Category: Video Games

Last week I decided to get a racing sim setup and since I’m now spending so much time at home, the timing turned out to be perfect.

I’ve been following @gamehexshop on Instagram for some time now. They’re a local business that sells sim rig setups for the home. I used to check their online store often but never really knew what I needed to get or how much a setup would cost so eventually I just decided to DM them last week and ask. They had shared a home setup on their story so I messaged them asking how much it would cost and if it would work with my Xbox. The setup they had shared on their story cost 279KD but they told me I would need the Xbox bundle version if I wanted it to work with my Xbox. 279? That’s less than I imagined it would cost so after a bit of back and forth and some research from my end, ordered a setup for my home.

Most of the time I just play racing games on my Xbox. Every now and then I might play a FPS but there hasn’t been one I invested a lot of time in in years so it’s not that important. Plus I have the Switch 2 which I use for other games. Gamehex carry two brands, Moza Racing and PXN. Both are pretty popular brands especially Moza Racing.

What you need for a full setup:

• Computer or Xbox
• Wheel base
• Steering wheel
• Pedals
• Seat
• TV/Monitor
• Cockpit (what seat, TV and everything connects to)
• Additional accessories like handbrake or manual shifters

Moza Racing sells all their sim components separately including the steering wheel, wheel base and pedals, or you can buy them as a bundle. They have an R3 Xbox bundle that works straight out of the box with Xbox, which is what I went with.

The R3 is their entry level wheel base and it’s what provides the force feedback from the road along with the steering feel. The bundle includes the R3 wheel base, an Xbox compatible steering wheel and a set of pedals.

Since I mainly do rally racing, I also picked up the Moza Handbrake and the 12 inch steering wheel. The 12 inch wheel replaces the standard 10 inch D shaped wheel that comes with the bundle. It’s just the outer frame, so you unscrew the original rim from the hub and attach the new one.

They also offer a formula style wheel for those who do more GT or F1 racing.

In addition to the Moza stuff I got Gamehex’s GMX Rig GT4, the monitor mount for it, and the GMX R11 seat. I already had a 55″ OLED TV screen for my Xbox so mounted that to the setup. Their prices are extremely reasonable with everything basically costing close to Moza’s MSRP in the US. Because I bought a package they gave me a 10% discount but they’re also offering 10% off throughout Ramadan.

The total cost for my setup was 305.300KD, not including the 12″ steering wheel which I bought a couple of days later for 20KD. They were able to deliver the items on the same day and then the following day they sent over a technician to set everything up. They did a really clean install, hiding all the wiring so that the setup doesn’t look messy. They then custom fit the sim for my needs, adjusting everything including pedal location, steering wheel angle, etc., all to my liking.

The result? It feels like I have my own arcade machine in my room. It’s insane! All the parts are made of metal no plastic anywhere and the R3 wheel base is really powerful. Although by Moza’s standards this is the entry level base providing “only” 3.9Nm of torque, in reality it’s incredibly strong and when I’m rallying and hitting jumps or ruts on the ground I’m constantly fighting it and getting a lot of feedback. Using the handbrake feels great as well. I chose not to get the manual shifter because the steering wheel already has paddle shifts and when I’m rallying I prefer to keep the car in auto anyway so I can just focus on steering and braking. If you check the price breakdown above you’ll see a “performance kit” listed, this is for the brake pedal and gives it a more realistic feel. Highly recommended, otherwise the pedal feels too light.

My 55″ TV is overkill for sure but I wasn’t about to go buy another smaller TV just for this setup. Also the 55″ kind of gives the games a close to real life scale. When I posted the photo above from Dirt Rally 2.0 one friend thought I was out of town and had taken a shot of me driving before he realised what he was looking at. So no complaints there. For sound I initially was using headphones but decided to connect a pair of KEF LSX speakers I have along with the KEF KC62 subwoofer and it’s been amazing. I 3D printed some speaker stands for them to make them point up towards me since they’re located on the floor and it works really well.

