Avalue Technology Inc. (TPEx: 3479.TWO), a provider specializing in industrial computer solutions, announces the launch of its next-generation value Technology Inc. (TPEx: 3479.TWO), a provider specializing in industrial computer solutions, announces the launch of its next-generation ECM-PTL 3.5" Micro Module, powered by the latest Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors. Purpose-built for AI-driven edge computing and industrial automation, ECM-PTL brings AI PC architecture to the edge, delivering powerful AI acceleration, enhanced energy efficiency, and advanced heterogeneous computing capabilities.

Extending AI PC Architecture to the Edge
Designed in line with the evolution of AI PCs, ECM-PTL integrates CPU, GPU, and a dedicated NPU to enable efficient workload distribution. The built-in NPU is optimized for sustained AI workloads, allowing real-time AI inference while reducing CPU and GPU utilization. This architecture makes ECM-PTL ideal for edge scenarios requiring continuous AI processing, including machine vision, smart surveillance, and intelligent automation, where performance, efficiency, and responsiveness are critical.

Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd., a leading manufacturer of premium gaming hardware, is proud to announce the availability of its all-new AORUS INFINITY series graphics card, the AORUS GeForce RTX 5090 INFINITY 32G. This product has been honored with the 2026 Red Dot Design Award in Product Design, one of the most prestigious international distinctions for design excellence. This recognition underscores the product's exceptional integration of performance and design, reflecting a significant advancement in both technological innovation and user experience. The AORUS INFINITY series marks a major step forward for AORUS in the high-end gaming segment, setting a new benchmark for next-generation flagship graphics cards.

The AORUS INFINITY series is engineered for gamers and power users, delivering a premium solution that seamlessly combines cutting-edge thermal innovation with top-tier computing performance. It introduces the revolutionary WINDFORCE Hyperburst cooling system, featuring a breakthrough Double Flow Through design that creates an unobstructed airflow path and significantly boosts thermal efficiency. Building on this, a hidden Overdrive fan at the center of the card operates on a dedicated fan curve and automatically activates during peak GPU loads, providing extra cool air to ensure optimal performance under extreme conditions.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced two new additions to its monitor lineup: the ROG Strix OLED XG34WCDMS and the ROG Strix XG129C. With gamers increasingly demanding both breathtaking visuals and streamlined multitasking capabilities, ROG is offering a two-pronged solution to elevate the modern gaming station. The Strix OLED XG34WCDMS is a 34-inch RGB Tandem QD-OLED with 280 Hz refresh rate and brings flagship-tier panel technologies to a broader audience of enthusiast gamers. This latest trend-setting model is a sibling to the premium 360 Hz ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDN announced at CES 2026—expanding the range across performance tiers, form factors, and use cases. In addition, the all-new Strix XG129C serves as the ultimate secondary display and desktop command center, combining an ideal 24:9 aspect ratio, intuitive 10-point touch controls, and AIDA64 Extreme support to act as an indispensable sidekick for streaming, system monitoring, and everyday productivity.

ROG Strix OLED XG34WCDMS
This new monitor features 34-inch WQHD (3440 x 1440) 1800R curved RGB Tandem QD-OLED panel with 280 Hz refresh rate and 0.03 ms gray-to-gray (GTG) response time. It retains the coveted RGB Stripe Pixel arrangement that guarantees clear, supersharp text and highly accurate color reproduction. Plus, integrated BlackShield Film increases the panel's hardness for 2.5X better scratch resistance and boosts perceived black levels by up to 40% versus previous-generation QD-OLED monitors.

When NVIDIA announced its Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) 5 technology, which the company describes as the first real-time neural rendering technology to bring photorealism to game textures, the response from gamers was not entirely positive. Many were unhappy with the results, and the backlash grew online. That's why we asked the TechPowerUp readers in a poll to share their opinions on the technology and found a consistent theme in the results. After collecting nearly 20,000 votes, a majority of 58% of gamers expressed that AI should not alter games at all. They prefer to keep their favorite titles original and intact, as envisioned by the original game studio, without any changes to lighting or photorealism. They want no alterations, meaning AI should not change character faces, apply realistic material rendering, or add any other modifications.

Interestingly, the second-largest group is still undecided, waiting to see real-world results in their favorite AAA titles. When DLSS 5 is implemented in major releases, about 28% of gamers who have seen NVIDIA's DLSS 5 demos believe that the final release will shape their opinion, whether positive or negative. This indicates that the technology has not yet fully resonated with the gaming community, who require further convincing. A smaller segment, 8.1% of those polled, believes that DLSS 5-enabled titles actually look better than native rendering, showing some optimism that the technology can improve visuals. Finally, about 6.4% of respondents are willing to accept visual changes if they lead to a significant FPS boost. As with DLSS and other upscaling methods, gamers now expect to see a substantial performance increase from neural rendering, and the situation appears similar with DLSS 5.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced its upcoming ROG Press Event and Party at Computex 2026, marking its 20th anniversary and ushering in a new era of gaming innovation. Taking place on June 1 from 5.00-10.00 p.m. (GMT+8) at Syntrend Creative Park in Taipei, the event will bring together media, fans, and the gaming community for an evening inspired by the Dare to Innovate ethos, returning the celebration to a location closely tied to ROG's early journey. Located in the vibrant Guanghua commercial district, Syntrend Creative Park has long been a key hub for Taiwan's PC-building community and tech enthusiasts. It is even possible that the first ROG motherboard was sold in this neighborhood two decades ago, making it a meaningful venue for the ROG 20th Anniversary Press Event and Party. This enduring connection is why ROG has chosen this iconic location, bringing the celebration back to its roots where the journey of the Republic of Gamers first began.

The press event will open with remarks from ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih and be hosted by legendary gaming actor Ned Luke. It will spotlight ROG's legacy, its evolution alongside the gaming community, and its vision for the future, while recognizing the partners, enthusiasts, and gamers who have shaped ROG over the past twenty years - underscoring its continued commitment to pushing boundaries. ROG has evolved from pioneering motherboards into a complete gaming ecosystem, driven by the enduring For Those Who Dare spirit. As it reaches this milestone, ROG will continue to push boundaries with anniversary innovations and special-edition products that celebrate its legacy while signaling the future of gaming.

It's no secret that Apple's $599 MacBook Neo has been a hit for general productivity workflows and as a Chromebook replacement, but in a recent financial results report, Tim Cook touched on just how unexpectedly high the Neo's demand was. The outgoing CEO on April 30 confirmed that Apple was supply-constrained on the MacBook Neo, explaining that "we under-called the level of enthusiasm that would be with it." In a recent report, industry analyst, Tim Culpan claimed that insider sources report that Apple has ordered a fresh production run on the A18 Pro SoC that powers the MacBook Neo from TSMC.

Crucially, getting TSMC to spin up a new production run of the A18 Pro may affect the pricing of the Neo, since its initial production run used rejected A18 Pro SoCs—with a defective GPU core—from the original iPhone 16 Pro smartphones, and a new run of SoCs would mean that Apple would be subject to the same memory supply constraints as the rest of the industry instead of using up old inventory that had already been paid for at a lower price. This news also comes after wild rumors of a potentially incoming MacBook Neo with an A19 Pro from the newer iPhone 17 Pro, replete with a potential 12 GB RAM upgrade. The fresh SoCs from TSMC, however, would allow Apple to reach its new 10 million unit production goal without changing anything about the hardware itself.

Right on schedule, as teased by Capcom in late April, the promised Resident Evil Requiem combat minigame DLC has officially arrived on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox series X|S. Leon Must Die Forever—whose name must be a reference to the flood of endless, bullet hell roguelites, like Death Must Die, that have recently popped up on Steam—features fast-paced combat, as players step into Leon's shoes once again to take on hordes of undead to clear stages and take on the final boss. The minigame takes on a distinctly roguelite structure, with both permadeath and player upgrades in the form of enhancer abilities that are unlocked as you progress.

As alluded to previously, the minigame will unlock once players complete the main story quest, and it will rely on a high degree of replayability. Players will be able to select from a number of difficulty modes, and players will have a time limit to clear the levels and make it through the boss encounter. The update and the accompanying minigame are both free, and the update also adds fixes to gameplay bugs and implements Adaptive Triggers, vibration feedback, and motion sensing for the DualSense Wireless controller on Steam.

Corsair Gaming, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRSR) ("Corsair" or the "Company"), a leading global provider and innovator of high-performance products for gamers, streamers, content-creators, gaming PC builders, and sim racing enthusiasts, today announced financial results for the first quarter 2026, and guidance for the second quarter 2026.

First Quarter 2026 Select Financial Highlights (compared to first quarter 2025 unless otherwise stated)

• Gross profit increased 13% YoY to $116.0 million, with growth driven by both segments, despite tariff-related headwinds in Gamer and Creator Peripherals.
• Gross margin expanded 500 basis points YoY to 32.7%, reflecting continued shift toward higher-margin products and disciplined cost management.
• Net income increased $23.4 million YoY.
• Adjusted EBITDA increased 58% YoY to $35.8 million, above the high end of guidance, representing our second consecutive quarter of double-digit adjusted EBITDA margin.
• GAAP diluted earnings per share increased 210% YoY to $0.11, while non-GAAP diluted earnings per share increased 145% YoY to $0.27.
• Revenue of $354.5 million, above the midpoint of our guided range, reflecting strong growth in Gamer and Creator Peripherals, partially offset by softer demand in Gaming Components and Systems driven by ongoing semiconductor supply constraints and elevated pricing.
• Cash and restricted cash increased sequentially by $20.9 million to $119.7 million, providing flexibility for continued investment and capital returns.
• Approximately $5 million repurchased under our $50 million share repurchase program.

When Valve launched the Steam Controller, the new gaming peripheral expectedly sold out within the first day of sales. Valve then promised stock was coming soon, stating that the demand for the controller was unexpected. Now, the gaming giant has confirmed that changes are coming to the Steam Controller ordering process in order to mitigate the high demand and limited supply. Starting on May 8 at 10:00 Pacific time (17:00 UTC), Valve will allow users to place a reservation for the Steam Controller on the usual store page, which will allow prospective buyers to reserve a spot in the queue. When the controller is back in stock, Valve will automatically place orders for reservation holders in the order they placed their reservations, and buyers will have 72 hours from the time they receive that order email to finalize their purchase through Steam.

Notably, Valve is restricting reservations to one controller per account, and those who have already purchased a Steam Controller will not be able to place reservations until further notice. It's also worth pointing out that Valve has added additional account conditions in order to prevent scalping. Steam accounts seeking to place a reservation will need to be in good standing and have made a purchase before April 27, 2026. Valve also confirmed that the US, Canada, the UK, EU, and Australia will be getting Steam Controller restocks next week—meaning May 11.

Keychron has been busy updating its mechanical keyboard line-up over the last few months switching to hyperefficient firmware and its updated Silk POM mechanical switches. Now, the Keychron Q11 gets the same treatment, with the Q11 Ultra being a much bigger improvement over the original Q11 than the other keyboards Keychron has recently updated. The reason for this is that Keychron's only split keyboard was the Q11, with no Max or Pro variants to add wireless connectivity into the mix. This time, though Keychron has gone one step further with the Q11 Ultra, not only eliminating the USB-C cable to the PC, but also making the two halves of the split keyboard communicate wirelessly as well. Keychron claims that the dual batteries in the Q11 Ultra are capable of delivering 300 hours on a single charge, and the keyboard connects via Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, or via the USB-C cable on the left half. With 2.4 GHz and the wired connection, the polling rate can go as high as 8 kHz, even though that's hardly necessary for a mechanical switch. The Q11 Ultra is available for $239.99 from Keychron's online store.

The Q11 Ultra is a 75% split keyboard, meaning the keyboard splits in half for ergonomic purposes, although it still maintains the row staggered layout, so it should feel familiar for most users coming from a regular mechanical gaming keyboard. Despite the 75% layout, the Q11 Ultra has an additional five-key macro column on the left edge of the left side of the keyboard, and there are two programmable knobs—one on each half of the keyboard. The keyboard cases are constructed from CNC aluminium with an integrated top plate, and the keyboard uses double-shot PBT keycaps in Keychron's KSA profile. The Q11 Ultra is only available in black with blue accent keycaps, and it seems to miss out on the decorative bottom panel found on the likes of the Keychron Q1 Ultra. It comes with a choice of Keychron Silk POM Red (linear), Brown (tactile), and Banana (sharp tactile) switches, but the PCB is hot-swap compatible, so you can bring your own switches and keycaps if you don't like the stock experience. The Q11 Ultra has south-facing per-key RGB backlighting, which, along with the layout, is fully programmable in Keychron Launcher.

NuPhy's Berry profile is a low-profile keycap profile that mimics the popular Cherry profile that has become popular with mechanical keyboard enthusiasts and gamers alike, and NuPhy has just announced a new keycap set in its Berry keycap line-up. The new Berry profile Alchemical Manual keycap set is the seventh official Berry profile to launch out of NuPhy (the others being Beat Boy, Godzilla, Trackday, Obivion, BoW/WoB, and Peach Blossom), and it's by far the set with the most unorthodox design. The Alchemical Manuscripts Berry profile keycap set is available on the NuPhy online store for $59.95 for the whole 124-key set, which is compatible with keyboards anywhere from 60% to 100%. The set doesn't include an ISO enter key, however, so those outside the US may want to double-check compatibility.

The keycaps themselves are made from PBT with dye-sublimated legends, meaning that the legend and keycap texture should last a good long while, and the aesthetics of the set are based on a handwritten font style, "inspired by classical alchemy, occult symbols, and ancient manuscript diagrams," with an off-white color for the majority of the keycaps and earthy green, red, blue, orange, and brown accent and modifier keycaps. The set also includes a handful of alternative colors for certain keycaps as well as keycaps with rounded bottom corners for keyboards like the Node series. The keycaps are low-profile with an MX stem, so they will be compatible with both Gateron and Kailh Choc V2 low-profile switch standards, as long as the key spacing follows the MX standard and not Choc spacing.

PC motherboard sales are on track for some of the biggest corrections in recent times as manufacturers struggle with weak demand, according to a DigiTimes report. What began as AI data center expansion quickly started affecting consumer PC DIY endeavors, as severe silicon shortages across the industry drove DRAM and CPU demand so high that prices have increased significantly for DDR4 and DDR5 memory kits, while regular CPUs have also seen a large price increase. In response, PC motherboard makers are caught in the middle of this shortage, seeing their motherboard unit sales revised down significantly. The report notes that all Taiwanese motherboard makers have significantly lowered their 2026 shipment targets, with some experiencing more than a 25% decrease in projected unit sales.

Interestingly, it's not only CPU and memory shortages driving this lowered demand; there are indications that consumers have slowed down their NVIDIA GPU upgrade cycles, which is impacting new motherboard sales. Particularly with the "Blackwell" GPU generation, consumers began purchasing PCIe 5.0 motherboards to achieve the greatest performance increase. However, as these GPUs became rarer and more expensive due to the global DRAM shortage, consumers have become reluctant to upgrade. ASUS is projected to sell about 10 million motherboards in 2026, while MSI and GIGABYTE are now projecting sales of less than 10 million units each. This represents about a 25% yearly decrease from 2025 sales. The worst position is estimated for ASRock, which is expected to see a 30% decrease according to the report.

Synology today announced the launch of the RS6426xs+, RS4826xs+, and RS3626xs. These next-generation models deliver the performance and reliability required for enterprise backup, data management, and virtualization storage at scale.

"As IT environments continue to grow more complex, organizations' needs for reliable and versatile infrastructure that can be purposed dynamically continue to grow." said Peggy Weng, Product Manager at Synology. "These systems are designed to help businesses facilitate team collaboration and multi-site synchronization, protect production environment, or deploy virtualization storage for high performance workloads."

According to Windows Central, Microsoft is working on a new feature for Windows 11 called "Low Latency Profile," as part of the Windows K2 effort. This feature aims to make app launches noticeably faster by pushing the CPU core to its maximum boost frequency in very short bursts. Reportedly, this feature boosts the CPU to its maximum frequency for 1-3 seconds, resulting in noticeably smoother app launches during testing. When launching Microsoft applications like Edge and Outlook, known as "in-box" apps, the result is about a 40% faster application launch. Other applications, such as the Start Menu and context menus across the operating system, may be up to 70% faster. Overall, the Windows 11 operating system is expected to receive a significant performance boost, though at the cost of the CPU reaching its maximum frequency.

Currently, this feature within the Windows K2 effort is automatic, with no clear indication if it can be turned on or off. Running a CPU at its maximum frequency is somewhat unusual, as the purpose of an operating system is to minimize strain on the PC, leaving headroom for heavier applications to load. However, since the boost is only applied in short bursts of up to three seconds, it is expected that the performance benefits and overall smoothness will outweigh potential issues. These issues include elevated CPU frequency during lighter tasks and general OS usage, which could result in slightly higher temperatures overall. For laptop users, this might lead to faster battery drain, but it is likely that the Windows K2 effort will account for this, with minimal impact.

ASUS, global technology leader that provides the world's most innovative and intuitive devices, today announced their ASUS ExpertBook Ultra (B9406CAA), the new flagship and pinnacle of the ExpertBook portfolio, is now available for purchase on the ASUS Store. Engineered to define the future of mobile computing in the era of AI and designed for next-generation professionals and business leaders, the ExpertBook Ultra combines refined craftsmanship, powerful AI-accelerated performance, and enterprise-grade security in an ultralight form factor.

"As the most advanced ExpertBook to date, the ExpertBook Ultra is built to empower professionals who demand elegance without compromise," says Shawn Chang, General Manager, System Business Group, ASUS North America. "The device delivers mobility, intelligence, and reliability for modern, high-performance workflows."

As organizations adopt AI, many discover that their infrastructure struggles to keep up. Running AI in the cloud is an option, but the cloud can introduce privacy concerns and unpredictable costs. Upgrading on-prem infrastructure is another option, but supporting large GPU-accelerator platforms can require expensive redesigns in data center power and cooling. Our new AMD Instinct MI350 PCIe cards give your enterprise a third option: Leadership AI performance designed to fit the data center infrastructure you already own.

Performance That Drops into Your Existing Racks
Designed to help you prepare for the agentic AI era, AMD Instinct MI350P PCIe cards are dual-slot drop-in cards for standard air-cooled servers. They are built to deploy inference on premises within your current data center's power, cooling and rack infrastructure. AMD Instinct GPUs in cost-effective PCIe cards round out the AMD AI compute portfolio, providing a range of options for your enterprise as it navigates its unique AI adoption curve.

LIAN LI Industrial Co., Ltd., a leading manufacturer of chassis and PC accessories, announces the DK-07 WOOD, a premium motorized standing desk that seamlessly integrates a high-performance PC chassis into a refined workspace design. Built on the DK-07 platform, it supports both single- and dual-E-ATX system configurations and incorporates practical features for everyday productivity. The desk combines modular motherboard trays, extensive cooling support, integrated cable management, and a wireless charging pad into a single platform that brings together gaming, content creation, and professional workflows.

The DK-07 WOOD distinguishes itself with real wood tabletop in a dark walnut finish that adds warmth and a natural texture. A large tempered glass panel reveals the hardware beneath while maintaining a clean and elegant workspace surface. To improve accessibility, the desk features a sliding front panel that allows users to easily lift the tempered glass top when accessing internal components. Together with discreet storage drawers and a refined exterior finish, the DK-07 WOOD blends premium furniture aesthetics with enthusiast-grade PC integration.

