As generative AI moves from cloud-based training to specialized local fine-tuning, the demand for stable, high-wattage on-premise power has never been greater. FSP Group, a global leader in power supply technology, today officially unveiled the FSP2000-57APB, a 2000 W ATX 3.1 flagship power supply specifically engineered for high-performance local AI computing and dual-GPU workstations.

Uncompromising Stability for On-Premise AI Fine-Tuning
Under the annual theme "Powering AI Together," FSP addresses the critical need for data privacy and low-latency processing in AI development. The FSP2000-57APB is purpose-built for secure, in-house compute workloads, such as large-scale model fine-tuning. It effortlessly manages massive power excursions, ensuring that hardware remains protected and systems remain stable during the most intensive deep learning cycles.

DAREU today announced the global release of its GT87 magnetic switch keyboard, introducing a new approach to combining magnetic sensing performance with a mechanical-like typing experience. The GT87, which debuted in China in March, has gained early market traction and was recently recognized with the Red Dot Design Award for product design and user experience.

At the core of the GT87 is a custom magnetic switch integrating TMR (Tunnel Magnetoresistance) technology. Compared with conventional Hall-effect solutions, TMR enables lower power consumption while maintaining precise input detection, supporting tri-mode connectivity across wired, 2.4 GHz wireless, and Bluetooth.

MSI, a global leader in AI computing and high-performance technology, has been honored with multiple Red Dot Design Award 2026 wins, showcasing a diverse portfolio that combines performance, innovation, and refined design across various categories. Among the award-winning products are the PRO MAX All-in-One PC Series, designed for modern workspaces with ergonomic versatility and a clean aesthetic; the MEG X870E ACE MAX motherboard, featuring premium craftsmanship and next-generation performance; the MEG CORELIQUID E15 360, which redefines liquid cooling with advanced engineering and a striking AMOLED display; the MEG MAESTRO 900R, a flagship PC case that merges architectural design with flexible system configuration; and the MSI Stealth 16 AI+, a slim, high-performance laptop with Copilot+ technology that offers portability along with advanced AI capabilities for gaming, creation, and productivity. Together, these innovations highlight MSI's commitment to merging cutting-edge technology with refined, user-centric design.

PRO MAX All-in-One PC Series - Thoughtful Design for Modern Workspaces
The PRO MAX All-in-One PC Series is designed to enhance the modern workplace with advanced performance, ergonomic design, and a sleek aesthetic. Available in 24" and 27" sizes, this series features a clean, minimalist industrial design in black or white, enabling seamless integration into both office and home environments.

With the CHERRY XTRFY K33 Compact Wireless, CHERRY XTRFY presents a flexible gaming keyboard that combines the key features of modern gaming peripherals in a compact and accessible package. Designed for an easy start, the K33 Compact Wireless is aimed at those looking for an affordable entry point without compromising strong connectivity, reliable performance and a comfortable mechanical-like typing experience.

Maximum flexibility and reliable performance
The CHERRY XTRFY K33 Compact Wireless offers maximum flexibility thanks to its tri-mode connectivity: It can be connected via 2.4 GHz wireless, Bluetooth or USB. This not only allows it to be used with a variety of devices but also enables you to switch quickly between your gaming setup, laptop or mobile devices without having to change connections or interrupt your session.

Security researchers at Intrinsec released "BitUnlocker," a tool bypassing Windows 11 BitLocker encryption in under five minutes. This exploit leverages a downgrade attack to pry open drives, exploiting the gap between software patching and certificate revocation. Rooted in CVE-2025-48804, a vulnerability patched in July 2025, the flaw resides within the Windows Recovery Environment and System Deployment Image mechanism. Here's the good news: an attacker needs physical access to the target machine.

Attackers with physical access can use a flash drive to feed the boot manager a legitimate Windows Imaging Format file for integrity checks while appending a malicious payload. The system verifies the clean file but blindly boots the attacker's code, granting access to the decrypted volume. The true danger lies in the downgrade vector. Because Microsoft's legacy Windows PCA 2011 certificate remains globally trusted by Secure Boot, attackers simply load an older, vulnerable boot manager, which the system authenticates without hesitation.

Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., a world leader in memory products and technology solutions, today announced it has shipped more than 100 million units of the Kingston A400 SATA solid-state drive. Launched in 2017, the Kingston A400 quickly gained recognition for its impressive performance in terms of booting, loading, and transferring data when compared to traditional hard drives.

The Kingston A400 SATA SSD boasts remarkable read/write speeds of up to 500 MB/s and 450 MB/s, respectively. This significant speed enhancement provided customers with a performance improvement over conventional hard drives. With this level of efficiency, the A400 series became a preferred choice for consumers seeking enhanced data transfer rates and overall system responsiveness.

Noctua today presented the much-anticipated black version of its award-winning NF-A12x25 G2 120 mm flagship fan. Available in single-fan and speed-offset dual-fan packs, the new chromax.black variants provide the same state-of-the-art quiet cooling performance for PC cases and water cooling radiators as the regular NF-A12x25 G2, just in a sleek all-black design.

