#Steam Deck model compatibility

[cringywhitedragon]

A heads up on the Engima DRM situation because there’s a shit tone of misinformation going around

Note: This isn’t a means of saying of saying that I support this, WHICH I DO NOT! Yes I know DRM = Bad but do note that some things people are saying are not true.

First off, Capcom have been adding Engima to games for over at least a year now so it’s not a recent thing. And secondly, this drm was NOT MADE BY CAPCOM.

Enigma is kind of like the whole Denuvo situation, it is not true malware but yes apparently it is causing issues with performance and Steam Deck compatibility so don’t panic about your computers being fricked up. Performance has always been kinda of a hit or miss for PC Gaming. Like even computers with identical specs might not be able to run the same stuff and sometimes bugs may pop up (And trust me, it’s not always due to the freaking graphics card like every damn issue seems to say to check online about.)

Remember, no two PCs are alike and PC gaming is notorious for having issues and it is highly plausible for DRM to cause some in some cases. And like computers, performance in a game is kinda in the eye of the gamer. Note everyone cares about a dip in performance while others might have to have their games run flawlessly (Im in the former since I’ll simply enjoy as long as the game is functional). As for the Steam Deck, I’m not really sure since I don’t personally own one but that could get sorted out on its own. And plus, Capcom is kinda notorious in some cases for buggy PC ports (I’m looking at you X legacy Collection that won’t even freaking launch for me when it should run on my PC can run it just fine.)

Also from what I’ve heard, Enigma DOES NOT EFFECT ALL MODS. Only those that directly modify the game’s EXE files from what I have heard so stuff like texture/audio/model replacement (The most common mods I’ve seen for most of Capcom games) should be unaffected. That means the whole Chun Li situation that people were “claiming” was the main cause behind this (MIND YOU: IT WAS NOT!) likely won’t be affected since reskin mods like that usually tend to be file-side unless it tweaks other stuff. Modding is a pretty broad term for things mind that.

I’m not sure about other types of mods so before you guys get all freaked out, please test your mods beforehand. A lot of this situation is being blown out of the water and y'all people need to chill some. I don’t agree with Capcom’s choices on this but it’s not the end of the world for the modding scene.

After all, life will find a way…

[44dagainagain]

Steam Deck OLED 1TB

I bought a Steam Deck OLED so I can play gachas while I'm away on vacation.

Why I went with the Steam Deck and not the competition (Lenovo Legion Go or Asus ROG Ally):

Steam Deck seems to be the most stable and reliable. Apparently there are software and hardware issues with the others.

That does mean sacrificing on-paper tech specs considering the competition offers higher resolutions and display refresh rates. However, I'm not looking for a desktop replacement; this is an airport fidget. The increase resolution and refresh rate would eat into battery life for honestly not a whole lot of gain.

I also sacrifice Windows (yes you can install Windows but it doesn't seem to work great) but I'm comfortable with Linux and Proton seems to work well. I prefer an OS that I can hack in a pinch...

Unorganized thoughts:

It defaults into "Native Big Picture" but can be swapped into Desktop Mode. This works with USB-C hubs! Having a keyboard and mouse really helps getting non-Steam games working.

Desktop Mode is Arch running KDE. Time to play pacman. I'm a GNOME guy but KDE is very polished, powerful, and approachable.

I call it "Native Big Picture" because it offers more than Desktop Mode running Big Picture. Primarily, the Steam Deck overlay only works in "Native Big Picture" but not Desktop Mode running Big Picture. This seems important for optimizing battery life. Also, the input remapping only seems to work in "Native Big Picture".

"Native Big Picture" does run a basic window manager, it just lacks decoration and shows up centered.

I got the 90hz model. I notice it occasionally but 60hz is fine for me. Anything above that is gravy. I worry about the battery life that this eats up...

Notes for getting games:

Want Minecraft? Use PrismLauncher. This makes it slightly easier to add as a non-steam game. I still had to convert their .desktop to .sh so it can be added as a non-Steam game...

Use Epic? Install Heroic from the app store, then add them to Steam as non-steam Games.

Play Genshin? Sounds like HoyoPlay works but I used Heroic. I think that I needed to change the install drive from Z: to C:. Then I added the Unity binary as the non-Steam game. Then, in Steam, I needed to turn on compatibility with Proton. This game does not work in Desktop Mode since input remapping doesn't work in that mode. You'll want to log in with a physical mouse and keyboard.

The above applies for ZZZ as well.

Palia? I installed though Heroic then added PaliaClient.exe as a non-Steam game. It was complaining about the C++ Runtime but Reddit to the rescue. I installed protontricks and used that to get vcrun2022. I found this easiest to log in when not docked, otherwise the game resolution got really messed up and input didn't work well. You need to log in every time so I recommend having a password manager like 1password (which you can install from the app store)

Current pain points and annoyances:

While it basically runs any Windows game, every non-Steam game I've downloaded requires non-zero time investment to add it to Steam. Typically I need to drop into Desktop Mode, install the game, find the binary on disk, launch it once or twice to make sure it works, maybe write a wrapper script, then go into Steam and hope it can be added. Then hope Proton works. I've had trouble importing .desktop files (which is annoying...) but those are trivial to convert into a .sh

You need to keep the screen on to download games. Burn-in isn't a problem with the OLED under normal use though so this is more a LOL than anything else.

