Latest News - Page 224

CD Projekt is hiring a lead network engineer for Cyberpunk 2, which indicates the new FPS RPG could have multiplayer of some kind.

Back in 2017, we published a report that said Cyberpunk 2077 should have online elements. These features, which were described as "seamless multiplayer, city creation, and real-time AI and living cities" in a grant issued to CD Projekt by the Polish government, ultimately didn't make it into the final game.

But there's a chance that Cyberpunk 2 could be what CD Projekt envisioned for the first game; a dynamic, connected world full of activity and action, all facilitated via an online infrastructure. The studio's new job listing for a network engineer mentions "designing and implementing network architecture and online systems"for Cyberpunk 2.

The Xbox Ally X isn't out yet, but Microsoft's new handheld-specific Xbox app can actually be loaded up on handheld PCs that run Windows 11 2H2.

Windows isn't fun to use on a small touchscreen, so Microsoft created a version that's tailor-made for handheld gaming PCs. It's called the Xbox Fullscreen Experience, and it's basically a custom version of the Xbox app that can shut off non-gaming Windows functions to free up system resources. It's a lot like modern Xbox consoles--these systems also run Windows, but highly-specialized versions with tons of processes and features stripped away.

The new version of the Xbox app can be accessed right now via the Windows 11 25H2 preview build. The Fullscreen Experience can be enabled via this tutorial, but be forewarned that you'll have to get into registry files.

Microsoft is betting big on indie games, and its ID@Xbox program is helping fund more titles to launch into Game Pass.

While subscriptions can eat into game sales, Xbox Game Pass is helping fund indies that may otherwise not have been made. Since the Xbox 360 days, Microsoft has fostered a platform to create and sell indie games, and the more modern-day ID@Xbox program uses Microsoft's billion-dollar coffers to fund interesting new games to fill out Game Pass.

Now we have more of an idea of how this works, at least on Microsoft's side. In a recent interview with Eurogamer, Xbox@ID program creator Chris Charla says that investment into indies, especially those coming to Game Pass, is at an all-time high for 2025. The recent explosive success of Hollow Knight Silksong is proof of this investment--that was a big get for the Game Pass catalog.

A developer has revealed new info about the cancelled Perfect Dark reboot from Xbox while also showcasing some art from the cancelled project.

People who worked on Microsoft's cancelled Perfect Dark reboot have opened up about the game, with one developer giving website MP1st access to art assets and key details on the FPS.

According to the internal sources close to the project, the Perfect Dark shooter would have used an interesting-sounding Adrenaline System that would essentially fuel the flow of gameplay. Adrenaline was a resource, not unlike fatigue or even mana, that would regenerate over time and dictate battle. Joanna Dark would use adrenaline to perform more high-octane stunts and other death-defying feats like healing and even a Dead Eye slow-time mechanic.

Why are car dealerships an essential business in the first place? This question became urgent during the coronavirus pandemic when many states debated whether sales facilities should stay open or close under health restrictions. The answer reveals how deeply cars and vehicles connect with the continuity of daily life.

When forced shutdowns spread across the nation, essential workers still needed reliable transportation. Customers who had to travel for related operations for medical or safety duties could not wait for delayed deliveries. Platforms like sca.auction show how important automotive sales remained when dealerships provided stability during uncertain weeks.

Car dealerships are not just showrooms with new vehicle models. They represent a point of contact between auto dealers and customers who need both sales and service. Employees keep vehicles roadworthy so essential workers can continue to reach hospitals, airports, and repair facilities.

Borderlands 4 was released and was met with some performance issues on PC, but despite these criticisms, the game has gone on to sell 2.5 million copies in just 10 days.

A new report from Games Industry.biz cites data from Alinea Analytics, which claims Borderlands 4 has reached 2.5 million copies sold since launch, with 1.3 million of those copies being sold via Steam. Notably, Borderlands 4 has surpassed 300,000 concurrent players on Steam following its launch, marking the highest concurrent Steam player count in the Borderlands franchise.

The data analytics firm also shared insights on how many Borderlands 4 players have played previous games in the franchise, with the firm stating that 59% of gamers played Borderlands 2, 51% played Borderlands 3, and 22% played Tiny Tina's Wonderlands.

GEEKOM is celebrating its anniversary with some of its lowest Mini PC prices ever, headlined by the GEEKOM IT12 - a compact, high-performance NUC 12 alternative powered by Intel's 12th Gen Core i7-1280P processor. If you're looking for a compact desktop for work, 4K streaming, or light creative tasks, this one strikes the perfect balance of performance, size, and value.

Right now, prices on the IT12 start at just $419 during the event window, and TweakTown readers can take an extra 16% off with the coupon code TWEAK1280P at checkout on GEEKOM's official store. The promo runs from September 22 to October 25, 2025, with additional Mini PC deals available across the range.

The IT12 pairs 12th Gen Intel performance with the convenience of a palm-size chassis, making it an excellent fit for space-saving home offices, living-room setups, or portable workstations. Configurations include up to 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD, with plenty of I/O for multiple displays and fast peripherals.

