Watch Dogs: Legion is close to release, with Ubisoft unveiling a new 'Classroom 101' trailer with real actors, and I have to say it's actually great. Check it out:

Ubisoft has built an incredible world with Watch Dogs: Legion, where you can play anyone in London and all of it cooperatively with a friend. The new trailer shows off some "never-before-seen gameplay innovation that allows you to recruit and play as anyone you see".

The developer explains the Team Up with Friends co-op side of Watch Dogs: Legion as: "Join forces with up to three friends in online multiplayer as you freely explore London together or take on special co-op missions, and unique game modes. Enjoy free regular updates adding new online content, rewards and themed events".

The latest rumors suggest that the previously rumored higher VRAM versions of the GeForce RTX 3080 and GeForce RTX 3070 have been nixxed.

NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 3080 comes with 10GB of VRAM, while a 20GB version was teased it is supposedly cancelled and not coming out in December. So too has the 16GB version of the GeForce RTX 3070, as well as the RTX 3070 Ti, too. The normal RTX 3070 with 8GB will be released on October 29.

AMD is coming out swinging with Big Navi and most of the of Radeon RX 6000 series cards supposedly rocking 16GB of GDDR6 -- beating out the 8GB and 10GB on NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 3070 and RTX 3080, respectively.

Adobe developed technology that enables persistent virtual objects in multi-user AR experiences. The technology tracks the location of other devices to display virtual objects on multiple devices at once accurately.

Adobe introduced AR Together, an experimental app for smartphones that enables multi-user AR experiences with accurate object tracking. One of the hurdles that prevent developers from creating seamless multi-user AR experiences is sharing the position of virtual objects between multiple devices.

Existing multi-user tracking solutions often involve comparing each device's positional data to predict where they are in relation to each other. Adobe uses the sensors in modern smartphone and sensor fusion to identify other AR-capable devices and keep track of their real-time position. The result is more accurate virtual object tracking, creating more believable shared experiences.

We've heard about what to expect from AMD for its next-gen Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics card, which you can read all about here -- but then there's the Radeon RX 6800 XT.

AMD's upcoming Radeon RX 6800 XT is based on the Navi 21 XT GPU, which is slightly cut down GPU from the flagship Navi 21 XTX inside of the Radeon RX 6900 XT. We have 72 Compute Units (compared to 80) and 4608 Stream Processors (compared to 5120).

The same 16GB of GDDR6 memory is here with a 256-bit memory bus, while GPU clocks should find themselves reaching 2015MHz game clock and under 2250MHz for boost clocks. Keep in mind these clocks are for the reference model of the graphics card, while custom cards will be faster -- by 100-200MHz or more.

Facebook's Quest 2 gives you multiple ways to interact with digital content, including motion controllers and hand tracking. It's also working with Logitech to bring keyboards into the virtual office. But what if you didn't need a keyboard to type in VR? Facebook's latest experiment does just that.

Facebook Reality Labs researchers have been developing new text input methods that work better in VR. Pointing your controller at a virtual keyboard gets the job done, but it's hardly intuitive and definitely a step backwards for productivity. In September, Facebook revealed that it's working with Logitech to build trackable keyboards for Quest 2, but you may not have to buy hardware to get a good typing experience in VR.

Facebook's researchers recently demonstrated a virtual keyboard solution that allows you to type on any flat surface. Facebook developed a motion model derived from speech recognition technology to analyze hand motion to predict your keystrokes. Facebook said that typists who tried the experiment averaged 73 words per minute, which was consistent when their typical keyboard typing speed.

Facebook expected Quest 2 to be a popular device, but according to a Facebook Reality Labs executive, sales are still outpacing the company's expectations. Quest 2 might just be the device to bring VR mainstream.

Facebook launched the Oculus Quest 2 one week ago, and the new device is already having a considerable effect on the growth of the VR industry. We previously wrote about the success that VR developers have seen following the headset's launch. Many of them saw 2x to 10x their usual sales numbers immediately after Quest 2's release. As you might expect, Facebook is equally excited about the interest in its new headset.

Chris Pruett, Facebook Reality Lab's Director of Content Ecosystem, this week spoke with Protocol.com and expressed his excitement about the launch.

The Xbox Series X's new Quick Resume feature is a great new convenient feature for instant play, but you don't want to rely too heavily on it.

