Latest News - Page 59

LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, which is out later this month, is a new open-world action-adventure that looks like it's set to deliver an Arkham City-like experience with that LEGO charm. And with the release right around the corner, developer TT Games and publisher Warner Bros. have published the PC specs and hardware requirements for the game. Which, understandably, has now come under fire for listing Frame Generation as a requirement to hit performance targets.

From a hardware perspective alone, the specifications point to a well-optimized experience, with the Minimum GPU requirements being a GeForce GTX 960 4GB or a Radeon RX 6400 4GB. However, this is to play the game with Low settings at 1080p with AMD FSR or Intel XeSS 'Balanced' upscaling and Frame Generation enabled. What makes these specs hard to comprehend is that this will only deliver 30 FPS, which runs counter to how and when Frame Generation technologies should be used.

Frame Generation, whether it's DLSS, FSR, or XeSS, is a motion-smoothing technology, not a performance boost, as it doesn't magically fix latency. And with that in mind, it's a technology that works best when the input frame rate is in the 60 FPS range, ensuring the game still feels responsive and that the generated frames have enough data to minimize issues like artifacts. This means that 1080p 30FPS performance with Frame Generation would feel like you're playing at 15 FPS, with a notable impact on image quality.

The latest Steam Hardware and Software Survey results for April 2026 are in, and we've already gone through the changes in what graphics card models PC gamers are currently using. In addition to this. We've also noticed an interesting change in GPU VRAM capacity, with roughly half of PC gamers now playing on cards that feature more than 8GB of memory.

Now, before the whole memory crisis, which has led to GPU price increases and even some scarcity of cards with more than 8GB of memory, the debate over VRAM capacity has garnered significant attention. The reason is simple: as image fidelity in PC games has steadily increased, the memory requirements for playing with high-quality textures and cutting-edge effects like ray tracing have risen.

This is something that we mentioned in our reviews of the GeForce RTX 5060 8GB and GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB GPUs, where it became clear that performance at higher resolutions and higher in-game graphics settings was becoming bottlenecked by VRAM capacity. According to the latest Steam data from Valve, 49.95% of PC gamers on the platform now use GPUs with more than 8GB of VRAM.

'There is No Secret Cow Level' is an iconic line from Blizzard's Diablo series, as it refers to a hidden dungeon or level infested with weapon-wielding cows and the promise of loot. Diablo 2 and Diablo 3 both featured this bovine bonus, and Diablo 4 players have been trying to locate and find it in the game for years. And now, with the arrival of the Lord of Hatred expansion, the long search is over, as the game's Secret Cow Level has finally been discovered by xGarbett on X. Check it out.

As expected, getting to the Secret Cow Level requires the use of the new Horadric Cube crafting system, where three items (a Stamina Potion, Rusten Bardiche weapon, and Neyrelle's Hand) transform into a mysterious Torn Page. From there, a boat appears on the coastline of the new Skovos region, which takes you to the Secret Cow Level island. This first part of the mystery was solved a couple of days ago, with Diablo fans spending the time since trying to solve the mysteries of the island to actually open the portal to the for-real Secret Cow Level.

Turns out that, like Diablo 2 and Diablo 3, once you do it's a large area or dungeon filled with cow enemies and the return of the Cow King boss. A new boss that drops a special new Mythic Item called 'The Cow King's Helm.' And when it comes to the helm's stats and affixes, it's a fun little nod to Diablo 4's launch from the Blizzard team.

GameStop today announced its full bid for eBay, offering to buy the company for $56 billion.

GameStop has made a public offer to buy eBay in a deal worth $56 billion, made up of 50% stock and 50% cash. In a press release issued today, GameStop says that its $125 per share bid "represents a 46% premium to eBay's unaffected closing price on February 4, 2026," and that the bid is a 27% and 36% premium to eBay's respective 30-day and 90-day stock averages.

The numbers were somewhat quizzical, given GameStop's position; the company currently has a market cap of $11 billion, and around $9.4 billion of cash on hand. With a $20 billion letter that GameStop has secured from TD Securities, the firm would still be over $15 billion shy of full buyout amount.

We recently covered a rumor that NVIDIA might be bringing back the RTX 3060 12GB, and it looks like more changes are afoot in the graphics card business. The ongoing memory shortages have impacted every aspect of the PC hardware industry, and the GPU business is no exception. Now, it looks like ASUS is pivoting away from its RTX 5070 Ti graphics cards toward its bigger brother, the RTX 5080.

