Latest News - Page 166

NVIDIA could possibly discontinue the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB variant over GDDR7 memory prices, keeping the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB on the market, and pushing gamers up to the RTX 5070 instead of using the precious 16GB of GDDR7 memory on the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB model.

In a new post on the Board Channels, we're hearing that NVIDIA could put a production pause on the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB which could eventually lead to the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB being discontinued completely. This is because of a massive increase in GDDR7 memory chip prices, leading NVIDIA to change its strategy on the mid-range Blackwell GPUs.

The RTX 5060 Ti is available in both 16GB and 8GB variants, with NVIDIA to cull the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB variant over higher costs, keeping supply flowing of the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB variant instead. NVIDIA would then push gamers up to the RTX 5070 which comes in both 16GB and 12GB variants, keeping the GDDR7 memory chips from the possibly discontinued RTX 5060 Ti 16GB for its higher-end RTX 5070 graphics cards.

Gamers now have an idea of what to expect from Blizzard Entertainment as management outlines plans to launch one or two big pieces of content per year, whether it be a fully-fledged game or an expansion update.

Two years after Microsoft took the reins, Blizzard is moving to a more predictable cadence of games and content. Blizzard is known for taking multiple years in between big releases and primarily subsisted off of expansions, content updates, and microtransactions. In 2022, the devs released Diablo Immortal, spiking Activision's mobile earnings to all-time highs, and then enjoyed megaton sales with Diablo IV a year later, which has made over $1 billion in revenue.

So what's next for Blizzard? In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Blizzard president Johanna Faries outlines a basic business model that sees the company launching 1-2 digital products a year. There's just one catch: That doesn't mean just full games or sequels, and expansions like Lord of Hatred and World of Warcraft's new Midnight expansion also count.

EA's latest Battlefield shooter is a big hit with an estimated 20 million copies being sold since the game's October debut.

Battlefield 6 is currently the #1 best-selling game in the US by revenue, temporarily beating Call of Duty, which is a rare win for EA's franchise. The Battlefield brand, once prestigious, has fallen off in recent years in both sales and players, leaving little competition for Activision's billion-dollar war series. That battle has been reignited, and analyst firm Alinea Analytics predicts that Battlefield 6 has already sold more than 20 million copies.

"Battlefield 6 took the #1 [spot], marking a massive return to form for the franchise. Our data shows Battlefield 6 has now amassed more than 26 million players (also including free-to-play REDSEC). The base game alone has sold over 20 million copies. As we covered earlier this year, this resurgence was driven by listening to the community's wishes and returning to the franchise's roots," Alinea's Rhys Elliott notes.

Researchers have mapped the real-world movement of rats into DOOM, enabling these pesky rodents to move throughout the DOOM world and even fire in-game weapons.

The team explained that an entire VR setup was constructed from scratch to enable rats to play DOOM, and it involves a ball driver mechanism that the rats sit on top of, and when they move across the surface of the ball, the directional movement is input into DOOM. The first version of the setup featured minimal sensors and no panoramic screen, but the rats have received an upgrade in the form of upgraded sensors and a foldable AMOLED screen with 180 ° horizontal and 80 ° vertical FOV with Full HD resolution.

Additionally, the rats are now firing weapons within DOOM. As the researchers explain, the rats have the ability to pull a custom-built hand-operated lever that, when activated with one of their paws, fires a weapon in-game. Positive in-game actions trigger a liquid reward in the form of sugar water delivered through a precise dispensing mechanism. The results of this entire setup were that the rats successfully learned to navigate the virtual environment and trigger the shooting mechanism.

GTA 6 could turn into a huge MMORPG says an industry veteran, as it has all of the hallmarks of an MMORPG cooking in the ovens at Rockstar Games.

In a new interview between our friends at Wccftech and game developer Rich Vogel, who has worked on some gigantic games including Ultima Online, Star Wars Galaxies, Star Wars: The Old Republic, DOOM (2016), New World, Halo Infinite, and Gotham Knights, said that many of the planned features for GTA 6 -- if confirmed -- would make it more like an MMORPG.

