Latest News - Page 347

Elon Musk and his push for Tesla's stack of Full Self-Driving technology doesn't sleep, where he has said that Teslas will drive themselves from the factory floor and to your driveway "this year".

In a new post on X by the official Tesla account, it posted "One day it'll drive itself right to your house" to which CEO Elon Musk replied with a simple "this year". We should expect the full release of FSD at a Tesla event held in Austin, Texas, in June.

Tesla will begin its roll out of its self-driving Robotaxi fleet in multiple US cities in the months to come, already taking appropriate regulatory steps in both California and Texas. Tesla unleashing its FSD would be a game-changer in the automotive market, as other carmakers are close but Tesla is miles ahead and a full release of FSD this year would cement that, especially if you want your self-driving Robotaxi roll out to happen.

The JEDEC Solid State Technology Association has published its highly anticipated High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) DRAM standard: HBM4.

HBM4 has been designed as an "evolutionary" step beyond the previous HBM3 standard, with the new "JESD270-4 HBM4" to further enhance data processing rates while maintaining essential features like higher bandwidth, power efficiency, and increased capacity per die and/or stack.

The advancements coming with HBM4 are vital for applications that requires efficient handling of large datasets and complex calculations, including generative artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), high-end graphics cards, and servers. HBM4 includes multiple improvements over the HBM3 standard, including:

Ubisoft's new top-seller Assassin's Creed: Shadows might be coming to the Nintendo Switch 2.

Assassin's Creed: Shadows has been rated for the Switch 2 on the European PEGI rating board site, strongly indicating the game will be crossing over to Nintendo's new system.

Mention of the Switch 2 platform showed up on a AC Shadows marquee card on front page of the PEGI website, but the official PEGI game listing doesn't actually mention it, however it can be found mentioned on a listing directory button via page's source code with a quick right click-> View Page Source -> CTRL+F "Switch 2".

Intel is reportedly working on a new LGA 1954 socket that will be used for its next-generation "Nova Lake-S" desktop CPUs, while LGA 1851 will be used for Arrow Lake, and its Arrow Lake Refresh processors.

In some new listings found in recent shipping manifests at nbd.ltd, we're seeing that Intel is working ona new voltage regulator test tool for the new LGA 1954 socket, confirming what we didn't want to hear: LGA 1700 to LGA 1851 didn't last long, and now an entirely new socket.

This means that Intel's next-gen Nova Lake-S desktop processors requiring an LGA 1954 socket will force users to buy a new motherboard alongside their new Core CPU. If you upgraded to an Intel Core i9-12900K for example, you would've purchased a new LGA 1700 socket-ready motherboard at the time... but let's say you upgraded to a new Core Ultra 9 285K a couple of months ago, you needed a NEW socket again: LGA 1851.

Cyberpunk 2077 will leverage NVIDIA DLSS to help scale and run the game at on the Nintendo Switch 2.

Thanks to a new-and-improved NVIDIA chip, Nintendo's new Switch 2 can now run games in 4K resolution. The hardware is only half of the equation; NVIDIA's DLSS upscaling tech streamlines gameplay to ensure a more fluid and enjoyable experience. That's especially important for demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077, which is coming to the Switch 2 at launch.

CD Projekt has recently confirmed that Cyberpunk 2077 will use DLSS in all modes of play, including handheld/tabletop mode as well as when the system is docked to a 4K TV.

Blizzard is set to introduce new Hero bans in Overwatch 2 and its Competitive Play, something that has been designed to give players "strategic agency without punching down at weaker niche picks" says the developer.

The new Hero bans have a goal of encouraging the banning of Heroes that you see as too strong or annoying, all without encouraging you to ban Heroes solely because enemy players enjoy playing them. Once enabled, you'll no longer see the enemy team during the Ban Phase, with match text chat -- which communicates to the whole lobby -- also disabled in the Ban Phase or Competitive Play of the match at hand.

Blizzard explains that before you vote for your Hero Bans, you'll be able to select your "Preferred Hero". By selecting a Preferred Hero, it won't protect you from being banned, it just allows your team to know which Hero you'd like to play with. Your Preferred Hero isn't locked in, as you can still change it during the Ban Phase, and you aren't required to play this Hero during the match. Team text chat or voice chat can be used for communicating, and your team will be able to see your Preferred Hero during the Ban Phase.

The Switch 2 has a second USB-C port at the top, but it's not for video output.

As the name suggests, Nintendo's new Switch 2 is basically a new-and-improved Switch. The device makes some major quality-of-life changes like a sturdier kickstand, snap-on magnetic controllers (that now incidentally cost $95 a pair), and a second USB port on the top so gamers can charge while in Tabletop Mode.

That extra USB-C port sparks all kinds of possibilities for extra attachments for the Switch 2, maybe even a second screen, whether it be a clamshell-style mini panel like the DS or a larger portable LCD screen. Nintendo has since confirmed the top USB-C port is only for charging and interfacing with other accessories like the Nintendo Camera. Video output is reserved for the port on the bottom--this port uses a process called DisplayPort Alternate Mode to deliver video signals through USB-C.

