Tag Archives: xbox

Games

Microsoft’s $299 Xbox Series S and $499 Xbox Series X Officially Announced, Release Date & Pre-Order Info Revealed

Microsoft announces today the official release of Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X, with both devices set to arrive to market on November 10th, and pre-orders begin September 22, as retail prices starting at $299 and $499 respectively. 

Update: Xbox Series X pre-orders are live

US Xbox Series X:  ► Amazon | Microsoft | BestBuy
US Xbox Series S:  ► Amazon | Microsoft | BestBuy

Xbox Series S

The Xbox Series S which gets from Microsoft the formal description of a “next-gen performance in the smallest Xbox ever”  is said to be around 60% smaller than the Xbox Series X device, but with a similar CPU clocked at merely 3.6Hz and with a gaming performance of 1440p at up to 120 FPS and 4K upscaling. The console is set to be an all-digital edition which means without a disc drive included inside.

The fact that Xbox Series S delivers four times the processing power of an Xbox One console means you get a very capable device for a relatively small price.

Microsoft already teased the $299. Xbox Series S, in a tweet on Tuesday, claiming it would be the “smallest Xbox ever”.

Xbox Series X

As per Xbox Series X, which is described as the most powerful console ever made, it has been “designed to deliver a new level of fidelity, feel, performance and precision never seen before in console gaming”, boasting a more powerful GPU than what the smaller series offers along with a full hardware support for AMD’s latest RDNA 2 performance. 

The X series also enables you to “spend less time waiting and more time playing, as it virtually eliminates load times with the 40x boost in I/O throughput from last generation. With next-generation SSD and Xbox Velocity Architecture”

Both devices support Dolby Atmos, and Dolby Vision via streaming media apps like Disney+, Vudu and Netflix at launch. Plus: Dolby Vision support for gaming will come in 2021.

In addition to that you get access to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate experience including:

  • Over 100 high-quality games to play on console, including next-gen Optimized games
  • Over 100 high-quality games to play on PC
  • An EA Play membership to play more than 60 of EA’s biggest and best console and PC games
  • And over 100 games to play from the cloud

Microsoft is offering a bundle of the Game Pass Ultimate with Xbox Series S at $24.99 a month for 24 months and with Xbox Series X starting from $34.99 a month for 24 months.

Games, Video

The Best Accessories For Your Xbox Gaming Console

 

If you truly want to delve into the gaming experience and make the most of your Xbox gaming, you need the right pieces, right? Of course. So, if you are looking for the right accessories to enjoy your gaming, these are some of the best Xbox accessories to consider investing in today.

Elite Controller
If you have the money, you might as well splurge on this wireless controller. Swappable analogue sticks, paddle buttons on the back, face buttons on the front, and side toggles, truly allow you to make the most out of any fighter or shooter game. No matter what you are playing, this controller provides the right length, button, and analogue stick, so you are never out of place with the gaming control.

Thrustmaster TMX
If you plan to play racing or driving games, this is it. With truly distinguished pedals, you’ll feel like you are in the Indy 500. Heavy duty, adjustable incline panels, progressive resistance for even the tightest turns, makes this the ideal pedal and wheel system for your favourite, high throttle, fast paced games. With progressive resistance, you also must press down harder to really pick up the pace, so it makes it feel even more so like you are in a race car, digging in at your competition’s heels.

Chatpad
If you like to trash talk, this QWERTY style keypad is the way to do it. With a full keyboard, you can easily input text with your thumbs, without having to take your other fingers off the gaming controller. It also comes with a well-made chat headset, so you can talk to other players when you are immersed in online gaming. Truly a must have for fighter games, or RPG games, where you are playing with others in a team simulation game on screen.

Energizer 2X
If you simply can’t stop playing, and need a quick charger for your controllers, this is the must have charger to invest in. You can charge two controllers at once, and truly get nearly a 100% charge in a matter of only minutes. The LED display light is a nice feature, that lights up green to inform you that the controller has fully charged up. If you need to have a backup on hand at all times, then this is the controller charger you should consider investing when the time comes to purchase one.

There are number of options that you can purchase so you can make the most out of your gaming experience. No matter what type of games you enjoy, who you are planning to play with, or if you are an on or an offline gamer, the right accessories are going to make the gaming action far more enjoyable. So regardless of what you are looking for when it comes to playing on your favorite devices, there are several great accessories you should consider purchasing. These are some of the top accessories which will truly enhance your gaming experience, and make you a far superior competitor online.

Applications, Games, Mobile, Phones

21 Amazingly Free iPhone and iPod Touch Games

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Mobile gaming is still in primeval stages – that’s unquestionable – but the foreseeable future is likely to be promising. In a rapidly growing market with over 20,000 iPhone and iPod Touch games available on Apple’s App Store, it’s not that hard guessing this is just a matter of time until portable games will start dominating our very own smartphones while overpowering desktop platforms. Especially now, when Cupertino teams up with more developing companies and Redmond that finally joins the party with Windows Phone 7 Series which suppose to integrate Xbox Live architecture in Microsoft’s coming machines. Still, it would probably take some time until substantial changes will eventually become real  – a year or two in our humble opinion. Anyway, ’till then, if you already play games on iPhones or iPod touch players, but  feel short in cash to start funding all those neat apps that show up in big numbers, every day and after, here’s a list of twenty one games, free of charge, for you to download. Please feel free to add your favorite “cost-nothing” apps, down in the commenting section.

