Gaming

ASUS TUF Gaming A15, A17 now official in the Philippines

New look, better specs, still TUF

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The newest iterations of ASUS’ TUF Gaming series come with improvements on the inside and on the outside. New to the lineup are the 15-inch ASUS TUF Gaming A15 and the 17-inch ASUS TUF Gaming A17.

Both laptops come with the latest 4th Gen AMD Ryzen processors and in the new Fortress Gray design. The TUF Gaming series are now in smaller but without any compromises as it adds more input ports like a USB 3.2 Type-C port for 4k display output.There’s also the DTS X: Ultra Audio speakers for audio improvement.

While some things changes, other stayed the same. The signature Military Grade Standard Durability that the TUF series has been known is still here.

Working in tandem with the Ryzen chips to deliver a powerful gaming experience is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GPU and up to a Ryzen 9 4900H CPU. Adding some smoothness is support for up to a 144Hz refresh rate display supported by Adaptive Sync Technology.

Pricing and availability

The first model for the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 will be the FX506IU-AL111T, equipped with the latest R7-4800H, GTX 1660Ti, with 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD + 512 SSD storage, topped off with the 15” FHD 144Hz IPS display.

The price is PhP 69,995.00 and will be available starting May 22, 2020.

Here are details for the rest of the models:

Series MODEL LCD LCD TYPE CPU RAM HDD VGA COLOR BUNDLE SRP ARRIVAL DATE
TUF GAMING A15 FX506IU-AL111T 15” FHD IPS 144HZ R7- 4800H 8G 1TB HDD + 512 PCIE2 GTX 1660ti

6GD6

Fortress Black TUF Backpack PHP 69,995 May 22, 2020
TUF GAMING A15 FX506IV-AL129T 15” FHD IPS 144HZ R9- 4900H 8G 1TB HDD + 512 PCIE2 RTX 2060 6GD6 Fortress Black TUF Backpack

TUF M5 Gaming Mouse

PHP 79,995 June 2020
TUF GAMING A15 FX506II-AL120T 15” FHD IPS 144HZ R7- 4800H 4Gx2 1TB HDD + 256G PCIE2 GTX 1650ti 4GD6 Fortress Black TUF Backpack PHP 61,995 June 2020
TUF GAMING A15 FX506II-AL049T 15” FHD IPS 144HZ R5- 4600H 4Gx2 512G PCIE2 GTX 1650ti 4GD6 Fortress Black TUF Backpack PHP 51,995 June 2020
TUF GAMING A17 FX706II-H7082T 17” FHD IPS 120HZ R7- 4800H 8G 1TB HDD + 512 PCIE2 GTX 1660ti 6GD6 Fortress Black TUF Backpack PHP 71,995 June 2020
TUF GAMING A17 FX706II-H7088T 17” FHD IPS 120HZ R7- 4800H 8G 1TB HDD + 256G PCIE2 GTX 1650ti 4GD6 Fortress Black TUF Backpack PHP 64,995 June 2020

 

Gaming

Life is Strange: Reunion now available on consoles and PC

Max and Chloe return for an emotional finale

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Life is Strange: Reunion

Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia and Square Enix have officially launched Life is Strange: Reunion, the latest entry in the narrative adventure series. Developed by Deck Nine Games, the title is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store. A physical PlayStation 5 edition is also available across Southeast Asia.

The launch comes with an official trailer, marking the return of one of the franchise’s most beloved storylines.

A long-awaited reunion

Set 11 years after the original events, Life is Strange: Reunion brings back Max Caulfield and Chloe Price as they reunite to solve a new timeline-spanning mystery. This time, the stakes center on a devastating inferno threatening Caledon University–Max’s workplace as a photography teacher.

Returning from a trip, Max discovers the campus engulfed in flames, with lives lost across the university. She survives only by using her Rewind ability, a power that allows her to reverse time.

The situation takes an unexpected turn with Chloe’s sudden arrival–an outcome tied to the timeline-merging events of Life is Strange: Double Exposure. Now dealing with fractured memories and an unstable sense of reality, Chloe once again finds herself relying on Max.

Dual perspectives, new gameplay dynamics

For the first time in the series, players can take control of both Max and Chloe, switching perspectives as the story unfolds.

Max’s Rewind power lets players revisit decisions, reshape conversations, and manipulate environments to solve complex, time-based puzzles. Meanwhile, Chloe brings her signature Backtalk ability, allowing her to push conversations in her favor and access situations Max cannot.

This dual-character approach expands both narrative depth and gameplay variety, offering different ways to uncover clues and influence outcomes.

A character-driven finale

Life is Strange: Reunion continues the series’ focus on grounded, emotional storytelling, with choices that carry meaningful consequences. The game builds toward a dramatic climax that aims to close out Max and Chloe’s journey.

