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NVIDIA giving away DOOM: The Dark Ages for FREE with select GeForce RTX 50 series GPU purchase
NVIDIA has just announced it is giving away DOOM: The Dark Ages Premium Edition with select GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs.
In a new post on its website, NVIDIA confirms that select GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs in both desktop and laptop form will get free copies of DOOM: The Dark Ages. This includes the GeForce RTX 5090, RTX 5080, RTX 5070 Ti or RTX 5070 graphics card purchases, or a gaming PC with one of those desktop GPUs inside.
On the laptop side of things, it includes any gaming laptop with the GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU, RTX 5080 Laptop GPU, RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU, or RTX 5070 Laptop GPU. NVIDIA isn't including its mid-range GeForce RTX 5060 Ti or RTX 5060 GPUs in either desktop or laptop form, this is for the higher-end Blackwell GPUs.
Switch 2 Game-key cards are a 'step back' for game preservation, Nightdive says
Nintendo's new Game-key Cards offer a cost-effective way for partners to publishers to ship physical products that contain digital games, but it's not the best for games preservation.
Nintendo has found a novel way to help contain the rising costs of physical distribution: Delivering a digital game in a physical cartridge. The Switch 2's new Game-key cards don't have the full game on them and instead require gamers to download the game digitally--it's exactly what it sounds like, a game key card.
While this update is great for business (Switch and Switch 2 cartridges are not exactly cheap to produce), it poses a potential threat for games preservation. Digital games are transient and can often be delisted and updated over time. The original experience gets lost to time unless there's a hard copy of the code somewhere--unless someone has backed it up, that launch experience could just vanish.
Ambitious 'PUBG 2.0' plan includes user-generated content, multiple games
Krafton, the South Korean company behind megaton success PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), has announced an ambitious plan to make IP the center of a connected gaming ecosystem.
Krafton has plans to make a veritable PUBG network of products, content, and services. This plan, dubbed PUBG 2.0, incorporates key elements of conceptual models like Franchise-as-a-service (FaaS) and Games-as-a-Platform (GaaP), both of which will run alongside and within one another.
The group has three new PUBG-related products in development including an extraction shooter, a new console-oriented battle royale game, and a isometric tactical project.
PlayStation Plus members, prepare for the destruction of your life: you're getting free Balatro
Sony has revealed the games that PlayStation Plus subscribers will get in May, and they include Balatro, Ark: Survival Ascended, and Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun.
If you're signed up to PlayStation Plus you'll get that trio of games from May 6 if you own a PlayStation 5, although those yet to make the leap from the PS4 platform won't be able to play Ark: Survival Ascended (but they'll be fine with the other two games).
Balatro is, of course, a potently compelling twist on poker, and the roguelike deckbuilder established itself as a massive hit last year, coming from out of nowhere to rack up a ton of sales.
Assassin's Creed Shadows multiplayer mode evidence discovered
Dataminers have discovered a seemingly abandoned multiplayer mode within Assassin's Creed Shadows, with at least three instances of a multiplayer mode recently discovered within the game files.
A new report from Insider Gaming has cited an X post by video game modder Sliderv2, who shared screenshots of elements, or at the very least the mentionings of a multiplayer mode within Assassin's Creed Shadows. More specifically, it appears Ubisoft was working on a Player versus Player (PVP) mode as files with titles such as 'RED_PVP_Maps' and 'RED_PVP_Gym' were discovered. Notably, the codename used by Ubisoft for Assassin's Creed Shadows was "Codename Red".
Furthermore, the multiplayer mode, which currently isn't available in Assassin's Creed Shadows, may not be abandoned at all, as Insider Gaming reported back in October 2024 that it had learned a multiplayer/co-op mode was in development and scheduled to release after the game was made available. It's possible these files aren't permanently abandoned, but just temporarily, while development continues on a multiplayer mode. At the time, the multiplayer mode was codenamed LEAGUE, and details on how it would play weren't obtained by the publication.
Continue reading: Assassin's Creed Shadows multiplayer mode evidence discovered (full post)
Nintendo Switch owners receive GameShare ahead of Switch 2 launch
Nintendo announced during its Switch 2-dedicated Direct a new feature for both the upcoming console and the original Nintendo Switch, and that feature was Game Share, which enables owners of either console to share a game with other Nintendo Switch devices locally, even if the owner has a single copy.
