Hardware

Virtual reality is becoming a mainstay feature within the video game industry, seemingly growing by the day. Last year Microsoft announced their own entry into the growing market, and with a starting price of $299 the company’s own efforts are sure to become the most affordable entry point, undercutting the likes of Sony’s PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift that dominate the market.

One of the latest entries in the steering wheel market was first announced last year by Thrustmaster. Dubbed the TS-PC Racer, the new product is touted as the company’s first “open-wheel” design, and officially went on sale just over a month ago. Our friends over at Inside Sim Racing thoroughly tested the wheel recently to see how it stacked up.

During its presentation at CES 2017 yesterday, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced that it has sold 53.4 million PlayStation 4 units as of the beginning of the year.

Italian automotive equipment and accessory manufacturer Sparco has announced it’s entering the simulation racing market for 2017. With three sophisticated gaming seats and a new gaming rig, Sparco is more than prepared to enter the highly-demanding world of sim racing.

The news of a seventh entry in the Forza Motorsport franchise — expected to release within the next year — is unlikely to come as a surprise to anyone. What is surprising is the first mention of the team’s next project doesn’t come from Turn 10 itself, but has been outed by Fanatec CEO Thomas Jackermeier.

Virtual Reality is quickly becoming a mainstay feature within the industry, and with Sony recently staking their own claim with PlayStation VR, Microsoft has decided to step in the ring with their own offering aimed at Windows 10 users.

Black Friday has only just begun, but we’ve been keeping track of the deals since last week. One area that seems to be lacking — especially compared to last year — is sim racing hardware like wheels and seats. Fanatec has stepped up to offer a discount on a small selection of its wares, and depending on region, it could save keen racers almost 50% compared to retail.

Thrustmaster has announced the latest addition to its ever-growing lineup of racing wheel peripherals for the PC crowd, the aptly-named TS-PC Racer. Billed as the company’s first “open wheel” design, the TS-PC offers innovative features worthy of its hefty £399.99 ($499.99 USD) asking price. The unique design allow players to “experience an incredible range of sensations and information in their racing sessions.”

Confirmed earlier this year just days before E3, and revealed 12 weeks later by Andrew House, Sony’s better-equipped PS4 console with the intent of ushering in a new era has arrived: enter PlayStation 4 Pro.

Sony’s continuing the roll-out for the new PS4 Pro, due to land on shelves across the globe in only a few days. Earlier this week, the PS4 Pro Event in London revealed more news on both the system as well as GT Sport. The next big event has been announced, taking place in the same city we first were shown the system: New York City.

Senna TV, a channel dedicated to all things Ayrton-related, was in Japan recently to interview Polyphony head Kazunori Yamauchi. While talk naturally revolves around the legendary F1 driver, eagle-eyed Gran Turismo fans are treated to a few brief glimpses into Gran Turismo Sport, including our first look at future hardware in action.

Thrustmaster’s latest wheel has had a quiet debut on none other than e-commerce giant Amazon.com. While not an entirely new product, the T300 GT Edition nonetheless features a few unique changes to the regular T300 RS formula (read our review of that wheel right here).

Video games, at least in the beginning, are a fairly inexpensive hobby. Sure, a console will set you back a few bills, and games cost substantially more than a physical copy of a movie (I hear some people still buy those). But on a cost-per-hour basis, gaming has its advantages.

Earlier this week at the PlayStation Meeting, Sony officially pulled the wraps off of the eagerly anticipated and heavily-rumored upgrade to the original PlayStation 4 console, the PS4 Pro. Confirmed outright just days before E3 by Andrew House, the console, then known under the assumed codename ‘NEO’, is the first of its kind: a mid-cycle refresh harnessing more power than the original, and utilizing the capabilities of 4K resolution and HDR imaging.

A slimmer, more power-efficient redesign of today’s readily-available PlayStation 4 was first speculated on earlier in the year when Macquarie Securities analyst Damian Thong spoke with the Wall Street Journal. Damian suggested the company would introduce the model, and with the company’s noted history of doing so previously, there was little doubt to be had.

The rumors of a more capable and better-equipped PS4 console, once referred to as the PlayStation 4K and PlayStation 4.5, has been a storied journey. Earlier this year, Sony’s Andrew House confirmed the development of this then mystery machine, putting an end to the longstanding rumors just days before E3.

Fanatec has just announced the latest addition in its extensive lineup of sim racing accessories: the CSL Elite wheel base and pedal set. The new model sits below the existing high-end Clubsport V2 model, but is usefully more powerful than the original V1. It is compatible with both Xbox One and PC platforms.

What a year this has been for both games and hardware. Sony finally acknowledged the development and existence of the forthcoming PlayStation 4 ‘NEO’, otherwise referred to as “PlayStation 4.5” and “PlayStation 4K”. This left a number of interested parties wondering whether the original model would be downsized to compete with the newly-released Xbox One S.

Well that was fast. After rumours started circulating earlier this week about an event in New York City, Sony has gone and confirmed a PlayStation Meeting next month.

The story of the better-equipped and more-powerful upgrade to the original PlayStation 4 has been a fabled one. While what initially began as rumors have since been officially confirmed by Sony’s Andrew House prior to E3, the question of “When?” has loomed ever since.