Rocket League, the popular competitive vehicular soccer game, will soon be getting an anti-cheat implementation, nearly a decade after its original launch. Psyonix announced on the game's official X account that it would be implementing Easy Anti-Cheat in Rocket League in an April update. The justifications for anti-cheat is to prevent DDoS attacks, improve bot detection, and more effectively ban cheaters in games. The announcement comes with a few caveats, though—specifically relating to how the addition of anti-cheat will affect competitive gameplay, offline LAN multiplayer, and gaming on Linux.

Unlike many high-profile EAC implementations, Rocket League will maintain compatibility with the Valve Steam Deck, and by extension other Linux gaming PCs and the upcoming Steam Machine via the Proton compatibility layer. Players will be able to disable EAC for offline play, in cases like local LAN multiplayer, or split-screen multiplayer. Additionally, the EAC implementation will eventually allow players in custom tournaments to run tournament-specific mods, and players will be able to run custom community content with EAC enabled at launch. The announcement also mentions "custom mod-inspired content" coming to Rocket League in the same April update.

Highguard players recently noticed that the game's official website was offline, leading to widespread speculation that the ailing game was silently shutting down shortly after the studio laid off "most" of its development team. However, according to a response from one of the developers on Discord, the site being down isn't an indication of the future of the game, with the implication being that resources are being redirected towards the game content itself, while the site will be reworked and "simplified" before it is put back online.

"Not sure on the timeframe, but basically needs to be transferred and simplified. Low priority atm (reputational damage already done). Now we just need to focus on delivering updates and content to improve," explains the developer in a response to a question about the site being down, implying that the studio is still investing some resources into keeping the game alive, even if much of game's development team is no longer there. This isn't the first time we're hearing of planned new content, as a former developer at Wildlight revealed that the company had already been working on a lot of new, unreleased content that was to land post-launch.

Considering almost everything PC related seems to be going up in price this year, Dell has surprised with a pair of very affordable 240 Hz gaming monitors. The two models are the SE2726HG and SE2726HGS, both sporting 27-inch IPS panels. The not so good part is that both monitors only have 1080p panels, which might appeal to some gamers, but it's not that great for a multipurpose monitor. The only difference between the two models is that the SE2726HGS comes with a height adjustable stand.

The IPS panel delivers 300 nits of brightness, a 1000:1 contrast ratio and is said to deliver 99 percent of the sRGB colour gamut. The standard response time is 5 ms, but this can be tweaked in the menu settings down to 0.5 by switching to the extreme mode. AMD FreeSync Premium is also part of the package. Connectivity is quite sparse, with two HDMI ports with VRR support as well as a single DP 1.4 port. Dell lists a standard power draw of 19.7 W, with a maximum power draw of 40 W, suggesting that these are pretty power efficient displays. The SE2726HG comes in at US$130, with the height adjustable stand of the SE2726HGS adding an extra US$40 for a price tag of US$170.

Earlier this week, Thai news outlets have reported a recent approval of a major THB2.3 billion (~$73.81 million USD) investment into Western Digital's local operations. The Southeast Asian nation's Board of Investment (BOI) gave the thumbs up to a new on-site HAMR HDD technology research and development project. Western Digital's central location has grown over the past couple of years—for example, around August 2024, Thailand's BOI gave a proposed HDD production hub enlargement the greenlight. Fresh news items outline an upcoming research and development project that will focus on HAMR (Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording) technology, with a view to enhance hard disk drive (HDD) manufacturing capabilities. Additional details mention an international collaboration; involving the North American and Japanese teams—the Thai unit seems to be tasked with devising key components and HAMR's crucial "laser-based data recording process." Earlier on in February, WD's Innovation Day 2026 roadmapped an extensive future HAMR release cadence. By the end of the decade, the data storage specialist projects the debut of 100+ TB drives.

We have an important update to share regarding the launch of REPLACED. After a lot of back and forth, we have decided to shift our release date to 14 April 2026. As a small team working on our very first title, we've poured everything we have into this project. While the game is technically finished, reaching this final stretch has shown us that we need just a few more weeks to ensure the experience is exactly what you deserve. We want the version of REPLACED you play on day one to be polished, stable, and true to the vision we've shared with you.

The response to our Steam demo has been the ultimate fuel for us. To be honest, putting it out there was nerve-wracking, but seeing your gameplay, reading your reviews, and hearing your excitement has been overwhelming in the best way possible. We are constantly reading your comments, and that feedback is helping us make the final tweaks that will make the full game shine.

Yesterday, Microsoft's insider program debuted Windows 11 Builds 26100.7918 and 26200.7918 (KB5077241). Enjoyers of the Release Preview Channel can play around with some nifty new features and improvements, within the 24H2 (Build 26100) and 25H2 (Build 26200) releases. The North American megacorp's Windows Insider blog outlines two separate rollouts: "gradual" and "normal." Within the former, a brand-new "Taskbar & System Tray" tool has attracted the most media attention over the past day. The official company description details this nice-to-have feature: "(a) built‑in network speed test is now available from the taskbar. Open it from the Wi‑Fi or Cellular Quick Settings, or by right-clicking the network icon in the system tray."

Continuing that line of thought, the blog proceeds with: "the speed test opens in the default browser and measures Ethernet, Wi‑Fi, and Cellular connections. This feature helps check network performance and troubleshoot issues." Normally, modern-day Windows users rely on third-party apps or relevant websites for this type of diagnostic data. An official and handy integrated alternative will be welcomed by network speed demons. Last Friday (February 13), the phantomofearth social media account shared an early insight, days ahead of the official introductory blog entry's publication. The self-described "Windows Insider and older Windows beta" tester noted that the snazzy tool sends privileged previewers to (Microsoft's preferred default) "Bing to do the speed test."

NACON, one of the world's leading gaming accessory companies, is proud to announce the availability of its Revolution X Unlimited - Anniversary Edition wireless controller on nacongaming.com and in stores. Designed for Xbox Series X|S and PC, this special limited edition pays a vibrant tribute to the iconic Xbox 360 console, combining a retro design with cutting-edge performance.

With the Revolution X Unlimited - Anniversary Edition, NACON offers nostalgic gamers and demanding competitors the best of both worlds. This controller is inspired by the design of the Xbox 360 and its controller, while integrating the latest technologies developed by NACON in the Revolution X Unlimited released in April 2025. Considered one of the best controllers on the market, it is praised for its durability, precision, and customization options.

Late last month, ASUS released an official statement regarding user reported discrepancies between AMD 800-series motherboards and highly popular "Zen 5" Ryzen 7 9800X3D desktop processors. At the time, the Taiwanese PC hardware manufacturer advised that customers immediately update relevant mainboard models with the latest BIOS revisions. Since the launch of Team Red's 3D V-Cache-augmented Ryzen 9000-series "Granite Ridge" CPUs, the majority of "killings" have been recorded on ASRock-made AM5 boards. Unfortunately, an increased number of processor failures—when platformed on ASUS designs—have been tracked in recent months. Yesterday, another puzzling case was presented on the official ASUS subreddit. Bizarrely, UniverseWillDecide's tale involved both of Team Red's 8-core gaming champion models, paired with an ASUS TUF Gaming X870-PLUS WIFI motherboard. The first build iteration was based around the Ryzen 7 9800X3D SKU.

UniverseWillDecide recounted a brief honeymoon period: "everything was working fine for a week or so, until my system started (going into) these weird freezes or locks ups, while booting into Windows or being idle. OCCT memory test passed without any errors, so memory was cleared, but it started crashing with AVX2. I got pissed off and decided to return it to Amazon, since it was still 30 day return window." The Australian PC enthusiast moved onto the recently released Ryzen 7 9850X3D model, purchased during AMD's official launch period. The unlucky owner enjoyed problem-free experience: "for (a) few weeks, (but) guess what. The chip is dead too. I am not blaming AMD directly, but I suspect...something related to the ASUS BIOS applying incorrect voltages. I am...above and beyond disappointed, and not sure what to do (next). I also have (an) ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 5090 (card)—I bought it because I believed this company builds quality products.

NZXT, a leading brand in PC gaming components and prebuilt systems, today introduced the H2 Flow Mini-ITX Case and the C850 SFX Power Supply, two compact solutions designed to bring high-performance PC builds into smaller spaces without compromise. With a focus on airflow, compatibility, and ease of installation, these products make small form factor (SFF) systems more powerful and accessible than ever.

For players who want the performance and design of the H2 Flow without building it themselves, NZXT is also launching the H2 Mini PC, available for a limited time, exclusively in the United States. This prebuilt option delivers the same compact footprint and performance-focused design in a fully assembled, ready-to-play system, making small form factor PC gaming more accessible to a wider audience.

[Editor's note: You can read ourin-depth review of the NZXT H2 Flow Mini-ITX case here]

Not every hero fights for glory or is destined to save kingdoms. Not every legend is born from noble sacrifice. Some are forged in shadows, driven by selfish ambition, bad decisions, and an impressive lack of moral standards. In Styx: Blades of Greed, our favorite goblin anti-hero returns with a sharper blade, a sharper tongue, and a brand-new obsession: Quartz… no matter whom he has to kill along the way. Whether you've followed Styx since his early days or you're about to meet him for the first time, here's why he's the kind of character you'll absolutely love to hate.

Embodying the perfect anti-hero
As a goblin, Styx isn't your typical fantasy protagonist and that's exactly the point. He isn't the chosen one here to save the world. He's not a hero. He's a sharp-tongued protagonist, here to survive, preferably with a full purse and someone else taking the blame. Armed with razor-sharp sarcasm and a constant stream of cynical observations, Styx comments on nearly everything he encounters, mocking pompous rulers, scoffing at heroic ideals, and questioning the intelligence of just about everyone around him.

Earlier in the month, Sony Group issued Q3 FY2025 consolidated financial results. In a related earnings call, company leadership discussed the current impact of climbing computer memory costs. In particular, they anticipate new strategies that will ensure minimal price fluctuations affecting core PlayStation 5 hardware. According to an Inside Games Japan news article, the extremely popular home console has: "surpassed 92 million units in cumulative sales on a sell-in basis." Reportedly, Lin Tao—Sony Group's Chief Financial Officer (CFO)—mentioned a sufficient procurement of memory modules; enough to maintain stable PlayStation 5 pricing throughout 2026. Additionally, ongoing negotiations with suppliers will focus on plentiful numbers—hopefully leading to an uninterrupted flow of standard PS5 units, as well as the more capable Pro design.

Given present-day circumstances, even the largest players are very likely paying more for in demand components (memory and storage). During the recent call, Tao outlined a plan for offsetting some of these elevated costs: "given the stage of our console cycle, our hardware sales strategy can be adjusted flexibly, and we intend to minimize the impact of the increased memory costs on this segment going forward by prioritizing monetization of the installed base to date and striving to further expand our software and network services revenue." Last year, Nintendo avoided hiking up Switch 2 MSRPs, during and after the hybrid system's launch period. In order to counteract "tariffgate," company bigwigs decided to drive up first-party Switch 2 accessory pricing, and (oddly) original Switch model price tags.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has announced the European launch of its latest premium PC lineup, Galaxy Book6 Ultra, Galaxy Book6 Pro and Galaxy Book6; delivering Samsung's most advanced Galaxy Book performance yet in a refined, perfectly balanced slim design. The latest lineup reflects Samsung's continued focus on delivering premium PCs that balance power, portability and intelligent productivity features for modern work and everyday use.

Performance Designed for Modern WorkFlows
Built with the newest Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors, the Galaxy Book6 series is designed to handle demanding multitasking, creative workloads and AI-enhanced applications with ease. The upgraded processing platform enables significantly faster responsiveness, helping users work more efficiently whether they are editing content, collaborating online or managing complex tasks. Galaxy Book6 Ultra has an NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics card to further enhance performance, enabling smoother visual experiences and supporting advanced creative tools powered by AI. Samsung also introduced an improved internal cooling structure across the lineup, allowing the devices to maintain stable performance even during intensive usage.

The Korea Economic Daily had an exclusive mid-month sit-down with Jensen Huang, just after his attendance of a casual NVIDIA and SK hynix engineering team meetup. As disclosed in an exclusive report, the South Korean publication managed to extract some intriguing tidbits during an "unscheduled interview," that took place in Santa Clara, California (not far from Team Green's HQ). A headline generating quote was pulled from part of the conversation concerning next month's GPU Technology Conference. The NVIDIA did not hold back, after granting plentiful access: "ask as much as you want." When asked about plans for the company's forthcoming (March 16 to 19) conference, Huang confidently let slip that: "a chip that will surprise the world will be unveiled at GTC next month."

With an annual cadence, the Team Green boss—is once more—expected to present the latest and greatest items in a keynote presentation. Since 2026 is the launch year of "Vera Rubin," industry observers have already predicted a very VR200 NVL72-heavy on-stage showcase. Later on in the exclusive Q&A, Huang teased multiple unnamed new properties, due for introduction at GTC 2026: "we've prepared several new chips the world has never seen before." Potentially, very early "Feynman" AI accelerator prototypes could make it onto the main stage. Alternatively, "Vera GPU" offshoots are also likelihoods. In the interview, Green Team leader hinted about the slog of getting cutting-edge IPs into fruition: "nothing is easy because all technologies are at their limits." The Korea Economic Daily reporter noted Huang's just concluded meal with "NVIDIA and SK Hynix memory engineers"—elaborating on this potent HBM4-focused partnership, Huang remarked boastfully: "with a team like this, nothing is impossible."

Pricing for the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X has increased dramatically in Japan, according to recent reports by Automaton, likely indicating an imminent price increase for Western markets as well. The price increase sees the listed price jump by 21%, from ¥139,800 to ¥169,000 including tax. The increase only applies to the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X models, which are specced with 24 GB of LPDDR5X memory, as opposed to the regular ASUS ROG Xbox Ally, which uses 16 GB of regular LPDDR5 RAM. This has led to speculation that the reason for the price increase is the ongoing DRAM shortage, which has caused widespread price increases, delays, and general hardware shortages in the ailing PC market.

Hardware price increases often take place in Asia first, and this is hardly the first price increase we've seen occur in recent weeks. Acer Japan also just announced a price increase for both its laptops and desktop PCs in the same week as ASUS's price increase. For now, pricing for the non-Xbox-branded ASUS ROG Ally X remains stable, and pricing for the Xbox Ally X seems to have remained the same in the US on both the ASUS online store and third-party retailers, as well.

A year after the initial launch, the Avowed team is capping its post-launch roadmap with a special anniversary update that goes live for all today. This update, for which full details can be read over on the Obsidian site, brings with it a variety of community requested features, a host of quality-of-life fixes, and a few extra additions that the team wanted to get in just for the fans. Avowed is also launching on PlayStation 5 with the past year of updates included, allowing more players to get in and explore the Living Lands.

New Faces with New Races
To top the list of big new features being added to Avowed is the ability to choose from three new races during character creation. Joining the pre-existing human and elves are the stout and well-traveled Dwarves; the two-toned skin, hairy, and big ear having Orlans; and the large and uniquely strong Aumauan. Players will be able to choose as one of the five when starting off their adventure and bringing their envoy to the Living Lands.

Earlier in the week GameSir representatives started teasing an upcoming launch of GameHub for Mac. Apparently, members of the Chinese gaming brand's Discord community were the first to hear about this exciting development. Soon after that, the GameSir social media account issued a succinct message to the world: "your Mac is now a gaming PC. Introducing GameHub for Mac. Unlock your entire Steam library. Coming soon." A promo image shows a variety of modern Apple desktop and laptop systems, accompanied by another short section of text: "Run Win games/Steam natively...Reborn, and be free." Currently, the Android version of GameSir's GameHub app is advertised as offering the ability to "play any game anywhere" through emulation. Elaborating further, the application's main splash page states: "choose from thousands of games on supported platforms, from mobile games to next-gen console exclusives streamed from the cloud."

The Apple-based teaser shows MacBook, iMac, Mac Studio, Mac Mini, and iMac hardware surrounding a mysterious GameSir controller and dock—only appearing as a white cut-out. Over the past couple of years, the popular brand has released several officially licensed Xbox models. Could they be working on an Apple variant of the G7 Pro? According to information shared within the official GameSir Discord server, GameHub for macOS will feature a "proprietary AI frame interpolation" system, graphics performance tweaks, color adjustment functions, and a V-Sync mode. Additionally, company reps mentioned "60+ FPS smoothness on AAA titles." Initials reports have highlighted an existing GameHub app for iOS-base devices, but this particular software suite does not provide any PC emulation or access to cloud gaming. Instead, it grants the ability to calibrate connected GameSir controllers.

The NVIDIA Blackwell platform has been widely adopted by leading inference providers such as Baseten, DeepInfra, Fireworks AI and Together AI to reduce cost per token by up to 10x. Now, the NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra platform is taking this momentum further for agentic AI. AI agents and coding assistants are driving explosive growth in software-programming-related AI queries: from 11% to about 50% last year, according to OpenRouter's State of Inference report. These applications require low latency to maintain real-time responsiveness across multistep workflows and long context when reasoning across entire codebases.

New SemiAnalysis InferenceX performance data shows that the combination of NVIDIA's software optimizations and the next-generation NVIDIA Blackwell Ultra platform has delivered breakthrough advances on both fronts. NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 systems now deliver up to 50x higher throughput per megawatt, resulting in 35x lower cost per token compared with the NVIDIA Hopper platform. By innovating across chips, system architecture and software, NVIDIA's extreme codesign accelerates performance across AI workloads—from agentic coding to interactive coding assistants—while driving down costs at scale.

GXTrust expands its extensive gaming line-up with the launch of two new high-performance mice. Designed to bring precision, speed, and style to every session, the Felox+ Wired Gaming Mouse and the Felox+ Dual Wireless Illuminated Gaming Mouse give gamers the control and accuracy they need to master each and every game.

Get ready for freedom without compromise with Felox+ Dual Wireless Illuminated Gaming Mouse. Equipped with a PixArt PAW3311 12,000 DPI sensor and 1000 Hz polling rate, it guarantees precision and speed, whether playing wired or wirelessly. Gamers can choose their preferred connection via the ultra-low latency 2.4 GHz USB-A receiver or Bluetooth, and enjoy up to 40 hours of playtime thanks to the built-in rechargeable battery. There's even the option to keep on playing whilst charging with the included 1.5 m cable.

Intel's Japan president, Makoto Ohno, made interesting remarks that this year will be a make-or-break year for AI PCs. He also mentioned that by 2026, AI PCs will account for roughly half of the unit shipments for the year. This means that out of the total unit shipments, which IDC estimates at around 260 million, about 130 million are expected to be AI PCs. This loosely defined term means that the PC comes with an NPU or other AI processing unit, allowing the system to perform some local AI processing with enough power to meet basic user needs. However, Makoto Ohno also admits that the primary reason for purchasing an AI PC may not be its AI capabilities, but rather the better battery life due to newer and more optimized silicon.

Intel Makoto OhnoIt is also predicted that by 2026, this will exceed half, with one in two computers being an AI PC. However, given the current situation, reasons for choosing an AI PC include its high performance and the long battery life provided by the use of an NPU. In other words, it is important to reflect on the fact that people are not currently purchasing an AI PC in order to use its AI-related functions.

Once a target of the largest industry acquisition that was halted by market regulators, NVIDIA has officially divested all its holdings in Arm Holdings PLC by selling 1.1 million shares, valued at about $140 million at the time of writing. Importantly, this does not end the NVIDIA-Arm relationship, as NVIDIA continues to be a customer and partner, licensing Arm IP and its instruction set for its older "Grace" and newer "Vera" CPUs. If readers recall, NVIDIA announced in late 2020 that it was acquiring Arm Ltd. in a deal valued at $40 billion. However, regulators from the UK and EU blocked the deal to preserve fair market competition, citing concerns that the NVIDIA-Arm deal would harm competition and stifle innovation. NVIDIA even paid a break-up fee of $1.25 billion as the deal collapsed under regulatory pressure.

As mentioned, NVIDIA's partnership with Arm is not limited to investment or stock ownership, as the company utilizes its IP and instruction set across a range of products. For example, NVIDIA has Arm-based SoCs in various forms in its embedded computing unit with Jetson modules and mini-computers that power everything from robotics to automated driving development in modern vehicles. Additionally, NVIDIA recently began offering its "Vera" CPUs as standalone server CPUs designed to compete with the industry's latest and greatest x86-based designs from AMD and Intel, demonstrating that NVIDIA is serious about being an Arm ISA licensee for the foreseeable future, not just viewing the company as an investment target.

Following Discord's introduction of digital ID and face scanning requirements for some online servers, many users have started exploring alternative communication platforms. As a result, the well-known TeamSpeak software has experienced a significant increase in new users. In the United States, TeamSpeak's current hosting capacity has reportedly been maxed out, with all servers operating at full capacity. Despite this, the company has announced plans to expand by adding additional Frankfurt-3 and Toronto-1 instances to accommodate new users. Currently, only a few regions still have available capacity, including Amsterdam-3, along with the newly announced Frankfurt-3 and Toronto-1.

Discord has revealed that its new age verification requirements will take effect in early March 2026. These settings will automatically place all existing and new Discord accounts into a mode that filters out content unsuitable for minors, creating a "teen-appropriate experience." Users who wish to access age-restricted content will need to complete an age verification process, which involves either uploading a scan of a government-issued ID or using facial recognition to confirm their age. However, not all users will need to undergo this process, as Discord will also implement an age inference model. This model will analyze user accounts by examining the types of games played, the amount of time spent on Discord, and the times users are active to determine if they are adults. Discord states that the new system aims to provide strong protections for teens while allowing verified adults more flexibility. As users seek software that doesn't restrict their online experience, migrations are expected, and TeamSpeak is the "old reliable" alternative that the community leans on.

Hardcore PC users tend to think of privacy risk as something that happens to other people: the careless, the click-happy, the ones who reuse passwords or fall for obvious scams. Power users, by contrast, optimize. They tweak BIOS settings, benchmark GPUs, curate mod lists, and participate deeply in the ecosystems that make PC culture what it is.

That's the problem.

For highly engaged users, having their personal data exposed is rarely the result of negligence; it's the unfortunate side of visibility. The more you understand and participate in gaming communities, online forums, and similar spaces, the more you will create an enduring, discoverable identity footprint.

This blog isn't about fearmongering over privacy, but rather about practical digital hygiene for people who are already technically savvy.

ComputerBase conducted a massive online blind test, allowing thousands of gamers to vote on their preferred game video output. The options included NVIDIA's latest Deep Learning Super Sampling 4.5, AMD's FSR Upscaling AI with FSR 4 on Radeon RX 9000 series GPUs, and native resolution rendering without AI upscaling. Interestingly, DLSS 4.5 received the highest percentage of votes, winning in every scenario. ComputerBase tested various games like Anno 117, ARC Raiders, Cyberpunk 2077, Horizon Forbidden West, Satisfactory, and The Last of Us Part II. Only in Cyberpunk 2077 did gamers almost equally prefer native resolution rendering, but DLSS 4.5 still came out on top with a slight edge.

Initially, the ComputerBase team conducted the comparison using videos labeled only with options like 1/2/3/4, without revealing which rendering method was used, to ensure a fully blind test. After two weeks of testing and thousands of votes, the results showed a significant preference for NVIDIA's latest DLSS 4.5 technology. This conclusion highlights that NVIDIA's newest technology is now so refined that its video output offers superior visual appeal. DLSS 4.5 uses a second-generation Transformer model trained on a much larger dataset of video games, with five times the computational investment of the first DLSS 4 Transformer upscaler. It utilizes the FP8 data format, allowing for more processing with minimal precision loss. The new algorithm is more context-aware, and NVIDIA confirmed that the input for upscaling is used more intelligently, resulting in much more detailed and precise video output.

NVIDIA today announced a multiyear, multigenerational strategic partnership with Meta spanning on-premises, cloud and AI infrastructure. Meta will build hyperscale data centers optimized for both training and inference in support of the company's long-term AI infrastructure roadmap. This partnership will enable the large-scale deployment of NVIDIA CPUs and millions of NVIDIA Blackwell and Rubin GPUs, as well as the integration of NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet switches for Meta's Facebook Open Switching System platform.

"No one deploys AI at Meta's scale—integrating frontier research with industrial-scale infrastructure to power the world's largest personalization and recommendation systems for billions of users," said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. "Through deep codesign across CPUs, GPUs, networking and software, we are bringing the full NVIDIA platform to Meta's researchers and engineers as they build the foundation for the next AI frontier."

This week's release of the Intel Arc 32.0.101.8509 WHQL driver package has benefited many of the company's in-house graphics product lines. Current and past-generations of hardware are enjoying XeSS 3 with multi-frame generation (MFG) support. Earlier today, PC Games Hardware Germany (PCGH.de) published an in-depth article that covers the new feature on Arc "Battlemage" B580 12 GB and an Arc "Alchemist" A770 16 GB desktop graphics card models. The "XeSS Quality" setting was selected across seven game test scenarios, at 2560 x 1440 (QHD) resolutions—involving: Assassin's Creed Shadows, Battlefield 6, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Cyberpunk 2077, Dying Light: The Beast, F1 '25, and Hogwarts Legacy.

PCGH.de observed Team Blue's top-end "Alchemist" option doing very well, at least with XeLL (a low latency function) enabled, in particular with the driver overridden MFG three and fours-times modes. Despite launching back in late 2022, their ASRock Arc A770 Phantom OC 16 GB test sample has enjoyed: "something of a second spring thanks to MFG. While the card isn't (yet?) maturing as much as NVIDIA's (GeForce) RTX 2000-series, its usability has been significantly improved overnight. Thanks to 16 GB of memory, there's no need to worry about bottlenecks. The Arc B580 scales even better thanks to the improved hardware, and performs comparably." Despite the pleasing findings, PCGH's reviewer notes that Multi Frame Generation (MFG) is not an all-encompassing property—after all, only a certain selection of titles support XeSS. Due to visual discrepancies being tracked in Battlefield 6 sessions, PCGH preferred the presentation of native frames operation or rival frame generation tech (FSR 4 and DLSS 4.5).

For the last few weeks, Blizzard has been going big. Blizzard Showcase brought together the four key titles—Overwatch, Diablo, World of Warcraft, and Hearthstone—and gave the space to bring their updates, announcements (and some surprises!) in their own ways. It's all a part of the road to BlizzCon 2026: the year of Blizzard's 35th anniversary, not to mention the 30th anniversary of Diablo, and the 10th anniversary of Overwatch. This is the perfect space in time to look back at the universes that have brought us together and look forward to the future.

For Blizzard President, Johanna Faries—speaking on the Official Xbox Podcast—the Showcase has been a combination of careful planning and happy serendipity: "We've been really thoughtful about (giving) our players what they're hoping for, and hopefully delight them and surprise them in some big ways. I think those have landed. And we'll just continue to sort of prime what we hope to be a very, very big year as we continue on here in 2026."

AMD has released its latest Ryzen Chipset Software version 8.01.20.513 driver, which includes general bug fixes and performance improvements. These updates should provide Ryzen CPU owners with some quality-of-life enhancements. In the release highlights, AMD mentions that the installer file has been updated with a new installation wrapper called Install Shield. Interestingly, AMD notes that this latest package does not include the AMS Mailbox and S0i3 filter drivers, which now need to be installed independently on systems that require them or may produce errors without them. Finally, AMD acknowledges that some issues persist, such as the regression from branch version 7 to the earlier chipset driver branch version 6, but the company offers a workaround, which is listed below. We have included the entire changelog below, as well as a download option on TechPowerUp's download section page.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Chipset Software 8.01.20.513

This week, the OldUnreal community project has pushed out the first public update of Unreal Tournament 2004 (UT2004) in two decades. In a bygone era—prior to all things Fornite—Epic Games and Digital Extremes co-produced several popular sci-fi titles based on and named after the widespread Unreal Engine. Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, PC gamers enjoyed a good number of single and "arena shooter" multiplayer Unreal titles. In particular, Unreal Tournament 2004 left a lasting impression. Epic ended official support of the now almost 22-year-old first-person shooter classic back in 2022; prompting online community efforts to keep the chaotic (up to) 32-player experience alive. With Epic's blessing, the Unreal Engine v2.5-driven title has been reissued—for free—on modern PC (Windows, Linux) and Mac systems, thanks to the long-running OldUnreal initiative's recent endeavors.

Last December, a preview post described a forthcoming bug fix and QoL-rich "simultaneous" game release and issuing of a community patch. Unfortunately, the present-day download and installation process is a bit convoluted, especially when compared to relatively breezy launcher experiences. Currently, the Old Unreal website provides a link to the full UT2004 game installer. Stijn Volckaert—the project's main overseer—has shared a couple of tidbits regarding the launch of "Preview 9." In a public GitHub post, the Belgian Associate Professor addressed modernized UT2004 landscapes: "hi everyone! Thank you for your patience. This is a preview of our 3374 patch. It has gone through internal testing and is relatively stable. It works in online games, except on servers with AntiTCC. We will release a new, 3374-compatible version of AntiTCC soon to address this issue."

Gather your warriors, a song of swords awaits…Tripwire Presents, the publishing division of Tripwire Interactive, and developer Arctic Hazard today announced the release of their Viking turn-based tactical game set in Dark Age Norway, NORSE: Oath of Blood, on Windows PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Good Old Games (GOG). The standard digital edition is available for $34.99 and a Special Edition, including the in-game Kievan War armor set and unique Ulfberht sword, is available for $44.99, with both versions discounted 15% on all storefronts, including as part of the Tripwire Interactive Publisher Sale on Steam, through Tuesday, Feb. 24. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions remain in development and will launch this Spring.

"I'm thrilled to say, 'The Vikings are here!' Creating NORSE: Oath of blood has been a saga in its own right, one that has brought many challenges, forged new friendships, and highlighted the spirit, dedication, and passion of everyone involved," said Terje Lundberg, CEO and Creative Director at Arctic Hazard. "We will continue to work on and support the game as it makes its way into the world, and we truly hope people enjoy playing it as much as we have enjoyed making it."

