What's shown at CES is always a big sign of where tech companies are headed in the year ahead, and to nobody's surprise, 2025's show was all about AI. Every company under the sun seems to be giving us its own AI these days, or backing the horse of an established one they've built new hardware entirely for. The latest to do so? Streamlabs, the Logitech-owned broadcasting app that makes live content creation easier, particularly for those entry-level streamers who don't want to brave the open source mines of OBS.

Although its AI co-host was hinted at toward the end of last year (I first saw it in a press briefing for different Logi gear a few months ago), the company wheeled out a trailer for its upcoming Intelligent Streaming Assistant at this year's CES. It's being made in partnership with Nvidia (of graphics card fame) and Inworld AI, an engine geared at games and media.

After installing the extension application in the Streamlabs app store, you'll be greeted with an AI assistant - talking avatar and all. From there, you have control over whether this virtual assistant will act like your producer or co-host. If you so please, it can hurl cheeky comments your way in front of your viewers, it can read and organize your chat, and it can call back to moments from your previous streams, either sharing or taking clips.

In producer mode, chat won't be able to hear or see your assistant - or at least it doesn't seem that way in the trailer. But it will be able to help you organize sounds, switch your scenes, or even help you troubleshoot technical problems with the best streaming gear.

I must admit, there's a part of me that's sort of intrigued by that last part. Switching between various bits of broadcasting gear can be a nightmare, and working out the problems when one of the best microphones doesn't match up with one of the best streaming mixers, for example, can cause massive headaches. Depending on how good this AI assistant actually is at sussing out problems within Streamlabs, it might be worthwhile to have just for setting things up correctly.

But for all the potential utility of having a Jarvis to help me broadcast my gameplay, my heebies were well and truly jeebied when I saw the trailer last week. Like with so many AI models being widely adopted without regulation, I have big concerns when it comes to things like data mining, consent, and in this instance, potential copyright issues for streamers.

After reaching out to Streamlabs for clarification, I'm a little less worried, but I'll still give this a suspicious side-eye glare. I'm told that none of the three parent companies will try to claim ownership of the content that's created when this bot is active, which is reassuring. In fact, it seems like any data collection to improve the model will be an opt-in affair, as Inworld will ask for permission before analyzing performance, resolving technical issues, or anything else.

That's good for the creator, but what about the audience? My concern upon seeing this chatbot read back over previous stream interactions was that if it was using what the audience says to improve its model, shouldn't viewers be alerted to that fact? Streamlabs tells me that it recommends the content creator should make viewers aware that this AI is active, but the assistant will be transparent that it is AI-powered.

Of course, there is another part of this virtual sidekick that's giving me the fear, and it's the way it looks. I'm told the goal for Streamlabs is to make it completely customizable in terms of appearance, so if you don't want this dead-behind-the-eyes, stripey shirt guy who really needs to invest in a good beard trimmer, you may be off the hook.

I'm also told that in time, you'll be able to change the personality and functionality of this AI co-host as well, which may be a more agreeable solution for those content creators who don't want to be casually roasted for bad gameplay like the poor streamer in the trailer above.

Maybe I need to get more used to uncanny valley AI avatars like this, but they seriously unsettle me - perhaps the ability to remove the avatar and just have a disembodied voice would be better. Then again, it probably isn't the avatar's inhuman mouth movements that are unsettling me, it's just the rapid adoption of this technology that's giving me a stomach ache.

For now, I think I'll be sticking to Nightbot in my livestreams because I enjoy running my livestream without a talking head that's funnier than I am. Seriously, stop trying to upstage me - my live streams are my time to shine.

For more streaming accessories, check out the best capture cards, the best green screens, and the best webcams.

The Elgato Prompter is the type of product that defines this brand. I first used Elgato products way back in 2015 when I bought its first-ever capture card, the Game Capture HD. Since then, streaming and content creation hardware has popped up from almost every gaming peripheral brand, but Elgato has always been the trailblazer, inventing never-before-seen products you wonder how anyone ever achieved success without.

Before this becomes a puff piece about Elgato, let me make clear that this manufacturer has not been my favorite in recent years. Innovation has often given way to iterative products that don’t offer people anything new, but still demand a higher price than rival companies. I understand that not every product Elgato makes can reinvent the wheel, but this is a wing of Corsair that’s at its best when it’s creating the first of something - products that have never before appeared on our best gear for streaming lists.

The Elgato Prompter is such a product. It feels as practical as the original Game Capture and as intuitive as the first Stream Deck. This is Elgato truly innovating, and despite a lofty price of $279.99 / £279.99, it’s something I’d even recommend to beginners. If you plan to present a script to camera often, this is a must-have device that has no true alternative.

Design

I’m not going to claim that Elgato invented the teleprompter. An inverted display and some reflective glass have been used since the dawn of television to make speaking directly into a camera lens feel more natural. For streamers and content creators, though, options are pretty limited. You can get something to set your phone in, or you can buy a tablet and attach it to a tripod. Alternatives on Amazon often feel so make-shift that they’re not worth the bother. Elgato has changed that by taking the traditional teleprompter and adapting it for the internet, making it the perfect solution for the masses. 

As you might expect, there are two main parts to the Prompter, a 9-inch display with a 1024 x 600p resolution, and then a reflective piece of special glass fixed above it. Behind the glass sits a housing for attaching a camera that will then, in theory, capture footage at the same quality it would usually. 

The “attaching a camera” bit is where discussing the design of Elgato’s Prompter gets quite tricky because there are so many moving parts that will differ for you depending on which camera and even lens you’re using. In the box, you get a slew of what Elgato calls step-up rings - special fittings that you can poke your camera through. To be precise, you get a 49, 52, 55, 58, 62, 67, 72, 77, and 82 mm ring, which gives you loads of leeway for adding different cameras.

If you’re using one of the best webcams, there’s a backplate that will help smaller lenses remain secure, as well as a fixing plate that holds them in place from below. There’s definitely scope for a lot of webcams to work, but, based on my testing with several different models, the overall design does feel more tilted at DSLR cameras and the shape of Elgato’s own Facecams, like the Facecam MK2.

Helpfully, Elgato also provides a handy USB-C to USB-A 3.0 cable, which has a right angle at the “C” end so it won’t pull at the prompter. I’ve also played around with the included shroud that comes in the box, which adds yet more versatility for lighting control. I did love that inside Elgato’s very sustainable packaging, you get everything you’ll need for setting up the Prompter, including mounting screws and a cleaning cloth. The only thing you’ll really need to buy separately is a tripod, but chances are, if you’re looking into buying a prompter like this, you’ll already have one.

Features

As is the case for all of Elgato’s products that aren’t capture cards, the Prompter is controlled through the brand’s Camera Hub software. This gives the Prompter its three distinct “modes”, all of which can be helpful depending on what you’re up to. The first mode is a straight-up display mode, which your PC or Mac will recognize by default. This is exactly what it sounds like - the Prompter will act as a defacto display you can position and configure how you’d like. It uses a panel with a 60Hz refresh rate, and for reasons I’ll come onto, I wish there were more options here. 

The second is the prompter mode. This loads up a script you add into the Camera Hub, and the display turns into what you’d expect of a teleprompter. What I really like in this mode is how many settings Elgato thought to include. Camera Hub allows you to control the brightness and contrast level of the display, the speed of the scroll, the margin size, and even the color and font of the text and background, which is huge for someone like me who has dyslexia. If you want the size of the text to be larger, you can change that as well to make it the most comfortable reading experience for you. When you paste a script into the software, it will automatically load into chapters that make clicking to different points in the script so much easier. Additionally, if you move your mouse cursor onto the prompter’s display, you can scroll up and down manually.

New settings for the Prompter mode seem to be in the works as well because even since I got my review unit, the ability for Camera Hub to scroll the Prompter’s text using your voice (and natural reading speed) has been added. I can’t wait to see what more utility comes later on.

The third mode is more useful for streamers, because it’s a chat window. In concept, you throw your Twitch handle into the settings menu, and the display will then let you monitor your Twitch stream’s chat. Viewers can feel as though you are actually talking directly to them if you do this because looking at the camera is looking at what they’ve been saying. Annoyingly, YouTube chat still can’t be integrated, which is a real shame. I have no doubt this is in the pipeline, but it’s taking a frustratingly long time to add.

Performance

Having a prompter this powerful has made creating my videos on YouTube so much easier. Before, I’d have to earmark the parts of my scripts I’d want to appear on camera for, memorize them, and then deliver them accordingly when laying down a voice-over track. This was fine, but a less-than-perfect solution. If I changed my mind later and wanted a different part of the script on camera, then I wouldn’t have the option on the cutting room floor. Now, I can deliver an entire script directly to the camera with all the expressions and eye contact I’d like, and I have so many options when it comes to editing. 

Not only that, but memorising parts of a script and practising delivery can be tricky and time consuming. The Prompter allows me to read more naturally, and if I want a different take, it’s easy to skip back a chapter and redo. Before having a Prompter to read from, I used to do this annoying thing where my eyes would already start moving away from the lens and toward my script before a natural cutting point. Now, the script and camera are one, so I don’t need inventive cutting to get around bad presenting.

Then, when you add the customization options, you get so much scope to make the Prompter feel like your own. As a dyslexic, I can find reading certain fonts harder than others, and coloring the texts or backgrounds can really help me. I love that Elgato has supplied that option, because so often dyslexic people aren’t thought of, and need to adapt to what everyone else can do easily. Being able to change font and margin size is a huge win too. Depending on the distance you are from your camera when recording, the margin on the prompter can make it obvious you’re reading - which viewers will be able to pick up on.

Now, I know this isn’t one of the best gaming monitors, but I wish the Elgato Prompter could change its refresh rate. I use a Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra because it’s probably the best webcam ever made, but at 4K, it can still only capture at 30fps. When you have a display projecting light at 60Hz up into a lens capturing at 30Hz, you can get a bad case of glare and flickering. Changing brightness and contrast levels can help, as can using the included shroud to block out other lighting sources. Nevertheless, this is a flaw for anyone not using a DSLR camera because it makes even the uppermost echelon of webcams feel troublesome. I also think there’s a slight disparity between the step-up ring that’s most appropriate for the Kiyo Pro Ultra’s and its actual size - and it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s the case for some of Elgato’s other rival products.

Zooming out, this refresh rate issue speaks to my wider issues with Elgato’s Prompter. As a content creation tool alone, this product is unmatched, but for its other use cases, I’m not sure it’s truly viable.

I was so excited to use the Elgato Prompter as a third display, but in all honesty, it isn’t really worth keeping it plugged in. As a USB-C peripheral with no HDMI or DisplayPort connectivity, it puts extra strain on your CPU, and even with an Intel Core i5-13600K, I noticed that extra bandwidth being used. Furthermore, I wish the prompter was a little bit larger. As a third display in combination with two 27-inch monitors, it ends up looking too small and awkward to actually use comfortably. Throwing a video call window into the Prompter’s admittedly crystal clear display is a great idea, but the application will appear so small that you’ll probably end up squinting at whichever colleagues you have on a call, which would look more unnatural than just having them sit on a display underneath your webcam.

If I use my Prompter as a display, it’s usually to keep a file window or Spotify open, giving me easy access at any moment. The file window option is especially useful for video editing so I could drag and drop things onto my timeline, but for the most part, I ended up unplugging because it was more trouble than it was worth, and it was churning my PC fans into a frenzy. This went for using the Stream Chat mode too, unfortunately.

I can’t help but feel a second edition of the Prompter which will inevitably arrive in the future would benefit from a larger size, more refresh rate options, and either HDMI or DisplayPort support.

Should you buy the Elgato Prompter?

If you’re a content creator, the Elgato Prompter needs to be something you’re considering. I’d argue it’ll make as much difference to your content as one of the best microphones for streaming and gaming - and I value those highly.

For streamers and remote workers, I’d say it’s less valuable than Elgato would have you think. It’s just a little too small and a little too demanding for the average user who probably already has a million USB peripherals providing them value. 

If you’re a YouTuber or somebody who finds themselves presenting a script to camera often, this is no short of a must-have. This is Elgato at its innovative best and a product that’s given my content creation setup a massive quality-of-life boost.

Admittedly, this isn’t a cheap piece of kit, but it’s something I’d prioritize if you want to come across naturally on camera while having the confidence that your viewers will be seeing an authentic version of you.

How I tested the Elgato Prompter

I integrated the Elgato Prompter into my gaming, content creation, and work-from-home setup for around two months before writing up this review. In that time, I’ve had extensive experience with all of its use cases, including videos delivered to camera, use of it as a display for PC, and as a chat window while live streaming. 

Having been a content creator for YouTube for a while, I was able to compare my time spent testing the Prompter with my years of not having it, and I enjoyed being able to test out how the different settings in the Elgato Camera Hub changed my experience. You can compare my on-screen delivery in this video where I didn’t have the prompter with this one, where I did use it. 

For more on how we test gaming and streaming tech, check out the full GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy. 

A prompter isn’t the only thing that’ll make a difference to your content-creating setup. Check out the best ring lights for streaming, the best green screen, and the best streaming mixers. 

As streamers progress through their journey from beginner to seasoned veteran, most will look to make the jump from a USB microphone to an XLR setup. Grabbing a decent microphone is a good start, but if XLR is the route you want to take, you’ll need to think about an audio mixer like the Hercules Stream 200 XLR to plug it into. 

You could go with a basic audio interface like the RODE AI-1; or to take greater control of your audio it’s a streaming-oriented audio controller you’ll want to turn to. There are a few options in the market already like the BEACN Mix Create and Razer Audio Mixer, but now Hercules has entered the game with the Stream 200 XLR.

The brand may be a newcomer to the world of streaming - you certainly won't find them on our list of the best capture cards, for example. But with a background in DJ equipment and other gadgets for musicians, Hercules should have plenty of knowledge to fall back on. It’s still a new area for the brand though, so if you’re a streamer looking to beef up your setup is it worth taking a punt on Hercules or should you stick to a more established brand? 

Design & Features

Joining the market alongside the cheaper and simpler Hercules Stream 100, the Stream 200 XLR follows the same overall styling. In fact, looking at it from the front, it’s more of a Stream 150 with a new panel of four buttons and a wheel bolted onto the side of the Stream 100's interface. These additions increase the footprint by around 50% and make it a considerably less compact unit, but given it’s now doing the work of two devices that’s to be expected.

The same 4.3” LCD screen, dials, and buttons carry over from the Stream 100 with no change to their appearance, layout, or functionality. The dials lack any sense of quality with their hard molded plastic construction and no grip texturing, though the rubber buttons below them feel great with a short, clicky interaction and backlit numbers. The display quality is impressive for what it is, the screen is bright with nicely saturated colors and enough resolution to be clear; though perhaps a little crunchy on smaller text labels. Like the Stream 100, there’s no touch functionality on the Hercules Stream 200 XLR which is a shame, I’d like to have seen some basic levels of interaction here given the steeper price point.

The Stream 200 XLR’s new additions include a mute all button, a link button for simultaneously changing levels across both submixes, a dedicated page management button, a submix toggle, and a headphone volume dial. The rubber buttons carry the same short travel distance but I had real trouble with the creator/audience submix toggle. It’s the largest button on the device but only the middle third will actually acknowledge a push, poking at any other part fails to register an input which renders the size of the button useless and irritating. The whole unit does feel noticeably more solid and weightier than the smaller Stream 100, but pressing the top buttons causes the front of the Stream 200 XLR to lift up and sometimes won’t fire off as a result; that's not what you need mid-stream.

The chunky headphone volume dial does gain some ribbed grip texturing which is a step up from the four others it sides with, though the quality overall still remains disappointing. I was able to wiggle the dial 3 or 4mm back and forth without registering a change and when I did completely turn it movement felt rough and raw. The LED ring around the dial will fill with light as you turn the wheel which is nice but given it’s not a free spinning wheel I’d have liked to have seen a physical indicator on there as well as the LED ring isn’t particularly precise.

Around the back of the Hercules Stream 200, you’ll find an XLR input with phantom power, optical, and line-in as well as headphone and USB-C outputs. There’s no preamp inside the Stream 200 XLR however Hercules does include an external one. Together it’s a nice I/O setup that should cater to the needs of most content creators rocking one of the best microphones for streaming and gaming. It’s not a cramped arrangement but there feels like a lot of blank back panel space that could have given each input more room to breathe and made making changes with a full house of cables a little simpler.

Performance

I was critical of the smaller Hercules Stream 100 because it lacked some of the basic audio management features you’d expect to see on a streaming-focused controller. A number of these holes have been filled with the Stream 200 XLR but sadly a few new cans of audio worms come along with it.

