Latest News - Page 940

The head of the Radeon Technologies Group, David Wang, and other senior AMD people recently sat down with the publication 4Gamer (translated by Wccftech) to discuss the future of RDNA graphics. Naturally, this resulted in some hints about what we might expect regarding RDNA 4 GPUs. AI will be a big part of the picture alongside continued efficiency and performance improvements.

Late last year saw the arrival of the RDNA 3 powered Radeon RX 7000 series with the Radeon RX 7900 XT and the Radeon RX 7900 XTX. And with more laptop and lower-tier desktop models set to launch this year, it's crazy to think that 2024 will usher in the next generation of Radeon GPUs. One key technology in RDNA 3 is its Multi-Draw Indirect Accelerator for mesh shading, a replacement for the Level of Detail rendering that saw massive improvements compared to the RDNA 2 generation. AMD sees technology like this becoming a new standard in the future.

In terms of dedicated AI hardware, AMD is impressed with NVIDIA's Tensor cores and technology like DLSS (noting that its FSR upscaling achieves similar results without the need for AI hardware), and it wants to see RDNA's AI acceleration used in other applications. Some examples include NPC behavior and movement, which is the natural next step for AI in game development.

NVIDIA Founder and CEO Jensen Huang is set to present the keynote address for the 2023 Graphics Technology Conference (GTC). No doubt he'll be sporting a leather jacket. He will talk about the latest developments in the world of AI, the metaverse, and potentially GeForce and workstation graphics built on the company's latest Ada Lovelace architecture.

The description sounds like it will be light on anything relevant to PC gaming, with Jensen Huang set to talk about "how NVIDIA's accelerated computing platform is driving the next wave in AI, the metaverse, cloud technologies, and sustainable computing." The GTC keynote is scheduled to occur on March 21, 2023, at 8 am PDT (4 pm CET).

It kicks off three days of panels and discussions, with talks and panels covering topics like AI being used for scientific discovery and as a tool to help create and build 3D worlds. There's also a panel on quantum computing and how this will change the supercomputer landscape. Ilya Sutskever, co-founder and Chief Scientist at OpenAI, will be there alongside people from DeepMind, Adobe, Meta, IBM, and more.

Over 60 countries, including the U.S. and China, have held the first international summit on the use of AI in the military and warfare at The Hague, where they've signed a 'call to action' for the responsible use of the technology. This hopefully means that creating AI soldier bots capable of wiping out countless people isn't at the top of the list when developing new AI-based military platforms.

Unfortunately, it wasn't a formal or legally binding agreement, simply a pledge to develop and use AI with "international legal obligations and in a way that does not undermine international security, stability, and accountability." With the rise of AI platforms like ChatGPT and AI-assisted targeting systems and facial recognition being developed for military use, not to mention the issue of drones as a tool for warfare, it was a relatively light affair for what is a hot topic right now.

Regarding attendance at REAIM (Responsible AI in the Military), Russia and Ukraine did not attend the summit, with Israel being there but not signing the statement. It was the U.S. that put forward a framework for the responsible use of AI in the military, stating that AI warfare should include "appropriate levels of human judgment." However, this is a somewhat vague definition when talking about the potential for autonomous killer robots. China added that it opposed an AI arms race and that countries should similarly work through the United Nations regarding AI and the military.

Steam Local Network Game Transfers is a fantastic new feature available as part of the latest Steam Client Beta, and as per its naming, it allows for the transfer of games between PCs on the same local area network. It even works for game updates, so only one PC needs to update the game before transferring it to other hardware, including the Steam Deck.

Of course, this is an awesome feature for Valve's portable PC because you can use your primary gaming PC to set up your Steam Deck library without downloading every game repeatedly. This is a significant improvement over the previous manual method of backing up Steam libraries to an external storage device and then using that to get games onto a different PC. As someone who benchmarks titles and keeps Steam libraries on multiple drives, updating games on all devices becomes tiresome, so this is very cool.

As per Valve's official description, copying files will take up system resources to maximize throughput.

Razer has released its latest high-end mechanical keyboard in the form of the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro, which it describes as "a full blown battlestation" for gamers. Of course, that could read like marketing speak to drum up interest in a clicky-clack bit of gear, but the Razer BlackWidow V4 has several impressive features. This is good because it retails for USD 229.99 and AUD 399.95.

As per the headline, it's introducing something called the 'Command Dial,' which sits in the top left corner of the keyboard, and it's a context-sensitive dial with 8 default modes and countless more custom ones where you can map and change what the clockwise and counter-clockwise action ends up doing. For content creators and editors, it can be a jog wheel or simply a way to scroll through sites and docs. The cool thing is that each mode can toggle with a click that changes the Command Dial's corresponding backlight.

The other significant feature of the new BlackWidow is the addition of five dedicated macro keys that can be pre-programmed or programmed on-the-fly. There are also three additional macro keys on the edge of the keyboard bringing the total to eight. In terms of hardware, the keyboard features the latest generation of Razer's mechanical switches with either Green Clicky or Yellow Linear, rated for up to 100 million keystrokes.

