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Microsoft is said to have raised the price of its Xbox development kits by $500 as hardware becomes more expensive to produce.

Xbox is becoming more expensive for gamers and game developers. Microsoft has increased the price of its Xbox Series X/S development kits by $500, with XDKs (Xbox Development Kits) now costing $2,000, a 33% increase from the original $1,500 price tag.

"The adjustment reflects macroeconomic developments. We remain committed to providing high-quality tools and support for your development efforts," reads the announcement that Microsoft sent to developers, who must sign an internal NDA to be a part of the program.

This week, Call of Duty gamers caught wind of a rumor that suggested Black Ops 7 was going to release ahead of schedule, but, unfortunately for those who believed that rumor was true, Treyarch has put the rumor to bed.

The initial rumor comes from renowned Call of Duty leaker, TheGhostofHope, who wrote on X a few days ago that some evidence came to light to suggest the release date for Black Ops 7 was going to be moved up a week. Notably, Ghost wrote that he isn't sure if he "buys" the rumor, which would have put Black Ops 7 to release around the week of November 7, instead of its original November 14 release date.

For Call of Duty fans hanging onto hope for the rumor being true, it appears it wasn't as Treyarch recently took to its official X account to reiterate the release date for Black Ops 7. The post reads, "We're less than a month away from #BlackOps7's launch on Nov. 14!" Adding, "Our newest Dev Talk drops today with more juicy MP updates coming out of the Beta."

Netflix has revealed another game adaptation, and this time, it's the famous Settlers of Catan which is getting ported to a TV screen near you.

If you're not familiar with Settlers - unlikely, I know - it's one of the most famous modern 'gateway' board games, accessible and yet packing enough strategic depth to satisfy most folks.

TechRadar noticed a report from Variety which informs us that Netflix will be developing multiple Settlers of Catan outings, including films and TV shows, both live-action and animations. There's nothing concrete announced beyond that, though.

Samsung has unveiled its competitor to Apple's Vision Pro mixed reality headset, and it's about half of the price of the Vision Pro, while also powered by Google and Qualcomm.

The new Galaxy XR headset was developed through a collaborative effort among Google, Qualcomm, and Samsung, with Samsung contributing its hardware expertise, Qualcomm providing its Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 processor, and Google's Android platform enabling interoperability with a wide range of apps and software features. The Galaxy XR headset is lighter than the Vision Pro at 545 grams, versus Apple's 600-gram Vision Pro, but slightly heavier than Meta's 515-gram Quest 3.

The Galaxy XR boasts 2 hours of continuous battery life per charge and comes with a similar battery pack that provides extra charging capacity. As for software services, the Galaxy XR comes with a variety of Google services, including Maps, Photos, and YouTube, along with sports experiences through 50 new experiences created for XR by Adobe, Calm, Fox Sports, MLB, and more.

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has announced "Atlas," a new AI-powered web browser that will be directly competing with Google Chrome, the most popular web browser in the world.

The ChatGPT creator is looking to take away market share from Google, which currently maintains 66% of the web browser market with Google Chrome. OpenAI has announced via a new press release that Atlas is built with ChatGPT at its core, and with that, the new web browser will be removing the classic search bar that is found at the top of most popular web browsers, and instead, users will be querying ChatGPT directly, which opens via a sidebar.

Notably, Atlas will also be able to summarize content on a webpage, analyze data from any site, and even compare products. Additionally, Atlas comes with an "agent mode," which enables paid users to have an AI agent interact with a website on their behalf, which means the agent can complete designated tasks such as filling out forms, researching a topic, or even completing a shopping list.

Amazon's big server outage demonstrated just how many services and products rely on AWS, with all sorts of weird side-effects therein - including smart beds going seriously awry.

Dexerto reports (via TechRadar) that Amazon Web Services going down at the start of this week meant that Eight Sleep's 'Pod' mattress covers, which have a matching base in the highest-end model, went badly wrong.

