Nearly a decade after launch, Nintendo has fixed the one thing Switch owners have been complaining about since 2017. Firmware update 22.5.0, released for the original Nintendo Switch, converts the eShop from a painfully slow web-based interface into a native app. This brings it in line with what Switch 2 users have had since the console launched last year.

For context, the original eShop was always so sluggish because it was running as a wrapped web app rather than a proper native application. This meant every scroll and page load was fighting against the overhead of a browser session. Switch 2 solved this at launch by building the eShop as a native app from the start. Nintendo has now done the same for the original hardware.

Users who tested the update described the eShop as "buttery smooth", with games showing up in batches as you scroll instead of slowly loading one at a time. Daniel Vuckovic on Bluesky posted a clip of the new experience in action, and the contrast with the old version is stark. It is not quite as fast as Switch 2's eShop, given the hardware difference, but it is a world apart from where it was.

TSMC's fully booked production capacity is no longer just an industry talking point, as the ripple effects are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. According to a report from Nikkei Asia, a growing list of major chip customers, including AMD, Google, Nvidia-backed Groq, Tesla, and BYD, are in discussions with Samsung Foundry about manufacturing future chips as demand continues to outstrip TSMC's available capacity.

AMD is reportedly in talks with Samsung about manufacturing certain future CPUs starting in 2028. Google is discussing two separate Samsung engagements. One covers its next-generation Axion processors expected around 2028, while the other involves components tied to its 10th-generation Tensor Processing Unit, codenamed Icefish, which is being co-developed with MediaTek.

Meanwhile, Tesla has already confirmed that its next-generation AI6 chip will be produced at Samsung's Texas facility. BYD, the world's largest electric vehicle maker, is also in discussions with Samsung about manufacturing future autonomous driving chips. Groq, which develops language processing units and is backed by NVIDIA, is already producing chips at Samsung and may also use the foundry for its next-generation products.

Destiny 2 may stay in retirement as the recent wave of players may not be enough to sway Bungie's/Sony's decision on sunsetting the online FPS.

Faced with financial pressures, Bungie is putting Destiny 2 into stasis. The studio simply doesn't have enough money to fund Marathon and Destiny 2 at the same time, and the studio's assets have been hit hard by a hefty $750 million impairment charge. This basically means that Bungie's games failed in a way that triggered accounting adjustments that impacted and lowered Bungie's net profit by creating another expense on its income statement.

The news sparked a campaign among hopeful gamers that Destiny 2, or the Destiny franchise, could be revived if enough players showed up. The game has had over 100K players on Steam for the past 9 days in a row, since the Monument of Triumph update released. Unfortunately, sources tell Forbes' Paul Tassi that this outpouring of player support hasn't affected the decision around Destiny 2.

AMD has officially confirmed its next-generation Ryzen Threadripper family, codenamed "Mustang Peak." The upcoming lineup will move to a new TR6 platform, bringing Zen 6 cores built on TSMC's 2nm process and PCIe 6.0 support. The confirmation comes from AMD's own documentation, spotted by leaker IntaLatX64, which lists "TR6 Mustang Peak" as a Threadripper Pro CPU under the Family 1Ah Model A8h series.

AMD has not released specifics such as SKUs, core counts, clock speeds, cache sizes, TDPs, chipsets, or a release window. What the documentation does confirm is DDR5 memory support and PCIe Gen 6, the latter doubling per-lane bandwidth compared to the PCIe 5.0 lanes on the current TR5 platform.

The current Ryzen Threadripper 9000 series, codenamed Shimada Peak, is based on 3nm Zen 5 architecture and tops out at 96 cores and 192 threads with a 350W TDP and up to 128 PCIe 5.0 lanes. TR5 has served two generations now, covering both the Threadripper 7000 and 9000 families, making TR6 the first platform change since the 7000 series launched.

