Resident Evil is one of the biggest and most well-known gaming franchises out there. From the first game in 1995, we were treated to a barrage of zombies, mutations, dangerous viruses and much more. The game has gone from a fixed camera with pre-rendered backgrounds to a third-person shooter to an actual First-person horror-adventure. The evolution of the series is not done yet as we got our first taste of Capcom's Resident Evil 8 in the form of a playable demo on the PS5.
Titled ‘Maiden’, the demo is only available for the PS5 as of now. And here is how you can download it.
Head over to the PS5 Store Type Resident Evil into the Search Bar The demo should pop up, if not, scroll down until you see it Download the demo to your PS5
Again, we must state that this is only available for the PS5. Another demo is planned for other platforms sometime in spring. From what we’ve seen of the demo, it looks like you’ll be playing as RE7 protagonist, Ethan Winters as he wakes up in a cell and has to find his out of a labyrinthine mansion, while being pursued by the titular ‘maiden’. The graphics do look great on the RE Engine, and we’re expecting the full game to blow our socks off when it does arrive. The game will launch on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Series S, and the Xbox One on May 7. The PS5 will launch in India on February 2 so in the meantime, check out the full demo, courtesy of Yong Yea, in the video below.
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Soundcore by Anker has launched a Dolby Atmos soundbar in India, the ‘Infini Pro’. The soundbar comes with 18 Months warranty and is available on Flipkart. It is priced at Rs 15,999.
Coming to the specifications of the soundbar, it does not come with a subwoofer, something we saw with the Sony HT-X8500 Dolby Atmos Soundbar (review).
Coming to the specifications of the Infini Pro the soundbar has two 2.5-inch midrange drivers and 1-inch tweeters. It also has built-in up-facing 3-inch subwoofers. On either side of the soundbar, there are symmetrical bass reflex ports. Soundcore claims that “to add even more bass intensity, Infini Pro is integrated with exclusive BassUp technology: a customized digital signal processor that enhances bass output in real-time”. The soundbar has 120W output.
Coming to connectivity options, the soundbar features two HDMI ports - one is the ARC port to connect to your TV and the other is a 4K HDR enabled pass-through port. With the pass-through port, you can connect a device like the Fire TV Stick, Set-top-box or even a Blu-ray player directly to the soundbar.
Other connectivity options for the soundbar include AUX, Bluetooth 5 and Optical. The soundbar comes with three modes – Movie Mode, Music Mode, and Voice Mode. The soundbar comes with a remote control, but users can use the Soundcore App to control the soundbar.
When it comes to the design, the Infini Pro is “wrapped in a discreet black fabric to allow it to blend effortlessly with home interiors”. From its design, it does resemble the Yamaha YAS-109.
Another Dolby Atmos enabled soundbar at the 15k price segment is the Zebronics Zeb-Juke Bar 9700 Pro Dolby Atmos Soundbar. In our review of the Zebronics Zeb-Juke Bar 9700 Pro Dolby Atmos Soundbar we said that what the soundbar “has going for it is good connectivity options, a simple plug and play setup and support for Dolby Atmos decoding. While the Dolby Atmos performance is gimmicky, the bass-heavy nature of the soundbar makes it hard to recommend for all. If you don't want the additional HDMI pass-through ports and are looking for a surround sound experience, you can check out the similarly priced Sony HT-S20R. It is a 5.1 soundbar with dedicated surround speakers and has better overall sound output”.
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If the pandemic wasn’t enough reason for you to have picked up a laptop for yourself, let this year’s deals commemorating the Republic Day. Amazon India is offering price drops across a vast variety of laptops, be it thin and light, gaming or just regular ol’ machines to get the basics out of the way. Here are a few deals on laptops that we feel you should definitely consider.
Acer Aspire 3
The Acer Aspire 3 in question is powered by a 10th generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and comes with a full-HD display. The slick all-black finish makes it rather cool looking as well. The storage is taken care of courtesy a 1TB HDD, which should be plenty of space for most average users. What’s cool is that the laptop has seen a major price reduction during the sale, coming in at a discount of almost Rs 13,000. You can pick up the Acer Aspire 3 at its notably reduced price here.
