Indholdsfortegnelse for Winter Edition 2024, Vol. 19 Issue 02 i New Age Gaming

The last time we conversed between these pages, NAG was in a very different place. Now, a mere six months later, we’re about to embark on the journey of a lifetime again, as we set into motion all the plans we kicked off over the last few months. Our shop is now in full swing and well underway, as you would have seen if you pre-ordered this magazine. Keep an eye on shop.nag.co.za for really cool deals on gaming hardware in the coming months. Our aim is to do things differently with hand-picked hardware all carrying the NAG stamp of approval. You may even see some lightly used review products that you can buy for cheap. We’re also kicking off our casual gaming series soon with the help of our…

Canton is a creative storyteller, deep thinker, and content creator who uses video to share his passions for gaming, tech, and pop culture. Who would have thought a tattooed gamer would make it in this world? Well played sir. Gaming is storytelling, and storytelling is everything. Stories are the foundation of our understanding, the building blocks that shape who we are. They teach us to think critically, to empathise, and to navigate the complexities of life. Through these stories, we can experience triumphs and tragedies, both real and imagined. These stories equip us with the tools that we need to make sense of the world around us, creating a sense of familiarity and trust for us to turn the page. Gaming takes storytelling to a whole new level. It doesn’t…

Over the decades, we have found ourselves becoming increasingly fascinated with the idea of integrating virtual reality into our gaming space. There have been many iterations of this technology, from the EyeToy generation to Google Cardboard and even full-on VR headsets like the Oculus, but none of these have been as easy adopted as Augmented Reality, which, at its core, is like VR, just a little different. The concept of augmented reality (AR) is far from new, but commercial products over the last few years from Microsoft, Apple, Meta, and Magic Leap have shown its real potential in gaming. Augmented reality has also become common in many other applications we use today. Take, for instance, the filters on TikTok, Snapchat, or Instagram. As commercial interest grows and gamers show interest,…

More than anything else in a video game homage, Star Wars fans long to connect with something authentic. There have been many successful takes, from the laser focus of Factor 5’s Rogue Leader to BioWare’s expansive KOTOR. A long time ago……e recently Jedi: Fallen Order and Survivor have impressed with their Force-infused combat smarts. Almost too many to highlight across decades of console and PC, for a host of reasons, but in terms of ‘the only one you need’ or simply ‘the one’ we might’ve finally found it. Star Wars Outlaws taps into the thrill of being a scoundrel, like Solo. Impossible odds faced down with little more than your wits and a heavy blaster. As though Ubisoft had briefed Massive Entertainment with, “1970s, smoky-theatre, celluloid, ILM Star Wars.” That…

esports update brought to you by Embracing the Future of Esports in South Africa Barry Louzada-MD and Founder of Mettlestate For over two decades, my life has been a whirlwind of esports events, teams, and tournaments – whether I was competing in or running them. From my time in competitive gaming to my current role as the Managing Director of Mettlestate, I have witnessed the incredible journey of South African gaming transforming from a niche activity into the growing scene that exists today. South African esports has come a long way, but it remains siloed – often overlooked and underappreciated. It’s time for a change. The potential within our local gaming communities, especially in markets which are often excluded, is immense. There is an untapped well of talent and passion…

With the popularity of shows like The Witcher and Arcane and hit movies like the Super Mario Bros. and Pokémon Detective Pikachu making waves on screens of all sizes, every studio is trying to take some of our favourite games and turn them into something we can binge. While not all of them turn into something good, *cough* Avatar *cough cough*, there are a few that rise to glory. Here are a few that we’ll be spending our time checking out, with our palms buried deep in sweet and salty snacks alike. ARCANE: SEASON 2 RELEASING: NOVEMBER 2024 DIRECTOR: ASCAL CHARRUE / ARNAUD DELORD GENRE: ACTION ADVENTURE / FANTASY STUDIO: NETFLIX Hardly anyone could have predicted just how culturally relevant League of Legends would become when it first broke into…

