Tag Archives: PC

‘Too Big’ For Steam Deck: AAA Games Are Struggling On Valve’s Handheld

Oliver Mackenzie (Digital Foundry) does his best to run the latest triple-A games on Valve’s handheld. Which games run well? Which games run well and look decent? And which games are indeed simply ‘Too Big’ for Steam Deck? Does a more powerful handheld like the Asus ROG Ally power past the Deck’s problems?

The Valve Steam Deck, aka Gabe Newell’s love letter to PC gamers who secretly wanted a Nintendo Switch but were too proud to admit it. This chonky handheld beast is basically a gaming PC crammed into a device the size of a grilled cheese sandwich on steroids—portable enough to take anywhere, but still big enough to make your wrists question your life choices after an hour of Elden Ring.

What Makes It Special?

  • Runs your entire Steam library—which means you can finally ignore 90% of the games you impulse-bought during a Steam sale… on the go!

  • Has trackpads! Because Valve still believes that trackpads are the future, despite a decade of gamers collectively going, “Ehh…”

  • Customizable as heck—want to install Windows? Emulators? A toaster simulator? Go wild.

  • “Portable,” but in a “you might need a dedicated backpack for it” kind of way.

The Downsides?

  • Battery life is… negotiable. Playing a high-end game? Congrats, you have about 90 minutes before your Deck turns into an expensive paperweight.

  • It’s big. Like, big big. Holding one is like gripping a sci-fi weapon from a movie where The Rock has to save the world.

  • Linux-based OS, which is great if you love tinkering, but if you’re just trying to play games, you’ll occasionally feel like you’ve been thrown into IT Tech Support mode.

Final Verdict?

The Steam Deck is a glorious, slightly impractical marvel—perfect for anyone who wants to game anywhere, anytime, and develop forearms like a Greek statue in the process. It’s the closest thing we have to a true portable gaming PC, and for that, we salute Valve. Now if only they’d make Half-Life 3

OneXPlayer G1 Gaming PC – It’s Powerful…but WEIRD

The OneXPlayer G1 is like a gaming laptop and a Steam Deck had a wild night out and accidentally created a boxy, overpowered handheld that can run Cyberpunk 2077 and give you a forearm workout. It’s the device for people who think, “Sure, I want portability—but I also want all the frames, a full keyboard, and a controller that cramps.” MORE INFO: https://bit.ly/43qnp59

I FORCED Myself to Play Daggerfall in 2025

The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall is what happens when a game studio says, “Let’s make an RPG so massive that players will never see the whole thing, and then let’s make it brutally unforgiving just for fun.” Released in 1996, Daggerfallgives you a world roughly the size of Great Britain, filled with thousands of towns, dungeons, and NPCs who seem to have taken a solemn vow to never give clear directions. You’ll start off as a wannabe hero who can barely swing a sword, only to be thrown into a world where rats and bats can absolutely wreck you in a dark dungeon that looks suspiciously like an Escher painting. And good luck climbing out of a pit without breaking both legs, because gravity in Daggerfall takes no prisoners.

Then there’s the game’s infamous randomness. Quests are generated like a medieval fantasy fever dream—one moment, you’re fetching a lost family heirloom; the next, you’re realizing the heirloom is in a dungeon the size of a small city, filled with angry skeletons and hallways that loop back on themselves just to mess with you. But the real magic of Daggerfall is in its janky yet ambitious mechanics—like the ability to turn into a werewolf, climb walls like Spider-Man, and buy property in almost every city (though good luck paying taxes). It’s a game where you can get lost, both figuratively and literally, for hundreds of hours, and despite all its quirks, it remains a beloved, beautifully chaotic masterpiece of old-school RPG design.

The Thing – PC Retro vs PS5 Nightdive Remaster – A Huge Improvement

The Thing video game is what happens when someone takes the paranoia-filled horror of John Carpenter’s classic film and says, “Let’s crank up the trust issues to 11 and throw in some flamethrowers for good measure.” Released in 2002, this survival horror sequel picks up right after the movie’s infamous cliffhanger. You play as Captain Blake, leading a squad of soldiers and scientists who are supposed to figure out what happened at the Antarctic base. Spoiler alert: what happened is bad, and it’s about to get worse. Between gruesome alien transformations and teammates who might spontaneously sprout tentacles, every step feels like a death lottery. Don’t trust anyone—especially not that one guy who’s been suspiciously quiet since you handed him a flamethrower.

