Tag Archives: Gaming

The Frustration of Parental Controls on PlayStation 5



Parents….if you are thinking about buying a PS5 and setting it up with a child account for your under-18, then I’ve some advice for you. Don’t. It’s a total nightmare that I bitterly regret because of the endless disappointment, wasted time and Sony’s poor information. If you want a child-friendly gaming console, buy a Nintendo Switch.

Last Christmas, Santa Claus brought my son a PlayStation 5 – he’s a lucky boy. As a good parent, I set up the PS5 in my name and added him as a family member. What a mistake! Sony makes parental controls an exercise in frustration. The main problem is that when you come up against a problem, you simply don’t know whether you are doing something wrong or whether it’s a parental control that you can (or can’t) tweak.

The basic parental controls on the PS5 are pretty straightforward. If my son wants to play a game within his age rating, he can go ahead and play the game straightaway. If the age rating is above his age, he can ask for approval to play. That request comes to me and I can accept or reject it.  Most of the time that works but it’s not frictionless – there’s too much mucking about with logging in or using the PlayStation app with 2FA.

On top of that, some game manufacturers seem to put on their own age limit, and prevent anyone from playing under their age guidance and there’s no option to request parental permission. But you don’t know that when you buy the game and it’s not made clear even in-game when you come up against the problem. Is it a setting that I have to tweak or is it a hard limit? Sony’s instructions suggest that he should be able ask for permission but Crew 2 doesn’t offer an option, even though he’s in their suggested age window. I currently have a call logged with Ubisoft for this one.

The biggest issue over the past while has been with in-game voice chat in Fortnite – every time you tried to enable the feature it gave an error, but there was no indication whether this was a technical fault or conflict with PS5 parental controls. It turns out it was a technical issue that Epic has finally fixed.

But here’s another example with Fortnite. On the Nintendo Switch, if my son wants to buy V-bucks in Fortnite, all I need to do is use my credit or debit card details to get the V-bucks. Once that’s done, the V-bucks are in his account and he can spend them as he likes. Compare this with the PS5, where we see this super helpful message on the V-bucks purchasing page.

The way around it for the PlayStation 5 is for me to buy V-bucks in Fortnite, then purchase the in-game items he wants and gift them to him but it’s a total waste of my time. You have to go through the same process if he gets a V-bucks card as a gift. Surely a V-bucks gift card is the ideal way to control a child’s spending?

Next in the bad books was Spotify. We have a family subscription and there are profiles for everyone. The PS5 had a new native app, replacing the PS4 version. I downloaded the app, logged in as myself and played my tunes – everything was working. When my son tried to start the app, an error appeared saying that Spotify couldn’t start while he was logged in. And that’s it. No explanation as to what parental control was preventing the app from running, no opportunity for him to request access. It’s a complete joke. Eventually, it was fixed without explanation.

And Sony is almost impossible to get hold of for any queries. The Playstation Support pages are about as useful as a chocolate teapot, although there’s an online assistant that will connect you with community experts. TBH, they’re not much use. Any time I’ve used them, it’s “I think you can’t do that” or “Have you checked the online help?”

There is nothing worse that the disappointment of your child when he rushes home with a new game only to find it doesn’t work and Dad has to spend hours on-line trying to sort it out. Santa won’t be buying a PS6.


OnePlus Nord 2 x PAC-MAN Goes On Sale



Announced last week, the OnePlus Nord 2 x PAC-MAN has now gone on sale so we have some tasty pictures of the new phone in all its dot-powered glory, and there’s a few surprises too. OnePlus has gone to town on the cross-over.

The packaging has received the full PAC-MAN treatment with a custom box and inside, there’s the Nord 2 x PAC-MAN phone plus a case featuring the famous ghosts from the game: Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde. The back of the phone has been given a light PAC-MAN design and I’m hoping that the back of the phone and the case itself all line up to give a special 3D effect.

OnePlus Nord 2 x PAC-MAN package

During the day, the Nord 2 x PAC-MAN has a subtle back with a few dots and a yellow muncher but at night the rear comes alive with a glow-in-the dark maze with nods to both PAC-MAN and other 80s video games. In a further mod, the alert slider of the phone is now the same dark blue colour as the ghosts when they try to run away from the PAC-MAN after he eats a power pellet. The slider is just about visible in the night shot on the right.

