, since he has a Power of three, he is a candidate for Terra’s Revival. Once he is on the field, he will be incredibly lethal given he gets +1 to Power and Life for every creature that leaves the Graveyard—which we already established, you will do a lot of.

“Rejoin the Fight” is another powerful tool to fill your side of the Battlefield. This card has you mill three cards, then forces all of your opponents (since this is the Commander format, there is usually more than one) to choose one creature from your Graveyard. Those creatures then come back to your side of the Battlefield.

While you’ll be bringing back plenty of cards from Graveyard with this deck, “Anger” is perhaps the only card that should stay there. “Anger” is a pretty weak card, but it has a cool ability that only triggers if it is in your Graveyard. As long as you have a Mountain (which you should), all creatures you control have Haste, letting you quickly put out damage from creatures played from your hand.

Image: Wizards of the Coast / Square Enix

Finally, if things start going really bad, just pull a Kefka and destroy the world using “Ruinous Ultimatum.” This card is incredibly high-cost but allows you to destroy all non-land permanents all your opponents control. Use it to help reset the board or pull even farther ahead.

These are just a couple helpful cards in this pre-constructed deck, but there are plenty of other interesting and fun options that help you move creatures from your hand or deck to the Graveyard and then to the Battlefield. Keep experimenting and try out all kinds of other cool combos and plays, and you will restore the world from Ruin in no time.

Source link

June 24, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

How To Play Cloud’s Deck

by admin June 19, 2025

Magic: The Gathering’s Final Fantasy collaboration is an exciting opportunity for fans of the video game franchise to jump into the classic trading card game for the first time. There are a wide range of new cards in this cool crossover, but one of the most exciting is the Pre-Constructed Commander Decks made for the fan favorite deck format. Of course, no FF merchandise could be made without including FFVII, so you can rest easy knowing Cloud and the rest of the party have a deck all to themselves. Whether you are new to Magic’s Commander or just new to the game altogether, this guide will explain how to Limit Break your friends at your next game night.

Why Do I Suck At FF7 Rebirth’s Piano Mini-Game?

Limit Break Deck basics

The commander for the FFVII Commander Deck is Cloud, EX-Soldier. He is a Legendary, Tri-Color Red, Green, and White card so his deck will naturally run those colors. He has three abilities:

“Haste” lets him attack on the same turn he is played.
He can equip one equipment you control when he is played.
When he attacks, you get to draw one card for every creature you have that is equipped.

As an added bonus, if Cloud’s Power is 7 or greater, he can create two Treasure tokens.

Image: Wizards of the Coast / Square Enix

While the spiky-haired, big sword-boy is the star of the show, his bff (gf??) is no slouch either. Tifa, Martial Artist runs the same three colors and has her own abilities:

“Martial Artist” gives Tifa +1 to both Power and Life for each opponent you attack this turn (MtG’s Commander format is usually played with more than 2 players).
If any of your creatures have 7 or higher Power, at the end of combat, they untap and are able to go into combat one more time. This basically gives you two rounds of combat every turn.

Get Cloud’s power up to 7

In case it wasn’t clear from the above cards description, your main goal for this deck is to get Cloud’s power up to 7. Luckily, to simulate the Materia System in FFVII, Cloud’s Deck is full of equipment to buff him up. Since he starts at a power of you need to get him a total of +3 to get him there. Here are a couple ways to do so:

”Conqueror’s Flail” gives +1/+1 for each color permanent you have on the field. Since Cloud runs three different colors, you are likely have three different lands which would give him a total of +3/+3
”Wrecking Ball Arm” makes the creature it’s equipped to automatically have a power and life of 7. As an added bonus, the equipped creature can’t be blocked by creatures with a power of 2 or less, and legendary creatures can equip it for only 2 Mana as opposed to the 7 it requires for normal creatures.
A sneakier way is to equip “Champion’s Helm” to Zack Fair. When Zack dies, he can give +1/+1 and any equipment to any other creature. Since Champion’s Helm gives +2/+2, Cloud will hit 7.
Finally, the easiest is just to equip “Hero’s Blade” which gives +3/+2 to the equipped creature. As an added bonus, if a Legendary Creature enters the battlefield, there is no cost to equip it.

