I was particularly interested in Ravenswatch because Passtech Game’s Curse of the DeadGods was something that caught me completely by surprise—initially hooking me with an art style evocative of Darkest Dungeon and then reeling me in with an incredibly deep and satisfying gameplay experience.
Passtech established itself as a confident crafter of captivating roguelike experiences, so naturally, CGM jumped on the opportunity to get an early look at Ravenswatch. Despite the preview being hands-off, the game and world that was presented definitely got me ready to play.
In Ravenswatch, players enter the world of Reverie, where horrific creatures known as Nightmares are spreading across the land. To stop them, the Witch of the Forest, Baba Yaga, forms the Ravenswatch—a group of folk heroes dedicated to battling the Nightmares and restoring peace.
“One of Ravenswatch’s key selling points is its cast of heroes, all drawn from mythological figures.”
One of Ravenswatch‘s key selling points is its cast of heroes, all drawn from mythological figures. While some characters are based on well-known figures, the team at Passtech wanted to ensure these heroes stood out on their own and included lesser-known mythological characters.
This includes characters such as Scarlet (Little Red Riding Hood), Beowulf and Alladin but extends to characters like The Pied Piper, Sun Wukong and Melusine—who the Lyon-based Passtech felt it especially appropriate to include as a character from French folklore. The team specifically stated they wanted to include a wide array of folklore from various cultures to create a diverse cast and open players up to these unique figures.
This idea was further explored when we were given a sneak peek at the character of Carmilla, who was revealed during Gamescom 2024. Passtech explained that including a vampire in their world was thematically fitting. Still, they specifically wanted to focus on a lesser-known character, as most people typically think of Dracula when it comes to famous vampires.
“While many games borrow heavily from successful predecessors in the genre, it’s refreshing to see a game take unique approaches and interesting risks.”
This not only adds to the game’s unique storybook feel but also allows each hero to fill a specific role based on their characterization. Scarlet, for instance, is a unique warrior who embodies both Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, capable of transforming into a lycanthropic form to deal massive damage. Conversely, Gepetto functions as an engineer, creating puppets to fight for him and assist in battle.
One of the more interesting aspects of Ravenswatch mentioned during the event is that, despite being a roguelike, the game will feature four different difficulty modes. I’ve long moved away from the notion that games, even roguelikes, should be punishingly difficult just for the sake of it—especially since roguelikes are often associated with games like Dark Souls, which emphasize extreme difficulty.
While I was initially hoping Ravenswatch would offer optional difficulty settings, Passtech clarified that players will start at the lower difficulty level, unlocking harder ones with each successful run. They’ve implemented this in a particularly clever way: only four characters are available at the start of the game, with a new one unlocking each time players defeat the final boss. This provides a tangible incentive to improve, as the game becomes more challenging as you learn and grow.
With its dark comic book style, support for up to four-player co-op, and a development team actively tweaking the game based on player feedback, Ravenswatch is shaping up to be an excellent new addition to the roguelike genre. While many games borrow heavily from successful predecessors in the genre, it’s refreshing to see a game take unique approaches and interesting risks.
Ravenswatch will launch for PC, PS4/PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on Sep 26th, 2024 but will see a later release on the Nintendo Switch.
Another summer of gaming wraps up with the Gamescom ONL 2024. The largest international gaming event kicked off in Cologne, Germany, with beloved industry figure Geoff Keighly taking to the stage to announce some new games, including Borderlands 4 and new looks at already announced titles. Here’s everything that was announced at Gamescom ONL 2024!
Borderlands 4
The latest installment in the Borderlands franchise, premiered at Gamescom ONL 2024, showcased a wild, reality-bending trailer, promising more looting and shooting. While no specific release date for Borderlands 4 was provided, the game is tentatively scheduled for 2025..
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Players got an extended look at the new campaign mode for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 during ONL 2024,which featured a mixture of action and espionage. Players can also join in chat as creators get hands‑on gameplay experience with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 at this year’s Call of Duty NEXT. on Aug 28th, 2024
Goat Simulator Remastered
Revealed at Gamescom ONL 2024, the remaster of the original Goat Simulator offers gamers a unique blend of video game tropes and gags. While no official release date was announced, Goat Simulator Remastered is set to arrive in 2024.
Persona 3 Reload Episode Aigis / The Answer
During Gamescom’s Opening Night Live 2024, ATLUS announced that a special challenge battle will be added to Persona 3 Reload next month as part of Episode Aigis -The Answer-. This final content release for the Persona 3 Reload: Expansion Pass is set to launch on Sept. 10, 2024.
Dying Light: The Beast
Techland announced Dying Light: The Beast During Gamescom ONL 2024, an 18-plus-hour standalone zombie adventure set in the post-apocalyptic Castor Woods. Later this year, Techland plans to reveal more details, including the release date.
Black Myth Wukong
The official launch trailer for Black Myth Wukong was shown off at Gamescom ONL 2024. Showcasing much of the game’s intense soulslike action. Black Myth Wukong releases Aug 20th 2024 ,you can check out our review of the game here.
Dragonball: Sparking Zero
At Gamescom ONL 2024, a new trailer for the highly anticipated Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO showcased more of the story mode and action, introducing the main protagonists of the Buu Saga, Ultimate Gohan and Super Buu, to the expansive roster of 163 characters. Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is set to release on Oct. 11, 2024.
King of Meat
In a bizarre turn of events, Geoff Keighley was transported into the world of King of Meat during a segment of ONL 2024, where players can create their own dungeons and compete with others for ultimate bragging rights. No release date has been set for King of Meat.
Lynked: Banner of the Spark
Fuzzybot debuted the reveal trailer for their combination dungeon-crawler and town-builder, Lynked: Banner of the Spark. The game will release in Early Access on Oct. 22, 2024.
Lost Records: Bloom and Rage
Gamers received an extended look at the upcoming narrative experience from DON’T NOD during Gamescom ONL 2024, which highlighted the emotional and surreal journey of Lost Records: Bloom and Rage.
No More Room In Hell 2
Next at the ONL 2024 showcase, a new gameplay trailer for No More Room in Hell 2 highlighted the game’s approach to cinematic horror, featuring unique stealth mechanics and haunting new map areas. Powered by Unreal Engine 5, this co-op game with consequences is set to enter Early Access on PC this Halloween.
Arc Raiders
At Gamescom ONL 2024, Embark Studios broke the silence on ARC Raiders—the upcoming PvPvE third-person action-survival shooter—via a brand new trailer announcing the game’s launch in 2025, along with a playtest this fall. ARC Raiders will launch on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S in 2025.
Infinity Nikki
A new trailer for Infinity Nikki, the latest installment of the beloved Nikki series, debuted today at Gamescom’s ONL 2024. Registration for Infinity Nikki’s global Closed Beta Test and mobile pre-registration are open now.
Predecessor
Revealed at Gamescom ONL 2024, Omeda Studios has built upon Paragon‘s existing visual assets, overhauling the game’s maps, gameplay mechanics, characters, and more to create something new and improved that stays true to the heart of Paragon. Predecessor is available for free download on PC, PS4/5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Path of Exile II
Path of Exile 2 is a next-generation free-to-play Action RPG from Grinding Gear Games, featuring co-op for up to six players. Excited players will get to experience the Early Access release of the game on Nov 15th, 2024.
Dune Awakening
At Gamescom ONL 2024, players got an extended look at the extensive gameplay and RPG mechanics of Dune: Awakening. Highlighting the game’s unique combat mechanics, crafting system, and intense survival elements, Dune: Awakening is set to be released in early 2025.
REANIMAL
A horrific new look at the newest game from Little Nightmare creator Tarsier Studios. Featuring similar gameplay and equally terrifying enemies. No release date was set for REANIMAL.
Genshin Impact
The widely popular MMORPG Genshin Impact showed up at Gamescom ONL 2024 to show off the newest area: Natlan, as well its release on Xbox Series X/S coming Nov 20th, 2024
Monster Hunter Wilds
Capcom took to the stage at Gamescom OLN 2024 to show off new monsters, gameplay, a small glimpse of the new HUB area—and, of course, a new meat-cooking animation! Monster Hunter Wilds will be released for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Microsoft Windows in 2025.
Naraka Bladepoint X Tomb Raider
Lara Croft is coming to Naraka Bladpointas an exclusive outfit for Matari. The DLC will be available on Aug 28th, 2024.
Fatal Fury City of the Wolves
A new look at the iconic Mia Shiranui both in combat and in her iconic outfit. FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves will be released on April 24, 2025, on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
Mecha Break
Amazing Seasun Games just revealed Mecha BREAK’s newest trailer, plus a few important updates. Additionally, Mecha BREAK’s first-ever Xbox Closed Beta test will be live from August 25-27.
Monument Valley III
The newest installment to the acclaimed Monument Valley series, which looks to feature more artistry and even more mind-bending puzzles. Monument Valley III will be released exclusively on Netflix Games on Dec 10th, 2024.
Civilization VII
Firaxis’ Ed Beach took to the stage to discuss what makes CivilizationVIII so special, saying it’s the biggest and most ambitious Civilization to date. The gameplay shown demonstrates a much more expansive and active game than its predecessors. The game will be released on February 11th, 2025.
