Latest News - Page 582

GeForce Game Ready Driver 555.85 - WHQL is now available. You can download and install it via the NVIDIA App, the GeForce Experience app, or directly from NVIDIA here. The latest driver supports two big new game releases this month: Senua's Saga: Hellblade II and EA SPORTS F1 24.

Both titles support DLSS 3 for upscaling, Frame Generation, and Reflex, with F1 24 also including ray tracing. F1 24 has stepped up its RT action this year, with the latest entry supporting in-race Ray-Traced Reflections, Ray-Traced Shadows, and the new Ray-Traced Dynamic Diffuse Global Illumination to improve the overall lighting when racing at breakneck speeds.

Running on Unreal Engine 5, Ninja Theory's Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is one of the most visually impressive games we've ever seen. It pushes the limits of fidelity while telling a personal, action-packed, and dramatic story. On an Xbox Series X, it only manages to hit 30 FPS upscaled from around 1080p. With a GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER, you can play in 4K with Max Settings and DLSS 3 at triple that frame rate or around 150 FPS with a GeForce RTX 4090.

Ninja Theory and Xbox Game Studios just released the sequel to the critically acclaimed Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, with Senua's Saga: Hellblade II now available on PC and Xbox consoles.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II was a highly anticipated release from Ninja Theory, as the game was in development for nearly five years and any trailer or screenshots showcasing the title left fans in awe at the phenomenal graphics - particularly the motion capture. But, with intense graphics there is a cost to performance, or framerate, and that is now being reported by players on the Xbox Series X|S.

According to an analysis by ElAnalistaDeBits, Hellblade II runs at a dynamic 2560x1070p with an average res of around 2304x963p on Xbox Series X and a dynamic 1920x803p with an average of 1472x615p on Xbox Series S. If you are wondering why the resolutions aren't familiar it's because Ninja Theory chose to run the game in a cinematic aspect ratio of 2.39:1, which means black bars at the top and bottom of the screen.

A new report from Bloomberg has revealed Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's leading semiconductor manufacturer, is prepared for China if the nation decides to take Taiwan by force.

In the event of Chinese military going boots on the ground in Taiwan, TSMC and Dutch company ASML, who makes the machines TSMC uses, have reminded their respective governments of their preparedness, as Bloomberg has learned from people "familiar with the matter" that both companies have built hardware-level kill switches into their machines that can be remotely activated.

The report states US officials approached ASML with concerns about a Chinese invasion, which ASML assured the officials that it's extremely valuable machines can be remotely disabled if required. Furthermore, the Dutch company is already running simulations of such an event to learn more about how a real-world scenario would play out if it ever occurred.

Elden Ring players will be glad to know that some new details have been revealed about the villain they will be facing in the upcoming DLC expansion titled "Shadow of the Erdtree".

The long-awaited expansion of the critically acclaimed FromSoftware title Elden Ring has just received a new story trailer that reveals some new details about the villain, Messmer the Impaler. Reports indicate the new villain is a powerful demigod that is linked to the characters from the original Elden Ring story. As for the story trailer, there are hints at what sent the demigod Miquella to the new land that she sacrificed himself for.

Additionally, the trailer ends with followers of Miquella joining forces and requesting new warriors fight for their cause to be rid of Messmer and his burning legions. Notably, the new story trailer may appear confusing to the casual Elden Ring player who didn't really pay much attention to the lore of the game and was just there for the extremely tight and rewarding gameplay, but for self-proclaimed Elden Ring scholars, the new story trailer is certainly a rich piece of information to obtain just a few months before the DLC releases.

GIGABYTE is preparing a huge wave of next-gen Z890 motherboards ready for Intel's next-gen Core Ultra 200 series "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processors... most of them with AI, of course.

In a new leak from Persian news outlet Faceit.ir who sourced their data from a local GIGABYTE distributor, multiple new Z890 motherboards are in the works using the new LGA 1851 socket and ready for Intel's next-gen Arrow Lake CPUs. We should expect Intel to detail its new processors at Computex 2024 in just a couple of weeks time, as well as GIGABYTE (and other motherboard makers) unveiling new 800-series motherboards.

