• Logitech G335 Review

    The Logitech G335 zigs where other gaming headsets zag. As part of the company’s new color collection, it pops in a way that few gaming peripherals do – and without any RGB lighting. Outside of its aesthetics though, the G335 is a straightforward, stripped-down headset. Gone are the RGB lighting and wireless capabilities of Logitech’s more expensive G733. It doesn’t come with virtual surround sound or really any other sound-enhancing features, either.

    But considering its price of $69.99, the G335 is meant to focus on what’s most essential in a headset (and look good while doing it). The basics of a quality headset are all here – it's comfortable for long gaming sessions and it sounds pretty good. That said, some aspects of the sound quality do reflect its budget price point.

    Logitech G335 – Design and Features

    The most striking thing about the Logitech G335 is the way it looks. It keeps the trapezoidal earcups, as well as the rest of the form factor, of the Logitech G733. It’s an aesthetic that fits right in with Logitech G’s newest peripherals while setting itself apart from other more typical looking headsets out there.

    The G335 comes in three colors: black, white, and mint. Additionally, they have different colored headband straps to make them stand out even more. The black version comes with a purple and blue strap, the white comes with a blue and orange one, and the mint comes with a gray and yellow one. If that’s not enough, you can also buy additional reversible straps separately from Logitech – there are 8 options in all­.

    The G335 is more than a pretty headset. It’s incredibly light, coming in at only 240 grams, so there’s no fatigue from hours of use. And though it’s clearly an almost fully plastic build, outside of the earpads and strap, it’s sturdy enough that you would have to put effort into breaking it. The headband can even be stretched and twisted without any negative effects other than possibly reducing clamping force.

    Speaking of, the clamping force on this headset is just enough for a secure fit so that it doesn’t slide around when you move your head. At the same time, it’s not too tight for comfort, something I’ve experienced with other headsets.

    Since it uses a suspension headband design instead of padding built into the headband, it doesn’t put pressure on or overheat the head. The earpads, which use breathable memory material and are covered in a sports mesh fabric, only contribute to the incredible comfortable experience. I was able to use this headset for hours without issue or a need to remove them. In fact, I kept forgetting that I had them on.

    Though the G335 is fairly no-frills, Logitech has made it a fairly adjustable affair. The earcups easily slide up and down from the headband, the strap can be removed and clipped on to loosen or tighten the fit, and the earcups have enough swivel to conform to different shaped heads. Sadly, the mic only goes up or down and can’t be adjusted beyond that.

    As an analog headset with minimal audio features, it only comes with a control wheel for volume, which sits behind the left earcup, and a mic that can be turned off and on by flipping it up and down. It would have been nice to have a volume wheel for the mic as well, but that’s nowhere to be found.

    Since it is purely analog, it has one particular advantage over headsets requiring a wireless or USB connection, and that’s the fact that you can use it with anything that has a 3.5mm connection, whether it’s an Xbox, PlayStation, Mac, or PC. It also comes with a PC splitter for PC gamers that need one.

    Logitech G335 – Gaming

    Because the Logitech G335 connects solely via a 3.5mm connection, the audio quality isn’t as crisp as headsets that utilize a wireless receiver or digital connection. It’s a softer sounding headset throughout the frequency range.

    The high end is slightly rolled off so you lose some of the detail, whether you’re listening to music or playing a game. The mids fare the best; they’re full and rich, which not only give the headset a warmer sound but also make dialog easier to hear. The low end is also very present although it loses a little punch. When I watch Guardians of the Galaxy, for example, I hear plenty of rumble, but it doesn’t hit quite as hard as something with a digital connection.

    While that might sound like a bad thing, it isn’t necessarily. It doesn’t offer an audiophile experience – in fact, it sounds more like there’s a light blanket sitting across the frequency range. However, that sound quality is actually fairly pleasant. I enjoy listening to music on it, as Indie Rock and Folk sound good. Because of the bass, Hip Hop and electronic music also translate well.

