Gaming - Page 241

Game tech demos are usually created to showcase new rendering techniques, advanced animation, or stuff like real-time ray tracing. Even though NVIDIA and Inworld AI's Covert Protocol tech demo features an impressive-looking and lavish hotel lobby with detailed environments, ray tracing, and highly detailed character models, the visual fidelity is simply here to showcase a groundbreaking new bit of tech - digital humans that you can interact with.

NVIDIA first showcased Covert Protocol at GTX a few months ago. At Computex 2024 in Taipei, the company presented the same tech demo with AI digital humans powered by NVIDIA Avatar Cloud Engine (ACE) technologies running locally on a high-end GeForce RTX 4090 powered rig.

At the show, I had the chance to go hands-on with NVIDIA's impressive RTX AI technologies, and when it came to Covert Protocol, I was quietly blown away by the depth and breadth of its digital humans.

Apple isn't necessarily known for making products that are great at gaming, but with the rise of the company's own in-house chips that dream is becoming more of a reality.

At WWDC Apple showed its intentions to drive deeper into the gaming market, especially considering the popularity of the App Store and all of the games it offers. However, Apple isn't just looking at mobile, as the company explained it wants to expand the possibilities of its Mac product line to gamers that want to experience full AAA titles.

Apple stated during its keynote that its MacOS named Sequoia was going to usher in some considerable upgrades for gamers, such as the inclusion of Personalized Spatial Audio, which will arrive for games that support Game Mode. Additionally, this new audio feature will be launching on iPhone. According to Apple, Personalized Spatial Audio "significantly reduces audio latency with AirPods Pro (2nd generation).

According to NVIDIA and its CEO Jensen Huang, the AI PC era began with GeForce RTX and the 20 Series of desktop GPUs in 2018. For PC gamers, this meant using AI to make real-time ray-tracing a possibility with the arrival of RTX hardware and AI Tensor Cores. DLSS, or Deep Learning Super Sampling, is the not-so-secret ingredient.

Fast-forward to 2024, and AI-powered DLSS upscaling and DLSS 3 Frame Generation (which uses AI to generate entire frames) have pushed PC gaming performance to new heights across a wide range of hardware. With games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Alan Wake 2, we're now at a point where full Path Traced lighting is a reality.

At Computex 2024, we saw two examples of how NVIDIA plans to empower game developers with new AI technologies. NVIDIA ACE helps create digital humans with whom you can interact. Project G-Assist uses AI and a general model trained by NVIDIA to provide in-game assistance, gameplay guidance, and even performance optimization, all through natural dialogue or text inputs.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard (formerly known as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf) is the long-awaited next entry in the fantasy RPG series from BioWare, and after a tasty reveal trailer during the recent Xbox Games Showcase, we now have close to 20 minutes of gameplay to chew through ahead of the game's 'Fall 2024' release for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

BioWare has been working on this for several years now, and even though what we see in the extended gameplay video is from the game's introduction, it all looks polished, promising, and authentic to the series (if a little cartoony). Like the original Dragon Age: Origins, you can choose your race (Human, Elf, Dwarf, Qunari), faction, and history (Grey Wardens!), which will play into relationships, conversations, and quests.

In the video, we see a familiar face in the form of Varric and the villain of the game - Solas, a pivotal character from Dragon Age: Inquisition. For fans of the series, there's some additional good news: you can import certain choices and decisions from Inquisition that will impact how the story begins.

Although Microsoft Gaming chief Phil Spencer didn't outright come out and confirm that he and the Xbox team were developing an Xbox Gaming Handheld, he outlined what to expect from a potential portable Xbox device. One that we have to assume is in development.

"The future for us in hardware is pretty awesome," Spencer told IGN during a live interview following the company's big Xbox Game Showcase. "The work that the team is doing around different form factors, different ways to play, I'm incredibly excited about. Today was about the games, but we will have a time to come out and talk more about platform, and we can't wait to bring it to you."

When grilled for more information on what an Xbox "different form factor" handheld might look like, Phil Spencer stated that "being able to play games locally is really important," which means it will be more like the Steam Deck or ROG Ally than Sony's network-based PlayStation Portal.