GIGABYTE has at least 8 new motherboards based on the Z890 chipset alone, with the new flagship GIGABYTE Z890 AORUS EXTREME AI TOP motherboard, as well as the new Z890 AORUS MASTER AI TOP motherboard, while the third board is the Z890 AI TOP. Notice a trend? AI, AI, AI, baby.

Qualcomm has announced that in collaboration with Microsoft, the new Snapdragon Dev Kit for Windows, a compact form-factor PC powered by the flagship Snapdragon X Elite, specifically designed for developers creating or optimizing apps and experiences for the next-generation of AI PCs under the new Copilot+ PC ecosystem.

Inside, the new Snapdragon Dev Kit features Qualcomm's new flagship Snapdragon X Elite processor, running at a TDP of up to 80W. There's also 32GB of LPDDR5X memory (not upgradeable), and 512GB of SSD storage. There are 3 x USB4 ports with Type-C, 2 x USB 3.2 ports with Type-A, a single Ethernet jack, 3.5mm headphone and HDMI.

Qualcomm's new Snapdragon Dev Kit is priced at $899.99, but remember that these aren't for everyone... they're for developers who reach out to Qualcomm to get their hands on a Snapdragon Dev Kit.

AMD's new EPYC 4004 processors are launching, using the AM5 socket aimed at Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (SMB) and hosting businesses.

The new AMD EPYC 4004 processor will feature up to 16 cores and 32 threads of Zen 4 processing power, made for single-socket operation with a boost clock of up to 5.7GHz. The new EPYC 4004 processor supports DDR5-5200 memory with ECC support, with a maximum capacity of up to 192GB of DDR5 memory. The I/O dies contain PCIe Gen5 and DDR5 controllers, with a built-in RDNA 2-based GPU.

These new processors are using the 40x40 LGA-1718 socket, otherwise known as the AM5 socket, with AMD confirming that the new EPYC 4004 processors even support AM4 cooling solutions, which will be a huge cost-saving factor for SMB customers. The new AMD EPYC 4004 processors have the same TDP range as the regular gaming-focused Ryzen CPUs: between 65W and 170W.

Microsoft will soon have AI upscaling technology available at the operating system level with Automatic Super Resolution (Auto SR) technology... which will debut with new Copilot+ PC laptops powered by Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X Elite processor.

Microsoft has officially announced that Automatic Super Resolution technology will be integrated into Windows, and will "automatically enhance the framerate of games in real-time". The only issue here is that it won't work on regular gaming systems, rather it's exclusive to Copilot+ PCs running Qualcomm's new Snapdragon Elite X processor... for now.

There's no support for x86 CPUs or even the Snapdragon X Plus processor, only the Snapdragon X Elite. There's also another limitation in that there are only particular games that will work with AutoSR + Snapdragon X Elite, something Microsoft calls a "curated set" of games.

Just as the PC market is pushing heavily into DDR5 memory, we're hearing more about both DDR6 and LPDDR6 memory.

In a new JEDEC presentation, we're hearing about DDR6, LPDDR6, and new CAMM standards for memory. LPDDR5 for example is already 5 years old, and while we've seen mid-product update refreshes including LPDDR5X and LPDDR5T, they won't be good enough for the years to come.

DDR6 memory will reportedly start off at 8800MT/s of bandwidth, up to a huge 17,600MT/s of bandwidth with a "possible extension" to an incredible 21,000MT/s of bandwidth. Keep in mind that DDR5 ranges from between 4000MT/s and 8400MT/s, while DDR4 was stuck down at 1600MT/s through to 3200MT/s.

HP has just announced its killing off its Spectre, Envy, and Pavilion brands with the start of its new Copilot+ PCs launching today, introducing the new OmniBook X and EliteBook Ultra G1q laptops.