Starfield
The newest addition to Starfield, the Rev-8, is an all-terrain vehicle (quite literally). This free update came in addition to a small glimpse of the Shattered Space DLC, which will be released on September 30th, 2024.
Marvel Rivals
Showcasing two new heroes, Marvel Rivals showed off gameplay for Captain America and The Winter Soldier to their upcoming hero shooter. The latest map, the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, was also unveiled. Marvel Rivals launches on Dec 6th, 2024.
Secret Level
A new anthology series from the creators of Love Death and Robots based on several video games such as Sifu, Megaman, Concord, and more. Secret Level comes to Prime Video on Dec 10th, 2024.
Age of Mythology Retold
Developed by World’s Edge and Forgotten Empires and published by Xbox Game Studios, Age of Mythology Retold is a remastered version of the original Age of Mythology. It will be released on September 4th, 2024.
Towerborn
The upcoming free-to-play side-scrolling action-adventure game developed by Stoic and published by Xbox Game Studios. While no release date was given, players can expect it in 2025.
Kingdom Come Deliverance II
Gamers got an extended look at the gameplay for Kingdom Come Deliverance. The game also recieved an official release date of Feb 11th, 2025.
Zenless Zone Zero
Hoyoverse debuted the newest area to the intense ARPG Zenless ZoneZero: New Eridu showcasing the new cityscapes, monsters and combat. No release date was set for the latest expansion.
Honkai Star Rail Chapter
Hoyoverse announced the “Tales of the Luofu: A New Chapter” for Honkai Star Rail, featuring the forthcoming character Feixiao, a formidable female warrior from the Xianzhou Yaoqing, set to become playable in version 2.5. Additionally, new details about the exciting collaboration with the Fate/Stay Night anime have been revealed.
Batman Arkham Shadow
Gamers got their first look at the gameplay for Batman Arkham Shadow, the newest VR experience where players can really feel like Batman. Featuring a mixture of combat, gadget use, and investigation, Batman Arkham Shadow will be released for Meta Quest 3 in October 2024.
Little Nightmares III
Supermassive Games showed off more of the cooperative gameplay for Little Nightmares III, featuring some mild combat and the physics-based puzzle-solving fans have come to love from the series. Little Nightmares III will launch on PC and consoles in 2025.
Herdling
Announced today at Gamescom ONL 2024, Okomotive announced Herdling, where players shepard a mysterious herd of animal companions while exploring gorgeous landscapes in this single-player adventure. Herdling will be released in 2025 on PC and consoles.
Masters of Albion
In a surprise announcement at Gamescom ONL 2024, Masters of Albion was revealed as a combination of world crafting and third-person combat. The game allows players to create almost everything, often with hilarious results. During the day, players will craft their idyllic fantasy town, and at night, defend it from monstrous creatures. No release date has been set for Masters of Albion.
Squid Game Unleashed
In what looks like Fall Guys meets the critically acclaimed show, Squid Game Unleased pits players against each other in deadly games, both new and familiar. Players can play it “soon” on the Netflix App; however, no official release date was set.
Unkown9 Awakening
Developed by Reflector Entertainment and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc., Unkown 9 Awakening is an action-adventure game that mysteriously twists a journey to find powerful knowledge hidden within the Fold. The game will launch on October 18th, 2024.
Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred
The upcoming DLC for Diablo 4 showed off the new Mercenary companions as well as the Spiritborn class. Brent Gibson took to the stage to talk a bit about the Mercenary companions as well as two new dungeons coming to the Vessel of Hatred DLC—the DLC launches Oct 8th, 2024.
The First Berserker: Khazan
NEXON and Neople released a brand-new cinematic and gameplay trailer for The First Berserker: Khazanat Gamescom ONL 2024. The trailer focuses on the title’s intense battle scenes and storyline. The game will be launching in early 2025 for Windows PC via Steam, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S
ARA History Untold
Ara: History Untold delivers an evolution in turn-based historical grand strategy, where player choices will define the world you create, your experience, and your legacy. The game will be released on September 24th, 2024.
Delta Force
The Gamescom ONL 2024 trailer showcases the new extraction map Brakkesh, and the weapons arsenal. During the trailer, Team Jade also announced that they updated the name of the game simply to Delta Force. Ahead of early access, players can expect Delta Force at Steam Next Fest in October with new reveals and gameplay details.
Dark and Darker Mobile
The unforgiving hardcore fantasy FPS dungeon PvPvE adventure from IRONMACE comes to mobile with pre-registration starting now.
Floatopia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9gLtSRnyWQ
showcased at Gamescom ONL 2024, NetEase’s upcoming game combines all the beloved elements of life simulation games—farming, fishing, logging, and decorating your dream home. Players can enter a whimsical world filled with toys, travel, superpowers, and floating islands. Here, you can enjoy a carefree vacation where you can relax, daydream, and fill your days with fantasy and laughter. Floatopia will launch on all consoles in 2025.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Taking to the Gamescom OLN 2024 stage, players got to see a bit of Troy Baker’s performance as the iconic Indiana Jones, as well as an expanded look at the combination of action and exploration gameplay. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle releases Dec 9th, 2024 and will be released for PS5 in the Spring of 2025.
Mafia: The Old Country
Set in 1900s Sicily, Mafia: The Old Country goes back to the origins of the Mafia. Although little detail was shown for this reveal at Gamescom ONL 2024, work has begun on this project, which hopes to capture what players love about the Mafia franchise.
I’ll be honest when I was given the option to preview Beyond Galaxyland I kind of assumed it was going to be a vastly different game than what I got. With a name like that, I figured it was going to be some sci-fi-themed Roller Coaster Tycoon—which would be awesome by the way. Once I looked into it further, I got an interesting and fairly unique turn-based RPG.
Beyond Galaxyland is the second game developed by Sam Enright and bears a lot of similarities to his previous title, The Greater Good. Enright has clearly found a solid foundation to build from and I definitely won’t fault the guy for developing from a familiar place—if you can do something well, then do it. However, there’s definitely a lot more going into Beyond Galaxyland.
When talking about the game, Enright said, “I’m a huge fan of classic turn-based RPGs from the mid and late 1990s and some of my favourites, such as Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VII, have provided me a galaxy’s worth of inspiration when developing Beyond Galaxyland.” He continued, “I wanted to make a game that felt uniquely cinematic while being within a familiar genre. I hope when gamers play it they’ll appreciate how Beyond Galaxyland’s pacing will often feel closer to a movie than a videogame.”
“…worlds in Beyond Galaxyland are expansive and richly detailed.”
And that feeling is definitely present within the game. From how it starts with a bit of a mysterious misdirection to how it proceeds, the way the story unfolds in a way that’s slow-paced but high-drama. The story begins properly with a teenager named Doug getting whisked away to Galaxyland: an idyllic menagerie of planets run by the supposedly benevolent DreamCore.
Despite being told that Earth was destroyed by a cataclysmic force known as “The End,” Doug is determined to return home, and before long, he is whisked away on a sci-fi adventure—flying between the various planets of Galaxyland, meeting new friends and allies, and potentially learning the truth behind The End and Dreamcore’s true intentions. This is rounded out by a unique cast of characters that run the gamut from mysterious and alien to downright adorable—like Boom Boom, the semi-sentient Guinea Pig.
Enright’s inspirations really stand out in the combat in Beyond Galaxyland, which is a unique blend of action turn-based and active turn-based with a few clever twists to shake things up. The basics are fairly common—players wait for their turn with different status effects potentially affecting speed, and attacking and defending require players to make some precise button inputs—it combines familiar elements of classic turn-based RPGs but finds a multitude of ways to stand out on its own.
“Enright’s inspirations really stand out in the combat in Beyond Galaxyland…”
For starters, players have the ability to scan enemies while exploring each world in order to get an advantage during combat—allowing them to see enemy health and elemental weaknesses. Furthermore, players are given a pool of Ability Points, which can be used for each character’s unique Special Attacks, but there’s a bit of a twist. Standard attacks have a certain number of uses, which can be sacrificed for more Ability Points, while missing an opponent during a standard attack will actually drain ability points.
It adds a unique layer to the combat I can’t say I’ve seen before and makes each fight feel much more tense and tactical. On top of this, Enright adds Pokémonto the combat, both in theme and application. Doug has the ability to capture weak creatures—literally using a drone that almost resembles a Pokéball—which can then be summoned during combat for unique elemental attacks. Summons can be levelled with repeated use and more battles, so there’s an incentive to experiment and go into every battle as prepared as possible.
But what genuinely surprised me was how the game looks and plays. Despite having several worlds that require exploration, Beyond Galaxyland moves along a two-dimensional plane—while allowing players to jump between foreground and background. Despite this restriction, worlds in Beyond Galaxyland are expansive and richly detailed. This is helped in large part by the visuals, which land somewhere in the middle between the hyperdetailed 16-bit style of games like Blasphemous or Narita Boy, and old 90’s MS-DOS games like King’s Quest.
Beyond Galaxyland looks primed to be a breakout hit when it releases later this year. Sam Enright has clearly put his whole heart into this, and it shows—especially after releasing a demo during Steam Next Fest and implementing changes based on player feedback. This is a passion project with an emphasis on passion and I get the feeling more players than I will agree.