The only issue I had was when trying to upgrade the firmware. Moza have iOS and Android apps where you can control various settings, sensitivity and do calibration, but if you want to calibrate the handbrake or do firmware updates you need their Windows only software. I’m a Mac user so the only way to get it done was to install a virtual Windows environment, which worked for me but it was a hassle to do.

Luckily for me all the racing games I wanted for my Xbox were on sale so I ended up getting them all for a great deal:

Assetto Corsa – $7.49
Assetto Corsa Competizione – $10.88
DIRT 5 Year One Edition – $21.76
DiRT Rally 2.0 – Game of the Year Edition – $21.76
F1 25 – $30.47

I already had Forza Horizon 5 and Forza Motorsport from before. Dirt 5 I used to play when I had GamePass but just bought it outright now since I no longer have GamePass and it’s actually one of my favorite games and the one I’ve been playing the most since it’s the most arcade-like.

So yeah, this has been a really great buy and what I’m spending all my time on now. If you have an Xbox I highly recommend the Moza R3 Bundle. You don’t even need to buy a rig to use it, it comes with table clamps so you can connect it to any desk or table you have. Gamehex also sell more advanced setups for people with PCs, you can check their full range on their website and build your own package, here is the link.

I picked mine up from Game Store for KD25 if anyone wants to get one. I’m now trying to decide if I should play it now or wait to play it on my 16 hour flight next month. Link

Looks like there are more Switch 2’s in Kuwait than people actually want them. I was at Xcite Avenues yesterday and noticed they’re now selling the Switch 2 with Mario Kart World bundle for KD175, and the console only version for KD150.

Blink are selling the combo for slightly cheaper at KD173 as well and I’m sure there are probably even cheaper prices elsewhere. So if you wanted to wait till prices dropped to something reasonable, you’re in luck.

Update: Game Store selling the combo for KD170

I had a really hard time finding a Pro Controller 2 for my Switch 2 since they were sold out everywhere. But this morning I picked one up from Game Store. I saw on their instagram story they had a few in store but were not available online. So I got in touch with them by WhatsApp and they told me it was only available at Game Store Avenues and Kout Mall.

Thankfully I was able to purchase it and pay for it through WhatsApp yesterday, and just headed there this morning to pick it up.

As of this post they still have a few in stock and they’re selling them for KD32.9

I actually have the original Pro Controller 1 but Nintendo being Nintendo are only allowing the new Pro Controller 2 to wake up the Switch 2 from sleep mode. That means every time I want to play I need to reach behind my TV where I have my Switch 2 dock and turn it on before turning my controller on. Super annoying. With the new controller I’ll be able to turn it on from the controller itself like a normal gaming system.

Stores and gamers started getting their Switch 2 shipments yesterday since Kuwait customs reopened. I got mine yesterday morning and I know from a friend they’ve started popping up in Rehab as well although for 210KD. Geekay also had a few for sale for 235KD and they’re now available to preorder on their website for 205. Also, those who preordered from Alfuhod started getting their shipments yesterday as well.

My Mario Kart World cartridge is still on the way, for some reason Amazon shipped them both separately and I should be getting it tomorrow. But I managed to transfer everything from my Switch 1 to my Switch 2 yesterday and now have my original Switch up for sale.

Since I used my Switch 1 in dock mode 90% of the time, so far the Switch 2 feels very similar since I’m using my Switch 1 pro-controller. The biggest difference has to be the speed of the Nintendo store, everything loads A LOT faster, like sooo much faster, I can’t believe how slow the store used to be on the Switch 1 now that I look back at it. I downloaded the graphics upgrade for Zelda TOK but haven’t gotten around to playing it. I haven’t played Zelda in a few months so completely forgot all the controls and areas, need to figure it all out again.

If you got your Switch 2 already, let me know in the comments where you had ordered it from.

Back in the day when a new console came out, or a new game, you’d find it at Rihab Complex for sale a couple of days before the launch. These days are long gone now. I was there a few days ago asking stores about the Switch 2 and nobody had any idea when they were getting it.

