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The AI gold rush presents interesting opportunities to disrupt key markets and streamline operations with greater levels of automation. There's been lots of talk and excitement about how AI could help gaming.

The prospect of creating a kind of AI that can sustainably write, fabricate, and maintain the infinitely-complex machine that is games development is an appealing pipe dream--but developers, CEOs, and publishers are quick to shake off this fantasy.

Although AI will likely help the games industry by reducing crunch and opening the doorways to more productivity and complexity of games, the days of AI replacing actual humans in this field are a long ways away--if it happens at all. There's just some things you can't fake.

Every year Apple shares details about how many of its active devices are running the latest and greatest version of its software. Today it did exactly that, updating developers on how well adopted iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 have been since their release towards the end of 2022.

According to the figures, which were posted to the App Store section of Apple's developer website, 90% of all iPhones introduced in the last four years are now running some flavor of iOS 16, a figure that is impressive for developers who want to be able to build apps against the latest APIs.

That figure falls to 81% when all active iPhones are taken into account, but it's still almost identical to the figures from last year's iOS 15 release.

A new Bloomberg report confirms what gamers have long thought to be true: ZeniMax Media insisted that its studios add microtransactions to new games.

ZeniMax Media has some of the best-selling franchises on the planet. Bethesda's beloved series are known far and wide; from The Elder Scrolls and Fallout to id Software's legendary Doom, these games are powerhouse singleplayer experiences that sell tens of millions of copies.

Singleplayer gaming saw disruption, though. The emerging games-as-a-service industry model had triggered a paradigm shift in the industry, and publishers could make hundreds of millions--or even billions--of dollars from microtransactions and seasonal live service content. ZeniMax broke into this market with The Elder Scrolls Online in 2014, and since then, we've seen multiple franchises pivot towards live services, including the controversial Fallout 76, the multiplayer-driven Wolfenstein Youngblood, and even Doom Eternal. Now the trend continues with Redfall, which has been regarded by critics as one of the worst games of 2023.

A large number of GIGABYTE motherboards are reportedly affected by a vulnerability that could be seriously bad news.

That's according to cybersecurity outfit Eclypsium, which runs a system that heuristically picked up backdoor-like behavior in PCs with GIGABYTE mobos in the wild.

Embarking on an investigation and subsequent analysis, Eclypsium pinned down the problem to GIGABYTE's firmware and a compact updater app therein (designed to ensure the firmware stays fully up to date).

Microsoft just pushed out an update for its Surface Duo and Duo 2 devices with a nasty sting in the tail, in the form of a bug that causes the hardware to reboot randomly.

This gremlin in the works was reported by Surface Duo owners on Reddit after the May 2023 update, with the restarts happening seemingly without any rhyme or reason, making for a serious headache, as you can imagine.

A staff member on Microsoft's Answers.com help forum said the company is actively investigating the problem.

AMD's RX 7600 graphics card is outperforming NVIDIA's RTX 4060 Ti in terms of sales, and by a good margin, if the latest gossip from the grapevine is right.

Well-known YouTube leaker Moore's Law is Dead (MLID) has a new video out that will not make pleasant viewing for NVIDIA, claiming that the RTX 4060 Ti is floundering out there right now. (Something early price cuts point to, as well).

One of the leaker's most trusted sources, who is apparently 'deep' within the supply chain, informed MLID that overall, this mid-range GPU head-to-head was a relatively modest launch globally for both AMD and NVIDIA.

During Computex 2023 in Taipei, Taiwan, Lian Li was there to show off some of their new products, mainly PC cases, which they are quite well known for.

The SUP 01 Mid Tower ATX case can accommodate a front-mounted GPU via a special bracket. Mesh is also present on the front as well as the back side panel to allow for ample airflow. An ARG strip runs along the top of the bottom shroud for accent lighting. An aRGB PCIe 4.0 riser cable will also be included.

UNI FAN SL-INF Reverse blade

At Computex 2023, ASUS lifted the lid on its latest wireless gaming keyboard to drool over (or try not to) with the ROG Strix Scope II 96. After a brief hands-on with the keyboard at ASUS's HQ in Taipei, this is on track to be just as impressive as the ASUS ROG Azoth Mechanical Keyboard we recently reviewed.

The 96 in the naming refers to its compact 96% form factor, meaning it retains all function keys and the numerical keypad without taking up too much desk space.

Under the hood sits ASUS's new pre-lubed hot-swappable ROG NX Snow switches with fast actuation and a linear keystroke feel. The top housings are polycarbonate (PC), with the bottom housings made of polyoxymethylene (POM) composite and POM. Interestingly ASUS will offer two styles of keycaps, the always impressive PBT double shot or new UV-coated ABS keycaps.

As with every year, G.Skill has some incredible memory kits on display at Computex, and Computex 2023 was no different, with the company showcasing its DDR5 Trident Z5 Royal Elite, the Trident Z5 Royal, and the Trident Z5.

