Latest News - Page 410

The Entertainment Software Association, a coalition of gaming's top publishers and platform-holders, wants to get ahead of any potentially adverse effects from U.S. tariffs.

The ESA warns that trade tariffs could heavily disrupt the already-shaky video games industry. The lobbying group, which is made up of the likes of Epic Games, Electronic Arts, Nintendo, Xbox, PlayStation, Ubisoft, and Take-Two Interactive, is imploring the Trump administration to consult with the interactive entertainment industry before passing any potentially devastating tariffs.

"Tariffs on video game devices and related products would impact Americans of all ages across the country. We urge the administration to consult with the private sector in a transparent process to avoid causing significant harm to everyday Americans and to one of the fastest-growing entertainment sectors in the United States," the ESA has said in a statement to Kotaku's Ethan Gach.

AMD's new Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor continues to sell like hotcakes in Germany, so much so that the combined AM5 and AM4 socket CPUs are dominating Intel in the country: AM5 + AM4 accounts for 92.16% of last week's CPU sales at Mindfactory... compared to Intel with only 7.84% of CPU sales.

In a new post on X by @TechEpiphanyYT, we're learning that CPU sales at one of the biggest retailers in Germany are so heavily AMD that it makes Intel look like a startup. In the last 7 days, AM5 and AM4 socketed CPUs account for 71.84% and 20.31% respectively, leaving Intel with its LGA 1700 socket and 6.81% and its newer LGA 1851 socket with just 0.72% of CPU sales. Yes, less than 1% for Intel LGA 1851 socket processors, ouch.

AMD is absolutely dominant with its new Zen 5-based Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor with an astonishing 8390 units sold last week, with the Ryzen 5 7600X3D coming in second with 2430 units sold, and the Zen 4-based Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor with 1640 processors sold. The rest of the list is all Ryzen CPUs from there, until the mid-range Intel Core i5-14600KF with 150 sold, and under that, the Core i7-14700K with 130 units sold, then it returns to Ryzen CPUs.

Nintendo has reported its lowest-ever holiday net sales revenues in the Switch's lifecycle.

Nintendo's Q3FY25 earnings results show signs that the Switch lifecycle is gearing down. The company saw $2.76 billion in total net sales during the Holiday 2024 period (Q3'25 runs from October - December 2024), a new low for any holiday quarter during the Switch's lifespan.

The previous holiday quarter, Nintendo made $4.2 billion in net sales, but Q3'25's results show a -35% decline. Nintendo has since downwardly revised its full-year earnings forecasts, but it's worth noting that FY25 will not be impacted by the Switch 2. The new Switch 2 console is expected to launch in the second-half of 2025 and will instead be a part of Nintendo's FY26 period.

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has weighed in on NVIDIA's new GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs, going as far as saying that the RTX 5080 with its 16GB of GDDR7 is a "monopolistic crime against consumers" for $1000+ in 2025.

In a post on X, the NSA whistleblower said: "Endless next-quarter thinking has reduced the NVIDIA brand to"F-tier value for S-tier prices". 5070 should have had 16GB VRAM minimum, 5080 w 24/32 SKUs, 5090 32/48/+. Releasing a $1,000+ GPU in 2025 with a crippling 16GB is a monopolistic crime against the consumer".

Snowden seems pretty angry about NVIDIA's new GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs, but he's not wrong... the GeForce RTX 5080 launching with just 16GB of VRAM in 2025 is disappointing to say the least, and he's right to say that it should be offered with 24GB or 32GB options.

Nintendo's Q3 results have led the company to decrease its annual earnings, sales, and profit forecasts.

Nintendo has just reported its Q3FY25 results, showing big year-over-year declines as Nintendo's new Switch 2 console looms. The company has now downwardly adjusted its metrics to reflect holiday Q3's results, even farther from the previous forecast.

Nintendo now expects to make in Fiscal Year 2025: 1.19 trillion yen in net sales (-7%), 280 billion yen in operating profit (-22.2%), and 270 billion yen in net profit (-10%). The revision was driven by a slash in hardware and software sales; Switch sales predictions are now at 11 million units, down 1.5 million from the original forecast, and 150 million game sales, down 10 million units from the previous prognostication.

