^Thanks!

I have two pieces about the Nvidia 4K HDR 144Hz monitors... and neither of them are good :

What We Know About the Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ So Far
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/news_archive/39.htm#asus_pa27uq_update
It's been over a year now since Asus officially announced their ROG Swift PG27Q gaming display, which was then showcased at CES 2017. In fact it's been even longer since the prototype was shown off in June 2016! We bring you some updates on what we know so far about this display below.

Key features

We know from the original press release material and also Asus' website what to expect from the key specs and features. As a reminder, the PG27UQ is a 27" screen with an IPS-type panel from AU Optronics (M270QAN02.2 AHVA technology). It features a 3840 x 2160 Ultra HD resolution and will be the first panel of its kind to pair that "4K" resolution with a 144Hz native refresh rate. Not only that, but the screen has been produced in conjunction with NVIDIA as part of their "G-sync HDR" range, and will feature a high end 384-zone Full Array Local Dimming (FALD) backlight for optimal LCD HDR performance. Apparently Asus have added an option to the OSD menu to control the speed of the FALD operation which could be useful, especially since early FALD adoption such as that on the Dell UP2718Q was pretty slow - and probably not suitable for fast 144Hz gaming. It remains to be seen of course how fast the FALD can operate, but this is likely to be a key consideration for this as a viable HDR gaming display. It's also likely to be one of the causes for the long delay we believe.

More details spec notes

Quantum Dot screen coating then provides a boost to the colour gamut of the screen, allowing it to extend beyond the typical sRGB and achieve >90% DCI-P3 (125% sRGB coverage). An Asus rep has confirmed that the 1.07b colour depth is (not surprisingly) achieved through an 8-bit+FRC panel. Not that this will really make much real difference in practice for the target uses.

This high bandwidth requirement is supported through the latest DisplayPort 1.4 interface. HDMI 2.0 is also provided for console connectivity although that will be limited to 60Hz for those devices. An Asus rep has confirmed that 4K HDR consoles like the PS4 Pro and X-box One X will support HDR @ 4K on this screen over HDMI as well.

Release Date

This has been frequently pushed back as it was originally expected to arrive in Q3 2017 based on a panel mass production date of July 2017 from AU Optronics. Several delays to panel production have meant that the date has slipped on several occasions. The latest information we have obtained from sources in the UK is that the screen is expected now around Q3 2018, something that our friends over at Blurbusters have also confirmed with sources in the USA.

More recently NVIDIA started to tell some reporters that they firmly expected a release before the end of April, although we don't put a massive amount of faith in that personally as it's not NVIDIA who are ultimately producing, releasing and selling this Asus screen (or equivalents from Acer and AOC). At the end of March an Asus representative posted in the ROG forums that they expected production would start in May. A rather adventurous "mid/late May or early June" was then forecast.

Acer and ASUS G-Sync HDR Displays Listed & Priced In Europe
https://www.anandtech.com/show/12637/acer-and-asus-gsync-hdr-displays-listed-and-priced
Select European retailers have begun to take pre-orders on G-Sync HDR-supporting monitors from Acer and ASUS that are expected to hit the market as early as late this month. Pricing of the Acer Predator X27 and the ASUS ROG Swift PG27UQ displays appears to be between €2500 and €3000 with VAT, which looks expensive even when European prices and VAT are taken into account.

According to Geizhals.eu, a price-search service, there are a number of retailers in Austria, Denmark and Germany, who are accepting pre-orders on the the Acer Predator X27 and the ASUS ROG Swift PG27UQ. The displays are expected to ship in late April, or in May, but their prices look rather extreme.

https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=GameMode-Initial-Look
Only one distro being tested, with only one CPU+GPU configuration.
Four games, none of which being Rise of the Tomb Raider (Feral Interactive's next Linux port).

Performance scaling isn't fantastic in this early state.
We do need to wait until more games, hardware and Linux distros are tested to make an informed judgment though.
Given how early this project is: I don't expect to see over single digit percentage gains.

I also want to see how Solus performs with this, given they have someone contributing to the project.
Solus is pretty well known for its speed, so hopefully they can make good use of this.


Also:
4k 144Hz, HDR monitors sound lovely, but: OLED.
I want OLED.

You want prepaid cash cards ? LOL, I don't know how you would deal with smaller online retailers like Newegg who don't have a prepaid cash system ... 

Besides there's arguably a bigger financial overhead from buying prepaid cash cards than there is with dealing fraud transaction and you can mitigate fraud by applying for a card with a low credit limit from a bank ... 

Thanks for sharing. It's a very limited test, but it's a starting point.

