Razer’s new gaming earbuds include a low-latency dongle

Wireless earbuds aren’t usually your best choice for PC gaming audio between the lag and the lack of Bluetooth on some desktops. Razer thinks it has a simple solution, though: throw in a dongle. The company has introducedHammerhead Pro HyperSpeed buds that include a 2.4GHz RF adapter to plug into the USB-C port (there’s an included USB-A adapter) on your computer or console. This expands support to more devices, of course, but it also drops latency to 40ms versus 60ms for the Bluetooth-based Gaming Mode. And yes, you can still connect to your phone over Bluetooth if you need to take a call.

These are otherwise similar to the plain Hammerhead Pro earbuds you saw before. They still offer THX-certified sound with customizable active noise cancellation (ANC) levels. This being Razer, there’s Chroma RGB lighting to flaunt your choice of personal audio. How long they last on battery depends on how you’re connected and what you’re using. You can manage up to 6.5 hours of listening on Bluetooth with ANC and lighting disabled, with 24 hours of extra power from a wireless charging-capable case. That drops to 3.5 hours with ANC and lighting enabled, and using the dongle shrinks that runtime to between three and four hours (plus 11 to 14.5 hours from the case).

The Hammerhead Pro Hyperspeed earbuds are available now for $200. That’s a solid price if you’re looking for do-it-all earbuds that can work with both your phone and your home gaming PC. With that said, there are options that can sound better or last longer if you’re happy to stick to Bluetooth. Razer’s latest option is more for those who’d rather not buy a separate gaming headset.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/razers-new-gaming-earbuds-include-a-low-latency-dongle-172423306.html?src=rss 

‘Diablo IV’ review: A mechanically perfect romp through a shallow world

In an interview with The Guardian more than a decade ago, Warren Spector, the director and producer of Deus Ex, said his dream game would take place in one city block. “There are people who are trying to simulate massive worlds at a level of an inch per mile,” Spector told journalist Keith Stuart. “I don’t get it. I really want deep worlds that you can interact with.”

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about those comments while playing Diablo IV. Blizzard’s latest is easily one of the best games the studio has released in about a decade, but I can’t help imagining what Diablo IV could have been if it were a smaller, more focused experience.

The story of Diablo IV opens decades after the end of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, with the world of Sanctuary still reeling from the events of that game. Structurally, the narrative that unfolds is similar to Diablo II. Following a visit to a remote village, your character sets off after the demon Lilith – who is the daughter of Mephisto, one of the Prime Evils you defeated in Diablo II. More often than not, your character finds they’re one step behind Lilith, leading to predictably dire results.

I won’t say much more about Diablo IV’s story other than to note Blizzard smartly grounded it in the tragedy of its human characters. When the narrative calls on elements from past games, it does so in ways that feel natural and earned. Lilith is also a great antagonist. Every time she appeared on-screen, I felt a sense of unease waiting to see what kind of calculated cruelty she’d inflict on those unlucky enough to cross her path. If you only end up playing Diablo IV for its story, I think you will enjoy the experience, but if you decide to veer off its critical path, be prepared to play through a lot of uninspired content.

If you tried Diablo IV during one of the open betas Blizzard held in recent months, you’ve seen most of what the game’s open world has to offer as you’re leveling your character. Did you encounter a world event in the Fractured Peaks that tasked you with protecting a group of villagers hiding under their carts? Guess what – you’ll find another group just like that one again in Scosglen, the game’s second zone, and in other areas, too. I bet you played through a few optional dungeons. Well, there are more than 100 in the full game, and most feature a limited combination of layouts and objectives. World bosses and camps are more fun to complete, but there are far fewer of them than all the other content present in the game. The post-campaign adds more things to do like helltides and nightmare dungeons, but those increase the difficulty of the content, rather than introducing something substantially new.

Sometimes you’ll discover some interesting lore, a nifty bit of environmental storytelling or a named enemy that will drop an item with unique flavor text, but those moments are few and far between. I kept waiting for Diablo IV’s world to surprise me, to do something unexpected. The closest the game came to scratching that itch was when it sent the Butcher, a boss that shows up in nearly every Diablo game, to murder my character in an optional dungeon I was exploring. Even though my barbarian didn’t survive the encounter, I wanted more moments like that. Instead, the game seemed dead set on offering me an endless checklist of samey content if I ever decided to strike off on my own.

Blizzard Entertainment

That frustration is palpable while playing Diablo IV because so much of the game is immediately compelling. Nearly every inch of its open world is striking, with some of the most detailed and creative assets Blizzard has ever produced. Add to that a soundtrack that is haunting and evocative, and you have an experience that’s begging for players to inhabit it.

