Right now, the best gaming monitor you can get is probably a QD-OLED 4K 240Hz model from MSI, Dell or Asus. Some compelling options using third-gen Samsung QD-OLED panels arrived last year in a 32-inch form factor, and now we’re seeing the same specs in a more compact 27-inch design. That should allow for better compatibility with smaller desks, better glanceability for esports and crisper text rendering at 166PPI, but how does it work in practice? Read more

SteelSeries made their name with a range of reliable mouse pads in an era where most players used whatever came with their computers – or no mouse pad at all! Their QcK range has endured as a popular option for more than 20 years, but the mouse pad space has seen significant evolution as of late, mirroring similar explosions for the likes of mechanical keyboards and ultra-light mice. Boutique mouse pad firms are now producing a wide range of specialised options for esports aficionados, from low-friction speed pads made from exotic materials to control-focused ‘mud’ pads designed for ultimate precision. That meant it was time for a refresh at SteelSeries HQ, with the Danish firm taking cues from some of the most popular enthusiast brands to produce the QcK Performance lineup that we’re reviewing today. Read more

Not long after I’d started college I found myself accidentally walking into an ongoing lesson. I can’t remember what was being taught, but I do remember the faces of 20-odd near-adults turning to look at me as I casually strolled into the room. “Can I help you?” the teacher asked safely behind the scowls. I mumbled something about being sorry like a charisma-less Hugh Grant, then backed out sheepishly wishing to never return and perhaps combust on the spot. Everyone has been in a slightly uncomfortable and perhaps aggro environment that you wanted to nope out of, so we all know the feeling. When I tell you, then, that Atomfall, a quaint-looking English-countryside-set first-person sci-fi survival adventure features the most hostile environment I’ve ever encountered, let it be a warning. The people here are carrying a lot worse than angry faces in this tale of a locked down community and a struggle over what to do about the mystery at the centre of it. Read more

Alongside its tea ceremonies, rangu poetry and Sumi-e ink drawing, Assassin’s Creed Shadows makes several mentions of the Sakura festival, Japan’s annual cherry blossom celebration. The brief appearance of falling petals each year, lasting just a week or two, is seen as a symbol for the fleeting nature of beauty and life itself – the idea being, especially back during feudal times, that you should enjoy the moment while it lasts. You might survive the invasion of one warring daimyo, but another is likely not too far behind. Read more

For ten years, Xenoblade Chronicles X has lived as the black sheep of Monolith Soft’s grand RPG series. Its nameless, blank canvas protagonist, its full tilt into hard military sci-fi, and its recruitable cast of misfit, gung-ho soldier types all stand in direct opposition to the soaring fantasy and authored melodrama of its numbered stablemates. It couldn’t look or feel more different on the surface, but playing X again now, a decade on from its original release, I’ve been surprised by just how much it laid the foundations for what was to come later in the series. Read more