Nintendo explains Game Share as follows: "play together locally on multiple systems using just one game." Notably, this feature won't work when trying to share Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive titles to the original Nintendo Switch. A basic rule of thumb here is that if the game is compatible with both systems, Game Share will be available.
The feature is locked to local play, meaning users will have to be connected to the same wireless network to be able to share games across systems. Additionally, the Nintendo Switch 2 must be the console to initiate the Game Share feature, meaning the feature cannot be used between two original Nintendo Switch systems. Original Nintendo Switch systems have just received a massive update from Nintendo that has laid the groundwork for GameShare ahead of the official launch of the Switch 2 on June 5, as Nintendo details in its recent patch notes for the console, the following:
Continue reading: Nintendo Switch owners receive GameShare ahead of Switch 2 launch (full post)
MacBook Air M4 only hit shelves last month and you can already get one at $849 with 15% off
Apple's MacBook Air M4 hasn't been around long - it only went on sale early in March - and already you can pick one up for a 15% discount.
This is the MacBook Air 13-inch with M4 processor and of course it's the base model, which normally retails at $999 but can now be had at a few major US retailers for $849. That includes Amazon, Best Buy and B&H as ZDNet flagged up.
Don't forget that you're getting a MacBook which is now equipped with 16GB of RAM (since Apple started upping the entry-level allocation of Unified Memory for Macs in recent history), as well as 256GB of storage.
Elon Musk's DOGE team gets access to classified nuclear secrets
Two members of Elon Musk's DOGE team were reportedly granted access to highly classified information about the United States government's nuclear weapon stockpile despite having zero experience with handling classified information.
A new NPR report has revealed that 23-year-old former SpaceX intern Luke Farritor and venture capitalist Adam Ramada were granted access to the government's nuclear secrets, with both of the DOGE members having accounts on nuclear networks for at least two weeks. Notably, a spokesperson for the Department of Energy (DOE) initially denied that Farritor and Ramada had access to the network, with the DOE writing, "This reporting is false. No DOGE personnel have accessed these NNSA systems."
However, the DOE released an update on Monday where it said accounts for both of the DOGE members were created on the network, but never used. "DOE is able to confirm that these accounts in question were never activated and have never been accessed," the email statement read. The NPR article cites two sources who declined to be identified, as they are unable to speak about the matter publicly. The publication notes that its sources have access to the same network to which Farritor and Ramada were connected.
Continue reading: Elon Musk's DOGE team gets access to classified nuclear secrets (full post)
Flappy Bird flies again on Android, but we've got a feeling it won't be so popular this time
Remember Flappy Bird? You probably do, as it was a shock hit out of nowhere back in 2013 - and if you wanted to give it another whirl, it's back in business, albeit with a somewhat controversial twist.
To refresh your memory, the game is a side-scroller where you control a little bird, navigating it between green pipes by tapping the screen to flap (and move upwards).
It was (and is) a tricky game to master, and it proved highly addictive, which became a point of controversy itself, until eventually its creator, Dong Nguyen, ditched the game. (Following a whole bunch of accusations and flak fired at Nguyen - such as frustrated kids breaking their phones - leading him to remark that it "ruined his life" at one point).
Huawei begins deliveries of CloudMatrix 384 AI clusters in China: 10 companies now using them
Huawei has started delivering its new CloudMatrix 384 AI clusters to customers in China, powered by its Ascend 910C AI chips.
In a new report from the Financial Times, we're learning that 10 different clients have now adopted Huawei's new CloudMatrix 384 AI servers into their data center portfolios. We don't know which Chinese companies are using Huawei's new AI servers, but they are reportedly primary customers of Huawei's product offerings.
Huawei's new CloudMatrix 384 "CM384" AI cluster is powered by 384 Huawei Ascend 910C AI chips connected in an "all-to-all topology" configuration. Huawei is outweighing the architectural flaws of its AI chips by using 5x more of them than NVIDIA uses with GB200 inside of NVL72 servers. This is why the company doesn't care about the costs, performance inefficiency, scalability ratios, and more.
Taiwan government enforces 'silicon shield' by restricting TSMC from exporting high-end tech
The Taiwanese government is planning to better control exports of its advanced semiconductor process technologies, as well as outbound semiconductor investments according to new reports.