Maybe it’s my fault for expecting a live service game to offer something more substantive, but everywhere in Diablo IV, you see evidence that the people who spent years of their lives working on this project wanted the same thing. Just look at character creation. Clearly, the intention here was to allow players to make their druid, barbarian, sorcerer, rogue or necromancer look exactly like they’ve always appeared in their imaginations. Diablo IV offers a dizzying amount of visual customization for each class. In addition to all of the items, you can give your character different hairstyles and tattoos, and modify their skin tone, eye color and other attributes. Add in the transmog system, which allows you to transform the appearance of items to make them look like ones you’ve found in the past, and I can guarantee no two characters will look alike.

Blizzard obviously also put a lot of thought into player agency, allowing each class to be played in a variety of ways. The Aspects system is one of Diablo IV’s most compelling features: By completing dungeons and finding legendary items, you will collect item affixes that modify how skills work, and they’re transferable among your inventory. Some of these can completely change how your build functions. After some initial frustration, I found a build that allowed my barbarian to make short work of both hordes of monsters and Diablo IV’s spongy bosses, and I had a lot of fun with the game. I just wish there was more to do in Diablo IV’s world other than kill countless monster hordes. After all, role-playing has always been part of the ARPG genre.

Blizzard Entertainment

One last thing I want to note is that I played a version of Diablo IV that did not include any of the microtransactions the final build will feature. If you haven’t followed that aspect of the game’s development, I wrote about Blizzard’s monetization plans for Diablo IV last year. In short, Diablo IV is a full-priced game that also happens to feature an in-game shop and seasonal passes. Blizzard has promised that none of the cosmetic items you can buy in the shop or earn by completing the paid track of a season pass will grant “direct or indirect” gameplay advantages. The studio was also quick to note the shop and season pass will offer “more diversity of choices, not systematically better choices” for customizing your character. After Diablo Immortal, I’m fine with this setup, but I know some people will be put off by the presence of a season pass.

I don’t want to give you the wrong impression of my time with Diablo IV; I enjoyed nearly every moment of it. In a lot of ways, it’s the Diablo game I’ve been dreaming of ever since I first set foot in the world of Sanctuary back in 1997. But it is also a reminder of all the ways Blizzard has changed since I first encountered its games. There’s no way the company that released Diablo II in 2000 and even Diablo III in 2012 could have created a game of Diablo IV’s scale, but sheer size is not what makes Diablo IV enjoyable. So often, that scale works against the game, resulting in a world that is, as Warren Spector might say, simulated at a level of an inch per mile.

Diablo IV will be available on PC, PlayStation and Xbox on June 6th.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/diablo-iv-review-a-mechanically-perfect-romp-through-a-shallow-world-160017353.html?src=rss 

‘Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart’ is coming to PC on July 26th

Fresh on the heels of an in-depth look at Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 gameplay, there’s more news from the Insomniac Games camp. The studio’s previous title, 2021’s Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, is coming to PC on July 26th.

As is often the case with PC versions of PlayStation exclusives, there are some extra bells and whistles here. There are new “ray-traced shadows for natural light in outdoor areas” which allow for “realistic shadows with natural gradients in softness,” as Julian Huijbregts, an online community specialist at Nixxes (the Sony studio that’s working on the port), notes on the PlayStation Blog. The gameplay and cutscenes have been optimized for ultra-wide displays, including aspect ratios of 21:9, 32:9 and even 48:9 for triple-monitor setups.

Along with unlocked framerates, there’s support for upscaling tech including NVIDIA DLSS 3, AMD FSR 2, Intel XeSS and Insomniac’s own Temporal Injection, as well as NVIDIA Reflex and NVIDIA DLAA anti-aliasing. You can opt to use a keyboard and mouse with fully customizable controls or a controller. Plug in a DualSense, and you’ll be able to experience the same haptic feedback and dynamic trigger effects that you would on PS5.

I finally got around to playing Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart after it hit PlayStation Plus recently and enjoyed it immensely. It’s a breathtakingly gorgeous game with strong combat, captivating characters and a smart script. Insomniac also makes better use of the DualSense’s capabilities than most studios.

Fingers crossed that Insomniac and Nixxes can avoid the kinds of technical issues that have plagued PC versions of other Sony games. The Last of Us Part 1 (Iron Galaxy worked with Naughty Dog on that port) and Horizon Zero Dawn, which Nixxes helped to fix, both had notable problems at the outset on PC.

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart relies on the speedy load times of the PlayStation 5 to make the dimension-hopping feature work seamlessly. With that (and the stellar visuals) in mind, it’s likely that you’ll need a beefy gaming rig to get the most out of the port. So, it’s probably worth waiting for Sony to reveal the PC specs before locking in a pre-order on Steam or the Epic Games Store.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ratchet-and-clank-rift-apart-is-coming-to-pc-on-july-26th-162146036.html?src=rss 

The best mobile microphones for 2023

If you consider yourself a mobile creator and you’re not using some sort of dedicated microphone, you might be holding yourself back. We’re not judging, but your audience likely is. Audio, especially dialog, is often overlooked, but if you want true, high-quality content, you need good sound. There are many, many options for the home or office/studio, but there are a surprising amount of mobile-specific (or at least, mobile-friendly) solutions out there to elevate your on-the-go recordings be that for social, a jam session, live streaming, making movies, podcasting and beyond.