Also, for the amount of money those monitors could cost, you can buy an OLED TV. Mind you, it remains to be seen how responsive will the monitors be compared to an OLED TV, but you can have OLED if you want.

Maybe I haven't expressed myself too well. When I mean wallet cards, I mean these:

After all, if EA has them, GOG could also do with them.

Oh, and when I buy something from an online store, I always use transfer. As I said, I don't give online certain data.

https://steamcommunity.com/games/593110/announcements/detail/1667896941884942467
Apparently Steamspy was broken with this update.

Find me a 27" - 28" 4k60+ OLED TV.
With low latency and Display Ports, then I will pounce.

It's a real shame that Steam Spy has to go down because of this. Valve could have left that crucial part of the settings as visible/open instead of hidden .

As for that OLED TV of yours... well, you'll have to deal with a bigger TV. Sadly, they aren't doing small sized ones yet.

Wednesday news:

SALES & "SALES"/DEALS

World of Warcraft is the biggest selling entertainment product ever, not Grand Theft Auto V [UPDATE]
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/world-of-warcraft-is-the-biggest-selling-entertainment-product-ever-not-grand-theft-auto-v/
Yesterday, MarketWatch claimed that Grand Theft Auto V was the biggest selling entertainment product ever, surpassing even films like Avatar or Star Wars. However, this information is incorrect as there is PC-only game that has generated almost double the amount that GTA V has raised, and that is no other than World of Warcraft.
As MarketWatch stated, GTA V has earned more than $6 billion so far. On the other hand, Blizzard announced last year that World of Warcraft had generated around $10 billion. And that was last year.
UPDATE: It appears that Space Invaders is the best selling entertainment product. While this game relied on arcade sales, it’s still considered as an entertainment product. As such, Space Invaders has earned more than GTA V or World of Warcraft.
Space Invaders has generated $13.93 billion, followed by Pac-Man ($12.81 billion). Street Fighter 2 has generated $10.61 billion so it’s a unclear whether WoW has managed to surpass it or not.

The new daily deal from GOG is Fist Puncher, 85% off: https://www.gog.com/game/fist_puncher

At Steam we have the daily deal, Nine Parchments at half its price, and the Midweek Madness deals:

• Plague Inc: Evolved is 60% off: http://store.steampowered.com/app/246620/Plague_Inc_Evolved/
• The Mount & Blade franchise is on sale, 66% off (like GOG): http://store.steampowered.com/sale/mountandblade/

SOFTWARE

A new kind of ransomware forces you to play PUBG to unlock your files
https://www.pcgamer.com/a-new-kind-of-ransomware-forces-you-to-play-pubg-to-unlock-your-files/
"Ransomware" is malicious software that works basically like a computer virus, except that instead of destroying your data, it locks it down until you pay whatever ransom the creators decide to extort. (...) Not all such attacks are quite so malicious, however.
Case in point: The PUBG Ransomware discovered by MalwareHunterTeam (via Bleeping Computer), which encrypts all your files, including images, music, and documents, and refuses to release them unless and until you play Playerunknown's Battlegrounds for an hour.

>>What in the actual f*ck?!

MODS/EMULATORS

Prey Real Lights plus Ultra Graphics mod improves Parallax Occlusion Mapping, lighting, blood and more
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/prey-real-lights-plus-ultra-graphics-mod-improves-parallax-occlusion-mapping-lighting-blood-and-more/
Our reader ‘jmx777’ has released a brand new version of his amazing Real Lights plus Ultra Graphics mod for Prey. According to the release notes, this new version adds tracking cameras sparks on emp grenades and Thypons interference, improves fire effects of pipe leaks, improves blood and lighting, and adds heat distortion effects to all the heat emitters.

>>It's available from Nexus Mods.

GAMING NEWS

First Chrono Trigger patch released, allows players to use the original “SNES” graphics
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/first-chrono-trigger-patch-released-allows-players-to-use-the-original-snes-graphics/
Square Enix announced today that following fan feedback, Chrono Trigger for Steam has received the first of a number of planned patches to enhance the game’s presentation and features.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands & Splinter Cell Mission are free to play this weekend
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/tom-clancys-ghost-recon-wildlands-splinter-cell-mission-are-free-to-play-this-weekend/
Ubisoft has announced that Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands will be free to play this weekend. During this free weekend, players will gain access to the full open world of Bolivia, including all missions, features and side activities.

New gameplay trailer released for Crytek’s Hunt: Showdown
https://www.dsogaming.com/videotrailer-news/new-gameplay-trailer-released-for-cryteks-hunt-showdown/
Crytek has released a new gameplay trailer for its first-person PvP bounty hunting game, Hunt: Showdown. Hunt: Showdown is available on Steam Early Access and recently received a performance patch, featuring major CPU optimizations, reducing the overall memory footprint of the game and addressing the stalls and stutters that players had reported.

