Sony announced the PlayStation 5 Pro officially today on YouTube during a tech reveal. It pretty much offers what leakers revealed weeks and months ago already. It is a system that is more powerful than the regular PlayStation 5 and supports AI upscaling.
I have to admit that I had plans to buy it. I’m not a huge gamer anymore, but I like to play from time to time. I did own a PS5 in the past, but sold it as I ran out of games to play.
The PS5 Pro would have been a good replacement, but the price is so far off that I won’t buy it. Here are the details:
Base PlayStation 5 Pro costs $699, £699 or €799. No disc drive, no vertical stand, but 2TB of storage, fully compatible with hardware, games and accessories.
Disc drive costs extra $79 in the US. In the EU, it costs €119.99.
Vertical stand is an extra $29 in the US. In the EU, it costs €29.99.
If you want a full PS5 with disc drive and stand, you end up with $800 in the US and almost €950 in the EU. That is without any games.
You can buy a good gaming PC for that money that plays more games and does a lot of other things that the PS5 Pro does not support.
Here is the presentation video, in case you are interested.
Maybe the price will come down eventually, but for now, it is one hell of an expensive console to buy.
Are you a gamer? What is your take on the price of the PS5 Pro? Feel free to leave a comment down below.
If you are a Steam user, you may know that Steam has an ever-growing assortment of games that are free to play. Valve does include demoes, free to play, and free games in the category, which makes it a bit difficult to find the interesting ones.
Generally speaking, free means that the game is free to download and play. These games usually do not include payable content.
Free to play games, on the other hand, usually come with content that you need to pay for. Some limit this to cosmetic items, others limit progression or entire parts of the game, if you do not pay.
Here is the overview:
Free — No in-game purchases. May offer DLC though.
Free to Play — May include in-game purchases, often to unlock content.
Free demos — Test versions of games that offer limited access to content.
Up until now, there was not really an option to check out trending free games on Steam. While you could browse the free to play listing of games, you’d only find “new & trending” and “trending upcoming” games there.
If you wanted to get a list of the hottest free games on Steam at the time of writing, you’d be out of luck.
Valve added a new trending free listing to Steam, but it is not where you’d expect it to be. You do not find it on the free to play page on Steam. Instead, it is found on the startpage.
Here is how you get there:
Open the Steam Store, either in the browser or in the Steam client.
Scroll down until you come to the New & trending listing.
Activate Trending Free there to display the free games that are trending on Steam right now.
Steam displays the top 10 free games that are trending on Steam right now. Note that you may get a mix of everything the free category has to offer. This means, that you may see free demos next to free to play and free games on Steam.
Is it a groundbreaking feature? Not really. Still, if you like to browse what is trending on Steam, you may find this new trending free filter useful as well.
Do you use Steam or another digital gaming platform? Feel free to leave a comment down below.
AMD has released the first version of Frame Latency Meter, an open source tool for Microsoft Windows devices that is measuring the latency of the mouse.
Technically, Frame Latency Meter helps getting insights into a system’s performance by measuring the mouse’s response time from the moment it is moved to the moment the frame is displayed on the screen.
Who is the target for the tool? This is an advanced tool that aims at game developers, but also power gamers who like to squeeze as many FPS as possible out of their rigs.
Here are the details:
Frame Latency Meter is compatible with devices running Windows 10 or 11.
It works on AMD, Intel, or Nvidia devices.
Data can be exported to CSV files.
Hotkeys are available and configurable.
Screen capture region can be customized.
The main advantage of AMD’s tool is that it does not require any special equipment.
AMD has a quick start guide on the project’s GitHub repository. While you can simply run the program after download, it does not need to be installed, you end up with the default configuration.
AMD suggests the following steps:
Configure the primary monitor to run the game on — Set to free sync or a manual refresh rate. AMD suggests to start with 60Hz first.
Run the application.
Press the right Alt-key to set the capture region bounding box. (only shows if the game is running in windowed mode).
Run the game.
Use the shortcut Alt-T to enable and disable the capturing.
In theory, you could use the tool to optimize gaming performance on any Windows system that meets the requirements.
Most gamers won’t, but it is nevertheless an interesting tool, especially for game developers who want to make sure their games run fine. Game developers who used high speed camera setups in the past may want to give this a go to see how it stacks up. It is a much cheaper option, after all.