What “the best mic for your iPhone or Android” is will vary depending on the task you need it for. If you want to record a TikTok or a Podcast or even a jam session, all have slightly different needs but the selection below covers most bases (and maybe even a few you didn’t think of yet) for recording high-quality sound with little more than a mobile phone.

The gear

This guide is all about recording on the go, free from the constraints of a studio or office, but also far away from luxuries like power outlets, acoustically friendly rooms and a full-size PC. As such there are two styles of microphone that really shine here: Lavalier (lapel) and shotgun. We’ll be covering a few other types, too, but between those, most tasks are covered.

We’ll also show you how you can use the USB mics you may already have with your phone and even ways to connect heavy-duty studio classics (XLR) to your humble handset, but all that will be through accessories. For now, let’s start with the classic clip mics.

James Trew / Engadget

Lavalier mics

The obvious benefit of a lapel mic is size. Their small profile makes them perfect for presenting to the camera with the flexibility to move around while maintaining consistent audio quality. If you’re a budding TikTok or YouTube creator it’s definitely worth having one of these in your bag.

The main trade-off, however, is that they’re only good for recording the person they’re attached to. If you have two people talking and only one is wearing the mic, you’ll only get good audio for one half of the conversation, so for multi-person recordings you’ll need a mic for each guest and a way to record them at the same time, so costs can go up quickly.

Fortunately, lapel mics have become a very competitive market with good, viable options costing as little as $14.95. For an absolute bargain with a long cord and some connectivity accessories, the Boya BY M1 is hard to argue with. But, while these budget choices are great value, if you want something that should either last longer, is more versatile or just sounds better it’s worth paying a little bit more.

Best 3.5mm mic: Rode Lavalier II

Rode’s Lavalier II is a slick-looking low-profile lavalier that sounds great. At $99, it’s somewhere in the sweet spot between budget and higher-end clip-on options. It’s easy to recommend the Lavalier II just on its sound alone, but it comes with a rugged case and a good selection of accessories. For even more flexibility you can pair this with Rode’s AI Micro interface ($79) which provides easy connection to an iPhone or Android (or even PCs) and adds support for a second mic – perfect for recording podcasts or interviews.

Best USB-C mic: Sennheiser XS

At $60, Sennheiser’s XS (USB-C) lav mic is fairly affordable, sounds great and plugs right into your phone (or laptop) without needing an adapter. This not only makes it convenient but reduces the overall cost as you don’t need a headphone adapter for your phone. What’s more, the XS has a 2-meter long cable which gives you plenty of scope for movement or framing.

A word on wireless systems

James Trew / Engadget

Recently there has been an explosion in mobile-friendly wireless systems but there are two we really like. The first is Rode’s Wireless GO II. Arguably the original defined this category, but the second generation improves on it with two wireless transmitters making this podcast and interview friendly. This wireless microphone is also incredibly versatile as it doubles as a standalone recorder, can be mounted in a camera cold shoe and even has its own “reporter” mic adapter. Oh, and you can make any 3.5mm mic (including the lavaliers above) wireless by plugging it into one of the receivers.

The second is the Mikme Pocket. This Austrian-designed pack is a high-end wireless lavalier microphone system designed to be particularly mobile-friendly. There’s a comprehensive app for both video and audio recording and internal storage so you won’t ever experience dropouts. It also means you can enjoy a practically infinite range. At $399 it’s a higher spend, but if high-quality audio and near-infinite range are what you need then this is the one.

Adapters

So we’ve already touched on this with the AI Micro, which is an adapter of sorts. One of the first things you might bump up against when dealing with mobile audio accessories is TRRS vs TRS connectors. Simply put, 3.5mm TRS is what you might know as the age-old classic headphone connector while TRRS became common for its support for headsets and inline mics. You can easily tell them apart as TRS connectors have two black bands on them while a TRRS has three.

For you, the budding creator, it can be a bit of an annoyance as many 3.5mm lavaliers are going to be TRS and won’t work when plugged into your phone’s headphone adapter. Sometimes your lavalier might include what you need in the box, but otherwise, you’ll want to pick up a TRS to TRRS adapter like this. Of course, some smartphone-specific mics have TRRS connectors already – for those, you’ll want a cable that goes the other way should you want to use it with other devices like a DSLR.

Shotgun mics

James Trew / Engadget

You may be more familiar with shotgun mics when it comes to video recording. It’s the style of microphone most often found atop a DSLR or mirrorless camera, but they make great companions for other portable devices too, your cell phone included.