Quick Resume is a game changer. It's basically save states that are automatically recorded to console NVMe storage. When you play a game, the console saves your current progress in a state that's independent of an actual in-game save. Quick Resume states are preserved even when the console is rebooted and turned off. This way you can instantly jump back into the game right where you left off. It's an evolution of the Suspend and Resume feature.

There's just one glaring problem with Quick Resume: The Series X doesn't warn you when you're about to overwrite a slot. The Series X/S consoles can suspend up to 6 games in Quick Resume slots. If you play more than six games, these slots may get overwritten with any new games you might be playing. This tidbit comes from a recent Business Insider console preview.

Darkest Dungeon II will launch in early access exclusively on the Epic Games Store in 2021, developer Red Hook Studios today announced.

Red Hook Is hard at work on Darkest Dungeon II and starting in 2021, the team will use fan feedback to help shape the game over time. There's no word on a finalized release date but we do know the sequel will be in full 3D with the signature gritty visual style intact. The latest teaser trailer actually shows off the kind of Unity-made 3D models and effects we can expect from the final game.

Darkest Dungeon II will be an Epic exclusive--or at least the early access portion will be--in a deal that benefits Red Hook with extra funding. The team plans to share more info in the coming months, but for now be sure to wishlist the game on the Epic Store.

The Xbox Series X can significantly reduce input latency in optimized games running at 120FPS, including Gears 5.

Gears 5 will be one of the major spectacles that pushes the Xbox Series X to its limits. The game is already able to hit native 4K resolution with perf equivalent to an RTX 2080 GPU at High settings, but now The Coalition shared some more impressive tweaks. The Series X can already reduce input latency thanks to its new Dynamic Input Latency feature, which helps match up button press timings with on-screen effects, but developers can also scale their games to better use this feature.

Armed with the Xbox Series X's power, Gears 5's input latency will be reduced by up to 57% in versus mode and 36% in campaign. The biggest reduction is at 120FPS, which makes sense given the higher refresh rates over HDMI 2.1. The result is a gameplay experience that reacts quickly and naturally to your inputs, button presses, and movements, especially in competitive game modes where it's needed most.

Irreverent indie publisher Devolver Digital has acquired Croteam, the Croation dev team behind Serious Sam and The Talos Principle.

After years of dating, Devolver Digital has finally put a ring on Croteam. The publisher has bought out the Serious Sam dev for an undisclosed sum, finally giving the studio much-needed permanence in an unpredictable market. Devolver confirms that Talos Principle 2, new Serious Sam games, and fresh new IP are all currently in development at Croteam.

2K Games was caught trying to over-monetize its fan base with forced in-game ads in NBA 2K21. Fans pushed back, and now the publisher is fixing the issue.

NBA 2K21, a $70 next-gen game, recently introduced post-launch advertisements to monetize its fans. The unskippable in-game ads were stealthily added one month after launch and popped up in pre-game loading scenes. 2K Games has responded after lots of pushback from fans, claiming that the ad placement was an error that will be fixed soon.

"As many are aware, in recent years ads have been integrated into 2KTV segments. Yesterday's 2KTV ad placement impacted our players' experience in a way we didn't intend, as these ads are not meant to run as part of the pre-game introduction. This will be fixed in future episodes. Thanks for your continued feedback," 2K Games said.

Halo: Infinite won't release with the Xbox Series X, but you can still get some Halo action in with a free copy of Halo 5: Guardians.

As part of the recent Monster Energy x Halo promo, gamers can get a free digital copy of Halo 5 simply by signing up for a Monster account. Just go to this link, sign up, and verify your account over email. You'll get a code to redeem a free copy of Halo 5: Guardians for Xbox One on the Microsoft Store.

Now here's the kicker: The terms say a game disc is required to play the game...so it appears it's not a "free" copy after all.

Atari revealed new concepts for its ambitious hotel and resort business, which is set to launch in 2022 across eight major cities.

Get ready 80s gaming fans--Atari has teamed up with GSD Group and architectural experts at Gensler to create a new kind of hotel. The idea is to make a kind of Atari interactive museum-resort that blends comfortable amenities with tons of interactive and gaming experiences. The gaming attractions range from esports venues, and fully-fledged arcades with Atari classics, to new-age gaming and even virtual reality demos.

