Latest News - Page 263

Microsoft has made another change in Windows 11 which is for European users only, moving away from the practice of promoting Edge - and we wish these nuances would be more widely deployed to the US and elsewhere.

Windows Latest reports that in the European Economic Area (EEA), the widgets board in Windows 11 now opens links in the default browser, rather than overriding that preference to use Microsoft's own Edge app.

So, if you've set Chrome - or Firefox, Opera, or whatever alternative - as your default web browser, links from the widget panel will open in that browser, as they should do.

In a recent earnings call, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg discussed the future and how AI will be integrated into our everyday lives, specifically with a device that enables the AI to see what we see, hear what we hear, and speak directly to us.

That device is smart glasses, or AI-infused smart glasses. Zuckerberg believes that in the future, if you don't have AI smart glasses or some way to immediately interact with AI, "probably [going to be] at a pretty significant cognitive disadvantage compared to other people." This take from Zuckerberg isn't surprising, and when looking ahead, generally it does make sense for smart glasses to be the device to one day make the smartphone obsolete, given the small form factor, familiarity with the form factor, and already established societal integration.

However, for smartphones to be made obsolete, the glasses would need to at the very least do everything a standard smartphone can do, while maintaining a similar price. The tech just isn't there yet, but Meta is working on that. Meta has been working on smart glasses such as its Ray-Ban Meta glasses and Oakley Meta glasses that enable users to listen to music, take photos and videos, and ask Meta AI questions about what they are looking at in real life.

Micron has just unveiled the world's first Gen6 SSD with the introduction of its new Micron 9650 Gen6 SSD, capable of up to 28GB/sec reads for next-gen Gen6-ready data centers.

The new Micron 9650 Gen6 SSD features its in-house G9 NAND flash, aimed at high performance and low latencies for data center servers. Micron's new family of three SSDs uses vertical integration and its in-house G9 NAND, DRAM, and firmware to ensure that its new SSDs pack leading performance for servers, high capacity, high speeds, lower latencies, all while consuming less power.

Micron's new 9650 Gen6 SSD has up to 28GB/sec of sequential read speeds -- twice that of the 14GB/sec capable in Gen5 SSDs -- and up to 14GB/sec in sequential writes. This means that Micron's new 9650 Gen6 SSD has the fastest speeds out of the box, but does it with 25% improved efficiency at random writes, and up to 67% better efficiency at random reads.

NVIDIA is reportedly considering the move to CoWoP (Chip-on-Wafer-on-Platform) PCB packaging for its next-gen Rubin R150 AI GPUs.

In a new report from Digitimes, their sources have said NVIDIA is looking into CoWoP PCB packaging for its next-gen AI GPUs, with CoWoP (Chip-on-Wafer-on-Platform) PCB removing the package substrate and connects the interposer directly onto the motherboard.

There are some major benefits to using CoWoP with Signal and Power integrity improvements, reduction in substrate losses, and bringing the voltage regulation closer to the main GPU die. These interfaces also increase the NVLink IC capabilities, while CoWoP packaging also doesn't require a package lid, which means the thermal solution is capable of making direct contact with the silicon. This means reduced costs as there's no need for a package lid, as it's eliminated with CoWoP.

Xbox Game Pass made nearly $5 billion in annual revenue in FY25, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella confirmed in a recent conference call.

Microsoft is typically coy with Game Pass numbers, but today the company released a surprising bit of info about the service. Game Pass generated nearly $5 billion in service revenues throughout FY25, company CEO Satya Nadella confirmed, but no one single game drove results. An interesting tidbit: At $5 billion annual revenue, Game Pass would have made up 21% of Xbox's total revenues ($23.455 billion).

The Microsoft CEO also said that 50 million people played Call of Duty Black Ops 6, indicating that the game significantly weighted Game Pass sign-ups. Minecraft also saw huge engagement and revenue thanks to the wildly successful Minecraft movie, and Nadella also highlighted Microsoft's broad business strategy for Xbox, confirming that over 40 games were in development.

Microsoft's games division has delivered a record-breaking $23 billion in annual revenue for the first time ever.

Xbox's full-year results are in, and they're triumphantly good: Microsoft generated $23.455 billion from gaming throughout FY25, more than it ever has before. This is a staggering milestone for the Xbox brand as it approaches PlayStation levels of annual revenue; for reference, Sony made nearly $30 billion from PlayStation last fiscal year.

Software and services led the charge, accounting for a whopping 95% of annual Xbox revenues. Hardware saw a decline by -25% year-over-year to $270 million, and as numbers-cruncher Welfare JBP notes, this year delivered the sixth lowest hardware revenues in Xbox history.

Atari has purchased Thunderful Group, an indie publisher and co-developer of games like Steamworld Dig and Planet of Lana.

Classic gaming brand Atari expands its footprint in the modern games industry with its latest acquisition, the Swedish games developer, publisher, and distributor Thunderful Group.

