Gaming - Page 50

ADATA XPG has showcased its latest in power supply technology at CES 2026, with the company unveiling the soon-to-be-released Cybercore III.

The Cybercore III is an 80 PLUS PLATINUM certified PSU, which comes with GPU Power Guard, a new in-system alert that is triggered when 12V-2x6 connectors exceed their power ratings. The Cybercore III features an enlarged FDB fan, which is 26% larger than the previous generation. The fan measures at 135mm, and has been paired with 8x industrial level protections with a 10-year warranty.

Additionally, the Cybercore III is compatible with an Intel ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 with a 12V-2x6 (600W) connector. The Cybercore III is coming in two wattages, 1200W and 1000W. ADATA ran us through the Cybercore III at CES 2025, and when held in the hand you can immediately notice the robustness of the PSU, particularly how well constructed it is.

NVIDIA ACE, which is a toolset that leverages a range of AI-powered technologies to create digital humans, is something we've covered a few times here at TweakTown. After going hands-on with tech demos and short gaming experiences in the past, at CES 2026, NVIDIA announced that it has partnered with Creative Assembly to bring NVIDIA ACE to the Total War series.

Starting with Total War: Pharaoh, NVIDIA ACE is implemented in-game to add an AI advisor that players can engage with via natural language, running locally on a GeForce RTX graphics card. For those who have played a Total War game or two, you'll no doubt be aware that the game's blend of Civilization-style empire management and epic real-time battles makes it one of the more complex strategy games on the market.

As detailed by Creative Assembly, the AI advisor, represented in-game by an era-correct NPC, can be called on to answer questions related to the game as well as offer advice on strategy, explain why one of your settlements just revolted, and countless other situations. This implementation of an in-game AI assistant has been trained on all the ins and outs of Total War: Pharaoh.

NVIDIA's RTX Remix platform has been a game-changer for the PC modding community, giving developers and enthusiasts access to tools that let them upgrade classic PC games with modern path-traced visuals. Plus, access to RTX Technologies like DLSS Super Resolution, Frame Generation, Reflex, and neural rendering.

One of the highest-profile RTX Remix projects currently in development is Half-Life 2 RTX, which looks and feels like a modern path-traced remake of Valve's iconic shooter, with impressive path-traced lighting. With over 125 RTX Remix mods and a vibrant community creating tools and plug-ins, RTX Remix is getting upgraded in 2026 with the arrival of RTX Remix Logic.

With 2025 bringing path-traced volumetric (like smoke) and particle effects, RTX Remix Logic builds on this by giving modders the ability to "remix" a game's visuals based on game logic. For example, in Half-Life 2 RTX, opening the door to Ravenholm could then randomly pick a time of day and type of weather, totally transforming the game. Yes, Half-Life 2: Winter.

NVIDIA has outlined some of the advancements it has made in bringing local AI to as many users as possible, and according to the company one of the main issues with connecting PC users with local AI is the size of the AI models themselves.

NVIDIA explained during a press briefing for CES 2026 that significant improvements have been made in reducing the size of AI models, and maintaining an appropriate level of intelligence. According to NVIDIA, small AI models that were shrunk down from its larger Cloud-based counterparts were about two years behind in intelligence levels, but just in the last six months significant improvements have been made, doubling the intelligence of these small language models.

NVIDIA told the press these smaller models are getting close to matching their Cloud counterparts, and that generally the intelligence gap is closing between the two. NVIDIA added that it believes 2026 will be the "breakout year" for AI PCs, as other metric indicators such as the first months downloads for most of its PC models have jumped 10x in a year, with the top four tools also doubling in popularity during the same period.

At CES 2026, NVIDIA not only announced DLSS 4.5 for PC gaming but also made it available now in over 250 games and apps. This is all possible via the NVIDIA App, which offers a DLSS Override tool that lets users choose which model to use for Super Resolution upscaling.

