48: Microsoft Owns Gaming

51: Introducing Our New Show!

We have something new that we're super excited to tell you about! THIS EPISODE OF THE TEST DRIVERS IS SPONSORED BY: * Hover [http://hover.com/testdrivers]: Make a name for yourself. Get 10% off any domain name. * Mint Mobile [http://mintmobile.com/testdrivers]: Cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month. LINKS AND SHOW NOTES: SUPPORT THE TEST DRIVERS WITH A RELAY FM MEMBERSHIP [HTTPS://RELAYFM.MEMBERFUL.COM/CHECKOUT?PLAN=45311] THE BACKMARKERS ON YOUTUBE [HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/CHANNEL/UC6XG3-DQKL7-NL5TREUHS7G] THE BACKMARKERS AUDIO PODCAST [HTTPS://WWW.RELAY.FM/BACKMARKERS]

50: The Need for Speed

Upcoming gaming hardware and arguing about the colours of cars. THIS EPISODE OF THE TEST DRIVERS IS SPONSORED BY: * Hover [http://hover.com/testdrivers]: Make a name for yourself. Get 10% off any domain name. LINKS AND SHOW NOTES: SUPPORT THE TEST DRIVERS WITH A RELAY FM MEMBERSHIP [HTTPS://RELAYFM.MEMBERFUL.COM/CHECKOUT?PLAN=45311] FIRST LOOK: THE HEADSET DESIGN FOR PLAYSTATION VR2 – PLAYSTATION.BLOG [HTTPS://BLOG.PLAYSTATION.COM/2022/02/22/FIRST-LOOK-THE-HEADSET-DESIGN-FOR-PLAYSTATION-VR2/#SF253727454] VALVE LEFT ME UNSUPERVISED: STEAM DECK HARDWARE REVIEW - LTT - YOUTUBE [HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=HJZ4POVK14C] YOUR LIBRARY ON DECK – STEAM [HTTPS://STORE.STEAMPOWERED.COM/STEAMDECK/MYGAMES] HOW TO REPLACE SAVE BATTERY IN POKEMON GAME BOY COLOR GAMES - AUSTIN EVANS - YOUTUBE [HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=9WCVERMETFM] UNGENIUSED #122: DAZZLE CAMOUFLAGE - RELAY FM [HTTPS://WWW.RELAY.FM/UNGENIUSED/122] RATING THE 2022 F1 LIVERIES – WTF1 [HTTPS://WTF1.COM/POST/RATING-THE-2022-F1-LIVERIES/]