Atari purchased majority shares in the company for 4.5 million euros (about $5.2 million). Per the press release, Thunderful is "specialized in game development, third‑party publishing, and co-development services for PC and console platforms. Thunderful encompasses a global games publishing business, five game studios with various creative and technological expertise, and a services business. The Company owns a portfolio of over 20 intellectual properties including SteamWorld, ISLANDERS, Lost in Random, and Vampire's Fall, notably."

EA is throwing everything it has into the development of Battlefield 6, with rumors suggesting the publisher has invested as much as $400 million into the development of the title. With that kind of investment, EA is looking not just for Battlefield 6 to succeed, but to skyrocket and prosper.

While EA didn't confirm if that investment estimation is accurate, the publisher's CEO, Andrew Wilson, did confirm that more has been invested in Battlefield 6 than in any other Battlefield product in the history of the franchise. These comments from Wilson were made during a recent earnings call where he revealed that EA isn't considering Battlefield 6 to be just a product, but a platform the publisher intends to build out.

Notably, Battlefield 6 is currently being worked on by four development studios: DICE, Criterion, Motive, and Ripple Effect, all of which are working under the umbrella of Battlefield Studios in different aspects of the upcoming game. Some studios are handling rumored modes such as the free-to-play Battle Royale experience, some are teaming up to work on the single-player campaign, and others are working on unannounced features.

Nintendo has announced it will be hosting a Direct tomorrow, where it will be unveiling a bunch of new games for the Nintendo Switch 2

Nintendo has taken to its social channels to announce it will be going live tomorrow, on July 31, with a new Direct where it will unveil a selection of upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 titles. Unfortunately, if you were excited for this Direct to feature Nintendo's new selection of first-party titles for the newly released console, you will be disappointed to learn this Direct has been labelled as a "partner showcase," meaning it won't have any major first-party title reveals.

However, there is always a fool's hope that Nintendo will surprise us with something at the end of the Direct. So, what can we expect for the upcoming Direct in terms of announcements? We know that Ubisoft is working on a Switch 2 port for Assassin's Creed: Shadows and Star Wars: Outlaws. Ubisoft recently confirmed in a financial report that it was bringing Shadows over to a new platform soon. So, it's possible we will get a confirmation of that along with a release date.

In one of the more bizarre moves we've ever seen in the computing world, Microsoft has released a themed take on its Surface Laptop, and the theme is the Smurfs.

Yes, there's another Smurfs movie (a live-action musical reboot) which recently hit the theaters in the US, and that has inspired the 'Smurface Edition' notebook - that and clearly Microsoft couldn't resist the terrible pun.

This laptop is being sold on Amazon in the US and as The Verge reports, apparently there are only 100 units available. Should you want one, the Smurface Edition is still in stock, at least at the time of writing, and it'll set you back $999.99.

Battlefield 6 has yet to receive an official price point, causing speculation that the game is going to release with the new $80 price tag recently set by Nintendo's Mario Kart World and Xbox's Outer Worlds 2, which Microsoft later backpedaled on.

The only news we have had regarding Battlefield 6 and its price has come in the form of rumors, which point to the title maintaining the typical $69.99 premium AAA standard, but now we have a comment from EA's CEO, Andrew Wilson. The CEO spoke during a recent EA earnings call, where he was asked if EA has considered increasing the price of its games from the $70 mark to $80, specifically regarding Battlefield 6. Wilson said, "We're not looking to make any changes on pricing at this stage."

Wilson added that EA "already offer a fairly broad pricing scheme across our various products," and pointed to the range of products it has under its umbrella that vary from free-to-play titles to premium and deluxe editions of titles. Ultimately, Wilson said, "no dramatic changes planned yet."

Battlefield 6 is scheduled to have its multiplayer reveal on July 31, and following that reveal Battlefield Labs has been rumored to host betas for players that obtain codes for the upcoming title. The dates for those betas have now been leaked.

A new exclusive report from Insider Gaming has revealed Battlefield Labs will be hosting two Betas for Battlefield 6: one is a closed beta for players that obtain codes from either pre-ordering the game or through the hundreds of content creators that will be streaming the game during the following dates, and the second is an open beta. The closed beta will be taking place between August 7 and 8, while the open beta will begin from August 9 to August 10, with a second open beta taking place between August 14 and 17.

The report states that pre-orders for the title are scheduled to become available during the upcoming multiplayer reveal event on July 31. As for the rumored Battle Royale mode, Insider Gaming writes it's currently unclear when it will become available or if it will even be mentioned at the upcoming event. Battlefield 6 is slated to release on October 10, 2025 on PlayStation 5 / Xbox Series S|X, and PC. The title is pegged to release at $69.99.

Capcom increases its quarterly game sales by nearly 50% year-over-year with the help of the Devil May Cry TV show on Netflix.

Capcom just reported its latest latest Q1 FY25 results, showing strong and consistent revenue and profits across multiple segments.

The increase was driven by an uptick in total game unit sales across Capcom's new releases and evergreen catalog titles. In Q1, Capcom sold 14.167 million games, an increase of 48.6% year-over-year. Interestingly enough, nearly all of Q1's game sales were from already-released catalog games; Capcom sold over 13 million catalog titles and less than 1 million new games.

