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GameScope Elite Kit Review

Posted on by yetieater in Product Reviews, Reviews

One of my supporters purchased a GameScope Elite kit (MSRP $49.99, Amazon.com) for me to try

The GameScope is a lens made of optical-grade acrylic featuring two unique zones and a reticle which provides the user with a constant reference for aim.

In theory, the GameScope should provide the user with a competitive edge. The combination of magnification and a persistent reticle should make it easier to line up headshots.

My GameScope arrived on March 31, 2017 in a bubble mailer. The kit was contained in retail-ready packaging:

Front view of the GameScope Elite kit, in packaging (@FearGameScope)

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Rear view of the GameScope Elite kit, in packaging (@FearGameScope)

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Side view of the GameScope Elite kit, in packaging (@FearGameScope)

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Side view of the GameScope Elite kit, in packaging (@FearGameScope)

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Let’s take a closer look at the GameScope Elite kit:

The GameScope Elite kit, freed of its packaging (@FearGameScope)

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The contents of the GameScope Elite kit (@FearGameScope)

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Contents were as described on the Amazon product page:

  • GameScope
  • Nine (9) restickable dots
  • Hard case

The GameScope ships with a protective film covering the flat portion of the lens

The GameScope mount sticks to the screen using (what I believe are) Scotch Restickable Dots. These are very tacky, and hold well on a clean surface. Lift off is residue-free.

Design

The GameScope is divided into two separate regions. The Precision Zone (located in the center of the GameScope) provides a claimed 10% magnification, and the Reflex Zone surrounding it gives 5%.

The GameScope measures 7.8 cm across. The Precision Zone has a 3.1 cm diameter. The round portion of the GameScope’s mount measures 2.5 cm in diameter.

Reticle

The GameScope’s reticle is too busy for its own good. The center of the reticle features a prominent red dot, bordered by red half-moons. The bottom half of the lens features an inverted tree, mimicking range markers that appear on some rifle scopes. I know of very few games that feature bullet drop, and no games that account for windage.

Parallax

“In optical sights parallax refers to the apparent movement of the reticle in relationship to the target when the user moves his/her head laterally behind the sight (up/down or left/right)” (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallax#Parallax_in_optical_sights)

This is a minor annoyance: the distance between the lens and the display introduces parallax. The ground truth is given by the in-game crosshair. Check out the video below to see what I mean:

The further you are from your display, the smaller the effect.

Usage Notes

  1. Because of parallax, it can take repeated trial and error to position the GameScope just-right for the user’s gaming position
  2. The GameScope takes some getting used to – the magnification results in some clipping, resulting in loss of context
  3. The mount, while small, will obscure a portion of the screen

I use a computer monitor in my battlestation, which means that I’ve got a front-row seat to the action, and effect 1 is quite noticeable.

Effects 2 & 3 are more severe on smaller displays.

A ruler viewed through the GameScope (@feargamescope)

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These effects aside, the GameScope delivers on its promises, making it easier to look at each pixel on your display. Will the GameScope actually increase your K/D? It very well might because you’ll be able to pocket kills that you otherwise might not have been able to stick. I can see the GameScope being useful for landing hits on small targets, or for pixel-peeks.

My GameScope fell off in the middle of a session once, though it’d been attached to the screen for a few days.

Purchasing Options

GameScope is offered in Basic (MSRP $29.99, Amazon.com) and Elite (MSRP $49.99, Amazon.com) kits.

The GameScope Elite kit adds:

  • Six more restickable dots (nine in total, versus three in the Basic kit)
  • Hard carrying case (compare with soft carrying pouch in the Basic kit)
  • Lens-cleaning cloth (to make up for the soft carrying pouch)

Value

At $20 less, the Basic kit is a better value for most gamers. While the hard carrying case can be used to safely store the GameScope and keep it free of dust, you won’t gain much utility from the hard carrying case unless you’re constantly on the go, or you have little monsters who will destroy your GameScope if it’s left out in the open.

The restickable dots included with the GameScope measure 2.25 cm in diameter: they are probably the 7/8″ Scotch Restickable Dots. MSRP on an 18-pack of 7/8″ Scotch Restickable Dots is $3.19.

You can learn more about the GameScope through their official website fearthegamescope.com, or support me when you buy the GameScope using these links:

RNG Rolls Can Suck It

Posted on by yetieater in Opinions

Somebody once asked why I use set roll weapons when I play Destiny…

Destiny is heavy on random number generation (RNG). In a game full of RNG, I want to avoid relying on it to the greatest extent possible.

First and foremost, I detest farming: I find it boring.

Secondly, Bungie has the habit of committing sweeping changes to the game-world in its weapon balance updates. Consider:
Armor Piercing Rounds
Shoot to Loot
Shot Package shotguns
Rangefinder shotguns
Braced Frame Clever Dragon
… and many more!

Finally, I want viewers of my stream to know that they can achieve my level of performance.

There may come a time where I will be forced to lean on the various god-roll weapons that I keep stashed away in my vault to remain competitive. However, I will not deviate from my policy as long as possible.

Just because I limit myself to vendor rolls and set drops doesn’t mean that you have to. At the end of the day, you play the game how you want to – don’t let me force your hand.

Good luck out there, guardians.

How to Design a Dedicated Gaming Setup

Posted on by yetieater in Guides

Every serious gamer invests time and money into building a dedicated gaming setup. Separate work from play, and build a gaming setup that will give you a slight edge over the competition

Each dimension below warrants at least some consideration.

