Latest News - Page 199

Apple Maps is soon to get adverts, much in the same vein as Google Maps, if some fresh speculation is to be believed.

If you're thinking this is just a rumor so it's most likely fine to ignore it, well, you might be right there, but it comes from one of the more reliable Apple leakers, Mark Gurman, in his Power On newsletter for Bloomberg (via TechRadar) - so that gives it a bit more weight than your average rumor.

At any rate, the theory is that Apple will use paid promotion in its Maps app, possibly as soon as next year (it's only a couple of months away now).

NVIDIA's Blackwell flagship is well out of reach for most people in terms of its colossal asking price, and the closest thing the majority of PC gamers might come to owning the mighty RTX 5090 graphics card is a drink coaster.

How so? Well, this is limited to another niche set of tech enthusiasts, admittedly, but VideoCardz spotted a 3D printer design for a coffee (or tea, or other preferred beverage) coaster.

It's a replica of the main printed circuit board inside NVIDIA's RTX 5090, with all the components in the correct places - and it does look rather nifty.

The console wars have been declared as over - if you listen to Gamestop commenting on Halo becoming a cross-platform title - and according to an Xbox exec, this is very much the case, and Sony is no longer Microsoft's biggest competition.

Neither is Nintendo for that matter, and in an interview with The New York Times, the theory floated by Matt Booty, who is Head of Xbox Game Studios, is that it isn't another console that Microsoft is really competing against.

We touched on this in our earlier report, which pointed out that Booty said: "Our biggest competition isn't another console. We are competing more and more with everything from TikTok to movies."

UPDATE: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella confirms the new Xbox will "innovate" on both console and PC form factors on a system level.

Microsoft is making a major departure with its next-gen console: sources tell Windows Central that the new Xbox will be a PC that mimics the console environment and plays all existing Xbox console games from gen 9 and below.

New reports indicate that Microsoft will make radical changes to its Xbox gaming business in the coming years. Sources tell Windows Central's Jez Corden that the new Xbox will be a PC running Windows with a traditional console "experience" layered on top. As was rumored and inferred, the special console-ized version of Xbox/Windows on the Xbox Ally X handheld was essentially a test for the new console.

GameStop has taken to X to declare that the "console wars" are over now that Halo is coming to PlayStation, and has jumped into taking a stab at the community.

In the X post, GameStop says that the console wars are over, adding that "for the past two decades, the global gaming community has been engaged in an ongoing and increasingly petty conflict known as The Console Wars". The company says that the conflict originated in the early 2000s with the release of Halo: Combat Evolved as an Xbox-exclusive title.

It was announced a few days ago that Halo would be coming to PlayStation in 2026 with cross-platform play, with GameStop adding that the company is "acting under its authority as a "Neural Entity and The World's Retail Gaming & Trade-in Destination, hereby declares the official cessation of the console wars".

Apple's purported 18-inch foldable iPad plans are "now in flux" according to the latest reports, with the foldable iPad postponed with a release in 2029 "at the earliest".

In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says that Apple is preparing a slew of new products that would be the "most compelling" in its history, including the first foldable iPhone, a revamped iPhone Pro smartphone for the device's huge 20-year anniversary, new smart glasses, a tabletop robot, and other home tech.

One of those exciting devices was meant to be an 18-inch foldable iPad, but Gurman writes that unfortunately, "this device is suffering some hiccups". Apple reportedly had plans -- just like the last 6+ months of rumors have teased -- to release the foldable 18-inch iPad sometime in 2028, but the company has "run into challenges tied to the weight of the prototypes and the ultra-advanced folding OLED panel".

Apple's next-gen M6 processor will be even more powerful, and an even bigger thermal problem for a new iPad, with rumors suggesting the company will deploy a vapor chamber cooler to stop thermal throttling.

Apple recently unleashed its new M5 processor for its new MacBook Pro and iPad Pro products, but the new M5 MacBook Pro has been suffering from thermal throttling inside, with its M5 chip hitting 99C under load. To avoid any thermal throttling issues on the next-gen M6 iPad Pro, it looks like the company will be adopting the use of vapor chamber cooling, just like its recently-launched iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max smartphones.

In his latest "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman writes that Apple will reportedly use a vapor chamber cooler inside of its next-gen M6 iPad Pro. The new M5 iPad Pro that Apple just launched features a graphene sheet to transfer heat, with the aluminum chassis acting as a heatsink.

Apple's new M5 MacBook Pro is now in the wild, with SSD benchmarks showing the new M5-powered MacBook Pro is up to 211% faster than the SSD inside the M4-powered MacBook Pro.

In another round of benchmarks from YouTuber "Max Tech" we have a comparison between the new M5 MacBook Pro and previous-gen M4 MacBook Pro, and the SSD read and write speeds of each. The new M5 MacBook Pro was benched in Blackmagic with read speeds of up to 6.3GB/sec (6323MB/sec) versus the M4 MacBook Pro with only 2.0GB/sec (2031MB/sec), an improvement of 211% which is bloody impressive.