Sony Interactive Entertainment has filed a patent for a PlayStation controller with buttons that physically change their hardness and resistance during gameplay. The application was filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization in November 2024 and published in May 2026, with the patent recently brought to light by the folks at Cheat Happens.

The DualSense controller introduced adaptive triggers and haptic motors that changed how controllers could respond to on-screen context. However, the face buttons and joysticks themselves still provide a fixed physical feel. This patent aims to change that by bringing adaptive feedback to the face buttons as well, using two main approaches.

The first uses a magneto-viscoelastic elastomer, a material embedded with magnetizable particles that can soften or harden in response to a surrounding magnetic field controlled by the game in real time. The second approach involves fluid-filled membranes that achieve a similar tactile effect. Both methods would allow the game to dynamically alter how much force is required to press a button depending on what is happening on screen.

If you use Wallpaper Engine, now's a good time to pay attention. Kaspersky researchers have discovered that hackers are hiding malware inside wallpaper packages on the Steam Workshop, using them to steal Steam accounts and install additional malicious software on victims' PCs. The bad actors are exploiting the popularity of Steam's Wallpaper Engine to funnel users to the Workshop, from which they distribute malware.

Here's why this works so well: unlike a regular JPEG or PNG, Wallpaper Engine's "application wallpapers" are actual Windows executables that run on your system like any other program. That makes them a pretty convenient hiding spot for bad actors. The Wallpaper Engine also houses wallpapers in other formats, but it is these "application wallpapers' that are the primary source of the attack.

Once you launch one of these infected wallpapers, it drops a backdoor onto your system, part of the DarkKomet malware family, and quietly installs a modified system library designed to hunt down your Steam credentials and hijack your active session. After taking over your Steam account, the attackers use it to upload additional infected wallpapers, perpetuating the cycle by compromising more PCs.

Microsoft is currently breaking up its Xbox Game Studios label to reduce costs, and the layoffs are also hitting other divisions like ZeniMax.

New reports indicate that layoffs have begun at Bethesda's parent ZeniMax. People behind the scenes have told Duke Nukem creator George Broussard that layoffs are currently happening at ZeniMax, potentially affecting all groups under the limited-integration company--ZeniMax Online Studios, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, Arkane Lyon, and Machine Games.

"Getting word that layoffs at Zenimax has begun. Heard rumblings recently that the cuts may be much deeper than you expect," Broussard said on Twitter. The 3D Realms co-founder goes on to say that only developers working on Fallout and The Elder Scrolls may be 'safe' from the layoffs.

Intel used the 2026 VLSI Symposium in Honolulu this week to confirm that its 18A-P process node has officially entered risk production, hitting the timeline it promised customers and partners last year. That is a meaningful checkpoint. Risk production means the node is transitioning from R&D to early-stage manufacturing, with data indicating it will meet customer requirements before full qualification.

The numbers Intel put on the board are solid for what is a node refresh rather than a full generational leap. It looks like 18A-P delivers 9% higher performance at the same power draw compared to standard 18A, or 18% lower power consumption at equivalent performance. Thermal resistance improves by 20-40%, and via resistance drops by 10-30%.

In terms of features, Intel also unveiled Power Boost, a new dual-contact, low-resistance transistor option that increases drive current and gives designers more frequency headroom. As we previously covered, these figures were already circulating before VLSI, and Intel has now officially confirmed them all.

MSI joins GIGABYTE, ASUS, and ASRock as the fourth manufacturer to add HUDIMM support to its DDR5 Intel motherboard lineup. MSI announced in a blog post that it has rolled out motherboard updates for its entire Intel 600, 700, and 800 series motherboard lineups, adding support for the budget-friendly memory form factor. If you own a compatible board, you can go to the product page for your MSI motherboard to download the appropriate BIOS update.

