Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, Team Vitality’s Counter-Strike 2 star, has signed on as an NVIDIA GeForce brand ambassador, announcing the partnership on 8 June 2026 and putting the GeForce RTX 5080 graphics card front and centre as a “must-have” upgrade. It is the French rifler’s third major individual hardware sponsorship, after deals with ASUS Republic of Gamers and Pulsar Gaming Gears, and the latest sign that elite Counter-Strike players are now drawing global tech brands on their own. Neither side disclosed the financial terms.

I’m happy to team up with @NVIDIAGeForce!

Playing and competing almost every day means I need a setup I can totally rely on, and the GeForce RTX 5080 is just the must have.#GeForcePartner pic.twitter.com/wz7fSU6FU9

— ZywOo (@zywoo) June 8, 2026

ZywOo Fronts the GeForce RTX 5080

ZywOo shared the news through his social media, where he highlighted NVIDIA’s latest hardware and gave special attention to the GeForce RTX 5080, calling it a must-have upgrade for gamers. NVIDIA hardware is already part of his gaming setup. Beyond the headline, the specifics stay thin: neither ZywOo nor NVIDIA disclosed the value of the deal, how long the agreement will run, or whether it includes activities beyond his role as brand ambassador.

ZywOo’s Third Hardware Sponsorship

The NVIDIA partnership is ZywOo’s third major individual sponsorship, all of them focused on gaming hardware and peripherals. It follows his collaboration with ASUS Republic of Gamers, where he became the official global ambassador for ROG gaming keyboards, and his work with Pulsar Gaming Gears on a signature gaming mouse project in June 2025. The run fits a broader shift in which endemic brands increasingly chase individual players alongside their traditional organisation deals, a pattern also seen in the Razer NiKo Collection and Red Bull’s signing of TenZ.

One of Five CS Players to Land a Major Brand Deal

ZywOo is only the fifth esports player in Counter-Strike history to reach ambassador status with a major international company. The full historical list is below, and the site adds a telling footnote: of the five, only ceh9 reportedly did not receive direct financial profit from his deal, a measure of how much the market has changed in the years since.

A Decorated CS Career

The brand interest tracks with ZywOo’s standing in the game. He has established himself as one of the most successful players in Counter-Strike history, winning multiple Major championships and collecting more than 30 MVP awards across his career. He has also earned four HLTV Player of the Year titles, a feat managed by only a handful of players in the game’s history.

NVIDIA and ZywOo have not said how long the partnership will run or whether it stretches beyond the ambassador role, leaving the scope of the deal as the main open question as endemic brands keep pursuing Counter-Strike’s biggest individual names.

The post ZywOo Named NVIDIA GeForce Ambassador in Third Major Hardware Deal appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Nvidia has responded directly to the growing DLSS 5 backlash, with CEO Jensen Huang pushing back strongly on criticism and insisting the concerns are misplaced. Speaking during a press Q&A at GTC 2026, Huang said gamers and critics questioning the technology are “completely wrong”, while stressing that developers still control how games look, not Nvidia’s AI.

Following the announcement of DLSS 5, some gamers expressed concerns that the technology causes games to appear worse, look homogeneous, or force a specific aesthetic defined by #Nvidia.

At a Q&A Panel at #NvidiaGTC, #JensenHuang fired back. 🔥#gaming #dlss5 pic.twitter.com/Tjr60BCcmQ

— PCMag (@PCMag) March 17, 2026

The response follows widespread debate over DLSS 5’s early demos, particularly around its AI-driven visual changes and whether they compromise artistic intent.

Jensen Huang Pushes Back At DLSS 5 Criticism

During the Q&A, Huang was asked about claims that DLSS 5 creates worse or more homogenised visuals. In response, he dismissed the criticism outright.

“Well, first of all, they’re completely wrong,” Huang said when addressing concerns raised by media and players, according to reporting from Tom’s Hardware.

He explained that DLSS 5 integrates generative AI directly into core rendering elements like geometry and textures, rather than applying superficial effects. This, he argued, allows the technology to enhance visuals without overriding a game’s original design.

Huang also emphasised a key point behind Nvidia’s positioning. “We created the technology, we didn’t create the art,” he said, reinforcing that developers remain responsible for the final look of their games.

