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Apple’s AI struggles reason for delayed Apple TV, HomePod mini launch

New Apple TV and HomePod mini models are reportedly "ready" for launch but remain shelved as Apple struggles to finalize its revamped, AI-powered Siri. With software bottlenecks now dictating hardware cycles, the highly anticipated upgrade to the A17 Pro-powered streamer and S9-equipped smart speaker may finally debut between iOS 26.5 and iOS 27.

Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding 2 PC release gets new β€˜To the Wilder’ mode as the β€˜upper limit’ of difficulty

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has launched on PC, and Kojima Productions is responding to complaints that the game felt too easy by adding a new top-tier difficulty setting, β€œTo the Wilder,” also available on PS5. Billed by the studio as the β€œupper limit” of challenge, the mode intensifies Timefall damage and forces stricter resource management, pushing players to plan routes and rely on items that were previously optional.

Crimson Desert launch: β€œGraphics device not supported” error greets Intel Arc users on Steam

Crimson Desert’s March 19 Steam launch drew hundreds of thousands of players, but Intel Arc GPU owners are being blocked by a β€œGraphics device not supported” error because Pearl Abyss does not officially support Arc cards. The studio disclosed the incompatibility only after release in its FAQ and is directing affected buyers to seek refunds, with no timeline offered for future support.

Intel Arc B70 Pro and B65 Pro leak reveals β€˜Big Battlemage’ workstation GPUs with 32GB ECC GDDR6 ahead of March 25 launch

A leak points to Intel launching the Arc B70 Pro and B65 Pro β€œBig Battlemage” workstation GPUs on March 25, 2025, with press materials outlining creator- and AI-focused specs rather than gaming positioning. Both cards reportedly ship with 32GB ECC GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, with the B70 Pro offering 32 Xe2 cores at 160–290W (about 230W reference) and the B65 Pro using 20 Xe2 cores up to 200W, while pricing and availability remain unconfirmed.

PlayStation Network suffers massive outage, with down servers blocking games from launching

Update | With so many PS5 games depending on the PlayStation Network, any downtime can cripple the console. Sony confirms that gaming and social services are currently offline, with no ETA for a fix. Down Detector displays a surge of around 14,000 reports of incidents that started at approximately 9PM CET. Update 2:33 AM CET: Most gamers can now access the PlayStation Network, although there are sporadic reports of disconnects.

Another laptop brand affected by CPU fraud: Manufacturer promises clarification

It was already apparent: Following the recent accumulation of evidence, our current random sample check once again provides proof: Ninkear is also affected by the current CPU scandal and is selling laptops with an outdated 5500U CPU instead of the advertised Ryzen 5 7430U, while the affected laptops make buyers believe they have the modern processor.

Assassin’s Creed Netflix series: Setting revealed – here’s what fans think

Netflix has finally revealed the setting of its upcoming Assassin’s Creed series: instead of directly adapting one of the games, the show will tell a completely new story set in ancient Rome in 64 AD, offering plenty of room for political intrigue. Fans, however, are still reacting cautiously in light of the poorly received 2016 film.

Nvidia clarifies DLSS 5 infers on 2D screencaps plus motion vectors and does not use existing geometry, textures or lighting

Nvidia confirms that DLSS5 is just taking a screenshot of the display output and is analyzing it with a generative AI model in order to β€œenhance” the visual fidelity. The AI model essentially decides what it thinks the final render should look like with little control over the output from the artists.

Reinstated Unknown Worlds CEO claims Krafton violated court order by leaking Subnautica 2's launch window β€˜out of spite’

Reinstated Unknown Worlds CEO Ted Gill alleges publisher Krafton violated a court order by leaking Subnautica 2’s planned May early access launch window, arguing that only he was authorized to set release plans after Judge Lori Will’s ruling. Krafton denies wrongdoing, saying the internal memo cited in reports merely celebrated a prior milestone determination and did not constitute an improper announcement.

Take-Two CEO may have hinted at GTA VI's launch price: β€œFull price” could be $70–$80

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick appeared to hint that Grand Theft Auto VI could launch at a β€œfull price” of $70–$80 while arguing that interstitial in-game ads would be unfair at that cost, and he added that GTA VI will not include such advertising. While not an official pricing announcement (and with some analysts still predicting a potential $100 debut), the comments offer the clearest signal yet ahead of the game’s reported November 19, 2026, release.

Sony shocks players with surprise Highguard auto-refunds for prior microtransactions

Sony has begun issuing automatic refunds to PlayStation players for Highguard microtransactions following the game’s March 12 server shutdown, a rare move for the company’s typically strict refund policy. Reports indicate the refunds, spotted via PlayStation notifications and first shared in a since-deleted Reddit post, are currently limited to PlayStation while Steam and Xbox users may need to pursue refunds manually.

Nacon's RIG R5 Spear Max HD offers 40mm graphene drivers, USB-C DAC, Dolby Atmos for $149.99

Nacon has launched the RIG R5 Spear Max HD, a $149.99 wired gaming headset that targets audiophile-grade playback with 40mm GrapheneQ drivers tuned for under 0.3% distortion, a USB‑C DAC rated for 32-bit/384kHz, and Dolby Atmos support. The modular Snap+Lock design enables swappable ear cups and a reversible 6mm broadcast-style microphone, while broad plug-and-play compatibility spans PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch systems, iOS, and Android.