As the final chapter in their story, Reunion positions itself as both a continuation and a conclusion–tying together years of narrative threads while delivering a new mystery shaped by time, loss, and choice.

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Gaming

Nintendo will make it cheaper to buy digital games than physical

Physical releases will have the same price.

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The days of lining up for a newly released game are well and truly over. Though some games still experience shortages in brick-and-mortar stores, such as the widely successful Pokémon Pokopia, gamers can get their titles digitally. Now, Nintendo is making digital releases more enticing by offering a tempting discount on the eShop.

Starting in May, Nintendo will start charging different prices for the physical and digital releases of first-party games. While physical releases will still have the same prices going forward, digital releases via the eShop will enjoy a discount.

The discount, of course, will likely depend on the title itself. Nintendo has already given the upcoming Yoshi and the Mysterious Book as the first example. The new platformer will cost US$ 70 from retailers. However, it will cost only US$ 60 on the digital eShop.

The company says that the new pricing scheme “simply reflects the different costs associated with producing and distributing each format.” With the prices of chips skyrocketing, it’s no surprise that the physical release is more expensive than the digital one.

To be more technical about it, Nintendo has started skipping a physical game card for a while now. The physical release of Pokémon Pokopia, for example, has only a game-key card or a code to download the game. In this format, physical releases are just pretty cases you can display on your shelf.

Also, digital releases do carry the added risk of getting delisted on the whims of the developers, the publishers, or Nintendo itself. It is, however, still a cheaper option, especially in a world where getting any discount is a welcome thought.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo sues the United States

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Gaming

Razer Blade 16 (2026) packs more cores, faster memory

Razer’s thinnest gaming laptop yet

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Razer Blade 16

Razer has officially unveiled the 2026 version of its Blade 16, doubling down on what it does best: squeezing high-end performance into an ultra-slim chassis.

This year’s refresh focuses on meaningful internal upgrades. That includes a new Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, faster LPDDR5X memory, and NVIDIA’s latest RTX 50 Series laptop GPUs — all while keeping the Blade 16 as the thinnest gaming laptop in Razer’s lineup.

Performance gets a serious bump

At the core of the new Blade 16 is the Intel Core Ultra 9 386H, featuring 16 cores and up to 4.9GHz boost clock. Razer claims a 33% increase in core count versus the previous generation, translating to stronger performance across gaming, content creation, and AI workloads.

There’s also an integrated NPU capable of up to 50 TOPS, enabling faster on-device AI tasks like image generation and live translation.

Memory gets a notable upgrade too. The Blade 16 now supports up to 64GB of LPDDR5X-9600MHz RAM, which Razer positions as the fastest available in a laptop today. The result: quicker responsiveness for heavy multitasking, creative apps, and AI-assisted workflows.

On the graphics side, NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 50 Series (Blackwell architecture) brings DLSS 4 and enhanced AI capabilities for both gaming and creator use cases.

Display and design stay premium

Razer isn’t fixing what isn’t broken. The Blade 16 retains its signature CNC-milled aluminum chassis, measuring just 14.9mm thick and weighing around 2.14kg.

The display remains a highlight. You get a 16-inch QHD+ OLED panel with a 240Hz refresh rate, now brighter and certified for VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 1000. It supports full DCI-P3 coverage, Calman calibration, and NVIDIA G-SYNC, making it just as suited for creators as it is for competitive gaming.

Battery life and efficiency improve

Despite the performance gains, Razer is also pushing efficiency. Thanks to Intel’s newer architecture and system-level optimizations, the Blade 16 can hit up to 13 hours of productivity use and up to 15 hours of video playback under ideal conditions.

That’s a notable improvement for a machine in this class, especially given its slim form factor.

Connectivity and audio step up

The 2026 Blade 16 gets a future-ready connectivity suite, including Thunderbolt 5, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 6.0. There’s also a full set of ports, from USB-A to HDMI 2.1 and an SD card reader.

Audio gets an upgrade too. The six-speaker system now supports THX Spatial Audio+ with virtual 7.1.4 surround, aiming to deliver more immersive sound both on speakers and headphones.

Price and availability

The Razer Blade 16 configured with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 (16GB VRAM) and 32GB LPDDR5X-9600MHz RAM is priced at US$3,499.99 / €3,599.99 MSRP.

It is available now, exclusively via Razer.com and select RazerStores worldwide.

Still the Blade, just sharper

At a glance, the 2026 Blade 16 doesn’t reinvent the formula. But under the hood, it pushes performance, memory speed, and efficiency forward in ways that matter.

It’s still the same idea: a no-compromise gaming laptop that looks like it belongs in a minimalist workspace — just faster, smarter, and a bit more future-proof this time around.

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