Latest News - Page 107

If you've got an Intel Arc graphics card and were disappointed at the lack of support for Crimson Desert, apparently this has now been fixed.

Wccftech flagged up that as of the most recent version 32.0.101.8629 of the Arc graphics driver, Crimson Desert now works.

This is based on feedback from Redditors, one of whom explained: "I just updated the driver for my B580, and now the game works. There are some glitches on the faces and terrain, but it's playable."

Microsoft introduced its Achievements and Gamescore system on the Xbox 360 console, rewarding in-game progress and becoming a game-changer for the wider industry. It led Sony to implement its Trophy system for PlayStation and Valve to add Steam Achievements to its platform. Cut to 2026, and Microsoft's Xbox team is introducing the biggest overhaul and update to its Achievements system since its debut.

Available now for select Xbox Insiders to test, Microsoft notes that these updates are all about making it "easier to celebrate your accomplishments and curate how they appear on your profile." Plus, Achievements are getting a visual refresh with updated icons and new animations for classic or rare achievements, matched to your Xbox UI color.

Perhaps the most notable update, and one that Xbox gamers have been asking to see for years, is the ability to hide games from your Achievements history. This only affects how your profile looks, so those games where you only got 5 points out of 1000 will still count toward your total Gamerscore, but are now no longer visible.

A new study from the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) Education Fund, examining the repairability of 2026 laptops and smartphones, provides insight into the repairability of modern hardware. The study uses the French index to calculate results, which measures the availability of repair documentation and spare parts, the affordability of parts, tool requirements, software updates, and more.

And with that, the Failing the Fix (2026) report assigns a letter grade to companies based on the repairability of their devices. The two companies that scored the lowest are Apple, which got a C-, and then Lenovo, which scored a C. The good news for Lenovo is that this is an improvement over last year's F grade, indicating that the company's ThinkPad, Yoga, and Legion laptop lines have seen notable gains in repairability.

This gives Apple the lowest score among the top eight brands, with ASUS scoring the highest at B+, followed by Acer at B. One of the main reasons Apple now scores the lowest for its MacBook range is a low disassembly score, which makes it hard for consumers to access hardware components directly.

According to a new report from Nikkei Asia, citing an analysis from RationalFX, there have been approximately 78,557 layoffs in the tech industry so far this year. This covers the period running from January 1 to April 1, with the report also stating that nearly half, or around 37,638, of these job losses were directly linked to "AI implementation and workflow automation."

However, one additional stat adds a new layer to these figures: 76.7% of these cuts occurred in the United States, meaning roughly 60,000 of the 80,000 tech industry layoffs were U.S.-based. And when it comes to jobs being lost to AI for productivity gains and roles that are seemingly becoming redundant, it's believed that a large portion of these cuts could be driven by the expectation that AI will improve productivity, rather than by actual data reflecting this.

"I don't know if they are directly related to actual productivity gains," said Babak Hodjat, chief AI officer at Cognizant, of the job cuts. "Sometimes, you know, AI becomes the scapegoat from a financial perspective, like when a company hired too many, or they want to resize, and it gets blamed on AI." And with that, it would still take up to a year before companies start seeing notable productivity gains from AI.

Although Intel's 'Big Battlemage' graphics card hasn't arrived in PC gaming form, the latest Intel Graphics Driver 32.0.101.8629 (WHQL Certified) has added official 'Gaming Support' for the new Intel Arc Pro B70. This workstation GPU, which recently launched, includes the chip that could have powered an Intel Arc B770 GPU, complementing the mainstream-focused Intel Arc B580 GPU, which is now a couple of years old.

With 32 Xe Cores and 32GB of GDDR6 memory, the new Intel Arc Pro B70 (starting at $949 USD) is an AI-focused GPU designed to offer a more affordable inference solution for AI enthusiasts. However, as its BMG-G31 die also includes ray-tracing capabilities and other gaming-focused technologies, it's also a capable PC gaming option. And with that, it makes sense that the latest 'Game On Graphics Driver' for Arc Graphics has added official Gaming Support for the new Intel Arc Pro B70 and Intel Arc Pro B65 GPUs.