Microsoft just announced it will be releasing three new Xbox consoles, two in the new Robot White color scheme and one in Galaxy Black.

The new consoles were unveiled by Xbox president Sarah Bond, who showcased the new Xbox Series X "Galaxy Black", which is exactly the same as the standard Xbox Series X performance-wise, but instead comes with a 2TB SSD.

The Galaxy Black console has drawn inspiration from constellations and space, featuring a silver, grey and green celestial effect that is meant to represent "thousands of games and millions of gamers playing on Xbox". The Galaxy Black edition will be a limited release and be priced at $559.99.

Being PC a gamer means you are exposed to an unfathomable number of new games that are released on Steam, and with the more than 100 new games released almost every day on Valve's platform some simply slip through the cracks of your gaming radar.

I believe one of those titles is Empire of the Ants, developed by Tower Five and published by Microids. This soon-to-be-released real-time strategy (RTS) game is powered by the latest version of Epic Games' stunning Unreal Engine 5, specifically Unreal Engine 5.4, and will take players on a journey that's based on the famous French novel of the same name (Les Fourmis) by Bernard Werber.

Personally being a big fan of real-time strategy games, as they were the catalyst to my now profound love for gaming, Empire of the Ants will let players assume the role of 103,683e, a determined ant on a mission to protect its colony. Microids explains the title will force players to make critical decisions that will need to be heavily considered as each strategic choice will have a great impact on the survival of the colony.

Star Wars Outlaws, the new open-world game from Ubisoft Massive (The Division) set in the iconic Star Wars universe, is just around the corner. It will launch on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on August 30. As part of its Ubisoft Forward event, we got our best look at the game, including a 10-minute gameplay demonstration showcasing what you'll do in the game.

It's an impressive showing because the game will include several planets to explore, start systems, and more, with secrets, side quests, and key targets to track down. And when you're in a world with a heavy Imperial presence, living the smuggler and outlaw life will attract unwanted attention. Yes, Star Wars Outlaws handles crime the same way as Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption.

Increase your notoriety, and you'll have squads of Stormtroopers looking for you, AT-ST Walkers (the iconic two-legged machines from Return of the Jedi), and even Tie Fighters. Very cool.

DOOM: The Dark Ages was announced at the big Xbox Showcase the other day, alongside an action-packed in-game trailer showcasing the new fantasy-meets-medieval setting for the franchise. Per leaks and rumors ahead of the game's reveal, DOOM: The Dark Ages is a prequel and origin story set a long, long time ago - when the DOOM Slayer was 'the ultimate super weapon of Gods and Kings.'

DOOM: The Dark Ages is described as depicting a 'medieval war against Hell,' but even as the Slayer, you'll still be armed with the Super Shotgun, in addition to weapons that fire skulls and explosive bones. The one weapon from the reveal trailer that everybody is talking about is the new 'versatile' Shield Saw that can rip and tear through demons while acting as a bullet-proof vest for incoming projectile fire.

DOOM: The Dark Ages comes from Xbox Game Studios and developer id Software and is coming to Xbox and PC Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S consoles, PC, and PlayStation 5 in 2025.

Microsoft has recently wrapped up its Xbox Games Showcase where it announced a slew of new titles it currently has in the works under its multiple labels.

One of the titles Xbox showcased during its show is a franchise that is more than 20 years old, and that is Age of Mythology (AOE). originally developed by Ensemble Studios, SkyBox Labs, and Westlake Interactive in 2002, the iconic real-time strategy game took players deep into the world of mythological stories by enabling players to embody gods that fell under different ancient pantheons.

For example, players could select from Norse gods, Thor, Odin, and Loki, while also having the option of choosing from Greek gods, Egyptian and Atlantean. Choosing a certain god gave the player a different build for the upcoming ages they would move through as their civilization advanced. For example, if a player were to choose Zeus, they may be gifted with a Pegausus, while Hades players' infantry will have higher defense and damage.

