Gaming - Page 125

When it comes to modern GPUs, raw performance remains a key metric for determining whether you can game in 1080p, 1440p, or 4K. However, in the age of Super Resolution and Frame Generation technologies, including NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS, raw performance is only a part of the overall picture and story.

In fact, without DLSS, real-time Path Tracing in games like DOOM: The Dark Ages and Half-Life 2 RTX runs slow and looks noticeably worse, even on a GeForce RTX 5080. With new AI-enhanced rendering technologies designed to boost image quality, such as Neural Radiance Cache and Ray Reconstruction, overall image quality and presentation are now key metrics for measuring a GPU's performance and the experiences it can deliver. NVIDIA has already confirmed that when it comes to its latest generation of GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs, over 90% of users are gaming with DLSS enabled.

This is where Intel's latest tool, the Computer Graphics Visual Quality Metric (CGVQM), enters the picture. Although it evaluates gameplay video, it's a tool built for the new era of DLSS, FSR, and XeSS-powered gaming.

We reviewed the AVerMedia X'TRA GO (GC515) late last year, earning it an award for its innovative design, which combines docking, charging, and capture in a single device. Compatible with a wide range of gaming handhelds, including the Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and Nintendo Switch, AVerMedia has confirmed that it's fully compatible and optimized for the Nintendo Switch 2.

This is excellent news for those seeking a versatile dock, charger, and capture device for Nintendo's latest gaming console, as its simple plug-and-play design enables direct recording to an SD card. And with the AVerMedia Streaming Center software, you've also got an intuitive and straightforward tool for streaming or broadcasting Switch 2 gameplay.

AVerMedia offers a wide range of capture cards and chargers, and the company has created a dedicated Nintendo Switch 2 compatibility page outlining which products in its lineup are compatible and optimized for the new console. The compatibility list also includes the company's webcams and microphones.

PC Building Simulator 2 is a game where you build, repair, and create custom PCs using real-world components from companies like MSI, Cooler Master, ASRock, and more. From GeForce RTX 50 Series graphics cards to next-gen motherboards, cases, and cooling solutions, it's all here.

With over 40 hardware brands and 1200+ components, you can even tweak things like memory timings and overclock your GPU to boost performance. Yes, it's a game, or a simulation, but PC Building Simulator 2 is all about presenting a realistic building experience right down to adjusting fan speeds and RGB lighting. And the included Career Mode is designed to teach you all about the building and repair process.

The latest addition to PC Building Simulator 2 is an interesting one, as it opens the door to benchmarking with accurate results using the popular 3DMark Speed Way test. 3DMark developer UL Solutions has partnered with PC Building Simulator 2's Spiral House to let you install 3DMark Speed Way on the PCs you build in the game, run the benchmark, and get "accurate 3DMark Speed Way results."

Julian LeFay, one of the original designers of The Elder Scrolls series and more recently The Wayward Realms, has revealed a battle with terminal cancer.

Elder Scrolls godfather Julian LeFay has silently been fighting cancer for years now, and the RPG developer has now broken silence to share the news with the community.

"Our technical producer, Julian LeFay, has been fighting a battle with cancer for the last several years. He's fought bravely and strongly, but it seems he doesn't have very much time left," OnceLost Games CEO, and LeFay's close friend, Ted Peterson said in a recent video.

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot directly responds to Stop Killing Games, a petition that was started due to Ubisoft's business decisions.

In 2024, Ubisoft pulled The Crew 1 from all digital storefronts after nearly 10 years of availability. The Crew is an online-only game, so when the servers were shut off, owners had no way of playing the game they paid for. This sparked a wider discussion on game ownership and a publisher's responsibility to make games available to consumers who purchased them, even after an online game is taken offline. This controversy led to the Stop Killing Games movement, which spawned the Stop Destroying Videogames petition in the EU; at the time of writing, the petition has garnered over 1.4 million signatures and has even gained support from parliament.

Now we have an official response from Ubisoft's CEO Yves Guillemot on Stop Killing Games, as well as an explanation of why The Crew 1 wasn't made available offline. Guillemot was asked about the controversy during a recent Ubisoft general shareholders meeting, and he replied by essentially saying that gamers are forewarned about possible game service discontinuations and that Ubisoft responded to the situation by offering The Crew 2 for just 1 Euro.

Microsoft's decision to continue investing in artificial intelligence has come at the cost of thousands of jobs, sources tell The Verge's Tom Warren.

Microsoft is reportedly restructuring its business around AI. The company has conducted 15,000 layoffs and job eliminations in 2025 alone, with many workers being relocated within the company under new positions. The layoffs are affecting jobs of all types, from sales and marketing to management, as the company reportedly pushes AI tools on its workers.

Sources tell The Verge that Microsoft had a choice between spending on AI or cutting jobs, and it ultimately chose the latter. We've seen the effects of this decision ripple through all parts of Microsoft, including the Xbox games division, where multiple games were cancelled, workers laid off, and studios shut down.