"The first-generation NF-A12x25 was one of the most successful Noctua fans of all time, so the G2 version had big shoes to fill," says Roland Mossig (CEO of Noctua). "We've been extremely pleased with the excellent response from both customers and expert reviewers, so we're excited to follow up with the chromax.black variants today."

Memory makers like Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron are currently striving to find the delicate balance between supplying the world with enough DRAM and expanding their production capacity by placing large new orders for the semiconductor fabs used to produce the memory. According to SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won, who also oversees SK hynix, if companies like SK hynix do not increase their memory supply, customers will find ways to use less memory by optimizing their infrastructure and software for much lower utilization. At present, hyperscalers and AI accelerator makers such as AMD, NVIDIA, and others are securing as much memory as possible. This is part of AI data center expansion, which requires more GPU and CPU DRAM to support large training runs and maintain massive model inference, now reaching tens of trillions of parameters and needing hundreds of gigabytes of system memory to host a single model for just a few users.

This demand has created a supply chain issue where memory makers are selling all of their available DRAM months in advance but are hesitant to significantly expand manufacturing capacity, despite recognizing the increase in demand years ago. Memory makers are the first to notice rising demand, and their reluctance to increase manufacturing capacity is contributing to the current memory shortage. However, they are also wary of expanding production capacity as it takes years to build new memory fabs, just as projected demand is expected to stabilize. SK hynix has ordered about 20 Low-NA EUV machines from ASML for their expansion plans, which will also support future storage production once the tools are operational. However, all of this added capacity is still years away, and we will remain in a tight situation for a little while longer.

AAEON, a leading provider of edge AI platforms, today announced the release of the BOXER-8651AI-PLUS and BOXER-8652AI-PLUS, two embedded AI systems powered by NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX module with Super Mode support. The two systems follow the release of the BOXER-8653AI-PLUS back in February 2026, and complete AAEON's BOXER-865xAI-PLUS series.

Designed to provide users across market segments with the enhanced software stack, greater power consumption flexibility and performance optimization offered by Super Mode with NVIDIA JetPack 6.2 SDK, BOXER-865xAI-PLUS series PCs offer up to 157 TOPS of AI performance. The primary differences between the three systems are their form factors and the functions they offer, which in turn influence the types of deployment scenarios AAEON has positioned them for.

Stellar Blade was a highly popular game when it launched, and even though it took over a year to make it from PS5 to PC, it managed to reach an all-time peak concurrent player count of 192,078 players on Steam alone. With Stellar Blade 2 now out in the open and well on its way to an expected 2027-2028 expected launch window, the game's developer, ShiftUp, has officially addressed its launch strategy for the sequel in its Q1 2026 earnings report. There are two major upcoming changes to the publishing strategy for Stellar Blade 2.

Specifically, ShiftUp has confirmed that it will likely be self-publishing Stellar Blade 2, and the Korean game studio is also suggesting that it will shift to a multiplatform launch, instead of the previous timed PS5 exclusive, with the goal of reaching "a broad global audience from day one." It was revealed in previous hints from the game studio that it would be catering much of the Stellar Blade 2 experience to Chinese players, going so far as to use locations in real-world China for the game's setting. This shift to a cross-platform launch could be part of the same strategy that motivated the studio's push into China. It's not yet clear exactly which platforms will be on the Stellar Blade 2 launch roster, but it's almost guaranteed that the game will launch on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series consoles. The full quote from ShiftUp regarding the launch plans follows.

It was recently revealed that Forza Horizon 6 game files have made their way online ahead of the game's official release, with SteamDB reporting early on May 11 that the game's "file list appeared on SteamDB because someone (could be someone else) uses our token dumper" to upload the information. SteamDB postulates that it was a "reviewer or similar" who leaked the game. Playground Games, the developer behind the Forza Horizon series has quickly responded to the game leak, addressing the community directly with consequences for anyone caught with the leaked files and denying any involvement in the leak, which was previously thought to have been as a result of a glitch in the Steam preloading system. According to Playground, the Forza Horizon 6 build leak "is not the result of a preload issue," echoing SteamDB's statement on the matter. Meanwhile, PC players who paid full price for the game, $69.99 or up to $119.99 for the Deluxe Edition, are still unable to preload the game ahead of its official May 19 launch, according to discussions on Steam forums.

However, unlike the rather calm response issued by Capcom when Resident Evil: Requiem's narrative leaked ahead of launch, Playground Games is also "taking strict enforcement action" against anyone accessing the build. The action in question will be franchise-wide and hardware bans, meaning there is a risk associated with playing the pre-release leaked version of the game. These threats have not seemed to deter some, with some players going so far as to post their game reviews based on the build on sites like Reddit. Repackers have also already been hard at work posting their repackaged versions of the leaked game to forums like r/CrackWatch. There may also be workarounds for hardware bans, but many in the aforementioned Reddit post have mentioned that they will simply play the game offline to avoid the hardware bans. Testing for TechPowerUp's in-depth performance review of Forza Horizon 6 has been running since last week and the article will go live on May 14 when the review embargo ends.

