Gadgets
The Alienware Alpha PC/console hybrid is now available for pre-order
For those of you who remember the Alienware Alpha from E3 2014, know that it’s now available to pre-order from Amazon if you’re willing to fork out $550. Granted, it’s entirely possible that not everyone knows about this device as it kinda fell under the radar due to all of the other important announcements made at the event. If that’s the case, don’t worry because I’ll go ahead and talk a bit about it just to get you up to speed with what this machine is all about. The Alienware Alpha essentially takes a PC and combines it with a console in order to offer users a brand new way of playing video games. The device was initially meant to run on the Steam OS and use the Steam Controller, but since the latter was delayed there has been a slight change of plans.
Instead of the said controller, the machine will use a wireless Xbox 360 gamepad, for the time being at least. As far as the operating system is concerned, the company ultimately decided to have the Alienware Alpha run on Windows 8.1. However, this is not the regular version of Windows as it comes with a custom user interface, which allows users to switch between console mode and desktop mode on the fly. Gaming is done via the console mode while the desktop mode allows users to use the Alienware Alpha as a regular PC running on Windows 8.1 if they plug in a mouse and keyboard. This is optional however and one can easily use the Alienware Alpha without the need of any peripherals. In this case, the device can only be used for gaming, which is done with the help of the Steam Big Picture Mode, a shortcut to Valve’s platform.
Hardware-wise, the Alienware Alpha comes equipped with an Intel Core i3 processor running at 2.9 GHz, 4 GB DDR3, 500 GB storage, and a custom Nvidia Maxwell GPU. This is just the standard version but there are also a couple of other variants featuring more RAM, larger hard drives, and more powerful CPUs. All of this comes at a price as you might imagine, and the upgraded Alienware Alpha’s can end up costing as much as$700. Interestingly enough, even the standard version presumably runs games at better resolutions and frame rates than the Xbox One and PS4 versions of the same titles. The Alpha is expected to hit the shelves on November 21st and will come bundled with two free games: Pay Day 2 and Magika.
Want more classic Metal Gear Solid remakes on PS5? You’ll need to speak Konami’s language—dollar bills—to express your desire.
“Regarding remakes of previous games in the series other than Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, we will listen to player demand and consider accordingly,” a Konami official told IGN.
Konami explained that “we chose Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater because it depicts the birth of Big Boss (Naked Snake), which is the starting point of the Metal Gear series.” Fans wishing it would last forever contributed.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, yes? Maybe you’ll buy another disc to show Konami you’ll pay again?
The Romanian Competition Council is investigating Sony for abusing its console gaming market dominance. How exactly? The RCC says Sony sells video games exclusively through the PlayStation Store and blocks competing distributors from accessing activation codes.
“These practices would have reduced the purchasing options for PlayStation-compatible video games, leading to higher prices for video games on this type of console,” the RCC’s press release (in Romanian) states on ResetEra. These practices discourage Romanian studios from making PlayStation-compatible games.
The RCC is serious, too, having inspected Sony’s European headquarters to find out what happened. The press release states that “1.3 million console video game users” and “127 video game development studios” would be affected by Sony’s anti-competitive practices.
We’re not lawyers, but we believe digital game codes can’t be bought from other retailers, preventing price competition. Sony allowed the practice until a few years ago, so it’s interesting that it’s back.
After the COVID-19 supply collapse, Sony CEO Jim Ryan is optimistic about PS5 sales. The Sony executive anticipates the PS5, the best-selling console for months, will sell 108 million units.
That’s difficult stuff considering Sony needs to sell 70 million more PS5s. Since supply has increased, consoles are selling like hotcakes in major countries, suggesting the firm is above 40 million.
Ryan stated in a recent games business briefing webcast and Q&A (thanks, TweakTown):
“The 70 million, I think, is the existing PlayStation 4 user base, and while we would hope to convert a large number of those people, we will definitely target and definitely be successful in bringing large numbers of gamers who did not own a PlayStation 4, and in many instances, who have never owned a PlayStation at all.”
Mr. Ryan’s numbers—should we focus on the 108 part?
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