News recently broke that Borderlands 4 may not ever launch on the Nintendo Switch 2, but, as 2K recently announced via the official Borderlands account on X, the looter shooter is officially verified for the Steam Deck. While Borderlands 4 has been playable on the Steam Deck basically since launch, the numerous performance issues it exhibits led us to recommend against playing it on Valve's handheld in our in-depth handheld performance review. There were signs that Gearbox was preparing Borderlands 4 for Steam Deck Verified status, specifically the updated menu screens that came to the game around a month ahead of the announcement.

Importantly, Valve's requirements for Steam Deck verification include functional controller input, seamless compatibility with the Steam Deck hardware and software with no compatibility warnings, support for the default Steam Deck Display resolutions, with good default settings, and full support for Proton. Notably, performance doesn't really enter into the equation, and that has become the main focus of many online users, who pointed out on sites like X and Reddit pointing out that the game still doesn't run well on the Steam Deck, even after numerous performance patches nearly six months after the initial launch. Most users who have tested the game say that they still struggle to maintain a solid 30 FPS in the looter shooter on the Steam Deck's iGPU.

Despite the success of the first game in the series, Overwatch 2 has had a rough time of it, with reviews on Steam rating the game "Mostly Negative," with 34% of its reviews being of a positive nature. It seems as though Blizzard is trying to change this. In one of the multiple developer-led showcases scheduled for early February, Blizzard announced that Overwatch 2 is becoming just "Overwatch," and, more importantly, receiving a number of changes that aim to make gameplay more dynamic and attract more players to the game. The change also marks a number of changes to Overwatch's structure, which will see the game feature an annual story in a system that will officially go into effect with the new Season 1 on February 10. The story will be told across six seasons throughout the year, after which a new story will kick off with a new Season 1 in the following year. The first season in the revamp is called "Reign of Talon," and the plot kicked off with an animated cinematic at the start of the Overwatch spotlight on YouTube, but the rest will be told through various in-game events, animated hero trailers, short stories, and comics released throughout the year.

Blizzard also announced 10 new characters and an all-new class system. The first five characters will launch on February with the start of Season 1, and the rest of the line-up will follow throughout the year. It seems as though the heroes released throughout the year will all somehow be related to the plot being told in that particular year and also enter the game when each respective season launches. The five heroes coming in Season 1 include Domina, a new tank, Emre, a damage hero, Mizuki, a new support, Anran, another damage who will be available to trial from February 5-10, and Jetpack Cat, a stray cat serving aerial support that will be able to move allies around the battlefield from the air. The new update also sees Overwatch's class system get an overhaul, with the main tank, damage, and support roles now divided into three or four subclasses each—initiator, bruiser, and stalwart fall under the tank class; specialist, flanker, recon, and sharpshooter fall under damage, and medic, tactician, and survivor fall under support. Each role also comes with its own set of buffs and perks to consider. Blizzard also revealed that it would be reworking some classic Overwatch heroes later in 2026, although it did not reveal which heroes would be getting reworked.

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced results for its fiscal first quarter ended December 28, 2025.

"We are pleased to deliver strong quarterly results, with record total company revenues," said Cristiano Amon, President and CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated. "Our momentum across personal, industrial and physical AI is growing, as evidenced by recent product announcements at CES and customer traction. While our near-term handsets outlook is impacted by industry-wide memory supply constraints, we are encouraged by end-consumer demand for premium and high tier smartphones, and remain on track to achieve our fiscal 2029 revenue goals."

Today (Feb. 4, 2026) Arm (NASDAQ: ARM) published a letter to its shareholders containing the company's results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026 ended December 31, 2025. The infographic below provides the key highlights:

Here are what the results mean and how they were achieved:

• Revenue grew 26% year-on-year to $1.24 billion, representing Arm's fourth consecutive billion-dollar revenue quarter.
• Royalty revenue grew 27% year-over-year to a record $737 million, driven by growth across Arm's target end markets, including AI and general-purpose data center, smartphones, physical AI and edge AI.
• License and other revenue of $505 million increased 25% year-over-year, as more leading companies sign high-value licenses for next-generation Arm technologies.
• Demand for Arm Compute Subsystems (CSS) continues to exceed expectations as adoption grows in light of increasingly complex chip designs. This represents a significant tailwind to royalty growth, as Arm expands both the value delivered and economics captured per chip.
  • During the quarter, Arm signed two CSS licenses for use in both edge AI tablets and smartphones, bringing the total number of CSS licenses to 21 across 12 companies.
  • Additionally, five customers are now shipping Arm CSS-based chips, including two shipping its second-generation platform, while the top four Android smartphone vendors are all shipping Arm CSS-powered devices.

Despite previously taking a very pro-generative AI stance, advocating for AI protagonists in games, Take-Two Interactive's CEO, Strauss Zelnick, recently commented in an interview with Gameindustry.biz that generative AI was not used in the development of Grand Theft Auto VI. The CEO is quoted as saying "Specifically with regards to GTA 6, Generative AI has zero part in what Rockstar Games is building. Their worlds are handcrafted. That's what differentiates them. They're built from the ground up, building by building, street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood. They're not procedurally generated, they shouldn't be. That's what makes great entertainment." He also clarifies that he doesn't think that AI can or will be able to build "great entertainment properties" by themselves, suggesting that Take-Two might think twice about putting AI assets into its games.

He does also mention, however, that he is enthusiastic about AI, and that Take-Two's "products have always been built with machine learning and artificial intelligence," and that "right now we have hundreds of pilots and implementations across our company and within our studios. And we're already seeing instances where generative AI tools are driving costs and time efficiencies." Notably, this isn't the first time we've seen similar rhetoric or AI applied similarly in game studios, despite game workers generally opposing the idea of generative AI in gaming. Embark, the studio behind Arc Raiders, used generative AI to speed up the work on voice acting, while Ubisoft is exploring AI-generated teammates, and EA has announced a pivot to generative AI tools across multiple applications.

Tenstorrent, a startup focused on designing high-performance AI accelerators and led by the renowned computer architect Jim Keller as CEO, has announced significant hardware updates to its existing Blackhole P150 accelerators, which include the P150a and P150b models. In the latest documentation change, the company notes that its Blackhole P150 accelerators will now work with about 14.3% fewer cores than originally advertised. In the official documents, the P150 accelerators are now shipping with 120 working "Tensix" cores instead of the previously advertised 140 cores. The reason for this change is unknown, as the company provided a vague explanation: "To present a unified interface to metal and other system software, firmware v19.5.0 and later will change the core count on all existing cards to 120. Typical workloads show a non-material (~1-2%) performance difference."

The Blackhole P150 accelerators featured 140 "Tensix" cores and 32 GB of GDDR6 memory, operating at up to 300 W in an actively cooled form factor designed for desktop workstations, and the P150a model includes four passive QSFP-DD 800G ports. However, as the number of cores is reduced by approximately 14%, TeraFLOPS take a nosedive as well. In the older documents for the 140-core SKUs, the BLOCKFP8 8-bit floating point performance was listed at 774 TeraFLOPS, while the new 120-core version reduces that number to 664 TeraFLOPS at the same precision level. Why this sudden change is happening is still a mystery. However, the HPC community with a lot of knowledge in the industry suggests a few reasons.

Silicon Motion Technology Corporation (NasdaqGS: SIMO) ("Silicon Motion," the "Company," "we" or similar terms) today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2025. For the fourth quarter of 2025, net sales (GAAP) increased sequentially to $278.5 million from $242.0 million in the third quarter of 2025. Net income (GAAP) also increased sequentially to $47.7 million, or $1.41 per diluted American depositary share ("ADS") (GAAP), from net income (GAAP) of $39.1 million, or $1.16 per diluted ADS (GAAP), in the third quarter of 2025.

For the fourth quarter of 2025, net income (non-GAAP) increased sequentially to $42.7 million, or $1.26 per diluted ADS (non-GAAP), from net income (non-GAAP) of $33.8 million, or $1.00 per diluted ADS (non-GAAP), in the third quarter of 2025. All financial numbers are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.

Saber Interactive and Focus Entertainment premiered a Gameplay Overview Trailer for 80s action-horror-inspired game John Carpenter's Toxic Commando. This new IP from the creators of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, World War Z and SnowRunner shows what it is made of - from story and missions to weapons and classes. Zombie addicts and fans of 80s silly gory action horror can finally gear up ahead of John Carpenter's Toxic Commando releasing March 12 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Get ready for non-stop zombie destruction
The trailer introduces the highly trained team of mercenaries you'll be cleaning the zombie mess as in this 4-player co-op action survival shooter, taking on multiple missions through a semi-open world infested with Sabers hellish Swarm technology, sending endless, simultaneous waves of mutated monstrosities straight at your face.

As February has just started, Valve finished processing data for the January edition of the Steam Hardware and Software Survey. One of the few interesting takeaways is that for the first time in months, Intel's share of consumer CPU usage has seen an uptick, instead of the slow decline it has been experiencing. According to the January update, Intel's CPU share among Steam platform users has grown to 56.64%, representing a small but pleasant increase of 0.25% over the December data. On the other hand, AMD recorded a slight decrease of 0.19%, now standing at 43.34% of the market. This means that Intel's market share has increased for the first time in months, as data from September reported a market share of 58.61%, then October showed 57.82%, 57.30% in November, and 56.39% in December. The chain of declining share has finally stopped, suggesting that Intel could have a chance to rebound in the consumer market section.

On the contrary, AMD's CPU market share has been rising for months, moving up from 41.31% in September to 43.53% in December, with a small correction now standing at 43.34%. This indicates that many new CPU purchasing decisions were made in favor of AMD, driven by the massive popularity of its Ryzen 9000X3D series, which has been well-received by PC enthusiasts. In contrast, Intel's latest "Arrow Lake" launch has faced some initial challenges with less-than-expected gaming performance, but besides discounts and firmware updates improving the situation, the community is now anticipating the launch of the "Arrow Lake Refresh" scheduled for March or April, which is expected to address these issues by shipping with higher out-of-the-box frequencies and additional tuning.

Borderlands 4 can't seem to escape its reputation for poor performance and demanding hardware requirements. Although the game was meant to launch on the relatively low-power Nintendo Switch 2 shortly after it launched on PC and console, the handheld port of the game was delayed, with the development team declaring that it needed more time to "deliver the best game possible" for fans of the series. Now, as of February 3, the development of Borderlands 4 for the Switch 2 has officially been put on hold. This is according to a new announcement by 2K Interactive in a recent earnings call. The gaming giant instead says that it wants to focus on optimizing Borderlands 4 for the devices on which it is already available. It's unclear whether the development will be picked up again at a later stage or if the port is effectively cancelled.

The full statement by 2K reads: "We made the difficult decision to pause development on that SKU. Our focus continues to be delivering quality post-launch content for players on the ongoing improvements to optimize the game. We're continuing to collaborate closely with our friends at Nintendo. We have PGA Tour 2K25 coming out and WWE 2K26, and we're incredibly excited about bringing more of our titles to that platform in the future." No official explanation was provided for the halt in development, but speculation has gone two ways. While some think 2K put the Switch 2 port on hold over performance concerns—Gearbox's Randy Pitchford previously promised that the game would run at 30 FPS "with some dips" on the Switch 2, which didn't give gamers much hope for performance—while others suspect that sales numbers simply didn't justify the increased development costs for the Switch 2. The fact that the Switch 2 version had already been indefinitely delayed lends credence to the theory that performance concerns and optimization difficulties could have had something to do with the cancellation.

Texas Instruments (Nasdaq: TXN), a global semiconductor company that designs, manufactures and sells analog and embedded processing chips, and Silicon Labs (Nasdaq: SLAB), a leader in secure, intelligent wireless technology, today announced they have signed a definitive agreement under which Texas Instruments will acquire Silicon Labs for $231.00 per share in an all-cash transaction, representing a total enterprise value of approximately $7.5 billion.

The acquisition will create a global leader in embedded wireless connectivity solutions by combining Silicon Labs' strong portfolio and expertise in mixed signal solutions with Texas Instruments' leading analog and embedded processing portfolio and internally owned technology and manufacturing capabilities. The combined company will accelerate growth by better serving existing and new customers through enhanced innovation and market access.

AMD posted its record fourth quarter revenue of $10.3 billion in 2025, and during the earnings call, the company issued some guidance on the upcoming product portfolio. During the call, AMD confirmed that Valve's Steam Machine is on track and shipping early this year, while its custom SoC division that designs processors for PlayStation and Xbox consoles will deliver an RDNA 5-based SoC for the next-generation Xbox console. While the Steam Machine specifications are confirmed, Xbox "Magnus" SoC is still largely a collection of rumored specifications. The "Magnus" SoC is rumored to feature the largest APU ever designed for a consumer console, with a 408 mm² chiplet design. Of this, 144 mm² is dedicated to the SoC built on TSMC's N3P node, while the GPU occupies 264 mm². The AMD chip is expected to include up to 11 CPU cores—three Zen 6 and eight Zen 6c—alongside a substantial GPU setup with 68 RDNA 5 compute units, four shader engines, and at least 24 MB of L2 cache. Memory might expand to 48 GB of GDDR7 on a 192-bit bus. A dedicated NPU is rumored to offer significant on-device AI performance, with reports suggesting up to 110 TOPS.

Dr. Lisa SuFor 2026, we expect semi-custom SoC annual revenue to decline by a significant double-digit percentage as we enter the seventh year of what has been a very strong console cycle. From a product standpoint, Valve is on track to begin shipping its AMD-powered Steam Machine early this year, and development of Microsoft's next-gen Xbox featuring an AMD semi-custom SoC is progressing well to support a launch in 2027.

At its Innovation Day 2026, Western Digital today unveiled a new customer-centric storage roadmap that reinvents the hard drive for AI needs, reinforcing its position as a strategic storage infrastructure partner for the AI-driven data economy. The announcements reflect how WD's fundamental business transformation has enabled a new generation of storage technologies spanning scalable capacity, breakthrough performance optimizations, power efficiency innovations and an intelligent platform API with cost-effective economics.

As AI generates massive amounts of data, it has spurred intense demand for data storage. To meet the moment, WD has focused deeply on customer needs, particularly capacity with proven reliability and economics, performance, power efficiency, and faster qualifications without customer business disruptions. During its Innovation Day, WD showcased technologies that address these essential customer requirements and will deliver them at scale.

Electronic Arts Inc. today announced preliminary financial results for its third fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2025.

Selected Operating Highlights and Metrics

• Net bookings 1 for the quarter totaled $3.046 billion, up 38% year-over-year.
• Battlefield 6 was the best-selling shooter title of 2025, setting new franchise engagement records.
• EA SPORTS FC net bookings increased high single digits year-over-year in Q3, excluding the benefit of deluxe edition content timing, driven by strength in Ultimate Team and FC Mobile.
• Apex Legends momentum continued in Q3 with net bookings up double-digits year-over-year driven by innovative new features and events.

EasySMX, the leading manufacturer of gaming peripherals, reproduced X05Pro Controller, the next evolution of its highly popular X05 line. Designed through extensive feedback from over 10,000 real gamers worldwide, the X05Pro delivers a balance of quiet operation, precision control, and immersive feedback, making it the ideal choice for PC and console players seeking performance without compromise.

The X05Pro introduces Redesigned Quiet Buttons with restructured mechanics and noise-dampening silicone, significantly reducing click sounds while maintaining tactile responsiveness—perfect for shared spaces like dorms, living rooms, or late-night gaming sessions. Players will also experience enhanced realism with the Dual-Stage Trigger Vibration System, featuring a 2+2 motor structure that brings distinct feedback for acceleration, braking, or in-game combat, combined with 2-stage trigger locks: a longer travel distance for precise control in racing games, and a shorter travel distance for fast firing or immediate action in shooters. Meanwhile, the 8-Directional D-Pad with metal dome switches ensures accurate diagonal inputs, a must-have for fighting game fans and retro enthusiasts.

AMD today unveiled the Kintex UltraScale+ Gen 2 FPGA family. The company's latest announcement is a strategic play for the middle-of-the-market in the FPGA segment that's dominated by the likes of Intel Agilex 5 series. Targeting sectors that demand longevity and reliability, such as medical imaging, industrial automation, and broadcast video production, the Gen 2 family is not just a lithography shrink, but it represents a significant architectural modernization of the existing 16 nm Kintex platform, infusing it with the high-speed connectivity and memory standards required for the data-heavy workloads of 2027 and beyond.

The original Kintex UltraScale+ series from the Xilinx era is popular in the industry, for a performance/Watt balance that made it the suitable for everything from ultrasound machines to 5G radio heads. However, as edge devices have become hungrier for bandwidth, the original platform's connectivity options began to show their age. The Gen 2 update addresses the I/O modernization need. The most striking upgrade is the memory subsystem, replacing DDR4 with newer LPDDR4X, DDR5 and LPDDR5X memory standards. LPDDR tends to be popular for compact, edge devices in the IIoT (industrial IoT) space. This should even pave the way for a new crop of 8K or 4K broadcast-tier cameras. Since these are produced in small batches, FPGAs are preferred over ASICs or elaborate SoCs.

