AMD announced the new Ryzen 7 9850X3D at CES, an overclocked version of what's widely considered to be the fastest CPU for PC gaming - the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. The notable difference here is the increased Boost Clock speed, which has increased by 400 MHz to 5.6 GHz. As the CPU still sports the same 8 'Zen 5' Cores with 16 Threads, 104MB of cache, and a 120W TDP rating, the Ryzen 7 9850X3D will sit alongside the Ryzen 7 9800X3D at retail.

And with that, AMD has confirmed the release date and pricing for the new Ryzen 7 9850X3D, with the CPU expected to launch on January 29 with a SEP (MSRP) of $499 USD. This puts its price only $30 higher than the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, a modest premium to pay for gaming performance that is, on average, 27% faster than Intel's flagship desktop processor, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K.

That said, with the Ryzen 7 9850X3D only a few percentage points faster than the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, it's a CPU for those building a new rig or upgrading from older components. Interestingly, as part of today's announcement, AMD has confirmed that the 2nd Gen 3D V-Cache technology in the Ryzen 7 9850X3D means "high-frequency memory is not required," so it can be paired with entry-level DDR5 kits without sacrificing performance.

Xbox reveals smooth and graceful combat for the new Fable game, showing clear inspirations to the fast hack-and-slash action found in the Witcher series. As it turns out, there's a very good reason for that.

Years ago in 2021, Witcher 3's gameplay designer Paweł Kapała left CD Projekt RED and joined Playground Games to design combat systems for the studio's new Fable project. As per his LinkedIn, Kapala spent over a year at Playground's Leamington Spa-based studio "designing and implementing combat in Fable." Now in today's Developer Direct, we see how Kapala's influence shaped Fable's gameplay.

Fable's new gameplay footage shows off combat that is significantly faster than any of the previous games in the series. If you've played The Witcher 3, you might be reminded of Geralt's fluid swordplay while watching the new Fable in action. There's higher emphasis on smooth animations; gone are the days of arcade-style action from the former games. Fable has been fully modernized, complete with a style and execution reminiscent of today's open-world action adventure RPGs.

Playground Games reveals its take on next-gen NPCs with its so-called "living population," a webwork of over 1,000 characters with dialog, personalities, and multiple player interaction points.

Today's Developer Direct show revealed tons of details about the new Fable game, including an Autumn 2026 launch. The new Fable puts heavy emphasis on influence, choice, and reputation, using NPCs as a big part of how players find agency in the world. These social systems underpin the fairy tale experience that the devs are shooting for; how you are perceived and defined in the world itself is largely influenced by what townsfolk think about you.

Playground went all out for the new Fable in this regard. The studio has created what it calls the 'living population' for its game, describing a bustling world filled with over 1,000 NPCs that apparently do a little more than gamers are used to.

Forza Horizon 6 will be released on May 19 for the Xbox Series X and Series S, plus the PC, with the game coming to the PS5 later in 2026.

Microsoft just announced the release date for the racing game (although it had already been leaked), as VideoCardz noticed, with pre-orders now live - and those who put their money down for the Premium Edition beforehand will get early access four days before the launch (May 15).

Forza Horizon 6 was shown off at Developer_Direct, and Microsoft penned a blog post giving us a bunch of details on the game.

The new Fable game will release in Autumn 2026 on Xbox, PC, and PlayStation 5, Playground Games today revealed at Microsoft's latest Developer Direct showcase.

Today, Playground Games finally got to show off their vision for Xbox's classic fantasy RPG series, Fable. The game is described as a "new beginning" for the franchise, and the footage made that pretty clear, highlighting a bustling world full of interactivity, moral dilemmas, and some swiftly diabolical combat.

"Our game is about choices and consequences," Playground says in the video. The game is chock full of interaction points, and players are constantly making different decisions along the way, all of which affect your reputation in the world and how people see and interact with you.

Beyond Good and Evil 2 is safe from Ubisoft's spree of game cancellations, sources tell Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson.

Ubisoft just shook up its business, restructuring all of its divisions into a more cohesive org with 5 separate groups. Ubisoft calls these segments Creative Houses, and each unit will oversee key franchises and have a specific focus. The major adjustments have caused disruption to Ubisoft's product slate, and the publisher confirms 6 games have been cancelled as a result, with 7 more titles being delayed.