Other helpful tips

If you are having trouble drawing the equipment you need (given Commander’s 99 card deck size, use Cloud’s ability that lets you draw for the number of equipped creatures you have. If a piece of equipment won’t get Cloud to 7, equip it anyway just to get some draw power. You can also try to equip “Darksteel Plate” to Tifa. Since Cloud is a Commander, if he is destroyed, you can easily bring him back, though he will have an additional Mana Cost. Tifa is not so lucky, but “Darksteel Plate” makes Tifa “Indestructible” so she can’t be destroyed unless the equipment is first. It ensures that you are always going to be attacking twice, once you get your board set-up.

Screenshot: Wizards of the Coast / Square Enix

While Magic: The Gathering may be incredibly different from Final Fantasy VII. But in this instance, your path to victory is pretty much the same as it is in the video game: Apply buffs to your characters to make them hit harder and faster while minimizing the damage you take. If things get rough, don’t worry, there are some of Aerith’s healing spells in there as well.

Source link

June 19, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Get your porch and deck ready for Summer with Lepro’s smart outdoor lights

by admin June 14, 2025

Summer is here and with it comes family and friend gatherings, cookouts, and more. So, what better time than now to spruce up your deck? Lepro has you covered with their smart outdoor permanent lights and smart string lights, both of which are on limited-time sales via Amazon right now:

Summer’s here and that means BBQs, backyard hangs, and 4th of July parties are soon to be in full swing. Lepro’s smart outdoor string lights are the perfect way to set the mood. With millions of color options, voice and app control, and weatherproof design, they’re a must-have for summer setups.

Lepro is the only smart lighting brand to feature:

*LightGPM: Lepro’s large-language lighting model curates color and pattern combos tailored to your vibe.

*LightBeats: A rhythm-syncing algorithm that translates sound into immersive light shows.

Right now there is a limited-time Amazon deals happening now ahead of the holiday weekend: Now through June 15th.

*Lepro ZB1 AI String Lights (23% off 100-foot; 10% off 50-foot)

*Lepro E1 AI Permanent Outdoor Lights (Coupons: $40 off 50-foot, MSRP: $152.99; $70 off 100-foot, MSRP $254.99)

Great for patios, pergolas, fences, or fireworks night, these lights bring a little magic to any summer night.

Stay tuned to GamingTrend for all your gaming, tech, and entertainment new!

Share this article

The link has been copied!

Affiliate Links

Source link

June 14, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Fallout’s Magic: The Gathering Commander Deck Bundle Is A Bargain Right Now

by admin June 8, 2025

The Magic: The Gathering x Fallout crossover set is available for a great price at Amazon right now. Fans of the TCG and Fallout can grab all four Commander Decks for only $153. When Fallout’s Magic set released last year, the Commander Deck Bundle regularly sold for $240, so you’re saving nearly $90 compared to the original going rate. With Amazon’s deal, you’re paying $38.25 per deck, which is an awesome price since multiple of them still cost $60 each. There are 154 new Fallout-themed cards across the four Commander Decks.

These days, four-deck bundle tends to sell for $175 to $190, and the current deal is very close to the $147 all-time low, which was briefly offered back in April.

Any of those prices sound like bargains compared to the highly anticipated Final Fantasy MTG set that’s launching June 13. For comparison, Amazon is currently selling the Final Fantasy Commander Deck Bundle for a staggering $350, which is $70 above its original $280 list price. So, yeah, the Fallout Commander Deck Bundle is roughly $200 less than the Final Fantasy one.

We’ve listed all four MTG x Fallout Commander Decks individually below. If you were to buy all of them today outside of the bundle, you’d wind up spending $217. Even three Fallout Commander Decks would cost more than the Commander Deck Bundle.

Magic: The Gathering – Fallout Commander Decks at Amazon

Magic: The Gathering x Fallout

The four Commander Decks each have a different theme: Science, Hail Caesar, Scrappy Survivors, and Mutant Menace. The Science Commander Deck is currently the cheapest of the four, though you can also save on Scrappy Survivors. Hail, Caesar and Mutant Menace are still going for $60 each.

Each Commander Deck comes with a premade 100-card deck. Across the four decks, you’ll get 154 brand-new MTG cards themed around the Fallout video game franchise. Notably, you also get a Collector Booster sample pack featuring two special alt-frame cards, one of which will be Rare or Mythic-Rare. In addition to the 102 total cards, you’ll find 10 double-sided tokens, one life counter, a strategy guide, and a deck box that can hold up to 100 sleeved cards.

The looming Final Fantasy set is easily Magic: The Gathering’s most popular crossover with a video game franchise, but Wizards of the Coast has also teamed up other big gaming/entertainment properties. A set themed around Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise released last summer. A few of the products are still in stock for retail price or less at Amazon and Best Buy.