49: Rocket League, but with People

Sony buys Bungie, Nintendo has a direct, and Samsung releases some new phones. THIS EPISODE OF THE TEST DRIVERS IS SPONSORED BY: * Mint Mobile [http://mintmobile.com/testdrivers]: Wireless that’s easy, online and $15 bucks a month. LINKS AND SHOW NOTES: SUPPORT THE TEST DRIVERS WITH A RELAY FM MEMBERSHIP [HTTPS://RELAYFM.MEMBERFUL.COM/CHECKOUT?PLAN=45311] SONY BUYING BUNGIE FOR $3.6 BILLION | GAMESINDUSTRY.BIZ [HTTPS://WWW.GAMESINDUSTRY.BIZ/ARTICLES/2022-01-31-SONY-BUYING-BUNGIE-FOR-USD3-6-BILLION] PLAYSTATION: BUNGIE DEAL IS ABOUT MULTIPLATFORM, LIVE-SERVICE GAMES | GAMESINDUSTRY.BIZ [HTTPS://WWW.GAMESINDUSTRY.BIZ/ARTICLES/2022-01-31-PLAYSTATION-BUNGIE-WILL-CONSIDERABLY-ACCELERATE-OUR-JOURNEY-WITH-MULTIPLATFORM-LIVE-SERVICE-GAMES] INSIDE TEAM17, FOLLOWING THE WORMS NFT FIRESTORM • EUROGAMER.NET [HTTPS://WWW.EUROGAMER.NET/ARTICLES/2022-02-10-INSIDE-TEAM17-FOLLOWING-THE-WORMS-NFT-FIRESTORM] MICROSOFT CONFIRMS ACTIVISION BLIZZARD WILL RELEASE GAMES ON PLAYSTATION 'BEYOND EXISTING AGREEMENTS' - IGN [HTTPS://WWW.IGN.COM/ARTICLES/MICOSOFT-ACTIVISION-BLIZZARD-CALL-OF-DUTY-PLAYSTATION-SONY-NINTENDO-CONTRACTS] PORTAL: COMPANION COLLECTION FOR NINTENDO SWITCH - NINTENDO GAME DETAILS [HTTPS://WWW.NINTENDO.COM/GAMES/DETAIL/PORTAL-COMPANION-COLLECTION-SWITCH/] MARIO KART 8 DELUXE TO GET 48 REMASTERED TRACKS BEFORE 2024 - POLYGON [HTTPS://WWW.POLYGON.COM/22926172/MARIO-KART-8-DELUXE-BOOSTER-COURSE-PASS-48-TRACKS-REMASTER] WII SPORTS SEQUEL COMING TO NINTENDO SWITCH - POLYGON [HTTPS://WWW.POLYGON.COM/22926106/NINTENDO-SWITCH-WII-SPORTS-SEQUEL-RELEASE-DATE] SAMSUNG’S GALAXY S22 AND S22 PLUS PUT IMPROVED CAMERAS AND PERFORMANCE IN A SAMEY DESIGN - THE VERGE [HTTPS://WWW.THEVERGE.COM/2022/2/9/22922028/SAMSUNG-GALAXY-S22-PLUS-PRICE-FEATURES-SPECS] GALAXY S22 IMPRESSIONS: 1 REAL DOWNGRADE! - MKBHD - YOUTUBE [HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=VAX8FCUQUSE] THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S22 ULTRA IS A NOTE SUCCESSOR WITH A BUILT-IN STYLUS - THE VERGE [HTTPS://WWW.THEVERGE.COM/2022/2/9/22917015/SAMSUNG-GALAXY-S22-ULTRA-SCREEN-PRICE-SPECS-NOTE] GALAXY S22 ULTRA IMPRESSIONS: IT'S A NOTE! - MKBHD - YOUTUBE [HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=LDADR6XQIWE] SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE WAS THE FUTURE - DENKI - YOUTUBE [HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=EE5QFKG2C_I] GALAXY S22 & S22 PLUS 5G | PRICE & DEALS | SAMSUNG [HTTPS://WWW.SAMSUNG.COM/UK/SMARTPHONES/GALAXY-S22/BUY/] ACCESSORIES & CASES | GALAXY S22 ULTRA 5G | SAMSUNG [HTTPS://WWW.SAMSUNG.COM/UK/SMARTPHONES/GALAXY-S22-ULTRA/ACCESSORIES/]

48: Microsoft Owns Gaming

Xbox is buying Activision Blizzard – what could this mean for the future of gaming? Also, what is the Steam Deck going to be like? THIS EPISODE OF THE TEST DRIVERS IS SPONSORED BY: * Doppler [https://www.doppler.com/?utm_campaign=sponsorships&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=%20TestersJan22]: Sync environment variables at scale. LINKS AND SHOW NOTES: SUPPORT THE TEST DRIVERS WITH A RELAY FM MEMBERSHIP [HTTPS://RELAYFM.MEMBERFUL.COM/CHECKOUT?PLAN=45311] AUSTIN AND HIS IPAD MINI [HTTPS://TWITTER.COM/AUSTINNOTDUNCAN/STATUS/1486736262920765443] LUMAFUSION [HTTPS://LUMA-TOUCH.COM/LUMAFUSION-FOR-IOS-2/] VALVE’S STEAM DECK LAUNCHES FEB. 25 AND SHIPS THREE DAYS LATER - POLYGON [HTTPS://WWW.POLYGON.COM/22902936/STEAM-DECK-RELEASE-DATE-ORDER-RESERVATION-VALVE] STEAMDB SEARCH [HTTPS://STEAMDB.INFO/INSTANTSEARCH/?REFINEMENTLIST%5BOSLIST%5D%5B0%5D=STEAM%20DECK%20VERIFIED&REFINEMENTLIST%5BOSLIST%5D%5B1%5D=STEAM%20DECK%20PLAYABLE&REFINEMENTLIST%5BOSLIST%5D%5B2%5D=STEAM%20DECK%20UNSUPPORTED] WELCOMING THE INCREDIBLE TEAMS AND LEGENDARY FRANCHISES OF ACTIVISION BLIZZARD TO MICROSOFT GAMING - XBOX WIRE [HTTPS://NEWS.XBOX.COM/EN-US/2022/01/18/WELCOMING-ACTIVISION-BLIZZARD-TO-MICROSOFT-GAMING/?OCID=EVERGREEN_SOC_OMC_XBO_TW_PHOTO_LRN_1.18.1] MICROSOFT’S XBOX GAME PASS SERVICE GROWS TO 25 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS - THE VERGE [HTTPS://WWW.THEVERGE.COM/2022/1/18/22406059/XBOX-GAME-PASS-SUBSCRIBERS-25-MILLION-MICROSOFT-ACTIVISION]