The benefit of a shotgun is that they tend to be highly directional, which makes them perfect for podcasts, recording instruments, foley sounds and much, much more.

For us mobile recordists, another benefit is that they tend to be light and portable, perfect for slipping into a backpack or even a laptop bag. Even better, there are some great mobile-specific options.

Best shotgun mic for video/music: Sennheiser MKE 400 (2nd gen)

You shouldn’t buy a mic just because of how it looks, but the MKE 400 from Sennheiser ($200) definitely makes its rivals look wimpy. More important than aesthetics, though, is how it sounds and the MKE 400 records very cleanly without obvious coloration to the audio. What’s more, the battery-powered mic won’t steal power from your phone or camera, and with three gain levels to choose from you can boost things when needed, or avoid clipping on louder subjects. The MKE 400 also comes with both TRS and TRRS cables for compatibility with a variety of devices.

The MKE 400’s physical gain controls and high pass filter (unlike the other two below that are updated via an app) take the stress out of worrying if your audio source moves or changes volume as you can adjust that on the fly. If you’re a musician looking to record loud drums and then softer vocals on the move, for example, these tactile gain settings are a massive plus.

Best budget shotgun mic: Rode VideoMic GO II

When we tested the VideoMic GO II we were surprised at just how good it sounded right out of the box. At $100 it rivals many desktop microphones that cost three times the price. You’ll need a companion app to change settings, otherwise this performs well across the board.

Best shotgun mic for portability: Shure MV88+

Not to be confused with the older MV88 that plugged directly into a Lightning port, the MV88+ is a mini shotgun mic made with the smartphone in mind. Often sold as a vlogging kit ($249) with a tripod and phone grip, the MV88+ has modular cables for connecting directly to Androids and iPhones.

Desktop and USB mics go mobile

James Trew / Engadget

Mobile-specific mics are great, but there’s nothing stopping you from using the mic you might already have (if it’s somewhat portable). You’ll definitely need to do a little dance with some adapters, but that’s half the fun. Below are a couple of recommendations for “regular” microphones that pair well with a phone and then the cables and adapters that you’ll need to get setup.

Apogee HypeMic

Arguably, there are few microphones that are could be described as “mobile-friendly” than the HypeMic from Apogee. While it looks like a regular handheld mic, it’s actually deceivingly small, making it very light and portable. It also comes with cables to directly connect it to iPhones and Android handsets — no adapters needed. Don’t let the small size deceive you though, the HypeMic has a big trick up its sleeve: a built-in analog compressor for professional-sounding vocals. Whether you record podcasts, vocals or instruments there’s a setting on the HypeMic just for you. At $349 it’s a little on the spendy side, but you get a very versatile device that’s just as useful for the desktop too.

Samson Q2U

This dynamic mic is a favorite with podcasters, with many production companies using it as their standard mic to send out to remote guests thanks to its excellent quality to value performance. The Q2U features both USB and XLR connectivity making it versatile for both desktop and mobile applications, but it’s the former we’re interested in here as that’s what allows you to connect it to your phone with nothing more than a USB cable and an adapter (see below).

What’s more, the Q2U is solid enough to endure a little bit of rough and tumble, so will happily live in the bottom of your backpack ready for when you need it. Meanwhile, the handheld design is versatile enough it can turn its hand to singing/instruments, podcasts, interviews and more.

Tula

You may not be familiar with the name, but Tula snuck into our hearts with its versatile, vintage inspired debut microphone. From a mobile perspective, the Tula connects to Androids directly over USB-C or iPhones with the right USB-C to Lightning cable (more on this below) or a USB “camera kit” adapter. What makes the Tula special is that it’s also a desktop mic and portable recorder with lavalier input and 8GB of storage and even features noise cancellation – perfect for cutting down on outside background sounds. With the Tula you could theoretically have one mic for home, mobile and standalone recording.

IK Multimedia iRig Pre 2

If you already have a stash of XLR mics or really do need a studio condenser mic with phantom power then the iRig Pre 2 is a portable interface that will feed any XLR mic into your phone. It runs off two AA batteries which it uses to supply phantom power when needed and won’t drain your phone. There’s also a headphone port for monitoring, gain controls and LEDs to help prevent clipping.

A word on cables

James Trew / Engadget

Connecting USB microphones directly to phones is rarely as simple as just one cable, although that’s starting to become more common. In general, Android makes this simpler, but also, thanks to the wide range of manufacturers and software versions you can’t always guarantee things will work smoothly.

The iPhone is a whole other situation. USB microphones have a good chance of working via the USB camera kit we mentioned earlier, but that’s still inelegant sometimes. Frustratingly, some USB-C to Lightning cables will play nice with microphones, but sadly most will not – including Apple’s own. One confirmed option is this cable from Fiio or this generic alternative. These are inexpensive enough that it’s worth having a couple around if you work with audio a lot (they of course can also be used to charge your phone as a bonus).

