Tag: gaming

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Hearthstone-inspired Marvel Snap now available on mobile and PC

Marvel Snap, a new collectible card game based on the mega popular Marvel Universe, is now officially available on mobile and in early access on PC.

Notably, Marvel Snap was developed by Second Dinner, a new studio made up of many ex-Blizzard developers, including former Hearthstone director Ben Brode.

In Marvel Snap, you’ll assemble a deck of cards featuring hundreds of Marvel heroes and villains, including big names like Spider-Man, Wolverine, Iron Man, Doctor Doom, Star-Lord, Daredevil and Deadpool, to lesser-known characters like Squirrel Girl, The Hood, Medusa and Sunspot.

Matches, meanwhile, have been designed to be mobile-friendly and bite-sized at about three minutes each. They play out in a grid containing 50-plus Marvel locations, including Wakanda, Asgard, the Baxter Building, Stark Tower and the Triskelion.

In the grid, you’ll place your character cards, each of which has an associated ‘Power,’ and the player with the highest Power level wins. Most cards and locations also have special effects that either give you a boost or set your opponent back. You can play against the computer or other players online.

As with any free-to-play game, there are microtransactions in Marvel Snap, although they work a little differently than you’d expect. Thankfully, you can’t actually buy cards to pay-to-win, which levels the playing field a bit. Instead, you can spend real money on variants of cards you already own that feature different artwork but are functionally the same.

That said, you can also fork over cash on credits to upgrade the rarity of cards, which increases your collection level and, in turn, lets you unlock more cards. Therefore, there is certainly a gameplay advantage from using real money, although it’s not as direct as buying cards outright.

Otherwise, the response to Marvel Snap has been quite positive during the early access period. You can download the game for yourself on iOS, Android and Steam.

It’s also worth noting that a fun ad for the launch was also released, featuring none other than Samuel L. Jackson reprising his long-running Marvel role of Nick Fury:

Second Dinner also has released a content update roadmap, promising regular new cards, locations, cosmetics, challenges and more. You can read more on that here.

Image credit: Marvel/Nuverse

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Netflix says it’s ‘seriously’ looking into a cloud gaming service

Netflix is “seriously” considering launching a cloud gaming platform, the company has confirmed.

Speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt, Mike Verdu, Netflix’s VP of game development, said the company is “very seriously exploring a cloud gaming offering” as an extension to its existing Netflix Games platform on mobile.

He added that the company would “approach this the same way we did with mobile, which is start small, be humble, be thoughtful, and then build out.” Currently, Netflix Games offers a few dozen mobile titles at no additional cost to Netflix subscribers.

According to Verdu, embracing the cloud will “meet members where they are on the devices where they consume Netflix.” Indeed, part of Netflix’s success boils down to its ubiquity, with all sorts of mobile devices, smart TVs and gaming platforms supporting the service.

However, Verdu declined to mention whether Netflix would produce its own controller for the platform, like Google did for its soon-to-be-shuttered Stadia cloud gaming service. Instead, he simply said TV remotes wouldn’t be the sole method of play. Given the widespread usage of controllers from the likes of PlayStation and Xbox, including with Apple TV, it’s possible that Netflix could simply opt to partner with existing companies.

Of course, it’s important to stress that this is all hypothetical, with Netflix not actually confirming concrete plans. On top of that, it’s not clear when the company would even release such a platform. As Verdu noted, Netflix’s approach to gaming has been measured, only offering a handful of mobile-exclusive titles since the platform launched nearly a year ago.

Along the way, it’s been gradually investing more into first-party studios, such as by acquiring Oxenfree developer Night School or opening up a brand-new office in Finland. That said, Netflix acknowledged that “it’s still early days” and “creating a game can take years,” setting expectations for when we might see more from these teams.

