Category Archives: eSports

Acer Brings New Monitors into Malaysia for Work and Play

When you start with a PC build, there are a few essential things you need. You usually think of the spec of your build first, what hardware you want in your PC. How much CPU and GPU power you need also determines the kind of power supply you get for your PC.

Building a PC though is not just about getting the best CPU and GPU in your build. You need to think about your entire set-up from the ground up. Sometimes its better to start at what you can afford or the sort of performance you aim for. That usually starts from the things that you put on your table, your monitor and speakers.

People tend to forget that the display is a big part of their set up. Your display can sometimes dictate an entire build. If you are working with a budget, it realistically determines how much you have left to spend on your desktop tower PC and other peripherals. If you are going for a high-end build, your display determines how much you want to spend for your desktop PC.

How do you choose the right displays for yourself? That is a tough question. That question is made even tougher with Acer’s new offerings to the market.

The No Compromise 4K Gaming Build – Predator X28

Acer’s no compromise gaming set-up always has one name attached to their device – Predator. You know it gets serious when you see the Predator branding on any device. In this case, you cannot get any more serious than the Predator X28.

As its name suggests, it is a 28-inch display. What its name did not suggest was the power contained within the 28-inch IPS panel. It packs 4K UHD resolution to take full advantage of NVIDIA’s new GeForce RTX 3090 Ti GPU. If you already have the RTX 3090, you can still benefit from it.

It even refreshes at up to 152Hz (overclocked) with ultra-low response times at 0.2ms (G-to-G), important for esports titles and even racing simulators. With NVIDIA’s G-Sync compatibility, screen tearing is a thing that you have only heard of. For the most realistic and immersive experience, the display offers up to 90% of DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage with Delta E <2. While DisplayHDR 400 does not sound like much, it should still mean that gamers still get a stellar graphics experience from the display.

The “Do Everything” QHD Build – Acer Nitro EI322QURP

It is a 31.5-inch curved display, larger than the Predator X28. The curved VA panel offers QHD 1440p in resolution with up to 165Hz in refresh rate, for fast gaming response. This will be perfect for builds with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3070 or anything equivalent.

It is not a compromised gaming build still though with 1ms of response time on offer. With AMD’s Radeon FreeSync 2 technology on offer, you still can game tear-free too. There is also one thing that it does better compared to the high-end Predator display: its colour accuracy. At 93% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut and DisplayHDR 400 rating, games are more immersive than ever on this large-format display.

The Budget Gamer Full HD Build – Acer Nitro XZ306CX

What if you only have the money to work with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 or equivalent builds? To take full advantage of it, you might want to prioritise higher frame rates than resolution. In that case, Full HD will be more than enough to work with.

The Acer Nitro XZ306CX offers up to 200Hz in refresh rate for ultra-smooth gaming experience, 1ms response time for ultra-quick reaction times; important in esports titles like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). At 29.5-inch as well, you get to immerse yourself into the world that is the game in front of you.  It is an Ultrawide display too, so you get to see a little more than your usual display.

Like its higher resolution Nitro brother, it also offers up to 93% in DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage. DisplayHDR 400 ensures that you get all the details from dark to light. It also offers AMD Radeon FreeSync 2 for a tear-free gaming experience you can expect from any good gaming monitors.

The All-Purpose-Productivity Build – Acer CB292CU

Gaming might not be your thing. You might not even be considering getting a gaming PC for your build. You just want a versatile laptop that you can rely on and bring anywhere you need it to work. You just want a simple PC that you can use for all sorts of things other than gaming. In that case, you just want a bigger display at a reasonable price you can plug into at home.

For that, the Acer CB292CU is perfect. It is an ultra-wide Full HD display that offers up to 2,560 by 1,080 in resolution. The extra display real estate allows you to have more windows on display as well without making the display feel cramped and small. At 29-inch, you will not feel as if you have a small display too.