The write speeds were also impressive, with the new M5 MacBook Pro capable of 6.0GB/sec (6068MB/sec) writes versus the M4 MacBook Pro with 3.2GB/sec (3293MB/sec) on the Blackmagic speed test by Max Tech.

AMD is reportedly preparing another Zen 4 processor with X3D cache, with rumors that the company is about to release a new 6-core, 12-thread Zen 4 chip with 3D V-Cache technology.

In a new post on X from leaker @momomo_us, we're hearing that UK distributor West Coast has listed a new SKU on its CPU website with a new model name and product code: the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D. In the screenshot above, the Ryzen 5 7500X3D processor has product code "100-000001904" which looks to be a slightly cut-down version than the Ryzen 5 7600X3D that launched in 2024.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D from last year was initially exclusive to Microcenter in the US, but later reached the shores of China and the EMEA markets, but there's no news on the new 7500X3D being a US-exclusive or worldwide launch just yet.

A publication has obtained leaked screenshots of a God of War multiplayer game that will never see the light of day, and it shows we would have been returning to Greece.

The project was being led by Bluepoint Games, the developers behind the remakes of Shadow of the Colossus and Demon's Souls, and while the God of War multiplayer title was never officially confirmed by Sony, it was rumored to be currently undergoing development. Now, renowned publication mp1st has acquired a selection of screenshots that reveal aspects of the now-canceled title.

Notably, Sony cut two live-service titles from its first-party studios at the beginning of the year; one of those was this multiplayer God of War title. According to the publication, PlayStation "lacked confidence" in the game's long-term viability following the market's rejection of the big-budget live-service failure, Concord. The screenshots show that Bluepoint Games was planning on returning to Greece for the setting of the title, as showcased by the classic Greek artifacts, temples, and pottery.

The official product page for Cooler Master's new MasterBox CM695 mid-tower case says it features a "classic odd design" because it includes a 5.25-inch optical drive bay. Once upon a time, all PCs included one or even two optical drive bays, as CD-ROM and DVD-ROM media were the go-to formats for entertainment and backups.

In the digital age of PC gaming on Steam, streaming services, and Plex libraries, not to mention cloud storage services from Microsoft, Google, and others offering exponentially more capacity than even a double-layer DVD, the appeal here is purely retro. Cooler Master writes that this case is "ideal for users needing DVD/Blu-ray drives," and that the MasterBox CM695's minimal design has "retro appeal."

That said, this is a modern case that can still support 360mm radiators and large graphics cards up to 398mm in length. This is on top of it featuring a 5.25-inch optical drive bay, four 3.5-inch HDD drive bays, and five 2.5-inch HDD/SSD drive bays. All this storage support makes the mid-tower case on the larger side, measuring 209 mm (W) x 466 mm (D) x 478.5 mm (H).

The China-based Board Channels forum has been a go-to source for unofficial, behind-the-scenes information on stock levels, shortages, and other graphics card-related topics in recent years. The latest post and report (via Videocardz) cites multiple NVIDIA GeForce RTX AIB partners as its sources and relates to the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti.

Released earlier this year, the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti came in two flavors: 16GB and 8GB. At the time, this drew its fair share of controversy as review units were, for the most part, limited to 16GB models. As 8GB of VRAM is now considered insufficient for maxed-out 1440p gaming, our review of a GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB GPU showed this in some titles.

The Board Channels report notes that the 16GB model and variant have been "selling more strongly" (translated), while the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB model's sales are described as "poor." Although this report is region-specific, we do know there are fewer RTX 5060 Ti 8GB cards available, and many are being sold as part of pre-built systems.

Intel's latest Arc Graphics or Game On Driver release is a big one for game support, as it covers six new PC game releases. Intel's Arc Graphics driver version 32.0.101.8247 Non-WHQL is now available for download. It adds support for ARC Raiders, Europa Universalis V, Football Manager 26, Jurassic World Evolution 3, The Outer Worlds 2, and Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines 2.

These titles are now available on PC, or out in a matter of days, and if you plan on playing any of them on a discrete Intel Arc graphics card or an Intel Core Ultra CPU with integrated graphics, be sure to grab this new driver here. It's a Beta or Non-WHQL release; however, as it also fixes some Arc issues, it feels like an essential update.

For the first Alchemist A-Series and the latest Battlemage B-Series of Intel Arc graphics devices, this new driver fixes some crashing issues in games like World of Warcraft and Satisfactory; however, Known Issues for games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 remain unresolved. Here are the full Release Notes for Intel Arc Graphics driver version 32.0.101.8247 Non-WHQL.

Green has been part of Razer's aesthetic since the company started releasing gaming gear. Black and with hints of green not only make up the company's logo but also the bulk of its offerings, with its new 'Esports Green' lineup for PC and console presenting the inverse of that. And then some. If you're a fan of distractingly bright neon green, then this might just be the gear that you've been looking for.

Calling the lineup 'Esports Green' makes sense, given that it includes premium hardware like the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC controller and the Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL 8KHz keyboard. Two peripherals that are built for competitive performance; however, if I had the new Razer Huntsman V3 Pro Esports Green Edition sitting in front of my display, it would probably be a bit of a distraction while crouched in a corner, capturing a point in Battlefield 6.