Neural Rendering Works At The Geometry Level

A major source of confusion around DLSS 5 has been comparisons to AI filters or post-processing tools.

Huang pushed back on that characterisation, explaining that DLSS 5 operates at a deeper level. “It’s not post-processing at the frame level, it’s generative control at the geometry level,” he said during the session, as reported by multiple outlets covering the event.

According to Nvidia, this approach, described as “neural rendering”, allows the system to understand 3D environments, motion, and materials, then enhance them using AI while staying grounded in the game’s original data.

Huang added that developers can fine-tune how the generative AI behaves, meaning the final result can match a specific artistic style rather than forcing a uniform look.

Backlash Focuses On Visual Changes And “Uncanny” Results

Despite Nvidia’s explanation, the early reception to DLSS 5 has been mixed to negative in some corners of the gaming community.

Criticism has largely centred on how the technology alters visuals, especially character faces. Some examples circulating online, including comparisons involving Resident Evil Requiem characters like Grace Ashcroft and Leon Kennedy, have been cited as looking overly smooth or unnatural, according to Tom’s Hardware.

Others have compared DLSS 5’s output to AI face filters seen on social media, while some critics argue it risks making games look more homogenised or reflective of Nvidia’s own visual preferences, rather than a developer’s intent.

Hands-on impressions have echoed similar concerns, with some noting that the current implementation can feel excessive, producing hyper-realistic results that fall into the “uncanny valley”.

Community Reactions Range From Skepticism To Support

Beyond media coverage, community reactions have been equally divided, with strong opinions emerging across forums and comment sections.

Some players have questioned Huang’s dismissal of criticism, arguing that visual preference is subjective and cannot simply be labelled as “wrong”. One commenter wrote that “no one is completely wrong or even slightly wrong at all… everyone is entitled to their view and opinion” .

Others pushed back on Nvidia’s messaging more directly, with some interpreting the response as dismissive or out of touch. Comments described the stance as “arrogant” or criticised the company for telling players how they should feel about what they are seeing .

There are also concerns around how DLSS 5 was presented. Some users argue that the early demos gave the impression of “generic gen AI” visuals, suggesting Nvidia failed to communicate the technology clearly or showcase its full potential .

At the same time, not all reactions have been negative. Some community members have urged patience, pointing out that the technology is still in an experimental stage and could improve significantly before release .

Others see long-term potential, comparing DLSS 5’s current reception to earlier versions of DLSS or even ray tracing, both of which faced criticism before becoming more widely accepted.

Nvidia Says The Current Version Is Still An Early Preview

Part of Nvidia’s defence rests on the current state of the technology.

The company has confirmed that DLSS 5 shown at GTC is an early preview, with the model still being optimised ahead of its planned release in late 2026, according to its own FAQ cited by PCMag.

That means the visuals drawing criticism now may not reflect the final implementation seen in shipped games.

Huang also pointed to Nvidia’s past experience with ray tracing, noting that it faced heavy scepticism when first introduced with RTX 20-series GPUs in 2018 before becoming widely adopted.

“Everybody said ray tracing was FUBAR,” Huang recalled, arguing that the technology eventually proved its value as it matured.

Developers Retain Full Creative Control

A central theme in Nvidia’s response is that DLSS 5 does not dictate how games should look.

Huang repeatedly stressed that developers have direct control over how the technology is used. He suggested studios can experiment freely, whether aiming for photorealism or more stylised visuals, with the AI acting as a tool rather than a decision-maker.

He also described DLSS 5 as “content-control generative AI”, highlighting that it is conditioned by the original game data rather than generating visuals independently.

DLSS 5 Debate Likely To Continue Until Release

With DLSS 5 still months away from release, the conversation around it is far from settled.

Nvidia is positioning neural rendering as a major step forward in graphics technology, potentially on par with the introduction of ray tracing. However, early reactions show clear concern about how far AI should influence the artistic side of game development.

As more demos and final implementations appear closer to launch, the industry will get a clearer picture of whether DLSS 5 enhances games in a meaningful way or reinforces the concerns currently driving the backlash.

