Steam actually ran out of a game this weekend - here’s what happened

It’s a problem most of us remember: You go to the game store, eager to pick up this week’s release only to be devastated to learn that the store has utterly sold through all their copes. Disappointment ensues and mom has to buy you an ice cream cone. 

This is what a handful of gamers went through this weekend when they tried to purchase Splinter Cell: Blacklist during Steam’s weekend sale where you could get the game for an extremely discounted 75% off. 

Potential cyber spies had their dreams cut short when, after downloading the game, Steam failed to provide a key to unlock the download, only to receive an error message that said “Failed to contact key server.” (If you’re wondering why you’d even need a key in the first place, it’s because publishers use download keys as a way to track sales via digital downloads via sites like Steam or GOG.)

That’s right: Steam, a digital download service, ran out of stock.

Now, had you told me that a digital download service like Steam could “run out of copies” I’d tell you that’s ridiculous, and yet here we are.

According to a forum about the problem on Steam’s website, Ubisoft’s technical support team has stepped in to alleviate the key issue with some users reporting that they’ve got a new download key in hand and are ready to jump into Sam Fisher’s combat boots. 

Others aren’t as lucky.

Steam’s weekend sale ended at 10 am PT / 1 pm ET today, which means that the game has already gone back to its full price – I’d say you missed a great deal here but, as it turns out, the only thing you missed out on was a massive headache.

Via Kotaku

• Jump to the top of the leaderboard with these Titanfall 2 tips and tricks

November 01, 2016 at 01:00AM
Nick Pino

Pre-Black Friday deals: Sony PS4, cheap laptops, games and more

Pre-Black Friday deals: Sony PS4, cheap laptops, games and more

Why Black Friday is the perfect time to pick up the games you haven't played yet

Whether you're playing on PS4, Xbox One or PC, games don't come cheaply these days. You're left weighing up the cost-to-enjoyment ratio more than you would, say, a cinema ticket, so it often feels a bit dicier when picking up anything but the triple-AAA, 5-star games.

Which is a real shame! They may not be perfect, but there are plenty of fun games that just slip short of greatness. Which is why Black Friday is a great time to dip back into those games you may have missed.

With warehouses full of stock of under-performing games, there's a good chance that a game you passed on at full price could get a Black Friday deal price cut. Here are a few of our favorite good-but-not-great games that we think are well worth a play - at the right price.

Black Friday game deals we want to see

First up is Mirror's Edge Catalyst, pictured up top. A prequel to 2008's Mirror's Edge, it featured all the first game's free-running first-person action, dressed up with a fresh lick of paint.

An asynchronous multiplayer mode was well-received, and the game's large open design made perfect use of the free-flowing parkour movement, and looked beautifully futuristic. But combat annoyed some, and the story was a little lacklustre.

But it's still a unique experience - if it gets a Black Friday price drop, it'd be well worth picking up.

The most contentious game of the year, No Man's Sky promised the universe, but fell short of the stratospheric expectations it set for itself.

Using an insane procedural generation algorithm, it was an essentially endless space exploration game. You could fly off between planet to planet, on a quest to reach the center of the universe. It was a technical marvel, with wholly new and unique creates to encounter on every new world.

However, for a game this big, there simply wasn't enough to do, and repetition kicked in.

That's not to say No Man's Sky isn't worth a play - far from it, as it stands as an amazing achievement. You may not be able to live out every sci-fi dream in it, but should No Man's Sky receive a Black Friday price cut, there's more than enough wonder to be had at pocket-money prices.

The Division is actually a solid online multiplayer shooter that's both reviewed and sold well. So why is it on this list? There's a good chance that you may have passed up on Ubisoft's persistent shooter due to the number of bugs it launched with.

But, with its near-future post-apocalyptic setting, gorgeous third-person visuals and fully-realised New York City, it gives loot-grabbing first person titles like Borderlands and Destiny a run for its money.

Alongside Ubisoft's other recent-decent, the prehistorically-themed Far Cry: Primal, Black Friday may prove to be the perfect time to pick up The Division if you missed out the first time around.

• Black Friday 2016 to be the biggest shopping day of all time

October 31, 2016 at 07:23PM
Gerald Lynch

Want a Surface Studio? You’re going to be waiting for some time

If you were mulling over buying one of Microsoft’s freshly revealed Surface Studio PCs, then we’ve got some bad news – the ship date on all models has been pushed out to ‘early 2017’.

When the all-in-one was unveiled last Wednesday, pre-orders were live on the same day, and the shipping date was set at mid-December.

However, as mentioned, whichever model of the Surface Studio you look at on Microsoft’s online store in the US, it now states a shipping date of early 2017, with no clarification on how early that might be.

This isn’t too surprising, though, as during the launch, Microsoft did say that there would only be limited quantities of the PC going out in December – with wider availability expected early next year.

Pre-order of the day 

And indeed there would seem to have been a very limited production run of the initial devices, given how quickly the shipping date has changed. Either that, or those creative types and folks with deep wallets who were interested in the machine all got their orders in very quickly anticipating this situation.

Of course, the cynic in us will always pipe up as to how it never hurts a company to have a seeming ‘overwhelming’ demand for a piece of hardware in the early days.

Obviously, that doesn’t hurt the build-up of hype, although in fairness, in our hands-on with the device, we found it was an “incredibly clever, powerful and gorgeous all-in-one PC” – the main drawback being the price (and the slight disappointment of the older GPU used).

As to when we’ll see the Surface Studio in the UK, we typically face long waits for Microsoft’s hardware to reach these shores, and given the situation with stock over in the US, let’s just say we wouldn’t get our hopes up for it arriving in the remotely near future.

After all, just look at how long it took the Surface Book to arrive in the UK, another device which, according to some stats we’ve seen, appears to have had a relatively limited production run based on its niche appeal, mainly due to the convertible’s price.

• If you’re looking for alternatives, here’s our list of the best all-in-one PCs

October 31, 2016 at 07:46PM
Darren Allan

Jony Ive: the Touch Bar is “just the beginning” of a new direction for Apple

In a recent interview with CNET, Apple’s Chief Design Officer, Jony Ive, has said that the Touch Bar which features in Apple’s redesigned Macbook Pro laptop line is “just the beginning of a very interesting direction” for Apple.

Last week, Apple revealed its redesigned MacBook Pro and its new input feature, the Touch Bar. Sitting at the top of the keyboard where we’re used to seeing the function keys, the Touch Bar is a slim multitouch OLED display which displays a changing menu of settings and buttons depending on what app is being used. 

In his interview Ive reveals that the inclusion of the Touch Bar was borne from a desire to “recognise the value” of both traditional keyboards and more modern touch inputs, to have something “contextually specific and adaptable” as well as “mechanical and fixed.”

Considered changes

It seems like a fairly straightforward idea, but according to Ive the Touch Bar is the result of two years of development which was originally exploring the idea of “larger, haptic-rich trackpads.”

Considering Apple has never shown interest in bringing multitouch displays to its MacBook Pro line before, the Touch Bar is an interesting design move and it’s “one of a number of designs” Ive says his team spent a great deal of time exploring. 

