game consoles
Latest
ICYMI: Catch up on a busy week of console and phone reviews
All the gadgets we've reviewed this week, including the Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5 and the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
8710087100Xbox Series X review: A 4K beast in need of games
The Xbox Series X is the ultimate game console, it just needs more games at launch.
Microsoft discontinues Xbox One X and Xbox One S Digital Edition
Microsoft has officially discontinued the Xbox One X and One S.
Does the Xbox Series X make gaming PCs obsolete?
The Xbox Series X is going to be a beast. On paper, its sheer power blows away most gaming rigs today -- but what does that mean for PC enthusiasts? To be honest, there's still plenty we don't know about the Series X or what the state of PC hardware will be later this year. But based on Microsoft's spec dump last week, we can start making some educated guesses.
Microsoft confirms Xbox Series X will have a 12 teraflop GPU
We already know the Xbox Series X is going to be significantly faster than Microsoft's current consoles, but in a blog post by Xbox head Phil Spencer, the company revealed a few more details about how big of a leap it's going to be. Most notably, Microsoft confirmed that the Series X will feature up to 12 teraflops of GPU performance. Previously, the company only vaguely said it was twice as fast as the Xbox One X, and four times more powerful than the original Xbox One. The new console will be powered by AMD's Zen2 CPU and RDNA 2 GPU architecture, the latter of which isn't yet available on PCs.
The Switch Lite is the cutest console we ever did see
The Switch Lite is exactly what it sounds like: A smaller, more portable version of Nintendo's latest console darling. It forgoes the ability to well, switch, between docked and portable modes, in exchange for a sleeker experience. Tl;dr: It's a Switch that can actually fit into your pocket, and that alone will be incredibly appealing to plenty of gamers. And, as a nice bonus, it's also freaking adorable.
Satoru Iwata talks Wii U design, guts a console for context
Nintendo's top dog Satoru Iwata recently sat down with some of his R&D crew to talk about designing the Wii U, and unfortunately, a console was sacrificed in the process. The discussion focuses on what changes they've made this time 'round, including the new multi-core CPU and GPU module, and how they fitted more cooling gear in a body smaller than the Wii as a result. In addition to some nice teardown pics for illustrative purposes, they muse on moving to HD, part testing, case design and how the GamePad is more of a companion than a controller. We don't want to spoil the whole bit, so head to the source link for the full transcript, or check out the gallery below if you just want the visuals.
Nielsen says game consoles get men to use TV more: hurray, we think
We're not sure if we should always cheer figures that reflect sedentary behavior. Still, chalk one up for greater (if superficial) gender equality. Nielsen finds that, as of this past March, men who owned a modern game console like the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 or Wii were using their TVs almost as much as women: while males in the broader population typically spend 37 fewer minutes in front of the big screen every day than females, that gap shrank to a negligible 11 minutes when console use came into play. Unfortunately, the agency doesn't say just what's getting men to tune in for that much longer. Gaming is the most likely culprit, but a raft of streaming video options could have some of those refined couch potatoes watching Hulu or Netflix instead of playing one more round of Gears of War. If consoles have people of all genders spending more time together, we're in favor of it; given that men still spend over twice as much time on consoles as women, though, it's clear there's still a bridge to cross if we want more of a balance in the kinds of TV activity we enjoy.
SlingPlayer survey hints at possible expansion to game consoles
We haven't exactly been lacking in SlingPlayer-supporting devices as of late, but it looks like the placeshifting service could possibly be set to expand to an entirely new area: game consoles. That word comes from a new Sling survey obtained by Zatz Not Funny, which attempts to gauge customers' interest in a SlingPlayer app for game consoles (it specifically asks if they own an Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or Wii). As you might expect, however, details are light beyond that, with the survey only mentioning that such an app would let you watch video from your SlingBox in full HD, and that you'd naturally be able to control it with your console's controller. Of course, while it does come directly from Sling itself, it is also still just a survey, so we wouldn't recommend getting your hopes up too much for the time being.