What really sets The Thing apart is its “trust/fear” system, which is a fancy way of saying your teammates are just as paranoid as you are. Give them ammo or a medkit, and they might stick around. Accuse them of being an alien, and they might shoot you in the face. Oh, and don’t forget to manage their fear levels, because nothing screams “teamwork” like calming a panicking soldier while aliens are trying to eat your face. The game brilliantly balances moments of tension, horror, and accidental comedy—like when you give someone a blood test, they pass, and then they still try to kill you because they don’t trust you. It’s a stressful, hilarious, and utterly chaotic experience that perfectly captures the spirit of the movie. Just remember: in The Thing, the scariest monster is teamwork gone wrong.

The End of LGR Donation Videos

Lazy Game Reviews (LGR) is like the Indiana Jones of retro tech, except instead of dodging boulders, he’s dodging compatibility issues on Windows 98. Clint Basinger, the mastermind behind LGR, brings a charming mix of nostalgia, nerdiness, and dry humor as he dives into the quirks of vintage computers, classic games, and obsolete gadgets that time (and everyone else) forgot.

Imagine a guy who can spend 15 minutes passionately discussing a beige desktop case and somehow make it fascinating. Clint is the kind of person who gets visibly excited about unboxing a new old stock Sound Blaster card and probably dreams in 640×480 resolution. His love for The Sims is borderline religious, and his “Thrift Store Hauls” are like treasure hunts where the treasure is an ancient keyboard that weighs more than your dog.

His tone? Calm, soothing, and perfect for when you want to be lulled into a false sense of “Wow, I didn’t know I needed to know about MS-DOS that much.” And let’s not forget his glorious “Woodgrain” aesthetic obsession, which might as well be his spirit animal.

In short, Clint is the guy who’ll convince you that the pinnacle of human innovation was a 486 PC, all while sipping Dr Pepper and making you wonder why you suddenly want to collect floppy disks.

Troy Baker: The Hardest Part of making Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Troy Baker is like the Swiss Army knife of voice acting—if the Swiss Army knife were ridiculously charismatic and could sing like an indie rock star. This guy doesn’t just “play a role”; he becomes the role. Need a brooding antihero with a heart of gold? He’s Joel from The Last of Us. Want a flamboyant villain who radiates chaos? He’s Pagan Min from Far Cry 4. Oh, and don’t forget Booker DeWitt in BioShock Infinite—because apparently, existential crises sound better in his voice.

He’s also one of those rare voice actors who can make you laugh, cry, and question your life choices in a single scene. And if he’s not stealing the show in a video game, he’s probably serenading a room full of fans with his guitar because, yes, of course, he’s also a musician. Honestly, the guy’s talent feels like a glitch in the matrix—someone nerf him already!

In summary, Troy Baker is what happens when you max out charisma, talent, and versatility in a character creator and then break the game.

8-Bit Guy: How Atari 8-Bit Computers Work!

The classic Atari 8-bit computers were the ’80s equivalent of a mullet: business up front, party in the back. Designed to handle both serious computing and wild gaming adventures, they came in models like the Atari 400 (the “starter pack”) and the Atari 800 (the “big boss”). These machines looked so sleek for their time that you’d half expect them to transform into a DeLorean if you pressed the right key combination. With their vibrant graphics and bleepy-bloopy soundtracks, they made even the most mundane spreadsheet tasks feel like they were happening in a disco-themed galaxy far, far away.

But let’s talk quirks. The Atari 400 had a keyboard that was basically a glorified sheet of plastic—great for wiping off crumbs, not so great for typing anything longer than your name without cramping up. The Atari 800, on the other hand, boasted actual keys and expansion slots, which made you feel like you were piloting the Starship Enterprise. And then there were the peripherals: cassette drives that took ages to load a game (but hey, what’s an extra 20 minutes for Donkey Kong?), and floppy disks that weren’t as floppy as their name suggested. Yet despite their quirks, Atari 8-bit computers were beloved for their versatility, pioneering features, and their uncanny ability to turn a living room into a techno wonderland. You didn’t just own an Atari—you joined a club of pixel pioneers who knew how to have fun in 8-bit style.

A look back at Wing Commander (1990 PC Game)

Modern Vintage Gamer takes us back to what made the original Wing Commander PC game so special.

