Sunday, December 31, 2017

Sir Alex Ferguson says Arsene Wenger’s record will never be beaten

Dream Team FC
Sir Alex Ferguson says Arsene Wenger’s record will never be beaten

The final Premier League game of 2017 was a frustrating one for Arsenal, with West Brom securing a late draw thanks to a controversial penalty. 

The result means Arsene Wenger’s side will end the year in fifth position – three points off fourth-placed Liverpool.

Difficult day for Wenger

But there was something to smile about for Wenger, as the game marked his 811th Premier League game as manager – surpassing former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson’s record of 810.

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And Fergie believes Wenger’s tally, wherever it ends, will stand the test of time.

Congratulations, Arsene Wenger!

The @Arsenal manager eclipses Sir Alex Ferguson's #PL record 👏#WBAARS pic.twitter.com/FwXrwP488V

— Premier League (@premierleague) December 31, 2017

Speaking via the League Managers’ Association, Fergie said: “I applaud Arsene on surpassing my record of managing 810 Premier League games.

“It is a fantastic milestone which has required the highest standards of dedication and professional management to achieve. I doubt his record, whatever it turns out to be, will ever be beaten.

“Congratulations on a truly remarkable career and great service to football and Arsenal FC.”

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He’s probably right, y’know. 

Old foes

Wenger is considered a dying breed, having managed the Gunners for more than 20 years.

He joined from Japanese side Nagoya Grampus Eight back in 1996, and has since overseen three Premier League titles – including their undefeated 2003-2004 season – as well as a record seven FA Cup wins.

The original football hipster

Wenger’s long spell at Arsenal is in stark contrast of the life and times of a Premier League manager, where sackings are commonplace.

Of the current bunch, Eddie Howe and Sean Dyche have been at Bournemouth and Burnley respectively for over five years, although they’ve both had spells in the Championship in that time.

Stoke’s Mark Hughes is next on the list, having been at the club since May 2013 – although he’s currently under pressure.

Arsene Wenger makes #PL history 🙌 pic.twitter.com/uE6BKTU9aq

— Premier League (@premierleague) December 31, 2017

Wenger; the last of a dying breed?

Yup, we reckon so.

READ MORE:

Arsene Wenger’s coat zip returns to haunt him on record-equalling night at Crystal Palace Thierry Henry wants the Premier League trophy to be named after Sir Alex Ferguson
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Manchester United’s season descends into another pity party under Mourinho

