Riding Samsung's Gear VR Roller Coaster

Riding Samsung's Gear VR Roller Coaster

For those of us who were lucky enough to go to Universal Studios in Orlando as kids—but too scared to ride real roller coasters—the 4D rides offered all the adrenaline of a real roller coaster without any of the perceived  

In that regard, the Gear VR 4D roller coaster Samsung demoed at its Unpacked event here wasn't fundamentally new or revolutionary, but it was much better at maintaining immersion.

With the 4D rides in Universal Studios, you're strapped into a seat that's wildly bucking with every twist and turn, but in the corner of your eye you can see the edge of the screen, and it's obvious the ground and sides aren't moving. This is immersion breaking, because no matter what, there is always something breaking into the idea that you might actually be on the ride and in danger.

That's not the case with the Gear VR roller coaster demo. When you're wearing it you're fully immersed, to the point that if it wasn't for the noise of the crowd, it would have been easy to forget where I was. The fact that I could see above and below made me legitimately believe I was on a roller coaster, especially when combined with the fact that the seat reacted to my movement.

Even more impressive is the fact that the ride used real video footage, not the animated roller coaster we've seen for Google Cardboard. Having actual interaction during the ride, where another roller coaster passed me by and people waved, also helped maintain the illusion.

Taking the headset off and getting up, I was legitimately disoriented for a moment, something I've certainly never experienced at Universal. That said, we won't see the Gear VR replace the actual roller coaster experience, at least not until there's something that can replicate the feeling of dread as you wait in line—or maybe that's just me. There are still things that give away that you're on a VR ride, from the lack of wind in your hair and the physical feel of the Gear VR on your face to the noise from people around you.

But VR is where we're headed. With LG's 360 VR headset, Facebook's Oculus, and HTC's Vive, the push isn't just toward VR as a supplementary experience, it's to VR as a standalone experience that's just as valid as the physical one.

If my mind believed I was on a roller coaster and acted by releasing endorphins in response, who's to say that the experience wasn't "real"? Is the experience more legitimate when you drive an hour to the amusement park, pay the $20 entry fee, stand in line for another two hours, and ride the roller coaster? Today, most of you might say yes, but I think as the technology becomes increasingly realistic it will be harder to answer.

This was the question on my mind as I got up from the Gear VR roller coaster, and it's going to be a question that becomes increasingly important as VR tech is released to consumers. I'm not suggesting that we're all going to live in a Sword Art Online virtual MMO in the future, but we are at the beginning of VR tech blurring the edges of what's considered reality.

It's exciting and terrifying all at the same time, but what seems clear to me is that VR is here to stay. People want to experience this, and the long line at Samsung's demo was testament to that. See, not so different from real life after all.

Sony's Hands-Free 'N' Prototype Wearable

Sony's Hands-Free 'N' Prototype Wearable

 

When a smiling Japanese man invites you inside his tent on the side of the road at SXSW, you should take him up on his offer. Especially if that tent has a Sony logo on the outside.

When I accepted just such an offer, I got some hands-on time with a next-generation wearable prototype designed by Sony's Future Labs Program. Project N is part Google Glass and part Amazon Echo, but one that you can wear around your neck and operate completely hands-free.

The technicians at the Future Lab were clear that Project N is still very much a prototype—it didn't respond to every voice command. But it did well enough to give me an idea of what its potential could be in the wearable market. Whereas Glass required a small screen to present information, N attempts to provide the same features exclusively using voice commands.

At a glance, Project N looks like a narrow pair of sunglasses hanging around your neck—noticeable and somehow out of place. I don't think it is as distracting as Google Glass, but it does stand out.

The first thing I did when I put on the N was play music. The N creates a direct field of sound around your head. I could hear the sound clearly and loudly, but a person standing a few feet away could barely make out the song. The idea is that you can listen to music and interact with the audio assistant without disturbing those around you. The company also developed open-ear headphones that allow you to listen to music while still taking in ambient noise.

Like Google Glass, you can use N to take pictures of anything that is directly in front of you. Just ask it to "Take a Picture," and a small camera lens rolls forward, snaps the photo, and rolls back.