As far as full multitouch displays are concerned, we probably shouldn’t expect to see them feature in the MacBook Pro lineup any time soon. Ive revealed that though Apple explored the feature many years ago, it “just didn’t feel that [the Mac] was the right place for that.”

The interview is an interesting insight into the thought that goes into each change in design in Apple’s products. Though Ive says that his team isn’t afraid to change familiar designs, they have to remember that the design must then be productized. So they’ll only push changes if it’s taking the product “to a better place.” 

Though it's a simple addition to the MacBook Pro (relative to the rumors of full touchscreens and detachable keyboards, anyway) the Touch Bar could prove to be a convenient option for users and it'll be interesting to see where Ive and his team plan to take it. 

• The new MacBook Pro Touch Bar is basically a built-in Apple Watch

October 31, 2016 at 05:44PM
Emma Boyle

Nintendo Switch rumored to have half the RAM of PS4 and Xbox One

According to a reputable source for Nintendo Switch leaks, the new console will have 4GB of RAM, which is half the amount of both the PS4 and Xbox One. 

The news comes courtesy of Emily Rogers (known on Twitter as ArcadeGirl64) who in the past successfully predicted most of what was revealed in the Switch’s first announcement trailer. 

There is cause for some celebration however, as there had previously been rumors that the final console would ship with half the amount of RAM as the developer kits, or 2GB. 

Mobile first

Although the console is being positioned as a console-handheld hybrid, the specs that we’re seeing suggest that in terms of computing capability the device is closer to a handheld than a full home console. 

The Tegra processor that’s powering the switch is of the same architecture as that which powered the Nvidia Shield handheld, and now it seems its RAM levels aren’t comparable to current generation consoles. 

However its RAM is significantly more than currently available handhelds. The Nintendo 3DS has just 128MB, while the PlayStation Vita has 512MB. 

4GB of RAM is on par with many modern smartphones, including the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and Motorola Moto Z, and is more than both the iPhone 7 (2GB) and iPhone 7 Plus (3GB). 

RAM isn’t the be all and end all when it comes to computing specs, but it’s disappointing that the Switch isn’t matching the RAM levels of three year old current generation consoles. 

However, for a portable device its 4GB looks a lot more respectable, especially when you consider that it won’t need to do the amount of multitasking that’s expected from modern smartphones where 4GB of RAM is commonplace. 

• Check out everything we know about the Nintendo Switch release date, news and features

October 31, 2016 at 05:22PM
Jon Porter

Apple quits the monitor business, dumps own-brand Thunderbolt displays

Holding out hope for a new Thunderbolt display built by Apple? Prepare to have those dreams dashed - the Cupertino firm has confirmed it's leaving the standalone display business for good.

Though Apple revealed a new 5K Ultrafine 27-inch Thunderbolt 3 display at its 'Hello Again' MacBook Pro keynote last week, the monitor was actually made in partnership with LG.

It now seems as though that will be Apple's plan for the future too - standing aside from monitor development to let third-party manufacturers take the strain.

Thunderbolt and lightning, very very frightening

Apple discontinued its Thunderbolt display back in June of this year, but many hoped it was to facilitate the launch of a 5K screen sporting its own GPU. But that's clearly no longer the case.

The Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel, having spoken to Apple representatives at the event, tweeted confirmation of the move, stating that Apple was "out of standalone display biz."

Though we may have seen the last of Apple's own displays, the Cupertino company seems to still be making an effort to ensure that third-party monitors integrate well with Apple's products.

For example, the LG Ultrafine 5K 27-inch Thunderbolt 3 display's brightness can be controlled directly from a connected Mac, rather than from hardware buttons on the monitor itself.

If you're interested in LG's screen, you'll be able to pick it up from December, priced at $1,299.95 / £1,179 / AU$1,889.95.

• Ports in a storm: why is Apple making it so hard to choose a new MacBook Pro?

October 31, 2016 at 05:14PM
Gerald Lynch

Cheap PS4 and Xbox One deals: Game and Tesco go to war with early Black Friday deals

How we got to the Switch: a brief history of Nintendo controllers

While it's tempting to assume that Nintendo's desire for innovation is a recent trend, borne out of the company's need to fight Sony and Microsoft and forged in systems such as the Wii and DS, the Japanese veteran actually has something of a track record when it comes to dreaming up groundbreaking interface ideas.

The recently-announced Nintendo Switch can be seen as the culmination of the Kyoto firm's handiwork, but the DNA of this forthcoming hybrid console – as well as others which have preceded it over the past 30 years – can be traced back to a time before video games even existed.

Nintendo began life over 100 years ago, manufacturing Japanese hanafuda playing cards, or ‘flower cards’. When Hiroshi Yamauchi, grandson of founder Fusajiro Yamauchi, took control of the business in 1949 he decided to branch out into other sectors. These included a taxi service, a chain of hotels in which amorous couples could spend a short amount of time, and even a food company.

All of those ventures proved unsuccessful; but Nintendo's tentative forays into toymaking bore fruit, thanks almost entirely to the genius of a man named Gunpei Yokoi. Originally employed as a lowly maintenance engineer, Yokoi was to become one of the most significant people in the history of Nintendo, as well as the games industry in general. 

Gaming origins

The story goes that Yokoi got his big break at product design when Yamauchi, while on a tour of the factory, spotted an extendable arm which Yokoi had created for his own personal amusement – this would become the million-selling Ultra Hand, and was the first in a series of products developed by Yokoi. Later, he would work on the Nintendo Beam Gun Game, the precursor to video game light-guns such as the NES Zapper and Super Scope.

In hindsight it seems obvious that Nintendo would enter the games industry given the company's preoccupation with electronic toys, but it was the video game revolution of the 1970s that truly pushed the Japanese firm down its now-famous path.

Having secured the rights to distribute the Magnavox Odyssey in Japan in 1974, Nintendo would produce its own domestic system a year later in the form of the Color TV Game. While this was a significant step for the firm, it wouldn't be until 1980 that the company truly started to truly blaze a trail in the industry – and it was all thanks to a chance encounter on the way to work.

Game & Watch Donkey Kong (1982)

The Game & Watch range was inspired when Gunpei Yokoi observed a businessman absent-mindedly fiddling with this pocket calculator on his way to work. Yokoi – a firm believer in using cheap, existing tech in radical new ways – quickly saw the potential in small handheld games with LCD screens, and the Game & Watch range was born. These pocket-sized devices were twinned with a clock and alarm function (hence the name), as digital watches were still reasonably novel at the time. 

1980's Ball would start the – ahem – ball rolling, but 1982's Donkey Kong was the first truly groundbreaking offering. Not only did it offer two LCD screens (a concept that Nintendo would return to with the DS in 2004), but it was the first piece of gaming hardware to offer a proper ‘Directional Pad’. Up until this point, gaming was done predominantly with a joystick, but Yokoi needed a flatter and more compact option to fit inside his clamshell portable. The Game & Watch range would continue until 1991, and sell over 40 million units worldwide.