Sportsnet.ca
Manchester United’s season descends into another pity party under Mourinho
Manchester United’s season descends into another pity party under Mourinho
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – The world Jose Mourinho inhabits is one he no longer recognises. Manchester United's manager refuses to evolve from a not-so-distant past when he was both adored and feared in equal measure. Often existing in a personal bubble which blends arrogance and self-pity in equal measure, he can no longer hide behind that approach after his side eked out a goalless draw with Southampton on Saturday. Mourinho is living proof of the adage that the more things change, the more they stay the same. No matter the outcome – win, lose or draw – his lament always finds a way of stealing focus. It is what he does best. A calendar year in which he delivered two major honours at Old Trafford, one of them ensuring Champions League qualification on merit rather than a coefficient quota, has descended into another season-long pity party. https://twitter.com/RichardBuxton_/status/947130252748259328 Spending £261 million is apparently “not enough” to overhaul Manchester City's growing superiority, which could see the lead over their local rivals at the Premier League summit extended to 16 points before 2018 even arrives. United have also moved down to third in the table, one point behind Chelsea and now have Liverpool breathing down their neck with only three points separating the protagonists of the North West's greatest feud. But Mourinho is more than familiar with the odds that have been stacked in favour of a select few in the Premier League. He was once a part of it; leading a well-oiled Chelsea side to the title three times, twice with an eight-point margin and once with 12. But where Pep Guardiola obliterates records, the Portuguese coach prefers to play the same ones on a continuous loop. Excuses are made freely and often, even where equilibrium exists. What legitimate complaints were to be had when Southampton’s Maya Yoshida handled the ball in his penalty area under pressure from Jesse Lingard were offset by Ashley Young elbowing Dusan Tadic in the stomach from a corner kick. Invariably, Mourinho disagreed. "A very good referee, one of the most promising young referees not just in England and Europe too, had a very bad decision that punished us," he said post-match. "Then the game was about us trying, and missing some important chances and always trying to create, always trying to play and [Southampton] trying their chance in an isolated counter-attack where they had one very good chance that David (De Gea) saved. "We kept trying with what we have in this moment so I think we deserved to win the match." https://twitter.com/RichardBuxton_/status/947163687281987584 United fans are already growing immune to Mourinho's charms as his trend of three-year cycles at clubs shows no signs of being bucked. They had already become disenfranchised with his brand of football, epitomised by a chorus of boos that greeted the half-time and final whistles, and desperate pleas of “attack, attack, attack!” from the Stretford End late in the second half. Pockets of empty seats were also visible across the stadium long before referee Craig Pawson called time on a largely forgettable game. Mourinho previously insisted that United could not afford Romelu Lukaku any much-needed respite after playing every single Premier League minute this season. They will have to learn to function without him after a nasty clash of heads with Wesley Hoedt saw him stretchered off wearing both a neck brace and oxygen mask. In the Belgian's absence, they lacked an outlet from open play. A flurry of lofted balls into the penalty area rarely found a United shirt, with the intended target had long been removed from action. More than laborious tactics undid United's hopes of avoiding their third successive stalemate in the space of seven days. Paul Pogba was flagged offside when he turned in Nemanja Matic's bobbling shot at the near post. Replays showed that the goal-bound effort did not even require the France international's touch. They also owed a debt of gratitude to David de Gea, who denied what clear-cut chances the visitors fashioned. Southampton's prospects without Virgil van Dijk already appear more promising. Some 33 miles west of Old Trafford, the outgoing defender was preparing himself for life at Liverpool by taking in their win over Leicester City earlier in the day. Anfield’s gain will not even be the Saints’ loss with the Dutchman's prolonged departure triggering five months of relative disruption on the English coast. News of his exit, announced barely 24 hours after a 5-2 humiliation at Tottenham appears to have galvanised Mauricio Pellegrino's side. The Argentine wielded the axe on goalkeeper Fraser Forster in the wake of that Boxing Day hammering, handing Alex McCarthy a first-ever league outing for the club in two seasons. It was a gamble which paid off as Southampton kept their first clean sheet in 12 games. Such had been the low bar of expectations that chants of “ole!” emanated from the away section whenever their team strung together a succession of passes. But this may represent a major turning point for Pellegrino when his side's humiliation at Tottenham had left him staring into the abyss. https://twitter.com/RichardBuxton_/status/947188441095311363 “Without Virgil now, we have to think about the future, try to bring to the squad a couple of targets to try to improve our squad – to be stronger," Pellegrino said. "In six months or one year's time, maybe we can talk about if to sell Virgil was positive or not. "But on this, we have to wait." Richard Buxton is a UK-based writer and special correspondent for Sportsnet. He filed this report from Manchester’s Old Trafford Stadium. [relatedlinks]
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Saturday, December 30, 2017

An all-Dutch classic at the PDC World Championship had figures from all sports loving the darts

Sport: : BreakingNews.ie
An all-Dutch classic at the PDC World Championship had figures from all sports loving the darts
Magic darts.
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Friday, December 29, 2017

‘Room for more’ as Ronaldo wins another Globe award

Football – Inquirer Sports
‘Room for more’ as Ronaldo wins another Globe award
'Room for more' as Ronaldo wins another Globe award

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo was Thursday named Globe Soccer’s Best Player for the second year in a row and the fourth time overall although he wasn’t present in person to receive his trophy. The Portuguese international also won the prize, organized by the EFAA (European Association of Football Agents) and ECA (European Clubs Association) […]

The post ‘Room for more’ as Ronaldo wins another Globe award appeared first on Inquirer Sports.

