Gaming
Latest Alienware laptop features 480Hz display
Monster refresh rate for gaming

For the first time in gaming laptops, a 480Hz refresh rate will be possible as Dell released the latest AMD Advantage laptops in the Alienware m17 R5 and Alienware x17 R2.
The monster 17-inch m17 R5 is powered by AMD Ryzen 6000 series processors. It comes with Radeon RX 6000 series graphics (including the new AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT 12GB GDDR6 GPU).
New AMD Smart Technologies for select m17 R5 configurations include:
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- AMD SmartShift Max: Power shifting between a Radeon GPU and APU to boost performance for gaming, rendering, and content creation
- AMD SmartAccess Graphics: Enabling discrete Radeon or Ryzen graphics improves frame rates, reduces latency, and saves battery
- AMD Smart Access Memory: Ryzen processors harness the full potential of Radeon graphics card memories
- AMD FreeSync Premium: Adaptive sync technology matches the refresh rate of the user’s graphics and display for smoother gameplay
480Hz displays make landing
Now available for the first time with the Alienware m17 R5 and x17 R2 gaming laptops, the FHD (1920 x 1080) 480Hz 3ms panels ought to provide a bunch of advantages for gameplay. This includes smoothness, ghosting reduction, lower latency, and more.
The AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-SYNC with Advanced Optimus-compatible display is built for premium experiences. It also comes with ComfortView Plus and Dolby Vision.
A higher resolution (3840 x 2160) 120Hz 3ms display option is available by August 10 as well.
The m17 R5 is now available in Singapore starting at SG$ 3,049 while x17 R2 is priced starting at SG$ 3,039.21.


Recently, Netflix gambled big on the future of its platform. Besides cutting a plethora of titles in production, the platform introduced a gallery of mobile games for all of its subscribers. As the gaming library grew, it acquired impressive titles from the best of the mobile gaming world. However, despite Netflix’s efforts, only less than one percent of the platform’s subscribers are playing the games.
In a new app study (via CNBC), Netflix’s games average only 1.7 million users daily. Overall, the games have been downloaded 23.3 million times.
Though not an insignificant number, the figure is a tiny, tiny portion of Netflix’s main user base. For reference, Netflix currently has around 221 million subscribers. That’s less than one percent of Netflix subscribers playing their games.
Netflix’s gaming strategy is an ongoing experiment. While the company has eyed the industry for a while now, Netflix is facing deeper gravitas with making sure every endeavor succeeds. As of late, the platform has bled for subscribers, new and old.
For the first time in a while, Netflix has lost subscribers, marking the rise in popularity of other streaming platforms. It isn’t the only shark in the lake. Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max are creating compelling cases for a switch.
That said, if you still pay for a Netflix subscribers, the gaming library comes with the price of admission. Besides inspired titles from its properties like Stranger Things, the library also comes with heavy hitters like Spiritfarer.
SEE ALSO: Netflix’s The Gray Man is getting its own cinematic universe
Accessories
Razer releases giant-sized gaming mouse mats in the Philippines
The Strider Chroma and Goliathus 3XL

What’s better than a regular-sized gaming mouse pad? Giant-sized gaming mouse mats! In fact, two new ultra-sized gaming mouse mats from Razer, the Strider Chroma and Goliathus Chroma 3XL, are now both available in the Philippines.
The warp-and-water resistant Strider Chroma measures 900mm by 370mm and is 4mm thick. It is the world’s first hybrid soft/hard gaming mouse which come with 19 customizable lighting zones.
For an even larger mat that can cover an entire desk, the Goliathus Chroma 3XL measures a massive 1200mm by 550mm and is 3.5mm thick.
This soft mat is ideal for gamers who use lower DPI, or need to cover more ground while moving their mouse.
The two new accessories come with non-slip bases and are powered by Razer Chroma RGB to provide dynamic lighting effects while in-game.
The Strider Chroma is priced at PhP 8,490 while the Goliathus Chroma 3XL is available for PhP 6,990 via the Razer official website, Shopee, Lazada, and their authorized sellers nationwide.

For how much they cost, the Nintendo Switch’s Joy-Cons could certainly see more use outside of console exclusivity. Thankfully, developers are finding new ways to use controllers for other applications. If you want to get more use out of your Joy-Cons, Steam is working on compatibility for the Switch controllers.
In a new Steam beta test, Valve released support for Joy-Cons and other Nintendo controllers. As you can do with a Switch, players will soon be able to use either just one Joy-Con or both as a pair. However, since it’s in beta, individual games have not announced support specifically for the Joy-Con.
If anything, connecting the Joy-Con through Steam should be relatively easy. The gaming hub already offers plug-and-play support for most controllers available in the market. Of course, better support means that developers (and fans) can tailor settings depending on controller.
With the number of third-party games on the Switch, it’s believable that there are Switch players who are making first-time transitions to PC gaming. In that case, allowing Joy-Cons into PC gaming — albeit not the best controller for such — will prove a necessary jumping point.
Besides Steam, Apple is also working on support for the Switch controllers, adding new life to the tiny pair. As for Steam, however, Joy-Con support should officially come soon after the beta test.
SEE ALSO: iOS 16 will support Nintendo Joy-Cons
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