World of Warcraft has just made good on its promise to fully reveal its upcoming Midnight expansion at Gamescom 2025 by releasing two trailers during Gamescom 2025's Opening Night Live ceremony.

Blizzard Entertainment's presentation gives players a deeper look into gameplay features already announced, like the Player Housing system, and a sneak peek at the game's plot.

More importantly, the gameplay trailer gives us a look at a ton of newly revealed features like new Zones, Dungeons, Outdoor content, a new playable race, a new Class Specialization (or Spec for short) for the Demon Hunter Class, and much more.

On top of that, this presentation reveals that this upcoming PC title will be launching sometime in 2026.

Here's everything announced for World of Warcraft: Midnight from this presentation.

The presentation begins with a cinematic trailer showing World of Warcraft's current main antagonist, Xal'atath, attacking the city of Silvermoon with an army of monstrous Void Walkers.

Xal'atath's seeks to capture the city's magical, life-giving Sunwell so she can harness its power to get her plans of destroying Azeroth's Worldsoul back on track after they were derailed during the events of World of Warcraft: The War Within.

In this expansion, the player will need to unite the Elven races of Azeroth with the forces of Light into one massive coalition if they hope to defeat Xal'altath and save the Sunwell from being destroyed.

 

 

After the cinematic trailer concluded, Blizzard Entertainment showed off a gameplay montage trailer for World of Warcraft: Midnight on its YouTube channel, highlighting all the expansion's new gameplay features.

 

These new main features include, but are not limited to:

 

• A deeper look into Player Housing — showing off all the locations we can build our homes at and the accessories we can decorate them with.
• Several new Zones to explore — Eversong Woods, Harandar, Voidstorm, and Zul'Amon.
• Silvermoon City revamped — complete with new graphical details and structures.
• New Dungeons — Den of Nalorakk, Maisara Caverns, Nexus Point Xenas, Voidscar Arena, Blinding Vale, Windrunner Spire, Magister’s Terrace, and Murder Row.
• New Delves — Den of Echoes, Parhelion Plaza, Collegiate Calamity, The Shadow Enclave, Shadowguard Point, Sunkiller Sanctum, and Torment’s Rise.
• New Raids — The Voidspire (six-boss raid), The Dreamfrift (cinematic one-boss raid), and The March on Quel’Danas (cinematic two-boss raid).
• A new playable race called the Haranir — a group of batlike humanoids that debuted in World of Warcraft: The War Within.
• A new Class Specialization for the Demon Hunter class called Devourer — Devourer Demon Hunters channel the power of the Void instead of the Fel to unleash a barrage of mid-range attacks like Void-empowered scythe strikes, Void Ray blasts, and throwing black holes at enemies.
• A new race/class combo — To accommodate the Devourer Demon Hunter Spec, player Void Elves can now become Demon Hunters alongside player Blood Elves and Night Elves.
• Prey — A new outdoor activity where you will be tasked with hunting down unique boss monsters in the open world at multiple difficulty levels for lucrative rewards such as cosmetic gear, mounts, titles, and Player Housing items.
• Training Grounds (PVP) — A new PVP mode that will help players practice their skills against NPCs before going into battle against real players.
• Slayer's Rise (PVP) — An Alterac Valley-inspired, PVP hotspot in the Voidstorm Zone where players fight to destroy enemy bases before defeating their respective opponent's Domanaar commander.

I can't wait to blast enemies to dust with the new Devourer Demon Hunter Spec

Demon Hunters are about to dominate World of Warcraft again with the new Devourer Spec. 

(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

 

All these new gameplay details have me super excited to play World of Warcraft: Midnight. The new Zones look beautiful, Player Housing is looking better by the minute, and the new Haranir race looks so savage and interesting to play as.

 

My favorite new gameplay detail announcement is, without a doubt, the new Devourer Spec for Demon Hunters.

 

For nearly 10 years, since the class debuted in World of Warcraft: Legion in 2016, Demon Hunters were the only Class in the game that had two Specs, Havoc and Vengeance.

 

Play as the new Haranir race.

(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

 

World of Warcraft: Midnight offers a wide variety of Dungeons, Raids, and Delves to partake in

(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

 

New Zones both wonderous and terrifying await you in World of Warcraft: Midnight

(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

 

Silvermoon City has been remade from the ground-up with improved graphics and details in World of Warcraft: Midnight

(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

 

Get yourself a house to rest up in between adventures with the new Player Housing system.(

Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

 

For those unaware, Specs in World of Warcraft allow a character to specialize in certain aspects of their class. Most classes in the game currently have three Specs, Druids have four, and Demon Hunters only have two.

 

Havoc was a melee DPS Spec that ravaged enemies with Warglaives, while Vengeance was a Tank spec that drew the ire of enemies with Fel magic.

 

The new Devourer Spec, meanwhile, is a primarily mid-ranged DPS Spec that combines the explosive power of other magic-based Classes like Mage and Evoker, with the insane agility and mobility tools of the Demon Hunter, essentially creating a whole new playstyle.

 

It looks so amazingly cool that it makes me want to try out Demon Hunter now, as I haven't played as that Class yet due to their limited Spec options.

 

With Legion Remix on the horizon, it may be the perfect time now for me to give Demon Hunters a go in preparation for when World of Warcraft: Midnight launches in 2026.

 

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Posted Wednesday 20 August 2025 at 12:49 pm AEST (my time).

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Deep Silver and Warhorse Studios announced the Legacy of the Forge story expansion for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 at the Gamescom Opening Night Live event today. This new premium DLC will pick up Henry's journey from the base game and have him continuing in his father's footsteps to become a blacksmith.

The expansion takes place in Kuttenberg, where he must first restore his father's original 'legendary forge' to restore his legacy. This will involve doing blacksmithing tasks for the nearby villages and people in the form of daily quests. "Gaining new blacksmith prestige, Henry becomes a forge master, helping the people of Kuttenberg with sword crafting, armor-smithing, and other quirky requests," explains the developer.

Doing this new job will also earn Henry cash, which he can use to build a brand-new home for himself complete with a custom forge, private quarters, and even the surrounding area within the land. The studio touts that over 136 million combinations of customization options will be available here, and the chosen upgrades will also have an effect on how the rest of the game is played.

Here are the primary features being introduced in this DLC pack:

• Henry’s very own home – Personalize your forge, private quarters, and its surroundings with brand-new design features, allowing you to build a unique home with a customization system that offers over 100 million combinations.
• Continue Henry’s journey of discovery – Return to Kuttenberg and venture down memory lane. Meeting acquaintances of your late father, turning strangers into allies in a meaningful pursuit to achieve your family’s legacy. Uncover a part of your father’s life that has remained hidden - until now.
• Enhance your blacksmithing skills – Rise through the ranks to become the master of Kuttenberg's blacksmith guild, taking on blacksmithing commissions that will bolster your reputation. Unlock unique blueprints for new armor and weapons all while helping the people of Kuttenberg with sword crafting, armor-smithing, and some more quirky requests.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Legacy of the Forge expansion launches September 9 across PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 with a $13.99 price tag. Expansion Pass or Gold Edition owners will receive the expansion for no extra charge.

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Posted Wednesday 20 August 2025 at 12:43 pm AEST (my time).

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Paradox Interactive had a Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2-related announcement to make during the Gamescom Opening Night Live showcase earlier today, where it finally attached a firm release date to the RPG. Watch the latest trailer showing off the gameplay above.