The post Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Responds ‘They Are Wrong’ To DLSS 5 AI Slop Backlash appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

NVIDIA DLSS 5 was meant to be a breakthrough moment for game graphics, but instead, it’s quickly turning into one of the most divisive tech reveals in recent memory. While NVIDIA is pitching it as a leap toward photorealism, a growing number of developers and players are saying the opposite, arguing the visuals look artificial, uncanny, and in some cases, outright worse than the original games.

NVIDIA Promises A New Era Of Photorealism

Announced at GTC 2026, DLSS 5 introduces what NVIDIA calls a real-time neural rendering model. Instead of just upscaling resolution or generating extra frames like previous versions, this new system actively alters the image by adding AI-generated lighting, materials, and detail.

According to NVIDIA, DLSS 5 analyses a frame’s colour and motion vectors, then reconstructs it with “photoreal” lighting and materials while staying anchored to the original 3D scene.

CEO Jensen Huang described it as “the GPT moment for graphics”, positioning it as a fundamental shift in how games are rendered.

The company also emphasised that developers retain control, with tools for intensity, colour grading, and masking to preserve each game’s artistic style. DLSS 5 is set to launch in late 2026 and is already planned for major titles like Resident Evil Requiem, Starfield, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and Hogwarts Legacy.

The Problem Players Are Seeing In DLSS 5

Despite the ambitious pitch, early footage has sparked immediate backlash. Instead of enhancing realism, many viewers say DLSS 5 makes characters look like they’ve been run through a generic AI filter.

In side-by-side comparisons shown by NVIDIA, character faces appear noticeably altered.

Features such as skin tone, facial structure, and even expressions shift in ways that weren’t present in the original game assets. Some viewers compared the effect to social media beauty filters, with exaggerated smoothness, sharper features, and a slightly “off” look that sits firmly in the uncanny valley.

One widely shared comparison contrasts Death Stranding 2’s original character model with a DLSS 5-enhanced version, highlighting just how dramatically faces can change.

Death Stranding 2 Nvidia DLSS 5 pic.twitter.com/6r4m3wEMDI

— TheGameVerse (@TheGameVerse) March 17, 2026

Just look at how good Death Stranding 2 already looks. It doesn’t need this. DLSS 5 comes in and straight up butchers the character, replacing it with something that looks like generic AI output.

Others pointed out inconsistencies like unnatural eye movement and overly processed textures, which resemble the wave of low-quality generative AI images often referred to online as “AI slop”.

This looks horrifically bad, nobody wants an AI slop filter on top of their games

— Synth Potato🥔 (@SynthPotato) March 16, 2026

This has led to a core criticism that DLSS 5 isn’t just enhancing visuals, it’s effectively replacing them with an AI interpretation.

Developers Are Publicly Pushing Back

The criticism isn’t just coming from players. Several developers and industry figures have openly voiced concerns about what DLSS 5 represents.

Dave Oshry, CEO of New Blood Interactive, didn’t hold back, calling the tech “AI dogshit” and warning that future generations might grow up thinking this kind of output looks normal. He also urged the industry to “push back harder” against it.

Arman Nouri, a senior environment artist at Epic Games, echoed similar concerns, saying it was depressing to think AI-generated visuals could become the standard for younger players.

Agree with this so much, watching my daughter grow up where AI slop is the norm and her not knowing quality of quantity really bums me out. Makes me appreciate my childhood a lot more.

— Arman Nouri (@armanguy) March 17, 2026

Michael Douse, publishing director at Larian Studios, took a more sarcastic approach, joking that Resident Evil Requiem felt “unplayable” without DLSS 5’s promised photoreal enhancements, clearly poking fun at NVIDIA’s marketing claims.

Playing some Resident Evil Requiem this morning. The game is great but I just wish it infused pixels with photoreal lighting and materials, bridging the gap between rendering and reality alas unplayable for now

— Very AFK (@Cromwelp) March 17, 2026

Even lighter reactions, like memes and jokes from across the industry, highlight the same underlying issue, that something about DLSS 5’s output just doesn’t look right.

Art Direction Versus AI Interpretation

One of the biggest sticking points is how DLSS 5 interacts with a game’s original art direction.

Modern AAA games already spend years refining character models, lighting, and materials to achieve a specific visual identity. Critics argue that layering generative AI on top risks flattening that identity into something more generic.