Nintendo's Miyamoto: we're focused on a 3DS sequel, not a refresh
Every gamer knows the Nintendo handheld routine: there's always one major new model followed by endless revisions as the console legend improves whatever was flaky in the original. Right? If so, Mario maker Shigeru Miyamoto may be breaking that streak. He tells IGN that he's "satisfied" with the 3DS' hardware and that current thought at Nintendo is swinging towards a true replacement. That puts at least a momentary damper on Nikkei's claims of an extra-large 3DS coming soon, but it's good news for gamers used to waiting several years between major platform generations. With Nintendo taking a bruising from smartphones and tablets, new hardware likely can't come quickly enough.
Lenovo's Eedoo CT510 motion gaming console to finally hit China, wants your $600
Product delays that push back release dates a full year are never good. What's worse? When that product finally does launch and even someone inside the company votes against it. That's exactly what's going down with the CT510 GameBox, the Eedoo Kinect competitor for the Chinese market. Though it's gone through a fair share of reincarnations before arriving at its current config (it was formerly known as the eBox), the final package has a dual-core CPU, a minimum of 250GB in HDD storage and a 3D GPU, and comes pre-installed with eight games and ten apps. All told, it will cost a cool 3,799 yuan ($600) when it ships on April 29th -- some very ambitious pricing, considering that the imported Xbox with Kinect (the console isn't officially available in China) already sells for about $459 in China, according to M.I.C. Gadget. A director from the Lenovo-backed company seems to agree: in a Sina Weibo poll asking users whether they'd buy the product (pictured after the break), he selected the answer, "No way! Price-to-performance ratio too low." Though to be fair, the gentleman later clarified that it was an honest mistake, and that his company is targeting the high-end family users instead of the core gamers. Well, we shall let the sales figures do the talking.
Nintendo sold four million 3DS consoles, 4.5 million Wiis in US last year
We've been (somewhat) taken with Nintendo's dual-screen handheld's 3D screen, AR features and overall unique experience, but it appears that the 3DS has been a real boon to gamers, with more than four million U.S. consumers picking up the console since it hit stores in March of last year. 3DS games like Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7, which sold more than one million units each in the US alone, were also incredibly popular, along with the aging Wii, which made its way to 4.5 million additional U.S. households in 2011. All told, Nintendo sold more than 12 million consoles stateside last year, and has solid hopes for an equally successful 2012. As always, you can get your fill of warm and fuzzy PR magic just past the break.
Love Hulten shows off R-Kaid-6 game console, resurrects Octorok from 'Zelda'
In a perfect world, you could have a cool, original retro gaming peripheral and impress the sort-of-snooty steampunk nerds at the same time. That day has arrived to do just that, as Love Hultén has created a new wooden video game console called the R-Kaid-6. Inspired by various retro game consoles, the R-Kaid-6 features a custom version of the Maximus Arcade front-end for emulators and runs on PC innards from 2001. The unit also sports customized cables and two arcade joysticks that can be stored in the top of the base unit when not in use. So far, there's no set price for the R-Kaid-6, though the website states that the creator can be contacted if you're interested in purchasing the works displayed. Take a look, and remember that even the most annoying Modern Warfare 3 opponent screaming epithets at you over Xbox Live has to respect retro gaming goodness in its purest form.
Microsoft Xbox 360 successor rumored to arrive in 2012, make an appearance at CES?
Go get the salt... it's Xbox rumor time! Today, we're hearing that Microsoft's Xbox 360 successor may be hitting stores in late 2012, according to Edge, with an initial announcement possibly to come at CES. Next December would be a couple years shy of the 10-year time frame Microsoft reps have quoted for the 360's life cycle in the past, and we haven't heard much about this rumored CES announcement until now, so we're not inclined to take either of these reports too seriously. Ubisoft may have Microsoft-supplied dev kits, according to Edge, so perhaps there is some truth to the rumors. We don't have long to wait until that massive consumer electronics gathering in Vegas at this point, though, so it's only a matter of time before the rumor mills begin shifting their launch expectations to 2013.