The transition from controller to interface with the addition of those three audio inputs makes a huge difference to the value of the Stream 200 XLR as it saves the need for a second unit just to connect an external device. I tested it with a RODE PodMic and was happy with the results, though it will require that external preamp and onboard phantom power to produce decent gain levels. The audio it delivered was clean, but only a handful of basic EQ and processing options are available in the Hercules Stream Control app. Bizarrely, the physical 48V switch is overridden by the software choices available in the app which had me scratching my head wondering why things weren’t working for a few minutes. It rather defeats the purpose of a physical switch if you can’t trust its position and it doesn’t speak to its own app.

The opposite of the Stream 100, which only allows for the binding and control of individual audio sources, the Hercules Stream 200 XLR only allows for control of five bundled audio channels that it’ll install for you; game, chat, music, system, and aux. It feels like a backward step to actively remove functionality on a more expensive option, surely allowing for control of either individual apps or a channel would have been more useful. You’ll also need to use the stock Windows audio mixer to allocate individual apps to these channels, there’s no Hercules drag-and-drop interface which frankly makes it a chore to do. When you have labored away assigning individual apps to each group though the experience is actually a smooth one. The LCD screen allows for easy monitoring and balancing of levels and the act of adjusting input levels across both the creator and audience submix is intuitive.

Having unique submixes for what I hear as a creator and what my audience hears is excellent and something that's hard to lose after using the BEACN Mix Create. Annoyingly, the Stream 200 XLR’s implementation of this feature simply isn’t excellent, at least in my setup anyway. The device doesn’t produce digital outputs of the two submixes, rather they’re seen by Windows as audio inputs. This means running them into OBS is fine, but running them digitally to USB speakers isn’t an option. In my setup that meant either being limited to headphones or running a cable from the Stream 200 XLR to my SteelSeries Alias 7 speakers’ line in port. It’s a frustrating limitation that forces you to go all-in on organizing your audio sources as anything not assigned to a Windows audio channel simply won’t be heard.

You’re still limited to just two pages of actions on the Hercules Stream 200 XLR but this time the dedicated page swap button means you’ll keep all four buttons assignable, unlike the Stream 100. The Stream Control software offers basic Windows and media playback options, along with integrations for OBS and Streamlabs. However, without a marketplace or the ability for custom inputs or hotkeys, the functionality of these buttons is left wanting. Even the list of native functions feels like it’s short of a few basic choices; there’s an option to launch a URL but not to launch an app and no way to trigger sound effects outside of OBS. It all feels half-baked, something you don’t want to see from a £250 product. Thankfully, all of this is software side so could be expanded on and improved in the future but for now it’s just not up to the level it needs to be.

Should you buy the Hercules Stream 200 XLR?

Like the smaller Stream 100, the Hercules Stream 200 XLR shows promise but ultimately doesn’t deliver a compelling enough package to outshine existing options from other brands. This combined audio interface and controller aims to take the hassle out of audio management but in my testing it just ended up causing more problems than it solved.

Purely as an XLR interface the performance is good but there are cheaper and more feature rich interfaces out there for those just looking to connect a microphone. All isn’t lost for Hercules though as the base hardware is there, it just needs a better user experience to unlock its potential. For now, it’s tough to recommend and you’d be better off exploring other choices in the list of best gear for streamers.

How we tested the Hercules Stream 200 XLR

I included the Hercules Stream 200 XLR in my streaming and gaming setup for a week. In this time I used it as my primary audio interface for live streaming, connecting a RODE PodMic via the included external preamp.  

To learn more about the ways we test gaming accessories and streaming gear, have a peruse of our hardware policy.

Looking for more buying advice for content creation? Take a look at the best webcams, the best ring lights for streamers, and the best green screens.

Streams are famously noisy things and trying to keep everything in balance can often be a tricky boss to battle. From microphone levels to game sound and music, there’s a lot to contend with and many gamers will turn to a physical mixer for support.

With a range of favored brands like Razer, Rode, and Elgato in the market that already make the best capture cards and other streaming gadgets, Hercules is unlikely to be a name that quickly comes to mind. With a background in DJ equipment, Hercules has a history with audio, but the Stream 100 arrives as their first offering for home PC users.

A plug-and-play USB controller, the Stream 100 aims to simplify live stream audio management with a range of physical inputs and a dedicated LCD screen. A $149.99/£119.99 price tag makes this a cheaper choice than existing options but does it offer enough to be considered among some of the best streaming controllers and audio mixers?

Design & Features

Desktop real estate is often at a premium in-home streaming setups so the Hercules Stream 100’s relatively compact footprint is a welcome one. Despite its small size, it doesn’t feel cramped though and the generously sized 4.3” LCD screen and neatly spaced inputs all feel like they have their own room to work. The included USB-C cable also features a right-angle connection to keep it neatly tucked behind the unit which is a thoughtful touch.

Like almost all of the build, the Hercules Stream 100’s four dials are hard plastic with no grip texturing or rubberization. It’s a disappointing level of finish that leaves the unit feeling cheaper than it should, even at this more palatable price point than its XLR counterpart, the Hercules Stream 200 XLR. I also found a strange difference in resistance level across the four dials, each was already easier to twist than I would expect but some dials were even slacker than others.

Things do improve when you interact with the buttons below however and almost make the dials feel worse in comparison. These are pleasant-feeling full rubber buttons that emit a satisfying click and have an alluring backlight. The force required to fire them off is just right and despite the quite large size, I had no issues with mis-clicks no matter which part of the button I prodded.

The Hercules Stream 100 is capped off by a 4.3” LCD screen that dominates the front of the unit. It’s bright and clear with enough detail for its purpose though smaller text does start to get a little rough around the edges. There’s no touch support here which is a shame as a screen of that size feels like it's crying out to be interacted with but the slightly more expensive BEACN Mix Create doesn’t feature one either so it’s far from an expectation. 

My main concern with the design of the Hercules Stream 100 however is that it’s all a little bit empty. It’s noticeably light and even feels hollow to pick up, there’s nothing grand about it. Tapping on anything other than the rubberized buttons gives a horrible cavernous clack to remind you there’s not much going on in there. I wouldn’t usually advocate for sneaky tricks, but even if Hercules had filled the Stream 100 with a little concrete in a couple of places it would have massively improved the feel.

Performance

In testing, I found the Hercules Stream 100 a slightly curious device to use. What it can do, it does just fine and I don’t have any major complaints; the problem is it doesn’t quite do enough to become a solution worthy of investing £120 in. When you consider the cost of the best microphones for streaming and gaming, you want the best value you can get for any additional add-ons.

The goal of the Stream 100 is to help simplify the process of balancing your audio output, allowing for quick adjustments to individual inputs on the fly to keep everything in check. If your setup is simple with just a couple of consistent audio sources to manage, it’ll achieve this pretty well. Using the Stream Control app to assign individual sources to dials I was able to play with levels without diving into UI menus or tabbing out of a game.

All the while the LCD screen offered a visual indication of how the volume of each of my sources sat against each other and whether my microphone was actually picking up audio. You’re able to personalize the experience with a different background image, custom icons, and colors for individual sources as well as labels above the buttons; all of which worked well and were quick to change.

What the Stream 100 can’t do though is handle complex setups or split audio feeds between a personal mix for my speakers and a stream mix for my viewers. You’re also limited to just two pages of four inputs with no way to bundle sources together under common titles. The Stream Control app did make it simple to assign these sources and the list was comprehensive but the two-page limit feels needless given it’s handled on a software side only.

The four buttons are equally easy to assign to basic actions, but again, their functionality is limited. For things like muting and unmuting sources or launching an app they’re great but despite OBS integration their use as an Elgato Stream Deck+ alternative is minimal. You’ll also need to allocate a button to changing pages, so like the Razer Stream Controller X, you’re down a button already thanks to the software (six in total). There’s no external marketplace for additional plugins, dynamic swapping based on which app is running, or custom hotkey support. It all just feels a little undercooked.

Should you buy the Hercules Stream 100?

Ultimately, the Hercules Stream 100 is fine but fails to impress in most areas. For taking control of basic audio sources in a simple streaming setup it’ll do the job, but most creators are likely to quickly outgrow its capabilities. There’s no custom audio routing and the eight individual input limit is a peculiarly limiting one.

Some of this can be explained away by its reasonable £119.99/$149.99 price point as it sits below most competitors, but I still struggle to see the Stream 100 offering enough to become a valuable investment. For just a little bit more a device like the BEACN Mix or Stream Deck+ offers more functionality. Or you could save up and futureproof yourself by going for something made by a brand like Rode that specialises in this kind of gear. The sad part is, any of those alternatives would likely be a better bet for most streamers.

How we tested the Hercules Stream 100

I added the Hercules Stream 100 to my gaming PC and streaming setup for a week. Throughout testing, I used it to control audio levels both while live streaming on Twitch, and for day-to-day use, attempting to run my microphone and most audio sources through the app. 

For more on how we test the latest content creation gadgets, take a look at our hardware policy.

Looking for more streaming gear? Take a look at the best webcams, the best ring lights for streamers, and the best green screens.

The Asus ROG Carnyx reminded me that it’s easier than ever to stream your gameplay these days. There are more titles to choose from, numerous platforms to stream on, and more hardware to help you broadcast it all. It’s not surprising then that previously uninterested gaming brands are jumping on the bandwagon and adding microphones to their wares.

The ROG wing of Asus already offers just about everything a gamer could hope for so it was only a matter of time before we saw a new top-spec microphone from the brand. The ROG Carnyx is a premium-level microphone aimed at gamers who are looking to take content creation a little more seriously. 

A £169.99/$179.99 USB contender, the Carnyx goes head to head with a number of the best microphones for streamers and gaming and enters an already crowded market. So does ROG have what it takes to stand out, or is this microphone just going to get lost in the noise?

Design & Features

From a design standpoint, the ROG Carnyx is simultaneously outlandish and simple, which is an impressive mix to pull off so effectively. The microphone itself is a pretty basic tube that’s held aloft by a permanent shock mount and stand combo that’s all funky and angular. It’s very "gamer" and very on-brand for ROG with a number of logos and design flourishes in the mix.

Build quality is generally strong with a metal casing on the main microphone body complimenting the all-metal stand and mount, but a pair of plastic ends to the microphone rather spoil it as they feel cheap and out of place. It’s also an unbelievably big unit, far too big in my opinion because sitting 25cm off the desk at its highest point it’s much too large to fit under a monitor without blocking a fair part of it. With one of the best capture cards, a stream controller, probably two monitors, and one of the best webcams already taking up space on a desk, microphones like these don't help themselves by being this large. There’s little adjustment on offer in the stand to help this either, just a little tilt back and forth and no way to rotate it to a horizontal position.

I imagine many will go without the stand altogether and instead bolt the ROG Carnyx directly onto a mic arm. While it should be pretty universally compatible with arms from different brands, you’ll need to dig out a screwdriver to remove the baseplate which is far less user-friendly than it should be. Surely ROG could have found a thumb screw to use instead? 

You’ll find the USB-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack easily accessible on the back of the Carnyx and the multi-function dial on the front is nicely textured. The dial lets you switch between controlling mic gain and headphone output levels, as well as toggling the onboard high pass filter. It’s an intuitive control scheme but the dial needs a surprisingly firm press to activate so be warned that you’ll send your mic flying unless you hold on to the back of it too.

A touch-sensitive mute button sits on top of the ROG Carnyx and while it’s simple enough to fire off you’ll need to pay attention to where you’re tapping because it doesn’t cover the entire surface. The microphone itself may be 55mm across but the working area of the mute button is only the middle 20mm or so with no ring indicator to let you know where the hidden button ends and plain plastic begins. It made for a fiddly experience trying to quickly mute myself while testing. I found I almost always needed multiple taps to get it to trigger.

You’ll definitely know when you’ve found the right spot though because the inside of the ROG Carnyx will ignite in a fiery red glow from within when you're muted. It’s an eye-catching effect that you’ll do well to miss as the LEDs are punchy and offer strong color with even brightness. In theory, you should be able to do a lot more with the LEDs onboard the ROG Carnyx by utilizing the Aura Sync effects inside the Armoury Crate desktop app. I say in theory because after more than an hour of uninstalling, reinstalling, unplugging, and restarting I could never get the app to recognize the Carnyx and ultimately gave up. I’m sure the lights would have been very pretty though.

Performance

A single USB cable is all you need to get started with the ROG Carnyx and there’s a generously long 3m braided USB-C to USB-A cable included in the box. Both my streaming PC and OBS instantly recognized the mic as soon as I plugged it in, making it even more baffling that ROG’s own software was none the wiser. Luckily, the EQ options on offer inside the app are either available in OBS or using the Carnyx’s onboard controls anyway so I wasn’t missing out on much. Perhaps a few software patches will help things.

Like the SteelSeries Alias and SteelSeries Alias Pro microphones, there’s a professional grade 25mm condenser capsule tucked away inside the ROG Carnyx and throughout my testing, I found it delivered impressive audio. Everything I captured was clean and well-rounded, particularly when I got a little closer to the microphone itself. While this is a condenser microphone so mic etiquette is nowhere near as important and the pickup area is fairly wide, I found the ROG Carnyx offered a far deeper, smoother sound when you addressed it from 10-15cm away. 

Moving further back to a more traditional streaming and gaming distance of around 30cm introduced some roominess and pulled back on the richness. It still sounded clear and I was happy overall but my voice began to sound a little more withdrawn and lost some of its podcast feel. This isn’t unusual for condenser microphones though, the final sound is just more natural like you’re sitting in the room with someone rather than watching a more produced broadcast. The benefit however is the freedom of movement available around the front of the microphone. Even when I pushed this well outside the limit of how far someone would likely move while gaming the ROG Carnyx continued to pick up my voice clearly with little to no drop-off in overall quality.

The 3.5mm headphone jack works exactly as you’d expect it to, no complaints there but make sure you run a few tests with the onboard high pass filter before going live. It certainly works, though perhaps a little too aggressively as in my quiet and slightly treated setup, I found it had a detrimental effect on my overall sound rather than helping improve it. I have little need for a high pass filter though so this wasn’t necessarily surprising. At the same time, I wouldn't recommend just leaving it on and blindly assuming it will make things better since my voice was more rounded and filled out with it off.

Should you buy the Asus ROG Carnyx?

The streaming microphone space is a crowded one so joining its upper echelon is always going to be a tough ask. The ROG Carnyx certainly holds its own and arrives as a very good option that's priced somewhat reasonably. Unfortunately, it doesn't necessarily stand out from others at this price range as a result. The large diaphragm does deliver the strong, clean sound ROG promises and by paying a little extra attention to mic etiquette it's capable of producing great vocals.

Frustratingly, it’s much too large for a home-targeted microphone and it makes it awkward trying to fit it into a standard gaming setup. For gamers not blessed by mountains of space at one of the best gaming desks, this is almost a non-starter as a result, no matter how good it can sound at times. If you’re flushed with desktop real estate then the Carnyx is definitely worth a look, but there are equally strong options from brands like Elgato and SteelSeries in far smaller packages.

How we tested the Asus ROG Carnyx

I added the ROG Carnyx to my desktop PC setup and used it for dedicated testing, streaming, and general calls for a couple of weeks. It was mounted both on the included stand and an Elgato Wave Arm mic arm but was used without the accompanying software as this was not recognized.

For more on how we test the latest mics for review purposes, take a look at our hardware policy.

For more on the latest streaming hardware, check out the best ring lights for streamers, the best green screen, and the best Razer streaming gear.

Future Games Show at gamescom returns on August 26, hosted by the stars of Resident Evil Requiem, Nick Apostolides (Leon) and Angela Sant'Albano (Grace).

We'll be bringing you a stellar line-up of not one, or two, but three shows from the Cologne-based games industry event, gamescom - more details below.

Viewers can expect a wishlist-expanding series of shows, compered by talented hosts and packed with exclusive trailers, including several world premieres and developer deep dives.

Set a reminder to watch Future Games Show at gamescom right here

Our headline event, the Future Games Show at gamescom, will air first on August 26 and will be immediately followed by FGS Live From gamescom, where our hosts will pass the baton to the FGS Editorial team for all the most exciting news from Cologne and extra world premieres.

FGS Best Of gamescom wraps things up on August 30, taking viewers directly onto the gamescom show floor for a recap of the most important announcements at the event, alongside booth tours and developer insights.

Future Games Show is one of the best ways to discover new games, with our 2025 shows reaching over 150 million total views.