Yesterday, a Semi Analysis article predicted the postponement of a forthcoming AMD Instinct MI455X AI mass manufacturing phase. As covered by TechPowerUp this morning, this controversial forecast places Team Red's next-gen design in a precarious position, especially when compared to the apparent rapid progression of NVIDIA's competitive "Vera Rubin" server-grade hardware. This evening, Anush Elangovan has responded to the latest claims—the Corporate Vice President of AMD AI software and solutions issued a curt reply to a tech industry analyst's quoting of Semi Analysis' hit piece: "B.S (bullshit). Right on target for H2 2026."

The high volume rollout of Team Red's first rack scale "Helios" MI455X UALoE72 system has—allegedly—been plagued with engineering sample problems and manufacturing hiccups. In a separate social media post, Elangovan insisted that the finalized MI455X model will not be postponed into the second quarter of 2027: "speed is the moat. MI455X is both fast, and is the fastest I have seen in execution for bring-up of a complex GPU platform. MI455X is right on target for shipments in 2H2026—irrespective of what Semi Analysis says—rev your engines because speed is coming." Technology-wise, AMD's Artificial Intelligence Group (AIG) seems ready to answer NVIDIA's incoming new-gen wave, but it is not clear whether the upcoming "Helios" rack system can compete in terms of sheer factory output numbers.

As the demand for local data management continues to grow among households and small teams, storage devices are no longer just file containers. They are expected to deliver computing capability, scalability, and long-term operational stability. The Acemagic N3A Mini PCNAS combines Mini PC performance with NAS storage in an integrated design, bringing computing power and multi-drive storage into a compact form factor. It enables users to build an efficient and reliable local storage and collaboration environment within limited space.

Stable Performance for Multi-Scenario Applications
Powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 3750H processor, the N3A features a 4-core, 8-thread architecture with boost speeds of up to 4.0 GHz, delivering a balanced combination of performance and power efficiency within a 35 W TDP. Whether handling simultaneous file access from multiple devices, everyday multimedia workloads, or containerized applications such as Docker, the system maintains consistent responsiveness, supporting long-term, stable use for both home users and small teams. Integrated Radeon RX Vega graphics with 4K@60 Hz display output ensures smooth content playback and flexible support for media-centric and display-oriented use cases.

Last week, computer memory industry observers noted the US Government's "very brief" removal of ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) from a trade blacklist. In early 2026, leading North American OEMs were reported as seeking alternative suppliers of consumer-grade DDR5 and DDR4 memory. China's CXMT seems to be an ideal frontrunner for brands that are currently struggling with procurements of more mainstream modules—as produced by Micron, SK hynix, and Samsung. Australia's Hardware Unboxed is in a fortunate geographical position; where CXMT IC-based kits are (kind of) readily available via big box stores. The ongoing "DDR pricing nightmare" has prompted Steve Walton's recent purchase of a cheaper KingBank KFRW DDR5-6000 CL36 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) White RGB kit. The KFRW range seems to be an Aussie market exclusive, derived from KingBank's Soarblade UDIMM product family.

Primarily, Walton compared this less familiar Chinese brand set to a "sweet spot" G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo DDR5-6000 CL30 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) kit. Prior to the present-day crisis, this former price-to-performance champ was available as low as $115 in North America. Fast-forward to February 2026, and the kit's price tag has reached a $490 high. A few weeks ago, Walton managed to pick up one of the cheapest KingBank kits, that happened to feature CXMT's homegrown modules—he did not disclose how much was forked over for review candidate ownership. Today's Hardware Unboxed investigative video notes that KingBank prices have increased around the mid-February period—Australians have to pay a minimum of AU$649 (~$458 USD) for currently in-stock CMXT-based sticks. Curiously, a screenshot of Mwave store listings shows a KingBank Hynix M-die-based kit being sold for a relatively reasonable AU$599 (~$423 USD). Overall, Walton recommends that locals pick up Chinese-made DRAM, if price tags are reasonable.

According to reports from Chinese local media, Apple is considering partnering with Chinese semiconductor manufacturers CXMT and YMTC for its upcoming iPhone 18 series and potentially other products like MacBooks and Mac computers. With memory and storage suppliers such as Kioxia, Samsung, and SK hynix raising prices due to a significant industry shortage, Apple is experiencing a squeeze on its profit margins while maintaining the same MSRP for its products. To diversify its supply chain, Apple is reportedly exploring the addition of DRAM from CXMT and NAND Flash from YMTC to reduce its dependence on South Korean and Japanese suppliers.

Recently, the U.S. Government's Bureau of Industry and Security reportedly removed CXMT and YMTC from the list of restricted Chinese companies. This move could benefit Apple, which may now utilize products from both firms. CXMT offers LPDDR5X and DDR5 memory, which aligns with Apple's needs for its products. Since Apple's iPhones and M-series SoCs primarily use LPDDR5X memory, CXMT's 12 Gb and 16 Gb LPDDR5X capacities could serve both the smartphone and computer sectors effectively.

Electronic Arts Inc. and Battlefield Studios today launched Season 2 across Battlefield 6 and REDSEC. Season 2 sends the fight to Europe with two new maps, limited-time modes, and much more, rolling out across three seasonal phases beginning today.

Launching across Battlefield 6 and Battlefield REDSEC, Season 2 introduces two all-new maps, Contaminated, a large-scale map set in a once-vibrant forest now scarred by experimental weapons and heavy shelling, alongside Hagental Base, a military facility that becomes the stage for intense close-quarters combat and stealth-focused gameplay later in the season.

Step into the brutal world of Nioh 3 with the GameSir G7 Pro 8K PC, a high-performance controller built for fast reactions, precise inputs, and uncompromising control. Designed to meet the demands of high-intensity action combat, it delivers the speed and accuracy required to survive every clash. In collaboration with Nioh 3, the latest installment in the epic action RPG series, Nioh, this controller draws inspiration from the iconic Living Weapon state. The deep black armor on the grips evokes the awakened battle form, while radiant gold accents capture the surge of spiritual energy.

With an 8000 Hz polling rate over both wired and 2.4G wireless connections, the G7 Pro 8K PC ensures every parry, dodge, and counterattack is registered instantly. In battles where timing defines victory, ultra-low latency gives you the edge you need. Designed for pro-level performance, the G7 Pro 8K PC features second-generation GameSir Mag-Res TMR sticks. Compared to the first generation, the Gen-2 TMR sticks continue to use magnetic technology to eliminate physical contact, delivering long-lasting anti-stick drift reliability. At the same time, with 8K Hz polling, they provide smoother, more linear control and ultra-low power consumption, ensuring precise and responsive control for high-intensity action combat.

Virtuix Inc., a leading developer of full-body virtual reality systems, today announced that it has joined the Made for Meta program of Meta Platforms, Inc. Through the program, Virtuix plans to make its "Omni One" 360-degree treadmill compatible with Meta Quest headsets and games, broadening Omni One's reach to the world's largest XR user base.

"Joining the Made for Meta program expands our addressable market to millions of active Quest users who already own and love their VR headset and games library," said Jan Goetgeluk, CEO of Virtuix. "We look forward to collaborating with Meta as we continue to scale our consumer business and bring our immersive, full-body gaming experience to a mass audience."

Moore Threads has invited developers to contribute and work together to improve the recently launched GPU Compute Driver Bench. This fairly fresh release is described as a: "comprehensive performance evaluation suite focused on assessing GPU compute driver performance from practical development and deployment perspectives. It supports both Moore Threads MUSA drivers and CUDA-compatible GPU drivers, enabling fair and repeatable cross-platform evaluation." The Chinese GPU specialist's open-source toolkit was issued via the GitHub platform, late last week, under the Apache 2.0 license. The self-described domestic GPU innovator could become a world contender, with the advent of a new generation of enterprise and entertainment models. The previous mentioning of industry-leading CUDA support is not a big surprise, considering that Moore Threads is headed by a former NVIDIA China exec—Zhang Jianzhong.

At the tail end of January, the firm released the open-sourced TileLang-MUSA project; advertised as cutting code volume by roughly 90%. When detailing this month's GPU Compute Driver Benching suite, the Moore Threads development team focused on several key features. Starting with "realistic workloads," they expect to cover "diverse compute and memory scenarios closely aligned with real-world usage patterns." The multi-dimensional driver evaluation system will weigh up driver performance, resource management, and (aptly) execution efficiency across multiple dimensions. "Standardized metrics and baselines" will provide a methodical platform for the comparison of hardware and software optimizations. "Granular and Holistic Analysis" will enable both "fine-grained subsystem testing and holistic, end-to-end performance assessment." An automated scoring system will measure performance regression tracking across driver and hardware versions.

As the traditional projector market continues to decline, BenQ is accelerating growth in the industry's most dynamic segment: short throw projectors designed for immersive, simulation-driven, and non-traditional applications. Today, BenQ announced the expansion of its projector lineup with four purpose-built models - LU895UST, LH860ST, LK830ST, and LW830ST - designed specifically for simulation, experiential environments.

From golf and sports simulators to projection mapping, immersive rooms, and advanced training environments, these applications demand precise geometry, flexible aspect ratios, color accuracy, and simplified installation. BenQ's latest short throw and ultra short throw projectors are engineered for immersive, simulation-driven environments and powered by BenQ Screen Fill technology, purpose-built for non-standard screens, flexible aspect ratios, and immersive layouts.

Each week, new games and apps integrating NVIDIA DLSS, NVIDIA Reflex, and advanced ray-traced effects are released or announced, delivering the definitive PC experience for GeForce RTX players. This week, Styx: Blades of Greed and Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown are launching with native support for DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, while NORSE: Oath of Blood can be upgraded to DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation via the NVIDIA app.

And Battlefield 6: Season 2 begins today, featuring support for DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation. Read on for all the details.

Classiq, the leading quantum computing software company, Comcast and AMD today announced the completion of a groundbreaking trial aimed at improving Internet delivery by leveraging quantum algorithms to supercharge network routing resilience.

"What our customers want is simple: fast, secure and reliable connectivity, but when you operate a network as large and dynamic as ours, delivering on that promise is complex, especially in the face of growing network demand," said Elad Nafshi, Chief Network Officer, Comcast Connectivity and Platforms. "We launched these trials with Classiq last year with the goal of understanding how quantum software and technology could tackle real network challenges. Our results have shown that quantum computing for network optimization isn't theoretical - it's practical, scalable, and grounded in the needs of our customers."

SoftBank and AMD have started joint validation of AMD Instinct GPUs for next-generation AI infrastructure by focusing on a GPU partitioning mechanism that lets a single GPU handle multiple AI workloads simultaneously. SoftBank developed an Orchestrator system that divides AMD Instinct GPU resources based on workload requirements: model size, number of concurrent executions, and memory needs. The system splits compute workloads across multiple GPU instances running on individual Accelerator Complex Dies (XCDs). These can range from single instance mode (SPX mode) up to eight instances (CPX mode). The HBM memory pools are also divided into individual regions for each GPU instance to prevent latency spikes. The goal is to avoid the inefficiency of uniform GPU resource allocation, which can lead to GPU resource shortages or waste depending on workload demands.

SoftBank says the enhanced Orchestrator runs multiple AI applications on a single GPU with minimal resource strain. No performance figures have been shared yet, though SoftBank mentions improved resource allocation for small and mid-size language model workloads. The company also plans to explore similar orchestration for other AI accelerators beyond AMD. A live demonstration is planned at the AMD booth during MWC Barcelona 2026 in March 2-5. SoftBank also published technical details on architecture and Orchestrator management methods on its Research Institute of Advanced Technology blog. In a recent report, we noted that AMD's next-gen Instinct MI455X accelerators, set to compete with NVIDIA's Vera Rubin, are running into serious manufacturing problems that are pushing back AMD's roadmap. Only limited production is expected this year, with mass production pushed to Q2 2027.

Happy Tuesday everyone—I know this day of the week is always better when it comes with a side of games coming soon, games available today, and updates you might have missed for some of your favorites. Let's jump in!

Available Today: Aerial_Knight's DropShot (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, and PC)—February 17
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
Available Day One with Xbox Game Pass! Aerial_Knight's Dropshot is a high-speed, stylized FPS / Race where you play as Smoke Wallace. As a kid, he was bitten by a radioactive dragon, turning his skin purple and giving him the power to fire bullets from his fingertips. Race rivals, fight dragons, shoot smart, and look cool when you land.

Kuroutoshikou's GALAKURO gaming graphics card range continues to grow in early 2026—lately, the Japanese PC hardware brand has added three new SKUs to this custom GeForce RTX 50-series lineup. So far, this regional specialist has launched the vast majority of NVIDIA's "Blackwell" era of hardware, barring the flagship GeForce RTX 5090 32 GB model. The latest additions are all GeForce RTX 5060 Ti SKUs, starting with a lone 16 GB special edition. Once more, GALAKURO has partnered up with NCSoft—this collaboration has produced the Lineage II-themed GALAKURO GeForce RTX 5060 Ti Dual Fan OC 16 GB black model. A previous licensing deal resulted in the Blade and Soul NEO Radeon RX 7600 8 GB collab card. As expected, Kuroutoshikou's latest special edition retail packaging features Lineage II artwork, but the actual card is devoid of any fantasy MMORPG sequel-themed prints or stickers.

In fact, Kuroutoshikou has simply rebranded GALAX's Dual Fan 1-Click OC card design—the closest equivalent in TechPowerUp's GPU database is the GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 1-Click OC V2 16 GB model. As covered in the past, the aforementioned Blade and Soul NEO collaboration edition is just a re-stickered plus re-boxed PowerColor Fighter RX 7600 8 GB card. The much newer Kuroutoshikou x NCSoft Collaboration Edition is due to launch later this week (February 20). Buyers will be gifted a free Lineage II in-game "summoning ticket." This promotion starts on release day, and ends on November 30.

AMD is excited to announce Day 0 support for Alibaba's latest generation of Large Language Models, Qwen 3.5, on AMD Instinct MI300X, MI325X, and MI355X GPU accelerators, in close collaboration with Alibaba Qwen team. Leveraging the optimized ROCm software stack, SGLang and vLLM inference serving framework, developers can immediately deploy these state-of-the-art models.

The Strategic Value of Qwen 3.5 on AMD Instinct
Empowering Next-Generation AI Agents—This Day 0 enablement is designed for AI developers, system architects, and DevOps professionals building the next wave of AI agents and enterprise platforms. While previous models required trade-offs between parameter depth and reasoning speed, the Qwen 3.5 family on AMD Instinct GPUs allows teams to deploy massive 256K context windows and complex multimodal workflows with unprecedented efficiency.

KDE released Plasma 6.6 today, the latest version of the popular Linux desktop environment, also used in Steam Deck desktop mode. The biggest addition is the new Plasma Login Manager, a potential replacement for Simple Desktop Display Manager (SDDM) in distributions like Fedora Linux 44, CachyOS, and EndeavourOS. Note that it requires systemd, so it won't work on systemd-free distros. The Spectacle screenshot tool gains OCR capabilities, and a new USB portal lets sandboxed apps request access to USB devices. Users running Linux kernel 6.19 can now adjust the visual sharpness of all on-screen content. You can also turn your current Plasma setup into a global theme. KDE Plasma 6.6 adds XRandr emulation in KWin for better XWayland app compatibility, per-DRM-plane color pipeline support, and custom screen mode support in Wayland sessions. Screen mirroring is improved, and a new "Slow Keys" accessibility feature has been added.

Windows games with HDR running through Wine or Proton also get a color accuracy workaround. Wi-Fi passwords can now be stored in a root-owned location for better security, and a QR code in the Networks widget makes connecting easier. Battery handling on laptops is improved, ambient light sensor support enables automatic brightness adjustment, and colorblind user support has been enhanced. Windows can now be selectively excluded from screen recordings.

ASUS has released an official statement in response to the recent decision by a Munich court to prohibit the sale of its PCs and notebooks in Germany. Although the company is now unable to sell these products in Germany, it will continue to provide after-sales services, including support and warranty claims. This decision stems from a ruling that ASUS infringed on Nokia's HEVC/H.265 patents. As a result, ASUS is prevented from generating additional revenue in Europe's largest economy. The court found that the two OEMs, ASUS and Acer, did not demonstrate behavior consistent with willing licensees under FRAND (Fair, Reasonable, and Non-Discriminatory) terms, leading the court to issue an injunction rather than limit the remedy to financial damages.

ASUSASUS has temporarily suspended its official website and online store in Germany following a Munich I Regional Court ruling (case no. Munich I - 7 O 4102/25) related to a patent dispute with Nokia. The suspension, resulting from a temporary injunction, affects select ASUS PCs and products using High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC). All after-sales services in Germany remain fully operational, and existing customers will continue to receive uninterrupted support in full compliance with the current court order. ASUS is evaluating and pursuing further legal action to reach a fair resolution as soon as possible. ASUS continues to stand by its position and remains committed to our customers and partners.

The acute shortage of DRAM and NAND flash memory could shut down many consumer electronics companies by the end of 2026, Phison CEO Chien Chen Pang warned in an interview with Chen Ning Kuan of Taiwan's Era News. The Phison CEO warns of a "massive die-off" among consumer electronics companies designing cost-effective products that use even the smallest amounts of DRAM and NAND flash components (think TV set-top boxes, Wi-Fi routers, smart TVs, etc). For instance, an 8 GB eMMC chip used in smart TVs rose in pricing from $1.5 in early 2025, to nearly $20 now. Extrapolate this to the vast selection of products priced under the $100-mark, and you can see how component prices could wreck the consumer electronics industry.

Pricing is only half the problem, the other is supply. Memory is now an extremely supplier-driven market, with manufacturers onboarding orders up to three years into the future (i.e. you order now, your DRAM chip reels won't arrive before 2030. All this said, the crisis could fade by the end of the decade as memory manufacturers build more foundry capacity, and industrial pressure causes geopolitical changes, such as the re-entry of Chinese DRAM and NAND flash companies. Phison is a leading manufacturer of NAND flash-based storage device controllers powering SSDs, flash drives, and memory cards.

According to SemiAnalysis, which recently released its InferenceX benchmark comparing the inference performance of the latest AI accelerators, AMD's next-generation Instinct MI455X accelerators, designed to compete with NVIDIA's "Vera Rubin," are facing serious manufacturing difficulties, causing delays in AMD's roadmap execution. Only low-volume production will occur this year, while customers will be generating AI tokens in Q2 2027. This means that NVIDIA's "Vera Rubin" VR200 rack-scale system will be the most powerful system shipping this summer, without competition. As AMD's first rack-scale system, the "Helios" AI rack with the MI455X UALoE72 configuration packs 72 GPUs and 6th Gen AMD EPYC "Venice" CPUs in a heterogeneous system designed to run as a single homogeneous GPU, delivering massive AI performance with multi-ExaFLOP compute output.

SemiAnalysisEngineering samples and low volume production of AMD's first rack scale MI455X UALoE72 system will be in H2 2026 while due to manufacturing delays, the mass production ramp and first production tokens will only be generated on an MI455X UALoE72 by Q2 2027.

Valve updated its Steam Deck website with a disclaimer, noting that the availability of the Steam Deck OLED version may be affected by the storage and memory shortage across the industry. While Valve has been able to secure a significant inventory of NAND Flash and DRAM modules for its Steam Deck handheld console, demand might be outpacing supply. The component shortage at Valve is not an isolated case, as many are expressing concerns over not being able to secure sufficient capacity. The only ones able to secure massive DRAM and NAND Flash capacities are hyperscalers building out data center infrastructure, who are securing long-term agreements with storage and memory makers.

Last week, we saw customers facing difficulty acquiring new Steam Deck OLED stock. Unfortunately, potential buyers in North America, Japan (through Komodo, Valve's regional distribution partner), Taiwan, South Korea, and Hong Kong were unable to get their hands on new OLED units. Initial reports suggested a "plentiful" supply for customers in the UK and Australia, but several key markets appear to be suddenly experiencing shortages, as the inventory is depleting across the globe. While other components are plentiful, memory and storage are in a dire shortage situation, which might be prolonged. Regarding the 256 GB LCD version, Valve has reiterated that it will only be available while existing stock lasts, as this model was discontinued in December of last year.

We've just released the Launch Trailer for Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown, offering a final look at the game's survival-strategy core, crew-driven decisions, and its take on U.S.S Voyager's journey through the Delta Quadrant. Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown is developed by gameXcite and published by Daedalic Entertainment. The full game will be released on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox X|S and Nintendo Switch 2 on February 18.

Set the U.S.S. Voyager and deep in the unexplored reaches of the Delta Quadrant aboard, Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown invites players to relive—and redefine—the legendary starship's journey back to earth. The game blends exploration, ship & resource management, roguelite elements, and meaningful choices. Experience crew dynamics and a fresh take on a beloved sci-fi universe - with what-if scenarios that open up new possibilities.

Ready for the next level? Weighing just 59 g and with a high-resolution 12,000 DPI sensor, the SKILLER SGM25W will always keep you in control of the action. In addition, the mouse's dual mode offers wired or wireless operation, giving you the freedom to play the way you want, while the gaming software ensures that you can tease every last ounce out of your game.

Classic Black and Ocean Design
The black design of the SKILLER SGM25W is a classic among gaming mice and blends in particularly well with dark or high-contrast setups. The maritime color design of the SKILLER SGM25W Ocean will be a real eye-catcher in your setup. The design is also a matching complement to our SKILLER SGK50 S3 Ultimate Rev2 bundle.

It's been widely reported that the next-gen Sony PlayStation 6 is in the works, with AMD once again in charge of the APU that will power gaming experiences, even if rumors suggest that the next-gen console launch may be pushed back as far as 2029. It's also common knowledge by now that RDNA 5 will power the PS6, but a new rumor that originated from prolific leaker, KeplerL2 on the NeoGAF forum, suggest that the architecture in the PS6 will not be the full-fledged RDNA 5.

The leaker does not expand on this further, other than to remind that the PS5 doesn't use the full RDNA 2 architecture either, but consoles have always used custom APUs, so the idea that the PS6 won't use the full RDNA 5 feature stack isn't unreasonable. Some have postulated that one feature that wouldn't make the cut is the NPU, since that may not get used in a modern console. It's also possible that certain productivity features or video encoders, although even a lot of the AI improvements in RDNA 4 have been marketed as gaming upgrades.

Darkhaven, a new multiplayer online ARPG that makes some pretty bold promises, has officially gone live on Kickstarter to raise its $500,000 funding goal, managing to raise $79,906 halfway through the first day of funding. Darkhaven's developer, Moon Beast Productions, explains that the game will have a fully procedurally generated, destructible sandbox world with "Diablo-style progression, skills, and itemization," and free, open exploration with a high degree of mobility in and out of combat. The Kickstarter will run until March 20, 2026, giving the developer a little over a month to garner funding. In addition to the Kickstarter, Moon Beast Productions has published both a development timeline and a pre-alpha demo on Steam.

The pre-alpha demo is touted as the foundation of the game, and it admittedly lacks polish and serves only as a way for players to test out the gameplay mechanics of Darkhaven. Moon Beast claims that the pre-alpha is an "unfiltered version of what we're building, not a watered-down teaser," suggesting players will be able to explore much more of the game world than a traditional demo would allow. The developer has also published a timeline explaining what it had been working on in the time the game has been in development as part of its Darkhaven timeline, in the process revealing that Darkhaven should launch in Steam Early Access close to Q4 2026. The studio also explains that the Kickstarter funding will go towards developing more character classes and skills, adding to the mob roster, building out the game's lore, NPCs, and quests, and adding more biomes and environmental events.

The alleged "low-cost" MacBook design could launch later this year, with mid-2025 reports suggesting that the even cheaper Apple notebook product tier will be powered by A-series chipsets. Industry trackers propose a sub-13-inch device that relies on an A18 Pro SoC—this particular chip is found in iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max (2024) smartphone models. Currently, Apple's entry-level MacBook Air range uses M-series APUs—for example, the 2025 lineup of 13 and 15-inch options are based around the ubiquitous 10-core M4 processor. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman continues to predict the "low-cost MacBook" model's deployment of A18 Pro hardware and a mere 8 GB of unified system memory, likely in a bid to take on Google's Chromebook line. In his latest "Power On" newsletter, the veteran Apple soothsayer believes that the North American giant's engineering design team is exploring a new type of aluminium shell, reserved for the cheaper notebook range.

Leaks from last year described a bright and colorful selection of casing options. Gurman proposes ongoing experiments with light yellow, light green, blue, pink, classic silver, and dark gray schemes. He notes that some colorways are not expected to reach market; possibly as early as next month (within Q1 2026). The budget shell design has reportedly warranted a fresh manufacturing approach; the "Power On" scribe thinks that a swifter and more cost-effective production process has been implemented in recent times. Previously, industry insiders had picked up on whispers regarding an intriguing graphite-clad aluminium substructure—akin to what is used for the iPhone 16 Pro's thermal-wicking internals. A dedicated "Low-cost MacBook" launch event is anticipated; tipsters posit Apple leadership marking a March date on company calendars.

ASUS today announced ASUS ExpertBook B3 G2, a configurable Copilot+ PC designed for business, available in 14-inch and 16-inch models and featuring a durable, lightweight design starting from just 1.45 kg, a 180° lay-flat design, advanced AI capabilities, enterprise-grade security, and seamless collaboration.

Powered by up to the latest Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 3 processors with integrated GPU and NPU acceleration power, ExpertBook B3 G2's advanced AI features—including ASUS MyExpert, Microsoft Copilot+, and noise-canceling technology—enhance business productivity. The lightweight, easily-maintained design offers extensive I/O options and support for high-speed Wi-Fi 7 connectivity. Security is strengthened by ASUS ExpertGuardian, delivering NIST SP 800-193 compliance, dual-ROM recovery, and TPM 2.0 protection for robust data resilience.

Dive into an unforgettable adventure with Darwin the octopus! Darwin's Paradox!—a brand new story-driven adventure platformer developed in partnership with ZDT Studio—releases April 2. Pre-orders have started! Embark on a grand adventure worthy of a true animated movie with Darwin, an octopus as charming as he is clever, ripped from the ocean and trapped in a massive and mysterious industrial complex. With his extraordinary intelligence and incredible abilities—swimming, camouflage, and many other fascinating skills—help him overcome the most formidable traps and dangers in this captivating platformer, adventure, and puzzle game.

The time for tactical tentacle action has arrived
Play the Darwin's Paradox! Tactical Octopus Action Demo right now. Can you find all the Easter eggs? In the peaceful vastness of the ocean, Darwin, a young octopus, explores the deep sea… until a strange beam of light pierces the abyss and pulls him toward the surface. Thrust out of his aquatic world, he wakes up disoriented in the middle of a gigantic junkyard, backed by a foreboding factory. But something is wrong. Between the threatening machines, strange holding tanks, and the mysterious and dangerous creatures and characters that inhabit the place, Darwin realizes he is in danger.

MSI's "built to be perfect" GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning Z design was heavily showcased at CES 2026, with press material referring to an unusual 2500 W "Extreme Performance OC" (XOC) BIOS. At the time, it was rumored that an official file had been issued exclusively to professional overclockers. Weeks later, said XOC BIOS has seeped out onto the net—as of this afternoon, the TechPowerUp VGA BIOS collection contains this release (also leaked on the Overclock.net forum). As outlined during the January Las Vegas trade event (and since), experts surmised that LN2 (liquid nitron)-based cooling would be essential in tempering the card's supposed extreme modes of operation. TechPowerUp's resident graphics card reviewer, W1zzard, did not delve into world record-breaking activities when evaluating MSI's ultra flagship model. The card's "800 W out of the box" power limit should be sufficient for most mortals who can afford the audaciously official $5090 MSRP. Fresh news reports have tracked wild fluctuations in price; going as high as $14,000.

Jonathan Alva, an Indonesian extreme overclocker and YouTuber, has run several GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning Z experiments. A past weekend video upload mentions a consulting role as part of the MSI Lightning Z model's development. Unfortunately, a recent session—involving the aforementioned 2500 W XOC BIOS—has resulted in the cracking of the first sample's "Blackwell" GB202-300-A1 GPU die. Despite the leveraging of a custom LN2 solution, in collaboration with the ARX (arxidmedia) lab, a probable thermal shock incident ended the GPU's existence. It is suspected that an outdated version of the firmware caused too much voltage to be sent within a short frame of time. Thankfully, Alva can continue his "just an average overclocker" adventures with another prototype board, as well as three finalized retail units.

Giants in the gaming industry seem to be increasingly excited about the future of generative AI in gaming. Unity, who has previously toyed with AI for features like facial animations, just announced in a recent earnings call that it will be leaning further into the tech with what it calls "AI-driven authoring," a new tech that it is planning on introducing at the Game Developer Conference in March. Unity says that this new AI solution will allow developers to create entire casual games native to the Unity engine without ever needing to touch code. "At the Game Developer Conference in March, we'll be unveiling a beta of the new upgraded Unity AI, which will enable developers to prompt full casual games into existence with natural language only, native to our platform—so it's simple to move from prototype to finished product," said Unity CEO, Matthew Bromberg. It's telling that the CEO specifies that the model will be able to generate casual games, which are usually less demanding than a full-scale AAA game, for example, but it remains to be seen what level of complexity the AI will be capable of and what sort of human intervention will be required.

He explained that the natural language model will be "powered by our unique understanding of the project context and our runtime," and that this combination will "provide more efficient, more effective results to game developers than general-purpose models alone." Unity uses a mixture of first- and third-party AI models during different steps of the Unity AI pipeline, all of which is detailed in the Unity AI legal guidelines document. This announcement comes shortly after a State of the Game Industry Survey revealed that, while many game industry workers at large studios are using generative AI across multiple disciplines, most of those same workers agree that the widespread use of generative AI is a detriment to the industry. Workers at EA have previously noted that increased use of gen-AI tools has also come at the cost of time and efficiency. Despite this, EA's new owner will continue leaning into an AI pivot in the name of cost savings, which is a pattern we may see become increasingly common as game engines and other development tools continue to integrate AI tools.

