PC gaming news and reviews

The latest PC gaming news and reviews of gaming PC hardware, software and accessories.

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'Metro Exodus' will be an Epic Games Store exclusive for a year
PC gamers planning to explore the post-apocalyptic world of Metro Exodus will have to go through the Epic Games Store. Publisher Deep Silver announced today that the upcoming game will be available exclusively through the Epic Games Store at launch and will be pulled from Steam. The announcement is a major win for the Epic Games Store, which has been attempting to poach titles from its biggest competitor since launching just over a month ago.
Take the role of Hamlet's murdered father in a VR adaptation
If you were relegated to stage crew duties during your high school's production of Hamlet, now is your time to finally get on stage -- albeit in an unconventional way. Google partnered up with the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company to create Hamlet 360, a presentation of the classic Shakespeare play in virtual reality and puts you in the silent role of Hamlet's father.
Fable moves away from VR and towards AI-powered 'virtual beings'
Edward Saatchi is the rare VR studio head who doesn't have much faith in the future of virtual reality movies. That's what we learned from our conversation with him last year -- now, he's ready to commit to that idea. At Sundance today, Saatchi announced that he's shifting his company Fable away from virtual reality experiences. (It's also dropping the "Studios" part of its name.) Instead, they're going to focus primarily on artificial intelligence and "virtual beings," or characters you can interact with naturally across any sort of medium.
Nearly half of game developers want to unionize
Unionization isn't a new idea for the game development industry, but it is a particularly hot and contentious topic right now. A handful of events in 2018 thrust the unionization conversation to the forefront, including Rockstar boss Dan Houser's comments about developers working 100-hour weeks to finish Red Dead Redemption 2, and the tragic implosion and bitter residue of Telltale Games. Groups like Game Workers Unite have been pounding the pavement (physically and digitally) and gathering support for unionization across the globe, with a goal to "bring hope to and empower those suffering in this industry." In December, a UK chapter of Game Workers Unite became a legal trade union.
Turn-based strategy game 'Wargroove' arrives on Switch February 1st
Wargroove, a turn-based strategy game from the publisher of Stardew Valley, is coming to the Nintendo Switch on February 1st. That's also when it will land on Steam and Xbox One for $19.99. Strangely, developer Chucklefish is saving the PS4 release date for a future announcement.
Recommended Reading: How we got two Fyre Festival documentaries
Fyre Fight: The inside story of how we got two warring Fyre Festival documentaries in the same week Scott Tobias, The Ringer We've known for a while now that Hulu and Netflix were both working on documentaries chronicling the ill-fated influencer trainwreck that was the Fyre Festvial. We also knew Netflix was set to debut its version on January 18th. Before it could do so, Hulu debuted its film earlier this week, getting its take on the event that never happened to viewers first. So... why are there two in the first place? And why was Hulu in a rush to be first? The Ringer takes a closer look at just that, including whether or not one is more ethical than the other.
GoPro improves Fusion VR camera resolution via software update
It's not often a camera gets a resolution upgrade purely through software, but GoPro appears to have managed just that. The company has released beta firmware that lets its Fusion VR camera capture 5.6K spherical video at 24 frames per second. That's not a huge bump over the original 5.2K, but it could still be noticeable in the confines of a VR helmet. GoPro manages the feat by capturing footage at 5.8K and stitching it together to produce the finished video.
'Rocket League' supports cross-play on every console, even PS4
Sony announced today that Rocket League has entered the PlayStation Cross-Play Beta program, meaning the popular game now has full cross-platform support. Players on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam PC can now team up or play against one another in all online match types, including casual and competitive modes.
The Void’s extra-sensory VR does what home experiences can’t
I walked through The Void's virtual reality center in the Las Vegas Venetian twice. The first time, armed with headset and wireless backpack, I was shuttled through Ralph Breaks VR, the company's latest experience. I saw my own shiny animated pink hands as I touched the walls and picked up a rifle -- both in the game and real life. Then, I ducked behind a café counter before firing pancakes at bunnies. When the area caught fire, my skin felt heat; when standing precariously on a skyscraper ledge I felt the vertigo-inducing wind on my face.
Oculus Rift can stream live VR to Facebook
It's now much easier to share what you're doing on your Oculus Rift, even if people are nowhere near your living room. Oculus is starting to roll out an update that introduces broadcasting on Facebook Live. Switch it on and you can livestream the view from your headset to friends or the public. It's up to developers to decide whether or not they include the feature, but "hundreds" of apps (including Echo VR and Dead & Buried) are ready for the feature right now.