Antec is a brand best known for its cases and cooling tech. It is one of those trusted names that go back decades to the dawn of the PC gaming DIY scene. At Computex 2024, the company showed us several impressive case designs, but it also had something a little different - a PC gaming handheld called the Antec Core HS.

If it looks familiar, that's because it is a rebranded AYANEO Slide for the U.S. and European markets. It has the powerful AMD Ryzen 7840U Processor and the same floating slide-up screen that reveals a full QWERTY keyboard - adding a keyboard to a Windows 11 gaming handheld sets it apart from the ROG Ally X, MSI Claw, and Steam deck.

The Antec Core HS features a 6-inch Full HD 1080p IPS display with 368PPI pixel density, 400-nit brightness, and 100% sRGB color coverage. In addition to the full keyboard, the build incorporates an ergonomic design utilizing PC and glass fiber materials, with gamer-friendly hall-sensing analog sticks and hall effect triggers. It's a premium little unit.

Seeing AVerMedia's X'Tra Go GC515 Capture Dock at Computex 2024 was one of those products that immediately felt perfect - it filled a gap while doing it in a way that made you want to get your hands on the final product. We're huge fans of AVerMedia's external and internal capture cards, especially its recent pair of HDMI 2.1 offerings that excel in performance and features.

When it comes to handhelds like the Steam Deck from Valve and the Windows 11-based ROG Ally from ASUS, the AVerMedia X'Tra Go GC515 Capture Dock acts as a docking solution, charger, and external capture card all-in-one. With up to 4K 30fps recording, it's a fantastic device that offers simple one-button recording to an SD Card, which can also connect directly to a PC for transfer.

AVerMedia brings versatility to the table here. When you add in support for the Nintendo Switch (and its successor, the Nintendo Switch 2), we could see every Nintendo game reviewer on the planet wanting to pick one of these up as soon as possible. High-quality game capture with no additional hardware required.

With the Steam Deck, ROG Ally X, MSI Claw AI, ZOTAC ZONE, and several other PC gaming handhelds on display at Computex 2024, the prototype XPG NIA gaming handheld we saw from ADATA's gaming-focused brand impressed us with its unique (and forward-thinking) design. It can potentially change the game regarding PC gaming handhelds thanks to its exciting new "foveated rendering functionality."

First up is the display, which can tilt to offer more ergonomic options for gaming on your lap, up the air, or on a surface like a desk or a table. This plays into the ergonomics of the XPG NIA, which felt more comfortable and lightweight than other handhelds, even though the overall weight was similar. This comes down to better weight distribution and the tiltable display.

Under the hood is where it gets interesting; with the XPG NIA set to launch later this year with an ADATA S55 SSD, you can expand up to 2TB. More interestingly, the NIA will ship with expandable CAMM2 memory modules using LPDDR5X technology. There's no word on the chipset, but XPG has confirmed that the NIA will include an AMD Phoenix APU (as seen in the ROG Ally X) with "exclusive foveated rendering functionality."

Yesterday, Microsoft and Activision formally unveiled Call of Duty Black Ops 6 to gamers, but this sequel brings some big changes.

Black Ops 6 will require always-online internet connectivity in order to play, Activision has confirmed. This includes all modes of play, even the campaign. The publisher was careful to say that both PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass Core are required for online multiplayer, but the campaign can be played without these subscriptions.

The reason? Treyarch's new game uses texture streaming tech to handle Black Ops 6's in-game assets, which are indubitably large--The game clocks in at 300GB worth of data (that's over 1/3rd of a stock PS5 SSD).

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will require an absolutely bonkers amount of SSD space on the Xbox Series X/S consoles, requiring a huge 309.8GB of storage.

The news comes from an early spotting of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on the Xbox Store, showing that it requires exactly 309.8GB of space. Frankly, I'm not surprised... we saw a few years ago that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was consuming 200GB+ and then 250GB+ on the PC before some changes were made, but now we're talking about 300GB... one-third of the 1TB SSD inside of the Xbox Series X/S consoles.