Destiny 2’s first season of The Final Shape, titled Episode: Echoes, is in full swing now with its second Act being added to the game just recently. As is par for the course, Episode: Echoes has brought with it numerous weapons, both new and old, and these weapons all have God Rolls. Some weapons are great, others are not so great *cough* Faith-Keeper *cough*, but here are the God Rolls for each weapon that is a part of Episode: Echoes (including three guns that aren’t available just yet but are in the Destiny API). A few of these weapons have multiple choices for each column which will be listed, you can choose which of these combinations best suits your needs/playstyle in both PVE and PVP (where applicable).
Veiled Threat – Stasis Auto Rifle (Craftable)
Source: Author.
This 720rpm Rapid Fire Frame Auto Rifle is the first weapon that this episode has to offer. While its perks aren’t the strongest, those who need a decent Stasis Auto Rifle can aim for one of these bad boys. For PVP I recommend using Arrowhead Break to bring in the weapon’s recoil pattern a little, but you can opt to use something like Hammer-Forged if you prefer the bump in range.
PVE God Roll
Masterwork
Barrel
Mag
3rd Column
4th Column
Origin Trait
Stability
Hammer-Forged Rifling
Flared Magwell
Threat Detector
Surrounded / Headstone
Radiolaria Tranposer
PVP God Roll
Masterwork
Barrel
Mag
3rd Column
4th Column
Origin Trait
Range
Arrowhead Break / Hammer-Forged Rifling
Accurized Rounds
To The Pain
Moving Target
Radiolaria Tranposer
Corrasion – Arc Pulse Rifle (Craftable)
Source: Author.
Joining the new Heavy Burst Pulse Rifle family alongside the likes of Aisha’s Care from Trials of the Osiris and Nullify from Salvation’s Edge, Corrasion looks to prove that this type of auto rifle is king in PVE right now. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend a Heavy Burst Pulse Rifle in PVP, but there are still options here should you choose to go down that route.
PVE God Roll
Masterwork
Barrel
Mag
3rd Column
4th Column
Origin Trait
Stability
Hammer-Forged Rifling
Flared Magwell
Enlightened Action
Voltshot
Radiolaria Tranposer
PVP God Roll
Masterwork
Barrel
Mag
3rd Column
4th Column
Origin Trait
Range
Hammer-Forged Rifling
Accurized Rounds
Air Trigger / High Impact Reserves
High Ground / Eye of the Storm
Radiolaria Tranposer
Sightline Survey – Arc Hand Cannon (Craftable)
Precision Frame Hand Cannons aren’t exactly the strongest weapons in Destiny 2. They see little to no use in PVE, with a case being made for them in PVP with the Sightline Survey. Either way, PVE and PVP players alike should find various options here. For PVE, I would recommend Enlightened Action more than Triple Tap as it has more direct synergy with Voltshot, but either perk is good.
PVE God Roll
Masterwork
Barrel
Mag
3rd Column
4th Column
Origin Trait
Range
Hammer-Forged Rifling
Flared Magwell
Enlightened Action / Triple Tap
Voltshot
Radiolaria Tranposer
PVP God Roll
Masterwork
Barrel
Mag
3rd Column
4th Column
Origin Trait
Range
Hammer-Forged Rifling
Accurized Rounds
Air Trigger / Keep Away
Precision Instrument
Radiolaria Tranposer
Timeworn Wayfarer – Solar Scout Rifle (Craftable)
Source: Author.
Joining the stylish but, for now, underpowered Tex Mechanica style Scout Rifle family is the Timeworn Wayfarer. While initially panned for being a member of the weakest family in one of the most consistently underwhelming primary weapon types in Destiny 2, this gun is surprisingly versatile and might see more use in PVE with the incoming buff to its damage. This weapon is incredibly potent in PVP when paired with High Ground and a Radiant buff, allowing the possibility of defeating opposing Guardians in two headshots. You can choose between Smallbore or Hammer-Forged Rifling for a PVP roll, as the latter has 7 less stability but will grant you an extra metre of range.
PVE God Roll
Masterwork
Barrel
Mag
3rd Column
4th Column
Origin Trait
Stability
Smallbore / Fluted Barrel
Flared Magwell
Heal Clip
Incandescent
Radiolaria Tranposer
PVP God Roll
Masterwork
Barrel
Mag
3rd Column
4th Column
Origin Trait
Range
Smallbore / Hammer-Forged Rifling
Accurized Rounds
Keep Away
High Ground
Radiolaria Tranposer
Aberrant Action – Solar Sidearm (Craftable)
Source: Author.
The hottest weapon in the game right now, Aberrant Action is the third member of the relatively new family of Rocket-Assisted Frame Sidearms. This is THE weapon everyone wants as the archetype is incredibly strong right now. I do NOT recommend using this in PVP, so I will only be providing a PVE god roll for this weapon. There are a number of choices but there are a few quirks to be noted with this weapon. For starters, despite being a special weapon, perks like Strategist, Pugilist, and Demolitionist provide the benefit of a primary weapon, so rather than the 20% ability energy generation, it is 10%. Either way, there is one very clear winner here: Incandescent.
PVE God Roll
Masterwork
Barrel
Mag
3rd Column
4th Column
Origin Trait
Velocity
Hard Launch
High-Explosive Ordnance
Heal Clip / Beacon Rounds
Incandescent
Radiolaria Tranposer
Chronophage – Void Trace Rifle (Craftable)
Source: D2 Foundry.
One of the few weapons that are currently not available at the time of writing, but are viewable in the Destiny API, this Void Trace Rifle looks to replace Hollow Denial which has been dominating its Void Trace Rifle field since Season of the Haunted back in 2022. Like Aberrant Action, I am not providing a PVP roll for this weapon as I don’t recommend bringing this thing into the Crucible.
PVE God Roll
Masterwork
Barrel
Mag
3rd Column
4th Column
Origin Trait
Range
Smallbore
Enhanced Battery
Repulsor Brace
Destabilizing Rounds
Radiolaria Tranposer
Faith-Keeper – Void Rocket Launcher (Craftable)
Source: Author.
Look, not all weapons in each episode can be a banger, and Faith-Keeper immediately loses to stiff competition like the Apex Predator by proxy of its terrible archetype; Precision Frame Rocket Launcher. I honestly would not recommend bringing this into either PVP or PVE content, but if you did want to use this admittedly cool-looking rocket launcher, there is one roll that should have you covered (for PVE, not PVP).
PVE God Roll
Masterwork
Barrel
Mag
3rd Column
4th Column
Origin Trait
Velocity
Hard Launch
Impact Casing
Auto-Loading Holster
Lasting Impressions
Radiolaria Tranposer
Ill Omen – Stasis Sword (Craftable)
Source: Author.
Swords are quite strong right now. They have proven to be useful in Salvation’s Edge, Crota’s End, and even Root of Nightmares if you are crazy enough. Unfortunately for Ill Omen, Caster Frame swords just are not very good. There is one niche for it, however, and that is as an Overload and Unstoppable Champion stun machine. I wouldn't recommend it over something like the Aurvandil FR6 which can have Reconstruction and Chill Clip, but if you are so inclined to muck around with this sword, there is something for you here. I don’t recommend this at all for PVP so I will only provide a PVE God Roll.
PVE God Roll
Masterwork
Blade
Guard
3rd Column
4th Column
Origin Trait
Impact
Jagged Edge
Swordmaster’s Guard
Relentless Strikes
Cold Steel
Radiolaria Tranposer
Speleologist – Solar Machine Gun (Craftable)
Source: D2 Foundry.
One of the other few weapons that are currently not available, but are viewable in the Destiny API, the Speleoligist has some interesting perks and can potentially fit right in as your heavy add clear machine. I can’t recommend this for PVP as I currently have no idea how it handles, but I can’t imagine it would stack up compared to its competition in the same slot.
PVE God Roll
Masterwork
Barrel
Mag
3rd Column
4th Column
Origin Trait
Range / Stability
Smallbore
Flared Magwell
Enlightened Action / Envious Assassin
Incandescent / Killing Tally
Radiolaria Tranposer
Patron of Lost Causes – Kinetic Scout Rifle
Source: Author.
The first of the reprised weapons from Shadowkeep’s Season of Dawn which are not craftable, this Kinetic Lightweight Frame Scout Rifle sees its perk pool revamped to include some more modern perks.
PVE God Roll
Masterwork
Barrel
Mag
3rd Column
4th Column
Origin Trait
Range / Stability
Smallbore
Flared Magwell
Triple Tap / Rapid Hit
Kinetic Tremors
Cast No Shadows
PVP God Roll
Masterwork
Barrel
Mag
3rd Column
4th Column
Origin Trait
Range
Hammer-Forged Rifling
Accurized Rounds
Rapid Hit
Precision Instrument
Cast No Shadows
Breachlight – Strand Sidearm
Source: Author.
A fan favourite amongst the community, this reprised Season of Dawn Sidearm shows off its shiny new elemental typing, Strand. While regular Sidearms aren’t the strongest in PVE, there are some options here for you to have some fun. I do not recommend this weapon for PVP, as its perks do not seem to favour the Crucible sandbox, currently.
PVE God Roll
Masterwork
Barrel
Mag
3rd Column
4th Column
Origin Trait
Range
Smallbore
Flared Magwell
Demolitionist / Pugilist / Threat Detector
Adrenaline Junkie / Swashbuckler / Hatchling
Cast No Shadows
Perfect Paradox – Kinetic Shotgun
Source: D2 Foundry.