In 2008, of the most eagerly anticipated PlayStation 3 games ever, Metal Gear Solid 4 was released in Kuwait ahead of the official release date in the US by a full 3 days. It was such a big deal that even Kotaku posted about it. In 2017 when the original Switch was launched, it was available for sale at Rehab before the official launch date. Photo below was part of the Kotaku article.

I was talking to the owner of Kuwait Center, one of the OGs in the business. He actually used to be the go-to Nintendo store back in the day and still has a ton of new old stock Nintendo stuff. He had no idea when he was getting the Switch 2. But he also told me that after COVID, with the new electronic systems they implemented for processes, it’s nearly impossible to clear items from customs on the same day which is why we no longer see as many games and consoles for sale before launch. Previously he’d run around getting all the paperwork he needed signed to clear the shipment quickly. Nowadays everything has to be submitted online and requests and approvals take longer.

So far it looks like the only place that was able to get an early shipment of Nintendo Switch 2’s in Kuwait was Game Store. Their shipment arrived on June 3rd and they delivered them already to their customers. A reader told me they sold for KD 240 each which is obviously a lot higher than the market price but not too bad if you just wanted to get the console before the official world launch.

Personally, I ordered my Switch 2 from Amazon.es. According to a recommendation from a reader I originally placed the order for one from Amazon.fr. But I then noticed that if I ordered from the Spain website shipping would be cheaper. I ordered the Switch 2 Console (not the Mario Kart bundle), and a physical copy of Mario Kart World. Both items were shipped to Kuwait with customs and everything came out to 516 euros, or KD 180. Might be a bit less since Amazon tends to refund me a bit back from the import deposit. That’s basically the same as the Nintendo official price for the console bundle in Saudi which is great.

The reason I didn’t order the bundle from Amazon.es is because I found out the European models get a download code for Mario Kart unlike in Saudi for example where you get an actual cartridge. I read the code would only be redeemable in the Nintendo stores of the country of purchase and if that’s true it would mean I would need to create a new Nintendo Spain account which I didn’t want to do. Plus I prefer a physical copy of the game anyway.

The Switch 2 was out of stock on Amazon.es for a few days but this morning they were back in stock. So if you want one just order one from there. If you order today they estimate it will arrive after Eid on June 15. Here is the link.

I was randomly checking to see if anyone else in Kuwait opened up pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch 2 and found Jarir while searching. The link is dead but according to the search summary, Jarir had listed the Switch 2 Mario Kart bundle for KD 169.990.

If that was true then they’d have the cheapest prices in Kuwait, which isn’t very Jarir like.

The other day I published Switch 2 prices in Kuwait, and I have some updates.

Firstly, 3R Store (3roodq8) started the pre-order on the Nintendo Switch 2 console and they’ve currently got the cheapest price in Kuwait. They’re selling the console (not the bundle) for KD170, so 10KD cheaper than everyone else. Link

Secondly, Best, Eureka and Xcite are all offering additional things with their bundles. Best are including 1-year of Nintendo Online with their offer, Eureka are offering screen protectors, and Xcite are including headphones.

Finally, a reader let me know you can pre-order the Nintendo Switch 2 from the Amazon.fr store and they’ll ship it straight to Kuwait. The Switch 2 + Mario Kart Bundle will cost 183KD shipped to Kuwait including customs. So around 15KD cheaper than Kuwait prices plus you have the benefit of getting it before the shops in Kuwait.