Game & Watch Micro Vs. System (1984)

Yokoi's Game & Watch range was packed with innovations, including tabletop titles and even a variant with a totally transparent LCD screen, but it was 1984's Micro Vs. System which really broke the mould in gameplay terms. Boasting a single LCD display with two wired controllers, it allowed for local multiplayer on the road. Three titles were released in total: Boxing, Donkey Kong 3 and Donkey Kong Hockey.

NES controller (1985)

Based on the controller that launched with the Famicom in Japan in 1983, this boxy pad kick-started video gaming as a hobby for millions of players all over the world. Incorporating Yokoi's D-Pad from the Game & Watch range, and boasting two action buttons at a time when most consoles and computers were limited to one, the NES controller laid down the foundations for practically every controller since. Separate Start and Select buttons gave developers even more options, but above all this pad was built to withstand punishment – as a result there are plenty available on the secondhand market even today.

Power Glove (1989)

While the NES era was one of astonishing success for Nintendo, not every venture met with commercial triumph. In fact, the incredible popularity of the system encouraged some wild risks, one of which was the Power Glove. While it was marketed as an official Nintendo product, it was in fact manufactured by US toymaker Mattel, and allowed players to control games using hand gestures.

Fiddly to configure and not incredibly effective, the Power Glove didn't get much in the way of exclusive software, and is mostly remembered now for its starring role in the 1989 Fred Savage movie The Wizard, which predominantly featured Nintendo games; in one scene the villain proclaims that he loves the controller because it's "so bad", without the merest hint of irony.

SNES controller (1990)

If the NES pad laid down the foundations for future console controllers, then the SNES pad refined and evolved the design. The squared-off edges were abandoned in favour of a rounded, ergonomic look, and the number of buttons was drastically increased to cater for the more complex nature of 16-bit games. The four face buttons were arranged in a diamond formation – a feature which remains the same on modern pads – but it was the two shoulder buttons which really took things to the next level. Elsewhere, things remained unchanged from the NES controller, with a very similar D-Pad and two Start and Select keys; if it ain't broke, don't try and fix it.

Super Scope (1992)

The Nintendo Zapper was arguably the first video game light-gun to achieve mainstream success, and thanks to software like the superb Duck Hunt it has passed into the annals of gaming history. When Nintendo looked to update the concept for the 16-bit generation it went a little overboard. While the Zapper was a cute handgun, the Super Scope was a shoulder-mounted monster which was powered by batteries, rather than relying on a wired connection to the console.

In a bizarre example of one-upmanship, rival Sega produced the thematically similar Menacer light-gun for its Mega Drive console, which boasted a customisable shoulder stock and sights. Despite the imposing nature of these peripherals, neither was blessed with much in the way of decent software – but at least they looked cool, and the Super Scope would be immortalised in the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie, a flop at the time but now considered something of a cult classic.

Nintendo 64 controller (1996)

Compared to the safe design choices made with the NES and SNES pads, the N64 controller was a complete upheaval for Nintendo. The three-pronged design allowed for multiple grip options, but the most innovative element was the analogue wand in the middle of the pad, which offered an unprecedented degree of control and was quickly copied by rivals Sony and Sega.

The N64 pad's status as a truly iconic interface is thanks in large part to how well it was exploited in games – Super Mario 64 felt like it was built expressly with the controller in mind, allowing players to move the portly Italian plumber with unprecedented grace and precision. Elsewhere, Mario Kart 64 showed how useful analogue control was in a racing environment, while GoldenEye 007 refined the concept of console first-person-shooters. The other unique thing about the N64 system is that the console had four ports on the front, which took multiplayer to blissfully chaotic heights.

Nintendo DS (2004)

Just as the late, great Gunpei Yokoi (he was killed in an automobile accident in 1997, aged just 56) took LCD technology and appropriated it for something entirely new in the form of the Game & Watch range, Nintendo performed the same kind of trick with the Nintendo DS, which is comfortably the best-selling handheld console of all time. Resistive touchscreen tech had been available for many years prior to the launch of the dual-screen system in 2004 – Tiger Electronic's ill-fated Game.com handheld used a touchscreen and stylus way back in 1997 – but it was Nintendo's approach which really nailed the idea of using touch to interact with games.

The two-screen, clamshell design was inspired by the aforementioned Game & Watch range, with the bottom panel boasting touch control. Several games required the player to hold the console in portrait orientation – like a book – and this further expanded the gameplay possibilities on offer. Smartphones and tablets are now commonplace, and we take touch interaction for granted – but it was Nintendo that arguably brought the concept to the masses, making the DS a pivotal device in both gaming and consumer technology.

Wii Remote (2006)

Following the disappointing commercial fortunes of the Nintendo 64 and GameCube, Nintendo needed something truly special to capture the hearts and minds of consumers who had abandoned the brand in favour of the PlayStation and Xbox. It came in the form of the Wii, with its unique motion-sensing Wii Remote controller. The fact that the concept of motion control has fallen out of fashion in recent years makes it easy to forget how revolutionary the Wii was; it removed all barriers to entry, and attracted entirely new fans to the realm of gaming.

To a non-gamer the average joypad is intimidating, festooned with buttons, sticks and triggers. In contrast, the Wii Remote was and still is beautifully simple; anyone can understand that moving your arm results in a swipe of a sword or swing of a tennis racket in-game. The controller's IR pointer meant it also doubled as the perfect interface for lightgun titles, and it could be held horizontally as a ‘traditional’ pad.

While it's fashionable to dismiss this period in Nintendo's history as some kind of creative wasteland, don't be surprised to see the Wii Remote repositioned as a design classic in years to come.

Wii U GamePad (2012)

Nintendo's most recent innovation, the Wii U GamePad, was all about bringing second-screen gaming to the home. Slap-bang in the middle of this massive controller is a resistive touchscreen, which can either mirror the image shown on the TV or present an entirely different perspective. Sadly the concept of asynchronous gaming was never really exploited to its fullest potential; outside of games like Nintendo Land and Game & Wario, most titles opted to simply mirror the TV screen or leave the GamePad's display entirely blank during gameplay.

Nintendo didn't help matters by fumbling its marketing message for the console, and as a result it’s one of the firm's most embarrassing failures, with just over 13 million units sold, despite being host to some of this generation's best games, such as Super Mario 3D World, Bayonetta 2, Splatoon and Mario Kart 8. After more than a decade of dabbling with dual-screen gaming, the Wii U may prove to be Nintendo's final foray with this concept.

Nintendo Switch (2017)

And so we come to the present day, and Nintendo's next gamble: the Switch. We still don't know everything about this intriguing hybrid, with existing patents hinting that it could have a touchscreen, projector and some form of motion detection technology. Nintendo clearly has some other special features up its sleeve that it has yet to reveal publicly, but the console is the culmination of everything the Japanese veteran has learned so far.

Local multiplayer harks back to the days of the 1984 Game & Watch Micro Vs. series, while the touchscreen – assuming it has one – is a clear nod to the groundwork done by the DS. It's easy to imagine that those removable Joy-Con pads have motion control and could replicate the performance of the famous Wii Remote, and both have analogue sticks which owe a debt to the N64.

