Console gaming (XBOX, Playstation, Nintendo, etc) or PC gaming.
Gaming
What's up with the XBox One restrictions?
Episode 987
Wyatt is a gamer, a huge XBox fan, and he's pretty upset with the new draconian used game policy that the XBox One will have. He believes it'll cause faithful fans like him go to Playstation which has no such restrictions. Leo says it's ridiculous and amounts to Microsoft and game publishers trying to get as much money as possible out of their fans. Microsoft is gambling it won't matter with the majority of those who buy it, and they may be right. Especially when the Playstation 4 is $100 less (of course, it doesn't come with a Kinect-like feature either).
Sony and Microsoft Announce Next Generation Game Consoles at E3
Episode 987
Microsoft and Sony both had announcements regarding their next generation gaming consoles at the E3 conference this week. The big news to take away from this is that Sony will have no restrictions for used and borrowed games on its Playstation 4, and it will be priced $100 cheaper than the $500 Xbox One from Microsoft. Both will be out in time for the holiday season this Fall.
Could I game with built-in graphics?
Episode 983
Grant loves to play video games and wants to get a good computer to do it. Leo says that depending on the types of games he plays would decide just how powerful a computer he'll want to get. If he's doing first person shooter games, or games with heavy 3D graphics, then he'll want a laptop with an i7 processor and plenty of RAM.
Is it true that Xbox One has more than one operating system?
Episode 982
Matthew hears that the XBox One has more than one operating system. Leo says it actually has three! Under the hood, it has the central core of Windows 8. On top of that is Microsoft's HyperV, which switches in context. Lastly, there's the gaming interface for XBox. Leo says it's not really three separate operating systems so much as different user interfaces. The interesting thing is that Microsoft is using the Windows 8 kernel (even though they refuse to call it that), and Leo says it's going to be a very powerful PC with a gaming system on top of it.
New Xbox One From Microsoft Goes Beyond Gaming
Episode 982
Microsoft announced their next generation XBox this week. Dubbed 'XBox One,' the platform is not just for gaming anymore. The XBox One comes with an internal 500GB hard drive, and works as a 'pass through', meaning everything will connect to the Xbox instead of directly to the TV. This makes Xbox One a central hub for all entertainment, including live TV. According to the chat room, it should sell for around $299, but Leo suspects it could be around $500.
Can I use an HDTV for PC gaming in a multi-monitor setup?
Episode 977
Carlos wants to get a nice multi HD monitor setup with an HDTV to use as a gaming monitor. Leo says that HDTVs have lower resolution than computer monitors. Monitors are over 2K while TVs are currently just 1080p. 4K TVs are coming though. There is a Seiki UHD $1500 4K TV. PC Perspectives has reviewed it and got pretty good results. Most video cards now have HDMI, so he could connect his computer to an HDTV directly.
Why does my computer shut down while playing games?
Episode 973
David's laptop shuts down while he's playing Call of Duty. Leo says that's a protective measure. If the laptop gets too hot, it will shut down by design. The best thing he can do is make sure the laptop has free flowing air all around it so it can cool itself. Make sure that dust isn't blocking the airflow slots. Look to see if the laptop's fans are working properly. It could also be the thermal paste has been misapplied to the processor. It may be worth bringing in to get looked at.
Does DSL Extreme's Router work with XBox Live?
Episode 968
James wants to know if DSL Exteme's router will work with XBox Live. Leo says that it will work with all internet services. XBox Live configures the router to use Universal Plug n Play, and that's a security issue. So he'll want to use port forwarding to get around that and keep UPnP disabled. There may be a bit of latency, but DSL has less latency than a cable provider.
(Disclaimer: DSL Extreme is a sponsor).
Should I upgrade my video card?
Episode 966
Serge from
Serge is a gamer and has an older ATI gaming video card. He's wondering when he should upgrade it. There are two things to consider in terms of video cards. Cost, and whether the system is powerful enough to justify a more powerful video card. If the GPU is more powerful than the CPU, then he'd be "CPU-bound", meaning the CPU would be holding him back from getting the most out of the video card.
Why is Solitaire so slow in Windows 8?
Episode 961
Mary has Windows 8 and she has to hunt around for solitaire. Leo says that Microsoft put Solitaire under Xbox games in Windows 8. Users can then install Microsoft Solitaire. She was able to install it, but it doesn't work quite right. Leo suggests uninstalling it, and then downloading and reinstalling it. It could be that when it downloaded, it wasn't a complete download or installation. Removing and reinstalling it often cures many things.