OneOdio, a global audio brand known for delivering accessible and high-performance sound solutions, today announced the launch of the OneOdio solocaster, an all-in-one voice transformer and sound card designed for streaming, recording, gaming and content creation. Engineered for gamers and emerging creators alike, the solocaster combines professional-grade audio performance with creative sound tools and visual customization in a compact, easy-to-use format.

Positioned as a versatile audio hub for live content, the solocaster enables creators to manage microphones, system audio, background music and external sources from a single device. Universal compatibility with five independent audio channels and multi-port connectivity (USB-C, 3.5 mm, XLR, Bluetooth and AUX). The solocaster operates as a true plug-and-play device with no drivers required, supporting virtually all major streaming and recording apps across Windows, Mac and mobile.

Levelplay is proud to announce the launch of its latest all-in-one (AIO) CPU cooling solutions, the Combat Liquid HUD and Combat Liquid SE, expanding the Combat Liquid family with performance-driven cooling and real-time system visibility. Designed for gamers and PC enthusiasts who demand immediate access to live CPU data, the Combat Liquid 360 HUD features an integrated digital display on the pump cap that presents critical system information at a glance, while delivering high-efficiency thermal performance for modern high-core processors.

More Than Just a Display
The Combat Liquid 360 HUD is more than a high-performance CPU cooler—it's a real-time command center for your system. At the heart of the cooler is a 2.6" circular digital display, transforming the pump cap into a mission-ready HUD that delivers live system intelligence at a glance. The display provides real-time readouts including CPU temperature, usage rate, power draw, and clock speeds, allowing users to monitor performance instantly without relying on on-screen software overlays. Simply update the driver and unlock full access to the HUD's real-time system monitoring features.

AMD (NASDAQ:AMD) today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2025. Fourth quarter revenue was a record $10.3 billion, gross margin was 54%, operating income was $1.8 billion, net income was $1.5 billion and diluted earnings per share was $0.92. On a non-GAAP basis, gross margin was 57%, operating income was a record $2.9 billion, net income was a record $2.5 billion and diluted earnings per share was a record $1.53.

For the full year 2025, AMD reported record revenue of $34.6 billion, gross margin of 50%, operating income of $3.7 billion, net income of $4.3 billion, and diluted earnings per share of $2.65. On a non-GAAP basis, gross margin was 52%, operating income was a record $7.8 billion, net income was a record $6.8 billion and diluted earnings per share was a record $4.17.

Western Digital has today presented its latest effort to catch up with traditional QLC NAND Flash SSDs by improving its HDD offerings. With the latest High-Bandwidth HDDs, Western Digital has implemented two new technologies in a classical multi-platter HDD design. The first innovation comes in a form of High Bandwidth Drive Technology, which enables double the I/O bandwidth with a path to 8x the current bandwidth in the future. It relies on simultaneous reading and writing from multiple heads on multiple tracks, which is already in customer hands for validation. The second one is Dual Pivot Technology that introduces a second set of independent actuators on a separate pivot, which will not scarify drive capacity unlike older dual actuator designs.

Using Dual Pivot Technology, HDDs can pack more drive platters in a standard 3.5-inch body for higher capacities, and the performance grows by an additional 2x, which is 4x I/O bandwidth compared to today's drives. This technology will pave the way for 100 TB HDDs, that offer speeds comparable to QLC-based SATA III SSDs, at much better price/performance ratio and better data retention, prompting the massive boom of HDD development. Western Digital's drives with High Bandwidth Drive Technology are already shipping to customers, while drives with Dual Pivot Technology are in development in Western Digital's labs and are scheduled to become available in 2028, with early customer sampling probably much sooner.

According to Chinese Board Channels, a reliable source of GPU news, AMD's add-in board (AIB) partners are preparing for another round of GPU price increases. They also seem to be shifting their product focus toward 8 GB Radeon models. After distributors implemented a 5-10% price adjustment in January, another increase is reportedly planned for February or March, though the exact percentage is not yet known. Board Channels also reports that AMD is expected to prioritize stocking 8 GB SKUs such as the Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB and the older RDNA 3-based RX 7650 GRE, rather than the 16 GB SKUs like the Radeon RX 9070 XT. This shift is due to a shortage of GDDR6 memory, which is reducing the profit margins for AIBs without a significant price increase.

Distributors reportedly stocked up after January's price increase, which could lead to uneven availability if resellers hold onto inventory in anticipation of another adjustment. With DRAM prices having risen sharply in recent months, manufacturers are reassessing which memory configurations to produce, favoring 8 GB variants because they are cheaper to manufacture. This shift might also cause some 16 GB parts to become more expensive, narrowing the price gap between AMD and NVIDIA in the midrange market. The earliest effects of these changes are expected to be seen in mainland China, where partners may allocate more volume to 8 GB cards and reduce the output of certain 16 GB GRE and non-GRE models. We are yet to see how it reflects on the Western stores and pricing imposed by retailers like Amazon, Newegg, and others.

Cable Matters, a leading innovator in connectivity solutions, today announced the release of its first 2-meter (6.6-foot) Thunderbolt 5 Active Cable. Designed to maintain full Thunderbolt 5 performance at extended distances, this new cable delivers elite connectivity for power users, creators, and IT professionals seeking clean, flexible workstation layouts without sacrificing speed or reliability.

The Thunderbolt 5 Active Cable supports up to 80 Gbps of bi-directional data throughput and up to 120 Gbps of video bandwidth with Bandwidth Boost enabled. This allows users to power advanced workflows such as high-resolution video editing, large-scale data transfers, and AI or 3D rendering. The cable also supports up to 240 W charging and can drive demanding display configurations, including dual 8K 60 Hz displays or triple 4K 144 Hz displays, depending on host and GPU capabilities.

Calling all heroes - the GXTrust Batman gaming range has landed, bringing the iconic look and feel of Gotham's greatest protector to your gaming setup. In collaboration with Warner Bros. and DC, this high-performance gaming collection merges bold Batman aesthetics with powerful functionality, giving fans a chance to game in Dark Knight style. Featuring the Ruya Pro Gaming Chair, Carus Gaming Headset, Muta Wireless Controller, and XXL Mousepad, this striking line-up offers everything you need to level up your play, whether you're saving the city in VR or chasing your next high score.

The Ruya Pro Gaming Chair Batman Edition delivers serious comfort with a sleek black and yellow design and premium Batman logo that's unmistakably cool. Built for long gaming sessions and all-day comfort, it's engineered to support even the most intense marathons:

• A height adjustable frame, 4D armrests and a tilt-lock mechanism to personalize your position
• Built-in lumbar support, extra-thick molded seat cushion, and a removable headrest for maximum comfort and support
• A combination of breathable fabric and PU leather that keeps things cool even during high-stakes matches
• A durable aluminium star base and Class 4 gas lift tested up to 150 kg, built to endure game after game

Today, developer and publisher Funcom is proud to announce that the biggest free update yet to Dune: Awakening, Dune: Awakening, one of Steam's highest-grossing new releases of 2025, is LIVE along with the paid Raiders of the Broken Lands DLC. The open world survival game inspired by Frank Herbert's Dune as well as Denis Villeneuve and Legendary Entertainment's acclaimed blockbuster franchise, just got a whole lot bigger and better.

Chapter 3 Free Update: Bigger and Better Endgame
Chapter 3 delivers one of the most requested improvements: a bigger and better endgame. Once players reach Tier 6, progression has now been extended. Chapter 3 introduces new systems that let players continue to grow their power, refine their build, and define their role. Importantly, players can now progress meaningfully through PVE-focused content.

Independent game developer WATT Studio has announced that the first public demo for GRIMPS, its wildly chaotic plush-infested shooter, will launches today on Steam. Players will soon get hands-on with a world where cuddly stuffed creatures become deadly enemies, absurd weapons rule the battlefield, and a sarcastic pigeon sidekick might be your only hope of survival.

In GRIMPS, players fight through hordes of possessed plush monsters in a quest to rescue a missing lover and rise to legendary status. Expect fast-paced arena combat, platforming challenges, environmental puzzles and an escalating descent into stuffed-animal mayhem. This game trades traditional polygonal realism for striking color blocking and stylized texture masks, creating a cohesive and atmospheric world filled with custom-built weapons, characters, and environments.

Mozilla's plans to make Firefox "a modern AI browser" have fallen flat on its face. When Anthony Enzor-DeMeo took over the Mozilla the new CEO, he announced plans to make the browser a modernized version of AI-first browsing experience. However, massive community backslash has resulted in the CEO quickly apologizing to the community and promising a killswitch. In the upcoming Firefox version 148, scheduled for a release on February 24, there will be an option to turn off AI features in the browser individually, or all at once. This includes AI-assisted translations, alt text in PDFs, AI-enhanced tab grouping, link previews, and an AI chatbot in the sidebar. Users can choose which features to enable or disable, and those who prefer not to use any AI functions can turn them off entirely with a single switch. This setting will persist even after future updates, ensuring that users who opt out will not encounter generative AI features.

Mozilla is fulfilling its earlier promise to implement an AI killswitch, an option increasingly sought after by many users. While some enjoy a web experience assisted by AI, many do not. Having an option to individually turn off specific features, or all at once, is the perfect solution. Interestingly, this is not the first time we are seeing features from companies that are marked as new updates, but instead delivering a shield from all the "AI enhancements." Users are clearly expressing a frustration of AI everywhere approach, and Mozilla is aiming to position Firefox right where the community wants it to be. For Firefox Nightly users, the feature is available right away. However, for Firefox stable, users must wait a few days until February 24 to install Firefox 148.

A true icon of the 1990s golden age of combat flight simulation is preparing for takeoff once again. F-22: Air Dominance Fighter, originally developed by Digital Image Design, is releasing soon on Steam, published by MicroProse—a name synonymous with some of the most respected and influential PC flight simulations ever made.

Originally renowned for striking a rare balance between accessibility and authenticity, F-22: Air Dominance Fighter puts players in control of one of the most advanced jet fighters ever conceived. More than a cockpit experience, the game also allows players to command the wider air war as an AWACS controller—overseeing the entire theatre, directing allied aircraft, observing every engagement in real time, and instantly jumping into the cockpit of any F-22 when the situation demands it.

Intel and SoftBank subsidiary Saimemory have signed an agreement to work together on developing and selling Z-Angle Memory (ZAM) technology aimed at AI and high-performance computing tasks. ZAM is described as a stacked DRAM architecture designed to go beyond current high-bandwidth memory (HBM) solutions. The goal is higher memory capacity and bandwidth at lower power. The name refers to vertical (Z-axis) stacking, according to reports from EE Times Japan. The project builds on Intel Next Generation DRAM Bonding (NGDB) work, developed under the U.S. government-backed Advanced Memory Technology (AMT) program in collaboration with Sandia, Lawrence Livermore, and Los Alamos national laboratories. Recent NGDB prototypes featuring eight vertically stacked DRAM layers have demonstrated full functionality using this new vertical stacking and bonding approach, as disclosed by Sandia in January.

According to reports from Nikkei and Wallstreet.cn, Saimemory is targeting two to three times the capacity of today's HBM, with 40-50% lower power consumption, while keeping costs competitive. Saimemory plans to have prototypes ready by early 2028, with commercial products following in 2029. SoftBank is said to be investing around ¥3 billion through the prototype phase. For Intel, the partnership marks a return to advanced memory technologies after exiting the DRAM market decades ago.

Cyber Acoustics, a leading provider of reliable and affordable audio solutions for 30 years, today announced the launch of its latest monitor-mounted speaker bar, the patent-pending CA-2890GX with LED lights.

Designed for casual gamers looking to enhance their play sessions with immersive lighting and surprisingly loud, crisp sound, the CA-2890GX is an ideal speaker for games with great musical soundtracks, such as Stardew Valley, Undertale, Ori and the Blind Forest, Ori and the Will of Wisps, Enter the Gungeon, Binding of Isaac, Slay the Spire, Hollow Knight: Silk Song, and Castle Crashers, as well as games with vivid dialogue, including Disco Elysium, The Walking Dead (Telltale series), Life is Strange, Firewatch, and Hades.

Intel's upcoming "Arrow Lake Refresh" are weeks away from the final release, but new listing suggests that there might be more SKUs getting a refresh makeover than we initially thought. In the latest listing by a Romanian retailer, there is a new SKU called Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus, with a code number BX80768250KF. The SKU is supposed to be the first version of the ARLR family with a "KF" mark, meaning that there won't be an integrated GPU in this processor Instead, only the CPU is provided, meaning that a GPU is mandatory, much like the previous KF SKUs. In the listing there is a mention of 4.2 GHz frequency, which aligns with the previously rumored Core Ultra 5 250K Plus and its P-core base speed of 4.2 GHz. This means that other specifications will remain similar to the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, like the E-Core base speed of 3.5 GHz, E-Core turbo of 4.7 GHz, and P-Core boost frequency of 5.3 GHz. The only difference will be the lack of iGPU, as it has been a case with previous KF SKUs.

Interestingly, the Romanian retailer is also listing the Core Ultra 250K Plus (BX80768250K) and Core Ultra 270K Plus (BX80768270K), while the flagship Ultra 9 290K Plus is not yet listed. This doesn't necessarily mean the SKU won't exist, but rather that this preliminary listing is incomplete for now. For the Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus, the retailer listed it at 1,049 Romanian Leu, which is about $243. As previous leaks suggest a March or April release of the ARLR family, we can expect the information and listings to intensify in the coming weeks. Some early benchmark runs also point to a 10% performance boost in flagship SKUs with the new refresh, so we have to wait and see how these mid-range chips perform in more testing.

Broadcom Inc., a global leader in semiconductor and infrastructure software solutions, today announced the industry's first Wi-Fi 8 access point (AP) and switch solution purpose-built with a unified architecture for AI-ready enterprise networks.

Building on Broadcom's first-to-market Wi-Fi 8 radios launched in October 2025, the new enterprise-grade Wi-Fi 8 AP platform is powered by a new accelerated processing unit (APU) chip, the BCM49438, designed to optimize wireless networking and AI acceleration at the enterprise edge. Additionally, Broadcom unveiled an enterprise-grade switch platform powered by a new Ethernet switch, the Trident X3+ BCM56390, with Broadcom's industry-leading multi-gigabit PHY and PoE power sourcing equipment (PSE) chips. Together, these platforms form a unified architecture that maximizes the performance, efficiency and security for the Wi-Fi 8 wireless network in the enterprise.

Data from ASUS's Future of SMB Report reveals that small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are increasingly adopting the mindset, and tools, of large enterprises to stay competitive. According to the report, 88% of SMB owners in the United States believe that "thinking bigger" is essential for future growth. This shift is being driven in part by competitive pressure: among those who strongly agree, 41% say they face the most competition from larger enterprises, not just peers or start-ups.

Rather than relying solely on headcount or traditional infrastructure, SMBs are using AI-powered PCs to boost productivity and streamline decision-making. From intelligent forecasting to content creation and workflow automation, AI is now a key enabler of enterprise-level capability delivered with small business agility.

Nintendo's return to the modern handheld gaming market has proven to be a record-breaking success. The company has reportedly sold 155 million Switch units worldwide since its initial launch. The latest Nintendo Switch 2 has sold 17.37 million units since its release in June 2025. During the holiday quarter, shipments reached 7.01 million units globally, while the original Switch sold 1.36 million units in the same period. Combined lifetime shipments for the Switch family now stands at 155.37 million units, surpassing the Nintendo DS total of 154.02 million, making it Nintendo's best-selling console ever.

Regarding software for these record-breaking units, sales for the new console are also strong, with 37.93 million Switch 2 titles sold to date, largely driven by first-party games. Mario Kart World has reached 14.03 million copies, Donkey Kong Bananza 4.25 million, and Pokémon Legends: ZA 3.89 million. Kirby Air Riders, released in November, has sold 1.76 million units. The older Switch remains commercially relevant, with cumulative software sales of 108.93 million this quarter. Long-running catalog titles such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, now at 70.59 million copies, and Super Mario Party Jamboree at 9.41 million, continue to sell well, aided by backward compatibility.

As AI workloads, industrial digitalization, and edge data centers continue to scale, industrial manufacturers are facing a fundamental shift in how high-performance computing platforms must be designed. Today's systems must not only deliver extreme performance, but also ensure continuous uptime, remote operability, and long-term deployment stability in demanding production environment. In response to these demands, ASRock Industrial proudly announced the launch of IMB-X1904, a high-performance EATX motherboard powered by Intel Xeon 600 processors and the W890 chipset, designed to serve as a new backbone for AI computing, advanced industrial automation, and compute-intensive applications.

Designed for manufacturers that operate performance-critical systems, the IMB-X1904 delivers exceptional performance with robust-class processing power, high-speed DDR5 memory, extensive PCIe Gen 5 expansion, and next-generation I/O in a platform engineered for continuous operation, remote deployment, and secure lifecycle management.