The N is primarily a voice and audio interface. You speak commands, and it answers you via audio. The voice recognition relies on a combination of local and cloud-based technologies. The prototype needed to be on Wi-Fi to work properly; it supports GPS, so theoretically it could be used to track your bike routes. Sony has partnered with Yelp and Strava to provide content for the platform, although I wasn't able to test these out.

There was no information provided about pricing or availability. This exhibition was just a way for Sony to collect feedback on a new device platform and allow its engineers to meet with actual users. The big question is how this device integrates with other personal assistants like Google Now, Apple's Siri, and Amazon's Alexa. Will it serve as a hardware front-end or a completely different personal assistant platform? Sony representatives wouldn't comment, but they did say they were looking for "a lot" more content partners.

Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 420X

Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 420X 

The Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 420X ($179) is an officially licensed Xbox One gaming headset. As such, it shares a similar design aesthetic to the console, featuring a sleek matte back body and subtle green highlights around the earpads and housing. More importantly, the 420X is the first Xbox One headset that can function completely wirelessly, including its microphone; Xbox One wireless headsets usually need a cable running to the controller to enable voice chat. At $179.95, the 420X is very pricey compared to a Xbox One-compatible headset like the wired, $80 . On the other end of the spectrum, the $300 , a long-standing high-end wireless gaming headset that now supports the Xbox One, needs to be physically connected to enable voice chat. The 420X can work completely untethered, making its $180 price tag seem much more reasonable.

The 420X is a circumaural (over-the-ear) headset, with perforated, synthetic-leather earpads that fit snugly around your ears. It is also extremely comfortable to wear thanks to the memory foam cushioning and the lightweight plastic frame. The 420X uses 50mm speakers with neodymium magnets, runs on a fifteen-hour, rechargeable lithium polymer battery, and includes a removable, omni-directional microphone.

The 420X is a fully wireless headset that lets you wander up to 30 feet away from the unit's small RF transmitter that attaches to your Xbox One console. It's also the only Xbox One headset designed with a wireless microphone, so you don't need to plug the headset into your controller to enjoy chatting with friends. Once the USB transmitter is inserted and the connection is set up, the only wire you'll ever see is the charging cable. That said, the 420X is mobile-compatible, and comes with a 3.5mm mobile cable and in-line mic to accommodate calls.

Lacks Noise-Cancellation, but Offers Mic Monitoring
There's no noise-cancelling technology here, so errant sounds permeated both earcups as I tested the headset on the noisy E3 show floor. Admittedly, the E3 environment is a less than ideal litmus test for a headset, but the 420x performed quite well despite the sound pollution. We'll put the 420X through the paces and give it a rating when the headset arrives in PC Labs.

I listened to Far Cry 4's introduction , and the 420x conveyed the deep and powerful sounds of political turmoil and violence better than I could have expected. Despite the occasional E3 background noise, the headset delivered the jolting sounds of explosions and gunfire with booming, bass-heavy flair.

But the 420x also rendered subtler sounds very well. Far Cry 4's eccentric villain, Pagan Min, delivered his ominously friendly rhetoric with crystal clarity. The 420x's surround sound carried Min's voice on the wide open mountain roadway, and again in his lavish, resonant palace. I was impressed.

Casual, Accessible Sound
The Turtle Beach 420X headset delivers good looks, pleasant sound, and a price point that isnt too extravagant, especially when comparing its completely wireless design with the Astro A50, which still requires a cable for the microphone. It's accessible, so gamers in search of a headset can enjoy good audio without succumbing to high-priced audiophilia. The sound won't be as good as an audiophile-approved headset, but it isn't supposed to be. It's the ease of use right out of the box, alongside the good sound quality, that makes Turtle Beach's headsets an attractive addition to your Xbox One gaming sessions.

Alienware 13

Alienware 13

As far as gaming laptop go, Alienwares are the flashiest, coolest looking machines available in the market at the moment. A futuristic design coupled with sleek, crisp edges topped by bright, back-lit keyboard makes Alienware one of the most recognizable gaming laptops brands due to its performance and high customizability. And in the Alienware 13, the iconic traits live on.
We took one out for test-play sessions where not only we attempted doing some work on it, we also tested its capabilities of playing games while traveling or being away from the comfort of a proper chair and table setup.
A current Alienware user myself with my main PC gaming machine being the MX17 R4, using a smaller, lighter machine in the Alienware 13 is definitely a step up. Gone are the days where I have to lug around over 4.5kgs of gear just to ensure I'll get a good dose of gaming while out on assignments. Weighing just over 2kgs, the Alienware 13 isn't actually light but as a gaming laptop, it's a darn impressive feat by Dell to cram all that power into a relatively compact chassis.

