By Anonymous on Dec 07, 2017 12:11 am The Lobby crew praises the unsung heroes of the year, handing out alternative awards nobody really cares about, but definitely does, but seriously, they don't, and neither should you.
Finding gifts for the PC gamer can be tough considering there are just so many dang peripherals out there. That's why we've done the dirty work for you and have outlined the best bang-for-the-buck keyboard, mouse, monitor and more that will serve as excellent gifts this holiday season.
Keyboard: Corsair K68 Mechanical Keyboard
A mechanical keyboard is a valuable asset to PC gamers, but they tend to come at a hefty price. Corsair offers some of the better options out on the market and for $100, the K68 features everything you'd need out of a keyboard. It's water and dust resistant, so you don't need to worry about accidentally spilling drinks at your desk and destroying an expensive piece of equipment. Dedicated media keys come in clutch and the Cherry MX Red switches give you smooth, linear, and precise keystrokes.
Street price: $100
Mouse: Logitech G403 (Wired) / G703 (Wireless)
Logitech has a great reputation when it comes to gaming mice and the G403/G703 shows why. It's a simple mouse that fits into your hand whether you use a claw grip or palm grip. Those who prefer a heavier mouse can insert the included 10 gram weight. Two side buttons are easy to hit with your thumb and the distinct tactility of the mouse buttons help with rapid clicking. The G403 uses a Pixart PWM3366 optical sensor, which is extremely precise. The wired version (G403) goes for $70, but can be found for cheaper while the wireless one (G703) will run you $100 unless it's found on sale.
Street price: $70 (G403), $100 (G703)
Mousepad: Steelseries QCK mouse pad series
The Steelseries QCK mouse pads are smooth. The surface consists of sleek cloth, which tracks precise mouse movements. The grippy rubber base prevents movement of the mouse pad itself. The low-profile styling keeps things simple.
The QCK series comes in several sizes, so you can find the dimensions that suit your play style or desk space setup. Dimensions and street prices of the different versions are broken down below.
Street price:
QCK: 320x270x2mm ($9.99)
QCK+: 450x400x2mm ($14.99)
QCK Mass: 320x270x6mm ($11.99)
QCK Heavy: 450x400x6mm ($24.99)
QCK Mini: 250x210x2mm ($6.99)
PC Controller: Xbox One Controller
For a long time, the Xbox 360 controller was the de facto controller of choice for PC gamers due to its XInput support. The Xbox One controller is even better, however, with improved joysticks. The newer variants also support Bluetooth, so you can go wireless without a dongle.
Street price: $47
Gaming Headset: HyperX Cloud Alpha
Kingston's HyperX brand found its way into PC gaming peripherals not long ago and its headsets have been highly regarded. The Cloud Alpha released this year and provides exceptional sound quality. Just as important is comfort; this headset has dense velvet-like ear pads that form nicely around your ears. The microphone is detachable so you can get it out of the way if you don't need it. HyperX's Cloud Alpha connects through a 3.5mm connection and can be used on any device that supports the audio jack. Overall, PC gamers will appreciate its sound and build quality.
Street price: $100
Gaming Monitor: LG UltraWide UM57 25UM57
There are a lot of gaming monitors on the market, but LG makes a really good one with a 21:9 aspect ratio, which will be able to give you a viewing advantage in games that support ultra wide resolutions. It also helps that it's under $200. LG's UM57 25UM57 uses a 25-inch 1080p panel that offers just five millisecond of delay. This is good enough for most gamers. It also uses an IPS display, which means it offers vibrant, realistic colors and wide viewing angles.
Street price: $180
VR Headset: Oculus Rift
With the recent price drop of the Oculus Rift to $400, now is arguably the best time to get a VR headset, especially since the Rift has a more mature library that includes great games like Superhot VR, Robo Recall, Echo Arena, and more. This price also includes the Oculus Touch controllers, which retailed for $200 alone earlier this year. It helps that the Rift is also much easier to set up than the competing HTC Vive.
Street price: $400
SSD: ADATA SU800 (512GB)
Getting a solid-state drive is arguably the biggest upgrade you can make to your PC. ADATA's SU800 SSD is a relatively affordable one that offers 512GB of storage for under $160. It also offers sequential read and write speeds of 560 and 520MB/s, respectively, which makes it dramatically faster than the speediest hard drives.
Price: $159
GPU: GeForce GTX 1060
The current cryptocurrency craze has dramatically increased the prices of modern GPUs, but you can still get a good graphics card for under $200. For instance, you can find Asus' 3GB Phoenix Fan Edition GeForce GTX 1060 for $193, and it happens to be a great GPU for maxing out most games at 1080p.
Street price: $193
Webcam: Logitech C922
Logitech's C922 webcam is great for both streaming and video calls. It has two different modes that allow you to shoot at either 1080p with 30FPS or 720p with 60FPS. The C922 also offers low-light correction, so you can use it in dim environments.
Street price: $100
Mic: Blue Yeti USB Microphone
Whether you want to stream or simply want a high-quality microphone, Blue Yeti's USB microphone has you covered. It has three condenser capsules, which allow you to switch among multiple recording patterns that include cardioid, bidirectional, and omnidirectional.
The Nintendo 3DS has enjoyed a long lifespan and it's still very much relevant in gaming today. It has a vast library of amazing games at this point and the system itself has had a few iterations. So, if someone on your shopping list has yet to dip into the 2DS/3DS ecosystem, it'd be a good time to gift them a great handheld. Even if they already own one, we have a few pointers for accessories to pair with this Nintendo system. Check out what we rounded up!
