In January, Epic Games introduced a handful of new changes, including the removal of many Christmas-themed items, and its first new item of 2023: the Guardian Shield, which adds another layer of strategy when used correctly. This new item is tied to a series of in-game challenges, incentivizing players to give it a try. But where can you find the Guardian Shield and how does it work?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to guarantee getting a Guardian Shield, as they appear as random drops from chests across the map. With that in mind, we suggest visiting high-traffic areas that contain lots of chests — preferably spots with Oathbound Chests. These are the large white chests that contain rarer loot and can be found in main hubs that aren’t covered in snow, such as The Citadel. Regular chests yield Guardian Shields, too, though. We had luck finding them at Lonely Labs, but other areas contain the Guardian Shield, as well. You can also pick one up from eliminated enemies.
There are a couple of mechanics tied to the Guardian Shield itself. The most straightforward feature allows you to block enemy gunfire, grenades, and rockets, by using the right trigger. Keep in mind, blocking does deplete the shield’s energy, which is denoted by a green bar to the right of the item’s icon in your list of items. It does recharge, so you’ll want to be aware of that as you use it.
You can also throw the item down to create a stationary shield that works much more effectively in terms of blocking enemy fire. Remember to pick it up after you’re finished, as well.
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 One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it.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.