Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood Is Coming To PS5 And Xbox Series X, Gameplay Trailer Reveals

Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood has debuted gameplay footage during a Nacon Connect stream, and revealed that the game is coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X alongside current systems and PC (via the Epic Games Store). The game will launch on February 4, 2021.

The game will cast players as Cahal, a werewolf who is on a quest home to protect family and friends from the corporation Endron. It’ll be up to you to take this corporation down by using your werewolf powers to batter any and all enemies you encounter.

The trailer, below, shows Cahal in human, wolf, and werewolf forms. It looks like gameplay will differ depending on your form, and you’ll only be able to truly unleash on enemies in werewolf mode.

This single-player action game was originally announced as a 2020 release, but it has since been delayed.

A few other games were shown off or revealed during the Nacon Connect stream, and you can check them out below.

GameSpot has officially kicked off Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts and Black Lives Matter with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.

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Jude Law In Talks To Play Captain Hook In Disney’s New Peter Pan Movie – Report

According to a new report from Variety, actor Jude Law is in talks to play Captain Hook in Disney’s new Peter Pan movie, named Peter Pan & Wendy. The site reports that the deal is not closed, so things could change.

Law would follow other big-name actors such as Dustin Hoffman and Jason Isaacs who have portrayed the villainous character over the years.

David Lowery, who previously directed Disney’s 2016 fantasy movie Pete’s Dragon, is attached to direct Peter Pan & Wendy. He also co-wrote the script with his Pete’s Dragon co-writer Toby Halbrooks.

Sources told Variety that Peter Pan & Wendy is expected to be released in theatres as opposed to Disney Plus. Variety reporter Justin Kroll, who broke the news, also mentioned that Will Smith passed on the role of Captain Hook. Smith, of course, starred in Disney’s hugely successful live-action Aladdin movie as the Genie.

It’s still early days for the new movie, and there is no word yet on who will play Peter Pan and Wendy. As for Law, he has earned two Academy Award nominations over the years for his roles in Cold Mountain (Best Actor in a Leading Role) and The Talented Mr. Ripley (Best Actor in a Supporting Role).

In addition to Peter Pan & Wendy, should he get the role, Law is also attached to star again as Albus Dumbledore in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 3 and Watson in Sherlock Holmes 3 with Robert Downey Jr.

Wreckfest Season 1 Ends With New Free Tracks And Tournament Season

Wreckfest has wrapped up Season 1 of DLC with the Banger Racing Car Pack, which includes three new cars, alongside some new free content on all platforms. Publisher THQ Nordic is also teasing a Season 2 of DLC, so the game will likely continue to receive new cars and cosmetics going forward.

Here’s the three cars included in this last wave of Season 1 DLC, as per the press release:

  • Sweeper: This midsize racer is a perfect blend of agility, speed and toughness – a great all-rounder for every type of race.
  • Hearse: This banger racing classic excels at derbies since it can both give and take serious punishment.
  • Stock Car: A versatile little rocket that feels right at home on every oval and Figure 8 track.

The game’s free update is promising a new Tournament Season, called the Banger Bash, as well as two new tracks. Kingston Raceway is a figure-8 circuit track, while Mudford Motorpark is a derby arena with a concave center point. Banger Bash will run through July, and you can earn another new car by competing.

Wreckfest earned a 9/10 in GameSpot’s review. “It’s rare when a racing game manages to modernize and reinvigorate an old formula with spectacular confidence, but Wreckfest does just that,” wrote reviewer James Swinbanks. “Minor issues with menus and its soundtrack aside, it wows with a gorgeous look and wonderful driving feel, along with a damage system that satisfies in the most brutal of fashions.”

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Marvel’s Iron Man VR Review – I Am Iron Man

Where so many VR games still fall back on restricted controls, the PlayStation VR-exclusive Iron Man VR asks you to learn and master its unique flight controls if you really want to feel like a Marvel superhero. Getting comfortable in Tony Stark’s iron skin makes you feel like you know what it’s like to “be” Iron Man in a way no standard game could. At the same time, the game around that core mechanic feels overly thin. With reused environments, recycled mission objectives, and a predictable story that overstays its welcome, Iron Man VR quickly loses its luster.

