Gaming - Page 439

The new Nintendo Switch OLED dock is capable of native 4K video output, but the console is powerful enough for 4K gaming just yet.

The new Nintendo Switch OLED dock comes with a special chip that enables native 4K 60Hz video signal output. The Realtek RTD2172N was found on the dock's circuit board, and it's a USB-C to HDMI 2.0 IC adapter capable of 4K 60Hz video signal output. The console's signature "switch" feature is enabled by such an adapter, which converts DisplayPort 1.4 video output from the USB-C port at the bottom of the Switch into HDMI video output that is displayed on a TV.

It is worth mentioning that this Realtek adapter has nothing to do with the new STM32F070 RBT6 chip recently discovered on the Switch OLED dock's board, which features a built-in ARM Cortex-0 CPU. The Realtek chip is what enables 4K output but there is no evidence of a built-in upscaling solution (that will be handled by the display and any other tech within the actual Switch itself).

Nintendo's new Switch OLED dock has an embedded ARM microprocessor but it does not enable 4K upscaling.

As we predicted, the Switch OLED's dock features extra chips that aren't in the base 2017 and 2019 remissions. According to recent teardowns, the dock's board utilizes an STM32F070 RBT6 chip, a microcontroller with up to 128kb of flash storage, 16kb of SRAM, and a 32-bit CPU that operates at 48MHz. In fact, the IC uses an ARM Cortex-M0 CPU, a low-cost and power-efficient chip that's used for more simple data processing and I/O control tasks. It's not used for video output or 4K upscaling--that kind of technology is handled by the more advanced Cortex A-series, which helps power higher-end devices like the upscalers in premium 4K UHDTV sets.

Our research shows the Cortex-M0 CPU is likely utilized for the dock's new ethernet connectivity as well as low-powered state functions--e.g. being able to download games via ethernet while the Switch is docked and turned off. It is used for ultra-low power applications and simple I/O control tasks, and features the smallest instruction set of all M-series cores with 56 instructions.

Activision just released a new story campaign trailer for Call of Duty Vanguard that shows amazing-looking visuals.

Call of Duty Vanguard's latest video shows just how far Sledgehammer's games engine has come. The game highlights a number of immaculate-looking cinematic sequences, complete with high-def textures, realistic reflections, shadows, and lighting, and even fine details like small facial hairs. The footage also has in-engine gameplay interspersed with the storyline captures, presenting a grim and brutal experience set across multiple theaters of war.

The trailer reinforces Vanguard's alternate-history storyline. The game is based around a parallel dimension World War II where Germany didn't surrender after Hitler's death; instead, German forces are rallying behind Hitler's successor who is establishing the Fourth Reich. Gamers play as the vanguard, a dream-team of Allied special forces who travel across the Eastern, Western, and Pacific Fronts as well as North Africa in a bid to stop the Axis powers from conquering the world.

According to YouTube ratios, fans are much more excited about the new PS2-era GTA trilogy remaster collection than they are for GTA V E&E.

The new Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition (what a name) is absolutely annihilating Grand Theft Auto Expanded & Enhanced in terms of ratings and fan sentiment. The GTA trilogy announcement trailer on YouTube currently has 225K likes out of 230.6K total ratings, making for a 97.6% like ratio. 12.8% of viewers liked the video.

GTA V's E&E PS5 trailer is another story. The footage triggered controversy within the GTA community with lots of criticism being levied at Rockstar for things like GTA V E&E graphics, accusations of cash grabs, and lack of transparency on new included features. At the time of writing the GTA V E&E trailer has 253K dislikes out of 285K total ratings, which is an 88.8% dislike ratio. 9.4% of the trailer's total 2.6 million viewers disliked the trailer.

The new Grand Theft Auto PS2-era trilogy remaster collection should have a physical release in stores this Christmas, sources tell PPE.

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition's boxed retail version will release December 7, 2021 across PS4, PS5, Xbox One/Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch, retail sources have told game site PPE. This is nearly a month after the game's expected November 11 digital release on all platforms, as per Tom Henderson.

Rockstar Games has yet to announce full release details nor has it talked about pricing yet. One retailer has the trilogy collection listed for $69.99 on next-gen consoles like PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, whereas the PS4, Xbox One, and Switch versions are priced at typical $59.99 MSRP. Fans aren't happy about this potential price hike and have spoken up on social media.

UPDATE: Blizzard customer service acknowledges the server issues and had this to say:

Diablo 2 Resurrected's US servers are having issues once again, marking the second day in a row where players have faced connection issues.