Do not expect to blend into the crowd when using the Alienware 13 at cafes or while waiting for your flight at the airport. The laptop stands out just for being an Alienware; its build alone will bring out the oohs and aahs from anyone who set their eyes on it thanks to its sleek Lamborghini-Reventon-ish design. Despite its plastic outer shell, the gunmetal-painted plastic feels solid to the touch without a hint of cheaponess to it. Money. Well. Spent.
On the thickness side of things, while thinnest amongst its Alienware brethren, the Alienware 13 is still chunky compared to most laptops (gaming and non-gaming) in the 13-inch screen range. But don't let its diminutive figure fool you. Under the hood lies serious gaming power - i5-5200U Processor (Dual-Core,3MB Cache,up to 2.7GHz w/ Turbo Boost ) with NVIDIA's GTX 960M with 2GB GDDR5 graphics card- which ensures your PC gaming sessions in the next couple of years or so remain solid and playable close to max settings for most modern games.
Battery life however is still an issue. While we are able to eke out roughly four to five hours of gaming from it, it is highly advisable to never leave home without a charger. Battery drain when idle while isn't significant enough to affect the laptop's usability when traveling, is quite a pain for moments when you plan to fire up Football Manager 2015 during that 30 minute window you have.
Its smaller size does come with several setbacks; the laptop doesn't come with as many ports as larger laptops do. To the right are two USB 3.0 ports and gigabit Ethernet. Another USB 3.0 port is available on the left along with jacks for power, headphones and microphone. The HDMI, Mini DisplayPort and a proprietary port to connect the graphics amplifier are placed to the back of the laptop. Still, nothing that cannot be fixed with a USB port hub or splitter.
Another gripe on Alienware 13 would the size and layout of the keyboard. While the keys feel solid during games and are able to withstand prolonged abuse, typing on it can be quite frustrating due to the keys' close placements. However, this is more down to personal preference.

Issues aside, the keyboards are indeed pretty with its customizable backlight feature allowing users to fully customize how their keyboards appear. There are four quadrants on the keyboard; each customizable with independent backlight effects allowing maximum personalization. On top of that, you get to choose what color the Alienware logo and start button glow in for that added umph when it comes to stamping your identity all over the laptop.
Summary
The Alienware 13 is a great option for portable gaming laptop without sacrificing performance. Sticking close to its Alienware lineage with leek design and cool customization features, the Alienware 13 is no way inferior to its larger brothers.
The Alienware 13 is available for purchase from all good computer stores as well as Dell's official site. Full details are also available on Dell's website.

Alienware Steam Machine

Alienware Steam Machine

 

Gaming fandom wars of the past are child's play compared with the real eternal struggle between consoles and gaming PCs. Console acolytes boast of the convenience and ubiquity of their chosen platforms. PC zealots claim that the knowledge needed to squeeze extra horsepower out of a gaming rig makes the reward all the sweeter. But now, Valve, the makers of acclaimed PC games and the all-powerful PC gaming digital marketplace Steam, has put forth a vision for peace between these two tribes. The company is partnering with manufacturers to create Steam Machines, desktop gaming PCs that offer the best of PC gaming in an approachable, console-like form. The Alienware Steam Machine ($749 as tested) is among the first of these boxes to hit the market, but while Valve's dream for PC gaming on your television is an exciting one, the choice of OS has made the reality much more limited. 

Design and FeaturesThe Alienware Steam Machine is essentially last year's , except instead of running Windows, it's running Valve's new Linux-based operating system, SteamOS. It's roughly the same size as the Alpha, at 3 by 8 by 8 inches (HWD), and the small form factor is closer to a last-gen system like the Nintendo Wii instead of more technically comparable consoles like the and the . You can adjust the color of the glowing logos on the desktop. It certainly looks compact and distinctive when compared with traditional gaming towers like the .

