In a dream world, the gaming community wishes for a next-gen, all-in-one console. A gaming system that plays all our PlayStation and Xbox games (sorry Nintendo) without us having to rely on two different platform machines. Reality is Microsoft and Sony will never play fair, so we’re stuck imagining what a hybrid system would look like from the two gaming giants. Tech Radar has its own vision and it looks a little something like this. Introducing the PlayBox concept.

The rendering brings together top features from both the PS3 and Xbox 360 such as a Blu-Ray player, Kinect with two dual 1920×1080 cameras, 8GB of RAM, and a built-in touchscreen for the controller. How fitting, especially with Microsoft prepping its “720” announcement this week and E3 2013 right around the corner. Well played, Tech Radar.

Take a closer look at the sweet concept below.

[The Awesomer via TechRadar]

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Skullcandy has built a reputation over the years for delivering standard performance headphones at a lower cost than its competitors. Now the company is looking to leave its imprint on the gaming market by introducing a new line of gaming headsets, which will be spearheaded by its latest flagship model: the Skullcandy PLYR 1. Having acquired one of the biggest names in gaming accessories (if you guys didn’t already know), Astro Gaming, the PLYR 1 is already giving the brand some major buzz heading into E3 2013 and the tournament gaming season.

With so many other companies dishing out gaming headsets like candy, it’s become more difficult weeding out the good from the terrible. So is the PLYR 1 good enough to leave its mark and stand out from the oversaturated crowd? Or will it get lost in the shuffle?

Related: Astro A50 Wireless Headset Review
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Solid Sound Stage

The PLYR 1 comes equipped with Dolby 7.1 surround sound and a built-in wireless transmitter that sends out the same sound stage to your gaming consoles. You have a variety of different bass modes to select: Supreme, Base, and Precision. Each one is tuned to specific multimedia platforms, though all three deliver efficient sound quality when playing first-person shooters and sports games.

If you plan on jumping online, I recommend lowering the volume or have your eardrums blown off. Yes, that’s how loud the headset is, and this is coming from someone who is hard of hearing. Games with climatic story modes really bring out the headset’s best, producing clear and rich noise that can be truly appreciated by the most die-hard audiophile. Even when the bass was on Precision mode I didn’t hear any static—something I’ve come across in other top-of-the-line headsets.

Comfort Value

Gaming is not a two-hour soiree. It’s easily an 8-hour, all-night affair. That being the case, you’ll need a headset that is both comfortable and soothing on the head, which the PLYR 1 is. The ear cups are soft and snug, plus it feels extremely light. During my heavy Gears of War sessions, I truly forgot it was attached to my head. A majority of the other headsets take their toll on the noggin in terms of pressure and weight, giving you that cramped feeling to the point where you will take a break from them, or in my case, move one ear cup off to the side and keep switching throughout a game. This isn’t a problem here. The cushion foaming on the PLYR 1 is relaxing on the ears and makes it easier to play hours on in.

The Wireless & Price Point Factors

Yes, you read it correctly. The PYLR1 is wireless, which makes life so much easier. And I’ll tell you why. For those who play with both a wired control and headset, it will take you a good two minutes to untangle that entire mess. Overall battery life was pretty good, as I clocked about 9 ½ hours before having to recharge it. My advice: charge the sucker the moment you’re done because it can take a good 4 hours of charging before seeing a full power bar. Wireless headsets are always preferable and with an MSRP of just $180, you can’t go wrong.

Button Problems

On the right side is where you’ll find the power button and EQ modes, which make swapping between the two controls pretty annoying at times. The bigger problem we discovered was that it took a while for a mode to kick in after being changed. So I was left at times wondering whether the PLYR 1 couldn’t register the commands. I’d try it again and the headset would jump back to the mode it was previously on.

A similar issue occurs with the power button. Upon holding down the power button anticipating the light to go off, I would come to find the headset never turned off and was completely drained of vitality. Sometimes holding the button down for too long will have the headset power off and back on. Not sure if this an on-going issue with the PLYR 1 or just with our review unit, but we’re not holding it against Skullcandy.

In Conclusion…

To the shock of many, Skullcandy has managed to create a solid mid-level gaming headset in the PLYR 1. The price point alone makes it a worthy purchase, especially in comparison to some of the other high-end models floating around the market. Amazing sound quality, great comfortability, and a simplistic setup only add to its budget-breaking value. Sure the headset has a few blemishes, but those minor issues are overlooked the moment you get some game time in. I’m looking forward to seeing what the company has in store heading into the future. All casual and hardcore gamers should as well.

Pick up the PLYR 1 Wireless Gaming Headset at Skullcandy

The post Skullcandy PLYR 1 Gaming Headset Review appeared first on .

