Gaming - Page 145

Those of you planning on buying a Switch 2 this week should be aware that much like the Switch OLED before it, the handheld comes with a layer of film on top of the screen, and Nintendo warns that you shouldn't pull this off.

The Verge spotted fan site NintendoSoup pointing out that the Switch 2's European safety manual contains the advice not to peel off said film layer which is "designed to prevent fragments scattering in the event of damage."

Some folks call this layer a screen protector, which it isn't, but rather, as Nintendo makes clear, it's actually part of the display - the topmost part which is designed to stop fragments of glass flying around (and potentially ending up in an eye, say) if the screen is smashed.

It's taken a few years, but real-time ray-tracing is now common in modern AAA games. Path Tracing or Full Ray-Tracing is set to be the next game-changer for in-game visuals - as seen in Cyberpunk 2077, Alan Wake 2, Indian Jones and the Great Circle, and others. Path Tracing is only possible thanks to technologies like DLSS Super Resolution, Ray Reconstruction, and Frame Generation, as it just requires a lot of raw GPU horsepower to run.

As seen with the arrival of the GeForce RTX 50 Series, the next step toward making Path Tracing a reality will arrive through new rendering technologies that include Neural Rendering. So far, we've seen what this can do in titles like Alan Wake 2 and Half-Life 2 RTX, where Neural Shaders and other tech can boost Path Tracing performance.

The good news is that this isn't limited to NVIDIA hardware. Microsoft has also partnered with AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm to develop DirectX Raytracing (DXR) 1.2, which can boost Path Tracing performance by up to 2.3X through the deployment of Opacity Micromaps (OMMs).

Ubisoft has taken to X to tease something Splinter Cell, with an image of the series' protagonist, Sam Fisher, alongside a simple #SplinterCell hashtag. With Summer Game Fest around the corner, a week of conferences and live streams where we get a lot of new game announcements and first looks, we could be getting our first look at a new Splinter Cell game in a matter of days.

It remains to be seen what form Sam Fisher's return to the digital landscape will take - will it be something new or the return of a classic? In December 2021, the publisher announced that it was remaking the original Splinter Cell for a "modern-day audience" and would "keep the spirit and themes of the original game while exploring our characters and the world to make them more authentic and believable."

However, that was years ago, and without any significant updates since, the status of Ubisoft Toronto's Splinter Cell Remake remains unclear. The good news is that Ubisoft and industry insider Tom Henderson recently posted to social media that the remake "looks genuinely impressive," and we might hear about it sooner rather than later.

Hell is Us, a new single-player sci-fi open-world action game set in an alternate world and timeline, was announced and showcased earlier this year during one of Sony's big State of Play events for PlayStation. From developer Rogue Factor and publisher Nacon, the game will launch on September 5 and come to PC.

The PS5-focused trailer above shows that the game features a dark and moody atmosphere and impressive Unreal Engine 5-powered environments and characters. That said, outside of the PC version, nothing we can see would explain the PC specs and hardware requirements for Hell is Us on PC other than adding a Full Ray Tracing or Path Tracing mode. It sounds like the game is set to become the new Crysis.

The developer posted the specs to the game's Steam page, where it states that to play the game with 'Ultra' quality settings at 4K at 30 FPS, you'll need either a GeForce RTX 4090 24GB or a Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24GB GPU. And even then, that's with DLSS and FSR enabled, just to hit 30 FPS.

Auteur Hideo Kojima once again lays out his vision for a unique merging of games and films.

We've been covering Hideo Kojima's ideas about a game-film hybrid since 2020, and years later, these ideas are now starting to take shape. Kojima's love for movies is ever-present in his games, and things are going full-circle now with a Death Stranding film in production at A24. The artist's plans for the film-game are also manifesting in a new project called OD, which is being funded by Xbox with involvement from horror maven Jordan Peele.

Now in a recent interview with Vogue Japan, Kojima lays out a rather candid look at his multi-phase plan for his studio, Kojima Productions, and what he wants to accomplish with the new era of interactive media that he hopes to introduce.

Elder Scrolls Online is getting a new subclass system in just a few days that allows users to mix and match different skills from various classes.

With Update 46's release on June 2 for PC and June 16 for consoles, ESO players will soon be able to customize their characters in a brand new day. ZeniMax is introducing subclassing to ESO which will offer over 3,000 unique skill combinations across the 21 total skill lines available, with players being able to replace up to two native class skill lines with those from other classes.

Players will be able to jump into the subclass system as long as they have a level 50 character. There's a short quest to complete and the devs say it'll take around 5-10 minutes to go through the tutorial. ZeniMax is also introducing a new Disciple's Artisan item to boost skill leveling.

Atomic Heart, the BioShock-esque first-person shooter with sci-fi dystopian themes, has reached over 10 million people since releasing in early 2023. Now the development team is celebrating with a brand new initiative aimed at helping other indie studios.

Competition is fierce in the games industry, so it's always interesting and noteworthy when indie games see breakout success. Atomic Heart is one such game, and in little over 2 years, the alternate Soviet history shooter has been played by 10 million people. Xbox Game Pass was key to Atomic Heart's success--the game was available on Microsoft's all-you-can-play subscription service at launch.