For better and for worse, Iron Man VR tells a complete ripped-from-the-page Marvel comic storyline. Tony Stark squares off with a mysterious new villain, the Ghost, who uses an army of old Stark Industries drones to systematically terrorize him and his company. The Ghost invokes Stark’s past of making weapons and selling them indiscriminately, forcing him to reckon with his past self as well.

Like Insomniac’s Spider-Man, Iron Man VR is an original variation of existing Iron Man stories, with vague allusions to moments that comic book and MCU fans will know, which makes it easy for any Marvel fan to jump in and follow along. It’s a bit too familiar, though. Retreading themes and issues you’ve already seen Iron Man work through in both the comics and films, Stark’s struggles, both internal and the threats he faces on the battlefield, feel a bit stale. And though there’s a complicated, long-winded plot, you can identify every twist from a mile away.

Much of that story is told in briefings at home-base playgrounds between each level. Before each mission, you get a chance to walk around spaces like Stark’s mansion and, occasionally, other spots like the bridge of a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, picking up books, doing pull-ups, and generally interacting with the world. You also have the ability to upgrade your armor and customize your loadout on a holographic image of the Iron Man suit, which is neat, if a little slower than a plain menu. These areas are generally well made, but they’re filled with small trifles that are interesting for only a few seconds. Since you find yourself in the same area over and over, it becomes easier and easier to skip. By the end, I was tired of the downtime, even when there were new toys to play with.

Iron Man VR is, at its core, a flight combat sim. Most levels put you in large spherical arenas–cityscapes and craggy canyons–blasting robot drones out of the sky using Iron Man’s signature moves, like repulsor blasts and the Unibeam, along with a host of other smart missiles, guns, and bombs. Though there are additional objectives like defending a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier or preventing supervillain Living Laser from stealing valuable minerals from a mine, the vast majority of your tasks are ultimately giant virtual shooting galleries with some extra flourishes.

Luckily, the coolest part of becoming Iron Man is the act of flying. You control both your movement and shooting using the PlayStation Move controllers, which are mapped to Iron Man’s gauntlets. Iron Man has thrusters in the palms of his hands; you propel yourself by aiming those jets and pressing the triggers. As an example: To fly forward, you face the palms of Iron Man’s gauntlet behind you, so the thrusters propel you forward. When flying forward, you can use head tracking to tweak your trajectory. It’s unlike any movement mechanic I’ve used in a game, and allows for some creative maneuvering that allows you to take advantage of the fact that you can move in any direction at any time. Rocket headed your way? Point your hands in the air and blast down, then look up to counter with one of your own.

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You also shoot with your hands. You alternate between Iron Man’s standard repulsor blast, which you fire by shooting with your palms up, and a pair of secondary weapons like missiles and smart bombs, which you shoot with your palms down. You also have a chargeable dashing punch. All these moves are regulated with cooldowns, so you need to switch among them to keep fighting. Since all of the weapons are motion-aimed and you’re fighting in a 360-degree space, learning situational awareness and how to use your weapons efficiently makes a relatively simple shooter into something much more exciting.

Likewise, the fact that learning to fly takes time makes it interesting. Iron Man VR pushes you to learn an entirely foreign means of controlling a game, and then hone that skill so that you can dodge enemy fire coming from all sides and chase down supervillains before they can escape. There’s a surprising amount of nuance to even basic maneuvers like turning and following a winding path, so getting the hang of it takes a little time. It can definitely get frustrating at first if you’re unfamiliar with the Move wands. When you get the hang of it, though, flying and shooting with your hands feels natural and pulls you in.

It’s clear that the act of flying is Iron Man VR’s driving force…. Unfortunately, there aren’t that many ways to take advantage of those unique controls.