NVIDIA's second-generation Transformer model for DLSS 4.5 features five times the computational power of the baseline DLSS 4 and takes full advantage of the more advanced Tensor Cores in GeForce RTX 40 and 50 Series GPUs. However, like with DLSS 4, users will be able to select the new Transformer Model, the older model, or DLSS 3.5's CNN model for upscaling.

And if you want to check out DLSS 4.5's improved image fidelity alongside reduced ghosting and shimmering, all you need to do is go to the NVIDIA App's Settings, opt in to access Beta or Experimental features, and DLSS 4.5 will be primed and ready to go.

Although we didn't get any new GeForce RTX GPU announcements from NVIDIA at CES 2026, not that we were expecting any based on the current memory crisis, but we did get the announcement and launch of DLSS 4.5.

Building on DLSS 4, which launched alongside the RTX Blackwell-powered GeForce RTX 50 Series in 2025, DLSS 4.5's second-generation Transformer model for Super Resolution features five times the computational power of the original DLSS 4's Transformer model. NVIDIA calls it its most sophisticated AI upscaling model so far, trained on a significantly expanded data set.

Now, as we and others have already covered, DLSS 4's Super Resolution model, which improves performance by upscaling from lower resolutions to 1080p, 1440p, or 4K, is (or was) the gold standard, offering impressive image clarity. So then, how good can DLSS 4.5 be?

NVIDIA talked about something really cool during CES 2026, with new gameplay being unlocked thanks to on-device AI.

The company talked about how on-device AI is helping unlock totally new gameplay, using Inzoi and PUBG as recent examples of using it for AI citizens in Inzoi, and AI teammates in PUBG. NVIDIA said it has worked with Total War developer Creative Assembly on reimagining Total War: PHARAOH Advisor with its NVIDIA ACE technology.

The Total War Advisor can help you get used to the gameplay mechanics, asking it questions along the way with a prompt, and the advisor will help you.

ASUS ROG announced its new collaboration at CES 2026 with Hideo Kojima-founded Kojima Productions, for a new lineup of KJP peripherals, including a new custom ROG Flow Z13-KJP gaming tablet.

The company says that at the heart of its new collaboration is "Ludens", the belief that humans aren't just thinkers, but players and creators. The new collaboration combines the spirit of the ROG motto with "For Those Who Dare with KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS" vision From Sapiens to Ludens.

ASUS says that Ludens are the ones who experiment, mod, create, and challenge what games - and gaming hardware - can be. By uniting cutting-edge ROG hardware with KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS visionary storytelling, this partnership is a tribute to that spirit: everything we build, every detail we design, is for gamers everywhere - For Ludens Who Dare.

Polish game dev and publisher Teyon is gearing up for a new project, and recent job listings give some clues on what it could be.

Teyon, the team mostly known for the favorably-reviewed RoboCop: Rogue City and Terminator Resistance video games, is currently working on a new unannounced game. No concrete info has been revealed so far, but two recent job listings give some clues, revealing that the project will be a "modern action RPG" for both PC and consoles.

Another big clue is that the game will have animals, including wild wolves and dogs. Terminator Resistance also had a stray dog, and dogs in general were important to the story. It's unclear what the game actually is--whether it's another Terminator sequel--however Teyon's typical fare of 80s machismo movie adaptations may lean towards something like Don Coscarelli's Beast Master.

Bethesda's Todd Howard is aware of the Fallout London total conversion mod, and is quite impressed that the FOLON team was able to finish and release the mod to the public.

Total conversion mods are typically few and far between, but Fallout London is among the most acclaimed. The ambitious DLC-sized mod adds a 25-hour campaign set entirely in London, complete with 200 quests, new factions, and an extended dialog system. Interestingly enough, one of the volunteers working on FOLON actually turned down a job at Bethesda to keep working on the mod.

Since mods are the lifeblood for Bethesda games, it's only natural for bigwigs like Todd Howard to take notice of big projects like Fallout London, and now he shares his thoughts on the mod and the overall positive fan reception around it (side note: FOLON has been downloaded over 1 million times).