What other innovations and secrets could this console have in store for us? We'll find out in 2017 – but given Nintendo's track record it would be wise to expect something a little bit different.

October 29, 2016 at 06:00PM
Damien McFerran

The new MacBook Pro Touch Bar is basically a built-in Apple Watch

What about that new Touch Bar then? The touch-sensitive OLED panel Apple is fitting to its new MacBook Pros lets you access smart shortcuts that change depending on the application you're using: pause music, drop in emojis, scroll through photos, and so on.

iOS developer Steven Troughton-Smith has been taking a closer look at this new component and thinks the Touch Bar is basically an adapted Apple Watch, using the same integrated system-on-a-chip as Apple's timepiece plus watchOS.

The modified component handles user Touch Bar input separately from the rest of the operating system and then feeds it back to macOS. This should keep performance snappy and keep the Touch ID element more secure at the same time.

Touch Bar future

Apple isn't commenting on the internal architecture of its new machines but Troughton-Smith told The Verge that "the Touch Bar theoretically could run while the rest of the machine is turned off, so you get all the low-power and security benefits of an iOS device", opening up all kinds of possibilities - like seeing iMessage notifications come up before you switch your laptop on.

Sources speaking to TechCrunch have confirmed this is indeed how the new MacBook Pros are set up, and Apple Pay transactions are another duty that the modified Apple Watch chip is assigned to handle.

The revelation probably isn't going to change your mind about whether it's worth shelling out for one of the new laptops, but it gives us some interesting info about how the Touch Bar might be used in the future - a separate, mini iOS device running right above the MacBook Pro keyboard.

• All the most important announcements from Apple's MacBook Pro event

October 29, 2016 at 04:21PM
David Nield

Skyrim HD on Nintendo Switch repeats the same mistakes as the Wii U

Best Mac to buy in 2016: Apple's top iMacs, MacBooks and more

Buying a new Mac isn't as simple as picking up the latest iPhone. Unlike with their phones, Apple users tend to keep their Macs up and running for years on end, and with a wide variety of form factors and configurations to choose from, there's a lot more to consider. Portability, power, speed, storage, screen size, pixels and expansion needs are just a few on the list.

While the Mac lineup is fairly streamlined and straightforward when compared to all the Windows 10 PCs on the market, the options still feel endless. If you want a desktop, there's the Mac mini, iMac and Mac Pro to choose from, though we'd like to see the day when they're all three combined. On the laptop front, there's the 12-inch MacBook, a MacBook Air and a MacBook Pro.

Even if you overlook the build-to-order options, there are dozens of possibilities ranging from $499 (about £325/AU$646) all the way up to $3,999 (about £2,610/AU$5,181). That said, every Mac – regardless of personalization choices – ships with the latest operating system, macOS 10.12 Sierra.

• Learn better window management etiquette in macOS Sierra

A new Mac is a long-term investment. As you don't want to be stuck with the wrong one forever, we scoured through every possible combination of specs and models to help pair you with your perfect match. So then, with two fingers on the trackpad, scroll with us as we dive in and find the best Mac for your needs.

The Mac Pro was cutting-edge when it launched in late 2013, and it's still one of the most advanced PCs money can buy - though an update wouldn't go amiss.

The new design, which made the machine much smaller and compact, introduced Thunderbolt, the high-speed connectivity option to the desktop, and a range of other high-end features that users wanted.

The most expensive Pro model can have a 12-core processor, 64GB of RAM, and 4 terabytes (4,000GB) of SSD storage without breaking a sweat. From here, users can add their own graphics cards, more memory, and run four displays simultaneously.

The machine has power and performance to spare, with quad-core Intel Xeon E5 processors, dual AMD FirePro graphics cards, and super-fast PCIe-based flash storage. And its distinctive 9-inch-high cylindrical form fits great on any desk.

Of course, the Pro's price tag matches its performance - ranging from $2,999 (£2,499/AU$4,399) to around $10,000 depending on your storage, memory and processing needs - but it's as future-proofed as any Mac you'll find.

Even if OS X were to transform into some kind of a Multitouch hybrid in five years, today's Mac Pros will surely be able to handle it.

What's next for the Mac Pro?

The Mac Pro, unlike all of Apple's other desktops or laptops, is meant to be played with, expanded, and customised by people who work in film or music studios. Because of this, the Pro is unlike any of Apple's other machines and, as such, doesn't get updated as often by the company.

Apple has been under pressure to update the Mac Pro in recent times, however, as the iMac becomes more and more powerful. The next version of the Pro will most likely not come in 2016, though.

Read the full review: Mac Pro

If you want the big screen of an iMac with the precision of a Retina display then there's only one iMac for you: the iMac with 5K Retina display. It comes with a choice of two quad-core Intel Core i5s at 3.3GHz and 3.5GHz respectively, a 1TB hard drive or Fusion Drive and it's so pretty we want to marry it.

If you're dropping more than a grand and a half on an iMac you might as well go the whole hog and get the faster, Fusion Drive-packing model, packing a 5K Retina Display, 3.5GHz processor and Fusion Drive for £1,849 ($2,299).

For designers and video creators looking to make the move to ultra pixel-heavy content, the 5K iMac pairs an illustrious display with a heaping deal of screen real estate to boot. It may not have the expandability of a Mac Pro, but hey, at least you don't have to worry about buying a separate monitor.

What's next for the 27-inch iMac with 5K Retina display?

Apple is unlikely to change anything big on the 27-inch iMac with 5K Retina display in 2016, making way for other models—like the MacBook Pro—to get the limelight. Nevertheless, with Microsoft's Surface Studio catering to artists and designers with a full-on touchscreen, the iMac is starting to feel like yesterday's news. 

Read the full review: 27-inch iMac with 5K Retina display

If 27 inches is too much for you, Apple's 21.5-inch 4K iMac is much smaller but packs and equally sharp display. It goes toe-to-toe with the 27-inch 5K iMac's when it comes to pixel density, and it similarly supports the DCI P3 colour gamut allowing for accurate, vibrant colour.

The 4K iMac starts at £1,199 ($1,499) and can be upgraded with features such as a faster processor, more RAM and faster, more capacious storage.

It isn't much more affordable than the entry-level 27-inch iMac once you've ramped up the configuration, so it's worth bearing in mind whether spending the extra money would be worth getting hold of a larger display and much more powerful graphics capabilities.

If those aspects aren't important, Apple's smaller iMac is still a capable machine and packs one of the best 4K screens around. And, if you don't need an Ultra HD display, there's a 1080p model as well.

What's next for the 21.5-inch iMac with 4K Retina Display?

As with the 5K iMac, it's highly unlikely that Apple will launch a new 4K model in 2016. It will, however, benefit from an upgrade to macOS Sierra 10.12 thanks to new features like Siri and Universal Clipboard.

Read the full review: A gorgeous 4K display on a compact all-in-one

After an extensive wait period, we finally have the MacBook Pro overhaul we deserve. Complete with a thinner, sleeker design, a Space Gray color option and an OLED-backlit Touch Bar in place of the function keys, the 2016 MacBook Pro isn't quite the same notebook we've come to know and love. In fact, it's better.