Dell releases three new Alienware gaming laptops with Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090

Dell has now started selling three new gaming laptops powered by Intel's latest Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus processor. Also configurable with up to 64 GB RAM, 12 TB of storage and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 in some cases, the Alienware 16X Aurora, Alienware 16 Area-51 and Alienware 18 Area-51 are the first laptops to ship with Intel's first Arrow Lake HX Plus processor.

Digital Foundry's Alex Battaglia calls DLSS 5 out for messing with artistic vision and serious ethical concerns

Digital Foundry's Alex Battaglia has criticized DLSS5 for its infringement on artistic vision in games. The game reviewer explains that DLSS 5, in its current form, is clearly doing more than just simply enhancing the lighting of a scene, as, for instance, Grace from Resident Evil Requiem looks like a completely different person with DLSS 5 enabled.

Velotric Tempo launches as a new super lightweight city e-bike with Apple & Android tracking

Velotric has introduced an all-new lightweight city-focused electric bike, the Tempo, in the global market. The main highlights of the e-bike include a lightweight design, a 350 W quiet hub motor, up to 60 miles (96.5 km) of range, a removable and lockable 374 Wh battery, IPX6 and IPX7 water resistance, and Apple and Android tracking.

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick: It’s β€˜laughable’ to think AI tools could create AAA games like Grand Theft Auto

Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick dismisses as β€œlaughable” the idea that prompt-based AI tools like Google’s experimental Project Genie could produce AAA hits on the level of Grand Theft Auto, arguing that such outputs may resemble entertainment but lack lasting appeal.

Microsoft reveals next gen DirectX ray tracing specifications launching summer 2026

The new DXR specifications include features like clustered geometry, partitioned TLAS and indirect acceleration structure operations, which should accelerate ray tracing rendering performance by enabling more efficient geometry and scene processing on the GPU side. Additionally, the GPU can now perform some of the tasks that were traditionally processed on the CPU side.

Citizen x Marvel: New stealthy X-Men-themed watch with Eco Drive tech and black leather strap officially revealed

Citizen’s latest Marvel release is an X-Men-themed watch that combines comic-inspired design with its light-powered Eco-Drive movement. Priced at $375, the model features a prominent β€œX” motif and subtle color accents tied to the franchise. It's currently limited to the US market, with a broader release likely to follow.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says gamers β€˜completely wrong’ about DLSS 5

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has dismissed gamers’ criticism that DLSS 5 homogenizes game visuals and β€œyassifies” character faces, calling detractors β€œcompletely wrong” after backlash to examples cited from titles like Resident Evil Requiem and Hogwarts Legacy. Huang argues DLSS 5 is β€œneural rendering” that applies generative AI at the geometry level under developer control rather than a post-processing filter, with its real-world visual and performance impact to be tested ahead of a gradual rollout in fall 2026.

MacBook Neo teardown: iFixit gives Apple’s most repairable laptop in 14 years a 6/10 score

iFixit’s teardown of Apple’s $599 MacBook Neo awards it a 6/10 repairability score, Apple’s best in 14 years, thanks to a screw-mounted battery, modular USB‑C ports, easier display removal, and a keyboard that’s now replaceable without swapping the entire top case. The gains come with compromises, including a labor-intensive 41‑screw keyboard procedure, continued use of pentalobe screws, soldered 8GB RAM, and 256/512GB storage that limit upgrades and data recovery, and pared-back audio and trackpad hardware.

ASRock announces AI BOX-A395 mini workstation PC with AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU

The AI BOX-A395 SFF workstation from ASRock comes with a stylish aluminum case and handle for portability. Together with the powerful AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU integrating a Radeon 8060S GPU and up to 128 GB LPDDR5X-8000 RAM, ASRock offers an internal PSU, dual BIOS for increased security and an extensive port selection including 2x USB4, 5x video outs, 2.5 Gbps + 10 Gbps NICs and Wi-Fi 7.

Lucky Redditor scores $1000 AMD PC build for just $87 as Newegg honors pricing glitch

A Reddit user reports scoring an AMD Ryzen 5 7600X, Gigabyte B850M Eagle motherboard, and Corsair 32GB DDR5-6000 kit, normally totaling about $1,013, for $86.98 after a brief pricing glitch in Newegg’s combo configurator. Newegg reportedly honored the orders and shipped the parts before patching the issue, leaving the buyer only needing a case, SSD, and GPU to complete the build.

Former Bethesda QA tester crashed Fallout 4 four times in a day on Xbox One after a β€œSuper-Nuke” stress test

Former Bethesda QA tester Colin McInerney recalled deliberately stress-testing Fallout 4 on Xbox One by exploiting RAM limits and unleashing β€œsuper-nukes,” triggering four crashes in a single morning and generating automatic crash reports that reached ZeniMax leadership. In a GDC interview, he argued that this kind of unpredictable, chaos-driven testing underscores why human QA can’t be replaced by pattern-following AI.

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