Mundfish, the studio that made the game, isn't resting on its laurels though. Backed by the success of Atomic Heart, the team at Mundfish has launched Powerhouse, a new program that will give indie developers funding, expertise, and other support.

Keen to have two player sessions of Elden Ring: Nightreign, rather than the full three player coop? Your wish may be granted sooner than you think, thanks to an enterprising modder rather than FromSoftware.

As you've doubtless seen, Elden Ring: Nightreign has got a rather mixed reception, and there have been some lower-scored reviews, as well as some thumbs-ups from other critics.

One clear pain point, though, is that the devs overlooked a two-player mode, never considering duo play (apparently), so your only choice if there's a pair of you looking for a game is to find a random third to make up the numbers, or, well, don't bother. (Solo play is allowed, but balance-wise, it has issues shall we say).

Elden Ring Nightreign is a hit for Bandai Namco and FromSoftware with multi-million sales on the first day of release.

The new online PVE co-op Elden Ring game is off to an incredible start. Nightreign has sold 2 million copies on consoles and PC in the first day, FromSoftware has announced. Remember that Nightreign is a cross-gen release available on both PS4/Xbox One and the PS5/Xbox Series systems, so these full game sales metrics include all platforms.

The confirmation post was short and to the point: "Darkness fell over Limveld, and two million Nightfarers rose up against it. Thank you for your support."

Microsoft has been quietly working on a first-party Xbox handheld device for quite some time now, and just as rumors and reports were heating up that the green team was getting ready to showcase the new device, its launch has been delayed.

The news has come from Windows Central's Jez Corden, who exclusively reported yesterday that the first-party Xbox handheld was now delayed, per an internal announcement at Microsoft.Now, Corden has penned an explainer piece as to why it was a good decision for Microsoft to delay its first-party Xbox handheld to make way for third-party Xbox handhelds such as ASUS's upcoming device codenamed "Project Kennan" and Windows 11 gaming optimizations.

In a nutshell, Microsoft delayed its Xbox handheld because it's facing its most legitimate threat in the gaming market in decades, and that threat is coming from Valve, specifically SteamOS.

CD Projekt is bringing Witcher 3 mods to consoles in a new update, the company today announced.

The Witcher 3, which just broke 60 million sales worldwide, is getting even more love from CD Projekt to celebrate the game's landmark 10 year anniversary. Gamers will soon be able to experience Geralt's adventures in a whole new way thanks to official mod support on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles.

Later this year, CD Projekt will release a Witcher 3 game patch that adds multi-platform mod support across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. The idea is to create an ecosystem that ties these platforms together with a centralized webwork of user-created mod content. Creators can make mods and tweaks with the official REDkit modding toolset, but it's not actually a requirement for specific additions like custom textures.

Electronic Arts decided to cancel the Black Panther title being worked on by Cliffhanger Studios, which was then followed by the studio's closure. This raises the question of whether EA will follow through with its commitment made in 2022 to make three games based on Marvel characters.

In recent statements sent to IGN, EA has said that despite the closure of Cliffhanger Studios and the cancellation of the Black Panther game, the relationship with Marvel "remains strong" and the publisher is still committed to following through on its previous statement to complete three games based on Marvel characters. Notably, of those original three games, which Black Panther was one of them, the first is an Iron Man game, which is currently still in development and planned for release.

Motive Studios is developing the Iron Man game, and now that Cliffhanger Studios is gone, Motive appears slated to tackle the remaining two Marvel titles. However, given the fragility of the gaming industry and seemingly EA's studios, it wouldn't be surprising if the Iron Man game flops, that the two remaining Marvel-based projects will also be canceled. Let's hope that doesn't happen, and the talented team at Motive fulfills on an impressive single-player Iron Man experience.

Bungie isn't the only development studio experiencing morale at an all-time low, as now, Respawn Entertainment is reportedly experiencing low employee morale after 100 staff were laid off and two games were canceled.

The news of the Black Panther game being canceled and the development studio Cliffhanger Games being shut down has spread to Respawn. Some employees at the studio are so concerned that they are now taking to social media to voice their concerns.

Patrick Wren, a senior encounter designer at Respawn, took to Bluesky to write, "Morale has been at an all-time low. I can say that much." Wren added, "I am just sorry for everyone who just wants to make cool video games in this industry."

Microsoft's plans for a dedicated portable console have slightly changed, with a recent report from Windows Central (WC) stating that Microsoft's own Xbox-labeled handheld has now been put on the back burner.

It should first be noted that the device we are discussing here isn't the Xbox and ASUS portable console codenamed "Project Kennan," that one is still on track for release, possibly unveiled at an upcoming Microsoft event.

The console that has now been shelved is strictly Microsoft's own internal Xbox first-party handheld, with Windows Central reporting that while there are three prototype devices currently in development, the release plan has now been put on the back burner for prioritization on Windows 11 gaming performance, specifically for devices such as ASUS's Project Kennan.

The boss of the Borderlands franchise was recently caught in hot water after he responded to a fan who said Borderlands 4 would "fail" if it were priced at $80. The CEO said, "real fans" would find a way to buy the game if it were that much.