Steam+X is the soft keyboard. This is not easy to discover and necessary for Desktop Mode. It also doesn't work as well as a physical keyboard

[govindhtech]

ADATA SC750 External SSD: Your High-Speed Data Companion

Advance SC750

Compact and lightweight, this mobile phone storage accessory is perfect

ADATA Technology  has released its newest external solid-state drive (SSD), the SC750, with read/write rates of up to 1,050/1,000 MB/s and support for the USB 3.2 Gen2 transmission interface. It plugs into smartphones and tablets via Type-C. It works with Android Type-C smartphones as well as the most recent iPhone 15 series.

The SC750 is a useful tool for video artists who frequently go outside to gather materials since it blends performance and portable design to satisfy the ever-increasing demand for transfer speed and storage created by today’s hectic lifestyles. When transferring large files, the SC750 reduces wait times and boosts productivity when working on many project files at once.

Type C Connector

Designed with mobile devices in mind, instantly record and publish high-definition movies

The popular SE880, which has a significantly smaller form factor and does away with the need for an additional data cable, is the model that the SC750 external SSD is based on externally. When working on a project, users no longer have to worry about searching for a compatible data cable. The SC750 is compact, light, and about the size of a flash drive.

It also takes up little room. It is ideal for travel or business. To transfer large files quickly, simply slide out the Type-C connector. Alternatively, edit and view these files immediately on the SC750 to maximize productivity.

Apple ProRes

Record Apple Pores files straight to the drive with support for the iPhone 15 series

The SC750 external SSD uses the widely used Type-C connector, which works with a variety of computer platforms and operating systems, including Windows, Mac OS, and Android. With the top-tier iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models, record Apple ProRes films straight to an external SSD to avoid using up phone storage. Using your smartphone in this intuitive way reduces the time it takes to transfer and edit large videos or documents, and consumers can forgo the high-capacity iPhone 15 Pro in favour of saving money for a rainy day.

Advance SC750 Parts Manual

Furthermore, the Steam Deck portable gaming PC can be used with the SC750 external SSD. Reluctant gamers can have their games backed up, saving them time and preventing the need to redownload. With the external SSD SC750, you may work, play, and travel about. The 500GB, 1,000GB, and 2,000GB versions of the SC750 external SSD are now available for purchase through international outlets. The 2,000GB version will be released in Q3. A worldwide, three-year limited warranty is included with all.

USA-made SC750 External SSD

Including Mobile Storage is Simple

High-speed read/write of 1,050/1,000 MB/s

Designed to be lightweight, compatible with mobile phones, and data cable-free

Take straight notes on Apple ProRes picture files on SSD.

Compatible with gaming handhelds, the ideal option for saving and transferring games

Compatible with the newest game consoles

Accommodates a variety of operating systems

High-speed read/write at 1050/1000 MB/s

With read/write rates of up to 1050/1000MB and transmission bandwidth of up to 10Gb per second, the SC750 satisfies USB 3.2 Gen2 high-speed transmission criteria, satisfying the demands of professional photographers and video creators for high-speed access while they’re on the go. Large files can be edited and accessed directly on the SC750, ensuring a seamless and uninterrupted working.

Devices need to support UASP drivers and USB 3.2 Gen 2 for best performance. Depending on the hardware and software specifications of the system, actual speeds may differ.

Small Form Factor, Cordless Transmission

Because the SC750 is small and doesn’t require any extra data cords, you won’t have to worry about cables getting lost ever again. The SC750 is compact, light, and about the size of a flash drive. It also takes up little room. It is ideal for travel or business. Its Type-C connector can be removed to begin transferring big data right away.

The iPhone 15 Pro has direct recording support

With the newest iPhone 15 series handsets, the SC750 external SSD allows file transfers and has a Type-C connection. Eliminate the need to buy a high-capacity iPhone 15 Pro by using the top-tier iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models to record Apple ProRes videos. The SC750 is an easy financial upgrade!

A Virtual Safe for Your Mobile Game Device

Do you want to download a lot of games but your gaming device is getting too small for storage? Reduce the length of time spent waiting to redownload by using the SC750 to backup your collection. To rapidly satisfy your craving for gaming, just plug and play!

External Gaming SSD

Your Collection of Games

The newest console generation of games can be linked to the SC750. The SC750 allows you to save games that don’t fit on the internal storage of the consoles, which makes it simple to grow your game collection and enhance your leisure activities.

Depending on the game, the actual loading time may differ, and changing the disc format before connecting to the console may be necessary. You might need to format your game console before you can connect to it.

Uncomplicated Compatibility

You won’t have to be concerned about compatibility whether using Windows, macOS, Android, or another operating system. To begin, simply plug in using the Type-C connector.

External SSDs must be supported and compatible with mobile device hardware and software in order to use OTG data backup and transfer features.

Make sure the mobile device has enough power when connecting it to prevent data loss or transfer failure from power problems.

Read more on govindhtech.com

[estirose]

A (relatively) short TapXR wearable keyboard review

TL;DR: An unusual but handy and kinda fun keyboard currently (as of late 2023) let down by a rushed winter holiday release and issues carried over from earlier models, but updates are coming to fix issues and add features.

The keyboards put out by Tap Systems (Tap from now on) are always hard to explain in a short review. They are keyboards without keys, instead using finger taps to indicate letters, numbers, symbols, and punctuation. If you like quirky, unusual keyboards and are willing to put up with some of the issues, this may be a fun and handy one to use. 

(Pictured: The TapXR in top and side view - the black part is the sensor)

In order to keep this review from being even longer than it already is, I’m going to try to summarize the salient points, and maybe write a much longer review later.

The TapXR is the third of the Tap Bluetooth keyboards, following the Tap Strap in 2016 and the Tap Strap 2 in 2018. Earlier models resembled rings attached together with cords and worn at the base of the fingers; the TapXR uses an entirely different form factor. (This is not my first Tap keyboard as I own a Tap Strap.)