Free Radical had plans for Battlefront IV, V and VI, Rebellion tried to finish the project
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/free-radical-had-plans-for-battlefront-iv-v-and-vi-rebellion-tried-to-finish-the-project/
The Vault Project has shared a really detailed document about the development of Free Radical’s Battlefront 3 game. According to the document, Free Radical had plans for more Battlefront games and signed up a deal with Lucas Arts.

Nobunaga’s Ambition: Taishi releases on June 5th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/nobunagas-ambition-taishi-releases-on-june-5th/
KOEI Tecmo announced today the upcoming western release of Nobunaga’s Ambition: Taishi, the latest standalone entry in the Grand Strategy Series which focuses on the pivotal events of Sengoku Era Japan, slated for release on June 5th. In order to celebrate this announcement, KOEI Tecmo also released some screenshots that you can find below.

Bullet Witch and SENRAN KAGURA Burst Re:Newal are coming to the PC
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/bullet-witch-and-senran-kagura-burst-renewal-are-coming-to-the-pc/
XSEED Games has announced that it will bring Bullet Witch and SENRAN KAGURA Burst Re:Newal to the PC in 2018. As the press release reads, the cult-favorite action adventure title Bullet Witch, previously an exclusive on Xbox 360, will come out on April 25th and will feature visual and gameplay improvements to bring it in line with modern gaming standards.

Forza Horizon 4 to be present at E3 2018
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/forza-horizon-4-to-be-present-at-e3-2018/
Fernanda Delgado, head of Xbox in Spain and Portugal, confirmed to Gamereactor that the next Forza Horizon game, which most likely be called Forza Horizon 4, will be present at E3 2018. Delgado did not reveal anything other than that, except that we will also learn the game’s location at that event.

>>Not that surprising given that the franchise has become a yearly product, with the Motorsports and Horizon games taking turns.

Wednesday news, part two:

Deck-building dungeon-crawler Hand of Fate 2 gets Endless Mode and new challenges
https://www.pcgamer.com/deck-building-dungeon-crawler-hand-of-fate-2-gets-endless-mode-and-new-challenges/
Deck-building action RPG Hand of Fate 2 has benefited from multiple free updates since its release last November: developer Defiant Development added a new dealer companion in December and a mission creation kit in February. Today, the studio released a batch of "infinitely replayable" quests bundled together in a new Endless Mode.

You're a goat-herding grandma in melancholy farming sim The Stillness of the Wind
https://www.pcgamer.com/youre-a-goat-herding-grandma-in-melancholy-farming-sim-the-stillness-of-the-wind/
Solo developer Coyan Cardenas (aka the entirety of studio Memory of God) grabbed our attention with Where the Goats Are, a minimalist, melancholy farming sim about a goat-herding grandma that's kind of like Stardew Valley but with crushing loneliness and goats. Backed by publisher Surprise Attack Games, today Cardenas announced The Stillness of the Wind, a minimalist, melancholy farming sim about a different goat-herding grandma

GTA Online kicks off 'Contraband Week' with Gunrunning-focused perks and discounts
https://www.pcgamer.com/gta-online-kicks-off-contraband-week-with-gunrunning-focused-perks-and-discounts/
GTA Online's latest weekly update adds a host of Gunrunning-focused perks and discounts. For the next seven days, the so-called 'Contraband Week' targets "subterranean entrepreneurs", who deal in illicit goods.

Masters of Anima, an action-RTS about a guy who wants to get married, is out today
https://www.pcgamer.com/masters-of-anima-an-action-rts-about-a-guy-who-wants-to-get-married-is-out-today/
Masters of Anima is the new game from Space Run studio Passtech that sees a young lad named Otto, an apprentice of Anima, questing to become a Master so he can marry his fiancee Ana—who by the way is being held hostage by a bad dude named Zahr. It looks like a cross between an action-RPG and an RTS, with lots of things to deal with at once and big boss fights to break up the action. It's also out today on Steam, and that means it's time to kick back and watch a launch trailer.

Overwatch update buffs Reaper and Mei, nerfs D.Va and Zenyatta
https://www.pcgamer.com/overwatch-update/
Today's Overwatch Update introduces the new PvE mission Retribution, where Reaper, Genji, Moira, and McCree carry out a Blackwatch mission against the forces of Talon. But that's not all—there's also a pile of balance changes for a number of heroes.

>>And here are the Retribution skins.

