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The Best Cheap Gaming Laptop Deals from under £1,000

Gaming laptops are quite typically heavy, large, and expensive. This shouldn’t be the case in 2019, especially as parts get even smaller, notebooks become lighter, and prices continue to drop.

Thanks to some shifts in the market, there are plenty of great notebooks that make powerful gaming machines, and run at 1080p. Normally, these are available at much lower prices than traditional gaming laptops, with plenty of affordable options to consider.

We’ve picked out the best gaming laptops in the UK that won’t cost the earth. These are all equipped with graphic cards, and other features that are essential when it comes to running games. With the recent release of Nvidia’s GTX 16-series GPUs, budget machines continue to improve in performance, while the costs continue to stay low.

The Outer Worlds Probably Won’t Go Open-World For a Sequel

Developer Obsidian is eager to create a sequel to The Outer Worlds and turn the RPG into a series, but the team is wary of making the series open-world.

Talking to Game Informer, when asked about an open-world sequel co-game director Leonard Boyarsky said “Possibly. But I think the franchise leans a little bit away from that. It’s a pulpy space opera where you’re a guy or woman who flies from place to place, exploring a solar system. So to have one giant map defeats that.”

See what we think of The Outer Worlds in the review above.

Echoing that idea was narrative designer Nitai Poddar, who added “I’m always skeptical of this idea that seems to be going around in AAA development that open-world is the standard. That if you’re going to have a very big budget game that it should be open-world.”

The Grudge Poster Has Something Gross in Its Hair

A new poster for The Grudge features a throwback to the original 2004 film, featuring disgusting fingers protruding from the back of a character’s head.

2020’s The Grudge will act as as a sort of reboot, sort of continuation of the story begun in 2004’s The Grudge, itself a remake of the Japanese film Ju-on. In the American remake, Sarah Michelle Geller’s character is seen washing her hair in the shower, only to feel the fingers of another hand on the back of her head. That same scene is mirrored in this new poster for 2020’s The Grudge, although this variant seems significantly grungier.

BioShock Creator’s Next Game Is An Immersive Sim

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After the release of BioShock Infinite in 2013, Irrational Games studio head Ken Levine decided to trim down the development team in order to work on smaller, more emergent and narrative-driven games, as opposed to the larger titles it had been creating. The studio restructure eventually led to a name change in 2017, and Ghost Story Games was born. In the years since, information on what exactly it’s cooking up has been sparse, but a recent job posting sheds some light on what to expect.

The job posting is for a cinematic narrative scripter at the studio and reveals that Ghost Story Games is working on a “creatively ambitious project in the immersive sim genre.” Those with a “passion for narrative first-person shooters” and “firsthand knowledge of design for shooters, immersive sims and/or action RPGs” is a plus, which certainly falls in line with Levine’s previous output, having worked on the likes of System Shock 2, SWAT 4, and the BioShock series.

At the 2014 Games Developers Conference, Levine spoke about the concept of “narrative Legos,” and followed that up in 2015 by saying that his next game would utilise the concept in a first-person sci-fi setting. Little else is known about the project beyond this, and the recent job listing indicates that it’s still a long ways off yet. “We are committed to making games that we judge by quality, not arbitrary timeliness.” In the meantime, there’s always System Shock 3.

Amazon’s Echo Dot Is A Whopping $9 With A Nice Bonus

The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

Amazon will release the new Echo Dot with built-in LED display on November 4, just in time for Black Friday 2019. But if you’re hankering for a smart speaker and don’t need it to display time, we have quite the ridiculous deal for you. To seemingly clear out remaining stock, the 2018 Echo Dot is going for a measly buck at Amazon.

There’s a slight catch. You also have to pay for one month of Amazon Music upfront, bringing your grand total to $8.98. That’s an overall savings of $49. Not bad at all. Keep in mind that the Amazon Music subscription will automatically renew after the first month. So if you don’t want Amazon Music, make sure to cancel the subscription during the first month.

See at Amazon

The Echo Dot is a smart speaker that can play your music from Spotify, Apple Music, and Sirius XM via voice commands. It’s Alexa-enabled, so it can also function has a helper, whether you want to check the weather, sync it up with other smart home devices, or simply need to know which movies you’ve seen that actor in before.