New 3DS XL Samus Edition
New 3DS XL Samus Edition
The New 3DS XL systems are equipped with auto stereoscopic 3D which tracks your eyes to adjust the 3D effect properly. It's one of the key features that make the New systems special, but the enhanced hardware and exclusive games make it a worthy upgrade for those who are still on the first-generation 3DS. The Samus Edition in particular features an elegant sketch of Samus Aran on the backplate along with the screw attack logo in a neat two-tone burnt orange and gold color scheme.
Retail price: $200
New 2DS XL Poke Ball Edition
New 2DS XL Poke Ball Edition
The Nintendo New 2DS XL launched earlier this year as another revision to the long-lasting handheld system, a non-3D version with the clamshell chassis design. It's still a great system, and if someone you know still hasn't dug into the 3DS's vast library or has one of the older DS models, now would be a good time to get them a New 2DS XL. And if they are a fan of Pokemon, why not spice things up with the Poke Ball Edition? It sports a red, black, and white color scheme and a little button (non-functional) at the center of the Poke Ball design!
Retail price: $160
SanDisk Ultra 32GB microSDHC Card
SanDisk Ultra 32GB microSDHC Card
New 2DS and 3DS systems come with a 4 GB microSD card, but that's nearly enough to store many of the bigger downloadable games. A 32 GB SanDisk Ultra microSDHC card will do the trick and they're a great value for the amount of storage you get. For reference, Super Smash Bros. For 3DS has a download size of 2.1 GB and and Pokemon Sun / Moon takes up 3.2 GB. That extra space will come in handy.
Retail price: $14 to $20
AmazonBasics Carrying Case
AmazonBasics Carrying Case
There's nothing too fancy about the AmazonBasics carrying case for 2DS XL and 3DS XL systems, but it's a semi-hard case that'll keep your handheld in tact. Inside the case are straps to keep the system from moving around and there are three pockets to store a few games. It's a much better option than having your handheld thrown in a bag.
Retail price: $12 to $15
HC-RET Earbuds
HC-RET Earbuds
Simple earbuds are enough for the 2DS/3DS, but that doesn't mean you should skimp out on quality when gifting a pair. The HC-RET in-ear earbuds provide great value considering that they can be found under $20 and outclass other earbuds in its price range. Good bass and overall audio quality will make sure 3DS sound great.
Retail price: $13 to $20
Hori 3DS XL Screen Protective Filter
Hori 3DS XL Screen Protective Filter
The two screens on the DS systems aren't prone to as many accidents as, say, a Nintendo Switch since both 2DS XL and 3DS XL models feature a clamshell body design. But that doesn't make the displays immune to getting scuffed. A pair of screen protectors can come in handy, and they're pretty cheap. The screen protective filter from Hori fits XL screens just right and comes with a cleaning cloth for application prep.
Retail price: $9 to $13
Hori Game Card Case
Hori Game Card Case
Long-time owners of any of the 3DS family of systems probably have a ton of games by now, and carrying around a bunch of cartridges gets unwieldy. A simple case for all those carts can be a big help for portability and the one from Hori, which holds 24 carts, is only going to run you $10.
Retail price: $10
Amiibo
Amiibo
In addition to looking like really cool figurines, Amiibo grant in-game bonuses depending on the particular Amiibo and game. The New 2DS and 3DS systems have a built-in NFC reader will recognize Amiibo when they're placed atop the lower screen. For example, you'll unlock Fusion Mode from the Metroid Amiibo and exclusive art from the Samus Amiibo in Metroid: Samus Returns once you beat the game. A little research will help you pick the right Amiibo for your giftee!
Retail price: Varies based on specific amiibo
Nintendo eShop Digital Card
Nintendo eShop Digital Card
You can always rely on a Nintendo eShop card if you can't decide on a particular 3DS accessory to gift. These act as currency in the eShop store where you can purchase and download digital games. It'd make for a convenient gift that puts the decision-making burden on the recipient, which is great for you! These come in either $10, $20, $35, or $50 amounts with the cast of Mario characters printed on them.
Bluehole's massively successful battle royale game, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, arrives on Xbox One next week. Before then, however, players will have a chance to purchase some exclusive items for the game.
Beginning December 7, Xbox One owners will be able to purchase the PUBG Warrior Pack, the first of three cosmetic item packs that will only be available for the Xbox One version of the game. The Warrior Pack includes four items that can be used to customize your character: a balaclava hat, as well as a camo t-shirt, pants, and tennis shoes.
The PUBG Warrior Pack costs $10 and will only be available for a limited time, until December 10. It will be followed by the PUBG Accessory Pack from December 14-17 and the Tracksuit Pack from December 21-22. Each of those packs will cost $5. You can see some of the items from them above.
As previously mentioned, these three packs will only be available for Xbox One players. They'll also be the only items you can purchase in that version of the game during its preview period. However, publisher Bluehole has said that more loot boxes are on the way to PUBG, though the publisher assures that the boxes will "never" contain any items that could affect gameplay.
PUBG launches for Xbox One via the Game Preview program on December 12. Like the early access PC version, it will cost $30. The game launches in full on PC later this month; before then, players will have a chance to try out PUBG's new desert map, Miramar, which will be available during the "final test round" before its version 1.0 release. The map will also feature an exclusive new vehicle.
Destiny 2's first DLC expansion, Curse of Osiris, is now available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. It introduces a variety of new content; there are campaign missions and Strikes set on the new planet of Mercury, which is home to a new free roam area with its own Public Event and the unique Infinite Forest zone. There's also new Crucible content and a variety of other changes, but for many players, the big highlight is the new gear.
There are a number of new weapons in Curse of Osiris. While it'll take some time to acquire them all, we've already gotten our hands on quite a few. In the gallery above, we've rounded up all the Legendary weapons we've seen at this point. You'll also find a new Exotic trace rifle--the weapon type Bungie added for Destiny 2. Before now, there was only a total of one (Coldheart) in the game; now we've got another. You can also check out all the new Faction gear and Eververse cosmetics.