G.Skill walked me through some of its newest RAM offerings, and while there are hardly any details, if any at all, on speeds or specifications, G.Skill did say to expect extremely fast speeds on both of these DIMM modules. As with G.Skill's DDR4 modules, the company will be offering DDR5 variants for its top-of-the-line Royal Elite, the Royal, and Trident Z5. While this article will lack any specification details, we will be able to take a close-up look at each of the variants.

Below is the Trident Z5 memory kit, which will come equipped with an RGB diffuser that can be disabled for those gamers that aren't into all of the flashy lighting. Additionally, the Trident Z5 memory kits will come with a gold or silver trim with a brushed back and front plate located in the center.

HDMI 2.1 is well and truly here in the gaming space, with PC graphics cards supporting the latest spec since the arrival of the GeForce RTX 30 Series alongside the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles. HDMI 2.1 is about increased bandwidth to support a smooth 8K60 and 4K120 signal with HDR for consoles and up to 4K 144Hz with HDR and VRR on PC.

And with that, it makes sense that AVerMedia's new HDMI 2.1 Game Capture Card range at Computex 2023 turned a few heads because they are the first of their kind - and on track for launch around August of 2023.

The new Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 (GC553G2) and the Live Gamer 4K 2.1 (GC575) both support 4K 144Hz HDR and VRR passthrough, with capture of up to 1080p at 240fps and 4K at 60fps. We might have to wait a little longer before seeing a 4K 144Hz HDR capture card.

G.Skill has decided it wants to compete with Elgato's immensely popular Stream Deck with its own version called the WigiDash PC Command Panel.

G.Skill had the WigiDash on display at Computex 2023, and officials from the company ran me through all of its specifications, use cases, and what the company plans on achieving with its release. The WigiDash is a simple, yet diverse product as it sports a customizable 7-inch touch-display at a resolution of 1024 x 500 pixels, and with G.Skill's software, which is still in development, users will be able to change the size of each of its on-screen widgets.

Essentially, the WigiDash is meant to act as a gamer assistant, displaying all of the necessary system specifications, such as component clock speeds, temperatures, etc. G.Skill explained to me that buyers will be able to add a multitude of widgets to the WigiDash, depending on the widget support. Notably, the WigiDash comes with a USB 2.0 connection and requires at least Windows 10, preferably Windows 11 (64-bit).

During Computex 2023 in Taipei, Taiwan, Corsair has shown off some of their new water cooling gear from their HydroX line. A new GPU waterblock, new CPU water blocks, as well as a few new pump reservoirs.

The first HydroX product that we noticed was the new hybrid XG3 GPU waterblock. Constructed of plastic with an axial fan in the center of the waterblock, thus allowing for additional cooling to the GPU VRAM and VRMs underneath.

These new water blocks are Corair's second series of water blocks, which as a facelift, feature a clear top or an IPS LCD screen that runs at 30FPS at 480x480 resolution.

T-FORCE is a recognized name in the PC gaming space, delivering all forms of high-performance storage, memory, and even cooling for enthusiasts and mainstream builds.

At Computex 2023, we spotted some cool console-specific hardware from the company, specifically the AL1 Aluminum Heat-Sink designed explicitly for the PlayStation 5.

Sony's fast internal storage for the PlayStation 5 can be expanded with just about any PCIe Gen4 drive that can hit speeds of at least 5,000 MB/s - as long as it features a compatible heatsink or some form of cooling to keep the temperatures down. And with the ability to take off-the-shelf storage to expand a PS5's total capacity - like the T-FORCE CARDEA Z4 Series M.2 PCIe SSD that features read speeds of up to 7,200 MB/s - you can also affix a custom heatsink like the new T-FORCE AL1.

While we were at Computex 2023 here in Taipei, Taiwan, we couldn't help but notice the massive case suspended in the air in front of the InWin booth. Now InWin has been making some interesting choices in the chassis market for quite some time already, and for Computex 2023, there is no exception. One interesting choice is the MOD FREE case design.

Yep, that is the new MOD FREE case that InWin has announced for Computex 2023. Featuring a very modular approach, the MOD FREE looks like it could accommodate your current build and your future ones for many builds to come.

Can you guess how many systems are in this monstrosity? The answer is three. Yes, that's right - three mITX motherboards, all complete with high-end NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPUs and full-size ATX power supplies. This makes me think about breaking them apart for LAN parties.

ASRock has showcased the already-released PG34WQ15R3A at Computex 2023, and I was lucky enough to get a full introduction to the company's first jump into the ultrawide gaming market.

During the ASRock press conference, the company explained that it will be rolling out a new selection of gaming monitors, and these refreshed displays will come with a range of upgrades. Notably, the PG34WQ15R3A is a 34-inch WQHD display with a resolution of 3440x1440, a 165Hz refresh rate, a 91% DCI-P3 color space, and HDR 400. Additionally, the PG34WQ15R3A supports AMD FreeSynch technology and is a mini-OLED that has an integrated 7dBi Wi-Fi antenna.