During our Summer Showcase earlier this year, Future Games Show viewers were first to see the extended gameplay reveal of Sci-Fi RPG EXODUS, the world premiere of The Alters: Last Variable and exclusive updates regarding WARDOGS, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis & Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced

Read on to find out everything you need to know about the Future Games Show.

• Follow Future Games Show on X / Twitter
• Follow Future Games Show on YouTube
• Follow Future Games Show on TikTok

How to watch

How to watch the Future Games Show at gamescom 2026

The Future Games Show at gamescom returns on Wednesday August 26 to highlight the most exciting games launching in 2026 and beyond, with world premieres, demo drops and developer deep dives featuring across a 90 minute+ show.

You can watch the Future Games Show by subscribing to FGS's YouTube channel, FGS's Twitch channel, our Facebook page, Twitter / X, and the website, GamesRadar.com.

Watch:
Wednesday, August 26
10 AM PDT / 1pm EDT / 6pm BST / 7pm CEST (TBC)

You can also watch a selection of translated (via captions) feeds in Simplified Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French, German, Spanish, Polish, Portugese, Thai and English, by selecting your choice of live captions from our YouTube Live page. Simply choose the International Feed and make your choice of language.

Who will host?

Who will host the Future Games Show at gamescom 2026?

FGS at gamescom will be hosted by Nick Apostolides and Angela Sant'Albano, who last joined forces as the performers behind Resident Evil Requiem's Leon S. Kennedy and Grace Ashcroft.

Who hosted the Future Games Show Summer Showcase 2026?

Actors Alix Wilton Regan and Troy Baker hosted the Future Games Show Summer Showcase on Saturday, June 6.

Alix Wilton Regan is an award-winning British actor and producer. She is the voice of Lara Croft in the upcoming Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and has also appeared in Cyberpunk 2077, Dragon Age: Inquisition and more.

Troy Baker is an award-winning American actor and musician best known for his roles, including Joel Miller in The Last of Us, Higgs Monaghan in Death Stranding, and Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

Who hosted the Future Games Show Spring Showcase 2026?

Devora Wilde (Lae’Zel in Baldur’s Gate 3) and Shai Matheson (LEGO Batman in LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight) hosted the Future Games Show Spring Showcase 2026.

Devora is best known for her breakout role as the Githyanki warrior Lae’Zel in Larian’s RPG epic, but your ears may also know Wilde from her work on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Split Fiction, Metaphor: ReFantazio, and Wuthering Waves.

Shai is the voice of LEGO Batman in Traveller’s Tales' upcoming love letter to the caped crusader. But it’s unlikely this will be the first time you’ve heard his iconic voice. Matheson previously brought Sylvando to life in the English dub of Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age and appeared in Wuthering Waves as Scar.

What games?

What games will feature in Future Games Show at Gamescom 2026?

You can look forward to over 40 exclusive game trailers, including world premieres, demo drops and in-depth interviews.

We've not announced any featuring titles - yet - but stay tuned for some exciting updates about our best line-up yet.

GOG.com and Epic Games Store join Future Games Show Partners Network

GOG.com, Epic Games Store, GINX TV, Weibo, Netease CC, WeChat, Douyou and more joined an ever-growing list of official Future Games Show partners for our Spring Showcase on March 20.

They join our biggest ever distribution network including Steam, YouTube, Twitch, X, TikTok, IGN, Gamespot and our sister brands gamesradar.com and pcgamer.com.

GOG.com (Good Old Games) is a digital storefront with a focus on game preservation, or in their own words: "A home for building and playing your curated game collection, GOG is a digital distribution platform that puts gamers first and respects their need to own games." In other words, they restore and update classic games like Diablo, Swat 4 and Dragon Age.

Viewers saw an exclusive announcement of some very exciting new (well, old, but classic) games coming to GOG.com in the Spring Showcase on March 20.

How to co-stream

How to co-stream the Future Games Show

We're thrilled to welcome new streamers and creators to our FGS Co-Streamer program and all you need to do is sign up via this short form. We give all partners an exclusive asset pack, and the occasional bonus, including game codes subject to the titles in each show.

• How to Co-Stream the Future Games Show

Take Part

How to take part in the Future Games Show

Working on an exciting new game? Join a roster of exciting titles that debuted in the Future Games Show, including The ExpanseL Osiris Reborn, Painkiller, Immortality, En Garde,, The Case of The Golden Idol, LEGO Bricktales and many more.

If you're interested in being part of the show, you can fill out our updated FGS Game Nomination form or contact the FGS team directly via email:

Nominations are now open for our Gamescom event in August including our FGS Live From and FGS Best Of shows.

For editorial inquiries:
James Jarvis, Executive Producer (james.jarvis@futurenet.com)
Ben Malley, Producer (ben.malley@futurenet.com)

For sponsorship Inquiries:
Melissa Makhmaltchi, Commercial Lead (US), melissa.makhmaltchi@futurenet.com
Kevin Stoddart, Commercial Lead (UK) kevin.stoddart@futurenet.com

• How to take part in the Future Games Show 2025 - Nomination Form

No title is too big – or too small – to take part: we're looking for cool, interesting games that will delight our audience.

Simply get in touch via our nomination form or through the email contacts above to be in consideration for our upcoming roster of digital showcase events.

Steam Page

Future Games Show Steam page

You can check out all the games from each Future Games Show broadcast by visiting our Future Games Show Steam sale page which is updated after each event.

Developers and partners can get in touch via the contact addresses above to discuss how you can appear in the Future Games Show and on the event's Steam page.

What is the Future Games Show?

A brief history of the Future Games Show

The Future Games Show has reached over 400 million viewers since its debut in June 2020 with a mission to celebrate the most exciting, unusual and innovative upcoming games across all formats.

With previous show partners including Warner Bros. Entertainment, Team17, Koch Media, Konami, Sega and many, many more, you can expect diverse game genres - from puzzlers, to shooters, and beaver-led post-apocalyptic strategy games - with a focus on new gameplay footage and fresh developer insight.

The Future Games Show runs three shows a year, the Spring Showcase in March, a summer showcase event in June, and a Gamescom show in August.

We can't wait to partner with even more publishers and developers to share their exciting new games with the Future Games Show audience.

Here's everything you need to know about the Future Games Show so far, including previous hosts, contact details for how to pitch and appear in the show, plus more on how how to wishlist and play games from our event, via the Future Games Show Steam page.

Future Games Show: Game Announcements Recap

If you want to dig into all of the reveals across the history of the Future Games Show, you can check out a list of our ‘everything announced’ articles below:

• Everything announced at the Future Games Show at Gamescom 2023
• Everything Announced at the Future Games Show Summer Showcase 2023
• Everything Announced at the Future Games Show Spring Showcase 2023
• Everything Announced at the Future Games Show at Gamescom 2022
• Everything Announced at the Future Games Show Summer Showcase 2022
• Everything Announced at the Future Games Show Spring Showcase 2022
• Everything Announced at the Future Games Show at Gamescom 2021
• Everything Announced at the Future Game Show Summer Showcase 2021
• Everything Announced at the Future Games Show Spring Showcase 2021
• Everything Announced at the Future Games Show at Gamescom 2020
• Everything Announced a the Future Games Show Summer Showcase 2020

What is the Future Games Show?

GamesRadar Presents: Future Games Show (FGS) is our premier digital showcase event, which debuted in June 2020 at E3, originally hosted by Nolan North and Emily Rose from the Uncharted series. Our truly multiformat showcase has now debuted its ninth event - spanning PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X / S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC and mobile platforms - focusing on the most exciting, quirky and original games of 2022 and beyond.

The Future Games Show's mission is to help fans discover something new with our carefully curated selection of games. We focus on bringing you gameplay clips, developer walkthroughs, and world premieres. The Future Games Spring Showcase 2022 featured a Virtual Show Floor exhibition, containing games that will have playable Steam demos available right after the event. Also returning was the 'Ones to Watch' montage of exciting upcoming games and quirky indies.

Future Games Show previous hosts

The God of War stars Christopher Judge and Danielle Bisutti, aka Kratos and Freya, hosted the Future Games Show Powered by Mana on Wednesday, Aug 24.

The Future Games Show in June 2022 was hosted by Denise Gough and Doug Cockle from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Our Spring Showcase event was broadcast in March 2022 and hosted by Ashly Burch (Aloy, Horizon Zero Dawn and Tina, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands) and John MacMillan (Varl, Horizon Zero Dawn).

In our Gamescom 2020 event, the hosts were the iconic pairing David Hayter and Debi Mae West, who voiced Solid Snake and Meryl Silverburgh respectively.

Hayter told GamesRadar: "Games… have changed. They’re no longer 8-bit side-scrollers, played under synthesized, electric-piano theme songs, but massive worlds of fantasy into which players can escape and explore for months at a time. In this era of the Foxdie Virus, we need these games more than ever. Which is why I’m teaming with my favourite former rookie, Meryl Silverburgh, to host the next episode of the Future Games Show. So grab your cardboard box, put on your stealth camo, and make sure that safety’s off… It’s showtime."

GamesRadar will bring you all the news and videos from the Future Games Show as the next-generation consoles enter their second wave of exciting new titles.

Steelseries carries a strong reputation amongst gamers with a history of quality accessories, headsets, and speakers. Now it’s heading into the world of microphones and has marked its arrival with a pair of challengers, the USB Alias and the XLR Alias Pro. 

It’s a busy industry though, and a hard one to break into when a number of established brands already produce some of the best microphones for streamers and gamers. This sort of product has an audience that demands quality at accessible prices. To stand out Steelseries is taking a new approach and including the full kit in the box; microphone, stand, and audio interface. 

$329.99/£319.99 gets you everything you need for an XLR microphone setup here, but is it a setup worth having?

Design

The SteelSeries Alias Pro is about as simple as you can get in terms of a microphone design while still managing to look the part. The microphone body is identical in size and shape to the USB SteelSeries Alias, a flat-faced black pill that owns a distinctive style without straying too far from tradition. Things are more paired back on the Alias Pro though, there are no buttons, dials, or RGB - just a single XLR output on the back. It’s neat, tidy and pleasant.

Despite the ‘Pro’ label, the more expensive of the two Alias microphones still arrives with a fully plastic body behind the upholstered front panel. It looks and feels fine so it’s far from a real problem, but I have to admit it is a little underwhelming for something with "pro" in its name. Even the thinnest aluminium veneer would have bumped the premium vibe up a few notches and added a clear point of difference on a microphone that costs nearly double that of its namesake.

The Alias Pro includes the same stand and shock mount as the USB variant though I’ve no complaints over this being shared between the two. It does everything you need a stand to do and does it with a classy elegance. The rubberized base carries enough width and weight to remain in place even while I fiddled about with the Alias Pro’s position and XLR cable. As with the standard Alias, however, you’re limited to just a vertical orientation with no way to mount the Alias Pro horizontally on its stand. The top of the microphone reaches 23cm and is prone to that problem where it eats into the bottom of a monitor when standing on one of the best gaming desks. Being able to twist side to side would be a very welcome option, especially as an upgrade from the USB model. Of course, if you want to do away with the stand SteelSeries includes an adapter that’ll be compatible with nearly any mic arm on the market.

Features

Unique to the SteelSeries Alias Pro is the included XLR Stream Mixer that acts as a combined audio interface and mini customizable control center. This little desktop companion achieves a lot in a compact footprint measuring just 11cm by 9cm and also brings a little RGB flair to the setup as a whole. The angled top is home to two large, backlit mute buttons and two dials - one for mic gain and one that’s mappable.

The buttons are responsive without being prone to accidental touches and the two dials are spaced far enough apart to not encroach on each other. For such a compact area I'm glad to say that nothing feels cramped. The LED ring around the mic gain dial also reflects your input levels and bounces between green, yellow, and red as your volume changes. It’s nice to have but nowhere near as impactful as the hidden LEDs on the body of the Alias and I didn’t notice that most of the time.

The back of the Stream Mixer is home to an XLR input with a 3.5mm headphone monitoring jack hiding on the side too. They both do their job but it’s the dual USB-C ports that are what put the "pro" in Alias Pro. They allow creators running a dual-PC setup to output their audio to two destinations simultaneously with no extra hassle or software needed. It’s a simple solution that works well, however, the two ports are tightly tucked together underneath the XLR cable so things can get fiddly.

In an age where brands do their best to include as little as possible in the box, it’s great to see SteelSeries offer up more with the Alias Pro. Not only does the Pro include the stand, shock mount, and Stream Mixer but also an XLR cable and two USB-C to USB-A cables. The result is a genuine all-in-one purchase that even rivals the RODE Streamer X in terms of value. Everything you need to go from nothing to live is in the box, and that’s worthy of recognition.

Performance

The SteelSeries Alias Pro is interesting because despite being an XLR microphone, it’s about as plug-and-play as you can get. The setup process was incredibly simple and despite a few more connections it was no more difficult to get going than with a USB microphone. That makes it a particularly inviting bundle for new streamers or those looking to step up from USB only.

The large, one-inch capsule tucked inside the SteelSeries Alias Pro is identical to the one you’ll find in the USB Alias, so unsurprisingly the Pro delivers the same excellent sound as its cheaper sibling. Even without additional filters or processing my voice was clear and carried an overall quality and depth in line with some of the best XLR mics out there. Throughout testing, I was impressed with the Alias Pro’s natural profile which meant my recordings sounded like you were in the room with me rather than carrying an overly produced studio vibe.

Steelseries’ choice to go the condenser route for the Alias range is a clever one. Condenser microphones can often sound a little distant and roomy, but this isn’t something I experienced with the Alias, or indeed the Alias Pro. While you do lose some of that intense proximity of a dynamic microphone, you gain a large pickup area which meant I experienced no drop in audio quality as I moved to and fro during streams.

While the Alias Pro sounds great out of the box, the Steelseries Sonar app really unlocks its true form. Most creators will get away with choosing one of the included presets, though if you want to get granular I found the click-and-drag interface simple to use, even for audio novices.

Sonar also offers ClearCast AI noise cancellation which did an incredible job, even at lower intensity levels. This is one of the best noise cancellation solutions I’ve tested and on par with what Nvidia Broadcast is capable of. It stripped out a range of background annoyances including fans and keyboard noise without impacting vocal performance, and it’s CPU powered which puts less demand on one of the best graphics cards.

Should you buy the SteelSeries Alias Pro?

If this review has sounded repetitive when compared to our review of the USB Alias, it's because both mics are highly recommendable, and do so many of the same things well. This is both the strongest and weakest thing about both SteelSeries siblings. Which one is right for you will really come down to your setup and how much money you have at your disposal.

Even though its simple USB counterpart offers more ease for plug and play, the Alias Pro is still a recommendable mic for new streamers thanks to its all-in-one offering. For more seasoned creators looking to make the XLR switch, the SteelSeries Alias Pro includes everything you need in the box, so it's a clear choice for that buyer too. The unique approach to including everything in the one box is a clever idea and across the board each item is high quality and plays its part well. 

The large one-inch condenser capsule delivers clean, natural audio and is well supported by the SteelSeries Sonar apps’ bag of tricks. The question is, at $329.99/£319.99, do you need the Pro model when there's a cheaper alternative that does almost the exact same job? Well, that's up to you, but this is still a damn good mic.

How we tested the SteelSeries Alias Pro

I used the full SteelSeries Alias Pro bundle in my gaming and streaming setup. It was used as my primary audio device for Twitch streaming, Discord calls, and dedicated audio testing. Throughout I used it both on the included stand and attached to an Elgato Wave Arm using the supplied cables and SteelSeries Sonar software.

For more on how we test the latest audio equipment, take a look at our hardware policy.

For more streaming gear, check out the best webcams, the best ring lights for streaming, and the best capture cards.

Streamers and gamers are spoiled for choice when it comes to USB microphones these days, with options popping up at every step of the price scale. The result is a battleground where you need to find a way to stand out, particularly as a newcomer. 

SteelSeries may not be a newcomer to the world of gaming gear in general, but the Alias and the sibling SteelSeries Alias Pro are the brand's first attempt at making the best microphone for streamers and gamers. 

A £179/$179 USB-C condenser microphone it’s an eye-catching, premium option in the field, with plenty to back it up on the software side. So has SteelSeries done enough to stand out?

Design

Microphones tend to prefer being heard and not seen, and this is often reflected in their physical design. That's not the case here though - work has clearly gone into making the Alias, and the SteelSeries Alias Pro a pair of absolute lookers. As far as microphones go, these are pretty pleasant ones.

The SteelSeries Alias carries across the same pill style as the brand’s Arena speakers and it makes for a fresh take on the standard microphone barrel. I like it; it’s a unique look without being overdesigned for the sake of being different. The body is plastic but still carries a premium feel and the fully upholstered front panel feels rather grown up and studio-like.