Hello, in 2025, No Man's Sky Travellers were treated to one of our biggest years yet. Even we struggle to know how we pulled off so many large updates last year—Worlds Part II and Voyagers were both transformational and released in the same year, interspersed with smaller but significant updates in Relics, Beacon and Breach. We're pleased to announce that our first update of 2026, our 10th anniversary year, is already rolling out. It's called Remnant, and it introduces something that we and the community have been aching to introduce to No Man's Sky since the beginning… a fully operational gravity gun! Full patch notes are available here.

The Gravitino Coil is a powerful new anti-gravity module for your multi-tool. It turns No Man's Sky into a physics playground. Allowing you to grab large objects and fling, toss or carefully carry them around the world. Salvage and debris that could always be found on planets can now be collected and recycled for rare and highly prized resources. New trucks, tipping flatbeds and haulers can be constructed, to transport resources back to industrial yards for reclamation. You can work alone or join a salvage crew with friends. It creates this really fun and tactile new loop of searching for wrecks, loading trucks full of cargo and hauling across the alien landscape to industrial yards to gain new loot and rewards.

Over a month ago, ASRock fully presented its brand-new Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi White OC 16 GB graphics card model. To some surprise, the Taiwanese PC hardware manufacturer has not released a simple pale redecoration of this generation's (RDNA 4) standard gray metallic Taichi SKU. Last week, a sponsored review was published by GDM Japan. So far, only Japanese PC enthusiasts have enjoyed public hands-on experience with the new flagship model. Despite claims of ASRock exhibiting a preview sample at CES 2026, TechPowerUp's ground team did not spot any demo units at the firm's Las Vegas graphics card showcase. The opening section of GDM's write-up mentions several recent domestic promo events, including one held in Tokyo's Akihabara Electric Town. The new model's unique selling point is an integrated 2-inch color LCD screen—officially dubbed "LCD Information Center." As expected, GDM dives deep into this fun feature. They managed to upload custom images and animated content (GIFs) via ASRock's Polychrome SYNC suite. Under normal modes, the small screen can inform users about GPU clocks, fan speeds, and operating temperatures.

The Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi White OC candidate was hooked up to a test build based on Intel's Core Ultra 9 285K processor and ASRock's "ultra-high-end" Z890 Taichi AQUA motherboard. Performance-wise, the white variant seems to do just as well as its metallic gray sibling. GDM concludes that the latest model only distinguishes itself in terms of aesthetics; mainly through its "striking" white design and integrated screen gimmick. In their analysis of the Taichi White OC's debut review, VideoCardz has highlighted the test subject boosting well beyond the factory-set 3.1 GHz boost clock rating. Months into RDNA 4's lifecycle, only a handful of Team Red board partners had released custom designs overclocked to this level, with only ASRock and Sapphire choosing to implement the controversial 12V-2×6 power connector. Under load, GDM reported the "Navi 48 XTX" GPU boosting up to a maximum of 3296 MHz. Last March, TechPowerUp's W1zzard got his gray Taichi evaluation unit overclocked up to an average of 3213 MHz. We hope that upcoming non-sponsored reviews will provide a clearer picture of the Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi White OC SKU's capabilities.

Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition has launched on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC via the Ubisoft Store and Steam, and with a Ubisoft+ subscription. Rediscover the magical world of Rayman as you rescue Electoons and save the world from Mr. Dark by punching and hair-coptering your way through memorable areas like the Dream Forest and the musical chaos of the Band Lands.

Rayman is back again!
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the initial release, Ubisoft partnered with Atari and Digital Eclipse to bring this timeless classic to current-gen consoles and PC. Many of you may have enjoyed a magical journey to the Glade of Dreams a while back, but this time all of us have worked hard to let you play the experience you might remember.

Since the introduction of Intel's brand-new "Panther Lake-H" mobile processor series, the flagship Arc B390 integrated graphics solution has received the lion's share of media attention. The impressive 12 Xe3-core iGPU is reserved for Core Ultra 300 series X9 and X7 models—likely a sore point for budget-conscious prospective buyers. When considering Team Blue's (roughly) "20% upcharge for a generational leap," customers seek current-gen solace elsewhere (AMD Radeon 890M). Fortunately, the step-down Arc B370 model seems to be relatively performant. The (presumably) much cheaper in-house alternative has been test driven by Notebookcheck. A preview report, published on February 13, provides an initial look at the 10 Xe3-core contender, that was onboard a Core Ultra 5 338H engineering sample. The German publication noted that the 12-core (4P + 8E) processor test subject ran with a "steady power limit of 35 watts." When comparing the Arc B370 to its more capable sibling, Notebookcheck outlined key points of interest: "the maximum GPU clock is also slightly lower at 2.4 vs. 2.5 GHz. Just like models (armed with) the Arc B390 GPU, the Core Ultra 5 338H is only available with soldered RAM (up to 8533 MHz)."

A disappointing Furmark score leaked out late last year, but it is reassuring to see the B370 performing admirably a few months later. Notebookcheck's tester observed this model being: "beaten by the Arc B390 in the synthetic benchmarks, but the power limits also play a role here...The results of the Arc B370 are very promising in general and there is a big advantage over previous iGPUs from Intel (Arc Graphics 140V/140T) as well as AMD (Radeon 890M)." Their 3DMark/Time Spy graphics chart shows the Core Ultra 5 338H engineering sample's Arc B370 iGPU scoring 5933 points. The B390 managed 6679 points, when evaluated on an ASUS ExpertBook Ultra B9406CAA test platform. When analyzing performance at lower TDP values, Notebookcheck noticed that the Arc B370's performance being "virtually identical to the Arc B390 at 20 Watts, while the deficit is just 6 % at 35 Watts." Further comprehensive tests are expected in the coming weeks, as Intel's Core Ultra 5 338H heads to retail in finalized form.

Upgrade the standard 9.5 mm Ultra-Slim ODD bay into a removable U.2/U.3 NVMe SSD bay that delivers enterprise-class speed and reliability in limited space. Ideal for Dell, HP, and Lenovo business desktops, compact workstations, and industrial or government systems, the MB411V4PO-2B enables quick drive maintenance, secure data access, and flexible storage expansion for environments where uptime and serviceability matter. This conversion adapter enables quick drive maintenance, secure data access, and flexible storage expansion where uptime and serviceability are essential.

OCuLink 4i PCIe Gen 4 x4 - Native U.2/U.3 NVMe Performance
Equipped with a native OCuLink 4i (SFF-8612) interface, the MB411V4PO-2B connects directly to NVMe hosts for PCIe Gen 4 x4 performance, delivering up to 64 Gbps transfer bandwidth - over 10× faster than traditional SATA ODD interfaces (6 Gbps). This dramatic increase in throughput enables faster data migration, real-time backups, and improved workflow efficiency for business and industrial applications.

Razer, the world's leading lifestyle brand for gamers, proudly announces the launch of the Razer NiKo Collection, an exclusive line created in partnership with Counter-Strike (CS) icon Nikola "NiKo" Kovač. Built for competitive dominance and inspired by NiKo's relentless pursuit of victory, this collection brings pro-level performance and bold design to gamers worldwide.

A year into his tenure with Team Razer, this collection marks a long-awaited milestone for NiKo and his community. Crafted through an extensive development process, this collaboration was guided by authenticity and intention - built to meet the standards of one of the greatest players in CS history.

I am thrilled to finally be able to deliver updates on Silent Hill: Townfall, following our announcement back in 2022. Screen Burn may be a small development team, but they have taken their time to craft a game that we can now present with confidence. In the recent State of Play, we (Konami) revealed a new trailer that gives you a glimpse into the world that awaits. Please enjoy. To explain more, I will hand it over to Jon McKellan, Writer and Director at Screen Burn Interactive on Silent Hill: Townfall.

A new chapter
With Silent Hill: Townfall, we at Screen Burn Interactive wanted to both evolve the unique narrative design that we had experimented with in our past games while pushing into ambitious territory, with a new town to explore, horrific enemies to fight and evade, and story-driven puzzles that help deliver a new but distinctly Silent Hill tale of mystery, tragedy and loss. With our first full trailer release, we have shown a slice of what to expect, answered some long lingering questions, and likely raised some new ones too…

In mid-February, Acer is facing multiple challenges in Europe and Asia. This past weekend, news reports outlined a court-ordered cease and desist ruling that prevents PC and laptop sales in Germany. Last Friday (February 13), the company's Japanese office informed the local customer base about forthcoming price tag changes. Since November 2025, tech companies have wrestled with an extremely constrained supply of vital components. The regional branch's social media account described inevitable hikes: "due to rising prices of major components such as memory and SSDs, Acer will revise the prices of PC products on its official online store starting from February 20, 2026. Purchases at the current prices will be available until February 19. We will continue striving to improve our product value. We appreciate your understanding." The same notification was issued by the firm's gaming brand (Acer Predator/PlayMaster) to local customers. The Taiwanese multinational PC hardware manufacturer's Japanese division did hint about current circumstances not affecting a handful of items; their statement alluded to a non-specific selection of products remaining "unchanged" in terms of asking prices. At the time writing, Acer's other regional operations have not released similar warnings.

TSMC is reportedly planning to announce the addition of four new fabs at its Phoenix, Arizona site, known as TSMC Arizona. According to the Financial Times, TSMC will add four additional fab buildings at its Arizona campus, worth about $100 billion, with an official confirmation expected as early as April, just two months from the time of writing. In January, TSMC reportedly purchased additional 900-acres of land directly across the highway from the existing site north of Phoenix, preparing to expand its campus across. That extra production capacity will be supported by an estimated $100 billion of additional funding that TSMC is willing to spend on U.S. soil, despite making additional simultaneous investments back home in Taiwan.

However, many of the deal's specifics are still uncertain. According to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, about $100 billion of those pledges are firm, which means that the total value of TSMC's investment in Arizona will amount to $265 billion. About $165 billion has already been invested in Arizona, and another $100 billion will make this one of the highest ever external investments on U.S. soil. Interestingly, TSMC is not alone in this investment round, as its supply chain partners are expected to contribute about $30 billion of the $100 billion figure, meaning that many more players are gathering funds to form the new supply chain independence.

UK-based seating specialist, Boulies, a leader in high-performance ergonomic seating, today announces the launch of the EP500 ergonomic chair, designed to provide all-day comfort for work, rest or gaming with adjustable features and a wide 51 cm seat to suit users of all different heights and body shapes.

Designed for larger body types and personalized comfort, the Boulies EP500 has a wide 51 cm seat and is built for people from 165 cm to 190 cm, ensuring that it can support people of all body types and a wide range of users. Combined with the adjustable backrest height and seat depth adjustment, it allows users to personalize their seating position, ensuring ergonomic support for people of different heights and body shapes.

Of all the action-RPG franchises to make you work for an epic moment, Monster Hunter is up there among the ones that push you hardest, and the Monster Hunter Stories series is no exception to the rule. You take on the lowest rank Monsters, you get pummelled into the dirt until you learn how to beat them, and then you excitedly hurry back home to build a new weapon and a cool set of armor from the creature you've just murked, ready to go through the entire process again with a slightly harder monster. It's a rewarding battle, but a tough one, and Monster Hunter's greatest secrets are often reserved for those that take the time to fully embrace its many systems.

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection shows you right from the start that things are going to be a little different around here. In the first minute of my hands-on session with the game, my Rider (not a Hunter, but we'll get into that later) is sprinting down a cliff at warp speed before leaping right off the edge, only to be caught mid-air by her pet Rathalos and, together, they soar across a glittering lake, in what may be the most breath-taking introduction to a Monster Hunter game I've seen yet, inviting you, the player, to immediately take the reigns of this majestic creature - who, for once, isn't a foe to be conquered, but a friend. It's a stark contrast to the opening of Monster Hunter Stories 2, in which you carry a Rathalos egg around for hours before it hatches. This introduction feels like the culmination of a spin-off that's ready to step out of the shadow of its mainline series, and show us exactly what it can do.

Earlier last week, more details emerged regarding Intel's rumored top-level 52-core "Nova Lake-S" processor model. According to recent leaks, this flagship Core Ultra Series 4 design is expected to feature a 16 P-core, 32 E-core, and 4 low-power island E-core configuration, paired with big last-level cache (bLLC). An unprecedented 700 W power consumption figure (under full load) was floated by kopite7kimi, with Jaykihn weighing in about the "NVL-S" series' TJMax (Thermal Junction Maximum) not being offset. Also, they mentioned that "thermal throttling cannot be disabled." Days later (on February 13), Jaykihn issued another "preliminary" prediction: "only some (motherboards) will support the full-power 52-core (52C) platform. Other boards will limit the performance and power of the 52C platform." When poring over this information, VideoCardz connected dots between the very best "Core Ultra Series 4" dual-tile options to a speculative and new "Core X" HEDT product lineup.

In theory, the highest level models could bear "Core X9" designations; akin to the recently launched flagship "Panther Lake-H" chip (Core Ultra X9 388H). Normally, Intel's workstation-focused Xeon processor families have occupied the HEDT segment. As a fallback hypothesis, VideoCardz envisions the "X" marking being applied exclusively to bLLC-augmented variants—likely specifying advertising elevated gaming performance; similar to AMD's "X3D" naming scheme. In their past weekend report, the popular online publication has dismissed rumors about Team Blue nixing the single-tile (with bLLC) side of the "Nova Lake-S" series. Instead, VideoCardz envisions two "mainstream" single-tile SKUs arriving—later in the year—pipped to take on equivalents within Team Red's Ryzen 7 and 9 desktop processor tiers. Two larger siblings, in premium dual-time form (with bLLC), are anticipated as forming a new HEDT line.

Sony is reportedly postponing the launch of its next-generation PlayStation 6 console to 2028 or 2029 due to the massive rise in memory costs. This is reportedly impacting decision-making at the top of the company unit responsible for PlayStation strategic planning. Rising memory costs and a tight semiconductor supply chain are the core reasons behind any changes. Initially, we expected to see the wave of next-generation consoles in 2027, as AMD recently confirmed Microsoft's next-generation Xbox arriving in 2027. However, Sony could be abandoning the 2027 release window and pushing its PlayStation 6 console to a late 2028 or even 2029 launch, indicating that the company is not capable of securing sufficient DRAM allocation from its partners. This could leave Microsoft's new Xbox console as superior for an entire year or even two before Sony could join the next-generation console wars.

BloombergSony Group Corp. is now considering pushing back the debut of its next PlayStation console to 2028 or even 2029, according to people familiar with the company's thinking. That would be a major upset to a carefully orchestrated strategy to sustain user engagement between hardware generations.

AMD, a leader in high-performance and AI computing, and Tata Consultancy Services, a global leader in IT services, consulting, and business solutions, have expanded their strategic collaboration. TCS, through its subsidiary HyperVault AI Data Center Limited (HyperVault), and AMD will codevelop a rack-scale AI infrastructure design based on the AMD "Helios" platform in support of India's national AI initiatives.

Powered by GPUs, next-generation AMD EPYC "Venice" CPUs, AMD Pensando Vulcano NICs and the open ROCm software ecosystem, "Helios" is purpose-built to deliver a rack-scale AI platform supporting sovereign AI factories. "Helios," combined with TCS' enterprise expertise and scale, will accelerate deployment and enhance operational efficiencies for enterprises. As part of this strategic collaboration, both companies will offer an AI-ready data center blueprint supporting up to 200 MW of capacity and will work with hyperscalers and AI companies to accelerate data center build-outs in India.

Engineered for gamers who demand both extreme performance and portability, the HE30 one-handed keyboard embodies the "ready-to-fight-on-the-go" philosophy, packing professional-grade esports capabilities into a lightweight body. Featuring a compact 30% layout, it also boasts advanced features like 0.01 mm adjustable Hall effect triggers and DKS/SOCD support, all aimed at helping players break records and set new benchmarks in mobile esports.

Ultimate Portability Design
The HE30 is crafted with a lightweight body and a detachable wrist strap for ultimate portability. Its 36-key ultra-compressed layout retains the F-key row while expanding the TGB key area, accurately covering the control needs of FPS, MOBA, and other mainstream esports games. The compact 30% layout leaves ample space for low-sensitivity mouse movements, especially suited for high-paced games like FPS. The innovative removable wrist strap design ensures the keyboard can be easily attached to a gear bag, making it highly portable for travel, tournaments, or casual gaming sessions.

According to the latest ruling from the Munich Regional Court, ASUS and Acer are banned from directly selling their PCs in Germany—Europe's largest economy. The judgment, handed down on January 22, 2026, has already led both manufacturers to suspend or remove affected product listings from their German online stores while they assess legal options and the scope of the ruling. The court's order targets the manufacturers' own sales and distribution channels, rather than retailers selling existing stock, effectively leaving the German market to supply only through other OEMs and the remaining inventory from ASUS and Acer.

The core reasoning behind this decision is patent claims asserted by Nokia, including patents related to core HEVC/H.265 encoding and decoding techniques. As both ASUS and Acer use GPUs, processors, and many other digital decoding/encoding engines for video, the use has to be licensed, and the sales can only proceed with approval from Nokia. The judges concluded that the two OEMs had not demonstrated the conduct of willing licensees under FRAND rules, which allowed the court to grant injunctive relief instead of limiting the remedy to damages. We don't have information on the length of the ban, which will likely require a followup with the court and two OEMs.

Intel has released its latest 32.0.101.8509 WHQL driver package, bringing support for XeSS 3 across multiple graphics generations and finally ending the launch exclusivity of "Panther Lake" integrated graphics. Now, Intel supports XeSS 3 multi-frame generation across Arc B-series "Battlemage" and A-series "Alchemist" discrete GPUs. For other integrated GPUs, only the Intel Arc GPU family is receiving official support, with "Meteor Lake," "Lunar Lake," and laptop "Arrow Lake-H" chips now offering full XeSS 3 support for 4x the frame output with AI-based frame generation. As Intel recently launched "Panther Lake," some game issues occurred, but thankfully they have been resolved. This includes color corruption in Ghost of Tsushima using DirectX 12 and game crashes in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord using DirectX 11. However, some "Panther Lake" issues persist, with certain titles crashing and experiencing in-game corruption, which is expected to receive an official fix in upcoming driver releases.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Arc GPU Graphics Drivers 101.8509 WHQL

Intel has once again confirmed its product roadmap for the next generation of graphics IP, despite rumors that there might not be anything new after the launch of the Xe3P. According to a new presentation from Intel's Anil Nanduri, Vice President of GTM & Product Management AI Accelerators, responsible for data center AI accelerators, Intel will have a dedicated graphics portfolio after the recently introduced "Crescent Island." Labeled as "Xe Next," the next generation of GPU IP is still under development and currently without an official name. It is expected to follow the rollout of the Xe3P-based "Crescent Island" inference-focused GPUs. With "Xe Next," the data center lineup is seemingly expanding into two production lines: inference-focused "Crescent Island" GPUs and the long-awaited "Jaguar Shores" GPU for AI training and HPC workloads.

For AI training and HPC workloads, Intel's "Jaguar Shores" design is reportedly being finalized and will be completed by the middle of this year, with production starting shortly after. Assuming a perfect design, we could see Intel's "Jaguar Shores" GPU late this year or early 2027. It will likely involve a mix of Intel's internal production in collaboration with TSMC or Intel's pure 18A design, assuming yields are manageable. We have already seen that Intel confirmed HBM4 memory will be used in these accelerators, and SK hynix appears to be the main partner supplying Intel with this memory. As a rack-scale design, Intel will compete with NVIDIA and AMD in the highest-margin business.

As we enter the third week of February, things are slowing down a bit again, but it doesn't mean we don't have a bunch of new games for you. The week kicks off with a bunch of vikings doing viking stuff, just a bit slower than your typical viking game, as everyone has to wait for their turn. The rest of this week's games start with you being an alien that crash lands on Earth when Neanderthals were still a thing, followed by you uniting five tribes of sentient forgotten objects. Next up you get to take command of a famous spaceship, at least if you're into the Star-whatever shows. If that's not for you, then you have the chance to play a goblin assassin in the fourth game in a series and we round off the week with an action RPG that supposedly takes place in the Nordics.

Norse: Oath of Blood / This week's major release / Tuesday 17 February
A Turn-Based Tactics game set in Viking-Age Norway. Build a settlement, forge alliances, and fight strategic battles. Manage a community of craftspeople, farmers, and warriors, as you grow strong on your path to vengeance in this story-rich saga. Steam link

The Gnome Project has officially announced the Gnome 50 public beta testing phase and API, feature, and UI freeze ahead of the desktop environment's official launch later this year. The freeze effectively means that the features that are part of the new public beta version will be part of the official release when that lands on March 18, 2026. The Gnome 50 beta brings with it a number of features that should make living with Gnome significantly easier, especially if you have gaming-grade hardware. Gnome 50 public beta can be downloaded as a live image or installed via Flatpak using the 50beta branch from Flathub Beta. The biggest changes coming to Gnome 50 and the public beta include making VRR and fractional scaling non-experimental in Mutter, Gnome's Wayland compositor library, where the aforementioned features were previously experimental and needed to be enabled in the terminal. Gnome 50 will also complete Gnome's transition to a Wayland-only desktop environment, a move that has been in the works since mid-2025—Gnome 49 was shipped with X11 disabled, while Gnome 50 will feature no X11 code.

There are also myriad changes to screencasting—namely HiDPI and monitor mode emulation—and improved support for multi-monitor setups. Many of Gnome's default apps will also move to the 50.beta version, bringing along with them bug fixes and an overall increased level of polish. Nautilus, the default file manager, gets case-insensitive path completion; Gnome's symbolic icons are more crisp; GDM gets bug fixes and initial support for unified authentication; Gnome Control Center gets a text size slider and a few extra options to tweak; the Gnome Shell gets the option for parents to extend screen time limits; Gnome software will also get a progress bar when installing or removing add-ons as well as a few bug fixes and translation updates. The list goes on, but in general, it looks like Gnome 50 is shaping up to deliver a more cohesive desktop experience when it eventually launches in stable form.

Experience terrifying survival horror with FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft, and dive into pulse-pounding action with legendary agent Leon S. Kennedy. Both of their journeys and unique gameplay styles intertwine into a heart-stopping, emotional experience that will chill you to your core. The clock's ticking as we draw closer and closer to the arrival of Resident Evil Requiem. The latest trailer is packed with details about key characters, the mysterious threats that stand in their way, and new gameplay footage.

The story begins with a string of mysterious deaths throughout the United States with all roads returning to the city of disaster and despair, Raccoon City. As Grace and Leon's paths converge, they must face their pasts and uncover the truth. Watch it if you dare...

Last month, Scythe started to promote two Mugen 6 ASUS TUF ALLIANCE edition models. A handful of social media posts provided an early look at the Japanese PC cooling hardware specialist's slight reworkings of the existing Dual Fan ARGB designs. Throughout mid-to-late January, the staggered release of promotional renders showcased newly co-branded white and black units. Scythe's social media accounts teased the latest Mugen 6 revisions leveraging a few improvements. The powerful proprietary Wonder Tornado 120 mm ARGB fans have been updated with anti-vibration pads, and the main block's aluminium fin-stack sports a different type of coating.

Scythe's Q1 2026 revamp of premium-tier single-tower air coolers has just launched in Taiwan, according to an ITHome news article. Yesterday's report outlines a day one release price tag of NT$1790 (~$57.10 USD). Apart from Scythe's typo-laden online marketing of improved features, the newer SKUs are decorated with familiar military themed TUF Gaming patterns and logos/text. Oddly, there is no actual Scythe branding present on the heatsink or Wonder Tornado fans—we hope that they get a shout-out on the finalized Mugen 6 X ASUS TUF ALLIANCE retail packaging, at least.

Ubisoft recently started a massive overhaul, which would see, among other measures, the company split into five so-called creative houses, each responsible for the funding, creative direction, marketing, and publishing strategies of its own games. While the actual structure and split of each creative house's IPs was previously decided, not much else has been revealed about how the new plan is coming along. Now, however, it has been revealed in recent financial filings that Ubisoft plans to hire external talent to lead some of the creative houses, with the first official hire being Charles Guillemot, the son of Ubisoft CEO, Yves Guillemot. This hire is technically a carryover from before the restructure, but Charles has seemingly been grandfathered in as lead for Creative House 1, which is just Vantage Studios and is in charge of Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six—some of Ubisoft's biggest franchises.

According to the financial report, Ubisoft will start implementing its new operating model in April, which is likely when we will hear more about who is running the other creative houses. Additionally, Ubisoft says it has seen "the return of numerous skilled former Ubisoft employees in our studios over the recent years." Ubisoft's recent actions, specifically the cessation of its work from home policy, budget cuts, and recent executive and management priorities, have not been met favorably by Ubisoft employees, with thousands of Ubisoft workers arranging a strike and calling for the resignation of Yves Guillemot and for management to take responsibility for their part in the company's recent performance, which will apparently result in up to 18% of the company's staff being laid off.

It's good to be back! After releasing Kena: Bridge of Spirits, we took some time to figure out what we wanted to create next. We explored ideas that could capture the heart of what made Kena special while building on everything we'd learned along the way. When we began thinking about returning to her world, we were drawn to the idea of Kena as a more experienced Spirit Guide who could use her skills to help the living, not just those who had passed on.

In Kena: Scars of Kosmora, Kena is older and renowned as a Spirit Guide. In hopes of finding answers to the affliction she has endured all her life, Kena travels to the mysterious island of Kosmora. Home to distinct cultures and regions, Kosmora is full of buried secrets from a tragic past. On Kosmora, Kena is confronted by a powerful spirit that fractures her staff. A spirit guide's staff is their identity - their tool to help and commune with spirits. Kena's staff was also keeping her alive. To survive, Kena must accept Kosmora's forgotten form of Spirit Guiding which uses Alchemy to manipulate the power of the elements.

Last May, insiders alleged that the US Government Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) was eyeing up a handful of Chinese tech companies. At the time, ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) was considered for inclusion within an extensive "export blacklist." With the regional exit of more mainstream computer memory manufacturing companies, the likes of CXMT and Yangtze Memory Technologies Corporation (YMTC) are being tracked as the native Chinese industry's leading lights. Earlier today, a revised Pentagon Section 1260H document seemed to no longer feature the aforementioned duo of memory and storage makers. Hours later, industry observers and journalists noticed that the updated list had been removed from public view. A fresh Reuters news article mentions the adding of Alibaba and Baidu to the latest edition of the US administration's trade blacklist. Across the past few years, these gigantic tech players are best known for unprecedented large-scale purchases of AI-crunching hardware, mostly supplied by NVIDIA.

The US Department of War's (DOW) Section 1260H document designates Chinese companies with (alleged) military or communist party connections. Last year's addition of CXMT caused plenty of head scratching—the Hefei, Anhui-based memory chip manufacturer largely specializes in consumer-grade products. Earlier this month, Nikkei Asia divulged inside track information about ASUS, Acer, Dell, and HP's supposed consideration of CXMT DDR5 and DDR4 lines. The apparent lifting of blacklist status could make it easier for Western OEMs to acquire DRAM from CXMT, and NAND from YMTC, although the latter still remains within the US Commerce Department's sights (considered a threat to the region's supply chain). CXMT's recent advancement into mass production of HBM3 will (inevitably) elevate its local profile, but a reported collaboration with Huawei—involving the next-gen Ascend 950 AI accelerator—could attract extra Pentagon scrutiny.

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, the latest game in the Castlevania series was revealed as a 2026 game release currently in development as a collaborative project between Konami, Evil Empire, and Motion Twin—the latter two being behind The Rogue Prince of Persia and Dead Cells, respectively. Belmont's Curse is a 2D action-adventure game that follows Trevor Belmont's successor through 1499 Paris as she wields the classic holy whip for both combat and traversal through the looming castle and eerie Parisian streets. Based on the Steam Store page, Belmont's Curse will feature fast-paced combat, a variety of weapons and abilities to wield and develop, challenging environmental puzzles, and plenty of enemies to keep things fresh.

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse will see the return of a number of classic Castlevania tropes and mechanics, like secret chambers, buried items, and challenging boss battles, but the game also switches things up with colorful twist on the series's gothic art style, seemingly blending some of the Dead Cells aesthetic with that of the famous vampire-killing franchise. Belmont's Curse doesn't have a fixed release date just yet, but it is slated to launch in 2026 for PC via Steam, the PlayStation 5, and the Xbox Series consoles via the Microsoft Store.

Coordinate or collapse in this new 1-4 player co-op shooter from Crowbar Collective and Team17! Join forces with your friends and fight through intense missions with evolving objectives and map layouts! Squad up and play Rogue Point, now with our 15% OFF Launch Discount running for two weeks!

What is Rogue Point?
From the creators of Black Mesa: Definitive Edition, Rogue Point is a 1-4 player co-operative first-person shooter where teamwork is everything! Fight through a dynamic campaign and master 20+ weapons and 40+ tactical items and attachments. Plan, adapt, and overcome. Your squad's survival depends on it.

Corsair published a low-key blog entry earlier this month (February 2), that described their recent updating of DRAM packaging that is "security and transparency"-focused. As depicted in a lone preview shot, the new container is plastic, but Corsair insists that this change—that ditches signature yellow cardboard boxes—will still retain "environmental responsibility." Interestingly, this move was implemented at the start of the year, so recent customers could be the first to receive revised retail packaging. The company's recycled plastic clamshell-style container, reminiscent of Kingston's present-day efforts, is adorned with a yellow sleeve. A familiar set of minimal text and branding is visible, but Corsair has not included product renders on the new design, at least not printed on front/top sections. The new design offers Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) protection. So far, the North American gaming hardware/accessory firm has implemented a shift from cardboard to plastic for the VENGEANCE DDR5 (non-RGB, RGB and RGB RS) product range, specifically in two module configurations.

The official blog states that the new packaging design: "allows customers to see the actual memory modules before opening the package. Making it easier to confirm the exact product and helping ensure genuine Corsair DRAM is being returned when applicable...To further improve protection, the packaging includes a tamper-evident belly label that tears when opened, making any attempt to reseal the package immediately visible. With the current value of DRAM kits, this added layer of security helps protect customers and retailers from return fraud involving non-genuine modules, or Light Enhancement Kits being passed off as real RAM." Additionally, Corsair's still-in-rotation paper box format is due to receive a small update—the company intends to reintroduce a security label system that aims to provide a higher level of protection. Given the current street value of four module kits, this is a wise decision.