Vogel and two other MMO veterans were asked if there's still an audience for big Western-made MMO games, to which he replied: "Yes, I believe a large audience is waiting for the right MMORPG to emerge. Consider the millions of players who have played and continue to play WOW, SWTOR, ESO, UO, EverQuest, Fallout 76, and others. The problem is that no publisher is willing to invest the money and take the risk at this time".

DRAM suppliers are truly the new Santa Claus as they pick and choose who they're providing chips to, with HBM being a "black hole" to DRAM production capacity says the chairman of Etron.

Etron is a famous Taiwanese IC company that specializes in DRAM and SoC design, with its chairman, Lu Chao-Chun, who has said that DRAM giants Samsung and SK hynix are the new "Santa Claus". He added that memory customers are now "grateful" for even getting supply allocated, which is one of the reasons he calls Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron the new "Santa Claus".

Etron's chairman says that one of the main reasons the DRAM supply chain has been completely disrupted is from a few years ago, where DRAM manufacturers weren't worried about increasing production capacity, as demand was at a new all-time low because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Intel will reportedly have four SKUs of next-gen desktop Nova Lake CPUs with bLLC (Big Last Level Cache) with differing core counts, ready to fight AMD's super-popular X3D processors.

The flagship Intel Core Ultra 9 series "Nova Lake" CPU for the desktop will feature up to 52 cores and 288MB of bLLC cache, while the Core Ultra 7 chip will feature up to 28 cores and 144MB of bLLC cache. It wasn't long ago that we were reporting on leaks that only Intel's new unlocked K-series Nova Lake desktop CPUs in the "Core Ultra 400S" family would feature bLLC cache.

In new rumors from @Haze2K1, we're hearing that Intel will have four SKUs with bLLC but one of them will feature a different core configuration. The four SKUs in question will feature two dual compute tile models which will be part of the Core Ultra 9 family, and two single compute tiles that will be ready for the Core Ultra 7 family.

R-Type Dimensions III developer ININ Games prematurely reveals that lower-capacity Switch 2 cartridges are on the way, and then deletes the original post, clarifying that they have nothing official to announce.

Nintendo may be ready to release smaller Switch 2 cartridges in an effort to alleviate developer frustrations. Reports indicate that Nintendo only produces 64GB cartridges for the Switch 2, which are more costly to produce than the lower-tier models used on the Switch 1. This means developers who choose to ship full games onto actual physical Game Cards will typically have to pay a higher price, on top of having to deal with the slower memory bandwidth offered by Nintendo's ROMs.

Today, R-Type Dimensions developer ININ Games issued a lengthy post telling gamers that Nintendo had "announced two new smaller cartridge sizes for Nintendo Switch 2." The devs then deleted this post, later issuing a correction statement clarifying that Nintendo has not actually announced anything. Interestingly enough, ININ had originally said that the physical Switch 2 cartridge of R-Type Dimensions III was increasing in price by 10 euros to reflect the higher production costs associated with the lower-capacity Switch 2 carts.

The worldwide video games industry is expected to make $197 billion in 2025, a new all-time high that's driven in part by recent software and hardware price increases.

The global video games market will generate $197 billion throughout this year, analyst firm Newzoo predicts. 2025's revenue figures represent a significant 7.5% year-over-year increase, which can be attributed to a number of factors, including higher prices, wider content availability, and other things like accounting and revenue recognition practices.

The platform breakdown also underlines why Microsoft is pushing so hard into the PC space. According to Newzoo's estimates, mobile will lead the charge this year with a megaton $108 billion in revenue, representing more than half of the total--55%. What's interesting is just how close PC and console are to each other; console is to make $45 billion revenue, up 4.2% and representing 23%, where PC is close behind with $43 billion, making up 22% of the total.

Larian boss Swen Vincke issues multiple statements on the heels of a recent Bloomberg report, which says that Vincke is pushing the use of generative AI in future games.

Controversy has struck indie darling Larian, a studio that garnered tremendous goodwill with fan favorite RPG Baldur's Gate 3. The game creators are apparently using generative AI to make their next game, Divinity, which is said to be the group's most ambitious project to date.