HUDIMM is a new memory form factor that was made in collaboration with ASRock, Intel and TeamGroup to counter the skyrocketing prices of DRAM thanks to the AI boom. These budget-focused modules are cut-down versions of traditional DDR5 DIMMs, featuring just a single sub-channel, cutting memory bandwidth in half compared to regular DDR5 DIMMs. This bandwidth reduction is so significant that DDR4 memory can outperform HUDIMM DDR5 - depending on memory speed. Despite this, synthetic testing has shown that gaming performance could be largely unaffected by HUDIMM's bandwidth-limiting single-channel configuration, especially when two memory sticks are present and running in a dual-channel configuration.

Motherboards supporting HUDIMM memory can mix and match the modules with traditional DDR5 DIMMs. This is beneficial in specific cases where buying mixed DDR5 memory setups consisting of HUDIMMs and traditional DIMMs is a more cost-effective and/or performant solution compared to buying just DDR5 DIMMs. For example, pairing a single 16GB DIMM with an 8GB HUDIMM will yield better performance than buying a single 24GB DIMM. Mixing and matching is also highly beneficial for existing setups where users want to upgrade their DDR5 setups with HUDIMM memory.

After showcasing Senua, Ninja Theory's upcoming new game in the Hellblade franchise, Xbox announced it was closing down Ninja Theory just eight days after Senua was unveiled, marking a world record for the fastest turnaround time for a publisher unveiling an AAA title and then announcing the closure of the studio behind that title.

However, new details have emerged that have shed light on the situation, with Game File reporting that the reveal of Senua at The Xbox Games Showcase was intentional,, as Xbox used it as an opportunity to advertise Ninja Theory in an effort to attract a buyer.

Additionally, the report states that the decision to close Ninja Theory's doors was made before the announcement of Senua on June 7. The advertising opportunity for the studio has apparently been failing, as reports continue to surface stating Ninja Theory isn't engaging in negotiations and is preparing for closure. These same reports state that the other two studios Xbox announced were closing, Compulsion and Double Fine, are actively negotiating with Microsoft's gaming arm.

Okay, as far as custom PCs and mods go, this one from creator modifiedgg is a little out there because it puts a gaming PC and full racing rig inside an actual 1998 Nissan Skyline R34 GTT. Yes, this classic Japanese automobile is renowned for its stylish design and performance and is featured in the latest open-world racing hit, Forza Horizon 6, which is set in Japan.

So yeah, on paper, an ambitious mod and build like this, highlighted by NVIDIA as part of its GeForce Garage build series, makes sense as a Forza Horizon 6 custom PC, but it's still incredibly over-the-top. For example, the actual PC hardware is mounted under the hood in a chassis designed to resemble the 1998 Nissan Skyline R34 GTT engine it replaces.

And that's not all, as you've got premium Moza Racing sim peripherals mounted inside the Skyline, replacing the existing steering wheel and so forth, with multiple AOC monitors, including a super ultrawide display mounted in place of the front windscreen and left and right-side passenger windows.

NVIDIA's RTX Remix continues to evolve and expand as more modders use it to breathe new life into classic PC games thanks to its ability to remake and rebuild games with modern path-traced lighting, remastered assets, and more. This week NVIDIA is releasing RTX Remix 1.5, which is available now via GitHub or through the NVIDIA App, and it brings several notable updates.

The first of which, and one that the RTX Remix community has heavily requested, is called Smooth Normals. Basically, this takes the blocky, polygonal look of classic PC games and lets modders make environments and objects look less blocky and more modern with path tracing.

The second notable update is the arrival of RTX IO support to speed up loading times, stream high-quality assets, and reduce overall mod install sizes. RTX IO leverages your GeForce RTX GPU for decompression, freeing up the CPU for other tasks, and it works with Microsoft's DirectStorage API. NVIDIA notes that notable RTX Remix projects on Steam, like Portal with RTX, Portal: Prelude RTX, and the Half-Life 2 RTX demo, all feature RTX IO.

