Xbox One Wireless Controller Review

An Xbox controller isn’t something I would get when it comes to PC gaming. For me controllers are for consoles; such as the Dualshock 4 for Playstation 4, and Xbox One controller for the Xbox One. Mouse and keyboard combo are the better precision tools for first or third-person shooter games.

But when you play games like Injustice 2, Final Fantasy X HD Remastered or Forza Motorsport for example, stretching and doing somersaults with your fingers to reach certain keys, scattered all over the keyboard seems like a dumb idea. That’s when a controller makes things a lot easier.

Ok, enough with the logic behind the controller. So I finally got myself an Xbox One Wireless Controller for (you guessed it) my PC. Thankfully Microsoft made it available for Windows as well, so installation is a breeze.

Bear in mind that the Bluetooth wireless capability of the Xbox One wireless controller is only available for Windows 10 right now.

Controller Design & Ergonomics

The Xbox One controller isn’t that much different from its predecessor. It still sports the similar body form with a sleeker, more geometrical form factor. A bit of weight to it makes it feel like a solid controller. It is just sturdy in the hand.

Although the controller feels solid, the buttons and body material aren't. Buttons are made of plastic and make very loud clacking sounds when you press them, especially the X, Y, A, B buttons. The two L and R buttons however are great. They are also made of plastic but are very silent. Analogue sticks feel great too with textured rubber grips. It is only very annoying when you move the sticks around and they make that same clacking sounds when they hit the edges.

In the box you get the Xbox One Controller, cable, and instruction manual.

Front: You can use the controller wired via micro-USB or wireless Bluetooth.

Bottom: Where you put your batteries.

Connecting to your PC via Bluetooth

First turn on your PC and the Bluetooth function. Then turn your Xbox One Wireless Controller by pressing the Xbox logo. Hold it until it starts blinking. Then on your PC, go to your Bluetooth settings and select the controller to pair. That's it.

The Xbox logo lights up when you turn it on or attach the cable.

Connectivity is great with no issues. Microsoft states that you can go as far as 30 feet. I'm not sure if that's true since I game in front of my PC and didn't have gone further than 2 feet away. But the wireless capability does give you more freedom to move around. 

Playing it wired though, gives you less hassle of connecting via Bluetooth.

Verdict

The Xbox One Wireless Controller is a more modern, solid take on it predecessor. It has wireless capabilities and the option for you to play games wired or wireless. The only downside is why Microsoft decided to use cheap plastics for the body and X, Y, A, B buttons. They could have gone for a better quality plastic and reduce those annoying clacking sounds that make it feel cheap.

If you are someone who does not mind the downside I mentioned and just want the use of a controller, then this is for you. It is still a very capable controller.

Game on. And yes, that's Injustice 2.

Thinking of switching to iOS

My first phone is a Windows Phone. The Nokia Lumia 710. Remember that phone? No? Okay.

After that I switched to Android. My first Android phone being the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4g. Not a bad phone at first:

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4g
Snapdragon 400
5.5 inch IPS display
2GB RAM
8GB internal storage (up to 64GB micro sd support)
3100 mAh battery

It was a little laggy playing games (any game), but I didn't mind at all. The battery could last a day and that was all I cared about...

... till 2 years later. Stutters are encountered at every turn, battery life now needs to be charged twice a day, and gets uncomfortably hot just by wifi browsing. Enough is enough.


So I've tried Windows Phone, and Android. Time to try iOS.



Why, you ask? Find out in my next post!

Sudio Vasa Bla Wireless Earphones

I got really lucky with this one, I won an international giveaway contest on Youtube! Thanks to O-Gear Malaysia and Sudio. If you haven't heard about O-Gear Malaysia, they do reviews on gadget related stuff including this pair of earphones. You can check them out here on Facebook.

Sudio is a Swedish premium audio company specializing in earphones. They have different range of earphones such as the Vasa Bla, Vasa, Klang, and TVA. You can check them out in their respective links. The ones I have are the Vasa Bla wireless earphones. In Malaysia, you can find their earphones in Apple distributor stores. I have never owned a pair of wireless earphones before, so this is a new category for me.