Of course, this isn't to say that the Intel Arc Pro B70 is now a viable option for PC gamers, as its design, cooling, and pricing sit in the AI workstation tier, where hardware costs are significantly higher than those of gaming components. That said, we do have a general idea of how the Intel Arc Pro B70 performs during gaming workloads, so it's a shame that we're not getting an official 'Big Battlemage' gaming option.

Before there were Settings, there was Control Panel. The legacy interface for changing Windows settings or accessing hardware and network tools has been part of the operating system for decades, and the classic Control Panel view is still available in Windows 11. However, it sounds like its days are numbered as Microsoft is migrating everything over to the new Settings app.

According to March Rogers, Partner Director of Design at Microsoft, the Windows team is doing exactly that, but the process itself might take a while due to the complexity of handling legacy features that have been part of Windows since the days of floppy disks and CD-ROMs.

"We're working our way through migrating all the old Control Panel controls into the modern Settings apps," March Rogers wrote on X in response to a question about Control Panel's more in-depth tools compared to the modern Settings app. "We're doing it carefully because there are a lot of different network and printer devices and drivers we need to make sure we don't break in the process."

Amazon is pulling support for some of its oldest Kindle hardware. Starting May 20, e-readers and Kindle Fire tablets released in 2012 and earlier will no longer be able to purchase, borrow, or download new content directly from the Kindle Store. This marks the end of the line for some perfectly functional older Kindle models that, in some cases, have outlasted entire smartphone ecosystems. End-of-support got them in the end.

Affected models include the original Kindle (1st and 2nd generation), Kindle DX and DX Graphite, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle 4 and 5, Kindle Touch, and the first-generation Kindle Paperwhite. On the tablet side, it includes the first- and second-gen Kindle Fires, the Kindle Fire HD 7, and the Kindle Fire HD 8.9. Here's the full list of affected devices:

After the cutoff, these devices won't shut down right away. Owners can still read books they already downloaded, so now is the time to stock up on e-books. Existing libraries will also be accessible through newer Kindle hardware, the Kindle mobile app, and Kindle for Web.

Over the weekend, retailer listings started popping up suggesting AMD's upcoming Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 could cost close to $1,000. AMD has now lifted the curtain on pricing. The CPU will retail at $899, confirmed today on X by AMD's David McAfee, VP and GM of Ryzen CPU and Radeon Graphics. The new flagship desktop CPU will be available on April 22.

Now for the comparison. The $899 price tag is at least lower than what early listings suggested, but it still represents a $200 premium over the regular Ryzen 9 9950X3D, which launched at $699. That works out to around a 29% increase. With the 9950X3D sitting at $675 on Amazon right now, the gap at launch is closer to 33%.

That $200 premium goes toward making the 9950X3D2 the first dual-cache X3D CPU from AMD, applying 3D V-Cache packaging to both eight-core CCDs rather than just one. Worth noting is that AMD is not positioning this as a gaming chip. While X3D processors like the Ryzen 7 9850X3D are aimed at gamers chasing high frame rates, AMD is pitching the 9950X3D2 as a workstation-level CPU "built for developers and content creators tackling complex workloads and massive datasets."

Nintendo is reportedly looking at ideas for new film adaptations, and that might include exploring a possible Luigi's Mansion movie.

With the Super Mario Galaxy overshooting opening projections by tens of millions of dollars, and recently breaking the $400 million in global ticket sales, Nintendo is apparently eyeing what's next for Mario movies.

New reports from well-known insider and podcaster Shpeshal Nick indicate that Nintendo is looking at offbeat options for more films, including a potential big screen version of Luigi's Mansion.

Two new features aimed at helping users reach a wider audience and edit images are making their way onto Elon Musk's social media platform X. Both features are powered by xAI's Grok models and aim to improve the in-app experience while keeping users inside the app rather than relying on third-party tools.

Late Tuesday, X's head of product, Nikita Bier, announced that automatic translation is rolling out worldwide, allowing users to instantly read content in their preferred language without manually translating it. The feature is designed to give posts in any language a global reach and reduce reliance on Google Translate. Users who prefer the original text can tap the gear icon on a translated post and toggle off automatic translation for that particular language.

Alongside translation, X has also introduced a new in-app photo editor on iOS. The tool gives users access to drawing and text tools, plus a blur feature that lets users hide sensitive information, such as credit card or Social Security numbers, from images.