The 21:9 aspect ratio is quite perfect for most films eliminating the top and bottom black bars in most cinematic formats. Sure, YouTube videos might suffer a little with 16:9 aspect ratio, but it just means you can have a little bit of a multitasking set up with a wider display. You can be sure to also enjoy your films or just lightly edit videos on the display with up to 99% sRGB colour gamut coverage, if you need to. Accurate colours is always an enjoyable feature on any display.

Price and Availability

All the products mentioned are now available for purchase from all authorized Acer stores and retailers. Of course, you can get them from Acer’s official online stores as well, including their own online store, Shopee, and Lazada. The Predator X28 will set you back MYR 3,699. The Acer Nitro EI322QURP and Nitro XZ306CX with set you back MYR 1,299 each. The more budget option Acer CB292CU will set you back MYR 899.

The Razer Hunstman Mini Analog – World’s First 60% Compact Keyboard with Analog Optical Switches

To be fair, when we say it is the world’s first 60% Analog Optical switch keyboard, you also must keep in mind that the Razer Analog Optical Switch is Razer’s proprietary technology made exclusively for Razer’s own keyboard line-ups. While that makes it sound less special, hear us out. It is still a special keyboard in its own rights.

The Huntsman Mini, if you look at it, is one of the most compact gaming keyboards available. Even compared to other compact keyboards, it is compact. There are a few sacrifices to make a 60% keyboard. One of them is that you lose your D-Pad. Just think about how much space you save though, and you start to understand why you want a 60% keyboard.

Huntsman Mini Analog 2021 Render03
Source: Razer

The Chroma RGB 60% keyboard also comes with the acclaimed Razer Optical switch. Rather than a physical switch, the actuation of the keys is done via light. This also means fewer moving parts and in turn, better durability. The Huntsman Mini is offered in two flavours too, a clicky variant and a linear variant.

While the Optical Switch is great, it could be better. Enter the world of Razer Analog Optical Switches, the only switch of its kind that allows for multiple actuation points. The Analog Optical Switch really redefines what we know about how keyboard should work.

Razer Analog Optical Switch

The Analog Optical Switch, a Razer exclusive, also works like the Optical Switch in its own right. It still relies on light detection and passing technology. Actuation is achieved when an emitted light hits a receiver within the single keys of the switch. The Analog Optical Switch is also only possible because of the Razer’s optical technology. You can see it as an improvement or an evolution over the original Optical Switch.

Analog Switch Use for switch closeup only
Source: Razer

Instead of making it an on/off switch, the light sensor within the keyboard now detects how much light is received from the emitter. This is also in accordance with the key height itself, how deep you pressed the key. The switch then activates according to the input from your fingers. While it does mimic the theory of a pressure sensor, it is far simpler than that.

This allows for a more precise control over movements in games. With multiple sensitivity, you can adjust your turning circle and intensity in driving games, for example. In driving games, you can even adjust your throttle feed to feather it in corners to be more precise as well. In first-person, or third-person games, you can control your movement speeds to a more relaxing walking pace when you want to slow down in a town.

The application can also go beyond that though. You can have two types of actuations from a single key for creative applications. We are not saying you should, but you could if you want, especially with the compressed size that is the 60% keyboard form factor. You could add a few more functions within the keyboard in different applications to make your workflow smarter, and faster; you just have to remember which keys does what.

Price and Availability

The Razer Huntsman Mini Analog will be available in Malaysia today onward from Razer’s Official Stores on Lazada and Shopee. There are no additional colour options currently other than black, unlike the original Huntsman Mini which offers a Mercury colour option. It is an Crhoma RGB keyboard with PBT caps though, so you can take advantage of those features. It will set you back MYR 669, which is at least MYR 150 more than the original Huntsman Mini (Linear) keyboard. More information on the Razer Huntsman Mini Analog can be found on their website.