Blizzard is once again facing issues with D2Rs servers. While the developer has yet to announce the news on its customer support Twitter, gamers are having trouble connecting to servers and playing with their online characters. The official Battle.net client also warns users:

Bloober Team plans to release two big AAA projects in the next 3-4 years, the company has announced.

Tencent just acquired 22% of Bloober Team, and nestled in the press release announcement is confirmation of the Polish studio's future plans. The developer says it plans to release two major games by 2025, which are presumably the games being published by Konami and Take-Two Interactive's Private Division. The Konami game is believed to be Silent Hill, and the other should be a new Layers of Fear game built with Unreal Engine 5.

"We enjoy the incredible trust and support of both players and business partners, which allows us to become one of the leaders in horror in the world. Over the next 3-4 years, our goal is to work and deliver two exciting titles that will lead us to the level of AAA production,"Bloober Team president Piotr Babieno said in the release.

Squid Game. Everyone's talking about it, and if you've seen it, you know. If you haven't...well, you might be able to play a battle royale based on the series sometime soon.

According to Tom Henderson, a games industry figure with knowledge of goings-on in the shooter space, a video game adaptation of Squid Game could be in the works. It's unknown which companies are involved, however it's highly likely that Netflix has secured the rights for future adaptations.

Netflix is starting to toe-dip into video games and this kind of huge project could propel their games business into the lucrative battle royale space that's dominated by billion-dollar hits like Fortnite, PUBG, Warzone, and Apex Legends. Squid Game has become one of Netflix's most-watched series of all time and it's possible a second season could be produced.

Today is the last day to buy the classic GTA Trilogy on Steam and the PlayStation Store before the new remastered collection releases.

Starting tomorrow, October 11, Rockstar Games is delisting the original Steam ports of Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City, and San Andreas, and the GTA trilogy on the PS Store. The developer confirmed the news in a recent support page post:

The new Grand Theft Auto trilogy remaster could be a full-priced $69.99 next-gen game on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Grand Theft Auto Trilogy: The Definitive Edition has been listed for standard MSRP on Base.com's website, hinting Rockstar and Take-Two could be selling the anticipated remasters as a full-priced bundle. The retailer lists the collection for the following prices:

Rockstar has yet to announce pricing for the game, however sources say the collection should release next month so we should get an updated soon.

Valve warns gamers not to use any M.2 2230 SSD to upgrade their Steam Deck storage--in fact they don't even want you opening up the system yourself.

The Steam Deck is basically a PC, and like a PC, users can swap out parts. It's not just a PC, though: it's also a handheld with a very delicate assembly and incredibly tight fits. Valve says that all of the Steam Deck's components have been chosen to specifically fit and work well with every other part, and this goes double for tech like the custom SSD assembly (well, it's a custom heat sink design).

Valve tells gamers that the Steam Deck doesn't necessarily play nicely with other consumer-grade parts. The SSD isn't soldered and can be swapped out, but Valve says replacing the built-in M.2 drive with an off-the-shelf product could cause issues in four separate ways.

Valve really doesn't want you to open your Steam Deck...but it shows you how to anyway.

Valve is warning gamers not to crack open their Steam Deck handheld PC-hybrids to replace parts, and even says doing so could start a disastrous fire. The reality is the Steam Deck is an extremely compact system with dangerous materials like a lithium-ion battery...but this really isn't different than, say, a Nintendo Switch. The main difference is just how much stuff is packed together in the Steam deck versus the Switch--Nintendo's handheld has a lot more room for components. The Steam Deck is pretty jam-packed together. Valve also also says it's very possible you could simply break the Steam Deck if you're not careful, which is a very real possibility.

EA DICE has just announced that the standard digital edition of Battlefield 2042 on the next-gen Microsoft Xbox Series X/S and Sony PlayStation 5 consoles will include the Cross-Gen Bundle.

What does the Cross_Gen bundle in Battlefield 2042 let you do? You will be able to carry progression over from your PlayStation 4 for example, over to the next-gen PlayStation 5, if you were to upgrade your console around, or near the time Battlefield 2042 launches.

EA DICE explains: "We want as many Battlefield fans as possible to start the journey with us on day one, and we want to give those players the peace of mind that their progress carries over if they get a new system this holiday season, or beyond. Battlefield 2042 supports full cross progression, and alongside our Digital editions of Gold, and Ultimate, the Digital Standard Edition on PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S is also now able to access the Cross-Gen Bundle".

Nintendo pulls a 180 and now says its premium new $350 Switch OLED uses improved JoyCon controllers.