It’s also unclear how many people have actually been using Netflix Games. According to an August report from app analytics firm Apptopia, fewer than one percent of overall Netflix subscribers are using the gaming platform. Netflix — a company already notorious for obfuscating data on how well its content performs — hasn’t provided any official data on Netflix Games’ performance. In an October 18th letter to investors, the company simply said “We’re seeing some encouraging signs of gameplay leading to higher retention” while confirming that at least 55 games are coming to Netflix in the future.

And although Stadia never took off, cloud gaming as a whole is certainly on the rise. Newzoo, a reputable analytics firm, published a report earlier this month detailing how the games industry is set to generate approximately $2.4 billion USD (about $3.3 billion CAD) in cloud revenue this year. That works out to a 74 percent increase year-over-year, and roughly 31.7 million consumers paying for cloud gaming.

Other companies have already dipped their feet into the game streaming market. Following beta testing in 2019, Microsoft has been expanding its Xbox Cloud Gaming service (included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate) to devices like mobile and smart TVs, while PlayStation offers the ability to stream a variety of games on console. Amazon also has its own streaming platform, Luna, although it’s only available in the U.S.

In related news, Netflix recently pulled back the curtain on its lower cost, ad-supported tier, which is launching in Canada on November 1st.

Via: Protocol

Categories
Mobile Syrup

PS5 DualSense Edge controller will cost $199 USD, but no word yet on Canadian release

PlayStation has revealed pricing and release timing for the DualSense Edge, its response to Xbox’s high-end ‘Elite’ gaming controller.

In a blog post, the company confirmed that the high-end PS5 controller will cost $199.99 USD (approximately $275 CAD). For context, the current Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 is $229.99 in Canada. DualSense Edge replacement stick modules will cost an additional $19.99 USD (about $27.50 CAD).

However, there’s no word yet on whether the controller will actually come to Canada. While PlayStation says it will launch “globally” on January 26th, only the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg were specifically mentioned. Pre-orders in those countries will be available through direct.playstation.com, an official online PlayStation store that doesn’t service Canada.

PlayStation says the DualSense Edge will be sold “at other participating retailers” starting February 23rd, 2023, although it’s unclear whether any of these will be in Canada. MobileSyrup has reached out to PlayStation regarding Canadian availability and pricing and will update this story once a response has been received.

In any case, the DualSense Edge is a notable device from PlayStation, as it’s the company’s first official “Elite-style” controller. Previously, the gaming giant has let third parties like Scuf make their own pro PlayStation gamepads.

The DualSense Edge sports a variety of features to let players customize their gaming experience, including button remapping, the ability to fine-tune stick sensitivity and triggers, swappable control profiles and more. As a PS5 controller, the DualSense Edge also sports haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.

For context, here’s everything that’s included with the DualSense Edge wireless controller:

  • USB braided cable
  • two standard caps
  • two high dome caps
  • two low dome caps
  • two half dome back buttons
  • two lever back buttons
  • Connector housing
  • Carrying case

It remains to be seen what the build quality of the controllers will be. Although Xbox’s Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 is indeed cheaper than the DualSense Edge, it’s also suffered from a number of issues. For instance, MobileSyrup‘s Patrick O’Rourke has had to replace the gamepad numerous times due to malfunctioning buttons or intermittent disconnection.

Hopefully, the DualSense Edge is more durable.

Source: PlayStation

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Warner Bros. reveals Mortal Kombat ‘collection RPG,’ coming to mobile in 2023

Warner Bros. has revealed Mortal Kombat: Onslaught, a “collection RPG” that it’s calling the first “mobile-exclusive cinematic story experience” in the series.

Developed and co-published by Mortal Kombat studio NetherRealm, Onslaught tasks players with building a team of fighters from a “vast” roster of Mortal Kombat characters and face off in real-time group battles to stop a deadly threat.

Specific characters weren’t mentioned, but the official poster for the game does show a handful, including mainstays Sub-Zero, Scorpion and Raiden. However, no screenshots or footage from the game was shown, so it’s unclear exactly how you’ll “collect” fighters or how battles will actually play out.

