More games get DLSS updates
If you have an NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU and are enjoying the DLSS experience in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War you can now enjoy the benefits of NVIDIA DLSS on Call of Duty: Warzone and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, which supposedly boosts performance by up to an additional 70% at 4K resolution when DLSS is enabled. Other recipients include Mortal Shell (up to 130% performance increase at 4K) and Naraka: Bladepoint, which is in closed beta. It sees up to a 60% performance boost in 4K, and you can try to get a chance by signing up for the closed beta on April 23 on the Steam page .
Sex tech goes sustainable
Do we need sustainable sex toys? A successful crowdfunding campaign that completed raising US$20,000 in 48 hours said yes and the entire amount goes to the One Tree Planted NGO. And they will plant a tree for every Premium eco sold as well. The Womanizer is the world’s first sustainable sex toy – made from biodegradable and recyclable materials. The original was also the first to use air waves to create vibrations and is now the first to be made from a bioplastic called Biolene (70 per cent natural materials like corn starch). The Womanizer also easy to dismantle, which facilitates disposal for recycling purposes. The Premium eco retails for $280 and is available at Guardian.
Photography challenge for Mi phone users
Xiaomi has a third ShotByMi Photography Challenge for Mi users with the theme of Your Vision, Your Stoy. There are two themed episodes – the first is “Colorful Life” – each running for two months. The prize pool features a grand prize of a USD$5,000 creative fund and the latest Xiaomi smartphones. Mi users can also choose their favourite works on the ShotByMi website for “the most liked photo” and “the most liked video”. Submissions end on 22 May 2021 and winners of the first episode will be announced on June 18, 2021.
A work-friendly rugged Galaxy phone
Samsung has a new rugged phone for tough environments, the Galaxy XCover 5. It has enhanced shock absorption (drops up to 1.5 metres), an IP68 rating and a Glove Touch feature to facilitate use with gloves on. It also features Microsoft Teams integration in a convenient push-to-talk function, Samsung Knox Capture for enterprise-grade scanning, as well as Enterprise Edition for a suite of business-ready mobile services. Available from 26 April for $398 through Samsung’s telco enterprise partners M1 , Singtel , StarHub , authorised distributors, Ingram and ACA Pacific.
PS3 and PS Vita remain supported on Playstation Store
The Playstation Store for the PS3 and PS Vita will remain operational while the store for the PSP will retire on 2 July 2021 as planned. The backtrack was due to an overwhelming response from owners who are still active on those platforms.
If you still need a DVD drive
Not quite a backtrack, but if for whatever reason you still need to read or write onto CDs or DVDs, ASUS ZenDrive U8M is a slim DVD drive in the Zenbook aesthetic that supports M-DISC and easy backup for Windows with encryption and password protection. M-DISC uses an inorganic layer as opposed to dyes, and are impervious to light, temperature, and humidity.
ZIGMA wins inaugural ASUS online APAC eSports tourney, Local team Huat Zai takes third.
The recently concluded ROG Masters saw ZIGMA from Thailand crowned champions of ASUS’ first online Asia Pacific eSports tournament. They were followed by Expendables from the Philippines and Huat Zai from Singapore. The Singaporean team, made up of spieIz, Splashske, moxie, Nephh, and Bobosaur, put on a strong showing, going two for nothing in all their matches, only to suffer their only loss to eventual champions ZIGMA.
In fact, Huat Zai left the tourney with some of the best numbers, including the highest number of individual kills. They had four members in the top 10 for highest headshot percentages and four members in the top 10 for highest kill-death-ratios. You can watch the replay of the third-place playoff match between Huat Zai and 100P on ROG’s Official Twitch Channel: https://www.twitch.tv/asusrog/videos
Three members from Brawl Stars champion team join Team Flash
Three Singaporean members from last year’s Brawl Stars world champion team PSG ESports are now representing Team Flash in an all-Singaporean affair. Champions Nicholas “CoupDeAce” Ng, Jerome “Response” Kuek, Jordon “JayKay” Koh, forms Team Flash with Chui Zi Kang “CZY”, 19 and coach Christopher “Wigglyspoo” Seah. Team Flash will compete in the Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand (SEA &ANZ) region for the sole spot to enter the World Finals of 2021, which promises a prize purse of over US$1m.
The Brawl Stars Championship is an open tournament for players around the globe and consists of eight seasons (monthly), comprising of a monthly qualifier where the team in each region that accumulates the most points over eight seasons will qualify for the world finals. Will they be able to make another charge for the title? The good news is they’ve finished top in two consecutive seasons so far.