Paradox has been delaying Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 since its announcement back in 2019. The RPG title even went through a complete developer change and reboot, with the publisher swapping out Hardsuit Labs for The Chinese Room. Earlier this year, despite development being done, the game got delayed once again, with the studio saying that it needs more time for polish, pushing it to the second half of 2025.

The narrative of Bloodlines 2 will be experienced by players as two characters, the Elder vampire Phyre and Malkavian detective Fabien.

"After centuries of torpor, a deep state of vampiric slumber, Phyre awakens in modern-day Seattle with a mysterious mark that has locked away their Elder abilities and Fabien’s voice echoing in their head," describes the studio. "As Phyre, players meet the city’s ruling Kindred vampires, each with their own motivations, and uncover Seattle’s dark secrets while reclaiming their lost vampiric powers."

Meanwhile, when Phyre rests, his dreams take over from Fabien's perspective in a neo-noir 1920s Seattle setting. This stage must be used to solve the mystery behind his murder.

Paradox also announced two special editions for the game today. The Bloodlines 2 Deluxe Edition carries a cosmetic pack for Phyre’s in-game apartment inspired by the original Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines. Next, the Premium Edition carries the same cosmetics, as well as the Shadows & Silk content pack, which enables the Lasombra and Toreador as additional clans for players to select, with unique abilities and playstyles.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is releasing on October 21, 2025, on Steam, GOG, Epic Games Store, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.

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Posted Wednesday 20 August 2025 at 12:41 pm AEST (my time).

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Microsoft had multiple reveals at the Gamescom Opening Night Live event today, including the new Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Indiana Jones DLC. It also brought a surprise trailer for Age of Empires IV, announcing the real-time strategy game for the PlayStation platform while also giving a first look at the next expansion hitting it. Watch the new trailer above.

Age of Empires II was brought over to PlayStation 5 earlier this year too, and the newest entry is following in its footsteps with full support for controller play. This will include easily controllable automation options, simplified tactical commands, and a radial UI system for quickly selecting the relevant troops via the DualSense

Pre-purchasing the game's Premium Edition will also give PlayStation players five days of early access to the RTS, alongside access to both expansions. This means they can begin playing on October 31, while everyone else on Standard and Deluxe packages can join starting November 4.

Also landing on November 4 is the next premium expansion to Age of Empires IV, Dynasties of the East. This is coming to PC, Xbox, and PlayStation with a $17 price tag thanks to a pre-order discount.

The DLC carries four new variant civilizations for players, which are the Golden Horde, Macedonian Dynasty, Sengoku Daimyo, and the Tughlaq Dynasty. Each has their own unique units, tech trees, and strategies for use against other players as well as AI opponents. Six new biomes are a part of the pack too, introducing everything from rainforests to coastlines.

In addition to all that, Age of Empires IV is receiving a brand-new game mode as part of the expansion pack. Dubbed The Crucible, it is a roguelite experience for single-player enjoyers that offers waves of enemy attacks, randomized objectives, and upgrade unlocks to make during matches.

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Posted Wednesday 20 August 2025 at 12:40 pm AEST (my time).

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The 'one last thing' announcement to come out of Gamescom Opening Night Live event today was a surprise from Game Science. Instead of an expansion for Black Myth: Wukong, like many expected from the studio, the Chinese developer announced a full-fledged sequel: Black Myth: Zhong Kui. Watch the cinematic trailer above, which unfortunately does not have any gameplay.

Replacing Wukong, Zhong Kui comes in as the brand-new protagonist. This is a legendary ghost-hunting figure from Chinese folklore, which will offer players new ways to experience the action gameplay the studio is known for. This will also be a single-player experience.

"Zhong Kui came as a natural choice born of that aspiration and other contributing factors," said the studio in a blog post regarding the announcement today. "We are confident that, in this new project, we can make refreshing changes, create new things while taking a hard look at our past flaws and regrets."

While Wukong is being left behind, this doesn't mean the studio has abandoned that storyline altogether. "And to all friends who love Black Myth: Wukong: the westward journey won’t end here," added Game Science. "That said, we’re still exploring and experimenting with the concrete differences between Wukong and Zhong Kui. So take it easy-let us impress ourselves first before we serve it to you."

Black Myth: Zhong Kui does not have a release date attached to it just yet, with Game Science saying that it has no idea when it can finish the project. Considering how early its development is, said to be only an empty folder for now, it makes sense why the studio went for a cinematic announcement trailer.

The title is aiming for a release across PC and all 'mainstream console platforms,' with no specifics being mentioned.

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Posted Wednesday 20 August 2025 at 12:38 pm AEST (my time).

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The classic real-time strategy franchise Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War received a surprise announcement during the Gamescom Opening Night Live showcase today, unveiling a fourth mainline entry. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 unveiling landed with a cinematic trailer, seen above, but it does have some 'work in progress' gameplay footage later in the video.

Dawn of War 4 is promising a return to the roots of what made the original games such massive success stories, which are still talked about by fans today. The launch will include four factions: Space Marines, Orks, Necrons, and Adeptus Mechanicus (a first for the series). Large-scale battles with base building, army management, and brutal combat are all touted as major factors too.

"Enjoy an endlessly replayable collection of game modes, including the return of fan-favorite Last Stand," says the developer in the announcement today, describing the gameplay modes. "Fight highly-configurable AI battles in Skirmish, or take on the world in 1v1, 2v2 and 3v3 multiplayer. Wherever you’re waging war, use the Painter tool to stamp your own unique personality on your fighting forces, as well as the option to use existing factions from the Warhammer 40,000 universe."

Deep Silver is publishing this entry of the real hit RTS series. However, Relic Entertainment is not the lead developer behind the project. Dawn of War 4 is being developed by King Art Games. This was the studio behind the Iron Harvest project, a Company of Heroes-style experience but set in an alternate universe with dieselpunk machines and aesthetics.

While Relic Entertainment developed and released the recent Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War Definitive Edition remaster, it doesn't seem to be involved in this project at all. It is now an independent studio as well since it split off from Sega.

"Set many years after the events of Dawn of War: Dark Crusade, war has returned to the planet Kronus, along with Captain Cyrus, Chief Librarian Jonah Orion, and Warboss Gorgutz and several new commanders as four factions fight for supremacy," adds the developer.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 does not have a release date just yet, and so far it has only been announced for Steam.

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Posted Wednesday 20 August 2025 at 12:37 pm AEST (my time).

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During the Gamescom Opening Night Live event, CI Games officially announced Lords of the Fallen II, the sequel to the reboot that released in 2023. The Soulslike did not get any gameplay footage today, unfortunately, but a cinematic trailer debuted during the show. See it above.

The developer confirmed that the sequel is taking place a full century after the conclusion of the first entry's storyline. "The Umbral calamity has continued to spread, as the veil between realms is now fragile enough for the horrors of the dark to slip between worlds," describes the developer. "With life itself hanging by a thread, even the Gods hide in fear of the encroaching gloom, leaving humanity utterly forsaken."

The sequel has been in development for over a year, and the studio says it is building on top of all the updates and upgrades it brought to the first title. Combat is supposedly evolving too, with the studio saying that fights will be faster and more decisive, with hesitation being a deciding factor for who wins and loses. "The flow between strikes, dodges, and counters is designed to reward precision, but also tempt risk, while all-new executions up the brutality like never before," it adds.

It was also confirmed that the double realm aspect is returning. Using the Umbral Lamp, players can go between the living world and the Umbral realm. This will allow them to find different paths, uncover hidden passages, and find loot and even deadlier creatures depending on what world they are currently inside. Brand-new abilities using this mechanic have been teased too.