Sticking out of the face is a touch-sensitive mute button and a headphone gain dial, while the microphone gain dial is banished to the back. Personally, I’d have preferred to see the mute button on the bottom as the integrated shock-mount arms do get in the way a tad, but that’s hardly a dealbreaker.

The included stand is also nicely considered, there’s more sweeping curves here that make it unmistakably a match for the Alias. A reasonably large footprint combined with a weighty and fully rubberized base meant I had no issues with it staying put on my desk and no matter which angle I moved the SteelSeries Alias microphone to, it didn't overbalance. You are limited to a vertical orientation with the stand however which is a shame, I’d have liked the option to rotate and have the Alias sit horizontally so it didn’t start covering the bottom of my monitor. 

SteelSeries includes a boom arm adapter in the box with both the standard 3/8" and 5/8" threads so the Alias should be compatible with any brand of microphone arm. I bolted it to the Elgato Wave Arm and had no problems at all. Even with the metal shock mount still attached the SteelSeries Alias is only just over 200g so even cheaper mic arms should handle the strain.

Features

Of course, it wouldn’t be a streamer-focused microphone without a little RGB, and on the SteelSeries Alias, you’ll find this in a small ring on the bottom. When hanging off a mic arm it feels a tad redundant, you can’t really see it and it performs no real purpose. If you’re using the Alias with the included stand, however, its placement becomes clear as the base of the stand picks up that glow. I’ll admit that it’s a neat touch and integration with the GG app means it’ll play nice with any other SteelSeries accessories you already have.

There’s another unique and slightly more practical LED presence on the Alias and it’s hiding behind the fabric. A row of five LEDs provides visual feedback of your input levels in real time with three green, one yellow, and one red light keeping you constantly in the loop. Tap the mute button and you’re greeted with a big, scary X across the face of the microphone itself, it’s wonderfully obnoxious, unmissable, and clever - no more accidental two-hour silent streams or Zoom meeting faux pas.

 Performance

Looking good is one thing but for a USB microphone with a pretty hefty price tag, the SteelSeries Alias needs to hit the mark when it comes to audio performance. 

Thankfully, across the board, I found this largely to be the case. 

SteelSeries has gone with a condenser capsule for the Alias and it’s a decision that pairs well with their gaming focus. Unlike a dynamic capsule that requires direct attention, the Alias’ large condenser capsule sucks in audio from a wider field and is more forgiving to poor mic etiquette. I found the cardioid pickup pattern did a good job at maintaining consistent quality from a decently large bubble in front of the Alias and I was able to move around more desk space without any real drops in quality. There is definite value to staying a little closer though with a real sweet spot of richness 8-10 inches away.

The trade-off of condenser microphones capturing from a greater area is usually an unwelcome sense of roominess to the sound but in testing, I found SteelSeries had done a good job in overcoming this. Even in my office with no specific acoustic treatment, the Alias captured my voice with a nice sense of presence and without a distant airiness others suffer from. It’s a natural sound profile, like being sat in the room together rather than listening to a studio broadcast - something to keep in mind if you’re a creator looking for that more stylized ‘podcast voice’.

The large one-inch capsule is the same as you’ll find in the more expensive XLR Alias Pro and it’s refreshing to see SteelSeries not punish creators with a preference for USB. Even straight out of the box with no software tweaking, the large capsule delivered clean, detailed sound that was on par with what you’ll find from more seasoned audio veterans like RODE. The included shock mount did a good job too, both on the stand and my mic arm it successfully shielded the Alias from all but the heaviest of attacks on my desk.

While a majority of creators could probably run the SteelSeries Alias fully plug and play there are benefits to be had from firing up the Sonar section of SteelSeries’ GG software. Here the streamer mode will unlock a range of EQ options with a handful of basic presets or the ability to really hone in your unique sound. I found the click-and-drag approach simple to use, much like the BEACN Mic software and it didn’t take long to find improvements I was happy with.

SteelSeries also includes ClearCast AI noise cancellation in GG Sonar which, like NVIDIA Broadcast, is really pretty magical at getting rid of everything but your voice. I was particularly impressed at how well it performed, even at lower intensity settings, and didn’t find it had a noticeable impact on vocal quality as a result. If you’re streaming from a less-than-optimal space or have an overbearingly loud mechanical keyboard it’s a real winner - and unlike NVIDIA’s solution it’s CPU-driven so shouldn’t impact gameplay too much either.

Additionally, SteelSeries GG offers control of your other PC audio devices with individual app routing and sub-mixes across a couple of different channels. It’s very similar to offerings from RODE or BEACN and just like those it’s fine but also full of frustrations. Most of these I’ll concede come from the fact it’s essentially re-skinning Windows’ audio management so the same quirks and limitations carry over. I found it a little overbearing - there’s a very specific configuration the software wants you to use and if you’d like a setup that’s different to that be prepared for a wrestling match.

Thankfully, it’s separate from the Alias microphone itself so you can ignore it if you don’t want to get granular. Here's hoping software updates improve that kind of foible over time.

Should you buy the SteelSeries Alias?

As a first attempt at a microphone, the SteelSeries Alias is a wonderful start. It’s clear that rather than rolling out a generic offering for the sake of having one in the range, SteelSeries has put a good level of thought and care into designing their gamer-focused microphone.

The large condenser capsule picks up great detail with impressive clarity and avoids some of the major pitfalls others stumble upon. When combined with the SteelSeries Sonar app the Alias becomes a quality option for streamers, even despite the more professional-grade Alias Pro. Ultimately, this is one that lives up to its £179/$179 price point.

How we tested the SteelSeries Alias

I used the SteelSeries Alias USB microphone as part of my gaming and streaming setup for a couple of weeks before writing this review. It was used as my primary audio device for Twitch streaming, Discord calls, and dedicated audio testing. Throughout I used it both on the included stand and attached to an Elgato Wave Arm using the supplied USB cable and SteelSeries Sonar software.

For more on how we test the latest gaming tech, peruse our hardware policy.

For more streaming gear, check out the best webcams, the best ring lights for streaming, and the best capture cards.

There are parts of the OBSBOT Tiny 2 that I love, and parts of it that I remain confused by after multiple hours of use. Like the original OBSBOT Tiny, a lot of the onus here is placed on AI tracking features, while its core appeal remains a 4K camera in an extremely compact package. 

The best webcams often find themselves aimed at either video conferencing or content creation these days, and while the OBSBOT Tiny 2's camera quality is excellent, it's held back in either category by the fact that it wants to be so much more than just a simple webcam.

In reaching for a unique selling point, it's stumbled into a very narrow slice of the market. At $329 / £329, it's far too expensive for the vast majority of buyers, even when compared to close competitors like the Insta360 Link webcam.

Design and Features

Just like the OBSBOT Tiny 4K before it, the OBSBOT Tiny 2 is a really good webcam first and foremost. I love the picture quality, which does well in both natural and artificial light, never feels washed out by the light from my dual monitors, and does a good job distinguishing focus between foreground and background. 

It comes in a really nice little package, nestled comfortably on top of my screen and spinning silently to life as soon as I need a camera or move into a virtual meeting room. When it's inactive, it points down towards its own stand, so I'm never worried that I've forgotten to turn it off. It also comes with a built-in microphone, which isn't bad in a quiet room, but provides a slightly muffled sound. I'd definitely still recommend grabbing one of the best microphones for streaming and gaming, whether you want to give clear callouts to teammates or keep a Twitch chat entertained.

OBSBOT's unique selling feature from the original Tiny returns here, with AI tracking software that moves with the camera's subject matter. It's extremely responsive, and very smooth - leaning back and forth in my chair, the change in the display is so sleek that it can be easy to miss it happening around gradual movements. The tracking can be turned on or off, and the camera itself features voice control, hand controls, and a remote control. Via those control methods, you're able to turn the tracking on or off, zoom the display in or out, and select pre-set, alternative camera positions. All of these methods are just as responsive as AI tracking, but that's not always a good thing.

Performance

Not long after I set the camera up for the first time, I was in a meeting in which, apparently, my hand made an approximation of the OBSBOT's 'Zoom In' symbol. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched my colleague do a double-take, and, puzzled, I looked towards them to see the camera smash-zooming on my face like something out of a viral TikTok. Thankfully, I'd studied the manual enough to know how to reverse the process, but my meeting had already been derailed.

Funny as that moment was, it pretty successfully encapsulates my biggest issue with the Tiny 2: It fulfills its core function excellently, but dilutes the impressive video quality of something like a Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra with several features that would likely be fulfilled just as well - if not better - by specialized technology, probably for a comparable price. You could pick up a standalone 4K camera, a decent mic, and a stream deck for not much more than the cost of the Tiny 2's RRP of $329.

Of course, OBSBOT is hoping to set the Tiny 2 entirely apart with its AI tracking, and that is undeniably good. It's subtle enough that it's not distracting during meetings, it's easy to turn on and off, and it maneuvers quickly and quietly, even to the extremes of the frame as I move around in my desk chair or lean to grab something off the floor. 

For me, however, no matter how good the tracking remains, it's still not the most necessary feature, and it has messed up on a couple of occasions. Once, a meeting started with the camera pointing off into empty space. Another time, it followed someone else's face out of shot after they leaned in. It's easy to bring the focus back to oneself, but it's frustrating that something even as occasionally distracting as this is attached to a feature that I don't really need.

That feeling - that I don't need the headline feature of this webcam - is something that I've found hard to shake. And it goes deeper than a personal problem because I've struggled to work out exactly what the use case for the AI tracking is. For work meetings, it's simply not necessary unless you're doing some large-scale corporate video presentation on a Teams call - but even that is pretty fringe.

I don't really want a dynamic camera at all in video meetings, so that means no zooms, no tracking, and certainly no unintended smash cuts or rapid re-framings. It's also hard to see the value for the vast majority of streamers, who rely on single-camera setups based on one position they sit in. Even those who do move around will likely be better served by a multi-angle camera setup.

Should you buy the OBSBOT Tiny 2?

I've thought about it a lot, and the only situation where I could see the Tiny 2's AI tracking being genuinely valuable is for large presentations - a demonstration where an instructor is moving around a physical space while filming for virtual attendees, for example. For that specific instance, I think this would be a great camera, but it feels to me like that represents a very small subsection of the market. The newly beefed-up OBSBOT Tail Air features AI as well, but since it can be used remotely and in a multi-cam setup, that tracking makes a lot more sense.

Eventually, it's a question of price. I'm extremely satisfied with the Tiny 2 as a webcam, but for any way I can think that I would use it in my own life, I would rather buy a stationary 4K camera, a decent microphone, and pocket the rest of the money. That's a shame, because there are aspects of this camera that I really like, and there will be people who can genuinely push it to the limits it was designed to test, but for me - and, I think, for most - the price-to-use ratio just doesn't make sense.

How we tested the OBSBOT Tiny 2

The OBSBOT Tiny 2 was used in a home environment and used as a replacement for a previous 1080p webcam. During that time, it was used on a daily basis, for both work meetings and private calls, in a variety of different lighting conditions. 

For more on how we test the latest technology, check out our hardware policy.

For more streaming gear, take a look at the best capture cards, the best green screens, and the best ring lights.

Overwatch 2 won't be getting any new PvE story missions for at least the next couple of seasons, the game's executive producer has confirmed. 

Appearing in a recent live stream with Twitch streamer Emongg, Jared Neuss - executive producer of Overwatch 2 - discussed the game's PvE content, revealing that we won't be getting any new missions until a couple more seasons have passed. "Don't expect the next round [of story missions] in the next season and the season after that, or anything like that," Neuss explains. 

"It is very much like trying to find that balance between getting [story missions] in front of players quickly because we love story stuff, and giving ourselves enough time to make changes or add features," the producer continues. Neuss didn't give us a date for when to expect this new PvE content but judging from his comments, as well as the timing of Overwatch 2's new seasons, it would be fair to assume the developer is hinting towards a 2024 time frame. 

Elsewhere in the stream, Neuss goes on to say: "To be fair, there's a bunch of stuff that we want to do next year, or that are already in development for next year, that will fill the gaps that people will have in between." Neuss continues: "We're trying to make it so that it doesn't feel like 'and then there's nothing' for a long extended period of time. It's more like 'there's this cool thing!' and 'there's this other narrative thing', 'there's this other narrative thing' - we keep telling interesting stories and moving that all forward." 

It's no secret that fans have had mixed feelings about Overwatch 2 lately. Earlier this year Blizzard revealed it was killing Overwatch 2's PvE mode before later resurrecting it and revealing it is changing it into something more manageable for development. Most recently, it was revealed that Overwatch 2's PvE is paywalled - a change that's left fans feeling pretty fed up with Blizzard's hero shooter and questioning why did we need Overwatch 2 in the first place?

In other news, Overwatch 2 players are getting story content soon with a new animated mini-series.

Indie climbing game Only Up! is Twitch's latest masochist craze. 

In recent months we've seen new entries from some of gaming's biggest and most popular titles, including The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Diablo 4, which you'd certainly expect to be high on Twitch's most-watched chart. One you might not be expecting is Only Up!, an unassuming indie game inspired by Jack and the Beanstalk that's received fairly mixed reviews on Steam. But like with Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy and Jump King - both punishing games about struggling upwards - it's taken Twitch by storm. 

Only Up! puts you in the shoes of teenager Jackie who, in an effort to escape poverty, sets out to climb to the very top of the game's weird and disjointed world. "The game has no save points," explains Only Up!'s Steam page. "The point is that each successive level raises the stakes in the game, the higher you climb, the more painful to fall." It adds: "This makes the game more tense and nervous, but that's the point - to reach the top, you need to step over this fear and irritability, calm down and slowly but surely move toward the goal." 

And it's just this struggle and tension, coupled with the game's simplistic nature, that has made Only Up! such a hit with Twitch streamers and viewers. At the time of writing, it's got over 85,000 viewers tuning in to watch a dizzying array of videos of players trying to make their way to the top. According to Twitch Tracker, Only Up! is the sixth most popular game on the streaming platform right now, just behind League of Legends and Diablo 4.

Developer SCKR Games estimates that the time it takes to complete Only Up! is around 40 minutes to two hours, though if you keep falling, it could very well go on forever! It also warns that "if you're the kind of person who gives up easily, think before you buy the game." As it's currently sitting pretty high on Steam's top sellers chart, it seems that watching Twitch streamers squirm has inspired many to attempt this quirky challenge themselves.

See more indies that are coming your way in the near future in our upcoming indie games guide.

Reddit has shut down a three-year-old hub of Switch piracy discussion after the Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom leaks brought it a new level of infamy.

To be clear, it's uncertain whether the shutdown is directly tied to the Tears of the Kingdom leaks, but given that r/NewYuzuPiracy was around for three years but exploded in popularity over the past month, it's not difficult to suspect that there's some correlation here.

As PC Gamer reports, r/NewYuzuPiracy had nearly doubled in size since May 1, when Tears of the Kingdom first began leaking onto pirate sites, and in that time had become a hub of discussion for both piracy and modding of the new Zelda game.

As the name suggests, this subreddit was originally built as a replacement for the similarly-banned r/YuzuPiracy. If you try to head to r/NewYuzuPiracy now, you'll see the message that "this subreddit was banned due to a violation of Reddit's content policy against creating or repurposing a sub to reconstitute or serve the same objective as a previously banned or quarantined subreddit." It seems it just took Reddit three years to get around to enforcing that policy.

While Reddit doesn't have a direct ban on discussion of piracy, the site's content policy does have a rule to "avoid posting illegal content or soliciting or facilitating illegal or prohibited transactions." Despite that, much larger forums centered on piracy - like r/Piracy - have seen no action taken against them, though the moderators of several such forums have taken them private in protest of Reddit's unrelated crackdown on third-party apps.

Other content hosts have been getting skittish in the wake of Nintendo's redoubled efforts to crack down on piracy, as with the confusing aftermath of Valve's decision to remove Gamecube and Wii emulator Dolphin from Steam. Over the past few months, we've seen Nintendo go after Breath of the Wild mods, subpoena Discord over the Tears of the Kingdom leaks, and even suspend legitimate Twitch streams in an effort to crack down on spoilers. Heck, back in 2022, Nintendo even targeted a site that provides images of games that can be used with emulators. 

The best Switch games should only be played on Nintendo-approved hardware, if ya know what's good for ya.

Update: Twitch has issued an apology on Twitter in response to the criticism of its new branded content policy, admitting that the update was "overly broad."