    When it comes to gaming, the G335 is a pleasure to listen to. In Cyberpunk 2077 and Far Cry 5, voices are easy to hear thanks to that full mid-range. Background music has a richness to it as well. Audio elements like footsteps and bullets whizzing by are going to lack detail due to the rolled off high-end. Still, whenever there’s an explosion, you should be able to hear the necessary rumble, even if it doesn’t punch as hard.

    The soundstage is as important as audio quality for gaming headsets. Since the Logitech G335 is analog, you won’t benefit from virtual surround or any kind of software-enabled fine tuning that many gaming headsets have. Yet, its soundstage is good enough for most gamers.

    Competitive gamers will probably want to splurge on a non-analog option, however, as the sound imaging (where you hear audio elements on that soundstage) is not very precise and somewhat tied to the headset’s softer sound. In Rocket League, for example, keeping track of other cars is harder than it should be. I can tell if one is on my right, left or far away, but figuring out exactly where is a bit of a challenge. However, this isn’t as big of an issue with games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Red Dead Redemption 2 in which the headset will still allow an immersive experience, albeit a less detailed one.

    While the frequency range of the headset is a typical 20Hz to 20KHz, the mic is 10Hz to 10KHz. This means that your voice will be heard just fine by anyone you’re playing with. However, it’s not going to have a lot of high end because of where the frequency range cuts off. Since this is an analog headset, you don’t get options for boosting certain frequencies of your voice or using any background noise rejection either.

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    Dead by Daylight’s Pinhead Is Now an NFT and Everyone’s Angry

    The Dead By Daylight character model for Pinhead has been licensed as an NFT and the game's fanbase isn't all too pleased about it.

    As reported by PC Gamer, fans will now be able to purchase an NFT of the Pinhead character model from Dead By Daylight. The sale of the NFT comes from the company Boss Protocol who, as part of an FAQ, states that it has "the official license to create NFTs based on Hellraiser using the in-game models that were created for Dead by Daylight."

    According to the company, Pinhead's arrival on the Blockchain comes as part of a "unique generated collection" strictly limited to 10,000 NFTs, across a range of different rarity models. For some fans purchasing the digital token, the NFT will also come with a copy of the Hellraiser DLC for Dead by Daylight too – though it's not quite clear as to who exactly will receive this.

    Within its FAQ page, Boss Protocol confirmed that the purchase of the Pinhead NFT would not unlock additional exclusive content within Dead by Daylight. However, the company did say that "certain Pinhead NFTs will unlock access to Hellraiser collectibles and all of them will entitle their owners (on a future date) to additional NFTs (like the Lament Configuration Box) at no cost." The FAQ page also states: "The Pinhead NFT will also grant access to new content (unrelated to Dead by Daylight) in the future. For instance, the Pinhead NFT will allow owners to unlock the character in other games that are now in development."

    So, what exactly is an NFT? The abbreviated term stands for Non-fungible token and it's basically a way of using blockchain technology to allow people to claim digital ownership over an image or piece of artwork that can be found online.

    While some people are in favor of the idea, many have criticized the sale of NFTs from a number of angles. Concerns in the area range from those questioning what level of ownership a person actually has when purchasing an NFT to worries surrounding their environmental impact of NFT sales and reports of scamming in some sales.

    For a number of Dead by Daylight fans, the issue around the use of Pinhead as an NFT comes as a matter of transparency with many suggesting that the game's developer, Behaviour Interactive, should have been clearer about the character's inclusion as an NFT before its in-game content dropped. Twitter user @vetrix_tron summed up this argument by stating: "Honestly today has left me feeling very conflicted. I really enjoy playing Pinhead, he's slowly become one of my favorite killers, but knowing I was tricked into funding some NFT scam makes me feel shitty."

    As for Behaviour itself, the studio tweeted a statement last week discussing its role in the situation. "Recently there’s been some talk about NFTs, so we wanted to clear some things up," the studio said. "When we work with our licensing partners, we provide them with in-game models as well as Chapter keys. They are free to use these however they see fit as the rightful owners of these characters." The studio went on to echo similar statements surrounding the NFTs to Boss Protocol, stating that there would be "no exclusive in-game content linked to these models when they are distributed outside of the game in any way."