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The Steam Machine has the same array of ports as the Alienware Alpha: three USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, a digital audio (TOSLink) jack, and HDMI-in and -out ports for connecting the desktop to a television and connecting another video source to the desktop. You'll have to dedicate one of those USB ports to the wireless dongle that pairs up to four to the machine. The package comes with one controller. For wireless connectivity, there's 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

We didn't tear apart the Steam Machine, and if Valve and Alienware want it to be treated like a console, they can't expect casual users to want to do that either, but you can open up the device and start swapping out parts. The $449 base model includes an Intel Core i3 processor, a 500GB hard drive, 4GB DDR3, and a custom Nvidia GeForce GTX graphics card based on the mobile Nvidia GTX 860M. The $749 model I tested adds four more gigabytes of RAM, doubles the hard drive to 1TB, and features an Intel Core i7 processor. There are several other configurations between those two price points. All configurations also come with a handful of free games like Payday 2.

SteamOSUnless you were intrepid enough to build your own Steam Machine with beta source code, the Alienware Steam Machine will be many players' first introduction to SteamOS. This interface is a beefed-up version of Steam's Big Picture mode for presenting PC games in a TV-friendly format, and it excels at its one job. Aside from easily fixable resolution issues with some games, a TV displaying SteamOS is a fantastic way to enjoy your Steam library.

After signing into Steam or creating a new account, you can easily start buying, downloading, and playing games along with interacting with the larger Steam community. If you want to know the best button layout for playing an old PC game with a Steam Controller, you can look it up. You can download mods to your heart's content. The OS also lets you broadcast your gaming session or watch others stream theirs. You can even hop into a Web browser to visit a strategy guide or watch a funny Source Filmmaker video. Storing multiple accounts on one system and switching between them is also a breeze.

However, as neat as this interface is, you don't necessarily have to buy a Steam Machine to enjoy these benefits. Using a Steam Link to stream your existing gaming PC through a TV will work just as well. In fact, buying a Steam Machine, or any device exclusively running SteamOS, will just limit your gaming choices to titles available on Linux.

Whatever feelings Valve may have toward Microsoft, this is an inexplicable choice. Nearly all of the almost 5,000 games you can purchase on Steam run on Windows. Only a fourth of those run on Linux as well. Just using my own pre-existing Steam library as an example, I was able to find and enjoy some Linux-compatible games, like Hotline Miami, Super Meat Boy, Octodad: Dadliest Catch, and Valve's own Portal 2. But time and again I was told a game I was trying to download was not available on SteamOS. At least you can filter out incompatible games when browsing through the store. Look for the Valve logo next to the Windows and Mac logos to make sure the game will run. In the weeks since our initial impressions, the library has barely expanded. Hopefully, Linux support will pick up post-launch. And since there's no optical disc drive, if a game isn't available to download on Steam, you won't be playing it on your Steam Machine

Valve Steam Controller

Valve Steam Controller

Imaginative Nintendo peripherals aside, the video game controller has been somewhat stuck in place after reaching its current, agreed-upon form many years ago. We've seen small tweaks like the rumble triggers on the controller or the light bar on the DualShock 4, but the amount and arrangement of buttons and analogs sticks has remained mostly unchanged.

However, for PC gamers, a keyboard-and-mouse combo is king, not a controller. And as Valve attempts to merge PC- and console-gaming sensibilities with its Steam Machine initiative, it realizes that the controller as we previously knew it isn't going to fly. The Steam Controller ($xx) is Valve's solution for providing the best of both worlds for video game control schemes. The device's innovations excite, but its mediocre build quality and lingering compatability issues suggest the hardware is still a work in progress.

Design
The Steam Controller has gone through several revisions since it was first revealed two years ago. The initial design featured little more than the two circular trackpads placed where analog sticks usually go, but the final model is less radical by comparison. It sports four face buttons, four triggers, and a single analog stick, which are inputs you'll find on most other game controllers. To power the controller, you can either plug it into a Steam Machine over micro USB or use two AA batteries. (Note: It will stay powered if you keep it plugged in over micro USB, but it won't hold a charge without batteries.)