Continue reading 21 Amazingly Free iPhone and iPod Touch Games →

Mobile, News, Phones

Microsoft Windows Phone 7 Series Announced, Due Out This Holidays Season

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It’s hot at the Mobile World Congress 2010, in Barcelona, as Microsoft officially unveils its latest and probably biggest Windows Phone 7 series, a new and pretentious Windows Mobile rendition, identical to all carriers and future device brands, with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon architecture onboard, handling smoothly the featured (unsized) capacitive touchscreens, built into those dev demo prototype phones. Basically, it’s a a whole new mobile system Redmond has literally built from the scratch and tweaked to be used on mobile machines in a way that you’ve never seen before. True, it would likely take time to get used to the 7 series, but its harmonic look and feel is surprisingly refreshing and conveniently flows. Yes, if you had this “deja vu” feeling of a Zune HD interface control, you’re probably not alone, but Microsoft has taken it few steps forward and created more in-depth platform with many new features like Xbox Live integration, social networking interaction, myriad of apps and widgets installed. “Every Windows series phone will be a Zune”, that’s what we’ve been told, and synchronizing your handheld  music with PC computers is claimed to be very easy and simple to work.

The home screen itself includes dynamic vertical tiles, with customizable shortcut links to variant apps, contacts and other in-house modes, designed in a way you can flip them down from head to toe, but also pan left and right to sub-directories and other hidden rows. It boasts that same big and bold Zune HD  text style, which relatively changes and gets magnified the moment you slide the screen and start to scroll. And navigating between the menus makes you realize that Microsoft completely revamped the OS code, making it concentrate in four major segments: People, Games, Pictures, Music plus Video hub homes. Each hub is an independent unit that’s responsible for different tasks, where you can watch and share your personal stuff (images/videos) via hub or cloud,when it comes to ‘pictures’ window, or in other case connect with friends and get updates from family/other contacts through social media services in the ‘People’ spot and the most fascinating thing – play Xbox LIVE games, create avatars, and profiles, at the ‘Games’ area zone – Cool. At the end of the day it’s a new platform that suppose to serve our next-gen phones, so naturally it would also include a non-supportive Adobe flash Internet Exploder browser and Outlook email app to handle mails on the go. Oh, and don’t forget, there’s a dialing phone somewhere inside.

Hardware wise, Microsoft mobile phones will include 3 buttons each: Start, Search and Back, while capacitive displays will have 4-points multi-touch compatibility, with flipping, panning and pinch to zoom gestures support. As mentioned, Microsoft has partnered with Qualcomm, which means we’re likely to see Arm Snapdragon chipset, tossed inside the bowel.

Microsoft as you may know, teamed up with worldwide carriers like AT&T, Deutsche Telekom AG, Orange, SFR, Sprint, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, Telstra, T-Mobile USA, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone, while manufacturers partnerships include Dell, Garmin-Asus, HTC, HP, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Qualcomm.

It would probably take time to realize whether Windows 7 series is a game changer or not, but we’re glad to see that Microsoft is finally raising the mobile OS bar and placing it in a whole new and distinguished level that would likely make many people across this realm start scratching their heads and rearrange their thoughts. When will this crazy and exciting software go out and hit the roads? I guess you’ll have to be patient here and wait ’till it gets to the market somewhere around the end of the year, right next to holidays madness season days.

Update: We’ve added the full hands-on walkthrough video, right after the break. A bit long but definitely worth a try.

Continue reading Microsoft Windows Phone 7 Series Announced, Due Out This Holidays Season →

Audio, Media Players, News, Video

Zune HD Officially Announced, Going Live This Fall

After so many rumors and speculations floating around, Microsoft has finally announced the Zune HD, which suppose to make its first appearance somewhere this fall, competing head-to-head with Apple’s popular iPod Touch player. Regretfully, there’s nothing much to share in terms of specs or features, but from the very few fragments we’ve managed to collect, you briefly can figure out it’ll probably pack a 3.3-inch 480 x 272 OLED capacitive touchscreen, together with a built-in HD Radio receiver, 720P HD output (via dock station), integrated WiFi connection and accelerometer sensors for landscape usability. Additionally, you might find a designated Explorer browser for internet surfing purposes and hopefully, a mashup interface with Xbox / Xbox Live gaming consoles. Still, no pricing or capacity details to write about, although one should expect either 16GB or 32GB flavors inside, but this way or another those rumored images earlier published, make no place for mistakes – Zune HD is live and kicking. Full press release after the break.