This slick shotgun sees a return but can only be looked at as an option for melee-oriented PVE builds, as Rapid Fire Frame Shotguns are not very good in the Crucible. There is still a roll here for those that don’t have a crafted Wastelander MK5 from Dares of Eternity. I would only pair Pugilist with Trench Barrel if you wish to use the former over something like Threat Detector/Remover which should be paired with One-Two Punch.
PVE God Roll
Masterwork
Barrel
Mag
3rd Column
4th Column
Origin Trait
Range
Full Choke
Accurized Rounds
Threat Detector / Threat Remover / Pugilist
One-Two Punch / Trench Barrel
Cast No Shadows
Martyr's Retribution – Solar Special Grenade Launcher
Source: D2 Foundry.
The first Solar Wave Frame that players will be able to obtain since Season of the Risen’s Explosive Personality, it seems that PVE players will finally have a PVE-oriented Solar Wave Frame Grenade Launcher. I do not recommend you use this in PVP as it will perform terribly in the current sandbox. This is the last of the few Episode: Echoes weapons that are currently not available.
Linear Fusion Rifles aren’t in the greatest place right now, and even if they were there would be a lot of very stiff competition for Line in the Sand. Regardless, there is hope for this Linear Fusion Rifle, with one perk in particular ensuring that it isn’t wholly left behind.
PVE God Roll
Masterwork
Barrel
Mag
3rd Column
4th Column
Origin Trait
Range
Hammer-Forged Rifling
Ionized Battery / Enhanced Battery
Rapid Hit / Clown Cartridge
Bait and Switch
Cast No Shadows
With that, we have all the weapons that should be a part of Episode: Echoes. Be sure to get those red borders for the Vex-themed weapons so you can enhance their perks!
The ancient Greeks wanted to believe that the universe could be described in its entirety using only whole numbers and the ratios between them — fractions, or what we now call rational numbers. But this aspiration was undermined when they considered a square with sides of length 1, only to find that the length of its diagonal couldn’t possibly be written as a fraction. The first proof of this...
As the fight against ransomware slogs on, security experts warn of a potential escalation to “real-world violence.” But recent police crackdowns are successfully disrupting the cybercriminal ecosystem.
In an old Indian parable, six blind men each touch a different part of an elephant. They disagree about what the elephant must look like: Is it smooth or rough? Is it like a snake (so thinks the man touching the trunk) or a fan (as the man touching the ear proposes)? If the blind men had combined their insights, they might have been able to give a correct account of the nature of the elephant.
Sasquatch Sunset, one of the most absurd movies to come out of Sundance this year, finally got its wide release in North America last month. IGN's Sasquatch Sunset review, which awarded it a coveted 10/10 review score, called it "an emotional masterpiece of experimental cinema and fart jokes."
If you're wondering how and where you can watch Sasquatch Sunset this weekend, take a look at the info below.
Where to Watch Sasquatch Sunset Online
Sasquatch Sunset is now available for VOD and digital purchase on multiple platforms such as;
Sasquatch Sunset will be released on Paramount+ with Showtime, rather than Netflix, Max, or Disney+, per distributor Bleecker Street's output deal with the service.
Bleecker Street's movies come to Paramount+ with Showtime within five months of their theatrical debuts, according to Deadline. That means Sasquatch Sunset will be available on Paramount+ with Showtime by mid-September. This section will be updated when a release date is announced.
What Is Sasquatch Sunset About?
Sasquatch Sunset is a dialogue-free, surreal comedy that follows a family of Sasquatches. Here's the official synopsis from distributor Bleecker Street:
In the misty forests of North America, a family of Sasquatches — possibly the last of their enigmatic kind — embark on an absurdist, epic, hilarious, and ultimately poignant journey over the course of one year. These shaggy and noble giants fight for survival as they find themselves on a collision course with the ever-changing world around them.
Sasquatch Sunset Cast
Sasquatch Sunset was written by David Zellner and directed by David Zellner and Nathan Zellner. It stars the following actors:
Jesse Eisenberg
Riley Keough
Nathan Zellner
Christophe Zajac-Denek
Sasquatch Sunset Rating and Runtime
Sasquatch Sunset is Rated R for some sexual content, full nudity, and bloody images. The film runs for a total of 1 hour and 29 minutes including credits.
Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.
AMC's adaptation of Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire returns for its second season in May. IGN's review of Interview with the Vampire: Season 2, which moves the series from New Orleans to Paris, called it "a perfect embodiment of vampire stories’ unique ability to combine desire and horror."
If you're wondering what Interview with the Vampire: Season 2 is about or how to watch it yourself, take a look at the information below.
How to Watch Interview with the Vampire: Season 2
Interview with the Vampire: Season 2 premieres May 12 on AMC and AMC+. AMC is available from cable providers; AMC+ is available for $5/month with ads or $9/month without.
Interview with the Vampire: Season 2 Episode Release Schedule
Interview with the Vampire: Season 2 will include eight episodes. Episodes will be released weekly (on Sundays). Here's the full release schedule for Season 2:
Episode 1 – May 12
Episode 2 – May 19
Episode 3 – May 26
Episode 4 – June 2
Episode 5 – June 9
Episode 6 – June 16
Episode 7 – June 23
Episode 8 – June 30
What's Interview with the Vampire: Season 2 About?
Interview with the Vampire is a television adaptation of Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles novels. Here's the official Season 2 description from AMC:
The interview continues in season two. In the year 2022, the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac recounts his life story to journalist Daniel Molloy. Picking up from the bloody events in New Orleans in 1940 when Louis and teen fledgling Claudia conspired to kill the Vampire Lestat de Lioncourt, Louis tells of his adventures in Europe, a quest to discover Old World Vampires and the Theatre Des Vampires in Paris, with Claudia. It is in Paris that Louis first meets the Vampire Armand. Their courtship and love affair will prove to have devastating consequences both in the past and in the future, and Molloy will probe to get to the truths buried within the memories.
How to Watch Interview with the Vampire: Season 1
The first season of Interview with the Vampire is available to stream on AMC+ and Prime Video. If you don't have those subscription services, you can buy episodes or the full season from Apple.
Nearly a year after the conclusion of Season 3, Demon Slayer returns for its fourth season in May. This year, the anime adapts the manga's penultimate arc, Hashira Training.
If you're wondering what Demon Slayer: Season 4 is about or how to watch it yourself, take a look at the information below.
How to Watch Demon Slayer: Season 4
Demon Slayer: Season 4 premieres on May 12. Episodes will stream on Crunchyroll outside Japan.
Crunchyroll subscriptions begin at $8/month.
Demon Slayer: Season 4 Episode Release Schedule
Episodes of Demon Slayer: Season 4 will be released weekly (on Sundays) beginning May 12. An episode count has not been revealed, though each of the past two seasons has included 11 episodes. Here's the tentative schedule for Demon Slayer: Season 4, should it also run for 11 episodes:
Episode 1 – May 12
Episode 2 – May 19
Episode 3 – May 26
Episode 4 – June 25
Episode 5 – June 2
Episode 6 – June 9
Episode 7 – June 16
Episode 8 – June 23
Episode 9 – June 30
Episode 10 – July 7
Episode 11 – July 14
What's Demon Slayer: Season 4 About?
Demon Slayer: Season 4 will adapt the manga's Hashira Training Arc. Here's the Season 4 description from Crunchyroll:
To the Hashira Training…
The members of the Demon Slayer Corps and their highest-ranking swordsmen, the Hashira.
In preparation for the forthcoming final battle against Muzan Kibutsuji, the Hashira Training commences. While each carry faith and determination within their hearts, Tanjiro and the Hashira enter a new story.
How to Watch Past Seasons of Demon Slayer
The past three seasons of Demon Slayer are also available to stream on Crunchyroll and Netflix. If you don't have that subscription service, you can buy episodes from Apple.
Outabox, an Australian firm that scanned faces for bars and clubs, suffered a breach that shows the problems with giving companies your biometric data.
The central objects of study in topology are spaces called manifolds, which look flat when you zoom in on them. The surface of a sphere, for instance, is a two-dimensional manifold. Topologists understand such two-dimensional manifolds very well. And they have developed tools that let them make sense of three-dimensional manifolds and those with five or more dimensions. But in four dimensions...
Guy Ritchie's latest action-comedy is a dramatized retelling of Operation Postmaster, Britain's covert raid of Axis-powers ships off the West Coast of Africa during WWII. IGN's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare review called it "[Ritchie's] answer to Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, only lighter and with more jokes about bland German cuisine."
If you're wondering how and where to watch The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare this weekend, take a look at the info below.
Where to Watch The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare – Showtimes and Streaming
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is now in theaters.To find when and where you can watch the movie near you, check the local showtime listings at the main theater sites below:
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Streaming Release Date
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare will eventually be released on Starz,followed by Peacock, per distributor Lionsgate's streaming arrangements.
Lionsgate has yet to announce a streaming release date for The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, though it fairly consistently releases its movies on Starz 180 days after their theatrical debuts. Should Lionsgate follow suit here, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare may hit Starz in mid-October.
What Is The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare About?