While Ubisoft didn't reveal all of the games that were cancelled, only revealing that the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake had been scrapped, new reports suggest titles that weren't. Sources tell Insider Gaming that Ubisoft is still keeping Beyond Good and Evil 2 alive, and that the project has not been cancelled.

When Borderlands 4 launched in September of last year, it was revealed that the Gearbox Software title was also coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, but at a later date. That "later date" eventually turned into an indefinite delay.

With no official word on when the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Borderlands 4 will release, we can assume the developers are still polishing, but perhaps not much longer. A Portuguese retailer has listed the Switch 2 version of Borderlands 4 alongside a release date of February 27, 2026. Additionally, the retailer lists the game's price at €69.99 and has pre-orders open for the Switch 2 version.

Take-Two stated in November 2025 that Borderlands 4 sales were "softer" than anticipated, but it expects those numbers to fill out "in the fullness of time." Unfortunately, since we have heard no official word on the release or current status of the Switch 2 version of Borderlands 4, we can't say for certain when it will be released, as it's often the case that retail websites list placeholder release dates for upcoming titles. However, retailers have accidentally listed accurate dates in the past.

Trading in games and consoles at GameStop may not be as popular as it once was, but if one YouTuber didn't blow the whistle on an infinite money glitch linked to a GameStop trade-in promotion, the slowly evaporating stores would be flooded with people like they were in the days before online game marketplaces.

YouTuber RJCmedia discovered what he calls an "infinite money glitch" that involves a Nintendo Switch 2 console, and trading it in alongside a pre-owned game. According to the YouTuber, individuals could buy a Nintendo Switch 2, and immediately trade it back in alongside a pre-owned game purchase and net $50 more per transaction. The YouTuber tested this process out in one store and after a success went and visited two more stores, netting $150 in profit.

However, GameStop caught wind of this scheme and quickly rectified the problem. The company put out a statement on its official X account, explaining, "our system briefly valued the pre-owned trade more than the new retail cost of the console itself, creating a narrow window where customers could repeat this transaction over and over again to amass infinite trade credit."

AOC has unveiled a new OLED gaming monitor, a 27-inch model capable of producing 1,500 nits peak brightness with its 4th-generation WOLED panel from LG.

The AOC Q27G4ZDP/WS is a 27-inch WOLED gaming monitor that sports a somewhat rare white housing, but it's not its white finish that has turned heads; it's the fact that the Q27G4ZDP/WS is one of the first monitors to debut with LG's 4th generation WOLED panel, which features the new 4-stack Primary RGB Tandem structure. Additionally, the Q27G4ZDP/WS features an Anti-Glare Low Reflection (AGLR) coating.

As for other specifications, the Q27G4ZDP/WS rocks a 2560 x 1440p resolution, a 0.03ms (GtG) response time, and a 280Hz refresh rate. Furthermore, it has 99% DCI-P3 color space coverage, along with a 335 full panel brightness (Average Picture Level/APL 100%), which can increase to 555 nits at APL 12.5%, and can be bumped up to the aforementioned 1,500 nits in HDR mode.

The CEO of Anthropic has commented on NVIDIA being able to supply China with sophisticated AI chips to power the nation's expansive development in AI, describing the US approving trade between NVIDIA and China as "like selling nuclear weapons to North Korea".

Dario Amodei spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this week and was asked what he thinks about the US approving the export of high-powered AI chips to China, specifically from NVIDIA. Amodei said, "I think this is crazy. It's a bit like selling nuclear weapons to North Korea and bragging that Boeing made the casings."

The response to the question is undoubtedly jarring, especially considering NVIDIA has invested as much as $10 billion into Anthropic, and Anthropic is using NVIDIA hardware to train its own AI models, such as ChatGPT rival, Claude.

It's not just memory; the current AI boom is also affecting the supply of flash-based storage and SSDs. Sitting down with South Korean media outlet Digital Daily, Shunsuke Nakato, Managing Director of Kioxia's Memory Business Unit, has confirmed that the company has already sold through its production capacity for this year.