The Switch OLED model was believed to use exactly the same internal specs and peripherals as the 2017, 2019, and Switch Lite models. Now Nintendo clarifies that this isn't exactly true: The Switch OLED actually has better JoyCons than an older 2017 launch Switch.

The news comes from a Q&A with Nintendo executives who say (in vague terms) that improvements have been made to the JoyCons, and newer Switch systems actually come packed with these new analog sticks. JoyCon drift is a big problem with all varieties of the Switch however it seems this has been addressed to some degree by Nintendo engineers.

Halo Infinite's forge mode is extremely technical and gives players more control over custom games and parameters than ever before.

Based on new leaked info it's easy to see why Halo Infinite's forge mode was delayed. The reality is the new forge is almost like a mini games engine complete with its own scripts and nodes. It's more like Battlefield 2042's Portal mode--or maybe something like a basic Unreal Engine or even Bethesda's Creation Kit modding tools--than the forge modes in previous Halo games.

Halo Infinite's forge will let users control everything in the game, including weapon, vehicle, and character respawns, placements, events, bots--you name it. There's even options to tweak biomes, build customized structures with Infinite's assets. Conditions can be set--e.g. x event happens when you enter a specific vehicle or cross a doorway threshold--and also options for highly technical editing via vectors and math-based trigonometry.

Infinity Ward has opened a new studio branch in Austin, Texas to help development of its next AAA Call of Duty game, the company has announced.

Call of Duty 2022's development is underway, and while Activision will enlist most of its studios to help the game's development, the project is being led by Infinity Ward. Rumor has it the next game will be titled Modern Warfare II and be a sequel to 2019's reboot of the Modern Warfare franchise. While Infinity Ward hasn't confirmed any details yet they are ramping up for something big and have opened a new studio branch in Texas to help with the game.

The Austin, Texas branch will join existing teams based in California, Poland, and Mexico. The studio is currently on a massive hiring spree and has 111 jobs available across its offices, however there's no listings available for the newly-opened Texas studio.

Call of Duty 2022 will be named Modern Warfare II, games industry leaker Tom Henderson has said on Twitter.

Infinity Ward is currently developing a sequel to 2019's reimagined Call of Duty Modern Warfare, sources with knowledge of the studio's plans have told Tom Henderson, a trusted leaker in the Call of Duty and Battlefield space. The news aligns with Activision's current iterative structure which emphasizes Call of Duty above all other franchises.

While no official details have been confirmed, we do know that Call of Duty 2022 will utilize cutting-edge AI technology to bring "new AI characters and behaviors to life," possibly via machine learning (which both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles support).

Most of Destiny 2's Forsaken expansion will soon be rotated into the Destiny Content Vault, Bungie has announced.

Destiny 2's content is about to change. Unlike MMOs that continually add new content while preserving existing expansions and experiences, Bungie is archiving bits and pieces of Destiny 2 into a digital storage vault to help maintain the game. The content isn't deleted but it's put in cold storage to be thawed out later and re-introduced into the game. Starting February 2022, most of Forsaken expansion content will be archived into this vault and will not be playable.

Next year Forsaken's entire campaign will be rotated out alongside the Tangled Shore. Year 4 seasonal content like the Presage and Harbinger exotic quests are also leaving. Gamers will still be able to access the Dreaming City and the Proving Grounds strike and Battlegrounds content will also be playable.

UPDATE: D2R servers are back up in the Americas, but there was a server rollback of up to 40 minutes. Gamers are reporting the loss of items, level ups, and overall progress.

It's not just you: No one can connect to Diablo 2 Resurrectect's servers right now.

D2R gamers got a shock when trying to log into their accounts via Battle.net today. It appeared as if their characters had been wiped from the servers, but the reality is that Blizzard has taken Diablo 2 Resurrected's servers down for emergency maintenance. The servers have been down for more than an hour from the time of publication, and Blizzard hasn't clarified exactly what has happened.

LEGO has just unveiled its new 9090-piece scale model of the Titanic, which measures in at over 53 inches long and will cost $630.

The new LEGO Titanic includes 9090 pieces and is split into three sections: the interior, which includes the first-class grand staircase (that scene at the end of the movie Titanic, makes me cry). Not only that, but you get 6 decks, the Jacobean-style dining saloon, and the engine room.

Mike Psiaki, design master at the LEGO Group, explained: "At the time of its launch the Titanic was the pinnacle of nautical engineering, the largest moving vehicle ever created. It has been an incredible journey to recreate this iconic vessel from LEGO bricks, using blueprints created over a century ago".