The speaker itself, which you can get in Charcoal or Heather Gray, is surprisingly nice for the size. But if you want a more robust sound, you can also use your bluetooth-enabled home speakers or connect a speaker to the 3.5mm audio jack.

Steam Remote Play Beta Lets You Play Local Games With Friends Across The Country

Steam’s Remote Play Together feature, which lets you play local co-op and split-screen games online, is now in open beta. You can try the feature for free to play with your friends across vast expanses, and only the host player will need to own the game. All other players will have it streamed directly to them.

The announcement walks you through the steps to get started. You’ll have to join the Steam Beta, and then, as the host, start up a local multiplayer game. Once you’re in, you can invite your friends using the “Remote Play Together” option in the overlay and the process should be seamless, as your friends will be added to your game as if they’re in the room with you.

The Remote Play feature uses streaming technology to make it easier to share games with your friends without having to handle several separate installs for games they may not own. It’s one unique application of a larger trend we’re seeing, as several companies compete to set up streaming services of their own. Google Stadia is launching next month, and Microsoft is currently testing its xCloud service.

The central purpose of most of these streaming services is to allow players to access games on a variety of devices through streaming, but Stadia has proposed more expansive options–like allowing streamers to invite their viewers to jump into their games, for example. Allowing other players to sample games with you without owning them a la Remote Play is another feature idea we could see more of as streaming services become more common.

New Star Wars Trailer Contains Yet Another Reference To Rebels

The latest trailer for Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker features a nod to one of the animated series in the Star Wars universe. For a brief moment in the new video, you can see Ghost, the ship from Star Wars: Rebels.

Appearing at 1:00 on the right side of the trailer–which you can see above–what looks like the ship Ghost appears as the Millennium Falcon flies into the frame. There is no confirmation that this is the case, but considering Star Wars’ track record of incorporating things from Rebels into one of the previous movies, it’s a pretty safe bet this is the iconic Star Wars: Rebels ship. Check out a closer look below.

This isn’t the first time Ghost has made an appearance in a gigantic galactic battle sequence in a Star Wars movie. In Rogue One, during the Battle of Scarif, Ghost appeared alongside the rest of the Rebel fleet. And we know who was driving the ship during that time. Aside from the fact Rebels leads into Rogue One/A New Hope, over an intercom, during the movie, Hera’s name is announced. The only Rebels character to make a big screen debut was Chopper, and again, this was during Rogue One, in the background. This also works the other way, as Saw Gerrera from Rogue One also appeared on Rebels for a short stint.

So who is in charge of Ghost now? Hopefully, Hera is still in charge, and we know she was working with the Resistance, alongside Leia, according to the book Star Wars: The Rebel Files. Maybe Chopper is still working with her, sassy as ever.

We’ll learn more about Ghost’s appearance when Star Wars: Episode 9 arrives in theaters on December 20.

Verizon Customers Will Get A Free Disney Plus Subscription

The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

With Disney Plus only a few weeks away, millions of folks are undoubtedly gearing up to add another streaming service to their carousel of subscriptions. If you’re a Verizon customer, you may be eligible for a free 12-month subscription of Disney Plus. All Verizon customers with unlimited plans will get a year of the highly anticipated service on the house come launch day.

The promotion is for both new and existing customers, so if you currently have a Verizon family plan, you’re going to get all the Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar content free of charge for your first year.

New 5G home internet and Verizon Fios home internet customers are also eligible for the Disney Plus promotion. The difference here is that existing home internet customers will not get Disney Plus, unless of course you have an unlimited family plan, too.

See Disney Plus at Verizon

Disney Plus launches November 12 for $7/month or $70/year. Disney recently revealed the full slate of movies and shows that will be available on day one. There’s even an absurd three-hour trailer highlighting practically everything that you can watch.

The Mandalorian, the first live-action Star Wars show, leads the charge for new content on Disney Plus, but there’s a ton of existing content to look forward to, including nine Star Wars movies, some of the best Pixar animated films, and a close-to-comprehensive back catalogue of Disney movies.

