Tag Archives: Technology & Electronics

Sony is discontinuing its free PS5 PlayStation Camera adapter for PS VR

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Sony will soon stop offering the free adapter that allows gamers to connect the PlayStation Camera to their PS5. The camera (which was released for the PS4) is required to use the original PlayStation VR on the company's current console, as the headset has a light-based tracking method. The PS5's own HD camera accessory isn't compatible with PS VR.

"As of November 26, 2024, or until supplies last, the PlayStation Camera adapter will no longer be available," Sony says on a support page. In the meantime, you may be able to request an adapter via a form. Alternatively, as Wario64 points out, you may have to call Sony support at 1-800-345-7669. You'll need the serial number from the PS VR's processing unit to claim an adapter.

If you miss out on grabbing the accessory from Sony, there are third-party options available. Still, this one's free and it's the official Sony adapter. 

As a reminder, PS VR games do not run on PS VR2, in part because the headsets use different tracking methods. Some games have been ported to the latest headset, as well as other VR platforms. However, many are still only available on the original PS VR, including several first-party titles. So if you want to play the likes of Astro Bot Rescue Mission or Everybody's Golf VR via your PS5, you'll need a PS Camera adapter.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-is-discontinuing-its-free-ps5-playstation-camera-adapter-for-ps-vr-171350519.html?src=rss

Engadget review recap: Two new Macs, the PS5 Pro and more

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Techtober rolled straight into November this year. The first week of the month was a busy one at Engadget HQ as we published a number of high-profile reviews over the last few days. There's the MacBook Pro and Mac mini from Apple alongside the beastly (and expensive) PS5 Pro. Plus, we've got yet another VR headset and more ereaders for the bookworms. Read on to catch up on all of this week's reviews and for a tease of what's coming next. 

Our Mac expert Devindra Hardawar had a busy week. Publishing four reviews in total, he primarily focused on an Apple double dip. He put the new M4-powered MacBook Pro through its paces in both 14- and 16-inch sizes. Unsurprisingly, the new chips offer a speed boost, but there are also updates to the display, webcam and battery life. Spec upgrades remain pricey, but if you opt for a machine with M4 Pro or M4 Max power, you'll also gain Thunderbolt 5 support. 

"If you're running an M1 MacBook Pro, or still trucking along with an Intel model, you'll definitely see some notable performance gains from these machines," he explained. "But if you've got an M2 or M3 MacBook Pro, the M4 hardware is less of a qualitative leap."

The second part of Devindra's double-header was the new Mac mini, which is also now powered by Apple's M4 chips. You'll notice the biggest speed boost with the M4 Pro here and 16GB RAM is now standard. Of course, a key change is the smaller size, and the front-mounted USB-C and headphone ports will come in handy. 

"The Mac mini was the fastest computer I've reviewed this year, at least when it comes to CPU benchmarks," he wrote. "I've grown used to being impressed by Apple Silicon, but the M4 Pro in our review unit (which was also equipped with 48GB of RAM) was still a bigger leap ahead than I expected."

Devindra also assisted senior gaming reporter Jessica Conditt with the highly anticipated PlayStation 5 Pro review this week. It's no surprise the duo confirmed that the PS5 Pro is the most powerful console ever, powered by a faster GPU that unlocks 4K/60 fps action. There are new ray tracing features too, and the console comes with a 2TB SSD. But, you'll pay a high price for this one, and not every game has Pro-level enhancements for you to enjoy. 

"There's no doubt that the PS5 Pro is a niche product, not an upgrade targeted at all PS5 owners," they said. "It's meant for the Sony devotees who want the absolute best PlayStation experience, and who will never upgrade to a gaming PC."

Devindra finished up his marathon week with latest HTC Vive VR headset. Unfortunately, great design is hampered by a high price, limited gaming library and older components. Simply put, "it still delivers decent standalone VR, despite using an aging CPU and lenses," he explained. "But for a $999 headset, it’s a shame HTC Vive didn’t try harder to make the Focus Vision stand out."

Commerce editor Amy Skorheim reviewed both the new Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition and the new standard Kindle this week, pitting them against each other in a direct face off. While the OG is still a workhorse, the more premium option offers more features. But, as Amy found, you might not need them. 

"It comes down to whether you think a heightened experience will make you read more," she said. "If so, then it’s probably worth the price jump in the long run. But if you’re just looking for a no-frills way to read books, go for the base Kindle." 