Though the controls feel inspired, there are some problems. Flying around–twisting and turning to dodge enemies and direct your movement–will likely trigger discomfort in players with a low tolerance for VR. I generally consider myself fairly resistant to VR motion sickness, but I still found myself heating up and getting uncomfortable. The free movement also makes it easy to twist yourself up in the PSVR’s cabling. Even with an indicator letting you know when you should untangle yourself, it’s a bit of a hazard.

In addition to the cable issue, the PS4 and PlayStation VR show their age in Iron Man VR. On my standard PS4, every level opened with a load screen–more than a minute–and many levels had cutscenes or asides that triggered similar loads. Though it’s a great chance to rest your eyes, standing and waiting for a game to load in VR very quickly breaks your connection to the experience.

It’s clear that the act of flying is Iron Man VR’s driving force. Every story mission ends with a score and ranking, pushing you to replay and improve, and each map has multiple types of optional time trials for anyone who just wants to spend more time in the armor. Unfortunately, there aren’t that many ways to take advantage of those unique controls. Aside from a single chase sequence and a story-heavy “horror ride” level, there is very little variation in the gameplay. With only a handful of weapons and enemy types, even the unique controls cannot stave off the redundancy. You’ll also replay many levels more than once over the course of the story, intensifying the feeling that you’ve seen and done everything the game has to offer long before the credits roll.

Donkey Kong Country Leads July 2020’s Nintendo Switch Online Games

July 2020’s Nintendo Switch Online Games are the SNES’ Donkey Kong Country and Natsume Championship Wrestling, and NES’ The Immortal.

Announced by Nintendo, these games will be available to all Nintendo Switch Online subscribers on July 15, 2020.

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Donkey Kong Country is one of the high-profile SNES games, alongside Final Fantasy III (VI!), and Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, that have appeared on other Nintendo’s Virtual Console and the Super Nintendo Classic but had not yet made it to Switch Online.

Originally released in 1994, Donkey Kong Country starred Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong as they worked to take down the evil King K. Rool and the Kremlings. In our review of its Wii Virtual Console port, we said that even though some of “your nostalgic feelings may take a hit” when replaying it, “DKC’s gameplay is still a lot of fun.”

In a special “Classified Information” video by Nintendo, it reveals some secrets players can use when playing the game, including “Diddy’s Extra Lives, Start with 50 Lives, Bonus Area Practice, and 101% Completion?!”

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Natsume Championship Wrestling was also released in 1994 and allows players to step into the ring with one of 12 fighters. It’s not a licensed game, but features such characters as the massively powerful Asteroid, the lightning-fast Viper, and the underhanded-attacker Phantom.

The Immortal was released on NES in 1991 and has you take on the role of a young wizard who is on a quest to find his missing mentor. You must head down into a labryinth and face eight levels of “deadly action, filled 50 chambers of horror, danger, and deception in the form of traps, undead monster, and other vile creatures.”

If you loved Donkey Kong Country, be sure to check out Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze on Nintendo Switch, which made it on our list of Best Switch Games. In our review, we said “the new Funky Mode for Tropical Freeze on Switch makes it more approachable without turning this amazing platformer into a cakewalk.”

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Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Donkey Kong Country And Two Other Classics Coming To Switch This Month In New NES/SNES Update

Nintendo Switch Online subscribers have three new games coming to them this month, including one of the SNES’ best classic platformers. Donkey Kong Country is joining the console’s SNES line-up, alongside SNES wrestling game Natsume Championship Wrestling and the EA-published NES title The Immortal.

These titles will join the current line-up on July 15.

Donkey Kong Country, a Rareware classic, is the highlight here–a SNES title with (for the time) jaw-dropping graphics that eventually begat the excellent Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze on Switch. It’s a great platformer, although it was also included on the SNES Classic Edition, so if you own one of those you already have access to it. We’re holding out hope that Donkey Kong Country 2 will eventually make its way to the Switch.