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is an action-comedy based loosely on the British military's Operation Postmaster during World War II. Here's the official synopsis from Lionsgate:
Based upon recently declassified files of the British War Department and inspired by true events, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is an action-comedy that tells the story of the first-ever special forces organization formed during WWII by UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill and a small group of military officials including author Ian Fleming. The top-secret combat unit, composed of a motley crew of rogues and mavericks, goes on a daring mission against the Nazis using entirely unconventional and utterly “ungentlemanly” fighting techniques. Ultimately their audacious approach changed the course of the war and laid the foundation for the British SAS and modern Black Ops warfare.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Cast
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare was written by Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, Arash Amel, and Guy Ritchie. It was directed by Guy Ritchie and stars the following actors:
Henry Cavill as Gus March-Phillipps
Eiza González as Marjorie Stewart
Alan Ritchson as Anders Lassen
Alex Pettyfer as Geoffrey Appleyard
Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Henry Hayes
Babs Olusamokun as Heron
Henrique Zaga as Captain Binea
Til Schweiger as Heinrich Luhr
Henry Golding as Freddy Alvarez
Cary Elwes as Brigadier Gubbins 'M'
Freddie Fox as Iam Fleming
Rory Kinnear as Winston Churchill
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Rating and Runtime
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is Rated R for strong violence throughout and some language. The film runs for a total of 2 hours including credits.
Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.
Repetition doesn’t always have to be humdrum. In mathematics, it is a powerful force, capable of generating bewildering complexity. Even after decades of study, mathematicians find themselves unable to answer questions about the repeated execution of very simple rules — the most basic “dynamical systems.” But in trying to do so, they have uncovered deep connections between those rules and other...
To understand what Ark: Survival Ascended is, we first must look at it’s predecessor:
Ark: Survival Evolved is a game from Studio Wildcard that entered early access on Steam in 2015, which means by law it had to be an open-world multiplayer survival game with lots of crafting elements. It was similar to Rust or DayZ but with considerably more dinosaurs. It spent two years in early access before seeing an official release in 2017, with regular updates and paid expansions adding new areas to explore and items to duplicate. In October of 2023, exactly seven years after beginning development on Ark: Survival Evolved, Studio Wildcard released a remastered remake of the game titled Ark: Survival Ascended, which aimed to enhance many of the visuals and mechanics of Ark: Survival Evolved through its use of Unreal Engine 5 over Unreal Engine 4. At the time of publishing, only the base game and the first of five paid expansions are present in Ark: Survival Ascended, with the rest planned to be released through 2024.
Breathing life into an older game by remastering all of it’s content in a more modern engine sounds like a fantastic idea on paper, but the execution has been rough so far, to say the least. Among a plague of glitches and frequent server outages, Ark: Survival Ascended additionally features legendarily high system requirements, particularly regarding graphics cards. With a minimum GPU requirement of an NVIDIA GTX 1080, one can only surmise that a PC capable of truly running this game well on maximum settings would require a GPU that draws infinite power from a fully sealed microscopic black hole, a CPU containing the soul of Johnny Silverhand, and a power supply repurposed from a decommissioned nuclear submarine.
While it’s amusing to balk at the otherworldly requirements of this game and move on with our lives, it begs quite an interesting question: Just what kind of binary beefcake would have to be built to run Ark: Survival Ascended at a stable 60 FPS in 1080p? Well, let’s take a look!
What Do We Need?
Much of this game’s insane requirements come from the graphics, requiring power that puts crypto-mining rigs to shame. As such, our focus will be on keeping costs down elsewhere when possible while we max out our GPU for stable visual performance. For our purposes, we will mainly be concerned with the minimum and maximum graphics settings at 1080p, but just for fun we will also look at performance in 4K as well. We’ll be looking at GPUs first (and in the most depth) before moving on to the rest of the build.
Picking a GPU
Our choices are slim, because in order to even play Ark: Survival AscendedRX at maximum graphics settings even at 1080p, we need one of the 5 most powerful graphics cards currently available on the market (excluding the 3090 Ti since it sells for much more than the 4090 while also performing worse). Just below are the 5 cards capable of running this game “well enough” to meet our needs, broken down below by their average FPS in-game based on 4 common graphics settings. All the following data was obtained from the Jansn Benchmarks YouTube Channel, with all but the 4090 paired to the same AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU, while the 4090 was paired with a Ryzen 9 7950X3D.
RTX 4090 (24 GB – $2200)
low settings at 1080p: 160-190 FPS
low settings at 4K: 70-90 FPS
epic settings at 1080p: 40-60 FPS
epic settings at 4K: 20-25 FPS
RX 7900 XTX (24 GB – $1000)
low settings at 1080p: 150-180 FPS
low settings at 4K: 55-65 FPS
epic settings at 1080p: 35-45 FPS
epic settings at 4K: 15-22 FPS
RTX 4080 (16 GB – $1250)
low settings at 1080p: 90-120 FPS
low settings at 4K: 50-60 FPS
epic settings at 1080p: 30-40 FPS
epic settings at 4K: 14-20 FPS
RX 7900 XT (16 GB – $800)
low settings at 1080p: 80-110 FPS
low settings at 4K: 45-55 FPS
epic settings at 1080p: 25-35 FPS
epic settings at 4K: 10-12 FPS
RTX 4070 Ti (16 GB – $800)
low settings at 1080p: 60-70 FPS
low settings at 4K: 40-50 FPS
epic settings at 1080p: 22-32 FPS
epic settings at 4K: 8-10 FPS
The recommended GPU changes a bit depending on your specific wants and needs, but we’ll go over an overall winner in a moment. First, let’s review how these stack up:
Low settings at 1080p: All of the cards can handle a stable 60 FPS when paired to low graphics settings and a resolution of 1080p, which is a very worrying bar to barely meet when your cheapest option is $800. Although the RTX 4070 Ti comes dangerously close to dropping below 60 FPS at times, it’s able to remain just above, delivering a smooth performance provided you can live with this game on low settings (which, thankfully, still looks pretty good!).
Low settings at 4K: While the RTX 4090 is able to tread water and stay consistently above 60 FPS at 4K with all settings on low, the other cards begin to suffer. The RX 7900 XTX usually hovers around our target of 60 frames per second, but it occasionally drops below our desired figure. The 4080 occasionally hits our 60 FPS goal, but usually hangs out in the 50s, while the RX 7900 XT and RTX 4070 Ti fall short of 60 FPS.
Epic settings at 1080p: With the graphics of Ark: Survival Ascended cranked to their maximum values, even at 1080p the RTX 4090’s performance divebombs, only hitting 60 FPS on occasion. The game should remain playable on the RX 7900 XTX, RTX 4080, and RX 7900 XT, so long as you don’t mind a target of 30 FPS. On a 4070 Ti the game begins to chug, only rarely sputtering out over 30 FPS, resulting in a choppy, stuttery experience that most people would not considerable ‘playable.’
Epic settings at 4K: Okay, I didn’t really expect much here, but I was still disappointed. With an RTX 4090, your $2200 gets you a practically unplayable FPS that rests in the low 20s. The other cards become entirely useless for the Ark remaster under these cconditions, dropping into the teens and even single digit frames per second on the 4070 Ti – an $800 card!
It’s a bit rough of a lineup, but depending on your resolution, there are (some) winners here.
Playing Ark: Survival Ascended at 1080p?
The AMD RX 7900 XT ($800) is our recommended choice for playing Ark: Survival Ascended with a 1080p resolution. It’s tied for the cheapest card on this list and delivers much better performance than the equally expensive RTX 4070 Ti, able to achieve a stable FPS of just over 60 on moderate graphics settings and up into the low 110s when running with settings on low. It can even run epic settings at 1080p with a decent 30 FPS average that won’t sear your retinas. Just make sure your fans have an aggressive curve! Your GPU will be gasping for air every second it’s forced to render higher settings.
Playing Ark: Survival Ascended at 4K?
Not at all recommended, but if you’re dying to try it, probably an Nvidia RTX 4090 ($2200). If you’re willing to play on the strange combination of 4K and low settings, it should stay above 60 FPS… but it’s $2200+ for one part, and at epic settings you’d be getting just 2o-25 FPS. Even if you can get past the monetary cost and the electrical needs of the PSU required to run one (or two) of this GPU, whether this is worth it to you will still depend on whether the kind of performance I’ve just described would even be acceptable to you. Willingness to go down this route may depend on how early you invested in Bitcoin. You’d have much better luck trying 1440p instead, if you’re truly hell-bent on playing Ark: Survival Ascended above the 1080p resolution. And as for us, we’ll be sticking with the 7900 XT pictured above for our example build here.
Picking… Everything Else!
Now that we have the most nuanced part out of the way, we can take a look at what will accompany and entomb our RX 7900 XT.
Generally speaking, the larger a processor’s “L3 cache” is, the more performance you’re going to squeeze out of it during gameplay. This powerful-yet-cost-efficient AMD processor was picked particularly for it’s insanely large 96MB L3 cache, which is quadruple the ~24MB that many mid-range processors currently sport. This will help the GPU while gaming, allowing for a solid FPS gain that doesn’t involve pumping more money into the already-inflated price that the GPU choice lends to this system.