Swedish video games developer MachineGames publishes its full-year financials, showing how much sales revenue and profit the Wolfenstein developer makes.

As Microsoft dangles a Sword of Damocles above its workers, creatives at the Xbox are fearful of layoffs--Microsoft has let go of 15,000 workers this year alone, with hundreds of layoffs affecting the games division. This led to game cancellations and studio closures. Margins seemingly matter more than ever, especially when products like interactive entertainment can command budgets of $100 million or more.

While we don't know the total performance of Xbox, we can glean some info by way of Xbox's European subsidiaries. Every year, companies in the European Union will publish their financial reports. The latest round of financials gives a closer look at how much money that Indiana Jones developer MachineGames may generate per year.

Ubisoft is known for having microtransactions even in its single-player games, which is a decision that many gamers aren't very fond of at all, as it reads as a money-grab tactic that, in some cases, can feature pay-to-win elements.

In Ubisoft's annual financial report, we got an insight into the mentality the company has when implementing "monetization strategies" into its premium games, which would be its mainline titles, such as Assassin's Creed. The report states that Ubisoft has a "golden rule" when developing premium games, and that is to enable players to enjoy the game in full without having to spend more money on it.

Additionally, Ubisoft says, "Our monetization offer within premium games makes the player experience more fun by allowing them to personalize their avatars or progress more quickly". Adding, "however, this is always optional." The second to last point is certainly the most contentious, "or progress more quickly." This would be a pay-to-win mechanic that is typically built into all of Ubisoft's premium games, even its single-player titles.

New developments in the 2021 PlayStation antitrust case show that both Sony and the defendants are eager to settle the case, but a district judge denies a motion to settle, saying that more information is needed.

In 2021, Sony was sued in a class-action lawsuit that alleged Sony was conducting monopolistic business practices. The plaintiffs, which include more than 4 million people, allege that Sony's decision to stop selling PlayStation game download codes in alternative stores was in violation of antitrust law.

Years later, the parties are ready to settle, but District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín recently denied a motion for settlement. The initial settlement proposal would see Sony doling out $7.8 million in PlayStation Store credits. With 4.4 million people affected, that means each person would get around $1.77 in credits.

Assassin's Creed Shadows cost more than €100 million to develop, produce, market, and distribute, Ubisoft has officially confirmed.

Video game budgets are soaring higher and higher these days, with some games like Concord commanding $400 million in costs. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot attaches a loose figure to one of its biggest games, saying that AC Shadows had a sizable budget like other AAA hits.

"We don't disclose production costs, it did cost over 100 million euros, we'll say that. We don't give any final costs. We also invested heavily in the engine," Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said in a recent shareholders meeting.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is reportedly running at a buttery smooth 60FPS on the PlayStation 5 Pro, while continuing to be optimized on the beefier PS5 Pro console with "multiple graphics settings" according to new rumors.

In a new post on X by insider @DetectiveSeeds, we're hearing that PlayStation engineers are also helping with the optimization due to "new tech" that's being implemented and rolled out with a current target date of May 2026. The PS engineers are also assisting on "several other Rockstar titles" that are "rolling out in the near future".

As of right now, 60FPS is being achieved on the PS5 Pro only (but this could change before the release of GTA 6) and it's anticipated that GTA 6 will have multiple graphical options on the PS5 Pro at release. The leaker also notes that the Rockstar / PlayStation marketing deal is what's allowing and encouraging this collaboration on optimization, it is anticipated that we should see multiple GTA 6 + PlayStation 5 bundles in the next marketing push.

The Battlefield 6 hype train has officially left the station as content creators are now confirming EA has invited them to a 3-day event where the new Battlefield game will be revealed.

It was only yesterday that a content creator shared a now-deleted image of a promotional care package they received from EA, which confirmed the name of the next Battlefield game, Battlefield 6, along with several game modes that will be playable within the title. Now, a content creator has stated they have received an invitation from EA to participate in a 3-day event starting on July 29, where the new Battlefield 6 will be revealed. The event will also feature interviews with developers, and the game will be featured with content creators.

As Insider Gaming points out, the event is being referred to as an "EV Event," and not a "Battlefield Event," which may mean Battlefield 6 isn't the only game EA is planning on revealing. However, given that a promotional package was just sent out to creators and now we are hearing about an event scheduled for the end of this month, I think it's entirely possible the promotional package contained the invitation to the event, and at the very least, the next Battlefield title will be featured. Moreover, shortly after the event, the open beta is rumored to be launching.

The reveal for the highly anticipated Battlefield 6 appears to be just a few weeks/days away from being officially announced, as the team behind it is now sending out promotional care packages for the title.

A now-deleted post from the X user @DooM49 revealed a large promotional package sent to the user from EA. The package has "Battlefield 6" written across the front of the package, with straps around it that feature the writing, "Conquest," "Breakthrough," "Rush," and finally, "PTFO," which stands for "Play the F***** Objective." Presumably, Rush, Conquest, and Breakthrough will be available as playable game modes within Battlefield 6.