One of the most impressive aspects of the PG34WQ15R3A is the price, coming in at just over $400, with Newegg currently listing the display at $419.99. Furthermore, the PG34WQ15R3A sports a 1ms response time for all those fast-twitch gamers that enjoy the likes of a first-person shooter title or any other game that requires fast reaction times. If you were wondering how much curve this curved display has, ASRock has outfitted the PG34WQ15R3A with a 1500R curvature.

FSP, one of the early pioneers of PSUs in the computer industry, while at Computex 2023 in Taipei, Taiwan, has released a 2500-watt abomination of a PSU. This high-end PSU is more geared toward edge computing, server, and workstation environments. The Cannon Pro, model number FSP2500-52AGPBI, is a powerhouse of a PSU, which is why it's needed for such heavy workloads to ensure stability.

Coming in the ATX form factor, measuring 150 x 200 x 86mm, the Cannon Pro still is a big boi; however not much bigger than FSP's own Hydro PTM Pro 1650-watt. The most notable features include the 80 Plus Platinum certification, ATX 3.0 with PCIe Gen 5 support, which enables four of the latest power-hungry RTX 4090s GPUs to run smoothly without issue; this would also suggest that there are four 16-pin 12VHPWR connections to provide good clean stable power.

Typically up until now, only around 1600-watt PSUs were available due to many electrical system constraints. Still, somehow FSP has managed to find a way to bust through that issue leaving it wide open. Running a single 12V rail, the Cannon Pro delivers 2500 watts with a little over 208 amps; however, it is only recommended to run on 200 to 240-volt systems.

KLEVV, the consumer brand of Essencore, was at Computex 2023 to showcase the latest in its storage and memory technology for PC gaming.

If you're unfamiliar with the KLEVV or Essencore name, all you need to know is that it's one of the world's top vendors of DRAM modules and NAND flash, so its gaming products come with the same focus on performance, stability, and quality.

Taking a stroll through the KLEVV (and Essencore) booth at Computex 2023, it was great to not only to see the new CRAS C950 PCIe Gen5x4 M.2 SSD (with funky aluminum heatsink) push sequential read speeds of up to 12000MB/s and the CRAS V RGB and BOLT V DDR5 gaming memory push speeds of up to 8600MT/s with capacities of up to 48GB - but that all of this hardware was put to good use, in awesome PC mods created by some talented artists and builders.

Analysts speculate that Comcast's next big investment strategy could target the $200 billion video games market.

A new Bloomberg feature outlines an interesting possibility: What if Comcast got into gaming? After all, there were reports that Comcast would have spun off NBC Universal and merged with EA to create a new multimedia group. Stranger things have happened--even Netflix is getting into gaming and is starting to ramp up big AAA studios to help fill out its catalog.

Analysts and experts have floated the idea of Comcast entering the games market in some capacity, possibly in the form of a major buyout acquisition, or even purchasing licenses to characters and franchises from major game companies to use in films and TV shows to bolster its streaming and cable empire. Comcast's aspirations are believed to target the larger entertainment umbrella--rather than focusing exclusively on gaming, Comcast would likely tap these gaming franchises (like, say, Grand Theft Auto) in transmedia efforts and bring them to the big screen.

U.S. consumers spent more money on video game purchases, subscriptions, and microtransactions than Chinese consumers throughout 2022, market research data from Newzoo indicates.

According to a new report from Newzoo, the United States was the leading region for worldwide game spending in 2022. Newzoo estimates that the total global video games market generated $182.9 billion throughout 2022, which is slightly below the firm's previous $184 billion estimate.

The United States actually led regional spending in 2022, beating China by some $2.4 billion. Consumers in the U.S. spent $46.4 billion on games throughout the year, whereas Chinese gamers spent $44 billion. The firm notes that 49% of total global spending came from these two countries. Europe was the second-highest region with $33.3 billion, which further illuminates the European Union's weight as it pertains to its Microsoft-Activision merger decision.

Microsoft President Brad Smith reiterates that the company is focused and committed on finding key solutions that address regulatory concerns in a bid to get the $68.7 billion Activision merger passed by the FTC and CMA.

The Microsoft-Activision merger has been cleared in 10 jurisdictions so far. Out of the handful of worldwide regions, the European Union's approval carries the most weight. EU regulators had identified two key areas of potential anti-competitive effects from the merger, but those worries were satisfied when Microsoft agreed to make certain adjustments in its post-merger business plan.

This shows that Microsoft is willing to work with regulators to find a solution to get the deal passed. Microsoft clearly wants Activision Blizzard King's mighty billion-dollar empire to supplement the Xbox brand and its grand, but unclear, plans at creating a universal video game platform that connects and sells games on mobile, PC, and console.