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-mobile-microphones-for-recording-with-a-phone-154536629.html?src=rss 

Sony’s new WH-CH720N wireless headphones drop to $128 at Amazon

Sony’s latest mid-range headphones are already a solid deal at their normal price, and now they’ve received a significant discount. As part of a wider sale on Sony audio, Amazon is offering the WH-CH720N over-ears for $128, or $22 off. That’s the best price we’ve seen, and makes them an easy choice for commuting or studying.

The WH-CH720N headphones sound great despite costing half as much as Sony’s flagship WH-1000XM5 model, with strong bass yet clear details and a wide soundstage. They’re comfortable for long listening sessions, and the 35 hours of battery life with active noise cancellation (ANC) means you can use them for multiple workdays without plugging in.

There are areas where Sony’s cost-cutting is obvious. While the ANC is usually good, it struggles with human voices. The hard plastic construction doesn’t feel premium, and you’ll lose conveniences like automatic pausing when you remove the headphones or start speaking. You still get multi-device Bluetooth pairing, though, and there’s 360 Reality Audio (read: spatial audio) with compatible streaming services. At this price, there’s little room to complain — you’re getting a lot for your money.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonys-new-wh-ch720n-wireless-headphones-drop-to-128-at-amazon-134526140.html?src=rss 

The best Nintendo Switch controllers for every player level

The Nintendo Switch is pretty popular, but its included Joy-Cons aren’t for everyone. Some players feel the detachable controllers are a bit small for their hands. Many players miss having a regular D-pad. Whatever your reasons for wanting to upgrade your Switch controller situation, know that there are alternatives — it’s just a matter of picking the one that fits your needs. We tested out a bunch of options to see which are the best Nintendo Switch controllers for your money.

For casual gaming: Joy-Cons

Kris Naudus / Engadget

Honestly, there’s a lot to like about the included Switch Joy-Cons. They come right in the box and can be separated from the system so two gamers can play. The system also includes a special gamepad grip so you can hold them in your hand like any standard game controller. So if you are in fact, happy with your Joy-Cons, there’s no need to switch them out. Just tweak them a little depending on your needs. Find them a tad too small? FastSnail’s matte rubber shells can make them a little easier for large hands to hold, and Hori’s Analog Caps can make the thumb sticks grippier.

There’s really no good way to replace the Joy-Cons entirely with a third-party copy. Some Joy-Con-like controllers won’t connect wirelessly, while others lack key features like vibration or an NFC reader. But there are some tradeoffs that are worth it. For example, if you like to play a lot of 2D platformers in handheld mode, Hori’s D-pad controller will restore the beloved cross-shaped directional button to your gameplay. If you’re looking for something that’s also more comfortable in your hand, the company’s Split Pad Pro is also worth a look. It has a D-pad on the left side and a more ergonomic grip than your standard set of Joy-Cons. But it also makes the entire assembled Switch a lot chunkier.

If you like to play your Switch with groups (or you’ve experienced the dreaded “drift” issue), chances are you’ve picked up one or two extra pairs of Joy-Cons. Which means you’re going to need a place to charge the spares in between gaming sessions. PowerA makes an excellent $25 charging station that can be plugged into your Switch dock (or any device with a USB port) and handles four Joy-Con-like controllers at once — that includes third-party gamepads as well as Nintendo’s own Switch-compatible NES controllers (see below).

For action-packed games: Pro-level controllers

Kris Naudus / Engadget

Sometimes you just want a standard controller to play your favorite action titles — and standard in 2020 means something like you’d get packed in with an Xbox, with grips for the heels of your hands, shoulder buttons and triggers, two thumb sticks, a set of four buttons on the right and a D-pad on the left. Nintendo knows that, which is why it created the Pro Controller. This first-party gamepad pairs easily with the Switch and features a D-pad on the left, while still maintaining features like the infrared sensor and HD rumble functionality that might go missing on third-party alternatives. The only downside of the Nintendo Switch Pro controller is the $70 price, but avid players of games like Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will appreciate the refined controls and increased comfort.

While you can plug your Pro Controller directly into your Switch dock to charge, it’s not the most elegant solution. PowerA also makes an attractive $25 dock that accommodates both Joy-Cons and the Pro Controller, which should keep your gaming area nice and tidy.

If the price tag of the Pro Controller is a bit rich for your blood (or it’s out of stock), PowerA makes its own version with the same arrangement of buttons. The Enhanced Wireless Controller skips the rechargeable battery in favor of AAs, which has its downsides, but at least when it runs low on juice you can just pop in a new pair of batteries and get right back to gaming. Unfortunately, there’s no USB-C port to connect with so you’ll have to pair the device wirelessly — which can be finicky and may take a few tries before your Switch recognizes the controller. It also lacks vibration, so you won’t get tactile feedback in games where it’s helpful. And the plus and minus buttons are placed a bit closer to the center, so those with smaller hands will have to reach a bit further to press them.