Plenty of 'monstrous' boss battles are being promised as well, much like what the cinematic trailer shows off, which should be good news for Soulslike fans.

Lords of the Fallen II is planned to land in 2026, and it is coming to PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.

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Posted Wednesday 20 August 2025 at 12:36 pm AEST (my time).

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Just as promised, Microsoft and Activision brought Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 to Gamescom Opening Night Live for a full showcase. Alongside new information on the game by Treyarch and Raven Software, a trailer with some over-the-top action landed too. Catch it above.

While four-player cooperative play is being shown off as a major feature, the campaign will be fully playable solo, according to the development team, with Call of Duty's iconic linear and movie-like scripted missions returning.

"In this Campaign designed for solo play or up to four player co-op, join David Mason and his JSOC team of elite Operators as they seek their own answers within the sprawling city of Avalon," says the developer. "While there, they encounter a weapon engineered to turn fear into an instrument of war. David and his team must uncover the truth behind Menendez’s return and how this horrific weapon will be used to incite global terror before losing themselves to madness."

Outside of the cooperative campaign, Zombies mode is coming back for even more co-op action too. The studio is touting the biggest round-based Zombies map it has ever made, with Survival maps also returning.

As for the multiplayer, 16 maps with 6vs6 action and two 20vs20 Skirmish maps have now been confirmed for Black Ops 7. These will be set across Japan, Alaska, Avalon, and Australian Outback locations and will even bring back some maps as fully remastered experiences. Omnimovement is back from the previous game too, with wall jumps and combat rolls being added as new features. Tactical Sprint is being removed though.

Interestingly, this is the first time that the Call of Duty series has received back-to-back Black Ops games. It was only last year that Treyarch and Raven Software launched Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 with a full arsenal of single-player campaign, round-based co-op zombies, and multiplayer components.

Ahead of launch, a beta will be kicking off on October 2 for those who pre-order any version of Black Ops 7 or are subscribed to Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Everyone else will be able to join in for free starting October 5.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is releasing on November 14, and it is hitting PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4.

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Posted Wednesday 20 August 2025 at 12:35 pm AEST (my time).

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The six new heroes are "Mina the vampire, Billy the demonic goat, Paige who can bring books to life, The Doorman who's always at your service, Victor the monster who can't be stopped, and Drifter who terrorizes the city."

Valve says that instead of lumping them all into the same update, they will be dropped in a staggered fashion. Mina is available today, and the remaining heroes are coming in every other day, and players will be able to vote on who is coming next in-game too.

"Mina is a glass cannon that delivers quick bursts of Spirit damage at range with her passive, Love Bites. She can transform into bats and escape when things get a bit too messy," says Valve, describing the new hero available today. "Each time you trigger Love Bites, your vampiric powers grow stronger for the rest of the match. This builds toward your ultimate, Nox Nostra, which unleashes a massive swarm of bats that hunt down and silence nearby enemies."

Next, the new Hideout space replaces the Dashboard UI as the pre-game area players enter before matches. The area lets players invite friends over, interact with the terminals to learn to play matches, and even use a practice range to test out heroes.

Alongside the new lobby, the update has brought in map changes focused on overhauls to lighting and visuals. Additional updates to map layouts are in development according to the studio too. Lastly, the character select screen has been completely redesigned to make it easier and sleeker to find the heroes players want. Lastly, existing heroes will be getting updates to fit the newest addition's aesthetics and detail level.

Deadlock is in beta and is only available to Steam players. Currently, the only way to get access is via a direct invite by a playtester who is already participating.

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Posted Wednesday 20 August 2025 at 5:02 am AEST (my time).

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It’s been two and a half years since Nvidia’s GeForce Now cloud gaming service got a big boost in graphics, latency, and refresh rates — this September, Nvidia’s GFN will officially add its latest Blackwell GPUs. You’ll soon be able to rent what’s effectively an RTX 5080 in the cloud, one with a whopping 48GB of memory and DLSS 4, then use that power to stream your own near-maxed-out PC games to your phone, Mac, PC, TV, set-top, or Chromebook for $20 a month.

The news comes with some caveats, but a bunch of other upgrades, too, the biggest of which is called “Install-to-Play.” Nvidia is finally bringing back the ability to install games without waiting for Nvidia to formally curate them. Nvidia claims that will double the GeForce Now library in one fell swoop.

No, you can’t just install any old PC game you own — but every game that’s opted into Valve’s Steam Cloud Play will immediately be available to install. “Literally the moment we add the feature, you’ll see 2,352 games show up,” Nvidia product marketing director Andrew Fear tells The Verge. After that, he says Install-to-Play will let Nvidia add many more games and demos to GFN on their release dates than Nvidia can manage on its own, just so long as publishers tick that box.

Image: Nvidia

Currently, Steam is the only platform compatible with Install-to-Play, but Fear tells me many publishers tend to opt in through Valve’s distribution network, including Ubisoft, Paradox, Nacom, Devolver, TinyBuild and CD Projekt Red.

One important caveat is that Install-to-Play games won’t launch instantly like curated titles; you’ll need to download and install them each time, unless you pay Nvidia extra for persistent storage at $3 for $200GB, $5 for 500GB, or $8 for 1TB per month. Installs should be fast, though, since Nvidia’s servers are linked to Valve’s Steam servers. When GFN originally launched with a similar feature, I remember downloading games far faster than I’ve ever done at home.

And Nvidia has a new use for your home bandwidth, too. If you’ve got enough, GFN will also now let you stream at 5K resolution (for both 16:9 monitors and ultrawides) at 120fps, or at up to 360fps at 1080p.

Image: Nvidia

 

It’s much easier to see the difference in the original image than your browser window; this file might help some.

Image: Nvidia

 

There’s also a new optional Cinematic Quality Streaming mode you can toggle that Nvidia claims can reduce color bleed and restore detail to dark and blurry areas of a scene as it’s streamed over the net, and you can now stream at up to 100Mbps, up from 75Mbps previously, to help maintain that quality. (It uses HDR10 and SDR10, with YUV 4:4:4 chroma sampling, streamed over AV1 with an added AI video filter and some optimizations for clearer text and HUD elements.)

Plus, Steam Deck OLED owners will be able to stream at its native 90Hz refresh rate (up from 60Hz), LG is bringing a native GeForce Now app directly to its 4K OLED TVs and 5K OLED monitors — “no Android TV devices, no Chromecast, nothing, run it directly on the television,” says Fear — and Logitech racing wheels with haptic feedback are now supported too.

How much more performance will you truly get from an RTX 5080 in the cloud? That’s the real question, and we don’t have a clear answer yet. For one thing, Nvidia isn’t promising you’ll always have an RTX 5080-tier GPU for every game you play. The company’s $20-a-month GFN Ultimate tier will still include RTX 4080-class cards too, at least for the time being.

Fear says there’s no ulterior motive there — it’ll just take time for 5080 performance to roll out “as we add the servers and bring up capacity.” He also rattles off a laundry list of popular games that’ll have 5080 performance right away, including Apex Legends, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Baldur’s Gate 3, Black Myth Wukong, Clair Obscur, Cyberpunk 2077, Doom: The Dark Ages… you get the idea.

Important fine print: GFN now has 5K120, 1080p360, and 1440p240 modes.

Image: Nvidia

 

The other caveat is that while Nvidia claims its new Blackwell Superpods are up to 2.8 times faster at gaming, that’s only if you have DLSS 4 generating three fake frames for every real frame (4x MFG) and being OK with any resulting lag. We weren’t blown away with the uplift from RTX 4080 to RTX 5080 in our review of the physical card, and latency is even more important when you’re streaming over the net.