The new 14-inch HP OmniBook X is available for pre-order right now starting from $1199, packing the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor, with an on-board NPU (Neural Processing Unit) for AI workloads, with up to 45 TOPS of AI performance.

There's up to 32GB of LPDDR5X-8448 memory, up to 2TB of Gen4 SSD storage, while the 14-inch 2.2K display features a 2240 x 1440 resolution, with an IPS panel and up to 300 nits of brightness. HP is claiming its new OmniBook X Copilot+ laptop features a "record-breaking 26 hours of battery life".

Grand Theft Auto V has now sold-in more than 200 million copies worldwide, Take-Two Interactive has announced.

Over a decade later, GTA V is still selling incredibly well on all platforms. The game has now shipped 200 million copies worldwide as of March 2024, up 5 million units since the previous quarter. This is quite the eponymous trend for GTA V: The game has shipped 5 million copies in 11 of the last 16 quarters.

Total Grand Theft Auto franchise sales are now at 425 million, and GTA V makes up nearly half of those sales, or about 47%.

AMD's next-gen "Strix Halo" Zen 5-based APU has been pictured on Chiphell, showing off its chiplet-based deisgn, using 256-bit LPDDR5X memory.

The new Strix Halo APU will feature a chiplet-based design, with one or two Zen 5 CCDs and a huge SoC die that features an oversized integrated RDNA 3+ GPU, and 256-bit LPDDR5X memory controllers not found on the cIOD. AMD is aiming at CPU and GPU performance that competes with Apple's M3 Pro and M3 Max SoCs, at comparable PCB and power consumption.

AMD is using an integrated RDNA 3+ GPU in its next-gen Strix Halo APU, with a huge 40 Compute Units that works out to 2560 Stream Processors, 80 AI accelerators, 40 Ray accelerators, 160 TMUs, and an unknown amount of ROPs, with GPU clock speeds of up to 3.0GHz.

Microsoft isn't the only one working on a mobile games platform--Sony is also developing its own PlayStation mobile experience.

Earlier this month, Xbox president Sarah Bond confirmed Microsoft's mobile games store would launch in July. But Xbox isn't the only one interested in leveraging the $90 billion market; Sony also has big dreams of releasing its own free-to-play mobile titles.

There's just one problem: Outside of Fate/Grand Order, Sony doesn't actually have any mobile games. That's about to change, though, as Sony ramps up investments in the space, including acquisitions of studios like Firesprite and Valkyrie. Now a new Sony job listing for a mobile platform architect gives clues on what's next for Sony's mobile ambitions.

Microsoft has grand ambitions to capture some of the $90 billion mobile games market with an Xbox mobile store, but the digital shop won't actually sell games when it launches.

Microsoft plans to launch an Xbox mobile store experience in July, but what will it look like? According to Game File's Stephen Totilo, the store will only sell microtransactions at launch. The store has been a long time coming but Microsoft didn't take the plunge until now due not having enough mobile titles to justify an entire competing store.

Emboldened by the Activision Blizzard King acquisition, which armed Microsoft with three heavy-hitting mobile powerhouses (Candy Crush, Call of Duty Mobile, and Diablo Immortal), and European Union's new Digital Markets Act, the company has now decided to flip the switch and greenlight its mobile plans.

Microsoft could raise the price of Xbox Game Pass once again in an effort to combat rising costs of games development.

Game Pass subscribers might be in for another price increase as Xbox chases more growth. Sources tell The Verge's Tom Warren that Microsoft is mulling over a subscription price hike for Game Pass.

This price hike is likely being timed in conjunction with the arrival of Call of Duty on Game Pass--the added value from the series could give Microsoft a reason to raise subscription prices again.

IGN Entertainment has purchased Gamer Network, and it now owns UK sites like Eurogamer/Digital Foundry, GamesIndustry.biz, VG247, and Rock, Paper, Shotgun.