And if ordering direct from OnePlus, there’s a further PAC-MAN bonus – a construction brick-based phone holder that mimics Penrose stairs as seen in designs by Escher. Build it yourself, hold it just right and you’ll have a never-ending staircase complete with ghosts and PAC-MAN. Hours of fun by itself.

In addition to the exterior changes, OxygenOS (that’s OnePlus’ version of Android) has been given a retro makeover. Icons have pixelated for an 80s vibe, wallpapers show off the PAC-MAN game, the camera app has a custom filter and there are a series of challenges to unlock a selection of new content, from wallpapers to ringtones and photo stickers.

And of course, PAC-MAN 256 comes pre-installed for instant gaming action. What did you expect?

The OnePlus Nord 2 × PAC-MAN Edition goes on sale on Tuesday, 16 November, at 1100 GMT for £499 in the UK. A single variant of the device will be sold with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage on oneplus.com and amazon.co.uk.

Yes, it’s £30 more expensive than the standard Nord 2 for the same hardware, but it’s so much cooler.


Gaming Limitations Could Threaten China’s eSports Dominance



Recently, Financial Times posted an article titled: “Gaming crackdown threatens China’s esports dominance, warn players”. In the article, it says that Beijing introduced gaming regulations last week that limited players under 18 to only three hours of online games per week.

The article astutely points out that the limitation is going to blunt China’s professional eSports teams because they will have less time to play games than their competition from other countries (such as the United States, South Korea, and Europe). According to Financial Times, eSports is big business in China and widely popular.

The Financial Times also reported that China is set to host esports first appearance as a medal event in at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. They have set up a stadium dedicated entirely to competitive video gaming in Chongqing with more than 7,000 seats.

In August of 2021, South China Morning Post reported that that gamers in China who are under the age of 18 would have their playing time limited to one hour on regular days and two hours on public holidays, which was announced by Tencent.

It appeared to be a response to a game called Honour of Kings, (created by Tencent) which was the first video game in the world, on any platform, to average more than 100 million users a day. Teens will also be prohibited from playing the game between 10pm and 8am.

On August 30, 2021, BBC reported that Tencent announced it was rolling out facial recognition to stop children playing between 10pm and 8am. According to BBC, the move followed fears that children were using adult ID’s to circumvent rules.

Personally, I can’t see how eSports players in China are going to be able to compete against players from other countries – who don’t have the limitations that China imposed upon young gamers. To me, the severe limitations on gameplay is going to stifle China’s eSports players.


E3 Expo 2021 Starts Today



E3 2021 LogoE3 2021 kicks off today (12 June) and continues for the next four days until Tuesday. Held this year online, there are over a dozen presentations from big names in the gaming industry including Nintendo, Ubisoft, Capcom, Square Enix, Take Two and Razer, plus interviews and panel sessions.

If you want to follow along, the show has a dedicated portal at https://e3expo.com/ for all the presentations and exhibitors. Alternatively, the show is broadcast on all the major media platforms:

Along with the show stream, E3 Expo is offered on a complementary app available from your preferred app store. There are exhibitor booths, people to follow, events and forums.

Here’s the schedule for the main events. Times are PDT which 8 hours behind BST so 10:00 PDT is 18:00 BST and 19:00 CEST.

All times are PDT

Saturday, 12 June 
10:00 Broadcast Pre-Show
11:00 Ubisoft Forward Pre-show
12:00 Ubisoft Forward
14:00 Gearbox E3 Showcase
14:45 GamesBeat Session

Sunday, 13 June
08:45 Broadcast Pre-Show
09:30 24 Entertainment’s NARAKA: BLADEPOINT
10:00 Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase
12:15 SQUARE ENIX PRESENTS
14:00 Warner Bros. Games’ Back 4 Blood
14:30 PC Gaming Show
16:00 Future Games Show
Monday, 14 June
08:00 Broadcast Pre-Show
09:00 Verizon
09:45 Intellivision
10:15 Take-Two Interactive Panel
11:10 Mythical Games
12:00 Indie Showcase
12:30 Freedom Games
13:00 VENN’s Origin Stories with Hector Rodriguez
14:30 Capcom
14:00 Razer
Tuesday, 15 June
08:00 Broadcast Pre-Show
09:00 Nintendo’s Nintendo Direct and Nintendo Treehouse: Live
14:25 BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.
15:20 Yooreka Studio
15:35 GameSpot Play For All Showcase
16:45 Official E3 2021 Awards Show

Tune in for a preview of all that’s coming to gaming in the next year.


