Is there room in your life for a Remote Player?
Plus Xbox doomsayers, WWE 2K24, murderous MTG and a pro Saturn pad.
Hello there! This week we’re giving our impressions of the PlayStation Portal and WWE 2K24, as well as Magic-meets-Cluedo and a smart new controller for the sad old Sega Saturn.
I also wanted to touch very briefly on the talk of the gaming internet right now, which is the uncertain future of Xbox as a console and a brand. First, the most hysterical reactions to what is (so far) a bunch of rumours are obviously overblown, and I think that people who really care about games being “exclusive” are a loud minority.
I find it hard to believe (but not impossible) that Microsoft would stop making consoles within then next 10 years, but I think it’s inevitable it will start putting its games and services on as many platforms as possible. This is a $US3 trillion company we’re talking about, and I don’t think competing with Sony or Nintendo for the best most exclusive-having box is its most profitable play, especially given the rising costs of development. If you’ve tied a large part of your identity to a corporate brand on the assumption it would continue to reflect your preference for exclusive, physical games even as the business moves in another direction, it may soon be time to admit you’ve made a mistake.
Hmm, 300 bucks, and it only plays remotely…
By Tim
The PlayStation Portal is a strange thing. As with the PlayStation VR 2, it’s a very confidently put-together piece of hardware that does what it does extremely well, but which I feel like Sony has thrown out to shops without really showing consumers why they need it, or even checking if anyone cares.
Anecdotally most people I’ve asked weren’t even aware that streaming games from a console to a handheld was a thing, and they’ve been confused when I’ve told them that’s all the Portal does. It’s not a portable game system that works on its own; it’s a Wii U gamepad that uses Wi-Fi instead of a dedicated wireless protocol. Of course people who are really paying attention to the industry know what it is, but by and large they seem to either reject streaming altogether or already use their phones to do it.
So what exactly is the Portal? Imagine Sony took a really nice 8-inch 1080p LCD off one of its in-car entertainment systems, then put it between two bits of a halved a DualSense controller, with some custom moulded plastic and cool lighting to bring it together. Now whack in a battery, a Wi-Fi 5 chip, a proprietary audio radio (no standard Bluetooth) and a USB-C port.
The result is a controller that looks good, feels great and has all the same functionality as a DualSense, including adaptive triggers (though you use the touchscreen instead of a touchpad). Setup is painless, although you’re practically required to connect your PS5 to your router with Ethernet to get a stable signal. Now whenever you want to play in your hands instead of on the TV, you just pick up the Portal and get going.
As with any PlayStation Remote Play, the Wi-Fi streaming adds latency and will occasionally lag, especially if you’re moving around. Games demanding split-second precision are just not going to be fun, though I did play Baldur’s Gate 3 for hours and it’s a perfect game for it. For $330 the streaming experience is not much better than one you can get for free on your phone, but the hardware is brilliant.
What to play
It’s a new month, and that means some free games for PlayStation Plus subscribers. This time it’s the brand new Foamstars — a colourful 4v4 shooter that looks a bit like an aged up Splatoon — as well as the excellent Tony-Hawk-with-guns Rollerdrome and robot-filled French Revolution RPG Steelrising.
New on Game Pass is classic must-play school life sim / stylish monster slayer Persona 3 Reload, SNES-style action RPG Anuchard and Train Sim World 4. Ultimate members also get Madden NFL 24.
The “survivor trilogy” of Tomb Raider games are some of my (Tim’s) favourite adventures of all time, and on Steam right now you can get them and all DLC for around $20 (the bundle is usually $300). The prior trilogy, including Legend, Anniversary and Underworld, are also on sale for less than $2 each. A good way to get warmed up for the OG trilogy remasters coming soon.
Free on the Epic Games Store right now are Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! and Lost Castle. Doki Doki is, surprisingly, a psychological horror (according to the description, at least) with the aesthetic of a cutesy anime, and Lost Castle is an Action RPG which looks fine. Either way, they’re free.
WWE 2K24 helped me understand the appeal of pro wrestling
By Alice
I recently got hands on with the new WWE 2K24 game, and I’m pleased to report that it’s not just what fans would expect it to be but it is, in fact, mostly what they hope it would be.
I say it’s better than you’d expect, because at this point I expect WWE games to be an unplayable mess… 2K20 really set some unfortunate expectations.
