We are seeing an increasing number of huge ultra-wide monitors hitting the market these days, and apparently Samsung has another model waiting in the wings – a massive 49-inch curved screen with a resolution of 5,120 x 1,440 pixels.
As TFT Central reports, this new monitor – which Samsung will purportedly begin to manufacture in September – very much builds on the Samsung CHG90, the behemoth 32:9 aspect ratio ultra-wide screen that we reviewed very positively last October (pictured above).
The main step forward with this new offering is the mentioned resolution of 5,120 x 1,440 pixels. That’s a major upgrade from the CHG90, which ran with a resolution of 3,840 x 1,080 (as does the Samsung C49J89, another 49-inch model which we’ll have a review for you imminently, so look out for that).
Aside from the price – which will always be an issue with these sort of monitors – that resolution was the major downside of the CHG90, because having a giant, lengthy screen, which keeps the same vertical resolution as a standard Full HD display can make things feel a little ‘cramped’, as it were.
And the overall pixel density, or detail level, of the CHG90 was really the same as a Full HD monitor, which is why it’s particularly exciting to see this new offering crank things up to 5,120 x 1,440.
Rough with the smooth
There’s a bit of take, as well as give here, though, as the new panel has a refresh rate of 120Hz, slightly lower than the CHG90 which hit 144Hz. Although admittedly, the frame rate will be harder to max out given the higher resolution on the new panel.
Otherwise, this incoming 49-inch monster from Samsung remains the same as the CHG90, being a VA panel with ultra-thin bezels on three sides (all except the bottom bezel), and sporting an 1800R curvature. Bear in mind that all this assumes the report in question is accurate, of course.
This 49-inch monitor will be the flagship model, unsurprisingly, with TFT Central claiming that there will also be a 43.4-inch panel with a 3,840 x 1,200 resolution, using the same frameless design with an 1800R curvature – and a higher refresh rate of 144Hz. That’s also expected to go into production in September.
For those not wanting a huge screen, there will also be a more compact 34-inch model planned with a resolution of 3,440 x 1,440, again with a 144Hz refresh rate (this is actually a spin on an existing model, just with a slightly faster refresh rate).
Finally, Samsung is set to offer a 31.5-inch curved VA panel with a 3,840 x 2,160 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate.
The 34-inch monitor should kick off in production during Q3, but the 31.5-inch effort will be arriving first, with the assembly lines expected to start whirring in July.
When we heard Valve was making an app version of the Steam Link, we were surprised – shocked, really, that Valve would have the audacity to shrink the hardware it worked so hard on to the size of a mobile app. And yet, here it is, available to download … at least in beta on Android.
If you head over to the Google Play Store right now, you can find the Steam Link app, which has the ability to stream games over your local network from your PC to your smartphone or tablet.
While the Android version of the app is available now and will spend the next week in beta before officially launching on May 21, Valve says the iOS version should be coming soon, but is “pending further review with Apple”.
Both the iOS and Android version are free to download and use – Valve has no plans, at this point at least, of charging for any of it.
Steam library at your library? Unfortunately, no
“My whole Steam library on mobile,” you say, “that’s great!”
It is, but before you pack your bags and head out the door prepared to play games like Grand Theft Auto V or The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on your daily commute, there are some limitations to what the Steam Link app can do: First and foremost of those is that it only works with a PC that’s on the same network. Head outside and out of range from your Wi-Fi, and you won’t be able to access Steam.
Speaking of Wi-Fi, Valve heavily recommends that you use the app only on a 5GHz Wi-Fi connection or connected via an Ethernet adapter to your router – try to use a 2.4GHz signal, and you might not get the most optimal streaming experience.
The Android version of the Steam Link app is supported on devices running Android 5.0 and higher, while iOS users will be expected to run iOS 10 or newer, and any Apple TV running tvOS 10.3 or newer – yes, it even works on Apple TV.
The app itself is free to download on both iOS and Android, starting with Android, and we’ll update this story once the iOS version hits the App Store.
Update:Today was a big day if you’re a Call of Duty Black Ops 4 (styled IIII, for some odd reason) fan. Activision announced that while BO4 won’t offer a traditional single-player campaign, the game will feature more multiplayer modes than ever before including three zombie campaigns and a new mode called Blackout that will seem similar to gamers who have played battle royale games like Fortnite and PUBG.
