Latest News - Page 41

The "rising memory and storage costs" that companies keep citing as the reason for price hikes have pushed some of our favorite gaming handhelds, like the Lenovo Legion Go S and Steam Deck, to nearly 50% more than they were a year ago. In times like this, Acer is making an interesting proposition with a streaming-first handheld built specifically for PC gaming.

Meet the Acer Nitro Blaze Link, a new handheld device for local PC game streaming. While the device runs Linux with Sunshine and Moonlight software, it is not a Steam Deck or anything like it. Acer is billing it as a streaming-first device, akin to Sony's PlayStation Portal but built with PC gaming in mind rather than console streaming.

The idea is not entirely new. Logitech launched a similar device a few years ago with the G Cloud, a $350 Android handheld with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The Nitro Blaze Link takes the same approach, rendering games on a separate gaming PC and streaming them to the handheld over a local network, and the specifications make that use case immediately obvious.

NVIDIA has teased a new era of PC ahead of Computex, fueling speculation about the imminent launch of its own ARM-based PC chips. On Friday morning, both NVIDIA's and Microsoft's Windows accounts posted the phrase "A new era of PC" on X, along with cryptic numbers "25.0528, 121.5990," which appear to be latitude and longitude coordinates.

If you plug those numbers into Google Maps, they will point directly to Taiwan, specifically the Taipei Music Center, where NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang will host his GTC Taipei keynote during Computex. There is no official confirmation about the announcements, but simultaneous posts from both companies make it clear that the clues were intentional.

Back in October 2023, Reuters reported that NVIDIA had been developing Arm-based CPUs capable of running Windows. Since then, rumors and alleged sightings of the mysterious N1 chip have surfaced regularly. That is where our money is. Microsoft's Pavan Davuluri, who leads Windows and Surface, has already ruled out a new OS version, so Windows 12 is off the table.

Xbox has delayed its big Fable reboot outside of 2026, and the game will now release on PS5, Xbox, and PC in February 2027 instead.

With this year being quite crowded, and perhaps wanting to avoid the gigantic looming shadow of GTA 6's impending November release, Xbox has made the decision to push back the new Fable RPG a few months. Originally announced in 2020, Microsoft has settled on a finalized February 2027 window for the game on all platforms.

"In order to plan our game launches through the holidays, in a way that works best for players, we're moving Fable to February 2027 so it can have the dedicated moment it deserves," Xbox wrote on Twitter.

Intel has officially introduced the Arc G-Series processor family, its first lineup of chips designed from the ground up specifically for gaming handheld PCs. The series launched on May 28 with two SKUs: the Arc G3 and the Arc G3 Extreme, both built on the Panther Lake architecture (Intel Core Ultra Series 3) and manufactured on Intel's 18A process node.

Both chips share the same 14-core CPU layout, with 2 Cougar Cove P-Cores, 8 Darkmont E-Cores, and 4 Darkmont LP E-Cores. The Arc G3 boosts up to 4.6 GHz on the P-Cores with a configurable TDP of 8W to 30W, while the Arc G3 Extreme tops out at 4.7 GHz with a slightly wider 8W to 35W envelope. Both share base frequencies of 1.9 GHz on P-Cores and 1.5 GHz on E-Cores and LP E-Cores, and support LPDDR5X-8533 memory.

The main differentiator between the two SKUs is the integrated graphics. The Arc G3 comes with the Arc B370 iGPU, a 10-core Xe3 configuration clocked at 2.2 GHz. The Arc G3 Extreme steps it up with the Arc B390 iGPU, a 12-core Xe3 design running at 2.3 GHz. For connectivity, both chips pack integrated Wi-Fi 7 R2, dual Bluetooth 6, and Thunderbolt 4 with up to 40 Gbps of bandwidth.

Legendary Japanese game developer Hideki Kamiya recently let gamers in on an interesting story on Devil May Cry's development, and how it was originally envisioned as a sequel to Capcom's mega-hit horror series.

Hideki Kamiya is a well-known figure in gaming, and was originally most praised for directing the original Resident Evil 2 on the first PlayStation console. After RE2's success, Capcom wanted another game, and Kamiya was once again conscripted to come up with ideas for a fresh project for the PlayStation 2.