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Thursday, December 28, 2017

Fellaini: I've been labelled a murderer

English // marca
Fellaini: I've been labelled a murderer
Fellaini: I've been labelled a murderer
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Sterling downs Magpies and fires Man City 15 points clear

Sport: : BreakingNews.ie
Sterling downs Magpies and fires Man City 15 points clear
Sterling downs Magpies and fires Man City 15 points clear
Newcastle ... 0, Manchester City ... 1: Raheem Sterling fired Manchester City 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League table as they extended their winning run to 18 games at Newcastle.
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Wednesday, December 27, 2017

FIFA 18: Who would win – a team of Icons or a team of future legends?

Dream Team FC
FIFA 18: Who would win – a team of Icons or a team of future legends?

Who would win, today’s current crop of FIFA 18 Icons, or the legends of tomorrow?

YouTuber B0nus decided to find out using the game’s career mode – and the results are fascinating.

First up, let’s look at the current Icons team who, for this experiment, are playing as Manchester United.

How the current crop of Icons line up

Pele and Ronaldo are upfront, with Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho, Ruud Gullit and Patrick Viera in the middle.

At the back, Roberto Carlos, Paolo Maldini, Marcel Desailly and Javier Zanetti protect Lev Yashin in between the sticks.

That team’s going to take some beating.

Now let’s look at the legends of tomorrow, who are playing as Manchester City.

The future legends team is something truly special

Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lionel Messi lead the line, with Andres Iniesta, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sergio Busquets in the middle.

At the back, Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Thiago Silva and Dani Alves protect Iker Casillas in goal.

So, what team comes out on top?

B0nus simmed a season in the Premier League. At the end of the campaign, it’s the current crop of Icons that come top with 93 points – winning an incredible 30 games from 38.

The old guard dominate at the top of the table with the future legends 18 points behind

The future legends came second, but are some 18 points behind the league leaders.

Pele ended up with the golden boot, scoring an incredible 20 goals, with Cristiano Ronaldo coming a close second with 17.

Pele also topped the assists for the season with 11, narrowly beating Ronaldo who set up nine goals for City.

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So, there you have it – according to FIFA 18, the current wave of Icons are technically a better team than the next wave of legends.

Elsewhere in FIFA 18, fans are gearing up for the Team of The Year, which is set to be unveiled in January.

FIFA 18 is powered by Frostbite and shows off some incredible player detail

Chosen players will receive huge upgrades – often rocketing their scores well into the 90s.

Last year’s Cristiano Ronaldo card was the highest scoring in the game – with an enormous 99 rating.

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There’s no word yet about how this year’s team will be decided, although we should hear something at the start of next month.

FIFA 18 cover star Ronaldo’s place in the team is almost guaranteed – after all, it would be a political nightmare for EA to omit the Real Madrid star.

Cristiano Ronaldo is the cover star of FIFA 18 but his TOTY place could well be under threat

On paper, though, the Portuguese has struggled to emulate the form that guided him to the Balon D’or earlier in the year – and has only recently showed glimpses of his best.

Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski are two other players almost certain to nab spot in the coveted squad.

NOW WATCH THE FULL VIDEO BELOW.

READ MORE

Manchester United eye £90m Eden Hazard deal as Jose Mourinho eyes reunion Mohamed Salah once saved Egypt’s entire economy from going tits up QUIZ: Can you guess these European stadiums from the sky?
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Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Harry Kane hat trick headlines busy Boxing Day

Sportsnet.ca
Harry Kane hat trick headlines busy Boxing Day
Harry Kane hat trick headlines busy Boxing Day
[brightcove videoID=5693336237001 playerID=2540680026001 height=360 width=640]
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Monday, December 25, 2017

FM18: The 50 best wonderkids on Football Manager that you should sign

The Independent - Football
FM18: The 50 best wonderkids on Football Manager that you should sign
FM18: The 50 best wonderkids on Football Manager that you should sign
The game is released on all formats on November 10
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Thomas Vermaelen’s children’s reaction to seeing their dad on television is a wholesome Christmas treat

Dream Team FC
Thomas Vermaelen’s children’s reaction to seeing their dad on television is a wholesome Christmas treat

The first ever lunchtime El Clasico didn’t disappoint when it came to entertainment.