In a rather unfortunate throwback to the early days of the Hall effect gaming keyboard boom, it seems as though the new Haptic Inductive Trigger System in the Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike gaming mouse is resulting in players getting permanently banned from Apex Legends for cheating. This is according to a new post on X by Iaroslav Mamalat, who shared a screenshot of an Apex Legends ban report that claims the player used gameplay enhancements.

An email received by the same player reads: "We observed: Gameplay enhancement. This means using unauthorized methods to enhance in-game performance by removing gameplay constraints or improving in-game abilities (e.g. weapon, movement, or item enhancements)." This potentially refers to the use of rapid trigger technology in the Logitech G Pro X2 Superstrike, but there are other reports in the replies to the X post that suggest it may simply have been a false ban, since similar has happened to other players who weren't using the new Logitech gaming mouse. Curiously, EA doesn't actually ordinarily ban rapid trigger keyboards in Apex Legends, but it isn't uncommon for game studios to ban SOCD, especially in competitive FPS games. Some theories online suggest that EA's anti-cheat may be using timing as a way to detect macro inputs, and that rapid trigger on the Superstrike may be resulting in click spamming that exceeds that timing threshold, resulting in a ban.

Micron announced its 9650 NVMe SSD has entered mass production, making it the first PCIe Gen 6 data center drive to reach this milestone. The series was first unveiled in July 2025, and it features Micron G9 TLC NAND, including Micron designed SSD controller ASIC, DRAM, and Micron produced and validated firmware. The Micron 9650 delivers up to 28 GB/s in sequential reads, double that of PCIe Gen 5 drives. The drive's sequential write speed reaches 14 GB/s, while its random read performance hits 5.5 million IOPS and its random write achieves 900,000 IOPS. These numbers show 100%, 40%, 67%, and 22% gains over Gen 5. At a 25-watt power state, the drive offers double the performance of PCIe Gen 5 options. It has a sequential read efficiency of 1,120 MB/s per watt (2× better than Gen 5), and its sequential write efficiency is 560 MB/s per watt (1.4 times better). The random read efficiency stands at 220 KIOPS per watt (1.7 times higher) and random write at 36 KIOPS per watt (1.2 times improved).

The Micron 9650 supports both air-cooled and liquid-cooled configurations to handle higher performance densities in modern data centers. Micron conducted 18 months of interoperability testing across the PCIe Gen 6 ecosystem, including validation with high-port switches, retimers, and demonstrations at industry events. The drive is now being qualified by OEM and AI data center customers for deployment in AI training and inference workloads, particularly those requiring high-throughput data access for large language models and retrieval-augmented generation pipelines. The Micron 9650 is available in E1.S and E3.S form factors with E1.S available for liquid cooling.

"The REANIMAL experience is a clear reflection of who Tarsier is—a group of individuals with a shared sensibility that feel privileged to have been able to work together on a game like this," said Oliver Merlöv, Managing Director, Tarsier Studios. "We believe the more personal the art, the more attention poured into every detail, the more worthy a game is of player's time. We can't wait for them to play REANIMAL!" And since many of you have asked about friend's pass we will let you know as soon as possible!

The game has already received a strong and positive critical reception worldwide, earning generally favorable reviews across all platforms on Metacritic. Additionally, fans can check out the IGN REANIMAL store for some cool official REANIMAL merchandise! Check out the IGN REANIMAL store here.

Back in January, Congatec briefly outlined a "launch of five new modules featuring the new Intel Core Ultra Series 3" processor series. Over a month later, their "Panther Lake-H"-powered range has appeared online in COM-HPC and COM Express module forms. An introductory YouTube video, with a publication date of January 5, advertises a significant new generation leap for embedded computing and accelerated edge AI workloads. The best of these modules can deliver up to 180 TOPS of AI performance, presumably enabled by Team Blue's flagship Core Ultra X9 388H APU. The credit card-sized (55 x 84 mm/COM Express Type 10) MC1000 model can be configured with a maximum of 32 GB LPDDR5X (up to) 8533 MT/s "soldered down" system memory. A soldered LPDDR5X arrangement is detailed in the HPC/mPTL's spec sheet, up to 96 GB/8533 MT/s, on a SWaP-C optimized framework (95 x 70 mm/COM-HPC mini).

The ruggedized TC1000 and TC1000r models share the same overall dimensions (95 x 95 mm), that conforms to Congatec's COM Express compact format. The TC1000 board design sports dual SODIMM sockets, that can accept up to 64 GB DDR5/7200 MT/s memory modules, with total system capacity reaching 128 GB. The TC1000r's dram spec is described as: "96 GB LPCAMM2 memory based on LPDDR5x with up to 8533 MT/s" transfer rates. The largest "Panther Lake"-based option—HPC/cPTL (95 x 120 mm/COM-HPC Client Size A)—features an LPCAMM2 socket that accepts up to 96 GB of LPDDR5X memory, with max. transfer rates of 7466 MT/s. At the time of writing, Congatec's PR department has not issued a comprehensive PR piece. In the meantime, curious customers can peruse the manufacturer's detailed product pages, select various memory configs, and request quotes.

Valve has been on a roll, delivering handy UI changes and tweaks to the Steam experience in the name of a more cohesive user experience. The latest in the series of updates comes by way of a Steam client beta update that allows users to include their system specs when leaving a review. PC specs are already commonly mentioned in reviews where performance or optimization are a chief complaint, but the new Steam UI change would offer a standardized approach to leaving those specifications. Theoretically, it could also allow other Steam users with similar hardware to offer optimization tips in response to reviews with performance complaints, and it may help developers who don't collect user system information to optimize their games when performance problems become obvious.

In addition to the PC specs, the February 12 Steam Beta client update also includes the option to allow Steam to collect anonymized framerate data "without connection to your Steam account," but with hardware information included. Valve says it will use this data to "learn about compatibility and improve Steam," but the feature is still in beta and will focus on devices running SteamOS for the time being. This data could conceivably be used in the development of Proton and to optimize games and hardware for the upcoming Steam Machine and existing Steam Deck machines. Valve will also now allow Steam Deck users to optionally submit a reason for why they disagree with a Deck Verified rating when submitting such feedback.

Laptop and Mini-PC maker Framework is sharing another update with the community about the company's cost base for acquiring DRAM, such as DDR5 memory. In its latest February update, the company notes that the cost for DDR5 memory in its systems is now priced at $12-16 per GB of capacity, depending on the kit size and total capacity. This means that for a 16 GB kit, customers are expected to pay anywhere between $192-256, and as much as about $400 for 32 GB of DDR5 memory in its Laptop 12/13/16 models. According to the company blog post, this represents an average price that Framework is charging depending on the kit, as there is different pricing for a single higher-capacity sticks or dual lower-capacity DIMMs going into the system.

In late December 2025, we reported that Framework's pricing was $10 per GB for 8 GB, 16 GB, and 32 GB modules, and a bit higher for dual rank non-binary 48 GB modules. However, just two months later, the situation is now much worse, as we are seeing Framework's suppliers increasing memory costs anywhere from 20-60%, depending on the configuration.

Netmarble, a leading developer and publisher of high-quality games, announced today the official launch schedule for its new open world RPG The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin. Players on PlayStation 5 and Steam will be granted to play earlier beginning March 16, 2026. The game's grand launch follows on March 23, expanding to mobile so more players can experience The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin across platforms.

This staged rollout reflects a platform-first approach designed to support stable service and an optimized play experience. Based on Closed Beta Test feedback, the game is applying upgrades to controls, combat pacing, and overall UI/UX, with a more polished version set to roll out across all platforms at the March 23 grand launch.

Euro-Q-Exa, the first EuroHPC Joint Undertaking quantum computer deployed in Germany, has been unveiled at the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ) in Garching, Munich. The deployment marks a significant step in Europe's effort to build long-term quantum capability as part of its sovereign digital infrastructure, alongside world-leading high-performance computing (HPC).

Installed, hosted, and operated at LRZ, Euro-Q-Exa is designed not merely to provide access to quantum computing, but to enable European researchers to build, operate, and scale quantum capabilities locally. By embedding the system within an established HPC environment, the system supports the development of hands-on expertise, operational know-how, and sustainable research capacity within Europe.

Prepare to unravel the mysteries of the lost colony of Tau Ceti IV: Marathon is hosting a Server Slam where players worldwide can jump into Marathon and earn rewards for launch. The Bungie team has shared more details about the upcoming open preview weekend, which will run from February 26 to March 2 on PlayStation 5 and other platforms. The weekend will feature an introduction to Marathon's gameplay, with additional maps, factions, contracts, and more to come at launch and during Season 1.

Marathon is the upcoming survival extraction FPS from Bungie, the studio behind Halo and Destiny. In Marathon, you'll scavenge the lost colony of Tau Ceti as a bio-cybernetic Runner. Play with your crew, as a solo Runner, or form uneasy alliances with proximity chat as you take on hostile security forces, rival Runners, and unpredictable environments. Complete contracts, craft new builds, and take on greater challenges—culminating with the derelict Marathon ship in orbit.

Online detectives continue to sift through various Team Blue repositories, in search of any hint of new "Big Battlemage" GPU developments. Late last month, the somewhat mysterious Arc Pro "B70 and B65" workstation cards were rumored as supplanting the "BMG-G31"-based Arc B770 16 GB consumer-grade/gaming model. Mid-way through this week (February 11), Intel released its "Graphics Driver 32.0.101.8314 WHQL (Q4.25) for Intel Arc Pro Series Graphics" generic driver. VideoCardz has pored over the latest update information, and found no utterances next-gen hardware; most notably the "B70." A compatibility list only reaches the upper levels of familiar Arc Pro B60 24 GB and Pro B50 16 GB desktop GPUs—both utilizing the "BMG-G21" GPU die.

The "leaked" Intel Arc Pro "B70 32 GB" model could arrive at retail within the first quarter of this year, so web detectives are anticipating an increase of pre-launch activities in February and March. Members of the Intel Arc subreddit were not discouraged by VideoCardz's slightly disappointing investigation of patch notes—one member, WizardlyBump17, suggested that interested parties check out "the binary for mentions of G31." They themselves had found an official yet accidental "B70 commit" within Team Blue's ai-containers 0.14.1 changelog. Days later, this promising "validation" information was scrubbed and replaced with a cleaned up description. Additionally, WizardlyBump17 observed the non-professional "B770" model being wiped from an official GitHub commit—appropriately, yesterday's modification was titled "Cleanup Unwanted BMG Codenames."

Crystal Dynamics is excited to reveal two new video game titles in the Legacy of Kain franchise! Debuted today at Sony's State of Play, Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered modernizes the iconic 2003 action-adventure game with new graphic upgrades, modernized controls, and extensive bonus content. Published by Crystal Dynamics and developed by Crystal Dynamics and PlayEveryWare, this definitive edition of the classic adventure launches for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store on March 3, 2026, and is available to pre-order today. Customers who pre-order will receive Kain and Raziel character skins inspired by the "Shifter" game concept, the inspiration for the entire Soul Reaver saga. (If you know, you know).

Also announced today is Legacy of Kain: Ascendance, a fast-paced 2D action platformer published by Crystal Dynamics and developed by Bit Bot Media in association with FreakZone Games (A Bit Bot Company) that introduces a brand-new gameplay style to the franchise, and features original voice actors reprising their iconic roles: Simon Templeman as Kain, Michael Bell as Raziel, Anna Gunn as Ariel and Richard Doyle as Moebius, plus a soundtrack from hit recording artist Klayton (Celldweller), releasing for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store on March 31, 2026.

Meet the all-new YUNZII B98 PRO, our latest 1800-style (96%) mechanical keyboard designed to elevate every desk setup. With a wide range of colorways to match different aesthetics, seamless tri-mode connectivity for ultimate convenience, and an irresistibly cute silicone cat knob that melts hearts at first glance—this keyboard is more than just a tool, it's a personality piece. The matching cat-themed LED logo adds a playful touch, while full QMK/VIA support unlocks deep customization possibilities. From productivity to gaming, from minimal office setups to cozy pastel battlestations—the B98 PRO is built to impress at every glance and every click.

Tri-Mode Connectivity & Powerful Battery
The B98 PRO supports Bluetooth 5.0, 2.4 GHz wireless, and USB-C wired connections, allowing seamless switching across up to 5 devices and multiple systems including Windows, Mac, and Android.

The Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) and the Illinois Economic Development Corporation announced that Quantum Machines will establish a flagship hub at the Park. Quantum Machines, the leading provider of hybrid control solutions, will operate a state-of-the-art lab at the IQMP, for research and development on a hardware-control co-design approach to align quantum processors, classical infrastructure, and control software. While the Park is under development, Quantum Machines will be situated at the IQMP's On-Ramp facilities in Chicago. On-Ramp is supported by grant funding from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

"Illinois is building the future of quantum technology, and Quantum Machines' decision to establish a presence at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park is further proof that our state is the premier destination for next-generation innovation," said Governor JB Pritzker. "Quantum Machines is a global leader in quantum control technology, providing the critical systems that enable quantum computers to operate at scale. They will join a growing roster of companies that will be housed at the IQMP and strengthen Illinois' position as a global leader in this cutting-edge industry."

Lenovo seems to be returning to new-gen ThinkPad Detachable pastures this year, according to a major leak. Windows Latest has managed to acquire a set of promotional renders of the speculative "ThinkPad X13 Detachable Gen 1" model, finished in "Eclipse Black." As implied by the "X13" designation, early conjecture points to a 13-inch display surrounded by thinner bezels—clearly a size/design upgrade over Lenovo's second-gen ThinkPad X12 Detachable SKU. The latter has been surpassed—technologically—by various rival device ranges; namely Microsoft's Surface Pro 11 and 12 lines, in x86 and Arm flavors. When analyzing the watermarked ThinkPad X13 Detachable Gen 1 image set, web sleuths have focused on the presence of USB-C ports labelled with lighting bolt symbols. Thunderbolt 4 capabilities would imply that the unreleased device has some sort of modern Intel APU onboard.

Windows Latest's exclusive report envisions Lenovo's selection of a Core Ultra 3 "Panther Lake-H" mobile processor. Upon launch back in 2024, the ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2's Core Ultra 100U "Meteor Lake" series processors were considered to be underpowered, even with the Core Ultra 7 164U (with vPro)-powered option. It is anticipated that the slightly larger successor will be introduced at next month's Mobile World Congress event, in Barcelona (MWC 2026, March 2 to 5). ThinkPad enthusiasts will be pleased to see the brand's familiar keyboard layout, a TrackPoint nub, physical right and left click buttons, and a circular fingerprint reader. So far, Lenovo's ThinkPad Detachable products have not sacrificed these major fan favorite features; normally reserved for traditional professional laptop/notebook designs.

Rambus Inc. (NASDAQ: RMBS), a premier chip and silicon IP provider making data faster and safer, today announced the appointment of Victor Peng to its Board of Directors, effective Thursday, February 12, 2026.

Mr. Peng is an accomplished executive with more than 40 years of leadership experience at top semiconductor companies. Most recently, Mr. Peng served as president of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), leading AMD's embedded and data center GPU businesses, AI software, and the research and advanced development group. Prior to AMD, Mr. Peng served 14 years at Xilinx, holding senior level positions including president and chief executive officer, board member, chief operating officer, executive vice president, and general manager of products. Mr. Peng currently serves on the Boards of KLA Corporation and Microchip Technology Inc.

We are excited to share that a demo of Planet of Lana II is live now! Return to Novo and play as Lana and Mui in this curated preview of their upcoming journey. This demo features atmospheric glimpses across five different points in the game, offering a deep dive into the expanded gameplay and breathtaking world-building, with just a whisper of the story yet to unfold.

Embark on an unforgettable cinematic puzzle journey with Lana and her loyal companion Mui. Whether you're a returning hero or a new adventurer, step into a world where a new, ancient mystery emerges from Novo's hidden depths. But as they scour these depths, a new threat will put their unbreakable bond to the ultimate test, guiding Lana to confront her destiny amidst encroaching shadows. Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf is a cinematic puzzle adventure framed by an epic sci-fi saga that stretches across centuries and galaxies. You do not need to have played the first Planet of Lana to enjoy the demo, but the original game is available if you would like to discover where their story began.

A Lenovo product manager on Chinese social media held up what is possibly the highest capacity and highest speed LPCAMM2 module. An LPCAMM2 is a SOCAMM2 module that uses LPDDR5 or LPDDR5X DRAM. It is replaceable, unlike traditional LPDDR implementations that see the DRAM chips hardwired to the notebook's mainboard. Pictured here, is a new Samsung LPCAMM2 that offers 96 GB of density with a speed of LPDDR5X-9600. This speed is natively supported by Core Ultra Series 3 "Panther Lake" mobile processors, or at least the Core Ultra X7 and X9 brand extensions. It not for the acute DRAM supply crisis, the mid-2020s were expected to see a rise in PC mainstream memory densities.

Pulsar Gaming Gears (AplusX Inc.), a leading developer of high-performance esports peripherals, and VAXEE Corporation, a respected innovator in gaming hardware, today announced the official launch schedule of the new Pulsar eS series of esports equipment. This highly-anticipated product line is the result of the strategic exclusive partnership and joint development work between the two companies, aimed at delivering unparalleled innovation and performance to the esports community.

The initial launch wave includes the Pulsar eS FS-1 Mouse, the Pulsar eS PD170 Mousepads, and the Pulsar eS Armsleeve (Arm Long XL, L, M). All products are in running production and are not limited editions, confirming Pulsar's commitment to making this reference-standard equipment widely available.

TechPowerUp today released version 2.69.0 of GPU-Z, the lightweight graphics subsystem information, monitoring, and diagnostic utility. The update adds support for new NVIDIA GPUs, including the GeForce RTX 5090 D V2, RTX 3050 A Mobile, and multiple RTX Pro Blackwell models (5000, 4500, 4000, 4000 SFF, 5000 Mobile, 5000 Embedded, 2000, 1000, and 500). It also updated device ID support for the Quadro P1000, P2000, and RTX 6000. On the AMD side, support has been introduced for the Radeon RX 7400, Radeon 820M iGPU found in Ryzen AI 5 330 processors, Radeon Pro W6600X, Radeon Pro W7800, and Radeon Pro V710. Improvements were also made for AMD Strix Halo platforms.

New Intel support includes Arrow Lake H as well as Arc A380E and A310E graphics. Support for Moore Threads S30 has also been added. This release fixes shader count detection on some unknown AMD and Intel APUs, resolves incorrect clock speed reporting and ReBAR detection on Intel DG1, and addresses OpenCL detection issues on certain AMD devices. It also resolved crashes on unknown AMD GPUs, and overall kernel-mode driver stability has been improved. Grab TechPowerUp GPU-Z from the link below.

DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp GPU-Z v2.69.0

MSI announced today it is strengthening its strategic partnership with Samsung Display. Following Samsung Display's reveal of the QD-OLED Penta Tandem technology brand, MSI confirms it had already begun integrating this exclusive 5-Layer Tandem QD-OLED into its monitor lineup in early 2025 to deliver the industry's premier visual experience for gamers.

Penta Tandem Technology: MSI's Core Advantage
The newly launched Penta Tandem brand from Samsung Display represents a significant breakthrough in QD-OLED technology. By utilizing a 5-layer stack structure in the blue emitting layer and optimizing organic materials, this technology effectively disperses energy to improve brightness, lifespan, and luminous efficiency.

KRAFTON today unveiled Project Windless, a new open-world action RPG set in the fantasy universe of The Bird That Drinks Tears novel series, with the debut of its first-ever trailer during today's Sony PlayStation's State of Play. This marks the first public reveal of the single-player title, currently in development at KRAFTON Montréal Studio, and introduces players to a vast world shaped by myth, war, and legendary heroes.

A New Premium Open-World Action RPG
Designed as a player-driven open-world experience, Project Windless centers on a continent-spanning conflict, combining epic storytelling with visceral, mastery-driven combat and massive real-time battles. Built with Unreal Engine 5, the game features a non-linear structure where player decisions shape alliances and the broader conflict unfolding across the world through exploration, combat, and interaction with key factions.

TrendForce's latest analysis of the HBM industry reveals that as the ongoing expansion of AI infrastructure continues to fuel GPU demand, NVIDIA's upcoming Rubin platform is expected to become a major catalyst for HBM4 adoption once mass production begins. The three leading memory suppliers—Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron—are now in the final stages of HBM4 validation, with completion anticipated by 2Q26.

Samsung, supported by its strong product stability, is projected to secure certification first. SK hynix and Micron are expected to follow shortly thereafter, forming a three-supplier ecosystem for NVIDIA's HBM4.

Console gamers might not necessarily become console owners, as Sony's PlayStation UK division is experimenting with leasing the PlayStation 5. The lease starts at £9.95 per month and varies depending on the console version. This plan involves a 36-month lease for a PlayStation 5 Digital Edition with 825 GB of storage. Opting for a shorter lease, such as 24 months or 12 months, increases the monthly cost to £10.49 and £14.59, respectively. Other versions of the PlayStation 5, like the PlayStation 5 Pro, as well as accessories such as the DualSense Edge Wireless Controller, PlayStation VR2, and PlayStation Portal Remote Player, can also be leased for an additional cost per month, based on your lease choice. There is also a "rolling" lease option where users pay £19.49 monthly and can cancel at any time, provided they return the console.

A quick calculation shows that the 36-month lease is the most expensive, totaling £358.20 by the end of the term. Afterward, users have several options: upgrade the console by returning the old one, continue with the monthly subscription, or exit the Flex plan by returning the console. For the 24-month and 12-month plans, users pay £251.76 and £175.08, respectively, by the end of the lease period. These plans also offer the same options: return the console, upgrade the hardware and return, or continue paying the monthly fee for a while longer. The only flexible plan is the monthly rolling option, which allows users to pay £19.49 per month without any long-term commitment, and they can cancel at any time. This plan doesn't require any upfront payment for the console.

Hello, everyone! We just revealed Crimson Moon to the world in today's State of Play! In this PS Blog post, we're excited to share more details about this gothic action-adventure coming to PS5 in 2026.

A dark, gothic world
Crimson Moon is an action-adventure RPG set in a gothic world full of angels, demons, and ancient gods. Players will embody the Nephilim, a human-angel hybrid serving the Order of the Crimson Moon tasked with reclaiming the cursed city of Gildenarch from the evil that infests it. Mankind once stood on the precipice of extermination by the Infernal Legion's charge. Born from a forbidden union between man and angel, the Nephilim emerged and rallied humanity to victory, banishing the forces of darkness from their world. Now, you have been called upon once more to the city of Gildenarch, where a foul darkness has claimed the city. District by district and ward by ward, players must fight their way through the ancient, cursed metropolis, all the while facing down hordes of the undead, vampires, and the demonic Infernal Legion's return. Each cleared district pushes back the Legion's Hellgrowth and unlocks new challenges, culminating in a winner-take-all confrontation with the sinister vampire lord, Solomon Moore, the architect of Gildenarch's demise.

KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS, in collaboration with Nixxes Software, is proud to announce that DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH will be coming to PC on March 19th, 2026, with pre-purchase starting today on Steam and Epic Games Store. In this standalone sequel, DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH offers a new range of tools, weapons and vehicles at Sam's disposal. With his companions from DRAWBRIDGE by his side, Sam takes on a new adventure to connect Australia to the Chiral network. Beset on all sides by enemies, Sam will have to shoot, sneak, and sprint his way out of trouble, as well as survive natural disasters such as earthquakes, sandstorms and forest fires, and brave the ruinous Timefall as he strives to save humanity from extinction once again. The Social Strand System returns, connecting players from around the globe allowing you to shape someone else's world, and have their actions shape yours.

Immerse yourself in the world of DEATH STRANDING like never before with added Ultrawide monitor support including 21:9 UltraWidescreen for both gameplay and in-game cutscenes for both PC and PS5 and 32:9 Super UltraWidescreen for PC, all in 4K resolution. The PC edition of DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH offers players flexibility, whether you want to make use of the complete mouse and keyboard support by personalising their gameplay and mapping custom keybinds or feel the action with full DualSense controller integration with haptic feedback and adaptive trigger functionality, the choice is yours. Players have all sorts of audio support options as well including 3D Audio via Dolby Access, DTS Sound Unbound support, or Windows Sonic for Headphones.

Attention all racers! Sony's State of Play broadcast has revealed an exclusive look at Star Wars: Galactic Racer - with one of the galaxy's most beloved podracer pilots revving up his engines. Take a look! Resolute repulsorcraft racers streak across the volcanic surface of Sentinel One, the dusty sands of Jakku, the treacherous ice of Ando Prime, and the lush jungle of Lantaana - our first look at the verdant planet - in this breathtaking new gameplay trailer, a follow-up to the reveal trailer that accompanied the announcement at the 2025 Game Awards.

"Our goal with Galactic Racer is to deliver a racing experience that's cinematic, skill-driven, and unmistakably Star Wars, and this gameplay reveal is a major step toward that vision," says Craig Derrick, an executive producer with Lucasfilm Games.

Thermal Grizzly is pleased to announce the official launch of the first public software suite for the GPU power monitoring tool WireView Pro II, as well as the release of the first official firmware update. Both the software and the firmware update are optional. However, when used together, they enable full functionality of the WireView Pro II, including data logging and device configuration via PC.

The software primarily allows additional functions to be configured on the WireView Pro II:

• Access to logged data
• Fine-tuning of settings
• Setting the display start page

Revealed during today's Sony PlayStation State of Play, the story trailer sets the stage for a global intrigue, as Bond is recruited into MI6 and enters the world of espionage, full of hidden agendas and unseen threats. The trailer offers early glimpses of Bond's exploits in Iceland, showcasing his decisive judgment, nerve, and resourcefulness that draw the attention of MI6, propelling him into the grueling training of the newly revived 00 programme. Still inexperienced and sometimes reckless, Bond (portrayed by Patrick Gibson) will have to confront his instincts with the structure and discipline of his new world, where initiative is not always rewarded, and obedience is often the expectation.

As he enters the world of espionage, Bond discovers an unexpected advocate in M (portrayed by Priyanga Burford), who recognizes his potential as an agent able to take control of desperate situations and complete his objectives, following his own judgment. John Greenway (portrayed by Lennie James), a former 00 agent and the programme's training instructor, stands in contrast to Bond. A disciplined, by-the-book operative, Greenway's strict philosophy quickly clashes with Bond's instinctive and improvisational approach in the field.

Yeah. We're thinking he's back. Today at the Sony State of Play Showcase, global content leader Lionsgate and best-selling video game publisher and developer Saber Interactive announced a new AAA video game based on Lionsgate's billion-dollar John Wick franchise. Tailored for mature audiences and currently in development for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, the new single-player third-person action game will combine John Wick's unparalleled, adrenaline-fueled "gun-fu" fighting style with Saber's proven reputation for creating thrilling gaming experiences that leave players craving more. John Wick franchise director Chad Stahelski and star Keanu Reeves are both involved in the game's production, with Reeves signed on to reprise his iconic character's look, voice and more. Watch the brand-new reveal trailer for the "Untitled John Wick Game" now and get ready to feel the hard-hitting, cinematic action of John Wick like never before.

"I can't wait for fans to step into the shoes of John Wick and explore the multi-dimensional world of The High Table," stated Jenefer Brown, President of Global Products & Experiences at Lionsgate. "We are collaborating closely with Saber's dedicated team to develop a game that captures the unparalleled action, brand-defining fight choreography, immersive world-building, and authenticity of the films." "John Wick is one of the most iconic characters in action film history. Saber is honored to be working alongside Chad, Keanu and the Lionsgate team in a true collaboration to bring the world of Wick to life in a AAA game," said Matthew Karch, CEO at Saber Interactive.

ASUS Republic of Gamers today announced ROG Kithara - the first ROG high-fidelity planar magnetic gaming headset. ROG partnered with HIFIMAN, a world-renowned planar headphone innovator, to develop ROG Kithara, giving gamers incredibly immersive, audiophile-grade in-game audio. The headset features special ROG-customized 100 mm HIFIMAN planar magnetic drivers to offer excellent frequency extension at both ends of the spectrum with minimal distortion, delivering sounds that stay true to the original source. The bass is deep yet smooth, while the treble is crisp and well-extended, providing clearer and more refined audio experiences to give gamers a competitive edge.

The ROG Kithara has an open-back design for an extremely wide and dimensional sound stage with clear sound separation of balanced bass, mids, and treble. This offers precise imaging and enhances gamers' spatial awareness, enabling them to pinpoint the exact source and location of in-game sounds. In addition, an on-cable full-band MEMS boom microphone ensures clean, distortion-free voice pickup across an ultrawide 20 Hz-20 kHz frequency range. Separate signal channels help prevent crosstalk, while the high SNR provides detailed and natural voice reproduction with minimal background noise. In addition, the Kithara includes a headphone cable with a balanced 4.4 mm plug and a 3.5/6.3 mm single-ended plug for compatibility with most DACs, amplifiers, PCs and gaming consoles. For laptops and mobile users, the Kithara includes a USB-C-to-dual-3.5 mm adapter for greater flexibility.

ASUS today announced ASUS ExpertBook B5 G2, a compact yet powerful Copilot+ PC designed to elevate business productivity with AI-driven intelligence, enterprise-grade security, and premium professional design. Powered by the latest up to Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 3 processor and weighing just 1.38kgi with an aluminium build and a 180° lay-flat hinge, ASUS ExpertBook B5 G2 is engineered for mobility, durability, and seamless collaboration.

Superb AI performance
ASUS ExpertBook B5 G2 delivers exceptional productivity with the latest Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 3 processor, up to 50 TOPS NPU, and Intel graphics. Designed for professionals, it handles demanding multitasking, data-intensive applications, and AI-driven workflows with ease. Coupled with up to 19 hours of battery life, this business laptop supports all-day efficiency, making it a reliable companion for modern challenges.

Today at the PlayStation State of Play, Remedy Entertainment unveiled new gameplay details and features for CONTROL Resonant, the highly-anticipated sequel to Remedy's critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning CONTROL. The first full gameplay footage running on PlayStation 5 Pro Console offers a glimpse of the main character Dylan Faden in action as he hunts a powerful Resonant enemy within the shifting landscape of the West Incursion Zone in Manhattan, reshaped by otherworldly forces actively breaking reality apart.

