Latest News - Page 142

With the arrival of the Radeon RX 9000 Series of desktop graphics cards in 2025, AMD's RDNA 4-powered GPUs also launched with the company's new AI-powered FSR 4 rendering technology that has recently expanded to include Frame Generation and Ray Reconstruction as part of the company's FSR Redstone initiative.

Requiring the more advanced FP8-capable AI hardware found in RDNA 4 GPUs, FSR 4 quickly became a highlight of the Radeon RX 9070 XT's launch, as the new and improved FSR Super Resolution finally caught up, or closed the gap, in image quality to NVIDIA's DLSS.

However, being exclusive to three desktop GPUs bucks the historical trend of AMD's FSR being open-source and platform agnostic, giving RDNA 3 gamers the sense that they've been left behind. Not only on desktops but also on AMD's gaming handhelds, which still run RDNA 3.5 Radeon technology, FSR 4 has yet to reach a platform where it could make the most significant impact.

Apple is about to unleash its new products for the quarter, led by the new iPhone 17e which is said to launch "imminently" as well as new M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro laptops.

In his latest PowerOn! newsletter, Mark Gurman from Bloomberg reports that the new iPhone 17e will replace the iPhone 16e from last year, with the new A19 processor and its in-house 5G and Wi-Fi chips, all at the same $599 starting price. Apple will provide more features, all at the same cost.

Gurman explains: "Apple will market the 17e heavily to users in emerging economies and enterprises - two areas the company plans to target aggressively this year with both devices and software. Apple also could benefit from weaker competition. Though Alphabet Inc.'s Google is set to release a new version of its low-end model, the Pixel 10a, that upgrade isn't expected to add much. And Samsung Electronics Co. is focusing more on the high end".

Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass has evolved since its inception, delivering day-one access to first-party releases and major third-party titles across consoles and PC. However, the surprise, seemingly sudden 50% price increase for the premium Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier in October 2025 caused significant backlash, diminishing Game Pass's overall value proposition in gamers' eyes.

As far as Xbox's first-party lineup is concerned, 2026 is going to be a banner year thanks to Forza Horizon 6, Fable, Gears of War E-Day, Halo: Campaign Evolved, the next Call of Duty, and more. According to a new report from The Verge's Tom Warren, Microsoft is planning further changes to the Xbox Game Pass tier structure in 2026, though there probably won't be another significant price increase.

That said, it's probably not great news for those with a PC Game Pass subscription. Citing sources familiar with Microsoft's plans, the company appears to be looking to merge the Xbox Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass Tiers, which would presumably remove access to the biggest day-one game releases for PC gamers in favor of a more streamlined set of offerings.

OLED displays have come a long way in recent years and are now widely considered the best option for PC gaming and entertainment. From the near infinite contrast to the vibrant colors and per-pixel lighting, the "upgrade" over a traditional LCD panel is such that once you go OLED, it's hard to look back. However, burn-in, or image retention, has been a primary concern since the display technology was introduced and persists to this day.

Which is why it's always good to look at in-depth burn-in reporting for more modern OLED panels. YouTube channel and creator Optimum has put their LG UltraGear 32GS95UE-B dual-mode 32-inch OLED monitor to the test, reporting on the state of image quality with respect to burn-in after over 3,000 hours of use.

And even though there is some burn-in after this amount of time, with static objects on the screen as the culprits, the "damage" is barely visible. Optimum notes that they primarily used this display for three apps: Blizzard's Overwatch, and using DaVinci Resolve and Fusion 360 for creating video content.

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395, also known as Strix Halo, is a beast of an APU. It combines a 16-core, 32-thread Zen 5 CPU with a max boost clock speed of 5.1 GHz, Radeon 8060S Graphics, a powerful NPU, and up to 128GB of unified memory. The upcoming AYANEO NEXT 2, which is the company's impressive next-gen PC gaming handheld, is set to include a flagship Strix Halo model with an MSRP of $4299.

The company is expecting to launch its Indiegogo campaign for the AYANEO NEXT 2 next week, and with pricing and specs for the various models confirmed, the AYANEO NEXT 2 flagship model sports the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 128GB of LPDDR5X-8533 memory, and 2TB of PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD storage. Although the retail price is listed at $4299, the 'Early Bird Price' for this model will be $3499.