In examples like Resident Evil Requiem, characters reportedly end up looking like entirely different people once DLSS 5 is applied. That raises questions about whether the technology respects artistic intent, or overrides it.

NVIDIA maintains that developers can fine-tune the effect, but early reactions suggest that even with control options, the underlying AI transformation may still introduce unwanted changes.

DLSS 5 Still Has Industry Support Despite The Backlash

It’s worth noting that not everyone is against DLSS 5. Major studios including Bethesda, CAPCOM, Ubisoft, and others are already onboard, with plans to integrate the technology into upcoming releases.

From a technical perspective, the idea of bridging the gap between real-time rendering and film-quality visuals is something the industry has been chasing for decades. DLSS 5 attempts to solve that problem not through raw hardware power, but through AI reconstruction.

There’s also a practical angle. Real-time rendering budgets are extremely limited compared to film production, where a single frame can take hours to render. DLSS 5 aims to simulate that level of detail instantly, which, in theory, could unlock new possibilities for game visuals.

The Bigger Question Around AI In Game Graphics

The strong reaction to DLSS 5 highlights a broader tension in gaming right now. AI tools are becoming more powerful, but not everyone agrees they should be used to reinterpret finished artwork.

For some players and developers, the appeal of games comes from handcrafted detail and intentional design choices. If AI starts modifying those elements in real time, even slightly, it raises concerns about authenticity and consistency.

At the same time, NVIDIA is unlikely to back away from this direction. DLSS has already become a standard feature across hundreds of games, and DLSS 5 represents the next step in that evolution, whether players like it or not.

The real test will come when DLSS 5 launches later this year and players can experience it firsthand. Right now, based on early footage and reactions, the technology might be aiming for realism, but for many, it’s landing somewhere much stranger.

The post NVIDIA DLSS 5 AI Slop Backlash Grows As Gamers Slam New Visuals appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Join the apex predator tier in your PC gaming this year with Acer’s elitist Predator Helios 300 laptop.

Choc full of specs like a fully equipped load-out the Helios 300 comes in at 15.6 inches with a near pixel perfect IPS (non-touch) FHD screen at a 144Hz refresh rate.

No 4K, but is 4K compatible for an external monitor.

Powering this beast is Intel’s 11th gen i7 with 8 cores crunching the data @ 2.60GHz. Serious content creation through to hard out game time there’s nothing that the Helios cannot handle, including some fierce online or eSports competitiveness.

Acer have opted to place 16GB RAM in to the Helios 300. Sure that’s more than enough, although I would’ve thought given the grunt the laptop has 32GB may have been more ideal.

The review model that I had also had a lower 512GB SSD storage. I did have to install and then uninstall games throughout my test.

Acer have added killer sound with DTS (maximised through a wired headset) and the inclusion of NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card there’s no game that you can beat you.

While the Helios 300 with it’s customizable RGB lighting and menacing exterior shell is an absolute PC gaming solution and then some, for the creatives out there, from 4 to 8K video editing through to 3D rendering and FHD animation production the Helios 300 can more than handle the load.

Acer have overhauled their Predator cooling system with 3D fan technology and made it so sleek that even when the CPU ramps up (even in overclocking) it never sounds like it’s about to take off in to orbit.

Super quiet, extra stealthy as heat dissipates from the large vents at the rear.

Having had a Predator Helios 300 for a couple of weeks I’ve put it to the test with Borderlands 3, Forza 7 and Resident Evil 7 with everything on the highest spec it could possibly be.

Even during the most intense, chaotic action moments it seemed as though the Helios 300 never broke a sweat.

If you’re a PC gamer who likes to tinker – Acer have made this easy for you.

Via the Predator Dashboard software included you can opt to fine tune your Helios 300 from fan speed, audio, RGB lighting through to over clocking and even adding your own image to the boot up splash screen.

This really makes the Predator Helios 300 truly yours and personalised.

A trend that manufacturers have for the past few years is to minimize the amount of on-board ports, even with gaming laptops. Acer have heard your frustrations of not being able to plug in all of your gaming peripherals and given the Helios 300 more ports than I’ve seen on a portable machine in a while.