The Outer Worlds Review Roundup

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The Outer Worlds is the latest from Obsidian, and its last as an independent developer after being bought up by Microsoft. It’s a throwback to the studio’s earlier days and a showcase of its modern strengths, presenting a vast open-world RPG set in the far reaches of space.

According to GameSpot’s The Outer Worlds review, the pervasive comparisons to the Fallout series are apt, but that’s not a bad thing. “It is, surprisingly, the best possible version of a Fallout game–a potent distillation of what made that series so beloved in the first place,” wrote Edmond Tran. Indeed, the critical consensus appears to be that the game captures similarly multi-layered and flexible RPG systems well.

Several outlets have published reviews for The Outer Worlds, and we’ve gathered a range of them below. For an even broader view, check out GameSpot’s sister site Metacritic. If will be included with Xbox Game Pass on PC and Xbox One. If you’re planning on playing, check out when it will unlock in your area.

Game: The Outer Worlds
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Release date: October 25
Price: $60 / £50 / $68 AUD

See The Outer Worlds at Amazon

GameSpot — 9/10

“I finished The Outer Worlds wanting more, eager to jump back into the world to see extra things. It’s not a short game, but it’s one packed with such a steady stream of wonderful characters to meet, interesting places to explore, and meaningful, multi-layered quests to solve, that it didn’t feel like there was any room to get tired of it. I wanted to rewind the clock and do everything in a completely different way. The Outer Worlds is consistently compelling throughout, and it’s a superb example of how to promote traditional RPG sensibilities in a sharp, modern experience.” — Edmond Tran [Full review]

We Got This Covered — 5/5

“In all, The Outer Worlds is an unmitigated success. Naturally, recapturing the magic that made New Vegas such a beloved classic was never going to be an easy task, but the Californian studio has surprisingly pulled it off with aplomb once again. War never changes? I politely have to disagree. When Obsidian is at the helm, changes happen for the better, and that couldn’t make me happier.” — Dylan Chaundy [Full review]

Game Informer — 9.25/10

“Even if the larger beats don’t always land, The Outer Worlds shines with a constant stream of small, bright moments. An amusing interaction with a clueless guard. A sugary corporate jingle. A brutal sneak attack. A solution to a problem you are sure won’t work, but it does. The team at Obsidian excels at encouraging creative experimentation within its responsive and absurd setting, ensuring that every visit to Halcyon is full of delightful surprises.” — Joe Juba [Full review]

Destructoid — 9/10

“Despite some nominal issues that might be easier for some to hand-wave than others, Obsidian has out-Fallouted recent Fallout efforts. The Outer Worlds is more limited from a size standpoint compared to a lot of other open world adventures, but it makes up for it in charm and a succinct vision without much bloat.” — Chris Carter [Full review]

GamesRadar — 4/5

“The Outer Worlds marks Obsidian operating at the top of its game, and a strong foundation for a new franchise that seems destined for greatness.” — Alex Avard [Full review]

Gaming Trend — 65/100

“For better or worse, The Outer Worlds is a perfectly middle-of-the-road open-world RPG. It doesn’t take any big risks, but that also keeps it from falling on its face. Despite some great writing, the game doesn’t have much to say about the corporate dystopia it establishes, ultimately playing it too safe to justify the premise. Obsidian’s expertise with the genre makes The Outer Worlds a competent RPG, if not an especially interesting one.” — Brian Lawver [Full review]

The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

Advance Review: Marauders #1

Note: this is a spoiler-free advance review of Marauders #1, which will hit stores on Wednesday, October 23.

House of X and Powers of X certainly lived up to the massive hype. But anyone very familiar with writer Jonathan Hickman’s past Marvel work already knew he would be just what this struggling franchise has needed. The real test for Marvel’s Dawn of X relaunch comes as other writers enter the stage and begin building on that foundation. It’s one thing for Hickman to come in and shake up the X-Men line. It’s another entirely for other creators to catch the baton and run with it. But judging from the first issue of Marauders, fans needn’t worry about the future of the franchise. There’s plenty of room for everyone to have fun with the new status quo.