OCBASE has updated its OCCT tool to include overclocking support for Intel's latest Xeon 600 "Granite Rapids-WS" workstation processors, designed for precise tuning of Intel's best HEDT offering. While OCCT is traditionally known for hardware stability testing, OCBASE aims to transform it into a universal platform that combines fine-tuning, including overclocking, with stability testing in a single application. The company has worked with Intel to create a special skin for the OCCT tool, featuring an Intel-like blue and white theme. Besides the visual makeover, lots of under the hood changes follow.

For instance, Intel's flagship Xeon 698X, with 86 cores and 172 threads and 336 MB of L3 cache, can be overclocked from the application UI. The processor operates at a 2.0 GHz base clock and can boost up to 4.8 GHz with Turbo Boost Max 3.0 or 4.6 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0. Intel confirms that the 698X is fully unlocked, which is unusual for the Xeon processor family. With OCCT, users can now make per-core clock adjustments and live parameter edits while running continuous stress tests. Currently in a closed beta program, the public release is expected within weeks and will include Linux compatibility.

AVerMedia Technologies, a global leader in streaming and digital audiovisual solutions, today announces the launch of Live Streamer, a new mobile streaming app, and new feature updates to its PC-based Streaming Center software. These updates together expand AVerMedia's creator ecosystem across mobile and PC workflows. Developed to complement the X'TRA GO GC515 and ELITE GO GC313Pro capture devices, Live Streamer offers a lightweight alternative for creators who want the flexibility of mobile streaming without replacing their existing PC-based workflows. For moments when portability matters such as traveling, staying in hotels, or creating content on the move, creators can now stream using just their mobile devices, without carrying a laptop.

"Creators don't always want to carry a full PC setup, but they still need control, reliability, and quality when streaming on the go," said Michael Kuo, President and CEO of AVerMedia Technologies. "With the GO Series and Live Streamer, we're offering a mobile streaming solution that is easy to use, powerful where it matters, and flexible enough to fit into different creative moments."

Logitech G today announced the Logitech G325 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Headset, a new wireless gaming headset designed for players who want effortless versatility, immersive audio, and all-day comfort, without the premium price tag. Offered at just $79.99 MSRP, the G325 delivers LIGHTSPEED wireless performance and premium audio, in a modern, minimalist design.

"We want all gamers to have premium experiences," said Ujesh Desai, General Manager of Logitech G. "That's why we packed so much into the new G325 headset. It's got a super comfortable design, long battery life, great audio, and works across PC, console, and mobile. It's designed for gamers who love to play across a variety of platforms."

ATK Gear showed off its latest Ghost gaming mouse at CES earlier this year, but the brand is apparently stepping into the less gamer-focussed peripheral scene as well with the new Yogo 75 low-profile mechanical keyboard. The Yogo 75 is, as the name suggests, a 75% mechanical keyboard, but it uses a new all-POM low-profile switch designed in collaboration with Kailh and features some unique design touches, making it a competitive option at its expected $100-130 price point, depending on sales and the specific model. ATK is currently wrapping up the Kickstarter campaign for the Yogo 75, and the keyboard will soon become available on the ATK Gear online store. It will be available with both silent linear and regular linear switches and in black, silver, or yellow (which looks more like a creamy color).

The ATK Yogo 75 has an all-aluminium chassis with a silicone gasket mount, while the Pro version has a built-in pixel display with a frosted cover, and a rotary encoder, and both models feature the retro-future aesthetic that's going around at the moment. Much like the Wooting 80HE (review here), the Yogo 75 has detachable feet for typing angle adjustment, although they are magnetic on the Yogo, where they are simply press-fit on the Wooting. The Yogo 75 will be available with two switch options, and it will have universal-height dye-sublimated PBT keycaps that look like they have the same profile as the keycaps from the similar Iqunix Magi and MQ series keyboards. In terms of connectivity, the standard tri-mode affair—Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz, and USB-C connectivity. ATK has put a 5,000 mAh battery into the Yogo 75, and the brand says that it will be able to run for as long as 2,500 hours on a single charge. This is likely tested without the north-facing RGB backlighting enabled.

After a long wait, Intel has launched its Xeon 600 Series processors dedicated to workstations. Codenamed Granite Rapids-WS, the new lineup is targeting single-socket workstations, with a strong emphasis on high core counts, large memory capacity, and extensive I/O for multi-GPU and storage-heavy configurations. The new chip family will replace the existing Sapphire Rapids‑based Xeon W-2500 and W-3500 Series workstation chips and will go up against AMD high-end workstation equivalent, the Ryzen Threadripper Pro 9000 Series. In total, Intel has 11 SKUs for Xeon 600 series and all are built around Redwood Cove P-cores, with no E-cores present. At the top of the stack sits the Xeon 698X, featuring 86 cores and 172 threads, backed by 336 MB of L3 cache. The chip runs at a 2.0 GHz base clock, boosting up to 4.8 GHz with Turbo Boost Max 3.0, or 4.6 GHz under Turbo Boost 2.0. Intel confirms that the 698X is fully unlocked, allowing overclocking, something still relatively rare in the Xeon workstation space.

They are paired with the Intel W890 chipset that offers up to 128 PCIe 5.0 lanes directly from the CPU. It features eight memory channels supporting DDR5-6400 RDIMMs, and up to 4 TB of system memory. Compared to the previous Xeon WS generation, Granite Rapids-WS brings larger L2 and L3 caches, CXL 2.0 support and updated platform features. Intel also highlights support for vPro Enterprise, as well as Intel Deep Learning Boost, including VNNI, AVX-512, and AMX, targeting AI inference and advanced compute workloads.

Recently, GOG, the game storefront and distribution platform, took some heat over the inclusion of AI-generated art in promotional imagery for a New Year sale. It received so much backlash online that an employee in the marketing department took to the GOG forum to respond the same day news broke, however, now, GOG has issued an official response in its Discord server for GOG Patrons (courtesy of Kotaku).

In the lengthy response, the GOG representative explains that the art was indeed AI generated, although this had been confirmed previously, but they explain that the banner was a WIP (work in progress) asset and was never meant to be shared. GOG also says that it "failed on at least two levels: Quality-control of the asset that landed on the front page, and then reacting quickly enough when we noticed the error." The rep goes on to acknowledge its community's disappointment in the use of AI, but says that GOG is a very small team that has been testing different technologies and tools that allow the team to do more with fewer hands. The full statement is available below, but it essentially seems as though GOG is incorporating generative AI into its workflows, despite the negative backlash, internally, externally, and even from the gaming industry at large.

Acemagic's latest entry into its retro mini PC line, the Retro X3, is apparently powered by AMD's Ryzen 7 H 255, and it offers a slightly toned-down look compared to the Gorgon Point and Panther Lake devices we previewed at CES earlier this year. The Retro X3 has officially launched in China, and is available for pre-order at a price of RMB 1,899 without RAM or storage. This translates to around $273, although it will likely be slightly more expensive when it launches globally. The Retro X3 will be available with and AMD Ryzen 7 H 255, which is an eight-core CPU with AMD's Zen 4 Architecture and an AMD Radeon 780M iGPU, meaning the mini PC should offer similar low-end gaming performance to the APU in the ASUS ROG Ally or Lenovo Legion Go.

It features modular RAM, with support for up to 128 GB of DDR5-5600 RAM and up to 4 TB of NVMe storage via a 2280 M.2 slot. As with the other retro PCs by Acemagic, it features a beige plastic enclosure with a big red power button and plenty of ports. On the front alone, there are two USB 3.2 ports, along with a 3.5 mm audio jack and a USB4 Type-C port, while the back features an HDMI 2.1 port and a DisplayPort 2.0 port alongside 2.5G LAN and four USB 3.2 ports. It also packs Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6 for wireless connectivity and peripherals. The air cooling system draws in cool air from the top of the chassis and exhausts heat through vents on the sides and rear of the mini PC, and the whole package measures in at just 128.2 × 128.2 × 44 mm.

Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 last year, and if your computer is still running it, then your data is at risk. If you want an easy way to upgrade, right now, you can get Windows 11 Pro on sale for only $12.97 (reg. $199). Windows 11 Pro adds security tools that help protect your files and accounts in ways Windows 10 simply doesn't. BitLocker can encrypt your drive so someone who gets your laptop can't just pull the data off it. Smart App Control can block unknown or suspicious programs before they run, which is helpful if you download software from different places. Windows Defender works in the background to scan for threats without a separate antivirus subscription.

There are also changes that make it easier to work on a crowded desktop. Snap layouts let you click a layout and drop apps into neat side-by-side or grid views instead of dragging windows around. Virtual desktops help you keep work, personal tasks, and side projects in separate spaces on the same computer. When you plug back into a monitor or dock, Windows 11 Pro does a better job of putting windows back where they were instead of stacking them on one screen.

Right now, it's only $12.97 to get Windows 11 Pro, but it won't stay that way.

Giga Computing, a subsidiary of GIGABYTE and a leader in high-performance computing and data center solutions, today announced two new enterprise-grade workstation motherboards for demanding workloads in engineering, AI development, data science, and media creation. For Intel Xeon 600 processors for workstations, the first wave of products from Giga Computing includes the GIGABYTE MW94-RP0 and MW54-HP0. Designed for a traditional computer chassis, these new motherboards are feature rich and offer a significant boost in AI bound workloads.

Intel Xeon 600 Processors for Workstations
Modern workstation workloads are evolving rapidly, driven by AI, higher core density, and the need for faster data movement across the system. Intel Xeon 600 processors for workstations are built on the new Redwood Cove+ P-core architecture and the Intel 3 process, delivering a significant leap in compute capability, AI acceleration, and platform bandwidth. With expanded PCIe 5.0 connectivity, faster DDR5 memory, and the new W890 workstation chipset, this platform provides a future-ready foundation for professionals tackling demanding workloads in engineering, AI development, data science, and media creation.

Hi Civ fans - Ed Beach here, creative director for the Civilization franchise. For more than 30 years, Civilization has challenged players to build an empire to stand the test of time, offering rich, strategic gameplay that has resonated with fans across the world. That includes many of us on the Firaxis development team, who have devoted much of our lives to working on this legendary series.

One year ago, we embarked on a bold new journey with the launch of Civilization VII. Our vision was to push the boundaries of the franchise, introducing new mechanics that offered a fresh perspective for our players. The most rewarding part of the past year has been spending it with you - our community. Your passion, your ideas, and your feedback have shaped how we think about Civilization VII, and continue to guide where we're taking this game next. As we look ahead, we're committed to building on that foundation and weaving what we've heard directly into the game's DNA - so Civ VII keeps growing into something that feels great for deity veterans and new players alike. We're excited to build the future of Civilization VII together, and now we're ready to share a bit about where it's going next.

Chinese company Loongson has been developing custom processors based on the LoongArch instruction set, a new design initiated in 2020. Phoronix reviewed the company's 3B6000 processor, which has 12 cores supporting simultaneous multithreading (SMT2), resulting in 24 threads. The platform is compatible with DDR4 memory, with a controller targeting speeds up to 3,200 MT/s and ECC support, and the CPU runs at 2.4/2.5 GHz base frequency. In testing, the 3B6000 processor achieved about one-third the performance of the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X in aggregate benchmark testing. However, it outperformed the Raspberry Pi 500+ by a factor of 2.5, placing it between single-board computers and entry-level desktop systems.

For testing, Phoronix used the 3B6000x1-7A2000x1-EVB evaluation board, which appears dated compared to current motherboard designs, especially in terms of component selection and the cooling solution for the chipset. Expansion options include two PCIe x16 slots, one PCIe x4 slot, an M.2 connector, and four SATA ports. The integrated graphics unit supports both HDMI and VGA outputs. While the LoongArch64 architecture represents China's effort to develop an independent instruction set with the ability to tune features like security and specialized workloads, these benchmarks suggest the hardware execution still lags several generations behind x86-64 designs from AMD and Intel. Significant, multifold improvements are needed before it can match the performance of Western CPU makers.

Intel's next desktop "Arrow Lake Refresh" CPU upgrade is inching closer to reality. The Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has been spotted in a new Geekbench run, adding to the evidence that the "Arrow Lake Refresh" will indeed offer a meaningful performance improvements over its predecessors. The test system used an ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming Wi-Fi board with 64 GB of DDR5-6800 memory. The processor achieved scores of 3,535 in the single-core test and 25,106 in the multicore test. Compared to the Core Ultra 9 285K's typical scores of around 3,200 and 22,560, this represents improvements of approximately 10.5% and 11.3%, respectively. These results place the 290K Plus at the top of Intel's consumer CPU rankings in Geekbench's database. An earlier leak on different hardware showed slightly lower results, suggesting that this newer test run benefits from better optimization rather than just faster memory.

The 290K Plus SKU keeps the same 24-core layout as its predecessor with 8 P-Cores and 16 E-Cores, plus identical power limits of PL1 of 125 W and PL2 of 250 W. The gains come from higher clock speeds. According to rumors, the efficiency cores now boost to 4.8 GHz, up 200 MHz, while the performance cores get an extra 100 MHz on both turbo and thermal velocity boost. The benchmark registered the chip running at 5.7 GHz during testing. Intel has confirmed the ARLR is coming but has stayed quiet on specific models and dates. Leaks suggest a March or April release, and since these chips use the same LGA 1851 socket, they should work as drop-in upgrades for current Z890 motherboards. As with any pre-release numbers, may not reflect final CPU performance, so final performance data and gaming results that come from third-party reviews will show the real-world situation.

Arm Flexible Access is evolving, unlocking broader startup eligibility, expanded edge AI capabilities, and a more flexible way to design, test, and bring silicon to market. Innovation in silicon design thrives on iteration. For startups and established design teams alike, the ability to explore, test, and refine without financial friction is essential. That's why Arm Flexible Access is evolving to make that journey even easier.

Arm Flexible Access already offers up-front, low-cost or no-cost access to a wide portfolio of Arm technology, tools, and training. This "try before you buy" model allows teams to build and test designs freely, only paying licensing fees for the technologies used in production silicon. It's helped launch over 400 chips across more than 100 companies.

GMKtec today officially announced the launch of the NucBox K13, a next-generation ultra-compact workstation designed to deliver exceptional AI computing, creative performance, and everyday productivity in a remarkably small footprint. Powered by the latest Intel Core Ultra 7 256V (Lunar Lake) processor, the NucBox K13 represents a major step forward in GMKtec's mini PC lineup—both in performance and industrial design.

Positioned as an all-in-one workstation, the NucBox K13 integrates CPU, GPU, and NPU acceleration to deliver up to 115 TOPS of AI performance, enabling local AI inference, automation workflows, and advanced multitasking previously reserved for much larger systems.

Intel is reportedly mandating OEM integrators of the latest "Panther Lake" SoCs to use LPDDR5X memory starting at 7,467 MT/s and beyond, with an interesting software differentiator between adequate speeds or those below. According to Golden Pig Upgrade, LDDR5X memory running below the 7,467 MT/s threshold will force the software to display a generic mark of "Intel (R) Graphics," while configurations with that exact memory speed or higher will display the full name of "Intel (R) Arc (TM) Graphics B390" or "Intel (R) Arc (TM) Graphics B370" marking in Windows 11 Task Manager. Reportedly, Intel is doing this to stop OEMs from cutting corners with their "Panther Lake" laptop configurations, where they could bundle a lower-speed LDDR5X memory out of the Intel specification.

Without the required memory, Intel's Arc B390/B370 iGPUs would likely be left starving for bandwidth, as the whole SoC is being powered by that memory. At higher speeds, memory can do the data transfer faster, resulting in a boost of the overall system performance, and most importantly, the frame rate that these chips can push out. Especially for single-package systems like "Panther Lake" is, faster memory is a great way to get extra performance boost. Intel's flagship SKUs are advertised as capable of running with LPDDR5X memory at speeds up to 9,600 MT/s, which is just below the point where LPDDR5X technology tops out at 10,700 MT/s. Interestingly, there are lots of options from Intel's OEM partners that integrate top-end memory, which is a positive sign for the ecosystem.

Intel XeSS 3 with multi-frame generation (MFG) is expected to be available this month for the Arc B580 "Battlemage" graphics cards. However, some Redditors suggest there's a workaround to enable XeSS 3 and gain the FPS boost from MFG through a simple file swap. Gamers using Intel's Arc B580 have discovered that by installing Intel's driver package for "Panther Lake"—which includes XeSS 3 with MFG—and renaming certain dynamic link libraries, the drivers for Arc B580 can use libraries intended for Arc B390 and Arc B370 integrated graphics. The process is straightforward, allowing gamers to download, extract, rename, and activate XeSS 3 on their non-PTL systems without issues. This raises the question of why Intel chose not to officially support the discrete "Battlemage" GPUs for XeSS 3 on the new driver release day. Possible reasons could include marketing strategies or additional beta-testing before the official release.Here is a complete step-by-step solution.

