Features

5 of the Best Free-to-Play Console Games

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There are plenty of free-to-play games on mobile and PC, but did you know that you can also enjoy video games on your PlayStation 4 and Xbox One without having to spend a single cent? Here are five free-to-play console games you should check out!

Warframe

Live out your high-tech sci-fi power fantasy of being a badass ancient space warrior in super-powered exoskeletons in Warframe.

Shoot, dodge, and slice your way across the solar system against grotesque monsters, cybernetically enhanced aliens, and clone armies with the help of your friends. Choose from a variety of frames and weapons, each with their own unique abilities and highly customizable, so you can always shake up how you play. You can earn just about every piece of equipment from gaining in-game credits by accomplishing all sorts of quests or by simply trading gear with other players.

The game has been available on the PS4 since 2013 and XB1 since 2014, with a steady community of millions and a constant stream of new content.

Let It Die

“It’s like a hack-and-slash roguelike kind of thing!” so says Uncle Death of Let It Die. What your bespectacled, skateboarding Grim Reaper guide means by that is you’ll be using an assortment of melee weapons to smash, cut, chop, bludgeon, beat, etc. deranged, half-naked goons in levels that always change their layout and loot whenever you revisit them or you die.

And you will die. A lot.

But, it’s okay! You have a home base that you can improve permanently with the resources you gain from ascending the mysterious Tower of Barbs and with the literal human bodies you can kidnap from other players’ headquarters, so there’s always progress to be made.

It’s a surreal and stylish single-player third-person action-brawler/dungeon-crawler exclusive to the PS4.

Killer Instinct

The over-the-top fighting game violence of the 90s is alive and well today with the modern reboot of the 1994 arcade classic Killer Instinct.

It’s Ultras and c-c-c-combo breakers with some old favorites like Jago, Glacius, and Orchid, plus a bunch of new fighters and systems in a way more polished current-gen package. The Instinct and Counter Breaker mechanics introduced in this version deepen the gameplay experience for more hardcore fighting game fans to explore, too.

With over three seasons of content to check out since its 2013 release and a different character to try every week for free, XB1 owners with a competitive drive should try out this game available only on Microsoft platforms.

The Tomorrow Children

Is your job emotionally unrewarding? Do you feel detached from the very community you’re part of? Find fulfillment (or something like it) in the oddly relaxing resource-gathering, town-building PS4 exclusive The Tomorrow Children.

Mine for minerals in far-away caverns with a trusty pickaxe. Find matryoshka dolls to populate your town. Construct facilities with the materials and currency you earn to unlock more productive ways to gather even more resources. Defend your home you worked so hard to build from the occasional marauding monsters!

Do it by yourself or with friends and strangers. It’s all for the good of rebuilding society in this strange, gleaming white post-apocalyptic void, as our enigmatic yet charismatic dear leader says!

Paladins

Heard all the hubbub about Overwatch but don’t think spending $60 on an online multiplayer-only hero-shooter is worth it? You can have a somewhat similar experience on your PS4 or XB1 for free with Paladins.

Skirmish against other players over capture points and payloads with a colorful cast of characters. Mow down enemies with Tyra and her trusty AK; charge into the frontline and cover your team with Fernando’s energy shield; keep your comrades alive while bouncing around the battlefield as Pip; sneak behind enemy lines and take down key supports as Skye.

A couple more heroes are available in the basic version, so you can have plenty of fun trying out different ways to play or going all-in on a style you really like. All the other champions can be unlocked with earnable in-game credits, allowing you to eventually get them all! Just remember that it’s still in beta so expect minor bugs and balancing tweaks.

SEE ALSO: 5 must-have Nintendo Switch games that aren’t Zelda

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Tutorials

How to set up Apple Pay on your iPhone

It’s as easy as a single tap.

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Apple Pay is officially in the Philippines!

Pushing the country forward into a cashless and cardless future, Apple has now brought its contactless payment system to the Philippines. As with other countries, Apply Pay will work seamlessly and easily even for those who have problems with technology.

Now, despite how easy it is, sometimes we need to be pointed in the right direction. Here’s how you can set up Apple Pay on your iPhone:

Everything starts with the Wallet app. First, open your Wallet app. Tap the “+” button on the top and select “Debit or Credit Card.”

Normally, this is where you can input your card details (which you can still do, by the way), but the default method now is to just tap your card on the back of your iPhone. Your phone does the rest. You might need to confirm with your bank, but it’s as easy as a single tap.

Pick which cards to use. Once you have your cards online, you might need to change which one is the default card. Again, it’s easy. Just drag your preferred card to the front.

Afterwards, you can tap to pay in supported stores by priming the Wallet app for use. Tapping to pay is also available for Apple Watch. Meanwhile, online transactions can also work on MacBook.

Secure, all the time. If you’re worried about your security especially with online transactions, Apple keeps your information only between you and the seller. They don’t store your data.

Also, it’s not easy to make a transaction without your consent. You need Face ID, Touch ID, or your password. If you lose your phone, you can easily shut your phone down with the Find My app to prevent malicious parties from making transactions.