Asian Games Gets More Interesting with Medalled eSport Events including PUBG Mobile & Hearthstone

Big sporting events are about to get more interesting – particularly if you have an interest in eSports. It’s been a long time coming, but eSports is becoming more mainstream with the increasing number of events that are becoming recognised. A growing number of games are being included in large, global and regional sporting events. The Asian Games are the latest to join the foray.

eSports has long been sidelined by mainstream sports and athletics cause of their perceived lack of “training” and “athleticism”. But that’s been changing in recent years. With the establishment of international tournaments like “The International” (TI), The World Cyber Games (WCG) and the Electronic Sports League (ESL), there has been more awareness cultivated of how eSports athletes train and how intense and precise each match can be.

The industry has scored another big win with PUBG Mobile being recognised as a medalled event at the upcoming Asian Games. The event, held once every four years, is recognised by the International Olympic Committee as the second largest event of its kind; only second to the Olympics itself. PUBG Mobile joins a list of elite games selected for the event.

PUBG Mobile Asian Games
Source: Tencent Games

PUBG Mobile has seen tremendous growth in the years since its launch. It has since spawned 14 new leagues and a cumulative prize pool of USD$15 million this year alone. It joins an exclusive list of games that have been recognised as medalled events for the upcoming Asian Games. As of now, the list consists of Arena of Valor Asian Games Version, DOTA 2, Dream Three Kingdoms 2, EA SPORTS FIFA branded soccer games, Hearthstone, League of Legends, and Street Fighter V.

The Asian Games will be taking place in Hangzhou, China from 10th to 25th September 2022. The upcoming games will mark the 19th Asian Games and the first to have eSports as recognised, medalled events.

Kohai Looks To Spur eSports Interest By Allowing Amateurs to Train with the Pros

ESports has been on an upward trend when it comes to popularity – having recently been inducted as part of the Sukan Malaysia (SUKMA). It is already being considered for the 2028 Olympics. That said, the momentum is even more apparent at the grassroots level with even more people gaining taking an interest either as a spectator or professional.

As interest mounts, we’re seeing an increase in companies investing in the space – and not just in developing new, thrilling eSports games; we’re also seeing a new wave of apps and services geared to complementing the arena. The most recent of these apps is one called Kohai, a new, homegrown, Malaysian app that looks to allow newbies and gamers to interact more directly with the Pros – more specifically – to learn from them.

Kohai App 002 1
From left to right: Xorn, Feekz, Maima, Lilbie, Nellbie, Dominus, Panda and Artz will be the Mobile Legends Bang Bang Geek Fam Partners that Gamers have a chance to play with on Kohai’s platform // Source: Kohai

If you’re an otaku or watch any Japanese media, you’d be familiar with the term “kohai” or “kouhai” which is usually used to refer to proteges or juniors. Building on this kohai-senpai relationship, IWG eSports is looking to create a platform where everyday enthusiasts can hone their skills with the Pros. Kohai is looking to push the local Malaysian eSports scene further by essentially providing training grounds for eSports hopefuls.

The platform is focused on allowing hopefuls to hone their gameplay and strategy under the wing of a Pro. This leans on the kohai-senpai dynamic which is its namesake. On Kohai, the Gamers (kohai) are able to connect and train with Partners (senpai) regardless of their level. Parters are game experts or professionals who have a proven track record or in-game tier.

Kohai App 001
Kohai Gamer app user interface // Source: Kohai

Of course, it’s not a free-for-all as Kohai can also be a viable stream of income for partners as the platform uses a play-to-earn model. To do this, users will need to register via the Kohai Partner App where their profiles and details will be verified before they are allowed to activate their account. Given that it is a form of work, users registering as Kohai Partners will need to be 16 years or older.

Naturally, this means that gamers looking to learn will be subject to a pay-to-learn model. On the platform, Gamers will be able to train to reach specific milestones with a Partner. From as low as MYR10 per hour, Gamers will be able to up their game with coaching from Partners. This can be done on an ad-hoc basis (referred to as Real-Time Gaming Sessions) or Scheduled sessions. Gamers will be able to book these sessions via the Kohai Gamer app.