Those of you keenly awaiting the two-player co-op option for Elden Ring Nightreign, which is coming in the next patch, might be disappointed to learn that this update has been delayed - albeit only by a day.

And there's a good excuse for this delay, as the decision has been made due to the tsunami warning (after the earthquake in the Pacific Ocean, which was a worrying 8.8 magnitude affair).

FromSoftware announced the postponement on X (see the above post, which was noticed by Wccftech).

Microsoft is currently dominating the top ten games on the PlayStation Store, with six out of the ten games being Microsoft-published games.

Ever since the acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, Microsoft has been aggressively moving toward an IP-centered strategy where it will reduce the walls of exclusivity for its titles, and begin releasing what were Xbox-exclusive games onto rival platforms, specifically PlayStation. In the past, Xbox has stated that it doesn't care what platform its games are being played on, as long as it's their games, and it appears that strategy is working.

New data from Circana's Mat Piscatella has revealed that six out of the ten best-selling games on the PlayStation Store are Microsoft games, with first and second place being taken by Forza Horizon 5 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, respectively. The sales data accounts for both physical and digital sales throughout Q2 2025. More specifically, the top five games on PlayStation 5 consist of 80% Microsoft titles, with the only title of PlayStation being MLB: The Show 25.

Tactical shooter Ready or Not is one of the fastest-selling indies of the year with millions of copies sold in less than a month.

VOID Interactive's SWAT FPS simulator Ready or Not has amassed quite a following since it launched on consoles. The game released earlier this month, and has already sold more than 2 million copies on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S--huge numbers for any indie game studio, especially VOID Interactive.

New sales data also reveals that Ready or Not is currently selling more copies than Call of Duty on consoles. At the time of writing, Ready or Not was the #2 best-seller on the PS Store, compared to Call of Duty's #6.

The biggest earthquake to strike since 2011 has hit Russia, resulting in tsunami warnings issued for multiple Pacific regions.

Almost two million people are currently under evacuation advisories across 2020 municipalities along the Pacific coast of Japan, while Hawaii is bracing for impact as a "wall of water" approaches. The director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, Chip McCreery, said it could be "several hours" before the warning level in Hawaii is reduced. Reports indicate the biggest wave recorded so far is 4ft tall, and waves are arriving every 12 minutes. This figure was measured by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center at Haleiwa, Oahu.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green has urged people to evacuate all coastal zones as the state braces for a "forceful wall of water that will move across the shoreline into the community." Green also provided an update shortly after the expected arrival time of 7:10 pm local time for the first wave, "So far we have not seen a wave of consequence," but they have seen significant water recede.

The multiplayer reveal for Battlefield 6 is only a few days away, and we have already begun hearing about the rumored Battle Royale mode, which is slated to be a free-to-play feature of the upcoming game.

According to leaker temporyal, Battlefield Labs has created the deadliest Battle Royale mode out of any Battle Royale game, and this entirely due to the damage of the enclosing circle. The leaker took to X to share an image of the recreated Battle Royale map in Battlefield 6, with the leaker writing the location appears to be called "Lyndon Beach," which features all of the points of interest and much more.

Additionally, temporal revealed the circle in the mode will be "fatal" to players that enter it, and this circle, or ring, is called NXC. This leak was backed up by another leaker, ModernWarzone, who wrote that Battlefield 6 will feature "one of the most deadly and dangerous collapsing circles in Battle Royale history." Moreover, players that are standing within 10 meters of the NXC ring will begin to burn, and if they touch it they will be instantly eliminated.

Apple's foldable iPhone is expected to launch in September 2026, with a price of $1999 and said to create a $65 billion market opportunity for the company.

In a new market research note to investors, banking firm JPMorgan supported recent rumors that Apple would be launching a new device in 2026, with Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 family of smartphones to offer a few different upgrades across the board, and the introduction of the iPhone 17 Slim, which has resulted in investors shifting their focus to Apple's 2026 product launches.

Apple's 2026 product launches will include the next-generation iPhone 18 family of smartphones, as well as the introduction of the company's first foldable iPhone.

Corsair has just launched its new AI Workstation 300 PC which features AMD's new Ryzen AI Max+ "Strix Halo" APUs, a new SFF desktop PC that packs up to 128GB of RAM, powerful Radeon 8060 graphics, and 4TB of Gen4 SSD storage.

The new Corsair AI Workstation 300 starts off at $1600 which gives you the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 which features 12 cores and 24 threads of Zen 5 processing power, 64GB of RAM and a 1TB Gen4 SSD. The flagship specs come inside of the $2300 model that features the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 with 16 cores and 32 threads, the flagship Strix Halo APU, a huge 128GB of RAM and bigger 4TB SSD.

Corsair builds its AI Workstation 300 into the same chassis designed by SIXUNITED, who recently also launched their new Strix Halo APU-ready motherboards, with the system featuring LPDDR5X-8000 RAM (64GB or 128GB), meaning the new Corsair AI Workstation 300 is optimized for more AI workloads.