ARCTIC expands its powerful P12 Pro series with the LN models. The new P12 Pro LN fans offer an adjusted speed range of 450-2000 rpm for quiet operation and high airflow. The P12 Pro LN fans are available in three different versions. The speed range allows flexible adaptation to different requirements, including whisper-quiet operation; at a PWM value below 5%, 0 dB mode is automatically activated.

The new P12 Pro LN fans also feature a functional, redesigned frame design. Reduced manufacturing tolerances increase static pressure and efficiency - ideal for applications with high air resistance, such as radiators, mesh, or fan grills.

After the unification of Palit's sub-companies, GALAX and KFA2, under one roof, Palit has confirmed that the company is already developing next-generation GALAX Hall-of-Fame (HOF) graphics cards, as well as regular GALAX and KFA2-branded GPU models. The company claims that the current generation of GPUs is here to stay, but what's especially interesting is the note about next-generation GPUs being in development. This means that the upcoming NVIDIA GeForce RTX 60-Series "Rubin" gaming GPUs will also be available in GALAX HOF and KFA2 variants, allowing extreme overclockers to access more HOF generations in the future. As Palit is one of NVIDIA's biggest add-in card partners, we expect that future product launches will remain NVIDIA-exclusive.

Additionally, Palit has emphasized that the leader of Galax Brazil, Ronaldo from TecLab, will continue with GALAX to work on the GPUs and enhance GALAX branding and market presence in every possible way.

Satechi has launched the DotDisk, a compact M.2 NVMe enclosure with a USB4 V2 interface running at up to 80 Gbps. Satechi isn't new to the SSD enclosure space, having previously launched products like the compact Mini NVMe SSD in 2024, the USB4 Slim NVMe SSD enclosure last year, and the versatile Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock docking station shown at CES in January. This new addition can accommodate a single M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 drive and supports capacities up to 8 TB, with the slot being user-accessible for later upgrades. The enclosure is made from milled aluminium with an integrated cooling fan. Active cooling in something this small is worth noting, as most compact enclosures rely on passive heat dissipation and can throttle under sustained load. A thermal pad is included to help seat the drive properly against the heatsink.

The USB-C port covers Thunderbolt 5, Thunderbolt 4, USB4 V2, and USB4, so it'll work with most modern Macs and PCs without adapter hassle. A Thunderbolt 5 cable ships in the box alongside a magnetic screwdriver for installation. OS compatibility covers macOS Sonoma 14.6 and later, Windows 11, and Linux. Worth mentioning that the enclosure is not compatible with SSDs equipped with heatsinks, double-sided and 2230/2242/2260 sizes. The Satechi DotDisk comes in silver and Space Black and is available now at satechi.com for $199.99. No SSD is included.

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. today announced the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 Mobile Platform and Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 Mobile Platform, expanding its portfolio with next-generation capabilities designed for real-world experiences. By focusing on the technologies users rely on most, these platforms strengthen Snapdragon's mobile offerings with stronger performance and extended battery life.

Introducing Snapdragon Smooth Motion UI
Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 and Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 introduce Snapdragon Smooth Motion UI to enhance device interactions with seamless, lag-free navigation. Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 delivers 20% faster app launches and 18% less screen stutter for more immersive and reliable performance. Focused on the essentials, Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 enables smooth, all‑day responsiveness with 43% faster app launches and 25% less screen stutter.

Golden Emperor International Ltd. - one of the world's leading PC components and peripheral manufacturers, is proud to announce its latest breakthrough in high-performance computing at Computex 2026. Leading the charge is the industry-first DDR5 8000 MT/s JEDEC Standard memory, alongside the global debut of the AQUARIUS Diamond RGB product line.

Witness 8000 MT/s: Simply Truly Plug & Play
GeIL is redefining the boundaries of high-speed DRAM by introducing the DDR5-8000 MT/s specification that fully adheres to JEDEC standards. Unlike traditional high-frequency modules that require manual BIOS adjustments or overclocking profiles, GeIL's JEDEC 8000 MT/s modules offer a "True Plug & Play" experience.

The global tablet market remained flat in Q1 2026, with shipments rising just 0.1% year on year to reach 37 million units, according to the latest research from Omdia. While tablet shipments declined sequentially, in line with typical seasonal patterns, regional performance was led by Latin America, followed by the Middle East and Africa. However, this growth was largely driven by inventory build-up rather than underlying end-user demand, pointing to a weaker demand outlook.

"Heading into 2026, tablets have been relegated in importance for vendors across margins, volume, and overall value," said Himani Mukka, Research Manager at Omdia. "In this supply-constrained environment, consumers and vendors alike are being more deliberate about which devices to prioritize. PC vendors are focusing on notebooks and desktops, while those operating across both smartphones and tablets are gravitating toward smartphones due to their outsized contribution to overall business."

MSI today announces the launch of the DATAMAG LITE 40Gbps, a magnetic portable SSD that combines high-speed performance with everyday convenience. Available in 1 TB, 2 TB, and 4 TB capacities, the DATAMAG LITE leverages the USB4 40 Gbps interface to deliver transfer rates of up to 4000 MB/s read and 3600 MB/s write, making it an ideal portable storage solution for users who need fast and flexible storage on the go. Complementing the hardware, the dedicated DATAMAG App provides users with an intuitive way to check remaining capacity, back up and restore photos and videos, and keep important data safe and accessible at all times.

Magnetic Portable SSD
Built for users who need fast and convenient storage on the move, the DATAMAG LITE 40Gbps features a practical magnetic attachment design. Using the included metal ring, the drive can attach securely to compatible devices for easier access and greater portability. A hanging ring adds further convenience, keeping the SSD within reach wherever everyday life or work takes you.

ASUS today announced the latest version of the ASUS Chromebook CM14 (CM1406), a powerful yet budget-friendly 14-inch laptop featuring a stylish and premium design. This laptop is built for everyday productivity, with support for up to 8 GB of LPDDR5x-6400 MT/s RAM and 128 GB of eMMC storage. The FHD display with a wide viewing angle and 86% screen-to-body ratio enhances the viewing experience There's also full connectivity via an HDMI port and two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C full-function ports.

The series features an exciting range of three colors—Platinum Silver, Forest Blue, and Blue Aura. The keyboard matches the chassis for a cohesive look, while the polished diamond-cut finish gives the device an elegant and premium appearance. Effortless power is delivered by the MediaTek Kompanio 540 processor—using an efficient Arm-based architecture—and easy portability is assured with a starting weight of just 1.32 kg. A 180° lay-flat hinge allows the expansive FHD display to be easily shared, and HDMI support—a rare feature for this price point—enables enhanced learning, entertainment, and work experiences. Up to 23 hours of battery life ensures maximum on-the-go convenience.

PCI-SIG has released a small update on its upcoming PCIe 8.0 standard, with the draft milestone reaching version 0.5. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this draft update is not the performance itself, but the exploration of a new connector technology to support this high-bandwidth protocol. Last year, we learned that PCI-SIG plans to implement a 256.0 GT/s raw bit rate and 1 TB/s of bidirectional bandwidth in the x16 lane configuration. We had assumed that the protocol would continue using the familiar connector technology seen in previous PCIe updates. However, it turns out that the current connector might be a limiting factor, prompting the search for a replacement for the traditional PCIe electrical connection.

The traditional PCIe connector is a copper-based link with up to 16 lanes connecting graphics cards to a slot. In a full x16 lane configuration, the PCIe generation supported by the motherboard provides the best performance, offering the maximum bandwidth the platform can deliver. However, with a 256 GT/s raw bit rate, the connector provides about 1 TB/s of bidirectional bandwidth, which is eight times faster than the current PCIe 5.0 platform used with modern GPUs and CPUs. This indicates that the current physical layer facilitating communication between a GPU and a motherboard is nearing saturation with the advent of PCIe 8.0, necessitating the consideration of an alternative connection method.

Not too long ago, 2K Games announced that it was suspending the development of Borderlands 4 on the Nintendo Switch 2, stating that the focus would be "delivering quality post-launch content for players on the ongoing improvements to optimize the game." Now, Take-Two CEO, Strauss Zelnick, has commented on the launch delay in an interview with Game File's Stephen Tolito, explaining that the Switch 2 just isn't the target platform for Borderlands 4. The executive explained that Sony's PlayStation 5 and the Xbox are the primary consoles for Borderlands 4, and that, although Take-Two wants to meet players on the consoles they're playing on, the studio wants to "make sure that we've addressed Borderlands 4 from a consumer's point of view before we bring it to more platforms."

Zelnick maintains that running Borderlands 4 is still "doable" on the Nintendo Switch 2, although Nintendo gamers may be in for a significant wait if the game's performance on the Steam Deck and other, more powerful, gaming handhelds is anything to go by. It should be noted that a recent update to Borderlands 4 claimed to deliver a 20% performance improvement at high resolutions and up to 40% improvements at 1080p on the minimum PC spec.

Since FBC: Firebreak launched in June 2025, it has not managed to top even 2,000 concurrent players on Steam, according to SteamDB, with low player counts ultimately resulting in Remedy putting active development for the co-op shooter on ice in March 2026. In Remedy Entertainment's Q1 2026 earnings report, however, the game studio announced that it would not actually be sunsetting the game itself. Instead, Remedy will "remain live and playable" on PC and all platforms it launched on, and it will remain playable via PlayStation Plus, and Xbox Game Pass. Remedy says that "upkeeping the infrastructure will not incur significant costs" for the studio.

The game studio also reinforced that Control Resonant is still on-track for a 2026 launch, and that it expects 2026 to be a pivotal year, with the studio likely expecting strong launch figures for Resonant, given how popular the first Control game was. The studio didn't share exact numbers, but noted that Control continued to show strong sales figures in early 2026. The studio also confirmed that it is in the proof-of-concept phase of an as-yet unnamed new project and in full production on remakes of Max Payne 1 and 2.

ATK has become known for its impressive budget gaming peripherals that provide gamers with an alternative to flagship gaming mice and keyboards without having to empty their wallets. The brand's latest launch is the ATK Dragonfly A9 Mini, which, the brand claims, will be a world-first exclusive launch of the PixArt PAW 3955 Master sensor, which will be a custom version of the existing PAW 3955 sensor. The mouse itself looks to be a pretty close match to the compact shape of the Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2C, and it will likely weigh the same as or a little less than Logitech's design, which comes in at 51 g.

As for exact internal specifications, not much has been revealed, but it would make sense for ATK to use a Nordic 52-series MCU and either tuned Omron optical or Huano mechanical switches. Regardless of MCU, the ATK Dragonfly A9 Mini will likely feature 8 kHz polling and ATK's typical "Ice-Feel" coating. The skates deviate from Logitech's design, with two large flat skates at the front and back as well as the typical ring around the sensor. Pricing and availability have not yet been announced, but it will likely cost around the same $59.98-74.98 range as the regular Dragonfly A9 series.

The LVFS (Linux Vendor Firmware Service) is a firmware update project that's been gaining traction in recent years, especially with distributions like Bazzite and SteamOS serving as simplified operating systems for devices like gaming handhelds, and manufacturers like Framework and System76 releasing Linux-first hardware. While Dell and Lenovo have previously allowed firmware updating for a number of their devices, it was just announced by Richard Hughes, a Gnome developer and maintainer, that both Dell and Lenovo have recently become premier sponsors of LVFS, meaning they each donate in excess of $100,000 annually to keep the project sustainable and fund development.

Becoming a premium sponsor of the LVFS also means that Dell and Lenovo will be able to implement several custom features, allow for 1,500 monthly uploads and 10,000,000 monthly downloads, and more closely collaborate with the LVFS developers. The LVFS previously announced a sustainability plan, which sought to secure $400,000 in additional annual donations to fund development and a $30,000 annual budget for hosting costs.

Today (May 6, 2026) Arm (NASDAQ: ARM) published a letter to its shareholders containing the company's results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2026 ended March 31, 2026. The infographic below provides the key highlights for the quarter:

• Arm delivered record-breaking quarterly and full-year results, with Q4 FYE26 revenue reaching $1.49 billion and full-year revenue at $4.92 billion. FYE26 was Arm's third consecutive financial year since going public of more than 20% revenue growth.
• Arm delivered record full-year royalty revenue of $2.61 billion alongside Q4 FYE26 revenue at $671 million, with this driven by growth across smartphones, Edge AI, Physical AI and Cloud AI, where data center royalties more than doubled year-over-year. Meanwhile, Arm's Q4 FYE26 revenue for licensing reached a record $819 million, with yearly revenue at $2.31 billion.

Omarchy 3.7 is out, and gaming is the headline feature. The Arch-based distro led by David Heinemeier Hansson has rolled out what it's calling a Gaming Edition update, overhauling Linux gaming support across the board. Steam now installs automatically without any user input and drops the problematic SDL_VIDEODRIVER environment variable that was causing compatibility issues with many games. RetroArch got a bigger overhaul, the AUR dependency is gone, making installation much faster, and the emulator comes pre-configured out of the box. Users can now drop their BIOS and ROM files into ~/Games, scan the directory, and they're ready to go with the CRT Royale shader enabled by default. Beyond emulation, Omarchy 3.7 adds launchers for Lutris (Battle.net games like Diablo, StarCraft, and WoW), Heroic (Epic Games titles without anti-cheat, so no Fortnite or Rocket League), and Moonlight for streaming games from a Windows PC running Sunshine. An Xbox Cloud Gaming web app rounds out the gaming additions, covering Game Pass titles including ones that won't run natively on Linux.

Outside of gaming, the update introduces a new unified omarchy command that replaces the previous scattered omarchy-* commands, with tab completion and a cleaner interface for installing software, taking screenshots, and analyzing issues. Built-in screen text extraction is also new, powered by the Tesseract OCR engine. The cliamp text-based music player now ships by default, and there's improved support for ASUS ExpertBook Panther Lake laptops alongside Intel FRED enabled by default on Panther Lake systems. The full release notes covering additional features, improvements, and bug fixes are available on GitHub, where Omarchy 3.7 can also be downloaded.

AMD's next-generation 900-series chipset to launch alongside Ryzen desktop processors powered by the "Zen 6" microarchitecture, could be fundamentally the same chipset as the current 800-series, based on the same "Promontory 21" silicon designed by ASMedia. What differentiates the platform from current 800-series and previous 600-series chipset could be a series of add-on features, new BIOS-level software features AMD is introducing with its next-gen processors, and a significantly overhauled memory support.

With its next-gen Ryzen "Olympic Ridge" desktop processors, AMD is introducing a new client I/O die, probably built on the 4 nm foundry node. This new cIOD is expected to feature a new set of DDR5 memory controllers that support higher DRAM clock speeds, tighter timings, and come with native support for CUDIMMs and CAMMs. The motherboard-side readiness for CUDIMMs and DDR5 CAMMs could be exclusive to AMD 900-series chipset models. AMD is readying the new EXPO 1.2 standard for overclocking DDR5 memory modules. With these upgraded memory controllers and native support for CUDIMMs backed by EXPO 1.2, AMD can catch up with Intel in terms of DDR5 memory speeds.

AMD has released Adrenalin Edition 26.5.1 WHQL, adding game support for PRAGMATA, Honor of Kings: World, INDUSTRIA 2, Tides of Tomorrow, and MONGIL: STAR DIVE. On the bug fix side, two issues are resolved: intermittent stuttering while playing Resident Evil Requiem on the "Raccoon City" map on Radeon RX 9000 series, and corruption while playing God of War on Radeon RX 9000 series.

A few known issues remain. Battlefield 6 continues to see intermittent crashes on Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 systems, texture flickering when AMD Record and Stream is active, and FSR Upscaling and Frame Generation showing as inactive on RX 9000 cards. RoadCraft is also experiencing crashes on RX 9000 series, and a new known issue notes corruption in Satisfactory on RX 9000 series products.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Software Adrenalin 26.5.1 WHQL

When Firaxis first conceived of Civilization VII, the ambition was to boldly re-approach the series' classic structure with new mechanics rooted in a more nuanced historical perspective, while honoring and building upon the time-tested strategic gameplay that players love. Since our February 2025 launch, those same players have only helped us better achieve that initial, ambitious vision.

Today, we're thrilled to officially announce the release date for the Test of Time update for Civilization VII, free for all players when it releases on May 19.* This is much more than just another update; it's a direct result of your passion, feedback, and patience. It also wouldn't have been possible without our dedicated and invaluable Firaxis Feature Workshop participants, who were essential to shaping Test of Time's features by putting them through their paces over the past months.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10-series graphics cards turn 10 today. In May 2016, NVIDIA debuted the GeForce GTX 1080, powered by the "Pascal" graphics architecture on the TSMC 16 nm FinFET foundry node. This would go on to be the final generation of NVIDIA GeForce GPUs to truly comply with Moore's Law. To illustrate, the GeForce GTX 1080, a predecessor to the current RTX 5080, needed a single 150-Watt 8-pin power connector, and could play AAA games of its time at 4K Ultra HD with the game being rendered at native resolution (no upscaling). "Pascal" established phenomenal standards of performance-per-Watt over the GTX 9-series "Maxwell" generation.

It seems as though a recent patch to Pragmata on the PS5 Pro has increased the game's render resolution, although Capcom has yet to actually announce the change. According to recent tests by Digital Foundry and Brazil Pixel on YouTube, Pragmata's Patch 1.21 has increased the internal render resolution from 864p to 1080p. Notably, this is now the same resolution as the game uses on the base model PS5, which produced a cleaner image in some cases before the update, because it used a native render resolution of 1080p from the outset. Pragmata will still use Enhanced PSSR to upscale the image, whereas the base console uses FSR, and in Digital Foundry's testing, the image produced in Patch 1.21 is much cleaner, with little to no impact on the final frame rate.

Google Chrome is reportedly downloading a 4 GB AI model onto user PCs without consent, prior information, or any way for less technical users to discover it independently. According to Alexander Hanff, who publishes a blog called "That Privacy Guy," Google Chrome is installing a 4 GB Gemini Nano model locally without user consent. The researcher discovered that Google Chrome downloads and installs the local AI model automatically, without any user input. Google Chrome initiates this process by creating an "OptGuideOnDeviceModel" folder, which contains a "weights.bin" file that is exactly 4 GB. This file is used for Google's Gemini Nano model, which handles on-device scam detection, AI-assisted writing, and other tasks. The entire process takes about 15 minutes to complete, all without the user's knowledge.

Why does this happen? Google Chrome automatically scans your device to assess whether it can run local AI models and only triggers the download when AI features are active. There is no specific checkbox in the browser settings indicating a 4 GB local AI model download. Interestingly, users who deleted this 4 GB model found that Google Chrome redownloaded it repeatedly, continuing the cycle. The only way to prevent or disable the download is by disabling Chrome's AI features through the "chrome://flags" settings, using enterprise policy settings in your organization, or simply uninstalling Chrome to stop the automatic downloads.

In the world of Hall effect and TMR gaming keyboards, tactile switches are somewhat of a rarity, largely because the tactile bump somewhat defeats the object of having an adjustable actuation point. Despite this, Keychron has just announced not one, but two tactile magnetic switches for its Ultra-Fast Lime Magnetic Switch line-up: the Banana and Silent Banana switches. There is also a new Silent Red linear switch joining the two Banana variants and the original Lime linear switch. The new switches are available on Keychron's online store for $29.99 for a pack of 110 switches, which is very much on the affordable side of the spectrum, especially compared to the Gateron Magnetic Jade Emerald Heavy Tactile switch, which comes in at $59.50 for 70 switches or $76.50 for 90.