ASUS just unveiled its Snapdragon X2 Elite laptop series to widespread praise, with the verdict on its Zenbook A16 landing as "pretty much unbeatable at $1,599." Qualcomm's newest Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme chip proved to be a winner in areas like battery life and GPU-accelerated workloads, paired with a whopping 48GB of RAM amid a RAM shortage and a 1TB SSD, making the A16 a formidable alternative to Apple's MacBook Pro lineup.

However, the Taiwanese firm may have gotten too greedy, as many have noticed shady pricing changes across Snapdragon X2 systems. ASUS was one of the first to list laptops powered by Qualcomm's new chips before the embargo ended. Soon after reviews went live, ASUS and Best Buy appear to have quietly raised prices across parts of the Snapdragon X2 Elite lineup without explanation.

According to Hardware Canucks on X, the Zenbook A16, which offered the best bang for the buck, saw a $100 MSRP bump, going from $1,599 to $1,700. Its less powerful sibling, the A14, took an even bigger hit, with a $350 increase from $1,000 to $1,350. Hardware Canucks said its review was based on pricing communicated before publication, but the numbers changed significantly after going live. That is not a good look for a launch that was built entirely around price and positioning.

CD Projekt goes all-in on PS5 Pro support, adding a trio of new enhanced modes for Cyberpunk 2077--including one that allows up to 90FPS on Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) displays.

Cyberpunk 2077 has come a long way from 2020, where it barely functioned on base PS4 hardware. Sony and CD Projekt today announced substantial optimizations for Cyberpunk 2077 on PS5 Pro that can beef up visuals and the responsiveness of gameplay. The devs also say that the PS Plus version of Cyberpunk 2077 will also get these modes.

"We know players have different priorities while gaming, so are happy to offer three distinct PS5 Pro modes that allow everyone to unlock an experience that suits them," CD Projekt's VP of global art direction Kuba Knapik said on the PlayStation Blog.

Valve appears to be getting on the AI train, starting with technical and customer support. In the recent Steam update code, leakers have spotted references to a new "SteamGPT" feature that will use AI to automatically handle customer support tickets. Valve also plans to use the feature in Counter-Strike 2 to help tackle the game's persistent cheating problem.

This comes from content creator GabeFollower, who highlighted newly spotted strings and code snippets on X. The lines contain references to generic task creation and response tied to task queues, labeling jobs, test results, and fine-tuning data. A separate service called SteamGPTSummary appears to pull account-level details, including profile info, Steam Guard status, security history, country, VAC status, phone data, fraud flags, and playtime.

Additional snippets reference Trust_GetTrustScoreInternal, CSbot, player_evaluation, and SteamGPTRenderFarm, which suggests SteamGPT will also connect to Valve's Trust Score system. For those unfamiliar, Trust Score powers Valve's patented Trust Factor Matchmaking. It uses machine learning to analyze and score players based on their in-game behavior, then pairs them with teammates and opponents of similar trustworthiness. Think skill-based matchmaking, but with behavior factored in, something Counter-Strike 2 players will likely be familiar with.

Nintendo's latest free-to-play Pokemon game released today, complete with paid battle passes and a hefty subscription centered around the game.

Pokemon Champions just launched on Switch and Switch 2, offering free arena battles, creature collecting, and trainer customization. Nintendo refers to this game as free-to-start, which is the company's nomenclature for free-to-play, but there's also an array of paid options that significantly improve your experience, including a premium battle pass, a paid membership subscription, and even a starter pack bundle.

The new F2P Pokemon game follows a typical live service model with monetized options. The premium battle pass costs $9.99, and retroactively unlocks all premium benefits from previously unlocked tiers. The pass rewards range from Victory Points (VP) currency, tickets, cosmetics, and even Pokemon. These passes expire every season, though, and auto-renew is turned on once signed up.

Thanks to the efforts of a well-known leaker, a Korean retailer, and a Halo news reporter, it seems like the release date for Halo Campaign Evolved has been revealed.

According to the latest reports, the new Halo CE remake will release on PS5, Xbox, and PC starting on July 23. The game will have a more expensive deluxe edition that gives 5-day early access and that window begins on July 23. The base version of Halo Campaign Evolved is set to launch on July 28 for everyone else.

The news comes by way of a pre-demand survey from an unnamed Korean retailer, as per Reddit. The same info was teased by trusted Halo source grunt.api in a kind of coded message, and the dates were then confirmed to games reporter and YouTuber Rebs Gaming.

