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Asus launches ZenBook Duo 14 and ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED with ScreenPad Plus Secondary Display.

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Asus has recently rolled out two new laptop models of the company, that is, Asus ZenBook Duo 14 and ZenBook Pro Duo 15 in the Indian market. These are the two new premium ZenBook models that are targeting a wide range of customers from students to professionals. Since remote work has become the routine of our life now every customer is looking for highly productive and multitasking laptop models. Both of the new ZenBook models are featuring a secondary display called ScreenPad Plus which is offered along with the regular display. The secondary display is the most catchy feature of the new ZenBook models expanding user’s productivity.

The new ZenBook Duo 14 has 11th generation Intel Core processors and also carries Intel Evo verification. On the other hand, ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED is running on 10th generation Intel Core processors. The latter one also has Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 graphics. The graphics show that the new ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED can also be the first choice of many gamers. Both the machines are provided with Asus’ proprietary Active Aerodynamic System (AAS+). When one opens the laptop’s lid the built-in ScreenPad Plus rises and offers up to 49 percent higher airflow and better thermal management.

Specification of Asus ZenBook Duo 14

The new Asus ZenBook Duo 14 is featuring a 14-inch full HD IPS level display. The maximum brightness of the screen is 400-nits and has 100 percent sRGB color coverage. It has a screen-to-body ratio of 93 percent. The secondary screen of the ZenBook, that is, the ScreenPad Plus is 12.65-inch and has a resolution of 1920X515 pixels, and includes stylus support. The main purpose of the secondary screen is to enhance multitasking which is a prime need for any working professional and even students. The OS of the model is Windows 10 and the laptop is powered by an Intel Core i7-1156G7 processor. The GPU provided is of Nvidia GeForce MX450 and the RAM is up to 16GB LPDDR4x RAM. Storage of the machine is up to 1TB of M.2 SSD.

For connectivity purposes, Asus ZenBook Duo 14 has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, one HDMI 1.4, and a 3.5mm headphone jack (Gadgets 360). For wireless connectivity, it also has Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth v5.0. The audio system of the Asus ZenBook Duo 14 is very impressive as it comes with Harman Kardon-backed speakers along with an array of microphones that will have support for Cortana. The noise-canceling technology of the laptop is powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Asus ZenBook Duo 14 has a battery of 70Wh which will power the laptop for 17 hours on a single charge. The laptop weighs 1.57 kgs and the dimension is 324X222X16.9mm.

Zenbook
Image Source: asus.com

Specification of Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED

The second premium ZenBook that Asus has launched in India recently is Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED. This laptop is featuring a 15.6-inch OLED 4K ultra HD NanonEdge touch-enabled display. The display has 178-degree viewing angles with 100 percent DCI-P3 color gamut and up to 400 nits of brightness. The display of the model is also Pantone validated and TUV Rheinland certified. IT also has VESA Display HDR 500 True Black certification. The secondary screen of this model is a 14.1-inch tilting ScreenPad Plus display. The resolution of the secondary screen is 3840X1100 pixels which also provides 400-nits peak brightness.

ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED is powered by an Intel Core-i9 10980HK processor. The RAM provided in the model is up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM and 1TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 SSD storage. The laptop has two Thunderbolt 3 ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, HDMI 2.1, and a headphone jack. For Bluetooth connectivity, there is Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth v5.0. There is a microphone array and Harman Kardon-backed speakers. The battery of this model is a 92Wh battery and it measures 359x249x21.5mm and weighs 2.34 kilograms.

Price and Availability

The starting price of ZenBook Duo 14 in India is Rs 99,990 and of ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED is Rs 2,39,990. It is currently made available in India and can also be bought from online platforms like Flipkart and Amazon.

OnePlus 9R 5G

OnePlus to Incorporate Gaming Triggers in its New 9R 5G to Better the Experience for the Gamers

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OnePlus smartphones are known for their high definition camera quality, and with every new launch, it has something exciting to offer. The company is now all set to launch its flagship smartphone in India, which too, is going to incorporate the gaming triggers for its client base who love to play games on their smartphones. The company will launch its 5G smartphone, the OnePlus 9R, in India on 23rd March, and it has already revealed the first look of the product through a teaser on its official Twitter account.