Magic: The Gathering x Assassin’s Creed Trading Card Set

And there are multiple exciting releases on the horizon, too. In September, Spider-Man will swing his way into the Magic: The Gathering universe. Several MTG x Spider-Man products are still available to preorder at Amazon.

Source link

June 8, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

SuiPlay0X1 Hands-On Preview: A Steam Deck Rival That Supports Crypto Games

by admin June 7, 2025

In brief

Shipping this summer, the SuiPlay0X1 is looks to rival the Steam Deck by offering crypto integrations.
We played with the device at Token2049, going hands-on and discussing its key features.
Elden Ring plays smoothly on the device without sacrificing graphical quality, and the screen is sharp.

The SuiPlay0X1 is a crypto-fueled handheld console set to ship this summer, attempting to rival the Steam Deck by supporting not only traditional PC games but also blockchain experiences.

At Token2049 in Dubai, we got our hands on the portable console for a brief preview of the soon-to-launch device. Purely as a gaming device, it appears solidly crafted with great specs and an impressive screen—but where it really sets itself apart is, of course, by using crypto.

When you first pick up the device, the display quality immediately jumps out. While OLED panels have become the premium pick for many handheld devices, this 7-inch LCD panel shines, with the bold, no-bezel touchscreen showing excellent color accuracy.

While playing Elden Ring for a short period of time, the SuiPlay0X1 did not struggle to solidly hold 30 frames per second, and felt smooth without needing to sacrifice on graphics. Due to its capacity to play the game at high graphical settings, the screen’s performance really popped with notably vibrant colors and good black levels—experiencing little-to-no backlight bleed.

This smoothness is possible due to its impressive specs, packing an AMD Ryzen 7 7840U CPU, AMD Ryzen 780M graphics card, and 512GB of SSD storage.

The SuiPlay0X1 is touted as a high-end handheld PC at a price point of $599, although pre-orders for the device are sold out. That’s why some may be disappointed by the LCD screen, especially considering that at a lower price point the Steam Deck offers an OLED.

But Adeniyi Abiodun, co-founder and CPO of Mysten Labs, co-creators of the SuiPlay0x1 alongside Playtron, told Decrypt that it is “one of the highest-end LCD screens that you can get.” And as noted, it certainly looked sharp during our time with it.

That said, the device didn’t immediately feel as ergonomic as some rivals. With a mostly flat back, it’s easy to imagine it may cause your hand to cramp if gaming for an extended period of time—such as while traveling. This is especially noticeable when comparing it to the Steam Deck, which fills your hand more naturally. But we’ll need to spend more time with the SuiPlay0X1 to get a better sense of long-term impact.

The console has the range of controls that you should expect from a console like this with two joysticks, a d-pad, four triggers, and four PlayStation-style buttons—as well as some basic function buttons to take you back to the main menu, etc. For the most part, these felt like quality inputs, with the joysticks being a highlight due to their nice grip.

Its main selling point is the Linux-based Playtron operating system, which Abiodun claims can be downloaded on a computer, mobile phone, or other soon-to-be released devices.

“We firmly believe that gaming needs a new operating system,” he told Decrypt. “The idea of being locked into one platform, one app, one console is not going to be forever, and people are calling for more open systems. This is the open system.”

As such, Mysten Labs has created the SuiPlay0X1 as a high-end representation of what the operating system is capable of. In fact, the company wants other developers to use the Playtron OS in their devices to compete with the SuiPlay0X1—either with better specs or ergonomics, or at a cheaper price point.

PlaytronOS is optimized to allow gamers to play titles from the Steam, Epic Games, and GOG stores, as well as games that utilize the Sui network. Abiodun believes this is a major differentiating factor, due to sector leader the Steam Deck requiring an awkward workaround to play non-Steam titles—not to mention Valve’s banning of crypto titles from the platform.

On launch day, the SuiPlay0X1 will natively support seven crypto games, including Xociety, Warped Universe, Panzerdogs, and ONE Fight Arena, all of which are Sui titles.

The device abstracts Sui crypto elements away from the user, only requiring a traditional Web2 login. Once logged on, Mysten Labs said, users are able to engage with crypto-centric games seamlessly via the SuiPlay0X1 Wallet that’s created on the backend. However, Decrypt did not get to playtest a crypto game or related features, due to connectivity issues at the event.

The SuiPlay0X1 Wallet is, as the name suggests, based on the Sui blockchain and is confirmed to support the SUI token as well as the recently announced Game Dollar stablecoin. However, Mysten Labs confirmed that games from other networks will also be available to play on the device, if they’re available in supported storefronts.