On a side note, I was checking to see if Amazon.ae carried the Switch 2, they don’t, but I did find the new Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones for sale. They have a pre-order offer now where they’ll include the Sony ULT10 portable speaker for free if you order before the June 17th regional launch date. Total price shipped to Kuwait is KD153. Amazon.com price is KD137 not including tax and shipping plus you don’t get the portable speaker.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is launching in the US on June 5 but looks like it’s going to launch in Kuwait couple of weeks later on June 19. A bunch of shops have started taking pre-orders but for some reason it looks like Kuwait might have the most expensive prices compared to Saudi and UAE. Here the local stores I found that have started pre-orders:

3R Store
Nintendo Switch 2 – KD 169.99 KD 189.99 Link

Al-Fuhod – Kuwait
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle – KD 199.99 Link

Best – Kuwait
Nintendo Switch 2 – KD 189.99 Link
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle – KD 199.99 Link

Blink – Kuwait
Nintendo Switch 2 – KD 184.99 Link

Eureka – Kuwait
Nintendo Switch 2 – KD 189.99 Link
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle – KD 199.99 Link

Xcite – Kuwait
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle – KD 204.900 Link

All the stores in Kuwait seem to have the same price except for Xcite who are KD 5 more expensive. Geekay haven’t started pre-orders yet or announced the local price but in Saudi they’re selling the Switch 2 at the following prices:

Geekay – Saudi Arabia
Nintendo Switch 2 – KD 164 Link
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle – KD 180 Link

Jarir is also selling the consoles at the same price:

Jarir – Saudi Arabia
Nintendo Switch 2 – KD 164 Link
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle – KD 180 Link

It seems thats going to be the official (and fixed price) for Saudi since the prices were set by Nintendo themselves Link.

In the UAE, the prices I found were the following:

Gamekart – UAE
Nintendo Switch 2 – KD 167 Link

Jarir – UAE
Nintendo Switch 2 – KD 154 Link
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle – KD 168 Link

I’m hoping once Geekay Kuwait announces their pre-order their prices will be similar to Saudi and the UAE, or at least cheaper than everyone else locally cuz right now it seems absurd why our prices are so much higher.

If you know any other place currently taking pre-orders on the Switch 2, let me know.

Update: According to a contact familiar with the situation, currently local retailers are getting the consoles from the grey market and not Nintendo themselves. So the C button (GameChat) might not work locally and the warranty might also not be valid. It might also explain the June 19 launch date since they might be waiting for the console to launch and then get shipped to Kuwait.
Update2: Added 3R Store who now have the cheapest prices in Kuwait
Update3: 3R Store have now increased their prices and no longer are the cheapest
Update4: Added Blink

Yesterday I downloaded the new COD on the Xbox Game Pass and started playing it. I really wouldn’t have been as interested in the game if it wasn’t for the fact it was banned in Kuwait due to some of the action taking place during the 1991 Gulf War.

You don’t even have to play through the game to get to the hot stuff, the first mission of the game places you right in the middle of the Kuwaiti desert, I love it. I didn’t get beyond the first mission yet since I had to stop playing to watch UFC, but can’t way to keep at it later today so I can see what part of story exactly caused the ban, because it couldn’t have been banned just because it took place during the Gulf War.

Activision has confirmed that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has been banned in Kuwait and so will not be available to download here. Everyone who preordered the game will be getting the order canceled and refunded. Activision released the following statement:

At this time, the title will not be available for release in the region. As a result, all pre-orders in Kuwait will be cancelled and refunded to the original point of purchase. We remain hopeful that local authorities will reconsider, and allow players in Kuwait to enjoy this all-new experience in the Black Ops series. source

The Gulf War setting of the game is likely to be the reason for the ban. But, it’s kinda weird since the game hasn’t come out yet so doubt whoever banned it locally got an early release to evaluate the contents. When a movie gets banned it’s usually after screening, Black Ops 6 is getting banned before screening. So maybe once the game is out and the game is screened they will unban it. For now I guess you can download the game if you have a US account which is what I have, or purchase it next time you’re abroad.

I actually wasn’t interested in the game nor did I realize it was Gulf War related until the ban, but now I’m totally getting it. The game is released on October 25 worldwide.

update: Turns out I don’t even need to buy it since it will be available from day 1 as part of the Xbox Game Pass membership.

GameWorks was an arcade that opened up in Marina Mall back in 2003. It was later renamed to GameWizz and eventually closed down in 2013. While going through one of my boxes the other day I found an old GameWorks recharge card and that triggered some nostalgia which got me looking for photos of the place.