47: The CES That Wasn't

CES may have been a ghost town, but nothing is going to stop the product announcements. THIS EPISODE OF THE TEST DRIVERS IS SPONSORED BY: * Hover [http://hover.com/testdrivers]: Make a name for yourself. Get 10% off any domain name. * Mint Mobile [http://mintmobile.com/testdrivers]: Cut your wireless bill to $15 a month. LINKS AND SHOW NOTES: SUPPORT THE TEST DRIVERS WITH A RELAY FM MEMBERSHIP [HTTPS://RELAYFM.MEMBERFUL.COM/CHECKOUT?PLAN=45311] CES 2022 WAS A GHOST TOWN - DENKI - YOUTUBE [HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=3BQDSJYBRG0] SAMSUNG’S NEW TV REMOTE USES RADIO WAVES FROM YOUR ROUTER TO STAY CHARGED - THE VERGE [HTTPS://WWW.THEVERGE.COM/2022/1/2/22860390/SAMSUNG-ECO-REMOTE-2022-SOLAR-RF-HARVESTING-CHARGING] BMW DEBUTS ITS NEW COLOR-CHANGING PAINT TECHNOLOGY AT CES: E INK - THE VERGE [HTTPS://WWW.THEVERGE.COM/2022/1/5/22867090/BMW-COLOR-CHANGING-PAINT-ELECTRIC-CAR-CES] MEET SONY MOBILITY AND THE VISION-S 02 PROTOTYPE EV - THE VERGE [HTTPS://WWW.THEVERGE.COM/2022/1/4/22867818/SONY-MOBILITY-CARS-VISION-PROTOTYPE-CES-2022] NVIDIA ANNOUNCES RTX 3090 TI WITH FASTER MEMORY AND PERFORMANCE - THE VERGE [HTTPS://WWW.THEVERGE.COM/2022/1/4/22866454/NVIDIA-GEFORCE-RTX-3090-TI-SPECIFICATIONS-RELEASE-DATE-PRICE-CES-2022] NVIDIA ANNOUNCES 3080 TI AND 3070 TI LAPTOP GPUS, SAYS THEY CAN CONTROL YOUR CPU, TOO - THE VERGE [HTTPS://WWW.THEVERGE.COM/22865535/NVIDIA-3080-TI-3070-TI-MOBILE-LAPTOP-MAX-Q-INTEL-AMD-ALDER-LAKE-REMBRANDT] AMD TEASES NEXT-GENERATION 5NM RYZEN 7000 DESKTOP CHIPS WITH ZEN 4 - THE VERGE [HTTPS://WWW.THEVERGE.COM/2022/1/4/22856151/AMD-RYZEN-7000-DESKTOP-CPU-5NM-NEXT-GEN-ZEN-4-RELEASE-DATE-CES-2022] AMD’S NEW RYZEN 6000 LAPTOP CHIPS PROMISE THE ULTIMATE PORTABLE GAMING MACHINES - THE VERGE [HTTPS://WWW.THEVERGE.COM/2022/1/4/22856150/AMD-RYZEN-6000-LAPTOP-CHIPS-GAMING-BATTERY-LIFE-ZEN-3-PLUS-CES-2022] INTEL SAYS NEW CORE I9 PROCESSOR FOR LAPTOPS IS FASTER THAN APPLE'S M1 MAX CHIP - MACRUMORS [HTTPS://WWW.MACRUMORS.COM/2022/01/04/INTEL-SAYS-12TH-GEN-CORE-I9-FASTER-THAN-M1-MAX/] I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO SHOW YOU THIS... - AUSTIN EVANS - YOUTUBE [HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=JP0IXZGRNAK] DELL XPS 13 PLUS HANDS-ON: IS THAT... A TOUCH BAR? - THE VERGE [HTTPS://WWW.THEVERGE.COM/2022/1/4/22865547/DELL-XPS-13-PLUS-2022-HANDS-ON-NEW-DESIGN-FEATURES] ASUS WILL RELEASE A 17-INCH FOLDABLE OLED LAPTOP THIS YEAR - THE VERGE [HTTPS://WWW.THEVERGE.COM/2022/1/5/22867624/ASUS-ZENBOOK-17-FOLD-OLED-FOLDABLE-LAPTOP-TABLET-SPECS-PRICE-RELEASE-DATE] SONY CONFIRMS PLAYSTATION VR2 NAME AND HORIZON GAME - THE VERGE [HTTPS://WWW.THEVERGE.COM/2022/1/4/22867813/PLAYSTATION-VR2-NAME-CONFIRMED-HORIZON-CALL-OF-THE-MOUNTAIN]