Gaming
Review: WD Black P10 Game Drive for Xbox One (3TB)
Remember when you thought a 128GB hard disk drive was more than enough for your storage requirements? Well, guess what? There’s never going to be “enough” storage space for all the data we produce each day, every minute. That especially is the case with gaming consoles.
With every game developer opting to digitally deliver games through online marketplaces, the demand for external storage devices has been ever increasing. For years, WD Black has had a strong legacy when it came to storage devices specifically designed for gaming purposes. The WD Black P10 Game Drive is no different.
If you are familiar with the colour coding used by Western Digital on its drives, you know that green is economical, blue is for everyday use, red is for storage arrays, and black is for performance.The WD Black P10 comes in two variants – the standard Game Drive, and the Game Drive for Xbox, made specifically for the Xbox One. While the standard Game Drive offers storage capacities of 2TB, 4TB and 5TB, the Game Drive for Xbox One offers storage capacities of 1TB, 3TB and 5TB. We received the 3TB version for test drive a couple of days ago.
Since the drive comes with 3TB of storage, you really do not need to delete old gaming titles in order to install and run newer titles. Inside the box, you get the WD Black P10 Game Drive, along with the warranty information and manual, and a USB Type-A to Micro-B cable. You also get a voucher that offers two months worth of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for free.
On paper, the WD Black P10 Game Drive boasts up to 130MB/s read time. Well, it’s not as fast as an SSD, but pretty fast for a conventional USB 3.0 drive. The drive uses a 5,400 rpm spinning mechanical drive and the overall design and build quality is very good.
For gauging the real world performance of the WD Black P10 Game Drive for Xbox One, we ran it through the ATTO Disk Benchmark. The WD Black P10 clocked 127 MB/s in read speeds and and 112 MB/s in write speeds. We also performed random access performance test, which included copying a folder with 3.5GB worth of data inside it.
The 3.5GB data dump test folder included Word documents, Excel sheets, PowerPoint presentations, images, movie files, MP3 files, WAV files, zipped files, text files and so on. It took about 43 seconds to transfer the files from the a MacBook Pro to the WD Black P10 Game Drive. And when transferring the same data from the WD Black P10 to the MacBook Pro, we clocked a little more than 32 seconds for the transfer to complete.
As you can see, performance is not an issue, especially since it is the WD Black breed of storage device. WD also offers 3 years of warranty, when compared with 1 year of warranty by competing storage devices. For a price of $110, the WD Black P10 Game Drive for Xbox One offers good bang for your buck.
Price: $110
Accessories
CORSAIR to Collab with Call of Duty
CORSAIR has begun to release the first products in its multi-year, full cross-brand collaboration with the critically acclaimed Call of Duty franchise. This powerful new integration sees two of the world’s best-known gaming brands come together for the first time with the collaboration extending across multiple product categories at CORSAIR including Drop, Elgato, ORIGIN PC and SCUF Gaming.
“We are thrilled to be teaming up with Activision and have our world-class brands come together as CORSAIR is set to deliver premium performance for Call of Duty players across all platforms whether it’s playing Black Ops 6, capturing amazing content or streaming with friends,” said Thi La, President and COO at CORSAIR.
“Our goal has always been to fuel the Call of Duty fandom with best-in-class products built for today’s gamers and we couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with CORSAIR for the launch of Black Ops 6. The suite of officially licensed products will help elevate gaming stations everywhere in true Call of Duty Black Ops style,” said Brooke Carpenter, Senior Director, Global Consumer Products at Activision.
In addition to top-tier controllers from SCUF Gaming, CORSAIR headsets and keyboards and streaming equipment from Elgato, this collaboration will see the introduction of several high-end gaming PCs including the ORIGIN PC EON16-X laptop, ORIGIN PC NEURON gaming PC, and the CORSAIR VENGEANCE Gaming PC line. These high-performance gaming machines are designed for the ultimate gaming experience, featuring cutting-edge hardware, custom Black Ops 6-themed aesthetics, and superior build quality. With powerful processors, advanced graphics, and lightning-fast storage, Call of Duty fans will enjoy seamless gameplay and stunning visuals.
