It’s Sunday again, which means it’s time for another edition of Credible Review winners and losers.
saw us this week review The Playdate gaming console went live, while Asus took on Apple’s MacBook Pro line with its new OLED range of ZenBooks.
It was also a big week for soundbars, with Razer introducing its second-generation Leviathan gaming soundbar and rumors about an entry-level one from Sonos.
However, this Sunday, our winner’s title goes to Apple, leaving PS5 and Xbox gamers as our losers. Read on to find out why.
Winner: Apple
This week, Apple released an update that boosted the charging speed of its MagSafe battery packs by up to 50%.
The battery pack, which was released in 2021, is designed to hold the back of iPhone 12 and 13 devices magnetically, giving them extra power on the go.
However, the charging speed is stuck at 5W at first. This is roughly the same speed as the older plugs that came in the box on the iPhone 11 and earlier.
Firmware 2.7 lets you get the MagSafe’s charging speed up to 7.5W without having to pay for a new battery pack—though, like the MagSafe’s charging speed, it’s not a fast process. Apple warns that it may take about a week for the software to be installed through your iPhone.
Despite this, the resulting 50% faster charging is great news for MagSafe users.
While you can still reach fast 15W charging by connecting the battery pack to a power source via USB-C and using it as a Qi wireless charger, it doesn’t boast the same convenience as snapping the battery to the back of your iPhone. Is. ,
The free update means that MagSafe users should be able to prolong their iPhone’s battery life without having to add a charging pack.
Loser: Gamers
Our losers are console gamers this week after rumors surfaced that some free-to-play Xbox and PS5 titles may soon be hit with commercials.
According to two separate reports from Business Insider, both Microsoft and Sony have begun developing their own systems to advertise brands within games.
News first emerged about Microsoft, which is said to be building a system that would allow real word products to be advertised within Xbox games, such as on billboards at racetracks. The idea is to introduce non-targeted ads that fit seamlessly into the game world, so as not to alter the experience.
A little less than a week later, we heard that Sony might be working on a similar concept for its PS5 console — though the idea is a little different here. While Sony may also integrate ads into in-game billboards, the company is reportedly looking to reward players for viewing ads and promotional material by offering freebies such as skins.
Sony is also weighing the idea of ​​taking a revenue cut — something that Microsoft isn’t expected to do. According to sources, both the companies plan to keep the personal data of gamers out of the hands of the marketers.
It’s important to note that these rumors pertain only to free games and that introducing ads may allow Microsoft and Sony to offer more free content or even reduce the amount of in-app purchases from gamers.
That said, in-game commercials haven’t been well received by console gamers in the past, and no one really wants to see commercials in a virtual world when they’re trying to avoid the endless numbers here in real. are. World.
We’ll have to wait and see how gamers react if ads suddenly start appearing in free-to-play titles on Xbox and PS5.