Notably, this is the first mobile game in the long-running fighting game series since 2015’s Mortal Kombat Mobile. The latest entry, meanwhile, is 2019’s Mortal Kombat 11, which most recently got an enhanced port on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2020.

It’s unclear what NetherRealm’s next console/PC game will be. Earlier this month, Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon said the studio is currently focusing on celebrating the series’ 30th anniversary, and a separate announcement regarding its next game will come after that.

For now, though, those interested in Onslaught can register for updates here.

Image credit: Warner Bros.

Source: Warner Bros.

Categories
Mobile Syrup

What’s new on Xbox Game Pass on console, PC and mobile in late October 2022

Every month, Xbox brings new titles to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service.

Normally, these come in two waves and now, the company has revealed what’s coming to Game Pass in the second half of October. Note: ‘Cloud’ refers to a game that can be streamed via Xbox Cloud Gaming to a variety of devices, including Android and iOS.

First, as previously announced, the highly anticipated A Plague Tale: Requiem launched on Game Pass (Xbox Series X/S, PC and Cloud) on October 18th. On top of that, here’s everything else hitting Game Pass later this month:

  • Amnesia: Collection (Cloud, Console and PC) — October 20th
  • Amnesia: Rebirth (Cloud, Console and PC) — October 20th
  • Phantom Abyss (Game Preview) (Cloud, PC and Xbox Series X/S) — October 20th
  • Soma (Cloud, Console and PC) — October 20th
  • Persona 5 Royal (Cloud, Console and PC) — October 21st
  • Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery (PC) — October 27th
  • Gunfire Reborn (Cloud, Console and PC) — October 27th
  • Signalis (Cloud, Console and PC) — October 27th

It’s also worth noting that Age of Empires IV: Anniversary Edition, which adds new civilizations, maps, and more, will release as a free update to all players (including those on Xbox Game Pass) on October 25th.

Further, mobile-optimized touch controls have been added to Slime Rancher 2, while Persona 5 Royal is confirmed to have them when it launches on October 21st.

Finally, here’s everything that’s leaving Game Pass on October 31st:

  • Alan Wake: American Nightmare (Console and PC)
  • Backbone (Cloud, Console and PC)
  • Bassmaster Fishing 2022 (Cloud, Console and PC)
  • Nongunz: Doppelganger Edition (Cloud, Console and PC)
  • Project Wingman (Cloud, Console and PC)
  • Second Extinction (Cloud, Console and PC)
  • Sniper Elite 4 (Console and Cloud)
  • The Forgotten City (Cloud, Console and PC)

As always, Game Pass subscribers can take advantage of an exclusive 20 percent discount to purchase any game on the service and keep playing even after it leaves the catalogue.

Find out what came to Xbox Game Pass earlier this month here.

Image credit: Atlus

Source: Xbox

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Custom Xbox Elite Series 2 gamepads start at $149 in Canada

Following the ‘Core in white‘ Elite Series 2 gamepad, Microsoft has revealed more details about its custom Elite Series 2 Xbox Design Lab option.

According to Microsoft, “nearly all” of the external parts of the Series 2 can be customized, including its body, back case, D-pad, bumpers, triggers, thumbsticks and buttons. In an Xbox Design Lab first, you can also select between a cross-shaped or faceted D-pad and customize the colour of the thumbstick and base ring. Like other Xbox Design Lab controllers, you can add a 16-character message to the gamepad.

Microsoft’s new custom Elite Series 2 starts at $149 for the base controller that doesn’t include back paddles or additional sets of thumbsticks. That said, ‘Elite Accessory Packs‘ with various thumbsticks, paddles and case options will be sold separately. On the other hand, a custom Elite Series 2 gamepad that includes paddles, extra thumbsticks, D-pad option and a carrying case/charging pack, starts at $209.99. If you don’t already own an Elite Series 2, this is likely the gamepad most people will be interested in.

