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Watch out Amazon–Walmart is preparing to announce a new membership program of its own that will compete with Amazon Prime. This is according to a report from Recode, which states that Walmart’s subscription–Walmart+–will cost $98 USD/year and include a lot of perks.

These include same-day delivery and discounts on gas at Walmart’s fueling stations. Subscribers will also get early access to deals, sources told the site, along with some kind of “video entertainment.” Walmart sold its streaming service, Vudu, in April 2020.

Walmart+ will formally launch later this month, according to the report. The retailer originally planned to announce it in late March or April, but the company pushed its unveiling back due to the COVID-19 crisis, the report said.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

PUBG Mobile, the iOS/Android version of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, has launched its first-ever exclusive map. The new battle royale arena is called Livik, and its designed with quick matches in mind. Livik arrives as part of the 0.19.0 patch, which introduces many new elements to the game.

The update is available now, and will take up about 1.84 GB on Android and 2.13 GB on iOS, so set some space aside. The update, detailed on Reddit, introduces many changes and additions, but the map is the highlight.

Livik is a Nordic-style map that measures just 2km by 2km. 52 players can dive in, and matches are guaranteed to end within 15 minutes, so expect a lot of early bloodshed. The map is still in its beta stage, so it’s not quite feature complete yet, but you can play it now.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Designing and producing a gaming laptop has to be tough. There’s only so much you can do to differentiate the design, features and components from the competition. Recently we saw Asus put an LED matrix of lights in the lid of the ROG Zephyrus G14, giving the laptop a completely unique feature. Now, the company is trying to distance itself even further from the competition by adding a second screen on the base of the ROG Zephyrus Duo 15. Yes, it looks as wild and cool as it sounds.

The added panel comes with a hefty price tag, though. The ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 we tested comes in at $3,699. There are a few different build options, but whatever Duo 15 you end up with is going to cost you.

Specs

Here are the specifications of the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 I’ve been testing:

• Model: Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 (GX550LXS-XS99)
• Display: 15.6-inch UHD (3840×2160), 14.09-inch 4K (3840×1100) touchscreen secondary display
• Processor: 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10980HK 2.4GHz (16M cache, 5.3GHz Max Turbo)
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q (8GB GDDR6)
• Memory: 32GB 3200Mhz DDR4
• OS: Windows 10 Pro
• Storage: 2TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD in Raid 0
• Webcam: N/A
• Ports: 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 with Power Delivery and Display Port, 1 x 3.5mm mic, 1 x 3.5mm audio out, 1 x RJ45
• Connectivity: WiFi 6 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0
• Dimensions: 14.2 x 10.6 x 0.8-inches (WxDxH)
• Weight: 5.5-pounds
• Price: $3,699

Design and Features

Before I dive deeper into the added display, let’s talk about the overall design. Without the second screen, the Duo 15 looks like most other gaming laptops. It has a gray exterior, with the ROG logo on the lid. It’s not a giant laptop, by any means, measuring 14.2 x 10.6 x 0.8-inches and weighing 5.5-pounds. It’s not a portable machine, of course, but you’ll have no issues lugging it around your home or office, and occasionally tossing it in your bag to take over to a friends house for a gaming session.

There are ports on three sides – a design feature I absolutely love. Being able to plug things like power, Ethernet or HDMI into the back of a laptop and out of sight provides a clean look on my desk. On the rear here, you’ll find I/O ports for Ethernet, USB 3.2 Gen 2 and HDMI 2.0b. On the left side is where the two audio jacks live, one for mic in and another for audio out, along with the charging adapter. On the right side is a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 Thunderbolt 3 port, and two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports.

The USB-C port not only makes it easy to connect newer smartphones and accessories but you can also use it to connect to any DisplayPort 1.4, Thunderbolt 3, and Power Delivery devices. You can also use it to charge and power the Duo 15 at up to 65W and use the laptop for everyday tasks.