According to Kamiya, who tells his story in a blog post on his dev studio Clovers' website, the popular Devil May Cry series was born out of his explorations for this Resident Evil game.

Dell's new XPS 13 (DX13260) debuts as the company's thinnest and lightest XPS model to date. Targeting the mainstream market, the ultra-lightweight chassis is configured with Intel's new Wildcat Lake or Panther Lake CPUs, lowering the entry barrier for students.

The XPS family has been Dell's flagship ultrabook brand, strictly targeted at the $1,000+ premium prosumer market with CNC-machined metal, high-fidelity displays, and bleeding-edge silicon. The recent Panther Lake-powered XPS 14 and 16 refreshes pushed that premium envelope even further, commanding prices north of $2,000. While this flagship tier delivers unmatched build quality, buyers pay a massive premium for the experience.

The new XPS 13 breaks this trend by bringing the same premium laptop design to the mainstream market. Under the hood, Dell offers entry-level configurations with Intel's latest Wildcat Lake chips alongside higher-tier Panther Lake options.

007 First Light launched a few days ago with a newly improved Glacier engine that comes with a number of graphical enhancements over the Hitman games, including software-based ray tracing that's enabled even at the game's low settings. YouTuber RandomGaminginHD tested the GTX 1650 4GB in the game and discovered the entry-level 16 series card can technically play the game at a playable frame rate despite being under the game's minimum GPU requirements.

The YouTuber tested the GPU at 1080p resolution using low settings. Running the game at native resolution proved to be overwhelming for the card, with frame rates running well under 30. However, using FSR upscaling catapulted frame rates above 30 FPS, with the GTX 1650 achieving around 35-40 FPS using FSR balanced mode. Performance mode failed to boost frame rates consistently above 40 FPS, but the YouTuber noted that FSR performance mode provided a more consistent experience.

The results are impressive considering the GTX 1650 falls short of the game's hardware requirements. IO Interactive states the minimum required GPU to run the game is the GTX 1660 or RX 5700, targeting 30 FPS at low settings using 1080p. As a reminder, the GTX 1650 is a significantly weaker card, featuring nearly 60% fewer cores, and a much narrower memory bus with just 4GB of GDDR5.

The Witcher series has sold over 90 million copies worldwide, CD Projekt has announced in its latest Q1 report.

CD Projekt's Q1 2026 results show consistent earnings with strong 56% profit margins, driven by a multitude of game sales across its two major brands: Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher.

The devs confirmed that The Witcher 3 has now sold 65 million copies, up 5 million from the figure disclosed in the FY25 results. At the time, CD Projekt also attached a 85 million figure to the entire series, so the Q1 results would seem to also bump that franchise total by 5 million up to 90 million.

In what seems like a major step for Windows 11 users, but is truly a feature that should have been available for quite some time, Microsoft is now testing a feature that allows audio to be shared simultaneously with two Bluetooth audio devices.

However, there is a catch. The new feature is exclusive to Copilot+ PCs with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and is not available on the average Windows 11 desktop. While not fully implemented across Windows 11, the test marks a shift in Windows finally adopting multi-device audio streaming.

According to Microsoft's blog post, shared audio enables a PC to transmit its audio output to two Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices simultaneously. For those wondering, this means Bluetooth devices such as headphones, speakers, or even hearing aids can be used simultaneously. Microsoft notes that the feature is still in testing and may not be widely available or stable for all users.

YouTube is now automatically labeling AI-generated videos, even when creators don't manually disclose their use of artificial intelligence. This marks a significant shift in how the platform handles synthetic content, particularly AI-generated content intended to fool viewers.

The new system will flag videos with "significant photorealistic AI use" and apply an "altered or synthetic content" label. Creators are still required to manually disclose AI use, but YouTube will now step in if they don't.

The label appears just below the video player for long-form content and as a small, subtle overlay on Shorts. For unrealistic or animated videos, which means content that isn't obviously attempting to fool anyone, AI disclosures are in the description of the video.