At its core, that crypto gaming functionality is its unique selling point. While there are handheld consoles that are optimized to play video games across the Steam and Epic Games Store, there has yet to be a device that nails crypto integrations and has the power for serious gaming.

Other crypto games like Avalanche shooter Off the Grid will be compatible thanks to the title being on the Epic Games Store, which has become a go-to app for crypto gaming. But something like the Ronin-based Axie Infinity, which isn’t on Epic Games, won’t be playable on the device from the outset.

The Solana Saga mobile phone can play Android games and a relatively small number of Solana-connected titles, but doesn’t have the specs to play powerful PC games. And simpler devices like the Game Boy-style BitBoy One and PSG1 are designed to play casual and retro games, lacking the power to hang with PC-level handhelds.

If the SuiPlay0X1’s crypto integrations are as seamless as promised and cross-chain compatibility is introduced, then the device may carve out its own lane in the industry. But will mainstream gamers take notice, especially during a lull in broader crypto gaming momentum? We’ll find out this summer when the SuiPlay0X1 starts to hit the market.

Edited by Andrew Hayward

GG Newsletter

Get the latest web3 gaming news, hear directly from gaming studios and influencers covering the space, and receive power-ups from our partners.

Source link

June 7, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Steam Deck nested inside an Apple Magic Keyboard transforms into a portable gaming PC

by admin June 7, 2025

Since the console’s release, we have seen some spectacular Steam Deck mods, including the “Steam Brick” and the Steam Deck 32GB RAM mod. Michaelthatsit on Reddit has created another wild mod for the Deck by using the console’s internals to create a makeshift “all-in-one” Steam Deck keyboard called the Bento.

Michael’s Bento mod turns the Steam Deck into a highly mobile SteamOS desktop system with an integrated keyboard. In images on Reddit, Michael demonstrated one way of using the keyboard computer: connecting the Bento to Type-C-powered display glasses (rather than a conventional display).

To make it all work, the modder removed the Deck’s internal motherboard and other necessary components from the console’s original clamshell and placed them in a custom-made 3D-printed chassis to fit underneath an Apple 10-keyless Magic keyboard.

Tested: Nvidia’s GeForce Now just breathed new life into my Steam Deck

by admin May 29, 2025

I don’t want gaming to become another streaming subscription service that keeps going up in price. I don’t want to put even more power in Nvidia’s hands, particularly not right now.

But I can’t deny that the company’s $20-a-month* GeForce Now is a near-perfect fit for the Steam Deck. I’ve been covering cloud gaming for 15 years, and this is the very first time I’ve wanted to keep playing indefinitely.

For the uninitiated, Nvidia’s GeForce Now is a game streaming service that farms the graphical processing power out to the cloud. Instead of controlling a game running locally on your Steam Deck’s chip, you’re effectively remote-controlling an RTX 4080-powered* gaming rig in a server farm many miles away, which you sync with your existing Steam, Epic, Ubisoft, Xbox, and Battle.net accounts to access your games and savegames from the cloud.

*Nvidia’s GeForce Now also technically has a free tier, and a “Performance” tier, but I recommend you ignore both. For me, it was the difference between playing many games through a clean window or a dirty window, the difference between playing Alan Wake II and Indiana Jones with full ray tracing or none at all, the difference between comfortably stretching to 4K or not.

Handhelds have already become my favorite way to play games. The Steam Deck is comfortable and easy to pick up whenever and wherever the mood strikes. But neither my Deck nor my aging desktop PC have kept up with the latest titles. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Baldur’s Gate 3 can look like a fuzzy mess on a Deck, and I’ve never seen Alan Wake II, Portal RTX and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle in all their ray-traced glory on my RTX 3060 Ti desktop.

But today, with Nvidia’s just-now-released GeForce Now app for the Steam Deck, I can play every one of those titles at near-max settings, anywhere in my home, for hours and hours on a charge. And if I dock that Steam Deck to my 4K TV, it can output 4K60 HDR and/or ray-traced graphics that put the PS5 Pro to shame.

When we tested GeForce Now’s last big upgrade in 2023, Tom and I agreed it wasn’t quite on par with playing on a native PC.

But on a Steam Deck, where I’m either playing on a low-res handheld screen or sitting across the room from a TV where I don’t notice so many imperfections, it can feel like the best of both worlds.