It was recently leaked that Xbox Game Pass would likely become part of bundle deals with the likes of Netflix and potentially other partners, and, as per a recent announcement by both Discord and Microsoft, one of those partners is Discord. The occasionally controversial gaming-first communications platform will now include Game Pass with its paid Nitro subscription service. The Xbox Game Pass subscription included with Nitro is a slightly cut-back version of Xbox's service—Discord calls it a "starter edition"—and it offers "50+ PC and console games." Game Pass is also only included on the full-fat $9.99 version of Nitro, not Nitro Basic, although that's likely still a deal for some PC gamers, depending on taste.

The Nitro plan included with Game Pass has more severe limitations, though, the most notable of which is the lack of online multiplayer on consoles and a 10-hour monthly limit on cloud game streaming. Game Pass will also be directly integrated into the "Now Playing" statuses on Discord. Nitro subscribers will be able to launch Game Pass games directly from Discord—likely by first launching the Xbox app—if they see a game their friend is playing and want to join in. Discord Nitro users will also now have access to discounts of up to 30% on Logitech G, SteelSeries, and KontrolFreak products as of the new Nitro update, which is rolling out to Nitro users in waves "over the coming weeks."

It seems as though Valve is working on making the launch of the Steam Machine and Frame go down more smoothly than the Controller, according to a new Steam update that has been spotted by a Reddit user, u/pepeizq on r/SteamMachine, Valve will start the Steam Machine with a 512 GB base model and top it off with a 2 TB model. There are four total Steam Machine SKUs (referred to as 1629460, 1629458, 1629446 and 1629447 in the code), so there are likely other configurations between the 512 GB version and the 2 TB version—likely controller bundles and perhaps a barebones model for those with a pile of SSDs in a desk drawer somewhere. Additionally, in order to avoid the early supply and scalping issues faced by Valve's Steam Controller, the Steam Machine will launch with a reservation system right out the gate. Similarly, the Steam Frame will likely ship with 256 GB or 1 TB of storage.

From the code in the update, it looks like the same reservation limitations will apply to the Steam Machine and Steam Frame, meaning users will only be able to reserve one item per account, and they must have an active, pre-existing Steam account in good standing in order to make a reservation. More interestingly, the code also makes reference to a "PSULessModel," which may refer to a Steam Frame model without an external PSU—for those who plan to charge the built-in 21.6 Wh battery with a regular USB-C PD charger or those who mostly plan to use the device tethered. It doesn't seem reasonable that Valve would sell a PSU-less Steam Machine, since that has a built-in PSU that is necessary to function.

Intel plans to reintroduce on-package memory in the future, with the "Razor Lake-AX" potentially being the product to carry this feature. This could be a successor to the "Nova Lake" generation, expected to arrive in late 2026. The last time Intel used on-package memory was with the "Lunar Lake" Core Ultra 200V series of CPUs, which included LPDDR5X-8533 memory in a single package alongside the CPU, GPU, and I/O die. Intel had previously stated that future CPU generations after "Lunar Lake" would use off-die memory, as sourcing and integrating additional memory modules in its SoCs is challenging, despite having technologies like EMIB and Foveros 3D to support integration. However, this decision seems to be reconsidered, as Intel is reportedly planning to integrate memory back on-package with "Razor Lake-AX."

Intel's AX variants of SoCs have long been rumored to offer significant integrated graphics capabilities to handle demanding graphics workloads. This lineup is intended to compete directly with AMD's "Halo" series, which includes "Strix Halo," "Gorgon Halo," and other future revisions like "Medusa Halo." Intel aims to achieve excellent iGPU performance, bundled with substantial integrated memory such as LPDDR5X or the upcoming LPDDR6 memory. Eventually, Intel might reintroduce HBM memory, similar to what it did with "Kaby Lake G," but we are still awaiting more details from rumors and leaks. Amidst a significant memory shortage in the PC gaming world, Intel would likely face challenges in acquiring sufficient DRAM stock. However, by the time "Razor Lake-AX" arrives in the coming years, the situation could be quite different.

MaxSun has launched two MoDT (Mobile on Desktop) motherboards with soldered Intel processors, the MS-MoDT 230H D4 WIFI and MS-MoDT 205H D4 WIFI. Both use the microATX form factor at 190 x 180 mm, suitable for a wide range of compact cases for SFF builds, workstations, and edge computing. Despite the naming, the Core 7 230H and Core 5 205H are Raptor Lake parts, not Arrow Lake. The MS-MoDT 230H board includes the Intel Core 7 230H processor with 10 cores (6P + 4E), 16 threads, up to 5.2 GHz boost, 24 MB cache, and 45 W base TDP with turbo scaling up to 115 W. It also gets a dedicated VRM heatsink and four USB 3.2 Gen 2 rear ports. The MS-MoDT 205H board steps down to the Intel Core 5 205H CPU that brings 8-core (4P+4E), 12 threads, up to 4.8 GHz, 12 MB cache, and the same 45 W / 115 W power envelope. Worth noting that neither chip has integrated graphics enabled.