Curse of Osiris's release coincided with that of update 1.1.0, which made some major balance changes to the game. Numerous weapon types have been buffed or nerfed, and further tweaks to Destiny 2 are coming soon as part of another big December update. The next patch will add Masterworks weapons, which should give hardcore players in particular some much-needed variety.
Destiny 2's Curse of Osiris introduces a ton of new stuff to acquire. That extends to include the various Factions you'll find in the Tower, as Future War Cult, New Monarchy, and Dead Orbit all have new items in their respective inventories.
Most notably, each Faction has a set of the newly added armor ornaments, which allow you to further customize corresponding gear. Additionally, they have some new weapons, Ghost Shells, Shaders, Sparrows, and ships to acquire as you play. In the gallery above, we've rounded up all of the new the armor ornaments that the three factions offer to Warlocks, Titans, and Hunters.
From humans to aliens and droids, every new Star Wars movie introduces new characters to its ever-expanding universe. The Last Jedi arrives next week, and while much of the plot is shrouded in mystery, the various trailers, toys, and interviews that have been released in advance have revealed a handful of the new additions to the Star Wars saga. Here's the roll-call so far…
Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo
Vice Admiral Holdo is played by Twin Peaks star Laura Dern. The character is a senior figure in the Resistance and commander of a ship called the Ninka. From the recent Star Wars novel Leia, Princess of Alderaan, we know that she has been a close acquaintance of Leia's for many years. In addition, an interview with Poe Dameron actor Oscar Isaac revealed that in The Last Jedi, Holdo takes over command of the Resistance and comes into conflict with his character.
DJ
Until recently little was known about this new character, played by Benicio Del Toro. There was even a suggestion from director Rian Johnson that "DJ" might not even be his name--although the Funko Pop of the character is definitely called that. Thanks to Finn star John Boyega, we have learned that "DJ" is an expert hacker, whom Finn makes contact with at some stage in the movie. "We need a codebreaker and he's the best in the galaxy," Boyega told EW. "Unfortunately, he's very dodgy and only in it for financial gain. He doesn't fight for any side."
Rose Tico
Rian Johnson has already stated that Rose Tico is his favourite new character in The Last Jedi, so expect to see plenty of actress Kelly Marie Tran. We know that she is a Resistance maintenance worker who goes on a mission with Finn to the casino city of Canto Bight. In an interview with EW, Tran described the character: "Even though she is good at what she does, she's not known. She's not cool. She's nobody, this background player, which is what makes her interesting. She's not the best. She's not royalty. She's someone who is just like everyone else."
Paige Tico
Rose has a sister called Paige, who is played by Veronica Ngo. She is a gunner in the Resistance, and while we've not seen her in any of the movie's trailers, she does appear in a behind-the-scene video that was revealed during Disney's D23 expo this summer. We also have a clue as to the ship that she works on, via the LEGO Resistance Bomber set, of which she is a part.
Captain Tallie Lintra
Tallie Lintra is the leader of the Resistance's A-Wing squadron, and is played by British actress Hermione Corfield. She can viewed briefly in one of the many TV spots for the movie, and she has her own toy.
BB-9E
The latest droid addition to the franchise has a black paint-job, angular head, and sinister red eye-light, making him very much the evil counterpart to the lovable Resistance astromech BB-8. BB-9E serves upon Supreme Leader Snoke's flagship Star Destroyer Supremacy and was first revealed as part of the Force Friday toyline in August.
Caretakers
This race of entirely-female amphibious aliens are residents of the planet Ahch-To, the ocean world that Rey found Luke on at the end of The Force Awakens. Their role is to look after the ancient buildings, including the remains of the first Jedi temple, on the island that Luke has been hiding out on.
Porgs
If there's one new addition to the Star Wars saga that every fan knows about by now, it's Porgs. These avian inhabitants of Ahch-To promise (or threaten) to be The Last Jedi's Ewoks, and you can expect more Porg toys to be shifted this Christmas than any other character from the movie. They fly, they squawk, and according to this TV spot, they can also fly spaceships. Or at least, get in the way while Chewie is trying to.
Praetorian Guards
With their red armour evoking the striking design of the Emperor's Imperial Guards from Return of the Jedi, the Praetorian Guards are the eight-man elite protectors of First Order leader Snoke. From what we've seen so far, they possess some scary-looking weapons, including hefty double-bladed polearms. Unlike the Imperial Guards, Johnson was keen for these intimidating characters to move like samurai warriors, so expect some Praetorian action in The Last Jedi.
Pokemon Go already added a limited number of generation 3 Pokemon as part of its Halloween event, and now more creatures from Ruby and Sapphire's Hoenn region are on their way to Niantic's mobile game. Fifty new monsters are now available to catch around the world, including Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, and more. Niantic and the Pokemon Company are yet to reveal the entire list of generation 3 critters available, but did specifically mention Swablu, Wailord, Salamence, and Feebas, while more can be seen in the trailer below.
In addition, the game will now reflect real-life weather and climate conditions wherever you are. The new dynamic weather feature will be visible on the in-game map and will affect which Pokemon are likely to appear. Niantic and the Pokemon Company say you might find more Mudkip when it rains, more Cacnea in the sun, or Snorunt in the snow. The weather's other effects include "changing Pokemon habitats," as well as "increasing Combat Power and earning more Stardust after catching a Pokemon." Separate to weather effects, the current season will also change which Pokemon are likely to appear.