All three new switches share similar characteristics, with 3.5 mm of total travel, pre-lubed construction, N-pole magnet configurations for compatibility with most HE keyboards, like Wooting and Keychron's own HE 8K series, and 30 gf starting actuation force—the Silent Red and Lime bottom out at 55 gf, while the Banana variants both bottom out at 50 gf. Curiously, the Silent Red switch uses silicone buffers in side rails to silence the bottom-out, while the Silent Banana tactile switch features a silencing circlip to dampen the bottom out. This was likely a consideration to prioritize the switch's bottom-out feel, but it may result in a switch that is not completely silent, but rather with a damped bottom-out sound.

AMD's CPU offerings will soon expand into more categories, specializing in different tasks and use cases. During the latest Q1 earnings call, AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su confirmed that customers are increasingly interested in specialized EPYC solutions and that future CPU generations will cater to different customer needs. This means that agentic AI will receive a dedicated EPYC CPU SKU, HPC workloads will have their own EPYC CPU SKU, AI training and inference will get a separate EPYC SKU, and cloud workloads will have a distinct SKU. This expansion of task-specialized CPU designs will go beyond the "Venice" CPU platform, which is expected to be released this year. At CES 2026, AMD confirmed that EPYC "Venice" will be a highly dense CPU package with up to 256 cores and 512 threads of "Zen 6c" cores, while the regular "Zen 6" configuration will have a maximum of 96 cores and 192 threads.

With this generation of EPYC CPUs based on the "Zen 6" core IP, AMD will promote "Venice" CPUs broadly, while the "Venice" CPU generation will be complemented by the "Verano" CPUs. These appear to use the same "Zen 6" microarchitecture but have optimizations specifically designed for AI infrastructure. Contrary to previous assumptions that "Verano" would be a "Zen 7" IP, it is now confirmed to be part of the 6th-generation EPYC CPU family. This indicates that AMD is starting its CPU customization for different workloads as early as this year. As the server CPU market is projected to reach $120 billion by the end of this decade, less than 3.5 years away in 2030, it makes sense to have different CPU SKUs for each task and capture a significant portion of that revenue. Server CPUs are also expected to grow at a 35% compound annual growth rate, which is impressive for a relatively mature market.

CCP Games, the developer of EVE Online, just announced that it has been bought out by its board of directors, meaning it will no longer operate as a subsidiary of Pearl Abyss. As the announcement highlights, the studio is "returning to a model similar to how the company operated before 2018, and one designed to support strategic decision-making for persistent live games and long-running virtual worlds." The company was sold by Pearl Abyss for $120 million, and the transaction was executed using both cash and non-cash assets. Following the sale, CCP Games will also rebrand to Fenris Creations, and it has also forged a new partnership with Google DeepMind, who owns a minority stake in the company.

Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of Fenris Creations, says that "EVE Online exists today because of pioneering thinking, patience, and trust between developers and players," and that the DeepMind partnership will "enable us to carry that legacy forward—continuously evolving a living universe and actively exploring what it can become, with forever in mind." The collaboration with DeepMind will also see Google's AI project develop an offline version of EVE Online running in a local server in order to "test and evaluate models in a controlled setting" and "explore new gameplay experiences enabled by these technologies." It remains to be seen how the studio and EVE Online will change with the new strategy and alongside the DeepMind partnership, but there don't seem to be any real structural changes at the time of writing.

According to Economic Daily News, TSMC is overhauling Fab 15A in Central Taiwan Science Park, transitioning it from 28/22 nm to 4 nm production. Old equipment is being cleared out and replaced with new tooling, and the total bill (cleanrooms and machinery included) is expected to top NT$100 billion (US$3.16 billion). The displaced 28/22 nm tools aren't going to waste either, heading to TSMC facility in Dresden, Germany, which is ramping toward mass production in 2027 on mature nodes aimed at the automotive and industrial market. Fab 15B stays on 7 nm for now. Further up the process roadmap, TSMC's 1.4 nm fab at the Phase 2 Central Taiwan site in Taichung is coming together faster than planned. Groundwork is mostly completed and construction bidding is expected to start shortly. If things keep moving at this pace, trial production could start as early as Q3 2027, with full mass production following in the second half of 2028.

There are also talks of 1 nm arriving at the Central Taiwan site earlier than previously expected. Worth noting that 1.4 nm isn't part of TSMC's US fab plans at all. Once all four Phase 2 fabs are running at capacity, the Taichung complex is expected to be the single largest production base for AI and HPC chips anywhere in the world. In April, TSMC introduced its A13 (1.3 nm) process at the 2026 North America Technology Symposium as a direct shrink of the previously announced A14 (1.4 nm) node. The new node offers around 6% area reduction, along with improved performance and power efficiency through design-technology co-optimization. The A13 node remains fully backward compatible with A14 design rules to allow easier migration. TSMC A13 node is expected to enter mass production in 2029, one year after A14.

Elon Musk recently announced an ambitious project called Terafab, which he plans to build on Tesla's campus in eastern Travis County, Austin, Texas. Thanks to recent court hearings in Grimes County, Texas, we have learned that the first phase of the Terafab project is expected to cost $55 billion. However, if additional phases are constructed, this figure could rise to $119 billion. While this is an astonishingly high amount, it seems justified given Terafab's ambitious goals. Semiconductor manufacturing is one of the greatest marvels of the modern world, with only a few companies competing for the top spot. The engineering and scientific expertise required for building modern semiconductor manufacturing facilities is so rare that it is concentrated in just a few places around the globe.

The goal of Terafab is to consolidate the entire chip manufacturing process under one roof. The plant is expected to integrate several stages of semiconductor production at a single site, including logic fabrication, memory, packaging, testing, and mask production. This setup is unusual, as these steps are typically spread across multiple specialized facilities and companies. The idea behind Terafab is that consolidating these processes could accelerate development by allowing engineers to design, test, and revise chips with fewer delays, essentially enabling rapid prototyping. This contrasts with the traditional, lengthy process of manufacturing chips at one site, packaging them at another, and testing them in-house. A typical semiconductor fab for nodes below 3 nm costs over $20 billion, but that only covers silicon manufacturing. Terafab's goal to handle everything will push that cost astronomically high.

Logitech International (SIX: LOGN) (Nasdaq: LOGI) today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full Fiscal Year 2026.

For Fiscal Year 2026:

• Sales were $4.84 billion, up 6 percent in US dollars and 4 percent in constant currency compared to the prior year.
• GAAP operating income was $775 million, up 18 percent compared to the prior year. Non-GAAP operating income was $911 million, up 18 percent compared to the prior year.
• GAAP earnings per share was $4.80, up 16 percent compared to the prior year. Non-GAAP EPS was $5.78, up 19 percent compared to the prior year.
• Cash flow from operations was $1.04 billion. The year-ending cash balance was $1.7 billion. The Company returned $768 million of cash to shareholders through its annual dividend payment and share repurchases.

Valve's recent launch of the Steam Controller was successful from day one, and the company is now releasing something for the modding community to begin their adventures. Today, Valve has released 3D CAD files, providing modders with a 3D model for their needs. This means anyone can now access Steam Controller and Puck drawings in STP and STL formats, along with engineering drawings that highlight critical features and areas to avoid when modding. This allows anyone to design accessories with known clearances. The community's efforts should soon bear fruit, as Valve recognizes that its community is full of enthusiasts with a wealth of expertise who create new accessories daily. This will include 3D prints from creative individuals, as well as potential accessories to enhance the Steam Controller experience for some users.

Yesterday, Valve reassured customers that a restock of the Steam Controller is happening soon, as the initial release was so successful that the entire stock sold out in just 30 minutes. The demand has been exceptional, even for a controller priced at $99. The site experienced such a high volume of traffic that the payment processing system froze, causing many customers to encounter errors before both the website and payment processor resumed functioning. To prepare, some customers loaded their Steam Wallets with funds days in advance, but the high demand still prevented them from securing a unit immediately. For those who managed to purchase one, congratulations. However, those who didn't are turning to resellers, who are charging about $300 for the controller. Valve is reassuring customers not to worry, as another stock drop is coming soon. With the 3D files now in the hands of the modding community, we should start seeing some interesting designs on social media.

Rambus Inc. (NASDAQ: RMBS), a premier chip and silicon IP provider making data faster and safer, today announced the Rambus PCIe 7.0 Switch IP with Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), a new addition to its advanced interconnect IP portfolio designed to address the rapidly escalating bandwidth, latency, and scalability requirements of AI, cloud, and high-performance computing (HPC) systems.

As AI infrastructure grows in scale and architectural complexity, system designers are increasingly challenged to move massive volumes of data efficiently across CPUs, GPUs, accelerators, and NVMe storage. The Rambus PCIe 7.0 Switch IP with TDM is architected to help meet these demands by enabling more flexible and efficient utilization of PCIe links, supporting emerging disaggregated and pooled compute architectures while maintaining low latency and deterministic performance.

Synology today announced the availability of the new FS6420 and FS3420, two all-flash block and file storage systems built for latency-sensitive enterprise workloads. The new systems offer significant improvements in IOPS and throughput performance for on-premises virtualization, databases, and enterprise applications.

"More organizations than ever are running demanding on-premises workloads and need storage that can accommodate them." says Jeffrey Huang, Product Manager at Synology. "The FS6420 and FS3420 deliver substantial IOPS improvements over their predecessors, boosting performance for latency-sensitive workloads. They're strong options for a wide range of mid-size and large enterprises and colocation environments looking to implement enterprise applications and virtualization workloads."

AMD reported impressive first-quarter 2026 earnings, and during the earnings call, CEO Dr. Lisa Su shared some intriguing insights about the agentic AI era. This era is driving CPU usage to unprecedented levels, to the extent that the number of CPUs in a single compute node is becoming almost equal to the number of GPUs. In response to a question from an analyst, Dr. Lisa Su explained that the traditional setup of one CPU paired with four or even eight GPUs is shifting towards a one-to-one ratio of CPUs to GPUs. This change indicates a surge in CPU demand due to the agentic features, which require large language models to utilize the host CPU for continuous updates and orchestration of these agents. Previously, CPUs primarily served as hosts to initiate GPU operations for training and inferencing AI models. However, as AI becomes more agentic, the CPU's role is becoming significantly more important.

AMD's Lisa Su...We certainly see the movement towards where in the past, the CPU to GPU ratio was primarily just as a host node in like a 1:4 or 1:8 configuration node, now changing and getting closer to a 1:1 configuration or even -- you can even imagine if you get lots and lots of agents that you could have more CPUs and GPUs...

AMD today announced financial results for the first quarter of 2026. First quarter revenue was $10.3 billion, gross margin was 53%, operating income was $1.5 billion, net income was $1.4 billion and diluted earnings per share was $0.84. On a non-GAAP(*) basis, gross margin was 55%, operating income was $2.5 billion, net income was $2.3 billion and diluted earnings per share was $1.37.

"We delivered an outstanding first quarter, driven by accelerating demand for AI infrastructure, with Data Center now the primary driver of our revenue and earnings growth," said Dr. Lisa Su, AMD chair and CEO. "We are seeing strong momentum as inferencing and agentic AI drive increasing demand for high-performance CPUs and accelerators. Looking ahead, we expect server growth to accelerate meaningfully as we scale supply to meet demand. Customer engagement around MI450 Series and Helios is strengthening, with leading customer forecasts exceeding our initial expectations and a growing pipeline of large-scale deployments providing us with increasing visibility into our growth trajectory."

With a little over a month left before the launch of Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced, Ubisoft has given us a look at what to expect from the latest entry into the long-running game franchise, specifically the overhauled combat, parkour, and stealth. The game studio showed off a long list of features and updates to the game, but the gist of it is that Ubisoft has invested time making the combat more reactive and challenging, the parkour more responsive and fluid, and the stealth gameplay more engaging and intuitive.

Possibly the most important and exciting new mechanic coming to Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced is a combat rework that makes enemy NPCs more interesting to face off against. According to Ubisoft, the combat in Black Flag Resynced will be "more demanding," thanks to what it calls Adaptive Enemies, which will spot attack patterns and adapt to them over the course of a combat encounter. "For example, wait around too much for a Parry, and enemies will react by performing Unstoppable Attacks that cannot be parried. Abuse a Kick too much, and enemies will quickly dodge them. The trick is to alternate between offense and defense. Varying your combos helps. Rotate between Kicks, Sweeps, Rope Darts, Pistols and Heavy Strikes at the end of your attack combos to confuse enemies." Enemies will also come with different archetypes, each of which have their own strengths and weaknesses, like the soldiers, who prefer to work in pairs and coordinate attacks, or the Brute, Captain, and Demolitionist, which will require players to break their guard before going in for a takedown.

In a recent post on X, Xbox CEO, Asha Sharma, announced that Copilot on console will officially exit active development, while Copilot on mobile will also be wound down. Copilot for Gaming was previously announced in March 2025, with the feature first making its way to mobile and later announcements predicting that Copilot would be coming to Xbox Series consoles sometime in 2026. Copilot was slated to land on Xbox consoles in the form of an AI that effectively watches you game by taking screenshots and monitoring inputs and then providing suggestions and recommendations based on that data. Judging by the wording in the announcement, this appears to be another move by Xbox Gaming CEO, Asha Sharma, to earn back the trust of gamers in what she calls "a return to Xbox." It's unclear what this means for the rest of the Xbox Gaming software suite, especially when it comes to devices like the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally and its Xbox Game Bar, but it seems likely at this point that those integrations may also eventually be removed.

The full post by Sharma reads:

Xbox needs to move faster, deepen our connection with the community, and address friction for both players and developers.
Today, we promoted leaders who helped build Xbox, while also bringing in new voices to help push us forward. This balance is important as we get the business back on track.
As part of this shift, you'll see us begin to retire features that don't align with where we're headed. We will begin winding down Copilot on mobile and will stop development of Copilot on console.

PassMark's MemTest86 update version 11.7 (Build 1000) has added preliminary testing for the LPCAMM2 memory type, primarily for Intel's "Meteor Lake" and "Arrow Lake" chips. This means that the latest memory form factor can now be tested using a standardized testing methodology. With the rise of LPCAMM2 appearances, it is only logical that MemTest86 adds support for this form factor, which we have started seeing on Lenovo ThinkBook 14+ and 16+ and Framework Laptop 13 Pro models, especially from major DRAM manufacturers such as CXMT and Samsung. CXMT's LPCAMM2 memory uses LPDDR5X-8533 modules, while Samsung's modules are running LPDDR5X-9600 memory stacks. Interestingly, with further support from SK hynix, Samsung, Micron, and now CXMT, LPCAMM2 is aiming to become a universal standard for memory. Since the upcoming DDR6 memory is scheduled to be the main driver behind (LP)CAMM2, having a memory testing tool is essential.Below is the list of fixes and enhancements.

Valve's highly anticipated release of the Steam Controller was so successful that the entire stock sold out in just 30 minutes. The demand has been nothing short of exceptional, even for a controller priced at $99 in the United States, €99 in European Union countries, £85 in the UK, $149 CAD in Canada, and $149 AUD in Australia. At around 17:00 UTC on May 4, the Steam Controller officially went on sale through Valve's website. The site experienced such a high volume of customers that the payment processing system froze, causing many to encounter errors before both the website and payment processor resumed functioning. To prepare, some customers loaded their Steam Wallets with funds days in advance, but the high demand still prevented them from securing a unit immediately. For those who managed to purchase one, congratulations. However, those who didn't are turning to resellers, who are charging about $300 for the controller. Valve is reassuring customers not to worry, as another stock drop is coming soon.

ValveSteam Controller ran out faster than we anticipated, and we hate that not everyone who wanted one was able to get it. We're working on getting more in stock and will have an update on expected timeline soon.

Companies like Apple are always seeking top-tier manufacturing for their Apple Silicon products, which range from the A-Series chips in iPhones and low-power MacBooks to the more powerful M-Series SoCs that power iPads and higher-end Macs. Manufacturing these custom processors has traditionally been handled by TSMC, but Bloomberg now reports that Apple has been in talks with both Intel Foundry and Samsung Foundry to manufacture some of its chips in the coming months. It has been known for some time that Apple is exploring Intel's 18A-P process design kits (PDKs). Apple has used version 0.9.1 of the PDK designed for Intel's 18A-P node. With performance, density, power, and other metrics meeting expectations, Intel could become Apple's source for advanced node production by 2027.

Additionally, Apple is reportedly waiting for Intel to release the 18A-P PDK version 1.0, which is on track to launch in the first half of 2026 or may have already been released to partners. Once available, Apple plans to start with the lowest-end M-series chip, used in MacBook Air and iPad Pro devices, as previously mentioned. This node is particularly interesting due to its performance characteristics, as the 18A-P can deliver a 9% performance increase at the same power level or achieve 18% power savings at the same performance level compared to the standard 18A. This is exactly what Apple is looking for. Coupled with better thermal conductivity, these designs should offer improved heat dissipation and performance compared to what Apple currently achieves with TSMC's 3 nm process in the M5 SoC.

Each week, new games and apps integrating NVIDIA DLSS, NVIDIA Reflex, and advanced ray-traced effects are released or announced, delivering the definitive PC experience for GeForce RTX players. This week, Dead As Disco enters Early Access, and there are new looks at two highly anticipated, upcoming games: Star Wars: Galactic Racer, and 007 First Light.

STAR WARS: Galactic Racer Launches Worldwide On October 6th, Featuring DLSS 4.5 On GeForce RTX PCs & Laptops
Star Wars: Galactic Racer is a high-stakes reinvention of racing born in the lawless Outer Rim of the Star Wars galaxy. The Empire's grip on the galaxy has finally broken, and with its fall comes a new obsession: speed. As the New Republic struggles to rebuild, gambling, entertainment, and glory fuel a booming underground. Out of this chaos, the Galactic League is born: an unsanctioned racing circuit where syndicates sponsor pilots, fortunes are won and lost in seconds, and only the bold survive.

Mionix today announces AVIOR AIR CARBON FIBER, a limited-edition wireless gaming mouse and the first wireless gaming mouse from Mionix. Developed over more than two years, AVIOR AIR CARBON FIBER marks the comeback of Mionix with a completely new AVIOR body, handmade carbon fiber shell, and a new wireless platform built around Nordic Semiconductor's nRF54H20 chipset.

Designed as a flagship ultralight wireless FPS mouse, AVIOR AIR CARBON FIBER introduces a new rear-placed hump, back-loaded body shape optimized for claw, fingertip, and hybrid grip players. The new body replaces the previous AVIOR design, moving away from its balanced-placed hump profile to create a more specialized shape for FPS gamers who want precision, control, and fast repositioning.

Micron Technology, Inc., today announced it is now shipping the 245 TB capacity Micron 6600 ION SSD, the world's highest capacity commercially available SSD. The drive marks a major step forward in rack-scale storage density for data centers and is designed to support AI, cloud, enterprise and hyperscale workloads, including next-generation AI data lakes and cloud-scale file and object storage. The 245 TB Micron 6600 ION E3.L requires 82% fewer racks to achieve equivalent raw storage capacity compared to HDD-based deployments. Built with Micron G9 QLC NAND that is at least one generation ahead of any competing QLC used in data center SSDs, the 245 TB Micron 6600 ION redefines high-capacity data center storage. Customers can now store and process significantly more data in far less space, while reducing power and cooling demands without sacrificing the performance required for large-scale, data-intensive workloads.