According to industry sources quoted by Channel Gate, ASUS is planning to reallocate its GPU supply, prioritizing the RTX 5080 over the RTX 5070 Ti, thereby limiting the supply of the latter. The move is apparently a consequence of the current market conditions, with the global DRAM shortage in full swing. While NVIDIA remains firm that the supply of all RTX 50-series GPUs is stable, it seems ASUS has its own plans.

The current timeline for implementing this strategy is Q2 2026, but that is, of course, subject to change. The report claims that ASUS will focus on selling only a few mainstream RTX 5070 Ti models, but that the focus will eventually shift to the RTX 5080. The mainstream models in question might refer to low-end or mid-range variants such as the Dual and PRIME, while the high-end ROG Strix models are likely to be limited in production.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick gives a brief explanation on why GTA is coming to consoles first and PC second.

For Rockstar, console has always come first...and for good reason. Recent financial leaks showed that GTA Online makes most of its money on consoles, with PC making only 3% of weekly bookings, as well as 11% of weekly active players (a lot of PC players also play FiveM, a separate modded version of GTA Online). The numbers speak volumes, but now Take-Two Interactive CEO shares a quick take on Rockstar's console-oriented focus:

"Rockstar always starts on console because I think with regard to a release like that you're judged by serving the core. Like really serving the core consumer. If your core consumer isn't there, if they're not served first and best, you kind of don't hit your other consumers," Zelnick said in the interview with Bloomberg.

Activision gets ahead of a recent rumor, squashing reports that this year's Call of Duty game is coming to PS4.

The rumors were false: Call of Duty 2026, which is believed to be Modern Warfare IV, won't be launching on Gen 8 consoles like the PS4 or Xbox One.

"Not sure where this one started, but it's not true. The next Call of Duty is not being developed for PS4," Activision said on Twitter.

Well-known financial institution Bank of America believes that Grand Theft Auto 6 will cost $80, and that the game could herald a new baseline price hike for AAA game software in preparation of the new console generation.

According to a new report from Seeking Alpha, Bank of America Securities analyst Omar Dessouky openly predicts that Grand Theft Auto 6 could be priced at $79.99, a $9.99 surcharge (+14.3%) over the current $69.99 base price for new AAA games.

The analyst also thinks that other publishers and developers could support the new price hike, effectively meaning that consumers would now be paying $79.99 for all new AAA games. This would be similar to the jump from $59.99 to $69.99 that was introduced at the start of the 9th console generation back in 2020 (side note: Take-Two was among the first publishers to push this new price with NBA 2K).

Information about AMD's APU refresh is starting to surface. As earlier reports suggest, the upcoming Ryzen AI APU lineup will be split into "Gorgon Point" and "Gorgon Halo" models, with the latter being the more premium option. Recently, performance benchmarks of the flagship Gorgon Halo model, the Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 495, have appeared on PassMark.

According to the database, the Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 495 is the Halo flagship based on the Zen 5 architecture, featuring 16 cores and 32 threads. The boost clock is reported to be up to 5.2 GHz, which is a 100 MHz bump over the current "Strix Halo" APUs. Another change is in the memory configuration, with the new AI Max+ PRO 495 reportedly supporting 192GB of LPDDR5X memory, compared to the 128GB supported on the Strix Halo flagship.

Performance is also a point of conversation, but these numbers should be taken with a grain of salt since there is only one sample of the AI Max+ PRO 495 on the site right now. Per PassMark, the Gorgon Halo flagship is 3% faster than the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 in single-threaded performance and 4% faster in multi-core performance. If we compare the Max+ PRO 495 to the Max+ PRO 395, the difference is 4.8% in single-threaded tasks and 10% in multi-threaded tasks.

Grand Theft Auto 6 might still be on track for November, but new reports suggest Rockstar is pushing hard behind the scenes, with crunch conditions intensifying as the November deadline slowly looms.

According to recent reports, QA staff working on GTA 6 have been dealing with heavy workloads, with some employees reportedly working as late as 3 AM to meet internal milestones. The claims come from employee reviews, which describe "hectic days," unpaid overtime, and expectations to complete months of work in significantly shorter timeframes.