In a new report from the Economic Daily, we're learning that Taiwanese government officials will enforce the "N-1" technology restriction, which will see TSMC banned from exporting its latest production nodes, and it'll also introduce a penalty for violating the N-1 restriction.
Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai has said that the new N-1 policy will apply to TSMC's planned production in the United States, with only one generation older allowed to be deployed overseas. However, TSMC's most advanced semiconductor process technology is its current N3P process node, but before the end of the year we'll see TSMC begin fabbing new chips on its N2 process node, which will then become the flagship process node.
Gearbox boss responds to rumors GTA 6 changed the Borderlands 4 release date
Randy Pitchford, the director of Gearbox, the developers of the Borderlands franchise, has put to bed rumors that the rescheduled release date for Borderlands 4 has been influenced by the release dates of other games, particularly Grand Theft Auto 6.
It was only recently that Gearbox announced it will be teaming up with PlayStation for a special showcase of Borderlands 4, and that it will be moving the scheduled release date of the game by 11 days to September 12. The original release date of September 23, and now the switch to the current release date of September 12 has sparked a tyriad of rumors about why Gearbox has decided to release the game early, with many of those rumors and online chatter pointing to Gearbox wanting to dodge the release date of other titles such as Grand Theft Auto 6 to give Borderlands 4 the best chance of commercial success.
However, that simply isn't the case, or at least according to Pitchford, who recently took to X, formerly Twitter, to put the rumors to bed. Pitchford said the new release date for Borderlands 4 has nothing to do with the release date of any other game, and the decision to ship the game early is "100% the result of confidence in the game and development trajectory backed by actual tasks and bug find/fix rates."
Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con motion controls work with swords in Cyberpunk 2077
CD Projekt Red, the developers behind The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, have revealed more details about the upcoming port to the Nintendo Switch 2, teasing that players will be able to take advantage of the Joy-Con 2 controllers in a way that enables new levels of immersion.
Posted to the Nintendo of America YouTube channel, CD Projekt Red developers shared more details about the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 edition of Cyberpunk 2077, saying that players wanting to experience the game on the go, whether they are returning or new players will feel right at home since the Switch 2 hardware enables this port to be the best handheld version of the game.
For players wondering how the Nintendo Switch 2 port of Cyberpunk 2077 stacks up against console editions of the game, studio engineer Tim Green said last week that the Switch 2 version of Cyberpunk 2077 is a more capable version than what was released on the PS4 and Xbox One. Indicative of that hardware improvement is Cyberpunk 2077's main DLC expansion, Phantom Liberty, not being released on previous gen consoles (PS4 and Xbox One), but being available on the Nintendo Switch 2.
Microsoft reveals it fooled thousands of people with this Copilot+ PC ad
Microsoft has confirmed that an advertisement it released for Copilot+ PCs more than 2 months ago was created using generative AI, subverting the expectations of everyone who has already viewed it.
Microsoft revealed the ad was made with generative AI in a new Microsoft Design post, where it states the Visual Design team at Microsoft was required to create an ad for the company's latest Surface Pro and Surface Laptop for Business Copilot+ PCs, but the challenge was to have it done within a month. In order to overcome this challenge, the team outsourced the work to generative AI, with Microsoft's Windows + Devices Visual Design team explaining in the blog post that by doing this, it enabled them to save "90% of the time and cost it would typically take."
The team stated that it created a script, storyboards, and a pitch deck for the advertisement using unspecified AI tools. Since AI still struggles with human motion, the team combined the AI-generated scenes with some human-created ones to fill in the areas where the AI was lacking. What's interesting is that before Microsoft revealed the ad was created with AI, none of the thousands of people who viewed it suspected it was AI-generated, which is indicative of exponentially improving quality of AI-generated content.
Apple smart glasses will be an Apple Intelligence product: will compete with Meta Ray-Bans
Apple is still hard at work on its new smart glasses codenamed N50, with a new report teasing that the device "isn't close to being ready yet" but the idea is to turn glasses into an Apple Intelligence device.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman writes that Apple's new smart glasses will analyze the surrounding environment, feeding information to the wearer, but Gurman notes that "it will stop well short of true augmented reality". Apple's also developing camera-equipped AirPods that have been long rumored, that "will do much the same thing".
Apple's goal is to make augmented reality glasses that act similar to how the Vision Pro headset works, and it could be one of the biggest projects the company is working on right now.