Dani Carvajal proved he was a better goalkeeper than Simon Mignolet.

Cristiano Ronaldo showed that even five-time Ballon d’Or winning legends are capable of an air-kick once in a while.

And Lionel Messi once again made the Bernabeu his holiday home…

Just another El Clasico for the GOATGetty - Contributor

But away from all the action on the pitch, the world’s biggest club game brought joy to three toddlers.

Just look at how Thomas Vermaelen’s children reacted to seeing their dad on television moments before kick-off…

Thomas Vermaelen's kids reacting to him playing in El Clásico is pure Christmas.

Moment captured by mum @PollyParsonsx 📹 pic.twitter.com/wS0SqldcEt

— Jake Entwistle (@JakeEntwistle) December 23, 2017

That’s just nice, wholesome Christmas content.

Samuel Umtiti’s injury has given Vermaelen a rare chance to impress for Barcelona’s first team.

The Belgian defender helped Ernesto Valverde’s side continue their impermeable defensive form as Barca kept their 18th clean sheet of their last 25 games.

A rarely spotted Vermaelen in the wildGetty - Contributor

Does everyone feel all warm and fuzzy inside? Good.

READ MORE:

What’s the most you’ve celebrated a goal scored by a club or country you DON’T support? QUIZ: Can you remember the scoreline in these iconic matches?
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Sunday, December 24, 2017

Chess federation says Israel excluded from Saudi-hosted match

English // marca
Chess federation says Israel excluded from Saudi-hosted match
Chess federation says Israel excluded from Saudi-hosted match
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Saturday, December 23, 2017

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Messi: Goals and statistics

English // marca
Cristiano Ronaldo vs Messi: Goals and statistics
Cristiano Ronaldo vs Messi: Goals and statistics
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Friday, December 22, 2017

Ex-Whitecap Jordan Harvey signs with LAFC as free agent

Sportsnet.ca
Ex-Whitecap Jordan Harvey signs with LAFC as free agent
Ex-Whitecap Jordan Harvey signs with LAFC as free agent
Free-agent left-back Jordan Harvey announced on Friday that he has signed with expansion side Los Angeles FC after spending the past six years with the Vancouver Whitecaps. https://twitter.com/JordanCHarvey/status/944375045106827269 Harvey, who arrived in Vancouver via a trade with the Philadelphia Union in the summer of 2011, made 179 appearances for the Whitecaps, more than any other player in their MLS history. "Vancouver will always hold a huge part of my heart," said Harvey. "This city not only allowed me to build a career on the field, it also was the perfect setting to create unforgettable memories off of it. My family and I will always cherish this city and the many people that helped make this our second home. To the fans, players and organization, I appreciate your unwavering support and commitment throughout the years. A simple thank you could never express the appreciation I have for the time I’ve spent here." The 33-year-old hails from the Los Angeles area in nearby Mission Viejo. LAFC will be Harvey's fourth club. [relatedlinks]
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Thursday, December 21, 2017

Watch Toni Duggan and Barcelona women’s team put a festive spin on target practice

Sport: : BreakingNews.ie
Watch Toni Duggan and Barcelona women’s team put a festive spin on target practice
Did anyone get 25 points for the star?
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Alba rejoins Barcelona training as selection dilemma grows for Valverde

English // marca
Alba rejoins Barcelona training as selection dilemma grows for Valverde
Alba rejoins Barcelona training as selection dilemma grows for Valverde
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Wednesday, December 20, 2017

12 incredible gaming gadgets you should seriously consider snapping up this Christmas

Dream Team FC
12 incredible gaming gadgets you should seriously consider snapping up this Christmas

There’s never been a better time to be a gamer.

Whether you’re after raw power or a blast from the past, there’s something for everyone in today’s gaming market.

Here we go through all the best options – from consoles to TVs, soundbars and other gaming gadgets.

Remember, if you’re stumped on what games to buy, check out our top 22 titles piece.

Let’s start with the new kid on the block, the Xbox One X.