Both motherboards share the same base specifications: two DDR4 DIMM slots for up to 64 GB at DDR4-3200, two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots supporting 2242 and 2280 drives, two SATA 3.0 ports, Realtek Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.3. The MoDT form factor is not new, with several brands releasing similar products recently, including the Minisforum BD895i SE ITX powered by the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and Erying's microATX motherboard series based on Intel Core Ultra 200H processors. The MoDT format that integrates a mobile CPU directly onto a desktop board has the pricing advantage over similar CPU and board combos. The MaxSun Intel based MoDT motherboards' exact pricing and availability are yet unknown however, the pricing is estimated to be around $110-200.

It seems as though AMD's Radeon RX 9000-series GPU family may finally be getting a true entry-level variant. According to a recent report by VideoCardz citing a source inside one of AMD's AIB partners, AMD will soon announce the AMD Radeon RX 9050 with 8 GB of GDDR6 VRAM and a down-clocked version of AMD's Navi 44 GPU also used in the RX 9060. AMD has not yet revealed any details about the potential upcoming GPU, but there is a spec sheet divulging some of the details of the GPU, including a higher core count than the RX 9060. The card is expected to require a minimum 450 W PSU, suggesting reasonably low power draw, although likely not low enough to power off the PCIe slot alone.

The aforementioned spec sheet lists a Game clock of 1920 MHz and a Boost clock of up to 2600 MHz for the RX 9050, although, notably, the actual stream processor count is up from 1792 on the RX 9060 to 2048 on the 9050. It's entirely possible that we will see the GPU modding community come up with some way to hack a higher clock speed onto the 9050 via something like a 9060 XT vBIOS or some similar trick, but until then it's entirely likely that performance will be lower than the 9060, because the clock speeds are slower on the 9050—13% lower Boost clocks and 20% slower Game clocks. The reports also note that the specifications are preliminary, so it may be the case that some of the stream processors will be disabled to put the 9050 below the 9060. This non-finalized spec means we are also unlikely to see the Radeon RX 9050 launch anytime soon. The spec sheet also lists a PCIe 5 ×16 bus width and an HDMI 2.1b and dual DisplayPort 2.1a ports.

Building on more than 30 years of collaboration, Applied Materials, Inc. today announced a new innovation partnership with TSMC to accelerate the development and commercialization of semiconductor technologies required for the next era of AI. Working together at Applied's EPIC Center in Silicon Valley, the companies will co-innovate to advance materials engineering, equipment innovation, and process integration technologies designed to deliver energy-efficient performance from the data center to the edge.

"Applied and TSMC share a long history of deep collaboration built on trust and a shared commitment to advancing innovation at the leading edge of semiconductor technology," said Gary Dickerson, President and CEO of Applied Materials. "By bringing our teams together at the EPIC Center, we are strengthening that partnership and accelerating the development of technologies to address the unprecedented complexity driving the chip making roadmap."

The Chinese DRAM market has just gained another player with POWEV entering the DDR5 market. POWEV is a sub-brand of the Chinese company Jiahe Jinwei, which announced its entry into the DDR5 market almost half a decade ago but is delivering now when it is needed most. POWEV has introduced DDR5 DRAM in form factors like UDIMM, SODIMM, and RDIMM, capable of up to 64 GB capacity and available in either 4,800 MT/s or 5,600 MT/s speeds. At these speeds, modules have different latencies, so it is best to refer to the specification table below. Firstly, POWEV separates its DDR5 products into "pure domestic" memory modules and industrial memory modules. This likely refers to some modules being for PC DIY and OEM applications, while others are for servers and industrial applications.

Both categories come with non-ECC unbuffered memory modules, while RDIMMs carry registered ECC on their own DIMMs. Every module operates at a voltage of 1.2 V, with a specific pin count depending on the form factor. Interestingly, it is unclear what technology POWEV uses to manufacture these DDR5 modules and create these DIMMs, as the underlying technology is undefined. South Korean memory makers such as SK hynix and Samsung usually reveal which iteration of their 10 nm manufacturing technology is used for chip manufacturing, but that is not the case here. Jiahe Jinwei has entered mass production of DDR5 memory, but no underlying technology has been disclosed. For many, this doesn't matter as long as the performance meets JEDEC's DDR5 specifications.

Blaze Entertainment and Retro Games Ltd are delighted to announce two new portable retro game consoles that answer the question - What if your favorite home computers of the 1980s were portable? Introducing THEC64 Handheld and The Spectrum Handheld - two new handheld retro gaming consoles licensed by Retro Games Ltd and created by the makers of the critically acclaimed Super Pocket consoles. These two new handhelds are designed around the imagination of what a portable version of these classic home computers would look like in the 1980s.

Each handheld follows the color scheme of the home computers and is inspired by the design choices of each original release. The clamshell case design takes inspiration from some of the most successful gaming handhelds of the past, while also evoking the style of portable computers, palmtops and organizers of the 1980s. Answering the question of what these classic home computers would be like if they were designed and made in the 1980s.