Take-Two has repeatedly expressed confidence in the November 19 release window, even joking that players will call in sick on launch day. At the same time, Rockstar has maintained its usual silence, sticking to a short, high-impact marketing strategy following the record-breaking Trailer 1 reveal. That combination of public confidence and limited communication often signals an intense internal final push, especially for a project of this scale.

ChatGPT accounts are getting a serious security upgrade, with users now able to lock access behind a physical USB key in a move that reflects just how valuable AI accounts have become.

The new feature, part of OpenAI's Advanced Account Security rollout, allows users to authenticate using hardware security keys instead of traditional passwords. These keys, which plug into a device via USB or connect wirelessly, act as a physical layer of protection, ensuring only someone with the device can access the account.

ChatGPT is no longer just a casual tool, for many users it now stores sensitive conversations, work documents, personal data, ideas, hopes, and even in some cases, extremely sensitive personal information. That makes it an increasingly attractive target for hackers, particularly through phishing attacks that exploit weak passwords. Hardware keys are widely considered one of the most secure authentication methods because they rely on encrypted credentials stored directly on the device rather than something that can be stolen or guessed.

Sony PlayStation gamers could soon get their money back after a judge approved a preliminary settlement in a class-action lawsuit targeting the PlayStation Digital Store.

The case, which accuses Sony of deceptive practices around digital game purchases, could result in refunds for thousands of users who bought titles through the platform.

The press release states that Sony failed to disclose refund policies and content ownership for digital purchases clearly. While the full terms are still being finalized, the judge's approval signals that affected users may be eligible for reimbursement. No official figures have been released on how much or how many gamers could be impacted.

A bank CEO has admitted to using an AI clone to host a conference call, and no one realized it wasn't him until he revealed it almost an hour into the meeting.

The incident, revealed in a recent interview, has the tech and corporate worlds buzzing, which was more than likely the intention of the stunt. The CEO of Customers Bank, Sam Sidhu, described the AI system as a real-time voice and language model trained to mimic his speech and decision-making, even handling follow-up questions with consistency and nuance.

He framed the stunt as a test of AI's capabilities, calling it "a bit of a prank" but also a demonstration of how automation can streamline high-level communication. The AI version of the CEO performed so convincingly that investors and stakeholders never suspected it wasn't the real person on the line. Notably, Customers Bank signed a deal with OpenAI last week, which enabled the AI company to integrate its AI agents into the banking giant.

LEGO is bringing retro gaming into the real world with its brand-new, officially licensed Sega Genesis set, and if you are thinking it's going to be another Millennium Falcon-priced set, you are wrong. It's actually quite cheap.

The set, which mirrors the iconic 16-bit console, is set to arrive in just a few weeks and has undoubtedly already sparked excitement among collectors and nostalgia-hungry gamers. LEGO's announcement comes after the company expanded into the retro gaming space with its Nintendo Entertainment System set in 2020 and the LEGO Nintendo Game Boy in 2025.

The new Sega Genesis set, which will include a fully functional LEGO console with a working LED light and a removable cartridge, is priced at just $39.99. That's a fraction of the price of the Nintendo version, making it one of the most affordable retro-themed LEGO sets to date.

Take-Two has officially shut down speculation about product placement in Grand Theft Auto 6. In a recent statement, CEO Strauss Zelnick confirmed that the company has no plans to include branded content or in-game ads in the upcoming title. This comes as a relief to long-time fans who've grown wary of the creeping commercialization in open-world experiences.

Given the incredible anticipation for Grand Theft Auto 6, many gamers believed Rockstar and Take-Two would use the hype to squeeze as much money as possible out of GTA 6, including in-game advertising partnerships that let brands place marketing within the GTA 6 world. However, it appears that won't be the case as Zelnick emphasized that GTA 6 will remain true to the series' creative roots, "We're not looking to monetize the game world in that way," he said.

The absence of product placement also speaks to Take-Two's broader strategy of maintaining high creative control across its flagship titles, particularly at Rockstar, and especially as it faces growing pressure to balance profitability with player satisfaction. With GTA 6's launch slowly marching toward us, and seemingly no delay on the horizon, GTA 6 fans can at least, for the time being, rest easy knowing the game won't launch with in-game ads.

Former NASA engineers have cracked a wild solution to save homes from wildfires - using sound waves to literally silence the flames. This isn't just a sci-fi gimmick; it's a real-world breakthrough that could change how communities defend against nature's fury.