Although tablets have evolved over time with more advanced processors, improved displays, and lighter form factors, the overall functionality hasn't really changed. And really, you could boil the options down to two categories: Apple's iPad devices running iOS and everything else running Android. However, Lenovo's new surprisingly affordable Tab Plus Gen 2 tablet is different from anything else we've seen because it's a tablet and portable Bluetooth speaker in one.

Partnering with the audio experts at JBL, the Tab Plus Gen 2 includes an integrated JBL 9-unit Pro speaker system with Dolby Atmos support, a nine-speaker system that's essentially a portable Bluetooth speaker mounted to the back of the tablet. And the Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 features a dedicated Bluetooth speaker mode so it can function as a standalone speaker in addition to being a 12.1-inch tablet.

And to support the dual nature of the device and using the speaker for watching movies, streaming shows, or listening to music, the Tab Plus Gen 2 features an integrated 360-degree kickstand that can support multiple portrait and landscape orientations. And you get a custom carrying sleeve for portability and transport.

Microsoft has announced the availability of its new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop devices powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 processors. These Windows on Arm devices arrive as the Windows 11 x86 alternative continues to expand, with Microsoft also teasing that its premium Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by NVIDIA's new RTX Spark processor, is on track to release sometime "later this year."

Microsoft notes that the Surface Laptop Ultra is its "most powerful Surface Laptop ever, built for developers and creative professionals pushing their work further." In addition, Microsoft will release a Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, marking Surface's entry into the Mini PC realm with a powerful Windows on Arm box featuring the new RTX Spark processor.

As for the new Snapdragon X2 devices, they are definitely more affordable options (early word from all RTX Spark partners hints that those devices are "premium," which means expensive), with the Surface Pro 13-inch being a 2-in-1 tablet-and-laptop hybrid. Starting at $1,499 USD, Microsoft is touting a 53% improvement in graphics performance compared to first-gen Snapdragon X devices, up to 15.5 hours of battery life, and impressive features such as an OLED display and a 1440p Quad HD camera.

Sandisk has announced a new lineup of officially licensed SSD storage for the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro consoles. Sandisk Optimus GX PRO 850P NVMe SSD Series for PS5 consoles ship with an integrated optimized heatsink sporting the iconic PlayStation logo, not that you'd see it once the drive is installed, and deliver Read and Write speeds of up to 7,300 MB/s and 6,600 MB/s, respectively.

The physical design is impressive, and these SSDs unlock the full potential of PCIe 4.0 technology on the PS5, making them faster than the internal storage that ships with each console. Additional specs include up to 1.2 million Random Read and Random Write IOPS, and a 5-year limited warranty, so these are definitely premium options for expanding console storage.

And they will be available in a wide range of capacities: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and even an impressive 8TB model. However, as the headline to this story alludes to, with the current memory and storage crisis driving up the prices of consumer technology, the Sandisk Optimus GX PRO 850P NVMe SSD for PS5 8TB model has an eye-watering price of $2,959.99 on Sandisk's official store. That price is equivalent to 4.6 PlayStation 5 consoles at their current price of $649.99. Even the 2TB model costs more than a PlayStation 5 console.

Nintendo is about to make life harder for Switch 2 scalpers by tightening its grip on the console's sales in Japan. The company is introducing new purchasing restrictions, directly targeting scalpers who have exploited the weaker yen to buy consoles cheaply and resell them overseas at a markup.

These restrictions cover only the multi-language version of the Nintendo Switch 2 that Nintendo sells through its official Japanese store. Scalpers target this version because the Japan-exclusive model supports only Japanese text and characters, making it less appealing outside the country. The multi-language version, on the other hand, works anywhere, and the exchange rate makes Japan an attractive place to source at lower prices.

Nintendo confirmed on X that it had identified multiple orders suspected of scalping and temporarily suspended sales of the multi-language model. When sales resume, buyers will need to meet two conditions. First, their Nintendo Account must show at least 50 hours of playtime on the original Nintendo Switch. Time spent on demos or free-to-play software does not qualify. And secondly, purchases are limited to one console per Nintendo Account.