While it's pricier than what we've seen in the past, starting at $2,399 (about £1,970, AU$3,170), the revitalized MacBook Pro is still more affordable than the desktop tower that shares its surname. If you're looking for more of a desktop replacement than a road companion, it's definitely the way to go.

For almost $1,000 less, sure you could treat yourself to the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro, but then you'll miss out on the Touch Bar as well as more screen real estate. Plus, by default, the 15-inch MacBook Pro ships with an i7 processor and an AMD Radeon Pro 450 graphics processor in addition to four USB-C ports. 

There's a lot to love about the 15-inch MacBook Pro including 16GB of RAM, the option of up to 2TB of SSD storage space and a massive trackpad. Sure, you'll be shelling out a lot of cash for this model, and the butterfly mechanism used in the keyboard isn't exactly flawless, but it's the best MacBook Pro money can buy, made better by cutting-edge tech. 

The USB-C ports, for instance, are Thunderbolt 3 compatible, meaning you can transfer up to 40Gbps with a compatible device. You can also use any of the four Thunderbolt 3 ports for charging since support for MagSafe adapters has finally been dropped. 

Packed with either a 2.6GHz or 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, a Retina 2880 x 1800 display and support for up to two 5K monitors at the same time, the MacBook Pro is a screamer whether you're editing videos in Final Cut Pro or making music with Garageband. 

Of course if you want the tricked out, built-to-order 2.9GHz MacBook Pro with all the specs maxed out, you can expect to pay – wait for it – $4,299 (about £3,540, AU$5,670). Ouch.

What's next for the MacBook Pro with Retina?

2016 was all about playing catchup to Microsoft's Surface devices. While the MacBook Pro was the first laptop to get the Retina display in 2012, it's continuing to cater to users who want a lot of power on-the-go. 

The Skylake processors featured in the latest MacBook Pros makes it possible to power two 5K screens at once, and while that's everything we could have ever wanted from the MacBook Pro, the added Touch Bar needs some work. 

Right now, it's less of a superior alternative to touchscreens and more of a workaround to avoid adding touch support to macOS. Of course, this could all change given the proper support from app developers, but we'll see for sure over the next year.

Read our hands-on review: MacBook Pro

Apple's 2015 MacBook refresh wasn't for everyone and, despite being rosier and "goldier" than ever, that contention hasn't changed with this year's upgrade. While both models supplanted the MacBook Air as the lightest and smallest laptop, the extra portability came with compromises.

Most notably, Apple replaced the standard USB 3 and Thunderbolt 2 ports with the brand-new USB-C protocol. While it's cool that a single cable can now handle both power and all sorts of data transfer, Mac users who are used to plugging in a variety of devices may find themselves frustrated picking through the various hubs and adapters required to complete even the most basic tasks.

There's also the keyboard. When the PowerBook debuted in 1991, Apple caused a stir by pushing the keys closer to the screen to create a natural palm rest and room for a trackball. Apple has attempted to change the game once again with the new MacBook, this time by re-engineering every key to be thinner and far less springy to the touch.

It feels quite a bit different than any other laptop we've ever used, so we recommend trying one at an Apple Store before making a decision. If those two concerns (and the loss of the glowing Apple logo) aren't an issue for you, the MacBook is pretty great.

Even though its 1.1GHz, 1.2GHz dual-core or 1.3GHz Intel Core M processor has nowhere near the power of the Pro or even the Air, the laptop is more than capable of running iMovie, Photos, and even Photoshop with ease, much thanks to the smooth-as-butter OS X El Capitan.

It's also easy on the eyes with a stunning design that's available in silver, space gray, gold in addition to a new rose gold finish, and it comes packed with the latest in portable technology, from the 2304x1440 retina display to the Force Touch trackpad. An affordable $1,299 (£1,049/AU$1,799) gets you 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and an improved 10-hour battery.

What's next for the 12-inch MacBook?

This year's MacBook model was the tock to last year's tick, meaning it didn't get quite the performance boost it deserved. Even with the welcome touch of an elegant new color option, the MacBook could undoubtedly benefit from a set of full-on Core i processors. Check out our 12-inch MacBook release date, news and rumors article for all of the latest updates on potential upcoming models.

For now, though, Apple has the iPad Pro, which weighs 1.57 pounds and measures 6.9mm thick, for those who don't want the power of a Mac, meaning that the MacBook needs to be more powerful to remain attractive.

However, because it runs iOS, the iPad Pro isn't compatible with certain apps, namely legacy programs designed for OS X, meaning that there is still a market for a laptop that can also be transported easily.

Apple also has to consider the MacBook Air, which has a 13-inch screen and is aimed at professionals who are on-the-go but need a powerful laptop.

Read the full review: 12-inch MacBook

The MacBook Air is in an interesting spot. While it's still one of the most popular and well-known notebooks around, the launch of the slimmer, lighter 12-inch Retina MacBook has stolen some of its thunder, and we have to assume one of two things: either a major update is in the works, or it will soon be made obsolete by an expanding MacBook line.

We wouldn't recommend going for the 11-inch MacBook Air, which is well past its sell-by date, but the MacBook Air will still give you all-day battery life, USB 3.0, Thunderbolt ports and an SDXC card slot. Not that you should need all those ports once USB-C gains traction.

Even without a Retina display or Force Touch trackpad, the 13-inch MacBook Air is a very capable machine, complete with a 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB flash drive.

Either model can be found for less than a grand, and with identical specs, choosing between the two sizes comes down to preference, with just $100 separating the $899 (£749/AU$1,249) 11-inch version and the $999 (£849/AU$1,399) 13-inch one.

What's next for the MacBook Air?

The MacBook Air, which launched in 2008 and was then updated in 2010, is in need of a refresh—and while rumours have long suggested Apple was going to give it one, it seems as though it's being phased out completely. 

The Retina display, a branding term Apple gives to its highest-resolution displays, has not yet made it onto any of the Air models and the internals—which are currently made up of Intel's Broadwell CPUs from 2014—undoubtedly need the Skylake treatment.

The Air currently occupies an awkward, but necessary, spot in Apple's lineup between the Pro—which is aimed at people who don't need to use intensive applications like Photoshop or Final Cut Pro but do want to write or edit photos—and the MacBook, the less powerful option made for portability and longevity.

The Air is Apple's best selling model, according to supply chain estimates, and continues to be the cheapest (and now only) way of getting a laptop with a glowing Apple logo on the back.

The company is evidently not obsessed with keeping it bang up-to-date. However, the 13-inch model is still available in its current state – albeit with double the RAM at 8GB – at the same entry-level cost.

Read the full review: 13-inch MacBook Air

The Mac Mini is Apple's cheapest computer and has, for a long time, been its least powerful. However, thanks in large part to Intel's processor technology, the desktop can be used for heavier tasks and Apple has brought the low-end model up to a decent specification.

The desktop is popular both because of its price—which undercuts the cheapest MacBook Air by $400—and its design, which is small, sleek, and simple.