Beginning with the launch of the highly-anticipated Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, featured products launching today and throughout this holiday include:
CORSAIR
- HS80 RGB WIRELESS CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: A premium wireless gaming headset that delivers incredibly detailed sound through custom-tuned 50mm neodymium audio drivers with immersive Dolby Atmos. It features hyper-fast SLIPSTREAM WIRELESS and a broadcast-grade omnidirectional microphone that captures your voice with outstanding clarity.
- K65 PLUS WIRELESS CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Stand out from the crowd with superior skill and distinctive design.
- The CORSAIR K65 PLUS WIRELESS is a 75% gaming keyboard that maxes out on performance and personality. Step up your Switch game with pre-lubricated CORSAIR MLX Red V2 linear switches that make each keystroke silky smooth and responsive.
- M75 WIRELESS CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Sculpted by victory. Made for the spotlight. The M75 WIRELESS sports an expertly designed ambidextrous mouse shape and ultra-fast connectivity via SLIPSTREAM WIRELESS and Bluetooth.
- MM300 2XL CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: a high endurance cloth mouse mat for high-DPI gaming mice. Reinforced stitched edges guard against surface peeling, while the textile-weaved surface gives superior control for lethal in-game accuracy.
- VENGEANCE SERIES CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Step up your game with a CORSAIR VENGEANCE gaming pc, built with a full range of award-winning CORSAIR components, and powered by the latest cutting-edge processors and graphics.
SCUF Gaming
- REFLEX CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Stay unstoppable with ergonomically designed remappable paddles, adaptive triggers, and onboard profiles that allow you to quickly switch from one game to another with SCUF Reflex for PlayStation 5.
- INSTINCT PRO CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Engineered for better performance and responsiveness, SCUF Instinct Pro for Xbox Series X|S provides four remappable paddles, interchangeable thumbsticks, and instant triggers that switch from regular to a mouse-like click at the flip of a switch.
- ENVISION PRO CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Designed to deliver the best experience for controller PC gamers. SCUF Envision is equipped with 11 additional remappable inputs, ultra-fast wired/wireless connectivity, advanced software for macros and endless customization options.
- UNIVERSAL CONTROLLER PROTECTION CASE CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: This case has an impact-resistant exterior and a soft, padded interior to protect your controller from dents and scratches, even while travelling. It works to protect any Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PS4, or Xbox One controller.
Elgato
- STREAM DECK MK.2 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Features 15 customizable LCD keys to control apps and platforms. Hit the store for app plugins, icons, tracks plus effects, and keep your setup fresh with interchangeable faceplates.
- WAVE:3 USB MICROPHONE CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: A premium microphone and digital mixing solution that fuses plug-and-play convenience with broadcast-grade circuitry.
- WAVE MIC ARM LP CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: A studio-grade boom arm for your premium microphone, Wave Mic Arm LP sits below the shoulder line for an unobstructed view.
Drop
ARTISAN KEYCAP CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: A 1u artisan keycap featuring a jet-black acrylic keycap with a bite jutting out to meet your fingertips.
ORIGIN PC
- ORIGIN PC NEURON CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: A gaming powerhouse engineered for intense action and precision. Equipped with cutting-edge hardware including powerful graphics cards, fast processors, and more. With fully customizable options and up to 8TB of storage, you’ll have the space and speed to dominate every game. Encased in a sleek design, the NEURON brings unparalleled power and style to your gaming setup.
- ORIGIN PC EON16-X CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6 EDITION: Experience unparalleled performance and immersive gameplay in a sleek, custom design. Fully customizable, add on a plethora of storage and high-quality DDR5 memory with components by CORSAIR.
Specific products are available now or open for pre-order. Additional categories, launch dates, and more details on this groundbreaking collaboration will be announced over time.
Gaming
Steam Revamps Game Purchases
Steam has taken a proactive step to inform users that purchasing games on its platform grants a license rather than outright ownership. This move aligns with a new California law that will require digital storefronts to disclose the true nature of digital game purchases.
While digital games offer convenience, they have always been subject to the terms and conditions set by the game publishers. This can lead to situations where access to games can be revoked, as demonstrated by Ubisoft’s removal of The Crew last year.