A new Portal game has been announced, though it's a little different to previous titles in the series. It's called Bridge Constructor Portal, and it's a crossover between Valve's puzzle franchise and, you guessed it, Bridge Constructor.
As in the mainline Bridge Constructor series, the game tasks you with getting a truck from one side of the screen to the other, except this time you achieve that by placing portals in the right locations to warp your vehicle to the exit. It's coming to PC and mobile on December 20, with "console versions" following in "early 2018." Developers ClockStone Software and Headup Games did not state which consoles they were referring to, but the above trailer features logos for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, so it's safe to assume the game is coming to those platforms at least.
In the meantime, check out some images and a trailer for Bridge Constructor Portal above. What do you think of the crossover? Let us know in the comments.
We've known for some time that PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds will be getting a new desert map, but up until now, publisher Bluehole hadn't shared many details about it, aside from teasing a few work-in-progress screenshots of the environment. That's now changed, as the publisher has officially revealed the map and when players will have a chance to play on it.
Known as Miramar, the new arena is a far cry from PUBG's current map, the lush Erangel. It encompasses industrial areas, beach towns, arid desert land, and more, which the developers say will dramatically change how players approach the survival game. "The unique terrain and dense urban areas of Miramar will create a new Battle Royale experience where the old strategies may no longer work and new tactics are required," the development team wrote in a post on the Steam forums.
On top of the harsh landscape, Miramar is home to at least eight major cities, each of which features different kinds of buildings and constructions that will affect your strategy. Here's how the development team describes each location:
Los Leones
The largest city in the region, Los Leones features ample shopping, a skyline filled with new construction, and a glorious, golden-hued City Center. Players should secure high vantage points by exploring the numerous construction sites, and loot for gear in the cavernous, abandoned commercial buildings.
El Pozo
El Pozo is a city known for its large industrial and entertainment districts. Players can test themselves against all comers in the Luchador Arena, put their motorcycle skills to the test In the death bowl, or hunt in the ruins of the long dead textile factories.
Monte Nuevo
Monte Nuevo is the picture of a town besieged. Ramshackle walls built to protect its residents now allow players ample cover to explore the well-stocked compound.
Valle del Mar
Valle del Mar is a colorful oceanside town bisected by the De Toro bridge. To the West of the bridge is a quaint school, and to the East, a beautiful church. The key to holding this town is bridge control, as it's the only direct route between mainland and the island.
La Cobreria
The shipping and transport capitol of Miramar, La CobrerÃa's most prominent feature is it's enormous Rail Yard. Here, players will hunt and be hunted among the half-buried cargo of a long dead industry. Careful players should loot the schools and campuses that dot this town before attempting to hold the Yard.
San Martin
San MartÃn is located just west of Hacienda Del Patrón. Checkpoints and barriers have transformed this once-quiet small town into a war zone. Both sides of the town have overlooks, so careful players should scout first, before charging into town.
Pecado
Once a tourist destination featuring the largest casino in the region, Pecado continues to thrill players to this day with its mix of high-value loot and dangerous sightlines. Aggressive players will immediately loot the Arena and Casino, but savvy players should check out the 4 story hotels between them.
Chumacera
Chumacera is the husk of Miramar's once thriving textile industry. Long abandoned factories overlook a main road lined with residential and commercial buildings. Verticality in both the buildings and terrain make this town an exciting location to loot--high risk, high opportunity!
Miramar will also feature a new vehicle, a retro-looking pickup truck that will be exclusive to the map. Players will also be able to find a new weapon, the Win94, which will likewise appear exclusively in Miramar as a world spawn.
Players will have a chance to compete on Miramar during the "final test round" before PUBG's version 1.0 release. That is slated to launch before the end of December, so you should be able to try the anticipated new map sometime this month. PUBG will also release in early access on Xbox One via the Xbox Game Preview program next week, on December 12.
2017 has been a turning point for Nintendo. The company launched its hybrid console, the Nintendo Switch, to great success and released widely acclaimed entries into two of its most iconic franchises. But it also didn't abandon the aging 3DS completely, coming out with a few standout games and the new 2DS XL hardware. This year wasn't all good, of course--the lack of Switch voice chat comes to mind--but 2017 was a crucial comeback for the Big N.
So, as the year comes to a close, let's look back at the year that was for both the Switch and the 3DS.
A Strong Launch Lineup And Steady Releases Bolster A New Console
After a year of declining Wii U sales, Nintendo launched the Switch on March 3 with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as the standout launch game. It was the strong start Nintendo needed for its new console; with nearly universal praise, Breath of the Wild helped mount demand for the Switch, and it was the best-selling system above the PS4 and Xbox One for four of the first six months it was available.
Nintendo continued to roll out big franchises as the year went on, and its E3 showings capitalized on goodwill earned by the Switch's early success. Even the most minor of teases were enough to get people excited; a logo for Metroid Prime 4 and the mere mention of a future Pokemon game on Switch were big highlights despite being scant on information (and joined the previously announced mainline Fire Emblem on the list of hyped games we know little about). New Yoshi and Kirby games were also announced, and most of the fan-favorite boxes were checked.
Super Mario Odyssey arrived at the end of October, blending nostalgia for the best parts of previous Mario games with the fine-tuning of the franchise's mechanics. If Breath of the Wild pushes the limits of what Zelda games can be, Odyssey captures everything fans love about Mario, and together they're pillars of an already great and growing library.
Third-Party Support (And Ports) Right The Wrongs Of The Wii U Era
While several great first-party games helped the Switch, Nintendo needs strong third-party support to secure the Switch's future--something it failed to do for the Wii U. Smaller indie games peppered the Switch library from the beginning, and AAA investment came in full force later in the year.