Excellent grandma tribute Lieve Oma is free on Itch
https://www.pcgamer.com/excellent-grandma-tribute-lieve-oma-is-free-on-itch/
Lieve Oma is a narrative game by Florian Veltman, who made it as a tribute to his grandmother and, more broadly, "people helping us become a responsible and caring person." You play as a child walking through a vibrant forest with their grandma, splashing in leaves and picking mushrooms as you go. It's short, sweet, and available on Itch for whatever price you want, possibly free.

Stardew Valley multiplayer 'should be ready in about a month,' creator says
https://www.pcgamer.com/stardew-valley-multiplayer-should-be-ready-in-about-a-month-creator-says/
Stardew Valley multiplayer could be finished as early as next month, according to a recent tweet from creator Eric Barone.

Update on Stardew Valley multiplayer: still making good progress on fixing bugs, if all goes well it should be ready in about a month

— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) April 10, 2018

Destiny 2 hotfix reduces Rumble player count and changes respawn system
https://www.pcgamer.com/destiny-2-hotfix-reduces-rumble-player-count-and-changes-respawn-system/
I was hoping, for no particular reason aside from my relentless sense of optimism, that today's Destiny 2 maintenance would include something about the next expansion: A trailer, ideally, but I'd settle for a just a hint that it's actually coming in May, as has been rumored. Alas, it is not to be. But we do have the patch notes.

Destiny's infamous Gjallarhorn rocket launcher is coming to Enter the Gungeon
https://www.pcgamer.com/destinys-infamous-gjallarhorn-rocket-launcher-is-coming-to-enter-the-gungeon/
Enter the Gungeon's Gungeons & Draguns update was announced in August 2017 and was set to land sometime in early 2018, so hopefully we'll see it any day now. Luckily, courtesy of this Reddit post, fans recently got a sneak peak at one of the many new weapons in the update: The Exotic, which just so happens to be inspired by the Gjallarhorn, the most infamous weapon in the original Destiny, and source of mountains of salt from the unlucky players who couldn't get the OP rocket launcher to drop.

Cultist Simulator launch trailer reveals a slightly delayed release date
https://www.pcgamer.com/cultist-simulator-launch-trailer-reveals-a-slightly-delayed-release-date/
Cultist Simulator is a narrative digital card game that tells sinister stories about Lovecraftian horrors—"a game of apocalypse and yearning"—and if that leaves you at all confused then I would suggest having a look at our up-close preview of the game from last month. Alternatively, you can dive straight into a look at the game in action courtesy of today's launch trailer, called "Penetrate the House" for some reason, which showcases adversaries, exploration, beguiling followers, and the Moonlit Road.

Shopkeeper RPG Moonlighter gets a release date and a new trailer
https://www.pcgamer.com/shopkeeper-rpg-moonlighter-gets-a-release-date-and-a-new-trailer/
I spent enough time working in retail to not pine for those days again, but Moonlighter’s blend of shop management and dungeon-delving adventures already has me practising my rusty sword sales pitch. “Each nick and stain tells a story.” I’ll get to test my barter banter soon enough, too, as Moonlighter hurtles towards its release date of May 29.

Unlock new gear in Far Cry 5's live event: Arcade Dawn
https://www.pcgamer.com/unlock-new-gear-in-far-cry-5s-live-event-arcade-dawn/
Still trying to take down Far Cry 5’s boring cult? If you’ve not yet left Montana, you might want to hop into the Arcade for the Arcade Dawn live event between now and April 17, at least if you want a really ridiculous little gun and some equally ridiculous clobber to go with it.

Overkill's The Walking Dead shows off its second survivor
https://www.pcgamer.com/overkills-the-walking-dead-shows-off-its-second-survivor/
Overkill’s long-delayed but soon-to-appear cooperative zombie romp has been on the go for long enough so that someone really should have come up with a better name, one that won’t be confused with Telltale’s The Walking Dead. But maybe this is all part of the brand. AMC’s The Walking Dead, Telltale’s The Walking Dead, Overkill’s The Walking Dead. Before long we’ll all own a slice of the pie.

The Dauntless open beta begins in May
https://www.pcgamer.com/the-dauntless-open-beta-begins-in-may/
Dauntless, the co-op action-RPG about turning giant monsters into stylish hats, will enter open beta on May 24, developer Phoenix Labs announced today. More than 100,000 players have so far taken part in the closed beta that's current underway, and the studio said that another 700,000 have signed up for the open beta.

That's exactly what I said they were, "prepaid reward" cards ...

Also if you have a solution for that then why not use it for GoG too ? 

Because... I bet you've guessed it... I don't make tranfers online. When I have to do one, I go to my bank office and order them to make it. Alternatively, sometimes I also use cash, going to an office of one of the store's banks and depositing the sum in their account.

That's why I want wallet cards from GOG.