The new California law aims to increase transparency for consumers by preventing storefronts from using misleading terms like “buy” or “purchase” without clarifying that they are acquiring a license. Steam has already implemented this change, informing users in their shopping carts that purchases grant a license.
This move reflects Steam’s commitment to consumer protection and transparency. It is a positive step towards ensuring that gamers are aware of their rights and the potential limitations of digital game ownership.
Electric Scooters
Acer to Showcase Cutting-Edge Tech and AI at GITEX 2024
Acer Middle East returns to GITEX Global this October with a wide range of tech innovations and solutions that are sure to impress tech enthusiasts and visitors alike. Taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 14th – 18th October 2024, visitors will be able to discover the latest in Artificial Intelligence, amongst other innovations from Acer’s diverse range of cutting-edge products for education, gaming, mobility, sustainability, business and more.
Acer is committed to creating an impact at GITEX as the event brings together the world’s brightest minds from across the tech industry from more than 170 countries. Through their participation in the event, Acer aims to continue to build and strengthen relationships with clients, while also showcasing their latest technologies and product ranges.
Commenting on the upcoming exhibition, Michele Montecchio, General Manager at Acer Middle East said: “We are excited to showcase our latest innovations, solutions and AI technologies alongside some of the largest tech giants that exist today.”
Visitors to GITEX will have the opportunity to experience Acer’s latest range of products through live demonstrations and hands-on experiences at the tech brand’s interactive stand. Showcasing something for everyone, products on display from Acer will include a wide selection of outstanding tech innovations across a variety of categories.
E-Mobility
The Predator Extreme PES017, a daring E Scooter with a bold design built for adventure and exploration.
AI Laptops
Acer’s new Swift AI Copilot+ PCs are available with a variety of processors, including Snapdragon X Plus 8-core processor, AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series processors and Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2). These laptops utilize greater AI processing power and performance without compromise. Whether creating, working, or streaming – these Copilot+ PCs streamline daily tasks and workloads more efficiently and enable Acer’s on-device AI applications to help enhance users’ digital experiences.
Education and Business
The Chromebook Plus 515 is designed to empower productivity, efficiency, and multitasking. Featuring a powerful processor, a 1080p webcam, multiple connectivity ports, a fast-charging 10-hour-life battery, military-grade durability and built-in AI apps, this 15-inch Chromebook Plus is perfect for work and play, while withstanding daily wear and tear.
The new ultra-thin-and-light Acer TravelMate P614 AI laptop is designed and built purposefully for commercial organizations, offering exceptional performance, mobility and AI capabilities. With its long battery life, Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, and MIL-STD 810H durability, it’s ideal for professionals who work in a hybrid setting.
Gaming
The newly introduced Acer Nitro Blaze 7 is a powerful and portable handheld AI gaming device that delivers lightning-fast performance and efficiency for everyday gaming and entertainment on the go. Gamers can expect elevated efficiency and support for on-device AI-powered capabilities, real-time graphical upscaling and lag-free experiences. This handheld design allows users to easily slide the device into their bags or pockets for instant gaming wherever they are.
The Predator XB273K V5 Monitor has a crisp 4K (3840 x 2160) resolution, a smooth 160 Hz refresh rate and a lightning-fast response time of up to 0.5 ms (GTG). It’s sure to deliver flawless gameplay and stunning clarity.
Tech Innovations
The Acer SpatialLabs Eyes is a multifaceted and intuitive 3D camera suitable for business and lifestyle users alike. Featuring 8MP per eye resolution, a selfie mirror, and a weatherproof design, users can create 3D content, stream live, and join meetings in 3 Dimensions.
For connectivity needs, the Acer Wave 7 Wi-Fi 7 mesh router creates a robust and secure high-speed network connection designed for modern living. It is the fastest and most seamless solution to achieve uninterrupted streaming, gaming, and browsing from any corner of your home or workspace.
Visit Acer’s stand at GITEX Global, at Hall 3, STAND NO: H3-C20 from 14 – 18 October 2024 at The Dubai World Trade Centre.