CONTROL Resonant will be published by Remedy Entertainment. Annapurna Pictures are co-financing and co-producing the game as part of a strategic partnership with Remedy Entertainment. CONTROL Resonant is scheduled to be released in 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, and Mac via Steam and the App Store.

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls is an upcoming team fighting game that recently showed up in leaks ahead of its official launch. Most recently, however, Fighting Souls shown up at the Sony State of Play, where Arc System Works, the developer behind the game, announced its official launch date aand revealed some information about the game's narrative, characters, and team dynamics. First off, it has been announced that Marvel Token: Fighting Souls will launch on August 6, 2026 for both PC and PS5, and pre-orders will start on February 19, 2026.

The announcement also came with a team announcement trailer for the Unbreakable X-Men, which is comprised of Storm, Magik, Wolverine, and Danger. In the trailer, we got a small taste of each character's personality and fighting style, with characters like Magik and Wolverine getting up close and personal with a combination of melee and maneuverability, while Storm and Danger lean more into slightly more ranged attacks and abilities. The trailer also showed off a team-based finisher attack, which saw all four characters jump into the fray with a flurry of attacks.

Today's PlayStation State of Play has already seen a handful of exciting announcements, like the release date for Game Freak's upcoming Souls-like RPG, but fans of the God of War franchise are likely having an extra-special day, with two announcements coming out of the event. Firstly, God of War: Sons of Sparta, a 2.5D Metroidvania telling Kratos's origin story, has officially launched and is available for the PlayStation 5. Sons of Sparta follows Kratos during his days training as a warrior at the Agoge with his brother Deimos. Sons of Sparta was written by the same Santa Monica Studio team that was responsible for God of War 2018 and God of War Ragnarök, while the development was handled by Mega Cat Studios, a studio packed with experienced developers who have by now worked on a slew of Metroidvanias. The game promises dynamic combat with the classic Spartan sword and shield as well as a variety of "Gifts of Olympus," to spice things up.

Beast of Reincarnation is an upcoming story-driven Souls-like RPG from Game Freak that was previously shown off at an Xbox Developer_Direct earlier this year, with a cross-platform launch slated for late 2026. Now, thanks to a new PlayStation State of Play release date announcement trailer, the game date has an official PlayStation 5 release date of August 4, 2026. Previously, it was revealed that the game would launch cross-platform on day-one, so PC and Xbox Series players can expect to see the game on Steam and the Microsoft Store on August 4, as well. The release date announcement trailer also gave us a better look at the protagonist, Emma, her abilities as Purifier, and the various monsters gamers can look forward to facing off against in Beast of Reincarnation.

As was suggested in the previous announcement, it looks as though mobility and verticality will be an important part of both combat and traversal in the world—especially Emma's grapple ability, which features several times throughout the trailer. Similarly, coordinating attacks with your in-game companion, Koo, who seems to operate more or less independently during fights, also appears to be a central mechanic. It was also revealed that some monster fights will feature mid-fight evolutions—hardly surprising from Game Freak, a studio known for Pokémon.

The ASUS ROG Ally series is no stranger to issues, with early models of the ROG Ally suffering from issued with the microSD slot, due to its placement near the exhaust vent. Now, according to an automated message sent to a writer at Windows Central, ASUS is "experiencing high repair volumes" not too long after shipments started for the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally. This was discovered when Jennifer Young attempted to send in her five-month-old ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X for warranty repair after it spontaneously gave up the ghost, but was told that repairs could not be completed in the country of purchase, the UK, due to high repair volumes. Instead, select repairs will be processed in overseas repair centers, likely adding extra delays to the repair process.

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

High repair volumes aren't necessarily an indication of an issue with a device or any hardware at all—it could also indicate that the company sold far more devices than it had anticipated in a short timeframe. ASUS has previously had well-documented issues with its RMA and repair processes, however, and anecdotal Reddit reports also appear to indicate that the Xbox Ally X may have issues with the USB port, sticky buttons, and seemingly random motherboard issues. The reports of high repair volume come shortly after reports of software issues with the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally, although these seem to have been mostly caused by Microsoft itself, not ASUS.

Corsair Gaming, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRSR) ("Corsair" or the "Company"), a leading global provider and innovator of high-performance products for gamers, streamers, content-creators, gaming PC builders, and sim racing enthusiasts, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2025, as well as guidance for the first quarter and full year 2026.

The Company also announced that its Board of Directors authorized the Company to repurchase up to $50 million of its outstanding common stock. This represents Corsair's first repurchase authorization. The repurchase program is effective immediately, does not have an expiration date and is subject to market conditions, applicable laws and regulatory guidelines.

Hello to all bikers out there! The wait is finally over: Ride 6 is out tomorrow (February 12), and it's time to rev up and start a new adventure. Over the past two years, we've poured our hearts into creating an experience that celebrates every aspect of motorcycle culture. Today, we're excited to pull back the curtain on one of the pillars of this new chapter: how we brought over 40 tracks to life in the game. As you know, Ride 6 features both real-world and fictional tracks, each crafted with utmost care. Our teams worked hard to recreate iconic locations that have shaped motorcycling history, while also designing completely original tracks that are just as memorable and fun to ride.

For real tracks, the process starts on location. We map the entire circuit from above using drones, capturing anywhere from 2,000 to 2,500 photos depending on the size and complexity of the track. Before flying, we set up 20-25 Ground Control Points (GCPs). These are PVC panels marked with an "X," and we record their exact positions with high-precision GPS antennas. Once the photos are taken, we link each GCP to every image it appears in, attaching the corresponding GPS coordinates. This method allows us to generate point clouds with an impressive margin of error of just 2.5 cm.

Late last October, Qualcomm revealed its AI200 and AI250 chip-based accelerator cards, and racks. Oddly, the company's press material mentioned the utilization of Low-Power DRAM (LPDDR) memory rather than in vogue High Bandwidth tech (HBM)—the latter has quickly become the de facto choice for cutting-edge AI-crunching enterprise platforms. Modern types of LPDDR memory are normally found in portable devices powered by Qualcomm chipsets, but the San Diego-headquartered fabless semiconductor firm seems to be exploring the deployment of LPDDR6X modules in server-grade equipment. According to inside track information—published by The Bell South Korea—Samsung Electronics has reportedly sent prototype LPDDR6X samples of to the House of Snapdragon chips.

One of The Bell's anonymous industry sources opined that this move was a little bit out of the ordinary; given that the LPDDR6 (non-X) standard received official JEDEC certification not that long ago (Q3 2025). The still in-progress Samsung LPDDR6X development project has been linked to Qualcomm's 2027 launch of the AI250 inference-focused server platform. The publication's official contact believes that a tight AI200-series release roadmap has prompted the very early supply of LPDDR6X modules. Last month, rumors emerged about the AI200 and AI250 inference accelerators being sized up with SOCAMM2 in mind. In December, the Samsung Memory Product Planning Team divulged forthcoming branches of non-X tech—most notably that "low-power DRAM technologies such as SOCAMM" are being spun-off from "AI-focused module solution(s) leveraging LPDDR6 architecture."

Just few more days until the horrors begin! REANIMAL, the highly anticipated co-op horror game from Tarsier Studios, creators of Little Nightmares and Little Nightmares II, launches this Friday, February 13. Pre-ordering the Deluxe Edition now secures 10% savings and grants access to the REANIMAL Season Pass, which includes all three DLCs in The Expanded World campaign—delivering all-new horrors for players to survive.

There are three upcoming chapters in The Expanded World, the first of which is scheduled to release in summer 2026. The Expanded World will weave a completely original story around new child protagonists, thrusting players into chilling new environments and monstrous horrors across the war-torn REANIMAL island.

Mid-way through the week, computer game hardware observers started to notice the dwindling availability of Valve's Steam Deck OLED handheld. The popular portable gaming PC first launched almost three years ago, first releasing as the LCD screen-based version. The 256 GB LCD model was discontinued last December, leaving the more expensive OLED options—in 512 GB and 1 TB configured forms—in charge of keeping Valve's handheld legacy alive. Unfortunately, prospective buyers—in North America, Japan (via Komodo—Valve's regional distribution partner), Taiwan, South Korea, and Hong Kong—are unable to acquire new OLED stock. Initial reportage has highlighted a "plentiful" supply for UK and Australia-based customers, but several key market territories are seemingly affected by a sudden shortage. At the time of writing, Valve has not commented on this head scratching situation.

A lack of official announcements has driven online community speculation; mainly about possible dry spells of Steam Deck-related component shipments. Presently, the two OLED SKUs utilize 16 GB of unified LPDDR5-6500 RAM, paired with 512 GB or 1 TB NVMe SSDs. The ongoing computer memory and storage crisis has caused plenty of price fluctuation chaos throughout late 2025 and early 2026. Coinciding with troubled times (November 2025), Valve unveiled a new wave of Steam products. As of this month, the Bellevue, Washington-based corporation has remained schtum about the launch MSRP of its Steam Machine. In a worst case scenario, fearful portable and SFF gaming hardware enthusiasts are imagining forthcoming price hikes of Steam Deck OLED hardware, and $1000+ cost of ownership for Valve's second attempt at breaking the mini PC market.

AMD enables Hollywood's most demanding creators as they stretch the boundaries of visual storytelling. On Feb. 9, 2026, the Advanced Imaging Society (AIS) presented AMD with its Production Technology Lumiere Award to recognize the capabilities of its latest generation of "Zen 5"-based EPYC Server and Ryzen Threadripper Pro workstation processors. During the ceremony, the award presenter, Evan Jacobs, Vice Chair of AIS from Marvel Studios, underscored how dramatically computing technology has reshaped filmmaking. "Using a 2005 vintage workstation to render next year's "Toy Story 5," the team at Pixar would need 131 years to get Woody and Buzz Lightyear to the screen." Today, that same level of work can be completed in hours thanks to the newest architecture from AMD.

AMD Current-gen Processors Power a New Era of Filmmaking
AMD processors deliver compute‑dense architecture, exceptional throughput, and leadership energy efficiency. With up to 192 cores on EPYC and up to 96 cores on Threadripper Pro, AMD processors give studios the power to consolidate demanding workloads, accelerate creative iteration, and keep production timelines on track. Studios are increasingly turning to high-density, energy-efficient compute to meet the demands of real-time rendering, complex simulations, and AI-driven workflows. AMD EPYC and Threadripper Pro platforms enable that shift, giving directors and artists the power to hit their creative and production goals without compromise.

This week, South Korean semiconductor industry news outlets have mentioned an imminent unveiling of cutting-edge memory-making equipment at this month's Semicon Korea 2026 exhibition. This important trade event kicked off yesterday (February 11)—soon after start time, a Heraldcorp article appeared online; predicting Hanmi Semiconductor's presenting of a brand-new Wide TC Bonder. A photo of the company's freshly established booth shows printed promotional material that showcases the latest production hardware. Reportedly, the newest tech is being positioned as an "alternative to Hybrid Bonder (HB) for High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) mass manufacturing." Local experts believe that the commercialization of Hybrid Bonders has been delayed numerous times, due to widespread technical difficulties. Apparently, Wide TC Bonder equipment—due for launch within the latter half of 2026—offers many advantages over the older design.

Chosun Biz managed to extract early comments from a Hanmi representative, ahead of a full product introduction—the newer standard: "applies advanced precision (and fluxless) bonding technology that can improve HBM production yield, quality and completeness." These pleasing enhancements can affect incoming lines (e.g. HBM4), but Hanmi foresees Wide TC Bonder factory tech being crucial in the making of futuristic HBM5 and HBM6 products. Last summer, a joint venture presentation theorized further HBM roadmaps—extending into 2038. At the time, KAIST and TERA outlined a journey that will start with HBM4 debut on NVIDIA "Rubin"-based AI accelerators (in 2026). By the end of the 2030s, they predict the arrival of HBM7.

Optical mouse switches have become all the rage in gaming mice these days, thanks to reduced latency and improved durability, but unless you're buying from Razer or Logitech, the only options for optical switches have been Kailh and Omron. Now, budget keyboard and mouse switch maker, Huano, looks to be entering the fray with the Huano Nuo optical switch, which has shown up in a Bilibili video review of the Xinmeng Zero 1 Pro gaming mouse.

According to the mouse's spec sheet, shared by @PhalangesCo on X, the Huano Nuo optical switches have a rated lifespan of 100 million clicks, which is higher than many Huano mechanical switch options but only on-par with the company's options typically found in budget high-performance gaming mice. The Zero 1 Pro gaming mouse the Huano Nuo optical switches are featured in is a hyper-budget gaming mouse, coming in at just RMB 39, or USD 5.65 converted, which is a good sign that the optical switches will also make it to other more affordable gaming mice in the global market.

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today unveiled the BlackShark V3 for Xbox - White Edition, expanding the lineup with a crisp new finish that complements any Xbox setup. Already celebrated for its comfort, isolation, and competitive clarity, the BlackShark V3 now offers players a bold new way to elevate their console battlestation.

Trusted Performance. Now in White.
The BlackShark V3 series has earned its reputation among console competitors for delivering precise audio, long‑lasting comfort, and proven tournament-grade performance. The new White Edition enhances that legacy with a clean, modern aesthetic designed to shine in any environment.

The time has finally come! Are you ready to Forge Your Legend? From the team at MercurySteam and 505 Games comes Blades of Fire, launching May 14th, 2026, on Steam. Play as Aran de Lira, the last warrior able to forge true steel in a world where metal turns to stone. Survival depends on patience, understanding, and commitment to the weapons you choose to create. Combat is deliberate, weighty, and unforgiving. Weapons are forged with intent and permanently shaped by your choices. Progress comes from understanding your enemy and the blade you forged to face them.

DEMO AVAILABLE NOW!
To celebrate today's announcement, our community can jump into Blades of Fire starting today with a dedicated demo. Launching as part of the upcoming Steam Next Fest, our demo offers several hours of gameplay, letting you experience the art of forging your own weapons, our unique combat system, and a face-to-face encounter with a big troll. What's not to love?! What's more, your progress from the demo will carry over to the full game at launch.

NVIDIA continues to gingerly navigate trade restrictions that affect shipments of high-end graphics cards and AI accelerators into China. Over the past couple of years, region-specific "nerfed" GPU specifications and reduced allocations of VRAM have produced a good number of "lesser" gaming and professional components. For example, a November 2025 leak suggested the readying of an appropriately "reduced" RTX 6000D Blackwell model—seemingly based on Team Green's "unpasteurized" Western market variant. Despite recently arriving without a "PRO" designation, Chinese AI companies and well-heeled PC enthusiasts will be receiving a highly capable bit of hardware. The passively-cooled NVIDIA RTX 6000D card carries 84 GB of GDDR7 video memory; representing a slight downgrade over its non-nerfed sibling's provision of 96 GB (on a 512-bit bus). A video teardown—courtesy of the GINNSOD Bilibili channel—shows an incredibly dense module layout on the card's PCB, consisting of 28 individual 3 GB chips.

This clever clamshell layout surrounds a Team Green "GB202-891-KA-A1" GPU die. Aptly, GINNSOD's presenter refers to the TechPowerUp GPU database for key points of interest—notably, the card's 448-bit memory bus, 19968 shader unit count, and 2430 MHz boost clock. The reference board design is listed as having a 600 W TDP rating, but yesterday's presentation shows only a maximum of 419 watts being sipped by the lab's test subject. International observers have noted that the gory teardown shows a PCB design reminiscent of the RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell model's internal setup, though the latter enjoys having all of its VRAM module bays filled up (with thirty-two 3 GB chips). By contrast, the RTX 6000D's board features four unoccupied spaces. As a system integrator, GINNSOD offers aftermarket liquid-cooled modifications/upgrades—the latter half of the teardown vid delves into the fitting of a custom-made solution. VideoCardz noted that the company has listed a ~$26,000 workstation system armed with twin RTX 6000D cards and an AMD Threadripper Pro CPU. Said pre-built computer can be seen at various points in GINNSOD's showcase.

It has been leaked on multiple occasions that Ubisoft is working on an Assassin's Creed Black Flag remake, and the game was said to be as soon as March 2026, although this was called into question when Ubisoft cancelled and delayed a slew of games earlier in 2026 over concerns of quality. Assassin's Creed Black Flag was thought to be pushed back as well, but a new Amazon listing suggests that this may not be the case.

An Amazon listing for a hardcover Assassin's Creed Black Flag Remake art book by Ubisoft currently shows list pricing of $54.48, with a 25% pre-order discount, but more interestingly, it also lists a release date of March 24, 2026. This is ahead of the previous assumed March 31 launch date for the game itself, so the launch date may just be a placeholder—after all, there is no cover art for the book on the site either—but it may suggest that the Black Flag Remake may still launch towards the end of March.

Pulsar is known for its high-performance, lightweight gaming mice, but also for having about a million colorways and special edition patterns for the aforementioned mice. In a new post on X, Pulsar has revealed six new colorways coming to a variety of CrazyLight gaming mice and confirmed the release date of the previously leaked Pulsar X2N gaming mouse. The X2N looks to be a tweaked version of the X2 and X2H with a slightly narrower front and a lower, slightly more forward hump design.

As for the rest of the Wildscape colorways, they are all exclusive to their respective mice: X2H gets the burnt red Volcano colorway; the X3 gets the sandy-brown Desert color; the X2 gets the green and yellow Forest; and the Xlite gets the gray and blue Rock. The X2N Ocean colorway will launch later in February, with the other new Wildscape colors launching throughout April. Pulsar previously revealed that the X2N will be available in both mini and medium sizes when it launches on February 24, 2026.

Our favorite time of the year is nearly upon us: the annual (and newly renamed) GDC Festival of Gaming is next month! We're looking forward to seeing old friends, making new ones, and sharing our vision for empowering developers today and into the future. This year, GDC takes place from March 9-13 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, California. We'll host partner meetings, participate in conference sessions, and sponsor events like the IGF Awards and the ESA Foundation's Nite to Unite. Attendees that come by the Xbox Lounge in Moscone South Lobby can journey through our exhibit featuring key moments across 25 years of Xbox history, meet Xbox Subject Matter Experts, learn what steps they can take to begin building for the future, and sign up for our newsletter to receive a community pin.

At GDC, we'll share how we're giving developers the freedom to create and play on any device, with anyone, anywhere. We want to make it easier for developers to build and ship games, provide more ways to reach players, and offer more freedom to bring their bold creative ideas to life. Our goal is to empower creators of every size by providing cutting‑edge tools, services, and opportunities that accelerate innovation, reduce barriers, and help developers bring their games to players everywhere. This year, for the first time, we are hosting the Xbox Dev Summit, where we'll be presenting six sponsored sessions to help prepare attendees to build for what's next. The Xbox Dev Summit is in West Hall Room 3001/3003 and will be kicking off with Jason Ronald, VP of Next Gen, at 10:10am on Wednesday, March 11.

Last autumn, AMD provided an update regarding developmental progress of its openSIL open-source project. According to Raj Kapoor's presentation at last year's OCP Global Summit, the Red Team intends to publish its sixth-generation "Zen 6"-based EPYC "Venice" CPU openSIL sources at some point in 2026. The company's lead firmware architect reiterated that the newer silicon-initialization stack will eventually replace the familiar legacy AGESA firmware line. As of last summer, only one section of AMD's "Zen 5" family has received openSIL support—the EPYC 9005 "Turin" server processor product range. Earlier this week, a 3mbdeb blog entry detailed a compelling experiment that involved the initial "enabling (of) AMD AM5 'Phoenix' support in Coreboot." In the past, this Polish open-source consulting company has experimented with unusual ports of OpenSIL and Coreboot (via the Dasharo distribution). NLnet Foundation funding provided a secure base to start 3mbdeb's Gigabyte MZ33-AR1 porting project, leading to present-day tinkering with MSI's PRO B850-P consumer-grade mainboard design.

Mid-way through their post, they detail a handful of problems, including: "some issues may arise when parsing combo images for AM5 desktop platforms. The desktop images are more complex than server ones. A single PSP (Platform Security Processor) directory may support multiple CPU families, whereas on servers, each CPU family required separate PSP directory. This adds complexity, a need to distinguish PSP directories from each other, and determine the supported CPUs by given directory." So far, the MSI B850-P Pro-based tests have reached a phase of development that is "just enough to (achieve) boot." When outlining a next major milestone, 3mbdeb intends to: "add basic support for desktop AM5 'Phoenix' platform to distinguish mobile CPUs from desktop CPUs in Coreboot. This will serve as a base to cover the differences between the mobile and desktop Phoenix SoCs/APUs." They stress that their 'Phoenix' OpenSIL project is still in a "Proof of Concept" stage, so "not intended for production use." In summary, 3mbdeb's firmware engineer (Michał Żygowski) recommends that external testers wait for the arrival of "exciting" future releases.

Sony Electronics Inc. today is introducing the next generation of its critically acclaimed 1000X series with the WF-1000XM6 truly wireless noise-canceling earbuds. Building on the legacy of the 1000X series, the WF-1000XM6 achieves outstanding sound quality with the best noise-canceling precision, enhanced call quality, and improved connectivity compared to the WF-1000XM5 predecessor model, as well as an ergonomic design which has been optimized for a comfortable fit.

In addition, Sony is also introducing a Sand Pink version of its industry-leading WH-1000XM6 over ear wireless noise-canceling headphones.

Highguard, the new free-to-play raid shooter from Wildlight Entertainment, launched in late January to high player counts that quickly dwindled after a lukewarm reception, despite bringing some unique concepts to the table. Since its launch, daily concurrent player counts have fallen from a peak of 97,249 players on Steam to around 2,000-3,000 concurrent players on a daily basis. According to an announcement from the official Wildlight account on X, the game studio has officially started laying off developers who were working to develop and support Highguard.

Another post on LinkedIn by Alex Graner, now-former level designer at Wildlight, confirmed that "most of the team" at Wildlight has been laid off, adding that there was a lot of unreleased content that the development team had been working on, which also makes it seem as though the layoffs were unexpected. Many attribute the game's surprise launch and lack of play testing and community feedback ahead of launch for the game's commercial failure. At launch, aside from performance problems, Highguard was widely criticized for poor pacing and a dearth of content in matches, largely owing to the oversized maps and small teams. Wildlight did attempt to address these complaints with a 5v5 game mode in a recent update, and, according to reviews, that helped make things feel more energetic, but it seems like it was too little too late. Wildlight will supposedly keep working on Highguard with "a core group of developers," although it's unclear what the studio's plans are for content in the long term.

EnGenius Technologies Inc., a global leader in advanced connectivity and cloud-managed networking solutions, today announces the ECW515 Wi-Fi 7 dual-band 2x2:2 wall-plate access point, designed to deliver seamless in-room wireless and wired connectivity in multifamily units, student housing, senior living, hotels, and resorts.

Wi-Fi 7 In-Room Connectivity for MDU and Hospitality
The EnGenius ECW515 Wi-Fi 7 wall-plate access point delivers enterprise-grade wireless and wired connectivity directly inside the room, enabling fast, reliable in-room communication for streaming, voice, IoT, and productivity devices—while supporting VLAN-based per-user traffic segmentation to help maintain privacy and network control.

LG Electronics (LG) and nine-time Grammy winner will.i.am have reunited to launch the latest edition of the xboom Buds lineup with the introduction of Buds Plus and Buds Lite. The LG xboom Buds Plus, the line's most advanced earbuds with superior sound and easy usability, are now available on LG.com for $179.99. The LG xboom Buds Lite, with long-lasting battery life, are also available now for $69.99. LG xboom Buds Lite and Buds Plus are now available at LG.com and at LG authorized retailers nationwide.

Expertly tuned, tested and approved by one of pop culture's most tech-savvy musical acts, the xboom Buds series delivers unique sound, characterized by will.i.am's signature use of balanced warm tones. Guided by his belief that sound enriches experiences, will.i.am hosted the recent FYI Visionaries event to debut the new xboom lineup, which he developed as the "experiential architect" of the company's "xboom by will.i.am" brand.

Wacom today announced the Wacom MovinkPad Pro EVA Edition, a limited-edition package created in collaboration with EVANGELION, the Japanese animated series. The Wacom MovinkPad Pro 14 is an all-in-one creative pad designed for professional-grade drawing and design on the go, without the need to connect to a computer.

The EVA Edition was planned as a collaboration model based on the Wacom MovinkPad Pro 14 and inspired by the distinctive aesthetic of the EVANGELION series, while retaining the original model's practicality as a professional creative tool.

The GeForce NOW sixth-anniversary festivities roll on this February, continuing a monthlong celebration of NVIDIA's cloud gaming service. This week brings even more reasons to join the party, as GeForce NOW launches on a new platform with support for Amazon Fire TV devices, and eight new games to keep the streaming going strong. The new app brings GeForce NOW directly to select Amazon Fire TV devices, so members can jump into their PC game libraries on the biggest screen in the house using a compatible controller.

The Cloud Turns Up the Heat
GeForce NOW continues to expand access across devices, supporting multiple platforms with the latest additions of Linux. From PCs and Macs to smartphones, browsers and smart TVs, the cloud delivers high-performance gaming to nearly any screen, on more devices than ever. Members tap into GeForce RTX power on the screens they already own, extending the value of their membership without extra hardware or complexity. That reach expands again with the launch of the GeForce NOW app on Amazon Fire TV. GeForce NOW is powering up the living room with the launch of the GeForce NOW app on Amazon Fire TV streaming sticks, leveling up big-screen gaming with PC-quality performance.

Samsung Display unveiled 'QD-OLED Penta Tandem,' a new premium technology brand built on its proprietary five-layer organic light-emitting structure, a core innovation unique to its QD-OLED panels. Samsung Display announced that it has completed trademark registration for the new brand, created to highlight the distinctive value of its five-layer organic light-emitting structure applied to QD-OLED panels for premium monitors and TVs. "Penta" comes from the Greek word for the number five.

QD-OLED expresses color using quantum dots that respond to light, with the blue emitting layer serving as the light source due to its high energy within the visible spectrum. Beginning last year, Samsung Display advanced the blue emitting layer stack from four layers to five, and applied the latest organic materials, completing a new generation of QD-OLED that delivers superior picture quality, efficiency, and peak brightness.

After a short period of teasing a Crimson Desert collaboration product, Sapphire recently revealed a fantasy adventure themed spin-off of its RDNA 4 flagship NITRO+ Radeon RX 9070 XT 16 GB custom graphics card. The sudden appearance of this special edition model roughly coincided with the launch of an AMD Ryzen/Radeon hardware + Pearl Abyss software promotional campaign. So far, Sapphire's marketing campaign—of the NITRO+ RX 9070 XT OC Crimson Desert Edition SKU—has not set a firm release date or confirmed day one pricing, although a (February 10) VideoCardz report proposed a "within February" window. The freshly-introduced card's EAN code (4895106297623) and manufacturing number (11348-10-20G) turned up online not long ago, and web searches—as of today—involving this info leads to several fresh e-tail listings in Germany and Austria.

Surprisingly, a couple of these shops state that they have Sapphire's latest top-end product "in stock," although the remainder outline about a week's worth of lead time. According to a regional price aggregator, Alternate.de offers the best deal—€919.99 (including VAT and delivery), which converts to ~$1093 USD. The additional Crimson Desert livery—consisting of an elaborate backplate print and distinctive fan stickers—seems to demand a significant premium, when compared to the vanilla Nitro+ design. For reference, Alternate has the standard SKU stocked for a total of €842.99 (~$1002 USD). The least appealing Crimson Desert Edition price tag comes in at €1109.40, via Kaufland.de's marketplace. Alternate GmbH's eBay store advertises stock at €773.10 (per unit), but this initial figure is deceptive—VAT gets added on in the checkout process, aligning with the aforementioned "best" €919.99 price point.

Lenovo Group Limited (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY), together with its subsidiaries ('the Group'), today reported results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2025/26, a quarter that delivered record revenues, accelerated profitability, and continued AI revenue expansion. During the quarter, overall group revenue reached an all-time fiscal quarter high of US$22.2 billion, up 18% year-on-year, with revenue from all business groups growing double-digit year-on-year. Excluding non-operating non-cash items and one-time gains and charges in Q3 FY24/25 and Q3 FY25/26, adjusted net income (profit attributable to equity holders - non-HKFRS) increased by 36% year-on-year to US$589 million, with adjusted net income margin expanding to 2.7%.

The results demonstrate the Group's ability to deliver on its promise of double-digit growth and sustained profitability, while proving its ability to manage through cycles by leveraging innovation to drive growth and operational excellence to navigate volatility. AI has become a leading multi-year growth engine for the Group, with AI-related revenue growing 72 percent year-on-year to represent nearly a third (32%) of overall Group revenue, driven by strong demand across AI devices, infrastructure, services, and solutions. The quarter was marked by strong topline growth, driven by expanding market leadership in PCs and Smart Devices, record volume and activation in smartphones, and all-time-high revenue from both the Infrastructure Solutions Group, and Services and Solutions Group.

Fosi Audio is keeping discrete sound cards alive by outperforming onboard audio solutions using premium components and professional tuning. The new Fosi Audio C3 is their latest external sound card (DAC + headphones AMP) targeted at PC gamers, bringing not just audio quality and richness that beats motherboard onboard audio solutions, but also AI-powered DSP effects, and physical controls on your desk. Unlike traditional gaming sound cards that rely on fixed EQ boosts, the C3 uses AI models to recognize key in-game sounds, such as footsteps, gunfire, reloads, and directional cues, and dynamically enhance what matters while reducing irrelevant or distracting noise. Rather than simply making certain frequencies louder, the system is designed to identify and prioritize important sounds depending on the gameplay context.

To celebrate this launch, TechPowerUp and Fosi Audio are bringing our readers from around the world a unique opportunity to win one of this. Up for grabs are 10 Fosi Audio C3 AI-powered gaming sound cards (DAC + headphones amp). To participate, simply fill up a short form to help us get back to you if you've won. The giveaway is open from today until February 26th 2026.

For more information, and to participate, visit this page.