Here’s what Expedition 33 looks like running natively on my Steam Deck today, versus the Deck with GeForce Now:

The best part might be this: while handhelds like the Steam Deck barely get two hours of such a game at potato graphical settings, I could get 7 to 8 hours of GeForce Now. I saw the cloud gaming service consistently sip under 7 watts from my Steam Deck OLED’s 49.2 watt-hour battery, barely more than the system consumes at idle.

And the new native app makes it a cinch to set up, with no more web browser-and-script workaround: just hold down the power button and switch to desktop mode, download the app, run it, and scan QR codes with your phone to link your various accounts.

Oh, you’d best believe there are caveats. Giant gaping gotchas galore, which I’ll explain as we go. But after testing the service for nearly two weeks, I’m starting to believe in cloud gaming again.

Now, you might be wondering: how the heck am I playing a game where timing is so critical via remote control? Here’s the first big caveat: you need a low-latency internet connection, a good Wi-Fi router or wired ethernet, and you need to be within range of Nvidia’s servers for the magic to work. Download speed isn’t as key: 50Mbps should suffice for 4K, and you can get away with less.

But I’m armed with a AT&T Fiber connection, and I live maybe 30 minutes away from Nvidia’s San Jose, California servers, which makes me a best-case scenario for this tech. Still, Nvidia has over 35 worldwide data centers now, including 14 distinct locations in the United States, and my colleagues with Xfinity and Spectrum cable internet in Portland and Brooklyn tell me Expedition 33 played just as well for them.

Rough server locations for GeForce Now; you can get a better idea by Image: Nvidia

“The latency was negligible to the point that I wasn’t missing parries,” Cameron Faulkner tells me, saying he nailed the Sad Troubadour on the first try. Jay Peters and I found we needed to adjust our timing a bit, but I wound up playing roughly half the game over GeForce Now and almost never looked back.

Even with the best of connections, though, GeForce Now isn’t bulletproof. Once or twice a day, my seemingly stable gameplay session would at least briefly unravel into a choppy mess.

In single-player games like Expedition 33 and Indiana Jones I could easily forgive a few minutes of trouble, but my colleagues Antonio Di Benedetto and Erick Gomez saw it in otherwise stable twitch shooters where lag could be a bigger issue. “I saw a handful of lag spikes / hiccups that would definitely screw anybody over in a competitive shooter, but thankfully they weren’t at the worst times and they soon subsided,” Antonio tells me.

You also give up some of the Steam Deck’s portability. While you can plug and unplug the Steam Deck from a TV dock and seamlessly switch between big screen and small screen play, you can’t just put the Steam Deck to sleep without ending the session and losing unsaved progress. (Unlike, say, Chiaki.) And although the native GeForce Now app supports 4K60, a big leap up from 1440p, you may find yourself squinting at tiny text because it doesn’t scale the UI appropriately.

Also: while GeForce Now also supports a lower res but smoother 1440p 120Hz mode on TVs and even other gaming handhelds, it doesn’t offer a 90Hz mode for the Deck OLED yet. I tested at 60Hz instead.

Tiny text. Screenshot by Sean Hollister / The Verge

Speaking of portability, public Wi-Fi generally isn’t good enough for GeForce Now, and neither are most cellular connections — even with four bars of Verizon 5G UWB service and a wired USB tether to my phone, my stream quickly deteriorated into the jumble you see below. Only the very best cellular connection in my entire neighborhood, a spot right under a 5G tower where I can get 1,200Mbps down and 30 millisecond ping, felt playable to me.

This is on four bars of Verizon 5G UW. It actually got worse after this, with ping in the 500ms range. Screenshot by Sean Hollister / The Verge

And, as we’ve discussed previously, only the $20-a-month Ultimate tier truly shows what cloud gaming is capable of. Expedition 33 looked substantially worse on the Performance tier (Epic spec, native resolution, vs. Medium spec, 50 percent resolution with DLSS) and Indiana Jones went from gorgeous to just “playable while handheld” for me.

But the biggest caveat with GeForce Now may be outside the company’s control: you have to bring your own games, and yet you only can bring games where Nvidia has explicitly struck a distribution deal.

Nvidia has made progress: 165 of my 457 Steam games are now available to play, up from 85 two years ago. The company offers over 2,100 games in total across Epic, Battle.net, Ubisoft, Xbox, and GOG too. But Nvidia has no games from Sony, so I’m not playing Helldivers 2, no games from Rockstar, so I’m not playing GTA V or Red Dead Redemption 2, and no Elden Ring, no PUBG, no Schedule I or Football Manager or FIFA or NBA or The Sims. We never quite know which games GeForce Now will get, or when, or if they might disappear.