GPU-Z 2.62.0 is here, bringing support for NVIDIA's just-released GeForce RTX 5090 and GeForce RTX 5080 graphics cards, you can download GPU-Z 2.62.0 right here.

The previous version of GPU-Z wasn't displaying Hot Spot temperatures correctly, with temps stuck at 255 (an unassigned 8-bit integer value). But in the latest release, TechPowerUp has confirmed with VideoCardz that in GPU-Z 2.62.0, it will no longer show information for the Hot Spot temperatures once the 255 value is detected.

In his review of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition, our GPU reviewer Kosta explained: "The transition has begun, but the GeForce RTX 5090 solidifies a shift to Neural Rendering for performance and image fidelity. The raw performance capabilities of a gaming GPU will always be vital because you can't have one without the other - but after spending an entire week with the GeForce RTX 5090, it's safe to say that DLSS 4 is not only a selling point but a set of AI models and features that improve PC gaming as a whole".

Valve is reportedly working on a next-generation Steam console, with new rumors suggesting it'll pack an RDNA 4-powered GPU from AMD.

In a new video from Spanish leaker 'exta1s' working from a video released from HandleDeck.com, Valve is working on drivers for AMD's upcoming Radeon RX 9070 series "RDNA 4" graphics cards. It was only a couple of months ago that we heard about the new SteamOS-powered Valve Fremont console, and this could be it.

In a translated excerpt from the YouTube video, we're learning that: "It turns out that Valve is openly working on drivers for the AMD 9070 graphics cards. These cards are currently designed just for desktop devices. These AMD 9070s are the first to feature RDNA 4 technology and FSR 4. So yeah, that's the scoop! This RDNA 4 architecture is currently designed only for desktops. It's expected that, many years down the line, it might make its way to portable devices, but right now, it's strictly desktop. Valve is already working on it; in fact, from what my friend has heard, Valve is putting a lot of effort into the drivers for these RX 9070 GPUs with RDNA 4. And the question he raises in his tweet, which we all might be wondering, is why Valve is so interested in collaborating on this".

NVIDIA has swiftly deployed a hotfix for a problem that was hitting Valorant players who've managed to grab a shiny new Blackwell GPU, a bug that caused the game to crash.

And yes, we'd expect that's a small niche of PC gamers who play the team shooter, given how difficult it is to secure an RTX 5090 or 5080, but it's an important fix for those people of course. Plus on top of this there's also a cure for a nasty crash with Final Fantasy XVI.

These fixes are in the GeForce Hotfix Display Driver version 572.24, which is applied to the latest Game Ready Driver, version 572.16, the release which brings in support for the new RTX 5090 and 5080 graphics cards (and DLSS 4 as well, don't forget).

Microsoft has been caught red-handed scrubbing its official guidance on installing Windows 11 on a PC that doesn't meet the operating system's official requirements.

Ahead of Windows 10 support ending in October this year, Microsoft rolled out some guidance on how Windows 10 users can still upgrade to Windows 11, even if their system doesn't meet the operating system requirements. For those wondering, this guidance was for systems that don't have TMP 2.0, a hardware-level requirement for Windows 11, and the guidance was a workaround users could implement so they weren't left behind on an old operating system that will become exponentially more vulnerable to security exploits. However, that guidance has now been scrubbed from Microsoft's website.

The now-removed guidance informed users how they could tweak a Registry Key, which bypasses the Windows 11 requirements and enables the operating system to be installed on the officially unsupported PC. Notably, the tweak to the Registry did come with a warning of potential system instability with the additional risk of critical errors that may result in a complete system reinstallation. However, some users would prefer running these risks than going out and getting new hardware.

Creators who travel regularly but want to keep on top of their creative duties are likely in need of a power source to keep their laptop, phone, monitor, etc -- running for as long as possible.

Alogic has set out to provide a solution to this problem by unveiling the Ark Pro, a new power bank designed for high-performance users on the go. The Ark Pro is aimed at users wanting to combine style with a monstrous battery capacity, as the Ark Pro features a whopping 27,600mAh capacity that's coupled with 140W USB-C charging support. With this level of charging, users can rest assured the Ark Pro will easily charge any Thunderbolt or USB-C laptop, and for those wondering if it can be brought on flights, Alogic states the Ark Pro is IATA-compliant, meaning it is certified for plane travel.