Never before has there been a better time for video gamers to get into board games. Over the last couple of years, the worlds of video and board games have been colliding spectacularly to form something new. At its core, app-assisted board games take something as simple as rolling dice across a table and turns it into an experience beyond mediums and imagination. Instead of diminishing what we love about board games’ tactile nature, app assistance aims to bring out the best of the medium by adding additional layers of strategy and more complex and evolving mechanics, allowing for more immersive and dynamic storylines. For many, there is an undeniable line in the sand separating board games from video games, but that’s not quite the case - and it has…

Buying a pre-built PC can be a tough exercise if you are looking for a reliable builder who is hopefully, as much of a geek as you are. Brutech is an online PC store specialising in pre-built gaming PCs that recently popped up on our radar, and we wanted to try them out. With Brutech, you can request a custom-built PC or select one of their pre-built machines called Brutech Preconfigs – we opted for the latter and picked the entry-level Brutech X3 Ryzen 5 5500 / RX 6600 Gaming Desktop called the Common. Brutech’s price ranges for their pre-built machines cover every budget range between this one at R12,599 and the top-of-the-line Mythical PC that goes for R57,999. The one thing that struck us right off the bat was…

A fight stick delivers a similar experience to the arcade machines of yore, from the nostalgic feel of a joystick to mashable buttons, only in a much smaller package you can carry around with you. At their best, fight sticks offer players a more old-school feel and a higher level of control than regular controllers. This is thanks to the ease of pulling off trick moves and ultimate combos and the ability to customize the device to achieve the exact performance and feel you’re looking for. The Mad Catz T.E.3 Arcade Fight Stick is one such product. T.E.3 stands for Tournament Edition 3. It sports a Sanwa octagonal-gate joystick and press-in Sanwa buttons in the Vewlix layout. The Sanwa joystick and buttons are known for their responsiveness and durability. The…

RRP R1,299 CAPACITY 40,000mAh 3.7V (148Wh) POWER DELIVERY 100W (Max.) DIMENSIONS 153.9mm × 70.5mm × 54.3mm WEIGHT 850g Having a battery bank by your side has become a prerequisite for most smartphone users who use their devices for work and play. My trusty 20,000mAh battery bank is always in my bag and has enough juice to charge my phone a few times. It was not until I unboxed the Astrum PB455 that I realised my puny battery bank needed an upgrade, fast. Apart from its impressive 40,000mAh battery, the PB455 can also deliver up to 100w of power via USB-C. If you have a notebook, like that gorgeous Huawei MateBook X Pro we’ve reviewed in this issue, you can charge it with this model. The Astrum PB455 PD100W Power Bank…

This year’s flagship smartphone from Samsung holds no punches when it comes to features, and while it may not be the best-looking upgrade if you own the Galaxy S23 Ultra, for almost every other phone user out there, this phone will be a major upgrade from what you currently have. Sporting the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, this phone offers the right stuff under the hood. Samsung introduced the square design for its flagship phones back in 2022 and it certainly is something to get used to if you’ve never such a big phone with square edges before. It does not slip into your pockets as nicely as phones with round corners but for gaming this is design ticks all the right boxes. The Galaxy S24 Ultra has nearly…

letters@nag.co.za DISCLAIMER: Most of the letters sent to this fine publication via email or social media, are printed more or less verbatim (No not on the blank DVD media, it means we don’t edit or fix them for you, so ignore any spelling or grammatical errors. It’s not us… it’s you. Letter of the Month FROM: Gerbert Myburgh SUBJECT: The cover disc brought back 90’s nostalgia To the team there, thank you for a wonderful nostalgic day. I was part of the zaLug team that built the LEGO PC and received a copy of the NAG Annual Special Edition 2023 magazine for it. A little history… one day a long time ago a young school chap saved up for months and bought his very first Sound Card. And, with it…

Miktar is part of the old guard at NAG, and we still have no idea if he is half Minotaur or half Dracon. We managed to track him down somewhere in rural America, but now we think we should not have stirred the hornet’s nest. Regurgitated nonsense riddles the web, the software for controlling my mouse wants to summarise my emails, and my video card’s driver package is trying to talk to me. Across every industry, ‘AI’ is being added into everything in a desperate attempt to find value. All of this, so that a bunch of hucksters can sell shovels during a fool’s gold rush. Nvidia is making bank while providing the means for Microsoft, Google, Meta and others to pretend that ‘AI’ is the next big thing. And…