The Mini comes in three variants: a $499 option with a dual-core i5 CPU, a spinning hard drive, and 4GB of RAM; a $699 option with a more powerful processor, an SSD, and 8GB of RAM; or a $999 model which is comparable to the iMac at the same price.

The top-of-the-line Mac mini bumps the processor up to 2.8GHz and adds a Fusion Drive in place of the 5400-rpm spinner, but at $999, we wouldn't recommend it.

If you're willing to spend over a thousand dollars on a desktop computer, you'll be better served by moving up to an iMac. In the UK, the Mac mini runs from £399 to £799, while in Australia it starts at AU$699 and tops out at AU$1,399.

What's next for the Mac mini?

The Mac mini's internal hardware is nearly a year and a half old, and Apple could be looking to update it so that its low-end users get a decent experience when running macOS, which became more graphically intense with macOS 10.12 Sierra, the latest version.

A 2016 model would, while unlikely, would include Intel's Skylake chips, which would yield big performance improvements, alongside other, newer internals, like RAM and an SSD option for the low-end model.

Read the full review: Mac mini

Gabe Carey has also contributed to this article

October 29, 2016 at 01:11AM
Kane Fulton

New details about the Nintendo Switch are emerging

Nintendo might not be planning to release any more official Nintendo Switch details until January 2017, but that doesn’t seem to be stopping further hardware features appearing online.

Over the past few days, reports have emerged that not only is the console likely to utilise USB-C charging, it will have a wide array of additional hardware accessories and a multi-touch display.

Having come from from the Nintendo CEO himself, Tatsumi Kimishima, the news of the additional hardware accessories is the most reliable. 

Reliable reports

In an interview with Bloomberg, Kimishima suggested that the tablet and detachable controllers shown in the console’s reveal trailer were just part of the planned hardware lineup: “It may be appropriate to call them accessories. Or it might be better to call them add-on hardware. It's probably more correct to call them accessories. You can assume that there will be a wider array.“

Meanwhile, the report on the Switch’s screen specifications has come from Eurogamer, which cites “a number of sources”, several whom previously confirmed the system’s physical design and detachable controllers before it was officially revealed. 

According to these sources, the tablet portion of the console will have a 6.2 inch 720p screen and will be first Nintendo device to feature multi-touch technology. 

Nintendo introduced touchscreens to its hardware all the way back in 2004 with the Nintendo DS, bringing it through to the handheld’s later 3DS iteration and the Wii U gamepad, but never moved past single-touch and relatively imprecise resistive displays. 

If it has the 10-point multi touch display that’s being rumoured, Nintendo’s Switch tablet will be on par with most modern smartphones and will have the capacity for multi-finger gestures.

Fast charge

It’s interesting that Nintendo decided not to show this feature in the first ad for the console, but that could be because Nintendo needs more than four seconds in a three minute advert to explain how it will work alongside the detachable controllers. 

The less exciting but still interesting rumour is that Nintendo is planning to drop its own charging ports for USB-C. Citing a source from Nintendo, LetsPlayVideoGames has reported that the bottom middle of the Nintendo Switch tablet will have a USB-C port which will allow to to be charged when in the dock and through a separate cable. 

It would make sense for Nintendo to adopt USB-C charging considering emerging reports that the Nintendo Switch doesn’t have the greatest battery life. By using USB-C, the tablet’s battery will at least charge fast even if it doesn’t last very long. 

Of course, it’s likely that all of these rumours will remain rumours until Nintendo’s next official event in Tokyo on January 13.

At this event Nintendo is expected to not only confirm or deny these reports, but to also reveal a final price point for the console as well as its software lineup before it’s worldwide release in March 2017. 

• 5 reasons Nintendo Switch is the console you've been waiting for

October 28, 2016 at 07:48PM
Emma Boyle

Despite buying the new MacBook Pro, I'm not fully onboard the type train

Ports in a storm: why is Apple making it so hard to choose a new MacBook Pro?

There are three things I want from a new Apple laptop. I want it to be thin and light. I want it to have a lovely high-resolution display. I want it to connect to the other devices I own. I don't think I'm alone in those wishes.

That situation has left me in something of a bind for several years now - I can only have two of those three things. If I buy a Macbook, I lose connectivity. If I buy a Macbook Air, I lose the beautiful display. If I buy a Macbook Pro, it's not so thin and light.

I hoped that situation would be resolved yesterday. All I wanted was a slightly slimmer Macbook Pro that retained its excellent connectivity. But my hopes were dashed - the new models are indeed thinner and lighter, but almost every port I regularly use on my 2012 model is gone. 

Gone is the SD card reader that I use to get photos off my camera. Gone is the mini DisplayPort that I used to hook my laptop up to my TV and to projectors in class for presentations. Gone is the simple, out-of-the-box cable connection to my iOS devices. Gone is the MagSafe connector that prevented so many nasty accidents. 

Splashing out

Speaking of accidents, there's a complicating factor here, y'see. About a month ago an incident with a glass of apple juice (fate does have a sense of humour) rendered the keyboard on my existing Macbook Pro inoperable. I foresaw its inevitable death back in March, but this isn't a problem I can just sit on for much longer.

Unfortunately, none of the solutions to that problem look good. Solution one is to get my existing model repaired. That would cost about £500/$605, my local repair store tells me, and while I like this approach from an environmental point of view, it would leave me with an almost five-year-old machine that's showing its age.

Solution two is a new Macbook Pro. If I didn't care unduly about adding more snakes to the snake pit that is my spare cables box (every home has one), then I could replace all my old USB-A cables with shiny new USB-C ones, along with a handful of dongles for special occasions. But jeez, when I'm spending so much on the computer in the first place, why should I have to spend even more to simply make it work with the devices I own?

I mean seriously. I costed out the machine that would fit my needs, and it's about £3,200/$3,800, plus whatever the cornucopia of dongles and accessories I'd need would cost. That's insane. After a few years of disappointing, short-lived PC laptops, I've come around to the idea of paying more for Apple's high quality standards. But more is not £2,500/$3,000 more over a Windows machine with comparable specs.

Then there's solution three, which is compromise, and there's several routes I could go here. I could opt for a lower-end Macbook Pro, but the specs on those are hardly 'pro'. I could buy a retina Macbook, which is still damn expensive and also awful in the connectivity department, but not as ludicrously expensive as the Pro. The Air feels like too much of a step backward to be worth considering, but I could buy the previous generation of Macbook Pro (maybe second hand), which is looking like the least worst solution right now. 

Switch to Microsoft?

The new Microsoft Surface Studio is a thing too, of course. But I'm looking for a portable machine here, and my home-built gaming desktop does a great job of sitting on my desk. The Surface Book i7 is closer to what I'm looking for, but it's still expensive and I'm fairly invested in the MacOS ecosystem. Plus, I feel like it would overlap too much with what I use my ten-inch iPad Pro for.

All of this, of course, is the very definition of a first-world problem. I'm absolutely whining that my wallet is too small for my 50s and my diamond shoes are too tight (in fact, the laptop that Joey's using in that clip only underlines how ridiculous my complaints are).