The Elite Series 2 Xbox Design Lab option is coming to Canada, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, most Western European countries, and select Southeast Asian countries.

While I once really liked Microsoft’s Elite Series 2 gamepad, the high-end controller has been plagued by hardware issues, and I’m on roughly my eighth gamepad currently (I keep getting it replaced under warranty). If it’s not the ‘A’ or ‘Y’ button only working 75 percent of the time, the right bumper or the joystick button stops working properly. I’ve even encountered problems with the Series 2’s back paddles and the gamepad constantly disconnecting.

With the release of this new Series 2 custom option, I’m hoping that Microsoft has finally ironed out the Xbox Elite Series 2’s several issues because if this gamepad features the same hardware as the current version of the gamepad, it’s not worth buying.

Categories
Mobile Syrup

8 PlayStation games deserving of a remake

We are living in a world of remakes — everything that is old is new again. Except here’s the thing, not every remake is warranted. While some remaster/remakes are retellings of vital classics that have not been revisited in decades, the gaming industry has seen a recent trend of games that are still relatively new getting the remake treatment.

Amongst some of the worst offenders of this digital offence is console giant PlayStation. In recent months, PlayStation has seemingly made a renewed effort centred on its remake strategy. First, The Last of Part I hit PS5s across the world, allowing gamers to dive back into the 2013 Naughty Dog classic. This latest retreading of Joel and Ellie’s story marks the second time the game has received a new console release in less than ten years, prompting some to question why exactly we needed this.

Then rumours began to spring up that yet another PlayStation Studios hit was getting the TLOU Part I treatment. Recent whispers pointed to Horizon Zero Dawn receiving a PlayStation 5 remaster. The 2017 Guerilla Games RPG is only five years old at this point, yet Sony seemingly wants gamers to buy another full-price version of the title on their new next-gen consoles.

So with Sony seemingly tackling all the wrong titles for PS5 re-releases, here are eight PlayStation games that are actually deserving of a full-fledged remake.

Twisted Metal

First up on this dream remake list is Twisted Metal. Back on the PlayStation 1, this car-combat game took over living rooms as gamers battled it out alongside the game’s colourful cast of characters. Twisted Metal TV show wraps filming and moves into post-production | Eurogamer.net

While a revival of the franchise came and went on the PS3, now is the perfect time to bring back the original for the modern day. Twisted Metal is as ready-made for online multiplayer as it comes. So if a remake were to happen, the ability to take on opponents across the world would be a must. It might be a deeper cut than some other names on this list, but one that would be welcomed by longtime PlayStation fans.

God of War (PS2)

Next up, and one of the more likely games to reappear, is God of War. No, we are not talking about Kratos’ latest jaunt through the world of Norse mythology. This would have to be the 2005 PlayStation 2 original. With God of War (2018), Sony Santa Monica captured a contingent of fans who would have never thought to give the series a try.

Best God of War Games Ranked - Guide | Push Square

So, with a remake of the original, Sony could give gamers the chance to take in Kratos’ first adventure going up against the Greek gods. Of course, it would make sense to translate the title to something more akin to the series’ more recent entries. It could do away with the fixed camera Devil May Cry-style action, going to the more modern over-the-shoulder third-person model. And with the future of the franchise a little murky after God of War: Ragnarök, now feels like the perfect time to go back to the beginning.

Sly Cooper

Of Sony’s classic mascot platformers, Sly Cooper is the one that has mostly been left in the dust. While the likes of Crash, Spyro, and Ratchet have come back into the spotlight, the Thievius Racconus has remained in the dark. Aside from a sequel in PS3 and Vita, as well as a collection of the original trilogy, this platformer has not been revisited in quite some time.

The Sly Collection – Sucker Punch Productions

Maybe a full-fledged Sly Cooper 5 isn’t in the card, but why not remake the original and let Sly fans celebrate something? The 3D platformer has found a new niche in recent years, so bring back our boy Sly!