Xbox One X

Overview 

The Xbox One X is the most powerful console on the market right now

The Xbox One X is, hands down, the most powerful console ever made. In fact, it holds its own with some top gaming PCs.

Under the bonnet is a six TFLOP graphics processor running at 1172 Mhz, 12GB of GDDR5 memory and a 2.3 Ghz custom central processing unit.

It’s significantly more powerful than the Xbox One S and, crucially, Sony’s PlayStation 4 Pro, which has a 4.2 TFLOP graphics processing unit and 911 Mhz CPU.

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The X aims to play games at native 4K at 60fps – while the PS4 Pro can only manage this with some titles.

There’s also a UHD Blu-ray player, a component missing from the Pro.

For those without a 4K TV, the X will shorten loading times and boost quality at 1080p.

Games 

Forza 7 is one of the few games that really shows off the X’s graphical muscle

This is where the X really falls down. There are no Triple-A exclusive games on launch.

Thankfully, with the likes of Assassin’s Creed Origins and Gears of War 4 (which really looks stunning on the X in 4K), there are still plenty of titles for it to show off its muscle.

The X is backwards compatible with Xbox 360 and some Xbox games, too.

Games with Gold, a free service bundled with Xbox Live membership, rarely disappoints – offering a handful of free, older games per month.

Price and Verdict 

At £449, the X is very, very expensive.

However, if you’re after a raw power and want the most powerful console in the world, then X marks the spot.

The PS4 Pro will likely see price cuts around this time of year, adding some serious competition – so we may need to wait until next year before the X really takes off.

If you don’t have a 4K TV and have a standard Xbox One, hold off upgrading for now.

Xbox One S

Overview 

5

It may look the part, but the Xbox One S is essentially the same machine as the original Xbox One – bar a couple of minor improvements.

The S has a 4K Blu-Ray player, supports 4K video steaming and high dynamic range (HDR). The latter will result in more vibrant, life-like colour when you play games.

It does make a huge difference – and if you’re playing on a screen smaller than 32 inches, it’s more than adequate.

Games 

All Xbox One games can be played on the S.

However, as time goes on, more and more games will support HDR, to make the most of the S’s tweaked hardware.

Thankfully, all games can still be enjoyed with some form of HDR, even if they’re not officially supported.

Forza Horizon 3 makes great use of the Xbox One S’s HDR capability

 

Price and verdict 

If you’re after a good all-rounder, the S is the way to go. It’ll give you decent performance and the 4K Blu-Ray player is a masterstroke.

Sadly, if you’ve got a large 4K TV (plus 40ins), visuals will lack the crispness offered by the more powerful X.

The average Xbox One S will cost you around £200, a figure that may drop now the X is out.

PS4 Pro

Overview 

6The PS4 Pro packs some serious grunt – not to mention a number of great exclusive games

If you want more power but don’t fancy forking out £449, then the Pro is the way to go.

Think of the Pro as the ‘sports car’ version of the PS4 – tweaked, refined and built for raw performance.

In fact, it’s twice as powerful as the standard PS4 in some tasks.

The Pro’s graphics chip is rated at 4 TFLOPS (trillion floating point operations per second), where the standard Xbox One is 1.4TFLOPS.

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Unlike the Xbox One S, it doesn’t have a 4K Blu-Ray player. These can cost around £400 if bought separately.

Elsewhere, you can opt for PSVR, which works a treat for games such as Resident Evil 7.

PSVR is still too expensive to recommend a purchase, though – with units retailing for around £299.

Games 

Huge win here for Sony’s console, with certain games getting a ‘Pro’ upgrade to capitalise on the power boost.

This means the Pro can deliver games at higher resolutions, whilst maintaining a stable frame rate.

We’ve already started seeing some games taking advantage of the new hardware.

Horizon Zero Dawn is arguably the best-looking game ever made and is a wonderful showcase for Pro

Battlefield 1 on Pro, for example, has seen a 40 per cent increase in frame rate in some areas over the standard PS4.

Sony’s best exclusive is Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, but the award-winning Horizon Zero Dawn is also outstanding.