Ubisoft's latest samurai Assassin's Creed game continues its success streak with surprising performance in the United States.

Based on the data, we know that Assassin's Creed: Shadows is a success. No one knew beforehand whether or not Shadows would shoot Ubisoft to the moon or bury it. Controversy (principally caused by the game's shrine destruction, which is incredibly disrespectful to Japanese culture) and continual pressure from fans made Shadows feel almost volatile, but Ubisoft assuaged controversy by updating the game while also delivering on fan requests.

As a result, Shadows is a hit, with 3 million players in a week's time. Reports also say that Assassin's Creed: Shadows sold so well that it brushed up against Valhalla's incredible record-setting performance; Shadows' day one sales revenue is so large that it's second only to Valhalla.

There currently is no plans for a beta test of The Witcher 4, and any emails or links saying otherwise are fake, CD Projekt says.

CD Projekt RED is currently knee-deep in developing The Witcher 4, which marks a beginning of a new trilogy starring Ciri as the protagonist. While most of the details surrounding the game remain under wraps, we typically get snippets of information here and there during CD Projekt's earnings calls. One thing that hasn't been discussed, though, and that's a beta test for The Witcher 4 (but internally the devs are playtesting the game like mad).

Unfortunately, fraudsters have been sending out links for Witcher 4 beta sign ups. CD Projekt caught wind of the scam and now warns gamers to avoid sending their information. Any official details will be directly communicated by the studio--in other words, it won't be a mystery and everyone will know what to expect.

Two modern Assassin's Creed games have set major player milestones, potentially indicating that Ubisoft's push into non-traditional gaming is doing well.

Ubisoft's cloud and subscription model appears to be paying off. The publisher has announced that both Assassin's Creed Origins and Odyssey have both broken 40 million players since release. This metric includes all access points to the games, and is a combination of full game sales as well as temporary access granted via subscriptions like Ubisoft+ and Xbox Game Pass.

While we don't know the breakout ranges for these parts--we don't know how many of these players accessed via the cloud versus buying a copy of the game--but these player count numbers are nonetheless impressive.

Capcom has officially acknowledged the rampant cheating that is occurring in Monster Hunter Wilds, with the company stating it's already taken action and will continue to take action against any players engaging in the practice.

Monster Hunter Wilds released its first limited-time challenge quest that involves players competing against each other on a global leaderboard for the fastest clear time in a hunt. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before that leaderboard was riddled with cheaters who displayed scores that physically weren't possible to achieve without alterations made to the game. Capcom has acknowledged the problem in a recent Steam post, along with two separate posts on the Monster Hunter Wilds X account.

In the Steam post, Capcom wrote that it's reviewing the leaderboard and will be releasing the final rankings in 1 to 2 weeks. In addition to purging the leaderboard from players simply downloading mods that enable them to kill enemies in a single attack, Capcom has stated it's going to introduce additional deterrents against mods that break the game's terms of service. What is interesting is how Capcom is going to determine what mods are cheating and what mods are harmless. Another question is what data is Capcom going to use to make these decisions?

NVIDIA could soon see its customized GeForce RTX 5090D graphics card banned in China, removed from shelves that would see gamers in the country shedding tears.

The Trump administration just updated its US export restrictions, immediately banning NVIDIA's tweaked H20 AI GPU from entering China, causing NVIDIA to write off $5.5 billion of revenue for Q1 2025. But now, according to a new post on the Chiphell forums, we're hearing that NVIDIA has suspended the sales of its highest-end RTX 509D in China.

Not only that, but NVIDIA has reportedly talked to AIBs to halt any and all sales of their custom GeForce RTX 5090D graphics cards in preparation for the new bans. The post continues, saying that this is a "precautionary" move by NVIDIA, as the situation between the United States and China is (very much) on-going.

College students are set to pit their sperm against each other in a speed race on a microscopic track, and while this may sound like a belated April Fool's Day joke, it isn't. There is real money behind the event, and it can even be gambled on.

The project is co-founded by Eric Zhu, Nick Small, Shane Fan, and Garrett Niconienko, who said the new form of competition encourages men to look at their health as a byproduct of increasing the performance of their sperm. The project has already attracted $1.5 million in seed funding from venture capital firms, including Figment Capital. So, how does it work? Well, pretty much how you are imagining in your head.

The competitors will have an hour to ejaculate into a cup, and the samples are then placed into a "microfluidic chip" that's designed to mimic the reproductive system and engage rheotaxis, which is the phenomenon when sperm swim against the flow of a fluid. Basically, the process starts their engines.

The remaster of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is rumored to release next week, and new information has surfaced online suggesting that when it does release, it will include all the DLCs.

Bethesda released Oblivion in 2006, and now, nearly 20 years later, we are getting a remaster of the classic title. Neither Bethesda nor the developer, Virtuoso, have officially confirmed the existence of the title, but a recent leak sourced from Virtuoso's website blew the lid off the project, and there have been rumors ever since that Bethesda is planning on shadow dropping the title as early as the week beginning Monday, April 21.