"To be honest, this year's production volume is already in a 'sold-out' state," Shunsuke Nakato says (machine translated). Adding that this trend will likely continue through 2027, with prices already increasing by around 30%. Nakato adds that KIOXIA isn't simply selling to the highest bidder, but instead to trusted customers and partners who will work with the company long-term, in what the company calls a 'gentleman's approach.'

"There is a sense of crisis that companies will be eliminated the moment they stop investing in AI, so they have no choice but to continue investing," Shunsuke Nakato responded when asked about the current market trends. "There are risk factors such as power shortages in the United States and foundry supply constraints, but NAND demand itself will not decrease next year."

A new report claims Prime Video's upcoming God of War live-action TV show has secured the role of Heimdall.

According to Deadline, Max Parker, known for his roles in Boots, Vampire Academy, Emmerdale, and Blood, Sex & Royalty, will be taking up the role of Odin's son Heimdall, who is tasked with being the Watchman of Asgard, and gifted with the ability to anticipate all events.

Additionally, the character Heimdall believes himself to be the lesser of Odin's children, falling short of ever receiving the Allfather's praise or appreciation. Parker will be joining Ryan Hurst, who will be picking up the Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos to play Kratos.

The TKL (Tenkeyless) keyboard has become the go-to form factor for many in recent years for gaming and productivity. Ditching the Num Pad offers more desk real estate while allowing keyboards to be more compact and portable. That said, for those who have made the TKL switch, there are still those moments when a Num Pad would be handy.

This is why there's a market for external Num Pads, and with that, Keychron's new Q0 HE QMK Wireless Custom Number Pad offers a premium option. With its CNC-machined aluminum body and Gateron double-rail magnetic switches, you're looking at the sort of premium build quality and performance that the company's top-of-the-line keyboards offer.

With web-based customization to adjust the activation points on the switches, ranging from 0.2 to 3.8mm, the addition of Tunneling Magnetoresistance (TMR) technology sensors ensures pinpoint ultra-precise 0.1 mm sensitivity, low latency, and accuracy. And as we're talking about magnetic switches, this is a wireless Num Pad that supports PC gaming features like Rapid Trigger, Last Key Priority (LKP), and the ability to assign multiple functions to a single keystroke.

GAMDIAS has announced its latest mid-tower chassis, the ATLAS M4, and it's packed with a number of impressive features and design choices. With seamless tempered glass panels on the front and side of the chassis, offering panoramic views of your build and components, this is further amplified by the case's unique front-mounted PSU design.

With the PSU mounted high (and you can see the stylized venting through the tempered glass), the downward-facing connectors simplify the build process, and the included extension cable ensures you have access to the PSU at all times. In addition to its modern, stylish, panoramic design, every panel in the GAMDIAS ATLAS M4 is modular and detachable, and the case also supports modern BTF boards for a true cable-free look.

This extends to the tempered glass panels, which are connected via a simple clasp mechanism for that tool-free build and customization experience. Another notable aspect of the design is the "chimney-style ventilation design" that draws in cool air from beneath and then flows through the entire case.

AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.1.1 is available now, and it features a new optional feature for Radeon graphics users called AI Bundle. This streamlined one-click installer is all about installing and making AI development and creative tools ready to use on AMD systems with at least a Radeon RX 7700 desktop GPU or a Ryzen AI 300 Series APU.

"Traditionally, getting an AI stack ready on Windows meant multiple steps and frequent detours: graphics drivers, Python environments, framework downloads, environment variables, and versions that don't play nicely together," AMD explains. "AI Bundle eliminates that complexity. During your AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition application install, simply check the AI Bundle option, and you're ready to go."

The AI Bundle includes PyTorch on Windows for training and inference, ComfyUI for AMD ROCm accelerated creative workflows such as image generation, Ollama for text generation and automation, LM Studio for running large language models, and Amuse for text-to-image generation optimized for Radeon hardware.

NVIDIA revised its Vera Rubin VR200 NVL72 AI server spec at CES 2026 a couple of weeks ago, increasing the HBM4 memory bandwidth by 10% to ensure it beats AMD's upcoming Instinct MI455X AI accelerator.

