Author: Christopher Harper

Will using HDR in games lower your FPS? As nice as the prettier visuals offered by HDR can be, many gamers prefer to make visual compromises if the exchange grants them a more stable gaming experience through higher framerates. So, will using HDR in games lower your FPS? Let’s find out! What Is HDR? First, let’s take a moment to define “HDR”. HDR just means “high dynamic range”, and is primarily a term used for photography in the world outside of video games. With HDR photography, you should be able to capture the nuances of detail in poorly-lit scenes like…

What are the best third-party controllers for PlayStation consoles available right now, and why should you bother with a third-party controller at all? I’ll be answering both these questions in detail in the article below, so let’s not waste any time diving right in! Why Bother With a Third-Party Controller? Potential Savings Compared To Official PlayStation Controllers One of the main reasons to opt for a third-party controller compared to one of the main options on offer from Sony (like the DualShock 4, DualSense, or DualSense Edge) is to save some money compared to those options. Even many of the…

Can Steam Deck play AAA games? If it can, what are the limitations at play that should be expected? What are the exceptions that the Valve Steam Deck simply cannot work around? In this article, I’ll be tackling these questions and more, so let’s dive right into it! A Brief on The Steam Deck’s Hardware Before I start talking about AAA gaming expectations on Steam Deck, I do need to take at least a moment to talk about the hardware we’re dealing with inside the handheld. If you’re gaming on Steam Deck, it generally expects you to be playing at…

Does a mechanical keyboard make a difference in gaming? If it does, is this a difference worth paying extra money for? What other keyboard features should be kept in mind for gaming purposes? Let’s dive in, starting with the most pertinent question: What are Mechanical Keyboards? Basically, a “mechanical” keyboard is just a keyboard that’s built to rely on mechanical switches in contrast to other, cheaper, more commonplace keyboard designs. Mechanical keyboards have increased in popularity over the years, though, and have even started appearing in high-end laptops. What Makes Mechanical Keyboards Different from Other Keyboards? The Classic IBM “Model…

Let’s break down the best third-party controllers for Xbox, and what exactly they have to offer compared to the Xbox controllers (standard and Elite) that you can buy from Microsoft. Past telling you what you need to know about third-party controllers, I’ll also be giving you my top 5 recommendations for third-party Xbox controllers! So, let’s not waste any time diving right into it. Why Bother With a Third-Party Controller? Third-Party Controllers Are Often Cheaper Than Official Alternatives A timeless truth of third-party controllers is that there will always be at least a few models that are cheaper than the…

Wanna know how to get Steam Deck plugins with Decky Loader? Want to know what Decky Loader even is in case you clicked onto this article based on the word “plugins” alone? Stick around and I’ll answer these questions and more for you, starting with the most important two before I start tutorializin’ and recommending you my favorite plugins. Wait, Steam Deck Supports Plugins? Yes! Well, you have to install the plugin loader and the plugins yourself, but Valve has no interest whatsoever in stopping you from doing that. Unlike the walled garden ecosystem common for other gaming consoles and…

Looking at a Steam Deck and feeling like its screen colors are a little…lacking compared to other IPS panel displays? It isn’t just you: adjusting the Steam Deck’s screen is actually one of the more popular modifications to make to the device, especially since the release of the Switch OLED has started putting serious pressure on visuals in the handheld market again. The PS Vita had OLED, too…forever ago. It might’ve been a little early back then, or PlayStation was just in a bad market spot for it. In any case, the Vita was the last handheld we saw that…

What is DLSS 3.0 Frame Generation, is it any good, and why won’t Nvidia stop advertising it? I’ll be tackling these core questions and a few others throughout the course of this article, so stick around for the answers and I’ll run you through all you need to know. What is Deep Learning Super Sampling? Deep Learning Super Sampling is an image upscaling technology implemented on Nvidia RTX graphics cards that enables a higher resolution image from a low-resolution input. This can not only improve performance, but also enable a higher-than-native image quality in certain titles, at least since DLSS…

What are the best handheld consoles for retro gaming available today, how are we evaluating them, and which one is best for you? Let’s dive into it! A Quick Disclaimer on “Retro” First, I’m going to make a quick disclaimer about what devices will be covered in this article. While I’ll primarily be discussing modern devices that are currently being sold by their manufacturers, I’ll also discuss a few devices that are…decently common on the secondhand market and still worth acquiring, if in good condition. If we’re covering “retro games”, then some “retro handhelds” are still definitely worth mentioning. Even…

What can the Steam Deck emulate, what does it struggle to emulate, and what makes it such a worthwhile emulation device to begin with? Stick around and I’ll walk you through all you need to know about how the scene of emulation is looking on SteamOS! You can also skip around with the table of contents, if you want. I can’t stop you now. What Emulation Is and How It Works on SteamOS Emulation refers to the practice of recreating the functions of one piece of hardware/software (ie, a certain video game console) and running it within another operating system.…