"AI workloads are driving massive growth in shared data, continuing the shift of data center storage share from HDDs toward SSDs. With 245 TB in a single SSD, the Micron 6600 ION makes solid state storage the clear choice for modern data centers," said Jeremy Werner, senior vice president and general manager of Micron's Core Data Center Business Unit. "This breakthrough capacity gives data center operators a critical new lever to improve rack-level total cost of ownership, especially as power availability becomes a defining constraint for AI infrastructure scale."

In the fast-paced world of hardware, longevity is the ultimate benchmark of quality. As ADATA Technology celebrates its 25th anniversary, we reflect on a journey that transformed a visionary startup into a global titan. For the international tech community, our history is not just a series of dates - it is a 25-year track record of stability, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of reliability.

Innovation catches the eye, but reliability keeps the world moving. For a quarter-century, ADATA has served as the "Invisible Hero" behind the world's most ambitious digital breakthroughs. Whether powering professional workstations or safeguarding personal data, ADATA provides the stable foundation that makes inspiration possible. We believe that to truly inspire, technology must first be dependable.

As hybrid work continues to blur the line between productivity and entertainment, Lenovo is betting that better audio, not just better video, can make digital experiences feel more natural across the board. Ceva, Inc., today announced that Lenovo has selected its RealSpace spatial audio software for its new ThinkPad Dual-Mode Wireless ANC Foldable Headset 8550 (Aura Edition).

The 8550 headset is designed to recreate the sensation of being physically present, whether listening to music, watching a movie, or playing a game. Instead of a traditional stereo experience, audio is rendered in a virtual 3D space that remains anchored in place. As users turn their head, sound stays fixed in the environment, just as it would in the real world, creating a more natural and immersive listening experience.

Today, Bose unveils the Lifestyle Collection, a reimagined approach to home audio designed to elevate the listening experience without sacrificing convenience. The lineup includes a wireless smart speaker, an immersive soundbar, and a powerful subwoofer, all built with Bose's most advanced proprietary audio technologies and engineered to work together across flexible configurations—from a single space to multiple rooms—to deliver high-quality sound. Using Google Cast or Apple AirPlay, stream audio directly from any platform and group speakers seamlessly—including those from other manufacturers. Crafted with premium materials, the new collection comes in three timeless finishes to complement any space, and an updated Bose app enables one of the simplest setup experiences in home audio.

The Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker ($299), the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar ($1,099), and the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer ($899) will be available starting May 15th and can be preordered today at Bose.com. The Lifestyle Collection comes in Black or White Smoke, and the Lifestyle Ultra Speaker is also available in limited-edition Driftwood Sand ($349), a soft beige reminiscent of fine upholstery, featuring a solid white oak base that's destined to age beautifully over time.

Microsoft recently published a note stating that gaming PCs running Windows 11 should be equipped with 32 GB of RAM as a "no worries" update for systems handling demanding tasks like Discord alongside AAA titles running in the background. However, after our post reached millions of readers online, gamers reacted negatively to Microsoft's seemingly excessive requirement amid the worst DRAM shortage ever recorded. In response, Microsoft deleted the entire blog post. Now, clicking on the old link redirects to the Windows Learning Center, which features general blog posts with tips and tricks on enhancing your Windows 11 experience, with no trace of the original post.

As readers may recall, Microsoft promised to make Windows 11 a much-improved operating system with better performance, more UI uniformity, and reduced RAM consumption. The company is reportedly using feedback from its Insiders group, user telemetry analytics, and customer focus groups to ensure that Windows 11 is efficient, thoughtfully designed, and stable. Earlier this year, Microsoft pledged to address many user complaints, such as poor memory optimization within its flagship operating system, but these fixes have yet to be implemented. In the meantime, having more RAM is the only solution to keep operations running smoothly. However, when the company began recommending 32 GB as a "no worries" upgrade, these plans seemed like empty promises, causing enthusiasts to stick around without considering alternatives. Now, Microsoft appears to have recognized the mistake and has deleted its previous blog post, indicating that the company is actively listening to user feedback online.

Combining cutting-edge ergonomic design with convenient productivity features, the latest mouse in the Trust Home & Office range - the Vyran Ergonomic Multi-Wireless Hyperscroll Mouse - is the perfect choice for professionals looking for a comfortable mouse that works as hard as they do.

Designed with user wellness in mind, the Vyran features a vertical form with an optimal 50° angle and comfortable thumb rest that naturally reduces arm and wrist strain during extended use. Ideal for those working through lengthy documents, spreadsheets, and web pages, its premium metal hyperscroll wheel with tilt function enables effortless vertical and horizontal navigation, making marathon work sessions that bit more comfortable.

Samsung Display announced today that it will participate in Display Week 2026, hosted by the Society for Information Display (SID), and showcase its latest display innovations.

The exhibition will take place from May 5 to 7 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in California. Display Week is one of the world's largest display industry exhibitions, where global companies and experts gather to share advanced technologies and research achievements. Under the theme "The Spectrum of Display Innovation with AI" Samsung Display will present its latest technologies as a leading OLED company.

Kensington, a worldwide leader of desktop computing and mobility solutions for IT, business, and home office professionals, today announced an expansion of its USB-C GaN charging portfolio with the addition of new multi-port power adapters and a 240 W USB-C fast-charging cable, designed to support fast, efficient charging across multiple devices.

The expanded lineup adds 70 W and 140 W USB-C GaN chargers that allow users to power laptops, tablets, smartphones, and accessories from a single compact adapter, reducing the need for multiple chargers and outlets.

be quiet!, the German manufacturer for premium PC components and peripherals, is proud to announce Dark Rock Pro 6 and Dark Rock 6. These high-end air coolers feature an all-new design, significantly better performance thanks to optimized heat sinks and optimized high-performance heat pipes, as well as an extended feature set for even greater ease of use and compatibility. Both coolers are built for users who demand powerful cooling performance, maximum compatibility with high-end motherboards and RAM modules, and the virtually inaudible operation that defines be quiet!'s Dark Rock series.

"With Dark Rock Pro 6 and Dark Rock 6, we have taken our high-end air cooling portfolio to the next level," says Aaron Licht, CEO of be quiet! "With improved performance and a new level of quietness through its optional semi-passive mode, the Dark Rock 6 series delivers the cooling power and elegance users expect from be quiet!, whether they are building a heavily overclocked workstation or a compact high-end gaming system."

LG Display, the world's leading innovator of display technologies, announced today that it is unveiling its next-generation OLED technologies at SID Display Week 2026, further strengthening its OLED leadership.

During the exhibition, held at the Los Angeles Convention Center from May 5 to 7, LG Display will present OLED display solutions optimized for the AI era under the theme, "OLED Evolution for the AI Era." SID Display Week is the world's largest display event, where global companies and researchers gather to present research papers and showcase mid- to long-term future technologies and new products.

Last week, news broke that Lenovo had bought Phoenix Technologies' firmware (BIOS) technology business and now it looks like AMI—also known as American Megatrends Inc—is about to get a new owner, namely Lattice Semiconductor. That leaves Taiwanese Insyde Software as the only independent UEFI/BIOS developer in a market that at least on the desktop side has been largely ruled by AMI and is likely to continue to be so, even with AMI now being a subsidiary to Lattice Semiconductor.

Lattice is offering US$1.65 billion in cash and stock for AMI, which is a privately held company today. For those unfamiliar with Lattice, the company makes a range of FPGA solutions for a wide range of markets and is a competitor with AMD's Xilinx subsidiary and Altera, which is part owned by Intel. It's not entirely clear what the synergy is between Lattice and AMI, but a statement by Lattice CEO Ford Tamer suggests that the company thinks it might help its customers "deploy complex systems faster and with greater confidence" under Lattice's "everywhere companion chip strategy". Time will tell if this will lead to changes to AMI's current customers or not, since as the biggest UEFI/BIOS vendor out there—used by almost all mainstream motherboard makers and many other x86/x64 hardware makers—they have something of a unique position in the market.

Are you looking for esports-level performance without unnecessary weight? The SKILLER SGM70W delivers professional performance in an ultra-lightweight design - whether used wired or wireless. Equipped with the precise PixArt PAW3395 sensor, an extremely high polling rate, and ultra-smooth glass feet, it offers maximum control with minimal weight and is perfect for ambitious gamers who demand speed, precision, and flexibility.

The SKILLER SGM70W relies on the proven optical PixArt PAW3395 sensor, delivering up to 26,000 DPI to capture even the smallest movements with accuracy. This ensures the precision needed for fast reactions and exact tracking during competitive gameplay. Whether wired or wireless, the SKILLER SGM70W adapts effortlessly to any gaming situation. Both modes offer professional performance, while the wireless mode benefits from an impressive 8,000 Hz polling rate for especially responsive input.

XPG, a leading provider of high-performance products for gamers, esports pros, and tech enthusiasts, today announced the launch of its groundbreaking new memory series, NOVAKEY. As the flagship of the series, the NOVAKEY RGB DDR5 features the world's first patented "Infinity Mirror" design. Delivering speeds up to 6,400 MT/s and capacities up to 32 GB per module, it is engineered for mainstream gamers and creators who demand a perfect balance between sophisticated style and rock-solid performance.

The launch of NOVAKEY marks a significant milestone in XPG's brand evolution. The name combines "Nova," representing the brilliant energy and infinite potential of a supernova, with "Key," symbolizing the essential technology that unlocks next-level performance. Its patented "Infinity Mirror" design utilizes a futuristic geometric silhouette to create mesmerizing 3D visual depth. To complement the trend of modern PC builds with large glass panels, the XPG design team applied optical reflection principles to the heat sink, creating an "infinite time tunnel" effect from any viewing angle. The exterior features XPG's signature slanted-cut language, while the matte black metal accents and brushed aluminium finish ensure a premium, refined look even when the RGB lighting is turned off.

Global memory leader Team Group Inc. continues to advance product performance with the introduction of new high-frequency specifications for its ELITE PLUS DDR5 and ELITE DDR5 desktop memory modules. Both products deliver speeds of up to 8000 MT/s and operate at 1.1 V with CL56-56-56-128 timings, fully compliant with JEDEC standards. Designed to meet the growing demand for high-frequency operation, these modules not only fulfill performance requirements but also enhance overall system performance and computing experience, highlighting Team Group's technological strengths in high-performance memory. Both products are expected to be available soon on Amazon in North America.

As demand for high-performance computing and digital technologies continues to grow, Team Group introduces the ELITE PLUS DDR5 8000 MT/s and ELITE DDR5 8000 MT/s as new high-frequency, low-power consumption desktop memory modules. Through frequency upgrades, they are engineered to support a variety of desktop use scenarios, including learning and entertainment. Operating at 1.1 V, the modules effectively lower power consumption while extending the computer's lifespan. They are also equipped with DDR5 Same-Bank Refresh technology and an optimized IC architecture, maintaining smooth operation under multitasking conditions and improving overall system efficiency.

Logitech's HITS (haptic inductive trigger system), introduced with the G Pro X2 Superstrike gaming mouse in late 2025, made serious waves in enthusiast gaming mouse spaces, but, as is the case with many of Logitech's innovations, the mouse the tech came with was imperfect and commanded a premium price. Now, it seems as though at least two Chinese peripheral makers are lining up to challenge at least some of Logitech's capabilities with their own magnetic switch tech. First, and the one we know the least about, is Keychron, surprisingly enough who is apparently preparing a micro switch called the MagOpt. The MagOpt switch was teased by Keychron on the brand's own YouTube channel, where it showed off a switch design that looks to use a hybrid optical and magnetic sensing mechanism combined with a traditional click leaf. It seems as though Keychron's MagOpt switch will attempt to mimic some of the functionality of the HITS system—like rapid trigger, adjustable actuation, and better longevity—but without a lot of the adjustability enabled by the haptic feedback of Logitech's HITS system.

The other incoming contender is Snaptiq, a product by a Russian streamer (shared by @goonerfps on X), and this system appears to have much more feature parity with Logitech HITS. The sensors in Snaptiq are analogue, like those found in Logitech's implementation, but these use magnets and either Hall effect or TMR sensor in place of Logitech's inductive switches. More importantly, Snaptiq will also mimic the tactile feedback with vibration motors, similar to HITS. How this pans out remains to be seen, but Lunacy claims that it will be able to detect movement as fine as 1 micron (0.001 mm) and that the mouse clicks themselves will be completely silent. Lunatic's Snaptiq is slated to launch by the end of 2026, although it is unlikely to launch in Western markets. However, this and Keychron's implementation may be the start of a wave of Chinese brands adopting similar tech to Logitech HITS.

When NVIDIA first revealed DLSS 5 and its neural rendering, a lot of the online backlash that was leveled at the feature centered around Capcom's Resident Evil character, Grace, and how DLSS 5 changed her facial features. Now, in a recent interview with Eurogamer, Koshi Nakanishi and Masato Kumzawa, the game's director and producer, have responded to the DLSS 5 outrage and to the game's overall reception at and since launch. Addressing the DLSS 5 debacle, Kumzawa took the backlash as a positive indication, commenting that "the fact a lot of players commented they really liked the original design of Grace and didn't want to see it changed was a positive—it meant we got the design right," and that it was an indication that "Grace quickly established herself as a fan favorite." The Nakanishi and Kumzawa did not comment on previous allegations that Capcom had not involved game developers or even inform them of the potential changes to the character designs ahead of time.

[Editor's note: Our in-depth review of Resident Evil Requiem can be found here]

Just 16 days after Resident Evil Requiem launched, it had already sold over 6 million units, making it the fastest-selling Resident Evil game to date. Commenting on the overall success of the game, the pair said that "we were very happy to see the reaction of players around the world after the game launched. In particular, because we were very tight-lipped in order to maintain the surprise for players, especially about what happens after the return to Raccoon City. So, watching people's clips and online reactions, we felt not only pleased that they were enjoying it, but relieved our strategy was right to try and save that for them." Notably, the Resident Evil developer publicly asked gamers not to spoil surprises about the game when the game's plot was leaked online shortly before the official launch.

With the official launch of Forza Horizon 6 around the corner, Microsoft and Playground Games have just divulged a little more information about the upcoming driving sim, specifically its world, car line-up, and official console performance modes and expected frame rates. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly Forza Horizon 6 will feature two distinct performance modes on the Xbox Series X and S consoles. Performance Mode will allow the game to run at 60 FPS on both consoles, at 4K resolution with dynamic upscaling on the Series X and 1080p with dynamic scaling on the Series S. Quality Mode, on the other hand, will target 30 FPS on both Xbox variants, at 4K native resolution with "increased visual fidelity" on the Series X and 1440p with dynamic scaling to maintain the target frame rate. Horizon 6 will also feature a number of accessibility features, including AutoDrive, Proximity Radar, High Contrast mode, colorblind filters, and ASL and BSL interpreters for cut-scenes. There is also an option to modify the game speed in offline mode, which should make the game more accessible to kids and those with limited mobility and reflexes, especially when used in conjunction with difficulty settings.

The announcement revealed that gamers can start preloading Forza Horizon 6 on both PC and Xbox already, from the library page for preorderers and Game Pass subscribers, from the Microsoft Store, or using the Xbox app for smartphones if you're planning on buying a physical edition. Microsoft will also be giving Forza veterans login rewards in the form of free special car unlocks that will appear in players' garages after they complete the introductory mission. These cars depend on the game players previously played: 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray for Forza Motorsport; 2021 Mercedes-AMD ONE for Forza Horizon 5; 2016 Aston Martin Vulcan for Forza Horizon 4; 2016 Lamborghini Centenario LP 770-4 for Forza Horizon 3; 2014 Lamborghini Huracán LP-610-4 for Forza Horizon 2; and 2013 Dodge SRT Viper GTS for Forza Horizon.

Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) and Solid State Drives (SSDs) are among the most sought-after commodities in computing today, as the expansion of AI data centers consumes everything in its path. According to Seagate, Sandisk, and Western Digital, demand is so high that customers are signing long-term supply agreements lasting up to five years. This duration is significant because customers are now planning their contracts around demand expansion, which is not only substantial but will also bring better balance to the supply chain. With customers driving steady demand, HDD and SSD manufacturers know exactly how much spinning rust or NAND Flash to produce to meet this demand. Over time, this is a positive development for a supply chain that will adapt with expanding production capacity. However, it poses a short-term challenge for PC gamers.

For example, at the start of this year, we reported that HDD prices have soared by an average of 46% since mid-September. These changes have made spinning rust an expensive commodity, but this is minor compared to NAND Flash prices, which have increased 500% in just a few months. The expansion of AI data centers has depleted any remaining inventory of HDDs and SSDs, leaving the consumer PC market to compete for the few remaining units available for gaming PCs. Interestingly, HDDs contain almost no silicon for storage purposes, so their significant price increases are a supply chain issue unrelated to the semiconductor industry. Apart from the controllers that use silicon, HDD platters are made from materials that are not currently in short supply. However, high demand keeps their prices elevated.

Even though it looks as though Valve may be preparing for some upcoming large-scale hardware shipments, and it has officially launched the Steam Controller that was slated to launch with the Steam Machine, the gaming giant has yet to even announce a price for the Steam Machine. While we know from a previous statement that this is due to the ongoing RAM shortage, Valve's Steve Cardinali and Lawrence Yang have just addressed the Steam Machine's launch again in a recent interview with PC Gamer. Yang explains that "I mean, obviously we're bummed that this is the state of things. At the very least we're not the only ones in this boat. Like, everyone's kind of figuring out how to overcome these obstacles and challenges—RAM shortages, memory shortages, price hikes, everything."

Despite this somewhat pessimistic outlook, Yang also says that Valve is still aiming for competitive pricing on the Steam Machine: "You know, it's unavoidable that it will impact basically anything we make that has any of those parts in them. So we're doing our best to make sure that we can make the product and have it still available at as good and competitive a price as we can." It also seems as though Valve didn't expect the memory price hikes and shortages to be quite so steep and severe, as Cardinali explains that "you're, like, right there, and then you have this whole challenge thrown at you last minute. It's frustrating. But yeah, we're working our hardest to get resolution there." Yang also commented that, even though it was expected that all three hardware products would launch around the same time, Valve knew that the Controller might launch ahead of the Frame and Machine, stating that "we knew that there was some chance that schedules would move, and we would just ship them when they were ready," and he again confirms that Valve was not prepared to launch the Steam Machine without launching the controller first or at the same time.

Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd., a global leader in high-performance computer hardware, is excited to announce the official launch of its Z890 PLUS series motherboards. Engineered to maximize the value and power of the new Intel Core Ultra 200S Plus series processors, this lineup, led by the high-value Z890 AORUS ELITE PLUS, delivers a significant leap in gaming performance without the premium price tag.

High-Value Performance for Every Gamer
The Z890 PLUS series is specifically designed for enthusiasts who prioritize performance-per-dollar. By focusing on models like the Z890 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 PLUS, Gigabyte provides a feature-rich platform that supports the latest high-performance processors. Internal testing against Intel 14th Gen CPUs reveals that these new processors offer up to 28% better gaming performance. In separate internal benchmarks, the series also demonstrates up to 35% better productivity performance compared to the previous generation. These distinct improvements make the PLUS series the ideal choice for both modern competitive gaming and intensive creative workloads.