Sonic Fire Tech, the California-based startup behind the innovation, has developed a system that uses low-frequency sound waves to disrupt fire by vibrating oxygen molecules. The result? Flames are starved of the oxygen they need to grow and spread. It's a clean, waterless method that could be deployed around homes and infrastructure to create fire-resistant zones.

The tech builds on decades of aerospace research, and, with the help of former NASA engineers, that research is now being repurposed to address one of the West Coast's most destructive threats, particularly in California, which has seen some of the worst wildfires in recent memory.

LG is pulling out all the stops for esports with its latest UltraGear 32GX870B monitor, offering a jaw-dropping 480Hz refresh rate in 1080p mode for competitive players.

Launched in Japan, this new 31.5-inch dual-mode gaming monitor gives users the best of both worlds: 4K at 240Hz for immersive, single-player experiences or 1080p at 480Hz for razor-sharp reaction times in fast-paced shooters. The monitor uses LG's Tandem OLED technology, allowing it to switch between modes without compromising performance or image quality.

The 32GX870B joins a growing list of hybrid gaming monitors that cater to both casual and professional gamers. With a 480Hz esports mode, it's clearly aimed at the upper echelon of competitive play, where every millisecond counts. While LG hasn't yet confirmed a global release, the Japanese launch is a clear indication that OLED-based gaming displays are the pinnacle for performance-focused users that simply want the best of the best.

With strict restrictions on what US-based hardware can be sold in China for GPUs and other AI-related technologies, the direct result, according to NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, is that the company's market share in the region has dropped to zero.

"In China, we have now dropped to zero," Jensen Huang said in a recent interview with the Special Competitive Studies Project. Naturally, with the boom in AI accelerator and data center equipment sales, a lot of money and market share are being left on the table. And yeah, Jensen Huang isn't happy with the situation, adding that it doesn't make "strategic sense" and that it has "already backfired" as Chinese-based technologies fill the void.

"Conceding an entire market the size of China probably does not make a lot of strategic sense, so I think that has already largely backfired," Jensen Huang continues. "Maybe it made sense at the time, but I think the policy really needs to be dynamic and needs to stay with the times. I think it would be fairly safe to say that having American chip companies and other companies in China makes a lot of sense."

When Valve first announced the Steam Machine late last year, with the device's graphics capabilities powered by a custom RDNA 3 GPU, many noticed that the HDMI specs topped out at HDMI 2.0. The reason for this comes down to the HDMI Forum and the closed, licensing-based nature of the display technology, with both AMD and Valve trying to convince the HDMI Forum leadership to allow open-source HDMI support on Linux.

This has been an ongoing issue or limitation for years. With the Steam Machine launch reportedly closer than ever, we've now got our first confirmation or evidence that HDMI 2.1 support is coming to Linux and, by extension, SteamOS. If you're wondering why this is a big deal, well, HDMI 2.1's increased bandwidth paves the way for 4K 120Hz gaming, which would be possible when playing less demanding and older titles on the Steam Machine.

This news arrives via the Linux gurus over at Phoronix, who noticed that the latest AMDGPU driver release for the operating system added HDMI FRL support. HDMI Fixed Rate Link is exclusive to HDMI 2.1, and it's the technology that enables higher bandwidth over the HDMI port to support higher resolutions, color spaces, and refresh rates.

The Steam Hardware & Software Survey results for April 2026 are in, and based on recent news, it looks like the GeForce RTX 3060 might remain one of, if not the most popular PC gaming GPUs, for the foreseeable future. According to the latest rumor, the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB graphics card is set to make a return this summer with 'new' retail models from ASUS, MSI, COLORFUL, and others.

Naturally, this is the direct result of the current data center boom taking up GPU and GDDR7 memory capacity, and with the GeForce RTX 3060 sharing a similar market share with the GeForce RTX 4060, the number two GPU in Valve's latest Steam Hardware Survey, this comeback could cement the RTX 3060's dominance in the PC gaming space for a while.

That said, NVIDIA's latest GeForce RTX 50 Series continues to grow in popularity, with both the GeForce RTX 5070 and the GeForce RTX 5060 accounted for in the Top 10. Elsewhere, AMD's latest Radeon RX 9000 Series is no longer 'missing in action,' so to speak, with the Radeon RX 9070 making the list.