To the right we have a Display port, a HDMI, USB-C and USB. The left is where your wired 3.5mm headset will plug in and there’s two more USB’s and an Ethernet port.

Your power socket is found at the back of the laptop – an excellent placement which can stop breakages that usually occur with power sockets on the side.

While I personally would’ve liked to see more onboard RAM this is not a blocker for an ultimate gaming experience that’s going to see you right for a couple of years and if you are considering one of these I’d urgently recommend upgrading the SSD, or use a  larger external SSD with a high USB output.

As per it’s namesake, the Helios 300 is a predator among the beasts out there.

The post Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Acer has expanded its line of Predator gaming monitors with three new VESA Display HDR-Certified models – the Predator CG437K S, Predator X38 Sand Predator X28.

The new monitors target different niches by offering something that will excite a wide variety of gamers, whether weekend warrior or seasoned professional.

Predator CG437K S The Predator CG437K S is a massive 42.5-inch NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible gaming monitor with a UHD (3840×2160)display that strives to provide players with the most flexible experience possible, containing a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports that support the latest game consoles and allow for 4K 144 Hz with VRR using only a single cable. A USB hub offers a USB-B port, a pair of both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports to support an array of peripherals, plus a USB Type-C (PD30W) port for good measure.

Additionally, a built-in KVM switch simplifies the lives of those who juggle multiple PCs.

Once users are all set up, the monitor’s 144 Hz refresh rate and 1 ms VRB response time provides satisfying gameplay.

The monitor’s VESA Display HDR 1000 Certification ensures that games look excellent for enthusiasts and that footage appears true-to-life for content creators. Outstanding local-dimming, peak 1,000nits brightness and high contrast ratios help all of the details come to life, while the monitor’s Delta E<1 rating and 90% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut provide highly accurate colour representation.

Completing the experience, NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatibility keeps the monitor and GPU in lockstep, allowing for buttery-smooth gameplay with no stutters or tearing.

A monitor that makes statements, the Predator CG437K S comes with RGB lighting strips that can be synced to music and media.

It also features a range of thoughtful technology that allows the monitor to adjust to each user’s environment:
Acer ColorSense adjusts the screen’s temperature to match the ambience of the environment, Acer LightSense detects ambient lighting and adjusts the monitor’s brightness settings accordingly, and Acer ProxiSense automatically wakes the monitor when users are nearby or dims it when they aren’t.

The Predator X38 S is a 2300R curved UWQHD+ (3840×1600) monitor boasting a DCI-P3 98% wide colour gamut, Delta E<2 rating and VESA Display HDR 600 Certification, qualifications that allow for breathtakingly realistic images.

Bright scenes glimmer while dark ones retain the rich shades of black that make little details and hidden enemies pop out, even when shrouded in shadows.

A 175 Hz refresh rate (overclocked) and response time as low as a 0.3 ms G-to-G let players jump right into the action without worrying about ghosting, while the display’s 37.5-inch Agile-Splendor IPS display ensures that everything looks great, even at wide viewing angles.

Predator Game Mode offers players eight pre-set (customisable) display modes to suit different genres of content, while Acer LightSense and Acer ColorSense make automatic adjustments to screen brightness and colour temperature based on the environment.

NVIDIA G-SYNC Esports Mode is a display pre-set designed for competitive gaming that ensures the lowest possible latency by turning off variable backlight and makes it easier to distinguish objects in dark areas by increasing black levels and fine-tuning gamma levels.

The Predator X38 S also includes the NVIDIA Reflex Latency Analyzer, a revolutionary system latency measurement tool that detects clicks coming from the mouse and then measures the time it takes for the resulting pixels (i.e. a gun muzzle flash) to change on screen, while NVIDIA G-SYNC ULTIMATE enables smooth, fast-paced gameplay by eliminating screen tearing, minimising display stutter and cutting down on input lag.

The Predator X28 is a 28-inch UHD (3840×2160) monitor defined by a slim profile and narrow bezels that give it a refreshingly clean look.

Its VESA DisplayHDR400 Certified Agile-Splendor IPS display offers a 155 Hz refresh rate (overclocked) with a 1 ms G-to-G response time, all super smooth thanks to NVIDIA G-SYNC and G-SYNC Esports Mode.
The monitor also features the NVIDIA Reflex Latency Analyzer.