For those wanting an AYANEO NEXT 2 with an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395, the more sensible option appears to be the version with 64GB of memory and 1TB of storage, which has an 'Early Bird Price' of $2299 and an MSRP of $2699. Either way, you're looking at a lot of money for a PC gaming handheld with RTX 4060-level performance, with the inflated pricing most likely due to the current DRAM crisis.

AMD's new Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX processor is a 96-core, 192-thread Zen 5-based workstation beast CPU launching at $12,000... with a new OC mod applied that keeps the chip at under 50C under load at 1550W power.

Geekerwan has uploaded a new build video using the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX processor, where he attempted to reduce the thermal bottleneck of the cold plate by modding the CPU's integrated heat spreader (IHS) into the cold plate itself, with coolant channels machined directly into the IHS.

After some tests and prototypes the team purchased chips and machined channels into spare heat spreaders in order to compare against conventional high-end blocks, after iterating on water routing to improve the match on chiplet layouts, as the uneven flow can see one CCD running hotter than another when heat sources are spread out across the package.

The latest PlayStation 6, codenamed 'Orion,' and the upcoming next-generation PlayStation handheld, codenamed 'Canis,' have more hardware details revealed by renowned leaker KeplerL2. Posting on the NeoGAF discussion boards, KeplerL2 notes that the PlayStation 6's current spec should include 30GB of GDDR7 memory in a clamshell configuration, with 3GB modules.

In addition to its capacity, assuming a memory speed of 32 Gbps, the PlayStation 6's 30GB of memory could use a 160-bit bus for a total memory bandwidth of 640 GB/s. Compared to the baseline PlayStation 5's 16GB of GDDR6 at 448.0 GB/s, that's a 42% increase in bandwidth. Compared to the PlayStation 5 Pro, it's a more modest 11% increase in bandwidth; however, the capacity increase to 30GB is sizeable compared to current-gen hardware.

And with several leaks and rumors pointing to Sony also releasing a new portable PlayStation gaming handheld with custom hardware, KeplerL2 notes that the handheld will ship with 24GB of memory, reportedly utilizing LPDDR5X modules.

NVIDIA is rumored to be working on an even higher-end RTX 50 series graphics card, with new rumors that it's gearing for a Q3 2026 release, and could be a long-rumored GeForce RTX 5090 Ti or TITAN Blackwell GPU.

Overclocking.com reports: "A very high-end RTX 50 series card is reportedly in development, with its release even scheduled for the Back to School period (early Q3 of this year). The manufacturing process has apparently already begun (design and other aspects). The arrival of this card is said to be unrelated to the "SUPER" series (which are no longer on the 2026 release schedule)".

The new reports suggest a Q3 2026 release, and would act as an ultra-high-end RTX 5090 Ti or TITAN-class Blackwell GPU, scheduled for the Back to School period. Overclocking.com reports that they've been told that manufacturing is underway with board-level work on the table now.

Intel has reportedly added next-gen Z990 and Z970 chipsets to its recently updated roadmap, ready for next-gen Core Ultra 400 series "Nova Lake-S" desktop CPUs and the new LGA1954 socket.

In a new report from VideoCardz, the outlet says that their sources told them that Intel has added the Z990 and Z970 chipsets to its roadmap, without any detailed specifications like PCIe lane counts, new features, I/O, etc. We do know from previous rumors that Intel will be introducing a new LGA1954 socket, so we're looking at totally new motherboards required, and DDR5 as standard.

VideoCardz reports that the Z970 chiplet should use the same "underlying chipset as B960, with no further details shared at this time". The site added that this "points to segmentation through firmware and board features rather than a separate silicon design, but Intel has not outlined any positioning. This may be related to overclocking options".

Sony doesn't believe that AI, generative or otherwise, will replace actual creatives in animation or games production.

Sony executive management once again comments about the use of artificial intelligence in content production, saying that AI is another utility or tool that a professional creator would have in their toolbelt--so to speak. In a recent Q&A with investors as part of Sony's Q3'25 earnings report, company CFO Lin Tao delves further into how Sony sees AI and how the group is using the tech to possibly help streamline and innovate things like game development.