I know I teased the Sonos Arc Ultra review for this week, but our audio expert (hi!) needed a little more testing time with the soundbar. I doubly promise that one is coming early next week for your Veterans Day reading. We still have one new Mac on the horizon, and we're expecting to wrap up the iMac (2024) review next week too. And there's yet another Amazon review coming soon with the updated Fire HD 8. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-review-recap-two-new-macs-the-ps5-pro-and-more-150004732.html?src=rss

Engadget review recap: Two new Macs, the PS5 Pro and more

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Techtober rolled straight into November this year. The first week of the month was a busy one at Engadget HQ as we published a number of high-profile reviews over the last few days. There's the MacBook Pro and Mac mini from Apple alongside the beastly (and expensive) PS5 Pro. Plus, we've got yet another VR headset and more ereaders for the bookworms. Read on to catch up on all of this week's reviews and for a tease of what's coming next. 

Our Mac expert Devindra Hardawar had a busy week. Publishing four reviews in total, he primarily focused on an Apple double dip. He put the new M4-powered MacBook Pro through its paces in both 14- and 16-inch sizes. Unsurprisingly, the new chips offer a speed boost, but there are also updates to the display, webcam and battery life. Spec upgrades remain pricey, but if you opt for a machine with M4 Pro or M4 Max power, you'll also gain Thunderbolt 5 support. 

"If you're running an M1 MacBook Pro, or still trucking along with an Intel model, you'll definitely see some notable performance gains from these machines," he explained. "But if you've got an M2 or M3 MacBook Pro, the M4 hardware is less of a qualitative leap."

The second part of Devindra's double-header was the new Mac mini, which is also now powered by Apple's M4 chips. You'll notice the biggest speed boost with the M4 Pro here and 16GB RAM is now standard. Of course, a key change is the smaller size, and the front-mounted USB-C and headphone ports will come in handy. 

"The Mac mini was the fastest computer I've reviewed this year, at least when it comes to CPU benchmarks," he wrote. "I've grown used to being impressed by Apple Silicon, but the M4 Pro in our review unit (which was also equipped with 48GB of RAM) was still a bigger leap ahead than I expected."

Devindra also assisted senior gaming reporter Jessica Conditt with the highly anticipated PlayStation 5 Pro review this week. It's no surprise the duo confirmed that the PS5 Pro is the most powerful console ever, powered by a faster GPU that unlocks 4K/60 fps action. There are new ray tracing features too, and the console comes with a 2TB SSD. But, you'll pay a high price for this one, and not every game has Pro-level enhancements for you to enjoy. 

"There's no doubt that the PS5 Pro is a niche product, not an upgrade targeted at all PS5 owners," they said. "It's meant for the Sony devotees who want the absolute best PlayStation experience, and who will never upgrade to a gaming PC."

Devindra finished up his marathon week with latest HTC Vive VR headset. Unfortunately, great design is hampered by a high price, limited gaming library and older components. Simply put, "it still delivers decent standalone VR, despite using an aging CPU and lenses," he explained. "But for a $999 headset, it’s a shame HTC Vive didn’t try harder to make the Focus Vision stand out."

Commerce editor Amy Skorheim reviewed both the new Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition and the new standard Kindle this week, pitting them against each other in a direct face off. While the OG is still a workhorse, the more premium option offers more features. But, as Amy found, you might not need them. 

"It comes down to whether you think a heightened experience will make you read more," she said. "If so, then it’s probably worth the price jump in the long run. But if you’re just looking for a no-frills way to read books, go for the base Kindle." 

I know I teased the Sonos Arc Ultra review for this week, but our audio expert (hi!) needed a little more testing time with the soundbar. I doubly promise that one is coming early next week for your Veterans Day reading. We still have one new Mac on the horizon, and we're expecting to wrap up the iMac (2024) review next week too. And there's yet another Amazon review coming soon with the updated Fire HD 8. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-review-recap-two-new-macs-the-ps5-pro-and-more-150004732.html?src=rss

DJI Neo drone firmware update adds more speed and vertical video

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DJI's Neo is shockingly capable for a tiny drone, but it did have a couple of weaknesses — namely, the lack of vertical video and relatively slow flying speeds in tracking mode. The company has now addressed both of those issues with a new firmware update, adding vertical video and increasing the Neo's tracking speeds, among other things. 

Considering that the Neo is designed and priced for creators, the lack of vertical video was a big miss. It can now handle that, albeit it only at 1080p 60 fps 9:16 and not 4K. That lower resolution is due to the fact that the camera gimbal doesn't actually rotate 90 degrees like on the Mini 4 Pro; instead, it shoots 4K horizontal resolution then crops off the sides. 

DJI Neo drone firmware update adds more speed and vertical video
DJI

Speed-wise, the Neo can now hit up to 20 mph in tracking mode, up from around 12 mph before. That's actually faster than the 18 mph sport mode top speed, though still a lot slower than the Neo's maximum 36 mph speed in the full manual setting (which requires the FPV remote controller 3). Nevertheless, it's now up to the job of tracking slow moving vehicles, particularly bicycles.