Comes with: My box came with both large and small wristbands, the sensor, a charging cradle, a quick start guide, a reference card outlining most of the Tap Alphabet, and a 20% off on an extra wristband.

Why I like this keyboard: I just love weird and unusual keyboards. In addition, it’s small, very portable, and easy to activate. During my work day, I often use it with my phone to write quick notes for things I need to do or look up later, and after work, I switch it to my Steam Deck to type in text, make notes, and do other things that benefit from keyboard input when I'm playing games. In addition, if I want to, I can configure a custom keyboard for frequently-used key presses.

Compatibility: Anything that can take input from a Bluetooth keyboard. Tap has a video guide on how to enable input on the Apple Watch.

Form factor: The TapXR is a small sensor attached to a stiff, rubbery-feeling band that is worn around the wrist/arm - on the underside of the wrist/arm when using the keyboard and on the top of the wrist when not. I wish that Tap had made a medium band as the large is definitely too large but the small sometimes feels a bit tight on my wrist.  That being said, I've worn it all day with no issues.

How the keyboard works: The sensor module uses a camera along with other sensors to detect finger and hand movement. Letters, symbols, punctuation, and symbols are formed by tapping one or more fingers on a (preferably hard) surface in what Tap calls the Tap Alphabet.

Turning on and off: Very easy. The keyboard turns on when you extend the sensor from the band and turns off when retracted. I suggest keeping the keyboard off unless needed.

Battery: Currently, I can get about 1-3 hours of power, but I find the keyboard recharges fairly quickly in its charging cradle (which uses a USB-C connection; you may wish to connect it to a USB-A to USB-C connector if you don’t have a ready way to plug into USB-C). Hopefully future firmware updates will up this battery life to the promised 10 hours.

Learning the keyboard: Takes some time due to the specialized nature of how this keyboard works. Expect to put several hours into practice before being able to form the muscle memory needed to type without constantly checking a reference, and even more to type at a decent speed. Unfortunately, the usual training apps (TapGenius and TapAcademy) have not been updated to work with the TapXR; reports on various forums indicate that the community has only been able to get the apps working sporadically with the new keyboard. The main app (TapManager) has some basic tutorials; I find the basic tutorial easy to follow but had trouble with the more advanced one despite being fairly familiar (though rusty) with the Tap Alphabet.

Accuracy: Sometimes, the sensor does not detect the finger positions correctly, causing the wrong set of finger taps to be read and therefore the wrong character to be output. (This being said, I generally find the keyboard more accurate than the Tap Strap, especially on softer surfaces.) As a left-handed person, I think the sensor sometimes misinterprets the camera input and tries to interpret my typing as if I was right-handed, which also causes incorrect character output. Typing on a harder surface provides more accuracy than a softer surface, though I’ve actually been able to type pretty accurately on my couch. Hopefully some of the accuracy issues I and others are currently seeing will be fixed - or at least mitigated - in a later firmware update.

Speed: Most people after a lot of training can type up to 30wpm, with the speed record at slightly over 60wpm. I’m currently typing (after a week of trying to both remember the Tap Alphabet after being rusty and trying to remember my fingers needed to be visible to the camera) at about 10-14wpm. Some of this is the accuracy issues mentioned above, some of it is because of the way that the Tap Alphabet is set up.

Mouse: I did not get a chance to test this feature as it was not available as of the writing of this review. It is supposed to come in an update in early 2024. 

Configuration: During setup, you’re prompted to download TapManager for either iOS or Android. TapManager is used to push firmware updates and settings, add custom keyboards (your own or someone else’s), and as noted above, provides a minimal set of tutorials on how to wear the TapXR and how to do basic tapping/typing. It does not need to be open to use the keyboard.

[supermagazinellama]

New Steam Deck

Valve, the parent company to online game distributor steam, unveiled their new steam deck OLED model. If you were unaware, the original steamdeck is a portable gaming handheld, similar to the nintendo switch, but offers more pc compatible games. Some of the upgrades to the original model include a bigger and brighter screen, a more powerful APU, louder speakers, and a larger heatsink with a larger but quieter fan. Here's a link to an article further describing this product in more depth. This is an interesting topic becasue the original model was pretty unique from other consoles. Let me know what y'all think about this.

[thetoxicgamer]

Is Star Wars Jedi Survivor Steam Deck compatible?

Is Star Wars Jedi Survivor Steam Deck compatible? Fallen Order is playable on Valve’s portable powerhouse, but you’re probably wondering if the same applies to its sequel. While we’ll need to wait and see if it earns potential Verified status, we’re already looking into whether you can play Star Wars Jedi Survivor on Steam Deck. Even if you’re able to get EA’s sci-fi adventure running on Steam Deck, Star Wars Jedi Survivor system requirements may cause a disturbance in the force. The Fallen Order sequel takes up a whopping 155GB of storage space, meaning you won’t be able to install it on the cheaper 64GB model. You could get around this by picking up one of the best Steam Deck microSD card picks, but that’ll add extra expense to the experience. Is Star Wars Jedi Survivor Steam Deck compatible? Yes, Star Wars Jedi Survivor is Steam Deck compatible, and graphics driver updates are already available for the intergalactic adventure. SteamOS beta version 3.4.7 explicitly mentions “performance improvements” in relation to the game, meaning it’ll likely work on Valve’s handheld from day one. That said, attempting to boost fps while playing Star Wars Jedi Survivor on Steam Deck might be a struggle, as those specs mentioned above are menacing. On PC, you’ll need an Nvidia RTX 2070 to match Respawn Entertainment’s recommended requirements, so the Deck’s AMD APU could break a sweat even at 720p. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmj3ty-Wt48 We’ll be sharing our best Star Wars Jedi Survivor settings suggestions soon, and the right options may help you fight off dark forces on PC and Steam Deck. Wondering if you should spend credits on the sequel? Our Star Wars Jedi Survivor review says Cal Kestis’ latest adventure absolutely stacks up, but we’ve outlined a few imperfections that are worth considering. Looking to pick up great add-ons for Valve’s handheld? Check out our best Steam Deck accessories list and power up your portable with nifty extras. Read the full article