To start off, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is both a superb game and an important test case for Nintendo loosening the reins on its flagship franchise. It was announced during Ubisoft's E3 presentation, not Nintendo's, and Miyamoto appeared as a guest for the announcement. Having Ubisoft at the helm of the game was a surprising move that indicated, above all else, that Nintendo has once again become open to working outside its closely guarded bubble.
More surprising was the lineup of Switch ports. In a 2013 interview, Bethesda's Pete Hines said Nintendo did not reach out to third-party developers soon enough, which made supporting the Wii U difficult, and the company did not release games on the system. But this November, ports of Doom 2016 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim came to Switch, and this year's Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is slated for 2018. While Doom has performance issues on the console, Skyrim runs beautifully, so it remains to be seen how well future ports will be optimized.
November also saw ports of L.A. Noire and Rocket League, the latter of which is one of many indies--ports and new releases--to make their way to the Switch. Axiom Verge and Stardew Valley were ported in October; Stardew Valley is a prime example of the Switch's portability suiting a game especially well and is arguably the best version of the game. New release Golf Story is a great game and Switch exclusive. Indie games make up a large portion of the Switch library currently, and in addition to PC, it seems like Switch could become a primary destination for indie releases.
Huge Improvements, But Past Issues Remain
On the hardware side, the Switch is less powerful than its contemporaries, but that's offset by its portability--and therefore the portability of console-grade games. Unlike the Wii U GamePad, which was almost always underutilized and barely portable, the Switch's portability doesn't feel like a novelty or a gimmick but a luxury console games have been missing for some time. And although the Switch isn't as technically capable as the PS4 or Xbox One, it's a feat that games as vast as Breath of the Wild and Skyrim look and play as smoothly as they do both docked and in handheld mode.
Nintendo's now-standard motion controls have seen an improvement on the Switch, both in quality and implementation. Their use is no longer dependent on the placement of a sensor bar, and the performance of motion controls is largely consistent across the Switch's different control schemes (handheld with Joy-Cons attached, detached Joy-Cons, the Joy-Con grip, and the Pro Controller). On top of that, motion controls are optional in most games--gyroscope aiming in Splatoon 2 is one of the best uses and considered by many players to be the better way to play, but it's all down to personal preference.
A few frustrating Nintendo-isms still linger on Switch, however. The lack of built-in voice chat and poor friends list management--topped off by the persistence of friend codes--is incredibly limiting. Splatoon 2 would have been a good litmus test for the future of Nintendo's online offerings, but basic communication features are still impossible within the Switch itself. Additionally, there's currently no replacement for the Virtual Console as it appeared on the Wii and Wii U, and Nintendo's paid online service has been delayed until next year.
A Switch update in October added quite a few new features and fixes, most notably gameplay recording and save data transfer. While there's still no cloud saving--a quality-of-life feature that's standard by this point--the update did indicate that there's room to grow. Voice chat still doesn't seem likely, but there's hope that some of the more outdated parts of the Switch can be improved over time.
Nintendo also didn't ignore the aging 3DS, releasing the new 2DS XL in July. While there weren't too many new 3DS games in 2017, there were a few that stood out: Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia and Metroid: Samus Returns, as well as the remake of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. Samus Returns in particular launched rather quietly, but proved to be a faithful successor to 2D Metroid games.
Other Matters, In Brief
Nintendo doubled down on mobile with adaptations of a few of its franchises, including Fire Emblem Heroes and Animal Crossing Pocket Camp, but to mixed reception.
Still no word on Virtual Console for the Switch, though the October update sneakily and mysteriously added GameCube controller support with no obvious use yet.
Miiverse was shut down across all platforms and regions in November, but its meme-y legacy lives on in the Splatoon 2 message system.
Production of the standard-size New 3DS ended in Japan and Europe. (It never came to the US outside of special-edition bundles.)
The SNES Classic included the previously unreleased Star Fox 2, which was originally supposed to release in 1996 before it was canceled.
Verdict
After a disappointing few years for Nintendo, 2017 has been a comeback year. The Nintendo Switch launched strong with Breath of the Wild, dominating sales charts and drastically increasing revenue for the company. The Switch still suffers from some of Nintendo's more outdated quirks, most notably the lack of built-in voice chat, but updates leave room for hope of improvement.
Most importantly, Nintendo seems to be learning from its past mistakes. Critically important third-party support has been ramping up, joining great first-party games to make a strong first-year library. The company appears to be listening to fans, bringing back 2D Metroid and launching two essential entries in two of its most beloved franchises. And in doing it all while not totally abandoning the hugely popular 3DS creates the well-rounded Nintendo powerhouse we've been sorely missing. 2017 hasn't been a perfect year for Nintendo, but it's certainly the one it needed.
The Good
The Bad
Strong, steady lineup of games starting from launch
Switch has the initial third-party support it needs to thrive
Portability combined with excellent first-party favorites makes the Switch a must-have console
Despite its age, the 3DS hasn't been completely forgotten in the Switch's shadow
Switch still has quality-of-life issues, like the lack of voice chat and cloud saving
PC is the age-old platform when it comes to gaming, but it's always evolving. While 2016 brought us a new generation of Nvidia graphics cards that redefined performance-to-price value, 2017 was the year AMD got back into the fold in a big way with high-end video cards and multi-core processors. The PC wasn't showered with exclusive games, but many of the year's standouts live on the platform. With both new hardware launches and platform-specific games, we had a strong year for PC. Here's our look back at what made PC gaming special in 2017.