But the bottom line is that when I buy a computer, I want it to solve problems - and Apple's new Macbook Pro creates many more problems than it solves.

• MacBook Pro price: How much does it cost?

October 28, 2016 at 06:32PM
Duncan Geere

6 things Apple announced at its new MacBook Pro event

Apple unveiled its next generation of MacBook Pro earlier today, but that doesn't tell the whole story.

The tech giant stuffed plenty of goodies into what's likely the last major event at its current campus, and we've outlined the key highlights and stuff you may have missed below.

Say hello to the new MacBook Pro

The star of the event, of course, was the new MacBook Pro. Available in a 13- and 15-inch version, the MacBook Pro is 12% thinner than the MacBook Air and Apple says it's also its light MacBook Pro ever. Orders are live now with a starting price of $1,499 (£1,449, AU$2,199).

The new MacBook Pro's two most standout features are the Touch Bar along the top and Touch ID support. 

The Touch Bar is a Retina display that users can customize with apps and functions. It takes the place of physical function keys, letting users swipe, touch and scroll their way through different functions on the laptop. But, most importantly, it has emoji support, so you can literally type in all emojis, if you're so inclined. 

Touch ID, just as it does on the iPhone, lets users keep their laptop secure with their fingerprint. Once you press on Touch ID, you'll be able to access your MacBook Pro. It's also smart enough to recognize more than one users, meaning multiple users could use the same machine without muddling each others' settings and work up.

• MacBook Pro price: here's what every model costs

A 5K monitor from LG

Were you holding out hope for a 5K Apple display? Today's your lucky day then as the firm announced an UltraFine 5K display with Wide Color made by LG.

Yes, this means we likely won't see a 5K Cinema Display, but the screen is big and bright, and made just for the new MacBook Pro. In fact, the Pro will support up to two 5K screens. 

A neat feature: not only will the display show what's on your laptop screen, but also charge it while it's docked.

No price was revealed nor a release date mentioned, but we'll keep our ear to the ground for those details. 

Deflating the MacBook Air

With the introduction of three new MacBook Pro models (standard 13-inch, 13-inch with Touch Bar and Touch ID, 15-inch with Touch Bar and Touch ID), Apple is rejiggering its MacBook Air offerings. 

The 11-inch MacBook Air is no more, which isn't surprising given the MacBook Pro is so thin and light. The firm is positioning the new 13-inch MacBook Pro that lacks Touch Bar and Touch ID as the entry level.

If you're still set on the Air though, you'll find the 13-inch version available on the Apple Store. The machine starts at $999, and now features 8GB of memory.

The 'TV' app

Apple likes to keep it simple, and it's bringing that mentality to its latest app in more ways than one. 

Called TV, the app aims to unify the TV shows and movies you have access to across various apps in one place. Content will come in from sources like HBC Now, CBS All-Access and FOX NOW, though notably there's no Netflix. 

TV will be available for Apple TV, iPhone and iPad in the US before the end of the year, and unfortunately Apple didn't mention plans for TV to come to other regions.

Another quick note on the home entertainment front: Apple revealed a new Siri feature that lets viewers tune into live news and sporting events. Simply utter commands like "Which games are on right now?" and Siri will give users pertinent info as well as ways to watch. You can also simply say "Watch" and the name of an app if you want to jump to it directly.

A new accessibility website

Before the new MacBook Pro was even announced, Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed the company has launched a new accessibility website aimed at making technology accessible to everyone. 

"When people have access to products," Cook said, "it can push human forward."

Minecraft is coming to Apple TV

Hey! It's Minecraft! On Apple TV! 

Yes, everyone's favorite game got a little love from Apple today when Cook announced the game is coming to Apple TV. Details were scarce, but we do know it will arrive before the end of the year.

• Not sold on MacBook Pro? Check out these top laptops

October 28, 2016 at 04:59AM
Michelle Fitzsimmons

PS4 Pro games: these are the first batch of titles to get a 4K makeover

Wave goodbye to the PlayStation Neo, say hello to the PS4 Pro. Sony's thrown down the gauntlet to Microsoft and its Project Scorpio Xbox sequel, revealing a 4K and HDR capable console (but no 4K Blu-ray) that's going to supercharge both your existing PS4 gaming catalogue and the next wave of PS4 VR titles.

All PlayStation 4 games sold from October onwards will have to support both the new PS4 Pro console and the standard PS4 and PS4 Slim models, however developers will be able to patch support for the PS4 Pro's power into older games to take advantage of the new visual features.

• Check out the latest PS4 Pro deals - UK
• Check out the latest PS4 Pro deals - USA

While Sony has yet to announce brand-new games that will launch with PlayStation 4 Pro support, it did reveal existing titles and previously announced games in development that will be given a 4K makeover on the new machine.

Here's the list of every game we know about so far with PlayStation 4 Pro's "Pro Mode" support:

• Battlezone (New!)
• Rise of the Tomb Raider
• Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered
• Battlefield 1
• FIFA 17
• Dishonored 2
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
• Final Fantasy XV
• For Honor
• Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
• Watch Dogs 2
• First Light
• Infamous: First Light
• Shadow of Mordor
• Days Gone
• Mass Effect: Andromeda
• Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
• Horizon: Zero Dawn
• Killing Floor 2
• Spider-Man

• Notably absent so far are some of the best indie games

Also on show was PlayStation VR title Far Point. The sci-fi first person shooter seemed to be running with textures far more detailed than the earlier builds allowed for. This is particularly important for Sony's headset, as some criticism has been levelled at its visual fidelity compared to the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive competition.

The PlayStation Pro will launch November 10 for £349/$399. And while they're not getting 4K support, all PlayStations (including the £249/$299 PlayStation Slim launching on September 15) will be getting a software update activating HDR support. Australian pricing has yet to be announced.

• Everything you need to know about the PS4 Pro

October 28, 2016 at 01:00AM
Gerald Lynch

Apple MacBook Pro launch event: Live Blog!

(All times are in BST)

14:30 Welcome to our Apple event liveblog! That's right: it's our second consecutive day of hoggin' the bloggin' platform, as only yesterday Microsoft unveiled its Surface Studio computer/tablet/canvas/thing. Can Apple steal the company's limelight by unveiling awesome new MacBooks? We certainly hope so, as Apple's MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models are long overdue a refresh. As are its Mac Pro and Mac mini computers, but word has it that tonight is all about laptops. Let's not be greedy, now.

October 27, 2016 at 08:40PM
Kane Fulton

MacBook Pro price: how much does it cost?

Apple can no longer afford to ignore the pros, and I don't mean its MacBooks

You’re a creative pro with money to burn. Maybe you’re a hot music producer, or an in-demand architect, a gifted photographer, or a video editor, or a CAD wizard. You need the best, most beautiful, most powerful, most intuitive computer around.

You need… a Microsoft Surface Studio?

Ladies and gentlemen and everybody in between, Hell has frozen over. The best tech for creative pros is made by Microsoft.

How on earth did that happen?