[linuxgamenews]

Cook Serve Forever already has a focus on Steam Deck

Cook Serve Forever the new cooking adventure game will run on Linux with Windows PC. All thanks to further details from the creative minds behind Vertigo Gaming Inc. Due to make its way onto Steam this April. Vertigo Gaming Inc. announces its massive new culinary adventure Cook Serve Forever. Due to release into Early Access this April. But there is also a pre-release demo available to download and play on Steam. This is a Windows PC Demo but runs decently on Linux via Proton. But first, here are the support plans according to the Vertigo Gaming email.

We're using Game Maker Studio 2 for this game. And while we wont' have a native Linux port we are happy to see it working really well with Proton and will further improve compatibility with that and the Steam Deck.

While Cook Serve Forever is being developed in GameMaker Studio 2, there are plans. Since the developer will focus more directly on Proton as well as a Steam Deck. Since most GM2 games focus Ubuntu as its primary Linux OS. Most games run quite well outside of native support via Proton. So at least we have some sort of win. Although it would be a nice to see YoYo Games (developer of GameMaker Studio 2) upgrade their Linux compatibility.

Cook Serve Forever - Ready to Get Cookin

Cook Serve Forever is a cooking adventure game where you play as Nori Kaga, a home-taught chef. Doing so with nothing to her name but a food cart and a dream to make it big like her role model, the Culinary Queen, Chef Rhubarb. Chop, stir, and sauté your way through the bustling solarpunk city of Helianthus. Manage your menu, learn delicious recipes, and meet a diverse cast of friends and foes on your way to culinary greatness.

The new IP from the creators of "Cook, Serve, Delicious!" features:

A massive new adventure with dozens of hours of gameplay.

Gameplay in Cook Serve Forever simulates the rhythm and tactility of cooking.

Hundreds of new ingredients and recipes with an all new dynamic cooking system.

An amazing original soundtrack by award winning composer Jonathan Geer.

Optional side quests with a diverse cast of characters.

Be sure to check out the Cook Serve Forever Demo. Which is due to receive regular updates to address bugs and balance. Plus you can also Wishlist the game on Steam. Due to arrive in April 2023 on Windows PC, but playable on Linux via Proton.

[anantradingpvtltd]

Price: [price_with_discount] (as of [price_update_date] - Details) [ad_1] We partnered with AMD to create Steam Deck's custom APU, optimized for handheld gaming. It is a Zen 2 + RDNA 2 powerhouse, delivering more than enough performance to run the latest AAA games in a very efficient power envelope. Batteries ‏ : ‎ 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included) Language ‏ : ‎ English Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 40.6 x 31.9 x 15.4 cm; 670 Grams ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B7KFFKT5 Item model number ‏ : ‎ V004284-30 Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ China Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Steam Deck Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 670 g Net Quantity ‏ : ‎ 1.00 Set Once you’ve logged into Steam Deck, your entire Steam Library shows up, just like any other PC. You’ll also see the compatibility rating of each game, indicating the kind of experience you can expect when playing. You can dynamically filter any view in your library by compatibility rating if you’re looking for specific sorts of experiences. The Steam Deck was built for extended play sessions—whether you’re using thumbsticks or trackpads—with full-size controls positioned perfectly within your reach. The rear of the device is sculpted to comfortably fit a wide range of hand sizes. [ad_2]

[samuelryanlilly]

Steam Deck First Impressions

For anyone unaware, the Steam Deck is a handheld gaming computer developed by Valve with the main purpose of getting their Steam library onto a portable platform. After the their commercial flop of the home console the Steam Machine, they basically shifted towards a number of solutions to make sure their next attempt to bring Steam games to more people would go a little smoother. Enter the Steam Deck, a device that's best described as a chunkier yet beefier Nintendo Switch that is specifically tailored to run Steam games quickly and conveniently. I've been using it for roughly a week and half now and wanted to share some of my first impressions.

The physical design is pretty good. While it's a bit big to be going in any pockets and a bit heavy too, it's ergonomically very fitting to the hands. There's enough to hold onto so that makes it feel a bit lighter and to be fair, it's not as big as the promotional materials lead me to believe. For size comparison, it's about as long as the Switch with the Hori Split Pad Pro joycons on, though still thicker. Or relatively similar in size and feel to the Wii U Gamepad, though notably heavier than that. I got the 512GB model but it does have a microSD card slot for external storage expansion. There's also a headphone jack and a USB-C port for charging and peripherals. I tested these out some with headphones and a headset in the jack. I used the USB port to connect a mouse, a keyboard, a controller, and a USB hub to do all three at once no problem. I even connected a USB-C to HDMI cable to use it on my TV in the meantime waiting for the official dock to come out (which has at the time of writing this). I didn't test anything with the bluetooth connection but most of the USB stuff I connected with a USB-A to USB-C adapter with no issues.