If you’d prefer not to have to recharge — or buy batteries for — your gamepad, PowerA also makes a wired version of the same controller that connects via USB. It’s got the same look and feel, but you won’t have to struggle as much with getting your console to recognize it, and there’s no potential for wireless lag, making it ideal for fast-paced shooters and fighting games. The included cord is 10 feet long so it should reach most couches just fine.

While most third-party controllers tend to mimic the Xbox style of gamepad, anyone more familiar with the PlayStation’s distinctive DualShock design will probably prefer the $50 Pro 2 from 8BitDo. The retro-styled controller has the same general layout as the classic SNES gamepad, but adds twin thumb sticks, palm grips, back buttons, control remapping and even sensitivity adjustments. It’s truly the Swiss Army knife of Switch controllers.

For old school gaming: Niche and retro controllers

Kris Naudus / Engadget

Twenty years later and the preferred controller layout for Super Smash Bros. players is still the one made for the GameCube, which is why today it’s still possible to buy new gamepads straight from Nintendo. The Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Edition GameCube Controller is identical in layout and design to the original gamepads, though now it connects via USB so it can be used with the Switch. The only downside to the reissue is that it doesn’t come in a bold shade of purple anymore.

However, if you’re still sporting a classic GameCube controller with its proprietary connector, you can also pick up an adapter that will let your Switch accommodate up to four old-school gamepads. Nintendo sells one on its store, but the Y Team controller adapter is also a good alternative that costs less and can be bought at Amazon.

But you might not want to be tethered to your console — especially if you have fond memories of kicking back on your couch with a Wavebird in hand to play GameCube games like Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Killer 7. PowerA’s Nintendo GameCube-Style wireless controller is the closest you can get to recreating that feeling short of plugging a few RF dongles into a GameCube adapter.

What if your retro tastes go even further back, say to the NES and SNES era? If you’re subscribed to Nintendo Online, you have access to over 100 classic titles, so you might want a more “authentic” controller to use with them. Nintendo Online subscribers can buy retro-style wireless gamepads directly from the company, though the $60 set of two small, rectangular NES controllers will remind you why we’ve moved on from that design. The dog-bone shape of the $30 SNES model is more hand friendly and can still be used with the NES games, so it’s a better use of your funds should you decide you want to recreate your childhood gaming experiences.

If you don’t need an exact copy of your beloved childhood gamepads it’s worth looking at 8BitDo instead: It makes a variety of classic-styled controllers that add just enough modern features to make them useful for a wider variety of games. Its models are almost all wireless, and there are some design changes to make the controllers more comfortable and easier to use. We’ve already recommended the DualShock-like Pro 2, but the SN30 Pro also offers features like dual thumb sticks and vibration in the dog-bone controller style.

If you’re looking for a more portable controller alternative, the $25 8BitDo Lite is smaller and swaps out the thumb sticks for two D-pads, keeping the four button arrangement on each side. It’s great for 2D games and it even matches the color scheme of the Switch Lite. 

Before you try any of the top picks listed in this guide, remember to update your Switch to the latest firmware — the 8BitDo controllers will run on any version, but the PowerA gamepads need your system to run at least version 6.0.0.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-nintendo-switch-controllers-160034389.html?src=rss 

AI presents ‘risk of extinction’ on par with nuclear war, industry leaders say

With the rise of ChatGPT, Bard and other large language models (LLMs), we’ve been hearing warnings from the people involved like Elon Musk about the risks posed by artificial intelligence (AI). Now, a group of high-profile industry leaders has issued a one-sentence statement effectively confirming those fears.

Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.

It was posted to the Center for AI Safety, an organization with the mission “to reduce societal-scale risks from artificial intelligence,” according to its website. Signatories are a who’s who of the AI industry, including OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman and Google DeepMind head Demis Hassabis. Turing Award-winning researchers Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio, considered by many to be the godfathers of modern AI, also put their names to it. 

It’s the second such statement over the past few months. In March, Musk, Steve Wozniak and more than 1,000 others called for a six-month pause on AI to allow industry and public to effectively catch up to the technology. “Recent months have seen AI labs locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one – not even their creators – can understand, predict, or reliably control,” the letter states.

Though AI is not (likely) self-aware as some have feared, it already presents risks for misuse and harm via deepfakes, automated disinformation and more. The LLMs could also change the way content, art and literature are produced, potentially affecting numerous jobs. 