The AWS downtime meant the app for these smart beds became non-functional, as there's no backup offline mode for controlling the mattress or bed base.

The founder of Build A Rocket Boy, the studio behind the failed title MindsEye, has blamed employees at the studio for the game's extremely poor reception, describing them as "saboteurs".

The founder of the studio Build A Rocket Boy is Leslie Benzies, who stated during an all-hands staff meeting in July, shortly after MindsEye's release in June, that the title's poor reception was "uncalled for" and went on to allege that "external and internal forces" were influencing the launch. Additionally, Benzies stated that an investigation would be launched into locating "saboteurs" within the company, which was a message sent to staff only a week before staff were informed there were going to be layoffs.

For those who don't know, Benzies was known for his work at Rockstar, specifically on the Grand Theft Auto franchise, where he gained increasing recognition for his influence on the series. Stepping away from Rockstar, Benzies formed Build A Rocket Boy to release MindsEye, which critics and casual gamers alike received as a buggy mess that appeared to be far from complete.

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang is currently celebrating the first Blackwell wafer to be produced at TSMC's Arizona facility, and while that is a substantial achievement, the Arizona facility doesn't have all the necessary tools to complete the product, meaning those newly produced chips need to be shipped elsewhere.

If your first guess for the destination of the chips you are correct. Yes, after producing the Blackwell wafer on American soil, as per the plan of US President Donald Trump, it will still need the magic touch of TSMC Taiwan, as the Blackwell wafer will remain in its most rudimentary state until it's shipped back to Taiwan where it will undergo an assembly process that turns the wafer into the usable chips tech companies, and PC gamers around the world are after.

Here's how it works. NVIDIA's Blackwell family of data center chips features two reticle-sized compute dies and eight stacks of HBM3e memory. To connect all these components together, TSMC implements a stitching process that it calls Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate, or CoWoS. Essentially, this process stitches all of the components together to form the Blackwell datacenter chip, and currently, the only facilities capable of carrying out the CoWoS process are located in Taiwan.

One of our Best of Computex 2025 award winners is now available to purchase, and it's Corsair's impressive AIR 5400 LX-R RGB iCUE LINK Triple Chamber Mid-Tower PC Case. Available in Black or White, this innovative chassis is all about enhancing thermal performance alongside panoramic views. It features three dedicated cooling chambers: one for the CPU's AIO radiator, one for the GPU and motherboard, and one for the PSU, cables, and storage.

Corsair notes that these "isolated cooling zones" not only reduce heat and overall noise but also enhance performance. As the triple-chamber layout is designed for CPU AIO coolers and includes a separate chamber for its 360mm radiator, the Corsair AIR 5400 is the type of case built for this specific and typical style of build/component layout.

Looking at PC gaming, the design is a winner. When a GPU like the GeForce RTX 5080 is running at full speed, the CPU stays cooler because it isn't being blasted with hot air from the GPU. The GPU itself is cooled by three pre-installed LX120-R iCUE LINK RGB reverse-rotor fans. There's also a non-iCUE LINK variant for those who want to install a different cable management system/hub.

A custom Radeon RX-themed Call of Duty graphics card makes much more sense than a GeForce RTX one because this franchise runs notably and consistently faster on AMD hardware. In fact, it's not even close, with Radeon RX GPUs delivering significant double-digit performance gains in Call of Duty compared to their GeForce RTX counterparts.

And with that, thanks to a new collaboration between ASUS, AMD, and the Call of Duty team, we've got the new ASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 9070 XT Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Special Edition graphics card. In addition to having one of the longest names for a custom GPU we've seen, it features an impressive Black Ops 7 design that covers everything from lighting to the black and orange color scheme and iconography.

This GPU first made its appearance at the recent Call of Duty NEXT press event in Las Vegas, but this is our first proper look at the design. That said, getting your hands on one will probably be pretty hard as this custom GPU is limited to "1000 units (that) will be shipped to select retailers around the world."