After a quick setup I was logged in and ready to start using the Deck. The SteamOS interface here is pretty smooth aside from a few pages that require touch input or a mouse to navigate. You can tweak some settings but the biggest ones are brightness and frames per second because these will make a noticeable difference in battery life. While it's only a 1280x720 16:10 LCD display, being able to play in 60fps with this much powerful hardware is definitely a jump up from a Switch in handheld mode. One of my absolute favorite things they've implemented on the Deck is the compatibility system. Fixed specs means they can test if games are compatible or not pretty easily. Anything with a green check mark is considered great on Deck with full compatibility. A yellow “i” means it'll work but some features may not be ideal for the Deck such as interface, text, and so on. There are unsupported titles which may work just fine but are considered too much of a hassle to get working, among others I'm sure just won't work. I haven't found any yet that failed to launch or run but I did have one poorly optimized indie game become more trouble than it was worth to fix. And then there are the question mark ones that aren't tested enough to categorize. The reason I love this compatibility system is because I can just open up the store or the library, filter for everything with a green check mark, download, and I'm playing. No need to hunt through specs and hope it'll magically work with my configuration.

It's also even easier to play because most games will pick a default template for the Steam Deck controls, but you can also change templates to other presets or custom community ones. Plus the trackpads, touch screen, and extra back buttons give you lots of extra inputs and ways to control games otherwise not well suited to controller inputs. The innards of this machine are pretty respectable as well. Sure, it's no match for a full gaming rig, but for a portable system it does an admirable job delivering great performance and visuals. It feels so nice to just turn on a game, have it work, and be able to play with controller-type controls. I mostly have been watching YouTube stuff on the side while playing and it's great. No need to setup at my computer and plug in all my stuff. I can just pick this up, turn it on, and go. You do need internet for the cloud sync or downloading games, though. Cloud sync actually lets you switch between that and your PC pretty seamlessly. You can also use the auto-suspend of putting the Deck to sleep to resume games later without closing or leaving the system on. So easy and convenient and capable.

Is the Steam Deck a Nintendo Switch killer? Probably not. The libraries don't really overlap a ton so if anything it's like a Switch companion because if you already like playing games that way then you'll probably be more enticed to get through your Steam backlog on the Deck. It could replace it if you used a Switch emulator but that's not likely very legal. And to be fair, while I know you can do tons more with the Steam Deck in terms of emulators and dual booting operating systems and all that, I really just got it to play Steam games. That's what it was made for. And in that regard I think it excels incredibly well. It's a much cheaper alternative to gaming laptop for the ease of portable PC gaming. It's easier to pick up and play at a moments notice to relax than on a PC too. It can play a lot more games with more options and content than modern consoles and handhelds as well. And for anyone on the fence about which way to lean between console and PC, this comes in not only as a good midpoint experience, but also a midpoint price. It's just so impressive and it really does exactly what I've wanted for my Steam games for the longest time. It gives me the ability to spend less time troubleshooting and more time actually playing. If you think you'll like the Steam Deck already, you probably will. Go for it. It's worth it. But we'll see how it holds up past these first impressions as time goes on. I'll keep ya posted. Until then, thanks for listening to me ramble. It's just really nice to still find reasons to be excited about gaming.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/uDrC7yvKnyg

[melbournenewsvine]

Unboxing & Review: Orion Gaming Display

This handheld display is meant to enhance your portable Switch experience, but does it deliver visuals and sound to match its size and bulk? The Nintendo Switch is pretty good for what it offers in its visuals and sound, especially in the OLED, but electronics peripheral company Up-Switch believes it can do better. Enter the Orion Gaming Display. This big display is meant to upgrade the visuals and sound of your Switch with an 11.6-inch IPS monitor and has a multitude of compatibility even beyond the Switch, but does it offer a decent enough upgrade at a reasonable enough price point to make up for the weight and size of the device? Our own Greg Burke checked on that first-hand. In this unboxing video, Greg demonstrates how fairly easy it is to slot your standard Nintendo Switch or Switch OLED model into the Orion Gaming Display. Unfortunately, you’re going to either need to plug the whole setup into a wall or have a battery pack on hand. It’s not powered by anything internal. Greg also takes issue with the weight of the device, claiming it feels even heftier than a Steam Deck (1.65 pounds), which is notable in comparison to the original 0.88 pounds of a normal Nintendo Switch with Joy-Cons attached. Even so, there are quite a few positives to the Orion Gaming Display. Its anti-glare screen looks good and sound comes through nicely on the display. It’s most certainly an upgrade to the normal Switch’s overall play and performance. Those nice things said, Greg also wasn’t fond of the fact that the Orion Gaming Display doesn’t seem to offer access to the Switch’s cartridge port, meaning you have to take the Switch out to change physical games. Add this to the weight of the device, which for Greg came out to around 2 pounds, 11 ounces, and the Orion just might be a bit too unwieldy to overcome its benefits. Nonetheless, the Orion Gaming Display is available via Up-Switch’s website and approved retailers for $249.99 USD. Want more unboxings and review videos like this Orion Gaming Display? Be sure to check out our YouTube channels at Shacknews and GamerHubTV for the latest reviews, gameplay, interviews, unboxings, and more on the latest video games, technology, and toys. TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs. Source link Originally published at Melbourne News Vine

[nintendowife]

Our Steam Deck arrived a few days ago. Seems like a great way to play your Steam library handheld. 

We got the 512 GB model that has a premium anti-glare etched glass screen. The first thing we saw opening the packaging was a slogan “Your games are going places” on a stylishly designed thin cardboard sleeve hugging a huge carrying case. The hard carrying case is smartly shaped to fit the Deck perfectly. The packaging also included a microfiber cloth with Steam Deck branding and a charger of course. 