Display

Beyond impacting what you see and how you see it, your choice of display affects how quickly you can see new information through its refresh rate and response time.

Refresh Rate

Refresh rate is defined as the number of times per second (hertz [Hz]) that the display is able to update.

60 Hz is the norm. Console gamers will do fine to choose a monitor with a 60 Hz refresh rate, given that console video output is capped at 60 FPS.

Gaming monitors with refresh rates in excess of 60 Hz are available. While these may benefit PC gamers, console gamers will not see any tangible improvement by investing in these monitors. Refresh rates above 60 Hz are a somewhat controversial topic – can users even perceive refresh rates greater than 60 Hz?

Response Time

Response time is defined as the amount of time in milliseconds (ms) that it takes for the pixels to change. It is usually reported as gray-to-gray response time.

Input Lag

Input lag is defined as the amount of time in milliseconds (ms) that it takes for new information to be displayed.

If you’ve gamed on a TV, you’ve probably experienced this. Switching your TV to Game Mode can help reduce input lag. In this mode, the TV disables some post-processing features, reducing input lag. Consult your TV’s user manual to learn how to set it to Game Mode.

https://displaylag.com/

Calibration

Ensure that you’re seeing the game world as the developers intended.

Basic settings (brightness and contrast) should be tuned with the help of patterns. I use AVS HD 709.

Consult TweakTV http://www.tweaktv.com/tweak-my-tv/ for a baseline.

Peripherals

Get your hands on a variety of different peripherals until you find the ones that fit you best. Research yields dividends in this department, as quality peripherals will last you a long time, and will continually bring you joy.

You can take a look at my page on gaming peripherals to see what I’ve explored.

Audio

Headphones are the standard for gaming audio because they offer an immersive experience and work well in most situations at lower cost than speakers. Headphones are less fatiguing than earbuds, allowing them to be used more comfortably during extended gaming sessions.

Word to the wise: shun gaming headsets. You can do much better for the same coin by adding a microphone to a pair of headphones that you like. Buy a gaming headset only if you absolutely need one.

Comfort & Ergonomics

A well-designed setup reduces impact on your body over time. Do yourself a favor and evaluate your setup for ergonomics.

Prolonged gaming sessions on poorly-designed setups will cause you to suffer, reducing your ability to perform. You may not notice this while you’re young, but cumulative stress will catch up to you over time. Don’t let poor ergonomics hinder your ability to perform, or end your gaming career before it takes off.

For gaming at a desktop environment, a solid task chair works wonders. Lumbar support helps maintain the natural curvature of your spine. If you don’t have the funds to pour into a new task chair, consider investing in a lumbar support (Amazon.com) to save your lower back.

For the most ergonomic setup, consider a sit-to-stand desk.

Local Area Network

A wired connection will outperform a wireless one.

If you have a cable drop nearby, invest in a network switch (Amazon.com) to share the love with your various devices.

If you can’t run a cable, consider either powerline network adapters (Amazon.com) or Multimedia over Coax (MoCA) adapters (Amazon.com).

Use wireless networking for your gaming setup only if you must.

How to Start Streaming Without a Capture Card

Posted on by yetieater in Guides

Stream Xbox gameplay even if you don’t have a capture card by using Xbox native apps (good) or OBS Studio and the Xbox App (better)

You can start your own high-quality stream using a Windows PC that is on the same network as your Xbox.

For best results, you will want both your Xbox and your PC hardwired to the network. This ensures the a stable, low-latency connection between the two devices. If you’ve invested into building out your battlestation (see how to design a dedicated gaming setup), you’ve already completed this step, and should be good to go.

We’ll focus first on the higher-quality method: using the Xbox App’s Game Streaming function

Using Game Streaming with the Xbox App to Capture Xbox Gameplay

Pros: You can continue to use Xbox Game DVR to capture clips and highlights of your gameplay for native sharing

Start by opening the Xbox App on your Windows 10 PC and connecting to your Xbox. Select Test Streaming.

Xbox App Test streaming results
Test streaming from your Xbox to the Xbox App

If you need more guidance, Microsoft has a support page describing how to use game streaming at support.xbox.com/en-US/games/game-setup/how-to-use-game-streaming.

OBS Studio

With the Xbox App still open, add a new Game Capture source with the following settings:
Mode: Capture specific window
Window: [XboxApp.exe]: Xbox

OBS Studio Game Capture
OBS Studio Game Capture setup for capturing the Windows 10 Xbox App

Whenever you want to begin streaming, you’ll first have to start game streaming to the Xbox App. The Xbox App defaults to full-screen when game streaming is started, but you can exit full-screen mode by using the arrow icon in the top menu bar. From there, you can resize the window as much as you like to regain screen real estate with zero impact on output quality.

That’s really all there is to capturing Xbox gameplay in OBS Studio without a capture card! There’s a lot that you can do with OBS Studio, but that is neither here nor there.

In order to pick up your own mic chatter in OBS Studio, you’ll either need to connect a microphone to your PC, or use the onboard mic (if available).

Using Xbox Native Apps to Stream

Pros: Easier to set up

Xbox native apps exist for Mixer and Twitch. While these apps are easier to set up, they rely on the processing power of the Xbox One to encode video, and have their own host of issues. For example, game audio and video may be offset (desynchronized) by over one second, though this may improve with updates.

Closing Remarks

You can easily set up a high-quality stream with minimal investment in hardware. Xbox native apps can be used to set up a stream as well, but they won’t offer you as much control as you would get using a PC-based streaming setup.