Latest News - Page 352

Someone picking up a GeForce RTX 5080 for $896 is a great deal. Not only is it $100 cheaper than the $999 MSRP set by NVIDIA, but it sounds unreal as most models are sold for $1200 due to supply, demand, and other market factors. Likewise, someone picking up a GeForce RTX 5070 for $515 is another excellent deal because most RTX 5070's are currently sold out with price tags notably higher than the $549 MSRP.

Okay, so where is this mythical GPU discount megastore? Well, it's Walmart - and there's a good reason these cards are being sold at a discount. Like other retailers, Walmart received limited GeForce RTX 50 Stock at launch, with most models sold online. However, with a 30-day return policy for electronics and users able to return GPUs for reasons like "it didn't fit my case" or "I no longer need it," the RTX 5080 and RTX 5070 models mentioned above were found in Walmart's return section.

Open or unopened return stock gets put into a return section with a discount for clearance, so if you plan on making a trip to your local Walmart, the odds of finding one of these affordable GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs are slim.

The Tomb Raider TV series, in production at Amazon for its Prime Video service that recently found success with another videogame adaptation, Fallout, is reportedly dead. According to the Daily Mail's sources, the Phoebe Waller-Bridge-led series (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Fleabag, Killing Eve) went through two writers' rooms and "tens of millions of dollars in development costs."

The series would have been a big-budget adaptation of one of the most beloved video game franchises, with filming scheduled to take place this year. Phoebe Waller-Bridge has previously noted that she was a big fan of the games growing up. However, the Daily Mail report notes no script for the Lara Croft series had been produced. Regarding someone taking on the iconic role, Game Of Thrones star Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) was reportedly set to star.

Interestingly, the report also notes that Jennifer Salk, the former head of Amazon Studios who was let go last week, green-lit the project.

Valve's Steam Deck has been a true success story for the company and a device that helped legitimize PC gaming handhelds as a competitive alternative to consoles like the Nintendo Switch. With its simple-to-use SteamOS interface, affordability, and ability to play countless games, it's quickly become one of the most popular options in the growing PC gaming handheld market. And Valve has already confirmed it's working on a Steam Deck 2.

Before the Steam Deck launched, Valve confirmed it went through several prototypes before landing on the final design. The Steam Deck press kit includes pictures of several of these, and based on a recent eBay listing, "Engineering Sample 34" for the Steam Deck 256GB has sold for $2000. This news arrives via Steam Deck HQ and a Reddit post by Gary_the_mememachine showcasing screenshots and pictures from the listing.

As you can see in the image above, this Steam Deck prototype looks very different from the retail model. It's also missing the right analog stick, and the device does not have an OS installed.

For a few years now, there have been rumors surrounding Valve releasing a follow-up to the Valve Index VR headset under the codename Valve Deckard. Earlier this year, we reported on a fresh report that confirmed that the headset would be a standalone wireless all-in-one device, ala the Meta Quest 3, that would run a modified version of SteamOS optimized for the SteamVR library.

There's a lot of evidence pointing to Valve working on a second VR headset, mainly in the form of SteamVR updates mentioning the new hardware. Leaks have also showcased renders of the new controllers codenamed 'Roy,' with an insider claiming that it will offer a big screen for Steam Deck-style big-screen gaming. As an all-in-one device that won't rely on a PC with a GPU for its rendering, it will be interesting to learn what hardware will power it.

The latest leak, from @SadlyItsBradley on X, is interesting because it implies that Valve's Deckard headset is entering the manufacturing stage soon, pointing to a release that could be here later this year.

Microsoft and Samsung announce a surprising collaboration to make an Xbox commercial with the director of Seven, Fight Club, Zodiac, and Alien 3.

One of the most unlikely people just made an Xbox ad: David Fincher, the director of grisly psychological thrillers, put together interesting visual commentary on the "rat race" of life. The footage tells the tale of Horatio, just an everyday anthropomorphic bipedal rat caught up in the humdrum rigmarole of modern life. Every scene has that dark and gritty 90s feel that Fincher is known for, complete with analog technology, towering file cabinets, dull fluorescents, and smoky city streets. There's also a message at the end of the video.