The device is quite large compared to Switch and a lot heavier but the shape (similar to Wii U Gamepad) makes it comfortable to hold. The coarse matte black surface gives a good grip.  Steam Deck features the usual inputs: two analog sticks, a D-pad, ABXY buttons, two pairs of shoulder buttons on left and right. In addition to these there’s two touch pads that can act as a mouse and the rear of the device has four additional triggers you can enable and configure to do something in the games you play. Then there are some buttons that bring up quick menus, etc. Power button, volume buttons and headphone jack are placed on top of the device.  The device has gyro you can use for games that support it. 

I didn’t play anything yet aside from trying out Dark Souls 3 for a few minutes. My husband played a few games on it already (Dark Souls 3, Valheim, Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator) and they all performed well.  Once I get to playing something for a longer period of time I’ll see how tired my hands will get holding it. Husbando commented his hands didn’t get any more tired than playing on other handheld consoles. 

The Steam OS seems very versatile with options to customize keybinds per game. There are performance settings that can be applied universally or per game to get the most out of the battery life in games that don’t necessarily require high frame rates for example. Swapping between user accounts is just as easy as on Switch or PS4 once you log in with them once. 

There are some wrinkles in the software at the moment. Not the best first impression as we were almost unable to finish the initial device setup. We connected to our wifi, the Deck downloaded some updates and restarted - after that it had forgotten the wifi settings. After configuring the settings again, we were unable to connect to the network again no matter what we tried. Turns out the current Steam OS version has an issue connecting to hidden wifi networks. We had to create a new network with a visible SSID on our router to be able to finish the setup and use the device. Valve was very quick to respond to a support ticket and they’ll probably try to fix the issue as soon as possible. 

I’d recommend Steam Deck if you have a lot of games on Steam you’d like to play on the go or just in handheld mode comfily lounging around at home. The OS gets frequent updates with new features and more and more games are being made compatible with it. Now if only we had the chance to play the PC Game Pass library on it, it would be a dream come true.

[govindhtech]

NVIDIA RTX Remix Brings DLSS 3.5 Magic to Gaming!

Nvidia’s RTX Remix

The NVIDIA RTX Remix allows modders to reimagine classic games with full ray tracing, also known as path tracing, and update models and textures with modern rendering features that work to ray-traced impacts to provide the level of visually loyalty observed in Portal with RTX.

NVIDIA RTX Remix Open Beta

After the January introduction of the NVIDIA RTX Remix Open Beta, Nvidia is providing new features and optimizations, including NVIDIA DLSS 3.5 with Ray Reconstruction, an AI model that improves ray-traced pictures for heavy games and apps.

To further showcase the toolkit’s possibilities, Nvidia is also checking in with Half-Life 2 RTX: An NVIDIA RTX Remix Project and looking at some unfinished RTX Remix modules.

NVIDIA RTX Remix Adds Ray Reconstruction to DLSS 3.5

In order to enable NVIDIA DLSS 3.5 with Ray Reconstruction, Nvidia updated Portal with RTX last month. All GeForce RTX gamers will have an even better experience thanks to this cutting-edge AI-powered neural renderer, which enhances ray-traced effects’ fidelity, responsiveness, and quality beyond what was previously possible in rendering approaches

With the addition of DLSS 3.5 with Ray Reconstruction to the NVIDIA RTX Remix modding toolset, a plethora of old titles featuring improved ray-traced graphics are now possible.

With its ability to handle a wide range of content that would typically be difficult for conventional hand-tuned denoisers, DLSS 3.5 with Ray Reconstruction is particularly useful in a modding tool such as NVIDIA RTX Remix. Modders don’t have to bother about adjusting surroundings for various scenes and lighting situations because Ray Reconstruction’s AI model has previously been trained on a wide range of scenarios and is capable of making adjustments on its own.

Nvidia has expanded compatibility, added Ray Reconstruction to the Remix Open Beta, and improved Toolkit and Runtime to facilitate easier modding and boost mod image quality. Five of these modifications are the result of new code that the Nvidia GitHub community contributed and that Remix has since integrated:

Thanks to RADV driver optimisations, mod creator “pixelcluster” enhanced the performance of RTX Remix modules for Linux AMD users and Steam Deck users.

Mod creator “mmdanggg2” improved the constancy of far-off lights by ensuring that they updated correctly whether they were moved or rotated.

For games that employ a left-handed coordinate system, mod creator “jdswebb” improved the functionality of terrain baking and other features.

To correctly set up a game using NVIDIA RTX Remix, texture tagging is necessary. Mod developer “xoxor4d” provided various enhancements that streamline this procedure.

The option to employ AABBs to distinguish instances and better track them between frames was also provided by mod creator “xoxor4d.” This reduces ghosting and flickering for moving skinned meshes and animated objects for players.

Open the NVIDIA Omniverse Launcher and select the menu next to the “Launch” button if you are a modder using the RTX Remix beta in order to install the most recent update. The most recent version of the NVIDIA RTX Remix Runtime, which includes DLSS 3.5 Ray Reconstruction, can be downloaded from GitHub or obtained by updating the RTX Remix Application.

To experience the actual NVIDIA RTX Remix beta for the initial time, obtain and set up the NVIDIA RTX Remix Open Beta. This will get you access to all of the beta’s capabilities, including its generative AI tools, which can improve textures by adding PBR material characteristics and raising their resolution. What you need and how to use RTX Remix are not clear to you.

