As with most audio-visual mediums, video gaming sound suffers from a lack of attention in its production, its reproduction, and in media reviews. As such, many gamers are experiencing their games with fabulous visuals but average or below average sound. However, this can be remedied. This exclusive two part feature from NextGEN Gamers' resident audio engineer, Dylan "Fuchal" Young, will attempt to guide you through the setup of your sound system not only for gaming, but also for music and DVD enjoyment. So whether you are a PC gamer or a console gamer, whether you have a 10.2 surround system or a pair of stereo headphones, NextGEN Gamers hopes to broaden not only your soundscape but also your future gaming experiences.
2025 cloud gaming trends are looking good, but it’s not all smooth yet. We break down what’s working, what’s not, and what comes next.
As someone who has been gaming nearly as long as gaming has been around (since the early 70's), you'd think I'd be against this. Having grown up with all the major platforms and the whole notion of physical ownership... but I'm not. i embrace this as it is a revolutionary convenience. And one i know for a fact many (especially here) have not even given the fair chance to use. I get it... i was there too. But now i have a new outlook on it. It really is a hell of an option if you just want to play with no commitments. By no means am i saying this should replace traditional gaming, its an option. And one that people should look at optimistically as a way to compliment traditional gaming. There is room for both to thrive.
I tend to use streaming on new games in GamePass. To see if I like the game. If I do, I'll download it for a better experience. It's so convenient & useful.
AMD CEO Lisa Su talks about the Xbox AMD partnership, next-gen Ryzen + Radeon chips, and AI rendering tech coming to all Xbox devices.
AMD is really building hype around their unique partnership with Microsoft to help and build an advanced and seamless Xbox ecosystem across all Xbox consoles and devices.
I wonder what she meant by "full roadmap of gaming optimized chips" though? Seems ambitious.
Next year´s Xbox Showcase already looks promising and exciting. Here´s hoping they deliver.
Obscure_Observer said “I wonder what she meant by "full roadmap of gaming optimised chips" though? Seems ambitious.” To me, I interpret this to mean rather than having a couple of X/S products for launch and a handheld there is a longer term plan to release new products with higher specs at timed intervals. I’m speculating of course, but this could mean a spec bump every year or two, so that even if the PS6 or Steam Deck Home is released a year after ‘Xbox’ Microsoft can release an updated model that has a higher spec.
It's X3D chips for console. Everyone knows this. And it's been rumored in the PS6 forever.
Correct.
"Sony's PlayStation 6 reportedly will feature an AMD semi-custom APU with a Zen 5 CPU and UDNA GPU, capable of 4K 120FPS and 8K 60FPS gaming. The console will include X3D cache and advanced AI upscaling technology."
https://www.tweaktown.com/n...
"It's X3D chips for console. Everyone knows this. And it's been rumored in the PS6 forever."
I doubt that AMD´s CEO would waste her time making this huge and important partnership announcement over a tech that will be 7 years old by the those next gen consoles will be released.
You should have just lead this comment with the fact that you have zero understanding of technology in the consoles and instead have a Toms Hardware online forum level of education.
"It's X3D chips for console. Everyone knows this. And it's been rumored in the PS6 forever"
I´d told you were on some bs
https://www.pcgamesn.com/wp...
@VenomUK
"I’m speculating of course, but this could mean a spec bump every year or two, so that even if the PS6 or Steam Deck Home is released a year after ‘Xbox’ Microsoft can release an updated model that has a higher spec."
Very interesting theory. Still not sure how MS would actually make it work.
"I doubt that AMD´s CEO would waste her time making this huge and important partnership announcement over a tech that will be 7 years old by the those next gen consoles will be released."
How old is the tech in consoles? It's not a huge announcement. It's marketing and you know it is.
"How old is the tech in consoles? It's not a huge announcement. It's marketing and you know it is."
Dude, what I know for certain is that a tech as old as X3D chips which is actually *older* than both PS5 and Xbox Series consoles, is hardly the reason behind this new partnership between AMD and MS to build new *custom silicon* for next generation of consoles.
And yes it´s a huge announcement since AMD is working closely with MS to co-develop custom SoC which will allow backwards compatibility across all MS´s next gen devices allowing seamless integration between devices and full backwards compatibility across all generations of Xbox consoles.
I also know is that this announcement don´t have anything to do with Playstation and their strategy with AMD for the PS6, so stop comparing the two pretending that you know what´s going on, because you clearly don´t.
If Sony is working on something remotely similar, that´s remain to be seen.
Some odd, deliberate wording, no branding, not 'Xbox consoles, Xbox handhelds' specifically, feels and sounds like they're building towards hardware that anyone can be used or licensed to/by themselves and other manufacturers.
Multiplatform software and hardware 'Xbox/AMD APU'.
I guess you missed Sarah Bond´s next generation Xbox announcement this week, were she clearly states:
"I´m thrilled to share that we´ve established a strategic multi-year partnership with AMD to co-engineer silicon across a portfolio of devices, including, *our* next generation *Xbox consoles*."
But hey, I don´t think you´re entirely wrong, maybe MS will build their own Xbox consoles while licencing other manufactures to build and sell their own Xbox branded consoles. Who knows
I think you watched the wrong video. It's below the description, or you can watch it directly on YouTube.
https://youtu.be/kprpRvsOua...
Shares vision....we provide chips for money, this deal will sell many chips, we will make lots of money...good vision
The marketing behind this is so heavy that I worry about the actual outcome. Why are they just not showing us the product, why all this talking in market speak?
Probably because the next xbox isn't ready to release yet?
The marketing and rumors seem to be heavy out of no where. The rumor was a 27 release but it maybe it could be 26 new console launch instead.
Who knows.