Bethesda may not be using AI to generate things for its games, but studio head Todd Howard does see the technology as a tool of sorts...yet he is a strong believer that human-created art will always come first.

As the games industry starts to use AI in various ways to help create new projects, some executives are taking a people-first approach to the technology. When asked about how AI could help accelerate the multi-faceted world of games development, Bethesda's Todd Howard delivered a neutral take, saying that it's another potential tool, but it will always require a human operator in order to really make use of it.

In a recent interview with IGN, Howard essentially says that Bethesda Game Studios is continually iterating on and building its game engine tech--especially the newest version of the Creation Engine that will power The Elder Scrolls 6. Innovation won't come at the cost of creativity, though, and Howard says that the studio "wants to protect human artistry."

Former ZeniMax Online Studios head Matt Firor breaks his silence following his departure from the company, outlining the reason why he left the division that he helped create.

Back in July 2025, Microsoft made devastating cuts to its workforce, culminating in multiple Xbox projects being cancelled. One of these was Project Blackbird, a new MMORPG set in a fresh IP that had been in development at ZeniMax Online since 2018.

Shortly after Blackbird's cancellation, ZeniMax Online Studios founder Matt Firor resigned. Now as the new year turns, Firor shares his thoughts on Blackbird's cancellation, saying it was indeed why he departed. Blackbird was a dream project for Firor, and we had been reporting on the mysterious project for many years.

Limited Run Games, the company that releases physical collections of digital games, is changing management as its founder chases new opportunities in the gaming world.

Love them or hate them, Limited Run Games (LRG) is one of the last bastions for physical media on the planet. Now, that ship is changing captains. Today, current LRG boss Josh Fairhurst announced he will be departing the group in a few months so that he can "help bring dream games to life," indicating that Fairhurst won't just be helping distribute games, but also make them.

The news also comes at a time when The Embracer Group continues to morph, spinning and selling off parts of itself to recoup investor cash. The Embracer Group bought Limited Run Games in 2022, and since then, the physical distributors have released a multitude of products. The current financial situation of LRG remains unclear.

It's an end of an era at Bandai Namco as Tekken series veteran Katsuhiro Harada officially says goodbye to the franchise, however the publisher still promises new content for Tekken 8 and beyond.

It's official: After three decades of delivering iconic fighting games, legendary creator Katsuhiro Harada is done with the Tekken franchise. Under Harada's leadership, the series has amassed over 61 million sales across a multitude of platforms and releases. Harada shared a somber message on Twitter, saying: "I'm no longer a developer / creator of the TEKKEN series. Harada_TEKKEN is completely dead."

The show must go on, however; Tekken is just too big of a series to lay dormant at Bandai Namco, especially now that Tekken 8 has been turned into a kind of live service hybrid with its in-game storefront. For its part, the Tekken social team shared a bit of optimism, saying that fans can expect "more fights and more updates" throughout 2026.

New video game projects set in the Saw and/or John Wick franchises could be in development at Lionsgate, and it's possible that the games are of the higher AAA caliber and not smaller-scale indie titles.

Lionsgate may have licensed out big franchises like John Wick, Saw, and others for new video games. During a recent Q2'26 earnings call, Lionsgate movie division boss Adam Fogelson mentions that there is 'increased interest and opportunity' to make new AAA games based on hit Lionsgate IP.

Fogelson directly mentions John Wick and Saw, possibly indicating that both of these will receive some sort of game adaptation in the future. John Wick has appeared in games like Fortnite, and technically already has two games with the tactical strategy game John Wick Hex as well as a VR game, but no dedicated AAA shooter exists for this franchise. As for Saw, rumor has it that there was a horror game called Project Gideon that had been in development at some point, and Gideon was said to be a singleplayer survival experience with a brand new story.