Gamers who want to optimize their systems may run game-specific benchmarks to do so. This is a good way of adjusting game settings to improve performance.
What about you? Do you play computer games on your Windows systems? Feel free to leave a comment down below to let us know.
The next feature update for Windows 11 will likely introduce support for a new technology that Microsoft calls DirectSR. This technology promises to make the life of game developers easier. While gamers do not benefit directly from it, they will benefit indirectly, as games will make use of the technology.
DirectSR, the SR stands for Super Resolution, is a new DirectX API designed to improve the implementation of upscaling in games. Microsoft collaborated with NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel to develop DirectSR.
Developers have to implement specific upscaling technologies currently to support them. If they want to support these for AMD and NVIDIA cards, they need to implement NVIDIA DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) and AMD FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution). These implementations take time to develop as the systems require different implementations.
This led to issues in the past, when games supported only one of the available upscaling technologies.
DirectSR promises to improve how upscaling is implemented. It offers a standardized interface for multiple upscaling technologies. Developers may use this option to implement upscaling technologies in their games across Windows and Xbox systems.
How DirectSR works
The core idea is simple: developers feed data that the API then routes to the upscalers. This works because upscalers tend to require the same set of data.
In other words: the API takes care of the processing of the data that the upscalers need to improve game performance and visuals. This means that developers need to provide the data just once to support all upscalers.
Microsoft promises that its new API covers upscaler updates as well. Company engineers update the API whenever necessary to support new features and changes.
Closing Words
Microsoft has not announced a release data for the new API yet. A likely target for inclusion on Windows is the release of the 2024 feature update for Windows 11. This will be released in the second half off 2024, like at the end of September or beginning of October 2024.
As is the case with new gaming technologies, it will take some time before games will make use of them. While some games may support the feature early, it may take years before a good number of games support it.
Much depends on Microsoft’s promise that the technology will make things easier for game developers.
Netflix is known for its streaming content, but it also offers a growing library of games to subscribers. These games are available free of charge currently.
On its games website, Netflix highlights the current advantages of games. These includes “no ads”, “no extra fees”, “no in-app purchases” and “unlimited access”.
As far as games are concerned, you find the usual assortment of casual games for the most part. What may be surprising to some is that you get some high quality games as well. This includes the “definitive editions” of Grand Theft Auto Vice City and San Andreas, and the blockbuster Into The Breach.
The free ride may be over soon
A Wall Street Journal report suggests (paywalled) that Netflix is evaluating a number of ways to monetize its games offering. Next to charging extra for premium titles, Netflix may also introduce in-app purchases or advertisement.
The change torpedoes all main features of Netflix Games, which most subscribers may not like on bit.
Besides this, Netflix also considers giving Standard with Ads subscribers access to the games section. Games are limited to Standard and Premium plans currently at Netflix.
Soon, and this seems a likely option, Standard with Ads subscribers may get their hands on at least some of the available games. These would, you guessed it already, come with advertisement.
Netflix has high hopes for its ad-powered plan. It continues to grow and the inclusion of games would make it more attractive to part of the target demographic.
Netflix Games: the future
Netflix tripled its games download rate in 2023. Count rose to more than 81 million downloads in 2023. For Netflix, it is important that downloads and use rise year on year.
Monetization is the next logical step for the company, even though it stated earlier that it did not want to go down that route. It is possible that Standard with Ads is getting access to ad-powered games only, and that the offer for ad-free subscribers remains as is.
Netflix could run some tests to see how premium game offers fare on the network.
If you are a Netflix subscriber and a gamer, you may want to give some of the games a go before things may change.
Streaming is evolving from its initial goal of providing a simpler ad-free experience. Numerous streaming services compete against each other now in a market that is pivoting towards ads. It is reducing the attractiveness of these services and pushes P2P again.
Boardgames are best played locally with a group of fellow players. Sometimes however, it may not be possible to assemble a group to play locally. Maybe members of the group are ill, on vacation or have other things to do. Another reason may be that you like games that other members of the group don’t want to play.
That’s were online boardgame services come in. BoardGameArena is one of those. It is one of the largest services of its kind. You may play hundreds of popular and lesser known boardgames there.
To name just a few major ones: Catan, Wingspan, Azul, Ark Nova, Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne or 7 Wonders.