There’s also The Last of Us Part II, God of War and Days Gone on the horizon – all of which will be exclusive to Playstation.

Price and verdict

The Pro has seen its price cut recently, with some offers coming in around the £299 mark.

If you have a 4K TV and want to see a noticeable step up in visuals and performance, Pro is definitely for you.

While it’s not quite up there with top-end PCs, Pro is massively more cost effective – and will serve you well for years to come.

The standard PS4 Slim is no slouch either, though – and at about £150 cheaper, is remarkable value for those gaming at 1080p resolution.

It even has HDR – putting it right up there with the Xbox One S.

Nintendo Switch

Overview 

The Switch is a remarkable piece of kit but only has three or four must-have games

The Nintendo Switch is arguably the most exciting console of the lot.

It’s comprised of a portable tablet-like device and a docking station for home play.

The hybrid machine boasts a decent 6.2-inch HD touch screen and clip-on ‘Joy-Con’ controllers that can also be used independently as mini gamepads.

When in ‘handheld mode’ the Switch can be used on the go – which is where it really comes into its own.

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If playing on the TV is your thing, you simply connect the screen into a dock. This ups the graphical resolution from 720p to full 1080p.

The Joy-Cons can be clipped to a ‘Grip’ to make a normal-style game controller.

Under the hood there’s a Nvidia ‘customised’ Tegra processor – essentially the same architecture as the cheaper Nvidia SHIELD TV.

Games 

The Switch is home to some of the highest-scoring games of all time.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Mario Odyssey are absolutely essential purchases.

For those after some adult shooter action, be sure to pick up Doom – a technical marvel that runs surprisingly well on the Switch.

Doom is brilliant on the Switch and runs smoothly at a cost to the resolution

Elsewhere, Rocket league recently launched to rave reviews – playing just as well as on other consoles.

The Nintendo store, which offers some smaller indie and retro titles, is relatively sparse but will become more populated in time.

Price and Verdict

When used as a handheld, nothing comes close to the Switch. It’s ever so slightly too big for commutes but this won’t put people off.

Connect it to a TV and it’s not as spectacular – with its visuals not able to keep up with the PS4, Xbox One or SHIELD.

That being said, the quality of games on offer really is superb – especially Mario Odyssey.

The Switch can be picked up for around the £280 mark, with games costing between £40-60. The Pro controller, which resembles a traditional game pad, costs just shy of £70 – but is not recommended.

Nvidia Shield TV

Overview 

1

The Nvidia SHIELD is a small but mighty Android TV streaming service that doubles up as insanely powerful gaming rig.

Rather than the old school way of having a dedicated graphics card, SHIELD TV taps into super computer farms placed strategically around the world.

These “play” the games  – streaming them back to you at 1080p / 60FPS – providing your internet connection is fast enough.

It’s all thanks to the Nvidia TEGRA chip – yep, the same processor found in the Switch. It’s also capable of streaming on-demand TV and movies from sites such as Amazon Prime in UHD (4K) – making it an excellent all-rounder.

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For PC gamers, the SHIELD can team up with your rig and stream games from your PC.

This means you can have your PC in the office, and be playing the games on the main TV in the living room.

Thankfully, it looks the part – with clean, crisp lines and an attractive, well-built remote and game pad.

Games

NVIDIA offers a service called GeForce Now, which offers hundreds of titles – which, admittedly vary in terms of quality – for a £7.49 monthly fee.

Think Netflix for games.

1The Witcher 3 runs incredibly well on the Shield – as long as you have a fast enough internet

Don’t expect FIFA 18 on there, though.

While the selection is impressive, including Tomb Raider, The Witcher 3 and a load of Batman games, some of the most popular titles won’t be appearing on the platform any time soon.

Thankfully, there are a host of games playable via the Android Store – which all run perfectly. There’s an impressive selection of Indie games on there, too.

Price and verdict 

Here’s the best bit – the SHIELD comes in at £189.99 – which, for this amount of hardware is an absolute steal.