HTC Vive Pro Eye hands-on: Everything is prettier with gaze-tracking
HTC's newest Vive Pro headset adds just one feature to the existing hardware, but it's a doozy -- integrated eye-tracking. Using Tobii technology, the Vive Pro Eye is able to follow users' eyeballs in real-time, letting developers gather data on exactly where they're looking and when, and opening the door for new, more immersive experiences. But eye-tracking isn't just a clever input method. Its existence also enables foveated rendering, a technique that essentially means VR is about to get a lot prettier.
Bebop's VR gloves are ready to enter the virtual world
How do you breach the divide between reality and the digital world without going full Lawnmower Man? (you never go Full Lawnmower Man). Bebop has been trying for a while, with its smart fabric that can measure pressure and bend to create digital gloves. This year, the outfit is back at CES with an updated version of the glove, and it felt time to give it another try to see what's improved.
The North Face teases its most breathable waterproof gear yet
As great as waterproof apparel is to keep you protected from bad weather, most jackets, pants and other gear tend to be too bulky or uncomfortable. That's a problem The North Face is well aware of, and it has come up with a new material that it believes will fix this: Futurelight, which the company is calling "the most advanced breathable waterproof outerwear technology." According to The North Face, Futurelight is its most comfortable waterproof gear yet, thanks to a design that lets air move through fabric more easily and provide "more venting than ever before.'
The Vive Pro Eye adds eyeball-tracking to HTC's VR headset line
The Vive Pro Eye is the next evolution of HTC's virtual reality headset line, and its shiniest new feature is integrated eye-tracking. HTC America General Manager Dan O'Brien revealed the Vive Pro Eye at CES, explaining how built-in eye-tracking can benefit industries from auto technology to fitness and gaming.
Audi puts VR in the backseat
The passenger seat of the car has gotten a bit more entertaining thanks to smartphones, tablets and video screens. But companies still think we can do more in our cars especially with autonomous vehicles right around the corner. Audi's been very bullish with coming up with ways to maximize our time in cars. "Content is a major driving force of the mobility of the future," said Audi's head of digital business Nils Wollny. So their latest venture is important. But it's also really fun.
Insta360 Titan is an 11K, eight-lens beast of a VR camera
Insta360 already has a line of 8K professional VR cameras, but apparently there's demand for an even higher resolution. After the teaser at last year's CES, this time the company is officially bringing out the Titan, an 11K VR camera consisting of eight lenses. Not only that, but the device also uses Micro Four Thirds sensors -- the largest available on any standalone VR camera -- with 10-bit color support. Priced at $14,999, this device is clearly aimed at folks who take VR cinematography very seriously.
Google wins FCC approval to keep developing radar-based hand sensor
Google's Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) team has been working on Project Soli since 2015. The gesture-based system uses broad beam radar to detect and capture hand movements, turning them into commands for mobile devices. Until now, though, the tech has been restricted, with some companies -- including Facebook -- claiming that the high frequency levels required might interfere with existing technology. Now, the FCC has granted a waiver that will allow Soli to operate at higher levels than currently allowed, and therefore continue development as Google originally intended.
Tech-friendly bus startup FlixBus offers riders VR headsets
As anyone who has tried using VR in an airplane or crazy self-driving car knows, it can either help you while away the time or make you nauseous. None of that is discouraging the low-cost, high-tech bus service Flixbus, which has started testing virtual reality on several of its US routes. Passengers going from Tucson, Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Diego on a "panoramic" seat will be able to try about 50 virtual reality games and travel experiences for free.
Aronofsky's VR series 'Spheres' opens to the public in NYC
The Darren Aronofsky-backed space-themed virtual reality series Spheres will finally be available for public viewing starting on January 18th. It'll debut as a VR experience viewed through Oculus Rift headsets at the Rockefeller Center in NYC, with screenings held every day until March 3rd. Spheres consists of three 15-minute chapters, which were originally shown at different film festivals throughout 2018.
The Xbox One's original indie game is finally here
Patience. Below is a game steeped in time, from creation to consumption, and it demands patience from developers and players alike. Capybara Games revealed Below during the Xbox E3 conference in 2013, suggesting this beautiful, dark and expansive adventure game would be out soon. So, fans waited. And waited. Another trailer dropped, showing a tiny character fighting its way through massive dungeons filled with supernatural secrets, but no release date appeared. Fans waited some more.

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