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i
Lenovo has been making some very impressive machines for the last few years, maintaining their build quality and excellent specification set. The IdeaPad Slim 3i is an extremely versatile machine, coming in with a number of hardware choices. The one we’re recommending here comes powered by Intel’s 10th generation Core i5 processors along with 8GB of RAM which is upgradeable to 12GB. The strong point in favour of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i is the 512GB SSD onboard, which alleviates the bottle-neck on most modern-day systems in this price range which tends to have hard drives instead. To buy the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i, just head over to this link.
HP Pavilion x360
The convertible form-factor isn’t dead, and is in fact, favourited by a fairly large population of users. HP’s Pavilion x360 has been a staple presence in the 2-in-1 segment, bringing a lot of the features from the more expensive Spectre x360 into a more affordable form-factor. Well, the affordable form-factor is now seeing a decent price drop as part of Amazon’s Republic Day celebration. The particular SKU we recommend is powered by an Intel Core i5 processor paired with 8GB of RAM and a fast 512GB SSD. The form-factor doesn’t compromise on any ports either, as you get the full gamut of them, along with a fingerprint reader as well. If you’d like to pick up a 2-in-1 laptop, the HP Pavilion x360 would be a good choice, and here’s the link to buy it.
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i
Our last recommendation is a laptop that’s designed for power users, offering a feature set catering to more demanding needs. It’s got an Intel Core i5 processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 512GB SSD, but making this laptop a little more special is the presence of the Nvidia MX350 with 2GB VRAM. While this doesn’t make the Lenovo a gaming laptop by any means, it does mean that you should be able to play some light titles like CS:Go at reasonable graphics settings. This, all on top of the fact that the laptop is fairly slim and light. If all this excites you, then you can buy the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i here.
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The highly-anticipated OnePlus Watch is nearing its launch, and a new leak adds more weight to the rumours. In the most recent development, the watch has allegedly been spotted on a certification site.
Noted tipster Mukul Sharma has tweeted a screenshot which suggests that OnePlus has registered two new smartwatches with Bureau of Indian Standards, which is the official body that certifies products ahead of the launch. What's surprising in the listing is the second watch, as the rumours and reports have only pointed towards a single smartwatch.
OnePlus is known primarily for its smartphones, but has expanded its product portfolio to other categories, with the most recent one being wearables. OnePlus launched its fitness band in India, and in December 2021, CEO Pete Lau also confirmed that OnePlus is currently working on a smartwatch that is likely going to debut this year. The company also mention that it is working closely with Google to “try to improve the connectivity between the Wear OS ecosystem, Android TV, and Android smartphones to create this ability for better device interoperability across the ecosystem."
What does the new rumour say about the OnePlus Watch?
The screenshot shared by Sharma doesn't reveal any specifics of the two smartwatches, but it does mention that these are smartwatches coded W501GB and W301GB. If we had to guess, the W301GB seems like a cheaper variant of the watch which might launch aside the main watch.
Yes! The OnePlus Watch is indeed coming very soon to India. Have spotted the 2 variants (W501GB,W301GB) on the Indian BIS certification website. Feel free to retweet.#OnePlus #OnePlusWatch pic.twitter.com/I0tQBmGBdO
— Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) January 21, 2021
As of now, we only know that the OnePlus Watch is expected to be unveiled in early March alongside the OnePlus 9-series and new Nord devices.
OnePlus is not the first Chinese smartphone manufacturer to foray into the wearable segment. In the recent past, we have seen Realme, Oppo and Xiaomi launching their low-cost smartwatches in India.
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Microsoft has laid a strong foundation for the future of gaming with the Series X addressing all the grievances gamers had 7 years ago and going the extra mile to make Xbox a more value-for-money proposition. Because of the sheer volume of games available on Game Pass, I find myself playing more on the Xbox than the PS5. With exclusives hitting the service on day one and more and more developers coming on board the service, Game Pass could be the secret weapon that helps Microsoft turn some heads in its favour. Not to mention the fact that the Series X is a beast of a console. Sure, Sony has done something great with the DualSense controller and PlayStation brings with it an unmatched library of exclusive games. But for the price-conscious gamer looking to spend less on games in the long run, the Xbox is a great choice.
Microsoft had a rocky start back in 2013 when they launched the Xbox One. Not only was the console mocked for looking like a VCR, but the decisions around game sharing, DRM and always online weren’t well-received by fans. Not to mention the fact that the console came bundled with the Kinect and was more expensive than the PS4.