Other new features include Goggles N3 support, liveview stabilization with Goggles N3 or Goggles 3 and improved noise reduction with the Mic 2. Unfortunately, there's not much DJI can do about the annoying propeller noise. To get the update, you'll need to connect your Neo to DJI's Fly app on Android or iOS, then update both the drone and the app.  

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/dji-neo-drone-firmware-update-adds-more-speed-and-vertical-video-130037149.html?src=rss

DJI Neo drone firmware update adds more speed and vertical video

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DJI's Neo is shockingly capable for a tiny drone, but it did have a couple of weaknesses — namely, the lack of vertical video and relatively slow flying speeds in tracking mode. The company has now addressed both of those issues with a new firmware update, adding vertical video and increasing the Neo's tracking speeds, among other things. 

Considering that the Neo is designed and priced for creators, the lack of vertical video was a big miss. It can now handle that, albeit it only at 1080p 60 fps 9:16 and not 4K. That lower resolution is due to the fact that the camera gimbal doesn't actually rotate 90 degrees like on the Mini 4 Pro; instead, it shoots 4K horizontal resolution then crops off the sides. 

DJI Neo drone firmware update adds more speed and vertical video
DJI

Speed-wise, the Neo can now hit up to 20 mph in tracking mode, up from around 12 mph before. That's actually faster than the 18 mph sport mode top speed, though still a lot slower than the Neo's maximum 36 mph speed in the full manual setting (which requires the FPV remote controller 3). Nevertheless, it's now up to the job of tracking slow moving vehicles, particularly bicycles.

Other new features include Goggles N3 support, liveview stabilization with Goggles N3 or Goggles 3 and improved noise reduction with the Mic 2. Unfortunately, there's not much DJI can do about the annoying propeller noise. To get the update, you'll need to connect your Neo to DJI's Fly app on Android or iOS, then update both the drone and the app.  

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/dji-neo-drone-firmware-update-adds-more-speed-and-vertical-video-130037149.html?src=rss

Apple’s M4 iMac is already on sale in an early Black Friday deal

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If you weren't able to buy Apple's latest iMac in time to get it on its release day on November 8, here's your chance to get a discount on the all-in-one computer. The company is already selling it for $85 off at Amazon before the Black Friday frenzy even begins. Apple's refreshed computer has a list price of $1,299, but you can now get its silver version for just $1,214. Meanwhile, the blue and the green versions will set you back $1,249. Nothing huge, but it's always nice to get a brand new device for almost $100 off its original price. 

The 2024 iMac model is powered by the company's M4 chip, its latest silicon that enables the computer to run up to 1.7 times faster for daily tasks and up to 2.1 faster for more demanding activities, such as gaming, than the M1-powered model. It has 16GB of RAM, compared to its predecessor's 8GB, and you can choose to upgrade it to 24GB or 32GB. When it comes to storage, you have quite a few options. You can get the base model with a 256GB SSD or any of the upgraded ones with 512GB, 1TB and 2TB storage. It's the base unit that's currently on sale, with 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU. 

The computer has an aluminum unibody design with a 24-inch 4.5K Retina display and a 12MP Center Stage camera. You'll also have access to two Thunderbolt USB-C ports on the base model, and you'll get a Magic Keyboard with Lock Key, as well as a Magic Mouse, with the iMac itself. 

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-m4-imac-is-already-on-sale-in-an-early-black-friday-deal-110029171.html?src=rss

Apple’s M4 iMac is already on sale in an early Black Friday deal

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If you weren't able to buy Apple's latest iMac in time to get it on its release day on November 8, here's your chance to get a discount on the all-in-one computer. The company is already selling it for $85 off at Amazon before the Black Friday frenzy even begins. Apple's refreshed computer has a list price of $1,299, but you can now get its silver version for just $1,214. Meanwhile, the blue and the green versions will set you back $1,249. Nothing huge, but it's always nice to get a brand new device for almost $100 off its original price. 

The 2024 iMac model is powered by the company's M4 chip, its latest silicon that enables the computer to run up to 1.7 times faster for daily tasks and up to 2.1 faster for more demanding activities, such as gaming, than the M1-powered model. It has 16GB of RAM, compared to its predecessor's 8GB, and you can choose to upgrade it to 24GB or 32GB. When it comes to storage, you have quite a few options. You can get the base model with a 256GB SSD or any of the upgraded ones with 512GB, 1TB and 2TB storage. It's the base unit that's currently on sale, with 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU. 

The computer has an aluminum unibody design with a 24-inch 4.5K Retina display and a 12MP Center Stage camera. You'll also have access to two Thunderbolt USB-C ports on the base model, and you'll get a Magic Keyboard with Lock Key, as well as a Magic Mouse, with the iMac itself. 