"We do not intend to limit streamers’ ability to enter into direct relationships with sponsors, and we understand that this is an important part of how streamers earn revenue," the streaming service says. "We wanted to clarify our existing ads policy that was intended to prohibit third party ad networks from selling burned in video and display ads on Twitch, which is consistent with other services. We missed the mark with the policy language and will rewrite the guidelines to be clearer. Thank you for sharing your concerns, and we appreciate the feedback. We’ll notify the community once we have updated the language."

The response to Twitch's statement has been no more conciliatory than the response to the initial rule change. The new branded content policy was highly specific, so it's uncertain what Twitch can make "clearer" in a way that will appease disappointed and angry streamers.

Original story follows...

Twitch has updated its branded content policy with sweeping restrictions on advertisements, infuriating countless streamers and threatening the financial viability of event channels including esports and charity streams.

Streamer Zach Bussey flagged the new content guidelines in a tweet that's quickly become a gathering point for thousands of vocal critics. Simply put, Twitch says it will no longer permit "burned in" prerecorded video, audio, or other display ads like graphics, preventing streamers from embedding such promotions directly in their overlay. Sponsored logos will also be limited to 3% of the screen, which is a tiny quadrant of your average 1080p stream. 

Streamers will still be able to discuss, endorse, and unbox sponsored products; play sponsored games on stream; feature sponsored products in the background of their stream cam (though the ruling for virtual backgrounds that vtubers use presents a curious gray area); link to other sites in promotions; and add branded panels to their channel's info, which is shown below their actual stream. 

To put it mildly, the response to these changes has been negative. To put it less mildly, many of the biggest streamers on the platform are actively discussing leaving Twitch once and for all, with this news only exacerbating complaints about monetization after shifts in the platform's ad and subscriber revenue split. 

Bussey himself admitted that "I'm honestly going to have to re-evaluate if Twitch is the place I want to create content on moving forward." 

Charlie, AKA MoistCr1TiKaL or penguinz0, quite unreservedly exclaimed that "it's actually impressive how Twitch manages to make the most dogshit changes imaginable." 

Alex Jebailey, founder of fighting game hub CEO Gaming and the face of Twitch's iconic Jebaited emote, joked that he "will give up being the Global Emote known as Jebaited as a peace offering to not move forward with these new Ad Guidelines that hurt all creators big or small." 

Zack Hoyt, better known as Asmongold, was quick to argue that "this is a legitimate situation where streamers should consider boycotting Twitch or moving to other platforms," and announced his own plans to get away. 

"There is no reason for Twitch to do this other than to monetize, monopolize, and take advantage of smaller streamers," he said in a clip widely shared online. "And keep in mind this is all streamers; this is fucking somebody like me over and it's fucking over the 300-viewer Andy that you watch for your own niche game at night. So yes, I will move to another platform – non-exclusively, I will still stream on Twitch occasionally – if this goes through." 

There have been similar responses from major vtubers like Zentreya of VShojo, who echoed many others in saying "this is genuinely ridiculous as many sponsors have different ways of making us promote products and brands." 

Particular concern has been paid to event channels like SGDQ, which just recently concluded its 2023 run (and yes, that timing has raised some eyebrows). Speedrunners, charities, showcases, esports, and similarly structured channels heavily rely on the kinds of ads that Twitch has moved to prohibit, limiting their ability to monetize and therefore fund their content. 

The fighting game community, especially, has expressed worries over the future of tournaments on Twitch, which are hugely reliant on sponsors that are accustomed to a much larger chunk of screen time than what Twitch is proposing here. Bear in mind, this comes right on the heels of Street Fighter 6, which would've been ripe for tournament activity. 

"I’ve got my fingers crossed Twitch sees the feedback on this and it doesn’t actually go through as it would kill basically any sponsorships our live events can work with to help us," Jebailey added. In a reply, Jebaily affirmed that, if these changes stick, he expects changing platforms to "be explored as an option more than ever before." 

SGDQ 2023 was a bit smaller and slower than last year's event, which raised over $3 million for charity, but it still pulled in $2.2 million. 

Diablo 4's level 100 pinnacle challenge has been temporarily disabled by Blizzard while the developer works to "resolve" a few things related to the encounter. 

As announced by Blizzard community manager Adam Fletcher over on the Blizzard Forums: "The level 100 pinnacle challenge encounter has been temporarily disabled as we work to resolve a few items related to this encounter." 

It's not been revealed how long the encounter will be disabled but since Diablo 4 players are currently racing to be the first 1,000 players to hit the level cap, here's hoping it gets sorted soon. 

The first person to reach level 100 was streamer Rob2628, who managed to reach the Diablo 4 max level in softcore mode in just 54 hours and 30 minutes. Considering the game has only been out for a few days so far, that's pretty impressive. Behind Rob, there's also Twitch streamers CArn_ and Wudijo who both managed to complete the challenge too, but in hardcore mode. You can keep track of the competition on the D4race website.

It's not been completely smooth sailing for Diablo 4 players in the level 1,000 race. So far, several streamers have had their time cut short due to the game glitching on them. Diablo 4 player @_RetroKrystal spent 20 hours working their way up to level 46 before their game crashed on hardcore mode resulting in them having to start from scratch. Another player, Max "Maximum" Smith, also had a similar issue at level 18 which they described as "brutal."

Want to try and reach level 100 yourself? Find out how to level up fast in Diablo 4.

The Diablo 4 max level has been reached by its first level 100 hardcore character: a Barbarian helmed by Path of Exile streamer cArn_, who formed a healthy lead over competition including several major Diablo streamers. 

cArn has announced his achievement on Twitter, linking to a Twitch clip of the big finale, including the all-important #Diablo4Hardcore tag, and thanking his team for their support. Global Diablo community development director Adam Fletcher has responded to the tweet, seemingly affirming cArn's win. 

This team notably includes Nugiyen, Zizaran, and Steelmage, who are respectively ranked second, third, and fourth on the hardcore leaderboard at the time of writing, according to DiabloBuilds. And yes, they immediately got back to grinding after cArn's big moment. At this rate, the odds are good the whole squad will sit at the top of the leaderboard. 

This group, and obviously cArn especially, have managed something of an upset in Diablo 4's higher-stakes world-first level 100 race. For days, many Diablo 4 fans expected acclaimed streamer Wudijo to win the race, as he had a hefty lead over the competition around the level 50 mark. However, Wudijo is now ranked sixth, a notch above popular FPS streamer Shroud. 

That being said, Wudijo is notably a solo hardcore player, whereas cArn and the gang were able to farm more efficiently playing in a group. In other words, the solo race is still on, and Wudijo is still looking like a favorite. 

cArn was previously known for Dota and Starcraft 2 wins, but has more recently topped several Path of Exile races. Unsurprisingly, those action-RPG skills were clearly transferable here, as was the same unhealthy sleep schedule. Hopefully these gamers can get some rest soon. 

One hardcore player was devastated to lose their run to a glitch that locked their movement during a boss fight. 

A streamer has only just discovered two crucial, tutorial-level abilities in Fire Emblem: Three Houses after putting 120 hours into the strategy RPG. 

That streamer would be the brilliantly named LouiseyHannah, who found herself in some unfortunate circumstances earlier this week. The streamer is no doubt a Fire Emblem: Three Houses veteran, but even veterans can miss the fact that there's a button for sprinting while exploring Garreg Mach monastery in the strategy game.

As it happens, veterans can also miss out on the ability to change unit's positions on the battlefield before a fight. Yes, it turns out you really can go 120 hours in Fire Emblem: Three Houses having missed something that the game explains to you via a tutorial after less than five hours.

It turns out a lot of LouiseyHannah's viewers were similarly shocked. "YOU CAN SWAP CHARACTER POSITIONS?!" one Twitter response reads. Wait, what?! Like really? I have to try it ASAP. Luckily, I only have about 10 hours in...." says another Twitter user.

"I really appreciate the work your mods do and the respect your chat has to not tell you these things. it leads to such amazing moments," says on Twitch viewer. They're not wrong - it's actually a pretty impressive feat for not a single viewer in an entire audience to explain or 'backseat game' a playthrough for a Twitch streamer in over 120 hours.

We can't help but wonder what, if any, features players are missing in Fire Emblem Engage after dozens of hours with the latest game in the series. Perhaps someone's managed to completely forget about equipping the Emblem Rings, or overlooked Support conversations around Somniel. Hey, there aren't many worse places to discover a key feature after 100+ hours than in front of a live audience.

Did you catch a weird meta reference in Fire Emblem Engage's credits? 

This article was originally published in February 2023. As of April 2023, however, Perrikayal has completed Elden Ring in its entirety, dispatching Malenia and the Elden Beast.

"I thought, 'what's the hardest thing I could possibly do?'" For streamer PerriKaryal, who made headlines last month for her attempts to play Elden Ring using the power of her mind, there was a significant jump between the Minecraft world where she first considered it, and the boss arenas of The Lands Between where it started to become a reality. When we talked after clips of her Twitch stream went viral, however, it was the community around FromSoftware's games and its amazing precedent of finding new ways to play that drove her there. Now, she's at the forefront of that precedent, but is still pushing the boundaries of what her tech can do.

Perri's hands-free take on Elden Ring requires the use of an Electroencephalogram (EEG for short). The device, which is placed on the user's head, uses a number of electrodes to "pick up different changes in electrical activity that come out from your brain." That process can be sketchy. "EEG isn't very good at placing where signals are coming from, [but it's] really good at figuring out when they're happening." Traditionally, the technology is used to diagnose various brain disorders, like epilepsy, and in neuroscientific research. More directly, however, the signals it picks up are specific enough that they can be mapped to a specific action.

In Perri's case, that action is an attack, often one of Elden Ring's more impactful spells, but even that single action is the result of hours of testing and training. First, the EEG has to figure out what frequency wavelengths a specific action is giving off, then where they're coming from, then how 'loud' they are within the brain. "That, holistically over the whole brain, is a pattern of brain activity. And then you record what you look like when you're talking, and it remembers what your brain looks like for that." 

Brain training

The clip above shows what that process looks like, but the next step is recording the pattern required for an attack. For Perri, "the attacking is imagining pushing something heavy forwards." A little extra coding, and that imaginary push can be bound to an attack key. 

If that sounds too simple to be true, it's because it is. When we spoke, the only input Perri had achieved was attacking. Other activities, like moving or using an Estus Flask, are still bound to a traditional controller, and, having started from scratch a few times, it took "maybe 11 hours of straight training." Even then, Perri says she's not happy with the results –"it works but it's sometimes unreliable and I have to keep adjusting it." 30 minutes before a stream, there'll be more training, and that sometimes extends into the broadcasts. In an ideal world, Perri says she'd start from scratch, deleting all her previous trials and doing it "several hundred times over the course of a week," just to really nail down that single mental movement.

Even with all that effort in advance, there's no guarantee of getting results. A single action somewhere in the back of the mind can disrupt the reading and render the thought pattern ineffective: "You can train the software as much as you want, but you're not always guaranteed that you're going to be doing the same thing. Sometimes I absent-mindedly tap my foot, and that completely messes up the whole thing, because it adds a little 'squiggle' somewhere else." 

Sometimes, the system will work perfectly in testing, only for the nerves of performing in front of an audience to disrupt it in a live environment. Sometimes, concentrating on a specific thought becomes impossible when being charged down by a huge, hulking monster. Fatigue plays a part too, and so, Perri thinks, does the EEG's battery capacity. If any of those things contributes to a different pattern of brain activity, the EEG won't pick up the desire to attack, and the keybind won't be triggered, no matter how much mental effort is put in. "It feels like your brain is broken," she says.

The Science 

Perri's experience with EEGs dates back to her time at university. She has a Master's Degree in Psychology, and came across the technology during the little bits of neuroscience she tackled at school. "I always thought it was these really expensive, massive machines that you had to have a medical degree to use," she says, but the headset she uses in her streams is a consumer model that she bought for around £1,000. "I thought, 'hey, I have savings. That's not not doable'." From there, curiosity took over. "'Could you keybind this? Or could you display this over a horror game? What would it look like at a jumpscare?' That's what I started doing. So it was just something I knew about, found accidentally, thought would be really cool. Now I'm thinking about all the possibilities, and where you can go." Perri herself isn't involved directly in this aspect of the technology, but notes, "the potential for people with certain disabilities and accessibility."

Beyond video games, those aspects of EEG are already being tested. "The first time they did something like this, with the headset controlling a robot, was in 1988. And that is a long time for science. And then they've been successfully controlling wheelchairs." Perri's headset seems futuristic, but she says that the potential that the technology offers is "maybe [...] closer than we think if it gets enough research and funding. If we can consider setting up a commune on Mars in the next 100 years, this is going to be closer."

Unfortunately, there's still the barrier of the EEG's gross physicality to overcome. If Perri gets tired, the inputs are clunkier. The sensor pads can dry out and become less receptive, and Perri's hair has "not survived" the vast quantities of saline solution that is required to freshen them up. Conversely, all that time spent concentrating means that sweat starts to impede the process too. All that is "worth it for the content," but then there's the hardware issues. Some of those are with the headset – the delicate nature of the wires meant that Perri's first model snapped, and plenty of administrative maintenance is required to prevent the electrodes from "frazzling" – but others are with our own hardware: "I honestly think the main limitations are, up to a certain point, what we actually know about the brain."

Mental block 

Once all those physical issues were overcome, the next obstacle was the Lands Between itself. The experiment started with Minecraft, and Perri says she plans to return to the block-builder one day, but that the desire for a challenge is what drove her to Elden Ring. As much as any FromSoft game can be, her current effort is a pacifist run, "if there's loads of things around and I have to dodge and weave and dive, then I think it's unlikely that I'll be able to trigger the command quickly enough because of all the other distractions going on." If she can get a straight run with Torrent, there's an opportunity for an attack from horseback, but at least for now, the focus has been on making a straight shot to the objective.

That worked pretty well, at least for a while. Early clips showed Perri using massive spells while hiding a long way behind a spirit summon, blasting bosses apart from a safe distance. "What [the EEG] works really well with is powerful hits when you've got the time to adjust for the latency," she says. "It works great from a distance. But what it struggled with is the well-timed, quick succession stuff." 

Unfortunately, for some bosses, those quick hits are all but a necessity. Perri adds: "Oh, Rennala... I've never Googled and tried to memorize no-hit runs before." For a mage build, Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, is the run-killer. A huge amount of magic resistance means that spells all-but bounce off her. "You have to hit her, close to her, surrounded by things that keep biting you in the arm. I think I can do it. I think I found a way through perseverance, but that sort of thing is just really, really challenging." Since we spoke, Perri has made it past Rennala, but her efforts are a far cry from the people who are literally dancing through The Lands Between. 

Look Ma(rgit), no hands

While Perri probably won't be playing Elden Ring exclusively with her mind any time soon, the game offers plenty of opportunities to map new brain patterns to new actions. Eventually, however, the goal is "to do something that's completely hands-free." The gyro controllers within the EEG could make it perfect for games like Mario Kart or Monkey Ball. Minecraft beckons, as do FPS games, and Perri wants to return to horror games, displaying her brain patterns as she deals with the fear and stress inherent to that genre.

For all those ideas, she presents the EEG streams as something of a whim: "I was taking a hit on my channel, quite a lot – my average number of viewers halved, but I thought 'this is really cool, and this is really good content, and I want to do this. It might not be that popular, it might be a bit boring, but I thought it was worth doing. But then clearly there is an audience. That's really encouraging, and it makes me want to push myself harder, see what's possible."

The reception – multiple clips from Perri's streams have gone viral, and her follower count on Twitch spiked in their wake – has also meant that she "really wants to get involved in trying to make it useful beyond gaming." Simply experimenting with the technology is "an excellent motivation for content creation," but "there is definitely more to be done here." 

In part, that's the result of the relative ignorance around the subject matter. Mental health and the human brain are still hugely enigmatic subjects, and Perri says she's faced plenty of people who say that her efforts with the EEG are fake. "But that's quite fun to deal with. Even when people are doubting that it's real, even that is really encouraging," she says. "It's such a new science, and so few people in the public don't get told about his stuff. It's not broadcasted like other sciences are. There's so much that isn't shared, so people saying 'there's no way that this can possibly be real' is just affirming that we need to raise awareness."

"For mental health, the same thing happens there; 'there's no way that someone could feel this way or do this thing in a rational manner', and actually, of course they can, because that's how the brain works. If it feels like I can do a tiny part in bringing a little bit of attention and awareness to this thing, then that's really cool, that's a life goal ticked."

For a very different big-brain play, this creator made a massive, papercraft Miyazaki.