Now studio head Swen Vincke has clarified Larian's position on generative AI, even going so far as to promise an AMA where users can directly ask questions to the team. Vincke tells IGN that Larian won't "trim down teams and replace them with AI."

This week we've got a new NVIDIA TITAN Ada prototype GPU reveal, after a new model appeared in China, in a cleaner condition than the recent teardown treatment overclocker "der8auer" performed. Check it out

The sample that der8auer had in his hands wasn't a one-off GPU, as there is now another NVIDIA TITAN Ada prototype GPU in the wild, with the two retail-style boards and coolers in the wild. Both of them look more like finished graphics cards rather than prototype lab-bound hardware.

The GPUs have been praised for their mechanical details and regular driver behavior, which is something you don't normally see from engineering samples that have exposed test boards and debug switches, but in a parallel universe I'm sure these 900W GPU beasts exist, and I want one.

AMD will be launching its next-gen Zen 6 CPUs next year, but after that -- and after Zen 7 -- we've got the new Zen 8 and Zen 9 processors that some juicy new leaks have just provided us with purported codenames of AMD's future-gen Zen chips.

In a new video from leaker Moore's Law is Dead, we're hearing that Zen 8 is codenamed "Penelope" and Zen 9 is codenamed "Nemesis" and that both new CPU architectures will be on AMD's next-gen AM6 socket. AMD's upcoming Zen 6 processors will debut on AM5 extending the lifespan of current motherboards, while Zen 7 is also expected to debut on AM5 before AMD moves onto the newer AM6 socket for Zen 8 and Zen 9.

We should expect to see Zen 8 and Zen 9 processors launching sometime 2029-2030 and 2032-2033, respectively, both on the new AM6 socket and we should also see PCIe Gen6 and DDR6 memory support, but hopefully the DRAM shortage has worked its way out of the system by then.

SK hynix has announced that its new 256GB DDR5 RDIMM server memory modules have been approved by Intel for its new Xeon 6 platform.

In a new press release, SK hynix said its new high-capacity 256GB DDR5 server memory modules based on 1b 32Gb have been verified for compatibility with Intel's next-gen Xeon 6 platform. The new registered memory (RDIMM) is a buffered module type of RAM used in servers and workstations, with testing and validation completed at Intel's Advanced Data Center Development Laboratory in the US.

SK hynix says that servers using its new 32Gb based 256GB RDIMM memory module will enjoy 16% more inference performance versus its 128GB modules on 32Gb DRAM, as well as up to 18% more power efficiency versus existing 256GB RDIMMs based on its 1a 16Gb DRAM modules, using a design built around a single 32Gb DRAM chip.

NVIDIA has teamed with SK hynix on a next-gen ultra-powerful SSD solution for AI inferencing, that could offer 10x the performance for AI inferencing in the middle of the worst DRAM crisis ever.

SK hynix has formalized development of the next-gen SSD with NVIDIA, after the South Korean memory giant enjoyed great results from supplying HBM to NVIDIA for its AI GPUs, and its customer- and service-tailored product development is expanding into the NAND flash sector.

In a new report from Korean outlet Chosun, SK hynix Vice President Kim Cheon-seong said at the recent "2025 Artificial Intelligence Semiconductor Future Technology Conference" (AISFC) that SK hynix was developing a new SSD with 10x more performance with NVIDIA. This new SSD is dubbed "Storage Next" for NVIDIA and "AN-N P" (AI NAND performance) for SK hynix, a new proof of concept that is in the works with the goal of releasing a prototype before the end of 2026.

The Legion Go Gen 2 is the company's latest flagship PC gaming handheld, powered by the new AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme Processor with integrated RDNA 3.5 Radeon Graphics, sporting 16 Compute Units. There are multiple SKUs available, but all of them include 32GB of fast LPDDR5X-8000MT/s memory and an impressive 8.8-inch 1920 x 1200 OLED display with a 144 Hz refresh rate, HDR-1000, and VRR support.