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Fortunately, the controller also retains some unique hardware features that give it capabilities beyond the typical gamepad. In addition to the top two levels of triggers, you can click each handle for a third, "grip" level of triggers. These buttons are a bit odd to look at, since their bulges make it seem as if the controller's back casing didn't fully snap in, but they're firm and responsive. Unfortunately, the other triggers feel mushy by comparison, and overall the controller feels almost too light. I plugged it into the I used for testing to power it over micro USB instead of wasting batteries. But without the two AA batteries inside (the only batteries included with the device) weighing it down, I feared the cheap plastic would fly out of my hands. Compare that with the metal parts and weighted, luxurious feel of the , also compatible with Windows PCs. Granted, that controller costs three times as much, but it's disappointing that the Steam Controller doesn't even feel as premium as a standard Xbox One Controller, DualShock 4, or Wii U Pro Controller.

The Steam Controller's biggest advantage over the competition is its set of trackpads. If you're accustomed to analog sticks or keyboards and mice, you might not immediately wrap your head around this new control method. However, after a few minutes of play, I was convinced it's a great compromise between mouse-level precision and controller convenience. Both pads provide haptic feedback and can be clicked in. The left pad also features a D-pad overlay, although it doesn't feel like there are any additional buttons for the cardinal directions.

The quality of trackpad implementation will vary from game to game, but I was able to easily perform actions typically accomplished via a stick or a mouse by touching the trackpads instead. I rolled my thumb along the surface to control a cursor in a Web browser and accurately aim the scope of a Portal gun. You can even use both thumbs in concert for tasks like typing on a virtual keyboard, which would otherwise require a tedious amount of scrolling with a single thumb.

Connection and Compatibility
After plugging the included USB dongle into your PC, whether it's a Steam Machine or a PC connected to your TV via Steam Link, just press the Valve logo on the controller to start pairing. The dongle can link up to four controllers at once, making it by far the most convenient way to play local multiplayer PC games like Samurai Gunn or TowerFall.

SteamOS's Linux-only status may cause some unexpected headaches over game compatibility on Steam Machines, but the Steam Controller will work with all games available on the Steam marketplace, even if they're only on Windows or Mac. Any game that supports standard controllers will work just fine with a Steam Controller. However, for older PC games that are only intended to be played with a keyboard and mouse, you'll have to make some adjustments to your control scheme. Fortunately, the trackpads serve as a fine mouse replacement, and you can map any action to any of the numerous buttons. If you don't feel like creating a layout from scratch, Steam will suggest one for you. More developers will hopefully update their games with recommended Steam Controller setups over time, and you can even download control schemes created by the community. Still, it's annoying that it's not a guarantee every game will just work without manual button remapping. 

I played a variety of games to try out the Steam Controller's versatility. The twitchy platformer Super Meat Boy, AAA shooter , 2D fighter Skullgirls, wobbly fatherhood simulator Octodad: Dadliest Catch, and methodical action game Hotline Miami all played great and didn't require too many tweaks to the default button layout. I would've tried to put together a quick Source Filmmaker project, but the program wouldn't run on my machine. Plus, a controller probably isn't the best way to edit video.

When Mac users first got their hands on Steam Controllers, they reported numerous compatability issues. Valve ended up giving them free games along with the promise of a future fix, and fixes have been and will continue to roll out on a regular basis. However, I still encountered a handful of these problems even while using the most recent beta firmware available at the time of this writing. Single-player games eventually worked great, but multiplayer games like Nidhogg and RocketsRocketsRockets would either ignore the controller entirely or tie both controllers to one character. The issues persisted even after I tried manually remapping inputs. Perhaps the fault lies with developers and not Valve, and it's not like Mac has the most robust gaming scene, but for now you should think twice if you plan on playing Mac games with your Steam Controller.  

Steam in the Palm of Your Hand

As a fan of fresh ideas in video games, the stagnant state of video game controllers has bothered me for a long time. So I was pleased by how successfully the Steam Controller pushes the console controller forward with ideas from the PC. As exciting as these ideas are, though, the hardware itself feels like a rough draft waiting to be polished by either Valve itself or intrepid users, which is the most PC-gaming idea of all.

Valve Steam Link

Valve Steam Link

 Valve has been promoting its Steam Machine, Steam Controller, and Steam OS platform for some time now, but the Steam Link media streamer has fallen through the cracks. The $xx Link lets you stream your Steam games from any PC to any HDTV, much like the streaming features of the  to the , or an Nvidia GameStream-compatible PC to the . The Steam Link is easy to use and has a robust set of connectivity options, making it a viable option if you can't easily run an HDMI cable to your television. Because it works so painlessly and reliably, the Steam Link earns our Editors' Choice distinction, and stands as our strongest recommendation among the recent wave of Steam hardware.