Kohai App 003 1
From left to right: Xorn, Feekz, Maima, Lilbie, Nellbie, Dominus, Panda and Artz will be the Mobile Legends Bang Bang Geek Fam Partners that Gamers have a chance to play with on Kohai’s platform // Source: Kohai
Kohai App 004 1
From left to right: Damrude, Sane, Miracle, QB and Snipes will be the PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Geek Fam Partners that Gamers have a chance to play with on Kohai’s platform // Source: Kohai

To kick things off, Kohai is focusing on two of the most popular eSports games on mobile – Mobile Legend Bang Bang (MLBB) and PlayerUnkown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) Mobile. It is also partnering with the popular eSports team GeekFam. Members of the team will be on the platform as Partners where Gamers can play, learn or train with them. In addition, Kohai has also kicked off its own tournament – the Kohai Championships – for MLBB. The tourney started on 4th September and will be concluding on 26th September 2021. It features 64 teams battling each other for a total prize pool of MYR11,000.00.

The launch comes after a public beta where Kohai has been utilized successfully by 43,000 individuals. The company is looking to the future to build its 43,000 strong community and to branch to other platforms such as PC and Console in the near future.

Tech & Tonic S02 Episode 16 – E3 2021… Was a Little Underwhelming

Tech & Tonic So2 Ep 16   E3 2021... Was a Little Underwhelming

E3 2021 happened last week and that was the biggest thing that happened in the week. We love gaming, of course we are going to talk about it. While we were excited about the event, it went a little underwhelming and a little under the radar for some reason.

E3 is back in the 2021 after the 2020 hiatus thanks to the COVID-19 global pandemic. In 2021 though the largest gaming conference in the world has gone completely digital and the announcements from various brands were made over live streams on YouTube. Sadly though, while it was more accessible, it was also a little on the underwhelming side. 

Sure, there were a few notable game launches and announcements made in the conference itself. Halo: Infinite was Xbox’s big highlight, Razer launched a new gaming laptop that is also their first AMD powered rig alongside a 27-inch gaming display, Nintendo teased Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild 2 a little bit more, and the upcoming Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II was quite notable. But other than those, everything else seems a little underwhelming.

Razer took this chance and stole some E3 limelight with their E3 launch too. They are not launching any games though. They launched their latest gaming laptop, the Razer Blade 14 with AMD’s Ryzen 5000 series CPU for the first time ever. They also launched a nice looking 27-inch gaming display with QHD resolution and 165Hz in refresh rate in the same show.

We would like to see more from E3 0221 though. We wanted to see Nintendo showing us some gameplay from Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild, for example. We wanted to see more exciting AAA games teased from E3, something that makes us go “wow, that looks goo” like Battlefield 2042, for example. We did not get a lot of those moments.

To put it plainly, we expected more from E3. We wanted more in E3 2021, because 2020 and 2021 are the years where hunger for new games becomes bigger and a little more insatiable. So, what else do we expect from E3? Listen in, find out. 

Razer Launches the Iskur X Gaming Chair

Razer launched their own version of what an ultimate gaming chair would look like last year. They launched the Razer Iskur last year for all the hardcore gamers in the world with a very clever lumbar support mechanism. It also received high praises for being one of the most comfortable gaming thrones you can find in the market.

The only issue was its price at US$ 749. In Today’s Malaysia money, the Razer Iskur will set you back about just a little over MYR 3,000, which is a lot of money even for a gaming chair. For comparison’s sake, the Secret Lab Titan, Secret Lab’s biggest and most expensive gaming seat starts at an equivalent of roughly MYR 2,200 (SG$ 700 retail) or so. These are rough conversion figures though.

While you are paying a little bit of a premium for the Iskur’s innovative lumbar support, it is not something you would call ‘affordable’. In that sense, what do you do when you still want a Razer seat in your house, but for not as much money? Razer has an answer for you in their latest Razer Iskur X.