OnePlus 9R 5G

A few days ago, OnePlus confirmed the launch date for its flagship smartphone, 9R 5G, in India, i.e. 23rd of March. The smartphone that claims to provide a “robust flagship experience” to its users, will share the launch date with two other smartphones from the OnePlus 9 series, i.e. OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro phones.

OnePlus CEO, Pete Lau, revealed that the premium device is going to offer support for 5G and will provide “smooth scrolling, immersive gaming controls, and a superior viewing experience.” The company claimed that it wants to reach a wider range of customers, so the prices are going to be quite affordable. Though Lau did not give any numbers about the prices, he confirmed that the premium smartphones will be under a mid-price range.

“With the OnePlus 9R, we are looking to go even further to bring out a balanced handset with the latest technology and class-leading industrial design that can deliver a superior user experience overall and can also offer fast and smooth experiences for daily usage and heavy gameplay,” Lau said.

OnePlus 9R 5G Features

According to some of the reports, the new premium smartphone is mounted with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 processor. But believing some other sources, it will come with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 SoC. The OnePlus 9R 5G is going to have a 90Hz display and will offer a high refresh rate display. The smartphone is also going to boast an HD+ resolution screen. Like its other contemporaries, the teaser reveals multiple rear cameras, and the front camera will be a punch-hole design. Also, the OnePlus 9 series smartphones will have a 4,500mAh battery with 65W fast charging support.

OnePlus 9R 5G
Image Source: indianexpress.com

Good News for the Gamers

OnePlus has confirmed that the OnePlus 9R 5G will be a special phone. It will provide support for 5G technology, but at the same time, it will be enhancing the gaming experience for game lovers as the new phone is incorporated with gaming triggers. Though these triggers are not quite visible in the OnePlus teaser it has posted on its official Twitter account, a picture posted by @thebookisclosed has given more than a hint about the triggers. Some of the reports have also confirmed that the smartphone is going to have those gaming triggers.

From the picture, we have concluded that the triggers are detachable. But the picture doesn’t give any information on if the smartphone will come with some other gaming accessories, or the gaming triggers are the only accessories that the users will get. Also, there is no hint on whether the other two flagship mobiles, i.e. OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro, will also be able to run the gaming triggers, or these are only built exclusively for 9R.

The games like PUBG, Fornite, and FreeFire have given a boost to smartphone gameplay. The launch of a smartphone with gaming triggers can be good news for gamers. The speculations are that the new OnePlus 9R will enter into a competition with other gaming smartphones like ASUS ROG and Black Shark.

Esports

Esports streaming will help change the mindset of people towards gaming.

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In India, when it comes down to action and strategy-based competitive gaming, the current generation has a huge potential. But somewhere the amount of infrastructure for esports or hype for taking it as a career lacks the stigma and hence continues to struggle. Though the amount of gaming expertise is increasing in India along with many new esports startups emerging, Indian esports has a great potential that is not yet unleashed. With the Asian Video Games 2022 around the corner, the preparation for participation or excitement as an audience accelerates with time.

Addressing the culture of esports in India, Akshat Rathee, cofounder of Nodwin Gaming speaks about esports and how streaming video games is more than just delivering content to the audience. Breaking the orthodox belief, many Indian gamers have been successful in choosing their career in esports. But, even today, esports or video gaming is considered not more than recreation by most Indians. Rathee’s main message to the Indians is esports is more than just a source for recreation and through esports streaming, the mentality of common people can be moulded and more Indians will be able to take it up as a career.

Esports streaming as a career

Rathee gives a very strong and impactful explanation of how the mentality of Indian people towards sports has changed with time. He says, before 1983, the hype for cricket was not as much as we witness now. The love for cricket and an enormous follower base started building up after Indian won the World Cup in 1983. So, once a sport that wasn’t even a topic of discussion in most Indian households now sends their kids for cricket coaching. And, the most significant reason for this change in perception is the victory of 1983. Because it gave people evidence to believe that investing in sports might bear a fruitful result.

Esports
Image Source: indianexpress.com

Rathee says, “With greatness and nice performances which might be publicly obtainable, comes the need for glory and legitimacy. ” It’s not just cricket that has become very popular in India, but after Viswanathan Anand became a famous Chess player and won several tournaments representing India, the followers kept increasing. This is how Rathee explains the importance of streaming as esports is no different from cricket, tennis, or chase. Indian will be waiting for the video game records in Asian Video Games 2022 and some of the esports titles that are most likely to be added are Counter-Strike: International Offensive, DOTA 2, etc.