Activision unveiled two trailers for the zombie modes – one that features a Titanic-like ship setting and one that places you in an Egyptian gladiatorial arena – and one mutliplayer trailer that shows some of the skills you can look forward to using against online opponents. Activision also confirmed that the game will be available on PS4, Xbox One and PC starting on October 12.
Original article continues below…
Call of Duty is one of those franchises that you can count on. Like FIFA, it doesn’t miss its yearly slot on the release calendar and, to be frank, we like that kind of stability in our gaming lives.
Activision has now confirmed that 2018 will see the release Call of Duty Black Ops 4 and that Treyach is the studio working on it. Last year’s Call of Duty WW2 was largely well-received and there was an uptick in the sales figures, so the decision to keep going with the series has surprised no one.
Details on Black Ops 4 are pretty thin on the ground at the moment, given it’s just been confirmed but here you’ll find all the latest news and rumors.
Cut to the chase
What is it? The 2018 installment of the Call of Duty franchise
When can I play it? October 12
What can I play it on? It’s usually Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC, but if rumors are correct you’ll also it on Nintendo Switch too
Release date
Activision has now confirmed that the game will be released on PS4, Xbox One and PC on October 12 2018.
Trailers
News and rumors
Now that Activision has confirmed there will be a Call of Duty game in 2018 and it’s a new title in the Black Ops series we’re just avidly awaiting more information.
Zombies!
Activision announced a handful of new zombie campaigns for BlOps IIII and we’re expecting to hear more at E3.
What’s lurking around the corner of @Treyarch’s next Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Zombies experience? Come hear the history of Call of Duty Zombies from the creators themselves at #E3Coliseum! Get your gamer pass today and be there. Purchase at https://t.co/QOa74rE263 #E32018 pic.twitter.com/xW9uomRMtIMay 7, 2018
A Nintendo Switch release?
It feels like every second day brings a brand new Call of Duty Black Ops 4 rumor. The latest is from Game Intel, who are reporting that a “trusted source” has said Black Ops 4 will be coming to the Nintendo Switch.
Before you get too excited, this source has also said that it won’t be a full version of the game. It will instead be a battle royale release, with no Zombies mode or true online multiplayer.
As you’d expect, Activision hasn’t commented on these rumors so we suggest taking them with a pinch of salt for now.
That said, all recent rumors for the game are tying in well together to create a rather interesting picture for the future of Call of Duty. If the game really doesn’t have a single-player campaign and will instead sport a battle royale mode, a Switch release for this mode alone wouldn’t be such a terrible idea. It’s certainly not been holding Fortnite back. If Call of Duty managed to get the first battle royale release on Nintendo Switch it could be unstoppable.
No single-player campaign?
A big change for this iteration of Call of Duty Black Ops will be the lack of a traditional single-player campaign. Instead, Treyarch will be taking a page from Destiny 2’s book and try to ‘weave story-telling elements into the multiplayer.’
That doesn’t mean you won’t get a solid story, it just means you might need a new friends to see it all the way through.
Blackout a.k.a. Battle Royale
With the ongoing success of PUBG and Fortnite, other developers are naturally paying attention. Acitvision Blizzard in particular has said it’s “keenly aware” of the sub-genre’s popularity. Does this mean we could see a battle royale mode come to Black Ops 4? Apparently, it does.
We don’t know much about it, but that’s what Call of Duty’s new Blackout mode is all about. According to Activision, it will feature the biggest map ever featured in a Call of Duty game, and include ground, air, and sea vehicles.
Vonderhaar tweets
Treyarch designer and director David Vonderhaar has been teasing Call of Duty Black Ops 4 on Twitter in the strangest way recently. Vonderhaar has changed his name to Redacted and removed all of his tweets from his profile with the exception of one which reads:
I used to see everything in absolute terms. Black or White. Zero or One. What happens next will show you what I have learned, that you do not yet know.Lights out.March 8, 2018
It’s obscure, but it’s a possible hint as to the route Black Ops 4 will be taking with its plot.
Call of Duty Black Ops 4 is confirmed
On March 8, Activision confirmed that Call of Duty’s 2018 outing would indeed be Call of Duty Black Ops 4 and that we’ll see the game released on October 12. Before this, though, there’s going to be a community reveal event held on May 17 where we’ll get the chance to see more about the game.