ModNation Racers

This next one will be a little pie-in-the-sky, but you gotta shoot your shoot when you get the chance. The next PlayStation game that needs to be in the remake conversation is ModNation Racers. This oft-forgotten PS3 Mario Kart rip-off took the LittleBigPlanet formula of “Play, Create, Share” and applied it to the world of kart racers. It was surprisingly solid.

ModNation Racers | Eurogamer.net

Aside from abysmal load times, this was a standout multiplayer game for those who gave it a chance. Now with online infrastructure being what it is, and the incredibly fast loads on the PS5, it feels like it might finally be time for ModNation Racers to shine. And we don’t even need a full new game — a remake of the original will totally do.

Uncharted

Before Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us got the PS5 remake treatment, rumors were swirling about a potential modern rebuild of the original Uncharted. The idea was to take Drake’s Fortune (released in 2007) and completely rebuild it from the ground up. And honestly, it doesn’t sound like too bad of an idea.

Uncharted Drake's Fortune PS4 Visual Analysis: Comparison With PS3 Version Reveals Graphical Updates

Uncharted and Naughty Dog have come so far since that first outing on PS3. Remaking Nathan Drake’s first adventure could offer up the chance to implement all the gameplay and graphical improvements found in Uncharted 4. Drake’s Fortune is starting to show its age, so an effort like this could help modernize a game that could eventually get lost in time.

Infamous

Another PS3 title that should sit atop PlayStation’s remake hit list is Infamous. This original superhero story was a stellar comic book video game before stellar comic book video games existed. Developer Sucker Punch Productions has moved on to Ghost of Tsushima now, but there is no reason it couldn’t revisit the world of Cole MacGrath.

Infamous 2 among five more games joining PlayStation Now lineup - Polygon

With the bells and whistles present in the PS5, an Infamous remake could really take advantage of the hardware. Ray-traced reflections would pop with Cole’s electricity-based abilities, and think of the sort of haptic feedback that could be possible in the DualSense when using the Infamous powerset.

Syphon Filter

Younger PlayStation fans may have no idea what Syphon Filter is, but believe me when I say the PlayStation 1 classic is more than deserving of a remake. There is an utter lack of stealth-action games right now. The Hitman series is really the only one carrying that stealth torch at the moment. So why not bring back this Metal Gear Solid-esque PS1 shooter?

The Syphon Filter series has received an age rating | gagadget.com

As of late, PlayStation has prided itself on telling engaging stories with characters gamers buy into. Syphon Filter did that before it was cool, so bringing back Gabe Logan and co. feels like a no-brainer. A fully modern retelling of the original game could be something special, letting us play out our Mission Impossible fantasies on our PlayStation 5.

Metal Gear Solid 

And, lastly, is the dream PlayStation remake to end all dream PlayStation remakes, Metal Gear Solid. Yes, this gets a little messy as Konami still owns the Metal Gear franchise, but that first game (and the series as a whole) is so closely tied to Sony’s family of consoles that I am including it here.

PlayStation Memories: Metal Gear Solid - YouTube

Rumors of an MGS remake have been swirling for years at this point with the likes of Bluepoint Games supposedly attached to develop the project. Now, a remake of this first game has already happened in Twin Snakes for the GameCube, but with the title so inaccessible at this point, now is the time to bring it back. Metal Gear Solid is a classic for a reason, and there is a whole generation of gamers who are just waiting to experience it for the first time.

The list is long

This is only the beginning of what could be a near-endless list of games PlayStation should look at for the remake treatment. Fans have made it clear that Sony needs to rethink its remake/remaster strategy. They have a bevy of titles that deserve to be revisited, yet it seems they want to focus on remakes that aren’t necessarily benefitting anyone.

There would be no problem with the console maker going back to the Last of Us or Horizon well if it also meant we were getting things like God of War and Metal Gear Solid. But right now it is only the former with none of the latter.