Update1: The guys at Gizmodo have managed to put their hands on the freakishly new Zune HD while hanging around D7’s conference hall. First images indicate an incredibly thin-and-light design, combined with a stunning 3.3-inch OLED touchscreen, basic Zune UI, adjusted to the touch navigation mode and rounded edges, build with a big “Home” button placed at the bottom lefte.  Hit the jump to watch the video or their link for even more images.

Update2: Zune Insider has officially confirmed that Zune HD will be running NVIDIA’s Tegra chipset inside, which means – full high-def video compatibility in the palm of your hand. Still no word about final release dates, but we’re following.

Update3: Rumors around claim the new Zune HD will be priced somewhere betweem $249 and $280 for the 16GB version, while a 64GB modelis on the prep for a late release. Stay tuned.

Update4: Both BestBuy and Amazon have just listed up the Zune HD on their inventory system , priced at $220 for the 16GB model, and $290 for the 32GB version, coming on September 8th. It’s less than a month to go, so stay tuned.

zune-hd

Continue reading Zune HD Officially Announced, Going Live This Fall →

Audio, Media Players, News, Video

Microsoft Preps a New Zune HD For The Summer (Update:Probably September)

According to a tipster, Microsoft will presumably release a new Zune player with HD capabilities, somewhere this year. Naturally, we have no other details, nor any specs of the new device itself, but if this info is correct, and it sure looks reliable, the Zune 4th Generation should be available with a wide and sharp touchscreen, supporting high-def video and some other features, which you can find in the iPod Touch players. Stay tuned for more to come.

Update1: More uncertain specs show up across the cyber world, revealing a 16:9 AMOLED display with multi-touch usability (capacitive), joining the mini-HDMI output and the HD Radio feature, both bundled inside, along with a full HTML browser, to wirelessly surf the web. And while we have no special ability to determine “details accuracy”, you should take our word when we say it’ll be offered either in 16GB or 32GB capacities. However, In case you look for even more speculative rumors, Zune fanboys will also tell you the new HD device might support 3D XBox games, thanks to the integrated NVidia chipset, which we really hope to see included. Other than that, a worldwide release is said to take place somewhere around September, so stay tuned for real things to come.

Update2: May 12th 2009 – According to ZDNet, the next Zune / Windows Mobile device (AKA: Chassis 1) will feature a whole bunch of top-notch specs, including a 3.5-inch multi-touch display along with ARM v6+ processor, 1GB of RAM, OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics hardware, 3 megapixel camera, GPS navigation system, WiFi / Bluetooth connections, built in accelerometer and even Nvidia’s Tegra platform, integrated with TI’s OMAP 3  and “Qualcomm 8k” chipsets, to handle those strong requirements. Of course, these are just rumors, and we can’t take them that serious, although we do hold an opinion that Chassis 1 will be strong enough to match market demands.

[Via Engadget]

Continue reading Microsoft Preps a New Zune HD For The Summer (Update:Probably September) →

Games, Mobile

Xbox 360 Portable Concept Introduced

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I’m sure Microsoft is planning a portable Xbox 360 device; after all, if Sony can develop one, Redmond can do it as well. Meanwhile, until it happens, we have a chance to look at an interesting portable concept that was emerged on T3 magazine, opening our appetite and our gaming imagination. This handheld concept features an all-in-one device, including a Microsoft Zune, XBox 360 and a mobile phone, packed in a sexy slim and sleek case, with gaming buttons on the right side and directions pad to the left. Honestly, I will be stoked having only an Xbox 360 portable device without the phone or the Zune included, so if people from Microsoft are listening, we do yearn for one of those.

xbox360-portable-concept

[via yanko]

Games

Xbox 360 Gets a Glowing Green Case

I must admit, i’m not a modding aficionados, but this new glowing green Xbox 360 neon case from XCM looks great, specially with the semi-translucent look that provides inner glance at the console itself. There’s no word on price but it should be available soon, so if you’re looking for a unique design for your gaming box, this might be a nice solution.

xbox-360-neon-xcm

[via Technabob]

Games, General

Greenpeace Alerts From Dangerous Chemicals In Game Consoles

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I don’t want to put you into panic, but i guess it is important for gamers to be aware of the possibility that game consoles might contain some hazardous chemicals with an impact on their memory and learning capabilities for the long term. The source for this latest alert is Greenpeace, who tested 3 major gaming consoles, including Xbox, PS3 and Nintento Wii. The organization has found those dangerous materials, like phthalates and bromine, in each one of the consoles, on different parts, so next time you crash your car on GTA IV, just think of the consequences. Mind you, Greenpeace offers a direct contact to the manufacturers in order to put some pressure and demand a clean up consoles. Interestingly, only Nintendo’s email has worked out.

game-console-controls

[via slashgear]

Games

XCM Introduces a Chrome Cover Shell For Xbox 360

I don’t really like this whitish Xbox 360 color, i think it’s dull and pale. To serve my desires (and others), XCM has created a really cool chrome Xbox 360 case, compatible with the HDMI ports. This new metallic mirrored shell will shine on your desk for merely $60, but if you want a matchable skin for your controllers, it should be $25 each, which makes this  escapade a bit expensive and very smudgy.

xbox-360-Chrome

[via slashgear]