As for specifics, the Ark Pro features two USB-C ports, with an additional 22.5W USB-A charging port. Moreover, users can plug in multiple devices at once for simultaneous charging. For those power users who want to see what their power bank is outputting, Alogic has equipped the Ark Pro with a smart display that showcases real-time charging data, including the charging rate, estimated time to recharge, battery health, and internal temperature.

The Department of Justice could throw a co-founder of a prominent Call of Duty studio in prison for up to a year after he admitted to crashing a drone into a firefighting aircraft that was battling the Los Angeles wildfires.

According to a new press release by the United States Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, Peter Tripp Akemann has agreed to plead guilty to one count of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft. Reports indicate Akemann, who is a co-founder of prominent Call of Duty studio Treyarch, was irresponsibly and recklessly flying a drone when it collided with a CL-415 Super Scooper, resulting in a 3-by-6-inch hole in its left wing and the eventual grounding of the aircraft.

The aircraft is capable of carrying up to 1,600 gallons of water and is considered to be one of the most effective methods of fighting wildfires. The Justice Department estimated the damages caused to the aircraft to cost "at least" $65,169, which didn't include the time the aircraft was grounded and not fighting fires that resulted in more property damage.

The Australian government has just issued a ban on DeepSeek from all federal devices, citing national security concerns as the decisive factor. Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke commented:

"The Albanese government is taking swift and decisive action to protect Australia's national security and national interest,"

Burke insists that the decision was not influenced by the app's location in China. Instead, emphasizing its risk to government and assets.

Bill Gates sat down with Harvard Business School professor Arthur C. Brooks on Monday to discuss the past, present, and future of technology. Throughout the discussion, Gates provided some interesting insights into his decision to drop out of the renowned business school and shared his perspective on the future of humanity and AI.

Throughout his discussion, he highlighted the technology's potential for humanitarian advancement, contrasting the emergence of artificial intelligence with the rise of personal computers.

Earlier today, EA formally announced Battlefield Labs, the community testing platform for the next mainline entry in the long-running Battlefield series. Many call it Battlefield 6 and look at it as a spiritual successor to the excellent Battlefield 3. To get the community excited to help test and shape the next game in the series, we got a 10-second video showcasing multiplayer gameplay from the next Battlefield at the end of the following video.

With destruction everywhere and some impressive visuals, many gamers and longtime fans of the franchise are decidedly excited about this new game in the series - but also cautiously optimistic due to the poor launch state of the last game in the series, Battlefield 2042.

The good news is that the new game's motto is "Let's build Battlefield together" and that Battlefield Labs represents the most extensive pre-release community testing program in EA's history.

The ASUS AI POD, which features the NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 platform, has reached its latest milestone. Production is ramping up for a scheduled shipping date of March 2025. This thing is an absolute beast for AI performance and cutting-edge deep learning, as it's built with the NVIDIA GB200 Grace Blackwell Superchip and fifth-generation NVIDIA NVLink interconnect technology.

When broken down, you've got 26 NVIDIA GRACE CPUs, 72 NVIDIA Blackwell Tensor Core GPUs, and 5th Gen NVIDIA NVLink Switches for low-latency communication with a capacity of 14.4 TB/s. Each of the 72 Blackwell GPUs includes two dies connected by a 10 terabytes per second (TB/s) chip-to-chip interconnect to offer 30X the LLM Inference of the NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPU and 4X the LLM Training performance of the H100.

The ASUS AI POD also supports liquid-to-air and liquid-to-liquid cooling, and it's powerful enough to train a trillion-parameter language model and perform AI inference in real-time. The cooling includes CPU/GPU cold plates and coolant distribution to increase power efficiency.

Although stock shortages have made NVIDIA's latest flagship GPU, the GeForce RTX 5090, impossible to find for many potential buyers - that hasn't stopped cooling solutions experts from creating new products specifically for the latest 4K gaming champ.