Esports is more than Asian Video Games

While India bagged a bronze medal in Asian Video Games 2018 in esports, the participation is predicted to increase by several folds this year. As Rathee said, a sign of triumph escalates the enthusiasm among people. But, the interest in Asian Video Games 2022 doesn’t account for how many Indians are exactly inclined towards esports. There are many video gaming opportunities that are eventually opening up for potential Indian gamers who could play at a professional level. But, there should be overwhelming participation in esports like we observe in cricket or football.

A few days ago, ASUS announced the ROG Academy Programme to bring out the best of Indian video gamers and train them at a professional level. Many similar initiatives are taken by many other companies out there to improve the gaming culture in Indian and put it out there that it can be chosen as a valid profession. There are many great Indian gamers who with proper training and infrastructure can give a tough competition worldwide especially in tournaments of CS: GO, Valorant, PUBG, etc.

Streaming as a profession

Streaming enables a content producer to deliver quality content to the audience. In India, gaming content that reaches out to common people is negligible. Two reasons for this is there aren’t many streaming companies in India (recently a few startups have been established) and even today most Indian people have not accepted gaming as a profession.

When PUBG wasn’t banned in India, many famous streamers like Mortal and Dynamo Gaming had huge popularity in India. But, when speaking of esports, it is more than just playing PUBG. So, the overall esports culture has to be uplifted so that apart from avid gamers, esports content reaches out to the general public.

Google Stadia

Google announced the shut down of Stadia in-house game development studios

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On 1st Feb 2021, Google announced to shut down its internal game development for Stadia for not being able to meet high rising costs of the same. “Creating best-in-class games from the ground up takes many years and significant investment, and the cost is going up exponentially,” said Phil Harrison, VP, and general manager of Google Stadia, in a blog post. From now on, Google’s game streaming service will be entirely dependent on the titles of other external game developers and game publishers. It is really unfortunate to witness the internal cloud-based game streaming service of Google shut down within a couple of years.

When Stadia was launched in 2019, the internal game development unit was expected to make titles for the service. But, with a heavy chest, the company has declared yesterday about shutting the internal game development unit. The in-house game development is costly and monetarily the company is not planning to invest in it. Phil Harrison also mentioned that Jade Raymond, Head of Google Stadia’s Games and Entertainment, will quit the company.

About Google Stadia

Google Stadia is a platform where one can play any online modern games using your smart devices. One doesn’t need to download or install the Stadia platform. Anyone who wants to play online games on Stadia can do it from television using a Chromecast Ultra, desktop, laptop, smartphone ( currently Pixel 3 and 3a models). If one has an internet speed of at least 35Mbps, Google Stadia can stream 4K resolution gameplay with HDR at 60fps.

Google Stadia
Image Source: pcgamer.com

In 2019, the company revealed the full online gaming platform where it provides two different options for playing games. One needs to buy a $10 per month Stadia Pro subscription. The user can either access Stadia’s game library on a remote server or can download and install the games on the computer. Some of the available games on Google Stadia are Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle, Baldur’s Gate 3, Borderlands 3, Cake Bash, Celeste, Crayta, The Crew 2, etc.

Future prospect of Google Stadia

Google launched the Stadia platform with the hope to stream online games across the globe. The best advantage of playing in Google Stadia is you don’t have to download or install any software and have access to the game anywhere and anytime. Recently with the success of Cyberpunk 2077, Google Stadia has proved the flexibility of this online game streaming service at a global level. Though the internal game development studio has been shut down, Google will still invest in the Stadia platform to give its users and potential customers the best cloud gaming experience ever. In the blog post by Harrison, he also mentioned that Google Stadia will still work to stream games on every possible screen in the future.

Google Stadia in 2021 has plans to invest and help the independent game developers take advantage of the Stadia platform and deliver their games directly to the players. Stadia’s gaming infrastructures are impressive and thus Google here has an opportunity to partner with interested gaming companies who want a streaming service for their games. In this way, Stadia can become a long-term sustainable solution for many game developers out there and big enterprises in the gaming industry as well. The internal development team, SDG&E will move to different roles in the Stadia. Currently, Google Stadia will focus more on establishing strong partnerships.

