Latest News - Page 151

There are two open-world games anticipated to push the envelope of what is possible in immersive worlds: Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto 6 and CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 4.

Unsurprisingly, Grand Theft Auto 6 is so anticipated that it's estimated to earn a billion dollars in pre-orders once Rockstar makes it available to purchase, with the title also taking home the Most Anticipated award from The Game Awards 2025.

Followed closely behind is The Witcher 4, which, according to reports, could cost CD Projekt Red close to $400 million to develop, and then another $400 million on marketing. If that is true, it will put it at the table with Red Dead Redemption 2's $540 million budget, and GTA 6, which is expected to have cost anywhere between $1 and $2 billion by the time it releases in November 2026.

Beyond Good & Evil 2 (BG&E2) is pushing for the record for the longest development cycle of any gaming franchise, with it being 17 years since the sequel to the cult classic Beyond Good & Evil was teased by Ubisoft.

Ubisoft teased the sequel in 2008, and an early prototype reportedly existed during the PS3/Xbox 360 era, but Ubisoft ultimately shelved that version. However, in 2017, Ubisoft unveiled a new version at E3, and since then, there has been no word on an official release.

Reports suggest the current version of the game has been in development since 2017, and that the creator of the original title, Michel Ancel, left Ubisoft in 2020. Despite Ancel's departure, BG&E2 continued to survive, with Emile Morel taking the helm after Ancel, only to pass away in 2023.

Microsoft recently hosted an Xbox Direct where it gave long-awaited Fable fans a look at the upcoming reboot, which is headed to Xbox consoles, PC, and PlayStation. Neither the developer, Playground Games, nor Xbox mentioned a Nintendo Switch 2 release, but insiders say it's under consideration.

Windows Central editor Jez Corden, who has a good track record for Microsoft/Xbox insider knowledge, recently wrote in an X post that he was told that Fable for the Nintendo Switch 2 isn't "100% definite for now," and went on to say in a separate X post that he believes it will happen despite it not being in development right now. Corden wrote that a Nintendo Switch 2 version of the title is "under consideration for the future".

Judging from Corden's comments, it seems safe to say that Playground Games wants to complete the PC, Xbox, and PlayStation editions of Fable before it considers working on a Switch 2 version or decides to hand the task off to another studio. As for what is confirmed, the new Fable will put a lot of focus on influence, choice, and reputation, with the world consisting of a "living population" of more than 1,000 NPC characters that players will influence through conversations, actions, and events.

Microsoft's simple digital drawing and image creation app, Paint, is continuing to get an AI makeover, with the company announcing a new feature for Windows Insiders that will leverage image-generation tools to let users create a Coloring Book. And that's precisely what the new tool is called, with Coloring Book letting users "create unique coloring book pages from a text prompt."

Basically, it's an AI image generation that creates black ink drawings in the style of a children's coloring book, with Microsoft explaining that once you enter text like "a cute fluffy cat on a donut" or "a house with a garden and fence" and then hit the Generate button, you'll be presented with your creation.

To complement this new feature, Paint is also getting expanded Fill controls with a new 'tolerance slider' that gives users direct control over how much color (in percentage) is applied. Although not exactly essential, the new Coloring Book feature does sound like it could be fun for families to use, as it opens the door to a seemingly limitless ability to generate different Coloring Book pages.

As part of YouTube CEO Neal Mohan's blog post on what creators can expect from the platform in 2026, the Google executive says, "AI will be a boon to the creatives who are ready to lean in." And by that, he means that creators will soon be able to create a YouTube Short with their own AI likeness later in the year.

YouTube Shorts is one of the platform's biggest formats, with the mobile-friendly, TikTok-like section drawing around 200 billion views every day. Although YouTube hasn't explained or provided an example of what these AI-generated Shorts will look like, Neal Mohan is adamant that AI "will remain a tool for expression" and "not a replacement" for creativity.

On the plus side, there will be transparency and protections in place, with AI-generated content clearly labeled as such, and creators able to manage and protect the use of their AI likeness. So, once this new feature goes live, we shouldn't see a bunch of fake Shorts from random users featuring AI versions of popular YouTubers.

Although it was released six weeks earlier in the year, EA's Battlefield 6 is the first game in the long-running series to outsell a Call of Duty game in the United States in a calendar year. In fact, Battlefield 6 was the best-selling 'premium' game on all platforms in the U.S. last year, according to a new report from analyst Mat Piscatella.

Ranked based on dollar sales, that is, money earned, EA's shooter tops the list, followed by Take-Two Interactive's NBA2K26 and Borderlands 4. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is number five on the list, which makes it one of the year's best-sellers but an underperformer when it comes to what is widely considered to be one of gaming's biggest franchises.

Call of Duty games usually top the list or drop into second place when a Rockstar game like GTA V or Red Dead Redemption 2 rolls around. Coming in fifth means that Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is the lowest a CoD game has placed in annual sales charts since Call of Duty: World at War, which released all the way back in 2008.

AMD's recently announced Ryzen AI 400 Series of processors, aka 'Gorgon Point,' kept the same mix of Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores, RDNA 3.5 graphics, and XDNA 2 NPUs, as the Ryzen AI 300 Series - albeit with increased frequencies and expanded memory support. According to a new report over at Videocardz, AMD is planning to do the same for its Ryzen AI MAX 300 Series, which will include a new flagship 'Gorgon Halo' processor.

AMD Ryzen AI MAX+ 395, codename 'Strix Halo,' is a beast of an APU, featuring 16 cores, 32 threads, and an integrated Radeon 8060S graphics card with an impressive 40 RDNA 3.5 Compute Units. 'Gorgon Halo,' which we presume will be part of a new Ryzen AI MAX 400 Series, will reportedly follow the same path by increasing CPU and GPU frequencies and clock speeds.

Strix Halo's Radeon 8060S is currently clocked at 2900 MHz, so the expectation is that it will be pushed to 3+ GHz, similar to the GPUs in the Ryzen AI 9 HX 475 and HX 470, which top out at 3.1 GHz.

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.

UPDATE: Ubisoft has officially confirmed that Beyond Good and Evil 2 has not been cancelled: "Beyond Good & Evil 2 remains a priority for us in the context of our strategy centred around Open World Adventures."

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.

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.