In a new post on X from @SemiAnalysis, the NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL72 AI server specifications now see HBM4 memory bandwidth at 22.2TB/sec, which is a 10% increase from the specs disclosed by NVIDIA at GTC 2025 last year.

The original 13TB/sec of memory bandwidth from the HBM4 memory was impressive from the original specs unveiled for Vera Rubin NVL144 last year, with NVIDIA originally asking for 9Gbps bandwidth per pin from HBM4, and then a faster 10-11Gbps... but why is that? Why did NVIDIA upgrade the HBM4 bandwidth on Vera Rubin?

AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.1.1 is here, and the latest Radeon graphics driver release is a fairly notable one to kick off the new year. It adds support for the company's new Ryzen AI 400 Series, announced at CES 2026, and introduces a new optional AI Bundle to deliver "next-level simplicity" for "local AI setup" with a one-click solution.

AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition AI Bundle supports Radeon RX 7700-series desktop graphics cards or newer, as well as the company's Ryzen AI 300, AI 400, and AI MAX Series processors. In addition to the arrival of new AI software support, AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition 26.1.1 also includes support for a pair of new games - Starsand Island and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora - From the Ashes Edition.

Plus, there's a whole list of fixes for games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Enshrouded, Diablo 4, and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Here's a look at the Release Notes.

ZOTAC has announced a new model in its ZBOX series of mini PCs: the ZOTAC ZBOX MAGNUS EAMAX395C. Described as its "most powerful AMD-powered ZBOX mini PC," it packs AMD's impressive Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 processor, aka 'Strix Halo,' in a compact 2.65L form factor. With up to 128GB of LPDDR5X-8000 memory, 16 cores and 32 threads, and integrated Radeon 8060S Graphics, it's an impressive unit.

The Radeon 8060S is AMD's most powerful integrated GPU, with 40 RDNA 3.5 Compute Units, and in a Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 system with 128GB of memory, which also means up to 96GB of VRAM. Of course, the Radeon 8060S is still a 1080p gaming graphics card; however, it won't have any issues running most AAA games at 60 FPS with impressive visual fidelity and detail settings.

In addition to gaming, there's also up to 126 Total AI TOPS of performance when you combine the NPU and GPU, making the MAGNUS EAMAX395C an impressively compact unit for running local AI workloads.

It just gets worse... NVIDIA has reportedly paused production on the RTX 5060, as it has reportedly "vastly overbooked AI sales" and has responded by pausing "almost all" GeForce RTX 50 series GPU production... until at least Q3 2026.

In a new video from Moore's Law is Dead, we're hearing some rather depressing -- but not that surprising -- news, that NVIDIA has just halted production of the RTX 5060, on top of the rest of the stack of its RTX 50 series chips. One of MLID's sources said that the RTX 5060 is "done for the next 6 months" and that because it has overbooked AI sales, it is pausing RTX 50 series GPU production until "at least" Q3 2026.

This source said that the RTX 5090, RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5060 Ti 16GB, and RTX 5060 8GB will soon be "unobtanium" and that the RTX 5080, RTX 5070, and RTX 5060 Ti 8GB will trickle down into the market, with "incredibly low volume".

NVIDIA's long-awaited N1X and N1 laptop processors are expected to debut in Q2 2026, with the new Arm-based chips to hopefully ignite the WoA (Windows on Arm) platform in new gaming laptops.

In a new DigiTimes report, we're hearing that NVIDIA's new N1X chips will debut inside of new laptops in Q1, with the new N1X-based laptops hitting retail in Q2, just as the company has reportedly been pulling out of high-end GeForce RTX 50 series graphics cards, the big push will be from its new venture: N1X and N1-based laptops using Arm-based CPU cores.

NVIDIA's new N1X and N1 processors will be fabbed on TSMC's 3nm process node, with a design that looks similar to the GB10 chip inside of the GB10 mini AI supercomputer systems. On the next-gen side of things, the report adds that the upcoming N2X and N2 processors could arrive in Q2 2027, which is just over a year away now, as NVIDIA continues to drum into new Arm-based laptop markets.