HPE (NYSE: HPE) today announced the availability of HPE Compute Scale-up Server 3250, a purpose-built server for in-memory databases, engineered to deliver scalability, resilience, performance, and security for critical business transactional and analytics workloads. Powered by Intel Xeon 6 processors, HPE Compute Scale-up Server 3250 delivers the highest memory available as the first scale-up server validated by the SAP BW Edition HANA benchmark with at least 48 terabytes (TB) of memory.

"HPE Compute Scale-up Server 3250 raises the bar for business-critical infrastructure," said Krista Satterthwaite, senior vice president and general manager, Compute at HPE. "Designed for complex business applications like enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management systems, this system helps customers in ways competitive offerings cannot - allowing them to run faster transactions, gain insights in real time, and support analytics without slowing down business. With simpler operations, always-on reliability, and chip-to-cloud security - we're redefining what scale looks like for workloads with zero-tolerance downtime."

Subscription fatigue is real, especially when it comes to software you use every day. Microsoft 365 costs $69.99 to $99.99 annually, which means you'll easily spend $200-$400 within a few years just to keep using Word and Excel. The Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business lifetime license eliminates the subscription cycle entirely. One payment installs the classic desktop apps directly on your Mac or PC with no recurring fees.Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business Lifetime License is $129.97 (regularly $249.99).

OneOdio, a pioneer in professional audio technology, today officially announces the global launch of the Studio Max 2, the flagship headphones created in deep collaboration with world-renowned DJ and producer, KSHMR.

Starting today, the Studio Max 2 is available worldwide. To celebrate this milestone, OneOdio is releasing a Limited Signed Edition—featuring a collector's signature card from KSHMR—exclusively available on the OneOdio Official Website. This special release is strictly limited to 1,000 units globally.

Intel's CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, has confirmed that the collaboration with NVIDIA is ongoing, and we are about to see the results of the partnership announced late last year. Yesterday, Carnegie Mellon University awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Science and Technology to NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang for his outstanding contributions to the fields of accelerated computing and AI. Intel's Lip-Bu Tan had the honor of placing the doctoral hood on him. In a post on X, the Intel CEO confirmed that Intel and NVIDIA are still working together to "develop exciting new products," indicating that the long-promised integration of NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs within Intel SoCs is still in progress. What began as an initial investment from NVIDIA into Intel and an announcement of product collaboration is evolving into a much deeper integration of both companies into a unified ecosystem.

First, we look forward to seeing Intel chips that integrate third-party GPU IP, this time from NVIDIA, with its GeForce RTX graphics embedded in an Intel-branded package. Similar to the now almost forgotten "Kaby Lake G" collaboration with AMD, Intel plans to integrate third-party graphics into its x86 SoC, codenamed "Serpent Lake," which is scheduled to be the first joint collaboration between NVIDIA and Intel in a single chip package. Second, we anticipate customized x86 Xeon server processors for NVIDIA, which Intel has been producing for large hyperscalers like Amazon for years. NVIDIA is also integrating Intel Xeon processors alongside its custom "Grace" and "Vera" CPUs, with designs customized by Intel for their HGX AI server nodes.

ASUS today announced that ProArt Display OLED PA27USD and OLED PA32USD will be available by May 2026. These two monitors are the latest additions to the ProArt OLED monitor lineup, with the PA27USD winning a CES 2026 Innovation Award earlier this year and Red Dot Product Design Awards. The 26.5-inch ProArt Display OLED PA27USD and 31.5-inch PA32USD boast 4K QD-OLED panels with up to 1000 nits peak brightness (3% area) for exceptional contrast. Both monitors offer 99% DCI-P3 and true 10-bit color depth for exceptional color reproduction that exceeds industry standards, making them ideal for video editing and other post-production workflows.

ProArt Display OLED PA27USD and PA32USD are factory calibrated to Delta E<1 color accuracy and support ProArt calibration software as well as Calman and Light Illusion ColourSpace CMS professional hardware-calibration software. Both monitors also offer an array of connectivity options, including dual Thunderbolt 4 ports (one supporting up to 96-watt Power Delivery and the other offering daisy-chain support), HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.1, and a built-in USB 3.2 hub with two USB Type-A and one USB Type-C ports to support a wide range of devices and peripherals. In addition, the PA27USD includes one 12G-SDI input and the PA32USD is equipped with dual 12G-SDI inputs to support uncompressed video signals at up to 4K @ 60 Hz.

SK hynix is collaborating with Intel to utilize its Embedded Multi-die Interconnect Bridge (EMIB) 2.5D packaging technology for HBM memory. As SK hynix aims to diversify its supply chain and customers are increasingly considering Intel Foundry, the South Korean memory giant is exploring research and development efforts with Intel on 2.5D packaging technology. Intel's premier 2.5D packaging technology is its EMIB, which interconnects multiple silicon dies using bridges embedded in a packaging substrate. SK hynix is interested in integrating this technology into its HBM memory, presumably to bring its HBM4 memory modules up to standard for EMIB integration, should its AI chip partners choose Intel Foundry for advanced packaging of their next-generation solutions.

