The PC is one of the most popular gaming platforms in the world, and one that’s constantly changing. Here at The Verge we cover every aspect, including the latest hardware developments from companies like Nvidia and Logitech, massively popular games like Fortnite and Overwatch, and hugely influential digital platforms like Steam and itch.io.
A VideoCardz leak has the Arc Pro B70, with 32 Xe2 graphics cores, 32GB of RAM and a 230W TDP, launching next week alongside a B65 with 20 Xe2 cores. It’s not clear if we’ll ever get the B770 gaming variant; Intel deleted a tweet about it in December.
“The reason for that is because, as I have explained very carefully, DLSS 5 fuses controllability of the of geometry and textures and everything about the game with generative AI,” Huang said, according to Tom’s Hardware, and he noted that developers can “fine-tune the generative AI.”
Still, it’s maybe not the best thing to say about the blowback to DLSS 5 right now.
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.
Asus is also teasing a new flagship ROG Strix Scar 18 with RTX 5090 Laptop GPU and 290HX Plus CPU, expected in Q2.
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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.
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.
Brick_wall_56:
On the surface, this seems great. I’m a moron who has my PC hooked up to my living room TV with Steam Big Picture mode booting at launch. I yearn for something like this.
But I have absolutely zero faith in Microsoft pulling this off in any way that makes me want to turn it on. There’s not a single MS product I enjoy using at this point, and I have no idea why this would be any different.
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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.”
We’re in line for Microsoft’s keynote, but look what we spotted at its booth at GDC! “Cross-platform is the future of the Xbox ecosystem,” it writes. “Build for Xbox on PC.” Again, the future of Xbox is W.
It follows a similar suit filed two weeks ago by New York. Both allege that the loot boxes in games like Counter-Strike 2 are essentially gambling, and the class action accuses Valve of “deceptive, casino-style psychological tactics.”
During GDC on Tuesday, Nvidia announced that visionOS 26.4, expected later this spring, will include support for Nvidia’s XR streaming platform CloudXR 6.0, allowing users to play games like X-Plane 12 and iRacing on the Vision Pro. Developers will soon be able to test their games over the cloud, too, with GeForce NOW Playtest.
Microsoft sure seems to be hinting so! And I suspect Tom is right about what that means. (Better W than L, right?) The company will be at GDC on Wednesday with a “Building for the future with Xbox” keynote session.
If you are, Valve has a list of the 50 most-played demos. I only dabbled with a few, but I loved the one for the Vampire Survivors spinoff Vampire Crawlers.
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Any Xbox Insider PC can opt into Microsoft’s new “postgame recaps,” but the Xbox Ally X handheld’s integrated NPU takes it further with Copilot-generated “highlight reels.”
To start, it’ll only work with Among Us, Elden Ring, Fortnite, Forza Horizon 5, Lies of P, Overwatch, and Palworld. Let me know if it’s better than a normal recap?
Lenovo’s 15-inch Legion 7A is its first with an AMD Strix Halo APU. The 7A will charge via 180W USB-C and be configurable with a gaming-focused Ryzen AI Max Plus 392.
It launches in July from $2,299, competing with Asus’ upcoming TUF Gaming A14. Remember, integrated graphics are good now.
The 1TB version also reappeared this morning, but was gone before I could get up a Verge Quick Post. I’m moving faster this time! Here’s the store page. Valve warned on February 16th it’ll be intermittently out of stock because of RAMageddon. Wednesday was the Deck’s fourth anniversary. (Update: 1TB is back too, and hearing Canada has stock as well!)
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The GeForce Game Ready Driver 595.59 that optimizes DLSS features for the game on PC has been temporarily removed after Nvidia discovered a bug impacting fan control and monitoring. Anyone who already installed the driver is being advised to roll back to 591.86 WHQL while the issue is investigated.
Today is the fourth anniversary of Valve’s gaming handheld, which has been out of stock for weeks due to RAM... but when I set my VPN to the UK, I see some available now! Not in the US, EU or Asia, though.
Last February 25th, I wrote how the Deck had dominated handheld sales; recently, Circana analyst Mat Piscatella shared that the Asus ROG Ally still hasn’t made a dent.
Death Stranding 2 is coming to PC on March 19th, and the system requirements are fairly relaxed, except for needing 150GB of SSD storage — an especially tough ask for portable players (who are getting their own graphics preset). A 21:9 ultrawide mode is coming to PC and the PS5. Although, it seems likely that the effect will be simulated on PS5 like it was with its predecessor, with horizontal black bars and a wider field of view.
It turned me into Antonio Hikingman.
