Last month Psyonix announced the next Rocket League update, and now we have more information, including a release date.
Set to drop on September 8, Rocket League Rumble will be the same gameplay that fans have grown to love, but with a ton more power-ups.
Rocket League is the car-soccer phenomenon that took over the internet last year. More than a year after its release, a massive community still plays the game, and developer Psyonix continues to introduce new modes with free updates. The latest update is a mix between standard Rocket League gameplay and Mario Kart.
Players will be able to use various power-ups, like a giant boxing glove, a tether, or a freeze ray, to cause all sorts of mayhem. All can be used to either hurt opponents or get the ball into the goal.
But the major news is, after several delays, that Mac and Linux support will finally be coming to Rocket League. The Linux version will actually be through SteamOS. So while Psyonix doesn’t recommend it be played on any Linux distribution, it is possible. For the Mac version, Psyonix recommends MacBook’s with a dedicated video card solution. This means machines from 2013 or later with either an Nvidia 750m or AMD Radeon R9 370X (or whatever equivalent). Psyonix also noted that these versions are still in beta and have known issues:
There will be some other minor upgrades, like new rocket trails, colors, arenas, and car customizations. Native party chat will also be introduced, meaning no more having to cue up on Skype. The update will also allow users to store up to 10 customizable car presets. This means that whenever users jump to a different computer, their neon green and pink custom car will be there waiting. Lastly, players will now be able to find or buy keys that can unlock rare items. Those items can also be traded to other players.
It’s a meaty update, but if Psyonix continues to show this level of support, Rocket League will have a long-lasting future.
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.