T3 August 2016

VR is all well and good, but there’s a flaw in this burgeoning form of entertainment: freedom. What good is exploring a brave new world if you’re tethered to your PC like some victim of the Matrix? The threat of being strangled by the cables dangling from the back of your head does take chunks out of the immersion. HP’s nascent Omen line offers step one of the solution to VR’s big problem, in the form of a proper gaming PC in a backpack form factor. Attach the headset of your choice – there’s no Vive or Rift squabbles here – and you’re set for an hour or so of tangle-free exploration. When the cleverly waist-mounted batteries give up the ghost, you’ll be able to hot-swap them for charged ones while…

Rob Carney EDITOR Rob’s long-term loan of a Nissan Leaf came to an end this month. Look out for his write-up on what it’s really like to own an affordable electric car, coming next month. Nick Odantzis DEPUTY EDITOR This month, Nick’s been shouting “Shut up, legs!” No, he hasn’t gone even madder; he’s been pushing his pins to the limit, testing the latest techy bikes for Man Vs Tech. See p74 now! Claire Davies ASSISTANT EDITOR If you’re glamping, camping or holidaying by the pool this summer, Claire has you covered – she’s been hunting the best tech to make your outdoors adventure one to remember. Turn to p83… Paul Dimery PRODUCTION EDITOR Dimmers predicted that England would win the Euros. Was he right? You’ll probably know by now. Who needs a fortune-telling octopus when you have a psychic production…

SAVE CASH! By subscribing to T3 today p60 The PlayStation VR looks to be this year’s killer gadget. And we’ve gone hands-on with it to bring you the T3 verdict… And yes, it could well be a game-changer. As well as previewing the hardware, we bring you a round-up of the most anticipated games for the platform, including a killer Star Wars title and Arkham VR – your chance to see through Batman’s eyes (and perhaps say, “I’m Batman” in a gravelly, menacing voice). On the other side of the console fence, we bring you all the Xbox updates – from the new Xbox One S to Project Scorpio, Microsoft’s next-gen console, due for release next year. It’s a veritable gaming feast and it all begins on p46. Oh, and there was something…

Haven’t action cams been done to death? You’d think so, right? Well, take it from us, the Olympus Tough! TG-Tracker is limbering up to become one of the best action cameras money can buy. Olympus has serious form when it comes to making adventure-proof cameras, and this all-action field-log camera is built to accompany you to the snowiest peaks and the darkest, wateriest depths. So it’s waterproof, then? You bet. To 30 metres below sea level, without housing. The TG-Tracker has a 60-lumen spotlight to help you shoot in darker settings, and automatically adjusts white balance and other key settings underwater. View the footage later via the Olympus Image Track Version 2.0 app, and the camera’s tracking and field-logging capabilities enable you to discover what depth you were diving at, the water temperature…

Motorola, huh? What’s it up to these days? Motorola is now owned by Lenovo, but the big M brand is staying (for now), and its latest offering takes the crown of “world’s thinnest smartphone” at an incredibly svelte 5.2mm. People, say hello to the wafer-thin Moto Z. Is that all it’s got going for it? Oh, hell no. The biggest talking point here is Moto Mods – attachments you clip onto the handset for enhanced functionality. At the time of writing, there are three to choose from, with a battery pack and JBL speakers being the relatively straightforward offerings. The third attachment, however, is rather special… Don’t be a tease, T3. Just tell me! Well, it’s only a ruddy projector, ain’t it! Yes, that’s right, a projector. For your phone. How rad is that? Now…

Didn’t Nissan just update the GT-R? It’s had more updates than an iPhone, but Nissan claims the 2017 refresh is the most significant yet. Really? It looks the same to me. The design gets a gentle tickle, much of it to increase downforce, cut drag and boost cooling – think re-designed bumpers, a wider grille, a new bonnet and some cool 20-inch alloys. This GT-R is also faster: the twin-turbo V6 is boosted by 20bhp to 562bhp, revised suspension and a stiffer bodyshell make the handling much sharper, and those improved aerodynamics help it scythe air and stick to tarmac. Wasn’t it already rowdier than a Russian footy fan? Nissan has tackled that, promising smoother gear changes, way less fidgety suspension and a cabin that doesn’t fizz like radio static played through a Marshall stack. Has…