Get Your Game On With OnePlus and Google Stadia



OnePlus have partnered with Google’s Stadia and consequently their latest smartphones will come with a free Chromecast Ultra and a Stadia controller. Stadia is Google’s cloud-based gaming platform and offers instant gameplay without lengthy downloads.

OnePlus has a history of gaming promotions with PUBG and Fortnite taking advantage of fast smartphones and high refresh rates. I think the Bhangra Boogie Emote is still available…

At OnePlus, we are very close with our community of tech enthusiasts and a lot of them are avid gamers, so we know that mobile gamers are looking for a more immersive experience. That’s exactly what we are delivering with this unique bundle. By partnering with Google to offer Stadia Premiere Edition to our customers, we’re able to push the limits of gaming, making the best gaming experience even more accessible for the growing number of mobile gamers”, says Tuomas Lampen, Head of Strategy OnePlus Europe.

Outside of the promotion Stadia Premiere Edition costs GB£89.99, so it’s a good freebie. Google Stadia comes in two tiers, standard (aka Base) and Pro. The Pro tier has a free month trial and then costs GB£8.99 per month and offers an ever-increasing selection of games. If you don’t go Pro, individual games can be purchased as desired. There’s a extensive library of games with recognisable titles – Hitman, Tomb Raider, Hello Neighbor, Final Fantasy – but they do cost roughly the same as titles on other gaming platforms.

Stadia works across Google’s platforms – Android phones, Chromebooks, PC Chrome browser and on the TV via Chromecast. It’s a neat idea, especially if you aren’t wedded to an existing gaming ecosystem. To be fair, there have been some concerns about Google’s commitment to Stadia but as it’s a freebie, I’d take it and play.

The promotion is available to purchasers of OnePlus 9 Pro, 9, 8 Pro, 8T and Nord smartphones in UK, France and Germany from oneplus.com until 30th September.


E3 Goes Online for 2021



E3 2021 LogoIt’s “Game On” for this year’s E3 Expo with the flagship gaming event taking place completely online in 2021 from 12-15 June. This is great news for gamers and gaming fans who will be to see what’s coming soon to their consoles and PCs from some of the biggest names in the industry. Early indications are that Nintendo, Xbox, Capcom, Konami, Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive, Warner Bros. Games and Koch Media will be showing off their latest wares with more to come.

Usually, E3 takes place in June at the Los Angeles Convention Center and until only a few years ago was a trade-only event. Last year’s show was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic and this year will be an all-digital event. This is great for enthusiasts across the world who wouldn’t be able to travel to the West Coast under normal conditions, never mind during the pandemic: they’ll get a front-row seat to the latest releases in the industry.

For more than two decades, E3 has been the premier venue to showcase the best that the video game industry has to offer, while uniting the world through games,” said Stanley Pierre-Louis, President & CEO of the ESA. “We are evolving this year’s E3 into a more inclusive event, but will still look to excite the fans with major reveals and insider opportunities that make this event the indispensable center stage for video games.

For E3 2021, there will be live press conferences and a four-day video stream. An E3 app is mentioned as well which would be a very slick way to bundle the event into a single point of presence. Other elements of the website are still a work-in-progress and fan registration is expected to open in “Spring 2021”. Keep an eye on the registration page here but all the indications are that this will be a free event.

Now I’m wondering if Nintendo will use E3 to drop the widely-expected revised Switch…


Xiaomi Launches the POCO X3 NFC



Xiaomi today launched the POCO X3 NFC, the third generation of its POCO sub-brand after the F1 and F2. Aimed at the value-conscious gamer, the X3 has a couple of flagship level features that unquestionably set the X3 NFC apart at this price point. The moniker for the presentation was “Exactly What You Need” and I think they delivered.

Starting with the outside, the the POCO X3 NFC has a large 6.67″ LCD Gorilla Glass 5 display on the front and a lovely curved back which beautifully reflects the Shadow Gray and Cobalt Blue of the two colour options. It’s a polycarbonate back, rather than say, glass, but given the number of smashed backs I’ve seen recently, this is not a bad thing. The quad camera array (with flash) is arranged in a circle at the top, and physically the smartphone is 165.3 x 76.8 x 9.4 mm and weighs in at 215 g. There’s a power button with fingerprint sensor on the side.