A liquid cooler like the Corsair H100i makes more room for the GPU to receive fresh air from the intake fans in the front of the case, while also delivering excellent cooling performance to our Ryzen 7 5800X3D. Just make sure to top-mount your radiator to the inside of your case to ensure that fresh air isn’t being heated up before reaching your graphics card; you want your GPU to stay as cool as possible!
A solid, full-sized budget board from MSI that doesn’t go crazy with unnecessary features like gigantic SSD coolers or huge chipset heatsinks. The reinforced metal GPU mount prevents sag and motherboard warping over time, and since we will have a big beefy GPU, this could be important!
Great standard RAM at a great standard price. One pack of 16GB will satisfy the system recommendations, but to ensure a smooth experience we’d recommend doubling up on this RAM to have 4 sticks equaling 32GB of RAM (as reflected by the price quoted here).
Since the 7900 XT graphics card we will be using draws up to 315 watts, we are going to want to step up our power supply to 750 Watts to make sure it can handle the additional power consumption. This efficient, fully modular Corsair power supply is white but comes at a better price than many standard black 750-Watt Corsair supplies on Amazon right now. Since our case will feature a PSU basement anyways, the color is largely irrelevant. If you really prefer a normal black power supply, though, any standard ATX 750-Watt PSU from a reputable manufacturer would get the job done just as well.
A relatively cheap Corsair case that’s still loaded with features like cable management routing, excellent airflow, and two included fans. The included fans should be used as intakes and the CPU radiator should host the two exhaust fans. If you have a third fan to install, that would create a positive pressure system if mounted as a third fan on the front, which is ideal but not required.
An excellent, fast, reliable SSD that fits perfectly into one of two M.2 slots on our MSI motherboard, and affords plenty of storage for other (probably much less demanding) games.
Conclusion
Of course, you’ll need a few other things for a functioning system, including an operating system like Windows 11, as well as peripherals like a mouse and keyboard that don’t affect the performance of the game itself. Without factoring those in, this build comes in just under $1900 before tax, which frankly could have been a whole lot worse.
We did cut a few corners by getting a relatively inexpensive motherboard, case, and set of RAM, but this build should still handily exceed the minimum requirements of Ark: Survival Ascended, run the game well in 1080p, and deliver fantastic performance in practically all other titles.
What do you think of this build? Have any questions or comments? Let us know below! And as always, thanks for reading!
What gift do you get this holiday season for the computer builder in your life?
Well, first of all, probably not computer parts! Unless they’ve asked for a specific component, there’s a good chance you’d be giving them something redundant or unwanted.
But don’t worry! There are still plenty of things that the average PC builder could receive that are almost never redundant (like additional storage space) or which a builder is unlikely to have bought for themselves (like an uninterruptible power supply). Good gift ideas for PC building enthusiasts are what this list is all about.
The following 10 gifts ideas cover a spectrum of prices, and are sure to find use on or near the desk of any friend or family member who’s into building computers. Of course, suggestions you get directly from the intended recipient should always be prioritized; but if you haven’t received any guidance from them, these ideas will surely come in handy. Let’s begin!
Tier 1 Gifts ($1-50)
The first tier of gifts is the lowest in price and has the most examples. These gifts will find use by both novice and experienced builders alike.
A straightforward gift that is enough of an unnecessary nicety that most computer builders won’t already have one. Yet it’s useful enough to be used everyday, while being cheap enough to choose as a budget gift or to throw in as a stocking stuffer. By simply offering a place to safely store headphones, this gift clears up desktop space and provides a cleaner appearance overall.
*Headphones, of course, not included! Unless you also buy gift #9…
Despite their solid metal construction and aggressive, angular designs, computers are soft and temperamental on the inside, particularly regarding electricity. It’s important to ensure that any unexpected changes in the power supplying a PC are controlled by an external device so no expensive components are damaged or destroyed. A surge protector like this one from reliable power accessory brand Anker will prevent unexpected pulses of electricity from damaging computer components while also expanding the number of power ports near the PC, all for only $22! Help the computer builder in your life replace the little ratty power strip they’ve been using since 2014; it’s time for it to go.
Another gift idea from Anker is their all-in-one wireless charging pad. Having a wireless charger on my own desk has been incredibly convenient and keeps my phone charged up while working from home for evenings, where I don’t have access to another charger. Many high-wattage charging pads require special power adapters to maximize their charging potential, but they often aren’t included with the pad itself. This universal charging pad includes a full adapter built in for no-fuss universal charging straight out of the box. Whether they have an Android or an iPhone, they’ll appreciate having such a convenient location to charge their phone!
Working on computers doesn’t inherently require much more than a screwdriver and some resolve, but having this iFixit essential electronics toolkit would have made my days repairing laptops, computers, and smartphones significantly easier. Including both essential tools like various magnetic screwdriver bits and plastic separators, this kit also includes a variety of useful specialty bits for unique parts and electronics, as well as a couple cleaning tools that are sure to find use in any computer builder’s tool box. As I indicated a moment ago, these tools can also be used to repair laptops and smartphones—provided all appropriate safety and warranty measures are followed, of course!
Tier 2 Gifts ($51-100)
This second tier steps up the price range and has two examples. They remain general enough to find use no matter the experience level of the recipient, while some of the next section is a bit more niche.
For many computer builders, their audio experience ends with a headphone cable. Speakers alternatively provide a more relaxed listening experience without the headgear, even at volumes low enough to avoid disturbing house- or room-mates. This speaker pair from Edifer features 2.75 inch drivers and a compact design that doesn’t dominate valuable desk space. They can even be placed anywhere thanks to their Bluetooth connectivity, whether that’s a desktop, a bookshelf, or a TV stand. Or they can be connected to a laptop instead, and used as a mobile pair of speakers for parties, elegant dinner events, and various other soirées.
External hard drives can store large amounts of data and can be transported anywhere, making them great gifts for computer-savvy travelers that like to watch media on the go. They can load the drive with shows and movies and bring it with them for direct playback on a laptop or tablet, keep it at home and stream directly from it over another service like Plex, or simply use it as a backup for their important data. This Western Digital My Passport drive is a reliable option with plenty of storage for most applications, but it would also be possible to scale this gift up or down according to your gift budget and how much storage you think your gift recipient could use! A lower-capacity 1TB version can be had for $50, or you can spring for up to a 5TB version for $120 if you happen to know a real data hoarder. For reference, to make more sense of what 1TB can hold, it is capable of storing ~158 copies of a 1080p version of the movie Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior. That’s a terrible movie—but what they do with the drive is up to them, so we won’t judge. If the intended gift recipient really loves collecting media or really prizes backing up their work, it may be best to spring for 2TB or greater.
Tier 3 Gifts ($101-150)
This third tier of gifts has three examples at a higher price range than tier 2: a DAC/Amp to boost audio experiences, a more premium storage solution, and a nice pair of headphones at a great price!
A Digital-to-Analog Converter, shortened to DAC, is a device that translates a computer’s audio output from digital to analogue, which increases the fidelity of the signal. This gift is a great idea for those with a particular interest in music or even movies and games, as it can increase the quality of computer audio dramatically while the included amplifier permits more powerful higher-impedance headphones to be used. Even “standard” headphones will see a benefit from this compact DAC that requires nothing outside of the box before use. If you’re okay with the gift being less than a surprise, then it may be worth checking if the recipient has a DAC already before buying… though that rule applies to pretty much any gift in this price range and above!
Most computer motherboards now have at least one M.2 SSD slot on them, and the Samsung 980 PRO EVO is a great drive that fits perfectly into that very space. Solid State Drives still command higher prices than traditional hard drives for a given capacity, but their significantly faster transfer speeds and slightly better longevity for most users ensure that any data loaded on the drive can be accessed quickly and reliably. This high-capacity SSD can store dozens of large games while also cutting down on loading times, or an entire library of movies and TV shows. No matter the intended use, this drive would be a welcome gift for any level of computer enthusiast with a port in their machine that can accommodate it. Looking to spend a little less but still want to get them a high-speed internal drive like this one? Select the 1TB option to bring it down to $80!
Alright, call me a little biased on this one since these are the headphones I currently use myself, but that just means I’m speaking from experience when I recommend these to anyone who may enjoy a nice set of wired, open-back headphones for their desktop at home. For the current price of $150, this luxurious set is a steal and has far surpassed the audio quality of every other pair of headphones I’ve tried in this price range (even without a DAC). They’re lightweight, comfortable, and have a great sound profile for a huge range of uses, from gaming to watching media to listening to music.
Tier 4 Gift ($151+)
This is the final, most expensive tier of the list. It includes but a single gift, for those who can afford to provide extra stability to a desktop computer this holiday season:
An Uninterruptible Power Supply, shortened to UPS, is a power storage system which continues powering a PC for a limited time in the event of a power outage. The idea is that the power supplied by a UPS is enough to safely shut the computer down in the event of an outage, preventing both data loss and component damage in the process. This particular power supply from CyberPower features 12 outlets, half of them linked to the battery system, and all of them surge-protected at all times. This $165 model is capable of putting out 600 Watts of power, which is enough for most computers, but a few ultra-powerful builds may require the 880-Watt version for $200.
And that concludes our list! As always, these ideas are just suggestions and can be tailored to suit the needs of the recipient, such as tweaking the max output of the UPS or the capacity of the SSD, or as ideas for similar gifts. Have another idea for a gift that a computer builder would probably enjoy? Let us know what it is in the comments!