SHIELD is a brilliant all-rounder that excels at streaming UHD TV and delivering breathtaking performance in games.

A word of warning, though. Nvidia recommends a 5-10 Mbps internet download speed to use GeForce Now… that’s super quick.

Oh, and best invest 5GHZ router, too. By far the best one out there at the moment is the insanely powerful NETGEAR Nighthawk.

If your speed isn’t up to the mark, you’ll still be able to play games – but expect some lag and the resolution to drop.

However, if it’s fast enough, the SHIELD is a viable, attractive alternative to the mainstream consoles.

PC

Overview 

A few years ago, PC gaming was thought to be on the way out. How wrong we were.

In fact, it’s never been more popular – and building a powerful PC has never been easier or more cost effective.

We’ve broken it down by resolution and included the costs below.

1080p gaming – equivalent to the Xbox One S /  PS4 Slim 

witch1080p gaming is still the most popular way to play and will remain so for some time

If you’re looking for something with similar performance to the Xbox One or PS4 at 1080, opt for the GTX 1050Ti.

It’ll offer great performance at 1080p resolution and, at around the £130 mark, is much cheaper than a new Xbox One S or standard PS4.

The AMD equivalent, called the RX 460, isn’t quite as refined, but for the same price will offer solid 1080p performance.

Games such as The Witcher 3 still look stunning at 1080p on PC – easily trumping the console versions.

Ultra graphics at 1080p and beyond – (PS4 Pro-level of performance)

cryCrysis 3 may be a few years old but is still the benchmark for many PC gamers when it comes to visuals

For around the £200 mark, you can end up with an AMD RX 480 – which runs at around 5.2 TFLOPS… more than the PS4 Pro.

Even better, consider Nvidia’s brilliant GTX 1060 card, which offers console-beating 1080p performance and solid frame rates at 1440p.

With all this extra horsepower comes a host of cool features that are often parred down on console.

For one, thanks to greater GPU memory, you’ll be able to activate advanced anti-aliasing techniques, which smooth out the overall image.

Textures, frame-rates, draw distance – all of this will be massively improved, too.

To test it out, try Crysis 3 (above) on Ultra settings.

For a game that’s more than three years old, its visuals will still blow you away.

4K Ultra-level graphics gaming at 60FPS (Beyond PS4 Pro and Xbox One X)

This is where PCs really start to pull ahead from consoles.

Nvidia’s older Geforce GTX 980Ti is currently the best budget option – but even that will struggle a bit at 4K.

Metro Exodus, out next year, will arguably look its best on the PC – if the previous games in the series are anything to go by

For a little over £600, Nvidia’s GTX 1080 offers superb performance at Ultra settings at 4K.

Expect silky smooth framerates even with graphics options turned up to Ultra. Battlefield 1 looks absolutely stunning at 4K using this card, especially.

For those after the very best performance, it’s hard to top the incredible GTX 1080Ti.

This packs an eye-watering 11GB of dedicated graphics memory – that’s about three Xbox One Xs!

Verdict

PC gaming is the only way to go if you’re after the very best in graphics and performance.

Don’t get put off by new waves of graphics cards coming out either.

Opt for a card that has at least 4-6GB of graphics memory and you’ll be fine for at least the next two years.

1The GTX 1080 may be pricey, but with an enormous 8GB of power, will last you for years

However, make sure to read the graphics card specifications carefully.

Putting a huge 4K-capable beast into a massively-ageing PC won’t work due to power supply and cooling issues. Always make sure to check your power supply (PSU) is up to the task.

Retro Freak The Retro Freak isn’t much to look at but does its job very, very well

Overview

A true blast from the past, the Retro Freak is actually 11 consoles in one.

It supports NES, Famicom, SNES, Super Famicom, Genesis, Mega Drive, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, TurboGrafx-16, PC Engine and PC Engine Super Grafx.

There are ports for each of them, – just plug in the cartridge and you’re off.

Now for its greatest trick. You can save your games to a SD card or the system’s internal storage – so you can create a library of your favourite retro games.

Games

Need we say more. Any game released on the compatible consoles can be played.