A Gamestop leak
A further sign that Call of Duty 2018 will indeed be Black Ops 4 came from a leaked Gamestop listing in March 2018. CharlieIntel reported that an insider sent images of an internal database of listings for Call of Duty Black Ops 4.
The listings are for various pieces of merchandise including T-shirts and lanyards which are expected to arrive in May 2018. This suggests that we’ll see the official announcement of the game before this and given Activision announced Call of Duty WW2 in April last year, that doesn’t seem entirely unlikely. It’s not certain, of course, whether these rumors are accurate and Activision is yet to comment. We’ll update with further information as it becomes available
Activision confirms Call of Duty 2018 and Treyarch
In an earnings call in February 2018, Activision confirmed to the surprise of no one that there would be a Call of Duty game coming in 2018. It also added that Treyarch would be the studio working on the game. Activision didn’t go so far as to say that this would be another Black Ops installment, but given Treyarch is the studio behind all of the previous Black Ops titles and there are already rumors swirling that 2018 will see the release of Black Ops 4 this seems likely.
Tweets and the Eurogamer report
The prevailing rumor at the moment is that the next call of duty game will be Call of Duty Black Ops 4. The initial rumor was started by a self-styled industry insider known as Marcus Sellars who took to Twitter to announce some information on the game.
COD 2018 is Black Ops 4 and is coming to PS4/Xbox/PC/Switch. It is set in the modern times and is boots on the ground. The Switch version will support DLC, HD Rumble and motion controls. The Switch version is also being ported by a company which is familar with COD games.February 4, 2018
According to Sellars, Call of Duty Black Ops 4 will be set in the modern day, taking a more ‘boots on the ground’ approach in line with the recent Call of Duty WW2 release. The game would, he states, be released on PC, Xbox One and PS4 as you’d expect but he added that a Nintendo Switch port is also in the works.
This tweet was then followed up by a report from Eurogamer, which stated that multiple sources have confirmed Call of Duty Black Ops 4 is indeed in the works at Treyarch studios, with an aim for a late 2018 release.
Given Treyarch has been the studio behind the last three Black Ops titles, it’s safe to say the game will be in safe hands.
Eurogamer’s report also stated that the game would be set in the modern day due to the negativity around Infinite Warfare’s futuristic setting, however it didn’t corroborate Sellars’ claim that there would be a Switch port.
Returning to the Black Ops arm of the franchise doesn’t seem like a far-fetched move for Activision – the last time we saw a Black Ops title was 2015 with Black Ops 3. Overall, Black Ops 3 was a well-received title from fans and critics alike, with large amounts of praise being directed towards the game’s multiplayer mode in particular.
What we’d like to see
A Switch version
At the moment, it kind of feels like Switch port rumors float around every single game before the developers have to come out and say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Given Activision hasn’t done this yet for Call of Duty 2018, we feel like we can say we’d really quite like to see a Switch port.
There hasn’t been a Call of Duty game on a Nintendo console since Call of Duty: Ghosts hit the Wii U in 2013. That’s a big gap and though the Switch is nowhere near as powerful as the latest consoles, we’re sure it could handle a new Call of Duty game in some form or another.
When Activision confirmed that there would indeed be a Black Ops 4 released on Xbox One, PS4 and PC, it made no mention of a Nintendo Switch version and declined to comment on such a release. We’re taking that to mean that there’s still a possibility.
A good campaign mode
Though Black Ops 3 had a fantastic multiplayer mode, its main campaign left something to be desired. We’d love to see Black Ops 4 remedy that with an engaging story and an interesting cast of characters.
We know it can be done – Black Ops 2 had a perfectly enjoyable campaign with really interesting multiple endings. We don’t need to see Black Ops 4 go for a carbon copy approach, but we wouldn’t object to an emotionally engaging single-play story mode.
Zombies
Zombies mode is pretty much a staple of the Call of Duty franchise at this point and naturally we’d love to see it return. It’s a mode that’s only really improved over the years and Black Ops 3 totally nailed it but we’d like Black Ops 4 to do even better.
A little innovation certainly doesn’t hurt and we definitely wouldn’t object to some new features in a formula that’s tried, tested and beginning to tire.