Hogwarts Legacy has broken the record for viewership of a single-player game on Twitch, despite significant debate over individuals' decisions over whether or not to broadcast the game.

Last night, the game peaked at 1,253,916 viewers across all broadcasts (according to Twitchtracker). That pushes it past the 1.14 million record that Cyberpunk 2077 set in the days after its release in December 2020. Around that peak almost 30,000 people were streaming the game on the platform. The game has made a significant push for Twitch audiences, with dedicated Hogwarts Legacy Twitch drops, likely increasing viewership.

While Twitch viewership is a slightly nebulous metric, it's often used to evaluate the success of a game around launch, as well as the ongoing health of live-service games. At the time of writing, games like League of Legends, Valorant, and Overwatch 2 sit close to Hogwarts Legacy in terms of viewership; the next single-player game, a long way down the list, is Elden Ring.

The game's start on Twitch is strong enough, but it's also been subject to fraught debate within the platform's audience. Some viewers have protested against individual streamers' decisions to play the game for their audience, leading to accusations of bullying and witch-hunting, as well as more backlash within the wider community.

Streamer Hasan Piker addressed that backlash amid his decision not the stream the game; "we know that it's not worth it to get fucking bullied endlessly and called transphobic [...] when we have massive queer communities and audiences." 

The release of Hogwarts Legacy has been the subject of criticism and debate due to J.K. Rowling's public stance on gender identity, which continues to challenge the inclusivity at the heart of the Harry Potter community. Here is our explainer on the Hogwarts Legacy controversy. 

What are Hogwarts Legacy Twitch drops and how do you get in on the action? The developer team at Avalanche Software is giving out unique gear looks via Twitch streams; all you have to do is link your Twitch and Warner Brothers accounts to earn items simply by watching livestreams. 

When you tune in to watch Avalanche's Hogwarts content for at least 20 minutes, you'll automatically be rewarded with claimable items to use in-game. They are truly exclusive goods, since they can't be found in any Hogwarts Legacy store, vendor, or lootable chest. If you're a true collector and can't wait to swish around the castle in all your finery, here's how to access those Hogwarts Legacy Twitch drops so you never miss out on limited-edition goodies.

How to link your Twitch and Warner Bros accounts 

If you don't already have a Warner Brothers Games account then you'll need to create one. You'll have to supply your age, email address, and a unique screen name to set all that up. Once you've done that you can link it to your Twitch account. Once that's all done it's just a case of waiting for the next Hogwarts Legacy Twitch livestream from developer Avalanche Software. We had some during the PS5 and Xbox Series X launch, so there will be more when Hogwarts Legacy is on PS4.

If you claim and drops  they'll go to your Twitch Inventory, being sure to click and claim each one of the rewards as they unlock. Next time you load into Hogwarts Legacy, your Gear and appearances should be waiting for you. Just be sure you clear out some space in your Hogwarts Legacy gear slots to accommodate for them, since new items means less space in your inventory. 

The release of Hogwarts Legacy has been the subject of criticism and debate due to J.K. Rowling's public stance on gender identity, which continues to challenge the inclusivity at the heart of the Harry Potter community. Here is our explainer on the Hogwarts Legacy controversy. 

Rumors of Elden Ring DLC are heating up once again after some teases from a prolific Soulsborne insider surfaced online.

A user over on the GamingLeaksAndRumors subreddit posted a "leaked" Discord conversation with dataminer and modder Lance McDonald. McDonald said that "there's a huge DLC coming," and while he doesn't know about any new gameplay mechanics that will be introduced in the expansion, he was willing to say it's "really big".

The bizarre bit of this is that McDonald made these comments way back in December, and while this is being called a "leak", that Discord is not private. There's a link advertising it right on his Twitch page. You can go there and read the conversation for yourself. McDonald also noted that he knows "exactly how big the DLC is compared to the base game", though seemingly not much beyond that.

We've reached out to McDonald for comment and will update if we learn more. For now, though, Elden Ring DLC is effectively an open secret, though any specific details about it have been difficult to pin down. Dataminers have long been uncovering evidence of additional Elden Ring content, but their discoveries have been ripe for misinterpretation. Meanwhile, some people are out there with straight-up fake leaks.

Director Hidetaka Miyazaki has explicitly said there are "several more things" on the way for Elden Ring, and given the game's success, it seems like it's only a matter of time before we see some kind of follow-up for ourselves.

There are plenty of entirely new games for 2023, too.

An Elden Ring streamer is playing through the game using nothing but her brain signals, which means we've officially entered the future.

In case you're re-reading that sentence trying to make sense of it, let me attempt to clarify what's going on in this incredible Twitch stream from PerriKaryal. The streamer has an electroencephalogram (EEG) attached to her head that's measuring her brain activity, and she's managed to add keybindings to... you know what, why don't I just let PerriKaryal herself explain it:

"I'm using an EEG (brain imaging device) to monitor my brain activity live on screen," she said on Twitch. "It works by picking up electrical activity from my brain on the sensor pads on my head, made conductive with saline solution. I then trained it to recognise certain states and binded it to my attack key!"

This actually isn't the first time psychologists have experimented with using EEG signals as controls in a gaming application, but seeing it implemented in such a casual setting - not to mention with a game as notoriously difficult as Elden Ring - is uniquely fascinating. PerriKayal, who has a Master's degree in psychology, says the technology is actually pretty simple.

"It picks up the different electrical activity and patterns in my brain, and it can recognize the difference between what my brain looks like normally when I'm talking to you guys and when I'm visualizing attacking."

"I'm imagining pushing something forward like this," she explained while wearing a distinctly focused expression. Within seconds, her character moved forward and attacked an enemy.

"When I'm focusing on pushing something forward, that's a different kind of brain activity than me just talking to you all," she said. "It's really, really simple, and you can add more commands, but the more you add, the more complicated it gets and the more confused it gets."

Look, you can tell me this is simple all you want, but my mind will never not be blown watching someone fight tough-as-nails Elden Ring bosses like Margit the Fell and Godrick the Grafted - successfully I might add - by just thinking about 'pushing something heavy forward.' Especially when I struggle with the same enemies when I'm equipped with a fully functioning PS5 controller.

Don't remind me about the literal dog that's better than me at Elden Ring.

Wondering how to watch The Game Awards 2022 as it airs? We've got the details you need. 

It's that time of year again: when all of the games we've played this year get the recognition they deserve. This year, The Game Awards kicks off on December 8 (or 9th depending on your time zone) at 7:30PM ET / 4:30PM PT / 12:30AM GMT. 

That's right, it's going to be nice and early for those watching the show live from LA, and super late into the night for those watching at home in the UK. Speaking of tuning in from home, you've got a lot of choices this year. The easiest way to watch live is to bookmark this page and watch the embedded stream below when the time comes. 

You can also head over to The Game Awards' official YouTube and Twitch channels as well as the show's Twitter and Facebook accounts or Discord server. If you'd like to get your hands on a free Steam Deck, you're best off watching live via Steam as Valve is giving away a Steam Deck for each minute of the live broadcast.

This year's award nominees are a top-notch mix of big and small games. Many of the big hitters of this year - including Elden Ring, God of War Ragnarok, Horizon Forbidden West, Stray, A Plague Tale: Requiem, and more - are nominated for a number of categories, including Game of the Year. It'll also be exciting to see the winner of the Players' Voice award as Sonic and Genshin Impact fans are currently battling it out to win their favorite game the top spot. 

Thanks to a series of posts featured on The Game Awards Twitter account, we also know some of the upcoming games confirmed to be making an appearance. This includes new reveals for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Tekken 8, Destiny 2 Lightfall, Wild Hearts, Baldur’s Gate 3, and more. 

Of course, a lot of announcements are still under wraps right now, and if host Geoff Keyleigh's Twitter account is anything to go by, they're going to be worth staying up for. 

The Game Awards isn't the only gaming awards ceremony in town, catch up on The Golden Joystick Awards 2022 winners. 

Like getting into any new hobby, there are lots of potential setup costs when you first seek out the best live streaming gear for gamers. Whether you're looking to start a Twitch channel, make gaming videos or reviews on YouTube, or you just want to be able to record gameplay clips as you go, there's a lot of equipment to think about. Companies that make streaming gear will tell you their devices are must-haves, and professional streamers are usually paid to tell you what you should buy. I'm here to give you some unbiased opinions.

Depending on what platform you play games on, what PC hardware you're rocking, and your budget, your streaming equipment requirements will vary. Sure, you can opt for a simple streaming setup, and these days you can get by as a beginner with streaming directly from a console - even without a capture card. As soon as you want to take live streaming or content creation seriously though, you'll probably want to invest in a proper loadout of gadgets that'll help make things easier and better for your audience.

I've tested loads of streaming gear over the last decade, from capture cards to audio mixers, to lights, and webcams. I know where you can save money when you're starting out, and I know what equipment will actually make a pro's life easier. I've listed some of the essential gear for live streaming below, and found you a beginner, mid-range, and pro-grade recommendation for each one.

The quick lists

Microphones

Editor's note: In my eyes, this is the most essential bit of gear besides your personality, and whatever platform you're running your games on. Especially if you're just starting out, there are areas where you can save your money - your mic is not one of those areas, and I'd recommend you dedicate a big chunk of your budget to getting a good mic.

Controllers and audio mixers

Capture cards

Also in this guide: Best webcams | Best accessories & gadgets | FAQs

Best microphones for streamers

The best microphone for beginners

Blue, which has now been absorbed into the larger Logitech G brand, is very well known when it comes to streaming mics, and for a good reason - they were masters of the craft when it comes to bang for buck. The budget Yeti Nano (the scrappy younger sibling of the larger Yeti range) is very impressive. It packs the accessible price tag of the entry-level Snowballs mics into a really professional package that sounds almost as good as any USB mic you'll find.

Hitting hard with great audio and a dual condenser setup, it perfects the Yeti formula while reducing that microphone's cost. It's a whole lot smaller and lighter, too; the Nano is half the weight of the original Yeti, making it much more portable than its counterpart. Thanks to a plug-and-play USB connection, you can be recording in no time. Annoyingly, as the mic has aged, its micro-USB connection is getting more annoying to deal with.

This is an amazing option for those who want to take advantage of Blue Yeti quality without forking out the cost of a full-sized one. If you're a beginner and you can find this on the shelves, it's all the microphone you really need. Its mute button is a handy feature too if you don't have a streaming mixer. The newer Logitech G Yeti GX now exists, but for us, the best value still lies with the Nano. When that changes, we'll let you know.

The best mid-range mic

The reason I'd recommend this mic to you is that it has both XLR and USB connectivity. There are a couple of hybrid mics on the shelves these days, including the popular Shure MV7+ and the Maono PD200W, but I'd argue the Rode PodMic USB cuts them both down with a great mix of price, performance, and ease of use. The MV7+ is often found $100 more expensive than this, and while Maono has fancy wireless connectivity as a secret third option, if I were starting out today, I'd focus on the audio quality that Rode can offer.

I used the original PodMic for around three years during my stint at university, during which, we used these mics in our student radio station. The PodMic USB sounds just as good as you'd expect any RODE product to. There are crisp, clean audio profiles to be had here, and although it'll teach you mic etiquette, it's extremely usable if you're just learning the ins and outs of how to speak into a mic. Being a dynamic microphone, it benefits from a focused, directional pickup while ignoring unwanted noises from elsewhere in your gaming room.

The included windsock sleeve rejected plosives without making you sound muted, and if you graduate to using a mixer like the RodeCaster Duo, you'll be set up with awesome compatibility and preset audio profiles for it. One thing to note is that, despite an internal shock mount, we did find that the PodMic USB is susceptible to desk bumps and knocks.

Regardless, if you want something with USB-C connectivity along with futureproofing for an XLR setup later down the line, this is an astute pick. These days, you can often find it on sale for around $193, but its full price of ~$209 isn't going to be a bad investment either.

The best microphone for pros

For professional-grade gaming content creators, there's no better mic than the Shure SM7dB. You've likely seen it used by podcasters and professional YouTubers, and that's for good reason. The audio quality of this mic is silly, but to be fair, so is its price.

The SM7dB adds a pre-amp into the product that fixes one of the main gripes people have with the still-popular SM7B. While this version of the mic is a bit more expensive and a bit longer, I'd argue it's worth it to add more versatility to your audio loadout.

With that pre-amp already in there, there's no feeling that you need to crank up the gain to get the best quality out of it, and the additional pickup settings could come in really handy for recording different types of audio, or just tailoring it to your voice.

Granted, this expensive a microphone isn't going to be for everyone, and since it has a bit more of a learning curve than other mics, I'd only really recommend it to people who are looking to seriously invest in their content, and make a go of it professionally if they haven't already.

The best mixers and controllers

The best controller and mixer hybrid

Perhaps the most versatile version of Elgato's Stream Deck is the Plus model, which has eight programmable keys, a touch bar, and four volume dials. This means you can use it as a streaming controller, but also use it to control your audio mix for a fully all-in-one package.

Channelling the power of one of the Stream Decks is as easy as dragging and dropping actions within Elgato's Camera Hub software, and that doesn't change with this model. Once mapped to your desired functions, the slightly smaller buttons on this version of the Stream Deck are still safe from accidental clicks thanks to their 5mm of travel. The dials are well designed too, with a grippy texture and just the right amount of tension for twisting them. The touchbar feels responsive, which is reassuring when it's not something Elgato has dabbled in before.

Anyone not looking for audio controls who just wants more control keys might be better served by the original Stream Deck, or its larger model. However, if you're bought into the wider ecosystem of Elgato products, the Stream Deck Plus makes for an excellent tool for bringing them all under one umbrella.

The best jack of all trades

The Rode Streamer X is one of the streaming market's true jack of all trades. Sitting atop your desk, it can assist you as a capture card, an audio interface, or a stream controller. For a pretty reasonable price, that's not a bad bargain in the slightest. For content creators looking to streamline their setup or beginners who want to consolidate costs, this is a great pick.

The Streamer X doesn't look ready to mix down loads of audio samples, but a simple two knob setup allows you to adjust the gain of your microphone and headphone levels, and for many, that's all that will really be needed. In terms of connectivity, there's a combo XLR and 48V Phantom Power for XLR microphones, there's HDMI in and out, there's dual USB-C connections for your PC audio, and an additional USB-C port for powering the device. Of course, the iconic RODE SMART pads are where switching streaming scenes comes in.

Like any jack-of-all-trades, you may find that the Streamer X comes up short if you want full use of it as any one of its three objectives. As a capture card, there's 4K passthrough, but there's no HDMI 2.1 support. That means that high frame rates on the capture side aren't going to be possible for you, which could make or break it for competitive gamers.

Still, this is a device to buy if you stream console gameplay and want to save money on three separate devices. Admittedly, you're going to run into roadblocks by not having one of each gadget, but depending on your content and setup, this could be all you need.

The best streaming mixer

There simply is no better streaming mixer on the shelves today than the RodeCaster Duo. A slightly smaller version of the full-blown RodeCaster Pro 2, this is every bit as powerful, and even has more usability for streamers specifically. With four physical faders, two more virtual ones, SMART pads you can program as different stream scenes and sound effects, two XLR inputs, and two USB-C inputs, there is honestly no other mixer this powerful.

Those two USB-C inputs can be used by one PC, giving you dedicated faders for music, game audio, chatting with friends, and your own microphone's gain level. In a dual PC setup, that secondary USB-C connection can go into your gaming PC to give your gaming audio its own spotlight. On the routing side of things, the Duo nails it thanks to the custom routing options you can assign to all of your audio channels. Mix Minus means you'll never create a feedback loop again, and the ability to set this up according to your needs makes this a versatile mixer.

Rode also has a library of audio effects you can apply to your microphone, or across all channels. Ducking profiles can come in super handy to make sure you always come in on top of your other stream audio.

The only setbacks here are that the USB-C outputs are recognized by the PS5, but the two devices are annoyingly incompatible. This is something Rode wants to fix, but until the problems are sorted this isn't necessarily what we'd recommend for console streamers. Of course, the other drawback here is price, because you do admittedly pay for the power the RodeCaster Duo gives you.

The best capture cards

The best capture card for beginners

The NZXT Signal HD60 isn't trying to be anything fancy - it's a lot more scaled back than its competition from Eglato and AverMedia. That doesn't matter if you're a beginner though, and in fact, it may help you to navigate a complicated streaming setup with less of a learning curve.