Acer LightSense, ColorSense and ProxiSense ensure that the monitor always look as good as possible, in any lighting.

To offer a more comfortable viewing experience, Blue Light Shield Pro manages high-energy wave lengths in order to selectively filter out blue light emissions while maintaining Delta E<1 colour accuracy.

The Predator X28 is a TÜV Rheinland Eyesafe certified gaming monitor.

The Predator CG437K Swill be available will be available from November 2021. The Predator X38 Swill be available will be available from September 2021, and the Predator X28will be available from October 2021.

The post Acer’s Predator Range Expands appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Millions of Minecraft gamers across the globe will get to experience their self-created worlds more vividly than ever before when Minecraft with RTX moves to open beta on Windows 10 this week and introduces realistic shadows, lighting and vibrant colours to the best-selling videogame of all time.

“We teamed up with Mojang Studios to bring next-generation ray tracing and AI to Minecraft and the results are truly amazing,” said Jeff Fisher, senior vice president of gaming at NVIDIA. “There is a ton of excitement from the community for Minecraft with RTX, and we can’t wait to see what they create.”

On Thursday, at 10 a.m. Pacific time, Minecraft players on Windows 10 can download the beta of the highly anticipated free game update, unleashing a next-generation graphical makeover that includes real-time ray tracing, more realistic materials and NVIDIA DLSS 2.0.

NVIDIA will also give players six new Minecraft worlds to download for free from the Minecraft Marketplace, allowing them to experience what is possible in Minecraft when real-time ray tracing is applied.

“The next big evolution for Minecraft has arrived with Minecraft with RTX,” said Saxs Persson, franchise creative director of Minecraft at Microsoft. “The core of regular Minecraft is building with blocks. GeForce RTX GPUs transform the Minecraft world with a dramatically more realistic look by adding life-like lighting effects, shadows, reflections, refraction and more to the builder’s tool kit.”

Together, NVIDIA, Microsoft and Mojang Studios, the developer of Minecraft, have added a form of ray tracing known as path tracing for the Windows 10 version of the game. Path tracing simulates the way light is transported throughout a scene. It presents a unified model for lighting calculations for many different types of effects that have traditionally been implemented separately using rasterized or hybrid renderers.

Ray tracing was added to Minecraft using the industry-standard Microsoft DirectX 12 Ultimate API. NVIDIA GeForce RTXTM GPUs are the only GPUs with dedicated ray-tracing cores that allow games to be ray traced in real time.

The post NVIDIA Brings Ray- Traced Visuals to Minecraft appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Elves, warlocks, mech’s and every character from Overwatch descended upon Melbourne for the weekend that was the three day Video Gaming and pop culture extravaganza PAX Australia 2019.

Every major gaming platform had a presence.

PlayStation showcasing some up and comings with a heavy influence on the reboot of their MediEvil.

Activision kitted out with a very impressive Call of Duty: Modern Warfare stand while Nintendo’s large footprint in the main hall had a swag on Switch’s ready with their latest and greatest.

Xbox showcased Gears 5 as queues of game playing fans lined up for a hands on the newest chapter of the epic and long running series.

Even THQNordic kitted the main hall out with their soon to be released reboot of Destroy All Humans and a title that I am eagerly awaiting, Biomutant.

Myself and Darren from STG roamed the expansive Melbourne Convention Center aiming for hands-on’s aswell as some exclusive stuff.

Our mates at Riot Games took care of us and in a closed briefing introduced their up and coming card battle game Legends of Runeterra.

A title that places the hottest and fav characters from the League of Legends lore and combines both strategy and old fashioned table top game play in a fierce battle against live opponents and A.I.

Legends of Runeterra has been built to accommodate newcomers to the card battle scene with an easy tutorial and even easier pick up and play.

NVIDIA took us in to a showcase for their ray-tracing work.

The first game to exclusively and fully make use of ray-tracing was CONTROL. NVIDIA applied this real-world-like effect to Minecraft and wow – what a huge difference it makes.

If you’re not too sure what ray-tracing is, it is a lighting and shadow physical and particle effect that is built in for developers of video games to use, making reflections, the said lighting and shadows and even textures becoming almost 4D (4 Dimensional).