Showcase of RTX Remix Mods

ModDB

Modders are uploading and documenting their work in progress NVIDIA RTX Remix projects on ModDB and the RTX Remix Showcase Discord channel. They start with rtx.conf files to enable DLSS and ray tracing in vintage games and progress to complete remasters like Half-Life 2 RTX: An RTX Remix Project, Portal with RTX, and Portal: Prelude RTX.

Mighty and Magical Dark Messiah WiltOS Technologies

Ubisoft and Arkane Studios’ 2006 first-person action role-playing game, set in the Might & Magic Fantasy realm, has been updated by a small group of modders operating under the name wiltOS Technologies.

With improved textures, remastered models, more geometric detail, full ray tracing, and NVIDIA DLSS 3.5 with Ray Reconstruction, wiltOS Technologies unveiled exclusive new Dark Messiah of Might and Magic Co-Op & NVIDIA RTX Remix Mod pictures to demonstrate their work. Ray tracing fidelity, transparency rendering, and texture clarity are all increased with the use of Ray Reconstruction.

On ModDB, Knockout!, YouTube, and the RTX Remix Showcase Discord, you can track wiltOS Technologies’ development on this amazing-looking project.

Reach out to project lead and creator David Wiltos on Twitter if you’re a modder and would like to help the wiltOS Technologies team, or apply straight from their website. In order for the team to create an even better mod, they would also appreciate hearing from you. Please use the buttons above to get in touch.

By Onno Jongbloed, Deus Ex Echelon Renderer

NVIDIA RTX Remix was originally incompatible with one of the highest-rated PC games ever, Deus Ex by Ion Storm. Now that Onno Jongbloed has released the new Echelon Renderer, that has changed. With the addition of a fixed-function rendering pipeline compatible with Remix, players may now finally improve the beloved old game.

Despite being a work in progress, the mod may already be played, with some lights having complete ray tracing, and the quality of textures and ray tracing enhanced by DLSS Ray Reconstruction.

Use these procedures to download the latest version from Github and install it on your GeForce RTX machine so you can play it. Visit the project’s RTX Remix Showcase Discord channel if you’re a modder looking to work with the developer to overcome any remaining obstacles.

Half-Life 2 RTX

Latest Half-Life 2 RTX Progress

Half-Life 2 RTX: Four of the best mod teams for the game, Orbifold Studios, are now working on an RTX Remix Project. In order to provide GeForce RTX gamers with an amazing experience, modders are working with the most recent version of RTX Remix beta to rebuild materials with PBR properties, add additional geometric detail using Valve’s Hammer editor, and utilise NVIDIA technologies like full ray tracing, DLSS 3.5, Reflex, and RTX IO.

Using high-fidelity PBR assets, Orbifold Studios has been hard at work remastering the game in the interim since Nvidia’s previous showcase. They have made full use of the Remix runtime to incorporate state-of-the-art graphics into Half-Life 2. While Remix’s effective polygon rendering enables assets with polycounts several times that of the 2004 original models, world materials such as the texture of the metal walls have simulated depth and self-shadowing thanks to Parallax Occlusion Mapping (POM).

Read more on govindhtech.com

[luxwing]

thoughts on the steam deck?

It looks like a really big Game Gear

Also the wings on it look huge idk if I could hold it and still use the joysticks. And it's got a dock to connect it to a tv but it's A. Sold separately and B. They won't even reveal the price of it.

I mean it's interesting and if it works then cool but I can already see a lot of potential issues like the cheapest model is 400 bucks and it's only 64gig and it's not even running on an SSD so I worry load times would be astronomical. It's got a micro SD slot but I worry about load times there too.

Also I don't think a lot of steam games will be compatible with it at launch just because a lot of steam games (especially ports) need to be modded just to get them running and I doubt this will allow file modding at all.

So like idk I'll have to see what it's like at launch.

[masonr326915884-blog]

Mp3 Music

Using Mac OS X's powerful built-in media encoding tools, giant AIFF audio recordsdata can be rapidly and simply converted to compressed top quality M4A audio, ready to be used on in iTunes or an iPod, iPhone, or elsewhere. Beatnik's Rich Music Format (RMF) is an HTML-primarily based format that uses scripting languages (like JavaScript) to synchronize interactive soundtracks. RMF makes use of a complicated assortment of MIDI sounds (some proprietary) mixed with user-configured samples. The result is excellent sound quality in extraordinarily small recordsdata that download fast. Beatnik is another choice for including interactive (person-triggered) sound effects to an online page. Hamster is a free audio converter that installs shortly, has a minimal interface, and is not arduous to use. Step four: Click on the "Convert" button to show AIFF file to MP3. After that you could test the email handle for the output MP3 information. When you get the MP3 information, you can use them for MP3 players or other units. Not only can Hamster convert multiple audio files in bulk, but it might merge the files into one, much like Freemake Audio Converter. Select the AIFF, AIFC files in iTunes library, click File >> Convert >> Create AAC Version, Create MP3 Model or Create WAV Model. After that a brand new copy of the AIFF, AIFC files will be saved to iTunes library as.M4A,MP3 orWAV files. re analyse that crate and it is best to find all all the things back to normal without having to recreate a new crate and find all of the music recordsdata for that crate.