That said, Tom and I have been impressed with GFN’s latency in the past. I’ve parried Expedition 33 foes and Sekiro bosses with it — and in lightweight games, Nvidia’s latency may have gotten even better this gen thanks to partnerships with ISPs like Comcast, T-Mobile and BT for low-latency L4S tech and the new 360fps mode. The company claims the 360fps mode can deliver end-to-end latency of just 30ms in Overwatch 2, a game where you don’t need multi-frame generation (MFG) to get that many frames.

Image: Nvidia

 

That’s more responsive than a home console — assuming you’re close enough and peered well enough to Nvidia’s servers to get 10ms ping, like I do in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The good news is, you won’t have to pay an extra cent for the RTX 5080 performance boost either way. GeForce Now Ultimate will remain $19.99 a month for now. “We’re not going to increase our price at all,” says Fear, in a group briefing. When I ask him privately whether Nvidia will increase it later, he can’t say, but claims GFN has only ever increased price when Nvidia saw a big increase in power usage or needed to rebalance currency exchange in some regions. “Nothing’s written in stone, but we’re saying for now no plans to make a price increase.”

Additionally, Nvidia is trying an intriguing new experiment that bakes GeForce Now into Discord so gamers can instantly try new games for free right from a Discord server, no GeForce Now login required. Epic Games and Discord are the first partners demoing the technology at Gamescom this week.

A “technology announcement,” not yet a feature.

Image: Nvidia

 

“You can simply click a button that says ‘try a game’ and then connect your Epic Games account and immediately jump in and and join the action, and you’ll be playing Fortnite in seconds without any downloads or installs,” says Fear. He tells The Verge that it’s merely a “technology announcement” as of today, but that Nvidia hopes game publishers and developers will reach out if they’re interested in potentially adding it to their games.

I hope so, as I’ve been in awe of try-before-you-buy cloud gaming ever since Gaikai introduced the idea 15 years ago, but Gaikai’s founder told me years later that publishers didn’t necessarily want it.

I’m looking forward to trying GeForce Now’s 5080-class servers when they launch in September, alongside the new 90Hz mode for Steam Deck OLED, and I’m curious whether the influx of games will finally make it feel like a true console alternative for me. One of my last big remaining reservations is how many of my Steam games are still missing.

Speaking of which, don’t expect to see Sony or Rockstar games like Grand Theft Auto on the service anytime soon. “I have no updates, they have chosen not to be on GFN, and you should go ask them,” Fear tells me.

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Posted Tuesday 19 August 2025 at 8:24 am AEST (my time).

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NVIDIA is the world's largest AI GPU supplier with roughly 90% of the market, but its AI efforts are not limited to data centers.

NVIDIA's gaming hardware, including RTX graphics cards, includes built-in AI tools that help with upscaling, overall performance, and even game development.

Announced today at Gamescom, NVIDIA's Project G-Assist — an on-device AI helper — has now expanded to all RTX GPUs with 6GB or more VRAM, including laptop graphics cards.

The lower system requirements arrive thanks to "a new, significantly more efficient AI model that's faster and uses 40% less memory while maintaining response accuracy," according to NVIDIA's press release.

NVIDIA says that the updated AI assistant will be available through a Game Ready Driver update within the NVIDIA App on August 19. Just download the G-Assist update on the NVIDIA App's home screen.

With this new update, NVIDIA has also added a collaboration with mod.io that will help discover and deliver G-Assist plugins built by regular users. Anyone can build plugins for G-Assist, just as long as you have an understanding of JSON and Python scripts. A specialized plugin builder is available to download from NVIDIA.

Beyond that, NVIDIA says that another update is expected in September 2025, containing laptop-specific tools to help with NVIDIA BatteryBoost and Battery OPS.

The new 5” display has a 720x1280-pixel resolution and a true multi-touch capacitive panel supporting five-finger touch. It is fully supported by Raspberry Pi OS, offering seamless integration with the rest of the Raspberry Pi product ecosystem. The display is designed to be plug-and-play, working out of the box with full Linux driver support. It also comes with the necessary cables, connectors, and mounting hardware. This 5” model shares almost identical specifications with the 7” model, with the main difference being size and price.

Here are the full specs for the 5" model:

• 5″ diagonal display
• 62mm × 110mm active area
• 720 (RGB) × 1280 pixels
• True multi-touch capacitive panel, supporting five-finger touch
• Fully supported by Raspberry Pi OS
• Powered by the host Raspberry Pi
• All necessary cables, connectors, and mounting hardware included

Commenting on the new product, Raspberry Pi said:

“Touch Display 2 offers a straightforward way to integrate a high-quality user interface into countless applications, whether those are personal builds, research projects, or commercial solutions, and our new 5″ variant provides an even more compact option if you’re targeting the smallest form factors.”

The new 5” and existing 7” variants of the Raspberry Pi Touch Display 2 are available to buy now. They can be purchased from Raspberry Pi’s worldwide network of Approved Resellers. So, if you’ve been looking at the 7” touch display but thought it was too big for the projects you’re working on, check out the 5” model, as this may be a better fit, and it's cheaper too.

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Posted Tuesday 19 August 2025 at 3:01 am AEST (my time).

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AMD has had a feature on its APUs for a while now that's attractive not just to gamers, but also local AI users; Variable Graphics Memory. Now, Intel is following suit, by adding a similar feature to its Core Ultra chips.

It was revealed by Intel's Bob Duffy (via VideoCardz), with the new Shared GPU Memory Override feature tagging along with the latest version of the Arc drivers.

Battlefield 2042 update 9.2's biggest addition is the new map: Iwo Jima. The popular map first debuted in the series back in 2002 with Battlefield 1942 and has since appeared inside Battlefield 1943 in 2009 and Battlefield V in 2019. Now, it's time for some modern warfare to invade the island that involves an active volcano.

"In Battlefield 2042 the map will feature an active Volcano, so be on the lookout for some spectacle when you explore Iwo Jima," says DICE, describing the map in today's announcement. "To really immerse you, the new map also features boat landings, bunkers, and trenches on a reimagined 700x200 map that will give you plenty of options to flex your tactical muscles."

Next, two new weapons and vehicles have landed too. The infantry weapons are the bullpup-design KFS2000 assault rifle and the semi automatic anti material Lynx Sniper Rifle, which is already unlocked for Battlefield 6 beta participants. Meanwhile, the A10 Warthog and the SU-25TM Frogfoot have landed as brand-new attack jets for the All out Warfare mode.

A free Battlepass is part of the festivities too, bringing 60 tiers of rewards to unlock until October 7, ending just days before the launch of the next entry. DICE says the new rewards are inspired by almost every game in the series. Completing the new Battlepass will also unlock cosmetic content for Battlefield 6, letting players jump into the new game at launch with some extra bling.

The complete changelog for Battlefield 2042 update 9.2 can be found here, which also details a number of balance changes for weapons, vehicles, and more. The update is now available across PC, Xbox, and PlayStation 5. With Battlefield 6 launching October 10, this may be the final content update that hits Battlefield 2042 as developers switch to supporting the new title's post-launch plans.

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Posted Tuesday 19 August 2025 at 3:03 am AEST (my time).

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Cloud storage is a convenient and quick way to store your data. It allows you to access your files from any device with an internet connection, it doesn't take up space in your PC or office, and there's a certain level of security to keep your data (mostly) safe.

However, the cloud — whether it be in the form of Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud, Google Drive, AWS, or any other popular service — should never be your only form of data storage.