Returning to the front, the display is FHD+ meaning 2400 x 1080 pixels, 395 ppi and a 20:9 aspect ratio. It’s described as 2.5D which I think means the display has curved sides, and there’s a tiny 3.8 mm hole for the selfie cam at top centre. Stealing from the flagships, the X3’s display has a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz and can dynamically switch from as 50 Hz though 60 Hz, 90 Hz and on to 120 Hz as circumstances demand. The 120 Hz gives that super smooth screen refresh when needed, but if the screen’s only showing a static picture, the display can fall back to 50 Hz to save on power and extend battery life. That’s pretty clever stuff.

For the edge in gaming, the X3 comes with 240 Hz touch sensitivity – that means it can discriminate between touches down to 0.004s. That’s four thousandths of a second, but when playing games at a high level, it can give an edge over another player who plays on a phone with 120 Hz touch sensitivity.

Inside the X3 NFC is the first appearance of Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G. It’s an enhanced version of the 720G and 730G 4G chipsets, comprising a Kyro 470 octa-core CPU and an Adreno 618 GPU. The Kyro is able to boost a pair of “gold” cores to 2.3 GHz for gaming performance and the Adreno GPU includes Qualcomm’s “Elite Gaming” extensions to minimise jank and stutter for smooth movement. The POCO X3 NFC will be available in two variants, 6GB+64GB and 6GB+128GB, and if that’s not enough storage, the phone can take a microSD card up to 256 GB.

The gaming experience is further enhanced with a powerful z-axis linear motor for haptic feedback with 150 different “feels” available. There are stereo speakers too, which have a cool dust blaster feature than clears the cruft and debris out of the speakers. Worth checking that out in slow-mo.

Heat dissipation is always an issue with gaming phones: if the heat can’t get away from the CPU fast enough, the processor’s going to slow down to reduce heat output. The POCO X3 comes with LiquidCool Technology 1.0 Plus which is a fat heat pipe to spread energy through the X3’s internal frame and aims to keep the phone about 6°C cooler than without it. If that’s not enough, Xiaomi have partnered with Black Shark to offer the FunCooler and FunCooler Pro with the X3. Funky lights!

To keep the X3 NFC speeding along, the phone comes with a 5,160 mAh battery which is expected to give 2 days of battery life for an average user. But who is average? To quantify in more detail the battery life, it’s 10 hours of gaming or 17 hours of video. The phone supports 33 W fast charging and it takes just 65 minutes to go from 0% to 100% with the included charger.

Round the back, the POCO X3 NFC comes with a quad camera configuration. The main lens is a 64 MP unit using the Sony IMX 682 sensor, along with a 13 MP 119° wide-angle shooter. A 2 MP macro unit and a 2 MP depth sensor rounds out the rear. On the front, it’s a 20 MP selfie cam. The X3 comes with some clever filters and effects including “gold vibes” that brings out and enhances the yellows, and a “cyberpunk mode” which enhances blues and pinks – both effects look great. There’s also some clever AI effects to add night-time effects to day-time skies. Stars, auroras…

Although there’s a fairly big clue in the name, the POCO X3 NFC supports NFC for swiping those credit cards at the till. Fan favourites, the X3 includes an IR blaster and retains the 3.5 mm earphone jack. Out of the box, the phone will be running Xiaomi’s MIUI12 flavour of Android and POCO Launcher 2.0 and the company is committing to 3 years of consistent system updates.

What about the price? Impressively, even the 128 GB version comes in under GB£250 – I think that’s a good deal given the features on offer here.

  • 6 GB + 64 GB is £199 / 229 €
  • 6 GB + 128 GB is £249 / 269 €

The X3 will be available from tomorrow globally, but will be coming to the UK from 17th September on both mi.com/uk and Amazon UK. For early birds, there’s £20 off the 128 GB version bringing the price down to just £229. That offer will last until 8th October 2020.

This looks like a very compelling offering for the value-conscious gamer and I’m sure it’ll get plenty of attention.

The launch event is available on YouTube below. Skip through to about 35 minutes in.