Epic Games is utilizing generative AI programs and tools like Nano Banana and GPT Image to help with the early designs of Fortnite content.

Epic has given an interesting behind-the-scenes look at how it's using gen AI to make games. The industry-leading engine-maker, which has also made $20 billion gross revenue from Fortnite in less than 8 years, is using gen AI tools in a bid to create content faster and more "efficiently."

Now in a recent video, Epic shows an example of its workflow using gen AI. The developers highlight various tools, including an in-house "genmedia" bridge built right into Photoshop, and go through the step-by-step process. Epic starts with a sketch hand-drawn by an actual person, and that is then passed through the custom genmedia bridge which basically lets devs use written AI prompts to adjust the image.

Lenovo's first RTX Spark laptop has been pictured in a new report from Windows Latest, giving us a look at the Yoga Pro 9n ahead of its fall 2026 launch. Lenovo already unveiled the laptop at the NVIDIA RTX Spark launch event, though the company had confirmed very few details about its specs.

The new images show a 15-inch machine in Thunder Gray that shares recognizable design DNA with the Intel-powered Yoga Pro 9i, but with major differences under the hood and chassis. The Yoga Pro 9n is built around NVIDIA's RTX Spark N1X platform, an ARM-based chip that combines a 20-core Grace CPU with a Blackwell GPU. The platform is designed to bring discrete-class RTX graphics and AI performance into a single unified package.

At 15 inches, the Yoga Pro 9n is slightly more compact than the 16-inch 9i, and the chassis leans into that with a slim aluminum build, smooth rounded edges, and a large rear exhaust area that Lenovo has designed for sustained performance rather than passive cooling. The bottom panel has a wide intake grille spanning most of the width, and the rear vents are substantial. A six-speaker setup with four woofers and two tweeters is visible in the images, alongside Dolby Vision Atmos branding.

AMD's next-generation Ryzen desktop processors are shaping up to make a notable trade-off. According to a leak from X user Gotou_3rd, corroborated by Wccftech, the upcoming Zen 6-based lineup codenamed Olympic Ridge will integrate a dedicated NPU into the processor's I/O die while removing the integrated GPU entirely.

Since the Ryzen 7000 series launched on AM5, AMD has included a basic two-compute-unit Radeon GPU on its desktop processors. It is not a gaming solution by any measure, but it serves a real purpose for office deployments and, more practically, for diagnostics when a discrete GPU fails or a system boots to a black screen. Removing it means builders will need a working discrete card to troubleshoot video-related issues.

The silicon space freed up by removing the iGPU is being reallocated to an NPU, making Olympic Ridge the first standard non-APU AMD desktop CPU to feature dedicated AI acceleration hardware. AMD already offers NPUs in its AM5 desktop APUs and the Ryzen AI Halo mini PC, but those are based on mobile-style APU silicon.

Normally, using a PlayStation 5 DualSense controller on PC with full haptic feedback requires a wired connection. Despite expanding its PC accessory lineup and even releasing a PC-focused version of the controller, Sony still hasn't addressed this limitation. Instead, a third-party app may have finally solved the problem thanks to the new DSX v3.2 Beta 01 update.

DSX, also known as DualSenseX, has released v3.2 Beta 01 on Steam, adding support for native DualSense audio and haptic feedback over Bluetooth. The update works by creating a virtual DualSense device that games recognize as a wired controller, then transmitting trigger, light, and haptic data wirelessly through a custom software layer.

This workaround is required because Windows' Bluetooth stack lacks support for the high-bandwidth audio stream required by DualSense haptics. DSX, therefore, emulates a wired connection and transmits the data wirelessly. The feature requires DSX+, the paid add-on for creating Virtual DualSense. DSX itself is available on Steam for $7.99, with the DSX+ DLC at $3.99. A bundle of both costs $9.58.