This ad isn't for a game or a product, but more of a cinematic slice of interesting visual appeal that promotes the entire Xbox brand. Samsung's partnership with Microsoft has extended to cross-brand promos for cloud gaming, and this is yet another part of that marketing arrangement.

This year's Xbox Games Showcase is all-digital and will go live on June 8, Microsoft has announced.

Xbox Games Showcase 2025 will kick off on June 8 at 1PM EST, complete with a huge in-depth look at Obsidian's comedic sci-fi sequel The Outer Worlds 2 following the show. Expect a thorough look at third-party games as well as more first-party projects making the jump over to Nintendo's upcoming Switch 2 console, potentially even some sort of Halo-oriented announcement. There's also the possibility of more games coming to PlayStation 5 as well.

As for Outer Worlds 2, new preview coverage reveals distinct details about the game; this time around, Outer Worlds 2 has a much more robust stealth system that's akin to Dishonored. There's also stronger RPG mechanics that influence stats, skills, and effects in-game, plus a big revamp of first-person shooter controls.

Tears of the Kingdom's Switch 2 upgrade transforms it into a kind of social experience for friends.

The Switch 2 is coming June 5, and it has two selling points: Power upgrades and social play. The Switch 2 comes with a new C-button (that's tied to the $50 Switch Online+Expansion Pack subscription) that launches GameChat (voice/video chatting) and GameShare (share a copy with a friend). Nintendo is now adding these Switch 2 enhancements to older games, breathing new life in them in the process.

The Switch 2 next-gen game enhancements aim to take advantage of the console's selling points. Older games are getting next-gen re-releases called Switch 2 Editions that offer up to 4K 60FPS performance that takes advantage of the Switch 2's new power upgrades, and social features, like being able to chat with friends while playing in-game. Some Switch 1 titles are getting special new features that open up new ways to play and you'll have to pay extra to access them.

Nintendo will sell the Switch 2 at a loss in the United States even before any potential effect from tariffs, one analyst firm has estimated.

With its new custom NVIDIA Tegra chip, built-in faster storage, upgraded RAM, and other peripheral upgrades, the Nintendo Switch 2 is much more advanced than its predecessor. It's also expected that the Switch 2 is a lot more expensive make than the Switch 1. It's even possible that Nintendo will sell the Switch 2 at a loss in some global markets, including the U.S.

Analyst firm Toyo Securities estimates that the Switch 2 costs at least $400 to make, and that selling Switch 2 consoles with the effects of a 10% tariff (these units would have been made in Vietnam, and US tariffs against Vietnam are at 10% right now) would still be incurred at a loss. Conversely, the Switch 1 was sold at a profit on day one. Nintendo had previously said that the Switch 2 would be priced with profitability and foreign exchange rates in mind.

Nintendo confirms that physical, cartridge-based Switch 2 Editions of games do not require extra downloads.

A bit ago, Nintendo confirmed that Switch 2 Digital Game-key Cards can be shared and resold like any other cartridge. Now the company has answered another burning question, this time regarding Switch 2 Editions of games. Rumor has it that Switch 2 Editions were essentially the original Switch 1 game + a next-gen upgrade pack that had to be downloaded.

Nintendo has clarified that this isn't the case: The Switch 2 upgrade pack is built right into the cartridge and comes pre-loaded on the Switch 2 Game Card.

Apple could release its huge 18.8-inch foldable device alongside, or close to the reveal of its 7.8-inch foldable iPhone Ultra that we've been hearing about, sooner, rather than later.

In a new research note covering all things post-tariff scenarios for Apple, investment firm GF Securities' lead analyst Jeff Pu says both the 18.8-inch and 7.6-inch foldable devices have seen development progress, and should enter mass production in Q4 2026.

Pu said last month that Apple had two foldable devices that had recently entered the New Product Introduction (NPI) phase at manufacturer Foxconn, and if mass production is expected in Q4 2026, then we could see the foldable iPad and iPhone in late 2026 and if not, 2027 for sure.

AMD has confirmed a flaw within its signature verification for microcode updates within Zen 1 to Zen 5 CPUs. This security flaw has been dubbed "EntrySign" and enables attackers to gain kernel-level access.