Sim developer Firaxis is simultaneously ending one era and entering into another.

Firaxis has officially announced that a new Civilization game is in development, but there's some not-so-exciting news regarding the studio's leadership. The beloved simulation developer is shaking up its leadership teams as two high-profile employees are leaving Firaxis.

The first is Steve Martin, the studio head and president who has shipped over 32 games during his extensive 27-year tenure at Firaxis Games. The other departure is Jake Solomon, who served as creative director on the popular XCOM franchise and the more recent Midnight Suns game.

Meta has lost over $26 billion in little over 2 years on its expensive metaverse ambitions.

Meta's latest Q4 results give us a bigger picture on how much the company is spending (and losing) on the metaverse. From Holiday 2020 to full-year 2022, Meta's Reality Labs division which oversees its VR, AR, and metaverse platform has operated at a loss of $26.01 billion. Reality Labs has operated at a multi-billion dollar loss for many quarters in a row and this aggressive investment isn't expected to slow down.

In an earnings call, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg spoke a broader spectrum for what the metaverse entails. Zuckerberg didn't discuss salient details and kept specifics somewhat thin while discussing plans for a new next-gen Meta Reality headset that will tie into its ecosystem of games and content, and talked up how VR and AR may eventually become more social than the current smartphone messaging apps.

Tencent, the largest video games company in the world, has cancelled its plans to make a VR headset, sources have told Reuters.

Economic pressures are forcing game publishers and platform-holders to make tough decisions. While companies like Sony are flourishing, others like Microsoft, Electronic Arts, and Take-Two Interactive have announce layoffs in their game divisions. Even the biggest fish in the gaming pond, Tencent, is hesitant to take on more risks and this aversion has led to a change in plans.

Tencent is now abandoning its ambitious multi-year pipeline for XR or "extended reality," which would have combined software and interactive VR hardware in a new ecosystem of content and services. Prompted by swift sales of the Meta Quest headset, Tencent had opened an XR division back in 2022 with about 300 employees and was planning on developing a unique ring VR controller among other hardware, however Tencent's forecasts indicated the XR platform would be very costly and not turn a profit until 2027 at the earliest.

The Federal Trade Commission has granted another one of Sony's requests for more time to prepare important documents for the Microsoft-Activision merger.

FTC administrative judge D. Michael Chappell has ordered a time extension that will give Sony Interactive Entertainment a few extra weeks to comply with subpoenas issued by Microsoft. Right now Microsoft is gathering critical information to build a pro-merger case against the FTC's claims, and has subpoenaed companies like Sony in order to attain documents, figures, and relevant data from its competitor. The proceedings are currently in the discovery phase, which essentially sees Microsoft and Activision collecting as much data as possible to support the merger in court.

Earlier reports indicated that Microsoft is having a tough time getting the information it requires from Sony, however Sony explains why it has had trouble gathering the files. Sony tells the FTC that Microsoft's subpoena is "truly massive" and it will cost $2 million to prepare and serve the documents and files.

Blizzard reveals new details about Diablo IV's upcoming beta, including the size and scope of the test as well as when players can jump back into Sanctuary.

After many long years of development, Diablo IV is finally on the horizon with a June 2023 launch. Before then, gamers will be able to try the dark fantasy RPG out for themselves in a free open beta test that starts in March.

Blizzard will actually hold two separate beta tests. The first is an early access beta that's only available to those that pre-ordered Diablo IV. The early access beta runs from March 17 - March 19 on all platforms (PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC). The real beta test that's open to everyone with a Battle.net account will be held during a special beta weekend on March 24 - March 26.

Google, NVIDIA, Valve, and EA are said to attend the European Commission's closed-door hearing on the Microsoft-Activision merger and provide critical testimony and evidence in the case.

Next Tuesday, February 21, the European Commission will hold a special hearing on the Microsoft-Activision merger. Microsoft will defend the merger against complaints outlined in the Commission's Statement of Objections. Microsoft is also expected to contend against other companies who oppose the merger (like Sony), and Microsoft counsel should also include a number of possible agreements and concessions/remedies to satisfy regulators.

New reports from regulatory experts MLex indicate that a number of high-profile games companies will also attend the hearing. The list includes: Google, who operates the billion-dollar mobile Play Store and recently closed down its game streaming service due to a failed business model; PC giants Valve and NVIDIA; and sports sim publisher EA.

The Embracer Group and Middle-earth Enterprises confirm that five new Lord of the Rings games are in development, but only one or two of them may intrigue enthusiast gamers.

Following many years without any releases, five new Lord of the Rings games are currently in development. The titles are expected to release by March 2024 and include a variety of genres and platforms--not all of the games will be AAA-level experiences.

Now that Embracer Group has acquired licensing rights for specific Lord of the Rings video games, the publisher is currently working with third-party partners to produce a range of fantasy games based on the Tolkien universe. The games range from mobile gales to more casual-friendly action-adventure games like Gollum from Daedalic Entertainment, and a more exciting project from the Lord of the Rings SFX experts at Weta Workshop.