Samsung Electronics today announced that its 2026 OLED TV lineup and next-generation Odyssey gaming monitors are NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible, delivering smoother gameplay to meet the needs of gamers and display enthusiasts alike

NVIDIA G-SYNC technology enables the display's refresh rate to synchronize with the NVIDIA GeForce GPU's frame rate, reducing screen tearing and stuttering for a more seamless visual experience. Models that are G-SYNC Compatible include the OLED S95H, S90H and S85H, as well as the new Odyssey G6 (G60H, G61SH) gaming monitors.

TrendForce's latest memory industry survey indicates that persistent AI and data center demands in 1Q26 are further worsening the global memory supply and demand imbalance, thereby increasing suppliers' pricing power. As a result, TrendForce has significantly raised its 1Q26 price forecasts for both DRAM and NAND Flash products. The quarter-over-quarter increase in conventional DRAM contract prices has been revised upward, from a previous estimate of 55-60% to now 90-95%. Similarly, NAND Flash contract prices are now expected to rise from 33-38% to 55-60%. Further upward adjustments may still occur.

TrendForce reports that PC shipments in 4Q25 exceeded expectations, resulting in a widespread shortage of PC DRAM. Even tier-1 PC OEMs with secured allocations from memory suppliers are experiencing declining inventory levels. In a market dominated by sellers, which is driving contract prices higher, PC DRAM prices in 1Q26 are projected to increase by over 100% QoQ, setting a new record for a quarterly surge.

If you're tired of seeing Microsoft's AI features like Copilot, agentic workloads, and Recall forced into their products, you're not alone. Microsoft has finally confirmed that it will be stepping back from its "AI everywhere" strategy. According to an exclusive report by Windows Central, the internal Windows 11 teams at Microsoft are now focusing on reducing forced AI integration. Instead, they aim to address what truly matters to consumers, such as fixing the bug-prone operating system and enhancing core features for a smoother user experience. The integration of Copilot into basic apps like Notepad and Paint is reportedly under review, and Microsoft may remove these features to restore the basic functionality users have come to appreciate. This includes features like basic text formatting and tables in Notepad, which are nice additions to a core application.

Additionally, forcing Copilot AI button in every application has been paused, as there has been very little interest from users in actually using these features. TechPowerUp Forums has been a constant source of criticism for Microsoft's forced AI integration, among the remaining large crowd of PC enthusiasts who have been fighting the "AI everywhere" approach for a while. Microsoft's telemetry records usage of these AI buttons and additions, likely showing that only a few percent of Windows 11 users are actually interested in having AI access every application layer, especially with the recent ambition to shape Windows 11 into "agentic OS." The company confirmed that these features are a security nightmare to maintain, so thankfully these efforts are now cancelled.

The AI arms race is now in full swing, and corporate espionage is reaching levels beyond what we previously imagined. According to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), former Google software engineer Linwei Ding has been convicted of economic espionage and theft of confidential AI technology, specifically related to Google Tensor Processing Units (TPUs). An FBI investigation revealed that the ex-Googler was suspected of stealing information about the entire infrastructure surrounding TPUs, including chip architecture, external connectivity, and more. The DOJ concluded that Linwei Ding was acting for the benefit of the People's Republic of China (PRC), with the primary goal of stealing sensitive intellectual property that Google has spent years and billions of US Dollars developing. Naturally, Google collaborated with the FBI to protect its intellectual property and found the former employee guilty of stealing as many as two thousand pages of confidential information.

U.S. Department of JusticeThe trade secrets contained detailed information about the architecture and functionality of Google's custom Tensor Processing Unit chips and systems and Google's Graphics Processing Unit systems, the software that allows the chips to communicate and execute tasks, and the software that orchestrates thousands of chips into a supercomputer capable of training and executing cutting-edge AI workloads. The trade secrets also pertained to Google's custom-designed SmartNIC, a type of network interface card used to facilitate high speed communication within Google's AI supercomputers and cloud networking products.

Welcome to the month of February and this month kicks off with a pretty packed week of new releases. This week's major release brings Command & Conquer to mind, but on an alien planet and turn-based. The week kicks off with a retro style 2D RPG, which is followed by a magical horror co-op game and an island full of cats. Next up we have a re-imagined version of a Square Enix game and we round off the week with some samurai vs. ninja action. There's also a bunch of other games launching this week, so check out those too.

Menace / This week's major release / Thursday 5 February / Early access
Command a strike force of marines, mercenaries, and criminals in a distant system, cut off from the Core Worlds. At the lawless frontier, the Wayback system is controlled by pirate warlords, questionable corporations, and fractured planetary governments who struggle for a new order. Though you initially lead your strike force of marines from aboard the strike cruiser TCRN Impetus, you'll quickly need to unite the disparate locals under your leadership to defeat an unknown threat. Fielding tanks, walkers, and infantry squads with a massive selection of equipment to choose from, you'll train your troops, plan out operations, and engage in deadly tactical battles. Steam link

It was previously revealed in leaks that the Apple M5 Pro and M5 Max-powered MacBook Pros are expected to launch sometime in the first half of 2026, but a new rumor from Fixed Focus Digital on Weibo has revealed that the M5 Max and Pro SoCs themselves may launch as early as March 2026. Apple generally announces new SoCs alongside at least one new product that will sport the new SoC, so either we will see new MacBooks launch alongside those chips or Apple will launch something like an M5 Max Mac Studio at the same time.

The leaker also claims that Apple will be using TSMC's advanced SoIC (System on Integrated Chip) packaging to bring down production costs for the SoC slightly. Supposedly this is one way that Apple will fight the high DRAM costs after it allegedly slipped from TSMC's priority customer list. The slip from the priority list was supposedly accompanied by a significant production price increase for Apple, and it is thought that the AI boom is to blame for that price increase.

NVIDIA briefly updated its online marketplace with the latest stock of GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 Founders Edition SKUs, available at MSRP pricing. However, the entire stock was depleted in just minutes after the initial listing, suggesting that gamers have been trying to get their hands on MSRP-priced GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 GPUs but were able to do so only for a few minutes as the listing disappeared shortly thereafter. The flagship GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition was listed at its Euro-designated MSRP of €2,099, while the high-end GeForce RTX 5080 Founders Edition GPU was listed at its €1,059 MSRP. Both GPUs were listed at 10:01 am, but the RTX 5090 FE was gone by 10:08 am, just seven minutes after listing. For the RTX 5080 FE, the listing disappeared at 10:20 am when the stock was gone. The mid-range RTX 5070 FE was also listed but stayed online for a few hours before disappearing.

For buyers interested in purchasing these GPUs at MSRPs, there is virtually no option besides the NVIDIA Marketplace. Any third-party storefronts, where NVIDIA's official AICs are listing these GPUs, are posting listings that go well above €3,000. The card rarely dips below that price, and the median price listing, according to ComputerBase, suggests that the number now floats at €3,566. Any listing near MSRP is a definite premium for gamers who want to get their hands on an already expensive GPU, meaning that they don't have to pay for inflated pricing caused by the GDDR7 memory shortage and NVIDIA's current production tactics. There haven't been any NVIDIA Marketplace updates since the beginning of December, meaning that nearly two full months have passed since the last "drop."

Xiaomi has officially released the G Pro 27Qi (2026) gaming monitor for the global market. The G Pro 27Qi is a 16:9, 1440p e-sports gaming monitor with AMD FreeSync support and a 180 Hz refresh rate. The G Pro 27Qi features an IPS panel with a mini LED backlight. According to Xiaomi, the G Pro 27Qi is capable of 2000 nits peak brightness and a 1000:1 contrast ratio. It has 1152 local dimming zones, sports a VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certification, and it uses a custom engine for scene recognition, and the local dimming features three levels and can be disabled if you like. The display is currently available from Xiaomi's global online store for AUD475 (around USD330), although it looks like the price may go up to AUD699 at some point. It currently does not seem to be listed on the US storefront, with the G Pro 27i coming closest, although with half the peak brightness.

Xiaomi also claims a 1 ms GTG pixel response time as well as 100% coverage of the sRGB color gamut, and 99% coverage of the Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 color gamuts. The display includes a calibration report, and Xiaomi says each display is calibrated to have delta-E values below 1, which makes it adequate for certain creative tasks alongside gaming. Physically, the G Pro 27Qi features a height-, tilt-, and swivel-adjustable stand with a portrait mode as well. It has a bit of that gaming design language on the back, with an RGB ring on the back panel, although overall the stand doesn't look too garish. For input, it features dual HDMI 2.0 ports and dual DisplayPort 1.4 ports as well as a 3.5 mm audio combo jack. It also has a built-in flip-out headphone holder in the top right corner, which is a nice touch.

Xbox made waves not too long ago with the hyper-customizable Adaptive Controller that features remappable physical buttons, 19 3.5 mm jacks for additional accessories, and switchable profiles for different games and use cases. With its latest patent, Sony looks to at least be considering going in a different direction with its adaptive controller design. A new patent, spotted by Insider Gaming, details a controller design with virtually no physical inputs, where players can configure their own layouts—no more arguments about offset vs in-line thumb sticks—and the layouts could potentially adapt to the user's needs.

The prospective controller's main objective would be to replace physical buttons with touch surfaces and optical sensors, which would be able to sense when the player interacts with the controller, but also when the player's hand, thumb, or finger approaches the controller. The controller would use user-defined profiles dictating the layout of the face buttons, D-Pad, and even virtual analog sticks—there is even mention of automatic user identity detection to access those profiles. Sony also explains that you could combine multiple control schemes on the same side of the controller and even adjust the size of each of the button groups to better suit different hand sizes, shapes, and levels of dexterity. Owing to the touch-sensitive control surfaces, the controller would also be able to recognize gestures like swipes, pinches, and slides. It's unclear whether this controller design will make it into a future PlayStation controller design, although given many gamers' aversion to non-tactile inputs in video games, interest is likely to be low aside from the obvious accessibility benefits.

The Finalmouse Centerpiece is a 65% Hall effect keyboard with transparent keycaps and a display under those keycaps, and it captured the imagination of many a gamer and keyboard nerd when it was first announced back in 2022. Since then, the keyboard has been affected by multiple delays, and even since production has been underway, there have been plenty of complaints about the speed at which the company can get out pre-orders. Those same complaints have just been met with a response that effectively calls customers impatient and appears to dismiss their concerns.

In a recent Discord message, shared by @Cager_CA on X, Finalmouse effectively confirms that production of the Centerpiece keyboard is slow, telling buyers who have expresses concerns over the pace of delivery that Finalmouse "was not founded to chase calendars, appease impatience, or shave meaning from creation in order to meet an arbitrary date," explaining further down that "each unit is completed and shipped only when it meets the standard we set—not the standard demanded by noise, deadlines, or convenience." He also goes on to say that there will likely be further delays thanks to the imminent Chinese New Year celebrations, which routinely result in production line shutdowns across large swathes of the Chinese production industry as workers head home to celebrate the festivities. This response was largely met with skepticism, with many calling out the focus on quality and craftsmanship, alleging that Finalmouse has a reputation for delivering gaming mice with poor QC.

Apex Legends is currently free to play on all major gaming platforms, but that will apparently change later this year. EA and Respawn Entertainment just announced that Apex Legends will officially end support for the Nintendo Switch 1 on August 4, 2026. The announcement goes on to clarify that Season 29 will be the final update for the aging handheld gaming platform. All features, including premium currency purchasing and spending will be available until the Switch 1 servers shut down on August 4.

EA says that any progress, in-game items, and premium currency balances will continue to be tied to individual player accounts, and those same accounts will be accessible via the Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game. Apex Legends will also continue to receive the same content updates as the rest of the game's platforms until the servers are taken offline. Players can also transfer all of their game progress—except for premium currency—to another platform via the Cross Progression hub. Apex Legends has been playable on the Nintendo Switch since March 2021, and it has been available on the Switch 2 since August 2025.

Highguard launched less than a week ago, with the PvP raid shooter rapidly earning itself a reputation for its underwhelming gameplay that was riddled with pacing issues and more than a few performance issues. One of the biggest complaints about Highguard's gameplay was that the 3v3 gameplay format combined with the looting mechanics and the vast map meant that gameplay felt stagnant. Fast-forward to the end of the launch week, and the developer, Wildlight Entertainment, has announced an update that it hopes will assuage complaints from those who prefer a more action-packed game.

The new 5v5 queue is still an experimental playlist, and it will be available for testing for the weekend following the update. Players will have four additional lives in 5v5 mode, and respawn times are slightly longer. It will not replace the 3v3 playlist, and the developer notes that the game's performance will likely take a hit in 5v5 mode. On the topic of performance, the patch also adds optimizations to animation performance, projectiles, draw submission times, and more for both console and PC. Overall framerate should be improved across the board to varying degrees depending on the system hardware. In addition to the new mode, the aforementioned performance tweaks, a motion blur toggle for PC and console, and an anisotropic materials toggle for consoles, there is also a new base construct for players to take advantage of. The Soul Well, a mysterious, "dark relic from a lost age," is an ancient temple with two generators, a rear keep, an underground fortress, and a tall central altar for a better vantage point to defend all of it from enemies. Soul Well will be added to all gameplay rotations as of the January 30 update. A short gameplay overview for the Soul Well follows.

Even though the 12vHPWR connector problem was ostensibly somewhat corrected by the introduction of the 12v-2x6 revision to the standard, meltdowns of both connectors have continued, with the latest documented case coming by way of an X post by streamer @jessickyeah. The GPU in question was an MSI NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Gaming Trio, and in the video, you can see the top-most right wire in the GPU power cable smoking and bubbling. The meltdown happened mid-game, and the excess heat generated by the unbalanced load seems to begin affecting the connector on the GPU as well. The outcome of the event was never made public, but it's safe to assume the GPU would have eventually been taken out of commission if the PC had not been turned off.

Judging by previous posts on the streamer's account, the RTX 4090 seems to have been in use since at least March 2025, confirming once again that just because a card-cable combo have been working just fine for extended periods, that doesn't mean that a meltdown isn't possible. Currently, NVIDIA's recommendation to avoid potential issues is to avoid third-party extension cables and ensure that GPU power cables are properly seated. Some cable, GPU, and PSU brands have started addressing the issues with the connector by adding indicators to ensure proper cable insertion or by actively monitoring the cable itself for abnormal power balance.

Believe it or not, NVIDIA launched its first SHIELD TV in 2015, marking nearly a decade of continuous support for the platform. In an interview with Ars Technica, Andrew Bell, NVIDIA's senior VP of hardware engineering, reassured the company's loyal fan base that they have no plans to abandon the SHIELD TV anytime soon, promising ongoing updates in the years to come. Bell expressed frustration with the limited updates typically provided for phones and tablets, saying, "Early on when we were building SHIELD TV, we decided we were going to support it for a long time." He recalled a conversation with CEO Jensen Huang about the duration of support, to which Huang responded, "For as long as we shall live."

As NVIDIA enters the second decade of supporting the SHIELD TV, they continue to produce the 2019 version, featuring the NVIDIA Tegra X1+ processor, 3 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of storage. There was once talk within the gaming community and among NVIDIA engineers about venturing into making a gaming console. "Pretty much everybody who worked at NVIDIA in the early days really wanted to make a game console," Bell confirmed. However, the complexity of building a console, which requires not just a GPU but also a CPU, an OS, games, and a user interface, deterred the company from pursuing this path.

Ahead of the game's official launch,it was revealed that Borderlands 4 would go live without a built-in photo mode, with the game's creative director promising that the feature would ship "in an update after the game launches." Now, nearly five months after the game's original launch, Gearbox has finally delivered on that promise, along with a slew of new content in what is being called the game's first major update. The photo mode feature allows players to reposition the camera, change the FoV and DoF, and add a variety of visual filters before taking their snapshot. Additionally, players can make tweaks to the scene itself, like changing the time of day, adding or removing player characters, summons, and NPCs, and a toggling damage numbers on or off to taste.

Photo mode isn't all that landed in the January 29 update, including a number of fixes to make quest and challenges track accurately and communicate progress more clearly. The major update also ushered in a sizeable rework to Harlowe's Zero-Point action skill and increased dedicated drop levels for Ultimate Vault Hunter mode. The changes made to Harlowe's Zero-Point action skill are in the name of making it "feel more satisfying and better balanced relative to Harlowe's other trees," and the change amounts to the base skill getting the benefits of the previous inertia augment and increasing the slam damage, status effect chance, and status effect damage from the Inertia augment. Amon and Vex also received small tweaks to make them deal slightly more damage in certain situations and behave more predictably overall.

In light of the at-the-time recent success of the Steam Deck, Sony's PlayStation Portal handheld remote game streaming device seemed less than inspiring to much of the gaming community. However, it seems to have been successful enough that Sony is planning a refreshed version of the gaming handheld. According to notable industry insider and frequent leaker, KeplerL2 on the NeoGAF forum, the updated version of the Sony PlayStation Portal will launch at some point in 2026, and the leaker later clarifies that the new handheld will feature an OLED display, instead of the LCD screen found on the current version.