Natsume Championship Wrestling is an adaptation of a Japanese wrestling game, featuring 12 fighters and more than 50 different moves. The Switch is light on wrestling games, and it looks like fun.

The Immortal, meanwhile, is a Diablo-style action game where you play as a wizard conquering a labyrinth. It’s something a bit different from the other titles available on the platform.

The Japanese line-up, which you can also access on Switch (as it’s region free) by creating a Japanese account to download it and then accessing from the account with your Online subscription, has an exclusive game this month too. The original SNES Shin Megami Tensei is being added, although it will likely be difficult to play if you cannot read Japanese. Gun-Dec is also coming, which is already available in English as Vice: Project Doom.

All previously released NES and SNES games remain available as well for subscribers. The last drop was in May, and included the excellent Japanese puzzle title Panel de Pon.

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Walmart Is Launching An Amazon Prime Competitor, Report Says

Watch out Amazon–Walmart is preparing to announce a new membership program of its own that will compete with Amazon Prime. This is according to a report from Recode, which states that Walmart’s subscription–Walmart+–will cost $98 USD/year and include a lot of perks.

These include same-day delivery and discounts on gas at Walmart’s fueling stations. Subscribers will also get early access to deals, sources told the site, along with some kind of “video entertainment.” Walmart sold its streaming service, Vudu, in April 2020.

Walmart+ will formally launch later this month, according to the report. The retailer originally planned to announce it in late March or April, but the company pushed its unveiling back due to the COVID-19 crisis, the report said.

Head to Recode to get the full story.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in Walmart’s sales, but the company still trails Amazon by a huge margin in terms of total e-commerce sales in the US.

Amazon also has a huge head start on Walmart, as Amazon Prime was launched back in 2005. A Prime membership now gets you much more than discounts on store items; it also includes access to Amazon’s original TV shows and movies. One of Amazon’s high-profile upcoming TV shows is a Lord of the Rings program that was recently cleared to resume production again in New Zealand.

PUBG Mobile Has Added Its First Exclusive Battle Royale Map With Update 0.19.0

PUBG Mobile, the iOS/Android version of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, has launched its first-ever exclusive map. The new battle royale arena is called Livik, and its designed with quick matches in mind. Livik arrives as part of the 0.19.0 patch, which introduces many new elements to the game.

The update is available now, and will take up about 1.84 GB on Android and 2.13 GB on iOS, so set some space aside. The update, detailed on Reddit, introduces many changes and additions, but the map is the highlight.

Livik is a Nordic-style map that measures just 2km by 2km. 52 players can dive in, and matches are guaranteed to end within 15 minutes, so expect a lot of early bloodshed. The map is still in its beta stage, so it’s not quite feature complete yet, but you can play it now.

The map will also get two exclusive weapons, the SMG: P90 and MK 12 marksman rifle, as well as an exclusive Monster Truck. Experimental Trial Weapon Crates will be coming to the map at a later date, which will be regular weapons with slightly beefed up stats.

A new themed mode is also being added in Classic Mode to the Erangel and Miramar maps. Spark the Flame is a mode where statues and camps have been added to the maps, and burning the smaller statues dotted around the place will drop supplies and event items.

Spark the Flame is also the name of Royale Pass Season 14, which will be available on July 14. Here’s what the pass will introduce:

  • To celebrate the 2nd Anniversary of Royale Pass, the Roaring Dragon and Dragon Hunter-themed rewards from Season 5 will return.
  • A RP Prime subscription collaboration with Google is available. Includes both Prime and Prime Plus, which can be subscribed to simultaneously. Supports monthly, quarterly, and yearly subscription. Collect 300 or 900 RP Vouchers every month, along with redemption discounts and Airplane Ranking display perks (only available for Google at this time; available soon for other players).
  • Consolidated page for RP perks. Instantly view consecutive purchase perks and preview other exclusive RP perks.
  • Added an RP Crate Luck Event with amazing rewards.
  • There is a chance to display an RP-related message when returning to the lobby after a match.
  • Improved display of Airplane Ranking and other content in-battle.