Wing Commander is like jumping into a soap opera… in space! Imagine you’re a hotshot pilot battling evil feline overlords called the Kilrathi (think if your cat grew up on bad vibes and space lasers). Your job? To protect the galaxy while bantering with crew members who have enough drama to fill a few seasons of Days of Our Lives. Between missions, you wander the ship like it’s a floating high school, bonding with friends and frenemies alike, where everyone’s perpetually one botched mission away from a total meltdown. It’s basically Top Gun meets The Lion King—if Simba had claws and wanted to vaporize you.

Then there’s the gameplay, which serves up a blend of dogfighting chaos and cinematic tension. One moment, you’re blasting through Kilrathi fighters with a grin, the next you’re facing a mission briefing that sounds suspiciously like an episode recap from Battlestar Galactica. Sometimes you’re sent on reconnaissance (a.k.a. “please don’t die, we need intel”), but more often you’re thrown into the galactic version of a food fight—except the food is lasers, and the lunchroom is filled with explosions. It’s frantic, cheesy, and gloriously over-the-top, making it the perfect interstellar drama for anyone who ever wanted to fight space cats while managing their crewmates’ emotional baggage.

Dozens of Apple computers rescued! #BarnFind

Tales of Weird Stuff takes a long road trip through Washington State to Spokane to rescue a truck load of classic Apple computers. This is wild!

Apple computers are not only known for their sleek designs and cutting-edge technology, but some models have become rare, highly collectible, and seriously expensive. Here are 5 of the rarest or most expensive Apple computers:

1. Apple I (1976)

The holy grail of vintage computing! Only about 200 of these were ever made, and even fewer exist today. Hand-built by Steve Wozniak in Steve Jobs’ garage, this computer came as a motherboard kit, no case or keyboard included (DIY vibes, right?). One of these relics sold for $905,000 in 2014, making it the equivalent of owning a tech museum in your living room.

2. Apple Lisa 1 (1983)

The Apple Lisa was like the overachieving older sibling to the Macintosh. It was the first personal computer with a graphical user interface, which is why it cost as much as a decent car back then—about $10,000. Nowadays, a working Lisa 1 can go for $50,000–$100,000 depending on condition. It’s basically the computer equivalent of saying, “I bought Bitcoin in 2009.”

3. Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh (1997)

When Apple hit the 20-year mark, they decided to throw themselves a party and released this luxury limited-edition Mac. It came with a Bose sound system and a price tag of $7,500. Now, they’re collector’s items worth $10,000–$15,000. Owning one is like saying, “I appreciated the finer things in life… even in 1997.”

4. Macintosh 128K (1984)

The OG Mac, the one that started it all. It was the first Mac with a graphical interface and mouse, making it the apple of every tech geek’s eye (pun intended). While they originally sold for $2,495, a mint-condition one in the original packaging can fetch upwards of $5,000–$10,000 today. Think of it as vintage, but make it tech chic.

5. Apple II (1977)

This one was a big deal—it basically brought personal computing to the masses. With its sleek (for the time) design, color graphics, and a whopping 4 KB of RAM, it was the height of ‘70s tech sophistication. Depending on condition and whether it’s a first-gen model, it can go for anywhere between $2,000 and $10,000 now. The computer that once ran “Oregon Trail” is now worth more than your actual trail-running shoes.

Owning one of these machines isn’t just about having a rare piece of tech history—it’s about flaunting that you’re an Apple superfan with a time-traveling wallet!

Star Wars Outlaws Review – “A New Hope” or “Holiday Special”?

Star Wars Outlaws is like that moment when Han Solo realizes he owes Jabba the Hutt way too many credits—but stretched out into an entire video game. Set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, it introduces us to Kay Vess, who is basically the galaxy’s coolest new smuggler since, well, the original smuggler. She’s got a knack for getting into trouble, but luckily, she’s got a loyal companion, Nix—a little creature that’s part dog, part ferret, and all adorable. Think of Nix as the Chewbacca to Kay’s Han, only furrier and with fewer growls.

The game lets you explore the underbelly of the Star Wars universe like never before. You’ll be flying around in your own ship, pulling off heists, and making morally questionable decisions—because what’s a good outlaw without a little ethical flexibility? Imagine all the stuff Luke, Leia, and the rest were too busy with the whole “saving the galaxy” thing to do, and that’s what Kay’s up to. It’s like they took the Mos Eisley cantina and made it a lifestyle.

This is ACG’s review of the game and performance.