It seems we are not too far from the next-generation Double Data Rate 6 (DDR6) memory for desktops and servers, as memory manufacturers are working with JEDEC to establish a new standard. According to South Korean media outlet The Elec, major memory makers such as SK hynix, Samsung, and Micron have reportedly begun designing DDR6 in their labs and are gradually coordinating module development with substrate manufacturers. This collaborative effort is taking place under the supervision of JEDEC, the industry authority that oversees standard development and ensures a common foundation for design. Manufacturers could have accessed JEDEC's first DDR6 draft since 2024, but the draft still lacks concrete specifications such as finalized voltage ranges, signal usage, power envelopes, and pinout design. However, this is expected to change as manufacturers are now accelerating standard development.

Last year, we reported that the major players mentioned above had already moved past the prototype stages and embarked on rigorous validation cycles. Perhaps the most interesting aspect is the designated throughput of 8,800 MT/s, with plans to scale up to a staggering 17,600 MT/s, nearly doubling the ceiling of today's DDR5. This increase is driven by DDR6's 4×24-bit sub-channel architecture, which requires entirely new approaches to signal integrity. It also differs from DDR5's current 2x32-bit sub-channel structure. To overcome the physical limits faced by DIMM form factors at higher speeds, the industry is betting on CAMM2 technology. Early indications suggest that server platforms will lead the change, with high-end notebooks following once manufacturing ramps up.

Intel Corporation today announced two key leadership appointments to strengthen its core product business and advance the company's innovation agenda.

Alex Katouzian Appointed to Lead Client Computing & Physical AI Group
Alex Katouzian will join Intel as executive vice president and general manager of the Client Computing and Physical AI Group. In this role, Katouzian will align Intel's client computing business with emerging physical AI systems that span robotics, autonomous machines, and other AI devices.

Intel today released its latest Arc GPU graphics drivers with the version 101.8737 Beta brining new game-ready support for two new releases, including an RPG game Heros of Might & Magic Olden Era, as well as Neverness to Everness open world title. What is perhaps the most interesting thing with this beta driver release is the series of fixed issues in the Pragmata game with DirectX 12 API, which resulted in application crashes when loading into game menu on Intel Arc GPUs. This used to occur on everything from "Panther Lake," "Lunar Lake," and "Meteor Lake" integrated graphics, all the way to discrete Arc "Alchemist" and "Battlemage" solutions. Now the problem is resolved, but some issues remain. For example, Fortnite might crash on "Wildcat Lake" systems during launch, and discrete GPUs might experience some graphics corruption in games like Call of Duty Black Ops 6 and Dune: Awakening. For a full list of known issues, check out the changelog below.DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc Graphics Driver 101.8737 Beta.

The Windows 11 install base seems to be expanding, contradicting the overall sentiment surrounding Microsoft's highly controversial operating system. According to the latest Steam Hardware and Software Survey results from April, Windows 11 now accounts for 67.74% of the Steam gamer base, marking an increase of 0.89% from March. This growth comes at the expense of the remaining two operating systems noted in the Steam survey, primarily Linux and macOS. Interestingly, the April data suggests that Linux-based operating systems now stand at 4.52%, a significant 0.81% decrease from March. Most Linux distributions saw a decline in user share, with only Debian Linux, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, and Fedora Linux 43 recording a meaningful uptick. The rest experienced a decline in April, indicating some market-wide corrections among gamers worldwide.

For Windows, both Windows 11 and Windows 10, which reached end of life back in October 2025, recorded increases, and the overall share of Windows-based gaming PCs grew by 1.14% in April. Now, Windows accounts for 93.47% of all gaming PCs, meaning that Linux and macOS remain relatively small compared to the dominance of Microsoft's OS. Especially among gamers, switching to a different OS seems problematic, despite recent growth rates. Even as Windows 11 has its own issues, the majority of gamers remain on the platform because it offers the best game compatibility and the lowest learning curve of all the mentioned platforms.

Asustor Inc. today is announcing that it will unveil a range of new products at Computex 2026 in Taipei, to showcase its superior network storage prowress with numerous models in addition to its award winning lineup of network storage solutions.

Flashstor Gen3 Series - Flagship Flash NAS for Creators with Optional AI
The all-flash NAS, highly praised by professional photographers and video creators, is receiving a significant upgrade. The new Flashstor Gen3 series is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 8640U Six-Core processor, providing 16 TOPs of AI computing power.

AMD's upcoming APU refresh with the Ryzen AI Max 400 series is divided into "Gorgon Point" and "Gorgon Halo." Today, we see one of the first "Gorgon Halo" APUs appearing in online benchmark databases. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 495 "Gorgon Halo" APU, featuring 16 cores and 32 threads based on the current "Zen 5" CPU architecture, has landed in the PassMark testing database. These cores can reach a boost frequency of up to 5.2 GHz, which is about a 100 MHz improvement over the current "Strix Halo" APU generation. Complementing the CPU setup is the RDNA 3.5 GPU architecture, now in the form of a Radeon 8065S, which appears to be an overclocked version of the current Radeon 8060S. This new Radeon 8065S iGPU runs at 3.0 GHz, while the current Radeon 8060S runs at about 2.9 GHz. No increase in cores is expected here, and the "Gorgon Halo's" integrated graphics should continue with the 40 RDNA 3.5 CUs.

In terms of performance, AMD has managed to achieve better efficiency thanks to the higher boost frequency. PassMark's comparisons now list the new Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 495 "Gorgon Halo" APU as about 4% ahead in multicore and about 3% in single-core benchmarks compared to the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 395 "Strix Halo" APU. Another significant aspect is the integrated memory configuration. With the previous "Strix Halo," the maximum memory configuration was 128 GB, while the latest "Gorgon Point" shows 192 GB of LPDDR5X memory, suggesting that AMD has updated its integrated memory controller to increase the maximum memory capacity.

Welcome to May and this month kicks off with several new games from independent developers. This week's major release is all about navigating the great white north, in more ways than one. The week kicks off with a different take on the tower defence genre, followed by a game that combines disco and beat 'em up. Next up we have an online co-op action RPG which is followed by one that isn't online and finally we round the week off with some crab evolution. Don't forget to check out some of the other games also launching this week.

WILL: Follow The Light / This week's major release / Thursday 7 May
WILL: Follow The Light is a story-driven, first-person adventure puzzle game about a perilous personal journey through the harsh northern latitudes. To find peace and reunite with his family, Will must sail across endless waters, face numerous challenges, and ultimately discover himself. Steam link

If readers recall, AMD has been trying to get the HDMI Forum, the governing body behind the development of the HDMI standard, to approve open-source HDMI 2.1 support on Linux but faced strong rejection. However, today the situation appears to be different. An AMD Linux developer hinted that the company is preparing full HDMI 2.1 support for the AMDGPU driver, bringing a complete open-source implementation after years of work. Helping this effort is Valve, whose Steam Machine runs on the SteamOS Linux operating system and uses AMD graphics. Late last year, we reported that Valve was reportedly attempting to persuade the HDMI Forum to approve AMD's efforts to bring this implementation to the open-source Linux stack, but we haven't received an update since.

Today, the situation looks a bit different as AMD has submitted the first set of Linux kernel patches, focusing on the Fixed Rate Link (FRL) feature, exclusive to the HDMI 2.1 standard. This feature enables higher bandwidth over the port, effectively supporting 4K at 120 Hz and 5K at 240 Hz resolutions on AMD GPUs running Linux-based operating systems. As these resolutions require higher data bandwidth, it is necessary to use the newer HDMI 2.1 standard over the currently supported HDMI 2.0 in AMDGPU open-source graphics drivers.

Commodore has announced the C64C Ultimate, a new variant of its well-received Commodore 64 Ultimate edition from 2025 that swaps the original 1982 "bread-bin" case for the sleeker C64C form factor introduced in 1986. The standout detail here is the case manufacturing. Commodore tracked down and reacquired the original injection molds used to produce the C64C plastic housing back in the '80s. The tooling has had quite a journey. Originally used in Japan, then at Commodore's Pennsylvania and Dallas operations, the molds were discovered at auction in 2014, survived a factory fire, and eventually ended up at Individual Computers before Commodore bought them back from IComp.de. The cases produced from these molds even carry the original subtle flow marks caused by a two-point plastic cooling pattern from the 1986 production run, an unintentional quirk that Commodore is now treating as a mark of authenticity.

Under the hood, the C64C Ultimate is identical to the existing "bread-bin" model, FPGA-based, cycle-accurate C64 emulation, bundled demos and games, and a spiral-bound user guide covering everything from basic use to BASIC programming. Three editions are available for pre-order with shipping expected in late 2026. The standard BASIC Beige is $299.99, the Starlight Edition adds a translucent case with game-reactive LED lighting at $349.99, and the Founder's Edition goes all out with PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) gold keycaps, 24k gold-plated badges, and a translucent white case at $499.99. Commodore says that this announcement is the first of several new products planned for 2026.

Microsoft has published an updated support document outlining what the company believes the best Windows 11 gaming PC systems have in common. Among the listed specifications, Microsoft makes an interesting note about the system's RAM capacity configuration. The document suggests that 16 GB is a baseline for a modern PC, describing it as a good "starting point." However, the company recommends that gamers aim to surpass this baseline, as it now suggests 32 GB as a "no worries" upgrade for gaming PCs. This higher RAM capacity makes running multiple workloads much easier, which is naturally true, but raises question about the feasibility of Microsoft's future plans to bring more optimizations to the operating system.

Most TechPowerUp readers are PC enthusiasts who understand how a RAM-limited system performs and know that more RAM is almost always better. However, in an era where the DRAM shortage is making it difficult for enthusiasts to easily buy more RAM, many are turning to more optimized operating systems like Linux-based distributions or even macOS, which is an entirely different platform. Microsoft now recommends a 32 GB capacity, stating it "helps if you run Discord, browsers, or streaming tools alongside your games." The extra memory also provides newer titles with more breathing room as memory demands continue to rise. This might also indicate that Microsoft's operating system is more RAM-hungry these days than it used to be, during a challenging time for RAM upgrades.

Arch Linux has released its May 2026 ISO snapshot, version 2026.05.01, the first Arch ISO to ship with the Linux 7.0 kernel series, version 7.0.3 to be more precise. The new kernel brings improved hardware detection, particularly useful on newer machines but also on older hardware where previous ISOs sometimes failed to detect certain components. Linux 6.18.25 LTS is still available for those who prefer to remain on the long-term support branch. The updated Archinstall 4.3 installer introduces a new "Additional Fonts" section in the Applications menu. From there, users can pick from Noto Unicode for broad language coverage, Noto Emoji for color emoji support in browsers and apps, and Noto CJK variants for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean characters. The installer now also automatically enables power management services after package installation, fixes bugs with encrypted partition selection and file copying, and adds a completed Hindi translation locale.

On the desktop side, KDE gets updated to Plasma 6.6.4 with KDE Frameworks 6.25 and KDE Gear 26.04, while GNOME is at version 50.1 across Shell, Mutter, and core components. Other environments include Cinnamon 6.6.8, Hyprland 0.54.3, and COSMIC 1.0.11. Graphics and audio come through Mesa 26.0.6, PipeWire 1.6.4 and BlueZ 5.86. Firefox 150, LibreOffice 26.2.3 and Blender 5.1.1 are among the updated apps in this new Arch Linux ISO snapshot. Worth mentioning that this is not a reinstallation situation for existing Arch users, a full system upgrade getting everything from the new ISO. The snapshot is mainly useful as a current starting point for fresh installs, with all packages updated through April 2026.

AMD previewed its Ryzen AI Halo mini-PC during the CES 2026 showcase, and the machine is set to be released as soon as June arrives. According to a Reddit user, AMD presented a Ryzen AI Halo box during AMD AI Dev Day, showcasing the system in its full glory. This machine is powered by a Ryzen AI Max 395+ APU, featuring a 16-core/32-thread "Zen 5" CPU, a large integrated GPU based on the RDNA 3.5 graphics architecture with 40 compute units, and a Microsoft Copilot+ ready NPU with 50 TOPS. It supports up to 128 GB of unified LPDDR5X memory, is compatible with Windows 11 and Linux, and comes with pre-loaded AI models optimized for the hardware. At the AI Dev Day, AMD demonstrated the device running on the Ubuntu operating system, which is likely to be the preferred OS for many AI developers targeted by this system.

AMD has developed an innovative cooling solution for the "Strix Halo" SoC, which includes a baseplate, a network of direct-touch flat heatpipes, an aluminium channel heatsink, and two lateral airflow blowers. AMD stated that the Ryzen AI Halo AI developer platform will be available from Q2 2026 which matches this supposed June launch. Interestingly, the price of this 128 GB model remains unknown, which is the biggest mystery, but don't expect it to come cheap. Below are some of the first real-life pictures, showcasing the design illuminated by a programmable RGB strip surrounding the box.

Chinese Board Channels now confirm that NVIDIA's upcoming resurrection of the GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB edition will take place in June, with many of NVIDIA's existing add-in-card (AIC) partners assisting in relaunching this five-year-old GPU. Interestingly, there are rumors that the recently integrated GALAX within the Palit group will be among these partners. Other AIC partners include NVIDIA's usual launch partners like ASUS, Colorful, and MSI. It will be interesting to see whether these AIC partners design new PCBs for the GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB relaunch or use their older designs, which they probably stopped producing years ago. We have already reported that NVIDIA is reintroducing the GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB SKU with a 192-bit wide memory bus.

For this, NVIDIA will once again use Samsung's 8 nm DUV node, as it has in the past. The entire NVIDIA "Ampere" architecture lineup was produced on the 8 nm DUV node, and its return after several years was unexpected. We also reported that the rumored RTX 5050 9 GB edition is reportedly on hold, as NVIDIA is pausing the transition from its 8 GB RTX 5050 "Blackwell" version to a 9 GB model due to the reintroduction of the GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB "Ampere" GPU. Since both of these GPUs compete in the budget segment, the company will reportedly only release the older GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB SKU as its primary entry-level design.

Austrian fan maker Noctua has published a technical blog explaining why it sometimes takes a long time for the company to release the dark-edition chromax.black fans after the initial beige and brown design is out. The company compares the level of engineering required for a new color code to painting a Formula 1 car, rather than a simple color change like you would typically do with a wooden fence. Noctua is known for its scientific testing, rigorous performance evaluations, highly detailed lab experiments, and more, which make its fans worthwhile. This has created a massive fan base within the enthusiast community over the years, who now eagerly await each new product release. When it comes to manufacturing, the company applies that same rigor everywhere, and a simple color change is not taken lightly. For example, Noctua produces its fans using injection molding, where plastic is melted and forced into a steel mold. However, when a new pigment is used, the entire calculation can be disrupted.

Noctua designs its fans with high precision to maximize airflow performance. This means that blade impellers have a tip clearance before hitting the fan frame of only a few tenths of a millimeter, about 0.5 mm for 120 mm fans and about 0.7 mm for 140 mm fans. Introducing any third-party pigment into this process could disrupt the structure of this fan tip clearance and potentially interfere with Noctua's Sterrox liquid-crystal polymer (LCP) material used in its fans. Specifically, color pigments have particles that directly affect how the injection mold behaves, as they carry their own particle imperfections. This negatively impacts the hundreds of thousands of performance tests that Noctua conducts in the lab and significantly delays the chromax.black product launch.

Brad Lynch, the same VR industry insider who revealed that Valve was preparing for the Steam Controller launch just two weeks before the controller actually launched, has just revealed in a post on X that Valve may be preparing to launch the Steam Machine in the coming weeks. Like last time with the Steam Controller, it seems as though Valve has been receiving "a ton of 'Game Consoles'" in the US in recent weeks, according to recent shipping manifests. According to Lynch, Valve is stocking its US distribution warehouses, indicating that it is preparing whatever it is importing for an imminent batch of orders.

Admittedly, the shipping manifests simply list the imported hardware as "Game Consoles," so it could also be referring to something like the Steam Deck. However, there are no upcoming large-scale shopping, holidays, or regular discount periods, like Black Friday, that Valve would need to increase Steam Deck supply in order to prepare for. It's also entirely possible that this is around the time Valve had originally planned to ship the Steam Machine, and it is simply following the plan to make logistics and storage cheaper by keeping the hardware in its own warehouses where it already pays for space.

A new looter shooter set in an alternate timeline Wild West, titled "Far Far West," launched on Steam in Early Access, and, but a day after launch, the game has rocketed to second place in Steam's Top Sellers chart, which measures game performance based on revenue earned. That is in spite of its $19.99 launch pricing and 10% launch discount—or maybe it's because of the fairly aggressive pricing. According to SteamDB, the game has peaked at 30,288 concurrent players the day after it launched, which is solid performance for a mid-week launch of a new indie IP from a small studio. Far Far West also seems to sit well with gamers, with an Overwhelmingly Positive 98% review rating on Steam.

The game mixes traditional Western aesthetics and co-op looter shooter mechanics with fantasy elements, like magic and monsters. The game sees players, in teams of up to four, take on bounties to hunt down dangerous foes in the Far Far West. The game offers in-depth customization of weapons, spells, and abilities, and the developer's Early Access roadmap promises a healthy helping of new content in the coming months. The plans include new spells, weapons, melee weapons, in-game events, new objectives, improved replayability, and weekly challenges, among others.

With retail leaks revealing a new MSI Claw handheld slated to arrive soon with Intel's Arc G3 Extreme dedicated handheld CPU onboard, it's no surprise to see the CPU, and its Arc B380 iGPU, appear in early benchmarks. According to a recent PassMark run, the Intel Arc G3 Extreme will put up impressive numbers in terms of both CPU and GPU performance, with multicore CPU tests resulting in 29,622 points and single-core tests coming in at 4,288 points.

In comparison, the AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme that has become ubiquitous in the handheld gaming space, manages 23,649 in multicore CPU testing and 3,964 points in single-core tests—just over 20% slower than Intel's upcoming chip. To be fair, the TDP of the 14-core Intel chip during the test is unknown, and performance at lower power has been one of Intel's weaknesses when it comes to gaming handhelds. GPU tests have not yet been recorded by PassMark, but the Arc B380 is slated to be built on the same 12-core Xe3 silicon with a minor 200 MHz decrease in GPU clock, so performance is expected to be quite similar to the Arc B390, which we tested to be significantly faster than AMD's Radeon 890M.

Microsoft has officially announced a Spring 2026 Game Dev Update event scheduled for May 7 at 18:00 UTC. This is a new event by Microsoft—likely part of its new initiative to make Xbox more welcoming to developers, as promised by CEO Asha Sharma recently—and the company will show off a host of updates to projects like DirectX, DirectStorage, Xbox developer tools, and the future of the Xbox Marketplace. Most importantly for consumers, though, Xbox will give us our next look at the upcoming Xbox Helix game console, slated to launch somewhere around late 2027 to 2028.

The Xbox Helix update will cover "details shared at GDC, offering a closer look at Project Helix and what it represents for the future of Xbox," so we may find out more about how Microsoft plans to integrate the more PC-centric features of the Xbox Helix. It seems unlikely that we'll hear anything material about pricing or exact hardware or performance at the event though. Further, Xbox may provide more details about how it plans to handle things like Xbox exclusives in future console generations. The event will be streamed on the Microsoft Game Dev YouTube channel.