You do need an account to get started, but creating an account is free. Free users are limited in some regards. One of the main restrictions is that free players can’t create new tables for certain games. You may still join tables to play these games, but a premium member has to create the table in the first place. Premium is available for $3 per month if billed yearly.
Premium members have other benefits, including that multiple players can join from the same network or access to video and voice chat.
Getting started at BoardGameArena
Creating the account is the first step. Once done, you may want to start browsing the list of available games. The list is divided into sections, e.g. popular, casual games, family games or core gamer games.
Each game includes information on how to play it. Many include tutorials that teach you the game while you play it. Rules are always linked and you find video tutorials for many of the games as well.
You may want to add games to your list of favorites. These become available on the main page then when you select “play now”.
All open tables of your favorite games are listed and you may join any of those. You may also display all open tables or search for open tables for specific games.
There is also an option to watch a game without participating in it. This is an excellent option to learn the game.
Here is a quick list of what you may want to do after signing up:
Browse the list of supported games or use the search to find games of interest.
Read the rules, watch rule explanation videos or use virtual tutorials to learn the game.
Add games to your favorites to get open tables highlighted when you select the play now option on the site.
Playing boardgames
You play all boardgames in the browser. All modern browsers are supported and most games instruct you what you need to do in each turn.
First-time players get their time doubled. There is a time limit in all games. If you don’t play within the time limit you may be kicked out from the game by a vote. This affects your reputation on the site.
When creating games, premium players may block others from joining based on their reputation or skill in the game.
Most games require that you click on elements on the screen when it is your turn. You may be asked to play a card, put a meeple on the board or perform other actions that are common in boardgames.
BoardGameArena supports other game modes. The most common mode is “simple game” and “real-time”. You may switch simple game to arena or tournaments instead. Real-time can be switched to turn-based, which gives players more time and does not require them to be at the table at the same time.
Closing Words
BoardGameArena is a well maintained boardgaming website. New games are added regularly and players on the site are, for the most part, very friendly and helpful.
You may join the site to play exclusively with your friends, provided that at least one of the group subscribes to premium, or play games with people from all over the world.
While it does not beat playing games locally, it is an excellent option if time, location, availability or other factors prevent local sessions.
Sony released the original PlayStation 5 console in two versions three years ago. One PS5 included a Blu-Ray disc drive, the other did not.
This initial version of the PS5 won’t be available for much longer. Sony unveiled a new, slimmer version of the PlayStation 5. This version will replace the classic version of the console this year.
The new model is lighter and slimmer, but that is not the only difference. Sony plans to replace the original model with the new one. Old models are no longer in production but they remain available until the remaining stock is depleted.
Sony PlayStation 5 Slim
The new version of the PS5 is slimmer and lighter than the classic version. While not called Slim by Sony, it is definitely a smaller version. The new PS5 is offered in two versions, one with a Blu-Ray disc, the other without, just like the original models.
The weight of the disc-based version drops from 3.9 kg to 3.2 kg and dimensions shrink to 36 x 10 x 22 cm from 39 x 10 x 26 cm.
The disc-less model’s weight is 2.6 kg, down from 3.4 kg, and the size shrinks to 36 x 8 x 22 cm from 39 x 9 x 26 cm.
Weight and dimensions are not the only characteristics that change. Owners of the disc-less version may purchase a Blu-Ray drive to turn it into a PS5 console with disc drive. The new Blu-Ray drive may be attached to the console. It is sold separately for 79.99 USD | 119.99 EURO | 99.99 GBP | 11,980 JPY according to Sony. The add-on drive is only compatible with the new PS5, not the classic disc-less version.
This is not the only difference though. The consoles include a a horizontal stand. A vertical stand may be purchased separately for 29.99 USD | 29.99 EURO | 24.99 GBP | 3,980 JPY.
Last but not least, PS5 Console Covers will become available in early 2024. These will change the look of the console. Covers start at 54.99 USD | 54.99 EUR | 44.99 GBP | 7,480 JPY.
Refreshed Sony PlayStation 5: hardware changes and price
Sony’s new PlayStation 5 models use the same hardware components as the classic versions, with one exception. The hard drives of both models have a size of 1 TB now, compared to 825 GB of the old models.
The new PS5 models have two USB-C ports at the front and one USB-A port at the back. The original version has an USB-C and an USB-A port in the front. Everything else looks identical.