It is official: AMD is now capturing 40% of the entire server CPU market revenue share, according to data from Mercury Research. In the final quarter of 2025, AMD EPYC server CPUs managed to capture 41.3% of the revenue in the server/data center market that hyperscalers are spending on. This is a 1.8% increase from Q3 2025 and an impressive 4.9% year-over-year growth in a multi-billion USD data center market. For unit share shipment, AMD now stands at 28.8%, meaning the company is actually selling more SKUs at a higher average selling price. Intel, on the other hand, now holds 71.2% of the unit share while capturing 58.7% of the revenue share, indicating that Intel Xeon processors are now selling for a lower ASP with more units needed to reach this revenue.

The situation in the desktop segment looks interesting as well, with AMD's revenue share in the desktop CPU market now at 42.6%, while the unit share is at 36.4%. Again, this means that AMD's Ryzen processors sell at a higher ASP, nearly capturing half of the desktop CPU revenue with a bit more than a third of the unit sales. This sector also grew 1.6% sequentially, while Ryzen CPUs won the hearts of 14.6% more gamers for a yearly revenue share increase.

Avalue Technology Inc. (TPEx: 3479.TWO), a provider specializing in industrial computer solutions, provides innovative, value-based motherboards that empower industries to enhance operational efficiency. In today's competitive landscape, choosing the right industrial motherboard can significantly boost productivity, streamline operations, and enable faster, more efficient outcomes across various industries. Avalue continues to lead the way in providing cutting-edge motherboard solutions by introducing Intel Panther Lake H Core Ultra (Series 3) H Series Processors motherboard.

Avalue's EMX-PTLP supports up to 64 GB of DDR5 7200 MHz SoDIMM/CSoDIMM max. memory, delivering a significant leap in data processing speeds. Optimized for the burgeoning AI market, the board delivers up to 180 TOPS of AI performance. With the integration of PCIe 5.0, users benefit from doubled bandwidth and ultra-low latency, providing the essential foundation for AI acceleration and high-performance computing (HPC) in embedded applications.

Hey everyone! We—at Sad Cat Studios and Thunderful Publishing—are beyond excited to share that the REPLACED demo is now officially out. It's been a long journey to get here, and we're so incredibly grateful for the support you've shown us - it means the world to us. This is the first time we're putting the game into your hands, and we are so excited to hear what you think—although a little nervous, of course! Thanks for sticking with us. Hope you enjoy your first trip into this world.

In the demo, you will play as R.E.A.C.H., an artificial intelligence trapped in a human body. In an alternate 1980s America reshaped by nuclear catastrophe, Phoenix-City has become one of the Corporation's strongholds - a haven for corruption where outlaws thrive, and human life is traded like currency. Expose the Corporation's hidden agenda and the truth behind your own creation in a journey that blends action-packed rebellion with an intimate exploration of what defines us as humans.

GMKtec has introduced the NucBox G3 Pro mini PC built around Intel's 10th Gen Core i3-10110U processor. The system targets everyday productivity and home use in a small 114 × 106 × 44 mm chassis weighing around 280 grams. The Core i3-10110U features 2 cores and 4 threads, with a base clock of 2.1 GHz and up to 4.1 GHz boost, alongside 4 MB of cache, and is suited for light everyday tasks or for a home NAS device. GMKtec lists configurable power profiles ranging from 8 W (silent mode) to 15 W (performance mode), cooled by a single-fan, single heat pipe design. Graphics are handled by Intel UHD Graphics. For memory, the device features two SO-DIMM slots for up to 64 GB DDR4 (32 GB ×2). The GMKtec NucBox G3 Pro offers dual M.2 slots supporting up to 8 TB. Pre-configured models are available with up to 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD.

For connectivity, the NucBox G3 Pro offers dual HDMI 1.4 outputs supporting dual-display operation (up to 4K at 24 Hz), Wi-Fi 6 (RTL8852BE), Bluetooth 5.2, and a 2.5 GbE LAN port based on Intel's i226 controller. I/O includes four USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a 3.5 mm audio jack, DC input, a reset button, and a security lock slot. Pricing starts at $169.99 for the barebone configuration (no memory, storage, or OS), down from a listed MSRP of $309.99. An 8 GB + 256 GB model is available for $239.99, while the 16 GB + 512 GB variant is priced at $299.99.

The Freezer 4U Series delivers cooling performance for modern data centers with diverse processor architectures and high-performance server CPUs. With its newest addition, the Freezer 4U-OneX, the series is now also fully compatible with AmpereOne processors on the LGA5964 socket. The Freezer 4U-OneX not only includes MX-7 thermal paste which will be applied to the die, but also thermal pads that are placed on the IHS to ensure full thermal coverage.

Thanks to its push-pull fan configuration and large surface, the Freezer 4U-OneX delivers highly efficient heat dissipation. This ensures maximum performance even under heavy workloads. With a compact height of just 151 mm, the single-tower cooler fits seamlessly into standard 4U server cases and larger.

Alphacool International GmbH from Braunschweig is a pioneer in PC water-cooling technology. With one of the most comprehensive product portfolios in the industry and over 20 years of experience, Alphacool is now expanding its portfolio with the Core Distro Plates V.2.

The Core Distro Plate V.2 is the ideal solution for custom water-cooling systems, featuring a revised design that provides greater installation flexibility and simplifies the planning, setup, and maintenance of even complex cooling loops. Chrome-plated brass G1/4" fittings, directly embedded into the acrylic, ensure maximum leak protection and a premium appearance. The reduced depth, optimized port arrangement, and integrated drain port enable short, clean tubing runs and convenient system draining.

Colorful Technology Company Limited, a leading brand in gaming PC components, gaming laptops, and Hi-fi audio products, announces the upcoming launch of its new COLORFUL EVOL P15 gaming laptops, expanding the EVOL lineup with next-generation NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50-series graphics. Designed for gamers, creators, and performance-focused users, the EVOL P15 series combines modern processors, high-refresh-rate displays, and refined industrial styling in a versatile 15.6-inch form factor.

The EVOL P15 series will be available in two configurations, featuring NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 and RTX 5050 Laptop GPUs. Both models emphasize smooth gameplay, responsive multitasking, and color-accurate displays, supported by DDR5 memory, PCIe SSD storage, and advanced cooling solutions. With Windows 11 Home pre-installed alongside WPS productivity software, the EVOL P15 laptops are built to deliver balanced performance for gaming, content creation, and everyday computing.

In Win Development Inc. (InWin), an award-winning innovator in PC chassis design and engineering, today announces the launch of the W50, a new mid-tower panoramic chassis. The W50 combines InWin's signature architectural aesthetic in the shape of a "W" with an expansive interior capacity and advanced thermal management, appealing to a variety of builds.

Iconic W-Shaped Panoramic Glass
The W50 features three tempered glass panels arranged in InWin's distinctive W-shaped split-line configuration, delivering an uninterrupted panoramic view of internal components. Dual-way mirrored glass reveals system hardware when illuminated and while transforming into a refined mirror finish when powered off.

AMD has released AMD Software Adrenalin Edition 26.2.1 Beta drivers adding support for Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, and Nioh 3 games. The update also fixes corrupted cloud rendering in Arc Raiders on Radeon RX 9000 series graphics cards and addresses intermittent application crashes observed in The Finals when ray tracing is enabled on Radeon RX 7000 series GPUs. Several known issues remain such as intermittent crashes or driver timeouts when loading saved games in Cyberpunk 2077 with Path Tracing enabled, as well as instability in Battlefield 6 on Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 systems. Task-switching between media while running Roblox Player (Car Zone Racing & Drifting) may also trigger crashes on RX 7000 series graphics cards. Texture flickering can occur in Battlefield 6 when using AMD Record and Stream on some GPUs.

Additionally, AMD FSR Upscaling and FSR Frame Generation may appear inactive in AMD Software when enabled in Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 on Radeon RX 9000 series products. AMD also notes that the AMD Install Manager may fail to install Optional Drivers, recommending users download the package directly from the release page. AMD says it is actively working with developers to address the remaining issues.

[DOWNLOAD: AMD Software Adrenalin 26.2.1 Beta]

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a global leader in advanced memory technology, today announced that it has begun mass production of its industry-leading HBM4 and has shipped commercial products to customers. This achievement marks a first in the industry, securing an early leadership position in the HBM4 market. By proactively leveraging its most advanced 6th-generation 10 nanometer (nm)-class DRAM process (1c), the company achieved stable yields and industry-leading performance from the outset of mass production—all accomplished seamlessly and without any additional redesigns.

"Instead of taking the conventional path of utilizing existing proven designs, Samsung took the leap and adopted the most advanced nodes like the 1c DRAM and 4 nm logic process for HBM4," said Sang Joon Hwang, Executive Vice President and Head of Memory Development at Samsung Electronics. "By leveraging our process competitiveness and design optimization, we are able to secure substantial performance headroom, enabling us to satisfy our customers' escalating demands for higher performance, when they need them."

Back at CES this year, ASUS ROG announced the Strix OLED XG34WCDMS with an RGB QD-OLED panel and now the company has announced a variant of that same monitor, called the Strix OLED XG34WCDMTG, which oddly enough seems to be available ahead of the model announced at CES. The TG appears to stand for TV Google or something along those lines, as the XG34WCDMTG is ASUS's first gaming monitor with built-in Google TV support. We've already seen several monitors from both LG and Samsung that integrate TV functionality, but this appears to be one of the first, if not the first gaming monitor with Google TV support. The XG34WCDMTG comes with a version of Google TV based on Android 14 and comes with GeForce NOW as a pre-installed app, although we're unsure who would buy this to use the game streaming service over their PC.

Other Google TV specific features include Wi-Fi 6 support, a remote control, voice control and wireless projection. As far as the monitor specifications are concerned, the XG34WCDMTG sports a 34-inch, 3440 x 1440 RGB QD-OLED panel with an 1800R curvature with a typical brightness of 250 nits, but it can peak at 1000 nits in HDR mode. The panel has a maximum refresh rate of 240 Hz and it has a 0.03 grey to grey response time. The port selection consists of two HDMI 2.1 ports with FRL support, one DP 1.4, one USB Type-C with DP Alt mode and 90 W USB PD support, a pair of USB 2.0 ports and a headphone jack. The stand supports tilt, swivel and height adjustment. The XG34WCDMTG is currently sold on Amazon in the US for US$1,199, which according to Notebook Check is a US$200 premium over the XG34WCDMS.

The custom mechanical keyboard scene is known for high prices and exotic materials, but CannonKeys's latest announcement, a wood Bakeneko65 keyboard, takes this one step further with a $380 starting price for a bespoke wood case and PCB kit. The Bakeneko65 is an existing model from CannonKeys—and one of the more affordable kits, mind you—but the Wood Bakeneko65, as it's called on the site, is a collaboration between Seattle-based workshop, Functional.co, that adds a premium touch to an otherwise simple keyboard design. The design sticks to the traditional tray-mounted design of the Bakeneko65, but CannonKeys will include O-rings for mounting, and it will have an FR4 plate, and the wood will be finished with a Rubio Monocoat Pure 2C oil with a hardener. The keyboard will also come in a "custom wooden box."

The Wood Bakeneko65's case will be a two-part design, with an outer case and an inner case, the latter of which is sort of a bezel or frame for the keyboard itself. The outer case is made from maple, but users can choose between maple, walnut, purple heart, and paduak wood for the inner case. It will be available with both the wired and wireless Bakeneko65 PCB, and the kit will come in at $380 for the maple or walnut inner case or $410 for the purple heart or paduak inner case. Adding wireless functionality also brings the aforementioned prices up by $10. The Wood Bakeneko65 has not yet launched properly, but it will be available as a group buy on the CannonKeys website "soon."

With the increasing price of gaming memory and silicon in general, it was only a matter of time before we saw gaming laptop manufacturers lean into hardware rentals as a business model, for better or worse. HP seems to be leading the pack with a newly announced hardware subscription service, called the Omen Gaming Subscription, that offers gamers rentals of HP Omen gaming laptops and even gaming accessories, like monitors, headphones, microphones, USB hubs, and HyperX gaming mice. The subscription is charged monthly, but HP locks you into a 12-month minimum contract term, with cancellation fees between $549.99 and $1,429.99 after two months of use with a device return. If you want to keep the device, you'll need to pay a flat rate of $1,199 for the Victus 15 and $3,299 for the Omen Max 16, seemingly regardless of how long you've been subscribed to the service.

The subscription starts at $49.99 with the "Everyday Gaming with Great Performance" HP Victus 15 with an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS, 16 GB of DDR5-5600, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU; the $79.99 "Immersive Gaming Experiences" plan gets you an Omen 17 laptop with a Ryzen AI 7 350, RTX 5060 8 GB Laptop GPU, 32 GB of DDR5-5600 memory, and 1 TB of PCIe storage; and the $129.99 "High-End Gaming with no Compromises" plan comes with an Omen Max 16 with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, NVIDIA RTX 5080 16 GB Laptop GPU, 32 GB of DDR5-5600, and 1 TB of PCIe storage. Subscription requires a soft credit check, and the service renews annually, with new hardware available with each renewal. HP also offers a 30-day trial and an ongoing warranty, all of which is very reminiscent of HP's infamous All-In printer subscription, which starts at $7.99 per month for 20 pages of printing with a two-year commitment. Needless to say, the whole hardware subscription model has largely been met with criticism in online spaces like r/pcmasterrace, with some users calling it a scam and others recalling the time when NZXT was ripped to shreds online for a similar business model.

MSI, a global leader in high-performance PC hardware and enterprise solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with Mondu to launch flexible Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) payment solutions across its Business E-Shop. This collaboration empowers business clients to secure premium hardware immediately while maintaining peak financial agility. By offering a choice of Net-30 day terms or 3-month installment plans, MSI is transforming the B2B procurement experience—eliminating budget friction and optimizing working capital. This move allows enterprises to remain agile, enabling them to scale their IT infrastructure in alignment with their long-term vision despite evolving market conditions.

As B2B procurement shifts online, the demand for a seamless, "B2C-like" checkout experience has never been higher. MSI recognizes that high upfront costs often hinder businesses from upgrading critical infrastructure. By integrating Mondu, MSI eliminates these financial barriers, allowing clients to access instant, flexible payment terms through a straightforward approval process, ensuring a hassle-free journey for business clients.

The latest move in Epic Games's ongoing fight against cheaters in Fortnite sees the gaming giant implement hardware-level security in Easy Anti-Cheat implementation, at least for those players looking to participate in tournaments. As of February 18, 2026, tournament players will need to enable TPM, Secure Boot, and IOMMU in order to participate in competitive matches. Fortnite is only the latest game to require TPM and Secure Boot, with both Call of Duty Black Ops 7 and Battlefield 6 calling for the hardware security measures.

Fortnite may be one of the first mainstream games to adopt the IOMMU, which is a memory integrity feature that is generally used to prevent direct memory access—although some competitive gaming platforms have also required the memory security tool as a safeguard against cheating. Gamers who do not meet the new anti-cheat requirements, which Epic Games says make up less than 5% of PC players, will still be able to access regular Fortnite matches, but they will not be able to participate in competitive tournaments. With the renewed crack-down on cheating and increased reliance on kernel-level anti-cheat, it's safe to say that Fortnite will not be getting Steam Deck support anytime soon. There have also been reports that enabling IOMMU can cause performance degradation in some games running on Windows, although the impact seems to vary from build to build.

In our previous reviews of Zowie gaming mice, like the EC3-C, we praised the company for its low click latency, but the company recently released a firmware update to its DW-series wireless gaming mice, adding an optional performance mode to the relevant gaming peripherals. Performance mode can be enabled by holding down the left mouse button while turning the mouse on, and by all accounts, there are measurable improvements to click latency thanks to the new firmware.

AimAdept, a popular mouse reviewer, tested the new firmware mode on his Zowie ZA13-DW in 4 kHz polling mode with an Xlat latency tester and measured a click latency as low as 0.468 ms compared to 3.898 ms on the previous firmware with "Fast response" mode enabled. Whether this will make a measurable improvement to in-game performance is questionable, but at least Zowie users will know that it's not their mouse click latency causing them to miss headshots. This new firmware comes shortly after Logitech officially released the new G Pro X2 Superstrike, which uses inductive switches that can reduce click latency by a claimed 30 ms compared to traditional mechanical switches.

Mesa 26.0.0, the latest update to the open-source Linux graphics driver stack, has officially been released, and the new release promises a number of improvements to stability and performance, especially for gamers on AMD Radeon GPUs via Vulkan ray tracing in the RADV driver. There has also been done to the open-source NVK driver for NVIDIA GPUs, Intel Iris and ANV drivers, and support for the Qualcomm Adreno Gen 8 graphics for Snapdragon X2 SoCs has been added. In a recent blog post ahead of the official driver release, Natalie Vock, a developer working on Mesa, explained the more technical aspects of the update and their implications.

The most notable mentions include changes to shader compilation and function calls that make RADV work more efficiently in ray tracing—a change especially notable on Unreal Engine games, according to the developer. The developer notes that in Ghostwire Tokyo, RT passes have been sped up by more than two times. While this won't translate directly to a 200% performance increase, and the effect won't be identical across all games, it means that the ray tracing experience on Linux is catching up to Windows. There are also improvements to Unreal Engine 5 performance, specifically relating to Lumen ray tracing, where a number of tweaks and workarounds effectively make the driver work more efficiently with the feature set.

Discord recently announced its age verification system, which would set all current user accounts to a teen-appropriate account mode by default unless the user's age is verified by an inference model or by submitting a selfie video or government ID. The backlash in online circles was notable, with some decrying the move because of privacy concerns after Discord's age verification partner already suffered a leak in October 2025. The announcement also reportedly resulted in a surge in searches for alternatives to the platform.

According to Google Trends search analytics, the search volumes for "Discord alternative" skyrocketed immediately after the announcement of the new age verification policy on February 9. Popular related searches also show a rise in search popularity for alternatives like Matrix, Root, Stoat (previously Revolt), Ventrilo, and even TeamSpeak, while a post in r/pcmasterrace on Reddit suggesting that gamers need a "proper Discord alternative" has 16,000 upvotes and over 2,000 comments, with most commenters in agreement, and many suggesting Stoat for its open-source development. Others have chimed in lamenting not only the age verification requirements but also the decline in quality of Discord and the aggressive monetization that has become popular on Discord lately.

NVIDIA released a hotfix version 11.0.6.386 for its app that addresses a serious issue where users were unable to access advanced Optimus MUX switch options. These options were reportedly grayed out during random MUX switch scenarios. As a reminder, NVIDIA Optimus technology is designed to switch between integrated and dedicated graphics within the system to conserve power. This feature is not used on desktop systems but on laptop PCs that have an iGPU from an Intel or AMD processor and a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GPU. During light workloads, such as basic image display, the iGPU is used, which saves laptop battery due to its low power consumption. However, when demanding graphics tasks are running, NVIDIA uses a MUX switch to activate its dedicated GPU for heavier workloads. In the previous NVIDIA app version, users reported that some advanced Optimus MUX switch options were "grayed out" during random MUX switch scenarios. The issue has now been isolated, and users can either update the NVIDIA app from the software itself or download it from the link below, which is a direct link to NVIDIA's .exe file.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA App Hotfix 11.0.6.386

Intel's 10 years of integrated graphics have yielded massive performance improvements, according to recent testing by Phoronix. The latest testing shows that moving from Intel Gen 9 integrated graphics in the "Kaby Lake" CPUs introduced in 2016 to the modern Intel Arc B390 with Xe3 cores in "Panther Lake," results in a 12x performance boost and a 8x performance-per-watt efficiency increase. This is remarkable progress for Intel's iGPU team, delivering steady performance improvements year-over-year, with a significant boost in recent years. Phoronix tested iGPUs of top-end Core models, including: Core i7 8550U "Kaby Lake," Core i7 8565U "Whiskey Lake," Core i7 1065G7 "Ice Lake," Core i7 1185G7 "Tiger Lake," Core i7 1280P "Alder Lake," Core Ultra 7 155H "Meteor Lake," Core Ultra 7 258V "Lunar Lake," and finally the Core Ultra X7 358H "Panther Lake" processor.

The oldest among these is the "Kaby Lake" generation, which utilized Intel UHD Graphics 620 on Gen 9 architecture, while the newest is Intel's most powerful creation to date—Arc B390 based on Xe3 cores. Comparing the 14 nm FinFET Intel node to the TSMC N3E node reveals a massive gap not only in performance but also in efficiency. In the geometric mean of all test results, Intel has achieved an 11.97x performance improvement from the 14 nm Gen 9 iGPU era to the modern 3 nm Xe3 iGPU era. This performance increase is accompanied by a significant efficiency gain, resulting from new nodes and more work done per watt, which Phoronix calculated to be 8x. While the "Lunar Lake" platform is the smaller power consumer with an average power draw of 13.82 W and a maximum of 36.97 W, "Panther Lake" uses a slightly higher average of 26.86 W and a maximum draw of 55.59 W for nearly twice the result.

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ADLINK Technology Inc., a global leader in edge AI computing, announced the expansion of its product portfolio with four high-performance, server-class edge AI systems—the ISB-W890 server board, and the AXE-7440GW, AXE-7420GWA, and AXE-7220GW GPU servers. This new lineup is purpose-built on the Intel Xeon 600 processors, complementing ADLINK's existing Edge AI platforms by addressing more compute-intensive workloads, enabling high-end, real-time vision processing, advanced analytics, and large-scale generative AI at the edge.

As industries move beyond AI pilots, the demand for server-class performance at the edge is growing rapidly, particularly for real-time visual intelligence and on-site generative AI inference. ADLINK's Edge AI servers support high-end vision processing and analytics—including VLA workloads—making them ideal for demanding environments like medical imaging, robotics, and smart factory AOI, where latency, accuracy, and reliability are critical.

MSI has released MSI Afterburner 4.6.7 Beta 2, adding support for its upcoming GeForce RTX 5090 Lightning series and introducing new PSU-level protection features tied to 16-pin (12VHPWR / 12V-2×6) power connectors. The headline addition is integration with MSI's GPU Safeguard+ system, available on select MEG Ai1x00 and MPG Ai1x00TS power supplies. A new PSU.dll plugin enables telemetry monitoring directly inside Afterburner, including voltage, current, power, temperature, efficiency, and fan speed. Supported MPG units can also report per-pin current data for 12VHPWR and 12V-2×6 connectors. If overcurrent or current imbalance is detected on the 16-pin connector, the app will load reduce the GPU power limit (typically to 75% on NVIDIA GPUs, 25% on AMD GPUs) and display an on-screen warning, allowing users to inspect the cable connection. Sound alerts can also be enabled.

Beyond PSU integration, Afterburner 4.6.7 Beta 2 updates the Voltage/Frequency curve editor with zoom and pan controls, adjustable node sizes, and improved curve manipulation with preserved per-point offsets. While adding support for upcoming RTX 5090 Lightning cards in advance is nice, the more notable addition is the monitoring-to-action pipeline that links PSU connector telemetry directly to automatic GPU power reduction in case of a fault.

BenQ, a global leader in display and collaboration solutions, today announced the InstaShow VS25, a wireless conferencing system built to make hybrid meetings easier and smoother. Designed for corporate meeting rooms and executive spaces, the VS25 delivers app-free, hardware-based wireless conferencing with ultra-low-latency performance for easy in-room and remote collaboration.

As more organizations adopt hybrid work, modern conference rooms must support easy in-room collaboration and reliable participation for remote attendees. While wireless presentation has become standard, many wireless conferencing solutions still rely on CPU-intensive Bring Your Own Meeting (BYOM) apps layered on top of popular video conferencing platforms. This creates performance bottlenecks, security exposure, and friction for guests.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of edge computing solutions, industrial motherboards, graphics cards, storage devices, and memory solutions, is excited to introduce its latest DDR5 16 GB UDIMM memory, available in 4800 and 5600 MT variants. Designed with a focus on stability, efficiency, and broad system compatibility, the new DDR5 memory delivers reliable performance across everyday computing and professional applications.

Designed to support a wide range of computing environments, BIOSTAR DDR5 16 GB UDIMM memory offers a balanced and dependable solution for every day and professional use. From home entertainment and office productivity to HTPC systems, NAS deployments, system integration projects, content creation, and casual to mid-range gaming, this memory delivers smooth multitasking and consistent system responsiveness across diverse workloads.

Microsoft's Windows 11 26H1 update, initially expected to offer only new silicon support without a host of new features, is now dedicated exclusively to new and upcoming Arm-based processors like the Snapdragon X2 Elite/Plus. This marks a significant shift in Windows 11's development path—a first divergence in Windows deployment in the recent timeline, and a first for Windows 11. As a result, regular PC users with x86-64 and older Arm-based platforms will continue to use the Windows 11 25H2 as a feature update. According to the latest Windows IT Pro Blog, "Windows 11, version 26H1 is not a feature update for version 25H2," indicating that a different version will serve as the next feature update for Windows 11, rather than the anticipated 26H1.

Microsoft is concentrating on providing full support for the new Windows-on-Arm platforms, some of which are already available. These platforms include Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite processors and NVIDIA's N1 and N1x SoCs. This new hardware requires optimization from Microsoft to ensure the best experience on Windows 11, so the company is dedicating most of its efforts for the 26H1 update to this task. Since new silicon requires fine-tuning, such as specific power profiles and hardware optimizations to extract maximum performance, Microsoft is separating Windows 11 into another branch to make sure that servicing and updates are easier, and also that shipping customized power/performance settings doesn't end up corrupting the build for non-Arm CPUs.

Intel is preparing to launch its next generation Core Ultra Series 4 "Nova Lake" processors in the second half of 2026. We have some hint on what the sizes of the Compute tiles of these chips could measure. "Nova Lake" remains a tile-based disaggregated chip, just like the current "Arrow Lake," with the most advanced foundry node being allocated only to the components that can benefit the most from it, the CPU cores. The CPU complex of the processor is located in the Compute tile, while low-power island E-cores are located on the SoC tile that's built on a slightly older foundry node.

Intel is building the Compute tile of "Nova Lake" on the TSMC N2 (2 nm nanosheet) foundry node. There will be different types of Compute tiles based on the CPU core count and cache sizes. The two most popular ones for the desktop platform will be the mainstream tile with 8P+16E core configuration and a standard L3 cache size shared among the eight P-cores and four E-core clusters. The second, more premium Compute tile type will be 8P+16E with bLLC, or big last-level cache. bLLC is an enlarged L3 cache that's estimated to be 3-4 times the size of the regular L3 cache. This is Intel's answer to AMD's 3D V-Cache. Estimates put the regular Compute tile to measure around 110 mm², while the premium variant with bLLC is estimated to measure over 150 mm². This 36% increase in die-area is entirely from the enlarged last-level cache.

BenQ, global innovator of visual display technology and digital lifestyle devices, today premiered MA270S and MA320UG, new MA Series flagships that redefine what a Mac display can be, bringing a sense of ease, clarity, and thoughtful design to modern Mac lifestyles. Designed for those who expect more than what's built in, the 2026 BenQ MA Series delivers the effortless simplicity Mac users love, now with BenQ's decades-long display expertise. With Mac-tuned colour, smoother motion, and design language that feels native to the Apple ecosystem, the MA Series expands creative freedom and everyday efficiency beyond familiar limits.

"We designed the new MA Series with Mac users in mind - something that doesn't just connect, but enhances," said Peter Huang, President of BenQ Corporation. "These monitors bring true Mac colours to life with smoother motion and smarter workflows, helping users work and create with greater freedom than ever before."

TrendForce's latest smartphone industry research predicts that soaring memory prices are set to weigh heavily on global smartphone production in 2026. Total output is forecast to decline 10% YoY to approximately 1.135 billion units. With memory prices showing no clear signs of easing, the growing gap between higher retail prices and consumer price tolerance is expected to further dampen end demand.

Under a bear-case scenario, TrendForce warns that the annual contraction in global smartphone production could widen to 15% or more. The extent of the impact, however, will vary by brand, depending on differences in product mix and regional exposure.

GAMEMAX, a rising innovator in PC gaming hardware, today announced the launch of the NEX C51 and NEX C31, two new panoramic PC cases designed to combine premium showcase aesthetics, advanced cooling support, and modern connectivity at an accessible price point. Built for gamers and PC builders who want their hardware on full display, the NEX C51 and NEX C31 feature a pillar-free panoramic design with dual tempered glass panels, delivering a clean and uninterrupted view of internal components. With strong hardware compatibility and pre-installed ARGB cooling, the new NEX series is engineered to deliver exceptional value without compromise.

The GAMEMAX NEX C51 Panoramic ATX PC Case is designed for builders seeking a spacious, high-impact chassis that highlights premium components while maintaining excellent airflow. Its internal layout separates major heat-generating components from the power supply and cables, improving airflow efficiency and simplifying cable management.

TSMC just reported its January 2026 revenue results, with a net revenue of NT$401.26 billion (about $12.763 billion), an increase of 19.8% from December 2025 and an increase of 36.8% from January 2025. While these results are impressive, TSMC will have to spend more to keep customers coming back, and its board has just approved a $44.962 billion package to expand and upgrade its semiconductor facilities in 2026. This is a record capital expenditure for TSMC, indicating that the AI boom and sustained demand from its mobile customers are enough to keep the capital expenditure increasing every year. Originally, the plans included spending about $17.141 billion in Q1 of 2025, $15.247 billion in Q2, $20.657 billion in Q3, and $14.981 billion in Q4. However, most of these funds will actually be spent in 2026. Less than the new $45 billion figure was spent in 2025, making the new 2026 CapEx target the largest one to date.

TSMC's plans for this massive figure include expanding production capacity with hundreds of thousands of wafers per month, distributed across mature, current, and next-generation advanced nodes. Interestingly, mature node capacity is as important as maintaining the current node production, as entire industries like the automotive industry rely on TSMC's production and advanced packaging to satisfy all market needs. The current plan is to allocate about 70-80% of the new $45 billion package towards advanced nodes, with about 10-20% going to advanced packaging and mask making. The remaining 10% will be used for specialty technology expansion, likely including silicon photonics and other technologies.