Waymo teams with Toyota for next-gen autonomous personally owned vehicles (POVs) to fight Tesla
Waymo and Toyota have just announced that they're exploring a new autonomous vehicle platform and integrated Waymo's self-driving technology into new fleets of "personally owned vehicles" or POVs.
The two companies will combine their respective strengths to develop the new autoonmous vehicle platform, while at the same time Waymo and Toyota will explore how to use Waymo's autonomous technology and Toyota's vehicle expertise to "enhance next-generation personally owned vehicles (POVs).
In a press release released on Waymo's website, the company explains that Toyota has long advanced research and development in support of a zero-traffic-accident vision, guided by a 3-pillar approach that combines people, vehicles, and traffic infrastructure. The company notes that automated safety technologies play a central role, enhanced by the development and global deployment of Toyota Safety Sense (TSS).
Tesla provides Semi factory update video, unveils new Tesla Semi logo
Tesla has provided an update to the construction of its new Semi factory near Giga Nevada, as well as the new logo for its Semi truck on X, check it out:
In a new video shared on the official X account for the Tesla Semi, program lead Dan Priestley says that the company has been spending the lastg few months building the factory shell of the Semi factory, from its walls to its columns and its concrete floors. The shell is complete, with the company moving onto outfitting the facility with the requried equipment to mass produce Tesla Semi trucks.
Priestley said in the video: "This factory is designed with an annual capacity of 50,000 units a year. So over the next several quarters, we're going to be industrializing the factory, installing the equipment, and preparing for high volume production. First units are set to be on the line by the end of this year, and we'll be ramping the factory through 2026".
Continue reading: Tesla provides Semi factory update video, unveils new Tesla Semi logo (full post)
TSMC could skip High-NA EUV for its next-gen A14 process for cost-efficiency over performance
TSMC is reportedly not using High-NA EUV lithography machines for its next-gen A14 (1.4nm) process node, and will instead continue to rely on its conventional 0.33-NA EUV machines.
The news was revealed at the North American Technology Symposium recently, with the move leading semiconductor competitors like Intel Foundry with a technological edge over TSMC (Intel spent billions buying ASML's bleeding-edge High-NA EUV lithography machines).
TSMC's SVP Kevin Zhang said during the recent North American Technology Symposium: "TSMC will not be using high-NA EUV lithography to pattern A14 chips, manufacturing of which is scheduled to start in 2028. From 2 nanometers to A14, we don't have to use high-NA, but we can continue to maintain similar complexity in terms of processing steps. Each generation of technology, we try to minimize the number of mask increases. This is very important to provide a cost-efficient solution".
We LAN'd RuneScape: Dragonwilds for 8 hours straight, here's our thoughts
I began playing RuneScape around 11 years old, enjoying hundreds of hours in the classic MMORPG with my close real-life friends, then it received its Evolution of Combat update, and we quit. The fire for no-exp-waste and completing tedious quests was relit when OldSchool RuneScape was announced.
After it was released, the same group of friends poured thousands of hours into OldSchool, pushing each of our characters to the point where we have achieved multiple 99s in skills, made hundreds of millions of GP, and ultimately, were able to complete the most end-game content available.
Then RuneScape: Dragonwilds was unveiled, and we all thought we should put this game to the test in the same way we used to play RuneScape as kids - a traditional LAN party where we bring all our PCs over to the same house, order pizza, drink soft drink, and play the game all day and night until we are falling asleep at the keyboard. So, that's what we did. Here's our experience from the perspective of four veteran RuneScape players in the new co-op survival crafting experience based on the classic MMORPG, RuneScape.
EA cancels new Titanfall game, lays off hundreds of employees
EA is laying off between 300 to 400 workers and has cancelled numerous projects, sources tell Bloomberg's Jason Schreier.
As economic uncertainty looms in the United States, publisher Electronic Arts is executing another round of company-wide layoffs as part of its cost savings plan. Hundreds of people are to be affected by the layoffs, including 100 people at Respawn, the lucrative group responsible for billion-dollar service game Apex Legends.
Sources tell Bloomberg that Respawn has cancelled a new game set in the Titanfall universe as part of these layoffs. The game, codenamed R7, was said to be an extraction shooter that was in early stages of development and still needed much more time before it was ready for release.
Continue reading: EA cancels new Titanfall game, lays off hundreds of employees (full post)






