There PR is alrways super heavy handed. No one is acutally buying an Xbox as is.
Also it is very early to be talking so much about a next gen console.
There´s a lot of people interested on Xbox Next and its ability to run games from major stores like Steam.
We know that the PS6 is just around the corner as well, but so far, no news on what it might improve over the PS5 or PS5 Pro.
However, Sony already made public that their priority and actual focus is the PS6. So its not "very early" to talk about next gen when the very console manufactures are talking about it.
Nintendo Switch 2 stick drift is already an issue, but accessory makers are already working on magnetic joysticks.
I've never had stick drift in any controller I've ever owned. All my joycons (3 sets) from my Switch are perfectly fine. My Switch 2 ones are good. Never had a dualshock / dualsense have it (did have a dualshock get a stuck trigger once). Even my Valve Index controllers which were notorious for drift were fine for me.
Varies. Just because you've never had one doesn't mean others won't. I've had PS, Xbox, and Nintendo controllers indeed drift on me. Remember the drift lawsuits that Nintendo has had.
Please stop trying to say that traditional potentiometers are absolutely fine when hall effect/tmr sticks are beyond superior lol, not sure why so many people keep trying to defend potentiometers when hall effects are so pro consumer.
Companies like nintendo, sony, and mcsft don't want to implement them simply because they want you the consumer to keep buying them. Most casuals will just buy a new controller if theirs difts, easy money for the big 3.
I've gone hall effects and have never gone back, can leave my controllers out absolutely fine without worry of dust ruining the sticks.
when did I say that traditional joysticks are absolutely fine? I'm sharing my own experience here. I never said that others don't experience issues, nor that this is somehow acceptable. Strange leapfrog from A to B on that one.
People love to say it's a huge widespread issue, yet you only hear about it because the minority is vocal whereas the majority don't report anything because they are fine.
I'm happy you switched to hall effect sticks, if that's what works for you, then awesome.
Cool? Pretty sure this is for those who are having it happen. Not sure how your anecdote addresses other peoples' problems.
people around here act like everyone will get drift. I'm willing to wager more people won't get drift than will.
lucky you. I've only had minor drift once in my L Joycon which I fixed with some card stock, but drift is an undeniable problem as a whole.
My 2 sets of Joy-Cons from my OG Switch started to drift with just a month of use. That is why I bought Dobe Joy-Cons with just $25, and until now they are still fine. I hope this will never happen again on my Switch 2.
My left joy con for the OG Switch got stick drift right away as well. I never had issues with my PS5 controllers since launch until I got my kids PS5’s and they had stick drift with 2 controllers. They drop them because they are kids and although I have them wash their hands before gaming they still get gunk under them somehow. I got their controllers modded because they would have issues no matter what I have them do.
"people around here act like everyone will get drift. I'm willing to wager more people won't get drift than will."
no, nobody is acting like that, you're jsut exaggerating it and lying to downplay a problem
you know, i said the same thing not too long ago and then BOOM both controllers ha.
one on the moving stick and one on the look around stick.
both suck arse. ha
The tech is already there. I had a couple of my PS5 controllers modded with Hall Effect modules and they work great. They should come standard with them these days but they don’t.
Nyxi already made some fantastic Hall Effect controllers for Switch 1. I don't know why Nintendo couldn't have it by now if Nyxi has had for years.
Cheap, frictionless sensors ALREADY exist. Why are they "working hard to combat stick drift"? Stick drift should be a thing of the past at this point. The technology is here...NOW. It has been...for YEARS! Why is stick drift even still spoken about? It shouldn't exist!
Because its a scam for Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft to sell more overpriced controllers.
WD 40 if it's shagg.d anyway why not ? I ordered a new ps5 pad after Helldivers 2 and POE 2 became unplayable due to drift but in the meantime I fired a bit of WD on my balls just below my stick rotated in a clockwise fashion massaging it in so to speak and also did the pin reset thingy and all clean no drift and hit that cancel purchase button like I meant it
Honestly I’ve used my original Switch JoyCons and Pro Controller since launch and only in the last year did I see drift start to show up on one of my JoyCons. I’m sure it happens depending on how much and how firm the joystick is used, but it seems like a minor issue that goes with wear and tear after thousands of hours of play. I wish there had been Hall Effect sticks on Switch 2 just so there’s one less thing to worry about, but I’m not really concerned about it.
I can tell you that audio quality is one of the most lacking areas in our market today......but as Sony sadly proved with the failure of Super Audio CD's.....THE MASS MARKET CANT DISTINGUISH THE QUALITY OF THEIR AUDIO......SO CHOPPED UP AND COMPRESSED MP3'S WILL CONTINUE TO SUFFICE FOR THEM
even a cheap 5.1 surround sound all in one system dramatically changes the way you think of movies and games. with systems ranging from a £100 its well worth an upgrade.
Where is this part 2 they speak of? I enjoyed reading part 1, alot of stuff I already know, but a good read none the less. The sound my setup puts out makes everything else look doofy. I have a cheap Sony "Theater in a Box" hooked up to my PS3 and PC. The PS3 makes my 5.1 setup really sing. Whether I'm listening to MP3s, watching the latest DVD/BluRay, exploding asteroids in Super Stardust HD, whizzing by people in Burnout: Paradise, or capping terrorist in COD4, my simple and cheap setup makes every sound that more enjoyable.
Best advice for purchasing and setting up your own sound system, invest knowledge, not money. Take the time to learn the ins and outs of audio tech, its worth it twenty fold.
Cheers to the Audio engineer on Nextgen gamers. I clicked on the link at the bottom of the story and was able to ask a question regarding my set up. I had an answer in 10 minutes!
Looking forward to the second part guys.