Design and Setup

The Steam Link is a flat black plastic rectangle that measures 3.5 by 4.8 by 0.7 inches (HWD). Two of the narrow sides (the top and right, if you look at it from above) are stark, flat surfaces that end in sharp corners, while the other two (the bottom and left) are curved with bezels, and look more like finished sides. The flat sides hold all of the ports, with the power connector, HDMI output, Ethernet port, and two USB ports on the top, and a third USB port on the right. A Steam logo sits near the curved lower left corner. The box rests on a black rubberized foot that keeps it stable on most surfaces.

You'll need to hook up your own input device before you can do anything with the Steam Link. USB keyboards and mice,  and  controllers, the Steam Controller, and Bluetooth devices are all supported. I successfully got the Steam Link to work with a wired keyboard, a wired mouse, an Xbox One gamepad, and a Steam Controller (which doesn't require the USB adapter included with the controller; the wireless connection circuitry is built into the Steam Link). The Link gets its required power through the included wall adapter, and, of course, you'll need an HDMI connection to your HDTV (HDMI and Ethernet cables are also included).

Once the Steam Link is plugged in and you have a way to control it, it's ready to set up. It was easy to configure the device to work with our lab's FiOS test network, with onscreen instructions that prompt you to choose the network and enter the password. Connecting to our Steam test machine was similarly painless; once the Steam Link was on the network, it detected the system and displayed a four-digit PIN to enter on the PC. After I typed in the number, the PC was linked and automatically jumped into Steam's Big Picture mode for navigating through the Link. Big Picture is Steam's leanback mode that provides a couch-friendly interface with large, easy-to-identify menu items.

How It Works

The Steam Link extends the Steam library of your networked computer to whatever HDTV the device is plugged into. Whatever you do on your HDTV will reflect in the display of your connected PC. Because of this, you can't do anything with your PC while it's streaming.

Besides browsing and playing games, you can access other Big Picture features. You can bring up your Friends list, see what other people are playing, and even browse the Web. Unlike Google's  or the , however, you can't mirror everything on your PC to your HDTV. The Steam Link is limited to content on Steam accessible through the Big Picture interface, but nothing outside of that ecosystem.

The Steam Link only streams within your home network, so you can't stream your games remotely over the Internet like you can with the PlayStation or Nvidia systems. But our tests have found out-of-the-home game streaming to be unreliable and laggy to begin with, so you're not missing out on a very useful feature.

Gameplay

Performance depends entirely on the speed of your router and the state of your home network's Wi-Fi signal. Internet connection speed (like our lab's FiOS connection) doesn't matter, since the Steam Link only streams games within a home network. You can reduce the risk of lag and video artifacts by using a very fast router that supports dual-band 802.11ac, and by plugging either your PC or the Steam Link directly into your router with an Ethernet cable. Valve actually recommends an Ethernet connection, though this isn't feasible for all home setups.

Even with both my test PC and the Steam Link connected to the PC Lab test network via Wi-Fi in a fairly congested environment, games were surprisingly responsive. The 8-bit graphics of Shovel Knight looked crisp, and I could engage in pixel-perfect platforming most of the time. Occasional hiccups caused video artifacts and input glitches at times, but I resolved them with fiddling with the precise placement of the Steam Link itself.

More impressively, the graphics-intensive  was nearly flawless. I could see where the Steam Link had to wrestle a bit with video compression to make it play well. However, the timing of my inputs remained responsive enough that I could parry and counterattack enemies with ease. For a character action game like this, that's the most important task, and the Steam Link passed with flying colors.

For $xx, the Valve Steam Link effectively extends your gaming PC to your television over Wi-Fi, and it works remarkably well. The whole idea of game streaming is something that's handy on paper, but hasn't quite caught on with systems like the PlayStation Vita and Nvidia Shield. The Steam Link is a comprehensive, broadly compatible streamer that doesn't need a specific game system, handheld, or graphics card to work. If any device will get in-home game streaming to catch on, it'll be this one. That makes it worthy of Editors' Choice honors.