Editors’ Picks: Digital Discoveries
Tuan Nguyen, editor-in-chief, and Zak Storey, reviews editor, reveal their latest tech loves
I’m a fan of projectors. There’s nothing like having a massive image on your wall to gawk at while relishing in the fact that no “monitor” can come close to a projected image. Right now, I use two 32-inch 4K displays, but Dell’s new S718QL is in a league of its own.
The S718QL is no ordinary projector. First, it supports 4K, which is a requirement for me now. I can’t go back to 1080p. Second, it’s got lasers! There’s no DLP. There’s no LED. There’s no hot bulb to burn out. The laser diodes in the S718QL last many times longer, and illuminate much better, with unmatched contrast. But the unique thing about the S718QL is its short-throw design. What’s that?
Usually, projectors have a minimum distance that they need to be away from a screen or wall to produce a decent image. If you want, say, a 100-inch image, you have to place a typical projector across the room, several feet away. Not so with the S718QL. Dell’s short-throw laser design enables the projector to produce a sharp and crisp 100-inch image while sitting just a foot away from the wall. That means projector positioning is flexible and image contrast is even better. This is my ultimate “display.” $5,000, www.dell.com Mixing Norse and Pictish mythology, Hellblade: Senua’sSacrifice (see pg. 91) follows a young Pict warrior from the Orkney islands as she pursues the Viking raider party that slaughtered her village and decapitated her lover, into the depths of Viking Hell.
Except she’s not entirely there. Senua suffers from an aggressive form of psychosis, that causes hallucinations, visions, and voices. The way the devs have handled it is incredible. Speaking to people who have suffered from psychosis in real life, and working with a variety of doctors and psychologists, Ninja Theory has very graciously tackled an issue not often seen in the gaming industry.
The game is exceptionally cinematic, with barely any user interface whatsoever. But it’s the technology that really draws your breath away. Whether it’s the binaural 3D audio voices whispering in your ear, or the graphical hallucinations and fading superimposed live acting on top of in-engine game cinematics, no two moments or two environments feel the same.
If you’ve ever battled the big black demon, you’ll find it an unnerving experience that’s all too relatable. $30, www.hellblade.com