Fast forward to 2020 and Microsoft has not only made the necessary changes to appease fans but has also made strides in the right direction to ensure gamers keep coming back for more. You have a service like Game Pass offering a library of more than 300 games on the Xbox as well as a large library on PC via Game Pass Ultimate. With xCloud, Microsoft hopes to let you stream your favourite Game Pass titles on your smartphone. Needless to say, while Microsoft is competing with Sony to be the preferred console of choice to sit under your TV, that isn’t their only goal.
In the past few years, Microsoft has acquired a host of studios to ensure its platform and service has enticing enough exclusive games. In the midst of this “Play Anywhere” mantra, the company launched the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S to take on the PlayStation 5 (review). While the Xbox Series X and PS5 are at loggerheads for space below your TV, the Series S is a different story entirely. Since we have the Series X for review only, let’s focus on the premium console and see what it brings to the table. We’ve been gaming on the Xbox Series X for about 2 months now and here’s what we think of Microsoft’s latest console.
Xbox Series X: Build and Design
One look at the blocky monolith like design of the Xbox and you know that function over form was a priority. Unlike the PS5, which screams for attention in your living room, the Xbox Series X is more minimalistic and blends into your room’s decor. It can be placed horizontally or vertically and switching orientations doesn’t require you to get your screwdriver. However, the design of the power button and the non-removable baseplate strongly suggests that the console was meant to be placed vertically. It's a lot shorter than the PS5 and honestly, I think it looks a lot better. It has more of the silent beast approach rather than the loud attention-seeking design of the PS5. Just so you know, the Xbox Series X is 151 x 151 x 301 mm in size. It also has a more rectangular cube-like design.
Functionally, the design allows the console to suck air from the back, and the hot air exits the console from the top. This means you need to have enough ventilation around the back and the top of the console to let air flow properly. There is also a slit at the back of the console on the top to let hot air out, in case the top vents are slightly blocked. My only concern with this design is do I want hot air from the console hitting my TV as the console sits vertically right below my TV? This is a question that time will probably answer. The top vent of the console has relatively large holes and I am concerned about dust accumulation here over time.
Coming to the connectivity options, we have one USB-A port upfront along with the controller sync button. At the back, we have two more USB-A ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, storage expansion slot, Ethernet port and the power port. The connectivity options at the back are neatly packed together and easy to reach.
Xbox Series X: Specifications
The Xbox Series X and S have different specifications under the hood, unlike the PS5 disc and digital edition, where the only difference is the absence of a disc drive. Since we are focusing on the Series X, here is a look at the specifications of the console.
CPU: 8x Cores @ 3.8 GHz (3.6 GHz w/ SMT) Custom Zen 2 CPU GPU: 12 TFLOPS, 52 CUs @ 1.825 GHz Custom RDNA 2 GPU. Ray Tracing Support. Storage: 1TB (802GB user available) Custom NVME SSD I/O Throughput: 2.4 GB/s (Raw), 4.8 GB/s. RAM: 16 GB GDDR6 w/ 320b bus Expandable storage: Yes, Proprietary expansion card for native Series X games. But backwards compatible games can be played off an external USB 3.0 drive. Optical drive: 4K UHD Blu-ray Drive Video Output: Support for up to 8K at 60Hz, 4K at 120Hz over HDMI 2.1 along with support for VRR. HDR: Yes Dolby Vision: Yes Dolby Atmos: Yes 3D Audio: No Wi-Fi: Yes (dual-band only. No support for Wi-Fi 6) Connectivity: Three USB Type-A port, Ethernet port, HDMI port, proprietary storage expansion, power port.
Xbox Series X: What’s in the Box
The Series X is one of the best-packaged consoles I’ve seen in a while. In the box, you get the console, an HDMI 2.1 cable, power cable, two AA batteries and the controller. You don't get any games bundled with the console.
Xbox Series X: UI
Let's get the familiar out of the way. The Xbox Series X has the same UI as the Xbox One, albeit faster and smoother. Once you set up the console using the companion smartphone app or onscreen menu, you are good to go. It’s easy to transfer your games via an external hard drive to the Xbox if you want. Copy the games optimized for the Series X on the internal drive and you are good to go. The UI between the Series X and the Xbox One is identical. If someone didn’t see the new console under your TV, they’d think you are playing on the Xbox One. This isn’t a bad thing as you have to spend less time familiarizing yourself with a new UI. Unlike the PS5, there are no hassles with game saves either. Once you boot up a game, your saves are automatically synced, letting you pick up right where you left off.