Cloud gaming has never felt like a better deal, now that the service has matured, now that handhelds can make such good use of it, and now that buying your own GPU is such a ridiculously expensive proposition. Maybe I’ll defer my own next GPU upgrade in favor of a subscription.

But it’s not for everyone — you should definitely try a $8 GeForce Now Ultimate day pass first — and there’s still a lot of mental friction. I’m not looking forward to the day that Nvidia alters the deal further.

Source link

May 29, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Magic: The Gathering x Final Fantasy: Which Deck Is Best?

by admin May 28, 2025

Most Final Fantasy fans have probably heard about the upcoming FF-themed set coming to Magic the Gathering on June 12th. One of the biggest products of the collaboration is a collection of four pre-constructed decks for MTG’s popular “Commander” format. Each deck will focus on a different game in the long-running JRPG series including FFVI, FFVII, FFX and FFX. This guide will help give a quick explanation of what Commander is, and what to expect from each deck to help you pick the right one—assuming you don’t grab all of them, that is.

Blasphemous 2 Developer Interview

What is Commander?

Commander is a spin on the standard Magic ruleset that is generally played with 3-5 players. It is great for those in a group who want everybody to be involved in a game instead of pairing off to play standard matches. The decks for Commander are also different, requiring exactly 100 cards with no duplicates (other than lands) as opposed to MTG’s standard ruleset which requires at least 60. The other interesting thing is that each Commander deck has a special card called a, you guessed it, Commander who the deck is built around to take advantage of their abilities. The nice thing about the FF pre-constructed Commander decks, is that these are ready to play so you and a couple friends can each pick one up for your next game night. But which one should you choose?

A crash course in Magic the Gathering’s Color Wheel

Before we dive into the decks, it’s important to be aware of the basics of Magic the Gathering. Each card has either one or a combination of five colors. These are blue, green, red, white and black.

Blue cards specialize in countering spells. These decks are usually built to have longer games as your opponents burn through cards before you are able to set up your chains of cards.
Green Cards are usually used to build ramp decks. These specialize in gathering more resources (lands) faster than your opponent to play stronger cards quickly, preventing them from being able to counterattack.
Red Cards are aggressive. They have low cost so that you can flood the board early and attack your opponent directly.
White Cards are used to remove your opponents cards and bolster your defenses for their attacks.
Black Cards are focused on sacrificing your own creatures and spells and then allowing you to search your deck for specific cards needed for combos.

Now that you know the basics of each color, let’s look at each deck!

Terra and the FFVI Deck

Terra is the Commander for FFVI deck, which will be running red, black and white. Her abilities seem to mostly involve her red and black nature by allowing you to sacrifice cards to give her flying allowing her to directly attack your opponent or remove cards. This will be a good deck for those who want to play aggressively and have unique tricks to mess with your opponent, or if you love FFVI.

Cloud and the FFVII Deck

Cloud is going to be in a deck with red, green and white. To replicate the experience of equipping materia to your party in the original PSX game, Cloud is able to add equipment when he is played. He also allows you to draw a card for every creature you have that has something equipped that is attacking when he attacks. Cloud’s will be a great deck for those who want to power up their creatures while also having multiple strategies to choose from by consistently drawing cards. Also a good choice for those who love FFVII.

Tidus and the FFX Deck

Tidus is a green, white and blue card with abilities that simulate the Sphere Grid by allowing you to place a counter on a creature you control. Then, he can use his ability “Cheer,” which allows you to draw and card and add a counter to another creature when a creature with a counter attacks. This is a great deck for those who want to build up resources by drawing cards which can then be used for counterspells. It’s also a good choice if you love FFX.

Y’shtola and the FFXIV Deck

Finally, Y’shtola is a white, blue and of course black for the black mage. She is arguably the most powerful Commander of the four with two strong abilities. The first allows you to draw a card at the end of your turn if either player lost four or more life in that turn, allowing you to draw a potential counterspell for your opponent’s upcoming turn. Even more impressive is her second ability which deals two damage to your opponent while healing two damage from you everytime you play a card with a cost of three or greater. Y’shtola is a great option for those who want to chip away at their enemies health and be rewarded for it, or if you love FFXIV.

Magic The Gathering can be a little intimidating for new players, so if you’re just coming to it as a Final Fantasy fan, you’re likely to be a bit overwhelmed at first. Hopefully this guide will help you pick out the right deck so you can get a FF-themed taste of the long-running TCG.

Source link

May 28, 2025 0 comments