The new flagship PC gaming handheld from ASUS and Microsoft, the ROG Xbox Ally X, has been garnering a lot of attention lately. One reason for this is that it's the first Xbox-branded PC gaming handheld to include a new, custom version of Windows 11 optimized for gaming performance and efficiency. In addition to this, it also makes the Xbox app the default UI, in an attempt to create a Windows gaming handheld ecosystem on par with the Steam Deck.

Of course, as the first version of this new Xbox-themed Windows, it has issues and isn't quite as seamless as you'd expect. According to reviews, it's a big step in the right direction, but using the ROG Xbox Ally X still feels like gaming on a Windows 11 PC. And with that, even with optimizations, there's still a performance cost for gaming on a Windows 11 handheld versus one running the simple-to-use and intuitive Linux-based SteamOS.

YouTube creator and tech enthusiast Cyber Dopamine has posted a new video showcasing the custom Linux OS 'Bazzite' running on the ROG Xbox Ally X. Bazzite, like Valve's own SteamOS, is a gaming and controller-friendly version of Linux designed for gamers to access their Steam libraries. And with that, even with the additional overhead of Steam's Proton compatibility layer, the ROG Xbox Ally X is faster without Windows 11.

Halo Studios is rumored to launch two new Halo games next year, and one is meant to be unveiled on Friday at the Halo World Championship. That title is meant to be the Halo Combat Evolved Remake, and now leaks are suggesting it will be launching on PS5 as well as Xbox.

The latest Halo rumor has come from Grunt.api, a known Halo insider and dataminer who accurately predicted on November 11, 2021 that Halo Infinite's multiplayer was going to release on November 15. Grunt.api has had a fairly solid track record when it comes to Halo rumors, and now the dataminer is writing the upcoming Halo game scheduled to be unveiled at the Halo World Cup on Friday will be getting a simultaneous release on the PS5.

Unfortunately, for Nintendo Switch 2 users, Grunt.api was unable to find any evidence to suggest the Halo Combat Evolved Remake was launching on Nintendo's latest console. According to Grunt.api, the evidence that was found two new Halo games listed in the API, both with PlayStation compatibility.

Xbox president Sarah Bond just re-confirmed that new Xbox hardware is on the way, and now she delivers a slight tease on what's to come with upcoming Xbox consoles.

Despite rumors of the contrary, Microsoft is indeed working on a new Xbox console. Reports say that the new Xbox could be a hybrid device that switches between console and PC. Xbox management still won't give a definitive answer on this topic, but Xbox president Sarah Bond did give a response. When asked by Mashable tech editor Timothy Beck Werth if the next-gen console would be like a PC, the Xbox executive said:

"The next-gen console is going to be a very premium, very high-end curated experience. You're starting to see some of our thinking in this handheld, but I don't want to give it all away."

Grim Dawn 2 is confirmed, but the game is in pre-production planning phases and won't be released for another six years or so.

ARPG fans will have something big to look forward to in 2031: a fully-fledged Grim Dawn sequel built in an entirely new engine. In a recent episode of Path of Exile creator Chris Wilson's podcast, Crate Entertainment CEO Arthur Bruno confirmed Grim Dawn 2 is happening. It just won't be out any time soon and will take six years before it's ready.

In the interview, Bruno says that the team will also make some tweaks and changes around systems to ensure the sequel has a better runway for more classes. The original Titan Quest developer cautions fans that work on Grim Dawn 2 hasn't begun just yet. The team at Crate is currently working on early access town-builder Farthest Frontier.

Nintendo's new Game-key Cards are the best way forward for game developers and consumers, Square Enix developer Naoki Hamaguchi says

The Switch 2's newer Game-key cards aren't too popular among gamers. The cartridges don't hold games, but instead contain license keys to unlock access to a downloadable version of the game. There's not much data on the actual cartridge storage. The strategy is a heavy-handed push towards digital access that's sold as a physical product--just like most game discs these days--but it's not just about business. For game developers, it's also about necessity.