Apple’s attention problem

The short answer is that Macs haven’t been a particular priority for Apple in recent years. Its computers may be beautiful, but they’re also pretty old. Apple’s entire Pro range - the MacBook Pro, Retina MacBook Pro, high-end iMac and Mac Pro - have been listed as “don’t buy” on all the best Mac buying guides for months and in some cases years, and no wonder: tonight’s MacBook Pro refresh will be the first significant change since 2012, and the Mac Pro hasn’t been touched since 2013.

Maybe it’s the pause before the storm of a platform change - Mac releases stalled for ages while Apple moved from PowerPC to Intel, and rumours suggest a move to ARM for at least some Macs in the not too distant future - but the more likely explanation is simpler: with the iPhone as the engine of its stellar performance, Apple forgot about the Mac. Maybe it was too excited by its Project Titan electric car, or its TV plans, or Apple Music.

That’s something the pro users haven’t been slow to notice, and it’s something that rivals have noticed too. HP has been targeting pro customers, as has Dell. But the most dramatic pitch to pro users happened last night: Microsoft’s announcement of the Surface Studio.

The rumours predicted some kind of all-in-one, a cross between a Mac Mini and an iMac with some sort of modularity to it. Nope. The Surface Studio is a lot more interesting than that. It’s a desktop that transforms into a touch-screen drawing board - something Apple applied for a patent for back in 2010 - and that offers a genuinely innovative approach to creative tasks.

I do a lot of computer music, so I’m looking at the Studio and imagining tilting it back to use it like a studio desk, swiping in a keyboard or drum machine to trigger some MIDI, whooshing the Surface Dial to change the sounds, like Logic Remote writ large. You might be an artist or illustrator, magazine designer or product designer, imagining similar uses for your own specific needs. It’s like the original Surface, without the pool-table dimensions.

In many ways the Surface Studio is offering what the iPad Pro does, but with much bigger ambitions. Yes, it’s expensive, but pro users tend to charge pro money - and they’re happy to pay well for tools that make their lives better. Check out the price of vintage guitars on eBay if you have any doubts. 

Who’s thinking different?

Twitter was funny during the Microsoft keynote: as Panos Panay shared his obvious enthusiasm for the device and demonstrated its many wonders, initial boos soon became oohs. As Ars Technica’s Candy Cornningham put it, “Apple hasn’t been updating its computers so Microsoft is doing it for them.”

That’s an important point, because one thing we know about the Surface range is that Microsoft is laser-focused on keeping them ahead of the pack. If you buy a Surface Studio today you can be pretty sure that there’ll be an improved model (and because we’re talking about MIcrosoft, a roadmap telling you what’s next - that matters to pros who need to plan for the years to come) on a regular basis.

Can you really say that about Apple, whose Mac Pro languished for years before the dramatic update and which has languished ever since? “Can’t innovate, my ass” may have got laughs at the launch, but three innovation-free years later it doesn’t seem so funny.

Should Apple care about pros’ woes?

In purely financial terms, probably not. Pros are a much smaller market than, say, Chinese iPhone buyers. And Apple considered dumping the Pro range when the iMac was its most popular product. As Apple’s long-time advertising partner Ken Segall recently wrote, Steve Jobs felt that “consumer products have an unlimited upside, while pro products are aimed at a niche market that eats up major resources.”

But pro users aren’t like other customers. “Pros are opinion leaders, influencers and evangelists,” Segall wrote. “Their love of Apple shows up in the purchase decisions of friends, family and colleagues.” Jobs decided that dropping the pros didn’t make sense - but he didn’t say that Apple would service the pro market forever. Pros aren’t very profitable, and keeping them happy can be hard work.

Still, losing them would mean losing very loyal customers. If you look after them, they often become influencers or even evangelists. They’re the ones who bought Apple when Apple still had the word “Computer” in its name and red ink all over the balance sheet. They’re the ones who bought Macs with price tags ordinary people laughed at. And they’re the ones whose reflected glory many of us hope to bask in. I can’t be the only one who became hooked on Macs thanks to pro users’ evangelism. Losing those users might not hurt Apple in the short term, but it may well miss them in years to come. 

So what will we see at the Apple reveal this evening? TouchID and context-sensitive OLED strips are perfectly fine, but they don’t improve render times or enable you to run more audio tracks and audio units than is necessary or sensible, and they won’t make pros go “woah!” As venerable tech reporter Andy Ihnatko of the Chicago Sun-Times put it, “Suffice to say that any Mac creator/pro who’s been wondering if Apple cares about you… yeah, look at Microsoft Surface Studio.”

Maybe we’re wrong. Maybe Apple has something special to show us, and we’ll have our iPod socks knocked off by today’s presentation. But Microsoft’s message to the pros is simple: If Apple doesn’t want you, we do.

October 27, 2016 at 05:35PM
Gary Marshall

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is currently free on the Microsoft Store

We’re not sure why, but Borderlands: The Handsome Collection now appears to be available for free from the Microsoft Store

Simply follow this link, and click the ‘Get it Now’ button on the page. The game then should download automatically to your Xbox One if you’ve got automatic game downloads enabled. 

The game includes a remastered version of Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel.

Although the third game didn’t review quite as well as the first two, all three are still well worth a look, and this looks like a great way to get your hands on them. 

We’ve received no official confirmation of whether this is a store bug or a promotion, so we’d suggest adding the game to your account sooner rather than later. NeoGaf is currently speculating that this is part of a free weekend promotion. 

October 27, 2016 at 04:52PM
Jon Porter

Pro controllers are coming to the PlayStation 4

Good news for anyone looking for a little more choice when it comes to PlayStation 4 controllers: Sony has announced in a blog post that it’s licensed two pro gaming controllers that will be released later this year. 

The controllers are not being created by Sony itself, but rather by eSports peripheral developers Razer and Nacon. Sony has asked the companies to use their knowledge and expertise in the area of professional gaming accessories to create pro controllers unique to the PS4 and collaborated with them to ensure the controllers are optimised for PS4 play.

The Razer Raiju bears close resemblance to the traditional Dualshock 4 with two centred analog sticks and a D-Pad to the left. Sony says it’s been “designed for conquering professional eSports tournaments” with two extra bumpers and detachable triggers as well as well as Trigger-stop switches and hair trigger mode for ultra-fast trigger responses.

Play to win

The Nacon Revolution, on the other hand, has slightly more bulk that’s reminiscent of an Xbox offering. 

Also developed with eSports players in mind, the Revolution features an eight-way directional pad, four extra shortcut buttons, and an incredible four custom profiles that will allow players to re-map buttons, assign macros to the four shortcut controls and adjust analog and trigger sensitivity.

For an extra element of customisability Nacon’s controller also features two internal compartments with six additional weights which can be added for a tailored balance and weight. 

Neither controller has an official price point just yet, but Sony has said they’ll both be released in Europe this holiday season and will be compatible with all PlayStation 4 models.

It won't be surprising if, like the Xbox One Elite controller, these pro accessories come with a pro price tag. 

• The best cheap PS4 deals in October 2016

October 27, 2016 at 04:38PM
Emma Boyle