This is a simple 1080p capture device with 4K passthrough, and it'll kick a solid 60fps at your display while recording up to 1080p 60fps gameplay footage. There isn't even dedicated software you have to use or have running in the background (like the other brands enforce upon you after taking your money). There's compatibility with NZXT Cam, but the creators of this device know that you almost certainly want to use this with OBS or Streamlabs, so they cut out the middleman and let you get stuck in.

And perhaps most importantly for beginners, it's kind on your wallet, costing under $100 / £100. With how much you may need to spend to get off the ground with streaming, this is excellent for the money.

The best capture card for pros

The AverMedia Live Gamer Ultra 2.1 is the last word in external capture cards these days. It takes the great features set down by the last-gen's Elgato HD60X and boosts them to today's standards. Full warning: this isn't going to be needed for everyone, but if you want the best of the best for recording and streaming gameplay, look no further.

You get up to 4K60 capture here, as well as VRR passthrough of up to 144Hz. HDR and Ultrawide monitor support are standout features and a slew of in-software recording options give it versatility. Annoyingly, the companion application, RECentral 4, doesn't have any color grading settings and doesn't let you change the captured image settings. Fortunately, these things are set pretty well out of the box.

Its design bucks a few trends, especially since most capture cards don't put a lot of effort into the looks department. The Live Gamer Ultra 2.1 has a gentle RGB array on its front that you can sync with your PC's RGB. There's also a practical horizontal design that helps cable routing.

This card performs brilliantly when recording footage, and its passthrough lacks no detail compared to using a regular HDMI 2.1 cable. Speeds were a similar story - it was so easy to use this with Streamlabs OBS, with no delay to speak of. Captures are crystal clear with really vivid colors, and besides some lacking clarity when recording multiple files back to back, it's excellent. If you play competitively and don't want to compromise on your 4K components, this is a superb option. Just keep in mind that Twitch still has no ability to make use of 4K streaming capabilities.

The best internal capture card

The Elgato Game Capture 4K Pro is the latest internal capture card from Corsair's content creation arm. This slots straight onto a gaming PC's motherboard through a PCIe 2.0 x 4 slot (like a GPU slot), so no need for any dangling USB cables.

To tell the truth, the 4K Pro is only an incremental update over the brand's last few internal capture cards. Those were already so futureproofed that the rest of the brands in the space have been catching up. Speaking of futureproofing though, this new version supports up to 8K60 passthrough, which is so good no one will probably need it for the next three to five years.

For your money, you also get VRR passthrough, and multi-app support so you can stream and record to separate apps at the same time, which is a big deal for console gamers trying to route audio in funky ways. Anyone miffed by AverMedia's lack of contrast and saturation sliders will be pleased to know you can tweak your image settings with this card thanks to Elgato's 4K Capture Utility.

With that said, we are a bit disappointed that this costs the same as AverMedia's best external option, all the while, not offering half as many recording options. You can record great footage with this card, but only at 30fps or 60fps at 720p, 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Admittedly, that's a lengthy list on its own, but for this sort of asking price, why not opt for even more?

It's really up to you whether an internal capture card will save you much trouble. This is a great option, but externals might actually give you more versatility these days.

The best webcams for streaming

Sequels are so hard to get right these days. Particularly when one comes out hot on the heels of something as good as the Razer Kiyo Pro, which we deemed the best webcam on the market before this arrived.

The Kiyo Pro Ultra had a lot to live up to, and we're pleased to say it smashed through what was expected. This is by far the best webcam money can buy right now. Other than a seriously steep price of admission to the tune of $300 / £300, this trounces all other rivals before or since. There's just no arguing with the quality this thing captures.

Up to 4K in 30fps is all most people will ever need, but it is a shame 4K60 isn't possible for those pairing it with a next-gen capture card. Lesser resolutions still look stunning though, and can record at a wider range of frame rates. Even without a ring light, the images are so well-balanced. Low-light scenarios were a big point of attention for the designers at Razer, and beyond going for a much more expensive camera that isn't designed to sit atop a monitor, I haven't seen one as good as this in low light.

This is a webcam for content creators that will roll a DSLR camera and face-cam into one package. As a result, you'd be hard-pressed to find a pricier webcam, and unless you really need the best of the best, it isn't necessary to spend this much.

The Logitech StreamCam is aimed squarely at the amateur streaming market. More specifically, it's focusing on members within that market running high-quality machines that can really push this device to its limits.

With footage captured at up to 1080p resolution at 60fps, you're getting particularly impressive video quality here, all running silky smooth and taking advantage of additional software features like backlight correction, center framing, and image stabilization.

You may need to fiddle with a few of these settings to get everything working just right for you, dropping down the framerate to allow the center framing to react quickly, for example, but if your PC can withstand the considerable power draw this webcam requires, this is an amazing piece of kit.

This is what we'd recommend for beginners at the moment, although the webcam offerings from various brands have been expanding this year, so it might not stay our beginner's pick for long.

The Insta360 Link is the best of the bunch when you look for a tiny 4K webcam that has a lot of AI features inside it. For such a small camera, it packs a lot of power and a myriad of features inside it. It's up there with the Kiyo Pro Ultra, and might even be more feature-rich as a product. Its image quality is just a tad off that monster though.

I find it really hard not to humanize this webcam's design. Like Obsbot's Tiny 4K range, it resembles a tiny WALL-E, with all the animated expression a single tiny eye can give it. It's so weirdly cute, and its impressive movement speed exudes a giddy excitement that's hard to come by.

It's not all looks though, the Insta360 Link is packed with great-performing features for content creators and remote workers. AI facial tracking, 4K resolution, whiteboard mode (for presenting during video calls), and clever gesture controls are just the tip of the iceberg. DeskView is also a thing, so if you want a funky camera mode to unlock for your chat so they can watch your hands instead of your face - this versatile cam is for you. That could even be good for animators or artists streamers too

Of all the webcams with AI facial tracking I've seen, the Insta360 Link is the best, and most natural. Admittedly, this is one of the pricier webcams you can go for, and most people don't need this many features. If you can afford it though, this is a webcam that won't let you down.

The best streaming accessories

The Elgato Prompter is a versatile tool for content creators that has more to it than meets the eye. On the outside, it's a great teleprompter that will help anyone deliver more fluid, well-presented pieces to camera. Under the surface however, it hides some of its best uses that will help you connect with your audience more.

This clever reinvention is a miniature version of what TV stations have always used. It's a small digital display pointed upward at a piece of reflective glass, behind which, lies your camera. Thankfully, there's some versatility baked in here, and in the box are loads of "Step-up Rings" that will provide the perfect fit for your webcam or DSLR to work with in it. You also get the single cable you'll need to connect it to your laptop or PC, a braided USB-C to USB 3.0 cable with a right angle at the USB-C end. This is an accessory that's been crafted with care, even down to its sustainable packaging.

As versatile as it is in its design, it's just as well thought out in the software department. Prompter features three distinct modes that will help you in general use and content creation tasks. Prompter mode is as you'd expect, with loads of different ways you can customise text, its color, its scroll speed, and even the background hue. This is great for reading straight to camera, and it's the main use you'll get out of it. Then, there's chat mode, which integrates what your Twitch audience has to say straight onto the display. This works wonders when you're live and you want to talk directly to your viewers.

The final function is Display mode, which essentially allows you to use the Prompter as an additional monitor. This can be really helpful for remote workers, because you can have an extra window constantly open, or even set up your video calls in the Prompter's display, never again having that strange eye contact disparity.

The Prompter Elgato has created is one of the best tools any content creator can have in their box, especially those wanting to take their production standards to the next level. Just keep in mind that USB-C connection can be CPU-intensive.

The Lumecube Ring Light Pro is more than an Instagram influencer's ring light. This is a versatile tool that's begging to be used by more content creators. It's a great size at 17.5 inches since it's big enough to light bigger scenes, but not overbearing or difficult to maneuver.

The light itself is excellent for balancing out shots, and when paired with a webcam like the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra, you get impeccable results. Being able to control the temperature of the light, in particular, is a very nice feature. Natural light from a window can be a really nice inclusion in your shots, and trying to balance it with cold lighting without a key light can be difficult. In an ideal world, for the money you pay, I'd have liked an even broader color range, but that is why key lights exist.

One of the best things about Lume Cube's Ring Light Pro is how well and how easily it controls. The back of the ring features an LCD display which shows you how the battery life is lasting, as well as what settings the light itself is shining at. As if that wasn't enough, you also get a handy remote control so you can adjust light levels and temperatures without having to leave the shot. That's super useful, and if you make content as a 1-person crew worth having.

For your money, you do get an awful lot here - there's a convenient carry case, a great stand that can tilt, and extend, and the ring light itself has bundled options for mounting smartphones and cameras. All-in-all, this is a super ring light for content creators.

While they aren't necessarily an essential part of the streamer experience, a good green screen can go a long way to upping your production quality. That's where the Neewer Collapsible Backdrop comes in. It's affordable and portable and has a pop-up design. Unlike some other green screens, this model unfolds and then can be mounted in multiple ways to the included stand, either horizontally or vertically, to fit your camera setup.

The best thing is the price here, as depending on size, the Neewer Collapsible Backdrop starts from around the $50 mark. You've also got the option of either green or blue, as it is reversible, meaning that you can choose which color is easier for you to chroma key out in editing, or before your stream goes live.

For a higher-end green screen option consider:

When you have game audio, background music, your own mic's volume, and a discord call to manage, streaming demands some powerful audio gear. While any gaming headset of your choice will help you out, Razer's in-ear monitors will be the most precise, powerful, and comfortable tool to use.

Your eyes don't deceive you, these are in-ear monitors, not gaming earbuds. This is the type of audio device that rock stars use on stage to hear the music being played over the noise of the crowd they're playing for. But the Moray in-ear monitors are designed for gaming, and are comfortable enough to be worn for long sessions.

Inside these powerful little audio devices lies two drivers. One is for bass tones which are well suited to gaming, but there's an acoustic driver in there too that will ensure accuracy in higher and more subtle registers as well.

These are the only audio device I use when I'm on stream - there is simply no better way of balancing multiple audio sources than with these in your ears. Just be prepared to turn down the volume slightly - these things funnel noise right to your eardrums, so be careful.

FAQs

How to start streaming with no equipment

If you're looking to dodge those setup costs and just find out whether or not this whole live stream malarky is fun or not, maybe just start streaming with the basic gear you have first.

As long as you have a means of recording and broadcasting footage, and something for speaking into, you'll be able to put a make-shift stream together. In other words, with a PS5, Xbox Series X, PC, and no more than a gaming headset, you'll be able to start with no trouble.

How to live stream directly from Xbox Series X / PS5

Live stream on PS5:

On PS5, it really is as simple as pressing the "Share" button found on the DualSense controller when in-game. This brings up a menu that allows you to screenshot, record, or start streaming footage directly from the console. You'll need to link your Twitch or YouTube gaming account through the drop-down menu, which can be done by pressing the respective icon.

An option will come up that says "Link with Twitch", and from there, the easiest way is to follow the prompts on-screen until you're given a QR code and an 8-digit set of letters and numbers. A web address will come up to activate your Twitch account, which you can either punch into the address bar of your phone or computer or scan the QR code. Once you've entered the code, you'll see a prompt that says "Your Accounts are Linked" and confirmation that your Twitch account is now set up on PS5.

Linking YouTube Gaming works exactly the same way, but with fewer steps. Simply press "Link with YouTube" from the drop-down menu, and then you'll be presented with the PS5's web browser version of the YouTube sign-in screen. From there, all you have to do is enter your account details, and everything else is taken care of.

You're ready to live stream!

Live stream on Xbox Series X:

On Xbox Series X, you first need to download the Twitch app from the Microsoft Store. Opening that up will bring up a sign-in screen with a website address you need to follow along with an 8-digit code. Simply punch the string of letters/numbers in on either your PC, tablet, or smartphone's web browser, and it's all linked up. Once everything's activated, you'll find your account signed into the app.

To live stream gameplay, press the "broadcast" tab from the top menu. You'll then be greeted with a list of options to suit your gameplay streaming preferences, with controls to alter your camera position, broadcast bar position, and then your audio levels. The most important things to consider are your bitrate and the stream resolution, though. You'll need a strong Wi-Fi connection or to be wired in via Ethernet to stream 1080p or higher resolutions. After that, if all looks good to you, press the "start streaming" button, and have fun.

How to live stream on a PC

This may be easier than you think, and if you've never done it before you might be surprised at how minimal the load for it is on your PC components. Most gaming PCs these days are more than capable of running a game and also broadcasting it, especially if you have a graphics card from the last five to seven years. Graphics cards these days have recording and live streaming capabilities baked into their drivers, so the demand on your PC's components are very low.

The first step is going to be making sure your graphics drivers are up to date, so head into either the Nvidia app, AMD Adrenalin software, or the Intel Arc equivalent, and check your drivers are the most up-to-date version. Then, you'll want to head into the recording and live streaming settings menu, and configure the settings for the broadcast you want to put out. This includes resolution and bitrate, and if you're just looking to record gameplay without going live, you might want to pay more attention to your audio settings.

Then, we'll need to get you some streaming software. For most folks, the best option is going to be OBS, but for beginners getting into streaming, OBS Streamlabs is a user-friendly option.

You'll want to create a "scene". This is a buzzword for a group of media outputs that you want your audience to see in your stream. You can drag and drop, you can resize, but for beginners, you just want to make sure your gameplay window, your mic, and your game audio are all there. If you have a webcam, you'll want to add this as a source too.

It's then about linking your account to the software, making sure the settings work for YouTube or Twitch, and hitting the go-live button.

You'll need to be comfortable should you want to stream for long periods, that's where the best gaming chairs and best cheap gaming chair deals come in. Additionally, should your space need an overhaul, the best gaming desks should be your next port of call.

Over an hour of Need for Speed Unbound gameplay has leaked online.

Whilst the footage has been teased out in short, sometimes mere seconds-long snippets, there are also some chunkier videos in the mix too, including two fifteen-minute clips and one that lasts over half an hour.

It looks as though much of the gameplay has been released via Twitch livestreams from two streamers - Chocolove95 and gerrykurlsucks, according to ResetEra - and disseminated further by YouTubers who have captured the streams and re-uploaded them to their own channels. 

One is entitled "Totally NOT need for speed unbound. DO NOT LOOK EA…" whilst another reads: "NOT NFS Unbound Leaked gameplay!!! 30 mins". 

The original streams on Chocolove95, however, have been removed in the last few hours, with Twitch citing that the "content from this channel has been removed at the request of the copyright holder", suggesting the streamer did not have permission to share the game just yet.

The footage comes ahead of the game's early access period, which is scheduled to go live on November 29, just three days before its formal release date on December 2. 

EA officially launched the first Need for Speed: Unbound trailer back in October, confirming the game's hybrid, anime-inspired art style. It was revealed that Unbound will feature realistic car models and city streets, overlaid with cartoonish smoke and particle effects. Human characters also have a cel-shaded anime aesthetic.

It also boasts layered, toggleable driving effects that let players make the game look exactly as anime as they want - or not, as the case may be.

Need for Speed Unbound will be available on Xbox Series X and S, PS5, and PC via Steam, Epic, and the EA app for $69.99 USD. No old-gen versions have been announced but if you pre-order the racer, you'll be able to play the game up to three days in advance of its official street date of December 2.

For more ways to take the wheel ahead of the new Need for Speed's launch, check out our guide to the best racing games out there.

I'd wager most Elden Ring players have put between 60 and 120 hours into FromSoftware's open-world epic, depending on how much they care about optional content. Then there's Twitch streamer and YouTuber Bushy, who's beaten the game "somewhere around 100" times while chasing the weirdest, hardest challenge runs imaginable.  

You may know Bushy from the hitless run he posted shortly after Elden Ring came out. You might think that beating a From Software game without getting hit by a single enemy would be the most impressive thing on his channel, but you'd be exceptionally wrong. Bushy has turned challenge runs into a science. He makes playing Elden Ring wrong look easy, and makes it extremely fun to watch. 

Bushy's most recent challenge runs focused on purposely getting hit by every attack and only using the shoddy equipment obtained through NPC questlines. He's beaten the game – that is, killed all the main bosses – without spending runes, while suffering from Scarlet Rot constantly, with an equip load of zero, at twice the game speed, with twice the enemies, and with every enemy replaced by Malenia. 

No resting, legendary weapons only, fists only, kicks only, flaming hugs only – there are dozens of challenge runs on his YouTube alone, and the themes and rules are off-the-friggin-walls. His most popular video is about one-shotting every boss in the game, and it's a particularly great example of the kind of batshit alchemy that goes on behind the scenes to make these absurd challenges doable. 