There are even high-quality filters you can put on them, which sharpen the image, but they don’t work particularly well.

The standard controller is a bit lame, too.

If you want to play with friends, you can plug in a PS4 controller – but you’ll need to keep it connected via USB.

Price and verdict 

The Retro Freak comes in at around £170 – pretty heft for an emulator. Plus, it looks horrendous – so you’ll want to keep it hidden in a cupboard.

Teufel Cinebar Duett

Snazzy 4K TVs may look the part, but sadly their sound systems are often underwhelming.

That’s where soundbars come in – and our pick of the bunch is the stunning Cinebar Duett from Teufel.

This two-piece bluetooth system is incredibly easy to set up and install – and delivers thrilling, high-definition sound.

While it works well with music, it really comes alive with games – with even the slightest detail getting picked up and channelled trough the speakers.

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Gunshots sound deep and aggressive, which helps make titles such as Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds and COD WWII come to life.

This comes courtesy of 10 high-performance drivers, six power amplifiers and a hefty subwoofer.

It’s also got HDMI with CEC and ARC for operation with the TV remote control and single-cable connection.

The Cinebar Duett retails for £549.99 and can be picked up from www.teufelaudio.com

8Bitdo Twincube Wireless Retro speakers 

Don’t let their cute looks fool you – these twin speakers pack a punch.

The stylish cubes connect via bluetooth to compatible devices and deliver up to eight hours of playtime with a super-fast one-hour re-charge.

You can also play your non-bluetooth devices with the included 3.5mm AUX cable – perfect for Nintendo Switch gamers on the move.

The ‘gamepad’ on top of the speaker is fully functional and sound is delivered through 2 x 1.5W stereo speakers.

The pair cost £47.99 and can be picked up from www.funstockretro.co.uk 

Turtle Beach Stealth 600-700 headset

 

If you’re worried about waking the neighbours, then investing in a gaming headset could be the most sensible option.

You can’t go wrong with these new offerings from Turtle Beach – long the headset provider of choice for hardcore gamers.

The new Stealth models are the first gaming headsets to use Microsoft’s new Xbox Wireless technology to connect directly to the console just like a wireless Xbox One controller does.

They also take advantage of Microsoft’s new Windows Sonic for Headphones to deliver immersive surround sound for a more in-depth gaming experience.

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On PS4, the headsets’ wireless USB transmitter connects to the console using the latest smart, channel-hopping technology.

Sound comes courtesy of large 50mm over-ear speakers for amazing game audio, while a new flip-up high-sensitivity mic ensures your every command is heard loud and clear.

Thanks to plenty of cushioning, they’re remarkably easy to wear for long periods of time, too.

Prices start from around £89.99 and they can be picked up www.turtlebeach.com

Huawei Honor 7X

The smartphone is arguably the piece of technology we spend most of our time with – but often under-deliver when it comes to gaming.

Enter the new Honor 7X from Huawei. With a stunning six-inch 18:9 and sleek metal body – it’s certainly nice to look at it.

But it’s under the hood where it really excels.

The 7X boasts a Kirin 659 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage – meaning you get plenty of bang for your buck.

It’ll run most games very well – and thanks to Honor working with certain big developers – they’ll be optimised for the screen so you get more of a scene.

Battery life is standard, the 3340mAh unit lasting around a day if used casually and draining much faster when gaming.

At around the £269 mark – this mid-range smartphone is definitely worth checking out.

Sony Bravia KD49XE7002 49″ Smark 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV

 

Hands down our favourite 4K TV – and a brilliant companion for gaming.

Stunning picture quality, simple-to-use menus and HDR make this Bravia model a must-have for those looking to upgrade from a 1080p set.

Sound quality is decent, although we recommend investing in a soundbar if you’re planning on having this in the living room.

For gamers, a dedicated Game mode disables a bunch of background processes, to minimise input lag and latency.

Always opt for at least 49″ if you want to really appreciate the jump from 1080p to 4k resolution. Anything smaller than that probably wouldn’t be worth the investment.

The best price we’ve found is around the £549 mark in Currys.

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