Availability of the new consoles
The new PlayStation 5 models will be released in November in the United States. The price of the disc version is $499.99 and the price of the disc-less version $449.99. The base price of the disc-less version jumped by $50.
Here is the retail price in other regions:
Europe
PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – 549.99 EUR
PS5 Digital Edition – 449.99 EUR
UK
PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – 479.99 GBP
PS5 Digital Edition – 389.99 GBP
Japan
PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – 66,980 JPY (includes tax)
PS5 Digital Edition – 59,980 JPY (includes tax)
The new models will roll out worldwide soon thereafter according to Sony.
Verdict
The new Sony PlayStation 5 Slim console is different from the original one in several ways. The option to purchase the Blu-Ray drive as an add-on is a welcome addition. The console offers 175 GB of extra storage, which is always great, considering that games can easily exceed 100 GB nowadays.
No USB-A port on the front may make it more difficult for some users to play on the system while the controller is charging. There is also the question of heat and whether the slimmer design has an impact on that. It is hotter on average than the larger, but older, models?
Most owners of the original PS5 won’t likely migrate to the new console. The extra bit of storage and the slimmer dimensions may tempt some, however. I’d wait for tests to come out to make sure that heating is not a problem in these newer versions.
The increased price of the digital version makes it even less attractive than before. It is just $50 cheaper than the disc-based version, which allows PS5 owners to share games with friends and resell purchased games.
Steam games can be installed on any drive or partition on the system. The default installation path is always the main drive, but users may select a different drive.
Reasons for doing so include running out of space on the main drive, putting games that require less speed on slower drives, or to improve manageability.
This guide provides step-by-step instructions to install Steam games on any drive.
Installing Steam Games
Valve Software, maker of Steam, improved the Steam client significantly in the past years. One of the improvements added support for installing Steam games on different drives.
The process is straightforward and identical for all games, apps and other content:
Select the game that you want to install.
Activate the install button on the page.
Tip: you may also right-click on any game to select install from its context menu.
The install dialog lists all available installation locations. Each location lists the available free storage.
Select one with the mouse or by tapping on it to make it the target for the installation.
Activate the install button to start the download and installation of the game.
If a drive is not listed, select the cogwheel icon to jump to the Storage settings. Display the list of available drives there with a click on the arrow icon and select “add drive” to add a new drive for game installations.
Tip: please note that you may also use the “add drive” option to add a new folder of a drive that is already used by Steam. Valve confirms this on the Steam Help website. Note that the instructions ask the user to click on a plus button at the top, but do not point out that it becomes available only after expanding the menu.
Making another location the default on Steam
Steam resets the installation location to the main one each time a game is installed. There is an option to make another location the default, but it is well hidden.
Select the Steam menu at the top and then Settings.
Switch to the Storage section when the Steam Settings window opens.
Select the location that you want to make the new default from the menu at the top.
Click on the three-dots icon on the page and select the “make default” option.
This makes the selected location the new default installation path on Steam. In other words, it is selected by default whenever the install action is selected on Steam.
Manage installed games on Steam
Select Steam and then Settings from the menu that opens to open the Settings in a new window.
Switch to Storage with a click. Steam lists all games installed on the main drive. You may click on the arrow icon at the top to list games installed on a different drive. Note that you may also add a new drive, e.g., an external drive.
Each game is listed with its name, size on disk and the last playtime. The install path is also listed on the page.
Check the box next to a game and then the “uninstall” button to remove it from the PC.
There is also an option to move a game to another drive; this is useful in some cases, including:
To make room for another game, system updates or anything else that requires a certain amount of storage.
To move a game to a faster or slower drive.
To move a game to a drive with more free storage. Useful if you plan to install an update or DLC.
Cursed Treasure 2 is the successor of the popular Cursed Treasure game by Iriysoft. It is a well-designed tower defense game that is available for mobile platforms, Steam and also as a web-based version.
A word on ads and in-game monetization
Cursed Treasure 2 is a game that is light on ads, at least when it comes to the Android and web-based versions, which I played. There are no ads during gameplay or even after levels. You may watch an ad to double the experience gained in a level, but that is about it and completely optional.
An option to make a purchase to remove all ads is provided, but it is unclear how much it costs. Users may want to stay away from that option because of that.