But not only is WWE 2K24 completely playable, it’s a tonne of fun even if you have no idea what’s going on (I am not a big WWE watcher and haven’t kept a hold of the various story threads). I don’t know why these women want to beat each other up with chairs and other breakables backstage, but I support their choices and will aid as best I can.
I particularly enjoyed the Showcase mode which explored the best fights from the past 40 years of Wrestlemania, because it let me in on the drama and the history a bit more.
The more I played, the more I realised that WWE is just a workplace reality TV drama that’s more open about the scripting and lets people punch each other in the face rather than just have passive aggressive dinners in formal wear.
Suddenly, there are more games that I think the world needs. I want a WWE 2K24-style game for Selling Sunset. I want to see Chrishell finally get her own back on Nicole with the steel chair, way better than accusing her of being on drugs. Chelsea still making snide comments about Bre having a baby with Nick Cannon? Let’s have an ambulance match to sort it out. I want to see what Christine would do in a backstage match where there are no rules and she can use a stiletto as a weapon.
How much more satisfying would Chrishell’s conversation about how she started skipping group dinners because it’s a toxic workplace be if there was an umpire and it can be turned into a tag team match?
Anyway, I think I understand the appeal of WWE now, and I’m ready to get invested through the medium of game.
Bricks, Boards and Beginnings
by Alice
This week I had the pleasure of playing Magic the Gathering in the Old Melbourne Gaol. It’s a location with so much gravitas that it’s hard not to get caught up in it. It’s a building where the walls practically radiate with grief and pain, at all times you’re only metres away from where people were executed. So, it kinda felt a little odd to be eating cheese burgers and playing a card game, but it was also the right vibe for this murder-themed set, and I loved it.
The latest Magic The Gathering set is Murders At Karlov Manor, and it’s clearly inspired by Cluedo, but in a way that you have to squint a bit to recognise. In fact, there is also a specific set of Cluedo-style boosters, but they weren’t available at the event.
I played sealed and, shockingly, went for a white/green deck. The mechanics this time around a pretty fun. Suspect gives creatures menace (they have to attack each turn, if able), but makes it so they can’t block, and Collect Evidence essentially means you exile things from your graveyard as an extra cost. My favourite is the new Case enchantment type, which gives you something when it comes into play, and then does another thing once a condition is met. That sounds incredibly non-specific, because there are a bunch of different things it can do, some more useful than others.
My two favourite cards are Leyline of the GuildPact, which means you could technically stretch to a 5-colour deck if you like chaos, and Aurelia’s Vindicator, which is a 4/2 Angel with flying, lifelink and ward.
It has the potential to be a really fun set that will work well for both Commander and draft. I’m looking forward to seeing the murder-themed decks people build with it.
Retro Esoterica
by Tim
I love weird old console controllers, but for practical reasons I also really enjoy a good wireless solution that augments the original functions with new features, comfort, or utility. My latest acquisition in this space is particularly ambitious; a wireless Sega Saturn “Pro” controller that can emulate the original wired pad or much more obscure 3D Control Pad, while also working as a retro-style controller on Switch, PC or other USB compatible devices.
This is a fully licensed Sega controller, made by Retro-bit, and aesthetically it fits the Saturn to a tee. But while previous Retro-bit devices have copied the shapes of their inspirations more or less exactly, this one has been modified.
A new pair of joysticks use hall effect sensors so they shouldn’t ever develop a drift, but they are small and shallow, feeling a bit like sticks designed for a smartphone controller. Meanwhile the satisfyingly chunky shoulder buttons of the Saturn have been split: there are now two thin clicky buttons and two flared triggers. They’re not analogue triggers like on the 3D control pad, but they’re comfy enough.
So how is it in practice? Connected to my Saturn with the included 2.4Ghz dongle, there was no discernable latency and standard games (with the controller in digital mode) felt just like the original controller. Shifting into analogue mode, I tested many games from Sega Touring Car Championship to Duke Nukem 3D, and it performed wonderfully. I wouldn’t say it’s exactly like using the 3D Control pad — which is absolutely huge and has its own special vibe — but it does give you access to the analogue movement of compatible games, which makes the likes of Nights and Sonic R much nicer to play.
Outside of the Saturn, this is a very good six-button pad for consoles or PC, even supporting rumble and packing a functional Home button. But it comes with the caveat that your games of choice should be somewhat retro in style (as manipulating both tiny sticks at once here gets tiring fast) and allow button remapping. Most new games are designed for standard controllers with four face buttons, and using the default Switch mapping here makes for some very weird layouts.