Thermal Grizzly, makers of some of the highest-quality thermal solutions for PC gaming rigs and hardware, is introducing a new size for its impressive KryoSheet graphene pads, specifically for the GeForce RTX 5090 and the GB202 GPU. With dimensions of 44 × 37 mm, the KryoSheet graphene pad covers the entirety of the GeForce RTX 5090's GB202-300-A1 GPU.

Designed as a thermal paste replacement, it's for those looking to take an air-cooled GeForce RTX 5090 and put the GPU and PCB inside a custom water block for a premium and efficient cooling solution. With the RTX 5090 able to draw up to 600W, Thermal Grizzly's custom KryoSheet graphene pad ($24.96) is something all potential modders should consider.

It wasn't long ago that Microsoft hosted its Xbox Developer Direct, where it showcased a collection of new titles, and now has news on when the next Xbox event is scheduled.

According to a recent article by IGN, the publication's "IGN Fan Fest" will kick off with an Xbox Showcase on February 24, and while details about what the event will entail, we do have a list of the developers that will have their titles featured. Notably, during one of last year's Xbox Showcases, the following titles were unveiled: World Of Warcraft: The War Within, Doom: The Dark Ages, South of Midnight, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Fragpunk, and Fable.

What is confirmed for the event is developer Playstack stating its appearance the event has to do with a new collaboration announcement for the popular title Balatro. From this teaser we can anticipate the announcement will include new cards that are inspired by a range of indie and AAA games. As for what else the event will unveil, we can only speculate. It's likely, given Xbox's position to push onto other platforms, that some of the titles could have cross-platform announcements.

It was only a few days ago that Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) department took control of a government computer system that resulted in officials being locked out.

The initial report came from Reuters that claimed senior officials at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) suddenly lost access to a critical government database that contains the personal data of millions of federal employees. The report stated the takeover of the database by DOGE members is part of the broader overhaul to reduce bureaucracy and implement cost-cutting strategies across the entire US government.

According to the unnamed officials who spoke to Reuters, one of the systems now under control by DOGE is the Enterprise Human Resources Integration, which contains dates of birth, Social Security numbers, appraisals, home addresses, pay grades, and length of service of government workers. OPM workers have raised security and oversight concerns since access to the database was revoked. Now, a new WIRED report has identified six individuals who play critical roles in DOGE and have been tasked by executive order with "modernizing Federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity."

The actor who played the iconic role of Michael in Grand Theft Auto V has given a bold prediction as to what players will be in store for in Grand Theft Auto VI.

Ned Luke, the actor who played Michael in Grand Theft Auto V, has sat down for an interview where he was challenged to remember some of his lines from GTA 5, which was released in 2013. During the interview, Luke got onto the topic of Grand Theft Auto 6, where he said he's confident the game is going to be "fantastic" and that Rockstar Games is the studio that has that X factor, as no one really knows what to expect from them. But for this X-factor reason, people are excited to see what they are making.

More specifically, Luke says that he's been telling people to "be patient" as it's "going to be the worth the wait". Adding, "From what I've seen, it's going to be amazing. They're going to blow our [GTA V] numbers away." For those that don't know what Luke is referencing in that last statement, Grand Theft Auto 5 generated an astonishing $800 million in its first 24 hours when it released in 2013. As for Grand Theft Auto 6, Luke expects that number to be reached and exceeded, landing somewhere around $1.3 billion in its first 24 hours.

Dual-screen setups have become the staple for any gamer or creative who is in need of substantial desktop real estate, but what if you have grown tired of the traditional side-by-side setup?

Innocn has unveiled the 44C1G, a new 43.8-inch ultra-wide dual-screen monitor that could change the game when it comes to desktop setups. While the new monitor is certainly designed for a niche market, I can really see users who would find this monitor attractive get a lot out of it. Let's jump into the specifications. The 44C1G is two 32:9 IPS panels stacked atop each other.

Each of these panels features a resolution of 3840 x 1080 (4K wide and 1080p high), which is paired with a 120Hz refresh rate, 400nits peak brightness, and a 1000:1 static contrast ratio. Additionally, the 44C1G comes with a 10-bit color depth, 100% color coverage of the sRGB gamut, 90% of the Adobe RGB, 96% of the DCI-P3, and 86% of NTSC. Each of the color specifications is aimed at satisfying creative workflows such as video/editing editing that call for color accuracy.