Before you jump into the conclusion that Razer’s Iskur X is a baby Iskur, it is nothing like the more premium Iskur. They share the same diamond quilt design on the backrest, the same colour and leather finishing, and somewhat the same designs and stitching, but that is about it. These are technically two completely different thrones.

The Iskur X do not have the same lumbar support mechanism or cushion as the Iskur for example. Instead, you have the option to get a separate lumbar cushion you can put on the chair. Like the Iskur also, the Iskur X does not come with a head pillow or cushion though. Again, the head cushion is a separate purchase.

Still, the Iskur X gaming chair features steel-reinforced body to handle a lot of weight. It supports up to 136kg. That does mean that the Razer Iskur X might dwarf smaller body frames though. It also features the same 2D armrests as the Iskur, which is a good thing considering the Iskur was highly acclaimed.

The Razer Iskur is now available for purchase from selected retailers and from Razer.com online store. The Razer Iskur X will set you back US$ 399 (MYR 1,499*) and only comes in Black and Green colour scheme. For more comfort, you can add a Razer Lumbar Cushion and Razer Head Cushion for US$ 49.99 (MYR 259*) and US$ 39.99 (MYR 199*) respectively. More information can be found on Razer’s website.

* Actual retail price as per Razer.com

AMD Launches the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT GPU

Just not too long after NVIDIA pushes their latest GeForce RTX 3060, AMD answered with their latest AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT. Before we go on though, we are not going to be doing many comparisons between the two. This is a good one though.

AMD touts the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT graphics card to be your 1440p gaming buddy. 1440p as in the display resolution, if you did not get it. In that case also, the RX 6700 XT might be the best value for money card AMD can offer with RDNA 2 and Smart Access Memory features out of the box. Considering that Smart Access Memory function is now available for AMD’s Ryzen 3000 series processors, this could be time for you to upgrade your GPU to an RX 6000 series.

Source: AMD

The headline numbers are 7nm process technology, 12GB of RAM, 40 compute units, clock speeds up to 2581 MHz (Boost), 196 bit of memory interface, and 96 MB of infinity cache. All this at a maximum power draw of 230W. You can undervolt the card as well to optimise heat management and reducing power draw.

All this results in supposed gains in 1440p resolution gaming. In that sense, the RX 6700 XT is really made for the most popular gaming segment in the PC gaming industry. The best-selling gaming monitors are 1440p gaming monitors at this point and that has not come with a lot of surprise given the value that 1440p monitors offer for their prices.

AMD claims to boast more than 165fps consistently in selected esports titles. You do need every inch of advantage when it comes to eSports and you can really appreciate the extra fps whenever you get into an intense battle with another player. A few fps could be the difference to winning that battle, or losing your cool. But of course, there is also AMD’s Radeon Anti-Lag feature to really boost your advantage in eSports.

Source: AMD

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT will be available 18th March 2021 onward from board partners like ASRock, ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, PowerColor, SAPPHIRE, and XFX. The card should start at US$ 479 (MYR 1,942*). Of course, prices and stock availability varies from each board manufacturer. There are no official word yet on local availability from the board partners but we assume that they will make some form of announcement closer to the release date later this month. More information on the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is available through their website.

*Approximate conversion based on US$ 1 = MYR 4.05 as of 04/03/2020 on xe.com

Acer’s Asia Pacific Predator League 2020/21 Goes Online in April

Acer’s annual Asia Pacific Predator League has been a staple event when it comes to eSports in the region. The annual competition sees teams from across the Asia Pacific region compete for a piece of a USD$400,000 prize pool. Last year, fans and athletes were left on edge as the grand finals, which were to happen in the Philippines, were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The wait is over! The 2020/21 Asia Pacific Predator League is going online! The tourney will take place from April 6 to April 11 2021 in a fully online battle. Teams who made it into the Grand Finals in last year’s league will be able to claim their seats in this year’s competition. The remaining roster will consist of teams selected and invited by Acer.

