STACK #227 September 2023

TECH FEATURE

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Movie time! Aussie's love sports, from

The premiership cup has been triumphantly hoisted aloft and you’re either celebrating victory or lamenting defeat. Either way, you can keep the sporting vibe and competitive spirit going well after the match with a video gaming session, or just kick back and relax with a sports-themed movie. It’s been a big day! Games after the game If there’s a popular sport out there, there’s likely a video game incarnation of it. Here are our five picks to play after the final siren. POST MATCH

football finals and horse racing to motorsports and beyond. Here are five top flicks to keep you going between events. The Merger (2018) recruit local immigrants to join the team to help keep it afloat. What transpires is a hilarious and endearing story of cultural diversity, mateship, and community spirit. Remember the Titans (1996) Based on a true story and one of the greatest American football movies of all time. Set in the early 1970s, Denzel Washington plays a coach assigned to a high school football team during their first season of racial integration. This emotionally charged underdog story has become a bona fide cult classic. Invincible (2006) Here's another real-life underdog story that packs a punch. Mark Wahlberg stars as a down-on-his-luck bartender who tries out for the Philadelphia Eagles gridiron team, becoming a key player in the 1976–78 seasons. This critically acclaimed drama is an inspirational story of triumph against all odds. Days of Thunder (1990) If you've seen Gran Turismo and feel more need for speed, make sure this classic is on your watch list. Feel the roar and rumble of NASCAR as Tom Cruise revs up in one of the all-time best motorsport movies. Best described as “ Top Gun in cars”, it’s a winner! Ride Like a Girl (2019) The spring racing season is right around the corner and one of the most inspiring stories in the sport’s history is Michelle Payne becoming the first woman to win the Melbourne Cup, in 2015. Directed by Rachel Griffiths and starring Teresa Palmer, this incredible-but-true story is full of heart. This homegrown gem is perfect post match viewing. When a rural Aussie footy club faces financial ruin they

AFL 23 PS5 XSX PS4 – Out Now The first footy game for the latest console generation is stacked with options. Both AFL and AFLW feature, including complete player rosters from all 18 teams. Up to four players can get into the action locally or online, too.

EA Sports FC 24 PS5 XSX SWITCH PS4 – Out Sept 29 All the thrills and spills of the beautiful game kick off in style within EA Sports’ new soccer series, packed with all the players, teams, leagues, and arenas you want, and bringing a raft of new tech to the table for a more realistic experience.

Madden NFL 24 PS5 XSX PS4 – Out Now One of the longest running sports game franchises delivers a bunch of exciting new features this year, including a leap forward in character tech on new generation consoles, added realism from

NBA 2K24 PS5 XSX SWITCH PS4 XONE – Out Sept 8 Take to the court in the most advanced iteration of 2K’s top basketball sim yet, bringing more authenticity than ever thanks to new ProPLAY tech, classic modes such as MyTeam, and a tribute to Kobe Bryant in playable ‘Mamba Moments’.

Nintendo Switch Sports SWITCH – Out Now Get busy with classic tennis, bowling, sword fighting, soccer, badminton, volleyball, and golf with this Switch upgrade of the classic Wii Sports . Swing, kick, spike and more in your quest for lounge room sports supremacy!

FiieldSENSE, and online cross-play .

GEARED FOR GAMING

The latest smart TVs take video gaming to new levels of realism – and excitement! They come packed with inbuilt features to support the latest consoles like PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, as well as Nintendo’s all-conquering Switch. Words Amy Flower

• Both the PS5 and Xbox offer 4K resolution

• A TV with HDMI 2.1 ports is a must to take full advantage of the new tech. The main benefits go straight to gamers, with the new gaming consoles offering such HDMI 2.1-supported features as variable refresh rates (VRR) and auto low latency mode (ALLM) to improve your gaming performance, with VRR reducing screen tearing and input lag. ALLM, meanwhile, automatically kicks the TV into its game mode (if it has one), adjusting settings for optimal performance – in particular, the lowest latency (input lag) possible. HDMI 2.1 also includes support for smooth 120fps vision in 4K.

• Another tech advancement for top gaming performance on new TVs is AMD FreeSync, which puts an end to choppy gameplay and broken frames with fluid, artefact-free performance at virtually any frame rate.

gaming capabilities coupled with HDR

TOP TIP Want more on-field action? Why not revisit past AFL and NRL premierships on DVD? Choose from particular years, or grab a box set collection to binge!

which, when supported, allows for wider breadth between dark and light areas of the image, as well as more accurate colour reproduction.

56 SEPTEMBER 2023

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