Quality Over Quantity For PC Games
When we think back to some of the greatest PC RPGs of all time, the likes of Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, and the Ultima series come to mind. But in 2017, PC gamers were treated to something truly special in Divinity: Original Sin 2. The CRPG from Larian Studios had a somewhat unconventional path, in that the team used Kickstarter in 2015 to help fund the game's development. It then went into Steam early access in 2016 and fully launched in September this year. Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a modern realization of the classic D&D RPGs that came before it, but when you factor the depth of character creation, dialogue options, story branches, and combat scenarios, its seemingly infinite permutations transcend the best of the genre. It even left its mark in GameSpot history by earning a 10/10 review score. Having sold a million copies in two months, we're not the only ones to think highly of Original Sin 2.
Looking at another PC-centric genre, Playerunknown's Battlegrounds (or PUBG) thrusted the battle-royal-style game into the mainstream. Like it or not, you can't talk about games in 2017 without mentioning PUBG. Even though it lives in early access, the game sold over 20 million copies in less than a year, and occasionally tops the free-to-play MOBA phenomenon of Dota 2 in concurrent players on Steam. Brendan "Playerunknown" Greene had been involved in developing battle royale game modes in the past, but nothing took off quite like PUBG. It tops Twitch views over League of Legends, and countless stories of winning chicken dinners are told everyday. There's something special about dropping 100 players on a desolate island with the sole objective of scavenging for weapons to murder each other. The game is set for an official release before the year ends, but the hours we've already poured into it are a testament to how well it executed this genre, technical shortcomings aside.
While those two games are arguably the biggest stories for PC this year, you shouldn't overlook incredible releases that didn't dominate the headlines. Total War: Warhammer II built off its predecessor by introducing new races and tactics along with a tight single-player campaign. XCOM 2: War of the Chosen may have just been an expansion, but it's a prime example of how post-release content can drastically change a base game for the better. Additional factions and the new bond system brought another layer to the fold in the already-deep XCOM 2. Lastly, if you browse the Steam marketplace for long enough, you'd realize how many visual novels (some much more obscure than others) are out there. But one stood out in terms of flipping genre tropes on their head: Doki Doki Literature Club. It may seem like a cop-out to say 'you need to see it for yourself,' but it's the best way to approach it.
Port Authority Concludes: Satisfactory
In this era of PC gaming, the quality of a port always comes into question. Thankfully, we didn't have the same caliber of issues as past years, and 2017 is indicative of how much things have improved. Regardless of your feelings on Destiny 2, there's no denying that it feels true to the PC platform in both technical performance and controls. Bungie brought on Vicarious Visions to port the once-console-exclusive franchise. The PC version came out seven weeks after the game hit consoles, but consistent framerates and proper performance scaling with graphics options made for a relatively smooth launch. Keyboard and mouse controls were on point, which drove home the notion that PC is the best platform to enjoy the game. You probably also did a double take when you saw it living on Activision-Blizzard's Battle.net ecosystem.
The long-standing fighting franchise, Tekken, also made its PC debut. By using Unreal Engine 4, Bandai-Namco was able to bring Tekken 7 to PC with relative ease. This entry is instantly recognizable for series fans, but newcomers would find a deep 3D fighter with the dramatic-yet-ridiculous narrative intact.
The quality of games ported from console is becoming more consistent, and it should be the expectation at this point.
Although there isn't a VR component yet, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard found a home on the PC. No PC game will have a perfect launch, but the highly-regarded survival-horror thriller, by-and-large, runs well. The Dark Souls-like game Nioh made it's way to PC about 10 months after the PlayStation 4 release, and it's better late than never. It's not a perfect port since it offers limited options, but it's another great game that came to the platform this year.
It wasn't all rainbows and sunshine for PC ports, however. Nier: Automata is one of 2017's standout games for its narrative accomplishments and fusion of many gameplay styles, but the PC version has technical issues that haven't been patched, even nine months after release. Resolution problems, sound bugs, unintuitive control schemes, and inconsistent framerate lead to the rare case of preferring to play it on a different platform. Many fans of immersive sims like System Shock 2 and the Deus Ex found Prey to be one of the genre's best. However, some had lost progress through Talos I with save-corrupting bugs.
You Get More CPU Cores! You Get More CPU Cores!
There will always be new PC hardware hitting the market, but it typically takes several years for something revolutionary to come. While you could say that 2016 was the year of powerful video cards, there's no denying that 2017 was the year of great processors. Intel had been largely unchallenged in the CPU space with its Core i5 and Core i7 lineups dominating mid-range and high-end gaming PCs, but AMD disrupted the market and changed expectations of what CPUs should offer. With the Ryzen family of CPUs, AMD brought quality multithreaded eight-core and six-core configurations at a much cheaper price than anything before it. For example, the eight-core AMD Ryzen 7 1700X can be found floating around $350 at the moment, which is similar to the price of Intel's quad-core i7-7700K CPU. While Ryzen isn't as effective in pure in-game performance, its price and core count is an extremely attractive option for those who multitask with demanding applications, such as gaming and streaming from the same system.
This new standard for CPUs means PCs are capable of doing much more, much faster, all at the same time, without breaking the bank.
Intel followed up by releasing its 8th generation in the Core series of CPUs. Since 2008, Intel's flagship consumer-level processors featured a quad-core configuration, but the company packed two additional cores with release of the multithreaded i7-8700K and i7-8700. Even the mid-tier i5-8600K and i5-8400 CPUs sport six cores, and the low-end i3-8350 and i3-8100 are now quad-core processors--i5 and i3 don't feature multithreading, though. It may not sound like much, but this new standard for CPUs means PCs are capable of doing much more, much faster, all at the same time, without breaking the bank.
If you don't pay close attention to the world of PC hardware, the takeaway is that we're getting more performance for our money and trends set in motion in 2017 will definitely be felt for years to come.