After today's deal, IGN now owns a considerable portion of the video games media sector. The Ziff Davis-owned media company has acquired Gamer Network for an undisclosed sum.

Gamer Network was founded in 1999, and over its multi-decade run has grown to operate a ring of six popular UK-based websites including Eurogamer, Rock, Paper, Shotgun, VG247, Digital Foundry, Dicebreaker, and GamesIndustry.biz, which has become an important resource for video game developers to connect and find work.

Apple and Île-de-France Mobilités have today announced that Parisians can finally add the Navigo card to the Apple Wallet on their iPhone and Apple Watch, allowing them to ride the transit options around the pairs region.

Apple said via a press release that people can buy passes from the Île-de-France Mobilités iOS app or directly from Apple Wallet and then use them to "tap and ride." The announcement also noted that beginning this week, real-time transit information for Apple Maps is now available in pairs to make it easier for people to navigate their way around one of the most famous cities in the world.

Navigo cards can be used to quickly and easily access transit by double-pressing the iPhone's side button just as iPhone owners already do when making Apple Pay payments. Alternatively, those who have Express Mode enabled simply need to hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near a compatible reader without having to first unlock or authenticate the device. What's more, the iPhone will continue to work in this way even when it needs to be charged thanks to a reserve power mode.

Small businesses in Japan now have a new way to accept contactless payments from their customers using contactless cards or Apple Pay as well as other mobile wallets using nothing more than their iPhones. The Tap to Pay iPhone feature can now be used by businesses in Japan just as it can in other parts of the world including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and others.

Apple's press release notes that businesses in Japan can now access payments via three different financial services including Square, Recruit Co, and GMI Financial Gate Co while Ayden support will also come to Tap to Pay on iPhone users within the next few months. It's also to be noted that Tap to Pay on iPhone will also be used in Apple Stores across Japan, too.

Being able to take contactless payments using nothing more than an iPhone can be a huge boost for businesses that need to accept payments away from a shop or other physical location where a traditional point-of-sale system may be used. The system requires an iPhone XS or newer running the latest version of iOS available to it.

If you're a Comcast Xfinity internet or TV customer you can now get your hands on a trio of top-notch streaming services under a single monthly fee. And if that sounds like the cable of old, that's probably because it's very similar indeed - except your content will now come over the internet instead of a traditional TV signal.

The new offering, dubbed Xfinity StreamSaver, bundles Apple TV Plus, Netflix, and Peacock together under a $15 per month fee and will launch next week across the United States. We're told that StreamSaver will include Netflix Standard with ads, Peacock Premium, and Apple TV Plus with savings of almost $100 per year when compared to paying for all of the subscriptions separately.

Those who want to add another service to their bundle can choose to add NOW TV for an additional $15 per month, making the full bundle $30 per month. That'll give streamers access to more than 40 live TV channels including AMC, A&E, Hallmark, History Channel, Lifetime, and WEtv, as well as more than two dozen integrated FAST channels including AccuWeather, NBC News, TODAY All Day, and Xumo Movies.

Apple is expected to announce as many as four new iPhones this coming fall, with the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max making up the lineup for 2024. We've been hearing various leaks over the last few months that give us an idea of what the new devices will have to offer but there is obviously no confirmation from Apple one way or the other. Now, a new leak appears to have given us more information about what the camera situation will be at the very top of that lineup.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max will be the best iPhone that money can buy later this year thanks to its huge 6.9-inch display, among other things. Now, Weibo leaker OvO Baby Sauce OvO has suggested that buyers can also look forward to a bigger main camera sensor. Both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will also feature a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera for the first time, we're told.

The leaker claims that the main iPhone 16 Pro Max camera will be an advanced version of the 48-megapixel Sony IMX903 sensor while the iPhone 16 Pro will use the same 48-megapixel custom Sony IMX803 sensor that is already used on the iPhone 15 Pro models. That doesn't mean that those who don't want to buy the huge iPhone 16 Pro Max shouldn't look forward to some camera improvements, however.