Blizzard recently announced a bunch of new heroes alongside a slew of structural and gameplay changes coming in a new update at the start of 2026's season 1. One of the characters announced to be landing in the season 1 update, Anran, received some backlash from the community, who called her design generic and samey. Compared to a previous appearance in the character trailer for her younger brother, her character design had objectively been softened from the blunter, bolder facial features shown—a change that was criticized by the character's voice actor, who posted a video on X in which she said the character's design "Ozempic chic" and said that it had let down an audience who was expecting a character who breaks the mold.

In a recent response to the community backlash, Overwatch game director, Aaron Keller, has said that Blizzard would be working on Anran's design to make her "look and feel more like the fierce older sister that we all envisioned her to be." Keller clarifies that he believes Blizzard can make the character even better than she is in her current iteration, but he does not have any specific details regarding what changes will be made until testing has been done. While many celebrated the commitment to community feedback, not all Overwatch fans were pleased by the announcement, with some users on X saying that the move is capitulation to manipulative culture and that the announcement of a redesign has caused them to lose interest in the game.

Applied Materials, Inc., the leader in materials engineering for the semiconductor industry, today introduced new deposition, etch and materials modification systems that boost the performance of leading-edge logic chips at 2 nm and beyond. The technologies supercharge AI compute through atomic-scale improvements to the most fundamental electronic building block - the transistor.

The transition to Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistors is a major industry inflection and a critical enabler of the energy-efficient computing needed to deliver more powerful AI chips. As 2 nm-class GAA chips ramp to volume production this year, Applied is introducing new material innovations to enhance next-generation GAA transistors for angstrom nodes. The combined impact of the new chipmaking systems contributes a significant portion of the total energy-efficient performance gains of GAA process node transitions.

Marathon is slated to launch on March 6, 2026, but a handful of influencers in China have apparently already been testing the game out ahead of the official launch, according to a post on Reddit and UCG on YouTube. The post and YouTube review detail some of the reports from the hands-on testing, revealing both in-game content and some first impressions about gameplay. First off, it's notable that the game has received a massive visual overhaul in terms of assets and UI, which is something the Marathon dev team has already shown off in previews and gameplay teasers, but the game world is overall much darker and more mysterious. The first-hand experiences in the post claim that there is deep world-building with a focus on the narrative and personalities in the game. The PvE is reportedly "extremely challenging," with enemy AI proactively calling in reinforcements to keep up the pressure, offering players little rest between combat encounters.

That's not to say players should expect to be getting buddy-buddy with other players, since the loot game pushes players to see each other as an easy way to grab loot. The reviewer also suggests that Marathon will seemingly emphasize the late game experience rather than encouraging early PvP and combat. Players are instead encouraged by the game systems to focus on completing missions, levelling up base stats, and upgrading gear before heading into combat situations. According to the reviewer, there will be decent variety when it comes to weapons and skills, and the skill balance is well tuned between the seven different character classes we know of so far. There are apparently 28 guns in the game, each with at least two skins, and the ability to change the gun model in some cases. Some additional information posted in the comments from the Chinese game event claim that there will be "more verticality than players expect," and that completing faction quests can unlock permanent map shortcuts between zones. There is also apparently an in-game creature called the Anomaly, which will be able to reshape the map mid-game. One source also claims that, in one game, there were three teams of six players each, bringing it up to 18 players per match.

Trust announces the launch of the new Seron Slim Multi-Wireless Hyperscroll Mouse - combining a portable design with ultimate productivity, this wireless mouse is the ideal companion for professionals who work across multiple devices and locations.

At just 31 mm in height, the Seron's ultra-thin design easily slips into any bag, whilst its premium metal hyperscroll wheel with tilt function makes navigating through lengthy documents and spreadsheets effortless. Whether scrolling vertically through reports and webpages or horizontally across data tables, users can work more efficiently throughout the day.

SilverStone has quietly expanded its comprehensive range of CPU cooling solutions with a myriad of brand-new designs, across both air and liquid cooling lines. A pair of 2U small form factor server/workstation CPU cooling solutions have gained the most media attention. As expected, the Taiwanese manufacturer has not issued any press material for this pair of freshly introduced AMD-oriented products. The SST-XE02-AM5B cooler's naming scheme clearly states that it is intended for deployment on Team Red's AM5 socket, although SilverStone's specification sheet mentions compatibility with the older AM4 platform. The SST-XE02-TR5B SKU's credentials list support of AMD's sTR5, SP6, TR4, and SP3 socket types.

The newest AM5B and TR5B models share similar traits; mainly a provision of five 6 mm heat-pipes combined with aluminium fins—marketed as offering "excellent heat conducting efficiency"—and a centrally-positioned 60 mm PWM dual ball bearing fan. This fan model's specification sheet lists an RPM range of 2000 to 14,000, a 72.8 CFM maximum airflow rating, and max. air pressure of 47.18 mmH2O. Mean Time To Failure (MTTF) is estimated at 70,000 operational hours. Despite featuring the same fan, the two low-profile SST-XE02 models deviate in terms of CPU TDP ratings—the AM5/AM4 compatible cooler is rated up to 170 W, while the ever so slightly larger/heavier sibling (sTR5/SP6/TR4/SP3) is capable of tempering up to 350 W. Naturally, the more capable unit is tasked with handling (for example) EPYC 8004 and Ryzen Threadripper 7000 processors.

On February 28, Monster Hunter Wilds will celebrate its first anniversary, and Capcom will be marking the occasion with a sizeable new content update that will introduce performance improvements and a slew of in-game events throughout February and March. Update 1.041, which lands on February 18, delivers the new missions, monsters, weapons, and rewards, alongside the aforementioned anniversary events. Monster Hunter Wilds producer, Ryozo Tsujimoto, announced the new update in a video posted on the official Monster Hunter YouTube channel. Tsujimoto also announced that Capcom is working on a new expansion for Monster Hunter Wilds that is on the same level as Iceborne and Sunbreak for Monster Hunter Worlds and Rise. Given the direct comparison, it's likely that this will also be a premium paid expansion coming in at around the same $39.99 price point as the aforementioned Worlds expansions. Aside from sharing that more details will arrive "this summer," meaning between June and August, no details have been shared about the contents of the new update, but the comparison also suggests we will see it launch with a new locale with a new hub, missions, and enemies.

The February 2026 update will add a new boss, the Arch-tempered Arkveld, a monster available to hunters above rank 100, in its own 10-star event quest alongside special 10-star quests featuring all four previous Arch-tempered monsters and rare rewards. Completing the Arch-tempered Arkveld quest will unlock a special optional hunt-a-thon quest pitting players against all four Arch-tempered monsters in a single quest. The update also makes the winning sword and pendant from the weapon design contest available to everyone as a special event quest reward. There will also be a collaboration with Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, and the anniversary events will make all previous time-specific event rewards available again through a weekly rotation of previous seasonal events. The anniversary events and collaboration will feature new and fun twists on existing quests to match the Festival of Accord vibes, with matching Stories rewards. The event festivities will last for a month, from February 18 to March 19, and there will be special one-time event rewards. The development team has also analyzed game data and prepared a special limited-time event featuring a buffed version of the least-hunted monster in the game, with the quest again delivering special cosmetics and rewards. Tsujimoto says that Capcom still has more in-store for Monster Hunter fans that it will reveal closer to the anniversary event start date.

Hello everyone! The twenty-something devs at Vermila Studios would like to thank you very much for your interest in Crisol: Theater of Idols. Today is an incredible day because, after more than five years under development, we can see everyone experiencing the game. Do not hesitate to leave a review, they are very encouraging and help us improve the game within our abilities. We hope Tormentosa surprises and terrifies you equally, and that your blood will protect you from all evil. Go for it, good luck!

Crisol: Theater of Idols is a first-person horror/action game set in Hispania, a twisted version of Spain. Play as Gabriel, a soldier who uses blood as both weapon and lifeline. Explore the cursed island of Tormentosa, uncover dark secrets, and battle horrifying enemies. Will you survive? Crisol is developed by Vermila Studios, and published by Blumhouse Games.

According to fresh news reports ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) has just announced the initiation of HBM3 module mass manufacturing activities. The Chinese computer memory maker is slowly catching up with more mainstream international rivals—most notably, South Korean companies started full production of fourth-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM3) products back in 2023. Over the past year, CXMT has demonstrated improved capabilities across a promising range of (mostly) commercial lines—for example, their proprietary DDR5 and LPDDR5X designs were showcased in preview form, last November. By early February (2026), the likes of ASUS, Acer, Dell, and HP were reportedly weighing up the sourcing of CXMT consumer-grade memory products.

The first signs of CXMT's diversification into the development of "homegrown" HBM3 modules were divulged by industry insiders, last May. By early autumn, a joint venture—involving YMTC—seemed to pave the way for an acceleration of the Chinese industry's overall HBM manufacturing footprint. Huawei's newest/futuristic Ascend AI accelerator relies on "in-house" HBM tech, due to global sanctions preventing the supply of cutting-edge Micron, Samsung, SK Hynix components to Chinese firms. An MK South Korea reports cites recent information disclosed by an anonymous source, regarding a secret partnership: "Huawei, which is leading the development of AI semiconductors in China, is developing HBM together with CXMT. It is expected to enter mass production despite (talk of) low yield(s)." Further inside track info posits that CXMT is planning a per month output of 60,000 wafers for "HBM3 production." This impressive guesstimate allegedly accounts for about 20% of the memory maker's total manufacturing capacity of 300,000 wafers per month, at least for 2026.

Intel and Google published the results of a significant joint security review of Intel Trust Domain Extensions (Intel TDX). The five-month engagement between Intel's INT31 research team and Google Cloud Security focused on hardening Intel TDX Module 1.5, the core software responsible for managing confidential virtual machines. The review identified five vulnerabilities and 35 other weaknesses or areas for improvement. According to Intel, all five vulnerabilities were patched in the latest code version released to partners.

Intel TDX represents a shift in data center security. Unlike traditional virtualization, where the hypervisor has full access to guest data, TDX creates "Trust Domains" (TDs), or hardware-isolated virtual machines. These are cryptographically isolated from the hosting infrastructure using Intel's Secure Arbitration Mode (SEAM). The system relies on the Intel TDX Module, a digitally signed software shim running in SEAM. It enforces security policies that hardware alone cannot handle. Because a compromise of this module could theoretically bypass the system's isolation guarantees, it is a critical verification target.

Each week, new games and apps integrating NVIDIA DLSS, NVIDIA Reflex, and advanced ray-traced effects are released or announced, delivering the definitive PC experience for GeForce RTX players.

This week, both High On Life 2 and Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties are launching with support for DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation. And Reniamal launches February 13th with DLSS Super Resolution. And our Resident Evil Requiem GeForce RTX 50 Series Bundle is available now.

Intel's upcoming Core Ultra Series 4 "Nova Lake-S" could be the company's first desktop processor series to offer Microsoft Copilot+ native acceleration capability. The NPU of "Nova Lake" offers throughput of 74 TOPS, far exceeding the 40 TOPS required by Copilot+. Intel already met this with its "Lunar Lake" mobile processors, but its current "Arrow Lake-S" and upcoming "Arrow Lake-S Refresh" processors only do 13 TOPS as they implement an older generation NPU carried over from "Meteor Lake."

This is not to say that all desktop processor models of "Nova Lake-S" offer 74 TOPS, some could offer lower throughput, but there's plenty of product segmentation room for Intel to ensure that even its cheapest retail model offers at least 40 TOPS to meet Copilot+ requirements. AMD might end up beating Intel to the title of first socketed desktop processor with a Copilot+ capable NPU. The company could launch its Ryzen AI 400 series "Gorgon Point" Socket AM5 APUs sooner than Intel's rumored late-2026 debut of the Core Ultra Series 4 desktop processors.

Carbice, a leader in vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes and manufacturing assembly solutions for advanced computing and power systems, today announced a strategic partnership with DarkNX, a global digital infrastructure company building next-generation AI data centers optimized for high-density workloads. Through the partnership, Carbice becomes a system-level solutions expert in data center design, with interface assembly and material expertise, and long-term performance validation to support next-generation AI infrastructure at scale.

Under the partnership, Carbice will support DarkNX and its customers' data center development projects with expertise and data collection through the Carbice Lab, a recognized center of thought leadership in thermal interface reliability. Carbice will work alongside other partners whose technology was selected as a core element of DarkNX's recently announced 300MW data center campus in Ontario, Canada. Together, DarkNX, Carbice, and others will support performance and reliability from chip-level cooling through critical thermal, mechanical, and electrical interfaces that impact long-term uptime and hardware life, and lower the cost to OEMs of building servers.

ChintzyPC, a new member of the TechPowerUp community, has kindly shared their experience of picking up an unreleased "Ampere" generation engineering sample. Their forum debut appeared in the form a very in-depth exploration of NVIDIA's very rare GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 20 GB model. Late last year a scruffy yet fairly official-looking ASUS ROG Strix non-Ti variant turned up via the Chinese second-hand market. Fortuntely, ChintzyPC has acquired a comparatively pristine example of Team Green's Founders Edition design. GA102 GPU-based GeForce RTX 3080 Ti and 3080 (non-Ti) 20 GB cards are unusual prospects, given that NVIDIA has not officially disclosed the existence of these past-gen models. TechPowerUp's GPU database lists the former, with a release date of January 2022 and a $1199 (USD) MSRP, but the GeForce RTX 3080 (non-Ti) 20 GB SKU remains unregistered.

ChintzyPC recounted an acquaintance's purchasing of two "3080 Ti 20 GB Engineering Samples" via a local seller, to the tune of $200 per unit. Surprisingly, the cards turned up in formal packaging, complete with a sticker that bears model codes, serial numbers, and barcodes. They note that not much confidence was inspired when the vendor disappeared soon after processing their friend's orders. ChintzyPC's write-up details a "mix of teardown notes, benching results, and general observations, while figuring out what exactly this thing is and how it behaves." After initial tinkering sessions, ChintzyPC concluded that their latest curio is an: "unreleased (GeForce) RTX 3080 Ti 20 GB engineering sample with GA102-250 on a hybrid (RTX) 3090-style PCB. 320-bit bus, requires patched driver. Gaming performance sits around a GeForce RTX 3080 (non-Ti) 12 GB. Compute workloads crash. Overclocks normally but firmware is heavily locked down. Very strange card, (but) a fun one to dig into...In case anyone wonders (whether) there is an uploaded version of this VGA BIOS, (it is available) here (through TPU's collection)." A commenter (Dr. Do) and VideoCardz reckon that only a limited batch of retail-grade MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 20 GB cards seeped out via back channel avenues in 2021—only within Russian territories.

On your Windows PC, the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) firmware has a Secure Boot Certificate that mandates only verified software starts the boot-up sequence. Microsoft is preparing to refresh these certificates, and the company announced that millions of Windows PCs in circulation will receive new Secure Boot Certificates in an industry-wide gradual rollout to replace aging certificates that are expiring soon. According to the latest Windows Blog, the original Secure Boot Certificates introduced way back in 2011 are reaching the end of their planned lifecycle, with the expiration date set for late June 2026. This not only mandates updating but also requires a massive staged rollout from OEMs and Microsoft's partners to ensure that all Windows devices stay secure.

According to Microsoft, this is one of the largest industry collaborations that spans the Windows ecosystem, including servicing, firmware updates, and countless device configurations from OEMs and other hardware makers. Firmware makers are at the center with their UEFI BIOS patches, which will now have to replace their aging Secure Boot Certificates. The blog also states that OEMs have been provisioning updated certificates on their new devices, with some devices from 2024 and almost all PCs from 2025 updated to support the new certificate. Interestingly, older PCs and devices that were shipped prior to these years will also be taken care of, with major OEMs providing their own guidance on updating the certificate. If you don't see your OEM offering an update, be patient as the rollout is gradual.

Kysona is known for its affordable, high-performance gaming peripherals, having previously launched the Jupiter and Mercury wireless symmetrical gaming mice, which weigh in at 40-46 g, and the brand has now announced the Saturn series gaming mice, which bring the same sensor and MCU hardware found in the aforementioned symmetrical models into an ergonomic shell. The Saturn series comes in two flavors: the more expensive Pro model, which comes with a PixArt PAW 3395 sensor and a bigger 500 mAh battery, and the Saturn SE, which uses the PixArt PAW 3311 sensor, ditches the 8 kHz polling, features a different coating, and comes in around 2 g lighter for it—56 g for the SE, 58 g for the Pro.

The Saturn gaming mice use a shell design reminiscent of something like the Razer Basilisk V3 or the more recent Mchose G7 series—that is to say, the Saturn shell is a right-handed ergonomic gaming mouse with a thumb rest. Kysona suggests that the shape is optimized for palm and claw grips and that the "ice-feeling coating" is resistant to sweat and helps maintain grip during intense gaming sessions. The Saturn measures in at 126 × 75 × 41 mm, making it 4 mm shorter than the Aforementioned Razer Basilisk and 5 mm shorter and 4 mm narrower than the venerable Logitech G502. The Saturn also looks to have slightly more palm support and a pronounced curve to the right near the back of the mouse shell. No specific switches or encoder are mentioned, but an image on the site suggests that the Saturn mice will use Huano 100M Transparent Green Shell White Dot switches, which are a medium force mechanical switch with an MTBF of 100 million clicks. Aside from the main click buttons, the Saturn features two programmable side buttons, and both models feature wired, 2.4 GHz, and Bluetooth connectivity. The Saturn Pro comes in black, pink, and white, and is available for $35.99 after a 60% launch discount, while the Saturn SE is available in white or black and comes in at $24.99 after that same launch discount, but this model includes a charging dock that doubles as a receiver extender.

Hey readers, ever hear the story of the FBI Space-Time Police Special Agent Romeo, who takes down space-time criminals in search of his lost girlfriend? No? Well, you'll be able to find out with the arrival of Romeo is a Dead Man! We've uploaded one final trailer for you all today, featuring some brand-new music that'll be in the game. Seeing is believing as they say, so take a good hard look.

As you can see we're getting some pretty serious artists to contribute to the game's soundtrack, further reinforcing Romeo is a Dead Man as a dead-serious action-adventure game. How serious exactly? Well, we asked Grasshopper Manufacture CEO, director, and scenario writer Goichi Suda (pictured left) and co-director and scenario writer Ren Yamazaki (pictured right) to find out.

Axiomtek, a world-renowned leader relentlessly devoted to the research, development, and manufacture of innovative, highly efficient, and reliable industrial computer products, is proud to announce the IMB550, a high-performance ATX motherboard designed for demanding AI vision inspection, high-performance computing (HPC), and image analysis applications.

The IMB550 is powered by 15th Gen Intel Core Ultra 9/7/5 processors (Arrow Lake-S) with the Intel W880 chipset. It features a PCIe Gen 5 x16 slot for multiple high-end graphics or acceleration cards, and two M.2 Key M slots for NVMe SSD storage with RAID 0/1 support, providing scalable performance, flexibility, and reliability to meet the demands of next-generation AI workloads.

South Korean memory makers, SK hynix and Samsung, are preparing to showcase their next-generation LPDDR6 memory solutions at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) 2026 in San Francisco, which will take place from February 15-19. As the premier event for showcasing advancements in silicon design, South Korean makers will present their best new technologies. For SK hynix and Samsung, this includes an update to their low-power DDR memory, now in its 6th generation. The LPDDR6 modules from SK hynix will arrive in 16 Gb capacities and offer a transfer rate per pin of 14.4 Gbps, built on the 1c generation (1γ generation) semiconductor node, which is the company's 6th generation of 10 nm DRAM. SK hynix runs these new modules at JEDEC's highest LPDDR6 speeds, meaning that the company is close to maxing out the new technology, and overclocked LPDDR6X versions might be arriving soon.

Samsung, on the other hand, has improved its LPDDR6 since the original CES 2026 presentation. The company will now present its 16 Gb LPDDR6 modules running at 12.8 Gbps, which is a significant improvement over the 10.7 Gbps modules from a few weeks ago. Samsung reportedly manufactures this LPDDR6 memory on a 12 nm process, which is slightly larger than SK hynix's 10 nm, but these modules also deliver great benefits. The company claims a 21% improvement in energy efficiency over its predecessor LPDDR5X. Additionally, Samsung's LPDDR6 memory uses NRZ signaling for I/O with a 12DQ subchannel, while SK hynix modules likely follow suit.

Samsung is readying its Exynos 2600 application processor (AP) for a late February debut in next-gen Galaxy S26 smartphone models. Recent promotional fanfare has focused on the South Korean semiconductor giant's 2 nm GAA process (SF2), but early 2026 leaks have suggested work continuing on two futuristic fronts—a more advanced manufacturing process (SF2P), and the mysterious Exynos 2700 mobile processor design. Earlier today, Park Yu-ak of Kiwoom Securities made a bold prediction about Samsung's next-gen AP design: "the Exynos 2700 will enter full-scale mass production in the second half of this year using Samsung Foundry's SF2P process and will record a market share of around 50% in the Galaxy S27."

Currently, smartphone industry experts believe that Exynos 2600 chipsets will only deploy in 25% of the soon-to-be-launched Galaxy S26 series. The remaining share will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 "for Galaxy" SoC. Samsung leadership is very likely pursuing a more favorable spread of in-house technologies, as future Exynos designs become more competitive in a bustling market. Mixed rumors of 2 nm GAA node production yields have somewhat dampened expectations of the South Korean megacorp's foundry business, but the latest Kiwoom Securities forecast outlines a cool operating profit of 1.8 trillion won by 2027 for Samsung Electronic's non-memory division. Within the past month or two, industry insiders have whispered about potential SF2 and SF2P deals being signed in the same sentence as AMD, Qualcomm, and Tesla.

Control Resonant is slated to launch later this year, and with the gaming industry what it is in 2026, there were bound to be questions about the use of generative AI in the upcoming third-person shooter. In a Q&A session during a recent earnings call, Remedy CEO, Markus Mäki, confirmed that Control Resonant will not feature any content with generative AI: "I can say that, for example, Control Resonant does not use generative AI content at all." However, he goes on to explain that the exclusion of AI at Remedy may not last very long into the future. Mäki said that "making far-reaching promises about the future is pretty hard at this point," and that the company is following the development of generative AI tools to evaluate whether "there is anything that is really ethically in the right place, and is something that can add player value and that our teams want to use."

He also mentioned that there is "varied interest in different crafts at Remedy into investigating these AI tools," signalling that there is some internal interest in different departments. This somewhat echoes a recent survey of game industry workers, which found that as many as 81% of game industry workers use generative AI for brainstorming and 35% used it for prototyping. At the same time, only 7% of those game industry workers surveyed by the GDC Festival of Gaming thought that generative AI was having a positive impact on the game industry. A number of gaming giants have also recently thrown their weight behind AI tools in the name of efficiency or novelty, including Take-Two, whose CEO similarly said that GTA VI will feature no generative AI, but hinted that future games likely would include the controversial technology. Ubisoft, likewise, is exploring the possibility of AI teammates in games, while EA has announced a full-scale AI pivot. These announcements are in spite of the recent DRAM crisis resulting in unaffordable PC hardware, delayed product launches, and severe strain on the supply chain.

Forza Horizon 6 is coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC on May 19! Just a few weeks ago, we introduced you to some of the incredible new features and experiences you can look forward to discovering in Japan. Whether you're only catching up with the news now, or you just want a refresher on some of the coolest details we revealed at Developer_Direct, this blog is for you!

#1 World Famous Japanese Landmarks
As you already know, Forza Horizon 6 takes the Horizon Festival to the breathtaking landscapes of Japan! Tokyo City's iconic downtown area is home to iconic landmarks like Shibuya Crossing, Ginko Avenue and Tokyo Tower. You'll also get to drive on roads inspired by the C1 loop, as well as iconic mountain passes like Mt. Haruna and Bandai Azuma.

Last November, ASUS launched its GeForce RTX 5090 ROG MATRIX Platinum 30th anniversary 32 GB graphics card model. This strictly limited edition release—at the time, only 1000 units were produced—demanded a whopping $3999 (per unit) price tag. Unique selling points (USPs) included an unusual overall design, 3 oz copper PCB layers, a dual-power input involving the 16-pin 12V-2x6 connector and BTF-supplied power delivery, as well as the integration of a tiny Bosch Sensortec BMI323 inertial measurement unit (IMU). By early December, it was not clear whether initial quality issues had caused an official(?) recall of extremely overengineered MATRIX custom flagships. Months later, a Chinese market variant has hit the pre-order stage—over the weekend, ITHome reported on the pre-release status of this sanction-conforming model.

Despite featuring downgraded specifications, the customized GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 24 GB version still demands a hefty cost of entry—a main JD.com listing advertises a price tag of 29,999 yuan (~$4341 USD). Last month, Tony Yu—the manager of ASUS China—showcased a MATRIX GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 sample achieving a 3DMark Time Spy Extreme score of 28,638 points. This impressive tally was enabled via an 800 W operation mode, ITHome noted that this figure: "even surpasses NVIDIA's RTX PRO 6000 (21,760 cores vs. 24,064 cores), which is closer to (utilizing) the 'full-blooded' GB202 (GPU die's max. count of 24,576 units)." The older GeForce RTX 5090 D "V1" 32 GB card was no slouch in gaming and AI performance departments, but global tensions led to an eventual cut-off of supplies into China. Oddly, ITHome tracked the 25,999 yuan (~$3762 USD) listing of an MSI GeForce RTX 5090 D Gaming Trio 32 GB SKU on the JD.com e-tail platform, earlier on in 2026. In any case, local hardcore PC enthusiasts and AI companies can access top-tier "Blackwell" GPU hardware, whether in V2 or V1 guises. Black market options, including "truly banned" models are also (reportedly) available.

Amkor is preparing to greatly expand its Arizona-based operations, and the company will boost its spending not by a few percent, but by several multiples. The company is planning to triple its capital expenditures next year, with a dramatic increase from roughly $900 million in 2025 to as much as $3 billion in 2026, betting on massive demand from Intel and TSMC packaging technologies. This includes working with Intel and TSMC to enable their most advanced technologies like EMIB and CoWoS, all of which come in various form factors. We previously reported that Intel partnered with its long-time OSAT partner Amkor to take additional EMIB capacity that Intel's customers are interested in, in Incheon, South Korea.

However, as Amkor expands its facilities in Arizona, Intel will also collaborate with Amkor to deliver advanced EMIB packaging types on United States soil. While TSMC has been a primary choice for many high-density assemblies, growing interest in Intel's EMIB and Foveros options has led partners like MediaTek, Google, Qualcomm, and Tesla to consider alternatives. Interestingly, Amkor will also offload some of the CoWoS packaging work from TSMC by creating CoWoS packages on U.S. soil, instead of sending these chips back to TSMC's Taiwan fabs to finish production. Both CoWoS and EMIB/Foveros offer a list of benefits, making them highly sought-after packaging technologies for companies seeking to extract maximum performance from their chips. Amkor plans to be at the center of that supply chain and help Intel and TSMC handle more customers.

Supermassive Games is proud to reveal that its sci-fi survival horror narrative adventure, Directive 8020, will launch on 12 May 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam). The game will be available in both physical and digital formats, with pre-orders now live across PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. PC (Steam) will be digital-only, with Steam digital pre-orders coming soon. Pre-orders include a free Deluxe Edition upgrade (while retail stocks last).

Every Choice Has a Consequence
The Comply Pre-Order Trailer explores Directive 8020's paranoia-fuelled decision-making where trust is fragile and every choice can be deadly.

• Choice-Based Gameplay: Cooper, the ship's medic, is fuelled by paranoia and faces a harrowing decision as her crewmate Mitchell pleads for release from behind a sealed door. Cooper, unknowing if he's human or not, has a difficult decision to make. This moment underscores a core theme of Directive 8020: trust no one, as every action has consequences.
• The "Double" Reveal: Based on how the game branches and your previous decisions, Cooper can now possess the gun instead of Commander Stafford. Two identical versions of Cernan (the ship's Engineer) rush into view and you must choose: who is the mimic and who do you allow back into the crew? One choice will prove fatal.
• Planetary Exploration: For the first time, the trailer teases on-planet gameplay showcasing the harsh, alien landscape of Tau Ceti f.
• Talent & Track: The trailer features lead talent Lashana Lynch as pilot Brianna Young, accompanied by the track "Comply" from Brighton-based band, Blood Red Shoes.

Optoma, the No. 1 DLP laser home projector brand in the Americas, today expands its line of award-winning 4K resolution projectors with the introduction of Optoma's UHZ36, a true 4K UHD laser projector for big-screen entertainment. With 3,500 lumens, HDR support, PureEngine technology, FILMMAKER MODE and a long-lasting laser, the UHZ36 delivers vibrant color and smooth performance in a compact, easy-to-set-up design.

Replace your TV and expand your entertainment experience by projecting anywhere from a compact 50" screen to a massive 300" display. Whether it's a casual night in or a full-blown movie marathon, scale your experience to fit the vibe—no wall too small, no screen too big. The UHZ36 provides unparalleled, lifelike imagery for enjoying your favorite movies and TV shows to viewing live sports with a 1,500,000:1 contrast ratio and for greater visual detail and depth, and HDR support enhances content for improved dynamic range and color precision.

Microsoft is reportedly considering merging some of its subscription services into a single offering. According to The Verge, and later confirmed by sources from Windows Central, Microsoft is exploring the possibility of combining the PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Premium subscription tiers into one "super" tier. This potential consolidation would address the increasingly complicated subscription lineup, which often confuses gamers and affects their subscription choices. Offering support for more than one platform in a single subscription could potentially revitalize the struggling subscription services sector at Xbox and align well with the timing of a new console release. The company is also looking into ways to incorporate more third-party service bundles into its Game Pass offerings.

Currently, PC Game Pass costs $16.49 per month after a significant price increase of nearly 40% last October, while the Xbox Game Pass Premium tier costs $15 but doesn't include the full library available to PC subscribers. At the top end is Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $30 monthly, which offers day-one access to all Microsoft first-party releases, along with bundled perks from EA Play, Ubisoft+ Classics, and Fortnite Crew. Combining the PC and Premium tiers could simplify this structure, though it raises questions about pricing and feature access for current PC subscribers, or whether Microsoft will maintain the $16.49 price.