I reached out to Bushy to talk about why and how he puts himself through these exceedingly restrictive challenges. He explained that most challenge runs only take him 12 to 20 hours, though some, like the reset-heavy hitless run, can take far more. He did actually play Elden Ring normally at first, but after two 80-hour standard playthroughs, he's done nothing but wild challenges. 

"I spend a lot of time thinking about them. I look at the wiki to try to come up with restrictions that will make fun runs," he says. "I do have a master list so that I don't forget any ideas that I come up with. I don't usually poll viewers, but sometimes I get a comment that seems like a fun challenge run and will add it to the list of potential runs. I'm having fun doing them for now, challenges just seem like a good way of making games more fun for longer periods of time. I'm currently working on some challenges for God of War Ragnarok, but I don't think there's as much challenge run potential there." 

Bushy says his favorite clear is a toss-up between his one-hit run and the hitless run. "The restrictions give so many interesting problem solving opportunities," he notes. As you'd expect, the hitless run is also among his hardest challenges, but it's far from the only brutal one. 

"Kick only was also very difficult; the max damage on a kick is about 25 so boss attempts took a long time to complete," Bushy explains. "I believe one attempt for the final boss took around one hour. I'd say I'm more proud of the hitless run though, it was always soul crushing to get hit and have to go all the way back to the beginning to do all the setup again. So I'm glad that I persevered through that." 

If you watch enough of Bushy's videos, you'll start to see some patterns emerge. Tricks of the trade that he uses to get by despite bonkers limitations. Necessary exploits, time-saving glitches, ingenious strategies, and so on. You can genuinely learn a lot about the game from the way he presents and goes about things. In a strange way, Bushy's herculean efforts can even be motivating for players who are struggling to play Elden Ring normally. It's hard to say things are too hard when you've just watched someone climb the mountain you're stuck on with their feet stapled to their ears. While on fire. While cosplaying your mom. 

"The advice I always like to give is 'if you think you got bullshitted, you probably just made a mistake,'" he says when I ask what he'd tell struggling players. "Obviously this isn't always the case, but as a rule of thumb I think it's a good way to approach the game to maximize the chance that you enjoy it, and even though that's brutal and unforgiving, I also think it's very empowering. I think that's why this genre of games is so loved, because even though they're very difficult, the lesson that they try to teach you is that you can control even the most difficult of things and overcome those challenges."

I was also curious about Bushy's favorite and least favorite Elden Ring bosses given how many times he's fought them. He's a big fan of Mohg, Maliketh (based), and Radagon. He reckons Renalla is the easiest main boss, and as expected, he hates the Godskin Duo, who are a recurring difficulty wall in his challenges. 

"Fights with multiple enemies and the Souls combat system don't mix together very well, and more importantly don't scale very well with time and skill," he says of the infamous duo, echoing the thoughts of many players. "With two enemies in the room their move potential is so much more unpredictable than even the hardest standalone boss. And when it comes to these difficult challenge runs, predictability and control is everything. If we're excluding gank fights, then Malenia is the hardest boss, but I don't think that's going to be much of a surprise." 

Elden Ring is officially the fastest-selling multiplatform Japanese game of all time. 

Update: Information corroborating some kind of Silent Hill 2 remake has appeared via the YouTube link for today's showcase.

A post on resetera outlines the metadata tags for the show, referring to Silent Hill 2, the Return to Silent Hill movie, and something called Silent Hill: Ascension. Steam and PlayStation tags are also present, hinting at PC and PS5/PS4 releases, but there's no mention of Xbox consoles.

Original story: Konami may have accidentally revealed that an upcoming Silent Hill 2 remake could be released in multiple parts. 

The revelation comes from Survival Horror Network, who claims in a Tweet (via Reddit) that they received an email from Twitch, saying that Konami flexed their copyright to monetize or receive analytics about the broadcast. The stream was meant to be a test, readying the channel for today’s Silent Hill showcase. However, interestingly, the ‘copyrighted content’ listed by Konami was titled Silent Hill 2: Part 1. 

If this proves to be legitimate, Konami might have told on themselves, revealing the game ahead of its announcement tonight. It’s a strange tactic to try and flex the copyright on a stream that was merely acting as a test of its setup, especially if it accidentally revealed the game because of it. However, it’s worth keeping in mind, none of this is confirmed, at least for now.

If we do indulge in speculation though, the idea of splitting a Silent Hill 2 remake into multiple parts is odd. The original game is only eight hours long (via HowLongToBeat), so it would need a big expansion of content to facilitate being broken up. Rumors are that the Silent Hill 2 remake is being handled by Bloober Team, so it would potentially be on them to figure out how to do that.

It's worth keeping in mind that we have seen this method employed in recent years. Final Fantasy 7 Remake is being broken up into multiple parts to expand on the story of the 1997 original, so Silent Hill 2 could be going that route. That said, there's quite a big difference between an expansive JRPG and a tight survival horror experience getting this treatment. We will have to see later today if this proves to be the case, and how exactly this might work if so.

Looking for something to get into the Halloween spirit? Check out our like of the Best Horror Games. 

Overwatch 2 Twitch Drops will allow you to unlock in-game items, just by watching your favourite streamers, and right now you can get some unlocks for new Hero Kiriko. Most importantly, you can get the Legendary Sukajan Skin, which puts Kiriko in a more casual blue varsity jacket, but you can also get the Razor Sharp Spray and a Donut Weapon Charm. To get these, you’ll need to make sure you’ve got a Twitch account linked to your Overwatch 2 Battle.net account. If you’re not sure how to get that all set up, we’ve got the details below on Overwatch 2 Twitch Drops.

If you need any extra help, check out Twitch Drop article and FAQ.

Overwatch 2 Kiriko Twitch Drops

With your accounts linked, you’re ready to get some Twitch Drops. The Overwatch 2 Kiriko-themed drops are split across two time periods, so you’ll need to make sure you watch the requisite number of hours of Twitch streams in both periods to get all the unlocks. Any Twitch stream within the Overwatch category is eligible to get you the in-game items, but you must be watching on a PC/Mac web browser or on the Android/iOS app – console and smart TV apps don’t support Twitch Drops!

If you don’t meet the requirements to get these items during the Twitch Drop periods, don’t worry as there are other ways to get them. The voice line can be unlocked in the Hero Gallery for Legacy Credits and the Sukajan skin, the spray, and the Donut charm will be available to unlock in the gallery from season 2.

Overwatch 2 Twitch Drop 1

The first drop period runs from 2pm PDT/5pm EDT/10pm BST/11pm CEST on October 7 to 11:59pm PDT on October 16 – that’s 2:59am EDT/7:59am BST/8:59am CEST on October 17.

• “I take care of my friends!” Voice Line: Unlocked by watching any stream in the Overwatch 2 Twitch category for a total of two hours during the Twitch Drop 1 period.
• Legendary Sukajan Skin: Unlocked by watching any stream in the Overwatch 2 Twitch category for a total of six hours during the Twitch Drop 1 period.

Overwatch 2 Twitch Drop 2

The second drop period runs from 11am PDT/2pm EDT/7pm BST/8pm CEST on October 17 to midnight PDT/3am EDT/8am BST/9am CEST on October 24.

• Razor Sharp Spray: Unlocked by watching any stream in the Overwatch 2 Twitch category for a total of two hours during the Twitch Drop 2 period.
• Donut Weapon Charm: Unlocked by watching any stream in the Overwatch 2 Twitch category for a total of five hours during the Twitch Drop 2 period.

Once you’ve watched the required number of hours of Overwatch 2 on Twitch for any of the items, you’ll need to manually claim them in the Drops Inventory menu on Twitch. They should be available to you in-game within 24 hours of claiming, ready to equip on Kiriko and show off your new Hero unlocks on the battlefield.

Cyberpunk 2077's quest director has spoken about the game's difficult launch and turnaround nearly two years later.

As clipped by the Reddit post just below, Paweł Sasko recently spoke to viewers on his personal Twitch channel about the struggles of Cyberpunk 2077's launch in later 2020, and how it's faring now. "It's hard to express, when you're putting so much heart and work into something," Sasko began. 

"And you know for some of us it's been six, seven, eight years sometimes, especially for those who started at the very beginning," the quest director continued. "So to have this moment, of people liking something that we did, it's really feeling a bit unreal. That finally people are appreciating it."

Turning to Cyberpunk 2077's launch, Sasko said "after the release, I couldn't believe - after some time, I did - but at the beginning I couldn't believe, and I remember [...] my dear girlfriend, she was seeing me fucking completely wrecked. But it's good to be back. It's fucking good to be back. That was really so heart breaking."

What Sasko is talking about here, if you're unfamiliar with Cyberpunk 2077's journey, is the game's extremely difficult launch period. Bugs were rife, and performance issues plagued the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game, so much so that developer CD Projekt issued refunds after the game was temporarily pulled from sale on PS4.

Now though, nearly two years after Cyberpunk 2077's launch in December 2020, we're seeing a resurgence for the game. Helped in no small part by Studio Trigger's excellent Netflix anime spin-off, over one million players ventured into Night City every day last week, and over the past weekend the game eclipsed The Witcher 3's Steam concurrent player record to set a new benchmark. Sasko's new comments reflect that incredibly long road for the developers at CD Projekt.

Here's where you can find all the new Cyberpunk 2077 guns included in the Edgerunners update. 

Destiny 2 streamer Lucky Lai, or Luckstruck9 on Twitch, has been running 11 Google Stadia accounts simultaneously to give out invaluable boss checkpoints to any Guardians who need them.

As Lai told PC Gamer, he started off using his main account to give out checkpoints in the game's LFG community, but quickly created a new account he could offload to his laptop. 

"It was only when crossplay came out that I had the idea for Google Stadia," he explains. "I thought about how it would save [me] electricity, resource usage, and give the ability to have multiple instances open at once." 

Lai has now expanded to 11 Destiny 2 Google Stadia accounts running at the same time on a laptop that doesn't even have a graphics card. By using some simple macros to move all 11 characters periodically, Lai's able to keep them logged in indefinitely, and Destiny 2's crossplay support ensures everyone can join these Stadia placeholders as needed to claim the checkpoints for themselves. Just join an account, wipe the activity, and be on your merry way. Stadia may have under 1% of Destiny 2's average population, but in a crossplay world, it's a useful technical workaround.  

Of course, purchased content isn't shared between Destiny 2 accounts, so to access some of the game's most popular end game activities, like the Witch Queen raid and Season of the Haunted dungeon, Lai would've needed to purchase expansions and season passes for all 11 Stadia accounts. Fortunately, the broader LFG community came to his rescue: "The community has been generous enough that I have not had to purchase any DLC since the creation of the first five accounts," he told PC Gamer. 

Checkpoint farming generally becomes more popular as activities age, and Lai says his accounts have helped upwards of 14,000 players find checkpoints in a single week. When there's a new dungeon or raid added, you'll want to run the entire thing to unlock the whole loot pool, but once you're only missing a few items, it's better to farm specific stages – or, if you just want to maximize your loot per hour, farm final bosses since they drop multiple items. This makes readily accessible checkpoints a godsend for end game players, especially the folks who are farming the new dungeon boss, which can easily be killed in one quick DPS phase, for Artifice armor. 

Lai's earning some serious good karma with this whole operation, and he says he wants to add more checkpoints to his repertoire in the future, including Master-difficulty encounters. Godspeed, Guardian. 

Bungie had to abruptly disable Destiny 2 text chat after players abused an exploit to crash their opponents' games. 

Someone has actually beaten Halo 2 on Legendary difficulty with all Skulls enabled without dying, netting a $20,000 reward.

Twitch streamer Jervalin undertook the challenge yesterday on August 3, streaming the entire run on his Twitch channel over the course of seven hours. The Halo veteran player actually manages to make it through the entire Halo 2 campaign on Legendary difficulty without dying a single time.

Not only that, but they also have all Skulls enabled throughout the run. This means it's unbearably difficult as enemies are a higher level than usual, can see through player camo, have better aim, faster reloading times, and double health, plus dying once resets the entire level's progress.

In total, the streamer manages to beat Halo 2 on LASO (Legendary All Skulls On) difficulty in right around six and a half hours. Right now at least, it looks like Jervalin is the first and only person to ever accomplish the heroic feat.

As PC Gamer reported last month, this all came about from a challenge issued by another streamer. Charlie 'Cr1tikal' White set up the challenge and offered a bounty of $20,000 to the first person to complete the feat. At the time, the streamer acknowledged that Jervalin had come close to completing the feat beforehand, only coming short of a full LASO run because he kept the 'Envy' Skull on, letting him turn invisible at will. Now Jervalin has taken the crown and finally accomplished the entire challenge.

In other news, Halo 2's lost Earth City demo is being restored by 343 themselves for the very first time since E3 2003, when it was debuted for those attending the event.

Being able to redeem Multiversus codes with Twitch Drops and rewards is a feature with only a small window left - there'll be no need to do it when the full open beta drops to the public soon - but for those who want it a little earlier, we won't judge. So with the process still viable, we'll explain how to redeem codes in Multiversus and get Twitch Drops to access the open beta early below, with the process laid out clearly for aspiring battlers and brawlers.

Once the game is downloaded, you'll be ready to enjoy the game! Whether it's MultiVersus 1v1 with friends, or massive, chaotic team games, it's available now. If you want a primer on preparing for the game, check out all the MultiVersus characters or the best perks in MultiVersus at the links attached!

We’ve seen a lot of cosplays from The Last of Us 2 but this Abby cosplay may just be the best one yet.

Jocelyn Mettler, who was the face model for Abby in Naughty Dog’s wildly successful 2020 hit, decided to cosplay the character last Halloween and one of the shots has resurfaced on Reddit. 

Reddit user u/RipErRiley shared a snap of Mettler as Abby into the r/thelastofus subreddit with the caption “TIL that the face model for Abby did a cosplay for Abby”. 

The original photos were posted to Jocelyn’s instagram account and feature the character lifting weights, clutching a gun with her signature backpack, and eating a burrito. All whilst sporting what looks like a muscle suit under her clothes. 

Although Jocelyn provided Abby’s face, the character’s body was actually based on athlete Colleen Fotsch, and she was portrayed by voice-over actor Laura Bailey, who we recently found out appeared in the first The Last of Us game.

Jocelyn, who is a video game VFX artist, has her own Twitch and YouTube channels where she has discussed her role as Abby. She has also teamed up with Cascina Cardonna, who was the face model for The Last of Us 2’s Dina, for a video where the pair discussed their experience of working on the game.

The Twitch streamer is currently broadcasting her playthroughs of Naughty Dog’s other classic series Uncharted, which according to her latest Instagram post, she has a long history with as Uncharted 4 was the first game she ever worked on back when she was a QA Analyst at the start of her career. 

If you’re still fighting your way through the apocalypse as Abby, make sure to check out our The Last of Us 2 tips

Why play video games on your Xbox 360 when you can watch other people play them?

Twitch is launching its very own Xbox Live app today. The first of its kind for the game-centric streaming service, viewers can browse its top 300 channels based on traffic and spectate their cares away.

Not only is the app free for Xbox Live Gold subscribers, it's ad-free, a Twitch representative told us. That makes it a very compelling alternative to hunching over your monitor or hooking your computer up to your television.

Twitch is already embedded into some games like Black Ops 2, letting players easily stream footage from their consoles. Now, you can watch those streams from the very same place (as long they're a top-300 channel).

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is the latest game service to debut built-in Twitch steaming support, meaning players will no longer need to leave their games to broadcast them online. Twitch announced the livestreaming integration hit Xbox 360 today with PC and PlayStation 3 support coming soon, though no mention was made of Wii U support.

Black Ops 2 players will be able to stream their game, an audio commentary track, and even a webcam to viewers with no extra equipment needed. New or existing accounts can be accessed from within the interface, and players can begin their broadcast immediately. The streams will be viewable on Twitch, as well as on Call of Duty Elite with easy access to featured player cards and loadouts.

Both PlanetSide 2 and Electronic Arts' digital distribution service Origin debuted native Twitch integration in November.

Streaming PC games has taken off like nobody's business in the last year or two, but it can be a little bit of a hassle to set up. Twitch and Sony Online Entertainment hope to start changing that this weekend when they enable built-in streaming in the PlanetSide 2 beta.

Broadcast options will appear in the free-to-play MMOFPS' menu sometime between now and Monday, giving users a one-click process to stream live gaming footage with options for frames per second, resolution, and bitrate. The feature might have a few kinks since it, too, is in beta, but it will be fully functional alongside PlanetSide 2 when the game launches on November 20.

Twitch says it's in talks with multiple developers and publishers to get the service integrated from the ground up in other games, as well.