Blurring the lines even further between reality and gaming.

Intel could be found in two places at PAX Australia. An entire floor was decked out with screens and NUCs for live friendlies and matches. Closer to the main hall was the Intel dome where their were PC’s on show with some very out of this world cases.

The NUC arena also had a stats board which displayed the combined computing power of all NUCs that were on the floor… this resulted in Teraflops of computing prowess.

PAX Australia 2019 was massively huge. Cosplayers all round and the entire Convention Center filled with stages, gaming rooms, developer talks, diversity gaming and of course merch.

I was personally surprised that the merchandise areas (other than EB Games’s gigantic presence) was bigger. But it was varied enough, from pop culture goodness, through to comics, table top gaming items and more.

PAX AUS 2019 is Australia’s biggest video gaming event and clearly I can see why this statement is absolutely true.

The conclusion of the Expo on Monday the 14th of October 2019 left myself both happily exhausted and eagerly awaiting some private time with titles that were previewed, especially and overall Legends of Runeterra!

PAX Australia 2019 – truly epic.

The post PAX Australia 2019 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

NVIDIA’s latest RTX-powered ray tracing and Turing technology is now here on laptops, but what does that mean for how we use and play games, especially when it’s the more mid-range end of the hardware scale? That’s the question that the Dell G5 2019 sets out to answer, and it’s a question that I think is so far only partially answered.

Dell’s laptop is a decent upgrade to the 2018 model, with the main upgrade the move to NVIDIA’s Turing architecture away from the now somewhat aged Pascal. The model Dell provided to me featured a 6GB RTX 2060, which brings with it much better performance compared to the 2018 model, as well as the ability to implement ray-tracing, variable rate shading, DLSS upscaling and other goodies standard for NVIDIA’s top range of cards.

Otherwise, the chassis remains familiar, featuring a decent amount of ports (mostly found at the back of the laptop), including a Thunderbolt 3 port, which allows high-speed access to peripherals such as external GPUs. Also upgraded is the Intel processor, to the i7 8750H, and while this is not to technically the most recent version of this processor, the differences between it and it’s 9th generation counterpart are minor at best. It remains a six-core, twelve thread workhorse that has become a staple of gaming and workstation laptops across the laptop world.

While I appreciated the G5’s understated design and subtle highlights, less appreciated was the laptop’s keyboard. While I have used 15” laptops with a workable keyboard and number-pad combination, I never quite felt comfortable with this one. While it may just be personal preference, the key size and positions never sat right with my fingers. The numberpad keys in particular seemed too skinny to be used easily, though again your mileage may vary.

Better was the 15” IPS 1080P display. At this price range 144Hz displays aren’t as common, so the inclusion of a standard 1080P / 60Hz screen isn’t noticeable. It does, however, have thin bezels and good colour reproduction from its IPS display. So despite the move from a GTX 1060 graphics card to the RTX 2060, your target resolution and frame rate will remain the same. But with rising system requirements and a new generation of console coming to market to reset baseline CPU, GPU and RAM, expectations, there is plenty of opportunity to soak up any additional performance from new, more powerful internals.

That will be helped with new capabilities such as DLSS. For those who aren’t up to scratch with the latest in GPU acronyms, this technology allows intelligent upscaling of lower-resolution images. So to get a 4K image, you may only need to internally render a 1440P or even 1080P image. This technology, I think, will prove valuable in extending the lifetimes of gaming laptops without upgradable GPUs such as the G5, so it’s a welcome addition here. As system requirements increase further, the inclusion of DLSS, alongside variable rate shading, will allow the 2060 to maintain playable levels of performance for longer than machines without this capability.

In terms of performance in the here and now though, what can we expect?

For Ultra 1080P, the G5 has you covered. Shadow of the Tomb Raider gave an average of 65FPS, and Far Cry 5 sat comfortably above the magic 60FPS mark at 72FPS, with a minimum of only 56FPS. The G5 will also smash any eSports title like Counterstrike: Go or Overwatch. I did have some issues with the notoriously demanding Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, whose benchmark ran at only 44FPS. While this is not in and of itself surprising, it does indicate that in at least some titles you will want to lock the frame rate to 30FPS, unless you can cope with screen tearing (which some don’t even notice).