The leaker also had some insights about the upcoming standalone PlayStation 6 Portable handheld that will ostensibly compete with the likes of the Valve Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Xbox Ally, with a comment in the thread indicating that the standalone gaming handheld will be powered by AMD's upcoming RDNA 5 GPU architecture, as opposed to RDNA 4 from the current RX 9000 GPUs and RDNA 3.5 found in Strix Halo and other iGPUs. Additionally, the leak also verifies previous information that indicated the portable game console would have fewer than 40 CUs, with claims pointing to as few as 16 CUs for the upcoming handheld.

Windows 11 may not be the most beloved version of Microsoft's OS to date, but Microsoft's PowerToys is a favorite UI tweaking tool among power users, and for good reason. The latest feature to debut in PowerToys is a docked top bar—called the Command Palette Dock—which is part of the Command Palette feature set. The Command Palette Dock is an optional, configurable dock that can be pinned to any screen edge and be used to display a number of extensions and widgets. In the feature announcement on GitHub, the PowerToys team shows off features like a system monitor, file browser, and a clipboard history—all of the existing PowerToys Command Palette extensions should work in the Command Palette Dock, according to Microsoft. The dock functions similarly to that of the Windows Task Bar, in the sense that it shows a small shortcut icon, with more information available via a pop-up when clicked.

The Command Palette Dock is part of the previously introduced Command Palette, which is effectively Windows's version of KDE's Krunner or macOS Spotlight, and the Command Palette Dock is, likewise, a feature on many Linux distributions and on Apple's macOS. It's also unclear if the PowerToys Dock will become quite as customizable as the docks in KDE, which allows you to add secondary docks to different screen edges and change the icons and display styles of each of the extensions in the dock. PowerToys has previously played host to features that eventually made it to Windows 11, like the updated window tiling UI, for example. It's thus entirely possible that some version of the top bar and command palette may become part of Windows itself in the not-too-distant future. As for now, though, the feature is still in the testing and hasn't even been added to PowerToys yet. It will likely be launched soon after feedback is gathered by development build testers.

The standard CPU complex die (CCD) chiplet based on AMD's next-generation "Zen 6" microarchitecture is poised to feature a 50% increase in CPU core counts. This would be the first time that AMD has increased core-counts of its CCDs containing full-sized CPU cores capable of sustaining high clock speeds. It had developed CCDs with high core counts using compacted cores with lower clock speed limits until now. The standard "Zen 6" CCD is expected to come with a similar die-size to the current "Zen 5" CCD, with a rumored die size of 76 mm², which is slightly larger than the 71 mm² of the "Zen 5" CCD.

The "Zen 6" CCD is expected to pack 12 CPU cores, all part of a single CPU core complex (CCX). All twelve cores share a 48 MB L3 cache. Both the CPU core counts and L3 cache size hence see a 50% increase over "Zen 5." AMD is building the "Zen 6" CCD on TSMC N2 (2 nm nanosheet) process node, which evidently offers a massive increase in transistor densities over the current TSMC N4P (4 nm FinFET) on which the "Zen 5" CCD is made. With an eye on Intel's pivot towards a cache rebalancing in favor of large last-level caches on some of its premium Core Ultra 400 "Nova Lake-S" desktop processors, AMD is expected to give the "Zen 6" CCD full 3D V-Cache capability, and the company's next X3D processors could come with L3 caches of 144 MB per CCD for up to 288 MB of L3 cache on the desktop AM5 socket.

NVIDIA has released GeForce Security Update Driver 582.28 WHQL for Maxwell, Pascal and Volta-based GeForce GPUs, covering hardware that no longer receives regular Game Ready driver updates. This release is strictly focused on security and does not add new features or performance improvements. The 582.28 driver patches several high-severity vulnerabilities in NVIDIA display driver stack, affecting both Windows and Linux systems, as well as NVIDIA vGPU software. Depending on the scenario, these flaws could potentially be exploited to achieve code execution, privilege escalation, data tampering, denial of service, or information disclosure. NVIDIA also addressed a medium-severity issue in the HD Audio driver that could lead to a denial-of-service condition.

No gaming or general bug fixes are listed beyond the security updates. That said, NVIDIA does note a couple of known issues, including slight text distortion in Counter-Strike 2 when running below native resolution, and occasional light flickering in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth on certain system configurations. As mentioned, this driver is intended for users still running older GeForce graphic cards, and NVIDIA recommends installing it to avoid potential security risks.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 582.28 WHQL

Asthenia is a dark fantasy adventure set in a decaying otherworld plagued by a mysterious corrupting disease. Players step into a bleak dimension ruled by ancient entities, shaped by loss, and slowly collapsing under the weight of an endless war.

You play as Adam, an ordinary man cast into this world alongside other humans. To survive, Adam must confront distorted foes, uncover tainted artifacts, and navigate hostile environments ranging from abandoned towns and industrial ruins to forgotten temples. Resources are scarce, danger is constant, and every decision carries weight as Adam searches for answers, and a way back to the one he loves.

Retro Games Ltd., in partnership with PLAION REPLAI, today confirm that THEQUICKSHOT II is available now, bringing one of the most iconic joysticks in home-computer gaming back into players' hands. This new joystick has been faithfully recreated and precision-engineered for modern retro play. Originally launched in the early 1980s, the QuickShot II became a staple of home-computer gaming. Now, THEQUICKSHOT II has been rebuilt to deliver the same unmistakable feel players remember, while addressing the limitations of vintage hardware with modern reliability and responsiveness.

Designed to be played, not just displayed, THEQUICKSHOT II features an all-microswitch internal design, delivering immediate, reliable inputs with distinct click points for every direction and fire button. This ensures precise eight-way control with no dead zones or vague movement, even during the most demanding arcade-style gameplay.

GOG recently announced its New Year sale, and fans immediately noticed something was off about the site banner advertising the event, with Liam Dawe from GamingOnLinux taking to Reddit to question whether or not the banner was AI-generated. The post generated a range of responses, mostly ranging from outrage to apathy, but a handful of redditors also pointed out that this wasn't the first time GOG used AI art in its marketing images, and that it had recently specifically mentioned proficiency with AI tools in a recent job listing for a developer to work on the Linux version of GOG Galaxy.

The topic of the AI-generated banner was also brought up on the GOG forum, where a GOG employee, who is involved in graphic design in the marketing department, commented at length on the post. The artist confirmed that the artwork is completely AI generated, although they deny that it was their work and decline to comment further on the company's internal AI use. However, they do expand on their personal opposition to AI at length, lamenting how ubiquitous it has become and how, around five years ago, "everything you'd see was something someone had spent time on...so it was worth being looked at," while this is not the case anymore. The full comment speaks to what appears to be an internal divide on the use of AI art, and this is a divide we observed in a recent State of the Gaming Industry survey as well, where many game industry workers admitted to using AI but most still thought it was harmful to gaming.

Intel's Core Ultra 356H is an upcoming 16-core (4 P-cores, 12 E-cores) mobile Panther Lake CPU. Although official review embargoes for the rest of Intel's Panther Lake CPUs are said to be right around the corner, supposed performance benchmarks for Intel's latest have already started to leak, with Cinebench R23 and 3DMark Steel Nomad Light results coming by way of @realVictor_M on X. The results indicate strong multicore performance but stagnant single-core scores compared to Intel's last-generation chips. The iGPU is also notably slower, since the Arc 140V iGPU in the outgoing Core Ultra 7 255H has significantly more cores than the new Intel Graphics 4 Xe3 iGPU in the Panther Lake chip.

According to the leaker, whose results are so far unverified, the Core Ultra 7 356H scored 2013 points in the Cinebench R23 single-core benchmark and 20,721 points in the Cinebench R23 multicore test. For reference, this is slightly ahead of the outgoing Core Ultra 7 255H, which features two more P-cores and two fewer E-cores and averages around 18,679 points in the Cinebench R23 multicore benchmark. Single-core scores, for their part, are about dead even, with the 255H averaging around 2060 points in the R23 single-core benchmark. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad Light test, the Panther Lake iGPU scored 2,110 points. By comparison, its predecessor's average score in the same benchmark ranges between 3,279 and 3,532 points, depending on whether the benchmark is running in DX12 or Vulkan mode. The upcoming laptop CPUs will have to contend with AMD's new Ryzen AI 400 APUs, which have already started showing up in laptops and have shown to perform admirably in comparison with current-gen Intel CPUs.

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

"This quarter's performance underscores our agility in capitalizing on better product mix, accelerating enterprise SSD deployments, and strengthening market demand dynamics, all at a time when the critical role that our products play in powering AI and the world's technology is being recognized," said David Goeckeler, CEO, Sandisk. "Our structural reset to align supply with attractive, sustained demand positions us to drive disciplined growth and deliver industry-leading financial performance."

Kioxia Corporation, a subsidiary of Kioxia Holdings Corporation (TOKYO: 285A), and Sandisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) today announced the extension of their joint venture agreements at Kioxia's Yokkaichi Plant for an additional five years. Originally set to expire on December 31, 2029, the agreement will now run through December 31, 2034, marking another significant milestone in the companies' remarkable partnership spanning more than 25 years.

This extension underscores the deep collaboration between Kioxia and Sandisk, as they continue to leverage AI-enabled smart manufacturing and economies of scale to ensure stable production of advanced 3D flash memory. Their advanced 3D memory products are critical for addressing the growing demand driven by generative AI applications. Furthermore, the joint venture agreement for Kioxia's Kitakami Plant is aligned with the Yokkaichi agreement through December 31, 2034.

Flashing alternative vBIOS versions onto GPUs is a common practice used by modders to increase power limits on GPUs, and it has only become more common since NVIDIA started clamping down on overclocking options available to users via software tools. The recently announced ASUS ROG Matrix Platinum has become an attractive source for one such high-wattage vBIOS, although it has proven difficult to get the aforementioned vBIOS onto certain cards. One user on the HardwareLuxx forum, however, has managed to get the 800 W vBIOS from the Matrix Platinum GPU onto an ASUS ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090 (read our review of the latter here), although the mod only seems to be necessary on the black version of the card.

It turns out that in order to flash the Matrix vBIOS onto the black Astral 5090 required physical modifications to the GPU PCB itself—this is due to the rear-mounted fan being wired with the front middle fan on that particular version of the card, as opposed to on a separate header as it is on the white version. The modification in question involves swapping a pull-down resistor in the serial in signal line of the EEPROM to a pull-up resistor. Obviously, this mod alone requires more than a little bit of soldering experience, but there's also the question of cooling. The stock version of the ROG Astral is designed with a 600 W power limit, and the Matrix vBIOS lifts that to 800 W, so realistically, any overclocking attempts made with the modded card requires an aftermarket cooling solution to handle the increased power and corresponding heat.

Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2026 first quarter ended December 27, 2025. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $143.8 billion, up 16 percent year over year. Diluted earnings per share was $2.84, up 19 percent year over year.

"Today, Apple is proud to report a remarkable, record-breaking quarter, with revenue of $143.8 billion, up 16 percent from a year ago and well above our expectations," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "iPhone had its best-ever quarter driven by unprecedented demand, with all-time records across every geographic segment, and Services also achieved an all-time revenue record, up 14 percent from a year ago. We are also excited to announce that our installed base now has more than 2.5 billion active devices, which is a testament to incredible customer satisfaction for the very best products and services in the world."

Western Digital Corporation (Nasdaq: WDC) today reported fiscal second quarter 2026 financial results for the period ended January 2, 2026.

"Western Digital's strong performance this quarter reflects our disciplined execution to meet demand in the AI-driven data economy, and the confidence our customers place in our ability to deliver reliable, high-capacity HDDs at scale," said Irving Tan, CEO of Western Digital. "In our fiscal second quarter, we delivered strong revenue growth and gross margin expansion. During the quarter, free cash flow generation continued to be strong, and we returned over 100% of our free cash flow to shareholders in the form of share repurchases and dividend payments."

The 2026 State of the Game Industry survey report, conducted by the GDC Festival of Gaming, has revealed a number of interesting insights in to the current state of the game development landscape. The report showed that US game industry workers have a strong inclination towards unionization, with 82% of workers surveyed supporting unionization, while 13% were unsure, and only 5% opposed the idea. Up-and-coming talent, specifically those aged 18-24, were overwhelmingly in support of unionization, with zero respondents opposing the idea. This report comes shortly after unions representing Ubisoft workers in France called for a massive three-day international strike after the studio's ill-received cost-cutting measures and recent game cancellations.

On the topic of Generative AI, game workers were somewhat divided. 36% of industry workers reported using generative AI in their daily work, although it was far more common amongst those working at publishing companies (58%) than workers at development studios (30%). Despite moderate use of generative AI tools across various disciplines and workloads, like research and brainstorming (81%), email and code assistance (47%), and prototyping (35%), most professionals in the gaming industry think that generative AI is having a negative impact on the industry. 64% of visual and technical artists, 63% of game and narrative designers, and 59% of programmers think share their negative outlooks on the impact of generative AI on the industry, while only 7% of surveyed workers generative AI is having a positive impact on gaming.

Maingear has officially announced its latest retro-themed pre-built desktop PCs, the Retro98. The new pre-built desktops are built in SilverStone FLP02 chassis, replete with a functional turbo button—for setting PWM-controlled fans to max speed—and a big red power toggle switch, and they can be had with either a 360 mm AIO or open-loop liquid cooling designed in collaboration with Alphacool. The entire build looks rather authentic, with classic ketchup and mustard cables and classic 5.25" drive bay covers for the HDD bays tying the look together. The open-loop version is called the Retro98α, and the version that features AIO cooling is just the Retro98. Both versions of the Retro98 are limited edition, though, with only six units of the Retro98α and 32 units of the Retro98 available—by the looks of it, each specific SKU is limited to these quantities, not the series as a whole. Prices start at $2,499 for the Retro98, with the Retro98α topping out at $9,799.

Internally, the Retro98 series starts with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with 32 GB DDR5-6400 RAM, a 2 TB NVMe Gen 5 SSD, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, with the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and RTX 5080 available from $3,499. Stepping up again to $4,999 gets you an RTX 5090, a Ryzen 7 9850X3D, and the $9,799 Retro98α coming equipped with an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, 64 GB of RAM, a 4 TB SSD, and an RTX 5090. All versions of the Retro98 also come with onboard Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, and the cooling configuration consists of dual 120 mm front intakes, a single 120 mm rear exhaust, and three top-mounted 120 mm exhaust fans for the radiator. The Intel variant ships with an MSI Z890 Gaming Plus WiFi motherboard, while the AMD versions are all built around the MSI X870E Gaming Plus WiFi, and they all come with appropriately sized 80+ Gold-rated PSUs ranging from 650 W to 1600 W.

iBUYPOWER, a leading system integrator of gaming and content creation PCs, announced today that AMD's latest flagship gaming CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, is now available as an option when purchasing a custom PC through iBUYPOWER's custom configurator, or through its recently launched PC Lab service on iBUYPOWER.com. Each computer built with the 9850X3D will also be backed by iBUYPOWER's extensive three-year labor and two-year parts warranty for additional peace of mind.

By boosting clock speed to up to 5.6 GHz for faster single-threaded performance and responsiveness, AMD's Ryzen 7 9850X3D CPU is the new king of PC gaming processors that is backed by unrivaled longevity thanks to the CPU being designed for AMD's Socket AM5 platform. Built on 2nd Gen AMD 3D V-Cache technology, the 9850X3D has been re-engineered to give direct cooler access to the processor cores, and is fully enabled for overclocking out of the box. This enables accelerated performance for everyday productivity tasks and even higher gaming performance.

Corsair, a leading maker of performance gaming peripherals, announced that its innovative GALLEON 100 SD, winner of a CES 2026 Innovation Award and multiple Best of CES 2026 awards, is now shipping worldwide. This frequent community request is now a reality and is available to streamline setups of gamers across the globe. The GALLEON 100 SD empowers gamers to stay focused on their game while simultaneously expanding their control capabilities with the intuitive might of the customizable, integrated Stream Deck.

"The GALLEON 100 SD stole the show at CES 2026, and we couldn't wait to get this into the hands of our fans and newcomers alike," said Tobias Brinkmann, Vice President and General Manager of Gaming Peripherals at Corsair. "This is a product that only Corsair and Elgato could deliver, and this unique solution will transform how modern gamers manage all aspects of their gaming life. We're eagerly looking forward to seeing all the creative ways they customize and optimize their GALLEON 100 SDs."

Darkhaven is a new, upcoming dark fantasy ARPG developed by gaming veterans who previously worked on genre legends, such as Diablo and Torchlight. The game was officially announced on January 29, 2026, with a launch trailer that gave us a glimpse of what to expect from the new game. The main draw of Darkhaven is that it takes place in procedurally generated, fully destructible dynamic environments. The developer also promises dynamic exploration and a high degree of freedom in that exploration. As with classic ARPGs, it features an isometric view, and interactions are highly dependent on mouse clicks. There will also be online co-op and PvP game modes, and the trailer makes mention of "massive events that threaten your entire world," suggesting that the game borrows elements from the MORPG genre. Darkhaven's main premise is that you, and perhaps your party, must step up to save a "dying world" being preyed upon by malevolent forces, facing off against all manner of monsters and otherworldly horrors. The studio also touts its combat as being tactical, and its movement as "truly open," granting users the freedom to fly, swim, climb, and jump to get around, through, and over obstacles and even enhance combat.