Microsoft has so far been mum on the prospect of new Surface hardware featuring Intel's Panther Lake CPUs, although leakers have started reporting that that's exactly what is on the horizon, mere weeks ahead of the supposed launch date. Now, we have two Geekbench listings backing up those early leak and revealing two versions of an upcoming Microsoft Surface Pro 12 and a new Surface Laptop 8 (via Notebookcheck). The two Surface Pro 12 variants, which will be thin-and-light convertible devices, be available with both the Intel Core Ultra 5 325 and Core Ultra 5 335 CPUs, which are both eight-core chips with a small 100 MHz difference in clock speed. It also looks as though the Pro 12 will be available with up to 32 GB of memory.

According to the leaks, the new Surface Laptop 8 will follow the standard 13-inch laptop form factor we've come to expect from Microsoft and come with both the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H, with Intel's Arc B390 iGPU, and the Core Ultra 7 366H CPU, which features the much less powerful four-core iGPU. The now-removed Geekbench listing lists a single-core score of 2,833 points and a multicore score of 16,368 points, and the new Laptop 8 will feature 32 GB of LPDDR5-8532 memory. The same spec options are expected for the 15-inch version of the 8th-gen Surface Laptop 13. An exact release date has not yet been declared, but a mid-May launch seems likely, according to WinFuture.

Microsoft has just announced a new set of features coming to the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally handheld gaming PCs, addressing game quality, docked mode quality-of-life, Game Bar improvements, and more. The most notable improvement coming to the ROG Xbox Ally is Auto Super Resolution, or Auto SR, which is now in Preview in the Xbox Game Bar. Auto SR, as the name suggests, is a similar to AMD and NVIDIA's FSR and DLSS, allowing game upscaling to increase frame rates without losing image quality. On the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X, Auto SR is only available in docked mode for now, where it will automatically upscale the game's image to deliver a sharper image, fit for a bigger screen, when docked to something like a TV. This should effectively make for a smoother transition between gaming on the TV and in handheld mode, since you won't have to change resolution or upscaling settings when plugging the ROG Xbox Ally in. Microsoft has an in-depth blog explaining Auto SR in more detail.

[Editor's note: Our in-depth review of the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X is now live]

Aside from Auto SR, the ROG Xbox Ally also gets the gamepad cursor we previously covered, streamlined controller pairing for docked play, a display widget in Game Bar, where you can quickly adjust display settings, and a handful of automatic enhancements for smart TVs. For starters, when players connect to an external display or TV, the ROG Xbox Ally will now turn off the built-in screen and default to the TV for output. If the connected TV happens to be a smart TV from Samsung, LG, or Vizio, the ROG Xbox Ally will automatically enable certain features on the TV, like Auto Low Latency Mode, Auto Game Mode, or Game/PC Mode. The library consolidation features we previously covered have also officially been added to the Xbox PC App, allowing you to use the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally in handheld mode exclusively if you would like to.

Not long after Subnautica 2 studio, Unknown Worlds, ditched Krafton as its publisher, the development outfit has officially announced the Early Access release date for Subnautica 2. According to a new Early Access release cinematic trailer, Subnautica will officially launch on May 14, 2026 in Early Access on Steam and Epic Games and in Preview on the Xbox Game Store, and pricing is set at $29.99 during the Early Access period, with regional pricing applicable, too.

The release date trailer also gives us a glimpse at some of the alien life that players will encounter in Subnautica 2, including giant carnivorous clams and airborne molluscs that hang in the air somewhat eerily. The announcement follows a long legal battle after Krafton attempted to wrest control of Unknown Worlds away from its CEO and founders, seemingly as part of a bid to avoid paying the studio a bonus for hitting its target launch date. So far, this legal battle has culminated in Unknown Worlds's CEO, Ted Gill, being reinstated and taking over the Subnautica 2 announcement. The Subnautica 2 Early Access Release date trailer follows.

Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2026 second quarter ended March 28, 2026. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $111.2 billion, up 17 percent year over year. Diluted earnings per share was $2.01, up 22 percent year over year.

"Today Apple is proud to report our best March quarter ever, with revenue of $111.2 billion and double-digit growth across every geographic segment," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "iPhone achieved a March quarter revenue record, fueled by such extraordinary demand for the iPhone 17 lineup. During the quarter, Services achieved yet another all-time record, and we were excited to introduce remarkable new products to our strongest lineup ever. That included the addition of the iPhone 17e and the M4-powered iPad Air, along with the launch of MacBook Neo, which is captivating customers all around the world."

PMM, the mouse mod company, has announced the latest iteration of its Razer Viper V3 Pro mod, which replaces the shell of the Viper V3 Pro with a 3D printed, carbon fiber-reinforced nylon shell in order to bring the weight down. Like the original Zen mod, Zen 2.0 brings the weight down to as little as 33 g if you opt for the wireless version, but with the pre-built version of the Zen 2.0, the mod is also available with three different lightweight batteries, offering wireless connectivity for an additional 3-5 g. The PMM Zen 2.0 mod itself—that is to say, just the 3D printed shell with PTFE skates, grip tape, tools, a 150 mAh battery, and two carbon fiber reinforcement rods—comes in at $132, while the pre-built version starts at $317. The pricing obviously makes this something that appeals almost exclusively to enthusiasts and highly dedicated esports gamers.

[Editor's note: Our in-depth review of the Razer Viper V3 Pro is now live]

The Zen 2.0 mod kit replaces the original Zen on the PMM store, and PMM claims to have addressed many of the shortcomings of the original Zen with the new version, including click quality, sturdiness, and platforms for the mouse skates. Zen 2 is also only available with the smooth, grippy UltraGrip 3.0 coating and with either solid sides and holes in the rest of the body or as an entirely solid shell, which again increases the weight by 2 g. This means that if you want a solid shell with a 150 mAh for wireless connectivity, you're looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of 38 g total weight, which is still an improvement over the Razer Viper V3 Pro's original 60 g weight.

Sandisk Corporation (Nasdaq: SNDK) today reported fiscal third quarter financial results.

"This quarter marks a fundamental inflection point for Sandisk—where our technology leadership is enabling a deliberate shift in our mix toward the highest-value end markets, led by Datacenter," said David Goeckeler, CEO of Sandisk. "We are also advancing to a new business model built on multi-year customer engagements backed by firm financial commitments. Together, this transformation is driving structurally higher and more durable earnings power," continued Mr. Goeckeler. "With a zero-debt balance sheet, strong cash generation, and a recently authorized share repurchase program, we are positioned to deliver substantial long-term value creation for our shareholders."

Western Digital Corporation (Nasdaq: WDC) today reported fiscal third quarter 2026 financial results for the period ended April 3, 2026.

"WD started calendar year 2026 with great execution, driving strong sequential and year-over-year revenue growth in all our end markets, while expanding gross and operating margins. Gross margin exceeded 50%, reflecting our continued delivery of innovation across an expanding set of customers. Given our confidence in the durability of our business, we are also announcing a 20% increase in the quarterly cash dividend on the company's common stock to $0.15 per share," said Irving Tan, CEO of WD. "The demand drivers are clear: Virtually every AI workload, from training, inference, agentic AI to physical AI, creates data that is stored persistently and cost-efficiently on HDDs."

Remedy Entertainment revealed Control Resonant near the end of 2025, later revealing that the sequel to the atmospheric, sci-fi, third-person action-adventure shooter would launch around Q2 2026. Now, presumably in the lead-up to the official launch of Resonant, Remedy has shown off some of what's to come in the game's New Game Plus gameplay. According to the PlayStation Blog post, Remedy will rely on more than just more power and increased damage counters for the New Game Plus gameplay, instead giving players more control over their builds in order to face off against more challenging enemies.

Instead, in Control Resonant, when players have finished the game and start a new playthrough in the same save, the game changes how the player and enemies interact, but players keep many of the upgrades they've earned—Aberrant upgrades, health improvements, supernatural abilities, talents, and artifacts will all still be there. "One of the goals for New Game Plus is to give players more room to experiment with builds that weren't possible during the first playthrough, as you cannot unlock everything in your arsenal in one go," Remedy explains. For starters, the player character has an extra artifact slot that allows for both increased damage output and more build diversity, and players will be able to equip more than one combat ability from the same boss for new synergies. The game also unlocks more artifacts and crafting options, making it easier to adapt builds to different scenarios and tougher enemies.

JEDEC Solid State Technology Association, the global leader in standards development for the microelectronics industry, today announced milestones from its JC-40 and JC-45 Committees for Logic and DRAM Modules: the publication of a new DDR5 multiplexed rank data buffer (MDB) standard; progress toward a multiplexed rank registering clock driver (MRCD) standard; and continued work on the DDR5 multiplexed rank DIMM (MRDIMM) Gen 2 roadmap to enable higher-bandwidth DDR5 MRDIMM designs.

• Published: JESD82-552 (DDR5MDB02) Multiplexed Rank Data Buffer
• Expected soon: JESD82-542 (DDR5MRCD02) Multiplexed Rank Registering Clock Driver
• In progress: MRDIMM Gen 2 module standard nearing completion
• In development: Gen 2 DDR5 MRDIMM raw card designs targeting 12,800 MT/s and MRDIMM Gen 3 module standard development, with the underlying memory interface logic nearing finalization

After rumors swirled, Spiders, the French game studio known for making GreedFall and its successor, GreedFall: The Dying World, has officially announced that it will close down under liquidation. The studio made the announcement in a recent post to Bluesky, confirming that the company will "cease our functions immediately," and that Nacon, the studio's former parent company, would be responsible for any future support inquiries for Spiders's games. Spiders also confirmed that Nacon would be releasing the final planned Peren's Black Mass DLC for GreedFall: The Dying World on May 14, but there will likely be no other development or content added to GreedFall: The Dying World after that. The full announcement by Spiders reads:

Hello everyone,
First off, we apologise for the silence over the past month - it's been a while.
We're going to cut straight to the chase so you're not left wondering: After a long period without clear answers, we have received confirmation that Spiders is being liquidated.

What does it mean? This means the company as a whole no longer exists. We'll cease our functions immediately. The planned DLC will release via Nacon, and then-- well, that's it.

We're sorry that it's come to this and would like to thank each and every one of you for your support over the years. If you have any questions or run into issues with your games, please contact Nacon directly as we'll no longer be able to reply.

One of the biggest pain points of the Nintendo Switch 2 is that it still uses the drift-prone conventional analogue joysticks in the Joy-Cons. Now, GuliKit has revealed that it is working on a set of replacement joysticks for the Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Cons, utilizing TMR (tunnel magnetoresistance) tech instead of traditional potentiometers. GuliKit already makes joystick upgrades for the likes of the PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series, and Switch Pro controllers, as well as for the original Switch Joy-Cons. The benefits of TMR include reduced wear, resistance to drift, and improved sensing accuracy. Pricing and a launch date for the upgrade kit have not yet been revealed, but GuliKit says that the upgrade kit is "coming soon."

Like the old Joy-Con upgrade kits, you will need to disassemble the Switch 2's Joy-Cons to install the upgraded TMR sticks. Fortunately, it will be a drop-in kit, meaning it will not require any soldering or specific tools other than what is necessary to tear down the Joy-Cons. Judging by the iFixit teardown of the Switch 2 Joy-Cons, you will need at least an opening pick and an electronics screwdriver set to open and install the GuliKit upgrade kit.

MSI's Claw line-up of gaming handhelds has gone from being overpriced and underperforming in the original Intel-powered Claw 8 A1M to being widely regarded as solid performers in both the new AMD- and Intel-powered variants. Now, however, an Italian retail listing on Ollo Store has tipped an updated version of the Intel-powered Claw handheld, this time appearing as the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ for a price of €1,599, which is €300 more than the current-gen Claw 8 AI+ A2VM with the same memory and storage specs on the same site.

[Editor's note: Our in-depth review of the MSI Claw 8 AI+ A2VM can be found here]

The new Claw 8 EX AI+ will feature Intel's new Arc G3 Extreme CPU, which has been reported to be a 14-core (2× P-Core, 8× E-Core, 4× LPE-Core) CPU. The G3 Extreme's graphics will rely on the Intel Arc B380 iGPU, which is slated to have 12 Xe3 cores at 2.3 GHz. The only real difference between the B390 and the B380 is the GPU core clocks, which are 200 MHz lower on the B380, so performance shouldn't be too far off what we've seen on the flagship Intel Core Ultra X9 388H in our recent Intel Panther Lake review. The rest of the Claw 8 EX AI+ looks to be pretty standard fare for MSI's gaming handhelds these days, with 32 GB of RAM, an 8-inch, 16:10 IPS display with 500 nits of brightness and 100% sRGB coverage, an 80 WHr battery, Wi-Fi 7, and an included carrying case.

Razer today announced the availability of two new configurations of the Razer Blade 16, expanding its flagship ultraportable gaming laptop lineup with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 Laptop GPU options paired with a new 64 GB memory tier. The new models join the previously announced RTX 5080 and 5090 32 GB configurations and are available now, exclusively at Razer.com and select RazerStores.

Pricing and availability for the new Razer Blade 16 (2026) configurations:

• Razer Blade 16 with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU | 64 GB LPDDR5X-9600 MHz | $4,699.99 USD
• Razer Blade 16 with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU | 64 GB LPDDR5X-9600 MHz | $5,599.99 USD

LIAN LI Industrial Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of chassis and PC accessories, announces the VECTOR V150 INF, a compact microATX chassis featuring a tempered glass infinity-mirror front panel, two pre-installed 140 mm ARGB PWM front fans, and a 120 mm rear fan. The V150 INF delivers both visual impact and effective cooling out of the box. A built-in hub enables fan and lighting control via standard motherboard software or Wireless mode, which, when paired with an L-Wireless controller (sold separately), allows full customization through L-Connect 3. Inside, a customizable side bracket offers a choice between additional cooling or expanded storage, while a pre-installed adjustable GPU anti-sag bracket ensures stable support for modern graphics cards. With support for standard and back-connect microATX motherboards, 400 mm of GPU clearance, and clean cable management, the V150 INF provides a refined and visually striking platform for compact gaming builds.

Infinity Mirror Design with Precision Airflow
The VECTOR V150 INF features a tempered glass front panel with a built-in infinity mirror, creating a strong, immersive visual effect. The panel includes precision-cutouts for the two pre-installed 140 mm front fans, ensuring direct airflow intake. These intakes are protected by removable mesh filters that can be easily detached by turning them left and pulling away, making maintenance simple and tool-free

StarTech.com, a global provider of performance connectivity solutions for IT professionals, announces the launch of its Driverless Dual 4K USB4 Universal Docking Station (208N-USB4-DOCK), an industry-first solution designed to deliver driverless dual-display support for MacBook users while enabling seamless compatibility across Windows and Linux laptops.

The new dock gives IT teams a single solution to standardize across their entire fleet. Native driverless compatibility removes the need for software installation, eliminating common deployment challenges and ensuring consistent performance across Mac, Windows, and Linux environments.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer, the high-stakes, runs-based Star Wars racing adventure, will be inviting budding pilots to shunt, slam, and takedown their rivals when the game launches on October 6th, 2026. Pre-orders open today, with digital Standard and Deluxe Editions, as well as a physical Collector's Edition, available across PlayStation 5 (PS5), Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Physical Standard and Deluxe Editions will also be available on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Pricing begins at an SRP of $59.99/£49.99/€59.99 for the Standard Edition.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer invites race fans to join the Galactic League, an unsanctioned racing circuit born in the lawless Outer Rim of the Star Wars galaxy. Step into the cockpit as mysterious pilot Shade in a thrilling singleplayer campaign where alliances will be forged, rivalries reignited, and old grudges will be settled. Experiment with your build strategies across three distinct styles of repulsorcraft to create your ultimate vehicle. Get behind the controls of podracers and put your skills to the test in this iconic vehicle class. Take your talents online in exciting multiplayer races to prove yourself as an elite racing pilot. No Force. No prophecy. Just skill, strategy, and the will to rise.

Hooded Horse, Unfrozen Studio, and Ubisoft are excited to share that the highly anticipated turn-based strategy game Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is out now in early access for PC via Steam, the Microsoft Store (via Game Preview), and PC Game Pass.

The first new Heroes of Might and Magic game in over ten years, this next entry is made for series veterans and newcomers alike, built on the familiar foundations of one of the most critically acclaimed strategy series of all time. Engage in strategic empire building, epic turn-based tactical battles, and in-depth RPG mechanics, all while exploring a vibrant land brimming with secrets and dangers.

The trumpets of war ring out with praise for the latest instalment of the WWII real-time strategy game, Sudden Strike 5. Following the global release on April 23, the first wave of critics has hailed the game as a worthy successor, commending the development team at Kite Games for faithfully carrying forward the spirit of the series. Publisher Kalypso Media and Kite Games are proud to share these early reactions as players across the globe experience the game firsthand.

DualShockers commends the newest iteration of the franchise for preserving the Sudden Strike experience and carrying forward its long-standing tradition - "the Sudden Strike series has established itself as one of the best real-time strategy titles available, and Sudden Strike 5 keeps this legacy alive and well."

AV Access, a global leader in Pro AV and conferencing devices, proudly unveils the iDock B23, the newest flagship model in its iDock series. Engineered for competitive gamers and streamers who demand uncompromising visual performance, the iDock B23 delivers 8K @ 60 Hz output, triple-monitor support, and a 12-in-1 docking design—making it an all-in-one solution for high-refresh-rate gaming, live streaming, and seamless switching between devices.

"Professional gamers and creators often struggle with complex setups, cable clutter, and the need to switch between multiple systems," said Bill Liao, CTO of AV Access. "The iDock B23 solves these challenges by combining triple-monitor output, 8K clarity, and a full docking station into one streamlined device."

Today, HP Inc. announced new additions to its HyperX portfolio, designed to give players control, personalization, and comfort. Built for how you play, the new lineup introduces the HyperX Clutch Talon Controller, the HyperX Cloud Stinger 3 headset family, and enhanced HyperX NGENUITY software -empowering gamers to fine-tune their setup and perform their best across platforms.

HyperX solutions prioritize combining player experience and machine performance to unlock maximum potential. With a continued focus on performance, personalization and play, NGENUITY software and the latest peripherals deliver precision, flexibility, and reliability players need to stay competitive and connected.

LG Electronics USA today announced U.S. availability for its 2026 LG gram laptop lineup. All four new series of laptops—LG gram Pro, LG gram Pro 2-in-1, LG gram and LG gram Book—are now available at LG.com and LG-authorized retailers. To celebrate the 2026 lineup launch, LG is offering a 1-year Premium Care service plan on select LG gram laptops for only $1 until May 10, 2026.

Powered by next-generation Intel Core Ultra and AMD Ryzen AI processors, the 2026 gram lineup combines ultra-light portability, military-grade durability and Dual AI capabilities for professionals, creators, students and everyday users.

Samsung Electronics today introduced Galaxy Book6 Enterprise Edition, the first Galaxy Book designed specifically for an enterprise environment. Powered by the latest Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors with Intel vPro, Galaxy Book6 Enterprise Edition combines the reliable performance, security and manageability required for modern enterprise environments.

"Galaxy Book6 Enterprise Edition marks an important step in expanding the Galaxy Book series into enterprise computing," said Andrew Chun, CVP & Head of B2B NPC Group, Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics. "We're excited to bring the connected Galaxy experience to enterprise IT environments to help enable seamless workflows across devices and businesses."