Proper data storage is a topic I've been covering since at least 2017, and the perils have not changed in the past eight years. That's despite cloud storage becoming more popular than ever.

According to Threadgold Consulting, personal cloud storage hit an estimated 2.3 billion users in 2025, up from approximately 1.1 billion users in 2014.

That's a big jump, and I'm sure that some of those 1.2 billion new users don't have a secondary backup in place. Relying solely on the cloud for your important data is a bad practice. Here's why, and what you can do to change it.

The risks of cloud storage — Lessons from recent data deletion stories

Microsoft's Xbox Series X|S generation is coming to a close, and one of its principle architects posted some reflections about the journey.

Microsoft is in a period of transition with gaming, increasingly moving towards publishing over platform operation. Xbox Game Pass subscriptions and games like Call of Duty, Minecraft, and World of Warcraft increasingly drive Microsoft's gaming profits, over its platform services to third-parties — but that pie chart could be set to evolve too.

With the Xbox Ally PC gaming handheld, Microsoft is opening up the Xbox brand to traditional PC OEMs like Razer, Dell, Lenovo, and others. The Xbox Ally is the tip of the spear, built in partnership with ASUS, although there are credible rumors we're investigating that we might get a more traditional OEM "Xbox PC" as soon as 2026. Microsoft may end up finding itself at the fore of a new gaming hardware licensing empire if it all works out, taking cues from the Windows PC OEM model.

But what of first-party hardware? Microsoft isn't quitting there either. The next Microsoft-built Xbox is already confirmed, and it's set to contain new chips from AMD that maintain compatibility with the existing Xbox library.

To that end, Carl Ledbetter, Partner Head of Design for Xbox Devices, recently reminisced about the journey ahead of Microsoft Gaming, as Ledbetter crosses an incredible 30-year stint at Redmond.

Quick links:

1. Windows 10 and 11
2. Windows Insider Program
3. Updates are available
4. Reviews are in
5. Gaming news

Windows 11 and Windows 10

Here, we talk about everything happening around Microsoft's latest operating system in the Stable channel and preview builds: new features, removed features, controversies, bugs, interesting findings, and more. And, of course, you may find a word or two about older versions.

The August 2025 Patch Tuesday updates are now available. Windows 11 version 24H2 received KB5063878, while Windows 11 version 23H2 received KB5063875. Note that Windows 11 version 23H2 will soon be out of support. Microsoft issued a reminder that the operating system will receive its final Patch Tuesday Update in November 2025. Windows 10, on the other hand, received KB5063709. Finally, Exchange Server received a bunch of security patches, including fixes for a major cluster bug in Server 2019, and there is a new Defender update for new Windows images.

With the latest updates, Microsoft also reminded users to ignore a Windows Event Viewer error once again. Speaking of errors, Microsoft confirmed that Windows 11 KB5063878 cannot be installed. The company issued a fix for the error 0x080240069.

This week, we published a comprehensive overview of performance differences between Windows 10 and Windows 11 in 2025, and the results might give you a valid reason to leave the outgoing operating system behind and move over to Windows 11. Speaking of the outgoing stuff, check out a list of every product and service that Microsoft is discontinuing later this year.

For Windows 365 users, Microsoft announced a new Windows 365 Reserve feature, which allows deploying pre-configured cloud computers with all the necessary apps and settings so that work can continue quickly from any secondary device (using any modern browser or the Windows App) while the IT department is fixing the main devices.

Remember Microsoft removing the simplified tray area from Windows 11? You can bring it back and even add more features with a very useful Windhawk mod. The Taskbar Clock Customizer lets you change date/time format, add additional data like resource usage, display weather, and even news headlines.

Microsoft is getting rid of PowerShell 2.0. The company announced that later this month, Windows 11 version 24H2 and Windows Server 2025 will ditch the old version from the Windows 7 era. Microsoft published a blog post with all the details that you need to know about the event.

Another thing that Microsoft has gotten rid of is the ability to pause app updates in the Microsoft Store. Now, you can only pause app updates for up to 5 weeks. While Microsoft has not announced this change, it is obvious that the company has implemented it for security reasons.

While it might be a bit early to talk about Windows 12 or whatever comes after Windows 11, Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft's leader of Windows and Devices business, was interviewed about the next chapter of Windows and what he sees in the next big installment of Microsoft's operating system.

Other interesting Windows stories we published this week include an overview of Universal Paint and Usama's ramblings about Teams and what he hates and loves about Microsoft's messenger.

Windows Insider Program

Microsoft released a lot of Windows 11 preview builds this week, giving every insider something to test:

The latest Windows 11 preview builds also have some interesting and long-requested changes. Microsoft is finally fixing the operating system's underwhelming dark mode by giving common file action dialogs a fresh coat of dark paint. It is a work in progress, but we are finally getting there. What is not fixed yet is File Explorer flashing white when opening new tabs, but you can solve this problem with this simple Windhawk mod.

Also, Microsoft released a small update for Notepad, which introduced reworked context menus with easier access to common actions like copy, cut, paste, select, and delete. Pretty neat!

Other interesting discoveries include more buttons for File Explorer and a new mode for Snipping Tool that lets you annotate the screen before taking a screenshot.

Updates are available

This section covers software, firmware, and other notable updates (released and coming soon) delivering new features, security fixes, improvements, patches, and more from Microsoft and third parties.

PowerToys received a major update. Version 0.93 arrived this week with a redesigned dashboard, optimized memory consumption, and improvements for existing modules, such as Command Palette, Peek, and more.

Microsoft announced details about the end of Microsoft Edge support on Windows 10. As expected, the browser will remain supported for quite a while. According to a support document, Edge and WebView2 will stick around for the entire period of the Extended Security Updates program, which will last for three years for commercial users.

Speaking of Edge, check out an upcoming redesigned codenamed Olympia. Recent Edge Canary builds allow enabling a new interface with a heavy focus on Copilot. Olympia also has streamlined visuals for a more minimal and unique-looking experience.

An odd thing happened to Firefox this week. Users discovered that version 143 stopped working on certain Windows 10 versions. This sparked speculation about Mozilla ditching old Windows 10 releases, but the culprit was quickly found and explained by the company's engineers.

This week's Office updates include a new Excel feature that makes it easier to understand formulas. Additionally, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint are getting new brushes, while OneNote is finally getting "Paste as plain text" and improved formatting on mobile devices. Microsoft is also changing how you send emails in Outlook, bringing a new microphone indicator to Teams, and introducing the Microsoft 365 companion apps to all users.

Here are other updates and releases you may find interesting:

• Perplexity wants to buy Chrome for $34.5 billion with its $18 billion piggy bank.

• A new Exchange Privilege Escalation flaw exposes hybrid servers.

• Microsoft claims its new mssql-python driver is miles better than pyodbc.

• Microsoft ushers in the age of Universal Print anywhere with pull print functionality.

• VirtualBox 7.2 finally adds support for Windows on Arm guests.

• LibreOffice says Microsoft exploits you via vendor lock-in, offers free ODF migration guide.

• Simple Windows 11 requirements bypass app for unsupported PCs received an ISO upgrade.

   

Here are the latest drivers and firmware updates released this week:

• Nvidia 580.97 driver brings DLSS 4 support for GTA V and Senua's Saga: Hellblade II.
• Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 received a new battery-preserving feature in the latest firmware update.

On the gaming side

Learn about upcoming game releases, Xbox rumors, new hardware, software updates, freebies, deals, discounts, and more.