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Accessories

DJI Osmo Mobile 8P: From a videographer’s perspective

Better tracking, fewer buttons

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DJI’s smartphone gimbals have always chased one goal: delivering cinema-smooth footage without forcing you to carry a heavy rig.

The Osmo Mobile 8P (OM 8P) makes its priorities clear right out of the box. This is not a simple refresh. DJI rebuilt how you control the gimbal, and that decision shapes the entire shooting experience.

Freedom behind the lens

The biggest change is the FrameTap remote, and it’s the kind of upgrade that fixes a problem you didn’t realize was slowing you down until it’s gone.

On the standard OM 8, adjusting your framing meant reaching for your phone every time, which broke the flow of shooting and pulled you out of the moment.

FrameTap puts that control back in your hand. You can reframe shots and manage the gimbal without touching your phone at all, and for anyone shooting solo, that alone changes how usable the whole setup feels. Tracking has taken a real step forward too.

ActiveTrack 8.0, paired with Module 2, held onto its subject even after they stepped out of frame for a moment, then picked them back up without much fuss.

It also lets you sit off-center in the shot instead of forcing you into the middle every time, which gives you more room to compose something that doesn’t look like every other gimbal video.

None of that would matter much if the gimbal itself wasn’t solid, and it still is. The OM 8P holds onto the same foldable design, magnetic phone clamp, and built-in tripod that made the OM 8 easy to live with.

And it remains one of the better compact options for stabilization, tracking, and portability in one package.

The tripod legs are a touch wider this time, and that extra width does make a noticeable difference on uneven ground.

The trade-offs in touch

The trade-off for all that new remote functionality is a control scheme that takes more getting used to. More of the gimbal’s functions now live on the FrameTap touchscreen, the joystick is smaller, and switching between shooting modes takes a few extra taps compared to the OM 8. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s a learning curve you’ll need to budget time for.

DJI also removed the zoom and focus wheel, so if you leaned on that dial for quick adjustments, you’ll feel its absence here. Module 2 no longer lets you plug a DJI wireless mic in directly either.

You’ll need to connect it to your phone instead, which adds a step to a setup that used to be simpler. Phone compatibility is still a limiting factor as well. DJI lists support for phones up to around 300g and 11mm thick, so bigger phones or ones in chunky cases may not clamp in properly.

Finding your ideal workflow

The OM 8P makes the most sense for solo creators who want dependable tracking and the freedom of remote framing without stepping up to a dedicated camera like the DJI Osmo Pocket.

If you’re already shooting on a phone with a solid camera, this fills the gap nicely. It’s a tougher sell if you prefer physical buttons over touchscreen menus, or if your phone runs on the larger and heavier side, since fitting it onto the clamp might be a problem before you even get to shooting.

Price, availability

DJI is offering the OM 8P in three combos, so how much you pay depends on how much of the ecosystem you actually need.

  • Standard Combo (PhP 7,499): the gimbal itself, with 8th-gen stabilization and the detachable FrameTap remote included.
  • Advanced Tracking Combo (PhP 9,199): adds the Multifunctional Module 2 for the improved subject tracking we tested.
  • Creator Combo (PhP 11,099): the full kit, built for creators who want everything DJI bundles in from the start.

Is the DJI Osmo Mobile 8P your GadgetMatch?

The DJI Osmo Mobile 8P asks you to relearn a few habits in exchange for a gimbal that finally lets go of your phone. If hands-free framing and steadier tracking matter more to you than a dedicated zoom dial, this is worth the adjustment.

If you’d rather keep things exactly as they were on the OM 8, that learning curve might be the deciding factor.

Swipe right if you shoot alone often and have been waiting for a gimbal remote that actually works. The FrameTap remote alone justifies the upgrade if reaching for your phone mid-shot has been slowing you down.

Consider this if reliable tracking matters to you, especially if you’ve had a subject wander out of frame and stay lost on older gimbals.

And of course, get this if you already own a capable phone under the weight and thickness limits, and you’d rather invest in a smartphone rig than jump to a dedicated camera like the Osmo Pocket.

Swipe left if you lean on physical dials for zoom and focus, and moving those functions to a touchscreen sounds like a downgrade rather than an upgrade.

This is not for you if you use a DJI wireless mic and want it plugged directly into the module without routing through your phone first. Or, your phone runs heavier or bulkier than DJI’s limits allow, since no amount of enthusiasm fixes a clamp that won’t close.

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Features

GadgetSnaps: Westminster Abbey

A thousand years of history, unfolded with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra

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Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Westminster Abbey isn’t just another stop on the London tourist trail.

It’s the stage for coronations, royal weddings, and burials that span nearly a thousand years, all still playing out under the same vaulted ceilings that have been standing since before most countries had names.

Once you get past the crowds and the audio guides, a quieter version of the abbey starts to show itself: worn stone steps, poets resting a few feet from kings, light that shifts across the nave like it’s in on the performance too.

While losing track of time in Poets’ Corner (yes, me, playing amateur historian for an afternoon), I unfolded the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and decided the abbey deserved more than a quick tourist snap.


All photos captured using the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra.

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