The Xbox UI isn’t my favourite one, even when you compare it to the PS4 UI. It also feels slightly old when you look at the visual representation of the PS5’s UI. Nonetheless, we hope Microsoft can improve on the UI with some new elements, tricks and hopefully a visual rehaul in the near future.
When it comes to the app’s library, Microsoft has all the popular ones on the Xbox including Apple TV, Netflix, Prime Video, VLC, Kodi and many many more. If you would like to have a console double up as a media streaming device, then the Xbox Series X has more options than the PS5. Not to mention the fact that the Xbox Series X supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, something the PS5 lacks.
Overall, while the UI might be familiar, and has its flaws, it has improved over the years and above all, is the smoothest it has ever been on the Xbox Series X. With a host of legacy apps, the console is great for those looking for a device for media consumption as well.
Xbox Series X: Performance
A feature I thought was overhyped was Quick Resume but it wasn’t until I encountered it myself that I saw value in it. I wondered who would want to keep a couple of games suspended. But one night while playing Gears 5 (review) online a friend needed to step out for 20 minutes and I found myself opening the sidebar, clicking on AC Valhalla (review) and behold! Because I hadn't quit the game, it picked up right from the pause menu. And 20 minutes later, I was back in Gears 5. No loading, nothing. While there are only a handful of games that can be suspended at a given point of time, it would be nice if the sidebar had a place to tell me which games are suspended for Quick Resume. Maybe we can expect this in a future update.
Moving on from Quick Resume, the console works like a dream. Using AC Valhalla as an example, one of the flaws of the previous generation was that textures and objects in open-world games would load in as you approached them. Not anymore! Same for when you transition between your aerial companion and Evor in Valhalla (on the Xbox One), there was a few of seconds of loading. Once again, not anymore on the Series X. Fast travelling in AC Valhalla is literally super-fast and cold boot of games that don't need an online check happens almost instantly. It may be a year or 2 before we actually see games pushing the PS5 SSD more than the Xbox Series X, but on initial impressions, games load really fast on the Series X.
Even games like Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition (review), Forza Horizon, Gears 5, all look breathtaking on the console. Too bad there aren't any Demon Souls like console exclusives, but as of writing this review, the Medium is just around the corner, so fingers crossed for the first big Xbox exclusive.
A lot of games from the previous generation are getting patched to run at a rock-solid 60 FPS and the most recent one being Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (review). It’s amazing to see games run so fluidly on the Xbox Series X and with VRR support (with a supported display, of course) you can say goodbye to screen tearing.
Speaking of Fallen Order, I didn’t have the game on the Xbox but on the PlayStation. But thanks to Game Pass, it's now on my Xbox too. Yes, with Xbox Game Pass subscription, you get access to EA Play as well.
Game Pass is making gaming affordable
I have so many friends asking me which console to get. Most of them are not gamers or first-time gamers and it's easy to recommend those on a tight budget an Xbox Series S/X for one reason alone - Game Pass. With Game Pass you get access to more than a hundred games (last I counted, there were a little more than 300 games) and a lot of them are AAA games. The icing on the cake is that all Microsoft first-party games will be available as a part of Game Pass on launch day. So, when Gears 6 or Halo Infinite launches, you will be able to play it on launch day without dropping Rs 4000 or Rs 5000 on it.
Game Pass Ultimate subscription in India costs about Rs 825 (inclusive of taxes) and you can play games on your console or even a PC with this subscription. With Microsoft aiming to launch its cloud gaming apps for Smart TV’s in 2021 and xCloud coming to India as well, the future of Xbox as a brand looks bright.
Coming back to the performance of the Xbox, it's too early to tell what developers will do with the power of the Xbox Series X. It's usually a few years after the launch of a console that we see some truly stunning games. So expect to see some games with impressive fidelity hitting the Xbox Series X in 2022 or even 2023. If you are looking to game on a monitor, then know that the Xbox Series X supports 1440p from the get-go, a feature missing from the PS5.