Last month, AMD confirmed the flaw impacts the first four generations of its Zen CPUs, which include everything from desktop processors to the company's server-based EPYC chips. Now, AMD has confirmed its latest Zen 5 generation is also affected by this security flaw. The crux of the problem can be traced back to AMD's signature verification for microcode updates, which are critical updates AMD rolls out to fix any bugs, improve the stability of the chip, optimize performance, or provide security fixes to vulnerabilities.

The typical order of process is that an operating system or firmware loads the microcode that AMD has signed off on as secure and safe by running it through its verification process, but EntrySign is a vulnerability that enables attackers with ring 0 or kernel-level access to bypass safeguards. What is reassuring is that AMD has already rolled out a fix for the vulnerability to motherboard vendors via the ComboAM5PI 1.2.0.3c AGESA update.

NVIDIA's RTX 5060 Ti GPU is supposedly ready to roll and be released next week, so it comes as no surprise that we're seeing a leaked benchmark.

As is typical for the initial leaks for a graphics card, this isn't one of the better metrics by which to judge gaming performance. Yes, you guessed it, this is a piece of spillage from Geekbench as flagged up by BenchLeaks on X (via Wccftech).

As ever, these are results from the Vulkan and OpenCL tests in Geekbench where the RTX 5060 Ti (with 16GB of VRAM) is shown achieving 140,147 and 146,234 respectively, as you can see in the above and below posts.

PC gaming revenue throughout 2024 has grown by 0.1%, amounting to a staggering $37.3 billion in total revenue, according to the 2025 PC and Console Gaming Report from Newzoo.

According to the report, 58% of all PC gaming revenue generated throughout last year came from microtransactions, and the three games that led the rankings in terms of how much revenue they made were: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Roblox, and Fortnite. Microtransactions are quite a contentious topic for PC gamers, as well as console gamers, as in some cases they can border on predatory, such as Diablo Immortal, which locked late-game chests behind paywalls.

Additionally, some gamers have problems with microtransactions in the form of loot boxes, which have been argued as a form of gambling that underage players can take part in. Despite the aforementioned concerns and many others voiced in the community, microtransactions are a massive part of PC gaming and its revenue, with the 2025 PC and Console Gaming Report stating microtransactions have grown by 1.4% year-over-year and account for $24.4 billion of the total $37.3 billion.

The US government has just reversed its plans to restrict exports of NVIDIA's H20 AI GPU to China, after CEO Jensen Huang had dinner at Mar-a-Lago with President Trump and his administration.

In a new report from NPR that cites two sources, the newly-tweaked US export controls on the H20 AI GPU had been in the works for a few months now, and that the change in plans kicked off after NVIDIA promised the Trump administration that it would be investing around $200 billion into new US investments in AI data centers.

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang recently attended a dinner at Mar-a-Lago, with the Trump administration reversing its restrictions on the H20 AI GPU entering China. Not only that, but the Trump administration also had planned to roll out additional restrictions, but they too have been put on hold according to "two sources with knowledge of the plan who were not authorized to speak publicly" adds NPR.

One of the more controversial announcements surrounding the Nintendo Switch 2 was the unveiling of Game Key cartridges, which are physical game cartridges that don't contain any data of the respective game, just a key for a player to unlock and download it once it's plugged into the system.

Game Key cartridges are essentially physical access codes to digitally unlocked game, which, for collectors of physical copies of games, is an antithesis, and to those who enjoy the simplicity of plugging in a game cartridge to dodge what could be a nasty download time, a prudent annoyance, especially if the game they are after isn't getting a physical cartridge release. Well, now we may have an explanation as to why Game Key cartridges even exist in the first place, and according to one source, Nintendo could be to blame.

Physical Paradise recently posted a video where he said he has heard from a source that Nintendo is giving fewer cartridge options to publishing partners, with there only being a "smallish cartridge, or a full-fat 64GB cartridge, and nothing really in between". Why does this matter? It doesn't for the bigger games that will use most of that 64GB capacity, or the really small games that are only a couple of gigabytes. It only matters for the games in the middle, possibly between 16GB and 64 GB.