So on with the unboxing!

You get a nice gift box with the red ribbon that has Sudio written all over it. Inside you'll find the Vasa Bla hard cover box with a magnetic flap.

Upon opening the flap you get 2 more boxes which houses the earphones, charging cable, manual, extra buds, Sudio's guarantee certificate and leather pouch. The overall packaging has premium feel to it.

The earphones are what you would expect from similar wireless earphones- earphones without the 3.5mm jack. You have the Left and Right earphones, control module for volume and play/pause/skip/call buttons, and battery module. It fits nicely in my ears, but if the fit isn't for you, there are different sized spare earbuds.

Pairing the earphones with your phone or device is simple:
1. Hold the middle button down till the notification light rapidly blinks blue then a steady red.
2. Then with Bluetooth enabled on your phone, pair it. Done.

I am no audio expert, and the earphones I usually use are the cheapo bassy ones, so using the Vasa Bla is a little different for me. The audio quality has less bass than what I am used to, but has a good balance with the treble. I have tested listening to instrumental and normal songs, watching movies and Youtube with it, and they sounded quite clear and nice. Though I am still getting used to the necklace like feel, turning my head left to right.

Sudio claims that the Vasa Bla can go about 8 hours on a single charge. That should last you the whole day, on and off use. I have yet to test the claim so there will be an update on this.

Best thing is, that I don't have to worry about cables anymore.

Batman: Arkham Knight

Batman Arkham Knight is one of the best games of 2015 as the third and (supposingly) final installment of the Arkham series. It was well received in the console versions; for its superb graphics, combat system, the ability to drive the Batmobile, and plenty of side missions and DLCs.

However, the release of the PC version came with major issues. Such issues were drops in frame rate, stuttering, and freezing throughout the gameplay. It was so bad that Rocksteady pulled it out of Steam, and announced that it will no longer be available for Linux and Macs. Months later, we saw it on Steam again, with most of its issues fixed.

But is it really fixed?

With the Steam Summer sale on, and Batman Arkham Knight available at a ridiculously low price, I have decided to give it a shot and purchased the game.

Ta-daa!! Fully functional on the PC.

For all who are still skeptical about purchasing this game, lay your worries to rest. This game runs fine, most of the major bugs are fixed and its playable with a few frame drop hiccups.

This is not a good shot, but you know where I'm going with this. (I'm trying to show the Batmobile.)

And this concludes my post. I am not going into review of the game, there are plenty of review sites for that. This post is just to show you that this game is (almost) functional, playable, and will give you a good time.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Launch - Malaysia

One of the most anticipated phones of 2016 is the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, and it's finally here in Malaysia! Taking design cues from the S6 Edge, the S7 Edge comes with the same 5.5 inch curved display, a curved chassis at the back, and with some improvements over its predecessor.

Some of the improvements include better battery life, camera, and more usefulness of the curved edges. Also waterproof... sorry, water-resistant.

I wasn't there at the launch due to working hours, so I only managed to capture the empty stage & exhibition (bummer).

I missed the event. Damn you full time job!

However it is good to know it has finally arrived in my country, and many of us will be happy to err, touch it. It IS that sexy. Here's the full coverage of the event from the folks at Lowyat (click here).

Rise of the Tomb Raider

I don't usually buy games, but when I heard that the sequel to the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot was coming out last year, and having played it, I just couldn't help but buy the game. This is not a full in-depth review, just my thoughts on it.

BIG SPOILERS AHEAD!!


GRAPHICS
Rise of the Tomb Raider is by far one of the most graphically beautiful games I have played.

Below are my graphic settings:

Settings are set as recommended by nVidia GeForce Exprience.

The map is a lot bigger this time where you get to travel to places like Syria, Siberia, and hidden ancient cities. Overall there are about over 40 base camps, so you get the picture. The graphic details are stunning, from the clear and sharp images of landscapes down to the pores on Lara's face upon close up. You can actually see them!