We have already covered that small silicon EMIB bridges—available in variants like EMIB-M with embedded MIM capacitors and EMIB-T with TSVs—provide low-cost, high-density shoreline connections ideal for logic-to-logic and logic-to-HBM interfaces. However, until now, SK hynix has been using TSMC and its CoWoS 2.5D packaging technology. As CoWoS is gradually reaching its limits and customers are seeking alternative packaging methods, EMIB is emerging as a strong candidate to continue the scaling of chiplets in many directions beyond the traditional reticle limit of 830 mm² of silicon area.

AMD's latest Adrenalin Edition 26.5.1 WHQL Drivers are causing problems for Blender users, according to the latest Blender issue tracker. Blender 5.1.1 is crashing with these drivers, particularly when using the Cycles path-tracing render engine. The issue appears to be a ROCm runtime mismatch. Blender 5.1.1 uses ROCm 6 runtimes, but the latest AMD driver 26.5.1 only includes ROCm 7, leading to compatibility issues that prevent the application from running smoothly. Multiple users have reported crashes, and we now understand the background.

Developer involved in AMD evosystem Sahar A. Kashi confirmed that when a factory reset is performed and the system is installed from scratch, the amdhip64_6.dll file is removed, causing Blender Cycles to attempt loading ROCm 7 kernels. However, since Blender version 5.1.1 is compiled only for ROCm 6, this runtime mismatch results in application crashes. To resolve this issue on AMD GPU systems, users should install the older 26.3.1 drivers and use them until Blender version 5.2 is released, and the Cycles path-tracing render engine achieves full ROCm 7 compatibility.

Apple and Intel Foundry Services have reached a preliminary agreement to onboard Apple as a foundry customer for manufacturing of Apple Silicon on its latest foundry nodes, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The move could see Apple end its near-total reliance on TSMC for production of its chips. Apple is looking to leverage the Intel 18A foundry node that offers comparable transistor densities and electric characteristics as TSMC's 2 nm-class nodes. Intel manufactures chips on the Intel 18A node in the state of Oregon, and is building new facilities in Ohio that will cater to future nodes. The company also has chip packaging facilities in states such as Arizona and Nevada. The move could improve Apple's contribution to the U.S. Government's efforts to onshore manufacturing of chips and other strategic commodities.

Late last year, AMD released a paper introducing its new Dense Geometry Format (DGF) 3D graphics technology, designed to compete with NVIDIA's RTX Mega Geometry. Today, the company is unveiling DGF SuperCompression (DGFS), a new compression technique within the DGF graphics stack, which reduces game geometry file sizes by up to 22% compared to standard DGF. With DGFS, AMD aims to achieve an average 22% reduction in compressed game asset streams when GDeflate is applied. This results in significantly smaller asset sizes, allowing for larger games without the need for expanded storage. As games now often require hundreds of gigabytes of installation space, compressing storage formats is a key strategy to fit more games on your PC without immediately needing additional storage. A 22% reduction in file size through proprietary compression makes installation sizes much more manageable.

However, it's important to note that since DGFS is a compression format for DGF, the mesh stream array produced by DGFS must be decoded before the game can load it. It's similar to a ZIP file, which you can't use until it's unzipped. DGFS data will behave in the same way, residing only in PC storage, not in memory as it is not a component that will be directly processed by the GPU. AMD has developed a CPU-based decoding process that decodes the compressed DGFS assets in real time during asset streaming, which AMD claims "should be sufficiently fast." There are also potential GPU-based decoding solutions, suggesting we might see faster implementations in the future when it hits software SDKs.

GIGABYTE, the world's leading computer brand, announced a new limited-time bundle campaign offering gamers an enhanced way to experience today's most popular titles. Starting April 24 through May 31, 2026, customers who purchase select GIGABYTE OLED gaming monitors will receive three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, unlocking access to a vast library of high-quality games across genres.

At the center of this campaign is the GIGABYTE MO27Q2A, a premium QHD OLED gaming monitor designed to deliver exceptional visual clarity, ultra-fast responsiveness, and immersive color performance. With its OLED panel technology, the MO27Q2A delivers VESA DisplayHDR True Black 400, 1.5M:1 vibrant contrast ratio, and stunning color accuracy, bringing every scene to life whether players are exploring expansive RPG worlds, competing in fast-paced shooters, or enjoying cinematic story-driven experiences available through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

For more information about the GIGABYTE MO27Q2A and the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate bundle, visit this page.

Welcome to week 20, which kicks off with a game about the camper van life as this week's major release. This is followed by some galactic space battles, some space alien horror, another mobile home came, but with beasts, an underwater sequel and finally some post-apocalyptic cyberpunk survival. As most of the time, don't forget to check out the other releases that are launching this week as well.