Image credit: PlayStation


Categories
Mobile Syrup

Here’s what Razer announced at RazerCon 2022 today

During Razer’s RazerCon event earlier today, the Irvine, California-based company announced new gadgets, accessories and software, alongside updates to existing fan favourites, including the Razer Kraken Kitty, Razer Barracuda wireless gaming headset and the Razer Huntsman V2 TKL optical gaming keyboard.

Let’s start off with the new releases:

Razer Edge

The Razer Edge is the company’s new 5G Android handheld gaming device that has “thousands of compatible AAA games from day one.”

The handheld features a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a 144hz refresh rate at 2400 x 1080 FHD+ pixel resolution. It’s currently unknown if the refresh rate is adaptive or stable at 144. It’s built on Snapdragon’s G3x Gen 1 Gaming Platform, and runs on a 5,000mAh battery for extended gaming sessions.

The handheld can take advantage of all android gaming from the Play Store, while also being able to stream games on the cloud through Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) and Nvidia GeForce Now. Further, games can be played via touchscreen or through the Razer Edge’s tactile controls

The handheld will be available in 5G (powered by Verizon) and Wi-Fi versions.

“With the Razer Edge 5G and Verizon Ultra Wideband you’ll have, in your hands, a full mobile gaming system with a reliable connection that can push ultra-fast speeds, with low lag,” said Brian Higgins, SVP, device and consumer product marketing at Verizon. “In other words, you’ll soon be able to smash the competition, all while giving your favourite gaming chair a bit of a break for the day.”

The handheld has Wi-Fi 6E support for when you want to game at home, alongside a webcam, allowing you to stream directly from the device.

The device comes bundled with the Razer Kishi V2 Pro, though, unfortunately for Canadians, the device is launching in the U.S. only. Canadians would either have to cross the border to pick one up, or wait until the handheld releases in Canada.

The Razer Edge 5G will be available exclusively from Verizon, and the Razer Edge Wi-Fi will be available exclusively at Razer.com and RazerStore locations in January 2023.

The Razer Edge Wi-Fi will cost $399.99 USD (roughly $555 CAD), while the 5G model’s pricing is yet to be decided.

Kraken Kitty V2 Pro

The Kraken Kitty V2 Pro is a direct upgrade of the Kraken Kitty edition headphones, now with interchangeable ears.

The Kraken Kitty V2 Pro is a wired headset with support for Razer’s Chroma RGB lights, that now comes with extra bear and bunny ears, in addition to the original cat ears. Directed at streamers, the Kraken Kitty V2 Pro comes with all three ear types in the box, so you don’t have to spend any extra money to customize your headphones.

Further, with support for Chroma RGB, the ears can react and light up in real-time to whatever is happening on your stream, be it emotes, alerts, and new subscriptions and more.

The headphones feature a detachable cardioid mic, and come with Razer’s TriForce Titanium 50mm drivers for 7.1 digital surround sound support.

The Razer Kraken Kitty V2 Pro will be available for preorder in Q4 2022, starting at $199.99 USD (roughly $277 CAD) at Razer.com, RazerStores, and select retailers. Razer is yet to provide Canadian pricing.

Razer Blue Screen

Razer says the green in its products is similar to the green used in regular green screens, which cause its products to become invisible in stream and videos, thus, the company has released a Blue Screen that functions just like a regular green screen would. “Crafted with premium fibers, the Razer Blue Screen allows streamers to create their own worlds and display the most seamless and immersive backgrounds on a wrinkle-free backdrop,” says the company.

Razer’s Bluescreen is completely height adjustable and can stand as tall as 94-inches, which is more than enough for a home streaming setup. Additionally, it is collapsable, can be quickly deployed and has a carrying handle for easy portability.

Razer’s Bluescreen is available now for $149.99 USD (roughly $208 CAD) at Razer.com and Razer Stores.