US President Joe Biden recently stated that “it remains to be seen” if AI is dangerous, adding “tech companies have a responsibility, in my view, to make sure their products are safe before making them public… AI can help deal with some very difficult challenges like disease and climate change, but it also has to address the potential risks to our society, to our economy, to our national security.” In a recent White House meeting, Altman called for regulation of AI due to potential risks. 

With a lot of opinions floating around, the new, brief statement is mean to show a common concern around AI risks, even if the parties don’t agree on what those are.

“AI experts, journalists, policymakers, and the public are increasingly discussing a broad spectrum of important and urgent risks from AI,” a preamble to the statement reads. “Even so, it can be difficult to voice concerns about some of advanced AI’s most severe risks. The succinct statement below aims to overcome this obstacle and open up discussion. It is also meant to create common knowledge of the growing number of experts and public figures who also take some of advanced AI’s most severe risks seriously.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai-presents-risk-of-extinction-on-par-with-nuclear-war-industry-leaders-say-114025874.html?src=rss 

The Morning After: NASA’s SLS rocket is already $6 billion over budget

According to the latest audit from NASA’s inspector general, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket designed to take astronauts to the Moon is substantially over budget and far behind schedule. NASA’s spending on the Artemis Moon Program is expected to reach $93 billion by 2025, including the $23.8 billion already spent on the SLS system through 2022. That sum represents “$6 billion in cost increases and over six years in schedule delays above NASA’s original projections,” says the report.

One of the issues has been integrating older NASA technology with newer systems. “These increases are caused by interrelated issues such as assumptions that the use of heritage technologies… were expected to result in significant cost and schedule savings compared to developing new systems for the SLS,” the audit states. “However, the complexity of developing, updating and integrating new systems along with heritage components proved to be much greater than anticipated.”

The Artemis Moon mission project was based on the Constellation program, launched in 2005 with the goal of returning to the Moon by 2020. Following its cancellation, the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 mandated construction of the SLS and required the repurposing of existing technology, contracts and workforce from Constellation.

– Mat Smith

The Morning After isn’t just a newsletter – it’s also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

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NVIDIA’s generative AI lets gamers converse with NPCs

It replies to natural speech, though the responses are… stilted.

NVIDIA

NVIDIA’s Avatar Cloud Engine (ACE) technology could allow gamers to speak naturally to non-playable characters (NPCs). The company revealed the tech during its generative AI keynote at Computex 2023, showing a demo called Kairos. The dialogue is rather wooden, but feeding voice-based interactions could be an interesting new dynamic in games. It uses NVIDIA NeMo tech for building, customizing and deploying large language models customized with lore and character backstories while using guardrails to protect against inappropriate conversations. It also deploys a speech recognition and speech-to-text tool called Riva, along with NVIDIA’s Omniverse Audio2Face “for instantly creating expressive facial animation of a game character to match any speech track.” Check out how it looks below.

Continue reading.

Tesla will open its Supercharger network to other EVs in Canada

Nearly 3,000 EV chargers are also coming to apartments and offices.

The Canadian government revealed Tesla will open access to some of its existing Supercharger network to other brands’ EVs. This will start later this year with a pilot route between Ottawa, the capital, and Sudbury. There will be 750 opened stations by the end of 2025, and “at least” 350 of those will be speedy 250kW Superchargers. That performance is important, given the focus on long-distance travel. The government is teaming up with partners to help install nearly 3,000 EV chargers in multi-use residential buildings, offices, public places and fleets. The majority of the chargers will be Level 2 with around 100 faster Level 3 outlets.

Continue reading.

WhatsApp test brings screen sharing to Android phones

It’s reportedly rolling out to more users soon.

WhatsApp’s newest update takes a page out of work-centric video call platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. The messaging app is adding a screen-sharing feature that will record and display the contents of your screen with whoever is on the other end of the video call, according to WABetaInfo. Screen sharing is only available to select Android beta testers right now but should roll out to more users in the coming weeks. However, it might not work on older Android models, bigger group calls or with people who don’t have WhatsApp’s latest version.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-nasas-sls-rocket-is-already-6-billion-over-budget-111519603.html?src=rss 

NVIDIA’s G-Sync ULMB 2 aims to minimize motion blur in games

NVIDIA has revealed G-Sync Ultra Low Motion Blur (ULMB) 2, the second generation of tech it designed to minimize motion blur in competitive games. Compared with ULMB, which it released in 2015, the company says the latest version offers nearly twice as much brightness, along with almost no crosstalk — the strobing or double-image effect that sometimes appears when blur reduction features are enabled.

Motion clarity is largely determined by the monitor’s pixel response time. To improve matters, NVIDIA is using “full refresh rate backlight strobing,” which builds on the backlight strobing technique from the original ULMB. Although the previous version of the tech improved motion clarity for many, it needed to switch off the monitor’s backlight 75 percent of the time. This reduced the brightness of the screen.