We've already reported on the Sony CFO's first comments on AI, about how Sony wants its workers to use AI and how the group is prepared to disrupt how it makes games if it can help the PlayStation business. Tao says that Sony intends to use AI to accelerate and enable creators rather than replace them.

Arc Raiders has been a hugely profitable game for Embark Studios, but we can't be sure just how much the developer's take actually is.

With over 12 million sales across all platforms, PvPvE extraction shooter Arc Raiders is one of the most popular games on the market right now. The game sells for $40 per copy, and direct math says Arc Raiders could have made up to $496 million, or half a billion, from launch until January 2026 (this doesn't account for returns, charge-backs, and key resellers).

It's also recently been confirmed that Arc Raiders is a highly profitable game. There's reports that Arc Raiders had a budget of $75 million, and Embark won't confirm this number, but studio CEO Patrick Soderlund tells IGN that it's "not far off" and is a "ballpark" figure. In that same interview, Soderlund comments on the game's profitability and what it means for the people who made Arc Raiders.

Sony CFO Lin Tao indicates that the company is prepared to disrupt how its first-party developers make video games if it means being able to innovate and streamline content production while keeping costs managed.

Sony is going all-in on artificial intelligence, at least when it comes to game dev. In a recent Q&A with investors, Sony executives were asked about the use of AI in game development, a query that was likely spurred on by Google's new Genie AI tool. Sony Chief Financial Officer Lin Tao assures investors that AI is being used for game dev at PlayStation, yet the tech is still early and experimental.

"There is high affinity between AI and game and animation. In the long-term, I think, it's a very positive thing and there will be more content. But many areas will be impacted, especially how we develop and produce. So I think that this process, from idea to game, will be changing. But it's still too early to say what the impact will be, and how that will impact costs," Tao said in Sony's Q3'25 webcast.

Apple's new entry-level MacBook isn't far away, with a new report suggesting that RAM prices skyrocketing won't affect the company's plans to launch its new cheap MacBook.

In a new post on X from analyst @Jukan, we're hearing that the new report suggests Apple's new entry-level MacBook will be priced between $699 and $799, and it'll feature just 8GB of RAM, and Apple's in-house A18 Pro processor, which is used inside of its iPhones.

Apple is reportedly preparing for annual sales of between 5-8 million units for its upcoming entry-level MacBook, but seeing a new laptop being sold in 2026 with 8GB of RAM is just... peak Apple, really. Considering that previous reports from August 2025 had the new MacBook being priced at as low as $599... the price hike from there, and the fact it only has 8GB of RAM is a really hard pill to swallow.

Valve has recently updated Deadlock with some mentions of "HLX" inside of it, with HLX rumored as the codename of Half-Life 3, providing us with some more hopium fuel that it's on its way this year.

One of the biggest sources of Valve projects -- Gabe Follower -- confirmed on X that Valve's latest update for Deadlock includes mentions of the HLX project, who added that "HLX survived Valve's winter break".

One of the replies on the post said: "Gabe, i think that its getting to a point that HLX isnt half life X or 3. I think its just a new addition onto games that could be for moderation, making the games better, or something else completley. Stop giving us hopium that eventually turns into despairium. Thanks".

ASUS has its new ROG Matrix GeForce RTX 5090D V2 graphics card up for pre-order in China, with a price of 29,999 RMB (which works out to around $4300 USD).

The new ASUS ROG Matrix GeForce RTX 5090D V2 features a cut-down 24GB of GDDR7 memory on a 384-bit memory bus with the VRAM clocked at 28Gbps, with it being virtually identical to the full ROG Matrix RTX 5090 (which has 32GB GDDR7). It retains its full 21,760 CUDA cores and GPU boost clocks of up to 2760MHz in OC mode, with dual HDMI 2.1b outputs, and 3 x DisplayPort 2.1b ports.

ASUS has crafted its ROG Matrix GeForce RTX 5090D V2 graphics card with a dual 16-pin power connector design that works with its in-house BTF ecosystem, with ASUS stating it can use up to 800W of power when used with a BTF motherboard and 12V-2x6 power cable.