Cursed Treasure 2: the Game
Cursed Treasure 2 follows the main game philosophy of most tower defense games. Players place towers on the map that attack rushing waves of enemies. The main goal of the game is to prevent the enemies from reaching your treasure and stealing all the gems. It is game over for the map when enemies manage to steal them all.
The game lets players place towers nearly everywhere. Some locations are blocked, but the majority aren’t. The three core towers, Den, Temple and Crypt attack enemies with arrows, fire and magic. These can be upgraded and different paths become available for towers. The Temple tower, for example, can be upgraded to shoot two fire beams at enemies or unleash an area of attack damage regularly.
Towers gain experience when they shoot at enemies. Once they reach a certain threshold, they may be upgraded. Upgrading makes them stronger, e.g., by increasing damage or abilities.
The two core currencies in the game are money and mana. Money is used to build and upgrade towers, and to influence some of the independent buildings on the map. Mana is used to influence other buildings and used for spell casting.
Experience points and skills
Players earn experience points while playing the game. They need to complete a level or fail to earn experience.
Experience is used to level up and this awards players with skill points. These points are invested into the three skill trees Orcs, Undead and Demons, which correspond to the three core tower types Den, Crypt and Temple.
Skills fall into several groups. Some improve mana or gold during game start or while performing certain actions in the game. Ancestral Wisdom, for instance, adds 30 mana at start for each invested skill points, which is a lot.
Another group of skills makes placing towers, upgrading towers, cutting trees or casting mana cheaper or more rewarding.
A third group increases random rewards that defeated enemies may drop. The fourth and final group increase damage output. Any invested skill gives the corresponding tower a bonus, such as faster recharge times or increased range.
Spellcasting
Spellcasting plays an import role in the game. Player spells are limited to just two and certain items. The two spells are Meteor and Terror.
Meteor fires a a blazing rock from the sky on the designated target location, hitting all enemies in range. It can be improved with skills, so that it leaves a smoldering pool on the ground that damages enemies who step on it.
Terror frightens enemies in range. Frightened enemies move back the path for as long as they are frightened. Another positive effect of casting terror is that negative effects are removed from towers and that they are protected from effects for three seconds.
Items play a big part as well. There are three scrolls that enemies may drop. Players may activate the scrolls at any time with a tap or click to cast their spell. The spells are polymorph, which transforms enemies into chicken, stasis, which keeps them in place, and thunder, which damages them with lightning.
Enemies may drop coins, mana potions or skulls. Coins and potions give the player money or mana. Skulls allow players to cheat. They may be used to gain lots of gold or mana, return all gems to the treasure or wreak havoc on all enemies on the screen.
The enemies
A tower defense game would be nothing without a good assortment of enemies.
Cursed Treasure 2 delivers in this area. It distinguishes between regular enemies, champions and bosses. Regular enemies range from peasants and guards to enemies with special abilities.
Valkyries can fly over water and lakes, monks heal enemies and paladins are immune to most magic. There is a good variety of regular enemies and the level designers have done a good job at creating the levels and enemy waves.
Champions are special enemies that have more health and usually special abilities as well. The Templar, for instance can’t be frightened, is protected against evil magic and has a spell that halves damage and fire rate of nearby towers.
Bosses are even tougher enemies and they almost always have one or multiple abilities. The General, for instance, is protected by armor, may summon knights and Valkyries, may give mass magic armor to allies and has a final rush ability that breaks the armor but increases the speed of the General.
Gameplay and story
If there is one area in which Cursed Treasure 2 fails to deliver, it is the story. A dark overlord has set sight on the treasures of the kingdom, and it is the player’s task to protect the gems from the evil creature.
Each map adds a bit to the story, but most players may skip reading these altogether, as they don’t miss much.
Gameplay, on the other hand, is excellent. Players who like Tower Defense games will enjoy this game. It is well designed, but never unfair. Some maps may look impossible on first try, at least when it comes to protecting all gems, but all it may take is to add a few more points into skills.
Steam gamers may play it on Steam, but it costs $4.99 on the platform.
Cursed Treasure 2 Verdict
Cursed Treasure 2 is an excellent tower defense game. You need to like the genre to enjoy it, but if you do, you will certainly have hours of fun playing it.
It is quick to jump in and play a map, which usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes. The game explains some of its concepts during the first levels, which may help new players understand core game mechanics.