Sony has achieved a new high point for first-party game unit sales following a record-breaking holiday quarter.

PlayStation's holiday 2022 was the best in history. Sony's games division made $8.8 billion in overall revenues as both software and hardware skyrocketed to $2.38 billion and $3.11 billion, respectively. First-party games represented a sizable portion of total game sales during Q3 and contributed quite a bit to overall earnings and purchases.

According to Sony's latest earnings report, the company managed to sell 86.5 million PS4 and PS5 games across retail and digital channels. First-party games made up 24% of total sales during the period, or 20.8 million units sold. This represents a new four-year high for first-party game sales, beating out previous years from 2019 - present. The last record was set in FY20 with 19 million first-party games sold.

Sony's physical PlayStation game revenues hit a new four-year high during a record-breaking Q3 holiday period.

Sony's PlayStation games division is doing incredibly well right now. The gaming segment delivered a record-breaking $8.8 billion in holiday earnings, driven by surging hardware and software sales. While digital thoroughly dominates PlayStation's books thanks to the combination of digital game sales and microtransactions, physical game sales are on the rise.

According to Sony's latest financial report, during Q3 Fiscal Year 2022 (October - December 2022) the PlayStation division made $659 million from physical software. This not only represents the highest physical game sales earnings in the last four years, but is also a significant increase of 153% year-over-year.

Analyst and industry expert Joost van Dreunen suggests two possible behavioral and structural remedies that could help get the Microsoft-Activision merger approved.

The countdown is on for the Microsoft-Activision merger. In a few months, worldwide regulators at the FTC, CMA, and European Commission will make a decision on whether or not to approve the $68.7 billion dollar deal. All three agencies have outlined and identified possible anti-competitive effects from the combination and each of them are currently in various stages of proceedings. It behooves Microsoft to get ahead of the curve and start preparing concession scenarios that will help the deal pass.

While regulators like the the CMA have outlined possible remedies including the divesture of Activision or the entire "Call of Duty business," industry experts are also weighing in. One particularly interesting scenario from SuperData founder Joost van Dreunen involves behavioral and structural remedies that could satisfy regulators.

AMD's Ryzen Master, a utility used for overclocking Ryzen processors, has a nasty security flaw that you should address swiftly if you have the software installed.

This vulnerability is labeled with a severity level of 'high' and it could potentially allow an attacker to gain control of your PC in the worst-case scenario.

AMD explains:

By now we're well-used to Microsoft trying to get people to adopt its Edge browser in Windows 10 and Windows 11, but the software giant has set its sights on iPhone users too, according to a new report.

This comes from Windows Latest, who spotted that when opening a link from Outlook, Microsoft's email client, in iOS, users are being confronted by a pop-up asking if they'd like to open that link in Edge (rather than Safari, or whatever their default browser may be).

Now, you can choose to open with 'default browser' and also tick a box to remember this selection so the pop-up doesn't happen again - except the catch is that you'll need to do this separately for different file types when opening attachments in your emails.

Windows 11 could soon offer users a much more convenient and swifter way to close an app that has become unresponsive.

Normally when an app stops working and becomes non-functional, the standard way to close it down is to go to the Task Manager.

However, in a hidden change to Windows 11 (still in testing) spotted by leaker @PhantomOfEarth and highlighted on Twitter, it seems that Microsoft is going to allow for processes to be killed via the taskbar.

European skywatchers that were lucky enough to catch a fireball lighting up the sky should know that fragments of the space rock have been found.

An asteroid estimated to be 3.2 feet in diameter was discovered by Krisztian Sarneczky, an asteroid hunter working at the Konkoly Observatory in Budapest, Hungary, who promptly gave his findings to the European Space Agency (ESA). The asteroid was confirmed, and only hours later, it began its descent to Earth over Europe, stunning at least 61 people that reported seeing its bright entry into the European night sky and its eventual disappearance after it burned out.

The fireball began falling to Earth at 10 p.m. EST on February 12 (0300 GMT February 13), and the event was captured from multiple angles. Videos show the meteor beginning to grow in brightness, eventually reaching a level of brightness that the entire night sky was illuminated before burning out. The American Meteor Society confirms sightings of the fireball from various locations across England, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.

A group of scientists has used the bodies of dead birds to create a new type of drone that may be used for the surveillance of humans or animals.

The new technology was revealed at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics SciTech 2023 Forum, and the presentation showcased taxidermy drones called "ornithopters". These drones feature a set of flapping wings, mechanical propellers and are intended to replicate the flight of a real-life bird. The researchers note that they first intended to use synthetic material on the drones but later decided to instead opt for deceased birds to make the drones look more realistic.

According to the study, the engineers implemented 3D flapping and aerodynamic simulators to test how the drones would fly in the wind. The researchers found that replicating the flight of a bird with a drone was quite difficult, as they didn't really appear as natural fliers. However, from the testing, the engineers were able to identify aspects of the drone they could improve to make it fly more realistic. Researchers changed the design to make the drone quieter, fly longer and have the ability to be more flexible during flight.