Razer Kaira Series headsets

At RazerCon, Razer unveiled three new Kaira series headsets designed for the PlayStation 5.

“The new Razer Kaira X, a wired headset, as well as the new Kaira HyperSpeed and Kaira Pro HyperSpeed, which are wireless multi-platform gaming headsets, deliver immersion and untethered freedom,” wrote the company in its news release about the new products.

The new wireless headsets can connect to your console over a 2.4GHz wireless connection to ensure seamless and low-latency audio with a 30-hour battery life on a full charge. Whereas the Razer Kaira Pro HyperSpeed exclusively features haptic feedback powered by Razer HyperSense, “allowing gamers to feel what they hear.”

All three new Kaira headphones feature Razer’s TriForce 50mm drivers for 7.1 digital surround sound support, added clarity and rich, full-range audio, alongside a detachable cardioid microphone.

The Razer Kaira Pro HyperSpeed is available now starting at $199.99 USD (roughly $277 CAD)  at Razer.com and at select retailers. Razer is yet to provide Canadian pricing.

The Razer Kaira HyperSpeed is available now starting at $129.99 USD (roughly $180 CAD) at Razer.com and at select retailers. Razer is yet to provide Canadian pricing.

The Razer Kaira X is available now starting at $59.99 USD (roughly $83) at Razer.com and at select retailers. Razer is yet to provide Canadian pricing.

Razer Axon PC Wallpaper app

Razer Axon is the company’s new PC wallpaper application that works hand-in-hand with Chroma RGB-compatible devices. The application offers a range of animated and static wallpapers that react in real time with the company’s Chrom RGB devices. The wallpapers comprise but aren’t limited to, images from video game franchises, Razer wallpapers, specially curated photos and more.

The app is compatible with user-added wallpapers, so you can add whatever you’d like to be displayed on your monitor, and the app will sync it with the RGB on your Razer-owned devices and manage it for you. “Gamers with multiple monitors can enjoy Razer Axon too, with its multi-monitor support, letting gamers truly customize their set-ups like never before,” wrote Razer in its release about the new products.

The app is available to download now. 

Upgrades to pre-existing devices

A range of older Razer devices are now available in new colourways.

Razer’s Barracuda wireless multi-platform gaming headset and the Razer Huntsman V2 TKL optical gaming keyboard are now available in Quartz colourway. Additionally, the Razer BlackShark V2 X wired headset, Razer Orochi V2 mobile wireless gaming mouse, and Razer Strider Hybrid mouse mat in large size are also available in Quartz colourway.

The Razer Barracuda Quartz Edition is $159.99 USD (roughly $222 CAD) and will be available in October 2022 at Razer.com and at select retailers. The headset in its original colourway is available for $229.99 CAD.

The Razer Huntsman V2 TKL Quartz Edition is $159.99 USD (roughly $222 CAD) and will be available in October 2022 at Razer.com and at select retailers. The keyboard in its original colourway is available for $199.99 CAD.

The Razer BlackShark V2 X Quartz Edition is $59.99 USD (roughly $83 CAD)  and will be available in October 2022 at Razer.com and at select retailers. The headset in its original colourway is available for $79.99 CAD.

The Razer Orochi V2 Quartz Edition is $69.99 USD (roughly $97 CAD) and will be available in October 2022 at Razer.com and at select retailers. The mouse in its original colourway is available for $89.99 CAD.

The Razer Strider Quartz Edition in Large is $29.99 USD (roughly $41 CAD) and will be available in October 2022 at Razer.com and at select retailers. The large-size mat in its original colourway is available for $39.99 CAD.

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Xbox’s Accessibility Showcase is such an important initiative

The second-annual Xbox Accessibility Showcase was held on Thursday, October 13th, spotlighting the gaming giant’s various efforts to make games more inclusive.

