Not another Sam Altman story
Black Friday is almost here!
The dismissal of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and the subsequent fallout make for compelling drama in the tech world this week. You can catch up on the ongoing saga here. Perhaps in a year or two, we may even get another Michael Lewis book about another tech entrepreneur called Sam.
But I think I’m speaking for many when I say I’m looking forward to Black Friday instead. Especially when it comes to video games, because there are some really attractive deals here.
PlayStation users can enjoy discounts of up to 80%. My top picks: Tactical RPG Marvel’s Midnight Suns (70% off), co-op game platformer It Takes Two (70% off), and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (60% off). Other notable games that came out this year, like Hogswarts Legacy and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, are at 40% off. Xbox users aren’t left out either — these same discounts are available from the Xbox store. And of course, PC game platforms like Steam and Epic have their own sales, too, and with the same discounts.
Sony is also offering up to 30% off for 12-month membership plans for its PlayStation Plus subscription service. The PS Plus Extra tier has some fine games like Returnal, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Horizon Forbidden West. But we shouldn’t forget that Sony upped these prices by around 30% just a few months ago. There’s no Black Friday deal for Xbox or PC Game Pass subscriptions, though there are currently some very good games on the service, including recent day-one releases such as Persona 5 Tactica, Like a Dragon Gaiden, and Football Manager 2024.
And it’s not just the games. The PlayStation 5’s DualSense wireless controller is 38% off on Amazon SG, albeit in a hideous-looking purple. Or if you’re running out of storage on your PS5, you can add a solid-state drive for cheap (500GB for S$55). Xbox Series X|S users can look to WD’s storage expansion card. In any case, it’s better to identify what you need, and check if they are on sale, instead of impulse buying unwanted gadgets. So here’s what we found most interesting this week: A laptop light from BenQ, Corsair’s new mechanical keyboard, and Lenovo’s handheld gaming PC.
You don’t know you need it — until you try it. That’s our experience with the BenQ LaptopBar, a handy light bar that attaches to your notebook. It is especially useful at night. You can also change the colour temperature to your preferred hue. Battery life is decent at almost two hours at its maximum 700 lux of brightness.
The Corsair K65 Plus Wireless mechanical keyboard is excellent for both work and play. It’s not that flashy, with a 75% layout similar to a laptop keyboard. It offers all the connectivity options you’ll need: Bluetooth, 2.4GHz, and USB-C. The typing experience is also great, thanks to its sound dampening layers.
Thinking of gaming on your commute? Lenovo’s new Legion Go handheld gaming PC may just be the solution. Its 8.8-inch screen offers a large and vibrant experience, while its AMD chip is capable enough to run the latest games — if you run them at more modest settings. And if you happen to find a desk, the Legion Go’s kickstand is a useful feature that distinguishes it from the competition.