While Windows on ARM is not what you call a gaming platform, graphics in Snapdragon X-powered computers can run some light games. However, multiplayer games with anti-cheat software were a no-go until now. Thanks to Epic Games, Easy Anti-Cheat works on Windows on ARM.

That is not the only good news for Windows on ARM. This week, Microsoft launched a new version of the Xbox app, which finally allows you to download and play games using the Xbox app (games you own or from the Game Pass catalog). The update is currently available to Xbox PC Insiders.

Valve is preparing more updates for Steam. The company is working on redesigned store pages that will benefit users with larger monitors.

Rare released a new seasonal update for Sea of Thieves. This time, the update focuses on a new faction that players can only find during Season 17. Other additions of the season include Black Powder Barrels as the most powerful explosive, featuring a 10-second fuse for plenty of trap-laying, as well as skeleton ships, shipwrecks, and caches with plenty of smuggling goods to trade for coin.

Finally, check out this week's Weekend PC Game Deals issue, which includes indie freebies, bundled action hits, and more.

Other gaming news includes the following:

• S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is getting an Unreal Engine upgrade and a lot more in 2025.

• Sony's Helldivers and Microsoft's Spartans could soon be fighting together.

• Expanded free roam mode for Mafia: The Old Country confirmed.

• Star Citizen Alpha 4.3 landed with 100 mysterious Onyx Facilities for a new mission chain.

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Posted Monday 18 August 2025 at 2:56 am AEST (my time).

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Cloud Imperium Games has shipped a fresh content update to its in-development sci-fi RPG Star Citizen. Arriving only a couple of months after Alpha 4.2 and its radiation hazards, Alpha 4.3 is now here touting a brand-new selection of mysterious facilities for players to explore as part of the Regen Crisis storyline. The aptly named Alpha 4.3 'Dark Territory' update's trailer can be seen above.

The biggest feature of this update is the Onyx Facilities. These are a network of abandoned research stations situated all across the game's Stanton star system. Around 100 of these Associated Sciences and Development (ASD) installations have been added to the game now, which land as a part of the new investigation questline.

"It’s the same old story: scientists running amok, thinking the rules don’t apply to them," says Cloud Imperium Games, describing the lore behind the additions. "Since turning its 'expertise' to the regen crisis, ASD has been accused of horrors beyond imagining. Illegal experiments, animal torture, you name it. But pointing fingers isn’t enough - get down there and find some proof."

To begin the new mission chain, players can find Arken Mallor from Hockrow Agency, which tasks them with recovering research data. The missions that follow have players exploring the two open wings of the Onyx Facilities, which involve uncovering audio logs and solving puzzle elements. The studio says that the third wing will be made available in the upcoming Alpha 4.3.1 update.

At the same time, tuning changes have arrived for Light Fighter class ships, which include Aegis Gladius, Anvil Arrow, Anvil Hawk, Banu Defender, Esperia Talon, Vanduul Blade, Aopoa Khartu-Al, and C.O. Mustang.

Everything from their speeds and health pools to the linear and angular accelerations have all been adjusted in this update, alongside some ship-specific tweaks.

Other features of this update include the VOLT Laser Sniper "Zenith" sniper rifle that offers charged shots and a heat-sensing scope, a dynamic snow system that adjusts snowfall based on weather conditions, ladder improvements, and even three new hairstyles.

The Star Citizen Alpha 4.3: Dark Territory update is now available for all backers in the Live channel. Find the complete changelog here.

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Posted Sunday 17 August 2025 at 12:23 pm AEST (my time).

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The device integrates 800,000 lab‑grown human neurons with a silicon chip, enabling sub‑millisecond closed‑loop communication between living cells and software. It is designed for neuroscience and biotechnology research, giving scientists a new way to study how neurons adapt and respond to inputs in real time.

The neurons, reprogrammed from adult donor skin or blood cells, are kept alive for up to six months by an internal life‑support module that delivers nutrients, regulates temperature, filters waste, and maintains fluid balance. They grow across a silicon chip that sends and receives electrical impulses through the company’s Biological Intelligence Operating System (biOS), which runs a simulated environment and exchanges information directly with the cells.

The system operates without external computing hardware and has USB and peripheral ports for cameras, actuators, and other devices, as well as a touchscreen to monitor status, view live data, or run assays. It consumes 850 to 1000 watts per 30‑unit rack, far less than typical data center AI workloads.

Cortical Labs positions the CL1 as a self‑contained, plug‑and‑play platform that can be connected to other systems for broader testing. It offers programmable stimulation and read interfaces for neural communication and learning, and is promoted as an ethically preferable alternative to animal testing by providing more relevant human neuron data. The platform is also intended to support long‑term experiments with minimal inputs and low energy needs.

The first 115 units are shipping this summer at $35,000 each, or $20,000 per unit in 30‑unit server racks. A cloud‑based “wetware‑as‑a‑service” Cortical Cloud subscription costs $300 per week per unit , allowing remote access to in‑house cultures.

Chief Scientific Officer Brett Kagan explains that brain cells communicate by generating small electrical pulses, and the CL1 mimics this by sending electrical signals that represent bits of information, then reading the neuronal responses. Sub‑millisecond loops allow the system to read, act, and write new information in real time.

For biomedical research, the CL1 can model conditions like epilepsy and Alzheimer’s by using neurons from different donors or cell lines to identify genetic links or individual differences. Kagan notes that many neuropsychiatric drugs fail in clinical trials because standard models cannot replicate how human neurons handle live information, and that the CL1 enables tests of computation and cell function in tandem. In one study using an in vitro epilepsy model, CL1 restored learning capacity to impaired cultures after treatment with antiepileptic drugs.

The CL1 builds on Cortical Labs’ earlier DishBrain prototype, which trained neurons to play Pong. The new device increases input channels from 8 to 59 and cuts latency from 5 milliseconds to less than 1 millisecond. Experiments with DishBrain showed neurons learning within minutes and sometimes outperforming AI algorithms in efficiency.

The work applied Karl Friston’s free‑energy principle to probe active inference in biological neural systems. Friston calls the CL1 an enabling tool for studying how neuronal circuits learn and adapt in closed‑loop exchanges with simulated worlds, describing it as a long‑imagined “brain in a vat.”

Cortical Labs says neuron production scales efficiently, with hundreds of millions achievable without major changes to the process, though scaling to billions would require different technology. Buyers must have ethical approval for generating cell lines and a suitable lab environment. The company’s long‑term aim is to advance bioengineered intelligence that combines the adaptability, regeneration, and efficiency of biology with controllability and safety, and potentially exceed current biological or silicon‑based systems.

Source: Cortical Labs, IEEE Spectrum

This article was generated with some help from AI and reviewed by an editor. Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, this material is used for the purpose of news reporting. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

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Posted Saturday 16 August 2025 at 6:03 pm AEST (my time).

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Surface Pro 11 users just saw the battery life of their PC cut in half. An issue causes the battery life of affected devices to be capped at 50% and does not present an option to restore normal battery functionality.

The issue was flagged by a Surface Pro 11 user:

"'Battery Limit' mode has been removed from the UEFI on my Surface Pro (11th edition) and it still only charges up to 50 %. It seems last week there was an update (firmware update?) and the system still seems to be enforcing the 50 % limit automatically based on firmware behavior—even without a visible toggle."

Others in that thread have experienced the same problem.

Microsoft is investigating the issue. The bug appears to be connected to the "Battery Limit" option that can be enabled on certain Surface devices.

Normally, that option would have a toggle to be enabled or disabled, but a bug has caused that toggle to disappear.