However, the current Legion Go Gen 2 is akin to the flagship ROG Xbox Ally X from ASUS and Microsoft in that it ships with Windows 11 and the new Xbox Full Screen Experience for accessing system features and games via controller input. According to a new report over at Windows Latest, Lenovo is set to unveil a new Legion Go Gen 2 model at CES 2026, one that will ship with SteamOS pre-installed.

SteamOS, Valve's Linux-based operating system on the Steam Deck, is widely considered one of the best platforms for PC gaming because it essentially transforms the Steam app into an intuitive console-like experience. Not only that, it's optimized for efficiency and performance, leading to games running faster on SteamOS than on the same hardware running Windows 11.

If you're a PC gamer that plays the latest games on enthusiast-grade hardware, then you've no doubt come across G.SKILL's lineup of DDR4 and DDR5 memory kits over the years. With a wide range of stylish kits, the company is also best known for offering some of the most OC-friendly memory options on the market, with its Trident Z5 DDR5 memory being used by the world's best overclockers to set new records.

As a company known predominantly for its memory products, the current DRAM crisis has already led to exponential price increases for DDR5 memory kits, with reports from a wide range of sources, including leading memory manufacturers, indicating that 2026 will see prices continue to rise as supply becomes increasingly scarce.

And with that, G.SKILL has released a statement for its fans and the broader PC gaming community, attempting to answer the question: Why has G.SKILL DRAM memory prices increased so much recently (since 2025 Q4)?

NVIDIA has just released what will likely be the final GeForce Game Ready driver of 2025, focused on fixing several issues and bugs. GeForce Game Ready 591.59 WHQL is available to download from GeForce or via the NVIDIA App.

Although the patch notes don't mention any specific new game support with this new driver release, NVIDIA does say that the new GeForce Game Ready driver "optimizes your experience in the latest titles featuring DLSS 4 and NVIDIA Reflex and ensures the best possible experience in your wider library of games and apps.

And with that, NVIDIA confirms that there are four new games with DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation support: ARK: Lost Colony, Ashes of Creation, SPLITGATE: Arena Reloaded, and Yakuza Kiwami 2. And with that, let's take a look at the full release notes, which include fixes for games like Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Dying Light: The Beast (which now has ray-tracing), and Enshrouded.

Hollow Knight Silksong is one of the best-selling video games of the year, and it only released three months ago.

Silksong is one of the most popular games of the year, amassing hundreds of thousands of concurrent players on Steam shortly after release. Now we finally have a sales update for the beloved indie: Team Cherry has confirmed that Silksong has sold over 7 million copies since its launch, firmly establishing it as one of the best-selling titles of 2025 and of recent memory.

"But firstly, and most importantly, we wanted to say a huge thank you to all the players who've braved Silksong's distant and dangerous lands. That's over seven million of you who've purchased the game, alongside millions more playing on Xbox Game Pass," the devs said in a blog post.

We're continuing our TweakTown newsletter subscriber-exclusive giveaways, rewarding loyal readers with top-tier gear every week. For our Christmas 2025 giveaway, we've partnered with the folks over at Montech to deliver a slick PC hardware prize pool for builders and upgraders.

There will be three winners in total: one winner takes home the main upgrade bundle, and two additional winners will each score a high-wattage PSU. Check out what's up for grabs below.

As always, this giveaway is exclusive to subscribers of the TweakTown daily newsletter, and it's open globally. You can learn more about Montech's lineup here and check out their latest cases, coolers, and power supplies.

Naughty Dog's next big-budget PlayStation game is planned for a mid-2027 release on PS5, sources tell Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, with the team now working longer hours to finish a playable demo of the project.

After making multiple Last of Us games back-to-back, Sony's premier first-party art house Naughty Dog is back with a fresh new game. It's called Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and it's set in a new IP set thousands of years into the future, with leaks suggesting Dark Souls-level challenges with God of War combat.

Earlier reports said that Intergalactic wouldn't launch in 2026, and now the latest from Bloomberg says that Naughty Dog wants to have the game out by the middle of 2027. Sources also paint a hectic picture of work life at Naughty Dog's Intergalactic team, with the studio reportedly pushing overtime onto employees and an increase to 5-day office work weeks.