A huge range of changes, updates, and fixes have been introduced in patch 0.19.0, so it’s worth checking out the full list on Reddit if you’re interested.

PUBG Mobile has been a major success, earning over $3 billion worldwide.

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Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 Gaming Laptop Review

Designing and producing a gaming laptop has to be tough. There’s only so much you can do to differentiate the design, features and components from the competition. Recently we saw Asus put an LED matrix of lights in the lid of the ROG Zephyrus G14, giving the laptop a completely unique feature. Now, the company is trying to distance itself even further from the competition by adding a second screen on the base of the ROG Zephyrus Duo 15. Yes, it looks as wild and cool as it sounds.

ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 - 2

The added panel comes with a hefty price tag, though. The ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 we tested comes in at $3,699. There are a few different build options, but whatever Duo 15 you end up with is going to cost you.

Specs

Here are the specifications of the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 I’ve been testing:

  • Model: Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 (GX550LXS-XS99)
  • Display: 15.6-inch UHD (3840×2160), 14.09-inch 4K (3840×1100) touchscreen secondary display
  • Processor: 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10980HK 2.4GHz (16M cache, 5.3GHz Max Turbo)
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q (8GB GDDR6)
  • Memory: 32GB 3200Mhz DDR4
  • OS: Windows 10 Pro
  • Storage: 2TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD in Raid 0
  • Webcam: N/A
  • Ports: 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 with Power Delivery and Display Port, 1 x 3.5mm mic, 1 x 3.5mm audio out, 1 x RJ45
  • Connectivity: WiFi 6 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0
  • Dimensions: 14.2 x 10.6 x 0.8-inches (WxDxH)
  • Weight: 5.5-pounds
  • Price: $3,699

Design and Features

Before I dive deeper into the added display, let’s talk about the overall design. Without the second screen, the Duo 15 looks like most other gaming laptops. It has a gray exterior, with the ROG logo on the lid. It’s not a giant laptop, by any means, measuring 14.2 x 10.6 x 0.8-inches and weighing 5.5-pounds. It’s not a portable machine, of course, but you’ll have no issues lugging it around your home or office, and occasionally tossing it in your bag to take over to a friends house for a gaming session.

There are ports on three sides – a design feature I absolutely love. Being able to plug things like power, Ethernet or HDMI into the back of a laptop and out of sight provides a clean look on my desk. On the rear here, you’ll find I/O ports for Ethernet, USB 3.2 Gen 2 and HDMI 2.0b. On the left side is where the two audio jacks live, one for mic in and another for audio out, along with the charging adapter. On the right side is a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 Thunderbolt 3 port, and two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports.

ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 - 5

The USB-C port not only makes it easy to connect newer smartphones and accessories but you can also use it to connect to any DisplayPort 1.4, Thunderbolt 3, and Power Delivery devices. You can also use it to charge and power the Duo 15 at up to 65W and use the laptop for everyday tasks.

The chiclet keyboard has 1.4mm of travel, with bright RGB lighting behind each key. There isn’t a ten-key number pad. Instead, in its place, you’ll find a trackpad with two physical left and right-click buttons.

 

Above the row for number keys and trackpad are function keys you can use for tasks like adjusting the volume and display brightness. There’s also a shortcut key to launch Asus Armory Crate and another to turn the additional screen on and off just above the touchpad.

As I said, it’s a pretty normal gaming build except for, well, that second display. Let’s take a closer look.

ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 - 1

ScreenPad Plus

The additional screen, which Asus affectionately calls ScreenPad Plus, measures 14-inches and has a resolution of 3840×1100. When you open the lid of the laptop, the screen lifts to a 13-degree viewing angle. The angle is more than steep enough to view whatever’s on the touch-capable panel without having to worry about glare or readability if you’re sitting up and over it. At arm’s length, however, it’s not quite steep enough for me to read it without leaning in.