As for the package itself, this promotional material from EA and care packages such as this are usually indicators that an official announcement for the title is right around the corner, as the package is intended to hype up the content creator just before the big public reveal to get them to pay attention to it.

Valve has launched Trade Protection on Steam, a new feature that will safeguard swappable cosmetic skins, items, and other content in the Steam inventory.

Steam's new Trade Protection program is a new per-game initiative that gives players more insurance over unlocked items, including skins. It allows users to reverse a trade within 7 days, and Trade Protection also gives both users instant access to traded goods.

Trade Protection is on by default for Counter-Strike 2, and are denoted by a small yellow shield on the item: "This is a per-game option, which means all Counter-Strike 2 items are Trade Protected for 7 days after being received in trade."

BioShock creator and ex-Irrational Games boss Ken Levine loves singleplayer games, and probably for the same reasons as you.

It's been over 12 years since Ken Levine last shipped a game. His latest shooter, Judas, is seen as a spiritual successor to BioShock thanks to its emphasis on story-driven immersion.

In other words, Levine wants to take players on another personal journey, which is a big reason why he still makes singleplayer games. In a recent interview, Levine shares his frank and rather candid take on singleplayer games, giving a brief history lesson on how these worlds affected him as someone with social anxiety, and the nostalgia he still feels for them. Plus, the game isn't a person, so it "will never leave you," Levine says.

Ken Levine has a simple plan for his new game Judas: Buy the game, play it, and then you're done. No prolonged live service multiplayer mode or microtransactions.

Judas, the new first-person shooter from BioShock creator Ken Levine, is a traditional singleplayer game through and through. The project has been in development for years, and it's been over a decade since Levine's last game, BioShock Infinite. Despite this long production cycle, Take-Two Interactive hasn't pressured Levine to bake in things like microtransactions into Judas in an effort to maximize return on investment.

In a recent interview with Nightdive Studios of all places, Levine shares his thought process on Judas while also clearly saying he doesn't have a problem with live service games, and doesn't fault developers who make them. The father of BioShock says that he grew up when microtransactions simply didn't exist, yet service games have grown to a €120 billion market.

Game devs might want to learn AI to help boost their leverage and overall advantage in the games industry, Valve boss Gabe Newell says.

AI is expected to help the games industry by streamlining operations and giving creators more tools, but it's also impacting jobs at a time when companies are aggressively cutting costs. Valve's Gabe Newell of all people offers some advice to game developers who are looking to augment their skills while staying competitive--using AI could make video game creators more valuable in the long run.

In a recent Q&A with YouTuber Zalker Saliev, the patron saint of PC gaming offered his perspective on AI as it relates to programming and skill building, at least in the interactive space. Newell believes that workers in the field should make use of AI in some way, if for no other reason than to "scaffold" their abilities.

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot outlines the company's major objectives to investors and shareholders, confirming a forked approach for its upcoming games.

A week ago, Ubisoft held a general meeting of shareholders and presented the company's new vision. Ubisoft will now focus on two types of games and markets: Action-adventure games like Assassin's Creed, and online-driven live games like Rainbow Six Siege. While this isn't necessarily a new development, Ubisoft refers to this segment as 'native service games' and says it's worth €120 billion.

In the shareholder report, Ubisoft says native service games "build and develop recurring revenue through communities." Through this trajectory, Ubisoft hopes Rainbow Six Siege will break into the top 5 service games in terms of MAUs.

Netflix has ordered a live action adaptation of Ubisoft's best-selling Assassin's Creed video games franchise.

A new Assassin's Creed show is on the way from Netflix, with Westworld executive producer Roberto Patino and Halo producer David Wiener joining together to create and produce the project.

"Netflix has officially greenlit the live-action Assassin's Creed series," Ubisoft announced. "In 2020, Ubisoft and Netflix announced they entered into an agreement to develop content based on the globally popular Assassin's Creed video game franchise. This live-action adaptation is the first series to be developed under the agreement."

AMD is reportedly cooking up a new semi-custom APU codenamed Magnus, which will be used inside of the next-gen Xbox and/or PlayStation 6 consoles.

In a new video from leaker Moore's Law is Dead, we're hearing some information on a new mega APU dubbed "Magnus" that sports a huge 264mm2 graphics die on a 384-bit memory bus, and a 144m2 SoC die that's connected through a bridge die that connects the graphics die to the 11-core CPU die. The 11-core CPU die sounds weird (11 cores, right?!) which is split between 3 x Zen 6 cores and 8 x Zen 6c cores.

The purported new Magnus APU is a semi-custom chip made by AMD that should be for Microsoft's next-generation Xbox console, but leaker MLID says it could be used in the upcoming PlayStation 6 console. Another leaker chimed in to this post, Kepler_L2, noting that "that is probably the next-gen Xbox, the codenames that AMD uses for PlayStation SoCs are from Shakespeare characters".