Darkhaven is "coming soon" to Steam via Early Access, although an exact launch date is unclear, and it will seemingly be at least partially funded by a Kickstarter campaign. The developer and publisher, Moon Beast Productions, specifically calls itself an ARPG developer, so it seems as though the Darkhaven will be the newly formed studio's main focus for the time being. The studio was started by ex-Blizzard talent, Erich Schaefer, Philip Shenk, and Peter Hu, who worked, in various capacities, on Diablo 1 and 2, and it features artists, designers, and devs who worked on the likes of Diablo 4, Marvel Heroes Online, Torchlight 1 and 3, and Nox.

Microsoft is actively working to repair the broken trust it has created within the Windows community. Sources close to The Verge report that the Redmond giant is focusing on enhancing the core functionality of the Windows 11 operating system and its underlying services. These have become so problematic that each new update introduces a slew of issues, disrupting many systems and undermining the confidence of PC enthusiasts. Through a process known as "swarming," Microsoft is deploying its massive engineering resources to address these problems swiftly, aiming to make Windows 11 a benchmark for performance and stability. However, this is a challenging task, as trust has significantly eroded in recent months due to the consistent issues with Windows 11. Pavan Davuluri, president of Windows and devices, has commented for The Verge:

The feedback we're receiving from our community of passionate customers and Windows Insiders has been clear. We need to improve Windows in ways that are meaningful for people. This year you will see us focus on addressing pain points we hear consistently from customers: improving system performance, reliability, and the overall experience of Windows.

French indie developer Irregular Shapes and publisher Firesquid launched today City Tales - Medieval Era via Steam. The creative and relaxing kingdom builder is available with a 35% discount to celebrate the launch (Full price without discount: €22.99/$22.99). City Tales - Medieval Era is a relaxing kingdom builder that has been in Early Access for nearly a year, with the developers actively listening to the community when building the game, and adding new content along the way.

Version 1.0 marks a major milestone for City Tales - Medieval Era, bringing the full story to its conclusion for the first time, with both acts now available. Players can also pursue 11 masterworks, designed as the game's ultimate endgame objectives, alongside 10 companions, 3 handcrafted maps, a complete economy with 48 resources, 18 civil buildings, and more.

Indie developer The Game Bakers (Haven, Furi) are excited to release their highly anticipated survival climber Cairn today on PlayStation 5, Steam, GoG and EGS. The new launch trailer reveals more of the journey that awaits pro climber Aava as she attempts the first ascent of Mount Kami, and presents Cairn as more than a climbing game: a gripping adventure rich in exploration and suspense for anyone ready to follow a climber on the verge of legend.

With over 700,000 wishlists and a demo rated 99% on Steam after 600,000 downloads, Cairn has resonated with players ahead of today's release. Cairn's regular edition is priced $29.99 and launches with a 10% launch discount. A Deluxe Edition, featuring a Kami travel guide by comic book artist Mathieu Bablet and exclusive keepsakes from Aava's journey, is also available for $36.99 on both platforms.

QCY has introduced H3S, the latest update to its H3 over-ear headphone series, reinforcing the brand's commitment to making advanced noise-canceling audio more accessible to everyday users. Building on the strengths of the H3 line—strong noise cancellation, immersive sound, and all-day comfort—the H3S brings meaningful improvements in ANC performance, audio tuning, endurance, and ergonomics, shaped around practical listening scenarios.

Over-ear active noise-canceling headsets are becoming an integral part of modern life. From daily commutes and remote work to study sessions and moments of leisure, expectations for audio products have evolved beyond functionality alone—toward experiences that blend seamlessly into everyday living. Guided by long-standing user insight and a consistent product philosophy, QCY has responded to this shift. H3S embodies that vision: an over-ear active noise-canceling headset designed for real-world use and built to fit naturally into daily life.

The Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era demo has been live for a while now, and we hope that you've had a fantastic time experiencing everything new in the lands of Jadame! We are currently working tirelessly to improve the game based on your invaluable feedback. However, while our devs have been busy polishing the code, we've also been preparing a massive surprise behind the scenes.

We are incredibly honored to announce that the founder of New World Computing and creator of the Might and Magic franchise himself—Jon Van Caneghem—has returned once more to contribute to the universe so many have come to love and embrace! We have invited Mr. Caneghem to join us as a Creative Advisor at Unfrozen, offering his deep knowledge and insight of early Might and Magic games for Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era! It will be the first time since Heroes of Might and Magic IV that he's participated in the series' creation! He will also share his experience that he has acquired over the years since Might and Magic: Book One.

Get ready to game - the native GeForce NOW app for Linux PCs is now available in beta, letting Linux desktops tap directly into GeForce RTX performance from the cloud. Alongside the expansion comes ten new games, including The Bard's Tale IV: Director's Cut and The Bard's Tale Trilogy for a leveled-up gaming weekend. And operators can squad up in Team Jade's Delta Force when it deploys in the cloud on February 3, bringing high-stakes tactical action to nearly any device with no downloads required.

Linux Just Got RTX
Starting with support for Ubuntu 24.04 and later, the new app delivers a seamless native experience that fits right into Linux desktop workflows. It transforms compatible Linux systems into high-performance GeForce RTX-powered rigs, streaming supported PC titles directly from the cloud at up to 5K resolution and 120 frames per second, or 1080p at 360 FPS. This new desktop-focused app goes beyond the earlier Linux experience that was tuned specifically for Steam Decks, which targeted handheld-friendly resolutions and up to 1200p at 90 FPS. The beta Linux app is built for PCs and notebooks, offering an experience similar to the existing GeForce NOW app on Windows and macOS.

Qualcomm and AMD are reportedly considering the integration of SOCAMM2 memory into their AI product lines to enhance memory capacity and speed. Following NVIDIA's "Vera" CPU, which features LPDDR5X memory on the SOCAMM factor, offering 1.2 TB/s of memory bandwidth and supporting up to 1.5 TB of LPDDR5X memory, Qualcomm and AMD aim to pursue a similar strategy to achieve high-speed, high-capacity AI systems. These systems require fast memory close to AI accelerators, and SOCAMM can complement the extensive HBM memory on the accelerators. It acts as a fast memory pool with sufficient capacity to store entire models in memory, reducing the need for data transfer to SSD flash storage.

NVIDIA's SOCAMM approach involves surrounding the CPU with multiple SOCAMM modules, a strategy Qualcomm and AMD are expected to adopt in their AI solutions. AMD's Instinct MI accelerators, paired with EPYC CPUs, might be the next candidates for this integration, or AMD may develop a completely new system. Qualcomm already offers AI solutions like the AI200 and AI250 inference accelerators, which include up to 768 GB of LPDDR5 per card. These could soon be complemented by SOCAMM, allowing for standardized memory expansion based on the SOCAMM standard rather than soldering individual memory modules. This approach would enable manufacturers to offer various system versions and solutions by simply adding or removing SOCAMM modules, without the need for extensive PCB soldering work.

Kioxia Singapore Pte Ltd, a worldwide leader in memory solutions, today announced the EXCERIA PRO G2 SDXC UHS-II Memory Card Series, designed for 8K video recording and continuous shooting. This series features two models in the Video Speed Class: V90 and V60. The V90 is a model designed for professionals seeking performance in 8K video recording, while the V60 is a more economical model with a good balance between speed and cost for those looking for UHS-II performance.

The all-new EXCERIA PRO G2 SDXC UHS-II Memory Card V90 takes professional photography, filmmaking, and content creation to the next level. Designed for 8K video recording and continuous shooting, these cards provide seamless performance and ample storage space with capacities up to 512 GB and reads up to 310 MB/s and writes up to 300 MB/s for high-end 8K photo or video shoots. With their UHS-II rating, this series enhances workflows with faster file transfers and smoother editing.

Thermaltake, a leading PC DIY brand for premium hardware solutions, introduces the TR300 Series Mid-Tower Chassis, a versatile ATX lineup designed for space efficiency, high-performance cooling, and modern customization. The TR300 Series includes the TR300 TG and TR300 WS, both available in Black and Snow, offering identical internal specifications with distinct front panel designs to suit different aesthetic preferences.

The TR300 WS features a front panel accented with real wood slats, adding a natural sense of warmth and understated luxury, while maintaining the same airflow, cooling, and compatibility as the TR300 TG, which delivers a clean, modern aesthetic. This allows builders to choose a design that complements their setup or living space without compromising performance.

As AI processing capabilities continue to evolve toward on-device and desktop supercomputer applications, the need for ultra-fast yet space-efficient local storage becomes increasingly important. Samsung's recent innovation in AI-optimized storage devices drives this point home. Our PM9E1 SSD—the industry's first PCIe Gen 5 4 TB SSD in M.2 22x42 form factor—complements the NVIDIA GB10-powered NVIDIA DGX Spark desktop AI supercomputer.

While AI accelerators enable systems to harness the vast power of AI, only pairing them with performance-optimized, purpose-built storage technology like the Samsung PM9E1 can provide the massive capacity and blazing access speeds to unleash that power that may lead to the development of tomorrow's killer AI apps.

MS-Terminator B850M PRO II WIFI7 AM5 motherboard with support for latest AMD Ryzen processors. Despite being a microATX form factor motherboard, it comes with a 12+2+1 VRM with support for up to 300 W CPUs, which means it can easily handle the new Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU. In addition, it also got upgraded to Wi-Fi 7, 2.5G Ethernet, and Bluetooth 5.4 for connectivity, as well as got two PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 slots and single PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slot.

Since it is a microATX motherboard, the Maxsun MS-Terminator B850M PRO II WIFI7 comes with one PCIe 5.0 x16 and one PCIe 4.0 x4 slots, and four standard DDR5 DIMM slots with support for up to 192 GB of DDR5-8000 memory. In case you are wondering, it uses Realtek's RTL8125D 2.5 Gb Ethernet and MTK MT7825 Wi-Fi 7, as well as Realtek's ALC897 audio. It also supports up to 16 USB ports, with dual front and rear USB-C 10G ports, six USB 5G, and eight USB 2.0 ports.

The OfficePal C50 not only has a modern design with a mesh backrest but also provides a complete range of ergonomic adjustments for a healthy sitting position - whether in the company office or when working from home. All aspects of the chair can be adapted to the user, including the backrest, the seat depth, and the innovative 5D armrests. Also, an adjustable headrest and lumbar support help ensure an all-round healthy posture throughout a long working day.

Comfortable Working
For especially comfortable working, the OfficePal C50 is equipped with a breathable mesh backrest and a traditionally upholstered seat base. The armrests of the OfficePal C50 can be adjusted in five directions, allowing freedom of movement for the user thanks to a complete range of adjustments to suit personal sitting needs at the workplace.

Linux gamers may have a reason to celebrate. A new collaborative initiative, the Open Gaming Collective (OGC), is being launched to enhance support for Linux-based gaming. The OGC aims to establish a unified set of software components that will become the standard across various Linux distributions within the gaming community. Founded by ASUS's Linux division, Universal Blue / Bazzite, ChimeraOS, Nobara, Playtron, Fyra Labs, PikaOS, and ShadowBlip, the OGC team is focused on a universal goal of bringing Linux gamers a better experience. The basic concept involves all members contributing software updates across the stack and standardizing certain areas to improve game and device compatibility. The newest collective aims to make gaming on Linux much smoother, similar to what Valve did with its SteamOS and Proton compatibility layer.

Shared Technical Pillars
OGC focuses on the foundational layers of the Linux gaming stack. We host shared components, agreed upon by the members, for all to use, with an "Upstream First" philosophy. Some of the projects we have in mind:

• The OGC Kernel—a shared gaming-focused kernel
• A downstream fork of Gamescope that expands hardware support to more devices

For those attending Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2026 in Barcelona, a visit to the Sharp booth might reveal something new, exciting, and not yet released. We've been working with Sharp Display Solutions Europe to develop the Raspberry Pi Smart Display Module: an adapter board for Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 that is designed to deliver high-quality, low-power display experiences for professional signage applications.

The Raspberry Pi Smart Display Module enables users in the audio-visual and digital signage markets to integrate the power, flexibility, and energy efficiency of Compute Module 5 into compatible display screens, with no external media player, cabling, or power source required. The module also provides HDMI output to support a second independent video stream, along with an M.2 expansion slot for optional AI acceleration.

Microsoft reported its earnings for the fourth quarter of 2025, ending December 31. During the earnings call, Microsoft highlighted that its Windows 11 operating system is achieving goals faster than its predecessor, Windows 10. As of today, Windows 11 has officially reached one billion global users. It took the new Windows OS just 1,576 days to reach this milestone, compared to the 1,706 days it took Windows 10. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated that this is a significant milestone for the Windows operating system, which is now expanding more rapidly than during the days of Windows 10. With the recent end-of-life for Windows 10, many users and enterprises are looking to upgrade from their aging systems, and the logical choice for the next build is Windows 11.

Windows 11 has been on the market since October 5, 2021. In the tech space, that is a long time for any software product. Over time, it evolved from a slight reskin of the Windows 10 OS into a completely different user experience with more modern layouts and a modernized UI, but it also came with a slew of issues. As Microsoft has tried to integrate everything into a singular OS, issues became common with updates, causing random bugs and system crashes. Nowadays, it is popular to criticize Windows 11, but despite its buggy nature, the success and market penetration speak for themselves. Microsoft plans to keep Windows 11 as a long-running version, so it might be a while before we see a Windows 12 or anything similar.

Fanatec, a brand of Corsair, has launched an official Stream Deck plugin, available free of charge on the Elgato Marketplace. Stream Deck is a well‑established accessory for sim racing, not just for streamers but also functioning as a customizable button box for any enthusiast racer. With the official Fanatec plugin, Stream Deck integrates directly with Fanatec hardware and supported simulations.

Developed internally by Fanatec in close collaboration with the Elgato team, the plugin supports all Stream Deck models, with dedicated profiles available for Stream Deck XL and Stream Deck +. Once enabled, Stream Deck functions as a telemetry display, showing race position, fuel level, tire temperatures (where supported), flag warnings, and more. The plugin offers access to the Fanatec Tuning Menu, meaning that Stream Deck buttons and dials can adjust hardware settings without pausing the session, similar to the controls found on Fanatec steering wheels.

Ubisoft has ruffled more than a few feathers in the last week, thanks to recent news that it would be cancelling a swathe of games, postponing a handful of other games, mandating a return to office for its workers, and potentially laying off about 200 of its employees at its headquarters in Paris, France. In response to the aforementioned cost-cutting measures, widespread organizational changes, and potential layoffs, unionized Ubisoft staff members are apparently planning a walk-out in protest.

According to a post on Bluesky by the French Syndicat des Travailleureuses du Jeu Vidéo (Video Game Workers' Union), workers were informed of these changes at the same time as the press and the world at large, and the union alleges that the gaming giant did not discuss any of these plans with workers at mandatory union consultations mere days earlier. As a result, the five unions representing workers at Ubisoft—CFE-CGC, CGT, Printemps Écologique, Solidaires Informatique, and STJV—are jointly calling for a "massive international strike" on 10, 11, and 12 February, 2026. In the statement, the organizations reject what they call the "anti-remote-work obsession," cost-cutting plans that negatively affect employees, top-down decision-making, and "coercive control" over staff working conditions. They also call on management to take responsibility for the decisions that have led them to this point and for sincerity about their failings. In the statement, the union leaders reveal that they have been in talks with Ubisoft for over a year about remote work, and some agreements that have been in place since September 2025 have been broken by the recent announcements.

Samsung Electronics today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and the fiscal year 2025.

In the quarter ended December 31, 2025, the Company posted its highest-ever quarterly consolidated revenue at KRW 93.8 trillion, representing a quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) increase of 9%. Operating profit was also an all-time high, at KRW 20.1 trillion. For the full year, the Company reported KRW 333.6 trillion in annual revenue and KRW 43.6 trillion in operating profit.

The Ninjutso Sora V2 is one of the lightest full-size solid-shell wireless gaming mice on the market, coming in at just 39 g, and despite the V2 only just recently having received an updated 8K update, Ninjutso is already teasing a Sora V3 for early February. This is according to a new post on the brand's X page. Not much else has been revealed about the mouse, but we can infer some likely specs and changes based on the available information. Based on the recent update to the Sora V2, we can at least expect the Sora V3 to weigh no more than 39 g and feature 8 kHz polling, at least a PixArt 3395 sensor, if not the 3950, and Omron Optical switches for the main clicks.