Yoshi-P may have once again teased that Final Fantasy 14 is coming to the Nintendo Switch, likely the Switch 2 due to the significant power boost that the newer system offers.

Square Enix wants to bring FF14 to as many platforms that can support it--especially mobile. Back in August 2024, we reported that the publisher eventually wanted to offer the paid subscription MMORPG to all gaming platforms. At the time, game director Yoshi-P said that "the concept that we have for Final Fantasy XIV is to release our game on as many devices as possible."

Now that the Nintendo Switch 2 is out and filling out its installed base with multi-million sales, Square Enix could start mobilizing a Switch version of Final Fantasy 14 at some point. During a New Year's Q&A chat, which Yoshi-P holds on an annual basis, the director seems to have reiterated his previous point about a Switch port. When asked about Final Fantasy 14 on Nintendo platforms, the creator said: "Please wait while looking forward to it."

Brandon Sanderson wants to make a video game based on his Mistborn fantasy series, and is reaching out to developers to try to make it happen.

Ever since George R.R. Martin worked with FromSoftware to make Elden Ring's lore, we always wondered why Brandon Sanderson hasn't done the same. It turns out that Sanderson actually consulted on a game called Moonbreaker, a strategy game with miniatures. But what about a big AAA game? Maybe, say, an RPG based on one of Sanderson's franchises?

In a recent blog post, Sanderson says that he's getting the attention of figures in the video games industry, but exact specifics remain unknown. Sanderson hasn't secured a contract deal for a product, and a game has yet to be greenlit.

Kojima Productions will have a busy 2026, and it could be the year that the experimental new horror game OD releases.

Although he just launched Death Stranding 2 this year--a game he refers to as his masterpiece--Hideo Kojima is gearing up for a packed 2026. In a recent Twitter post, Kojima outlines what's next, touching upon multimedia plans as well as two new games.

We've been following Kojima's work closely so none of these projects are a surprise. His studio is currently working on two projects (that we know of), including a new mysterious horror game for Xbox Game Studios called OD, which might be a Tales From the Crypt-like anthology series where different horror directors come together to make their own chapters. Then there's PHYSINT, a new tactical stealth espionage game that aims at capturing that same Metal Gear Solid magic that Kojima spun for Konami. PHYSINT is in production with Sony Interactive Entertainment, showing just how diverse Kojima's business has become--he's playing the field with two projects being funded by competing companies.

Sony has filed a patent for AI 'ghosts'that can be trained to learn how to beat levels and complete missions, all based on recorded player footage.

Sony has outlined a potential use case for systems-level artificial intelligence, perhaps on the next-gen PlayStation 6. We already know that Sony is working closely with AMD to make major advancements in the field of chip-level AI features, including the advanced PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution upscaling technology. However, these patents could give us an idea of what to expect from something like the PS6 on an end-user basis.

The AI ghost patent doesn't just outline one scenario, but a variety of them, all with the same basis: What if players could summon on-screen 'ghost' to help them when they get stuck in a game? Sony's patent explains how this would work, with the patent depending on an 'AI assistance engine' that would be 'trained' based on player footage. Microsoft is doing something similar to train its MUSE AI generator tech.

Technically speaking, Bethesda is working on more Fallout-related projects than any other franchise...yet the bulk of the core internal team is crafting Elder Scrolls 6.

Fallout season 2 just premiered, and Bethesda is wrapping up its press junket tour for the new series. Studio executive producer Todd Howard has shared a number of tidbits with the press, teasing new Fallout games and projects along the way while also making quick remarks on the state of Elder Scrolls 6. The latest interview with GameInformer drops a few more clues on what's next for the studio.

In the interview, Howard says that Fallout is the series that the studio is currently doing most of its work on. This makes sense, considering Fallout has a TV show with two seasons (and a third on the way), whereas Elder Scrolls doesn't have this kind of adaptation. On a game level, though, reports indicate that Bethesda is also working on a Fallout 3 remaster, possibly to coincide with the game's 20th anniversary in 2027.