Worldwide silicon wafer shipments in 2025 increased 5.8% to 12,973 million square inches (MSI) while wafer revenue slipped 1.2% to $11.4 billion over the same period, the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) reported in its year-end analysis of the silicon wafer industry.

2025 marks an inflection year for wafer shipments, with silicon MSI resuming growth supported by strong demand for advanced epitaxial wafers in logic and polished wafers for high-bandwidth memory (HBM), driven by AI applications. Softness in wafer revenue is mostly attributed to the slow momentum in traditional semiconductor applications where the demand and pricing environment are yet to improve.

Grasshopper Manufacture Inc. (GhM) has today unleashed bloody action adventure ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam, alongside a funky launch trailer which includes music from legendary Japanese rap group Scha Dara Parr, whose music can also be heard throughout ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN.

ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN is the first self-published title by GhM, and the first brand-new IP from the studio and Goichi Suda, AKA SUDA51 (No More Heroes trilogy, The Silver Case, Shadows of the Damned) in more than five years. The game blends the iconic ultra-violent action gameplay for which the studio is acclaimed, with an original story, of love, loss, and lots (and lots) of the gushing red stuff.

Today (February 9) marks the day where every single story event and encounter is now fully playable. A lot of polishing awaits us and don't get me wrong—it's a ton of work! But it's all more predictable. No new content will be added, no new sections. Just bug fixing and making things look pretty or play/read better. QOL improvements, optimization, editing, localization. Like I said, it's a ton, just more predictable. If everything goes well we'll divulge a release date in a couple of months. Stay tuned!

This is definitely my favorite part of development, and I'm getting that feeling I had when we were about wrap up VA-11 Hall-A's production; with a combination of good and bad anxiety. The only difference is that we're self-publishing this time, so a ton more is falling on our shoulders. We're betting on ourselves, and we have no clue if it's gonna be worth it by the end of it. This current stage implies more grind than problem-solving, so don't expect me to talk much from here unless catastrophic things happen that make us rewrite systems or something. Or funny anecdotes. Let's hope for funny anecdotes! Wish us luck, too.

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) continues to transform the network into an AI innovation platform, today unveiling the Silicon One G300, a 102.4 Tbps switching silicon designed for massive AI cluster buildouts. The Cisco Silicon One G300 will power new Cisco N9000 and Cisco 8000 systems that push the frontier of AI networking in the data center. The systems feature innovative liquid cooling and support high-density optics to achieve new efficiency benchmarks and ensure customers get the most out of their GPU investments. In addition, the company enhanced Nexus One to make it easier for enterprises to operate their AI networks—on-premises or in the cloud—removing the complexity that can hold organizations back from scaling AI data centers.

"We are spearheading performance, manageability, and security in AI networking by innovating across the full stack - from silicon to systems and software," said Jeetu Patel, President and Chief Product Officer, Cisco. "We're building the foundation for the future of infrastructure, supporting every type of customer—from hyperscalers to enterprises—as they shift to AI-powered workloads."

This season's AMD Rewards campaign started going live this morning, across several regions. Officially, this promotional period started today (February 10), at 9:00 a.m. ET, and is due to end on April 25. Participants have until May 23 (11:59:59 p.m. ET) to get/redeem "Crimson Desert with select AMD products." Hints of a Pearl Abyss—the game's South Korean development team—and Team Red collaboration appeared online last week; eventually leading to the reveal of Sapphire's Nitro+ Radeon RX 9070 XT OC Crimson Desert Edition graphics card model. In terms of qualifying desktop processor products, AMD has narrowed its selection down to current-gen 3D V-Cache-augmented gaming models, including the 16-core Ryzen 9 9950X3D, 12-core Ryzen 9 9900X3D, and 8-core Ryzen 7 9800X3D. The semi-recently launched Ryzen 7 9850X3D SKU gets some special treatment—according to the latest reward scheme's small print: "purchases of this product prior to the Campaign Period are eligible to receive a Coupon Code."

The Crimson Desert promotion also encompasses RDNA 4 generation graphics cards, although the Red Team has only deemed its upper echelon options worthy of this Pearl Abyss sponsorship. The Radeon RX 9070 XT and Radeon RX 9070 (both 16 GB models) are qualifiers in this category. Oddly, cheaper Radeon RX 9060 XT (16 GB and 8 GB) cards are not listed in freshly published material. Also absent is the Chinese market exclusive Radeon RX 9070 GRE 12 GB or 16 GB models. The less potent Radeon RX 9000-series products are very likely capable of running the Black Desert Online prequel to a satisfying degree—as noted by VideoCardz, Crimson Desert's minimum PC specification requirements hark back to pre-2020s processor and GPU hardware.

Gigabyte, the world's leading computer brand, collaborates with NVIDIA for the Resident Evil Requiem game bundle across eligible graphics cards, desktops, and laptops powered by NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 or above GPUs or Laptop GPUs. Powered by NVIDIA Blackwell architecture, the GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs bring game-changing capabilities to gamers and creators. Equipped with a massive level of AI horsepower, the RTX 50 Series enables new experiences and next-level graphics fidelity. Combined with Gigabyte's cutting-edge cooling designs, the bundle aims to unleash smoother gameplay and a more immersive Resident Evil Requiem gaming experience.

The GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs leverage a trio of key technologies to elevate gameplay. Path tracing simulates the physical behavior of light to deliver photorealistic and real-time 3D graphics. Alongside NVIDIA's suite of neural rendering technologies, DLSS 4 leverages AI technologies to boost FPS, reduce latency, and enhance image quality, while NVIDIA Reflex further reduces system latency for more responsive control.

IBM (NYSE: IBM) today unveiled the next generation of IBM FlashSystem, co-run by agentic AI, ushering in a new era of autonomous storage. By enhancing FlashSystem's existing AI capabilities with agentic AI, IBM is redefining resilience through sustained protection, autonomous threat analysis, and customized recovery recommendations. Clients can now turn storage into an always-on layer of intelligence, enabling reliable and secure storage operations that can reduce the manual effort of storage management by up to 90%.

The new portfolio includes:

• Three new systems - the IBM FlashSystem 5600, 7600, and 9600 - which deliver up to 40% greater data efficiency for improved capacity footprint and performance, compared to the previous generation.
• FlashSystem.ai, a new set of intelligent data services that help administrators manage, monitor, diagnose, and remediate issues across the entire data path.
• The new fifth-generation FlashCore Module all-flash drive, which is engineered to provide hardware-accelerated real-time ransomware detection, data reduction, analytics and operations, with advanced telemetry and consistently low latency at scale.

Gigabyte, the world's leading computer brand, partners with AMD to announce the Crimson Desert game bundle to enhance game value across a wide range of components and consumer products. Spanning graphics cards, select AMD Ryzen 9000X3D processors are paired with recommended Gigabyte motherboards, as well as laptops and desktops. Together, Gigabyte and AMD deliver a richer and more immersive gaming experience through cutting-edge hardware innovation.

Gigabyte Radeon RX 9070 Series graphics cards are powered by the AMD RDNA 4 architecture with enhanced ray tracing capabilities and AMD FSR "Redstone" technology, which boosts frame rates and reduces system latency delivering the horsepower needed for demanding gaming. Equipped with Gigabyte's WINDFORCE cooling system, including the Hawk fan design and server-grade thermal conductive gel, these GPUs maintain exceptional thermal efficiency for consistently optimized gameplay.

AppControl, a user-friendly Windows system monitoring utility, today unveiled its industry-first application designed to make understanding your PC simple, visual, and stress-free. Built for everyday Windows users, AppControl shows exactly how your computer behaves so you can finally understand what's slowing it down, heating it up, or running in the background without your knowledge. AppControl is a certified member of the Intel Partner Alliance; the AppControl app requires no registration and is available as a free download directly from the AppControl website or via Softpedia.

Unlike traditional system tools that only show what's happening in the moment, AppControl delivers an easy-to-navigate historical timeline of CPU, GPU, memory, disk usage, and temperature. Users can scroll back in time to see what apps were running, what changed, when it changed, and why their PC behaved the way it did, turning confusing performance issues into clear, explainable events. AppControl also provides insights into privacy-relevant behavior, such as apps accessing the webcam, the microphone, or the user's location.

Tune in live this Thursday for 60+ minutes of news, gameplay updates, and announcements from game studios across the globe. February's State of Play will spotlight eye-catching third-party and indie games headed to PS5, along with the latest from teams at PlayStation Studios. State of Play broadcasts live February 12 at 2pm PT / 5pm ET / 11pm CEST | February 13 at 7am JST on YouTube and Twitch, and will be broadcast in English with Japanese subtitles also available. We'll see you then!

Regarding co-streaming and video-on-demand (VOD)
Please note that this broadcast may include copyrighted content (e.g. licensed music) that PlayStation does not control. We welcome and celebrate our amazing co-streamers and creators, but licensing agreements outside our control could interfere with co-streams or VOD archives of this broadcast. If you're planning to save this broadcast as a VOD to create recap videos, or to repost clips or segments from the show, we advise omitting any copyrighted music.

The SKILLER SGK55W from Sharkoon takes gaming to a new level: Equipped with a rotary knob for volume control, this elegant 75 % layout is combined with a gasket-mount design for an especially smooth typing experience. In addition, the pre-lubed Sharkoon switches, robust PBT keycaps, and dynamic ARGB illumination all make this the ideal dual-mode keyboard for those thrilling gaming matches.

Pleasant Typing Experience
The SKILLER SGK55W impresses with a pleasant typing feel and a deep, subdued acoustic thanks to its gasket-mount design with a polycarbonate positioning plate as well as a silicone layering and a sound-insulating, double-layer foam damping.

Synology today announced that it has achieved the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification, the internationally recognized standard for information security management systems (ISMS). "Security and trust are foundational to everything we build at Synology," said Philip Wong, Chairman and CEO of Synology. "This certification reflects our commitment to protecting customer data and building secure, reliable solutions that our users can trust."

ISO/IEC 27001:2022 provides a risk-based framework for protecting information across confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Synology's certification encompasses its ISMS, core infrastructure, secure development lifecycle (SDLC), and security response processes that support its global operations. "This certification helps ensure that data entrusted to Synology is securely protected and our operations adhere to consistent security practices aligned with the most stringent international standards." said Kuei-Huan Chen, Senior Director of the Synology Engineering Group.

AGON by AOC, the world's leading gaming monitor brand - introduces the 23.8-inch (60.5 cm) AOC GAMING 24G4ZR and the 27-inch (68.6 cm) 27G4ZR. Two new monitors that elevate the baseline for entry-level competitive gaming. Built around Fast IPS panels with 260 Hz overclocked refresh rates (240 Hz native), rapid 0.3 ms MPRT and up to 1 ms GtG response times, these Full HD displays deliver the speed and clarity that fast-paced gaming demands, at prices that make competitive performance genuinely attainable. Tilt-only stand alternatives, the 24G4ZRE and 27G4ZRE, will follow for gamers seeking even greater value.

Not long ago, 260 Hz and sub-millisecond response times were specs one could only find on esports-grade displays with price tags to match. Entry-level gaming monitors offered solid performance, but competitive players who wanted the fastest panels had to step up. The 24G4ZR and 27G4ZR mark a shift. AOC GAMING brings 260 Hz overclocked performance and 0.3 ms MPRT response times to the G4 entry-level line-up, joining existing models like the 200 Hz 24G4HA and 27G4HA. For players picking up their first dedicated gaming monitor, whether diving into Counter-Strike 2, grinding ranked in Valorant, or pushing for Diamond in Rainbow Six Siege, this is competitive-grade speed without the entry barrier.

The current AI surge is anticipated to boost both the memory and wafer foundry sectors to record-breaking revenues by 2026, based on TrendForce's recent data. Limited supply and rapidly increasing prices are likely to grow the memory market's total worth to $551.6 billion. Meanwhile, the global foundry market is also expected to reach a new peak of $218.7 billion, but the memory industry's scale will have more than doubled that of wafer foundries.

A new memory supercycle: Demand resilience and pricing power far stronger than in 2017
The previous memory supercycle from 2017 to 2019 was primarily driven by cloud data center expansions and resulted in a significant gap between memory and foundry revenues.

The top Intel Core Ultra Series 4 "Nova Lake-S" desktop processor model, which comes with a total core-count of 52 and implements a big last-level cache (bLLC), could pull an astonishing 700 W in maxed out loads with power limits removed, kopite7kimi reports. The chip has a core-configuration of 16 P-cores, 32 E-cores, and 4 low-power island E-cores. For reference, a current Core Ultra 9 285K with Extreme power profile can pull up to 490 W PL4 in short bursts.

In related news, leaks by Jaykihn shed light on the way clock speeds of the various CPU core types are handled. The base frequency affects the clock speeds of P-cores and E-cores located in the Compute complex, but not those of the low-power island E-cores. "Nova Lake-S" will be Intel's first desktop processors to implement low-power islands, allowing the processor to clock-gate almost the entire compute complex when the PC is idling.

The next major refresh of AMD's Ryzen AI MAX APUs is still far away, but now we are putting together the pieces of the "Medusa Halo" APU puzzle. According to a famous leaker, @Olrak29_ on X, AMD's next-generation "Medusa Halo" APU will be complemented by LPDDR6 memory. This is one of the first LPDDR6 memory SoCs we are learning about, making it unique. Based on previous rumors, the silicon could have a 384-bit bus powering LPDDR6 memory, which would translate into massive bandwidth powering the SoC's new CPU and GPU configuration. This includes up to 24 "Zen 6" CPU cores and 48 RDNA 5/UDNA compute units for the GPU configuration. Paired with the added bandwidth from LPDDR6 memory—which these APUs greatly benefit from—"Medusa Halo" will be one of the best-performing SoCs when it launches.

Interestingly, memory manufacturers like Samsung and Innosilicon are already supplying LPDDR6 modules to customers for validation. Innosilicon's LPDDR6 modules boast an impressive speed of 14.4 Gbps, significantly faster than Samsung's initial modules, which achieve 10.7 Gbps. Innosilicon's modules offer a 1.5x increase in IO speed capability compared to the 9.6 Gbps of LPDDR5X previously available, along with improved efficiency. The latest LPDDR6 also increases the number of bits per byte of IO from 8 to 12. This results in LPDDR6's bandwidth at a single-channel 24-bit I/O speed being double that of LPDDR5X at a 16-bit single-channel. The company is reportedly collaborating with TSMC and Samsung to ensure sufficient production capacity for LPDDR6 IP, while Samsung relies on its own fabs for manufacturing memory.

Antec Inc., a global leader in high-performance computer components and accessories, proudly announces the launch of the Antec VORTEX VIEW 360, an advanced All-in-One (AIO) liquid cooler engineered for PC enthusiasts who demand both performance and personalization. At the heart of the Vortex View 360 is a striking integrated LCD, transforming the pump head into a customizable visual centerpiece. From real-time system stats to custom graphics and animations, users can make their build truly their own—without compromising thermal performance.

Built for modern high-core CPUs and intense workloads, the Vortex View 360 pairs its immersive display with a high-efficiency 360 mm radiator and optimized airflow fans engineered for sustained cooling under pressure. Whether powering competitive gaming sessions, creative workflows, or showcase builds, the Vortex View 360 is designed to stay cool, quiet, and visually unforgettable.

AMD announced that Ariel Kelman has been appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, effective immediately. Kelman will lead the AMD global marketing organization, overseeing brand, communications, events, developer relations and go-to-market strategy. Kelman will report to Ruth Cotter, Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, and will work closely with the AMD executive team to deepen engagement with customers, partners, developers and the broader technology ecosystem as AMD continues to scale its product and solutions leadership.

"Ariel is a proven marketing leader with deep experience building brands, driving marketing impact at scale and connecting innovation to customer value," said Cotter. "As AMD continues to expand our portfolio and deliver industry-leading high-performance and AI solutions across data center, embedded, client and gaming, Ariel's leadership will be instrumental in sharpening our storytelling, advancing our marketing organization and accelerating our momentum."

Gameplay details for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls is an upcoming 4v4 team fighting game in development at Arc System Works—a game studio known for massive fighting game franchises like BlazBlue and Guilty Gear—have officially been leaked via the game's official Steam page. While the page has since been edited to remove the information, screenshots saved by @Wario64 on X show many of the details that Arc and PlayStation Publishing accidentally released ahead of schedule. We already knew, ahead of the upcoming PlayStation State of Play where the game is slated to launch, that Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls would be a 4v4 fighting game, but the screenshots reveal that there will be 20 Marvel characters to choose from at launch, and fights will be staged at iconic Marvel scenes, with the Steam Store art suggesting Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters may be one such location.

Additional details reveal that multiplayer modes can be both online or local, and online lobbies can feature up to 64 players at a time. There will also be a single player episode mode in which players can "dive deep on each team...to learn more about team dynamics and lore." It was also revealed that a PlayStation account will be required for multiplayer gameplay. While this may be frustrating to some PC gamers, it also means that cross-platform multiplayer will likely be supported at launch. Gameplay details for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls are slated to be revealed at the upcoming Sony State of Play scheduled for "early February". This leak comes shortly after bad news from 2XKO, a 2v2 tag-team fighting game set in the League of Legends universe. The game will also be targeting 60 FPS and will be able to run at up to 4K resolution.

Super People, a once-popular battle royale game that takes the typical first- and third-person shooter gameplay and throws superpowers into the mix, is no stranger to hard times, with the battle royale having already suffered a shut-down once before in 2023, after it was launched to mixed reviews and subsequently riddled with cheaters. Super People was relaunched into Early Access in September 2025 after a series of successful closed beta tests and a change in ethos surrounding the game. On February 9, however, mere months after the relaunch, Wonder Games has officially announced that it will be shutting Super People down for good after player counts steadily dwindled from a peak of 47,000+ (4,514 after the September relaunch) to 99 daily concurrent players.

According to the announcement on Steam, Super People will be taken offline on February 23, 2026. The game will still be playable until that date, but in-game purchases will be disabled as of February 13, and Wonder People is offering refunds to players who have purchased in-game premium currency within seven days before the announcement. There is no word on the studio's fate or that of its developers, but Wonder People is supposed to be working on World of the Dead an upcoming "immersive zombie FPS game that combines the first-person shooter and extraction PvPvE genres," that has yet to have a release date attached to it.

Steam's Early Access system started as a way for developers to introduce their games to the community and help fund development while simultaneously gathering community feedback, but it has become somewhat of a joke, given how long some games stay in early access. With Steam's latest update, the gaming platform is hoping to bring some transparency to the system with a clearly labelled date for when the developer plans to move from early access to the full 1.0 launch. Previously, it was fairly standard practice for developers to announce the planned release date in a news post that would inevitably be hidden after a few weeks if updates were frequent enough; adding this field is a standardized way to let gamers know when to expect the full release of a game they may be interested in.

This will also increase visibility and discoverability of these 1.0 launches, with the 1.0 launch dates automatically appearing in gamers' Steam personal calendars when they wishlist or follow a game that is in early access. Developers can add a vague time frame—like just the year—or a specific date to their 1.0 launch information, and, at least at the time of writing, the 1.0 release date is entirely optional. This still allows flexibility for smaller developers who aren't necessarily experienced enough to know when the 1.0 launch will happen while giving those who want to inform their player base the option to do so.

Ahead of its launch, 2XKO seemed to have decent support, replete with officially endorsed, fan-hosted competitive events, but as revealed in a new blog post from Riot Games, the developer of the League of Legends spin-off, 2XKO hasn't quite reached the heights the game studio was expecting. The game's executive producer, Tom Cannon, revealed Riot Games will be down-sizing the 2XKO team, explaining that, while there is a passionate core audience, 2XKO simply doesn't have the momentum "needed to support a team of this size long term." Riot assures 2XKO players that the game will not be discontinued, despite the rocky launch, and that the smaller, more focussed support team will "dig in and make key improvements to the game," including addressing some common community requests.

According to Game Developer, Riot Games confirmed that it would be laying off roughly 80 workers from the 2XKO team globally, which is roughly half of the game's development team. Riot says that the plans for the 2026 Competitive Series and its partnerships with community tournament organizers will remain unchanged, but that the changes made to the development team were ultimately necessary for sustainability of the game. Riot says it will help affected employees through the layoffs, providing them assistance to look for other opportunities within the studio where possible "and providing a minimum of six months of notice pay and severance where it's not possible.

Discord will be the latest social media platform asking for government identification or a facial scan in order to access content deemed not safe for minors. In a new blog post, Discord has announced "teen-by-default" settings, which will go into effect in "early March 2026." The new settings will set all existing and new Discord accounts to the "teen-appropriate experience" mode, which will filter out all content inappropriate for minors. Discord users who wish to access age-gated content will need to go through an age verification process, which will involve uploading a scan of a government-issued ID or by scanning their faces to verify age. This policy has already been in place in the UK and Australia since 2025, but this move will see the change roll out globally. This may not be necessary for all users, since the social media platform will also be implementing its age inference model, which will analyze user accounts—looking at the types of games users play, the amount of time users spend on Discord, and what time they are active—to determine whether they belong to adults. Discord claims the new system is being implemented in the name of "giving teens strong protections while allowing verified adults flexibility."

Discord says that the selfie video used for age verification never leaves the user's phone, and that all processing is done locally. ID documents, on the other hand, are processed by a third party service provider, and documents are "deleted quickly—in most cases, immediately after age confirmation." Discord divulged in a support page that it uses k-ID for age verification, and even in the short time that the age verification system has been a requirement, there have already been reports of privacy breaches—in one instance, up to 70,000 user profiles (emails, names, and other contact information), along with government IDs and credit card information were reportedly accessed by hackers in October 2025. This age verification system mirrors the system adopted by Roblox not too long ago, and the online response has been similarly pessimistic.

Blizzard Entertainment's ongoing early 2026 showcase—and 35th anniversary celebration—has not produced many big surprises, although Overwatch 2's recent absorption into the larger/overall "Overwatch" brand has raised an eyebrow or three. Looking further ahead, new IP announcements could be made during September's BlizzCon 2026 event. Naturally, the North American company's dormant StarCraft franchise will be the topic of renewed online speculation. A 2017 remaster of Blizzard Entertainment's original title (1998) was not deemed substantial or good enough for a lot of the sci-fi RTS IP's fan base. The final tranche of StarCraft II DLC arrived back in late 2016; as the "Nova Covert Ops" single-player mission pack. According to a dnews report from a week ago, Blizzard and Nexon are co-operating on a "reimagination" of StarCraft as a "shooter experience." The South Korean news publication believes that "full-scale development" has commenced on a "new game utilizing the StarCraft IP (intellectual property)."

Going into further inside track detail, Nexon has allegedly completed preliminary preparations (aka a pre-production phase) in the recent past. According to an unnamed industry insider, a content development agreement was given the thumbs up by Blizzard leadership, last year. This "cooperation contract" could lead to the creation of—as phrased by the dnews article—a "megaton project capable of shaking the global gaming market." Nexon has reportedly assigned this highly important undertaking to their internal "Shooter Division" studio. Arc Raiders (2025) is a notable hit for the South Korean/Japanese video game developer and publisher, although Sweden's Embark Studios was responsible for the development of this popular PvPvE extraction shooter.

Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. has launched MY HERO ACADEMIA: All's Justice, the super-powered 3D arena fighter based on the global anime phenomenon My Hero Academia. The game features multiple modes where players are thrust into unforgettable battles set in the My Hero Academia universe, including an explosive Story Mode set during the climactic Final War arc. Players experience "ONE LAST SMASH" through iconic battles, exclusive new stories and missions, and action-packed PvP that showcase the series' legendary Heroes and Villains in their final and most powerful forms. MY HERO ACADEMIA: All's Justice is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam in Standard, Deluxe, and Ultimate Editions.

As the news cycle approached Christmas (2025), rumors emerged of other smartphone chip manufacturers considering an adoption of Samsung's intriguing "Heat Path Block" (HPB) technology. By the middle of January, the Fixed-focus digital cameras Weibo account surmised HPB being picked up by "many chip manufacturers that commonly use Android chips." Earlier today, a leaked "SM8975" packaging set of schematics seem to show Qualcomm's integration of a Samsung-designed Heat Path Block into a next-gen Snapdragon mobile chipset. The latest finding—again, courtesy of Fixed-focus digital cameras—indicates the speculative Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro model borrowing a key piece of heatsink technology from Samsung's soon-to-be-launched Exynos 2600 SoC.

By the end of last week, multiple news articles claimed that Qualcomm was borrowing the HPB design from an arch-rival. The San Diego, California-headquartered fabless semiconductor specialist's recent flagship processors have enjoyed high placements in terms of benchmark results, but these cutting-edge chips have seemingly hit thermal limit barriers—even when combined with expensive vapor chamber-based cooling solutions. Samsung Foundry's HPB is placed over and in contact with the chipset die, without any blockage (unwantingly) enabled by a layer of DRAM. Instead, the latter aspect is moved to the side (refer to the fourth image below). Reports from late last year mentioned Qualcomm and Apple being the two main (external) frontrunners of HPB adoption, outside of Samsung pioneering the way with its 2-nanometer Exynos 2600 application processor.

In a frontier where lawlessness and legend walk side by side, a new ARPG is revealed today. The Dark West is an occult Action RPG from the new independent studio Black Hand, a team of ARPG enthusiasts determined to restore the genre to its former glory. The Dark West takes place in a frontier where faith has worn thin and something sinister has seeped into the soil. Combat is brutal and quick. Define your builds through skills, itemization, and a poker-style deck system where forming familiar hands unlocks powerful effects.

"We made The Dark West because we love ARPGs and wanted to create the kind of game we have always wanted to play. From the start, we've included the community in every step of development. Their feedback is shaping the combat, the story, and the world. This is a game made with players, not just for them," said the Game Director at Black Hand.

One of the defining traits of the Gothic franchise has always been its living world. A dynamic ecosystem full of creatures, NPCs, and critters that carry out their daily routines, whether the player is watching or not. This self-sustaining environment has long been key to Gothic's unmistakable atmosphere, turning the Valley of Mines into more than just a backdrop; it's a breathing, believable place that feels alive.

In the fifth entry of their ongoing Making Of series, the developers at Alkimia Interactive take players behind the scenes to show how this hallmark feature has been faithfully reimagined for the new generation. Every area, landmark, and character has been rebuilt from the ground up, carefully balancing authenticity with fresh detail and modern technology.

Following a mid-January PlayStation 6 chipset leak, Kepler L2 has predicted memory configurations for Sony's next-gen home console (sometimes codenamed "Orion"), as well as a futuristic handheld system. This past weekend, the experienced tech soothsayer outlined key points of interest via the NeoGAF discussion board. In a thread mostly focused on a "next-gen Xbox," a slight deviation into PlayStation territories produced a notable prediction of "up to 30 GB of GDDR7 memory" for the PS5's rumored successor. When answering queries about this impressive dollop of system RAM, Kepler L2 believes that this maximum provision is achievable through the use of 3 GB GDDR7 memory modules in an unusual clamshell configuration.

Commenters did not think that this would be possible with "only 4 GB (GDDR7) modules on a 160-bit bus." In theory, a total bandwidth of 640 GB/s could be enabled, even with a reduced bus (from 256-bit down to 160-bit)—leading to an 11% higher figure than the PS5 Pro's main transfer credential (576 GB/s). Additionally, Kepler L2 believes that the Sony PlayStation engineering team will be bunging (up to) 24 GB of memory into the speculated "PS6 Portable" (aka "Project Canis") handheld gaming console. Previous leaks have suggested the implementation of premium low-power DRAM (LPDDR5X), an expected selection for manufacturers of high-end mobile devices. This memory spec could place the PS6 handheld within the region of ASUS ROG's Xbox Ally X model. Currently, the main caveat of generous/impressively large pools of system memory boils down to pricing and availability. An ongoing supply crisis has already driven fresh rumors of Sony delaying its next-gen gaming systems beyond a proposed 2027 launch window.

A free trial for Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection lets you get a taste of the game before its March 13, 2026 release. In addition to jumping right into the beginning of the story, you'll be able to customize your character, try out the battle system, and start collecting equipment and Monsties just like in the full version. You can transfer your save data to the full version and continue playing where you left off.

Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection—Trial Version
The trial version has only one save slot (the full version will have three). You can only advance to level 10 in the trial version. You can continue playing upon reaching the level cap, but you will no longer gain any experience points. The amount of Trade Points and Monsties you can accumulate are also capped. In order to carry over your progress to the full version, you must use the same account, with the save data on your PC.

Intel's oft-leaked Core Ultra 200 Plus "Arrow Lake Refresh" processor series is expected to launch in March or April, according to rumors floated just after the conclusion of CES 2026. This past weekend, HXL/9550pro weighed in with a more focused timeframe—they propose that Team Blue will lift an important review embargo on March 23, at a very specific 6 a.m. (PST) morning slot. Evaluations of incoming Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, Ultra 5 250K, and Ultra 5 250KF desktop models are reportedly due for publication on that Monday. Oddly, the latest leak does not allude to an imminent embargo lift affecting "-HX" variants for the laptop/notebook market. Many Intel enthusiasts were looking forward to a major "Arrow Lake Refresh" unveiling at last month's CES trade show, but company leadership decided to go all-in with the introduction of "Panther Lake-H" mobile chips.

Throughout early 2026, Team Blue has kept quiet about forthcoming "Arrow Lake-S Refresh" desktop processors, but an official mid-January announcement—courtesy of the ASUS social media account—indicated a readying of BIOS support updates, in advance of an eventual retail launch. Up until recently, the Core Ultra 5 250K Plus model has been the most mysterious of Intel's "ARL-S Refresh" parts—a sudden increase in pre-release benchmarking activity and premature e-tail listings has occurred in parallel with whispers of a non-arrival of its flagship sibling. Late last week, two anonymous sources—in correspondence with VideoCardz—posited that Intel had removed the 24-core Ultra 9 290K Plus SKU from its near future "Arrow Lake-S Refresh" launch lineup. This past weekend Tom's Hardware (via momomo_us) spotted prematurely published pricing information, regarding the remaining Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, Ultra 5 250K, and Ultra 5 250KF models. An unspecified webstore listed price tags of $357.12, $245.92, and $227.38 (respectively).