Welcome to TechBites! In this series, we bring you the biggest tech and gaming news so you can catch up on them quickly, so you’re in the know while eating and drinking.
We have arrived in the second half of the year! While we expect some major events to take place later this year, it’s still a while before they happen. To get us started, here’s some July news from the Tech and Gaming space or yours to check out and get excited about.
Sony Unveils New INZONE Gaming Gear Series
Sony is heading straight into the PC space with their newly launched INZONE series, which specialize in gaming gear, particularly suited to the PS5. The interesting thing about this new brand is that it comes directly from Sony itself, not the PlayStation unit.
As part of the launch, the INZONE series will release both monitors and gaming headsets. The monitor slate consists of the M9 and M3. Both are 27-inch monitors, but there are notable differences between the two. The M9 is a 4K, 144Hz monitor with full array local dimming and HDR 600. Meanwhile, the M3 will be 1080p and have a 240Hz refresh rate, but will not have full array local dimming and have a lower HDR 400 rating.
As for the headsets, there are three options to choose from: the H9, H7 and H3. Both the H9 and H7 are wireless gaming headsets, with the H9 having noise cancellation. Battery life on the H9 is 32 hours, while the H7 makes up for the lack of ANC with an improved 40 hours, and both have a quick charge feature that gives users an hour of use with just a 10-minute charge. The H3, on the other hand, is basically a wired version of the H7. All three headsets also have 360 Spatial Sound to further immerse you while gaming.
The monitor slate will unfortunately not be available for the Asia-Pacific region just yet, but the H9, H7 and H3 are on sale now for S$499, S$399 and S$139, respectively.
Skull and Bones rises from the dead
Skull and Bones has been through a tough development cycle, but it looks like it’s finally coming to an end. Five years after its unveiling, the game now has a solid release date, November 8, 2022.
In the game, players take on the role of an ambitious pirate captain. To work your way up, you must gain infamy by accepting contracts from other pirates, exploring, going on treasure hunts and more. As you grow up, you can get new customization options for your ship, allowing you to tailor it to your aesthetic and play style. The game also offers online capabilities and allows players to roam the seas with up to two friends. For the adrenaline junkie, there’s also PvP with other players’ loot up for grabs.
Skull and Bones completely evades the last-gen consoles and comes only for the PS5 and Xbox series of consoles. It will also be available for PC and Google Stadia.
Xiaomi’s latest flagship phone has the biggest camera yet
Xiaomi recently announced their latest smartphone line, the Xiaomi 12S series. The line consists of three phones, but the highlight is the flagship model, the 12S Ultra, which includes a unique quirk as part of its feature set.
The 12S Ultra is equipped with a 1-inch camera sensor, the Sony IMX989, which is huge compared to other phones on the market. That is further confirmed by the appearance of the phone, which has a camera bump that completely takes up the top third of the back. In addition, the camera system has been specially developed in collaboration with Leica, capturing more light and reducing noise to produce more detailed images, especially in low light.
In addition to the sensor, the phone packs a lot of features found in flagship phones. It has a 6.73-inch OLED display, the latest Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip and 67W wired fast charging in addition to the 4,860mAh battery. The phone is slated to launch in China first, but we can expect it to come to Singapore in the future.
Alienware’s New AMD Advantage Laptop Features Fastest Refresh Rate Yet
Is 60Hz too slow? What about 480Hz then? That’s the refresh rate for the recently launched Alienware’s new m17 R5 laptop.
Calling it the most powerful 17-inch AMD Advantage laptop, it features AMD Ryzen 6000 series processors and AMD Radeon RX 6000 series graphics, including the new AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT. That power allows games to run at lightning speed, which is where the screen comes into play.
The 1080p display provides improved smoothness in animation for easier target tracking, ghosting reduction to minimize distracting effects, and lower system latency allowing users to recognize other players sooner. In addition to the high refresh rate, it also has a built-in low blue light solution for eye care and Dolby Vision.
The Alienware m17 R5 is already available in Singapore and costs S$3,049.
PlayStation launches new loyalty program
Hardcore PlayStation users will get additional benefits by supporting the brand with a new loyalty program to be launched later this year.
Named PlayStation Stars, members can earn redeemable rewards by completing various campaigns and activities. One of those campaigns is the ‘Monthly Check-in’ campaign where all you have to do is play a game to receive the reward. Others may ask you to earn specific trophies, win tournaments, or be the first to receive a platinum trophy in your region.
Loyalty points can also be earned which you can then use to redeem PlayStation Network wallet credits and select PlayStation Store products. In addition, you will automatically receive points from purchases if you are a PlayStation Plus member. There are also “digital collectibles” — digital representations of items such as character figures — that members can collect, and Sony has clarified that they are not NFTs.
More information about the program will be announced at a later date, but the program is definitely something PlayStation fans can look forward to.
Images courtesy of Sony Singapore, Ubisoft Singapore, Xiaomi, Dell and Sony PlayStation.
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