For some reason, I couldn’t find any pictures of the place online. I guess because it was a period of time before camera phones or Instagram were a thing so not a lot of people took photos of the space and shared them online.

I went through my personal archive of photos and found a few, nothing too great and a few that was super low res since they were taken by a Sony Clie PDA, but they’re better than nothing. If you have any photos let me know. Here is a link to all the photos I found.

Last week Apple unveiled their VisionPro VR headset and a couple of days later I ended up experiencing free roam VR and so now I’m really excited about the future.

If you don’t know what free roam VR is, it’s virtual reality in a large room in which you can walk around and navigate freely in. Unlike conventional VR, you’re not just wearing a VR headset and sitting in a chair or standing in one spot, instead you’re walking or running around a room in both the real world and in VR. As a Star Trek fan, the best way to describe it is like being on the holodeck.

I was never able to experience VR properly before due to the fact it would cause me motion sickness. So, when an old friend got in touch with me and invited me to try his new free roam VR business, I was hesitant to go. But he promised me I wouldn’t get motion sickness and he turned out to be right. Zero Latency is an entertainment franchise specializing in multiplayer VR gaming. It’s a cordless experience where you put on the headset and carry a weapon without having to be connected to anything in the room. The room itself is fairly large at 12x12m and the games you get to play take advantage of this.

We played two games, the first was a zombie shooter that took place inside an arena. I’ve been playing video games since the early 80s and from the thousands of games I’ve played they never felt like this. I felt like I was inside the game. Being able to run around to the other side of the room to help my friend shoot up some zombies, and then run back to the other side of the arena to ward off an attack was so much fun, I wasn’t just controlling a character inside a video game, I was that character.

The second game we played was Far Cry VR, one of my favorite video game franchises. This game was a completely different in style since it mostly took place in the jungle and in a larger world. The games mechanics helped enhance that open area feeling because for the first level of the game took place in a small 5x5m area where we were taking cover while shooting the enemies. Once we finished from there the game would make us walk to another area which was say 10x10m. When done we would then walk to another area and that kept happening every level so the game felt really large and so did the real world space.

I had a blast and time just flew by. I thought the first game was 5 minutes long and the second 15, in reality it turned out we played the first game for 15mins and the second for 30. That’s how much fun and immersive the experience. I actually kept thinking about the whole experience for days later. There was a part of Far Cry where I walked to an edge of a cliff and saw a beautiful view and it got me thinking about the potential of the Apple VisionPro once it comes out. It’s very exciting time to be alive.

Zero Latency is located at the new Al Andalus complex in Hawally. Prices start from KD6 and each game can handle up to 8 people. For more information and to book here is the link. They’re also on Instagram @zerolatencyvrkw

Retro City, the arcade place that opened back in 2020 inside Boulevard Mall relocated a couple of months ago to a new location. They’re still inside Boulevard Mall but they’ve moved to a larger space on the top floor instead. They’re across from Fantasy World, on the opposite end of the mall from Sultan Center.

Retro City also carries some toys and figurines from old-school cartoons like Grendizer, Masters of the Universe and Thundercats. If you’re into retro gaming and cartoons, their Instagram is @retrocitykw

Back in 2017, I posted about the eSports scene in Kuwait and since then it kinda took a dip in terms of activities at one point but it looks to be gaining momentum again. Al-Bayan Bilingual School (BBS) now even has an eSports Club which is pretty cool but probably the biggest thing happening right now is VO’s X-Kuwait Esports division.

X-Kuwait is trying to develop athletes as well as set up sporting competitions like The Fifa Winter Games which is going to be held at the end of this month. The 1st place winner will get a 5,000KD cash prize, while 2nd place 3,000KD and 3rd place 1,500KD. Registration to the competition was meant to close yesterday but they’ve extended it by a day. If you want to try your chance at winning 5,000KD, it’s 10KD to register for the tournament and you need to do so today. Here is the registration link.

Also make sure you follow X-Kuwait on instagram to stay posted on other competitions that come up@xkuwait.esports