For those who are unfamiliar, shadow dropping refers to the practice of releasing a title without prior marketing; it will simply become available to play without any prior announcement. The latest rumor regarding Oblivion Remastered includes DLCs, which comes from the Defining Duke podcast, where host Barry "Lord Cognito" Eversly said that when Oblivion Remastered releases, it should have "all the DLCs included."

Intel has acknowledged the performance loss between specific GPU and CPU pairings that was discovered several months ago, with the company now confirming an investigation has begun.

The problem was highlighted by Hardware Unboxed back in January, when a video was published honing in on performance loss when Intel's Arc B580 was paired with older processors such as the Ryzen 200, and Intel's own Core 9th-gen processors. Since then, Intel has remained quiet on the issue, but a new statement from the company, in the form of a forum post, has acknowledged the problem and confirmed that an investigation into the matter is underway.

Intel wrote, "We are aware of reports of performance sensitivity in some games when paired with older generation processors," and that it's increasing its "platform coverage to include more configurations in our validation process." This statement seemingly reveals Intel was aware of the issue prior to this forum post, but chose not to acknowledge it publicly. As for a remedy for the situation, Intel will have to roll out driver updates to the hardware in the form of patches that have an unknown release date or even release window.

The US government has just banned NVIDIA and its H20 AI GPUs from entering China, with the company taking a $5.5 billion hit in Q1 2025 earnings.

NVIDIA has warehouses full of its H20 AI GPU and were preparing mass shipments to China, but President Trump's latest US export restrictions are now making waste to those $5.5 billion worth of AI chips. H20 was designed to offer a precise amount of AI workload performance that skirted around US export controls, and now those chips are sitting around doing nothing and NVIDIA is taking a $5.5B hit this quarter.

The kicker is that NVIDIA custom-tuned the H20 AI GPU after the increasing US export regulations, so this isn't just another card but a tailor-made chip for Chinese companies like Alibaba and TikTok parent company ByteDance, to enjoy enough AI power without hitting those restrictions.

Huawei just unveiled its new Ascend 920 AI chip, the successor to its China-exclusive Ascend 910C -- which is being used in a new "CloudMatrix" AI server -- within hours of new US export restrictions on NVIDIA's H20 AI GPU entering the country.

In a new report from DigiTimes, we're learning that Huawei's new Ascend 920 is a direct competitor to the NVIDIA H20 AI GPU, with a focus on the supply chain being entirely in-house with this new chip. Huawei's new Ascend 920 will be made on SMIC's 6nm process, which is an upgrade over the Ascend 910C which was fabbed on 7nm at SMIC.

We are expecting to see 900 TFLOPs of compute performance, 4TB/sec of memory bandwidth through its HBM, and a chiplet design that is similar to what we've seen with the Ascend 910C. This should all lead into around 30-40% more performance from the new Ascend 920 over 910C, meaning the Ascend 920 is a better AI chip than the now even-more-restricted H20 AI GPU from NVIDIA.

China is now using Huawei's Ascend 910C AI chips in a huge cluster called "CloudMatrix" and it reportedly has more performance than NVIDIA's leading GB200 NVL72 AI server, but CloudMatrix uses far more power.

In a new report from SemiAnalysis, we're learning about Huawei's rack scale architecture and just how the Ascend 910C will power China's new CloudMatrix 384 AI cluster, which has performance that rivals NVIDIA's most powerful AI server in the GB200 NVL72 AI server rack.

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.

Nintendo has kept the Switch 2 at $450 for the United States and will not raise the price despite the volatility of ongoing tariffs.

Nintendo today announced that the Switch 2 will stay at $450 in the US and that Switch 2 pre-orders open next week on April 24, 2025. The system will release worldwide on June 5, 2025.

"Retail pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 will begin on April 24, 2025. At launch, the price for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will remain as announced on April 2 at $449.99, and the Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle will remain as announced at $499.99. Pricing for both physical and digital versions of Mario Kart World ($79.99) and Donkey Kong Bananza ($69.99) will also remain unchanged at launch," Nintendo said in a press release.

Alongside the launch of the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti, check out our full review of the MSI GeForce RTX 5060 Ti Ventus 2X 16GB here, NVIDIA has also released the latest GeForce Game Ready 576.02 WHQL driver. In addition to supporting the new RTX 5060 Ti, this driver update introduces a very long list of game and general bug fixes that will interest many PC gamers.

Since the debut of the GeForce RTX 50 Series earlier this year, with the flagship GeForce RTX 5090, there have been increasing reports of users encountering 'black screen' issues, forcing a complete system reboot alongside stuttering and performance issues when connecting up more than one display to their GPU. Not limited to the new generation of RTX Blackwell cards, the problems have also been reported by those with GeForce RTX 40 and RTX 30 Series GPUs.

It's gotten to the point where game developers have recommended players roll back to drivers from as far back as December 2024. The good news is that GeForce Game Ready 576.02 features the biggest list of fixes we've seen in an NVIDIA driver update in a long time, covering things like game crashes, stuttering, black screen issues, multi-display problems, and more.