300GB+ at launch will most likely balloon out to something bigger with day-one patches, updates over time, and seasonal updates with new content. We should expect future Call of Duty updates to make that 300GB even bigger... which is going to be a problem for Xbox Series X/S (and PlayStation 5) gamers who have just 1TB of SSD storage space on their consoles.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is out on the PC early today, with a new PC demo being posted to Steam and playable through to June 17 at 10AM Pacific Time. Check it out:

NACON and KT Racing announced the release date of Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown last week, where it'll hit the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles and PC on September 12. We now have the PC system requirements, which are very hefty if you plan on playing the game at 4K 60FPS.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown requires an Intel Core i9-14900K or AMD Ryzen 9 7900X processor, 32GB of RAM, and a flagship NVIDIA GeForce RRTX 4090 graphics card for 4K 60FPS. Yowzers. Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown will launch on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC on September 12, with pre-orders for the game getting another week of early access with the game unleashing on September 5.

The portable PC gaming handheld has exploded in recent times, beginning with the Steam Deck from Valve and Windows-based follow ups like the ROG Ally from ASUS. Teases ahead of Computex 2024, the ZOTAC ZONE was given a full reveal on the show floor, and it's a slick little unit - thanks in part to the vibrant and tasty 7-inch AMOLED display.

Outside of the 120 Hz 800-nits of brightness OLED goodness, the ZOTAC ZONE is powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 8840U processor, which features integrated Radeon 780M graphics. This processor and the 7840U have given rise to several new Windows gaming handhelds. Other specs for the ZOTAC ZONE include 16GB of LPDDR5X memory and a full-sized M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 SSD slot that will feature at least 512GB of storage capacity.

Running Windows 11, the battery capacity of 48.5 Wh is not as high as the new flagship ROG Ally X from ASUS, but it should deliver longevity similar to the original. PRice-wise, ZOTAC is targeting around $799 USD for the handheld, so it won't be cheap, with a planned September 2024 launch.

It wouldn't be Computex time if noblechairs wasn't here to show off its latest gaming chairs, with the company detailing its best-sellers, upcoming releases, and special sneak peeks at what's coming in the near future.

The noblechairs LEGEND gaming chair is the "Best Gaming Chair" title winner of the European Hardware Awards 2023, with a special high-tech PU leather that's produced in Germany. It's breathable without perforation, and is available in black, red, or white.

Some of noblechairs' best sellers include the HERO ST TX which has a soft breathable fabric of anthracite color, perfectly complementing any setting. It retails for an MSRP of $549. There's also the EPIC Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One, which features a special high-tech PU leather also produced in Germany, and it breathable without perforation.

THUNDERX3 is one of the top 5 gaming chair brands by sales in the world, and at Computex 2024, the company has announced the launch of a new premium mech chair, and motorized steel desk at the Pro Gamersware (PGW) booth this year.

THUNDERX3 already has the CORE series chairs on the market, but now the company has announced its new FLEX Pro Mesh Chair, the latest premium chair model with breathability and self-adjusting customizability at the forefront of its mesh design. Here are some of the major features of THUNDERX3's new FLEX Pro Mesh Chair:

Not only that, but we've also got the new THUNDERX3 LAB-X Motor Desk, which is a new heavy-duty motorized steel desk with modular brackets for specializing different parts of your desk for different functions. Here's some of the major features of THUNDERX3's new LAB-X Motor Desk:

ASUS has officially announced the ROG Ally X, an updated, refined, and more powerful version of its Windows PC gaming handheld that debuted last year. The big hardware revisions boost performance outside of the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, which remains unchanged. And it begins with double the battery capacity to an impressive 80 Wh.

The ROG Ally X will ship with 24GB of LPDDR5X-7500 memory, which is not only larger in capacity but also faster. ASUS notes that as the Ryzen SoC with RDNA graphics shares the same pool of memory as the full system, the increased capacity and speed deliver better GPU performance when gaming.

Storage is also getting an upgrade, with 1TB of SSD available using the common M.2 2280 form factor found in gaming desktops. This offers an easy and more affordable upgrade path for gamers who need to install several Call of Duty-sized titles. The motherboard has been redesigned to accommodate the change in the storage form factor, a philosophy that applies to the entire handheld.