The chiclet keyboard has 1.4mm of travel, with bright RGB lighting behind each key. There isn’t a ten-key number pad. Instead, in its place, you’ll find a trackpad with two physical left and right-click buttons.

 

Above the row for number keys and trackpad are function keys you can use for tasks like adjusting the volume and display brightness. There’s also a shortcut key to launch Asus Armory Crate and another to turn the additional screen on and off just above the touchpad.

As I said, it’s a pretty normal gaming build except for, well, that second display. Let’s take a closer look.

ScreenPad Plus

The additional screen, which Asus affectionately calls ScreenPad Plus, measures 14-inches and has a resolution of 3840×1100. When you open the lid of the laptop, the screen lifts to a 13-degree viewing angle. The angle is more than steep enough to view whatever’s on the touch-capable panel without having to worry about glare or readability if you’re sitting up and over it. At arm’s length, however, it’s not quite steep enough for me to read it without leaning in.

The justification for the second screen? Asus envisions users placing toolbars and additional apps on ScreenPad Plus, giving them full use of the main display while adding functionality through the narrower touchscreen just below it.

For example, you can use the ScreenPad Plus display to put your editing toolbars while using Photoshop. Or if you stream and use Xsplit, you can have your broadcast controls and video feed below the main display.

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All of this sounds useful, and certainly, it is, but it also feels like it’s very niche. In my nearly two weeks of testing and use, I eventually found a use for the ScreenPad Plus – opening the Armory Crate app to monitor system stats while I game, but even then, I can get most of those same stats as on-screen overlays through various apps and services.

I also tried using it to display folders and other miscellaneous windows while I performed more mundane and routine tasks, and it worked just fine, with the added benefit of working as a touchscreen. I could reach up from the keyboard and tap a button without having to move my mouse pointer all over the place.

I admit there are some who will find it an invaluable tool, and I see the potential benefit of ScreenPad Plus, I’m just not sold that it’s worth the added cost.

Performance and Gaming

The spec sheet of the Duo 15 reads more like a wishlist for a dream gaming laptop: 2TB of SSD storage, 32GB of 3200Mhz DDR4 memory, an Intel Core i9-10980HK, and an Nvidia RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q tuning.

Performance and storage space need not be a worry when using the Duo 15, and the benchmarks back it up. Here’s our comparison spreadsheet, putting the Duo 15 up against the Predator Triton 900 and MSI GS65 Stealth.

The Duo 15 matches or beats nearly every test, despite the Triton 900 boasting non-Max-Q tuned (though also non-Super) RTX 2080. And that performance carries over to real-world use, from doing routine and mundane tasks like checking email or scrolling through a spreadsheet, or gaming.

Speaking of gaming, I played a lot of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s Warzone battle royale mode during my testing and I can confirm, dear reader, this is one fast gaming rig. When adjusting the resolution down to 1080p, the Duo 15 averaged 152 fps according to Xbox Game Bar. That’s with ray tracing turned on and at high settings. Upping the resolution to full 4K, frame rates took the expected hit but still stayed at a very respectable and playable 65 FPS. You’ll have to make the call about which resolution and frame rate you’re happy with.

I also spent some time in Battlefield V, a game where I can truly tell the difference when ray tracing is enabled, and at Ultra settings, I saw an average frame rate of 117 at 1080p.

The fans aren’t terribly loud, perhaps because the ScreenPad Plus acts as a sound barrier. The fans are hidden under the screen, and have protective screens on them so you don’t have to worry about grabbing the laptop and putting your thumb into the fan when carrying it across the room. The speakers were loud enough that I felt comfortable playing without headphones when they were running at full tilt.

In Turbo mode, the GPU basically stayed at 86-degrees during any gaming session. Lowering the power mode to Performance slightly dropped frame rates, along with the GPU temp.

The keyboard keys are a little soft, but after a couple of days of use, I was typing and tapping my way across it without issue. The touchpad is present, but let’s be honest, you’re going to have a gaming mouse attached to the Duo 15 most of the time. That said, the touchpad can get the job done in a pinch. Just don’t expect to drag and drop a folder from one screen to another without running into the edge of the pad.