Nintendo waved the E3 2013 white flag a few weeks back after announcing it would not have a press conference at this year’s domestic gaming expo. While the Big N will still be in attendance showing off its next-generation of Wii U games, the gaming giant has plans of bringing the E3 experience to retailers by promoting the same titles at Best Buy locations across the US and Canada. Wait…what?

North American President Reggie Fils-Aime made the announcement during the Nintendo Direct online event today. Considering how the company’s Wii U expectations have fallen tremendous short, the move just might be enough to draw more gamers onto the console. E3 2013 will take place on June 11-13 at Los Angeles Convention Center.

[Ars Technica]

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The post Nintendo’s E3 Plan Includes Showing Unreleased Wii U Games at Best Buy appeared first on .

Those who thought the favoring reviews of the HTC One would hurt the Galaxy S4 sales were dead wrong. The popularity of Samsung’s flagship Android phone continues to dominate the mobile market with the company set to push over 10 million units heading into next week. If we’re playing the numbers game, that already makes it the fastest-selling smartphone of all time.

Last year’s GS III went on to become the highest-selling Android phone ever and sold over 30 million devices within the first 5 months. At this rate, the GS4 might be on pace to sell 50 million by end of summer. Think Apple’s breaking a sweat right now?

[Mashable]

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The post Samsung Galaxy S4 Sales Reaching 10 Million, Becomes Fastest-Selling Phone Ever! appeared first on .

The Wolfpack conclude their journey this Memorial Day Weekend and Warner Bros. is doing everything possible to get your asses in the theater to watch it. Unfortunately, someone in marketing thought it was an awesome idea to release a 3-minute trailer practically summing up the first two films and unveiling a ton of new footage for the threequel: minor spoilers included. We warned you. Take a look at The Hangover 3 Red Band Trailer below.

[Latino Review]

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For all you Sony fanboys still wishing for more PS2 games on the PlayStation Network, Rockstar Games just announced the release of its stealth-inspired psychological horror title: Manhunt. For those who never got a hands-on with the game, we’ll provide a quick synopsis for you.

Carcer City is the place where nothing matters anymore. Play as James Earl Cash, a death row inmate who wakes from a lethal injection chamber to discover he’s met a fate perhaps worse than death. As the star in a sick kill-or-be-killed reality TV show, your fate is left in the hands of twisted director, Lionel Starkweather. After being given your life back, a group of vigilantes go on the hunt for your body, which means it’s kill or be killed season.

Manhunt is available for $9.99 and joins Bully and Red Dead Revolver, along with all the PS2 entries in the GTA and Midnight Club franchises, in the PS2 Classics category of PlayStation Store. Happy shopping!

[GameInformer]

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Google’s new computing eyewear has progressively been expanding its app list and just got a huge boost from the world’s largest social network. The house that Zuckerberg built just launched its own Google Glass Facebook app for the hi-tech peripheral, which allows users to upload photos directly to their timelines. The announcement couldn’t come at a better time for Google, as the search engine giant continues its media blitz via 2013 I/O Conference.

Mobile chief Erick Tseng touched on the new FB app saying, “We look forward to exploring Facebook experiences across new types of mobile devices. This is only a first step.” Facebook’s been making a huge push on the smartphone front as of late and set the tone with the release of Facebook Home, which has now clocked in over 1 million downloads across mobile platforms.

It’s just a shame you have to shell out $1,500 for a developer version of Google Glass in order to take in the experience. Nonetheless, this is a huge look for both tech companies.

[CNET]

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We first caught a sneak peak of the Batman prequel when checking out GI’s official cover story last month. WB Games Montreal keeps the momentum going by revealing the Arkham Origins teaser trailer, which spotlights an awesome CGI battle between the Dark Knight and his newest nemesis, Deathstroke. Expect the full preview to be unveiled on May 20th. Batman: Arkham Origins hits stores worldwide on October 23 for the PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and the Wii U.

[Polygon]

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The wait is on for the final installment in The Expendables series, and as you already know, producer Sylvester Stallone is looking to end it all in the grandest fashion—by adding more iconic action stars to the cast. It’s been awhile since we’ve heard any updates on The Expendables 3, but Stallone managed to give us a few updates via his Twitter feed. First up is the return of Mickey Rourke, who as you saw went MIA in the sequel. Sly went on to tweet, “Mighty Mickey is back…..”. That’s a start.

As far as new additions, he also teased a few other popular names he has been courting over the past two years in Jackie Chan and Wesley Snipes. Here’s what he had to say about both martial arts experts:

“What’s the plan? Ask Jackie Chan….”

“Talked to WESLEY today … He can not WAIT to fight to the top again !!!!!!! Over…”

No official release date has been set for The Expendables 3 as of yet, but we’re expecting the threequel in theaters Summer 2014. Fingers crossed!

[Collider]

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The post Stallone Tweets Rourke’s Expendables 3 Return, Awaits Chan & Snipes appeared first on .