Gaming

Meta announced last month it would be shifting its strategy to go “all-in on mobile” for Horizon Worlds, and today, the company shared exactly when the VR version of the app would be going away.

One of my favorite games so far this year is Inkle’s cryptic mystery TR-49, and on April 7th the game is launching on the Switch so Nintendo fans can check it out.

It’s out today, and Sony says it “enables players to enjoy games at a higher bitrate compared to the default 1080p Standard mode, providing a smooth and high-fidelity experience.” There are also UI changes.
Sony’s also rolling out an improved PSSR upscaler for some games on PS5 Pro today, too.

The game’s next big season, which will feature Bugs Bunny, launches the same day.

The Asus ROG Strix G16 and G18 are getting a chip bump to the new Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus. Both also have upgraded displays, with the G16 reaching 300Hz and the 240Hz G18 now using Mini LED. Pricing and availability are TBD.

In the latest update, a judge has ordered Krafton to reinstate former Unknown Worlds Entertainment CEO Ted Gill, saying the publisher violated its contract when Gill and his fellow co-founders were fired last summer. The suit also claims that Krafton CEO Changhan Kim “consulted an artificial intelligence chatbot to contrive a corporate ‘takeover’ strategy” and get out of paying a $250 million bonus.

Nvidia’s also got a whole blog post dedicated to the “real-time neural rendering model that infuses pixels with photoreal lighting and materials.” It’s coming this fall with support from Bethesda, Capcom, Hotta Studio, NetEase, NCSoft, S-Game, Tencent, Ubisoft and Warner Bros. Games to start.

Startup Pixelpaw Labs has announced a new wireless mouse that’s business on the outside and fun within. The Phase features a 16K DPI optical sensor and touch-sensitive scrolling but splits in half to become a pair of wireless game controllers with thumbsticks and motion controls. You can preorder it ahead of a future Kickstarter launch with a $20 deposit.

Last year Netflix confirmed that its long-gestating Assassin’s Creed series was still happening, and now we have further proof of life thanks to a casting announcement. Noomi Rapace, Sean Harris, Ramzy Bedia, and Corrado Invernizzi have joined the cast, though there’s still no word on when it’ll start streaming.

Digital games rarely go on sale compared to their physical disc counterparts, but the PlayStation “Mega March” sale is full of exceptions to that rule. For example, you can get $20 off Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, 10 percent off Nioh 3, and much more.

The Xreal Neo video dock-meets-charger has been canceled. The company shared the news on Reddit, stating its decision was based on concerns about its “3rd party dock reliability” and “battery longevity.” Xreal owners hoping to play the Switch 2 through their glasses now have to rely on third-party products, like a battery dock from Viture, a company that Xreal recently sued for patent infringement.

This spring, Peacock is bringing a new Jeopardy! game to its mobile app. It will feature daily trivia rounds straight from the Jeopardy! team, along with shareable scores and streak challenges.

Parrots have legendary intelligence, but perhaps none like this exemplary Halo legend: a Congo African Grey rescue at the Alveus Sanctuary who can mimic Xbox noises. They can also dance to the classic Halo theme song. The sanctuary doesn’t know the bird’s name or gender yet, but may I suggest… “Master Cheep?”

Microsoft’s big GDC announcement turned out to be bringing Xbox mode to every Windows 11 PC, starting next month. It’s the latest encouraging sign after Xbox’s big leadership shakeup, but Microsoft has work to do to earn back users’ trust.

Epic and Google are settling, but the US version of the plan still rests in Judge Donato’s hands. He’s asking for “friend of the court” briefs in early April, meaning it’ll be longer before he makes a decision.

The feature, announced as part of various updates alongside the GDC Festival of Gaming, is rolling out to select games to start, including Brotato: Premium. Also: free 60-minute game demos, ones that let gamers pick up where they left off after they pay.

Who doesn’t love a gorgeous print mag? Editors Mark Serrels and Jackson Ryan (author of our in-depth investigation into Tales of the Shire) are launching a new publication called Continue, which promises to “celebrate and interrogate video game culture, creativity and, community.” The Kickstarter campaign has already blown past its goal — check it out here.

It’s not clear, and Microsoft VP Jason Ronald wouldn’t tell us in person, saying more info about the Game Preservation program is on the way. But his written remarks include the phrase: “we’ll be rolling out new ways to play some of the most iconic games from our past.” What new ways? Well, it appears PC-first development is “compatible with next-gen game preservation.”

Sean Hollister and I are seated at VP of Next Generation Jason Ronald’s talk about “building for the future.” Maybe some Helix news?