With ULMB 2, NVIDIA is able to match the display’s refresh rate when it turns the backlight on and off. The aim is to only turn the backlight on when pixels are at the correct color value for each frame. This mitigates crosstalk, as you shouldn’t see pixels when they’re transitioning to the accurate color.

This approach wasn’t really possible with the slower pixel refresh rates of older monitors. ULMB 2 is able to run at the full refresh rate of current displays. On a 360Hz display, each backlight strobe happens every 2.7 milliseconds — a rate that’s imperceptible to the human eye.

What this all boils down to is NVIDIA being able to offer more brightness and an effective motion clarity of over 1000Hz. If you use a 360Hz monitor with ULMB 2 on, NVIDIA says you’ll get an effective motion clarity of 1440Hz. The company claims that, without ULMB 2, you’d need a monitor that’s capable of 1440Hz to get equivalent motion clarity. Given that we’ve only recentlystarted seeing 500Hz monitors, mass-market 1440Hz displays seem quite a ways off.

NVIDIA offered some brief demos of ULMB 2 in action. In the video below, you’ll see what a motorcycle pursuit sequence looks like in slow-motion at 360 frames per second with the feature both off and on.

ULMB 2 is available now as a free update for compatible 1440p, 360Hz G-Sync monitors. Only two such displays are on the market at the minute, NVIDIA says: the Acer Predator XB273U and the ASUS ROG Swift PG27AQN, both of which are 27-inch monitors. The ASUS ROG Swift Pro PG248QP (a 25-inch 1080p, 540Hz display) and the 27-inch AOC AGON AG276QSG G-Sync Monitor are also compatible, and they’ll be available soon.

NVIDIA announced ULMB 2 alongside some AI developments at Computex. The company is developing a supercomputer that’s designed to help companies build generative AI models. It also showed off tech that will enable players to use their microphones and have somewhat realistic conversations with in-game characters.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nvidias-g-sync-ulmb-2-aims-to-minimize-motion-blur-in-games-185800623.html?src=rss 

ARM’s latest CPUs push Android phone makers toward 64-bit only devices

ARM just sent a not-so-subtle warning to Android phone makers still hanging on to 32-bit technology. The company has introduced its first lineup of CPU core designs that are exclusively 64-bit — unlike last year, there’s no legacy tech for vendors to use. The Cortex-X4, Cortex-A720 and Cortex-A520 don’t always represent major leaps in performance, but they’re likely to set the pace for Android in the near future.

The Cortex-X4, like the X3, is a performance core aimed at flagship phones. Its updated architecture delivers a 15 percent claimed higher performance, but uses 40 percent less power than its predecessor. That translates to faster app launches and a more responsive interface, according to ARM. We also wouldn’t be surprised if this led to improved battery life in games and other intensive tasks.

Meanwhile, the Cortex-A720 is a sequel to the A715 “middle” core that handles most computing chores. While it is faster, the focus is on longevity. ARM claims the A720 is over 20 percent more power efficient than last year’s design. Chipmakers can even use a smaller ‘entry’ version to cut costs or shrink their hardware.

We wouldn’t discount the Cortex-A520 efficiency core. While it’s ultimately meant for background processing and other low-demand duties, it’s reportedly 22 percent more efficient than the A510 it’s replacing while managing eight percent better performance. Your phone might last longer even if you aren’t a heavy-duty user.

Yes, ARM is also paying attention to graphics performance. It’s simultaneously launching Immortalis-G720, Mali-G720 and Mali-G620 GPU designs that again offer more performance with a reduced power draw. They notably introduce a deferred vertex shading (DVS) pipeline that uses much less bandwidth (33 percent less in the demanding Genshin Impact), leaving room for more complex scenes and HDR visuals. The Immortalis is said to offer an average 15 percent jump in performance over its predecessor, even as it’s 15 percent more efficient. It supports 10 or more cores, while the Mali-G720 supports six to nine cores. The G620 is the budget offering with five cores or less.

ARM hasn’t named customers. As virtually the entire mobile industry is built around ARM, though, we’d expect Qualcomm, MediaTek and others to use the new Cortex designs as starting points for their next system-on-chip models. Whether or not Apple uses it isn’t clear. Although Apple uses ARM, it hasn’t yet made the leap to the newer ARMV9 architecture.

It’s safe to say this will influence the Android market, at least. While Apple cut off support for 32-bit hardware and apps with iOS 11’s release in 2017, AnandTechnotes that Android has moved relatively slowly, with Chinese brands like Oppo and Xiaomi holding on to 32-bit capable SoCs for a particularly long time. The new ARM range effectively pushes those companies to upgrade — either they use pure 64-bit SoCs or risk being left behind.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/arms-latest-cpus-push-android-phone-makers-toward-64-bit-only-devices-165606654.html?src=rss 

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