I tried creating a brand new audio profile for mp3 and I get the identical results above. WMA, MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC, OGG, AIFF, Apple Lossless format and bunch of others. Happily, audio file compatibility with DJ software program has grow to be less of a concern lately, although there are still some things to be careful for. Of the 11 software program titles I seemed over—9 deck-type DJ programs plus Ableton Live and iTunes—7 of them supported all the main audio codecs. An advantage of exporting to AIFF is that lyrics or album art could be added to the file in iTunes, which isn't doable with WAV information. The application supports over 70 audio and video codecs, including AVI, MP3, FLV, MP4, MKV, MPG, MOV, RM, 3GP, WMV, WebM, VOB, FLAC, AAC, M4A. Even after this, the aif information can't be performed by Totem, Parole, Xine, DeaDBeeF, Banshee or VLC; even in Audacity the sound is badly distorted, identical to in Audacious. However mplayer (SMPlayer, Gnome Participant, Mplayer) can play them simply advantageous. Essentially the most glaring and necessary distinction between free and for-pay software is velocity of conversion. Throughout testing, Freemake, the very best free audio converter software program, took four instances so long as the fastest program, Swap, to transform a 625MB WAV file to MP3. The opposite free converter we tested, File ZigZag , is an internet converter instrument that was 30 occasions slower than Change at converting our test file. It additionally limits you to one file over 180MB per day and 2GB or smaller recordsdata. If it is advisable to continuously convert recordsdata or numerous recordsdata directly, we advocate spending between $20 and $30 on a program that doesn't crash usually and can batch convert multiple information directly. Liquid Audio particularly targets the wants of the music trade by "providing labels and artists with software program tools and applied sciences to enable safe online preview and purchase of CD-high quality music." LiquidAudio is not only a file format; it is a professional utility for controlling music sales and distribution. It is rather efficient in what it sets out to do, however it is not an all-function web audio answer. MP3 file format is a well-liked audio coding format which was designed by the Shifting Picture Experts Group (MPEG). It is a lossy format which makes use of a form of lossy data compression. A MP3 file has a relatively smaller dimension and generally used to steam or store audio. It may be transferred and played on most digital audio gamers. Customers of Home windows 7, 8, 10 or more ought to make use of Windows Media Participant 12. Windows XP and Vista customers can simply refresh to Home windows Media Player eleven. So, changing AIFF file to MP3 is the only option if you wish to save your disk area and play aiff to mp3 converter online anywhere anytime. AIFF MP3 Converter is a downloadable Windows-based mostly utility that serves users as a media conversion utility.Step 2: After which you could click on the "Convert information to" to decide on the format you need to convert, you can select the MP3 format from Music information so as to convert AIFF files into MP3 format instead. After selecting the right profile, click on the Browse button and select your vacation spot folder and the title of the brand new MP3 file that might be created.

[socialwicked]

Valve’s marketing booklet confirms a Steam Deck 2 is inevitable

Forward-seeking:  Speculation around a successor to the Steam Deck has circulated at any time because Valve introduced its handheld Personal computer. The business gave the strongest affirmation nonetheless this week that it plans to stick to up its transportable components, but without having declaring when. 

 On Thursday, Valve launched a booklet about the Steam Deck that  touches on  the company’s designs for future variations of the device. It did not supply a lot of specifics, but Valve is just not stopping at just one particular Deck.

 Valve wrote the marketing and advertising booklet to clarify the firm’s and Steam Deck’s style goals to audiences in Asian territories like Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. It includes a concise description of Valve, Steam, and the Steam Deck for audiences who are quite possibly fewer common with them. It is out there for download in  English ,  Japanese ,  Korean , and  Chinese .

 The final web page appears toward the potential, contacting the Steam Deck a “multi-generational item line.” Valve explicitly confirms rumors of Steam Deck successors that emerged previously this calendar year. The company plans to boost hardware and application in upcoming iterations even though making sure that subsequent Steam Decks can nonetheless accessibility the exact application and video games as the inaugural unit.

  “Steam Deck signifies the initially in a new class of Steam handheld gaming PCs. In the upcoming, Valve will stick to up on this products with enhancements and iterations to hardware and software program, bringing new variations of Steam Deck to current market. Like the original, and like all PCs, these foreseeable future products will carry on to present accessibility to the identical Steam sport catalog that players previously know and appreciate.”

      In March, Valve manager Gabe Newell mentioned he interpreted the good results of the Steam Deck’s most high-priced model as  evidence  consumers were intrigued in increased-close variants. He also expressed hopes for VR ability in a upcoming design.

 June rumors  recommended  AMD is operating on an APU that could be the successor to the Steam Deck’s “Van Goh” processor. It would feature more rapidly RAM and efficiency gains from AMD’s approaching RDNA 3 GPU architecture. Data about the chip implies a launch towards the finish of 2023 or later on, which is fantastic. The current Steam Deck is nowhere close to meeting its need, so Valve is not likely to substitute it soon.

 The Steam Deck just isn’t the only or the initial handheld gaming Computer system, while its level of popularity may possibly have stirred up the nascent sector. GamePad Electronic (GPD) lately unveiled two new styles of its Win collection: the GPD Acquire Max 2, which seems to be like a mini notebook with analog sticks, and the  GPD Get 4 , wanting far more like a Sony PSP with a keyboard. The Max 2 functions some of the same chips as the Steam Deck but is a bit more robust. It could finally help Valve’s Steam OS. Other alternatives like the  Ayaneo 2  and  AYN Loki Zero  have also emerged.

 Aside from the handheld models, Valve also reiterated its ideas to spread the Steam Deck’s advancements to classic PCs. Its consumer interface will kind the foundation of a new edition of Steam’s Significant Picture manner. Shortly, Chromebooks will also be able to perform online games employing a Steam Deck-derived compatibility layer.

https://socialwicked.com/valves-marketing-booklet-confirms-a-steam-deck-2-is-inevitable/