Microsoft Xbox turns X years old today, celebrates decade of console prowess
One decade ago today, on November 15, 2001, the Xbox gaming console was born, hitting stores across North America on the same day. That Pentium III-based black box found its way into tens of millions of living rooms around the world, and wasn't discontinued until after its successor was announced in 2005. Now, halfway through its lifecycle, the Xbox 360 is still selling strong -- perhaps spurred by the company's release of Kinect in 2010 -- with about four years left to go before Microsoft is expected to unleash its nex-gen console. An updated system may be inevitable, but regardless of what's inside, we wouldn't be surprised to see Microsoft's blockbuster game machine don its familiar Xbox handle for decennia to come.%Gallery-139419%
Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard update video leaks, tours Metro in silence
Last month, we sat down with Microsoft for a quick look at the Xbox's upcoming Dashboard update -- it was sleek, searchable, and extremely camera shy. A quick trip to Europe seems to have cured it of its bashful ways, however, and the budding update can now be seen in a slightly blurry piece of French cinema. This leaked video shows a Dashboard with a smidge more polish than the demo we saw in September, and silently plods on without so much as a bleep or bloop. Our mute host briefly peeks at the Xbox Live Marketplace, casually glances at the Bing search page and scrolls leisurely through the new Dash's very Metro menu. The whole shebang is en français, of course, and the update's snappy voice-control gimmick is sadly absent. Sure, there's not a lot of depth here, but if you want a glimpse of what's coming when the update drops later this Fall, it's definitely worth a look. [Thanks, John]
Gamer stuffs PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles into one case, clears shelf space for the trifecta
Sure, we've all thought about how nice it would be to have our PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles in the same enclosure. But, as many similar thoughts go, we left it at that. Not content with letting a good thought simmer, Reddit user timofend accepted the challenge and built himself a gaming mega-machine -- he stuffed the new slim model of Microsoft's console into a PC tower alongside an older 80GB PS3. Looking to save some funds in the process, the über-gamer skipped out on a liquid cooling system -- but he notes that when both machines are running simultaneously, they each hover around 100 degrees Farhenheit (38 degrees Celsius). Hey, we're not complaining... but really, timofend, can we please see a NES / Dreamcast / O.G. PlayStation combo in your next masterpiece? To take a peek under the hood, hit the gallery below. %Gallery-132729%
GameStop breaks out the bundles for Black Friday, but not the cream of the crop
GameStop's Black Friday ad leaked out a few days early, and there are some pretty decent deals if you're buying a new console -- each of Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo's systems come with pack-in games, and they're fairly good ones too. Still, the items your gadget-loving soulmate truly wants under the festive hearth are nowhere to be found in the ad -- so don't be surprised if you have to pay top dollar if you're planning on grabbing a commemorative red Wii, hacker-friendly Kinect or a PlayStation Move as part of your holiday haul.
Computer World: Apple is "taking over the game market"
Will Apple one day soon supplant Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony as the king of the gaming market? ComputerWorld's Jonny Evans makes a good argument for that outcome in his latest column. As portable devices like the iPhone and iPad get increasingly powerful, the games that can be played directly on them are looking better all the time. Just in terms of portable game sales, iOS devices easily beat the Sony PSP in volume and are competitive with, if not beating, long time champion Nintendo. Looking forward, the horsepower of console systems will likely increase but it may not be enough to help stay afloat. Apple will shortly be rolling out AirPlay which allows media to be sent from the portable device to an Apple TV. There is no reason that AirPlay can't be expanded to include sending games from the iPad screen to the big screen. It's also probable that Apple will add app downloads to the Apple TV itself which could potentially allow the handheld device to simply be the controller. Services like OnLive are already demonstrating that a fast internet pipe and a server farm can take the place of the local console. Apple still hasn't revealed what it plans to do with its North Carolina data center, but there is no reason why it couldn't support high-end gaming in addition to streaming music and video. It's looking like the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii may well be the last generation of the traditional gaming console.
Sky TV arriving on Xbox 360 in mid-October according to SkyMag; Twitter, Facebook & Zune to follow?
Live Sky TV viewing via Xbox 360 didn't make it into the most recent dashboard update, readers report page 17 of the network's most recent SkyMag indicates it will arrive around mid-October. Additional details flesh out what's available, while all Xbox Live Gold members (in the appropriate areas) will get access to the Sky Player similar to the PC implementation, you will need a Sky subscription with the appropriate channels to view sports and movie content. Look out for more updates at the skyplayer.com/xbox360 site, while those of us beyond the network's reach wonder whether we can expect other features like Twitter (you're following us, right?) Facebook and 1080p instant-on movie streaming to arrive at roughly the same time. [Thanks, David]