Expect to see things like Pong, Asteroids, Centipede, Pac-Man, and other iconic games in a playable arcade, complete with 80s pop culture decorations on the walls. You will also see the new Atari VCS console in playable form, with old-school games and new-school exclusives alike.

The world is going through some major changes right now because of COVID-19, but PayPal allowing cryptocurrencies across their merchants in 2021 is some major news.

Reuters reports that PayPal Holdings Inc will allow its customers to use cryptocurrencies in order to buy, sell, and hold bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies using your PayPal wallet. PayPal President and Chief Executive Dan Schulman said in an interview: "We are working with central banks and thinking of all forms of digital currencies and how PayPal can play a role".

Schulman said that PayPal hopes to see its new cryptocurrency service to kick start the use of cryptocurrencies around the world, and prepare its network for new digital currencies that may be developed by central banks and corporations.

AMD's new Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics card has received some detailed specs, which gives us more of a pinpoint shot at what to expect with Big Navi in the coming week or so.

The flagship Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics card will feature 80 Compute Units (CUs) with 5120 Stream Processors, it will be an AMD exclusive -- think of it like the Radeon VII, an AMD exclusive with no custom cards. There will be limited cards made, so it'll be a hot item for 2020 and even into 2021.

AMD's new Radeon RX 6900 XT is said to feature 16GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit memory bus, with a game clock of 2040MHz and boost clock of 2330MHz.

Cyberpunk 2077 has so much going under the hood that the smaller things like full lip-sync for every single voiced character in all dubbed 10 languages needs to be highlighted.

The team at CD PROJEKT RED has used artificial intelligence (AI) in a way that hasn't been done at this level in a huge AAA game, ever: full lip-syncing of every single voice character in all 10 dubbed languages is a huge point for Cyberpunk 2077.

CDPR used the "JALI" artificial intelligence to provide lip-synced dialogue across the 10 languages, with AI handling the heavy lifting with the thousands of characters with voice lines in Cyberpunk 2077.

Impossible Foods is known for its plant-based meat, something that is made to taste like real meat -- and now the company is making a new Impossible Milk.

The company says that its new Impossible milk is still in the works, with Impossible Foods CEO Pat Brown saying the new plant-based milk doesn't compare to the soy or other plant-based milks. Impossible Foods said this week that it is doubling its R&D team over the next year into more plant-based products, including milk and other initiatives.

Impossible Foods raised $700 million in 2020, and will use the major injection of funds into hiring new staff throughout the company. Brown explains: "We want the milk that a dairy milk consumer will choose".

NVIDIA has just announced that 12 games will be injected with beautiful RTX and DLSS technologies over the coming months, with some of the biggest games of the year included.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War launches on October on November 13 while Cyberpunk 2077 launches on November 19. But on top of that list includes a bunch of other games, but standing out from those games is Enlisted -- a new squad-based MMOFPS with ray-traced global illumination and DLSS 2.0 technology.

Enlisted is also part of the Xbox Series X/S launch as a Game Preview title and timed console exclusive, the developer teased on Twitter saying that it will have ray traced global illumination, 4K 60FPS, and much more on Microsoft's next-gen Xbox consoles.

Exclusive: Phison's new E18 SSD controller is currently being stamped onto some test drives somewhere in the world, and we have an exlcusive sneak peak at some early benchmark numbers. Check this insanity out:

The Phison E18 SSD controller is pumping away here at 7.38GB/sec, with writes of 7GB/sec. We've been teased about this from Sabrent's next-gen Rocket 4 Plus SSD screaming along at 7GB/sec but now we have some real-world results from an actual Phison E18 SSD controller at past 7GB/sec up to 7.38GB/sec.

I've had my eye on Teardown for quite a while now, with the game made by Dennis Gustafsson and Emil Bengtsson -- a game that has some of -- if not the best environmental destruction physics I've ever seen in a game. Check out some Teardown gameplay:

Teardown will be released on October 29 for a cost of $20, with both a Campaign and Sandbox mode. The game is interesting from its voxel-based graphics and design, but it's the physical destruction that is almost industry-leading. It looks out-of-this-world good.

Anyone that remembers the PhysX days, the game Red Faction, and some of better Battlefield games with great environment destruction but teardown really lets you tear everything down, and so realistically.