Half-step Forward For Video Cards
CPUs took center stage in terms of new PC gaming hardware in 2017, but there were still meaningful strides made with video cards. AMD made a splash again by releasing the much-anticipated RX Vega cards, putting the tired "wait for Vega" meme to rest. Both the RX Vega 64 and RX Vega 56 allowed AMD to compete at the high-end against Nvidia's GTX 1080 and GTX 1070, respectively. The comparable cards trade blows in gaming benchmarks; Vega wasn't the jump many were hyping it up to be, but it's important to remember that in PC hardware, competition pushes innovation.
Even Nvidia significantly outdid themselves at the high-end with the GTX 1080 Ti that came out in March. It outperforms the GTX 1080 by roughly 30-35%, which is the largest improvement between a Ti and non-Ti version of Nvidia graphics cards. The strong showing of AMD's RX Vega 56 also prompted Nvidia to put out the GTX 1070 Ti. At the sub-$500 price point for graphics cards, PC gamers have plenty of great options.
Renewed competition from AMD in PC hardware not only leads to better options for building computers, but we're getting more performance per dollar spent.
If you talk about video cards in 2017 though, there's no overlooking the cryptocurrency mining craze that drove prices through the roof. Etherium mining was most efficiently done with mid-range GPUs, which led to price spikes in the GTX 1070, GTX 1060, RX 580, and RX 570. Around June and July, these four cards were being sold for over double their suggested retail price due to scarcity and reseller markup. The effects are still felt today, but to much lesser degree; these cards still sell slightly higher than retail price.
Other Matters In Brief
Blizzard's 2010 real-time strategy game Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty went free-to-play, but the expansions Heart of the Swarm (unless you purchased the base game) and Legacy of the Void still have to be bought. Starcraft Remastered launched and ushered the iconic RTS into the 21st century with native widescreen, 4K, and high-definition art assets.
Dota 2's annual tournament, The International, grew even larger with the biggest prize pool ($24.7 million) in its seven-year history. Team Liquid took first place.
Overwatch League was established in 2017. It's a professional international esports league consisting of 12 teams. It's set to kick off the first season in January next year.
Throughout 2017, prices for DDR4 RAM remained higher than years past.
The Oculus Rift and Touch controller bundle dropped to $400 and the HTC Vive dipped to $600. Virtual reality is getting cheaper, but you'll have to read our VR 2017 Report Card for all the details!
Verdict
There's a lot to be happy about in 2017 when it comes to PC gaming. Some truly exceptional games hit the platform, like Divinity: Original Sin 2 and Playerunknown's Battlegrounds, that led to hours devising tactics with friends and basking in the glory of coming out victorious in hard-fought battles. If you played a multiplatform game, chances are it ran fairly well on PC, with a few exceptions. Overall, the quality of games ported from console is becoming more consistent, and it should be the expectation at this point. Despite video card price spikes, renewed competition from AMD in PC hardware not only leads to better options for building computers, but we're getting more performance per dollar spent. When we look back, it has been a strong year for gaming's oldest platform.
The Good
The Bad
PUBG and Divinity: Original Sin 2 are exceptional games for the platform
Great ports, for the most part
AMD is competitive again in both CPUs and GPUs
More bang-for-the-buck and competition in the CPU space
VR is cheaper
Cryptocurrency mining over-inflated GPU prices for much of the year
RAM prices remain high
Technical bugs weighed down a few otherwise great games
The SNES Classic may be tough to find, but it'd make an incredible gift not just for its rarity, but because it packs some of the most iconic games from the early '90s. Its lineup, which includes the likes of Super Mario RPG, Final Fantasy III (VI), Super Metroid, and Super Mario World, makes the SNES Classic much more than a novelty or collector's item to keep on a shelf. Most of its included 21 games are still worth playing today.
Street price: $80
Bluetooth Earbuds: Jabra Sport Pace Wireless Earbuds
If you're looking for Bluetooth earbuds that offer top-notch sound for around 50 bucks, the Jabra Sport Pace are a good choice. Its audio quality stands out among other wireless earbuds, putting out decent mid- and high-level frequencies. The Jabra Sport Pace Wireless earbuds hook around your ears, which help them stay put when you're running or working out.
Street price: $50
Power Bank Portable Charge: Anker PowerCore 10000
With mobile devices being so vital to our daily lives, it's essential to keep them up and running. That's why it's important to carry a power bank. One of the best portable chargers is Anker's PowerCore 10000. As the name implies, it offers 10,000 mAh of juice. That's more than enough to fully charge an iPhone 8 more than four times over. To top it off, the PowerCore 10000 is very portable and offers high-speed charging.
Street price: $26
Portable Bluetooth Speaker: Ultimate Ears Boom 2
The UE Boom 2 is arguably the best portable Bluetooth speaker around. It's loud enough for small parties, rugged enough to survive five-foot drops, and is waterproof up to one-meter for 30 minutes. This makes it a great speaker to use in the shower or at the beach. It's also got a big battery that can last 15 hours on a single charge.
Price: $150
Tablet: Lenovo Tab 4 8
Lenovo's Tab 4 is a great value tablet that you can often find for under $130. It's rocking an 8-inch 1280x800-resolution screen and comes with Android Nougat. While it's equipped with 16GB of internal storage, it also supports Micro SD cards. The device offers good performance for its price with its Snapdragon 425 processor coupled with 2GB of RAM. It also comes with a large 4850mAh battery.
Street price: $130
Drone: DBPower U818A FPV Drone
While high-end drones can be really expensive, DBPower makes a good entry-level one for $113. The company's U818A FPV Drone comes with a 720p camera that you can control with your phone.
Street price: $113
4K HDR TV: TCL 55P605
TCL's 55P605 is arguably the best budget 4K TV. Considering it also supports HDR 10, Dolby Vision, and costs $600, it almost sounds too good to be true. To top it off, the ultra high-definition TV comes with Roku support built in.