WHAT'S NEW
Controls are similar to the previous Tomb Raider. What's new is that now you can climb tree branches and shiv-attack enemies from above. You are now able to craft arrows and ammo from the resources you gather around you like wood, mushrooms, explosives (special ammo).

Bears are the most difficult to kill. Not to mention scary.

Sometimes you will encounter exotic animals like snow leopards, lynx, and deers. After you kill them, you will be able to use their skin to craft special upgrades for your equipment/weapons.

There are side quests that you can choose to take on, like helping the natives. This will not effect the progress of the game as you can always come back to finish them later.

UPDATE: A new DLC has come up, called Baba Yaga. More on that later in the post.


EXPERIENCE

One of the most graphically beautiful & detailed games I have ever played.

The level of detail in this game is just amazing. Everything is just sharp and crisp. The graphics are set to High, imagine how it would look like if set to Ultra. However, setting to Ultra stutters a little bit on the GTX 970m, so to fully enjoy this game a 980m would be recommended.

At Base Camps is where you can equip different weapons & upgrade them, equip different clothing, and fast travel to any camps throughout the maps.

Objectives light up just like the previous game, letting you know your next destination. Very helpful to also find hidden objects, enemies, exotic animals, and resources.

Pressing Q, like the last game, highlights your main objective, hidden treasures/monuments/etc, exotic animals, challenge markers, and resources. It is quite useful if you want to find everything, but not necessary if you just want to play the story.

Let there be light. Moments like these deserve a pause of awe.

You now have to gather resources to craft ammo, medicine, or weapon upgrades. 

Tombs come with puzzles that reward you at the end, just like the last game, though slightly more challenging this time around. Luckily, hit Q and Lara will give you a hint. Hints which I find quite easy to follow, like a little too easy.

If you had played, say Tomb Raider Anniversary, you don't get any sort of hints from Lara. You are on your own to figure it out, and that I feel gives you the true explorer experience. Hopefully future sequels will bring that back.

You can see details on her clothing and hair! Compared to the last game, the hair flows much more fluid now.

Lara can now jump enemies from above, and kill them silently.

 BABA YAGA DLC

Wicked Vale camp in the new DLC.

The story goes that a witch known as the Baba Yaga has been terrorizing the mountains in Siberia. You encounter a native girl whose grandfather has gone missing looking for his long lost wife in a place called the Wicked Vale. She believes the witch has him captive, and you have to help her find him.

Once downloaded, the DLC will appear in the main story as a side quest which you can choose to complete later. It throws you into a big boss fight at the end of story, something that is often similarly used in the previous Tomb Raider games. So this brings quite a nostalgic feeling. Nice touch Square Enix.

Completing the DLC gives you the Wraithskin outfit, complete with the Dreamstinger bow.

CONCLUSION
Rise of the Tomb Raider is a great adventure game, bringing the explorer side of you to life virtually. If you had played the first Tomb Raider, this will be an even deeper game with vast landscapes, but otherwise similar experience.

My Mi Band- 2nd thoughts

In my last review of the Mi Band a few months back, I described it as an almost-perfect fitness tracker. It is almost accurate in reading steps, has a month long battery life, and most importantly, affordable with a $15 price tag.

Now three months since the review, I am having some second thoughts about it. Let me tell you why.

While tracking your steps is great and motivates you to reach that 10,000 steps-a-day goal, it kinda gets old after awhile. I find myself no longer reaching out for my phone and checking how many steps I took today. And the gesture thing where you swing your wrist to your face and it tells you your progress of the day, which I highly praised it, I don't do that anymore. It just feels like a boring routine. Now I mainly use the Mi Band as a notification device. That thing saved me many missed calls.

Why, you ask? Good question. The answer: no display.

No doubt, it is great to check your progress once in awhile. But wouldn't it be great if you can check the time ON the display itself? Then I wouldn't have to whip up my phone every time I want to do that. FitBit Charge and Pebble did it, why not Xiaomi?

Do I still recommend it despite this new doubt? Still yes, if you are a fitness fanatic, or just want a device to notify you of incoming calls and don't mind pulling out your phone to check the time, which I do not like.

For me, a smartwatch like the Pebble will be a perfect fit.