ASUS announced a potent Steam Deck competitor May 11th and released the spec sheets for two models that vary in more ways than the different Steam Deck options from Valve. We’ll be looking at the official tech specs for each device and comparing them side by side. There’s some juicy differences ahead, so let’s get started!
ROG Ally vs. Steam Deck: APU
First, we’ll be comparing the APU between each device, which is the combination processor (CPU) and graphics unit (GPU) that makes the funny man on the screen do the little dance. Higher-performance APUs can process more little dances per second. Together with RAM, they determine how pretty the funny man’s face and house look.
The Steam Deck features a relatively older Zen 2 APU from AMD, while the Ally has a newer Zen 4 APU. This allows for a denser layout of processing units in the Ally, increasing performance but also increasing the amount of power drawn. With the smaller architecture comes an increased core and thread count: the base Ally has 50% more cores and threads than the Steam Deck, while the extreme Ally has double the core and thread count.
Processing speeds are much faster on the Ally as well, right around 1.5GHz higher on both models compared to the Steam Deck. CPU-intensive games will almost certainly run better on the Ally compared to the Steam Deck, and the increased CPU performance will help push framerates closer to the 120fps maximum. Performance in this regard seems quite impressive!
ROG Ally vs. Steam Deck: RAM
Next we’ll be looking at RAM, which is where the data that’s necessary for active processes and open applications is temporarily stored for fast access. More RAM means more processes can be worked on at once, and faster RAM means more processes can be done in the same amount of time.
While the Steam Deck features quad-channel RAM (compared to the Ally’s dual-channel), there should be no appreciable difference in performance between the two in this regard. However, the 16% faster RAM speed may introduce a slight performance advantage to the Ally, as AMD APUs are notorious for loving high-speed RAM.
The overall capacity of each is the same across all models in this lineup, with each device featuring 16GB of RAM as the only option. Fortunately, that should be plenty for practically every modern game. The RAM speeds of both devices are quite fast, and will likely deliver the same performance in the majority of games. Not much of a difference in this aspect, so let’s move on!
ROG Ally vs. Steam Deck: Storage
Storage is straightforward—it’s the capacity for all software or data present on the device. Both handhelds feature Solid State Drives (SSD) across the entire lineup, with only the lowest-spec Steam Deck featuring a different type of SSD that may run a little slower than the others we’re looking at. But hey, that one’s only 64GB anyways, so it’s not like you’d be able to run any major brand-new AAA releases from it anyway!
Storage is the only major difference between the various versions of the Steam Deck, with the cheapest model having only 64GB of eMMC SSD storage. The two more expensive Steam Decks feature faster NVMe SSDs at either 256GB or 512GB. ASUS took the liberty of making the storage decision for you, with identical 512GB NVMe SSDs on the base and extreme models. The Ally features a generation 4 PCIe connection, which has double the transfer rate of the PCIe 3.0 in the 256 and 512GB Steam Decks and a little over triple the transfer rate of the PCIe 2.0 in the 64GB.
While this sounds like a crazy increase in speeds over the Steam Deck, no game should ever reach the maximum transfer speed of a PCIe 3.0 SSD, and a PCIe 2.0 SSD should only cause one or two frames lost per second at most. The only noticeable difference between them then, if any, would be slightly improved loading times on the faster drives. Since these storage options are so effectively similar, and since modern games are ballooning in size more and more every year, no matter which you choose… I see a MicroSD card purchase in your future! So, just keep that in mind.
ROG Ally vs. Steam Deck: Screen
Screens are incredibly important on handheld gaming devices, and the Ally does it’s best to one-up the Steam Deck’s screen in nearly every way—and if the tech specs are any indication, it succeeds. Important parts of a screen include the resolution (the number of pixels on the screen), the refresh rate (the number of images the screen can display per second), and the brightness (which is measured in nits).
Like the APUs, the screens are a major point of difference between the Steam Deck and the Ally, with each brand sporting the same screen across all of their respective models. Both the Deck and the Ally include an IPS LCD screen that is about the same physical size.
But the Ally has increased resolution (1080p compared to 800p), double the refresh rate, and 25% higher maximum brightness. These should all come together to produce a brighter, crisper, smoother image on the Ally—but at the certain cost of increased heat and reduced battery life, unless you dial back the performance. Playing games with low resource requirements on the Ally will benefit most from the 120hz refresh rate, creating the opportunity for highly and consistently smooth gameplay. The extra brightness won’t come in much use unless you frequently play somewhere without proper shade, like a nice beach or the heart of a dying star.
ROG Ally vs. Steam Deck: Connectivity
The ports between both devices are largely the same, with each featuring a 3.5mm headphone jack, a MicroSD card reader, and a USB-C port capable of high-speed video and audio streaming. The Ally also lists that the USB-C is a combination port with the “ROG XG Mobile Interface”, a type of external graphics card you can connect to increase the performance of the Ally; but then it isn’t so portable, is it?
As for wireless connectivity, both feature full Bluetooth compatibility to tether your favorite controllers and headphones.
ROG Ally vs. Steam Deck: Miscellaneous
Operating System
The Steam Deck uses the Arch-based SteamOS that was custom created for the device. It’s a fairly smooth UI with some decent settings options, but it lacks compatibility with third-party programs. Windows can be installed and dual-booted from, but the more limited specs of the Steam Deck will hold the performance back.
The Ally, conversely, will come loaded with Windows 11 from the start, allowing for a wider range of compatibility with many programs. For most people, Windows 11 isn’t that much of a deterrence, but to some people it’s a dealbreaker. It will probably bog down the performance a little since the operating system isn’t built specifically for gaming like SteamOS is on the Steam Deck, but Windows 11 opens the door to many applications beyond just playing games on Steam.
Battery
Both have the same battery capacity at 40KWh. Valve estimates that the Steam Deck’s battery powers 2-8 hours of gameplay, and its APU only draws half the power of the Ally at both minimum and maximum wattage. We can conservatively estimate the battery life range for the ROG Ally may be half of the Steam Deck: around 1-4 hours of gaming time, but of course this may vary when you factor in background processes like Window 11 and gaming software suites, as well as any optimizations ASUS implements.
Size and Weight
The Ally weighs about 9% less than the Steam Deck (608 grams and 669 grams, respectively), and has thinner, flatter grips that reduce the overall weight. It’s also a little narrower, reducing its footprint on desks and tables while maintaining the same screen size as the Steam Deck. Height remains almost the same, only 6mm shorter on the Ally, as both devices feature very little vertical bezel around the screen. Not bad! A little more compact while remaining big on features.
Touchpads and Grip Buttons
If you find yourself unsatisfied by the sixteen buttons on a standard controller layout, luckily both the Ally and the Steam Deck have additional input buttons on the back of the grips. While the Ally has two paddle-style buttons on the back, the Steam Deck features four larger buttons that are more flush with the curves of the grips. The Steam Deck additionally features twin touch pads on either side of the screen, something that the Ally lacks entirely, which can not only easily enable mouse control but also provide an extra set of inputs (an important feature in games like Arma or Squad).
Left, in green: Two buttons on the back of the Ally | Middle, in blue: Four buttons on the back of the Steam Deck | Right, in red: Two touch pads on the front of the Steam Deck
Price and a Verdict (Based on One Opinion (Mine))
Now onto an all-important aspect: pricing!
The weaker 256GB version of the Ally is $599 while the more powerful 512GB version is only $100 more at $699.
The Steam Deck is available in three prices: $399 for the 64GB, $529 for the 256GB and $649 for the 512GB.
The increasingly expensive Steam Deck models also include extras like carrying cases, Steam profile bundles, and more premium display glass. Notably, the Ally is the only device that actually has performance differences between the models, and the difference is absolutely massive, to the point where saving $100 isn’t really worth the loss in performance. You’re saving just 14% of the price to have your performance reduced by approximately 67%, based on the maximum number of teraflops per second. You’re also losing a lot of processing power by missing out on two cores and four threads, as well as a little bit of maximum clock speed.
Conversely, the Steam Deck delivers a consistent performance across the board starting at the base $399 version. This model’s price puts the Steam Deck at a very competitive place compared to the Ally, which starts at 50% more but offers a sizeable performance bump. The $529 and even $649 models only gain a faster and larger SSD—and let’s be real, regardless of model you’ll most likely end up with a massive-capacity MicroSD card jammed into the reader that will never leave until entropy destroys the universe.
If you’re looking to play a handful of games that aren’t too demanding, it seems like the $399 Steam Deck is your best bet. If graphic fidelity and keeping performance steady is more important, then it’s probably worth strongly considering the Ally, whether that’s the performance version or not.
Once the Ally is released and a mainstream Steam Deck competitor hits the shelves, it’s really going to beg the question of who the two more expensive Steam Deck models are marketed towards, as there will soon be a $600 alternative that’s significantly more powerful and provides just as much high-speed storage as even the $649 Steam Deck. So maybe a price cut will come to those higher-tier Deck variants? Only time will tell!
Conclusion
For now, this is only the announcement. As more testing is released and we get a better idea of the real performance of the Ally and not just what ASUS tells us, its place relative to the Steam Deck will get clearer. The biggest concerns come from battery life; these are some high specs for a handheld!