It’s been fascinating to see the surge in demand for wearable technology in recent years. For some it’s just another cool accessory to check messages on, but for a lot of people wearable technologies brings with it a wealth of usable data, most notably, health related. But what else can you do with wearable tech? Of course, as gamers, we’ll always be asking if a piece of tech can run games, so read on to find out which wearables we’ve been able to game on. SMARTWATCHES For many active people, brands like Garmin and Suunto have long been the go-to choices for fitness smartwatches. While they’re still top tier in terms of sports-grade smartwatches, the market these days is flooded with consumer grade devices ranging from a few hundred rand…

CosmicSandwich / The best strategy for defeating enemies is to reduce their health to zero while maintaining your own health above zero. Oxydize / Cyberpunk is actually good now and not enough people have played it in its new state; this needs to change. Also Reanu Keeve is best bae, and I will die for that man. dermic_7378 / I’ve seen friends make debt to buy the latest releases and then they don’t play the game for long. Unless your daddy is an oil tycoon, there is no point in buying the latest releases straight away only to keep up with streamers and impress friends. magicalbean_uwu / I will always recommend Cult Of The Lamb for indie gamers, and Spirit City as a great focusing tool for work or study.…

DEVELOPER: SQUID SHOCK STUDIOS GENRE: ACTION ADVENTURE / PLATFORMER PLATFORMS: PS5 / PC / XSX / XSS / SWITCH / MacOS Following years of eager anticipation and a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign, Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is finally within our grasp. What started as the creation of just one man using the Unity engine quickly grew and expanded when its Kickstarter campaign brought in a whopping R3.2 million. Now being developed by Squid Shock Studios, a company comprising of Another Metroid 2 Remake’s team members, and published by Humble Games, Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is all set to deliver a gorgeous 2.5D side-scrolling action-platforming experience with some Metroidvania elements mixed in. Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is visually impressive and in a league of its…

DO’S Be patient with new players. - CYNIIC Conduct themselves with professionalism: This is crucial not only for maintaining a positive public image but also for attracting sponsors to your personal brand. - LEGION Trash talking has its place: It can create rivalries and entertainment, making the audience more invested. Support local tournament organizers, as they are the backbone of the scene. Use your time in the spotlight to become a personality, gain a following, and increase interest in your activities. Always be respectful. - ODU Practice improving: Focus on a game that brings you joy and work on honing your skills. – Tinx Play with humility and sportsmanship. You can engage in trash talk but always give credit where it’s due. – PhoenixTears Find pro players and streamers who…

Well, good news: there is more. A lot more. Comics are the perfect blend of writing and art. For me, a lifelong passion and an empty wallet can be traced back to my childhood when my dad came home with my very first comic book. That day, the bug bit, and a lifelong collection began. But given just how long comics have been around, knowing where to start can be intimidating. So, if you’ve ever wanted to get into collecting comics, this should help you decode all the comic-speak and put you on the right track to becoming just as broke as I am, but also as happy. So, you know… you’re welcome. The first thing that any collector needs to know is what format they’re interested in collecting. For…

Your digital companion is more than just a phone; your entire life is on it. So why not get something that can work and play hard? Our list comprises two flagship phones and two foldable phones, but it is by no means the only options on the market. We’ve had extensive hands-on time with each of these devices over the last few months, barring the Z Fold6, which we managed to snag (with permission) from their demo models after launch. Now, before you ask where’s Apple? Here’s a comparative benchmark score for these devices. For 3Dmark’s Wildlife Extreme, the Apple 15 Pro (512GB, R34,199) achieved a score of 3997. That cool? Okay, let’s get gaming.…

Foldable devices have been a marvel of smartphone engineering, and although we’ve not seen a perfect device hit the market yet, the Honor Magic V2 seems to come very close. What strikes you first as you hold this foldable smartphone in your hands for the first time is just how thin it is when it’s folded. At just 9.9mm, this is the thinnest foldable phone we tested yet, and by looking at its competitors out in the market, no one has it beat yet. Even more impressive is when you open it up; unfolded, the Honor Magic V2 is a mere 4.8mm thick. It is also incredibly light at just 231g. Ensuring this phone is not just about looks, the Honor Magic V2 sports a beefy Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8…