Price: $600
Projector: OCDAY 2800 Lumens Video Projector
OCDAY's 2800 Lumens is arguably the best budget video projector on the market. As the name suggests, it's capable of providing 2800 lumens, which is bright enough for most rooms. It's also a 1280x768-resolution projector that is optimized to shine on surfaces between 50 and 200 inches away.
Street price: $210
Star Wars: Jedi Challenges AR headset
Developed by Disney using Lenovo's augmented reality headset, Star Wars: Jedi Challenges allows you to become a Jedi in AR. The game compilation features three gameplay modes. One allows you to wield a lightsaber against hologram foes like Darth Vader and Darth Maul, but there are other modes that allow you to play Star Wars chess or engage in a top-down strategy game where you can spawn tiny Clone Troopers to duke it out on your living room floor. At $200, though, it's really for only for the most hardcore Star Wars fans.
Street price: $200
Set Top Box: Nvidia Shield
The Nvidia Shield not only supports your standard array of popular streaming apps like Netflix and Amazon Video, but it allows you to play a bunch of Android games and stream PC games from locally networked computers. The Shield supports Google Assistant, so users can ask it to keep them up to date with reminders and more. It also supports Google Cast, which allows people to stream videos to the device using their phones.
Price: $199.99
Starting at $8 a month (4K streaming is $12 a month), Netflix is a great, affordable way to unwind. The streaming service offers over 6,400 movies and 1,600 shows and works on almost every computing device out there. Users can also download select videos to watch offline, and the service can be canceled anytime.
Price: Starts at $8 per month
Delivery Service: Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime provides a lot: free shipping, extra discounts, Prime Video, Prime Reading, and even Twitch Prime benefits (like no ads and free games). You can almost find anything you'd need to buy on Amazon, so the free shipping and extra discount on certain items is arguably enough to justify a membership.
Destiny 2's first expansion, Curse of Osiris, is now available and brings with it all sorts of new playable content on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. There's a new planet with story missions, Strikes, and a Public Event, Crucible maps, and more. But in addition to acquiring new Curse of Osiris weapons, Faction gear, and Exotics, there's also a variety of cosmetics to get your hands on.
The release of Curse of Osiris and update 1.1.0 marks the start of Season 2 for Destiny 2. Among other things, this has brought a refresh to the Eververse store and Bright Engrams, meaning there are tons of new cosmetics to acquire. Ghost Shells, Sparrows, ships, emotes, weapon ornaments, and more have provided ways to deck out your Guardian with a stylish new look. In the gallery above, we've compiled a selection of Exotic gear you can now find in-game. There's plenty more than what you'll see here, including numerous Legendary items and other things that we just haven't seen yet.
There are still more changes on the way to Destiny 2 in the near future. The aforementioned update 1.1.0 made some major balance changes to the game, but further revamps are coming soon as part of a second big December update. The next patch will add Masterworks weapons and new ways to acquire Faction armor and weapons.
Destiny 2's latest expansion, Curse of Osiris, has launched on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. In addition to adding some new single-player mission content and a higher level cap, the expansion has also added a ton of new weapon and armor choices. If you want to check out a wider-ranging list of all the new weapons we've been able to find so far, you can find that here, but in this list, we'll focus on the exotic equipment we've come across.
Alongside the DLC, we also got update 1.1.0 for Destiny 2, which has introduced a number of buffs and nerfs, and more big tweaks are on the way for the game's December update. The next patch will add Masterworks weapons, which should give hardcore players in particular some much-needed variety.
We'll have our initial impressions of the DLC going up tomorrow, but if you're already digging in, we also have the solution to one potential mystery: how to unlock the Heroic Public Event. We'll be spending more time on Mercury over the month to find out everything we can about The Curse of Osiris.
Titan Shoulders: Ophidian Aspect
Perk: Cobra Totemic -- Weapons ready and reload very quickly. Melee range is extended.
Hand Cannon: Crimson
Titan Helm: Helm of Saint-14
Perk: Starless Night -- Your Ward of Dawn blinds enemies that enter it. Guarding with Sentinel Shield temporarily blinds nearby enemies.
Trace Rifle -- Prometheus Lens
Fusion Rifle: Telesto
Perk: Fusion projectiles attach and detonate with a delayed Void blast.
Titan Guantlets: Aeon Safe
Perk: Aeon Energy -- Summoning a barricade grants energy to nearby Aeon Cult allies. Other allies receive a fraction of the shared energy.
Scout Rifle: The Jade Rabbit
Perk: The Fate of All Fools -- Chain body shots to gain bonus damage on your next precision shot and return ammo to the magazine.
Titan Helmet: Khepri's Horn
Perk: Solar Rampart -- Solar damage kills recharge your Barricade, which unleashes a blast of Solar energy when summoned.
Titan Leg Armor: MK. 44 Stand Asides
Perk: Seriously, Watch Out -- Grants an overshield when sprinting at full health with Seismic Strike, Hammer Strike, or Shield Bash equipped. Hits with these abilities recharge a portion of your melee energy.
Hunter Helmet: Graviton Forfeit
Perk: Vanishing Shadow -- Increases the duration of any invisibility effects. Your melee recharges faster while you are invisible.
Warlock Gauntlets: Aeon Soul
Perk: Aeon Energy -- Throwing grenades grants energy to nearby Aeon Cult allies. Other allies receive a fraction of the shared energy.
Grenade Launcher -- The Colony
Helmet -- The Stag
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The Lobby crew praises the unsung heroes of the year, handing out alternative awards nobody really cares about, but definitely does, but seriously, they don't, and neither should you.
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