Outbound / This week's major release / Monday 11 May
Outbound is a cozy open-world exploration game set in a utopian near future. Start with an empty camper van and turn it into the home of your dreams - alone or together with your friends. Build and explore at your own pace. Collect materials, craft, and build in and on top of your vehicle with modular parts. Advance in technology and efficiently use energy to power your home. Steam link

Ploopy, the makers of the DIY-friendly peripherals, like the Ploopy Adept trackball and the Ploopy Trackpad, has just released the Ploopy Bean, a standalone pointing device that mimics the functionality of something like the Lenovo TrackPoint that has become so popular with ThinkPad users. However, the Bean takes the pointing stick and dials it up to 11, giving users four programmable buttons around the pointing stick and allowing full customization via open-source QMK firmware. By default, the Ploopy Bean's keymap features left, middle, and right click as well as a drag scroll option and pre-configured QMK combos for forward and back buttons, making it equivalent to a standard six-button mouse.

Ploopy has opted for a magnetic Texas Instruments TMAG5273 magnetic sensor, which is theoretically capable of reading the position of the pointing stick 20,000 times a minute. The pointing stick also has a wider-than-average range of motion, allowing for up to 11 mm of movement in each axis. The switches in the Bean are Omron D2LS-21 "Subminiature" switches, which are rated for 20 million clicks—basically extra-small mouse switches with a clicky actuation. The Bean is compatible with VIA for easy customization, although more in-depth customization can be performed by editing the firmware directly (if you're comfortable coding), or with the QMK Configurator. While Ploopy does sell the Bean for CAD 69 (~$52 converted)—currently under pre-order—it has also published all of the necessary 3D models, electrical CAD files, firmware, and documentation necessary to make your own version or tweak the design. The version Ploopy sells is also 3D printed in

Pokémon Pokopia is widely known to have been a successful launch for Nintendo, with the life sim having recently climbed its way to the top of Metacritic's 2026 game rankings with an impressive 89 Metacritic score. Now, recent financial filings indicate that Pokopia has been more than simply a critical success, with the Japanese gaming giant having sold over 4 million copies of the game in the five weeks after its launch on March 31, 2026. By comparison, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen had achieved roughly the same sales figures in six weeks, while Donkey Kong Bananza and Pokémon ZA have sold 4.52 million and 3.94 million units, respectively.

In less positive news, however, Nintendo has also revealed that the Nintendo Switch 2 will get a price increase on September 1, 2026, to $499 in the US and €499 in the EU, while Japanese customers can expect to pay ¥59,980, up from ¥49,980, as soon as May 25, 2025. Nintendo expects the Switch 2 to sell 16.5 million units in the 2027 financial year, down 16.9% from the FY 2026 projection of 19.86 million units. Between the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, Nintendo reported hardware sales of 23 million units for the same period. The Switch 2 price increase has been expected since January 2026, thanks to rising DRAM and BOM costs across the board.

Minisforum and Intel held a joint launch event in Xiamen, introducing two new all-flash NAS systems built around Intel Series 3 processors, the compact S5 and the seven-bay S7. The S5 is the more distinctive of the two. It runs Intel Core Series 3 (Wildcat Lake), Intel's 18A-based platform for edge, laptops and commercial devices and adopts a no-HDDs approach featuring five M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x1 SSD slots. The fanless design combined with the all-SSD layout means it runs completely silent. Minisforum is even pitching it at home theater setups and anywhere noise is a concern. Memory goes up to 16 GB of LPDDR5X-7200, and connectivity includes a 10 GbE RJ45, a 2.5 GbE RJ45, two USB4 40 Gbps ports, two USB 3.2 Type-A ports, and HDMI 2.1. Wi-Fi 7 is also on board, and combined SSD throughput is rated at up to 10.8 GB/s.

The S7 is built on the MS-03 workstation platform and steps up to seven NVMe slots for heavier storage workloads. Networking is more enterprise-oriented, with dual 10G SFP+ fiber ports, a 10G RJ45, a 2.5G RJ45, and two USB4 40 Gbps ports. An LED status display lets users check system and storage activity making it more suited to home-lab and power user setups. Both systems support Minisforum MinisOpenClaw AI agent, which includes features like AI semantic photo search and installs in one click. No pricing or release date has been announced.

Arc Raiders is one of only a handful of semi-competitive, shooters with a large player base that has a Platinum rating on ProtonDB, thanks to its Linux-friendly Easy Anti-Cheat implementation. In a recent blog post addressing the studio's plans to "ensure fair play," Arc Raiders developer, Embark Studios, confirmed that it is testing a new kernel-level anti-cheat solution that the studio expects "will sharpen both detection and precision throughout Speranza and the Rust Belt." The studio confirms that, in addition to the pre-existing kernel-level anti-cheat implementation, it relies heavily on machine learning tools and input telemetry data in order to catch cheaters. In spite of these existing efforts, Steam user reviews still complain bitterly about the presence of cheaters in Arc Raiders.