The backlash over that comment has sparked its own form of negative marketing for Borderlands 4, with many gamers pushing back at the idea of Borderlands 4 meeting the newly established $80 price tag, citing growing problems with the general economy resulting in less funds to spend on personal entertainment, and the price increases of games and gaming hardware getting close to pricing many fans out of the experience.

Randy Pitchford, the CEO of Gearbox Software, has provided some more context on his "real fans" comment, acknowledging that the language he used "triggered some people." Pitchford pushed back against the idea that the intent behind his comment was to make "some big statement" and that it was reflective of how he feels about the audience, which many suggested he is taking for granted by alienating those willing to pay $80 for Borderlands 4 as "real fans".

Elden Ring Nightreign has finally released, and Bandai Namco has already released an update addressing some day-one problems, such as framerate issues.

Bandai Namco has taken to its website to publish the first patch for Elden Ring Nightreign, with the publisher confirming that PC players using the "latest graphics cards" may experience framerate drops. The patch does cover PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and the PC version of the game via Steam, with the overall goal of the update to "improve gameplay and stability." FromSoftware has requested players update their game to the latest version before launching for the best experience possible.

As for the PC related issues, the patch notes state, "Some PC configurations using the latest graphics cards may experience frame rate drops." Bandai writes that an investigation has been launched into the issue, and in the meantime, players can lower their graphics settings from High to Medium, or even Low, to fix the framerate problems. Moreover, Bandai recommends players install the latest graphics card drivers.

Announced earlier this year at CES 2025, NVIDIA has finally launched its native GeForce NOW streaming app for Valve's Steam Deck PC gaming handheld. For those looking to play some of the latest games, like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, and DOOM: The Dark Aces, with DLSS 4, ray-tracing, and settings turned up, the GeForce NOW app presents a serious visual upgrade over running titles natively.

NVIDIA notes that playing games via the GeForce NOW app on the Steam Deck also leads to 50% longer battery life. The app also supports 4K 60 FPS gameplay with DLSS 4, Reflex, and HDR10 when connecting the handheld to a capable TV. With various subscription tiers offering up to RTX 4080 performance levels, GeForce NOW offers performance and visual fidelity unheard of in the handheld gaming space.

GeForce NOW differs from other cloud-gaming services because it offers direct access to games you already own. The library now includes over 2,200 games across Steam, Epic Games Store, Ubisoft, Battle.net, and Xbox (including PC Game Pass).

The Nintendo Switch 2 launch is only a matter of days away, and while Nintendo's next-generation console can play many of the original Switch games, it won't be able to play some of your favorite movies/TV shows.

Unfortunately, users who wanted their Nintendo Switch 2 to double as a media-playback device will be disappointed to learn that the Nintendo Switch 2 comes with less support for streaming services than the original Switch, as Nintendo has updated its official compatibility page stating Hulu, Crunchyroll, Niconic, and Abema, "cannot be used on Nintendo Switch 2."

Nintendo doesn't explain why the Switch 2 doesn't support the aforementioned streaming apps, nor did the company place any of the apps in the to be "fixed at a later date" category, suggesting they will never get support. However, that doesn't mean it's impossible for the developers of those apps to add support unless Nintendo has specifically banned their compatibility.

NVIDIA announced its financial results for Q1 FY26, which ended on April 27, 2025. Total revenue hit $44.1 billion - up 12% from the previous quarter and an impressive 69% from a year ago. Naturally, much of the media focus has been placed on the AI side of the business, including a $4.5 billion write-off for its H20 inventory due to the whole China situation.

However, even though it's now a small piece of the overall NVIDIA pie, the company's Gaming and AI PC segment, which covers everything GeForce RTX and even SoCs for Nintendo Switch consoles, hit a record $3.8 billion in revenue - its highest ever.

NVIDIA's Gaming revenue for Q1 FY26 was up 48% from the previous quarter and 42% from the same period a year ago. In terms of new GPUs, Q1 saw NVIDIA rapidly roll out its new GeForce RTX 50 Series graphics cards for gaming desktops and laptops. The company dropped models from the flagship RTX 5090 to the mid-range RTX 5070 at a pace we haven't seen before.

Star Citizen developer Cloud Imperium Games is looking for Cinematic Animators at some of its studios, with positions open for someone in Frankfurt and Manchester, who need experience developing for current, and next-gen consoles.

We know that Microsoft and Sony both have next-gen consoles in the works, with a new Xbox and the upcoming PlayStation 6 consoles in the works right now, one of the most expensive games of all time -- Star Citizen -- should now be expected to drop on the next-gen Xbox and PS6 consoles.

CIG itself hasn't said a single word on whether we'll see Star Citizen on consoles yet, and the current-gen Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro consoles are decent systems now, but the next-gen Xbox and PS6 could better handle Star Citizen. All the way back at PAX 2013, I interviewed Cloud Imperium Games boss Chris Roberts, where I asked his thoughts about consoles and he simply stated: "I don't care about consoles"... but it seems nearly $1 billion later, Roberts' decision has changed.