    For more from Dead by Daylight, check out the content leaving the store later this year, the Hour of the Witch DLC reveal, and where it ranks in our favourite PC horror games. And if you love Dead by Daylight, be sure to check out the upcoming game Propnight.

    Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

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    Best Buy Early Black Friday PC Gaming Deals Have Begun

    As promised, Best Buy has thrown the "Black Friday pricing" switch ahead of schedule, kicking off a Black Friday deals preview with actual Black Friday pricing on hundreds of items. If you need to accessorize your PC gaming rig, or even want to buy a prebuilt at Black Friday sale prices, Best Buy is guaranteeing these prices for My Best Buy and Totaltech members.

    My Best Buy is free to join, and if you buy something during this mini-sale and its price goes lower any time between now and November 26, Best Buy will refund you the difference.

    Best Buy Black Friday PC Gaming Deals

    The list of deals at Best Buy is pretty substantial, and if you're in the market for a new television, the Black Friday 4K TV deals at Best Buy are pretty great. You can even save on 8K TVs, not that there's anything to watch on them (yet).

    Seth Macy is Executive Editor, IGN Commerce, and just wants to be your friend. You can find him hosting the Nintendo Voice Chat podcast.

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    Microsoft Flight Simulator: Game of the Year Edition Arriving as a Free Update Next Month

    Xbox has announced that Microsoft Flight Simulator: Game of the Year Edition will launch as a free update on November 18, adding aircraft, airports, air races, and probably more things that have "air" in their name.

    Announced on Xbox Wire, the update will be added free for all players – including those who own the game through a Game Pass subscription. THe update adds five new aircraft, eight new airports, as well as extra Discovery Flights and tutorials. The update will also add DX12 support for PC versions.

    This update will also include the Reno Air Races expansion, which adds competitive racing to the game for the first time. Announced earlier this year, air races will see multiple high-speed planes added, and allow eight players to recreate the real-life event, which bills itself as the world's fastest motorsport.

    The update sadly won't add the delayed Top Gun: Maverick expansion, which was delayed to match the movie itself, which is currently due to arrive on May 27, 2022.

    We awarded Microsoft Flight Simulator a full 10/10 review, saying, "unparalleled realism and an entire planet to explore makes Microsoft Flight Simulator a simulation like no other." We said that the later Xbox Series X/S version doesn't quite match the PC version, but it comes close. "It's really a testament to the architecture of the Xbox Series X and the optimizations by the team at Asobo that it runs so well on console," we wrote in a follow-up.

    Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

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    Apple AirPods 3rd Generation Are Up for Preorder

    Rumors have been swirling for what seems like forever, but Apple's new third-generation AirPods are nearly here. Announced at the company's October press event alongside new MacBook Pros, these wireless earbuds offer features like spatial audio and improved battery life.

    The new AirPods are now available to preorder from all the usual retailers. They're out October 26 and they cost $179.

    Preorder 3rd-Gen Apple AirPods

    The headlining new feature of these AirPods is spatial audio, which can make music and other recordings sound like its coming from directions all around you. Another new feature is adaptive EQ, which changes the sound output based on the unique shape of your ear.

    On a quality-of-life level, perhaps the biggest improvement is the battery life. These earbuds offer six hours of use on a single charge. And since the case also has a (bigger) battery in it, if you store your AirPods between uses, you'll get four additional charges, for a total listening time of 30 hours. That's pretty impressive.

    It also supports quick-charging, giving you an hour's worth of use with just a five-minute charge. The case has wireless charging capabilities. It works with wireless-Qi chargers, including, of course, Apple's MagSafe charger.

    You can control music and phone calls using force sensors built into the AirPods. They're water resistant, so you can wear them while working out or walking in the rain.

    AirPods 2nd gen are still available, with a new price of $129.

    Chris Reed is a deals expert and commerce editor for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

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