If you've ever experienced a bricked GPU, that's not a pleasant experience, obviously - though you don't expect this to happen to a graphics card right out of the box.

More to the point, you don't expect to open the box of a brand new GPU that's just been delivered and find an actual concrete brick inside - but as Tom's Hardware reports, that's what happened to an Amazon customer as reported on Reddit (see above).

Redditor GlassHistorical5303 explains that this was supposed to be an RTX 5080 bought from the official PNY store on Amazon, and they've asked for a refund (unsurprisingly).

Activision has just released the official multiplayer trailer for the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, and it confirms the title will feature wall running.

The new multiplayer trailer was posted to the official Call of Duty YouTube channel and showcases a bunch of new weapons and mechanics players will be able to sink their teeth into on November 14 when the game releases.

Probably the biggest highlight of the trailer was the quick glimpse of the wall-running mechanic, along with the omnimovement system that was introduced in Black Ops 6. Alongside the new trailer is a blog post, which confirms which game modes will be available during the upcoming beta and launch.

NVIDIA and OpenAI have announced a new strategic partnership that involves NVIDIA investing $100 billion into the ChatGPT-creator to power the next generation of AI models it will be building.

In a new press release on the OpenAI website, it is stated that a new letter of intent to build "at least 10 gigawatts of NVIDIA systems for OpenAI's next-generation AI infrastructure". The new partnership will assist in the deployment of new datacenters and power capacity, with the first phase of the plan to come online in the second half of 2026. Notably, these new systems will be using NVIDIA's Vera Rubin platform, the company's upcoming next-generation GPU architecture.

In a nutshell, NVIDIA and OpenAI have partnered to facilitate the development of superintelligence AI and, ultimately, artificial general intelligence, which will be achieved through AI factory growth. According to the press release, NVIDIA and OpenAI will "co-optimize" their roadmaps for OpenAI's model and infrastructure software, along with NVIDIA's upcoming hardware and software.

Battlefield 6 is only a few weeks away, and the official launch times have been confirmed, revealing when gamers can sink their teeth back into the highly anticipated first-person shooter.

Battlefield 6 is arriving on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on October 10. The upcoming title will be dropping an entire month before the competing Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, which received quite a lot of criticism following its unveiling at Gamescom 2025, with the gameplay reveal trailer being hit with a staggering number of dislikes and vitriolic comments.

As for Battlefield 6, massive hype was built up during the open beta weekends that ran from August 9 to 10th, and from August 14 to 17th. While there was community feedback for the title, and many of those requests have been implemented, the general consensus was pretty good for Battlefield 6. Notably, there won't be a staggered release time for Battlefield 6, which means everyone will be able to jump into the action at the same time. While that is awesome to hear, it also raises concerns for server stability.

The MetaConnect 2025 keynote conducted on Wednesday gained quite a lot of attention for all the wrong reasons, as multiple demos failed in front of live audiences. Now, Meta's chief Technology Officer, Andrew Bosworth, has explained what happened behind the scenes to cause the failures.

For those who haven't seen the video circulating online, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg attempted to make a WhatsApp video call with Meta's next-generation AI glasses on stage, but was unable to due to a bug. Zuckerberg said, "This, uh... it happens." Adding, "Let's try it again. I keep messing this up."

That wasn't the only demo that failed during the event; another involved content creator and chef Jack Mancuso, who asked Meta AI to help him make a steak sauce out of the ingredients he had in front of him. Meta AI went off script and was unable to fulfill the request. "You already combined the base ingredients," the AI told Mancuso, who was looking at an empty bowl and a table full of ingredients.

Apple has released its latest generation of iPhone, and with the new devices making their way into the hands of users around the world, one has found a considerable issue worth pointing out.

YouTuber JerryRigEverything, known for his teardown videos and durability tests of the latest smartphone generations, has discovered a flaw in the design of the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. Apple has made many improvements to the 17th generation of iPhone, which includes scratch-resistant glass and a totally redesigned chassis. However, the redesigned chassis has a fatal flaw that will lead to scratching, which users won't be able to prevent unless they buy a case.

The flaw is located on the new camera plateau, specifically with the colorful exterior aluminum oxide layer, which is present on the majority of the iPhone 17 Pro chassis. JerryRigEverything explains that this aluminum oxide layer is a level nine on the hardness scale, second only to diamonds, which are a level ten.

NVIDIA is reportedly preparing its own in-house self-driving taxi project, Robotaxi, that will be announced in the very near future.

In a new report from UDN picked up by insider @Jukanrosleve on X, we're hearing that NVIDIA's new self-driving robotaxi project should be announced shortly after an upcoming all-hands meeting. UDN reports that the industry believes that sensor components and lens applications are "crucial" for NVIDIA's self-driving robotaxi development, with Taiwanese companies including Tong Hsing Electronics and Yanguang to "benefit greatly".