We've heard multiple game devs talk about why they choose Switch 2 Game-key Cards instead of shipping their full games on Game Cards. It's a cost vs performance equation: Game-key Cards are cheaper to make, potentially more profitable, and aren't limited by the slow data transfer rates of Nintendo's proprietary cartridges. While the Switch 2 itself supports SF Express flash, and while the console's storage supports up to 2.1GB/sec transfer rates, the actual data speeds between the game cartridge and the console aren't fast enough to meet developer's needs.

Whispers are again circulating that AMD has new Ryzen 3D V-Cache processors on the horizon for its Zen 5 family, one of which will have the cache on both of its two chiplets.

That's the top-end CPU, of course, which according to the new leak from Chi11eddog on X (flagged by VideoCardz), will be the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2.

The '2' tacked onto the end of the X3D indicates that this is the first (theoretical) 3D V-Cache offering with such a dual-cache configuration, carrying a total of 192MB of L3 cache (in two 96MB pools).

Warner Bros. Discovery has announced it is now up for sale, with the company stating it has conducted a "review of strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value."

The press release states Warner Bros. Discovery has already received "unsolicited interest" in both Warner Bros. standalone, and the entire company. For those unfamiliar with Warner Bros. Discovery, the company owns many businesses under its umbrella, such as movie studios, streaming platforms, media businesses, and cable networks. Additionally, WBD also owns the international broadcasting rights to a range of sports, such as the Olympics, the French Open in Europe, and the Premier League in the UK.

Warner Bros. Discovery owns the rights to DC Comics, and other popular franchises such as Harry Potter, Batman, and Superman. The company was valued at $45 billion, but does carry billions of dollars of debt on its balance sheet, according to a report from NBC News.

Meta has removed the Messenger app from both the Windows and macOS application marketplaces, as the company is discontinuing the desktop app entirely.

Messenger on Windows will officially stop working on December 14, 2025, according to a notification within the app itself. On Mac, Messenger will undergo a deprecation process, which allows users 60 days to use the app before it is fully deprecated.

Once the 60 days are over, users will be blocked from using the Mac Messenger app, and instead, will be automatically directed to Facebook for messaging. Users will be informed that the deprecation process has begun with an in-app notification.

Apple has delivered a heated message to the General Court in Luxembourg, stating that Europe's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which came into effect in 2023, unlawfully compels Apple to make changes to its iPhone, App Store, and iMessage.

For those who don't know, the DMA is the antithesis of Apple's end-to-end control over its products, as it compels tech companies to make core services interoperable with competitors. Apple argues that the changes it would have to make to its services and products are incompatible with the protections of security, privacy, and even property rights under current EU law, with Apple telling the EU's second-highest court the DMA imposes "hugely onerous and intrusive burdens" on companies such as Apple, Meta, Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and others.

The aim of the DMA is to prevent big tech companies, such as Apple, from leveraging their dominance in one market to create power within another. An example of this would be the restrictions Apple places on iPhones when it comes to being compatible with other products Apple is trying to compete with, such as earbuds or smartwatches.

Battlefield 6 has been released, and with hundreds of thousands of players jumping into the action, some are reporting aiming difficulty. Here are the settings you need to change to significantly improve your aim, ensuring that you get that kill, or multiple, during crazy firefights.

It seems that PC players are experiencing what could be Battlefield itself messing with their aim mid-fight, as Battlefield 6 content creator @TorbisXD discovered a few settings that, when changed, can improve aim, enabling more shots to be hit, and ultimately, kills secured. The settings that were discovered disable the automatic aim sensitivity adjustment, which Battlefield has left on by default.

The first setting is Uniform Infantry Aiming, which maintains a consistent aiming sensitivity regardless of whether you are aiming from the hip or down the sights. Head to Mouse and Keyboard settings, then Controls sub settings, which is located under the Infantry section. Once here, switch Uniform Infantry Aiming off, then head down to the Zoom section and turn Zoom Transition Sensitivity Smoothing to zero. Once that is done, head back up to Uniform Infantry Aiming and reenable it.