Samsung has reported a record quarterly profit for Q1 2026, with chip division operating income jumping to 53.7 trillion won ($36.15 billion), a 49% increase from the 1.1 trillion won ($745 million) posted in the same quarter last year. That figure accounted for 94% of the company's total operating profit of 57.2 trillion won ($38.7 billion), which itself was up from 6.69 trillion won a year prior. Overall revenue rose 69% year over year to 133.9 trillion won ($90.6 billion). Its record profit came mostly from the AI data center sector that pushed demand for advanced memory well beyond what Samsung and its peers can supply. The company has signed multi-year binding supply contracts with customers looking to lock in capacity, though it hasn't disclosed names or terms. Samsung's memory chief Kim Jaejune told analysts that supply is already falling well short of demand, and that based on orders already received, the gap in 2027 is expected to be even wider than in 2026.

On HBM specifically, Samsung said it began mass-production sales of HBM4 for NVIDIA's Vera Rubin platform in February and is on track to more than triple HBM revenue this year versus last. However, rising memory prices are affecting the profit of other Samsung businesses. Mobile and network division profit fell 35% to 2.8 trillion won, due to higher component costs, and the display division saw operating profit drop 20% to 400 billion won ($270 million). Reuters also reports the risk of a strike, with unions representing a large portion of Samsung's South Korean chip workforce considering work stoppages over pay disputes. For the rest of 2026, Samsung expects that increasing demand will keep pushing memory, foundry, and display businesses.

As data sovereignty and compute performance become strategic differentiators for enterprises adopting AI, the demand for private, on-premises AI infrastructure continues to grow. In response to this shift, QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading innovator in computing, networking, and storage solutions, today introduced the QAI-h1290FX, a next-generation Edge AI storage server designed to empower private deployment of large language models (LLMs), Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) search engines, and generative AI applications.

Built with server-grade AMD EPYC processing, with support for NVIDIA RTX GPU acceleration, and twelve U.2 NVMe/SATA SSD slots, the QAI-h1290FX delivers a high-performance, on-prem AI infrastructure for organizations that demand low-latency inference, full data privacy, and operational control—without relying on the cloud.

Alphacool International GmbH from Braunschweig is a pioneer in PC water-cooling technology. With one of the most comprehensive product portfolios in the industry and over 20 years of experience, Alphacool is once again expanding its portfolio with the new Apex Grip Fittings & Adapter. The new Alphacool Apex Grip Fittings are based on a modular system that enables flexible and customized connection solutions for modern custom water-cooling setups. Combined with the refined Apex design, high-quality workmanship, and user-friendly handling, the series is ideal for demanding systems.

A key feature is the integrated silicone surface on the outer grip area of each fitting. It provides improved grip when tightening by hand and makes installation easier, especially in confined spaces. This gives users greater comfort and control during assembly. Made from high-quality brass, the fittings offer excellent stability and long-term durability. A premium coating helps prevent paint chipping while emphasizing the elegant appearance of the series.

Clean lines, powerful cooling, uncompromising looks: With the Steel Shark, Sharkoon presents a stylish dual-chamber ATX case that combines modern design with an especially clean interior layout. Tempered glass on the front and side panel, four pre-installed ARGB PWM fans, extensive cooling options, and BTF support make the Steel Shark the ideal foundation for powerful and visually impressive gaming systems.

Neat Dual-Chamber Design
Thanks to its well-thought-out dual-chamber design, the Steel Shark clearly separates the hardware area from the power supply and cable management. This results in an extra tidy look in the main chamber, while cables, drives, and the power supply can be discreetly housed at the rear.

Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, today announced an unprecedented achievement: the X870 AORUS STEALTH ICE, X870E AORUS XTREME X3D AI TOP, X870E AORUS MASTER X3D ICE, and X870E AERO X3D WOOD winning Red Dot Design Awards 2026 in Product Design—one of the most coveted international distinctions in design excellence—across its major motherboard lineup. This milestone underscores Gigabyte's unwavering commitment to innovation and design excellence, further cementing its distinguished legacy in product design.

These four award recipients each received recognition for their unique fusion of bold aesthetics, precision engineering, and user-centric innovation. From the connector-reverse minimalism of the STEALTH ICE to the organic warmth of the AERO X3D WOOD, these four boards demonstrate that performance hardware and inspired design are not a compromise—they are one and the same.

LG Electronics (LG) is rolling out its new UltraGear evo GM9 5K gaming monitor (model 27GM950B) powered by Hyper Mini LED technology. First unveiled at CES 2026, the 27GM950B reinforces LG's commitment to delivering high-performance gaming monitors combining next-gen display technology with advanced gaming features.

LG's latest UltraGear evo model meets growing demand for 5K gaming monitors offering precise, dynamic visuals. The 5K resolution (5,120 x 2,880) comes together with the company's Hyper Mini LED technology to supply greater clarity, depth and realism, making gameplay more immersive and lifelike.

Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, today announced a comprehensive BIOS update rollout for its Intel 800, 700, and 600 series motherboards, adding full support for the newly introduced HUDIMM (One Sub-channel DDR5) memory standard. The move reflects Gigabyte's ongoing commitment to empowering users at every budget level, particularly as global DDR5 memory prices remain elevated amid continued supply constraints.

Lowering the Cost of Building on DDR5
One Sub-Channel is a new DDR5 memory specification that utilizes a single 32-bit sub-channel instead of the dual 32-bit sub-channels found in standard UDIMM modules. By adjusting the DRAM chip count per module, HUDIMM (One Sub-channel DDR5) enables memory manufacturers to provide DDR5 sticks at significantly lower price—making modern DDR5 platforms more accessible to mainstream users, system integrators, and entry-level builders who have previously been priced out of the DDR5 ecosystem.

MSI IPC announces the launch of the MS-CF27, a compact 3.5" single board computer designed to deliver reliable computing performance, wide voltage power input, and versatile connectivity for industrial and embedded solutions.

The MS-CF27 is a newly introduced 3.5" single board computer from MSI IPC that integrates Intel Alder Lake N, Twin Lake N, and Amston Lake processors to deliver efficient performance for industrial computing. Designed for fanless and ultra low power environments, the platform supports processors such as Intel Alder Lake N97, Intel Alder Lake N305, Intel Twin Lake N150, and Intel Amston Lake x7433RE, offering performance levels suitable for both PC client and embedded applications.

ASRock, the global leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, mini PCs, gaming monitors, power supply units and AIOs, today announced the launch of the X870E Taichi White, the first pure-white motherboard in its flagship Taichi series. Featuring a futuristic, digital-inspired white design, the X870E Taichi White introduces a bold new look to the Taichi family. In addition to its eye-catching appearance, it is built with flagship-level hardware to deliver both refined aesthetics and outstanding performance. Designed to pair perfectly with the newly launched AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition processor, the X870E Taichi White reflects the growing popularity of white PC builds while redefining flagship style and performance in a pure-white form.

The X870E Taichi White introduces a futuristic, all-white design inspired by a digital sci-fi aesthetic. While staying true to the Taichi series' philosophy of balance, it reinterprets that identity through a more modern and refined visual language. Blending premium craftsmanship with an elegant new look, it brings a fresh dimension to the Taichi flagship.

Following a rather successful launch in mid-April, the development studio behind Windrose, the co-op pirate survival game, has announced an early roadmap to give players some sense of what to expect from the game in the next few months. The first order of business, and likely the most important for most players, is the announcement that Kraken Express will be focusing on improving the experience and delivering quality of life updates for the foreseeable future. Specifically, the developer has an update planned for sometime in early May that will improve connectivity issues, reduce CPU usage on idle clients and servers, address SSD load during gameplay, and improve performance and stability. The update will also introduce over 40 new building pieces and over 50 other fixes and quality of life changes.

In addition to the announcement of the bug fixes and minor changes, Kraken Express also revealed that it will start actively working on the game's first major content update as soon as the aforementioned fixes have shipped, but it also asked the community for patience because it will take "at least six months to deliver" the new content update. The upcoming update will introduce the game's first additional biome, called Ashlands, which will likely feature new enemies and crafting opportunities, but other than that, not much is known about the new content planned. Regarding the update, the developer says that "Our philosophy now is to enrich the current gameplay systems, instead of only adding new biomes with the respective content, so even before we have the full details, it's safe to say the game will not just grow in size - it will also evolve." Kraken Express was also careful to reiterate on the game's official Discord server that it does not plan to do wipes at any point in time, so no progress will be lost with the introduction of major content updates, like Ashlands.

The Linux community's response to the advent of LLMs and generative AI has been very mixed, but Ubuntu has more or less made its stance clear in a recent project discussion thread about the future of AI in Ubuntu. The gist of it is that, starting with Ubuntu 26.10 Stonking Stingray in October 2026—the next major release after 26.04—Ubuntu will start to get new AI features scattered throughout the operating system. The project's technical lead, Jon Seager, states that in 2026, Ubuntu has started encouraging its developers to use AI internally, incentivizing engineers to "go deep" and effectively figure out what works and what doesn't by measuring output. As internal adoption increases, Canonical will be integrating AI into the OS, but he notes that "responsibility and transparency are at the core of our approach."

This approach means that, instead of stuffing ChatGPT into every nook and cranny of Ubuntu, Canonical will prioritize open source models and offline, local inference wherever possible. Canonical will also pay special attention to the terms of the model, as opposed to simply considering whether the weights are open. The AI implementations will come in the form of what Seager describes as implicit and explicit features—implicit being features that integrate directly into the OS and enhance its standard operation, like speech-to-text and OCR, while explicit features are AI-centric features, like agentic and AI-automated workflows. "Implicit AI features will improve what Ubuntu already does; explicit AI will be introduced as new features." The full statement on how Canonical will implement AI in Ubuntu follows.

Thick as Thieves, an upcoming stealth co-op game from Deus Ex creator, Warren Spector, has been out in the open for a while now, with a release date set for May 20, and it was revealed long ago that it would be a stealth PvE co-op experience, but OtherSide Entertainment and Megabit Publishing, the studios behind the game, have just divulged more information about the game. First off, the price has been set at a very inoffensive $4.99/£4.99/€4.99, although it's likely that there will be regional pricing at play in other markets. Secondly, a gameplay walkthrough has been published to Megabit Publishing's YouTube channel, giving players a fairly in-depth look at the stealth, traversal, and progression mechanics, among others. Thick as Thieves is designed to be played as a single-player game or in a team of two players, and the game is set in an alternate history version of the early 20th century that features everything from magic and early technological innovation to eldritch horrors. The game will launch on Steam on May 20, 2026.

Thick as Thieves will drop players into Kilcairn as a stranger just joining the thieves' guild and looking to make a name for themselves. There are two playable characters, each with their own specific abilities, strengths, and weaknesses, although only one will be available to players with the other hidden behind an in-game unlock. The core gameplay, as you may have already guessed, revolves around players taking on and completing heists in the town of Kilcairn. In order to complete these heists, players will need to sneak through highly patrolled areas, solve environmental puzzles, and pick locks to gain access to forbidden areas. The gameplay walkthrough showed off a number of interesting mechanics, like the dynamic stealth and detection systems that force players to think on their feet and avoid making too much noise, and the various ways players can manipulate their surroundings and enemy NPCs to misdirect and trick them in order to get past—including distracting guards and shrouding the room in darkness by turning off lights, or using gear to lure the guards away entirely. The gameplay is designed to be highly replayable, with each heist offering players different choices and routes to explore. The Thick as Thieves gameplay walkthrough follows.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've seen the numerous issues Windows users have faced, from poor performance to experience-breaking bugs and updates, and AI oversaturation in the OS. While Microsoft has previously announced that it intends to address many of these complaints levelled by Windows users, a new report out of Windows Central purports to have insider information about what the publication calls "Windows K2." K2 isn't a specific version of Windows or a new update that's on the horizon; instead, it's a new initiative within Microsoft that fundamentally changes how the software giant develops Windows and its features.

According to inside sources, Windows K2 is based on three core tenets: performance, craft, and reliability, and it will effectively serve as a reboot for the user experience and the development standard operating procedures. Going forward, Microsoft will be using Insider feedback, user telemetry analytics, and customer focus groups to ensure that Windows 11 is performant, thoughtfully designed, and stable. The biggest shift, however, is away from a focus on agility, which used to be a top priority for Windows development, to an emphasis on quality. Effectively, this means users may see fewer updates and fewer features in those updates, but also fewer bugs. One of the other main driving forces behind K2 is chasing the performance of SteamOS, and the K2 team believes that "foundational changes" that are being made to Windows in the coming months will be able to put Windows on par with SteamOS within the next year or two. File explorer is another major focal point where Windows K2 seeks to improve navigation, search, and file processing performance.

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced results for its fiscal second quarter ended March 29, 2026.

"We are pleased to deliver results in line with our guidance, reflecting solid execution as we navigate a challenging memory environment," said Cristiano Amon, President and CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated. "We are in a period of profound industry transformation—the rise of AI agents is reshaping our roadmap across every platform we develop. We are equally excited by our entry into the data center, where a leading hyperscaler custom silicon engagement is on track for initial shipments later this calendar year. We look forward to providing an update on our growth initiatives, including opportunities in Data Center and Physical AI, at our Investor Day on June 24."

Microsoft Corp. today announced the following results for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, as compared to the corresponding period of last fiscal year:

• Revenue was $82.9 billion and increased 18% (up 15% in constant currency)
• Operating income was $38.4 billion and increased 20% (up 16% in constant currency)
• Net income was $31.8 billion and increased 23% on a GAAP basis, and increased 20% (up 18% in constant currency) on a non-GAAP basis
• Diluted earnings per share was $4.27 and increased 23% on a GAAP basis, and increased 21% (up 18% in constant currency) on a non-GAAP basis
• Non-GAAP results exclude the impact from investments in OpenAI, explained in the Non-GAAP Definition section below

"We are focused on delivering cloud and AI infrastructure and solutions that empower every business to eval-max their outcomes in the agentic computing era," said Satya Nadella, chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft. "Our AI business surpassed an annual revenue run rate of $37 billion, up 123% year-over-year."

Microsoft PowerToys is an oft-recommended utility that makes Windows 11 much more user-friendly by adding new features and UI tweaks to Microsoft's desktop OS. In an update not too long ago, PowerToys got a nifty dock, and before that a Command Palette, just like KDE's Krunner and macOS's Spotlight. Now, in an April update, version 0.99, Power Toys is getting a handful of new features that make Windows a little more like Linux and macOS. The first notable feature is Grab and Move, which allows you to hold Alt and left click to grab and move a window without having to aim for the border. Holding Alt and right click lets you resize a window from the nearest edge. If you're not familiar with Linux, this is exactly how most Linux desktop environments, like KDE Plasma and Gnome, work, except they generally use the System or Windows key as a modifier.

The other new addition to PowerToys 0.99 is Power Display, which allows you to change external display settings, like the source, power state, brightness, and contrast, from a taskbar fly-out menu. Users can also create specific display profiles that can be displayed and selected from the task bar menu. There are also minor changes to the keyboard layout editor, which now has support for selecting keys that are not physically available on your keyboard when setting up shortcuts and chords. The Command Palette also now features a compact dock option for those with limited screen space, and it has received several new features, including persistent calculator history and options for how applets pin to the dock and how the dock interacts with windows—you can choose to keep the dock above all windows, and there is a new dialogue to choose where apps pin to the dock.

Not long after EA announced that it was being acquired by a group of private investors, the company's new management announced an AI pivot that would see the company cut operating costs significantly. As it turned out, though, workers at EA would later reveal that the company had been pushing AI hard internally long before the takeover, and that the AI push was causing more harm than good and ultimately costing them time. Now, EA CEO, Andrew Wilson, has pushed back on this notion during a recent talk at the Iicon gaming event in Las Vegas.

According to Wilson, "almost all, like 85%, of our quality assurance is done with some kind of machine learning or AI-driven algorithm." However, he also adds that EA's QA hiring is at an all-time high. His argument is that AI has been "almost entirely augmentation," and not a replacement for human workers. According to the CEO, AI is doing mundane checks, like "turn the box on, turn the box off, boot it up, shut it down, does it crash, all these things." Despite these claims, there is evidence of AI-generated assets in Battlefield, and the company has partnered with Stability AI to work on generative AI tools.

According to sources close to MacRumors, Apple is abandoning the development of the next-generation Vision Pro headset after the product failed to capture significant market share. With sales of "only" 600,000 units, Apple has not seen this product line take off as its other products have. Launched in February 2024, the Vision Pro headset debuted with a steep $3,499 price tag. In October 2025, about a year and a half later, Apple updated the Vision Pro with its latest 3 nm M5 SoC, typically used in MacBooks, but even this refresh failed to generate significant interest and orders from users. Although the system offers a technically impressive solution, the market has reacted poorly, particularly due to the high price point Apple set.

Technically, the headset features a micro-OLED 3D display system with 23 million pixels and weighs between 750-800 grams, depending on the headband choice. However, users have complained about the device's weight and distribution, especially around the nose area, which often feels heavy on a single pressure point. No headband choice has been able to completely alleviate this issue. Additionally, the price point is too high for consumers, especially for a technology that is relatively new to the Apple ecosystem. As a result, MacRumors tipsters suggest that Apple is close to completely abandoning the project.

Intel and SoftBank, through their subsidiary Saimemory, have been developing an alternative technology to the popular high-bandwidth memory (HBM) to provide more bandwidth and capacity for memory modules used with powerful AI accelerators. At VLSI 2026 in June, Saimemory is scheduled to present a paper on the newly developed HB3DM memory, which is based on Z-Angle Memory (ZAM) technology. This name refers to the vertical (Z-axis) stacking of dies, similar to traditional HBM. However, Intel aims to achieve impressive results using state-of-the-art manufacturing technology. The first generation of HB3DM will feature a total of nine layers, stacked using a hybrid bonding technique for 3D chip placement. At the base will be a logic layer that manages data movement within the chip, with eight DRAM layers on top for data storage. Each layer will include about 13,700 TSVs for hybrid bonding.

In terms of capacity, HB3DM will offer about 1.125 GB per layer, translating to 10 GB per memory module. Intel can achieve approximately 0.25 Tb/s of memory bandwidth per mm², and for a 10 GB module with a 171 mm² die area, we can expect around 5.3 TB/s per module. These impressive figures could quickly overshadow competing HBM4 memory, as HB3DM offers much higher bandwidth. HBM4 provides speeds of around 2 TB/s per stack, less than half of what HB3DM will deliver. However, HB3DM is limited by capacity, with only 10 GB available, whereas HBM4 can reach up to 48 GB per stack. Intel may increase the number of layers in production as HB3DM progresses, but for now, it is emerging as a bandwidth leader.

Motorola is expanding its connected ecosystem in North America with the launch of the moto buds 2 plus: premium earbuds designed for consumers who expect more from their audio experience. With Sound by Bose technology, Dynamic Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), long-lasting battery life and smart audio functions, every note, beat and voice comes alive.

The moto buds 2 plus produce pure sound and zero distractions
Built for users who are constantly pivoting between their personal and professional lives, taking work calls on the go, exercising at a moment's notice or unwinding at home, the moto buds 2 plus have what they need to maximize every activity. These earbuds keep users engaged through Sound by Bose technology and tuned into their environments with Dynamic ANC and smart audio functions.