MSI's powerful new GeForce RTX 5090 LIGHTNING Z graphics card will cost over $5000, with users in Taiwan needing to join a lottery just for their chance to buy the card in the end.

MSI announced a global giveaway of its new RTX 5090 LIGHTNING Z graphics card a few weeks ago, after its monster unveiling at CES 2026 where we had a chance to scope the card out in the flesh (and it looks amazing, so does the unboxing experience alone).

The company has announced its lottery event for the chance to purchase a single MSI GeForce RTX 5090 32G LIGHTNING Z graphics card, where if you "win" the lottery, you'll have the chance to pay NT$165,000 which works out to around $5220 USD or so. This makes MSI's new monster GeForce RTX 5090 LIGHTNING Z graphics card the most expensive RTX 5090 on the planet, excluding the made-from-real-gold ASUS ROG RTX 5090 Dhabab Edition GPUs.

Blizzard isn't done with Diablo 2, and plans to launch new content for D2 Resurrected as part of the franchise's big 30th anniversary.

2026 marks 30 years of Blizzard's demonic dungeon-delving franchise, and to celebrate, the developers plan to refresh Diablo 2, Diablo IV, and Diablo Immortal with new content. There's no official details on what Blizzard has planned for Diablo 2--it could be a batch of new runewords or items, but something like a new paid expansion seems a bit iffy given the work involved.

Blizzard will reveal the new D2 update as part of the Diablo 30th anniversary stream, which goes live on February 11. The studio explains: "Join us at 2 p.m., February 11 to watch our Diablo 30th Anniversary Spotlight to witness a deep dive of what's next for Diablo II: Resurrected. As we head into Diablo's 30th year, there's a lot we want to share with you, and more to come."

Wolfenstein 3 is still a dream project for MachineGames, the modern stewards of the franchise, but the studio still won't announce any concrete details.

Bethesda has seen success with its modern reinvigoration of the classic Wolfenstein franchise, with the series having expanded across two mainline games, standalone DLC, and the experimental co-op spin-off Youngblood. Since 2019, though, the series has been on ice while MachineGames worked on their big-budget Indiana Jones and the Great Circle game.

Now that Indy's mainline adventure is wrapped up, it seems like a good time for MachineGames to tackle Wolfenstein 3. The group just recently expanded, opening another studio in Sweden that's just hours away from HQ. So what's next? Wolfenstein 3? More Indiana Jones? Studio leadership continues to tease a third BJ Blazkowicz adventure but won't make a commitment just yet.

HBO has ordered a new TV series based on Baldur's Gate 3, and while the developers Larian aren't directly involved in the show's production, showrunner Craig Mazin has reached out to the studio for feedback.

Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the best-selling RPGs of all time, amassing tons of game of the year awards and solidifying itself as a permanent fixture in gaming. Hasbro, the owners of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise, is eager to grow this success with new transmedia adaptations--including a new fantasy drama TV show for HBO.

The show is titled simply Baldur's Gate, and will be a direct continuation from the events of the third game. Craig Mazin, who led The Last of Us' adaptation for the network, will also lead production on the series. The developers who crafted Baldur's Gate 3's storyline and gameplay, Belgium studio Larian, won't be helping with the new Baldur's Gate TV adaptation. That team is busy working on their next big game, Divinity.

Nintendo sounds like it is prepared to take a reduction in hardware profitability if it means growing the Switch 2's installed base.

After the failure of the Wii U, Nintendo came up with an aggressive plan to pursue hardware profitability, leading to the Switch handheld-hybrid releasing for $299 way back in 2017. The Switch was sold at a profit on day one, and since then, Nintendo's business has prioritized hardware profitability wherever possible. While Nintendo still plans to pursue this plan, the company may run out of wiggle room due to ongoing component shortages that threaten to drive up manufacturing costs, leading to a regression back to the semi-subsidized model where software helping offset the higher hardware production costs.

In a recent Q&A with investors, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa remarks on the Switch 2 pricing situation, saying that there are no immediate plans to raise consumer pricing. Furukawa says that many options will be explored insofar as maintaining profitability, but years 2 and 3 are the Switch 2's primary growth points and Nintendo wants to try to boost sales and fill out the system's installed base as much as possible throughout this time.