When we were kids, there was not much stopping us from playing the games that were big at the time, regardless of whether they were violent or scary. Today the gaming landscape is quite different, and we are a lot more sensitive to the games that young ones should and shouldn’t play. With the right guidance, there is an amazing world that awaits kids when they play age-appropriate games – hopefully with minimal daily screen time. Now, in traditional NAG fashion, here is a NAG Night School guide to Gaming and Tech for Kids. GET’EM WITH THE ABC’S Kaspersky recently launched a really great initiative that combines the basics of ABC to popular computer terms. The Kaspersky Cybersecurity Alphabet This cybersecurity alphabet is a fun and informative book that teaches…

James is one of NAG Magazine’s ex-editors and still keeps his eyes firmly on the gaming industry, more specifically, indie games. Check out his demo reviews of upcoming indie games every week at indiegames.substack.com I don’t buy every game I wishlist. I have more than 500 titles on my Steam Wishlist, and I keep adding new ones. But I always add a game intentionally, with an expectation that I might want to buy it one day. That simple act might also help games stand out in a very crowded market. It’s a tough time to launch a game. There were 1,292 new games on Steam in January this year, up from 745 in January 2021—73% more games. Last year, Steam added 14,534 new games. To stand out is a feat,…

Sam, South Africa’s top esports export, has hosted and shoutcasted numerous global events, inspiring aspiring competitive gamers. She also conducts interviews with top industry names on her YouTube channel. In the past two years, I’ve been able to work on some of the biggest Counter-Strike events on earth. I hosted the last-ever CSGO Major in Paris. I’ve been a desk host at Intel Extreme Masters Katowice and Cologne - two of the most prestigious events globally. I’ve worked with the biggest tournament organisers in the world, and while I’ve built my own career, I’ve watched the rise of a few other South Africans as well. Another Saffa found himself on the Dota2 International broadcast. A CS player now travels the world competing as IGL (In Game Leader) for one of…

You’re a gamer, which means you have a natural laziness; otherwise, how else would they convince us to spend all our time horizontally on a couch? That’s ok. We’re here to assist with that laziness and demystify esports so that by the time you’re done reading this, you’ll have something to chat about around the dinner table and jump in yourself to put your skills to the test. Just like every other sport out there, esports have a number of ways for you to get involved. You can be a player, a coach, a commentator (or caster), a waterboy, a fangirl, or even that one guy who complains about everything to his mates while the game is on. For this month’s Lazy Gamer’s Guide, we’ll show you how you can…

Liam.Williams.7140: I’ve played hundreds of games at this point. Even though my gaming library is small by most standards, I have about 11,000 games on one of my consoles. I don’t have exact numbers on how many games I’ve played and finished, though. Bdanvic: On PC, according to Steam, I have 1310 games, 914 of them I’ve played. PlayStation: 26 total, 25 played. This is all over a long time span since Steam became a storefront. The Gatoo Meow: My entire game library, which includes Epic, Steam, Microsoft and Amazon game stores, has about 63 games. Out of those 63, I only have four installed. Brandon: Man, between Steam, epic, and psn, it’s probably 1000+. I’ve played 480 of my 670 Steam games. 348 games, 100% so far. A few…

A good input source is imperative, and when shooting in public, environmental noise is always of concern. We’ve used the Rode Wireless Pro with great success in noisy environments, and the results were pretty impressive. Even on a busy show floor like Computex 2024, the Rode Wireless Pro microphones picked up audio clearly with perfectly isolated voices. I was actually more impressed that there was no wireless interference in that environment. There is a surprising amount of audio control you can configure on these tiny devices, including a safety channel that adds a layer of protection against bad audio input. More impressive is the 32-bit float on-board recording, which gives you great audio output for high-end productions. Each microphone can be muted, too, which is handy for run-and-gun shooting, such…

The Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra Controller is poised to become NAGs favourite PC/Xbox controller. Even if, at first, we were a little hesitant about it because of its old-school design aesthetic and the fact that its screen reminds us of one of the first generations of touchscreens on a phone. However, using the device brings pure joy. Its clicky buttons and rounded D-Pad may not be some of our favourite features, but it’s absolutely fantastic for gaming. Connecting it to a PC via wire or the 2.4 GHz dongle unlocks its full potential. The audio mixer lets you adjust mic volume and balance game and chat audio. The Connected Command Display is intuitive, allowing quick profile changes and even showing phone notifications during gameplay. The app connection pushes notifications to…