The issue has caused frustration among users. "TJ" in the thread mentioned above said:

A significant number of games on MacBooks with a display notch are rendering blurry due to a resolution issue thanks to a two-year-old bug that Apple already knows about. The problem occurs because games have the wrong output resolution for the available screen area if they are using the full-screen AppKit APIs.

Apple is aware of the issue because the bug report, FB13375033, was submitted to the iPhone maker back in September 2023, and it remains open. The issue doesn’t affect all games, notably Cyberpunk: 2077 and World of Warcraft, but other games default to the wrong resolution, including No Man’s Sky, Riven, and Stray. The issue was refocused on by Colin Cornaby who builds software on Mac. He said that while game developers can try to address the issue themselves, it’s ultimately up to Apple to provide a proper fix.

The first thing to explain about MacBooks with a notch is that they’re divided into three sections. You have the full bounds of the display which includes the entire display area, including the menu and areas around the notch. Next is the safe area of the display which is the area of the display directly below the notch. Finally, the full screen area extends from under the menu bar, while the safe area extends from below the notch.

There is a function called CGDisplayCopyAllDisplayModes which returns a single list of resolutions for developers to access so that their game can be set to the correct resolution, unfortunately, it mixes those of the full display and those for the usable full screen area with some games defaulting to the incorrect full display resolution resulting in squashed and blurry images because it includes the notch area where games cannot draw.

Thankfully, users can run the games in 16:10 ratio to address the issue temporarily. As mentioned, No Man’s Sky, Riven, and Stray all default to the wrong resolution, another game that does this is Shadow of the Tomb Raider. One game that has a unique fix to the problem is Control Ultimate Edition, which avoids the problem by providing its own hardcoded list of resolutions, but lacks a native one. Cyberpunk 2077 is able to default to the correct 16:10 resolution, and World of Warcraft, which uses a legacy full-screen API, that allows it to draw into the notched area, works correctly too. It’s not clear how the Cyberpunk 2077 developers get the resolution correctly.

Cornaby believes that Apple should be the one to fix the issue, rather than developers patching their games to address the problem. He recommends that Apple updates its Human Interface Guidelines (HIG) to provide guidance on the notch, and update its Game Porting Toolkit samples to include best practices. He also says that the CGDisplayMode API should be updated to allow developers to filter the resolution list for full-screen apps. He also says that Apple could build a new, gaming-centric API to handle the issue.

Given that the issue has been known for two years, hopefully Apple can update its software so that users get a better gaming experience out of the box.

Source: Random Thoughts

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Posted Saturday 16 August 2025 at 5:03 am AEST (my time).

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MicroSD cards are tiny but slow; the M.2 storage sticks in your PC are blazing fast but bigger and fully enclosed. Now, a new type of SSD out of China could be the best of both worlds — and it’s already set to appear in two cutting-edge gaming portables.

Chinese storage manufacturer Biwin is calling it the “Mini SSD,” though another manufacturer refers to it as the “1517”; it measures just 15mm x 17mm x 1.4mm thick, smaller than a U.S. penny and just slightly larger than MicroSD. Despite that, it offers maximum sequential read speeds of 3,700 megabytes per second (or 3,400MB/s writes) over a PCIe 4x2 connection, and offers 512GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities.

Image via GPD

 

Image via GPD

 

To put that in context, the new MicroSD Express cards that work with the Nintendo Switch 2 top out at a theoretical 985MB/s, less than a third the speed. And while a full-size SD Express card could theoretically beat Mini SSD at 3,940MB/s, it would be nearly twice the size of Biwin’s creation.

The nano-SIMs used in recent smartphones are still smaller, though, and M.2 drives are still faster. I whipped up a quick chart so you can easily compare various storage cards and SIMs:

It’s not clear if Biwin’s Mini SSD is a true standard that other storage makers can easily adopt. But the company’s marketing it for laptops, tablets, phones, cameras and more, with its own dedicated slot that works exactly like smartphone SIM card slots: stick in a pin to remove the tray.

Image: Biwin

 

The company claims IP68 water and dust resistance, which could be handy for phones in particular, and three-meter drop resistance.

Two cutting-edge Chinese gaming portables already appear to be customers, both of which made announcements at ChinaJoy this past week. There’s the GPD Win 5, the monster battery backpack wielding Strix Halo handheld we told you about in July, which you can see with the new SSD in the video atop this story.

OneNetbook’s upcoming OneXPlayer Super X hybrid laptop/tablet, which has the same Strix Halo chip, is also now advertising a dedicated “card slot” for a mini SSD.

We don’t have any idea of pricing on these new SSDs, and have seen no product listings for them yet.

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Posted Friday 15 August 2025 at 1:33 pm AEST (my time).

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ESR is a popular accessories vendor that sells numerous types of hardware, including MagSafe-compatible power banks, wallets, cases, keyboards, and more. Its products are primarily geared towards Apple customers who want accessories at a cheaper price than first-party options. However, ESR customers are in for a bit of a shock today as the company has recalled thousands of power banks due to the risk of fires and burns.

There are three ESR HaloLock wireless power banks in question that are being recalled, namely the 2G520, 2G505B, and 2G512B. They can be identified through the model number printed on the right side of the device, with the "ESR" logo emblazoned on the back.

ESR has received nine reports of these lithium-ion power banks catching fire and exploding, causing property damage worth roughly $20,000. Fortunately, there have been no reports of injuries or loss of lives. It appears that the batteries overheat due to a manufacturing fault, which results in a fire in some extreme cases.

33,000 power banks sold between September 2023 and July 2025 in the U.S. and Canada are impacted. They were typically sold on Amazon, Home Depot, and ESR's own website for $32-$40. Customers have been requested to stop using the faulty devices immediately and email ESR support their order number and a photo of the power bank with a visible model number and "Recalled" written on it with a permanent marker to initiate their refund process.

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) has requested customers not to just throw away the power banks in regular waste processes like the household dustbin, but to contact your municipal household hazardous waste (HHW) collection center to find out if they will take lithium-ion batteries. If they do not, the authority has asked those impacted to directly contact their municipality for further guidance.

ESR has also set up a dedicated recall page, indicating that full refunds are being offered through WayMeet Limited. That said, it has not yet announced what customers in regions other than the U.S. or Canada should do. The company says that it is conducting a "thorough assessment" in other regions, but has not announced a recall there yet.

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Posted Friday 15 August 2025 at 1:32 pm AEST (my time).

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But what exactly is Universal Print?

As previously stated, Universal Print is a cloud-powered printing solution geared towards Microsoft 365 enterprise customers. It eradicates the need for print servers, just like OneDrive got rid of traditional file servers. The selling point for organizations is that they don't need to worry about managing printing infrastructure, which is an important component for many companies, and just focus on more critical stuff.

While many organizations don't factor this in when evaluating their cybersecurity posture, it is also important to keep in mind that printers can serve as an attack layer surface for malicious actors. We already saw an example of this with hundreds of Brother printer models being vulnerable to threats recently, and the problem is only further exacerbated if this piece of hardware communicates with the internet in an unsafe way.

Universal Print acts as a scalable and secure solution that firms can rely upon for their printing needs through a centralized and distributed infrastructure with a simplified user interface, not only for users, but also for IT admins.

So it's a cloud-based printing solution, but what are the benefits?

The fact that Universal Print is cloud-based means that it can leverage all of the benefits that a typical cloud solution built by Microsoft takes advantage of. For admins, this includes a centralized management portal, which allows admins to manage printers even across geographical boundaries and a hardened security infrastructure that protects other Microsoft services too. Cloud identities can easily be managed through Entra ID integration, and the solution already complies with several regulatory requirements, including SOC, ISO 27001/2 and 27018, and FedRAMP.