Acer's new Swift Spin 14 AI (SFSP14-Q51T) lives up to its name thanks to its convertible design, featuring 360-degree hinges that let it transform from a powerful productivity laptop to a tablet-like device for note-taking, presenting, and other tasks. With a 14-inch WUXGA IPS touch-enabled glass display, it responds to fingertip strokes and is fully compatible with the Acer Active Pen 420, which supports 4,096 pressure levels and tilt detection for artists and creators, and is included as standard.

This premium, versatile, AI-ready laptop is powered by the new Snapdragon X2 Elite or Snapdragon X2 Plus processor, delivering up to 80 TOPS of performance. The device is built for performance and efficiency, with multi-day battery life offering up to 20 hours of pure video playback or 16.5 hours of web browsing. As a Snapdragon X2 Series laptop, it uses the integrated next-gen Adreno GPU, which supports the latest DirectX 12 games with hardware ray-tracing.

Configurations of the new Swift Spin 14 AI will be available with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X memory and up to 512GB of internal SSD storage. It's also portable, measuring 15.9-16.5 mm thin, in a lightweight 1.34 kg build. It's also built to last, with a stylish cobalt-blue aluminum chassis that's MIL-STD-810H-certified. Basically, it's military-grade. And port-wise, it's stacked with dual USB Type-C, dual USB Type-A, and HDMI 2.1.

Amazon has just announced that it will be releasing three AI-animated series on Prime, and it's only the beginning.

Amazon MGM Studios, and AWS have greenlit Punky Duck, Love, Diana Music Hunters, and Cupcake & Friends, all built using their new AI production platform, Project Nara. The GenAI Creators' Fund, a joint venture between Amazon Web Services and Amazon MGM Studios, aims to level the playing field for creators by giving them access to professional-grade AI tools.

The platform integrates with popular tools such as Maya, Blender, and Unreal Engine and assigns each task to an AI model that has the best chance of completing it with the highest degree of accuracy. Creators had just five weeks to deliver their pilot episodes for the series, a stark indicator of how quickly these AI models can generate content.

Acer is introducing a new PC gaming handheld at Computex 2026, sporting a large 8-inch WUXGA (16:10 resolution, 1920 x 1200 pixels) display with 500-nit peak brightness and VRR support for smooth visuals. However, that's not the big thing here, as the new Predator Atlas 8 handheld from Acer is powered by the Intel Arc G3 Extreme processor, which features integrated Intel Arc B390 graphics.

Utilizing the latest Arc Graphics architecture with 12 Xe3 Cores built on the 3nm Intel 18A process node, codename Panther Lake, this integrated GPU recently debuted in laptops, where its competitive performance, real-time ray tracing, and AI-powered XeSS Super Resolution and Frame Generation technologies deliver smooth 60-100 FPS in games like Cyberpunk 2077 and the new Forza Horizon 6. Based on several reviews, it's comparable to a discrete GeForce RTX 4050 laptop GPU, making it an impressive addition to the handheld scene and the new Predator Atlas 8.

In addition to gaming performance, the Predator Atlas 8 and Intel Arc G-Series Processors are also optimized for efficiency. When it comes to the Predator Atlas 8, the up to 80 Wh battery works alongside Intel Endurance gaming to balance frame rate and power draw for longer sessions when you're not plugged in.

ASUS has just dropped a speed demon in the form of a new TUF Gaming monitor, the VG27AQM5F, a 27-inch QHD gaming monitor with a blistering-fast refresh rate.

ASUS has designed the VG27AQM5F specifically for esports and competitive gaming, with the size and specifications being clear indicators of that. Built around a Fast IPS panel, the VG27AQM5F features a 0.3ms response time (presumably GTG) and a QHD resolution (2560x1440).

The idea is to provide visual clarity and prioritize speed. The monitor is engineered for players who demand every frame count, whether in fast-paced shooters or high-intensity racing titles.

Former Rockstar employees have yet to match the success of Grand Theft Auto, according to Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick.

The Take-Two CEO noted that many developers, including those with Rockstar backgrounds, have tried and failed to create a hit on par with GTA or other major Take-Two titles. Zelnick emphasized that technology alone won't disrupt Rockstar's dominance. Instead, he believes it will take "extraordinarily creative individuals" to challenge the company's legacy.