RRP R40,100 VA RATING 3000 VA WATTAGE 2700 W BATTERY RATING 12 V / 9 Ah WEIGHT 33.4kg If you run server-grade hardware at home, this mammoth online UPS might just be for you. In the era of in-home or in-office battery backup, UPSs are in less demand for consumer use, but in some office and server environments, you still want to ensure UPS backup. UPSs like the Eaton 9SX3000I were designed to manage sensitive power fluctuations or surges that spell disaster for sensitive computer equipment. If you just want to power your PC or notebook for long periods, this UPS won’t serve your needs best. The reason for this is that a UPS is designed to provide consistent “clean” power to your hardware with a battery backup built in.…

The Huawei Pura 70 Ultra still holds the number one spot for its smartphone camera systems on DXO Mark, meaning it certainly packs quite a punch when it comes to photography. We’ve been using it for quite a few video and photo shoots in and out of the office, and admittedly it’s true. The typical softness we usually get from the likes of Huawei cameras has been dropped but can still be turned on if you like it, making the images sharper, clearer and better to use for content creation. The Pura 70 Ultra runs on Huawei’s own Kirin 9010 processor, which struggles to keep up with other flagship processors; partnered with its massive 16GB of RAM, this phone is more than capable of handling video and photo editing on…

It’s pretty logical to assume that any book-style foldable phone will excel in both content creation and gaming. I mean, desktop editors are using larger screens to help with their edits, and gaming TVs are getting larger year after year, so why not apply the same logic to mobile phones? With the Samsung Galaxy ZFold 6, you get exactly that, an outside sub-display for the day-to-day stuff like swiping right, ignoring all your unread notifications, and the much larger, inside main display, used for working hard, making glorious edits and pwning noobs. While I personally find the outside display from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 a little too narrow, it’s still a dream to work and game on, and thanks to Samsungs efforts at making the phone skinnier when…

PRICE R2,050 WHERE CAN YOU GET IT Takealot / Titan-Ice Dreamware Tech WEIGHT 326 Grams TYPE Wireless / Wired COMPATIBLE WITH PC / PlayStation 4/5 / Nintendo Switch / Xbox via 3.5mm jack CABLE 2m 3.5mm Audio Jack Cable, when not used wirelessly The MSI Immerse GH50 Wireless headset seems unassuming at first glance, but it delivers great audio and microphone quality and even a surprising level of comfort. The headset comes with a little carry pouch, and while that’s neither here nor there when it comes to the headset itself, it is a nice way for MSI to convey that this is a headset made with portability in mind. As far as comfort goes, the headband is flexible and sturdy, and the leatherette cushions create a great seal on…

PRICE LIGHTSPEED: R5,199 WIRED: R2,999 WHERE CAN YOU GET IT Computer Mania WEIGHT WIRELESS: 345 Grams WIRED: 320g TYPE Wireless / Wired using a 3.5mm jack / Wired via USB COMPATIBLE WITH WIRELESS: PC / PlayStation 4/5 WIRED: PC / PS4/5 / Xbox Nintendo Switch / Mobile, Mac CABLE LENGTH 2m BATTERY Up to 50 hours It’s no secret that we love the Logitech G Pro X headset. As far as an upgrade goes, the Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed more than delivers. Visually, a lot has stayed the same. Still, an additional hinge sits just above each ear cup, allowing users to turn each ear cup individually to maximise comfort. The headset also comes with two pairs of ear pads: a soft leatherette set, and a velour fabric…

Let this sink in. What you are holding in your hands is historic. The only print on the planet with this content. This helps cement the fact that we will continue to grow the magazine year after year, provided there is the slightest interest in our content. I would like to send my sincere thanks to the Ubisoft team for getting involved with this issue of NAG. The double cover and all the Outlaws content would not have been possible without you guys. To our readers, thank you again for consuming physical content and showing such a keen interest in the NAG ecosystem, we do all of this for you. To our partners who have not only placed adverts within these pages but have supported us by way of prizes…