It should be noted that Embark has clearly considered Linux playability via Proton and similar tools, as well as its Steam Deck Verified status, until now. There's a fair bit of the anti-cheat blog post dedicated to accessibility and players on uncommon hardware and input devices, with the developer promising to continue letting players with unorthodox accessibility tools play the game. Additionally, when Embark first implemented kernel-level anti-cheat in The Finals, it promised to maintain support for Linux and the Steam Deck, so there's a fairly decent chance that Arc Raiders may remain playable on Linux devices. That said, in cases like that of Apex Legends, Respawn and EA have claimed that dropping Linux support resulted in a 33% decline in cheaters, giving rise to a notion in certain circles that Linux is a cheater's operating system.

Despite earlier rumors speculating about both the upcoming PlayStation 6's pricing and supposed launch date, it has come to light in a recent investor call that Sony has yet to actually decide on either of those aspects of the new console's launch. When asked about the progress of the next-gen console, Sony CEO, Hiroki Totoki, said that "Looking at the current circumstances, the memory price is also expected to be very high FY 2027, because there will still be a shortage of supply," going on to explain that "We have not yet decided on at what timing we will launch the new console or at what prices, so we would like to really observe and follow the situation."

Sony isn't the only console maker struggling with pricing. The Xbox Helix is expected to launch at a price of around $1,000 when it eventually hits the market, and, while the rumor mill has nothing to say about Nintendo's next console launch this early in the Switch 2's lifecycle, there has been talk of a potential price increase for the Nintendo Switch 2—an issue worsened by softening US sales. The PS5 itself also recently saw a sizeable price increase, and although Sony didn't provide a justification for the price increases outside of "the global economic landscape," the assumption has largely been that increasing DRAM prices have been to blame for the price increase.

GMKtec officially announces the launch of its latest high-performance Mini PC, powered by the 13th Gen Intel Core i5-13500H processor. Designed for users seeking a compact yet powerful desktop solution, the new Mini PC combines strong productivity performance, triple-display 4K output, advanced connectivity, and flexible storage expansion in an elegant ultra-small form factor. The new GMKtec Mini PC is now available globally with special launch pricing and limited-time discounts.

Compact Size, Powerful Performance
At the heart of the system is the Intel Core i5-13500H processor, featuring 12 cores and 16 threads with a turbo frequency up to 4.7 GHz. Built on Intel 7 process technology, the processor delivers strong multitasking capabilities and excellent energy efficiency for both professional and entertainment workloads.

Sony Semiconductor Solutions and TSMC have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to form a joint venture focused on next-generation image sensor development and manufacturing. Sony will be the majority and controlling shareholder in the joint venture, which plans to set up development and production lines at Sony's newly built fab in Koshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture. The partnership brings together Sony's image sensor design expertise and TSMC's process technology and manufacturing scale. Beyond conventional imaging, the two companies are also looking at opportunities in physical AI applications, automotive and robotics specifically, where high-performance sensing is becoming increasingly important. Investment plans for the joint venture are still being worked out, and Sony is also considering additional capital investment in its existing Nagasaki plant. Both are being planned in phases based on market demand and are contingent on Japanese government support. Earlier reporting from Reuters indicated Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has confirmed subsidies of up to ¥60 billion (around $380 million) for Sony's Kumamoto image sensor facility.

The timing makes sense for both sides. TSMC is already involved in Kumamoto through its first fab there, which entered mass production in late 2024 supplying Sony Semiconductor Solutions and DENSO on 22/28 nm and 12/16 nm nodes. The new joint venture would push that relationship into more advanced territory. For Sony, the move comes as competitive pressure in the image sensor market is building as Samsung has been gaining ground in supplying sensors for Apple, squeezing Sony's position in a segment it has long dominated. However, the joint venture still needs a definitive legally binding agreement before it's official.

Chinese GPU distributors are now selling some AMD Radeon RX graphics cards below the MSRP set by AMD. According to Channel Gate, AMD graphics cards in China are currently being sold at a loss, with many channel distributors actually losing money on some Radeon models. For example, the entry-level Radeon RX 7650 GRE, which has an MSRP of 2,099 RMB ($308), is now being sold for about 1,740 RMB ($256), including sales tax. This represents a 17% decrease compared to the MSRP, making it an attractive price point for buyers, but not so much for sellers who have a stockpile of these graphics cards. Moving on to the more recent RDNA 4 generation, the Radeon RX 9060 XT 8 GB edition has an MSRP of 2,499 RMB ($367) but is now being sold at 2,250 RMB ($330). This is another drop of 10% compared to the MSRP, offering gamers a better deal.

The smallest difference is seen with AMD's top RDNA 4 GPU, the Radeon RX 9070 XT. This model has an MSRP of 4,999 RMB ($735) in China but is now trading at a slight discount of less than one percentage point at 4,950 RMB ($727). While this may not seem significant, it indicates that the card is finally trading at prices that AMD encouraged its board partners to adopt for the latest RDNA 4 family. However, these changes are only now starting to appear in China.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DOWNLOAD: AMD Software Adrenalin 26.5.1 WHQL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For Fiscal Year 2026:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The full post by Sharma reads:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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