Nintendo, along with every other country besides China, can take a much-needed breath of fresh air after being drowned in President Trump's newly implemented tariffs, after it was announced that a 90-day reprieve has been implemented.

This pause on tariffs has given Nintendo a chance to get as many Nintendo Switch 2 units to the United States as it possibly can before the 90-day reprieve is lifted and the tariffs are reinstated. That is, if nothing the levy doesn't change between now and then.

Notably, Nintendo manufactures approximately a third of its Nintendo Switch 2 systems in Vietnam, which, before the 90-day reprieve, was subject to a 46% levy. But now the levy is 10%, meaning Nintendo has an opening to get more Switch 2 units on US shores before the console launches in June, and it appears the company has already begun ramping up its efforts.

The former director of Global Public Policy for Facebook has told US senators that Meta actively targets teens with advertisements based on their emotional state, with data acquired through their online activity.

Meta whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams spoke to senators on Wednesday and said during her time at the company, Meta actively targeted teens with advertisements when they were feeling down or depressed. The claim, which was first made during Wynn-Williams' book "Careless People," documents the time she spent at Facebook and the lack of concern top executives at the company had for children using its platform.

More specifically, Wynn-Williams said Meta, then known as Facebook, targeted teens between the ages of 13 and 17 with advertisements when they were feeling "worthless or helpless".

GALAX's new mega-custom GeForce RTX 5090D HOF OC Lab Edition graphics card has broken multiple 3DMark world records, with the new GB202 "Blackwell" GPU cooled with LN2 cooling, and pushed 1GHz+ over stock GPU clocks. Check it out:

The Chinese-exclusive RTX 5090D HOF OC Lab Edition GPU was designed from the ground up to be pushed to its limits and punished on LN2-cooled bench systems, breaking world records with ease. Now we've got pro overclockers "OGS" and "Rauf" who have pushed GALAX's new RTX 5090D HOF OC Lab to its limits, using LN2 cooling and pushing the GB202 GPU to an insane 3.5GHz.

Both of these overclockers now hold the first and second positions on 3DMark FireStrike Extreme, TimeSpy Extreme, and other benchmarks, taking a lead over the regular RTX 5090 non-D. NVIDIA's fleet of in-house GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition through to custom AIB partner models, all use a single 12V-2x6 power connector, but GALAX takes power draw to another level with the RTX 5090D HOF OC Lab Edition with dual 12V-2x6 power connectors with the card designed to take up to 1000W of power.

President Trump has announced a 90-day pause on Reciprocal Tariffs for most countries, while nailing China with a 125% tariff effective immediately.

Right at the same time, stocks of the biggest companies that saw multiple trillions of dollars wiped away in market cap over the last few days, bounced right back... and better than ever. Tesla stock is at $272, up 22.69% today, while NVIDIA stock is at $114, up 18.72% today (at the time of writing).

President Trump wrote on his Truth Social post: "Based on the lack of respect that China has shown to the World's Markets, I am hereby raising the Tariff charged to China by the United States of America to 125%, effective immediately. At some point, hopefully in the near future, China will realize that the days of ripping off the U.S.A., and other Countries, is no longer sustainable or acceptable".

NVIDIA and AMD are set to release their latest mainstream GPUs in the coming weeks and months, with the GeForce RTX 5060 Series and the Radeon RX 9060 XT. The first card set to arrive (rumors are pointing to a launch as early as next week) is the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti, which will come in 8GB and 16GB variants.

AMD's Radeon RX 9060 XT is also set to arrive in 8GB and 16GB variants but with slower GDDR6 memory than the RTX 5060 Ti's faster GDDR7. AMD's mainstream RDNA 4 offering looks to be around the corner, too, thanks to new product registrations via the South Korean Radio Agency (RRA) for GIGABYTE cards covering both RDNA 4 and RTX Blackwell models.

As spotted by @harukaze5719 on X, GIGABYTE is choosing to go all in on the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti while playing it safe with the Radeon RX 9060 XT. For the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti, Gaming OC, Eagle, Windforce, Aero, and AORUS models are coming.