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-m4-imac-is-already-on-sale-in-an-early-black-friday-deal-110029171.html?src=rss

The Ayaneo 3 looks to be an improvement in nearly every way

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There’s a new portable gaming console in town, joining an ever-crowded field. The Ayaneo 3 is the manufacturer’s latest portable device, following last year’s Ayaneo 2S. This Windows-based handheld looks to be an improvement in nearly every major way over its predecessors.

The Ayaneo 3 will be available in a few different versions. Purchasers can choose between two processors, an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 or Ryzen 7 8840U. The HX 370 is the more powerful option, offering an “extraordinary handheld gaming experience with AI support.” It’s worth noting that the 8840U should still be able to run plenty of modern games, as the company says it’s a good choice for “gamers who prefer classic powerful performance.”

Folks can also select between two display options. There’s a model with a serviceable 7-inch LCD screen and another with a 7-inch OLED. Portable devices really pop with OLED screens.

A spec sheet.
Ayaneo

Every model boasts a new back button design, to provide for a “richer button combination experience.” The company says the design has been “ergonomically optimized” so human fingers can easily reach those back buttons. There’s also a trigger lock feature, to offer enhanced “control in both popular and retro games.” Otherwise, the front-facing buttons and slanted joystick layout are familiar.

The front-facing speakers have received a refresh here, with Ayaneo promising “immersive audio beyond expectations.” It says they were designed in “deep collaboration with sound specialists” and will offer “low rumble” and “depth and clarity.”

That’s about all we know for now. Ayaneo says it’ll release more information soon, including new features and “more control innovations.” There’s no price yet and no release date.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-ayaneo-3-looks-to-be-an-improvement-in-nearly-every-way-193511618.html?src=rss

The Ayaneo 3 looks to be an improvement in nearly every way

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There’s a new portable gaming console in town, joining an ever-crowded field. The Ayaneo 3 is the manufacturer’s latest portable device, following last year’s Ayaneo 2S. This Windows-based handheld looks to be an improvement in nearly every major way over its predecessors.

The Ayaneo 3 will be available in a few different versions. Purchasers can choose between two processors, an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 or Ryzen 7 8840U. The HX 370 is the more powerful option, offering an “extraordinary handheld gaming experience with AI support.” It’s worth noting that the 8840U should still be able to run plenty of modern games, as the company says it’s a good choice for “gamers who prefer classic powerful performance.”

Folks can also select between two display options. There’s a model with a serviceable 7-inch LCD screen and another with a 7-inch OLED. Portable devices really pop with OLED screens.

A spec sheet.
Ayaneo

Every model boasts a new back button design, to provide for a “richer button combination experience.” The company says the design has been “ergonomically optimized” so human fingers can easily reach those back buttons. There’s also a trigger lock feature, to offer enhanced “control in both popular and retro games.” Otherwise, the front-facing buttons and slanted joystick layout are familiar.

The front-facing speakers have received a refresh here, with Ayaneo promising “immersive audio beyond expectations.” It says they were designed in “deep collaboration with sound specialists” and will offer “low rumble” and “depth and clarity.”

That’s about all we know for now. Ayaneo says it’ll release more information soon, including new features and “more control innovations.” There’s no price yet and no release date.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-ayaneo-3-looks-to-be-an-improvement-in-nearly-every-way-193511618.html?src=rss

God of War Ragnarok for PS5 finally lets Kratos solve puzzles in peace

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Ghosts of Sparta rejoice, for you can now think in peace without your smart-ass son reminding you how slow-witted you are. The latest patch for the PS5 version of God of War Ragnarok adds the option first seen in the PC port to tone down the boy’s excessive and unsolicited hints when Kratos is contemplating the game’s many puzzles. Stick a sock in it, Atreus.

Game Version 06.00 for PlayStation 5 adds the “reduced puzzle hints” feature. Although Atreus isn’t the title’s only overly helpful companion, he’s Kratos’ most frequent comrade in the award-winning game and therefore the most notorious culprit. Activating the option will pipe down all of your partners’ excessive hints throughout the game, a feature players would’ve loved to have had when Ragnarok arrived two years ago.

The update also includes PS5 Pro enhancements, like a new mode that enables “Favor Quality” while keeping things running at a smooth 60 fps. The patch also lets owners of the new console unlock the framerate when running on variable refresh rate monitors, and the Favor Performance mode gets boosted to match the PS5 Pro’s boosted specs. Finally, it adds support for the AI-fueled PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution as an upscaling option.

On both PS5 tiers, the update also adds a new accessibility option with audio descriptions for all the game’s cinematic scenes. You’ll also find the requisite bug fixes, including remedies for Brok losing his way to the shop in Freyr’s camp (dumbass) and problems related to crafting hilts.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/god-of-war-ragnarok-for-ps5-finally-lets-kratos-solve-puzzles-in-peace-190806687.html?src=rss