The full Razer 'Esports Green Edition' lineup includes headsets, controllers, mice, and a keyboard - covering some of the most recent and impressive releases from the company, including the Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro, which recently earned an Editor's Choice Award for being one of the best wireless gaming mice releases in years. Here's the breakdown of the lineup.

Microsoft just revealed two major products releasing on PlayStation 5 and Switch 2, and that cross-platform support will continue as Xbox breaks down exclusivity for good and all.

Xbox is being pressured by Microsoft execs to hit a 30% profit margin, and that means expanding sales. The high margin target is the main reason Xbox has chosen to break exclusivity on its first-party games and bring key franchises like Forza, Gears of War, and--more recently--Halo over to PlayStation for the first time ever. This trend will continue over time as Microsoft aims to "expand operating leverage" of the Xbox brand and "bring it closer to those of Microsoft's other lines of business."

In a recent interview with Japanese games magazine Famitsu, Xbox gaming CEO Phil Spencer reaffirmed Microsoft's commitment to releasing more games on rival hardware like the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2.

Fans of symmetrical thumbsticks and the PS5's DualSense have a new pro-grade controller. The company describes the Razer Raiju V3 Pro for PlayStation 5 and PC as an 'elite esports controller' for PlayStation fans, thanks in part to its use of the latest thumbstick technology - TMR (Tension Magnetic Resistance).

Without going into the technical details, TMR is the next generation of Hall-effect magnetic technology for controllers. In addition to eliminating stick drift, TMR thumbsticks are more accurate and power-efficient than current Hall-effect sticks on the market. This makes the Razer Raiju V3 Pro a great wireless controller choice for pros in the fighting, FPS, and action space on PS5 or PC.

In addition to the latest thumbstick technology, the Razer Raiju V3 Pro also sports four removable mouse-click back buttons and claw-grip bumpers that include the same switches found in the company's premium gaming mice. The controller also sports Razer's Pro HyperTriggers, which let gamers customize the actuation points to suit the game they're playing or playstyle in the same way PC gamers customize actuation points on modern magnetic gaming keyboards.

Bethesda's Fallout Day celebration didn't glean any major new game sequels, but Todd Howard confirms that won't always be the case.

Instead of being a mini-E3 just for the Fallout franchise, this year's Fallout Day delivered some very predictable announcements. Based on last year's success with the TV show, we predicted Bethesda would release a Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition to capitalize on the game's 10th anniversary and season 2 of the show. That ended up happening, and Bethesda also revealed new updates to Fallout 76.

There was no Fallout 3 remastered, or mention of Fallout 5, but Bethesda's Todd Howard did tease future projects. Reports indicate that the studio is working on multiple Fallout projects, one of which is said to be Fallout 3 remastered, and the other may be the aforementioned Fallout 4 Anniversary, as Fallout 5 has not even entered pre-production; in the past, Howard has said that The Elder Scrolls VI will come before Fallout 5.

UPDATE: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella confirms the new Xbox will "innovate" on both console and PC, seeming to confirm reports that the new Xbox will be a Windows 11-powered PC device that simulates a console experience.

The next Xbox console will be a first-party system designed by Microsoft, Xbox gaming CEO Phil Spencer tells Famitsu.

PC manufacturers like ASUS may be involved with the Xbox Ally X, but that apparently won't be the case for Microsoft's next-gen console lineup. In a new interview with Japanese games outlet Famitsu, Microsoft Gaming boss Phil Spencer says that next first-party hardware will be considered the "next console." This is an interesting phrase that may tie into reports of the next Xbox also being able to launch Windows PC games.

Demanding profit targets have driven the radical shifts at Xbox, new reports from Bloomberg indicate.

Racked by overseas tariffs and economic disruption, the video games industry has collectively downsized in an effort to make sure profit margins don't sink too low. Xbox, which made a $68 billion acquisition just years ago, has responded aggressively in ways in which the FTC had previously warned--mass layoffs for workers and price hikes for consumers.

The economic squeeze comes at a time when Microsoft's executive management and board of directors demand the best from Xbox, which now owns Call of Duty and 19 other $1 billion+ grossing franchises. Sources tell Bloomberg's Jason Schreier and Dina Bass that Xbox is expected to target a substantial 30% "accountability margin," which is Microsoft's internal accounting version of a profit margin.

Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Grand Theft Auto parent company Take-Two Interactive, has a level-headed take on AI and cautions the industry to see it for what it really is--a tool, not a creative magic wand.

AI is here, and it's not going away. Artificial intelligence is finding its way in pretty much all forms of technology, especially media content production. Gaming companies are using AI in the hope of accelerating games development, which on the surface seems like wizardry, but one CEO dispels all the buzzword trickery and exposes the technology in a more practical lens.

That CEO is Strauss Zelnick, a businessman who's had more reserved, conservative, and reasonable public takes on key video games industry trends--especially artificial intelligence.