Along with an early sneak peek at the mouse's design, Ninjutso commented "Best claw grip mouse of 2026?" This suggests that the Sora V3 will have some minor changes to the shell, even though the shell looks nearly identical to the V2 in the teaser image. When Ninjutso announced the Sora V2, one of the major changes was that the V2 mouse was shorter than its predecessor and had a somewhat taller hump. Judging from the image of the V3, it appears as though Ninjutso is leaning into this design trend once more, because the hump looks to have grown somewhat again. It also appears as though the front edge of the mouse, along with the left and right click buttons, has been lowered slightly compared to the V2. The side buttons on the Sora V3 also look slightly more pronounced than those of the V2, which would make them easier to find and trigger in tense gaming sessions.

Embark just shipped the Arc Raiders January Update 1.13.0, aka the Headwinds update, announcing several sizeable additions to the extraction shooter, including a "Solo vs Squads" matchmaking queue, seven new quests, a new bird infestation map condition, squad invites, open squads, and a whole whack of tweaks to characters and enemies. However, likely one of the most impactful changes to arrive in the January update, especially over the long term, is the new cheating system, which was almost snuck into the end of the update notes. As of January 2026, a progressive three-strike system is "in the process of being implemented."

The update notes explain that cheaters will get progressively more severe punishments every time they are caught cheating, starting with a 30-day ban on the first instance. The next time they are caught cheating, they will face a 60-day ban, then earning a permanent account ban on the third strike. There have been calls for stricter anti-cheat enforcement in Arc Raiders, but there are just as many complaints about false-positives, wherein the game's anti-cheat system is banning players despite them claiming to not have participated in cheating.

IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced fourth-quarter 2025 earnings results.

"In the fourth quarter, we delivered strong revenue growth, with double-digit Software performance. Additionally, Infrastructure continued its double-digit revenue growth with the robust adoption of the next generation of our mainframe platform. Our generative AI book of business now stands at more than $12.5 billion. This capped a strong 2025 for IBM where we exceeded expectations for revenue, profit and free cash flow," said Arvind Krishna, IBM chairman, president and chief executive officer. "We enter 2026 with momentum and in a position of strength, giving us confidence in our full-year expectations of more than 5 percent constant currency revenue growth and an increase of about $1 billion in year-over-year free cash flow."

Microsoft just reported its Q4 2025 results, providing some interesting insights into its gaming ventures. The company's overall quarterly revenue increased by an impressive 17% compared to the same period last year, reaching $81.3 billion. This growth is primarily driven by the strong performance of the cloud sector. However, Microsoft's gaming divisions are experiencing challenges with declining revenue. In its Xbox unit, hardware revenue decreased by 32% year-over-year, significantly impacting the business. The overall Xbox division saw a 9% decline, while Xbox content and services dropped by 5%. The services section, which includes the Game Pass subscription, is the only area not experiencing a steep decline. By recently rising Game Pass subscription prices, Microsoft aims to offset some of the hardware losses.

An interesting detail from the earnings report is the Windows OEM and Devices sector, which reported a modest growth of 1%. This is minor considering the Windows 10 end-of-life, which was expected to boost this sector significantly. Windows itself reported a 5% growth, but this is only a slight increase compared to what Microsoft anticipated from OEMs purchasing Windows license keys for Windows 11, as well as a major consumer upgrade spree to Windows 11 devices. With Xbox revenue declining significantly year-over-year for several years, it is becoming less of a priority for the company, which now derives substantial revenue from Microsoft Azure and 365 Commercial subscriptions.

Microsoft Corp. today announced the following results for the quarter ended December 31, 2025, as compared to the corresponding period of last fiscal year:

• Revenue was $81.3 billion and increased 17% (up 15% in constant currency)
• Operating income was $38.3 billion and increased 21% (up 19% in constant currency)
• Net income on a GAAP basis was $38.5 billion and increased 60%, and on a non-GAAP basis was $30.9 billion and increased 23% (up 21% in constant currency)
• Diluted earnings per share on a GAAP basis was $5.16 and increased 60%, and on a non-GAAP basis was $4.14 and increased 24% (up 21% in constant currency)
• Non-GAAP results exclude the impact from investments in OpenAI, explained in the Non-GAAP Definition section below

The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) in Taiwan has approved NVIDIA's application for its planned local headquarters in the Beitou-Shilin Technology Park. The investment of NT$3.3 billion—or just over US$105 million—was approved a day ahead of Jensen Huang arriving in Taiwan to celebrate the Lunar New Year at a traditional weiya banquet alongside NVIDIA staff. According to CNA, the local subsidiary will be named NVIDIA Iconic Taiwan Co. Various NVIDIA partners are expected to attend the weiya as well, although the Taiwan media hasn't reported on any specific companies as yet.

The plot where the new headquarters will be built was originally meant to house a local insurance company, but as the insurance company had left the plot—which it won in a public tender—empty since 2021, the Taipei City Government negotiated a termination of the contract and NVIDIA will now be taking over the plot. The contract with NVIDIA is expected to be signed ahead of the Lunar New Year which starts on the week of the 16th of February. NVIDIA has revised its investment multiple times and only a couple of months ago, it was reported that the company was going to invest NT$1 billion, or US$32 million. It's unclear why the investment has trebled since then.

Epomaker is no stranger to carbon fiber gaming mice, having previously launched the CarbonX gaming mouse, which used a lattice frame shell to reduce weight. The latest carbon fiber mouse from Epomaker is the Carbonis, and although it hasn't been fully revealed just yet, Epomaker has made early bird reservations available, charging prospective buyers a $1 non-refundable fee in exchange for a reservation and $15 discount when the mouse eventually launches later in January. No pricing is available just yet, but if it falls under around $70-80, it might be a competitive affordable alternative to flagship gaming mice, depending on the execution.

What we do know from the existing product page for the Carbonis mouse is that it will have a solid carbon fiber shell, and it will be a right-handed ergo shape, somewhat reminiscent of the Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro we reviewed prior. It will also be powered by the PixArt PAW 3950 sensor and the Nordic N54L MCU, and it will have an 8 kHz polling rate. It will also feature an online driver, instead of a Windows-only driver that needs to be installed. It will also have a small LCD on the top, likely used to display polling rate, battery level, and DPI settings, similarly to the Chilkey Glacier L W. Weight figures have not yet been announced, but it would be surprising to see a "lightweight" carbon fiber mouse launch at much over 60 g at most. The Carbonis will be available in a purple gradient colorway and a black colorway with the raw forged carbon fiber pattern visible on the surface. Both colorways have a gold scroll wheel, and no switches or encoder specs have been revealed.

Cooler Master recently showed off a host of fancy AIO liquid coolers at CES 2026, but more recently, at a recent event in Huizhou, China, Cooler Master debuted a new square 360 mm AIO radiator that appears to be designed specifically for oversized workstation builds. In the slides, shared by IT Home and VideoCardz, Cooler Master claims that the square AIO is capable of dissipating up to 2000 W of heat, suggesting that the cooler is destined for servers and high-core-count CPUs.

The esoteric use case is only matched by the radiator's bizarre fan configuration. Instead of the 3×3 configuration of 120 mm fans that you might expect given the 360 moniker, the concept AIO uses four 180 mm fans. This is likely at least in part because the edge mounting configuration was less intrusive than having supports for the fan mounts that would not make contact with the radiator's edges. Cooler Master also claims that the peculiar fan configuration reduces low-frequency noise by as much as 20%, although there's no information about the comparison configuration. The AIO was also presented in a Cosmos PC case, although whether this case was stock is unclear.

GIGABYTE, the world's leading computer brand, proudly announces the availability of its flagship X870E AORUS XTREME X3D AI TOP motherboard after its debut alongside the X3D series in September. This model is designed to level up performance for AMD Ryzen X3D processors, featuring X3D Turbo Mode 2.0, powered by a built-in dynamic AI overclocking model and hardware chip, and equipped with GIGABYTE's D5 Bionic Corsa to unleash DDR5 performance. By leveraging advanced AI technology, XTREME cooling solution, and enhanced DIY-friendly design, as the flagship, the X870E AORUS XTREME X3D AI TOP integrates the newest, industry-defining capabilities to deliver uncompromising performance for PC enthusiasts.

At the core of this motherboard, X3D Turbo Mode 2.0, is powered by a dynamic AI overclocking model and hardware chip to adjust voltage, frequency, and temperature in real time. Resulting in a up to 25% significant performance enhancement for AMD Ryzen X3D processors in gaming and multi-tasking. While equipped with the revolutionary D5 Bionic Corsa, integrating software, hardware, and firmware to boost DDR5 memory performance up to 9000+ MT/s, pushing performance boundaries even further.

Hi everyone, right now we're busy adding the finishing touches to the dedicated campaigns for each of our four factions in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV. The Space Marines, Necrons, the Adeptus Mechanicus and Orks will each enjoy their own mission-based narrative as part of the game's overall story, but today we want to talk a bit more about what you can expect from the Orks. It's fair to say that leaving the Orks out of Dawn of War IV was never going to be an option for us! They're one of theiconic Dawn of War factions along with the Blood Ravens, and we couldn't resist the chance to bring back Warboss Gorgutz either, an important character from the earlier Dawn of War games.

Beyond the characters though, what makes the Orks so interesting is they might just be the only Warhammer 40,000 faction that's always having fun. For the uninitiated, these guys are all about fighting and brutality, and there's no shortage of either in the grim darkness of the far future. Put simply, the Orks live for war, killing every single thing they come across. This sense of relentless bloodlust actually plays a really important role in how they approach combat. Take the Ork's Waaagh! mechanic, for example, which in Dawn of War acts a little bit like an energy meter that fills up based on the number of Orks you have on the battlefield, as well as the number of enemies you've killed.

HELLMART IS OUT NOW! Your shift begins. The doors are open, and the scanner is ready. The project we built together has officially launched. Hellmart is now available on Steam! This journey would not have been possible without your support. We started with a demo that ranked in the Top 50 of the Steam Next Fest and gathered over 150,000 wishlists. You've been with us every step of the way. A special thank you to the IGN team, they've supported us from the beginning, featuring every one of our trailers.

From the Founders
Deepest gratitude to CoryxKenshin, CaseOh, Jacksepticeye, JuegaGerman, Jazzghost, Kubz Scouts, Rraenee, 8-BitRyan, FuzionZGamer, Insym, and many, many others for supporting the demo. Your attention confirmed that we were on the right track. We'll be closely following the discussions on Steam and Discord. Your feedback is the most important thing we can receive today. If you enjoy the game, please leave a review. It's a huge help for our team on launch day.

Vastarmor's Chinese website has been updated with a new workstation-grade graphics card model. This new addition seems to signal the AMD board partner's debut in the field of producing dedicated professional graphic solutions. The company is better known for its well-populated gaming product range, utilizing several generations of Team Red Radeon GPU tech. At CES 2026, TechPowerUp enjoyed sneak peeking a pleasingly low-profile prototype Radeon RX 9060 XT card at the Minisforum booth. Up until the start of this year, Vastarmor has deployed AMD's Navi 48 GPU die in flagship Super Alloy and regular Alloy Radeon RX 9070 XT SKUs. This supply relationship has expanded into Navi 48 XTW territories, as demonstrated by the manufacturer's fresh listing of a custom Radeon AI PRO R9700 32 GB model.

Somewhat disappointingly, the Chinese AIB has not deviated much from Team Red's official reference design. Visually, Vastarmor's largely faithful interpretation distinguishes itself by adding company logos/branding onto the shroud, backplate, and the blower fan's face. When compared to a slightly older low effort PowerColor rendition, Vastarmor's "customization" goes the extra mile. According to Vastarmor's spec sheet (translated from Mandarin), this new product adheres to AMD's reference levels. No details regarding pricing or regional availability are present on the company's product page. Last October, Team Red's official Radeon AI PRO R9700 reveal set an MSRP of $1299. The ongoing computer memory crisis will likely drive up costs across consumer and professional markets. Workstation cards, that pack 32 GB of GDDR6 or GDDR7 VRAM, are expected to become increasingly expensive prospects.

Geeek has officially launched pre-orders for the Exo 1, an open-air microATX PC case that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. The new case is effectively an acrylic motherboard tray attached to a baseplate with attachment points for auxiliary hardware, like PSUs and cooling. The Exo 1 is available in both black and white color options, and Geeek also sells an optional PCIe 4.0 riser cable, which will set you back an additional $20 over the $69.99 pre-order price for the case. Geeek plans to start shipping those pre-orders on February 12, 2026.

Like many open-air cases, there aren't that many limitations when it comes to compatible hardware. For starters, there is no side panel, which means no tower air cooler height limitations, although it is technically limited to 240 mm AIO radiators, and using the vertical GPU mounting does limit you to low-profile coolers, thanks to the motherboard's position. There are also no additional fan mounting points aside from those used by the AIO radiator. Geeek recommends GPUs no longer than 335 mm, and says that GPUs up to four slots are supported. The Exo 1, being a compact case, measures in at just 400 × 185 × 315 mm, and it supports ATX, SFX-L, and SFX PSUs.

We've set our coordinates and warmed the lasers; your time is officially up! The INCREDIBLE INVASION OF PLANET EARTH STARTS NOW! EARTH MUST DIE IS OUT NOW! We've been double- and triple-checking the lovely scenery, making sure the aliens all behave themselves at the orgy, and filling the Milkipedia with all sorts of random information, so we're now FINALLY READY to invite you on the biggest space adventure this side of planet Tyryth. It's also FULLY STEAM DECK COMPATIBLE, so you can reclaim your throne from wherever you happen to be—Earth or otherwise!

It sure has been a hectic but amazing 24 hours since we—Size Five Games—launched Earth Must Die, we have been showered with your endless support, so for that we wanted to say a huge thank you! We've had some great reviews so far that have given us a good laugh, and we're super close to 50! If you're enjoying the game, please do leave us a review, and let us know your favorite jokes and gags (why is it the alien orgy?)

The first signs off an "earlier than expected" launch of Apple's futuristic M6 chip were linked to an allegedly expedited mass production cycle of Samsung Display's "8.6G OLED panels." This cutting-edge double layer design could debut on a majorly redesigned line of MacBook Pro models. A recent Bloomberg "Power On" newsletter, authored by Mark Gurman, projected a very general roadmap of forthcoming portable Mac computer products. In 2026, with possible slippages into the next year, the veteran Apple soothsayer believes that company leadership could be planning a crowded line-up of brand-new items. Within the first half, Gurman predicts launches of MacBook Pro 14 and 16-inch models that pack M5 Max or M5 Pro APUs.

Further out speculative M6-powered devices are reportedly on the cards for release in 2026, but Gurman's latest forecast does not designate a particular product range as a pioneer of next-gen chip usage. In the recent past, the allegedly 2-nanometer M6 chipset has been frequently linked to the aforementioned major MacBook Pro overhaul. Gurman did not pinpoint a specific family, instead envisioning a larger picture: "one wrinkle—I think the M6 chip is potentially coming sooner than people anticipate. Not necessarily in these next laptops, but still in the near future in some configurations. Apple released the M5 processor in October in three devices. Though it might seem soon for an M6, there was only a five-month gap between the M3 and M4." In the event of Apple's MacBook Pro OLED release window slipping into 2027, M6 SoCs could be deployed in a new wave of iPad Pro (2026) tablets. The company unveiled its eighth-gen design last October.

Redragon is known for its budget gaming peripherals, and it has recently announced three more additions to the line-up, this time catering to both gamers and productivity users, with two num pad-toting mechanical keyboards and a wireless gaming mouse. Starting with the latter, the Ebony M998 STD is a tri-mode wireless gaming mouse with a mild ergonomic shape and powered by the PixArt PAW 3311 sensor, which means 24,000 DPI, up to 300 IPS speed, and 35 G acceleration tracking capabilities and 1 kHz polling. It weighs in at 61 g, and is powered by a 400 mAh battery. Redragon says it should last 34 hours on a single charge, but does not cite test conditions or connectivity mode, so your mileage may vary. Probably the most interesting part of the Ebony M998 STD is its magnetic charging dock, which charges the mouse with pogo pins, not wireless charging, and doubles as the 2.4 GHz receiver. While it's not using a flagship-tier sensor, it also does not command flagship prices, coming in at only $29.99 from Redragon directly. The mouse can also be customized on Windows with proprietary software, and it supports on-board macros and rebinding. Redragon also doesn't specify which switches are being used in the Ebony mouse.

GIGABYTE, the world's leading computer brand, deepens its strategic partnership with AMD to accelerate on-device AI across three key product lines, including AI gaming laptops, X870E X3D series motherboards, and high-refresh OLED gaming monitors. Powered by AMD platforms and built with GIGABYTE's advanced technology, this collaboration delivers fast, smooth performance for gaming and creation, as well as steady stability for PC builds.

For AI gaming laptops, AORUS MASTER 16 is powered by the AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D processor with AMD 3D V-Cache technology, an advanced cache design that helps keep frame rates steady in fast-paced games while accelerating demanding creator workloads. GIGABYTE AERO X16 (Copilot+ PC) runs on AMD Ryzen AI 400 Series processors, leveraging the built-in NPU to handle select AI tasks efficiently on-device for everyday AI experiences. To help AMD's performance shine in real sessions, GIGABYTE elevates the experience with WINDFORCE Infinity EX cooling technology on AORUS MASTER 16—rated for 230 W max total thermal power—and GiMATE, GIGABYTE'S exclusive AI agent that streamlines power, performance, and AI features into clear, workflow-friendly controls, so users get strong and steady performance with less manual tuning.