The tournament will be divided into four sub-tournaments this year. Teams will be assigned based on their geographical location to either:

  1. APAC Predator League 2020/21 Grand Final DOTA 2 Asia
  2. APAC Predator League 2020/21 Grand Final DOTA 2 APAC
  3. APAC Predator League 2020/21 Grand Final PUBG Asia
  4. APAC Predator League 2020/21 Grand Final PUBG APAC

The prize pool for this year’s competition is a whopping USD$400,000 pooled across the four sub-tournaments. The matches will be broadcasted live on Acer Predator’s Twitch and Facebook channels. Acer will be communicating their updated schedules and program via the League’s official website and social media accounts.

ROG Masters Asia Pacific eSports Tournament Goes Online for 2021 Season

ASUS kicking off a region wide eSports Tournament called the ROG Masters Asia Pacific eSports Tournament which will see eSports athletes from the region compete for a grand prize of USD$10,000. The tournament kicks off in March 2021 with matches happening throughout until the finals in April 2021. Given the current global situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament will be held entirely online.

ROG Masters APAC 2021 Teaser Video | ROG

This year, the game of choice is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). The competition will involve 15 countries: Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. It’s open to enthusiasts, amateurs and professionals across the region. All you have to do is register at rogmasters.gg. Registration opens on February 8 2021.

The competition will be held in three stages over the two months. Kicking off the competition is the Country Qualifiers which will see all the registered teams face-off for a shot in the Country Finals starting on the first week of April 2021. The Country Finals will see professional teams from each country seeded into the battlefield allowing enthusiasts and amateurs to climb further up the ladder. Teams in the Country finals will then stand a chance to head to the Regional finals where they will battle it out for the grand prize.

Matches for the Country finals will be streamed on ASUS ROG’s official YouTube and Facebook pages. The Malaysian Finals will be live-streamed on 4 April 2021. The APAC Finals will be live-streamed at the end of April 2021.

Teams that rise above the rest in the Malaysian Finals will stand to win USD$800 for first place and USD$400 for second place. These prizes also include ASUS ROG Swag. Teams in the APAC finals will then be vying for the USD$10,000 grand prize. The top 3 teams will be awarded USD$10,000 for the grand prize, USD3,500 for the runner up and USD$1,500 for third place.

Get to registering fast for your chance as registrations close on 28th February 2021.

Garena Announces the Free Fire Continental Series with USD$900,000 Prize Pool

Garena has announced a brand-new format and schedule of Free Fire’s international tournament for this year. The new Free Fire Continental Series (FFCS) will be the game’s first series to happen online only. The tournament comprises of three separate series which will be held from 22nd November to 29th November simultaneously around the world.

Source: Garena

The three different series that will run simultaneously are the American series, the EMEA series and the Asia series. The Americas series consists of Brazil and the rest of Latin American whereas the Asia series will include Taipei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam. On the other hand, the EMEA series will involve Europe, Russia, the Middle East and North Africa.

The Free Fire Continental Series will have a combined prize pool of USD$900,000 (MYR3,705,452.72). This will be split equally over the three series; Each series will have US$300,000 up for grabs. To earn their pot, teams will need to pass through two stages: the Play-ins and the Finals. Teams competing in the Play-ins and the Finals will be seeded from the recently concluded Free Fire Tri-nation Cup.

Source: Garena

Each team will have to battle over 6 rounds across 3 maps and points will be awarded based on round ranking and the number of kills. Contenders will be playing on the Bermuda, Purgatory and Kalahari maps in Free Fire. The top-seeded teams from each local-level tournament will earn the rights to enter their respective Grand Finals. However, the rest of the teams can only earn their place to be in the Grand Finals by beating the other teams in the region.

Kehormatan Melalui Penaklukan | Teaser Siri Benua Kebakaran Percuma 2020

The Grand Finals will be contested by the number one teams from each of the countries in the Asia series which consists of Tapei, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam. On the other hand, the second- and third-seeded of the Asia series will battle against each other to get into the five coveted Grand Final spots.