Intel's next-generation 18A node is ready, and the company has tested it, showcasing some impressive results. At the VLSI 2026 Symposium in Honolulu, Hawaii, Intel will present its new research on the capabilities of the upcoming 18A-P node. According to the paper, the 18A-P node can deliver a 9% performance increase at the same power level or achieve 18% power savings at the same performance level compared to the standard 18A. However, there is more to this than meets the eye. Typically, node generations show similar performance and power improvements across generations. What would be expected in terms of power and performance improvements when transitioning from 18A to 14A is now already available with the 18A-P node, but without any density improvements. This makes the 18A-P node a very attractive option for external customers who expect the transistor density of the 18A node found in "Panther Lake," but with significantly better characteristics.

For reference designs, Intel uses an Arm core sub-block to test frequency and power scaling. The new 18A-P node can yield much better results on paper, but one of the most interesting improvements is in manufacturing, specifically in something called skew corners. When a node is manufactured, no two transistors are identical due to the inherent physics of the manufacturing process, especially at today's scale. These variations are measured between fast and slow "corners," meaning faster and slower transistors. The skew refers to how wide the performance and power gap is between these transistors. Intel has managed to improve the skew corners on the 18A-P node by 30% compared to the standard 18A, meaning that power and performance characteristics are now more predictable, especially for parametric yields. This means that chip functions are now more predictable, and Intel has to deal with far fewer variations with the new node.Below is Intel's paper abstract about the 18A-P node.

Intel's stock is one of the best-performing semiconductor-related names in 2026, with the company's share price reaching a new all-time high of $94.10 per share at the time of writing. This is remarkable news, considering that about a year ago, Intel's stock hit a decade-low of $17.67 per share. This marks a growth of more than 400% in a single year for a company that is one of the most strategically important in the United States' sovereign semiconductor manufacturing. Intel's rise began with investment from the United States government, aimed at supporting the only company left in the U.S. conducting R&D and advanced silicon manufacturing. Since then, Intel has been on an upward trajectory, and the share price shows no signs of slowing down.

Contributing to this success is the revival of Intel's Foundry business, which is on track to attract many external customers. Intel Foundry recently achieved a significant milestone by improving yields across all major foundry nodes currently in high-volume manufacturing. This includes the Intel 4, Intel 3, and 18A nodes, which power the majority of Intel's product portfolio. In the latest Q1 2026 earnings call, Intel CFO David Zinsner noted that the company continues to improve yields on its older nodes, such as Intel 4 and Intel 3, while refining the yield of the current top-performing 18A node to reduce waste and increase the number of functional chips, even in larger dies. Additionally, Tesla signed on as Intel's first major 14A customer for Elon Musk's Terafab AI chip complex in Austin, indicating that the foundry's success in attracting external clients is just beginning.

Following the official release of Fedora 44, Bazzite's lead developer Kyle Gospodnetich has announced the release of Bazzite 44, the atomic gaming-focused distribution based on Fedora, which brings Gnome 50 and KDE Plasma 6.6, as well as many of the same improvements as the workstation OS. However, there are some notable differences for the atomic distribution—namely, the Linux kernel is still on version 6.19.x. Other notable changes and updates to Bazzite 44 include an update to the KDE Plasma Login Manager for KDE versions, a new version of the Bazaar app store, improved image security for ISOs, built-in support for Elgato 4K capture cards, and the removal of QEMU and ROCM, Bazzite 44 also includes the latest ASUS Linux patches for ASUSCtl, which provides access to LED customization, fan control, and various BIOS, boot, and power settings.

While the desktop images of Bazzite 44 are already available, the handheld versions have been delayed, with the developer stating that "we are slow-rolling this update due to the nature and amount of changes present in it to ensure that the vast majority of our existing users have a good experience." He also indicates that there will be more news about Bazzite 44's handheld images "in the coming weeks," so it seems like the delay will be more than just a few days. While this may be somewhat disappointing to hear, it also means that the developers will have more time to test and validate Bazzite 44 ahead of release, hopefully delivering a more stable OS as a result. Bazzite's development team has also promised to ship the new VRAM management patch that recently made a buzz in the Linux gaming world when it releases kernel version 7.

The SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) reported today, in its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry, that worldwide silicon wafer shipments increased 13.1% year-on-year to 3,275 million square inches (MSI) from the 2,896 MSI recorded during the same quarter of 2025. Sequentially, shipments declined 4.7% quarter-over-quarter from the 3,437 MSI recorded during the fourth quarter of 2025 in line with typical seasonality.

"Silicon wafer demand related to AI data centers continues to be strong, including advanced logic and memory, and also now extending to power management devices," said Ginji Yada, Chairman of SEMI SMG and Managing Executive Officer, General Manager, Sales and Marketing Division at SUMCO Corporation. "Overall, silicon wafer demand has improved, but the recovery is not uniform. Many device companies have noted improvements in the industrial semiconductor segment, and this is creating a more broad-based recovery as wafer inventory is absorbed. Weaker smartphone and PC shipments in the first quarter of this year may show the impact of tighter supply of memory due to AI high bandwidth memory (HBM) allocation decisions."

Announcing Pop 2 Vision, a new addition to the Pop 2 series, combining panoramic design with a sleek dual-chamber layout. Pop 2 Vision is crafted to provide a clean, uncluttered view into its refined interior. With support for graphics cards up to 412 mm, top-mounted radiators up to 360 mm, and compatibility with reverse connector motherboards, it offers flexibility for modern gaming components. Out of the box, it features four pre-installed reverse-blade fans, integrated with hidden cables and frames to make achieving a clean build effortless.

On the outside, Pop 2 Vision offers easy access through removable glass panels, together with a ventilated right-side panel and magnetically attached top mesh filter. Inside, dedicated cable routing space, a large cable grommet, and modular power supply mounting help create a smooth building experience. A top-mounted I/O provides quick connectivity with two USB ports and an audio jack, while RGB versions also include integrated controls for effortless lighting adjustments.

[Editor's note: Our in-depth review of the Fractal Design Pop 2 Vision is now live]

Philips Evnia is expanding its ambient lighting ecosystem for gamers who use lighting to enhance atmosphere, pace, and immersion beyond the screen. Building on its established AI-Enhanced Ambiglow technology and Windows Dynamic Lighting support, Evnia now introduces AmbiScape; a new feature designed to extend synchronized lighting from the display into the surrounding room.

Together, Ambiglow, AmbiScape, and Dynamic Lighting integration enable a more unified setup where on-screen action can influence both the monitor's ambient lighting and compatible devices across the gaming environment. The experience is enabled via USB upstream and configured through the Philips Evnia Precision Center.

Back in February, ComputerBase conducted a large blind test comparing in-game screenshots generated using the latest upscaling technologies: AMD's FSR 4.0 and NVIDIA's Deep Learning Super Sampling 4.5. The testing has since been updated, and community votes have been processed, revealing that AMD's updated upscaling technology, FSR 4.1, shows significant improvement over FSR 4.0. However, it still trails behind NVIDIA's DLSS 4.5 in visual quality. In the latest ComputerBase testing, the following games were upscaled using FSR 4.0, FSR 4.1, and DLSS 4.5: Year 117 - Pax Romana, ARC Raiders, Assassin's Creed Shadows, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Kingdom Come 2: Deliverance, Resident Evil Requiem, and The Last of Us Part I. In all of these games, the ComputerBase review concluded that DLSS 4.5 was the top performer, a view confirmed by the community in a separate blind test vote.

Similar to the previous test, the ComputerBase team conducted the comparison using videos labeled with three options, without revealing which rendering method was used, to ensure a fully blind test. This resulted in a community verdict with two notable outcomes. First, NVIDIA's DLSS 4.5 remains the leader in image quality, with 6 out of 7 games showing the best results using DLSS 4.5. The only game where AMD's FSR upscaling came out on top was Resident Evil Requiem, where DLSS 4.5 placed second behind FSR 4.1. Overall, DLSS 4.5 is seen as providing sharper visual details and more consistent frame generation compared to AMD's FSR upscaling.

Today, we reported that GALAX is ending its operations as an independent company and integrating into its parent company, Palit. However, users were left wondering whether Palit would stop offering GALAX-branded products, which have significant recognition among gamers. The official company response is that the branding will continue to be active. This means that GALAX-branded Hall-of-Fame (HOF) GPUs for extreme overclocking, the KFA2 brand for Europe, and other GALAX-branded products will remain available on the market. In simple terms, this is just a corporate structure change, with Palit consolidating its ventures under one roof as the parent company. Ongoing customer commitments, including RMA, warranty claims, and general support, will now be handled by Palit, while the design and development of new GPUs under the GALAX brand will continue.Below is a complete statement from Palit, followed by a statement from GALAX.

Milestone and MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group today announce the release of MotoGP 26, the latest instalment in the official MotoGP videogame franchise. Featuring the full official 2026 season, it combines reworked physics with Dynamic Rider ratings and deeper career management mechanics to deliver a more immersive and authentic gaming experience.

MotoGP 26 refines its physics through a rider-based handling system where control is more closely tied to how players move and position the rider on the bike. Body shifts and weight transfer now have a tangible impact on stability, cornering, and braking, resulting in a more natural and responsive riding experience. Supported by new rider animations, this model significantly changes the overall gameplay feel, offering finer control and a wider range of motion in both Pro and Arcade modes.

Ready to rekindle the fire? With the FIREGLIDER One, a classic returns - but this time, faster, lighter, and more precise than ever before! The dual-mode gaming mouse combines uncompromising technology with a minimalized design that is totally committed to good performance. Whether in competitions or for everyday gaming, the FIREGLIDER One delivers lightning-fast reactions and maximum control for heating up any game to exactly the right temperature.

Two Modes, One Goal: Victory
The FIREGLIDER One can be operated both wired and wirelessly and is always ready for use, whether you need a stable connection for a tournament or if you prefer wireless freedom for everyday gaming.

The legendary maker of Hall of Fame (HOF) GeForce GPUs, known for their exceptional overclocking capabilities, GALAX, is officially closing its operations after 30 years in business. GALAX, along with its KFA2 brand for the European market, will now be closed, with existing product inquiries managed by Palit—one of the largest GPU add-in card (AIC) manufacturers and a significant NVIDIA partner. Founded in Hong Kong in 1994, GALAX distinguished itself by creating high-performance designs with NVIDIA GeForce GPUs, particularly known for its HOF series. These iconic white-themed designs feature massive VRM circuitry for overclocking and higher-binned dies suitable for LN2 extreme overclocking scenarios. Over the past few generations, multiple world overclocking GPU records were achieved with GALAX HOF cards, and the brand has maintained that design language throughout the years.

After more than 30 years in business, GALAX is closing its operations, and these will be transferred to Palit, which will take full responsibility for "all activities and commitments related to the brand." This includes RMA services, warranty claims, product launches, and more. Interestingly, the announcement does not mention that the GALAX branding will be phased out. Only the actual company operations will be integrated into Palit. It's possible that Palit will retain the GALAX branding and its HOF name, which is well-known for high-performance overclocking among enthusiasts. It's worth noting that GALAX and its sister brand KFA2 have been operating for years with Palit's support as the parent company, so it's uncertain if the brand will continue its market presence under different management. GALAX and KFA2 have been sub-companies of Palit, and management claims that now is the time to unite all of Palit's brands under one roof.

Update 11:05 UTC: Palit confirmed that the current GALAX branding will continue to be present on the market.

Epomaker's voyage into the world of Hall effect keyboards has been ongoing for a little over two years, now, and, while the peripheral maker oft manages to hit a reasonable price point, the results can be a little mixed. Now, it has shown off a revised version of the HE75 Mag that launched in 2025, bringing some new enthusiast-grade design touches to the affordable Hall effect gaming keyboard. The HE75 V2 has not yet officially launched, but Epomaker has shown it off in a recent livestream on YouTube and published the product page with all the specifications ahead of the official launch. From that product page, we can see that the HE75 V2 has an ABS plastic case with a gasket mount and an FR4 plate. Curiously, neither the PCB nor the FR4 plate have flex cuts, which is generally valued by the enthusiast community, since it prioritizes sound. Pricing has not yet been divulged, but if it is anywhere close to the original HE75 Mag, it should come in at around $100.

As the name suggests, the HE75 V2 follows a 75% layout, keeping both the num row and F row, although it makes use of a reduced, three-key navigation column on the far right edge, making it a solid, if somewhat compromised, all-round option. There is also modular programmable volume knob that can be removed and replaced with two key switches, much like on the original HE75 Mag. Unlike the original, the HE75 V2 comes in either an all-white or all-black aesthetic, both with color-matched translucent PC keycaps—smokey on the black version and frosted on the white keyboard. The translucent keycaps obviously allow a lot of RGB shine-through, and Epomaker has accented that with edge lighting that shines through a faceted diffuser seemingly meant to look like crystals. If the Epomaker livestream is any indication, the HE75 V2 and its Creamy Jade Magnetic switches will have a poppy sound signature typical of an FR4 plate and POM switches. The HE75 V2 will feature tri-mode connectivity, with Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, and USB-C, and 8 kHz polling over 2.4 GHz and wired connections.

News recently broke about a new DRM system Sony had seemingly silently implemented in the PS5 that would make buyers of digital games go online every 30 days to validate a license or potentially be locked out of their games until they could access an internet connection. Now, according to some research done by andshrew on the ResetEra forums, it seems as though it's not quite as simple as that. As it turns out, going online to validate the DRM license may only be a requirement for the first 14 days as an attempt to avoid users buying a game and then refunding the game and playing it anyway in offline mode using some exploit—at least that is the current speculative explanation, since Sony is yet to address this debacle publicly.

The explanation in the ResetEra forum post details the full methodology, but essentially, what the user found by comparing two copies of the same game purchased on two separate PSN accounts, once before the new requirement and once after, is that Sony is now issuing a 30-day license for the first 14 days and swapping that license out for a perpetual license after the refund period has lapsed. This would mean that, after Sony's DRM server has been able to validate the license once after the 14-day refund period is over, there will be no restrictions on offline play, as is usually the case with console games. This somewhat resolves some of the issues that have been brought up surrounding this DRM feature, but it still may present issues for those who are not able to connect to the internet more than 14 days after purchasing a game—this is especially true, since there is no clearly visible notice about this DRM feature on Sony's site at the time of writing.

Hot on the heels of the news of Sony's new DRM that earned significant community backlash, Andy Nguyen, the developer who previously showed off running a full Linux installation on a PlayStation 5, has officially published their methodology and necessary steps to get the open-source operating system running on Sony's console. The hack requires a PS5 disc version running firmware version 3.00, 3.10, 3.20, 3.21, and 4.00, 4.02, 4.03, 4.50, 4.51, and there is only support for the M.2 drive in the 4.XX versions at the time of writing. There are supposedly ways to downgrade the PS5 firmware to one of the versions that still supports the hack, but those may not always work reliably. If you've followed the jailbreak steps, injected the payload and rebooted back into Linux, you should be greeted by a full Ubuntu 26.04 Resolute Raccoon installation, replete with the Linux kernel 7.

Interestingly, the PS5 Linux installation is quite full-featured, replete with custom VRAM allocation, fan control, and a boost mode toggling—all from within the terminal or a text file, of course. There are some caveats, and driver development is still ongoing—wireless networking, for example, may require you to manually restart the WLAN adaptor to work. The Sony DualSense controllers also don't currently work via the built-in dongle, although they do with an external dongle. The output refresh rate is also limited to 60 Hz across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions, although 120 Hz may be added later. The biggest limitation, however, is that it is a soft mod, meaning that if you restart the PS5 while in the Linux desktop, it will not boot back into the environment unless you apply the same jailbreak again. The upside of that is that the PlayStation 5's base OS isn't affected by the Linux installation, so if you want to go back to using it as a regular PS5, you can just reboot.

Since the launch of the Steam Deck, Valve has poured a lot of effort into not only developing SteamOS but also making the Steam Store and client more user-friendly on handheld devices. Valve's latest Steam Deck Client update builds on this, introducing a number of small changes that make the Steam Deck all the more useful as a console-like gaming experience. Some of the highlights in this latest update include a new optional "Switch to Desktop" button on the login screen—a change that should make the Steam Deck that much easier to user as a docked workstation when necessary. The update also adds a wireless gamepad battery indicator and a low battery level toast notification.

In addition to the aforementioned new UI features, the Steam quick access menu now also houses Steam chat, making in-game socials easier, and there is now a new quick chat feature in Steam Deck and Big Picture mode. Users can access user-configurable quick chats by holding down the view button and selecting the appropriate response. The Steam Deck also now supports Remote Downloads management, allowing you to manage, for example, the downloads on your gaming desktop from the comfort of a couch across the room or the discomfort of an airport across the country. The update also includes a number of bug fixes and UI changes to features like the Steam Input controller customization settings, which can all be viewed in the full update changelog.

Capcom has been fairly open about the fact that there is a Resident Evil Requiem DLC coming at some point this year, but an exact launch date was unclear. Now, according to a hint from the game's director, Koshi Nakanishi, and producer, Masato Kumazawa, in an interview with Denfaminico Gamer, that DLC is still under development. The pair did not outright confirm the release date, but they confirmed that there is a combat-based mini-game DLC coming in May, following up that statement by suggesting that players interested in playing the mini-game DLC complete the game's main quest during Japan's Golden Week holidays.

"So, if you're planning to play it, clearing the main story during Golden Week would be just right for you to be able to play it," said Kumazawa. Golden Week is one of Japan's largest holiday periods and runs between April 29 and May 6, so the implication here is that the Resident Evil mini-game DLC will launch sometime shortly after May 6. The comment to Denfaminico also confirms that the mini-game will only be accessible once players have completed the main quest in the Resident Evil Requiem base game.

Valve has officially confirmed that its highly-anticipated Steam Controller will go on sale globally on May 4. It will be priced at $99 in the United States, €99 in European Union countries, £85 in the UK, $149 CAD in Canada, and $149 AUD in Australia, marking a truly global launch. Designed as a universal control device, the Steam Controller aims to be a versatile gamepad for the broader Steam ecosystem, supporting PCs, laptops, Steam Deck, Steam Machine, and even the Steam Frame VR headset. While maintaining familiar core controls, Valve is clearly focusing on additional inputs, including dual trackpads, a gyro, Grip Sense, and four rear grip buttons, all of which can be customized through Steam Input.

Interestingly, Valve has revealed more details about some of the core technology behind the Steam Controller, with perhaps the most intriguing being magnetic thumbsticks built around TMR technology. Valve claims they offer a better feel, improved responsiveness, and much greater durability. They also add capacitive touch support for motion-based controls, meaning your commands can now be expressed in multiple ways. There is also a new puck accessory that handles both wireless connectivity and charging, snapping onto the controller magnetically to serve as a dock and transmitter in one.

Update 17:00 UTC, May 4: Steam Controller is now officially available!

Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 is currently available for $34.97 (MSRP $499.99), but only through May 17. The release continues Microsoft's focus on improving performance, collaboration, and AI-assisted development within its flagship integrated development environment (IDE). Visual Studio 2026 is built on a 64-bit architecture, allowing it to handle larger codebases and more complex projects more efficiently than earlier versions. This is particularly relevant for developers working with enterprise-scale applications or multi-project solutions.

The platform supports development across multiple environments, including Windows, Linux, and container-based systems. Developers can build mobile and desktop applications using.NET MAUI, as well as web interfaces with frameworks like Blazor. Integrated debugging and testing tools are included for both.NET and C++ applications.

Get Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 for $34.97 (MSRP $499.99) through May 17.

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