But perhaps the biggest benefit for IT admins is the removal of print servers and print drivers. This is infrastructure that is difficult to maintain and keep updated, and Universal Print gets rid of it completely. This is because Universal Print is built upon IPP and Mopria standards, so it can communicate and troubleshoot with internet-connected printers from Brother, Canon, Epson, HP, Fujifilm, and more without any extra effort. It also follows a continuous delivery model, so it can take advantage of the regular security and quality updates that Microsoft delivers regularly. Just a couple of days ago, the Redmond tech firm announced the general availability of "pull print" for its Universal Print anywhere solution.

Of course, there are multiple benefits in tow for end-users too, but the primary selling point is that it just works. For the end-user, printing works exactly as-is, as the service offers integration with major endpoints like Windows, macOS, and the web, without requiring VPNs. They don't need to find time to set up a new printer and install drivers, and can instead just focus on getting their documents printed from a Universal Print printer that is closest to them. All of this amounts to cost reductions, not only through fewer man-hours required to calibrate printing software, but also due to low infrastructure requirements since almost everything is managed directly by Microsoft.

Why should I use Universal Print rather than any other solution?

Universal Print isn't the only cloud-powered printing solution on the market. In fact, there are various others like PaperCut, Printix, and UniPrint. However, whether you end up choosing Universal Print all boils down to how well-entrenched your organization is in the Microsoft ecosystem.

This is because Universal Print offers native integration with operating systems and endpoints like Windows, OneDrive, Excel, macOS, and Intune. It's also built on the same platform as other Microsoft products so that you can expect the same level of high availability, security, and scalability. It also supports a hybrid mechanism since some advanced functionality is not supported by Mopria standards, so printer OEMs can develop Print Support Apps (PSAs) that enable this functionality in Universal Print in a secure way. Custom functionality can also be extended through the Graph API.

What else do I need to know about Universal Print?

Universal Print is a reliable and diverse solution in many ways, but it is not dirt-cheap. For commercial customers, some monthly print jobs are already bundled by default in the following way:

A single print job can be a document with any number of pages, any formatting, and any number of copies. It gets counted when the job is delivered to a Universal Print printer, and after that, it doesn't matter if it did not complete because of the paper getting jammed or the user not picking up the printed documents. 500 additional print jobs can be purchased for $25/month, while 10,000 print jobs can be yours for $300/month. This can be expensive for customers who have relatively small revenue streams but high printing volumes.

If you're an IT admin who is interested in getting started with Universal Print, head over to Microsoft's detailed configuration guidance here.

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Posted Friday 15 August 2025 at 4:43 am AEST (my time).

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Microsoft originally encouraged its employees to work from home amid the coronavirus outbreak in 2020. This new flexible working arrangement then became an official “hybrid workplace” policy several months after the pandemic began, allowing managers to approve permanent remote work. Now that the pandemic has settled into endemicity, Microsoft wants employees to return to the office. And if some quit in response, well, that’s probably exactly what Microsoft is expecting.

Much like Amazon or Google before it, Microsoft is preparing a mandatory return-to-office policy, according to sources familiar with the company’s plans. Rumors of the return-to-office policy first emerged a few weeks ago internally at Microsoft, leading to plenty of speculation among employees. A recent Experiences + Devices all-hands call revealed that Microsoft’s senior leadership team is working on “some guidance” that will be announced to employees in the coming weeks.

I understand that Microsoft is preparing to announce a mandatory return to office of three days a week. The policy will apply to those who live within 50 miles of Microsoft’s Redmond campus, and some teams at Microsoft may even return for four or five days. Those individual team decisions will be made by executive vice presidents, and I understand that employees will also be able to apply for exceptions.

More than half of Microsoft’s 228,000 employees are in the US, and most of that 125,000 are located near the company’s Redmond campus just outside of Seattle, so this policy will affect a lot of Microsoft employees. Business Insider first reported the rumors of a return-to-office policy last week, and I understand it will be announced in September and then implemented in late January.

On that same Experiences + Devices all-hands call, Microsoft said that employees who spend three or four days in the office have higher Thriving Scores — a metric that measures employee well-being. Microsoft has been increasingly integrating the Thrive Global tool into Microsoft Teams, and using it to gauge how employees are feeling through questionnaires.

Scott Guthrie, executive vice president of Microsoft’s cloud and AI group, told employees last year that the company wasn’t changing its return-to-office policy unless productivity dropped. Microsoft has continued to post impressive earnings results over the past five years, even driving the company to a $3 trillion market cap recently — so productivity clearly hasn’t been a huge issue.

I’ve spoken to dozens of Microsoft employees in recent weeks about the upcoming return-to-office policy, and there’s a real split of opinion on it. Some employees are concerned about a mandatory return, especially given the local road traffic problems and the amount of time lost in travel.

Others are worried about Microsoft not having enough space for everyone to return at the same time, despite the company’s $5 billion headquarters expansion. Microsoft has vacated lots of spaces in Bellevue in recent years, including the 27-story City Center building, the two Bravern office towers, and the Advanta campus. It has also given up space in Redmond, in efforts to cut the costs associated with office space that isn’t being used as regularly anymore.

Microsoft’s campus renovation includes 17 new buildings to replace 12 old buildings and hold 8,000 additional employees. Seven buildings are now open, with others under construction or on hold. It’s still not clear when Microsoft will complete its sprawling campus overhaul, as the company hasn’t put a firm end date on construction.

This potential lack of space is already being felt by some employees who are using the office space regularly. Some teams have desks assigned to individuals, and others are hot-desking. One source tells me there often aren’t enough focus rooms for online meetings and some rooms aren’t large enough for bigger meetings. In some buildings, Microsoft has been squeezing in so many employees that they’ve run out of power, I’m told. Despite this, I understand Microsoft is aiming to provide dedicated desks to support employees returning for three days a week.

Other Redmond employees welcome the return-to-office policy, having spent the past few years working in vacant offices with empty cafeterias or half-empty connector buses around campus. I visit Microsoft’s campus regularly every year for product briefings and launch events, and it’s been eerily quiet recently — particularly with the empty, unfinished buildings.

It’s clear to me from talking to Microsoft employees that most will agree that this could be seen as a type of stealth layoff, months after around 15,000 roles were cut. Morale is already at an all-time low inside Microsoft, and if you’re not happy about returning to the office three days a week and you can’t get an exception, then that makes it difficult to continue at the company. It also seems like an easy way for Microsoft’s management teams to weed out “rest and vest” employees that are coasting along.

Microsoft’s return-to-office policy could also shape remote or hybrid working for other companies. Microsoft made a big deal about its hybrid workplace when it started reopening its headquarters, and it also marketed Microsoft Teams on the basis of being a tool that could help with the tension of meetings that include remote and in-person attendees. Before AI became Microsoft’s new focus, it even held a special “Windows Powers the Future of Hybrid Work” event.

A lot of companies followed Microsoft’s lead on remote work, and they may now be looking at its mandatory three-day return and thinking it’s a tacit admission that Teams doesn’t always work for everyone — especially if you’re a junior employee and you need to get face-to-face time with colleagues. Microsoft isn’t going quite as far as Amazon’s full return, or Google’s policy to force some remote workers to come back three days a week or lose their jobs, but it may well help revise a standard that many companies are already following.

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Posted Friday 15 August 2025 at 4:40 am AEST (my time).

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RIP Matrix