Industry sources report that NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang plans to assign the important self-driving robotaxi project to his senior director, Ruchi Bhargava, with the project to be based on NVIDIA's new DRIVE AGX Thor system, and will adopt a new, one-step technology route.

The PC gaming market is in a healthier position than it has been in many years according to a new report from Jon Peddie Research, which reports that there has been a record 35% growth in 2025 with $44.5 billion in sales.

The firm reports that the PC gaming hardware market is poised to reach a record 35% growth for 2025, which would mean $44.5 billion in sales for the PC hardware segment alone from gamers, with JPR expecting to keep the $40B+ gravy train trend to continue through to 2028.

JPR's research is based on the sales of PC gaming hardware that includes desktop and laptops, AIB partners, and gaming peripherals. One of the key reasons for the big increase from $33 billion in 2024 to $44.5 billion in 2025 is because of Windows 11, which has new hardware requirements that are pushing PC gamers to either upgrade their existing systems with new hardware, or buy a pre-built gaming PC with new hardware.

PCI-SIG announced the next-next-gen PCIe 8.0 specification last month, but now the body that controls the PCIe standard has released PCIe 8.0 specification, version 3.0 to its members.

The next-next-gen PCIe 8.0 standard won't be for consumers and gamers right away but it is being tailor-made for super-intensive workloads like AI, quantum computing, and more. Right now, PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 5.0 are more than enough for virtually all gamers as the latest GPUs don't fully saturate the bandwidth available to PCIe 5.0.

Meanwhile, Gen4 SSDs still pump over 7GB/sec and Gen5 SSDs pump an even faster 14GB/sec+, which is way more than enough for gamers and average users. PCIe 6.0 isn't coming until after 2030 and by then, more users will be on the Gen5 standard without a need to do 32GB/sec+ reads from their SSDs let alone GPUs using the full bandwidth of a PCIe 6.0 x16 port.

BenQ has just released three new QD-OLED gaming monitors in its growing MOBIUZ family, with two offering 4K 240Hz and another offering 1440p @ 500Hz. Check them out:

Starting with the new BenQ MOBIUZ EZ321UZ, which is a 32-inch gaming monitor featuring Samsung's 4th Gen QD-OLED panel, it offers 4K 240Hz, DisplayPort 2.1 connectivity, and up to 1000 nits of brightness. BenQ also has the EX271UZ which is a 27-inch variant with the same 4K 240Hz but only DP1.4 connectivity.

Both of the new MOBIUZ QD-OLED gaming monitors feature 4K 240Hz with a super-fast 0.03ms response time and BenQ's in-house Color Shuffle mode which improves picture quality in AAA games. Both of the new monitors also feature HDMI 2.1 so they can connect to consoles for 4K 120Hz gaming, as well as USB-C with 90W Power Delivery, a built-in KVM switch, and HDMI 2.1-related features including ALLM and eARC.

Apple's new iPhone Air is finally in the wild and early users are reporting that they're seeing condensation forming inside of the camera lens, with fogged-up lenses within just a few hours of use.

YouTuber Luke Miana shared a photo of his brand-new iPhone Air with condensation inside of the camera on day one, with another X user "Dongle" sharing a number of images of his iPhone Air, saying: "my iPhone Air has condensation in the camera... maybe this is widespread". Meanwhile, another person posted on Reddit but deleted the image shortly after, with the same condensation issue on his new iPhone Air.

We don't know how widespread this issue is, but multiple people are reporting back on their new iPhone Air having condensation in the camera, which isn't some easy fix... and it shows that Apple could have some long-term issues with the iPhone Air in the weeks and months (and years) ahead.

Pimax has just unveiled three new VR headsets using Sony's next-gen micro-OLED technology, with ultra-high pixel density, near-infinite contrast, beautiful blacks, and more.

We'll start with the flagship Pimax Crystal Super micro-OLED, with Sony's new micro-OLED panels sporting 3840 x 3552 pixels per eye with ConcaveView pancake optics, and a 116-degree FOV. This is the widest FOV achieved so far with micro-OLED panels on a VR headset. Pimax is using interchangeable optical engines that are compatible with 50 PPD, 57 PPD clarity-focused, and ultrawide QLED models.

Pimax's new high-end Crystal Super micro-OLED headset provides users with the flexibility to change between maximum immersion and maximum sharpness, with the new VR headset priced at $2199.

For the second time this year, Microsoft is raising the price of Xbox console hardware in the United States, leading to a generation with an $800 video games system.

Microsoft is planning another price hike for its Xbox Series X/S console duo, the company has confirmed. The most eye-catching part of this update is that Microsoft now has an $800 console with its Xbox Series X 2TB Galaxy Black edition, which has gone up by $70 since the summer price hike.

The new prices go into effect on October 3 in the United States, and see increases on all systems. The Xbox Series S is now $399, up from $379, with the 1TB model also increasing by $20 to $450. The disc version of the Xbox Series X is now baseline $649, up $50. The all-digital Xbox Series X is now $599, the same price that Sony attached to its unpopular PlayStation 3 in 2006.