He also confirmed GTA 6 will launch in November 2026, following a 13-year gap since GTA 5. Meanwhile, GTA 5 remains a commercial powerhouse, selling 5 million units each quarter, while GTA Online continues to receive regular updates and rakes in millions of dollars per week for Rockstar and Take-Two.

The new James Bond 007 First Light game is one of 2026's big AAA hits with 1.5 million copies sold in its first day of availability.

The new James Bond prequel is off to a strong start as the game reaches platinum sales in just 24 hours, highlighting yet another successful launch for the year. IO Interactive has always wanted to make a James Bond game, and their passion and dedication shines through the high-quality, cinematic machismo chaos that First Light offers to players.

Based on player reception, the studio has adequately captured a modern day Bond's suave and deadly prowess in game form, mixing big death-defying sequences with explosions, thrilling car chases, gun battles, and more set amid major set pieces ranging from mountains to mansions.

Riot Games is making a bold shift in the support meta with Patch 26.11, prioritizing melee and engage supports over the ranged enchanter playstyle, which is currently dominating bot lane.

The changes aim to improve the variety of supports that can be played, widening the team comp variables, especially in competitive matches. Key adjustments include a nerf to ranged support effectiveness, a buff to Aftershock and Guardian for melee users, and a rework of Dream Maker to balance damage reduction mechanics.

Grubs have also been strengthened, helping melee supports roam more effectively. Summon Aery and Locket of the Iron Solari have also been changed, with the latter gaining a direct stat boost aimed at providing more agency to tanky support builds.

Apple's MacBook Neo changed what people expect from a budget laptop, and the PC industry is now responding. Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon C, a new processor platform designed specifically for entry-level Windows laptops, with a $300 starting price, and Acer, HP, and Lenovo already signed on as launch partners.

The C in Snapdragon C stands for Compute, and Qualcomm is positioning it as a platform that brings genuine everyday performance to the bottom of the market. The company promises all-day battery life, cool, quiet operation, and responsive performance for typical workloads such as web browsing, video streaming, video calls, and productivity tasks. While the Snapdragon X2 and X2 Elite cater to high-end needs, the Snapdragon C is built for everyday performance.

Qualcomm is staying tight-lipped on specs for now, but has confirmed that Snapdragon C chips will include a dedicated NPU for on-device AI, something largely absent from entry-level laptops until now. That said, the platform will not meet Microsoft's Copilot Plus PC requirements, so the full suite of AI tools won't be available. Clock speeds, core counts, memory configurations, and the NPU's TOPS rating have not yet been shared.

Ninth generation console prices are higher than they've ever been, yet Grand Theft Auto 6 is still expected to help elevate hardware sales throughout the holiday period.

GTA 6 is expected to be the biggest entertainment launch of all time. Analysts predict the game will sell tens of millions of copies on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and now Take-Two management has commented on its views on GTA 6's wider industry-level effects.

In a recent interview between The Game Business and Take-Two execs CEO Strauss Zelnick, company CFO Lainie Goldstein quickly interjected with a simple but meaningful response on the topic of console price increases. "We do think GTA 6 will drive console sales," she said.

Activision has officially revealed Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, marking the return of Infinity Ward's sub-series after a three-year hiatus. Players officially go boots on the ground again on October 23, 2026, when the game launches on PS5, Xbox Series X / S, PC, and for the first time in the franchise's history, Nintendo Switch 2.

The Switch 2 debut is the first solid proof of the 10-year Call of Duty agreement between Microsoft and Nintendo in 2023, which committed Microsoft to bringing CoD to Nintendo platforms. On the other end of the spectrum, PS4 and Xbox One are being left behind entirely, making MW4 the first current-gen-only Call of Duty of this console generation.

The official confirmation follows a trail of leaks that had been pointing this way for months. Gaming insider NateTheHate had already tipped it off with a simple "Yes" in response to a comment on r/GamingLeaksAndRumours suggesting MW4 would be the first CoD on Switch 2.