Bethesda is now accepting pre-orders for a new series of five-inch Vault Boy collectible bobbleheads inspired by the upcoming post-apocalyptic RPG Fallout 4.
The new lineup follows up on a previous series of Vault Boy figurines, though the newest bobbleheads are smaller and less expensive than their predecessors. Figures will begin shipping on November 13th.
Currently, Bethesda’s online store offers the new five-inch Perception, Energy Weapons, Strength, Lock Pick, Melee Weapons, Endurance, and Repair Vault Boy bobbleheads for $15 apiece, plus shipping. Also on offer are seven-inch Arms Crossed, Perception, Strength, Endurance, and Intelligence bobbleheads for $20 each.
Vault Boy is an iconic mascot figure that plays a significant role throughout the Fallout series. Vault Boy illustrations accompany character stats and abilities, giving players the ability to weigh upgrades and status effects at a glance.
Vault Boy’s next scheduled appearance is in Fallout 4, an open-world RPG sequel premiering for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC platforms later this month. Publisher Bethesda promises an array of new features and improvements for the sequel, including town-building elements and voiced player characters.
Bethesda has released a lineup of Fallout-themed merchandise in the weeks leading up to Fallout 4‘s release, including the limited edition Nuka Cola Quantum soft drink from Soda Jones. Replicating the beverage’s distinct appearance as featured in previous Fallout games, Nuka Cola Quantum is bright blue in color, and arrives in appropriately themed packaging.
Bethesda additionally rolled out content updates for its Fallout mobile app Fallout Shelter. The app’s latest update adds cloud saving functionality, expanded player stats, and a new Survival Mode for expert players. Fallout Shelter challenges players to maintain a productive ecosystem of vault-dwelling apocalypse survivors, assigning crew to perform research and repairs as necessary.
Fallout 4 will launch digitally and at retail for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PCs on November 10th.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.