Other gaming opportunities

With Google Stadia’s in-house game development shutting down, new opportunities are also rising simultaneously in other companies. Asus in partnership with AFK Gaming has launched the ROG Academy Programme in India. This new program is bringing immense opportunities for all the budding game developers to participate in this contest and win existing opportunities. The gaming culture is constantly evolving in India and abroad thus opening new windows of opportunities and taking gaming seriously as a profession. The independent game developers can also use Google Stadia to stream their games and deliver them to the users if they are good enough. With time, more chances will come in the way of game developers in the upcoming years.

Asus ROG Academy Programme

Asus to recruit six gaming candidates in India for ROG Academy Program.

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Who would have thought a decade earlier that gaming would become a profession in our country? There are many gaming enthusiasts out there who are working hard to make their passion turn into professions. And, gamers are certainly one of them. To help the potential professional gamers of India, Asus has publicly announced the recruitment of six gamers in India to join the ROG Academy Programme.

Asus through their ROG Academy Programme will train these gamers at a professional level so that they can represent the brand both locally and globally. This program will help the best gamers in India to showcase their talent and pursue gaming as e-sports players professionally. Asus will arrange this program with the support from AFK Gaming to provide adequate and proper tutelage to these budding gamers of India.

Asus ROG Academy Program

ROG Academy Programme is a one-year long program divided into four quarterly sessions. This program focuses on the game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, one of the most popular games in esports. Registration for this program will go on from 1st February to 10th February 2021. After rigorous selection procedures, six final candidates will be selected. These final candidates will get Rs 1,00,000 after completing three-month training and a monthly stipend of Rs 15,000 with a bonus during these three months.

Asus ROG Academy Program
Image Source: asus.in/ROG-academy

Gadgets 360 spoke to Arnold Su, Asus India’s Business Head, and Siddharth Nayyar, Co-founder, and Director of AFK Gaming to get detailed insight about this initiative in India and about the selection process. Based on the questions Gadgets 360 asked them, here is more information about the ROG Academy Programme and the future of esports in India.

Growth potential in terms of the overall gaming market in India

According to Arnold Su (AS), computer gaming can be divided into two sections, hardware, and software. In India, PC gaming has been booming since 2016 increasing the sale of PC gaming units to almost 9 folds in 2020. And, when it comes to e-sports, there are around 17 million active spectators in our country. ROG is mainly focussing on investing in the youths of India. The gaming culture has improved as the data plans have become affordable but still, infrastructure for e-sports has huge rooms for improvements.

Siddharth Nayyar (SN) says that the gaming market, in general, is growing a lot and that people are switching from mobiles to PC gaming for a better experience. More engagement can be expected in the competitive gaming space as companies like Riot and Valve are investing in the e-sports space.

What does the program plan on achieving?

Asus has been conducting ROG tournaments in India since 2017 so there is a scope to find more talents. During the pandemic, the ROG Showdown tournaments attracted a lot of gamers. Due to limitations to choices of entertainment during the pandemic, many people switched to mobile gaming and the mobile gamers witched to PC. The gaming industry boomed during the lockdown which is expected to continue even after the end of the pandemic. This is the reason Asus decided to launch this academy program to train more games and make them skillful. This is a unique program in the e-sports space first started by Asus.

Asus ROG Academy Program
Image Source: asus.in/ROG-academy

The selection process for the program

Applicants from 16-years old and above can enroll through participants between 16-18 years need parent’s consent to participate. 50 candidates will be selected in the first phase after an online assessment based on the knowledge of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. In the second phase, the selected candidates will play Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in teams which will be hosted by a server called SoStronk. 20 candidates will be shortlisted for the third phase from where six top candidates will be selected for the program. The applicants will need a basic gaming setup for participation. Currently, the program is only focusing on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and other games will be added later. The gaming perspective is slowly changing for parents as well. E-sports will be added in the Olympics of 2024 which will motivate more and more gamers to pursue it as a professional training sport.

E-sports challenges in India

Though the overall e-gaming scenario is improving in India, infrastructure and broadband are the two major challenges. The company is trying to reach out to tier-3 and tier-2 markets in India for broadening the gaming base. Siddharth Nayyar also mentioned that gaming culture will skyrocket in India if these markets are exposed to ASUS gaming laptops and good internet.