Thermals and noise were generally okay on the 2019 G5. There were no fan profiles in the software that I could see, though the fan noise itself was never too loud. That said, while the fan noise levels itself were not too loud, even while under load, I personally found the fan whine to be high pitched and a little unpleasant.

Overall, the 2019 Dell G5 laptop is a solid, if not outstanding performer, that due to its inclusion of an RTX GPU, may be a good bet for mid-range performance if DLSS becomes prevalent in future games. It has a CPU found in much more expensive gaming and professional laptop, and with Thunderbolt 3 capabilities could provide the flexibility for you to live the one PC lifestyle without giving up too much performance. It was hard to really find much to fault with it, though at the same time nothing in particular stood out about it. I lived comfortably with the laptop for about a month, and in the time it served me admirably. With a modest 1080p display and a powerful graphics card, it has the power and longevity to make it a worthwhile investment.

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Quite some years ago now NVIDIA made a blast in the portable video gaming sector with their Android powered NVIDIA Shield.

A games controller with an attached screen which enabled mobile gamers to play console quality titles at the flip-up of a screen.

While this was not taken on by all portable players, the first iteration of the NVIDIA Shield was many leaps in the right direction for the PC Graphics manufacturer.

Taking us to present day, NVIDIA have taken what made the original Shield a coveted device and separated the controller from the unit, kept Google’s Android as the OS and with smarts added both video and game streaming in to what is essentially the smallest yet punchy all-round home console – the NVIDIA Shield TV.

When I say small – I mean midget notepad sized. While the new Shield is dependent on AC power and being connected to a screen via HDMI, it is almost pocket sized, definitely bag sized to take traveling or to a mates place.

Once connected to WIFI the magic of the Shield awakens.

You are supplied with a wireless games controller and a three button remote with the touch slider for volume and remote specific games.

A wealth of free games is also supplied; Sonic Transformed Racing, Tomb Raider, Batman Arkham City, Spec Ops, every conceivable LEGO game from the last few years, Sleeping dogs and more, which via NVIDIA Games and their sign up service are free to play. In all a menu of 23 Free to play console quality games. Totally free.

The only caveat for some will be that these games are streamed so if you have a low ping, any latency or just a really bad wireless connection the game is going to downsample alot – or just be super jittery.

Being built on Android 8.0 (after the initial setup update) and having Google assistant means that not only can you play control friendly mobile games (I played the stuffing out of Oddworld’s Stranger over the Xmas break) but includes the potential to install any APP from the Google Play Store.

Netflix is already there as is Amazon Video and of course YouTube, and I added Madman’s DocPlay for an endless menu of TV, Documentary and Movie streaming.

Google Assistant also means that you can control the Shield TV with voice commands. One press of the on-remote microphone button has you searching for APPs, films, the web, everything or controlling any Google connected smart devices in your home.

There is a wee downside though – the touchy buttons on the remote control. I managed to bump the voice button frequently with the aim of actually using the touch slider in the center of the remote for volume. My sausage fingers activated the Google Assistant who picked up the audio from the film I was streaming and began a search for the phrase it heard – thus taking me out of my movie zone and meaning that I had to back track a few steps to get back to where I was.

The remote buttons are light on the touch and my fuddley fingers just couldn’t help themselves.

There are two USB ports at the rear of the Shield TV, one that you’re ultimately going to use to recharge the controller – but you can also expand the storage of play media from an external drive or USB stick. Built in is 16GB of storage and you have 3GB or onboard RAM. With that mere 3GB I was surprised it was able to run Tomb Raider (2013). But it sure does and really really well.

For those that have a 4K TV you are going to get the best experience out of the Shield TV. While most stream-able games are not going to run at that resolution and once you connect the Shield TV to your Steam Account, the 4K capable games from there may also not run at 4K – it really depends on two factors; your WIFI capabilities and whether the Shield’s specs can handle them.

If it can’t it will downsample to the best of it’s ability.

The NVIDIA Shield TV is a great all-rounder. For those that do not yet own a Smart TV, the Shield is an alternative with many many extras to Google’s ChromeCast. It’s essentially the Apple TV for Android.

Made to play, made to game, made to stream. Made for everything.

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