The 2TB SSD is more than enough space for all of my games and benchmark programs, with plenty of space to spare. It’s kind of wild, just a year ago, I could say the same thing about a 1TB main storage drive. But even that’s pushing it now.

Battery Life

Using IGN’s battery life benchmark test, where we play a video on repeat with the display brightness set to 50% and turn off extraneous features like keyboard backlighting, Bluetooth and location, the Duo 15’s battery lasted 142 minutes or 2 hours and 22 minutes.

That’s right in line with other gaming laptops I’ve tested, and just enough to watch a movie, but that’s about it.

Thankfully you can use a portable battery pack and the USB-C port to keep the battery going while you’re mobile.

Software

If you spend nearly $3,700 on a gaming laptop, you have a reasonable expectation for it to come with Windows 10, and maybe an extra app or two from the OEM that helps tweak performance. And with the Duo 15 you get all of that, but you also get the added bloatware of McAfee LiveSafe. How or why is this still a thing?

Not only is it annoying, but it’s an inconvenience. McAfee routinely displays passive-aggressive popups or reminders, letting you know you’re about to be at risk because your free trial only has so many days left. It’s a scare tactic, and it’s not okay.

In fact, a McAfee popup occurred during the first run of IGN’s battery benchmark test, forcing VLC to stop playing the video and a redo of the test.

Outside of that, the preinstalled software is more or less a standard affair as far as Asus gaming laptops go. Armory Crate is present, letting you fine-tune and tweak your system’s power settings, with various performance modes. I used Turbo mode for all gaming and benchmarking, but you can also pick from Performance, Silent and Windows.

Another useful piece of software installed on the Duo 15 is called Screen Xpert. It’s primary purpose is to aid in managing both screens, with the option to create app and folder shortcuts on the touchscreen (there’s an arrow on the far-left side of the screen you can tap to open it). Likewise, when you move a window around in the main display, a small pop up gives you the option to move or pin that window to the ScreenPad Plus, or force the window to go full screen across both screens.

For apps like mail or file explorer, full-screen mode is handy. But for games, well, it’s awkward and not very useful. Here’s how it looked when I tried to play Warzone using both screens.

See what I mean about feeling very… niche? It would have been awesome for this to work.

Purchasing Guide

The Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 that we tested can be found through Asus or on Amazon with an MSRP of $3,699. If you don’t care about 4K gaming, you can get a 300Hz 1080p main display panel with an RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q and an Intel Core i7-10875H for $2,999.99.

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Humble has a new promotion that lets you choose 9 PC games from Humble Choice each month for just $12 per month when you pay for a year in advance. Considering the normal price for this tier is $19.99 per month, that’s a pretty hefty savings. You get to keep and play the games forever, even after you drop the subscription. The only drawback is that the deal only works for new subscribers. The offer ends July 30.

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• Get the deal

Humble Choice subscriptions come in three tiers. The Lite tier costs $4.99 per month and gets you access to a collection of over 90 PC games called the Humble Trove, as well as 10% off Humble Store purchases. Next up is the Basic tier, which costs $14.99 a month and gets you your choice of three games every month, as well as the perks of the Lite tier.

But the Premium tier is what this deal covers. It lets you choose nine games every month that you get to keep and play forever. In addition, you get access to the Humble Trove, as well as 20% off Humble Store purchases.

In short, you get a heap of value each month with the Premium tier. And if you lock in a year’s subscription now, you’ll only pay $12 per month. That’s a great deal for nine games per month in addition to the 20% Humble Store discount.

If you’re curious about what kinds of games are available to choose from each month, you can see the selections for previous months here. In June 2020, for instance, you could choose from games like Grid, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, The Messenger, and more. May’s offerings included Jurassic World Evolution, XCOM 2 (and two of its DLC), and a bunch more.