Hello Games has gone all out with No Man's Sky, adding what looks to be one of the most hugely addictive updates yet: Simulated alien pet battles, Pokemon-style.

No Man's Sky's latest free Xeno Arena update is a true testament to nerdery. The update allows gamers to find, capture, and train their own xeno alien pets and then have them duke it out in turn-based combat. It very much feels like a Pokemon in space type of experience, and Hello Games has amped up the nerd dial to 11 by replicating the Dejarik alien chess board found in Star Wars.

"Find, train, and battle your pets for the ultimate rewards! Assemble your team and discover new xeno species with rare abilities. Genetically modify your eggs, and battle with friends. Together, your bond can overcome anything."

Anthropic's unreleased Claude Mythos is described as a "general-purpose, unreleased frontier model," but its coding capabilities are so powerful that it poses a real and unprecedented cybersecurity threat. According to the AI company, the Mythos Preview has already "found thousands of high-severity vulnerabilities" in every major operating system and web browser.

Its coding capabilities are so strong that, apparently, only the "most skilled humans" could beat it at finding and exploiting these vulnerabilities. "Given the rate of AI progress, it will not be long before such capabilities proliferate, potentially beyond actors who are committed to deploying them safely," Anthropic explains. "The fallout - for economies, public safety, and national security - could be severe."

And with that, Claude Mythos won't be getting a public release anytime soon, but it's currently being deployed as part of the new Project Glasswing initiative designed to "secure the world's most critical software."

Corsair is expanding its modular FRAME Series of cases for DIY builders with two new additions designed to appeal to those seeking a specific look or aesthetic. The new Corsair FRAME 4000X RS is all about RGB lighting, featuring a new RGB Flow front panel with 64 built-in, customizable RGB LEDs while maintaining the FRAME Series' impressive airflow.

The lights on the front panel can also be connected to a motherboard's +5V RGB header for syncing. The FRAME 4000X RS also includes four pre-installed 4x RS120 fans to maximize airflow out of the box, and the revamped design features a full-length tempered glass side panel to showcase your hardware. And to maintain a clean look, there's also a power supply shroud.

The next addition presents a very different look with the new Corsair FRAME 4000D WOOD RS, featuring a front panel made from a single piece of FSC-certified wood to maintain a uniform wood-grain pattern. Corsair notes that this FRAM variant is for those who want a more natural-looking case or something for a home office that doesn't scream "gaming."

Reviews for laptops and Copilot+ PCs featuring Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X2 Elite processor have begun to appear online, and the second-generation Windows on Arm platform is proving to be a winner in areas like battery life and even GPU-accelerated workloads.

However, as the original Snapdragon X Elite struggled to even run games due to the Windows PRISM emulation layer required to play most titles, one of the big questions with this second generation is how gaming performance compares to the latest iGPU offerings from AMD and Intel. Right off the bat, the good news is that game compatibility appears to have dramatically improved.

The review from Hardware Canucks notes that 9 out of 12 games in its benchmark suite run fine on the new Snapdragon X2 Elite processor, with online titles like ARC Raiders, PUBG, and Battlefield 6 failing to load due to anti-cheat technologies. As for performance in games that run, it's mostly positive but also a mixed bag, with inconsistent performance and issues that go beyond FPS numbers.

A new report by industry analyst Tim Culpan confirms what we've previously reported: Apple's affordable new MacBook Neo is a success. So much so that it has apparently surpassed Apple's expectations, and the company now finds itself in a bit of a weird spot about whether to boost production or let it sell out and focus on next year's refresh.

The reason for this comes down to the MacBook Neo's unique design, in that it's powered by the same A18 Pro chip found in the previous generation's iPhone 16 Pro. According to sources close to the MacBook Neo's design, it uses leftover chips from the original A18 Pro production run, including some with defects, which is why it only features a 5-core GPU rather than the 6-core GPU in the iPhone 16 Pro.

And with that, the problem Apple is now facing is that it's going to run out of MacBook Neo laptops long before it can meet demand for the device. Tim Culpan notes that the original plan was to build around 5 to 6 million units, and if Apple wants to make more, it will need to make more A18 Pro chips, which are built on TSMC's 3nm N3E process. And yes, this popular node is basically sold out.