The justification for the second screen? Asus envisions users placing toolbars and additional apps on ScreenPad Plus, giving them full use of the main display while adding functionality through the narrower touchscreen just below it.

For example, you can use the ScreenPad Plus display to put your editing toolbars while using Photoshop. Or if you stream and use Xsplit, you can have your broadcast controls and video feed below the main display.

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All of this sounds useful, and certainly, it is, but it also feels like it’s very niche. In my nearly two weeks of testing and use, I eventually found a use for the ScreenPad Plus – opening the Armory Crate app to monitor system stats while I game, but even then, I can get most of those same stats as on-screen overlays through various apps and services.

I also tried using it to display folders and other miscellaneous windows while I performed more mundane and routine tasks, and it worked just fine, with the added benefit of working as a touchscreen. I could reach up from the keyboard and tap a button without having to move my mouse pointer all over the place.

I admit there are some who will find it an invaluable tool, and I see the potential benefit of ScreenPad Plus, I’m just not sold that it’s worth the added cost.

Performance and Gaming

The spec sheet of the Duo 15 reads more like a wishlist for a dream gaming laptop: 2TB of SSD storage, 32GB of 3200Mhz DDR4 memory, an Intel Core i9-10980HK, and an Nvidia RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q tuning.

Performance and storage space need not be a worry when using the Duo 15, and the benchmarks back it up. Here’s our comparison spreadsheet, putting the Duo 15 up against the Predator Triton 900 and MSI GS65 Stealth.

Benchmarks

The Duo 15 matches or beats nearly every test, despite the Triton 900 boasting non-Max-Q tuned (though also non-Super) RTX 2080. And that performance carries over to real-world use, from doing routine and mundane tasks like checking email or scrolling through a spreadsheet, or gaming.

Speaking of gaming, I played a lot of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s Warzone battle royale mode during my testing and I can confirm, dear reader, this is one fast gaming rig. When adjusting the resolution down to 1080p, the Duo 15 averaged 152 fps according to Xbox Game Bar. That’s with ray tracing turned on and at high settings. Upping the resolution to full 4K, frame rates took the expected hit but still stayed at a very respectable and playable 65 FPS. You’ll have to make the call about which resolution and frame rate you’re happy with.

I also spent some time in Battlefield V, a game where I can truly tell the difference when ray tracing is enabled, and at Ultra settings, I saw an average frame rate of 117 at 1080p.

The fans aren’t terribly loud, perhaps because the ScreenPad Plus acts as a sound barrier. The fans are hidden under the screen, and have protective screens on them so you don’t have to worry about grabbing the laptop and putting your thumb into the fan when carrying it across the room. The speakers were loud enough that I felt comfortable playing without headphones when they were running at full tilt.

ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 - 3

In Turbo mode, the GPU basically stayed at 86-degrees during any gaming session. Lowering the power mode to Performance slightly dropped frame rates, along with the GPU temp.

The keyboard keys are a little soft, but after a couple of days of use, I was typing and tapping my way across it without issue. The touchpad is present, but let’s be honest, you’re going to have a gaming mouse attached to the Duo 15 most of the time. That said, the touchpad can get the job done in a pinch. Just don’t expect to drag and drop a folder from one screen to another without running into the edge of the pad.

The 2TB SSD is more than enough space for all of my games and benchmark programs, with plenty of space to spare. It’s kind of wild, just a year ago, I could say the same thing about a 1TB main storage drive. But even that’s pushing it now.

Battery Life

Using IGN’s battery life benchmark test, where we play a video on repeat with the display brightness set to 50% and turn off extraneous features like keyboard backlighting, Bluetooth and location, the Duo 15’s battery lasted 142 minutes or 2 hours and 22 minutes.

That’s right in line with other gaming laptops I’ve tested, and just enough to watch a movie, but that’s about it.