So far they’ve only revealed two of the games you’ll get to choose from at the end of July: Age of Wonders: Planetfall Deluxe Edition and Void Bastards. The full selection will be revealed the first Friday in August. Basically, there’s a wide variety of titles available each month. Choosing nine games to play and keep forever for $12 per month is a pretty killer deal, IMO.

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Disclosure: Humble Bundle is owned by Ziff Davis, the parent company of IGN. Humble Bundle and IGN operate completely independently, and no special consideration is given to Humble Bundle announcements or promotions for coverage.

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Chris Reed is IGN’s shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

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Belgian game developer Abrakam announced a new roguelike deck-builder game titled Roguebook. Furthermore, it’s been designed with the help of Magic: The Gathering creator Richard Garfield.

Roguebook is a new roguelike deck-builder similar where players will progress through a dungeon and build up a deck of cards that will serve as the basis for the character’s strength and powers.

Players begin with two heroes and build a deck of powers around them. If both heroes die, players must start over from the beginning. As players traverse an overworld, they’ll fight more enemies, earn more cards based on their defeated foe, and eventually craft a powerful deck that suits their needs.

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Roguelikes are a new genre for Nacon, a French publisher behind titles like Werewolf: The Apocalypse Earthblood and Warhammer Chaosbane. In addition to Roguebook, Nacon announced a second roguelike called Rogue Lords developed by Cyanide and Leikir.

In addition to Roguebook, Nacon revealed the first look gameplay for Werewolf: The Apocalypse, and a cinematic trailer for Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong. Note, Swansong is a separate project from Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2.

For more from today’s Nacon Connect, check out IGN.

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Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Great deals today on several popular video games. For PS Plus members, the new free games are available starting today and the selection is stellar. Also, save on recently released titles like Final Fantasy VII Remake, Nioh 2, Super Mario Maker, The Outer Worlds, Code Vein, and much more.

App users: Don’t see the deals below? Click here.

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More Video Game Deals

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Eric Song is IGN’s deal curator and spends 25% of his pay on stuff he posts.

When it comes to listening to music or movies on your mobile devices, there’s no better option than a great pair of Bluetooth headphones. They’re wireless, convenient, and provide great audio quality for every activity. However, the handheld Nintendo Switch doesn’t natively support Bluetooth headphones, which can be frustrating since pretty much every other modern device does. Thankfully, there are a number of headphones and accessories that make wireless listening possible with the Switch–and they’re pretty great, too.

To help combat this annoying quirk, we’ve rounded up the best Bluetooth headphones and adapters that will work with the Nintendo Switch straight out of the box. They don’t require any extra fiddling or setup: Simply plug them in, and you’re off to the races. Of course, some of these transmitters require a pair of Bluetooth headphones to connect to, so we’ve also provided a number of quality pairs that are definitely worth buying.

For more of the best Nintendo Switch accessories to buy in 2020, see our guides to the best Switch carrying cases, screen protectors, and grips that make handheld play easier. Plus, check out more of the best gaming headsets we’ve tested.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

After the release of 2010’s Tron: Legacy, Tron 3 has been in development for years, in one way or another. Now, numerous Disney fan sites are repeating a report from three years ago.

The original report from March 2017 states that Tron 3 is in development with Jared Leto in talks to star. At that time, it was reported that the film was in the very early stages of development. Since then, Disney also canceled a Tron TV show without ever having announced it.

However, there is some news on the future of the beloved franchise. On an episode of the Light the Fuse Podcast, Disney music executive Mitchell Leib opened up about the future of the beloved franchise. “I had lunch with Paul Hahn to further a bit of a starting conversation that we’re looking at making a sequel to Tron now, we’re looking at Tron 3,” Leib said (via ComicBook). “And we’ve got a great script, I mean a really phenomenal script that we’re very excited about. Whereas the timing wasn’t right to have done it years ago, I think we feel like the timing is right now, and I feel like we’ve learned a lot of lessons from that last movie.”

Continue Reading at GameSpot