Xbox Series X: Controller
Following the “if it ain't broke, don't fix it” philosophy, Microsoft has kept the overall design of the Series X controller the same as its predecessor. The changes are so small yet so significant, one can call them functionally drastic but aesthetically minimal. For example, Microsoft has reduced the overall footprint of the Series X controller to fit more hands comfortably. It’s only when you use the Xbox One and the Series X controllers back-to-back that you realise the subtle difference.
The controller, this time around, has a textured grip at the back, along with textures on the triggers and bumpers. This gives the controller a better overall feel. There is also a share button on the controller and it does exactly that - captures your gameplay (photos and/or videos).
The only downside to the controller is that it still uses AA batteries. I managed to get about 30 hours of playtime with the batteries that come with the console, but investing in a play and charge kit is a no brainer or ones looking or a more seamless gaming experience.
Unlike the PS5 where you can only play backwards compatible games with the DualShock 4, on the Xbox front you can use your old Xbox One controller and Xbox Elite Controller with the Series X without any issues.
Overall, the new Xbox controller is a move in the right direction, but the PS5 controller is definitely a generational leap with its adaptive triggers. Just the fact that Microsoft is surveying its customers on the DualSense controller should be proof enough that the company is contemplating introducing it.
Xbox Series X: Bottom Line
Microsoft has laid a strong foundation for the future of gaming with the Series X addressing all the grievances gamers had 7 years ago and going to extra mile to make Xbox a more value for money proposition. Because of the sheer volume of games available on Game Pass, I find myself playing more on the Xbox than the PS5. With exclusives hitting the service on day one and more and more developers coming onboard the service, Game Pass could be the secret weapon that helps Microsoft turn some heads in its favour. Not to mention the fact that the Series X is a beast of a console. Sure, Sony has done something great with the DualSense controller and PlayStation brings with it an unmatched library of exclusive games. But for the price-conscious gamer looking to spend less on games in the long run, the Xbox is a great choice.
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Microsoft Surface Laptop Go has officially launched in India with 10th generation Intel Core i5 processor under the hood. The Surface Laptop Go is a thin and lightweight notebook that’s designed for students and professionals alike and has a premium finish. The laptop is available in multiple SKUs both for regular users and business customers.
“With the new Surface Laptop Go, we want to give every person in the household or organization a laptop that’s not just something you need to use, but something you want to use. The Surface Laptop Go is our lightest and most affordable Surface laptop yet that offers the perfect balance of performance, battery life and style,” said Rajiv Sodhi, Chief Operating Officer, Microsoft India.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go pricing and availability
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go is available in two variants for consumers starting at Rs 71,999 for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant and Rs 91,999 for the 256GB storage option.
For business customers, Microsoft offers the Surface Laptop Go priced starting at Rs 63,499 for the base variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, Rs 76,199 for the 8GB/128GB model, Rs 92,999 for the 8GB/256GB option and Rs 1,10,999 for the maxed out variant with 16GB RAM and 256GB storage.
The Surface Laptop Go will be available to purchase from major authorised retailers from January 22 onwards.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go features
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go has a thin and light profile as it weighs 1.1 kilograms and measures 15.6 millimetres at its thickest point. The lid of the laptop is made from aluminium while the base is made of a combination of plastic and glass fibre. The laptop features a 12.4-inch PixelSense display with a 1536x1024 pixels resolution giving it a 3:2 aspect ratio.
The Laptop Go is powered by the 10th generation Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor which is paired with Intel UHD graphics with upto 16GB LPDDR4x RAM and upto 256GB SSD storage options to choose from. The Surface Laptop Go runs on Windows 10 Pro with pre-installed Microsoft 365 apps.
The Surface Laptop Go offers enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello sign-in options via facial recognition or fingerprint sensor on the power button. The laptop is equipped with an HD webcam supported by dual far-field microphones and speakers tuned by Dolby Audio.
As for the I/O ports, the laptop has a USB Type-C port, Type-A port, 3.5mm jack and a Surface Connect port. The Surface Laptop Go uses a 39W power adapter and is capable of offering upto 13 hours of battery life on normal use.
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Opera announced that it has acquired YoYo Games, the company behind 2D Game building platform GameMaker Studio 2. Opera says that it plans expand the reach of its gaming division Gaming using Opera GX and GameMaker. Opera reportedly acquired YoYo Games for around $10 million (roughly Rs. 72.9 crores).