Thankfully you can use a portable battery pack and the USB-C port to keep the battery going while you’re mobile.

Software

If you spend nearly $3,700 on a gaming laptop, you have a reasonable expectation for it to come with Windows 10, and maybe an extra app or two from the OEM that helps tweak performance. And with the Duo 15 you get all of that, but you also get the added bloatware of McAfee LiveSafe. How or why is this still a thing?

warzone with ROG Armory Crate

Not only is it annoying, but it’s an inconvenience. McAfee routinely displays passive-aggressive popups or reminders, letting you know you’re about to be at risk because your free trial only has so many days left. It’s a scare tactic, and it’s not okay.

In fact, a McAfee popup occurred during the first run of IGN’s battery benchmark test, forcing VLC to stop playing the video and a redo of the test.

Outside of that, the preinstalled software is more or less a standard affair as far as Asus gaming laptops go. Armory Crate is present, letting you fine-tune and tweak your system’s power settings, with various performance modes. I used Turbo mode for all gaming and benchmarking, but you can also pick from Performance, Silent and Windows.

ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 - 8

Another useful piece of software installed on the Duo 15 is called Screen Xpert. It’s primary purpose is to aid in managing both screens, with the option to create app and folder shortcuts on the touchscreen (there’s an arrow on the far-left side of the screen you can tap to open it). Likewise, when you move a window around in the main display, a small pop up gives you the option to move or pin that window to the ScreenPad Plus, or force the window to go full screen across both screens.

For apps like mail or file explorer, full-screen mode is handy. But for games, well, it’s awkward and not very useful. Here’s how it looked when I tried to play Warzone using both screens.

full screen warzone

See what I mean about feeling very… niche? It would have been awesome for this to work.

Purchasing Guide

The Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 that we tested can be found through Asus or on Amazon with an MSRP of $3,699. If you don’t care about 4K gaming, you can get a 300Hz 1080p main display panel with an RTX 2070 Super with Max-Q and an Intel Core i7-10875H for $2,999.99.

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Humble Choice Subscription Deal: Get 9 PC Games for $12 Each Month

Humble has a new promotion that lets you choose 9 PC games from Humble Choice each month for just $12 per month when you pay for a year in advance. Considering the normal price for this tier is $19.99 per month, that’s a pretty hefty savings. You get to keep and play the games forever, even after you drop the subscription. The only drawback is that the deal only works for new subscribers. The offer ends July 30.

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Humble Choice subscriptions come in three tiers. The Lite tier costs $4.99 per month and gets you access to a collection of over 90 PC games called the Humble Trove, as well as 10% off Humble Store purchases. Next up is the Basic tier, which costs $14.99 a month and gets you your choice of three games every month, as well as the perks of the Lite tier.

But the Premium tier is what this deal covers. It lets you choose nine games every month that you get to keep and play forever. In addition, you get access to the Humble Trove, as well as 20% off Humble Store purchases.

In short, you get a heap of value each month with the Premium tier. And if you lock in a year’s subscription now, you’ll only pay $12 per month. That’s a great deal for nine games per month in addition to the 20% Humble Store discount.

If you’re curious about what kinds of games are available to choose from each month, you can see the selections for previous months here. In June 2020, for instance, you could choose from games like Grid, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, The Messenger, and more. May’s offerings included Jurassic World Evolution, XCOM 2 (and two of its DLC), and a bunch more.

So far they’ve only revealed two of the games you’ll get to choose from at the end of July: Age of Wonders: Planetfall Deluxe Edition and Void Bastards. The full selection will be revealed the first Friday in August. Basically, there’s a wide variety of titles available each month. Choosing nine games to play and keep forever for $12 per month is a pretty killer deal, IMO.

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Disclosure: Humble Bundle is owned by Ziff Davis, the parent company of IGN. Humble Bundle and IGN operate completely independently, and no special consideration is given to Humble Bundle announcements or promotions for coverage.

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Chris Reed is IGN’s shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

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