Over a week ago, GPD seemingly jumped the gun with their announcement of forthcoming official Bazzite support—specifically destined to roll out on their range-topping Win 5 handheld gaming PC. Within a day or two—following wider news coverage of GPD's bold declaration, issued via their own subreddit—Bazzite leadership and community managers stepped in. Currently, GPD's AMD Ryzen AI Max+ "Strix Halo" APU-powered gaming device can run the Fedora-based Linux distribution, albeit in an unofficial manner. User feedback—stretching back to last autumn—outlines system crashes, inconsistent delivery of game audio, control input problems, and more. In theory, a proper GPD + Bazzite Org collaboration would lead to a much more stable release of this well-regarded gaming OS.

The Bazzite team has vehemently refuted GPD's recent claim(s) over the past week, but in a fairly scattered manner across Discord, Reddit, and other community discussion hubs. As of yesterday, a definitive statement has been published by Kyle Gospodnetich. On Universal Blue, the Bazzite creator and maintainer stated: "recently, GPD made a statement that an 'official adaptation' of Bazzite is happening for the GPD Win 5, and that we (the Bazzite team) have received hardware from them. I want to make clear that not only have we not received hardware from them, (plus) we have (had) no recent contact with GPD, of any kind. A GPD representative appears to be directing their users to a Discord other than our own for support as well. The Bazzite Team will never ask you to go to a Discord server other than our own for support. Please exercise caution, whatever they're working on is entirely unofficial and out of our control, and will not be supported by us in any way. We ask (that) GPD cease using the Bazzite name, logos, or other intellectual property until this matter is resolved."

In Code Vein II, you step into the role of a Revenant Hunter, wielding extraordinary powers alongside a mysterious Jail artifact embedded in your back. This device allows you to harness the innate abilities of Revenants in battle. Your journey begins as you travel into the past, where you must earn the trust of legendary heroes and uncover the key to preventing the world's collapse in the present.

You won't face this dangerous frontier alone. Powerful allies known as Partners fight at your side or bolster your abilities. Each Partner unleashes their own attacks and wields a unique power called Formae, used for both offense and support. Blood absorbed through their special Drain attacks is shared with you, restoring a portion of your vital resource known as Ichor.

Yesterday, Intel released its latest Arc GPU drivers—a major upgraded feature was introduced in the form of third-gen Xe Super Sampling (XeSS) with multi-frame generation (MFG) tech. The 8362 WHQL branch covers Arc iGPUs in brand-new Core Ultra 3 "Panther Lake-H" mobile processors, whilst the other one—8425—takes care of older discrete and integrated solutions. Curiously, Team Blue's latest update does not bring immediate XeSS 3 MFG support to their current flagship "Battlemage" discrete graphics card—the Arc B580 12 GB model. In an exclusive article, Tom's Guide cites information contained in an important email—sent by Intel—confirming that: "Arc B580 is officially getting XeSS 3 with Multi-Frame Generation (MFG) next month." Presumably in the near future, this feature set will trickle down to Arc B570 10 GB cards, and previous-gen products (e.g. "Alchemist"/A-series).

At least for the next couple of weeks, only Core Ultra 300 APUs get to enjoy bragging rights over XeSS 3 with multi-frame generation. In the aforementioned Tom's Guide exclusive report, the author mentions that they are looking forward to testing out this tech on a Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro notebook—their test subject is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 7 358H processor. This particular model features the much lauded Arc B390 iGPU—a prominent new Xe3-based challenger to AMD's best integrated graphics solutions. In another Tom's Guide news piece, a Team Blue representative teased further multi-frame generation innovations: "gaming handhelds are an exciting and growing segment where we have more planned, featuring Intel Arc graphics. We'll share more later this year." So far, we have seen "Panther Lake" being deployed in the usual set of laptops/notebooks and mini PC designs.

Linux users with Intel's newer graphics hardware have experienced an unexpected performance boost and critical stability improvements with the latest Mesa 26.1 driver updates. Francisco Jerez, an engineer working on Intel's open-source graphics stack, successfully merged 18 patches aimed at addressing persistent video corruption issues affecting both "Alchemist" DG2 discrete and integrated GPUs on "Meteor Lake" SoC. The primary goal was to resolve visual artifacts and rendering errors that had long troubled these platforms. However, preliminary testing revealed significant performance improvements in various gaming scenarios, with one benchmark showing gains as high as 2.6x the original frame rate.

This notable example came from testing NBA 2K23 at 4K resolution with maximum settings using DirectX 11, where the optimization resulted in a 260% improvement on the "Alchemist" graphics hardware. The patch series required about four months of development since its initial submission in September 2024, showing that there is a massive and hidden layer of complexity involved in correcting these low-level rendering issues without introducing new instabilities. The documented performance data currently comes from a single game trace, leaving questions about the extent to which other titles might benefit from similar optimizations. These changes affect only Linux systems using the Mesa driver, and Windows-based systems have not yet been tested. Nonetheless, this development is a positive sign that Intel continues to optimize even older GPU generations.

Reigns: The Witcher is the latest iteration of the smash-hit swipe-'em up series that puts a fresh twist on the beloved story of monster slayer Geralt of Rivia. Told from the dramatic perspective of famed bard Dandelion, players will reimagine the White Wolf's legendary tales through quick decisions that carry weight across the Continent in thousands of narrative combinations. With a first look at gameplay revealed in the Reigns: The Witcher Reveal Trailer, players swipe left or right to determine Geralt's actions: advise a villager against hunting a beast, or humor them at the risk of their own life? Few choices will have clear consequences, and players must choose wisely to keep the story—and Geralt—alive.

Navigating a moral maze of stories, overcoming combat minigames, and meeting familiar faces like Yennefer of Vengerberg, Triss Merigold, and Vesemir are all part of Dandelion's quest to become a legendary bard. Level up his career to unlock new plotlines, complete Inspirations, and tell a true epic that will live forever.

Google's return to the desktop has been now cemented with the latest leak of the so-called "Aluminium OS." Accidentally shared by Google, 9to5Google managed to capture some screen recordings of this new creation that Google has been developing behind the scenes. A recent submission to the Google Issue Tracker revealed a Chrome Incognito bug, complete with video evidence from a system running Aluminium OS. Before the video was removed, 9to5Google obtained recordings showing a new Android-powered PC operating system. Running on the latest Android 16 platform, the system is being internally tested on an HP Elite Dragonfly 13.5 Chromebook laptop equipped with 12th Generation Intel "Alder Lake-U" Core processors. As a test unit, this marks a significant shift from the Android OS used on mobile Arm-based systems, as Aluminium OS now operates smoothly on x86 architecture.

Pictured is the new operating system in all its glory. The desktop design resembles a blend of macOS aesthetics and elements from the Gnome desktop environment typical of Linux distributions. It features a taskbar at the bottom, centrally positioned like in the default version of Windows 11. The battery status and Wi-Fi icons are located in the top right corner, alongside a Gemini button for easy AI access. In September 2025, at Qualcomm's 10th annual Snapdragon Summit, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon and Google's head of platforms and devices, Rick Osterloh, discussed this new operating system. Google plans to merge its ChromeOS and Android for PC projects into a single branch, resulting in an Android for PC version called "Aluminium OS." This new OS will incorporate Google's advanced AI technologies from Gemini, running on more powerful mobile designs powered by the latest x86 architecture. It will feature processors with capable NPUs, allowing Google's open-source Gemma models to run locally without any issues.

Following the InfinityBook Max 15 with Ryzen AI processors, its sibling InfinityBook Max 15 - INTEL with Intel Core Ultra 7 255H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics and up to 128 GB RAM is now available for delivering powerful computing performance for software development, demanding media design, and gaming, while a 99 Wh battery and a weight of just under 2 kg qualify the ultra-thin, all-metal notebook for very high mobility requirements.

Lightweight and Robust All-aluminium Chassis
Despite featuring a sturdy all aluminium build, a maximally large 99 Wh battery and slightly larger and heavier cooling compared to the lower-tier InfinityBook Pro 15, the new Max 15 comes in at 1.95 kg, combining a particularly lightweight and portable form factor with high performance.

LG Display today reported unaudited earnings results based on consolidated K-IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) for the three-month period ending December 31, 2025.

• Revenues in the fourth quarter of 2025 increased by 4% to KRW 7,201 billion from KRW 6,957 billion in the third quarter of 2025 and decreased by 8% from KRW 7,833 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024.
• Operating profit in the fourth quarter of 2025 stood at KRW 169 billion. This compares with the operating profit of KRW 431 billion in the third quarter of 2025 and with the operating profit of KRW 83 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024.
• EBITDA in the fourth quarter of 2025 was KRW 1,162 billion, compared with EBITDA of KRW 1,424 billion in the third quarter of 2025 and KRW 1,306 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024.
• Net loss in the fourth quarter of 2025 was KRW 351 billion, compared with the net profit of 1 billion in the third quarter of 2025 and with the net loss of KRW 839 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024.

SK hynix Inc. announced today that it will establish an AI solutions firm, tentatively named AI Company (AI Co.), in the US to find new AI growth engines. "Leveraging its unparalleled chip technologies, such as HBM, the memory chipmaker will try to play a pivotal role in delivering optimized AI systems for its customers in the AI datacenter sector," the company said.

"The company will also continue making strategic investments in and collaborating with AI firms to strengthen its competitiveness in memory chips and provide a range of AI datacenter solutions." Global big tech companies have been in a fierce competition to gain an upper hand in the AI race by making significant investments and actively seeking innovation. With the growing demand for advanced AI systems, high-end memory chips are considered essential for overcoming the performance bottlenecks of AI data solutions. Capitalizing on the AI boom, SK hynix, the world's leading memory chipmaker, has been making efforts to cement its AI leadership.

Today, ASML Holding NV (ASML) has published its 2025 fourth-quarter and full-year results.

• Q4 total net sales of €9.7 billion, gross margin of 52.2%, net income of €2.8 billion
• Quarterly net bookings in Q4 of €13.2 billion of which €7.4 billion is EUV
• 2025 total net sales of €32.7 billion, gross margin of 52.8%, net income of €9.6 billion
• Backlog at the end of 2025 of €38.8 billion
• ASML expects Q1 2026 total net sales between €8.2 billion and €8.9 billion, and a gross margin between 51% and 53%
• ASML expects 2026 total net sales to be between €34 billion and €39 billion, with a gross margin between 51% and 53%
• ASML announces a new share buyback program of up to €12 billion to be executed by December 31, 2028
• ASML to strengthen focus on engineering and innovation by streamlining the Technology and IT organizations

CEO statement and outlook
"ASML reported another record year in 2025, with total net sales of €32.7 billion and a gross margin of 52.8%. The fourth quarter was particularly strong: we reported record total net sales of €9.7 billion, including the revenue recognized for two High NA systems. Our gross margin for Q4 was in line with our guidance at 52.2%.

NVIDIA's upcoming "Feynman" AI GPU will partially use Intel Foundry nodes, a DigiTimes report says. NVIDIA recently invested a 5% stake in Intel, and is exploring tapping into Intel Foundry manufacturing capacity. In particular, NVIDIA is interested in the Intel 18A and 14A foundry nodes for certain components of its upcoming "Feynman" AI GPU that launches in 2028, succeeding the current "Rubin" AI GPU. NVIDIA also intends to tap into Intel's EMIB technology for its chiplet interconnectivity, the report says.

The "Feynman" AI GPU will still be majorly TSMC-based, with its core IP being built on die(s) leveraging TSMC A16 (1.6 nm) foundry node, which is expected to make up 75% of the chip's value. The remaining silicon content will be built on Intel 18A or Intel 14A nodes, and the chip's final packaging is expected to take place in U.S. soil, at Intel Foundry. This way, it will be Intel handling the EMIB chiplet bonding. "Feynman" is expected to implement a newer memory standard, such as HBM4e or even HBM5, and significantly increase memory per package, so each chip can handle trillion-parameter scale models.

SK hynix Inc. announced today that it has achieved record financial results in 2025—97.1467 trillion won in revenue, 47.2063 trillion won in operating profit (with an operating margin of 49%), and 42.9479 trillion won in net profit (with a net margin of 44%). The results significantly exceeded the previous record set in 2024. The annual revenue increased by more than 30 trillion won while the annual operating profit nearly doubled year-on-year, marking the highest annual performance in the company's history.

Growth momentum accelerated further in the fourth quarter. In addition to HBM, demand on conventional memory solutions for servers increased sharply, to which SK hynix responded proactively. As a result, the company achieved record-high quarterly performance across all three indicators, with revenue rising 34% to 32.8267 trillion won, operating profit surging 68% to 19.1696 trillion won, and operating margin reaching 58% quarter-on-quarter.

Colorful Technology Company Limited, a leading brand in gaming PC components, gaming laptops, and Hi-fi audio products, introduces the iGame X870E VULCAN OC flagship motherboard featuring the AMD X870E platform designed for enthusiasts and extreme overclockers. Even ahead of its formal launch, the motherboard had already made headlines by achieving a new overclocking milestone, successfully pushing the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor to an impressive 7335.48 MHz—securing the top position globally for this CPU model in high-frequency rankings.

Designed to extract the maximum potential from AMD's latest Ryzen 9000 X3D processors, the iGame X870E VULCAN OC combines high-end power delivery, advanced cooling, and gamer-centric tuning features. The board continues COLORFUL's focus on competitive performance, intelligent firmware optimization, and distinctive industrial design.

If you're even remotely into gaming, you've heard of the Stop Killing Games movement, which aims to petition the EU government to create laws that legally prevent publishers from prematurely ending support for video games, or at least compel them to find a way to leave games in a playable state when official support ends. Moritz Katzner, a volunteer for the project, recently posted an update to the official subreddit for the EU petition confirming that over 1.2 million signatures of the roughly 1.45 million signatures registered have been verified, effectively meaning that the representatives of the Stop Killing Games movement will be able to meet with the EU Commission in order to potentially get laws drafted and passed in order to avoid the destruction of video games. The SKG team plans to release a video update closer to the meeting with the EU Commission explaining what the next steps are and what the strategy is.

Microsoft's Xbox has been on a rampage against exclusive game releases after gobbling up what feels like half the game studios in existence in recent years. Still, in a recent interview with GamesRadar, Xbox Game Studios head, Craig Duncan, has said that the gaming giant has been somewhat inconsistent when it comes to launching games for the Sony PlayStation 5. Duncan said that, going forward, "we're going to try and be more consistent with what we do," adding that Xbox Game Studios and its developers want the games they make to be played by as many players as possible: "If you're on the Fable team you just want as many people who love Fable to appreciate the great work the team's doing."

He goes on to explain, however, that each game and platform is different, and, ultimately, "wherever our games show up we want them to show up and be the nest that they can be for that platform," continuing that there may be situations where a team cannot take on the extra workload of launching a game simultaneously on Xbox, PC, and PlayStation 5. In situations like those, he says, it's sometimes better to port it later. He also drives home the point that some games have unique launch strategies, where they'll launch on PC before they even make it to Xbox's first-party console hardware, or vice versa. It's safe to say that Xbox will be sticking to its recent tirade against platform-exclusive games as far as possible. Meanwhile, Sony is reportedly investigating a "Cross-Buy" feature, which would allow gamers to add PlayStation games to their PC game library when they're purchased on console.

Ubisoft earlier this month announced the cancellation of a swathe of in-progress games, one of them being the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake, and although that game will likely never see the light of day as a complete product, pre-alpha workshop presentation snapshots from March 2024 have leaked online, giving fans of the series a glimpse at what might have been. The footage shows off the titular character in a number of environments, including in the middle of several parkour moves—a system that was meant to be getting a big update with the remake—and a handful of refreshed, expansive environments and character designs for both the prince and Farah. Objectively, some of the game assets look better than others, but this is to be expected from a 2024 version of the game, however, it's clear a lot of work has gone into modernizing the visuals, environments, and character designs.

Ubisoft said that the troubled Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was cancelled because it didn't meet the minimum standard of quality expected from executives after Ubisoft's recent overhaul, however, fans of the series seem to disagree. On X, where the test footage was posted, players are both commenting on how good the revised visuals look and lamenting the game's cancellation, with some appealing to Ubisoft to release the game, while others, doubting that Ubisoft will ever return to the franchise after the successive issues that plagued The Sands of Time Remake, are begging the studio to sell the IP to another studio. The Sands of Time was originally announced in 2020 and slated to release in 2021, but it was delayed and appeared to be dead until recently, when leaks claimed that the game was to launch in 2026. Following the cancellation of The Sands of Time Remake, it has also been confirmed that Ubisoft is looking to potentially lay off up to 200 employees at its Paris headquarters.

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