The screen is brighter, higher resolution, and with double the refresh rate; the APU pulls up to twice the wattage; and in the background you’ve got Windows 11 and whatever extra gaming suites you have running, too. This battery is going to be carrying the weight of the world on its back, forever doomed to a full recharge after just a few hours of gaming. To every lithium-ion battery conscripted by ASUS into another ROG Ally, I salute you.
What are your thoughts on the ASUS ROG Ally? Would you consider spending the extra money for the performance? Let us know what you think and, as always, thanks for reading!
When you think of gaming on a PC, you probably think of a mouse and keyboard. Controllers have long taken the back seat in PC gaming history but, believe it or not, there’s a handful of games out there that play better with a controller than mouse and keyboard. Yeah, I said it, and I’m not taking it back.
There’s a lot of controllers out in the wild, but which ones are the best? Out of the thousands of controllers, how can you possibly choose? Where do you even begin!?
Well, right here is a pretty good place to start, because this article is all about the 7 best options for PC gamepads you can get in 2022. Let’s begin!
Part 1: The A-list
This first of our two sections of recommendations is for the best PC gaming controllers—those that provide value and function beyond the competition. If you can, it’s recommended you go for one of these controllers first. There’s a reason they’re at the top!
Wireless, and comes with USB-C cable for wired play
Excellent feel and build quality
Great compatibility with Windows 10
The Bad
Requires AA batteries for wireless play – Rechargeable battery pack is $25!
‘Imperfect’ d-pad (though much better than Xbox 360 d-pad)
More Info
If you ask any of your friends, coworkers, neighbors, or pets which controller they use when playing PC games, odds are they’d say the Xbox One or practically identical Xbox Series X controller. An excellent successor to the Xbox 360 controller, the 4th generation Xbox controller does just about everything you can ask for at its $60 MSRP. It has both wired (With the included USB-C cable) and wireless (Bluetooth) compatibility, multi-zone rumble features, and analogue triggers. If you watch a retail page for it over a few weeks, you’ll likely find one on sale even cheaper (possibly for $45 or $50), and at that kind of price for this kind of quality it’s hard to recommend anything else. The Xbox Play and Charge Kit, which includes a rechargeable battery for your Xbox One Controller for $24.99, has a phenomenal battery life of up to 30 hours of play time. If you’re looking for a more personal controller, you can use their Design Lab tool to create and order your own controller design for $70. It doesn’t add any features, but it’s a nice touch of personalization for a little extra cash.
Works out-of-the-box, either wired or wireless with Bluetooth
Solid build with a rubberized backing
No extra cost for rechargeable battery
The Bad
May need extra configuration for some games
Short battery life
More Info
Another excellent choice of controller right behind the Xbox One or Xbox Series X, the PS4 controller has many similar features. It has wireless play out-of-the-box and, unlike the Xbox One controller, comes standard with a rechargeable battery pack (as any wireless controller should!). While the Xbox One battery pack lasts up to 30 hours, the PS4 controller lasts a much shorter time, anywhere from 4 to 8 hours. Compensating for the poor battery life, however, is the presence of the unique touch pad. When configured, the touch pad can work as a mouse for your PC, allowing you to seamlessly navigate your computer’s interface or in-game menus without the need for a wireless mouse or using a frustrating thumb stick cursor. Some may also prefer the more symmetrical layout of Sony’s controller compared to Microsoft’s asymmetrical design, but that is largely up to taste.
Perfect for reliving the days where microtransactions were just a daydream in the mind of an evil executive
The Bad
Though quality control has improved since they first appeared, durability may still be a concern for some
Wireless controller options are less cheap (but rechargeable batteries do come standard)
More Info
8BitDo attempts to tickle your nostalgia gland with their old-school designs, while also bringing them into the 21st century by adding modern features like wireless capabilities, improved ergonomics, dedicated software for customization, and 4-6 shoulder and back buttons. 8BitDo’s products are a great way to extend the emulation experience beyond the screen and right into your hands, with controllers that look and feel just like you remember. And even for those uninterested in emulation, the options that resemble early Sony and Nintendo controllers are often the best controller choices overall for playing 2D titles like platformers and top-down shooters—thanks to their excellent classic-style directional pads. 8bitdo has options that are made to replicate controllers from the NES, SNES, Genesis or Master System, PlayStation, arcade, and even the TurboGrafx 16. They also make a handful of other controllers, including teeny tiny portable controllers and even a NES-inspired wireless mouse! Which you choose is up to which design you prefer, or else which retro system(s) you’re most fond of.
Many have a smooth matte finish, which has a nice feel
Typically wired in operation (no batteries or recharging)
Huge selection of models and colors
The Bad
Relatively cheaper feel compared to full-priced controllers, but not far off
Rumble tends to be weak or absent
More Info
PowerA controllers are a great choice for those on a budget wanting a new controller over a used one. PowerA makes official peripherals for a wide range of console manufacturers, and they’ve proven their dedication to providing controllers of similar quality to big-name companies at a much cheaper price. The best way to find a PowerA controller you like is to navigate their website and browse the different console controllers they make. There’s many different controllers for each console, so your individual wants and needs will influence which controller you choose. Switch controllers tend to be cheapest at $28, but the triggers aren’t analogue. Xbox One controllers have analogue triggers but are $10 more at $38. They also make wireless controllers and more niche ones, like fight pads. The choice is yours!
Part 2: The B-list
If that first set of controllers is the A-list, then this is the B-list. While the gamepads in this section are also good or maybe even great choices, they fit more specific niches and may have more potential drawbacks than the A-list. But if they fit your wants and needs better, then get one! You’ll likely still be happy with any of the following.
No official drivers (works through Steam, and many advanced features aren’t supported)
More Info
Even though the DualSense Playstation 5 controller sports more features the Xbox One and PS4 controllers, the lack of support for said features in most PC games makes this controller harder to recommend. Some PC games support the DualSense’s advanced features—such as Metro Exodus: Enhanced, Call of Duty: Vanguard, and F1 2021—but most do not. The DualSense controller works most easily through Steam, which has official support for the controller and allows for configuration of the controls to suit certain games. You can also use DS4Windows, a program that expands support for the DualSense controller, allowing you to customize light bar color, customize button mapping, and monitor the battery level. Alternatively, you can sit back and hope that official support for this great controller improves some day. I hope it’s soon!
If you can justify the outrageous asking price of $179.99, the Xbox Elite Series 2 is packed with features and customizability that stands without comparison. It sports interchangeable parts, (including thumb sticks, directional pads, and back paddles), a fully textured and rubberized grip, and both USB-C and wireless Bluetooth connectivity. It’s arguably the best mainstream controller you can get your hands on. The only major drawback (beyond costing as much as 3 new video game titles combined) is that they’re prone to developing issues over time, including thumb stick drift, button failure, and dead zone formation. Of course, not every controller is bound for this fate; there’s probably a silent majority of Elite Series 2’s out there that are still running perfectly fine 3 years later. Still, it’s hard trying to justify potentially getting a lemon for this kind of price. If you buy one, make sure to get a new one with a warranty!
Good build quality and feel, could probably withstand an atomic blast
Supported by every program and OS ever dreamt up by humans
Statistically you have at least one in your closet somewhere
The Bad
Now almost exclusively available second-hand, making prices highly variable
Mushy, worst-in-class d-pad
Wireless use requires an adapter sold separately
May contain weevils
More Info
After the poorly-received ‘Duke’ controller for the original Xbox, Microsoft decided it was time to produce a controller that fit in the hands of an actual human being; thus, the Xbox 360 controller was born. These controllers are often an incredible budget option for people looking for something that doesn’t feel like a budget controller. Despite their age, they’re an excellent choice due to their indestructibility, ergonomic design, and broad compatibility. Though probably a bad choice for retro gaming due to its unfathomably horrible directional pad, it otherwise remains well-suited to nearly all modern games. The wired USB option is probably your best bet, considering the wireless Xbox 360 controller requires a separately purchased wireless adapter. If you can find one in good shape for $20 or $30, this controller will probably last longer than a new Xbox Elite Series 2.
Conclusion and a Closing Message
All these controllers, like anything in life, have their benefits and drawbacks. None of them are inherently bad choices, and any will likely perform perfectly well for the entire duration you use them for. But when considering a peripheral like this, it’s important to know the downsides that accompany them since for some they can be the sole physical point of contact with a PC while gaming. Nevertheless, for those who are still playing FromSoft games (or any games that started their lives as console exclusives) with keyboard and mouse, I’d very strongly recommend giving a controller a try.
The Xbox One/Series X and PS4 controllers are likely to last you the longest and have the most reliable wireless performance, but each make sacrifices regarding batteries to keep the base controller prices from ballooning up. The PowerA controllers are the least expensive reliable options in the A-list, but they do come with worse build quality and limited features as a result. 8bitdo’s options are in between those extremes, with a range of build qualities and features across their devices.
Any controller can suffer from any relevant issue, and your choice should ultimately take those traits into account. The point is, always select a gamepad (or any PC part, really) that factors in not just the features you want, but the negatives you’re most okay with as well!
Any thoughts, questions, or other comments? Any unmentioned PC controllers you feel should be added to our A- or B-list? Let us know!
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