During the showcase, which was hosted by Canadian accessibility consultant and content creator Steve Saylor, Xbox boss Phil Spencer spoke about the importance of “making gaming accessible to the over 400 million players with disabilities.” It’s something that a lot of people don’t think about, but it’s nonetheless essential.

After speaking to Steve last year, I’ve come to be more empathetic about the many barriers that disabled communities face in gaming, be it illegible text for the visually impaired, full captions for the deaf or hard of hearing or complex button inputs for those with motor limitations. Many of us take for granted that we can just pick up a controller or keyboard and enjoy a game, and it’s heartbreaking to think of all the reasons why others are less fortunate.

Therefore, I love seeing the industry-leading work that Microsoft does with accessibility, and nowhere is that more apparent than in this showcase.

For context, here’s some of what was revealed at this year’s event:

An image of one of the accessibility features in the game Pentiment, which allows you to choose the type of font.

One of the accessibility features in Pentiment allows you to choose the type of font. (Image credit: Xbox)

This is all wonderful. While the gaming industry has slowly been adopting accessibility, there are still many areas of improvement. For example, in a 2022 Game Developers Conference survey, only 39 percent of respondents said they had implemented accessibility measures into their games. One respondent even “there is still a lot of pushback in implementing accessibility features.” Microsoft doing its part to try to educate more developers about accessibility and make it easier for them to enable it in their games can go a long way — both through the above initiatives and hosting events like Toronto’s #a11yTO conference.

Likewise, more transparency about Xbox and PC games with accessibility features helps disabled players significantly. As Steve told me, accessibility is often an afterthought to companies, and players often don’t find out what assistive features, if any, are included in a game. This means they often have to take a chance on a game in hopes that they can play it, and sometimes, that can result in a waste of time and money when they come across unforeseen barriers.

And to be clear, it’s not just Microsoft doing this. PlayStation has been making big strides with accessibility through the likes of The Last of Us and God of War: Ragnarök, while Ubisoft and Square Enix have done similarly strong work in this area. Hopefully, seeing what Microsoft and these other companies are doing helps inform both the industry and consumers about the significance of accessibility.

With that in mind, I recommend watching the showcase if you have the chance. Plus, with the gaming industry usually being so secretive, it’s cool to follow Steve as he visits the company’s Inclusive Tech Lab and shows you the innovative work that’s being done there. It’s also absolutely worth checking out Steve’s other work — he’s really knowledgeable and likable, so you can learn a lot while being entertained.

Additionally, our interviews with Eidos Montreal and Naughty Dog are remarkably insightful; the developers I spoke to helped teach me a lot about accessibility. In particular, they smartly brought up a few examples of how accessibility features like adjustable subtitles and button remapping can help even those who don’t have disabilities.

Finally, other helpful resources include Can I Play That?, Ubisoft accessibility lead Aderyn Thompson, the AbleGamers charity and the DAGER System.

Image credit: Xbox

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Sony unveils God of War: Ragnarök PlayStation 5 bundle

Sony has revealed a new PlayStation 5 God of War: Ragnarök bundle that’s releasing alongside the game on November 9th.

Revealed in a ‘Next-Gen Immersion’ trailer showcasing Ragnarök on PS5, the bundle includes the disc version of the console with one controller and a digital copy of the upcoming action game. However, it should be noted that both the console and controller are just the standard white models; they’re not themed like the recently revealed Ragnarök gamepad.

PlayStation did not yet confirm a price or retailer availability for the bundle. We’ll update this story once we hear more.

In other news, developer Sony Santa Monica confirmed last week that Ragnarök has gone gold, meaning it’s officially ready for release next month. The game’s predecessor, God of War, was released on PS4 in April 2018.

God of War: Ragnarök takes place three years after the events of the 2018 game and follows Kratos and Atreus as they seek to prevent the end of all worlds while contending with new godly threats. While the game is also coming to PS4, the PS5 version will offer 4K, 3D Audio and haptic feedback.

Image credit: PlayStation